From India to the Planet Mars: A Case of Multiple Personality with Imaginary Languages 9781400872831

Citation preview

F ro m In d ia to th e P la n e t M ars

F ro m In d ia to th e P la n e t M ars A C A S E O F M U L T IP L E P E R S O N A L IT Y W I T H IM A G IN A R Y L A N G U A G E S

Theodore Flournoy

W ith a Forew ord by C . G. Ju n g and C om m entary by M ireille Cifali E d ited and In tro d u ced by Sonu Sham dasani

PRINCETON PRINCETON,

UNIVERSITY NEW

JERSEY

PRESS

P u b lis h e d b y P rin c e to n U n iv e rsity P re ss, 41 W illia m S tr e e t, P rin c e to n , N e w J e rs e y 08540 In th e U n ite d K in g d o m : P rin c e to n U n iv e rsity P re ss , C h ic h e s te r, W est S ussex O rig in a lly p u b lis h e d in 1899; E n g lish tra n s la tio n b y D a n ie l B. V e rm ily e p u b lis h e d in 1901 N e w in tr o d u c tio n b y S o n u S h a m d a sa n i is c o p y rig h t © 1994 b y P rin c e to n U n iv e rsity P re ss All R ig lits R e se rv e d

L ib ra ry o f C ongress C ataloging In Publication Data F lo u rn o y , T h e o d o r e , 1854—1920. [ D e s I n d e s a la p la n e te M ars. E n g lish l F ro m I n d ia to th e p la n e t M ars : a c ase o f m u ltip le p e rs o n a lity w ith im a g in ary la n g u a g e s / b y T h e o d o re F lo u rn o y ; w ith a p re fa c e b y C . G . J u n g a n d c o m m e n ta ry by M ire ilie C ifali ; e d ite d a n d in tro d u c e d by S o n u S h a m d a sa n i. p. cm . O rig in a lly p u b lis h e d : N e w York : H a r p e r & B ro s., 1900. In c lu d e s b ib lio g ra p h ic a l re fe re n c e s . IS B N 0 -6 9 1 -0 3 4 0 7 -9 ( C L ) - I S B N 0-691-00101-4 (PA) I. S m ith , H e le n e , d . 1929. 2. M e d iu m s'— S w itz e rla n d — G e n e v a — C a se s tu d ie s . 3. P a ra p sy c h o lo g y — In v e stig a tio n . I. C ifali, M ire ille . II. S h a m d a s a n i, S o n u 1 1962— III. T itle . B F 1 2 8 3 . S 6 1 8 F 5 6 1 3 1994 1 3 3 .8 Ό 9 2 — dc20 [BI 9 3-45446 F ir s t P rin c e to n P a p e rb a c k p rin tin g , 1994 P rin c e to n U n iv e rsity P re s s b o o k s a re p r in te d o n a cid -free p a p e r a n d m e e t th e g u id e lin e s fo r p e r m a n e n c e a n d d u ra b ility o f th e C o m m itte e on P ro d u c tio n G u id e lin e s for B ook L o n g e v ity o f th e C o u n c il o n L ib ra ry R e so u rc es 10

9

8

7

6

5

4 3 2 1

P r in te d in t h e U n ite d S ta te s o f A m e ric a

T able o f C o n te n ts

E ditorial N ote (1994)

vii

Foreword T heodore Flournoy, by C.G. Jung

ix

Introduction E n co u n terin g H elene: T heodore Flournoy and th e G enesis of Sublim inal Psychology, by Sonu Sham dasani

xi

Preface

3

C h apter O ne

Introduction

9

C h apter Two

C hildhood and Youth of M ile. Sm ith

17

C h apter Three

M ile. Sm ith Since H e r Initiation into Spiritism

28

C h apter Four

T he Personality of L eopold

51

C h a p t e r F iv e

The M artian Cycle

87

C h a p t e r S ix

T he M artian Cycle (Continued): The M artian Language

123

C h a pt e r Se v e n

T he M artian Cycle (Concluded): T he U ltra-M artian

165

C h a p t e r E ig h t

T he H indoo Cycle

173

C h a p t e r N in e

The Royal Cycle

210

C h a p t e r TL n

Supernorm al A ppearances

223

C h apter E leven

C onclusion

265

Appendix One T h e M ak in g o f M artian : T h e C re a tio n o f an Im ag in a ry L an g u ag e, by M ireille Cifali

Appendix Two P assages A b rid g e d from th e 1900 T ranslation

269

E ditorial N o te (1994)

Des Indes ά la Planete Mars: E tude su r un cas de som nam bulism e avec glossolalie was published at th e e n d of 1899. It was translated into English in the following year by D aniel B. Vermilye, u n d e r th e title From In d ia to the Planet Mars: A S tu d y o f a Case o f Som nam bul­ ism w ith Glossolalia, (New York, H arp er & Brothers). Unfortunately, the latte r was, w ithout indication, an abridgem ent. T he 1994 edition re p ro ­ duces this translation. In addition, Flournoy’s preface, w hich was om itted from it, has b e e n newly translated and restored, to g eth er w ith th e bulk of the om itted passages, w hich have b een placed in an appendix. An asterisk in th e text (*) indicates th at the consecutive passage is in appendix 2. The translator’s introduction to the 1900 edition has in tu rn b een om itted. C. G. Jung’s trib u te to Flournoy has b een included as a preface and is published in English for the first tim e. This was originally an appendix to th e G erm an edition of Jung’s M em ories, D ream s, Reflections: Errinerungen, Traume, G edanken von C. G. Jung, w hich was not included in th e English edition. It is published w ith the perm ission of th e Jung estate. M ireille Cifali’s com m entary "La Fabrication du M artien : G enese d ’une Langue Im aginaire,” originally appeared in Langages 91 (1988), and has be e n translated and included in an appendix. T hese changes have occasioned a new subtitle, A Case o f M ultiple Per­ sonality w ith Im aginary Languages, to differentiate this edition from ear­ lier editions, and to indicate the contem porary contexts that the text resituates itself w ithin, w hich are explored in th e introduction and appendix. T h e o d o r e F l o u r n o y ’s

Sonu Sham dasani

F o re w o rd T h e o d o re F lo u rn o y 1 C. G. Ju n g

D u r i n g th e tim e of my relationship to F re u d I found a fatherly friend in T heodore Flournoy. H e was already an old m an w hen I got to know him . U nfortunately he died only a few years later. As I was still a doctor at the Burghdlzli w hen I read his book, F rom India to the Planet M ars, it m ade a great im pression on m e. I w rote to Flournoy that I w anted to translate it into G erm an. It was after half a year that I received his reply, in w hich he apologized for having let my question lie unansw ered for so long. To my regret, he had already appointed another translator.2 L ater I visited him in G eneva, and as I gradually recognized w here F re u d ’s lim its lay, I w ent to him from tim e to tim e, and I talked w ith him. It was im portant to m e to h e a r w hat he thought of F reu d , and he said very intelligent things about him . M ost of all, he put his finger on F re u d ’s rationalism , w hich m ade m uch of him understandable, as well as explain­ ing his onesidedness. In 1912 I induced Flournoy to atten d the congress in M unich, at which th e break b etw een F re u d and m yself took place. His presence was an im portant support for me. I had th e feeling in those years— and especially after th e parting of ways w ith F re u d — that I was still too young to be in d ep en d en t. I still n e e d ed support, and above all som eone w ith whom I could talk openly. This I found in Flournoy, and therefore he soon rep re sen te d to m e a kind of counterpoise to F reud. W ith him I could really discuss all th e problem s th at scientifically occupied m e— for exam ple, on som nam bulism , on para­ psychology, and th e psychology of religion. I had no one else who shared my in terests in these m atters. Flournoy’s views lay com pletely in my line and gave m e m any a suggestion. His concept of th e "im agination crea trice ,” w hich particularly in te rested m e, was an idea I adopted from him . I learned a great deal from him — above all, the way and m anner to consider a p atient, th e loving absorption in its history. This was how I borrow ed one of his cases, nam ely that of Miss M iller in Transform ations and Sym bols o f the Libido (1912), and subjected it to a careful analysis. 1 F rom E rinnerungen , T raum e, G edanken von C. G. J u n g , A ufgezeichnicht und herausgegeben von A niela JafFe, (Olten: W alter-Verlag, 1988), pp. 378—79. 2 [It was only in 1914 that an anonym ous G erm an translation a p p eared — E d .]

I h a d lo n g b e e n in te re s te d in th e c o n n e c tio n s o f th e fantasy p ro d u c ts o f sch iz o p h re n ic s, a n d F lo u rn o y h e lp e d m e to u n d e rs ta n d th e m b e tte r. H e saw th e p ro b le m s w h o le, a n d above all saw th e m objectively. To him , th e facts w e re im p o rta n t, w h a t to o k place. H e w e n t a t a case w ith th e u tm o st ca u tio n a n d n e v e r lo st sig h t o f th e w h o le. M y fu n d a m e n ta l im p ressio n o f F lo u rn o y ’s scien tific a ttitu d e w as th a t h e h ad a tru ly “o b je c tiv e ” ap p ro ach , a n d by c o m p a riso n w ith F r e u d th a t s e e m e d to m e a v ery g re a t m e rit. F r e u d h a d a d y n a m ic a n d p e n e tr a tin g way: h e e x p e c te d so m e th in g from h is cases. F lo u rn o y w a n te d n o th in g . H e saw w ith d e ta c h m e n t, and saw clearly. U n d e r th e in flu e n c e o f F r e u d I a c q u ire d k n o w led g e , b u t n o th in g b e c a m e clear. F lo u rn o y ta u g h t m e to m a in ta in a d ista n c e b e tw e e n m y self a n d th e o b je c t, a n d s u p p o rte d m e in th e effort to classify a n d m ain tain th in g s in a b ro a d h o rizo n . H is m e th o d was m o re d e sc rip tiv e , w ith o u t le t­ tin g in su p p o sitio n s, a n d in sp ite o f a w arm a n d lively in te re s t in th e p a tie n t, h e alw ays h e ld h im s e lf a t a c o n sid e ra b le d istan ce . T h u s h e n e v e r lo st sig h t o f th e w hole. F lo u rn o y w as a c u ltiv a te d a n d d is tin g u is h e d perso n ality , v e ry finely e d ­ u c a te d , in te lle c tu a lly b alan c ed , a n d w ith a d iffe re n tia te d se n se o f p ro p o r­ tio n . All th is was v ery b en e ficial for m e. H e w as a p ro fe sso r o f p h ilo so p h y a n d psychology. H e w as stro n g ly in flu e n c e d by Jam esian p ra g m a tism — a v ie w p o in t th a t is u n c o n g e n ia l to th e G e rm a n s p irit a n d has th e re fo re no t b e e n g iv en th e a tte n tio n it d e se rv e s. B ut p ra g m a tism is esp ecially for p sy ch o lo g y n o t o f little im p o rta n c e . W h a t I esp e cially e s te e m e d in F lo u r­ no y w as h is p h ilo so p h ic a l m a n n e r o f co n sid e ra tio n a n d above all his c riti­ cal ju d g e m e n t, w h ich w as fo u n d e d on a c o m p re h e n siv e c u ltu re . T ra n sla te d b y Sonu Sham dasan i

I n tro d u c tio n E n c o u n te rin g H e le n e

Theodore Flournoy and the Genesis o f Subliminal Psychology Sonu Shamdasani

E

nter

th e

M

e d iu m s

In th e sean ces at th e fin d e siecle, w o m en b e c a m e m e n a n d m en b ec am e w o m en . T h e re was no lim it to w ho o n e co u ld b e o r to how many. T e rre s­ trials a n d e x tra te rre s tria ls sw ap p e d places a n d ex c h an g ed n o te s on th e ir h ab itatio n s. P lato a n d S ocrates re tu r n e d to offer co u rses in p o stm o rte m d ialectics. T h e d e p a rte d r e tu r n e d to re p le d g e th e ir loves a n d c o n tin u e th e ir in trig u e s. E v id e n tly th e sp irits h ad a ra th e r th e a tric a l w ay about th e m a n d a ta s te for th e d e c id e d ly cam p, n o t to m e n tio n for black com edy. L in g u istic a n d a e s th e tic form s w e re b ro k e n , w h ich p aved th e way for th e a rtistic con v u lsio n s th a t w e re to com e. R eligious dogm as cam e crash in g dow n as n e w c re e d s w e re an n o u n c e d . B efore te lec o m m u n ica tio n s, th e m e ­ d iu m s w e re te le p a th ic tra n sa tla n tic o p e ra to rs, co n n e c tin g p a rty lines b e ­ tw e e n th e liv in g a n d th e d ead . E v en th e n , th e sw itch b o ard s w e re ja m m e d . T im e a n d space co u p le d in new, u n fo re se e n co m b in atio n s. P h ilo so p h ers w o n d e re d ab o u t th e effects o f th e s e rap p in g s on th e c reak in g s tru c tu re s o f philosophy. T h e effects w e re felt as far away as th e ra p e u tic c o n su ltin g room s; y e t h e re , if a su b je c t spoke, w ro te , o r acted , it so u g h t no therapy. T h e re w as no d e s ire to e n d th e tra n c e , a n d for a w h ile psychology its e lf was e n tra n c e d . Psych o lo g y

at the

Seance

At e n d o f th e n in e te e n th cen tu ry , m an y o f th e lead in g psy ch o lo g ists— F re u d , Ju n g , F e re n c z i, B leu ler, Jam es, M yers, Jan e t, B ergson, S tan ley Hall, Schrenck-N otzing, M oll, D essoir, R ichet, and F lournoy— freq u en ted m ed iu m s. I t is h a rd to d ay to im ag in e th a t som e o f th e m ost crucial q u e s ­ tio n s o f th e “n e w ” psychology w e re p lay ed ou t in th e sean ce, n o r how such m e n co u ld h ave b e e n so fa scin ated b y th e sp irits. W h a t took place in th e sean ces e n th ra lle d th e lea d in g m in d s o f th e tim e, a n d h ad a crucial b e a r­ in g on m an y o f th e m o st significant asp ects o f tw e n tie th -c e n tu ry psy­ chology, ling u istics, philosophy, psychoanalysis, lite ra tu re , a n d p ain tin g ,

n o t to m e n tio n p sy ch ical re se a rc h . F o r a w h ile c ru cial issu es in th e s e d isc ip lin e s fo u n d th e m se lv e s p la y e d ou t in th e tra n s p o rts o f th e m e d iu m is tic tra n c e . A fo rm o f tra n sv a lu a tio n to o k p lace. In p sy ch o lo g y ’s e n c o u n te r w ith th e sea n ce, th e r e is o n e re m a rk a b le te x t t h a t sta n d s o u t a m o n g th e m all. A t th e close o f 1899 a b o o k a p p e a re d b e a rin g th e im p ro b a b le title F r o m In d ia to th e P la n e t M a rs: A S tu d y o f a C ase o f S o m n a m b u lism w ith G lossolalia. I t s ta g e d th e im p ro b a b le e n ­ c o u n te r b e tw e e n tw o p ro ta g o n ists a n d th e “su b lim in a l ro m a n c e s ” th a t e n v e lo p e d th e m . S he was E lis e M u ller, sh o p girl, M arie A n to in e tte , th e p rin c e s s S im a n d in i, a n d a re g u la r v isito r to M ars: u n d e r h is gaze, sh e b e c a m e H e le n e S m ith , im m o rta liz e d as a psy ch o lo g ical case h is to ry o f m u ltip le p erso n ality . H e w as T h e o d o re F lou rn o y , p sy ch o lo g ist, p ro fesso r, a n d sc ie n tist: u n d e r h e r gaze h e b e c a m e h e r fo rm e r love, th e p rin c e S iv ro u k a. T h e r e is to d ay n o school o f F lo u rn o y ia n psychology, n o tra in in g in sti­ tu te s th a t b e a r his n am e. F u rth e rm o re , h e is u su ally a b s e n t from h isto rie s o f p sy ch o lo g y in th e E n g lish -sp e a k in g w o rld , a n d th e te rm “su b lim in al p sy ch o lo g y ” d o es n o t e v e n fe a tu re in d ictio n aries. I t is s ta rtlin g to re a liz e th a t a g re a t d e a l o f w h a t w as su p p o se d ly d isco v ered b y F r e u d a n d J u n g was a lre a d y p r e s e n t in th e w o rk o f F lou rn o y , w h ich , m o reo v e r, is ex­ tre m e ly p e r ti n e n t to so m e o f th e m o st vex in g issu es in p sy ch o lo g y today. B

e c o m in g

S iv

ro u k a

1

F lo u rn o y w as b o rn o n A u g u st 13, 1854, tw o y ea rs b e fo re F re u d . L ik e J a n e t, h e h a d th e b e n e fit o f b o th a m ed ica l a n d a p h ilo so p h ic a l fo rm a tio n .2 In 1878 h e re c e iv e d his M .D . from th e U n iv e rsity o f S tra sb o u rg . H e th e n w e n t to L e ip z ig w h e re h e s tu d ie d e x p e rim e n ta l p sy ch o lo g y w ith W ilh e lm W u n d t for tw o y ears. F o rtu ito u sly , th is c o in c id e d w ith W u n d t’s fo u n d in g o f th e p sy ch o lo g ical la b o ra to ry a t th e U n iv e rsity o f L eip zig . O n F lo u rn o y ’s r e tu r n , as H e n ri E lIe n b e rg e r p u ts it, h e “in tro d u c e d psy ch o lo g ical sci­ e n c e in to S w itz e rla n d .”3 In 1891 h e was a p p o in te d p ro fe sso r o f p sy ch o p h y sio lo g y a t th e U n iv e r­ sity o f G e n e v a . A t his in siste n c e h e was p lace d in th e F acu lty o f S cien ces, 1 F o r th e b e s t w o rk to d a te o n F lo u rn o y , s e e M ire ille C ifali, “T h e o d o r e F lo u rn o y , la d e e o u v e r te d e l ’in c o n s c ie n t,” L e B lo c -N o te s d e la p sy c h a n a ly se 3 (1983): pp. 111—31, w h ic h to g e th e r w ith t h e r e is s u e o f t h e o rig in a l e d itio n o f F lo u rn o y ’s D e s Incles a la P landte M a rs (Paris: S e u il, 1983), can b e sa id to m a rk th e a d v e n t o f th e n e w F lo u rn o y sc h o larsh ip . 2 T h e b e s t s tu d y o f F lo u rn o y ’s e a rly fo rm atio n is R. G o ld sm ith , “T h e L ife a n d W ork o f T h e o d o re F lo u rn o y ,” P h .D . th e s is , M ic h ig a n S ta te U niv ersity , 1979. T h is s tu d y is th e m o s t c o m p re h e n s iv e w o rk o n F lo u rn o y in E n g lish to d a te , a n d d e s e rv e s to b e b e tt e r know n. 3 E lle n b e r g e r , "T h e S c o p e o f Sw iss P sy c h ia try ” (1957), in B e y o n d th e U nconscious: E ssa y s o f H e n ri F. E lle n h e r g e r in th e H is to r y o f P sy c h ia try , e d . M a rk S. M icaIe (P rin c e to n : P rin c e ­ to n U n iv e rs ity P re ss , 1993), p. 181.

ra th e r th a n th e F acu lty o f Philosophy. T h e follow ing y e a r h e fo u n d e d a p sychological lab o ra to ry at th e U n iv ersity o f G eneva. H ow ever, it was n o t as an e x p e rim e n ta l p sychologist th a t F lo u rn o y was to m ake his m ark. In an alm o st id e n tic a l m a n n e r as his lifelong frie n d W illiam Jam es, F lo u rn o y q u ick ly b e c a m e d isaffected by th e lim itatio n s o f lab o ra to ry psychology a n d y e a rn e d for a psych o lo g y th a t w ould e m b ra ce th e w hole personality, in clu d in g its tra n s c e n d e n t d im en sio n s. T h e issu e for F lo u rn o y was how to g e t th e re . In 1896, in an article on th e psychological laboratory, F lo u rn o y n o ted : an hour passed in th e nursery or at a so-called spiritist seance p oses m any m ore psychological prob lem s, and m ore vital ones, w hich one w ouldn’t resolve in several years con secrated to specifically la b o ra to ry w ork.4

Ps y c h o l o g y

in

Need

of a

Su b je c t

F o r p sy ch o lo g y to estab lish itself, it re q u ir e d su b jects. A p p lican ts for th e ro le o f p rin c ip a l su b je c t w e re d u ly forth co m in g , in clu d in g th e h y ste ric , th e crim in al, th e g en iu s, th e m en tally d efectiv e, th e child, a n d th e m e ­ d iu m , n o t to m e n tio n th e frog. I t is h a rd to im ag in e th a t th e m e d iu m p lay ed a sim ilar role to th a t p lay ed in p sy ch o lo g y today b y th e child. T his was p rin cip a lly d u e to W il­ liam Jam es, F re d e ric M yers, a n d T h e o d o re F lournoy. H ow d id th is take place? W h a t was it ab o u t m e d iu m s th a t qu alified th e m to serv e as th e su b je c t for p sychology? T h e la tte r h a lf o f th e n in e te e n th c e n tu ry w itn e sse d th e e m e rg e n c e o f m o d e rn sp iritu alism . T h ro u g h sp iritu alism , th e cu ltiv atio n o f tra n c e s — w ith th e a tte n d a n t p h e n o m e n a o f tra n c e sp ee ch , glossolalia, au to m atic w ritin g , a n d cry stal v isio n — b e c a m e w id e sp re a d . W h ile for sp iritu alists in te re s t in th e p h e n o m e n a lay solely in th e m essages co n v ey ed , ra th e r th an in th e m o d e o f th e ir conveyance, it was th e la tte r th a t was to p ro v id e psy ch o lo g ists w ith th e ir su b je c t m atter. P ro m in e n t p sy ch iatrists a n d psychologists c o n d e m n e d th e sp re a d o f sp iritu alism as a p sy ch ic e p id e m ic , a n d th e sp iritu alists lo ck ed h o rn s w ith th e m ed ical a n d p sy c h ia tric co m m u n itie s. In 1885 E d u a rd von H a rtm a n n w ro te: “S p iritism is at p r e s e n t th re a te n in g to b e c o m e a p u b lic calam ity, to w h ich e v e ry g o v e rn m e n t has to d ire c t its a tte n tio n .”5 W ilh elm W u n d t 4 Flournoy, N o tice su r Ie la b o ra to ire d e p sych ologie d e V un iversite d e G en eve (G eneva: E ggim an, 1896), p. 24, cited in Cifali, “T heodore Flournoy, la d ecou verte de l’in c o n sc ien t,” p. 115, trans. m ine. In this article, Cifali traces the m ode in w hich F lournoy m oved from introspective, experim en tal p sych ology to a dynam ic p sych ology o f the sublim inal. 5 Eduard von H artm ann, “Sp iritism ,” L igh t, A ugust 22, 1885, p. 409, (trans. C. C- M as­ sey). O n th e conflict b etw een th e m edical and spiritualistic com m u n ities, se e j. P. W illiam s,

proclaim ed: “No m an of science, tru ly in d e p e n d e n t and w ithout p arti pris, could b e in te re ste d in occult p h e n o m e n a .”6 In 1900, F lournoy stated th a t it was precisely d u e to th e enorm ous place of spiritualist, m edium istic, and occult p h e n o m e n a in th e p reo c ­ cupations of th e public at large th a t psychology should concern itse lf w ith such p h e n o m e n a and su b ject them to rigorous experim ental study.7 T hrough spiritualism a new social role, and in d e e d a profession, cam e into being: th at of th e m edium . In th e 1850s a book ap p eared e n title d The M edium s’ Book by Allen K ardec, w hich had, and in d eed continues to have, a tre m en d o u s influence. It was a “how to do it” guide to becom ing a m edium , containing e v ery th in g from practical suggestions to an allencom passing w orldview of reincarnation. K ardec claim ed th at “everyone possesses th e germ o f th e qualities necessary for becom ing a m e d iu m .”8 H e defines a m edium in th e following way: “E very one who is in any d e g re e influenced by spirits is, by th at very fact, a m e d iu m .”9 T he om ni­ p re se n c e of spirit influence leads K ardec to claim th a t “th e re are few p e r­ sons in w hom som e ru d im e n ts of m edianim ity are not found. We m ay th ere fo re assum e th a t everyone is a m ed iu m .”10 H en ce th e observation of m edium s h e ld c e n te r stage, th ro u g h those w ho w ished to m aterialize spir­ itualist hypotheses. K ardec’s th eo ry of m edium ship facilitated its su b seq u e n t psychological in te rp re ta tio n . F or K ardec, m edium ship was an exem plary way o f u n d e r­ standing th e h u m an condition; h e n c e th e study of a fully dev elo p ed m e­ dium w ould provide th e b e s t insight into it. H e claim ed th at th e p h e n o m ­ en a of m ed iu m sh ip w e re d u e to th e in terv en tio n of spirits. T hus, his taxonom y of th e form s and grades of m edium ship resu lte d in a p n e u matology. In th e psychological study of m edium s th e exem plary status accorded to th em was retain ed , though now th e ir p h e n o m e n a w ere no lo n g er prim arily disclosive of th e actions of th e spirits, but of th e “su b ­ conscious” or “sublim inal” im agination. By a tte m p tin g to find an intrapsy“P sychical R esearch and P sychiatry in L ate Victorian Britain: Trance as E cstasy or Trance as In san ity,” in T he A n a to m y o f M adn ess: E ssa ys in th e H is to r y o f P sy c h ia try , ed. W. B yn u m , R. Porter, and M. Sh ep hard, vol. I (London: T avistoek/R outledgc, 1985); E . Brown, “N e u r o l­ ogy and Spiritualism in th e 1870’s , ” B u lletin f o r th e H is to r y o f M ed icin e 57 (1983): pp. 5 6 3 — 77; and S. Shortt, "Physicians and Psychics: T h e A nglo-A m erican M edical R esp onse to Spiri­ tualism , 1 8 7 0 -1 8 9 0 ,’’J o u rn a l o f th e H is to r y o f M ed icin e a n d A llie d S cien ces 39 (1984): pp. 3 3 9 - 5 5 . T h e d eb a tes in th e A nglo-A m erican context w e re broadly sim ilar to th e d eb a tes in E urope. e C ite d by Flournoy, S p iritism a n d P sych ology, trans. H . Carrington (N ew York: H arper B ros., 1911), p. 21. 7 F lournoy, “O bservation s p sych ologiq u es sur Ie sp ir itism e,” IV C o n g re s In te rn a tio n a l d e P sych ologie, ed . P. Janet (Paris: Alcan, 1901), pp. 1 0 3 -4 . H A. K ardec, T he M edium 's B ook, trans. A nna B lackw ell (Sao Paulo: Lake, 1975), p. xv. 9 Ib id ., p. 172. 10 Ibid.

chic source for m edium istic com m unications, these investigators deci­ sively co n trib u ted to th e discovery of the unconscious. G

o t h ic

Psy

chology

T he p io n ee r of th e psychological study of m edium ship was F rederic M yers. A ndre Breton w rote: I n s p ite o f th e r e g r e tt a b le fact th a t so m a n s a r e u n a c q u a in te d w ith th e w o rk o f F .W .H . M y e r s , w h ic h a n te e e d e d th a t o f F r e u d , I th in k w e o w e m o r e th a n is g e n e ra lly c o n c e d e d to w h a t VAolliam Ja m e s c a lle d th e g o th ic p sy c h o lo g y o f F VVr. H . M v e rs w h ic h , in a n e n ti r e l y n e w a n d still m o r e e x c itin g w o rld , le d u s to t h e a d m ir a b le e x p lo r a tio n s o f T h e o d o r e F lo u r n o y . 11

For M yers, whom Flournoy called the founder of sublim inal psychol­ ogy, psychology itself was m erely a vehicle to approach w hat he claim ed was th e only question w orth asking: namely·, does love survive th e grave? W illiam Jam es claim ed th at M yers’s work w ould b e th e m ost im portant psy chology in th e tw entieth century·. In a series of brilliant articles in the 1880s, My'ers charted out the w hole dom ain of abnorm al and supranorm al psychology. F or My'ers, in contradistinction to his con tem poraries such as F re u d and Janet, th e unconscious, or as he term ed it, th e sublim inal— the secondary personalities revealed in trance states, dream ing, crystal gazing, and autom atic w riting— potentially possessed a higher intelli­ gence than o n e ’s waking or supralim inal personality and often served to convey m essages of guidance. A critical shift took place through th e w ork of M yers, James and F lour­ noy. They argued th a t the crucial issue was no longer th e sim ple question of w h e th e r th e alleged spiritualist experiences w ere valid or not. E ith e r way, they claim ed, such experiences seem ed to prom ise greater insight into th e com position of th e sublim inal, and hence into hum an psychology as a whole. T he investigations o f M yers paved the way for Flournoy and provided him w ith an initial orientation. M yers en d ed up em bracing th e spiritist hypothesis and a tte m p te d to unite science and religion in an overarching synthesis in his posthum ous volum e H um an Personality a n d Its Survival o f B odily D eath. Flournoy, by contrast, a tte m p te d to m aintain a p urely psychological view point and stressed th at one n eed ed to distinguish b e ­ tw een sublim inal psychology and M yers’s philosophico-religious system . Flournoy saw him self as continuing the former. W ho w ere the m edium s? Flournoy provides a description of th e “cur­ ren t or average type o f ordinary m edium ”: 11 B re to n , “T h e A u to m atic M e ss a g e ,” in W h a t Is S u rre a lism ? S e le cte d W ritin g s (L ondon: P luto, 1989), p. 100. F o r a re a p p ra is a l o f M y ers, se e m y “A utom atic W ritin g a n d th e D iscov­ e ry o f th e U n c o n sc io u s,” S p r in g 54 (1993): pp. 1 0 0 -1 3 1 .

xvi

·

I n t r o d u c ti o n

A p e r s o n , o r d in a r ily o f t h e f e m in in e se x , w h o h a s n e v e r e x p e r i e n c e d p s y c h ic p h e n o m e n a (e x c e p t, p e r h a p s a li tt le s o m n a m b u lis m o r d a y - d r e a m s a n d s o m e p r e s e n tim e n ts ) e x p e r ie n c e s a g r e a t so rro w , s u c h as t h e d e a th o f a d e a r o n e , a n d s o o n a f te r a tt e n d s a s e a n c e fo r t h e firs t tim e . S h e tr ie s t h e ta b le o r a u to m a tic w r itin g . R a p id ly s h e b e c o m e s a ty p to lo g ic a l m e d iu m , o r a u to m a tic w r ite r , a n d o b ta in s c o m m u n ic a tio n s w h ic h d o n o t s u r p a s s , in a n y w ay, h e r o w n c a p a b ilitie s , b u t w h ic h s tr ik e h e r a n d e n c h a n t h e r in t h e b e g in n i n g b y re a s o n o f t h e i r so c a lle d e m a n a tio n fro m t h e d e a d . L ittle b y little , h o w e v e r, th e m o n o to n y o f th e m e s s a g e s , t h e i r in tr in s ic m e d io c rity , t h e r a r ity o r e v e n a b s e n c e o f all p r o o f c o n ­ v in c in g ly s u p e r n a tu r a l , s o m e tim e s th e o b s e s s io n a l o r ly in g c h a r a c t e r o f t h e p r e ­ t e n d e d re v e la tio n s , d e p r i v e h e r o f h e r firs t e n th u s ia s m , a n d a t t h e e n d o f s e v ­ e ra l m o n th s , o r e v e n y e a rs , th e m e d iu m c e a s e s to p r a c tic e . N o th in g is u s u a lly le ft to h e r e i t h e r o f g o o d o r e v il as t h e r e s u lt o f th is “p h a s e ” o f m e d i u m s h ip e x c e p t a c e r t a in l a t e n t p r e d is p o s itio n w h ic h r e n d e r s h e r c a p a b le o f p r a c tic in g m e d i u m s h ip w ith m o r e o r le s s e a s e w h e n e v e r s h e tr ie s ; a n d a t t h e b a s is o f h e r n a t u r e a re a l in c lin a tio n fo r s p ir itis t d o c tr in e s , w ith th e d e s i r e to s e e th e m o n e d a y s c ie n tific a lly d e m o n s t r a t e d . 12

F o r th e sp iritu a lists th e capacity to re c e iv e m essages from sp irits was th e d e fin in g c h a ra c te ris tic o f m e d iu m s. W h ile F lo u rn o y re je c te d th is claim , h e n e v e rth e le s s a rg u e d th a t m e d iu m s fo rm e d a specific p sy ch o lo g i­ cal ty p e . F lo u rn o y d e s c rib e d th e ir d istin g u ish in g tra it in th e follow ing m a n n e r: A ll th e d if f e r e n c e b e tw e e n m e d iu m s a n d o r d in a r y p e o p le , is t h a t w ith t h e la t t e r t h e r e is p ra c tic a lly a v e r y m a r k e d t r e n c h b e tw e e n d r e a m a n d w a k in g . . . . W it h t h e m e d iu m s o n t h e c o n tr a r y . . . t h e r e is n o t a s ta b le b a r r ie r b e tw e e n s le e p a n d w a k in g . 13

F lo u rn o y d e s c rib e d M y ers’ n o tio n o f th e su b lim in al as follows: B e tw e e n o u r o rd in a r y c o n s c io u s n e s s [ t h e s u p r a lim in a l] a n d o u r l a t e n t c o n ­ s c io u s n e s s [ th e s u b lim in a l] t h e r e a r e p e r p e t u a l c h a n g e s a n d flu c tu a tio n s a lo n g t h e i r b o r d e r ; t h e le v e l o f s e p a r a tio n is n o t c o n s ta n t; t h e p a r t it io n is n o t im p e r ­ v io u s ; t h e th r e s h o ld is n o t fix e d b e tw e e n t h e s e p a r ts o f o u r b e in g ; t h e r e o c c u r p h e n o m e n a o f o s m o s is fr o m o n e to t h e o th e r , o r m in g lin g , a s b e tw e e n liq u id s o r v a r y in g d e n s ity , w h e n t h e b o tt le is s h a k e n . . . . c o n s ta n tly , a lso , m e s s a g e s a re s e n t fro m o u r s u b lim in a l r e g io n s to o u r p e r s o n a l c o n s c io u s n e s s , c a r r y in g w ith th e m , in th e m o s t d iv e r s e fo rm s (as s e n s o r y a u to m a tis m s ) c o n te n t s o f th e m o s t v a r ie d v a lu e — v is u a l h a llu c in a tio n s , a u d it o r y h a llu c in a tio n s , s u b m e r g e d id e a s , e m o tio n s , ir r a tio n a l im p u ls e s , e t c . 14 12 F lo u r n o y , S p ir itis m a n d P s y c h o lo g y , p. 4 6 . 13 F lo u rn o y , “N o u v e lle s O b se r v a tio n s su r un cas d e so m n a m b u lis m e a v e c g lo s s o la lia ,” A r c h i v e s d e P s y c h o lo g ic I (1902): p. 127, tran s. m in e . 14 F lo u rn o y , S p ir itis m a n d P s y c h o lo g y , pp. 5 7 —5 8.

H en ce for M yers and Flournoy, th e m edium rep re sen te d som eone in whom th e th resh o ld b etw een th e supralim inal and the sublim inal was particularly p e rm eab le, an d it was for this reason th at m edium s becam e th e p re e m in e n t subjects of sublim inal psychology. T hey enabled the study of th e subconscious im agination w ith m uch greater ease than o th er subjects.

M

e d iu m

o r

H

y s t e r ic

?

In The Principles o f Psychology W illiam James w rote: “M edium istic pos­ session in all its grades seem s to form a perfectly natural special type of alternate personality.”15 M edium ship was view ed as a special subset of m ultiple personality. T he significant difference was that in cases of m edium ship the state of “possession” usually took place only w ithin th e seance and seem ed com patible w ith psychological “h e a lth .” The q u e s­ tion o f th e in te rp re ta tio n of m edium ship was a co n tested and divisive issue. T he sim ilarity w ith cases o f hysteria and m ultiple personality led p rom inent psychologists such as C harcot, B inet, and Janet to assim ilate it u n d e r those headings. In A lterations o f the Personality, w hile dis­ cussing ex perim ents on hysterical subjects, B inet w rote: “T here is no es­ sential difference b etw een th e experim ents w hich I have now described and th e m ore spontaneous experim ents th at the spiritists practice upon them selves.”16 For p roponents of th e new F re n c h psychopathology, th e assim ilation of th e m edium istic tran ce to th e trances observed in hysterics re n d e re d su­ perfluous th e specific in te rp re tiv e paradigm s th at M yers and Flournoy erected around it. In 1895, Janet argued th at th e m edium was a patholog­ ical type and th at the p h enom ena exhibited: “have laws and are explained in th e sam e m an n e r by a serious trouble in th e m ental operation of p e r­ ception, w hich w e have described u n d e r th e nam e of psychological disaggregation. ”17 T he question th at rem ained for Janet was w h e th e r or not th e m edium was always a hysteric. H e suggests not. H e cites a case he observed w hile in C harcot’s service, w ith som nam bulism and autom atic w riting, w hich was clearly not a hysteric. C oncerning m edium ship, the following q u es­ tions rem ain ed for Janet: “W hat are these form s? W hat is th eir relation with hysteria? How does autom atic w riting modify itself in th ese cases? 15 Jam es, T h e P rin cip les o f P sychology (N ew York: H o lt, 1 8 9 0 /L o n d o n : M acm illan, 1918), p. 393. 16 B in e t, A lte r a tio n s o f th e P ersonality, tra n s. H . G . B aldw in (L o n d o n : C h a p m a n H all, 1896), p. 325. 17 Ja n e t, “L e S p iritism e C o n te m p o r a in ,” R e v u e P h ilo so p h iq u e 33 (1892): p. 419, tran s. m ine.

T h e s e a r e t h e p r o b le m s t h a t o n e c o u ld r e s o lv e b y t h e o b s e rv a tio n o f n u ­ m e r o u s m e d i u m s .” 18 H e n c e fo r t h e p s y c h o p a th o lo g is ts t h e c u ltiv a tio n o f d is s o c ia tio n t h a t s p ir itu a lis m p r o p a g a te d w as d e p lo r a b le , le a d in g th e m to r e g a r d it as a p s y c h ic e p id e m ic . I n 1899 F l o u r n o y a d d r e s s e d th is is s u e . H e s ta te d th a t it w as in s u f f ic ie n t to s im p ly r e f e r to th e p h e n o m e n a o f h y p n o tis m , h y s te ­ ria , a n d d is s o c ia tio n to e x p la in m e d iu m s h ip — th o u g h o n th e s u rfa c e , s u c h a n a s s im ila tio n w a s e a s y to m a k e . F lo u r n o y a rg u e s th a t m e d iu m s h ip c o u ld b e a c c o m p a n ie d b y t h e b e s t o f h e a lth . H e n c e t h e p u b lic a t la rg e w as q u ite r ig h t to r e s is t v ie w in g t h e p h e n o m e n a o f m e d iu m s h ip as th e r e s u l t o f h y s te r ia o r a u to h y p n o tiz a tio n . I n a d d itio n , h e n o te s th a t t h e r e w e r e A n g lo -S a x o n s c ie n tis ts w h o , o n t h e c o n tra ry , saw h y s te r ia as a p a th o lo g ic a l d e g e n e r a t i o n o f m e d iu m is tic g e n iu s . H e n c e F lo u r n o y a r g u e s th a t m e d i­ u m s h ip a n d its d is tin c t m a n if e s ta tio n s a n d p a r tic u la r c o n d itio n s o f a p p e a r ­ a n c e s h o u ld b e s tu d i e d in t h e i r sp e c ific ity , w ith o u t s im p ly b e in g c la ssifie d in p r e e x is t i n g p s y c h o p a th o lo g ic a l c a t e g o r i e s .19 I n S e a r c h o f a M e d iu m

I found m uch that was m oving, w h en I had clim b ed to th e top storey o f som e h o u se in Soho or Holloway, and, having paid m y sh illing, aw aited, am ong servant girls, the w isd om o f som e fat old m ed ium . That is an absorbing dram a, thou gh if m y readers b eg in to seek it th ey w ill spoil it, for its gravity and sim p licity d ep en d on all, or all but all, b elie v in g that their dead are n ear.20 W illiam B utler Yeats T h e se er ess is now m ore com m on in th e land. . . . M od­ ern s e e r esses are o f tw o classes: th e B ond stre et class, w ho d ivin e for th e fair sex; and th e class w ho are stu d ied by em in en t p sych ologists, like Professor Jam es, Professor R ich et and Professor F lournoy. 21 A nd rew L ang

F r o m th e o u ts e t, th e ta s k fo r F lo u r n o y w as h o w to fin d a m e d iu m . O n c e h e h a d f o u n d h e r , s h e w o u ld so m a r k h is life, t h a t h e w o u ld h a v e g r e a t d iffic u lty f o r g e ttin g h e r . 18 Janet, ib id ., p. 424, trans. m ine. 19 Flournoy, "G en ese d e q u e lq u e s p re te n d u s m essages sp irite s," R evue P hilosophique 47 (1899): p. 145. 20 W illiam B utler Yeats, “Sw edenborg, M edium s, and th e D esolate Places” (1914) in E x ­ plorations (L ondon: M acm illan, 1962), pp. 30—31. 21 A ndrew Lang, “T h re e S ee re sse s, ” A n glo-Saxon R eview , S ept. 1900, p. 63.

In 1892 Flournoy wrote: “We only wait th e appearance in our country of a Eusapia [Palladino] or o f a w illing Mrs. Piper whom w e w ould w elcom e w ith open arm s.”22 Flournoy’s casting call for such a figure is w ell docu­ m en ted in his letters to W illiam James. On D ecem b er 18, 1893, Flournoy w rote to James: I try to p e n e tr a te in to th e sp iritu a listic w orld o f ou r city, b u t it is rath er d ifficu lt. A t p r e s e n t th e y d o n o t have v e r y o u tsta n d in g m ed iu m s; I sh o u ld b e v e ry c o n ­ te n t, in d e e d , i f I w e r e o n ly a b le to o b se r v e c lo s e ly th o se w h o e x p e r ie n c e th e p h e n o m e n a ab ou t w h ich I h ear, b u t th e y su rrou n d th e m s e lv e s w ith s o litu d e an d d a r k n e ss.23

After several m onths without a sign, Flournoy w rote to James on March 18, 1894: “T he few m edium s and subjects o f telepathic hallucinations etc. w hom I have b een able to reach in the last three m onths in G eneva have not furnished m e w ith d ecisive p h en om en a.”24 E igh teen m onths later h e had finally found her. On the S ep tem ber 4, 1895, h e w rote to James: I w as fo r g e ttin g to te ll yo u w h a t h as in te r e ste d m e m o st d u r in g th e last six m on th s: it is a cer ta in m e d iu m (n o n p ro fessio n a l, u n p aid ) o f a sp iritu a list group, in to w h ich th e y h ave a g r e ed to a c c e p t m e in sp ite o f m y n eu tra l p o sitio n , I have a tte n d e d ab ou t tw e n ty o f th e se a n c e s . . . p sy ch o lo g ica lly, it is v e r y in te r e stin g , b e c a u se th is w om a n is a v e rita b le m u se u m o f all p o ss ib le p h e n o m e n a and h as a r e p e r to ir e o f illim ita b le variety: s h e m a k es th e ta b le ta lk ,— sh e h ea rs v o ices, — sh e has v isio n s, h a llu c in a tio n s, ta c tile and olfactory,— a u tom atic w ritin g — so m e tim e s c o m p le te so m n a m b u lism , catalep sy, tra n ces, e tc . A ll th e au tom a­ tism , se n so r y and m o to r, o f M y e r s,— all th e cla ssica l h y steria l p h e n o m e n a — p r e s e n t th e m s e lv e s in tu rn , in an y o r d e r and in th e m o st u n e x p e c te d fash ion , vary in g from o n e tim e to an o th er. T h e c o n te n ts o f th e s e p h e n o m e n a are alw ays o f fo rm er e v e n ts , g o in g back a fe w or m a n y y ea rs, b e in g p e rfec tly co rrect, g e n ­ erally h a vin g to d o w ith th e a n cesto rs o f th e p e rso n s p r e se n t. T h e g o o d faith o f th e m e d iu m is in d isp u ta b le , an d th e stra n g e n ess o f h e r r e v ela tio n s are c a lc u ­ la ted to c o n v in c e th e sp iritu a lists o f th is group. H o w e v e r , in th e 5 or 6 ca ses w h ich c o n c e r n e d d e c e a s e d m e m b e r s o f m y fam ily, I finally had p r o o f th at th e s e p e r so n s all h ad , so m e fifty years ago, p e r so n a l co n ta ct w ith th e p a ren ts o f th e m ed iu m ; an d th e m o st n atural su p p o sitio n is th at th e s e r e v ela tio n s, in variab ly exa ct an d d e a lin g w ith o d d facts, are r e m in isc e n c e s o f a cc o u n ts w h ich th e m e ­ d iu m had h ea rd from th e m o u th o f h e r p a ren ts in c h ild h o o d . . . . T h e g reat m ajority o f th e p h e n o m e n a w e r e e v id e n tly th e a u tom atic r ep ro d u ctio n o f for22 Flournoy, N otice sur Ie laboratoire, p. 17, trans. Goldsmith in "The Life and Work of Theodore Flournoy,” p. 148. 23 The le tte r s o f W illiam James and Theodore Flournoy, ed. R. Le Clair (Madison: U ni­ versity of W isconsin Press, 1966), p. 29. 21 Ibid., p. 33.

g o tten m em o ries— o r m em o ries re g iste re d unconsciously. T h e re is actually in th e n a tu re o f this m ed iu m a second p erso n ality w ho perceives and recalls in ­ stan ts w hich escape ord in ary aw areness. . . . I have th e definite im pression th at th e extrao rd in ary rev elatio n s o b tain ed in th e seances, for th e m ost p a rt . . . are p h e n o m e n a of “C ry p to m n e sia .”— W h at is irritatin g in this kind of observation is th e difficulty of m aking it p recise, th e m ed iu m and th e m em b ers of th e group having a holy te rro r of e v ery th in g w hich resem b les an “e x p e rim e n t.”23 W h o d id F lo u r n o y e n c o u n te r ? W as it r e a lly E lis e M iille r, a G e n e v a n s h o p a s s is ta n t? O r w a s s h e s o m e o n e w h o a t th a t m o m e n t w a s still m a lle ­ a b le , c a p a b le o f b e c o m in g s o m e o n e , o f ta k in g o n a n y r o le — in c lu d in g th a t o f a s u b j e c t fo r a y e t to b e f o u n d e d p s y c h o lo g ic a l s c ie n c e — o f b e c o m in g a “v e r ita b le m u s e u m o f a ll p o s s ib le p h e n o m e n a ,” w h ic h h a d a lr e a d y b e e n ta x o n o m ie d , c la s s ifie d , “d is s o c ia te d ” t h r o u g h th e a n a ly tic le n s e s o f th e n e w p s y c h o lo g y — fo r w h o m h is te x t w o u ld b e h e r s p e c ta c u la r g e n e s is ? B e c o m i n g HiiLfeNE W h o w a s s h e — w h o b e c a m e H e le n e S m ith ? S h e w as b o r n E lis e C a t h e r i n e M u lle r o n D e c e m b e r 9 , 18 6 1 , in M a rtig n y , S w itz e rla n d . A t th e tim e t h a t F l o u r n o y e n c o u n t e r e d h e r , s h e w o r k e d as a s a le s p e r s o n in a silk sh o p . H e w a s i n t r o d u c e d to h e r s e a n c e s b y A u g u s t L e m a itr e . A t th a t t im e , t h e r e w e r e tw o m a in ty p e s o f m e d iu m s : p ro fe s s io n a l m e d iu m s , w h o c h a r g e d a f e e , a n d a m a t e u r m e d iu m s , w h o p e r f o r m e d fo r fre e . S h e w as o f t h e l a t t e r v a rie ty , w h ic h w a s to h a v e a m a r k e d e ffe c t o n w h a t e n s u e d . L e m a i t r e w a s t h e firs t to w r ite a b o u t h e r . I n 1897 h e p u b lis h e d a n a rtic le e n t i t l e d “C o n tr ib u tio n a l ’e t u d e d e s p h e n o m e n e s p s y c h iq u e s ,”26 in w h ic h E lis e M u lle r a p p e a r e d ; in trig u in g ly , L e m a itr e g av e h e r se x as m a le . S h e h a d n o t y e t b e c o m e “ H e l e n e S m i t h .” L e m a itr e s tr e s s e d th e q u a lity o f h e r c h a r a c te r : “O u r m e d iu m is a m e d iu m o f g o o d fa ith , a m e d iu m w h o says t h e t r u t h a n d in w h o m I h a v e fu ll c o n f id e n c e .”27 L e m a itr e s e e m e d to s u p p o r t t h e s p ir i t is t i n t e r p r e t a t i o n o f h e r m a te r ia l. H is a r tic le w a s c r i t ­ ic a lly r e s p o n d e d to b y M . L e f e b u r e , w h o d e p lo r e d th e la c k o f m a te r ia l th a t L e m a i t r e p u b lis h e d : If, in effect, M. L . . . has k ep t several p h rases o r speeches o f the m edium s, if he will p u b lish th em , an d if th e In d ian ists w ould show th e re , su p p o rte d by 25 Ib id ., pp. 4 7 - 4 8 . In a landm ark article, “Psychiatry and Its U nknow n H istory,” in B e­ yo n d th e U n con sciou s, E lle n b er g e r d e p ic ted a recurrent pattern in w h ic h a psych ologist e n co u n ters a p atien t, usually fem ale, and d evelop s a long, com p lex, and am biguou s relation, w h ich form s th e basis o f his th eories, and d iscu sses F lou rn oy and H elfene Sm ith as a case in point. 2e L em aitre, A n n a les d e s Scien ces P sych iq u es 7 (1897): pp. 6 5 —68. 27 Ib id ., p. 69, trans. m ine.

proofs, a real d ialect and an appropriate sen se, spiritism w ould certainly have m ade a great step .28

T h u s th e stag e was alre ad y set. In a s u b s e q u e n t issue F lo u rn o y w ro te to th e e d ito r to ex p licitly d istan ce h im s e lf from th e v iew p o in t o f L em a itre , w ho h a d c ite d h im b y n am e. In d o in g so, h e a n n o u n c e d his p ro je c t by w ritin g th a t h e p la n n e d to give “a p u re ly psychological in te rp re ta tio n ” of th e “so c u rio u s ” p h e n o m e n a o f th e m e d iu m “w ith o u t re c o u rse to spirits, n o tio n s o f in carn atio n s, a n te rio ritie s , e tc .”29 T h u s F lo u rn o y ’s re a d in g was alre ad y from th e o u tse t a rev isio n ist reading . T h e q u e s tio n re m a in s as to how sh e a c q u ire d h e r p se u d o n y m . O liv ier F lournoy, F lo u rn o y ’s g ra n d so n , n o te s th a t according to th e o p inion o f D e ­ nise W e rn er, F lo u rn o y ’s g ra n d d a u g h te r, E lise M u lle r p ro b a b ly ch o se it h erself. H e n o tes, significantly e n o u g h , th a t H e le n e was th e n am e o f one of F lo u rn o y ’s ow n d a u g h te rs, b o rn in 1891, w hom E lise w ould have m e t.30 E

n t r a n c in g

P

sych o lo gy

T h e q u e stio n o f tra n c e states has b e e n tak en u p in m an y discourses, in th e co u rse o f w h ich co u n tless d efinitions have b e e n p ro p o se d a n d p ro p e rtie s a d d u c e d . In T h e P rinciples o f P sychology W illiam Jam es w rote: The three states o f Charcot, the strange reflexes o f H eid en h a in , and all the other b odily p h en om en a w hich have b een called direct co n seq u en ces o f the trance-state itself, are not such. T h ey are products o f suggestion, the trancestate having no particular outward sym ptom s o f its own; but w ithout the trancestate there, those particular suggestions could n ev er have b een successfully m ad e.31

Jam es tre n c h a n tly p o in ts o u t th e pitfalls th a t this h e ld for th e d ev e lo p ­ m e n t o f psychology: Any sort o f personal peculiarity, any trick accidently fallen into in the first in ­ stance by som e on e subject, may, by attracting attention, b eco m e stereotyped, serve as a pattern for im itation, and figure as the type o f a school. T he first 28 L e fe b u re , “ R e m a rq u e s s u r Ies e x p e rie n c e s d e M . L e m a itr e ,” A n n a le s des S ciences Psyc h iq u e s 7 (1897): p. 180, tra n s . m in e . 29 F lo u rn o y , A n n a le s d e s S ciences P sychiques 7 (1897): p. 256, tran s. m in e. 30 O. F lo u rn o y , T h e o d o re e t L eopold: D e T h e o d o re F lo u rn o y a la P sychanalyse. C o rr e ­ sp o n d e n c e e t d o c u m e n ts d e H e len e S m ith — F e rd in a n d d e S a u ss u re — A u g u s t B a r th — C h a rles M ich e l (N e u ch a tal: A L a B acco n iere, 1986), p. 35. 31 Ja m es, P rin cip les o f P sych o lo g y, p. 601. O n Ja m es’s d y n a m ic psychology o f th e su b lim i­ nal, se e E u g e n e Taylor, W illia m J a m es o n E xc ep tio n a l M e n ta l States: T h e 1896 L ow ell L e c ­ tu re s (A m herst: U n iv e rsity o f M a ssac h u se tts P re ss, 1984).

xxii

*

In tr o d u c tio n

su b je c t train s th e o p e r a to r train s th e s u c c e e d in g su b je c ts, all o f th e m in p e r fe c t g o o d faith c o n s p ir in g to g e th e r to e v o lv e a p e r fe c tly arbitrary r e su lt. W ith th e ex tra o rd in a ry p e r s p ic a c ity an d s u b t le ty o f p e r c e p tio n w h ic h su b je c ts o fte n d is­ p la y for all th a t c o n c e r n s th e o p e r a to r w ith w h o m th e y are e n rap p ort, it is h ard to k e e p th e m ig n o r a n t o f a n y th in g h e e x p e c ts . T h u s it h a p jie n s th a t o n e e a sily v e r ifie s o n n e w su b je c ts w h a t o n e h as a lr e a d y s e e n on o ld o n e s, or an y d e sir e d sy m p to m o f w h ic h o n e m a y h a v e h e a r d o r r e a d .32

T h u s fo r Ja m e s it w as p sy ch o lo g y its e lf th a t w as in a s ta te o f “h e ig h te n e d s u g g e stib ility ,” o r h ig h ly p r o n e to “a u to su g g e s tio n .” Jam es was h e r e b ack ­ in g u p Jo se f D e lb o e u f ’s view s. In 1886, D e lb o e u f w ro te : W ith o u t an y d o u b t th e r e is an u n d e n ia b le in flu e n c e o f th e h y p n o tiz e r o n th e h y p n o tiz e d — lik e m a ste r, lik e d is c ip le . B ut th e su b je c ts th e m s e lv e s , p r in c ip a lly t h e v e r y first o n e , train th e e x p e r im e n te r w h o d ir e c ts th e m , a n d , w ith o u t b e in g aw are o f it, d e te r m in e h is m e th o d a n d h is m a n e u v e r s. In a w a y th e n , tu r n in g t h e p r o v erb a ro u n d , o n e c o u ld say: lik e d is c ip le , lik e m aster. T h is a ctio n o f first d is c ip le o n th e m a ste r is th e n r e p o r te d to o th e r d is c ip le s w h o r ep o r t h is p r o c e ­ d u r e s, a n d th u s are c r e a te d th e sc h o o ls th a t h a v e th e m o n o p o ly o f sp e c ia l p h e n o m e n a . 33

F o r Jam es a n d F lo u rn o y , th e in v estig atio n o f tra n c e states was a c e n tra l q u e s tio n if a p sy ch o lo g y w o rth y o f th e n a m e was to d e v e lo p .34 W ith in th is e n te r p ris e , th e in v e stig a tio n s o f m e d iu m s h e ld p rid e o f place. F o r F lo u r­ noy th e c ru c ia l issu e was th e d iffe re n tia l in te rp re ta tio n o f tra n c e states. W as th e r e a sp ecificity to th e m e d iu m istic tra n c e , in re v e a lin g cap acities th a t o u ts trip p e d w a k in g co n sc io u sn e ss? T h e p o ssib ility o f su b lim in al psy­ ch o lo g y r e s te d u p o n an affirm ativ e a n sw e r to th is q u e stio n . F ro m th e tim e o f th e M a rq u is d e P u y se g u r, th e tra n c e s ta te h a d b e e n a ttr ib u te d re m a rk a b le p ro p e rtie s , su c h as clairvoyance, te le p a th y , h y p e rm n e s ia a n d lucid ity. T h e s e a ttrib u te s w e re f u r th e r e x p lo re d in th e r e ­ m a rk a b le case o f J u s tin u s K e rn e r, th e “se e re s s o f P re v o s t,” w h ich in m an y w ays fo rm s th e m ain p re c u rs o r to F lo u rn o y ’s study. F ro m P u y s e g u r th ro u g h K e rn e r ca m e th e n o tio n o f th e tra n c e as p o ssessin g p ro p e rtie s th a t o u ts trip p e d o n e ’s w aking self. T h is tra d itio n d iffe red m a rk e d ly from 32 Ja m e s, P rin c ip le s o f P sy ch o lo g y, p. 601. 33 J. D e lb o e u f, " D e ! i n f lu e n c e d e !e d u c a tio n e t d e l im ita tio n d a n s Ie s o m n a m b u lism e p ro v o q u e ,” R e v u e P h ilo so p h iq u e 2 2 (1886), q u o te d in T h e ta W olf, A lf r e d B in e t (C hicago: U n iv e rs ity o f C h ic a g o P re s s , 1973), p. 149. F o r r e c e n t e lu c id a tio n s o f th e sig n ific a n ce o f D e lb o u e f, se e Ja c q u e lin e C arroy, H y p n o s e , s u g g e stio n e t p sych o lo g ie: L 'in v e n tio n d e su je ts (P aris: P re s s e s U n iv e rs ita ire s d e F ra n c e , 1991); a n d F ra n c o is D u y c k a e rts, J o se p h D e lb o eu f: P h ilo so p h e e t h y p n o tis e u r (Paris: L e s E m p e c h e u r s d e p e n s e r e n ro n d , 1992). 34 O n th e issu e o f tra n c e s ta te s , s e e e sp e c ia lly M ik k el B o rc h -Jac o b se n , “ M im e tic Effic ac ity ,” in T h e E m o tio n a l Tie: P sy ch o a n a lysis, M im e sis, A ffe c t (S tan fo rd : S ta n fo rd U n iv e rsity P re ss , 1992).

th e v iew o f th e tra n c e h e ld b y C h arc o t, for w hom th e capacity to b e h y p ­ n o tiz e d w as a sy m p to m o f h y steria, w h ich crucially sh a p e d th e view s o f F re u d . T h e m e d iu m istic tra n c e is an in sta n c e o f th e cultiv atio n o f tra n c e states, w h ich have b e e n cro ssc u ltu rally know n. M ikkel B orch-Jacobsen d iffe ren ­ tiates tw o m ain ap p ro ach e s to th e th e ra p e u tic s o f th e tra n c e , o n e r e p r e ­ s e n te d by p sychoanalysis, th e o th e r by “tra d itio n a l” th e ra p ie s. In his re ad in g , th e telo s o f psychoanalysis re sid e s in a tte m p tin g to p u t an e n d to th e tra n c e (th e d issolution o f tra n sfe re n c e , etc.). S uch an ap p ro ach m ay b e te rm e d “a llo p a th ic .” In c o n tra st to th is lies th e “h o m e o p a th ic ” ap p ro ach o f “tra d itio n a l” th e ra p ie s , w h o se strateg ie s do n o t tak e th e form o f a w ar ag ain st th e tra n c e , b u t a tte m p t to achieve an a lte re d re la tio n to it. B orchJaco b sen w rites: It is not a q uestion, in the “traditional” therapies on w hich hypnosis m odels itself, o f su pp ressin g th e evil o f w hich the p atient suffers (his ab sen ce o f id en ­ tity, his m im etic m adness), but o f attesting to the lim it o f its spectacular, ritual aggravation. A few exam ples, forcibly sim plified. T he Thonga “mad o f the g o d s,” on ce having exorcised the evil spirit that p o ssessed them , b ecam e the “m ad” o f a b en eficen t sp irit.35 S ister Jeanne o f the A ngels, at first p ossessed by the “d em o n ” Urbain Grandier, b ecam e a sort o f professional m ystic.36 G ilberte R ochette, ex-“n eu rotic,” b ecam e the great p riestess o f the m agnetic lod ge o f L yon .37 Bertha von Pappenheim , ex-“case” o f d oub le personality, b ecam e the pyth oness o f Breuer. (M ust on e add: the analysands, at th e en d o f th e transferential “p ass,” b ecom e analysts?) C onsequently, little m atter w h eth er the socalled “sym ptom ” disappeared or not. A bove all it is im portant that it was taken in charge, raised up, “cu ltivated ” by th e so-called “therapy.”38

T h e la tte r h isto ry o f H e le n e S m ith m ay b e a d u m b ra te d to th e list above— in h e r ‘s e c o n d ’ life, as a relig io u s p a in te r, H e le n e S m ith finally fo u n d h e r m etier. W ith in su b lim in al psychology th e re w as a v alorization of th e tra n c e — if th e m e d iu m s w e re n o t se e n as th e p o rta l to th e b ey o n d , a t th e v ery least th e y w e re a ttrib u te d cap ab ilities a n d pow ers far e x c e e d in g th a t acco rd ed to “n o rm a l” psychology. F lo u rn o y ’s stu d y was by no m ean s th e first len g th y a n d d e ta ile d stu d y of a m e d iu m . T h e stu d y o f M rs. P ip e r is usually s e e n as in a u g u ra tin g th e careful in v estig atio n o f th e m ed iu m istic tran c e. T h ese p re v io u s stu d ies, such as H o d g so n ’s o f M rs. P ip e r, h a d b e e n p rim arily m o tiv a te d b y th e w ish to find a n d a u th e n tic a te g e n u in e p ro o f o f th e ex isten ce o f th e be35 L. de H eutsch, “La folie des d ieu x ,” in Pourquoi I’epouser? (Paris: G allim ard, 1971). 3e M. de C erteau , I m Possession de L o u d u n (Paris: Juillard, 1970). 37 F. Rausky, M esiner ou la revolution therapeutique (Paris: Payot, 1977). 38 Borch-Jacobsen, “D isp u te,” in H ypnose et Psychanalyse: Reponses a M ikkel BorchJacobsen, ed. Leon C hertok (Paris: D unod, 1987), p. 211, trans. mine.

yond, and to obtain veridical com m unications from th e dead. T h e m ain altern ativ e paradigm s had b e e n fraud or telepathy, n e ith e r of w hich play a p ro m in e n t role in F lo u rn o y s text. T h e innovation of From India to the Planet M ars was th a t it was th e first m ajor stu d y o f w hat M yers called pseudo-possession, w hose m ain goal was to disprove th e su p ern atu ral ori­ gin of th e p h e n o m e n a and to give an account of th e ir psychogenesis. In such a m an n e r it e stab lish ed a devastating skeptical paradigm in psychical research.

D

is c o v e r in g

th e

U

n c o n s c io u s

E lle n b e rg e r notes th a t by 1900 four different aspects of th e unconscious h ad b e e n d e m o n stra ted : its conservative function, th e capacity of storing a n u m b e r o f m em ories and percep tio n s; its dissolutive function, th e te n ­ den cy for dissociation and autom atic actions; its creative function, and its m y th o p o etic function, th e capacity to fabricate m ythopoetic sublim inal ro m an ces.39 I t is significant th a t F lournoy was a m ajor p io n e e r in th e exploration of all o f th e se aspects. In F ro m In d ia to the P lanet M ars F lournoy often refers alm ost in te r­ changeably to th e sublim inal and th e subconscious. W hile in th e case of th e fo rm er te rm his usage d en o tes a d ire c t continuity w ith its use by M yers, w ho coined it, h e vastly expands th e m ean in g of th e la tte r term over its use by its coiner, Janet. C lap ared e gives th e following account of th e advance o f Flournoy's conception over Janet's: T h e d iscovery and p sych ological and biological interpretation o f this creative activity o f th e su b con sciou s is that w hich h ere seem s to m e to mark th e great progress o f th e theory o f F lournoy over that o f Janet. For th e F ren ch sa v a n t. . . it is above all th e norm al activity o f th e spirit w h ich is creative. T h e oth er activity, that o f th e secon d self, is only conservatory. . . . To this totally pas­ siv e character o f th e subconsciou s [Janet’s]. . . . F lou rn oy su bstitutes a verita­ b le and original creative activity, often m uch m ore pow erful than that o f co n sc io u sn e ss.40

In 1900 F lournoy n o ted th a t w hile th e re was m uch w ork on th e role of unconscious p e rc e p tio n an d late n t m em ories, th e sublim inal im agination had n o t b e e n stu d ie d w ith th e care it m erited . F o r F lournoy th e sublim i39 E llen b erg er, T h e D isc o v e ry o f th e U n con sciou s (N e w York: Basic Books, 1970), pp. 3 1 5 - 1 8 . 10 C laparede, “T h eod ore F lournoy: Sa v ie e t son oeuvre," A rc h iv e s d e P sych ologie 17 (1923): p. 58, trans. m ine.

nal im ag in atio n w as th e so u rce o f th e conscious im agination, ra th e r th a n th e o th e r w ay a ro u n d . H e notes: This im aginative process o f foreign personification has already unfurled itself in th e dream , in hypnotism , and in many pathological ob sessions, etc.; but it ac­ q uires a w holly particular practical im portance in th e p h en om en a called m ed iu m istic.41

B ecau se m e d iu m sh ip p re s e n te d in an ex e m p la ry w ay th e w orkings o f th e su b lim in al im ag in atio n , F lo u rn o y h e ld th a t its stu d y o f m e d iu m sh ip could in tu rn illu m in a te th e psychology o f d re a m s, hypnosis, a n d obsessions. F lo u rn o y e m p h a siz e d four m ain fu n ctio n s o f th e unconscious: its c re ­ ativ e activity, its p ro te c tiv e fu n ctio n , its c o m p en sa to ry fu n ctio n , a n d its play ten d en cy . T h e se four fe a tu re p ro m in e n tly in F lo u rn o y ’s in te rp re ta ­ tion o f H e le n e ’s tran ces: L eo p o ld , h e r sp irit g u id e, is se e n to re p re s e n t th e p ro te c tiv e fu n ctio n or teleological au to m atism , th a t in te rv e n e s an d assists H e le n e w h e n sh e is in difficulty; h e r a n te rio r a n d e x tra te rre stria l ex isten c es a re see n as p ro v id in g a c o m p en sa tio n for th e vicissitu d es o f h e r c irc u m sta n ces; h e r c reatio n s o f th e M artian a n d “H in d u ” languages are se e n as re m a rk a b le acts o f creativity. F or F lo u rn o y h e r tra n c e s r e p re s e n t a re v ersio n to an e a rlie r d e v e lo p m e n ta l stage o f ch ild h o o d th at, h e argues, follow ing th e w o rk o f K arl G roos, is c h a ra c te riz e d by play. As play has a p re p a ra to ry fu n ctio n , th is re v ersio n is com pensatory, a n d en a b le s access to a lev el o f c reativ ity th a t has b e e n lost. O n e co u ld say th a t H e le n e ’s tran c es w e re F lo u rn o y s un co n scio u s, w hich h e w ould n e v e r again find so fully re v ealed . T h e m a te ria l for th is su b lim in al activity was p ro v id ed b y th e p h e n o m e ­ non o f cry p to m n e sia . C

r y p t o m n e s ia

Since th e tim e o f th e m ag n etists, a tte n tio n has b e e n p aid to th e h y p e rm n esic p ro p e rtie s o f th e tra n c e . T h e se capacities seem to su g g est th a t th e re was a g re a t d eal o f inform ation th a t, alth o u g h o n ce p e rc e iv e d , now lay o u tsid e o f th e reach o f conscious a tte n tio n . T h e unconscious was d esig ­ n a te d as th e lo cation o f th e s e h id d e n m em o ries. It was p rin cip a lly F lo u r­ noy w ho a tte m p te d to m ap th e e x te n t o f this p h e n o m e n a an d trace th e tran sfo rm atio n s th a t su ch m em o ries w e re su b je c t to w h ile in a la te n t state. C ry p to m n e s ia plays a crucial ro le in F lo u rn o y ’s analysis as th e m ain a lte rn a tiv e p arad ig m to th e sp iritu alistic h y p o th esis. T h e significance o f 11 F lo u rn o y , “O b s e rv a tio n s p sy c h o lo g iq u e s su r Ie sp iritis m e ,” p. 107, tran s. m in e.

xxvi

·

In tr o d u c tio n

the phenom enon had been noted by Janet, who refers to a piece in the Revue Spirite by M. Goupil on automatic writing that presents an exam­ ple o f cryptomnesia. Janet notes that he has seen and described similar facts and can supply an explanation: W h en a certain sensation finds itse lf b o u n d to subconscious acts, th e re is, at th a t m o m en t, a p articu lar and co rresp o n d in g an esth esia for th e ord in ary p e r­ sonality. W h en autom atic w ritin g m anifests a certain m em ory w ith p ersisten c e, th e re is a c o rresp o n d in g am nesia for th e norm al consciousness.42

Janet finds such descriptions valuable and regrets that there are not more like it. It was precisely this lacuna that was filled preem inently by From India to the Planet Mars. Flournoy’s account o f cryptom nesia presented a m odel o f m em ory that attem pted to account for the interrelation of mem ory and fantasy. For Flournoy what was presented as a m em ory— in the case of H elene, of an anterior existence— in actuality represented a hidden and forgotten m em ory that had been through a process of subconscious elaboration.43 Significantly enough, this was presented in the interregnum betw een Freud’s confessional retraction of his seduction theory in private to Fliess and his public retraction several years later. F l o u r n o y ’s R e c e p t i o n

On the first of January, 1900, James wrote to Flournoy: U pon m y w ord, d e a r Flournoy, you have d one a bigger th in g h e re than you know; an d I th in k th a t y our volum e has probably m ade th e decisive ste p in co n v ertin g psychical research into a resp ectab le science. T he to n e and te m p e r are so ad m irab le, th e style so rich an d h u m an , th e intellectual e q u ip m e n t so co m p lete, th a t it is a p erfo rm an ce w hich m u st strike every read er, w h atev er his a n te c e d e n t p resu p p o sitio n s m ay have b een , as o f first-rate quality. . . . T he g reat th in g ab o u t your w riting is your charm ing style. You and D e lb o e u f are th e only w orthy successors to V oltaire. Your book has only one defect and th at is th a t you d o n ’t d ed icate it to m e. . . . As I am passing off th e scene . . . it w ould have b e e n p leasan t to have m y nam e p re se rv ed for ev er in th e early pages of yo u r im m o rtal w o rk .44 42 Jan et, “L e Spiritism e C o n te m p o ra in ,” p. 428, trans. m ine. 43 F o r a review o f th e lite ra tu re on cryptom nesia, see Ian Stevenson, “C i-ytom nesia and Parapsychology,” jo u r n a l o f th e Society f o r Psychical R esearch 52 (1983): pp. 1—30; for r e ­ cen t ex p erim en tal w ork on cry p to m n esia, see Alan Brown an d D ana M urray, “C ry p to m ­ nesia: D elin ea tin g In a d v e rte n t Plagiarism , " J o u rn a l o f E xp erim en ta l Psychology. L earning, M em o ry a n d C ognition 15 (1989): pp. 432—42. F lo u rn o y ’s w ork on cry p to m n esia is also shadow ed in th e c u rre n t p reo ccu p atio n w ith “False M em ory S y n d ro m e.” 44 T he L ette rs o f W illiam Jam es a n d T h io d o re F lournoy, pp. 9 0 -9 1 .

E n c o u n te rin g H e le n e

·

xxvii

Subsequently, in respon se to Flournoy’s follow up study, “N ou velles O b­ servations,” on June 13, 1902, James w rote to Flournoy: It c o m p le te s an in v a lu ab le m o n o g rap h w hich p u ts in to o u r p o ssessio n for all tim e a te rm o f co m p assio n , w h ich all fu tu re d iscu ssers o f “p sy c h ic” in d iv id u als will h av e to ta k e in to a c c o u n t of in th e ir conclusions. I n e e d h a rd ly r e p e a t th a t y o u r co n c lu sio n s se e m to m e to b e th e only le g itim a te o n es to draw. B ut w h a t a w o n d erfu l e x te n sio n th e case gives to o u r n o tio n o f su b co n scio u s activ ities an d to c ry p to m n e sic activ ities. . . . I d o w ish th a t so m e o n e co u ld c o n tin u e w ork w ith M iss S m ith . S om e o f h e r p h e n o m e n a hav e g raz ed so closely u p o n th e su p e rn o rm a l th a t o n e w o u ld like to se e w h e th e r sh e e v e r d o es pass th e b a rrie r, as I b e lie v e it ca n b e p assed . . . . All th a t you say ab o u t m e th o d , etc. is sim p ly sp le n d id , classic, m a ste rly .45

Flournoy’s book received a glow ing notice in th e B iblioth equ e U niverselle: “T here has b een a long tim e since a n ew work has produced in our French Sw itzerland as great a sensation as th e book recently p ub lished by T heodore Flournoy. ”46 Claparede notes that due to its success, Flournoy acquired a vast popularity. After only three m onths the book w en t into its third edition. The F igaro noted: “The world o f psychologists has b een overturned by th e appearance o f a book by M. T heodore Flournoy. It is the history o f a case probably unique in sc ie n c e .”47 Flournoy’s successful com bination o f a literary and “scientific” style led to extrem ely laudatory review s in both th e popular press and in psychological journals. It was read both as a treatise in p sychology and as a novel. T he follow ing n otices give further indication o f its reception. The D ial stated: “To all w ho can take a serious interest in its subject m atter Pro­ fessor Flournoy’s book w ill doubtless appear as im portant as in terest­ in g .”48 The P opu lar Science M on th ly observed: M . F lo u rn o y h as b e e n u n u su a lly successful in re v e a lin g th e s ta rtin g p o in ts o f th e se v eral au to m atism s a n d o f c o n n e c tin g th e m w ith in te llig ib le d e v e lo p m e n ts o f th e m e d iu m ’s m e n ta l life. . . . T h is case has m an y an alo g ies w ith o th e r cases th a t have b e e n re c o rd e d , b u t g oes b e y o n d m o st o f th e m in th e co m p lex ity an d b iz a rre c h a ra c te r o f th e u n co n scio u s elab o ratio n s a n d feats o f m e m o ry a n d c r e ­ ative im a g in a tio n w h ic h it en tails. . . . T h e special v alu e o f th is a c co u n t th u s lies in th e accu racy o f th e d e s c rip tio n a n d th e success w ith w h ich th e a c co u n t has b e e n m a d e th o ro u g h ly in te llig ib le an d sig n ific an t.49 45 46 47 48 49

The L e tte r s o f W illiam J am es a n d T h eo d o re F lournoy, pp. 127—28. April, 1900, p. 197, trans. m ine. M arch 7, 1900. C ited by C laparede, “T h6odore F lournoy,” p. 47, trans. m ine. S ep tem b er 16, 1900, p. 180. O ctober, 1900, pp. 6 6 2 -6 3 .

xxviii ·

In tro d u c tio n

The N a tio n noted: A v e ry few y ea rs ago th e p ro d u c tio n o f th is r e m a rk a b le b o o k w o u ld h av e b e e n im p o ssib le . Its h e r o in e . . . w o u ld h av e e x c ite d o n ly sc ien tific av e rsio n o r c o n ­ te m p t; a n d , th e s u p e rs titio u s in te r p re ta tio n o f th e c u rio u s p h e n o m e n a sh e ex ­ h ib its b e in g le ft u n o p p o s e d , h e r case w o u ld have se rv e d o nly to co n firm th e re lig io u s d o g m a s o f sp iritu a lis m , o r w o u ld p e r h a p s h av e s ta r te d a n e w se c t w h o se faith w o u ld have baffled an y a tte m p t to a sc e rta in th e ac tu a l facts. As it is, th e case h as h a d th e g o o d f o rtu n e to fall in to th e h a n d s o f a sin g u la rly c o m p e ­ te n t, u n p r e ju d ic e d , a n d tactfu l in v e stig a to r in M . F lo u rn o y .50

T he book was favorably review ed in th e A m erica n J ou rn al o f P sych ol­ o g y b y G. W. Patrick, w h o noted: As an ex a m p le o f m e th o d th is book is to b e h ig h ly c o m m e n d e d , a n d m e th o d is w h a t is n e e d e d n o w in th e s tu d y o f a u to m a tism . A ny o n e w h o sh o u ld c o m p la in th a t th e c a se o f M ile. S m ith is n o t su fficie n tly " re m a rk a b le ” to m e rit 420 p ag e s o f m in u te d e s c rip tio n fails to u n d e r s ta n d th e im p o rta n c e o f th e s tu d y o f s e c ­ o n d a ry p erso n a lity . T h e a u th o r’s in tim a tio n s o f th e in fan tile an d re v e rsio n a ry c h a r a c te r o f th e se c o n d a ry p e rs o n a lity a r e o f in te r e s t in th e lig h t o f r e c e n t th e o r ie s .51

S everal m onths later a secon d review o f th e book appeared in the A m erica n J o u rn a l o f P sych ology, this tim e by E. B. T itchener. H e com ­ m e n ted that as th e book was attracting so m uch attention on th e part o f p sych ologists as w ell as th e gen eral p ub lic, h e w ould take th e opportunity o f th e p ub lication o f th e E n glish translation to d iscuss it further. T itch ­ en er w rote that Flournoy: h a d d o n e h is w o rk w ith e x tre m e a c u m e n . In d e e d , w h e n o n e r e m e m b e r s th e a lm o st in fin ite p o ssib ilitie s o f su g g e stio n to w h ic h “M d lle. S m ith ” h as b e e n e x p o s e d in th e co n fin es o f h e r tra n c e s [a p o in t su fficien tly s tre s s e d by th e a u ­ th o r], o n e m a rv e ls a t th e h ig h m e a s u re o f su c c e ss in e x p la n a tio n th a t M . F lo u r ­ n o y has a tta in e d . F e w p sy c h o lo g ists w ill d is p u te his co n c lu sio n th a t th e “se c ­ o n d a ry p e rs o n a litie s ” “d o n o t h av e th e ir e x iste n c e o u tsid e o f M d llc. S m ith ,” b u t h a v e th e ir g e n e sis w ith in h e r m e n ta l life. A n d e v e n th o se w h o , lik e th e p r e s e n t w rite r , have n o g re a t affection for th e “su b lim in a l s e lf ” . . . e v e n th e y will re a d ily a d m it th a t M . F lo u rn o y ’s m e th o d ic a l s tu d y p ro v es th e h ig h v alu e o f su b c o n sc io u s im a g in a tio n as a w o rk in g h y p o th e s is .52 50 June 14, 1900, p. 462. 51 April 1900, p. 430. 5 2January 1901, p. 267.

E n c o u n te rin g H e le n e

·

xxix

In the P sychological R eview , Joseph Jastrow praised the book, writing: W e have a tru ly classical in sta n c e o f th e p sycholo g ical c o m p re h e n siv e n e ss o f th e a u to m atic se lf in ex c ep tio n al cases. M . F lo u rn o y has th u s a c co m p lish e d a v alu ­ ab le task a n d has p r e s e n te d his m a te ria l w ith u n u su a l skill.53

Jastrow w elcom ed th e skepticism o f the book and looked forward to the day w h en th e p h en om en a o f m edium ship w ould b e com p letely explained through psychological m eans alone. H e was critical o f Flournoy’s accep­ tance o f the reality o f telepathy and telekin esis, w hich h e felt was out o f harmony w ith the rest o f Flournoy’s skeptical analysis. Extraterrestrial voyages w ere all th e rage. In the R evue P hilosophique, Albert d e Rochas noted: Today, w ith th e g re a t in te r e s t th a t th e r e has b e e n a m o n g th e sp iritists for th e w ritin g s o f F la m m a rio n o n th e p la n e t M ars an d th e re v e la tio n s o f th e th e o so p h ists on th e H in d u M a sters, it’s M ars an d th e O rie n t w h ich are fash io n ab le. F o r tw o y ears I too have s tu d ie d a d istin g u ish e d lad y w h o lik ew ise m ak es h e r w ay in an e th e ric b o d y on th e p la n e t M ars. S h e m o re o v e r d e s c rib e s it totally d iffe ren tly th a n M ile. S m ith . . . . T his lady h a d also b e e n an arab p rin c e ss of g re a t beauty, e n g a g e d to a sh e ik , o f w h o m I was th e n th e b ro th e r. O n e se es th a t ap a rt from th e lan g u ag e, w e find h e r e th e sam e p sychological d etails as in th e case o f M ile. S m ith .54

Spiritualists w ere up in arms about the book, for understandable reasons. T hey p ublished a w h ole brochure against Flournoy: A u to u r “D es In des a la Planete M a rs.”55 In “N ou velles O bservations,” Flournoy trenchantly replied at len gth to their critiques. Yet not all spiritualists criticized the book. It received a len gth y p ositive review in Light. T he review er w e l­ com ed it as a “m ost valuable contribution,” noting: It is w o rth y o f co n sid e ra tio n by th e S p iritu alists o f E n g la n d an d A m erica, e s p e ­ cially w ith re g a rd to th e fact th a t it show s how la rg e a p a r t o f th e p h e n o m e n a u sually a ttr ib u te d to “c o n tro l” m ay b e re fe rre d to in v o lu n tary e m e rg in g s from th e su b -co n scio u s o f th e m e d iu m . S u p p o sin g e v e n th a t so m e re a d e rs m ay d iffer from th e a u th o r’s co n clu sio n s in th is re s p e c t, y e t th is b o o k u n q u e s tio n in g ly d e m o n stra te s to w h a t a la rg e e x te n t th e te le p a th ic tran sm issio n is c o n d itio n e d an d c o n tro lle d b y th e m e d iu m ’s su b c o n sc io u sn e ss.56

Flournoy’s study was u sed to illum inate similar cases in history. A ndrew Lang, in “T hree S eer esses” boldly undertook a com parative historical 53 1900, p. 491. 5-1 49 (1900), pt. I, p. 652, trans. mine. 55 Societe d ’E tudes Psychiques de G eneve (Geneva: Georg & Cie, 1901). 56 Iune 2, 1900, p. 255.

stu d y o f Joan o f Arc, M rs. Piper, and H e le n e Sm ith. H e arg u ed th a t th e psychological stu d y of th ese later cases enables us to u n d e rsta n d th e ir illustrious p red ecesso r, and to see h e r apparitions— analogous to H e le n e ’s L eopold, or M rs. P ip e r’s Phiniut, as h e r dream -selves. In Mind, F .C .S . S chiller hailed th e book as a classic. H e w rote: “Prof. F lo u rn o y ’s m ed iu m well d eserv ed th e study h e has bestow ed upon h e r . . . h e r case has greatly e x te n d e d o u r know ledge of th e n a tu re and capac­ ities o f th e sublim inal consciousness.”57 H ow ever, Schiller found F lournoy’s explanations unsatisfactory. H e w rote: T h ey n eith e r account for th e p ersisten ce w ith w hich su ch cases assu m e a spir­ itistic form , nor do th e y su pp ly a p rin cip le to account for the selectio n o f reco n ­ d ite and p seu d o -ev id en tia l m em ories in lieu o f th o se w hich ordinary path s o f association w ou ld norm ally re p r o d u ce.58

R eview ers h ig h lig h ted th e discrepancy b etw een F lournoy’s in te rp re ta tio n o f H e le n e ’s m aterial and h e r value system . In his review of “N ouvelles O b serv atio n s,” Schiller noted: To red u ce th e ex-R an ee S im andini o f C handraghiri, the ex -Q u ee n o f F rance, th e p ro teg e e o f discarnate C agliostro, th e recip ien t o f telep a th ic co m m u n ica ­ tion from trusty corresp on d en ts throughout th e solar sy stem , to a m ere dream er o f d ream s con stru cted by an ill-regu lated su b -con sciou sn ess m ust b e painful to th e least se n sitiv e vanity.59

For som e co m m entators, th e pow ers th a t F lournoy was claim ing for the sublim inal creativ e im agination seem ed to req u ire no less of a leap o f faith th an th e sp iritualist hypothesis. Schiller takes issue w ith F lou rn o y ’s re ­ course to th e sublim inal consciousness to explain h e r m aterial, and w rites: “I cannot feel th e re is so m uch to choose b e tw e en it and S p iritism . ”60 M yers’s response took th e form o f a characteristically n u a n c ed article e n title d “Pseudo-P ossession.” D escrib in g F lournoy’s book as b rilliant, h e w rites: “Few w riters on m atte r o f difficult controversy have ev er pro d u ced so delightful an im pression of absolute, instinctive candour as Professor F lournoy.”61 M yers opens his discussion by noting: P rofessor F lou rn oy’s book in d icates in a rem arkable way how thin gs have m oved in th e p sych ology o f th e last tw en ty years. T h e b o o k ,— a m od el o f fairness th rou gh ou t,— is in d e ed , for th e m ost part, critically d estru ctiv e in its treatm en t 57 w* 59 60 61

1900, p. 549. Ib id . S c h ille r, P ro c e e d in g s o f th e S o c ie ty f o r P sy ch ica l R esea rch (1903), p. 246. I b i d . , p. 248. M y e rs, P ro c e e d in g s o f th e S o c ie ty f o r P sy ch ica l R esea rch (1901), p. 385.

o f the quasi-supernorm al p h en om en a w ith w hich it deals. But what a mass o f con ception s a co m p eten t psychologist now takes for granted in this realm , w hich th e official scien ce o f tw enty years ago w ould scarcely stom ach h intin g a t!62

The spectrum of laudatory response is im pressive. H istorians have b een much taken w ith th e contem porary response (or lack o f response) to F re u d ’s Interpretation o f Dreams. Initially at least, it was quite eclipsed by F lournoy’s exploration of H e le n e ’s sublim inal dream s. M u l t ip l e P e r s o n a l it y

I

At the end of th e n in e te e n th century, th e re was an epidem ic of m ultiple personality. In a pivotal study, Ian H acking studied th e history of M ultiple Personality D isorder, focusing on th e various hosts th at facilitated it.63 Hacking argues th at at th e end of the n in ete en th cen tu ry spiritualism was one of th e m ain hosts for m ultiple personality, d u e to th e possibility that one of th e secondary personalities was in actuality a discarnate entity, or, in o th er term s, th e dead. This transition from spiritualism to m ultiple personality is very clearly d ep icted in From India to the Planet Mars. W hile F lournoy rejects th e extrapsychic existence o f th e figures in H elen e’s trances, and regards them as intrapsychic, he still regards them as personalities. In this way, th e psychologization of m edium ship leads to a m ultiple personality m o d el.64 From India to the Planet Mars was the first psychological study of m ul­ tiple personality th at becam e a best-seller, which played a key role in its dissem ination. F u rth e r, its dram atic novelistic style p re se n te d the p roto­ type for M orton P rin c e ’s classic study of m ultiple personality, The Disso­ ciation o f a Personality. 65 In this regard, Flournoy’s book was stylistically innovative, as it established th e g en re of th e novelistic book-length treat62 Ibid, p. 396. 63 H acking, “M ultiple Personality D iso rd er and Its M any H o sts,” H istory o f th e H um an Sciences 5 (1992): pp. 3 -3 1 . 64 T he transition from spiritualism to m u ltiple personality in th e A m erican context is well depicted by M ichael K enny in The Passion o f A nsel Bourne: M ultiple Personality in A m e ri­ can C ulture (W ashington: Sm ithsonian Institution Press, 1986), w hich, how ever, om its to take account of th e significance of From India to the Planet M ars, w hich provides th e crucial link betw een th e spiritualistically insp ired investigations o f Mrs. P ip e r and M orton P rin ce’s purely psychological study o f Miss Beauchamp. 65 See especially R uth Leys, “T h e Real Miss B eaucham p: G en d er and th e S ubject o f Im i­ tation” in Feminists Theorize the Political, ed. J. B utler and j. Scott (New York, R outledge, 1992). Leys’s analysis of in terplay b etw een P rince and Miss Beaucham p, particularly the m anner in w hich she d epicts P rin ce’s relegation and objectification of m im esis, in m odeling the psychological subject, is very p e rtin e n t in relation to th e interplay b etw een Flournoy and Helfene Sm ith.

m e n t o f m ultiple personality, w hich has co n tin u ed to play a crucial role in its cultural dissem ination to this day. T h e B r id e S t r ip p e d B a r e , b y H e r B a c h e l o r s E v e n

In “N ouvelles O b servations,” F lournoy gave a lengthy su p p lem en tary ac­ count o f th e su b seq u e n t dev elo p m en t o f h e r m edium ship. H e w rote: “It seem ed to m e certain on th e w hole th a t th e close reading of F rom India b y H e le n e influenced th e su b seq u e n t d ev elo p m en t of h e r m ed iu m ­ ship.”66 H e r M artian and ultra-M artian cycles w ere followed by U ranian and L u n ar cycles, th a t broadly speaking, had th e sam e stru ctu re. T h e clam orous reception of th e book was not w ithout effects on its h e r­ oine. She felt b etray ed by Flournoy and particularly in cen sed at th e m ockery th a t she was subject to in som e of th e press notices.67 She b a rre d F lournoy from a tten d in g h e r seances. T he afterm ath of th e book led to a b itte r and prolonged dispute b etw een Flournoy and H e le n e, w hich e n d e d in a co m plete ru p tu re . T h e overriding reason for this was F lo u r­ noy’s com pletely co u n terp o sed in te rp re ta tio n of h e r m edium ship. In th eir co rresp o n d en ce, F lournoy ad d ressed his letters to Elise M uller. She u su ­ ally re p lie d as H e le n e Sm ith. She dem an d ed th e royalties for th e book. F lournoy eventually gave h e r half th e royalties and donated th e o th e r half to th e A rch ives de Psychologie, w hich he founded. Flournoy p ro te ste d th a t she was having all th e benefits of being b o th a fee-paying and a nonfee-paying m ed iu m .68 H e r in sta n t celebrity, how ever, was not w ithout its benefits. H elen e Sm ith a ttrac ted th e a tten tio n of a w ealthy A m erican benefactress w hose patronage en ab led h e r to leave h e r jo b and devote h e rse lf to h e r calling. F or a w hile she co n tinued to give seances, but she eventually ceased to do th e m altogether, and increasingly she developed a new orientation and d ev o ted h e rse lf to religious paintings. In 1907, L em aitre w rote a study of this new tu rn , in w hich h e claim ed: In its e s s e n tia l lin e s , th e c u r r e n t a rtistic p h a se o f H e le n e r e m a in s su ffic ie n tly c o m p r e h e n s ib le to o u r e y e s a n d d o c s n o t d iffer a p p re c ia b ly from h e r o th e r s o m n a m b u lic p r o d u c tio n s. . . . T h is a u to m a tic a c tiv ity is s e t up b y th e sa m e p r o c e s s .69

m Flournoy, “N ouvelles Observations,” p. 105, trans. mine. 67 See H elene Sm ith’s letter in the G azette de Lausanne, January 8, 1902, in reply to a review, in O. Flournoy, Theodore et Leopold, pp. 134-35. m Flournoy to Charles Pospech, March 29, 1902, in O. Flournoy, Theodore et Leopold, p. 152. 69 Lemaitre, “Un N ouvelle Cycle Somnambulique de M ile Smith: Ses peintures religieuses," A rchives de Psychologie 7 (1907): pp. 66—67, trans. mine.

After h e r d eath on Ju n e 29, 1929 in G eneva, h e r paintings w ere exhib­ ited in G eneva and Paris, and w ere the subject of a lengthy volum e by W alter D eonna, D e la Planete M ars en Terre Sainte: A r t e t Subconscient. Un m edium peintre: H elene Sm ith, which also chronicles th e su b seq u en t events in h e r life. D eo n n a notes th at she dream ed of w riting a second volume of From India to the Planet M ars, which she would publish h e r­ self, w ritten in a wholly o th er spirit. H e claims th at th e ru p tu re w ith Flournoy was one of th e causes o f h e r new mystical orientation, as she sought to add a n o th e r coloration to h e r fantasies to evade his critique. H elene h e rse lf w rote in 1912: This man constantly torm en ted and agitated m e. H e brought troubling w aves in my life. . . . T he work o f th e tableaux w ould n ever have b een execu ted if I had rem ained in F lournoy’s entourage, I am persuaded o f it. God d eliv ered , precip ­ itating even ts, o p en in g a n ew way for m e .70

C laparede c o n tested D eo n n a’s view of h e r new tu rn , stating on th e con­ trary th at she always had a pen ch an t for painting, w hich she was able to p ursue due to h e r new found financial freed o m .71 In the afterm ath of th e ir involvem ent, she felt persecuted by Flournoy. After being observed by him for years, she felt th at he was spying on her. In 1909, she w rote: “M .F . . . . continues to send m e spies. To w hat end, I don’t know. Perhaps h e wants to m ake an article concerning m e.”72 H e r experiences w ith Flournoy clearly left a m ark. She refused to exhibit, sell, or even let h e r paintings be photographed, though she did eventually donate th em to a m useum in G eneva. H er work co n tin u ed to attract the in terest of psychologists and th e p opular press. In 1927 she w rote: I am not som eon e w ho loves to exh ib it herself. I do not w ish at any price to b e a subject. I have . . . suffered too m uch, b een too m altreated b ecau se o f this gift o f m ed ium sh ip, w hich I d id not seek ou t.73

H elene claim ed that she had no n eed of th e control of m en, which w ould be like a profanation, and th at in h e r religious m ission she felt only th e need of th e control of God. D eonna notes th a t w hile she renounced h er belief in th e reality of h e r H indu and M artian existences, she rem ained convinced that she had been M arie A ntoinette, and she rem ained an ad ep t of spiritualism . She rem ained u nm arried, n ev er m eeting the “dream ed of being, th e fiance 70 D e la P lan ete M a rs en T erre Sainte: A r t e t su bcon scien t. Un m ediu m p ein tre: H elene Sm ith (Paris: D e B occard1 1932), p. 54, trans. m ine. 71 C laparede, rev iew o f D e la P lan ete M ars en Terre sain te, A rc h iv es d e P sychologie 23 (1932): p. 376. 72 D e la P lan ete M a rs en T erre S ain te, p. 52, trans. m ine. 73 Ib id ., p. 56, trans. m ine.

xxxiv ·

Introduction

of th e so u l,” w hom she awaited. D eonna n o ted th at friends and visitors saw h e r as a “priestess o f th e b e y o n d ,” and th at e n te rin g h e r a p a rtm e n t on th e ru e L iotard felt like e n te rin g a chapel. In 1927, to th e great loss of posterity, she d eclin ed th e invitation of C harles R ichet to w rite h e r m em o irs.74 D r e a m i n g o f H fiL fiN E

A fter th e publication of F rom India to the Planet M ars, H e len e claim ed th at she was th e cause of F lournoy’s n o toriety75 and th e “m odest in stru ­ m e n t” o f his glory.76 If Flournoy had “m ade” H e le n e Sm ith, she, nev­ e rth eless, w ould claim th at she had m ade him . Flournoy, no less than H e le n e, was irrevocably m arked by th e ir encounter. F or H e len e this took th e form of a tu rn in g away from anything th at resem b led h e r tim e in “F lournoy’s e n to u ra g e.” O n his part, Flournoy n ev er ceased to search, unsuccessfully, for a n o th e r H elene. This very search seem ed to suggest th at h e was a tte m p tin g to d e c ip h e r som ething about th e ir e n c o u n te r th at h e had m issed a t th e tim e. H e en d e d “N ouvelles O bservations” on a less than sanguine note. His reflections highlight a p h en o m en a for w hich M ar­ tin O rn e w ould later coin th e term “dem an d characteristics”: It is n ot good that a m ed ium b e studied for too lon g by th e sam e investigator, b ecau se th e latter, d esp ite his precautions, in evitab ly en d s by shaping the so su g g estib le su bconscious o f his subject. . . . In other term s, a sort o f ossification m en aces th e m ed iu m w ho know s— or b e lie v e s— h e r s e lf to b e an object o f co n ­ tinual su rveillan ce from near and far, puts h er little by little in a quasi­ im possib ility to furnish oth er categories o f p h en o m en a than that w hich sh e su b ­ co n sciou sly im agin es to b e w aited for by h im .77

F rom In d ia to th e Planet M ars was F lournoy’s m asterpiece. N ev er again w ould he find such a subject, though he w ent to great lengths attem p tin g to do ju st th at. In 1911, n ot long after h e had finally com e to a s e ttle m en t w ith H elen e, F lournoy p u b lish e d his last m ajor w ork on m edium s, w hich can in p a rt be read as his response to th e ir em broilm ent, and as an autocritique. In M arch 1898 F lournoy had sen t out a questionnaire on m edium ship to th e m em b ers of th e Societe d ’E tu d es Psychiques d e G eneve, and re ­ ceived seventy-tw o replies. Ten years later he did a follow-up study. F lournoy’s survey was one of th e m ost detailed qualitative surveys th at 74 75 noy, 76 77

C ited in ib id ., p. 4. H e le n e Sm ith, le tte r to th e editor, G azette de Lausanne, jan u a ry 7, 1902, in O. F lo u r­ T heodore e t Leopold, p. 135. H e le n e S m ith to Flournoy, M arch 4, 1901, ib id ., p. 121. Flournoy, “N ouvelles O b serv atio n s,” p. 116, trans. m ine.

had b een conducted up till th en in psychology. However, he did not get the results he ho p ed for: T his w as h ard ly th e m in e o f e x c e p tio n a l ea se s an d m a rv ello u s p h e n o m e n a w h ic h I had d rea m ed of. . . . n o th in g for e x a m p le th at a p p ro a ch es th e b ea u tifu l s u b ­ lim inal im a g in a tio n , cr ea to r o f la n g u a g es and m y th s, w h ic h at th e sa m e tim e I saw un fold in th e so m n a m b u lism s o f M ile S m ith .78

Flournoy found th e replies “perfectly indigestible.” However, h e found him self m orally obliged to his respondents to publish th e m aterial. H e was faced w ith th e ethical dilem m a o f how to m aintain his critical freedom and respect the rights of th e respondents, who w ere deprived of replying in the volum e. As a solution h e published th e book in two parts: the first containing th e verbatim replies, and th e second his general reflections. W hile Flournoy had obtained th e perm ission from each individual to p u b ­ lish th eir replies, he notes that the practical im possibility of m aintaining the anonym ity of subjects will continue to be th e great obstacle to p u b ­ lications of m edium istic phenom ena. These questions still vex psycholo­ gists and clinicians today. F lournoy’s discussion and atte m p t to resolve them rem ains one o f th e m ost sophisticated. Flournoy’s survey shows his sensitivity to the problem of using a single case as a paradigm , in m arked contrast to F re u d and Jung. His scrupulous docum enting of a failed exp erim en t th at undercuts his thesis shows his integrity. T he survey suggested th at H elene Sm ith was an atypical case and it questioned th e theories h e had developed from h e r case. Flournoy had hoped th a t his study of th e developm ent of h er m edium ship w ould in turn shed light on psychological developm ent in general: such was the dream of sublim inal psychology. The singularity of th e en co u n ter was m issed by Flournoy, yet it contin­ ued to hau n t him . T h e th re a t was posed— could his psychology itself be a subconscious sublim inal rom ance, one w hich equally had to dissim u­ late its origins? Was his “science” th e m irror im age of h e r sublim inal rom ances? T h e U n c o n s c io u s : S t r u c t u r e d l ik e M a r t ia n ?

A dram atic m om ent en su ed , w hen, faced w ith th e “H in d u ” language of H elene, Flournoy called upon the services of his friend th e linguist F erdi­ nand de Saussure. T he linguist Roman Jakobsen was later to describe their collaboration as: a b eau tifu l e x a m p le o f co lla b b ra tio n b e tw e e n p sy c h o lo g ists and lin g u ists that 78 Flournoy, E spirits et Mediums: M ilanges de M etapsychique et de psychologie (Geneva: Kundig, 1911), p. 2, trails, mine.

xxxvi

·

Introduction

should b e im itated and inspire n ew researches in the topic of th e structural analysis o f th e d elirious, individual m anifestations o f glossolalia.79

H e r M artian lan g u ag e a ttra c te d th e a tte n tio n o f a n o th e r lin g u ist, V ictor H e n ry , w ho d e v o te d a w hole book to i t .80 In his re v ie w o f H e n ry ’s book, F lo u rn o y n o te d : “I t is v ery p o ig n a n t to see a p rofessional lin g u ist c o n se ­ c ra te a v o lu m e to th e analysis o f an idiom th a t does n o t exist, o r a t least o n ly exists in th e su b co n scio u s im ag in atio n o f a so m n am b u list. ”81 In his book, H e n ry a rg u e d th a t th e p ro c esses th a t u n d e rla y th e creatio n o f M artian w e re th e sam e p ro cesses th a t u n d e rla y n a tu ra l languages. H e n c e th e stu d y o f M artian p ro v id e d th e u n iq u e o p p o rtu n ity for ca tc h in g a g lim p se in to th e g en e sis o f languages. H e le n e ’s lin g u istic p ra ctices c o n tin u e to a ttra c t th e a tte n tio n o f lin ­ gu ists to d ay a n d fe a tu re at th e fo refro n t o f d e b a te in p a rt, b u t n o t on ly on ac co u n t o f th e ro le o f S a u s su re . M arin a Yaguello n o te s th a t at th e tu r n o f th e c e n tu ry th e re was m assive o u tb re a k o f sp eak in g in to n g u es, o r glos­ solalia. T h is has a c o n te m p o ra ry p arallel in th e e m e rg e n c e o f th e P ente co sta list c h u rch , w ith c u rre n tly a ro u n d eig h t m illion m e m b e rs, m ostly in th e U n ite d S tates, w h ich serv es as th e c o n te m p o ra ry h o st for glossolalia a n d xenoglossia (speaking in u nknow n languages). Yaguello n o tes th e sig­ n ifican ce o f H e le n e S m ith for linguistics as follows: H er case is exem plary for tw o reasons. In the first place, there is the quality o f th e p h e n om en on observed. T he languages d ev ised by th e m edium , especially Martian, reach a level o f sophistication, con sistency and p erm an en ce w hich gives them , in spite o f their infantile character, a sufficiently con vin cin g p seu d o-lin gu istic character to have caught th e attention o f linguists as d istin ­ g u ish ed as Saussure and V. Henry. This formal perfection is rarely attained by o th er subjects recorded in history. The secon d reason has to do w ith the ob­ server and th e quality o f his observations. If cases o f pathological glossolalia have b en efited from th e attention o f psychiatrists, those involving m ed ium s or m em bers o f religious sects have for the m ost part only b een describ ed by b e ­ lievers. It is only recen tly that scholars w ith a neutral stance towards th e p h e ­ n om ena have begun to study it using the m ethods o f experim ental psych ol­ ogy. . . . F lou rn oy’s study, in spite or rather because o f the am biguity o f the author’s relationship to the m edium , rem ains a m odel o f its kind.82 79 C ite d b y Je a n -Ja c q u e s C o u rtin e , "P o u r In tro d u ir e aux glossolalies: U n h o m m a g e 3 M i­ c h e l d e C e r te a u ,” L an g a g e s 91 (1988): p. 5, trails, m in e . T h is sp ecial issu e show s th e p a ra ­ d ig m a tic ro le th a t is still p la y e d by H e le n e S m ith in th e stu d y o f glossolalia. 89 H e n ry , L e L a n g a g e M a rtle n (Paris: J. M a iso n n e u v e, 1901). F o r a c o m m e n ta ry on H e n r y ’s te x t, se e M a rin a Yaguello, L u n a tic L o vers o f L anguage: Im a g in a ry L a n g u a g e s a n d T h e ir In v e n to r s , tra n s. C. S la te r (L o n d o n : A th lo n e, 1991). 81 F lo u rn o y , A r c h iv e s d e P sychologie I (1901): p. 99, tran s. m ine. 82 Y aguello, L u n a tic L o v e rs o f L a n g u a g e , p. 88, Yaguello p re s e n ts a d e ta ile d d iscu ssio n o f H e le n e ’s M a rtia n , lo c a tin g it in th e c o n te x t o f th e in v e n tio n o f im a g in ary lan g u a g es. S e e also

Yaguello n o tes th a t cru cial lin g u istic q u estio n s arise from H e le n e ’s la n ­ guages: first, a re they, p ro p e rly speaking, languages, a n d if so, do th e y p o in t to a u n iv ersa l lin g u istic c o m p e te n c e , such as N oam C hom sky m ig h t claim ? S h e an sw ers th e first q u e stio n , like F lo u rn o y a n d H e n ry b efo re her, in th e affirm ative: H ow ever poor it is both in structure and vocabulary, Martian d o es seem to fulfil the d ouble function o f language postulated by B enveniste: I) sem iotic: it is a system w ith id en tifiab le signs; 2) sem antic: th e se signs can b e com b ined in utterances in such a way to produce m ean ings.83

T h e significance o f S a u s su re ’s re a d in g o f H e le n e ’s “H in d u ” is ta k e n u p by T zetan Todorov. H e seizes u p o n S a u ssu re ’s co m m en ts on th e g en e sis o f h e r lan g u ag es, se e in g th e m as a w in d o w o n to th e gen esis o f S au ssu re ’s own linguistics. S au ssu re is stru c k b y th e re m a rk a b le fact th a t o n e fe a tu re of h e r “H in d u ” lan g u ag e, its ab se n c e o f th e le tte r “f,” exactly d u p licates th e s tru c tu re o f S anskrit. Todorov focuses on th is e p iso d e o f th e m issing f. H e w rites th a t S au ssu re (w ho for H e le n e was th e re in c a rn a tio n o f th e H in d u “M io u sa”) is m o re p r e p a re d “to acknow ledge th e su p e rn a tu ra l (tran sm ig ratio n o f M ile. S m ith ’s soul) th a n to m odify his m e th o d o f in v estig atio n — w h ich h e r e to u c h e s u p o n th e p rin c ip le o f sym bolic fu n c tio n in g .”84 Todorov claim s th a t S au ssu re fails to ad m it th e ex isten c e o f a “logic o f sym bolism o th e r th a n th a t o f la n g u a g e .” Todorov arg u es th a t it is h e r e th a t H e n ry ’s in te rp re ta tio n o f th e m issing “f,” su rp asses S au ssu re’s. F o r H enry, h e r M artian a n d S an sk rito id p ro d u c tio n s a re su b co n scio u sly gov­ e rn e d by an in ju n c tio n to e n tire ly avoid F re n c h . H e n c e as th e w ord “F re n c h ” b eg in s w ith th e le tte r “f,” sh e avoids this as m u ch as possible. F or Todorov, th e significance o f th is ep iso d e lies in th e fact that: it prefigures in a rem arkable way Saussure’s relations w ith sym bolic p h en om en a to the very en d o f his career . . . his im passes have exem plary value: they antici­ pate those o f a large sector o f m odern lin gu istics.85

O n e re v ie w e r o f H e n ry ’s book p u t forw ard a m o re p ro saic a lte rn a tiv e in te rp re ta tio n for th e m issin g “f ”: “I sh o u ld ra th e r ascrib e it to a p e c u lia r paralysis o f c e rta in m u scles o f th e lips w h ich m ay b e s e t h e r in h e r a b n o r­ m al states o f c o n sc io u sn e ss.”86 H e le n e ’s lan g u ag es fe a tu re p ro m in e n tly in M ichel d e C e rte a u ’s w ork her appendix “P sychanalyse e t linguiste: p rem iere rencontre” in the 1983 edition o f D es ln d e s ά ία p la n ete M ars. 83 Yaguello, L u n atic L o vers o f L anguage, p. 95. 8'* Todorov, "Saussure’s S e m io tic s,” in T h eories o f the S ym b o l (London: Blackw ell, 1982), p. 259. 85 Ib id ., p. 265. 86 F red C orybeare, review o f L e I^angage M artien , H ib b e rt Jou rn al, July 1903, p. 54.

xxxviii

·

I n tro d u c tio n

on glossolalia, for w hom she again takes on th e role o f a paradigm case. For de C erteau, “W hat utopia is to social space, glossolalia is to oral com ­ m u n ication .”87 H e notes: T h is fiction o f la n g u ag e n e v e r ce ases to b e ta k e n fo r a la n g u ag e a n d tr e a te d as su ch. I t n e v e r ceases to b e c o m p e lle d to m e a n so m e th in g . I t ex cites an im p u ls e to d e c r y p t a n d d e c ip h e r w h ic h n e v e r w ea ries a n d w h ic h alw ays su p p o s e s th e o rg an iz atio n o f m e a n in g lu rk in g b e h in d th e se rie s o f s o u n d s .88

D e C erteau argues that glossolalia has continually b een interp reted “as if on e m u st w rite in th e place w h ere it sp eak s.”89 For d e C erteau, such interpretations are marked by a “h erm en eu tic m orality,” in w hich th e p rivileged term s o f sen se, reality, and work replace th ose o f masks, fic­ tion, play, atopia. H e n otes how ever, that th ere exists a troubling eq u iv o ­ cation b etw een glossolalia and its interpretation: B u t th e ex p lica tio n , a s tra n g e r to th e glossolalic saying, is a t th e sa m e tim e n e c e ssa ry : a stra n g e r, b e c a u s e in a b s e n tin g its e lf o f all effectiv e la n g u ag e , th is say in g ab a n d o n s to th e c o m m e n ta ry all th e b u r d e n o f m e an in g . . . . I t im p li­ ca te s a lre a d y th e e x te rio rity of a co m m en tary , stra n g e n e s s n e c e s sa ry to its p r o p e r a u to n o m iz a tio n .90

D e C erteau ’s analysis has b een taken up and critically exten d ed re­ cen tly by D an R osenberg, w h o ch allen ges d e C erteau s reading, arguing: I t is o u tsta n d in g ly c le a r th a t th e d e s ire o p e ra tiv e h e r e w as n o t d e C e r te a u ’s u n f e tte r e d d e s ire to sp e ak b u t r a th e r a d e s ire to (linguistic) s tru c tu re . . . . T h e tra n sg re ssiv e n e ss o f S m ith ’s se an c es lay n o t, as d e C e rte a u c o n te n d s , in th e ir tra je c to ry o u t o f la n g u a g e a n d tow ard p u r e v o calizatio n b u t in th e ir re p e a te d c o m p e te n c e a t p ro d u c in g c o n v in c in g sim u lac ra of la n g u a g e o u tsid e o f th e le g it­ im a tin g p la ce s w h e r e la n g u ag e o u g h t to have b e e n .91

T he issu es raised in th ese linguistic discussions by im plication concern not on ly th e interpretation o f H e le n e ’s linguistic productions, but also o f all h er m aterial. As such th ey p ose q uestions concerning th e status o f p sych ology its e lf and th e equivocal interrelation b etw een H e le n e ’s m ate­ rial and Flournoy s p sych ology— th e on e d esignated as fantastic, th e other 87 Michel de Certeau, "Utopies Vocales: Glossolalies,” Traverses 20 (1980): p. 28, trans. mine. 88 D e Certeau, “Utopies Vocales,” p. 30., trans. Dan Rosenberg, in “Linguistic Utopias: Michel de C erteau, Glossolalia and the Martian Language,” paper presented to the Theory, C ulture and Society Tenth Anniversary Meeting, August 18, 1992. 89 D e C erteau, “Utopies Vocales,” p. 30, trans. mine. 90 Ibid., p. 32., trans. mine. For a study of Helfene Smith’s glossolalia in the context of its scene of enunciation, see MireiIle Cifali, “Une glossolale et ses savants: Elise M uller alias H elene Sm ith,” in La Linguistique Fantastique, ed. J. Clims (Paris: De Noel, 1985). 91 Rosenberg, “Linguistic Utopias,” p. 6.

E n c o u n te rin g H e le n e

·

xxxix

sanctioned as “sc ie n c e .” T he su bsequ en t dispute b etw een Flournoy and H elen e over copyright, authorship, and property, staged this issue in a spectacular fashion. In his reading o f H e le n e ’s languages, Courtine writes: To th e sim p le in te rro g a tio n : “w ho speaks an d to w h o m ? ”, th e g lossolalist r e ­ plies, “It is an O th e r th a n m e w h o speaks; a n d th is o th e r is again s h e /h e to w hom m y sp e ak a d d re sse s itself, since it is h is /h e r s .”92

The m ode in w h ich this question o f “w h o speaks” is played out in glossolalia is taken up by Marina Yaguello. She writes: W h at d istin g u ish e s th e glossolalist from so m e o n e sp e ak in g an o rd in a ry la n ­ guage is th a t h e o r sh e isn ’t th e p e rso n speakin g . T h e re la tio n sh ip o f p e rs o n is m issing, th e re is no I sta n d in g at th e so u rc e o f th e u tte ra n c e a t th e c e n tr e o f th e d isco u rse, n o I ta k in g re sp o n sib ility fo r th e act o f u tte ra n c e a n d in v o lv ed by v irtu e o f th is in a sp a tio -te m p o ra l continuity. H e le n e S m ith sp eak s at th e d ic ta ­ tion o f sp irits an d e x tra -te rre s tria l b ein g s. . . . A nd y e t in glossolalia th e r e c e r­ tainly is an ego a t th e c e n tr e , b u t it is a n o n -lin g u istic ego, w h ich u n lik e th e I o f a la nguage sy stem , th e I ac tin g as a “sh ifte r” p ro n o u n in sp e e c h , c a n n o t pass from o n e in d iv id u al to a n o th e r. I t is o u tsid e th e social sy stem , an d b elo n g s to th e sp e ak e r, w ho tak es p o sse ssio n o f la n g u ag e by th is m e a n s .93

The tem ptation w ould clearly b e felt to assign another subject to th e site of enunciation, to put an en d to this troubling equivocation— h en ce th e nomination o f m u ltiple personality— w hich is Flournoy’s m ove. This other sp eech b ecom es a site around w hich another scen e b ecom es n om i­ nated, organized and cartographized— the unconscious. H ow ever, this annexation restores this sp eech to th e typ e o f intelligibility that it w ould exceed. H ere, th e possibility o f a psychology that exceed ed classical intro­ spective psychology, w ith its self-transparent locutor at th e center, was glim psed, only for it to b e subsum ed by th e interpretive strategies that would install another subject as the source o f this other speech. In respect to this en d less gam e o f com m entary on H e le n e Sm ith, Rosenberg aptly com m ents: T h e ex a m p le o f H e le n e S m ith in d ic ates th a t th e co m p u lsio n to m e an , to signify, d oes n o t only e lid e th e d e s ire to speak , to vocalize, to a rtic u la te . It also elid es th e d e s ire to lan g u ag e, d e s ire to s tru c tu re , to in v e n tio n . . . w e th u s n e e d to ex am ine o u r ow n te n d e n c y to p u t back u p th e b o u n d a rie s th a t H e le n e S m ith d id us th e se rv ic e o f b re a k in g d o w n .94 92 J-J. C ou rtine, “L es S ilen ces d e la Voix,” L angages 91 (1988): p. 9, trans. m ine. 93 Yaguello, L u n a tic L a vers o f L anguage, p. 96. 94 R osenberg, “L inguistic U top ias,” p. 7.

L

if e

after

M

ars

: F

l o u r n o y ’s

D

e c l in e

In th e first tw o d e c a d e s o f th e tw e n tie th cen tu ry , psychological in te r e s t in m e d iu m s w a n e d dram atically. W h ile th e p u b lic in te re s t in m e d iu m s was s a fe g u a rd e d b y th e p e re n n ia l n a tu re o f th e q u e stio n o f life a fte r d e a th , th e in te re s t o f p sy ch o lo g ists was not. T h e m o d e in w h ic h th e psychological stu d y o f m e d iu m s c o n trib u te d to its ow n d e c lin e is a p p a re n t in S ta n ley H a ll’s 1918 artic le , “A M e d iu m in th e B u d .”95 H all n a rra te s how h e was co n su lte d b y a y o u n g w om an o f tw en ty , in an “in c ip ie n t s ta g e ” o f m ed iu m sh ip , w h ich in c lu d e d an acco u n t o f life on M ars. F o llow ing F lournoy, h e saw h e r fantasies as an o u tc o m e o f a d o le s c e n t d e v e lo p m e n ta l p ro c e sse s, a co m p e n sa tio n for w h a t was lacking in h e r e n v iro n m e n t. In a d d itio n , H all p u ts forw ard th e follow ing m otive for th e cu ltiv atio n o f su ch states. H all h ig h lig h ts th e: lo v e o f th e u tter a b a n d o n in v o lv e d in th is sta te. In h ib itio n s a re th ro w n to th e w in d . W h ile th e n orm al e g o is c o n tr o lle d , th e co n tr o l can le t it s e lf g o an d e x ­ p r e ss th e v e r y d e e p e s t an d m o st se c r e t th in g s in th e so u l, o ften w ith a fran k n ess th a t ord in ary so cia l c o n v e n tio n s w o u ld m a k e im p o ssib le . T h u s th e r e is a su d d e n fr e e d o m from r e sp o n s ib ility and s e n s itiv e , sh rin k in g , r e p r e ss e d n a tu res, w h o w o u ld a b o v e all th in g s d rea d to sh o ck or v io la te c o n v e n tio n in p h ra se or m a n ­ ner, are fr e e d from th e n e c e s s ity o f e v e n b e in g a g r e e a b le o r p r im ly p ro p er, w h ic h m u st o fte n b e c o m e ir k so m e , h e d g e d ab ou t as th e y are b y so m an y s e n s e ­ le s s ta b o o s. In th e tra n co id a l sta te th e s e are all r e m o v e d , for th e n o n c e , from o n e le v e l o f h e r so u l, an d s h e can b lu rt ou t th in g s w h ic h ord in a rily m a id e n ly m o d e s ty w o u ld n e v e r p e r m it h e r to say o r hear. S u ch te n d e r and d e lic a te girls o ften fe e l th e m s e lv e s p o s s e s s e d b y so m e r u g g ed , p o te n t and u n co u th m a le sp irit, an d d e lig h t to sw a g g e r in d ic tio n and m a n n er, to b e b lu n t, slangy, to u n cork an d v e n t e le m e n ts o f c o n d u c t for w h ic h n o th in g in n o rm a l e x p e r ie n c e g iv e s su c h o p p o r tu n ity or su c h in c e n tiv e . T h e g irl is th u s u sin g n e w p o w ers and s o m e s e n s e m ay b e th e b e tte r for it . 96

H a ll’s in te rp re ta tio n significantly valorizes th e fre e d o m from social c o n ­ stra in ts a n d tab o o s o ccasio n ed b y th e tra n c e , in offering y o u n g w o m en o p p o rtu n ity to c irc u m v e n t tra d itio n a l g e n d e r ste re o ty p e s. H a ll’s essay p ro v id e d o n e o f th e sw an songs o f th e psychological stu d y o f m ed iu m s. F o r o n ce th e p ro d u c tio n s o f th e m e d iu m istic tra n c e are see n as sim ply th e m an ife st lev el o f la te n t, re p re s s e d sexuality, th e specific in te re s t occa­ sio n e d b y th e m is lost. T h e s tu d y o f m e d iu m s w o u ld th e n have little s p e ­ cific to re c o m m e n d it, n o r w ould it sh e d lig h t in tu rn on th e g e n e ra l p a tte r n s o f d e v e lo p m e n t, as F lo u rn o y d re a m e d . In 1909, in his “T h e C on95 H all, A m e r ic a n J o u r n a l o f P sych o lo g y 29 (1918): pp. 144—58. 96 Ib id ., p. 154.

fid en ces o f a ‘Psychical R e se a rc h e r’, ” w h ile e x p o u n d in g th e u n ex p lain e d re sid u u m o f m etap h y sics, Jam es concludes: Vast, in d eed , and difficult is the inquirer’s prospect h ere, and th e m ost sig­ nificant data for his purpose w ill probably b e just th ese dingy little m ediurnistic facts w hich the H uxleyan m inds o f our tim e find so unw orthy o f their atten tion .97

H ow ever, Jam es’s p ro sp e c tu s was n o t to b e , a n d it was his rival S tan ley H all w ho p ro v id e d w h a t co u ld b e tak en as th e e p ita p h for this ep o c h in psychology: The next generation will b e hardly able to b eliev e that p rom inent m en in this way w asted their en ergies in chasing such a w ill-of-the-w isp as the veracity o f m essages or th e reality o f a post-m ortem existen ce, w hich they no m ore prove than dream s o f levitation prove that man can hover in the air at w ill.98

T h e 1909 C o n g ress o f E x p e rim e n ta l Psychology in G e n ev a, over w h ich F lo u rn o y p re s id e d , was th e last a t w hich m e d iu m sh ip fe a tu re d on th e agenda. A w h o le sectio n was d e v o te d to m e d iu m istic p h e n o m e n a . F lo u r­ noy o p e n e d th e sectio n b y d efe n d in g its inclusion, w hich som e su sp e c te d was a d an g e ro u s in tru sio n o f occultism a n d sp iritu alism in to th e d iscu s­ sion. F lo u rn o y c laim ed th a t it was no lo n g e r p o ssib le for scientific psy­ chology to b e d is in te re s te d in th e m ateria l p h e n o m e n a o f m ed iu m s, such as E u sa p ia P alladino. F iv e p erso n s w e re in v ite d , b u t only o n e a c c e p te d ." F ro m 1900 to 1909, th e tid e h a d clearly tu rn e d . T h e m ed iu m s w e re th e e x em p lar o f su b lim in al psychology. W ith th e d e c lin e o f psychological in ­ te re s t in m e d iu m s, su b lim in al psychology found itse lf w ith o u t a subject. W ith in p sy ch ical re se a rc h , th e p arad ig m sh ifted away from th e d e ta ile d in v estig atio n o f m ed iu m s, w ith th e ir lack o f replicability, to th e c o n tro lle d e x p e rim e n ta l stu d ie s in te le p a th y u n d e r lab o ra to ry co n d itio n s, p re d o m i­ n an tly asso ciated w ith J. B. R h in e .100 G e o g rap h ically sp eak in g , V ien n a a n d Z u ric h p re v a ile d over G e n ev a as th e le a d in g capitals for th e ex p lo ratio n o f th e unconscious. T h e ascen-

97 James, “T he C on fid en ces o f a ‘Psychical Researcher, ” in W illiam Jam es on P sychical R esearch, ed. G ardner M urphy and Robert Ballou (London: Chatto and W indus, 1961), p. 325. 98 Hall, “A M edium in th e B u d ,” p. 154. 99 C o m p te-R en d u d u Sixiem e C o n g res In tern ation ale d e psych ologie, ed. Edouard C laparede (G eneva: K iindig, 1909), p. 827. 100 The shift in psychical research from th e in -d ep th study o f m edium s to the laboratorycontrolled exp erim en ts w ith card-guessing gam es, w hich dom inated m odern parapsychol­ ogy, and w h ich ironically reversed Flournoy’s intellectu al trajectory, is w ell d ep icted in S. M ausk opfan d M. McVaugh, The E lu sive Science: O rigin s o f E xperim en tal P sychical Re­ search (Baltimore: Johns H opkins U niversity Press, 1980).

dance of psychoanalysis has in several respects b e e n seen as responsible for F lo u rn o y s decline. Initially, th e paradigm of th e hysteric and m ore critically its particular in te rp re ta tiv e school— psychoanalysis— took over. It was claim ed th at Flournoy failed to co m p reh en d th e role of th e tra n s­ ference and sexuality, now here m ore so than in his analysis of H elen e Sm ith. O livier Flournoy suggests th at com pared to psychoanalysis, F lo u r­ noy’s w eakness was a reticence toward sexuality. 101 In sum , the psycho­ analytic critiq u e was th at F rom India to the Planet M ars was not F re u d ’s “F ra g m e n t of an Analysis of a Case of H ysteria. ” C lap ared e c o u n te re d this charge by claim ing th at Flournoy, in seeing L eopold as a “hypnoid form a­ tion of essentially psycho-sexual origin” grasped th e role of sexuality in hysterical accidents, but dealt w ith th e issue discretely out of a sense of delicacy for H e le n e . 102 A t a professional level, Flournoy w orked w ithin preexisting in stitu ­ tional stru ctu res. His institutional achievem ents, such as th e A rchives de Psychologie and th e psychological laboratory at th e U niversity of G eneva, w ere m arked by th e open and pluralistic way in w hich they encom passed and en couraged psychological research, ra th e r than form ing his own tightly p e rim e te re d school of psychology, in sharp contrast to F re u d and Ju n g . 103 F lournoy’s work was m arked by an excessive m odesty; ra th e r than in tro d u ce new and distinctive term inology, Flournoy p refe rre d to use existing term s and sim ply add a new inflection. M ireille Cifali states th a t F re u d triu m p h e d over Flournoy because he offered a th era p eu tic p ractice. 104 Clearly, not th e least of th e attractions of psychoanalysis was its provision of a new professional id en tity and m eans of acquiring an incom e. Flournoy, to g eth er w ith M yers and Jam es, felt th a t a p u rely clinical approach was an in adequate basis from w hich to develop a psychology of th e personality. Flournoy a tte m p te d to establish a com parative psychology based on th e in -d ep th study o f lives, ra th e r than a psychotherapy. This agenda was eclipsed in psychology until it was re ­ vived by G ordon A llport and, in particular, by H e n ry M urray, who can b e seen as im plicitly arguing for a re tu rn to F lournoy’s ag en d a. 105 101 O . F lo u rn o y , T h e o d o re e t L e o p o ld , p. 18. 102 C la p a re d e , “T h e o d o re F lo u rn o y . Sa v ie e t son o e u v r e ,” p. 63. 103 O n th e F re u d -F lo u rn o y re la tio n , se e M ire ille C ifali, “L es chiffres d e T in tim e ," in th e 1983 e d itio n o f D e s I n d e s a la p la n e te Mars·, o n F lo u rn o y ’s piv o tal ro le in th e F re u d -J u n g b re a k , se e M ire ille C ifali, “L e fa m e u x c o u te a u d e L ic h te n b e r g ,” L e B lo c -N o te s d e la p sy c h a n a ly se 4 (1984); pp. 171—88. F lo u rn o y ’s in flu e n c e o n J u n g w as g r e a te r a n d m o re la st­ in g th a n F r e u d ’s. O n th e ir re la tio n , se e Ja m es W itz in g , "T h e o d o re F lo u rn o y : A F rie n d I n d e e d ,” J o u r n a l o f A n a ly tic a l P sychology 27 (1982): pp. 1 3 1 -4 8 ; a n d m y “A W o m an C a lle d F r a n k ,” S p r in g 50 (1990): pp. 2 6 —56, w h ic h re c o n stru c ts th e b io g ra p h y o f F ra n k M iller, F lo u rn o y ’s s tu d e n t w h o b e c a m e J u n g ’s k e y p a ra d ig m case. l0'* C ifali, “T h e o d o r e F lo u rn o y , la d e c o u v e rte d e T in c o n sc ie n t,” p. 127. 105 G o rd o n A llp o rt, T h e Use o f P ersonal D o c u m e n ts in P sychological S c ie n ce (N ew York:

In th e A rchives de Psychologie, one can graphically see another reason for Flournoy’s decline, as th e figure of th e m edium becom es increasingly replaced by th at o f th e child, notably through th e early publications of Jean Piaget. 106 For Flournoy th e p ree m in e n t tool for psychological exploration was hypnosis, and in F rom In d ia to the Planet M ars he p re se n te d one of th e most detailed investigations into trance states. After th e tu rn of th e c e n ­ tury, in terest in hypnosis greatly declined. W hile hypnosis was rehabili­ tated through th e behaviorist m ethodology o f Clark Hull, it was not until the work of C harles Tart and others on “altered states of conscious­ ness,”107 that th e creative potentiality of trance states that so in te rested Flournoy re tu rn e d to th e psychological agenda, though w ithout reference to his work. Likew ise w hile F lournoy’s “play theory” of m edium ship a n te ­ dates the now-fashionable interp retatio n s of hypnotic p h enom ena in term s of role playing, w ith Flournoy this led to a dynam ic psychology of the sublim inal, ra th e r than to a sociobehavioral perspective. From India to the Planet M ars was one o f th e classic paradigm cases of m ultiple personality. In th e first two decades of the tw en tieth century, th e reported incidence of m ultiple personality, to g eth er w ith th e in te rest in dissociative p h en o m en a in general, dram atically declined. The rec e n t r e ­ vival of M ultiple Personality D isorder looks to Janet, rath e r than F lour­ noy, as its patron, in line w ith its psychopathological cast. H fiL fiN E S m i t h : T h e P a t r o n S a i n t o f S u r r e a l i s m

W hile Flournoy and H e le n e w ere largely forgotten by psychology, they were regarded as patrons by surrealism . B reton notes, com m enting on the heroine o f his novel N adja·. The magic Nadja surrounded herself with was the mind’s compensation for the heart’s defeat. We see something similar in the case of the celebrated medium Helene Smith, whose marvellous peregrinations from planet to planet . . . seemed to be aimed mainly at capturing the attentions of Theodore Flournoy, who was caring for her, and whose love she had not managed to win. 108 Social Science R esearch C ouncil, 1942); H en ry M urray e t al., E xplorations in Personality (New York: Oxford U niversity Press, 1938). 106 On F lournoy’s influence on Piaget thro u g h his psychology of religion, see F ernando Vidal, “Jean Piaget and th e L iberal P ro testan t T radition,” in Psychology in Tw entiethC entury T hought a n d Society, ed. M. Ash and W. W oodward (C am bridge: C am bridge U ni­ versity Press, 1987). 107 See C harles Tart, e d ., A lte re d States o f Consciousness, rev. ed. (N ew York: H arperCollins, 1990). 108 B reton, C onversations: The A utobiography o f Surrealism , trans. M. Polizzotti (N ew York: Paragon H ouse, 1993), p. 108.

T hroughout F rom India to the Planet M ars, Flournoy never ceases to m arvel at th e artistic and dram atic powers of H e le n e’s subconscious c re ­ ative im agination. On one reading w hat is left of h e r rom ances w hen shorn of th e ir spiritualistic garb is precisely art. F lournoy was indeed ex­ trem ely in tere ste d in th e artistic capabilities that could b e released th ro ug h trance states and he p u rsu ed these questions in his re p o rt on M agdeleine G ., and h e r som nam bulist choreographies. 109 W hile hypno­ tized, th e u n train ed M agdeleine perform ed exquisite dance settings to musical accom panim ents, such as by C hopin. T he in tere st th at Magd elein e h eld for F lournoy resided in th e fact th at th e artistic potentiality revealed seem ed to transcend h e r norm al capabilities. His descriptions suggest th at he was ench an ted by h er choreographies. Flournoy was in­ tere ste d in th e question of w h e th e r this hidden creative self m ight exist in everyone. H e argues that hypnosis rem oved th e conscious inhibitions, w hich en ab led th e latent creative capacity to em erge. In “T he Autom atic M essage,’’ B reton explicitly acknowledges the d e b t of surrealism to the explorations of M yers and Flournoy, and credits sublim inal psychology as providing one of th e conditions of possibility o f surrealism . B reton states th at Surrealism highlighted “w hat rem ained of m edium istic com m unica­ tion once we had freed it from th e insane m etaphysical im plications it otherw ise en ta ile d .”110 It was clearly Flournoy w ho paved th e way for this liberation. In “T h e A utom atic M essage,” B reton clearly states th e in d e b t­ edness of m odern art to m edium ship, asking, for instance, “W hat is Art N ouveau if not an attem p t to generalize and adapt m edium istic drawing, p ainting and scu lp ture to th e art of furniture and decoration?”111 At a stylistic level, m edium s could flagrantly transgress artistic and linguistic conventions, since th eir productions usually w ere not p re sen ted as a rt­ works. M ore significant was th e utilization of autom atic w riting and draw­ ing as a m eans of p ro d u ctio n . 112 From this perspective, B reton described “th e prodigious” H elen e Sm ith q u ite sim ply as “the richest case of all.”113 F e m in is t s Re c l a im t h e M e d iu m s

R ecent fem inist historiography has done a great service in opening up a reappraisal of th e social and psychological construction of m edium ship. T h eir w ork has do ne a great deal in recovering from oblivion m any lost heroines. T h ey have d ep icted th e service re n d e re d to th e struggle for i°9 Flournoy, “CKoregraphie somnambulique; Ie cas de Magdeleine G .," Archives de Psychologie 3 (1904): pp. 357-74. 110 Breton, Conversations, p. 64. 111 Breton, “The Automatic Message,” p. 104. 112 On this issue, see my “Automatic W riting and the Discovery of the Unconscious.” 113 Breton, “The Automatic Message,” p. 102.

E n c o u n te r in g H e le n e

·

xlv

w o m en ’s rights by th e spiritualist m ovem ent. Alex O w en argues that “V ic­ torian spiritualism was another o f th e hidden or forgotten factors in w om en ’s lon g struggle for increased effectiven ess, status and auton­ omy. ”114 Through th ese readings a n ew consensual view o f the role o f m edium ship has recen tly d evelo p ed . Ann Braude argues that “Spiritual­ ism ’s greatest contribution to th e crusade for w om en ’s rights probably lay in th e n ew role o f spirit m e d iu m .”115 The accessibility o f this n ew role lay in th e con gru en ce b etw een Victorian ideals o f “true w om anhood” and the qualities required for m edium ship. V ieda Skultans claim s that: V icto rian s te re o ty p e s o f fe m in in ity b e a r a re m a rk a b le re s e m b la n c e to th e id e a l m e d iu m . T h e follow ing a d je c tiv e s can e q u a lly w ell d e s c rib e th e id e a l w o m an as th e id e a l m e d iu m : u n s o p h is tic a te d , in n o c e n t, p assiv e, y o u n g , te n d e r , feelin g , in tu itiv e a n d so o n .116

Ann Braude argues: T h e v e ry q u a litie s th a t r e n d e r e d w o m e n in c o m p e te n t w h e n ju d g e d ag a in st n o rm s fo r m a sc u lin e b e h a v io u r re n d e r e d th e m ca p a b le o f m e d iu m sh ip . M e d i­ u m s h ip allo w ed w o m e n to d isc a rd lim ita tio n s on w o m e n ’s ro le s w ith o u t q u e s ­ tio n in g a c c e p te d id e a s a b o u t w o m e n ’s n a t u r e .117

Similarly, Judith W alkowitz suggests that the value o f the seance was that it allow ed w om en “to en gage in a subtle subversion— but not repudiation — o f th e ‘separate sp h ere’ construction o f true w om anhood. ”118 T he value o f m ed iu m sh ip is se e n here in its provision o f a specific social setting, the seance, that p erm itted transgressive behaviors. Alex O w en claim s that: w ith in th e se a n c e , a n d in th e n a m e o f s p irit p o sse ssio n , w o m e n o p e n ly a n d flag ran tly tra n s g re s s e d g e n d e r n o rm s. F e m a le m e d iu m s , w ith th e ap p ro v al of th o s e p r e s e n t, o fte n a ss u m e d a m a le p e rs o n a w h ic h w as a t to ta l o d d s w ith th e V icto rian Id e a o f re s p e c ta b le w o m an h o o d . W h ilst m a le m e d iu m s w e re also k n o w n to a ssu m e a fe m a le s p irit v o ice o r p erso n a lity , th e ir se a n c e s d id n o t involve th e d ra m a tic a n d th e a tric a l re p re s e n ta tio n s for w h ic h th e w o m e n b e ­ c a m e fa m o u s .119 114 Alex Owen, The D arkened Room: Women, Power and Spiritualism in Late Victorian England (London: Virago, 1989), introduction. 115 Ann Braude, Radical Spirits: Spiritualism and Women’s Rights in Nineteenth-C entury America (Boston: Beacon Press, 1989), p. 82. 116 Vieda Skultans, "M ediums, Controls and E m inent M en” in W om ens Religious Experi­ ence, ed. Pat H olden (London: Croom H elm, 1983), p. 23. 117 Braude, Radical Spirits, p. 83. 118 Judith Walkowitz, “Science and Seance: Transgressions of G ender and G enre in Late Victorian London,” Representations 22 (1988): p. 9. 119 Owen, The D arkened Room, p. 11.

T h is e m p h a s is o n th e tr a n s g r e s s io n o f g e n d e r ro le s le a d s to a h ig h lig h tin g o f th e ro le o f s e x u a lity in th e s e a n c e s . J a n e t O p p e n h e im w rite s : T here may also have been a p o te n t elem en t of sensual enjoym ent, possibly subconscious, that enhances th e seances. W ithout exaggerating th e ex ten t of sexual repression in Victorian society, one can surm ise th at the holding o f hands and th e caressing of spirit forms m ight have b een stim ulating not only to the sitters, b u t also to th e young w om en w hose em erging sexuality was den ied natural m eans of expression.120 A n im p lic it F r e u d ia n te le o lo g y o rg a n iz e s s u c h re a d in g s : b e n e a th th e m a n ­ ife s t le v e l o f a c o n c e r n w ith t h e o t h e r w o rld lie s t h e la te n t le v e l o f r e ­ p r e s s e d sex u ality , w h ic h p sy c h o a n a ly s is w o u ld e v e n tu a lly u n m a sk . T h is n a r r a tiv e p ro v id e s a n a c c o u n t fo r t h e d e m is e o f m e d iu m s h ip : clea rly , w h e n s e x u a lity c o m e s o u t o f th e d a r k e n e d ro o m th e s u b te r f u g e o f in v o k ­ in g d e p a r t e d s p irits in o r d e r to h o ld h a n d s is n o lo n g e r r e q u ir e d . H o w ­ e v e r, t h e r e is a p r o b le m in th is a p p ro a c h : a t tim e s it fails to a d e q u a te ly ta k e in to a c c o u n t th e s p e c ific ity o f th e p ra c tic e s in v o lv e d , in p a r tic u la r th e p h e n o m e n a o f tr a n c e s ta te s . S ig n ifican tly , t h e fe m in is ts h a v e c o n c e n tr a te d u p o n th e r o le o f m e d iu m s in th e s p ir itu a lis t m o v e m e n t, a n d so fa r n o t d e a lt a t le n g th w ith s u c h c a se s as th a t o f H e le n e S m ith , w h e r e th e s tu d y o f m e d iu m s h ip its e lf g av e r is e to a p sy ch o lo g y . F o r s o m e th in g d iffe r e n t b e g in s to e m e r g e w h e n t h e m e d iu m s a re t u r n e d to n o t o n ly to m e d ia te th e d e a d , b u t to m e d ia te a n e w p sy ch o lo g y . T h e tr a n c e ta k e s o n a n o th e r fo rm . J a n e t p e r c e p tiv e ly n o te s th a t t h e p s y c h o lo g ic a l s tu d y o f m e d iu m s its e lf h a d a p r o f o u n d e ffe c t o n t h e s p ir itu a lis ts . H e n o te s : “ D e s p ite th e ir a ffe c te d in d if f e r e n c e , t h e s p ir itis ts h a v e s u b m itte d to th e in f lu e n c e o f th e p s y c h o lo g ic a l r e s e a r c h e s a n d h a v e b e e n p ro fo u n d ly c h a n g e d .”121 M o re critica lly , s u c h “h is to r ic a l” r e a d in g s , w h ic h p r e s e n t a s ile n t re c a p itu la tio n o f S ta n le y H a ll’s r e a d in g o f th e so c ia l s ig n ific a n c e o f m e d iu m s h ip , fail to s e e th a t th e y th e m s e lv e s a ro s e a t a p a r tic u la r h is to ric a l ju n c t u r e , a t th e c lo se o f p s y c h o lo g y ’s fa s c in a tio n w ith th e m e d iu m s .

M

u l t ip l e

C

P e r s o n a l it y , C D fijA V u

h a n n e l in g

and

Pa st Liv

es

: Three

a ses o f

W h ile F lo u r n o y ’s w o rk b e c a m e c o m p le te ly fo rg o tte n a f te r h is d e a th , p sy ­ c h o lo g y to d a y iro n ic a lly fin d s its e lf g ra p p lin g w ith m a n y o f th e issu e s th a t w e r e F lo u r n o y ’s p r im e c o n c e rn s . T h is is n o w h e r e m o r e a p p a r e n t th a n in t h r e e c o n te m p o r a r y m o v e m e n ts : m u ltip le p e rs o n a lity d is o r d e r , c h a n n e l120 Janet O p p en h eim , T he O th e r W orld. S p iritu a lism a n d P sychical R esearch in E n glan d, 1 8 5 0 -1 9 1 4 (Cam bridge: C am bridge U n iversity Press, 1988), p. 21. 121 Janet, “Le Sp iritism e C on tem p orain ,” p. 427, trans. m ine.

ing an d p ast-life re g re ssio n therapy. Significantly, w e find H e le n e S m ith ’s cycles fo rm in g th e g h o stly te m p la te o f th e s e m ovem ents. Multiple Personality II R ecen t years have se e n th e rise o f a m assive e p id e m ic o f M u ltip le P e rso n ­ ality D iso rd e r, larg e ly in N o rth A m erica. T his has tak en place on a far larger scale th a n its n in e te e n th -c e n tu ry p re d e c e sso r, w ith advocates claim ing th a t u p to o n e in te n o f th e p o p u latio n is in fact a “m u ltip le .” This clin ician -lau n ch ed e p id e m ic p ro v id es a capital lesson in how n o t to re a d history, as sy n d ro m e s a re selec tiv e ly re v iv e d a n d th e sam e e rro rs am n esiacally re p e a te d , b u t th is tim e on a far la rg e r scale. As Ia n H a ck in g puts it, in th e late tw e n tie th c e n tu ry ch ild a b u se cam e to play th e role o f th e host for m u ltip le p erso n ality , a n d it was this th a t led to its c u r re n t e p i­ dem ic ex p lo sio n . 122 As tw o re c e n t ad vocates o f M P D , as it is called, p u t it: The n ew paradigm o f M P D states that it is a com plex, chronic form o f d ev elo p ­ m ental posttraum atic dissociative disorder, prim arily related to severe, rep eti­ tive childhood ab use or trauma, usually b egin n in g before the age o f five. In M P D , it is thought that dissociative d efen ses are used to protect th e child from the full p sychological im pact o f sev ere trauma, usually extrem e rep etitive child abuse. U nd er th e p ressure o f d evelop m en tal factors, secondary structuring and personification b y th e child o f th e traumatically induced dissociated states of consciousness leads to d evelop m en t o f m ultip le “p erson alities.”123

A spects o f F lo u rn o y ’s w ork have b e e n (cryptom nesically?) re d isc o v ere d — su ch as th e “p ro te c to r p e rs o n a litie s” a n d th e “in n e r se lf h e lp e rs ”— w hich m irro r F lo u rn o y ’s d e sc rip tio n s o f teleo lo g ical a u to m a tism s. 124 A critical n ew d e v e lo p m e n t took place w h e n M P D b eg a n in creasin g ly to b e se e n as re s u ltin g from S atanic R itu al A buse. T h e “m e m o rie s” recov­ ered , usu ally u n d e r h y p n o sis, o f S atanic R itual A b u se le d th e ra p ists to b eliev e in th e v eracity o f th e acco u n ts a n d to arg u e th a t su ch cu lts tru ly ex ist. 125 A t th e sam e tim e , o n e finds a rash o f accounts o f U F O a b d u c ­ tions, again u su ally so licite d u n d e r hypnosis. F o r F lo u rn o y no d o u b t th e 122 Hacking, “Multiple Personality Disorder and Its Many Hosts.” On the current multi­ ple personality epidemic, see especially Mikkel Borch- Jacobsen, “Pour introduire la personnalite multiple,” in Importance de Uhypnose, ed. Isabelle Stengers (Paris: Les Empecheurs de penser en rond, 1993). 123 R. Loewenstein and D. Ross, “Multiple Personality and Psychoanalysis: An Introduc­ tion," Psychoanalytic Inquiry 12 (1992): p. 7. 124 See Frank Putnam, Diagnosis and Treatment o f Multiple Personality Disorder (New York: Guildford Press, 1989), pp. 109—10. 125 See especially Sherrill Mulhern, “Satanism and Psychotherapy: A Rumour in Search of an Inquisition,” in Richardson, Best, and Bromley ed., The Satanism Scare (New York: Social Institutions and Social Change Series, 1991).

xlviii

·

Introduction

S atanic ru m o r a n d its e x tra te rre s tria l c o u n te r p a rt w o u ld b e se e m akin to H e le n e ’s ro m a n c e s— th e su b lim in al e la b o ra tio n o f c ry p to m n e sia s. C h a n n elin g : L e o p o ld ’s Revenge? In th e tw e n tie th ce n tu ry , psychology a n d th e m e d iu m s larg ely w e n t th e ir se p a ra te ways. T h e sp iritu a list c h u rc h e s c o n tin u e d to b e th e h o s t fo r tr a ­ d itio n al m ed iu m sh ip , a n d th o se th a t so u g h t to c o n ta c t th e d e a d . H ow ­ ev er, re c e n t tim e s have se e n a re m a rk a b le r e tu r n o f m e d iu m s, now r e b a p ­ tiz e d as “c h a n n e le rs .” T h e h o st re sp o n sib le for th is has b e e n th e N e w A ge m o v em en t. T h e m o d e in w h ich th e m essag es a re c o n v e y e d re m a in s re m a rk a b ly th e sam e as in n in e te e n th - c e n tu ry m e d iu m s h ip — a u to m atic w ritin g , tra n c e sp e e c h , in n e r d ictatio n , etc. A critica l sh ift in e m p h a sis has ta k e n p lace, how ever, c o n c e rn in g th e n a tu re o f th e d is e m b o d ie d e n ti­ ties. N o w th e e n titie s th a t c o m m u n ic a te a re u su ally ta k e n as sp iritu a l b e ­ ings, as o p p o se d to th e d ec ease d . A fair sp rin k lin g o f e x tra te rre s tria ls co m p le te s th e p o p u la tio n clam o rin g to g e t th e ir m essag es across. T h u s, w h ile in th e c o n te x t of n in e te e n th - c e n tu ry m e d iu m sh ip H e le n e S m ith was so m e w h a t aty p ical— as F lo u rn o y fo u n d ou t th ro u g h his su rv e y — h e r case tak es o n a s u rp risin g ex e m p la rity w h e n s e t ag ain st th e exploits o f c o n te m p o ra ry c h a n n e le rs. Now, as th e n , tra n c e states p la y e d a cru cial ro le. Jan e R o b erts, th e c h a n n e le r fo r th e b e stse llin g S e th books, d e sc rib e s “b e c o m in g S e th ” in a m a n n e r th a t ev o k es H e le n e “b e c o m in g L e o p o ld ”: Each tim e S eth spoke, I was in trance, and it was S eth w h o sm iled out at stu­ d en ts through m y op en ed eyes. . . . I “turned into S eth ” tim e and tim e again, taking off m y m ental cloth es and exchanging them for p sychological O lym pian garb; O lym pian only in that S eth displays a superabundance o f energy, com pas­ sion, w isd om , and exu b eran ce. 126

In th e c h a n n e lle d lite ra tu re , th e e n titie s a re in v ariab ly w ise figures w h o have co m e to aid stru g g lin g h u m an s. T h e d e sc rip tio n s o f th e c h a n ­ n e le d e n titie s b e a r a close re se m b la n c e to F lo u rn o y ’s d e sc rip tio n o f th e teleo lo g ical au to m atism : th e h elp fu l, p ro te c tiv e , a n d g u id in g fig u re w ho is th e p erso n ific atio n o f w isdom a n d kno w led g e. F ro m F lo u rn o y ’s p e r ­ sp e c tiv e , o n e co u ld typify c h a n n e lin g as th e cu ltiv atio n of teleo lo g ical au to m atism s. F lo u rn o y ’s te x t still form s th e m o st d e v a sta tin g sk ep tica l p sy ch o lo g ical p arad ig m ag ain st th e in siste n c e o f th e c h a n n e le rs th a t th e ir m essag e s ste m from o u tsid e th e ir psy ch es. A fter H e le n e , F lo u rn o y was 126 Jane R oberts, C o n v e rsa tio n s w ith S e th , vol. I, ed. Susan W atkins (E n glew ood Cliffs, N .J.: P ren tice-H all, 1980), p. I

d isap p o in ted n o t to find sim ilar p h e n o m e n a ev in ce d b y o th e r m e d i­ um s. P erh ap s late tw e n tie th -c e n tu ry C alifornia w ould have b e e n a b e tte r sto m p in g g ro u n d for him . H ow d o es o n e a c c o u n t for th e d iffe re n t profiles o f late n in e te e n th ce n tu ry m e d iu m s h ip a n d late tw e n tie th -c e n tu ry ch a n n elin g ? N in e te e n th ce n tu ry sp iritu alism aro se o u t o f th e erosion o f C h ristia n ity th ro u g h th e rise of sec u larizatio n a n d th e c o n c o m ita n t co n c ern for p erso n al im m o r­ tality a n d th e p o s tm o rte m survival o f th e so u l. 127 In th e c u r re n t n ew age, by co n trast, p e rso n a l survival is less o f an issue; it has b e e n re p la c e d b y th e q u e s t for th e tra n s c e n d e n c e o f W e ste rn c u ltu re , a n d th e se a rc h for sp iritual g u id a n c e th ro u g h a lte rn a te p h ilo so p h ie s a n d c u ltu re s . 128 T b e dif­ fe ren t n a tu re o f th e s e re sp e c tiv e h o sts in p a rt e lu cid a te s th e d iffe re n t configurations o f th e tran c e. T h e c o n c u rre n t re e m e rg e n c e o f m u ltip le p e rso n a lity a n d m e d iu m sh ip u n d e r th e g u ise o f c h a n n e lin g p re s e n ts us w ith a re c a p itu la tio n o f p r e ­ cisely th e issu e o f th e d iffe ren tial in te rp re ta tio n o f tra n c e states th a t p r e ­ occupied F lournoy. T h e d iffe ren tial tra its o f ch a n n e lin g a n d M P D b ro a d ly re p lic ate th o se o f th e ir n in e te e n th -c e n tu ry p re c u rs o rs . 129 In ch a n n elin g , th e tra n c e states are d e lib e ra te ly cu ltiv ated . H e n c e w hile M P D has b e e n an e p id e m ic la u n c h e d by clinicians, c h a n n e lin g has b een la u n c h e d b y th e c h a n n e le rs th em selv es. C h a n n e le rs te n d to access th e ir “so u rc e s” in p re s c rib e d sessions, w ith o u t th e fugue states a n d a m n e ­ sias th a t are tak en to c h a ra c te riz e M P D . C h a n n e le rs in sist on w h a t B reto n te rm e d th e “ex o g e n eity o f th e d ic ta tin g p rin c ip le .” M ost critically, w h ile M P D is re g a rd e d as a pathology, ch a n n elin g , in its circles, is a socially san ctio n ed activ ity th a t is ta k e n as p ro m o tin g sp iritu al w ell-being. D u reen H u g h es no tes that: “T rance-channeling is b est described as a personalg row th or d e v e lo p m e n ta l activity,” w h ich sh e arg u es can b e see n as r e p r e ­ sen tin g th e q u e s t for a p e rso n a liz e d , re v e a le d re lig io n . 130

127 S e e esp ecially J. P. W illiam s, “T h e M aking o f Victorian Psychical Research: An In tel­ lectual E lite ’s Approach to th e Spiritual W orld,” P h .D th esis, C am bridge University, 1984. See also John C eru llo, The S ecu la riza tio n o f th e Soul: P sych ical R esearch in M o d ern B ritain (Philadelphia: In stitute for th e Study o f H um an Issu es, 1982); and O p p en h eim , T he O th e r W orld. 128 For a characterization o f the current n e w age that estab lish es its linkage w ith th e new age at th e en d o f th e n in eteen th century, se e Martin G reen , P ro p h ets o f a N e w Age: The Politics o f H ope in 1 8 0 0 , 1900 a n d 2000 (N e w York: Scribner, 1992). 129 S e e D u re en H u gh es, “D ifferen ces b e tw e en Trance C h ann eling and M ultip le P erson­ ality D isord er,” Jo u rn a l o f T ran sperson al P sych ology 24 (1992): pp. 181—92. 130 H u gh es, “B len d in g w ith an O ther: An Analysis o f T rance-C hanneling in th e U n ited States," E th o s 19 (1991): pp. 1 6 1 -8 4 . S e e also Jon K lim o, C hanneling: In vestig a tio n s on R eceiving In fo rm a tio n f r o m P aran orm al S ou rces (Los A ngeles: Tarcher, 1987).

M arie A n tio n ettes, or Past-Life Regression T herapy R ecent years have also seen an astonishing rise in past-life regression th e r­ apy, w hich in m ost instances resem bles a curious grafting of th e notion of m etem psychosis onto an early B re u e r-F reu d m odel of trau m a and ca­ tharsis. T h e personalities th a t em erge, often u n d e r th e influence of hyp­ nosis, are claim ed to stem from previous incarnations of th e subject. Roger W oolger, a contem porary cham pion of past-life regression therapy, notes th at Flournoy: estab lish ed a skeptical paradigm , n am ely cryptoam nesia [sic], w hich rem ains to this day o n e o f th e p ositivist’s m ost devastating w eapons in d ism issin g th e claim that past life m em ories are in fact derived from historical ev en ts unknow n to the su b ject. 131

I t is strange to h e a r Flournoy described as a positivist! W oolger notes th at h e “naturally” e n tertain s th e notion of cryptom nesia on those “ra re ” occa­ sions w hen som eone p resen ts a past life as a w ell-know n historical p e r­ sonage. E ven in th ese cases, W oolger notes th at he m akes no a tte m p t to discount it via research, as th e th erap eu tic value of such “rem iniscences” are w hat is claim ed to b e im portant. Clearly, F lournoy’s a tte m p t to p ro ­ vide a dynam ic explanation o f such fantasies— in term s of th e ir com pensa­ tory value, e tc .— is not taken into account. Red

is c o v e r in g

t h e

U

n c o n s c io u s

T he sublim inal psychology th at Flournoy established fell into oblivion in th e early decades o f th e tw en tieth century, and th e subjects th at h e had fought so h ard to place on th e m ainstream psychological agenda re tu rn e d to th e fringe. Is it going too far to say, th a t w ith th e rise of th ese epidem ic m ovem ents, w e see som e of th e unfortunate consequences of this? If this is in d e e d th e case, th en the study of th e history of psychology— th e q u estio n in g of th e standards of legitim ation by w hich particular psy­ chologies becam e regnant, rescripting history in th e process, w hile others are releg ated to psychology’s “unconscious”— th e depiction of how psy­ chology constructs its fabulous genesis, its sublim inal rom ances— is of critical im portance to today’s psychological agenda. It was E lle n b e rg e r w ho initially rescu ed Flournoy from oblivion in The D iscovery o f the Unconscious. It is appropriate to leave th e final w ords to him : F lournoy was a great explorer o f th e m yth op oetic u nconscious, particularly in his book F rom In d ia to th e P lan et M ars. . . . Today, w e seldom hear o f the 131 W oolger, O th e r L iv es, O th e r Selves: A J u n g ia n P sy ch o th e ra p ist D isc o v ers Past L ives (N e w York: D o u b le d a y /W e llin g b o ro u g h , U .K .: C ru c ib le , 1987), p. 64.

E n c o u n te rin g H e le n e

·

Ii

m y th o p o e tic u n co n scio u s. W h a t p sy c h o an a ly sts call fan tasies r e p r e s e n t a m i­ n u te p a rt o f m y th o p o e tic m a n ifesta tio n s. W e have lo st sig h t o f th e im p o rta n c e of this te rrib le p o w e r— a p o w er th a t fa th e re d e p id e m ic s o f d e m o n ism , co llectiv e psychoses am o n g w itc h es, re v e la tio n s o f sp iritu a lis ts, th e so -called re in c a rn a ­ tions o f m e d iu m s, au to m atic w ritin g , th e m irag es th a t lu re d g e n e ra tio n s o f h y p ­ n o tists, a n d th e p ro fu se lite r a tu r e o f th e su b lim in a l im ag in atio n . . . . u n fo r­ tu n a te ly n e ith e r F re u d n o r J u n g b e c a m e aw are o f th e ro le o f th e m ythopoeticu n co n scio u s. 132 132 “F reud in P erspective: A C onversation w ith H en ri F. E llen b erg er,” P sych ology T oday, March 1973, p. 56. For an account o f E llen b erg er’s work and th e current historical research in this vein , se e Mark M icale, “H en ri F. E llen b erger and th e O rigins o f E uropean P sychi­ atric H istoriography,” and his b ib liograp hic essay in B eyo n d th e U nconscious.

F ro m I n d ia to th e P la n e t M ars

P reface

of this work indicates its m ixed and deficient nature. At th e outset, it should have b een a S tu d y o f a Case o f Som nam bulism , which is to say, a short m onograph aim ing solely at accuracy and lim ited to some natural occurrences of in te rest to psychologists or physiologists. But circum stances have caused it to be otherw ise. C ertain local disputes, th e evident im possibility of confining to specialists alone th e know ledge of a case to w hich the curiosity of a m ore extended public already pertained, and even fu rth e r considerations have m ade m e stray from my purely sci­ entific objective so as to aim my study at popularization. If I had only opted candidly for that and im m ediately renounced all rigor of m ethod! If I had m ade it m y task to extract from a com plex case, passing w ithout stopping F rom India to the Planet M ars and to o th e r m atters ju st as u n ­ foreseen, all that it contained of anecdotal interest, of m oral consider­ ations, of historical com parisons, and o f literary possibilities! But I would not have known how to do it. D ivided and undecided, I have rem ained the slave o f opposing directions b etw een w hich it was necessary to choose. I have tried to keep two pots on th e boil, and one knows w hat comes from that! Such is th e origin of this book, o f a length disproportionate to th e im ­ portance o f its contents. Too bristling w ith technical term s and cru d e in ­ terpretations m eaning nothing to ordinary people, too filled w ith elem en ­ tary and banal explanations to deserve th e attention of professionals, it neith er has th e form req u ired by th e form er, nor th e grounding which th e latter are in th e ir right to dem and. N evertheless, I publish it— as an ex­ am ple not to be followed— so as not to have to think about it any longer and consoling m yself w ith th e fact th a t afterw ards no one shall be com ­ pelled to buy it or to read it. This being said to ease my conscience as an author, th e m uch sw eeter duty rem ains for m e of expressing my acknow ledgm ent of those who have helped m e w ith m y task. I m ust m ention first and forem ost my excellent colleague, Professor Auguste L em aitre, whose nam e I am alm ost obliged to cite next to my own at th e h e a d o f this study, so m uch is it in various ways a p ro d u ct of our m utual collaboration. M. L em aitre, who has m ade m e com e to know th e rem arkable m edium w hose p h enom ena fill th e following pages, has ob­ served and followed h e r for nearly six years, w ith an attentiveness equal to

T h e d o u b le t i t l e

m y own. H e has le t m e profit w ithout restriction, not only from his notes and papers, but, and this is som ething m ore precious still, from his p e r­ sonal im pressions as a sagacious o bserver and p e n e tratin g psychologist.1 H e also offered to read the m ajority of th e proofs for this book; however, my sluggishness or my stubbornness having not always h e e d ed his correc­ tions, one m ust in no way hold him responsible for errors of orthography or style th a t still im pair m y prose. As regards ideas, how ever, d esp ite a fre q u e n t exchange o f points of view, we have not e n d e d up agreeing on all points o f detail (which is in no way surprising in th e se m atters) though we hardly differ, I should think, on th e general way in w hich to u n d erstan d and in te rp re t th e p re s e n t case. So it is good to say it once and for all, for th e ben efit o f th e circle or spiritist friends of th e m edium , in th e allusions I have m anaged to m ake h e re and th ere , th at M. L em aitre is com pletely exonerated. Μ. E. D em ole, D octor of Science, th e num ism atic scholar and e d ito r of th e Reuue suisse de Photographie w ho a tte n d e d m any of our seances, has had th e kindness to take a significant n u m b e r o f photographs of poses and of som nam bulistic scenes w hich th e perso n in question unfortunately has not allow ed to be p u b lish ed d u e to questions of reservation and m odesty, and to w hich w e could only bow. M. C. Roch has agreed to b e in charge of keeping th e records at m ost of ou r m eetings. I Owe to th e extrem e k in d ­ ness o f Prof. C u e n d e t, Vice P re sid e n t of th e Societe d ’E tu d es Psychiques de G eneve, th e com m unication of several docum ents and observations show ing th e sign o f perfect com m on sense. D esp ite th e inevitable differ­ ence of our points of view, th e relations I have had w ith him have always b e e n m arked by th e m ost candid cordiality. My b ro th e r Μ. E. Flournoy has done m e great service by his w ide-ranging bibliographical research. N um erous o th e r people, I re g re t I cannot nam e th em all h ere, have given m e useful inform ation about the events to w hich I could not personally be a w itness. In th e study of th e A rab and H in d u data w hich com e into q u estion in ch a p te r 8, I have h ad recourse to th e illum ination o f several orientalists in ou r country. T h ese are: M. Leop. Favre and Prof. Luc. G autier of G eneva, M. A. G lardon, a form er m issionary in India and honorary m em ­ b e r of th e Society for Psychical R esearch in L ondon, at Tour-de-Peilz (Vaud); and m y distin g u ish ed colleagues a t th e U niversity of G eneva, M M . E. M ontet, P ro fe sso ro fA ra b ic , P. O ltram are, P ro fe sso ro fH isto ry 1 M . Lem aItre has p u b lish ed on this case in th e A n n a les d e s Scien ces p sy c h iq u e s o f Dr. D ariex (vol. 7 [1897], pp. 65, 181), two articles to w h ich I often find occasion to direct the reader. T h e se articles by M. L em aitre con stitu te, along w ith m y paper on th e M artian language for th e S o c iete d e P h ysiq u e e t d ’H istoire natu relle d e G en ev e (6 April 1899; A r ­ ch ives d e s Scien ces P h ysiqu es e t N a tu relles 8, p. 90), all that has b e e n p u b lish ed up to now on th e p resen t case.

of R eligions, a n d F . d e S au ssu re, P rofessor o f S anskrit. T h ro u g h th e agency o f th e s e g e n tle m e n , I have also o b ta in e d th e o p in io n s o f tw o e m i­ n e n t fo reig n In d ia n ists, M M . A. B arth in Paris an d C. M ichel in Liege. W ould th a t all th e s e scholars will a c cep t th is ex pression o f g ra titu d e and p ard o n m e th a t I have tak en th e lib e rty o f q u o tin g various passages from th e ir le tte rs th a t s e e m e d to m e to th ro w an in stru c tiv e lig h t on d isp u te d p oin ts. In p a rtic u la r I m u st d e a rly th a n k M . d e S au ssu re for th e p a tie n c e an d th e in ex tin g u ish a b le k in d n ess h e has b ro u g h t to th e exam in atio n of o u r “H in d u ” texts. It is finally a n d above all to th e m e d iu m herself, to M ile. H e le n e Sm ith, th e h e ro in e o f this book, th a t I m o st h e a rtily n e e d to ex p ress m y ack n o w led g m en t— a n d th a t o f th e re a d e r— for th e p erm issio n to p rin t w hich sh e has g ra n te d to this v olum e. F o r it is n o t su p erflu o u s to attach im p o rtan ce to th e fact th a t I h e r e find m y se lf in th e p re s e n c e o f a d elica te p ro b lem o f p ro fessio n al deontology. M edical doctors find no h esitatio n in p u b lish in g in th e ir sp ecialist jo u rn a ls, a p a rt from p ro p e r n am es, th e in te r­ estin g cases th a t th e y e n c o u n te r in th e co u rse o f th e ir h ospital p ra c tic e o r th ro u g h th e ir p riv a te c lie n te le ; it is an a c c e p te d fact th a t this rig h t of scientific p ro p rie ty belo n g s to th e m in a d d itio n to (and so m etim es in stead of) th e ir h o n o ra riu m , a n d th e g e n e ra l p u b lic is n o t d is tu rb e d by it. L ik e­ w ise, scien tists w ho w ork w ith p a id su b jects take th em selv es to b e th e sole p ro p rie to rs o f th e d ata w hich th e y a re ab le to collect, a n d ev e ry scope is p ro v id ed for th e m to p u b lish w ith o u t re g a rd to th e p re fe re n c e s o f th e in d iv id u als from w hom th e d ata o rig in ate. B ut this is n o t at all th e case for a p o o r p sy ch o lo g ist w ork in g w ith p e o p le w ho a re n o t ill, w ho p re s e n t th e ir stra n g e p h e n o m e n a ou t o f p u re good will, a n d o f w hom th e said p h e n o m e n a a re so striking, so a d m ire d by a larg e a u d ie n c e , th a t it w ould only b e a q u e s tio n o f p u b lish in g th e sm allest frag m en t b efo re it was quickly know n a n d th e su b je c t d e sc rib e d easily re co g n ized b y m an y o f th e re ad ers. H o w to act in such a case? D oes o n e have th e rig h t, vis-a-vis science a n d tru th , to b e c o m p le te ly d is in te re s te d in th e in stru c tiv e m at­ ters to w h ich o n e b e a rs w itn ess, a n d to lock o n e s e lf u p in p ru d e n t silence ab out th e facts, w h e re a s cu rio u s onlookers have no scru p les ab o u t having an d tra n s m ittin g o pinions th a t are m u ch m o re c ru d e a n d th e re fo re illin fo rm ed ? D o es o n e have th e rig h t, vis-a-vis in dividuals, to h an d o v er to th e g e n e ra l p u b lic, a n d in a lig h t w h ich is in ev itab ly n o t th a t to w hich th e y w e re ac cu sto m ed , facts h ith e rto con fin ed to a lim ite d circle o f frien d s an d ac q u ain tan ce s? T h e se are m o st em b arassin g q u estio n s. So, aw aiting th a t co m m o n p ra c tic e sh o u ld com e to follow exact ru le s on this p o in t, I have stay ed w ith th e sim p le st o p tio n , w hich consists in su b je c tin g m y m a n u sc rip t o r m y proofs to th e m e d iu m h e rs e lf a n d only to p rin t w ith h e r co n sen t. It is obv io u s th a t I w o u ld n o t have d re a m t of such a p ro je c t w ith ju s t

anybody. F or, on th e o n e h a n d , it w ould b e ou t o f th e q u estio n for m e to give u p a n y o f m y freed o m insofar as th in k in g a n d w ritin g in acco rd an ce w ith m y ideas; b u t how far a re th e re , on th e o th e r h a n d , m e d iu m s w ho w o u ld ac c e p t to see th e ir p h e n o m e n a p u t o n d isp lay a n d ex p lain e d in a fairly scien tific m a n n e r, th a t is to say v e ry d iffe ren tly from th e w ay th a t g e n e ra lly p rev ails in th e sp iritist settin g s w h e re th e ir ca p ab ilities are d e ­ v e lo p e d ? In th is p a rtic u la r case, fortu n ately , th e difficulty see m s sm aller to m e th a n k s to th e e le v a te d a n d d istin g u ish e d c h a ra c te r o f th e m e d iu m w ith w h ich I was d ealin g . M ile S m ith, in fact, s e e m e d to m e to b e a re m a rk a b ly in te llig e n t p e rso n a n d h ig h ly gifted, far above o rd in a ry p r e ju ­ d ices, v e ry b ro a d -m in d e d , in d e p e n d e n t in th o u g h t, a n d c o n se q u e n tly ab le to c o n s e n t, th ro u g h th e sim p le love o f tru th a n d scientific p ro g ress, to th e fact th a t a psychological stu d y was m a d e o f h e r capacity as a m e ­ d iu m w ith th e risk o f re a c h in g re su lts b e in g in little co nform ity w ith h e r p e rso n a l im p ressio n s a n d th e o p in io n o f h e r m ilieu . M y h o p e s h ave n o t b e e n d isa p p o in te d . In d e e d , M ile. S m ith d id ex­ p re ss, on m o re th a n o n e occasion, a ce rta in a s to n ish m e n t at m y w ay of in te rp re tin g th e m o st re m a rk a b le p h e n o m e n a o f h e r capacity as a m e ­ d iu m ; sh e is far from b e in g in a g re e m e n t w ith m y conclusions; sh e ev en s e v e re ly attack s m y m e th o d s o f analysis, a n d sh e reck o n s th a t I o ften “p e r ­ v e r t” th e facts d u e to m y d e s ire to b rin g th e m into lin e w ith m y basic e x p lan atio n s as a p ro saic psychologist; in b rief, h e r ju d g m e n ts are on th e w h o le a n d on cru cial p o in ts in strik in g o p p o sitio n to m ine. T h at was to b e e x p e c te d . B ut, a n d th is is th e fact th a t I w an t to stress, sh e in no w ay took a d v a n ta g e o f th e s e in e v ita b le d ifferen ces o f a p p re c ia tio n in o rd e r to im ­ p e d e in th e s lig h te st w ay m y stu d y a n d try to re stra in m y liberty. E v en in th e cases w h e re o u r d is a g re e m e n ts b e c a m e m o st sen sitiv e to h e r, she testifie d to a scien tific to le ra n c e , an elev a tio n o f p o in t o f view, a n d I w ould say a self-sacrifice, w h ich I c e rta in ly d o n o t o ften e n c o u n te r. S he has th u s m a d e th is w o rk n o t on ly p o ssib le b u t relativ ely easy, for w h ich I m u st ex p ress to h e r m y m o st sin c e re a n d h e a rtfe lt th an k s. A f u r th e r w o rd on m y ra re citatio n o f au th o rs. T h e c o n sid e ra b le lite ra ­ tu re c o n c e rn in g h y p n o tism a n d psychopathology, n o t to sp eak o f o rd in a ry psy ch o lo g y o r th e h isto ry o f sp iritism o r o ccu lt scien ces, w ould easily have s u p p lie d m e w ith n u m e ro u s co m p ariso n s re g a rd in g a case to u c h in g o n all th e s e areas, a n d I co u ld have a c c u m u la te d at th e b o tto m o f th e s e pages, w ith o u t g o in g b e y o n d m y su b ject, re fe re n c e s to several h u n d re d d iffe ren t w o rk s o r artic le s. I p re fe rre d to d e p riv e m y self o f th is p le a s u re — o r save m y self th is tro u b le !— so as n o t to m ake a v o lu m e alre ad y too larg e ev en h ea v ie r; a n d so I h ave lim ite d m y self to som e b ib lio g rap h ical p o in te rs th a t o c c u re d to m e o f th e ir ow n accord th ro u g h m em ory. T h e re are, how ever, so m e th e o rie s p e rta in in g to o th e r p a rtly co in cid in g areas, w h ich I m u st recall. F o r w ith o u t p e rh a p s alw ays c itin g th e m explicitly, I have co n stan tly

b o rro w ed th e ir form s o f ex p ressio n , th e ir view s, an d th e ir m eta p h o rs w hich, by th e way, have now e n te re d m o re or less into th e p u b lic dom ain to th e p o in t w h e re it w ould b e difficult to m anage practically w ith o u t th em . I p a rtic u la rly w a n t to m en tio n m e n ta l disaggregation o f M. P. Janet, th e double-ego o f M. D essoir, th e h y p n o id sta tes o f M M . B re u e r and F re u d , a n d above all th e su b lim in a l consciousness o f M. M y e rs.2 I could in no way p re s e n t th e s e th e o rie s h e re n o r discuss th e m in th e ir context a n d w ith re g a rd to th e ir re sp e c tiv e value; th e last in p a rticu lar, th a t o f M . M yers, so m u ch su rp asses th e level o f o rd in a ry scientific con­ cep tio n s by flying h igh an d a t a p ace w hich a t tim es reach es th e m ysticism of tru e m etap h y sics (w hich I far from b lam e him ), th a t o n e c a n n o t d rea m of a p p re c ia tin g it on th e basis o f an ind iv id u al case, so m e th in g w hich I w ould m o re o v e r b e m o st e m b a rra sse d to do. B ut I will at least n am e th e s e th eo ries in this preface, in reco g n itio n o f all th a t I owe th e m in te rm s o f valuable su g g estio n s a n d c o n v e n ie n t form ulations. F lo rissa n t, n e a r G e n e v a , N o v e m b e r 1899 P.S. A lthough I attach little im p o rta n c e to nom inal d efin itio n s— too little no d o u b t, for I th in k I have often lacked c o n sisten cy a n d fixity in m y vocabulary— it does n o t seem p o in tless for m e to p ro v id e th e n o n sp ecial­ ist re a d e r w ith b r ie f in dications c o n c ern in g som e te rm s w hich fre q u e n tly re c u r u n d e r m y p en . T h e w ord m e d iu m is a p p lie d in th e sp iritist m ilieu to any ind iv id u al su p p o sed to b e a b le to serv e as an in te rm e d ia ry b e tw e e n th e living a n d spirits o f th e d e a d or o th ers. Since it is an in co n v e n ien c e in an exposition of scientific facts to em p lo y a te rm in o lo g y im plying d isp u ta b le d o ctrin al affirm ation, E n g lish a n d A m erican psychologists, b e in g p ractical, lib e r­ ally su b stitu te for th e w ord m e d iu m th a t o f a uto m a tist, w hich does n o t p re ju d g e a n y th in g an d sim ply d e sig n a tes in d iv id u als p re s e n tin g th e p h e ­ n o m en a o f a u to m a tism — th a t is to say w h ich a re in v o lu n tary an d often unknow n to th e su b je c t, th o u g h m ark e d by in te llig e n c e — w h ereas th e spiritists see an in te rfe re n c e by d isin c a rn a te sp irits (significant d ream s, veridical hallu cin atio n s, m ech an ical w ritin g , dictatio n th ro u g h th e table, etc.). A w aiting th a t a u to m a tist b e c o m e s a c ce p tab le in F re n c h , I have r e ­ tain e d th e te rm m e d iu m , b u t a b stra ctin g it from its etym ological se n se and any sp iritist h y p o th esis, as a c o n v e n ie n t w ord to d e sig n a te individuals p re s e n tin g th e said p h e n o m e n a w h a te v e r else b e th e tru e explanation of th e se la tte r. 2 P. Janet, JJA u tom atism e p s y c h o lo g iq u e (Paris, 1889). E ta t m e n ta l d e s h y s te r iq u e s , etc. M . D e sso ir , D a s D o p p e l-I c h (B erlin , 1890). B r eu er u n d F reu d , S tu d ie n u b e r H y s te r ie (V ienna, 1895). F .W .H . M yers, “T h e S u b lim in al C o n sc io u sn e s s,” P ro c e e d in g s o f th e S o c ie ty f o r P sy ch ic a l R e se a rc h 7, p. 2 98, an d th e follo w in g v o lu m es.

To th e w ord m edium is linked m edianim istic (m edianim ique), medianim ism (m idianim ism e), w hich suggest even m ore strongly this idea of in term ed iary souls (m edia anima) having the capacity for en terin g into a rap p o rt w ith inhabitants of an o th er world; and ?nedium nity (m edium nite), m edium nism (m edium nism e), e tc ., w hich conserve precisely through th eir n an etym ological vestige of this very doctrine. It seem ed preferable to m e, since I took th e w ord m edium stripping it of its dogm atic sense, to form directly (which is to say w ithout th e introduction of this awkward n w ith spiritist undertones) th e derivatives m edium ist (m edium ique), medium ity (m edium ite), etc., following th e exam ple of th e G erm ans who al­ ready use M edium itat. This does not exclude elsew here th e occasional use of m edianim istic, m edium nity, e tc ., w hen one has to evoke p articu­ larly th e m em ory o f the spiritist theories. T he w ords sublim inal (sub Iim en; u n d e r d er Schwelle; u n d e r th e th re sh ­ old), and subconscious or unconscious are practically synonym ous and des­ ignate p h en o m en a and processes that one has som e reason to believe are conscious ev en though th ey are unknow n to the subject, since they take place so to speak below th e level o f its ordinary consciousness. The q ues­ tion, of course, rem ains open to know ledge, if and up to w hat point, in each p articular case, th ese hidden processes are really accom panied by consciousness, o r w h e th e r they go back to the p u re m echanism of “uncon­ scious c e re b ra tio n ,” in w hich case the expression “sublim inal conscious­ ness” can no longer be applied but m etaphorically, which is, however, no reason to banish it. T he adjective oneiric (from the G reek oneiron, dream ) is actually ac­ cep tab le in F ren ch ; p erhaps it is reg rettab le th a t th e w ord “dream y,” b e ­ ing less scholarly b ut clearer and which has b een used at tim es in th e past, did not prevail. Finally, by cryptom nesia I u n d erstan d th e fact th at certain forgotten m em ories reappear w ithout being recognized by the subject, w ho b e ­ lieves to see in them som ething new. In the com m unications or m essages supplied by th e m edium s, th e first question (but not the only one) that always crops up is knowing if, at th e p oint w here th e spirits m ake the disincarnate or som e o th er supernatural cause in terfere, one is not sim ply dealing w ith cryptom nesia, w ith laten t m em ories o f th e m edium th at re ­ surface, in an at tim es very disfigured form through th e work of sublim inal im agination or reasoning, such as it happens so often in our ordinary dream s. T he square brackets [ ] enclose my personal in te rsp e rsed rem arks w ithin o th er citations or contexts. Translated by M ichael M unchow

In tro d u c tio n

m o n t h of D e cem b er, 1894, I was invited by M. Aug. L em aftre, P rofessor o f th e C ollege of G eneva, to a tte n d som e seances o f a nonprofessional m ed iu m , re ceiv in g no com pensation for h e r services, and of w hose ex trao rd in ary gifts an d ap p a ren tly su p ern o rm al faculties I had fre ­ q u en tly h eard . H aving gladly ac cep ted th e invitation o f m y w orthy colleague, I found th e m ed iu m in q u estio n , w hom I shall call M ile. H e le n e Sm ith, to b e a beautiful w om an about th irty years o f age, tall, vigorous, o f a fresh, h ealthy com plexion, w ith hair and eyes alm ost black, o f an op en an d in tel­ ligent co u n ten a n ce, w hich a t once invoked sym pathy. S he evinced n o th ­ ing o f th e em aciated o r tragic aspect w hich one habitually ascribes to th e sibyls o f trad itio n , b u t w ore an air o f h ea lth , o f physical an d m en tal vigor, very p leasan t to behold, an d w hich, by-the-way, is no t often en c o u n te re d in those w ho are good m edium s. T he n u m b e r o f those invited to take p a rt in th e seance b ein g com plete, we sea te d ourselves in a circle, w ith our hands restin g upon th e trad i­ tional ro u n d tab le o f spiritistic circles. M ile. S m ith— w ho possesses a tri­ ple m ed iu m sh ip : visual, auditive, and typtologieal1— began, in th e m ost natural m an n er, to d esc rib e th e various apparitions w hich passed before h e r eyes in th e partially d a rk e n e d room . S udd enly she stops and listens; she h ears a n am e spoken in h e r ear, w hich she re p eats to us w ith astonish­ m ent; th e n b rie f sen ten c es, th e w ords o f w hich are sp elled out by raps on th e tab le, explain th e m ean in g o f th e vision. Speaking for m y self alone (there w ere th re e o f us to divide th e h o n o r o f th e seance), I was greatly su rp rise d to recognize in scenes w hich passed before m y eyes events w hich h ad tra n sp ire d in m y own fam ily p rio r to m y b irth . W h en ce could th e m ed iu m , w hom I had n e v e r m e t before, have d eriv e d th e know ledge of ev e n ts b elo n g in g to a re m o te p ast, o f a p riv ate n atu re , an d u tterly u n ­ known to any living person? T h e asto u n d in g pow ers o f M rs. P iper, th e fam ous B oston m edium , w hose w o nderful in tu itio n reads th e laten t m em ories o f h e r visitors like an o p en book, re c u rre d to m y m ind, and I w e n t out from th at seance w ith re n e w e d h o p e o f finding m yself som e day face to face w ith th e “su p ern o rm al”— a tru e and g en u in e su p ern o rm al— telepathy, clairvoyIn t h e

1 I. e. , S p irit-ra p p in g — th e faculty o f o b ta in in g resp o n ses b y m ean s o f raps u p on a table.

ance, sp iritistic m anifestations, it m atte rs not by w hat n am e it b e called, p ro v id ed only th a t it b e w holly out of th e ordinary, and th a t it succeed in u tte rly d em olishing th e e n tire fram ew ork o f estab lish ed p rese n t-d a y science. I was able at this tim e to obtain gen eral inform ation only co n cern in g th e p ast o f M ile. S m ith, b u t it was all of a c h aracter favorable to h e r, and has since b e e n fully confirm ed. O f m o d est b ea rin g a n d an irrep ro ach ab le m oral character, she has for years e a rn e d an h o n o rab le living as an em ployee of a com m ercial house, in w hich h e r industry, h e r p erse v e ra n c e , and h e r high ch aracter have c o m b in e d to se cu re h e r a very resp o n sib le and im p o rta n t position. Som e th re e years p rio r to th e d a te o f m y in tro d u c tio n to h e r she had b e e n in itia ted into a spiritistic group, w h ere h e r rem ark ab le psychic pow ers alm ost im m ed iately m anifested them selves; and she th e n becam e a m e m b e r of various o th e r spiritistic circles. F ro m its c o m m e n ce m e n t h e r m e d iu m sh ip m anifested th e com plex ty p e to w hich I have already al­ lu d e d , and from w hich it has n e v e r d eviated. Visions in a w aking state, accom panied by typtological dictation and auditive hallucinations, a lte r­ nately ap p e are d . F ro m th e p o in t of view of th e ir c o n te n t th ese m essages h ad g en erally a b e a rin g on past events usually unknow n to th e persons p re s e n t, b u t w hich w ere always verified by referrin g to biographical dic­ tionaries or to th e trad itio n s o f th e fam ilies in te re ste d . To th e se p h e n o m ­ e n a o f retro co g n itio n or o f h y p e rm n e sia w ere jo in e d occasionally, accord­ ing to th e e n v iro n m en t, m oral exhortations, co m m unicated th ro u g h th e table, m ore fre q u e n tly in p o e try th an in p ro se, a d d re sse d to th e sitters; m edical consultations, accom panied by p rescrip tio n s generally a p p ro p ri­ ate; com m unications from p a re n ts or friends rec e n tly deceased; or, finally, revelations as p iq u a n t as th e y w ere unverifiable concening th e anteriorites (that is, th e previous existences) o f th e sitters, alm ost all of w hom , b e in g p rofound b eliev ers in spiritism , w ould n o t have b e e n at all su r­ p rise d to learn th a t th e y w ere th e reincarnations respectively o f Coligny, of V ergniaud, of th e P rincess L am balle, o r o f o th e r notab le personages. It is necessary, finally, to ad d th a t all th e se m essages seem ed to b e m ore or less b o u n d up w ith th e m ysterious p re se n c e of a “spirit” answ ering to th e nam e of L eopold, w ho assum ed to b e th e guide and p ro te c to r of th e m ed iu m . I a t once u n d e rto o k to im prove m y acquaintance w ith H e le n e Sm ith. She freely c o n sen te d to give seances for m y b en efit, a ltern atin g w ith a series w hich she was giving M. L em aftre, a n d a n o th e r for th e ben efit of Prof. C u e n d e t, v ice -p re sid e n t o f th e G enev a Society (spiritistic) for Psy­ chic S tudies, all o f w hich I was p e rm itte d to a tte n d . In this way I have b e e n able to b e p re s e n t at th e g re a te r p a rt o f H e le n e ’s seances d u rin g th e p ast five years. T he perso n al observations th a t I have th u s b e e n able to

make, reinforced by notes on sittings which I was unable to attend, kindly furnished m e by MM. L em aitre and C uendet, form the basis of the study which follows; to w hich m ust be added, however, certain letters of Mile. Smith, as well as th e num erous and very interesting conversations I have held w ith h e r e ith e r im m ediately preceding or following h er seances, or at her hom e, w here I also have had the advantage of being able to talk with h er m other. Finally, various docum ents and accessory information, which will be cited in th e ir respective tim e and place, have also been of assistance in enabling m e partially to elucidate certain obscure points. Notw ithstanding all these sources of information, however, I am still very far from being able to disentangle and satisfactorily explain the complex phenom ena which constitute H e le n e ’s m edium ship. D ating from the period at which I m ade the acquaintance of Mile. Smith (i.e., from the w inter of 1894—95), while m ost of h e r spiritistic com­ m unications have continued to p rese n t th e same character as to form and content as before, a double and very im portant modification in h e r m edi­ um ship has been observed. I. As to th eir psychological form .— W hile up to that tim e H elene had experienced partial and lim ited autom atism s only— visual, auditive, typtom otor hallucinations— com patible w ith the preservation to a certain ex­ tent of th e waking state, and not involving noticeable loss of memory, from that tim e and w ith increasing frequency she has b een subject to an entire loss of consciousness and a failure to retain, on returning to her normal state, any recollection of w hat has transpired during th e seance. In physiological term s, th e hem isom nam bulism without am nesia, which had been h er stopping-point up to that tim e, and which the sitters mis­ took for th e ordinary waking state, was now transform ed into total som­ nam bulism w ith consecutive amnesia. In spiritistic parlance, Mile. Sm ith now becam e com pletely entranced, and having form erly been an ordinary visual and auditive m edium , she now advanced to th e higher plane of an “incarnating m ed iu m .” I fear that this change m ust in a great m easure be attributed to my influence, since it followed alm ost im m ediately upon my introduction to H elene’s seances. Or, even if th e total som nam bulism would have inevita­ bly been eventually developed by virtue of an organic predisposition and of a tendency favorable to hypnoid states, it is nevertheless probable that I aided in hastening its appearance by my presence as well as by a few experim ents w hich I p e rm itted m yself to m ake upon H elene. As is well known, m edium s are usually surrounded by a halo of venera­ tion, which prevents any one from touching them during th eir trances The idea w ould never occur to any ordinary freq u en ter of spiritistic circles to endeavor to ascertain the condition of the m edium ’s sensory and m otor functions by feeling h e r hands, pinching the flesh, or pricking th e skin

w ith a pin. Silence and im m obility are th e strict rule, in o rd er not to h in d e r th e spontaneous production o f th e phenom ena, and a few q u e s­ tions or b rie f observations on th e rec e ip t of a m essage is all that is p e rm is­ sible by way of conversation, and no one therefore would, u n d e r ordinary circum stances, dare to a tte m p t any m anipulation of th e m edium . Mile. Sm ith had always b e e n su rro u n d e d by this respectful consideration, and d u ring th e first th re e seances I conform ed m yself strictly to th e passive and p u rely contem plative a ttitu d e o f th e o th er sitters. But at th e fourth sitting m y discretion vanished. I could n ot resist a strong desire to ascer­ tain th e physiological condition of th e charm ing seeress, and I m ade som e vigorous elem en tary experim ents upon h e r hands, w hich lay tem ptingly spread out opposite m e on th e table. T hese experim ents, w hich I re ­ new ed and followed up at th e succeeding seance (February 3, 1895), d e m ­ o n strated th at th e re is p re se n t in M ile. Sm ith, d u rin g h er visions, a large and varied assortm ent of sensory and m otor disturbances w hich had h ith ­ erto escaped th e notice o f th e sitters, and w hich are thoroughly identical w ith those th a t may be observed in cases of hysteria (w here they are m ore perm anent), and those th a t m ay be m om entarily pro d u ced in hypnotic subjects by suggestion. This was not at all astonishing, and was to have b een expected. But one consequence, w hich I had not foreseen, did occur w hen, four days after my second experim ental seance, M ile. Sm ith fell com pletely asleep for th e first time* at a sitting w ith M. C u e n d e t (F eb ru ­ ary 7th), at w hich I was not p resen t. T he sitters w ere som ew hat fright­ en ed , and, in trying to awaken her, discovered th e rigidity of h e r arm s, w hich w ere considerably contractured. L eopold how ever, com m unicating by m eans of th e table upon w hich she was leaning, fully reassu red them , and gave th em to u n d e rsta n d th a t such sleep was not at all prejudicial to th e m edium . A fter assum ing various attitu d es and indulging in som e am using mimicry, M ile. Sm ith awoke in excellent spirits, retaining as a last recollection of h e r dream th at of a kiss w hich L eopold had im p rin ted upon h e r forehead. F ro m th a t day on som nam bulism s w ere th e rule w ith H elen e, and th e seances at w hich she did n o t fall com pletely asleep for at least a few m o­ m ents form ed rare exceptions to th e course of events during th e next four years. It is a g reat deprivation for M ile. Sm ith th a t th ese slum bers o rdi­ narily leave h e r no m em ory upon h e r awakening of w hat has tran sp ired in h e r tran ce, and she longs for th e seances o f form er tim es w hen th e visions unfolded them selves before h e r eyes, furnishing h e r w ith a pleasing spec­ tacle w hich was always unexpected, and w hich, continually being re ­ new ed, caused th e seances to be to h e r a source o f great delight. For th e sitters, on th e o th e r hand, th ese scenes of som nam bulism and incarna­ tion, to g e th e r w ith th e various physiological p h en o m en a of catalepsy, lethargy, contractures, e tc ., w hich accom panied them , ad d ed great vari-

ety an d ad d itio n al in te re s t to H e le n e S m ith ’s rem a rk a b le a n d in stru ctiv e trip le m ed iu m sh ip . T he g re a te r so m e tim e s im plies th e less: sim u ltan eo u sly w ith th e access of c o m p le te so m n am b u lism c am e n e w form s a n d in n u m e ra b le sh ad es o f hem iso m n am b u lism . T h e trip le form o f autom atism w hich d istin g u ish e d th e first years o f M ile. S m ith ’s sp iritistic ex p e rien c e s has b e e n w o n d e r­ fully d e v e lo p e d since 1895, an d it w ould now b e difficult to n a m e any principal form s o f psychic m e d iu m sh ip o f w hich she has n o t fu rn ish e d curious sp e cim en s. I shall have occasion to cite several o f th e m in th e course o f th is w ork. H e le n e co n stitu tes th e m ost rem a rk a b le m e d iu m I have e v e r m e t, a n d v ery n early ap p ro ach es th e ideal o f w h a t m ig h t be called th e p o ly m o rp h o u s, o r m u ltiform , m ed iu m , in co n tra d istin c tio n to th e uniform m ed iu m s, w h o se faculties only c o n c ern th em selv es w ith one kind o f autom atism . 2. A m odification analogous to th a t w hich took place in th e psychologic form o f th e m essages co n sistin g o f a m ark ed im p ro v e m e n t in th e ir d e p th and im p o rta n c e , was n o tic e ab le sim u ltan eo u sly in th e ir c o n te n t. A longside o f th e u n im p o rta n t co m m u n icatio n s, c o m p le te at o n e sittin g and in d e p e n d e n t o n e o f a n o th e r, w hich filled up a large p a rt o f each of H e le n e ’s sean ces a n d in no w ise d iffe re n tia te d h e r faculties from th o se of the m ajority o f m ed iu m s, she m an ifested from th e b e g in n in g a m ark e d ten d e n c y to a s u p e rio r sy stem atizatio n a n d a m o re lofty ch ain o f visions; com m unications w e re often c o n tin u e d th ro u g h several seances, and reached th e ir conclusion only a t th e e n d o f several w eeks. B ut from th e p erio d at w h ich I m ad e th e a c q u ain tan ce o f M ile. S m ith this te n d e n c y tow ards u n ity b e g a n to a sse rt itse lf still m o re strongly. S everal long som ­ n am bulistic d rea m s b e g a n to a p p e a r a n d to develop, th e e v e n ts of w hich co n tin u e d to b e u n fo ld e d th ro u g h m o n th s, ev e n years, a n d in d e e d still co n tinue; a species o f ro m a n c e o f th e su b lim in al im ag in atio n analogous to those “c o n tin u e d sto rie s”* w hich so m an y o f o u r race tell th em se lv e s in th e ir m o m e n ts o f f a r n ien te , o r at tim es w h e n th e ir ro u tin e occupations offer only slig h t obstacles to day -d ream in g , a n d of w h ich th e y th em se lv e s are g e n erally th e h e ro e s. M ile. S m ith has no few er th a n th re e d istin ct so m n am b u listic rom ances, and if to th e s e is a d d e d th e ex isten ce o f th a t seco n d ary p erso n a lity to w hich I have a lre ad y a llu d e d , a n d w hich reveals itse lf u n d e r th e n a m e of L eopold, w e find o u rselv es in th e p re s e n c e o f fo u r subconscious creatio n s of vast e x te n t, w h ich have b e e n evolved on parallel lin es for several years, and w hich m anifest th em se lv e s in irre g u la r a lte rn a tio n d u rin g th e course o f differen t sean ces, o r often e v e n in th e sam e seance. AU o f th e s e have u n d o u b te d ly a com m on origin in H e le n e ’s sublim inal consciousness; b u t in p rac tic e , a t least, a n d to all a p p e ara n ce , th e s e im ag­ inative c o n stru c tio n s p re s e n t a relativ e in d e p e n d e n c e a n d a d iv ersity of

14

·

C h ap ter One

c o n te n t su ffic ie n tly g re a t to r e n d e r it n e c e ssa ry to s tu d y th e m sep arately . I sh all c o n fin e m y s e lf a t p r e s e n t to a g e n e ra l v ie w o f th e m . Two o f th e s e ro m a n c e s a re c o n n e c te d w ith th e sp iritistic id e a o f p r e ­ v io u s e x iste n c e s. I t has, in d e e d b e e n re v e a le d th a t H e le n e S m ith has a lre a d y liv e d tw ic e b e fo re o n th is g lo b e. F iv e h u n d r e d y ea rs ago sh e was th e d a u g h te r o f an A ra b sh eik , a n d b e c a m e , u n d e r th e n a m e o f S im a n d in i, th e fa v o rite w ife o f a H in d o o p rin c e n a m e d S iv ro u k a N ayaka, w h o re ig n e d o v e r K an ara, a n d b u ilt in th e y e a r 1401 th e fo rtre ss o f T c h a n d ra g u iri. In th e last c e n tu r y s h e r e a p p e a r e d in th e p e rs o n o f th e illu strio u s a n d u n fo r­ tu n a te M a rie A n to in e tte . A gain re in c a rn a te d , as a p u n is h m e n t fo r h e r sins a n d th e p e rfe c tin g o f h e r c h a ra c te r, in th e h u m b le c irc u m sta n c e s o f H e le n e S m ith , sh e in c e rta in s o m n a m b u listic s ta te s re c o v e rs th e m e m o ry o f h e r g lo rio u s av atars o f old, a n d b e c o m e s again for th e m o m e n t H in d o o p rin c e s s o r q u e e n o f F ra n c e . 1 w ill d e s ig n a te u n d e r th e n a m e s o f “H in d o o ” o r “O rie n ta l” cycle a n d “R oyal” c y c le th e w h o le o f th e a u to m a tic m a n ife sta tio n s re la tiv e to th e s e tw o p re v io u s e x iste n c e s. I shall call th e th ir d ro m a n c e th e “M a rtia n ” cy­ c le, in w h ic h M ile. S m ith , b y v irtu e o f th e m e d iu m is tic facu lties, w h ich a re th e a p p a n a g e a n d th e co n so latio n o f h e r p r e s e n t life, has b e e n a b le to e n t e r in to re la tio n w ith th e p e o p le a n d affairs o f th e p la n e t M ars, a n d to u n v e il t h e i r m y s te rie s to us. I t is in th is astro n o m ic a l so m n a m b u lism th a t th e p h e n o m e n o n o f glossolalia2 a p p e a rs , w h ich co n sists o f th e fa b ricatio n a n d th e u s e o f an u n k n o w n lan g u ag e , a n d w h ich is o n e o f th e p rin c ip a l o b je c ts o f th is stu d y , w e shall se e , h o w e v er, th a t an alo g o u s facts a re lik e ­ w ise p r e s e n te d in th e H in d o o cycle. T h e p e rs o n a lity o f L e o p o ld m a in ta in s v e ry c o m p le x re la tio n s w ith th e p re c e d in g c re a tio n s. O n th e o n e h a n d , it is v e ry closely c o n n e c te d w ith th e R oyal cy cle, ow ing to th e fact th a t th e n a m e o f L e o p o ld is o n ly a p s e u d o n y m u n d e r w h ic h is c o n c e a le d th e illu strio u s C ag lio stro , w h o , it a p p e a rs , w as m a d ly in fa tu a te d w ith Q u e e n M a rie A n to in e tte , a n d w ho now, d is c a rn a te a n d flo atin g in sp ace, has c o n s titu te d h im s e lf th e g u a rd ia n a n g e l in so m e re s p e c ts o f M ile. S m ith , in w h o m a fte r a lo n g s e a rc h h e has ag ain fo u n d th e a u g u s t o b je c t o f h is u n h a p p y p assio n o f a c e n tu r y ago. O n th e o th e r h a n d , th is ro le o f p ro te c to r a n d sp iritu a l g u id e w h ic h h e a s s u m e s to w ard s H e le n e co n fers u p o n h im a p riv ile g e d p la c e in h e r so m ­ n a m b u lis m s . H e is m o re o r less m ix ed u p in th e g r e a te r p a r t o f th e m ; assists a t th e m , w a tc h e s o v e r th e m , a n d p e rh a p s in a m e a s u re d ire c ts th e m . H e also o ccasio n ally a p p e a rs in th e m id s t o f a H in d o o o r a M a rtia n s c e n e , d e liv e rin g h is m e ssa g e b y c e rta in c h a ra c te ris tic m o v e m e n ts o f th e hand. 2 G lo sso la lia sig n ifie s t h e “gift o f to n g u e s ,” o r th e a b ility to sp e a k fo reig n la n g u a g e s w ith ­ o u t h a v in g c o n sc io u s ly a c q u ir e d th e m .

To su m u p : s o m e tim e s re v e a lin g h im s e lf b y ra p s u p o n th e ta b le , th e tap s o f a fin g e r, o r b y a u to m a tic w ritin g ; s o m e tim e s in c a rn a tin g h im s e lf c o m p le te ly a n d s p e a k in g b y th e m o u th o f M ile. S m ith w h ile e n tr a n c e d — L e o p o ld fulfils in th e s e se a n c e s th e m u ltip le a n d v a rie d fu n c tio n s o f s p iritg u id e , g iv in g g o o d a d v ic e re la tiv e to th e m a n n e r o f a c tin g to w a rd s th e m e d iu m ; o f s ta g e - m a n a g e r h id d e n b e h in d th e sc e n e s w a tc h in g th e p e r fo r­ m an ce a n d re a d y a t a n y tim e to in te rv e n e ; o f b e n e v o le n tly d is p o s e d i n te r ­ p r e te r w illin g to fu rn is h e x p la n a tio n s o f all th a t is o b s c u re ; o f c e n s o r o f m orals s h a rp ly r e p r im a n d in g th e s itte rs w h e n h e d e e m s it n e c e s sa ry ; o f s y m p a th e tic p h y s ic ia n p r o m p t a t d iag n o sis a n d w e ll v e rs e d in th e p h a rm aco p aeia, e tc . H e also a p p e a rs u n d e r h is o w n n a m e o f C a g lio stro to th e s o m n a m b u lis tic g az e o f t h e r e s u s c ita te d M a rie A n to in e tte a n d a n sw e rs h e r q u e s tio n s b y m e a n s o f a u d itiv e h a llu c in a tio n s. N o r is th is all: to m a k e o u r s u m m a ry c o m p le te , it is n e c e s s a ry also to in v e s tig a te th e p e rs o n a l c o n n e c tio n o f M ile. S m ith w ith h e r in v is ib le p ro te c to r. S h e o fte n in v o k e s a n d q u e s tio n s L e o p o ld a t h e r ow n c o n v e n ie n c e , a n d w h ile h e re m a in s s o m e tim e s fo r w e e k s w ith o u t g iv in g a n y sig n o f life, h e a t o th e r tim e s re a d ily re s p o n d s to h e r b y m e a n s o f v o ices o r v isio n s w h ic h s u rp ris e h e r w h ile fu lly aw ak e in th e c o u rs e o f h e r d a ily d u tie s , a n d in w h ic h h e lav­ ish es u p o n h e r in t u r n m a te ria l o r m o ra l a d v ic e ,u s e fu l in fo rm a tio n , o r th e e n c o u ra g e m e n t a n d c o n s o la tio n o f w h ic h s h e h as n e e d . A lth o u g h I h a v e a c c u se d m y s e lf o f p e r h a p s h a v in g h a d m u c h to d o w ith th e tra n s fo rm a tio n o f H e le n e ’s h e m is o m n a m b u lis m in to c o m p le te tra n c e s, I b e lie v e m y self, h o w e v e r, a lto g e th e r in n o c e n t o f th e o rig in , a n d th e re fo re o f th e s u b s e q u e n t d e v e lo p m e n t, o f th e g re a t s u b lim in a l c r e ­ atio n s o f w h ic h I h a v e s p o k e n . T h e first, t h a t o f L e o p o ld , is o f v e ry e a rly d a te , e v e n g o in g b a c k p ro b a b ly , as w e sh all s e e , p r io r to M ile. S m ith ’s in itia tio n in to s p iritis m . As to th e t h r e e cy c le s, th e y d id n o t, it is tr u e , c o m m e n c e to d is p la y t h e i r full a m p litu d e u n til a f te r I h a d m a d e H e le n e ’s a c q u a in ta n c e ; a n d s in c e th e y s ta rt fro m th e tim e w h e n sh e firs t b e c a m e s u b je c t to v e r ita b le tra n c e s , it w o u ld s e e m as th o u g h t h a t s u p r e m e fo rm o f a u to m a tis m is th e o n ly o n e c a p a b le o f a llo w in g th e fu ll e x p a n s io n o f p r o ­ d u c tio n s so c o m p le x , a n d th e o n ly p sy ch o lo g ica l c o n ta in e r a p p r o p ria te a n d a d e q u a te to s u c h a co n te n t. B u t th e first a p p e a ra n c e o f all t h r e e w as c lea rly p r io r to m y p r e s e n c e a t th e se a n c e s. T h e H in d o o d re a m , w h e r e I shall b e fo u n d p la y in g a ro le w h ic h I d id n o t s e e k , e v id e n tly b e g a n (O c to ­ b e r 16, 1894) e ig h t w e e k s b e fo re m y a d m is sio n to M ile. S m ith ’s se a n c e s. T h e M a rtia n ro m a n c e , w h ic h d a te s fro m th e sa m e p e r io d , is c lo sely c o n n e c te d , as I sh a ll also show , w ith a n in v o lu n ta ry su g g e stio n o f M . L e m a itre , w h o m a d e t h e a c q u a in ta n c e o f H e le n e in th e s p rin g o f 1894, n in e m o n th s b e f o re m y in tro d u c tio n to h e r. T h e Royal cy cle, finally, h a d b e e n ro u g h ly o u tlin e d a t s e a n c e s h e ld a t th e h o m e o f M . C u e n d e t, in D e c e m ­ b e r, 1893. N e v e rth e le s s , I re p e a t, o n ly sin c e 1895 h av e th e e x u b e ra n t

16

·

C hapter One

g ro w th a n d m ag n ifice n t flow ering o f th a t su b lim in al v e g e ta tio n tak en p lace u n d e r th e s tim u la tin g a n d pro v o cativ e in flu en c e, a lb e it w holly u n in ­ te n tio n a l a n d a lto g e th e r u n s u s p e c te d a t th e tim e , o f th e v a rie d e n v iro n ­ m e n ts o f M ile. S m ith ’s seances. As far as th e in d is c re e t re v e la tio n s in re g a rd to m y ow n family, w h ich so m u c h a s to n is h e d m e a t m y first m e e tin g w ith M ile. S m ith , a re c o n c e rn e d , as w e ll as th e in n u m e ra b le ex tra o rd in a ry facts o f th e sam e k in d w ith w hich h e r m e d iu m s h ip ab o u n d s, a n d to w h ich sh e ow es h e r im m e n se re p u ta tio n in s p iritistic circles, it w ill suffice to re tu r n in th e closing c h a p te rs o f this book.

C h ild h o o d a n d Youth o f M ile. S m ith

h isto ry o f M ile. S m ith an d h e r autom atism s is n a tu ­ rally d iv id ed in to tw o s e p a ra te p erio d s by th e im p o rta n t fact o f h e r in i­ tiation in to sp iritism at th e b eg in n in g o f 1892. B efore th a t tim e , n o t su s­ p ectin g th e p o ssibility o f volu n tary com m u n icatio n w ith th e w orld of d isin carn ate sp irits, sh e n atu ra lly m an ifested n o th in g m o re th a n a few sp o n tan eo u s p h e n o m e n a , th e first flutterings o f h e r m ed iu m istic faculties w hich still lay d o rm an t, th e exact n a tu re a n d p ro g ress o f w hich it w ould b e in te re stin g to know in d etail; unfortunately, in th e ab se n ce o f w ritte n d o cu m en ts co n c ern in g th a t p re -sp iritistic p e rio d , w e are confined to th e statem en ts o f H e le n e an d h e r p a re n ts in re g ard to it, an d th e u n tru s t­ w o rth in ess o f th e m em o ry in co n n ectio n w ith ev e n ts o f a re m o te p a st is only too w ell know n. T h e sp iritistic p erio d , on th e contrary, e x ten d in g over th e last seven years, an d in fin itely m o re fe rtile in artificially p ro m o te d (e.g., th e se­ ances) as w ell as in sp o n tan eo u s m anifestations, is m u ch b e tte r know n to us; b u t in o rd e r to c o m p re h e n d it intelligently, it is n ecessary first to pass in rev iew th e few facts w hich w e have b e e n able to g a th e r re la tin g to th e p re -sp iritistic p e rio d — th a t is to say, th e child h o o d an d youth o f M ile. Sm ith. T h at will b e th e su b je c t o f this chapter. M ile. S m ith has liv ed in G e n ev a since h e r infancy. A fter a tte n d in g school, she e n te r e d as an a p p re n tic e , at th e age o f fifteen, a larg e co m m er­ cial h o u se, w h e re , as I have alre ad y sta te d , she still re m ain s, an d w h e re, little b y little , sh e has rise n to a v ery re sp o n sib le position. H e r fa th er, a m erch an t, was a H u n g a rian , a n d possessed a re m a rk ab le facility for lan ­ guages, w h ich is o f in te re st to us in p re s e n c e o f th e p h e n o m e n a o f glossolalia, a su b je c t w h ich will b e d iscu ssed h ereafte r. H e r m o th e r is a G en ev ese. B oth en jo y ed ex cellen t h e a lth an d atta in e d a v e n e ra b le old age. H e le n e h ad a y o u n g e r siste r w ho d ied in early childhood, an d two b ro th e rs o ld e r th a n h erself, w ho are now fath ers o f fam ilies an d e sta b ­ lish ed ab ro ad , w h e re th e y have h a d successful b u sin ess careers. I am n o t aw are th a t M. S m ith, w ho was a m an o f positive character, ev er disp lay ed any p h e n o m e n a o f autom atism s. M m e. S m ith, how ever, as well as h e r g ra n d m o th e r, has e x p e rie n c e d several th o ro u g h ly ch a rac te ris­ tic p h e n o m e n a o f th a t kind, an d one, at least, o f H e le n e ’s b ro th e rs, it ap pears, co u ld easily have b eco m e a good m ed iu m . This is a n o th e r in ­ stance o f th e d istin ctly h e re d ita ry te n d e n c y o f m ed iu m istic faculties.

T h e p s y c h o lo g ic a l

M . S m ith , a m an o f active a n d e n te rp ris in g ch a ra c te r, d ie d q u ite s u d ­ d en ly , p ro b a b ly o f an e m b o lism , at th e ag e o f seventy-five years. H e h ad left H u n g a ry in his yo u th , a n d finally e sta b lis h e d h im se lf at G e n ev a, a fte r h a v in g tra v e lle d ex ten siv e ly in Italy a n d A lgiers, w h e re h e re m a in e d for se v e ra l years. H e sp o k e flu e n tly H u n g a ria n , G e rm a n , F re n c h , Italian , a n d S p an ish , u n d e rs to o d E n g lish fairly w ell, a n d also k n e w L atin a n d a little G re e k . I t w o u ld se e m th a t his d a u g h te r has in h e rite d th e s e lin ­ g u istic a p titu d e s , b u t only in a la te n t a n d su b lim in al m a n n e r, for s h e has alw ays d e te s te d th e s tu d y o f lan g u ag e s, a n d re b e lle d ag ain st le a rn in g G e r­ m an , in w h ich sh e to o k lesso n s for th r e e years. M m e. S m ith , w h o is a k in d -h e a rte d w o m an , w ith m u c h good, p ractical sen se , is sixty-seven y ea rs o f age. N e ith e r sh e n o r h e r h u s b a n d was e v e r a n e rv o u s o r p sy c h o p a th ic s u b je c t, b u t b o th sh o w ed a m a rk e d te n d e n c y to b ro n c h o -p u lm o n a ry affections o f a so m ew h a t alarm in g ty p e. M m e. S m ith has, b e sid e s, su ffe red fre q u e n tly from rh e u m a tism . H e le n e does n o t a p ­ p e a r to h ave in h e rite d th e s e te n d e n c ie s; sh e has always en jo y ed ro b u s t h e a lth , a n d h as n o t e v e n h a d th e slight d iseases usually in c id e n ta l to ch ild h o o d . A lth o u g h b o th M . a n d M m e. S m ith w e re P ro te s ta n ts , th ro u g h a ch ain o f p e c u lia r c irc u m sta n c e s th e ir d a u g h te r was b a p tiz e d a C ath o lic sh o rtly afte r h e r b irth , h e r n a m e b e in g in sc rib e d som e m o n th s la te r on th e re g is­ te r o f th e P ro te s ta n t c h u rc h o f G en ev a. T h e m e m o ry o f th is u n u su a l b a p ­ tism h as c e rta in ly n o t b e e n lost b y H e le n e ’s su b lim in al im ag in atio n , a n d has d u ly c o n trib u te d to th e h y p o th e sis o f a m y ste rio u s o rigin. O f th e years o f c h ild h o o d I k now n o th in g specially in te re stin g . A t th e in te rm e d ia te school, at w h ich sh e p a sse d on ly a year, a n d w h e re I have c o n s u lte d th e re c o rd s o f h e r class, sh e w as n o t d istin g u is h e d e ith e r for good o r ill from th e p o in t o f v iew o f d e p o r tm e n t, b u t sh e c e rta in ly d id n o t re v eal th e full m e a s u re o f h e r in te llig e n c e , since sh e failed to pass th e ex am in atio n s at th e e n d o f th e y ear, a fact w h ich d e c id e d h e r e n tra n c e u p o n an a p p r e n ­ ticesh ip . O n th e o th e r h a n d , th e w o rth y p a s to r w h o gave h e r relig io u s in stru c tio n so m e w h a t later, a n d w h o has n e v e r lost sig h t o f h e r since, has fu rn is h e d m e w ith m o st eu lo g istic testim o n ia ls as to h e r ch a rac te r; h e re m e m b e rs h e r as a y o u n g girl o f serio u s d isp o sitio n , in te llig e n t, th o u g h t­ ful, faith fu l in th e d isc h a rg e o f h e r d u tie s, a n d d e v o te d to h e r family. M . S m ith n e v e r sh o w ed th e least tra c e o f m e d iu m istic p h e n o m e n a ; from h av in g b e e n v e ry in d iffe re n t, o r ev e n h o stile , to sp iritism u n til his d a u g h te r b e g a n to in te r e s t h e r s e lf in it, h e finally su c c u m b e d to h e r in flu ­ e n c e a n d b e c a m e a b e lie v e r in th a t d o c trin e tow ards th e close o f his life. M m e. S m ith , o n th e contrary, has alw ays b e e n p re d is p o s e d to it, a n d has e x p e rie n c e d sev e ral p h e n o m e n a o f th a t n a tu re in th e co u rse o f h e r life. At th e p e r io d o f th e e p id e m ic of “ta b le -tip p in g ” w h ich ra g e d in o u r c o u n try ab o u t th e m id d le o f th is ce n tu ry , sh e too e x p e rim e n te d q u ite successfully

for a w hile upon the table w ith h e r friends and acquaintances. Later, she had some sporadic visions. T he following is one of th e m ost typical. W hile her little d au g h ter th re e years old was ill, M me. Sm ith awoke in th e m id­ dle of th e night and saw an angel, of dazzling brightness, standing by the side of th e little bed w ith its hands stretched out above the child; after some m om ents th e apparition gradually dissolved. Mme. Sm ith awak­ ened h er husband and told him of the fatal significance w hich she at­ tached to th e vision, but he, unable to see anything, ridiculed h er super­ stitious fears. As a m atter of fact, the child died on the following day, to the great surprise of the physician attending her. This is a fine example of true m aternal p resentim ent, subconsciously felt and transferring itself into the norm al consciousness by a visual hallucination which borrow ed for its symbolic content an appropriate popular image. Mme. Sm ith never knew h er m other, who died shortly after h e r birth; but she recalls and has related to m e some characteristic visions o f her grandm other, who brought h er up; various phenom ena connected with one of H e le n e ’s brothers (hearing of steps in the night, etc.) have proved to h er that one of h e r sons, at least, is a m edium . H elene Sm ith was certainly predisposed, both by h eredity and tem p er­ am ent, to becom e a m edium , as soon as the outward opportunity— that is, the suggestions of spiritism — should p resen t itself. It is evident, indeed, from h er recital of events, th at she was m ore or less visionary from h e r infancy. It does not appear, however, that she ever m anifested phenom ena capable in them selves of attracting the attention of her family. I have not b een able to discover any indication w hatever of crises or attacks of an abnorm al nature, not even of sleep-walking. H er automatisms have b een always alm ost entirely confined to th e sensory or m ental sphere, and it is only from h e r own narratives that o ther people have any knowledge of them . They assum e th e double form of reveries m ore or less conscious, and of hallucinations properly so called. I. Reveries.— T he habit of falling into reverie, of building castles in the air, of transporting o n e’s self into o ther conditions of existence, or of tell­ ing one’s self stories in which one plays the chief role, is m ore frequent among w om en than am ong m en, and in childhood and youth than in m a­ ture years.* This propensity seem s to have always b een extrem ely m arked in th e case of Mile. Sm ith, since from h e r school-girl days she has shown herself to be of a sedentary and dom estic tem peram ent, preferring the quiet com panionship of h e r m other to the games of h e r com rades, and her needle-w ork to out-door recreations. The fragm ents which have survived in H e len e’s conscious m em ory are all th at is known to us of the content of these reveries, but it suffices, nevertheless, to reveal to us the general tone of h e r fictions, and to show us that th e images suddenly surging up before h e r m ental vision had a peculiar, often very fantastic, character,

a n d w h ich e n a b le s us to see in th e m th e b eg in n in g s o f h e r la te r g re a t s o m n a m b u listic ro m an c es. I t is to b e n o tic e d also th a t th e d esig n s, e m ­ b ro id e rie s , v a rie d a rtistic w orks, w h ich w e re always th e favorite o c c u p a ­ tio n s o f h e r m o m e n ts o f le is u re a n d in w h ich sh e excels, w e re alm ost alw ays, from h e r infancy, n o t copies o f e x te rio r m o d els, b u t th e p ro d u c ts o f h e r ow n in v e n tio n , m a rk e d w ith th e b iz a rre a n d original stam p o f h e r in te rn a l im ag es. M o reo v er, th e s e p ie c e s o f w ork g re w u n d e r h e r fingers w ith an ea se a n d ra p id ity th a t a sto n ish e d h erself. T h e y m a d e th e m se lv e s, as it w e re . S h e w as alw ays fond o f in d u lg in g in d ay -d rea m s, a n d recalls m an y a h alf-h o u r p a sse d m o tio n less in an easy-chair, on w h ich occasions sh e was a c c u sto m e d to see all k in d s o f s tra n g e th in g s, b u t, b e in g o f a v ery re tic e n t n a tu re , sh e se ld o m m e n tio n e d th e m to h e r p a re n ts for fe ar o f n o t b e in g u n d e rs to o d . S h e u s e d to se e h ig h ly co lo re d lan d sca p es, a lion o f sto n e w ith a m u tila te d h e a d , fanciful o b jects o n p e d e sta ls, etc. S h e d o es n o t r e m e m b e r th e d etails, b u t d o es c lea rly re c o lle c t th a t th e y all b o re a close re s e m b la n c e to h e r H in d o o a n d M artian visions o f la te r years. T h e s e p h a n ta sm a g o ria also a p p e a re d to h e r in th e n ig h t. S he r e m e m ­ b e rs , a m o n g o th e r th in g s, to h av e see n , w h e n ab o u t fo u rte e n o r fifteen y ea rs o ld , a b rig h t lig h t th ro w n ag ain st th e wall o f h e r room , w h ich th e n s e e m e d to b e filled w ith s tra n g e a n d u n k n o w n bein g s. S h e h a d th e im ­ p re ssio n o f b e in g fully aw ake, b u t it s u d d e n ly o c c u rre d to h e r th a t sh e m u s t h ave b e e n d re a m in g , a n d it was only th e n th a t sh e c o m p re h e n d e d th a t it w as re ally a “v isio n ” w h ich sh e h a d e x p e rie n c e d . 2. H a llu c in a tio n s .— In th e fo reg o in g ex am p les it w o u ld b e difficult to say to exactly w h ich ca te g o ry th e psychologic facts b elo n g , esp ecially th e n o c tu rn a l p h e n o m e n a , a n d o n e m ay h e s ita te w h e th e r to re g a rd th e m as s im p le d re a m s o f a v ery vivid ch a ra c te r, h y p n ag o g ic o r h y p n o p o m p ic 1 visions, o r as v e rita b le h allu cin atio n s. O n th e o th e r h a n d , w e u n d o u b t­ e d ly h av e th e rig h t to give th e la tte r d e sig n a tio n to th e n u m e ro u s a p p a ri­ tio n s w h ich M ile. S m ith has w h e n in full possession o f h e r sen se s in th e d ay tim e. O n e day, for ex a m p le , as sh e was p lay in g out-of-doors w ith a frie n d , she saw so m e o n e follow ing h e r, a n d m e n tio n e d th e fact to h e r co m p an io n , w h o co u ld n o t see an y o n e. T h e im ag in ary in d iv id u a l, a fte r hav in g fol­ lo w ed h e r a ro u n d a tr e e for a m o m e n t, d is a p p e a re d , a n d sh e was u n a b le to find h im again. O f an e n tire ly d iffe re n t o rd e r a re th e s tra n g e ch a ra c te rs w h ich sh e r e ­ m e m b e rs h av in g so m e tim e s in v o lu n ta rily s u b s titu te d for F re n c h le tte rs 1 T h is te rm is u s e d to d e s ig n a te th e visio n s w h ic h m an ifest th e m se lv e s a t th e m o m e n t o f a w ak e n in g from s le e p im m e d ia te ly p rio r to c o m p le te a w ak en in g , a n d w h ich form a p e n d a n t to th e w e ll-k n o w n , m u c h m o re fre q u e n t h y p n a g o g ic h a llu c in a tio n s, a ris in g in th e in te r m e d i­ a te s ta te b e tw e e n s le e p a n d w aking.

w hen w ritin g to h e r frien d s, w hich m u st b e re g a rd e d as grap h o m o to r hallucinations. T h ese w e re u n d o u b te d ly th e sam e characters w hich at o th er tim es a p p e a re d to h e r in visual im ages. T his was th e p re lu d e to th e p h en o m e n o n so fre q u e n tly e x p e rien ce d by h e r in th e last few years, an d o f w hich w e shall h e re a fte r see m any exam ples— nam ely, au to m atic w riting, m ingling w ith h e r o rd in ary chirograp h y in h e r w aking state. A longside o f hallucinations like th e se , w hich do n o t show any in te n ­ tional o r useful ch a ra c te r an d a re only a capricious and fortuitous irru p tio n into th e n o rm al consciousness, m e re d ream s o r fancies filling u p th e su b ­ conscious strata, th e re are also m an ifested in H e le n e ’s case som e h allu ­ cinations o f a m anifest utility, w hich have in co n se q u en ce th e sen se of m essages a d d re sse d by th e sublim inal consciousness o f th e su b ject to h e r norm al co n sciousness, b y way o f w arn in g an d p ro tec tio n . I t is to b e n o ted th at th e s e h allu cin atio n s, w hich m ig h t b e called teleological, have lately b een claim ed b y L eopold, alth o u g h h e has no recollection of, an d does not a sse rt h im se lf to b e th e au th o r of, th e e a rlie r ones. T he follow ing is a curious exam ple: At ab o u t th e age o f se v e n te e n or eig h tee n , H e le n e was re tu rn in g from th e c o u n try o n e ev ening, ca rry in g a fine b o u q u e t o f flowers. D u rin g th e last m inutes o f th e jo u rn e y she h ea rd b e h in d h e r a p e c u lia r cry o f a b ird , w hich see m e d to h e r to w arn h e r against som e d an g er, a n d she h a ste n e d h e r step s w ith o u t looking b eh in d . O n h e r arrival at h o m e th e cry follow ed h e r into h e r room w ith o u t h e r having b e e n ab le to see th e c re a tu re from w hich it em an a ted . S he w e n t tired to b e d , a n d in th e m id d le o f th e n ig h t awoke in g re a t pain, b u t was u n able to cry out. At th a t m o m e n t she felt h e rs e lf g ently lifted, to g e th e r w ith th e pillow on w hich sh e lay, as if by tw o frien d ly h ands, w hich e n ­ abled h e r to re co v er h e r voice an d call h e r m o th er, w ho h a ste n e d to com ­ fort h er, a n d c a rrie d th e flowers, w hich w e re too odorous, out o f th e room . L eopold, on b e in g in te rro g a te d re cen tly d u rin g a som nam bulism of H e le n e as to th is in c id e n t, com ing u p again after so m any years, has a very clear reco llectio n o f it a n d gives th e follow ing explanation. It was n o t really th e cry o f a b ird , bu t it was h e , L eopold, w ho cau sed H e le n e to h e a r a sort o f w h istle, h o p in g th e re b y to a ttra c t h e r a tte n tio n to th e d a n g e r lu rk in g in th e b o u q u e t o f flow ers, in w hich was a g re at d eal of g ard en -m in t o f pow erful odor. U n fo rtu n ately H e le n e d id n o t u n d e rsta n d , and re ta in e d th e b o u q u e t in h e r room . H e adds th a t his failure to give a m ore c le a r an d in tellig ib le w arn in g was d u e to th e fact th a t it was at th at tim e im p o ssib le for him to do so. T he w h istle w hich H e le n e took for th e cry of a b ird was all th a t it was in his pow er to utter. It was again h e w ho in te rv e n e d at th e m o m e n t o f h e r n o ctu rn a l illness by raising h e r h ea d in o rd e r to e n a b le h e r to call for help. I have no reaso n to d o u b t th e su b stan tial accuracy e ith e r o f th e account

g iv en b y H e le n e a n d h e r m o th e r, o r o f th e ex p lan a tio n re c e n tly fu rn ish e d b y L e o p o ld . T h e in c id e n t b elo n g s to th e c a te g o ry o f w ell-know n cases w h e re a d a n g e r o f so m e so rt n o t s u s p e c te d b y th e n o rm al p ersonality, b u t w h ic h is su b co n sc io u sly know n o r re c o g n iz e d , is w a rd e d o if b y a p re s e rv a ­ tiv e h a llu c in a tio n , e ith e r se n so ry (as h e r e — th e cry o f th e b ird ) o r m o to r (as in th e liftin g o f th e body). T h e su b lim in al co n scio u sn ess is n o t always a b le to g iv e a c le a r m essage; in th e p r e s e n t case, th e a u d itiv e au to m atism re m a in e d in a sta te o f e le m e n ta ry h allu cin atio n , a sim p le w h istle, w ith o u t b e in g a b le to e le v a te it to a d istin c t v e rb a l h allu cin atio n . Its g e n e ra l w a rn ­ in g se n se , h o w ev er, w as u n d e rs to o d b y H e le n e , th an k s to th e co n fu sed fe e lin g o f d a n g e r th a t s h e fe lt at th e sam e tim e. M oreover, th is co n fu sed feelin g , w h ich c a u se d h e r to q u ic k e n h e r ste p s, it see m s to m e , o u g h t n o t to b e c o n s id e re d as th e c o n se q u e n c e o f th e w h istle sh e h e a rd , b u t ra th e r as a p ara lle l p h e n o m e n o n ; th e a p p e a ra n c e o r th e o d o r o f th e m in t sh e was ca rry in g , w h ile n o t a ttra c tin g h e r conscious a tte n tio n , n e v e rth e le s s dim ly ro u s e d in h e r an id ea o f th e d a n g e r lu rk in g in th e flow ers, a n d th a t id e a in tu r n affected h e r c le a r co n scio u sn ess u n d e r th e d o u b le form o f a vague e m o tio n o f d a n g e r a n d a v e rb o a u d itiv e tra n sla tio n w h ich d id n o t go so far as to fo rm u la te its e lf explicitly. U n d e r c irc u m sta n c e s o f a n a tu re c a lc u la te d to ca u se a s tro n g e m o tio n al sh ock, a n d e sp e cially w h e n th e p sy ch ic s p h e re w h ich involves th e s e n ti­ m e n t o f m o d e s ty is stro n g ly a c te d u p o n , H e le n e has a visual h allu cin atio n o f a m an c lo th e d in a long, b ro w n ro b e , w ith a w h ite cross o n h is b re a st, lik e a m o n k , w h o co m es to h e r aid, a n d acco m p an ies h e r in silen ce as long as th e n e c e ssity fo r h is p re s e n c e c o n tin u e s. T his u n k n o w n p ro te c to r, al­ w ays s ile n t, each tim e a p p e a rin g a n d d is a p p e a rin g in a s u d d e n a n d m y s te ­ rio u s m a n n e r, is n o o th e r th a n L e o p o ld him self, acco rd in g to th e re c e n t affirm ations o f th e latter. W e sh o u ld n a tu ra lly e x p e c t th a t H e le n e w o u ld have h a d in h e r youth m an y s trik in g e x p e rie n c e s o f p re v isio n , m arv ello u s in tu itio n , d iv in atio n , e tc ., w h ic h a re a m o n g th e m o st diffuse form s o f teleo lo g ical au to m atism . S u ch , h o w ev er, d o es n o t seem to h av e b e e n th e fact; n e ith e r sh e n o r h e r m o th e r h as re c o u n te d to m e a n y th in g re m a rk a b le o f th is n a tu re , a n d th e y co n fin e th e m s e lv e s to a g e n e ra l affirm ation o f fr e q u e n t p re s e n tim e n ts , w h ich w e re s u b s e q u e n tly ju s tifie d as to th e p e rso n s a n d ev e n ts w ith w h ich th e y w e re c o n n e c te d . AU th e ex a m p le s w h ich I h av e above c ite d c o n c u r in b rin g in g to lig h t th e s tro n g p e n c h a n t o f M ile. S m ith tow ards au to m atism . B ut from th e p o in t o f v iew o f th e ir m e a n in g th e r e is a n o ta b le d iffe re n c e b e tw e e n th e teleo lo g ical p h e n o m e n a , p re s e n tim e n ts o r h allu cin atio n s o f a m an ifest utility, a n d th o se w h ich h av e n o n e — m e re re v e rie s a n d o th e r p e r tu r b a ­ tio n s, w h ich a re a lto g e th e r su p erflu o u s, if n o t actually d e trim e n ta l, to H e le n e ’s n o rm al personality.

T here are dream s and other autom atism s absolutely useless which have insinuated them selves w ithout rhym e or reason into H elen e’s norm al life. One does not know how or in w hat m anner to in te rp re t these phenom ena, capricious and fortuitous as they seem to be, and they rem ain isolated, inconsiderable facts, w ithout bearing and w ithout interest, since they can­ not be attached to any central principle, to one m other-idea or fundam en­ tal em otion. We are, therefore, red u ced to certain conjectures, the m ost reasonable of which is th at these diverse fragm ents m ake part of some vast sub­ conscious creation, in which all the being of Mile. Sm ith, crushed and bruised by the conditions which the realities of life have im posed upon her, as is m ore or less th e case with each one of us, gave free wing to the deep aspirations of its natu re and expanded into th e fiction of an existence more brilliant than h e r own. All that we know of H elen e’s character, both as a child and as a young girl, shows us that h er dom inant em otional note was a sort of instinctive inw ard revolt against the m odest environm ent in which it was h e r lot to b e born, a profound feeling of dread and opposi­ tion, of inexplicable malaise, of b itte r antagonism against the whole of h er m aterial and intellectual environm ent. W hile showing h erself always very devoted to h e r parents and brothers, she had only feeble natural affinities for them . She felt like a stranger in h e r family and as one away from hom e. She had a feeling of isolation, of abandonm ent, of exile, which created a sort of gulf betw een h e r and h e r family. So strong w ere these feelings that she actually one day seriously asked h e r parents if it was absolutely certain that she was th e ir daughter, or w h ether it was not possible that th e nurse might som e day by m istake have brought hom e another child from the daily walk. This w ant of adaptation to h e r environm ent, this sort of m ysterious hom esickness for an unknown country, shows itself in a characteristic m anner in the following fragm ent of narrative, in which H elene, w ho has always attributed great im portance to dream s, tells of one in which an isolated house figured. To m e this retired m ansion, in w hich I lived alone, isolated, represents my life, which from m y infancy has b een n either happy nor gay. E ven w h ile very young I do not rem em ber to have shared any o f the tastes or any of the ideas o f the m em bers o f m y family. Thus during the w hole o f m y childhood I was left in what I call a profound isolation o f heart. And in spite o f all, in spite o f this com p lete want o f sympathy, I could not make up m y m ind to marry, although I had several opportunities. A voice was always saying, “D o not hurry: th e tim e has not arrived; this is not th e destiny for w hich you are reserved .” And I have listened to that voice, w hich has absolutely nothing to do with con scien ce, and I do not regret it, for sin ce I have engaged in spiritism I have found m yself so

su r r o u n d e d w ith sy m p a th y an d fr ie n d sh ip s that I h a v e so m e w h a t fo r g o tte n m y sad lo t.

This quotation speaks volum es in regard to th e tu rn of m ind and the em otional disposition w hich ru led H e len e as a little girl. It is surely, so to speak, th e vulgar story and th e com m on lot of all; m any a child, m any a youth, m any an unrecognized genius, feel them selves suffocating in th eir too narrow e n v iro n m en t w hen th e laten t energies of life begin to ferm ent. But th e re a re differences in kind and in degree. W ith M ile. H e le n e Sm ith th e se n tim e n t of not having b e e n m ade for h e r en vironm ent, and of b e ­ longing by n a tu re to a h ig h er sp h ere, was in ten se and lasting. H e r m o th er always had th e im pression th at H e le n e was not happy, and w o ndered that she was so serious, so absorbed, so w anting in th e exuberance of spirits natu ral to h e r age. H e r father and h e r bro th ers, not co m prehending the real reasons for this absence o f gayety, taxed h e r very unjustly w ith p ride and hauteur, and accused h e r som etim es of despising h e r h u m b le sur­ roundings. T h e re are shades of feeling w hich can only b e understood w h en th ey have b e e n experienced. H e le n e well knew th at she really had no c o n te m p t for h e r m aterial and social environm ent, w hich, on th e con­ trary, in sp ired h e r w ith respect, but w hich sim ply was not congenial to h e r n a tu re and tem p e ra m en t. To this fundam ental feeling of im prisonm ent in a too paltry sphere was jo in ed , in H e le n e ’s case, a tim id disposition. D arkness, th e least noise, th e creaking of th e fu rn itu re, m ade h e r trem ble; by day, a person walking b e h in d h er, an un ex p ected m ovem ent, th e ringing of th e door-bell, gave h e r th e im pression th a t som e one w ishing to harm h e r had com e to seize h e r and carry h e r off. O n th e w hole, H e le n e ’s ten d en cy to b e sta rtle d by ev ery th in g and n o thing co nstituted w ith h e r a grievous panophobia, a state of fear and insecurity w hich greatly stre n g th e n e d h e r im pression of w ant of u n io n — of mesalliance — w ith an env iro n m en t to w hich she was decidedly superior. It is easy now to see th e connection betw een th at depressing em otional­ ism w hich was th e attrib u te o f H e le n e ’s childhood and th e slightly m ega­ lom aniac tone of h e r later sublim inal rom ances. T he idea in tru d es itself th at, in spite of— or by reason of— th e ir ap p a re n t contrast, th ese two traits are n o t in d e p e n d e n t of each other, but bound by th e tie of cause and effect. But this causal connection is in great danger of being in te rp re te d in a precisely inverse sense by th e em pirical psychologist and th e m eta­ physical occultist. T he la tte rw ill explain M ile. S m ith’s curious im pression of strangeness and superiority to th e base conditions of h e r actual exis­ ten c e , by h e r illustrious previous incarnations; th e psychologist, on th e contrary, will see in th a t sam e im pression th e wholly natural origin of h e r grandiose som nam bulistic personifications. In default of a com plete un-

derstanding, always dubious, betw een these so different points of view, of which we shall speak later, it will be advisable to adopt at least a provi­ sional m odus vivendi, based on th e party-wall of th e native constitution or individual character of M ile. Smith. On the farther side of that wall, in eternity, so to speak, a parte ante which precedes the arrival of H elene into this life, th e occultist will have full latitude to im agine such a succes­ sion of existences as it shall please him in o rd er to explain the character she has had from h er infancy. But on this side of the wall— that is to say, within th e lim its of h e r p rese n t life— th e psychologist will have th e right to ignore all these prenatal m etem psychoses, and taking for his point of departure th e innate constitution of H elene, w ithout troubling him self about anything she may have received by the accidents of h eredity or preserved from h er royal pre-existences, he will endeavor to explain by that same constitution, as it reveals itself in h e r daily life, the genesis of her sublim inal creations u n d e r th e action of occasional exterior influ­ ences. T he occultist, th en , can have th e pleasure o f regarding Mile. Sm ith’s characteristic trait as a child, that im pression of solitude and wan­ dering about in a world for which she was not m ade, as the effect of h er real past greatnesses, w hile the psychologist will be perm itted to see in it the cause of h e r future dream s o f grandeur. The em otional disposition which I have depicted, and which is one of the forms u n d e r which th e m aladaptation of the organism, physical and mental, to th e h ard conditions of the environm ent, betrays itself, seem s therefore to m e to have been the source and starting-point for all the dream ings of H elene in h e r childhood. Thence cam e these visions, always warm, lum inous, highly colored, exotic, bizarre; and these brilliant appa­ ritions, superbly dressed, in which h er antipathy for h e r insipid and u n ­ pleasant surroundings betrays itself, h e r w eariness of ordinary, com­ m onplace people, h e r disgust for prosaic occupations, for vulgar and disagreeable things, for th e narrow house, the dirty streets, th e cold w in­ ters, and th e gray sky. W h e th e r these images, very diverse, but of the same brilliant quality, w ere already existent in H e len e’s subconscious thought w hile still a child or a young girl, we are unable to say. It is, however, probable that their system atization was far from attaining to such a degree of perfection as they have p resen ted during the past few years u n d e r the influence of spiritism. All th e facts of autom atism to which H elene can assign a vaguely ap­ proxim ate date group them selves around h e r fifteenth year, and are all included b etw een the lim its of h e r ninth and tw entieth years. This ev id en t connection w ith a phase of developm ent of m ajor im por­ tance has b een confirm ed to m e by Leopold on various occasions, who says that he appeared to H elene for th e first tim e in h e r ten th year, on an exceptional occasion of extrem e fright, but after that, not until about four

y ea rs la te r, b e c a u se th e “physiological c o n d itio n s” n ec essary to his a p p a ri­ tio n w e re n o t y e t re alized . T h e m o m e n t th e y w e re re a liz e d , h e says, h e b e g a n to m a n ife st him self, a n d it is a t th e sam e p e rio d , acco rd in g to him , th a t H e le n e c o m m e n c e d to re co v er m e m o rie s o f h e r H in d o o ex isten c e, u n d e r th e form o f stra n g e visions o f w h ich sh e c o m p re h e n d e d n e ith e r th e n a tu re n o r th e o rigin. A fte r th e ag e o f ab o u t tw e n ty y ears, w ith o u t affirm ing o r b e lie v in g th a t h e r v isions a n d a p p a ritio n s c e a se d a lto g e th e r, M ile. S m ith has no strik in g re c o lle c tio n s o f any, a n d sh e has n o t to ld m e o f any p sy ch ic p h e n o m e n o n e x p e rie n c e d b y h e r in th e se rie s o f years im m e d ia te ly p re c e d in g h e r e n ­ tra n c e in to sp iritism . W e m ay in fer from th is, w ith som e re aso n , th a t th e e b u llitio n s o f th e im ag in ativ e su b co n scio u s life g ra d u ally b e c a m e calm a fte r th e ex p lo sio n o f th e p e rio d w e have m e n tio n e d . T h e y h ad b e e n a p ­ p e a se d . T h e co n flict b e tw e e n H £ le n e ’s in n e r n a tu re a n d th e e n v iro n m e n t in w h ich sh e w as fo rc e d to live b e c a m e less fierce. A c e rta in e q u ilib riu m w as e s ta b lis h e d b e tw e e n th e n e c e ssitie s o f p ractical life a n d h e r in w ard asp ira tio n s. O n th e o n e h a n d , sh e re s ig n e d h e r s e lf to th e n e c e ssitie s o f reality ; a n d if h e r n a tiv e p rid e co u ld n o t y ield to th e p o in t o f c o n d e s c e n d ­ in g to a m a rria g e , h o n o ra b le u n d o u b te d ly , b u t for w h ich sh e felt sh e was n o t in te n d e d , w e m u s t n e v e rth e le ss pay h o m ag e to th e p e rs e v e ra n c e , th e fidelity, th e d e v o tio n w h ich sh e alw ays b ro u g h t to th e fu lfilm en t o f h e r fam ily a n d b u s in e ss d u ties. O n th e o th e r h an d , sh e d id n o t p e r m it th e flam e o f th e id eal to b e e x tin g u ish e d in h e r, a n d it re a c te d u p o n h e r e n v i­ ro n m e n t as stro n g ly as p o ssib le , m ak in g its im p rin t u p o n h e r p e rso n a lity w e ll m a rk e d . S h e in tro d u c e d a c e rta in stam p o f e le g a n c e in to th e m o d e s t h o m e o f h e r p a re n ts . S h e a rra n g e d for h e r s e lf a sm all sa lo n , c o q u e ttish a n d co m fo rt­ a b le in its sim plicity. S h e took lessons in m usic, a n d b o u g h t h e r s e lf a p ian o . S h e h u n g so m e old en g rav in g s o n h e r w alls, se c u re d so m e Jap a­ n e s e v ases, a ja rd in ie r e filled w ith p la n ts, cut flow ers in p re tty vases, a h a n g in g la m p w ith a b e a u tifu l sh a d e o f h e r ow n m ake, a ta b le-co v er w h ich sh e h a d p u t to g e th e r a n d e m b ro id e re d h erself, so m e p h o to g ra p h s c u ri­ o u sly fra m e d a c co rd in g to h e r ow n d esig n ; a n d out o f th is h a rm o n io u s w h o le, alw ays b ea u tifu lly k e p t, sh e ev o lv ed so m e th in g original, b izarre, a n d d elig h tfu l, co n fo rm in g w ell to th e g e n e ra l c h a ra c te r o f h e r fantastic s u b c o n sc io u sn e ss. A t th e sam e tim e th a t M ile. S m ith su c c e e d e d in ac co m m o d atin g h e r s e lf to th e c o n d itio n s o f h e r e x iste n c e , th e sta te o f la te n t tim id ity in w h ic h sh e liv ed g ra d u ally d im in is h e d . S h e is still occasionally ov erco m e b y fear, b u t m u c h less fre q u e n tly th a n form erly, a n d n e v e r w ith o u t a le g itim a te e x te ­ rio r cau se. In d e e d , ju d g in g h e r b y th e s e la tte r y ea rs, I d o n o t re co g n ize in h e r th e ch ild o r y o u n g girl o f fo rm e r days, alw ays tim id , tre m b lin g , a n d frig h t-

en ed , ta c itu rn a n d m orose, w ho has b e e n d e p ic te d to m e by h e rs e lf and h e r m o th er. It seem s to m e, th e n , th a t th e w ildness o f th e d ream s and autom atism s, w hich w e re sy m p to m s o f a te n d e n c y to m en tal d isin teg ratio n , w hich m ark ed th e years o f p u b erty , was su cc eed e d by a pro g ressiv e dim inution of th e s e tro u b le s a n d a g rad u al gaining o f w isdom on th e p a rt o f th e su b ­ lim inal strata. W e m ay p re s u m e th a t this harm onization, th is reciprocal ad ap tatio n o f th e in te rn a l to th e ex tern al, w ould in tim e have p erfec te d itself, an d th a t th e w hole p erso n ality o f M ile. S m ith w ould have co n tin ­ u ed to co n so lid ate an d unify itself, if sp iritism h ad no t com e all o f a su d ­ d en to re k in d le th e fire w hich still s lu m b e re d u n d e r th e ashes an d to give a new s ta rt to th e sublim inal m echanism w hich was b e g in n in g to grow rusty. T h e su p p re ss e d fictions aro u sed th em selv es, th e re v eries of fo rm er years re s u m e d th e ir sway, a n d th e im ages o f sublim inal p h an tasy began to b e m o re prolific th an ev e r u n d e r th e fe rtile suggestions o f occult philoso­ phy, rally in g -p o ints o r c e n tre s o f crystallization— such as th e id ea o f for­ m e r ex isten ces an d re in c a rn a tio n s— a ro u n d w hich th e y h ad only to group and org an ize th e m se lv e s in o rd e r to give b irth to th e vast som nam bulistic co n stru ctio n s th e d e v e lo p m e n t o f w hich w e shall b e obliged to follow.

M ile . S m ith S in c e H e r I n itia tio n in to S p ir itis m

H a v i n g e n d e a v o r e d in the preceding chapter to reconstruct in its chief characteristics the history of Mile. Smith up to the time when spiritism begins to be mixed up with it, I would have preferred in the present chapter to make a detailed study of her psychological life during these last years, without however, as yet, touching upon the content, properly so called, of her automatisms. Not having been able to accomplish this de­ sign to my satisfaction, for want of tim e and patience, I shall endeavor at least to system atize my notes somewhat by grouping them under four heads. I shall trace the birth o f H elen e’s m edium ship as far as it is possible for me to do so from the meagre accounts I have been able to procure concerning a time at which I was not acquainted with her. Then, passing to facts with which I am more familiar, I will describe rapidly her normal state as I have been able to see it for the last five years. This would have been the place for a study of individual psychology, but I have been com ­ pelled to abandon the idea on account of multiple difficulties. Finally, I will offer a few remarks on the abnormal side of her existence, which it is convenient to divide into two groups, namely, the spontaneous— that is to say, springing up of them selves in the course of her ordinary life; or those provoked by the voluntary seeking for favorable circumstances, and which constitute the seances properly so called.

I.

T h e M e d iu m is tic B e g in n in g s o f M l l e . S m ith

In the winter of 1891—92 Mile. Smith heard spiritism spoken of by one of her acquaintances, M me. Y., who lent her D enis’s book, A pres la M ort. The perusal of this work having vividly excited H elen e’s curiosity, Mme. Y. agreed to accompany her to her friend, M lle. Z ., who was interested in the same questions, and who produced automatic writing. They then de­ cided to form a circle for regular experimentation. I take from the notes which M lle. Z. has had the kindness to furnish me, the account, unfor­ tunately very brief, of the seances at which H elen e’s m ediumistic faculties first made their appearance. It was on the 20th o f February, 1892, that I m ade th e acquaintance o f M ile. Sm ith. S he was in trodu ced to m e by M m e. Y., for the p urpose o f endeavoring to form a spiritistic group. S he was then altogether a n ovice in spiritism , n ev er

In itiatio n in to S p iritism

·

29

having a tte m p te d an y th in g , an d d id n o t su sp e c t th e faculties th a t have since d e v e lo p e d th e m se lv e s in her. F e b ru a ry 2 0 .— F irs t reu n io n : W e se at o urselv es at th e tab le; w e su c ce ed in m aking it oscillate. W e re g a rd M m e. Y. as th e m e d iu m u p o n w hom w e can reckon. W e try for w riting. W e receiv e th ro u g h m e e n c o u ra g e m e n ts to p ro ce ed . F e b ru a ry 2 6 .— P ro g ress; th e ta b le m oves itse lf considerably, salutes o n e by one all th e m e m b e rs of th e group, an d gives us c e rta in n am es, o f w hich only on e is re c o g n ize d . . . W riting: M ile. S m ith , w ho trie s for th e first tim e, w rites m echanically, h e r eyes closed, so m e p h rase s, o f w h ich w e can d e c ip h e r som e w ords. M arch 11.— N o th in g at th is se an c e, ex cep t a co m m u n icatio n w ritte n by m yself. M arch 18.— P rogress; clea r co m m u n ic atio n by th e tab le. A tte m p t to ex p e ri­ m e n t in th e d ark n e ss (w hich was n o t absolute, th e hall o u tsid e h aving som e in c a n d e sc e n t lig h ts w hich diffused a fee b le light; w e co u ld d istin g u ish each o th e r w ith difficulty). M ile. S m ith sees a balloon, now lu m in o u s, now b ec o m in g dark: sh e has seen n o th in g u p to th is tim e. W riting: M ile. S m ith w rites m e c h a n ­ ically a q u ite long co m m u n ic atio n from th e fa th e r o f Μ . K. [a B ulgarian s tu d e n t p re s e n t at th e sean ce]; advice to him .

A t this p o in t th e sitters b e c a m e so n u m erou s that th e y broke up into two group s, o f w h ich th e o n e co n tin u in g to m e e t w ith M ile. Z. d o e s not concern us. M ile. S m ith b e c a m e a m e m b e r o f th e other, w h ich m e t at th e h ou se o f a lady n a m ed N . , w h e r e w e e k ly sea n ces w er e h e ld for a year and a h a lf (up to th e en d o f Jun e, 1893). T h e records o f th e se m e e tin g s, k ep t by M m e. N ., are u n fortu n ately v ery b r ie f and ob scu re on m any p oin ts o f in terest to th e p sy ch o lo g ist. T h o se o f th e first m on th s are in th e h andw rit­ ing o f M ile. S m ith , w h o a cted as secretary o f th e group for thirty sean ces. As sh e o n ly took dow n at th e tim e th e h ea d in g s o f th e com m u n ication s o f th e spirits and w r o te out th e rem a in d er on th e follow in g day, w e cannot rely v ery stro n g ly on th e o b jectiv e accuracy o f th e se accounts, w h ich , how ever, have th e advantage o f p r e se n tin g to us th e m ed iu m sh ip o f H e le n e , as rela ted b y h erself. S h e speaks o f h e r se lf in th e third p erson. T h e follo w in g is a sum m ary o f th e tw o first sean ces h e ld in this n ew environ m ent: M arch 25, 1892.— E le v e n p e rso n s aro u n d a larg e an d heavy d in in g -ta b le o f oak w ith tw o leaves. T h e ta b le is se t in m otion, an d se v eral sp irits co m e an d give th e ir n am es (by raps), an d testify to th e p le a s u re it gives th e m to find th e m ­ selves am o n g us. It is at th is sean ce th a t M ile. S m ith b eg in s to d istin g u ish vague gleam s w ith long w h ite stre a m e rs m oving from th e floor to th e ceiling, an d th e n a m ag n ificen t star, w hich in th e d ark n e ss ap p e ars to h e r alone th ro u g h o u t th e w hole o f th e seance. W e a u g u r from th is th a t sh e w ill e n d b y se ein g th in g s m o re d istin ctly an d w ill possess th e gift o f clairvoyance.

April I . — V iolen t m ovem en ts o f th e table, d ue to a spirit w ho calls h im self D avid and an nou nces h im se lf as th e spiritual gu id e o f the group. T hen h e gives w ay to another spirit w ho says h e is Victor H u go, and the g u id e and protector o f M ile. Sm ith, w ho is very m uch surprised to b e assisted by a person o f such im portance. H e soon disappears. M ile. Sm ith is very m uch agitated; she has fits o f sh iverin g, is very cold. S he is very restless, and se es suddenly, balancing itse lf above the table, a grinning, very ill-favored face, w ith long red hair. She is so frigh ten ed that sh e d em ands that the lights b e lit. S he is calm ed and reas­ sured. T h e figure disappears. Afterwards sh e se e s a m agnificent b ou q u et o f roses o f d ifferen t h u es b ein g p laced on th e table b efore o n e o f th e sitters, M . P. All at o n ce sh e se e s a sm all snake com e out from underneath th e b ouq uet, w hich , craw ling quickly, p erceives th e flowers, looks at th em , tries to reach the hand o f M. P ., withdraw s for an instant, com es back slowly, and disappears in th e interior o f th e b ouq uet. T hen all is d issolved and th ree raps are given on th e table, term in ating th e seance. [M. P. interprets th e m eaning o f the vision o f th e b o u q u et and th e serp en t as a sym bolic translation o f an em otional im pression e x p erien ced by M ile. Sm ith],

S u ch w as th e b irth o f H e le n e ’s m e d iu m sh ip . S carcely a n y th in g h a p ­ p e n e d on th e 2 0 th o f F eb ru a ry , w h e n th e m o v em en ts o f th e ta b le w e re n o t a ttrib u te d to h e r (a lth o u g h in all p ro b a b ility sh e c a u se d th em ); in th e follow ing sea n ces s h e a p p e a re d in tw o a tte m p ts at au to m atic w ritin g (u n ­ fo rtu n a te ly lost) in im ita tio n o f th e w ritin g m e d iu m w ith w h o m sh e was sittin g . T h e o u tco m e o f th is sec o n d a tte m p t lead s us to su p p o se th a t H e le n e ’s facu lties w o u ld have d e v e lo p e d ra p id ly in th a t d ire c tio n if she h a d n o t a b a n d o n e d it a n d c h a n g e d h e r e n v iro n m e n t. H e r v isu al faculty, su g g e ste d b y th e e x p e rim e n ts at o b s c u re sean ces, show s its e lf on th e 18th a n d 2 5 th o f M arch in th e form o f e le m e n ta ry h allu c in a tio n s o r v ag u e fig u res hav in g th e ir p o in t o f d e p a rtu re p ro b a b ly in th e sim p le e n to p tic a l p h e n o m e n a , th e re tin a ’s ow n light, co n secu tiv e im ­ ages, etc. T h e n , e n c o u ra g e d b y th e p re d ic tio n s o f th e sitte rs , sh e a tta in e d o n th e 1st o f A p ril to visions p ro p e rly so called , having a v arie d c o n te n t a n d a re al o r sy m b o lic signification. A t th e sam e tim e h e r typtological au to m atism was p e rfe c tin g itself. W e re c o g n iz e it in th e n a m e of V ictor H u g o , co m in g esp e cially for M ile. S m ith , a n d s u s p e c t it to h av e b e e n a n a m e a lre a d y g iv en a t th e sec o n d seance. A u d itiv e h a llu c in a tio n s follow closely u p o n th e visual, b u t it is im p o ssi­ b le to k now at ju s t w h a t d a te , as th e re c o rd s do n o t c lea rly in d ic a te w h e th e r th e m essag es re c o rd e d h a d th a t o rig in o r w e re ra p p e d out o n th e ta b le . To th e s e know n form s o f au to m atism m u s t b e a d d e d th e fre q u e n t p h e n o m e n a o f e m o tio n , sh iv erin g s, sad n ess, re stle ssn e ss, fear, e tc ., w h ich a re e x p e rie n c e d b y H e le n e w ith o u t know ing why, a n d a re a fte r­ w ard s fo u n d to b e in p e rfe c t co n fo rm ity to, a n d in e v id e n t c o n n e c tio n

w ith, th e c o n te n t o f th o se em o tio n al p h e n o m e n a w hich th e y g en erally p re c e d e by a few m om ents. T hus, in a h alf-dozen w eekly seances, th e m ed iu m sh ip o f M ile. S m ith was in v e ste d w ith a com plex psychological aspect, w hich from th a t tim e it p re se rv e d in tact for th re e years, a n d o f w hich I was a w itness after I m ade h e r acq u ain tan ce. This ra p id ity o f d ev e lo p m e n t is n o t at all unusual; b u t th e re is th is p e c u lia rity ab o u t H e le n e , th a t h e r m ed iu m istic faculties, af­ te r th e ir first a p p e a ra n c e , re m a in e d for a long tim e stationary, an d th e n u n d e rw e n t all at once, in th e sp rin g o f 1895, th e en o rm o u s tran sfo rm atio n and tre m e n d o u s expansion w hich I have d e sc rib e d in th e first ch ap ter, and to w h ich I w ill n o t again refer. II.

M

l le

. Sm

it h

in

H

er

N

ormal

St a t e

I was ab o u t to say th a t in h e r norm al state M ile. S m ith is norm al. C e rta in scruples re stra in m e, a n d I co rrec t m y self by saying th a t in h e r o rd in ary state she seem s ju s t like an y b o d y else. By this I m ean th a t outside o f th e gaps w h ich th e seances a n d th e sp o n tan eo u s e ru p tio n s o f autom atism m ake in h e r life, no o n e w ould su sp ec t, o b serv in g h e r p erfo rm an c e o f h e r various d u ties, o r in talking w ith h e r on all sorts o f su b jects, all th a t she is capable o f in h e r ab n o rm a l states, o r th e curious tre a su re s w hich are con­ cealed in h e r su b lim in al strata. W ith a h e a lth y a n d ru d d y com plexion, o f good h e ig h t, w ell p ro p o r­ tio n ed , o f re g u la r an d h arm o n io u s featu res, sh e b re a th e s h e a lth in every­ thing. S he p re s e n ts no visible stig m a ta o f d e g e n e ra tio n . As to psychic defects o r anom alies, w ith th e exception o f h e r m e d iu m sh ip itself, I know o f no n e, th e tim id ity o f h e r youth having e n tire ly d isap p ea red . H e r p h y si­ cal s tre n g th is m arvellous, as show n by th e fact th a t she b ea rs u p u n d e r th e strain o f a b u sin ess w h ich d em an d s n early elev e n ho u rs o f h e r tim e each day, n ea rly all o f w h ich sh e is co m p elled to stan d on h e r feet,* an d from w h ich sh e takes only o n e w e e k ’s vacation in su m m er. B esides this confining w o rk away from h o m e, sh e assists h e r m o th e r ab o u t th e h ouse, m o rn in g a n d ev ening, in th e h o u sek e ep in g d uties, a n d finds tim e besid es to re a d a little , to p ra ctise at h e r piano, a n d to m ake th e lovely handiw ork, w hich sh e d esig ns a n d executes h e rs e lf w ith re m a rk ab le originality an d good taste. To a life so full m u st b e a d d e d , b esid es, th e sp iritistic seances w hich sh e is g en e rally w illing to give on Sunday, an d so m etim es on a w eekday ev en in g , v ery d isin te rested ly , to p erso n s w ho are in te re ste d in psychic q u estio n s o r w ho d e sire to co n su lt L eo p o ld on im p o rta n t subjects. W h ile h esita tin g to affirm th a t a p erso n p re se n tin g p h e n o m e n a so ex­ trao rd in ary as th o se o f m ed iu m sh ip is p erfectly n orm al in o th e r re sp ects, I am p lease d to d iscover th a t as far as M ile. S m ith is co n c ern e d , th ro u g h

m y conversations w ith h e r and as th e resu lt of my investigations concern­ ing her, she does not p re s e n t a single abnorm ality, physical, intellectual, or m oral, b etw een th e periods of th e irruptions of h e r autom atism s. H e r field of vision, w hich she has p e rm itte d m e to m easure w ith a L andolt p e rim e te r, is norm al for w hite as well as for colors, for w hich latte r she has a very d elicate p ercep tio n . T h e re is no trace of tactile anaesthesia in h e r hands. T h e re is no known m otor trouble. T he tre m o r of th e index-finger gives a line, of four oscillations p e r second on an average, differing not at all from th e lines obtain ed from persons perfectly norm al (see Fig. 2). It cannot be expected th a t I should paint a full m oral and intellectual p o rtra it of Mile. Sm ith, as I should be in danger of h u rtin g h e r feelings in case my a tte m p t should com e to h e r notice. I can only touch on a few points. O ne of th e m ost striking is h e r g rea t native dignity; h e r bearing, h e r m anners, h e r language are always perfect, and have a certain quality of noblesse and p rid e w hich accords well w ith h e r som nam bulistic roles. O n occasion she shows a stately and regal hauteur. She is very im pression­ able, and feels little things very keenly. H e r antipathies as well as h er sym pathies are quick, lively, and tenacious. She is en erg etic and p e rs e ­ vering. She knows very well w hat she w ants, and nothing passes h e r by un p erceiv ed , nor does she forget anything in th e conduct of o thers to­ w ards her. “I see everything, nothing escapes m e, and I forgive but never fo rg et,” she has often said to m e. P erhaps a severe m oralist w ould find in h e r a certain exaggeration o f personal sensibility, but th a t sort o f self-love is a very com m on characteristic o f hum an n atu re, and is very natural in m edium s who are continually exposed to public criticism . She is very in tellig en t and highly gifted. In conversation she shows h e rse lf vivacious, sprightly, and som etim es sarcastic. Psychic problem s, and all questions c o n n ected w ith m edium istic phenom ena, of w hich she is h e rs e lf so striking an exam ple, occupy h e r m ind a great deal and form th e principal subject of h e r private thoughts and of h e r conversations w ith peo p le in w hom she is in terested . H e r philosophical views are not w anting in originality or b readth. She does not believe in spiritism , in th e generally accepted sense of th e term , and has n ev er consented, in spite of th e advances w hich have b een m ade to h er, to becom e a m e m b e r of th e G eneva Society (spiritistic) for Psychic Studies, because, as she says, she has no fixed ideas on subjects so ob­ scure, does not care for theories, and “does not work in th e in te re st of any party.” She investigates, she observes she reflects and discusses, hav­ ing ad o p ted for h e r m otto, “T he tru th in all things, for all things, and alw ays.” T h e re are two points in regard to w hich she is uncom prom ising— nam ely, th e objective reality of Leopold, and th e supernorm al c o n te n t of h e r autom atism s. No one dares tell h e r th at h e r great invisible p ro te c to r is

only an illusory a p p a ritio n , a n o th e r p a rt of herself, a p ro d u c t o f h e r su b ­ conscious im agination; n o r th a t th e stran g e p ec u liarities o f h e r m edium istic co m m u n icatio n s— th e S anscrit, th e recognizable sig n atu res o f d e ­ ceased p erso n s, th e th o u san d c o rre c t rev elatio n s o f facts unknow n to h e r— are b u t old fo rg o tten m em o ries o f th in g s w hich she saw o r h e a rd in h e r child h o o d . Such su p p o sitio n s b e in g co n tra ry to h e r inm ost beliefs, and seem in g ly false in fact, easily irrita te h er, as b ein g in defiance o f good sense an d an o u trag e on tru th . B ut outside o f th e s e two su b jects she will exam ine an d discuss coolly any hy p o th esis one chooses. T h e id ea th a t she should b e th e re in c arn a tio n o f a H in d o o p rin cess or of M arie A n to in ette, that L eo p o ld is really C agliostro, th a t th e visions called M artian are really from th e p la n e t M ars, etc ., all seem to h e r to conform fully to th e facts; but th e s e b eliefs are n o t in d isp en sab le to h er, an d she is ready, should th ey p ro v e to b e false, to ch ange to o th e r th e o rie s — as, for exam ple, te ­ lepathy, a m ix tu re o f occult influences, a m ysterious m e e tin g in h e r of in tu itio n s co m in g from som e h ig h e r sp h e re , etc. U n d o u b te d ly th e su p p o sitio n o f h e r p re -ex isten ce s in In d ia an d on th e th ro n e o f F ra n c e seem s to h e r to explain in a p lau sib le m a n n e r th e feel­ ing, w h ich has follow ed h e r from childhood, of b elo n g in g to a w orld h ig h er th a n th a t in w hich th e chance o f b irth has im p riso n ed h e r for this life; b u t sh e d o es no t affirm a positive b e lie f in th a t b rillia n t p ast, is not wholly co n v in ce d o f it, an d rem ain s in a sensible state o f expectancy o f th e tru e ex p lan atio n o f th e s e u ltim ate m y steries o f h e r life. T h e re is a n o th e r su b ject, also, w hich is close to h e r h ea rt. She has heard it said th a t in th e eyes o f scientists a n d physicians m edium s are c o n sid ered to b e fools, h y sterical subjects, o r insane, or, in any ev en t, abnorm al, in th e bad sen se o f th e w ord. B ut in th e light o f th e e x p e rien ce of ev ery day o f h e r life, sh e p ro te sts vigorously against this odious in sin u a­ tion. S h e d ec la res em p h atically th a t she is “p erfectly sane in body and m ind, n o t in th e least u n b a la n c e d ,” an d re p els w ith indignation th e idea th e re can b e any serious ab n o rm a lity o r th e least d a n g e r in m ed iu m sh ip such as sh e p ractises. “I am far from b e in g a b n o rm a l,” she w ro te m e re ­ cently, “a n d I have n e v e r b ee n so c le a r o f vision, so lucid, and so a p t to ju d g e co rrec tly as since I have b e g u n to d evelop as a m e d iu m .” L eo p o ld , too, speaking th ro u g h h e r voice d u rin g h e r tran c es, has m ore th an o n ce so lem nly testified as to h e r p e rfe c t h ea lth . H e has also re tu rn e d to th e su b je c t by le tte r; w e shall find fa rth e r on a v ery in te re stin g certifi­ cate o f m en tal eq u ilib riu m d ic ta te d by him an d w ritte n by him w ith h e r han d , as if to give m o re w eig h t to his d eclaratio n s (see Fig. 8, p. 84). I t is in c o n te sta b le th a t H e le n e has a v ery w ell-organized b rain , as is ev id en c ed b y th e ad m ira b le m a n n e r in w hich she m anages th e im p o rtan t and co m p licated d e p a rtm e n t w hich is u n d e r h e r d irec tio n in th e co m m er­ cial e sta b lish m e n t in w hich she is em ployed. To accuse h e r o f b ein g in-

34

·

Chapter Three

sane, sim ply because she is a m edium , as som e charitable souls (the w orld is full of them ) do n o t hesitate to do som etim es, is, to say th e least, a m ost inadm issible petitio principii. T he opinion w hich M ile. Sm ith holds in h e r norm al state concerning h e r autom atic faculties is alto g eth er optim istic; and th e re is nothing to prove h e r in th e w rong. She regards h e r m edium ship as a rare and p r e ­ cious privilege, w ith w hich nothing in th e w orld w ould induce h e r to part. T rue, she also sees in it th e reason for th e m alevolent and un ju st ju d g ­ m ents, th e jealousies, th e base suspicions, to w hich th e ignorant m u lti­ tu d e have in all ages su b jected those who have succeeded in elevating them selves above it th ro u g h th e possession of faculties o f this kind. But, on th e w hole, th e disadvantages are m ore than counterbalanced by gains of a high order, and th e inw ard satisfaction attached to such a gift.* And h e re I d esire to em phasize th e statem en t, once for all, th at H e len e does n o t belong to th e class of professional m edium s, nor to those who use th e ir m edium ship for th e pu rp o se of coining money. M ile. Sm ith, who earn s h e r living in th e position w hich h e r intelligence and fitness have secu red for her, and th ro u g h w hich h e r family enjoys a m odest ease, ne v e r accepts any pecuniary com pensation for h e r seances or consulta­ tions. Such a traffic in faculties w hich have a sort of religious signification in h e r eyes w ould b e absolutely rep u g n an t to h e r feelings. H e le n e ’s spontaneous autom atism s have often aided h e r in, w ithout ev er having in te rfe re d w ith, h e r daily occupations. T here is, happily for her, a great difference in intensity b etw een th e phen o m en a of h e r seances and those w hich b reak in upon h e r habitual existence, th e latte r nev er having caused such d isturbance of h e r personality as th e form er. In h e r daily life she has only passing hallucinations lim ited to one or two of th e senses, superficial hem isom nam bulism s, com patible w ith a cer­ tain am o u n t of self-possession— in short, e p h em eral pertu rb atio n s of no im p o rtan ce from a practical p o in t o f view. Taken as a whole, th e in te rv e n ­ tions of th e sublim inal in h e r ordinary existence are m ore beneficial to h e r th an otherw ise, since th ey often b e a r th e stam p of utility and a p p ro p riate ­ ness, w hich m ake th em very serviceable. P h en o m en a of hyperm nesia, divination, lost objects m ysteriously re ­ covered, happy inspirations, tru e p rese n tim en ts, correct intuitions— in a w ord, teleological autom atism s of every sort— she possesses in so high a d e g re e th a t this small coin of genius is m ore than sufficient to com pensate for th e inconveniences resu ltin g from th e distraction and m om entary a b ­ sence of m ind w ith w hich th e vision is accom panied. In th e seances, on th e contrary, she p resen ts th e m ost grave functional alterations th at one can im agine, and passes through accesses of lethargy, catalepsy, som nam bulism , total change o f personality, etc., th e least of

w hich w o u ld b e a v ery d isag re eab le a d v e n tu re for h e r if it should h a p p e n to o ccur in th e s tre e t o r at h e r office. But h e r e I am o b lig ed to leave H e le n e ’s o rd in ary state to e n te r u p o n th e study o f h e r autom atism s. III.

Spo

ntaneous

A

u t o m a t ic

Ph

enom ena

T he auto m atism s w hich o ccur ou tsid e th e seances in M ile. S m ith ’s every­ day life, th o se, at least, w hich sh e is able to recall a n d n a rra te , are o f a freq u en c y v ery variable a n d u tte rly in d e p e n d e n t o f any know n circ u m ­ stances; so m etim es p re s e n tin g th em selv es two o r th re e tim es in th e sam e day; at o th ers, tw o o r th re e w eeks will elap se w ith o u t a single one. E x­ tre m e ly d iv erse in th e ir form a n d c o n te n t, th e s e p h e n o m e n a m ay b e d i­ v ided in to th re e categ o ries, b ase d upon th e ir origin. T h e first p ro c e e d from im p ressio n s re ceiv ed b y H e le n e in m o m en ts o f special su g g estib il­ ity; th e seco n d are th e fo rtu ito u s ap p aritio n s above th e o rd in ary lev el of h e r co n sciousness, th e ro m an ces in process o f elab o ratio n to w hich w e are com ing; th e last, w hich differ from th e tw o p re c e d in g species (w hich a re always u seless, if n o t d e trim e n ta l) b y th e ir beneficial c h a rac te r an d th e ir ad ap tatio n to th e n e e d s o f th e m o m en t, are ro u se d b y th o se teleological autom atism s to w hich I have alread y called a tte n tio n as having o c c u rre d in h er c h ild h o o d , an d w hich have sh a re d in th e g en e ral re c ru d e sc e n c e o f h e r subconscious life u n d e r th e lash o f th e sp iritistic exp erien ces. L e t us pass th e s e d ifferen t cases rapidly in review. I. Perm anence o f E x terio r Suggestions T he sp iritistic re u n io n s are n atu rally th e ir p rin cip a l source. I do n o t m ean th at sh e has th e re b e e n su b je c te d to ex p e rim en ts in p o st-h y p n o tic sugges­ tion. Ju stic e to all th o se w ho have a tte n d e d th e seances com pels th e s ta te ­ m en t th a t th e y have n e v e r ab u se d th e suggestibility w hich she shows on such occasions, by su g g estin g ideas o f such a n a tu re as to cause h e r annoy­ ance on th e follow ing days. T h e m o st th a t has b e e n a tte m p te d has b e e n th e su g g estio n o f som e sm all m a tte rs by w ay o f h arm less e x p e rim e n t, to b e ex e cu ted b y h e r a few m o m en ts after aw aking from h e r tran c e. T h e re is no n e e d o f in te n tio n a l suggestions to influence h e r in a lasting m an n er; th ere fo re w e have avoided as far as p ossible ev e ry th in g th a t m ig h t leave d isag reeab le traces b e h in d , a n d have su g g ested to h e r b efo re th e e n d o f th e sean ce th a t sh e have on th e m o rro w no h ead ach e, fatigue, e t c .; b u t it so m etim es h a p p e n s th a t ce rta in in cid en ts, often absolutely insignificant, are en g rav ed on h e r m em o ry in a m o st unlooked-for m a n n e r an d assail h e r as in ex p licab le obsessions d u rin g th e en su in g w eek. T he follow ing are

so m e sp e c im e n s o f in v o lu n ta ry su g g estio n , w h ich g e n e ra lly lin g e r for th r e e o r fo u r days, b u t m ay occasionally c o n tin u e for tw elv e o r fifteen. H e le n e to ld m e o n e S u n d ay th a t sh e h a d b e e n p o sse sse d sev e ral tim e s d u rin g th e d ay b y th e h a llu c in a to ry im ag e o f a straw h at, th e in sid e o f w h ic h was tu r n e d tow ards h e r, a n d w h ich re m a in e d v ertic ally in th e air a b o u t th r e e o r fo u r fe e t in fro n t o f h e r, w ith o u t b e in g h e ld b y an y o n e. S he h a d th e fe e lin g th a t th is h a t b e lo n g e d to m e, a n d I h a p p e n e d finally to re c o lle c t th a t at th e s e a n c e o f th e p re c e d in g S u n d ay I h a p p e n e d to fan m y s e lf w ith th is v e ry h a t d u rin g h e r final tran c e, th e im ag e o f w h ich h ad b e e n e n g ra v e d on h e r m in d in o n e o f th e flashes in w h ich sh e o p e n e d h e r eyes a n d clo sed th e m again in sta n tly b e fo re h e r final aw aking. T his o b se s­ sion, said sh e, w as v e ry stro n g o n M on d ay a n d th e follow ing day o r tw o, b u t le s s e n e d so m e w h a t tow ards th e e n d o f th e w eek. A t a n o th e r tim e sh e p re s e rv e d d u rin g a w h o le w e ek th e se n sa tio n o f th e p re s s u r e o f m y th u m b on h e r left eyebrow . (C o m p ressio n o f th e e x tern al fro n tal a n d s u b o rb ita l n e rv e s is a m ean s I often em p lo y to h a ste n h e r aw aking, a fte r a h in t giv en b y L e o p o ld .) T h e re h a p p e n e d to h e r also tw ice in th e sam e day a n au d itiv e a n d visual h allu c in a tio n o f a n ag e d p e rs o n w h o m sh e d id n o t re co g n ize, b u t th e ex­ tre m e ly c h a ra c te ristic d e sc rip tio n o f w hom c o rre sp o n d s so w ell w ith th a t o f a g e n tle m a n o f G e n e v a w h o h a d b e e n m e n tio n e d to h e r a few days p rev io u sly , im m e d ia te ly b e fo re th e c o m m e n c e m e n t o f a se a n c e (w hen sh e w as p ro b a b ly a lre a d y in h e r s ta te o f suggestibility), th a t th e r e is scarcely an y d o u b t b u t th a t th e s e a p p a ritio n s w e re th e c o n se q u e n c e o f th a t co n v e rsatio n . F ollo w in g a n o th e r s e a n c e w h e re sh e h ad , at th e b e g in n in g o f a H in d o o sc e n e , m a d e vain efforts to d e ta c h a b ra c e le t from h e r left w rist, sh e p r e ­ se rv e d for th r e e days th e fe elin g o f so m e th in g g ra sp in g th a t w rist, w ith o u t u n d e rs ta n d in g w h a t it co u ld b e. In th e sam e way, vario u s feelin g s o f sad n ess, a n g e r, a d e sire to lau g h or to w e ep , e tc ., th e cau se o f w h ich sh e was u n a b le to ex p lain , have often follow ed h e r for a c o n sid e ra b le le n g th o f tim e a fte r th e sean ces o f w h ich th e s e feelin g s w e re th e m an ife st e m o tio n al echo. T his is o ften th e effect o f o u r d re a m s on o u r w aking state: w e fo rg e t th e d re a m s, b u t th e ir in flu en c e re m a in s, a n d is o ften m o re m a rk e d in th e d re a m s o f a h y p n o tiz e d p e rso n o r a so m n a m b u list th a n in th o se o f o rd in a ry sleep. T h e se a n c e s a re n o t th e exclusive so u rc e o f th e in v o lu n ta ry su g g estio n s w h ich tro u b le M ile. S m ith in h e r daily life w ith o u t an y b e n e fit to h erself. It is e v id e n t th a t o n e v e ry occasion w h e n sh e finds h e r s e lf in th a t p a rtic u ­ lar c o n d itio n o f least re sista n c e w h ich w e, in o u r ig n o ran c e o f its in trin sic n a tu re , d e s ig n a te b y th e c o n v e n ie n t n a m e o f “suggestibility, ” sh e is ex­ p o s e d to im p re ssio n s c a p a b le o f re tu r n in g to assail h e r in th e co u rse o f h e r

daily o ccu pations. F o rtu n a te ly this condition o f suggestibility does no t seem to d ev e lo p itse lf read ily in h e r outside o f th e spiritistic reu n io n s. 2. Irru p tio n s o f Sublim inal R everies I shall have too m an y occasions to cite co n c rete exam ples o f visions, voices, an d o th e r sp o n tan eo u s o u tpourings of th e w ork o f im agination, w hich are co n tin u ally going on u n d e r th e o rd in ary consciousness of M ile. Sm ith, to d w ell long on this point. S om e g en e ral rem ark s will suffice. T h e co n n e ctio n w hich th e u n fo reseen p h e n o m e n a m aintain w ith those of th e sean ces th em selv es is v ery varied. S om etim es w e are able to re co g ­ nize th e m as re p ro d u c tio n s, m o re o r less in co m p lete, o f episodes w hich o ccu rred at th e p re c e d in g seances, an d co n sid er th em sim ple ech o es or p o st-h y p n o tic re p e titio n s o f th e s e last. S om etim es, on th e contrary, it a p ­ pears th a t w e have to d eal w ith p re p a ra to ry reh earsals o f scenes w hich will unfold th e m se lv e s at le n g th a n d will b e co n tin u e d at som e la te r se­ ance. Finally, so m etim e s it is a q u estio n o f tableaux, having no con n ectio n w ith th o se w h ich fill u p th e seances; th e y are like leaves, flying away n ev e r to re tu rn , ro m an ces w hich are co n tin u ally b ein g fab ricated in th e d eep su b lim in al stra ta o f M ile. S m ith ’s consciousness. H e le n e , in fact, does n o t long re m e m b e r, n o r in m uch detail, w ith a few ex cep tio n s, th o se visions w hich tak e place in h e r o rd in ary state, and w hich o ccu r m ost fre q u e n tly early in th e m orning, w hile she is still in b ed, o r ju s t afte r she has arisen a n d w hile w orking by th e lig h t o f h e r lam p; so m etim es in th e ev ening, o r d u rin g th e b rie f m o m en ts o f re s t in th e m id d le o f th e day, and, m u ch m o re rarely, w hile in th e full activity of w aking h o u rs sh e is a t h e r desk. I f sh e had no t long since, a t m y re q u e st, and w ith g re a t good w ill, a c q u ired th e h ab it o f n o tin g in p en c il th e e sse n ­ tial c o n te n t o f th e se ap p aritio n s, e ith e r d u rin g th e ap p aritio n itse lf (which she is n o t always able to do) or else im m ed iately afterw ards, w e should have still m o re deficiencies in th e p lo t o f h e r rom ances to d ep lo re . H e le n e ’s psychological state, d u rin g h e r sp o n tan eo u s visions, is know n to m e o nly b y h e r ow n d escrip tio n s. She is fo rtu n a te ly a v ery in tellig e n t o b se rv e r a n d a good psychologist. H e r n arrativ es show th a t h e r visions a re accom panied b y a certain d e ­ gree o f o b n u b ilatio n . F o r a few m o m en ts, for in stan ce, th e room , th e light of th e lam p, d isa p p e a r from b efo re h e r eyes; th e noise o f th e w heels in th e s tre e t ceases to b e h ea rd ; she feels h e rse lf b eco m in g in e rt a n d passive, w hile a feelin g o f bliss a n d ecstatic w e ll-b ein g p e rm e a te s h e r e n tire in d i­ viduality in th e p re se n c e o f th e spectacle w hich a p p e ars to h e r; th e n th e vision, to h e r g re a t re g re t, slowly fades from h e r view, th e lam p an d the fu rn itu re re ap p ea r, th e o u tsid e noises again m ake th em selv es h e a rd , and

38 ·

Chapter Three

she is astonished th at th e idea did not occur to h e r to p ut down in pencil th e strange w ords she has h eard, or that she did not touch or caress, for exam ple, th e beautiful birds of m any-colored plum age flying and singing a round her. Som etim es she has m aintained sufficient p resen ce of m ind to scribble from dictation th e w ords striking h e r ear; b ut th e w retch ed h a n d ­ w riting proves th a t h e r atten tio n , all absorbed by th e apparition, could not follow th e pencil, and th a t th e hand d ire c te d it badly. At o th er tim es th e reverse is th e fact. It appears in th e course of th e vision as though som e one took hold o f h e r arm and g u id ed it in spite of herself; th e resu lt is sp lendid calligraphies, wholly different from h e r own handw riting, exe­ cuted w ithout h e r know ledge, and d u ring th e execution of w hich h e r m ind was w holly absent, if we can ju d g e from th e surprise she shows on awak­ ing w hen she finds before h e r these strange w ritings, and from analogous scenes w hich tra n sp ire a t th e seances. T he p rec e d in g is applicable especially to th e m ore fre q u e n t cases— that is, to th e m orning or evening visions w hich h appen to h e r at hom e, in that in te rm e d ia te condition b e tw e en sleep and waking, always so favorable, as we know, to th e d ev elo p m en t of unconscious cerebration. But th e re are in n u m erab le shades and gradations b etw een this m iddle type, so to speak, and its opposite extrem es; on th e one hand is th e fortunately very exceptional case w h ere she is seized w ith ecstasy w hile at h e r place of business; and, on th e o th e r hand, th at in w hich the autom atism lim its itself to inscribing som e unknow n characters or w ords in a n o th e r hand than h e r own in h e r co rrespondence and w ritings— peculiar lapsus ca­ lami, w hich she is n ot slow to p erceiv e on com ing to herself. T h e following is an exam ple of a case of ecstasy: H aving ascended one day to an u p p e r story, to look for som ething in a dark store-room , she h ad an apparition of a m an in a tu rb a n and large w hite cloak, w hom she had th e im pression of recognizing,1 and w hose p rese n c e filled h e r w ith a delightful calm and profound happiness. She could n o t recall th e conversation w hich passed b e tw e en th em , w hich, though in an unknow n language, she nevertheless had th e feeling of hav­ ing perfectly c o m p reh en d ed . O n th e d e p a rtu re o f the m ysterious visitor she was astonished to find h e rse lf b ro u g h t back to som bre reality, and stupefied on noting by h e r w atch th at th e interview had lasted m uch longer than it h ad seem ed to do. She p reserv ed all th at day a delicious feeling of w ell-being as th e effect o f th e strange apparition. T he p h en o m en o n of m ingling strange w riting w ith h e r own is of rela­ tively fre q u e n t o ccurrence, and we shall see divers specim ens of it in the following chapters, apropos of th e rom ances to w hich it especially be1 V isio n r e l a t i n g to t h e O r i e n ta l c y c le ; t h e m a n w a s t h e A r a b s h e ik , t h e f a th e r o f S im a n d in i.

In itiation in to S p iritism

·

39

longs. I will give h e re only o n e com plex exam ple, w hich will serve at th e sam e tim e as an illu stratio n o f a special k in d of autom atism , very h a rm ­ less, to w hich H e la n e is also su b ject, an d w hich consists in m aking v erses, not w ith o u t know ing, b u t at least w ith o u t in te n d in g to do so, a n d in con­ nection w ith th e m o st trifling m atters. T h e re are tim es w h e n , in sp ite o f herself, she feels co m p elled to speak in d istin c t rh y m es o f eig h t fe et, w hich she does n o t p re p a re , a n d does not p erceive u n til th e m o m e n t she has finished u tte rin g th e m .2 In this p a rtic ­ ular case it is by a q u atra in (a very un u su al o ccu rren ce) th a t sh e re p lie s to some o n e w ho h a d c o n su lte d h e r in re g a rd to som e b lu e rib b o n . B ut this q u atrain , by its style, by th e vision o f th e b lo n d h ea d o f a child w hich accom panies it, a n d b y th e m a n n e r also in w hich she w rites it, causes us to h azard th e c o n je c tu re th a t it is an in sp iratio n d e p e n d in g on th e u n d e r­ lying Royal cycle; w h ile in th e follow ing le tte r, in w hich she n arrates th e affair to M. L e m a itre , h e r p e n inscribes, all unknow n to h er, stran g e ch ar­ acters e v id e n tly d u e to th e cro p p in g out o f th e M artian cycle, o f w h ich she speaks in th e le tte r (see F ig. I, a passage o f th a t le tte r m aking a M artian M and V in th e w ords vers an d rirrw.it): I have h eard so m e M artian w ords th is aftern o o n , but have n o t b e e n a b le to retain th em in m y m in d . I se n d you th o se h eard a few days ago, w h en I had th e vision o f w h ich I am ab ou t to m ake you th e d e sig n (M artian lam p). Y esterday m orn in g I for th e first tim e sp o k e in v erse, w ith o u t b e in g aw are o f it; it w as on ly on fin ish in g th e se n te n c e that I p e r c e iv e d th at it rh y m e d , and I re c o n stru cted it to assu re m y s e lf o f th e fact. A little later, on e x a m in in g so m e rib b on s, I b eg a n an ew to sp eak in v e r se , and I se n d th o se also: th e y w ill a m u se you . It is a cu riou s th in g that I had at that sa m e m o m e n t th e v isio n o f th e b lo n d cu rly h ea d o f a ch ild b o u n d w ith a b lu e rib h on . T h e v isio n la sted m o re than a m in u te. W hat is still m ore cu rio u s, I d o n o t at all r e c o lle c t h avin g w orn rib b on s o f that sh a d e as a child: I r e m e m b e r so m e ro se -co lo r ed , so m e red , b u t I h ave n o reco llec tio n w h a tev er o f any b lu e rib b on s. I really d o n o t k n ow w h y I sp o k e th e s e w ords; it is 2 T he following are som e o f th ese im prom ptu rhym es, surely up to the level of th e circum ­ stances w hich inspired them , but by w hich we ought not to ju d g e th e conscious poetic faculties of M ile. Smith: To a little girl proud of h e r new shoes: “M arcelle est 14, venez la voir, Elle a ses petits souliers n o irs.” In a “culinary” discussion: “Vous d etestez Ies om elettes, Autant qu e moi Ies co telettes.” To a person slightly vain: “Vos richesses, m a ch ere amie, N e me font point du tout envie!”

40

• Chapter Three

Fig. 1. Fragment of a letter (normal handwriting) of Mile. Smith, containing two Martian letters. (Collection of M. Lemaitre.)

the more amusing. I was obliged to speak them, I assure you, in spite of myself. I was eager to put them on paper, and I noticed in writing them down that, for a moment, the handwriting was not regular, that is, it was slightly different from mine. H e r e is the quatrain, the pencil impression of which is too faint to enable a fac-simile to be reproduced here, and in it I have indicated by italics the words and syllables the calligraphy or orthography of which differs from that of H e l e n e and becomes the style of automatic handwriting called that of Marie Antoinette: Les nuances de ces rubans Me rappelent ines jeunes ans; Ce bleu verdi je men sou vien, Sans mes cheveux alloit si bien! T h e head of curly blond hair, ornamented with blue ribbons, also figures in the visions of the Royal cycle, and appears to belong, as is here the case, sometimes to Marie Antoinette herself, sometimes to one or other of her children, especially the Dauphin. While it is generally easy to connect these eruptions of the subliminal volcano with the various dreams from which they emanate, such is not always the case, and there are visions the origin of which is doubtful and ambiguous. We must not forget that, alongside of the grand cycles of H e l e n e which are b e t t e r known, there also float in her latent imagination innumerable small accessory systems, more or less independent, which supply a large part of the seances, such as revelations of former events connected with the families of the sitters, etc.; it is not always possible to identify the fragments coming from these isolated dreams.

3. Teleological Automatisms The spontaneous phenom ena of this category, possessing as a common characteristic a practical utility for H elene m ore or less m arked, can be subdivided into two classes, according to their direct attachm ent to the personality of Leopold, or th eir not belonging to any distinct personality, and which only express in a vivid m anner the result of the norm al work­ ing, although m ore or less unconscious, of the faculties of m em ory and of reason. I confine m yself now to citing one case of each of these classes, of which we shall see other examples in the chapters relating to Leopold and to supernorm al appearances. O ne day Mile. Sm ith, wishing to take down a large and heavy object from a high shelf, was prevented from so doing by the fact that her up­ lifted arm s seem ed as though petrified and incapable of being moved for some seconds; she saw in this a warning and gave up h er intention. In a later seance Leopold said that it was he him self who had caused H elene’s arms to becom e rigid, in o rd er to prevent h e r from attem pting to lift the object which was too heavy for h er and would have caused some accident to befall her. O n another occasion a clerk who sought vainly for a certain pattern asked H elene if she knew w hat had becom e of it. H elene replied m echan­ ically and w ithout reflection, “Yes, it was sent to Mr. J.” (a custom er of the firm); at the same tim e th ere appeared before h er in large black figures about eight or ten inches in height the n um ber 18, and she added, instinc­ tively, “It was eighteen days ago.” This statem ent caused the clerk to smile, because of its improbability, the rule of the house being that cus­ tomers to whom patterns w ere lent for examination m ust return them inside of th re e days or a m essenger would b e sent for them . H elene, struck by this objection, and having no conscious recollection of the affair, replied, “Really, perhaps I am wrong. ” M eanwhile, an investigation of the date indicated in the records o f the house showed that she was perfectly correct. It was through various negligences, w ith which she had nothing at all to do, that th e pattern had not been sent for or recovered. Leopold, on being asked, has no recollection of this circum stance, and does not appear to have been th e author of this autom atism of cryptom nesia, nor of many other analogous phenom ena through which H elen e’s subconscious memory renders h er signal services and has gained for h e r a w ell-m erited and highly valued reputation. Thus we see that if the spontaneous autom atisms of Mile. Sm ith are often th e vexatious result of her m om ents of suggestibility, or the tem ­ pestuous irruption of h er sublim inal reveries, they also often assum e the form of useful messages. Such com pensation is not to be despised.

IV.

T h e Seances

M ile. S m ith h as n e v e r b e e n h y p n o tized . In h e r in stin c tiv e aversion, w h ich sh e sh ares w ith th e m ajo rity o f m ed iu m s, to a n y th in g th a t seem s like an a tte m p t to e x p e rim e n t u p o n h er, sh e has always re fu se d to allow h e r s e lf to b e p u t to sleep. S he d o es n o t realize th a t in avoiding th e idea sh e has actu ally a c c e p te d th e reality, since h e r sp iritistic e x p e rie n c e s in re a lity c o n s titu te for h e r an a u to -h y p n o tiza tio n , w h ich in ev itab ly d e g e n e r­ ate s in to a h e te ro -h y p n o tiz a tio n , as sh e is b ro u g h t u n d e r th e in flu en c e o f o n e o r o th e r o f th e p e rso n s p re s e n t a t th e seance. All h e r sea n ces have so m ew h a t o f th e sam e psychologic form , th e sam e m e th o d o f d e v e lo p m e n t ru n n in g th ro u g h th e ir im m e n se d iv ersity o f c o n ­ te n t. S h e p laces h e rs e lf at th e ta b le w ith th e id ea a n d th e in te n tio n of b rin g in g in to p lay h e r m e d iu m istic faculties. A fter an in terv al, varying from a few seco n d s to a q u a r te r o f an h o u r, g en e rally in a s h o rte r tim e if th e ro o m is w ell d a rk e n e d a n d th e sitte rs a re p e rfe c tly silen t, sh e b eg in s to h av e visions, p re c e d e d a n d acco m p an ied b y v ery v arie d sen so ry an d m o to r d is tu rb a n c e s , a fte r w hich she passes into a c o m p le te tra n c e . In th a t sta te , it ra re ly h a p p e n s , a n d th e n only for a few m o m en ts, th a t sh e is e n tire ly u n co n scio u s o f th e p e rso n s p re s e n t, an d , as it w e re , sh u t u p w ith in h e r p e rso n a l d re a m a n d p lu n g e d in to p ro fo u n d le th a rg y (h y p n o tic syncope) O rd in a rily sh e re m a in s in co m m u n icatio n , m o re o r less close, w ith o n e o f th e s itte rs , w ho th u s finds h im se lf in th e sam e re la tio n tow ards h e r as a h y p n o tiz e r tow ards his su b ject, a n d ab le to tak e ad v a n ta g e o f th at r a p p o r t, b y giv in g h e r an y im m e d ia te o r fu tu re suggestions th a t h e m ay d e sire . W h e n th e s e a n c e consists on ly o f w aking visions, it lasts g en e rally only a sh o rt tim e — an h o u r to an h o u r an d a h a lf— a n d is e n d e d q uickly b y th r e e sh a rp rap s u p o n th e ta b le , afte r w h ich M ile. S m ith re tu rn s to h e r n o rm al sta te , w h ich sh e scarcely see m s to have left. I f th e so m n am b u lism has b e e n c o m p le te , th e se a n c e is p ro lo n g e d to d o u b le th a t le n g th o f tim e , a n d o ften lo n g er, a n d th e r e tu r n to th e n o rm al sta te com es slowly th ro u g h p h ase s o f d e e p sleep , a lte rn a tin g w ith re la p ses in to so m n am b u listic g es­ tu re s a n d a ttitu d e s , m o m e n ts o f catalepsy, etc. T h e final aw akening is alw ays p re c e d e d b y sev eral b r ie f aw akenings, follow ed by re la p ses in to sleep. E ac h o f th e s e p re lim in a ry aw akenings, as w ell as th e final o n e, is ac­ c o m p a n ie d b y th e sam e ch a ra c te ristic m o v em en ts o f th e fe atu res. T h e ey es, w h ich h ave b e e n for a lo n g tim e clo sed , o p e n w id e, stu p id ly sta rin g in to vacancy, o r fix th e m se lv e s slowly on th e o b jects a n d th e s itte rs w ith in th e ir ra n g e o f vision, th e d ila te d p u p ils do n o t react, th e face is an im p as­ sive a n d rig id m ask, d ev o id o f ex pression. H e le n e see m s a lto g e th e r a b ­ s e n t. All a t o n ce, w ith a slig h t h eav in g o f th e b re a s t a n d raising o f th e h ea d , a n d a q u ick b re a th , a gleam o f in te llig e n c e illu m in es h e r co u n te -

nance, th e m o u th is gracefully o p e n e d , th e eyes b ec o m e b rillian t, th e en tire c o u n te n a n c e lights u p w ith a p le a sa n t sm ile an d gives ev id en c e of h e r reco g n itio n o f th e w orld an d o f h e r re tu r n to herself. B ut w ith the sam e su d d e n n e ss w ith w hich it a p p e a re d , th a t a p p e ara n ce o f life lasts but a seco n d o r two, th e physiognom y re su m e s its lifeless m ask, th e eyes b e c o m in g h ag g ard a n d fixed close again, an d th e h e a d falls on th e back o f th e chair. T his re tu rn o f sleep will b e follow ed b y a n o th e r su d ­ den awaking, th e n p e rh a p s by several m ore, u n til th e final aw aking, al­ ways d istin g u ish ed , after th e sm ile at th e b eg in n in g , by th e ste re o ty p e d question, “W h a t tim e is it? ” A nd b y a m o v em en t o f su rp rise on learn in g that it is so late. T h e re is no m em o ry of w h at has tra n s p ire d d u rin g th e seance. A co m p lete d esc rip tio n o f th e psychological a n d physiological p h e n o m ­ ena w hich p re s e n t th em selv es, o r w hich m ig h t b e o b ta in e d in th e course of th e seances, w ould d e ta in m e too long, sin ce th e re is absolutely n o th in g constant e ith e r in th e n a tu re or in th e succession o f th e p h e n o m e n a , an d no two sean ces are evolved exactly in th e sam e m an n er. I m u st confine m yself to so m e strik in g characteristics. T h re e p rin cip a l sy m ptom s, alm ost c o n tem p o ran eo u s generally, a n ­ n ounce th a t M ile. S m ith is b eg in n in g to e n te r in to h e r tran c e. T h ere a re on th e o n e sid e em o tio n al o r c o e n a e sth e tic m odifications, th e cause of w h ich is re v ealed a little la te r in th e s u b s e q u e n t m essages. H e le n e is, for in stan ce, seize d by an invincible d esire to laugh, w hich she cannot o r w ill n o t explain; o r sh e com plains o f sadness, fear, o f d ifferen t u n p leasan t sen sations, o f h e a t o r o f cold, o f nausea, etc ., according to th e n atu re o f th e co m m u n icatio n s w hich a re ap p ro ach in g a n d o f w hich th e se em otional states a re th e fo reru n n ers. T h e re are , on th e o th e r h an d , p h e n o m e n a o f system atic an aesth esia (negative hallucinations), lim ite d to th o se sitte rs w hom th e com ing m e s­ sages con cern . H e le n e ceases to see th e m , w hile co n tin u in g to h e a r th e ir voices a n d feel th e ir touch; or, on th e contrary, she is asto n ish ed to no longer h e a r th e m , th o u g h sh e sees th e ir lips m oving, etc.; or, finally, she does n o t p e rc e iv e th e m in any m an n er, an d d em an d s to know w hy th e y are leaving w h e n th e sean ce is h ard ly b eg u n . In its details this system atic anaesth esia varies infinitely, a n d ex ten d s som etim es to b u t o n e p a rt o f th e p erson c o n c e rn e d , to his h a n d , to a p o rtio n o f his face, e tc ., w ith o u t it always b ein g p o ssib le to explain th e s e capricious details b y th e c o n te n t of th e follow ing visions; it w ould seem th a t th e in c o h e re n c e o f th e d re a m p resid es ov er th is p re lim in a ry w ork o f d isin te g ratio n , an d th a t th e n orm al p ercep tio n s are ab so rb e d b y th e subconscious p erso n ality e a g e r for m a te ­ rial for th e b u ild in g u p o f th e hallucinations w hich it is p re p arin g . S ystem atic an a esth esia is often co m p licated w ith positive h allu cin a­ tions, an d H e le n e will m anifest h e r su rp rise at seeing, for exam ple, a

44

·

C hapter Three

s tra n g e c o stu m e o r an u n u su al coiffure. T his, in reality, is th e vision w hich is a lre a d y b e in g in stalle d . T h e th ir d sy m p to m , w h ich d o es n o t m an ife st its e lf clearly in h e r, but th e p re s e n c e o f w h ich can b e o ften e sta b lish e d b efo re all th e o th e rs by in v estig atio n , is a c o m p le te allo ch iria,3 o rd in arily acco m p an ied b y various o th e r se n so ry a n d m o to r d istu rb a n c e s. If, a t th e b e g in n in g o f th e seance, H e le n e is ask e d , for ex am p le, to raise h e r rig h t h a n d , to m ove th e left in d ex -fin g er, o r to close o n e ey e, sh e b eg in s straig h tw ay to ca rry into effect th e s e d iffe re n t acts; th e n all at o nce, w ith o u t know ing w hy and w ith o u t h e sita tio n , sh e d ec eiv es h e r s e lf in re g a rd to th e side, a n d raises h e r left h a n d , m oves h e r rig h t index-finger, closes th e o th e r eye, etc. This in d icates th a t sh e is no lo n g e r in h e r n orm al sta te , th o u g h still a p p e a rin g to re ta in h e r o rd in a ry co n scio u sn ess, a n d w ith th e liveliness o f a norm al p e rso n d iscu sses th e q u e stio n o f h e r having m istak en h e r rig h t h a n d or ey e for h e r left, a n d vice versa. I t is to b e n o te d th a t L eo p o ld , on such occasions o f p ro n o u n c e d allochiria, does no t sh are this e rro r in re g a rd to th e sid e. I h av e a ssiste d at so m e cu rio u s discussions b e tw e e n him a n d H e le n e , sh e in sistin g th a t such a h a n d was h e r rig h t, o r th a t th e Isle R o usseau is on th e left as o n e p asses th e b rid g e o f M o n t B lanc o r com ing from th e railw ay statio n , a n d L eo p o ld all th e w h ile, by m ean s o f ra p s upon th e ta b le , giv in g h e r c lea rly to u n d e rs ta n d sh e was w ro n g .4 A little a fte r th e allochiria, a n d so m etim e s sim u ltan e o u sly w ith it, are to b e fo u n d v arious o th e r p h e n o m e n a , e x tre m ely v ariab le, o f w hich I h e re cite o nly a few. O n e o f h e r arm s is c o n tra c tu re d as it re sts u p o n th e tab le, a n d resists th e efforts o f th e sitte rs to lift it up, as th o u g h it w e re a b a r of iron.* S o m e tim es th is c o n tra c tu re d o es n o t exist b efo re, b u t estab lish es its e lf at th e sam e in s ta n t th a t so m e o n e to u ch es th e fo rearm , a n d in creases in p ro p o rtio n to th e efforts w h ich are m ad e to o v ercom e it. T h e re is no re g u la rity in th e d is trib u tio n o f th e an a esth esia (changing from o n e in sta n t to an o th er), th e c o n tra c tu re s, o r convulsions w h ich th e h an d s a n d arm s of H e ld n e ex h ib it. It all see m s d u e to p u re cap rice, o r to d e p e n d only on u n d e rly in g d re a m s, o f w h ich little is know n.* If H e le n e is e x p e rim e n te d u p o n a n d q u e stio n e d too long, th e d e v e lo p ­ m e n t o f th e o rig in al visions is o b s tru c te d , a n d sh e easily re ach e s a d e g re e o f sen sib ility w h e re sh e falls in to th e sta n d a rd class o f p u b lic re p re s e n ta ­ tio n s o f h y p n o tis m — a c h a rm e d a n d fascin ated state in w h ich sh e rem ain s riv e te d b e fo re so m e b rillia n t o b ject, as, for exam ple, th e rin g , trin k e ts, or c u ff-b u tto n o f o n e o f th e sitte rs; th e n p re c ip ita te s h e r s e lf in a fren zy upon th e o b je c t, a n d trie s to s e c u re it; o r assu m es em o tio n al a ttitu d e s a n d poses 3 T he confusion o f sensation s in th e two sides o f the body, as w h en a person locates in the right le g a touch upon the left leg. 4 S e e , on allochiria, P. Janet, S tig m a tes inentaux d e s h y ste riq u e s, pp. 6 0 —71; and N evroses e t icUes fix es, vol. i. p. 234.

u n d e r th e in flu en ce o f joyous airs u p o n th e piano; ex p erien ces su g g ested hallucinations o f all kinds, sees te rrib le se rp e n ts, w hich she p u rsu e s w ith a p air o f p in cers; beautiful flowers, w hich she sm ells w ith d e e p re sp ira ­ tions a n d d istrib u te s to th e sitters; or, again, b le e d in g w ounds w hich have b een m ad e on h e r h an d , a n d w hich cause h e r to sh ed tears. T h e co m m o n ­ place ch a ra c te r o f th e se p h e n o m e n a causes th e ir long co n tin u an c e to b e d e p re c a te d , an d th e in g e n u ity o f all is ex ercised in end eav o rin g by differ­ en t m ean s, n o n e o f w hich is v ery efficacious o r very rapid, to p lu n g e h e r into p ro fo u n d a n d tra n q u il sleep, from w hich sh e is n o t long in passing of h e r own accord into c o m p le te som nam bulism an d in taking u p th e th re a d of h e r p erso n al im aginations. If all th e s e d istu rb in g investigations have b e e n successfully avoided, th e sp o n tan eo u s d e v e lo p m e n t o f th e autom atism s is effected w ith g re a te r rapidity a n d fulness. I t is p ossible th e n to b eh o ld , in th e sam e seance, a very v aried spectacle, an d to listen , b esid es, to c e rtain special co m m u n i­ cations m ad e in a sem i-w aking state to o n e o r o th e r o f th e sitters: th e n , in co m p lete so m n am b u lism , a H in d o o vision is p re s e n te d , follow ed by a M artian d re a m , w ith an in carn atio n o f L eo p o ld in th e m id d le, a n d a scen e of M arie A n to in e tte to w ind u p w ith. O rd in a rily tw o o f th e se last creatio n s will suffice to fill u p a seance. O n e such re p re s e n ta tio n is n o t p e rfo rm ed w ithout th e loss o f co n sid erab le s tre n g th b y th e m ed iu m , w hich shows itself b y th e final sleep b ein g p ro lo n g ed so m etim es for an hour, in te r­ ru p ted , as I have said, by re p e titio n s o f th e p re c e d in g so m n am b u listic scenes, easily reco g n izab le by ce rta in g estu re s o r th e m u rm u rin g o f ch a r­ acteristic w ords. Passing th ro u g h th e s e d iv erse oscillations an d th e ep h e m e ra l aw aking, o f w hich I have sp oken above, H e le n e finishes by re tu rn in g to h e r norm al state; b u t th e seances w hich have b e e n too long co n tin u ed o r too full o f m o v em en t leave h e r very m uch fatigued for th e rest o f th e day. It has also som etim es h a p p e n e d to h e r to re -e n te r th e som nam bulism (from w h ich sh e h ad p ro b a b ly not co m p letely e m erg ed ) d u rin g th e co u rse o f th e ev e n in g o r on re tu rn in g h o m e, a n d only to suc­ ceed in reco v erin g h e r p erfec tly n orm al state th ro u g h th e assistance o f a n ig h t’s sleep. As to th e real n a tu re o f H e le n e ’s slu m b ers at th e e n d o f th e seances, and h e r states o f consciousness w h e n she aw akes, it is difficult for m e to p ro n o u n ce, having only b e e n ab le to o b serv e th e m u n d e r unfavorable co n d itions— th a t is, in th e p re s e n c e o f sitte rs m o re o r less n u m ero u s an d restless. T h e g re a te r p a rt ce rtain ly consist o f som nam bulism s, in w hich she h ea rs all th a t p asses aro u n d h er, since alth o u g h sh e seem s profo u n d ly asleep an d a b se n t, th e suggestions th e n given h e r to b e c a rrie d out after awaking a re re g iste re d an d p e rfo rm e d w o n d erfu lly — at least w hen L eopold, w ho is alm ost always on h a n d an d answ ers b y m o v em en ts o f o n e finger o r a n o th e r to q u estio n s p u t to him , does n o t m ake any o pposition or

46

·

C hapter Three

d e c la re th a t th e su g g estio n shall n o t b e c a rrie d out! T h e re a re also b rie f m o m e n ts w h e n H e le n e see m s to b e in a p ro fo u n d sta te o f com a a n d kind o f sy n c o p e w ith o u t tra c e o f p sy ch ic life; h e r p u lse a n d re sp ira tio n co n tin u e to b e re g u la r, b u t sh e d o es n o t re a c t to any ex citatio n , h e r arm s, if raised, fall heavily, n o sig n o f L eo p o ld can b e o b ta in e d , a n d su g g estio n s m ad e at th a t in s ta n t w ill n o t b e a c te d u p o n . T h e s e le th a rg ic p h a se s, d u rin g w h ich all co n scio u sn ess seem s to b e ab o lish ed , a re g e n e ra lly follow ed b y c a ta le p tic p h ase s in w h ich th e h an d s a n d arm s p re s e rv e e v e ry p o sitio n in w h ich th e y m ay b e p la c e d , a n d c o n ­ tin u e th e m o v e m e n ts o f ro ta tio n o r o f oscillation w h ich m ay b e fo rced u p o n th e m , b u t n e v e r for m o re th a n o n e o r tw o m in u te s. In d e fa u lt o f m o re c o m p le te e x p e rim e n ts, I su b m it th e follow ing co m ­ p a riso n o f H e le n e ’s m u sc u la r force a n d o f h e r sen sib ility to p ain b efo re a n d a fte r a sea n ce lastin g n e a rly th re e h o u rs, th e sec o n d h a lf b e in g in full so m n am b u lism . A t 4 .5 0 o’clock, on sittin g dow n a t th e ta b le th r e e d y n a ­ m o m e tric te s ts w ith h e r rig h t h a n d gave kilos. 27.5, 27, 25— average, 26.5. T h e se n sib ility to p a in m e a s u re d o n th e b ack o f th e m e d ia n p h alan x o f th e in d e x -fin g e r w ith th e a lg e s io m e te r o f G rie sb ach , gave for th e rig h t, grs. 35, 40, 20, 20— av erag e, 29; for th e left, 35, 20, 20, 15— average, 2 2 .5 grs. (S en sib ility slig h tly m o re d e lic a te th a n th a t o f a n o th e r lady p re s ­ e n t at th e sea n ce, n o t a m e d iu m a n d in p e rfe c t h e a lth .) A t 7 .4 5 o ’clock, so m e m in u te s a fte r th e final aw aking: d y n a m o m e te r, rig h t h a n d , 8, 4 .5 , 4 .5 — average, 5.7 ; a lg e sio m e te r, c o m p le te analgesia b o th as to rig h t a n d left, on th e w h o le o f th e back o f th e in d ex as w ell as th e r e s t o f th e h a n d a n d w rist, th e m ax im u m o f th e in s tru m e n t (100 grs.) was a tta in e d a n d p a s se d w ith o u t a ro u sin g an y p ain fu l sen sa tio n b u t only an im p re ssio n o f contact. O n e h o u r la te r, a fte r d in n e r: d y n a m o m e te r 22, 22, 19— average, 21; a lg e sio m e te r, 20, 18 fo r th e rig h t: 15, 20 for th e left. I t is p o ssib le, th e n , to say th a t h e r m u s c u la r fo rce a n d sen sib ility to p ain , b o th n o rm a l im m e ­ d ia te ly b e fo re h e r e n tra n c e u p o n th e sea n ce, are still a b o lish e d in th e first fifteen m in u te s a fte r aw aking, b u t a re fo u n d to b e re s to re d in a b o u t an hour. P e rc e p tio n o f colors, o n th e co n trary , a p p e a re d to b e as p e rfe c t im m e ­ d ia te ly a fte r aw aking as b e fo re th e sean ce. T h e tre m o r o f th e index-finger, n o rm al b e fo re th e sea n ce, is v e ry m u c h e x a g g e ra te d in its a m p litu d e for a c e rta in tim e a fte r aw aking a n d re flects so m e tim e s th e re sp ira to ry m o v e­ m e n ts , as can b e s e e n b y th e cu rv es o f F ig. 2. T his d e n o te s a g re a t d im i­ n u tio n o f k in e s th e tic sen sib ility a n d o f v o lu n ta ry c o n tro l o v er th e im m o ­ b ility o f th e h an d . T h e sta te in w h ich M ile. S m ith ca rrie s ou t th e p o st-h y p n o tic su g g es­ tio n s m a d e to h e r in th e co u rse o f h e r so m n am b u lism s, w h e n th e y do n o t c o m e in to collision w ith e ith e r th e p ro n o u n c e d o p p o sitio n o f L eo p o ld o r th e s ta te s o f le th a rg y o f w h ic h I h av e sp o k en , is in te re s tin g o n acco u n t of

Fig. 2. T re m o r o f rig h t index-finger. A, B, C , frag m en ts o f curves ta k en in th e n o rm al sta te b efo re th e se an c e (A a n d C w ith closed eyes; B w ith o p en eyes looking at th e index-finger); D , E , F , frag­ m e n ts o f cu rv e s re c e iv e d in succession a q u a rte r o f an h o u r after th e seance. T h e c u rv e F reflects th e re sp ira to ry oscillations. T h e cu rv es go from rig h t to left, an d th e in te rv al b e tw e e n th e two v ertical lin e s is te n seconds.

its v aried ch a rac te r, w hich seem s to d e p e n d u p o n th e g re a te r o r less ease w ith w h ich th e h allu cin atio n o r th e act su g g ested can b e re co n ciled w ith H e le n e ’s n o rm al personality. T h e ir execution in th e full w aking state seem s to b e co n fin ed to suggestions o f sim p le acts, free from absurdity, th e id ea o f w h ich w ould b e easily a c c e p te d an d c a rried out by th e norm al self w h e n th e d e s ire d m o m e n t arrived. If, on th e contrary, it is a q u estio n of m o re co m p licated a n d difficult things, co m p atib le, how ever, w ith th e rational p o in ts o f view o f th e n orm al w aking state, H e le n e falls m o m en ­ tarily in to so m n am b u lism for th e execution o f th e o rd e r given, unless she has p e rm a n e n tly re m a in e d in th a t state, in sp ite o f h e r a p p a re n t awaking, in o rd e r n o t to re -e n te r d efin itely a n d co m p letely u p o n h e r o rd in ary state

u n til a fte r th e ex ecu tio n o f th e o rd e r, o f w hich th e re th e n rem ain s to h e r n o re co llectio n w h a te v er. F ro m th e fo reg o in g facts w e m ay c o n c lu d e th a t little o r n o th in g of th a t w h ich goes on a ro u n d h e r escap es h e r su bconscious in te llig e n c e , an d it is from th is so u rc e th a t h e r so m n am b u listic ro m an c es are n o u rish e d afresh. A w o rd m o re as to th e p re p a ra tio n for th e sean ces. I d o n o t re fe r to a co n scio u s p re p a ra tio n , b u t to a su b lim in al in cu b atio n o r elab o ratio n , u n ­ know n b y h e r, sh ow ing itse lf on th e level o f h e r o rd in ary p e rso n a lity in th e form o f fu g itive g leam s a n d frag m en tary im ages d u rin g h e r sleep at n ig h t o r th e m o m e n ts o f aw aking in th e m o rn in g . M ile. S m ith , in reality, has no h o ld , p o ssesses no in flu en c e, upon th e n a tu re o f h e r visions and so m n am b u lism s. S he is able, u n d o u b ted ly , u p to a ce rta in p o in t, to aid th e ir a p p e a ra n c e in a g e n e ra l way, b y cu ltiv atin g tra n q u illity of m ind, s e c u rin g d ark n ess a n d silen ce in th e room , a n d b y ab a n d o n in g h e r s e lf to a p assiv e a ttitu d e o f m in d ; o r to h in d e r it, on th e o th e r h a n d , by m o v em en t, o r d istra c tio n o f a tte n tio n ; b u t w ith th e fixed a n d c o n c re te c o n te n t its e lf o f h e r au to m atism s she has n o th in g to do an d no sh are in th e resp o n sib ility for it. So far as h e r g re a t cycles o r h e r d e ta c h e d m essages are co n c e rn e d , th e y a re fa b ricated in h e r in sp ite o f h erself, an d w ith o u t h e r having a w o rd to say ab o u t th e ir p ro d u c tio n , any m o re th a n o n e has in th e fo rm a­ tio n o f his d re am s. W h e n it is re c o lle c te d , on th e o th e r h an d , th a t th e p h e n o m e n a o f in cu b atio n , o f su b lim in al p re p a ra tio n , o r u nconscious c e re ­ b ra tio n , a re u n iv ersa l facts, p lay in g th e ir role in th e psychology o f every h u m a n b e in g , w e can rely u p o n fin d in g th e m also a m o n g th e m ed iu m s, a n d u p o n th e ir h o ld in g a p lace w ith th e m m u ch m o re im p o rta n t th an w ith o th e rs, ow ing to th e fact th a t th e ir su bconscious life is so m u ch m o re fully d e v e lo p e d . W ith each o n e o f us th e ex p e ctatio n o r th e sim p le p e rsp e c tiv e o f any e v e n t— a d e p a rtu re , a visit, an e rra n d , o r u n d e rta k in g to do an y th in g , a le tte r to w rite , in sh o rt, all th e m o re insignificant in c id e n ts o f daily exis­ te n c e , w h e n th e y a re n o t ab so lu tely u n fo re s e e n — p ro m o te a p sychologi­ cal ad a p ta tio n m o re o r less e x te n d e d a n d p rofound. A longside of a n d u n d e r n e a th th e conscious expectancy, c e rta in physical o r m e n ta l a ttitu d e s , v o lu n tarily a ssu m e d in view o f th e e v e n t, alw ays ef­ fect an u n d e rly in g p re p a ra tio n o f an in w ard kin d , a ch an g e w h ich w e m ay re g a rd , acco rd in g to th e sid e from w h ich w e co n sid e r th e individual, as a p e c u lia r p sy ch ical o rie n ta tio n o r c e re b ra l a d ju s tm e n t, a m odification in th e association o f ideas o r in th e d y n am ics o f th e cortical n erv es. B ut e v e ry th in g p o in ts to th e fact th a t in p erso n s gifted w ith m e d iu m sh ip this u n d e rly in g p re p a ra tio n is ca p a b le o f assu m in g on occasion a g re a te r im ­ p o rta n c e th a n is th e case w ith o rd in a ry m ortals, a m u ch m o re c o m p le te in d e p e n d e n c e o f th e o rd in a ry consciousness.

To retu rn to Mile. Sm ith, w hen she knows some tim e in advance who will be p rese n t at h e r next seance, and w hat people she will alm ost surely m eet th ere, it w ould be altogether natural that such previous knowledge of the environm ent and of th e sitters would influence h e r sublim inal thoughts and in som e degree direct the course of th e latent incubation. It may well be asked, therefore, w h eth er th e varied spectacle which the seances furnish is really always im prom ptu and has its b irth on the spur of the m om ent like ordinary dream s, or w h eth er it has been subconsciously thought out, th e seance being only the perform ance of an arrested pro­ gramme, the representation coram populo of scenes already ripened in the deep sublim inal strata of th e m edium . N either of these two hypotheses, held to exclude the other, answers to the facts, but th e re is some tru th in both of them . The m enu of th e seances— if the expression is perm issible— is always composed of one or two plats de resistance, carefully p rep ared in advance in the sublim inal laboratories, and of various hors d ’oeuvres left to the inspiration o f the m om ent. To speak m ore exactly, the general plot, the chief lines and m ore striking points of the scenes which unfold them selves are fixed according to a previous arrangem ent, but th e details of execution and accessory em bellishm ents are entirely d ep e n d en t upon chance cir­ cumstances. T he proof of this is found, on the one hand, in the sup­ pleness, th e perfect ease, th e appropriateness w ith which H elen e’s autom atism s— if we can still apply the word autom atism to those cases in which spontaneity, self-possession, free use of all the faculties constitute the dom inant characteristics— often adapt them selves to unexpected situ­ ations in th e environm ent or capricious interruptions on the part of the sitters; on the o th er hand, in the fact th at Leopold, interrogated at the beginning of th e seance, ordinarily knows very well and announces the principal vision or incarnations which are about to make th eir appear­ ance, provided, at least, the spectators do not h in d er th eir unfolding by their tem pestuous clam or for som ething else. The anim ated conversations, som etim es full of spirited repartee, b e ­ tween Leopold or M arie A ntoinette and the sitters, could not have been prepared in advance, and are altogether opposed to the stereotyped re p e ­ tition which is generally expected of autom atic phenom ena. But, on the other hand, such repetition, alm ost entirely m echanical and devoid of sense, p resen ts itself on freq u en t occasions. I have, for instance, seen som nam bulistic scenes p rese n ted which w ere entirely m isplaced, and constituted at the tim e veritable anachronism s, which would have p er­ fectly fitted th e situation eight days previously in another environm ent, and for which th e aforesaid scenes had been evidently intended; but, hav­ ing been w ithheld until th e last m om ent by unforeseen circum stances, the following seance gets the benefit of these postponed messages.

H e r e is p r o o f th a t H e le n e ’s su b lim in al im ag in atio n p re p a re s u p to a c e rta in p o in t h e r p rin c ip a l p ro d u c tio n s, in v iew o f th e co n d itio n s a n d su r­ ro u n d in g s u n d e r w h ich th e sea n ce w ill p ro b a b ly take p lace, a n d also th a t th e s e p ro d u c ts , o n c e e la b o ra te d , m u st b e e lim in a te d a n d p o u re d fo rth w ith a s o rt o f b lin d necessity, a t th e rig h t o r th e w ro n g tim e , w h e n e v e r th e e n tra n c e o f H e le n e in to a favorable h y p n o id sta te fu rn ish e s th e m an o p p o rtu n ity so to do. I t follows also th a t h e r n o rm a l p e rso n a lity has n o th ­ in g w h a te v e r to do w ith th e p re p a ra tio n o f th e sean ces, sin ce sh e can n e ith e r s u p p re s s n o r c h a n g e sce n es b a d ly a d a p te d to th e actual e n v iro n ­ m e n t, th e a p p e a ra n c e o f w h ic h so m e tim e s g re atly annoys M ile. S m ith w h e n th e y a re re c o u n te d to h e r a fte r th e sea n ce; n o r can sh e p ro v o k e th e m essag es, th e p ro d u c tio n o f w h ich sh e d e sire s a n d vainly h o p e s for— as, for e x a m p le , a m e d ic a l co n su lta tio n w ith L e o p o ld , th e in c a rn a tio n o f a d e c e a s e d p a r e n t, o r a sc e n e from o n e cycle ra th e r th a n from th e o th e rs, for th e b e n e fit o f a s itte r w ho p a rtic u la rly d e sire s it, a n d w h o m sh e is v ery d e siro u s to p lease . M u c h m o re co u ld b e said c o n c e rn in g th e psychological sid e o f th e se ­ an c es o f M ile. S m ith , b u t I m u s t lim it m yself. I t w ill b e p o ssib le to gain a m o re c o m p le te id e a o f th is s u b je c t by stu d y in g th e illu stra tio n s in th e follow ing c h a p te rs on th e c h ie f cycles o f h e r b rillia n t su b lim in al fantasy.

The Personality of Leopold

Is LEOPOLD really Jo sep h Balsam o, as h e p re te n d s? O r, since h e has n othing in co m m on w ith th e fam ous th a u m a tu rg ist o f th e last century, save a c e rta in superficial re sem b la n ce, is h e, at any ra te , a real b ein g , sep arate from , a n d in d e p e n d e n t o f M ile. S m ith? O r, finally, is h e only a pseudo-reality, a k ind o f allo tro p ic m odification o f H e le n e herself, a p ro d ­ uct o f h e r su b lim in al im agination, ju s t like o u r d re am creatio n s a n d th e roles su g g ested to a h y p n o tic su b ject? O f th e s e th re e su p p o sitio n s it is th e last w hich to m y m in d is u n d o u b t­ edly th e tru e o n e, w h ile in M ile. S m ith ’s eyes it is as ce rtain ly th e false view. I t w o u ld b e h a rd to im agine a m o re p ro fo u n d d ifference o f opinion than th a t w h ich exists b e tw e e n M ile. S m ith a n d m y self on this su b ject. It is I always, w ho g e t th e w orst o f a discussion w ith h e r co n c ern in g it. I yield for tw o reasons. F irst, out o f po liten ess; and, secondly, b ecau se I u n d e rsta n d H e le n e perfectly, and, p u ttin g m y self in h e r place, realize th at I sh o u ld th in k exactly as sh e does about th e m atter. G iven h e r su rro u n d in g s an d p erso n al exp erien ces, it is im possible for h e r to do o th e rw ise th a n b e lie v e in th e o b jectiv e d istin c t ex isten ce o f th a t m y sterio u s b e in g w ho co n stan tly e n te rs in to h e r life in a sen sib le an d quasi-m aterial way, leaving h e r no room to d o u b t. H e p re se n ts h im self before h e r en d o w ed w ith co rp o reality like th a t o f o th e r p eo p le, a n d h id es objects w h ich are b e h in d him exactly as an o rd in ary individual o f flesh and b o n e w o u ld do. H e talks in to h e r ears, gen erally into th e left, in a ch aracteristic voice, w hich ap p ears to com e from a variable distan ce, so m etim es ab out six fe et off, so m etim es m u ch fa rth er. H e jars th e tab le on w hich sh e has p laced h e r im m obile arm s, takes hold o f h e r w rist an d w rites w ith h e r h an d , h o ld in g th e p e n in a m a n n e r u n lik e h er, a n d w ith a h an d w ritin g w holly d iffe ren t from hers. H e puts h e r to sleep w ith o u t h e r know ledge, an d sh e is asto n ish ed to le a rn u p o n aw aking th a t h e has ges­ ticu lated w ith h e r arm s a n d spoken th ro u g h h e r m o u th in th e d e e p bass voice o f a m an, w ith an Italian accent, w hich has n o th in g in com m on w ith th e clear an d h eau tifu l quality o f h e r fe m in in e voice. M oreover, h e is no t always on han d . H e by no m eans answ ers H e le n e ’s appeals on all occasions; is no t at h e r m ercy; far from it. H is co n d u ct, his m anifestations, his com ings and goings can n o t b e p re d ic te d w ith any c e r­ tainty, a n d testify to an autonom ous b eing, en dow ed w ith free-w ill, often oth erw ise o cc u p ie d o r a b s e n t on his own affairs, w hich do n o t p e rm it of

his holding h im self constantly at the disposal of Mile. Sm ith. Som etim es h e rem ains for weeks w ithout revealing himself, in spite of h e r w ishing for him and calling upon him . T hen, all at once, he makes his appearance w hen she least expects him. H e speaks for h er in a way she would have no idea of doing, he dictates to h e r poem s of which she would be incapable. H e replies to h e r oral or m ental questions, converses w ith her, and dis­ cusses various questions. Like a wise friend, a rational m entor, and as one seeing things from a higher plane, he gives h e r advice, counsel, orders even som etim es directly opposite to h e r wishes and against w hich she rebels. H e consoles her, exhorts her, soothes, encourages, and re p ri­ m ands h er; he u n dertakes against h e r th e defence of persons she does not like, and pleads th e cause of those who are antipathetic to her. In a word, it w ould be im possible to im agine a being m ore in d ep e n d e n t or m ore different from M ile. Sm ith herself, having a m ore personal character, an individuality m ore m arked, or a m ore certain actual existence. H e le n e is also fortified in this conviction by the belief not only of m em ­ b e rs o f h e r own family, b u t by that of o th er cultivated people who, having a tte n d e d m any of h e r seances, have no doubt w hatever of L eopold’s ob­ jective and separate existence. T h ere are those who believe so firmly in th e reality of this su p erio r being, invisible to them , th at they a re in the habit of calling upon him during the absence of Mile. Sm ith. N aturally th ey obtain responses, through th e table or otherw ise, and th at causes unforeseen com plications som etim es w hen she comes to learn of it. For w hile she adm its theoretically— and L eopold him self has often declared th e sam e th in g — th at h e extends his surveillance and protection from afar over o th e r spiritistic groups, and especially over all H e le n e ’s friends and acquaintances, in practice and in fact, however, it happens that n e ith e r he nor she will willingly adm it the authenticity of those p re te n d e d com m uni­ cations from Leopold obtained in the absence of th e m edium of his p re d i­ lection. It is generally som e deceiving spirit w ho has m anifested in his place on th ese occasions. T hese denials, however, do not p rev en t those who have becom e believers from continuing to believe in th e om nipres­ ence of this good genius, o r from teaching th eir children to revere him , to m ake vows and address prayers to him . It m ust not be forgotten that spiritism is a religion. This also explains the great respect shown to m e ­ dium s, w hich is like that accorded to priests. It follows that, w ithout in th e least refraining from speaking ill of them w h en ev er they think they have a grievance against them , on th e o ther hand they bestow on them the sam e m arks of respect as are only accorded to th e m ost sublim e p ro d u ct of th e hum an race. I have known a salon w here, on th e cen tre table, in full view and in the place of honor, w ere two photographs in beautiful frames: on th e one side th e head of C hrist, on th e o th e r th e po rtrait of— M ile. H elen e Sm ith.

Am ong o th e r b eliev e rs, w ith less ideal b u t m ore p ractical aspirations, no business m a tte r o f im p o rta n c e is closed, no serious decision m ade, u n til Leopold has b e e n c o n su lte d th ro u g h H e le n e as an in term ed iary , a n d th e cases are too n u m e ro u s to m e n tio n in w hich h e has fu rn ish e d im p o rta n t inform ation, p re v e n te d a heavy p re c u n ia ry loss, given an efficacious m e d ­ ical p re sc rip tio n , etc. It is easily se e n how all th e successes o b ta in e d by L eopold, a n d th e m ystical v e n e ra tio n w hich m any v ery estim ab le p erso n s accord him , m u st c o n trib u te to s tre n g th e n th e faith o f H e le n e in h e r all-pow erful p ro tec to r. It is in vain th a t, against this absolute assurance, o n e seeks to avail o n e ’s self o f th e arg u m e n ts o f co n te m p o ra ry psychology. T h e exam ple o f th e fictions o f th e d re a m , th e analogies tak en from hy p n o tism a n d from psy­ chopathology, co n sid eratio n s o f m e n ta l d isin te g ratio n , th e division o f th e consciousness a n d th e fo rm atio n o f second p erso n alities, all th e se refined su b tleties o f o u r m o d e rn scien tists b re a k in p ieces like glass against im ­ m ovable rock. I shall n o t u n d e rta k e to co m b at a p roposition w hich, for her, has in co n testab ly so m u ch ev id en c e in its favor, a n d w hich resolves all difficulties in th e m ost felicitous m a n n e r a n d in conform ity to good com m on-sense. N e v erth eless, since each individual has a rig h t to his own opin io n in th e w orld, I b e g leave to assum e, for th e tim e b ein g , th a t L eo p o ld does n o t exist o u tsid e o f M ile. S m ith, an d to try to discover his p ossible gen esis in th e m e n ta l life o f th e la tte r— solely b y hy p o th esis an d b y m ean s o f psy­ chological ex p e rim e n t. T h erefo re, re a d e rs w ho have little taste for this kind o f acad em ic com position h a d b e tte r skip this chapter. I. P s y c h o g e n e s i s

of

Leo po ld

A d esc rip tio n o f th e d e v e lo p m e n t o f L eo p o ld is n o t easy, since h e has a double o rig in , a p p a re n t a n d real, like th e cranial n erv es w hich give so m uch tro u b le to th e s tu d e n ts o f anatom y. H is a p p a re n t origin, or, I sh o u ld say, th e m o m e n t w h e n h e is outw ardly sep a rated from th e p erso n ality o f H e le n e , a n d m anifests as an in d e p e n ­ d e n t “s p irit,” is relativ ely clea r a n d w ell m arked; b u t his actual origin, profoundly en fo ld ed in th e m o st inw ard strata o f H e le n e ’s p erso n ality an d inextricably m ixed u p w ith th e m p re se n ts g reat o b scu rities a n d can only be d e te rm in e d in a v ery co n jec tu ral m an n er. L e t us b eg in w ith th e ap p a r­ en t origin, o r th e first ap p e ara n ce o f L eo p o ld at th e seances. It is easy to u n d e rs ta n d th at, once in itia te d into spiritism an d p lu n g e d into a c u rre n t o f ideas w h e re th e com forting d o c trin e o f sp irit-g u id es an d p ro tecto rs holds an im p o rta n t place, M ile. S m ith d id n o t delay in com ing into p o ssession of, like all good m ed iu m s, a d isin carn a te sp irit specially attach ed to h e r p erso n . S he even h ad tw o in succession, V ictor H ugo an d

C ag lio stro . I t is n o t a q u e s tio n o f a sim p le ch a n g e o f n a m e o f th e g u id e of H e le n e , w h o p re s e n te d h im se lf first u n d e r th e a sp e c t a n d th e n a m e o f th e g re a t p o e t a n d th e n afterw ard s a d o p te d th a t o f th e re n o w n e d th a u m a tu rgist, b u t th e r e w e re , at least a t th e b eg in n in g , tw o d iffe re n t p erso n alities, a p p a re n tly h o stile to each o th e r, o n e o f w hom b y d e g re e s su p p la n te d th e o th e r, a fte r a stru g g le, a tra c e o f w h ich is found in th e very in c o m p le te re p o rts o f th e sea n ces o f th a t p e rio d . T h re e p h ase s can also b e d is tin ­ g u is h e d in th e p sy ch o g e n esis o f M ile. S m ith ’s guide: an initial p h a se of five m o n th s, d u rin g w h ich V ictor H u g o reig n s alone; a p h a se o f tra n sitio n o f ab o u t a year, w h e n th e p ro te c tio n o f V ictor H u g o is se e n to b e p o w e r­ less to p ro te c t H e le n e a n d h e r sp iritistic g ro u p against th e invasion o f an in tr u d e r called L eo p o ld , w ho claim s a n d m an ifests an in cre asin g a u th o rity o v er th e m e d iu m b y v irtu e o f m y sterio u s re la tio n s in th e co u rse o f a p r e ­ vious ex isten c e; finally, th e p re s e n t p e rio d , w h ich has la ste d for six years p ast, in w h ich V icto r H u g o no lo n g er figures, an d w h ich m ay b e d a te d ap p ro x im a te ly from th e m o m e n t w h e n it was re v e a le d th a t L eo p o ld is on ly an a ssu m e d n a m e , u n d e r w h ich h e h id es in re ality th e g re a t p e rs o n ­ ality o f Jo sep h B alsam o . I d o n o t find any fact w o rth y o f m e n tio n in th e first p h ase , in w hich V icto r H u g o , w h o se e m s to have a p p e a re d as th e g u id e o f M ile. S m ith ab o u t th e 1st o f A pril, 1892 (see above, p. 33), p lay ed a role o f no im p o r­ tan ce . In th e sec o n d p h ase , how ever, it is n ec essary to c ite som e extracts from th e re p o rts o f th e sean ces o f th e N. group, in o rd e r to th ro w light u p o n th e sin g u lar c h a ra c te r w h ich L eo p o ld m a n ife ste d th e re from th e b eg in n in g . A u g u st 26, 1892.— “A s p irit a n n o u n c e s h im se lf u n d e r th e n a m e o f L e o p o ld . H e co m es for M ile. S m ith, a n d see m s to w ish to have a g re a t a u th o rity o v er h er. S he sees h im for som e m o m en ts, h e a p p e a rs to b e ab o u t th irty -fiv e y ears o f age, a n d is c lo th e d a lto g e th e r in black. T h e ex­ p re ssio n o f his c o u n te n a n c e is ra th e r p leasin g , an d th ro u g h an sw ers to so m e q u e stio n s w h ich w e p u t to h im w e a re given to u n d e rs ta n d th a t h e k n e w h e r in a n o th e r e x iste n c e , a n d th a t h e d o es n o t w ish h e r to give h e r h e a r t to an y o n e h e r e below. . . . M ile. S m ith reco g n izes h e r g u id e, Vic­ to r H ugo. S h e is m ad e h a p p y b y his arrival, a n d asks his p ro te c tio n ag a in st th e o b sessio n o f th is n e w sp irit. H e an sw ers th a t sh e has n o th in g to fear, th a t h e w ill alw ays b e p re s e n t. S he is joyful at b e in g g u a rd e d and p ro te c te d b y h im , a n d feels th a t sh e has n o th in g to fear. ” S e p te m b e r 2 ,—- . . .“L eo p o ld co m es also, b u t M ile. S m ith fears n o th ­ ing, sin ce h e r g u id e (V ictor H ugo) is th e re to p ro te c t h e r .” S e p te m b e r 2 3 .— . . .“A n u n p le a sa n t ev en in g . A sp irit an n o u n c es h im ­ self. I t is L eo p o ld . H e speaks to us at once: ‘I am h e re . I w ish to b e m a ste r o f th is sittin g .’ W e are v ery m u ch d isa p p o in te d , a n d do n o t ex p e ct any go o d o f h im . H e trie s, as h e h ad alre ad y d o n e o n ce b efo re, to p u t M ile.

Smith to sleep, w ho has great difficulty in struggling against this sleep. She rises from th e table, hoping by this m eans to rid herself of him, and that he will give up his place to others. She retu rn s in about ten m inutes, but he is still th ere, and apparently has no intention of abandoning his place. We sum m on o u r friends (spiritual) to ou r aid. . . . They take Leopold’s place m om entarily, but very soon Leopold returns; we struggle with him , we desire him to go away, but n eith er soft nor hard words have any effect; before that dogged determ ination we realize th at all our efforts will be useless, and we decide to close th e seance. ” O ctober 3 .— “[M anifestation by th e favorite spirits of the group, who declare] that they have not been able to come, as they w ould have liked to do; that they w ere prev en ted by th e spirit of Leopold, who is trying to introduce him self to us; that we should repulse him as m uch as possible, persuaded th at he does not com e for any good end. I do not know w h eth er we shall be able to rid ourselves of him , but we greatly fear th at he will injure us and reta rd our advancem ent.” O ctober 7 .— . . .“Leopold announces himself. We try to reason w ith him; we do not wish to forbid his coming, but we ask of him th at he shall come as a friend to all, and not in th e role of m aster. H e is not satisfied; appears to bear m uch malice. We tru st h e will com e to have b e tte r feel­ ings. H e shows himself, walks around th e table, bows to us, and salutes each one w ith his hand, and retires again, leaving his place to o th ers.” O ctober 14.— “[After a q u arter of an hour of m otionless and silent w ait­ ing in darkness around th e table Mile. Sm ith is questioned, and she is shaken in vain.] She is asleep. By the advice of persons p rese n t we allow her to rem ain asleep, w hen, at th e end of five m inutes, th e table raises itself, a spirit announces himself. It is Victor Hugo; we ask if he has any­ thing to say; he answers yes, and spells out: Wake her; do not allow her ever to sleep. We try to do so. We are nervous about that sleep; we have great difficulty in awakening h e r.” January 6, 1893.— “After tw enty m inutes of waiting, Leopold arrives, and, as is his habit, puts th e m edium to sleep for some m inutes; he tor­ m ents us, and prevents our friends (disincarnate) from coming to th e ta ­ ble. H e vexes us in every way, and goes contrary to all our wishes. In presence of that rancor th e sitters regret the indications of ill-hum or they have shown towards him , and deplore having to pay so dear for them . It is with difficulty th at th e m edium can be aw akened.” February, 1893.— “In one of th e seances of this m onth a rem arkable thing happened: the spirit of Leopold, who was very m uch irritated on that day, twice in succession took away h er chair from our m edium and carried it to th e farther e n d of th e room, while Mile. Sm ith fell heavily to the floor. Not expending this w retched farce, Mile. S m ith s tru c k h e rk n e e so hard th at for several days she suffered pain in walking. We w ere

56

·

Chapter Four

obliged to term in a te th e seance; we w ere not com fortable. W hy this anim osity?” This w ord anim osity describes very well the conduct and th e feelings th a t L eopold seem ed to have towards the N. group and against his placid rival, V ictor H ugo. T he personal recollections of th e sitters w hom I have b e e n able to in terro g ate confirm the substantial physiognom y of the two figures. * T h at of H ugo is, in effect, effaced and altogether eclipsed by the totally opposite character o f the arrogant Leopold, who takes a peculiar pleasure in th e role o f vindictive and jealous m ischief-m aker, obstructing th e appearance of th e “spirits” d esired by the group, p u tting the m edium to sleep, or causing h e r to fall on th e floor, forbidding h e r to give h e r h eart to another, and breaking up th e seances as far as he is able. It seem s to have finally resu lte d in th e m eetings of the N. group com ing to an e n d at th e beginning of th e sum m er; th en comes a break of six m onths, after w hich I find M ile. Sm ith on th e 12th of D ecem b er inaugurating a new series o f seances, w ith an entirely different spiritistic group organized by Prof. C u en d et. H e re Victor H ugo very rarely appears, and never in the role of guide, w hich role is freely accorded, w ithout objection, to Leopold, w hose real identity (Cagliostro) was no secret to any one in th e new environm ent. It was, therefore, in th e course of th e year 1893, at a p eriod w hich cannot be precisely d e te rm in e d from th e records, th at the rivalry of th ese two personalities was term in ated by th e com plete trium ph o f th e second. It follows from th e p reced in g recital th a t th e appearance of Leopold in seances o f th e N. group was a phenom enon of m anifest contrast, of hostil­ ity, and of antagonism towards th at group. It is a difficult and delicate task to pronounce upon th e com plex spirit of an en v iro n m en t of which one was not a part, and in regard to w hich one possesses only a few and not very concordant incidents. T he following, however, seem to be th e facts: T he N. group, m uch m ore num erous than is convenient in seances of th at kind, was com posed of very varied elem ents. Alongside of serious believers w ere ordinarily som e students who boarded w ith one o f the ladies of th e group, and who do not appear to have felt the seriousness of spiritistic reunions. T hat age has no mercy, and th e profound signification of th e seances often escaped th eir superficial and frivolous intelligence. U nder such con­ ditions M ile. Sm ith was inevitably com pelled to experience two contrary im pressions. O n the one hand, she perceived h erself adm ired, m ade m uch of, feted, as th e unrivalled m edium , w hich she really was, and upon whom th e group d e p e n d ed for its existence; on th e o th er hand, h e r secret instincts and high personal dignity could not but be offended by th e fam il­ iarities to w hich she was exposed in this m ixed environm ent.

I re g a rd th e tw o rival a n d successive gu id es o f H e le n e as th e expression of this d o u b le se n tim e n t. If she h ad b e e n b ro u g h t u p like an A m erican w om an, o r if h e r n a tu re h ad b e e n a d e g re e less fine, th e frivolity o f th e seances w o u ld u n d o u b te d ly have only given m o re w arm th an d brilliancy to V ictor H ugo; in ste a d o f w hich, th e victorious colors o f L eo p o ld are raised over a n a tu re o f g re a t native p rid e , e x tre m ely sensitive on th e p o in t of fem in in e dignity, a n d w hose se v e re an d rigid edu catio n h ad alread y exalted h e r sen se o f self-resp ect. A fter a stru g g le o f a y ea r b e tw e e n th e se two p erso n ifications o f o p p o site em o tio n al te n d e n c ie s, th e second, as we have seen , finally triu m p h s; an d M ile. S m ith w ithdraw s from th e N. group, w h ich at th e sam e tim e break s up. T h e id e a I have fo rm ed o f L eo p o ld is now ap p a ren t. H e re p re s e n ts , to my m in d , in M ile. S m ith, th e sy n th esis, th e q u in te ss e n c e — an d th e ex­ pansion, to o — o f th e m o st h id d e n springs o f th e psychological organism . H e gush es fo rth from th a t d e e p a n d m y sterio u s sp h e re into w hich th e d e e p e s t ro o ts o f o u r individual ex isten ce are p lu n g ed , w hich b in d us to th e species itself, an d p e rh a p s to th e A bsolute, an d w h en ce confusedly spring o u r in stin cts o f physical an d m oral self-p reserv atio n , o u r sexual feelings. W h e n H e le n e found h e rs e lf in an e n v iro n m e n t n o t exactly d an ­ gerous, b u t w h e re she sim ply ran th e risk, as in th e N. group, o f yielding to som e in clin ation co n tra ry to h e r fu n d a m e n tal aspirations, it is th e n th at L eo p o ld su d d e n ly springs up, speaking as th e m aster, taking p ossession of th e m e d iu m for him self, an d in d icatin g his unw illingness th a t she should attach h e rs e lf to any o n e h e re below. W e h e re recognize th e sam e p rin c i­ ple o f self-p ro tectio n an d self-p reserv atio n w h ich w as alread y active in h e r as a y o ung girl in th e teleological autom atism s arising on th e occasion of certain em o tio n al shocks, o f w hich I have sp oken on p. 22. But, by th e s e co n sid eratio n s, w e have trav elled very far from th e o rig i­ nal a p p e a ra n c e o f L eo p o ld in th e seance o f th e 26 th o f A ugust, 1892, tow ards his actual, m o re a n c ie n t origin. T his seem s to d ate from a g re at fright w h ich H e le n e h a d in th e co u rse o f h e r te n th year. As she was w alk­ ing along th e s tre e t, on h e r way h o m e from school, she was attack ed by a big dog. T h e te rro r o f th e p o o r child can w ell b e im agined, a n d from w hich sh e was h ap p ily d e liv e re d b y a p erso n ag e clo th ed in a long brow n ro b e w ith flowing sleeves an d w ith a w h ite cross on th e b re ast, w ho, a p ­ p earin g to h e r su d d en ly an d as b y a m iracle, ch ased th e dog away, an d d isap p ea red b efo re sh e h ad tim e to th an k him . But, according to L eopold, this p erso n ag e was no o th e r th a n him self, w ho on th is occasion for th e first tim e a p p e a re d to H e le n e , a n d saved h e r b y d riv in g away th e dog. T his ex p lan ation was given by L eo p o ld on th e 6th o f O c to b er, 1895, in a seance in w h ich H e le n e ex p e rie n c e d , in a so m n am b u listic state, a re p e ti­ tion o f th a t sce n e o f fright, w ith h e a rt-re n d in g cries, g estu re s of stru g g le and d efen ce, a tte m p ts at flight, etc. In th e w aking state she v ery w ell

58 ·

Chapter Four

recalls this episode of h e r childhood, b ut cannot accept L eopold as the perso n w ho cam e to h e r rescue, b u t believes it to have b een a p riest or m e m b e r o f som e religious o rd er who ru sh ed to h e r assistance and drove th e anim al away. H e r p arents also recollected th e incident, w hich she told th em one day on re tu rn in g from school in a very excited state, and after w hich she could not for a long tim e en co u n ter a dog in th e stre e t w ithout hiding h e rse lf in th e folds o f h e r m o th e r’s dress. She has since always p rese rv ed an instinctive aversion towards dogs. W e have seen (p. 25) th at after this first incident, m atters rem ained in statu quo for four years, up to th e tim e w hen th e age of p u b e rty began to favor th e d ev elo p m en t of th e O riental visions. H ere, Leopold, to whom we owe this inform ation, does not altogether agree w ith him self, for at one tim e h e says th a t it was he him self who furnished M ile. Sm ith w ith h e r visions of India, at a n o th e r tim e he says th at they are rem iniscences of one o f h e r form er existences. A longside o f th ese varied visions, L eopold has clearly ap p eared u n d e r th e form of th e p ro te c to r in th e dark robe in a n u m b er of cases. I will only cite two exam ples, one very rem o te, th e o th er quite recent. O ne day H e len e w e n t to consult h e r family physician for som e trifling ailm ent, w ho, having known h e r for a long tim e and being an old friend of h e r family, p resu m e d to give h e r an innocent kiss. H e was q u ite u n ­ p re p a re d for th e explosion of w rath w hich this fam iliarity provoked, and h a ste n e d to m ake his apologies: but w hat is of in te rest to us in this connec­ tion is th e fact th a t u n d e r th e shock of this em otion h e r d e fen d er of the brow n robe ap p eared before h e r in th e co rn e r of th e room , and did not leave h e r side u n til she had reached hom e. A sh o rt tim e ago this sam e protector, always in th e sam e costum e, ac­ com panied h e r several days in succession w hile she was traversing a littlefre q u e n te d p a rt of th e route tow ards h e r place of business. O ne evening, also, he ap p eared to h e r at th e en tran ce to th e s tre e t leading to th e lo­ cality in question, in th e attitu d e of barring th e way, and obliged h e r to m ake a d e to u r to regain h e r house. M ile. Sm ith has th e im pression— and several indications go to show th a t she is not deceiv ed — th at it is w ith th e purpose of sparing h e r som e unp leasan t sight or a dangerous e n c o u n te r th at Leopold, in th e brow n robe, appears to h e r u n d e r perfectly w ell-known conditions. H e rises b e ­ fore h e r always at a distance of about te n yards, walks, or ra th e r glides, along in silence, at th e same rate as she advances tow ards him , attracting and fascinating h e r gaze in such a m an n er as to p rev e n t h e r tu rn in g h e r eyes away from him e ith e r to th e right o r th e left, u n til she has passed the place of danger. I t is to b e n o ted th a t w hereas L eopold, u n d e r o th er circum stances— for instance, at th e seances— shows h im self to h e r in the m ost varied costum es and speaks on all subjects, it is always u n d e r his

h ieratic asp ect, silen t, a n d clo th ed in his long d ark robe, th a t h e appears to h e r on th o se occasions o f real life in w hich she is exposed to feelings of fright p e c u lia r to h e r sex, as h e a p p e a re d to h e r on th a t first occasion in h e r te n th year. T h e h in ts I have given sufficiently justify, I think, m y opinion th a t th e real a n d p rim o rd ial origin o f L eo p o ld is to b e found in th a t d e e p and d elicate sp h e re in w hich w e so o ften e n c o u n te r th e roots o f h y p n o id p h e ­ no m en a, an d to w hich th e m ost illustrious visionaries, such as S w ed e n ­ b o rg , 1 seem to owe a g re a t p a rt no t only o f th e in telle ctu al c o n te n t b u t of th e im ag in ativ e form , th e h allu cin ato ry w rapping, o f th e ir genius. T h e re is a d o u b le p ro b le m to b e solved in M ile. S m ith ’s case. W h y have th e se in stin ctiv e feelin gs a n d em o tio n al te n d e n c ie s w hich are com m on to th e e n tire h u m a n race su c c e e d e d in d ev elo p in g in h e r a p ro d u c t so com plex and hig h ly o rg an ized as is th e p erso n ality o f L eopold? an d why, in th e second place, d o es th a t p erso n ality b eliev e itself to b e Joseph Balsam o? I in stan tly re p ly th a t th e se tw o re su lts are, to m y m ind, e n tire ly th e effect o f auto su g gestion. To explain th e first, th e sim ple fact o f h e r b ein g o ccu p ied w ith sp iritism an d en g a g ed in m ed iu m istic ex p e rim en ts, is suffi­ cient. Take an y individual having in h e r subconsciousness m em ories, scru p les, em o tio n al te n d e n c ie s, p u t into h e r h ea d sp iritistic leanings, th e n seat h e r at a tab le, o r p u t a pen cil in h e r hand: even th o u g h she m ay not b e o f a v ery im p ressio n ab le o r suggestible te m p e ra m e n t, or in clin ed to th e m en tal d isin te g ratio n w hich th e g en e ral p u b lic calls th e m ed iu m is­ tic faculty, n e v e rth e le ss, it will n o t b e long b efo re h e r sublim inal elem e n ts g roup th e m se lv e s a n d arran g e th em selv es according to th e “p erso n al” form to w h ich all consciousness te n d s ,2 an d w hich discloses itself ou t­ w ardly by co m m u n icatio n s w hich have th e a p p e a ra n c e o f com ing directly from d isin carn a te spirits. In th e case o f M ile. S m ith, L eo p o ld did n o t exist u n d e r th e title o f a d istin ct seco n d ary p erso n ality b efo re H e le n e b eg an to b e o ccupied w ith spiritism . It was at th e seances o f th e N. group, b y an em otional reaction against ce rta in in fluences, as w e have seen , th a t h e began, little by little, to tak e sh ap e, a id ed by m em o ries o f th e sam e g en e ral to n e , u n til h e fi­ nally g re w in to an ap p a re n tly in d e p e n d e n t bein g , rev ealin g h im se lf th ro u g h th e tab le, m anifesting a w ill a n d a m in d o f his own, recalling analogous fo rm e r in cid en ts o f H e le n e ’s life, an d claim ing for h im se lf th e m e rit o f having in te rv e n e d in it in th e role o f h e r p ro tecto r. O n c e e sta b lish e d , this secondary self co u ld n o t do o th erw ise th a n to grow, a n d to d ev e lo p a n d stre n g th e n itself in all d irectio n s, assim ilating to itse lf a h o st o f n ew d ata favoring th e state o f suggestibility w hich ac1 S ee L ehm ann’s A u b e rg la u b e u n d Z au berei, p. 217 e t seq. Stuttgart, 1898. 2 W. James, “T hought Tends to Personal F orm .” P rinciples o f Psychology, vol. i. p. 225 et seq. N e w York, 1890.

com panies th e exercise o f m edium ship. W ithout th e spiritism and th e autohypnotization of th e seances, Leopold could never have b e e n truly d eveloped into a personality, but w ould have continued to rem ain in th e nebulous, in co h e ren t state of vague sublim inal reveries and of occasional autom atic phenom ena. T he second problem , th at of explaining w hy this secondary personality, once established, believes itself to b e Cagliostro ra th e r than any o th er c ele b ra te d personage, or o f rem aining sim ply th e anonym ous guardian angel of M ile. Sm ith, w ould dem an d a very com plete know ledge of the thousand outside influences w hich have su rro u n d ed H e len e since th e b e ­ ginning of h e r m edium ship, and w hich m ay have involuntarily influenced her. But on this point I have only succeeded in collecting a very few inci­ d en ts, w hich leave m uch still to be desired, and are of such a character th a t it is en tirely p erm issible for any one to claim th a t th e p u rely psycho­ logical origin of th a t personality is not clearly established, and to prefer, if h e chooses, th e actual in tervention of th e disincarnate Joseph Balsamo to my hypothesis of autosuggestion. T he following, how ever, are th e facts advanced by m e in su p p o rt of the latter: T he authoritative and jealous spirit, th e e v id en t enem y of th e N. group, who m anifested him self on th e 26th of A ugust, 1892, u n d e r th e nam e of Leopold,* did not reveal his id en tity as th a t of Cagliostro until som e tim e afterw ards, u n d e r th e following circum stances: O ne o f th e m ost regular atten d an ts at th e reunions of th e N. group was a M m e. B., who had long b een an a d h e re n t o f spiritism , and w ho had previously a tte n d e d num erous seances at th e house of M. and M m e. B adel, a thoroughly convinced couple of am ateurs, now deceased, w hose salon and round table have held a very honorable place in th e history of G enevese occultism . But I learn ed from M m e. B. th at one of th e disincar­ nate spirits who m anifested him self oftenest at th e seances of M. and M m e. Badel was this very Joseph Balsamo. T h ere is, in d eed , no figure in h istory w hich accords b e tte r w ith th e idea of a posthum ous re tu rn to th e m ysteries o f th e ro u n d table than th at of th e enigm atic Sicilian, especially since A lexandre D um as, pere, has su rro u n d e d him w ith an additional halo o f rom ance. N ot c o n ten t w ith th e public reunions of th e N. group, M m e. B. often in v ited H e le n e to h e r house for private seances, of w hich no record was m ade. At one of th ese, H elen e having had a vision of Leopold, who p o in te d out to h e r w ith a w and a decanter, M m e. B. suddenly th o u g h t of a c e le b ra te d episode in th e life of Cagliostro, and after th e seance she pro ­ c e ed e d to take from a d raw er and show to H e len e an engraving taken from an illustrated edition of D um as, rep resen tin g th e famous scene o f th e

The Personality of Leopold

* 61

d e c a n te r b e tw e e n B alsam o an d th e D a u p h in at th e ch ateau o f Taverney. At th e sam e tim e sh e gave u tte ra n c e to th e id e a th a t th e sp irit w ho m an i­ fested h im se lf at th e ta b le b y m ean s o f H e le n e ’s h an d s was ce rtain ly Jo­ sep h B alsam o; a n d sh e ex p re sse d h e r a sto n ish m e n t th a t H e le n e h ad given him th e n am e o f L eo p o ld , to w hich H e le n e re p lie d th a t it was h e h im se lf who h ad g iven th a t nam e. M m e. B ., co n tin u in g h e r d ed u c tio n s, told M ile. S m ith th a t p e rh a p s sh e h ad fo rm erly b e e n th e m ed iu m o f th e g re a t m agician, a n d co n se q u e n tly h a d b e e n L o re n za F eliciani in a fo rm e r life. H e le n e a t o n ce a c c e p te d th e idea, a n d for several w eeks c o n sid ered h e r­ self to b e th e re in c a rn a tio n o f L o ren za, u n til o n e day a lady o f h e r ac­ q u ain tan c e re m a rk e d th a t it was im possible, L o re n za F eliciani having n ev er ex isted save in th e im agination a n d th e ro m an ces o f A lexandre D um as, p e r e .3 T h u s d isp o ssessed o f h e r su p p o sed fo rm er ex isten ce, H e le n e was no t long in d ec la rin g th ro u g h th e ta b le th a t sh e was M arie A n to in ette. As to L eopold, a sh o rt tim e a fte r M m e. B. had h y p o th etically id en tified him w ith C ag lio stro , h e h im se lf co n firm ed th a t h y p o th esis at a seance of th e N. g roup, d ictatin g to th e tab le th a t his real n am e was Jo sep h Balsam o.* O n e fact, how ever, is ce rtain , nam ely, th a t save for th e vague affirm a­ tion th a t h e h ad know n H e le n e in a p rev io u s existence,* L eo p o ld h ad n ev e r p re te n d e d to b e C agliostro, o r given any reason for b e in g th o u g h t so, b efo re th e re u n io n w h e re M m e. B ., w ho h ad b e e n for som e tim e accu sto m ed to m anifestations o f th a t p erso n ag e, a n n o u n c ed th e su p p o si­ tion a n d sh ow ed M ile. S m ith im m e d ia tely afte r th e seance (at a m o m e n t w hen sh e was p ro b a b ly still in a very su g g estib le state) an en g rav in g from D u m as’ w orks re p re s e n tin g B alsam o an d th e D a u p h in . F ro m th a t day L eo p o ld , on his p a rt, n e v e r failed to claim th a t personality, an d p ro ­ gressively to realize th e ch a ra c te r o f th e role in a v ery re m a rk ab le m a n ­ ner, as w e shall see. II. P e r s o n i f i c a t i o n

of

Balsam o by L £ o po l d

T h e re is no n e e d , I th in k , to re m in d th e re a d e r o f th e w ell-know n fact— so often d e s c rib e d u n d e r th e n am es o f o b jectiv ity o f types,* p ersonifica­ tion, ch an g e o f personality, e tc .— th a t a h y p n o tiz e d su b je c t can b e tra n s­ fo rm ed b y w o rd in to su ch o th e r living b ein g as m ay b e d e sire d , according to th e m e a su re in w hich his su g g estib ility on th e o n e h a n d an d th e vivid­ ness o f his im ag ination an d th e fulness o f his sto red -u p know ledge or m em o ries on th e o th e r en a b le s him to fulfil th e role w hich is im p o sed u p on him . W ith o u t in v estig atin g h e r e to w h a t e x te n t m ed iu m s m ay b e lik en ed to h y p n o tiz e d su b jects, it is u n d e n ia b le th at an analogous p h e3 Alexandre Dinnas, pere, Memoirs o f a Physician, chap. xv.

n o m e n o n tak es p lace in th e m ; b u t th e p ro cess is m o re g radual, a n d m ay e x te n d its e lf o v er sev eral years. In place o f th e im m e d ia te m etam o rp h o sis w h ich m odifies at o n e stro k e an d instantly, conform ably to a p re s c rib e d ty p e , th e a ttitu d e , th e physiognom y, th e g e stu re s, th e w ords, th e in to n a ­ tio n s o f voice, th e style, th e h an d w ritin g , a n d o th e r fu n ctio n s b esid es, we a re , in th e case o f th e m e d iu m , in th e p re s e n c e o f a d e v e lo p m e n t fo rm e d b y su ccessiv e stag es a rra n g e d acco rd in g to g rad es, w ith in terv a ls o f differ­ e n t le n g th s, w h ich finally su c c e e d in c re a tin g a c o m p le te perso n ality , all th e m o re asto n ish in g , a t first sight, b e c a u se th e in v o lu n ta ry suggestions have n o t b e e n n o tic e d , th e accu m u latio n s o f w hich have little b y little c a u se d its b irth . T his p ro c ess o f d e v e lo p m e n t is p re s e n t in a hig h d e g re e in th e case o f M ile. S m ith , in th e elab o ratio n o f h e r seco n d ary personality, L eo p o ld -C ag lio stro . In th e b e g in n in g , in 1892 a n d 1893, this “s p irit” only m an ife ste d h im ­ s e lf b y th e b r ie f p e rio d s o f sleep w hich h e in d u c e d in H d le n e at c e rta in sea n ces, b y rap s stru c k u p o n th e ta b le , by visions in w hich h e show ed h im s e lf c lo th e d in black a n d o f youthful a p p e a ra n c e , an d , m o re rarely, by a u d itiv e h allu cin atio n s. H is c h a ra c te r a n d th e c o n te n t o f his m essages w e re s u m m e d u p in im p erio u s, au th o ritativ e, d o m in e e rin g m a n n e rs, w ith th e p re te n s io n o f claim in g M ile. S m ith all for h im self, o f d e fe n d in g h e r ag ain st th e in flu en c es o f th e N. g roup, an d , finally, o f d e ta c h in g h e r from th a t e n v iro n m e n t. T h e re w as n o th in g , how ever, in th is g e n e ra l ch a ra c te r o f m onopoly an d o f p ro te c tio n w h ich specially re c a lle d th e B alsam o o f h isto ry o r o f ro ­ m an ce. T h e p erso n ificatio n o f c o m p le te o b jectiv ity o f th is esta b lish e d ty p e really b e g a n only in 1894, w h e n L eo p o ld h ad n o lo n g e r to stru g g le w ith an e n v iro n m e n t fo reig n to his n a tu re . T h e su bconscious p sychologi­ cal task o f realizatio n o f th e p ro p o se d m o d el co u ld th e n b e follow ed by him m o re freely ; in sp iritistic te rm s, Jo sep h B alsam o was a b le to m an ifest h im s e lf a n d m ak e h im se lf know n in a m a n n e r m o re c o m p le te th ro u g h H e le n e as an in term ed iary , w h ile co n tin u in g to follow an d p ro te c t h e r as th e re in c a rn a tio n o f th e royal o b je c t o f his passion. A t th e sean ces h e ld w ith M. C u e n d e t, L eo p o ld fre q u e n tly show ed h im ­ self to H e le n e c lo th e d a fte r th e fashion o f th e last c e n tu ry a n d w ith a face like th a t o f L ouis X V I., u n d e r th e d iffe re n t p h ase s o f his m u ltip lex gen iu s. H e also sh o w ed h im se lf to h e r in his laboratory, s u rro u n d e d by utensils a n d in s tru m e n ts a p p ro p ria te to th e so rc e re r a n d alch e m ist th a t h e was; or, again, as th e p h y sician a n d p o ssesso r o f s e c re t elixirs, th e k n ow ledge o f w h ich is p ro d u c tiv e o f co n su ltatio n s o r re m e d ie s for th e use o f sitte rs w ho n e e d th e m ; or, again, as th e illu m in e d th eo so p h ist, th e v erb o se p ro p h e t o f th e b ro th e rh o o d o f m an, w ho diffuses lim p in g A lex an d rin e v e rse s— w h ich seem to have b e e n in h e rite d from his p re d e c e sso r, V ictor H u g o — co n ta in in g ex h o rta tio n s a little w eak at tim e s, b u t alw ays s ta m p e d w ith a

pure m oral tone, elevated and noble sentim ents, and a very touching religious spirit— in short, a fine exam ple of that “Athico-deific verbiage” (if I m ay be allowed th e expression, which is an Americanism), which, both in prose and in verse, is one of th e m ost frequent and estim able products of m edium ship. * But it was not until 1895 that Leopold, benefiting by the progress m ade by the autom atic phenom ena in H elene, m ultiplied and perfected his p ro ­ cesses of com m unication. T he first step consisted in substituting, in his dictations by spelling, th e m ovem ents of the hand or of a single finger for those of th e whole table. This was the im m ediate result of a suggestion of mine. The second step in advance was the handw riting, which shows two stages. In the first, Leopold gave H elene the im pression of a phrase (verbo-visual hallucination), which she copied in pencil on a sheet of pa­ per, in h e r own handw riting. The second, which was only accom plished five m onths later, and which consisted in w riting directly w ith H elen e’s hand, p e rm itted the im m ediate establishm ent of th re e curious facts. O ne is, that Leopold holds his pen in the usual m anner, the handle resting betw een th e thum b and the index-finger, w hile H elene, in writing, al­ ways holds h e r pen-handle or pencil betw een the index and m iddle fin­ gers, a very rare habit w ith us. T he next is that Leopold has an entirely different handw riting from that of H elene, a calligraphy m ore regular, larger, m ore painstaking, and w ith m arked differences in the form ation of the letters (see Figs. 3 and 4). The th ird is th at he uses th e style of h an d ­ w riting of the last century, and puts an o instead of an a in th e tenses of the verbs, fa m o is, for ja m a is, etc. These th re e characteristics he has never departed from during all th e four years that I have been accum ulating specim ens of his handw riting. T he following is a resum e of th e seances at which these two innovations took place. April 21, 1895.— As I had ju st asked Leopold a question which he did not like, H elene, being in a state of hem isom nam bulism , w ith a pencil and som e sheets of paper placed before her, in th e hope o f obtaining some com m unication (not from Leopold), seem ed about to plunge into a very interesting perusal of one of the blank sheets; then, at my request, which she w ith difficulty com prehended, she com m enced to w rite rapidly and nervously on another sheet, in h e r usual handw riting, a copy of the imag­ inary text which Leopold was showing h e r (“in fluid le tte rs ,” as he said afterwards at th e seance) as follows: “M y thoughts are not th y thoughts, and th y wishes are not m ine, fr ie n d Flournoy— L eopold.” At th e final awakening H elene recognized perfectly h e r own handw riting in his phrase, b ut had no recollection of th e occurrence. S eptem ber 22, 1895.— After different visions and some stanzas of Vic-

64

• Chapter Four

Fig. 3. Handwriting of Leopold. Fragments of two letters, one in Alexandrine verse, the other in prose, entirely in the hand of Leopold, automatically written by Mile. Smith in spontaneous hemisomnambulism.

Fig. 4. Normal handwriting of Mile. Smith.

tor Hugo, dictated by the table, Helene appeared to suffer considerably in her right arm, which she was holding at the wrist with her left hand, when the table at which she was seated gave out the following, dictated by Leopold-. " I shall hold her hand," meaning that it was he, Leopold, who was causing Mile. Smith to suffer pain by seizing h e r right hand. As she seemed to feel very badly and began to weep, Leopold was asked to desist; but he refused, and, still speaking through the table, said, "Give h e r some paper," then, " M o r e light." Writing material was furnished her and

th e lam p b ro u g h t in, w hich H e le n e gazed a t fixedly, w hile L eopold con­ tin u e d to d ic ta te (this tim e w ith th e little finger o f h e r left hand), “L e t h e r gaze on th e lam p u n til sh e forgets th e pain in h e r a rm .” S he th e n see m e d , in fact, to fo rget h e r pain, a n d to find satisfaction in looking at th e lam p; th en sh e fa ste n ed h e r eyes on th e p ap e r, an d se e m e d to re a d so m eth in g th e re w h ich sh e en d e a v o re d to copy in pencil. B ut h e re th e rig h t h an d began a cu rio u s a lte rn a tio n o f co n tra ry m otions, ex p ressin g in a v ery clear m an n er a c o n te st w ith L eopold, w ho was try in g to co m p el h e r to h o ld th e p encil in a c e rta in way, w hich H e le n e re fu sed to do, w ith a g re a t p re te n c e of anger. S he p e rsis te d in h o ld in g it b e tw e e n th e index an d m id d le fin­ gers, as was h e r w ont, w hile L eopold w an ted h e r to ho ld it in th e usual way, b e tw e e n th e th u m b a n d th e index-finger, an d said: “I do n o t w ish h e r to . . . sh e is h o ld in g th e p en c il v ery badly.” T h e rig h t index-finger th e n w en t th ro u g h a v ery com ical gym nastic p erfo rm an ce, b ein g seized w ith a trem o r, w hich cau sed h e r to place it on one side o r th e o th e r o f th e pencil, according to w h e th e r it was L eo p o ld o r H e le n e w ho was victorious; d u r­ ing this tim e she fre q u e n tly raised h e r eyes, w ith a look so m etim es re ­ proachful, so m etim es supplicating, as if to gaze at L eo p o ld stan d in g by h er sid e en d e av o rin g to force h e r to hold th e p e n c il in th e m a n n e r he p re fe rre d . A fter a co n te st o f n ea rly tw en ty m inutes, H e le n e , v an q u ish ed and co m p letely su b d u e d by L eopold, se e m e d to b e a b se n t, w hile h e r hand, h o ld in g th e p en c il in th e m a n n e r she did n o t like, w ro te slowly th e two follow ing lines, follow ed by a ra p id an d feverish sig n atu re o f Leopold: “Mes vers sont si mauvais que pour toi j ’aurois du Laisser a tout jamais Ie poete tetu.— L e o p o l d . ” An allusion, w h ich was o f no im p o rtan ce , to a re m a rk m ad e by m e at th e co m m e n c e m e n t o f th e sean ce on th e verses o f V ictor H ugo an d th o se of L eo p o ld fre q u e n tly d ic ta te d by th e tab le. T h e seance lasted som e tim e lo n g er; on aw akening, H e le n e vaguely re m e m b e re d having seen L eopold, b u t k n ew n o th in g m ore co n c ern in g th e h an d w ritin g scene. I t is a fact th a t w hile h e r o th e r incarnations are always accom plished passively a n d w ith o u t any stru g g le, th a t o f L eopold has th e p ec u lia rity o f reg u larly p rovoking m o re o r less resistan ce on th e p a rt o f H e le n e. “I do not m ake o f h e r all th a t I w ish . . . she is h ea d stro n g . . . . I do n o t know w h e th e r I shall su cceed. . . . I do n o t b eliev e I can m a ste r h e r to ­ day. . . . ” re p lie s h e often w h e n asked to in carn ate h im self o r w rite w ith h e r h a n d , an d , in d e e d , his efforts often fail. T h e re exists b e tw e e n H e le n e and h e r g u id e a cu rio u s p h e n o m e n o n o f co n tra st an d opposition, w hich only b re ak s o u t in th e h ig h e r a n d m ore re c e n t form s o f m o to r autom atism , th e h a n d w ritin g , th e sp ee ch , o r th e co m p lete in carn atio n , b u t from w hich th e sen so ry m essages an d sim p le raps on th e ta b le o r o f th e finger are free. It is v ery p o ssib le th a t th e idea, v ery a n tip a th e tic to H e le n e , o f th e

h y p n o tizer m astering his subjects in spite of them selves— of th e disincarn a te d C agliostro using his m edium as a sim ple tool— has b e e n sub­ consciously th e origin of this constant note of revolt against th e total dom i­ nation o f L eopold, and of th e intense suffering w hich accom panied his first incarnations, and w hich has slowly dim inished th rough h e r becom ­ ing accustom ed to th e process, though it has never b e e n com pletely banished. A fter th e handw riting, in its tu rn cam e speech, w hich also was attained by m eans o f two stages. In a first a tte m p t Leopold only succeeded in giving H e le n e his intonation and pronunciation after a seance in w hich she suffered acutely in h e r m outh and in h e r neck, as though h e r vocal organs w ere b ein g m anipulated or rem oved; she began to talk in a natural to n e, and was ap p aren tly w ide awake and feeling well, but spoke w ith a d e e p bass voice, and a strong, easily recognizable Italian accent. It was not u n til a year later th a t L eopold was finally able to speak him self by the m outh of M ile. Sm ith, w hile she was com pletely en tran ced , and w ho did not retain on aw akening any m em ory of this strange occurrence. Since th e n th e com plete control o f th e m edium by h e r guide is a fre q u e n t occur­ ren c e at th e seances, and affords a tableau very characteristic and always im pressive. L eopold succeeds in incarnating him self only by slow degrees and pro ­ gressive stages. H e len e th en feels as though h e r arm s had b e e n seized, or as if th ey w ere a b sen t altogether; th e n she com plains of disagreeable sen ­ sations, w hich w ere form erly painful, in h e r throat, th e nape of h e r neck, and in h e r head; h e r eyelids droop; h e r expression changes; h e r th ro at swells into a sort of double chin, w hich gives h e r a likeness of som e sort to th e well-know n figure of C agliostro. All at once she rises, th en , tu rn in g slowly tow ards th e sitte r w hom L eopold is about to address, draws h erself up proudly, tu rn s h e r back quickly, som etim es w ith h e r arm s crossed on h e r b rea st w ith a m agisterial air, som etim es w ith one o f th em hanging down w hile th e o th e r is po in ted solem nly towards heaven, and w ith h er fingers m akes a sort of m asonic sign, w hich nev er varies. Soon after a series of hiccoughs, sighs, and various noises indicate th e difficulty L eopold is experiencing in taking hold of th e vocal apparatus; th e words com e forth slowly b ut strong; th e d e e p bass voice of a m an, slightly con­ fused, w ith a pronunciation and accent m arkedly foreign, certainly m ore like Italian than anything else. Ldopold is not always easily understood, especially w h en his voice swells and th u n d e rs out a reply to som e indis­ c re e t question or to th e disrespectful rem arks of som e skeptical sitter. H e speaks thickly, pronounces g IikeJ, and all his u s like ou, accents th e final syllables, em bellishes his vocabulary w ith obsolete w ords, or w ords which do not fit th e circum stances, such as fio le for bouteille, om nibus for tra m ­ w ays, etc. H e is pom pous, grandiloquent, unctuous, som etim es severe

and te rrib le , so m etim e s also se n tim en tal. H e says “th e e ” an d “th o u ” to everybody, a n d ap p e ars to b eliev e th a t h e is still g ra n d -m aster o f th e s e ­ cret so cieties, from th e e m p h a tic a n d sonorous m a n n e r in w hich h e p ro ­ n o unces th e w ords “B ro th e r” o r “A nd th o u , m y siste r,” by w hich h e a d ­ dresses th e sitte rs. A lthough h e g en erally ad d resses h im se lf to one of th em in p articu lar, an d holds v ery little collective d iscourse, h e is in to u ch w ith e v e ry o n e, listens to e v e ry th in g th a t is said, an d each o n e m ay have his tu rn in co n v ersatio n w ith him . O rd in a rily h e k ee p s his eyelids closed: he has, n e v e rth e le ss, b e e n p e rs u a d e d to o p en his eyes in o rd e r to p e rm it th e taking o f a p h o to g ra p h b y a flash light. I re g re t th a t M ile. S m ith w ould not co n se n t to th e p u b licatio n o f h e r p h o to g rap h s, e ith e r in h e r n orm al state or in th a t o f L eo p o ld , in co n n e ctio n w ith th e re p ro d u c tio n o f a p o r­ trait of C ag lio stro .4 T h e re a d e r m ay assure h im se lf th a t w h e n she in car­ nates h e r g u id e sh e really assum es a c e rtain re sem b la n ce o f fe atu res to him , a n d th e re is so m e th in g in h e r a ttitu d e w hich is so m etim es som ew hat th eatrical, b u t so m etim es really m ajestic, w hich co rresp o n d s w ell to th e g en erally re ceiv ed id ea o f this p erso n ag e, w h e th e r h e is re g a rd e d as a clev er im p o sto r o r as a w o n d erfu l genius. S p eech is th e ap o g ee o f th e in carn atio n s o f L eopold; o ften in te rru p te d by fits o f hicco u g hs a n d spasm s it see m s to b e in ju rio u s to H e le n e s o rg a n ­ ism, a n d th e re are som e seances at w hich a tte m p ts to p ro d u c e it fail to succeed. L eo p o ld , on th e s e occasions, in d icates his im p o te n ce an d th e fatigue o f th e m e d iu m b y his g estu re s, a n d is th e n re d u c e d to th e n e c e s­ sity o f ex p ressin g h im se lf b y digital dictatio n s o r h an d w ritin g , o r else to giving H e le n e v erb o -au d itiv e hallucinations, th e c o n te n t o f w hich sh e r e ­ peats in h e r n a tu ra l voice. F ro m th e p o in t o f view o f ea se a n d m obility o f th e e n tire organism , th e re is a n o tab le d ifferen ce b e tw e e n L eo p o ld an d th e o th e r incarnations of H e le n e: th e s e last seem to b e effected w ith m u ch m o re facility th a n in th e case o f th a t o f h e r g u id e p a r excellence. In th e case o f th e H indoo p rincess a n d th a t o f M arie A n to in ette, th e p erfec tio n o f th e play, th e su p ­ p len ess a n d freed o m o f m o v em en t, a re always ad m irab le. I t is tru e th e re is no q u estio n h e re , acco rd in g to th e sp iritistic d o c trin e an d th e su b ­ conscious id eas o f M ile. S m ith, o f in carn atio n s p ro p e rly so called, since it is she h e rs e lf w h o sim ply re tu rn s to th a t w hich she fo rm erly was, b y a so rt of re v ersio n o r p re n a ta l ecm nesia; she does n o t u n d erg o , in co n se q u en ce , any foreign p o ssession, an d can in th e s e roles p re se rv e h e r n atu ra l id e n ­ tity a n d th e e n tire d isp o sitio n o f h e r faculties. B ut still th e occasional in carn atio n o f d iffe ren t p erso n alities, such as th o se o f d ec ease d p a re n ts o r 4 The o n e w hich is found, for exam ple, at th e begin n in g o f the Vie de Joseph B alsam o, e tc ., translated from the Italian (3d edition , Paris, 1791), and w hich has b e e n several tim es reproduced. M ile. Sm ith has hanging over her fireplace a fine copy o f this portrait.

frie n d s o f th e sp e c ta to rs, a re o ften m o re easily a n d q u ick ly effec te d th an th a t o f L e o p o ld . H e le n e m oves in th e s e cases w ith m o re vivacity an d c h a n g es o f a ttitu d e . In th e ro le o f C agliostro, on th e o th e r h a n d , w ith th e e x c e p tio n o f th e g ra n d io se a n d n o t v e ry fr e q u e n t m o v e m e n ts o f th e arm s, o n ce sta n d in g , sh e re m a in s m o tio n less, o r only w ith difficulty ad v an cin g a little w ay to w ard s th e p e rs o n to w h o m sh e a d d re sse s h e r d isco u rse. T h e c o n te n t o f th e oral co n v ersatio n s o f L eo p o ld , as w ell as o f his o th e r m essag es b y th e v arious se n so ry a n d m o to r p ro c esses, is to o v arie d fo r m e to d e s c rib e h e re : th e n u m e ro u s exam ples s c a tte re d th ro u g h th is w ork o n ly can g iv e an id e a o f it. III. L e o p o l d

and th e

T ru e Jo se ph Balsa m o

I t w o u ld n a tu ra lly b e s u p p o se d th a t L e o p o ld w o u ld have given us, by m e a n s o f th e psy chological p e rfe c tio n o f his p a rtia l o r to tal in carn atio n s a n d b y th e c o n te n t o f his m essages, su ch a living lik en ess o f C agliostro th a t th e r e w o u ld h av e b e e n occasion to ask w h e th e r it is n o t re ally th e la tte r w h o actu ally “r e tu r n s ,” in th e sam e w ay th a t D r. H o d g so n a n d his co lleag u es ask th e m s e lv e s w h e th e r it is n o t actually G e o rg e P elh am w ho m an ifests h im s e lf th ro u g h M rs. P ip e r. L e t us su p p o se , for ex am p le, th a t L e o p o ld p o sse sse d a h a n d w ritin g , an o rth o g ra p h y , a style id e n tic a l w ith th a t w h ich is fo u n d h e r e a n d th e re in th e m a n u sc rip ts o f Jo sep h Balsam o; th a t h e sp o k e F re n c h , Italian , o r G e rm a n , as th a t co sm o p o litan a d v e n ­ tu r e r d id , a n d w ith all th e sam e p e c u lia ritie s; th a t his co n v e rsatio n s an d m essag es w e re full o f p re c ise allusions to actu al e v e n ts in his life, a n d also of u n p u b lis h e d b u t verifiab le facts, etc. In th a t case th e difficult a n d d e li­ ca te task o f p ro v in g th a t M ile. S m ith h a d no k n o w led g e th ro u g h n o rm a l m e th o d s o f th e s e th o u sa n d exact fe a tu re s w o u ld still re m a in , a n d w e sh o u ld n o t b e fo rced to ask w h e th e r th is so i-d isa n t a u th e n tic re v e n a n t is sim p ly a v e ry w e ll-g o tte n -u p sim u la cru m , an a d m ira b le re c o n stru c tio n , a m arv ello u s im itatio n , su ch as th e su b lim in al faculties are only too g lad to p ro d u c e fo r th e d iv ersio n o f psy ch o lo g ists a n d th e m ystification o f th e sim p le. T h is p ro b le m is n o t giv en to us. I re g re t it, b u t it is tru e , n e v e rth e le s s — to m y m in d , at least, for in th e s e m a tte rs it is p r u d e n t to sp ea k only for o n e ’s s e lf— th a t th e r e is n o re aso n to su s p e c t th e real p re s e n c e o f Jo sep h B alsam o b e h in d th e au to m atism s o f M ile. S m ith. T h a t th e r e a re v e ry cu rio u s analogies b e tw e e n w h a t is know n to us of C ag lio stro a n d c e rta in c h a ra c te ristic tra its o f L e o p o ld , I do n o t deny, b u t th e y a re p re c ise ly su ch as accord v e ry w ell w ith th e su p p o sitio n o f th e su b lim in al m edley. L e t us c o n s id e r first th e h an d w ritin g . To facilitate th e co m p ariso n , I have re p ro d u c e d h e r e (see pp. 70, 72, a n d 73) so m e frag m en ts o f le tte rs o f

Cagliostro and of Leopold and of H elene. L et us suppose— which is, p e r­ haps, open to discussion— that th e handw riting of Leopold, by its regu­ larity, its firm ness, resem bles that of Balsamo m ore than that of Mile. Smith; th e degree o f resem blance does not, I think, go beyond that which m ight be expected considering th e notorious fact that handw riting reflects the psychological tem p eram en t and modifies itself in accordance w ith the state of th e personality.5 It is well known how the calligraphy of a hypnotized subject varies ac­ cording to the suggestion that he shall personate Napoleon, H arpagon, a little girl, or an old man; th ere is nothing surprising in the fact that the hypnoid secondary personality of H elene, which imagines itself to be the powerful and m anly C ount of Cagliostro, should be accom panied by m us­ cular tensions com m unicating to the handw riting itself a little of th at so­ lidity and bread th which are found in the autograph of Balsamo. To this, however, th e analogy is lim ited. The dissim ilarities in the detail and the form ation of the letters are such th at th e only conclusion which they war­ rant is th at M ile. Sm ith, or h er subconsciousness, has never laid eyes on the m anuscripts of Cagliostro. They are, indeed, rare, but the facilities she m ight have had, of which she has not thought of taking advantage, for consulting in the G eneva public library the same volum e from w hich I took Fig. 5, would prove, at least, h er good faith and h er honesty, if it were in the least necessary. T he extravagant signature of Leopold with which all his m essages are subscribed (see Fig. 7) recalls in no wise that of Alessandro di Cagliostro at th e bottom of Fig. 5. The archaic forms of orthography, fa u r o is for j ’aurais, etc., which ap­ pear above the first autograph of Leopold (see p. 65), and w hich occur again in th e m essages of M arie A ntoinette, constitute a very p retty hit, of which th e ordinary self would probably never dream by way of voluntary imitation, but by w hich the subconscious imagination has seen fit to profit. It is undoubtedly a m atter for w onderm ent that Mile. Sm ith, who has not gone very d eep into literary studies, should, nevertheless, have retained these orthographic peculiarities of the eig hteenth century; but we m ust not overlook th e fineness of choice, th e refined sensibility, the consum m ate, albeit instinctive, art which presides over the sorting and storing away of th e subconscious m em ories. By some natural affinity, the idea o f a personage of a certain epoch attracts and gathers into its net everything th at th e subject can possibly learn or hear spoken concerning the fashion of w riting, of speaking, or acting, peculiar to that epoch. I do not know w h eth er Balsamo ever used the F rench language and th e or­ thography that Leopold employs. Even if he did, it would not weaken the 5 See, e .g ., Ferrari, H ericourt, and R ichet, “Personality and H andw riting,” Revue philosophique, vol. xxi, p. 414.

Hommes

celebres.

Fig. 5. Handwriting of Joseph Balsamo. Fragment of a letter to his wife, reproduced in L'Isographie

des

hypothesis of the sublim inal im itation, but if, on the o th er hand, it should be ascertained that he did not, the hypothesis would be greatly stren g th ­ ened thereby. As for th e speech, I am ignorant as to how, with w hat accent and what peculiarities of pronunciation, Balsamo spoke the F rench tongue, and to what degree, in consequence, his reconstruction by H elene’s sublim inal fantasy correctly hits it. If this point could be cleared up, it would p rob­ ably b e found to be ju st like that of the handw riting. N othing could be more natural than to ascribe to th e chevalier d’industrie of Palerm o a very masculine, deep-bass voice, and, it goes w ithout saying, as Italian as pos­ sible. It m ust be noted, too, that Mile. Sm ith often heard h e r father speak that language, which he knew very well, w ith several of his friends; but that, on the o th er hand, she does not speak it, and has never learned it. Leopold, however, does not know Italian, and turns a deaf ear w hen any one addresses him in that language.* The intonation, the attitude, the whole physiognomy, in short, accord w ith these remarks.* As to th e ex­ trem ely varied content of the conversations and m essages of Leopold, we are not obliged to consider Balsamo as th eir necessary author. W hen ev­ erything relating to Mile. Sm ith and the sitters, but which has nothing to do w ith th e last century, has been swept aside, together with the spiritis­ tic dissertations in regard to th e “fluid” m anner in which Leopold exists, perceives, and moves, the th re e subjects or categories of com m unications still rem ain, w hich m erit a rapid examination. In th e first place, th ere are the answers o f Leopold to the questions put to him concerning his terrestrial life. These answers are rem arkably eva­ sive or vague. N ot a nam e, not a date, not a precise fact does he furnish. We only learn th at he has travelled extensively, suffered greatly, studied deeply, done m uch good, and healed a great m any sick folk; but now he sees things too lofty to think any m ore about historic details of th e past, and it is with unconcealed disgust o r direct words of reproach for the idle curiosity of his carnal questioners that he hastens to tu rn th e conversa­ tion, like Socrates, to m oral subjects and those of a lofty philosophy, w here he feels evidently m ore at ease. W hen he is fu rth er pressed he becom es angry som etim es, and som etim es ingenuously avows his igno­ rance, enveloping it m eanw hile in an air o f profound mystery. “They are asking th e secret of my life, of my acts, of my thoughts. I cannot answ er.” This does not facilitate investigation of the question of identity. In th e second place come the consultations and m edical prescrip­ tions. Leopold affects a lofty disdain for m odern m edicine and phenic acid. H e is as archaic in his therapeutics as in his orthography, and treats all m aladies after th e ancient m ode. Baths of pressed grape-skins for rh e u ­ matism, an infusion of coltsfoot and ju n ip er-b erry in w hite w ine for in­ flammations of th e chest, the bark of th e horsechestnut in red wine and

72

• Chapter Four

Fig. 6. Normal handwriting of Mile. Smith.

douches of salt water as tonics, tisanes of hops and other flowers, camomile, oil of lavender, the leaves of the ash, etc.; all these do not accord badly with what Balsamo might have prescribed a century or more ago. T h e misfortune, from the evidential point of view, is that Mile. Smith's mother is extremely well versed in all the resources of popular medicine where old recipes are perpetuated. She has had occasion to nurse many sick people in her life, knows the virtues of different medicinal plants, and constantly employs, with a sagacity which I have often admired, a number of those remedies spoken of as "old-women's," which make the young doctors fresh from the clinic smile, but to which they will more than once resort in secret after a few years of medical experience.* Finally, there still remain the sentiments of Leopold for Helene, which he claims are only the continuation of those of Cagliostro for Marie Antoinette. My ignorance of history does not permit me to pronounce categorically on this point. That the Queen of France did have some secret interviews with the famous "gold-maker," due to simple curiosity or to questions of material interest, there is no doubt, I believe; but that his feelings for his sovereign were a curious combination of the despairing passion of Cardinal Rohan for the queen, with the absolute respect which Alexandre Dumas, pere, ascribes to Joseph Balsamo towards Lorenza F e liciani, appears to me less evident. In short, if the revelations of Leopold have truly unveiled to us shades of feeling of Count Cagliostro hitherto unsuspected, and of which later documentary researches shall confirm the historic correctness—why, so much the better, for that will finally establish a trace of the supernormal in the mediumship of Helene!*

spontaneous hemisomnambulism.

Fig. 7. Handwriting of Leopold. Fragment and signature of one of his letters, written by Mile. Smith, in

IV.

L

eopold

and

M

l l e

. Sm

it h

T h e c o n n e c tio n b e tw e e n th e s e tw o p e rso n a litie s is too co m p lex for a p r e ­ cise d e sc rip tio n . T h e r e is n e ith e r a m u tu al exclusion, as b e tw e e n M rs. P ip e r a n d P h in u it, w h o a p p e a r re cip ro ca lly to b e ig n o ra n t o f each o th e r an d to b e s e p a ra te d b y th e tig h te s t o f p artitio n s; n o r a sim p le jo in tin g , as in th e case o f F e lid a X ., * w h o se sec o n d ary sta te en v e lo p s a n d overflow s th e w h o le p rim a ry sta te . T his is m o re o f a cro ssin g o f lin es, b u t o f w hich th e lim its a re v ag u e a n d w ith difficulty assig n ab le. L eo p o ld know s, fo re ­ sees, a n d re calls v ery m an y th in g s o f w h ich th e n o rm al p e rso n a lity of M ile. S m ith know s ab so lu tely n o th in g , n o t only o f th o se w h ich sh e m ay sim p ly h av e fo rg o tte n , b u t o f th o se o f w h ich sh e n e v e r h a d an y co n scio u s­ n ess. O n th e o th e r h a n d , h e is far from p o ssessin g all th e m e m o rie s of H e le n e ; h e is ig n o ra n t o f a v e ry g re a t p a rt o f h e r daily life; ev e n som e v ery n o ta b le in c id e n ts esc ap e him e n tire ly w h ich explains his w ay o f saying th a t, to h is g re a t re g re t, h e c a n n o t re m a in co n sta n tly b y h e r, b e in g o b lig e d to o cc u p y h im s e lf w ith o th e r m issions (c o n cern in g w h ich h e has n e v e r e n lig h te n e d us) w h ich o b lig e h im o ften to leave h e r for a tim e. T h e s e tw o p e rso n a litie s a re , th e re fo re , n o t co -ex ten siv e; each o n e p asses b e y o n d th e o th e r a t c e rta in p o in ts, w ith o u t its b e in g p o ssib le for us to say w h ich is, on th e w h o le, th e m o re e x te n d e d . As to th e ir co m m on d o m ain , if it c a n n o t b e d e fin e d b y o n e w o rd w ith e n tire certain ty , it a p p e a rs, n e v e rth e le s s , to b e chiefly c o n s titu te d b y its c o n n e c tio n w ith th e in n e rm o s t ra n g e s o f th e b e in g , b o th physiological a n d psychological, as m ig h t b e s u s p e c te d from w h a t I re m a rk e d above c o n c e rn in g th e re al o ri­ gin o f L e o p o ld . P hysician o f th e soul a n d o f th e body, d ire c to r o f c o n ­ scien c e, a n d a t th e sam e tim e h y g ien ic co u n sello r, h e does n o t always m an ife st h im s e lf im m e d ia tely , b u t h e is alw ays p re s e n t w h e n H e le n e ’s v ital in te re s ts are involved. T h is will b e m ad e c le a re r by tw o o r th re e c o n c re te ex am p les, w h ich w ill at th e sam e tim e illu stra te som e o f th e psy ch o lo g ical p ro c e sse s b y w h ich L e o p o ld m anifests h im se lf to H e le n e .* I t m u st b e a d m itte d th a t th e r e is a d is a g re e m e n t a n d o p p o sitio n as c o m p le te as p o ssib le (b u t how far d o es this “p o ssib le ” go?) w h e n H e le n e , in a t least an a p p a re n tly w aking sta te , co n v e rses w ith h e r g u id e , m a n i­ festly b y a p a rtia l se n so ry o r m o to r au to m atism ; for ex am p le, in th e case c ite d o n p ag e 44, w h e re L e o p o ld , n o t sh a rin g th e allochiria o f H e le n e , d e c la re d b y th e ta b le th a t sh e was w ro n g , so em p h atica lly th a t sh e p ro ­ te s te d a n d b e c a m e an g ry ; also, w h e n in v erb o -au d itiv e h allu cin atio n s, o r by a u to m atic h a n d w ritin g , h e e n te r s in to discu ssio n w ith h e r, a n d she h o ld s h e r ow n w ith h im ; or, again, w h e n th e o rg an ism see m s to b e d i­ v id e d u p b e tw e e n tw o d iffe re n t p e rso n s, L eo p o ld sp ea k in g b y H e le n e ’s m o u th , w ith h is ac c e n t, a n d u tte rin g his ow n id eas to h e r, a n d sh e co m ­ p lain in g , in w ritin g , o f pain s in h e r h e a d a n d th ro a t, w ith o u t u n d e rs ta n d -

ing th eir cause. N evertheless, in these cases of division of the conscious­ ness, w hich appear to am ount to its cutting in two, it is doubtful w h eth er this plurality is m ore than apparent. I am not positive of having ever established w ith H elene a veritable sim ultaneity of different conscious­ nesses. At th e very m o m e n t a t which Leopold w rites by h e r hand, speaks by h er m outh, dictates to th e table, upon observing h er attentively I have always found h e r absorbed, preoccupied, as though absent; but she in­ stantaneously recovers h er presence of m ind and the use of h er waking faculties at th e end of th e m otor autom atism . In short, that which from the outside is taken for th e coexistence of distinct sim ultaneous personalities seems to m e to be only an alternation, a rapid succession betw een the state of H elene-consciousness and th e state of Leopold-consciousness; and, in the case w here the body seem s to be jointly occupied by two in dependent beings— th e right side, for instance, being occupied by Leopold, and th e left by H elene, or th e H indoo princess— the psychical division has never seem ed to m e to be radical, but m any indications have com bined to m ake m e of th e opinion that behind all was an individuality perfectly self-conscious, and enjoying thoroughly, along w ith the specta­ tors, th e com edy of the plural existences. A single fundam ental personality, putting the questions and giving the answers, quarrelling w ith itself in its own interior— in a word, enacting all the various roles of M ile. Sm ith— is a fitting interpretation, which accords very well w ith the facts as I have observed them in H elene, and very much b e tte r than the theory of a plurality of separate consciousnesses, of a psychological polyzoism, so to speak. This last theory is doubtless m ore convenient for a clear and superficial description of th e facts, but I am not at all convinced th at it conforms to the actual condition of affairs.* It is a state o f consciousness sui generis, which it is im possible ade­ quately to describe, and w hich can only be rep re sen te d by th e analogy of those curious states, exceptional in the norm al waking life, but less rare in dream s, w hen one seem s to change his identity and becom e some one else. H elene has m ore than once told m e of having had the im pression of becoming or being m om entarily Leopold. This happens m ost frequently at night, or upon awakening in the morning. She has first a fugitive vision of her protector; th en it seem s th at little by little he is subm erged in her; she feels him overcom ing and pen etratin g h e r en tire organism, as if he really becam e h er or she him. * These mixed states are extrem ely in te rest­ ing to th e psychologist; unhappily, because they generally take place in a condition of consecutive am nesia, or because the m edium s do not know how, or do not wish, to give a com plete account of them , it is very rare that detailed descriptions are obtained.* B etw een th e two extrem es of com plete duality and com plete unity nu-

76

·

C hapter Four

m e ro u s in te rm e d ia te states a re to b e o b se rv e d ; or, a t least, sin ce th e c o n ­ scio u sn ess o f a n o th e r ca n n o t b e d ire c tly p e n e tr a te d , th e s e m ixed states m ay b e in fe rre d from th e c o n se q u e n c e s w h ich sp rin g from th e m . I t h as h a p p e n e d , for ex a m p le , th a t, b e lie v in g th e y w e re d e a lin g w ith L e o p o ld alo n e, th o ro u g h ly in c a rn a te d a n d d u ly s u b s titu te d for th e p e r­ so n ality o f M ile. S m ith , th e sitte rs have allow ed to escap e th e m on th at a c c o u n t so m e ill-tim e d p leasan try , som e in d is c re e t q u e s tio n o r too free criticism s, all in n o c e n t e n o u g h a n d w ith o u t evil in te n tio n , b u t still o f a n a tu re to w o u n d H e le n e if sh e h a d h e a rd th e m , a n d from w hich th e a u ­ th o rs w o u ld c e rta in ly have a b sta in e d in h e r p re s e n c e in a w aking state. L e o p o ld h as n o t sto o d u p o n c e re m o n y in p u ttin g dow n th e s e im p ru ­ d e n t b a b b le rs , a n d th e in c id e n t, generally, has h ad no fu r th e r co n se­ q u e n c e s . B ut so m e tim e s th e w ords an d b e a rin g of M ile. S m ith for days or w eek s afte rw a rd s show th a t sh e was aw are o f th e im p ru d e n t rem ark s, w h ic h p ro v e s th a t th e co n scio u sn ess o f L eo p o ld a n d h e r ow n are n o t sep a­ ra te d b y a n im p e n e tra b le b a rrie r, b u t th a t o sm o tic ch an g es a re effected from th e o n e to th e o th e r. It is o rd in a rily p o in te d a n d irrita tin g rem ark s w h ic h cau se th e tro u b le , w h ic h goes to prove th a t it is th e feelings o f selflove o r p e rso n a l s u sc e p tib ility th a t form in each o n e o f us th e inm ost fo rtificatio n s o f th e social self, a n d a re th e last to b e d e stro y e d b y so m n am ­ b u lism , o r th a t th e y c o n s titu te th e fu n d a m e n ta l su b s tra tu m , th e com m on b a se b y w h ich L eo p o ld a n d M ile. S m ith form a w h o le a n d m in g le th e m ­ selv es in th e sam e individuality. T h e psy ch o lo g ical p ro c ess o f th is tran sm issio n is v a rie d from a n o th e r cau se. S o m e tim e s it a p p e a rs th a t th e con secu tiv e a m n e sia o f th e tran c e h as b e e n b ro k e n as to th e m o st p iq u a n t d etails, a n d th a t H e le n e clearly re m e m b e rs th a t w h ich has b e e n said, in th e p re s e n c e o f L eo p o ld , d is­ a g re e a b le to h erself. S o m e tim e s it is L e o p o ld h im se lf w ho re p e a ts to h e r th e u n p le a s a n t ex p ressio n s w h ich have b e e n u se d , w ith co m m en tarie s c a lc u la te d to lessen th e ir effect a n d to excuse th e cu lp rits: for it is an in te re s tin g tra it o f h is c h a ra c te r th a t h e u n d e rta k e s w ith H e le n e th e d e ­ fe n c e o f th o se sam e p e rso n s w h o m h e re p rim a n d s a n d b lam es, a c o n tra ­ d ictio n n o t at all su rp ris in g w h e n it is psychologically in te rp re te d , co n sid ­ e rin g th e h a b itu a l conflict o f em o tio n al m otives o r te n d e n c ie s , th e w arfare w h ich o p p o site p o in ts o f view is in cessan tly ca rry in g on in o u r in m o st b ein g . S o m e tim es, again, it is in a d re a m th a t th e ju n c tio n is effected b e tw e e n th e so m n a m b u listic co n scio u sn ess o f L eo p o ld a n d th e n orm al co n scio u sn ess o f H e le n e . A p ro p o s o f th e last case, h e r e is an ex am p le c o n ta in in g n o th in g dis­ a g re e a b le , in w h ich H e le n e r e m e m b e re d in h e r w aking s ta te a n o ctu rn a l d re a m , w h ich w as its e lf a re p e titio n o r echo, in n a tu ra l sleep , o f a som ­ n a m b u listic sce n e o f th e p re v io u s ev en in g . In a s e a n c e at w h ich I assisted , sh o rtly a fte r m y re co v ery from an attack

o f c o n g e s tio n o f t h e lu n g s , H e le n e , c o m p le te ly e n tr a n c e d , has a v isio n o f L e o p o ld -C a g lio s tro , w h o , in th e ro le o f s y m p a th e tic p h y sic ia n , c o m e s to h o ld a c o n s u lta tio n w ith m e . A fte r so m e p r e lim in a rie s sh e k n e e ls d o w n b y m y c h a ir, a n d , lo o k in g a lte r n a te ly a t m y c h e s t a n d a t th e fic titio u s d o c to r sta n d in g b e tw e e n u s, s h e h o ld s a lo n g c o n v e rs a tio n w ith h im , in w h ic h sh e e x p la in s th e c o n d itio n o f m y lu n g s, w h ic h sh e se e s in im a g in a tio n , a n d th e tr e a tm e n t w h ic h L e o p o ld p r e s c r ib e s , s o m e w h a t as follow s: It is th e lungs . . . it is d arker . . . it is one side which has been affected . . . You say that it is a severe inflam m ation— and can that be healed? . . . Tell m e, what m ust be done . . . O h, w here have I seen any of these plants? . . . I do n ’t know w hat they are called . . . those . . . I d on’t understand very well . . . those synantherous? . . . O h, w hat a q u e e r nam e . . . W here are they to be found? . . . You say it belongs to th e family of . . . then it has another nam e? Tell m e what it is . . . some tissulages [sic] . . . T hen you think this plant is good for him ? . . . Ah! but explain this to m e . . . th e fresh leaves or the dried flowers? T hree tim es a day, a large handful in a p in t . . . and then honey and milk. . . . I will tell him that he m ust drink th ree cups a day. T h e n fo llo w e d v e ry d e ta ile d d ire c tio n s as to tr e a tm e n t, v a rio u s in fu sio n s, b lis te rs , e tc . T h e w h o le s c e n e la s te d m o r e th a n an h o u r , fo llo w ed b y c o m ­ p le te a m n e s ia , a n d n o th in g w as sa id to H e le n e a b o u t it, as it w as h a lf-p a st six in t h e e v e n in g , a n d s h e w as in h a s te to r e tu r n h o m e . T h e n e x t d a y sh e w ro te m e a s e v e n -p a g e le t te r in w h ic h sh e d e s c r ib e d a v e ry strik in g d re a m sh e h a d h a d d u r in g th e n ig h t. I fell asleep about two o’clock in th e m orning and awaked at about five. Was it a vision? Was it a dream I had? I don’t really know w hat to consider it and dare not say; b u t this I do know, I saw my d ear friend Leopold, who spoke to m e a long tim e about you, and I think I saw you also. I asked him w hat he thought of your state o f health. . . . H e rep lied th at in his opinion it was far from re ­ established. T hat th e pain you feel in th e right side cam e from an inflam m ation of the lung w hich has b een seriously affected . . . You will doubtless laugh w hen I tell you that h e also d escribed the rem edies you ought to take. . . . O ne of them is a sim ple plant, w hich is called, as nearly as I can rem em ber, Tissulage or Tussilache, but has also an o th er nam e, w hich I cannot recollect, but the first nam e will doubtless suffice, since he says you are familiar w ith th e plant.* W h a t I h a v e sa id c o n c e r n in g L e o p o ld is also a p p lic a b le to th e o th e r p e rs o n ific a tio n s o f M ile . S m ith . T h e n o rm a l c o n sc io u sn e ss o f H e le n e m in ­ gles a n d fu s e s its e lf in e v e r y w ay w ith th e s o m n a m b u lis tic c o n sc io u sn e ss o f S im a n d in i, o f M a rie A n to in e tte , o r s o m e o th e r in c a rn a tio n , as w e shall soon se e . I p a ss n o w to t h e e x a m in a tio n o f so m e d e ta ile d e x a m p le s, d e s ­ tin e d to th r o w lig h t u p o n th e ro le w h ic h L e o p o ld p la y s in H e le n e ’s ex iste n c e .

78

·

C h a p te r F o u r

L et us b eg in by listen in g to L eopold him self. A m ong his num erous m essages, th e follow ing letter, w ritten in his fine handw riting by the hand o f M ile. Sm ith— in respon se to a n ote in w hich I had b egged him (as a spiritual b ein g and distinct from her) to aid m e in m y “psychic researches” •— contains inform ation for w hich I had not asked, but w hich was n one the less interesting. It m ust not b e forgotten that it is th e disincarnate adorer o f M arie A n toin ette w ho is writing: F r i e n d , — I am p le a se d a n d to u c h e d b y th e m a rk o f co n fid e n ce you have d e ig n e d to ac co rd m e. T h e sp iritu a l g u id e o f M a d e m o ise lle [S m ith ], w h o m th e S u p re m e B e in g in h is in fin ite g o o d n ess has p e r m itte d m e to find again w ith ea se , I d o all I can to a p p e a r to h e r on ev e ry occasion w h e n I d e e m it n ecessary ; b u t m y body, or, if you p re fe r, th e m a tte r o f little so lid ity o f w h ic h I am co m ­ p o se d , d o e s n o t alw ays afford m e th e facility o f sh o w in g m y s e lf to h e r in a p o sitiv e h u m a n m a n n e r. [H e , in fact, a p p e a re d to h e r o fte n u n d e r th e form of e le m e n ta ry v isu al h a llu c in a tio n s, a lu m in o u s tra il, w h itis h co lu m n , v ap o ro u s stre a m e r, e tc .] T h a t w h ic h I se e k above all to in c u lc a te in h e r is a co n so lin g a n d tr u e p h ilo so ­ phy, w h ic h is n e c e s sa ry to h e r b y rea so n o f th e p ro fo u n d , u n h a p p y im p re ssio n s, w h ic h e v e n now still re m a in to h e r, o f th e w h o le d ra m a o f h e r p a s t life. I have o ften sow n b itte r n e s s in h e r h e a r t [w h e n sh e w as M a rie A n to in e tte ], d e sirin g o n ly h e r w elfare. A lso, laying asid e e v e ry th in g su p e rflu o u s, I p e n e tr a te in to th e m o st h id d e n re c e sse s o f h e r soul, an d w ith an e x tre m e c a re an d in c e ss a n t activ­ ity I se e k to im p la n t th e r e th o se tru th s w h ich I tr u s t w ill aid h e r in a tta in in g th e lofty s u m m it o f th e la d d e r o f p e rfe c tio n . A b a n d o n e d b y m y p a re n ts from m y c ra d le , I h av e, in d e e d , k n o w n sorrow e a rly in life. L ik e all, I h av e h a d m a n y w e a k n esse s, w h ic h I have e x p ia te d , an d G o d know s th a t I bow to H is will! M oral su ffe rin g h as b e e n m y p rin c ip a l lot. I h av e b e e n fu ll o f b itte rn e s s , o f envy, o f h a tr e d , o f jealousy. Jealousy, m y b ro th e r! w h a t a p o iso n , w h a t a c o rru p ­ tio n o f th e soul! N e v e rth e le s s , o n e ray has sh o n e b rig h tly in to m y life, a n d th a t ray so p u r e , so full o f e v e ry th in g th a t m ig h t p o u r balm o n m y w o u n d e d soul, has g iv en m e a g lim p se o f H eav en ! H e ra ld o f e te rn a l felicity! ray w ith o u t spot! G o d d e e m e d b e s t to ta k e it b efo re m e! M ay h is h o ly n a m e b e b lessed ! F rie n d , in w h a t m a n n e r shall I re p ly to you? I am ig n o ra n t m yself, n o t know ­ in g w h a t it w ill p le a se G o d to rev e al to you, b u t th ro u g h h e r w h o m you call M a d e m o ise lle [S m ith ], G o d w illing, p e rh a p s w e sh all b e a b le to satisfy you. T h y frie n d , L

eopold

.

W e can se e , und er th e flowing details o f th e spiritistic ideas and his role as th e repentant C agliostro, that th e dom inant characteristic o f L eopold is

his deep platonic attachm ent for Mile. Sm ith, and an ard en t m oral solici­ tude for h e r and h e r advance toward perfection. This corresponds p e r­ fectly w ith th e character of the num erous mesages which he addresses to her in the course of h er daily existence, as may be seen from th e following specim en. H e is referring to a case w here, after having w arned h e r on two occasions during th e day by auditive hallucinations th at he w ould m anifest him self in th e evening, he gives her, in fact, by autom atic w riting in his own hand, th e encouragem ent she was actually in n eed of u n d e r th e cir­ cum stances in w hich she found herself. O ne m orning, at h e r desk, H elene heard an unknow n voice, stronger and nearer to h e r than is usual w ith Leopold, say to her: “Until this eve­ ning”; a little later th e sam e voice, w hich she now recognized as th at of Leopold, but of a quality rougher and nearer to h e r than was his habit, said to her: “You u n d ersta n d me well, u n til this evening.” In the evening, having re tu rn e d hom e, she was excited at supper, left th e table in haste towards th e end of th e m eal, and shut h erself up in h e r room w ith th e idea that she would learn som ething; but, presently, the instinctive agitation of her hand indicated to h e r that she should take h e r pencil, and having done so, she obtained in the beautiful calligraphy of Leopold th e following epistle. (She says that she rem ained w ide awake and self-conscious while writing it, and it is th e only occasion of a sim ilar character w hen she had knowledge of th e content.) M y b e l o v e d f r i e n d , — W hy do you vex yourself, torm ent yourself so? W hy are you indignant, because, as you advance in life, you are obliged to acknowl­ ed ge that all things are not as you had w ish ed and h op ed they m ight be? Is not the route w e follow on this earth always and for all o f us strew n with rocks? is it not an en d less chain o f d ecep tion s, o f m iseries? D o m e th e kindness, m y dear sister, I b eg o f you, to tell m e that from this tim e forth you w ill cease from endeavoring to probe too d eep ly th e hum an heart. In what w ill such discoveries aid you? W hat rem ains to you o f th ese things, except tears and regrets? And then this God o f love, o f justice, and o f life— is not H e th e o n e to read our hearts? It is for H im , not for th ee, to see into them . Would you change the hearts? W ould you give them that w hich they have not, a live, ardent soul, n ever departing from what is right, just, and true? Be calm, then, in th e face o f all th ese little troubles. B e worthy, and, above all, always good! In th e e I have found again that heart and that soul, both o f w hich will alw ays b e for m e all m y life, all m y joy, and m y o n ly dream h ere below. B eliev e me: b e calm: reflect: that is m y w ish. Thy friend, LLo

po ld

.

I have chosen this exam ple for th e sake of its brevity. H elene has re ­ ceived a n u m b er of com m unications of the sam e kind, som etim es in

v e rse , in w h ich th e m oral a n d religious n o te is o ften still m o re a c c e n tu ­ a te d . In th e g re a te r p a r t w e m e e t w ith , as in th e n e x t to th e last p h ra se of th e fo reg o in g le tte r, a n allusion to th e p re s u m e d affection o f C ag lio stro for M arie A n to in e tte . I t is to b e n o tic e d th a t th e re is n o th in g in th e s e excel­ le n t ad m o n itio n s th a t a h ig h a n d serio u s soul like th a t o f M ile. S m ith co u ld n o t h av e d raw n from its ow n d e p th s in a m o m e n t o f co n te m p la tio n a n d m e d itatio n .* Is it a b e n e fit o r an in ju ry to th e m o ral a n d tru ly relig io u s life to fo rm u ­ late its e lf th u s clearly in v e rb a l h allu cin atio n s ra th e r th a n to re m a in in th e c o n fu sed b u t m o re p erso n a l s ta te o f e x p e rie n c e d asp ira tio n s a n d strongly e x p re s s e d e m o tio n s? D o th e s e in sp iratio n s gain o r lose in in w ard a u th o r­ ity a n d s u b je c tiv e p o w e r b y a ssu m in g th is e x te rio r g arb a n d th is a s p e c t of o b jectiv ity ? T h is is a d e lic a te q u e stio n , p ro b a b ly n o t s u s c e p tib le o f a u n i­ form solution.* In th e follow ing in c id e n t, w h ich I re la te as an ex a m p le a m o n g m any o th e r sim ilar on es, it is n o lo n g er, p ro p e rly sp eak in g , th e m oral a n d re li­ gious s e n tim e n ts p e rs o n ifie d in L e o p o ld , b u t ra th e r th e in s tin c t o f re se rv e a n d o f d e fe n c e p e c u lia r to th e w e a k e r sex, th e s e n s e of th e p ro p rie tie s , th e se lf-re sp e c t, tin c tu re d w ith a sh ad e o f ex ag g eratio n alm ost am o u n tin g to p ru d e ry . In a v isit to M ile. S m ith , d u rin g w h ich I in q u ire d w h e th e r sh e h ad re c e iv e d an y re c e n t co m m u n icatio n s from L e o p o ld , sh e to ld m e sh e had o nly s e e n h im tw o o r th r e e tim e s in th e last few days, a n d h a d b e e n stru ck by his “re stle ss a n d u n h a p p y ” air, in ste a d o f th e air “so p leasa n t, so sw eet, so a d m ira b le ,” w h ich h e g e n e ra lly has. As sh e d id n o t know to w h a t to a ttrib u te th is ch a n g e o f c o u n te n a n c e , I a d v ise d h e r to tak e h e r p e n c il and to w ra p h e r s e lf in m e d ita tio n , w ith th e h o p e o f o b ta in in g so m e au to m atic m essag e. In ab o u t a m in u te h e r ex p ressio n in d ic a te d th a t sh e was b e in g tak en p o ssessio n of; h e r eyes w e re fixed on th e p a p e r, u p o n w h ich h e r left h an d re s te d , th e th u m b a n d little fin g er b e in g a g ita te d a n d co n tin u ally ta p p in g (ab o u t o n ce a second), th e rig h t h a n d h av in g trie d to tak e th e p en c il b e ­ tw e e n th e in d ex a n d m id d le fin g er (th e m a n n e r o f H e le n e), e n d e d by seizin g it b e tw e e n th e th u m b a n d th e in d ex finger, a n d tra c e d slowly in th e h a n d w ritin g o f L eopold: Yes, I am restless | pained, even in anguish. | Believest thou, friend, that it is with satisfaction | that I see you every day accepting the attentions, the flat­ teries; I I do not call them insincere, but of little worth, and little praiseworthy | on the part of those from whom they come.| T h is te x t was w ritte n a t six s e p a ra te tim e s (m ark ed b y th e v ertical bars), s e p a ra te d b y b r ie f m o m e n ts o f full w ak efu ln ess, w h e n th e ta p p in g s o f th e left h a n d ce ased , a n d w h e n H e le n e , re p e a tin g in a lo u d voice w h a t sh e

was ab o u t to w rite , is v ery m u ch asto n ish ed , does n o t know to w h at L eo p o ld allu d es, th e n at m y re q u e s t takes h e r p en c il to o b tain an ex plana­ tion, a n d falls aslee p again d u rin g th e following fragm ent. At th e e n d o f this b it, as she p ersists in saying th a t sh e is ig n o ran t o f w h a t h e re fers to, I p ro c e e d to q u e stio n L eo p o ld , w ho re p lie s th a t for several days H e le n e has p e rm itte d h e rs e lf to b e c o u rte d by a Μ. V. (perfectly honorably), w ho often fo u n d h im se lf on th e sam e s tre e t-c a r w ith h er, h ad m ad e a place for h e r b esid e him th e last few m ornings, a n d h a d paid h e r som e co m p li­ m en ts on h e r ap p e ara n ce. T h ese re v elatio n s ex cited th e la u g h te r an d p ro te sta tio n s o f H e le n e , who c o m m e n c e d to d e n y th a t it co u ld have com e from L eo p o ld , a n d ac­ cu sed m e o f having su g g ested it to h e r little finger; b u t th e rig h t h a n d took th e p en c il a n d tra c e d th e s e w ords in th e h a n d w ritin g an d w ith th e signa­ tu re o f L eo p o ld : “I o n ly say w h a t I think, a n d I d e sire th a t you re fu se h en c efo rth all th e flowers th a t h e m ay offer y o u .— L e o p o ld .” T his tim e H e le n e re m e m b e re d th e in c id e n t, an d re co llected th a t y e ste rd a y m o rn ­ ing h e h a d offered h e r a rose w hich h e was w earin g as a b o u to n n iere . E ig h t days la te r I p aid a n o th e r visit to H e le n e , an d after an effort to secu re so m e h an d w ritin g , w hich was n o t successful, b u t re s u lte d in a M artian vision (see M artian tex t No. 14), she h ad a visual hallu cin atio n o f L eopold, an d losing consciousness o f th e actual e n v iro n m e n t a n d of m y p re s e n c e also, as w ell as th a t o f h e r m o th er, sh e flung h e rs e lf in to a ru n n in g co n v e rsatio n w ith him in re g a rd to th e in c id e n t of eig h t days previously: Leopold . . . L eopold . . . don’t com e near m e [repulsing him ]. You are too severe, Leopold! . . . W ill you com e on Sunday? I am going to be at M. Flour­ noy’s next Sunday. You w ill b e there . . . but take good care that you do n o t . . . No, it is not kind o f you always to d isclose secrets. . . . W hat m ust h e have thought? . . . You seem to make a m ountain out o f a m ole-hill. . . . And w ho would think o f refusing a flower? You d on ’t understand at all. . . . Why, then? It was a very sim p le thing to accept it, a m atter o f no im portance w hatever . . . to refuse it w ould have b een im polite. . . . You pretend to read the heart. . . . W hy give im portance to a thing that am ounts to nothing? . . . It is only a sim ple act o f friendship, a little token o f sym pathy . . . to make m e w rite such things on paper before everybody! not nice o f you!

In th is so m n am b u listic dialogue, in w hich w e can d iv in e L e o p o ld s r e ­ plies, H e le n e took for th e m o m e n t th e ac cen t o f M arie A n to in e tte (see below, in th e “Royal cy c le”). To aw aken h er, L eopold, w ho h ad possession of H elfene’s arm s, m ad e som e p asses over h e r fo reh ead , th e n p re sse d th e frontal an d su b o rb ital n erv es o f th e left side, a n d m ad e m e a sign to do th e sam e w ith th o se o f th e right. T h e seance o f th e n ex t day b u t one, at m y house, p assed w ith o u t an y allusion b y L eo p o ld to th e in c id e n t o f th e

street-car, evidently on account of th e p resen ce of certain sitters to w hom he did not wish to reveal H e le n e ’s secrets. But, th re e days after, in a new visit, d u rin g w hich she told m e of having had a waking discussion con­ cerning th e future life (without telling m e w ith whom), she again w rote, in th e hand o f L eopold: “It is not in such society as this th at you ought so seriously to discuss th e im m ortality of th e soul.” She th en confessed that it was again on th e street-car, and w ith Μ. V., th at she had h e ld that conversation w hile a funeral procession was passing. T h ere was nev er any­ th in g th at m ight have b e e n of a com prom ising character in th e exchange of courtesies and th e occasional conversations of M ile. Sm ith w ith h er n eighbor o f th e street-car. T he tro u b le th at it caused poor L eopold was very characteristic of him , and well indicated th e severe and jealous cen­ sor w ho form erly had w orried th e N. group; th e re can be h eard again the echo of th a t voice, “w hich has absolutely nothing to do w ith th e con­ science” (see pp. 23 and 57), and w hich has h ith erto p rev e n ted H elene from accepting any of th e suitors w hom she has e n co u n tered in th e course of h e r jo u rn e y th rough life. This au stere and rigorous m entor, always w ide awake, and taking offence at th e least freedom w hich M ile. Sm ith allows h e rse lf in th e exchange of trifling courtesies, rep resen ts, in fact, a very com m on psychological attribute; it is n o t every w ell-bred fem inine soul th at carries sto red in one of its recesses, w here it m anifests its p re s­ ence by scruples m ore or less vaguely felt, certain hesitations or a p p re ­ hensions, in h ibiting feelings or tendencies of a shade of intensity varying according to th e age and th e tem p eram en t. It is not m y p a rt to describe this delicate p h en om enon. It suffices m e to rem ark th at h e re , as in th e ethico-religious m essages, th e personality of L eopold has in no way aided th e essential c o n ten t o f those inw ard experi­ ences of w hich M ile. Sm ith is perfectly capable by herself; the form only of th e ir m anifestation has gained in p ictu resq u e and dram atic expression in th e m ise-en-scene o f th e autom atic handw ritings and o f th e som nam ­ bulistic dialogue. I t seem s as though th e suggestive approach of m y p re s­ ence and my questions had b een necessary to excite these phenom ena; it is, how ever, very probable to ju d g e from o th er exam ples, th at my influ­ ence only h a ste n e d th e explosion o f Leopold in form ulated reproaches, and th a t his late n t discontent, h ith e rto noticed in th e “restless and suffer­ ing air” of his fugitive visual apparitions, w ould have term in ated , after a p erio d of incubation m ore or less prolonged, in breaking out into sponta­ neous adm onitions, auditive or w ritten. It can be divined th at in this role of vigilant guardian, of an alm ost excessive zealousness for th e honor or th e dignity of M ile. Sm ith, L eo ­ pold is again, to my m ind, only a p ro d u ct of psychological duplication. H e rep re sen ts a certain grouping of inw ard desires and secret instincts,

w hich th e h y p n o id p re d isp o sitio n en c o u ra g e d by spiritism , has b ro u g h t into a p e c u lia r p ro m in e n c e a n d given an a sp e ct o f foreign perso n ality ; in th e sam e way, in th e p h an tasm a g o ria o f th e d re am , c e rtain after-th o u g h ts, alm ost u n p e rc e iv e d w hile aw ake, rise to th e first p la n e a n d b e c o m e tra n s­ form ed in to co n tra d icto ry fictitious p erso n ag es, w hose cu ttin g re p ro ac h es astonish us so m etim e s on aw akening b y th e ir d istu rb in g tru th fu ln ess. A final ex a m p le w ill show us L eo p o ld , in his ro le o f w a tc h e r over th e health o f M ile. S m ith a n d a d v ise r o f p re cau tio n s w hich she o u g h t to take. H e is n o t tro u b le d ab o u t h e r g en e ral health ; w h e n she had la grippe, for instance, o r w h e n sh e is sim ply w orn out w ith fatigue, h e scarcely shows him self. H is a tte n tio n is c o n c e n tra te d u p o n ce rta in special physiological functions, o f th e n orm al exercise o f w hich h e takes care to b e assured. H e does n o t o th e rw ise seem to exercise a p o sitiv e action u p o n th e m , an d cannot m odify th e m in any way; his office seem s to b e con fin ed to know ­ ing b e fo re h a n d th e ir exact co u rse, a n d to see th a t H e le n e is n o t guilty o f any im p ru d e n c e w h ich m ay im p e d e th e m . L eo p o ld h e r e shows a know ledge a n d p rev isio n o f th e m ost in tim a te p h e n o m e n a o f th e organism w hich has b e e n o b serv ed in th e case o f sec­ o ndary p erso n alities, an d w hich confers u p o n th e m , in th a t re s p e c t at least, an u n q u e s tio n a b le ad v a n ta g e over th e o rd in ary personality. In th e case o f M ile. S m ith, th e indications o f h e r g u id e a re always o f a p ro h ib ­ itive n a tu re , ca lcu lated to p re v e n t h e r from taking p a r t in sp iritistic r e ­ unions at a tim e at w hich sh e b eliev e s h e rs e lf a b le to do so w ith im punity, b u t w h ich h e , en d o w ed w ith a m o re re fin e d c o e n a e sth e tic sensibility, thinks sh e o u g h t n o t to u n d e rta k e . H e has for sev eral years form ally laid his b an u p o n ev e ry kin d o f m ed iu m istic exercises at c e rtain v ery re g u la r periods. H e has also on n u m e ro u s occasions c o m p elled h e r b y various m essages, categorical a u d itiv e hallu cin atio n s, d iv erse im pulses, c o n tra c tu re s o f th e arm s, forcing h e r to w rite, etc ., to m odify h e r plans a n d to ab an d o n seances alre ad y a rran g e d . T his is a v ery clea r form o f teleological autom atism . As a s p e c im e n o f this sp o n tan eo u s a n d h y g ien ic in te rv e n tio n o f L eo p o ld in th e life o f H e le n e , I have se le c te d th e le tte r giv en below, b ec au se it co m b in es sev eral in te re stin g traits. I t w ell d ep icts th e e n e rg y w ith w hich M ile. S m ith is co m p e lle d to o b ey h e r guide. T h e p assage from th e au d itiv e to th e g rap h ic form o f autom atism is also to b e n o tic e d in it. A propos o f this, in th e p a g e o f th is le tte r re p ro d u c e d in Fig. 8 (see p. 84), it is m ad e clear th a t th e tran sitio n o f th e h a n d o f H e le n e to th a t o f L eo p o ld is accom plished b ru sq u e ly a n d in a d e c id e d m an n er. T h e h a n d w ritin g is n o t m eta m o rp h o se d gradually, slowly, b u t co n tin u es to b e th a t o f M ile. S m ith, b eco m in g m o re a n d m o re ag itated , it

Fig. 8. A page from a letter of Mile. Smith, showing the spontaneous irruption of the personality and the handwriting of Leopold during the waking state of Helene.

The Personality of Leopold

·

85

is true, and rendered almost illegible by the shocks to the arm of which Leopold takes hold up to the moment when, suddenly and by a bound, it becomes the well-formed calligraphy of Cagliostro. January 29, 6.15

a .m

.

M o n s i e u r ,- —I awoke about ten m inutes ago, and heard the voice of Leopold telling m e in a very im perious m anner, “G et up out of your bed, and quickly, very quickly, w rite to your d ear friend, M. Flournoy, that you will not hold a seance to-morrow, and th at you will not be able to go to his house for two weeks, and th at you will not hold any seance w ithin that p erio d .” I have executed his order, having felt m yself forced, com pelled in spite of myself, to obey. I was so com fortable in b ed and so vexed at being obliged to w rite you such a message; but I feel m yself forced to do w hat h e bids me. At this m om ent I am looking at my watch; it is 6.25 o’clock. I feel a very strong shock in m y right arm — I m ight b e tte r speak of it as an electric disturbance— and which I perceive has m ade m e w rite crooked. I hear also at this instant the voice of Leopold. I have m uch difficulty in w riting w hat he tells me; "6.421/¾. S ayto him this; I am, sir, always yo u r very devoted servant, in body a n d m ind, healthy and not unbalanced.” I stopped for some m om ents after w riting these w ords, which I saw very well, after having w ritten them , w ere in the handw riting of Leopold. Im m ediately afterw ards, a second disturbance, sim ilar to th e first, gave me a fresh shock, this tim e from my feet to m y head. It all passed so quickly th at I am d isturbed and confused by it. It is tru e that I am not yet quite well. Is this the reason why Leopold p rev en ts my going to Florissant to-m orrow? I do not know, but, nev­ ertheless, am anxious to follow his advice.

Mile. Smith always submits obediently to the commands of her guide, since, whenever she has transgressed them, through forgetfulness or ne­ glect, she has had cause to repent it. It is clear that in this role of special physician of Mile. Smith, always au courant of her state of health, Leopold could easily be interpreted as personifying those vague impressions which spring forth continually from the depths o f our physical being, informing us as to what is passing there. A neuralgic toothache is felt in a dream hours before it makes itself felt in our waking consciousness, while some maladies are often thus fore­ shadowed several days before they actually declare themselves. All litera­ ture is full of anecdotes of this kind; and the psychiatrists have observed that in the form of circular alienation, where phases of melancholic de­ pression and maniacal excitation alternately succeed one another more or less regularly with intervals of normal equilibrum, it is frequently in sleep that the first symptoms of the change of humor can be detected which has already begun in the depths of the individuality, but will only break forth

on th e o u tsid e a little later. B ut all th e h y p n o id sta te s a re c o n n e c te d , an d it is n o t a t all su rp ris in g th a t, in th e case o f a su b je c t in c lin e d to au to m a­ tism , th e s e co n fu sed p re s e n tim e n ts sh o u ld a rise w ith th e a p p e a ra n c e o f a fo reig n p e rs o n a lity w h ich is only a d e g re e h ig h e r th a n th e p ro c ess o f d ra ­ m a tiz a tio n alre a d y so b rillia n tly at w ork in o u r o rd in a ry d re am s. I t w ill b e u seless to le n g th e n o r fu r th e r m u ltip ly ex am p les o f th e in te r­ v e n tio n o f L e o p o ld in th e life o f M ile. S m ith. T h o se w h ich I have given show h im u n d e r his e sse n tia l asp ects, a n d suffice to ju stify H e le n e ’s confi­ d e n c e in a g u id e w ho h as n e v e r d e c e iv e d h e r, w ho has alw ays given h e r th e b e s t co u n se l, d e liv e re d d isco u rse s o f th e h ig h e st e th ic a l to n e , an d m a n ife ste d th e m o st to u c h in g so licitu d e for h e r physical a n d m oral h e a lth . I t is easy to u n d e rs ta n d th a t n o th in g can sh ak e h e r faith in th e real, o b je c tiv e e x iste n c e o f this p re c io u s counsellor. I t is re ally v ex atious th a t th e p h e n o m e n a o f d re a m s sh o u ld b e so little o b s e rv e d o r so b ad ly u n d e rs to o d (I do not say by psychologists, b u t b y th e g e n e ra l p u b lic , w h ich p rid e s its e lf on its psychology), sin ce th e d re a m is th e p ro to ty p e o f sp iritistic m essag es, a n d h o ld s th e key to th e exp lan atio n o f m e d iu m istic p h e n o m e n a . I f it is re g re tta b le to see such n o b le, sy m p a­ th e tic , p u re , a n d in all re s p e c ts re m a rk a b le p e rso n a litie s as L eo p o ld r e ­ d u c e d to th e ra n k o f a d re a m creatio n , it m u st b e re m e m b e re d , how ever, th a t d re a m s a re n o t alw ays, as id le folk th in k , th in g s to b e d e s p is e d o r o f no v alu e in th e m se lv e s: th e m ajo rity a re in sig n ifican t a n d d e s e rv e on ly th e ob liv io n to w h ich th e y a re p ro m p tly co n sig n ed . A v e ry la rg e n u m b e r are b a d a n d so m e tim e s e v e n w o rse th a n reality ; b u t th e r e a re o th e rs o f a b e t t e r so rt, a n d “d re a m ” is o ften a sy n onym for “id e a l.” To su m up, L e o p o ld c e rta in ly ex p resses in his c e n tra l n u c le u s a very h o n o ra b le a n d a ttra c tiv e sid e o f th e c h a ra c te r o f M ile. S m ith , a n d in ta k ­ in g h im as h e r “g u id e ” sh e only follows in sp iratio n s w h ich a re p ro b a b ly a m o n g th e b e s t o f h e r n a tu re .

T h e M a rtia n C y cle

of this book would naturally commit me to a review of the Hindoo romance before investigating the Martian cycle. Considerations of method have caused me to reverse this order. It is b etter to advance from the simple to the complex, and while we certainly know less con­ cerning the planet Mars than of India, the romance which it has inspired in the subliminal genius of Mile. Smith is relatively less difficult to explain than the Oriental cycle. In fact, the former seems to spring from pure imagination, while in the latter we m eet with certain actual historical ele­ ments, and whence H elene’s memory and intelligence have gained a knowledge of them is an extremely difficult problem for us to solve. There is, then, only one faculty at work in the Martian romance, as a professional psychologist would say, while the Oriental cycle calls several into play, making it necessary to treat of it later, on account of its greater psychologi­ cal complexity. While the unknown language which forms the vehicle of many of the Martian messages cannot naturally be dissociated from the rest of the cycle, it merits, nevertheless, a special consideration, and the following chapter will be entirely devoted to it. It does not figure in the present chapter, in which I shall treat of the origin and the content only of the Martian romance.

The t it le

I.

O r ig in a n d B ir t h o f t h e M a r tia n C y c le

“We dare to hope,” says M. Camille Flammarion, at the beginning of his excellent work on the planet Mars, “that the day will come when scientific methods yet unknown to us will give us direct evidences of the existence of the inhabitants of other worlds, and at the same time, also, will put us in communication with our brothers in space.”1 And on the last page of his book he recurs to the same idea, and says: “W hat marvels does not the science of the future reserve for our successors, and who would dare to say that Martian humanity and terrestrial humanity will not some day enter into communication with each other?” This splendid prospect seems still far off, along with that of wireless telegraphy, and almost an Utopian dream, so long as one holds strictly to 1 C. Flammarion, La Planete Mars et ses conditions d'habitahiliti, p. 3. Paris, 1892.

th e c u rre n t conceptions of our positive sciences. But break th ese narrow lim its; fly, for exam ple, towards th e illim itable horizon w hich spiritism opens up to its happy followers, and as soon as this vague hope takes shape, n othing seem s to p rev e n t its im m ediate realization: and th e only cause for w o n d er is found in th e fact th at no privileged m edium has yet arisen to have th e glory, u n iq u e in th e world, of being the first in te rm e d i­ ary b etw een ourselves and th e hum an inhabitants of o th er planets; for spiritism takes no m ore account of th e b a rrier of space than of tim e. The “gates o f d istance” are w ide open before it. W ith it th e question of m eans is a secondary m atter; one has only th e em barrassm ent o f m aking a choice. It m atters not w h e th e r it be by intuition, by clairvoyance, by telepathy, or by double personality th a t th e soul is p e rm itte d to leave m om entarily its terrestria l prison and m ake the voyage b etw een this w orld and o thers in an in stant of tim e, or w h e th e r th e feat is accom plished by m eans of th e astral body, by th e reincarnation of disincarnate om ni­ sciences, by “fluid b e in g s,” or, in a word, by any o th er process w hatever. T he essential p o in t is, according to spiritism , that no serious objection w ould be offered to th e possibility of such com m unication. T he only diffi­ culty w ould be to find a m edium istic subject possessing sufficient psychi­ cal faculties. It is a sim ple question of fact; if such a one has not yet been found, it is apparently only because th e tim e is not yet ripe. But now that astronom ers them selves appeal to those “unknow n m ethods of actual sci­ ence” to p ut us en ra p p o rt w ith o th er worlds, no doubt spiritism — w hich is th e science of to-morrow, as definite as absolute religion— will soon resp o n d to th ese legitim ate aspirations. We may, therefore, expect at any m om ent th e revelation so im patiently looked for, and every good m edium has th e right to ask h e rse lf w h e th e r she is not th e being p red e stin e d to accom plish this unrivalled m ission. T hese are th e considerations w hich, to my m ind, in th e ir essential con­ te n t insp ired in th e sublim inal p a rt of M ile. Sm ith th e first idea of h e r M artian rom ance. I w ould not assert th at the passages from M. Flam m arion w hich I have q u o ted cam e directly to th e notice of H elen e, but they express and recapitulate w onderfully well one of th e elem ents o f the atm osphere in w hich she found h e rse lf at th e beginning o f h e r m edium ship. For if th e re are no certain indications of h e r ever having read any work on th e “heavenly w orlds” and th e ir inhabitants, e ith e r th a t of M. F lam m arion or of any o th e r author, she has, nevertheless, heard such subjects discussed. She is perfectly fam iliar w ith th e nam e o f th e cele­ b ra te d astronom ical w rite r Juvisy, and knows som ething of his philosophi­ cal ideas, w hich, by-the-way, is n o t at all surprising w hen w e consider the popularity h e enjoys am ong spiritists, who find in him a very strong scien­ tific su p p o rt for th e ir doctrine of reincarnation on o th er planets. I also have evidence th at in th e circle of M m e. N ., of w hich H elene was

a m e m b e r in 1892, th e con v ersatio n m ore th a n o n ce tu rn e d in th e d ire c ­ tion o f th e h a b ita b ility o f M ars, to w h ich th e discovery o f th e fam ous “canals” has for som e years specially d ire c te d th e a tte n tio n o f th e g en e ral public.* T his c irc u m sta n ce ap p e ars to m e to explain sufficiently th e fact th a t Helfene s su b lim inal astro n o m y sh o u ld b e c o n c e rn e d w ith th is p lan et. It is, m o reo v er, q u ite po ssib le th a t th e first germ s o f th e M artian ro m an ce date still fu rth e r back th a n th e b eg in n in g of H e le n e ’s m ed iu m ship. T h e O rie n ta l ro le shows indications o f c o n c e rn in g itse lf w ith th a t p la n e t, an d th e v ery clea r im p ressio n w h ich she has o f having in h e r ch ild h o o d an d youth e x p e rie n c e d m an y visions o f a sim ilar kin d “w ith o u t h e r n o ticin g th em p artic u la rly ,” gives rise to th e supp o sitio n th a t th e in g re d ie n ts of w hich th is cycle is co m p o sed d ate from m an y years back. Possibly th e y m ay have o n e a n d th e sam e p rim itiv e so u rce in th e exotic m em o ries, d escrip tio n s, o r p ic tu re s o f tro p ical co u n trie s w hich la te r b ra n c h e d out u n d e r th e vigorous im pulsion o f sp iritistic ideas in tw o d istin c t c u rre n ts , th e H in d o o ro m an c e on th e o n e side a n d th e M artian on th e o th er, w hose w aters a re m in g le d on m o re th a n o n e occasion afterw ards. W h ile, on th e w h o le, th e re fo re , it is p ro b a b le th a t its roots e x te n d back as far as th e ch ild h o o d o f M ile. S m ith, it is n e v e rth e le ss w ith th e M artian ro m an ce, as w ell as w ith th e o th e rs, n o t a m e re q u estio n o f th e sim ple cry p to m n esiac re tu r n o f facts o f a re m o te p ast, or o f an ex h u m atio n o f fossil re s id u e b ro u g h t to lig h t again b y th e aid o f som nam bulism . It is a very active p ro cess, an d one in full co u rse o f evolution, n o u rish e d , u n ­ d o u b te d ly by e le m e n ts b elo n g in g to th e p ast, but w h ich have b e e n re ­ co m b in ed an d m o u ld e d in a v ery original fashion, u n til it am o u n ts finally, am o n g o th e r th ings, to th e creatio n o f an unknow n language. I t will b e in te re stin g to follow step b y step th e ph ases o f this elaboration: b u t since it always, u n fo rtu n ately , hid es itself in th e o b scu rity o f th e su b co n scio u s­ ness, w e a re on ly cog n izan t o f it by its occasional ap p e ara n ces, an d all th e re st o f th a t su b te rra n e a n w ork m u st b e in fe rre d , in a m a n n e r so m ew h at h y p o th etical, from th o se su p ralim in al e ru p tio n s an d th e scanty d ata w hich we have c o n c e rn in g th e outw ard influences w hich have e x e rte d a stim u la t­ ing in flu en c e u p o n th e sublim inal p a rt o f H e le n e . I t was in 1892, th e n , th a t th e co n v ersatio n s took place w hich w e re to p re p a re th e soil for this w ork o f lofty su b lim in al fantasy, a n d p la n te d in H e le n e ’s m in d th e d o u b le idea, o f en o rm o u s scientific in te re st, th a t sh e co u ld e n te r in to d ire c t re la ­ tion w ith th e in h a b ita n ts o f M ars, a n d o f th e possibility, u n su sp e c te d by scien tists, b u t w hich sp iritism fu rn ish e s us, o f re ach in g th e re by a m ediu m istic ro u te. I d o u b t, how ever, w h e th e r th a t vague suggestion on th e p a rt o f th e e n v iro n m e n t w ould have sufficed to e n g e n d e r th e M artian d re a m — sin ce for m o re th a n tw o years no sign o f its e ru p tio n m ain fested itself— w ith o u t th e in te rv e n tio n o f som e fillip m o re c o n c rete, cap ab le o f giving a sta rt to th e w h o le m o v em en t. I t is n o t easy, unfortunately, for

w a n t o f re c o rd s o f th e facts, to assign w ith p re c isio n th e c irc u m sta n ces u n d e r w h ic h a n d th e m o m e n t w h e n H e le n e ’s su b co n scio u s im agination re c e iv e d th a t effective im p u lsio n , b u t an u n eq u iv o ca l tra c e is d isco v ered , as I am ab o u t to show in th e c o n te m p o ra n e o u s re p o rt o f th e p ro c e e d in g s o f th e first d istin c tly M artian sean ce o f M ile. S m ith. In M arch , 1894, H e le n e m a d e th e a c q u a in ta n c e o f M . L e m a itre , w ho, b e in g e x c e e d in g ly in te re s te d in th e p h e n o m e n a o f ab n o rm a l psychology, w as p r e s e n t w ith o th e rs a t so m e of h e r sean ces, a n d finally b e g g e d h e r to h o ld so m e at his h o u se. A t th e first o f th e s e (O c to b e r 28, 1894), H e le n e m e t a lady, a w idow, w ho was g re atly to b e p itie d . B esid es suffering from a v ery serio u s affection o f th e eyes, M m e. M irb e l h a d b e e n te rrib ly afflicted b y th e loss o f h e r only son, Alexis, s e v e n te e n years old, a n d a p u p il of M . L e m a itre . W h ile n o t y e t fully co n v in ce d o f th e tru th o f sp iritism , it is easy to u n d e rs ta n d th a t M m e. M irb e l w as v ery anxious to b e lie v e in th a t c o n so lato ry d o c trin e , a n d re a d y to ac c e p t it, if only som e proofs co u ld b e fu rn is h e d h e r; a n d w h a t m o re co n v in cin g te stim o n y co u ld sh e ask o r r e ­ ceiv e th a n th a t o f a m essag e from h e r b elo v ed ch ild ? M o reo v er, it was p ro b a b ly n o t w ith o u t a s e c re t h o p e o f p ro c u rin g a c o m m u n icatio n o f this n a tu re th a t s h e a c c e p te d th e in v ita tio n w h ich M. L e m a itre h a d s e n t h e r w ith th e id e a o f p ro c u rin g som e m o m e n ts o f d istra c tio n for th e u n h a p p y m o th e r. As h a p p e n s fre q u e n tly in H e le n e ’s case, th is first se a n c e fully satisfied th e d e s ire s o f th e sitte rs a n d su rp a sse d th e ir ex p e ctatio n s. S p eak ­ in g o nly o f th a t w h ich co n c e rn s M m e. M irb el, H e le n e h a d th e vision, first, o f a y o u n g m an , in th e v ery d e ta ile d d e sc rip tio n o f w hom th e r e was no d ifficu lty in re c o g n iz in g th e d e c e a se d Alexis M irb el; th e n o f an old m an w h o m th e ta b le called R aspail, b ro u g h t by th e y o u n g m an th a t h e m ig h t tr e a t his m o th e r’s eyes, w ho th u s h a d th e d o u b le p riv ile g e o f re ceiv in g th ro u g h th e ta b le w o rd s o f te n d e rn e s s from h e r son, a n d from R aspail d ire c tio n s for th e tr e a tm e n t o f th e affection o f h e r eyes. N o th in g in th a t s e a n c e re c a lle d in an y w ay th e p la n e t M ars, a n d it co u ld n o t b e fo reseen from a n y th in g th a t o c c u rre d th e r e th a t Alexis M irb el, d isin c a rn a te d , w o u ld re tu r n la te r u n d e r th e n a m e o f E se n a le as official in te r p r e te r o f th e M artian lan g u ag e. I t w as a lto g e th e r d iffe re n t a m o n th la te r (N o v e m b er 25), at th e sec o n d re u n io n at M . L e m a itre ’s, a t w h ich M m e. M irb el was again p re s e n t. O n th is o ccasion th e astro n o m ica l d re a m a p p e a re d at o n ce a n d d o m in a te d th e e n tire sean ce. F ro m th e b e g in n in g , says th e re p o rt o f th e sea n ce, M ile. S m ith p e r ­ c e iv e d , in th e d ista n c e a n d at a g re a t h e ig h t, a b rig h t light. T h e n sh e felt a tre m o r w h ich alm o st c a u se d h e r h e a rt to cease b e a tin g , afte r w h ich it s e e m e d to h e r as th o u g h h e r h e a d w e re e m p ty a n d as if sh e w e re no lo n g e r in th e body. S he fo u n d h e r s e lf in a d e n s e fog, w h ich c h a n g e d su c ­ cessiv ely from b lu e to a vivid ro se color, to gray, a n d th e n to black: sh e is

floating, she says; and th e table, supporting itself on one leg, seem ed to express a very curious floating m ovem ent. Then she sees a star, grow­ ing larger, always larger, and becom es, finally, “as large as ou r h o u se.” H elene feels th at she is ascending; then the table gives, by raps: “Lem aitre, th at which you have so long desired!” Mile. Sm ith, who had been ill at ease, finds h erself feeling better; she distinguishes th re e enorm ous globes, one of them very beautiful. “O n w hat am I walking?” she asks. And th e table replies: “On a w orld— M ars.” H elene then began a descrip­ tion of all th e strange things w hich p rese n ted them selves to h er view, and caused h e r as m uch surprise as am usem ent. Carriages w ithout horses or w heels, em itting sparks as they glided by; houses w ith fountains on the roof; a cradle having for curtains an angel m ade of iron w ith outstretched wings, etc. W hat seem ed less strange, w ere people exactly like the inhab­ itants of our earth, save that both sexes w ore the same costum e, form ed of trousers very am ple, and a long blouse, drawn tight about the waist and decorated w ith various designs. T he child in th e cradle was exactly like our children, according to th e sketch w hich H elene m ade from m em ory after th e seance. Finally, she saw upon M ars a sort of vast assem bly hall, in which was Professor Raspail, having in the first row of his hearers th e young Alexis M irbel, who, by a typtological dictation, reproached his m other for not having followed th e m edical prescription w hich he gave h e r a m onth p re ­ viously: “D ear m am m a, have you, then, so little confidence in us? You have no idea how m uch pain you have caused m e!” T hen followed a con­ versation of a private nature b etw een M me. M irbel and h er son, th e latter replying by m eans of the table; th en everything becom es quiet, the vision of Mars effaces itself little by little; th e table takes the same rotary move­ m ent on one foot which it had at th e com m encem ent of the seance; Mile. Sm ith finds herself again in th e fogs and goes through th e sam e process as before in an inverse order. T hen she exclaims: “Ah! h e re I am back again!” and several loud raps on th e table m ark the end of the seance. I have related in its principal elem ents this first M artian seance, for the sake of its im portance in different respects. T he initial series of coenaesthetic hallucinations, corresponding to a voyage from th e earth to M ars, reflects well the childish character o f an im agination which scientific problem s or th e exigences of logic trouble very little. W ithout d o u b t spiritism can explain how th e m aterial diffi­ culties of an interplanetary journey may be avoided in a purely m edium istic, fluid connection; but why, th en , this persistence of physical sensa­ tions, trouble w ith th e h e a rt trem or, floating sensation, etc. ? H ow ever it may be, this series o f sensations is from this tim e on th e custom ary p re ­ lude, and, as it w ere, the prem onitory aura of the M artian dream , with certain modifications, throughout all th e seances; som etim es it is compli-

92

·

C h a p te r F iv e

cated w ith auditive hallucinations (rum bling, noise of rushing water, etc.), or som etim es olfactory (disagreeable odors of bu rn in g , of sulphur, of a com ing storm ), oftener it ten d s to sho rten and sim plify itself, until it is e ith e r red u c e d to a b rie f feeling of malaise, or to th e initial visual hallu­ cination of th e light, generally very brilliant and red in w hich th e M artian visions usually appear. But th e point to w hich I w ish to call special atten tio n is that singular sp eech of th e table, on th e instan t at w hich M ile. Sm ith arrives on the d istant star, and before it is known w hat star is concerned: “L em aitre, that w hich you have so m uch w ished for!” This declaration, w hich m ay be co n sid ered as a dedication, so to speak, inscribed on th e frontispiece of th e M artian rom ance, authorizes us in m y opinion, in considering it and in te rp re tin g it in its origin, as a direct answ er to a w ish of M. L em aitre, a d esire w hich cam e at a re c e n t period to H e le n e ’s know ledge, and which has en acted w ith h e r th e initiatory role of h e r astronom ical dream . It is tru e th a t M. L em aitre him self did not u n d erstan d at th e m om ent to w hat this prelim inary w arning referred , but th e note w hich h e in serted at th e en d of his re p o rt of th at seance is instructive in this regard: “I do not know how to explain th e first w ords d ictated by th e table: ‘L em aitre, that w hich you have so m uch w ished for!’ M . S . rem inds m e th at in a conversa­ tion w hich I had w ith him last su m m er I said to him : ‘It w ould be very in te restin g to know w hat is h ap pening upon o th e r p lan ets.’ If this is an answ er to th e w ish of last year, very well. ” It m ust be ad d ed th a t M. S., w ho had b e e n sufficiently struck by this w ish o f M. L em aitre to re m e m b e r it for several m onths, was, during all of th e tim e refe rre d to, one o f th e m ost regular atten d an ts upon th e seances of M ile. Sm ith; and, to one who knows by experience all th at happens at th e spiritistic reunions, before, after, and d u rin g th e seance itself, th ere could hardly be any d o u b t b u t that it was through M. S., as interm ediary, th at M ile. Sm ith had h e a rd m en tio n ed M. L em aitre’s reg re t at ou r rela­ tive ignorance of th e inhabitants of o th e r planets. This idea, probably caught on th e w ing d uring th e state of suggestibility w hich accom panies th e seances, re tu rn e d w ith ren ew ed force w hen H e len e was invited to hold a seance at th e house o f M. L em aitre, and m ade m ore vivid also by th e desire, w hich is always late n t in her, of m aking th e visions as in te re st­ ing as possible to th e persons am ong w hom she finds herself. Such is, in m y opinion, th e seed w hich, falling into th e ground and fertilized by for­ m e r conversations concerning th e inhabitants of M ars and th e possibility of spiritistic relations w ith th em , has served as th e germ of th e rom ance, th e fu rth e r dev elo p m en t of which it rem ains for m e to trace. O n e point w hich still rem ains to be cleared up in th e seance, as I come to sum up, is th e singularly artificial character and th e slight connection b etw een th e M artian vision, p ro p erly so called, and th e reappearance of

Raspail a n d Alexis M irb el. W e do n o t a lto g e th e r u n d e rsta n d w h at th e se p erso n ag es have to do w ith it. W h a t n e e d is th e re o f th e ir b e in g to-day found on th e p la n e t M ars sim ply for th e p u rp o se o f co n tin u in g th e ir in te r­ view w ith M m e. M irb el, b e g u n at a p re v io u s seance, w ith o u t th e in te r­ v en tio n o f any p la n e t? T h e assem bly-hall at w hich th e y are found, w h ile it is lo cate d on M ars, is a b o n d o f u n io n all th e m o re artificial b e tw e e n th e m and th a t p la n e t in th a t th e re is n o th in g specifically M artian in its d e sc rip ­ tion a n d ap p e a rs to have b e e n b o rro w ed from o u r globe. This in c id e n t is at b o tto m a m a tte r out o f th e re g u la r co u rse, full o f in te re st u n d o u b te d ly for M m e. M irb el, w hom it d ire c tly co n cern s, b u t w ith o u t in tim a te c o n ­ n ectio n w ith th e M artian w orld. It was ev id en tly th e astronom ical re v ela­ tion, in te n d e d for M. L e m a itre , a n d rip e n e d b y a p e rio d o f in cu b atio n , w hich sh o u ld have fu rn ish e d th e m ateria l for this seance; b u t th e p re se n c e of M m e. M irb el awoke an e w th e m em o ry o f h e r son an d o fR asp ail, w hich had o cc u p ie d th e p re c e d in g sean ce, a n d th e s e m em o ries, in te rfe rin g w ith th e M artian vision, b eco m e, for good o r ill, in c o rp o ra te d as a stran g e ep iso d e in it w ith o u t having any d ire c t c o n n e ctio n w ith it. T h e w ork of unification, o f d ra m a tiz atio n , by w hich th e se tw o u n e q u a l chains o f ideas are h a rm o n iz e d a n d fused th e o n e w ith th e o th e r th ro u g h th e in te rm e d ia ­ tion of an assem bly-hall, is no m o re o r no less ex trao rd in ary th a n th a t w hich displays itse lf in all o u r n o ctu rn a l phan tasm ag o ria, w h e re c e rtain ab solutely h e te ro g e n e o u s m em o ries often ally th em selv es afte r an u n ex ­ p e c te d fashion, a n d afford o p p o rtu n ity for confusions o f th e m o st b izarre ch aracter. B ut m ed iu m istic co m m u n icatio n s differ from o rd in ary d re am s in th is— nam ely, th e in c o h e re n c e o f th e la tte r does n o t cause th e m to have any c o n se q u en ce s. W e are asto n ish ed a n d d iv e rte d for a m o m e n t as w e reflect u p o n a d re am . S o m etim es a d re a m holds a little lo n g er th e a tte n tio n of th e p sy ch ologist, w ho en d eav o rs to unravel th e in tric a te p lo t o f his d re am s an d to discover, am id th e caprices o f association o r th e ev e n ts o f th e w ak­ ing state, th e o rig in o f th e ir ta n g le d th rea d s. B ut, on th e w hole, this inco­ h e re n c e has n o in flu en c e on th e u ltim a te co u rse o f o u r th o u g h ts, b ec au se we see in o u r d re a m s only th e re su lts of ch an ce, w ith o u t value in th e m ­ selves a n d w ith o u t o b jectiv e signification. It is o th e rw ise w ith sp iritistic co m m u n icatio n s, b y reason o f th e im p o r­ tan ce an d th e c re d it acco rd ed th e m . T h e m e d iu m w ho p artially reco llects h e r autom atism s, o r to w hom th e sitte rs have d e ta ile d th e m a fte r th e close o f th e seance, a d d in g also th e ir co m m en ts, b ec o m e s p re o c c u p ie d w ith th e se m y sterio u s rev elatio n s; like th e p aran o iac, w ho p erceiv es h id d e n m ean in g s o r a p ro fo u n d significance in th e m o st trifling co in cid en ces, sh e seeks to fathom th e c o n te n t o f h e r stran g e visions, reflects on th e m , exam ines th e m in th e lig h t of sp iritistic n otions; if sh e e n c o u n te rs difficulties in th e m , o r co n trad ictio n s, h e r con-

94

·

C hapter Five

seious o r u n co n sc io u s th o u g h t (th e tw o a re n o t always in accord) w ill u n ­ d e rta k e th e task o f re m o v in g th e m , a n d solving as w ell as p o ssib le th e p ro b le m s w h ich th e s e d re a m -c re a tio n s, c o n sid e re d as re a litie s, im p o se u p o n h e r, a n d th e la te r so m n am b u lism s w ill b e a r th e im p rin t o f th is labor o f in te rp re ta tio n o r c o rrec tio n . I t is to th is p o in t w e have c o m e at th e c o m m e n c e m e n t o f th e a stro n o m i­ cal ro m a n c e o f M ile. S m ith . T h e p u re ly ac cid en tal a n d fo rtu ito u s co n ju n c ­ tio n o f th e p la n e t M ars a n d Alexis M irb e l in th e se a n c e o f th e 2 5 th of N o v e m b e r d e te r m in e d th e ir d efin itiv e w e ld in g to g e th e r. A ssociation by fo rtu ito u s co n tig u ity is tra n sfo rm e d in to a logical co n n ectio n .* II. L a t e r D

evelopm ent o f th e

M a r t ia n C y c l e

T h is d e v e lo p m e n t w as n o t effec te d in a re g u la r m a n n e r; b u t for th e m ost p a r t b y leap s a n d b o u n d s , se p a ra tin g sto p p ag es m o re o r less p ro lo n g ed . A fter its in a u g u ra tio n in th e se a n c e o f N o v e m b e r 25, 1894, it su ffe red a first ec lip se o f n e a rly fifteen m o n th s, a ttrib u ta b le to n e w p re o c c u p a tio n s w h ich h a d in sta lle d th e m se lv e s on th e h ig h e s t p la n e o f M ile. S m ith ’s subco n scio u sn ess a n d h e ld th a t p o sitio n th ro u g h o u t th e w h o le o f th e year 1895.* C o m p a re d w ith th e sea n ce o f N o v e m b e r, 1894, th a t o f F eb ru a ry , 1896 (of w h ich a re s u m e follows), show s in te re s tin g innovations. R aspail does n o t fig u re in it a n d h e n c e fo rth d o es n o t a p p e a r again, w h ich was p ro b a b ly d u e to th e fact th a t M m e. M irb e l h a d failed to m ake u se o f th e m e th o d of tr e a tm e n t w h ic h h e h a d p re s c rib e d for h e r eyes. Young M irb el, o n th e co n trary , sole o b je c t o f th e d e sire s a n d longings o f his p o o r m o th e r, o ccu ­ p ie s th e h ig h e s t p la n e , a n d is th e c e n tra l fig u re o f th e vision. H e now sp eak s M a rtia n a n d no lo n g e r u n d e rs ta n d s F re n c h , w h ich co m p licates th e co n v e rsatio n so m ew h a t. F u rth e r, n o t p o ssessin g th e p o w e r o f m oving ta­ b le s u p o n o u r g lobe, it is th ro u g h th e in te rv e n tio n o f th e m e d iu m , by in c a rn a tin g h im s e lf m o m e n ta rily in M ile. S m ith , th a t h e h e n c e fo rth com ­ m u n ic a te s w ith his m o th e r. T h e se tw o la tte r p o in ts in th e ir tu rn cause c e rta in d ifficu lties to arise, w h ich , ac tin g as a fe rm e n t or a su g g estio n will la te r u s h e r in a n e w s te p in th e p ro g re ss o f th e ro m an ce: Alexis M irb el c a n n o t re tu r n to in c a rn a te h im se lf in a te rre s tria l m e d iu m if h e is im ­ p ris o n e d in h is M artian ex isten c e; h e m u st first te rm in a te th a t a n d re tu rn to th e c o n d itio n in w h ich h e again floats in in te rp la n e ta ry space; w hich “flu id ” o r w a n d e rin g sta te p e rm its h im a t th e sam e tim e to give us th e F re n c h tra n sla tio n o f th e M artian to n g u e ; sin ce, acco rd in g to sp iritism , a c o m p le te m e m o ry o f p re v io u s ex isten c es, a n d c o n se q u e n tly o f th e various lan g u ag e s p e rta in in g to th e m , is te m p o ra rily re c o v e re d d u rin g th e ph ases o f d isin carn a tio n . T h e s e a n tic ip a to ry h in ts w ill assist th e re a d e r in follow ing m o re easily

th e th re a d o f th e so m n am b u listic ro m an ce in th e re su m e o f its p rin cip a l stages. F e b ru a ry 2, 1896.— I sum up, b y e n u m e ra tin g th e m , th e p rin cip al so m n am b u listic p h ase s o f this sean ce, w hich lasted m o re th a n tw o h o u rs an d a half, a n d at w h ich M m e. M irb e l assisted. 1. In c re a sin g h em iso m n am b u lism , w ith gradual loss o f consciousness of th e real e n v iro n m e n t— at th e b eg in n in g th e ta b le bow s several tim e s to M m e. M irb el, a n n o u n c in g th a t th e co m in g scen e is in te n d e d for her. A fter a serie s o f e le m e n ta ry visual hallu cin atio n s (rainbow colors, etc.), m e an in g for M m e. M irb el th a t sh e w ould finally b e c o m e b lin d , H e le n e arose, left th e ta b le , a n d h e ld a lo n g con v ersatio n w ith an im aginary w om an w h o w ish ed h e r to e n te r a curious little ca r w ith o u t w h e els or h orses. S h e b e c a m e im p a tie n t tow ards this w om an, w ho, afte r having at first sp o k en to h e r in F re n c h , now p e rs is te d in sp eak in g in an u n in te lli­ gible to n g u e , like C h in e se . L eo p o ld re v e a le d to us b y th e little fin g er th a t it was th e lan g u ag e o f th e p la n e t M ars, th a t this w om an is th e m o th e r o f Alexis M irb el, re in c a rn a te d on th a t p la n e t, a n d th a t H e le n e h e rs e lf w ill speak M artian . P re s e n tly H e le n e beg in s to re c ite w ith in cre asin g vol­ u b ility an in c o m p re h e n sib le ja rg o n , th e b e g in n in g o f w h ich is as follows (according to n o tes ta k e n b y M. L e m a itre at th e tim e , as accu ra te ly as possible): “M itc h m a m itc h m o n m im in i tc h o u a in e m m im a tc h in e g m asich in o f m ezav i p a te lk i a b re s in a d n a v e tte n av en n a v e tte m itc h ic h e n id n aken ch in o u to u fich e” . . . F ro m this p o in t th e ra p id ity p re v e n te d th e re c ­ o g n itio n o f a n y th in g else, e x c e p t such scraps as “t6ke . . . k a te c h iv is t. . . m e g u e tc h ,” . . . o r “m e k e tc h . . . k i t e . . . c h im e k e .” A fter a few m in ­ utes, H e le n e in te rru p ts h erself, cry in g out, “O h, I have h ad e n o u g h o f it; you say su ch w o rd s to m e I w ill n e v e r b e ab le to re p e a t th e m .” T h e n , w ith som e re lu c ta n c e , sh e c o n se n ts to follow h e r in terlo cu trix into th e car w hich was to ca rry h e r to M ars. 2. T h e tra n c e is now co m p lete. H e le n e th e re u p o n m im ics th e voyage to M ars in th re e p h ases, th e m e a n in g o f w h ich is in d ic a te d by L eopold: a re g u la r ro ck in g m otion o f th e u p p e r p a r t o f th e b o d y (passing th ro u g h th e te rre s tria l atm o sp h ere ), ab so lu te im m o b ility a n d rig id ity (in terp la n etary space), again oscillations o f th e sh o u ld ers a n d th e b u s t (atm o sp h ere o f Mars). A rriv ed u p o n M ars, sh e d esc e n d s from th e car, an d p erfo rm s a c o m p licated p a n to m im e ex p ressin g th e m a n n e rs o f M artian po liten ess: u n co u th g e stu re s w ith th e h an d s a n d fingers, slap p in g o f th e h an d s, taps of th e fingers u p o n th e nose, th e lips, th e ch in , e tc ., tw iste d co u rte sie s, glidings, a n d ro tatio n on th e floor, etc. It seem s th a t is th e way p e o p le ap p ro ach a n d salute each o th e r u p th e re . 3. T his so rt o f d an c e having su g g ested to o n e o f th e sitte rs th e id e a o f p erfo rm in g u p o n th e p iano, H e le n e su d d e n ly fell u p o n th e floor in an ev id en tly h y p n o tic state, w hich h a d no lo n g er a M artian character. At th e

96

·

C h a p te r F iv e

ce ssatio n o f th e m u sic sh e e n te r e d in to a m ixed sta te , in w h ic h th e m e m ­ ory o f th e M a rtia n visions co n tin u ally m in g le th e m se lv e s w ith so m e id ea o f h e r te rre s tria l ex isten c e. S he talks to h erself. “T h o se d re a m s a re droll, all th e sam e. . . . I m u st tell th a t to M . L e m a itre . W h e n h e [th e M artian A lexis M irb el] said ‘G o o d -d a y ’ to m e, h e ta p p e d h im s e lf u p o n th e n o se. . . . H e sp o k e to m e in a q u e e r lan g u ag e, b u t I u n d e rs to o d it p e r­ fectly, all th e s a m e ,” e tc. S e a te d on th e g ro u n d , le a n in g ag ain st a p ie c e o f fu rn itu re , s h e c o n tin u e s , so lilo q u izin g in F re n c h , in a low voice, to re v ie w th e d re a m , m in g lin g w ith it so m e w a n d e rin g re flectio n s. S he finds, for ex am p le, th a t th e y o u n g M artian (Alexis) was a re m a rk a b ly b ig b o y fo r o n e o n ly five o r six y ea rs old, as h e c laim ed to b e, a n d th a t th e w o m an s e e m e d v e ry y o u n g to b e h is m o th e r. 4. A fte r a tra n s ito ry p h a s e o f sighs a n d h iccoughs, follow ed by p ro fo u n d sle e p w ith m u sc u la r re lax atio n , sh e e n te r s in to M artian so m n am b u lism a n d m u rm u rs so m e c o n fu sed w ords: “K esin o u itid je ” . . . e tc. I c o m m an d h e r to sp ea k F re n c h to m e; s h e see m s to u n d e rs ta n d , a n d re p lie s in M ar­ tian , w ith an irrita te d a n d im p e rio u s to n e , I ask h e r to te ll m e h e r nam e; sh e re p lie s, “V asim ini M e te c h e .” W ith th e id ea th a t, p e rh a p s , sh e “is in c a rn a tin g ” th e y o u n g Alexis, o f w h o m sh e has sp o k en so m u c h in th e p re c e d in g p h a se , I u rg e M m e. M irb el to ap p ro ach h e r, a n d th e re u p o n b e g in s a sc e n e o f in c a rn a tio n re ally v ery affecting; M m e. M irb e l is on h e r k n e e s, so b b in g b itterly , in th e p re s e n c e o f h e r re c o v e re d son, w ho shows h e r m ark s o f th e m o st p ro fo u n d affection a n d ca resses h e r h a n d s “exactly as h e was a c c u sto m e d to d o d u rin g his last illn e s s,” all th e tim e c a rry in g on a d isc o u rse in M a rtia n (tin is toutch), w h ich th e p o o r m o th e r c a n n o t u n ­ d e rs ta n d , b u t to w h ich an a c c e n t o f e x tre m e sw ee tn ess a n d a t e n d e r in to ­ n a tio n im p a rt an e v id e n t m e a n in g o f w o rd s o f consolation a n d filial te n ­ d e rn e s s . T his p a th e tic d u e t la ste d a b o u t te n m in u te s, a n d was b ro u g h t to an e n d b y a r e tu r n to le th a rg ic sleep , from w h ich H e le n e aw ak en ed at th e e n d o f a q u a r te r o f an h o u r, p ro n o u n c in g a sh o rt M artian w o rd , after w h ich sh e in sta n tly re c o v e re d th e u s e o f h e r F re n c h a n d h e r n o rm al w ak­ in g state. 5. Q u e stio n e d as to w h a t h a d p asse d , H e le n e , w h ile d rin k in g tea, n a r­ ra te s th e d re a m w h ich sh e has h ad . S h e has a sufficiently c le a r m e m o ry o f h e r jo u rn e y a n d o f w h a t sh e has se e n on M ars, w ith th e ex c ep tio n o f th e y o u n g m an , o f w h o m sh e has re ta in e d only a re co llectio n o f th e sce n e o f in carn atio n . B ut su d d en ly , in th e m id st o f th e co n v e rsatio n , sh e b e g in s to sp eak in M artian , w ith o u t a p p e a rin g to b e aw are o f it, a n d w h ile c o n tin u in g to c h a t w ith u s in th e m o st n a tu ra l m a n n e r; sh e a p p e a re d to u n d e rs ta n d all o u r w o rd s, a n d a n sw e re d in h e r s tra n g e idiom , in th e m o st n o rm al to n e, and s e e m e d v ery m u c h a s to n is h e d w h e n w e to ld h e r th a t w e d id n o t u n d e r­ sta n d h e r lan g u ag e; sh e e v id e n tly b e lie v e s sh e is sp eak in g F re n c h .* By

questioning h e r concerning a visit which she had m ade a few days before to M. C ., and asking h e r th e n u m b er and th e nam es of th e persons whom she m et th ere, we succeed in identifying the four following M artian words: M etiche S., M onsieur S.; M edache C ., M adame C.; M etaganiche Sm ith, M adem oiselle Smith; kin’t’ehe, fo u r . A fter which she resum es d e ­ finitively h e r F rench. In terro g ated as to th e incident w hich has tra n ­ spired, she is astounded, has only a hesitating and confused m em ory of her having spoken at all this evening of h e r visit to M. C ., and does not recognize nor und erstan d the four M artian words given above w hen they are rep e a te d to her. On several occasions during this seance I had m ade the suggestion to H elene that at a given signal, after h er awaking, she would recover the m em ory of the M artian words pronounced by h e r and of th e ir m eaning. But Leopold, who was p resen t, declared th at this com ­ m and would not b e obeyed, and that a translation could not b e obtained this evening. T he signal, though often rep eated, was, in fact, w ithout result. It has seem ed to m e necessary to describe w ith some detail this seance, at which th e M artian language m ade its first appearance, in order to place before th e read er all the fragm ents which we have been able to gather, without, of course, any guarantee o f absolute accuracy, since every one knows how difficult it is to note the sounds o f unknow n words. A curious difference is to be noticed betw een th e words picked up in th e course of the seance and the four words several tim es rep e a te d by H elene, the m eaning and pronunciation of which have b een d e te rm in e d w ith com ­ plete accuracy in th e posthypnotic retu rn of th e som nam bulistic dream . Judged by these latter, the M artian language is only a puerile counterfeit of F ren ch , of w hich she preserves in each w ord a n u m b er of syllables and certain conspicuous letters. In the o th er phrases, on th e contrary, also making use of later texts which have b e e n translated, as we shall see h e re ­ after, it cannot be discovered w hat it is. We are constrained to believe that these first outbreaks of M artian, characterized by a volubility which we have rarely m et w ith since th en , was only a pseudo-M artian, a continua­ tion of sounds u tte red at random and w ithout any real m eaning, analogous to th e gibberish w hich children use som etim es in th eir games of “p re­ tending” to speak C hinese or Indian, and that th e real M artian was only created by an unskilful distortion of F rench, in a posthypnotic access of hem isom nam bulism , in o rd er to respond to th e m anifest desire of the sitters to obtain th e precise significance of some isolated M artian words. T h e impossibility, announced by Leopold, of procuring a translation that sam e evening of th e p re te n d e d M artian spoken for th e first tim e during th at seance, and th e fact that it could not again b e obtained, give some sup p o rt to th e preceding theory. T h e circum stance th at H elene, in rem em bering h e r dream in phase

No. 3, had th e se n tim e n t of having well understood this unknow n jargon, is not an objection, since th e children who am use them selves by sim ulat­ ing an uncouth idiom — to rec u r to th at exam ple— do not retain th e least consciousness of th e ideas w hich th e ir gibberish is assum ed to express. It seem s, in short, th at if this new language was already really established at th at tim e in H e le n e ’s sublim inal consciousness to th e point of sustaining fluently discourses of several m inutes’ duration, som e phrases at least w ould n ot have failed to gush forth, spontaneously som etim es, in the course o f ordinary life, and in o rd e r to throw light upon visions of M artian p eo p le o r landscapes. M ore than seven m onths had to elapse before that phen o m en o n , w hich was so fre q u e n t afterw ards, began to appear. May we not see in this half-year a period of incubation, employed in the sub­ lim inal fabrication o f a language, properly so called— th at is to say, form ed of precise w ords and w ith a definite signification, in im itation of th e four term s ju st referred to— to replace the disordered nonsense of the beginning? H ow ever it m ay b e , and to re tu rn to our story, one can im agine the in te re st w hich th at su d d en and un ex p ected apparition of m ysterious speech aroused, and w hich th e authority of L eopold w ould not allow to be taken for anything o th e r than the language of M ars. T he natural curiosity of H e le n e herself, as well as th at of h e r friends, to know m ore about our neighbors o f o th e r worlds and th e ir way of expressing them selves should naturally have co n trib u ted to th e d evelopm ent of th e sublim inal dream . T h e following seance, unhappily, did not justify th e prom ise w ith w hich it began. F eb ru ary 16, 1896.— At th e beginning of this seance, H e len e has a vision of Alexis M irbel, w ho announces, by m eans o f th e table, th at he has n o t forgotten his F re n ch , and th a t h e will give a translation of th e M artian w ords an o th e r day. But this prediction is not fulfilled. W h e th e r H elene, for th e reason th a t she is not feeling w ell to-day, or th at th e p rese n c e of som e one a n tip ath etic to h e r has h in d e re d th e production of th e p h e n o m ­ ena, th e M artian som nam bulism , w hich seem ed on th e point of breaking forth, did not m ake its appearance. H elen e rem ains in a crepuscular state, in w hich th e feeling of p re s e n t reality and th e M artian ideas on th e level of consciousness in terfere w ith and m utually obscure each other. She speaks in F re n ch w ith th e sitters, b u t m ingling w ith it h e re and th e re a stran ge w ord (such as m ech e, chinit, ch eq u e, w hich, according to the context, seem to signify pencil, ring, paper), and appears far away from h e r actual surroundings. She is astonished, in particular, at th e sight of M. R. occupied in taking notes by th e proces verbal, and seem s to find th a t m an n er of w riting w ith a p en or pencil strange and absurd, b ut w ith­ out explaining clearly how it was to be otherw ise accom plished. T he im ­ p o rtan ce of this seance is in th e fact th a t th e idea stands out clearly (which was not to b e realized until a year and a h alf later) of a m ode of han d w rit­ ing peculiar to th e p lan e t Mars.

This sean ce, w hich was alm ost a failure, was th e last o f th a t perio d . H e le n e ’s h e a lth , w hich b e c a m e m o re an d m o re im p aired b y stan d in g too long on h e r fe e t a n d overw ork at h e r desk, n ec essita ted h e r taking a com ­ p lete re st. I h ave m e n tio n e d th e fact th a t d u rin g th ese six m o n th s, w ith ­ out any re g u la r seances, she was su b ject to a su p e ra b u n d a n c e o f sp o n ­ tan eo u s visions an d som nam bulism s; b u t th e s e autom atism s b elo n g ed to th e H in d o o o r o th e r cycles, a n d I do not b eliev e th a t sh e ex p e rie n c e d d u rin g th a t tim e any p h e n o m e n a w hich w e re clearly re la te d to th e M ar­ tian ro m an ce. O n th e o th e r h an d , as soon as sh e was re -e sta b lish e d in and h ad re tu r n e d to h e r norm al m o d e o f life, th e la tte r a p p e a re d again w ith all th e m o re intensity, d a tin g from th e follow ing n o ctu rn al vision. (See Fig. 9.) S e p te m b e r 5, 1896.— H e le n e n a rra te s th a t having arisen at a q u a rte rpast th re e in th e m o rn in g to take in som e flowers th a t stood u p o n th e w indow-sill an d w e re th re a te n e d b y th e w ind, in stead o f going back to b ed im m e d ia tely sh e sat dow n upon h e r b e d a n d saw b efo re h e r a lan d ­ scape an d som e p ec u lia r p eo p le. She was on th e b o rd e r o f a beautiful b lu e-p in k lake, w ith a b rid g e th e sides o f w hich w e re tra n sp a re n t and form ed o f yellow tu b e s like th e p ip e s o f an organ, o f w hich o n e e n d see m e d to b e p lu n g e d in to th e w ater. T h e e a rth was p each-colored; som e of th e tre e s h ad tru n k s w id en in g as th e y asc en d ed , w hile th o se o f o th ers w ere tw isted . L a te r a crow d ap p ro ach e d th e b rid g e, in w hich o n e w om an was esp ecially p ro m in e n t. T h e w om en w ore h ats w hich w e re flat, like plates. H e le n e does n o t know w ho th e s e p e o p le are, b u t has th e feeling of having co n v e rsed w ith th e m . O n th e b rid g e th e re was a m an o f d ark com ­ plexion (Astane), carry in g in his h an d s an in s tru m e n t som ew hat re se m ­ b ling a ca rriag e -lan tern in ap p e ara n ce, w hich, b e in g p re sse d , e m itte d flam es, a n d w h ich se e m e d to b e a flying-m achine. By m eans o f this in stru ­ m en t th e m an left th e b rid g e , to u c h e d th e surface o f th e w ater, a n d re ­ tu rn e d again to th e b rid g e. T his tab leau lasted tw enty-five m inutes, since H e le n e, u p o n re tu rn in g to consciousness, o b serv ed th a t h e r can d le was still b u rn in g an d a sc ertain ed th a t it was th e n 3.40 o ’clock. S he is co n ­ vinced th a t sh e d id no t fall asleep, b u t was w id e awake d u rin g all o f this vision. (See F igs. 10 a n d 11.) F ro m th a t tim e th e sp o n tan eo u s M artian visions are re p e a te d a n d m u l­ tip lied . M ile. S m ith ex p e rien ce s th e m usually in th e m orning, after awak­ ing a n d b efo re rising from h e r b ed : so m etim es in th e ev ening, o r occa­ sionally a t o th e r tim e s d u rin g th e day. It is in th e co u rse o f th e s e visual h allucinations th a t th e M artian language ap p ears again u n d e r an au d itiv e form. S e p te m b e r 22, 1896.— D u rin g th e s e last days H e le n e has seen again on d iffe ren t occasions th e M artian m an, w ith o r w ith o u t his flyingm achine; for ex am ple, h e a p p e a re d to h e r w hile sh e was taking a b a th , at th e e d g e of th e b a th -tu b . S he has h ad several tim es visions o f a stran g e

h o u se th e p ic tu re o f w h ich follow ed h e r w ith so m u ch p e rsis te n c y th a t she finally p a in te d it (see F ig. 12). A t th e sam e tim e sh e h e a rd on th r e e differ­ e n t occasions a s e n te n c e th e m e a n in g o f w h ich sh e d o es n o t know, b u t w h ic h sh e was a b le to ta k e dow n w ith h e r p e n c il as follows: “D o d d n e ci h a u d a n te m e c h e m e tic h e A sta n e k e d e m e v e c h e .” (As was a sc e rta in e d six w e ek s after, b y th e tran sla tio n given in th e sea n ce o f th e 2d o f N ovem ­ b e r, th is p h ra s e in d ic a te s th a t th e stra n g e h o u se is th a t o f th e M artian m an , w h o is called A stane.) T h is p h ra s e was u n d o u b te d ly M artian , b u t w h a t was th e m e a n in g o f it? A fter h av in g h o p e d in vain for n e a rly a m o n th th a t th e m e a n in g w o u ld b e re v e a le d in so m e w ay o r o th e r, I d e c id e d to try a d isg u ise d su g g estio n . I w ro te to L e o p o ld h im s e lf a le tte r, in w h ich I a p p e a le d to his o m n iscien ce as w ell as to h is k in d n e ss to g ive m e so m e e n lig h te n m e n t in re g a rd to th e s tra n g e lan g u ag e w h ic h p iq u e d o u r curiosity, an d , in p artic u la r, as to th e m e a n in g o f th e p h ra s e H e le n e h a d h e a rd . I asked h im to a n sw e r m e in w ritin g , b y m e a n s o f H e le n e 's h an d . W e d id n o t have to w ait long for a reply. H e le n e re c e iv e d m y le tte r th e 2 0 th o f O c to b e r, a n d o n th e ev e n in g o f th e 22 d , se iz e d w ith a v ag u e d e s ire to w rite , s h e took a p e n c il, w hich p la c e d its e lf in th e re g u la r p o sitio n , b e tw e e n th e th u m b a n d th e indexfin g er (w h ereas sh e alw ays h e ld h e r p e n b e tw e e n th e m id d le a n d indexfinger), a n d tra c e d rapidly, in th e ch a ra c te ristic h a n d w ritin g o f L eo p o ld a n d w ith h is s ig n a tu re , a b ea u tifu l e p istle o f e ig h te e n A lex an d rin e lines a d d re s s e d to m e , o f w h ich th e te n last a re as follows, b e in g a n a n sw e r to m y re q u e s t th a t th e se c re ts o f M artian b e re v e a le d to m e: N e crois pas q u ’en t’aim ant c o m m e un b ien ten dre frere Je te diroi d es cieux tout Ie profond m ystere; Je t’aideroi b eaucoup, je t’ouvriroi la voie, M ais a toi d e saisir et ch erch er avec joie; Et quand tu la verras d’ici-bas d etach ee, Q uand son am e m ob ile aura pris la v olee E t planera sur Mars aux su perb es couleurs; Si tu veux ob ten ir d’e lle q u elq u es lueurs, Pose b ien d ou cem en t, ta main sur son front pale E t prononce b ien bas Ie doux nom d ’E sen a le !2 2 D o n o t th in k th a t in loving you as a te n d e r b r o th e r I shall te ll you all th e p ro fo u n d m y ste rie s o f h eav en ; I shall h e lp you m u c h , I shall o p e n for you th e way, B ut it is for you to se iz e a n d s e e k w ith joy; A n d w h e n you shall se e h e r re le a s e d from h e r e below , W h e n h e r m o b ile soul shall have ta k e n flight A n d shall so ar o v e r M ars w ith its b rillia n t tin ts; I f you w o u ld o b ta in from h e r so m e lig h t, P lace y o u r h a n d v e ry g e n tly o n h e r p a le fo re h e a d A n d p ro n o u n c e v e ry softly th e sw e e t n a m e o f E se n a le l

The Martian Cycle

Fig. 9. Martian landscape. Pink bridge, with yellow railings plunging down into a pale-blue and purple-tinted lake. The shores and hills of a red color, no green being visible. All the trees are of a brick-red, purpJe, or violet tint. (From the collection of M. Lemaitre.)

Fig. 10. Flying-machine held by Astane, emitting yellow and red flames. (From the collection of M. Lemaitre.)

101

102

Chapter Five

Fig. 11. Astane. Yellow complexion, brown hair; brown sandals; roll of white paper in his hand; variegated costume, or red and white; brick-red belt and border.

Fig. 12. House of Astane. Blue sky; soil, mountains, and walls of a red color. The two plants, with twisted trunks, have purple leaves; the others have long green lower leaves and small purple higher leaves. The frame-work of the doors, Windows, and decorations are in the shape of trumpets, and are of a brownish-red color. White glass (?) and curtains or shades of a turquoise-blue. The railings of the roof are yellow, with blue tips.

T h e M artian C ycle

·

103

Fig. 13. M artian lan d scap e. G reen ish -y ello w sky. A m an w ith a yellow com plexion d re sse d in w h ite , in a b o at o f bro w n , yellow, black, an d re d colors on a b lu e -g re e n lake; ro se -tin te d rock, w ith w h ite an d yellow spots; d ark g re e n v eg etatio n ; b u ild ­ ings o f b ro w n , re d , an d rose-lilac tin ts, w ith w h ite w indow -panes an d cu rta in s o f b rig h t b lu e .

104

Chapter Five

Fig. 14. Martian landscape. Sky of yellow; green lake; gray shores bordered by a brown fence; bell-towers on the shore, in yellow-brown tones, with corners and pinnacles ornamented with pink and blue balls; hills of red rocks; with vegetation of a rather dark green interspersed with rose, purple, and white spots (flowers); buildings at the base constructed of brick-red lattice-work; edges and corners terminating in brown-red trumpets; immense white window panes, with turquoiseblue curtains; roofs furnished with yellow-brown bell-turrets, brick-red battlements, or with green and red plants (like those of Astamrs house, Fig. 12). Persons with large white head-dresses and red or brown robes.

T h e M artian C ycle

Fig. 15. L ig h t-b ro w n an d yellow tru n k a n d leaves; d o u b le -lo b e d flow ers o f a v iv id re d , out o f w h ich p ro c e e d yellow sta m e n s like black th re a d s. F ig. 16. L arg e leaves, lig h t yellow ish brow n; flow ers w ith p u rp le p e ta ls w ith black sta m e n s an d b lack stem s co v e red w ith little p u r p le leaves like p etals. Fig. 17. L arg e vio let fru it w ith b lack spots, s u rm o u n te d by a yellow an d v io let p lu m e . T h e tru n k of b ro w n color w ith black veins, w ith six b ra n c h e s of th e sa m e c h a ra c te r e n d in g in a yellow hook. R e d -b rick soil.

F ig. 18. A s ta n e s ugly b east. T h e b o d y an d tail a r e ro secolo red ; th e ey e is g re e n w ith a black c e n tre ; th e h e a d is blackish; th e la te ra l a p p e n d ic e s are brow nish-yellow , co v ered , lik e th e w h o le body, w ith p in k hair.

·

105

106

•

Chapter Five

Fig. 19. Martian lamp, standing against a rose and bluecolored tapestry.

Fig. 20. Plant of Mar tian d esign . Fire-red flowers; violet-gray leaves.

I have b e e n v ery sen sib le to th e p led g es of fratern a l affection th a t L eopold has acco rd ed m e, b u t th is tim e I was especially m oved, and al­ th o u g h th e v ery u n co m m o n n am e o f E se n a le m e a n t absolutely n o th in g to m e, I took ca re n o t to fo rg et th e sin g u lar ru le w hich h ad b e e n fu rn ish e d m e. At th e follow ing sean ce an o p p o rtu n ity for using it p re s e n te d itself, an d L eo p o ld w e n t so far as to d ire c t h im se lf th e ap plication o f his m e th o d by giving us his in stru c tio n s, so m etim es w ith o n e finger, so m etim es w ith an o th er, d u rin g H e le n e ’s M artian tran c e. M onday, N o v e m b e r 2, 1896.— A fter various ch a rac te ristic sy m ptom s of th e d e p a rtu re for M ars (vertigo, affection o f th e h e a rt, etc.), H e le n e w e n t in a d e e p sleep . I h ad re c o u rse to th e p re sc rib e d m eth o d , b u t L eopold, by th e fingers o f th e rig h t h an d , in d ic a te d th a t th e p ro p e r m o m e n t h a d n o t y et arriv ed , a n d said: “W h e n th e soul shall again have re g a in e d possession o f its e lf th o u sh alt execu te m y o rd e r; she will th e n d esc rib e to you, w hile still asleep, th a t w h ich she shall have see n on M ars.” S hortly after h e adds, “M ake h e r sit dow n in an easy-chair” (in stead o f th e unco m fo rtab le one w h ich sh e h a d tak en , as was h e r w ont); th e n , as h e r peaceful sleep still c o n tin u e d , h e inform s us again th a t she is en route tow ards M ars; th a t once arriv e d u p th e r e sh e u n d e rs ta n d s th e M artian sp oken a ro u n d h er, a lth o u g h sh e has n e v e r le a rn e d it; th a t it is n o t h e, L eo p o ld , w ho will tran slate th e M artian for us— n o t b ec au se h e does n o t w ish to do so, b u t becau se h e can n ot; th a t th is tran slatio n is th e p erfo rm an c e o f E sen a le , who is actu ally d isin carn a te in space, b u t w ho has re c e n tly lived u p o n M ars, an d also u p o n th e e a rth , w hich p e rm its him to act as in te rp re te r, etc. A fter h a lf an h o u r o f w aiting, H e le n e ’s calm sleep gave way to agitation, and sh e p asse d in to a n o th e r form o f so m n am b u lism , w ith sighs, rh y th m ic m o v em en ts o f th e h e a d a n d h an d s, th e n g ro te s q u e M artian g e stu re s an d F re n c h w ords m u rm u re d softly to th e h ea rin g o f L eo p o ld , w ho seem s to accom pany h e r on M ars, a n d to w hom sh e confides som e o f h e r im p re s­ sions in re g a rd to th a t w h ich she p erceiv es. In th e m id st o f this soliloquy a vertical m o v e m e n t o f th e arm , p ec u lia r to L eo p o ld , in d icates th a t th e m o m en t has a rriv e d for ca rry in g out his d irectio n s. I place m y h a n d on H e le n e ’s fo re h e a d , a n d u tte r th e nam e o f E sen a le , to w hich H e le n e re ­ plies in a soft, fe eb le, so m ew h at m elancholy, voice: Esenale has gone away . . . he has left me alone . . . but he will return, . . . he will soon return. . . . H e has taken me by the hand and made me enter the house [that which she saw in her vision, and of which she made the drawing a month ago— see Fig. 12]. . . . I do not know where Esenale is leading me, but he has said to me, ‘Dode ne ci haudan te meche metiche Astane ke de me veche,’ but I did not understand; . . . dode, this; ne, is; ci, the; haudan, house; te, o f the; meche, great; metiche, man; Astane, Astane; ke, whom; de, thou;

m e, hast; veche, seen. . . . This is the house of the great man Astane, whom thou hast seen. . . . Esenale has told me that. . . . Esenale has gone away. . . . H e will retu rn . . . he will soon return . . . he will teach me to speak . . . and Astane will teach m e to write. I h ave a b rid g e d th is lo n g m o n o lo g u e, c o n sta n tly in te r r u p te d b y si­ len ce s, a n d th e c o n tin u a tio n o f w h ich I o n ly o b ta in e d b y h av in g co n stan t re c o u rs e to th e n a m e o f E se n a le as th e m agic w ord, alo n e cap ab le of e x tra c tin g ea ch tim e a few w ords from H e le n e ’s co n fu sed b rain . A fte r th e last s e n te n c e o r p h ra se , in w h ich o n e can see a ca teg o rical p re d ic tio n of th e M a rtia n w ritin g , h e r w eak, slow voice w as finally h u s h e d , and L e o p o ld d ire c ts b y m ean s o f his left m id d le fin g er th e rem oval o f th e han d from th e fo re h e a d . T h e n follow th e cu sto m a ry a lte rn a tio n s o f leth arg ic sleep , sighs, catalepsy, m o m e n ta ry re la p ses in to so m n am b u lism , etc. T h e n sh e o p e n s h e r e y e s p e rm a n e n tly , v e ry m u c h s u rp ris e d to find h e r­ s e lf in th e easy-chair. H e r b ra in is g re a tly co n fu sed . “It se e m s to m e as th o u g h I h a d a g re a t m an y th in g s o n m y m in d , b u t I c a n n o t fix upon a n y th in g .” B y d e g re e s sh e reg ain s a c le a r co n scio u sn ess, b u t o f th e e n tire sea n ce, w h ic h h as la ste d an h o u r a n d a half, th e r e only re m a in so m e frag­ m e n ts o f M artian visions a n d no re co llectio n w h a te v e r o f th e sce n e w ith E s e n a le a n d th a t o f th e tran slatio n . T h is p ro c e ss o f tra n sla tio n , th e first ap p lica tio n o f w h ich is h e re p r e ­ s e n te d , b e c o m e s from th is tim e th e s ta n d a rd m e th o d . F o r m o re th a n tw o years a n d a half, th e im p o sitio n o f th e h a n d upon H e le n e ’s fo re h e a d a n d th e u tte rin g o f th e n a m e o f E se n a le at th e p ro p e r m o m e n t d u rin g th e tra n c e c o n stitu te th e “o p e n sesa m e” o f th e M artianF re n c h d ic tio n a ry b u rie d in th e su b lim in al s tra ta o f H e le n e ’s co n scio u s­ ness. T h e id e a o f th is c e re m o n ia l is e v id e n tly to aw aken b y su g g estio n — in a c e rta in fav o rable so m n a m b u listic p h a se , w h ich L eo p o ld recognizes a n d h im s e lf a n n o u n c e s b y a g e s tu re o f th e a rm — th e sec o n d ary p e rso n ­ ality w h ich has a m u se d itse lf b y co m p o sin g th e p h ra se s o f th is e x tra te r­ re stria l lan g u ag e. In sp iritistic te rm s , it a m o u n ts to invoking th e d isin c a rn a te E sen ale, o th e rw is e called Alexis M irb el, w ho, having liv ed on b o th p la n e ts, can easily d e v o te h im s e lf to th e fu n c tio n s o f an in te rp re te r. T h e o nly d iffe ren c e b e tw e e n th is sc e n e o f tran sla tio n a n d o th e r seances is in th e ease a n d ra p id ity w ith w h ic h it is p e rfo rm e d . E se n a le seem s so m e tim e s to b e th o ro u g h ly a sle e p a n d difficult to aw aken; H e le n e p e r­ sists in re p ly in g b y th e s te re o ty p e d re frain , a n d in cessa n tly re p e a ts, in h e r soft a n d m elan c h o ly voice, “E se n a le has g o n e aw ay— h e w ill soon r e tu r n — h e h as g o n e aw ay— h e w ill soon r e tu r n .” T h e n som e m o re e n e r­ g e tic p asses o r fric tio n on th e fo re h e a d a re necessary, in s te a d o f th e

simple pressure of the hand, in order to break up this mechanical repeti­ tion, which threatens to go on forever, and in order to obtain, finally, the repetition and translation, word by word, of the Martian texts.* O ther­ wise the voice continues identical with that of the refrain, soft and feeble, and one can never know w hether it is Esenale himself who is making use of H elene’s phonetic apparatus without modifying it, or w hether it is she herself, repeating in her sleep what Esenale has told her; the categorical distinctness and absence of all hesitation in pronunciation of the Martian are in favor of the former supposition, which is also corroborated by the fact that it was also in this same voice that Alexis Mirbel (Esenale) spoke to his m other in the scenes of incarnation. (See Fig. 13.) It would be wearisome to recount in detail all the further manifestations of the Martian cycle, which occur frequently in numerous seances and also under the form of spontaneous visions in the daily life of Mile. Smith. The reader can gain an idea of them both from the remarks of the follow­ ing paragraph, as well as from the explanatory resumes added to the Mar­ tian texts, which will be collected in the following chapter. It merely re­ mains for me to say a word here as to the m anner in which the pictures of Helene relative to Mars, and reproduced in autotype in the Figs. 9 to 20, have been made. None of these pictures has been executed in complete somnambulism, and they have not, consequently, like the drawings of certain mediums, the interest of a graphic product, absolutely automatic, engendered out­ side of and unknown to the ordinary consciousness. They are nothing more than simple compositions of the normal consciousness of Mile. Smith. They represent a type of interm ediary activity, and correspond to a state of hemisomnambulism. We have seen above (p. 20) that already in her childhood H elene seems to have executed various pieces of work in a semi-automatic manner. The same performance is often reproduced on the occasion of the Martian visions, which sometimes pursue her so per­ sistently that she decides to execute them with pencil and brush; work which, in anticipation, often frightens her by its difficulty, but which, when the time comes, accomplishes itself, to her great astonishment, with an ease and perfection almost mechanical. H ere is an example: One Tuesday evening, having already retired, H elene saw on her bed some magnificent flowers, very different from ours, but without perfume, and which she did not touch, for during her visions she has no idea of moving, and remains inert and passive. The afternoon of the following day, at her desk, she found herself enveloped in a red light, and at the same tim e felt an indefinable but violent affection of the heart (aura of the voyage to Mars). “The red light continues about me, and I find myself surrounded by extraordinary flowers of the kind which I saw on my bed,

b u t th e y h a d no p e rfu m e . I w ill b rin g you so m e sk e tc h e s o f th e m on S u n d ay .” S h e s e n t th e m to m e, in fact, o n M onday, w ith th e follow ing n o te: I am very w ell satisfied w ith m y plants. T h ey are the exact reproduction o f those w h ich it afforded m e so m uch pleasu re to b eh old [No. 3, in Fig. 16, w hich, b eforehand, H e le n e d esp aired o f b ein g able to rend er w ell], w hich appeared to m e on th e latter occasion, and I greatly regret that you w ere not h ere to see m e execu te th e drawing: th e p en cil g lid ed so quickly that I did not have tim e to n o tice what contours it was m aking. I can assert w ithout any exaggeration that it was not m y hand alone that m ade the drawing, but that truly an in visib le force gu id ed th e p en cil in sp ite o f m e. T h e various tints appeared to m e upon the paper, and m y brush was d irected in sp ite o f m e towards the color w hich I ought to u se. This seem s in cred ible, but it is, notw ithstanding, the exact truth. The w h o le was d on e so quickly that I m arvelled at it.

T h e h o u se o f A stan e (Fig. 12), a n d th e ex ten siv e lan d sca p es o f F igs. 13 a n d 14, a re also th e p ro d u c ts o f a q u asi-a u to m a tic activity, w h ich always gives g re a t satisfaction to M ile. S m ith . I t is, in a way, h e r su b lim in al self w h ic h h o ld s th e b ru s h a n d ex ecu tes, a t its p le a su re , its ow n tableaux, w h ich also h ave th e v alue o f v e rita b le originals. O th e r draw ings, o n th e c o n tra ry (for ex a m p le , th e p o rtra it o f A stan e, F ig. 11), w h ich have given H e le n e m u c h tro u b le w ith o u t h av in g satisfied h e r v ery w ell, sh o u ld b e re g a rd e d as sim p le co p ies from m em ory, b y th e o rd in a ry p erso n ality , of p a s t visions, th e m e m o ry o f w h ich is graven u p o n h e r m in d in a m a n n e r su fficien tly p e r s is te n t to se rv e as a m o d el sev e ral days afterw ard s. In bo th cases, b u t esp e cially in th e first, H e le n e ’s p ain tin g s m ay b e c o n sid e re d as faith fu l re p ro d u c tio n s o f th e tab lea u x w h ich u n fo ld th e m s e lv e s b efo re her, a n d c o n s e q u e n tly give us b e t t e r th a n m o st v erb al d e sc rip tio n s an id e a of th e g e n e ra l c h a ra c te r o f h e r M artian visions. L e t u s se e now w h a t k in d o f in fo rm atio n th e m essag es a n d so m n a m b u ­ lism s o f H e le n e fu rn ish us in re g a rd to th e b rillia n t p la n e t w h o se co m p li­ c a te d re v o lu tio n s fo rm e rly re v e a le d to a K ep ler th e fu n d a m e n ta l se c re ts of m o d e rn astronom y. III. T h e P e r s o n a g e s

of the

M a r t ia n Ro m a n c e

In u sin g th e w o rd “ro m a n c e ” to d e sig n a te th e M a rtia n co m m u n icatio n s, ta k e n as a w h o le, I w ish to sta te th a t th e y are , to m y m in d , a w ork o f p u re im ag in atio n , b u t n o t th a t th e r e a re to b e fo u n d in th e m c h a rac te ristic s of u n ity a n d o f in te rn a l co -o rd in atio n , o f su sta in e d action, o f in c re a sin g in­ te r e s t to th e final d e n o u e m e n t. T h e M artian ro m a n c e is only a succession o f d e ta c h e d sce n es a n d tab leau x , w ith o u t o rd e r o r in tim a te c o n n e ctio n , a n d sh o w in g n o o th e r co m m o n tra its b e y o n d th e u n k n o w n lan g u ag e spo-

ken in it, th e quite fre q u e n t presence of the sam e personages, and a cer­ tain fashion of originality, a color or quality badly defined as “exotic” or “bizarre” in th e landscapes, th e edifices, th e costum es, etc. O f a consecutive plot or intrigue, properly so called, th ere is no trace.* W ithout determ in in g th e question, I am inclined, nevertheless, to ac­ cord to th e M artian rom ance, in some profound stratum of H elen e’s b e ­ ing, a m uch greater continuity and extent than w ould appear from judging it solely by th e fragm ents known to us. We have only, in my opinion, a few pages, taken at hazard from different chapters; th e bulk of th e volum e is wanting, and th e little we possess does not enable us to reconstruct it in a satisfactory m anner. We m ust, therefore, be content w ith sorting this d e­ bris of unequal im portance, according to th eir content, in d ependently of their chronological order, and grouping them around the principal p e r­ sonages which figure in them . The anonym ous and m ixed crowd which forms the base of some of the M artian visions only differs from th at of our own country by the large robe common to both sexes, th e flat hats, and the sandals bound to the feet by straps. T he in terest is confined to a small n u m b er of m ore distinct p e r­ sonages having each his own nam e, always term inating in an e w ith the men and in an i w ith the wom en, except only in th e case of Esenale,* who occupies, however, a place by him self in his quality of disincarnated M ar­ tian, fulfilling the function of in terp reter. L et us begin by saying a few words about him. Esenale We have seen (p. 100) th at this nam e was hin ted at by Le M artian words. Then at th e first recu rren ce to this talism an (N ovem ber 2nd, see p. 107) we learn only th at he was a deceased inhabitant of M ars, whose acquaintance Leopold had recently m ade in interplanetary space. It was only at the following seance (N ovem ber 8th), w here we find M m e. M irbel, that, after an incarnation of h e r son Alexis, followed by the scene of translation (see text 3) and in response to questions of the sitters— which answ ered very well th e purpose of suggestion— Leopold affirmed by th e left index-finger that E senale was Alexis M irbel. It cannot be determ in ed w h eth er that identification constituted a prim itive fact w hich it pleased Leopold to keep secret, only revealing it at th e en d of a seance at which M m e. M irbel was p resen t, or w h ether, as I am inclined to regard it, it was only estab­ lished at th at sam e seance, u n d e r th e dom ination of th e circum stances of the m om ent. As a translator of M artian, E senale did not show great tal­ ent. H e had to be en tre ate d , and it was necessary often to rep eat his nam e while pressing or rubbing H e len e’s forehead, in ord er to obtain the exact m eaning o f th e last texts w hich had been given. H e possessed, it is true,

112

·

C hapter F ive

an ex c e lle n t m em ory, a n d faithfully re p ro d u c e d , b efo re giving it w o rd by w o rd , th e F re n c h for th e M artian p h ra se s w h ich H e le n e h a d h e a rd sev­ era l w eek s b e fo re a n d only se e n again five o r six m o n th s afterw ards (text 24), a n d o f w hich th e re h ad b e e n no p re v io u s o p p o rtu n ity to o b tain a tra n sla tio n . B ut it was to th e s e la tte r texts, n o t y et in te rp re te d , th a t he co n fin e d his w illingness; on tw o occasions only did h e ad d , o f his own acco rd , so m e w o rd s o f n o im p o rta n c e (texts 15 a n d 36). Text N o. 19, for in sta n c e , h as alw ays re m a in e d u n tra n s la te d , a n d m y la te r efforts (Ju n e 4, 1899) to o b tain th e m e a n in g o f th e unknow n w ords m ile p iri have b e e n in vain; m o reo v er, E se n a le has n o t b e e n able to fill u p th e gaps in te x t No. 24.* Alexis M irb el, a fte r th e tw o first M artian seances, re p o rte d on pp. 91 a n d 96, ca lle d E se n a le , o ften ac co rd e d his m o th er, in scen es o f in carn a­ tio n , so m e w h a t p a th e tic , to u c h in g m essages o f filial te n d e rn e s s an d con­ so latio n (texts 3, 4, 11, 15, a n d 18). I t is to b e n o te d th a t, alth o u g h o p p o r­ tu n itie s for c o n tin u in g th is role w e re n o t w an tin g , h e ap p e a rs to have c o m p le te ly a b a n d o n e d it for th e last tw o years. H is last m essage o f this k in d (O c to b e r 10, 1897, tex t 18) follow ed a m o n th afte r a curious seance in w h ich L eo p o ld so u g h t to explain to us sp o n ta n e o u sly — no o n e h ad m e n ­ tio n e d th e su b je c t— c e rta in flagrant c o n tra d ictio n s in th e first m an ifesta­ tio n s o f A lex is-E sen ale, H e re is a re su m e o f th a t sce n e, w ith th e tex t of L e o p o ld ’s co m m u n icatio n : S e p te m b e r 12, 1897.— A fter s u n d ry w aking visions, M ile. S m ith hears L e o p o ld sp eak in g ; h e r eyes are closed, a n d , a p p e a rin g to b e asleep, she re p e a ts , m ech an ically a n d in a slow a n d fe e b le voice, th e follow ing w ords, w h ich h e r g u id e a d d re s se s to h er: T hou art going to pay close attention. Tell them now [the sitters] to k eep as q u iet as p ossib le, that is w hat often mars the p henom en a, the com ings and goings, and th e id le chatter o f w hich you are n ev er weary. You recollect there was, several m onths ago, a young man, that young man A lexis M irbel, who cam e to give co u n sel to his m other at a reunion you h eld w ith M. (I do not understand the nam e h e gave) . . . at C arouge3 . . . W ell, at that m om ent he h a p p en ed — that is to say, two days b efore— to d ie on . . . (I could not under­ stand th e nam e) . . . w h ere h e had b een . . . or h e had regained life .4 This is w hy I have com e to tell you to-day he was in that phase o f separation o f the material part from th e soul w hich p erm itted him to recollect his previous ex isten ce— that is to say, his life h ere b elow in this state; h e not only recollects his first m other, but can speak on ce m ore th e language h e u sed to speak with her. Som e tim e after, w h en the soul was finally at rest, h e no longer recollected that first language; h e returns, h e hovers about (his m other), sees her w ith joy, 3 Allusion to the seance of November 25, 1894, at M. Lemaitre’s. See p. 146. 4 That is to say, he died on Mars, where he had been reincarnated.

but is incapable o f speaking to her in your language.5 W hether it w ill return to him I do not know and cannot say, but I b elie v e that it will. And now listen.

H ere M ile. Sm ith seem s to awake, opens h e r eyes, and has a long M artian vision, which she describes in detail. She now sees a little girl in a yellow robe, w hose nam e she hears as Anini Nika'ine, occupied w ith various childish gam es— e.g., w ith a small w and she makes a n u m b er of gro­ tesque little figures dance in a w hite tub, large and shallow, full of skyblue water. T hen com e o th er persons, and, finally, Astane, who has a pen in his fingers, and, little by little, takes hold of H e len e’s arm and throws her into a d e e p trance for the purpose of causing h e r to w rite text No. 17. These spontaneous explanations of Leopold are in teresting in th at they betray clearly th e sublim inal desire to introduce some ord er and logic into the incoherences of th e m edium istic reveries. It is a form of the process of justification and retrospective interpretation in ten d ed to m ake th e inci­ dents of th e past accord w ith th e dom inant ideas of th e p rese n t (see p. 94). In appearance, the theory upon which Leopold rested, after having doubtless m editated long, is quite awkward; but perhaps it was difficult for him to do b etter, since no one can accomplish the impossible.* Astane “The great m an A stane” is the reincarnation on Mars of the H indoo fakir Kanga, who was a devoted com panion and friend of Simandini. H e has preserved in his new existence the special character of savant or of sor­ cerer, w hich he form erly possessed in India, and h e has equally retained all his affection for his princess of old, who has b een resto red to him in Mile. Sm ith; h e frequently utilizes his magic powers to evoke h e r— th at is to say, to re -e n te r into spiritual com m unication w ith her, notw ithstanding the distances b etw een th eir actual places of habitation. T he ways and means of that evocation rem ain, however, enveloped in mystery. We can­ not say w h e th e r it was H elene that rejoined Astane on Mars during h er som nam bulism , or w h e th e r it was he who descended “fluidly” towards her and b rought to h e r the odors of th e far-distant planet. W hen A stane says to H elene, during a seance: “C om e to m e an instant. Com e and adm ire these flow ers,” etc. (text 8), or shows h e r th e curiosities of his M artian abode, it seem s as though he had really called h er to him through space; but w hen he appears to her, while awake, at the edge of her bath tu b , and expresses his chagrin at finding h e r still on this m iser­ able earth (text 7), it m ust be adm itted th a t it is he who has descended to her and inspires h er w ith these visions of an u p p e r world. It is of no im portance, on th e whole. It is h ere to be noted that, in these evocations, 5 Allusion to seance o f February 2, 1896. S e e p. 154

A stane only m anifests h im self in visual and auditive hallucinations, never in tactile im pressions o r those of general sensibility; in th e sphere of em o­ tion his p rese n c e is accom panied by a great calm on th e p a rt of H elen e, a profound bliss, and an ecstatic disposition, w hich is th e correlative and p e n d a n t o f th e happiness experienced by A stane him self (texts 10, 17, etc.) at finding him self in th e p rese n c e o f his idol of th e past. T h e social state of A stane— I should ra th e r say his nam e, his quality of sorcerer, and his previous terrestria l existence in th e body of Kanga— was not im m e­ diately revealed. N evertheless, at his first apparition (S eptem ber 5, 1896, see p. 99), he rises su p erio r to th e crow d, inasm uch as he alone possesses a flyingm achine in co m prehensible to us. In th e following weeks M ile. Sm ith hears his nam e, and sees him again on m any occasions, as well as his house (Fig. 12), but it is only at th e e n d of two m onths and a half th at his id en tity and his “evocative” pow ers becom e known, at a seance at w hich I was not p rese n t, and d u rin g w hich H elen e did not, contrary to h e r usual custom , fall com pletely asleep. T h e following is a resum e o f the notes, w hich I owe to th e kindness of M. C uendet: N ovem ber 19, 1896.— C ontrary to th e experience1o f th e p reced in g se­ ances, M ile. Sm ith rem ain ed constantly awake, h e r arm s free on th e ta­ ble, conversing and even laughing all th e w hile w ith th e sitters. T he m es­ sages w ere obtained by m eans of visions and typtological dictations. H e le n e having asked L eopold how it happens th at she had b e e n able to com m unicate w ith a bein g living on M ars, she has a vision in w hich Astane appears to h e r in a costum e m ore O riental than M artian. “W here have I seen th at costum e?” asks she; and th e table replies, “In In d ia ,” w hich indicates th a t A stane is an ex-H indoo rein carn ated on M ars. At the sam e tim e H elen e has a vision of an O riental landscape w hich she b e ­ lieves she has already seen before, but w ithout knowing w here. She sees A stane th e re , carrying u n d e r his arm rolls of p a p e r of a dirty w h ite color, and bow ing in O riental fashion before a wom an, also clothed in O riental g arm ents, w hom she also believes she has seen before. T hese personages a p p ear to h e r to be “inanim ate, like statu es.”* T he sitters ask w h e th e r the vision was not a sim ple tableau (of th e past) p re se n te d by Leopold; the table replies in th e affirm ative, th en inclines itself significantly towards M ile. Sm ith, w h en som e one asked w ho th at O riental wom an m ight be, and th e idea is put forth th a t possibly she rep re sen ts Sim andini. Finally, to fu rth e r questions of th e sitters, th e table (Leopold) dictates again that A stane in his H indoo existence was called Kanga, w ho was a “sorcerer o f the p e r io d ’·, th e n th at "A sta n e on the planet M ars possesses the same fa c ­ u lty o f evocation w hich he h a d possessed in In d ia .” L eopold is th e n asked if th e pow er o f A stane is g rea ter than his. “A d ifferen t power, o f equal stre n g th ,” replies th e table. Finally, H e len e desiring to know w h e th e r

Astane w hen he evokes h er sees h er in her real character or that of her Hindoo incarnation, the table affirms th at he sees h e r in h er H indoo char­ acter, and adds: “and, in consequence, u n d e r those characteristics w hich she [Helene] possesses to-day and w hich are in such striking harm ony with those o f S im a N d in if insisting on the N in the m iddle of the nam e. It is to b e rem arked that at this sitting it was Leopold who gave all the information in regard to th e past of Astane, and th at he recognizes in him a power over H elene alm ost equal to his own. It is strange that th e accred­ ited guide of M ile. Sm ith, ordinarily so jealous of his rights over h e r and ready to take offence at all rival pretensions, so freely accords such p re ­ rogatives to Astane. This unexpected m ildness is still m ore surprising when the singular sim ilarity of position of these two personages in regard to H elene is considered. Kanga, the H indoo fakir, holds in th e life of Simandini exactly th e sam e place as Cagliostro in th e life of M arie An­ toinette, th e place of a sorcerer giving beneficial counsel, and at th e sam e tim e of a platonic adorer, and both of them in th eir actual roles of Astane and o f Leopold p reserve for Mile. Sm ith the respectful attachm ent which they had for h e r illustrious form er existences. How is it these two extra­ terrestrial p re te n d e rs do not hate each o th er th e m ore cordially since their rival claims upon H elene have identical foundations? But, far from in the least disputing her possession, they assist each o th er in th e m ost touching fashion. W hen A stane w rites in M artian by Mile. Sm ith’s right hand th at th e noise of the sitters threatens to m ake him insane (see text 20) it is Leopold who comes to his rescue in m aking them keep silent by his gestures w ith th e left arm . W hen Leopold indicates to m e th at the m om ent for p ressing H e le n e ’s forehead has arrived, it is Astane who lends him his pencil in ord er th at the m essage may be w ritten (see below, se­ ance of S ep tem b er 12, 1897, and Fig. 23), and th e exchange o f powers takes place betw een them w ithout th e m edium experiencing the least shock, and w ithout its betraying itself outwardly otherw ise than by the difference o f th e ir handw riting. It is tru e that Leopold’s apparitions to H elene are infinitely m ore freq u en t and his incarnations m uch m ore com ­ plete than those of Astane, who shows him self to h e r at increasing in ter­ vals, and has never attained to speaking by h e r m outh. It makes no differ­ ence: these two personages resem ble each o th er too m uch for m utual toleration— if they are really two. My conclusion presses. A stane is, at bottom , only a copy, a double, a transposition in th e H indoo-M artian m anner o f Leopold. They are two variations of one prim itive them e. In regarding these two beings, as I do, in th e absence o f pro o f to th e contrary, not as real and objective individu­ alities, but as pseudo-personalities, dream fictions, fantastic subdivisions of th e hypnoid consciousness of M ile. Sm ith, it may be said that it is the same fundam ental em otion which has inspired these tw in roles, th e de-

116

·

C hapter F ive

tails of w hich have been ad apted by th e sublim inal im agination to corre­ spond to th e diversity o f the circum stances. T he contradiction painfully felt b etw een th e p roud aspirations of th e grande da?ne and the vexing ironies of reality has caused the two tragic previous existences to gush forth— intrinsically identical, in spite of th e differences of place and epoch— of th e noble girl of Arabia, having becom e H indoo princess, b u rn e d alive on th e tom b of h e r despot of a husband, and of h er Austrian highness, having becom e Q ueen of F rance and sharing th e m artyrdom of h e r spouse. O n parallel lines, in these two dream s issuing from the sam e em otional source, it is th e universal and constant taste of th e hum an im agination for th e m arvellous, allied to th e very fem inine n eed of a respectful and slightly idolatrous protector, w hich on th e one side has created out of w hole cloth th e personage of Kanga-Astane, and on the o th e r hand has absorbed, w ithout being careful in m odifying authentic history, that of C agliostro-Leopold. Both are idealistic sorcerers, of profound sagacity, ten d e r-h e a rte d , who have placed th eir great wisdom at th e service of the unfortunate sovereign and m ade for her, of th eir devotion, am ounting alm ost to adoration, a tow er o f strength, a suprem e consolation in the m idst o f all th e b ittern esses of real life. And as Leopold acts as guide for H e le n e Sm ith in th e general course of h e r actual earthly existence, so Astane seem ingly plays th e sam e role in the m om ents of th at life in which H elen e leaves our sublunar w orld to fly away to th e orb of Mars. If, th en , A stane is only a reflection, a projection of Leopold in th e M ar­ tian sp h ere, h e has th e re assum ed a special coloring, and has outwardly harm onized h im self w ith this new situation. H e is clothed in a volum inous, em b ro id ered robe; he has long hair, no beard, a yellow com plexion, and carries in his hand a w hite roll, on which h e w rites w ith a p oint fastened to th e end of th e index-finger. His house {Fig. 12) is quadrangular, w ith gates and windows, and re ­ m inds one by its exterior aspect of som e O riental stru ctu re, w ith a flat roof em bellished w ith plants. T he inside is also appropriate. T he furniture recalls ours by force of contrast. We have few details; w ith th e exception of a m usical instru m en t w ith vertical cylinders, closely related to our organs, upon which H elene som etim es sees and hears A stane playing, seated on a stool w ith one foot, resem bling a m ilking-stool. W h en we pass to th e garden th e sam e amalgam of analogies and unlike­ nesses to o u r flora are discovered. We have seen th at H Q en e has been often h a u n te d in th e waking state by visions of M artian plants and flowers, w hich she finally draws or paints w ith a facility approaching autom atism ; th ese specim ens, as also the trees scattered over th e landscapes, show th a t M artian vegetation does not differ essentially from ours. O f th e ani-

mals we do not know m uch. Astane has often w ith him an ugly beast, which caused H elene m uch fright on account of its grotesque form — about two feet long, w ith a flat tail; it has the “head of a cabbage, ” w ith a big green eye in the m iddle (like the eye of a peacock feather), and five or six pairs of paws, or ears all about (see Fig. 18). This anim al unites the intelligence of th e dog w ith th e stupidity of the parrot, since on th e one hand it obeys Astane and fetches objects at his com m and (we do not know how), w hile, on th e o th er hand, it knows how to w rite, but in a m anner purely m echanical. (We have never had a specim en of this handwriting). (See Fig. 18.) In fact, as to o th e r animals, beyond th e little black bird cited, w ithout description (text 20), and a species of fem ale d e e r for th e purpose of n u rs­ ing infants (text 36), H elen e saw only horrid aquatic beasts like big snails, which A stane caught by m eans of iron nets stretch ed over th e surface of the water. A stane’s p ro p erty is enclosed by large red stones, on the b o rd er of the water, w here H elene loves to retire w ith h e r guide to converse in peace and to recall to m ind w ith him th e ancient and m elancholy m em ories of their H indoo existence; th e general tone of these conversations is entirely the same as that of h e r conversations w ith Leopold. T here is a m ountain also of red rocks, w here Astane possesses some excavated dwelling-places, a kind of grotto appropriate to th e sorcerersavant w hich he is. The corpse of E senale, adm irably preserved, is also to b e seen th ere, among o th er things, about w hich the disincarnate E senale som etim es floats in “fluid” form , and w hich H elene still finds soft to th e touch, w hen, after m uch hesitation, and n ot w ithout fright, she gained courage to touch it w ith th e en d of h e r finger, at the invitation o f Astane. I t is also in this house, excavated in th e rock, th at A stane has his observatory, a p it tra ­ versing th e m ountain, by m eans of which he contem plates the heavens (text 9), our ea rth included, by m eans of a telescope, w hich th e beast w ith the head of a cabbage brings him. To th ese qualities of savant Astane joins those of wise counsellor and of patriarchal governor. We also see a young girl nam ed M atem i com ing to consult him frequently (texts 22 and 28), perhaps on m atrim onial affairs, since M atem i reappears on several occasions w ith h e r lover or her fiance, Sike, and, am ong others, at a great family fe te , presided over by Astane. (See Fig. 19.) T he following are some details concerning that vision, w hich occupied the g rea ter p a rt of a seance (N ovem ber 28, 1897). H elene sees, in a vast, red, initial light, a M artian stre e t appear, lighted n e ith e r by lam ps nor electricity, but by lights shining through small windows in th e walls of the houses. T he in terio r of one of these houses becom es visible to her: a

s u p e rb , sq u a re hall, lig h te d at each angle b y a k in d o f lam p, fo rm e d of fo u r s u p e rp o s e d g lo b e s,— tw o b lu e a n d tw o w h ite — n o t o f glass (Fig. 19); u n d e r each lam p a sm all b asin , o v er w h ic h w as a k in d o f c o rn u c o p ia p o u r­ in g fo rth w ater. T h e re w e re m an y o rn a m e n ta l p lan ts. In th e m id d le o f th e h all, a grove, a ro u n d w h ich a re p la c e d a n u m b e r o f sm all ta b le s w ith a p o lis h e d su rface like nickel. T h e re a re y o u n g p e o p le in M artian robes; y o u n g girls w ith lo n g h a ir h an g in g dow n th e ir backs, a n d w e a rin g a t th e b ack o f th e h e a d a h e a d -d re ss o f roses; co lo re d b lu e o r g re e n b u tterflies a tta c h e d to th e n eck. T h e re w e re at le a st th irty sp ea k in g M artian (but H e le n e d id n o t h e a r th e m d istinctly). A stan e a p p e a re d “in a v e ry ugly ro b e to -d ay ,” and sh o w ed h im s e lf full o f frie n d ly g allan try tow ards th e y o u n g girls. H e seats h im s e lf a lo n e a t o n e o f th e tab le s w h ile th e y o u n g p e o p le tak e th e ir places a t o th e rs , tw o c o u p le s at each. T h e se ta b le s are a d o rn e d w ith flowers d iffe re n t from ours: so m e b lu e , w ith leaves in th e sh a p e o f alm onds; o th e rs starry, a n d as w h ite as m ilk, s c e n te d like m usk; o th e rs , again, th e m o st b ea u tifu l, h ave th e form o f tru m p e ts , e ith e r b lu e o r fire colored, w ith larg e ro u n d e d leaves, w ith black figures. (S ee F ig . 20.) H e le n e h e a rs A stan e p ro n o u n c e th e n a m e “P o u z e .” T h e n co m e two m e n in lo n g w h ite tro u se rs w ith a black sash; o n e w ears a coat o f rose color, th e o th e r a w h ite one. T h e y ca rry o rn a m e n te d tray s, a n d , p assin g in fro n t o f ea ch ta b le , th e y place sq u a re p la te s u p o n th e m , w ith forks w ith o u t h a n d le s, fo rm e d o f th r e e te e th an in c h in le n g th : for glasses th e y h ad g o b le ts lik e te a -c u p s, b o rd e re d w ith a silv er th re a d . T h e n th e y b ro u g h t in a k in d o f b a sin a co o k ed an im al re s e m b lin g a cat, w h ich is p lace d b efo re A stan e, w h o tw ists it a n d cuts it ra p id ly w ith his fingers, tip p e d w ith sh arp silv er tips; sq u a re p ie c e s are d is trib u te d , a m o n g th e g u ests, o n sq u are p la te s w ith fu rrow s a ro u n d th e ed g e s for th e ju ic e . E v e ry o n e is filled w ith a w ild gayety. A stan e sits at each ta b le in su ccession, a n d th e girls pass th e ir h a n d s th ro u g h his hair. N e w p la te s are b ro u g h t, a n d p in k , w h ite, a n d b lu e b asin s tip p e d w ith flow ers. T h e se b asin s m e lt, a n d are e a te n like th e flow ers. T h e n th e g u e sts w ash th e ir h a n d s a t little fo u n tain s in th e c o rn e rs o f th e room . N ow o n e o f th e w alls is raised , like th e c u rta in o f a th e a tr e , a n d H e le n e sees a m ag n ifice n t hall a d o rn e d w ith lu m in o u s globes, flow ers, a n d p lan ts, w ith th e c e ilin g p a in te d , in p in k clo u d s on a p in k sky, w ith co u ch es an d pillow s s u s p e n d e d alo n g th e w alls. T h e n an o rc h e s tra o f te n m usicians arriv e , c a rry in g a k in d o f g ild ed fu n n e l ab o u t five fe e t in h e ig h t, w ith a ro u n d co v er to th e larg e o p e n in g , a n d at th e n ec k a k in d o f rak e, on w hich th e y p la c e d t h e ir fingers. H e le n e h e a rs m usic like th a t m ad e b y flutes an d sees e v e ry o n e m oving; th e y a rra n g e th e m se lv e s b y fours, m ake p asses a n d g e s tu re s , th e n re u n ite in g ro u p s o f eig h t. T h ey g lid e ab o u t gently, for it co u ld n o t b e ca lle d d an cin g . T h e y do n o t clasp each o th e r’s w aists, b u t

place th eir hands on each o th e r’s shoulders, standing som e distance apart. It is terrib ly warm. It is “boiling h o t.” They stop, walk, talk, and it is then that H elene hears a tall young b ru n ette (Matemi) and a short young man (Sike) exchange th e first words of text No. 20. Then they d e p a rt in the direction o f a large bush w ith red flowers (tamiche) and are soon followed by Ram ie and his companion. At this m om ent th e vision, w hich has lasted an hour and a quarter, passes away. H elene, who had rem ained standing during th e w hole d e ­ scription, now en ters into com plete som nam bulism , and Astane causes her to w rite M artian phrases w hich she had heard and rep e a te d a short tim e before. D uring the e n tire vision Leopold occupied h e r left hand, which was hanging anaesthetically down h e r body, and replied by his index-finger to th e questions which I asked in a low voice. I thus learned that this M artian scene was not a w edding, or any special ceremony, b ut a sim ple family fete; th at it was no recollection or product of H e len e’s im ag­ ination but a reality actually passing on Mars: th at it was n ot Leopold but Astane w ho furnished this vision and caused h e r to hear th e music: th at Leopold him self n e ith e r saw nor heard anything of it all, yet knows all th at Mile. Sm ith sees and hears, etc. This resum e of a family fe te , p resided over by Astane, gives th e m ea­ sure of th e originality of th e people of M ars. The visions relating to o th er incidents are of the sam e order: read the description of th e M artian n u rs­ ery (text 36), of the voyage in a m iza a sort of autom obile, the m echanism of which is entirely unknown to us (text 23), of th e operation of chirurgery (text 29), of th e gam es of the little Anini (p. 113, etc.). We see always the same general m ixture of im itation of things w hich transpire am ong us, and of infantile modifications of them in th e m inute details. Pouze Ram ie— Various Personages O f the o th e r personages who traverse th e M artian visions we know too little to w aste m uch tim e upon them . T he nam e of th e one who appears most frequently is Pouze. H e is p rese n t at th e banquet, and we m eet him also in th e com pany of a poor little w ith ered old m an w ith a trem bling voice, in connection w ith whom he occupies him self w ith gardening or botany, in an evening prom enade by the shore of the lake (text 14). H e also figures again by th e side of an unknow n person nam ed Painine, and he has a son, SaYne, who had m et w ith some accident to his head and had been cured of it, to th e great joy of his parents (texts 23 and 24). Finally, we m ust devote a few words to Ramie, who m anifests him self for the first tim e in O ctober, 1898, as the revealer of th e ultra-M artian world, of which we shall soon take cognizance.* Ramie seem s to b e a relative of Astane, an astronom er, not so brilliant as Astane, but possess-

in g th e sam e p riv ile g e , w h ich th e o rd in a ry M artian s do n o t seem to enjoy, o f b e in g a b le to tak e h o ld o f H e le n e ’s arm , a n d o f w ritin g w ith h e r hand.* T h e r e is, to m y m in d , no fu n d a m e n ta l d iffe ren c e b e tw e e n L eo p o ld , Asta n e , a n d R am ie, in th e ir re la tio n to H e le n e ; th e y a re only a re p ro d u c tio n in trip lic a te o f o n e id e n tic a l e m o tio n al re la tio n , a n d I d o n o t th in k I am m ista k en in re g a rd in g th e s e th r e e figures as th r e e v ery tra n s p a re n t dis­ g u ises o f th e sam e fu n d a m e n ta l p erso n ality , w hich is on ly a h y p n o id s u b ­ d iv isio n o f th e re al b e in g o f M ile. S m ith.* I t is m u c h w ise r to leave to th e fu tu re — if th e M artian a n d u ltraM a rtia n ro m a n c e s c o n tin u e to d e v e lo p — th e task o f e n lig h te n in g o u r­ selv es m o re c o m p le te ly as to th e tru e c h a ra c te r o f R am ie. P ossibly som e day w e shall also know m o re co n c e rn in g th e c o u p le called M atem i an d Sike, as w ell as m a n y o th e rs , su ch as S azeni, P ain in e, th e little B ullie, R om e, F e d ie , e tc ., o f w hom w e now know scarcely m o re th a n th e ir n am es, a n d u n d e r s ta n d n o th in g in re g a rd to th e ir p o ssib le re la tio n sh ip s to th e c e n tra l figures o f A stan e a n d E sen a le . IV.

C

o n c e r n in g

th e

Auth

or

o f th e

M

a r t ia n

Rom

ance

T h e g e n e ra l id eas w h ich th e M artian cycle su g g ests w ill m o st a ssu re d ly differ, ac co rd in g to w h e th e r it is c o n sid e re d as an a u th e n tic re v elatio n of affairs on th e p la n e t M ars, or on ly as a sim p le fantasy o f th e im ag in atio n of th e m ed iu m ;* a n d m e a n w h ile , h o ld in g m y se lf to th e sec o n d su p p o sitio n , I d e m a n d from th e M a rtia n ro m a n c e in fo rm atio n in re g a rd to its a u th o r r a th e r th a n its s u b je c t-m a tte r. T h e re a re tw o o r th r e e p o in ts c o n c e rn in g th is un k n o w n a u th o r w hich strik e m e forcibly: F irst: H e show s a sin g u lar in d iffe re n c e — possib ly it m ay b e d u e to ig n o ra n c e — in re g a rd to all th o se q u e stio n s w h ich are m o st p ro m in e n t at th e p r e s e n t tim e , I w ill n o t say a m o n g a stro n o m e rs, b u t am o n g p e o p le of th e w o rld so m e w h a t fo n d o f p o p u la r scien c e a n d cu rio u s c o n c e rn in g th e m y s te rie s o f o u r u n iv e rse . T h e canals o f M ars, in th e first p la c e — th o se fam o u s canals w ith re d u p lic a tio n — te m p o ra rily m o re en ig m atical th an th o se o f th e E g o o f th e m e d iu m s; th e n th e strip s o f su p p o se d cu ltiv atio n alo n g th e ir b o rd e rs , th e m ass o f snow a ro u n d th e p o les, th e n a tu re o f th e soil, a n d th e c o n d itio n s o f life on th o se w orlds, in tu rn in u n d a te d a n d b u rn in g , th e th o u sa n d a n d o n e q u e stio n s o f h y d ro g rap h y , o f geology, of biology, w h ich th e a m a te u r n a tu ra list in ev itab ly asks h im s e lf on th e s u b ­ je c t o f th e p la n e t n e a re s t to u s— o f all th is th e a u th o r o f th e M artian ro ­ m an ce know s n o th in g a n d ca res noth in g .* Q u e stio n s o f sociology d o n o t tro u b le him to a m u c h g re a te r e x te n t, since th e p e o p le o cc u p y in g th e m o st p ro m in e n t p lace in th e M artian visions, a n d m aking th e co n v e rsa­ tio n , in no w ise e n lig h te n us as to th e civil a n d political o rg a n iz atio n of

th eir globe, as to th e fine arts and religion, com m erce and industry, etc. Have th e b arriers of th e nations fallen, and is th e re no longer a standing arm y up th e re , except th at of th e laborer occupied in th e construction and m aintenance of th at gigantic net-w ork o f canals for com m unication o r irri­ gation? E senale and A stane have not d eig n ed to inform us. It seem s p ro b ­ able from certain episodes th a t th e family is, as w ith us, at the foundation of M artian civilization; n ev erth eless, we have no direct o r detailed infor­ m ation in regard to this subject. It is useless to speculate. It is evident that th e author of this rom ance did n ot care m uch for science, and that, in spite o f h e r d esire to com ply w ith th e w ishes o f M. L em aitre (see p. 92), she had not th e least conception o f th e questions w hich arise in ou r day, in every cultivated m ind, as to th e p lan et M ars and its probable inhabitants. Secondly: If, instead o f quarrelling w ith th e M artian rom ance about that w hich it fails to furnish us, w e endeavor to appreciate th e full value of w hat it does give us, we are struck by two points, w hich I have already touched upon m ore than once in passing— v iz., th e com plete id en tity of the M artian w orld, taken in its c h ie f points, w ith the w orld in w hich we live, and its p u e rile originality in a host of m inor details. Take, for exam ­ ple, th e fam ily fe te (p. 118). To be sure, th e venerable A stane is th e re saluted by a caress o f th e hair instead o f a hand-shake; th e young couples while dancing grasp each o th er not by th e waist b u t by th e shoulder; th e ornam ental plants do not belong to any species known to us: but, save for these insignificant divergences from our costum es and habits, as a w hole, and in general tone, it is exactly as w ith us. T he im agination w hich forged th ese scenes, w ith all th e ir decoration, is rem arkably calm , thoughtful, dev o ted to th e real and th e probable. The miza, w hich runs w ithout a visible m otor power, is n e ith e r m ore no r less extraordinary to the un in itiated spectator than m any o f th e vehicles which traverse o u r roads. T he colored globes placed in an a p e rtu re o f th e walls of th e houses to light th e streets recall strongly ou r electric lam ps. A stane’s flying-m achine will probably soon b e realized in som e form or other. T he bridges w hich disappear u n d e r th e w ater in o rd e r to allow boats to pass (text 25) are, save for a technical person, as natural as ours w hich accom ­ plish th e sam e resu lt by lifting them selves in th e air. W ith th e exception of th e “evocative” pow ers of A stane, w hich only concern M ile. Sm ith p er­ sonally and do not figure in any M artian scene, th e re is nothing on M ars which goes beyond w hat has b een attain ed or m ight b e expected to b e accom plished by ingenious inventors h e re below. A w ise little im agination of ten or tw elve years old w ould have d eem ed it q u ite droll and original to m ake people up th e re eat on square plates w ith a furrow for th e gravy, of m aking an ugly beast w ith a single eye carry the telescope of A stane to him , of m aking babies to be fed by tu b es ru n ­ ning directly to th e breasts of anim als like th e fem ale deer, etc. T h ere is

n othing of th e T housand and O ne N ights, th e M etam orphoses of Ovid, fairy stories, or th e ad v e n tu res of Gulliver, no trace of ogres nor of giants n o r of veritable sorcerers in this w hole cycle. O ne w ould say th at it was th e w ork of a young scholar to w hom had b e e n given th e task of trying to in v en t a w orld as different as possible from ours, but real, and who had conscientiously ap p lied him self to it, loosening th e reins of his childish fancy in reg ard to a m u ltitu d e of m inor points in th e lim its of w hat ap­ p e a re d adm issible according to his short and narrow experience. T hirdly: By th e side of th ese arbitrary and useless innovations th e M ar­ tian rom ance bears in a m u ltitu d e of its characteristics a clearly O riental stam p, upon w hich I have already often insisted. T he yellow com plexion and long black h air of Astane; th e costum e of all th e personages— robes e m b ro id ere d or o f brilliant hues, sandals w ith thongs, flat w hite hats, e tc ., th e long h air of th e w om en and th e ornam ents in th e form of b u t­ terflies for th e ir coiffures; th e houses of grotesque shapes, recalling the pagoda, kiosk, and m inaret, th e w arm and glowing colors of th e skies, the w ater, th e rocks, and th e vegetation (see Figs. 13 and 14), etc.: all this has a sham air o f Japanese, C hinese, H indoo. It is to b e noted that this im ­ p rin t o f th e extrem e E ast is p u rely exterior, not in any wise p e n e tratin g to th e characters or m anners of th e personages.* All th e traits th a t I discover in th e author of th e M artian rom ance can be sum m ed up in a single phrase, its profoundly infantile character. The candor and im p e rtu rb ab le naivete o f childhood, w hich doubts nothing because ignorant o f everything, is necessary in o rd er for one to launch h im self seriously upon an e n te rp rise such as th e p re te n d e d exact and a u thentic depictions of an unknow n world. An adult, in th e least culti­ vated and having som e experience o f life, w ould n e v e r w aste tim e in elab ­ orating sim ilar no n sen se— M ile. Sm ith less than any one, intelligent and cultivated as she is in h e r norm al state. This provisional view o f th e author of the M artian cycle will find its confirm ation and its com plem ent in th e following chapters, in which we shall exam ine th e M artian language, from w hich I have until now refrained.

CHAPTER

SI X*

T h e M a rtia n C y c le (C o n tin u e d ): T h e M a rtia n L a n g u a g e

O f t h e v a r i o u s a u tom atic p h e n o m e n a , th e “sp ea k in g in to n g u e s” is o n e w h ich at all tim e s has m o st a ro u sed curiosity, w h ile at th e sa m e tim e little accurate k n o w le d g e c o n c e r n in g it has b e e n o b ta in a b le, on accou n t o f th e difficu lty o f c o lle c tin g co r r e ctly th e c o n fu se d and u n in te llig ib le w ord s as th ey g u sh forth. T h e p h o n o g ra p h , w h ich has a lre a d y b e e n e m p lo y e d in so m e e x c e p ­ tional cases, like th a t o f L e B aron,* w ill d o u b tle ss so m e d ay re n d e r in e s­ tim a b le serv ic e to th is k in d o f study, b u t it leaves m u ch still to b e d e s ire d at th e p r e s e n t m o m e n t, from th e p o in t o f view o f its p ra ctical u tilizatio n in th e case o f s u b je c ts n o t in th e ir rig h t m in d , w ho a re n o t easily m a n a g e ­ ab le, a n d w h o w ill n o t re m a in q u ie t long e n o u g h w h ile u tte rin g th e ir u n u su al w o rd s to allow th e in s tru m e n t to b e a d ju ste d a n d m a d e ready.* T h e r e a re d iffe re n t sp ec ie s o f glossolalia. S im p le, in c o h e re n t u tte r­ ances, in a s ta te o f ecstasy, in te rs p e rs e d w ith e m o tio n al exclam ations, w hich a re so m e tim e s p ro d u c e d in c e rta in s u rc h a rg e d relig io u s e n v iro n ­ m en ts, is a n o th e r m a tter a lto g e th e r from th e creation o f neologism s, w h ich are m e t w ith in th e d re a m , in so m n am b u lism , m e n ta l alien a tio n , or in c h ild re n . A t th e sam e tim e th is fa b ricatio n o f a rb itra ry w ords raises o th e r p ro b le m s — as, for e x a m p je , th e occasional u se o f fo reig n idiom s un k n o w n to th e s u b je c t (at least, ap p a ren tly ), b u t w h ich really exist. In each o f th e s e cases it is n e c e ssa ry to e x a m in e f u r th e r w h e th e r, a n d in w h a t m e a su re , th e in d iv id u a l a ttrib u te s a fixed m e a n in g to th e so u n d s w h ich h e u tte rs, w h e th e r h e u n d e rs ta n d s (or has, at least, th e im p ressio n o f u n d e r ­ stan d in g ) his ow n w o rd s, or w h e th e r it is only a q u e stio n o f a m ech an ical a n d m e a n in g le ss d e r a n g e m e n t o f th e p h o n e tic a p p a ra tu s , or, again, w h e th e r th is ja rg o n , u n in te llig ib le to th e o rd in a ry p ersonality, ex p resses th e id eas o f so m e sec o n d ary p erso n ality . All th e s e form s, m o reo v er, vary in sh ad e s a n d d e g re e s , a n d th e r e a re , in ad d itio n , th o se m ixed cases, p o ssib ly th e m o re fre q u e n t, w h e re all th e form s a re m in g le d a n d co m ­ b in e d . T h e sam e in d iv id u a l, a n d so m etim e s in th e co u rse o f th e sam e spasm , also ex h ib its a se rie s o f neologism s, c o m p re h e n d e d o r u n c o m ­ p re h e n d e d , giv in g w ay to a sim p le , in c o h e re n t v erb ia g e in co m m o n la n ­ gu ag e, o r v ice v ersa, etc.

A good d e s c rip tio n a n d ra tio n al classification o f all th e s e ca te g o ries an d v a rie tie s o f glossolalia w ould b e o f v ery g re a t in te re st. I c a n n o t th in k o f a tte m p tin g su ch a s tu d y h e r e , having e n o u g h a lre a d y to fully o ccu p y m y a tte n tio n , b y re a so n o f having in volved m y self w ith th e M artian o f M ile. S m ith . T h is so m n a m b u listic lan g u ag e does n o t co n sist, as w e have alread y d isco v ered , e ith e r in sp e a k in g ec sta tic ally o r in religious e n th u sia sm , n o r y e t in th e u se o f a fo reig n lan g u ag e w h ich really exists; it re p re s e n ts ra th e r n eo lo g ism c a rrie d to its h ig h e s t ex p ressio n a n d p ra c tise d in a system atic fashion, w ith a v ery p re c ise signification, b y a sec o n d ary p e rso n a lity u n ­ know n to th e n o rm a l self. I t is a typical case o f “glosso-poesy, ” o f c o m p le te fab ricatio n o f all th e p a rts o f a n e w lan g u ag e b y a su b co n scio u s activity. I h ave m an y tim e s re g r e tte d th a t th o se w ho have w itn e ss e d analogous p h e n o m e n a — as, for ex a m p le , K ern er, w ith th e Seeress o f P revo st— have n o t g a th e r e d to g e th e r a n d p u b lis h e d in th e ir e n tire ty all th e p ro d u c ts of th is sin g u lar m e th o d o f p e rfo rm in g th e ir fu n c tio n s o n th e p a r t o f th e v er­ bal facu lties. U n d o u b te d ly each case ta k e n b y itse lf see m s a sim p le a n o m ­ aly, a p u r e a rb itra ry curiosity, a n d w ith o u t a n y b ea rin g ; b u t w ho know s w h e th e r th e co llectio n o f a larg e n u m b e r o f th e s e psychological b ib elo ts, as y e t few e n o u g h in th e ir to tal, w o u ld n o t e n d in som e u n e x p e c te d light? E x ce p tio n a l facts a re o ften th e m o st in stru ctiv e. In o r d e r to avoid falling in to th e sa m e e rro rs o f n e g lig e n c e , n o t know ing w h e re to stop, in case I w ish e d to m ak e a choice, I h av e ta k e n th e co u rse o f s e ttin g fo rth h e r e in full all th e M artian tex ts w h ich w e have b e e n able to g a th e r. I w ill h ave th e m follow a p a ra g ra p h c o n ta in in g c e rta in re m a rk s w h ich th a t u n k n o w n la n g u ag e has su g g e ste d to m e; b u t, v ery far from fla tte rin g m y se lf th a t I h av e e x h a u s te d th e su b je c t, I e a rn e s tly h o p e th a t it w ill fin d re a d e rs m o re c o m p e te n t th a n m y se lf to c o rre c t a n d c o m p le te m y o b se rv a tio n s, sin ce I m u s t ack n o w led g e th a t as a lin g u ist a n d p h ilo lo g ist I am v e ry m u c h like an ass p lay in g th e flute. I t is e x p e d ie n t, in b eg in n in g , to give so m e f u r th e r d eta ils re g a rd in g th e various psychological m eth o d s o f m a n ife sta tio n o f th a t u n k n o w n to n g u e. I.

Ve r b a l M

a r t ia n

A

u t o m a t is m s

I h av e d e s c rib e d in th e p re c e d in g c h a p te r, a n d w ill n o t now re tu r n to it, th e b irth o f th e M artian lan g u ag e, in d isso lu b ly b o u n d u p w ith th a t o f th e ro m a n c e itself, from th e 2 d o f F eb ru a ry , 1896, u p to th e in a u g u ra tio n of th e p ro c ess o f tra n sla tio n b y th e e n tra n c e of E se n a le u p o n th e sc e n e on th e 2d o f N o v e m b e r follow ing (see pp. 95—108). D u rin g sev eral m o n th s th e re a fte r th e M artian la n g u ag e is co n fin ed to th e tw o psychological form s o f a p p a ritio n in w h ich it se e m s to h av e b e e n c lo th e d d u rin g th e co u rse of th a t first year. F irst: V erb o -a u d itive au to m atism , h allu cin atio n s o f h e a rin g accom pany-

ing visions in th e waking state. In th e case of spontaneous visions, H eldne notes in pencil, e ith e r d u rin g th e vision itself or im m ediately afterw ards, the unintelligible sounds w hich strike h e r ear; b u t to h e r great re g re t many of th em escape her, since she is som etim es only able to gath er th e first or th e last p h rase o f th e sentences w hich h e r im aginary personages address to h er, or scattered fragm ents of conversations w hich she holds with herself; th ese fragm ents them selves often contain inaccuracies, which are ultim ately rectified at th e m om ent of translation, E senale hav­ ing th e good habit of articulating very clearly each M artian w ord before giving its F re n c h equivalent. In th e case of th e visions w hich she has at the seances, H e le n e slowly rep eats th e w ords she hears w ithout u n d e r­ standing th em , and th e sitters m ake note o f th em m ore or less correctly. Secondly: Vocal autom atism (“verbo-m otor hallucinations o f articula­ tio n ,” in th e cum b ersom e official term inology). H e re again it is th e sitters who g a th e r as m uch as they can of th e strange w ords p ro n o u n ced in a state of trance, but th at is very little, since H elen e, in h e r M artian state, often speaks w ith a trem en d o u s volubility. M oreover, a distinction m ust be m ade b e tw e en th e relatively clear and b rie f phrases w hich are later translated by E senale, and th e rapid and confused gibberish th e significa­ tion of w hich can n ev er be o btained, probably because it really has none, but is only a pseudo-language (see pp. 97—98). A new process of com m unication, th e handw riting, m ade its ap p ear­ ance in A ugust, 1897, w ith a delay of perhaps eig h teen m onths as to the speech (the reverse o f L eopold’s case, w ho w rote a long tim e before speaking). I t is p ro d u ced , also, u n d e r two forms, w hich constitute a p e n ­ dant to th e two cases given above, and also com plete th e standard q u ar­ tette of th e psychological m odalities of language. Thirdly: Verbo-visual autom atism — th at is, apparitions o f exotic charac­ ters before H e le n e ’s eyes w h en awake, who copies th em as faithfully as possible in a draw ing, w ithout knowing th e m eaning o f th e m ysterious hieroglyphics. Fourthly: G raphic autom atism — i.e., w riting traced by th e hand of H elene w hile com pletely e n tra n ce d and incarnating a M artian personage. In this case th e characters are generally sm aller, m ore regular, b e tte r form ed th an in th e draw ings o f th e p reced in g case. A certain n u m b er of occasions, w hen th e nam e has b e e n pronounced by H e le n e before being w ritten, and especially th e articulation of E senale at th e m om ent of tra n s­ lation, have p e rm itte d th e relations b etw een h e r vocal sounds and th e graphic signs o f th e M artian language to be established. It is to b e n o ted th at th ese four autom atic m anifestations do not inflict an equal injury upon th e norm al personality of M ile. Sm ith. As a rule, th e verbo-auditive and verbo-visual hallucinations only suppress h e r con­ sciousness of p re s e n t reality; th ey leave h e r a freedom o f m ind which, if

n o t c o m p le te , is a t le a st sufficient to p e rm it h e r to o b se rv e in a reflective m a n n e r th e s e sen so rial au to m atism s, to en g rav e th e m on h e r m em ory, a n d to d e s c rib e th e m o r m ake a copy o f th e m , w h ile sh e o ften ad d s re ­ m arks testify in g to a c e rta in critical sen se . O n th e contrary, th e verbom o to r h allu cin atio n s o f a rtic u la tio n o r o f w ritin g see m to b e in co m p atib le w ith h e r p re s e rv a tio n o f th e w aking state, a n d a re follow ed b y am nesia. H e le n e is alw ays to tally a b s e n t o r e n tra n c e d w h ile h e r h a n d w rite s m e ­ chanically, a n d if, as seld o m h a p p e n s , she speaks M artian autom atically, o u tsid e o f th e m o m e n ts o f c o m p le te in carn atio n , sh e is n o t aw are o f it, and d o es n o t re c o lle c t it.* T h is in cap a city o f th e n o rm al p e rso n a lity o f M ile. S m ith to o b s e rv e a t th e tim e o r r e m e m b e r afterw ard s h e r v e rb o -m o to r au to m atism s d e n o te s a m o re p ro fo u n d p e rtu rb a tio n th a n th a t sh e e x p e ri­ en c es d u rin g h e r se n so ry autom atism s.* T h e M artian h a n d w ritin g on ly a p p e a re d a t th e e n d o f a p ro lo n g e d p e ­ rio d o f in c u b a tio n , w h ic h b e tra y e d its e lf in sev eral in c id e n ts, a n d was c e rta in ly s tim u la te d b y various e x te rio r su g g estio n s d u rin g a y ear a n d a h a lf at least. T h e follow ing a re th e p rin cip a l d ates o f th is d e v e lo p m e n t. F e b ru a ry 16, 1896.— T h e id e a o f a special h a n d w ritin g b e lo n g in g to th e p la n e t M ars o ccu rs for th e first tim e to H e le n e ’s a sto n ish m e n t in a M ar­ tian se m i-tra n c e (see p. 99). N o v e m b e r 2 .— H a n d w ritin g is clearly p re d ic te d in th e p h ra se , “A stane w ill teac h m e to w r ite ,” u tte re d b y H e le n e in a M artian tra n c e , a fte r th e sc e n e o f th e tra n sla tio n by E s e n a le (see p. 108). N o v e m b e r 8 .— A fter th e tra n sla tio n o f tex t N o. 3, L eo p o ld , b e in g q u e s ­ tio n e d , re p lie s th a t A stan e will w rite this te x t for M ile. S m ith, b u t th e p re d ic tio n is n o t fulfilled. M ay 23, 1897.— T h e a n n o u n c e m e n t o f M artian h a n d w ritin g b ec o m e s m o re p re c ise . “P re s e n tly ,” says A stan e to H e le n e , “th o u w ilt b e ab le to tra c e o u r h a n d w ritin g , a n d th o u w ilt p o ssess in th y h a n d s th e c h a ra c te rs of o u r la n g u a g e ” (text 12).* J u n e 2 0 .— A t th e b e g in n in g o f a sean ce, a M artian vision, sh e d em a n d s o f an im ag in ary in te rlo c u to r “a larg e rin g w hich co m es to a p o in t, a n d w ith w h ich o n e can w r ite .” T h is d e s c rip tio n ap p lies to M. R ., w ho has w ith him so m e sm all p o c k e t-p e n s of th is k in d , ca p ab le o f b e in g a d ju ste d to th e e n d o f th e in d ex -fin g er. J u n e 2 3 .— I h a n d H e le n e th e tw o sm all p o c k e t-p e n s w h ich M . R. has b ro u g h t for h e r, b u t th e y do n o t p le a se h er. A fter try in g to u se o n e, she th ro w s it aw ay a n d tak es u p a p e n c il, saying th a t if sh e m u s t w rite M ar­ tian , th e o rd in a ry m e a n s w ill suffice as w ell as th o se p e c u lia r p o ck e t-p en s. In ab o u t a m in u te sh e falls asleep, a n d h e r h a n d b eg in s autom atically to tra c e a m essag e in L e o p o ld ’s h an d w ritin g . I th e n ask th a t in d iv id u al w h e th e r th e p o c k e t-p e n s o f M . R. do n o t m e e t th e exigencies o f M artian, a n d w h e th e r M ile. S m ith w ill som e day w rite th a t lan g u ag e, as has al-

re ad y b e e n a n n o u n c e d . H e le n e ’s h a n d th e re u p o n re sp o n d s in th e b e a u ti­ ful callig ra p h y o f L eo p o ld : “I have n o t y e t se e n th e in s tru m e n t w h ich th e in h a b ita n ts o f th e p la n e t M ars u se in w ritin g th e ir lan g u ag e, b u t I can a n d do affirm th a t th e th in g w ill h a p p e n , as has b e e n a n n o u n c e d to y o u .— Le o p o l d .”

J u n e 2 7 .— In th e sce n e o f th e tra n sla tio n o f te x t 15, H e le n e ad d s to h e r usual re frain , “E s e n a le has g o n e away; h e w ill soon re tu rn ; h e w ill soon w rite .” A u g u st 3 .— B e tw e e n fo u r a n d five o ’clock in th e afte rn o o n H e le n e h ad a vision a t h e r d esk , lastin g te n o r fifteen m in u te s, o f a b ro a d , h o rizo n ta l bar, flam e -co lo re d , th e n c h a n g in g to b ric k -re d , a n d w h ich b y d e g re e s b e c a m e ro s e -tin te d , o n w h ich w e re a m u ltitu d e o f stra n g e c h a rac te rs, w hich sh e su p p o se s to b e th e M a rtia n le tte rs o f th e a lp h a b e t, o n ac co u n t o f th e color. T h e se c h a ra c te rs floated in space b efo re a n d ro u n d ab o u t h er. A nalogous v isions o cc u r in th e co u rse o f th e w eeks im m e d ia te ly following. A u g u st 2 2 .— H e le n e for th e first tim e w rite s in M artian . A fter various n o n -M a rtia n visions M ile. S m ith tu rn s away from th e w in d o w (it ra in e d h ard , a n d th e sky w as v ery gray) a n d exclaim s, “O h , look, it is all red! Is it alread y tim e to go to b e d ? M. L e m a itre , a re you th e re ? D o you see how re d it is? I s e e A stan e, w h o is th e r e , in th a t re d ; I only see his h e a d a n d th e e n d s o f his fingers; h e has no ro b e ; a n d h e re is th e o th e r (E senale) w ith h im . T h e y b o th have so m e le tte rs a t th e e n d s o f th e ir fingers on a b it of p ap e r. Q u ick , give m e so m e p a p e r!” A b lan k s h e e t a n d th e p o c k e t-p e n are h a n d e d to h e r, w h ich la tte r sh e d isdainfully th ro w s dow n. S h e accep ts an o rd in a ry p e n c il, w h ich sh e h o ld s in h e r c u sto m ary fashion, b e tw e e n h e r m id d le a n d in d ex -fin g er, th e n w rite s fro m le ft to rig h t th e th r e e first lines o f F ig . 21, looking a tte n tiv e ly tow ards th e w in d o w at h e r fictitious m o d el b e fo re tra c in g each le tte r, a n d a d d in g c e rta in oral n o te s, acco rd in g to w h ich th e r e a re so m e w o rd s w h ich sh e sees w ritte n in black c h a rac te rs on th e th r e e p a p e rs — or, m o re correctly, on th re e w h ite w ands, a so rt o f n arro w cy lin d er, so m ew h a t fla tte n e d out— w h ich A stane E se n a le , a n d a th ird p e rs o n a g e w h o se n a m e sh e d o es n o t know b u t w h o se d e sc rip tio n co rre sp o n d s w ith th a t o f P ouze, h o ld in th e ir rig h t h an d s. A fter w h ic h sh e again see s a n o th e r p a p e r o r cy lin d er, w h ich A stan e h o ld s above his h e a d , an d w h ich b e a rs also so m e w o rd s w h ich sh e u n d e rta k e s to copy (the th r e e last lin es o f F ig. 21, p. 129). “O h, it is a p ity ,” says sh e, o n co m in g to th e e n d o f th e fo u rth lin e “it is all on o n e lin e, a n d I have n o m o re ro o m .” S he th e n w rite s u n d e r n e a th th e th r e e le tte rs o f lin e 5, a n d w ith o u t saying a n y th in g ad d s lin e 6. T h e n sh e re su m e s: “H ow d a rk it is w ith you . . . th e sun h as e n tire ly g o n e d o w n ” (it still rain s v ery hard). “N o o n e m ore! n o th ­ in g m o re !” S h e re m a in s in c o n te m p la tio n b efo re th a t w h ich sh e has w rit­ te n , th e n see s A stan e again n e a r th e tab le, w ho again show s h e r a p a p e r, th e sam e, sh e th in k s, as th e fo rm e r o n e. “B ut no, it is n o t a lto g e th e r th e

same; there is one mistake, it is there [she points to the fourth line to­ wards the end] . . . Ah, I do not see more!” Then, presently she adds: “He showed me something else; there was a mistake, but I was not able to see it. It is very difficult. While I was writing, it was not I myself, I could not feel my arms. It was difficult, because when I raised my head I no longer saw the letters well. It was like a Greek design.” At this m om ent H elene recovered from the state of obscuration, from which she em erged with difficulty, which had accompanied the Martian vision and the automatic copy of the verbo-visual text. But a little later in the evening she only vaguely rem em bered having seen strange letters, and was altogether ignorant of having written anything. The very natural supposition that the three first words w ritten were the names of the known personages (Astane, Esenale, Pouze), who bore them on their wands, led to the discovery of the meaning of many of the Mar­ tian characters and perm itted the divining of the sense of the three last words. The new alphabet was enriched by certain other signs on the following days, thanks to the echoes of that seance in the ordinary life of Helene, who happened on several occasions to write not the true Martian as yet, but French in Martian letters, to her great stupefaction when she found herself after a while in the presence of these unknown hieroglyphics. The first manifestation of that graphic automatism, being as yet con­ cerned only with the form of the letters and not the vocabulary, dates from the day after the following seance: August 23.— “H e re ,” wrote H elene to me at noon, sending me some m em oranda from which I have taken the three examples of Fig. 22— “here are some labels which I made it my business to make this morning at ten o’clock, and which I have not been able to finish in a satisfactory manner. I have only just now em erged from the rose-colored fog in which I have been continuously enw rapped for almost two hours.” T hree weeks later a com plete automatic Martian handwriting was pro­ duced in a seance at my house, of which the following is a summary. Septem ber 12, 1897.— At the end of a quite long Martian vision, Mile. Smith sees Astane, who has something at the end of his finger and who signs to h er to write. I offer her a pencil, and after various tergiversations she slowly begins to trace some Martian characters (Fig. 23). Astane has possession of her arm, and she is, during this tim e, altogether anaesthetic and absent. Leopold, on the contrary, is at hand, and gives various indica­ tions of his presence.* At the end of the sixth line she seems to half awaken, and m urm urs, “I am not afraid; no, I am not afraid.” Then she again falls into a dream in order to write the four last words (which sig­ nify “Then do not fea r,” and which are the response of Astane to her exclamation).

The Martian Language

•

Fig. 21. Text No. 16; seance of August 22, 1897.—First Martian text written by Mile. Smith (according to a visual hallucination). Natural size. (Collection of M, Lemaitre.)—Herewith its French notation. as tan e esenale pouze mene simand ini. mira.

Fig. 22. Examples of isolated French words (frangaise, lumiere, prairie) automatically traced in Martian characters by Mile. Smith in her normal handwriting. See also Fig. 1, p. 40.

129

130

• Chapter Six

Fig. 23. Martian text No. 17; seance of September 12, 1897. Written by Mile. Smith incarnating Astane (then Leopold for the French words at the end). See the translation, p. 143. Too many I's at the end of the first line immediately produced the scrawls intended to strike them out. (Reproduction one-half natural size.)

Fig. 24. Martian alphabet, summary of the signs obtained. (Never has been given as such by Mile. Smith.)

The Martian Language

Fig. 25. Text No. 18 (October 10, 1897), written in pencil by Mile. Smith incarnating Esenale. Reproduction in autotype twothirds of the natural size.

Fig. 26. Text No. 26 (August 21, 1898), which appeared in visual hallucination, and was copied by Mile. Smith. Reproductions in autotype.

•

131

132

• Chapter Six

Fig. 27. Text No. 28 (October 8, 1898), written by Mile. Smith, copying a text of Matemi, seen in a visual hallucination. (The slight tremor of some of the lines in not in the original, but occured in the copying of the text in the ink, which was written in pencil and too pale for reproduction.)

The Martian Language

•

Fig. 28. Text No. 31 (October 27, 1898), written by Mile. Smith, incarnating Ramie, Natural size.

Fig. 29. Text No. 34 (November 2, 1898), written by Mile. Smith, incarnating Ramie. Natural size.

Fig. 30. Text No. 37 (March 24, 1899), written by Mile. Smith, incarnating Astane. (Collection of M. Lemaitre.) Owing to a defect of the stereotype plate a dot is lacking on the first letter.

133

134

• Chapter Six

Fig. 31. Text No. 38 (March 30, 1899), written by Mile. Smith copying a text of Ramie, who appeared to her in a visual hallucination. (Collection of M. Lemaitre.)

Fig. 32. Text No. 39 (April 1, 1899), written by Mile. Smith, incarnating Ramie. (Collection of M. Lemaitre.) Natural size.

Almost immediately Leopold substitutes himself for Astane and traces on the same sheet, in his characteristic handwriting (considerably distorted towards the end): "Place thy hand on her forehead,"* by means of which he indicates to me that the time has arrived to pass on to the scene of translation by Esenale. We may conclude from these successive stages that the Martian handwriting is the result of a slow autosuggestion, in which the idea of a special writing instrument, and its handling, for a long time played the dominant role, then was abandoned, without doubt, as impracticable to realize. The characters themselves then haunted for several weeks Helene's visual imagination before they appeared to h e r on the cylinders of the three Martians in a manner sufficiently clear and stable to enable her to copy them and afterwards to b e capable of subduing her graphomotor mechanism. O n c e manifested outwardly, these signs, which I have assembled under the form of an alphabet in Fig. 24, have not varied for two years.

M oreover, som e trifling confusion, of which I shall speak a little later, shows well th at the personality w hich em ploys them is not absolutely separated from that of H elene, although the latter, in a waking state, m ight hold th e sam e relation to M artian w hich she holds to C hinese— that is, she knows its general very characteristic aspect, but is ignorant of the signification of th e characters, and w ould be incapable o f reading it. H e le n e ’s M artian handw riting is not stereotyped, but p resents, accord­ ing to circum stances, some variations in form, especially in th e size of the letters. This may be established by Figs. 21 to 32, in which I have reproduced the g rea ter part o f th e texts obtained by writing. W hen th e M artian gushes forth in verbo-visual hallucinations, H elene transcribes it in strokes o f large dim ensions, lacking firm ness, full of repetitions (Figs. 21, 26, 31), and she always rem arks th a t the original, which is before h e r eyes, is m uch sm aller and clearer than h e r copy. In th e texts which have come autom atically from h e r h an d — i.e., supposedly traced by th e M artians them selves— th e handw riting is really sm aller and m ore precise. H ere again are some curious differences. Astane has a calligraphy less volum i­ nous than th at of Esenale, and Ramie has a m uch finer one than Esenale (Figs. 28 and 29). It w ould be altogether p rem atu re for m e to launch m yself upon the study of M artian graphology, and, therefore, leaving that line to my suc­ cessors, I take up th e texts which have been collected in th eir chronologi­ cal order. II.

T h e M a r t ia n T e x t s *

It is not always easy to re p re se n t a language and its pronunciation by m eans o f th e typographical characters of another. H appily th e M artian, in spite of its strange appearance and the fifty millions of leagues which sepa­ rate us from th e red planet, is in reality so near neighbor to F rench that th ere is scarcely any difficulty in this case. T he dozen w ritte n tex ts1 w hich we possess, and w hich Mile. Sm ith e ith e r copied from a verbo-visual hallucination, or w hich w ere traced by her hand in an access of graphom otor autom atism , are readily translated into F ren ch , since each M artian le tte r has its exact equivalent in the F rench alphabet. I have confined m yself to placing accents on the vowels (there are none in th e M artian writing), conform ably to the pronunciation of E senale at th e m om ent of translation. It is only necessary to read the following texts aloud, articulating them as though they w ere French, in 1 T hese are texts 16-20, 26, 28, 31, 34, 3 7 -3 9 . T hey are fu rth er distinguished by an asterisk.

o rd e r to secure the M artian words alm ost exactly as they proceed from the m outh of Mile. Sm ith; I say alm ost, because th ere still rem ains, naturally, in th e speech o f E senale, as in that of every one, a special m annerism of stren g th en in g certain syllables and slurring o th ers— in short, that of deli­ cate shades of accentuation, which cannot be adequately rep resen ted , and w hich th e h earers did not atte m p t to take note of at the seances. In the auditive or vocal texts, those which have not b een obtained by w riting, I have adopted th e m ore probable orthography, according to the pronunciation of E senale, but (with th e exception of words known by m eans o f th e w ritten texts) I naturally cannot guarantee th eir absolute correctness. T he m an n er in which H e len e takes down in pencil the M artian phrases w hich strike h e r ear is not of great assistance to us in th at respect, b e­ cause, as I have said above (p. 125), she finds h erself at th e tim e of these verbo-auditive hallucinations in the situation of a person who hears some unknow n w ords, and spells them as well as she is able, after a quite arbi­ trary and often faulty fashion. She w rites, for exam ple, “hezi d a rr i ne cike taisse,” which, according to th e pronunciation of E senale and o th er w rit­ ten texts, should be “ezi d a rie Sike tes”; or, again, ‘m issc m esse as si le ,” instead of “m is m ess ass ile .” We cannot, therefore, d e p e n d upon the orthography o f H elene, but I have naturally followed it in every case in w hich th e re seem ed to b e no good reason to d e p a rt from it. In stating that th e following texts should be articulated like F rench, two rem arks m ust be added: F irst, the final consonant, very rare in M artian, is always aspi­ rated; th e w ord te n is pronounced as in the F rench gluten·, essat, like/fli; am es, like aloes·, m is and m ess, like Hs (flower), and mess (of an officer), etc. In th e second place, for th e different values of the e I have adopted the following rule: th e e broad is always in d ica ted b y th e accen t grave e; the e m edium , which is only found at th e beginning and in th e m iddle of a word, is m arked w ith th e acute accent e.th e e short, by th e acute accent at th e end of a w ord (or before a final e mute), and by th e circumflex at the beginning or in th e m iddle; the e m ute, or dem im ute, rem ains without accent. T he pronunciation, therefore, will b e, for exam ple, the e's of the M ar­ tian words m ete , benezee, like those o f the F ren ch words ete, repetee; eve, like reve, tes, as in Lutece, etc. T here will be found in italics, un d ern eath th e M artian texts, their F re n ch equivalents, w ord for w ord, as given by E senale in th e m anner d escribed above (see pp. 108—109).2 I have also indicated the kind of autom atism — auditive, visual, vocal, or graphic— by m eans of which each 2 A lit e r a l E n g lis h tr a n s la tio n o f e a c h te x t w ill b e f o u n d i m m e d ia te ly b e n e a t h t h e F r e n c h e q u i v a l e n t s o f t h e M a rtia n w o rd s .

The Martian Language

·

137

tex t was o b ta in e d , also th e d a te o f its a p p e a ra n c e , an d (in p a re n th e se s) th a t o f th e sean ce, often q u ite re m o te , at w h ich it was tra n sla te d . I have also a d d e d such ex p lanations as s e e m e d to m e to b e necessary. 1. m etiche C. M onsieur C.

m edache C.

m etaganiche S.

kin’t’che

M adame C.

Mademoiselle S.

quatre.

Mr. C.

Mrs. C.

Miss C.

Four.

Vocal. F e b ru a ry 2, 1896. S ee above, p. 125. 2. dode

ne

ci

haudan

Ceci

est

la

maison

me as

te du

mess

m etiche Astane

ke

de

grand

homme Astane

que

tu

veche OU.

This is the house of the great man Astane, whom thou hast seen. A u d itiv e. A bout S e p te m b e r 20, 1896 (tra n sla ted N o v e m b e r 2).— H e a rd by H e le n e a t th e sam e tim e a t w h ich sh e h a d th e vision o f Fig. 12 (see pp. 99 a n d 108). 3. mode M ere

ine adoree,

ce

di je

cevouitche ni te

reconnais

et

eve c h i suis

kine

ton

p etit

line L inet.

Adored mother, I recognize thee, and am thy little Linet. W ords a d d re s s e d to M m e . M irb e l by h e r son Alexis (E senale) in a scen e of in carn atio n a lto g e th e r analogous to th a t d e s c rib e d on p. 96. 4. i O

mode

m ete

mode

mode

ine

m ere,

tendre

mere,

m ere

bien-aimee,

che

peliche

che

chire

ne

ton

souci,

ton

fils

est

ci

palette

is

calme

tout

ten

ti

vi

pres

de

toi.

Oh, m other, tender mother, dearly loved mother, calm all thy care, thy son is near thee. Vocal. N o v e m b e r 29, 1896 (tra n sla ted sam e sean ce).— S poken b y E sen ale a n d a d d re s s e d to M m e. M irb el, in a sce n e o f in carn atio n analogous to th e p re c e d in g . A t th e m o m e n t o f tran slatio n , E se n a le re p e a te d , very distinctly, th e last w ords, as follows: n e ci, e s t p r e s [“is n e a r”], te n ti vi, d e to i (“th e e ”). T his was e v id e n tly an erro r, since it ap p e a rs from n u m e ro u s la te r tex ts th a t e s t p r e s d e to i c o rre sp o n d s to n e te n ti vi; it follows th a t it w o u ld b e n a tu ra l to tra n sla te th e w ord ci b y la, ici, o r to u t, if th e s e w ords h ad n o t b e e n d iffe ren tly r e n d e re d in o th e r texts. (A confusion o f th e a d ­ v e rb la w ith th e a rtic le la, tra n sla te d b y ci in tex t 2, m ig h t also b e su sp e c te d .) 5. i

kiche

Oh! pourquoi

ten

ti

si

ke

di

eve de

eteche

mene

pres

de

moi

ne

te

tiens-tu

toujours,

amie

ize ben ezee enfin retrouvee! Oh! W hy dost thou not keep thyself always near m e, friend, at last found again?

A uditive. D e c e m b e r 4, 1896 (translated D ec e m b e r 13). F rag m en t of a long discourse by A stane to H elen e, d u ring an apparition w hich she had of him about nine o’clock in th e evening, as she was about to go to bed. This sentence, w hich he u tte re d tw ice, is th e only one w hich she has been able to recall w ith sufficient precision to note down im m ediately after the vision. She has th e feeling of having understo od A stane’s w hole discourse w hile he was delivering it, and thinks she w ould have b e e n able to trans­ late it into F ren ch , p erh ap s not w ord for word, b ut in its general sense. She expected to transcribe it th e following day, b u t in th e m orning w hen she awoke she was unable to recall e ith e r th e w ords of A stane or their m eaning, n ot even th at of this sentence, w ritten on th e previous evening. H eard again, as th e second p a rt o f the following text, in the seance of the 13th of D ecem ber. atev astane ezi ezi 6. ti iche cene espenie ni ti etre A stane, m on m on De notre belle “E spenie” et de eve kiche ten ti si ke di erie vize e vi . . . i ame descend a toi . . , oh! pourouoi pres de m ot ne te tiensbenezee de eteche m ene ize tu retrouvee! tou jo u rs , amie enfin From our beautiful “E spenie” and from my being Astane, my soul descends to thee— Oh! why dost thou not keep thyself always near to me, friend, at last found again?

A uditive. D e c e m b e r 13, 1896 (translated sam e seance).— H eard in the far-away voice of A stane, H e len e having all th e w hile a painful sensation, as though th e skin o f h e r face around h e r eyes, on th e back of h e r wrists and hands, was bein g torn off. In th e translation the w ord Espenie re ­ m ains as it is, bein g a p ro p e r nam e; th e'le ft index-finger (Leopold) points heavenw ard, and says th at it m ight be re n d e re d by terre, planete,

demeure. 7. ce eve pleva ti di benez essat riz tfes midee Je suis chagrin de te retro u ver viva n t su r cette laide duree ce tenassc riz iche espenie veteche ie che atev hene terre; je voudrais su r notre E spenie voir tout ton etre s’elever ni pove ten ti si eni zee m etiche one gude ni zee darie et rester p res de moi; ici Ies hom m es sont bons et Ies coeurs grevis larges.

I am so rry to find y ou again living on th is w re tc h e d e a rth ; I w o u ld o n o u r E s p e n ie se e all th y b e in g raise its e lf a n d re m a in n e a r m e; h e r e m e n are good a n d h e a rts large.

A u d itiv e. D e c e m b e r 15, 1896 {translated Jan u a ry 17, 1897).— W ords spoken b y A stan e to H e le n e in a m o rn in g vision. T h e follow ing frag m en t of th e le tte r in w h ich sh e s e n t m e th is tex t m e rits b e in g c ite d as an exam ­ ple o f th o se q u ite fr e q u e n t cases in w hich M ile. S m ith, w ith o u t know ing th e ex act tran slatio n o f th e foreign w ords, n e v e rth e le ss d iv in es th e ir g e n ­ eral signification a n d c o m p re h e n d s th e m b y th e ir em o tio n al eq u iv ale n t. “T his m o rn in g , at a q u a r te r b efo re six, I saw A stane a t th e foot o f m y b e d . T he g e n e ra l se n s e o f his language was a t th a t m o m e n t q u ite c le a r to m y m ind, a n d I give it to you as I u n d e rsto o d it— th a t is, in as clea r a m a n n e r as p o ssib le, h av in g n o te d it dow n afterw ards: ‘H ow m u c h I re g re t y o u r n o t having b e e n b o rn in o u r w orld; you w ould b e m u ch h a p p ie r th e re , since e v e ry th in g is m u ch b e tte r w ith us, p e o p le as w ell as th in g s, a n d I w ould be so h a p p y to have you n e a r m e .’ T h a t is ab o u t w h a t it s e e m e d to m e to m ean; p e rh a p s som e day w e m ay b e able to b e s u re o f i t .” am es

viens

m is

te n s e e

la d e

si— am e s

un

in sta n t

vers

m oi, viens

te n

tive

ave

pres

d'un

vieil

m en— koum e

ie

ch e

p e le sse — am es

so m e

ami

tout

ton

chagrin:

adm irer

fo n d r e

m isa'im e— ke

fle u rs,

que

b orfise

ti

pleines

de

su re s

de

tu

p it

senteurs!

.

ia .

.

M ais

parfum ,

izi

de

si

tu

mais

te se

ces

m e ta

ii

p o u rta n t

si

c h a m i— iza

sans

crois

fina'im e—

viens

se im ire

com prendras!

C o m e to w ard s m e a m o m e n t, c o m e n e a r an o ld frie n d to m e lt away all th y sorrow ; co m e to a d m ire th e s e flow ers, w h ich you b e lie v e w ith o u t p e rfu m e , b u t y e t so full o f fragrance! B ut if th o u co u ld st u n d e rsta n d .

A u d itiv e a n d vocal. Jan u a ry 31, 1897 (tra n sla ted sam e seance).— H e le n e , in h e m iso m n a m b u lism , sees A stane, w ho tells h e r to re p e a t his w ords; sh e re p lie s to him : “B ut sp eak p lain ly . . . I w ill gladly re p e a t th e m • . . b u t I d o n o t u n d e rs ta n d v ery w ell . . . ” T h e n sh e p ro n o u n c e s slowly and v ery d istin c tly th e fo reg o in g tex t, in g ro u p s o f w ords, s e p a ra te d by a m o m en t o f silen ce (m ark ed in th e tex t b y th e sign— ). I t is re m a rk e d th a t th ese g ro u p s, w ith th e ex c ep tio n of th e sixth, c o rre sp o n d to th e h e m i­ stiches o f th e F re n c h tran slatio n o b ta in e d in th e sam e seance. A fter th e sixth g ro u p H e le n e re m a in s sile n t for a long tim e , a n d finally says: “I can n o t u n d e rs ta n d ;” th e n u tte rs th e fo u r last w ords, w hich a re th e re p ly o f A stane to h e r o b jectio n .

9. ane

eni

ke

eredute

ce

ilassune

C ’est

id

que,

solitaire,

je

m ’approche

betine

chee

regarde

ta

te

im a

du

ni

del

et

duree terre.

It is here that, alone, I bring myself near to heaven and look upon the earth. A u d itiv e. F e b ru a ry 24, 1897 (tra n sla ted M arch 14).— R eclin in g in h e r easy-chair, a fte r th e n o o n d ay m eal, H e le n e h ea rs th is se n te n c e , w h ile at th e sa m e tim e s h e has th e vision o f a h o u se, c o n stru c te d b y dig g in g in to a M a rtia n m o u n ta in , a n d tra v e rs e d b y a so rt o f air-shafts, a n d w h ich re p re ­ sen ts A sta n e ’s observatory. 10. sim andini

Ie

Sim andini,

me

Iami

m ene

kize

pavi

kiz

atimi

v o id !

amie!

quelle

jo ie ,

quel

bonheur!

Simandini, here I am! friend! what joy! what happiness! A u d itiv e. M arch 14, 1897 (tra n sla te d sam e sean ce).— S ee follow ing tex t. 11. i O

mode

dume'ine

mode

kevi

ce

mache

povini

m ere,

ancienne

m ere ,

quand

je

peux

arriver

poeneze mtine quelques

—i

m en

—6

ami!

instants

e vers

vi

saline

toi

j'o u b ie

ezine m es

mima

nikaine

mode

parents

N ikaine,

mere!

Oh, m other, form er mother, when I can arrive a few instants near thee, I forget my parents Nikaine, m other!— Oh friend! Vocal. M arch 14, 1897 (tra n sla te d sam e sea n ce).— F ro m th e b eg in n in g o f th is sea n ce H e le n co m p la in e d o f cold h an d s, th e n a g re a t d e s ire to w e ep , a n d o f a b u zz in g in th e ea rs, w h ich k e p t in cre asin g a n d in w hich sh e finally h e a rd A stan e a d d re ss to h e r th e M artian w o rd s of te x t 10. Im m e d ia te ly a fte r sh e p asses in to full so m n am b u lism ; h e r re sp iratio n s, v e ry s h o rt a n d p a n tin g , ris e to th r e e p e r seco n d , acco m p an ied b y syn­ ch ro n o u s m o v e m e n ts o f th e left index-finger; th e n sh e stops su d d en ly w ith a long ex p ira tio n , im m e d ia te ly follow ed b y a d e e p in sp iratio n : th e n h e r b re a s t h eav es, h e r face assu m es an e x p ressio n o f suffering, a n d th e left in d e x -fin g e r an n o u n c e s th a t it is E s e n a le (Alexis M irb el) w ho is incar­ n a te d . A fte r a serie s o f spasm s a n d hicco u g h s, H e le n e arises, an d , placing h e r s e lf b e h in d M m e. M irb el, takes h e r n ec k in h e r h an d s, bow s h e r head u p o n h e rs , te n d e rly p ats h e r ch e e k , a n d ad d re sse s to h e r th e w o rd s o f text No. 11 (ex cep t th e tw o last words). T h e n sh e raises h e r h e a d , a n d again, w ith p a n tin g re s p ira tio n (a cce le rated to th irty in sp iratio n s in sixteen seconds), w alks tow ards M . L e m a itre (w hose p u p il Alexis M irb e l had b e e n a t th e tim e o f his death). S h e places h e r h a n d s u p o n his sh o u ld ers,

affectionately grasps his rig h t h an d , a n d w ith em o tio n an d c o n tin u e d so b ­ bing a d d re sse s to him th e tw o w ords i m en! A fter w hich she goes th ro u g h th e p a n to m im e of e x te n d in g h e r h a n d to L eo p o ld an d o f allow ing h im to co n d u ct h e r to a couch, w h e re th e tran slatio n o f texts Nos. 10, 11, a n d 9 is o b ta in e d b y th e cu sto m ary p rocess, b u t n o t w ith o u t difficulty. 12. Iassune

Approche, iche

notre

ke

n ipu ne

ne

crains

m anir

se

ecriture,

et

ti

vich e

tarvin e

de

notre

langage.

ani

tis

de

m achir

tu

pourras

pas; bientot

de

even ir

toue

tu

possederas

dans

m irive

tracer

chi

am ich e

ze

forim e

tes

mains

Ies

marques

Approach, fear not; soon thou w ilt be able to trace our writing, and thou wilt possess in thy hands the signs o f our language.

A u d itiv e. M ay 23, 1897 (tran slated sam e sean ce).— S hortly afte r th e b eg in n in g o f th e sean ce, H e le n e , still b e in g aw ake, has a vision o f A stane, w ho ad d re sse s h e r in th e s e w ords, w h ich she re p e a ts slowly a n d in a feeb le voice. I give th e tex t as it was h e a rd a n d uniform ly n o te d by several sitters, b o th at th e m o m e n t o f its u tte ra n c e an d at its s u b s e q u e n t tra n sla ­ tion. M an y co rrec tio n s, how ever, w ould b e necessary, in o rd e r to m ake it co rre sp o n d w ith th e la te r w ritte n texts: k e n ip u n e ani, e t ne cra in s pas (“an d I am n o t a fra id ,” or, “a n d I do n o t fe ar”) sh o u ld b e ch a n g ed to kie n ip u n e an i, n e crains p a s (see te x t 17); se o r ce only stands h e re for et, w hich e v e ry w h e re else is given as ni; viche is u se d in e r ro r for ich e (unless th e v was a d d e d for th e sake of euphony, o f w hich th e r e is no o th e r exam ­ ple) a n d tis for tiche. 13. (adel)

an e sini

C ’est vous,

(yestad)

i

astane

d Astane,

ce

fim es

astane

je meurs! Astane,

m ira

adieu!

It is you, oh A stane, I am dying! Astane, farewell!

Vocal. S am e sea n ce as th e p re c e d in g text, afte r w hich H e le n e passes into full so m n am b u lism , beg in s to w eep, p an ts, holds h e r h a n d on h e r h ea rt, a n d p ro n o u n c e s th is s e n te n c e , m in g lin g w ith it th e tw o w ords A d e l and yesta d , w h ich are n o t M artian , b u t b e lo n g to th e O rie n ta l cycle; th e y also do n o t a p p e a r in th e tex t as it was re p e a te d at th e tim e of its tra n sla ­ tion. T h is in tru sio n o f te rm s foreign to th e M artian d re am is exp lain ed b y th e im m in e n c e o f a H in d o o sce n e re ad y to ap p e ar, w hich o ccu p ied th e la tte r h a lf o f th e sean ce in w hich th e A rab serv an t, A del, plays a lead in g role. T h e m in g lin g o f th e tw o ro m an ces is g re atly a c c e n tu a te d a few m o­ m en ts later, in a lo n g d isco u rse, dev o id o f r ’s a n d v ery rich in sibilants, and sp o k en w ith so g re a t volu b ility th a t it was im p o ssib le to g a th e r a single w ord. A t th e tim e o f th e tran slatio n , at th e close o f th e seance, this tirad e w as re p e a te d w ith th e sam e rapidity, p re v e n tin g any notation; ac-

142

·

C h a p te r Six

c o r d in g to th e F r e n c h translation w h ich fo llo w ed , it c o n c e r n e d m e m o ries o f th e life o f S im a n d in i w h ic h H e le n e reca lled to A stan e and in w hich th e r e is m u ch m e n tio n o f th e aforesaid A d e l (se e H in d o o C y c le , Chap. V II.). a rv a mm p e d rin e eva'i 14. eu p ie ze p a lir ne am e Ie tem ps est venu; quitte, sois A rva nous E puie, divine lam ee ine vina t6 m en hantine Iune— pouze jo u r . — Pouze, heureux re to u r du ami fid e le , ju sq u e au 6zi ni che ch ire sa'ine— ke vra'ini ne touze m ed vi τηοη et ton fils Saine.— Que desir est m em e pour toi di d azin e— eu p ie— pouze zalise teasse m ianine ni te garde!— E upie! — Pouze! Velement en tier t ’enveloppe et E u p ie, th e tim e has com e; Arva leaves us; b e happy till the re tu rn of th e day. Pouze, faithful friend, m y wish is even for th ee, and thy son Same. — May the e n tire e le m e n t envelop th e e and guard thee!— E upie!— Pouze! A u d itiv e. J u n e 18, 1 8 9 7 (tran slated J u n e 2 0 ).— D u r in g a v isit I m a d e to M ile . S m ith sh e has a v isio n o f tw o M artian p erso n a g es w alk in g o n th e sh o re o f a lake, and sh e r e p e a ts th is fra g m en t o f th eir con v ersa tio n w h ich sh e has h eard . A cco rd in g to a n o th er te x t (N o. 20), A rva is th e M artian n a m e o f th e sun. tarv m i m ache ra d z ire ze 15. m o d e ta tin e e ce ke ou puis p ro noncer Ie langage M ere ch0rie, je ne vetiche i adzi ce ze se'imire nini n in i trim e n e n i ii Je Ie com prends cependant; ό nous nous com prenions si bien! kevi m achiri ce di trin e m ode in ee kevi b e rim ir m h ed te parler Q ua n d pourrai-je m ere adoree, q u a n d reviendra-t-il? me'i adzi ti esto tin e ni b azee an im in a i m ode ce t’ai bien de m a d erniere e t courte existenceP O m ere, je am — m ira ilinee i m ode in ee ce ke Ie n azere reconnue, 6 m ere αάοτέβ, j e ne me trom pe pas I— A dieu m ode ita tin e e m ira m ira m ira m ere cherie, adieu, adieu, adieu! My d earest, I can n o t p ro nounce th e language in w hich w e und ersto o d each o th e r so well! I u n d e rsta n d it, how ever; oh! adored m other, w hen will it re ­ tu rn ? W h e n shall I b e able to speak to th ee of my last and short existence? Oh! m other, I have w ell recognized th ee, oh! adored m other, I am not m istaken!— Farew ell, d e a re st m other, farewell, farewell, farewell! A u d itiv e . J u n e 27 , 1 8 9 7 (tran slated sa m e se a n c e ).— M m e. M irb el b e ­ in g p r e se n t, H e le n e p e r c e iv e s E se n a le , w h o rem ain s in th e v ic in ity o f his m o th e r a n d a d d r e sse s th e s e w o rd s to her. T h e “a d ieu x ” at th e c lo se w ere n o t sp o k e n at th at tim e , b u t w e r e u tte r e d b y E se n a le im m e d ia te ly follow -

ing a n d as a c o m p le m e n t o f th e tran slatio n ; this is th e only case (outside of text 36) in w h ich h e d id n o t confine h im se lf strictly to th e texts alre ad y g a th e re d a n d in w h ich h e p e rm itte d h im se lf to in tro d u c e a n ew p h ra se, w hich o th e rw ise does n o t co n tain a single unknow n w ord: ita tin e e , c h ir ie , is e v id e n tly a slip w h ich sh o u ld b e c o rre c te d e ith e r to ta tin e e , ch erie, o r to it a tin e e , 6 c h e rie . T h e p re c ise F re n c h e q u iv a le n t o f trim en en i is p ro b a b ly e n tr e te n io n s . *16. astane

esenale

pouze

m ene

Esenale.

Pouze.

A m ie

(Astane.

simandini

m ira

Sim andini,

adieu!)

Astane. Esenale. Pouzee. Friend Simandini, farewell! Visual. A u g u st 22, 1897.— T his tex t, fo r w hich th e re is no n e e d o f a translatio n , c o n stitu te s th e first a p p e a ra n c e o f th e M artian h an d w ritin g . See above, Fig. 21, a n d th e re su m e o f th a t sean ce, pp. 127—128. *17. tanire P rends

mis

mech

med

mirive

ezine

brim a^

ti

tes

un

crayon

pour

tracer

mes

paroles

de

cet

tensee— azini

de

instant.

tu viendras

A lors

am eir

trane'i,— Simandini passage.

ce

Sim andini,

mazi

si

avec

kie

some

iche

moi adm irer

mache

di

pedrine tes

puis

te

q u itter

je ne

eve

divine— patrinez

kie

nipune

suis

heureux!— A lors

ne

crains

nazina

notre

Iune

ce jo u r.

nouveau

ke

ce

Q ue

je

ani pas!

Take a pencil to trace my words of this moment. Then thou wilt come with me to adm ire our new passage. Simandini, I cannot leave thee this day. How happy I am!— Then fear not! G rap h ic. S e p te m b e r 12, 1897 (tra n sla ted sam e seance).— S ee pp. 112 and 128 a n d Fig. 23. *18. mode

tatinee

Iami mis

m ira

ti

che

M ere

cherie,

v o id u n

adieu

de

ton en fa n t

ebrinie sana pense

ta n t

ze

valini

Ie

visage

e a

vi

ide di

ze

toi.

O n te

Ie portera, Ie

imine— ni m ince

z et

re n ir— ze [e] Ie

grani corps

mess grand

biga

ka qui

metich ka

e

hom m e qui

a

sidine maigre.

My dearest, this is a farewell from thy child, who thinks so much of thee. The big man, who has a thin face and a slender body, will bear it to thee. A u d itiv e, th e n G rap h ic. O c to b e r 10, 1897 (tra n sla ted sam e seance).— H e le n e has a vision o f a M artian lan d scap e, in w h ich E se n a le floats discarnate a ro u n d th e p lan ts a n d speaks th e s e w ords, w h ich sh e re p e a ts. (It is u n d e rsto o d from th e tran slatio n th a t th is tex t was in te n d e d for M m e. M irbel, w h o was th e n in th e country, b u t to w hom th e p e rso n v e ry clearly in d icated b y th e final ch a ra c te ristic was about to pay a visit and could

ca rry th e m essag e.) I th e n offer H e le n e a p en c il in th e h o p e o f o b tain in g th is sam e te x t in w ritin g ; a fte r various terg iv e rsatio n s a n d g rim aces, d e ­ n o tin g a s ta te o f in cre asin g so m n am b u lism , sh e finally takes th e pencil b e tw e e n h e r in d ex a n d m id d le fingers, tells E se n a le th a t sh e still sees him a n d m ak es h im sit dow n b y h e r sid e, a n d th e n b eg in s to w rite , co m p letely a b s e n t a n d fa scin ated b y th e p a p e r. T h e left in d ex -fin g e r (L eopold) in­ form s us th a t it is E s e n a le h im s e lf w ho is w ritin g b y m ean s o f H e le n e ’s arm . Tw ice sh e in te rru p ts h e r s e lf in o rd e r to say to E se n a le , “Oh! do not go y et, stay a little w h ile lo n g er!” S he ap p e a rs n erv o u s an d ag itated , and o ften sto p s w ritin g to stab h e r p a p e r w ith h e r p e n c il o r to m ake erasu res o r sc rib b le on it (see F ig. 25); in th e ze o f th e last lin e, sh e forgets th e e (this d id n o t p re v e n t E s e n a le from p ro n o u n c in g th e w o rd c o rre c tly at the tim e o f its tran slation). *19.

m [en]

ce

kie

m ache

di

trin e

sandine

(A m ie,

je

ne

p u is

te

p a rler

longtem ps

ne

ezi

vrai'ni

zou

rech

m ira

est

m on

desir;

plus

tarcl,

adieu

m ile piri

teri

comme

m ira

adieu.)

( F r ie n d , I c a n n o t s p e a k to t h e e a lo n g tim e , as is m y d e s ir e ; la te r, fa re w e ll, fa re w e ll!)

G rap h ic, th e n A uditive. O c to b e r 24, 1897 (th e re has n e v e r b e e n any tra n sla tio n o f th is tex t, tw o w ords o f w h ich are still u n k n o w n ).— H e le n e first sees th e ta b le illu m in e d by a g re e n lig h t in w h ich som e d esig n s ap ­ p e a r w h ich sh e co p ies, a n d w h ich give this tex t, ex c ep t th e tw o last le tte rs o f th e first w o rd , th e place o f w h ich re m a in s blank. Im m e d ia te ly afte r she h e a rs M a rtia n sp o k en , w h ich sh e re p e a ts. It is th e sam e text; th e n sh e has a v isio n o f A stan e, E se n a le , a n d a little girl w h o se n a m e she h ea rs as N ike; b u t th is soon gives w ay to o th e r n o n -M a rtia n so m n am b u lism s. (S ee Fig. 25.) *20.

Sike

eva'i

Sike,

sois

orie

d ivin e

heureux!

an tech

fr a p p e r

e

h ier a

ni

ezi

m on

tizin e

ze

me

chanta:

tu

Ie

araez

e ssa te A rva

fa ts

vivre, soleil

atrizi

La-bas,

pres

oiseau

et

de

longtem ps

crizi

p etit

m a fe n e tr e ,

sadri

ten

nike

Le

e z e carim i

Ie

san d in e

ze

vech ir

verras ti

de

ti

si

de

moi;

e z in e

capri

er ie

ame

e

n ie

ete joyeuse;

M atem i am e s

tes

m es

songes,

viens

ce

d iv in ee

R om e

ira

heureuse! — Rome,

ten

t6

tam ech

epizi

pres

du

“lanieche”

rose.

p a v in ee

m isaim e

evai'

sois

am e

est venu

a

d em a in . — M atem i, fle u r u dani£

ne

noir

ού

ka

qui

hed

il Ie

me

uri

am es

soir,

viens

ne

est

Sike

S ike ? —

S ik e , b e h a p p y ! T h e little b la c k b ir d c a m e y e s te r d a y r a p p i n g a t m y w in d o w ,

a n d m y soul was joyful; h e sang to m e: T h o u w ilt see h im to-m orrow . M ate m i, flow er w h ich m akes m e live, su n o f m y d rea m s, com e th is ev en in g ; co m e for a long tim e to m e; b e happy!— R om e, w h e re is Sike?— Yonder, n e a r th e “ta m e c h e ” rose.

A uditive, th en Graphic. N ovem ber 28, 1897 (translated same seance).— F ragm ents of conversation h eard during th e vision of th e M ar­ tian fe te described on p. 118. Sike (a young man) and M atem i (a young girl) form th e first couple w ho pass by and walk off in th e direction of a large bush w ith red flowers (tam eche); th en a second couple exchange the last words of th e text w hile going to rejoin the first. After this vision, which she contem plated standing and described w ith m uch anim ation, H elene seated h e rse lf and began to w rite th e sam e M artian phrases. It is ascertained from L eopold that it was A stane who held h e r hand (in h old­ ing the pencil b e tw e en the th u m b and th e index-finger— th a t is, after th e m anner of Leopold and not th at of H elene as she had held it in w riting text No. 17).* T he w riting being finished, Leopold directs th a t H elene shall be m ade to seat h e rse lf on th e couch for th e scene of translation. 21. vechesi tesee polluni ave Voyons cette question, vieux bounie sei'mire ni trine chercher, com prendre et parler.

m etiche homme;

e a

vi toi

ti de

N ow th is q u e stio n , old m an; it is for th e e to seek , to u n d e rs ta n d an d speak.

Auditive. January 15, 1898 (translated F ebruary 13).— F ragm ent of conversation betw een two M artian personages seen in a waking vision. 22. astane ce ames A stane, je viens che pocrim e Ie . . . ton savoir me . . .

e

vi chee brimi m esse a toi;ta sagesse grande

teri comme

A stan e, I co m e to th e e ; th y g re a t w isdom as w ell as th y k n o w led g e to m e. . .

Auditive. A boutJanuary 25, 1898 (translated F ebruary 13).— Vision, at six o’clock in th e m orning, of a young M artian girl (M atemi?) traversing a tunnel through a m ountain and arriving at the house of Astane, to whom she addresses this utterance, followed by m any others w hich H elene could not grasp w ith sufficient distinctness to note them down. [A] panine evai sots Panine, ke chee em eche que ta m ain arva ii cen ze A rva si beau . . . Ie

kirime ze miza ami grini p ru d en t, Ie “m iza" va soulever; res paze— [B] pouze tes Iune soumini se retire!— Pouze, ce jo u r riant . . . primi tiche chire kiz pavi Iune— revoir de ton fils . . . quel heureux jo u r —

[C] sam e Sa'ine, ni

eze

et

ma

ezi

ch ire

mon

Jils,

m od e

ize

enfin

tizin e

Iinei'

kize

debout!

quelle

ezi

ch ire

mere . . . Demain, mon fils . . .

ezi

Mon

pavi

ezi

joie! . . . m an e

Ce

pere, je

Mon

m ane

pere

eve

adi

suis

bien

ana

maintenant. Panine, b e p ru dent, th e “m iza” is about to arise; rem ove thy hand! Pouze, this laughing day . . . Arva so b ea u tifu l. . . T h e return o f thy son . . . W hat happy day— Sai'ne, m y son, finally standing! W hat joy! . . . M y father and my m other . . . To-morrow, m y son . . . m y father, I am w ell now.

A u d itiv e. F e b ru a ry 20, 1898 (tra n sla ted sam e seance).— Very co m p li­ c a te d M artian vision. F irst, th re e sm all, m ovable h o u ses, like pavilions or C h in e se kiosks, going ab o u t on little balls; in o n e o f th e s e , tw o unknow n p erso n ag es, o n e o f w hom puts h e r h a n d ou t o f a sm all oval window , w hich occasions, o n th e p a rt o f h e r co m p an io n , th e o b serv atio n o f th e first sen ­ te n c e (A) o f th e tex t; a t th is in stan t, in fact, th e s e rolling pavilions (miza) a ssu m e an o scillatory m o v em en t, w h ich m akes a noise like “tick-tack,” a n d th e n g lid e like a tra in u p o n rails. T h ey go a ro u n d a high re d m o u n tain a n d c o m e in to a so rt o f m ag n ificen t gorge o r ravine, w ith slopes covered w ith e x tra o rd in ary p lan ts, a n d w h e re th e y find w h ite h o u ses on an iron fram ew o rk re s e m b lin g piles. T h e two m e n th e n alig h t from th e ir “m iz a ,” c h a ttin g to g e th e r, b u t H e le n e can only h e a r frag m en ts (B) o f th e ir co n v er­ sation. A y o u n g m an o f six teen to e ig h te e n years o f age com es to m eet th e m , w ho has his h e a d tie d u p in a k in d o f n ightcap, a n d hav in g no hair o n th e le ft sid e. M artian salutations a re ex ch an g ed ; th e y m u tu ally strike th e ir h e a d s w ith th e ir h an d s, etc. H e le n e com plains o f h e a rin g v ery con­ fu sed ly th a t w h ich th e y are saying, a n d can only re p e a t e n d s o f sen ten c es (C). S h e has p ain in h e r h e a rt, a n d L eo p o ld d ic ta te s to m e by th e left in d ex -fin g er, “P ut h e r to sleep ,” w h ich p re se n tly leads to th e custom ary sce n e o f tran slatio n o f th e text. 24. sa'ine Sa'ine,

ezi

ch ire

ie e

mon

fils,

toute ma

ti

nini

ne

de

nous

est

furim ir . . .

aimera . . .

mis

un

eze m ess

grand,

pavi

joie, assile

immense

che vina ton retour atimi . . . bonheur . . .

ine ruzzi au milieu itibche . . . toujours . . .

nori

jamais.

Sam e, my son, all m y joy; thy return to our circle is a great, an im m ense h appiness . . . always w ill love . . . ever.

A ud itiv e. M arch 11, 1898 (tra n sla ted A u g u st 21).— “Y esterday m o rn ­ ing, on ju m p in g o u t o f b e d ,” w ro te H e le n e to m e, w h e n se n d in g m e this tex t, “I h a d a vision o f M ars, alm o st th e sam e as th a t w h ich I h a d b e fo re (at

th e sea n ce o f F e b ru a ry 20). I saw again th e ro llin g pavilions, th e h o u ses on piling, sev eral p e rso n a g e s, am o n g th em a y o ung m an w ho h ad no h a ir on one side o f his h ea d . I was ab le to n o te som e w ords. I t was v ery confused, and th e last w o rd s w e re ca u g h t on th e w ing, w h e n h e r e a n d th e re so m e­ thing a little clea r cam e to m e. . . . ” 25. d€ vechi ke ti efi tu vois que de choses Thou seest what superb things (are) here.

m erve superbes

eni id.

A u ditive. A u g u st 21, 1898 (tra n sla ted sam e sean ce).— W aking vision of a riv er b e tw e e n tw o ro se -co lo re d m o u n tain s, w ith a b rid g e (like th a t in Fig. 9) w h ich lo w ered its e lf in to th e w a te r a n d d isa p p e a re d in o rd e r to allow five o r six boats to pass (like th a t in F ig. 13), th e n re a p p e a re d and was re s to re d to its place. As H e le n e d esc rib es all th is, she h ea rs a voice sp eak in g to h e r th e above M artian w ords o f th e text. *26. Astane ne ze Astane est la Astane is there, near to thee.

ten pres

ti de

vi toi

V isual. A u g u st 21, 1898 (tra n sla ted sam e seance).— Follow ing th e p r e ­ c e d in g sc e n e : H e le n e p e rc e iv e s “in th e air” (illu m in e d a n d re d — th a t o f h e r M artian vision) som e ch a rac te rs unknow n to h e r, w h ich sh e copies (see F ig. 26). I ask h e r, show ing h e r th e w o rd ze (w hich e lse w h e re always stands for le), if she is n o t m istak en . S he verifies it by co m p arin g it w ith th e im ag in ary m o d el b efo re h e r a n d affirm s it to b e co rrec t. 27. sike kiz crizi hantine hed e ebrinie res am ere e Sike,quel otseau fidele! il a pense se reunir a nini essate ti iche atimi m atem i hantine hed ne nous,vivre de notre bonheur!— Matemi fidele, il est hantine ezi darie sike tes ousti ke ζέ badeni lassune fidele mon coeur!— Sike, ce bateau que Ie vent approche mazi trim azi hed e ti zi m azete e povine e nini ze priani avec force! il a de la peine a arriver a nous; Ie flot έ foumine ivra'ini ide e ti zi m azete e vizene ze est puissant aujourd’hui; on a de la peine a distinguer Ie ehode “chode.” Sike, what (a) faithful bird! he has thought to reunite himself to us, to live of our happiness!— Matemi faithful, my heart is faithful!— Sike, this boat which the wind brings near with force! it has some difficulty in reaching us; the current is strong to-day; one hassome difficultyin distinguishing the “chode.”

A u d itiv e . A b o u t t h e 4 th o f S e p te m b e r , 1898 (tra n s la te d O c to b e r 16).— H e le n e h e a r d a n d n o te d th is p h r a s e a t t h e s a m e tim e a t w h ic h s h e h a d th e v isio n o f t h e tw o y o u n g M a rtia n p e o p le w h o w e re w a lk in g in a k in d o f flo w e r-g a rd e n , a n d saw a b o a t a rriv e , lik e th a t in F ig . 13. T h e m e a n in g o f c h o d e h a s n o t b e e n a s c e r ta in e d . *28. m en m ess Astane ce am es e vi itech Ii Ami g ra n d A stane, je viens a toi toujours p a r alize netimi assile ka ianine ezi atev ni elem ent m ysterieux, im m ense, qui enveloppe m an etre et tazie e vi m ed iee£ ezine rabrig ni tibraif m en am es lance ά toi p o u r toutes m es pensees et besoins. A m i, viens ourade ke M atem i uzenir chee kida ni ke chee brizi so uvenir que M atem i atten d ra ta fa v eu r, et que ta sagesse dezanir. eva'i divine tes Iune rep o n d ra . Sois heureux ce jo u r.

tes cet Ie me di te pi Iui

F r i e n d g r e a t A s ta n e , I c o m e to t h e e a lw a y s b y th is e le m e n t, m y s te rio u s , im m e n s e , w h ic h e n v e lo p s m y b e in g a n d la u n c h e s m e to t h e e b y all m y th o u g h ts a n d d e s ir e s . F r i e n d , c o m e th o u to r e m e m b e r t h a t M a te m i w ill a w a it th y favor, a n d th a t th y w is d o m w ill a n s w e r h im . B e h a p p y to -d ay .

V isu a l. O c t o b e r 3, 1898 ( tr a n s la te d O c to b e r 16).— A t a q u a r t e r b e fo re n in e in t h e e v e n in g M ile . S m ith , d e s ir in g to o b ta in a c o m m u n ic a tio n from L e o p o ld fo r h e r s e l f a n d h e r m o th e r , sa t d o w n in a n e a s y -c h a ir a n d gave h e r s e l f u p to m e d ita tio n . P r e s e n tly s h e h e a r s th e v o ic e o f L e o p o ld te llin g h e r t h a t h e c a n n o t m a n ife s t h im s e lf th a t e v e n in g , b u t th a t s o m e th in g m u c h m o r e in te r e s t i n g a n d im p o r ta n t is b e in g m a d e re ad y . T h e ro o m s e e m s to h e r to b e c o m e c o m p le te ly o b s c u r e d , e x c e p t th e e n d o f th e ta b le a t w h ic h s h e is s ittin g , w h ic h is illu m in e d w ith a g o ld e n lig h t. A y o u n g M a rtia n g irl in a y e llo w r o b e a n d w ith lo n g tr e s s e s th e n c o m e s a n d se a ts h e r s e l f b e s id e h e r a n d b e g in s to tr a c e , w ith o u t in k o r p a p e r , b u t w ith a p o in t o n th e e n d o f h e r in d e x fin g e r, b la c k fig u re s on a w h ite c y lin d e r, at first p la c e d o n t h e ta b le , a fte rw a rd s o n h e r k n e e s , a n d w h ic h is u n r o lle d as s h e w rite s . H e l e n e is n e a r e n o u g h to s e e t h e c h a r a c te rs clearly, a n d co p ie s th e m in p e n c il o n a s h e e t o f p a p e r (se e F ig . 27), a f te r w h ic h th e vision v a n is h e s a n d h e r m o th e r a n d t h e ro o m r e a p p e a r. * 29. sazeni kiche nipuneze dode ne pit Sazeni p o u rq u o i craindre? Ceci est sans neura eva’i da.stree firezi ze bodri danger, sois paisible ,· certainem ent Ie os pastri tubre tie tuxe sang seul est m alade.

lezire bez souffrance ni ne dorim e ze est sain, Ie

S a z e n i, w h y fe a r ? T h is is w ith o u t s u ffe rin g o r d a n g e r , h e p e a c e fu l; c e rta in ly th e fle s h is w e ll, t h e b lo o d a lo n e is ill.

Auditive. O ctober 14, 1898 (translated O ctober 16 ).— M orning vision of an unknow n gentlem an and lady, th e latter having h e r arm , spotted with red, applied to an in stru m en t w ith th re e tubes placed on a shelf fastened to the wall. T hese words w ere spoken by th e man; th e lady said nothing. inline ten ti one ch an d en e tese 30. m ode ke hed m om ents pres de ces sont delicieux M ere , que ils ten see zou rech e bin d ie ide ti zam e vi biga va trouve on de m eilleurs instants? plus tard toil — E n fa n t, ou m ed che atev kiz foum ine zati pour ton etre quel puissant souvenir. M other, how delightful th ey are, these m om ents near to thee!— Child, w here finds one b e tte r m om ents? later for thy being w hat (a) powerful rem em brance.

Auditive. O cto ber 22, 1898 (translated D ecem b er 18).— “At a quarterpast six in th e m orning; vision of a pebbly shore; earth of a red tint; im ­ m ense sh e e t of water, of a bluish green. Two wom en are walking side by side. This was all I could gather of th eir conversation.” *31. R am ie bisti ti E spenie che dim e uni zi h a b ita n t de ton semblable par la Ram ie E spenie , trim azi tie vadaze£ di βηϊζιέ mi rat;. ban a R am ie di des “oadazas," te envoie adieux. fo rc e trois Ram ie te trin ir tie toum a£ ti b e anim ina ni tiche di u zir nam i parlera des charm es de sa existence et bientot te dira beaucoup ti E sp en ie. evai' divinee de Espenie. Sois heureuse! Ramie, dw eller in E spenie, thy like, by the force of th e “vadazas,” sends th ee th re e adieux. Ram ie will speak to th e e o f the charm s o f his existence, and p resen tly will tell th e e m uch of E spenie. Be happy!

G raphic. O ctober 27, 1898 (translated D ecem b er 18).— “Ten m inutes to one in th e afternoon. No vision, but a severe cram p in th e right arm and a strong im pulse to take pencil and paper. I w rite, I know not why.” (It is seen by the translation given two m onths later th at the text refers to the first m anifestation o f Ram ie and is an announcem ent of th e ultraM artian vision w hich cam e a few days later.) See Fig. 28. T he term vadazas, w hich has never b een explained, has not a M artian appearance, and appears to have been borrow ed from th e H indoo cycle. As to Espenie, see text No. 6. 32. an a evai' m anike e M aintenant sois attentive a ka di m edinie betinie tes qui te entourent. Regarde ce

b etine regarder tapie ni “tapie” et

mis tie attan a un des inondes b ee atev kavive ses etres etranges.

danda an a Silence m aintenant! Now be atten tiv e to beh o ld one o f th e w orlds w hich surround th ee. Look at th a t “ta p ie ” an d its strange beings. Silence now! A u d itiv e . N o v e m b e r 2 , 1898 ( tr a n s la te d D e c e m b e r 18).— H e le n e h as a m o r n in g v is io n o f a M a r tia n (R a m ie ) w h o e n c irc le s h e r w a ist w ith o n e arm a n d w ith t h e o t h e r sh o w s h e r , w h ile s p e a k in g th e s e w o rd s , a s tra n g e ta b ­ le a u (ta p ie ) c o n ta in in g e x tr a o r d in a r y b e in g s s p e a k in g th e u n k n o w n la n ­ g u a g e o f t h e fo llo w in g te x t. A t t h e m o m e n t th e v isio n is e ffa c e d H e le n e w r ite s , w ith o u t p e r c e iv in g th a t s h e h a s d o n e so, te x t N o . 34. (F o r f u r th e r d e ta ils , s e e t h e fo llo w in g c h a p t e r o n th e U ltra - M a rtia n .) BAK sirim a ram eau

SANAK n eb e vertn

TOP vinia-ti-m is-m etiche nom de u n hom m e

E T IP VANE SANIM BATAM vinia-ti-m ise-biga azani m a p rin ie im izi nom de une en fa n t m al entre sous

ANOK ivr