Materialized Apparitions: If Not Beings from Another Life, What Are They

What claimed to be my wife came to me quite often, and so many times disappeared in the way heretofore described, that I was no longer startled by the occurrence, for I had become so familiar with it that I had come to regard it as a natural consequence of her appearance. She not only grew stronger, but the likeness was much improved, and the resemblance to the medium, at times, entirely disappeared.

In my first visits to these séances, I was led, like many others, to attach great importance to the resemblance which these forms might bear to what they claimed to have been when in earth-life. I was constantly looking for it, and have seen many instances where the likeness was so marked that it would have been impossible to mistake it; yet I have learned not to regard it as positive evidence of identity. Whatever they may be, whether from this or the other side of life, there can be no question that they possess the wonderful power of changing their forms at pleasure, as any one at all familiar with them can testify.

I have seen a tall young man, wearing a full beard, claiming to be a brother of the lady with me, while standing before her, one hand on her waist, the other in mine – upon her saying, "I have not seen you since you were a lad; how do you suppose I should know you now?" – stoop, kiss her on the cheek, and raise his roguish face without the beard; at the same time diminishing in size until he was more nearly like the boy she knew.

I have witnessed similar changes outside of the cabinet, in the presence of the audience, quite often.

The mental and moral tone of the audience has more to do with the character of the séance than the medium has. I have, several times, by the action of a strong will, caused the forms to recede from the position which they at first assumed.

Persons, without being fully aware of it, find themselves more or less reflected in these séances. They reap what they sow. Their condition of mind prevents the forms from approaching them.

I have known persons to visit séances many times without receiving any attention; and, on the other hand, I have seen entire strangers, coming from distant parts of the country, who had never before been in a séance-room, receive the most tender demonstrations of affection and recognition.

Sometimes these forms have treated me to little jokes, that illustrated better than words the information I was seeking; enjoying heartily anything that for a moment seemed to disconcert me.

What claimed to be my niece came to me in a very beautiful illuminated dress. I asked her to appear to me at the next séance dressed in the same way. I took a friend with me to that séance, expecting to astonish him with the wonderful illumination. But, instead of keeping her promise, she came out in a dark dress, such as I had never seen her wear. As my friend had gone up to the cabinet with me, I was greatly disappointed in the way she came, and said, "Bertha, why do you come in this dress?" Placing her right elbow in the palm of her left hand and her index finger on her lip, in a bashful, coquettish way, she said, "I'm in mourning." I said, "For what?" She replied, "I expect I have lost my friend." I said to my companion, "This is something new; I don't understand it." While we were both looking at her, instantly the dark dress disappeared, and she stood before us radiant in her beautiful garments. With a girlish laugh she threw her arms around my neck, kissed me and said, "It is all right now, uncle." The disappearance of the dark dress was quite as marvellous to my friend as the illumination.

I have never been able to detect any fraud, or any indication of it, on the part of Mrs. Fay at these séances; and in the absence of any information which would lead to any other conclusion, I shall hereafter call these forms spirits. That they are not beings belonging to this side of life, I feel certain. What they are, each one must determine for himself.

CHAPTER III.

MATERIALIZATION AND DEMATERIALIZATION OF OBJECTS

The severest tests which I could apply to these manifestations convinced me that not only the forms which surrounded these spirits, but the garments which they wore were "materialized" (that is, made visible and tangible out of previously invisible substances) inside of the cabinet. How this is done we may not comprehend. Emerson says, "The whole world is the flux of matter over the wires of thought to the points or poles where it would build." We only know that here, as in Nature, there must be a germ or starting-point around which the particles aggregate. This is seen in the materialization of objects, which is important as being the only materializations outside the cabinet, and the only ones that we can study.

I have spoken of a beautiful spirit claiming to be my niece, Bertha, that came to me at Mrs. Fay's. In all my attendance there she has never failed to meet me. This did not arise from any understanding or agreement, but seemed to grow up as a natural consequence of the magnetic relations between us. Simple and childlike in her bearing, I have found her remarkably conscientious, intelligent, and affectionate. She comes freely, and in all my intercourse with her I have never found her judgment at fault.

I do not care to discuss the question as to who or what Bertha is; I know she is not the medium, nor a confederate, and that her materialization of objects is genuine. In my long and delightful association with her, extending over more than two years, I have never been able to detect the slightest thing that would lead me to doubt that she is what she claims to be.

No parent ever watched the unfolding of a young life with more interest than I have studied the apparent growth or development of this delightful spirit. It may be that what I have considered her progress arises from the increasing strength gained through her long association with me, enabling her to more freely express herself; for during my acquaintance with her she has seemingly passed from a commonplace person into a remarkable embodiment of intelligence and affection. If I have refrained from expressing the many inspired thoughts and feelings which in her exalted moments she has freely given forth, it is because they are sacred to my own domestic circle. They belong to that centralization of the affections without which life loses its force, and all investigations or attempts to reach these beings are only time thrown away.

As I never saw her before she passed to the other life, I have no means of proving her identity except by what she has told me. Owing to the fact that her family live many hundred miles away, and that I am very forgetful of names, I did not recall, until reminded by others, the existence of any one of that name. She came, at first, very weak, not being able to come out from the cabinet, and spoke in a whisper. She either gave a wrong name, or, what is quite as likely from the difficulty she then had in expressing herself, was misunderstood. This, with my limited experience, led me to regard her appearance, so far as it related to me, a mistake, and I am quite conscious that I treated her coldly. That she felt this indifference on my part was evinced more than once by the expression of her face.

She, however, continued to come whenever I was present, growing stronger each time, apparently demanding recognition, and showing plainly that she did not mean to be put aside for any one. At length I said, "Will you tell me who you are?" She replied, "I am Bertha; you are my uncle; I am your niece;" at the same time holding out her hand about three feet from the floor. As I did not understand this, she subsequently explained it by coming out as a child about four years old, that being the age, as I afterward learned, when she passed to the other life. As I was a stranger to the medium and all present (except one, and that one knew nothing of my relatives), it does not seem probable that the medium could have known anything about her.

The individuality of Bertha is very striking, bearing little or no resemblance to any other materialized form which I have seen. She never comes shrouded in a profusion of drapery; on the contrary, she appears scantily but richly dressed, wearing a short skirt and close-fitting waist, with short sleeves, leaving her finely-rounded arms bare. She never wears a head-dress; her long silken hair floats freely round her shoulders. In form and feature she is the embodiment of girlhood, with a playful disposition which leads her to make amusing remarks, at times, about those who come within her mental atmosphere.

Her figure is compactly built, and well proportioned, with a remarkably fine face, the expression of which, at times, surpasses anything I have ever seen. She is much shorter than the medium, as the following measurements will show: —

These measurements were taken by means of an upright staff with a cross piece at right angles, and I was assisted by a gentleman who is a thorough skeptic. Care was taken to have the forms stand perfectly upright, so that there could be no mistake as to accuracy.

I have given this brief sketch of Bertha as I shall have occasion to allude to her hereafter, for I am greatly indebted to her for much that I have learned about materialization. She has taught me that the ability to communicate intelligently depends upon the use these beings can make of our aromal emanations, or magnetism; that frequent association with us is necessary to enable them to gain control of material elements, and that where the relations are harmonious they gather strength every time they come in contact with us.

From a feeble and almost unintelligible whisper, Bertha now speaks in clear tones, with little or none of the German accent of the medium, and very often, no matter where I am placed, comes across the room, and pulls me up with both hands; or, if there is a vacant chair beside me, sits down and begins to talk, apparently not noticing those around her.

At a Thursday afternoon séance, held last spring, she came out very lively; and after a cordial greeting I said, "You are feeling strong to-day; can you not do something to interest us?" She hesitated a moment; then leading me into the middle of the room, looked up laughingly into my face and said, "I will show you how we dress the forms in the cabinet."[1 - The control had stated to me, only a few minutes before, that the forms were first materialized and then draped.] Stretching out her bare arms, turning them that every one could see that there was nothing in them, she brought the palms of her hands together, rubbing them as if rolling something between them. Very soon there descended from her hands a substance which looked like very white lace.

She continued this until several yards of it lay upon the carpet, and then asked me to kneel down, saying I was too tall for her to work easily. She then took the fabric and made a robe around me, which appeared seamless. On being reminded that there were no sleeves, she took each arm in turn and materialized sleeves. Putting her hand on my head she said, "You have not hair enough," and, rubbing her hand over my head, materialized a wig. This I could not see, but put my hand up and felt of it, and those who were near me said it was in keeping with my own hair and quite an improvement.

Removing the garment, she rolled it into a compact mass, manipulated it a few moments, and it was gone! In materializing and dematerializing this fabric, her arms, which were bare to the shoulders, were stretched out at full length, precluding the possibility of any deception.

Thursday afternoon, Oct. 2, I visited Mrs. Fay's séance with some friends from New Bedford and Cincinnati. When Bertha came out I introduced her to my friends, and asked if she would be kind enough to show them how to make lace. She stepped forward and asked for my handkerchief, which she placed between her hands, manipulating it much after the manner of starching fine fabrics. It was easy to see that the material in her hands was rapidly increasing in volume, and soon the lace began to descend; but instead of being only one piece, there were two, one dark red, and one white, both falling at the same time, each piece about three quarters of a yard wide.

When she had completed it, she held one end, while I took the other and walked across the room, stretching it out to its full length, between three and four yards, so that all could see it; and while it was so held, the controlling spirit shut off the light, showing that the lace was brilliantly illuminated. Bertha then gathered it in, rolled it up and dematerialized it on my shoulder, the light remaining on my coat for nearly a minute after the lace had entirely disappeared.

These things are not new; they are as old as the history of man, and are of common occurrence in India at the present time. They have no possible connection with what is known as sleight-of-hand, or legerdemain. Louis Jacolliot, Chief Justice of Chandenagur, French East Indies, in his able work on Occult Science in India, thus points out the difference: —

"Every European has heard of the extraordinary skill of the Hindoo Fakirs, who are popularly designated under the name of Charmers or Jugglers. They claim to be invested with supernatural powers. Such is the belief of all Asiatic people. When our countrymen are told of their performances, they usually answer, 'Go to the regular magicians; they will show you the same things.'

"To enable the reader to appreciate the grounds of this opinion, it seems necessary to show how the Fakirs operate. The following are facts which no traveller has ventured to contradict: —

"First.– They never give public representations in places where the presence of several hundred persons makes it impossible to exercise the proper scrutiny.

"Second.– They are accompanied by no assistant, or confederate, as they are usually termed.

"Third.– They present themselves in the interior of the house, completely naked, except that they wear, for modesty's sake, a small piece of linen about as large as the hand.

"Fourth.– They are not acquainted with goblets, or magic bags, or double-bottomed boxes, or prepared tables, or any of the thousand and one things which our European conjurers find necessary.

"Fifth.– They have absolutely nothing in their possession save a small wand of seven knots of bamboo, as big as the handle of a pen-holder, which they hold in their right hand, and a small whistle, about three inches long, which they fasten to one of the locks of their long, straight hair; for, having no clothes, and consequently no pockets, they would otherwise be obliged to hold it constantly in the hand.

"Sixth.– They operate, as desired by the person whom they are visiting, either in a sitting or standing posture, or, as the case may require, upon the marble, granite, or stucco pavement of the veranda, or upon the bare ground in the garden.

"Seventh.– When they need a subject for the exhibition of magnetic or somnambulistic phenomena, they take any of your servants whom you may designate, no matter whom, and they act with the same facility upon a European in case he is willing to serve.

"Eighth.– If they need any article, such as a musical instrument, a cane, a piece of paper, a pencil, etc., they ask you to furnish it.

"Ninth.– They will repeat any experiments in your presence as many times as you require, and will submit to any test you may apply.

"Tenth.– They never ask any pay, merely accepting, as alms for the temple to which they are attached, whatever you choose to offer them.

"I have travelled through India in every direction for many years, and I can truthfully state that I have never seen a single Fakir who was not willing to comply with any of these conditions.

"It only remains for us to ask whether our more popular magicians would ever consent to dispense with any of their numerous accompaniments, and perform under the same conditions. There is no doubt what the answer would be."

Whether the forms or articles exhibited are considered as objects invisibly brought into the room, or created from the atmosphere, they are alike astonishing manifestations of an occult power. It does not simplify or explain these singular phenomena to deny their relation to beings of another life, and refer them to a supposed power in man, the laws of which are unknown to us. We have to deal with them as we would with any of the natural manifestations of life.

To assume that these things are not honest, – that these beings, who come to us claiming to be our friends and relatives, are deceiving us, playing on our credulity, – is to decide the question without evidence.

CHAPTER IV.

MATERIALIZATION AND DEMATERIALIZATION UNDER TEST CONDITIONS

At Mrs. Fay's, on Thursday, Oct. 6, 1885, previous to the séance, Mrs. Fay came into the room under the control of "Auntie," and requested that four ladies should be selected by the audience to go with the medium to her dressing-room. The request was complied with, and the ladies returned with Mrs. Fay, still under control, and stated that they had dressed her entirely in dark clothes; that there was not one particle of white fabric about her, except the little collar around her neck. The control then asked me to take a light into the cabinet, and all were requested to examine it and see that there was no possible chance for a confederate, or the concealment of drapery. This was done to the entire satisfaction of all present.

Mrs. Fay was not allowed to leave the room, but, as soon as the audience was seated, went directly into the cabinet. She had not time to take her seat before a form, dressed in white, came out into the room. This was followed by several others similarly dressed.

Then the light was lowered, and a tall female form came out, dressed in brilliantly illuminated garments. A white handkerchief held against this drapery had the appearance of a dark object. This figure walked about the room for a few minutes, and vanished within three feet from where I sat, and at least eight feet from the cabinet.