189. Special Varieties for Physical Effects.
Tipping Mediums. Those by whose influence noises and rappings are produced. A very common variety, with or without the will. •
Moving Mediums. Those who produce the move- ment of inert bodies. Very common. (No. 61.)
Mediums for Translations and Suspensions. Those who produce the aerial translations and the suspension in space, without support, of inert bodies. There are those who can raise themselves. More or less rare, according to the development of the phenomenon ; very rare in the latter case. (Nos. 75, &c, and No. 80.)
Musical Mediums. They induce the playing of instruments without contact. V ery rare. (No. 74, ques- tion 24.)
Mediums for Apparitions. Those who can induce fluidic or tangible apparitions visible to those present (No.100, question 27, and No. 104.)
Mediums for Materialisation. Those who can serve as. auxiliaries to the spirits, to bring material objects. A variety of the moving mediums, and mediums for translations. Exceptional. (No. 96.)
Nocturnal Mediums. Those who obtain certain physical effects only in obscurity. I give the answer of a spirit to the question, if these mediums may be considered as forming a variety.
" A specialty may certainly be made of i t ; but this phenomenon pertains rather to surrounding conditions than to the nature of the medium or the spirits. I should add that some escape this influence of the surroundings, and that most of the nocturnal mediums could, by practice, succeed as well in the light as in the darkness. This variety is not very numerous ; and it must be said, that under cover of this condition, which allows so much liberty in the employment of tricks, ventriloquism, and acoustic pipes, charlatans have too often played upon credulity, passing themselves off for mediums in order to make money. But what matter ? Private as well as public jugglers will be cruelly un- masked, and the spirits will prove to them that it is not good to interfere with their affairs. Yes, I repeat it, certain charlatans will be rapped over the fingers in a rude enough fashion to disgust them with the part of false mediums. Besides, all that is but for a time.
" ERASTUS."
Pneumatographic Mediums. Those who obtain direct writing. A very rare phenomenon, and one very easy to imitate by jugglery. (No. 177.) '
Remark. The spirits have insisted, against our opinion, in classing direct writing among the physical phenomena, for the reason, they say, that "intelli- gent effects are those by which the spirits use the cerebral material of the medium, which is not the case in direct writing; the action of the medium is here wholly material, while with the writing medium, even when entirely mechanical, the brain always plays an active part."
Healing Mediums. Those who have the power of heal- ing or soothing by laying on of hands, or by prayer.
" This faculty is not essentially medianimic ; it be- longs- to all true believers, whether they are mediums or not; it is often only an exaltation of magnetic power, fortified, in case of need, by the concurrence of good spirits." (No. 175.)
Excitative Mediums. Persons who have the power of developing in others, by their influence, the faculty of writing.
" This is rather a magnetic effect, than mediumship proper, for nothing proves the intervention of a spirit. In all cases it belongs to the order of physical effects. (See chapter on the Formation of Mediums)
