451
I N D E X.
TRANSLATOR’S PREFACE 5
INTRODUCTION XV
PART FIRST.
PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS
CHAPTER I.
DO SPIRITS EXIST? 1
CHAPTER II.
THE MARVELLOUS AND THE SUPERNATURAL 9
CHAPTER III.
PLAN OF PROCEEDING 20
With Materialists; Systematic Materialists, and Materialists from lack of any better hypothesis - Incredulity from ignorance, from ill-will, from self-interest, from dishonesty, from pusillanimity, from religious scruples, from hoaxings - There classes of Spiritists: Experimental Spiritists; Imperfect Spiritists; Christian or True Spiritists - Order to be observed in the investigation of Spiritism.
452
INDEX
CHAPTER IV.
THEORIES 32
Different opinions in regard to Spiritism - Theories of Negation; Charlatanism; Madness; Hallucination; The Cracking Muscle; Physical Causes; Reflexion or Cerebration - Affirmative Theories: The Collective Soul; the Somnambulic; the Pessimist; the Diabolical or Demoniacal; the Optimist; the Unispiritist or Monospiritist; the Multispiritist or Polyspiritist; Theory of the Material Soul.
PART SECOND.
SPIRIT-MANIFESTATIONS.
CHAPTER I.
ACTION OF SPIRITS ON MATTER 51
CHAPTER II.
PHYSICAL MANIFESTATIONS. TABLE-TURNING 58
CHAPTER III.
INTELLIGENT MANIFESTATIONS 62
CHAPTER IV.
THEORY OF PHYSICAL MANIFESTATIONS 66
Movements and liftings - Sounds - Temporary increase and decrease of the weight of bodies.
CHAPTER V.
SPONTANEOUS PHYSICAL MANIFESTATIONS 81
Noises, racket, and disturbances - Things thrown about - Objects introduced spontaneously into rooms - Statements by a Spirit in regard to these phenomena.
453
INDEX
CHAPTER VI.
VISUAL MANIFESTATIONS 106
Theoretical explanation of Apparitions - Theory of Hallucination.
CHAPTER VII.
BI-CORPOREITY AND TRANSFIGURATION 126
Apparitions of the spirit of persons in the flesh - Doubles - Saint Alfonso of Liguori and Saint Antony of Padua - Vespasian - Transfiguration - Invisibility.
CHAPTER VIII.
LABORATORY OF THE INVISIBLE WORLD 137
Spirit-clothing - Spontaneous formation of tangible objects - Modification of the properties of the matter - Curative action of animal magnetism.
CHAPTER IX.
HAUNTED PLACES 147
CHAPTER X.
NATURE OF SPIRIT-COMMUNICATIONS 153
Coarse, frivolous, serious, and instructive communications.
CHAPTER XI.
SEMATOLOGY AND TYPTOLOGY 157
The language of signs; raps and tiltings - Alphabetical typtology.
CHAPTER XII.
PNEUMATOGRAPHY OR DIRECT WRITING - PNEUMATOPHONY OR
DIRECT SPIRIT-SOUNDS 163
454
INDEX.
CHAPTER XIII.
PSYCHOGRAPHY 169
Indirect Psychography: Planchettes, &c. - Direct or Manual Psychography.
CHAPTER XIV.
MEDIUMS 172
Physical Mediums - Electric Persons - Sensitive or Impressionable Mediums - Hearing Mediums - Speaking Mediums - Seeing Mediums - Somnambulist Mediums - Healing Mediums - Pneumatographic Mediums.
CHAPTER XV.
WRITING MEDIUMS OR PSYCHOGRAPHS 189
Mechanical Mediums - Intuitive Mediums - Semi-mechanical Mediums - Inspired or Involuntary Mediums - Presentient Mediums.
CHAPTER XVI.
SPECIAL MEDIUMS 195
Special aptitudes of Mediums - Synoptical Table of the Different Varieties of Mediums.
CHAPTER XVII.
FORMATION OF MEDIUMS 215
Development of Medianimity - Changes in the writing of Mediums - Loss and Suspension of Medianimity.
CHAPTER XVIII.
DIFFICULTIES AND DANGERS OF MEDIANIMITY 234
Influence of Medianimity on the Health - Idem on the Brain - Idem on Children.
455
INDEX.
CHAPTER XIX.
THE ACTION OF THE MEDIUM IN THE OBTAINING OF SPIRITMANIFESTATIONS 238
Influence of the Medium - Mediumship attributed to inert bodies - Aptitude of certain mediums for languages, music, drawing, etc., of which they have no present knowledge - Dissertation of a Spirit on the action of mediums in Spirit-Manifestations.
CHAPTER XX.
MENTAL AND MORAL INFLUENCE OF THE MEDIUM 254
Questions - Dissertation of a Spirit on the Mental and Moral Influence of Mediums on Spirit-Manifestation.
CHAPTER XXI.
INFLUENCE OF SURROUNDINGS ON SPIRIT-MANIFESTATIONS 266
CHAPTER XXII.
MEDIANIMITY OF ANIMALS 270
CHAPTER XXIII.
OBSESSION 277
Simple Obsession - Fascination - Subjugation - Causes of Obsession - Means of combating Obsession.
CHAPTER XXIV.
IDENTITY OF SPIRITS 296
Obtainable proofs of Identity - Distinction between Good and Evil Spirits - Questions on the Nature and Identity of Spirits.
CHAPTER XXV.
EVOCATIONS 319
General Considerations - Spirits who may be evoked - Mode of addressing Spirits - Utility of Special Evocations - Questions on Evocation - Evocation of Animals - Evocation of Living Persons - Human Telegraphy.
456
INDEX.
CHAPTER XXVI.
QUESTIONS THAT MAY BE ADDRESSED TO SPIRITS 354
Preliminary Observations - Questions that are agreeable or disagreeable to Spirits - Questions about the Future - About Past and Future Existences - About Moral and Worldly Interests - About the Destiny of Spirits - About Health - About Inventions and Discoveries - About Hidden Treasures - About other Worlds.
CHAPTER XXVII.
CONTRADICTIONS AND HOAXINGS 373
CHAPTER XXVIII.
CHARLATANISM 388
Mercenary Mediumship - Sham Spiritism
CHAPTER XXIX.
SPIRITIST MEETINGS AND SOCIETIES 398
Of Meetings in General - Of Societies properly so-called - Subjects for study - Rivalry among Societies.
CHAPTER XXX.
PARISIAN SOCIETY FOR PSYCHOLOGIC STUDIES 415
CHAPTER XXXI.
DISSERTATIONS BY SPIRITS 418
On Spiritism - Mediums - Meetings - Apocryphal Communications.
CHAPTER XXXII.
SPIRITIST VOCABULARY 446
INDEX 449