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:--
Mrs. H. B. Fay, medium, height, 5 ft. 4 in.
Bertha, materialized form, height, 4 ft. 9-1/4 in.
Male form (to Mr. Tallman), height, 5 ft. 9-1/4 in.
Difference between Mrs. Fay and Bertha, 6-3/4 in.
Difference between Mrs. Fay and male form, 5-1/4 in.
Difference between Bertha and male form, 12 in.
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 seance, 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."[A] 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.
[A] The control had stated to me, only a few minutes before,
that the forms were first materialized and then draped.
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 seance 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.