the unknown guest-第2章

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t　again　when　we　come　to　the　chapter　treating　of　the　materializations　of　which　it　forms　part。


THE　UNKNOWN　GUEST

CHAPTER　I。　PHANTASMS　OF　THE　LIVING　AND　THE　DEAD

1

This　brings　us　without　any　break　to　the　consideration　of　veridical　apparitions　and　hallucinations　and　finally　to　haunted　houses。　We　all　know　that　the　phantasms　of　the　living　and　the　dead　have　now　a　whole　literature　of　their　own；　a　literature　which　owes　its　birth　to　the　numerous　and　conscientious　enquiries　conducted　in　England；　France；　Belgium　and　the　United　States　at　the　instance　of　the　Society　for　Psychical　Research。　In　the　presence　of　the　mass　of　evidence　collected；　it　would　be　absurd　to　persist　in　denying　the　reality　of　the　phenomena　themselves。　It　is　by　this　time　incontestable　that　a　violent　or　deep　emotion　can　be　transmitted　instantaneously　from　one　mind　to　another；　however　great　the　distance　that　separates　the　mind　experiencing　the　emotion　from　the　mind　receiving　the　communication。　It　is　most　often　manifested　by　a　visual　hallucination；　more　rarely　by　an　auditory　hallucination；　and；　as　the　most　violent　emotion　which　man　can　undergo　is　that　which　grips　and　overwhelms　him　at　the　approach　or　at　the　very　moment　of　death；　it　is　nearly　always　this　supreme　emotion　which　he　sends　forth　and　directs　with　incredible　precision　through　space；　if　necessary　across　seas　and　continents；　towards　an　invisible　and　moving　goal。　Again；　though　this　occurs　less　frequently；　a　grave　danger；　a　serious　crisis　can　beget　and　transmit　to　a　distance　a　similar　hallucination。　This　is　what　the　S。　P。　R。　calls　〃phantasms　of　the　living。〃　When　the　hallucination　takes　place　some　time　after　the　decease　of　the　person　whom　it　seems　to　evoke；　be　the　interval　long　or　short；　it　is　classed　among　the　〃phantasms　of　the　dead。〃

The　latter；　the　so…called　〃phantasms　of　the　dead；〃　are　the　rarest。　As　F。　W。　H。　Myers　pointed　out　in　his　Human　Personality；　a　consideration　of　the　proportionate　number　of　apparitions　observed　at　various　periods　before　and　after　death　shows　that　they　increase　very　rapidly　for　the　few　hours　which　precede　death　and　decrease　gradually　during　the　hours　and　days　which　follow；　while　after　about　a　year's　time　they　become　extremely　rare　and　exceptional。

However　exceptional　they　may　be；　these　apparitions　nevertheless　exist　and　are　proved；　as　far　as　anything　can　be　proved；　by　abundant　testimony　of　a　very　precise　character。　Instances　will　be　found　in　the　Proceedings；　notably　in　vol。　vi。；　pp。　13…65；　etc。

Whether　it　be　a　case　of　the　living；　the　dying；　or　the　dead；　we　are　familiar　with　the　usual　form　which　these　hallucinations　take。　Indeed　their　main　outlines　hardly　ever　vary。　Some　one；　in　his　bedroom；　in　the　street；　on　a　journey；　no　matter　where；　suddenly　see　plainly　and　clearly　the　phantom　of　a　relation　or　a　friend　of　whom　he　was　not　thinking　at　the　time　and　whom　he　knows　to　be　thousands　of　miles　away；　in　America；　Asia　or　Africa　as　the　case　may　be；　for　distance　does　not　count。　As　a　rule；　the　phantom　says　nothing；　its　presence；　which　is　always　brief；　is　but　a　sort　of　silent　warning。　Sometimes　it　seems　a　prey　to　futile　and　trivial　anxieties。　More　rarely；　it　speaks；　though　saying　but　little　after　all。　More　rarely　still；　it　reveals　something　that　has　happened；　a　crime；　a　hidden　treasure　of　which　no　one　else　could　know。　But　we　will　return　to　these　matters　after　completing　this　brief　enumeration。

2

The　phenomenon　of　haunted　houses　resembles　that　of　the　phantasms　of　the　dead；　except　that　here　the　ghost　clings　to　the　residence；　the　house；　the　building　and　in　no　way　to　the　persons　who　inhabit　it。　By　the　second　year　of　its　existence；　that　is　to　say；　1884；　the　Committee　on　Haunted　Houses　of　the　S。　P。　R。　had　selected　and　made　an　analysis　of　some　sixty…five　cases　out　of　hundreds　submitted　to　it；　twenty…eight　of　which　rested　upon　first…hand　and　superior　evidence。＇1＇　It　is　worthy　of　remark；　in　the　first　place；　that　these　authentic　narratives　bear　no　relation　whatever　to　the　legendary　and　sensational　ghost…stories　that　still　linger　in　many　English　and　American　magazines；　especially　in　the　Christmas　numbers。　They　mention　no　winding…sheets；　coffins；　skeletons；　graveyards；　no　sulphurous　flames；　curses；　blood…curdling　groans；　no　clanking　chains；　nor　any　of　the　time…honoured　trappings　that　characterize　this　rather　feeble　literature　of　the　supernatural。　On　the　contrary；　the　scenes　enacted　in　houses　that　appear　to　be　really　haunted　are　generally　very　simple　and　insignificant；　not　to　say　dull　and　commonplace。　The　ghosts　are　quite　unpretentious　and　go　to　no　expense　in　the　matter　of　staging　or　costume。　They　are　clad　as　they　were　when；　sometimes　many　years　ago；　they　led　their　quiet；　unadventurous　life　within　their　own　home。　We　find　in　one　case　an　old　woman；　with　a　thin　grey　shawl　meekly　folded　over　her　breast；　who　bends　at　night　over　the　sleeping　occupants　of　her　old　home；　or　who　is　frequently　encountered　in　the　hall　or　on　the　stairs；　silent；　mysterious；　a　little　grim。　Or　else　it　is　the　gentleman　with　a　lacklustre　eye　and　a　figured　dressing…gown　who　walks　along　a　passage　brilliantly　illuminated　with　an　inexplicable　light。　Or　again　we　have　another　elderly　lady；　dressed　in　black；　who　is　often　found　seated　in　the　bay　window　of　her　drawing…room。　When　spoken　to；　she　rises　and　seems　on　the　point　of　replying；　but　says　nothing。　When　pursued　or　met　in　a　corner；　she　eludes　all　contact　and　vanishes。　Strings　are　fastened　across　the　staircase　with　glue；　she　passes　and　the　strings　remain　as　they　were。　The　ghostand　this　happens　in　the　majority　of　casesis　seen　by　all　the　people　staying　in　the　house：　relatives；　friends；　old　servants　and　new。　Can　it　be　a　matter　of　suggestion；　of　collective　hallucination？　At　any　rate；　strangers；　visitors　who　have　had　nothing　said　to　them；　see　it　as　the　others　do　and　ask；　innocently：　〃Who　is　the　lady　in　mourning　whom　I　met　in　the　dining…room？〃

＇1＇　Proceedings；　vol。　i。；　pp。　101…115；　vol。　ii。；　pp。　137…151；　vol。　viii。；　pp。　311；　332；　etc。


If　it　is　a　case　of　collective　suggestion；　we　should　have　to　admit　that　it　is　a　subconscious　suggestion　emitted　without　the　knowledge　of　the　participants；　which　indeed　is　quite　possible。

Though　they　belong　to　the　same　order；　I　will　not　here　mention　the　exploits　of　what　the　Germans　call　the　Poltergeist；　which　take　the　form　of　flinging　stones；　ringing　bells；　turning　mattresses；　upsetting　furniture　and　so　forth。　These　matters　are　always　open　to　suspicion　and　really　appear　to　be　nothing　but　quaint　frolics　of　hysterical　subjects　or　of　mediums　indulging　their　sense　of　humour。　The　manifestations　of　the　Poltergeist　are　fairly　numerous　and　the　reader　will　find　several　instances　in　the　Proceedings　and　especially　in　the　Journal　of　the　S。　P。　R。

As　for　communications　with　the　dead；　I　devoted　a　whole　chapter　to　these　in　my　own　essay　entitled　Our　Eternity　and　will　not　return　to　them　now。　It　will　be　enough　to　recall　and　recapitulate　my　general　impression；　that　probably　the　dead　did　not　enter　into　any　of　these　conversations。　We　are　here　concerned　with　purely　mediumistic　phenomena；　more　curious　and　mere　subtle　than　those　of　table…rapping；　but　of　the　same　character；　and　these　manifestations；　however　astonishing　they　may　be；　do　not　pierce　the　terrestrial　sphere　wherein　we　are　imprisoned。

3

Setting　aside　the　religious　hypotheses；　which　we　are　not　examining　here；　for　they　belong　to　a　different　order　of　ideas；＇1＇　we　find；　as　an　explanation　of　the　Majority　of　these　phenomena；　or　at　least　as　a　means　of　avoiding　an　absolute　and　depressing　silence　in　regard　to　them；　two　hypotheses　which　reach　the　unknown　by　more　or　less　divergent　paths；　to　wit；　the　spiritualistic　hypothesis　and　the　mediumistic　hypothesis。　The　spiritualists；　or　rather　the　neospiritualists　or　scientific　spiritualists；　who　must　not　be　confused　with　the　somewhat　over…credulous　disciples　of　Allan　Kardec；　maintain　that　the　dead　do　not　die　entirely；　that　their　spiritual　or　animistic　entity　neither　departs　nor　disperses　into　space　after　the　dissolution　of　the　body；　but　continues　an　active　though　invisible　existence　around　us。　The　neospiritualistic　theory；　however；　professes　only　very　vague　notions　as　to　the　life　led　by　these　discarnate　spirits。　Are　they　more　intelligent　than　they　were　when　they　inhabited　their　flesh？　Do　they　possess　a　wider　understanding　and　mightier　faculties　than　ours？　Up　to　the　present；　we　have　not　the　unimpeachable　facts　that　would　permit　us　to　say　so。　It　would　seem；　on　the　contrary；　if　the　discarnate　spirits　really　continue　to　exist；　that　their　life　is　circumscribed；　frail；　precarious；　incoherent　and；　above　all；　not　very　long。　To　this　the　objection　is　raised　that　it　only　appears　so　to　our　feeble　eyes。　The　dead　among　whom　we　move　without　knowing　it　struggle　to　make　themselves　understood；　to　manifest　themselves；　but　dash　themselves　against　the　inpenetrable　wall　of　our　senses；　which；　created　solely　to　perceive　matter；　remain　hopelessly　ignorant　of　all　the　rest；　though　this　is　doubtless　the　essential　part　of　the　universe。　That　which　will　survive　in　us；　imprisoned　in　our　body；　is　absolutely　inaccessible　to　that　which　survives　in　them。　The　utmost　that　they　can　do　is　occasionally　to　cause　a　few　glimmers　of　their　existence　to　penetrate　the　fissures　of　those　singular　organisms　known　as　mediums。　But　these　vagrant；　fleeting；　venturous；　stifled；　deformed　glimmers　can　but　give　us　a　ludicrous　idea　of　a　life　which　has　no　longer　anything　in　common　with　the　lifepurely　animal　for　the　most　part…　which　we　lead　on　this　earth。　It　is　possible；　and　there　is　something　to　be　said　for　the　theory。　It　is　at　any　rate　remarkable　that　certain　communications；　certain　manifestations　have　shaken　the　scepticism　of　the　coldest　and　most　dispassionate　men　of　science；　men　utterly　hostile　to　supernatural　influences。　In　order　to　some　extent　to　understand　their　uneasiness　and　their　astonishment；　we　need　only　readto　quote　but　one　instance　among　a　thousanda　disquieting　but　unassailable　article；　entitled；　Dans　les　regions　inexplorees　de　la　biologic　humaine。　Observations　et　experiences　sur　Eusapia　Paladino；　by　Professor　Bottazzi；　Director　of　the　Physiological　Institute　of　the　University　of　Naples。＇2＇　Seldom　have　experiments　in　the　domain　of　mediums　or　spirits　been　conducted　with　more　distrustful　suspicion　or　with　more　implacable　scientific　strictness。　Nevertheless；　scattered　limbs；　pale；　diaphanous　but　capable　hands；　suddenly　appeared　in　the　little　physiological　laboratory　of　Naples　University；　with　its　doors　heavily　padlocked　and　sealed；　as　it　were；　mathematically　excluding　any　possibility　of　fraud；　these　same　hands　worked　apparatus　specially　intended　to　register　their　touches；　lastly；　the　outline　of　something　black；　of　a　head；　uprose　between　the　curtains　of　the　mediumistic　cabinet；　remained　visible　for　several　seconds　and　did　not　retire　until　itself　apparently　frightened　by　the　exclamations　of　surprise　drawn　from　a　group　of　scientists　who；　after　all；　were　prepared　for　anything；　and　Professor　Bottazzi　confesses　that　it　was　then　that；　to　quote　his　own　wordsmeasured　words；　as　beseems　a　votary　of　science；　but　expressivehe　felt　〃a　shiver　all　through　his　body。〃

＇1＇　On　the　same　grounds；　we　will　also　leave　on　one　side　the　theosophical　hypothesis；　which；　like　the　others；　begins　by　calling　for　an　act　of　adherence；　of　blind　faith。　Its　explanations；　though　o