This trick illustrates, in a very simple and striking manner, the possibility of reporting a fact in an entirely erroneous manner, quite unconscious of the fact that this error in reporting has been committed.  Just in this same manner, are many slate-writing and other phenomena misreported, and hence an explanation of the seance, as reported, is rendered impossible.  The trouble is that the “report” does not really report what actually occurred.

. . . . .

Many of my readers may feel somewhat insulted at this accusation that they cannot detect such obvious trickery when it exists, and that they are liable to make such mistakes in recording a seance as those here mentioned.  They may comfort themselves with the thought, however, that it is no disgrace to make mistakes and errors of this kind; for, as Professor Jastrow pointed out:[1]

[1] Fact and Fable in Psychology, p. 148.

“The matter is in some aspects as much a technical acquisition as in the diagnosticating of a disease.  It is not at all to the discredit of anyone’s powers of observation or intellectual acumen to be deceived by the performances of a conjurer; and the same holds true of the professional part of mediumistic phenomena.  Until this homely but salutary truth is impressed with all its importance upon all intending investigators, there is little hope of bringing about a proper attitude toward these and kindred phenomena.”

These remarks will make it clear to us why many men of science have been deceived by very simple tricks and fraudulent devices, while investigating spiritualistic phenomena—­their scientific culture is no guaranty that they are any more capable of detecting fraud than is the man-in-the-street—­in fact their training has made them very much less capable of detecting fraud than the average person, who comes more in contact with the world, and is an acuter judge of character and human nature.

Anonymous

How Spirits Materialize

From “The Revelations of a Spirit Medium”—­a book out of existence now, since the plates and all copies were bought up by “spiritualists” and destroyed.  The following is given by courtesy of Mr. Hereward Carrington: 

Reader, have you ever attended a “seance” for “full-form materialization?” Have you ever thought you had met your dead relative’s spirit at these “seances”?

If you have never had the pleasure of attending a seance of this “phase” you have missed a rare treat.  The writer has assisted at many a one and will relate to you some of the wonderful phenomena occurring at them and the means used to produce them. . . .  There are hundreds of “materializing mediums” doing business in this country, who are swelling a good-sized bank account.  Their business sometimes runs into the hundreds of dollars