928. All such cases are difficult to classify precisely, but the more developed forms of possession throw light on the more rudimentary ones.

929. The most rudimentary form seems to be a momentary possession by the subliminal self: e.g. case of Mrs. Luther.

930. Or there may be a brief psychical excursion in which some knowledge is gained and uttered automatically by the subliminal self: e.g. case of Professor Thoulet.

931. The next case - that of Mr. Goodall - suggests a kind of telepathic conversation between the subliminal self, controlling the utterance of the sleeper, and some perhaps discarnate spirit.

932. The next - Mr. Wilkie's - is a miniature case of possession.

933. These cases illustrate the development of the incipient stages of trance into ecstacy or possession, the control in different cases being by the incarnate or by the discarnate spirit, or by a combination of the two.

934. In one form of trance the automatist is completely controlled by his own subliminal self or incarnate spirit; e.g. 934 A. case of Mr. Sanders.

935. In the famous case of Swedenborg, on the other hand, direct intercourse during ecstasy with discarnate spirits was claimed.

936. Swedenborg's personal experiences are in accord with those described - apparently independently - by other sensitives since his time; on the other hand, his dogmatic writings have been discredited by later knowledge. 936 A. Kant on Swedenborg. 936 B. The Seeress of Prevorst. 936 C. Case of Mr. Skilton.

937. Cahagnet's subject, Adele Maginot, was also apparently, when in trance, controlled by her own subliminal self. 937 A. Mr. Podmore's account of this case.

938. In the case of D. D. Home telekinetic phenomena are alleged, as well as trance manifestations. 938 A. References to information about Home. 938 B. Review of Mme. Home's Life of Home.

939. Home's trances varied a good deal on different occasions.

940. Comparison of the trance-manifestations of Home with those of Moses and of Mrs. Piper.

941. In the case of Moses, as in that of Home, the telekinetic phenomena formed an integral part of the general manifestations, but were regarded by him as merely subsidiary to the religious teachings of his "controls".

942. This ethical preoccupation was natural to his character and time.

943. His relation to the S.P.R. 943 A. References to printed records of his phenomena, and biography.

944. The two series of phenomena - physical and trance - were intimately connected in his case, and purported to be produced by the same alleged discarnate spirits.

945. These belonged to three classes: (a) persons recently dead; (b) distinguished persons of past generations; (V) more distinguished and more remote persons, who called themselves by pseudonyms, e.g. "Imperator".

946. General account of Moses' automatic writings. 946 A. His description of the process of writing.

947. The evidence for the identity of the remote spirits is very dubious. 947 A. Case of Rector's copying from a closed book.

948. Possible explanation of some of the cases by subliminal observation and memory. 948 A. Cases from "Spirit Identity." 948 B. Other cases of veridical communications.

949. Case of "Blanche Abercromby," in which a recent death - unknown normally to Moses - was announced by his automatic writing, some of which was alleged to have a close resemblance to hers.

950. Discussion of the possible or alleged functions of the remote controls.

951. Classification of messages according to their evidential quality.

952. In some of Moses' cases, the messages were accompanied by apparitions or by telekinetic phenomena.

953. In the case of Mrs. Piper, the verbal messages from persons recently dead are of much greater evidential value; she is also alleged to be controlled by the "Imperator" group.

954. Her case differs from those of Home and Moses in presenting no telekinetic phenomena, and in the fact that she shows no supernormal powers except when in trance.

955. Brief history of the case.

956. The hypothesis of fraud. 956 A. Report by Professor James. 956 B. Report by the present writer.

957. Discussion of the personality of "Phinuit." 957 A. Description by Professor Lodge.

958. During the dominance of the "Phinuit" control, the evidence for the personal identity of the alleged communicators was generally slight.

959. In the next stage - that of the "G. P." control - the evidence greatly improved. 959 A. Mr. Hart's sitting. 959 B. Mr. and Mrs. Howard's sitting. 959 C. Communications from Mr. Hart.

960. Instance of correct information, unknown to the sitter, being given-960 A. Communications from Elisa Mannors.

961. Case of attempt to write Hawaiian: Mr. Briggs' sitting.

962. Communications from young children: Mrs. Sutton's sitting. 962 A. Dr. and Mrs. Thaw's sittings.

963. The discarnate spirits seem occasionally to manifest powers of retro-cognitive telaesthesia and of precognition. 963 A. Predictions given through Mrs. Piper.

964. In the last stages of Mrs. Piper's trance manifestations, the chief controls purport to be those of Mr. Moses - the Imperator group - but there is no proof so far of their identity.

965. Trance communications from discarnate spirits must be influenced both by the subliminal self and by the organism of the medium, and perhaps may be impaired by limitations in the powers of the spirits.

966. Possession appears to have no injurious effect on the medium, but rather the reverse.

967. Coming to the part played by the spirit, it seems as far removed from modern philosophical as from ancient savage conceptions.

968. The personal identity of a spirit must connote memory and character.

969. The communications indicate some cognisance of space and time, and some knowledge both of the thoughts and emotions of survivors and of material facts.

970. Consideration of the possible difficulties of communicating on the part of the communicators.

971. They are such as might be inferred from the analogies between possession and alternating personalities, dreams, and somnambulism.

972. The relations between mind and brain may be elucidated by the difficulties shown by the spirit in using the medium's brain.

973. The spirits sometimes appear more eager to communicate than the sitters are to receive communications.

974. Conclusions which may be drawn from the phenomena recorded.

975. One obstacle to our inquiry has been the apparent want of dignity in this mode of acquiring knowledge; but the apparently trivial experiments and observations have led to generalisations of immense importance.

976. Further discussion of ecstasy.

977. It is a phenomenon common to all religions, and hence of special importance from a psychological point of view.

978. We must now deal briefly with the subject of retrocognition and precognition; these suggest powers even more remote than telepathy or telaesthesia from ordinary methods of acquiring knowledge.

979. Retrocognition begins with hypermnesia, leading on to cases where the knowledge seems to come from the memories of other minds, embodied or disembodied, or from a direct perception of the cosmic record.

980. Precognition, starting from promnesia, leads on through self-suggestion and organic prevision, gradually involving more and more of the percipient's environment, as well as of his own history; but may even then be regarded as the result of the wider outlook of the subliminal self. 980 A. Case of Signorina Manzini.

981. Some precognitions, however, may be due to the reasoned foresight of disembodied spirits; and some may possibly be derived from spirits higher than human, or from a sphere where our conception of time no longer holds.

982. Discussion of the evolution of retrocognition from memory.

983. The various stages of precognition: hyperaesthesia, peripheral or central.

984. The wider knowledge of the subliminal self; sometimes transmitted telepathically to others, or itself derived from disembodied spirits.

985. Direct foreknowledge of the future; the relation of this possibility to the problem of Free Will.

986. The conception of Time, as has often been suggested, may be purely subjective.

987. Our evidence seems to indicate that the spiritual world is now just beginning to act systematically upon the material world.

988. The faintness and incoherence of the messages seem an evidence of effort on the part of the communicators; but to solve the mystery fully will require the labours of many generations.