leep on the grounds
that all the grotesque, monstrous and objectionable dreams which plague
us cannot possibly come from a high source. On this point I have a
very definite theory, which may perhaps be worthy of discussion. I
consider that there are two forms of dreams, and only two, the
experiences of the released spirit, and the confused action of the
lower faculties which remain in the body when the spirit is absent. The
former is rare and beautiful, for the memory of it fails us. The
latter are common and varied, but usually fantastic or ignoble. By
noting what is absent in the lower dreams one can tell what the missing
qualities are, and so judge what part of us goes to make up the spirit.
Thus in these dreams humour is wanting, since we see things which
strike us afterwards as ludicrous, and are not amused. The sense of
proportion and of judgment and of aspiration is all gone. In short,
the higher is palpably gone, and the lower, the sense of fear, of
sensual impression, of self-preservation, is functioning all the more
vividly because it is relieved from the higher control.

The limitations of the powers of spirits is a subject which is brought
home to one in these studies. People say, "If they exist why don't they
do this or that!" The answer usually is that they can't. They appear
to have very fixed limitations like our own. This seemed to be very
clearly brought out in the cross-correspondence experiments where
several writing mediums were operating at a distance quite
independently of each other, and the object was to get agreement which
was beyond the reach of coincidence. The spirits seem to know exactly
what they impress upon the minds of the living, but they do not know
how far they carry their instruction out. Their touch with us is
intermittent. Thus, in the cross-correspondence experiments we
continually have them asking, "Did you get that?" or "Was it all
right?" Sometimes they have partial cognisance of what is done, as
where Myers says: "I saw the circle, but was not sure about the
triangle." It is everywhere apparent that their spirits, even the
spirits of those who, like Myers and Hodgson, were in specially close
touch with psychic subjects, and knew all that could be done, were in
difficulties when they desired to get cognisance of a material thing,
such as a written document. Only, I should imagine, by partly
materialising themselves could they do so, and they may not have had
the