icious friends, who seeing the exhaustion of the
worn-out mediums, in mistaken sympathy urge them to take stimulants
(instead of securing them rest and change of surroundings), they have a
hard road to travel, and our sincerest sympathy goes out to them all. We
plead for them. We bespeak kindly and human consideration. Too
frequently they are tried and condemned unheard. They are expected to
prove that they are NOT frauds, instead of, as in other cases, being
accepted as reputable people. So much has this been the case that some
mediums of unquestioned power have retired into private life and
business pursuits, where they meet with the respect and recognition
which were denied them while they were public workers in the ranks of
spiritualism.

"Let us not be misunderstood. In saying this we are not apologizing for,
or palliating fraud or wrong doing, but merely asking for fair and
considerate treatment--not hasty, unreasoning condemnation. While it is
true that mediumship has many compensations, and the medium who takes
pleasure in his work has many pleasant experiences, it is also true that
the professional medium is too frequently subjected to treatment which
makes his task more difficult and thankless than it need be. The kindly
and appreciative treatment which he receives from some sitters is a
welcome stimulus, and affords good conditions for the spirits, who are
thus enabled to operate to the best advantage."

PART VII

MEDIUMISTIC CONDITIONS

Mediumistic phenomena, i.e., the phenomena by and through which spirits
manifest their presence and demonstrate their power, may be broadly
classified under two heads, as follows, (1) physical phenomena, and (2)
mental phenomena.

Physical Phenomena.

PHYSICAL PHENOMENA cover a wide range of mediumistic manifestations,
among which are movements of tables, the production of "raps," the
manifestation of spirit lights, freedom from the effects of fire, the
passage of matter through matter, direct writing upon paper or upon
slates, direct voices, levitation of the medium, spirit photographs, and
the production of the materialized form of the spirit. While in rare
cases the spirits may manifest these forms of physical phenomena without
the assistance of the medium and the circle, nevertheless as a rule such
phenomena are produced by the spirits only through the assistance of a
medium, and usually only when there is gathered together a circle.

"Psychic Force."