, and held our hands eight inches above it. In one
minute it rocked violently. Then it moved over the carpet a distance of
seven inches. Then it rose three inches from the floor on the side on
which my friend was standing. Then it rose equally on my side. Finally
my friend held his hands four inches over the end of the table, and
asked that it would rise and touch his hand three times. It did so; and
then in accordance with the like request, it rose to my hand held at the
other end to the same height above it and in the same manner."[48]

LEVITATION.--The wonderful phenomenon of levitation must be included in
the category of "movements without contact"! Some of Mr. Stainton Moses'
experiences of this kind are much more explicitly and circumstantially
described than those alleged to have occurred with D. D. Home. Mr.
Stainton Moses gives the following account of his first personal
experience of this nature:--

"My first personal experience of levitation was about five months after
my introduction to spiritualism. Physical phenomena of a very powerful
description had been developed with great rapidity. We were new to the
subject, and the phenomena were most interesting.... One day (30th
August 1872) ... I felt my chair drawn back from the table and turned
into the corner near which I sat. It was so placed that my face was
turned away from the circle to the angle made by the two walls. In this
position the chair was raised from the floor to a distance of, I should
judge, twelve or fourteen inches. My feet touched the top of the
skirting-board, which would be about twelve inches in height. The chair
remained suspended for a few moments, and I then felt myself going from
it, higher and higher, with a very slow and easy movement. I had no
sense of discomfort nor of apprehension. I was perfectly conscious of
what was being done, and described the process to those who were sitting
at the table. The movement was very steady, and occupied what seemed a
long time before it was completed. I was close to the wall, so close
that I was able to put a pencil firmly against my chest, and to mark the
spot opposite to me on the wall-paper. That mark when measured
afterwards was found to be rather more than six feet from the floor,
and, from its position, it was clear that my head must have been in the
very corner of the room, close to the ceiling. I do not think that I was
in any way entranced. I was perfectly clear in my mind, quite alive