lows here there is no
attempt to give the actual words of Professor Hyslop's communicators.
_Trans._

[79] _Proc. of S.P.R._, vol. xvi. p. 40.

CHAPTER XV

The "influence" again--Other incidents--Statistics.

At this point I must return to a fact which is surprising on any
hypothesis we may prefer: the utility of presenting to the medium
objects which have belonged to the person from whom we wish to obtain
the supposed communications. Phinuit used to say that he found the
"influence" of the dead persons on these objects, and the "influence"
was all the stronger if the object had been worn or carried long, and if
it had passed through few hands; different successive "influences" seem
to weaken one another. I have said that we are totally ignorant of the
nature of this "influence," but I have also said that it might not
improbably be supposed to consist of vibrations left by our thoughts and
feelings upon material objects. However this may be, Phinuit seemed to
read this "influence," and draw from it the greater part of the
information he gave. Generally, in spite of his affirmations to the
contrary, he did not appear to be in direct relation with the
communicators at all. Since the disappearance of the Phinuit _regime_
and the appearance of that of Imperator, the presentation of small
objects is still of use; but it must be remarked that it has never been
indispensable, and that communicators often appear without having been
attracted by any "influence." But under the present system the
information received appears to be much less read from the "influence";
there is much more sense of the real presence of the communicators. Of
what use, then, are the small objects given to the medium? Neither the
controls nor the communicators have explained, which is a pity. Under
the new system managed by Imperator and his helpers such small articles
seem chiefly useful for "holding" the communicator, for preventing his
going away, and for maintaining a certain cohesion in his thoughts.
Rector constantly repeats, "Give me something to keep him and clear up
his ideas." The communicator would apparently need a _point de repere_
in order to remain at the desired place, and this _point de repere_
would be furnished him by some object he has often used, the "influence"
left on which he seems to perceive more clearly than anything else.
According to George Pelham, we may also suppose that the communicator
somehow perceives the m