onfusions are quite explicable on
the spiritualistic theory; we cannot reasonably think that a change so
great as death should not induce some disturbance of mind, at least
temporarily, or should not greatly weaken certain groups of memories
which, in the new surroundings, have no longer any practical use.

A change of communicators has always been frequent, but was especially
so in Professor Hyslop's sittings. Mr Robert Hyslop constantly says to
his son, "James, I am getting weak; wait for me, I am coming back." And
then another communicator appears on the spot. The telepathic hypothesis
cannot explain this fact; it would seem quite natural that the
communicator should be always the same. To explain it, another
hypothesis--that of suggestion on the part of the sitter--must be added
to the telepathic hypothesis. But the spiritualistic hypothesis, on the
other hand, explains this perfectly well, even though we may be
compelled to reckon with the complications which the admission of the
existence of another world may introduce.

The existence of the self-styled intermediaries between sitter and
communicator is another fact which does not fit in with the telepathic
theory. Formerly Phinuit was the most common intermediary; then George
Pelham collaborated with him; in Professor Hyslop's sittings, and, I
believe, in all subsequent sittings since the installation of the
Imperator _regime_, the intermediary is Rector. It is he who presides at
the functioning of the "machine," because he is particularly
competent--so say the communicators. These intermediaries have very
defined and life-like characters. Phinuit, George Pelham and Rector are
as unlike each other as possible. What, on the telepathic hypothesis,
has had the power to create them? Mrs Piper's secondary personalities
should have incarnated the communicator without intermediary. In order
to understand this ephemeral reconstitution of a consciousness which has
for ever vanished, we should have to allow that the scattered elements
of this consciousness had temporarily grouped themselves around the
_point de repere_ formed by the secondary personality of Mrs Piper. We
should then see how difficult it is to explain the presence of these
intermediaries. But if, on the other hand, we accept the spiritualistic
hypothesis as well founded, we must admit that these intermediaries
account for their presence very plausibly.

Here is another argument, which, I think, is very str