A B C represents the normal consciousness; A B D the subliminal
consciousness. They intersect at E, which point represents the
"equilibrium of the controls." "The area A E B shows the condition in
which all sorts of confusion may occur, incidental to the infusion of
controls, and this confusion will vary with the relation with the
supraliminal and subliminal action of the mind." As one advances, the
other recedes. As one gains a greater control over the organism, the
other loses it, and _vice versa_.

[Illustration]

Extending this conception to cover the cases of spirit "possession," in
which this varying and fluctuating control is also manifested, we might
represent this by the above diagram, in which normal consciousness is
left out of account, for the sake of clearness, and the trance condition
(subliminal) only represented. The spirit control of the organism takes
its place in the diagram.

Here A B C represents the trance state--the subliminal consciousness. G
D F represents the sphere of the spirit's control. It does not begin at
all until the point F be reached. The space A E F represents the area in
which all kinds of confusion is possible, and it is within this area
that most of the mediumistic messages come. E is the "point of balance."
A F H represents the amount of subliminal action accessible to the
control, on the one hand, and related to the discarnate, on the other,
in its _rapport_. A F represents the amount of the discarnate
personality which is accessible to communication, so we have two fields
which are wholly inaccessible to each other, and are respectively
represented by B C H F and D G I A, the former a portion of the
subliminal personality of the living and the latter a portion of the
discarnate personality which cannot reveal itself.

This intermediate area, in which the control is liable to vary, and be
thrown on to one side or the other, also has an analogy in the
_hypnoidal state_ of Boris Sidis--this being an intermediate state (so
it is thought) which is convertible either into ordinary sleep, on the
one hand, or into hypnotic sleep on the other. It all depends upon how
this state is handled and controlled. It may be the same here; the
medium may sink into internal reverie, or introspective trance; or she
may be converted into a genuine "medium" by some influence exerted upon
her from without.

20. On this theory, the deeper the trance the greater the control by the
"spirit," and