complete, were any such difficulties as
these experienced!

The three chief difficulties involved in mediumistic messages may be
summed-up under three headings: (1) intra-mediumistic conditions; (2)
intra-cosmic conditions; and (3) the mental conditions of the
communicators.

Under the first head may be placed all those difficulties which are
liable to interfere between the communicator and the amanuensis. If the
communicator is naturally a good visualizer this may help his visual
communications, but impede the others; an audile might be better in some
instances. Again, the impulse may come in some motor form, in which case
neither of these types would be that best suited to control the organism
of the medium. Whether the communicator is a good visualizer or not may
affect the communications to a great extent. Whether or not he had a
normally good memory would also have a great influence. In fact, the
whole construction of the mind might have great influence upon the
results. This is a subject which deserves to be studied very carefully
one day, when the mere fact of communication is established.

As is well known, both Drs. Hodgson and Hyslop wrote strongly in defence
of the theory that the communicator, at the time of communicating, was
in an abnormal mental condition, somewhat resembling trance or delirium
or secondary personality. They were, at least, not in full control of
their thoughts; and this was said to be established by the statements of
the communicators themselves; and by a study of the messages
communicated, wherein it was found that they became dreamy and vague;
that they showed the same rapid change of imagery and subject which is
manifested in dreams; an automatic tendency to capricious and confused
association, a general indifference to personality, etc., as manifested
in delirium. In dreams and sleep we have practically no control over the
body at all, any more than if we were dead; and Dr. Hyslop contended
that probably "somnambulism and hypnosis, dreaming, sleep, trance
conditions, and death are all simply different degrees of the same
state." Dr. Hyslop during his later years modified his views upon this
question, and came to the conclusion that other conditions play a
greater share in the results than the state of the communicator's mind.
But there can be no doubt that this has its results.

Then, too, the medium's subliminal has a great and very decided
influence upon the content of the mess