of these
ladies, concentrated upon a certain material object with a desire
to produce a movement in it, ended by producing this movement as if
by means of a fluid or an invisible force obeying their mental
command." (_Spiritism and Psychology_, p. 291.)

So much for the testimony of Professor Flournoy and Professor Alrutz. In
view of the facts and the well-known caution of these investigators, we
may assuredly take it for granted that there is here no room for doubt,
and that the manifestations really took place as recorded.

My own experiments with this board have not, unfortunately, proved
nearly so conclusive as those of Professor Alrutz--owing, doubtless, to
the rarity of good "physical mediums" or those capable of exercising
their will in the desired manner. It must not be thought that any one
possessing a "strong will" can manipulate the board--as Professor Alrutz
has pointed out. It is only a peculiarly endowed person who can move the
board, one capable not only of exercising the necessary will power, but
also of externalising it--a very rare power. Hence the small number of
successes. Out of all those tried, I have found only two who could
(apparently) move the board at all, and even in their cases the results
were far less striking than in the cases reported by Professor Alrutz.
In one case a number of slight depressions were obtained; but these were
so fleeting, and lasted for so short a time, that it was almost
impossible to be certain that the results were not due to mere
oscillations of the board. In the second case, however, more definite
results were obtained. On several occasions, depressions of half an
ounce were noted; and, on two occasions, of more than an ounce, lasting
for several seconds. I was enabled to assure myself at the time that
these depressions were real, and were not the result of fraudulent
manipulation of the board. Although these results are few and meagre
compared with those of Professor Alrutz, still they tend to confirm his
views, and add to the testimony adduced by him and by Professor
Flournoy, in favour of the reality of the facts--of the actual physical
pressure by the Will upon the board in question.

In view of these results, then--of this apparently mutually confirmatory
testimony--it seems impossible to doubt the fact that we have here
definite and conclusive proof that the human will has succeeded in
depressing the board in question--in being registere