planet began and
perfected itself in the age when midnight gloom enveloped the
globe."

This fact--that life originated in darkness, and that the power of life
can only be exercised in darkness--is, it seems to me, a most
significant one when viewed in the light of our studies, and seems to
point to the conclusion that the "darkness" said to be essential at
spiritistic circles is indeed necessary; and that, when delicate and
subtle forms of life and energy are being manifested, they are likely to
become disrupted by the sudden introjection of a coarse and powerful
form of energy, such as light, so that this "condition," said to be
necessary by all mediums, is probably in reality essential; and their
claim, far from being absurd, is well founded, and in accordance with
well-established scientific facts.

17. So far as to the physical phenomena. We must now turn to the mental
manifestations, and discuss one or two points in connection with them
before concluding.

Hitherto we have considered the process of communication (granting such
to exist) solely from the physical and physiological sides, and not from
the psychological. There is a great deal to be said in this latter
connection, however, though I shall endeavour to be as brief as
possible.

Take, for instance, the question of _symbolism_.

Our dreams, as we know, are largely symbolic, the work of Freud and
others having proved this beyond all doubt. It is highly probable that
the ravings of delirium are also of this nature, though no one, so far
as I know, has yet devoted any serious attention to their study.
Certainly it is true in mediumistic phenomena; for, in trance
conditions, a larger number of messages, tests, and visions seen are of
this nature and character--the symbolism often being so elaborate that
the original thought is not perceived. As Mr. Coates remarked: "When a
'psychometer' places a geological specimen to his forehead, and
describes an 'antediluvian monster,' roaring and walking about, no one
but a very shallow individual would imagine for a moment that the
psychometer was actually seeing the original," but rather that he
obtained a faint and dream-like impression of the world at that epoch,
and his subconscious impression was symbolized in the creature seen. A
better example is, perhaps, furnished by the following: a gentleman of
my acquaintance visited a certain trance-medium, and, among other
things, she described a large key.