We never gave public séances in darkened rooms. I do not approve of the practice. Many forms of manifestations thus obtained are calculated to prejudice the investigator and excite suspicion of the medium. I love to sit with a few friends, who are prepared to witness manifestations, whether in light or dark, and who have had sufficient evidence to understand the conditions necessary to enable Spirits to manifest themselves in form. On such occasions there should not be more than six or seven persons in the circle, and they should all be harmonious, and sit together around a table; placing their hands in such a manner that if any one shall stir, or change position, it must be at once discovered.
When Spirits appear, they come surrounded with, or luminous by, their own light. I seldom sat in a darkened room without seeing lights, which were also visible to the company.
I never used anything to conceal, or afford the Spirits a hiding-place for anything. I was never directed to do so. We (all persons present) have been told to sit in the dark and rub the palms of our hands together; when, immediately on that being done, sparks of light would appear. (I can frequently produce such lights—or, rather, they come of themselves—when entirely alone.) I suppose they are electrical or phosphorescent; but there are different lights. At times they vary in form, color, and intensity. Sometimes they will be of the size of a spark; sometimes of that of a hand, or larger; sometimes flitting or flickering about; sometimes—especially when a Spirit is communicating with you by touches, or caresses, or otherwise—fixed in front of your face, like a person looking into your eyes; sometimes a vague, luminous cloudiness, suggestive of a form or not, as the case may be. Mr. Robert Dale Owen took every precaution to lock and seal the doors; not that he doubted us, but because he was writing a book for the sceptical world to read, and in his honesty of purpose he determined to be “sure.” He was right. His two books, the “Footfalls” and the “Debatable Land,” can never lose their interest and value to the student of Spiritualism.
Frequently, while sitting with select friends in dark circles, lights would appear in different parts of the room; sometimes quite numerous. These sights were no new thing to us, but very astonishing to those who had never before witnessed such manifestations. In order to convince such, the Spirits would direct them to examine the room and everything in it; lock the doors, join hands and quietly wait for manifestations. We were sometimes directed to sing, but not to ask questions, nor to make any exclamations of wonder, or expressions of opinion, until the manifestations had ceased. Such directions must be complied with, if we would win good success.[12]
I met a large private circle in Jersey City, for a long time, once a week. Many of the members of this party had met at my séances for years; but, as they could not all come to New York, I went to their different houses across the river to accommodate them. This party insisted on sitting in darkened rooms. Some of them had witnessed remarkable manifestations in our most private séances. George Willets and wife were members of this circle, and they desired to have others see a little of the wonderful manifestations which they had so often witnessed.
I consented to do so, but the Spirits expressly directed them not to attempt such an undertaking in a party so little calculated to follow implicitly the directions requisite to accomplish the results sought. We had learned, by repeated observations, that Spirits could, under certain conditions, when we were all in bed and no person stirring in the room to disturb the forces through which they operate, disclose mysteries which hitherto were unknown in this age of the world. After much persuasion, I decided to sit for such manifestations.
The directions were given by the Spirits, and all were anxious to see and know these facts through their own perceptions; as it is difficult to “realize” some things on the representations of others, however worthy of our confidence and however possessing it.
Our first sitting proved satisfactory, so far as it went; but the party were directed to be more quiet and not have more persons present than could be accommodated conveniently.
The second attempt was at the house of Mr. Simeon S. Post, and was successful until they became greatly excited, and the directions were not followed; inasmuch as there were too many persons present who were entirely ignorant of the rules by which we were controlled; and although they were permitted to make the closest scrutiny of the whole previous arrangements, in order to keep the forces undisturbed during their (the Spirits’) operations, they (the investigators) could not or would not, for want of common sense, perhaps, follow all the directions.
This being the case, in order to gratify those who were prepared and blest with good sense, a part of the company were directed to go with me into the adjoining room (a bath-room). While there the lights appeared, very bright—almost blazing at times. I was faint and my hands seemed burning. I naturally ran to the faucet to let the cold water run on them, which greatly relieved the burning sensation. But the floating, moving lights continued, and being near the door, the lady of the house went out into the yard with me, where I instinctively plunged my hands into the damp earth (it had been raining).