Those visions and voices, which the subject refers to an external source and which are so characteristic of hysterical hallucinations, proceed suddenly from the subconscious self. Jeanne's conscious self was so far from being prepared for her voices that she declares she was very much afraid when she first heard them: "I was thirteen when I heard a voice coming from God telling me to lead a good life. And the first time I was very much afraid. This voice came to me about noon; it was in the summer, in my father's garden."[1157]
And then straightway the voice becomes imperative. It demands an obedience which is not refused: "It said to me: 'Go forth into France,' and I could no longer stay where I was."[1158]
Her visions all occur in the same manner. They appeal to the senses in exactly the same way and are received by the Maid with equal credulity.
Finally, these hallucinations of hearing and of sight are soon associated with similar hallucinations of smell and touch, which serve to confirm Jeanne's belief in their reality.
Q. "Which part of Saint Catherine did you touch?"
A. "You will hear nothing more."
Q. "Did you kiss or embrace Saint Catherine or Saint Margaret?"
A. "I embraced them both."
Q. "In embracing them did you feel heat or anything?"
A. "I could not embrace them without feeling and touching them."[1159]