I am quite aware of the nature of the reply I shall meet with: my observations have been defective; and all those who before me affirmed the existence of the same facts were also deceived. This simplifies the discussion. The history of science offers us many an example of the manner in which facts are received, when they contradict current ideas. Kant said more than a hundred years ago, in his Traüme eines Geistersehers, 1, i.: ‘Das methodische Geschwätz der hohen Schulen ist oftmals nur ein Einverständniss durch veränderliche Wortbedeutungen eine schwer zu lösenden Frage auszuweichen, weil das bequeme und mehrentheils vernünftige, “Ich weiss nicht,” auf Akademien nicht leichtlich gehört wird.’[14]
The discussion on Janet recalled to my mind these words of Kant’s. His expression, misère psychologique is one of those words of double meaning, true, if we consider only a part of the facts and one aspect only of the phenomenon, that which concerns the personal consciousness; inexact, if we study the facts in their totality and the phenomenon they reveal in its generality. The being who would be capable of perceiving at a distance, by looking into space and into time, would have faculties superior to the normal; he would not be the inferior being imagined by Janet.
An attentive and patient observation will show him, I am sure, the reality of the facts which I point out; may he not deny this possibility without putting himself under the requisite conditions for observing these facts.
It belongs to the future to decide the question, and I have no doubt whatever upon the nature of the verdict.[15]
To sum up, an attentive observation of the facts shows, that in psychical phenomena we observe the emergence of personifications which may be secondary personalities, but which in really clear cases present particular features, and seem to possess information which is inaccessible to the normal personality. They may co-exist with the latter, without any disorder manifesting itself in the sensitive or motor spheres; in other cases, they encroach upon the normal personality, which may either lose the use and sensation of one member, or be deprived of several members. Finally, the personification can invade the whole of the organism and end in incarnation or ‘control,’ a phenomenon of apparent possession. When it reaches this maximum development, the personification manifests a remarkable autonomy, and appears to be much less suggestible than in the intermediate stages of its evolution.
What are these personifications? I do not know. The problem they raise in some cases is extremely difficult to solve. I can only say that they do not appear to me to be what they claim to be. Is it collective consciousness? Is it self-deception? Is it a spirit? Everything is possible, to me nothing is certain save one thing, namely, that we must not put our trust in them.
I say this for the benefit of spiritists, who have a tendency to believe blindly everything their good spirits tell them. These ‘spirits’ may make mistakes, though they may not wish to deceive you. Never abandon yourself or submit the conduct of your life and affairs to their guidance: submit only to the rule of reason and sound judgment. Be not over-credulous.[16]
[8] As crystal-gazing seems to me one of the most curious phenomena to study, I will take the liberty of mentioning that well-made crystal balls may be found at Leymarie, 42 Rue Saint-Jacques, Paris; at the Society for Psychical Research, 20 Hanover Square, London, W.; or Mrs. Venman, Sugden Road, Lavender Hill, London, S.W. The price of the globes varies from 6s. to 9s.; those of ovoids, from 8s. to 10s. The best thing to do would be to look for a ball in rock-crystal, the price of which would vary from 4s. to £8. They must be cut to order, for it is extremely difficult to find any ready made. M. Servan, jeweller at Bordeaux, furnishes good ones.
[9] Interested readers will find a complete analysis of these facts in Azam’s celebrated work, Hypnotisme et double conscience, Alcan; in Pitres’ book, Leçons sur l’hystérie, Alcan; and in Janet’s L’automatisme psychologique, Alcan. It is essential to know at least these three books, if we wish to observe, profitably, the delicate phenomena I am discussing in this chapter.
[10] Readers, interested to know my ideas on this point, will find them more extensively developed in my book, L’Amnésie et les troubles de la conscience dans l‘épilepsie.