THE DEVELOPMENT OF PHYSICO-PSYCHIC, POWERS: THE PSYCHIC CIRCLE

 GROUP meetings or circles of psychic students prove to be especially useful when physical phenomena having psychic origin are the desired result.

 For the lifting of objects super-physically, the superphysical rap or voice, the passage of matter through matter, the development of astral or psychic light-effects on photographic plates or films, for ectoplasmic phenomena of every description, a circle or group is helpful. It augments force and increases the strength of the results and makes possible a wider variety.

 Have in readiness a notebook in which you keep a running record of your experiments, with date, hour, place) and membership of the group recorded. One member should be responsible for the record of each experiment.

 It is the experience of psychic persons when they are at work that crossing the knees or clasping the hands weakens their clair­sensitivity, especially at the opening of a seance. They theorize that the "current" is prevented from running through the system normally but is crossed and completes a circuit within the body instead of being grounded through touching the floor with the feet. Therefore they admonish those who are developing their powers to sit with both feet on the floor and hands and arms not crossed.

 It is found useful to clasp hands around the group or to rest the hands lightly on a table-top, flat, with little finger ends touching those of one's neighbor on either side, if table-tilting or lifting is desired.

 At the close of such an experiment it is advisable to join hands around the circle for several minutes, to even up the flow of energy which has been centered in the most sensitive member. This was amply proved in the work of Crawford with the Goligher circle, when weight-tests before, during and after sittings held for physical phenomena registered the variations.

 It is well to form only a small group of family or friends, who can be depended upon to keep the hour regularly free for experiment once or twice a week. Group work augments the flow of psychoplasm at the disposal of the invisible operators, whoever and whatever they may be. The group may sit in a circle to advantage, around a table of comfortable height so that the open palms may rest upon it easily and very lightly. There should be no strain or tenseness, but complete relaxation. If table-tilting results, establish a code, requesting of the intelligence animating the table to tilt once at any letter of the alphabet desired, as you have a spokesman for the group repeat the alphabet slowly. One tilt may also mean "Yes," two tilts "No," and three doubtful. This saves time when errors occur. It also provides a means for shortening the work by securing answers to direct questions. Record all questions or remarks and all answers, perfect or imperfect.

 Ask only one question at a time. Have it clearly stated and terse. Do not talk all around the question and do not talk all around the circle, but leave it to a spokesman to do the talking. Time should not be wasted in patter and chatter at seances; the real aim should be to let the phenomena speak for themselves.

 Give no gratuitous information in your questions or replies. Save your own information for your notes upon what you receive.

 Sometimes the table Will rise from the floor. Sometimes it will indicate interest in some special member of the circle, tilting especially toward that person or moving toward her or him. The line of interest should be followed up to ascertain who or what is causing this, and why.

 The group may well include members of both sexes, and there is taken to be some advantage in alternating them in the circle, because of the feeling that there will be some electrical or magnetic balance thus secured. This needs far more precise proof before it can be scientifically accepted. Try variations and see what the results are and record them, thus laying a basis for your own judgment in the matter.

If you are hopeful of securing voice-phenomena, secure a small tin megaphone trumpet or a collapsible aluminum one, in two or three sections, putting a strip of adhesive tape around the outside at each end of the trumpet, and paint these strips with luminous paint. Expose the trumpet to the daylight or electric light before the s6ance in order that it may absorb light in the painted areas, by which you can better follow its movement during experiment. For trumpet work, it is well to dim the light in the room somewhat, but do not sit in total darkness. The work will be far more satisfactory in the light and you can accustom the circle to working thus, by starting out right. The room should be of comfortable temperature, not extreme in either direction. Provide a dictaphone recorder for the trumpet voices, to secure an objective record.

 If photographic experiments are to be tried, two methods are possible:

 A. Load the camera in advance with a roll of films or load the necessary number of plate-holders in advance, dating and initialing the films in the dark room, for identification. When the circle or the one or two personsit does not require a larger number necessarily­are quietly seated and at ease, expose the films in the usual way, but do not close the shutter of the camera until there is a definite impression that it is time to do so. It is unnecessary to darken the room. You may focus the camera upon anyone in the circle or upon any portion of the room, but it is wise to place a dark background in the line of focus (black cloth or velveteen will serve) on a movable frame that can be set up at a height of about six feet from the floor, extending down nearly to the floor. A dark wood paneling or open clothes-closet, without a window, will do. B. Prepare films in light-proof holders, in the way the commercial photographers do. You can buy them thus, or secure the opaque envelopes for the purpose, from camera supply houses. A red and a black envelope, one within the other, with the film inside, is complete protection. Let the experimenters pile their left hands, palms upward, on the table. Place the film in its envelopes on the top of the pile and the right hands over it, holding it thus, for longer and shorter periods in different experiments, until some knowledge is gained of the most favorable length of time. Sit quietly, chatting a little harmoniously, if you like, or listening to some quiet music, during the nonexposure of the film. It is not removed from its envelopes until it comes to be developed in the ordinary way, in the dark room. Although it is never exposed to ordinary actinic light, many times remarkable light effects have been registered on such films.

 Each film should be tested by a print, even though the effects are not superficially interesting. The B variety are known as psychographs or skotographs, a name coined by Miss Felicia Scatcherd, of England, a very able worker in this field.

 It is well to have both a dark and a light print, to bring out all possible details.

 A wide range of effects is possible in psychic photography. Everything from definite portraits and photographed writing to distinct objects not materially present in the room, and rays and clouds of light and spicules of light, dotted over the surface like rain or snow, have been obtained in such experiments. Some psychic photographers feel it necessary to hold their hands above the film before it is exposed, to "magnetize" it. But others do nothing of the sort, even having their cameras loaded by commercial photographers and having all the developing and printing done at a shop, by disinterested workmen. It is probable that the "magnetization" provides a quiet time when the invisible intelligence directing the operation can adjust its apparatus to produce a result. And this is true, whether you regard the directing intelligence as the subconscious of the experimenters, or as some outside entity. We do not have to decide such points before undertaking the research. After all, theory must be checked up by practice, and it is well to emphasize points of agreement and work from them, letting questions in dispute remain unsettled until conclusive light is gained.

 It is thus that the X-ray and all its progeny have been studied and psychic photography may well follow in such footsteps.

 If one of the experimenters should fall into a spontaneous trance or sleep, note the fact and keep quiet in your chairs. Do not disturb conditions by walking about at any seance, and do not disturb an entranced person with efforts to rouse him.

 The entranced person, like a somnambulant or sleepwalker, will usually answer when spoken to, and you may learn why the trance has occurred by a quiet conversation, of which note must be made verbatim as you proceed.

 If there should prove to be one of the group who can produce ectoplasm, objects in the room may be moved without apparent physical contact. It is therefore well to have the room not too large and not crowded with many things, in order that what is done may be readily checked up. I have been told in trance communications, from psychic investigators who have passed from life, that changes in the room, even too much glitter of mirrors, etc., within the room, are distracting to the intelligences at work during trance. In ectoplasmic work, it is useful to provide a screened space, such as may be made by a three-leaved screen or clothes-horse, hung with dark cloth of some sort—thick black cotton cloth or dark shawls or lap-robes or blankets will do. Across the front the curtain should be light in weight, so as to be easily parted. The developing medium may sit in front of this enclosed space, or within, on a comfortable chair, high-backed to support the head. In circle work, red light is preferable, and a rheostat for dimming or increasing the light is useful. It is well also to have a platform scale on which the medium's chair may be fixed, so that variations in the weight, during the lifting of any weights, or the production of any material forms, may be checked up. A red light near the scale-beam enables the worker to read these variations. The light should not shine into the medium's eyes. In the history of the Goligher case will be found interesting data. concerning results obtained in this field by Dr. Crawford. (See Bibliography.)