Scientific Reports On Phenomena

Sir William Crookes, in speaking of D. D. Home and Euspasia Paladino,

said: "Most, if not all, of the occurrences with Euspasia seem to have

taken place when she was in a trance, and the more complete the trance

the more striking the phenomena. This was not always so with Home.

Certainly the two most striking things I ever saw with him, the fire

test and the visible forms, were to be observed while he was entranced,

bu it was not always easy to tell when he was in that state, for he

spoke and moved about almost as if he were in his normal condition; the

chief differences being that his actions were more deliberate, and his

manner and expressions more solemn, and he always spoke of himself in

the third person, as 'Dan.' When he was not in a trance we frequently

had movements of objects in different parts of the room, with visible

hands carrying flowers about and playing the accordion. On one occasion

I was asked by Home to look at the accordion as it was playing in the

semi-darkness beneath the table. I saw a delicate looking female hand

holding it by the handle, and the keys at the lower end rising and

falling as if fingers were playing on them, although I could not see

them. So lifelike was the hand that at first I said it was my

sister-in-law's, but was assured by all present that both her hands were

on the table, a fact which I then verified for myself."