THE HISTORY OF
SPIRITUALISM - VOL. 2 by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
/ 1926 / 342 pages.
Few books are more important in the
annals of psychic literature than Sir Arthur Conan
Doyle’s brilliant and ever-readable "The
History of Spiritualism". In this, the second
volume, Sir Arthur begins by featuring Neapolitan-born
medium Eusapia Palladino, who at times could be
"impetuous and wayward." But in her presence,
various manifestations occurred, including "the
movement of objects without contact’ the levitation
of a table and other objects, the levitation of the
medium, the appearance of materialized hands and faces,
lights and playing of musical instruments without human
contact." Another superb medium who comes under Sir
Arthur’s eagle eye is William Eglington. Born in
Islington, North London, after a brief period at School
young William entered the printing and publishing
business. The "dreamy and sensitive" boy at
first showed no indication of possessing psychic
faculties. However, when aged 17, William entered the
family circle…..and at his first visit "the
table rose steadily from the floor until the sitters had
to stand to keep their hands on it." The next night
William became spontaneously entranced, "and
evidential communications from his dead mother were
received." Sir Arthur - the creator of Sherlock
Holmes - tells of one thrilling séance where "a form
materialized and passed around the room shaking
hands." A sitter testified that the figure "was
that of a man taller by several inches and older than the
medium. He was appareled in a white, flowing robe, and
was full of life and animation, and at one time was fully
10 feet away from the medium." No investigation of
Spiritualist history would be complete without mentioning
the Rev W. Stainton Moses. In his presence, "heavy
tables rose in the air, books and letters were brought
from one room into another." Through the
cleric’s automatic writing came some of the
finest-ever spirit teachings. Sir Arthur also thoroughly
documents the foundation of the Society for Psychical
Research before turning to other subjects such as
ectoplasm, sprit photography and voice mediumship.
