The Book on Mediums

Contents
Translator’s Preface
Introduction
PART ONE: PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS

CHAPTER 1: DO SPIRITS EXIST?
CHAPTER 2: THE MARVELOUS AND THE SUPERNATURAL
CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY AND PROCESS
Materialists – Extreme Materialists – Materialists from lack of any better hypothesis – Skeptics from ignorance, from ill-will, from self-interest, from dishonesty, from pusillanimity (spiritual cowardice) from religious scruples, from hoaxes – Three classes of Spiritists – Experimental Spiritists – Imperfect Spiritists – Christian or True Spiritists – Order of studies in the investigation of Spiritism.
CHAPTER 4: THEORIES
Different opinions in regard to Spiritism – Theories of Negation – Charlatanism – Madness – Hallucination – Cracking Muscles; Physical Causes – Reflection or Cerebration – Affirmative Theories – The Collective Soul – Sleepwalkers – Pessimists – The Diabolical or Demoniacal – Optimists – Non Spiritists or Mono-Spiritists – Multi-Spiritists or Poly-Spiritists – Theory of the Material Soul.
PART TWO: SPIRIT MANIFESTATIONS

CHAPTER 1: ACTION OF SPIRITS ON MATTER
CHAPTER 2: PHYSICAL MANIFESTATIONS – TABLE TURNING
CHAPTER 3: INTELLIGENT MANIFESTATIONS
CHAPTER 4: THEORY OF PHYSICAL MANIFESTATIONS
Movements and levitations – Sounds – Temporary increase and decrease of the weight of bodies.
CHAPTER 5: SPONTANEOUS PHYSICAL MANIFESTATIONS
Noises, racket, and disturbances – Things thrown about – Objects introduced spontaneously into rooms – Statements by a Spirit in regard to these phenomena.
CHAPTER 6: VISUAL MANIFESTATIONS
Theoretical explanation of Apparitions – Theory of Hallucination.
CHAPTER 7: BI-CORPOREITY AND TRANSFIGURATION
Apparitions of the spirit of people in the flesh – Doubles – Saint Alfonso of Liguori and Saint Antony of Padua – Vespasian – Transfiguration – Invisibility.
CHAPTER 8: LABORATORY OF THE INVISIBLE WORLD
Spirit-clothing – Spontaneous formation of tangible objects – Modification of the properties of the matter – Curative action of animal magnetism.
CHAPTER 9: HAUNTED PLACES
CHAPTER 10: NATURE OF SPIRIT COMMUNICATIONS
Coarse – frivolous – serious – instructive communications.
CHAPTER 11: SEMATOLOGY AND TYPTOLOGY
The language of signs – raps and tilting – Alphabetical typtology.
CHAPTER 12: PNEUMATOGRAPHY OR DIRECT WRITING – PNEUMATOPHONY OR DIRECT SPIRIT-SOUNDS
CHAPTER 13: PSYCHOGRAPHY
Indirect Psychography: Planchettes, etc. – Direct or Manual Psychography.
CHAPTER 14: MEDIUMS
Physical Mediums – Sensitive or Impressionable Mediums
– Clairaudient Mediums – Trance Mediums – Clairvoyant Mediums – Sleepwalking Mediums – Healing Mediums – Automatic Writing.
CHAPTER 15: WRITING MEDIUMS
Mechanical Mediums – Intuitive Mediums – Semi-Mechanical Mediums – Inspired or Involuntary Mediums – Presentient Mediums.
CHAPTER 16: SPECIAL MEDIUMS
Special aptitudes of Mediums – Synoptic table of the different varieties of Mediums.
CHAPTER 17: FORMATION OF MEDIUMS
Development of Mediumship – Changes in the writing of Mediums – Loss and Suspension of Mediumship.
CHAPTER 18: DIFFICULTIES AND DANGERS OF MEDIUMSHIP
Influence of Mediumship on the Health – Idem on the Brain – Idem on Children.
CHAPTER 19: THE ROLE OF THE MEDIUM IN SPIRIT COMMUNICATION
Influence of the Medium – Mediumship attributed to inert bodies – Aptitude of certain mediums for languages, music, drawing, etc., of which they have no present knowledge – Dissertation of a Spirit on the action of mediums in Spirit-Manifestations.
CHAPTER 20: MENTAL AND MORAL INFLUENCE OF THE MEDIUM
Questions – Dissertation of a Spirit on the Mental and Moral Influence of Mediums on Spirit-Manifestation.
CHAPTER 21: INFLUENCE OF SURROUNDINGS ON SPIRIT-MANIFESTATIONS
CHAPTER 22: MEDIUMSHIP OF ANIMALS
CHAPTER 23: OBSESSION
Simple Obsession – Fascination – Subjugation – Causes of Obsession – Means of combating Obsession.
CHAPTER 24: IDENTITY OF SPIRITS
Obtainable proofs of Identity – Distinction between Good and Evil Spirits – Questions on the Nature and Identity of Spirits.
CHAPTER 25: EVOCATIONS
General Considerations – Spirits who may be evoked – Mode of addressing Spirits – Utility of Special Evocations – Questions on Evocation – Evocation of Animals – Evocation of living People – Human Telepathy.
CHAPTER 26: QUESTIONS THAT MAY BE ADDRESSED TO SPIRITS
Preliminary Observations – Questions that are agreeable or disagreeable to Spirits – Questions about the Future – About Past and Future Existences – About Moral and Worldly Interests – About the Destiny of Spirits – About Health – About Inventions and Discoveries – About Hidden Treasures – About other Worlds.
CHAPTER 27: CONTRADICTIONS AND HOAXES
CHAPTER 28: CHARLATANS
Mercenary Mediumship – Sham Spiritism
CHAPTER 29: SPIRITIST MEETINGS AND SOCIETIES
Of Meetings in General – Of Societies properly so-called – Subjects for study – Rivalry among Societies.
CHAPTER 30: PARISIAN SOCIETY FOR PSYCHOLOGIC STUDIES
CHAPTER 31: DISSERTATIONS BY SPIRITS
On Spiritism – Mediums – Meetings – Apocryphal Communications.
CHAPTER 32: SPIRITIST GLOSSARY