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The fact having been obtained, there remained to ascertain an essential point, the role of the medium in the answers and the part he may take in them, mechanically and morally.

Two capital circumstances, which would not escape an attentive observer, can resolve the question.

The first is the manner in which the basket moves under his influence, by the simple placing of the fingers on the rim; examination demonstrates the impossibility of the medium imparting any direction whatever to the basket.

This impossibility becomes manifest, above all, when two or three persons place their fingers, at the same time, on the same basket; there would have to be among them a truly phenomenal concordance of movements; besides, there would have to be a concordance of thoughts so that they could agree on the answer to give to the question put.

Another fact, no less singular, comes to increase the difficulty still more. It is the radical change of handwriting, according to the Spirit that manifests itself, the writing being reproduced each time the same Spirit returns.

It would then be necessary that the medium had exercised himself in giving his own handwriting twenty different forms and, above all, that he could remember the one that belongs to this or that Spirit.

The second circumstance results from the very nature of the answers which, most of the time, especially when they refer to abstract or scientific questions, are notoriously beyond the knowledge and, in some, beyond the intellectual reach of the medium; 8 who, as generally happens, has no consciousness of what he writes under that influence; 9 who, frequently, does not hear or does not understand the question proposed, since it may be formulated in a language foreign to him, the answer being able to be given in that language.

Finally, it often happens that the basket writes spontaneously, without any question having been asked, on any subject whatever and entirely unexpected.

In some cases, these answers reveal such a stamp of wisdom, depth, and timeliness, thoughts so elevated and so sublime, that they can emanate only from a superior intelligence, imbued with the purest morality.

At other times they are so frivolous, so trifling, so trivial even, that reason refuses to believe they can proceed from the same source.

Such diversity of language can be explained only by the diversity of the intelligences that manifest themselves.

Are these intelligences within Humanity or outside Humanity? This is the point to be clarified, and whose complete explanation will be found in this work, just as it was given by the Spirits themselves.

Here, then, are patent effects that are produced outside the habitual circle of our observations; that do not occur mysteriously, but in the light of day; that everyone can see and ascertain, that constitute the privilege of no individual, and that thousands of persons reproduce at will every day.

These effects necessarily have a cause and, since they reveal the action of an intelligence and of a will, they leave the purely physical domain.

Many theories have been formulated in this regard. We shall examine them shortly and we shall see whether they can explain the reason of all the facts that are produced. Let us admit, for the moment, the existence of beings distinct from Humanity, for that is the explanation furnished by the Intelligences that reveal themselves, and let us see what they tell us. >>>