140. We would remark that, in the employment of this method of
communication, the spirit frequently has recourse to a sort of mimicry; that is to say, he
expresses the energy of affirmation or negation by the force and character of the tilts or
raps. He often expresses, in the same way, the nature of the sentiments which animate
him: violence, by abruptness of movement; anger and impatience, by striking hard and
repeated blows, like some one who stamps angrily on the ground; occasionally he
upsets the table. A polite and kindly spirit, at the beginning and the end of a séance,
moves the table as though making a bow; if desirous of addressing himself directly to
one of the persons present, he pushes the table towards him, gently or roughly,
according to the sentiment by which he is animated. This is, properly speaking,
sematology, or the language of signs, as typtology is the language of raps. Here is a
remarkable example of spontaneous sematology: -
A gentleman of our acquaintance, being one day in his drawing-room, where
several persons were holding a seance, received a letter from us. While he was reading
it, the little table, used by him for spiritist experimentation, suddenly moved up to him.
Having finished reading our letter, he went towards another table at the farther end of
the room, and laid the letter upon it. The little table followed him, and went up to the
table upon which he had laid the letter. Surprised at this occurrence, our friend
bethought him that there must be some connexion between the movements of the little
table and the letter; he inquired the name of the spirit who had moved the table, and a
name was given which is that of our familiar spirit. The gentleman having informed us
of this circumstance, we, in our turn, begged the spirit to tell us the motive of the visit
he had made to our friend ; whereupon, this reply was given -"It is natural that I should go and see
those with whom you are in communication, in order that I may, if necessary, give to
them, as well as to you, such advice as may be useful."
It is evident that the spirit wished to attract the attention of the gentleman in
question, and sought for some means of manifesting his presence. A dumb man would
hardly have managed better.
