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Madame d’Esperance - Shadow Land - 06 First experiment in table tilting
Identifier
020713
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
A description of the experience
SHADOW LAND OR LIGHT FROM THE OTHER SIDE by Elisabeth d’Esperance(1897)
At the next invitation to "try and see for myself," I put aside the aversion which I felt to humouring him, even though it might be for a good purpose, and consented in company with two or three visitors to the house, to place my hands on a little table. They evidently thought it good fun, and were full of laughing expectation, but I could not find any amusement in it. I was calmly confident that my friends would see the absurdity of the assertion that the table would exhibit any signs of intelligence.
To my surprise, and perhaps disgust, there seemed to be a trembling vibrating movement in the wood of the table-top, which gradually spread itself to all parts of it, till it became more and more pronounced and at last culminated in a regular rocking movement. Seeing this, Mr. F. began asking questions, telling the table to rap once with one foot in answer for "no," twice for "uncertain", three times for "yes." Various questions were put and answered more or less truthfully; then said Mr. F. to me:-
"What do you think of it now?"
"I think you are moving it," I replied, and just as I spoke, my chair with me sitting on it slid across the room and wriggled itself up on the sofa. I jumped down and half angrily, half laughingly, charged Mr F. with using wires or magnets, at the same time requesting him to withdraw from the table. Thereupon he not only left the table but went out of the room, and I locked the door to prevent him returning. I then seated myself in company with my other friends a second time at the table. Again my chair slid over the floor, and when it could go no further because of the sofa it lifted itself and me on to it as before.
At my request one after the other of my friends moved away till I alone was left with my fingers on the table top. Still it moved. When no questions were asked it rocked about, lifting first one foot then another, twisting half round as it did so, and in this manner made the circuit of the parlour, I following with my finger tips pressed on its surface.
There appeared to me to be something "uncanny" about it Sometimes it shook with what one might imagine to be suppressed laughter, sometimes it gave one the impression of its being a living creature breathing with a gentle heaving motion.
Then again it would make a sudden jump as if to wrench itself from under my hands.