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EXPERIENCES IN SPIRITUALISM WITH MR. D. D. HOME. BY VISCOUNT ADARE, [Windham Thomas Wyndham-Quin 1841-1926] WITH INTRODUCTORY REMARKS BY THE EARL OF DUNRAVEN. [Viscount Adare's father]  [1869]

No. 3 Seance.

This day week I again went down to Mr. Jencken's to see Home. After tea we had a seance. There were present: Mr. Jencken, Mrs. Jencken (his mother), Mrs. Hennings, Mrs Scott Russell, Miss D- R-, another lady whose name-I forget, Home and, myself. We sat round the card table, all except Mrs. Jencken, -who sat in her arm chair in another part of the room.

We had a very beautiful seance. Miss D - - R- had never been present at one before, and was most of the time engaged in looking under the table, and investigating what took place. Very few raps were heard. The manifestations began by the usual vibration of the table, the floor, and our chairs ; and by the cold currents of air passing round the table over our hands. The table moved, and we followed it until it was in a corner close to the wall.

Home had his back to the wall. On his left, at a little distance, was a small square table, with a vase of flowers on it  and on his right was a small round table, on which stood a large vase containing a fern.

The chief part of the manifestations consisted in the movement of these tables. They were brought close to Home, and then were sometimes raised in the air and inclined towards him; sometimes simply tilted on one leg, so that the flowers touched his face. The flowers were in like manner also, as it were, presented to Mrs. Hennings and Mrs. Scott Russell.

Before moving the small round table up to us, it was necessary to clear a space for it, as the table at which we were sitting was close to the window. Our table moved a little back, and we then saw the window curtains drawn on one side out of the way. This table was repeatedly raised in the air to the height of 4 or 5 inches, Miss D- R- placing her hands between it and the floor and it was also frequently inclined at such an angle, that the vase must inevitably have fallen off under ordinary circumstances. The flowers on the square table and the fern on the round table were frequently agitated and moved, but were not broken off or plucked.

On placing the ear against the small table, it was found to be full of minute raps, like a current of small electric sparks.

The phenomena connected with the movement of these two tables occupied some time, during which we talked about various matters and subjects. -Miss D- R- and Mr. Jencken were talking about spiritualism, and he got rather excited, and was saying something to the effect that he lost his patience when people said it was all trickery and conjuring, and that instead of that, it was a great and real blessing and dispensation vouchsafed to us by God for our comfort.

Approving raps occurred at this, and he said. “Is it not to shew us without doubt that it is so,” or some words of that sort. Assent was signified to that remark so emphatically that it made me laugh. It seemed so energetic first, “Yes” was rapped on the floor and walls, then the small tables tilted themselves three times, and then the table we were sitting round tilted itself up towards each corner in turn three times and lastly, being raised right off the ground, was moved up and down three times in the air, and then came down with an emphatic bang that shook the floor.

During this seance, it was remarkable how the spirits joined, as it were, in our conversation, two or three times signifying approval in the most emphatic way.

 I noticed a remarkable circumstance in connection with the small round table. When it was inclined at a considerable angle I saw the vase move, but instead of slipping down the slope, it moved up against it.

As I before mentioned, the small table with the fern was raised in the air, and presented as if in greeting to Mrs. Hennings, Home, and Mrs.-Scott Russell.

After this had been done several times the alphabet was called for, and the following message given (the exact words I cannot answer for) :

“We would do more to shew our love; these (referring to the flowers) an emblems of God's love."

The letters were indicated sometimes by the small table tilting, sometimes by raps on the large table.

Soon afterwards the alphabet was again called for, and the following message given .-

“ Sit alone in a corner with Adare."

Accordingly Home and I left the table, and sat in another corner of the room at the small round table, having previously removed the vase. Immediately the table was raised up and tilted against my chest. The table had one leg terminating in three claws, one of them just touched my toe, and the letters were indicated by the claw tapping my toe. The following message was thus given :-

"My own boy, I go with you, fear nothing, God, will give a mother power to protect her own boy, I will yet speak to you when alone."

The table was then raised off the ground, presented to me close to my face, two or three times, and replaced on the floor. Home was not touching the table,  but during all this time was sitting beside me in an arm chair, and I distinctly felt-and so did he--someone standing between us. We then went back to the large table and Home took the accordion in his hand. He asked some questions, which were answered in the affirmative by three single notes on the accordion.

Home in asking these questions became very much affected – I do not know why and his voice was quite broken. He asked whether the spirit holding the accordion was the same that brought the chair to me at Malvern ? Whether it had not stood between me and him when we were sitting in the corner ? The accordion then played, something like a voluntary on the organ.

The peculiarity being that the last few notes were drawn out so fine as to be scarcely audible-the last note dying away so gradually that I could not tell when it ceased. I do not think it possible for any human hand to produce a note in that way.

Sometime before this we had all head a whistling over Home’s head, similar to that which I had heard in the dining room at Tudor House. It is a curious sound, something between a bird chirping and the whistling produced by birds’ wings rapidly moving. After it ceased. We all heard sounds as of a voice, but not articulate. Home then asked if a spirit was endeavouring to make the voice heard, and was answered “Yes” and he asked if it would- be repeated, and was answered “Perhaps”. It was not repeated until we left the table.

During the time the sounds were heard Home was talking, which I was glad of, as I wished to feel sure the sounds were not the result of ventriloquism on his part. I believe I may also safely say that we were all engaged in conversation at the time, so that the sounds could not have been produced by any accomplice among us. I did not, however, observe any of the others so closely as I did Home.

After the accordion had played I took it in my hand, but immediately after I had done so the alphabet was called for and the words were spelled out. “We can do no more now”. All the manifestations then ceased. We waited a few minutes, and Home asked if the spirits were gone. No answer was returned, so we left the table.  I have particularly noticed three things.

1st. That the commencement of each seance appears the same, namely, currents of cold air passing over the hands of those at the table as if some sort of-chain was being formed.  Any abrupt breaking of which by someone suddenly leaving the table will stop the phenomena.

2nd. That if the attention be too much concentrated it prevents the phenomena. They take place best when those at the table are keeping up a general conversation. If anything occurs, such as a table moving, and everybody stops talking and looks at it, it is almost sure to stop. In the last seance, I noticed that when anything of that sort was being done, if everyone turned to look at it and stopped talking, the table or some other piece of furniture moved as it were to attract attention.

I forgot to mention that Home at the last seance was thrown into a trance. He remained entranced two or three minutes, but said nothing. We foolishly all stopped talking to look at him, and I think that broke the trance, as he awoke, passed his hand across his forehead, and remarked how quiet we all were.

At the commencement of a trance Home generally tells the spectators to go on talking; not to fix their attention on him too much at first. I think that as negative a condition of mind as can possibly be maintained is almost a necessity to ensure strong manifestations. This is not however the case, I believe, with all mediums. The presence of dogs in the room, or much tobacco smoke, will entirely prevent manifestations with Home as medium. The effect of these things is, no doubt, upon the medium, not upon the spiritual influence.

3rd. That the name of God is always treated with peculiar reverence. In spelling out a sentence, if you guess an ordinary word, they say. ”Yes” and go on to the next. But though you may guess it, they spell out each letter in the name of God, and instead of indicating the letters quickly, as usual, it is done in a slow manner that impresses the mind with an idea of great reverence.