Page:Complete Works of Count Tolstoy - 18.djvu/297

 edged as such until recently, when, at last, we came to acknowledge the medium, the vibration of which produces the mediumistic phenomena. And just as the phenomena of light remained inexplicable until the existence of an imponderable substance, that of ether, was accepted, even so mediumistic phenomena seemed mysterious as long as we did not accept the now undoubted truth that in the interstices of the ether there is another even more delicate and imponderable substance, which is not subject to the law of the three dimensions—

(Again whisper, laughter, and squeaking.)

(again looking sternly around him). And just as mathematical calculations have irrefragably confirmed the existence of imponderable ether which produces the phenomena of light and electricity, even so a brilliant series of most exact investigations of Hermann, Schmidt, and Joseph Schmatzofen have undeniably confirmed the existence of that substance which fills the universe and which may be denominated as spiritual ether.

. Now I understand. How thankful I am—

. Yes. But, Aleksyéy Vladímirovich, can't you—abbreviate—a little?

(without replying to him). And thus, a series of strictly scientific experiments and investigations, as I have had the honour of informing you, has made clear to us the laws of mediumistic phenomena. These experiments have made it clear to us that the putting of certain individuals into a hypnotic state, which differs from common sleep only in that by falling into this sleep the physiological activity is not only not lowered, but always raised, as we have just seen,—it has become manifest that the putting into this condition of any subject whatsoever invariably causes certain perturbations in the spiritual ether,—perturbations which completely resemble those