Page:Occult Japan - Lovell.djvu/150

134 reverently removes the gohei-wand and holds it while the nakaza seats himself where it was, facing from the shrine, tucks himself in as the others did, and closes his eyes. After some private finger-twistings and prayer on the part of the nakaza and the maeza, the nakaza brings his hands together in front of him and the maeza, taking the gohei-wand from the wakiza, places it between them. Then all the others join in chant, and watch for the advent of the god.

For a few minutes, the time varying with the particular nakaza, the man remains perfectly motionless. Then suddenly the wand begins to quiver; the quiver gains till all at once the man is seized with a convulsive throe—the throe, as we say in truth, of one possessed. In some trances the eyes then open, the eyeballs being rolled up half out of sight; in others the eyes remain shut. Then the throe subsides again to a permanent quiver, the eyes, if open, fixed in the trance look. The man has now become the god.

The maeza, bowed down, then reverently asks the name of the god, and the god answers; after which the maeza prefers his