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niverse； and； when suddenly it remembers us； thinking apparently to please us； it makes an enormous； miraculous； but at the same time clumsy and superfluous movement； which upsets all that we believed we knew； without teaching us anything。 Is it making fun of us； is it jesting； is it amusing itself； is it facetious； teasing； arch； or simply sleepy； bewildered； inconsistent； absent…minded？ In any case； it is rather remarkable that it evidently dislikes to make itself useful。 It readily performs the most glamorous feats of sleight…of…hand； provided that we can derive no profit from them。 It lifts up tables； moves the heaviest articles； produces flowers and hair； sets strings vibrating； gives life to inanimate objects and passes through solid matter； conjures up ghosts； subjugates time and space； creates light； but all； it seems； on one condition； that its performances should be without rhyme or reason and keep to the province of supernaturally vain and puerile recreations。 The case of the divining…rod is almost the only one in which it lends us any regular assistance； this being a sort of game； of no great importance； in which it appears to take pleasure。 Sometimes； to say all that can be said； it consents to cure certain ailments； cleanses an ulcer； closes a wound； heals a lung； strengthens or makes supple an arm or leg； or even sets bones； but always as it were by accident； without reason； method or object； in a deceitful； illogical and preposterous fashion。 One would set it down as a spoilt child that has been allowed to lay hands on the most tremendous secrets of heaven and earth； it has no suspicion of their power； jumbles them all up together and turns them into paltry； inoffensive toys。 It knows everything； perhaps； but is ignorant of the uses of its knowledge； It has its arms laden with treasures which it scatters in the wrong manner and at the wrong time； giving bread to the thirsty and water to the hungry； overloading those who refuse and stripping the suppliant bare； pursuing those who flee from it and fleeing from those who pursue it。 Lastly； even at its best moments； it behaves as though the fate of the being in whose depths it dwells interested it hardly at all； as though it had but an insignificant share in his misfortunes； feeling assured； one might almost think； of an independent and endless existence。
It is not surprising； therefore； when we know its habits； that its communications on the subject of the future should be as fantastic as the other manifestations of its knowledge or its power。 Let us add； to be quite fair； that； in those warnings which we would wish to see efficacious； it stumbles against the same difficulties as the spirits or other alien intelligences uselessly foretelling the event which they cannot prevent； or annihilating the event by the very fact of foretelling it。
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And now； to end the question； is our unknown guest alone responsible？ Does it explain itself badly or do we not understand it？ When we look into the matter closely； there is； under those anomalous and confused manifestations； in spite of efforts which we feel to be enormous and persevering； a sort of incapacity for self expression and action which is bound to attract our attention。 Is our conscious and individual life separated by impenetrable worlds from our subconscious and probably universal life？ Does our unknown guest speak an unknown language and do the words which it speaks and which we think that we understand disclose its thought？ Is every direct road pitilessly barred and is there nothing left to it but narrow； dosed paths in which the best of what it had to reveal to us is lost？ Is this the reason why it seeks those odd； childish； roundabout ways of automatic writing； cross…correspondence； symbolic premonition and all the rest？ Yet； in the typical case which we have quoted； it seems to speak quite easily and plainly when it says to the mother：
〃Turn the mattress。〃
If it can utter this sentence； why should it find it difficult or impossible to add：
〃You will find the matches there that will set fire to the curtains。〃
What forbids it to do so and closes its mouth at the decisive moment？ We relapse into the everlasting question： if it cannot complete the second sentence because it would be destroying in the womb the very event which it is foretelling； why does it utter the first？
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But it is well in spite of everything to seek an explanation of the inexplicable； it is by attacking it on every side； at all hazards； that we cherish the hope of overcoming it； and we may therefore say to ourselves that our subconsciousness； when it warns us of a calamity that is about to fall upon us； knowing all the future as it does； necessarily knows that the calamity is already accomplished。 As our conscious and unconscious lives blend in it； it distresses itself and flutters around our overconfident ignorance。 It tries to inform us； through nervousness； through pity； so as to mitigate the lightning cruelty of the blow。 It speaks all the words that can prepare us for its coming； define it and identify it； but it is unable to say those which would prevent it from coming； seeing that it has come； that it is already present and perhaps past； manifest； ineffaceable； on another plane than that on which we live； the only plane which we are capable of perceiving。 It finds itself； in a word； in the position of the man who； in the midst of peaceful； happy and unsuspecting folk； alone knows some bad news。 He is neither able nor willing to announce it nor yet to hide it completely。 He hesitates； delays； makes more or less transparent allusions； but does not either say the last word that would； so to speak； let loose the catastrophe in the hearts of the people around him； for to those who do not know of it the catastrophe is still as though it were not there。 Our subconsciousness； in that case； would act towards the future as we act towards the past； the two conditions being identical； so much so that it often confuses them； as we can see more particularly in the celebrated Marmontel case； where it evidently blunders and reports as accomplished an incident that will not take place until several months later。 It is of course impossible for us； at the stage which we have reached； to understand this confusion or this coexistence of the past； the present and the future； but that is no reason for denying it； on the contrary； what man understands least is probably that which most nearly approaches the truth。
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Lastly； to complicate the question； it may be very justly objected that； though premonitions in general are useless and appear systematically to withhold the only indispensable and decisive words； there are； nevertheless； some that often seem to save those who obey them。 These； it is true； are rarer than the first； but still they include a certain number that are well authenticated。 It remains to be seen how far they imply a knowledge of the future。
Here； for instance； is a traveler who； arriving at night in a small unknown town and walking along the ill…lighted dock in the direction of an hotel of which he roughly knows the position； at a given moment tech an irresistible impulse to turn and go the other way。 He instantly obeys； though his reason protests and 〃berates him for a fool〃 in taking a roundabout way to his destination。 The next day he discovers that； if he had gone a few feet farther； he would certainly have slipped into the river； and； as he was but a feeble swimmer； he would just as certainly； being alone and unaided in the extreme darkness； have been drowned。＇1＇
＇1＇ Proceedings； vol。 xi。； p。 422。
But is this a prevision of an event？ No； for no event is to take place。 There is simply an abnormal perception of the proximity of some unknown water and consequently of an imminent danger； an unexplained but fairly frequent subliminal sensitiveness。 In a word； the problem of the future is not raised in this case； nor in any of the numerous cases that resemble it。
Here is another which evidently belongs to the same class； though at first sight it seems to postulate the preexistence of a fatal event and a vision of the future corresponding exactly with a vision of the past。 A traveler in South America is descending a river in a canoe； the party are just about to run close to a promontory when a sort of mysterious voice； which he has already heard at different momentous times of his life； imperiously orders him immediately to cross the river and gain the other shore as quickly as possible。 This appears so absurd that he is obliged to threaten the Indians with death to force them to take this course。 They have scarcely crossed more than half the river when the promontory falls at the very place where they meant to round it。＇1＇
＇1＇ Flournoy： Esprits et mediums； p。 316。
The perception of imminent danger is here； I admit； even more abnormal than in the previous example； but it comes under the same heading。 It is a phenomenon of subliminal hypersensitiveness observed more than once； a sort of premonition induced by subconscious perceptions； which has been christened by the barbarous name of 〃cryptaesthesia。〃 But the interval between the moment when the peril is signalled and that at which it is consumm