The limitations of the powers of spirits is a
subject which is brought home to one in these studies.
People say, "If they exist why don't they do this or
that!" The answer usually is that they can't. They
appear to have very fixed limitations like our own.
This seemed to be very clearly brought out in the
cross-correspondence experiments where several writing
mediums were operating at a distance quite
independently of each other, and the object was to get
agreement which was beyond the reach of coincidence.
The spirits seem to know exactly what they impress upon
the minds of the living, but they do not know how far
they carry their instruction out. Their touch with us
is intermittent. Thus, in the cross-correspondence
experiments we continually have them asking, "Did you
get that?" or "Was it all right?" Sometimes they have
partial cognisance of what is done, as where Myers
says: "I saw the circle, but was not sure about the
triangle." It is everywhere apparent that their
spirits, even the spirits of those who, like Myers and
Hodgson, were in specially close touch with psychic
subjects, and knew all that could be done, were in
difficulties when they desired to get cognisance of a
material thing, such as a written document. Only, I
should imagine, by partly materialising themselves
could they do so, and they may not have had the
power of self-materialization. This consideration
throws some light upon the famous case, so often used
by our opponents, where Myers failed to give some word
or phrase which had been left behind in a sealed box.