Cross-Correspondences

An Encyclopaedia of Occultism (1920)

Correspondences found in the script of two or more automatic writers acting without collusion, and under such conditions that the possibility of communication by normal means is removed. Since the beginning of the present century efforts have been made by members of the Society for Psychical Research to prove, by the production of script containing cross-correspondence, the existence of discarnate intelligences, and their ability to operate through the physical organism of a medium. The first instances were of a spontaneous character, and occurred in the trance utterances of Mrs. Thompson and those of another medium, Miss Rawson. Thereafter the idea was conceived of deliberately cultivating them, and several ladies-Mrs. Verrall, Mrs. Holland , and otherswho had been successful in producing automatic script, sent it to the Society for Psychical Research, where the writings were found to show more numerous correspondences than mere coincidence would warrant. It was arranged that experiments should be made under stricter test conditions. Frequently the script of Mrs. Verrall was of an allusive and enigmatical character, so that she herself was unable to interpret it until the key had been supplied by the writings of a second automatist. Sometimes three automatists succeeded in producing writings having a decided connection wth each other. Two obscure writings have been rendered intelligible by means of a third, perhaps in itself equally obscure. In at least one case correspondences occurred in the script of no less than six automatists, under somewhat curious circumstances. Mr. Piddington, a well known member of the Society for Psychical Research, had written a "test" letter, which he proposed should be opened after his death. The contents, which dealt emphatically with the number seven, he told to no one. On hearing, however, of the remarkable cross-correspondences-all dealing with the number sevenhe opened his letter, four years after it was written, and Crystalomancy supplied the clue. In 1906, Mrs. Piper was brought to this country so that the correspondences might be studied to better advantage. The experiments were successful to a surprising degree, and seemed to place beyond a doubt the operation in all the writings of an intelligence other than the automatist's. Mr. Podmore, however, would refer the phenomena of cross-correspondences, at least in part, to the operation of a complex form of telepathy-a possible, but in view of the facts, not very probable, explanation.