239. Fascination is a much more serious evil. It is an illusion which is produced by the direct action of a spirit on the medium's thought, and which paralyses his judgement with regard to the communication he receives. The fascinated medium cannot believe himself to be deceived. The obsessing spirit artfully inspires him with a blind confidence, which prevents him from seeing the absurdity of what he writes, even when this is clear to everyone else; a delusion which may go so far as to make him regard with admiration the most ridiculous nonsense. It would be a serious error to suppose that this species of obsession is confined to mediums who are merely ignorant and wanting in judgement; intellectual and learned men, who are highly intelligent in other respects, are not exempt from it, which proves that this aberration is the effect of some exterior action to which they are exposed.

We have said that fascination is much more serious than simple obsession, because, through the illusion caused by it, the obsessing spirit leads his victim as though he were blind, making him accept the most ridiculous statements and theories as truth, and, in some cases, exciting him to actions of the most insensate, compromising, and even dangerous character.

The difference between simple obsession and fascination is easily understood, as is also the different quality of the spirits by whom they are produced. In obsession, the spirit who attaches himself to us is only importunate and annoying from his tenacity; he is a being we are impatient to be rid of. In fascination, it is quite otherwise, for, in order to compass his ends, the evil spirit must be adroit, cunning, and hypocritical, imposing upon his victim, and getting himself accepted, with the aid of a false semblance of virtue, and a lavish employment of words and phrases, such as " charity," " humility," " the love of God," &c, which men are apt to regard as credentials, though the tenor of his communications show a degree of inferiority which only the fascination he exercises over his medium can prevent the latter from perceiving. A spirit of this class, therefore, dreads the presence of clear-sighted judges who would see through his deceptions, and directs his efforts especially to inspiring his victim with the determination to avoid everyone who could undeceive him. By so doing, he avoids contradiction, and is always able to prove himself, in the eyes of his unfortunate medium, to be in the right.