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cessarily see the future as a whole； as a total past or present； motionless and immovable； but they know infinitely better than we do the numberless causes that determine any agent； so that； finding themselves at the luminous source of those causes； they have no difficulty in foreseeing their effects。 They are； with respect to the incidents still in process of formation； in the position of an astronomer who foretells； within a second； all the phases of an eclipse in which a savage sees nothing but an unprecedented catastrophe which he attributes to the anger of his idols of straw or clay。 It is indeed possible that this acquaintance with a greater number of causes explains certain predictions； but there are plenty of others which presume a knowledge of so many causes； causes so remote and so profound； that this knowledge is hardly to be distinguished from a knowledge of the future pure and simple。 In any case； beyond certain limits； the preexistence of causes seems no clearer than that of effects。 Nevertheless； it must be admitted that the spiritualists gain a slight advantage here。
They believe that they gain another when they say or might say that it is still possible that the spirits stimulate us to realize the events which they foretell without themselves clearly perceiving them in the future。 After announcing； for instance； that on a certain day we shall go to a certain place and do a certain thing； they urge us irresistibly to proceed to the spot named and there to perform the act prophesied。 But this theory； like those of self…suggestion and telepathy； would explain only a few phenomena and would leave in obscurity all those cases； infinitely more numerous because they make up almost the whole of our future； in which either chance intervenes or some event in no way dependent upon our will or the spirit's； unless indeed we suppose that the latter possesses an omniscience and an omnipotence which take us back to the original mysteries of the problem。
Besides； in the gloomy regions of precognition； it is almost always a matter of anticipating a misfortune and very rarely； if ever； of meeting with a pleasure or a joy。 We should therefore have to admit that the spirits which drag me to the fatal place and compel me to do the act that will have tragic consequences are deliberately hostile to me and find diversion only in the spectacle of my suffering。 What could those spirits be； from what evil world would they arise and how should we explain why our brothers and friends of yesterday； after passing through the august and peace…bestowing gates of death； suddenly become transformed into crafty and malevolent demons？ Can the great spiritual kingdom； in which all passions born of the flesh should be stilled； be but a dismal abode of hatred； spite and envy？ It will perhaps be said that they lead us into misfortune in order to purify us； but this brings us to religious theories which it is not our intention to examine。
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The only attempt at an explanation that can hold its own with spiritualism has recourse once again to the mysterious powers of our subconsciousness。 We must needs to recognize that； if the future exists to…day； already such as it will be when it becomes for us the present and the past； the intervention of discarnate minds or of any other spiritual entity adrift from another sphere is of little avail。 We can picture an infinite spirit indifferently contemplating the past and future in their coexistence； we can imagine a whole hierarchy of intermediate intelligences taking a more or less extensive part in the contemplation and transmitting it to our subconsciousness。 But all this is practically nothing more than inconsistent speculation and ingenious dreaming in the dark； in any case； it is adventitious； secondary and provisional。 Let us keep to the facts as we see them： an unknown faculty； buried deep in our being and generally inactive； perceives； on rare occasions； events that have not yet taken place。 We possess but one certainty on this subject； namely； that the phenomenon actually occurs within ourselves； it is therefore within ourselves that we must first study it； without burdening ourselves with suppositions which remove it from its centre and simply shift the mystery。 The incomprehensible mystery is the preexistence of the future； once we admit thisand it seems very difficult to denythere is no reason to attribute to imaginary intermediaries rather than to ourselves the faculty of descrying certain fragments of that future。 We see； in regard to most of the mediumistic manifestations； that we possess within ourselves all the unusual forces with which the spiritualists endow discarnate spirits； and why should it be otherwise as concerns the powers of divination？ The explanation taken from the subconsciousness is the most direct； the simplest； the nearest； whereas the other is endlessly circuitous； complicated and distant。 Until the spirits testify to their existence in an unanswerable fashion； there is no advantage in seeking in the grave for the solution of a riddle that appears indeed to lie at the roots of our own life。
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It is true that this explanation does not explain much； but the others are just as ineffectual and are open to the same objections。 These objections are many and various； and it is easier to raise them than to reply to them。 For instance； we can ask ourselves why the subconsciousness or the spirits； seeing that they read the future and are able to announce an impending calamity； hardly ever give us the one useful and definite indication that would allow us to avoid it。 What can be the childish or mysterious reason of this strange reticence？ In many cases it is almost criminal； for instance； in a case related by Professor Hyslop＇1＇ we see the foreboding of the greatest misfortune that can befall a mother germinating； growing； sending out shoots； developing； like some gluttonous and deadly plant； to stop short on the verge of the last warning； the one detail； insignificant in itself but indispensable； which would have saved the child。 It is the case of a woman who begins by experiencing a vague but powerful impression that a grievous 〃burden〃 was going to fall upon her family。 Next month； this premonitory feeling repeats itself very frequently； becomes more intense and ends by concentrating itself upon the poor woman's little daughter。 Each time that she is planning something for the child's future； she hears a voice saying：
〃She'll never need it。〃
＇1＇ Proceedings； vol。 xiv。； p。 266。
A week before the catastrophe； a violent smell of fire fills the house。 From that time； the mother begins to be careful about matches； seeing that they are in safe places and out of reach。 She looks all over the house for them and feels a strong impulse to burn all matches of the kind easily lighted。 About an hour before the fatal disaster； she reaches for a box to destroy it； but she says to herself that her eldest boy is gone out； thinks that she may need the matches to light the gas…stove and decides to destroy them as soon as he comes back。 She takes the child up to its crib for its morning sleep and； as she is putting it into the cradle； she hears the usual mysterious voice whisp