investigators of the S. P. R., like those discussed by M.
Bozzano, are all told at first hand and that those stories of
which the narrators were not the protagonists or the direct
witnesses have been ruthlessly rejected. Furthermore, some of
these narratives are necessarily of the nature of medical
observations; as for the others, if we attentively examine the
character of those who have related them and the circumstances
which corroborate them, we shall agree that it is more just and
more reasonable to believe in them than to look upon every man
who has an extraordinary experience as being a priori a liar, the
victim of an hallucination, or a wag.

2

There could be no question of giving here even a brief analysis
of the most striking cases. It would require a hundred pages and
would alter the whole nature of this essay, which, to keep within
its proper dimensions, most take it for granted that most of the
materials which it examines are familiar. I therefore refer the
reader who may wish to form an opinion for himself to the
easily-accessible sources which I have mentioned above. It will
suffice, to give an accurate idea of the gravity of the problem
to any one who has not time or opportunity to consult the
original documents if I sum up in a few words some of these
pioneer adventures, selected among those which seem least open to
dispute; for it goes without saying that all have not the same
value, otherwise the question would be settled. There are some
which, while exceedingly striking at first sight and offering
every guarantee that could be desired to authenticity,
nevertheless do not imply a real knowledge of the future and can