151. It often happens that, when we are asleep, we hear words, names,
sometimes entire phrases, pronounced with sufficient force and distinctness to waken
'15 with a start. Although, in some cases, this may be a spirit-manifestation, it is often
attributable to the cause of which we treated in our remarks on hallucination (Chap. VI.
III, et seq.) What is thus heard has usually no coherence, thus differing widely from
spirit-utterances, heard when we are awake ; for in such cases, we Can usually exchange thoughts with the speaker and enter into regular
conversation with him.
There are two very distinct ways in which spirit-sounds are perceived; they are
sometimes heard by a sort of interior hearing, in which case, although the words heard
are clear and distinct, they are not of a physical nature; at other times, these voices are
perceived as something exterior to ourselves, and appear to be as distinctly articulated
as though spoken by a person at our side.
However produced, the phenomenon of pneumatophony is almost always
spontaneous, and can rarely be obtained by evocation.
