Both trance and catalepsy occur spontaneously; both may also be induced artificially by hypnotism. Both are mistaken for death, and in many respects they are very similar. In catalepsy the body is rigid, whereas in trance this is very rarely the case this forming the chief mark of distinction (external indication) between the two states. What the internal differences are we do not know. Various attempts, however, have been made to define them. Dr. Franz Hartmann, e.g., thus distinguishes them: “There seems hardly any limit to the time during which a person may remain in a trance but catalepsy is due to some obstruction in the organic mechanism of the body on account of its exhausted nervous power. In the last case the activity of life begins again as soon as the impediment is removed or the nervous energy has recuperated its strength.
When a hypnotist places bis subject under hypnotic control, the subject remains en rapport with the operator. The influence comes from a living person. In the medium-trance it seems probable that the operator is not a living but a deceased person, and that it is a kind of telepathic influence from spirits which induces this state. In fact, it is brought about by influence from the “other side.”

Spiritual healing is effected in various ways, as the following definitions, adopted by the National Spiritualists’ Association, will show:
” (a) By the spiritual influences working through the body of the medium and thus infusing curative, stimulating and vitalizing fluids and energy into the diseased parts of the patient’s body.
“(b) By the spiritual influences illuminating the brain of the healing medium, and thereby intensifying the perception of the medium so that the case, nature and seat of the disease in the patient become known to the medium ; and the herb or other remedy which will benefit the patient also becomes known to the medium.
” (c) Through the application of absent treatments, whereby spiritual beings combine their own healing forces with the magnetism and vitalizing energy of the medium, and convey them to the patient who is distant from the medium, and cause them to be absorbed by the system ot the patient.”
It will be seen that these definitions not only cover the facts of spiritual healing, but also absent treatment and psychic diagnosis.
Advice is given on numerous occasions by the “spirits,” as to the exact course of treatment to be followed. From all this it will be seen that spiritual healing is not only very different from any other kind of healing: but that it is also far more inclusive and more wonderful.