233. It is not always sufficient for an assembly to be serious to have communications of a high order ; there are people who never laugh, and whose hearts are none the more pure ; and it is the heart, above all, that attracts good spirits. No moral condition ex cludes spirit communications ; but if persons are in bad conditions, they talk with their like, who think it no harm to deceive us, and often embrace our preju dices.
By this may be seen the enormous influence of the sphere on the nature of intelligent manifestations ; but this influence is not exercised, as some have supposed, when the world of spirits was not as well known as it is now, and before convincing proofs had cleared away all our doubts. When communications agree with the opinion of the assistants, it is not because the opinion is reflected in the spirit of the medium, as in a mirror ; it is because you have with you spirits who are in sympathy with you, for good as for evil, and who have your conceits ; and what proves this is, that if you have the strength to attract to you other spirits than those who surround you, the same medium will hold an entirely different language, and tell you things far removed from your thoughts and your convictions.
To recapitulate : the conditions of the sphere will be so much better as there may be more of homogeneity, for g;ood, more pure and elevated sentiments, more sincere desire to be instructed, without after thought.
