190. Special Mediums for Intellectual Effects. — Various Aptitudes.
Hearing Mediums. Those who hear spirits. Quite common. (No. 165.)
" There are many who imagine they hear, when it is only imagination."
Speaking Mediums. Those who speak under the in- fluence of spirits. Quite common. (No. 166.)
Seeing Mediums. Those who see spirits in a waking state.
The accidental or unforeseen sight of a spirit under particular circumstances is quite frequent; but the habitual or optional sight of spirits without distinction is exceptional. (No. 167.)
" It is an aptitude to which the actual state of the organs is opposed; this is why you must not always believe the word of those who say they see spirits."
Inspired Mediums. Those to whom thoughts are suggested by spirits, most often against their will, be it for the ordinary acts of life, or for great intellectual labors. (No. 182.)
Mediums for Presentiments. Persons who, under certain circumstances, have a vague intuition of ordinary future events. (No. 184.)
Prophetic Mediums. A variety of the inspired or pre- sentiment mediums; they receive, by God's permission, and with more precision than presentiment mediums, the revelation of future events of a general interest, and which they are charged to make known to men for their instruction.
" If there. are true prophets, still more are there of false ones, and of those who take the dreams of their imagination for revelations, when they are not impostors who pretend to be prophets, from ambition." (See Book on Spirits, No. 624, Characters of the true prophets.)
Somnambulistic Mediums. Those who, in a state of somnambulism, are assisted by. spirits. (No. 172.)
Ecstatic Mediums. Those who, in a state of ecstasy, receive revelations from spirits.
" Many ecstatics are the sport of their own imagina- tion, and of deceiving spirits, who profit by their exatation. Those who deserve perfect confidence are very rare."
Painting and Drawing Mediums. Those who paint or draw under the influence of spirits. We speak of those who obtain serious things, for this name cannot be given to certain mediums who are made to draw, by mocking spirits, things so grotesque that the merest scholar would disavow them. Frivolous spirits are imitators. At the time when the remarkable draw- ings of Jupiter appeared, there arose a great number
'of pretended drawing mediums, with whom the mock- ing spirits amused themselves by making them draw the most ridiculous things. One of them, among others, wishing to outdo the drawings of Jupiter, in dimensions, at least, if not in quality, made a medium draw a monument covering sheets enough to have reached two stories high. Many others drew so-called portraits which were veritable caricatures. (Revue Spirite, August, 1858.)
Medium Musicians. Those who execute, compose, or write music under the influence of spirits. There are mechanical, semi-mechanical, intuitive, and inspired medium musicians; the same as for literary communications. (See Mediums for Musical Effects)
