Chapter XXIX
REUNIONS AND SPIRITIST SOCIETIES
Of Reunions in General. — Of Societies Proper. — Sub
jects of Study. — Rivalry between Societies.
Of Reunions in General.
324. Great advantages may be derived from spirit
ist reunions, through reciprocal interchange of thought,
questions and remarks that each one may make, and
from which- all may profit ; but in order to draw from
them all desirable fruit, they require special condi
tions, which we will examine, for it is wrong to liken
them to ordinary societies. Reunions being collective
wholes, consequently the preceding instructions natu
rally concern them ; they should take the same pre
cautions and guard against the same dangers as indi
viduals : therefore we have placed this chapter last.
Spiritist reunions have very different characters,
according to the end therein proposed, and'their qual
ity must, for the same cause, also differ. According
to their nature, they may be frivolous, experimental, or
instructive.
325. Frivolous reunions are composed of persons
who see only the jesting side of the manifestations,
who are amused with the humor of the trifling spirits,
who are very fond of these assemblies, where they
have full liberty to say what they please, and are not
considered at fault. In these reunions nonsense of all kinds is asked ; here is where they expect fortunetelling
of the spirits, where they put their perspicacity
to the proof to guess ages, what they have in .their
pockets, to detect little secrets, and a hundred other
things of like importance.
These reunions are of little consequence ; but as
the trifling spirits are often very intelligent, and are
usually in an easy and jovial mood, they often produce
in them very curious things, from which an observer
may draw profit ; he who has seen only that, and
should judge the world of spirits from that sample,
would have as false an idea of it as one who should
judge the whole society of a great city by the inhabit
ants of a certain part of it. Simple good sense tells
us that elevated spirits cannot enter such reunions,
where the spectators are no more serious than the
actors. If persons desire to engage in futile things,
they must frankly call trifling spirits, as they would
call jesters, to amuse a society ; but there would be
profanation in inviting thither venerated names, — to
mingle the sacred with the profane.
326. Experimental reunions have more especially
for their object the production of physical manifesta
tions. For many persons this is a more amusing
than instructive spectacle ; skeptics come from them
more astonished than convinced, when they have seen
nothing else, and their whole thoughts are turned
toward seeking out frauds, for, not understanding any
of it, they willingly suspect subterfuges. It is other
wise with those who have studied ; they already un
derstand the possibility, and positive facts afterward
achieve or finish their conviction ; if there should be
fraud, they would be safe to discover it.
Yet there is a use in these experiments that no one should despise, for they were the means of discovering
the laws that rule in the invisible world ; and for many
they.are certainly a powerful means of conviction ; but
we maintain that they alone could no more initiate the
science of Spiritism, than an ingenious piece of mech
anism could make us understand mechanics, were we
unacquainted with its laws ; if they were always con
ducted with method and prudence, better results would
be obtained. We shall return to this subject.
327. Instructive reunions have quite another char
acter, and as these are where true instruction can be
received, we shall insist strongly on the conditions
they ought to fill.
The first of all is, to be- serious in the full accep
tation of the word. We should remember that the
spirits addressed are of a very special nature ; that the
sublime cannot be allied to the trivial, nor the good to
the bad ; if we desire to obtain good things, we must
address good spirits ; but to ask good spirits is not
sufficient ; express conditions are necessary, to be in
propitious conditions, so that they may want to come ;
but superior spirits will no more come into the assem
blies of trifling and superficial persons than they would
have come there during their lives.
A society is truly serious only on condition of being
engaged in useful things, to the exclusion of all others ;
if it aspire to obtain extraordinary things, for curiosity
or pastime, the spirits who produce them will come,
but the others will withdraw. In a word, whatever
may be the character of a reunion, it will always find
spirits ready to second its tendencies. A serious re
union turns aside from its end, if it leaves instruction
for amusement. Physical manifestations, as we have .
said, have their use ; let those who wish to see them go to experimental reunions : let those who desire to
understand go to reunions for study; thus both will
be able to complete their spirit teachings, as, in the
study of medicine, some take the course, others clinics.
328. Spirit instruction comprises not only the moral
teachings given by the spirits, but, still more, the study
of facts ; here belong the theory of all the phenomena,
the inquiry into causes, and consequently, the verifica
tion of what is possible and what is not ; in a word,
the observation of all that can advance science. But
it would be a mistake to suppose that the facts are
limited to the extraordinary phenomena; that those
which strike the senses most forcibly are alone worthy
of attention ; at every step in the intelligent commu
nications, which men united for study must not neglect,
are met these facts, impossible to enumerate, springing
from a host of unforeseen circumstances ; though less
salient, they are none the less of the highest interest
for the observer, who finds therein either the confir
mation of a known principle, or the revelation of a
new one, which brings him still further into the mys
teries of the invisible world : there also is philosophy.
329. Reunions for study are especially useful for
mediums, for intelligent manifestations, particularly
for those who desire to perfect themselves, and who
do not go to them with a foolish presumption of infalli
bility. One of the greatest dangers of mediumship is,
we have said, obsession and fascination ; they can
thoroughly delude the medium as to the merit of what
he obtains, and it may well be understood that the
deceiving spirits have full scope when their interpreter
is blinded ; for this reason, they remove their medium
from all criticism : if necessary, they produce in him
an aversion even to being enlightened ; by means of isolation and fascination, they can make him accept
anything they choose.
We cannot too often repeat it, here is not only the
stumbling-block, but the danger ; yes, we say it, a real
danger. The only means of escaping it is the censorship
of disinterested and kind-hearted persons, who, judg
ing the communications with coolness and impartiality,
may open his eyes, and make him see what he cannot
see of himself. Every medium who fears this judgment
is already on the road to obsession ; he who believes
the light is made only for him, is completely under the
yoke ; if he takes remarks in ill part, repulses, is irri
tated by them, there can be no doubt of the bad nature
of the spirit who assists him. We have said, a medi
um may lack the knowledge necessary to understand
errors ; he may be deluded by big words and preten
tious language, be led astray by sophisms, and that in
all sincerity ; therefore, in default of his own light, he
should modestly have recourse to that of others, ac
cording to these two adages, that four eyes see better
than two, and that no one is a good judge for his own
cause. In this point of view, reunions are of very
great utility for a medium, if he is sufficiently sensible
to listen to advice ; because he may find in them per
sons more clairvoyant than himself, who can seize the
most delicate shades by which a spirit may betray his
inferiority.
Every medium who sincerely desires not to be the
plaything of a lie, should try to be developed in seri
ous reunions, and bring there what he obtains in pri
vate ; accept with gratitude —solicit even — critical
examination of the communications he receives ; if he
is the dupe of deceiving spirits, it is the surest means
of getting rid of them, and of proving to them that they cannot delude him. It is so much the worse for
a medium who is irritated by criticism, as his self-love
is not at all engaged, since what he says is not his
own, and he is no more responsible for it than if he
should read the verses of a bad poet.
We have insisted on this point, because, a stum
bling-block for mediums, it is also one for reunions, to
which it is of great importance not lightly to confide
in all the interpreters of the spirits. The assistance
of any obsessed or fascinated medium would be more
injurious than useful ; it should not be accepted. We
think we have so fully entered into their development,
that it will be impossible to mistake the characteris
tics of obsession, if the medium cannot recognize it
himself; one of the most salient points is the supposi
tion that he alone of all the world is right. Obsessed
mediums, who will not be convinced, are like those
sick persons who are deluded as to the state of their
health, and are lost for want ofsubmitting to salutary
regimen.
330. A serious reunion should propose to itself,
especially, to drive away lying spirits ; it would be
an error to suppose its aim and the quality of its
mediums a safeguard from them ; nothing will save it
unless it be itself in favorable conditions.
In order perfectly to comprehend what happens
under these circumstances, we beg the reader to turn
to what has been said, No. 331, on the Influence of the
Surroundings. Each individual is surrounded by a
certain number of invisible acolytes, who are identified
with his character, his tastes, and his inclinations :
thus, each person who enters a reunion brings with
him spirits who are in sympathy with him. Accord
ing to their number and nature, these acolytes may exercise a good or bad influence on the assembly, and
on its communications. A perfect reunion would be
that in which all the members, animated by an equal
love of good, would bring with them only good spirits ;
in default of this perfection, the better would be where
the good would preponderate over the evil. This is
too logical to need that we should insist upon it.
331. A reunion is a collective being, whose qualities
and properties are the result of those of its members,
and form, as it were, a bundle, and this bundle will have
as much more force as it may be more homogeneous.
If our readers have thoroughly understood what has
been said (No. 282, Question 5) on the manner in
which spirits are warned of our call, they easily com
prehend the power of the association of thought in
the assistants. If the spirit is, in some sort, struck by
the thought as we are by the voice, twenty persons,
being united in the same intention, will necessarily
have more force than one alone ; but that all these
things may tend toward the same end, they must vibrate
in unison ; let them be commingled, as it were, in a
one, which cannot be done without concentration of
thought.
Then, again, the spirit, entering a completely sym
pathetic circle, is more at his ease ; finding there only
friends, he comes more willingly, and is more disposed
to answer. Any person who has attentively watched
intelligent spirit manifestations, must have become
convinced of this truth.
If the thoughts are divergent, the result will be a
clashing of ideas disagreeable for the spirit and injuri
ous to the manifestations. It is the same with a man
addressing an assembly ; if he feel all the thoughts to
be sympathetic and kindly to him, the impression he receives will react on his own ideas, and give them
more fervor ; the .unanimity of the assembly exercises
on him a kind of magnetic action, which doubles his
means, while indifference or hostility troubles or para
lyzes him ; so actors are inspired by plaudits ; and
spirits, being much more impressionable than human
beings, are very much more sensitive to the influence
of the surroundings.
Every spiritist reunion should tend as much as pos
sible to homogeneity ; of course it is understood that
we speak of those that would achieve serious and truly
useful results ; if they desire simply to receive com
munications, without caring for the quality of those
who give them, it is evident that all these precautions
are not necessary ; but then they should not complain
of the quality of the product.
332. Concentration and communion of thought be
ing the essential conditions of every serious reunion,
it can be seen that too many assistants must be one
of the causes most directly adverse to homogeneity.
There is, certainly, no absolute limit to this number ;
and a hundred persons, sufficiently collected and atten
tive, will be better than ten inattentive and noisy ; but
it is also evident that the greater the number the more
difficult to comply with the conditions. It is, besides,
a fa>:t proved by experience, that the small private
circles are always more favorable for beautiful commu
nications, for reasons already mentioned.
333. There is still another not less necessary point :
the regularity of the reunions. In all there are always
spirits that may be called habitues : we do not mean
those spirits that may be found everywhere, and min
gling themselves in everything ; but those who are
either spirit protectors, or those who are most often interrogated. It must not be supposed that these
spirits have naught else to do but to listen to us ;
they have their occupations, and may, besides, be in
conditions unfavorable for invocation. When the re
unions take place on fixed days and hours, they man
age accordingly, and are rarely absent. There are
some who are extreme in punctuality ; they take
offense at a quarter of an hour's delay, and if they
themselves set the time of beginning, it is in vain to
call them even a few minutes sooner. Let us add that,
as well as the spirits prefer regularity, those who are
truly superior are not tenacious on this point. The
exaction of a rigorous punctuality is a sign of inferior
ity, like everything puerile. Beyond the devoted hours,
they can come, and do come, even willingly, if the end
is useful ; but nothing is more injurious to good com
munications than to call them at random, when the
fancy takes us, and especially without a serious mo
tive ; as they are not bound to submit to our caprices,
they might very well not trouble themselves ; then
others are sure to take their places.
Of Societies Proper.
334. All that we have said of reunions in general
applies to regularly-constituted societies, which, be
sides, have to contend with some special difficulties,
which are born of the very tie that unites the members.
Advice on their organization having been asked of
us" several times, we will here recapitulate it in a few
words.
Spiritism, but lately born, is still too diversely ap
preciated, too little understood in its essence, by a great
number of believers, to afford a powerful bond between
the members of what may be called an association.
This bond may exist between those who perceive its
moral end, understand it, and apply it to themselves.
Between those who see only facts more or less curious,
there can be no serious bond ; putting facts above
principles, a simple divergence in the manner of view
ing them may be a cause of division. It is not the
same with the first mentioned, for there cannot be two
ways of looking at moral questions : also, it must be
remarked, that wherever they meet a reciprocal confi
dence attracts them to each other ; the mutual benev
olence that reigns among them banishes the uneasi
ness and constraint born of sensitiveness, of the pride
that is offended at the least contradiction, of the ego
tism that takes everything to itself. A society where
such sentiments reign supreme, where all are united
for the purpose of being instructed by the teachings of
the spirits, and not in the hope of seeing things more
or less interesting, or to make one's own opinion pre
vail, — such a society, we say, would not only contain
the elements of life, but would be indissoluble. Again,
the difficulty of bringing together numerous homoge
neous elements for this purpose, moves us to say that,
in the interest of study, and for the good of the thing
even, spirit reunions should be multiplied in small
groups, rather than in large agglomerations. These
groups, corresponding, visiting, transmitting their ob
servations, may now form the nucleus of the great
spiritist family, that will, some day, bring together all
opinions, and unite all men in one sentiment of frater
nity, sealed by Christian charity.
335. We have seen the importance of uniformity of
sentiment for obtaining good results ; the greater the
number, the more difficult, necessarily, will it be to
obtain this uniformity. In small committees they know each other better, and are more sure of the ele
ments introduced ; silence and concentration are more
easy, and all are like one family. Large assemblies
exclude intimacy by the variety of the elements of
which* they are composed ; they require special loca
tions, pecuniary resources, and an administrative ma
chinery useless in small groups : diversity of character,
of ideas, of opinions, is better displayed, and offers to
the meddling spirits greater facility for sowing discord.
The more numerous, the more difficult to satisfy every
one ; each one wants the work directed according to
his liking, that the society should prefer those subjects
most interesting to him : some think that their mem
bership gives them the right to have everything their
own way ; thence disagreements, a sensation of unea
siness, which, sooner or later, leads to disunion, then
dissolution — the fate of all societies, whatever their
object. Small committees are not subject to the same
fluctuations ; the fall of a large society would be an
apparent check to the cause of Spiritism, and its ene
mies would not fail to take advantage of it ; the disso
lution of a small group would pass unnoticed ; and
then, if one is dispersed, twenty more would be formed
beside it : also, twenty groups, of from fifteen to twen
ty, will obtain more and do more for propagation than
an assembly of three or four hundred persons.
It will, doubtless, be said that the members of a
society who would act in such a manner would not be
real spiritists, since the first duty the doctrine imposes
is charity and benevolence. That is perfectly true ;
those who do this are spiritists in name rather than in
fact ; they do not assuredly belong to the third category
(see No. 28) ; but who can say they are not in some sense
spiritists ? This consideration is not without gravity.
336. Let us not forget that Spiritism has enemies
interested in opposing it, and who view its success
with anger : the most dangerous are not those who
attack it openly, but those who act in the dark —those
who caress with one hand and mangle with the other.
These malevolent beings creep in wherever they hope
to do harm ; as they know that union is strength, they
endeavor to destroy by throwing in brands of discord.
Who, then, can say that those who, in reunions, sow
trouble and dissension, are not agents of those who are
interested in disorder ? Certainly they are neither true
nor good spiritists ; they can never do good, but they
can do much harm. It may easily be seen that they
have infinitely greater facilities to insinuate themselves
into large reunions than into small committees, where
all know each other ; under cover of their secret plots,
they sow doubt, distrust, and disaffection ; under an
appearance of hypocritical interest, they criticise every
thing, form conventicles and coteries, which soon break
up the harmony of the whole : this is what they desire.
To appeal to sentiments of charity and fraternity with
such persons is like talking to persons willfully deaf,
for their aim is precisely to destroy those sentiments,
the greatest obstacles to their plots. This state of
things, grievous in all societies, is still more so in those
of spiritists, because, if they do not lead to a rupture,
they cause a preoccupation incompatible with concen
tration and attention.
337. It may be said, if the reunion is on the wrong
road, have not discreet and well-intentioned men the
right of criticism ? and should they let the evil go on
saying nothing, by their silence approving ? Without
doubt it is their right ; more, it is a duty ; but if their
intention be really good, they will offer their advice in a seemly and kindly manner, openly, and not in secret ;
if it is not followed, they withdraw ; for one cannot
imagine a well-intentioned person remaining in a so
ciety where things are done that do not suit him.
It may, then, be established as a principle, that who
ever, in a spiritist reunion, causes disorder or disunion,
openly or secretly, by any means whatever, is either
a designing agent, or, at least, a very bad spiritist, of
whom they cannot too soon rid themselves ; but the
obligations that bind the members are often obstacles
to this ; and for this reason it is best to avoid all indis
soluble engagements : good men are always sufficiently
bound, bad men always too much so.
338. Besides men notoriously malevolent who in
trude into reunions, there are those who, by their
character, bring trouble with them wherever they are ;
so that we cannot be too circumspect with regard to
the new elements introduced. The most troublesome,
in such cases, are not those ignorant of the matter, nor
even those who do not believe; conviction is acquired
only by experience, and there are persons who sin
cerely desire to be enlightened. Those of whom it is
necessary to beware are systematists, skeptics who
doubt everything, even the evidence ; the vain, who
think they alone have the true light, wish to impose
their opinion on every one, and look with disdain on
all who do not think like themselves. Do not allow
yourselves to be deceived by their pretended desire
for enlightenment ; more than one would be sorry to
be forced to acknowledge himself deceived ; beware,
especially, of those insipid talkers, who always want
the last word, and of those who are only pleased when
contradicting ; both waste the time for others, while not profiting by it themselves : spirits do not like use
less words.
339. In view of the necessity of avoiding every cause
of trouble and distraction, a spiritist society about to
organize should turn its attention especially to meas
ures that will deprive the fomentors of discord of the
means of doing injury, and give the greatest facility
for their removal ; small reunions need only a very
simple disciplinary rule for the order of the stances;
regulai ly constituted societies require a more complete
organization : the best will be where the wheels are the
least complicated.
340. Small and large societies, and all reunions,
whatever be their importance, have to contend with
another danger. The fomentors of discord are not
only within them, they are in the invisible world as
well. As there are spirit protectors for societies,
cities, and nations, so bad spirits attach themselves to
groups as to individuals ; they first attack the weakest,
the most accessible, of whom they endeavor to make
instruments, and gradually try to circumvent the
masses ; for their wicked joy increases according to
the number they can subjugate. So, whenever one
person of a group has fallen into a snare, say at once,
an enemy is in the camp, —a wolf in the sheepfold, —
and we must be on our guard, for it is most probable
he will multiply his attempts ; if he is not discouraged
by an energetic resistance, the obsession then becomes
like a contagious disease, which is manifested among
the mediums by pertuibation of mediumship, and among
others by hostility of sentiment, perversion of the moral
sense, and a breaking up of the harmony. As the
most powerful antidote to this poison is charity, it is
charity they will seek to stifle. No waiting until the evil has become incurable in order to bring a remedy
for it, no waiting even for the symptoms, but by every
means endeavor to prevent it ; for this there are two
efficacious means, that may be well employed : prayer
from the heart, and the attentive study of the least
signs that reveal the presence of deceiving spirits ; the
first attracts good spirits who zealously assist those
who second them by confidence in God ; the other
proves to the bad ones that they have to do with
persons clear-sighted and sensible enough not to allow
themselves to be deceived. If one of the members
yields to the influence of the obsession, every effort,
from the first symptoms, should tend to open his eyes,
lest the evil should increase, then to convince him that
he is deceived, and lead him to desire to second those
who wish to help him.
341. The influence of the surroundings is the conse
quence of the nature of spirits, and of their mode of
action on living beings ; of this influence each can, for
himself, deduce the conditions most favorable for a
society that aspires to conciliate the sympathy of
good spirits, and to obtain only good communications.
These conditions are entirely in the moral characters
of the assistants ; they may be recapitulated as to the
following points : —
Perfect community of views and sentiments.
Reciprocal kind feeling among all fhe members.
Abnegation of every sentiment adverse to true Chris
tian charity.
Sole desire for instruction, and to advance through
the teachings of good spirits, and to profit by their
advice. Whoever is convinced that the superior spirits
manifest themselves with the view of making us pro
gress, and not for our pleasure, will understand why they should withdraw from those who are limited to
admiration of their style, without extracting the fruit
of their teachings, and who prize the seances only for
the greater or less interest they offer to their own in
dividual tastes.
Exclusion of everything that, in communications
asked of the spirits, has only curiosity for its end.
Concentration and respectful silence during the in
terviews with the spirits.
Associations of all the assistants by thought, in the
appeal made to the spirits invoked.
Concurrence of the mediums in the assembly, with
abnegation of every sentiment of pride,- self-love, and
supremacy, in the one desire to be useful.
Are these conditions so difficult to fulfill that it can
not be done ? We think not ; on the contrary, we hope
that truly serious reunions, as there are many already
in different localities, will be multiplied, and we do not
hesitate to say that it is to them that Spiritism will
owe its most powerful propagation ; in bringing unto
it honest and conscientious men, they will silence
criticism ; and the purer their intentions, the more re
spected they will be, even by their adversaries ; when
ridicule attacks the good, it no longer amuses, it becomes
despicable. Among reunions of this kind a true bond
of sympathy, a mutual solidarity, will be established by
the force of events, and will contribute to the general
progress.
342. It would be an error to think that this fraternal
concert is unnecessary in reunions for physical mani
festations more especially, and that they exclude all
serious thought ; if they do not require so rigorous
conditions, it is not with impunity that they are under
taken with levity, and . a person would be deceived should he suppose that the concurrence of the assist
ants is absolutely null ; we have the proof of this in
the fact that often manifestations of this kind, even
called out by powerful mediums, can produce nothing
in some places. There is some reason for it, and it
can only be in the divergency or hostility of sentiment
which paralyzes the efforts of the spirits.
Physical manifestations, as we have said, are of great
utility ; they open a vast field to the observer, for it is
an entire order of unusual phenomena unfolded to his
view, whose consequences are incalculable. Thus, an
assembly may be occupied with very serious views,
but may not attain its end, whether of study or means
of conviction, if it is not placed in favorable conditions :
the first of all is, not faith in the assistants, but their
desire to be enlightened, without subterfuge, or deter
mination to reject the evidence ; the second is the re
striction of their number, to avoid the bringing together
of heterogeneous elements. If physical manifestations
are, in general, produced by the less advanced spirits,
they have none the less a providential end, and good
spirits always favor them when they can have a useful
result.
Subject for Study.
343. When a person has invoked his relations and
friends, some celebrated personages, to compare their
opinions as spirits with those they had during their
lives, he is often embarrassed to sustain a conversation
without falling into trivialities. Many persons think
that the Book on Spirits has exhausted the series o
questions on morals and philosophy : this is an error ;
for this reason it may be useful to indicate the source
whence almost illimitable subjects for study may be
drawn.
344. If the invocation of illustrious men, of superior
spirits, is eminently useful for the instruction they give
us, that of ordinary spirits is not less so, though they
may be incapable of solving questions of high bearing :
by their inferiority they depict themselves, and the
smaller the distance that separates us, the greater
relation we find to our own situation, without reckon
ing that they often give us characteristic traits of the
highest interest, as we have explained above, No. 281,
in speaking of the utility of special invocations. Here
is an inexhaustible mine of observations, taking only
those whose lives 'present some peculiarity in regard
to their kind of death, age, good or bad qualities, their
happy or unhappy position in the world, their habits,'
mental state, &c.
With elevated spirits, the range of study is enlarged ;
besides the psychological questions, which are limited,
there may be proposed to them a great number of
moral problems, which extend to infinity on all the po
sitions of life, on the best conduct under certain given
circumstances, on our reciprocal duties, &c. The value
of the instruction we receive on any subject, moral,
historical, philosophical or scientific, depends entirely
on the state of the spirit interrogated ; it is for us to
judge.
345. In addition to invocations proper, spontaneous
dictations offer innumerable subjects of study. They
consist in waiting for whatever subject it may please
the spirits to treat. Several mediums, in such cases,
can work simultaneously. Sometimes an appeal may
be made to a designated spirit ; more ordinarily those
who choose to come are awaited, and often come in
the most unexpected manner. These dictations may
give rise to a crowd of questions whose theme is thus found already prepared. They should be scanned with
care, to study all the thoughts they contain, and to
judge if they bear the seal of truth. This examina
tion, made with severity, is, as we have said, the best
guarantee against the intrusion of deceiving spirits.
From this motive, as well as for the instruction of the
whole, knowledge of the communications obtained
outside of the reunion should be given. There, as
may be seen, lies an inexhaustible source of elements,
eminently serious and instructive.
346. The occupations of each stance may be regu
lated as follows : —
1. Reading of communications obtained in the last
seance, correctly drawn up.
2. Varieties. — Correspondence. — Reading of com
munications obtained outside of the seances. —Rela
tion of interesting facts of Spiritism.
3. Works of Study. — Spontaneous dictations. —
Various moral questions and problems proposed to the
spirits. — Invocations.
4. Conference. — Critical and analytical examination
of the various communications. — Discussion on the
various points of spirit science.
347. Circles are often stopped in their very birth
from want of mediums. Mediums are, assuredly, one
of the essential elements of spirit reunions ; but they
are not an indispensable element, and one would be
wrong in supposing that, lacking them, there is nothing
to do. Doubtless those who come together simply for
experimentation, can no more do without mediums
than musicians in a concert can do without instru
ments ; but those who have serious study in view
have a thousand subjects to occupy them, all as useful
and profitable as if they could operate them for themselves. Besides, the reunions that have mediums, might
be accidentally deprived of them, and it would be a pity
should they, for that reason, feel that nothing is left
for them but to retire. The spirits themselves may,
occasionally, place them in such a condition in order
to teach them to do without. We will say, further,
that it is necessary, in order to profit by the teach
ings, to consecrate a certain time to their meditation.
Scientific societies have not always instruments of
observation at hand, and yet they are never at a loss
for subjects of discussion ; in the absence of poets
and orators, literary societies read and comment on
ancient and modern authors ; religious societies medi
tate on the Scriptures ; spiritist societies should do
the same, and they would draw great profit for their
advancement by establishing conferences in which
they may read and comment upon all that may relate
to Spiritism, either for or against. From this discus
sion, where each could bring the tribute of his reflec
tions, might spring rays of light that might have
passed unperceived in an individual reading ; special
works, journals swarming with facts, recitals, events,
traits of virtue or vice, raising grave moral problems
which Spiritism alone can solve —a proof that it is
suited to every branch of social order.
We would warrant that a spiritist society that
would organize its work in this way, procuring the
necessary materials, would scarcely find time to give
to the direct communications of spirits ; for this rea
son, we call the attention to this point of truly serious
circles, those who have self-instruction more at heart
than 'pastime. (See No. 207, chapter on the Formation
of Mediums)
Rivalry between Societies.
348. Reunions exclusively engaged in intelligent
communications, and those devoted to the study of
physical manifestations, have each their mission ;
neither could have the true feeling of Spiritism if
viewing each other with unfavorable ayes, and casting
a stone by either would be proof of its being governed
by evil influences ; all should agree, though by different
ways, in the common end — the research and propa
gation of truth ; their antagonism, an effect of over
excited pride, by furnishing arms to detractors, could
not fail to injure the cause they pretend to defend.
349. These last reflections apply equally to all circles
that might differ on small points of doctrine. As we
have said in the chapter on Contradictions, these diver
gencies, being mostly only on the accessories, often
only on simple words, it would be very trifling to
separate for not thinking exactly the same. It would
be worse if the different circles in the same city
should be jealous of each other. Jealousy between
persons who may be prejudicial to each other materially,
is easily understood ; but when there is no speculation,
jealousy is only a silly rivalry from self-love. As it is
certain there is no society that can contain within
itself every believer, those who are animated with a
true desire to propagate the truth, whose end is solely
moral, should be pleased to see reunions multiply ; and
if there should be rivalry among them, it should be to
see which would do the most good. Those who pre
tend to have the truth, to the exclusion of the others,
should prove it by taking for their device, Love and
Charity ; for such is the device of every true spiritist.
Do they wish to prove the superiority of the spirits who assist them ? Let them prove it by the superi
ority of the teachings they receive, and by the applica
tion they make of them to themselves : this is an
infallible criterion by which to distinguish those who
are in the better way.
Certain spirits, more presumptuous than logical,
sometimes impose strange and impracticable systems
under the venerated names they borrow, Good sense
soon disposes of these ; but in the mean time, they may
sow doubt and uncertainty among believers, whence
arise temporary dissensions. In addition to the means
we have given to know them, there is another criterion
to measure their value ; it is the number of partisans
they recruit. Reason tells us that the system which
finds the loudest echo in the masses must be nearer
truth than that which is repulsed by the majority ; so,
hold for certain that, when spirits forbid discussion on
their teachings, it is because they are aware of their
weakness.
350. If Spiritism, as has been announced, is to lead to
the transformation of humanity, it can be only through
the amelioration of the masses, which can only come
gradually, and one after another, by the amelioration
of individuals. What does it matter to believe in the
existence of spirits, if the belief makes us no better,
no more benevolent, and no more indulgent to our
kind, no more humble, no more patient in adversity ?
Of what use is it for the miser to be a spiritist, if he
still continues a miser ? for the, proud, if he is always
full of himself? for the envious, if he is always jealous ?
All men may believe in the manifestations, and yet
humanity remain stationary ; but these are not the
designs of God. All spiritist societies should tend
toward the providential end, collecting around them all who partake of the same sentiments ; then there
will be union, sympathy, fraternity, and not a vain and
puerile antagonism of self-love, of words rather than
things ; then they would be strong and powerful, be
cause they would rest on a firm foundation, good for
all ; then they would be respected, and would impose
silence on foolish ridicule, because they would speak in
the name of evangelical morality, respected by all.
Such is the path into which we are bound to conduct
Spiritism. The flag we bear aloft is that of Christian
and humanitary Spiritism, around which we are happy
already to see so many men rally, in all parts of the
globe, because they understand that here is the
anchor of safety, the safeguard of public order, the
signal of a new era for humanity. We call upon all
spiritist societies to concur in this grand work ; that
from one end of the world to the other, they may
stretch out the fraternal hand, and enclose the evil in
an inextricable network.
