You are in:
The Spiritist Review - JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGICAL STUDIES - 1861 > February
February
Bulletin of the Parisian Society of Spiritist StudiesSummary of the minutes
Friday, December 21st, 1860
(Private session)
Admission of two new members.
SEVERAL COMMUNICATIONS:
1st – Multiple communications obtained outside the session were
read.
2nd – Mr. Allan Kardec reads a letter from Bordeaux with
a proposal to evoke Ms. H… who died a short time ago. The
Society accepted the proposal.
WORKS CARRIED OUT DURING THE SESSION:
1st – Spontaneous dissertation signed by Lazarus, obtained by
Ms. Costel; another signed by Gerard de Nerval, obtained by
Mr. A. Didier. The spirit develops the thesis based on the communication
about the Three Characters: Hamlet, Don Juan and Tartuffe, on December 14th. The spirit elaborates about
Hamlet’s character. He is requested to provide his opinion about
La Fontaine. Another dissertation signed by Torquato Tasso, received
by Ms. H… The spirit also gives his opinion about La
Fontaine.
2nd – Evocation of Lady Esther Stanhope, who spent most of
her life in the mountains of Lebanon, amidst Arabic peoples who
had named her The Queen of Palmyra.
Friday, December 28th, 1860
(General session)
MULTIPLE COMMUNICATIONS:
1st – Several communications obtained outside the Society were
read, among them a tale signed by Hoffmann, received by Mrs.
Costel, and the evocation of an African American person in New
Orleans, carried out by Mrs. B… This is remarkable by the ingenuity
of the ideas and the reproduction of the language typically
employed by that particular group.
2nd – Letter received from Mrs. T. D…, from Krakow attesting
the progress of Spiritism in Poland and Ukraine. This lady
has been a medium for seven years. She adds another four communications
clearly indicating the superiority of the spirit who
gave them and also requests to take part in the Society.
3rd – Mr. Allan Kardec addresses the spirits with the speech
below, thanking them for their contribution during the year that
is about to end:
“We don’t want to finish the year without giving our thanks
to the good spirits who have kindly enlightened us. We thank
particularly St. Louis, our spiritual leader, whose protection of
the Society he has taken under his support is so evident, and
hopefully, that he will kindly continue to do so, praying that he continues to inspire in all of us the sentiments which can make
us dignified. We equally thank those who came spontaneously to
give their advice and instructions in our sessions, as well as in the
private communications given to our mediums, later transmitted
to us. Among them, we cannot forget Lamennais who dictated
pages of great eloquence to Mr. Didier; Channing, Georges,
whose communications have been admired by all readers of The
Review; Mrs. Delphine de Girardin, Charles Nodier, Gérard de
Nerval, Lazarus, Tasso, Alfred de Musset, Rousseau and others.
The year 1860 was eminently prosperous to the spiritist ideas. We
hope that with the support of the good spirits the New Year that
is about to begin will not be different. As for the spirits in suffering
that came to us, spontaneously or evoked, we will continue to
pray for them, asking for God’s mercy and for His protection to
those who are in the path of repentance and clarification to those
still in the dark avenue of evilness.”
WORKS CARRIED OUT DURING THE SESSION:
1st – Spontaneous dissertation about the year 1860 signed by J. J.
Rousseau, through Mrs. Costel. Another signed by Necker, received
by Ms. H… and another one about 1861 signed by St.
Louis.
2nd – Evocation of Lady Stanhope, Hoffmann and the African
American from New Orleans.
3rd – Several questions raised: - About the memory of previous
existences in Jupiter and about the multiple apparitions to
Mr. Pr… mother-in-law, present at the meeting.
Friday, January 4th, 1861
(Private session)
Admission of Mr. W…, painter, as a member.
SEVERAL COMMUNICATIONS:
1st – Letter from Mr. Kond…, doctor in Medicine, from Vaucluse,
complaining that the minutes of the Society are not entirely published
in The Review. “The followers of Spiritism, he says, “that
cannot attend the sessions feel awkward with respect to the issues
that are studied and solved in such scientific assembly. Every
month we eagerly expect the arrival of The Review. When we
receive it we waste no time to read it all. We read and read again
and then we discover a number of problems that will always remain
without an answer.” He asks if there wouldn’t be a way of
solving such an issue. Mrs. Costel informs us that she has also
received letters with the same issue.
Mr. Allan Kardec says that this alone demonstrates something
that must give us great satisfaction: the value attributed to the
works of the Society and the credit given by the true spiritists.
The publication of the summary of the minutes show those who
don’t belong to the Society that it only deals with important things
and serious studies. The reputation that the Society has conquered
outside is due to its moderation and its cautious movement on this
new path, the order and seriousness that presides over our meetings,
as well as to the essentially moral and scientific character of
its works. It is then an encouragement to the Society to remain
within the guidelines that grant it consideration and respect, taking
the example of people that write asking to take part in the
Society, from abroad and even from Poland. Responding to Mr.
K… a very special complaint that has flattered all of us for starters,
for the complete publication of everything that is dealt with by the
Society would require multiple volumes. Among the evocations
that are carried out, there are many that don’t correspond to the expectation
or don’t offer enough interest to be published. These are
maintained in the archives so that they can be consulted and just
mentioned in the Bulletin. The same applies to the spontaneous communications: only the educating ones are published. Mr. K…
is mistaken if he thinks that the external spiritists are deprived
from the multiple questions and moral problems that sometimes
are of general interest. He is led to believe so by the fact that the
abundance of subjects and the need to consolidate them rarely allows
the publication of all issues in the number of The Reviews
mentioned in the Bulletin. Sooner or later they will have their
place. Besides, that material is one of the fundamental elements of
the books about Spiritism: they were used in The Spirits’ Book and
in The Mediums’ Book where they were classified according to the
subjects and none of the essential ones were omitted. Thus, Mr.
K… and the other spiritists may rest assured. If they cannot attend
the sessions of the Society remotely and would not like to miss a
single word that is said during the meetings they must understand
that nothing considered important is hidden behind the curtains.
Nonetheless, The Review will strive to correspond to the wishes
expressed by the worthy corresponding member.
2nd – Following the report given by a New York businessman
attending the session, Mr. Allan Kardec points out the progress
achieved by the spiritists principles contained in The Spirits’ Book
in the United States of America. Several fragments of the book
were translated into English and the doctrine of reincarnation
now counts many supporters there.
3rd – An elegant and charming communication in a medieval
style and received by Ms. S… was read. Another one about the
immateriality of the spirits, received by Mrs. Costel.
WORKS CARRIED OUT DURING THE SESSION:
1st – Critical analysis of the dissertation given by the spirit of
Necker in our last session. The spirit of Madam Staël manifests
spontaneously, explaining the meaning of the message and justifying
her father’s words.
2nd – Evocation of Leo X who had spontaneously manifested
in the session of December 14th. He responds to several questions
and explains the comparative analysis he did about the character
of the Americans, French and English; about the way each of
those peoples see Spiritism; about the unavoidable advances of
that doctrine, etc.
3rd – Spontaneous conversation between Monsignor Sibour
and his murderer.
4th – Questions addressed to St. Louis about the African
American evoked on December 28th, his character and his origin.
5th – Evocation of Ms. J.B. carried out by her mother who was
at the meeting. The communication of an essentially private interest
offers a touching image of the affection that certain spirits
devout to their loved ones on Earth.
Mr. Squire
Several newspapers, as usual, mocked this new medium who is a fellow
country man to Mr. Home, under whose influence multiple phenomena
of up to a certain degree of exceptional nature have also been
produced. A particular characteristic is that they only occur in absolute
darkness, a circumstance duly observed by the skeptical. As we all know
Mr. Home produced a variety of phenomena, among which the most
remarkable was that of the tangible apparitions. We described them in
detail in our February, March and April 1858 issues of this Review. Mr.
Squire produced only two, or even better, only one type with certain variations,
but not less worthy of our attention. Since darkness is an essential
condition to obtain the phenomenon it goes without saying that every
precaution is taken in order to ensure the authenticity of the events. Here
is what happens:
Mr. Squire positions himself across from a 35-40 kg table, similar
to a reinforced kitchen table. His legs are strongly tied up together, to
avoid their use. In such a condition his muscular strength is considerably
diminished in case he needed it. Another person, any person and even the
most skeptical, holds one of his hands, the other remains free. He then
uses that free hand to gently touch the edge of the tabletop. Next the
lights are turned off, immediately followed by a movement of the table
that lifts it off above his head, landing upside down behind his back onto
a couch or a set of previously positioned pillows to protect the table. Once the phenomenon is produced the lights are turned on immediately. It all
happens in a few seconds. The experiment may be repeated at will several
many times if one wishes in the same session.
A variant of the phenomenon: a person is placed side by side with Mr.
Squire; once the table has been lifted and turned as above, instead of falling
backwards, it lands horizontally on the other person’s head, and that
person only feels a slight pressure. As soon as the light is turned back on,
the table recovers its full weight and it would then fall unless two other
people are prepared nearby to sustain the weight, holding the table from
the sides.
That is substantially the report, in its simplest form, without emphasis
or reluctance, extracted from La Patrie from December 23rd, 1860 and
from a large number of witnesses, here confessing that we have not seen
the phenomenon directly. However, the honesty of the people who told
us the story gives no room for any doubt regarding its occurrence. We
have another perhaps even more powerful reason to admit it. It is the fact
that the theory demonstrates its possibility. Now, there is nothing better
to reinforce a conviction than the verification. Nothing provokes doubt
more than saying: I saw it but I did not understand it. Let us try then to
understand it. Let us start by raising some preliminary objections. The
first one that easily comes to mind is the fact that Mr. Squire may use
some very secretive means or, in other words, he is a skillful con artist;
or even that he is a charlatan, as crudely said by those who don’t bother
to be called rude. One word only is enough to respond to such a hypothesis:
Mr. Squire came to Paris as a visitor only and takes no advantage
of his strange faculty. Well then, since there is no uninterested charlatan
to us that is the most important guarantee of honesty. If Mr. Squire had
charged a fee per person, or if he were moved by any interest whatsoever,
than the suspicions of foul play would be perfectly legitimate.
We don’t have the honor of knowing him in person but we know
that he is a very respectable person, with a kind and benevolent character,
and we have learned that through other trustworthy individuals. He is a
renowned writer, working for several journals in the USA.
The critic rarely takes into account the person’s character and the
driving force behind their actions. That is a big mistake since such appreciation
is of the essence. There are cases in which the accusation of fraud
is not only offensive but illogical.
Having said that and leaving aside any presumption of fraud, one
needs to know if the phenomenon could be produced with muscular
force. Tests were carried out with the support of very strong men and everyone
agreed that it was absolutely impossible to lift that table with one
hand and even more so to make it spin in the air. We must add that the
physical structure of Mr. Squire is not exactly that of Hercules.
Since the use of physical force is impossible, given the circumstances,
and that a thorough exam prevents the use of any mechanical means of
support, it is then necessary to admit that there is a superhuman action
at play. Every effect has a cause; if the cause is not in humanity it is absolutely
necessary that it is outside; in other words, in the intervention of
invisible beings that surround us, knowingly the spirits.
The phenomenon produced by Mr. Squire is nothing new to spiritists,
with the exception of the way that it is produced; bottom line is that
it belongs to the category of all other phenomena of transport and dislocation
of objects, with or without contact, of suspension of heavy bodies in
the air. Its principle is in the elemental phenomena of the turning tables,
whose complete theory can be found in “The Mediums’ Book”.
Any person that may have given some thought to that theory can
easily find the explanation about the effects produced by Mr. Squire.
Undoubtedly the fact that a table may lift up, move on the floor, rise and
stay in the air without support, without any physical contact, is even more
extraordinary. If we can understand these phenomena then we can even
more so the phenomenon described above.
One may still ask where the proof of the intervention of the spirits is
in all that. If the effects were purely mechanical it is true that there would
not be any proof of intervention and in such case the acknowledgment of
an electric fluid or similar would be enough. However, since there is proof
of an intelligent phenomenon there must be an intelligent cause behind it. Well then, it was through the signs of intelligence of these effects that
it was possible to recognize that the phenomena were not purely material.
We speak of the spiritist phenomena as a whole since there are some whose
intelligent effect is almost null, as in Mr. Squire’s case. He could then be
supposed to have a natural electrical potential, like many other people
seem to have. However, as far as we know, light has never been an obstacle
to the action of electricity or the magnetic fluid. On the other hand, the
detailed analysis of the circumstances of the phenomenon rule out such
hypothesis, while there is an evident analogy with the other phenomena
that can only be produced by the intervention of occult intelligences. It
is then more rational to classify it among the latter ones. We still need to
know how the spirit is able to act upon matter.
When a table moves it is not the spirit that grabs it and raises it with
their hands, for the simple fact that although they do have a body like ours,
it is fluidic and cannot exert a muscular action properly speaking. The
spirit saturates the table with its own fluid, combined with the animalized
fluid of the medium. Thus, the table becomes momentarily animated by a
kind of fictitious life. The table then obeys the will of the spirit, like a living
creature would do. It expresses happiness, rage and several feelings of
the spirit through its movements, serving the spirit. It is not the table that
thinks, that becomes happy or angry; and it is not the spirit that incorporates
in the table because the spirit does not metamorphoses into a table.
The table is just a docile, obedient instrument serving the spirit’s will, like
a baton agitated by a person, and with which the person can make threats
or express other feelings. In this case, the muscles sustain the baton but
the table, since the muscles of the spirit cannot displace it, is then agitated
by their fluids that replace the muscular force. This is the fundamental
principle of all similar motions.
One question that seems more difficult at first sight is this: how could
a heavy body be moved from the ground and be maintained in the air,
contrary to the law of gravity? In order to understand this we need to remember
what happens daily before our eyes. It is a well-known fact that
there is a distinction between the mass and the weight of a solid body. The mass of a given body is always the same, depending on the sum of all molecules;
the weight varies depending on the density of the medium where it
is located. That is why a body weighs less in water than in air and even less
in mercury. Suppose a heavy table is placed on the floor of a room that is
suddenly flooded with water. The table will lift up on its own, or at least
a man or even a child would be able to lift it, almost effortlessly. Here is
another comparison: let us make a vacuum underneath a pneumatic bell,
where there will be no air left inside the chamber to balance the external
air; the bell would then become so heavy that even the strongest man cannot
move it. However, the mass of the table or the bell has not changed
by a single atom, but its relative weight has either increased or diminished
due to the density of the surrounding fluid (buoyancy).
Now, do we know every fluid of nature or even all properties of the
fluids that are known? It would be presumptuous to admit that. The examples
above serve as comparison, but we don’t say similarity. We just
want to show that the spiritist phenomena that appear strange to us are
not stranger than those mentioned above and can thus be explained, if not
by the same causes at least by analogous ones.
In fact, there we have a table that evidently loses its apparent weight
at a given moment and that, in different circumstances, becomes overloaded,
and such fact cannot be explained by the known laws. Since it is
repeated, it then demonstrates that it is submitted to a law that cannot be
considered inexistent just because it is unknown. What is that law? The
spirits tell us that. However, instead of their explanation we can deduce
from analogy, without the need of resourcing to miraculous or supernatural
causes. The universal fluid, as the spirits call it, is the vehicle and agent
of every spiritist manifestation. It is said that the spirits may modify its
properties, according to the circumstances; that this fluid is the element
that constitutes the perispirit or the semi-material wrapping of the spirit;
that it can become visible and even tangible. Is it then irrational to admit
that a spirit may at some point in time involve a solid body in a fluidic
atmosphere whose modified properties produce on that solid body the effect
of being in a denser or thinner surroundings? Under this assumption the motion of the heavy table by Mr. Squire is very naturally explained, as
every other similar phenomenon.
The need for darkness is more embarrassing. Why would such an effect
stop in the presence of the tiniest ray of light? Would the luminous
fluid have any mechanical influence here? It is not likely since similar
facts do perfectly occur in daylight. Such specificity can only be associated
to the special nature of the spirits that manifest through that medium.
Why this medium and not others? This is a mystery only penetrated by
those who identify themselves with the multiple types of sometimes bizarre
phenomena of the invisible world. They are the only ones who can
understand the sympathies between the dead and those alive.
What is the category of such spirits? Are they good or bad? We know
that we have offended egotistic earthlings by depreciating the value of
the spirits who produce physical manifestations; we have been harshly
criticized because we classify them as the acrobatics of the invisible world.
We apologize and say that this expression is not ours but from the spirits.
We ask for their forgiveness but we could never accept the idea that
superior spirits would come to us to have fun, and do stunts and other
things like that, in the same way that we cannot be convinced that
clowns, circus strongmen, tightrope walkers and jugglers are members of
the prestigious Institute (Academy of Sciences of Paris –LC). Those who are
aware of the hierarchy of the spirits know that there are spirits of all levels
of intelligence and morality, and that is not surprising since the spirits are
nothing more than the souls of those who lived here on Earth. Now then,
until proven otherwise allow us to doubt that spirits like Pascal, Bossuet
and others less elevated may come to serve us and make tables turn, to
amuse a group of curious people. We ask those who think otherwise if
they believe that they would play such a role after their deaths. Those that
operate with Mr. Squire have servility incompatible with the least intellectual
superiority, from which we can conclude that they must belong
to inferior orders, but this does not mean that they are bad. One can be
honest and good and still incapable of reading and writing.
The bad spirits are typically unruly, angry and like to do evil things.
Now, we are not aware of any bad behavior carried out by those spirits that
manifest through Mr. Squire. They obey peacefully, submissively; a fact
that excludes any suspicion of malevolence, but that does not make them
capable of giving us philosophical teachings. We are sure that Mr. Squire
has enough common sense to preclude himself from being offended by
our appreciation. The subordination showed by the spirits that assist him
led one of our comrades to say that those spirits knew him from a previous
existence, in which Mr. Squire might have had great authority upon
them, that being the main reason why they still show a passive obedience
now. Besides, one must not confuse the spirits properly given to physical
effects, commonly designated by the name “rapping spirits” with those
who communicate through knocks. This latter means of communication
is an actual language and may be employed by spirits of any order.
We have noted that we met a large number of people who witnessed
the experiences of Mr. Squire, but among those who were not initiated
in the Spiritist Science many have remained unconvinced, demonstrating
that the simple vision of the most extraordinary effects is not good
enough to lead them to conviction. They changed their opinion after
having heard our explanations. We certainly don’t present this theory as
the last word and definitive solution. However, since known laws cannot
explain the facts, one must agree that the system that we admit is not destitute
of likelihood. Let us admit it, if you like, as a hypothesis, and when
a better solution is presented we will be the first to accept it.
Lack of Mediums
Although it was only recently that it was published, The Mediums’
Book has already given rise to the formation of private spiritist groups
in several places, as we advised. They tell us, however, that they have to
stop given the lack of mediums. That is why we see it as our responsibility
to give them some advice on how to face that issue.
A medium, particularly a good medium, is incontestably one of the
essential elements of any meeting that deals with Spiritism; but it would
be a mistake to think that in their absence there wouldn’t be anything
else to do and that we should sit back and cross our arms or adjourn the
session. We don’t absolutely share the opinion of a person that compares
a spiritist session without mediums to a concert without musicians. We
believe that there is a much more appropriate comparison – it is that of the
Institute of all scientific societies that know how to use their time without
the need to have before their eyes the elements of experimentation.
One goes to a concert to hear music. It is then evident that if the musicians
are not there than the objective will have failed. However, we go to
a spiritist meeting – or at least we should – to learn, to get instructed. The
question now is if we can do that without the medium. For someone who
attends such gatherings with the sole objective of seeing effects, the medium
would be as indispensable as the musicians in the concert; however,
those who seek enlightenment, who want to gain in-depth understanding
of the several parts of the science, those will have more than one way of achieving that even in the absence of an instrument of experimentation.
That is what we will try to explain.
For starters we say that if mediums are common, good mediums in
the true meaning of the word are rare. Experience constantly demonstrates
that it is not enough to have the mediumistic faculty in order to
receive good communications. It is then better to lack an instrument than
to have a defective one.
It is certain that those who seek more the fact than the quality in the
communication; that take part more for distraction than clarification, the
choice of a medium is indifferent, and the one who produces the greater
amount of effects will then be the most interesting one. But we speak
of those who have a more serious objective and see farther; it is to them
that we are addressing, since we are sure to be understood. On the other
hand the best mediums are subjected to more or less lengthy intermittences,
during which there is partial or total suspension of the mediumistic
faculty, not to mention the high number of accidental causes that
may momentarily deprive them from their participation. Let us still add
to the fact that the perfectly flexible mediums, those malleable to all sorts
of manifestations, are even rarer. They usually have special skills from
which they should not be diverted from. You see then, if we don’t have
enough spare supply of mediums, we can suddenly be unprepared when
least expected, and it would be unfortunate to have our work interrupted
on such occasions.
The fundamental teaching that is sought in serious gatherings is, no
doubt, the one given by the spirits. However, what would be the benefit
taken by a pupil from if a more skillful teacher was by his side and he did
not have to work himself? If he did not give any thought to the lessons?
What would be the advancement of his intelligence if the teacher were
permanently by his side, spoon-feeding him each task and sparing him
from the effort of thinking?
The spirits play two roles in the spiritist meetings: some are the
teachers who develop the principles of the science, clarifying all doubtful
points, particularly teaching the laws of true morality; others operate as material of observation and study, and serving as examples of application.
Once the lesson has been given, their task ends and ours begins, that is,
to work on what we were taught, so that we can better understand its
meaning and scope. This is to allow us time to do our duties (if we may
make this classical comparison) that spirits sometimes suspend their communications.
They get tired of endlessly and uselessly repeating the same
thing. They warn us, if we do not listen they will leave so that we take
time for reflection.
In the absence of mediums, a meeting whose objective goes beyond
the sight of a moving pencil has a thousand and one means of employing
the time in a useful way. We scantily indicate a few below:
1st – Re-read and comment previous communications whose careful
study will better express its true value. If anyone said that this
can be tedious and boring we would say that we are never tired
of listening to good music or poetry; that after having heard an
eloquent sermon we would like to read it again with a fresh mind;
that certain books are read twenty times because every time we
discover something new. Someone that is only impressed by words
gets bored when the same thing is only repeated twice, even if it
is something sublime; such person always feels the need for something
new to attract their attention, or better saying, in order to
distract them. The person that gives thought to the subject has an
additional sense: such a person is more in touch by the ideas than
the words. That is why they like to hear numerous times something
that speaks to their soul, not stopping at their ears.
2nd – Recount knowledgeable facts, discuss them, analyze
them, explain them by the laws of the spiritist science; examine
their possibility or impossibility; find what there is of probable or
exaggerated cause; distinguish imagination from superstition, etc.
3rd – Read, comment and develop each article of The Spirits’
Book and The Mediums’ Book, as well as all other publications
about Spiritism. We hope to be forgiven here for citing our own publications, which is very natural since that is why they were
written. As a matter of fact, this is only an indication and not an
intentional recommendation. Those who do not agree are perfectly
free to set them aside. It is far from us to be pretentious and
to believe that others cannot do it as well as or even better than
we did. Our only point here is that we do believe that through
these books the Spiritist Science is faced in a more comprehensive
way than in many other publications, and that they encompass
a larger number of questions and objections. That is why
we recommend them; for their intrinsic merit, the future will be
the great judge of that. One day we will provide a rational catalog
of the books that directly or indirectly deal with the Spiritist
Science, in the former and modern times, in France and abroad,
among the holy and profane writers, as soon as we have gathered
the necessary elements. It is naturally a very extensive work and
we appreciate very much those who want to facilitate the task by
providing us with documents and references.
4th – Discuss the several systems of interpretation of the spiritist
phenomena.
Regarding this subject we recommend Mr. de Mirville and
Mr. Louis Figuier’s books which are the most important. The
first one is rich with facts of the highest interest, collected from
legitimate sources. It is only the conclusion that is questionable
since he sees demons everywhere. It is true that his taste was well
served by chance, bringing before his eyes what could help him
best, whereas a large number of facts seen by religion as the acts
of angels and saints were hidden from him.
L’histore du merveilleux dans les temps modernes (translated
here as The History of the Marvelous) by Mr. Figuier, is interesting
from another point of view. It is not very clear why some facts are
described in details in the book but it is interesting to know them.
As for the so called spiritist phenomena, these occupy the smallest
part of the four volumes. While Mr. Mirville explains everything by the devil when others explain them by angels, Mr. Figuier who
doesn’t believe in the devil, or in angels, or in the spirits, good
or bad, explains everything, or believes to do so, as the result of
the human body. Mr. Figuier is a scientist. He is serious and is
supported by some scientists. One can then consider his books
as the last official word of the science about Spiritism, and that
word is the negation of any intelligent principle outside matter. It
is a shame that science may serve such a sad cause. However, since
it is science that incessantly unveils the wonders of creation that
writes the name of God on each leaf of the plants, on each wing
of the insects, that science is not to blame. The culprits are those
who struggle to persuade others, in the name of science, that there
is no hope after death.
The spiritists will then see in that book what becomes of the
terrible stroke of lightening that should supposedly annihilate
their belief. Those who could have been shaken, afraid of the
shock, will become stronger when they see the weakness of the
opposed arguments; the many contradictions resulting from the
ignorance and a lack of real observation of the facts. The reading
of this work can be useful with that respect, and also to allow the
spiritists to talk about it with better knowledge than the author
does with Spiritism, having denied it without having studied it,
for the sole reason of simply denying the existence of any extraordinary
human power. One must not fear the infection of similar
ideas. They offer the antidote themselves: human’s instinctive
aversion to the nothingness. The prohibition of a book is a demonstration
of fear. We do recommend Mr. Figuier’s book.
If the flimsiness of the arguments against Spiritism is manifested
in the serious works, their total worthlessness is only in
their bitter attacks and defamatory articles where the powerless
rage is betrayed by rudeness, insults and slander. It would give
them too much importance had we read them in our serious gatherings.
There is nothing to refute on them, nothing to discuss, and consequently nothing to learn. They just need to be neglected.
As one can then see, outside the instructions of the spirits
there is ample material for useful work. We would even add that
we can collect abundant material from their study to submit to
the spirits through our questions.
However, if we can provide for the momentary absence of mediums, it
would not be logical to sustain their indefinite deficiency. All efforts must
be employed with the objective of finding them. The best thing to do for
a spiritist gathering is to find mediums inside the group, here referring
the reader to our last publication, pages 306 and 307 (The Mediums’ Book,
Chap. XVII), where one can see that the task is easier than originally
thought.
Letter about Incredulity Conclusion (see January 1861)
There are spirits since the day humans began to exist on Earth.
Therefore, the spirits have been manifesting to human beings since
those days. History and tradition are full of evidence on this subject,
whether it was because some did not understand the phenomena of such
manifestations; while others were discouraged to talk about them out
of fear of imprisonment or burning at the stake; or because such events
would be considered superstitious or coming from charlatans by very prejudiced
people or from those who were not interested in the enlightenment
of others; or finally because the phenomena were attributed to the devil,
by another kind of interest, the fact of the matter is that even up until
recently the phenomena had not been explained in a satisfactory way, or
at least the true theory had not yet become of public domain, probably
due to the fact that humanity was not sufficiently mature for that as for
many other wonderful things that take place in our days. It was reserved
for our time to see the emergence of the steam engine, electricity, animal
magnetism from the point of view of applied sciences, as well as Spiritism,
being the most remarkable of them all not only for the material proof of
our immaterial existence and immortality, but also for the establishment
of a somehow material and permanent communication between the invisible
world and us.
What incalculable consequences should not be born of such a miraculous
event! However, speaking only about something that touches
everybody in general, as death for example, we see it reduced to its actual
role of a natural accident, necessary and even happy I would say, thus losing
its painful and terrible stigma, since it is the awakening of those who
die. Can we still be in touch with those who are dear to us the day after
their death? Nothing has changed beyond our physical relationships! We
don’t see them anymore, we don’t touch them or hear their voices but
we continue to exchange our thoughts with them, as we did when alive,
and often to us in a more advantageous way. What can remain so painful
after that? If we add to the preceding the certainty about the fact that
our separation will not last more than a few years, a few months, a few
days maybe, wouldn’t it all be just the transformation of what used to be
terrifying before into a simple event, something that was certainly the
permanent torment of so many people? I am moving away from the main
subject, though!
Before I explain to you the very simple practice of communications,
I would like to try to give you an idea about a physiological theory that I
built for myself. I am not saying that it is correct since I have not seen it
explained by science yet, but at least it seems to me that it is something
similar to this. The more adequate the matter is to receive the influence of
the spirit the easier it is for the spirit to act. Hence it does not act directly
upon all kinds of matter, although it could act indirectly as long as there
it finds between the spirit and that matter certain substances of a flexible
association, capable of establishing the contact between the two extremes,
that is to say, the raw matter and spirit. That is how the spirit of a living
person can move blocks of stone, can manipulate and aggregate it thus
forming what we call houses, columns, churches, palaces, etc. Was it all
done by a human body? Who would dare say? Yes, humans made it all,
as it is my hand that writes this letter. Let us return to the subject though
because I am moving away again.
How does the spirit act upon the heavy block of stone it wants to
move? Through the graduated matter between the spirit and the block; the lever establishes the connection with the hand; the hand establishes
the connection with the muscles; the muscles with the nerves; the nerves
with the brain and the brain with the spirit, unless there is a more delicate
matter, a fluid that allows the relationship between the brain and the
spirit. Whatever is the case, the existence of an intermediary would not
hurt the theory. If the spirit acts as a first or second hand in touch with the
brain, it always acts very close so that when the contact is considered reversed,
or in its natural order, there you have the spirit acting upon a very
subtle matter, organized by the Creator’s wisdom so that it may receive directly
or almost directly the action of his will. That matter, the brain, acts
through its ramifications, the so-called nerves, upon a less delicate matter
called muscles, still capable of responding to its commands. The muscles
impinge movement onto the solid parts of the body, limbs and bones,
while the remaining structure serves as support to the action. When the
bones are not strong enough or long enough to carry out the action, its
force is then multiplied by the use of tools such as the lever, and the heavy
and inert block moves, obedient to the will of the spirit that would not be
capable of such an action but through the intermediary hierarchy below.
That is more or less how the minor actions of the spirit are explained,
as well as the execution of things like drying a lake, moving a hill, etc.
The body almost disappears amidst a multitude of necessary instruments
in which it only plays the role as the first layer of contact.
Suppose I want to write a letter. What should I do? Establish a connection
between my spirit and a piece of paper, as I did before with the
stone. I replace the lever by the pen and that is it. The piece of paper reflects
my spirit’s thoughts, like the movement of the block also manifested
by the will of the spirit earlier on.
If my spirit wants to transmit the thought more directly, more
promptly to you, and as long as there is no barrier such as distance or an
interfering body between us, again, by means of the brain and nerves, it
acts upon the organ of voice hitting the air in a number of ways, producing
a variety of conventional sounds that reflect the thoughts, then affecting
your hearing organ that in turn transmits my thoughts to your spirit again through the nerves and brain. It is always the thought, manifested
and transmitted by a series of graded physical agents, interposed between
the principle and the objective.
If the theory above is true then there is nothing easier than the explanation
of the phenomena of spiritist manifestations, particularly the
writing mediumship that is our focus now. Since the psychic substance
is identical to all spirits, their means of action upon matter must be the
same. Only the strength may vary. Also, the matter of the nerves is organized
in such a way that it may receive the action of a given spirit, there is
no reason why it could not receive the influence of another spirit, whose
nature is the same as the former and since the substance of all spirits are
the same, then all spirits are capable of exerting, I would not say the same
action but the same mode of action upon the substance, every time they
have the necessary conditions to do so. Well then, this is what happens in
the evocations.
What is evocation? It is the act through which a given spirit, owner
of a body, requests another spirit, or put simply, allows another spirit to
use his own body, its instruments, in order to manifest their thoughts
or will. And that does not mean that the owner leaves the body behind.
They can temporarily minimize their own action upon the organs of
transmission, leaving them to serve the other spirit but only during the
period of time allowed by the owner, given the axiom of natural law, that
each person is the master of their own home. However, it is necessary to
say, it also happens in Spiritism what happens in other human societies,
that such right to ownership is not always scrupulously respected by the
spirits and that many mediums have been surprised for having given
shelter to uninvited and even less desired guests. Nevertheless, this is
one among the thousands of meaningless troubles of life that we must
learn to endure, because they also have their useful side, not to mention
the fact that we are tested while they are the manifest demonstration
of the spirits’ action upon our body, leading us to write things that we
were not even dreaming of or that we were not willing to hear about.
Yet, this only happens to mediums in their infancy. Once the medium is experienced it will probably happen more, but they do not allow their
body to be taken over.
Is everybody capable of being a medium? It should naturally be so,
although to varying degrees, as with all others skills. This is Mr. Kardec’s
opinion. There are writing mediums, clairvoyants, hearing mediums and
intuitive mediums. The mediums who write, these are the most numerous
and most useful. There are medium who see the spirits; others who
hear and talk to them as they do with the living, although rare; others
who receive the thought of the evoked spirit in their minds, then orally
transmit it.
It is very rare when the medium bears several of these faculties at the
same time. There is still another kind of medium, whose presence in a
given place allows the spirits to communicate through rapping knocks or
by the motion of objects, like the movement of a small table, the levitation
of a chair, a large table or any other object. That is how the spirits started
to manifest, revealing their existence. You heard about the turning and
dancing tables. You laughed as I did too; oh well! It was the first means
employed by the spirits to attract our attention. That is how their presence
was acknowledged, after which, with observation and study we discovered
unknown faculties up until then were ignored, through which we can
enter into direct communication with the spirits.
Isn’t all that wonderful? Nonetheless, it is all natural, only that – I
repeat – it was reserved for our time, the great discovery and application
of this science, like many other marvelous secrets of nature.
Now, to get in touch with the spirits, or at least to see if you are able
of doing so through writing, we take a piece of paper and a sharpened
pencil and move into position to write. It is always good to start by saying
a prayer to God, then evoking a spirit, meaning that one would kindly
invite them to come to communicate with us, helping us to write. Then,
patiently wait in the same position.
There are some people that have a more developed mediumistic faculty
that they start writing right away. Others, on the contrary, only see
their faculties developing with time and perseverance. In that case the session is repeated every day, for about fifteen minutes. It is useless to go
beyond that interval but it must be repeated daily since perseverance is
one of the first conditions of success. It is also necessary to say a prayer
and evocation from your heart, and even repeating it during the exercise;
have a strong will, a strong desire to succeed, and particularly do not get
distracted. After writing there are some final precautions to be taken.
When the person is about to write there is generally a slight shake of the
hand, sometimes preceded by a light numbness of the hand and arm, and
on other occasions some minor pain in the muscles of the arm and hand.
These are the precursor signs and almost always evident that the moment
of success is not far off; sometimes followed by immediate success, in
other cases it may arrive in a few days, but it will come. The only difference
is that to get to such a condition one needs more or less time, varying
from an instant to six months, but I insist that only fifteen minutes a day
are necessary.
Regarding the spirits that can be evoked for such exercises, it is preferable
to address the familiar spirit that is always around, while other spirits
may be present only momentarily and not be present at the time of evocation,
or incapable of attending our invitation for any given reason, as this
does happen sometimes.
The familiar spirit that is somehow similar to the Catholic guardian
angel, is not exactly what is presented by the religious dogma. It is just the
spirit of a mortal that has lived like us but who is much more advanced
than us, hence infinitely superior in intelligence and benevolence; that
executes a mission here that is commendable to them and useful to us,
following us in this world as in the other one, until they are called to another
reincarnation or until the time that we ourselves are called to realize
a similar mission with a mortal that is less developed than we are, once we
have achieved a certain degree of evolution.
All that, my dear friend, so marvelously present in our ideas of universal
solidarity, as you see. All that, by showing us such solidarity that
has occurred at all times and always working between us and the invisible
world, demonstrates that evidently this is not an utopian human design but one of the laws of nature; that the first thinkers who preached it were
not inventing it, but only discovered it; and finally that since such solidarity
is part of nature it will fatally be incorporated by human societies,
despite the resistance and obstacles still opposed by blind adversaries. * I
still have to talk about the mode of evocation. It is the simplest thing.
There is no mystical or compulsory formula for that. You address
the spirit in the terms that suit you; that’s all. I will tell you what I do
just to help you understand how simple it is. “Almighty God! Allow my
guardian angel (or the spirit of …, if you prefer to evoke another spirit) to
communicate with me, and make me write.” Or even this one: “In the name
of Almighty God I ask you my guardian angel (or the spirit of …) to communicate
with me.”
Now, would you like to see the result of my own experience? Here
it is.
After six unfruitful weeks of exercise I one day felt my hand tremble,
agitate and suddenly drew some shapeless characters on the paper.
During the following exercises the characters became more regular, although
still incomprehensible. I wrote lines and pages at the speed of my
regular writing, always unintelligible. On other occasions I wrote different
paragraphs, small, large, sometimes even using the whole page. Then
it was just straight lines, from top to bottom, or horizontal lines across the
paper; then circles, small and large, repeated so many times that the whole
paper became darkened by the pencil. Then, after one month of the most
varied kinds of exercise, but also most insignificant, I started to become
upset with that and asked my familiar spirit to at least draw some letters,
in case he could not write words. I then received all letters of the alphabet
but it stopped there. Meanwhile my wife who always had the feeling
that she was not a medium decided to try and after only fifteen days she
started writing correctly and with agility. More fortunate than I was, she
wrote correctly and intelligibly. One of our friends was able to start scribbling,
as I did, from his second exercise but it did not go further than that.
We did not give up, convinced that it is a trial and that sooner or later
we would write. One needs patience. It is not difficult. In another letter I
will tell you about the communications that we received through my wife
and that, quite unique within themselves; are without a doubt convincing
enough in respect to the existence of the spirits. That is enough for the
day. I wanted to give you a presentation, although it is a short summary,
however, so you could embrace the totality of the spiritist theory. I hope
this is enough to excite your curiosity and particularly catch your attention.
Your study of the specialized books will do the rest. Pending the
book which will have the practical instructions that I mentioned to you, I
will shortly send the philosophical book entitled The Spirits’ Book. Read,
study, read again, try, work and above all, don’t give up. It is worth it. Still:
don’t give importance to those who laugh; many of them are no longer
laughing, although they still have the organs that served them formerly.
To you and see you soon,
Canu
_____________________________________
* Everyone knows the level of mockery and the audacity of exploitation of natural facts
which are not yet explained, however little they are considered marvelous.
Family Conversations from Beyond the Grave - The Suicide of an Atheist
Mr. J.B.D… was an educated man saturated to the highest degree of
materialistic ideas, believing in neither his soul nor God. He deliberately
drowned two years ago. He was evoked following the request of
one of his relatives.
1. Evocation – A. I suffer. I am condemned.
2. We were asked to call you by one of your relatives who wanted to
know about your fate. Could you tell us if the evocation is pleasing
or painful to you? – A. It is painful.
3. Was your death voluntary? – A. Yes.
Observation: The spirit shows extreme difficulty to write. The
writing is large, irregular, convulsive and almost unintelligible.
He showed rage in the beginning, tore the paper off and broke
the pencil.
4. Calm down. We will pray for you. – A. I am forced to believe in
God.
5. What has led you to destroy your life? – A. Boredom with a hopeless
life.
Observation: Suicide is understandable if life is hopeless. One
wants to escape unhappiness at any price. With Spiritism, however,
the future unfolds and hope is warranted. Suicide then makes
no sense; we say even more, one recognizes that it is not possible
to escape any tribulation through this path only to find another
one hundred times worse. That is why Spiritism has already saved
so many victims from a voluntary death. Are those who look for
a moral and philosophical objective in Spiritism wrong, are they
dreamers? Guiltier are those who strive to promote the desperate
idea that everything ends with this life, the idea that is a source of
so many crimes and evils, and that it is conveyed through the use
of scientific fallacies and supposedly in the name of reason. They
will be responsible not only for their own errors, but for all the
evils which they have been the cause.
6. You wanted to escape the tribulations of life. Were you successful?
Are you better now? – A. Why does the nothingness not exist?
7. Could you kindly describe your actual situation, the best you
can? – A. I suffer for being forced to believe in everything that I
denied. My soul is like a raging fire; it is horribly tormented.
8. Where did you take your materialistic ideas from when alive? –
A. I was bad in another existence and my spirit was condemned
to suffer the torments of doubt during my life. Hence, I killed
myself.
Observation: There is a whole order of ideas here. We often
wonder how there can be anyone so materialistic having passed
through the spiritual world already we should have better intuition.
Well then, it is precisely such intuition that is denied to
certain spirits, as a punishment, proud spirits who have retained their pride and did not repent. We must not forget that the Earth
is a place of atonement. That is why there are so many bad spirits
incarnated here.
9. When you were drowning, what did you think would happen to
you? What were your thoughts at that point? – A. None. It was
nothing to me. Later I saw that I would still suffer a lot, since my
penalties were not over yet.
10. Now are you convinced about the existence of God, about the
soul and a future life? – A. Oh! I am terribly tormented by that!
11. Have you met your wife and brother again? – A. Oh! No!
12. Why not? – A. Why should we be together again in our torments?
We are exiled in misfortune; we should be united in happiness.
Pity on me!
13. Would you like to see your brother again? We could call him to
be with you. – A. No, no. I am in such a bad shape.
14. Why don’t you want us to call him? – A. He is not happy either.
15. You are afraid of his presence. However, wouldn’t he make you
feel better? – A. No. Later.
16. Your relative asks if you were present at your funerals and if you
were happy with what he did on that occasion. – A. Yes.
17. Would you like to say something to him? – A. That you can pray
a little for me.
18. It seems that in the social circles that you had once attended,
some people shared the same opinion you had in your lifetime;
do you have something to say about this? – A. Ah! The misery!
May they believe in another life! It is all I can wish them for their
happiness. If they could understand my sad situation they would
give serious thoughts to that.
Evocation of his brother who professed the same ideas but did not
commit suicide. Although unhappy, he is calmer. His writing is
clear and intelligible.
19. Evocation. – A. I hope the picture of our suffering may be useful
to you, persuading you that there is another life in which we atone
for our faults and disbeliefs!
20. Do you and your brother who we have just evoked see one another?
– A. No. He runs away from me.
21. You are more composed than he is. Could you give us a more
accurate description of your sufferings? – A. Doesn’t your selfesteem,
your pride suffer on Earth when are you are forced to
acknowledge your own mistakes? Doesn’t it cause revolt to your
spirit when you have to humiliate yourself before someone that
demonstrates that you are wrong? Then! What do you think
happens to a spirit that spent his whole life persuaded that there
is nothing beyond his ideas and that he is right against everyone
else? When such a spirit is suddenly faced by the shinning truth
he feels annihilated, humiliated. Then the feelings of remorse
occur for having denied for such a long time the existence of
such a good and indulgent God. It is an unbearable condition;
there is no peace, no rest; there will only be tranquility when
the sacred grace of God will finally touch him, because pride
immensely grasps our poor spirit entirely wrapping around it,
and it will take a long time to unwrap this fatal garment. It is
only by the prayers of our brothers that can help us to get rid
of it.
22. Do you mean your living brothers or the spirits? – A. One and
the other.
23. While we talked with your brother one of the persons present
here prayed for him. Was that prayer useful to him? – A. It will
not be lost. He may refuse it now but it will come back to him
when he is in a better state to receive this panacea.
The result of these two evocations was passed on to the person
who requested them. We then received the following answer:
“You cannot imagine, Sir, the good produced by the evocation
of my father-in-law and my uncle. We recognized them
perfectly well. The writing of the first one, in particular, was
very similar to the one he used when alive, it was even better
than the last few months he spent with us; his writing was
shaky and illegible. We find the same writing of the letters, in
particular d, f, o, p, q and t. As for the words, expressions and
style, these are even more remarkable. The analogy is perfect to
us except with respect to his better understanding of God, the
soul and eternity that he formerly denied so vehemently. We
are then perfectly convinced of the identity. God shall be even
more glorified by our belief in Spiritism, and our brothers,
spirits and living ones, will become better. The identity of his
brother is no less evident. We acknowledge a huge difference
between the atheist and the believer, and the marks of character,
style and expressions. One word in particular has shocked
us: panacea. He used that word all the time, with everybody.
I showed both communications to several people who were
shocked by their veracity. However, the incredulous, those
who share the opinion that my two relatives had, wanted
more categorical answers, like: that Mr. D… for example,
precisely describe the place where he was buried, the place
where he drowned, how it happened, etc. In order to satisfy
and convince them could you address the following questions
to them: Where and how the suicide took place? For how
long had his body been under water? Where was his body
found? Where was it buried? What was the civil or religious
procedure during the funerals, etc.?
I kindly ask you Sir to request more categorical answers to
these essential points to those who still have doubt. I am convinced about the immense benefit that this will have. I
made the arrangements necessary to have this letter delivered
to you tomorrow, Friday, so that you can evoke the spirit in
the session that takes place that day at the Society, etc.”
We reproduced this letter for the aspect of identity that it establishes.
We add our response below for the instruction of persons
who are not familiarized with the communications from beyond
the grave.
“…The questions that you would like to have sent to the spirit
of your father-in-law are certainly praiseworthy whose intention is
to convince the incredulous, but to you there doesn’t seem to be
any mixed feelings of doubt and curiosity. However, a more profound
knowledge of Spiritism would have led you to understand
that those questions are unnecessary.
To begin with, by asking your father-in-law to give more categorical
answers you certainly ignore the fact that we don’t control
the spirits according to our wishes. They answer when they want
and how they want to, and often, how they can respond. Their
freedom of action is even greater than when alive and they are
better equipped to respond to any moral pressure that we might
try to put on them. The best proof of identity are given spontaneously,
following their wishes or derived from the circumstances,
and in the majority of the cases it is a waste of time to provoke
them. Your relative has unequivocally demonstrated his identity,
according to your opinion. It is then likely that he will consider
unnecessary, and rightfully so, questions destined to satisfy the
curiosity of persons who are indifferent to him. He could then
answer, as other spirits have done in similar cases, asking back: -
what is the interest in asking me these things that you know the
answer? – I will add still that the state of perturbation and suffering
of the spirit must turn such investigation into a painstaking
process, in the same way that someone would try to force a patient that can hardly think and speak to give us details of their
lives. It would certainly be a lack of respect for their condition.
Regarding your expected result, it would be certainly inexistent.
The proof of identity that was given has an even greater
value for the very reason of having been spontaneous and that
there wasn’t anything pointing to a particular direction. If the
disbelievers are not satisfied by that, they would not be either by
questions that could give rise to suspicion of complicity. There
are people who would not be convinced by anything. They
would see you father-in-law with their own eyes, saying that you
would be victimized by some sort of hallucination. The best one
can do is to leave them in peace and do not waste time with useless
words. We can only feel sorry for them since sooner or later
they will learn on their own the cost of having denied the light
sent by God. It is particularly against those that God’s severity
is manifested.
Two more words Sir, regarding your request to have the evocation
done on the same day that we received your letter. Evocations
are not done merely by waving a wand; the spirits don’t always
respond to our appeal. They must be willing and available to do
so. Furthermore, it is also necessary to have a convenient medium
with the required skills; that the medium is available at the moment;
that the spirit feels a friendly environment, etc. These are
all conditions that cannot always be met and that are necessary to
attend to in order to carry out serious work.”
Multiple Questions and Issues
1. Does the incarnate spirit keep the memory of previous existences
as well as in the errant state while in a superior world like Jupiter
or any other? – A. No. The moment the spirit takes on a material
body it no longer has the memory of previous existences.
However, the physical envelope on Jupiter has very little material
and for that reason, isn’t the spirit freer? – A. Yes, but it is dense
enough to remove the memory of the past from the spirit.
Thus, the spirits from Jupiter that communicated with us were
they in a state of resting? – A. Certainly. Since the spirit is much
more advanced in this world, it understands God and the universe
very well but their past is erased, otherwise their intelligence
would be obscured; he would not take the time to comprehend
more about himself; instead he would be the man from Africa,
Europe or America; or from Earth, Mars or Venus?
Observation: If it is necessary to forget the past in a much more
advanced world like Jupiter then there is even more reason for
that in our material world. It is obvious that the memory of our preceding existences would cast a painful confusion in our ideas,
not speaking of all the other inconveniences already mentioned
about it. Every act done by God imprints His wisdom and benevolence.
It is not up to us to criticize Him, especially because
we don’t understand the objective.
2. Ms. Eugenie, one of the mediums of the Society, shows a remarkable
particularity, exceptional in a way, with her prodigious facility
to write and the incredible promptness with which every spirit
communicates through her. There are only a few mediums with
such outstanding flexibility. Why would that be? – A. One owes
more to the medium than to the spirit. The spirit would write less
quickly through another medium due to the fact that the nature
of the instrument would not be the same. Thus, there are drawing
mediums, others who are better skilled for Medicine, etc. The
spirit acts according to the mediumship. This is a physical rather
than a moral cause. The faster the combination between the fluids
of the spirit and the medium’s, the easier the communication,
better serving the speed of thought, and the spirit takes advantage
of this the same as you make use of a faster vehicle when you are
in a hurry. That liveliness of the medium is purely physical. The
spirit of the medium has no influence on that.
3. Wouldn’t there be any influence from the moral qualities of the
medium? – A. They have great influence on the sympathies of the
spirits since you need to know that some have a greater antipathy
towards certain mediums that they can only communicate
through them after overcoming great reluctance.
St. Louis
Teachings of the Spirits -Spontaneous dissertations received or read by several mediums at the Society
Year 1860 - (Medium, Mrs. Costel)I will speak of the philosophical need that the spirits have of making frequent memory regressions on themselves; of giving to the condition of their minds the same care given to their own bodies. Here we are at year end; what progress has it brought to the intellectual world? It has brought a lot, with serious results particularly to the scientific field. The less fortunate literature only received some fragments, although some charming details. However, like the mutilated statue that is found buried underground and that one admires, while regretting the lost integrity of its beauty, literature does not offer any serious piece of work.
In France it ordinarily moves ahead of the other arts. This year it was overtaken by paintings that gloriously flourished over rival schools. Why such a slow pace from our young writers? The explanation is easy. They lack the breath of fresh air generally inspired by their struggles. Indifference has fallen upon them. They are browsed over, criticized but not discussed with passion as in my time, when the literary disputes dominated all other concerns. Besides, one cannot improvise a writer and there is some improvisation in each and every one of them. Long and profound studies are necessary to write. Your generation absolutely lacks that, impatiently seeking the quick and easy success. I finish by admiring the ascending progress of the sciences and arts, regretting the absence of generous impulses inside the spirits and hearts.
J. J. Rousseau
OBSERVATION: This spontaneously given communication proves that the spirits who have left Earth are still concerned with what happens here with respect to their interests, following the movement of moral and intellectual progress. It is not from the infinite depths of space that they could do this; it requires that they are amongst us, in our midst and an invisible witness to what is going on. The above communication and the one following were given in our December 28th session, in which we had discussed the end of the year and the new year that was about to begin. It was then by consequence, appropriately a good fit.
In France it ordinarily moves ahead of the other arts. This year it was overtaken by paintings that gloriously flourished over rival schools. Why such a slow pace from our young writers? The explanation is easy. They lack the breath of fresh air generally inspired by their struggles. Indifference has fallen upon them. They are browsed over, criticized but not discussed with passion as in my time, when the literary disputes dominated all other concerns. Besides, one cannot improvise a writer and there is some improvisation in each and every one of them. Long and profound studies are necessary to write. Your generation absolutely lacks that, impatiently seeking the quick and easy success. I finish by admiring the ascending progress of the sciences and arts, regretting the absence of generous impulses inside the spirits and hearts.
J. J. Rousseau
OBSERVATION: This spontaneously given communication proves that the spirits who have left Earth are still concerned with what happens here with respect to their interests, following the movement of moral and intellectual progress. It is not from the infinite depths of space that they could do this; it requires that they are amongst us, in our midst and an invisible witness to what is going on. The above communication and the one following were given in our December 28th session, in which we had discussed the end of the year and the new year that was about to begin. It was then by consequence, appropriately a good fit.
Year 1861 - (Medium, Mrs. Costel)
The year that ends has seen a substantial progress in the belief in Spiritism. It is a reason for great happiness to humankind since it moves humanity away from the border of the abyss that threatens to drag the human spirit. The New Year will be even better as it will see serious material changes and a revolution of ideas, and Spiritism will not be forgotten, believe me; on the contrary, people will cling to it as a stone of salvation. I will pray that God may bless your work and make it advance. St. Louis
OBSERVATION: In an intimate session another medium spontaneously received the following communication about the same subject: The year will begin and it contains folds of the greatest things. Head first; the reaction will fall into its own tender trap. Why do you think Earth is covered by railroads and the seas are open to electricity if it was not for the spread of the good news? The truth, the good and the beautiful will finally be understood by all. So, do not get weary, true spiritists, for your task is marked in the work of regeneration. Happy will be those capable of accomplishing it!
Leon J… (Medium’s brother)
OBSERVATION: In an intimate session another medium spontaneously received the following communication about the same subject: The year will begin and it contains folds of the greatest things. Head first; the reaction will fall into its own tender trap. Why do you think Earth is covered by railroads and the seas are open to electricity if it was not for the spread of the good news? The truth, the good and the beautiful will finally be understood by all. So, do not get weary, true spiritists, for your task is marked in the work of regeneration. Happy will be those capable of accomplishing it!
Leon J… (Medium’s brother)
Change is absolutely necessary. Progress is the divine law and it seems that it has advanced more in recent years than before. The year 1861 will be magnificent when compared to 1860, but still uninspiring when compared to 1862, because you want to get going, dear brothers and sisters, and once the divine breath makes the locomotive move, no derailment is possible.
Leon X
Leon X
Awakening of a Spirit (Comments about the dissertation published under this title)
In a communication dictated by the spirit Georges to Mrs. Costel, published in the October 1860 issue of The Review, under the title “The awakening of a spirit”, it was said that there is no friendly relationship among errant spirits; that even those who loved one another don’t exchange signs of affection. This theory caused a painful impression to many people, particularly due to the fact that the readers of The Review consider the spirit who wrote it to be an elevated spirit, admiring most of his communications. If this theory were absolute it would be in contradiction with what has been said so many times, that the friendly spirits come to welcome the newly arrived at the time of death; help them to free them from the earthly links and, to a certain degree, initiate them into their new life. On another hand, if the inferior spirits did not communicate with the more advanced ones they could not advance. We tried to refute those objections by an article in the November 1860 issue of The Review under the title: Loving relationships of the spirits, but here are the comments from George himself, responding to our request: “When someone is surprised by death, in the materialistic habits of a life in which there was no time for God; when the person gets to the world of the spirits still shaken by anguish and the earthly fears, it is like a traveler that ignores the language and habits of the visited land. Drowned by the confusion, the person is incapable of communicating and to even understand their own feelings or the feelings of others, for that matter; they are in an errant state, surrounded by silence. The person then slowly feels the germination, the development of new thoughts, and a new soul flourishes from the inside. At that point the enslaved soul feels the untying shackles and like a freed bird, throws oneself into God’s arms, with a cry of joy and love. Then, the spirits of their relatives swarm around them, the purified friends who silently welcome their return. It is only a small number of spirits that can communicate with their friends, just after the separation of the body. Merit is required and only those who have gloriously accomplished their tasks are dematerialized enough to enjoy such a favor from God, who allows it as a reward. I presented one of the phases of the spiritual life. I did not mean to generalize, and as it can be seen, I only spoke of the first instants that follow death, that can be more or less prolonged, according to the nature of the spirit. It is up to everyone to abbreviate it, breaking the earthly links already in the corporeal life, since it is only the attachment to material things that preclude the spirit from enjoying the happiness of the spiritual life.
Georges”
OBSERVATION: There is nothing more moral than this doctrine since it shows that there is no enjoyment of future promises without merit; that the very joy of meeting loved ones again and communicating with them may be postponed. In short, that the situation in the spiritual life is totally dependent on what we have done in this corporeal life.
Georges”
OBSERVATION: There is nothing more moral than this doctrine since it shows that there is no enjoyment of future promises without merit; that the very joy of meeting loved ones again and communicating with them may be postponed. In short, that the situation in the spiritual life is totally dependent on what we have done in this corporeal life.
The Three Characters (Continuation)
NOTE: In the three following dissertations the spirit develops each of the three characters outlined in his first communication (see the January 1861 issue)
I
“Here in this inferior world of yours self-serving interest, selfishness and pride stifle generosity, charity and simplicity. Self-serving interest and egotism are the two bad characteristics of the investor and the new-rich; pride is the vice of those who have knowledge and is especially true for those who have power. When a heart that truly thinks examines these three horrible vices, it suffers; rest assured that anyone who gives serious thoughts to the nothingness and the evilness in this world is generally someone endowed by kind and charitable instincts. And as you very well know, the kind ones are unhappy, as La Fontaine said and that I forgot to place side by side with Molière. The gentle ones are unhappy because they feel. Hamlet is the personification of that unfortunate part of humanity, that is always crying and suffering, avenging God and the moral. Hamlet had to punish shameful sins in his family: pride and lust that is egotism. That subtle, melancholic and truth seeking soul was clouded by the world’s breath, like a mirror that can no longer reflect what is good and fair. And that pure soul shed his mother’s blood, avenging his honor. Hamlet is the powerless intelligence, a profound thought fighting the stupid pride and maternal perversion. A thoughtful man that avenges a sin on Earth, whatever it may be, is guilty before men’s laws but he is frequently not before God. You must not think that I want to fantasize despair! I have been punished a lot, but there is a lot of fog before the eyes of the world!”
Note: The spirit was then asked to give his opinion about La Fontaine, who he had just mentioned, then responding:
“La Fontaine is not more renowned than Corneille and Racine. You don’t know much about your scholars while the Germans know both Shakespeare and Goethe. Returning to the subject, La Fontaine is the Frenchman by excellence who hides his originality and sensibility under the name Aesop, a happy thinker. But make no mistake; La Fontaine was a kind person as I said before. Once he noticed that he was not understood, he introduced that simplicity that you say is false. In your days he would be enlisted among the pseudo-modest. True intelligence is not false, but we often have to howl with the wolves and that is exactly what had lost La Fontaine in the opinion of a large number of people. I don’t speak about his genius: it is equal, if not superior to Molière’s.
II
Returning to our very familiar little course of literature, Don Juan is, as I already had the honor of telling you, the best representation of a kind, corrupted and blasphemous man. Molière elevated him to a dramatic event because in reality his punishment should not be of a human kind, but divine. It is through the unexpected strikes of the celestial vengeance that knocks down heads of pride. The more unexpected it is, the more dramatic the effect becomes. I said that Don Juan was a character but in reality a rare character because there are a few men only of that kind, since almost all of them are cowards. I refer to the class of indifferent and corrupt. Many say blasphemy but I assure you that only a few dare to do so without fear. Their conscience is an echo that reflects their blasphemies and they listen shivering with fear, but laughing before the world. These are the ones you call the braggers of vice these days. This kind of libertine person counts in large numbers today but they are far from being the children of Voltaire. And back to the subject, Molière as a wiser and more profound observer not only condemned the vices that attack humanity but also those who dared to address God.
III
We have seen two characters so far: one generous and unhappy, another one happy to the world but miserable before God. We still miss the uglier, more ignoble, more repulsive one. I refer to Tartuffe.
The mask of virtue was already hideous in antiquity because paganism, not yet purified by Christian morality, also had their wise men and virtues. However, that mask is even uglier before the altar of Christ, since it is plentiful of selfishness and hypocrisy. Paganism may perhaps have had less Tartuffe’s than Christianity. Exploiting the heart of a wise and good man; praising all of their actions; deceiving trustful people through an apparent piety; carrying profanation until the Eucharist is received with pride and blasphemy in their hearts, that is what Tartuffe does, what he did and will always do.
Oh! You, imperfect and mundane people who condemn a divine principle and a super human moral, because you want to abuse it! You are blind when you confuse people with that God like principle with humanity. Tartuffe is horrible and disgusting because he hides his wickedness under a sacred cloak. Curse on him because he cursed when he was forgiven and plotted treason while preaching charity.”
Gérard de Nerval
Harmony (Medium Mr. Alfred Didier)
You have seen many times in certain regions, especially in Provence, the ruins of great castles; sometimes a turret rises amidst the immense solitude and its sad and quiet remains remind us of a time when faith was perhaps ignorant, but when Art and Poetry were raised by that same pure and innocent faith. Notice that this is The Middle Ages. You often don’t think that around those dismantled walls the elegant whim of the lady of the castle vibrated the harmonious strings of the once called Aeolian harps. Well then! The turrets, the ladies of the castle and the harmonies disappeared with the speed of the wind that played them! The Aeolus harps soothed the thoughts of the minstrels and the ladies. They were heard with a religious devotion.
Everything ends on your Earth; poetry rarely reaches the heavens and immediately dissipates; on the contrary, in other worlds, harmony is eternal, and regardless of what human imagination can create here it cannot be compared to that constant poetry that is not only in the heart of pure spirits but also in all of nature.
Réné de Provence
Everything ends on your Earth; poetry rarely reaches the heavens and immediately dissipates; on the contrary, in other worlds, harmony is eternal, and regardless of what human imagination can create here it cannot be compared to that constant poetry that is not only in the heart of pure spirits but also in all of nature.
Réné de Provence