The Spiritist Review - Journal of Psychological Studies - 1862

me to have visited all others that invited us or for not having had the time to stay longer with those who we did visit, considering the warmth and fraternal welcome addressed to us everywhere. During a journey of more than six weeks covering a total length of 693 leagues we visited twenty cities and attended more than fifty meetings. The result gave us great moral satisfaction both on the collected observations and from witnessing the huge progresses of Spiritism.


The report of this trip that mainly contains the instructions given by us to the several groups is too extensive to be published in The Review since it would almost require two volumes. We will publish a separate brochure in the same format as The Review and that can be attached to it if necessary.*


In our journey we visited the possessed of Morzine, Savoie, and there we also collected important and very instructive observations about the causes and modes of obsession in all degrees, confirmed by isolated and identical cases seen in other places and about the means of fighting it. This will be the subject of a special and lengthy article that we intended to have published in this current issue but since time did not allow us to finish it has been postponed to the next number. As a matter of fact it is going to be better since it will be done without rush. Besides, several recent facts came to shed light into the subject opening up a new horizon to pathology. The article will respond to all requests of clarification that frequently come to us regarding similar cases. It seems appropriate to us to take the opportunity and rectify an opinion that appeared to be wide spread to us.


Several people, including those in the Province, thought that the cost of this trip was covered by the Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies. We had to correct the mistake every time the issue was mentioned. To those who still believe in that we remind what was said on another occasion (The Spiritist Review, June 1862) that the Society only covers the ongoing expenses and does not keep any savings. In order to accumulate resources, the Society would focus on increase the quantity. This is something that the Society does not do and will not do since its objective is not speculation and quantity does not add value to its activities. Its influence resides in the moral and serious character of the meetings, which gives outsiders the impression of a serious, reverent assembly. This is the most powerful means of propaganda. Hence the Society could not cover those kind of expenses. The costs of these trip as well as all other areas required to support our relationships within Spiritism are covered by our own personal savings and resources. Without this support and sales of our books, we would not be able to pay all the required expenses. I can say that, without any vanity, but rather to pay tribute to the truth and to provide clarification to those who believe that we are enriching ourselves.


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* Large brochure in-8, type and format like The Spiritist Review. Price 1 franc. Free postage in France. In printing.

Upon returning from the trip, we found such a volume of correspondence that it would require one month of our exclusive attention without handling anything else. Considering that every day there is a new contingent of correspondence, one must understand the physical impossibility of working on this without affecting our daily and compulsory obligations. We have already said and repeat here that we never complain about the number of letters we receive for they demonstrate the immense extension achieved by Spiritism and the moral and philosophical point of view under which Spiritism is understood wherever it penetrates. These are precious archives for Spiritism. However, once more we are forced to beg for your indulgence for the delay in our response. Only this work would require the time of two persons and we are only one. The consequence is that many activities suffer causing delays in the publication of several announced works. We hope that time will come when we will have a permanent and assiduous support so that everything will advance well. The Spirits promise it to us. There is no alternative while we wait: it is necessary to delay the correspondence or other works that multiply as Spiritism grows.

In the undergrounds of St. Michel’s tower there is a certain number of mummified cadavers that, as it seems, go back two or three centuries. It constitutes one of the curiosities of the city always sought by visitors. All bodies have their skin fully parsed. They are preserved in a way that makes it possible to distinguish faces and physiognomic expressions. Some exhibit remarkable preservation in their nails, clothing, and other fine fabrics. Amongst all the mummies, there is one in particular that deserves attention. It is a man whose contraction of body, face and arms leave no doubt about the kind of death he had. It is obvious that he was buried alive, dying in a terrible fate.

A new periodical from Bordeaux publishes a novel-feuilleton with the title The Mysteries of St. Michel’s tower. The only thing we know about the work is the name and the posters hanging on the walls of town portraying the undergrounds of the tower. Hence we do not know the mind frame that conceived it or the source from where the author collected the described facts. What we are going to report here at least has the merit of not having been produced by human imagination since it comes directly from beyond the grave something that its author may laugh at it. Nonetheless we believe that the episode is not one of the least shocking ones that took place there. The Spiritists will read it with as much interest as the profundity of the lesson it contains.

It is the story of the man who was buried alive and two persons linked to the case obtained in a series of evocations carried out at the Spiritist Society of Saint-Jean d’Angély last August, a story that we were told when visiting that town. We will discuss the authenticity of the facts in the observation that wraps up the article.

Saint-Jean d’Angély, August 9^th 1862 Medium Mr. Del… through typtology.

1. Question to the protector guide: Can we evoke the spirit that animated the body found in the undergrounds of St. Michel’s tower in Bordeaux that seems to have been buried alive? – A. Yes and may this serve as a lesson to you.
2. Evocation – the Spirit gives sign of his presence.
3. Can you tell us the name you used when animating the body in question? – A. Guillaume Remone.
4. Was your death atonement or a test chosen for your advancement? – A. My God! Why, in your goodness, pursue your sacred justice? Know this that the atonement is always compulsory and the one who committed a crime cannot avoid it. I was among those and that is all I have to say. After much suffering I came to acknowledge my mistakes and I experience the necessary regret to find the grace of the Eternal.
5. Can you tell us about your crime? – A. I murdered a woman in her bed.

7. Has justice found someone guilty for the death of your wife? – A. No. They believed that it was a subtle death. I suffocated her.
8. What was it that led you to such a criminal act? – A. Jealousy.
9. Were you buried alive by mistake? – A. Yes.
10. Do you remember the moments just prior to death? – A. It is something horrible, impossible to describe. Imagine yourself in a grave covered by ten feet of earth, wanting to breath with no air, wanting to shout: “I am alive!” and feeling the voice muffled; seeing oneself dying and incapable of asking for help; seeing oneself with plenty of life but scratched out from the roll of the living ones; feeling thirsty and incapable of attending to that; feeling hungry and incapable of feeding yourself; in a word, die in a damned rage.
11. In such a crucial moment did you think that it was the beginning of your punishment? – A. I thought of nothing. I died enraged, hitting the walls of the coffin, trying to live at any price.

Observation: This answer is logical and justified by the contorted cadaver that explains how the individual had died.

12. Once separated, did your spirit see the body of Guillaume Remone? – A. Just after death I still saw myself on Earth.
13. For how long did you still remain in that state, that is, with the spirit connected to the body but not animating it? – A. Approximately fifteen to eighteen days.
14. Where did you find yourself after leaving the body? – A. I saw myself surrounded by many Spirits in pain like myself. They did not recognize the need to raise their hearts to God. Their hearts were still linked to Earth and hopeless to any form of forgiveness.

Observation: Connected to his own body and still suffering the tortures of the final moments, since he found himself among suffering Spirits, isn’t that hell with the crying and gridding of teeth? Will it be necessary to build a furnace with flames and tridents? As it is well-known, the belief in the eternal sufferings is a punishment to guilty Spirits. Such punishment lasts until the Spirits would last forever if the Spirits would never repent as God only forgives the repented sinner. As soon as a seed of regret enters their hearts a ray of hope allows them to foresee the possibility of an end to their sufferings. But simple regret is not enough. God wishes the reparation and atonement and it is through successive incarnations that God gives the imperfect Spirits the possibility of betterment. They make decisions in erraticism and try to execute them in their corporeal life. That is how they leave behind some impurities in each existence and progressively move one step ahead towards eternal happiness. The door is never closed to them who achieve happiness in a relatively long time interval and according to the will-power and the work done for themselves. One cannot admit God’s omnipotence without prescience. Hence the question is why God when creating a soul and knowing that the soul should fail without the capacity of standing alone, why God took that soul from nothing and sent the same soul to the eternal sufferings? Did God want to create unhappy souls? Such notion is irreconcilable with the idea of an infinite goodness that is one of God’s essential attributes. It must be either one: God knew or did not know. If He did not know than God is not omnipotent. If He did know then that God is neither fair nor good. Now, subtracting any portion God’s infinite attributes is the same as denying His divinity. On the contrary, however, everything is conciliated with the possibility of allowing the spirit to make up for his faults. God knew that the spirit would fail as a consequence of the free-will but He also knew that the spirit would stand up again. God knew that the being would delay the arrival to the objective by choosing the bad path but He also knew that sooner or later the spirit would get there. God multiplies the warnings about the journey to help us to get there faster. If the spirit does not listen is for one’s own fault hence deserving the elongation of the tests. Which one is the more rational doctrine?

15. Are our questions unpleasant to you? – A. They remind me of painful memories but now that I got the grace through repentance, I feel happy for being able to use my life as an example in order to forearm my brothers and sisters against the passions that could drag them as they did to myself.
16. Comparing the kind of death you had to that of your wife we are led to suppose that the “eye for an eye” rule was applied to you, realizing Jesus’ words: “For all those who live by the sword shall die by the sword.” Could you tell us how you suffocated your wife? – A. In bed, as I said, between two pillows after having muzzled her so that she could not scream.
17. Did you enjoy good reputation with your neighbors? – A. Yes. I was poor but honest and well liked. My wife was also from an honorable family. I was up all night out of jealousy since I had seen a man leaving her room. I was mad of anger and did not know what I was doing and perpetrated the crime that you know.
18. Have you seen your wife again in the spiritual world? – A. It was the first spirit that I saw as if to criticize me for my crime. I saw her for a long time and she was unhappy also. It was only after the fact that my reincarnation was decided that I was freed from her presence.

Observation: The continual vision of the victims is one of the most common punishments imposed on criminal Spirits. Those surrounded by darkness, something that is very frequent, cannot always escape. They see nothing but what reminds them of the crime.

19. Have you asked for her forgiveness? – A. No. We were always running away from each other to find ourselves face to face again torturing one another.
20. However have you had to ask for her forgiveness when you repented? – A. Since the time I repented I have not seen her any more.
21. Do you know where she is now? – A. I do not know what happened to her but it would be easy for you to find out through your spiritual guide, St. John the Baptist.
22. What have you suffered as a spirit? – A. I was surrounded by desperate Spirits. I thought I would never get away from that miserable state. There was not a spark of light shining upon my brute soul. The sight of the victim was the coronation of my martyrdom.
23. How were you guided to a better situation? – A. From amidst my brothers in desperation one day I envisaged an end that could only be achieve through regret.
24. What was that end? – A. God, from whom everybody has an idea willing or not.
25. You have already mentioned twice that you are supposed to incarnate soon. Would it be an indiscretion to ask you about the kind of test that you have chosen? – A. Death will take always all those who are dear to me and I will suffer the most abject diseases.
26. Are you happy now? – A. Relatively yes since I foresee an end to the suffering. Effectively, no.
27. From the time when you passed away in lethargy until the moment when you woke up in the coffin did you see or hear what was happening around you? – A. Yes but so vaguely that it seemed like a dream.
28. In which year did you die? – A. In 1612.
29. (To St. John the Baptist) – G. Remone was not certainly forced to confess his crime as a punishment in our meeting. This seems to result from his first answer when he speaks of God’s justice. – A. Yes. He was forced but he was resigned in good faith for he saw another way of pleasing God by serving you in your studies.
30. The spirit was certainly mistaken when answering the sixth question he said: “The only thing I knew was that I would to commit a terrible crime”. He would likely know that he would be exposed to commit a crime but given the free-will he could have resisted the temptation. – A. He did not explain it well. He should have said: “I knew there would be plenty of remorse in my life.” He had the freedom of choosing the kind of test. Now, in order to feel remorse it is necessary to admit that he would do something bad.
31. Could it be the case that he would only have the free-will by choosing this or that test but once chosen he would no longer have the freedom of not doing the action and hence the crime would necessarily have to be committed by him? – A. He could have avoided it. He had his free-will as a spirit as well as an incarnate soul. Consequently he could have resisted but he was dragged by his passions.

Observation: It is evident that the spirit was not aware of his precise situation. He had confused the test, that is, the temptation of doing something with the action of doing it. Since he succumbed he believed that there was an unavoidable fate chosen by himself a fact that would not be rational. Free-will is the most beautiful privilege of the human spirit and a wonderful demonstration of God’s justice by turning the spirit the judge of their own destiny since it depends on each one the abbreviation or the prolongation of sufferings by greed and bad will. The assumption that the spirit could have lost his moral freedom when incarnate would be the same as subtracting his responsibilities for his actions. From that we can see that after a mature examination one cannot admit certain answers given by the spirit when not supported by logic in all points.


A.K.

32. Should we understand that a spirit can choose a life of crimes as a test since the spirit has chosen remorse which is a consequence of a breach of the divine law? – A. The spirit may choose the test of being exposed to that but due to the free-will the spirit may not fail. G. Remone had chosen a life full of domestic displeasures that would excite the idea of a crime and then remorse had he committed the crime. He therefore wanted to face that trial in order to be victorious.

Your language is so much in disharmony with the way the Spirits communicate that sometimes it does happen that certain phrases employed by the mediums must be rectified particularly by the intuitive mediums. We transmit our ideas to them by the combination of the fluids that translate our thoughts more or less well according to a better or worse combination between the fluids of our perispirit and the animal fluid of the medium.

33. (To St. John) – Could we evoke the spirit of the wife of Mr. G. Remone? – A. No. She is incarnate.
34. On Earth? – A. Yes.
35. Since we cannot evoke her as a spirit could we do that to the incarnate spirit? Couldn’t you tell us when she is asleep? – A. You can do that right now since nights for that spirit are days for you.
36. Evocation of the spirit of Mrs. Remone (the spirit manifests).
37. Do you remember the existence when you were Mrs. Remone? – A. Yes. Oh! Why do you make me remember my shame and my unhappiness?
38. If our questions make you suffer we will stop. – A. Please continue.
39. Our objective is not to make you suffer. We do not know you and perhaps we will never do. All we want is to do Spiritist studies. – A. My spirit is tranquil. Why agitating it with painful memories? Can’t you do that with Spirits in erraticity?
40. (To St. John) – Should we stop the questions that seem to bring up painful memories in this spirit? – A. I advise so. It is a child still and the fatigue of the spirit would lead to a painful reaction of the body. In fact, she would more or less repeat what was said by her husband.
41. Have G. Remone and his wife forgiven one another? – A. No. For that they need to achieve a high degree of perfection.
42. If these two Spirits met on Earth as incarnate Spirits what would be their mutual feelings?
– A. Just antipathy.
43. If G. Remone saw his body, like a visitor, in the cave of St. Michel would he experience a sensation that would be unknown to the other curious people? – A. Yes but such a sensation would seem natural to him.
44. Has he seen his body again after he was removed from Earth? – A. Yes.
45. What were his impressions? – A. None. You must understand that once separated from the material envelope the spirit sees things differently from here when compared to the incarnate ones.
46. Could we have more information about the current condition of Mrs. Remone? – A. Ask.
47. What is her gender now? – A. Female.
48. What is her motherland? – A. She is in the Antilles as the daughter of a rich tradesman.
49. The Antilles belong to several nations. What is hers? – A. She lives in Havana.
50. Can we know her name? – A. Do not ask me that.
51. What is her age? – A. She is eleven years old.
52. What are her trials? – A. She will lose her fortune and will live an illegitimate and hopeless love added to misery and hard labor.
53. You say illegitimate love. Will she love her father, brother or another family member? –
A. She will love a man of God, she will be alone and without any hope of being corresponded.
54. Now that we know the trials of that spirit couldn’t we evoke her from time to time in her sad days and give her some advice to reestablish her courage and help her to wait in God? Would that influence the resolutions she would make in the vigil state? – A. Very little. That young lady already has a huge imagination and is knuckle headed.
55. You said that in the country where she lives their nights are our days. But between Havana and Saint-Jean d’Angély the time difference is only five and half hours. At the time of evocation it was 2 pm here and 8:30 am in Havana. – A. Well, she was asleep when you evoked her while you were up long before that. In those regions rich people sleep longer hours and there isn’t much to do.

Observation: Several lessons are found in this evocation. If the incarnate spirit cannot remember the past in the ordinary life the situation changes when unleashed during the sleep. Hence there is no rupture in the life of the spirit that during times of emancipation may look at the past to previous existences and carry over an intuition that may guide them in the vigil state. On several occasions we have pointed out the inconveniences produced by an accurate memory of the past in the present life. These evocations give us an example. It was said that if G. Remone and his wife met they would have a mutual feeling of antipathy. What would happen if they remembered they former relationship! It would break an inevitable reciprocal hatred. Instead of just two antipathetic or indifferent persons towards one another they would perhaps be mortal enemies. In their ignorance they are more themselves and follow their new journeys more freely. The memory of the past would disturb them, humiliating them before others and themselves. The oblivion state does not impair their experience since they are born with the acquired intelligence and morality. They are what they have made. It is a new starting point. It would be an atrocious pain if the memory of the latest death would join the new trials to be endured by G. Remone and God wanted to avoid that by casting a veil onto his past.

punished. – A. Yes my dear, each one receives reward or punishment according to their works. Make sure you do the right thing.
61. Your jokes do not intimidate us. We have trust in God. But it seems that you are still much delayed. – A. As in the past I am always the Big John.
62. How come you cannot respond to our serious questions? – A. Oh serious people, why me? I am always more prepared for laughing than philosophy.
63. (To the guardian angel of the medium) – Can you give us some information about this spirit? – A. He is not sufficiently advanced to provide you with good reasons.
64. Would there be any danger in communicating with him? Could we lead him to better feelings? – A. It could be more advantageous to him than to you. Try it. You may perhaps convince him to see things from another point of view.
65. (To the spirit) – Do you know that the spirit must progress? That through successive incarnations the spirit is supposed to get to God from whom you seem very separated? –
A. I never thought of that and that is why I am so far away from that objective. I have no intention of initiating such a journey.

Observation: Here is a spirit that for his lightheartedness and little advancement is not concerned with reincarnation. When the time is right for him to initiate a new existence what will be his choice? It will evidently suit his habits and character so that he can continue in another incarnation instead of atoning, until such time he is advanced enough to understand his consequences. It is like the story of the unexperienced boy who tries every adventure and experiences on his own. We must remember here that the little advanced Spirits who are incapable of making a fully informed choice there are compulsory incarnations.

66.Do you know G. Remone? – A. Yes, in reality his is the miserable one.
67. Were you suspicious that he could have murdered his wife? – A. I was a little selfish thus more worried about myself than others. When I learned about her death I honestly cried but I did not try to know the cause of death.
68. What was your position then? – A. I was a simple auxiliary court clerk; an office boy as you say.
69. After the death of that lady, have you thought of her again? – A. Do not remind me of all that again.
70. We want you to remember because you seem to be better as a person than you initially showed us. – A. I thought of her a few times. However, since I was naturally lighthearted the memory of her would come and go.
71. What was your name? – A. You are very curious. If I were not forced to stay I would have walked away already leaving you behind with your sermons.
72. You lived in a religious century. Haven’t you ever prayed for that woman who you loved?
– A. Yes I did.
73. Have you ever seen G. Remone and his wife again in the spiritual world? – A. I went back to meet the guys like me and when those crying babies wanted to show up I turned my back on them. I do not like the drama…
74. Go on. – A. I am not so talkative like you. I will stop here if you like.
75. Are you happy today? – A. Why not? I have fun by pranking the oblivious ones who believe to be dealing with good Spirits. When they deal with us we trick them nicely.
76. That is not happiness. The proof that you are not happy is that you said yourself that you were forced to come here. Well, one cannot be happy when forced to do something that is unpleasant. – A. Do not we always have superiors above us? That does not preclude us from being happy. Everyone seeks happiness where they can find it.
77. With some effort, particularly through prayer, you could reach the happiness of those who command you. – A. I did not think of that. You will make me ambitious. Aren’t you tricking me? Do not disturb my poor spirit for nothing.
78. We are not tricking you. You must work for your own advancement. – A. That requires a lot of sacrifice and I am too lazy.
79. When someone is too lazy a friend may help. We will then help you by praying for you. –
A. Pray then so that I may decide to pray myself.
80. We will pray but join us. – A. Do you believe that if I prayed I would have thoughts similar to yours?
81. No doubt but pray on your side. We will evoke you on Thursday to see the progress that you might have done and give you advices if you agree. – A. So long then.
82. Can you tell us your name now? – A. Jacques Noulin.

The following day the spirit was evoked again and was asked different questions about Mrs. Remone. His answers were very little educational and similar to the first ones. After being asked about it St. John said: “You were mistaken by disturbing this spirit and awakening his former passions. It would have been better to wait for the scheduled day. He was in a new kind of confusion. Your evocation had placed him in a new level of thoughts completely different from his common ideas. He was not able to make a firm decision yet although he was prepared to try the prayer. Wait until the proposed day. From now to that day if he listens to the good Spirits who want to help you in your good tasks you may obtain something.”

83. (To St. John) – Has Jacques Noulin made amendments after the last evocation? – A. He prayed and there was light in his soul. He now believes that he is destined to become better and he is prepared to work.
84. What should we do to help him? – A. Ask about the current state of his soul and make him look inwardly so that he can detect the change.
85. (To Jacques Noulin) – Have you given any thought to what you promised and can you tell us how do you see things today? – A. Before anything else I want to thank you. You spared me many years of darkness. Since a few days now I understand that God is my objective; that I must strive to be worthy of him. A new era is presented before me. Darkness is over and I can now see the path ahead. My heart is full of hope and I am sustained by the good Spirits who help the weak. I will follow this new avenue in which I have already found tranquility and that must lead me to happiness.
86. Were you really happy as you said? – A. I was very unhappy. I can see now. But I was happy as everybody else who does not look upwards. I did not think of the future and wandered around on Earth as a lighthearted person, not giving any serious thought. Oh! How much regret for the blindness that made me waste such a precious time! You made a friend, do not forget that. Call me whenever you want and I will attend if I can.
87. What do your former peers think of you now? – A. They make fun of me for having listened to the good Spirits whose presence and advices are hated by them all.
88. Would you be allowed to go and see them? – A. I am now devoted to my progress. As a matter of fact, the good angels who care for me now do not allow me to look backwards but to show my wickedness only.

Observation: Undoubtedly there is no material means of confirming the identity of the Spirits who gave these communications. Hence we will not state it in absolute terms. We offer this as a disclaimer to those who believe that we blindly accept everything that comes from the Spirits. If anything we fail due to over scrutinizing as opposed to mistrust. Fact is that we must be careful not to take by truth something that cannot be controlled. Now, in the absence of positive proofs we must limit ourselves to discuss the possibility and seek the moral proofs in the absence of material ones.

The answers in the case above have a character of likelihood and particularly of elevated morality. There is no contradiction; none of those less logical answers shock common sense or reveal deception; everything concatenates perfectly; everything confirms what has been shown by experience. It is certain that it is not a novel created by people but a piece of mediumistic work. If it were the fantasy of a spirit it would have come from a frivolous spirit for the good Spirits do not enjoy writing novels and the frivolous ones always reveal their objective.

We add the fact that the Spiritist Society of Saint-Jean d’Angély is one of the most serious and better administered centers. It was started by very serious people who were highly commended for their character. This can be assessed by the wisdom and by the method utilized in the formulation of the questions. Hence all communications obtained there attest to the superiority of the manifesting Spirits. The evocations above were performed in excellent conditions both with respect to the ambient and the nature of the mediums involved. For us it is at least a guarantee of the most absolute sincerity. Besides the veracity of the report was explicitly confirmed by the best mediums of the Parisian Society.

Looking at this from a moral point of view only, there is a serious issue. Here we have two Spirits Remone and Noulin brought from their condition to a state of better feelings through the evocation and advices that were given to them. One can ask if they would remain unhappy in case they had not been evoked and what happens to all other unfortunate Spirits who are not evoked? The answer has already been given in “The story of a naughty spirit” published in The Spiritist Review, 1860. We add that since these two Spirits had arrived at a point to be touched by regret and were prepared to receive light, their evocation was provoked by providential circumstances, although fortuitous, contributing to their improvement and instruction. The evocation was the means but, in the absence of God, it does not lack other resources to come to the rescue of the unfortunate ones. We must also rest assured that every spirit that is willing to advance will always find assistance one way or another.

A.K.

The title above will provoke laughter on the nonbelievers. Never mind! They laughed at many other things that did not preclude them from being acknowledged as true. The good Spirits care about the suffering of humanity. Hence it does not come as a surprise the fact that they try to bring us relief and they have proved on many occasions that they can do it when they are elevated enough to have the necessary knowledge since they can see what the human eyes cannot and foresee what people cannot foresee.

The medication in question was given to Ms. Ermance Dufaux* in the circumstances below – she sent us the formula with an authorization to have it published in favor of others who could benefit from that. One of her relatives who had died long ago had brought it from America. This prescription was a balm that was highly efficient in the treatment of ulcers and wounds. With his death the prescription that was not passed on to anybody was then lost.

Ms. Dufaux was affected by an old and serious illness in her leg that had been resisted to all sorts of treatments. Tired of the uselessness of so many medicines one day she enquired her protector spirit if would there be any possible cure in her case.

“Saffron, 20 centigrams, cumin 4g, yellow wax 31-32g, oil of sweet almond 1 spoon. Melt the wax and then add the oil; add the saffron and the cumin in a little cloth bag and simmer for ten minutes. Spread the ointment on a piece of cloth and cover the wound. Renovate the procedure every day. Before applying the medication, it is necessary to wash the wounded area with mallow water or another refreshing lotion.”

Ms. Dufaux followed the instructions and very soon thereafter her leg was healed and, since then there has been no other incident. A lady that does laundry works for her was also cured of a similar illness. A worker that was injured by a shrapnel from a sickle and that penetrated deeply in his leg presented significant swelling to the point of being told that there would be the need for the leg to be amputated. After the application of the same ointment the swelling disappeared and the piece of metal was removed from the wound. The man totally recovered and was back to work in eight days. When applied onto abscessed boils, it suppurates and heals in a very short time. It acts by removing the morbid principles from the ulcer then healing it by allowing the removal of slivers when applicable, like a speck of bone, wood, etc. It seems also to be good to herpes and all affections of the skin in general. Its composition, as seen above, is very simple, easy and inoffensive. One can then try it without worries.

Although typology is a very slow means of communication with some patience it is possible to obtain lengthy pieces of work. Mr. Jaubert, from Carcassonne, sent us a collection of fables and poetry that he obtained through that process. If not all of them are masterpieces – something that does not offend Mr. Jaubert since he does not discuss the merits of the work – some are remarkable leaving aside the interest about their origin. Here is one that although not part of the collection was dedicated by the spirit to the Spiritist Society of Bordeaux, giving an idea about the traits of that spirit.

_______________________________________

* Vol. in-18, 2 francs. In Carcassonne, L. Labau; in Paris, Ledoyen, Palais-Royal.

Come! Come! Dear Dr. Imbroglio
The planchette moves on its own: that is visible.
Never mind! I will prove in a folio
That this thing is impossible!

We will make an observation about the qualification given to the spirit that dictated the poem above. Rightly so, the serious Spirits decline the adjective of rapping Spirits for this title is more adequate to those who could be called professional rappers, malevolent or lightheartedly Spirits that use raps to entertain or torment others and who are not concerned with serious things. Typtology, however, is a medium for intelligent communications, like any other, and the more advanced Spirits utilize

it in the absence of an alternative, given the fact that they would prefer to write since it responds faster to the speed of thought. It is true that in such a case they are not the rapping ones. They transmit the ideas, leaving the material execution to subordinate Spirits, like the artist requiring the help of the worker to carve the marble. The following letter was sent by Mr. Jaubert to Mr. Sabô, from Bordeaux. It is a pleasure to have it published to demonstrate the bonds established amongst the Spiritists of several places and to encourage the fearful.

Dear Sir,

I am touched by your letter. I gladly accept that title you give to the Spiritist Society of Bordeaux. I accept it as a reward to my little work, my profound conviction and – why not to say? – to the endured hardship. The new faith is greatly misunderstood until today. The scientists surge against; the ignorant follow them; the clergy scream out that it is the devil and some believers remain quiet. In this century of materialism, of crude appetites, of fratricide wars, of blind and uncontrolled appeal of material things, God intervenes: the dead speak, invite and give us encouragement. That is why each one of us must inscribe their names on the flag of the sacred cause.

We are always the soldiers of Christ. We proclaim the greatness and immortality of the soul, the tangible links that bond the living ones to the dead; we preach love and charity. Why should we have anything to fear? To be weak is to be guilty. That is why, Sir, to the limits of my own strength, I have accepted the task imposed by God and by my own conscience. Once more let me thank you very much for having accepted me among you. Be my interpreter together with the brothers of Bordeaux and be assured of my sincerest and fraternal feelings.

M. Jaubert, Vice-President of Civilian Court


Observation: Spiritism today counts on a large number of followers among magistrates and lawyers as well as public servants but not all of them dare face public opinion. That fear, however, diminishes daily and very soon the jesters will be surprised by having pointed their fingers and disrespectfully called honorable and knowledgeable people mad.

1^st – General Considerations


The human being or the incarnate spirit may be on your Earth on a mission, in progress of punishment. Having said that, you must know once and for all the state of mission, progression or punishment must accomplish the term designed by the supreme justice otherwise a new test must be reinitiated. Hence anticipating the return to the world of the Spirits by oneself or through provocation is an enormous crime. The duel is an even bigger crime since it is simultaneously both a premeditated murder and a suicide. Do you believe in fact that the challenger and the challenged are not committing moral suicide when they voluntarily expose themselves to the mortal attacks of the adversary? Do you believe that they are not both murderers when they mutually seek to destroy the life of one another, life that was chosen by them or imposed as atonement or trial by God? Yes, my friend, I tell you this: the duelist is a double criminal to the eyes of God; their punishment shall be twice as terrible for there will be no excuses once everything was cold-bloodedly premeditated and calculated. I read it in your heart, my child, because you were also a criminal and here is my answer: In order to avoid failing before such a terrible temptation the only thing you need is humility, sincerity and charity towards your brother in God. On the other hand, pride and ostentation will lead you to failure.

2^nd – Spiritual consequences


The one that, like Jesus, humbly forgave and supported the greatest grievances and who had forgiven in their heart for the love of God will conquer, in addition to the celestial reward of a new life, peace in this life and an indescribable happiness for having respected God’s work twice. The one who had demonstrated fraternal love in the charity to the neighbor will have granted the protection and support of the glorious mother of Jesus for she loves and blesses those who obey the commandments of God; those who follow and practice the teaching of her son.

The one who, despite the attacks, had respected the life of a brother and his own life will find millions of legions of good Spirits in the ethereal world, demonstrating their devotion and sympathy in his first steps in the new life, like true friends and brothers that he would have conquered. Together they will thank God through their actions for the mercy of having one brother resisting temptation.

I tell you this: the one that resists these temptations may wait not for changes in God’s designs, which are immutable, but for the sincere and affectionate benevolence of the Spirit of Truth, the son of God, who will in an incomparable way inundate their soul with the happiness of having understood the Spirit of perfect justice and infinite goodness and consequently spare him or her of any similar trap.

The ones instead, challenged or challengers, who have succumbed may rest assured that they will experience the greatest moral tortures by the continual presence of the dead body of their victims as well as their own. Eaten by remorse for centuries for having disobeyed so miserably the celestial laws, persecuted by the horrible spectrum of the double bloody corpses up until the time of atonement.

Still fortunate if they relieve their pain through sincere and profound repentance that opens their souls for reason that they will at least envisage an end to their punishments, understanding God and begging for strength in order to never again provoke the severe justice.


3^rd – Human consequences


The words duty, honor and courage are sometimes considered matters of life and death by human beings, thus justifying their actions and crimes. Do they always understand their meaning? Do not they assume and self-interpret Jesus’ intentions? Why changing their meaning then? Why returning to barbarian times?

Unfortunately human beings, in their majority, are still under the influence of pride and ostentation. They amplify the words duty, honor and courage as excuses to themselves, not realizing their meaning: execution of God’s commandments, wisdom, charity and love. They use those words, however, to strangulate their brothers, to commit suicide and to find themselves lost. What a blindness! They consider themselves strong for having triumphed over someone weaker. They are blind in believing that the agreement of other blind like themselves will bring human consideration! The society where they live reproach them and it will soon curse them for the kingdom of fraternity is near. Meanwhile sensible people stay away from them as if running away from beasts. Let us check a few cases and see if reason justifies their interpretation of the words duty, honor and courage.

A man is heartbroken and his soul is full of sorrow because he found irrefutable proofs of misconduct from the part of his wife. He then challenges one of those who seduced the poor miserable woman. Would such a challenge be the result of his duties, his honor and courage? No because his honor will not be reestablished. His personal honor was not and cannot be achieved. This will be vengeance. In addition, to demonstrate that his pretense honor is not at risk his misfortune is ignored and would remain ignored if not made public by a thousand voices provoked by the scandal of the vengeance.

Finally, if his misfortune were known he would count on the sympathy of every sensible person and would only be laughed at by malevolent and indifferent people who are nevertheless insignificant.

In any case his honor would not be reestablished or damaged. Hence it is almost only pride that guides the duelists and not honor.


Do you really believe that it is just a single word; a false interpretation of a statement or the involuntary and invisible touch of an elbow in motion; or even a yes or a no or eventually the way someone may look at another person that will make the duelist to the pretense demand for reparation through murder or suicide? Ah! Make no mistake. Pride and certainty about one’s power are the only drivers sometimes boosted by pride as the duelist wants to show off, demonstrate courage and knowledge and sometimes generosity.

Ostentation! Ostentation I repeat because the only thing they know is about the duel itself whilst courage and generosity are lies.

Would you like to present this courageous swordsman with a real test? Offer him a rival who bears a huge reputation, much above his own, although less educated and he will go pale and try everything possible to avoid the combat. Conversely placing him before a much weaker and uninformed opponent and he will look ruthless, proud and arrogant even when forced to show mercy.

Is that courage?


Let us now talk about generosity. Would a man who is confident in his own strength be generous after provoking the weak and then sparing his life, allowing for continuous humiliation and ridicule? Would a man who desires something be generous by provoking someone in order to obtain that and be rewarded by his generosity? Would the criminal be generous by sparing the lives of those who they have offended?

Would he be generous by giving demonstrations of generosity to a husband or a brother to whom he caused profound harm and who are now exposed to suicide by despair? Know this my friends: the duel is a terrible invention of bad and malevolent Spirits, a barbarian invention that affects our good Father.

It is up to you, Spiritists, to fight against and destroy this sad habit, a crime proper to the angels of darkness. It is up to you, Spiritists, to give a noble example of renunciation to this dismal evil, despite everything. It is up to you, sincere Spiritists, to make understood the sublime words duty, honor and courage and God will speak through your voices. Finally, it is up to you to sow the seeds of Spiritism among your brothers, seeds so much ignored by us in our earthly lives.

Your father, Antonio.


Observation: Pistol duels are increasingly rarer – at least in France – and if we still see painful examples from time to time their number is not comparable to those of the past. In the old days a man would not leave home without expecting an encounter for which it was necessary to take precautions. A characteristic and traditional habit in those days was to carry defensive or offensive weapons openly or hidden. The abolishment of such a habit demonstrates the softening of customs and it is curious to follow its evolution since the time when the knights would never ride without their armors and spears up until the simple use of the sword more like an ornament than a weapon so to speak. Another milestone in the evolution of things is that in the past the duels would take place out in the street before the crowds that would make room for the combat and now they are hidden. Today the death of a person causes commotion. In the past, people would not pay attention. Spiritism will erase these last vestiges of barbarism by introducing in people the spirit of charity and fraternity.

Note: This communication was obtained in a private session presided by Mr. Allan Kardec


Here you are gathered to see Spiritism at its foundation, to face this idea and to appreciate the huge waves of love that overwhelm those who get to know it. Spiritism is moral progress; it is the elevation of the spirit on the way to God. Progress is fraternity in its infancy for complete fraternity as imaginable by the spirit is perfection. Pure fraternity is a perfume from above, an emanation from the infinite, an atom of celestial intelligence; it is the basis of all moral institutions and the only means of achieving a sustainable social order and producing the effects worthy of the cause that you have embraced. Hence, be brothers and sisters in humanity if you want the seeds sowed among you to develop and become the tree that you seek. Union is the sovereign power that comes to Earth and fraternity is the sympathy in the union, it is the poetry, the enchantment, the positive ideal.

You must be united to be strong and be strong to cast the foundations of an institution that is solely based on the truth, the so-much admirable, touching, simple and sublime truth. When divided, the strength disappears. When united, it becomes stronger.

When we think about the individual progress of each person, about the love and charity that comes out of each heart the power shall be much greater. Under the sublime breeze of this ineffable breath, family bonds become stronger and the social links so vaguely defined become bolder, get closer and establish a unique stream with all kinds of thoughts, wishes and objectives.

What can you see without fraternity? Selfishness and greed. Each one with their own objective; each one concerned with themselves only; each marching separately and every one inexorably dragged to the abyss in which human dreams have been drowning for centuries. With union there is only one objective since there is only one thought, one desire and one heart. Hence, my friends, unite and that is what the voice of our spiritual world repeats incessantly. Unite and you shall reach the objective more rapidly.

It is particularly in this entirely sympathetic meeting that you must make the irrevocable resolution of being united by a thought common to every Spiritist on Earth to offer the tribute of your acknowledgement to the one who has opened to you the path to the supreme good; the one who brought happiness to your minds, joy to your hearts and faith to your souls. Your acknowledgment is your present reward. Therefore do not refuse that and make your offer in one voice only walking the first step of true fraternity.

Léon de Muriane, protector spirit.

Observation: This name is totally unknown, even to the medium. This demonstrates that to be an elevated spirit it is unnecessary to have one’s name inscribed in the archives of history and that there are many unknown Spirits among those who communicate.

Mr. Émile who received the previous communication and many others equally remarkable, is very young. He is not only an excellent writing medium but he is also a painting medium even though he had not ever learned drawing or painting. He oil paints landscapes and multiple themes choosing and combining the required colors. From the point of view of quality his paintings are certainly not perfect since there have been many seen in exhibitions but have not been taken noticed. They lack finishing touch and subtleness and the shades are crisp and too accentuated. However, when we look at how they are created, it is quite remarkable. Who knows if he will not become a true painter with practice and acquire the skill that he lacks, like the worker of Bordeaux who barely writes his name but who writes as a medium and ended up developing a nice handwriting for his personal use without any teacher other than the Spirits? When we saw Mr. Émile he was finishing an allegoric painting where one can see a funeral that reads on top: Here lies eighteen centuries of light. We allowed ourselves to criticize such inscription first for not understanding the meaning of such allegory by placing eighteen centuries of lights in a coffin since, we said, thanks to Christianity humanity is now more enlightened than in those days. That happened in the session on September 16^th when he received the communication above.

The spirit then responded to our observations adding the following: The expression here lies is placed there intentionally. The subject is not the number 18 representing centuries, rather it is a summation of centuries, a collective idea as if there was a time interval lasting 18 centuries. You may tell your grammarians that they should not confuse a collective idea with the idea of time span.” Do not they say to themselves when referring to the crowds that may be formed by an incalculable number of people that it may dislocate? That is enough about the subject. That is how it must be for this is the idea.

Let us now talk about the allegory. Eighteen centuries of lights in a coffin! This idea represents all the struggle endeavored by truth during this time, struggles always endeavored by the spirit of party and by selfishness. Eighteen centuries of lights at daylight would have been eighteen centuries of happiness for humanity, eighteen centuries that just begin to sprout on Earth and that would have had its development. Christ brought truth to Earth and made it available to all. What happened to that? It was taken over by human passions and thrown in a coffin from where Spiritism has just recovered it. Such is the allegory.”

Léon de Muriane

Paris is the port of arrival for the world. Everyone comes here to collect an idea or an impression. When I was among you I used to ask myself why this great city, meeting point of the world, did not shelter a large Spiritist gathering but as large as that allocated in the largest amphitheaters. Sometimes I used to think that the Parisian Spiritists were much too devoted to having fun. I even thought that the Spiritist faith was an amateurish pleasure, a distraction among many continuously offered by Paris. However, from a distance and nonetheless so close to you I see and understand better. Paris seats on the riverbanks of the Sena but in fact Paris is everywhere and its powerful mind revolves the world daily.

Like Paris, the central Society spreads its thoughts throughout the universe. Its strength is not in the circle where the sessions take place but in all countries that follow its dissertations, in all places where it becomes law given its intelligent teachings. It is like the sun whose beams reach the infinite. For that very reason the Society cannot be a common group. Its points of view are predestined and greater is its apostolic mission. It cannot be restricted to a small space. It needs to reach the world for its nature is invasive. In fact, today it pacifically conquer cities, tomorrow kingdoms and later on the whole world.

When visited by a stranger you welcome him or her with warmth and dignity so that the person may carry a great idea of Spiritism, this powerful weapon of civilization that must pave every way and defeat every resistance and destroy every doubt. That is needed so that everyone may have their Spirits nourished by a food that transforms everything in its mysterious passage for the new belief is strong like God, great like Him, charitable like everything else that comes from a superior power, that harms in order to send consolation, giving in the works of humanity prayer and pain in anticipation.

Blessed may you be, my dear Society, you that always give with benevolence, you that carries out tough task without looking at the obstacles on the way. You have deserved a lot from God. You will not be and cannot be an ordinary center but on the contrary – I repeat – you must be the beneficent spring where suffering will always come to find the healing balsam.

Sanson, (former member of the Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies)

My dear and beloved friends and listeners, you have asked today that I ask my medium about the history of language. I will try to satisfy you. You must understand, however, that it would be impossible for me to handle this important issue in a few lines only, an issue to which another even more import is forcibly connected that is the origin of the human races. May the Almighty God, so benevolent with the Spiritists, give me the necessary lucidity to keep away from my explanation any source of confusion, obscurity and mistakes!

I enter the subject by saying that we must initially admit in principle this eternal truth: The Creator gave all creatures of the same race a special but safe way of understanding each other. Yet, that means of communication called language was all the more restricted the lower the species. That is why savage and less civilized peoples have such primitive languages to the point that many words used in more developed regions cannot find equivalence in their language. It is in consequence of this law that progressing nations create new terms for new findings and new needs. As I said elsewhere humanity has already gone through three great periods: the Barbarian phase, the Hebraic and Pagan and the Christian phase. The great Spiritist period whose foundations we prepare with you will succeed the latter.

Let us then examine the first phase and the beginning of the second one and only repeat here what I have already told you. The first human phase that we can call pre-Hebraic or Barbarian dragged on for a long time and slowly experienced the horrors and convulsions of a terrible time. Humans there were hairy like wild animals and like the beast used to shelter in caves and under trees; subsistence is based on raw meat and human flesh in the most absolute period of anthropophagy. There was no society or family! A few groups wandering here and there in complete promiscuity always ready to devour one another. That is the picture of this cruel time. There is no cult, no tradition and no religious ideas. There is only the bodily need to be satisfied and that is all! Imprisoned in a brute matter the soul remains in a latent condition in its carnal jail. The soul could not do much as this primitive envelope surrounded it and, as such, the intelligence can hardly expand within the limited ability of this underdeveloped brain. Fuzzy eyes, heavy lids, thick lips and a cramped skull all capable of producing a few throaty sounds that constitute their language.

There is no indication that the forefathers of the Hebraic and Pagan races came from that brute animal. Nevertheless, with time, there became the need to defend themselves against other carnivores like the lion and the tiger whose terrible fangs and sharp claws easily dominated an isolated man. It was the password for the realization of the first social progress. Nevertheless, it remained as the period of matter and brute force for this whole period. Do not seek feelings or reason or even language in the people of those days. There is only blind obedience to immediate material needs and the only objective is survival through eating, drinking and sheltering. Nothing beyond. We can say that the intelligent creature is in its germ state but is not there yet. Nevertheless, it is possible to find among the brute some superior creatures, incarnate Spirits with the mission of leading humanity to its objective and speed up the appearance of the Hebraic and Pagan races.

I must add that besides those incarnate Spirits the planet was constantly visited by those ministers of God whose memory was kept by tradition as angels and archangels that almost daily were in contact with the superior and incarnate Spirits that I mentioned. The mission of some of those angels continued during a great part of the second human phase. I must add that the quick picture above of the initial times of humanity teaches you a little about the strict laws to which the Spirits are submitted in going through the exercise of inhabiting planets of recent formation.

Language, properly speaking, as well as social life, only starts to incorporate a structured character in the Hebraic and Pagan era during which the incarnate spirit, always subjected to matter, begins to rebel and break down some links of the heavy chain. The soul ferments and agitates in its carnal prison; it fights hard against the physical limitations of the brain whose matter is made sensitive by the soul itself; there is permanent work through which the performance of the brain and its faculties improves and consequently the physical organs are developed; finally thoughts can be transmitted through clear and limpid eyes. We are now far from the flattened craniums! It is the beginning of the self-identification of the soul and the human being begins to understand that there is something beyond the body.

The soul feels and acknowledges itself and is aware of oneself and begins to understand that it is independent of the body. It is the beginning of the struggle against the oppression of the greatest rival. Humans begin to experience significant change and intelligence moves more freely in a more developed brain. Yet people are still marked and sold like cattle and man is the slave of man; slavery is consecrated by the God of the Hebrew as much as by the Pagan gods and Jehovah, like Jupiter and Olympic, demand blood and live victims. This second phase offers curious aspects from a philosophical point of view about which I have already provided a quick description that will be soon communicated to you by the medium. In any case and to return to the main subject you must rest assured that it was only during the long patriarchal and pastoral periods that human language established a regular progress adopting special forms and sounds.

During that primitive era in which humanity was just leaving the cradle and beginning to mumble in its infancy only a few words were needed for communication for people without any science and whose needs were restricted and whose social relationships stop at the entrance of the huts, primitive families and later on tribes. It was the time when the father, the shepherd, the elder or the patriarch had absolute domination with the right of life and death.

The primitive language was uniform; as the number of shepherds increased they broke away from the paternal protection and founded other regions that were still inhabited with new families and tribes.

Their languages followed different patterns and progressed and from generation to generation modified from the original paternal structure; that is how the several languages were created. Furthermore, and with the disclaimer that my intention is not to provide you with a course on linguistics, it should not go unnoticed that in the most distant and different languages you will find radicals that have almost not changed and whose meanings are almost the same. On another hand since you have the pretension of being from the old world the same reason that corrupted the primitive language is still very much present in your France so much proud of its civilization where you see the terms and meanings varying not from town to town but from county to county. I call the attention of those who have visited Bretagne as well as those who traveled to Provence and Languedoc. There is a variety of idioms and dialects that surprises anyone wishing to compile a single dictionary.

Once primate people, helped by the missionaries of the Eternal, gave certain special sounds to some special ideas the spoken language was created and the modifications suffered later were always the result of human progress; hence and according to the richness of a given language, one can easily establish the degree of civilization of the people that speak that language. I can add that humanity marches towards a common language as a forced consequence of a communion of moral and political ideas and most importantly religion. That shall be the task of the new Spiritist philosophy that we are teaching you today.

Erastus

To Mr. B. G. à La Calle, Algeria.

The Spirits’ Book and The Mediums’ Book are not yet translated to Italian.

To Mr. Dumas, from Sétif, Algeria

I received the Echo of Sétif and read with attention the two remarkable scientific articles about Spiritism that were published in that Journal. I will discuss them in detail in the next issue. I am pleased for having seeing that of the doctrine into account and for having treated it seriously.