The Spiritist Review - Journal of Psychological Studies - 1862

Mr. Girard de Codemberg, a former student at the Polytechnic School, is the author of the book entitled: “Le monde spirituel ou Science chrétienne de communiquer intimement avec les puissances célestes et les âmes heureuses”. This book contains eccentric communications with strong indication of obsessions and whose publication is lamented by the serious Spiritists. The author died in 1858 and was evoked at the Parisian Society on January 14^th, 1859. The result of the evocation can be found in the April 1859 issue of The Spiritist Review. The evocation below was carried out on November 1861 in Bordeaux. There is a remarkable coincidence between the two evocations.

1. Could you answer a few questions that I would like to ask? – A. It is my duty

2. What is your situation in the spiritual world? – A. Happy, relatively to that on Earth, since I could not see the spiritual world but through my foggy thoughts and now I see the magnificent works of God unfolding before my eyes.

3. There is a passage in your book that I hold here in my hands that says: “The table is asked about the name of my guardian angel who, according to the American belief, is a happy soul that had lived on Earth and consequently had a name in our human society.” You say that such belief is a heresy. What do you think now of that heresy? – A. I said that my thoughts were unclear because I had accepted as truth things that were dictated to me by frivolous and imposter Spirits. However, in the presence of sincere and earnest Spiritists gathered here tonight I confess that the guardian angel or protector spirit is someone that has reached a moral and intellectual progress through the multiple stages of incarnations in several worlds and that the reincarnation, that I used to deny, is the most sublime and the greatest proof of justice of our Father in heavens and who wishes for our happiness instead of our loss.

4. You also mention purgatory in your book. What was the meaning that you wanted to give to that world? – A. I used to think, and rightly so, that people could not reach happiness without purifying from the stains carried over from the material life. However, instead of an abyss of flames, like I used to see it, or even better, like fear made me see it through a blind faith, purgatory is nothing more than the inferior worlds whose ranks count on our Earth and where all miseries that still slave humanity present themselves in all shapes and forms. Isn’t that the explanation to the Latin word “purgare”?

5. You also say that with respect to fasting, you guardian angel said: “Fasting is the complement of a Christian life and you must comply with that.” What is your opinion about it now? – A. Complement of a Christian life! How about the Jews and Muslims who also fast? Fasting is not appropriate to a Christian life only. Nonetheless it is sometimes useful since it can mitigate the influence of the body and the demands of the flesh. Believe me, a simple and frugal life is better than every fasting done with the intent of showing off to others but that in fact do not change one’s bad tendencies and inclinations. I see what you want from me. A complete disclaimer of my writings. I owe that to you because some of my contemporaries, who are fanatics, have a blind faith in my writings as if it were the rightful expression of truth. I am not punished for that since I acted in good faith and I was under the fearful influence of the lessons I learned in my youth that constrained my freedom of thoughts and action. Trust me, though, that very few will abandon the path delineated by Mr. Kardec to follow me. These are people that one cannot count on and who will be marked by the angel of freedom to be dragged by the maelstrom of renovation that must transform society. Yes, my friends, be Spiritists. It is Girard de Codemberg that invites you to take your place in this great fraternal banquet of brothers and reincarnation brings us together by tightening the links of fraternity in God.

OBSERVATION: Such a thought that within the great movement there must operate the renovation of humanity, those who try to hinder it and who do not take advantage of the God given warnings will be expelled to inferior worlds, such a thought is now reproduced in communications from the Spirits all over the place. The same happens to this one: The time for such transformation is now and its symptoms may be felt already. The idea that Spiritism must be the basis of that transformation is universal. Such a coincidence has something of remarkable.

6. You say that you had evoked the Virgin Mary who gave you advices. Was that manifestation real? – A. How many among you mistakenly believe to be inspired by her? Be your own and my judge.

7. You addressed the Virgin with the following question: “Is there, at least in the fate of the punished souls, the hope sustained by several theologians of the gradation of the punishments?” You say that her answer was: “The eternal punishments have no gradation. They are all the same and the flames are the executioners.” What is your opinion about it? – A. The punishments inflicted upon the bad Spirits are real but not eternal. You have the daily testimony of that given by your parents and friends who attend your calls and give you teachings of all sorts that just confirm the truth.

8. Someone attending our session asks if the fire burns physically or morally. – A. It is a moral fire.

The spirit then continues spontaneously: Dear friends in Spiritism, God have chosen you for the sacred propagation. More fortunate than I was, a spirit on a mission on Earth has delineated a path that you must walk steadily and with determination. Be kind and fear nothing for this is the path of progress and morality of the human race. As for myself who had only sketched the actual work that you master has designed, given my lack of courage to move away from the solid terrain, I have the task of guiding you in your condition of spirit in the good and safe path that you chose. I will then be able to repair the bad I did for ignorance and help with my weak possibilities the great transformation of society. Do not worry about the brothers who move away from your beliefs. On the contrary, act in such a way that those will no longer contaminate the herd of the true believers for they are the rancid ssheep and you must avoid infection. Good bye. I will return with this medium. So long.


Girard de Codemberg


NOTE: We consulted about the identity of the spirit and our guides responded: “Yes, my friends, he suffers for the bad influence caused by the doctrine that he published. He had, however, atoned the mistake already on d and the disease that killed him resulted from that obsession.”

1. Evocation – A. I am here.

2. Does our evocation please you? – A. Yes since very few of you think of this poor playful spirit

3. What is your situation in the spiritual world? – A. I am happy.

4. What do you think about the current generation of people that live on Earth? – A. I think that they have not advanced much in morality and if I lived among you I would be able to utilize my characters with the same shocking truth that I used to do when alive. I find my excesses, my selfish and my arrogant people in the same condition as when I died.

5. Your characters enjoy a much-deserved reputation. What is your current opinion about your work? – A. I do not think they have the merit that you attribute to them otherwise they would have led to a different result. But I understand that when people read it they do not compare themselves to those portrayals given the fact that they carry a shocking truth. You all have a certain dose of self-love sufficient enough to defer to others your own personal defects and you never recognize yourself when you are portrayed with your true traces.

6. You have just said that the characters could have been applied today with the same veracity. You do not see a progress in humanity? – A. In general, intelligence has advanced but moral betterment has not moved a foot forward. If Moliere and I could still write we would still do the same thing that we did: useless works that warned but did not correct you. Spiritism will have a better luck. You will gradually comply with its doctrine and will reformulate the vices that we pointed out when alive.

7. Do you believe that humanity will still rebel against the warnings given by the incarnate Spirits on a mission on Earth and by the Spirits that come to help them? – A. No. Time has come for the progress and renovation of planet Earth and its inhabitants. That is why the good Spirits come to help you. I have said enough tonight. In a few days I will prepare one of my characters.

8. Could your characters also be applied to certain errant Spirits driven by identical feelings?
– A. To everyone that in the condition of spirit still bear the same passions that dominated them when alive. Forgive me for my honesty but whenever you call me I will respond without going around the bushes. Good-bye.

Jean de La Bruyère