Causes of disbeliefDear Mr. Allan Kardec,
I read your first publications about Spiritism with a lot of suspicion, even with a feeling of disbelief. Later I read them again with great attention like I did with your next publications, as they appeared.
I must go straight to the point and say that I used to belong to the materialistic school of thought because out of all philosophical sects it was the one that showed more tolerance and never resourced to arms to defend a God who said through the Master: “…they will prove to be my disciples by loving one another.” In addition, the majority of those who taught religion and moral to the young minds seemed to be more determined to scare the souls than teach them to be good and wait for the reward to their sacrifices and sufferings.
Hence the most materialistic people of all times and particularly the philosophers of the last century, the majority of which illuminated Arts and Sciences, increased the number of their proselytes since education emancipated people. The void was chosen when compared to the eternal sufferings.
It is natural that the miserable person makes this comparison. If the comparison brings advantages then one will doubt everything else. In fact when we learn to see vice in the opulence and virtue in misery and when one does not have a reasoned doctrine proven by facts than desperation takes over one’s soul and the question that follows is what is the benefit of virtue and one does attribute the scruples of conscience to prejudices and to our initial education.
Since I ignore what you are going to do with this letter I wish you to feel free to do whatever you like but I believe to be useful to let people know the causes that led to my conversion.
I had a vague idea about magnetism. Some considered it something serious and real, others treated it as something foolish. Therefore I gave no importance to the matter.
Later I heard about the dancing and talking tables all over the place but everyone handled that subject as they did with magnetism hence I gave no importance either.
Nevertheless a totally unforeseeable circumstance brought to my knowledge the “Treatise of Magnetism and Somnambulism” by Mr. Aubin Gauthier. I read the book with a biased mind against its content to the point that the explanations given there seemed extraordinary and impossible to me.
However, when I got to the page in which that honest man says: “We do not want people just to believe in our word. Try it following the principles that we indicated here and if you confirm the veracity of what we advanced in the book all we want is that you act in good faith and agree with us.”
That language with such a logical certainty, only possible in a practical person, paralyzed me, submitted my mind to reflection and forced me to carry out the experiments.
I initially started with a sixteen-year-old teenager of my own family, attaining results that were beyond expectation. As it is difficult to describe the confusion that it caused in my mind, I suspected myself and asked if that boy was not tricked me who was horse playing and making fun and confusing me since he could detect my intentions.
Just to make sure, I employed some indicated precautions and found a magnetizer. I got confirmation that the boy was under magnetic influence. That first experiment encouraged me so much that I totally dedicated myself to the science. I had the opportunity to observe every phenomenon while I could also attest the existence of an invisible agent that produced them.
Which agent is that? Who controls it? What is its essence? Why it is not visible? These are questions that I could not answer but that led me to read everything that was written pro and con the turning tables since I said to myself if there is an invisible agent that can produce the effects that I witnessed than another agent or even perhaps the same agent could produce the effects that I was observing from which one can conclude that it was all possible. Today I believe although I have not seen anything yet.
Given the effects that are produced all these things are as remarkable as Spiritism and the critics very frankly opposed and in a way that it would not shake any conviction.
Nonetheless what really characterize this doctrine from the material effects are the moral effects. To me it is evident that every person who is honestly involved with this doctrine becomes better if a good person or is forcibly led to modify her character if a bad person.
In the early days hope was not more than the gallows where miserable people were hung. With Spiritism hope is consolation, suffering is an atonement and the spirit patiently withstand the miseries instead of rebelling against the designs of Providence, without cursing God or humanity and always marching towards perfection. Had I learned these principles and I certainly would not have gone through the school of materialism that I have fortunately left behind!
As you see, dear Sir, regardless of the brutality of my own struggles I have converted and you are one of those who contributed to that the most. Make a note of that in your records because that is not one of the smallest. From now on you can count on me as one of your followers.
Gauzy, former military officer Rue Saint-Louis 23, Batignolles, Paris
Note - This conversion is another example of the most common cause of unbelief. As long as things that reason repels are said to be absolute truths there will be unbelievers and materialists. To make one believe, it is necessary to make one understand. Our century so desires and we must march with the century if we do not want to succumb. But to make one understand, everything must be logical: principles and consequences. Mr. Gauzy enunciates a great truth in saying that the individual prefers the idea of nothingness, which puts an end to his sufferings, to the prospect of endless torments, to which it is so difficult to escape. Thus, one tries to enjoy as much as possible while on Earth. Ask a man who suffers greatly what he prefers: to die immediately or to live in pain fifty years; his choice will not be dubious. Who wants to prove too much, proves nothing; by the force of exaggerating the penalties, we end up no longer believing. We are sure that there are many people who agree with us, saying that the doctrine of the devil and eternal punishment made the largest number of materialists; that the belief of a God who created beings to destine the vast majority of them to hopeless tortures, for temporary faults, made the largest number of atheists.
