The Spiritist Review - Journal of Psychological Studies - 1862

Ladies and gentlemen, dear colleagues,

The Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies has begun its fifth year on April 1^st, 1862 and admittedly it has never done so under better conditions. This is not only important from our personal point of view, but it is especially important from the point of view of the doctrine in general for it unequivocally demonstrates the intervention of our spiritual guides. It would be superfluous to remind you of the humble origins of the Society, and the somehow providential circumstances of its constitution; circumstances that an eminent Spirit, who was then in power and has since re- entered the world of Spirits, told us to have contributed significantly himself.

The Society, as you will remember, ladies and gentlemen, has had its vicissitudes. It had its own elements of dissolution coming from a time when people were recruited much too easily, and its very existence was even compromised at some point. At that time I questioned its real value, not as a mere meeting place, but as a formal society. Tired of those conflicts, I was determined to retire; I hoped that once free from the obstacles sown on my way I would work better in the great work that I had initiated. I was discouraged by many spontaneous communications that were given to me from several places; there is one, among others, whose substance seems to be useful to let you know today because the events have justified the predictions. It was given as follows:

"The Society formed by us with your support is necessary; we want it to stay and it will stay, despite the reluctance of some, as you will acknowledge later. When there is evil it cannot be cured without a crisis; that is so from the small to the great: at an individual level as in societies; in societies as among peoples; among peoples as it will be with humanity. We say that our Society is necessary; when it ceases to be in the current form it will then transform as everything else. As for you, you cannot, you must not leave; However, we do not pretend to chain your free-will; we only say that if you leave it would be a mistake that you would one day regret, since it interferes with our plans

... "


Since then two years have passed, and as you can see, the Society is fortunately out of that temporary crisis in which all the incidents were reported to me, and from which resulted in a lesson of experience that we have learned and that have led us to implement measures for which we now congratulate ourselves. Freed from the concerns inherent to its previous situation, the Society was able to continue its studies unhindered. It also advanced fast and grew visibly; I do not say that it grew in numbers although it is larger than it has ever been, but rather in importance. Eighty-seven participating members have been on the annual contributions list of the year that has just ended, not including honorary members and correspondents. It would have been easy to double or even triple that number if revenue were the target; it would be just a matter of facilitating admissions. Far from diminishing those difficulties, the Society has increased them, because for being a study Society it did not want to veer off from the very principles of the institution, and that it has never entertained material interests. Since it has never sought accumulation a slightly larger or smaller number of members was indifferent. Its ascendance, therefore, has nothing to do with the number of members; it is in the ideas it investigates, develops and spreads out; it does not seek active propaganda; it has neither agents nor emissaries; it invites nobody to become a member and what may seem extraordinary, it owes its influence to this very reservation.

Here is the reasoning behind it: If the Spiritist ideas were false nothing would allow them to take root because any misconception has a transient existence; if they are true, they will become ingrained through conviction despite anything else, and the worst way to spread it would be by imposition because every idea that is imposed is suspicious and betrays its own weakness. True ideas must be accepted by reason and common sense; where they do not germinate is that the time is not right; we must wait and simply throw the seed to the wind, for sooner or later some will fall on a less arid terrain. The number of members of the Society is therefore a very secondary issue because today more than ever before the Society could not pretend to absorb all followers.

Its purpose is to provide insight into the various parts of the spiritualist science, to investigate the causes of the phenomena, and to collect all the observations likely to clarify the important issue and so much exciting interest of the state of the invisible world, of its action upon the visible world and the countless derived consequences to humanity, through conscientious studies made without prejudice and without bias.

Given its location and large network of contacts it is in the most favorable conditions to observe well and a lot. Its purpose is thus essentially moral and philosophical; but what especially gave credit to its work is the serenity and seriousness applied to those studies. At the Society everything is discussed calmly, without passion, as any person that in good faith seeks enlightenment must do. People know that it is only concerned about serious things; finally, it is the impression that many foreigners that have eventually come from distant countries to attend the meetings have taken away with respect to the order and dignity of its sessions.

Thus, the guidelines followed by the Society bear fruits. The professed principles, based on conscientious observations, are now a role model to the vast majority of Spiritists. You have successively seen before the experience the downfall of most systems that were hatched earlier on, and only a few still have some followers. This is unquestionable. So what are the ideas that grow, and which ones decline? It is a matter of fact. The doctrine of reincarnation is the principle that has been the most controversial, and its opponents have spared nothing to try and discredit it, not even insults and vulgarities, the supreme argument of those who have run out of good reasons; it has nevertheless made its way because it is based on an inflexible logic; that without this lever we run against insurmountable difficulties, and finally because it has found nothing more rational to replace it.

There is, however, a system that spreads now more than ever: the diabolical system. Unable to deny the manifestations, a party claims to prove that they are the sole work of the devil. The fury that such a system brings demonstrates that it is not so sure to be right. The Spiritists in turn are not impressed the least by those demonstrations of power and just let them wear out. At this point that system fires to all sides: speeches, small brochures, large publications, newspaper articles. It is a general attack to prove what?


That the facts that we bear witness to the might and goodness of God testify instead the power of the devil; whereby since the devil is the only one that can manifest that it is more powerful than God. By assigning to the devil everything that is good in the communications is the same as denying God from what is good and paying homage to the devil. We believe to be more respectful towards the divinity. Besides, as I said, the Spiritists do not worry with that outcry whose result will be the destruction of Satan’s prestige a bit sooner.

The Society of Paris, without the use of material means, and although numerically limited by its own will, has not made less propaganda by the force of the example, and the proof of that is the incalculable number of Spiritist groups that form through the same process, that is to say, according to the same principles it professes; it is the number of regular societies that organize themselves and request to be sponsored by our Society. There are groups in several cities in France and abroad, Algeria, Italy, Austria, Mexico, etc., and what have we done for this? Have we sought that? Have we solicited them? Have we sent emissaries or agents? Not the least; our agents are the books. The Spiritist ideas spread in a community; they first find a few echoes then, step-by-step, gain terrain. The followers feel the need to get together, less to make experiences than to talk about a subject that interests them; hence the thousands of particular groups can be called family of groups. In their number some gain greater numerical importance; we are asked for advice, and that's how unnoticeably they form this network that already has milestones on all points of the globe.

Here, ladies and gentlemen, I must naturally make an important observation about the nature of the relationship between the Society and the meetings or societies that were founded under its auspices, and that should not be considered branches. The Society of Paris has no authority over them but that of experience, but, as I said on another occasion, it does not interfere in any way in their business; its role is limited to informal advice when it is asked. The link between them is thus a purely moral link, based on sympathy and similarity of ideas; there is no affiliation between them, no material solidarity; the only maxim is the one that must unite the whole of mankind: charity and love towards the neighbor, a peaceful and trustful axiom.

The majority of members of the society lives in Paris. Some, however, live in the country or abroad, and very rarely attend the meetings, and there are even some who have never been to Paris since its foundation, and yet they have the honor of being members. In addition to the members themselves, the Society has correspondents, but their purely scientific reports are intended to be used to keep it abreast of the Spiritist movement in different localities, and provide me with documents for the history of the establishment of Spiritism, a material that I have been collecting.

Among the followers, there are those who distinguish for their enthusiasm, selflessness and dedication to the cause of Spiritism; who pay personally, not in words but in actions; the Society is pleased to pay them a particular expression of sympathy by giving them the title of honorary member.

Hence, over the last two years the Society has grown in credit and importance; but progress is also indicated by the nature of the communications received from the Spirits. For some time, in fact, these communications have gained proportions and developments that have far exceeded our expectations; they are no longer, as before, short fragments of banal moral, but essays where the highest level of philosophical issues are dealt with in a breadth and depth of thoughts that convert them into true speeches. This is what most readers of the Review have observed.

I am pleased to report further progress regarding the mediums. We have never, at any other time, seen so many take part in our work, since we happened to have up to fourteen communications in one session. But what is more valuable than the quantity is the quality that can be judged by the importance of the communications given to us. Not everybody appreciates mediumship in the same way. Some assess it by the effect; for them, the swift mediums are the most notable and the best; for us who seek instruction, above all, we attach more value to what satisfies the mind than what meets the eye. We therefore prefer a useful medium with which we learn something to an amazing medium from whom we learn nothing. With that respect we have nothing to complain, and we must thank the Spirits for keeping their promise of not leaving us deprived. Wanting to expand the circle of their teachings they also had to multiply the instruments.

But there is still one more important point, without which such teaching would not have produced fruits or produced little. We know that all Spirits are far from knowing the whole science and that they may be wrong; that they often issue their own ideas that can be true or false; that the superior Spirits want us to exercise our judgment to discern right from wrong, what is rational from what is illogical; that is why we will never accept anything with our eyes closed.

There can therefore be no profitable education without discussion; but how to discuss communications with mediums who do not accept the slightest controversy, which are hurt by a critical remark, a simple observation, and become upset if we do not applaud the things they receive, even those blemished by gross scientific heresies? This claim would be out of place if what they write were the product of their own intelligence; it is ridiculous since they are only passive instruments, because they look like an actor who would be offended if one was to criticize her for the verses that must be said. Since the medium cannot feel offended by a criticism of something that cannot reach her than it is the communicating spirit that is hurt and transmits that feeling to the medium.

For that simple reason the spirit betrays its influence since wanting to impose ideas through a blind faith and not by reasoning, or what is the same, because the spirit wants to be the only one to think. The result is that in such a situation the medium is under the influence of a spirit that deserves little trust for showing more pride than wisdom. We do know that the Spirits that belong to such category usually keep the mediums away from centers where they are not accepted without reservations.

Such caprice in mediums that are subjected to that type of influence is a great obstacle for the study. If we were only looking for the effects, this would be of minor importance to us; but as we seek instruction, we cannot avoid the discussion even by taking the risk of displeasing the mediums. Hence, that is how some have left in the past and for a non-confessed reason, since they could not have imposed themselves upon the Society like exclusive mediums and infallible interpreters of the heavenly powers. To my eyes, the obsessed are those who do not question their communications. Some take their susceptibility to the point of being offended by the priority given to the reading of the communications that was received by other mediums. Why is a communication received by another medium preferred over the one s/he received? What about the embarrassment that follows when s/he is found out? Fortunately, and in the interest of the Spiritist science, not everyone is like that and I promptly take the occasion to, in the name of the Society, thank those who support us with their service with such enthusiasm and devotion, without measuring effort or time and, without taking sides in their communications. They are the first ones to openly discuss the controversy that they may create by doing so.

In summary, ladies and gentlemen, we can only congratulate the state of the Society from the moral point of view. Everyone has noticed a significant difference in the dominating environment compared to what it was in the beginning, whose impression each one feels instinctively, in many circumstances translated by positive facts. It is undeniable that there is less discomfort and less stress, surrounded by a feeling of mutual benevolence. It seems that the disturbing Spirits, seeing their inability to sow distrust, took the wise decision of leaving.

We can also only applaud the great idea of several members to organize private meetings in their homes. They have the advantage of establishing more intimate relationships. Besides, they are convenient meeting places to a variety of people who cannot make it to the Society; where they can have a first initiation; where they can make a multitude of comments that later on will converge to the common center. Finally they are nurseries for the formation of mediums. I sincerely thank the people who gave me the honor of offering me to lead those meeting, but that is materially impossible to me; I regret very much not being able to go there as often as I would like. You know my opinion regarding particular groups; I therefore wish for their multiplication, in the Society or outside the Society, in Paris or elsewhere, because they are the most active agents of propaganda.

Our treasurer gave you the report of the financial situation of the Society. Our budget, as you know, ladies and gentlemen, is simple and just requires that there is balance between income and expenses since we do not seek profit from our endeavors. Let us then ask the good Spirits who assist us, in particular our spiritual president, St. Louis, to continue to offer us their benevolent protection so visibly received up until now of which we will strive more and more to become worthy.

I still have to tell you, ladies and gentlemen, something important. I want to talk about the thousand francs that was sent to me about two years ago by a subscriber of The Spiritist Review and who wanted to remain anonymous. It was a donation to be employed in the interest of Spiritism. You certainly remember that the amount was given to me in person, without formalities and documentation, and without the need of any expense report.

When I communicated the fortunate event I declared in the session of February 17^th, 1860 that I would not avail from the trust that was deposited in me and wishing that the funds be used to the benefit of the Doctrine I added: "This money will form the Trust of Spiritism, a special fund that has nothing to do with my personal affairs. It will grow further by the addition of sums that can come from other sources, and exclusively dedicated to the purposes of the doctrine and the development of the Spiritists ideas. One of my priorities will be to ensure the supply of material to the Society for the consistency of its work, and the creation of a special library. I asked several colleagues to kindly accept the control of that trust, and the verification of the useful application of the funds on specific dates to be determined subsequently.”

The commission, now dispersed in part by the circumstances, will be completed when needed, and all documents will be supplied to the commission. Meanwhile, and considering the absolute freedom that was given to me, I thought it proper to apply that amount on the development of the Society and it is to you, ladies and gentlemen, that I think I ought to report its application, both out of my personal duty and for your edification. I would especially like you to understand the physical impossibility to take on these funds for current expenses; however, the urgency is felt every day due to the extension of the work required by Spiritism.

The Society, as you know, ladies and gentlemen, strongly felt the inconvenience of not having a special room for its meetings, and where it should have its archives at hand. For work like ours, you need a kind of sacred place where nothing can disturb the worship; everybody deplored our situation, meeting in a public institution, with little harmony with the seriousness of our studies. So I thought I should do something useful by giving them the means to have a more suitable room with the funds that I had received.

On the other hand, considering that the progress of Spiritism brings to my house, a growing number of domestic and foreign visitors, a number that can be estimated from twelve to fifteen hundred a year, it was better to receive them at the main office of the Society, focusing and concentrating there all business and all documents relating to Spiritism.

I would add that dedicating myself entirely to the doctrine, it was somehow necessary to avoid any waste of time and that I would have my home there or at least in the neighborhood. For me personally, I did not need it, as I have in my house a room that costs me nothing, more pleasant in all respects, and where I also live and stay as long as required by my obligations. A second apartment would have been for me an unnecessary and expensive burden. So without Spiritism, I would happily be at home, at Ségur Avenue, and not here where I have to work from morning to night and often from night to morning, without being able to take a rest that sometimes is much needed; because you know that I'm alone to accomplish a task that you would hardly imagine the extension and which necessarily grows with the development of the doctrine.

This apartment meets the desirable requirements for its internal facilities and its central location. Without being lavish it is very convenient; but since the resources of the Society are insufficient to pay the full rent, I had to make up the difference with funds from the donation; otherwise the Society would remain in the precarious, petty and inconvenient situation where it was before. Thanks to this contribution the Society was able to carry out the duties that are of public domain thus supporting the doctrine well. So that is the past application and the future destination of the funds from the donation received and that I feel I must share with you.

The rent for the apartment costs 2,500 francs per year, and with the accessories 2,530 francs. Contributions are 198 francs, totaling 2,728 francs. The Society contributes 1200 francs so the outstanding balance is 1528 francs. The lease was made for three, six, or nine years, beginning April 1st, 1860. A six year lease would add up to 9,168 francs with the addition of furniture and installation costs of 900 francs, tips and miscellaneous expenses of 80 francs for a grand total of 10,148 francs and not including unexpected expenses, to be paid with the donated capital of 10,000 francs. So at the end of the lease, that is to say in four years from now, there will be an excess of expenditure. As you see, ladies and gentlemen, there is no possibility of deviating the least amount if we want to reach the end. What should we do then? What pleases God and the good Spirits, who have told me not to worry about anything!

I point out that the amount used to cover equipment and installation costs was only 900 francs, a rigorously needed portion of the capital. If we had to purchase all the furniture that is here today, and I am speaking only of the reception rooms, it would have taken three or four times that amount, and the Society would then have a three year lease instead of six. So this is mostly my own personal furniture and that would have been worn out by the use.

In summary the 10,000 francs that some believed to be inexhaustible, is almost entirely absorbed by the rent that was important to guarantee for some time, before anything else, without any possibility of diverting any amount to other uses, including the purchase of ancient and modern works, French and foreign, necessary for the formation of a large Spiritist library as it was my project; that alone would cost not less than 3,000 to 4,000 francs. As a result, all expenses outside the rent such as travel and a host of other costs associated to Spiritism, which does not amount to less than 2,000 francs per year, are covered by me personally and that amount is significant on a limited budget that is balanced on order, economy and even deprivation.

Do not think, ladies and gentlemen, that I want to be credited with merits; in doing so, I know I serve a cause to which material life is nothing and before which I am willing to sacrifice my own; perhaps one day I will face limiting factors. In fact I am well rewarded by the results that I have obtained. If I regret anything it is the limitation of my own resources that do not allow me to do more for with sufficient and well employed means in the right order and in really useful things we would advance half a century in the definite establishment of the doctrine.