Punishment of a greedy manFrançois Riquier was a very simple, old bachelor who died in C… about four or five years ago, leaving a considerable fortune to relatives. He was formerly a property owner for a place inhabited by one of our colleagues, Mrs. F… The lady had completely forgotten him. Lately her daughter who is subjected to crises of catalepsy followed by spontaneous magnetic sleep saw Mr. Riquier in that sleeping state when he then said that he wanted to approach her mother. A few days later the young lady who also was a good writing medium wrote the message below in which Mr. Riquier accurately provided his name and address. Since the young lady did not know such address she was surprised by the accuracy after verification. Here is the communication that is an example of the penalties reserved to guilty Spirits. Since the communication was spontaneous and he indicated his interest in speaking to Mrs. F… he was then asked this:
- - Q. What is it that you want from us?
- - A. I want my money that was taken by those miserable ones who split it among themselves. The dismantling of my estate as if it were not mine. They sold my farms, my houses and divided everything. Do me justice since they cannot hear me and I cannot witness such outrage. They say I was greedy and yet they keep my money! Why do not they want to give it back to me since they believe it is bad money?
- - Q. But you are dead, poor man. You no longer need money. Ask God for a new life as a poor person in order to atone the greed of this last one.
- - A. No. I cannot live in poverty. I need my money to live. As a matter of fact I do not need a new life for I am alive now.
The question below was asked with the intent of bringing him back to reality.
- - Q. Are you suffering?
- - A. Oh! Yes. I suffer horrendous tortures, worse than the cruelest disease, because it is my soul that endures such tortures. The iniquity of my life is always present in my mind, iniquity that was reason for scandals to others. I know well that I am a miserable person, unworthy of anybody’s pity so much so that I need your help to leave such a miserable state.
- - Q. We will pray for you.
- - Thank you. Ask God that I may forget my earthly wealth without which I could never repent. Good-bye and thank you.
Francois Riquier
Rue de la Charité, 114
OBSERVATION: This example and many other analogous demonstrate that the spirit may keep the idea of still being in the corporeal world for many years. Such an illusion is not a privilege of cases of violent death. It seems to be a consequence of the level of materialism of the earthly life and the persistence of such a materialistic feeling that cannot be defeated is a torment to the spirit. Besides, we find here a proof that the spirit is a being similar to the corporeal one with the difference that it is fluid because in order to keep the idea that he is still in this world and that he is still or believe to be in business it is necessary that there is a form, a body like when alive. If there were only a breath left, a smoke, a spark, the spirit would not be fooled by the situation. That is how the study of the even vulgar Spirits enlightens us with respect to the real condition in the invisible world and confirms the most important truths.
