The Spiritist Review - JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGICAL STUDIES - 1861

The Spiritist Review - JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGICAL STUDIES - 1861

January

Bulletin of the Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies

Excerpts from the minutes Friday, November 16th, 1860 (Private session)

Admission of two new members.

MULTIPLE COMMUNICATIONS:

1st – Several dissertations obtained outside the sessions are read.

2nd – Letter received from Mr. de Porry, from Marseille, who sends the second edition of his poem Uranie as a gift to the Society. The Society thanks the author and is happy to see he has taken the same appreciation of his talent and applied them to spiritist ideas. These ideas adorn a graceful form of poetry and have a charm that makes them more easily accepted by those who could be shocked by the severity of dogmatic expressions.

3rd – Letter from Mr. L… providing new details about the rapping and obsessing spirit that has already been discussed by the Society (see report below).

4th – Letter from Mrs. G… from the Indre Department, about pranks and plundering that has victimized them for several years, attributed to a malicious spirit. The events involve six sisters and despite every precaution that they might have taken, their clothes are thrown out of their drawers, although duly locked, and frequently torn apart.

5th – Mr. Th… reports a case of violent obsession exerted upon a medium by a bad spirit, who he was able to dominate and expel though. The spirit wrote to Mr. Th…: “I hate you because you dominate me.” He has not showed up ever since and the medium has no longer been molested in the exercise of his mediumship.

6th – Mr. Allan Kardec cites a personal case of remarkable accuracy related to an indication given by the spirits: in a conversation that took place the other day with his familiar spirit, he was told: “You will find in today’s Le Siècle an article about this subject which answer your question. We were the ones who inspired the author with the thesis that he exposes, given his adhesion to the great humanitarian reforms in preparation.”

The article that was unknown to Mr. Allan Kardec and to the medium was in fact in the referred periodical, under the designated title, demonstrating that the spirits may be aware of earthly publications.

WORKS CARRIED OUT IN THE SESSION:

Spontaneous teachings. Communication received by Mr. Didier, signed by Cazotte. Another communication by Mrs. Costel, with complaints from a suffering and selfish spirit.

Evocations: Second conversation with the gastronome spirit who used the name Balthazar and that someone thought to have known by the name of Mr. G… de la R…, confirmed by the spirit.

Multiple questions: Questions addressed to St. Louis about the rapping spirit mentioned in Mr. L… letter, as well as the case of the harassing spirit of Mrs. G… and sisters. As for the latter St. Louis acknowledges it to be easier to moralize him since he is more mischievous than a dangerous spirit.

Friday, November 23rd, 1860

General session

MULTIPLE COMMUNICATIONS:

Some messages received outside the session were read:

• A sinner enters the spiritual world, received by Mrs. Costel and signed by Novel;

• The punishment of the selfish, by the same lady. This message is related to another from the same spirit, obtained in the previous session;

• Another message about the free-will, signed by Marsillac. Thoughts from the Spirit of Truth about the communications regarding the punishment of the selfish, received by Mr. M. C…

WORKS CARRIED OUT IN THE SESSION:

Spontaneous teachings:

1st – The family leprechaun, signed by Charles Nodier, received by Mrs. Costel;

2nd – Parable of Lazarus, signed by Lamennais, received by Mr. A. Didier;

3rd – The spirit of Alfred de Musset is introduced through Ms. Eugenie; he offers to discuss a subject chosen by the audience; since he was asked to choose it himself he gives a remarkable dissertation about the consolations of Spiritism. He then offers to respond to questions and deals with the following themes: What is the influence of poetry on Spiritism? Will there be a Spiritist art, as there has been a Pagan and a Christian art? Women’s role in the XIX century.

Evocations: Evocation of Cazotte who had spontaneously manifested in the previous session. Several questions were addressed to him about the gift of premonition that he seems to have had when alive.

SEVERAL QUESTIONS AND PROBLEMS:

About the spirits’ ubiquity in visual manifestations;

About the spirits of darkness, regarding the manifestations of Mr. Squire, that can only be produced in the dark.

Note: We will deal with this subject in a special article and we will refer to Mr. Squire.

Mr. Jobard reads three charming poems of his authorship: Le Bonheur des Martyrs, L’Oiseau de Paradis and L’Annexion, the last one being a fable.

Friday, November 30th, 1860

Private session

ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS:

Collective letter, signed by several members, with respect to Mr. L… The Society accepted the conclusions from the Committee’s report. A letter from Mr. Sol…, requesting to be dismissed from his position as a Committee member, due to his frequent business trips that keep him away from Paris most of the year. The Society regrets Mr. Sol… decision but feels happy to be able to keep him as a member. Mr. President is assigned with the task of responding in the following terms: His replacement shall be done in due course.

MULTIPLE COMMUNICATIONS:

1st – Spontaneous dissertation by St. Louis with explanations about ubiquity. Discussion about this communication.

2nd – Another one signed by Charles Nodier, obtained by a medium uninvolved with the Society and transmitted by Mr. Didier Sr., regarding the article against Spiritism in the Journal des Débats.

3rd – Mr. D… from the Vienne Department insistently asks that Mr. Jean-Baptiste D…, his father in law, be evoked. The Society never attends such requests when the objective is of private interest, particularly when the persons involved are absent or when those persons are unknown to the members. Nevertheless, considering the dignifying character and the official position of the corresponding member; the special circumstances surrounding the deceased and his life-long sustained atheism, the Society decides that such evocation may be useful as a subject of study. As a consequence, he was included in the day’s schedule.

4th – Several members reported an interesting phenomenon of physical manifestation witnessed by them. It consists of the lifting of a person only by mediumistic influence of two young ladies, age 15 and 16 years old respectively, who place two fingers on the frame of a chair to have it raised nearly 3 ft. from the floor, regardless of the weight of the person sitting in the chair, as if it was something extremely light. The phenomenon was repeated several times and always with the same result. The explanation will be given in a special article.

5th – Mr. Jobard reads his article entitled La Conversion d’un paysan.

WORKS CARRIED OUT IN THE SESSION:

Spontaneous teachings:

Dissertation about the ubiquity, from Ms. Huet, signed by Channing.

Another from Mr. A. Didier, signed by André Chénier, about the article in the Journal des Débats. And another dissertation signed by Raquel, received by Mrs. Costel.

A remarkable fact about two previous communications is that when a given subject of some importance is listed to be discussed on a given day it is common to have it discussed by several spirits through different mediums and in different places. It seems that each spirit who is interested in the subject wants to contribute to the teaching which is a consequence of the communications.

Evocations:

1st – Mr. Jean-Baptiste D…, mentioned above, and his brother, both materialists and atheists. The situation of the first one who committed suicide is deplorable.

2nd – Evocation of Mr. C… de B…, from Brussels, following the request of his personal acquaintance Mr. Jobard.

Friday, December 7th, 1860

Private session

Admission of Mr. C…, a Professor from Paris, as a member.

SEVERAL COMMUNICATIONS:

Reading of a dissertation signed by the Spirit of Truth, obtained in a private session, at Mr. Allan Kardec’s house, with respect to the definition of art and the distinction between Pagan, Christian and Spiritist art. Mr. Theub… complements the definition saying that one can consider pagan art as the expression of the material feeling; Christian art as the expression of expiation and the Spiritist art as the expression of victory.

WORKS CARRIED OUT IN THE SESSION:

Spontaneous teaching:

Dissertation signed by Lamennais, through Mr. Didier.

Another dissertation through Ms. Huet, signed by Charles Nodier, in which he continues to develop the subject initiated on August 24th, 1860, although nobody had any memory of that fact.

And another signed by Georges, received by Mrs. Costel.

Evocations: Dr. Kane, American traveler and explorer of the North Pole, who discovered an open sea just beyond the polar glacial belt.

Several questions:

Questions addressed to Charles Nodier about the causes that may influence the communications in certain sessions, particularly when the spirits don’t show their usual eloquence. The point was discussed.

Friday, December 14th, 1860

General session

Mr. Indermuhle, from Berne, pays tribute to the Society with a German brochure published in Glaris, in 1855, entitled L’Eternite n’est plus un secret or Revelations les plus evidentes sur le monde des Espirits.

SEVERAL COMMUNICATIONS:

1st – Reading of a very interesting evocation and several spiritist dissertations obtained outside of the sessions.

2nd – The event of visual manifestation referred in the letter of Mr. Indermuhle addressed to the Society.

3rd – Personal fact that occurred with Mr. Allan Kardec and that can be considered as a proof of identity of the spirit of a former character. Ms. J… received several communications with John the Evangelist, always with a very characteristic writing and completely different from her usual way of writing. At her request, Mr. Allan Kardec evoked that spirit instead through Mrs. Costel, it was attested that the writing had absolutely the same traces as that through Ms. J…, although the new medium did not know about the fact; besides, the movement of the hand showed in both cases a rare smoothness, constituting a similarity; finally, the answers agreed in all points with those obtained through Ms. J… and there wasn’t anything in the language that was not at the level of the evoked spirit.

4th – News sent by Mr. D… about the remarkable case of a farmer who had a vision and a revelation a few days before his death.

WORKS CARRIED OUT IN THE SESSION:

Spiritist spontaneous communications:

Three characters: Hamlet, Tartuffe and Don Juan, message by Mr. A. Didier, signed by Gerard de Nerval.

Fantasy, through Mrs. Costel, signed by Alfred de Musset.

The trial, by Ms. Eugenie, signed by Leo X.

Evocation of the above mentioned farmer. He gives some explanations about his visions. The spelling issues and the language very similar to a country person constitute a remarkable fact.

Several questions addressed to St. Louis about issues related to this evocation.

“La Bibliographie Catholique” against Spiritism

Up until now Spiritism had not been seriously attacked. When certain writers of periodicals in the press gave it an air of their attention, in their leisure time, they did so to ridicule it. Whether it be about filling out the space of a column, producing an article of a given number of lines, regardless of the subject and as long as it fits the space properly. “What can I say about it? Should I discuss this or that? That is what the editor of the entertaining journal asks himself. No, not this: it is too serious. The other one is something overly spoken about. Should I invent an authentic adventure of high society or a popular one? Nothing comes to mind in those fifteen minutes and the column with the scandal of the week is still empty. Ah! I had an idea! I found the subject! I saw somewhere the title of a book talking about the spirits and everywhere there are people foolish enough to take it seriously. What are the spirits? I know nothing about it. But who cares! It must be funny. For starters I don’t believe absolutely in spirits since I have never seen them and even if I had seen them I would not have believed because that is impossible. Hence, no man of wisdom may believe in such things. Either this is illogical or I don’t know myself. Let us then talk about the spirits since they are in fashion these days. This matter as any other will entertain our readers. The subject is very simple: There is no spirits; they cannot and must not exist, then everyone who believes in them is mad. Now, time to get to work and embellish this. Oh! My good spirit! How can I thank you for such inspiration! You spare me a great embarrassment since I need this article for tomorrow and I had nothing.”

Then comes a serious person and says: “One must not joke about serious things; this is more serious than initially thought; nobody should believe that this is something that disappears easily. Such belief is inherent to humanity which has always believed in the marvelous at all times, in the super natural, in the fantastic. Who would doubt that in the XIX century, in this century of enlightenment and progress, even after Voltaire had clearly demonstrated that the emptiness waits for us, and after so many wise people had sought and not found the soul, who would guess that people still believe in spirits; in turning tables; in witches and wizards; in the power of Merlin, the enchanter; in the divining rod; in Mademoiselle Lenormand, the fortune teller? Oh Humanity! Oh Humanity! Where shall you go if I don’t come to help you and pull you away from the swamp of superstition?

They unsuccessfully tried to kill the Spirits by ridicule. Far from that, the contagious disease made unceasing progress; ridicule seems to revive it and if it is not eliminated it may soon have all of humankind infected. Since this method, usually so effective has become powerless, it is now time for the scientists to get involved and stop it once and for all.

Bantering is not the reason. We speak on behalf of science. Let us demonstrate that human beings have been foolish in all epochs for believing that there is a power above them, that they could not overpower nature. Let us demonstrate to them that everything attributed to supernatural forces can be explained by the simple laws of Physiology: that the survival of the soul and its ability to communicate with those alive is an illusion and that the belief in an afterlife is sheer madness. If people are not convinced after digesting four volumes of good reasons, we can only regret the fate of humanity that instead of progressing, quickly moves backwards towards the barbarism of the Middle Ages and shortly then to its downfall.

Mr. Figuier should hide his face since he has so ostentatiously announced his book, highly praised by the champions of materialism, and which produced a result quite contrary to what he expected.

But here comes a new champion who asserts to crush Spiritism in another way: it is Mr. Georges Gandy, editor of La Bibliographie Catholique, who throws his hat into the ring, in the name of threatened religion. That is a good one! Religion threatened by something that you call a utopia! It means that you have so little faith in its strength that you suppose it is vulnerable enough to be shaken by the ideas of a few dreamers. Do you consider such an enemy so terrible to the point of attacking it with so much rage and fury? Will you achieve better results than the others?

We doubt it since rage is a bad adviser. In case you are successful in scaring a few feeble souls aren’t you afraid of arousing the curiosity of an even larger number of other people? Consider the following: in a town with a certain number of spiritists and a few private groups dealing with the manifestations, a priest once gave a scathing sermon against what he called the devil’s work, pretending that he alone went to speak at these satanic meetings, whose members were all notoriously doomed to eternal damnation. What happened next? On the very next day a good number of your listeners started to seek those spiritist gatherings, wanting to hear the devil, curious about what he could tell them, since you had spoken so much about it that your listeners were no longer afraid. Well then, they saw serious people in those meetings, respectable, educated, and praying to God, by the way, something that they had not done since their first communion; people believing in their souls, in its immortality, in future penalties and rewards, working to better themselves; striving to practice Christ’s moral, not saying anything bad of anybody, even of those who project hate towards them. These people then understood that if the devil was teaching these things the reason was that the devil had converted.

When they saw the treatment of their dead friends and relatives with respect and reverence, and that they were given good advice and consolation, it was then impossible to believe that such gatherings were offices of Satan, particularly considering that they did not see owls, black cats, crocodiles, books of witchcraft, tripods, magic wands or any other accessory of sorcery, not even an old woman with a long and twisted chin and nose.

They also wanted to speak, one with his mother, the other with a dear son, and when recognizing them, it seemed difficult to believe that the mother and the son were devils. Happy for having the proof of their existence and the certainty that they would meet again in a better world, they asked themselves what was the objective of those who tried to scare them away? This led them to reflections that they had never thought before. The result was that they liked these places where they found consolation better than the other ones that scared them to death.

That priest, as we have just seen, took the wrong path, leading us to say: better to have an enemy than an unfit friend. Does Mr. Georges Gandy hope to be happier? We reproduce below his text, literally, for the enlightenment of our readers:

“At all great trying times of the Church and its future triumphs there were always diabolical conspiracies where the actions of the demons were visible and tangible. Sorcery and magic had never been so strong in the heart of Paganism when Christianity began to spread all over the world. Luther had dialogues with Satan unfolded into acts of witchery and diabolic communications in Europe when the Church was operating the great Catholic reform to triple its forces, and when the new world welcomed it with a glorious destiny in an immense space. In the XVIII century, on the eve of the day when the axe of the executioners should repaint the Church with the martyrs’ blood, the devil-idolatry flourished in the cemetery of Saint-Médard, around the wands of Mesmer and the mirrors of Cagliostro. Today, in the fight of Catholicism against all powers of hell, Satan’s conspiracy is visibly a supporting philosophy. Hell wanted to consecrate the works of violence and cunningness exercised for over four centuries, in the name of naturalism, promptly crowning it with a supreme imposture. That is the whole secret of the so called Spiritist Doctrine, a pile of absurd, contradictions, hypocrisy and blasphemies, as we will see below, which is trying with its last deception, to glorify Christianity only to shame it later on; to disperse it to later subtract it, affecting the respect towards the divine savior and so as to remove from Earth everything he had conceived with his blood, replacing his immortal kingdom by the dictatorship of ungodly daydreams.”

“By bringing about the analysis of these strange pretensions that we have not yet, we believe, sufficiently exposed and retorted, we ask our readers to follow our journey a bit longer, through this diabolic maze from which this sect expects to emerge victorious, after having abolished the divine name forever, to which we will see it bow down before.”

“Despite its ridicules, its revolting desecrations, its never ending contradictions, Spiritism is a precious teaching to us. The madness of hell had never paid such a dazzling tribute to our sacred religion. God had never before condemned it with a greater sovereign power, confirmed by these words of our divine Master: - Vos ex patre diabolo estis.”

Such beginnings may give you an idea of what is still to come. The readers who want to learn about the source of evangelical charity may have the pleasure of reading Bibliography #3, September 1860, rue de Sèvres 31. Still once more, why such a rage, such repulsion against a doctrine that, as you say, is the work of Satan, and cannot prevail against the work of God, unless you impiously admit that God is less powerful than Satan? We have many doubts about this rosary of slander and that fever, that profusion of epithets that Christ had never used against his greatest enemies, to whom he begged for God’s mercy and not his vengeance, by saying: - Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing. We doubt, we were saying, that such a language may be persuasive. Truth is calm and does not require deliriums, and with such rage that reveals your own weakness. We confess that this singular policy of Satan is not much understandable, glorifying Christianity and casting shame on it, spreading it now to suppress it later. In our opinion this is not very smart and seems like the farmer who did not want potatoes and so he plants potato seeds all over the farm in order to destroy the species. When we accuse others of committing sin by default reasoning, we must start with ourselves in order to be logical.

Mr. Georges Gandy mortally attacks Spiritism by the fact that the Gospel and Christianity support it, but in fact we don’t know the reason. What would he then say if supported by Mohamed? Certainly much less since a fact that must be mentioned is that Islam, Judaism and even Buddhism are subjects of much less virulent attacks than the dissident sects of Christianity. With certain people it is either everything or nothing. There is one point above all that Mr. Gandy does not forgive in Spiritism, which is that of not having proclaimed this absolute maxim: - there is no salvation outside the Church, thus admitting that someone who does good but is not with the Church may be targeted with the eternal flames. Evidently such a doctrine could only have come from hell. His ears burn particularly in the following passage:

“What does Spiritism want? It is an American import, initially protestant, that had already triumphed – allow me to say so – upon all fields of idolatry and heresy; such are its mundane titles. Would it then be the case that truth and wisdom would come to us from the grounds of classical superstition and religious madness?”

That certainly is a great offense. Had it been born in Rome would it then be the voice of God; since it was born in a protestant country, it is the voice of the devil. But what will you say when we have demonstrated – we will do that one day – that Spiritism was present in Christian Rome well before it was in the protestant America? What will you say about the fact that there are more Catholic-Spiritists these days than Protestant-Spiritists?

The number of believers who believe nothing, who doubt everything, even God, is considerable and grows in an alarming proportion. Will it be through your intense loathing, your threats with hell, and your choleric speeches that you will bring them back? No, since it is your own violence that keeps them away. Should they be blamed for having taken Christ’s charity and kindness seriously, as done with God’s infinite benevolence? Now, when they hear those who pretend to speak in God’s name throwing threats and calumnies they immediately doubt Christ, God and everything else. Spiritism conveys words of peace and hope to them and since they carry the burden of doubt and need consolation, they are thrown into the arms of Spiritism because they prefer the welcoming things rather than those who scare them away. Then they believe in God, in Christ’s mission and his divine moral. In one word, from incredulous and indifferent they become believers. That is what led a respectable father of the Church to answer one of his penitents who asked him about Spiritism: - Nothing happens beyond God’s will; God allows these things in order to rekindle the extinguishing faith – Had this father used another language he could perhaps have scared that person away forever. You want Spiritism to be a sect, at any price, when in reality it only aspires the title of a moral and philosophical science, respecting all serious beliefs. Why then try to pass an idea of separation to those who don’t think like that? If you reject those who Spiritism has redirected to the belief in God; if you don’t offer them another perspective but hell, you shall then be the ones responsible for a fissure that you have provoked. St. Louis told us one day: - They mocked the turning tables; they will never mock, however, the philosophy, the wisdom and charity that shines out of the serious communications.

He was mistaken because he did not count on Mr. Gandy. The writers often make fun of Spiritism and its manifestations, not thinking that one day they could be the target of jokes from their successors. Nevertheless, they always respected the moral part of the science. It was reserved to a Catholic writer, a fact that we sincerely regret, of turning into ridiculeaccepted maxims by using the most vulgar sense. He mentions a good number of passages from The Spirits’ Book. We will only mention a few that give a good idea of his appreciation.

“– God prefers those who adore Him from the bottom of their heart than those who do so externally”. The text from The Spirits’ Book continues: “God prefers those who sincerely adore Him, doing good and avoiding wickedness, to those who think to honor Him through ceremonies that don’t make them better with respect to their fellow human beings.”

Mr. Gandy admits the contrary but as a man of good faith he should have cited the entire passage, instead of truncating it and changing its meaning.

“- Every animal destruction that surpasses the limit of necessity is a violation of God’s law, meaning that the moral principle that guides pleasure is equally applied to hunting and killing.”

Precisely. It seems however that Mr. Gandy is a hunter and thinks that God created the hunt to give people pleasure, instead of feeding them, by the useless killing of innocent animals.

“Pleasures are bounded by nature: the limit of need. Excesses lead us to satiation. - It is the moral of the virtuous Horace, one of the fathers of Spiritism.

Since the author criticizes this maxim it seems that he sees no limit to pleasures, something that is certainly not very religious.

“In order to be legitimate a property must be acquired without any harm to the law of love and justice; - thus, someone who owns without respecting the duties of charity that commands individual or social reason, is a usurper of other people’s properties; according to Spiritism we are living a true socialism”.

The text actually says: The only legitimate property is that acquired without causing any loss to others. The law of love and justice forbids to do to others what we don’t others do to us; hence it condemns every means of acquisition that is contrary to that law. There is no “that commands individual or social reason” in the text, it is a perfidious addition. We don’t believe that someone may own something in detriment of justice, with a clean conscience. Mr. Gandy should let us know the cases for which he considers spoliation to be legitimate. Thankfully the courts don’t share his opinion.

“Indulgence awaits, outside of this life, the suicidal embraced by necessity and who wanted to avoid shame on his children or family. As a matter of fact, St. Louis, whose spiritist’ functions we will report soon, tell us that there are excuses for the suicide for love. As for the penalties of someone who commits suicide these are not fixed. What is certain is that there is no way out of disappointment. In other words, the person is trapped, as commonly said in this world.”

This passage is entirely adulterated by the requirements of Mr. Gandy’s criticism. We would need to transcribe seven pages of the original to reestablish the truth in this text. With such a system it would be easy to ridicule the most beautiful pages of our best writers. It seems that Mr. Gandy does not admit gradation in the faults or in the penalties beyond the grave. We believe that God is just and hope that Mr. Gandy may never need to claim the benefit of attenuating circumstances in his favor.

“Death penalty and slavery were, are and will be contrary to the laws of nature. Men and women are equal before God and must be equal before men”. Would it be the errant soul of some terrified SaintSimonist looking for a free woman, making this spicy revelation to Spiritism?”

Thus, death penalty, slavery and the submission of women that tends to be abolished by civilization are intuitions that Spiritism has no right to condemn. Oh fortunate medieval times, why have you gone and why haven’t you come back? Where are you oh! Burning stakes that could have saved us from the spiritists?

Here is one of the most benign passages: “Spiritism cannot deny such a salad of contradictions, absurd and madness that belongs to no philosophy or language. If God allows such impious manifestations it is for the fact that God gives the devil, as taught by the Church, the power of deceiving those who call him, violating his law.” The devil then comes handy since he unwillingly makes us love God.

“As for the truth, it is brought to us by the Church. It tells us through the sacred books that the angel of darkness transforms into an angel of light and that it is necessary to refuse even the testimony of an archangel, if contrary to the doctrine of Christ, from which its infallible authority is true depositary. As a matter of fact, the Church has the safe and evident means to distinguish between the diabolic prestige and the divine manifestations.”

It is really true that one should refuse even the testimony of an archangel if that is contrary to the doctrine of Christ. However, what is it that such a doctrine tells us and that Jesus preached by words and examples?

• Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy;

• Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God;

• Anyone who is angry with a brother or a sister will be subjected to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca’, is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.

• But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for He causes his sun to rise upon evil and good, and sends rain to the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax-collectors do the same? If you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Therefore, you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

• In everything do unto others as you would have them do to you.

Charity is thus the fundamental principle of Christ’s doctrine. From that we conclude that every word and every action contrary to charity cannot be, as we say with perfect truth, inspired by Satan, even if it had taken the form of an archangel. That is why Spiritism says: Without charity there is no salvation.

Regarding the same subject we refer our readers to our responses in the Univers, issues May and July 1859, and to the Gazette de Lyon, October 1860. As a refutation to Mr. Gandy we also recommend Letter of a Catholic about Spiritism, by Dr. Grand. If the author of that brochure * is condemned to be in hell, there will be many others there and we will see, strangely enough, those who preach love for all, while heaven will be reserved for those who lash out in abomination and curses. This would be a singular misinterpretation of Jesus’ words. Due to lack of space we will provide our answer to Mr. Deschanel, from the Journal des Débats, in the next issue of our Review.

____________________________________

* Large, in-18, price 1 franc; by mail 1.15 francs. It can be found at the office of the Spiritist Review and at Palais-Royal, Ledoyen bookstore.

Spontaneous Teaching of the Spirits

Cazotte (Medium Alfred Didier)

It is curious to see the formation of a group of people of good faith, amidst materialism, propagating Spiritism. Yes, it is in the deepest darkness that God sheds light and it is at that moment when we forget, when He shows us best; like the sublime thief mentioned in the Gospel, coming to judge the world when least expected. But God does not come to you to surprise you. On the contrary, He comes to warn you that the great surprise that takes people at their time of death must be dismal or happy.


God sent me to the middle of a corrupt society. Thanks to the clairvoyance, some of those revelations that seemed so marvelous in my time are perceived as natural today. All those memories are like dreams to me and – thank God – the awakening was not painful. Spiritism was born or resurrected in your time; magnetism comes from mine. You must believe that the great revelations precede the great exclamations.



The author of The Devil in Love reminds you that he has already had the honor of speaking with you and would be happy to continue that friendly relationship.
Cazotte


In the following session the questions below were addressed to the spirit of Cazotte:


• You kindly told us last time, when you spontaneously came to us, that you would return. We take the opportunity to address some questions to you, if you are alright with that.


1. The story of the famous dinner in which you predicted the fate of every guest, is that entirely true? – A. It is true in the sense that there was a prediction but carried out over several dinners, in which I made fun of my dear guests through sinister revelations.


2. We know the effect of second sight (remote viewing) and we would understand that you were able to see remote things that were happening at that point in time, given the faculty you had. How could you have seen future things that had not happened yet, and see them accurately? Can you also tell us how such accurate details were given to you? Did you simply speak out of inspiration, not seeing anything, or you could see the pictures of the events, like an image presented to you? Kindly describe that the best you can for our instruction. – A. The human being has a moral instinct in his reason that drives him to predict certain events. It is true that I was endowed by great clairvoyance, but not always human, regarding the events that would take place. Would you believe that with common sense or with good judgment of earthly things, you can anticipate years ahead of time certain circumstances? No. Added to my natural wisdom, there was a combination of a supernatural skill: second sight. When I revealed to those around me the terrible events that were supposed to happen I evidently spoke as a man of logic and wisdom; however, when I saw small details of those events, vague and generic, when I noticed this or that victim, I then spoke not only as a skilled man but as someone inspired.


3. Regardless of this, have you had other examples of predictions during your life? – A. Yes. They were all more or less about the same subject. Nevertheless, I studied the occult sciences as a pastime, and got involved with magnetism.


4. Has such a predictive faculty followed you in the spiritual word, that is, after your death can you still foresee certain events? – A. Yes. That gift remained but much more purified.


OBSERVATION: One could see here a contradiction with the principle that opposes the revelation of the future. In fact, the future is hidden from us as the result of a very wise law from the Providence, since such knowledge would harm our free-will, leading us to neglect the present by the future. Furthermore, given our position, we could hinder certain events that are necessary to the general order. However, when such communication may impel us to facilitate the realization of something, God then allows its revelation, within the limits designated by his wisdom.

February

Mr. Squire

Several newspapers, as usual, mocked this new medium who is a fellow country man to Mr. Home, under whose influence multiple phenomena of up to a certain degree of exceptional nature have also been produced. A particular characteristic is that they only occur in absolute darkness, a circumstance duly observed by the skeptical. As we all know Mr. Home produced a variety of phenomena, among which the most remarkable was that of the tangible apparitions. We described them in detail in our February, March and April 1858 issues of this Review. Mr. Squire produced only two, or even better, only one type with certain variations, but not less worthy of our attention. Since darkness is an essential condition to obtain the phenomenon it goes without saying that every precaution is taken in order to ensure the authenticity of the events. Here is what happens:

Mr. Squire positions himself across from a 35-40 kg table, similar to a reinforced kitchen table. His legs are strongly tied up together, to avoid their use. In such a condition his muscular strength is considerably diminished in case he needed it. Another person, any person and even the most skeptical, holds one of his hands, the other remains free. He then uses that free hand to gently touch the edge of the tabletop. Next the lights are turned off, immediately followed by a movement of the table that lifts it off above his head, landing upside down behind his back onto a couch or a set of previously positioned pillows to protect the table. Once the phenomenon is produced the lights are turned on immediately. It all happens in a few seconds. The experiment may be repeated at will several many times if one wishes in the same session.

A variant of the phenomenon: a person is placed side by side with Mr. Squire; once the table has been lifted and turned as above, instead of falling backwards, it lands horizontally on the other person’s head, and that person only feels a slight pressure. As soon as the light is turned back on, the table recovers its full weight and it would then fall unless two other people are prepared nearby to sustain the weight, holding the table from the sides.

That is substantially the report, in its simplest form, without emphasis or reluctance, extracted from La Patrie from December 23rd, 1860 and from a large number of witnesses, here confessing that we have not seen the phenomenon directly. However, the honesty of the people who told us the story gives no room for any doubt regarding its occurrence. We have another perhaps even more powerful reason to admit it. It is the fact that the theory demonstrates its possibility. Now, there is nothing better to reinforce a conviction than the verification. Nothing provokes doubt more than saying: I saw it but I did not understand it. Let us try then to understand it. Let us start by raising some preliminary objections. The first one that easily comes to mind is the fact that Mr. Squire may use some very secretive means or, in other words, he is a skillful con artist; or even that he is a charlatan, as crudely said by those who don’t bother to be called rude. One word only is enough to respond to such a hypothesis: Mr. Squire came to Paris as a visitor only and takes no advantage of his strange faculty. Well then, since there is no uninterested charlatan to us that is the most important guarantee of honesty. If Mr. Squire had charged a fee per person, or if he were moved by any interest whatsoever, than the suspicions of foul play would be perfectly legitimate.

We don’t have the honor of knowing him in person but we know that he is a very respectable person, with a kind and benevolent character, and we have learned that through other trustworthy individuals. He is a renowned writer, working for several journals in the USA.

The critic rarely takes into account the person’s character and the driving force behind their actions. That is a big mistake since such appreciation is of the essence. There are cases in which the accusation of fraud is not only offensive but illogical.

Having said that and leaving aside any presumption of fraud, one needs to know if the phenomenon could be produced with muscular force. Tests were carried out with the support of very strong men and everyone agreed that it was absolutely impossible to lift that table with one hand and even more so to make it spin in the air. We must add that the physical structure of Mr. Squire is not exactly that of Hercules.

Since the use of physical force is impossible, given the circumstances, and that a thorough exam prevents the use of any mechanical means of support, it is then necessary to admit that there is a superhuman action at play. Every effect has a cause; if the cause is not in humanity it is absolutely necessary that it is outside; in other words, in the intervention of invisible beings that surround us, knowingly the spirits.

The phenomenon produced by Mr. Squire is nothing new to spiritists, with the exception of the way that it is produced; bottom line is that it belongs to the category of all other phenomena of transport and dislocation of objects, with or without contact, of suspension of heavy bodies in the air. Its principle is in the elemental phenomena of the turning tables, whose complete theory can be found in “The Mediums’ Book”.

Any person that may have given some thought to that theory can easily find the explanation about the effects produced by Mr. Squire. Undoubtedly the fact that a table may lift up, move on the floor, rise and stay in the air without support, without any physical contact, is even more extraordinary. If we can understand these phenomena then we can even more so the phenomenon described above.

One may still ask where the proof of the intervention of the spirits is in all that. If the effects were purely mechanical it is true that there would not be any proof of intervention and in such case the acknowledgment of an electric fluid or similar would be enough. However, since there is proof of an intelligent phenomenon there must be an intelligent cause behind it. Well then, it was through the signs of intelligence of these effects that it was possible to recognize that the phenomena were not purely material. We speak of the spiritist phenomena as a whole since there are some whose intelligent effect is almost null, as in Mr. Squire’s case. He could then be supposed to have a natural electrical potential, like many other people seem to have. However, as far as we know, light has never been an obstacle to the action of electricity or the magnetic fluid. On the other hand, the detailed analysis of the circumstances of the phenomenon rule out such hypothesis, while there is an evident analogy with the other phenomena that can only be produced by the intervention of occult intelligences. It is then more rational to classify it among the latter ones. We still need to know how the spirit is able to act upon matter.

When a table moves it is not the spirit that grabs it and raises it with their hands, for the simple fact that although they do have a body like ours, it is fluidic and cannot exert a muscular action properly speaking. The spirit saturates the table with its own fluid, combined with the animalized fluid of the medium. Thus, the table becomes momentarily animated by a kind of fictitious life. The table then obeys the will of the spirit, like a living creature would do. It expresses happiness, rage and several feelings of the spirit through its movements, serving the spirit. It is not the table that thinks, that becomes happy or angry; and it is not the spirit that incorporates in the table because the spirit does not metamorphoses into a table. The table is just a docile, obedient instrument serving the spirit’s will, like a baton agitated by a person, and with which the person can make threats or express other feelings. In this case, the muscles sustain the baton but the table, since the muscles of the spirit cannot displace it, is then agitated by their fluids that replace the muscular force. This is the fundamental principle of all similar motions.

One question that seems more difficult at first sight is this: how could a heavy body be moved from the ground and be maintained in the air, contrary to the law of gravity? In order to understand this we need to remember what happens daily before our eyes. It is a well-known fact that there is a distinction between the mass and the weight of a solid body. The mass of a given body is always the same, depending on the sum of all molecules; the weight varies depending on the density of the medium where it is located. That is why a body weighs less in water than in air and even less in mercury. Suppose a heavy table is placed on the floor of a room that is suddenly flooded with water. The table will lift up on its own, or at least a man or even a child would be able to lift it, almost effortlessly. Here is another comparison: let us make a vacuum underneath a pneumatic bell, where there will be no air left inside the chamber to balance the external air; the bell would then become so heavy that even the strongest man cannot move it. However, the mass of the table or the bell has not changed by a single atom, but its relative weight has either increased or diminished due to the density of the surrounding fluid (buoyancy).

Now, do we know every fluid of nature or even all properties of the fluids that are known? It would be presumptuous to admit that. The examples above serve as comparison, but we don’t say similarity. We just want to show that the spiritist phenomena that appear strange to us are not stranger than those mentioned above and can thus be explained, if not by the same causes at least by analogous ones.

In fact, there we have a table that evidently loses its apparent weight at a given moment and that, in different circumstances, becomes overloaded, and such fact cannot be explained by the known laws. Since it is repeated, it then demonstrates that it is submitted to a law that cannot be considered inexistent just because it is unknown. What is that law? The spirits tell us that. However, instead of their explanation we can deduce from analogy, without the need of resourcing to miraculous or supernatural causes. The universal fluid, as the spirits call it, is the vehicle and agent of every spiritist manifestation. It is said that the spirits may modify its properties, according to the circumstances; that this fluid is the element that constitutes the perispirit or the semi-material wrapping of the spirit; that it can become visible and even tangible. Is it then irrational to admit that a spirit may at some point in time involve a solid body in a fluidic atmosphere whose modified properties produce on that solid body the effect of being in a denser or thinner surroundings? Under this assumption the motion of the heavy table by Mr. Squire is very naturally explained, as every other similar phenomenon.

The need for darkness is more embarrassing. Why would such an effect stop in the presence of the tiniest ray of light? Would the luminous fluid have any mechanical influence here? It is not likely since similar facts do perfectly occur in daylight. Such specificity can only be associated to the special nature of the spirits that manifest through that medium. Why this medium and not others? This is a mystery only penetrated by those who identify themselves with the multiple types of sometimes bizarre phenomena of the invisible world. They are the only ones who can understand the sympathies between the dead and those alive.

What is the category of such spirits? Are they good or bad? We know that we have offended egotistic earthlings by depreciating the value of the spirits who produce physical manifestations; we have been harshly criticized because we classify them as the acrobatics of the invisible world. We apologize and say that this expression is not ours but from the spirits.

We ask for their forgiveness but we could never accept the idea that superior spirits would come to us to have fun, and do stunts and other things like that, in the same way that we cannot be convinced that clowns, circus strongmen, tightrope walkers and jugglers are members of the prestigious Institute (Academy of Sciences of Paris –LC). Those who are aware of the hierarchy of the spirits know that there are spirits of all levels of intelligence and morality, and that is not surprising since the spirits are nothing more than the souls of those who lived here on Earth. Now then, until proven otherwise allow us to doubt that spirits like Pascal, Bossuet and others less elevated may come to serve us and make tables turn, to amuse a group of curious people. We ask those who think otherwise if they believe that they would play such a role after their deaths. Those that operate with Mr. Squire have servility incompatible with the least intellectual superiority, from which we can conclude that they must belong to inferior orders, but this does not mean that they are bad. One can be honest and good and still incapable of reading and writing.

The bad spirits are typically unruly, angry and like to do evil things. Now, we are not aware of any bad behavior carried out by those spirits that manifest through Mr. Squire. They obey peacefully, submissively; a fact that excludes any suspicion of malevolence, but that does not make them capable of giving us philosophical teachings. We are sure that Mr. Squire has enough common sense to preclude himself from being offended by our appreciation. The subordination showed by the spirits that assist him led one of our comrades to say that those spirits knew him from a previous existence, in which Mr. Squire might have had great authority upon them, that being the main reason why they still show a passive obedience now. Besides, one must not confuse the spirits properly given to physical effects, commonly designated by the name “rapping spirits” with those who communicate through knocks. This latter means of communication is an actual language and may be employed by spirits of any order.

We have noted that we met a large number of people who witnessed the experiences of Mr. Squire, but among those who were not initiated in the Spiritist Science many have remained unconvinced, demonstrating that the simple vision of the most extraordinary effects is not good enough to lead them to conviction. They changed their opinion after having heard our explanations. We certainly don’t present this theory as the last word and definitive solution. However, since known laws cannot explain the facts, one must agree that the system that we admit is not destitute of likelihood. Let us admit it, if you like, as a hypothesis, and when a better solution is presented we will be the first to accept it.

Lack of Mediums

Although it was only recently that it was published, The Mediums’ Book has already given rise to the formation of private spiritist groups in several places, as we advised. They tell us, however, that they have to stop given the lack of mediums. That is why we see it as our responsibility to give them some advice on how to face that issue.

A medium, particularly a good medium, is incontestably one of the essential elements of any meeting that deals with Spiritism; but it would be a mistake to think that in their absence there wouldn’t be anything else to do and that we should sit back and cross our arms or adjourn the session. We don’t absolutely share the opinion of a person that compares a spiritist session without mediums to a concert without musicians. We believe that there is a much more appropriate comparison – it is that of the Institute of all scientific societies that know how to use their time without the need to have before their eyes the elements of experimentation.

One goes to a concert to hear music. It is then evident that if the musicians are not there than the objective will have failed. However, we go to a spiritist meeting – or at least we should – to learn, to get instructed. The question now is if we can do that without the medium. For someone who attends such gatherings with the sole objective of seeing effects, the medium would be as indispensable as the musicians in the concert; however, those who seek enlightenment, who want to gain in-depth understanding of the several parts of the science, those will have more than one way of achieving that even in the absence of an instrument of experimentation. That is what we will try to explain.

For starters we say that if mediums are common, good mediums in the true meaning of the word are rare. Experience constantly demonstrates that it is not enough to have the mediumistic faculty in order to receive good communications. It is then better to lack an instrument than to have a defective one.

It is certain that those who seek more the fact than the quality in the communication; that take part more for distraction than clarification, the choice of a medium is indifferent, and the one who produces the greater amount of effects will then be the most interesting one. But we speak of those who have a more serious objective and see farther; it is to them that we are addressing, since we are sure to be understood. On the other hand the best mediums are subjected to more or less lengthy intermittences, during which there is partial or total suspension of the mediumistic faculty, not to mention the high number of accidental causes that may momentarily deprive them from their participation. Let us still add to the fact that the perfectly flexible mediums, those malleable to all sorts of manifestations, are even rarer. They usually have special skills from which they should not be diverted from. You see then, if we don’t have enough spare supply of mediums, we can suddenly be unprepared when least expected, and it would be unfortunate to have our work interrupted on such occasions.

The fundamental teaching that is sought in serious gatherings is, no doubt, the one given by the spirits. However, what would be the benefit taken by a pupil from if a more skillful teacher was by his side and he did not have to work himself? If he did not give any thought to the lessons? What would be the advancement of his intelligence if the teacher were permanently by his side, spoon-feeding him each task and sparing him from the effort of thinking?

The spirits play two roles in the spiritist meetings: some are the teachers who develop the principles of the science, clarifying all doubtful points, particularly teaching the laws of true morality; others operate as material of observation and study, and serving as examples of application. Once the lesson has been given, their task ends and ours begins, that is, to work on what we were taught, so that we can better understand its meaning and scope. This is to allow us time to do our duties (if we may make this classical comparison) that spirits sometimes suspend their communications. They get tired of endlessly and uselessly repeating the same thing. They warn us, if we do not listen they will leave so that we take time for reflection.

In the absence of mediums, a meeting whose objective goes beyond the sight of a moving pencil has a thousand and one means of employing the time in a useful way. We scantily indicate a few below:

1st – Re-read and comment previous communications whose careful study will better express its true value. If anyone said that this can be tedious and boring we would say that we are never tired of listening to good music or poetry; that after having heard an eloquent sermon we would like to read it again with a fresh mind; that certain books are read twenty times because every time we discover something new. Someone that is only impressed by words gets bored when the same thing is only repeated twice, even if it is something sublime; such person always feels the need for something new to attract their attention, or better saying, in order to distract them. The person that gives thought to the subject has an additional sense: such a person is more in touch by the ideas than the words. That is why they like to hear numerous times something that speaks to their soul, not stopping at their ears.

2nd – Recount knowledgeable facts, discuss them, analyze them, explain them by the laws of the spiritist science; examine their possibility or impossibility; find what there is of probable or exaggerated cause; distinguish imagination from superstition, etc.

3rd – Read, comment and develop each article of The Spirits’ Book and The Mediums’ Book, as well as all other publications about Spiritism. We hope to be forgiven here for citing our own publications, which is very natural since that is why they were written. As a matter of fact, this is only an indication and not an intentional recommendation. Those who do not agree are perfectly free to set them aside. It is far from us to be pretentious and to believe that others cannot do it as well as or even better than we did. Our only point here is that we do believe that through these books the Spiritist Science is faced in a more comprehensive way than in many other publications, and that they encompass a larger number of questions and objections. That is why we recommend them; for their intrinsic merit, the future will be the great judge of that. One day we will provide a rational catalog of the books that directly or indirectly deal with the Spiritist Science, in the former and modern times, in France and abroad, among the holy and profane writers, as soon as we have gathered the necessary elements. It is naturally a very extensive work and we appreciate very much those who want to facilitate the task by providing us with documents and references.

4th – Discuss the several systems of interpretation of the spiritist phenomena.

Regarding this subject we recommend Mr. de Mirville and Mr. Louis Figuier’s books which are the most important. The first one is rich with facts of the highest interest, collected from legitimate sources. It is only the conclusion that is questionable since he sees demons everywhere. It is true that his taste was well served by chance, bringing before his eyes what could help him best, whereas a large number of facts seen by religion as the acts of angels and saints were hidden from him.

L’histore du merveilleux dans les temps modernes (translated here as The History of the Marvelous) by Mr. Figuier, is interesting from another point of view. It is not very clear why some facts are described in details in the book but it is interesting to know them. As for the so called spiritist phenomena, these occupy the smallest part of the four volumes. While Mr. Mirville explains everything by the devil when others explain them by angels, Mr. Figuier who doesn’t believe in the devil, or in angels, or in the spirits, good or bad, explains everything, or believes to do so, as the result of the human body. Mr. Figuier is a scientist. He is serious and is supported by some scientists. One can then consider his books as the last official word of the science about Spiritism, and that word is the negation of any intelligent principle outside matter. It is a shame that science may serve such a sad cause. However, since it is science that incessantly unveils the wonders of creation that writes the name of God on each leaf of the plants, on each wing of the insects, that science is not to blame. The culprits are those who struggle to persuade others, in the name of science, that there is no hope after death.

The spiritists will then see in that book what becomes of the terrible stroke of lightening that should supposedly annihilate their belief. Those who could have been shaken, afraid of the shock, will become stronger when they see the weakness of the opposed arguments; the many contradictions resulting from the ignorance and a lack of real observation of the facts. The reading of this work can be useful with that respect, and also to allow the spiritists to talk about it with better knowledge than the author does with Spiritism, having denied it without having studied it, for the sole reason of simply denying the existence of any extraordinary human power. One must not fear the infection of similar ideas. They offer the antidote themselves: human’s instinctive aversion to the nothingness. The prohibition of a book is a demonstration of fear. We do recommend Mr. Figuier’s book.

If the flimsiness of the arguments against Spiritism is manifested in the serious works, their total worthlessness is only in their bitter attacks and defamatory articles where the powerless rage is betrayed by rudeness, insults and slander. It would give them too much importance had we read them in our serious gatherings. There is nothing to refute on them, nothing to discuss, and consequently nothing to learn. They just need to be neglected. As one can then see, outside the instructions of the spirits there is ample material for useful work. We would even add that we can collect abundant material from their study to submit to the spirits through our questions.

However, if we can provide for the momentary absence of mediums, it would not be logical to sustain their indefinite deficiency. All efforts must be employed with the objective of finding them. The best thing to do for a spiritist gathering is to find mediums inside the group, here referring the reader to our last publication, pages 306 and 307 (The Mediums’ Book, Chap. XVII), where one can see that the task is easier than originally thought.

Teachings of the Spirits -Spontaneous dissertations received or read by several mediums at the Society

March

The Little Man is still Alive

Regarding the article published in the Journal des Débats, by Mr. Deschanel

Mr. Emile Deschanel, whose name was unknown to me, wanted to dedicate twenty four columns of the Journal des Débats to us, in the numbers 15 and 29 of last November. We thank him for that or at least for the intention. In fact after the articles “Bibliographie Catholique” and the “Gazette de Lyon”, which regurgitated strong detestations and sharp insults from the mouth in a manner reminiscent of the fifteenth century, we don’t know anything more malicious, less scientific and particularly long-winded than Mr. Deschanel. Such a violent attack must have led him to believe that Spiritism would be dead and buried forever, since it was wounded by his spear and sword. Now, due to the fact that we did not respond to him; because we have not summoned him or have not initiated any controversy, he might be mistaken about the reasons for our silence: we will now explain our motives.

The first reason is that in our opinion there was nothing urgent to be dealt with and we were very comfortable with the wait in order to assess the effect of such an attack, and then respond accordingly. Now that we are perfectly aware of the issue we will say a few words. The second reason is a direct consequence of the first. In order to refute the whole article it would be necessary to reproduce it in its entirety to show the attack and the defense, and that alone would have taken a full issue of our Review. The refutation would take at least two issues. We would then have used up three issues of The Review to object to what? Reasons? No, just mockeries by Mr. Deschanel. Frankly, it was not worth it and our readers do prefer something else. Those willing to get to know his logic will be satisfied by reading the referred texts. Furthermore, our response would have definitely been a repetition of what we have been saying, responding to the Univers, to Mr. Oscar Comettant, to the Gazette de Lyon, to Mr. Louis Figuier and to the Bibliographie Catholique * since all those attacks are nothing more than variations of the same theme. It would then be necessary to repeat the same thing in different terms to avoid being boring and we do not have time for that. What we would have to say would be useless to the followers and not good enough to convince the disbelievers; so, it will be a waste of time. We prefer to reference our works to those who really want to learn. They then can balance the arguments in favor and against. Their own reason will do the rest. As a matter of fact, why should we respond to Mr. Deschanel? To convince him? But we have no interest absolutely in doing that. Some people might say that it would be one follower more. However, what is the actual importance of Mr. Deschanel as a person? Which weight does he bring to the scale when membership reaches in the thousands, starting from the top of the social echelon? But he is a reporter and if instead of attacks he had praised the Doctrine, wouldn’t it have been much better? This is a more serious issue. Let us then discuss it.

To begin with, is it certain that Mr. Deschanel, supposedly a new convert, would have dedicated twenty four columns of his paper in favor of Spiritism, as he did against it? We don’t believe that for two reasons: first because he would had been afraid of being ridiculed by his comrades; second, because the editor of the newspaper would likely had refused to do so for being afraid of scaring his readers away, who are less worried about the devil than the spirits. We know a good number of scholars and reporters who are this way but are not less sincere and good spiritists because of that. It is a known fact that Mrs. Emile de Girardin, who was considered to be a scholarly person, was not only a devout believer but also a good medium who obtained several communications, always reserved and in an intimate circle of friends who shared her convictions. She did not talk about it to other people. Thus, a reporter who dared to speak against but who would not dare to speak in favor, in case of a conversion, is just a simple individual. When we see a mother devastated by the loss of her dear child finding ineffable consolation in the Doctrine, her adhesion to our principles is worth a hundred times more than the adhesion of any celebrity if that celebrity dares not say anything about the Doctrine. Besides, there are plenty of people of good will. These are so numerous and so many come to us that we can hardly serve them. Hence, we don’t see the point in wasting our time with those who are indifferent, running after those who don’t seek us.

Just one word is enough to reveal if Mr. Deschanel is serious. Here is the beginning of his second article, dated November 29th:

“The Spiritist Doctrine refutes itself. It is enough to expose it. It is not wrong for being called simply spiritist, after all, because it is neither spiritual nor spiritualist. On the contrary, it is based on the grossest materialism, and it would be funny if it were not ridiculous.”

Saying that Spiritism is based on gross materialism when it fights materialism relentlessly; when it would be nothing without the soul, its immortality, the future penalties and rewards, of which it is a clear example of, is a stretch of ignorance about the subject that is being dealt with. If it is not ignorance, it is bad faith and slander.

When we see that accusation and when we see him citing the biblical texts, the prophets, Moses’ law that prohibits to interrogate the dead – a proof that they can be interrogated since one does not forbid something that is just impossible – we could attribute him with a frenzied orthodoxy but by reading the fallacy of the following texts the readers would be embarrassed to discuss his opinion:

“How can the spirits excite your senses? How can they be seen, heard and touched? And how can they write themselves and give us their autograph from the other world? Oh! These spirits are not spirits as you think: spirits, purely spirits. The spirit, you have heard, is not an abstract, undefined being, only conceived in our minds; it is a real, circumscribed being, in certain cases noticeable through sight, hearing and touch.”

“Will these spirits then have a body? Not exactly.”

“Well…?”

“The human being has three things:

1st – the body or the material being, analogous to the animals, moved by the same vital principle;

2nd – the soul or the immaterial being, the spirit that is incarnate in the body;

3rd – the link between the soul and the body, the intermediary principle between matter and spirit.”

“Intermediary? What the hell are you talking about? It is either matter or not.”

“That depends.”

“What do you mean by – depends?”

“It is like that: the link or perispirit, that bonds the spirit to the body, is a kind of semi-material covering…”

“Semi… semi…!”

“Death is the destruction of the denser covering; the spirit keeps the second that is like an ethereal body, invisible to us in the normal state, but that can become accidentally visible and even tangible, as that which happens in the phenomena of apparitions.”

“However ethereal you like, a body is always a body. That means two bodies. And matter is matter. You can make it as subtle as you wish that there will never be anything semi there. Electricity itself is nothing more than matter and not semi-matter. And regarding your… how do you call it?”

“Perispirit?”

“Yes, your perispirit… I believe that it explains nothing and it does need an explanation on its own.”

“The perispirit operates as the first covering of the spirit, bonding the soul to the body. That is similar to the perisperm and the skin of a fruit or a germ… the perispirit is taken from the environment, from the universal fluid; it simultaneously takes part in the electricity and the magnetic fluid, and to a certain extent into the inert matter… Do you understand?”

“Not really.”

“One could say that it is the quintessence of matter.”

“You have very well quintessence, you cannot pull it away from the spirit or the semi-spirit. Your perispirit is pure matter.”

“It is the principle of organic life but not the intellectual life.”

“In the end it can be whatever you like. Your perispirit is so many things that I don’t know for sure what it is; it can well be nothing.”

The word perispirit, as it seems, offends you. Had you lived at the time when the term perisperm was created you would perhaps have found it ridiculous too. Why not criticize the words that are created every day to express new ideas? It is not the word that I criticize, you will say, it is the thing itself.

Be that you have never seen the perispirit; do you also deny the soul, considering that you have not seen it either? Do you deny God for the same reason? Well! If the soul or the spirit that are the same thing cannot be seen, the perispirit that is their fluidic envelope can be seen, when free, as one can see the soul’s material covering when incarnate.

Mr. Deschanel strives to demonstrate that the perispirit must be material. But that is what we have said in all our letters. Would that be the reason that led him to say that Spiritism is a materialistic doctrine? But he is betrayed by the very citation that he makes because we say so using our own terms, but without the witty mockery, that the perispirit is only an independent envelope of the spirit. Where has he heard us saying it is the perispirit that thinks? Being that he does not want a perispirit either; but then he has to tell us how he can explain the action of the spirits upon matter without an intermediary.

Let us not talk about the contemporary apparitions in which he certainly doesn’t believe. However, since he is so versed in the Bible, since he so fervently defends it, if it is that he believes in the bible and what it says, can he then explain the apparitions of angels that are mentioned at every instantaneous moment? According to the theological doctrine, the angels are pure spirits; but when they become visible will Mr. Deschanel say that it is the spirit that is made visible? This would be the same as materializing the spirit since only matter can affect our senses. We say that the spirit has an envelope that can make it visible and even tangible at will. It is only the envelope that is material, although very much ethereal, and that does not diminish the actual qualities of the spirit in anyway. We thus explain a fact hitherto inexplicable and we are certainly less materialistic than those who pretend that it is the spirit that transforms into matter in order to act and to be seen.

Those who didn’t believe in the apparition of angels in the Bible may believe now, if they believed in the existence of angels but were reluctant due to previous reasoning; they may for that reason understand the possibility of current manifestations, visible, tangible or otherwise, considering that the soul or the spirit has a fluidic envelope or body, and if indeed they believe in the existence of the soul.

Besides, Mr. Deschanel forgot something: to give his own theory of the soul or spirit. As a judicious man he should have said: You are wrong for this or that reason; things are not as you say; here is how they are. It would only be then that we would have something to discuss. However, it is noticeable that this is not done by any contradictor of Spiritism. They deny, mock and slander. We don’t know any other logic from them and that does not disturb us or cause much worry. We remain absolutely firm since they propose nothing or seem to have nothing better to offer. It is only the openly materialistic person that has an established system: the void after death. We wish them a lot of happiness if that satisfies them. Unfortunately those who admit the existence of the soul are incapable of solving the most vital questions only according to their theory and hence have no other option but to turn to a blind faith, not a very conclusive reasoning for those who like reason, and these count in large numbers in this period of intellectual enlightenment. Well, since the spiritualists explain nothing in a satisfactory way to the thinkers, they conclude that there is nothing and that the materialists may be right. That is what leads so many people to disbelief whereas those same difficulties are a simple and natural solution in the spiritist theory.

Materialism says: There is nothing beyond matter. Spiritualism says: There is something, but provides no proof. Spiritism says: There is something and demonstrates it, and supported by its foundation it explains what was so far was inexplicable. That is what is makes Spiritism bring so many disbelievers back to spiritualism. There is only one thing that we would like to ask Mr. Deschanel: that he may provide his theory and clearly respond to the several questions that we addressed to Mr. Figuier.

To summarize, Mr. Deschanel’s objections are trivial. If he were a serious man; had he criticized with knowledge of the facts; had he not exposed himself by making the huge mistake of defining Spiritism as a materialistic doctrine, he would have tried to study it in-depth; he would have come to meet us, as many others have done, to seek clarifications that we would have gladly provided. However, he preferred to speak according to his own ideas, and that he certainly considers to be the supreme regulator, like the metric unit to measure human reason.

Well, since his personal opinion is irrelevant to us, we have no intention to make him change. We did not move a single step in the direction of doing so; we did not invite him to any meeting, to any demonstration. If he wanted to know he would have come to us. Considering that he did not come it is because he did not want to and we are not more interested than he is.

This is another point to discuss: Can such a vicious and lengthy criticism, founded or not founded, in such an important vehicle like the Débats, can it harm the propagation of new ideas? Let us see.

To begin with it is necessary to observe that one cannot treat a philosophical doctrine as a commodity. If a newspaper claimed, based on evidence, that merchant sells damaged or tainted food then nobody would feel like trying it to see if that was true. However, every metaphysical theory is an opinion that even if coming from God would find contradictors. Haven’t we seen the best things, the most incontestable truths today, ridiculed in their origin, by the most respectable men? Has it prevented them from being true and spreading? Everybody knows this; that’s why the opinion of a reporter on such issues is always only a personal opinion. That makes us think that if so many wise people were mistaken about objective things, Mr. Deschanel can well be mistaken about something abstract. However little he may know about Spiritism, even a vague idea, his accusation that it is materialistic was his rightful condemnation. This results in people preferring to see and judge for themselves and that is all we ask. Mr. Deschanel has unwillingly done a great service to our cause with that respect; and we thank him since that spares us from the cost of publicity, since we do not have enough money to pay for advertising in a publication of 24 columns. However widespread it may be, Spiritism has not yet penetrated everywhere. There are still many who have not heard about it. An article of this size attracts attention. It penetrates even into the enemy’s camps where it provokes desertions, because nobody would so strongly attack something that is unworthy. In fact, we should not amuse ourselves by raising formidable regiments towards a battlefield that may be taken by rifles. The resistance is judged by the deployment of the attacking forces strength, and this is what calls the attention to things which might have otherwise gone unnoticed.

All of that is only reasoning. Let us see if the facts come to contradict him. The credibility of a newspaper is assessed by the sympathies found within public opinion, by the number of readers. The same must apply to Spiritism, represented by a few special books; we only speak about ours because we know the exact numbers. Well! The Spirits’ Book which has become the most complete presentation of Spiritism was initially published in 1857; the second edition in April 1860; the third edition in August 1860, that is four months later, and in February 1861 the fourth edition was out. Hence, three editions in less than a year demonstrate that not everybody is like Mr. Deschanel. Our new book, The Mediums’ Book, was issued on January 15th, 1861 and we are already thinking about the second edition. We have requests from Russia, Germany, Italy, England, Spain, USA, Mexico, Brazil, etc.

The articles of the Journal des Débats was published last November. If they had exerted the minimal influence upon public opinion it would have been felt by The Spiritist Review that is published monthly. Well, on the date of renewal of subscriptions on January 1st, 1861 there was an increase of thirty three percent with respect to the same period of last year, and The Review receives daily requests for new subscriptions with the remarkable request for the full collections of previous years, a fact that has forced us to reprint them.

This shows that The Review does not seem so ridiculous to them. From all sides, in Paris, in the countryside, abroad, there are spiritist gatherings. We know of more than a hundred of them in different regions, and we are far from knowing all of them and not to mention those individuals who study at home in groups or alone. What would Mr. Deschanel, Mr. Figuier and others of the same kind say about it? That the number of deranged people increases? Yes, it increases at such a rate that soon the number of mad people will surpass the sensible ones.

But what those gentlemen so much full of solicitude must deplore is the fact that everything that they have done to stop this movement has actually produced an opposite result. Do they want to know the cause? It is very simple. They pretend to speak in the name of reason and offer nothing better; some give the void as perspective; others the eternal flames; two alternatives that don’t please many people. Between the two choose the one that is more reassuring. After that, does it come as a surprise the fact that people throw themselves into the arms of Spiritism? Those gentlemen believed to have killed it, and we had to demonstrate to them that the little man is still alive, and will still live for a long time.

Since experience demonstrated that Mr. Deschanel’s article, far from harming the cause of Spiritism has served it, exciting the desire to get to know it in those who had not heard about it yet, we then find it useless to discuss his assertions one by one. All weapons have been used against this doctrine: it has been attacked in the name of religion, religion that Spiritism serves instead of causing harm; in the name of science, in the name of materialism. Attacks, threats, slanders have multiplied against the doctrine that resisted them all, even ridicule. Under the cloud of darts thrown against it, the doctrine peacefully traveled around the world and creates roots everywhere, before the eyes of its most bloodthirsty enemies. Isn’t that a subject for serious thought and isn’t that proof that it resonates in human’s heart, at the same time that it is safeguarded by a force against which all human efforts prove useless? It is remarkable that when the articles appeared in the Journal des Débats, spontaneous communications were given in several places, in Paris and other regions. They all expressed the same thought. The following was given at the Society on November 30th last:

“Don’t be disturbed by what the world may write against Spiritism. It is not you that the disbelievers attack but God Himself. However, God is more powerful. This is a new era, you must understand that well, a new era that opens up before you and those who try to oppose the designs of Providence will be knocked down soon. As it was correctly said, instead of harming Spiritism, skepticism hurts its own hands and it will kill itself. Let skepticism speak while the world wishes to make death omnipotent by the nothingness; only oppose indifference to their bitter pretentiousness. For you death will no longer be that terrible goddess dreamt by the poets. Death shall become Homer’s dawn of rosy fingers. **”

André Chénier

St. Louis had already said this about the same issue:

“Similar articles don’t cause harm but to those who write them; they don’t do any harm to Spiritism, but help its propagation, even among its enemies.”

Another spirit responded to a doctor from Nimes, who asked his opinion about the subject:

“You must be happy with that. If your enemies dedicate so much time to you it is for recognizing that you have some value and for fear of you. Then, let them do as they wish. The more they speak the more they will make you known. The time is not far when they shall be forced to silence. Their rage proves their weakness. Only the true force knows how to control itself, for it is patient and has confidence. The weakness tries to stun by making a lot of noise.”

Do you now want an example of how certain wise people employ science for the benefit of humanity?

One of our colleagues from the Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies, Mr. Indermuhle from Berne, writes the following:

“Mr. Schiff, professor of Anatomy (I don’t know if this is the same that so ingeniously discovered the cracking muscle that Mr. Jobert de Lamballe took on as the chief editor) *** gave a public course here about digestion. The course was certainly interesting. However, after having spoken at length about culinary and Chemistry he demonstrated that no matter can be annihilated; that it can be divided and transformed but that it is found in the composition of air, water, organic tissues, arriving at the following conclusion: thus, he says, the soul as vulgarly understood, is exactly in this sense that which we call the soul dissolves as a material body after death; it decomposes to become part of the matter in the air or in other bodies. That is the only way that the word immortality can be justified. Otherwise it cannot.” That is how in 1861 the scholars assigned with the task of instructing and clarifying humankind gave them stone instead of bread.

One must say praising humanity that the majority of the attendees were not very impressed or happy with such a conclusion made so suddenly and many were outraged. As for myself I felt sorry for this man. Had he criticized the government, he would have been stopped and punished. How can one tolerate the public teaching of materialism, which dissolves society? We would add to the sound thoughts of our colleague that a materialistic society that certain people strive to transform our current society into today, is more dangerous in any kind of government since there is no moral restraint. Materialism has perhaps never been professed with such cynicism, and those who refrain by having some modesty indemnify themselves by dragging in the mud whatever can be destroyed. However, do as they will, these are the convulsions of their agony. Whatever Mr. Deschanel may say it is Spiritism that will give him the final blow. We just sent Mr. Deschanel the following letter:

“Sir,

You published two articles in the Journal des Débats last November 15th and 29th, in which you appreciate Spiritism from your point of view. The ridicule that you cast upon this doctrine and consequently upon me in turn and all those who profess it, gives me the right of response that I would then ask of you to publish as well. I had not done so yet because regardless of the extension of my answer, it would still be insufficient to those unfamiliar to this science and useless to those who know it. Belief can only be acquired after serious studies, carried out without prevention, without preconceived ideas, and through a large number of observations, done with patience and perseverance by someone who is really willing to know and learn. I would need to give a real course to your readers and that would surpass the limits of a single article. However, since I believe you are a man of honor I am sure you would not attack without giving the opportunity of defense, thus limiting myself to this simple letter that I request you kindly to have published in your paper, containing the same words that your readers will find in The Spirits’ Book and in The Mediums’ Book that I have just published through Mr. Didier & Co., an answer that is sufficient in my opinion. I will allow your readers to make a parallel between your arguments and mine. Those who would like to form a prior and low cost concise idea may read the little book entitled “What is Spiritism?” that costs only 60 cents, as well as the Letter of a Catholic about Spiritism, from Mr. Grand, former Vice-Council of France. They will also find some thoughts about your article that we published in this March issue of The Spiritist Review. Nevertheless, there is one point that I cannot let go quietly: it is the passage in your article where you say that Spiritism is founded on the grossest materialism. I set aside your offenses and uncivil expressions, things to which I usually don’t give importance, and stick to the point that contains a mistake that I would not call gross because such term would be discourteous but is of capital importance and that needs to be pointed out for the benefit of the reader. In fact, the essential foundation of Spiritism and without which there would be no reason for its occurrence, is the belief in God, in the existence and immortality of the soul, in the future penalties and rewards. Well, these points are the most absolute negation of materialism that admits none of them. The Spiritist Doctrine is not satisfied with their affirmation; it does not admit them as a preconceived idea, but is a clear demonstration. That is why Spiritism has already brought back a large number of disbelievers who had rejected any religious sentiments. It may not be spiritual but there is no doubt that it is essentially spiritualist, that is, contrary to materialism since one would not be able to understand a doctrine of the immortal soul founded on the inexistence of the soul. This leads so many people to an absolute disbelief in the way by which the soul and its future are presented to them. Daily I see people who say to me: “If since my childhood I had been taught these things as you teach them, I would never have become a non-believer, because now I understand what I did not before.” Thus, on a daily basis I am presented with sufficient proof that it is enough to expose this doctrine that has won over numerous supporters.

Yours sincerely, etc.”

____________________________________

* To Univers, May and July 1859; to Mr. Comettant, December 1859; to the Gazette of Lyon, October 1860; to Mr. Figuier, September and December 1860; to Bibliographie Catholique, January 1861

** Reference to Homer’s Odissey, ‘l’Aurore aux doigts de rose’ translated into French, word by word. Fenelon did not hesitate to use it: …tomorrow when the dawn with its rosy fingers open the golden doors to the East… Aristotle wanting to demonstrate that all metaphors are based on the most beautiful and pleasant things to our senses cites this as a reference but says: it would have been much better if someone had said: the dawn of purple fingers.

***See The Spiritist Review, June 1859

Garibaldi’s Head

The Siècle edition of February 4th contains a letter from Dr. Riboli who went to Caprera to examine Garibaldi’s head, from a phrenological perspective. Our intention is not to assess the doctor’s opinion and even less the politician. Nevertheless, by reading the letter we were led to some reflections that are naturally in order here. Dr. Riboli believes that Garibaldi’s cranial structure corresponds perfectly well to his distinguishing intellectual and moral faculties, adding:

“You may laugh at my fanaticism but I can assure you that the time I spent examining that remarkable head was the happiest of my life. I saw, my dear friend, I saw that great man and he gave me everything that he was asked. I held that head that is the size of the whole world in my own hands, and for more than twenty minutes, feeling the inequalities and contrasts of his genius sticking out under my fingers everywhere. Garibaldi is 5’4” ft. tall. I measured all proportions: the width of the shoulders, the length of the arms and legs, the body circumference. In short, he is a well-proportioned man, strong body and of an uneasy temperament. The volume of his head is remarkable. The main aspect is the height of the skull, measured from the ear to the top of the head, yielding 20 cm (approx. 8 in). Such particular dominance of the whole upper part of the head indicates, at first sight and without a more thorough examination, an exceptional structure. The development of the skull on the top, the seat of feelings, indicates a balance of all the noble faculties against basic instincts. After examination, the craniology of Garibaldi immediately shows an extremely rare structure and I can even say that it is unprecedented. The harmony of all organs is perfect and the mathematical resultant of the whole thing shows: abnegation before anything else; prudence and cold blood; austerity; almost continual meditation; serious and precise eloquence; prevalent loyalty; an incredible deference to his friends to the point of suffering with it; his perceptibility in regard to everyone around him was especially dominant. To summarize, my dear friend, and without boring you with every comparison, causality, habitability, constructivism and destructivity *, it is a wonderful, organic, flawless head that science will use as a model, etc.

The whole letter is written with such an enthusiasm that clearly indicates the most profound and sincere admiration for the Italian hero. However, we would like to believe that the author’s observations were not influenced by any preconceived idea. But that is not the point. We accept his phrenological data as accurate but even if they were not, Garibaldi would not be more or less than he actually is. Everyone knows that the disciples of Gall form two schools: the materialists and the spiritualists. The first ones attribute the faculties to the organs. For them the organs are the cause, the faculties the product, and hence there is no faculty unless there is an organ, or put differently, when a person dies everything else is dead. The second group admits the independence of the faculties. The faculties are the cause; the development of the organs is the effect, and hence the annihilation of the organs does not imply the destruction of the faculties. We don’t know anything about the author’s affiliation to either school since he does not reveal it in his words.

Nonetheless, let us admit for a moment that the observations above were made by a materialist Phrenologist. We then ask what his reaction would be to the idea that this head encompasses a whole world, that it owes its genius to chance or to the caprice of nature that would have given him more cerebral mass on a given point of the brain than on another. Well, since chance is blind and has no previous design, it could also have enlarged a given part of the brain thus and unwilling yielding a completely different result to his personality. Such logic necessarily applies to any transcendent person, regardless of how it may be defined. Where would any merit reside if it were due to the displacement of a little piece of cerebral substance? If a simple caprice of nature could produce a common rather than a great man? Instead of a righteous man, an outcast?

That is not all. Taking into account such a great mind, isn’t that horrible to think that there will perhaps be nothing left of him tomorrow, absolutely nothing but the inert matter to be devoured by the worms? Not to speak of the dismal consequences of such a system in case it was accepted, with a multitude of inexplicable contradictions, daily demonstrated by the facts. Instead, everything is explained by the spiritualist system: the faculties are not a product of the organs, but attributes of the soul whose organs are nothing more than instruments to serve their manifestation. Since the faculty is independent, its activity excites the development of the organ, like exercise stimulates the growth of a muscle. The being that thinks is the main thing, and the body is nothing more than an accessory. Thus, talent is a real merit because it results from work and not from a more or less abundant matter. In the materialistic system, work that supports the acquisition of talent is totally lost with death which often does not allow enough time to enjoy that talent. With the soul, work has a meaning since everything that has been acquired is useful to its development; one works for an immortal creature and not for a body that only has some hours of existence.

People will say that the genius is not acquired, but it is innate. That is true. However, why then are two men that are born in the same conditions so very different from an intellectual point of view? Why would God have favored one more than the other? Why would one have been given the means of advancing while the other had that denied? Which philosophical system has solved this issue? It is only the doctrine of preexistence of the soul that can explain it: the genius has lived before, he has pre-acquired knowledge and experience and thus he deserves our respect more than if the superiority were an unjustified favor of Providence or a whim of nature. We want to believe that Dr. Riboli might have seen on the head of that man that he barely touched, out of respect, something more worthy of his veneration than a simple mass of flesh, not reducing it to the role of an organized mechanism. We recall that philosophical ragman that saw a dead dog by the side of the road and said to himself: That is what expects us! Well, then! All of you who deny a future life that is what you make of the greatest geniuses! For more details about Phrenology and Physiognomy, we recommend the article in The Spiritist Review, July 1860.

__________________________________

* There we go with neologisms that are not more barbaric than Spiritism and perispirit

Family Conversations from Beyond the Grave

Henry Murger

NOTE: In a private session at the house of one of our colleagues from the Society, the medium spontaneously wrote the following, on February 6th, 1861:


“The skies are ampler, the atmosphere larger, the flowers more beautiful, the fruits sweeter and the aspirations go even beyond imagination. Greetings, new homeland! Greetings, new dwelling! Greetings love, greetings happiness! How pale is the brief passage on Earth, and how happy is the one who sighed of relief for having left Tartarus and gone to the heavens! Greetings, true bohemia! Greetings, true separation! Greetings, dreams that have come true! I was glad when I fell asleep because I knew that the awakening would be happy. Ah! Thank you my friends for your kind remembrance!
M. Murger



The following Q&A were carried out at the Society on February 8th:


1. You spontaneously came last Wednesday to communicate at the house of one of our colleagues, and there you wrote a nice message. However, there wasn’t anybody there who knew you. Can you please tell us what has prompted you to give us the honor of your visit? – A. I came to demonstrate that I was alive so that I could be evoked today.


2. Were you sympathetic to the spiritist ideas? – A. Two things: First, I suspected then I was easily driven by my own inspirations.


3. It seems that your confusion did not last long considering that you express yourself so easily and so clearly! – A. I died with a perfect awareness of myself, hence I only had to open the eyes of the spirit as soon as the eyes of the flesh were shut.


4. That communication may be considered as a report of your first impressions about the world where you are now. Could you describe with more accuracy what happened to you since the moment when the soul left the body? – A. I was overwhelmed with joy; I saw dear faces again, faces that I supposed were lost forever. I have just been dematerialized and my sensations are still almost earthly sensations.


5. Could you give us your impressions about your main book: ‘La vie de bohème’, from your current stand point? – A. Stunned as I am by the unknown splendors of resurrection, how do you want me to go back to that poor book, a pale reflex of a painful youth?


6. One of your friends, Mr. Théodore Pelloquet, published a bibliographic article about you in the Le Siècle on the 6th of this month. Could you address him with a few words as well as other writers who are friends and comrades of yours, some of whom may not exactly be believers in a future life? – A. I will tell them that the worldly success is like gold transformed into dry leaves. What we all believe in, what we all expect is success, always success, we the hungry harvesters of the Parisian soil, never looking up and above, to the skies, never thinking of the one who always judges us based on our deeds. Will my words change them? No. Dragged through the scorching life that blemishes belief and youth, they will hear lightheartedly, they will forget and move on.



7. Do you see Gérard de Nerval here, the one that has just spoke of you? – A. I see him, and Musset and the lovely and great Delphine. I see them all. They help me; they give me encouragement and teach me to communicate.


Observation: This last question was triggered by the following communication spontaneously received by a medium at the Society, at the beginning of the session:


“A brother has arrived to our world, he is happy and doing well. He thanks heaven for his somewhat late liberation, as you heard him saying a short while ago. Goodbye to sadness, tears and the bitter smile, because we now know that the smile among you is never honest. Something really regrettable and painful on Earth is the need to smile; forced smile or smile at nothing, particularly in France when someone is prepared to dream in solitude. Disenchantment is terrible to a long waiting heart, disillusion a terrible skeleton whose contour one tries to unsuccessfully touch. The uneasy and trembling hand can only find bones. What a horror! For someone who believed in love, religion, family, friendship; those who can face that horrible and petrifying mask, and go unpunished. Ah! Those living, although petrified, but those who sing like bohemians those die very quickly. They turn Medusa’s head. My brother was one of those. As you see my friends from now on we no longer live only in our books, and we will promptly attend your calls. Far from being proud of this happy environment that surrounds us, we shall come to you as if we were still on Earth, and Murger will still sing.”

Gérard de Nerval

Spiritist Teachings and Dissertations

April

Another Word about Mr. Deschanel

From the Journal des Débats

In the previous issue of The Spiritist Review the readers could see our personal letter to Mr. Deschanel with our thoughts about his article. The very short letter was aimed at the rectification of a serious error by Mr. Deschanel and we sought his agreement to have our response inserted in that periodical. He presented the Spiritist Doctrine as if based on the grossest materialism that was a total distortion of its true nature since the Doctrine tends, on the contrary, to destroy the foundations of materialism. His article had many other mistakes that could be pointed out but the latter was too important to let go without an answer; it was really serious because it did a disservice to the so many followers of Spiritism. Mr. Deschanel decided not to accept our request and below is his answer to us:

“Dear Sir,

I had the honor of receiving your letter dated February 25th. Your editor, Mr. Didier, was kind enough to assign me with the task of explaining to you that I had given in to his reiterated requests to give a review about your The Spirits’ Book, allowing me to criticize it as much as I wanted. That was the agreement. I thank you for your understanding that the use of your right of replica would be strictly legal but certainly not as kind as the abstention with which you agreed, according to what I was informed this morning by Mr. Didier.

Yours…etc.

E. Deschanel”

The letter above is inaccurate in several points. It is true that Mr. Didier sent a volume of The Spirits’ Book to Mr. Deschanel, as done from an editor to a journalist but it is inaccurate to say that Mr. Didier agreed not to let us know about his reiterated requests to have the work appreciated and if Mr. Deschanel decided to dedicate 24 columns of the newspaper with mockery he must allow us to suppose that he did so neither out of tolerance nor respect towards Mr. Didier. In fact, as we said, that is not why we are sorry for the fact. He is in his own right to criticize and since he does not share our point of view he had the freedom of assessing our work from his standpoint, as it usually happens all the time. Some have it in the highest regard, others show total disbelief but none goes without an appeal. The ultimate judge is the public, particularly the future public that is away from the current passions and intrigues. The exaggerated praise from little groups does not prevent us from burying from good what is really bad and what is really good survives, despite the diatribes originated from jealousy and envy.

• This striking proof two fables now shall prove;

• Matter enough is here your faith to move

La Fontaine would have said; we will not quote two fables but two facts. When Racine’s Phèdre appeared it had the opposition of the Court and the people of Paris and was ridiculed. The bashing was such that at the age of only 38 years old, he completely gave up writing for the theater. . Pradon’s Phèdre, on the contrary, was praised to the extreme. What is today the situation of both works? A more modern book, Paul et Virginie, was declared dead at birth by the renowned Buffon that found it boring and insipid; however, it is a fact that no book has ever been so popular. Our objective with these two examples is to demonstrate that the opinion of a critic, whatever their merit, is always a personal opinion, not always ratified by posterity. Let us move back from Buffon to Mr. Deschanel, without comparison since Buffon was totally mistaken while Mr. Deschanel believed, no doubt, that the same will not happen to him. In his letter he acknowledges the fact that our right to contest would be strictly legal but he finds it more polite that we don’t exercise that right. He is also bluntly wrong when he says that we agreed with the abstention, leading to believe that we agreed with a request and even that Mr. Didier was in charge of informing him about that. There is nothing further from the truth. We don’t believe that we must demand the publication of our counter argument. He has the freedom of finding our Doctrine bad, disgusting, absurd, of shouting it out loud from the roof tops, but we expected his loyalty with the publication of our letter whose intent was the rectification of a false allegation that could damage our reputation, when he accuses us of professing and propagating the very doctrines that we fight against, since we see them as subversive of the social order and public moral. We did not ask for a disclaimer that would be refused by his ego, but only the publication of our protest, convinced that we were not abusing our own right of response, particularly considering that we were offering 30 or 40 lines against his 24 columns in the publication. Our readers will understand the extent of his denial. If he wanted to see kindness in our procedure we cannot say the same about his attitude.

When Father Chesnel published his article about Spiritism in the Univers in 1859, he also gave a false idea about the Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies, presenting it as a religious sect with cults and priests. Such allegations completely denatured its objectives and its true foundations and could deceive public opinion. It was completely mistaken given the fact that the Society’s bylaws preclude it from dealing with religious matters. As a matter of fact, a religious Society that could not deal with religious matters is unthinkable. We then protest against such statement and not by means of a few lines by through a whole article that the periodical Univers acknowledged our right to publish as a result of a simple request from our side. We are sorry that Mr. Deschanel from the Journal des Débats believes to be less morally obliged to reestablish the truth than those gentlemen from the Univers. If it were not a question of legal right it will always be of loyalty. Pretending to have the right of attacking without providing an opportunity for defense is an easy way of convincing his readers that he is right.

Mr. Louis Jourdan and The Spirits’ Book

Since we are talking about journalists with respect to Spiritism let us not stop on the way. We are not generally spoiled by those gentlemen and considering that we don’t hide their criticism they must allow us to present our counterpoint and arguments against the opinion of Mr. Deschanel and others like a writer whose celebrity and influence are unquestionable, and without being accused of self-serving interest. The praises in fact are not directed to us, personally; at least we don’t take them personally and always address them to our spiritual guides that kindly supervise our work. Therefore we could not benefit from any merit that might be found in our work; we accept the praise not as a confirmation of our personal worth but as a recognition to the endeavor that with the help of God we hope to take on successfully for we have not finished yet and the most difficult part is yet to come. From that point of view, Mr. Louis Jourdan’s opinion has some weight because everyone knows that he does not speak lightheartedly just to fill out the columns of a newspaper with empty words. He can certainly be wrong, like anyone else, but his opinion is always conscientious.

It would be premature to uphold that Mr. Jourdan is a confessed follower of Spiritism. He himself declares that he has not seen any manifestation and that he is not in touch with any medium. He analyzes from his own personal thoughts and since he does not base his opinion on the denial of the soul or any other extra-human power, he sees in the Spiritist Doctrine a new phase of moral life and a means of explaining what was inexplicable up until now. Behold, by admitting the foundations his reason does not absolutely refuse to admit their consequences while Mr. Figuier cannot admit such consequences since he repels the fundamental principle.

He did not study everything nor had he investigated everything of this vast science, hence it is not surprising that his ideas are not well established about all points and for that reason certain questions may seem hypothetical. As a sensible man, however, he does not say: “I don’t understand, hence it cannot be.” He, on the contrary, says: “I don’t know because I did not learn that but I don’t deny it.” As a serious man he does not ridicule an issue that addresses the most serious interests of humanity and as a wise man he remains silent about things that he ignores, afraid of having his denials belied by the facts, as it has happened to so many others who then hear the irresistible argument: “You speak of something that you don’t know.”

He then releases matters of detail, confessing his incompetence, limiting himself to the appreciation of the principle, admitting its possibility is only led by reason as commonly happens every day. Mr. Jourdan first published an article about The Spirits’ Book in the #8 issue of the ‘Le Causeur Magazine, in 1860. It is now over a year since that publication and we had not yet mentioned the fact in our Review, a demonstration that we don’t hastily prevail from the praises during a time when we textually cited or indicated the bitterest criticisms, also a demonstration that we are not afraid of their influence. That article was reproduced as a full chapter in his new book ‘Un Philosophe au coin du feu *. We extracted the following passages from that article:

“I formally promised to return to a subject about which I only mentioned a few words and that deserves a very special attention. It is about The Spirits’ Book that contains the principles of the spiritist doctrine and philosophy. The word may sound barbarian to us but what can one do? New things do need new names. The turning tables led to Spiritism and today we have a complete doctrine, entirely revealed by the spirits since The Spirits’ Book was not produced by any man. Mr. Allan Kardec’s function was limited to the collection and organization of the answers given by the spirits to the many questions addressed to them, brief responses that do not always satisfy the curiosity of the interrogator, but when considered as a whole they actually form a doctrine, a moral and even perhaps a religion.”

“You must appreciate it yourself. The spirits provided clear explanations about the primary causes, about God and the infinite, about the attributes of God. They gave us the general elements of the universe, knowledge about the principle of everything, the properties of matter. They discussed the mysteries of creation, the formation of the worlds and the living beings, and also the causes of diversities in the human races. From there to the vital principle it is just a step, and they also told us what the vital principle is, the meaning of life and death, intelligence and instinct.”

“Then, they unveiled the spiritual world, that is, the world of the spirits, and told us about its origin and nature; how the spirits incarnate and the objective of such incarnation; the process of returning from the corporeal to the spiritual life. Wandering (errant) spirits, transient worlds, perceptions, sensations and sufferings of the spirits, relationships beyond the grave, sympathetic and antipathetic relationships among the spirits, return to the corporeal life, emancipation of the soul, intervention of the spirits on the physical world, occupations and missions of the spirits, hiding nothing from us.”

“I said that the spirits were not only founding a doctrine and a philosophy, but also a religion. They have in fact established the code of moral life in which there are laws that seem of great wisdom to me, not even missing the future penalties and rewards that could be understood from words like heaven, purgatory and hell. As seen from the above, it is a complete system and I have no problem in admitting the fact that if it does not show the powerful cohesion of a philosophical work, if there are contradictions here and there, it is at least of remarkable originality given its elevated moral reach and for the unforeseen solutions given to the complex issues that have concerned the human spirit at all times.”

“I am a total stranger to the spiritist school; I don’t know its leader or its followers; I have never seen any little table dancing or turning; I don’t have any contact with any medium; I have not witnessed any of those supernatural or miraculous events that are reported to me by the spiritist publications. I don’t absolutely confirm or deny the communications with the spirits; in principle I believe that such communications are possible and it does not shock my reason at all. In order to believe in them I don’t need the explanations given to me by a scholar, friend of mine, Mr. Louis Figuier, about facts that he attributes to the magnetic influence of the mediums.”

“I don’t think that it is impossible to establish communication between the invisible world and us. Don’t ask me how and why; I know nothing about it. That is more a question of feeling than mathematical demonstration. Hence, I am expressing my feeling, but it is a far from a vague feeling, a feeling that leaves a well-defined impression in my heart and in my spirit.”

“If we can capture the vital fluids from the infinite space around us, through the movement of our lungs, it is evident that we are constantly interacting with the invisible world. Is such a world populated by wandering spirits, like lost souls, always ready to respond to our calls? That is more difficult to admit but also premature to deny absolutely.”

“Undoubtedly it is not difficult to believe that God’s creatures are not all like us, the sad inhabitants of our planet. We are very imperfect, submitted to unrefined material needs, thus it is not difficult to imagine that there are superior beings who are not subjected to any corporeal penalty; bright and luminous creatures, spirit and matter like us but a more subtle, pure matter, less dense and not so heavy; fluid messengers uniting the universes, sustaining the multiple races and planets for the accomplishment of their missions.”

“Through breathing we are in contact with a myriad of creatures whose existence we cannot understand and whose shapes we cannot reproduce. Thus, it is not absolutely impossible that some of those beings may accidentally get in touch with us but what does seem trivial is the need for a material support of a table, a basket or a medium so that those relationships may be established.”

“Those communications are either useful or pointless. If useful then the spirits must not need to be mysteriously evoked and questioned in order to teach people what people need to know. If pointless, why resort to using them?”

“I have no problem with the idea of accepting these influences, inspirations, revelations if you will. What I do absolutely deny is when people say: God said so, so you must obey. And that under pretext it is a revelation. God spoke through Moses, Christ, Mohamed thus you will be Jewish, Christian or Muslim otherwise you shall endure the eternal penalties and while we wait we will damn you here on Earth.”

“No, no. I don’t accept similar revelations at any price. There is a supreme law above all revelations, all inspirations and all prophets, past and future: the law of freedom. I can accept anything that you like as long as that law is in its foundation. Remove that law and it is only violence and darkness. I want to have the freedom of believing or not believing and admitting that out loud. It is my own right and I want to use it. It is my freedom and I want to preserve that. If you tell me that I will lose my soul if I don’t believe what you teach me; it is possible. I want to stretch my freedom to that limit; I want to be able to lose my own soul if I desire to do so. Who will then be the judge of my salvation or my loss? Who will be able to say: That one was saved, this one here is lost for good? Shouldn’t the mercy of God be infinite? Will anyone be able to assess the abyss of the conscience?”

“The same principle is found in the curious book by Mr. Allan Kardec and that is why I am reconciled with the spirits that were questioned by him. The briefness of the answers is a proof that the spirits have no time to waste; what surprises me is the fact that they still waste some in order to complacently address the call of so many people who waste theirs in the evocations.”

“Everything more or less clearly stated by the spirits, and whose answers Mr. Allan Kardec compiled, was developed and exposed with remarkable clarity by Michel who is certainly to me the most complete and most advanced of all contemporary mystics. His revelation is at the same time a doctrine and a poem, a healthy and energizing doctrine, bright poetry. The only advantage that I find in the questions and answers published by Mr. Allan Kardec is the fact that they are given in a much more accessible format to the general mass of readers, and in particular to the female readers, the main ideas about which is important to have their attention. Michel’s books are not of an easy reading; they continually require a very attentive reader. The book that we mentioned above, on the contrary, may be considered a kind of vade mecum (handbook); if we take it and serendipitously open it in any page the questions will call our attention, raising our curiosity. The questions addressed to the spirits are typically those that concern all of us. The answers are sometimes very weak; on other occasions they encompass the most complex issues in a few words and always offer vivid interest and healthy indications. I am not aware of a more attractive, more consoling, and more fascinating course of moral. There one finds confirmation of the greatest principles on which modern civilizations are founded, particularly the principle of all principles: freedom! Heart and spirit are smoothed and strengthened by that book. The chapters about the plurality of the systems and the law of individual and collective progress have a special appeal and exert a powerful attraction. As for me, Mr. Allan Kardec’s spirits have not taught anything about that. I believe since long ago that there is a progressive development of life through the worlds; that death is the portal to a new life whose trials are in proportion to the achievements of a previous existence. This is in fact the old Gallic faith, the druidic doctrine and the spirits invented nothing here but they did add a series of deductions and excellent practical rules to guide one’s life. That book may have great utility, regardless of the interest and curiosity generated by its origin, particularly to the indecisive minds, to the insecure souls that navigate the turbulent waters of doubt. Doubt is the worst evil! It is the most horrific prison from which one needs to escape at any price. This strange book will help men and women in the consolidation of their lives, breaking the shackles of their prisons, precisely because it is presented in a simple and elemental way, like a popular catechism that everybody can understand.”

After the citation of a few questions about marriage and divorce that he finds trivial and not handled according to his personal taste, Mr. Jourdan finishes his article as below:

“I must say, however, that the spirits’ answers about this subject are not superficial. The whole book is remarkable; the general subject is marked by a certain magnificence and a lively originality. May it stem out or not from a wonderful source, the work is exciting in several aspects and just because it has made me largely interested I am led to believe that many people may also be interested.”

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* A philosopher by the fire – 1 vol., Dentu edition

The Sea By Mr. Michelet

Mr. Michelet must be on guard since all the maritime gods of Antiquity are about to cause harm to him. That is what we learn from Mr. Taxile Delord in his witty article published in the Siècle last February 4th. His language is worthy of the Orpheus in the Underworlds of the Parisian operettas and here is a sample: “Neptune suddenly appears at the door of Amphitrite’s home and says: You sent for me, here I am Neptune. You did not expect me now, dear Amphitrite. It is time for my nap but I cannot close my eyes since the arrival of that devilish book entitled ‘The sea’. I wanted to browse it but it is full of nonsense. I don’t know which seas he wants to talk about. As for me, I cannot recognize myself. Everybody knows very well that the sea ends at the Pillars of Hercules. What else can be beyond that…?”

It goes without saying, that Mr. Michelet is a winner from all points of view. Well, after his adversaries disappeared Mr. Taxile Delord tells him: “You would perhaps be glad to know what became of the maritime gods after they were expelled by the sea from its empire. Neptune is a large scale fish breeder; Glaucus is a swimming teacher at the Ouanier’s baths; Amphitrite works as a receptionist in one of the Mediterranean baths in Marseille; Nereus has accepted the position of cook on one of the transatlantic liners; several Tritons died and others are exposed in fairs.”

We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information provided by Mr. Delord about the current situation of former Olympian heroes, but in principle and unwillingly he said something more serious than intended. The word god in former times had a very elastic meaning. It was a generic qualification applied to every being that seemed to rise above human level. That is why their great individuals were deified. We would not find them so ridiculous if we had not used the same word to designate the unique being, the sovereign Lord of the universe. The spirits that existed in those days as they do today also manifested and those mysterious creatures must have belonged to the same class of gods, according to the ideas of that time and with more reason than today. Ignorant people worshiped them, looking at them as superior creatures. They were sung to by the poets and their stories flooded with profound philosophical truths, hidden by the veil of ingenious allegories, whose scope formed the pagan mythology. The masses that generally only see the surface of things took it as a rule, not investigating the bottom line of those thoughts, absolutely as people in our time only see La Fontaine’s fables as nothing more than animal talk.

That is in essence the principle of mythology. The gods were nothing more than the spirits or souls of the mortals, as in our days. However, the common passions of pagan religion do not provide a good impression of their elevation in the spiritist hierarchy, starting with their leader, Jupiter, something that did not preclude them from enjoying the incense that was burnt at their altars.

Christianity swept their prestige away and Spiritism now reduces it to their true value. Their own inferiority allowed them to endure several incarnations on Earth. It is then possible to find some, among our contemporaries, who have received the honors of deity, something that does not make them any more advanced. Mr. Taxile Delord, who undoubtedly does not believe in these things, just wanted to make a joke. In spite of that he still said something that is perhaps more truthful than he thought or at least it is not physically impossible, as a principle. That is how, imitating Mr. Jourdain, many people practice Spiritism without knowing it.

Family Conversations from Beyond the Grave

The Suicide of Mr. Alfred Leroy (Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies, March 8th, 1861)

The Siècle from March 2nd, 1861 reports the following:

“In a vacant lot on the corner of a road called The Arcade which leads to Conflans and Charenton, yesterday in the morning the body of a man who had committed suicide was found by workers, hanging from a very tall pine tree. Once informed, the Charenton Police Chief went to the scene, followed by Dr. Josias, carrying out the full examination. The Droit says that the man was apparently around fifty years of age, of distinct looks, well dressed. A handwritten note was taken from one of his pockets and it read: ‘It is 11:45pm; I ascend to end my torture. May God forgive my errors.’ In the same pocket a letter was found without signature or addressee, containing the following: ‘Yes, I fought to the limit! Promises, guarantees, I lacked everything. I could get there; I had everything to believe in, everything to expect; lack of words kill me; I cannot go on. I now leave this so painful life. Full of strength and energy I am obliged to resort to suicide. God is my witness that I seriously wanted to pay back all those who helped me in my disgrace. Fatality crushes me. Everything is against me. Suddenly abandoned by those that I represented I now suffer my fate. I die without bitterness, I confess, and however much they say, the slanders will not preclude me from having a few moments of noble sympathy towards myself. Insulting the man that has been reduced to the last of all resolutions is an abuse. It is enough to be reduced to this. I am not all ashamed of myself. Selfishness would have killed me.’ According to other documents, the man was a so called Alfred Leroy, fifty years old, from Vimoutier, Orne. His profession and residence are unknown and after the customary formalities the unclaimed body was sent to the morgue.”


1. Evocation – A. I don’t come as a tortured man. I am saved! Alfred.


OBSERVATION: The words “I am saved” astonished the majority of the audience. The explanation was requested in the sequence of the conversation.


2. We learned from the papers about the desperate act in which you have succumbed to and although we don’t know you, we are very sorry because religion teaches us that we must have pity on all our unfortunate brothers and it is to testify our sympathy that we invoked you. – A. I need to shut out the real motives that led me to that desperate act. I thank you for what you are doing for me. It is a reason for joy, a message of hope. Thank you!


3. Can you first tell us if you are aware of your present situation? – A. Perfectly. I am relatively happy. I did not commit suicide for purely material causes and my last words demonstrate that. I was taken by an iron fist. When I incarnated on Earth I saw that suicide would be in my future. It was a trial that I had to fight. I wanted to be stronger than fatality but I succumbed.


OBSERVATION: It will be seen soon that this spirit does not escape the fate of all suicides, despite what he says. As for the word fatality, it is evident that there is a memory of Earthly things. People consider their destiny as every disgraceful event that cannot be avoided. For him suicide was the test that he had to pass. He yielded to the call instead of resisting, given his free-will, and he assumed that it was in his destiny.


4. You wanted to escape an unpleasant situation through suicide. Have you gained anything from that? – A. Here is my punishment: confusion of my pride, awareness of my weakness.


5. According to a letter that was found with you, it seems that people’s cruelty and lack of word have led you to your self-destruction. What is your feeling now towards those who were the cause of you fatal resolution? – A. Oh! Don’t you tempt me, don’t tempt me, I beg you.


OBSERVATION: This is a remarkable answer. It paints the situation of the spirit fighting the desire of hatred towards those who did him harm, and the feeling of good, pushing him to forgiveness. He is afraid that this question may provoke an answer that might be reproached by his conscience.


6. Do you regret your action? – A. I told you: my pride and my weakness are the cause.


7. When alive did you believe in God and in a future life? – A. My final words demonstrate that: I walk to my punishment.


OBSERVATION: He begins to understand his situation, about which he could have had an illusion in the beginning, because he could not be simultaneously saved and walked to his punishment.


8. When you took that resolution, what was in your mind? – A. I was very much aware of the justice to understand what makes me suffer now. For a short time I entertained the idea of the void but I soon rejected that. If I had such an idea I would not have killed myself. I would have sought revenge.


OBSERVATION: This answer is at the same time very logical and very profound. If he believed in the nothingness after death instead of killing himself he would have revenged or at least he would have started from vengeance. The idea of the future precluded him from committing a double crime. With the idea of the nothingness what was there to be afraid of if he wanted to take his own life? He would no longer fear people’s justice and would enjoy the pleasure of vengeance. Such is the consequence of the materialistic doctrines that certain wise people try to propagate.


9. If you were convinced that the cruelest vicissitudes of life are trials of too short a duration before eternity would you still have succumbed? – A. Very short, I know that, but despair does not give space to reason.


10. We beg God for His forgiveness in your favor and send Him our prayers, all of us united: “Almighty God, we know the fate of those who shorten their days and we cannot obstruct your justice. But we also know that your mercy is infinite. May that mercy be extended upon the soul of Alfred Leroy! May also our prayers show him that there are people on Earth who care about him, thus mitigating his sufferings for not having had the courage to endure the hardships of life! Good spirits, whose mission is to alleviate the unfortunate ones, take him under your protection; inspire regret in him for his actions and the firm desire of progress through new trials that he will withstand better. – A. Your prayers make me cry hence I feel happier.


11. In the beginning you said: I am saved. How can we reconcile those words with what you said later: I walk towards my punishment? – A. And how do you see God’s benevolence? I could not live. It was impossible. Wouldn’t you believe that God sees that impossibility in such a case?


OBSERVATION: Amidst some notably sensible answers there are others, and this last one is in that group, through which the spirit shows an imperfect idea of his current situation. There is no surprise here if we consider the fact that he has been dead for a few days only.


12. (To St. Louis) – Could you tell us what is the fate of the unfortunate spirit that we have just evoked? – A. Expiation and suffering. No, there is no contradiction between the first words of that unfortunate spirit and his pains. He says he is happy. He is happy for the termination of life. Since he is still attached to the Earthly bonds the only thing he feels is the absence of the bad things from Earth, but when his spirit is totally separated from the horizons of pain, a slow and terrible expiation will unfold before him, and the awareness of infinity, still hidden to his eyes, shall be the punishment that he had foreseen.


13. Which difference can you establish between this suicide case and the other one of the Samaritan? Both killed themselves out of despair, however their situation is very different: this one is perfectly conscious of himself; speaks clearly and does not suffer yet while the other one did not see himself dead and from the very initial moments he suffered a cruel pain, feeling the decomposition of his own body. – A. Huge difference. The suffering of each of those men reflects the individual character of their moral progress. The latter, a weak and broken soul, held up as much as he believed. He doubted his own strength and God’s benevolence, but he cannot be charged with blasphemy or slander; his inner, slow and profound suffering shall have the same intensity as the pain of the former suicide. It is just that the law of expiation is not uniform. NOTE: The story of the Samaritan suicide can be found in the issue of The Spiritist Review, June 1858.


14. To the eyes of God who is most to blame and who will suffer the greatest punishment: the one who succumbed to his own weakness or the other who was led to despair for the stiffness of his heart? – A. Surely the one who succumbed to the temptation.


15. Can the prayers on their behalf be useful to them? – A. Yes. Prayer is like a beneficial mist.

Spiritist Teachings and Dissertations

May

Spiritist Teachings and Dissertations

June

Speech about Future Life Channing

(Given on Easter Sunday, 1834 after the death of one of his friends)

We have been given a number of times in this Review, spontaneous communications from the spirit Channing that does not contradict his superiority of character and intelligence. Our readers will appreciate below some passages of his texts when alive, using fragments of one of his speeches, whose translation we owe to the kind support of one of our subscribers. Considering that his name is not much known in France we provide a short biography below as an introduction to his discourse.

William Ellery Channing was born in 1780 in Newport, Rhode-Island, New York State. His grandfather, William Ellery, signed the famous declaration of independence. Channing was educated at Harvard College, to attend the medical school but his tastes and talents drove him towards a religious career when in 1803 he became the minister of the Unitarian Chapel of Boston. He then remained in that city where he professed the Unitarian Doctrine, a protestant sect that counts on many followers in England and in the USA, at the highest social echelons. He became known for his broad and liberal views and is counted as one of the most prominent individuals in the US given his remarkable eloquence, his many publications and his philosophical depth. A self-declared follower of peace and progress he relentlessly preached against slavery and for that he initiated such a fierce war against that institution, many liberals felt his exceeding enthusiasm was harmful to his own popularity, sometimes seemingly out of place. His name granted him authority among those who fought slavery. He died in Boston at the age 62. He was replaced by Gannet as leader of the Unitarians.

“To the great majority of people, heaven is almost always a world of fantasy. It lacks substance. The idea of a world where the creatures have no dense bodies, pure spirits covered by spiritual or ethereal bodies seems fictitious to them. Something that cannot be seen or touched does not seem real to them. That is sad but not surprising for how can people, immersed in matter and its related interests, not cultivating the acquisition of knowledge about the soul and its capabilities, how can they understand a more elevated spiritual life? To the crowds, someone that clearly and happily speaks about future life and about the victory of the spirit against the corporeal decomposition is a visionary dreamer. Such skepticism about heaven and spiritual things is irrational and unphilosophical as shameful.”

“And how irrational is the imagination that there aren’t other worlds but this one and no other more elevated way of living than ours! Who can doubt, after looking at the boundless Creation, that there exist superior beings or see any irrationality in conceiving that spirits do exist in a less circumscribed way, less bounded than here on Earth, and that there is a spiritual world?”

“Those who have left us for another world must cherish an even more profound interest for this one. Their links with the ones left behind improve rather than dissolve. If the future state is a betterment of the present one; if they must grow and expand in intelligence and love, their memories, fundamental power of intelligence, must act upon the past with an ever greater energy, and every lovely affection that we enjoyed here must renew. The idea that this Earthly life would be erased from the memory of the spirit would be the same as destroying its utility; it would be the rupture of the link between the two worlds and a subversion of responsibility, otherwise how could a forgotten life be reached by punishment or reward? No. We must carry the present with us, whatever the future may be, happy or unfortunate. It is true that the good ones will build new and even stronger and more sacred bonds; however, under the expanding influence of that better world the heart will have a greater capacity to keep the previous bonds while new ones are constructed. He will keep a kind memory of his birthplace while enjoying a more mature and a happier life. If I could imagine that those who have left this world are actually dead for those who stay I would love them and honor them less. A man that forgets those left behind seems deprived of the best feelings of our human nature; and if the just in their new motherland were supposed to forget their parents on Earth; if, approaching God, they were expected to stop putting a good word for them, could we believe that such a change was beneficial to them?”

“One could ask if those in heavens not only keep a cherished memory of the ones left here on Earth but also that are aware of their present and immediate condition. I have no reason to believe that such awareness does not exist. We are used to thinking of heaven as something far away from us, but there is no proof of that. Heaven is the union, the society of spiritual beings. Can’t they populate the universe, thus carrying heaven along with them everywhere? Is it likely that those creatures are restricted, like us, by physical boundaries? Milton said:

Millions of spiritual beings walk the Earth

Both when we wake and when we sleep.”

“A new sense, a new vision could show us that the spiritual world surrounds us from all sides. But even if you suppose that heaven is far away, there is no reason to believe that its inhabitants are not close to us and we are visible to them. However, how do we understand presence? Am I not present to those of you that I cannot reach with my arm but who I can clearly see? Isn’t that in total agreement with our knowledge about nature to suppose that those in heaven, regardless of their dwellings, may have spiritual senses and organs through which they can see at a distance as easily as we can see what is near us? Our eyes can effortlessly see planets that are millions of miles away, and with the help of Science we can even see the details of their surfaces. We can even imagine a visual organ sensitive enough or an instrument sufficiently powerful to allow for the detection of inhabitants of those far away planets. Why then, those who have already entered into a more elevated stage of their existences, covered by their spiritual bodies, why wouldn’t they be able to contemplate our Earth as easily as when it was their own dwelling?”

“That can be true and it is not an abuse to think so. It could be abused. We don’t think of the dead as if they were contemplating us with a partial Earthly love. They love us more than ever, but with spiritual and renovated warmth. Their only wish is to see us worthy of reuniting with them in their place of generosity and piety. Their spiritual eyes penetrate our souls. If we were able to hear their voices it would not be a declaration of personal attachment but a lively appeal for better efforts on our side, to a firmer abnegation, to a broader charity, to a humbler patience, to a more loving obedience to God’s will. They breathe from the atmosphere of God’s benevolence and their mission now is more important than it was here.”

“You may then ask: if the dead are aware of the hardships that afflict us, would it follow that there is suffering in that blessed life? My answer is that I cannot see heaven but as a world of sympathies.

It seems to me that there isn’t anything that may attract their attention better than the misery of their brothers. But if that sympathy may yield sadness on one side, it is far from making them unhappy. In our inferior word, a selfless compassion, together with the power of lessening the suffering of others, is a guarantee of peace, frequently leading to the purest pleasures. Free from our current diseases and enlightened by a broader vision from the divine governance, such sympathy will provide more joy to the virtues of those blessed beings, and as any other source of perfection, it will increase their happiness. The friends who leave us for that other world are not among strangers; they don’t feel the loneliness of someone that has exchanged his homeland for an unknown country. The kindest human words of friendship are not even close to the scores of felicitation that await them at the entrance of that world. There the spirit counts on safer ways of revealing oneself than here. The newcomer feels surrounded by virtues and benevolence and by that intimate feeling of sympathetic spirits around him, and new bonds may be instantaneously created, stronger than those cemented by years of worldly relationships. The most intimate affections in our world are cold when compared to those among the spirits. How do they communicate? Through which language and organs? We don’t know that but we do know that as the spirit progresses it becomes easier to them to transmit their thoughts.”

“It would be a mistake to believe that the inhabitants of heaven are limited to the reciprocal communication of their ideas. Those who reach that level enter into a new state of activity, of life and endeavors. We may think of the future state as something so happy that nobody will need help there, that there is no more need for any effort and the good ones have nothing else to do but to enjoy. Truth is, however, that any activity on Earth, even the most intense, is similar to a child’s game when compared to the activity and the energy developed in that more elevated life. And that is how it must be since there is no more active principle than intelligence, beneficence, love for the truth, desire of perfection, sympathy for the sufferings and devotion to the divine works that form the widening principles of life beyond the grave. That is when the soul has total awareness of its capabilities; that the infinite truth unfolds before our eyes; when we understand that the universe is a boundless sphere of discoveries to science, to goodness and worship. Those new interests of life, which reduce the current ones to nothing, multiply forever. Hence, one must not imagine heavens as a motionless community. I envision it as a world of prodigious plans and efforts for its own betterment. I consider that as a society which has to go through successive phases of development, of virtues, power and knowledge, through the energy of its own members.”

“The celestial genius is always active, exploring the great laws of creation and the eternal principles of the spirit; unveiling beauty in the order of the universe and discovering the means of advancement for each soul. There are different degrees of intelligence, as with us here, and the most advanced spirits find happiness and progress enlightening the ones behind. The education that was initiated here continues there and a more divine philosophy than the one we learn here revealing its very essence to the spirit, stimulating his joyful efforts towards his own betterment. Heaven has a connection with the other worlds. Its inhabitants are God’s messengers in the whole creation. They have great missions to accomplish and given the progress of their endless existence, they may be entrusted with the care of other worlds.”

This speech was given in 1834. In those days there was not a word about manifestations of the spirits in North America. Hence, Channing did not know them. He would otherwise have stated that at certain points he only mentioned it as a hypothesis. Nevertheless, isn’t that remarkable that this man had foreseen with such accuracy what would only be revealed a few years later, since apart from a few exceptions, his description of future life is in perfect agreement with that revelation? The only missing point is reincarnation and if carefully examined one can see that his speech is close to that, as with the manifestations of the spirits that he remains quiet about since he did not know them. In fact he admits the spiritual world around us, among us, plentiful of solicitudes towards us, helping us to advance. From there to the direct communications there is only a step. He also states that in the celestial world there is no perpetual contemplation but activity and progress; he admits the plurality of the corporeal worlds, but more or less advanced; had he admitted that the spirits could continue their progress in those worlds and we would have the reincarnation right there. Without it the idea of progressive worlds cannot be reconciled with that of the creation of the souls at the moment of birth of the bodies, unless one can admit the creation of more or less perfect souls and then it is necessary to justify God’s preference. Isn’t it more logical to admit that if the souls of a given world are more advanced than those of another it is because they have already lived on inferior worlds? The same may be said about the inhabitants of Earth, comparing the savage to the most civilized among themselves.

In any case isn’t such a description of life after the grave for its logical deductions more accessible to the most vulgar intelligence and acceptable by the sternest reason, and isn’t that a hundred times more adequate to lead to conviction and trust in the future than the horrible and inadmissible picture of the endless tortures borrowed from the Paganism of Tartarus? Those who preach such beliefs cannot imagine the number of disbelievers that they generate and the number of recruits sent to the ranks of materialism.

Notice that Milton who was cited in the speech above has an opinion similar to Channing’s about the invisible world in our environment that is also the opinion of the modern spiritists. The fact is, that Milton, as well as Channing and many other notables, were spiritists out of pure intuition. That is why we tirelessly repeat that Spiritism is not a modern invention. It has occurred at all times because there were souls at all times and the masses have always believed in the soul. Therefore we can find fragments of this idea in a large number of old as well as modern texts, sacred and profane. Such intuition of the spiritist ideas is so general that we daily see lots of people who are not at all surprised when they hear about them for the first time. All that was missing was a formula for their belief.

Family Conversations from Beyond the Grave

Effects of Despair

Death of Mr. Laferrière, member of the Institute - Suicide of Mr. Léon L…

The widow and the Doctor

We would need several books to register all the dismal accidents caused by despair, even if we only take into account those that are of public knowledge. How many suicides, diseases, involuntary deaths, cases of madness, acts of vengeance and even crimes are produced every day! An educational statistic would be that of the root causes that led those persons to a state of insanity. We would see that in at least 80% of the cases despair is present. But that is not our focus today.

Below we transcribe two cases that were reported in the papers, and we don’t do it just to show the news but as material for study. The Siècle of last February 17th reported the following regarding the funerals of Mr. Laferrière:

“On Tuesday we took a twenty-year-old young lady to her final dwelling, followed by some saddened friends, after she had endured a terrible disease for some time. Mr. Laferrière was the father of his only child. He was a member of the Institute and General Inspector at the Law School. The excessive pain killed that unfortunate father and the resignation of the Christian faith was not enough to console him. Thirty six hours later a second blow shook the family and the same week that had seen father and daughter separated also saw them reunited again. Mr. Laferrière funeral was attended by a huge and dismayed crowd.”

The paper says that Mr. Laferrière had religious feelings and it is nice to see it since we must not assume that all scholars are agnostic. Those feelings, however, were not able to preclude him from falling out of despair. We are convinced that if his ideas about the future were less vague, more positive, such as those given by Spiritism; had he believed in the presence of his daughter by his side; had he had the reassuring opportunity of communicating with her, he would have understood that they were only separated physically and for some time and he would have the necessary patience and submission to God’s will up until the time of their reunion; he would have calmed down knowing that his own despair was a cause of disturbance to his beloved one’s happiness. These thoughts are even more appropriate to the news reported by the Siècle on March 1st:

“Mr. Leon L… is a 25 year-old businessman of the Villemonble bus company in Paris. He was married for two years to a young lady who he loved very much. The birth of their son, now 1 year old, brought them even closer. This and the successful business led them to foresee a long and happy future.

A few months ago Mrs. L… felt suddenly ill taken by typhoid fever and despite the most diligent care and the assistance of all of science’s latest medicines, she soon passed away. Since then Mr. L… has been so sad that there was nothing that could distract him. He was heard more than once saying that he hated life and that he wanted to reunite with the one who was his reason of happiness.

Last night, around 7 pm, on returning from Paris in his car he gave the cabriolet carriage to the wagoner and without a word he entered the room adjacent to the dining room. An hour later a servant came to let him know that dinner was served. He responded that he wanted nothing. His body was bending over the desk, the head supported by the hands, seemingly taken by total weakness.

The servant informed his parents who promptly came to help their son. He had lost consciousness. They immediately sent for Dr. Dubois. As soon as the doctor arrived he attested that the young man was dead. He had poisoned himself with a strong dose of laudanum that he had bought for his horses. The young man’s death caused great commotion in the region where he enjoyed general sympathy.”

Mr. Leon L…, no doubt, believed in a future life since he killed himself to reunite with his wife. Had he known through Spiritism the fate of those who commit suicide he would have known that far from short-cutting the path of reunion, his action was an infallible way of keeping them apart. We would like to offer the following opposing fact to those two above, showing the influence that the spiritist beliefs may have upon those who profess them. One of our corresponding members reports the following:

“A lady friend of mine lost her husband whose death was attributed to medical malpractice. She was so angry with the doctor that she persecuted him, ruthlessly, threatening him and telling him out loud and wherever she met him: - ‘Assassin, I will make sure that you die in my hands!’ – That lady was very religious, a good Catholic. The appeal of religion, however, did not stop her. The situation came to a point that the doctor decided to inform the authorities for his own security. In the town where she resides there is a large number of followers of Spiritism. A good spiritist, friend of hers, told her one day:

• How would you react if I told you that you could still talk to your husband?

• Oh! She said, if I only knew that it is possible! If I were certain that I did not lose him forever, that would give me consolation and I would wait.

They soon gave her proof. Her own husband came to give her advice and consolation and by the language he employed, she had no doubt that it was him by her side. Since then a total revolution took place in her mind. Eight days later she went to the house of the doctor who was afraid of her visit; instead of threatening him she offered to shake his hand, saying: - ‘do not be frightened Sir. I came to apologize for the bad things I have been doing against you, as I forgive you for what you did involuntarily. It was my husband himself that advised me to do what I am doing now. He told me that the cause of his death had absolutely nothing to do with you. As a matter of fact I am now certain that he is around me, that he sees and protects me and that one day we will be together again. Hence, I beg you Sir not to keep any hard feelings against me as I do not hold any against you.’

Needless to say that the doctor accepted the settlement immediately and promptly tried to understand the mysterious cause behind his refreshing peace of mind thereafter. Thus, without Spiritism that lady would have likely committed a crime, despite the fact that she was a religious person. Does it demonstrate the uselessness of religion? Not at all. It only shows the insufficiency of the idea that religion provides about the future with such vagueness that to many it presents a kind of uncertainty, while Spiritism in a way allows us to touch it with our fingers, giving the soul a more thorough sense of confidence and security.

Which consolation does materialism bring to the father who has lost his son; the son who has lost his father; the husband who has lost his beloved wife? It says: it is all over. There is nothing left of the beloved creature, absolutely nothing remains from that body that will soon be dissolved. Also their intelligence, the moral qualities, the education, nothing; it all comes to the void; you have lost them forever.

The spiritist says: They are not lost; they all move on; the only thing that is gone is their physical covering; but the spirit, now separated from its prison, is radiant, and it is there, by your side, seeing you, hearing and waiting for you. Oh! The wrongs caused by the materialists inoculating their deceitful arguments, the poison of unbelievers! They never loved. Otherwise, how could they see in cold blood the very object of their love and devotion turning into a pile of dust?

Therefore it seems that God’s greatest rigor has been reserved to them as we shall see them all reduced to the most deplorable condition in the spiritual world and the closer they were from knowing the truth, the less indulgence they will receive from God.

Spiritist Teachings and Dissertations

July

A Providential Apparition

The Oxford Chronicle dated June 1st, 1861 states the following:

“In 1828 a ship was traveling from Liverpool to New Brunswick with Mr. Robert Bruce as second in command. As they were approaching the banks of Newfoundland the Captain and his second in command were calculating a full day’s route, the first one in his cabin and the second in an adjacent chamber. The two rooms were designed so that they could see and talk to one another. Bruce was very absorbed in his work that he did not notice that the Captain had left his cabin and gone up to the bridge. Without looking he said: “I found a similar longitude, what did you get?” Since there was no answer he repeated the question and again with no answer. He walked to the Captain’s cabin and saw a man sitting in his chair, writing on his slate board. The individual then turned and stared at Bruce, who ran to the bridge horrified.

• Captain, he said as soon as he saw him, who is that person in your cabin?

• Nobody, I believe.

• I guarantee you that there is a stranger there.

• A stranger! You are daydreaming Bruce. Who would dare to be in my cabin, at my desk without my orders? You may have seen the boatswain or the steward.

• Sir, there is a man at your desk, writing on your slate board. He stared at me and I saw him more clearly than anyone I have ever seen before.

• He! Who?

• God knows, Sir! I saw a stranger that I had never seen before.

• You are crazy Bruce. A stranger! We have been offshore for about six weeks now.

• I know, but I saw.

• Well then, go and see who that person is.

• Captain, you know I am not a coward. I don’t believe in apparitions however I must confess that I cannot bear the idea of going there alone. I would like to have you with me. The Captain then led the way and found nobody. He then said:

• Look now, you had a dream.

• I don’t know how it can be but there was someone there and he was writing on your slate board.

• In that case there must be something written then. He took the slate board where it read: “Take the Northeast route.”

The Captain then had everybody on the ship, including Bruce; rewrite that phrase, attesting that the writing was unlike anyone else’s. They searched every corner of the ship and found no stranger. The Captain had given thought to the mysterious advice and decided to change course and follow the Northeastern route, appointing a man of his personal trust to be on the watch.

Around 3 pm a block of ice was spotted, then a ship with a broken mast and several men on board. As they approached they learned that the ship could not set sail, had no supplies left and everyone on board was starving. Several boats were sent for the rescue operation but as soon as they got on board and to Mr. Bruce’s bewilderment, he saw the very man that he had seen in the Captain’s cabin in the crowd of shipwrecked men.

As soon as the wreckage was attended to and the ship was able to reestablish its course Mr. Bruce told the Captain:

• It seems that I did not see a spirit today, after all. He is alive. The man who wrote on your slate board is one of the passengers that we have just saved. There he is. I swear!

The captain then invited the man to his cabin and asked him to write on the other side of the board containing the mysterious words: “Take the Northeast route”. The passenger obeyed although intrigued by the request. Taking the slate board, the Captain showed the written words to the passenger and asked:

• Is this really your writing?

• No doubt and I have just written it here, before your eyes.

• Then the Captain turned the other side of the slate and asked: How about this?

• Yes, it is my writing but I don’t know how that could happen since I only wrote on the other side.

• According to my Second officer here, he saw you today, around noon, by this desk and writing these words.

• Impossible – this is the first time I have been on this ship.

They then questioned the Captain of the wrecked ship about what could have happened to that man, and he said: ‘All I know is that he is one of my passengers. However, just before noon he fell heavily asleep, waking up an hour later. During his sleep he said he was confident that we would soon be saved, saying that he was aboard a ship and then described in detail, everything that we confirmed moments later. When he woke he said that he had no memory of any dream, just a recall of some sort of unexplained presentiment about a ship that would rescue us. Something strange, he added, is that everything in that ship seems familiar although I had never been there.’

Mr. Bruce then told the Captain the story of the apparition that he had seen and all agreed that it had been providential.”

This is a perfectly true story. Mr. Robert Dale Owen, former Minister of the USA in Naples, who also mentions this event in his book, found every possible piece of evidence supporting its truthfulness. Our question is whether this event has any aspect that one can characterize it as hallucination! It is understandable that the passenger had a lot of hope in his sleep, the kind that never abandons people in desperation. The coincidence between the dream and the rescue could still be the result of chance. However, how can one explain the detailed description of the ship? Even if it is still chance, then the writing on the slate board is material evidence. And for that reason, what about the advice to change course and navigate in the Northeastern direction, towards the wreckage? The hallucination supporters should kindly provide us with the reasons for all those events, and using their exclusive system.

In their opinion there is deception in the provoked spiritist manifestations. But in the event above there is no indication that the passenger was playing a role in a comedy. That is how the spontaneous manifestations, when supported by undisputable testimony, are of great relevance since there is no room for suspicion of any kind. To the spiritists there is nothing extraordinary about the fact above because they can explain it perfectly well. To the eyes of the ignorant it will seem supernatural, marvelous.

To someone that knows the theory of the perispirit and the liberty of the soul among the incarnated, it is all part of the laws of nature. A critic greatly amused himself poking fun at the story of the man of with his snuffbox published in the March 1859 issue of The Review, saying that it was all the imagination of the sick lady. What is it that is more impossible in that story than in this one? The two facts are explained by the exactly same rule that governs the relationship between spirit and matter. Besides, we ask all spiritists who have studied the theory of phenomena if, by reading the facts that we have just reported, their attention was not immediately attracted to the mode by which it can be produced; if they did not find an explanation; if, as a consequence of the explanation, their conclusion was not a possibility, and by force of that possibility, if their reason was not more satisfied than if they had to accept it just as a matter of faith, without the support of their intelligence? Those who criticized us for presenting this theory forget that it is the result of long and patient studies, that they could have done the same, as we have, working as much as we did and still do every day; that by providing the means of understanding phenomena we give it a foundation, a reason for its existence, that silenced many critics and contributed by and large to the propagation of Spiritism, considering that people accept it with more good will than something that is understood in opposition to something that cannot be.

Mysterious Drawings

A New Kind of Mediumship

Under this title The Herald of Progress, from New York, a journal dedicated to spiritualist matters and directed by Andrew Jackson Davies, published the article below:

“Last year on November 22nd Dr. Hallock was invited along with some others to the house of Mrs. French located at number 8, Fourth Avenue, to witness several spiritist manifestations and to observe the movements of a pencil. Around 8 pm Mrs. French left the living room where the group was gathering to sit on a couch in an adjacent bedroom. She remained there for the duration of the meeting. A few moments after she was seated she fell into some sort of ecstatic state, her eyes were static and delirious. She then asked Dr. Hallock and Prof. Britton to have the room examined. On the bed, across from the place where she was sitting, there was a briefcase tied up by a silk ribbon and also a bottle of wine to be used in the experiment. The paper that was supposed to be used for the drawings was inside the case. We were asked, said Dr. Hallock, not to touch the case or the bottle. Several pencils and two pieces of elastic gum were also on the bed but there was no drawing paper anywhere in the room.

After the room was searched Mrs. French asked Mr. Cuberton to take the case to the living room where the other guests were located, then open it and remove its contents. There were a number of common sheets of paper and among those, Mrs. French took six of different sizes from Mr. Cuberton’s hand, and all sheets were placed on a table in front of Mrs. French. She asked for some pins and took a 5 almost 6 in. paper ribbon and placed it on the lower side of a sheet of paper, then pinning the extremities of the paper to the ribbon. Having done that, someone was then invited to take the sheet of paper and allow the observers to examine it, then asked that person to keep the ribbon and the pins and return the sheet of paper to her. She did the same thing to the other sheets, changing the position and number of pins every time and having the set examined by a different person, aiming at having the paper recognized by the position of the ribbons. Once all sheets were examined and returned to Mrs. French Mr. Cuberton then delivered the wine bottle to her. She laid the sheets on the table and spilled the wine on all of them until they were completely soaking wet, spreading the wine around with her hand. She then dried all of them individually, pressing and turning them, blowing and agitating them in the air. That alone lasted for a few minutes. Once this was completed, she lowered the lights and invited the guests to approach. During the spillage ceremony one sheet of paper was left too dry and she repeated the procedure for that one (the wine was actually a simple mixture of grape juice and sugar, duly authorized by the State and produced in New England). Mrs. French then turned the lights back to normal and invited everyone to sit by her side near the door. Mr. Gurney, Prof. Britton, Dr. Warner and Dr. Hallock were about six feet away from her and the others could see her perfectly well. She then placed one of the sheets on the table in front of her and kept several pencils between her fingers. Dr. Hallock never lost sight of her as he had promised.

It was all set when Mrs. French then warned that the experience was about to begin saying: ‘Time’. Then a sudden movement of the hand and for some time, both hands; a distinct noise was heard as if on the paper; the pencils and the paper were thrown away, to a certain distance, on the floor, by a jerky movement. It all lasted 21 seconds. The drawing shows a bouquet of flowers, composed of hyacinths, lilies, tulips, etc.

The same happened to the other sheets of paper. The second one also shows flowers. The third, a beautiful bunch of grapes with its shoots, leaves, etc. It was done in 21 seconds. Number 4 is a branch and leaves containing fruits similar to apricots. The leaves are a sort of moss. Before doing this, Mrs. French asked the observers how long they would allow her to have to finish it. Some said 10 seconds, others less than that. Well, said Mrs. French, on my count of one look at your watches. When she counted 4 the drawing was finished. Attention! One, two, three, four and the drawing was done! The fifth was a shrub of red currants with 12 bunches of unripe fruits, with their flowers and leaves, surrounded by leaves of another species. This drawing was introduced by Mrs. French to Mr. Bruckmaster, from Pittsburg, as if sent by his sister, according to a promise that she had made to him. Two seconds were necessary for that one. Number six, that can be considered the masterpiece of the whole series, is a 9”× 4”. It consists of white flowers and leaves painted on a dark background, that is, the drawing was done in the natural color of the paper while the outlines and interiors using colored pencils. With the exception of two drawings produced in the same way but on a different occasion, all drawings are done by pencil on top of a white background. In the center of those flowers at the bottom of the page there is a hand holding an open book, measuring 1” and ¼” × ¾”. The corners are not exactly at right angles but what is really remarkable is the fact that the holes made earlier by the pins to facilitate identification of the sheets outline the four corners of the book. On top of the left hand side page it reads: Galatians VI, followed by the first six verses and part of the sixteenth of that Chapter, covering almost the whole two pages with very readable characters in good lighting, with a naked eye or with the use of a magnifying glass. There were more than a hundred legible words. The time spent for that was 13 seconds. When people were able to attest the coincidence between the holes in the paper and the ribbon Mrs. French, still in trance, asked those around to certify what they had just witnessed in writing. People then wrote over the margin of the drawing: ‘Executed in 13 seconds in our presence by Mrs. French. Certified, by the signed below on November 22nd, 1860 at number 8, Fourth Avenue and followed by nineteen signatures.”

We don’t have any reason to doubt the authenticity of the event or to be suspicious about Mrs. French’s good-faith, despite the fact that we don’t know her. We must acknowledge, however, that the whole procedure may seem little convincing to our incredulous, to whom there would not be a lack of objections, saying that the whole procedure kept some similarity with those of conjuring, that does all that without so much apparent difficulties. We must confess that we agree a little bit with them. The fact that the drawings were made is undisputable. It is only the origin that does not seem to be unequivocally established. In any case, if we admit that not a single trick was used, it is unarguably one of the most remarkable facts of direct writings and drawings, whose possibility is explained by the theory. Without such theory events as these would be promptly thrown into the common ditch of fables or magic tricks. However, for the very reason that it explains the conditions under which such events may take place they help us to become better observers and to not admit them unless we have enough proof.

The American mediums definitely have a specialty for the production of extraordinary phenomena since the press in that country has plenty of facts of that kind, far from what happens with the European mediums. Thus, from the other side of the Atlantic they say that we are still well behind in matters of Spiritism. When we asked the spirits about such a difference they said: “Each one with their mission. Yours is not the same and God did not give you the least part in the works of regeneration.”

Considering the merit of the mediums by the speed of execution, the energy and the power of the effects, ours are weaker when compared to those; however we know many people who would not exchange the simple and consoling communications that they receive by the prodigies of the American mediums. Those communications are sufficient to give them faith and they prefer the ones that touch their souls to the others that impress the eyes; the moral teachings that give consolation and make them better to the phenomena that cause admiration. There was a short time in Europe when the physical events drew great attention but that were soon replaced by the philosophy that opens up a broader avenue to our minds, tending towards the final and providential target of Spiritism: social regeneration. Each people has its own genius and special tendencies, and everyone within the limits assigned to it, concurs with the designs of Providence., The most advanced shall be the ones that walk faster on the path of moral progress because that is the one who will be closer to God’s designs.

Spiritist Teachings and Dissertations

August