December
Response to Mr. Oscar ComettantYou have dedicated the publication of Le Siècle newspaper, of October 27th last, to the spirits and their partisans. Despite the ridicule you have cast over a problem much more serious than you think, I am pleased with the fact that by attacking the principle you have maintained the courtesy of the form, for it is not possible to say in a more candid way that we have no common sense. Thus, I will not confuse your witty article with the gross diatribes that give a sad idea of the good taste of the authors, worthy of all educated persons, adepts or not.
I do not have the habit of responding to criticism. Hence, I would have let your article pass, as done to many others, if I had not been assigned by the spirits to thank you in the first place for having given attention to them, and second to give you an advice. Please understand Sir that if it were for me I would not have done it. I do my job. That is all.
• How come! You may say – do the spirits give importance to a paper that I wrote about them? It is very kind of them.
Effects of Prayer
One of our subscribers writes from Lausanne:
“For over fifteen years I have dedicated to what your Spiritist Science teaches today. The study of your books does nothing but reinforces such a belief. Besides, it brings me great consolations, casting a new light onto something that was darkness to me. Although I was convinced that my existence had to be multiple, I did not understand what my spirit would be in the intervals.”
“Thank you, Sir, a thousand times, for having initiated me into those great mysteries; for having showed me the only path to follow to be granted a better place in the other world. You opened my heart to hope, doubling my courage to withstand the trials of this world. I then invite you to come to help me, Sir, to examine a great truth, in which I am highly interested.”
“I am a Protestant and as such we don’t pray for the dead in our church, since it is not taught in the Gospel. As you say, the spirits that you evoke frequently ask for the support of your prayers. Would they be under the influence of ideas acquired when alive, on Earth, or is it true that God takes into account the prayers by the living ones to alleviate the suffering of the dead?”
“Sir, this question is very important to me and to other comrades who married in the Catholic Church. To have a satisfactory answer I believe that it would be necessary to have the agreement of an enlightened protestant spirit, like that of one of our ministers, manifesting in your session, following one of your ecclesiastics.”
“The question is twofold: 1st – Is the prayer pleasing to the person it is directed? 2nd – Is it useful to them?”
To begin with let us hear Re. Father Felix, in a remarkable introduction from a little book entitled “Les morts souffrants et delaisses”.
“The devotion to the dead is not only an expression of a dogma and a manifestation of a belief. It is a charm of life, a consolation to the heart. In fact, what can be kinder to the heart than this devout cult that bonds us to the memory and suffering of the dead? Believe in the efficacy of prayer and good deeds to alleviate those who we lost; believe that when we cry for them, our tears can still help them; finally, believe that even in that invisible world which they inhabit they can be visited by our love, benefiting them; what a sweet, kind belief! What a consolation in such a belief to those who saw death coming through their roofs, breaking their hearts! If such a belief did not exist, says the human heart through the voice of its noblest instincts, to all those who can understand, that it would be necessary to invent it, even if it were only to bring some kindness to death and charm to our funerals. In fact, nothing transforms or changes the love that prays over the tomb or cries in the funerals, with such a devotion to the memory and suffering of the dead. That mixture of religion and pain, prayer and love, has something simultaneous of delicate and touching. The crying sadness becomes an auxiliary to the praying, piety that in turn becomes the most delicious aroma to sadness. Faith, hope and charity can never conjugate better to honor God, consoling people and transforming the relief to the dead into consolation to the living ones!”
“This smooth charm that we find in our fraternal exchange with the dead becomes even smoother when we are persuaded that God, no doubt, would not let those beloved ones entirely oblivious of the good that we do towards them. Who has never wished for a deceased father or brother to be at their side listening, when praying for them, and that they could be there to see the votes made in their favor? Who would not have said, when wiping the tears at the funeral of a lost relative or friend: If he could just hear me! When with my tears love offers prayer and sacrifice, if I could be certain that he knows it and that his love always understands mine! Yes, if I could only believe that it is not only the relief I sent that gets to him but if I could also be persuaded that God assigns one of his angels to tell him that, carrying the benefit to him, and that the relief comes from me, oh! God, you who are good to those who cry, what a balm to my ulcer! What a consolation to my pain!”
“It is true that Church does not force the belief in that our deceased loved ones effectively know, in purgatory, what we do for them here on Earth, but it does not prohibit it either; Church insinuates it, seeming to persuade us through the scope of its cult and ceremonies, as respectable and serious men of the Church are not afraid of attesting it. As a matter of fact, if the dead don’t have the current and clear awareness of the prayers and the good deeds that we do in their names, it is certain that they feel their beneficial effects. Isn’t that firm belief enough to the love which wishes consolation to the pain through the benefit, fertilizing the tears through sacrifice?”
What Father Felix admits as a hypothesis the Spiritist Science admits as an incontestable truth because it provides its patent proof. In fact, we know that the spiritual world is composed of those who left their corporeal envelopes or, in other words, the souls of those who lived on Earth. Those souls or spirits, which is the same thing, populate space. They are everywhere, by our side as in the most distant places. Disentangled form the heavy and troublesome burden which retained them on the surface of the soil, now having only one ethereal, semi material envelope, they move with the speed of thought. Experience demonstrates that they can attend our appeals, but they understandably come in a more or less good will, with more or less pleasure, according to our intention. The prayer is a thought, a link between them and us. It is an appeal, a true evocation. Well, as the prayer is always a benevolent thought, efficient or not, it cannot but be pleasing to whom they are addressed.
Is it useful to them? That is another question.
Those who dispute the efficacy of the prayer say: God’s designs are immutable and God does not break them under the request of humans.
That depends on the objective of the prayer, since God cannot infringe God’s laws to satisfy all inconsiderate requests that we address to Him. Let us face it only from the point of view of the relief brought to the suffering souls. To begin with we affirm that admitting that the effective duration of the sufferings cannot be abbreviated, commiseration and sympathy are mitigation to the suffering. If a prisoner is condemned to spend twenty years in jail, won’t he suffer a thousand times more if left alone, abandoned? However, if a charitable and compassionate soul comes to visit and encourage him, wouldn’t that have the effect of breaking the chains before the period is over? Who on Earth would not find in compassion a relief to their miseries?
Can the prayers abbreviate suffering?
Spiritism responds: Yes, and demonstrates it through reason and experience. Through experience because it is the suffering souls themselves who come to confirm it, revealing the change in their situation. Through reason considering the way Spiritism sees things.
The communications we have with the beings of beyond the grave show all degrees of suffering and happiness. We then see unhappy, terribly unhappy beings and if Spiritism, according to a large number of theologians, does not admit the fire but as figurative, like a symbol of most pains, in short, as a moral fire, we must agree that the situation of some is not much better than if they were in the material fire. The state of happiness or unhappiness after death is not then just a illusion or a true ghost. But Spiritism teaches that the duration of suffering depends, up to a certain point, on the will of the spirit who can abbreviate it through the efforts employed to improve. The prayer, the real prayer, from the heart, dictated by a true charity, entices the spirit to repent; return their good feelings; clarify them; help them understand the happiness of their superior spirits; encourage them to do good, to become useful for the spirits can do the good and evil things. Somehow it liberates them from the lack of courage in which they are benumbed, allowing them to see light. They can then leave their quagmire through their own efforts. That is how the protective hand that reaches out can help them, abbreviating their suffering.
Our subscriber asks if the spirit who request prayers would not be under the influence of worldly ideas. We respond to this by saying that among the spirits who communicate with us there are those who have professed all cults: Catholics, Protestants, Jews, Muslims, and Buddhists. When asked: What can we do to help you? They answer: “Pray for me.” – A prayer according to the ritual that you professed would be more useful or pleasing to you? – The ritual is the form. The prayer from the heart has no ritual.”
Our readers certainly remember the evocation of the widow of Malabar, inserted in our December 1858 issue. When we said: “You ask us to pray for you but we are Christians. Would our prayers please you? She said: “There is only one God to all people.”
The suffering spirits connect to those who pray for them, like the appreciative person does to her benefactor. That same widow of Malabar came several times to our meetings, uninvited. She came to get instructed, as she said. She even followed us in the streets, as we attested through a clairvoyant medium. Lemaire, the assassin, whose evocation was published in our March 1858 series, an evocation which we say, in passing, has excited the mockery vein of some skeptical, that very unfortunate, abandoned murderer, found a compassionate heart in one of our readers, who felt sorry for him. He came to visit him a few times, trying to manifest through all means and modes up until that person, having the opportunity to learn about those manifestations, knew that it was Lemaire who wanted to demonstrate his appreciation. When it was finally possible for him to express his thoughts, he said: “Thank you charitable soul! I was alone, with the remorse of my past life and you felt sorry for me. I was abandoned and you thought of me. I was in the abyss and you reached out to me. Your prayers were like a soothing balm to me. I understood the enormity of my crimes and I ask God to give me the grace of reparation through a new existence, in which I can do as much good as the evil I have done. Thank you, once more. Thank you!
To finalize, here you have the opinion of the distinguished Protestant Priest Mr. Adolph Monod, deceased on April 1856, about the effects of prayer:
“Christ said: love one another. This recommendation contains all possible means of demonstrating affection to our fellow human beings, not entering into details, however, of how to achieve that objective. If it is certain that nothing can preclude the Creator from applying the law that God is the model Himself, it is no less certain that the prayer that you address to God, in favor of the person of your interest, is to the latter a testimony that she is missed. This can effectively contribute to console her and alleviate her suffering. She is helped as long as manifesting regret, and only then, but she will always know that a sympathetic soul has sent her good thoughts. Such thought entices regret, leaving the soul in the sweet persuasion that the intersection of that soul was useful. It necessarily results in appreciation and affection towards the person who has given proof of friendship or piety. As a consequence the love recommended by Christ to human beings has grown among them. Both obeyed the law of love and the union of all beings, God’s law, which must lead to unity, that it the objective of the spirit.”
• You don’t have anything else to add to these explanations?
• No. They contain everything.
• I thank you for bringing them.
• To me it is a reason for happiness to be able to contribute to the union of the souls, union that the good spirits endeavor to make prevail above all questions of dogma, which divide them.
A Spirit that does not acknowledge his death
“Not willing to forget any of the facts that come to support the Spiritist Doctrine, I wish to communicate the new phenomena which I have witnessed and served as medium, and as you will recognize, are in perfect agreement with everything that you have published in your Review, with respect to the state of the spirit after separation from the body.”
“About six months ago I was receiving communications from the spirits together with a few persons when I had the idea of asking if there was any clairvoyant medium among the attendees. The spirit responded positively, indicating me and adding: “You are already one but in a small degree and only during the sleep. Later your temperament will modify in such a way that you will become an excellent clairvoyant medium, but gradually, and during the sleep only in the beginning.”
“During this year we endured the pain of losing three of our relatives. One of them, my uncle, appeared to me in my sleep, just after his death. We had a long conversation and he conducted me to his dwelling, saying that it was the last degree of the Earthly happiness. It was my intention to provide you with the description of what I had admired in that incomparable home but having consulted with my guardian spirit he said: “Your joy and happiness could influence the description of the wonderful beauties that you admired, and your imagination could create non-existing things. Wait until your spirit is soother.” I then stopped, obeying my guide, only reporting two other more positive visions. I will only mention my uncle’s last words. When I had admired what I was allowed to see, he said: “You are now returning to Earth.” I asked him to allow me to stay for a few moments more, to which he said: “No; it is five o’clock and you have to retake the course of your existence.” I immediately woke up. My clock indicated 5 am sharp.”
Doctrine of Reincarnation Among the Hindus
NOTE COMMUNICATED TO THE SOCIETY BY MR. TUG… “It is generally thought that the Hindus only admit reincarnation as expiation and that in their opinion it only happens in animal bodies. However, the lines below, extracted from the trip of Mrs. Ida Pfeiffer, seem to demonstrate that the Hindu Indians have a more clear idea with that respect.
Mrs. Pfeiffer says: “The girls are generally engaged when they are one year old. If the boy dies the girl is considered a widow, being then precluded from marrying. Windowing is considered to be a great unhappiness. They think that such a situation is the result of a not faultless previous life.”
Despite the undeniable importance of these last words, it must be acknowledged that there is a capital difference between the doctrine of metempsychosis of the Hindus and the doctrine admitted by the Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies. Let us see what Zimmermann says about Hinduism in his “Travel Journal’ (Taschenbuch der Reisen).
“The basis of that religion is the belief in a primary and supreme being, in the immortality of the soul, and the reward of virtue. The true and only God is called Brahm, who must not be confused with Brahma, created by God. God is the true light that is the same, eternal, blessed at all times and places. The goddess Bhavani (nature) has emanated from the immortal essence of Brahm, and a legion of 1,180 million spirits. Among those there are three semi gods or superior genies: Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, the trinity of the Hindus. Concord and happiness has reigned among the spirits for a long time. With time, however, a revolt exploded among them and some refused to obey. The rebels were precipitated from heavens to the abyss of darkness. Then came the metempsychosis: each plant, each creature was animated by a decayed angel. Such a belief explains the kindness of the Hindus towards the animals. They are considered their similar, thus they do not want to kill any.”
“We are led to believe that only with time everything that exists of bizarre in that badly understood religion, and falsified by the crowds, fell to the insensible charlatanism. It is enough to indicate the attributes of its main divinities to explain the current state of the religion. They admit 333 million inferior divinities: those are the goddesses of the elements, of the phenomena of nature, of arts, diseases, etc. Furthermore, there are the good and bad genies. The good ones outnumber the bad ones by three millions.”
“What is extremely remarkable”, adds Zimmermann “is that one cannot find a single image of the Supreme Being among the Hindus, who is immensely great to them. His temple is the whole Earth, they say, and He is worshiped in all forms.”
Thus, according to the Hindus, the souls were created happy and perfect and their bankruptcy resulted from a rebellion. Their incarnation in animal bodies is a punishment. According to the Spiritist Doctrine the souls were, and still are, created simple and ignorant, and it is through the successive reincarnations that they reach perfection, thanks to their efforts and to God’s mercy, the only means of achieving eternal happiness. The soul, which must progress, may however remain stationary during a more or less lengthy period, but cannot retrocede. What has been acquired in knowledge and morality the soul does not lose. If the soul does not advance it does not move back either. That is why it cannot go back to animate the creatures inferior to humanity.
Thus the metempsychosis of the Hindus is founded on the principle of degradation of the souls. Reincarnation, according to the spirits, is founded on the principle of continuous evolution. According to the Hindus, the soul began by perfection, achieving abjection. Perfection is the beginning; abjection is the result. According to the spirits, ignorance is the beginning; perfection is the objective and final result.
It would be superfluous to demonstrate which one of these doctrines is the most rational, which one gives the most elevated idea of God’s justice and benevolence. It is then from a complete ignorance of their principles that some people confuse them. TUG…”
Family Conversations from Beyond the Grave
Celebrated Traveler Mrs. Ida Pfeiffer
Society, September 7th, 1859
The following report was extracted from the Second trip around the world, by Mrs. Ida Pfeiffer, page 345:
“Since I am going to talk about very strange things, it is necessary to mention a more enigmatic event, which happened in Java a few years back, causing such commotion that it even attracted the government’s attention.”
“At the residence of Chéribon there was a little house in which spirits appeared, as people said. When the night came, this event hailed inside the bedroom, in all directions, and from all places, there was siri * spitting. Both the hail and the spit fell near the persons in the room, but did not hit or harm them. As it seems, it was all directed at a particular child, who was in the room. It was so much said about this inexplicable case that the Dutch governor assigned an officer of his trust to examine the case.”
“The officer determined that serious and faithful men should stand guard around the house, blocking anyone from coming in or out. He scrupulously examined all details, took the designated child in his arms and settled in the fatal room. Early evening and as usual, the hail and siri started. All fell near the officer and the boy, not hitting them. Each corner, each hole was examined again. However, nothing was found. The officer could not understand it. He demanded that the stones be put together, marked and hidden in a distant place. It was all in vain. The same stones fell in the room again, at the same usual time.”
“In the end and to stop such inconceivable story, the governor ordered that the house be demolished.”
The person who collected this fact was a really superior lady, less for her instruction and talent than for her incredible energy of character. Besides that fervent curiosity and untamed courage which made her the most remarkable traveler that has ever existed, Mrs. Pfeiffer was not eccentric. She was a lady of kind and enlightened benevolence, having many times demonstrated that she was far from being superstitious. Her rule was only to tell what she had witnessed or captured from an unsuspected source (see the Revue de Paris, September 1st, 1856 and the Dictionnaire des Contemporains, de Vapereau).
1. Evocation - I am here.
2. Are you surprised by our call and for being among us? - I am surprised by the speed of my journey.
3. How were you warned that we wanted to speak with you? - I was brought here unnoticeably.
4. However, you must have received some sort of warning. - I was irresistibly carried away.
5. Where were you when you were invited? - Close to a spirit who I have the mission to guide.
6. Where you aware of the distances that you have to cover to be here or have you suddenly found yourself here, without transition? - Suddenly.
7. Are you happy as a spirit?
- Yes. One cannot be happier.
8. Where did you take your intense like of traveling? - I was a seaman in a preceding existence. The taste acquired for travelling in that existence reflected in this one, despite the sex that I selected.
9. Have the trips contributed to your progress as a spirit? - Yes, because I did these trips with the spirit of observation, which I lacked in the preceding existence where I only got involved with commerce and material things. That is why I thought that I could advance more in a sedentary life. But God, so good and wise in God’s designs, allowed me to utilize my inclinations in favor of the progress that I requested.
10. From all nations that you have visited, which one seemed more advanced and which do you prefer? Haven’t you said when alive that you placed certain tribes of the Oceania above the most civilized nations? - It was a wrong idea. Today I prefer France for I understand its mission and foresee its destiny.
11. What is the destiny that you foresee for France? - I cannot tell you its destiny but its mission is to sow progress and lights, hence the true Spiritism.
12. Why have you found the savages of Oceania more advanced than the Americans? - I saw serious and robust qualities in them, abstraction made of the vices of savage state, which I did not find in other places.
13. Do you confirm that fact that happened in Java, reported in one of your books? - I confirm it partially. The case of the marked stones that were thrown again deserves explanation. Those were similar stones, but not the same.
14. What did you attribute that phenomenon to?
- I did not know what to attribute it to. I asked myself if the devil would not in fact exist and, hence, responding negatively. I did not go beyond that.
15. And now that you know the cause, could you tell us the origin of those stones? Were they transported or specially made by the spirits? - They were transported. To the spirits it was easier to bring than to collect them.
16. And where did that siri came from? It was made by them? - Yes. It was easier and even unavoidable since it would be impossible to find it already prepared.
17. What was the objective of those manifestations? - Like now, attracting attention and attesting a fact that it needed be talked about and an explanation attempted to be found.
OBSERVATION: Someone observes that such verification could not lead to any serious result among those people. One can say that there is a real result because through the report and testimony of Mrs. Pfeiffer the fact came to the knowledge of civilized nations, which comment and make conclusions about them. As a matter of fact, the Dutch were the ones called in to attest them.
18. Was there in the case a special objective, particularly referring to the child tormented by the spirits? - The child had a favorable influence, that is all, and personally she had not suffered a single scratch.
19. Since the spirits produced the phenomena, why have they ceased when the house was demolished? - They stopped because it was judged to be useless to continue, but you are not going to ask if they could have persisted.
20. We thank you for your presence and kindness in answering our questions. - I am entirely at your service.
____________________________________________
* A preparation that the Javanese people chew continually, giving the color of blood to the mouth and saliva.
Privat d’Anglemont
FIRST CONVERSATION –
SEPTEMBER 2ND, 1859
I n the Le Pays edition of August 15th or 16th, 1859 there is the following necrology of Privat d’Anglemon, a writer who died in the Dubois Hospital:
“His fantasies have never harmed anyone. It was only the last one that was bad and turned against him. As he came to the hospital where he ended up dying, Privat d’Anglemont decided to say that he was Anabaptist and followed the doctrine of Swedenborg. He had already said many things of the same kind during his life. This time, however, death silenced his word and he had no time to deny himself. The supreme consolation of the cross was kept away from his deathbed. His funeral entourage passed by a church but moved on. The cross did not come to welcome him at the gate of the cemetery. When the coffin was lowered in the grave Edouard Fournier pronounced touching words about that body, but did not dare to wish him but the sleep. All his friends, one by one, left surprised by the fact that he did not receive the tear-like water, which purifies. Then, after all that, let us try to raise funds to erect something on his hopeless tomb! Poor Privat! I don’t entrust his less to the hands of the One who knows all miseries of the human soul, who planted forgiveness in the effusion of an affectionate heart.”
Before anything else let us make an observation about that news. Isn’t that an atrocious thought, a hopeless grave that doesn’t even deserve the honor of a monument? Privat’s life could have been more meritorious, no doubt. There is no question about the fact that he made his mistakes, but nobody can say that he was a bad man, who did evil things, like so many others, by pleasure, under the mantle of hypocrisy. Due to the fact that he was denied the prayers of the believers, in his last moments on Earth, prayers not even said by his little charitable friends, must we believe that God condemn him forever, not leaving him with any other supreme hope but the sleep of eternity? In other words, that he is nothing more than an animal to God’s eyes, he who was a man of intelligence, certainly unthoughtful about the things and favors of the world, living by chance, careless about tomorrow, but definitely a man of thought, if not a transcendent genie? If that is the case, how terrifying it must be the number of those who dive into the emptiness! The spirits unarguably give us a much more sublime idea of God, always introducing Him as ready to reach out to help the one who recognize his mistakes, to whom there is always an anchor of salvation.
1. Evocation - I am here my friends. What is it that you wish from me?
2. Do you have a clear idea of your current situation? - No. Not completely but I hope to have that soon since God, as it fortunately seems, does not wish me away from Him, despite the almost useless life I led on Earth, and later I will have a very happy position in the world of the spirits.
3. Were you immediately aware of your situation, at the time of your death? - I was understandably perturbed, but not as much as one might suppose. The reason being that I always liked the ethereal, the poetic, the dream-like things.
4. Could you then describe what happened to you? - Nothing extraordinary and different from what you already know. Useless, then, to talk about it again.
5. Do you see things as clearly as when you were alive? - No. Not yet. But I will see.
6. Which impression do you have about your vision today of people and things? - My God! That very thing that I always thought.
7. What do you do now? - I do nothing. I am errant. I look for a spiritual position, not a social position; another world, another occupation. It is the natural law of things.
8. Can you transport yourself anywhere, at will? - No. I would be very happy. My world is limited.
9. Do you need a significant amount of time to move from a place to another? - Very significant.
10. When you were alive your individuality was attested through the body. Now that you no longer have a body, how do you demonstrate it? - Ah! That is strange! It is something that I have not thought about. It is true to say that one learns something new every day. Thank you, dear companion.
11. Well then! Considering that we called to your attention this point, think about it and answer. - I told you that I am limited with respect to space. But ah! I always had a lively imagination but I am also limited in my thoughts. I will respond later.
12. When you were alive what was your opinion about the state of the soul after death? - I assumed it immortal, which is obvious. However, shame on me, I confess that I did not believe, or at least, I was not sure about the reincarnation.
13. What was the origin of the original character that distinguished you? - There was no direct cause. Other people are profound, serious, and philosophical. I was joyful, lively, and original. It is a variety of character. That is all.
14. Couldn’t you have, through your talent, left that bohemian life, which attached you to the material needs? I believe that you had to go without the necessary many times. - Very frequently. But, what do you want? I lived according to my character. Besides, I never bent before the silly conventions of the world. I did not know what begging for protection was. My principle was “art for the art”.
15. What is your hope for the future? - I don’t know yet.
16. Do you remember your existence prior to the one you have just left? - It was good.
OBSERVATION: Someone reminds that these last words might well be taken as an irony, much in agreement with Privat’s character. He then responded spontaneously: - I apologize but I was not mocking you. It is true that I am a not much instructive spirit to you but, in reality, I don’t want to joke about serious matters. Let us stop. I don’t wish to speak any more. So long!
SECOND CONVERSATION – SEPTEMBER 9TH, 1859
1. Evocation - Let us see, my friend, when are you going to stop framing all these sensible questions that I cannot respond?
2. You certainly say that out of modesty since the intelligence that you showed in life and when responding to our questions demonstrates that your spirit is above the vulgar. - Flattering!
3. No. We don’t praise. We say what we think. As a matter of fact we know that praising has no meaning to the spirits. You suddenly left us during our last conversation. Could you kindly explain the reason for that? - The reason, in all its simplicity, is the following: You ask questions so much beyond my capacity that I feel embarrassed to answer. Then please understand my natural constraint when I remained mute.
4. Do you have other spirits around you? - I see lots of them, here, there, everywhere!
5. Have you given any thought to the question we addressed to you and that you promised to respond on another opportunity? I repeat it: when you were alive your individuality was attested through the body. Now that you no longer have a body, how do you demonstrate it? In short: how do you distinguish yourself from the other spiritual beings that you see around you? - If I can express what touches me, I still retained a kind of essence that gives me my individuality and leaves me in no doubt that I am me, though I am dead to the Earth. I’m still in a new world, well new to me ... (After some hesitation.) I finally found my individuality through my perispirit, which is the form that I had in this world. Note. We believe that this last response was whispered to him by another spirit, because its accuracy contrasts with the embarrassment suggested in the beginning.
6. Have you attended your own funerals? - Yes I did but I don’t even know why
7. Which sensation has it produced on you? - I saw with pleasure, with real satisfaction, that I left many memories behind when I left Earth.
8. Where did you take the idea from of calling yourself Anabaptist and Swedenborgist? Had you studied Swedenborg’s doctrine? - It was one of my eccentricities, among others.
9. What is your opinion about the short eulogy dedicated to you by the newspaper Le Pays? - You confuse me if you believe that by publishing these communications in the Review it gives pleasure to those who wrote them, and then what would I say about those for whom they were written? What are beautiful phrases, nothing more than beautiful phrases?
10. Do you go back to see the places that you used to go to when alive, and also see the friends that you left behind? - Yes, and I dare say that I still find some satisfaction in visiting those places. As for the friends, I had only a few sincere ones. Many shook hands with me, not having the courage of saying how eccentric I was, criticizing me and calling me mad behind my back.
11. Where do you intend to go after leaving us? This is not an indiscrete question but aims at our instruction. - Where I am going to? ... Let us see! ... Ah! An excellent idea! ... I will allow myself a little enjoyment… Doing it only once will not create a habit. I will go for a stroll. I will visit a little room from which I kept pleasant memories… Yes, it is a good idea. I will spend the time by the bedside of a poor devil, a sculptor that has nothing to eat tonight… who has requested the sleep to alleviate his hunger… The one who sleeps, also dines… Poor young man! You will be okay. I will lead you through magnificent dreams.
12. Couldn’t you tell us the address of that sculptor? Couldn’t we help him?
- It could be an indiscrete question if I did not know the praiseworthy feeling that dictates it… I cannot answer that question.
13. Will you kindly make an essay about a subject of your choice? Your literary talent must turn it into an easy task. - Not yet. However, you seem so kind, compassionate, that I promise to write something. I may be a bit eloquent now but I am afraid my communications may still be too worldly. Allow my soul to depurate a little. Wait until it leaves this gross still bonding envelope and I will then promise a communication. I only ask you for one thing: ask God, our sovereign Lord, to pardon me, allowing me to forget my uselessness on Earth, since each individual has a mission in this planet. Most unfortunate the one who does not accomplish it with faith and devotion! Pray! Pray! See you another time.
(THIRD CONVERSATION)
• I have been here for a long time. I promised to say something and will do it.
• Know this, friend, that there is nothing more embarrassing than speaking like that, attacking a serious subject without an introduction. A scientist does not prepare his publications before long reflections, after having given a lot of thoughts to what he is going to talk about, his endeavor. As for myself I am afraid I have not yet found a subject worthy of you. I could not tell you but frivolities, that is why I prefer to request an adjournment of eight days, as if before a tribunal. Then, it is possible that I may have found a subject of your interest, which may instruct you.
As the medium had mentally insisted that he should say something, he added:
• My dear, I find you remarkable! No. I prefer to stay as a listener. Don’t you know that there is as much instruction to me as there is to you on listening to the things that are discussed here? No, I repeat. I stay only as a listener since it is a much more instructive role to me. Despite your insistence I don’t want to respond. You believe that it would be much more satisfying to me if it was said: “Ah! Privat d’Anglemont was evoked tonight! – Really? What did he say? – Nothing, absolutely nothing! – Thank you! I would rather have you keeping a good impression of me. Each one bears his or her own ideas.
Spontaneous Communication
by Privat d’Anglemont
FOURTH CONVERSATION, SEPTEMBER 30th, 1859
Behold that Spiritism makes a great noise everywhere, behold that the newspapers give space to Spiritism; indirectly that is true, citing extraordinary facts of apparitions, rapping, etc. My ex-comrades mention the facts without comments, thus giving testimony of intelligence, since the Spiritist Doctrine should never be lightheartedly discussed or taken by a bad thing. However, they have not admitted yet the truthfulness of the medium’s role. They doubt. But I rebut their objections by simply saying that they are mediums as well. All writers, great and small, are more or less mediums, since the spirits who are around them act upon their mental system, and frequently inspire the thoughts that they boast of having conceived. They certainly would not accept that I, Privat d’Anglemont, a frivolous spirit by excellence, had resolved that question. However, I only tell the truth and as proof to raise a very simple question: how can they feel, after having written for some time, in a kind of super excited, very uncommon febrile state? It is the effort of concentration, you will say. But when you are very concentrated on the observation of something, say a painting, do you also feel febrile? No, not at all! Then, there is necessarily something there. Well then, I repeat: the cause is in the kind of communication existing between the writer’s brain and the spirits who surround him. Now, my dear comrades, you may bash Spiritism if that seems right to you. Mock it, laugh at it, but you are certainly teasing yourselves. You are nudging yourselves later… Do you understand?
PRIVAT D’ANGLEMONT
The medium who was the interpreter of Privat d’Anglemont at the Society had the idea of evoking him privately, maintaining with him the conversation below. It seems that he felt certain affection towards him, be it due to the fact that he was an easy instrument or just because there was sympathy between them. The medium is a rookie in the literary world, and his promising essays announce a disposition that Privat will certainly encourage with pleasure.
1. Evocation - I am here. I have been with you for some time. I expected that you would evoke me. It was me who inspired in you some good thoughts, not long ago. My dear friend, it was to console you a bit and help you to withstand with more courage the penalties of this world. Do you really think that I have not suffered more than you all imagine, you who laugh at my eccentricities? Below that armor of indifference that I always showed, how many pains and sorrows haven’t I hidden? But I had a very precious quality to a scholarly man and to an artist. I had always, irrespective of the occasion, balanced my sufferings with joy. When I was going through a lot of suffering I used to joke about it, using wordplay and teasing people. How many times haven’t hunger, thirst and cold knocked on my door! And how many times haven’t I responded with a sound laughter! False laughter, you may say. Oh! No, my friend! I confess that I was sincere. What do you want? I always had the most lightheartedly character. I had never been bothered by the future, by the past and the present. I always lived like a true bohemian, by chance, spending five francs when I had them, and even when I did not. And I was not richer four days after having received my paycheck than I was on the day before.
I certainly do not wish anybody to live such a useless, incoherent and irrational life. Eccentricities are no longer of our times. That is why the new ideas progressed in such a fast pace. It is a life from which I am not absolutely proud of and that makes me ashamed sometimes. Youth must be of study. It must strengthen intelligence through work, so that one can better understand the human being and all things. You may be disenchanted, oh! Youth, if you think that you are men or scholars.
You have the key to know everything. It is up to you now to work and study. You must enter more assertively in the vast field before you, whose paths were paved by your previous studies in college. I know that the youth requires distractions, since it would otherwise be against their nature. Yet, it must not be too much for the one who has only thought of pleasures, in the spring of life, prepares terrible remorse for later. It is when experience and the worldly needs teach that the time lost cannot be recovered. The youngsters need serious readings. Many times former writers are the best ones for good thoughts out of their good thoughts. They must avoid the romances, in particular, that only excite imagination, leaving the hearts empty. Romances should not be tolerated but only as a distraction and once in a while, or to certain ladies who have nothing better to do. Get educated! Get educated! Improve the God given intelligence. That is the only price that makes it worth living.
Q – Your language scares me, my dear Privat. You presented yourself as a very witty spirit, no doubt, but not as a profound spirit, and now…
A – Stop there, young man! Stop! I appeared, or better, I communicated with all of you as a willow spirit, that is true, but the fact is that I was not completely detached form the earthly envelope and the condition of spirit had not been revealed yet in all its plenitude. Now, my friend, I am a spirit and nothing more than a spirit. I see, feel and experience like the others, and my life on Earth is like a dream to me. And what a dream! I am kind of already used to this new world, which will be my dwelling for some time.
Q – For how long do you expect to remain as a spirit and what do you do in your new existence? What are your occupations?
A – The time that I will remain as a spirit is still in God’s hands and will last, I suppose, and as much as I can conceive, until God finds my soul advanced enough to incarnate in a superior region. As for my occupations, these are almost inexistent. I am still errant and that is a consequence of the kind of life I led on Earth. Thus, what seemed pleasurable to me in your world is now a punishment. Yes, it is true, I wish I had a serious occupation; I wish I could find someone who deserves my sympathy; to inspire good thoughts. But, my dear friend, we talked too much already and if you allow me, I must leave. So long! If you need me do not hesitate to call. I will come with pleasure. Courage! Be happy!
SPIRITIST SOCIETY, NOVEMBER 11th, 1859
Mr. Van B…, from The Hague, who was present at the meeting, reported the following personal fact:
“In a spiritist session which he attended in The Hague, a spirit manifested spontaneously, using the name Dirkse Lammers. He was asked about his personal details and the reason for his visit with people who did not know him and who did not call him; here is what he said about his own story:”
“I lived in 1592 when I hanged myself at the place where you gather now, in stables which used to be exactly where this house is located now. These were the circumstances: I had a dog and my lady neighbor had chickens. My dog strangled the chickens and to revenge the neighbor poisoned the dog. In my wrath, I spanked and hurt that woman. She took me to the court and I was condemned to spend three months in prison and to pay a fine of twenty-five florins. Although the sentence was light I still felt a lot of hatred towards the lawyer, Mr. X…, who had provoked it, feeding my desire for vengeance. Hence, I stalked him in an isolated path that he customarily used to go to Loosduinen, near The Hague. I then strangled him and hanged him on a tree. To give the impression of a suicide, I stuck a previously prepared piece of paper with a message in his pocket, as if written by him, saying that nobody should be accused for his death, since he had committed suicide. Since then I was persecuted by remorse for three months, finally killing myself, as I already said, at this very place where you are now. Pushed by some sort of irresistible force, I come to confess my crime in the hopes that it may bring some relief to the punishment that I suffer since then.”
“The so much detailed description caused admiration on the assembly. Notes were taken and research was carried out in the local Forum, confirming in fact that in 1592 a lawyer by the name X… had hanged himself in the path to Loosduinen.” The spirit of Dirkse Lammers was evoked and manifested in the session of the Society on November 11th, 1859 in a violent way, breaking the pencils. His writing was large, nervous, almost illegible, and the medium experienced great difficulty in tracing the characters.
5. Are you upset for having attended our call? - Very much. This is not my place.
SOCIETY, NOVEMBER 11th, 1859
Michel Francois, a blacksmith who lived towards the end of the XVII century, addressed the warden of Provence, telling him that he had seen a “shadow” which had ordered him to reveal to King Louis XIV certain things considered most important and secretive. He was sent to the court in April 1697. Some say that he spoke with the King; others say that the King refused to see him. What is certain though is that instead of sending him to prison he was given money for the journey, and was exempt of the tailles and other royal taxes.
1. Evocation - Here I am.
2. How did you know that we wanted to speak with you? - How can you ask such a question? Aren’t you aware that you are surrounded by spirits who send for those who you want to talk to?
3. Where were you when we called you? - In space since I am still errant.
4. Are you surprised by the fact that you are among living persons? - Absolutely. I find myself many times among living persons.
5. Do you remember your existence in 1697, at the time of Louis XIV, when you were a blacksmith? - In a very confusing way.
6. Do you remember the revelation you had to make to the King? - I remember that I had a revelation to make.
7. Did you make it? - Yes.
8. You told him that you had seen a “shadow” that had appeared to you, commanding you to make certain revelations to the King. Who was that shadow? - His brother.
9. Do you want to tell his name? - No. You understand.
10. Was he the man designated by the name of Iron Mask? - Yes.
11. Now that we are far away from those days, could you tell us what was the objective of that revelation? - It was to inform him about his death.
12. Whose death? His brother’s? - Of course.
13. Which impression did your revelation have on the King? - A mix of sadness and satisfaction. As a matter of fact, it was demonstrated by the way I was treated.
14. How did he treat you? - With benevolence and kindness.
15. They say that a similar thing happened to Louis XVIII. Do you know if that is true? - I believe there was something similar but I am not well informed.
16. Why have that spirit chosen you for such a mission, considering that you were someone obscure, instead of selecting a character from the court, who could more easily approach the King? - I was found in his path, endowed by the faculty which he needed, and also because someone from the court would not be able to make them believe in the revelation. They would have thought that the information had come through other means.
17. What was the objective of that revelation, considering that the King would necessarily be informed about his brother’s death, before knowing it from you? - It was to make him think about the future life and about the fate to which he was exposed. His end was stained by actions with which he supposed to ensure a future made better by such revelation.
Spontaneous Communications at the Society
SEPTEMBER 30th, 1859 – MEDIUM MR. R.
Love one another - that is the whole Divine law, through which God creates incessantly, governing the worlds. Love is the law of attraction to the living and organized beings. Attraction is the law of love to the inorganic matter.
Don’t you ever forget that the spirit, whatever its level of advancement and situation, be it in an incarnation or in erraticity, the spirit is always placed between a superior who guides and improves it, and an inferior to whom it has the same duties to be accomplished.
Thus, be charitable, not only the charity which makes you take the mites from your pocket, indifferently given to the daring beggar, but go and look for the hidden miseries.
Be indulgent to the faults of your fellow human beings. Instead of neglecting ignorance and vice, educate and do moralize them.
Be meek, even before the lowermost creatures, and you will have obeyed God’s law.
Vincent de Paul
OBSERVATION: The spirits who are considered saints by human beings don’t generally present themselves as such. Thus, St. Vincent de Paul signs simply Vincent de Paul; St. Louis signs Louis. On the contrary, those who usurp names and qualities which are not theirs, very commonly exhibit false titles, no doubt thinking that they can impose themselves more easily. However, such a mask cannot deceive whoever takes the burden of studying their language. The really superior spirits have a language whose character cannot be mistaken.
Up until now the war has not been seen but from its material side: intestine wars, wars of people against people. You have seen in wars no more than conquests, slavery, blood, death, ruins. It is now time to consider them from a moralizing and progressive standpoint.
War sows death and ideas along its path. Ideas blossom and grow. After the temper of the spiritual life, the spirit comes to fructify them. Hence, do not curse the diplomat who prepared the fight, nor the captain who led his troops to victory. There are great fights in preparation.
The boy and the creek (parable)
One day a boy came close to a creek that ran so fast that it almost had the impetuosity of a torrent. The water ran from a neighboring hill, widening as it moved through the plains. The boy examined the flow, and then he collected all sorts of stones that he could carry in his little arms. He had the blind presumption of building a levee.
Despite his efforts and his childish rage, he did not succeed.
He then gave more serious thoughts to the matter, if this can be said of a child; he moved to the higher grounds, abandoning his first attempt and wanting to build the levee near the very source of the creek. But ah! His efforts were still insufficient. He got discouraged and left crying.
It was the beautiful season still and the creek was not as fast as in the winter. It grew stronger and the boy saw that: the water ran its course in a greater furor, everything knocked down in its path, and even the unhappy boy would have been dragged along by the waters, had he gotten as close as before.
Oh! Weak man! Oh child! You who wish to build a dam, an unsurpassable obstacle to the march of truth, you are not stronger than that child and your childish will is not stronger than his little arms. Even if you wish to knock it down at its source, truth will certainly and inevitably drag you over.
Basil
The three blinds (parable)
A wealthy and generous man, a rare thing, found three unfortunate blind men in his way, exhausted by hunger and fatigue. He offered a golden coin to each one. The first one, blind since birth, acrimonious for his misery, did not even open his hand. He had never seen, he said, someone giving a golden coin to a blind person. That was impossible.
The second one mechanically extended his hand but he soon repelled the offer that was made. Like his friend, he thought it was an illusion or a bad taste joke. In short, the coin was also false to him.
The third one, on the contrary, full of faith in God and intelligence, who had partially replaced the missing sense by an accurate tactile sensitivity, took the coin, touched it, stood up and praising the benefactor he left to the neighboring town, in order to acquire what was lacking in his life.
People are the blinds. Spiritism is the golden coin. Judge the tree by its fruits.
Luc
Charles IX
SEPTEMBER 30th, 1859 – MEDIUM MS. H…
I asked God to allow me to be among you for a short time, to advise you to never get into religious disputes. I will not say religious’ fights since the times are now much advanced for that. But this was a general disgrace over the time I lived and I could not avoid it. Fatality dragged me along and I pushed the others, those who I had to pull back. Thus, I had my punishment, in principle on Earth, cruelly atoning my crimes for three centuries.
Be meek and patient towards those who you teach. If they do not want to accept in the beginning, may they do it later, when they see your abnegation and devotement.
My friends, my brothers, it would never be too much to make such a recommendation, for there is nothing more terrible than shattering one another in the name of a clement God; in the name of a saint religion, which does not preach but mercy, goodness and charity! Instead, we kill and crush one another, forcing those who we wish to convert to a good God, as they say. Instead of believing in your words, the survivors promptly leave you, as if you were ferocious animals. Be good, I repeat, and particularly full of tolerance towards those who don’t share your beliefs.
Charles IX
1. Would you have the kindness of answering some questions from us? - With pleasure.
2. How did you atone your faults? - Through remorse.
3. Did you have other corporeal existences, after the one we know about? - I had one. I reincarnated as a slave of two Americas. I suffered a lot. That gave me impulse in my purification.
4. What happened to your mother, Catherine de Medici? - She suffered also. She is now on another planet where she leads a life of devotement.
5. Could you write the story of your kingdom, as Louis IX, Louis XI and others did? - I could in the same way that…
6. Do you want to do that through the same medium that serves you as an interpreter now? - Yes, this medium can serve me but I will not start tonight since I did not come for that.
7. We don’t ask you to start today either. We hope you can do it during your breaks and the medium’s, since that would be a lengthy task, which requires a certain time. Can we count on your promise? - I will do that. So long!
(COMMUNICATION OBTAINED BY MS. P…)
The goodness of the Lord is eternal. God does not wish the death of His dear children. But, oh man! think that it depends on you to speed up God’s Kingdom on Earth, as well as to keep it away; that you are responsible for one another; and that improving yourselves you work for the regeneration of humanity. The task is huge; the responsibility weighs over each one and nobody can be excused. Embrace the glorious task you have been assigned by the Lord with ardor, but ask God to send workers to their fields because, as Jesus said, the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.
But behold, we are sent as the workers of your hearts. We sow the good grain into those hearts. Be careful not to smother it. Water it with the tears of repent and joy. Repent for having lived for such a long time in a land cursed by the human wickedness, away from the only true God, adoring the false pleasures of the world, which do not leave on the bottom of the chalice but displeasure and sadness. Joy because the Lord has given you grace; because God wants to speed up the arrival of His beloved children to the paternal heart; because God wants all of you covered by the innocence of the angels, as if you had never been away from Him.
The only one who has shown you the path which will take you to that primitive glory; the only one who you cannot criticize since he has never been wrong in his teachings; the only one fair before God; finally, the only one who you must follow to please God, is Christ. Yes, Christ, your Divine Master, who you have forgotten and neglected for centuries. Love him since he incessantly asks in your favor. He wants to reach out to you.
How? Incredulity still persists! Christ’s wonders cannot abate them! All wonders of creation remain impotent before these mocking spirits; over the dust that cannot extend by a single minute their miserable existence! The wise individuals who think to have all secrets of creation don’t know where they come from; don’t know where they are going to and still deny and challenge everything. Just because they know some of the vulgar laws of the material world, they think they can assess the immaterial world, or even, they say that there is nothing immaterial; that everything must obey those very material laws that they discovered.
But you, Christians! You know that you cannot deny our intervention without denying Christ at the same time; without denying the whole Bible since there isn’t a single page where you cannot find traces of the visible world in communication with the invisible.
Now then! Tell me! Are you or are you not Christians?
REMBRAND
(ANOTHER, OBTAINED BY MR. PÊC…)
Every person has inside what you call an inner voice. It is what the spirit calls conscience, a strict judge who presides over all actions of our lives. When man is alone he listens to that conscience and balances things out in their fair value. He frequently feels ashamed of himself, acknowledging God at that time, but ignorance, a fatal counselor, impels him, tightening up his mask of pride. He shows up plentiful of vacuity, trying to deceive you by his uprightness.
But the righteous person does not hold a proud head. He listens, taking advantage of the wise man’s word. He feels that he is nothing but that God is everything. He endeavors to get educated in the book of nature. He elevates his spirit, expelling from his heart the material passions, which frequently pervert you.
A passion that drags you is a dangerous guide. Keep that in mind, my friend. Let the skeptical laugh, since his laughter will disappear. Man becomes a believer at his last moment. He then thinks of God for He is the one who never deceives. Remember that there is only one path that leads to Him: faith and love to your fellow human beings.
A Former Drayman
As he was at Mr. Allan Kardec’s house in the evening of September 6th, 1859 with whom he was supposed to work, he was then blocked by that spirit who made him sketch incoherent things or totally precluded him from writing. Mr. Allan Kardec then addressed the spirit with whom he kept the following conversation:
1. Why do you come here uninvited? - I want to torment him.
2. Who are you? Tell us your name. - I will not tell.
3. What is your objective, meddling with something that is none of your business? It doesn’t do you any good. - No, but I prevent him from obtaining good communications, and I know that it hurts him a lot.
4. Since you take pleasure out of evil things, you are a bad spirit. In the name of God I command you to leave, allowing us to work in peace. - Do you really think that you scare me with that strong voice?
Bulletin of the Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30th, 1859
(GENERAL SESSION)
Reading of the minutes of the September 23rd session. Introduction of Mr. S…, businessman, Knight of the Legion of Honor, as a regular member. Postponement of his admission to the next private session.
Multiple communications:
1st – reading of a spontaneous communication given to Mr. R… by the spirit of Dr. Olivier. This communication is remarkable for two aspects: the moral betterment of the spirit that even more recognizes the mistake of his worldly opinions and now understands his position; and in second place, the fact that his next reincarnation, whose effects he starts to feel through some perturbation, confirming the theory given about the occurrence of such phenomenon, and the phase which precedes the reincarnation as such. That perturbation, consequence of the fluidic link which begins to be established between the spirit and the body which must be animated by him, that perturbation makes the communication more difficult than in the state of complete freedom of the spirit. The medium writes more slowly, feeling his hand heavy. The spirits ideas are ess clear. The perturbation, which gradually increases from conception to birth, is completed as the latter phase approaches, and does not dissipate but gradually, sometime later. It will be published with the other communications of the same spirit.
2nd – Story about the physical manifestation occurring lately in Paris, in a house of the Saint Germain neighborhood, reported by Mr. A… A piano was heard for several consecutive days, without anybody playing it. All precautions were taken to ensure that the fact was not produced by any accidental cause. Once questioned, a priest thought that it could be a lost soul claiming assistance and willing to communicate.
3rd – Assassination committed by a seven and a half year old boy, with premeditation and all aggravating circumstances. It was reported by several newspapers, demonstrating that the murderer instinct in that boy could not have been developed by education or his environment, not been able to be explained but by a state prior to the current existence.
The spirit of St. Louis was questioned about it, indicating that the spirit of the boy is close to the beginning of the human phase. He has no more than two incarnations on Earth. Before his latest incarnation he belonged to the most native maritime tribes. He wanted to be born in a more advanced world, in the hopes of progress.
When asked if education could change such a nature, St. Louis responded: “It is difficult, but possible. It would be necessary to take great precautions; surround him by good influences; develop his reason, but I am afraid the opposite happens.”
4th – Reading of the works of a young lady that begins to work as a mechanical medium. The verses were not inedited but authored by a poet who died a few years back. The level of education of the medium that wrote a large number of poems of that kind does not allow for the supposition that it is a product of her memory. Hence the conclusion was that the spirit brought his own productions, which were strange to the medium.
Several similar facts demonstrate that it is possible, among others the medium from the Society to whom a spirit dictated a passage written by Mr. Allan Kardec who had not yet shown it to anybody.
Studies:
1st – Evocation of the black man who served as food to his companions in the shipwreck of the Le Constant.
2nd – Several questions and moral problems addressed to St. Louis about the preceding fact. A discuss was established about it among several members of the Society.
3rd – Three spontaneous communications were simultaneously obtained, by three different mediums: the first by Mr. R…, signed by St. Vincent de Paul; the second, by Mr. Ch…, signed by Privat d’Anglemont; the third, by Ms. H…, signed by Charles IX.
4th – Several questions addressed to Charles IX. He promises to write the story of his kingdom, following the example of Louis XI. (These multiple communications are published).
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7th, 1859
(PRIVATE SESSION)
Reading of the minutes of the works of the September 30th session.
Introductions and admissions:
Ms. S… and Mr. Conde de R…, navy officer, introduced as candidates to the title of regular members.
Admission of the five candidates introduced on the September 23rd session and Ms. S…
Mr. President observed, with respect to the new introduced members, that it is very important to the Society to be assured of their dispositions. It is not enough, he says, that they are adepts of Spiritism in general. It is necessary that they agree with Spiritism’s viewpoint. The homogeneity of principles is a condition without which any Society could not persist. Therefore it is necessary to know the candidate’s opinion so that elements of idle discussions are not allowed, which would lead to waste of time and degenerating into possible dissentions.
In no way the Society aims at an indefinite number of members. Before anything the Society aims at carrying out its duties with calm and reverence. That is why it must avoid any cause of perturbation.
Since its objective is the study of the Science, it is evident that everyone is perfectly free to discuss the controversial points, issuing their personal opinion. Another thing, however, is to give advice and arrive with systematic and preconceived ideas, in opposition to the fundamental foundations.
We gather for the study and observation and not to transform our sessions into an arena of controversies. As a matter of fact, with respect to these points we must refer to the advices we were given on several occasions by the spirits who assist us and incessantly recommend union as the essential condition for us to reach the proposed objective and obtain their support. “Union is strength”, they say. Be united and you will be strong. Otherwise you take the risk of attracting frivolous spirits who will deceive you.” That is why it is never too much the attention given to the persons introduced in our environment.
Designation of three new commissaries for the three next general sessions.
Several communications:
1st – Mr. Tug transmits a note about a curious fact told by Mrs. Ida Pfeiffer in the report of her trip to Java.
2nd – Mr. Pêch… reports a personal case of spontaneous communication with the spirit of a washwoman who had the worst character. Her feelings did not change as a spirit as she continues to show a truly cynical evilness. However, the wise advices of the medium seem to exert a beneficial influence on her for her ideas change noticeably.
3rd – Mr. R… presents a piece of paper in which he received direct writing, spontaneously produced at night in his house, after having unsuccessfully asked for it during the day. As a matter of fact the paper contains only two words: God, Fénelon.
Studies:
1st – Evocation of Mrs. Ida Pfeiffer, celebrated traveler.
2nd – The three blinds, parable of St. Luke, given in a spontaneous communication.
3rd – Mr. L. G… writes from St. Petersburg saying that he is an intuitive medium and requesting the Society to obtain from a superior spirit some advices about him, in order to clarify him with respect to the nature and scope of his faculty, so that he can be guided by them. A spirit, spontaneously and without any previous questions, gives the advices that will be transmitted to Mr. G…
Mr. President informs that on request of several members who live far away, the sessions will from now on start at 8 o’clock, so that they can be finished earlier.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14th 1859
(GENERAL SESSION)
Reading of the minutes of the October 7th Session.
Introductions:
Mr. A…, book seller, and Mr. de la R…, owner, are introduced as regular members. Admission postponed to the next session.
Mr. J…, income tax auditor from the Department Alto Reno, is introduced and admitted as a corresponding member.
Multiple Communications:
1st – Mr. Col… discloses an excerpt from the book entitled “Ciel et Terre”, by Mr. Jean Raynaud, in which the author issues ideas entirely in agreement with Spiritism and with what has recently said by a spirit about the future of France.
2nd – Count R… informs about a spontaneous communication from Savonarola, a Dominican monk, obtained in a private session. The communication is remarkable because that person, although unknown to the audience, had precisely indicated the time of his death in 1498, his age and tortures. The evocation of that spirit was considered to be instructive.
3rd – Explanation given by a spirit to Mr. P… about the role of the mediums; Mr. P… is a former Rector of the Academy and also medium. To communicate with each other the spirits do not need the word. Thought is enough to them. When willing to communicate with people they must translate their thoughts through human symbols, that is, in words. They take these words from the medium’s vocabulary that they somehow use as a dictionary. That is why it is easier for the spirit to communicate in the language familiar to the medium, even being able to do it in a language unknown to the medium. However, the work would be harder, and that is why it is avoided when not needed.
4th – A fact reported by the same spirit who watches his own funeral and, for not considering himself dead, did not think that the funeral was related to him. He said: It was not me who died. Later, when he saw his relatives, he added: I start to believe that you might be right and it is well possible that I no longer belong to this world, but I am indifferent to that.
5th – Mr. S… reports a remarkable fact of warning from beyond the grave, reported by the La Patrie on December 16th, 1858.
6th – Letter from Mr. Bl…de La… who, taking into account what he read in the Review about the phenomenon of separation of the soul during the sleep, asks if the Society could kindly evoke him one day, together with his daughter who died two years ago, so that he could establish with her, as a spirit, a conversation which he could not have yet as a medium.
Studies:
1st – Evocation of Savonarola, proposed by Count de R…
2nd – Two spontaneous communications, obtained simultaneously, from Mr. Bl… de La… (living) and his deceased daughter, who died two years ago. This is a conversation between father and daughter.
3rd – Two spontaneous communications obtained simultaneously, first from St. Louis, by Mr. L…, and the second from Ms. Clary, by her brother.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21st, 1859
(PRIVATE SESSION)
Reading of the minutes of the October 14th session.
Introductions and admissions:
Mr. Lem…, a businessman, and Mr. Pâq…, doctor in law, were introduced as regular members. Ms. H… was introduced as honorary member for her contribution to the Society as a medium, promising to give even more in the future.
Admission of the two candidates introduced on the October 14th session and Ms. H…
Mr. S… proposed that in the future those willing to take part into the Society request that in writing and that a copy of the regulations be sent to them.
Reading of a letter from Mr. Th…, who makes a similar proposal, motivated by the need of only admission of persons already initiated in the objective of its works and who profess the same principles. He thinks that a written request with the signature of two referees is a greater assurance about the serious intention of the candidates than a simple verbal request.
The proposal was unanimously adopted, under the following terms:
Every person who wishes to join the Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies must make a written request to the President. Such request must be signed by two referees and report: 1st – that the candidate is aware of the regulations and is committed to abide by them; 2nd – the books about Spiritism which were read and the adhesion to the principles of the Society which are those of The Spirits’ Book.
Mr. President points out the inadequate behavior of two attendees admitted to the last general session, which bothered their neighbors tranquility by their conversation and improper words. With that respect he reminds the articles of the regulations regarding observers, and again invites the members of the Society to an excessive reservation with people’s choices to whom admission cards are given, and particularly to absolutely avoid giving those cards to persons who are attracted by simple curiosity and also to those who, not having any previous knowledge of Spiritism, are incapable of understanding what is done at the Society. The sessions of the Society are not a spectacle. They must be attended with reverence. Those who only seek distractions must not come to find it in a serious meeting.
Mr. Th… proposes the nomination of a commission of two members, to be in charge of examining the matter of entry given to strange persons and also propose the necessary measures so as to avoid the repletion of abuse. Mr. Th… and Mr. Col… were designated to form that commission.
Studies:
1st – Moral problems and several questions addressed to St. Louis
2nd – Mr. R… proposes the evocation of his father, from considerations of general utility and not private, presuming that some teaching may result from that.
St. Louis was interrogated about the possibility of such evocation, responding: “You can perfectly do that. However, I would observe, my friends, that such evocation would require a great tranquility of spirit. You have discussed administrative businesses at length tonight. I find it adequate to postpone it to another session since it can be very instructive.”
3rd – Mr. Leid… proposes the evocation of one of his friends who was a priest. Once questioned about it St. Louis says: “No because time is short, to begin with. Second, as a spiritual president of the Society, I don’t see any motive of instruction in such evocation. It would be preferable to make that evocation in private.”
Mr. S… requests that the title Spiritual President be mentioned in the minutes, which St. Louis gladly accepted.
(FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28th, 1859)
(GENERAL SESSION)
Reading of the minutes from the October 21st session.
Introduction of five new candidates to become regular members, as follows: Mr. N…, businessman from Paris; Mrs. Emilie N…, wife of the preceding; Mrs. G…, widow from Paris; Ms. de P…, from Stockholm; Ms. L… from Stockholm.
Reading of the articles of the regulations about the observers and some news for the instruction of those persons strange to the Society, so that they may make no mistake with respect to the objective of the works.
Communications:
1st – Reading of an article by Mr. Oscar Comettant about the world of the spirits, published in Le Siècle on October 27th. Refusal of certain passages of the article.
2nd – Reading of an article from a new newspaper entitled Girouette, published in Saint Etienne. The article was written with benevolence towards Spiritism.
3rd – Offer of four poems by Mr. de Porry from Marselle, author of Uranie, from which some fragments were read. These are: La Captive Chrétienne, Les Bohémiens, Poltawa and Le Prisonnier de Caucase. Thanks will be sent to Mr. de Porry. The works will be stored in the Society’s library.
4th – Reading of a letter from Mr. Det…, regular member, containing several observations about the role of the mediums, referring to the theory exposed during session of October 14th, about which the spirit would take his words from the medium’s vocabulary. He combats such theory, at least from an absolute standpoint, due to facts which contradict it. He requests that the issue be carefully examined. It will be included in the minutes.
5th – Reading of an article from Revue Française, from April 1858, page 416, in which a conversation of Beranger is reported, indicating that his opinions when alive were favorable to the spiritist ideas.
6th – Mr. President transmit Mrs. B… farewell to the Society, a regular member who left to Havana.
Studies:
1st – Proposal to evoke Mrs. Br… who has left to Havana and is sailing, so that we can obtain news. St. Louis was enquired about it, responding: Her spirit is very worried tonight for the winds blow violently (this happened during the storms reported by the newspapers) and the instinct of conservation takes over her thoughts. At this point the danger is not great, but couldn’t that become great? Only God knows.
2nd – Evocation of Mr. R… father, proposed on the October 21st session. As a result of this evocation it turned out that a horse rider from R…, his uncle, from whom nobody heard for fifty years, was not dead. He was living in an island, in the Meridian Oceania, where he had grown accustomed to the native customs and cultures. Because of this, he could not have sent news. It will be published.
3rd – Evocation of the King of Kanala, New Caledonia, deceased on May 24th, 1858. The evocation reveals that he is a spirit of relative superiority, presenting a remarkable characteristic of great difficulty in writing, despite the medium’s aptitude. He informs that his writing will improve with habit, which is confirmed by St. Louis.
4th – Evocation of Mercure Jean, adventurer, who appeared in Lyon in 1478 and was introduced to Louis XI. He offers clarification regarding the supernatural faculties that he supposedly had, giving curious indications about the world in which he lives now. It will be published.
(FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4th, 1859)
(PRIVATE SESSION)
Reading of the minutes from the October 28th session.
Admission of seven candidates introduced in the last two sessions.
Project presented by the commission in charge of studying the measures to be adopted for the admission of observers.
After a discussion involving several members, it was decided that the proposition be postponed and that the items of the regulations be temporarily obeyed. The members are invited to a rigorous obedience to the items that regulate the admission of observers and to absolutely abstain from giving admission cards to persons who are only curious and have no previous knowledge of the Spiritist Science.
The Society then adopts the following two measures:
1st – The observers will not be admitted to the sessions after 8:15 pm. The admission cards will state that.
2nd – Annually, at the beginning of the social year, the honorary members will be submitted to a new admission vote, so as to eliminate those who no longer show the required conditions, and that the Society decides that they should not be maintained.
The Society Treasurer presents the bi-annual balance from April 1st to October 1st, as well as the demonstration of expenses. From the balance it is observed that the Society has sufficient funds to face its needs. The Society approves the balance and issues its favorable assessment.
Multiple Communications:
Letter from Mr. Bl…de La… responding to our own letter about the evocation of his daughter and his own. It attests a fact that confirms one of the circumstances of the evocation.
Letter from Mr. Dumas, from Setif, Algeria, regular member, sending to the Society a certain number of communications that he had received.
Studies:
1st – Mr. P… and Mr. de R… call the attention to a new version about the shipwreck of the Le Constant, published in the Le Siècle. It shows that the black man killed to be eaten had not voluntarily offered for that to happen, as shown in the first report. Thus, there would be a contradiction with the words of the spirit of the black man. Mr. Col… sees no contradiction since the merit attributed to the man was confirmed by St. Louis and the man did not even take advantage of this.
2nd – Examination of a question proposed by Mr. Les…, about the surprise of the spirits after death. He thinks that since the spirit has already lived the condition of spirit, he should not be surprised. He is answered that the surprise is only temporary; which depends on the state of perturbation that follows death and ceases as the spirit detaches from matter, recovering the faculties of spirit.
3rd – Question about the lucid somnambulists, who confuse the spirits with the corporeal beings. The fact is confirmed and explained by St. Louis.
4th – Evocation of Urbain Grandier. As the answers are too laconic because of the medium’s lack of experience, the spirit said that he would be more explicit through another interpreter. For that reason the evocation was transferred to another session.
(FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11th, 1859)
(GENERAL SESSION)
Reading of the minutes from the November 4th session.
Introduction of Mr. Pierre D…, sculptor from Paris, as a regular member.
Multiple Communications:
1st – Letter from Mr. de T…, containing very interesting facts about visual and oral manifestations which confirm the state of certain spirits who doubt their deaths. One of the referred cases offers the particularity that the spirit was still under the illusion three months after his death. This description will be published.
2nd – Facts of remarkable precision indicated by Mr. Van Br… from The Hague, of personal character. He had never heard about the spirits and their communication when, by chance and unexpectedly, he was led to a spiritist session in Dordrecht. The communications obtained in his presence were so much surprising to him as he was a stranger to that town and unknown to the members of the meeting.
He was told about his person, his position and his family, and several particularities that he was the only one to know about.
Having evoked his mother and asked, as proof of identity, if she had had many children, she answered: “Don’t you know, my son, that I had eleven children?” And the spirit designated them all by their first names and date of birth.
Since then this gentleman is a strong expert and his daughter, a fourteenyear-old young lady, became a good medium, but her mediumship presents bizarre features. On most occasions she writes backwards, so that it is necessary to place the paper before a mirror in order to read what she writes. Many times, also, the table on which she writes inclines, like a drawing board, remaining in that position, balanced and without support, until she finishes.
Mr. Van Br… reports another remarkable fact of precision from a spirit that communicates spontaneously with him, by the name of Dirkse Lammers, who had hanged himself at the very place where he gave communications, under circumstances whose accuracy were confirmed.
This fact will be reported as well as the evocation that followed.
Studies:
1st – Examination of a question made by Mr. Det… about the source from which the spirits get their vocabulary.
2nd – Question about the obsession of certain mediums.
3rd – Evocation of Michel Francois, the blacksmith who made a revelation to Louis XIV.
4th – Evocation of Dirkse Lammers, whose story was told before.
5th – Three spontaneous communications were obtained simultaneously. The first by Mr. R…, signed by Lamennais; the second by Mr. D…: The boy and the creek, a parable signed by St. Basil; the third one by Ms. L. J…, signed by Origen.
6th – Ms. J…, drawing medium, spontaneously draw an admirable set of pictures, signed by the spirit of Lebrun.
All questions and communications above will be published.
(FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18th, 1859)
(PRIVATE SESSION)
Reading of the minutes from the November 11th session.
Admission of Mr. Pierre D…, introduced in the last session.
Multiple Communications:
1st – Reading of a spontaneous communication obtained by Mr. P…, member of the Society, dictated by the spirit of his daughter.
2nd – Details about Ms. Désiré Godu, from Hennebont, Morbihan, endowed by a remarkable mediumistic faculty. She went through all phases of mediumship. In the beginning she had the most extraordinary physical manifestations; she then became successively hearing, speaking, clairvoyant and writing medium. Today all her faculties are concentrated on the healing of illnesses that she treats following the spirits’ advices. She realizes cures that would be considered miracle in former times.
The spirits announce that her faculty will develop even further. She starts to see the internal diseases through her second vision, without the somnambulistic state.
We will give more information about this notable subject in due course.
Studies:
1st – Question about Ms. Godu’s faculty.
2nd – Evocation of Lamettrie.
3rd – Four communications obtained simultaneously, first by Mr. R…, signed by St. Vincent de Paul; second by Sr. Col…, signed by Plato; third by Mr. D… son, signed by Lamennais; the fourth one by Ms. H…, signed by Margaret, called Queen Margot.
(FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25th, 1859)
(GENERAL SESSION)
Reading of the minutes from the November 18th session.
Multiple Communications:
Dr. Morhery gives the Society a brochure entitled Système pratique d’organisation agricole. Although such publication is about a subject strange to the works of the Society, it will be taken to the library and acknowledgements sent to the author.
Letter from Mr. T…, complementing information about visions and apparitions reported by him in the session of November 11th. Letter from Count de R…, regular member, absent due to a health issue, offering to be at the Society’s service so that the Society may carry out all experiments with him considered adequate, regarding the evocation of living persons.
Studies:
1st – Evocation of Jardin, deceased in Nevers, who had kept the remains of his wife in a praying stool. It will be published.
3rd – Evocation of Count de R36… This evocation has a remarkable importance by the extension of the given developments, with a perfect precisions and clarity of ideas, casting a great light onto the state of the spirit separated from the body, resolving numerous psychological problems. It will be published in the January 1860 issue of the Review.
4th – Four communications obtained spontaneously, as: first, from a suffering soul, by Ms. B…; second, from the Spirit of Truth, by Mr. R…; the third from Paul, the apostle, by Mr. Col… This communication is signed in Greek. The fourth by Mr. D… son, signed by Charlet, the painter, announcing a series of communications that form a whole.
The Convulsionaries of Saint Médard (cont.)
1. (To St. Vincent de Paul) – In our last session we evoked Deacon Pâris, who kindly came to us. We would like to have your personal opinion about him, as a spirit. - He is a spirit full of good intentions, however, more elevated morally than in other aspects.
Spiritist Axioms and Select Thoughts
The good spirits do not praise any kind of prejudice, be it political or religious. They may not attack it suddenly since they know it may cause resistance. There is, however, a big difference between such an attitude that we may call oratory precaution and the absolute approval frequently given to the most false ideas, used by the obsessor spirits to gain the trust of those they wish to subjugate, exploring their weaknesses.
There are people that show a peculiar behavior: find an idea, perfectly elaborated by someone else; the idea seems good to them, particularly useful; they then take over the idea, assume it as theirs, and finally have the illusion that they are the actual authors, even declaring that the idea was stolen from them.
One day a man witnessed an experiment of electricity and tried to reproduce it. Since he did not have the necessary knowledge or the required instrumentation, the experiment failed. Then, not moving further or without trying to establish if the reason for the failure was his own lack of resources, he declared that electricity was inexistent and that he would write an article to demonstrate that. What should we think about the logic of such reasoning? Doesn’t it look like the blind person who started writing against light and vision, since he could not see? However, this is the reasoning that we find regarding Spiritism, by someone who goes as a smart person. Be it that such a person may show intelligence but his judgment may be something else. He tries to write as a medium and because he fails he concludes that mediumship does not exist. Well, if mediumship is an illusory faculty in his opinion, then the spirits may only exist in the feeble minds. What sage advice!