The Spiritist Review - Journal of Psychological Studies - 1859

Allan Kardec

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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.

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