The Spiritist Review - Journal of Psychological Studies - 1860

The Spiritist Review initiates its third year and we are delighted to announce that it does so in the most favorable circumstances. We gladly take the opportunity to express all of our gratitude to the readers for the daily demonstrations of sympathy that we receive from them. That alone would give us great encouragement had we not found in nature itself, and in the objective of our work, enormous moral compensation for the resulting fatigue. The multiplicity of tasks to which we dedicate entirely is such that it is physically impossible for us to respond to all letters of congratulation that come to our hands. Thus, we are forced to respond collectively to their authors, begging them to accept our appreciation. Those letters and the large number of people that give us the honor of coming to us to talk about these serious issues convince us more and more about the progress of the true Spiritism, and by true Spiritism we mean the one understood in all its moral consequences. Not eluded by the actual reach of our work, the simple thought of having contributed by sowing a few grains onto the scale is a kind satisfaction to us because those seeds would have served as a wakeup call to people’s thoughts.

The growing prosperity of The Review is an indication of the benevolence with which it is received. We can only continue our work, following the same guidelines, since it receives the blessings of time, not distancing ourselves from moderation, prudence and courtesy that have always guided us. Leaving to the detractors the sad privilege of calumny and personalism, we shall not follow them in the terrain of hopeless controversy. We say hopeless because it would not lead them to conviction and it is a waste of time to discuss a subject with people who ignore the foundations of what is discussed. We have one thing only to tell them: study first and then we will see. We have better things to do than speaking to those who do not want to listen. As a matter of fact, what does it matter, definitely, the contrary opinion of this or that one? Will such an opinion have so great an influence capable of precluding the natural progress of things? The greatest discoveries had to face the fiercest adversaries, fact that has not discouraged them. Hence, let incredulity hum around us, certain that nothing can veer us off from the route that has been delineated by the seriousness of the subject itself.

Since it was barred at the main door, Magnetism entered through the window, thanks to a disguise and another name. Instead of saying: I am magnetism, which was not likely to get it through, it then said: My name is Hypnotism (from the Greek “Hypnos”, sleep). Thanks to such a gimmick it finally got in, after twenty long years, but it did not lose much for the wait because it found a way of being introduced by one of the greatest luminaries. He was careful enough to avoid its entourage of passes, somnambulism, and remote visions, and ecstasies which would have been a betrayal. He simply said: you are good and human; your heart is broken by the sight of your neighbor’s agony, in his sickness; you must find a way of mitigating the patient’s pain, hurt by your scalpel; it can be really dangerous. I bring you a simpler way, yet with no drawbacks. I was certain that I would be heard, speaking in the name of humanity. He then wisely added: “I am family; I owe my life to one of you”. He thought, and not without reason, that such an origin wouldn’t do him any harm.

If we lived in the time of the brilliant and poetic Greece, we would say: Magnetism, child of nature and of a mere mortal, was banned from the Olympus because it had hurt Aesculapius privileges, marching by his side, boasting about the ability of healing without his help. It wandered around Earth for a long time, teaching human beings the art of healing in new ways. It unveiled a wealth of wonders to the people, mysteriously hidden in the temples until then, but those whose secrets were revealed, and whose charlatanism was exposed, stone-chased Magnetism, and it was then banned by the gods and abused by people. Nevertheless, it continued to spread its benefits by alleviating humanity, certain that its innocence would be one day recognized, and that justice would be served. It had a child called Hypnotism whose birth was carefully hidden for the fear of persecution. It shared its long exile with the child, a learning period.

When the child was thought to be ready, Magnetism then said:

• He is the one who will reach out to you!

• But if he recognizes me I shall be expelled.

Dialogue with the Spirit of a Living Person

Our distinct colleague, the Count of R…C… sent us the letter below, dated November 23rd last:

“Mr. President:

I heard that doctors, enthusiasts of their art and willing to contribute with the progress of Science, thus becoming useful to humanity, have officially given their bodies in will, to be used by the scalpel of the anatomical theaters. The experiment that I witnessed of the evocation of a living person (session of the Society on October 14th, 1859) did not seem very instructive to me, since it dealt with something very personal: establishing the communication between a living father with the deceased daughter.

I thought that what the doctors did for the human body a member of the Society could well do for the soul, of a still living person, being at your disposal for a test of such a kind. You could perhaps obtain new clarifications with respect to the isolation of the body and the soul, by preparing the questions before hand, avoiding personal issues. Taking advantage of an illness that keeps me at home I herewith offer myself as a subject for investigation, if you wish to do so. Then, come next Friday and in the absence of any hold up, I will be ready at 9 pm so that you can evoke me… etc.” We took the offer from Mr. Count de R…C…, with as much enthusiasm as we thought that he would be at our disposal, helping with our investigations out of his own admission. On another hand, his education, his superior intelligence – which one must say in-passing that it did not preclude him from being an excellent spiritist – and the experience he had acquired in his journeys around the world as a Captain of the Imperial Navy, justified our expectations of a more judicious appreciation of his condition. The wait did not let us down. We then established two dialogues with him as follows, one on November 25th, the second on December 2nd, 1859.

Society, November 25th, 1859

1. Evocation – A. I am here.

3. Where are you here? – A. Between you and the medium.

Your readers certainly remember the article published last September under the title A Spiritist Family. The following communications are very similar to those. In fact, these are advices given in a private meeting, by an eminently superior and benevolent spirit. They are distinguished by the kindness and sweetness of the style, by the profoundness of thoughts and also by nuances of extreme compassion, appropriate to the age and character of the persons to whom they were addressed. Mr. Rabache, a businessman from Bordeaux, who served as an intermediary, has kindly authorized their publication. We can only congratulate the mediums who received similar communications. It is a demonstration that they have happy sympathies in the invisible world.

Pechbusque Castle, November 1859

FIRST SESSION

The guardian spirit of the family was asked if he could give a few advices to the members who were present. He responded:

Yes, may they have trust in God and seek enlightenment in the eternal and immutable truths taught by the book of nature. It contains the whole law of God and those who can read and understand only follow the true path of wisdom. May they never neglect anything that will be seen since everything has a teaching in itself and must elevate and approach the soul to God through reason. Try to distinguish the good from the evil in everything that may harm intelligence: the former is to be practiced; the latter is to be avoided. Before passing any judgment on anything may they turn their thoughts to God who will then guide them to the good path and WILL NEVER FAIL THEM!

SECOND SESSION

Brussels, December 9th, 1859

“Mr. Director,

I read the report of Ida Pfeiffer in the Spiritist Review about the fallen stones of Java, in the presence of a Dutch high ranking officer, to whom I was closely connected in 1817; he had lent me his pistols and was my witness in my first duel. His name was Michiels, from Maastricht, who became a general in Java. The letter describing the fact added that the fallen stones, in the isolated house belonging to the Chéribon district, lasted not less than twelve days, and neither the General’s guard nor the general himself have discovered anything during the time he spent there. The stones, a kind of pumice stone, seemed to be created in the air, a few feet away from the ceiling. The general had several baskets filled up with them. The villagers would come for them, looking for amulets and remedies. The fact is very well known in Java since it is frequently repeated, particularly the siri spits. Several boys were stone-chased in the open field, but were not hit. One could say that these were mocking spirits who were having fun by scaring people. Evoke the spirit of general Michiels and he will perhaps explain the fact. Dr. Vanden Kerkhove, who lived in Java for a long time, has mentioned to me, as I do to you, that the Review is getting more and more interesting by the day, more moralizing and in high demand in Brussels.”

Jobard

Toulouse, December 17th, 1859

“Dear Sir,

I have just read your response to Mr. Oscar Comettant, whose article I had also read. If that skeptical editor and gauche teaser was not convinced by the good arguments you gave him, he could at least acknowledge the civility of your style, totally absent in his prose. The vulgar stresses that he used to color the evocations seems to have come from the red-tailed spirit; the regrets with which he mentioned the 2 francs paid for the sonata deserved that the Society reimbursed him for the 2 francs. Have in mind, Mr. Allan Kardec, that I am too a very passionate spiritist to just let go an article in which I am cited and questioned without an answer. As for myself, I also wrote to Mr. Oscar Comettant. On the very day I got your journal, he received the following letter:

“Sir,

I had the pleasure of reading your feuilleton Varieties, from Friday. Since you question me, and as I am cited by name, allow me to make some observations with that regard, which you will accept as I have accepted your witty parentheses where you painted the report about the evocations of Mozart and Chopin. What is it that you want to mock with such a humorous article? Is it Spiritism? You will make a big mistake in believing that you can harm it. In France, people mock first, later they assess and confer the honor of the jokes to the truly serious and great things, with the freedom of doing so after the required analysis.

Please accept …

Friday, December 2nd, 1859

(Private Session)

The minutes of the November 25th session were read.

REQUESTS FOR ADMISSION:

Letters received from Mr. L. Benardacky, from St. Petersburg and from Ms. Elisa Johnson, from London, who request to be admitted as regular members of the Society.

MULTIPLE COMMUNICATIONS: Reading of two communications carried out by Mr. Bouche, former Rector of the Academy, a writing medium, given by the spirit of the Duchess of Longueville, with respect to her presence as a spirit in Port-Royal-desChamps. These two communications are remarkable by their elevation of thoughts. They demonstrate that certain spirits have pleasure in revisiting the places where they lived, feeling delighted by the memories. No doubt that the more dematerialized, the less they give importance to the worldly things, but some remain still connected to them for a long time after death, and it seems that they continue their work in this world, or at least they demonstrate certain interest by that.

STUDIES:

1st – Evocation of Mr. Count Desbassyns de Richemont, deceased in June 1859, who professed the spiritist ideas for over ten years. The evocation confirms the influence of these ideas on the release of the spirit after death.

2nd – Evocation of Sister Martha, deceased in 1824.

3rd – Second evocation of Count R…C…, member of the Society, in bed due to an illness, followed by questions addressed to him about the momentary separation of the spirit from the body, during the sleep (published in this number).

Friday, December 9th, 1859

(General Session)

Reading of the minutes of the December 2nd session.

MULTIPLE COMMUNICATIONS:

Mr. de la Roche reports remarkable communications that took place at a house in Castelnaudary. The facts are described in a note which precedes the report of the evocation, to be published.

STUDIES:

1st – Evocation of the king of Kanala (New Caledonia), already evoked on October 28th, then writing with some difficulty, promising to practice and return to write in a more intelligible way. He gives curious explanations about the utilized mode of improvement (to be published with the first evocation).

Friday, December 16th, 1859

(Private Session)

Minutes of the previous session were read.

ADMISSIONS:

Friday, December 30th, 1859
(Private Session)

Minutes of the December 23rd session were read.

The Society decides that in every private session, following the reading of the minutes, the list containing the names of participants of the preceding general session will be read, with an indication of the regular members who have introduced them, and that an exhortation shall be made to point out the inconveniences caused by persons strange to the Society. Hence the list with the names of the attendees of the previous session was read.

These are the newly admitted regular members, as from written request and verbal report:

1st – Mr. Forbes from London, Engineer officer, who was introduced on December 16th.

2nd – Mrs. Forbes, born Countess Passerini Corretesi, from Florence, introduced on December 16th *

3 rd – Mr. Soive, a businessman from Paris, introduced on December 23rd. ** 4th – Mr. Demange, a businessman from Paris, introduced on December 23rd. Reading of three new letters requesting admission. Report and decision adjourned to January 6th.


MULTIPLE COMMUNICATIONS:

1st – Letter from Mr. Brion Dorgeval, with the answer sent to Mr. Oscar Comettant, regarding an article from the latter published in the Siècle (see January issue of the Review).

2nd – Letter received from Mr. Jobard, from Brussels, with fair observations about the moral state of the spirits. He regrets the fact that the adepts of Spiritism are generally designated by their initials. He believes that more explicit indications would contribute to the progress of the Science. As a consequence he invites all adepts to sign their names, as he does himself (see the January issue).

This last observation from Mr. Jobard is strongly endorsed by a large number of members, who authorize to mention their names in all references related to them.

Mr. Allan Kardec states that the fear for what is going to be said diminishes daily and that there are only a few people these days that would be afraid of confessing their opinion about Spiritism. The bad taste epithets given to them become ridiculous common place, laughed at when so many people from the elites associate their names to the Doctrine, and one can already foresee the time when the force of opinion will impose silence to sarcasm. However, it is one thing to have the courage of opinion in conversations and another thing is to cast their names publicly. Among the persons who sustain the cause of Spiritism with more energy there are many who don’t like to have their names in evidence, for that very reason, rather than anything else. Such scruples, which don’t imply lack of courage, must be respected. When extraordinary facts take place anywhere it is understandable that it would not be very pleasant to the persons involved to become a target of public curiosity and bothered by the unwelcome. We should undoubtedly be grateful to those who are above such prejudices but we should not lightheartedly censor those who have very legitimate reasons not to expose themselves.

STUDIES:

Friday, January 6th, 1860

(Private Session)

* The original shows December 23rd as the introduction date but the correct date is December 16th, according to the respective minutes (see the January 1860 issue) – (NT).

** The original shows December 16th as the introduction date but the correct is December 23rd, according to the respective minutes (see the January 1860 issue) – (NT).

The desire to see the spirits is a very natural thing and we know only a few people who would not like to have such a faculty. Unfortunately it is one of the scarcest, particularly the permanent one. The spontaneous apparitions are very frequent but accidental, and almost always motivated by a totally personal circumstance, based on the relationships that might have existed between the person that sees and the spirit that shows up. One thing is to serendipitously see a spirit and another is to see them habitually and under normal, ordinary conditions. Well, as a matter of fact, that is what constitutes the faculty of the clairvoyant mediums. It results from a special aptitude whose cause is still unknown, and that can be developed but which would be hopelessly provoked in case there is no natural predisposition. Thus, it is necessary to remain vigilant against the illusions which can be originated from the desire of having such a faculty, and which have given place to so many strange systems. We must fight the scaring theories since these have been the reason for the attacks to the manifestations, particularly when those theories demonstrate ignorance with respect to the facts, as much as we must try to destroy ideas which indicate more enthusiasm than thought, and that for this very reason do more harm than good by being exposed to ridicule.

The theory of the visions and apparitions is perfectly understood today. We have developed it in several articles particularly in the December 1858 and February and August 1859 issues of the Review and in our The Mediums’ Book, or experimental Spiritism. We shall not repeat it here but will remind a few essential points only, before coming to the analysis of the globule spirits system.

Experience daily demonstrates how large the variety of the mediumship faculty is. However, it also proves that the multiple nuances of that faculty are due to special and not yet defined gifts, abstraction made of the quality and knowledge of the manifesting spirit. The nature of the communication is always relative to the spirit’s nature, bearing the hallmark of their elevation or inferiority, their knowledge or ignorance. However, having equal merit from a hierarchical point of view, there is an incontestable tendency to dedicate to one thing, rather than the other. For example, the rapping spirits are almost never away from the physical manifestations and those who give intelligent manifestations are poets, musicians, painters, moralists, doctors, wise spirits, etc. We speak of a middle order of spirits, because when the spirits arrive at a certain level the skills merge in the unity of perfection. Nevertheless, besides the skills of the spirit, there is the medium who is more or less an adequate instrument to the spirit, more or less flexible, to whom the medium offers particular qualities which we cannot appreciate.

Let us make a comparison: a skillful musician has several violins in hand which are all good to the public but among which the seasoned artist sees a great difference; he detects nuances of subtle delicacy which lead him to pick some and reject others, nuances which he understands out of pure intuition and that he cannot define. The same happens to the mediums: among mediums of similar qualities regarding the mediumistic strength, the spirit will prefer this one to the other, according to the type of communication they want to give. Thus, for example, we see people writing remarkable poetry as mediums although under ordinary circumstances they could never write a single verse. Others who are poets, on the contrary only write prose, despite their wishes. The same applies to painting, music, etc. There are mediums that without having scientific knowledge have a very special skill to receive scientific communications; others to receive historical studies; others operate as interpreters to moralizing spirits. In short, whatever the flexibility of the medium, the communications that are more easily received have a particular characteristic. There are some that even stay close to a given circle of ideas and when they move away from that circle we then have incomplete, terse and sometimes false communications. In addition to the medium’s skills, the spirits still communicate more or less voluntarily through this or the other medium, according to their sympathies. Thus, despite the equality of skills, the same spirit will be much more elaborated through certain mediums, by the simple fact that it is more convenient to them.

It would therefore be a mistake to think that just because there is a medium that writes very easily that one can obtain good communications of all kinds through his mediumship. The first condition to obtain good communications is, no discussion there, to be sure about the source of the communication, that is, about the qualities of the spirit who transmit them, but it is not less necessary to be aware of the qualities of the instrument that is offered to the spirit. Hence, it is necessary to study the nature of the medium as one studies the nature of the spirit since these are the two essential elements to obtain satisfactory results. A third condition, representing an equally important role, is the intention, the intimate thought, the more or less worthy feeling of the person that interrogates the spirit. And that makes sense. A good communication can only proceed from a good spirit. In order to transmit such communication the spirit requires a good medium. Then a suitable objective is needed so that the spirit may wish to transmit it. The spirit that can read our thoughts, judges if the question deserves an answer and if the person who frames the question is worthy of receiving that answer. Otherwise the spirit will not waste any time by sowing good seeds on stones, and it is then that the joker spirits and the spirits of levity have fun, since they have no compromise with the truth and are not very courteous and generally show little scruples regarding the ends and the means.

From the above, it is clear that there must be spirits specially involved, by their likes or reason, with alleviating the sufferings of humanity, and that simultaneously there must be mediums that are more capable than others to operate as their intermediaries. Well, since those spirits act exclusively for the general well-being, they must seek certain moral qualities in their interpreters, besides the skills which may be considered physiological, among which are the highest devotion and altruism. Greed has been and will always be a reason for rejection from the good spirits and a cause of attraction to the others. Will common sense accept that the good spirits would engage into all sorts of machinations of material interest, being at the services of the first one to show up with the intention of exploiting them? The spirits do not want to be exploited, whoever they may be, and if some seem to agree, even anticipating certain mundane wishes, they almost always have the intention of carrying out a mystification which will make them laugh later, like someone who would laugh after having tricked very credulous people. As a matter of fact, it is useful that some people may burn their fingers so that they may learn that one should not make fun of serious things.

Such is the case that we must speak about, one of those privileged mediums that the healing spirits seem to have taken as their direct protégé. Ms. Désirée Godu, a resident of Hennebon, in Morbihan, who enjoys a truly remarkable faculty, in all aspects, that she utilizes with the keenest abnegation. We have already mentioned a few words in a report of the sessions of the Society, but the importance of the issue deserves a special article, that we will have the pleasure of dedicating to her in our next number. Keeping aside the interest on the study of every rare faculty, we shall always consider the promotion of goodness as our duty and it is only fair to those who do it.

This is the title of a legendary romance published in Rome in 1858, by Rev. Father Bresciani, from the Company of Jesus,* author of The Jew of Verona. The subject of the book is the story of the former Canossa family, in the style of Walter Scott. That is why the author dedicated the book to the current descendent from that renowned family, the Marquis Otavio de Canossa, potentate of Verona and valet of H.M. Emperor of Austria. The events take place in the middle ages. The witches and wizards represent great roles in the story and the demoniac scenes are described with such an accuracy which would make the Scottish romancers jealous. The author seems less accurate to us in his appreciation of the modern spiritist phenomena of the talking tables, of magnetism and somnambulism. Well, here is what can be read in its Chapter X, page 170:

“More than one of my readers, and probably the majority of them, could be surprised by seeing all these devilish apparatuses in the preceding chapters, all the exorcism, witchcraft, hallucinations, and fantastic outbreaks which would fit well in the late night stories and wet-nurse tales.”

_______________________________________

Society, December 9th, 1859 –
First session

Mr. de la Roche, regular member, communicates the following fact of his personal knowledge:

Strange noises and several manifestations took place in a small house near Castelnaudary, leading people to believe that it was haunted by a bad genie. Hence, in 1848 it was exorcized and a large number of images of saints were placed inside the house. Since then, Dr. D…, who wanted to live in the house had some renovations done and requested that the images be removed. He died in that house a few years later, of a sudden death. His son who still lives there or at least who was there up to not long ago, had his face slapped by an invisible hand when entering a bedroom. Since he knew that he was completely alone in the house, he had no doubt that it had come from an occult power. He no longer wishes to stay there and wants to move out for good. There is a story that goes around in the region which says that a terrible crime was committed in that house.

Once questioned about the possibility of evoking the author of that slap, St. Louis responded positively. The spirit was then evoked, showing signs of violence. The medium was taken by great agitation, breaking seven or eight pencils, throwing some onto the audience, tearing off a piece of paper on which he had furiously doodled meaningless characters.

3. Who was he when alive? – A. You shall find out yourself.

5. Then the exorcisms have not expelled him? – A. No way.

7. How come? – A. Through fear.

8. Was he the one who slapped Mr. D… son’s face? – A. Yes.

10. Why hasn’t he done so? – A. He was not allowed.

Society, January 13th, 1860


I am consumed by boredom, grief, and despair. Guilty wife, cruel mother, I abandoned the sacred joys of my family; the matrimonial dwelling beautified by the presence of two little angels from heavens. Dragged by the paths of addiction, by a limitless egotism, pride and vanity, a woman with no heart, I conspired against the sacred love of the one who God and people had given me as the support of my life. He hopelessly sought the refuge of death against my coward abandonment and dishonor.


Christ forgave the adulterous woman and the regretful Magdalene. The adulterous woman had loved and Magdalene repented. But I, miserable one, I sold dearly a false love which I had never felt. I sowed pleasure and did not harvest but neglect. The horrible misery and cruel hunger brought an end to a hateful life… and I did not regret! And I, miserable and infamous, oh! How often have I employed my influence as a spirit, leading poor women to the vice, women that I saw virtuous and in good health, enjoying the happiness which I had neglected? Will God ever forgive me? Perhaps, if the disgust inspired in you doesn’t prevent you from praying for the unfortunate Estelle Riquier.


OBSERVATION: The following questions were addressed to this uncalled spirit, and unknown to the audience.


1. When have you died? – A. Fifty years ago.


2. Where did you live? – A. In Paris.


3. What was your husband’s social echelon? – A. Middle class.


4. How old were you when you died? – A. I was 32.


5. How have you come spontaneously to communicate with us? – A. It was allowed for your instruction and to serve as an example.


6. Did you have any education? – Yes.


7. We hope that God will take into account the honesty of your confession and your regret. We wish God may be merciful to you and send good spirits to clarify you regarding the means of repairing your past. – A. Oh! Thank you, thank you! May God hear you!


OBSERVATION: Several people informed us that they consider a duty to pray for the suffering spirits that we have indicated and who ask for help. We wish these charitable thoughts may spread among our readers. Some received the spontaneous visit of the spirits to whom they addressed their good wishes, who came to thank them.

Friday, January 27th, 1860
(General Session)

Minutes of the January 20th session read and approved. A request for admission was received. Its reading, analysis and approval were postponed to the next private session.

MULTIPLE COMMUNICATIONS:

1st – Letter from Mr. Hinderson Mackenzie, from London, member of the Royal Antiques Society, with very interesting details about the use of metallic or crystal balls, as a means of obtaining spiritist communications. This is what he uses with the support of a special clairvoyant medium, according to the advices of one of his friends, who has used this method for thirty-five years, with the most complete and conclusive experiences. The medium sees the answers to the questions on a kind of mirror surface, producing welldeveloped communications, occasionally obtained so quickly that it is hard to follow him.

2nd – Reading of an article from the Siècle of January 22nd, from which the following passage is extracted: “The tables spoke, turned and danced well before the American cult which pretends to have originated them. That ball dance of chairs was already famous in Rome, in the first centuries of our era, and here is how Tertulian expressed it in Chapter XXIII of the Apologetic, when talking about the mediums of his time: “If the magicians are supposed to make ghosts appear, evoke the soul of the dead, and force children’s mouth to act like oracles; if these charlatans imitate a large number of miracles which, as it seems, are due to the circles and connections established among individuals; if they provoke sleep, if they make conjurations, if they command liar spirits and demons, the tables and chairs that prophesize are a common fact, etc.”

STUDIES:

The evocation of Mr. T… will be done, time allowing.

STUDIES:

A letter that we have received contains the following passage:

“It must be forcibly admitted that the teaching of the spirits is absolutely founded on Christ’s moral and even much more developed than that found in the Gospels, since you show the application of what is sometimes just found as general principles. Regarding the existence of the spirits and their relationship with the human beings, to me it is not cause of any doubt. I would be convinced just by the testimony of the fathers of the Church, if I did not have the proof of my own experience. Hence, I do not raise any objection with that respect. The same cannot be said to certain points of your Doctrine, evidently contrary to the text of the Scriptures. At this point in time I shall limit myself to a single question relative to the first human being. You say that Adam was neither the only one nor the first to have inhabited Earth. In that case one would have to admit that the Bible is mistaken, since the starting point would be controversial. Notice the consequence of all that! I confess that such thought has made me confused. However, since I support the truth before anything else and faith has nothing to gain if based on a mistake, I ask you to kindly provide some clarification that, if your free time allows. And if you can bring peace to my conscience I will duly appreciate it.”

Response

Ms. Désirée Godu, from Hennebon (Morbihan)

We refer our readers to the previous month’s article about the special mediums. The explanations that will be given below about Ms. Désirée Godu will be better understood – her faculty has a seal of remarkable specialty.

About eight years ago she went successively through all phases of mediumship. In the beginning she was a powerful medium of physical effects, then she turned into clairvoyant, hearing, speaking, writing medium and finally all of her faculties concentrated on healing people, which seems to be her mission and that she accomplishes with a boundless devotion. Let us see below the comments from Mr. Pierre, a professor from Lorient, who shares these details with us, responding to the questions that we addressed to him.

“Ms. Désirée Godu is twenty five years old, belonging to a distinct and respectable family in Lorient. Her father is a former officer of the military, a Knight of the Legion of Honor, and her mother a patient and laborious lady, who helps her daughter the best she can in her painstaking but sublime mission. For about six years the patriarchal family has been giving away alms of prescribed medication, and sometimes everything necessary to the treatment of the poor as well as the rich who seek their help. Their relationship with the spirits started at the time of the turning tables. During that time she lived in Loirent and for months the only subject of conversation in town was the wonders operated by Ms. Godu with the tables, always complacent and kind under her hands. It was a privilege to be admitted into the sessions with the table in her house and they would hardly accept anyone. Always simple and modest she never sought the spotlight. Slander however, did not spare her, as expected. Christ himself was mocked although he only did and taught good things. Is it surprising that there are Pharisees when there are men who still don’t believe anything? That is the fate of whoever shows any superiority, of being exposed to the attacks of mediocre jealousy and envy. It doesn’t take them much to knock down anyone who raises their head above the crowds, not even the poison of calumny. The debunked hypocrite never forgives but God is just and the more the righteous man is mistreated, the brightest his rehabilitation is and the most humiliating is the shame of his enemies. Posterity will avenge them.”

The phenomenon through which the spirits may manifest their presence has a twofold nature, namely the physical and the intelligent manifestations. Through the former, the spirits attest their action upon matter. Through the latter, they reveal a more or less superior mind, according to their degree of depuration. One and the other may be spontaneous or provoked. Those who are provoked when impelled by want and obtained with the support of persons bestowed with special gifts, such as the mediums. They are spontaneous when they occur naturally, without any participation of free-will and frequently in the absence of any knowledge or spiritist belief. Belonging to this classification are certain phenomena that cannot be explained by ordinary physical causes; however we must not rush, as said before, in attributing to the spirits everything that is uncommon and not well understood. It is never too much to insist on this point so that we are on guard against the effects of the imagination, and often fear.

When an extraordinary phenomenon is produced – we repeat – the first thought must be that it has a natural cause since it is the most frequent and most likely. That applies to mainly noises and certain movements of objects. In such cases it is necessary to seek the cause and it is more than likely we find that it was something very simple and common.

• Then there are extra human intelligences?

Let us move on to the facts that have motivated those observations.

Dr. Vignal

Dr. Vignal, a regular member of the Society, offered to be the subject of study regarding the evocation of the spirit of a living person, as it was carried out with Count R… He was evoked in the session of February 3rd, 1860.


1. (To St. Louis) – Can we evoke Dr. Vignal? – A. No problem, since he is prepared.


2. Evocation. – A. I am here. I attest it in the name of God, what I would not do if responding by someone else.


3. Although alive, do you think it is necessary that the evocation be done in the name of God? – A. Doesn’t God exist to the living ones as much as to the dead?


4. Can you see us as clearly as when you attend our sessions? – A. A little bit more clearly.


5. Where are you located in here? – A. Where my action is naturally required: to the right, a little bit behind the medium.


6. Were you aware of the distance covered in order to come from Sully to our place? Did you see the path when you travelled? – A. Not more than the vehicle that brought me.



7. Can we offer you a chair? – A. You are very kind. I am not as tired as you are.


8. How do you verify your individuality here? – A. Like the others. OBSERVATION: He refers to what has been already said in similar cases, that is, the spirit verifies its individuality through the perispirit which represents the body.


9. However, we would appreciate if you gave the explanation yourself. – A. What you ask is a repetition.


10. Since you do not wish to repeat what has already been said is that because you think in the same way? – A. That is clear enough.


11. Your perispirit is then a kind of limited and bounded body to you? – A. That is evident. It is not necessary to say.


12. Can you see your body sleeping? – A. Not from here. I saw it when I left. I felt like laughing.


13. How is the relationship established between your body in Sully and your spirit here? – A. As I told you, through the fluidic cord.


14. Would you describe, in the best possible way so that we understand, how you see yourself, apart from your body? – A. That is very easy. I see myself as in the waking state or even better, since the comparison is fairer, I see myself like we see ourselves in our dreams. I have my body but I am aware that it is organized in a different and lighter way when compared to the other. I don’t feel the weight or the force of gravity which bonds me to Earth when I am awake. In other words, and as I told you, I am not tired.


15. Do the shades of light appear to you in the same way as in the normal state? – A. No. Light gets the addition of a tone that is not perceptible by your dense senses. However, you must not conclude that the colors perceived by the optical nerve are different to me. Red is red and so far. Having said that some objects that I did not see in darkness during my waking state I can see now, as they are luminous in their own right. That is how total darkness absolutely does not exist to the spirit although it is possible to establish a difference between what is clear and what is not clear to you.


16. Is your vision unrestricted or limited to the focused object? – A. Neither one thing nor the other. I absolutely don’t know the kind of changes that may take place to a spirit who is entirely free. As for myself, I know that the material objects are seen in their interior; that my vision goes through them. However, I cannot see all over the place and from a distance.


17. Would you like to be submitted to an experiment, as a trial, not based on curiosity but to our own instruction? – A. Absolutely not. That is strictly forbidden to me.


18. The idea was to have you reading the question that comes to my hand and responding, without my verbal interrogation. – A. I could but I repeat it is forbidden to me.


19. How can you be aware of what is prohibited to you? – A. Through the transmission of thoughts from the spirit who forbids me.


20. Here is the question then: Can you see yourself in a mirror? – A. No. What do you see in the mirror? The reflection of a material object. I am not material. I can only produce the reflection through the operation that makes the perispirit visible.


21. As a consequence, the spirit which assumes the condition of an agénère, for example, could it be seen in a mirror? – A. Certainly.


22. At this point in time could you assess the healthy or unhealthy condition of a person as well as you would in your normal state? – A. With more confidence.


23. Could you give a consultation, if someone requested? – A. I could but I don’t want to compete with the somnambulists and the benevolent spirits that guide them. When I am dead perhaps I shall not refuse that.


24. Is your current state identical to your state after your death? – A. No. I will have certain perceptions which are much more accurate. Don’t forget that I am still attached to matter.


25. Could your body die while you are here, without you knowing? – A. No. We die this way every day.


26. That is understandable with respect to a natural death, always preceded by some symptoms but what if someone hits you and instantly kills you, how would you know? – A. I would be ready to receive the blow, before the arm would come down.


27. What is the need that your spirit would have to return to the body if there is nothing else that can be done? – A. It is a very wise law, which without it, when we are out of the body, we are often reluctant to return to it and that would be made as an excuse for suicide… hypocritically.


28. Suppose your spirit was not here but at home, wandering around while the body slept. Would you be able to see everything that was going on? – A. Yes.


29. In that case, suppose that someone was doing something bad, like a relative or a stranger. Could you be a witness of the fact? – A. No doubt; but not always free to oppose that action. However, it does happen more frequently than you think.


30. Which type of impression would this bad action have on you? Would that affect you as much as if you were a living witness? – A. Sometimes more, sometimes less, according to the circumstances.


31. Would you feel the desire for revenge? – A. Not to revenge but to impede the action.


OBSERVATION: It results from what has just been said, and as a matter of fact, it is a consequence of what we already know, that the spirit of a living person that is asleep knows perfectly well what goes on around them. Anybody who intended to take advantage of the sleep to practice a bad action against that person is mistaken when believing that the action is unseen. Even the sleeping person’s obliviousness after waking up should not be counted on once the person may have kept a very strong intuition of the event, sometimes inspiring suspicion. The dreams of presentiment are nothing else but more or less accurate memories of what was seen during the sleep. Again, we have one more of the moral consequences of Spiritism; given the conviction of this phenomenon may perhaps be a barrier for many people. Here is a fact that supports that truth. One day a person receives a rude and anonymous letter. All efforts were employed to find out who the sender was. One must admit that the enigma was solved during the sleep since the very next day, after waking up and not having even dreamed, all thoughts were directed to someone who was not even under suspicion and after verification the fact was confirmed.


32. Let us go back to your sensations and perceptions. How do you see things, through what? – A. Through my whole being.


33. Do you hear sounds, and where? – A. It is the same thing since perception is transmitted to the spirit through its imperfect organs and it must be clear to you that when the spirit is free, it has numerous perceptions that you cannot understand.


34. (Someone rings a bell) – Did you hear the sound perfectly well? – A. Better than you do.


35. If you were made to hear music that was out of tune, would that cause the same impression on you as in your waking state? – A. I did not say that sensations are analogous. There is a difference but the perception is much more thorough.


36. Do you perceive odors? – A. No doubt, in the same manner as with the other senses.


OBSERVATION: It could then be said that the matter which surrounds the spirit operates like a buffer which dampens the sharpness of perception. Once separated from matter the spirit has the perception without intermediaries, being able to detect nuances which escape someone who received them through means which are denser than the perispirit. It then follows that the unfortunate spirits may experience pains that, although not physical from our stand point, are more pungent than the corporeal pains and that the happy spirits may feel pleasures which are incomprehensible to our sensations.


37. If you had savory dishes before your eyes, would you feel tempted to eat them? – A. The desire would be a distraction.


38. Suppose that your body is hungry while you are here. What would be the effect of seeing those foods, have on you? – A. This would make me leave to satisfy an irresistible need.


39. Could you tell us how you feel when you leave your body to come here or when you leave us and return to your body? How do you perceive that? – A. That would be very difficult. I come in as I leave, without noticing, or better saying, not aware of how the phenomenon occurs. However, don’t believe that when the spirit enters the body it is imprisoned like in a room. The spirit constantly irradiates to the outside in such a way that one can say that the spirit is more frequently outside than inside. It is only the union which is more intimate and the links are tighter.


40. Do you see other spirits? – A. Those who want to be seen by me.


41. How do you see them? – A. Like I see myself.


42. Do you see them here, around us? – A. In a crowd.


43. Evocation of Charles Dupont (the spirit of Castelnaudary) – A. I am here and attend to your request.


44. Are you more relaxed today as compared to the last time you were called? – A. Yes. I am advancing on a good path.


45. Do you now understand that your penalties shall not last forever? – A. Yes.


46. Do you foresee the end of your suffering? – A. No. For my punishment, God does not allow me to see the end of that.


47. (To Dr. Vignal) Do you see the spirit that has just responded to us? – A. Yes. It is not a nice vision.


48. Can you describe him? – A. I see him as he showed up before with the difference that he no longer holds the dagger or has blood on him; his looks show more sadness than the ferocious brutalization of his first apparition.


49. When awake are you aware of the image that was portrayed of that spirit? – A. Yes, and I am also more informed.


50. When you see a spirit how do you know that his body is dead or alive? – A. By the fluidic cord.


51. How do you assess the morale condition of that spirit? – A. His morale has been sad; but he is improving.


52. (To Charles Dupont) – You hear what is said about you. That must encourage you to persevere in the path of progress that you have already entered. – A. Thank you. That is what I try to do.


53. Do you see the spirit of the doctor who we were talking to? – A. Yes.


54. How do you see him? – A. I see him with an envelope less transparent than the other spirits.


55. How can you say that he is still alive? – A. The common spirits have no apparent form. This one has a human form; he is surrounded by a misty like matter that reproduces his earthly human form. The spirits of the dead no longer have that envelope, once they are free.


56. (To Dr. Vignal) – If we evoke a mad person, how would you recognize it? – A. I would not recognize if his madness were recent since it would not have had an influence upon the spirit; however, if the spirit had been alienated for a long time, matter could have a certain influence on him, thus I would see some signs which would allow me to recognize as I do when awake.


57. Can you describe to us the causes of madness? – A. These are simply an alteration, a perversion of the organs, which no longer perceive things in a regular way, transmitting false sensations, thus leading the spirit to act against his own will.


OBSERVATION: It does frequently happen that certain persons, whose spirits are perfectly healthy, show in their limbs and in other parts of the body certain involuntary movements, independent of their will, like the so called nervous twitches. It is easy to understand that if those alterations took place in the brain instead of arms or face, the transmission of the thought would suffer its influence. The impossibility of driving or controlling such emissions constitutes madness.


58. After the last answer by Dr. Vignal, the medium who served as interpreter to Charles Dupont wrote spontaneously: - Those spirits of mad persons are recognized among us because they move around, in all directions, without a firm idea, not even of God or prayers. They need time to settle in. Signed: Cauvière Since nobody thought of calling this spirit, Mr. Belliol asked if he would be the spirit of Dr. Cauvière from Marseille, who had been his professor. – A. Yes, it is me, deceased one and a half years ago.


OBSERVATION: Mr. Belliol recognized Dr. Cauvière’s signature. Later it was possible to compare it with an original signature, attesting the perfect identity between the two.


59. (To Mr. Cauvière) – Why have you honored us with your unexpected visit? – A. It is not the first time that I have come here. Today I found a favorable occasion to communicate with you and so I did.


60. Do you see your colleague Dr. Vignal who is here as a spirit? – A. Yes, I see him.


61. How would you know that he is still alive? – A. Due to his wrapping body which is less transparent than ours.


62. This answer agrees with the one that has just been given by Charles Dupont and that seemed to have gone beyond his intelligence. Was it you who answered? – A. I could influence him since I was here.



63. What is your state as a spirit? – A. I have not reincarnated yet but I am advanced as a spirit although I was far from the belief in what you call Spiritualism on Earth. It was necessary to get educated where I am here. However, my intelligence, which has been improved by the study promptly, enlightened me.


64. In case you agree we will ask you a question prepared to Dr. Vignal, requesting the answer from each one of you, with the help of your individual interpreters. How do you see now the difference between the spirit of the animals and humans? Dr. Vignal’s answer: It is not much easier for me to perceive that than in my waking state. My current thought is that the spirit sleeps in the animal, like it is morally numb, and that it painfully wakes up in a human being. Mr. Cauvière’s answer: The spirit of a human being is called to a greater task of perfection than that of the animals. The difference is substantial since there is only instinctive existence in the latter ones. Later that instinct may perfect.


65. Can such betterment get to the point of a human spirit? – A. It can but after having passed through many existences as animal on Earth as well as in other planets.


66. Can you kindly, both of you, write a spontaneous essay to us, about a subject of your choice?

Bibliography Siamora, the Druid Lady or Spiritism in the XV Century *

By Clément de la Chave

The spiritist ideas fill the works of a large number of former and current writers, and many contemporaries would be surprised if we demonstrated to them, from their own writings, that they are spiritists without knowing it. Spiritism can then find arguments in its own adversaries that seem to have been involuntarily led to provide Spiritism with armaments. Thus, holy as well as profane writers present an open field in which there is plenty to be sowed and harvested. That is what we intend to do one day.

We shall then see if the critics will still consider it to be appropriate to send the daring celebrity names in literature, arts, sciences, philosophy and theology to the asylums. The author of the little book that we are speaking about is not one of those who can be named spiritist without knowing it. On the contrary, he is a serious and educated follower, who took the burden of summarizing the fundamental truths of the Doctrine in a less arid than scholarly way, with the added attractiveness of a semi-historical romance.

I am Hettani, one of the spirits who supervises the formation of flowers, the diversity of their perfumes. It is I, or I should say, it is us since we are many thousands of spirits that decorate the fields and gardens; who give the horticulturist the taste for flowers. We could not teach the mutilation that they sometimes employ but we teach them to vary the perfumes, making even more beautiful what is already so pleasing. However, it is mainly the flowers that bloom naturally that have all of our attention; they are our favorite ones, since everything that is alone needs help, and that’s why we take care of them better.


We are also in charge of spreading their perfumes. We take to the exile a memory of his homeland by bringing to his prison the aroma of the flowers that ornamented his patrimonial garden. To someone truly in love, we take the perfume of the flowers offered by his bride; To the ones that cry, a remembrance of those who are no longer blossoming on their graves, the roses and violets that recall their virtues. Who among you does not owe us such kind emotions?


Who has not shivered yet before the contact with a beloved aroma? I suppose you are surprised by hearing that there are spirits dedicated to all this. However, it is absolutely true. We have never and perhaps shall never incarnate among you. Yet, some have been human but not many among the spirits of the elements. Our mission is nothing on your planet Earth. We progress like you do but it is particularly in the superior planets that we are happy. In Jupiter our flowers issue harmonious sounds and we build the airy dwellings that hummingbird nests are the only ones which may give you a slight comparison. I will give you a description of some of those flowers for the first time, flowers which are not only magnificent but sublime and worthy of housing superior spirits. Good bye. May a perfume of charity animate you! The virtues themselves have their perfume.

Entirely restructured and considerably augmented WARNING ABOUT THIS SECOND EDITION I n the first edition of this book we announced a supplemental part. It should be composed by all questions not yet incorporated in the first edition or originated by posterior events and new studies. However, since these questions are related to the parts already treated, forming their development, their isolated publication would not show continuity. We preferred to wait for the reprint of the book to gather everything, taking the opportunity to give a more methodic order to the distribution of the subjects, eliminating everything that had double meaning. This reprint may thus be considered a new book once the principles did not suffer any alteration except some corrections that are more additions and clarifications than true modifications in reality. Such compliance with the issued principles, despite the diversity of the sources from where they were obtained, is an important fact for the establishment of the Spiritist Science. Our own correspondence demonstrates that total identical communications have been obtained in several places, if not in the form, at least in the content; well before the publication of the book, came the confirmations and then the organization of them. On its side History demonstrates that the majority of these principles were professed by the most eminent people of former and modern times, who have sanctioned them.

We sometimes receive letters signed by “one of your subscribers”, “one of your readers”, “one of your followers”, etc. without any other denomination. The majority contains reports of facts, spiritist communications or questions requiring answers or even with a request for the evocation of certain persons. We believe it to be our duty to warn the readers, subscribers or non-subscribers that every non-authenticated letter is like a non-received letter to us and as such, no attention is given to them. We have great reservation in our reports with respect to the publication of people’s names because we understand the difficulty of certain positions. This is the reason why we only cite those who give us authorization. But that is not the case regarding these communications. They remain in the basket up until the time they can be read, since our works are multiplied daily, not allowing us to bother with something that might not be serious.

Allan Kardec

Friday, February 24th, 1860
(General Session)

MULTIPLE COMMUNICATIONS:

1st – Letter from Dieppe confirming all points of the spontaneous manifestations which took place in the house of a baker from Grandes-Ventes, near Dieppe, and reported in La Vigie (published in our March issue);

2nd – Letter from Mr. M. from Teil d’Ardèche, providing new information about manifestations which took place at Fons Castle, near Aubenas;

3rd – Letter from Baron Tscherkassoff, containing circumstantial and authentic details about a very extraordinary fact of spontaneous manifestation by a rapping spirit, which took place at the beginning of the century, with a manufacturer in St. Petersburg (to be published below);

4th – A report was given of an event of tangible apparition, having all the characteristics of an agénère (temporarily materialized spirit), which occurred last January 15th, in the village of Brix, near Valognes. The fact was transmitted to Mr. Ledoyen by someone acquainted with him and that verified its accuracy (published below);

STUDIES:

Friday, March 2nd, 1860

(Private Session)

Several administrative matters are analyzed and discussed.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Our wise comrade from Brussels, Mr. Jobard, sends the text below regarding our article about the pre-adamites, published in last month’s issue of the Review:

“Allow me some thoughts about the creation of the world, with the objective of rehabilitating the Bible to our eyes and to the eyes of the free thinkers. God created the world in six days, four thousand years before the Christian era. That is what is contested by the geologists, based on the study of fossils and on the thousands of incontestable indications of antiquity that throw Earth’s origin to thousands of millions of years back. Nevertheless, the Scriptures tell the truth and so do the geologists, and it is a simple peasant that shows the agreement, teaching us that our Earth is nothing but an incrusted planet, very modern, composed of materials very ancient.”

“After the elevation of the unknown planet, reaching maturity or harmony with what was around in the place that we occupy today; Earth’s soul received a command to gather its satellites in order to form the current globe, according to the rules which governed everything. Only four of those globes consented with the proposed formation; only the Moon insisted in its autonomy, as the globes also have their free-will. In order to proceed with such a fusion, Earth’s soul stroked those globes with an attractive magnetic ray, thus bringing the vegetable, animal and hominid components of the community into a cataleptic state. The sole witness of that operation was Earth’s soul and the great celestial messengers who helped in that enormous endeavor, opening their globes and sharing their innards. Once the fusion was achieved the waters flowed over the voids left by the absence of the Moon, from whom one was supposed to expect a better appreciation of its interests.”

We spoke about the remarkable faculty of Ms. Désirée Godu as a healing medium and we could have cited authentic witnesses that we have in our possession. However, here is a testimony of incontestable reach. It is not one of those attestations that are provided somehow lightheartedly. It is the result of serious observations by a knowledgeable man, eminently capable of assessing things from both points of view of Science and Spiritism. Dr. Morhéry sent us the two following letters, whose publication the readers will appreciate.

“Plessis-Bloudet, near Loudéac (Côtes-du-Nord)

“Mr. Allan Kardec,

“Although overloaded right now by my regular activities, as a corresponding member of the Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies I see it as my duty to inform you about an unexpected event which is certainly of interest to all our colleagues.”

“You have praised Ms. Désirée Godu, from Hennebon, in the last issues of your Review. You said that after she had been a clairvoyant, hearing and writing medium, the young lady had become a healing medium in the past few years. That is how she came to me, requesting my support as a medical doctor, to demonstrate the efficacy of her medication, which I believe it could be called spiritist. In the beginning I thought that her motives where the threats against her and the obstacles created to her medical practice for the fact that she was not certified. She told me, however, that her guiding spirit, working with her for six years, had advised her to do so, as a necessary condition from the point of view of Spiritism. In any case I found it to be my duty and in the interest of humanity to accept her generous proposal, but I had doubts if she would accomplish that. Although not knowing her in person or even having never seen her, I learned that the devout young lady had never wanted to be away from her family but in one exceptional circumstance at the age of 17, in order to accomplish an important mission. I was nicely surprised when I saw her coming to my house led by her mother who left the next day, leaving her with profound sadness. Such sadness, however, was mitigated by the courage of her resignation. Ms. Godu has been living with my family for 10 days already, and she has become the focus of much joy, despite her nerve-racking occupation. “Since her arrival I have already attested 75 cases of several diseases, against which the medical resources had failed in most of them. We have amaurosis fugax, severe ophthalmic disorders, paralysis and all that reject to any treatment, scrofulous, the scabby, cataracts and terminal cancer, all cases that are duly registered; the nature of the disease is established by me, she indicates the dressings, and all procedures are followed as in a regular clinical treatment room.”

His countryman Baron Gabriel Tscherkassoff, who lives in Cannes and who attests to its authenticity, transmitted the following facts of a spontaneous manifestation to our colleague, Mr. Kratzoff, from St. Petersburg. As a matter of fact, it seems that the facts are very well known and were a sensation in its day.


“In the beginning of the century there was a rich artisan in St. Petersburg that employed a large number of workers in his workshops. I can’t remember his name but I believe he was English. He was a rightful, decent, humane person, not only enjoying the good returns of his products but also ensuring the moral as well as physical well being of his workers who, in turn, offered the example of good behavior and an almost fraternal agreement. According to Russian costumes, still existent in our days, food and lodging were covered by the employer, where they occupied the upper floors and the attic of the same house. One morning several workers could not find their clothes after waking up, clothes they had set beside their beds before going to sleep. Nobody thought of robbery. They unsuccessfully questioned one another, suspecting that the most malicious ones could be tricking the group. Finally, thanks to their searches, all missing objects were found in the cellar, in the fireplaces and even on top of the roof. The boss warned everyone since nobody would confess wrongdoing. On the contrary, everyone protested innocence.”


“Some time later the same thing happened again. There was new recommendations, new protests. It gradually began to happen every night and the owner was really upset because he saw his work suffering and the threat of his workers leaving the house where, they said, supernatural things were taking place. Following the owner’s advice, a nightly watch was organized by the employees themselves in order to catch the offender, but it was unsuccessful. On the contrary, things changed from bad to worse. The workers had to climb dimly lit stairs to get to their rooms. When they would arrive, several of them received blows on the head and had their faces slapped. Whenever they tried to defend themselves they would only find emptiness, while the violence of the blows gave them the impression that they were dealing with a solid creature. This time the owner advised them to form two groups: one should stay on the top of the stairwell, the other on the bottom. Following that procedure the bad guy could not escape and would receive the deserved correction. However, the owner’s strategy failed once again. The two groups were badly beaten and one accused the other. The complaints became violent and as it reached the highest possible level of disagreement among the workers, the owner was even considering moving or shutting down the whole operation.”


“One evening he sat, sad and full of thoughts, surrounded by his family. Everyone was feeling disheartened when suddenly a huge noise was heard in the room next door, which was used as his office. He stood up promptly, looking for the cause of that noise. The first thing he saw was an open desk with a lit oil lamp. However, he had just closed that desk and put the light out. He approached the desk and saw a glass inkpot and a pen that did not belong to him and a sheet of paper on which he read still in fresh ink: “Have the wall in such a place taken down (above the stairwell). There you will find human remains which you will have buried in sacred land.” The owner grabbed the piece of paper and rushed to the police.”


“The day after they tried to identify the origin of the inkpot and the pen. They were shown to the neighbor who had their business on the ground floor and confirmed that the pieces were his. Once questioned about the person to whom he had given them, he said: “Last night I had already closed shop when I heard knocks on the window; I opened and saw a man whose looks were not familiar, who said: “I need you to give me an inkpot and a pen. I will pay for that.” I gave him the objects and he threw a large copper coin which I heard falling on the ground but I could not find it.”


“The wall was demolished at the indicated spot and there they found the human remains which were duly buried and everything went back to normal. The origin of that skeleton was never known.”


Facts of such a nature must have happened at all times and it can be seen that they were not provoked by the spiritist knowledge. It is understandable that in remote centuries or among ignorant people they have given rise to all kinds of superstitious assumptions.

My name is Michael. I am one of the spirits assigned to guard the children. What a kind mission! What happiness it gives to the soul! The protection of children, you will ask! Don’t they have their mothers, the good angels designated to shelter them? Why would there still be the need for a spirit to watch over them? However, how about those who no longer have their mothers? Don’t they exist in a large number?

And how about the mother, doesn’t she, sometimes need help? Who wakes her up in her first sleep? Who makes her foresee the danger, creating relief when the pain is great? It is us, always us. We turn the naughty child away from the cliff; we keep the dangerous animals and the wild fire away from her, fire that could burn her beautiful hair. Our mission is gentle! We are still the ones who inspire in them compassion towards the poor, sweetness, goodness. Not one of them, even the worst of them, could disturb us. There is always a time when their little hearts are open to us. How many of you will be impressed by that mission. However, don’t you always say that there is a God to the children, particularly to the poor children? No, not a God, but angels, friends. Otherwise, how could you explain these miraculous rescues? There are still many other powers whose existence you don’t even suspect. There is the spirit of flowers, of perfumes; a thousand and one others whose more or less elevated missions would seem charming and privileged to you, after your tough life of trials. I will invite them to come to you. At this point in time I am rewarded by a life entirely dedicated to children. Married at a young age to a man who had many, I was not fortunate to have my own children. Entirely dedicated to them, the good and sovereign God has allowed me to guard the children. Smooth and sacred mission, I repeat, whose efficacy the mothers present here could not deny. Good-bye, I will go now to the bedside of my little protected ones. The time of sleep is my time, and it is necessary that I visit all those lovely closed eyelids. Make no mistake, the good angel who watches over them is not an allegory but a truth.

(Society, November 25th, medium Mr. Roze)


In the old days you would have been crucified, burnt at the stake, tortured. The force was diminished; the fire extinguished and the instruments of torture broken. The terrible weapons of ridicule; so powerful against the lies and weaken the will against the truth. Its fiercest enemies retracted into an impenetrable circle. In fact, denying the reality of our manifestations would be the same as denying the revelation that is the foundation of all religions. Attributing it to the devil, pretending that the evil spirit has come to comfort you; cultivate the Gospel, urging you towards the good; to practice all virtues, it is simply and happily only to prove that the spirit does not exist. Every divided kingdom shall perish. Bad spirits will remain. A good tree never produces bad fruits; a bad tree never produces good fruits. You have nothing better to tell them but what Christ used to tell his oppressors when they formulated the same accusations against him, begging for God’s forgiveness since they didn’t know what they were doing.

The Spirit of Truth


(Another essay dictated to Mr. Roze, and read at the Society)


France carries the banner of progress and she must guide the other nations. That is demonstrated by previous and current events. You were chosen to be the mirror which must receive and reflect the Divine light, which must illuminate Earth, up until now soaked in the darkness of ignorance and lies. However, if you are not animated by the love to thy neighbor and by a boundless devotion; if the desire of knowing and propagating the truth, whose paths you must open to posterity, is not the only motive driving your works; if the slightest shade of pride, selfishness and material interest find shelter in your hearts, we shall only be served by you like the artisan that temporarily uses a defective instrument. We will come to you up until the time when we have found or stimulated a center richer than you are in virtues, more sympathetic to the phalanx of spirits sent by God to reveal the truth to the people of good will. Give some serious thoughts to that. Dig deep into your hearts, probe their most intimate thoughts and vigorously expel the bad passions which keep us away, otherwise you must leave before risking the work of your brothers and sisters by your presence or by the presence of the spirits that you bring along with you.

The Spirit of Truth

Conscience

Each person has in one’s innermost self what you call an interior voice. It is what the spirits calls conscience, a severe judge overseeing all actions of your life. When the individual is alone one hears that conscience and ponders things in their fair value. The person is sometimes ashamed of oneself. At that moment one acknowledges God but ignorance, that fatal advisor, pushes the person away, dressing one up with the mask of pride. It shows itself full of emptiness, seeking to deceive you by its arrogance. But the righteous person does not hold a proud head; one thoughtfully listens to the words of wisdom; one feels that God is everything. The person seeks enlightenment in the book of nature, written by the Creator’s hand. One’s spirit elevates, expelling from one’s body the material passions which frequently veer oneself off course. That dragging passion is a dangerous guide.


Stay strong my friend and let the skeptical laugh since one’s laughter shall end. The human being becomes a believer at the time of one’s death. My friend, keep God in your thoughts, the only one who will not deceive you. Keep in mind that there is only one path leading to God: faith and love to one’s fellow being.

Dwelling of the Elected
Ones (By Mrs. D…)

Your thoughts are absorbed by earthly things. If you want to listen to us you must forget them. Let us try to talk from a higher level. May your spirit elevate to those regions, the dwelling of the elected ones by the Lord. Behold the worlds that await all mortals, whose places are set according to the merits they have earned. What happiness is found by those dedicated to the sacred things, to the great teachings given in the name of God! Oh men! How little you are compared to the spirits parted from matter, who inhabit the spaces by the glory of the Lord! Happy are those invited to dwell the worlds where matter is not but a word; where everything is ethereal and translucent; where disagreements are no longer heard. Heavenly music is the only noise that clears the senses, so perfect capturing the tiniest sounds, of which are called harmony! How graceful are all those creatures so much loved by God! What a subtleness when moving about those enchanted regions, their refuge! No more disagreements, envy or hatred there; love has become the link destined to unite them all. Such a love which fulfills their hearts, the end in itself, summarizes faith, love and charity.

A friend


(Another, by the same medium)


Your obliviousness afflicted me. Don’t leave me any more for such a long time without calling me. I feel prepared to speak with you and give you advice. Be careful and don’t believe everything the other spirits might tell you; they could perhaps lead you to the wrong path. Before anything else, be sensible so that your God given mission is not denied to you, and do as follows: help to bring to people’s attention the revelation about the existence of the spirits around them. Not everyone is ready to understand and appreciate the elevated reach of these things, whose knowledge God only allows to the elected ones. There shall be a day in which this Science, full of greatness and consolation, will be shared by the whole human race, when there will no longer be a single skeptical. People will then have a hard time to understand how such a tangible truth could have ever been disputed by the simplest of the mortals. In truth, I tell you that half a century will not go by without having the ears and eyes of everyone open to this great truth: that the spirits circulate in space and occupy different worlds, according to their merit before God’s eyes; that the true life is in death and that the individual needs to redeem many times before obtaining the eternal life, achieved by everyone in more or less centuries of suffering, according to their more or less faith before the teachings of the Lord.

The Spirit and the Trial
(By Mrs. Netz)

The individual’s freedom is totally individual. One was born free but such a freedom is sometimes one’s disgrace. Moral freedom, physical freedom, it all goes together but often lacks discernment, what you call common sense. If a person has spirit but lacks discernment it is as if one had nothing because what shall be done of the spirit if it cannot be governed; if the necessary intelligence to lead the spirit is not there; if the individual thinks to be walking the good path when in reality one is in a swamp; if one always thinks to be right when in reality one is wrong? Discernment may take the place of the spirit but the spirit can never replace discernment. It is a necessary quality and when we don’t have it we must make every effort to acquire it.

The Skeptical
(By Mrs. L…)

Your doctrine is beautiful and sacred. The groundwork has been laid and firmly positioned. All you have to do now is to move forward. The path before you is ample and majestic. Blessed will be the one who arrives at the port. The more proselytes you have made the more shall be counted in your favor. But the doctrine must not be coldly embraced for that. One needs eagerness, which shall double since God is always with you when you do good deeds. Those that you bring with you shall be the other sheep to add to the herd. Poor stray sheep! Believe me, the most doubtful, the most atheist, as well as the most skeptical always have a little spot in their hearts which they would like to hide from themselves. Very well! That is the spot that you must look for, that you must find, the vulnerable side that is necessary to attack. It is a small gap intentionally left open by God, facilitating to God’s creature the means of coming back to God’s heart.

St. Benedict

The Supernatural
(By Mr. Rabache, from Bordeaux)


My children, your father did well in calling your attention to the phenomena produced in your séances for some days now. Assessing them on the basis of the instructions of certain sectarian spirits, ignorant where they rule, that these things are supernatural. Don’t believe that my children. Nothing that has happened is supernatural. If it were, your common sense would tell you that it would only happen outside of nature and then it could not be seen. In order that your eyes or the other senses may be able to perceive something, it is totally necessary that such a thing be natural. Once you give some thought to that, you will see that there is not a single serious spirit who may lead you to believe in supernatural things. Having stated that, I don’t mean that there are not things which may appear as such to your intelligence but the only reason for that is that you don’t understand them yet. When a given fact seems to escape what you consider natural be aware of that laziness of spirit which would lead you to believe that it is supernatural. Make the effort to understand it. That is why intelligence was given to you. What good would it do to you if you were to be satisfied by the teachings and beliefs of your predecessors only? It is necessary that each one puts their intelligence at the service of progress which is the collective work of everybody. Since you are gifted with intelligence, think; since you have discernment – and you have it for a reason – analyze and judge. Do not accept pre-judgment but make sure that the subject has passed through the crucible of reason. Be skeptical while you are not sure but never deny something that you do not understand. Give serious examination. Only the lazy, the indifferent one accepts as true or false everything they see as accepted or denied. Finally, my children do your outmost to become serious and useful so as to accomplish the mission assigned to you. It is never too early to get involved with the good and to do good deeds. Thus, start early to get involved with serious things. Time of futility is always too long and useless to your progress that you must always keep in mind. The earthly things are nothing; they only serve to help your transition to another state, which shall be more perfect the better you have prepared it.

Your grandmother

Friday, March 30th 1860
(Private Session)

ADMINISTRATIVE ISSUES:

Mr. Ledoyen (treasury) presents the financial balance sheet of the Society for the second semester of the fiscal year, ending on March 30th, 1860. The balance sheet was approved.

MULTIPLE COMMUNICATIONS:

1st – Mr. Chuard from Lyon pays tribute to the Society with two brochures, the first containing a sacred ode to the immortality of the soul, and the second a satire to societies in partnerships. The Society thanks the author and although one of the brochures in particular is strange to the objectives of its works, both shall be kept in the library.

2nd – Reading of three letters from Mr. Morhéry about the cures operated by Ms. Godu, healing medium who moved to his house and became sponsored by him. Mr. Morhéry, as a man of Science, observes the effects of the treatments practiced by that young lady in several patients under their responsibility. He records the results in a detailed chart as done in a regular clinical treatment room, having even attested prodigious results in a short time.

STUDIES:

MULTIPLE COMMUNICATIONS: