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The Spiritist Review - Journal of Psychological Studies - 1863 > August > Spiritist dissertations
Spiritist dissertations
Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies, medium Mrs. Costel
“My friends, how magnificent is this new life! Like a shiny torrent it drags in its huge course the merry souls of infinity! After the rupture of the corporeal links my eyes glanced at the new horizons that surround me and I enjoy the splendid wonders of the infinite. I passed from the shadows of matter to the brilliant lightthat announces the Almighty. I am saved but not for the merit of my works but for the knowledge of the eternal principle that made me avoid the dirt impressed by ignorance onto humanity. My death was a blessing; the biographers judged it premature. How blind! They will be sorry for some writings that were born from the dust and will not understand how much the little noise made around my tomb is useful to the cause of Spiritism. My work was finished; my predecessors followed the path; I had reached the summit of of someone that had done his uttermost and where there is only a new beginning. My death draws the attention of the educated ones and they analyze my fundamental work that is related to the great Spiritist question that they pretend to ignore and that will soon entangle them. Praise the Lord! I will be one of the front runners of the motorcade that delineate your route, helped by the superior Spirits that protect your doctrine.”
In a private family meeting – medium Mr. Charles V…
The Spirit responds to this refection: Your unexpected death, at such an early age, surprised many people.
“Who told you that my death was not be a benefit to Spiritism, to its future and to its consequences? Have you noticed, my friend, the march that progress follows, the route of the Spiritist faith? From starters God gave material proofs: the dance of the tables, the vibrating raps and all kinds of phenomena. That was to draw attention. It was an entertaining preface. Men need material proofs to believe. Now things are very different! After the material facts, God speaks to the intelligence, common sense and cold reason. It is no longer a manifestation of strength but rational things that must convince and unite even the biggest [need to check non or in…I think it may be non] unbelievers. It is just the beginning. Notice well what I tell you: a whole series of intelligent, irrefutable facts will follow and the number of followers of the Spiritist faith that is already large will grow even more. God will take care of the bright minds, of the renowned Spirits, of talent and knowledge. It will be a shiny bolt spreading everywhere on Earth, like an irresistible magnetic fluid, pushing the most refractory ones to the search for the infinite; to the study of this admirable science that teaches us such sublime maxims. They will all group around you, and abstraction made to the title of geniuses that they were given before, they will make themselves small and humble to learn and be convinced. Then, later on when well instructed and convinced will utilize their authority and notoriety of their names to impel it even further still, thus reaching the final objective of everyone: the regeneration of mankind through a reasoned and investigated knowledge of past and future existences. That is my sincere opinion about the current state of Spiritism.”
Jean Reynaud
Bordeaux, medium Mrs. C…
I attend your call with pleasure, ma’am. Yes, you are right, the Spiritist perturbation, as to say, did not exist to me (responding to the medium’s thoughts). Voluntarily exiled on your Earth where I had to sow the first serious seed of the great truths that surround you at this time I was always aware of the homeland and soon recognized myself amongst my brothers.
Q – I thank you for your kindness in having come but I did not believe that my desire to speak with you would have any influence upon you. There must necessarily be such a difference between us that I only think about it with respect.
A – Thank you my child for your thought. However you must know as well that whatever the distance more or less realized or more or less existent or that could more or less fortunately exist between us there is always a powerful link that unites us: sympathy and that was the link that you embraced through your constant thoughts.
Q – Given that many Spirits have explained their initial sensations at their wakening, could you kindly tell me what you did experiment when recognizing yourself and how did the separation took place between the Spirit and the body?
A – Same as with everyone else. I felt the time of separation approaching, happier than many though, as it did not cause me anxiety because I knew the result of that, although greater than I thought. The body is a hurdle to the spiritual faculties and whatever the enlightenment that had been preserved, they are always more or less muffled by the contact with matter. I fell asleep expecting a happy awakening. The sleep was short, the admiration immense! The celestial splendors unfolded before my eyes, shinning at full power. My stunned eyes plunged into the greatness of those worlds whose existence and habitability I had affirmed. It was a mirage that revealed and confirmed the truth of my feelings. When we speak, however secure we may feel, there are frequently moments of doubt, of uncertainty at the bottom of our hearts; there is then mistrust if not about the truth that we may claim but at least of the imperfect means utilized to demonstrate them. Convinced of the truth that I wanted people to admit I often had to fight against myself, against the frustration of seeing, touching in a way, the truth and not being able to make it tangible to those who needed to believe it so much to provide them with the guidelines on the path to be traveled.
Q – Did you profess Spiritism when alive? – A. There is a big difference between professing and practicing. Many profess a doctrine that they don’t practice. I did practice and did not profess. Like every person that follows the laws of Christ is Christian, even when not knowing those laws, every person may also be a Spiritist if he believes in his immortal soul, in their previous lives, in their incessantly progressive march, in their earthly trials, necessary ablution to their purification. I did believe; I was then Spiritist. I understood erratically, this intermediary link between incarnations, this purgatory where the guilty Spirit strips off from the dirty clothes to take on new ones, where the progressing Spirit carefully weaves the dress that will be worn again and that they want to keep pure. I told you that I understood and without professing it I continued to practice.
OBSERVATION: These three communications were obtained by three mediums that were did not know one another. . We don’t have material proofs of the identity of the Spirit that manifested but by the similarity of the thoughts and the style of the language one can at least admit the presumption of identity. The expression “carefully weaves the dress that will be worn again” is a charming figure that paints the solicitude with which the Spirit in progress prepares the new life that must make him advance even further. The inferior Spirits take less precaution and sometimes make unfortunate choices that will force them to restart.
“My friends, how magnificent is this new life! Like a shiny torrent it drags in its huge course the merry souls of infinity! After the rupture of the corporeal links my eyes glanced at the new horizons that surround me and I enjoy the splendid wonders of the infinite. I passed from the shadows of matter to the brilliant lightthat announces the Almighty. I am saved but not for the merit of my works but for the knowledge of the eternal principle that made me avoid the dirt impressed by ignorance onto humanity. My death was a blessing; the biographers judged it premature. How blind! They will be sorry for some writings that were born from the dust and will not understand how much the little noise made around my tomb is useful to the cause of Spiritism. My work was finished; my predecessors followed the path; I had reached the summit of of someone that had done his uttermost and where there is only a new beginning. My death draws the attention of the educated ones and they analyze my fundamental work that is related to the great Spiritist question that they pretend to ignore and that will soon entangle them. Praise the Lord! I will be one of the front runners of the motorcade that delineate your route, helped by the superior Spirits that protect your doctrine.”
In a private family meeting – medium Mr. Charles V…
The Spirit responds to this refection: Your unexpected death, at such an early age, surprised many people.
“Who told you that my death was not be a benefit to Spiritism, to its future and to its consequences? Have you noticed, my friend, the march that progress follows, the route of the Spiritist faith? From starters God gave material proofs: the dance of the tables, the vibrating raps and all kinds of phenomena. That was to draw attention. It was an entertaining preface. Men need material proofs to believe. Now things are very different! After the material facts, God speaks to the intelligence, common sense and cold reason. It is no longer a manifestation of strength but rational things that must convince and unite even the biggest [need to check non or in…I think it may be non] unbelievers. It is just the beginning. Notice well what I tell you: a whole series of intelligent, irrefutable facts will follow and the number of followers of the Spiritist faith that is already large will grow even more. God will take care of the bright minds, of the renowned Spirits, of talent and knowledge. It will be a shiny bolt spreading everywhere on Earth, like an irresistible magnetic fluid, pushing the most refractory ones to the search for the infinite; to the study of this admirable science that teaches us such sublime maxims. They will all group around you, and abstraction made to the title of geniuses that they were given before, they will make themselves small and humble to learn and be convinced. Then, later on when well instructed and convinced will utilize their authority and notoriety of their names to impel it even further still, thus reaching the final objective of everyone: the regeneration of mankind through a reasoned and investigated knowledge of past and future existences. That is my sincere opinion about the current state of Spiritism.”
Jean Reynaud
Bordeaux, medium Mrs. C…
I attend your call with pleasure, ma’am. Yes, you are right, the Spiritist perturbation, as to say, did not exist to me (responding to the medium’s thoughts). Voluntarily exiled on your Earth where I had to sow the first serious seed of the great truths that surround you at this time I was always aware of the homeland and soon recognized myself amongst my brothers.
Q – I thank you for your kindness in having come but I did not believe that my desire to speak with you would have any influence upon you. There must necessarily be such a difference between us that I only think about it with respect.
A – Thank you my child for your thought. However you must know as well that whatever the distance more or less realized or more or less existent or that could more or less fortunately exist between us there is always a powerful link that unites us: sympathy and that was the link that you embraced through your constant thoughts.
Q – Given that many Spirits have explained their initial sensations at their wakening, could you kindly tell me what you did experiment when recognizing yourself and how did the separation took place between the Spirit and the body?
A – Same as with everyone else. I felt the time of separation approaching, happier than many though, as it did not cause me anxiety because I knew the result of that, although greater than I thought. The body is a hurdle to the spiritual faculties and whatever the enlightenment that had been preserved, they are always more or less muffled by the contact with matter. I fell asleep expecting a happy awakening. The sleep was short, the admiration immense! The celestial splendors unfolded before my eyes, shinning at full power. My stunned eyes plunged into the greatness of those worlds whose existence and habitability I had affirmed. It was a mirage that revealed and confirmed the truth of my feelings. When we speak, however secure we may feel, there are frequently moments of doubt, of uncertainty at the bottom of our hearts; there is then mistrust if not about the truth that we may claim but at least of the imperfect means utilized to demonstrate them. Convinced of the truth that I wanted people to admit I often had to fight against myself, against the frustration of seeing, touching in a way, the truth and not being able to make it tangible to those who needed to believe it so much to provide them with the guidelines on the path to be traveled.
Q – Did you profess Spiritism when alive? – A. There is a big difference between professing and practicing. Many profess a doctrine that they don’t practice. I did practice and did not profess. Like every person that follows the laws of Christ is Christian, even when not knowing those laws, every person may also be a Spiritist if he believes in his immortal soul, in their previous lives, in their incessantly progressive march, in their earthly trials, necessary ablution to their purification. I did believe; I was then Spiritist. I understood erratically, this intermediary link between incarnations, this purgatory where the guilty Spirit strips off from the dirty clothes to take on new ones, where the progressing Spirit carefully weaves the dress that will be worn again and that they want to keep pure. I told you that I understood and without professing it I continued to practice.
OBSERVATION: These three communications were obtained by three mediums that were did not know one another. . We don’t have material proofs of the identity of the Spirit that manifested but by the similarity of the thoughts and the style of the language one can at least admit the presumption of identity. The expression “carefully weaves the dress that will be worn again” is a charming figure that paints the solicitude with which the Spirit in progress prepares the new life that must make him advance even further. The inferior Spirits take less precaution and sometimes make unfortunate choices that will force them to restart.
Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies, March 13th 1863 – medium Mrs. Costel
“My child, I come to give a teaching to the Spiritist doctors. Here Astronomy and Philosophy have eloquent interpreters and moral counts on as many writers as mediums. Why would medicine on its practical and physiological side be neglected? I was the creator of a medical renovation that today penetrates the ranks of the sectary of the old medicine. United against homeopathy they hopelessly created barriers and uselessly screamed: - You are not going far!
The triumphant young medicine transposed every obstacle and Spiritism will be its powerful supporter. Thanks to Spiritism that medicine will abandon the materialistic tradition that has delayed its development for so long. The medical study is entirely connected to the research of spiritualist causes and effects; it dissects the bodies and must also analyze the soul. Allow then an old doctor to justify the aims and the means of the doctrine that he promoted and that he sees strangely disfigured down here by the practitioners and above by ignorant Spirits that usurps its name. I wish my spoken word has the power of correcting the abuse that change homeopathy thus impeding it of becoming as useful as it should be. If you spoke in a practical center where my advices could be heard with utility I would stand against the negligence of my earthly colleagues that ignore the fundamental laws of the Organum, exaggerating the doses and above all not giving the trituration that is so important to the medication the necessary care that I indicated. Many forget that a hundred, and sometimes two hundred blows are absolutely necessary to the detachment of the medical principle appropriated to each of the plants of poisons that form our healing arsenal. No medication is indifferent and none is inoffensive. When the badly executed diagnostic produces an irrelevant result it develops the germ of the disease that it should combat.
I get carried away though and here I am teaching a course of homeopathy to an audience that cannot be interested in the subject. However I don’t believe it is useless to initiate the Spiritist in the fundamental principles of the science in order to prevent them against eventual deceptions be it from the part of man or from the part of the Spirits.
Samuel Hahnemann
OBSERVATION: This dissertation was motivated by the presence of a foreign homeopathic doctor at the session and who wished Hahnemann’s opinion about the current state of that science. We must add that it was obtained by a young lady that did not study medicine and to whom many special terms are strange.
“My child, I come to give a teaching to the Spiritist doctors. Here Astronomy and Philosophy have eloquent interpreters and moral counts on as many writers as mediums. Why would medicine on its practical and physiological side be neglected? I was the creator of a medical renovation that today penetrates the ranks of the sectary of the old medicine. United against homeopathy they hopelessly created barriers and uselessly screamed: - You are not going far!
The triumphant young medicine transposed every obstacle and Spiritism will be its powerful supporter. Thanks to Spiritism that medicine will abandon the materialistic tradition that has delayed its development for so long. The medical study is entirely connected to the research of spiritualist causes and effects; it dissects the bodies and must also analyze the soul. Allow then an old doctor to justify the aims and the means of the doctrine that he promoted and that he sees strangely disfigured down here by the practitioners and above by ignorant Spirits that usurps its name. I wish my spoken word has the power of correcting the abuse that change homeopathy thus impeding it of becoming as useful as it should be. If you spoke in a practical center where my advices could be heard with utility I would stand against the negligence of my earthly colleagues that ignore the fundamental laws of the Organum, exaggerating the doses and above all not giving the trituration that is so important to the medication the necessary care that I indicated. Many forget that a hundred, and sometimes two hundred blows are absolutely necessary to the detachment of the medical principle appropriated to each of the plants of poisons that form our healing arsenal. No medication is indifferent and none is inoffensive. When the badly executed diagnostic produces an irrelevant result it develops the germ of the disease that it should combat.
I get carried away though and here I am teaching a course of homeopathy to an audience that cannot be interested in the subject. However I don’t believe it is useless to initiate the Spiritist in the fundamental principles of the science in order to prevent them against eventual deceptions be it from the part of man or from the part of the Spirits.
Samuel Hahnemann
OBSERVATION: This dissertation was motivated by the presence of a foreign homeopathic doctor at the session and who wished Hahnemann’s opinion about the current state of that science. We must add that it was obtained by a young lady that did not study medicine and to whom many special terms are strange.