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CHAPTER XXIII.

OBSESSION.

Simple obsession - Fascination – Subjugation - Causes of obsession - Means of combating obsession.

237. Among the difficulties incident to practical spiritism, we must place in the first rank, obsession, that is to say, the empire exercised by certain spirits over certain men. Obsession is always the work of inferior spirits, ambitious of keeping human beings under their power; superior spirits desire no such tyrannical influence, but content themselves with giving good advice and combating the evil influence of lower spirits; if we fail to give heed to them, they retire. Bad spirits, on the contrary, attach themselves obstinately to the human being over whom they obtain a hold; identifying themselves with his spirit, and leading him as you lead a child.

Obsession presents various characters which it is very important to distinguish, as they result both from the degree of restraint exercised by the obsessor, and from the nature of the effects produced by his action.

The word obsession is a generic term, designating a phenomenon, of which the principal varieties are: Simple Obsession, Fascination, and Subjugation.

238. Simple obsession exists when a maleficent spirit imposes himself on a medium, mixing himself up, against the medium's will, with all the communications received by the latter, or preventing him from communicating with other spirits, by substituting himself for those who are evoked.

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A medium is not necessarily obsessed because deceived by a lying spirit; the best medium is exposed to such deception, especially in the beginning of his development, while still deficient in experience; just as, among ourselves, the most honest men, and especially when they first enter into business, are liable to be taken in by a rogue. A medium may be deceived without being obsessed; obsession consists in the tenacity of the hold that has been taken by the spirit, rendering it difficult or impossible to get rid of him.

In simple obsession, the medium is aware that he has to do with a deceptive spirit, a fact which the obsessor rarely tries to conceal; for he usually does not attempt to hide either his evil intentions, or his determination to be troublesome. The medium, in such a case, easily recognises the deceit, keeps on his guard, and is rarely taken in.

This sort of obsession is merely disagreeable, and has no other inconvenience than that of placing an obstacle in the way of the communication which it is wished to maintain with spirits of higher degree, or with those who are united to us by affection. In this category may be placed all cases of physical obsession, such as the obtrusive and obstinate manifestations of spirits who spontaneously annoy people with the sound of blows and other noises phenomena of which we have already treated in our chapter on Spontaneous Physical Manifestations (82).

239. Fascination is a much more serious evil. It is an illusion which is produced by the direct action of a spirit on the medium's thought, and which paralyses his judgement with regard to the communication he receives. The fascinated medium cannot believe himself to be deceived. The obsessing spirit artfully inspires him with a blind confidence, which prevents him from seeing the absurdity of what he writes, even when this is clear to everyone else; a delusion which may go so far as to make him regard with admiration the most ridiculous nonsense. It would be a serious error to suppose that this species of obsession is confined to mediums who are merely ignorant and wanting

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in judgement; intellectual and learned men, who are highly intelligent in other respects, are not exempt from it, which proves that this aberration is the effect of some exterior action to which they are exposed.

We have said that fascination is much more serious than simple obsession, because, through the illusion caused by it, the obsessing spirit leads his victim as though he were blind, making him accept the most ridiculous statements and theories as truth, and, in some cases, exciting him to actions of the most insensate, compromising, and even dangerous character.

The difference between simple obsession and fascination is easily understood, as is also the different quality of the spirits by whom they are produced. In obsession, the spirit who attaches himself to us is only importunate and annoying from his tenacity; he is a being we are impatient to be rid of. In fascination, it is quite otherwise, for, in order to compass his ends, the evil spirit must be adroit, cunning, and hypocritical, imposing upon his victim, and getting himself accepted, with the aid of a false semblance of virtue, and a lavish employment of words and phrases, such as "charity," "humility," "the love of God," etc., which men are apt to regard as credentials, though the tenor of his communications show a degree of inferiority which only the fascination he exercises over his medium can prevent the latter from perceiving. A spirit of this class, therefore, dreads the presence of clear-sighted judges who would see through his deceptions, and directs his efforts especially to inspiring his victim with the determination to avoid every one who could undeceive him. By so doing, he avoids contradiction, and is always able to prove himself, in the eyes of his unfortunate medium, to be in the right.

240. The third degree of obsession, viz., subjugation, is a constraint which paralyses the will of its victim, and makes him act in spite of himself, reducing him to a state of absolute bondage.

Subjugation may be moral or corporeal. In the first case,

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the subjugated medium is often drawn on to do things which are foolish or reprehensible, but which he is deluded into regarding as wise and proper; it is a species of fascination, but one which is exercised on the will as well as on the mind. In the second case, the spirit acts on the material organs of his victim, provoking involuntary movements or acts; as is shown in the case of writing mediums, by an incessant desire to write, even at the most inopportune moments. We have seen a medium, thus enslaved, who, for want of a pen or a pencil, made movements with his finger, as though writing, wherever he happened to be, even in the streets, upon the doors and walls.

Corporeal subjugation sometimes goes still further, and forces its victims to do the most extravagant things. We knew a man, neither young nor handsome, who, under the influence of an obsession of this nature, was constrained, by an irresistible impulse, to throw himself on his knees before a young girl for whom he felt no admiration, and to make her an offer of marriage. At other times, he was forced by a violent pressure on his back and loins, to kneel down, in spite of his strenuous efforts to the contrary, and to kiss the ground, in public places, and in the presence of the crowd. This man passed for mad among his acquaintance; but, most certainly, he was not mad; for he was fully conscious of the absurdity of what he was thus made to do against his will, and suffered horribly in consequence. *

241. In former days, the term possession was employed to express the empire thus exercised over men by evil spirits, when their influence went the length of producing what appeared to be mental aberration. For us, possession would be synonymous with subjugation. If we do not adopt the term possession, it is for two reasons; first, because it implies a belief that there are beings created for evil, and perpetually doomed to evil, whereas there exist, in fact, only beings more or less advanced, all of whom can improve themselves: and, secondly, because the term possession implies

* Vide The Spirits' Book, p. 195 et seq. Possession.

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the idea of a stranger-spirit taking possession of the victim's body, by a sort of cohabitation with the spirit of his victim, while, in fact, the obsessor's action is only one of constraint. The word subjugation expresses our thought perfectly. Therefore, as we hold that no one is possessed, in the common acceptation of the word, there exist for us, among the victims of evil spirits, only the three categories of the obsessed, the fascinated, and the subjugated.

242. Obsession, as we have said, is one of the worst stumbling-blocks of medianimity, as it is also one of the most frequent; we should therefore do our utmost to combat it, for, besides the personal annoyances to which it may lead, it is an absolute bar to the reception of truthful communications. Obsession being always the result of restraint, and restraint being never exercised by a good spirit, it follows that every communication transmitted by an obsessed medium is vitiated in its origin, and is therefore undeserving of confidence.

243. We may recognise the existence of obsession by the following signs: -

1. The persistence of a spirit in communicating, whether he is wanted or not, by writing, by sounds, by typtology, etc., and his persistence in preventing other spirits from manifesting themselves: -

2. The illusion which, notwithstanding the intelligence of the medium, prevents his seeing the falsity or absurdity of the communications which he receives: -

3. Belief in the absolute identity and infallibility of spirits, who, under respected and venerated names, say false and foolish things: -

4. The medium's confidence in the praises heaped on him by the spirits who communicate through him: -

5. A disposition to shun the presence of those who might give him useful advice: -

6. Offence taken at criticism of communications received by him: -

7. An incessant desire to write, etc., without regard to time and place: -

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8. Physical constraint over-ruling the medium's will, and forcing him to speak and to act in spite of himself: -

9. Persistent noises and other disturbances around the medium, of which he is at once the cause and the object.

244. On considering the dangers of obsession, some persons may be inclined to ask, "Is it not a misfortune to be a medium; for is it not this faculty which renders obsession possible? In a word, is not the possibility of obsession a proof that spiritism and medianimity are to be regarded rather as dangers to be shunned than as aids to be desired?" Our answer to this query is as follows; and we beg our readers to weigh carefully what we are about to say.

It is neither by mediums nor by spiritism that spirits have been created; it is spirits who have made both spiritism and mediums. Spirits being only the souls of men, they have necessarily existed as long as men have existed, and they have, consequently, at all periods, exercised a salutary or pernicious influence on the human race. The medianimic faculty of certain human beings is, for spirits, only a means of manifesting themselves; in the absence of this faculty, they exercise their influence all the same, but in other ways, more or less occult. It would therefore be an error to suppose that spirits only influence us through verbal, written, or other manifestations; their influence upon us is perpetual, and those who do not occupy themselves with spirits, or who do not even believe in their existence, are exposed to their influence as all others are, and even more than others, because they possess no counterpoise to their action. Medianimity is, for a spirit, a means of making himself known to men, and as, if he is evil, he is sure to betray himself; however hypocritical he may be, we may safely assert that medianimity, so far from bringing us under the power of our enemy, enables us to meet him face to face, if we may so express ourselves, and to fight him with his own weapons. In the absence of medianimity, our enemy acts against us, in the dark; and,

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under cover of his invisibility, he can do us, and often does, much evil. To how many evil deeds are not men urged, to their sorrow, by evil spirits; deeds which they might have avoided, had they possessed the means of enlightenment as to the nature of the impulsions to which they were yielding! The incredulous know not how truly they speak when they say, of a man who goes obstinately astray: "That man's evil genius is urging him to his ruin." A knowledge of spiritism, then, so far from giving power to bad spirits, must eventually destroy their influence over men, by giving to every one the means of guarding himself against their suggestions; so that he who falls under their yoke will do so with his eyes open, and will have only himself to blame for his folly.

We may set it down as a general rule that whoever has evil spirit communications or manifestations, of any kind, is under an evil influence; and this influence would affect him whether he were a medium or not, and whether he believed in spiritism or whether he did not. Medianimity gives a man the means of assuring himself in regard to the nature of the spirits who act upon him, and of opposing them if they are evil; and he does this the more successfully, in proportion as he understands the motives from which spirits act.

To sum up: The danger is not in spiritism, since spiritism enables us, on the contrary, to guard ourselves against a danger to which, without it, we are incessantly exposed, while unaware of its existence. The real danger consists in the propensity of many mediums to believe themselves to be the sole instruments of superior spirits, and in the fascination which blinds them to the absurdity of the statements made through them. But those who are not mediums may incur the same danger, as is shown in the following illustration - A man has, without knowing it, a secret enemy, who spreads abroad the vilest calumnies against him. He finds his affairs going wrong, his friends forsaking him, and his domestic happiness destroyed; for, being unable to discover the hand which stabs him, he

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cannot defend himself; and succumbs to his unseen foe. But the latter at length writes him a letter in which, despite his cunning, he betrays his identity and his machinations; and, as he is now discovered, his victim is enabled to confound him, and regains his former position. Such is the part played by evil spirits, and such is the aid which is given to us by spiritism in discovering and defeating their attacks.

245. The motives of obsession vary according to the character of the obsessing spirit. It is sometimes a vengeance exercised on some one by whom he may have been wronged during his last earthly life, or in some previous existence; but it is frequently prompted by the mere desire of doing harm. Some spirits, having suffered, like to make others suffer, and take pleasure in tormenting them; others, again, are amused by the impatience they excite, but usually become tired of plaguing those who bear their teasings patiently. There are spirits who persecute men through sheer hatred and jealousy of what is good; for which reason they often select the best people for their attacks. One of these attached himself like a limpet to an excellent family of our acquaintance, whom he had not, however, the satisfaction of deceiving; when questioned as to his motives for attacking worthy people rather than bad ones, like himself; he answered: "Bad people do not make me envious." Other bad spirits are moved by a cowardly desire to take advantage of the moral weakness of persons whom they know to be incapable of resisting them. A spirit of this class, who had subjugated a young man of very limited intelligence, when questioned by us as to his motive for making choice of such a victim, replied: "I have an itching to torment some one; a reasonable person would drive me away; I stick to this idiot because he has not the active virtue that would enable him to withstand me."

246. There are obsessing spirits who are not malicious, but they are usually puffed up with the pride of superficial knowledge. They have their own ideas, their scientific and social theories, their moral and religious philosophies;

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and, being desirous to inculcate their opinions, they seek out mediums who are sufficiently credulous to accept them blindfold, and whom they fascinate in order to prevent their discriminating between error and truth. These are the most dangerous of all obsessors, because sophistry is easily employed, and, with its aid, the most ridiculous fancies are made to appear worthy of credit; while such sophists, aware of the influence exerted by great names, make no scruple of assuming or borrowing the very highest that may suit their purpose. They seek to impose on those who listen to them by the employment of pompous and pretentious language, bristling with technical terms, or set off with "charity," "morality," etc.; they are careful to give no evil counsels, because to do so would be to betray themselves, and to defeat their object; instead of which they take care that those over whom they hold sway may always be able to uphold them by saying: "You see that they never inculcate anything evil."

Nevertheless, morality with such spirits is only a passport; in reality they care nothing about it, their sole aim being to dominate and to impose their ideas, however extravagant, on all whom they can induce to listen to them.

247. Theorising spirits are generally wordy and prolix, and strive to make up for deficient quality by superabundant quantity. Nothing pleases them more than to make their mediums write voluminous books, as crude and hollow as pretentious, but which, happily, do but little mischief; being usually unreadable. Writings such as those now alluded to are, however, to be regretted, for the extravagances and eccentricities with which they usually abound not only shock common sense, but are calculated to do harm both by giving to inquirers a false idea of spiritism, and also by furnishing opponents with a handle for turning it into ridicule.

248. As previously remarked, it often happens that a medium can only communicate with one spirit, who attaches himself to him, and answers for the other spirits evoked by those who make use of him as such. This

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is not always an obsession; for it may arise from a defect in the flexibility of the medium, or a special affinity between him and the spirit who thus attaches himself to him. There is no obsession, strictly speaking, excepting when a spirit imposes himself on a medium and drives other spirits away by an act of his will, which a good spirit never does.

249. The method of combating obsession varies according to the character it assumes. There is no real danger for any medium who is fully aware that he has to do with a deceptive spirit, as is the case in simple obsession; it is merely a very disagreeable thing for him. But it is precisely because it is disagreeable to him that the obsessor is obstinately bent on maintaining his hold upon him. There are two plans that may be followed in such a case first, to prove to the spirit that he will not be allowed to gain the mastery; and, secondly, to tire him out by showing a patience greater than his persistence. If the obsessor sees that he is losing his time, he will usually end by abandoning his attempts.

But this is not always sufficient, and the annoyance may have to be borne for a long time; for some spirits are terribly tenacious, and, to such, months and years are of little consequence. The medium who finds himself obsessed, should make frequent and fervent appeals for assistance to his guardian-angel, and to all good spirits who are in sympathy with him; and the obsessing spirit must be diverted from his purpose by remonstrance, good counsels, benevolence, and prayer. If really perverse, he will, at first, mock at these efforts; but, by persistent action of this character, he will at length be brought to yield and to amend. Obsession therefore affords an opportunity for missionary work; work that is often painful, fatiguing, and even repulsive, but that is all the more meritorious on that account, and that is also eventually productive of the liveliest satisfaction, as the accomplishment of a work of charity, the bringing back of a perverted brother into the path of purification and of progress.

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It is well to suspend the exercise of medianimity when we perceive that we are being acted upon by an evil or unreasonable spirit, and thus to show him that he is not to have the pleasure of absorbing our attention uselessly. The writing medium is able to break off connexion with a troublesome spirit by merely abstaining from writing; but the auditive medium is not so fortunate, for, in his case, the obsessing spirit sometimes pursues him incessantly, and even assails him with vile and disgusting utterances against which the unhappy victim of this species of obsession has no means of stopping his ears. It is greatly to be regretted that any human beings should find amusement in the ribald jests of spirits of this description, and should even laugh at their folly and urge them on, instead of imposing silence on them, and endeavouring to bring them to a better mind. But counsel is of little use to those who are bent on drowning themselves.

250. There is, then, in simple obsession, much that is disagreeable, but no danger, for any medium who does not abdicate the use of his reason and common sense, because such a one will not allow himself to be deceived or misled. But when mediums are fascinated, it is altogether different; for, in that case, the authority usurped by the obsessing spirit over his victim has no limits. The only thing to be done for the fascinated medium is to try to convince him that he is deceived, and to bring him back to a state of simple obsession; but this is never an easy matter, and is sometimes impossible. The ascendancy of the obsessing spirit may be so complete as to render the fascinated medium deaf to every argument, and even to persuade him, when he ventures on some assertion contradicted by positive science, that science is in the wrong. As we have already pointed out, the fascinated medium generally receives advice with a very ill grace; he is irritated by criticism, and takes a dislike to those who do not share his infatuation. To doubt the superiority of his beloved spirit is a sort of sacrilege in his eyes; and that is just the state of mind which the obsessor desires to maintain on the part of his

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victim. A spirit of this nature exercised, over a medium of our acquaintance, an extraordinary fascination. We evoked the obsessing spirit, and, after some shuffling, seeing that he could not deceive us as to his identity, he confessed that he was not the spirit whose name he had assumed. To our questions as to why he thus deceived the medium, he replied in these words, which show clearly the character of this class of spirits "I sought someone whom I could lead by the nose; I have found him; and I shall stay with him." "But if we help him to see clearly, he will drive you away." "We shall see!" was the defiant reply. As "none is so blind as he who will not see," the best plan, when we find it impossible to open the eyes of a fascinated medium, is to leave him to his illusions. The sick man cannot be made whole as long as he hugs his disease, and refuses to follow the wise advice that would cure him.

251. Corporeal subjugation often deprives its victim of the energy necessary for getting the better of his obsession; in such a case, therefore, the intervention of a third person is absolutely necessary, and may be exercised by mesmerism or by the mere force of will. When the co-operation of the person obsessed cannot be had, the magnetiser must endeavour to obtain an ascendancy over the obsessing spirit; but, as this ascendancy can only be a moral one, it can only be gained by a person who is morally superior to the obsessor, his power over whom will be in proportion to the degree of his superiority. It was the moral elevation of Jesus that gave Him boundless power over what, in His day, were called "devils," that is to say, evil and obsessing spirits.

We can only, in regard to this matter, give general counsels; for no physical action is of any use. There is no exorcism, no sacramental formula, that can drive away obsessing spirits. The party obsessed is sometimes wanting in fluidic force; and in such a case, the action of a good mesmeriser may prove a useful aid. It is always well, in regard to the cure of obsession, to take counsel of a superior

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spirit, or of the guardian-angel of the person obsessed, through a good medium.

252. The moral imperfections of the obsessed are often an obstacle to their deliverance; as is seen in the following remarkable example, which we here bring forward as being of general application: -

Several sisters had been subject, for many years, to depredations of a very unpleasant nature. Their clothes were constantly scattered about in every corner of the house, and sometimes even upon the roof; they were cut, and torn, and holes were made in them, no matter how carefully they had been locked up. These ladies, living in a little provincial town, had never heard of spiritism, and their first idea was, naturally enough, that they were the victims of some malicious practical joke; but the persistency of the annoyance, notwithstanding the precautions they adopted in the hope of putting a stop to it, soon showed them that this could not be the case. It was not until the annoyance had gone on for some years, that, having heard of spiritism and spirits, they addressed us on the subject, in the hope of learning the cause of the damage thus caused to them and the means of preventing its recurrence, if possible. There could be, to our mind, no doubt about the cause of the annoyance; but to suggest a remedy was a more difficult matter. The spirit who manifested his presence by such acts was evidently animated by a sentiment of hostility; and, in fact, such was found to be the case when we evoked him. He showed himself; moreover, to be exceedingly perverse, and inaccessible alike to persuasion, and counsel. Prayer, however, appeared to exercise a salutary influence over him; but, after a short respite, the depredations complained of began again. We subjoin the communication of a superior spirit consulted by us in regard to these persecutions: -

"The ladies thus tormented must entreat their protecting spirits not to abandon them; but they must also examine their consciences, and ask themselves whether they have always practised neighbourly charity; I do not mean the

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charity which gives alms, but the charity of the tongue. Unfortunately for them, they have not yet learned to restrain that member, and therefore do not deserve the deliverance which they desire from the spirit who torments them; for they are much too fond of slandering their neighbours. The spirit who obsesses them does so out of revenge; for, while living, he was their drudge, and suffered much through their hardness and their exactions. They have only to consult their memory to see who it is that they have to do with.

"Nevertheless, if they set themselves resolutely to amend what is amiss in their daily life, their guardian-angels will come back to them, and their presence will suffice to drive away the revengeful spirit whose power is principally in connexion with one of them; her guardian-angel having been forced to leave her by her indulgence in reprehensible acts and thoughts. Let these ladies pray fervently for all who suffer; let them practise the virtues required, by God, from every one according to his condition, and they will be delivered from the obsession that has so long tormented them."

On our remarking that these strictures appeared to it to be rather severe, and that it might, perhaps, be well to soften them before transmitting them to the ladies, the spirit added: -

"It was my duty to say what I have said, and in the way in which I have said it; because the persons in question do not perceive that they make an evil use of their tongues, although they do so habitually, and to a deplorable degree. It is therefore necessary to give them a warning that may strike home to them." *

* When this message was given, neither Allan Kardec nor the medium by whom it was written had any knowledge whatever of the ladies to whom it referred, and who lived in a remote country town; but subsequent inquiries showed that its allegations were true, and that its severity was fully deserved.

Happily for the parties to whom it was addressed, the lesson it conveyed proved effectual; they re-

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From the foregoing, we learn a very important lesson, viz., that our moral imperfections bring us under the power of obsessing spirits, and that the surest method of getting rid of these is to attract good spirits to us by the practice of virtue. Good spirits are more powerful than bad ones, and their will suffices to keep off the latter; but they only assist those who second the action of their will by the efforts they themselves make for their own amendment; when no such efforts are made, good spirits retire, and their withdrawal leaves the field free to the evil ones, who thus become, in certain cases, instruments of punishment; the higher spirits allowing the lower ones to act, for the accomplishment of this end.

253. We must not, however, attribute to direct spirit-action all the disagreeable things that may happen to us; for our annoyances are often the consequence of our carelessness and improvidence. A farmer once got somebody to write to us, for him, stating that he had been subject, for twelve years, to every sort of mishap with the animals on his farm. All his cows died, or their milk dried up; and all kinds of accidents befell his horses, sheep, and pigs. He had made many efforts to put a stop to these troubles by prayers and devotions continued, according to Catholic usage in such cases, for nine days at a time; but these had had no effect, nor had his affairs been improved by the numerous masses he had paid for, and all the exorcisms he had had performed, by the village priest, in the hope of putting an end to his misfortunes. According to peasant notions, he was persuaded that his animals had been bewitched; and as he probably supposed us to possess a conjuring power greater than that of the village priest, he begged for our advice. Here is the answer we obtained for him from the spirit whom we consulted in regard to the matter.

nounced the uncharitable habits which had brought them under the power of their obsessor, and were consequently freed from his obsession. - TR.

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"The sickness and mortality among the animals belonging to this farmer are due to the fact that his stables, pens, and out-houses are in a foul and unhealthy state, and that he neglects, year after year, to get them cleaned and made wholesome, because that would cost money."

254. We will conclude this chapter by appending, in confirmation of the foregoing statements, the answers given us by spirits to various questions bearing upon the subject we have been considering.

1. How is it that same mediums are unable to rid themselves of troublesome spirits, and how is it that the good spirits whom they call to their aid are not strong enough to drive away the others, and to communicate directly with the medium?

"There is no lack of power on the part of good spirits; in all such cases, the want of power is on one part of the medium, who is not strong enough to second their action. Each medium, in virtue of his particular temperament, enters most easily into certain relationships, because his fluid identifies itself with that of one spirit more easily than with that of another. It is this which gives so great a power to the spirits who make a bad use of a medium's fluid."

2. But there are many excellent persons, of irreproachable morality, who are prevented from communicating with good spirits, notwithstanding their excellence.

"In such cases, the action of evil spirits, if not an expiation, is permitted as a trial. Can you be sure that there is not still some latent impurity in the secret heart of those persons? That pride does not lurk under their seeming excellence? Such testings are intended, by showing to the obsessed his weak side, to help him to the acquisition of humility.

"Can anyone on earth call himself perfect? And are there not always, under the most virtuous exteriors, some hidden faults, some old leaven of imperfection? For example, you say of one who does nothing wrong, who is upright in his social dealings, that he is an honourable and worthy man; but do you know whether the worth of those

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good qualities is not diminished by secret pride, whether there may not still be some remains of selfishness in him, whether he may not be covetous, jealous, bitter, caluminous, or defective in other ways that you do not perceive, because your intercourse with him has not shown you all the innermost recesses of nature? The surest way of combating the influence of evil spirits is to emulate, as far as possible, the nature of good ones."

3. When obsession prevents a medium from obtaining the communication which he desires, is it always a sign of unworthiness on his part?

"I do not say that it is necessarily a sign of unworthiness, but that it shows the existence of some obstacle, moral or other, to those communications. The medium should therefore try to get rid of that obstacle, which is always in himself; otherwise, his desires and entreaties will be of no avail. It is not enough for a sick man to say to his physician, "Give me health, I would fain be well!" The physician can do nothing for him unless he, on his part, consents to follow the necessary treatment."

4. The privation of communication with certain spirits may, then, be a species of punishment?

"In some cases it is a very real punishment, as the possibility of obtaining such communication is a reward that you should strive to deserve." (See 220, Loss and suspension of medianimity; also The Spirits' Book, p. 195 et seq. Possession.)

5. May we not also combat the influence of evil spirits by moralising them?

"Yes; people too often fail to attempt this, but it is exactly what they ought to do; for it is frequently a duty laid upon you, and one that should be kindly and religiously accomplished by you. Your influence may bring them to repentance, and thus hasten their advancement."

- How can a man possess in such cases more influence than is possessed by good spirits?

"Perverse spirits are nearer to the human beings, to whom they come with the desire to torment them, than to

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the superior spirits, whom they do their utmost to avoid. When, in their approach to the former, they meet with those whose influence is calculated to make them better, they at first refuse to listen to them, and only laugh at their remonstrances; but if the human being persists judiciously in his effort to act upon them, they usually end by following his counsels. Elevated spirits are too far above them; they dazzle and terrify them by their splendour. Assuredly men have not more power than the higher spirits, but the influence of men is more consonant with their nature; and superior spirits, on seeing the ascendancy that a man may exercise over inferior spirits, recognise still more clearly the solidarity which exists between heaven and earth.

"A man's ascendancy over spirits is always in proportion to his moral superiority. He can have no mastery over superior spirits, nor over those who, without having arrived at that grade, are good and kind but he can master all spirits who are inferior to himself in moral advancement" (279).

6. Could corporeal subjugation be carried to the extent of producing madness?

"Yes; a species of madness of which the cause is unknown to the world in general, but which has no connexion with ordinary madness. Among those who are treated as mad there are many who are only subjugated, and whose treatment ought to be exclusively moral; but such patients are often made really mad by the physical treatment to which they are subjected. When your doctors understand spiritism, they will be able to distinguish between these two classes of madness; and they will then cure many more patients than they now do" (221).

7. What is to be thought of those who, fancying they see danger in spiritism, believe they can prevent it by interdicting spirit-communications?

"It might be possible to prevent individuals from seeking to hold communication with spirits, but it would not be possible to prevent spontaneous spirit manifestations from occurring to these very persons; for spirits can neither be

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suppressed, nor prevented from exercising their occult power. Those who should attempt such a repression would be like children who put their fingers into their eyes, and suppose that no one can see them. It would be folly to try to suppress what brings with it such great advantages, merely because unwise people may make a bad use of it; the best way to prevent the inconveniences that may result from spiritism, among those who do not understand it, is, on the contrary, to let it be universally known and understood."