O Livro dos Médiuns — Part II, ch. V — Spontaneous physical manifestations

82The phenomena of which we have spoken are induced, but it sometimes happens that they take place spontaneously, without participation of the will; far from it, since they often become very importunate. The thought that they may be an effect of the imagination, over-excited by spirit ideas, is utterly excluded by the fact that they are produced among persons who never heard of spirit ideas, and at a moment they least expect them. These phenomena, which may be called practical natural Spiritism, are very important; for they cannot be suspected of connivance; this is why we ask persons who are engaged in spirit phenomena to gather all the facts of this nature which come to their knowledge, but, above all, to verify with care their reality, by a minute study of the circumstances, that they may be assured that they are not the sport of illusion or mystification.

83Of all the spirit manifestations, the simplest and most frequent are sounds and rappings; here, especially, we must fear an illusion, for a crowd of natural causes might produce them — the wind whistling or moving an object, a body we ourselves move without perceiving it, an acoustic effect, a hidden animal, an insect, &c.; nay, even the pranks of evil jesters. Spirit noises have always a peculiar character, an intensity of sound and very varied tone, which render them easily recognizable, and do not allow them to be confounded with the cracking of the wood, the snapping of the fire, or the monotonous tic-tac of the pendulum: they are dry blows, sometimes hollow, feeble, and light, sometimes clear, distinct, and noisy, which change from place to place, and are repeated with mechanical regularity. Of all the means for making sure, the most efficacious, that which leaves no doubt of their origin, is their obedience to the will. If the blows come from a designated place, if they answer to the thought by their number or intensity, an intelligent cause for them cannot be disavowed; but the want of obedience in them is not always a contrary proof.

84Let us admit, now, that, by a minute verification, the certainty is acquired that the noises or other effects are real manifestations; is it rational to be afraid of them? No, assuredly; for in any case there could not be the least danger in them: persons who have been persuaded it is the devil, alone could be affected by them in a grievous manner, — as children are afraid of the loup-garou, man- wolf, or of Croque-mitaine.
It must be admitted that these manifestations acquire, under certain circumstances, a persistence and proportion very disagreeable, creating a very natural desire to be relieved of them. An explanation is unnecessary to this subject.

85We have said that the physical manifestations have for their motive to call our attention to something, and to convince us of the presence of a power superior to man. We have said, also, that the elevated spirits are not engaged in these kinds of manifestations; they employ inferior spirits to produce them, as we employ servants for coarse work, and that with the motive we have indicated. This end once attained, the material manifestation ceases, because it is no longer necessary. One or two examples will make this thing better understood.

86Several years ago, at the beginning of my studies on Spiritism, being one evening engaged in a work on that matter, rappings were heard around me for four consecutive hours; it was the first time that a similar thing had happened to me. I satisfied myself that it was from no accidental cause, but, at the moment, knew nothing more. I had, at this time, occasion frequently to see an excellent writing medium. The next day I questioned the spirit, who communicated by this medium, as to the cause of the rappings. "It is," he answered, "your familiar spirit, who wants to speak to you." "And what does he want to say to me?" "You may ask him yourself, for he is there."
Having then interrogated that spirit, he made himself known under an allegorical name (I have since known, from other spirits, that he belongs to a very elevated order, and has played a very important part in the world); he pointed out errors in my work, indicating to me the lines where they would be found, gave me useful and wise advice, and would come at my call whenever I wished to interrogate him. Since then, in fact, this spirit has never left me. He has given me many proofs of great superiority, and his benevolent and efficacious intervention has been manifested for me in the affairs of material life, especially on those bearing on metaphysics. But from our first conversation, the rappings ceased. What did he desire to effect? To enter into a regular communication with me; for that he must warn me. The warning given, then explained, regular relations established, the rappings became useless: this is why they ceased. The drum is no longer beaten to awaken the soldiers when once they are up.
A fact almost similar happened to one of our friends. For some time his room resounded with various noises, which became very annoying. Occasions being presented of interrogating Ihe spirit of his father, by a writing medium, he ascertained what was wanted, did what he recommended, and after that nothing more was heard. It is to be remarked, that persons who have a regular and easy means of communication with the spirits are much more rarely subject to manifestations of this kind, which may be readily conceived.

87Spontaneous manifestations are not always limited to noises and rappings; they sometimes degenerate into real racket and disturbances; furniture and various objects overthrown, projectiles of all kinds thrown from without, doors and windows opened and shut by invisible hands, tiles broken, — which cannot be placed to the account of illusion. The overthrowing is often very effective, but often there is only the appearance. An uproar is heard, a sound of something falling and breaking with a crash, blocks of wood roll over the floor: running to the spot, everything is found tranquil and in order; then scarcely outside, when the tumult recommences.

88Manifestations of this kind are neither rare nor new; scarcely any local chronicle that does not possess some history of the kind. Fear has, doubtless, exaggerated the facts, which have been made to take proportions ridiculously gigantic, in passing from mouth to mouth; superstition aiding, the houses where they have happened have been reputed as haunted by the devil, and hence all the marvelous or terrible stories of ghosts. On its part, knavery has not let slip so excellent an occasion for working upon credulity, and that often to the profit of its own personal interests. Besides, it may be readily imagined what impression facts of this kind, even reduced to the reality, might have on weak characters, predisposed by education to superstitious ideas. The surest means of remedying the possible inconveniences, since they cannot be prevented, is to make known the truth. The simplest things are terrifying when their cause is unknown. When people shall have become familiarized with spirits, and when those to whom they are manifested no longer believe they have a legion of demons at their heels, they will no longer fear. In the "Revue Spirit e" may be seen stated many authentic facts of this kind, among others, the history of the rapping spirit of Bergzabern, whose evil tricks lasted more than eight years (Nos. of May, June, and July, 1858); that of Dibbelsdorf (August, i860); that of Noyers Street, Paris (August, i860); that of the spirit of Castelrnaudary, under the title of History of an Infernal (February, i860); that of the manufacturer of St. Petersburg (April, i860); and many others.

89Transactions of this nature have often the character of a real persecution. We know six sisters living together, who, for several years, found, every morning, their dresses dispersed, hidden under the roof, torn, and cut in pieces, whatever precautions they might take to put them under lock and key. It has 'often happened that persons in bed, and perfectly awake, have seen their curtains shaken, their coverings and pillows violently torn from them, have been raised up on their mattresses, and sometimes even thrown out of the bed. These doings are more frequent than is believed; but the most of the time, those who are the victims dare not speak of them, for fear of ridicule. To our own knowledge, certain individuals have been subjected to treatment for insanity, in order to cure them of what they supposed to be hallucinations, and thus have been made really crazy. Medicine cannot comprehend these things, because it admits as cause only the material element; from whence often result most fatal mistakes. History, some day, will tell of certain modes of treatment of the nineteenth century, as now it recounts certain processes of the middle ages. We entirely admit that some things are the work of malice or malevolence; but if, after every investigation, it is proved that it is not the work of man, it must be conceded that it is, as some will say, of the devil; we shall say, of spirits; but of what spirits?

90Superior spirits no more amuse themselves with charivaris than grave and serious men do here. We have often made some of them come, that we might inquire into their motive in thus disturbing people. Most of them have had no other than amusement; these are light rather than wicked spirits, who laugh at the fears they occasion, and the useless researches that are made to discover the cause of the tumult. Often they set upon an individual whom they are pleased to vex, and pursue him from dwelling to dwelling; at other times they attach themselves to a locality, with no other motive than caprice. Sometimes, also, it is a vengeance they exercise, as we shall have occasion to show. In some cases their intention is more praiseworthy; they wish to call attention and be put en rapport, either to give some warning useful to the person, or to ask something for themselves. We have often known some of them to ask prayers, others to solicit the accomplishment, in their name, of a vow they had not been able to fulfill, others wishing to repair an evil they had committed while in this life. In general it is wrong to be afraid; their presence may be inopportune, but not dangerous. Of course there is a strong desire to be relieved from it, and usually what is done for that purpose has the directly contrary effect. If they are spirits who are amusing themselves, the more seriously the thing is taken, the more they persist in it, like mischievous children, who torment the more those who they see are impatient, and like to make cowards afraid. If one would be wise enough to laugh at their ill turns, they would grow weary and leave. We know a person who, far from being irritated, excited them, defying them to do such and such a thing, so that, at the end of a few days, they came no more. But, as we have said, there are those whose motive is less frivolous. For this reason it is always useful to know what they want. If they ask something, it is certain their visits will cease as soon as their desire can be satisfied. The best means to be informed in this respect, is to invoke the spirit by the intermediary of a good writing medium; by his answers we shall at once see with whom we have to do, and can act accordingly. If it be an unhappy spirit, charity will urge us to treat him with the respect he deserves; if it be an idle jester, we can act toward him without ceremony; if he is malevolent, we can pray God to make him better. In every case, prayer will always have a good result. But the gravity of the forms of exorcism make them laugh, and they care nothing about them. If we can enter into communication with them, we must distrust the burlesque or terrifying qualities they sometimes assume to play upon a person's credulity.
We shall return to treat this subject more in detail, and to speak of the causes that sometimes render prayer inefficacious, in the chapters on Haunted Places and Obsession.

91These phenomena, though executed by inferior spirits, are often prompted by spirits of -a more elevated order, for the purpose of convincing people of the existence of incorporeal beings of a power superior to man. The report that follows, even the terror it causes, call attention, and end by opening the eyes of the most skeptical. These find it easiest to place these phenomena to the score of imagination — a very convenient explanation, and one that dispenses with the necessity of making others; yet when objects are turned upside down, or thrown at your head, it requires a very complacent imagination to suppose such things are, when they are not. An effect of some kind is seen; this effect has, necessarily, a cause: if a cool and calm observation shows us that this effect is independent of all human will and all material cause, — if, further, it gives us evident signs of intelligence and free will, which is the most characteristic sign, — we are forced to attribute it to an unknown intelligence. What are these mysterious beings? This is what the spiritist studies teach us in the least contestable manner, by the means they give us to communicate with them. These studies teach us, above all, to separate what is real from the false or exaggerated in the phenomena we cannot explain. If an isolated effect be produced, — noise, movement, or apparition even, — the first thought should be that it is owing to an entirely natural cause, which is the most probable: then this cause must be sought for with the utmost care, and the intervention of spirits admitted only in good earnest: this is the way not to be deceived. For instance, he who, without any person being near him, receives a box on the ear, or blows of a stick on his back, as has been known, cannot doubt the presence of an invisible being.
One should guard not only against recitals that may be more or less exaggerated, but against his own impressions, and not attribute everything he cannot understand to an occult origin. An infinity of very simple and very natural causes may produce effects strange at first sight, and it would be truly superstitious to fancy spirits always busy upsetting the furniture, breaking dishes, instigating the thousand and one household vexations, which it is most rational to place to the account of carelessness.

92The explanations given of the movement of inert bodies naturally apply to all the spontaneous effects. The noises, though stronger than the table rappings, have the same cause; objects are thrown or displaced by the same force that raises any object soever. A circumstance comes in here to the support of this theory. It might be asked, Where is the medium in 'this case? The spirits have told us that, in such cases, there is always some one whose power is exercised against his will. Spontaneous manifestations are very rarely produced in isolated places; they almost always take place in inhabited houses, and through the presence of certain persons who exercise an influence without desiring it; these persons are real mediums, who themselves are ignorant of it, and whom, for that reason, we call natural mediums; they are to other mediums what natural somnambulists are to magnetic somnambulists, and quite as curious to observe.

93The voluntary or involuntary intervention of a person endowed with a special aptitude for the production of these phenomena, appears to be necessary in most cases, though there are cases in which the spirit appears to act alone; but then it might be that he could draw the animalized fluid elsewhere, and not from a person present. This explains why spirits, who surround us constantly, do not every moment produce disturbances. It is first necessary that the spirit should desire it; that he should have an end, a motive; without that he does nothing. Then, too, he must often find, exactly in the place where he desires to act, a suitable person to second him — a rare coincidence. Such a person coming unexpectedly, he profits by it. Notwithstanding the meeting of all those favorable circumstances, he might be prevented by a superior will, which does not permit him to act as he pleases. He might be permitted to act only within certain limits, and in a case where these manifestations would be considered useful, either as a means of conviction or trial, for the person who is the object of them.

94On this subject we will cite only the conversation in regard to the manifestations in June, i860, in Noyers Street, in Paris. The details may be found in the Revue Spirit e of August, 860.
1. To St. Louis. "Will you please tell us if the SPONTANEOUS PI TVS. MANIFESTATIONS, rex) incidents said to have occurred in Noyers Street are real? As to the possibility, we do not doubt."
"Yes, these incidents are true; only men's imaginations exaggerate them, either from fear or irony; but, I repeat, they are true. These manifestations are brought about by a spirit who is amusing himself a little at the expense of those who live in the place."
2. "Is there any person in the house who may be the cause of these manifestations?"
"They are always caused by the presence of the person whom they attack; either- the attacking spirit has a grudge against the person living in the place where he is, and wants to play tricks on him, or, perhaps, even seeks to drive him away."
3. "We ask, if, among the persons in the house, there is one who may be the cause of these phenomena, by a spontaneous and involuntary medianimic influence."
"It must be so; without that the thing could not have occurred.
"A spirit lives in a place he likes; he remains inactive so long as a suitable nature is not present in the place; when the person comes, then he amuses himself as much as he can."
4. "Is the presence of the person in the very place indispensable?"
"Ordinarily so, and it is in this instance; that is why I said without that the incident could not have occurred"; but I did not mean to generalize; there are cases in which immediate presence is not necessary."
5. "As these spirits are always of an inferior order, is it an unfavorable sign for the person that he is fit to serve them as an auxiliary? Would it show a sympathy with beings of that nature?"
"No, not precisely; for this suitability arises from a physical disposition; at the same time, it very often shows a material tendency which it would be preferable not to have; for the higher one is morally, the more one attracts good spirits, who necessarily keep away bad ones."
6.."From whence does the spirit take the projectiles he uses?"
"These things are most often taken on the place, or in the vicinity; a force coming from a spirit projects them, and they fall in the spot designated by that spirit."
7. "Since spontaneous manifestations are often permitted, or even excited, for the purpose of convincing, it seems to us that if certain skeptical people were personally the object of them, they would be obliged to yield to such evidence. They sometimes complain that they never witness conclusive facts; would it not depend on the spirits to give them some sensible proofs?"
"Are not atheists and materialists every moment witnesses of the effects of the power of God and of thought? That does not prevent them from denying God and the soul. Did the miracles of Jesus convert all his contemporaries? Did not the Pharisees, who said to him, 'Master, show us a sign' resemble those who, in our time, ask you to make them see manifestations? If they are not convinced by the wonders of creation, they would no more be convinced even if spirits should appear to them in the most unequivocal manner, because their pride makes them like restive horses. The occasions of seeing would not be wanting if they should seek in sincerity. God does not see fit to do for them more than for those who sincerely seek instruction, for the reward is only to the willing. Their skepticism will not prevent the will of God from being accomplished; you see plainly it has not hindered the spread of the doctrine.
"Cease to be disquieted by their opposition, which is to the doctrine what shade is to the picture; it gives it a stronger light. What merit would they have in being convinced by force? God will leave them to all the responsibility of their obstinacy, and that responsibility will be more terrible than you think. 'Blessed are those who have not seen, and yet have believed,' as Jesus said, because they do not doubt God's power."
8. "Do you think it would be of use to invoke that spirit, to ask some explanations of him?"
"Invoke him if you wish, but it is an inferior spirit, who will give you only very insignificant answers.

95Co7iversation with the disturbing spirit of Noyers Street.
1. Invocation.
"Why have you called me? Do you want to be struck with stones? Then we should see a fine run away, in spite of your brave air."
2. "If you should bring stones here, it would not frighten us; we actually ask if you can bring them here."
"Here I could not, perhaps; you have a guardian who watches over you."
3. "In Noyers Street was there a person who served as your auxiliary to help in the malicious tricks you have played on the people in the house?"
"Certainly; I found a good instrument, and no learned, wise, and prudent spirit to hinder me. I am gay. I love to amuse myself."
4. "Who was the person who served as your instrument?"
"A servant"
5. "Was it against her will she served you?"
"O, yes; the poor girl! she was the most frightened."
6. "Did you act in this way from a hostile motive?" "I had no hostile motive; but the men who seize upon everything will make it turn to their advantage."
7. "What do you mean by that? We don't understand you."
"I was trying to amuse myself; but you will study the thing, and will have one more fact to show that we exist."
8. "You say you had no hostile motive, and yet you have broken all the windows in the house; you have thus caused a real loss."
"That is but a detail."
9. "Where did you procure the objects you threw?" "They are very common. I found them in the court-yard, and in the next gardens."
10. "Did you find them all, or did you make some of them?" (See Chapter VIII.)
"I made nothing, composed nothing."
11. "If you had not found them, could you have made them?"
"It would have been more difficult; but to tell the truth, matters can be mixed, and make something."
12. "Now tell us how you threw them."
"Ah, that is harder to tell. I was helped by the electrical nature of that girl, joined to mine, less material; so between us we transported the different matters."
13. "You would like, I think, to tell us something about yourself. Tell us, then, if it is long since you died."
11 Long enough; more than fifty years."
14. "What were you when you were living?"
"Not much good; I picked rags around here, and sometimes they scolded me because I loved Goodman Noe's red wine too much; so I would have liked to drive them all away."
15. "Is it of yourself, and of your own free will, that you have answered our questions?"
"I had an instructor."
16. "Who is your instructor?" "Your good King Louis."
Remark. This question was propounded on account of certain answers which seemed beyond the capacity of this spirit, in the depth of the ideas, and even in the form of the language. It is not at all astonishing that he should have been aided by a more enlightened spirit, who desired to profit by this occasion to give us some instruction. This is a very ordinary occurrence, but a remarkable particularity in this circumstance is, that the influence of the other spirit made itself felt even in the writing; that of the answers, when he intervened, is more regular, more flowing; that of the rag-picker is angular, coarse, irregular, often scarcely legible, and bears an entirely different character.
17. "What do you do now; does the thought of your future occupy you?"
"Not yet; I am wandering. They. think so little of me in the world, that nobody prays for me; as I am not helped, I don't work."
Remark. We shall see, by and by, how much we can contribute to the advancement and consolation of the inferior spirits by prayers and advice.
1 8. "What was your name when you were living?" "Jeannet."
19. "Well, Jeannet, we will pray for you. Tell us if our invocation has given you pleasure, or annoyed you?"
"Pleasure rather, -for you are good fellows; gay livers, though a little severe; all the same, you have listened to me. I am satisfied.
"Jeannet."

96Phenomeno7i of Materialization
This phenomenon differs from those of which we have spoken only in the kind intention of the spirit who is their author, in the nature of the objects, almost always of a gracious character, and by the sweet and almost delicate manner in which they are brought. It consists in the spontaneous bringing of objects which are not in the place where you are; these are most, often flowers, sometimes fruits, confectionery, jewels, &c.

97Let us first say that this phenomenon is one of those most easily imitated, and consequently of which we must be on our guard against imposture. We know how far sleight of hand can go in such matters; but without having to do with a person of this profession, we might easily be the dupe of a skillful maneuver. The best of all guarantees is in the diameter, tJie known honor, the absolute disinterestedness of the person who obtains the effects; in the second place, in the attentive examination of all the circumstances under which they are produced; finally, in the enlightened knowledge of Spiritism, which alone can enable us to discover what is to be suspected.

98The theory of the phenomenon of materialization, and of physical manifestations in general, is summed up in a remarkable manner in the following dissertation, by a spirit whose communications bear an incontestable seal of profundity and logic. Several of them will be found in the course of this work. He made himself known under the name of Erastus, a disciple of St. Paul, and as the spirit protector of the medium who served him as an interpreter.
"To obtain these phenomena, there must necessarily be mediums whom I will call sensitive; that is to say, endowed in the highest degree with the medianimic faculties of expansion and penetrability; because the easily excitable nervous system of some of these mediums permits them, by means of certain vibrations, to project round them with profusion their animalized fluid.
"Impressionable natures, persons whose natures vibrate to the least sentiment, to the smallest sensation, whom moral or physical influence, internal or external, easily affects, are subjects very apt to become excellent mediums for the physical effects of tangibility and materialization. In fact, their nervous system, almost entirely deprived of the refractory envelope which isolates this system among most incarnated beings, makes them suitable for the development of these various phenomena.
"Consequently, with subjects of this nature, whose other faculties are not adverse to medianimization, the phenomena of tangibility will be more easily obtained; rappings in the walls and in the furniture, intclligciit Il6 BOOK ON MEDIUMS. movements, and even the suspension in space of the heaviest, inert matter. A fortiori, these results will be obtained if, instead of one medium, there are at hand several, equally well endowed.
"But from the production of these phenomena to the obtaining of that of materializations, there is a whole world; for, in this case, not only is the labor of the spirit more complex, more difficult, but, more than this, the spirit can operate only by means of one medium; that is, several mediums could not simultaneously concur in the production of the same phenomenon. On the contrary, it sometimes happens that the presence of persons antipathetic to the spirit who operates, radically fetters his operation. To these motives, which, as you see, do not lack importance, add that the materialization always necessitates a greater concentration, and, at the same time, a greater diffusion of certain fluids which can be obtained only from the best endowed mediums, those, in a word, whose electro-medianimic machinery is the best conditioned.
"In general, these effects are, and will remain, exceedingly rare. I do not need to prove to you why they are, and will be, less frequent than the other tangible effects; from what I have said, you will yourself make that deduction. Besides, these phenomena are of such a nature, that not only all mediums are not suitable, but even all spirits cannot produce them. In fact, there must exist between the spirit and the medium influenced a certain affinity, a certain analogy, in a word, a certain resemblance, which permits the expansible part of the perispritaltic (Note 5) fluid of the incarnated to be mingled, united, combined with that of the spirit who desires to produce the effect.
This fusion should be such that the resulting force becomes, so to say, one; as the electric current acting on the coal produces one flame, one single brightness. Do you say, Why this union? why this fusion? It is that for the production of these phenomena it is necessary that the essential properties of the operating spirit be augmented by some of those of the mediumized; it is that the vital fluid, indispensable to the production of all the medianimic phenomena, is the exclusive appanage of the incarnated; and that, consequently, the spirit operator is obliged to be impregnated with it. It is thus only that he can, by means of certain properties of your ambient fluid, unknown to you, isolate, render invisible, and cause to move, certain material objects, and even the incarnated themselves.
"It is not permitted me, at this moment, to unvail to you these special laws that rule the gases and fluids that surround you; but before many years shall have elapsed, before one generation of man be accomplished, the explanation of these laws and of these phenomena will be revealed to you, and you will see a new order of mediums arise, who will fall into a peculiar state as soon as they shall be medianimized.
"You see with how many difficulties the production of these phenomena is surrounded; you can conclude from this, very logically, that phenomena of this kind are exceedingly rare, as I have said, and with still greater reason, that the spirits seldom lend themselves to their production, because it requires on their part a quasi-material labor, which is for them an ennui and a fatigue. On the other hand there is this: it is that very often, in spite of their energy and will, the u8 state of the medium himself opposes an impassable barrier.
"It is thus evident, and doubtless your reasoning sanctions it, that the tangible facts of rappings, movements, suspensions, are simple phenomena, which are operated by the concentration and dilatation of certain fluids, and which may be elicited and obtained by the will and the work of mediums who are suited thereto, when they are seconded by friendly and kind spirits; while the facts of materialization are multiple, complex*, require a concourse of special circumstances, can be operated only by a single spirit and a single medium, and necessitate, over and above the wants of tangibility, a very especial combination of circumstances to isolate and render invisible the object or objects subject to the materialization.
"All you spiritists comprehend my explanations, and you can perfectly understand the reason for this concentration of special fluids for the locomotion and tangibility of inert matter; you believe in it as you believe in the phenomena of electricity and magnetism, with which the medianimic facts are full of analogy, and are, so to say, its consecration and development. As to the skeptics, — and the scientists, worse than the skeptics, — I have nothing to do with convincing them; I do not trouble myself about them: they will, some day, be convinced by the force of evidence, for they must necessarily bow before the unanimous testimony of spiritist facts, as they have been forced to do before other facts they have at first rejected.
"To recapitulate: while the facts of tangibility are frequent, the facts of materialization are very rare, because their conditions are very. difficult; consequently no medium can say," At such an hour, at such a moment, I will obtain a materialization; for often the spirit himself finds a hindrance to his work. I must add that these phenomena are doubly difficult in public, for there almost always are met energetically refractory elements, which paralyze the efforts of the spirit, and, with still greater reason, the action of the medium. On the contrary, be certain that these phenomena are almost always produced in private, spontaneously, most often unknown to the mediums, and without premeditation, and very rarely when these have foretold them; from whence you may conclude that there is a legitimate motive of suspicion whenever a medium flatters himself he can obtain them at will; in other words, that he can command spirits as servants, which is simply absurd. Again, take as a general rule, that these spirit phenomena are not given in the way of a show, and to amuse the curious. If some spirits lend themselves to such things, it can be only for simple phenomena, and not for those which, like materialization and others similar, exact exceptional conditions.
"Remember, spiritists, that if it is absurd to reject systematically all the phenomena from beyond the tomb, neither is it wise to accept them all blindly. When a phenomenon of tangibility, of apparition, of visibility, or of materialization is manifested spontaneously, and, as it were, instantaneously, accept it: but I cannot repeat to you too often, accept nothing blindly; let each action be subjected to an examination, minute, searching, severe; for, believe me, Spiritism, so rich in sublime and grand phenomena, has nothing to gain from those small manifestations which skillful jugglers can imitate.
"I know very well what you will say to me, — that these phenomena are useful to convince the skeptical; but know this, that if you had no other means of conviction, you would not have, to-day, the hundredth part of the spiritists that you have. Speak to the heart; it is by that you will make the most serious conversions. If, for certain persons, you consider it useful to act by' material facts, at least present them under such circumstances that there can be no false interpretation, and, above all, do not go aside from the normal condition of these facts; for facts presented under bad conditions furnish arguments to the skeptical, instead of convincing them. Erastus."

99This phenomenon offers a very striking peculiarity, which is, that certain mediums obtain it only in a somnambulic state. This is easily explained: there is with a somnambulist a natural disengagement, a kind of isolation of the spirit and of the perisprit, which must facilitate the combination of the necessary fluids. Such is the case with the materializations we have witnessed. The following questions were addressed to the spirit who produced them, but his answers being unsatisfactory, we submitted them to the spirit Erastus, much more enlightened on the theory, and who completed them by very judicious remarks. One is the workman, the other the scientist; and the comparison of these two intelligences is an instructive study, for it proves that simply b?ing a spirit is not sufficient to make one comprehend everything.
1. "Will you please tell us why the materializations you made were produced only during the magnetic sleep of the medium?"
"That depends on the nature of the medium; the effects I produced with mine asleep, I could have produced equally well with another medium in a waking state."
2. "Why did you make us wait so long? and why excite the covetousness of the medium, irritating his desire to obtain the promised object?"
"Time is necessary for me to prepare the fluids that serve for the materialization; as to the excitation, it is often only to amuse those present, as well as the somnambulist."
Remark by Erastus. "The spirit who answered knew no better; he does not reason on the motive of this covetousness, which he instinctively incites without understanding its effect; he thinks to amuse, while in reality he undoubtedly provokes a greater emission of fluid; it is the consequence of the difficulty the phenomenon presents; a difficulty always greater when it is not spontaneous, especially with certain mediums."
3. "Does the production of the phenomena pertain to the special nature of the medium? and could it be produced with other mediums with more facility and promptitude?"
"•The production pertains to the nature of the medium, and can be produced only with corresponding natures; as to promptitude, our custom of corresponding often with the same medium is a great help to us."
4. "Does thf influence of the persons present count for anything?"
"When there is skepticism, opposition, we can be greatly annoyed: we like better to give our proofs with believers, and persons versed in Spiritism; but I do not mean by that to say that ill will could completely paralyze us."
5. "From whence did you take the flowers and bonbons you brought?"
"The flowers I took from the gardens, wherever it pleased me."
6. "And the bonbons? Surely the confectioner would miss them."
"I took them from wherever it pleased me; the merchant did not miss them at all, for I put others in their place."
Remark of Erastus. "I think this is explained in a very unsatisfactory manner, because of the incapacity of the spirit who answered. Thus, he may have caused a real wrong; but the spirit does not wish to pass for one who would wrong any person whatever. An object can be replaced only by an identical object of the same form, same value; consequently, if a spirit had the faculty to substitute an object similar to that he takes, he would have no reason for taking it, and might give that which served him in replacing."
7. "Is it possible to bring flowers from another planet?"
"No; it is not possible to me." ( To Erastus) "Could other spirits have the power?" "No; that is not possible, on account of the difference in the surrounding atmospheres."
8. "Could you bring flowers from another hemisphere, — the tropics, for instance?" •
11 From any part of the earth I can."
9. "Could you make the objects you have brought disappear, and carry them back?"
"Just as well as I made them come. I can take them as I will."
10. "Docs the production of this phenomenon cause you any trouble — any annoyance?"
"It causes us no trouble, when we have permission; it might cause us a great deal, if we wished to produce effects without being authorized to do so."
Remarks of Erastus. "He does not wish to acknowledge his trouble, though it may be very real, as he is obliged to effect what might be called a material operation."
11."What are the difficulties you encounter?"
"No other than bad fluidic dispositions, which might oppose us."
12. "How do you bring the object? Do you hold it in your hands?"
"No; we envelop it in ourselves."
Rema?'k of Erastus. "He does not clearly explain his operation, for he does not envelop the object with his own personality; but as his personal fluid is dilatable, penetrable, and expansible, he combines a part of this fluid with a part of the animalized fluid of the medium, and it is in that combination that he hides and transports the object subject to the materialization. It is not, thus, right to say that he envelops it in himself."
13. "Could you, with the same facility, bring an object of considerable weight, of fifty kilometres, for instance?"
"Weight is nothing to us; we bring flowers because that may be more agreeable than a great weight."
Remark of Erastus. "That^s true; he could bring one or two hundred kilometres of objects; for the weight that exists for you is annulled for him; but here again he does not give the reason for what happens. The mass of the combined fluids is proportionate to the mass of the objects; in a word, the force should be in proportion to the resistance; from whence it follows, that if the spirit brings only a flower, or a light object, it is often because he does not find, either in the medium or in himself, the elements necessary for a greater effort."
14. "Are there sometimes disappearances of objects when the cause is unknown, which may be the work of spirits?"
"That happens very often; more often than you think; and it could be remedied by begging the spirit to bring back the object that disappeared."
Remark of Eras tus. "That is true; but sometimes what is carried off is well carried off; for such objects, when we cannot find them at home, are often carried very far away. At the same time, as the carrying away objects requires nearly the same conditions as bringing them, it can take place only with the aid of mediums endowed with special faculties: this is why, when anything disappears, it is probably more your own stupidity than that of the spirits."
15. "Are there effects regarded as natural phenomena which are due to the action of spirits?"
"Your days are full of such effects, which you do not understand, because you have not thought of them, and which a little reflection would make you see clearly."
Remark of Erastus. "Do not attribute to the spirits what is the work of humanity, but believe in their secret constant influerce, which brings to life around you a thousand circumstances, a thousand incidents, necessary to the accomplishment of your actions, your existence."
16. "Among the objects brought, are there not some that may have been fabricated by spirits; that is, produced spontaneously by the modifications to which the spirits can subject the fluid, or the universal element."
"Not by me, for I have not permission to do it; an elevated spirit alone can do it."
17. "How did you introduce those objects the other day? for the room was shut."
"I made them enter with me, enveloped, so to say, in my substance; as to telling you more at length, it is not possible."
18. "How did you manage to render visible what was, a moment before, invisible?"
11 1 took away the matter that enveloped them."Remark by Erastus." It is not matter, properly so called, that envelops them, but a fluid, drawn partly from the perisprit of the medium, partly from that of the operating spirit."
19. (To Erastus) "Can an object be brought into a place perfectly closed? in a word, can the spirit spiritualize a material object, so that it may penetrate matter?"
"This question is complex. The spirit can render the objects brought invisible, but not penetrable; he cannot break the aggregation of matter, which would be the destruction of the object. This object, made invisible, he can bring when he pleases, and disengage it at the proper moment, to make it appear. It is otherwise for those we compose; as we introduce only the elements of matter, and as these elements are essentially penetrable, as we ourselves penetrate and pass through the most condensed bodies with as much facility as the solar rays pass through the panes of glass, we can truly say, we have introduced the object into a place, however tightly shut it may be; but only in this case can we say it."
Note. — See afterward, for the theory of the spontaneous formation of objects, the chapter entitled, Laboratory of the Spiritual World, Qucstiofis on Apparitions. — Theoretic Essay on Apparitions. — Globular Spirits. — Theory of Hallucinations. ioo. Of all the spirit manifestations the most interesting are, undoubtedly, those by which spirits can render themselves visible. It will be seen, by the explanation of this phenomenon, that it is no more supernatural than"the others. We first give the answers of the spirits to questions on this subject. i." Can spirits make themselves visible? "
"Yes; especially during sleep: at the same time some persons see them as well waking; but this is more rare."
Remark. While the body rests, the spirit is disengaged from its material ties; it is more free, and can more easily see other spirits with whom it enters into communication. Dreams are but the remembrances of this state; when nothing is remembered, it is said there has been no dreaming; but the soul has none the less seen and enjoyed its liberty. We treat more especially here of apparitions in the waking state.
2. "Do the spirits who manifest themselves to the sight belong more to one class than another?"
"No; they may belong to all classes, — to the most elevated as to the most inferior."
3. "Is it given to all spirits to manifest themselves visibly?"
"All can; but they have not always the permission, nor the will."
4. "What is the motive of spirits who make themselves visible?"
"That depends upon circumstances; according to their nature, the motive may be good or bad."
5. "How could this permission be given if the motive were bad?"
"It is then to try those to whom they appear. The intention of the spirit may be evil, but the result* may be good."
6. "What can be the motive of the spirits who have evil intentions, in showing themselves?"
"To terrify, and often to avenge."
"What is that of the spirits who come with a good intention?"
"To console those who regret them, to prove that they exist and are near you, to give advice, and to claim assistance for themselves."
7. "What inconvenience could there be if the possibility of seeing spirits were permanent and general? Would it not be a means of relieving the doubts of the most skeptical?"
"Man being constantly surrounded by spirits, their incessant sight would trouble him, would hamper him in his actions, would destroy his initiative in most cases; while believing himself alone, he acts more freely. As for the skeptical, they have plenty of means of being convinced if they would profit by them, and were not blinded by pride. You know very well that there are persons who have seen, and who believe none the more for that, since they say it is an illusion.
Do not disquiet yourself for those people. God sees to them."
Remark. There would be as great inconvenience in seeing spirits always with us, as in seeing the air that surrounds us, or the myriads of microscopic animals that flutter around us and on us. From whence we should conclude that what God has done is well done, and that he knows better than we what is suited to us.
8. "If the sight of spirits has inconveniences why is it permitted in certain cases?"
"It is to give a proof that all does not die with the body, that the soul preserves its individuality after death. This temporary sight suffices to give this proof, and attests to the presence of your friends near you, but it has not the inconveniences of permanence."
9. "In more advanced worlds than ours, is the sight of spirits more frequent?"
"The nearer man is brought to the spiritual nature, the more easily he enters into relations with spirits: it is the grossness of your envelope that makes the perception of ethereal beings most difficult and most rare."
10. "Is it rational to be terrified at the apparition of a spirit?"
"He who reflects ought to understand that a spirit, whatever he may be, is less dangerous than a living person. Besides, spirits go everywhere, and there is no need to see them to know that they may be beside us. The spirit that would do harm can do it without showing himself, and even more surely; he is not dangerous because he is a spirit, but because of the influence he can exert in the thought, turning it. away from good and toward evil."
Remark. Persons who are afraid in solitude or in darkness rarely consider the cause of their terror; they could not say what they fear, but assuredly they should more fear to meet men than spirits; for a wrong-doer is more dangerous living than after death. A lady of our acquaintance had, one evening, in her room, an apparition so distinct, she thought it a person, and her first movement was that of fright. Having assured herself that no one was there, she said to herself, "It appears it is only a spirit. I may sleep in peace." ii. "Can the person to whom a spirit appears engage in conversation with him?"
"Perfectly well; and that is what should always be done in such cases, — asking the spirit who he is and what he wants, and how we may be useful to him. If the spirit is unhappy and suffering, our commiseration soothes him; if it is a benevolent spirit, he may come with the intention of giving us good advice."
"How, in this case, can the spirit answer?"
"He does it sometimes by articulate sounds, like a person living; most often by transmission of thought."
12. "Do the spirits who appear with wings really have them, or are those wings but symbolical appearances?"
"Spirits have not wings; they do not need them; for they can, as spirits, transport themselves everywhere. They appear according to the way in which they desire to affect the person to whom they show themselves: some appear in ordinary costume, others enveloped in draperies; some with wings, as attributes of the category of spirits they represent."
13. "Are the persons we see in dreams always those they seem to be?"
"It is almost always those persons themselves whom your spirit goes to find, or who come to find you."
14. "Could not mocking spirits take the appearance of persons who arc dear to us, to lead us into error?"
"They take fantastic appearances only to amuse themselves at your expense; but there are things with which they are not permitted to sport."
15. Thought being a kind of invocation, it is easily understood that it evokes the presence of the spirit; but how is it that often the persons of whom we think most, — whom we ardently desire to see, — do not come in dreams, while we see people who are indifferent to us, and those of whom we never think? "
"There is not always the possibility of spirits manifesting themselves to the sight, even in dreams, and in spite of the desire there may be to see them: causes independent of their will may prevent them. It is, also, often a trial which the most ardent desire cannot overpass. As to indifferent persons, if you do not think of them, it is possible they may think of you. Besides, you can have no idea of the relations of the world of spirits; you meet there a crowd of intimate acquaintances, old and new, of whom you have no idea in the waking state."
Remark. When there is no means of controlling the visions or apparitions, they can undoubtedly be looked upon as hallucinations; but when they are confirmed by events, they cannot be attributed to the imagination; such are, for instance, the apparitions at the moment of their death, either in dream or in a waking state, of persons of whom we do not think, and who, by various signs, reveal the wholly unexpected circumstances attending their death. Morses have often been known to rear, and refuse to go forward, in presence of the apparitions that terrified their drivers. If imagination counts for something with men, surely it cannot with animals. Besides, if the images seen in dreams were always an effect of waking perceptions, nothing could explain why it often happens that we never dream of those things most often in our thoughts.
1 6. "Why are some visions more frequent in sickness?"
"They occur the same in a state of perfect health, but in sickness the material ties are relaxed; the weakness of the body leaves more liberty to the spirit, which enters more easily into communication with other spirits."
17. "Spontaneous apparitions appear to be more frequent in certain countries. Is it that certain people are better endowed than others to have this kind of manifestations?"
"Are you acquainted with the details of each apparition? Apparitions, noises, all the manifestations, indeed, are equally spread over the whole world; but they present distinctive characters, according to the people among whom they take place. For instance, among those who have little knowledge of writing, there are no writing mediums; among others they abound: elsewhere there are more often noises and movements than intelligent communications, because these are less esteemed there and less sought after."
18. "Why do apparitions prefer the night? May it not be an effect of silence and obscurity on the imagination?"
"It is for the same reason that you see the stars in the night, which you cannot see in the daylight. The great brightness may efface a light apparition; but it is an error to believe that the night has anything to do with it. Question those who have seen them, and you will see that the majority have taken place by day."
Remark. Apparitions are much more frequent and general than is believed;• but many persons do not confess it, from fear of ridicule; others attribute them to illusion. If they appear more numerous among certain people, that is because there they more carefully preserve traditions, either true or false, almost always exaggerated by the love of the marvelous; credulity makes them see the supernatural in the most common phenomena; the silence of solitary places, the depths of ravines, the groanings of the forest, the screamings of the tempest, the echo of the mountains, the fantastic form of the clouds, the shadows, the mirage, all assist the illusion of simple and artless imaginations, and they tell with the utmost sincerity what they have seen, or what they think they have seen. But beside this fiction there is the reality; the serious study of Spiritism tends to free it from all the absurd accessories of superstition."
19. "Is the sight of spirits produced in a normal state, or only in an ecstatic state?"
"It can take place in perfectly normal conditions; at the same time the persons who see them are quite often in a peculiar state, bordering on ecstasy, which gives them a kind of double sight." (Book on Spirits, No. 447.)
20. "Do those who see spirits see them with their eyes?"
"They believe they do; but in reality it is the soul that sees, and what proves it is, that they can see them with their eyes shut."
21. "How can the spirit make itself visible?"
"The principle is the same as that of all manifestations; it comes from the properties of the perisprit, which can undergo various modifications at the will of the spirit."
22. "Can the spirit itself be made visible, or can it make itself visible only by the aid of the perisprit?"
"In your material state spirits can manifest themselves only by the aid of their semi-material envelope; it is the intermediary by which they act on your senses. It is under this envelope that they appear sometimes with a human form, sometimes otherwise, either in dreams or in a state of waking."
23. "Might it be said that it is by the condensation of the fluid of the perisprit that the spirit becomes visible?"
"Condensation is not the word; it is rather a comparison which may help you to understand the phenomenon, for there is not really condensation. By the combination of the fluids, there is produced in the perisprit a peculiar disposition, that has no analogy for you, and which renders it perceptible."
24. "Are the spirits that appear always intangible, and inaccessible to the touch?"
"Intangible, as in a dream, in their normal state; at the same time they can make an impression on the touch, and leave traces of their presence, and even in some cases momentarily become tangible, which proves that between them and you there is matter."
25. "Is every one capable of seeing spirits?"
"In sleep, yes, but not in a waking state. In sleep the soul sees without intermediary; when awake it is always more or less influenced by the organs; this is"why the conditions are not altogether the same."
26. "In what consists the faculty of seeing spirits during the waking hours?"
"This faculty depends upon the organization; it depends upon the greater or less facility which the fluid of the seer has for combining with that of the spirit. Thus it does not suffice to the spirit to wish to show himself; it is necessary that he find in the person to whom he desires to show himself the necessary aptitude."
"Can this faculty be developed by exercise?" "It can, like all the other faculties; but it is one of those of which it is better to await the natural development than to hasten it, for fear of exciting the imagination. The general and permanent sight of spirits is exceptional, and is not a normal condition of man."
27. "Can the apparition of spirits be called forth?" "It may be sometimes, but very rarely; it is almost always spontaneous; and for that it is necessary to be endowed with a special faculty."
28. "Can spirits make themselves visible under any other than a human form?"
"The human form is the normal form; the spirit can vary its appearance, but it is always the human type." '
"Can they show themselves under the form of flame?" "They can produce flames, lights, as well as all other effects to attest their presence; but this is not the spirit itself. Flame is often only a mirage, or an emanation from the perisprit; it is, in all cases, only a part; the perisprit appears entire only in visions."
29. "What do you think of the belief that attributes the ignis fat nus to the presence of souls or spirits?"
11 Superstition produced by ignorance. The real cause of the ignis fatnus is well known."
"The blue flame said to have appeared on the head of Servius Tullius when a child, is it a fable or a reality?"
"It was real; it was produced by the familiar spirit who wanted to warn the mother. This mother — a seeing medium — saw a ray of the protecting spirit of her child. All seeing mediums do not see in the same degree, the same as your writing mediums do not all write the same thing. Where this mother saw only a flame, another medium would have seen the whole body even of the spirit."
30. "Could spirits present themselves under the form of animals?"
"That might happen, but it is always only very inferior spirits who take these appearances. It can, in all cases, be only a momentary appearance, for it would be absurd to believe that any animal whatever could be the incarnation of a spirit. Animals are always only animals, and nothing more."
Remark. Superstition alone can produce the belief that some animals are animated by spirits; it must be a very obliging or a very vivid imagination to see anything supernatural in everything a little out of the way; but fear often makes one see what does not exist. Yet fear is not always the source of this idea; we knew a lady, very intelligent in other matters, who loved beyond measure a great black cat because she believed its nature was above the animal; had she known anything of Spiritism, it would have shown her the absurdity of the cause of her predilection, by proving to her the impossibility of such a metamorphosis.