GENESIS THE MIRACLES AND THE PREDICTIONS ACCORDING TO SPIRITISM

Allan Kardec

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Apparitions - Transfiguration

35. The perispirit is invisible to us in its normal state; but, as it is formed of ethereal matter, the spirit can, in certain cases, make it submit by an act of the will to a molecular modification, which renders it momentarily visible. Thus apparitions are produced which no more than other phenomena are outside of the laws of nature. The latter are no more extraordinary than that of vapor, which is invisible when it is rarefied, and which becomes visible when it is condensed.

According to the degree of condensation of the perispiritual fluid, the apparition is sometimes vague and vaporous; and at other times it is more distinctly defined; at others it has quite the appearance of tangible matter. It can even reach tangibility sufficiently to be mistaken for a person in the flesh.

Vaporous apparitions are frequent; and it often happens that some individuals present themselves thus, after death, to persons whom they have loved. Tangible apparitions are rare, although there have been numerous examples of them which are perfectly authentic. If the spirit can make itself recognized, it will give to its envelope all the exterior signs which it had in life. *


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* “The Mediums’ Book,” chap. 6 and 7




36. Let us remark that tangible apparitions have only the appearance of carnal matter, but would not know how to obtain its qualities. By reason of their fluidic nature, they cannot have the same cohesion, because in reality they are not of the flesh. They are instantaneously formed, and disappear in the same manner, or are evaporated by the disintegration of the fluidic- molecules. Beings which present themselves by these conditions are neither born nor die like other men; they appear and vanish without knowing whence they come, how they have come, or where they will go. They could not be killed, chained, or incarcerated, because they have no carnal body. By attempting to strike them, one would only strike into space.

Such is the character of the spirits (agénères) with whom we can communicate without doubting their true individuality, yet who never make long visits, cannot become habitual boarders in a house, nor figure among the members of a family.

There is besides in all their person, in their manner, something strange and unusual which divides spirituality from materiality. The expression of their eyes, vaporous and penetrating at the same time, has not the distinctness of those of the flesh; their language brief, and nearly always sententious, has nothing of the brilliancy and volubility of human language; their approach makes us experience a particular, indefinable sensation of surprise, which inspires a sort of fear; and it is involuntarily said by all who compare them with human beings, “Here is a singular being.” *


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* Examples of vaporous or tangible apparitions and agénères: “Revue Spirite:” Jan., 1858, p. 24; Oct., 1858, p. 291; Feb., 1859, p. 38; March, 1859, p. 80; Jan., 1859, p. 11; Nov., 1859, p. 303; Aug., 1859, p. 210; April, 1860, p. 117; May, 1860, p. 150; July, 1861, p. 199; April, 1866, p. 120; the laborer Martin presented to Louis XVIII., complete details; Dec., 1866, p. 353.



37. The perispirit being the same among incarnates and discarnates, by a completely identical effect an incarnate can appear in a moment, when he is freed from the flesh at another point than that where his body is reposing, with his habitual features and all the signs of his identity. It is this phenomenon, of which authentic examples are given, which has caused belief in double or dual men. *


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* Examples of apparitions of living persons: “Revue Spirite:” Dec., 1858, pp. 329 and 331; Feb., 1859, p. 41; Aug., 1859, p. 197; Nov., 1860, p. 356.



38. A particular effect of this kind of phenomena is, that the vaporous and even tangible apparitions are indistinctly perceptible to everybody. The spirits show themselves only when they desire, and to whom they desire. A spirit would then be able to appear in an assembly to one or more persons, and not be seen by all. This is because these kinds of perceptions are processed through the spiritual, rather than the corporeal vision. Accordingly, spiritual visions are not awarded to everyone, and the communicating spirit can, at his exclusive discretion, if necessary, disable it in those whom he does not wish to be seen by. Likewise it can, momentarily, be awarded to someone, if the communicating spirit deems it necessary.

The condensation of the perispiritual fluid of apparitions, extending even to its tangibility, lacks the properties of ordinary matter. If it were not so, apparitions would be perceptible through the corporeal eyes, and thus perceived by everyone present. *


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* 85 We must be very cautious in accepting as facts strictly individual recitals of apparitions, which in certain cases may have been the effect of an over-excited imagination, or an invention for some selfish end. It is well, then, to gain a careful account of the circumstances, of the respectability of the person, as well as the interest they might have in abusing the credulity of too-confiding individuals.



39. The spirit being able to accomplish transformations by means of his perispiritual envelope, and this envelope having the power to radiate around bodies like a fluidic- atmosphere, a phenomenon analogous to that of apparitions can be produced even on the surface of bodies. Under the fluidic-film the real figure of the body can be effaced more or less completely and be reinvested with other features; or, rather, the original features seen through a modified fluidic-film, as through a prism, can assume another expression. If the incarnate spirit, in going from Earth to Earth, identifies itself with things of the spiritual world, the expression of a homely face can become beautiful, radiant, and sometimes even luminous; if, on the contrary, it is prey to bad passions, a beautiful face can take a hideous aspect.

Thus are transfigurations performed, which are always a reflection of the qualities and predominating sentiments of the spirit. This phenomenon is, then, the result of fluidic transformation. It is a kind of perispiritual apparition which is produced even upon living bodies, and sometimes at the moment of death, instead of producing itself at a distance, as apparitions are generally seen. That which is distinguishing peculiarity of this kind of apparitions is, that they are generally perceptible to all present by the eye of the flesh, because they are based upon visible, carnal matter, whilst in purely fluidic displays of the same there is no tangible matter employed. *


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* Example and theory of transfiguration: “Revue Spirite:” March, 1859, p. 62; “The Mediums’ Book,” chap. 7, p. 142.

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