July
Essay about the Theory of HallucinationsA Providential Apparition
The Oxford Chronicle dated June 1st, 1861 states the following:
“In 1828 a ship was traveling from Liverpool to New Brunswick with Mr. Robert Bruce as second in command. As they were approaching the banks of Newfoundland the Captain and his second in command were calculating a full day’s route, the first one in his cabin and the second in an adjacent chamber. The two rooms were designed so that they could see and talk to one another. Bruce was very absorbed in his work that he did not notice that the Captain had left his cabin and gone up to the bridge. Without looking he said: “I found a similar longitude, what did you get?” Since there was no answer he repeated the question and again with no answer. He walked to the Captain’s cabin and saw a man sitting in his chair, writing on his slate board. The individual then turned and stared at Bruce, who ran to the bridge horrified.
• Captain, he said as soon as he saw him, who is that person in your cabin?
• Nobody, I believe.
• I guarantee you that there is a stranger there.
• A stranger! You are daydreaming Bruce. Who would dare to be in my cabin, at my desk without my orders? You may have seen the boatswain or the steward.
• Sir, there is a man at your desk, writing on your slate board. He stared at me and I saw him more clearly than anyone I have ever seen before.
• He! Who?
• God knows, Sir! I saw a stranger that I had never seen before.
• You are crazy Bruce. A stranger! We have been offshore for about six weeks now.
• I know, but I saw.
• Well then, go and see who that person is.
• Captain, you know I am not a coward. I don’t believe in apparitions however I must confess that I cannot bear the idea of going there alone. I would like to have you with me. The Captain then led the way and found nobody. He then said:
• Look now, you had a dream.
• I don’t know how it can be but there was someone there and he was writing on your slate board.
• In that case there must be something written then. He took the slate board where it read: “Take the Northeast route.”
The Captain then had everybody on the ship, including Bruce; rewrite that phrase, attesting that the writing was unlike anyone else’s. They searched every corner of the ship and found no stranger. The Captain had given thought to the mysterious advice and decided to change course and follow the Northeastern route, appointing a man of his personal trust to be on the watch.
Around 3 pm a block of ice was spotted, then a ship with a broken mast and several men on board. As they approached they learned that the ship could not set sail, had no supplies left and everyone on board was starving. Several boats were sent for the rescue operation but as soon as they got on board and to Mr. Bruce’s bewilderment, he saw the very man that he had seen in the Captain’s cabin in the crowd of shipwrecked men.
As soon as the wreckage was attended to and the ship was able to reestablish its course Mr. Bruce told the Captain:
• It seems that I did not see a spirit today, after all. He is alive. The man who wrote on your slate board is one of the passengers that we have just saved. There he is. I swear!
The captain then invited the man to his cabin and asked him to write on the other side of the board containing the mysterious words: “Take the Northeast route”. The passenger obeyed although intrigued by the request. Taking the slate board, the Captain showed the written words to the passenger and asked:
• Is this really your writing?
• No doubt and I have just written it here, before your eyes.
• Then the Captain turned the other side of the slate and asked: How about this?
• Yes, it is my writing but I don’t know how that could happen since I only wrote on the other side.
• According to my Second officer here, he saw you today, around noon, by this desk and writing these words.
• Impossible – this is the first time I have been on this ship.
They then questioned the Captain of the wrecked ship about what could have happened to that man, and he said: ‘All I know is that he is one of my passengers. However, just before noon he fell heavily asleep, waking up an hour later. During his sleep he said he was confident that we would soon be saved, saying that he was aboard a ship and then described in detail, everything that we confirmed moments later. When he woke he said that he had no memory of any dream, just a recall of some sort of unexplained presentiment about a ship that would rescue us. Something strange, he added, is that everything in that ship seems familiar although I had never been there.’
Mr. Bruce then told the Captain the story of the apparition that he had seen and all agreed that it had been providential.”
This is a perfectly true story. Mr. Robert Dale Owen, former Minister of the USA in Naples, who also mentions this event in his book, found every possible piece of evidence supporting its truthfulness. Our question is whether this event has any aspect that one can characterize it as hallucination! It is understandable that the passenger had a lot of hope in his sleep, the kind that never abandons people in desperation. The coincidence between the dream and the rescue could still be the result of chance. However, how can one explain the detailed description of the ship? Even if it is still chance, then the writing on the slate board is material evidence. And for that reason, what about the advice to change course and navigate in the Northeastern direction, towards the wreckage? The hallucination supporters should kindly provide us with the reasons for all those events, and using their exclusive system.
In their opinion there is deception in the provoked spiritist manifestations. But in the event above there is no indication that the passenger was playing a role in a comedy. That is how the spontaneous manifestations, when supported by undisputable testimony, are of great relevance since there is no room for suspicion of any kind. To the spiritists there is nothing extraordinary about the fact above because they can explain it perfectly well. To the eyes of the ignorant it will seem supernatural, marvelous.
To someone that knows the theory of the perispirit and the liberty of the soul among the incarnated, it is all part of the laws of nature. A critic greatly amused himself poking fun at the story of the man of with his snuffbox published in the March 1859 issue of The Review, saying that it was all the imagination of the sick lady. What is it that is more impossible in that story than in this one? The two facts are explained by the exactly same rule that governs the relationship between spirit and matter. Besides, we ask all spiritists who have studied the theory of phenomena if, by reading the facts that we have just reported, their attention was not immediately attracted to the mode by which it can be produced; if they did not find an explanation; if, as a consequence of the explanation, their conclusion was not a possibility, and by force of that possibility, if their reason was not more satisfied than if they had to accept it just as a matter of faith, without the support of their intelligence? Those who criticized us for presenting this theory forget that it is the result of long and patient studies, that they could have done the same, as we have, working as much as we did and still do every day; that by providing the means of understanding phenomena we give it a foundation, a reason for its existence, that silenced many critics and contributed by and large to the propagation of Spiritism, considering that people accept it with more good will than something that is understood in opposition to something that cannot be.
Family Conversations from Beyond the Grave Friends that don’t forget us in the other world
Correspondence - Letter from the President of the Mexican Spiritist Society
“To Mr. Allan Kardec, in Paris,
Dear Sir:
My friend, Mr. Viseur, indicated in one of his previous letters that you would like to know the objective and tendencies of the Spiritist Society which I preside over in Mexico. I do that with the greatest satisfaction and the strongest sympathy for your profound knowledge about this subject, asking you to please take into account our little experience but also to count us among the most eager supporters. Although much later than you, Sir, we were fortunate to learn about this gentle truth that the spirits or souls of the dead can communicate with the living. Despite some publications that came from the North, our attention and curiosity was not yet awaken and we did not seek what was then called spiritual manifestations. It was only when you’re the Spirits’ Book fortunately arrived here that our eyes were opened, convincing us of the reality of the facts that take place all over the world, helping us to understand them. We then started our own research and experiments, that we then took on the task of preparing ourselves to receive manifestations, through a systematic work. The advice found in your excellent book led us to the great truth that the soul outlives death and that we can communicate with our loved ones after they leave our planet Earth. I would not tell you the truth if I said that we were the first ones around here to learn about the manifestations. Several people in our city were already involved with the subject, a fact that we learned later on. The principle of reincarnation was what mainly impressed us in the beginning, but our own communications with spirits of a superior order given their language, did not allow us to have any doubt about a belief that demonstrates that all these things belong to the natural order and according to the justice of our Almighty God. A proof that demonstrates the superiority of the spirits that guide us is the cure provided to the physical sufferings and the consolation and resignation given to those who suffer morally. Simple logic tells us that good can only come but from a good source. It would be a sign of arrogance, however, if we pretended to be the champions of knowledge about this sublime doctrine. It is up to you, Sir, to teach us as demonstrated by the work produced by your Society. Our Society is formed by experienced members in matters of spiritist belief, and we welcome all those who wish to learn. The fundamental laws that guide us are unity of principles, fraternity among the members and charity with all who suffer. That is how, Sir, the spiritist ideas spread in this region and we can even gladly say beyond our expectations. If you find it convenient to send us your good advice we will always receive it with the warmest regard and as a firm indication of your sympathy.
Mysterious Drawings
A New Kind of Mediumship
Under this title The Herald of Progress, from New York, a journal dedicated to spiritualist matters and directed by Andrew Jackson Davies, published the article below:
“Last year on November 22nd Dr. Hallock was invited along with some others to the house of Mrs. French located at number 8, Fourth Avenue, to witness several spiritist manifestations and to observe the movements of a pencil. Around 8 pm Mrs. French left the living room where the group was gathering to sit on a couch in an adjacent bedroom. She remained there for the duration of the meeting. A few moments after she was seated she fell into some sort of ecstatic state, her eyes were static and delirious. She then asked Dr. Hallock and Prof. Britton to have the room examined. On the bed, across from the place where she was sitting, there was a briefcase tied up by a silk ribbon and also a bottle of wine to be used in the experiment. The paper that was supposed to be used for the drawings was inside the case. We were asked, said Dr. Hallock, not to touch the case or the bottle. Several pencils and two pieces of elastic gum were also on the bed but there was no drawing paper anywhere in the room.
After the room was searched Mrs. French asked Mr. Cuberton to take the case to the living room where the other guests were located, then open it and remove its contents. There were a number of common sheets of paper and among those, Mrs. French took six of different sizes from Mr. Cuberton’s hand, and all sheets were placed on a table in front of Mrs. French. She asked for some pins and took a 5 almost 6 in. paper ribbon and placed it on the lower side of a sheet of paper, then pinning the extremities of the paper to the ribbon. Having done that, someone was then invited to take the sheet of paper and allow the observers to examine it, then asked that person to keep the ribbon and the pins and return the sheet of paper to her. She did the same thing to the other sheets, changing the position and number of pins every time and having the set examined by a different person, aiming at having the paper recognized by the position of the ribbons. Once all sheets were examined and returned to Mrs. French Mr. Cuberton then delivered the wine bottle to her. She laid the sheets on the table and spilled the wine on all of them until they were completely soaking wet, spreading the wine around with her hand. She then dried all of them individually, pressing and turning them, blowing and agitating them in the air. That alone lasted for a few minutes. Once this was completed, she lowered the lights and invited the guests to approach. During the spillage ceremony one sheet of paper was left too dry and she repeated the procedure for that one (the wine was actually a simple mixture of grape juice and sugar, duly authorized by the State and produced in New England). Mrs. French then turned the lights back to normal and invited everyone to sit by her side near the door. Mr. Gurney, Prof. Britton, Dr. Warner and Dr. Hallock were about six feet away from her and the others could see her perfectly well. She then placed one of the sheets on the table in front of her and kept several pencils between her fingers. Dr. Hallock never lost sight of her as he had promised.
It was all set when Mrs. French then warned that the experience was about to begin saying: ‘Time’. Then a sudden movement of the hand and for some time, both hands; a distinct noise was heard as if on the paper; the pencils and the paper were thrown away, to a certain distance, on the floor, by a jerky movement. It all lasted 21 seconds. The drawing shows a bouquet of flowers, composed of hyacinths, lilies, tulips, etc.
The same happened to the other sheets of paper. The second one also shows flowers. The third, a beautiful bunch of grapes with its shoots, leaves, etc. It was done in 21 seconds. Number 4 is a branch and leaves containing fruits similar to apricots. The leaves are a sort of moss. Before doing this, Mrs. French asked the observers how long they would allow her to have to finish it. Some said 10 seconds, others less than that. Well, said Mrs. French, on my count of one look at your watches. When she counted 4 the drawing was finished. Attention! One, two, three, four and the drawing was done! The fifth was a shrub of red currants with 12 bunches of unripe fruits, with their flowers and leaves, surrounded by leaves of another species. This drawing was introduced by Mrs. French to Mr. Bruckmaster, from Pittsburg, as if sent by his sister, according to a promise that she had made to him. Two seconds were necessary for that one. Number six, that can be considered the masterpiece of the whole series, is a 9”× 4”. It consists of white flowers and leaves painted on a dark background, that is, the drawing was done in the natural color of the paper while the outlines and interiors using colored pencils. With the exception of two drawings produced in the same way but on a different occasion, all drawings are done by pencil on top of a white background. In the center of those flowers at the bottom of the page there is a hand holding an open book, measuring 1” and ¼” × ¾”. The corners are not exactly at right angles but what is really remarkable is the fact that the holes made earlier by the pins to facilitate identification of the sheets outline the four corners of the book. On top of the left hand side page it reads: Galatians VI, followed by the first six verses and part of the sixteenth of that Chapter, covering almost the whole two pages with very readable characters in good lighting, with a naked eye or with the use of a magnifying glass. There were more than a hundred legible words. The time spent for that was 13 seconds. When people were able to attest the coincidence between the holes in the paper and the ribbon Mrs. French, still in trance, asked those around to certify what they had just witnessed in writing. People then wrote over the margin of the drawing: ‘Executed in 13 seconds in our presence by Mrs. French. Certified, by the signed below on November 22nd, 1860 at number 8, Fourth Avenue and followed by nineteen signatures.”
We don’t have any reason to doubt the authenticity of the event or to be suspicious about Mrs. French’s good-faith, despite the fact that we don’t know her. We must acknowledge, however, that the whole procedure may seem little convincing to our incredulous, to whom there would not be a lack of objections, saying that the whole procedure kept some similarity with those of conjuring, that does all that without so much apparent difficulties. We must confess that we agree a little bit with them. The fact that the drawings were made is undisputable. It is only the origin that does not seem to be unequivocally established. In any case, if we admit that not a single trick was used, it is unarguably one of the most remarkable facts of direct writings and drawings, whose possibility is explained by the theory. Without such theory events as these would be promptly thrown into the common ditch of fables or magic tricks. However, for the very reason that it explains the conditions under which such events may take place they help us to become better observers and to not admit them unless we have enough proof.
The American mediums definitely have a specialty for the production of extraordinary phenomena since the press in that country has plenty of facts of that kind, far from what happens with the European mediums. Thus, from the other side of the Atlantic they say that we are still well behind in matters of Spiritism. When we asked the spirits about such a difference they said: “Each one with their mission. Yours is not the same and God did not give you the least part in the works of regeneration.”
Considering the merit of the mediums by the speed of execution, the energy and the power of the effects, ours are weaker when compared to those; however we know many people who would not exchange the simple and consoling communications that they receive by the prodigies of the American mediums. Those communications are sufficient to give them faith and they prefer the ones that touch their souls to the others that impress the eyes; the moral teachings that give consolation and make them better to the phenomena that cause admiration. There was a short time in Europe when the physical events drew great attention but that were soon replaced by the philosophy that opens up a broader avenue to our minds, tending towards the final and providential target of Spiritism: social regeneration. Each people has its own genius and special tendencies, and everyone within the limits assigned to it, concurs with the designs of Providence., The most advanced shall be the ones that walk faster on the path of moral progress because that is the one who will be closer to God’s designs.
Exploitation of Spiritism
Varieties
The visions of Mr. O…
The following article was extracted from the Spiritual Review, London April 1861 issue:
“Mr. O… was a kind man from Gloucestershire who had never had any visions up until the day he moved to P…, on October 3rd, 1859. About fifteen days after his arrival he began to have the visions at night. It started just as rays of light that illuminated his bedroom, passing through the window. He did not bother with them, thinking that they were produced by the guard’s lantern or from lightning. One evening, he was staring at a wall when he saw the formation of a flower followed by several stars. On another evening, he saw two magnificent angels playing a trumpet in the mysterious light. On that night he had gone to bed earlier than usual since he was not feeling very well. As Mr. O lay in bed, he experienced a gentle sensation in the presence of the two angels, a feeling that persisted even after they had gone. The same light appeared the following week, but in the shape of a boy embracing a small cat. He also saw several other figures but they appeared too fuzzy to be distinguished. In March, he saw the profile of a lady surrounded by a radiant circle. He then recognized it was his mother and cried with joy: ‘Mom, my mother!’ but the vision soon vanished. In the same evening he saw a beautiful and welldressed lady wearing a hat. A couple of days later he saw a small dog and a boy. He then saw a light form that resembled a window and whose border was not well defined, and that repeated four times, the first 3 visions lasted about 30 seconds each. Mr. O… took this seriously and tried to decipher the meaning of the three visions pondering if it meant that he had only three years or three months to live. The light came back once more. He stood up and it then disappeared in about a minute or so. On April 3rd he saw a bright sign producing the effect of a luminous slit and inside the bedroom he saw the face of a man, from whom he could only distinguish the forehead, the eyes and the nose. The eyes were very big and salient, staring at him and then disappearing. He also had the following visions
April 4th – Face and torso of a lady, smiling at two children that were hugging each other. Later Mr. O… saw the head that he recognized by the hair and forehead as being one of his recently deceased friends.
July 27th – A hand, pointing downwards. It first appeared on the wall like a florescent light, only gradually taking the form of a hand. He then saw the head of an elderly man with the hand and a little bird of light grey feathers. The man stared at him solemnly and then disappeared; he felt slightly afraid but at the same time, a pleasant warmth. On that occasion he also saw a roll of paper with some hieroglyphs.
December 12th – A bird feeding its chicks in its nest.
December 13th – Two leopard heads.
December 15th – A strong knock was heard by Ms. S… in her bedroom, waking Mr. O… up.
December 16th – Rings of a bell, also heard by Ms. S… and an angel with a radiant child that transforms into flowers. Also a stag deer head with large antlers.
December 18th – A few faces and a couple of pigeons.
December 20th – Several faces of men, women and children.
January 1st – A large ship followed by a child’s head that moves from behind the ship.
January 3rd – A cherub and a child.
“One evening he saw a picture, like a painting showing a magnificent portrayal. It was as a clearing in the darkness; he saw fields, trees… a wandering man and a cow. The scenery was illuminated by the most beautiful sunshine. Something common to all the sightings is that they generally illuminate the room, showing the furniture as in broad daylight. When the visions stop, it all goes back to darkness. Mr. O… had many more visions that were not annotated.”
This seems to be enough for our assessment and we don’t believe that any well-informed person regarding the causes and nature of the spiritist phenomena may consider them true apparitions. We refer the reader to the first article of this issue when we try to establish the characteristic signs of hallucination, thus understanding the analogy between that and the images described here, considering the large number of animals in the current visions. It is well-known that there are no wandering spirits of animals in the invisible world and hence there could not be any apparition of animals, except in cases in which the spirit forces that type of appearance with a given objective; even in that case it would only be the appearance and not the spirit of this or that animal. There is no discussion that apparitions do exist but one must be careful and not to think that they are seen all over the place and perhaps mistakenly be taken for some sort of tricks played by an easily impressed imagination or the retrospective vision of some images impressed in the brain. The same thoroughness with which Mr. O… reveals certain irrelevant particularities of his visions is an indication of major concerns on his mind. In short, we find nothing in Mr. O’s… visions that identify true apparitions and we even believe that it is very proper to mention such cases that are not followed by adequate comments and prudent reservations since these are the ones that provide ammunition to criticism.
Grammar and the Spirits
Spiritist Teachings and Dissertations
Mediums’ Role in the Communications (Obtained by Mr. D’Ambel, a medium at the Society)When we are able to find a medium that is well equipped with knowledge acquired in his present life and also with a wealth of knowledge acquired in previous existences in a latent state that facilitates our communications and we prefer that since our communication is much easier than using a medium whose intelligence is limited and of insufficient previous knowledge. We will clarify this through some precise and clear explanations.
Our spirit to spirit communication is instantaneous with a medium that has a current or previous intelligence well developed and the phenomenon happens by a skill that is in the very nature of the spirit. In that case we find the necessary conditions in the brain of the medium that allows us to cover our thoughts with words that are acknowledged by the medium, and that is in the case of intuitive, semi-mechanical and purely mechanical medium. That is why whatever the diversity of spirits that communicates through a given medium, the dictations thus obtained always have some personal contribution from that particular medium.
Yes, although the thought may be completely foreign to the medium; although the subject may be derived from the usual circumstances of the medium; and although what we want to say does not come from the medium absolutely; he still influences the communication by the skills and capabilities that are inherent to that person. It is the same as observing a scenery through different lenses and filters, say green, white and blue. Although the landscape or the observed objects are entirely independent from one another they still keep a common shade that comes from the lens filter.
Even better, the mediums may be compared to those glass bottles filled with colored and transparent liquids found in pharmacies. We, from our side, are like the rays of light that enlighten you about certain moral, philosophical and intimate points of view, through the blue, green or red mediums, so that our radiant rays of light are obliged to pass through the more or less transparent glasses, of better or inferior quality, that is, through more or less intelligent mediums, and those light beams cannot reach their objectives but by coloring with the shades or the specific forms and characteristics of those mediums.
Finally, and to end the comparison, we the spirits are like composers of our own music or a musician that wants to improvise an aria but has only a piano or a violin or flute or a bass or even a cheap whistle at hand. It is undisputable that the piece will be better understood by the audience with the piano, the flute or the violin. Although the sounds of the piano, the violin and the bass are essentially different, our composition will still be the same except for the nuances of the sound. However, if we only have a whistle at our disposal, with only two holes below for funneling the air; for us, there lies the difficulty.
In fact when we are obliged to use less advanced mediums, our work is more tedious, more painful, for we are forced to employ inadequate means and that is more complicated for us, because we are then forced to breakdown our thoughts and conduct, word for word, letter by letter, which is annoying and tiresome and real obstacle to the speed and development of our manifestations.
That is why we are so glad when we find suitable mediums, well equipped, endowed with the necessary materials to be promptly used, in a word, good instruments because then our perispirit acting upon the perispirit of that medium, only needs to give the first impulse to the serving hand that holds the pencil or the pen; while with the limited mediums we are obliged to do similar work as when we communicate by rapping, that is, pointing out, letter by letter, word by word, for each phrase that translates every thought that we wish to communicate.
These are the reasons that lead us preferably to the more educated and enlightened classes for the propagation of Spiritism and the development of mediumistic writing faculties, although it is exactly in that social class that we find the greatest numbers of doubters, rebellious and immoral individuals. But it is the same as we leave to you today, the less advanced spirits produce tangible communications; the raps and movements of objects, the same applies to those individuals among you who are less serious and prefer phenomenon that impresses their eyes or their ears to those that are purely spiritual and psychological.
When we wish to provide spontaneous dictations, we act with our minds upon the brain of the medium, assembling our material with the elements that we provide and all of it is unconsciously done to the medium. It happens as if we were to take all the money from your pocket and then arrange all the coins accordingly, to how we would feel the most useful.
When the medium wishes to question us directly it is advisable that he gives a lot of thought to that and proceeds in a methodical manner, thus facilitating our work in providing the answers. For as Erastus told you in the preceding instruction, your brain may often be in a state of inextricable disorder and that for us it is a hard and painful process to penetrate the labyrinth of your thoughts.
When the questions are to be asked by others, it is advisable and useful that they be read to the medium first, so that it can be identified with the evoked spirit, becoming permeated by it, so to speak; because that then makes it much easier for us to respond by the affinity which now exists between our perispirit and the medium that serves as our interpreter.
We can certainly talk about Math through a medium that knows nothing about it. However, the medium may often have that knowledge in a latent state, that is, characteristic of the invisible creature and not to the incarnated one, because his current body may be a rebellious instrument to that kind of knowledge. The same may be said of Astronomy, Poetry, Medicine and the multiple languages, as with everything else related to human knowledge. Finally there is the laborious work of putting together letters and words, like in typography, utilized with mediums that are completely unaware of the subject that is presented.
As we said before, the spirits don’t need to paint their thoughts. They detect and transmit their thoughts just by the simple fact that they have them. The corporeal beings, on the contrary, need the thoughts to be coated. While you need the letter, the word, the noun, the verb, and the full statement to understand something, even mentally, we do not need any visible or tangible form.
Erastus and Timothy, spiritual guides of the medium
The Hospital (Received by Mr. Didier, a medium at the Society)
No sooner than having taken a few steps, as I was absorbed by these thoughts; as our thoughts travel faster than we do, I was approached by a young man with a yellow appearance who was shivering and unceremoniously asked me for a light for his pipe. He was a medical student. No sooner said than done; I also smoked and established a conversation with the stranger. Pale, emaciated and weakened by vigils, with a wide forehead and sad eyes, these were my impressions of him. He seemed thoughtful and we read each other’s mind.
• I have just come from doing a dissection, he said, but all I found was matter. Oh! My God, he added in a cold blooded tone, if you want to get rid of that strange disease called belief in the immortality of the soul, come with me and see the daily dissolution of that matter that we call the body, come and see how to turn off these enthusiastic brains, the generous hearts that deteriorate; come and see that they all find the same void. What foolishness to believe!
I then asked him his age.
• I am twenty-four years old. I leave you now because it is too cold.
I saw him leaving and asked myself: Is this the result of Science?
To be continued.
Gérard de Nerval
NOTE: A few days later Mrs. Costel received the following communication in private, whose analogy with the preceding one carries a special meaning.
One evening I strolled around the deserted docks. It was sunny and warm and the golden stars stood out against the dark blue sky. The elegantly rounded moon and its white ray shone like a smile upon the deep water. The poplars, silent guardians of the banks, launched their slender forms, while I passed by slowly, looking at the reflection of the stars in the water and God’s reflection in the vastness of the vaulted blue. A woman walked ahead of me and I followed her steps out of pure curiosity, my steps seemingly regulated by hers. We walked like that for a long time. When we then approached the façade of Hôtel-Dieu (Christian Hospital, House of God) with its illuminated holes here and there the woman stopped, then looked at me and said, as if I were her companion:
• My friend, do you believe that those who suffer here feel more pain in their souls than in their bodies? Or do you believe that physical pain extinguishes the divine spark?
• I believe, I said profoundly surprised, that for the majority of the unfortunate people that suffer and agonize at this very moment, the physical pain is their rest hence they forget their usual misfortune.
• You are mistaken, friend, she said with a compassionate smile. The illness is a supreme anguish to the disowned of this Earth, to the poor, to the ignorant and to the abandoned ones. It does not bring obliviousness but to those like you who only suffer the nostalgia of the dreams and whose pains are crowned with violets.
I tried to respond but with a gesture she stopped me, and pointing her hand towards the hospital she said:
• Unfortunate people struggle there, calculating the number of hours that the disease stole from their paychecks; anguished women think of the cabarets that stuns the pain and the husbands who leave their hungry children behind; there, beyond, and everywhere the earthly concerns muffle and diminish the weak spark of hope that finds no dwelling in those desolated souls. God is even more forgotten by these miserable people torn apart by their sufferings than he is in their normal toil. This happens because God is too far away, too high in the skies, and misery is very close. What to do then to allow those men and women to leave their corporeal lives with dignity, instead of falling like insects; or even, to help them mitigate their sorrow and desperation when facing the battles of life and death? You, dreamer, you that writes verses about the Moon, haven’t you given any thought to this formidable problem than can only be resolved by two things: charity and love?
That woman seemed to grow bigger and I felt divine goose bumps running all over my body. She continued to speak and her great voice seemed to fill the city with harmony:
• Listen up! She said. Go all of you, the powerful, the wealthy, the intelligent ones, go and spread the good news. Tell the unfortunate ones that God, their father, is no longer hidden in the inaccessible heavens and that God is sending them back the spirits of their lost loved ones, to console them and to help them out; that their parents, mothers, children, sees them at their bedside, communicating with them in a well-known language, telling them that there is a new dawn beyond the grave that dissipates like the clouds; the Earthly evils. The angel opened the eyes of Tobias; may the angel of love in turn open the closed souls of those who suffer hopelessly!
Having said that, this woman gently touched my eyes and I could see the spirits through the walls of the hospital, like pure flames illuminating the desolated rooms. Their union with humanity was consumed; the wounds of the soul and the body were healed and soothed with a balm of hope. Legions of spirits, more numerous and brighter than the stars, cleared the way before the suffering ones, chasing away the impure vapors of despair, doubt and of the air and the Earth, like a raging river that escaped with only one word: love.
I remained motionless for a long time and as if transported out of my body; then darkness invaded Earth once more and the space was empty again. I looked around but the woman was gone. I was scared and oblivious to everything around me. Since that evening I have been called the dreamer, the mad one. Oh! What a gentle and sublime madness is the belief in life after the grave! And how depressing and stupid the crazy idea that shows the void as the only reward to our miseries and to our modest and obscure virtues! Who is the mad one here: the one that has hope or the one who despairs?
Alfred de Musset
After this last communication was read Gérard de Nerval then spontaneously writes the following, through another medium, Mr. Didier:
“My honorable friend Musset finished for me. We agreed to that. All we needed was that his continuation would give precisely the answer to the first part that I gave you, and it was also necessary to have a different style and more comforting images.”
Prayer (Sent by Mr. Sabò, from Bordeaux)
It is prayer; prayer is the one that can protect people against that ocean of horrible monsters like pride, envy, rage, hypocrisy, lies, impurity, materialism and blasphemy! Prayer is the strongest levee you can build, made of rock and cement, bearing with you in the bloody fight against those monsters which will hopelessly fall over the cliff to the abyss!
Oh! Heartily prayer, unstoppable invocation of the Creator by its creature, if they only knew your strength, how many hearts would have reached out to you in their weaknesses! You are the precious antidote that cures the almost always fatal ulcers forced by matter onto the spirit, carrying in their veins the poison of brutality.
However, how small is the number of those who pray well! Do you really believe that you deserve a lot from God just because you spent a long time reciting formulas and reading books? Make no mistake! The real good prayer is the one that comes out of your heart. It is all clarity. It may even show some anguish or the desire for forgiveness and the good spirits take that prayer along and deposit it at the feet of our just and kind Father, and God feels that incense as a pleasant aroma.
God then sends back the large numbers of troops needed to fortify those who pray well against the spirit of evil. They become strong as immovable rocks; they break against the waves of human passions, and when they have found pleasure within these struggles, of which must be filled with merit, they build, like the halcyon, their nests amid the storms.
Fenelon