Bulletin of the Parisian Society of Spiritist StudiesNotice
The office of The Spiritist Review and the private home of Mr.
Allan Kardec were transferred to Rue Sainte-Anne, 59, Sainte-Anne
passageway.
Friday, June 29th, 1860
(Private Session)
Reading of the works and minutes of the June 22nd session.
Reading of a letter from Dr. de Grand-Boulogne, former French Vice
Consul, who requests to be admitted as a corresponding member from
Havana, where he is expected to move soon.
MULTIPLE COMMUNICATIONS:
1st – Reading of a spontaneous essay obtained by Mrs. Costel,
about the Origins, signed by Lazarus.
2nd – Report of recent physical manifestations that took place
at Rue des Noyers, appearing in several newspapers, reminding
similar facts that occurred in 1849 at Rue des Grès. Some members added that those events at Rue de Grès resulted from
deception created by the tenant in order to cancel his lease. Dr.
Grand-Boulogne mentioned that he can ensure authenticity of
those facts. Besides, Mr. de Mirville, who was careful enough
to collect every significant detail necessary to guarantee the occurrence
of the events, reported them. Another member makes
the comment that in similar circumstances, and given the attraction
of crowds of curious people, it becomes a nuisance to those
involved that then get rid of them by associating the events to
pure malevolence. The owner is the first one to have total interest
in denying the events. That is why similar facts are often
repudiated.
STUDIES:
1st – Discussion about the merits and efficacy of the trials of a
righteous person; having endured in order to relieve suffering
and unfortunate spirits, with respect to a passage from Dr. de
Grand-Boulogne’s letter. A comment was made regarding the fact
that once the efficacy of prayer is proven, as a demonstration of
sympathy and piety; we can assume that the self-imposed trials,
which have the same objective, should produce the same effects
of the prayer. The intention is everything in such a case and may
be seen as an even more feverous prayer than that said in words.
2nd – Mrs. N… indicates doubts about the identity of the
spirit that gave her some advices in the previous session, and that
she does not consider applicable. She requests to have it questioned
through another medium if the spirit that had communicated
was truly St. Louis. She added that she noticed, a not so
much benevolent feeling in the considerations that were given,
which is not coherent with his customary kindness. That is why
she was in doubt.
St. Louis was questioned about it through Mrs. H…, responding:
“Yes, it was I who came to write those lines and give
you advice. You are mistaken by taking my advice badly. It is
necessary that whoever wants to advance in the avenue of good
learns to accept the advice and warnings given to them, even
when their self-love is hurt. The proof of your advancement is
in the calm and humble way by which you receive them. In the
past, when I was on Earth, haven’t I given demonstrations of
great humility, quietly complying with the church’s decisions,
even the penitence imposed on me, however humiliating they
might have been? You must thus be kind and humble, if you
are not proud; accept the advice; strive to correct yourselves
and you shall advance.”
Mr. T… observes that St. Louis had not always submitted
to the church when alive, since he fought against its
pretensions.
St. Louis responds: “When I say that I submitted to the punishments
imposed by the leaders of the church, I told you the
truth. However, I did not tell you that my behavior was always
faultless. I was a great sinner before God, although people have
later awarded me with the glorious title of Saint.”
Mr. Allan Kardec adds that St. Louis always accepted the
decisions of the church with respect to the dogma; he only fought
pretensions of another nature.
3rd – Questions raised about St. Louis’ advice regarding physical
manifestations, with recommendations to the Society not to
get involved with that.
4th – Questions about mediumship in children, with reference
to the manifestations that occurred in the last session with
the young N…
5th – Questions posed about the manifestations at Rue de
Noyers.
6th – Two simultaneous communications received: the first
by Mrs. Costel, about Thought’s Electricity, signed by Delphine de
Girardin; the second by Mrs. Lubr…, regarding the advices given
by the spirits, signed by Paul, a familiar spirit.
Friday, July 6th, 1869
(Private Session)
Reading of the works and minutes of the June 29th session.
MULTIPLE COMMUNICATIONS:
1st – Mr. Achille R… reads a letter from Limoges, in which the
author speaks of a medium friend of his who is lead to work between
eight and nine hours per day by a spirit. He says that the
spirit gives him an infallible criterion to ensure the identity of the
spirits, avoiding deception; but he is advised to keep this and the
communications as a secret.
Mr. Allan Kardec comments that he sees three reasons for
suspicion in this case: first is the duration of the work imposed
on to the medium, this being always an indication of
obsession. There is no doubt that the spirits may ask the medium
to write, but in general this is not imperative and there
is no absolute prescription about the duration of the works or
the time. On the contrary, the spirits stop the medium when
there is excessive dedication. The second point is the supposedly
infallible criterion to ascertain the identity of the spirits.
Finally, the third one is the request for secrecy. If the prescription
were good, there would be no reason for mystery. It seems
that the spirit wants to excite the medium in order to drive
him at will, favoring the supposed infallibility of his process.
It is likely that the spirit is afraid that others may see things clearly, revealing his maneuvers. That is why silence is recommended
so that there is no opposition. It is a means of always
being right.
STUDIES:
1st – Evocation of François Arago through Ms. H… St. Louis
responds that this medium is not adequate to that spirit. He
advises another choice. Several questions are addressed regarding
this subject about the special skills of a medium to receive
communications from this or that spirit. Here is the answer:
“A spirit comes preferably to a person whose ideas sympathize
with their own when alive. There is an agreement of thoughts
between Heavens and Earth, still more significant than on
Earth.
2nd – Question proposed by Mr. Count Z…about the distinction
made by certain somnambulistic mediums who designate
men as blue lights and women as white light. He asks if the
perispirits have different colors according to the gender. The spirit
that was questioned responds: “That has no relationship with our
world; it is a purely physical fact depending on the person who
sees it. There are some men who cannot see certain colors when
in the waking state or see them in a different way from others.
The same happens to those who are asleep. Some can see what
others cannot.”
3rd – Four spontaneous essays were received; the first
through Ms. Huet, from the spirit that continues to write his
memories; the second by Mr. Didier about Spiritual Electricity,
signed by Lamennais; the third by Mrs. Costel, about the
High Trues of Spiritism, signed by Lazarus; the fourth by Ms.
Stephan, about Each Task to Each Person, signed by Gustave
Lenormand.
Friday, July 13th, 1860
(General Session)
Reading of the works and minutes of the July 6th session.
Mr. Eugène de Porry, from Marseille, pays tribute to the Society with
his new poem entitled Linda, Gallic Legend. The Society remembers the
nice poem Urania, from the same author, thanking him for his new work.
Ms. P… had the task of reporting it.
MULTIPLE COMMUNICATIONS:
1st – Mr. S… transmits a note about a man that committed suicide
last year at Rue Quincampoix in order to exempt his son from the
military service. His evocation is thought to be instructive.
2nd – Mr. de Grand-Boulogne sends a note about Mr.
Seih-ben-Moloka, a Muslim man who had just died in Tunisia, at
the age of one hundred and ten years and whose life was remarkable
for his charitable actions.
A conversation is established about longevity. Mr. de GrandBoulogne,
who has lived among the Arabs for a long time, says that
such examples are not so rare among them, leading him to believe
in the influence of sobriety. He met one that was about one hundred
and fifty years old. Mr. Count Z… says that Siberia might be
the place where longevity is more frequent. Sobriety and climate
have no doubt great influence in life’s duration. But what must
definitely contribute to that is piece of mind and absence of moral
concerns that generally affect life in the civilized society, wearing
it out prematurely. That is the reason why we can find a higher
amount of elderly people among those who are closer to nature.
3rd – Mr. Allan Kardec tells a personal story that shows the
desire of certain spirits who were never evoked to be evoked. They
take advantage of any opportunity to communicate when the occasion
may arise.
4th – Several members comment about the protest published
in several newspapers by Mr. Lerible, former coal trader from Rue
de Grès, where remarkable manifestations took place in 1849 and
whose authenticity had been questioned.
STUDIES:
1st – Critical analysis of Lamennais’ essay about the Spiritual
Electricity, given on the July 6th session.
2nd – The person who committed suicide at Rue Quincampoix
is evoked.
3rd – Evocation of Gustave Lenormand.
4th – Several questions about the mediums.
5th – Three spontaneous essays: first, about the Spirits’
Knowledge by Channing; the second, a continuation of the
Electricity of Thought, by Delphine de Girardin; the third one
about Charity, signed by Lamennais, with respect to the news
that were read about Seih-ben-Moloka, the Muslim.
Friday, July 20th, 1860
(Private Session)
Reading of the works and minutes of the July 13th session.
The President makes an observation that since some time now we are
no longer reading, as agreed, the names of the spirits that request assistance.
From now on this shall be done after the general evocation.
MULTIPLE COMMUNICATIONS:
1st – Two essays read, obtained by Mr. C…, a new medium: one
about Man’s Pretensions, signed by Massilon; the other about the
Future, signed by St. Louis. Mr. C… asks if there wouldn’t be a
replacement of the spirit, particularly in the last case, irrespective of his opinion. After a careful examination the Society acknowledges
that its content is of an indisputable superiority and there is
nothing in that message that may contradict St. Louis’ character,
thus concluding that it has to come from an elevated spirit.
2nd – Another essay obtained by Ms. Costel about Experience,
and signed by Georges.
The President announces that several of the new members
have made remarkable progress as mediums of several types. He
invites them to inform the Society about the works that they
have obtained. The Society has time limitation for its works.
It must be the center of collection of those results obtained in
private sessions. It would be even selfish to keep for themselves
works that could be useful to all. Furthermore, it is a means
of controlling those messages by the clarifications that may result
from them, unless the medium is convinced of the infallibility
of his communications, or like that one from Limoges,
the medium had received the recommendation of keeping the
messages as a secret, which would certainly be a bad sign and
double reason for suspicion. The first quality of a medium is
total abnegation from self-esteem, like that of false modesty,
and that is why the medium cannot take the credit for what is
good nor be criticized for bad communications. The Society is
a family whose members, given to reciprocal benevolence, must
be driven by the sole desire of enlightenment, banishing any
sense of personality and rivalry, if they understand the Doctrine
as true Spiritists.
By the way, Mr. C… gave a very good example showing that
he is not one of those mediums who think that they have nothing
to learn because they receive a few communications signed by
great names. The more important the names the more one must
be afraid of being tricked by deceiving spirits.
3rd – Mr. Achille R… reads a letter reporting a curious case of
spontaneous manifestation that took place in a prison in Limoges,
whose authenticity was verified by the author of the letter. To be
published below under the title Varieties.
4th – Mr. Allan Kardec tells another very original story that
was reported to him last year by a visitor that he does not remember
the name or the address, and thus he cannot request confirmation.
The story is the following:
A doctor who was a believer spoke about Spiritism with his friend, who
was a skeptical, saying:
• I will make a test I don’t know if I will succeed. In any case I
cannot promise anything. Tell me the name of a living person
to whom you are very sympathetic. The friend then indicated a
young lady who lived in a very distant town, also known by the
doctor who then said:
• Go for a stroll in the garden and see what is going to happen. I repeat
that this is an experiment and may result in nothing. During
his friend’s stroll he evoked the young lady. Fifteen minutes later
his friend came back and said:
• I have just seen her. She was dressed in white, came close to me,
shook my hand and vanished. What is really strange is that she
left this ring in my finger. The doctor then immediately sent the
lady’s father the following telegram:
• Ask me nothing. Answer immediately and tell me what was your
daughter doing at 3pm and how she was dressed. The answer:
• At 3pm my daughter was with me in the living room. She was
wearing a white dress; she fell asleep for 15 or 20 minutes but
when she woke up she noticed that she no longer had the ring that
she usually wears.
A discussion was established regarding this and several levels of possibility
or impossibility were examined. St. Louis was questioned about it
and responded:
• The fact of the apparition is possible; the contribution of the perispirit
of the living person is not less possible. Everything is certainly
possible to God but he does not allow such things except,
very rarely. A detached spirit may realize those contributions more
easily. As for telling you if that did in fact happen, I don’t know.
NOTE: Once this fact is published we would kindly ask the person
who told us that to come forward and provide further clarifications about
it.
STUDIES:
1st – Questions about spirits that take other people’s names
2nd – The spirit from Rue des Noyers is evoked.
3rd – Five spontaneous essays are obtained: the first is from
Lamennais that requests a correction of his text about Charity; the
second about the Victims of Siria, signed by Jean; the third about
Intelligence Aberrations, signed by Georges; the fourth about the
Mediums’ Mistakes, signed by Paul; the fifth about the Mediums’
Support, signed by Gustave Lenormand.
During the session very distinctive knocks were heard near Ms. Stephan.
It was the spirit of Gustave that, as he said, wanted to force her to write, although
she was not aware of that. He thought that this would be a means
of provoking questions, forcing her to come to the table, since he wanted
to give a communication through her.
After the session, in a private communication, St. Louis was asked if
he was satisfied, to which he responded: “Yes and no. You made a mistake
by allowing continuous whispering by certain members while the spirits were interrogated. Sometimes you receive communications that need serious
reply from your side and answers even more serious from the evoked
spirits who will be unhappy with this, I can assure you. Hence, you shall
not receive anything perfect because the medium gets seriously distracted,
compromising his work. Here is what you need to do: read these observations
in the next session, which shall be understood by all members. Tell
them that this is not a room for conversations.”
