54

DRAGGING SPIRITS DOWN.

whom the communications come should therefore seek to rise to the pure motives and the exalted designs of those spirits who have opened the door between the two worlds. By no means should they lend themselves to the tricky and selfish doings of lower spirits, who use the door merely to amuse, thus hindering their own advancement, as well as that of the medium and his "sitters."

In the common acceptation of the word, a Spiritualist seems to be one who knows that the so-called dead are alive, because they can sometimes give evidence of their existence to their friends on the earth-plane. "Spiritualists," it seems to us, fall into two great classes, though, as is the case with all immaterial things, the line of demarcation between the two is not very well defined.

One class seems to wish to drag the denizens of the spirit world into physical conditions. They want their "dead" friends to be on the earth and of the earth, to be interested in all mundane affairs, even the fit of a dress and the selling of real estate. They are so hemmed in by the physical that they even want these disembodied friends to get again into a physical body, so that they can feel them again with their fleshly hands, and can see them drink coffee and eat candy again. Materialization, that most wonderful chemical process, so well suited to carry conviction of spirit existence into the heart of a materialist, is regarded by this class of Spiritualists as the Ultima Thule of Spiritualism; and they would far rather attend a materializing seance and see a spirit make yards of lace and finally dematerialize in the middle of the room, than sit alone at home and

RAISING MORTALS TO THEIR LEVEL.

55 receive spiritual thoughts into their souls from their dear spirit friends, who know that the unfoldment of the soul itself is the very object for which we were brought into individual existence. If these Spiritualists attend a public meeting they choose one where tests are given rather than one where they "just speak." If the speaker is entranced, they prefer to see his eyes closed than open. If he speaks "under control," they prefer an Indian control to William Denton. They dote on table-tippings, raps, piano-dancing, independent slatewriting, and 'full-form materializations." All these manifestations, so important to sceptics, and the door through which most of us received our first evidence of spirit existence and spirit communion, they seem to take as the be-all and the end-all of the most important event known in the history of the human race.

The other class of Spirtualists want to raise themselves and all whom they can influence to a more spiritual plane. They say, "Instead of dragging spirits down to our level, let us seek to raise mankind to their plane of existence." Instead of making communication to the lonely mourner a basis of trade, they would show the sorrowing one that evidence through another person is the door into the pathway of self-development, so that he may be fitted on passing out to join the company of that dear one who is fast progressing in spirit life. This class of Spiritualists will care for the interests of true mediums, and try by a kindly and generous stated support to remove from them the temptation to abuse and overwork their gift. Realizing that the legitimate work of a medium is with materialistic sceptics, they will try to lead their brethren and sisters into self-development,

56

THE OBJECT OF PHENOMENA.

and thus save them, who profess to be spiritual, from having to commune with the invisible through the ism of another individual.

organ

This class of Spiritualists realize that work in this direction is of two kinds. The first is to cultivate the soul of himself and all who are convinced of the facts of Spiritualism, so that they may become accessible to spirit influence, and in time develop to where they can definitely commune with spirits, exchanging thoughts with them spiritually, as the senses of the spirit body develop. The second is to promote the giving of physical tests, by raps, tips, independent slate writing, materialization, and all such methods to materialistic doubters of existence without a physical body, through the strongest and most moral mediums that can be secured; at the same time showing investigators the highest moral and spiritual aspects of this wonderful movement.

It is emphatically by the door of phenomena that we entered these paths, and so long as we are in the body, these manifestations will form the grounds of evidence, as was the case with Paul. English books are printed by the use of A, B, and C, but as students are not always saying over the alphabet, so is it unprofitable for Spiritualists to advance no further than communication with the invisible world by physical means.

Soul-culture being the real object of the spiritual movement, those engaged in it should endeavor as fast as possible to rise to the condition where they may personally commune with progressing spirits without the intervention of the fleshly body, and the senses thereof. Demanding evidence of this nature at first, on account of being then materialistic, like the rest of man

LIKE ATTRACTS LIKE.

57

kind, who will not believe unless they have the evidence of their eyes and their ears, let us now rise to a more spiritual plane, and never rest till our own communion be established in a more spiritual manner.

Personally, I was convinced of disembodied existence by the sudden dematerialization of the temporary body of a young man I knew, and he has always been proud of what he accomplished on that occasion. Later, it was by table-tipping, under circumstances that excluded mortal efforts and mind-reading, that I found that my father's individual spirit was communicating with me. In those days I had no clair-voyance, no clair-audience, no mediumistic power as I supposed; and long did I haunt seance rooms, in the hope that my dear departed could communicate definitely with me. It was not to be. My disembodied friends said, "Come up higher." I was taught how to develop my own powers, and not weakly commune with my own through some one else. Later, I would see and sometimes hear, and what was still more important to the work done through me, they began to sensibly impress their thoughts on my brain. The prophecy of my father has begun to be fullfilled: "Soul to soul like the blending of light, will our souls mingle."

"The truth can always be had by those who desire it, but each one must seek it for himself. That only which we have within can we see without. If we meet no gods, it is because we harbor none."

EMERSON.

CHAPTER VI.

FIRST MENTAL STEP, PASSIVITY.

The same temper of heart which enables some to receive much more satisfaction from a medium than do others, will, if applied when alone, give good conditions for his own development. And the results will be the more satisfactory, because in addition to actual evidence, he will obtain increased accessibility to disembodied influence himself, and may become in time a medium for other persons less advanced.

This desirable frame of mind is passiveness. Often a disappointed seeker for evidence is told that he is "too anxious." He is exceedingly sorry for this something in himself that prevents his gaining his end, but he does not know how to get rid of it. He is told not to be so positive. Positive, earnest by nature, he does not know how to lay the quality aside at will.

In my own case, though having been thoroughly convinced that our dead friends were still cognizant of our doings, and could sometimes communicate with me through another, I could receive much less from mediums than my friends who were less positive; and I could get nothing myself, not being mediumistic, as I then supposed. Subsequent observation has shown me that all are susceptible to spirit influence, every human being having a spirit body and soul, as well as a physical body. Mediumship, or the preferable term, spiritual susceptibility, is the development of the inner body, and