LIKE ATTRACTS LIKE.

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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. prophecy of my father has begun to be fullfilled: "Soul to soul like the blending of light, will our souls mingle."

The

"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

CONQUERING NERVOUS TENSION.

59 its increased freedom from the domination of sense. Whatever makes the body purer, and whatever tends to free us from sense conditions, will give us the condition we desire.

To become passive or negative, we must learn to lay aside every care and annoyance. We find that their very anxiety to develop acts as a hindrance to many. This care, like every other one, must be laid wholly by.

Remaining perfectly quiet in body will help us to attain that end. Several years ago, being engaged in teaching nine consecutive classes, besides the care of my Seminary, I would find myself so exhausted after dinner that I could not rest. An instinct, as I then supposed, the influence of my departed parents, as I now know, led me to draw the shades down, and to sit in my most comfortable chair, with my back to the light, and to keep perfectly quiet. For some ten minutes I would have to use all the strength of my will to keep absolutely motionless, for I found that I must not only seem quiet, but that there must not be the slightest unseen contraction of any muscle in my whole.body. I never found anything more difficult to do, as my previous labor had almost nullified the tone of my nerves. But after holding myself thus in absolute stillness, in a few moments the nervous tension was suddenly relieved, and for a little while I could really rest, and then go about my work with renewed strength. I mention this experience, so that any similarly conditioned may be. benefitted by doing the same. But truth compels me to add that since forming the habit of the processes to be described in this book, I no longer fall into those nervous tensions, though frequently subjected to nervous

60

ALL UNKIND FEELINGS EXCLUDED.

and mental exertions far surpassing those of the time just alluded to.

To return: the first mental state to be attained is absolute indifference to every care, no matter how engrossing it may be. The mother in deep anxiety over the alarming illness of her child must be able to throw even this care aside, when she withdraws for a moment into her inner nature, in order to receive spiritual help. Thus doing, she will also aid her child. Almost maddened with anxiety, there is no room in her mind for the helpful suggestions that her angels are trying to give her. But let her empty her mind for a moment, and a sudden inspiration may tell her of something that will relieve the little sufferer. Moreover, her nervous system being calmed by the moment's respite and by the aid of those who minister from above, a most soothing influence will flow from her own system on the little

one.

The business man, and all anxious ones, however engaged, must learn how to enter into their inner closet, and to "shut to the door" on all the worriments that beset them. A few moments yielded to these silent, invisible influences may make all the difference between success and failure in the work of the day.

But not only must all care and trouble be laid aside: all anger, all bitterness, all indignation, no matter how well founded, must be entirely excluded from the mind. The unkindest deeds, the bitterest insults, must be regarded with indifference. This does not mean that we are to be stolid or stoical. The thought of those who have injured us must be gentle, quiet, forgiving, and at least indifferent, if we cannot succeed in making it well

MEDIUMS IN SPECIAL DANGER.

61

wishing. To some, this is more difficult than to lay aside anxieties and cares. But it must be done.

To lay our souls open to invisible influence, and at the same time to indulge in anger and bitterness is to be mad indeed. It is to open the door of our precious soul, our inner, most cherished possession, to some disembodied spirit who is filled with similar passions. The spirit of some murderer, filled with yet more baleful passions by "the deep damnation of his taking off" than even those of the hour of his crime, may be passing by. Seeing your heart a prey to the evil feelings that rack his own, he enters the open door; and, quite unknowing why, you feel more angry and bitter than you did before.

Persons often wonder why mediums so often evince envy, jealousy, and petty spite. They are sensitives, and therefore susceptible to every passing influence. More than ordinary persons do they need to watch themselves closely, and to pay special attention to soul-culture and character-building. Mary Magdalene was one of these. Sensitive and susceptible, in an evil hour she yielded to stormy passion, and not only one, but seven undeveloped spirits took possession of her inner being. Another medium, whose strong will shut the door against all baser spirits, was able to conquer all seven, and thus to set her free. It is no wonder that she "loved much," and that her adoring love led her alone in the morning twilight to his tomb, and made her the first to see him in his spiritual form.

When engaged in doing missionary work from place to place, in one town a young lady came to me to take a private lesson in soul-development. She was positive