AND PSYCHICAL UNFOLDMENT ByE.W and M.H.WALLIS Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2018 with funding from Duke University Libraries i https://archive.org/details/guidetomediumshi01wall ) . -?5 / A GUIDE TO MEDIUMSHIP MD PSYCHICAL UNFOLDMENT BY E. W. AND M. H. WALLIS 3ln utym $orta PART I.— Mediumship Explained PART II. — How to Develop Mediumship PART III. —Psychical Powers: How to Cultivate them */ could as soon doubt the existence of the sun ws doubt the fact of my holding communion . with my darting daughter. I thank Qod daily for the privilege.’ —REV. Thos. GbeenbubH THE PROGRESSIVE THINKER THE PROGRESSIVE THINKER PUBLISHING HOUSE 106 LOOMIS ST., CHICAGO, ILLS. Do we indeed desire the dead Should still be near us at our side? Is there no baseness we would hide ? No inner vileness that we dread ? Shall he for whose applause I strove,— I had such reverence for his blame,— See with .clear eye some hidden shame, And I be lessened in his love? I wrong the dead with fears untrue; Shall love be blamed for want of faith ? There must be wisdom with great Death: The dead shall look me through and through. Be near us when we climb or fall; Ye watch, like God, the rolling hours With larger other eyes than ours, To make allowance for us all. Tennyson. PREFACE. Having been frequently asked, during the last twenty- five years, for information and advice concerning Medium- ship and its Development, we have constantly felt the want of a suitable handbook which we could recommend to inquirers and to those who were developing their own mediumistic powers, or assisting in the development of others. As this need has grown more and more pressing with the increasing number of investigators into Spirit¬ ualism, we have endeavored to produce a clear, practical, and serviceable ‘Guide,’ embodying the most comprehen¬ sive explanations and the best counsel that we are able to give, derived from our own experiences and inspira¬ tions, and from those of other writers, both English and American. We have found it advisable to divide this ‘Guide’ into three distinct parts, and, although this arrangement has compelled us to present matters from different points of view, we feel assured that our readers will recognize the advantages that have been gained by the separate con¬ sideration of the many problems involved. Commending this work to the kindly consideration of Spiritualists, and to the thoughtful study of inquirers, we send it forth to the world, with, we trust, the blessings of the angels, in the hope that it may prove helpful to many of our brothers and sisters who are seeking for ‘Light, more Light.’ E. W. and M. H. Wallis. PART I. CONTENTS CHAPTER P Af}B • I.—The Sacred Office of Mediumship .... 5 II. —What is Mediumship?. 10 III. —The Effects of Mediumship.26 IV. —The Phenomena of Mediumship ... # 32 V. —The Difficulties and Delights of Mediumship . 37 VI. —The Different Phases of Mediumship ... 49 VII. —Psychical Susceptibility and Mediumship . . 65 VIII. —Biblical and Modern Mediumship ..... 'il PART I. MEDIUMSHIP EXPLAINED. CHAPTER I. THE SACRED OFFICE OF MEDIUMSHIP. I do not know of any other subject on the face of the earth that can for one moment compare with it (psychical investigation) in importance. On the turning of this in¬ vestigation depends the opinion which the intelligent world is to hold in the future as to the nature and destiny of man.—Rev. Minot J. Savage. What if what we call death is only the passing out of a spirit-self to a more refined or in some way entirely different etheric movement?—in which case a spirit might be perfectly well able to pass through what we call solid Matter, and live its own free and glorious life, on its ap¬ propriate plane, rid of ‘this muddy vesture of decay.’ An inspiring thought! An enchanting hope!—J. Page Hopps. Through the gateway of mediumship for upwards of fifty years the world has been catching glimpses of the glory of the land immortal, and visitants from that ‘bourne’ whence it was erroneously said that ‘no traveler returns’ have made their presence known beyond all doubt or de¬ nial, thus proving the continued conscious existence of human beings and the sequential character of the life hereafter. Though the messages from the unseen have at timed been imperfect and fragmentary, still they have been mes- 6 4 . Guide to Mediumship sages. If but telegraphic despatches, so to speak, instead of voluminous letters; or like telephonic snatches of con¬ versation rather than face-to-face outpourings of thought and feeling, still they have been greetings and comforting assurances of undying affection from the people living in the land ‘beyond the veil.’ Although many a sorrowing soul has longed for further revelation, and regretted the inability of the spirits to comply with the requests for fuller information, still, the gates have been ajar, and sometimes it has truly seemed as though they had been flung wide open—so clear and consoling were the messages from the loved ones on the other side of death’s valley of shadow. The manifestations of the presence of spirits and the evidences of their identity, which have been accumulating during all these years, have solved the ‘great secret,’ and we know that death is not a cul-de-sac, but a thorough¬ fare. The dread of death disappeared altogether with the mists of ignorance, as, through the gateway of medium- ship, the shining presence of ministering spirits, ‘our very own dear departed,’ illumined the pathway which we must all tread to our great promotion. THE STONE ROLLED AWAY. ‘Immortality demonstrated through mediumship’ should be inscribed upon the banner of Spiritualism, for the fact of life beyond the incident of death has been proved beyond all peradventure to millions of intelligent and enlightened people since the new spiritual era was inaugurated. To mediums—the modern mediators— therefore, belong the office and the honor of rolling back the stone from the tomb and establishing faith upon the firm basis of the knowledge (scientifically ascertained and proven) of the continued intelligent existence in the spir¬ itual realm of those who went forth through the death change into light and liberty ‘over there.’ Mediums, as intermediaries, have enabled spirit people to comfort the sad and encourage the weak; to relieve the doubter and console the bereaved; to confirm the old-world A Guide to Mediumship 7 traditions regarding bygone spirit intervention and rev¬ elation, and supplement our hopes and intuitions with proof palpable. Present-day experiences of inspiration and spirit man¬ ifestation make credible and acceptable many things in ancient records which must otherwise have been discarded as superstitious and false. Spiritualism redeems the so- called ‘supernatural’ and ‘miraculous’ occurrences of the Bible, by explaining them and proving their naturalness. The capability claimed for old-time seers and prophets to see angels and hear voices is now known to be a natural faculty, which, in certain people, is perfectly normal, while it can be induced in others by the influence of operators in or out of the body. It can also be cultivated to some degree by most people who care to study the subject and provide the necessary conditions for its development and exercise. The famine, ‘not of bread, nor of water, but of hearing words from the Lord,’ and the loss of the ‘open vision’ of the spirit, which afflicted Christendom for so many years (because of the blind intolerance of zealots •who, in their adherence to the ‘letter,’ crushed out the sensitives through whom the ‘spirit’ might have been revealed), that famine is rapidly passing away, and we are being fed with the living bread of spiritual inspiration, and are grow¬ ing strong enough to welcome the messengers who come to us through the gateway of mediumship from their after¬ death home. THE JOY OF KNOWLEDGE. The intense joy which results from the complete real¬ ization of the actual presence and identity of the so-called dead; of their independent activity; of their unchanged nature and affection—that they are truly alive, thinking, remembering, loving, and happy—that they are just them¬ selves—must be experienced to be understood. Let ideal¬ ists, intuitionalists, and transcendentalists talk as they may about the superiority of those whose inner conscious¬ ness or philosophical attainments enable them to believe 8 A Guide to Mediumship without such evidences, yet even they themselves are thrilled and delighted when they receive actual and satisfactory demonstrations of the personal survival of their own loved ones; and we know of no means whereby such evidences can be obtained save through mediumship. When once the conviction has been driven home, and the truth of spirit ministry has been realized, nothing can destroy it. The Spiritualist stands upon firm ground—the im¬ pregnable rock of ascertained fact. He knows that in¬ tercourse between the two worlds is real, continuous; there¬ fore he is proof against all speculations, denunciations, and adverse theories. Dogmatic condemnations, ‘bogey’ cries, charges of fraud against mediums, fail to move or frighten him. He can ‘speak what he knows and testify to what he has seen’; his positive and affirmative experience and testi¬ mony outweigh all the opposition of ‘doubting Thomases’ who do not know. PATIENCE AND PERSEVERANCE REWARDED. Through the gateway of mediumship the spirits make themselves known in a variety of ways. There are many phases of mediumistic phenomena, and the student will find that he must be patient, painstaking, and persevering if he would make sure of his facts. Careful investigation, possibly prolonged research, under many difficulties and with many discouragements, will be required; but ‘success is certain if energy fail not,’ and the results will ade¬ quately recompense him for all sacrifice and struggle! For in the light of the demonstrated fact of continued conscious existence after death, it is clear that man is even now ‘a spirit served by organs’—that consequently the basis of all religious experience and affirmation is the spiritual con¬ sciousness of mankind. There could be no revelation to man of spiritual truth or moral duty if he were not a spirit possessing the capabilities of receiving and comprehending, of interpreting and applying, the revelations and inspira¬ tions which appeal to and quicken the inner (and higher) self. A Guide to Mediumship 9 Spiritualism is the science, philosophy, and religion of Life. As the Rev. H. R. Haweis has truly said: “It leads us to the centre and source of life; it reveals to us the bright galaxy of ministering spirits, the Jacob’s ladder which reaches from earth to Heaven, and upon which the angels of God are ascending and descending. Spiritualism has told us of the remedial world beyond. It points us to life, not death, for “ ’Tis life not death for which we pant; ’Tis life of which our nerves are scant, More life and fuller that we want.” The corner-stone of the Temple of the Spirit, rejected by the literalists, must be again placed in position, and ‘spiritual gifts’ must be coveted and cultivated. Then the gates may be more fully opened and the angels freely come through to proclaim the glad tidings of life con¬ tinuous, progressive, and joyous here and hereafter; and so the worship of God may find expression in the loving service rendered by man to man in both worlds. 16 A Guide to Medium ship CHAPTER II. WHAT IS MEDIUMSHIP ? There is an unseen cord which binds The whole wide world together; Through every human life it winds— This one mysterious tether. There are no separate lives; the chain, Too subtle for our seeing, Unites us all upon the plane Of universal being. Ella Wheeler Wilcox. Positive observation proves the existence of a psychic world as real to us as the world known to us by our phys¬ ical senses.— Camille Flam Marion. The fundamental laws of life are those of attraction and repulsion, and where psychic spheres can be attuned, and vibrate in harmony, community of sensation can be established and thought can be transmitted from mind to mind, wdiether the transference occurs between two per¬ sons upon this plane of existence or between a sensitive medium and an excarnate spirit. "No one is or can be wholly independent. We inevit¬ ably attract congenial unseen influences, and become re¬ lated to people in or out of the body, acting upon them psychically and in turn responding to their thougths and influence. Action and re-action are constantly going on in this way; we may co-operate—dominate or be domin¬ ated—quite unconsciously, but the interaction is taking place all the same. It is necessary, therefore, that w» A Guide to Mediumship 11 should be aware of the fact, that we m ay take steps to guard ourselves against the intrusion into our thought-life of injurious influences, and at the same time determine to become factors for good by the intelligent exercise of our influence over others. There must be a reason why in our relationship with each other we establish certain instantaneous sympathetic conditions, and are attracted to and harmonize with certain individuals, while others are repugnant and distasteful to us. These conditions do uot always last, nor is it well that they should. At times we may be closely drawn to certain persons and be re¬ pelled by them at other stages in our career. VIBRATIONS. All our sensations are due to the impact upon our sense-organs of vibrations in some form. Variations in the strength and rapidity of these vibrations constitute the difference in our perceptions. Our range of response it but a limited one. Some vibrations are too rapid and some too slow to affect our senses, and therefore we have "called to our aid various mechanical contrivances which enable us to recognize existences which would otherwise remain unknown. But it is still conceivable that there may be, and doubtless are, conditions of the vibratory energy that escape us, and which, if we could develop finer senses, would yield wonderful results and extensions of our power and knowledge. In psychic science, or by spiritual unfoldment, we are coming into relation with forces, possibilities, and personalities which amount to a revelation of the spiritual universe. As the Rev. J. Page Hopps very beautifully puts it: ‘It is indeed true that “things are not what they seem”; but everything is what it seems to be only because of its plane of being, and that is determined by its vibrations. On one plane there is a certain vibratory value or speed: on another plane, a dif¬ ferent one: but a plane is not a place but a state: so that two utterly different planes of being might co-exist in the same place and be entirely unknown to one another. That seems absurd, but it is a scientific truth, and many author- 12 A Guide to Mediumship ities have endorsed it, notably Jevons, who, in his “Prin¬ ciples of Science,” says: “There may be, right here and now, passing through us and this world, some planet in¬ visible to us, with mountains, oceans, lakes, rivers, cities, and inhabitants”: and we not know anything of it all. What a suggestion there is in that as to the difference be¬ tween a spirit embodied and a spirit disembodied!’ AURIC EMANATIONS REAL. It is now an established fact that not only are flowers surrounded by invisible perfume, and other objects by an atmosphere charged with unseen exhalations which may be beneficial or inimical to the health of human beings, but that men and Avomen are constantly emitting, and surrounded by, an auric sphere which is not only charged with their physical magnetic conditions, but registers the quality of their thoughtlife and moral states. ‘In this aura, as in a mirror, the sensitive sees reflected the his¬ tory of the object, its significance in connection with the emotions and such other associations with the personali¬ ties of its possessors—of the life and experience of which it formed a part—as he may bring himself en rapport with. All this is not only perceived objectively, but is also “sensed” subjectively. The sensitive seems to merge his own personality in the aura of the object, and in his own person feels the pains and pleasures he describes.’* THE INTERVENING ETHER. It is manifest that if an operator, by the concentration of his mental energies, can project his thought upon another individual who is thereafter able to reproduce the picture of the words thus thought of, there must be some medium of communication between the two. Hud¬ son Tuttle well says: ‘ Whatever the influence may be, it must pass across greater, or less distances to produce the effects observed. It cannot be transmitted across a void. It. must have its own means of conduction.’ If a sensitive * ‘The Sixth Sense.’ Ry Pan! Tyner. A Guide to Mediumship 13 can, as Mr. Tyner affirms, and our own experience proves, bring himself, or be brought, en rapport with people, places, or things to the extent of merging himself for the time being into, and becoming identified with, them, there must be some subtle force or agency which makes such experiences possible. To quote Hudson Tuttle again: ‘Admitting the facts of impressibility, the existence of a spirit-ether, universal, and all permeating, if not demon¬ strated, is a theory towards which all related facts gather in cumulative evidence. Here we arrive at the philosophy of ail psychological influence, whether received under the name of hypnotism, mental influence, or spiritual impres¬ sion. One law underlies and ramifies through all these diversified effects. ’ TELEPATHY AND SIR W. CROOKES. Sir Wm. Crookes, in his Presidential Address to the British Association for the Advancement of Science, said: ‘If telepathy takes place we have two physical facts—the physical change in the brain of A, the suggester, and the analogous change in the brain of B, the recipient of the suggestion. Between these two physical events there must exist a train of physical causes.’ Sir William argued that the connecting series of intermediate causes can only occur through an intervening medium, and he claimed that ‘with every fresh advance of knowledge it is shown that ether vibrations have powers and attributes abund¬ antly equal to any demand—even to the transmission of thought. ’ Granting that such telepathic transference is scienti¬ fically demonstrated, it is assuredly a spiritual manifesta¬ tion—one embodied spirit communicating with another; and if embodied spirits have this power, why not the so-called disembodied also? ‘natural laws’ \re not intelligent entities. Paul Tyner points out the important fact that ‘Neither a universal ether, constant and pervading all space, nor a rare effluence, existing as an attribute of living, sentient 14 A Guide to Mediumship beings, will alone account for tnought-transference, clair¬ voyance, psyeliometry, or hypnotism—to use many names for the one_ process of psychic perception. As has been shown, this perception depends, more than aught else, on that degree of rapport which we can only designate by the entirely inadequate term, “community of sensation.” It is plain that these phenomena depend absolutely on both the universal ether, as a medium, and the emanation from sentient, living beings as a force, working upon that me¬ dium—as the painter works in colors or the sculptor in stone.’ But, as neither ‘natural laws’ nor ‘natural forces’ can exercise volition or display purpose, and this ‘com¬ munity of sensation’ can only be experienced by living, conscious and intelligent beings, thought-transference by means of the vibratory medium or ether is only possible between two such individuals. A VAST WHISPERING GALLERY. Dr. J. M. Pebles, the venerable ‘spiritual pilgrim.’ says: ‘The universe is not dead. Every atom is afire with life. Inspiration is as eternal as the stars. Trances are in perfect harmony with psychic law. God is everywhere from sand to stars, to the suns that dot the immensities; and angels would speak as readily to God’s living Ameri¬ cans as to His ancient Hebrews if the proper conditions were given them. Open the doors of your souls, O mor¬ tals, and invite the good angels in; invite your loved ones, peopling the higher spheres, to come with their olive-leaf messages of love and truth and wisdom. The universe is one. Conscious spirt is infinite, and if. as science teaches, every undulating wave in its rhythmic motion impinges upon every other wave in the vast, all-embracing sea of universal life, w'ho can set limits to the bounds of thought, or will, or spirit influence, either within or without the mortal body? Believed or not, this peerless universe is one grand whispering gallery, and we are surrounded, as the apostle taught, by a great “cloud of witnesses”—num¬ berless multitudes—who delight under proper conditions to converse with earth’s foot-weary travelers, by impres- A Guide to Mediumship 15 sion, inspiration, premonition, and .vision. Precious fact, proving the perpetuity of intelligence, of love, and of law, beyond death’s portal!’ SPIRIT, SOUL AND BODY. The spirit is connected with the body by means of the soul, or psychical body, which in turn affects the brain, the nerves and muscles of the outer body, through the agency of which it expresses itself, and the quality and extent of such expression will depend upon the degree of responsiveness and psychic development in the individual concerned. ‘For of the soule the bodie forme doth take; For soule is forme, and doth the bodie make.’ Some people may, and probably will, be conscious that they are sepulchered in the flesh, the spirit being so deeply immured within the body that it is well-nigh helpless and but dimly aware of its possibilities and destiny. Others will realize more or less fully that they can use the body, master and control it, instead of being its slave. Most people possess the faculty of sight, but all do not see alike. Some are color blind; some have clearer sight than others. We are apt to imagine that because trees, houses, and other objects present a certain appearance to us they will appear exactly the same to those around us. On general lines they do, but undoubtedly differ ent people are differently affected and perceive differently. Some people have innate artistic powers, and although everyone with patience and endeavor may develop something of the artistic nature, all cannot be past masters in artistic expression. Some have a natural gift for mechanics, some for music, some for oratory, others for song; in others these gifts can be induced to a limited extent, and again in others while the reasoning faculties may be active the artistic nature may be dormant. Man’s spiritual possi¬ bilities are no exception. Some people exercise their psychic powers naturally and freely, in others the activity 16 A Guide to Mediumship of the spiritual perceptions can be cultivated or induced, while the remaining class have little or no knowledge of the existence of their powers, or of how to develop them. MESMERISM A STEPPING STONE TO SPIRITUALISM. Mesmerism demonstrates that certain persons are nat¬ urally sensitive and susceptible to positive mental forces. Under the new name of hypnotism most of the claims that were made by the early mesmeric practitioners which were then derided as unscientific are now put forward and readily accepted as true. Some difference of opinion exjsts as to whether all the phenomena are due to ‘sug¬ gestion,’ or whether there is any ‘fluid’ or ‘force’ or ‘human magnetism’ employed and passing from the oper¬ ator to his subject. Magnetism may not be the proper name to use, but the consensus of opinion seems to be growing more and more favorable to the theory that a vital^ psychic force does exist and is utilized for the pro¬ duction of some, at least, of the phenomena which are as¬ sociated with the practice of mesmerism. When a sensitive is thrown into the sleep state by a mesmerist the ‘community of sensation’ already referred to is frequently observed between them. The subject tastes, thinks, feels, and sees as does the operator, or as he determines. In certain states the subject is deaf to every other voice but that of the mesmerist. In other I stages, in the deep magnetic trance, the subject becomes I clairvoyant, travels in spirit, and reports what is transpir¬ ing at the time many miles away, or will see and describe the conditions of the internal organs of a person to whom he is sympathetically related by the operator—and such a diagnosis is generally most accurate. In some cases doc¬ tors have been wrong and the mesmerised clairvoyant right. A remarkable fact is well worthy of notice here. Some mesmerised subjects have spontaneously seen and described persons long since dead, and entirely unknown to them in their normal condition. They have insisted on the fact that such persons were alive and not dead. A Guide to Mediuniship 17 SPIRITS INTERVENE. Some skilful mesmerists have found that they have lost the control of their subjects—that a stronger will than theirs has been brought to bear upon the sensitive. Upon investigation they have been compelled to recognize the presence and operation of a spirit mesmerist, and in some instances clear and unmistakable evidences of the identity of the spirit have been given, and in this way not a few mesmerists have been driven to admit spirit return—as it is often called—and thus mesmerism has been in fact a veritable stepping-stone to Spiritualism, as it is also in the philosophic explanation of the means by which intercourse between the two planes of existence is possible. To discredit Spiritualism, it is now the fashion with some people to admit mesmerism, clairvoyance, and thou ght-reading. ‘Trance mediumship is only mesmerism, and does not need any spirits to account for it,’ is the assertion made by those who oppose us. It is only necessary to ask in reply, ‘ Who mesmerises the medium?’ In mesmerism an operator and a subject are ne cessary. Why may not a deceased mesmerist affect his subject by his magnetic power as he used to do before he passed on, and transfer his thoughts to his medium? As no visible mesmerist affects the medium, the inference is that he is mesmerized by an unseen operator; and when, as it frequently does, as is abundantly proved by the tes¬ timonies of earnest investigators, the intelligence displayed surpasses the normal abilities of the medium, and gives corroborative proofs of identity with some person once liv¬ ing on earth, a clear case is made out that ‘the intelligent operator at the other end of the line’ is who and what he claims to be, viz., a discarnate human being. Thought-reading does not ‘cover the whole ground,’ for experience proves that when the visitor goes to a me¬ dium, anxious to obtain special information or ‘tests,’ he is frequently disappointed. Other spirits, of whom he is not thinking, are spoken of and described to him, and facts, entirely unknown to him 1 , are stated, which he can only 18 A Guide to Mediumship verify by subsequent inquiries. It is not true, therefore, as is so often asserted, that mediums only ‘pick the brains of sitters,’ read their thoughts, or describe the people of whom they are thinking. SPIRITUALISM A STEP UPWARDS. Spiritualism deals with a higher range and a wider field of supersensuous phenomena than either mesmerism, telepathy psychometry, clairvoyance, or healing, because the natural susceptibility of man in these directions is increased and intensified, and exercised upon a superior plane, when it is utilized by intelligent spirit operators. Mesmerism proved that one spirit in the body can in¬ fluence another spirit also in the body, and can also affect the body of that individual. But Spiritualism has proved that a spirit out of the body can influence a spirit in the body, and render him impervious to ordinary physical sensations, while he is at the same time acutely sensitive to spiritual or psychical impressions. Teeth have been drawn, and surgical operations have been performed upon mediums when under ‘control,’ without the slightest in¬ dication upon their part of experiencing painful sensa¬ tions ; and yet, on other occasions, by thought-transference from the spirits, they have been made to cry and exhibit every indication of extreme grief, anger, pain, or delight. It is not true that sensitiveness is confined to those who are diseased, weak of will, neurotic, or hysterical. Those who are susceptible to psychic influence may be impulsive, warmhearted, spontaneous, sociable, and even passionate; But not by any means, or of necessity, weak-minded or vicious. MEDIUMSHIP DEFINED. Dr Dean Clarke, writing in the ‘Banner of Light,’ says: ‘ The word mediumship, as understood and used by Spiritualists, technically speaking, means a susceptibil¬ ity to the influence, and more or less control, of decarnated spirits. Physiologically, it means a peculiar nervous sus¬ ceptibility iiTwhat may be termed the “physic force,” which spirits use to move the mind or body, or both, of A Guide to Mediumship 19 their mortal instrument. Psycholo gically, it signifies a passive or negative state of mind and body which renders a person subject to the positive will-power of spirits who influence him or her.’ The spirit control who employed the hand of Mr. Stainton Moses, ‘M. A. (Oxon),’ to write his thoughts said, ‘The mediumistie peculiarity is one of spirit solely, and not of body, seeing that it occurs in all varieties of physical frames, in the male and in the female; in the magnetic and in the electric; in the stout and robust as well as in the puny and thin of body; in the old and in the young; in all conditions and under all circumstances. This alone would lead you to see that it is not a physical matter; and that conclusion is strength¬ ened" for you by the fact that the gift is perpetuated even after death of the earth body. Those who on your earth have been mediums retain the gift and use it with us. They are the most frequent visitors to your world; they communicate most readily; and it is through them that spirits who have not the gift are enabled to communicate with your earth.’ Mrs. Emma Ilardinge Brjtten claimed that: ‘What¬ ever that force may be which constitutes the difference between a “medium” and a no-medium, it is certainly of a mental and magnetic character—that is, a combination of the subtle elements of mind and magnetism, and there¬ fore of a psyc hological and not of a purely physical char¬ acter. Whilst the Spiritualists of this generation have had no one to teach them either what spiritual gifts are, or how to use or how to abuse them, experience has shown that the conditions under which spiritual phenomena are produced through mediums are not only helped or hin¬ dered by their mental states, but also by the will, mag¬ netism, and mental states of those who surround them.’ MEDIUMSHIP ON DIFFERENT ETNES. The same laws govern the relations between the sensi- tivelind the spirit operator as between the hypnotist and his s ubject. Therefore mediumship it not necessarily spir¬ itual ; it may be of all kinds; there may be psychical rela- 20 A Guide to Mediumship tionsliip of a high grade and of a low one. Thei’e may be messages from beyond that prove the identity of spirits and give evidence of the continuity of life, of the survival of mind, and yet they may not minister to spiritual growth, nor awaken any exalted desire to be of service to God and man. There may be psychical sympathy and not spiritual fellowship; there may be spirit intercourse and not that sweet spiritual communion which should be the goal of all who seek for evidences of life beyond the valley of death. It is no longer possible to regard mediumship as a su¬ pernatural endowment. It is, as regards the psychic sus¬ ceptibility upon which it depends, the common property of the race, and is therefore as natural as are the ‘gifts’ of song or oratory or the ability to paint or construct. But as certain gifts and graces are more developed in some individuals than in others, in like manner the sensi¬ tiveness which is called mediumship is more highly devel¬ oped (or is capable of such development) in certain pecu¬ liarly constituted persons who may be regarded as super- normally gifted, yet as naturally so as geniuses in other directions. STUDY NECESSARY FOR SELF-KNOWLEDGE. The study of man’s natural spiritual aptitudes, and the methods of their intelligent development, safeguarding and exercise, are therefore of supreme importance to the individual and the race. Those who are constitutionally sensitive cannot properly understand themselves, or right¬ ly interpret their own feelings and experiences, until they realize and comprehend these soul-possibilities and rela¬ tionships; and the world will be benefited by the spread of the knowledge that by the cultivation of these powers of spiritual perception and expression the presence of the so-called dead can be scientifically demonstrated and the continuity and purpose of life be revealed. When wisely cultivated and rightly used, mediumship seldom has any ill effects; on the contrary, it tends to the harmonizing of the individual, both physically and mor¬ ally. With pure aspirations and a reasonable amount of A Guide to Mediumship 21 common sense, a medium, even of only moderate power, may maintain his health, refine and expand his intellect, and become a substantial helper to his fellows. But me¬ diumship, to be healthy, must be progressive; there is no standing still and maintaining the integrity of either spir¬ itual or physical powers. No sooner does aspiration stop than retrogression begins; but with a high standard always befoi’e him, and favorable environments, there appears to be no limit to the individual development of the earnest and intelligent medium. The pow r er on the spirit side is practically unlimited; all that is required is an instru¬ ment sufficiently perfect to express it. PHILOSOPHICAL DEDUCTIONS. The belief in a future life is well-nigh universal, but if man lives after the decease of the body he must surely persist as a rational, conscious intelligence. Such persist¬ ence must be natural, and provision for the sequential spiritual life of man must have been made as part of the economy of the universe. The idea of the indestructibility of life is forcing itself upon intelligent people, and the survival of man beyond the incident of death is coming to be regai’ded as due to, and dependent upon, his spiritual nature. Whatever powers are possessed and exercised by the disearnate being are inherent, if dormant, in the essential self while here. 3fan is immortal because he is an expression of Life—the highest manifestation of that wonderful creative energy which is imminent everywhere. Having attained self- conscious being, the doffing of the physical body does not destroy life, but, in reality, affords it greater scope for expression under new and more subtle conditions. If man is a spiritual being now and always; if power resides within; if all knowdedge is possessed as a state of consciousness—then life after death must mean the reten¬ tion of knowledge, the increase of power for self-expres¬ sion, and the satisfaction of the mental and spiritual ideals of the real self. As all manifestation of mind depends upon the con¬ sciousness and its will ability; as all transference of 22 A Guide to Mcdiumship thought is due to the ability of oue mind to appeal to another by inducing sensations which result from some form or mode of motion in the ether or psychic atmos¬ phere—there must be some point of contact, some inter¬ mediary agency by means of which such results can be achieved; for the eye light and color, for the ear sound, and so onfTnrt MIND MUST INTERPRET MIND. Vibrations are meaningless until they impinge upon ancPare cognized by the spirit behind the eye, the ear, the body. The engineer uses the machine—the man his physical instrument. If communications are to pass between the people who dwell in the spiritual realm (and function on that plane through a spiritual or etheric body) and the dwellers on this outer plane of consciousness, there must be some in¬ tervening and uniting medium by means of which thoughts may pass, or other modes of manifestation may be employed. ‘Spiritualism is the science of Life in all its conditions and modes of manifestation here and here¬ after,’ and the principal difficulty which had to be faced was the building of the psychic bridge into the unseen that our trains of thought might rim right through. The oneness, or unity, of Life is the first fact to be recognized. The cause of organization is always Life. Means to the end are ever employed. Material conditions and agen¬ cies are all the time vitalized and utilized by in-dwelling Life, or 'governed and directed by Intelligence. Forces of various kinds are controlled or manipulated by man, and, although unseen, are demonstrably real. Mind is involved in all manifestations which indicate purpose. Phenomena which are the result of the play of forces that are clearly under the government of an intelligent operator can only be attributed to Intelligence. A Guide to Mediumship 23 THE INTELLIGENT OPERATOR. SpiritTMiiisin lias made us acquainted with phenomena —occurrence^ upon th e obje ctive plane—in which force in evide ntly employed intelligently—that intelligence dis- 'playing knowledge, power, purpose, other than, and dif¬ fering from, the possessions or intentions of any of the visible beings during their occurrence. Upon inquiring of the operator who he is, and what is his object in producing the outward and visible signs of his existence, responses have been forthcoming in which the claim is made that he is a disearnate human being. In many instances test mes¬ sages have been given in which evidence has been pre¬ sented leading to the verification of that claim, and, as far as the circumstances of such intercourse admit, of the identification of the unseen operator. It has been found that the presence of certain persons is indispensable, because they supply the peculiar ‘ether- ie,’ ‘vital,’ ‘nervo-magnetic,’ or ‘psychic’ force that is requisite as the intermediate agency. Thus the phenom¬ enal demonstrations of the presence of the spirit which appeal to the observer depend upon a dual agency—the force t o be employed and the human generator of that Horce. Other and more direct contact is effected where the operator can relate his own psychic sphere to that of the sensitive who is susceptible to his influence. Then the vital, or nerve, currents can be operated upon immediately by the will of the communicator, who, having thus made the connection, uses the organism of the medium to trans¬ mit his message. But if the people on the spiri tua l plane differe d essentially from those on this side there could hardly be any such intercourse. The identity of origin, and the unit y of nature and being—the oneness offthe mental and the psychic capa¬ bilities and endowments of both operator and subject— enable those who know how, to link themselves on to us and give such impulsions to the spiritual ether as stir the brain waves in those of us who are attuned to their rate of vibrations, and cause in us consciousness of vision. 24 A Guide to Mcdiumship voice, feeling, or desire, thought, or purpose, which may die regarded as at once evidence of the unseen; proof cf immortality; and an inspiration to higher purposes and nobler ideals. SPIRITUAL SCIENCE AND RELIGION. Spiritual science prompts us to make the best use of this life, and impels us to the attainment of the power to recognize and realize the beauty and divinity of our own being—of Life here—and to tread the spiral way of spir¬ itual ascension. In evolution we trace the evidences of the outworking of the involved energy—the immanent mind, the Spirit Divine. Tims the science of the Spirit leads to the recognition of the Religion of Life. ‘M. A. (Oxon),’ one of our best and most intelligent mediums, made this terse and pointed assertion: ‘ It is impossible to dissociate Spiritualism, of any sort worth the name, from religion and morals.’ It occurs in the following definition, which he gives, of what a Spiritualist is: ‘A Spiritualist, first of all, is one who has proven for him¬ self, or has accepted as proven on adequate evidence, the fact that death does not kill the spirit. But this con¬ viction has far-reaching results. It is impossible to dis¬ sociate Spiritualism, of any sort worth the name, from religion and morals. For when a man becomes assured that he will live after his probation here he naturally seeks to know where and how; and equally naturally he seeks his information from those who, having passed to that state, are qualified to give it. He finds that there is a broad agreement as to the essential points which most concern him, and he arrives at the conclusion that belief is little and life and conduct much. He learns that his char¬ acter is his own production, as it is his own property, and that each act of his daily life is a factor in its evolution. When the probation of earth-life is over he goes to the place that he has prepared for himself. His Spiritualism, when he realizes that, has already entered into the sphere of religion.’ And Gerald Massey very forcibly says: ‘Spiritualism will make religion infinitely more real, and translate it from the domain of belief to that of life. It A Guide to Mediumship 25 has been to me, in common with many others, such a lift¬ ing of the mental horizon and a letting in of the heavens— such a transformation of faiths into facts—that I can only compare life without it to sailing on board ship with hatches battened down, and being kept prisoner, cribbed, cabined and confined, living by the light of a candle— dark to the glory overhead, and blind to a thousand pos¬ sibilities of being—and then suddenly on some starry night allowed to go on deck for the first time to see the stupendous mechanism of the starry heavens all aglow with the glory of God, to feel that vast vision glittering in the eyes, bewilderingly beautiful, and drink in new life with every breath of this wondrous liberty, which makes you dilate almost large enough in soul to fill the immensity which you see around you.’ 26 A Guide to Mediumship CHAPTER III. THE EFFECTS OF MEDIUMSHIP. No medium can command^results; lie c an only give conditions and invite the aid of the spirits. Do hot forget that spirit people have minds of their own, and will act or refrain from acting as they think best, not when you please to demand.—B. G. E. The thoughts we cultivate place us en rapport with corresponding spheres or planes of thought, and the man or woman who habitually lives on a good moral plane is impervious to the intrusion of mischievous and immoral influences from either the borderland or the mortal plane. ~ Harbinger of Light. 5 For the normal development of psychic powers an en¬ tirely different attitude is required on the part of the sensitive from that which is necessary for the development of mediumship. The normal psychic must consciously concentrate his attention on the effort to feel, to see, to hear, to ‘sense’ and know upon the plane of his inner consciousness. He must be receptive—keenly alive to impressions—that he may become cognizant of states of being, and be able to respond to, and interpret, the sensations that are produced in himself. But the sensitive who desires spirit guidance has to be negatively receptive. He is not the actor, but is acted upon. While by attention to the requisite condi¬ tions and by his motives and aspirations he may prepare himself for control, he has hereafter to act or speak, more or less consciously, under the direction, and carry into effect the wishes or purposes, of the intelligence who A Guide to Mediumship 27 acts upon and through him. But while this is true it must not be supposed that spirit influence is limited to, and exerted solely upon, those who are known to be medi¬ ums; or that spirits do not assist those who use their own psychic faculties. It is probable that all people who are psychically sensitive and open to impressions are indebted to spirit helpers, whether they are conscious of the fact or not. There is undoubtedly a greater degree of influx from the spirit side than even Spiritualists are aware. Man y persons are indebted to spirit people for spontaneous im¬ pulses, which, while those persons act upon them and reap The^consequences, they can neither explain nor trace to their source. Spirits frequently associate with and serve their earth friends, although the recipients of their bene¬ factions are unaware of the fact. There would be very much more of this kind of guidance from the unseen, if, instead of being frightened, or repellant in their mental attitude towards the spirits, the great bulk of people were prepared to accept such assistance from the other side as perfectly natural and to be expected. The basis of all enduring union is spiritual. Perma¬ nency of harmony can alone be found on the plane of the spirit, and in that sympathy of soul which alone unites. There can be no true or lasting spiritual sympathy with¬ out reciprocity. The cultivation of the aspirational atti¬ tude, of the desire for the best possible results, would lead to the opening up of the powers of perception, reception, and expression of spiritual influences and inspirations of a high and helpful order, and lead to more intimate and stimulating relations with the people from beyond the borderland between the two worlds. A WIDE FIELD FOR RESEARCH In dealing with the question of the effects of medium- ship we find that there are many important problems that confront us and await solution. A very wide field of re¬ search is opened up to us in the science, philosophy, and religion of the spirit. 28 A Guide to Mediumship While the phenomena of mediumship serve the pur- pose of supplying the foundation evidences of spirit exist¬ ence and iden tity, they also challenge us to the investiga¬ tion of the spiritual forces, laws, and principles which operate in the constitution of the universe and the nature of man. The phenomena called spiritual present many difficulties and suggest numerous possibilities, and compel us, as students, to undertake the work of the discovery, explanation, and application of the truth regarding our¬ selves, our responsibilities, our place in Nature, our des¬ tiny, our relationship to others and to the ‘Power not our¬ selves’—the Supreme Immanent Life—the Spirit Divine ■—that ever makes for righteousness. MEDIUMSHIP AND SELF-DEVELOPMENT. There seems to be a disposition in some quarters to regard mediumship as inimical to self-development; to argue that ‘control’ by spirits is injurious to the medium —or to the spirit—or to both. It is not infrequently as¬ serted, or inferentially assumed, that to be a medium in¬ volves loss of individuality and consequent injury to the selfhood of the medium. There are some even who hold that a medium should think little and know less, that the evidence of the superior ability of the spirit may be the more apparent. There may be some mediums who are ‘ignoramuses,’ but it is doubtful if there will be any great degree of intelligence or high spiritual illumination pre¬ sented through their agency. It is possible that some mediums act foolishly when in their normal state for the purpose of accentuating the difference between their or¬ dinary and abnormal conditions of mental activity; but there is a more rational, intelligent, and, indeed, a more spiritual conception of the relations which should exist between mediums and their spirit ‘guides,’ which is rap¬ idly finding favor with thoughtful mediums and Spiritu¬ alists alike. There is a ‘more excellent way’ of approach¬ ing the people of the unseen realm whereby good, not evil, accrues to both sensitive and spirit. The co-operative association of medium and spirit on the plane of thought and purpose, emotion and motive, A Guide to Mediumship 29 ethics and inspiration, results in the education and eleva¬ tion of the sensitive, and the increase of the knowledge of the operator as to the conditions on this side. So far from it being true that the effort to manifest is injurious to the spirit, we have known many instances where the communicating intelligence has declared—and given evi¬ dence of the fact—that he has derived great benefit from his association with the medium and the sitters who have assisted in the intercourse. MERE ‘DABBLING’ DEPRECATED. "Writing in ‘Light,’ Mr. J. J. Morse says that ‘Andrew Jackson Davis, Hudson Tuttle, and other writers, if I cor¬ rectly understand them, claim that mediumship is a con¬ stitutional condition and depends upon nervous adaption, Cei,“ sensitiveness,” and the quickening of the subjective (psychical) faculties, while, personally, my own firm con¬ viction is that there is nothing inherently dangerous in “mediumship.” The mere dabbling in mediumship, as either the means of a new sensation, or for the gratifica¬ tion of personal vanity, is to be thoroughly deprecated, as a perversion of some of the most wonderful possibilities of our natures; while the prosecution of mediumship, or anything else, to the detriment of mind, nerves, or health, in any direction, is a sin against oneself, and will inevit¬ ably call down the resultant penalties of physical and men¬ tal deterioration. I have many times advised inquirers who wished to know how to develop mediumship, unless they desired to do so for serious use, and within proper limits, not to seek its development at all. And in cases where I could clearly see it would prove personally detri¬ mental, I have strongly advised the inquirer to let the matter entirely alone.’ Very much depends upon the objects entertained by the medium and the sitters, as also upon the character and intentions of the spirit who seeks to manifest his presence; but, on general lines, where people of average intelligence and rectitude seek communion with those they have known and esteemed, or loved, the results are almost invariably 30 A Guide to Medhmship beneficial. There is every reason why this should be so if the common-sense precautions are observed of keeping a level head, exercising patience, exhibiting unselfishness and sincerity, and desiring good spiritual counsel and fellowship. Mr. A. Morton truly says: ‘Elevated spirits do not require mediums to surrender their reason; on the con¬ trary, they advise that every new thought should be tested in the crucible of reason, and that it be rejected if not in accordance therewith; but the control of domineering spir¬ its, claiming the names of celebrities, who present un¬ reasonable theories and in a dictatorial “thus saith the spirit” manner, demand unquestioning compliance with their commands, must be rejected by all mediums as de¬ basing and inconsistent with selfrespect. Humility is a distinguishing feature of all true greatness and wisdom. . . . Any associations or concessions which have a tendency to lower the spiritual standard must be carefully avoided, for there is no growth in any relations which can only be maintained by the sacrifice of self-respect and self-justice.’ No medium should permit his love of approbation and desire for success to carry him away from the strict path of righteousness. THE RATIONAL COURSE. The rational course for mediums and inquirers to fol¬ low is assuredly that of avoiding the extremes alike of credulity and sceptical incredulity, by letting the spirits do their best and then collating the facts observed and drawing conclusions. Care, patience, and perseverance will save both mediums and inquirers from many miscon¬ ceptions and enable them to avoid the errors of others. Above all, mediums should observe their own feelings, study their own experiences, try to understand and co¬ operate with the spirits, but never yield servile or slavish service, nor permit themselves to be swayed by flattery nor dominated by any spirit (in the circle or on the spirit side”) - who claims obedience, poses as an ‘authority,’ or refuses to recognize the rights of others. A Guide to Medmmship 31 No medium should remain ignorant, or refrain from giving effect to his (or her) natural desire for knowledge and self-improvement under the erroneous idea that he does not need to think, study, or learn, because he is a medium; and that the spirits will provide and leach through him all that is required. On the other hand, while thoughtfully observant of favorable conditions, and intelligent in self-study and culture, the medium should avoid ‘getting up’ certain subjects, or thinking along cer¬ tain lines with the purpose and expectation that such information will be employed while under control. Such action, proceeding from a wrong motive, cannot fail to injure the psychic relations between the spirit and the medium, and will render the work of the control doubly hard, because such thoughts will have to be cleared away before those of the spirit can be transferred to, and have free course through, the medium. 32 ^ Guide to Mediumship CHAPTER IV. THE PHENOMENA OP MEDIUMSHIP. Every sensitive person is not a medium, but every me¬ dium is a sensitive.—‘M. A .(Oxon).’ The evidence of man’s immortality rest on spirit mani¬ festations. "Without them we could have no certain knowl¬ edge of the future life. I make this broad statement, in¬ cluding the manifestations of ancient times and of all races, but more especially is it true of the modern phen¬ omena.— Hudson Tuttle. The phenomena by which spirits manifest their pres¬ ence, demonstrate their power, and establish their identity are, broadly speaking, classed under two heads—physical and mental. PHYSICAL PHENOMENA. What the peculiar quality of mediumistic power for the production of sensous evidences may be we cannot determine, but scientific students of ‘the phenomena called spiritual,’ such as Professors Hare, Mapes, Zollner, Elliott Coues, and Hyslop, Cromwell Varley, I)r. Alfred R. Wal¬ lace, Mr. Myers, and Dr. Hodgson, admit that the mani¬ festations are produced by the spirits through the agency of the ‘psychic force’ (as Sir Wm. Crookes called it) of the medium, who is able, when the conditions of the circle are favorable, to attract from the sitters still more of this power, which thus becomes centred in him. Pie is, so to speak, a storage battery that can be drawn upon at the will of the ‘intelligent operator at the other end of the line.’ This force is employed for the production of the A Guide to Mediumship 33 varied physical manifestations which have been observed in the presence of mediums, the determining- factors in each case being the peculiar quality of the force, the capa¬ bilities of the mediums, the knowledge and power of the spirits, and the influence of the sitters or observers. Dr. Dean Clarke says: Tfuman magnetism, or nerve-aura, is probably the most sub limat ed form of ethereal matter, hence nearest in refinement to spirit-substance, and there- fore spirits use it as the vehicle of their vibrating forces. Those persons who have an excess of magnetism, of the proper quality to unite with both the psychic force of spir¬ its and the forces inherent in natural objects, and thus form an electro-magnetic connection of spirits with the ob¬ jects they wish to act upon are the ones chosen as physical mediums. The mind and brain of the medium are not often, nor necessarily controlled, only his magnetism and psychic forces are used, through which spirits transmit the vibra¬ tions of their own power to mechanically produce concus¬ sions, or movements of material objects.’ Hudson Tuttle, writing ‘automatically,’ gave the fol¬ lowing description by a spirit of nOW PHYSICAL PHENOMENA ARE PRODUCED. ‘Zoether (psychic force) emanating from the medium charges the object to be moved, and a band of spirits di reefs a current of their own zoethic emanation in the di¬ rection they desire the article to move, and it passes along the current thus produced. The charging of the object by the medium is necessary in order that it may be in a state of vibration harmonious to the spirit current. If this cur¬ rent be directed against the table or other charged body, raps or concussions are produced, as a positive and nega¬ tive relation exists between the spirits and the medium’s zoether. One spirit alone cannot communicate in the lat¬ ter manner; i. e., cannot produce physical manifestations. If one purports to communicate, assistance will be ren¬ dered by many others, who combine their influence.’ The physical phenomena not only include the move¬ ments of tables and the production of ‘raps,’ but a variety 34 A Guide lo Mediumship of other manifestations come under this head, such as spirit lights; freedom from the effects of fire; the passage of matter through matter; direct writings on paper or slates; direct voices; levitations of the medium: spirit pho¬ tographs ; and the production of the physicalized or ma¬ terialized form. Other occurrences might rightly be in¬ cluded in this list, but sufficient have been mentioned to indicate the extensive range of the residts of the endeav¬ ors of spirit people to make their presence known by su¬ pernormal means. ‘It is seldom that spirits can come into such direct and forcible contact with physical objects as to move them without the presence of a medium. This is occasionally done, however, as in the instances of haunted houses where no one in the flesh abides; also where earth- bound spirits appears as “ghosts” independent of the presence, or at least, at a distance from, any person in mortal form. But,_as a rule, the mag netism of a medium, or, better still, that of a “circle,” is necessary to furnish a, bond between spirit and grosser matter.’ Hudson Tuttle truly says: ‘As the channel, so the stream which flows through it: the vessel gives form to the water which it contains. Each medium attracts a class or grade of spirits peculiar to himself. There must be affinity. These are attracted: first, because certain phen¬ omena can be given through his organization which cannot through any other ; second, because certain thoughts can be transmitted through his brain which cannot through any other; third, because there is similarity or congeni¬ ality. ’ MENTaL phenomena. Under this head are included involuntary, or ‘auto¬ matic’ writing and drawing; clairvoyant perception of spirits, and the clairaudient hearing of spirit voices; prophetic utterances, personal or national; impersonating and inspirational control for ‘test’ purposes; and trance speaking for public addresses, when the medium speaks while in the deep trance, or when his powers are stimulated and aroused to supernormal activity by inspirational sug¬ gestion. A Guide to Mediumship 35 Mediums are frequently so completely subjugated when entranced, especially iu the private circle, as to be prac¬ tically ‘changed into another man,’ as the Bible puts it. The ‘impersonation’ is so vivid that the spirit who thus manifests his own individuality, memory, and conscious¬ ness will sometimes cause the features of the medium to change u ntil they resemble his own, and the sitters can dis¬ cern the likeness to their departed friend in the transfig¬ ured face of the sensitive. Psychometry, clairvoyance, and magnetic healing, when employed under spirit control, are generally upon a higher plane and deal with more spiritual conditions than when these powers are normally employed. These are the main divisions and phases of mediumship, each of which, however, includes a number of separate grades of manifestation. We agree with Dr. Alfred E. Wallace, who pointed out, in his able lecture entitled ‘If a man dies shall he live again?’ that mediums are of all ages and conditions, and the phenomena which occur in their presence have been subjected to the most critical examination by many clever and sceptical investigators, and their reality and reliabil¬ ity have been as thoroughly established as any of the great facts of physical science. We may therefore entirely dis¬ card the idea that imposture, except in isolated cases, will account for the manifestations that have been observed. Wherever the phenomena occur, whether in England, Prance, Germany, Spain, Russia, America, Australia, or India, they are of the same general type, while the indi¬ vidual differences among them show that they are not copied one from the other. Whether the mediums are educated or ignorant, boys or girls, men or women, savage or civilized; whether the phenomena are spontaneous or elicited in response to the desire of the recipients, the same general characteristics observable iu the results point to the unity of origin and the existence of certain laws which govern and determine the nature of the phenomenal dem¬ onstrations of the presence and power of the spirits. We conclude, therefore, that the phenomena occur within the scope of, and in harmony with, the general principles which govern the inter-relations of the spiritual and ma- 36 A Guide to Mediumship terial realms, and are thus in strict accordance with the established order and laws of Nature. A QUESTION OF EVIDENCE. The identity of the spirits who manifest has been so frequently demonstrated that spirit action cannot any longer be denied by well-informed and impartial students. As Mr. A. Morton, an intelligent and thoughtful writer, very pertinently says: ‘It is claimed by many sound thinkers that nothing should be attributed to the action of spirits which “can be accounted for by mundane agen¬ cies. This attitude is worthy of adoption, as a rule, in the investigation of spiritual phenomena, but the converse is equallj ? sensible; the agency of spirits cannot be dis¬ proved in the production of manifestations which cannot b e show n to be of purely mundane origin. Students of spiritual science cannot ignore the laws of attraction and repulsion, of the inter-dependence of mortals and spirits; that would be equivalent to denying the foundation upon which they are building—playing Hamlet with the char¬ acter of the Danish king omitted. ’* The whole matter is, therefore, one of evidence. Care should, of course, be exercised, and hasty conclusions are to be avoided. Nothing can be lost but everything may be gained by waiting. Slow and sure should be the atti¬ tude of the traveler along this road. He will then ulti¬ mately find that it leads him safely into the ‘unseen’—the realm of spirit. * ‘Psychic Studies.’ P. 205. By A. Morton, A Guide to Mediumship J7 CHAPTER V. THE DIFFICULTIES AND DELIGHTS OF MEDIUMSHIP. The Spiritualism that fails to spiritualize and elevate humanity is of little value to the world. Mediums are born, not made, but sensitiveness may be cultivated or restrained. Mediumship is not a gift which can be arbitrarily given or withheld, it is a natural quali¬ fication. It is not abnormal except in the sense that it is not every individual who can experience to the full the value of spirit guidance or be influenced with the same degree of success. The development and exercise of mediumship is the most pressing need of the hour. The present dearth of physical phenomena is directly due to the abandonment of the practice of holding home circles. The investigator nowadays desires to ‘see something’ without the trouble of waiting for the cultivation of the incipient powers of a sensitive. Few people have the patience to join a circle of inquirers and watch and wait for results, and yet, un¬ less more mediums are forthcoming, we shall shortly be in the position of those who can only point to the record of bygone evidences, but are unable to offer present-day proofs. Hence the study of the laws and conditions fa¬ vorable for intercourse with people on the other side is never out-of-date. The existence of the psychical sensi¬ tiveness upon which mediumship depends can be best dis¬ covered, aroused, and regulated in the ‘spirit circle.’ The ‘home circle’ has been the nursery of most mediums of note. 38 A Guide to Mediumship THE TRUE ‘COMMUNION SERVICE.’ The well-conducted home circle is the holy of holies of Spiritualism. It is there that the fullest, sweetest, most direct and spiritual spirit communion occurs. It is there that the periodical seasons of comforting, refreshing and stimulating intercourse with loved ones can be most conn pletely and naturally enjoyed. It is there that message after message, with all the cheering and satisfactory inter¬ nal evidences of the presence, identity and abiding affec¬ tion of the dear ones, who are but just behind the veil, can be received. It is there that the care and counsel, the helpful guidance, the kindly warning, and the sustaining teaching of cherished friends can be, and frequently is, experienced in a continuous and convincing series of inter¬ views, utterly impossible anywhere else. Home circles are, therefore, the very soul and salvation of Spiritualism. CHILD MEDIUMS. When mediumship is spontaneous with children it should not be repressed, neither should it be excessively exercised; nor should child mediums be made much of and their mediumship extolled in their hearing. The fact of their possession of the psychic power of seeing or hear¬ ing, or any other ‘gift,’ should be regarded as natural, and be accepted in a calm, common-sense manner; and by judi¬ cious encouragement and temperate use of their powers lasting good may result. Mr. AV. J. Colville says: ‘There are three vile ways of treating a mediumistic child: to call him a liar, and threaten him with awful punishment if he ever dares to talk again about such “rot” as spiritual insight; or to attribute bis visions to illness, and dose him with nauseating medicines; or to tell him he is possessed with a devil, and get some ignorant fanatic to pray over him.’ But there are still other unwise ways of dealing with a child medium; one is to tell him he is a ‘wonder,’ and praise him to other people before his face; another is to urge him to ‘sit’ against his inclinations, and by bribes or threats compel him to try to exercise his powers until he is exhausted and permanent!}'- injured. 39 A Guide to Meaiumship THE CONDITIONS REQUIRED. Indeed, the question of the conditions essential for suc¬ cess in dealing with psychics of all ages is a very import¬ ant one, and requires the greatest eonsideration. The ''sensitive’ is susceptible to vibrations which others do not recognize, while he may be at times quite unresponsive to the ordinary vibrations which affect others. While en¬ tranced the medium experiences little or no sensation on the outer plane; yet he will be extremely conscious of, and resp onsive to, the states of feeling and modes of thought, or the spiritual conditions, of those who are around him, or those who are operating upon him from the other side. ‘Investigators have again and again proved that the presence of some individuals promotes and aids the manifestations of spiritual power, while that of others absolutely quenches or nullifies it, and that in hundreds of well-proved cases in which human agency or fraud was utterly impossible. The most philosophical writers on occult subjects all testify that while honest scepticism is not obnoxious or injurious to mediumistic power, deter¬ mined antagonism, ill-will, “hatred and contempt” are, and hence it is that strong prejudice, bigotry, and, above all. the proud, self-sufficient assumption of associative bodies, have invariably been found to quench and destroy the “power they pretend to investigate.’* INTELLECTUAL ICEBERGS. Sitters may be open-minded towards the sensitive in¬ strument, and, on the plane of intellect, sincerely desirous of the best results; they may, with thoroughly honest in¬ tent, seek to elicit phenomena which will satisfy their judgment of their spirit origin, and yet they may be so constituted psychically, so lacking in sympathy, that their conditions will not harmonize with those of the medium. Their influence may be disintegrating, instead of unifying. The inquirer of this type may sav, ‘I cannot under¬ stand it; I desire to discover truth and honestly wish to be * Mrs. Emma Hard intro Britten. 40 .4 Guide to Mediumship convinced, and yet to mediums I am a “closed book” or in iceberg, for in my presence they freeze up, and can give me nothing.’ But his spirit friends, in seeking to demonstrate their presence and to prove their identity, find that his mental conditions—cold, self-centred, and undemonstrative—affect and hinder, rather than help, their efforts to reach and convince him. Spirit people respond most easily to the spiritual frame of mind, and it is when the sympathetic spiritual relationship can be established that they are able to make the most successful demonstrations of their power. Spiritual association de¬ pends largely upon the laAV and power of love; the un¬ selfish spiritual emotion which prompts one to give. True love of the soul knows no reservations; it gives itself, un¬ hesitatingly, and with complete faith. If the student can meet the loving spirit on this plane, with unselfish im¬ personal motives; without making demands, but ready to receive what they give; if he can meet them by aspiration, the angels can respond by inspiration. It is, however, important to recollect that people of all sorts and conditions pass into spirit life, and if we open the doors that communicate with the unseen we must ex¬ pect all sorts and conditions of spirits to press forward to reach us. William Denton used to say, ‘Spirits are but men and women with their jackets off.’ Hence communi¬ cations from them should be held no more authoritative and sacred than the teachings of mortals. Both should be tested by reason and common sense, and accepted or re¬ jected accordingly. The Rev. John Page Hopps says: ‘I want to get my¬ self and others accustomed to the thought that if people exist in another world they exist there as a “people,” not as fantastic, stately, solemn, or dreamy spectres:—that if a man exists beyond the change called death, he is still a man, unchanged except that he has put off his body, and glided behind the veil: for a future life can mean one thing, if it is to be a reality, and not a mere sentiment and solemn self-delusion,—it can only mean the actual going-on of the human being in spite of the incident called “death.” If it is not that it is nothing: if it is not that, d Guide to Mediumship 41 we are only indulging in vain fancies: if it is not that, we may be pleasant poets singing of a fairyland, but we are not acutal pilgrims going to “a better country, that is a heavenly.” ’ IS MEDIUMSHIP DESIRABLE FOR ALL? ‘M. A. ( Oxon) ’ said: ‘I do not think it would be reasonable to say that it is wise and well for everyone to Become acq uainted with mediumship in his own proper pe rson. It would not be honest in me to disguise the fact that he who meddles with his subject does so at his peril. I do not say that peril is anything that should always be avoided. Tn some cases it is not, but I do say that the development of mediumship is sometimes a very question¬ able benefit, as in others it is a very decided blessing.’ This is therefore a case in which we may safely say, ‘let everyone be fully persuaded in his own mind,’ and act accordingly, with a due sense of the difficulties and responsibilities of the task. But do not venture if you are afraid. Fear hath torment. Fear makes cowards of us all, ‘and blinds us to our being’s best estate.’ It lays us open to the enemy before we can strike a blow in self- defense. Ignorance is no protection against danger. The liability to the intrusion and control of undesirable people (both in and out of the body) is a constant risk, whether we know it or not. We may intensify the liability by seek¬ ing mediumistic unfoldment, but we do not totally avoid it by declining to become mediums, as the ‘dweller on the threshold’ is near us all the time. The ‘ostrich’ policy of refusing to see danger Avail not avail us. To be forewarned is to be forearmed, and here, as elsewhere, knowledge, confidence, and pure purpose will enable us to avoid pitfalls and overcome obstacles. Boldly facing the foe, Ave find that the ‘perils’ assume a far less threatening aspect. The people of the loAver spheres are powerless to harm us Avlien AA r e extend our sympathy and love tOAvards them, but exercise our will, and discreetly bold the fort of your oavu psychic nature. We, however, deem it right and necessary that those who essay to tread this path should knoAv of its difficulties as well as its delights. 42 A Guide to Mediumship In the main we are aware that the dangers are those of ignorance and folly; of perversion, abuse, selfishness, and unspiritual practices; but that is not quite all that has to be said, as there are times when those who are sensitive —owing to ill-health, lack of tone, temporary difficulties, the influence of associates and surroundings, or some such causes—may become subject to influences (from this and the other side) that may affect them injuriously. But, as a rule, nothing is to be gained by dread, or by anticipating such contingencies (except that one may not be taken by surprise), and when they do occur, one has but to summon the forces of will, and, by supplication to the higher pow¬ ers, obtain such inspirations and strength as to take cap¬ tive those who seek to ‘possess’ or injure, and triumph by love. However, let us continue the lesson which ‘M. A. (Oxon) ’ gave. He said:— THREE SERIOUS POINTS. ‘In developing mediumship one has to consider a ques¬ tion involving three serious points. Can you get into rela¬ tion with a spirit who is wise enough and strong enough to protect and good enough for you to trust? If you do not you are exposed to that recurrent danger which the old oc¬ cultists used to describe as the struggle with the dweller on the threshold. It is true that everybody who crosses the threshold of this occult knowledge does unquestionably come into a new and strange land in which, if he has no guide, he is apt to lose his way.’ Commenting upon the foregoing, Mr. A. Morton truly says: ‘That mediumship has its shadowy side it is sense¬ less folly to deny, for nearly every investigator has had to encounter much that was mixed, mysterious, and question¬ able—has had to sift immense quantities of chaff to obtain a few grains of wheat; but that, once gained, becomes the bread af life; it is the fruit of the tree whose leaves are for the healing of the nations. In no other way than through the careful investigation of Spiritualism can we gain the absolute knowledge—the answer to the question A Guide to Mediutnship 43 of Job, “If a man die, shall he live again?” and know that life is continuous and progressive. ‘The “dwellers on the threshold” are the people who “passed away” without having cultivated their spiritual natures; and the appellation does not apply exclusively to those who are prone to evil, but includes many who are bound by earthly ties through ignorance of the law and conditions of spirit life. ‘They may have led moral lives on earth r and have been debarred through religious training or prejudices from the study of life in the spirit world. Such spirits cannot be classed with the vicious, and only need to have the way pointed out to them to gladly hail the opportunity to progress beyond earthly environments, and are fre¬ quently brought to a realization of their condition and position through coming into relations with mediums. Sometimes spirits of this class attempt to control mediums while still bound in the thralls of their old theological ideas, and give utterance to views which are tinctured with their earthly beliefs, but if earnest in their desires to obtain light they soon pass out of such conditions of darkness . ’ TEACH THE SPIRITS. Mr. Morton continues: ‘Spirits who are in the con¬ ditions already described need instruction, and should not be repelled, but led to contrast their present state with that which they were taught in life to believe was to be their portion after death, and to have the way pointed out by which they may obtain a knowledge of their true rela¬ tions in the world in which they live. . . The principal harm arising from having such controls is the conflict be¬ tween their teachings and those of more advanced spirits, creating confusion and doubt in the minds of sceptics, or confirming some investigators in their beliefs in the erron¬ eous teachings of theologians. Much good has been ac¬ complished by well-developed mediums in assisting such benighted spirits to obtain a realization of their spiritual condition, but this should not be attempted in a con¬ tentious or denunciatory spirit. Denunciation and intol- 44 A Guide to Mediumship erance are not consistent with the spiritual philosophy. All honest belief is entitled to respectful treatment, whether held by mortal or spirit; and if the belief is erroneous, the only kind and charitable way to correct it is to lead the person entertaining it to see the beauty and grandeur of the higher light.’ This brings us to the consideration of a practice which has grown to considerable dimensions, viz., that of holding seances for the purpose of inviting low and undeveloped spirits to control mediums with a view to help those spirits to rise. This is a work for which only the wisest are fitted. There is ample scope for humane service in helping the fallen in this state of being, and assisting those occasional visitors who may be brought to us by ‘teaching spirits’ for their own good, and to serve as an object lesson to the sitters —but to indiscriminately invite the dwellers on the threshold is dangerous. Mr. Morton, when referring to the large number of the unprogressed, vicious, ignorant, sensual, and criminal spirits who haunt the threshold, says: ‘They require re¬ straint and repression to prevent their gratifying their propensities and desires through mediums who are not sufficiently developed or spiritually guarded against low influences,’ and, we may add, the assistance of the sittei’s is required to help and protect the medium. He should not be encouraged to become an ‘open door’ for such spirits to come through that they may revel in the recital of their past misdeeds, and endeavor to incite him to follow in their tracks, so that they may sympathetically gratify their base passions. Truly repentant spirits find plenty of helpers on the other side; and those who desire to aid their fellow-men should turn their attention to practical reform, teaching, and helpfulness to those around them in this world who need sympathy and brotherly service. The best method of decreasing the army of low spirits is to assist them to rise in this world before they go to spirit life. If we stop sending liars and knaves and self-righteous hypocrites into the other life there will soon be few to come back and obsess mediums. It is only under very exceptional cir- A Guide to Mediumship 45 cumstances, and with a well-developed and carefully- guarded and guided medium, that such seances as we have referred to should be held, and then only when advised by wise and powerful spirit friends. APPRENTICESHIP NEEDED. One frequent cause of trouble has been the tendency to rush young mediums into public work too soon. Pain¬ ful experiences are often permitted to immature mediums by their spirit friends to teach them a needed and salutary lesson, viz., to retire into the private circle and serve their apprenticeship, so that they may secure proper develop¬ ment before they essay to become public representatives. They should avoid sitting for control when physically ex¬ hausted, or with sitters against whom they are warned by their impressions. They must learn to say ‘no’ with deci¬ sion; and never yield to the selfish importunities of unwise friends or ‘phenomena hunters.’ The true friends of mediums will assist them in their endeavors to conserve their energies and guard against mistakes. Appreciation is welcome to us all, especially to sensitives; and cold neglect, or unresponsive reserve, chills and wounds the highly-strung medium. Yet flattery and undiscriminating praise are likely to be equally injurious, by gratifying and stimulating the vanity and egotism of those who should modestly use their powers for the good of others. Here, as everywhere else, tact and judgment and kindly sympathy will work wonders. THE DUTY OF SPIRITUALISTS. ‘It is the sacred duty of believers in spirit communion and angelic ministrations to protect and assist, counsel and encourage, conscientious and earnest mediums; and so save them from the disgrace of being classed with unscrupulous pretenders by requiring of all exponents of the principles of Spiritualism, and all mediums who exercise phenomenal gifts, an equal degree, at least, of truthfulness, honor, fidel¬ ity, and virtue as is expected from teachers in school, colleges, and pulpits.* * A. Morton, in ‘Psychic Studies.’ 46 A Guide lo Mediumship The medium who is protected by wise friends (in and out of the body) from flattery, and warned against self- conceit, is in a happy position. It is difficult, but neces¬ sary, to ‘keep a level head.’ The two most serious ob¬ stacles in the path of young mediums are the puffing of injudicious earthly friends, and the extravagant promises of egoistic spirits who ‘fool them to the top of their bent’ if they find them pliable, ambitious, and vain. As a general rule, to use a homely but expressive phrase, ‘birds of a feather flock together,’ and unless there ’s some point of contact, (it may be temporary only) low .spirits cannot attach themselves to a medium. ‘Degraded persons in this life do not seek associations which offer no opportunities for the gratification of their propensities, or, if casually brought into the sphere of their superiors in morality and intelligence, they soon desist from their evil efforts if met in a spirit of kindness, and this holds good as regards the law of association between spirits and me¬ diums. ’ A firm and decided, but kindly attitude, and a high-souled motive, will be a safeguard, especially when the sitters are sincere and high-minded also. THE RESPONSIBILITY OP MEDIUMS. It is important that mediums should recognize that they must share the responsibility for their utterances, and not seek to evade it by blaming the spirits. Speaking on this point, Professor Iloveland says: ‘I have heard mediums defend their utterances on the ground that it was not themselves but their controls who gave the objec¬ tionable language. But this will be found a poor defence in law, and a much poorer one before the bar of conscience. The primary responsibility is back of the act; it lies in the yielding to the controlling influence.’ There can be no doubt that Mr. Morton expresses a great truth when he declares that ‘It is not a valid excuse for any medium who is guilty of deception, or who indulges in sensuality, to charge his lapses from truth, and other vicious practices, upon decarnated spirits. The adage that “a man is known by the company he keeps” applies to mediums equally with A Guide to Mediumship 47 other mortals, and the medium who continues to attract, low influences should not be countenanced or sustained by decent people, nor be permitted to practise as teacher of a truth so sacred as that of communion with the loved ones who have passed from mortal sight. It is right that charity should be extended to those who are earnestly striving to overcome evil tendencies, even if they do oc¬ casionally stumble by the wayside; but the tricksters who persistently trifle with sacred matters deserve to be dealt with by strict justice. The admonition to “Go and sin no more” drew the veil of forgiveness and charity over past offences, but offered no excuse for continuance in wrong¬ doing.’ This is the more true and imperative because ‘ It is within the pow'er of mediums to attract a class of con¬ trols who will protect them from low spirits, except such as are brought to them to learn the way “from darkness unto light.” Away, then, with the fear of evil spirits; cultivate faith in the angels, and make your aspirations for the good and the true a wall of protection from all evil.’ SELF-PROTECTION BY SELF-POSSESSION. A spirt friend of ours states that he is a member of a brotherhood in spirit life which has as its motto: ‘Truth is our creed: love is our force; purity is our safeguard.’ This is worth considering and employing in this world. No path is free from difficulty and danger, and the stud¬ ent in this l’ealm will not find that ignorance is bliss, by any means. On the contrary, he must ende avor to under¬ stand and cultivate his own spiritual powers, and bend his energies in tlie di rect ion of psychic self-mastery. We would urge our friendly reader to learn how to become positive to all influences calculated to injure, and re¬ ceptive to impressions from, and the guidance of, those spirits who are intelligent and trustworthy. Self-realiza¬ tion and self-possesion on this plane are the true safe¬ guards. Then the development of the psychic nature along the lines of spirtual aspiration, the wise and earnest seeking of the best and the highest, will bring happiness beyond compute. 48 A Guide to Mediumship The medium who maintains his health of body and vigor of mind will naturally experience the reactive edu¬ cational results of his association with intelligent spirit preceptors. If his purposes are pure and high he will enjoy a fulness and richness of spiritual life which will amply compensate him for the supposed ‘sacrifice of in¬ dividuality’ of which we hear so much. What gladness can equal that which must thrill him when he knows that through his agency the veil of death has been lifted, and sundered hearts again beat as one? What joy can com- pai’e with the happiness which the sensitive must exper¬ ience when he knows that he has been instrumental in dis¬ persing the mists of error and fear regarding the future life, and banishing dread of death and God from the minds of the doubting and distressed sufferers of earth? If the medium is sometimes cruelly misjudged, wrongfully ac¬ cused and condemned, the consciousness of having been true to right and truth will sustain him. The memory of the hours of exaltation, when, from the heights of spiritual illumination, the inner self looked out upon the great spir¬ itual realm and rejoiced in its at-one-ment with the Su¬ preme—when it triumphed over its limitations and real¬ ized its divinity and destiny—is a source of strength even in the darkest hours of reaction and human weakness. To hear, from the trembling lips of the mourner, the cheering words, ‘ Oh! thank you so much for letting my loved one come to speak to me’; or, ‘That message has lifted such a terrible load from my heart’; or, after an inspired and inspiring discourse, the sincerely-spoken words, ‘Thank you! Your address has helped me more than you know or can understand,’ is recompense indeed to the medium for any trial or suffering he may have endured. The delight of doing good; of helping others; of lifting the load of care; of ministering to the mind diseased; of wiping the tears from the mourner’s eyes and making life worth living, because there is no death, is a perpetual joy. Surely, difficulties and dangers are worth facing and over¬ coming in the service of humanity and the angels, and for the good cause of Truth, when one knows the abiding pleasure which such altruistic labors can afford! J Guide to Mediums}) tp 45 CHAPTER VI. THE DIFFERENT PHASES OF MEDIUMSIIIP. There are diversities of gifts.—1 Cor. xii. 6. What most puzzles me is, not that they (spirits) some¬ times signal through the veil, but that they do not signal all along.—Rev. John Page Hopps. When mediumship is truly understood, both less and more will be expected and obtained through its agency than has been the ease hitherto. Less will be expected from those in spirit-life who give the bulk of the messages ordinarily received, but more will be demanded and wel¬ comed from higher celestial sources, because aspirations will reach higher, and the science of spiritual telegraphy will be better understood.—W. J. Colville. I The objective phenomena which transpire in the pres¬ ence of mediums are, as a rule, developed in what is called the ‘spirit circle,’ although there have been many instances in which these occurrences have been spontaneous, burst¬ ing out in fashion among people totally ignorant of the whole subject, and sometimes strongly opposed to the idea of spirits or ‘ghosts’ being near them. These manifestations are generally regarded as ‘haunt- ings, ’ and are spoken of as due to the presence of evil spirits, but almost invariably they are found to occur when certain persons are present, such individuals usually fall¬ ing under suspicion, although they may be the innocent agents from whom the unseen operators derive the power which they employ. These natural psychics unconsciously supply the spirits with the requisite elements for their manifestations; some of them do not desire to become me- 50 A Guide to MediumsJiip diums; tire not at all interested in the subject; do not feel called upon to suffer for or serve their fellows in the ca¬ pacity of mediums, and are only prevailed upon with much difficulty to participate in the experiments which usually follow and which to other people are so important. In¬ deed, some mediumistic persons are strongly opposed to the whole tiling, and keenly resent the actions of the spir¬ its who draw upon their psychic force for the production of these phenomena. RECORDS SHOULD BE KEPT. "When a medium for strong physical phenomena has been developed in a private and harmonious circle, rec¬ ords of the occurrences should be carefully made and signed, and the conditions under which the phenomena take place should be observed and accurately stated. The sitters should be guided by the wishes of the spirits, and refuse to admit strangers or visitors without their per¬ mission. After a time, as the development progresses, the medium and his spirit friends may be strong enough to undertake independent public work without the assistance and" protection of a circle, in the same manner as did D. DATiome, Slade, Eglinton, and other noted public me¬ diums : but they should be in no hurry about doing so, and they need to be very self-possessed and level-headed to hold their own against the ‘phenomena hunters’ on the one side (who sap out the very life of the sensitive), and the know-all, conceited sceptics on the other side (who freeze up all the psychic conditions), and before whom it is worse than foolish to east these pearls of great price. PUBLIC MEDIUMS NOT TO BE ENVIED. The lot of the public ‘physical,’ ‘test,’ and ‘claircoy- ant’ medium is not to be envied or lightly chosen. Such sensitives frequently suffer a martyrdom that none but sensitives can realize. What with foolish flatterers; the sitters who are never content, but cry, ‘Give, ‘give,’ ‘give’; the injudicious friends, who, seeing the exhaustion of the worn-out medium, in mistaken sympathy urge them to 4. Guide to Mediumship 51 take stimulants (instead of securing them rest and change of surroundings), they have a hard road to travel, and our sincercst sympathy goes out to them all. We plead for them. We bespeak kindly and humane consideration. Too frequently they are tried and condemned unheard. They are expected to prove that they are not frauds in¬ stead of, as in other eases, being accepted as reputable people. So much has this been the case that some me¬ diums of unquestioned power have retired into private life and business pursuits, where they meet with the re¬ spect and recognition which were denied them while they were public workers in the ranks of Spiritualism. Let us not be misunderstood. In saying this we are not apologiz¬ ing for, or palliating fraud or wrongdoing, but merely asking for fair and considerate treatment—not hasty, un¬ reasoning condemnation. While it is true that medium- ship has many compensations, and the medium who takes pleasure in his work has many pleasant experiences, it is also true that the public professional medium is too fre¬ quently subjected to treatment which makes his task more difficult and thankless than it need be. The kindly and appreciative treatment which he receives from some sit¬ ters is a welcome stimulus, and affords good conditions for the spirits, who are thus enabled to operate to the best advantage. THE VALUE OF PHENOMENA. Physical phenomena are especially valuable when they afford evidences of spirit identity. Materializations sel¬ dom supply proofs of the personal identity of the opera¬ tors, but are interesting displays of the skill of the spirit modeller in building up a palpable form. A writer in the ‘Harbinger of Light’ very forcibly says: ‘A good psy¬ chographic medium will usually obtain writing between closed slates, which may be brought by the investigator, who can insist upon their not leaving his sight, and not even leaving his hand. We have obtained writing on pa¬ per that we had previously marked, which was then cov¬ ered by our own hand and in friend’s, and was untouched by the medium. On another occasion, a slate which we 52 A Guide to Mediums]) ip had personally cleaned was laid on the floor (fully six feet from the medium) with a small piece of pencil under it (in broad daylight), and on taking it up shortly after¬ wards there was found written on the under side a long message of a private nature from a deceased friend, of whom we were not thinking. Such phenomena as these are still good and impressive, they cannot be counterfeited under like conditions, and even when no proof of identity is given in connection with the writings, they point so dis¬ tinctly to the action of a discrete disembodied intelligence as to compel the recognition of their spiritual origin. The evidential utility of physical phenomena lies in their being inimitable by fraud. Colorable imitations can of course be made which might satisfy the credulous and gullible, but the conditions for testing the phenomena we have specially referred to are so simple that no rational investigator need be deceived; first, to be sure that the slate, paper, or panel to be used is perfectly blank; second, that it does not leave the hand of the inquirer, or if it does, that it is marked in such a way that there can be no doubt _of i ts identification when it returns to him; and thirdly (with paintings), to observe if the paint be wet, and note the time occupied in their production.’ NOT ALWAYS ENTRANCED. Mediums for the production of physical phenomena are not always entranced, as the power can be drawn from them and uitlized for many striking manifestations while they are in their normal condition. Professor Loveland says: ‘Many of the best mediums in the world were never entranced in the sense of being in an unconscious sleep. And it is doubtful whether that condition is desirable. The Fox girls, and most, if not all the original rapping medhims, were never in the deep sleep trance. It is not necessary for any of the physical manifestations, and that includes a very large percentage of all the spirit pheno¬ mena, The rappings, tippings, movings, slate writings, automatic writings, paintings, telegraphing, voices, mater¬ ializing, etc., can all occur without the sleep trance, the A Guide to Mediumship 53 ' reason for which is very apparent, as in the production of such phenomena the spirits simply use the surplus rad¬ iated nerve-force of the medium.’ Sir Wm. Crookes, who s peak ing in 1895 of D. D. Home and Busapia Paladino, said :— 'Most, if not all, of the occurrences with Busapia seem to have taken place when she was in a trance, and the more complete the trance the more striking the pheno¬ mena. This was not always so with Home. Cei’tainlv the two most striking things I ever saw with him, the fire test and visible forms, were to be observed while he was en¬ tranced, but it was not always easy to tell when he was in that state, for he spoke and moved about almost as if he were in his normal condition; the chief differences be¬ ing that his actions Avere more deliberate, and his manner and expressions more solemn, and he always spoke of him¬ self in the third person, as “Dan.” DARKNESS NOT NECESSARY. ‘When he was not in a trance Ave frequently had move¬ ments of objects in different parts of the room, Avith visible hands carrying flowers about and playing the accordion. On one occasion I Avas asked by Home to look at the accor¬ dion as is was playing in the semi-darkness beneath the table. I srav a delicate-looking female hand holding it by the handle, and the keys at the lower end rising and fall¬ ing as if fingers Avere playing on them, although I could not see them. So lifelike Avas the hand that at first I said it was my sistei'-in-law’s, but Avas assured by all present that both her hands AA’ere on the table, a fact which I then Aerified for myself.’ Mrs. Everitt, of Hendon, London, constantly receives CA'idences of the presence of her spirit friends while she is perfectly normal. We have heard rappings and witnessed movemnts of physical objects in her presence, while hold¬ ing friendly conversation with her, when we have been in a good light. Frequently, at meal times, the spirits an¬ nounce their presence by raps, and respond to the saluta¬ tions and questions of their medium and other members of the family. 54 A Guide to Mediumship SIR W. CROOKES AND D. D. HOME. Sir Wililam Crookes said: ‘Home always refused to sit in the dark. He said that, with firmness and persever¬ ance, the phenomena could be got just as well in the light, and even if some of the things were not so strong, the evi¬ dence of one’s eyesight was worth making some sacrifice for. In almost all the seances I had with Home there was plenty of light to see all that occurred, and not only to enable me to write down notes of what was taking place, but to read my notes without difficulty. Home was very anxious to let everyone present be satisfied that he was not doing any of the things himself—too anxious, I sometimes thought, for frequently he would interfere with the prog¬ ress and development of what was going on by insisting that some sceptic or other should come around and take hold of his hands and feet to be sure he was not doing anything himself. At times, lie would push his chair back and move right away from the table when things were moving on it, and ask those farthest from him to come round and satisfy themselves that he had nothing to do with the movements. I used frequently to beg him to be quiet, knowing that, if he would not move about in his eagerness to convince us of his genuineness, the strength of the phenomena would probalv increase to such a degree that no further evidence would be needed that their pro¬ duction was beyond the powers of the medium. ‘During the whole of my knowledge of D. D. Home, extending for several years, I never once saw the slightest occurrence that would make me suspicious that he was at¬ tempting to play tricks. He was scrupulously sensitive on this point, and never felt hurt at anyone taking pre¬ caution against deception. He sometimes, in the early days of our acquaintance, used to say to me before a seance, “Now, William, I want you to act as if I was a recognized conjurer, and was going to cheat you and play all the tricks I could. Take every precaution you can de¬ vise against me, and move about and look under the table or where else you like. Don’t consider my feelings. I shall not be offended. I know that the more carefully I A Guide to Mediumship 55 am tested the more convinced will everyone be that these abnormal occurrences are not of my own doings.” Lat¬ terly, I used jokingly to say to him, “Let us sit round the fire and have a quiet chat, and see if our friends are here and will do anything for us. We won’t have any tests or precautions.” On these occasions, when only my own family were present with him, some of the most convincing phenomena took place.’ D. D. HOME AN UPRIGHT MAN. In justice to Mr. Home, perhaps the most wonderful medium of modern times, we insert here, in addition to what has already been said, the following tribute to his nobility and sincerity by Sir William Crookes: ‘I think it is a cruel thing that a man like D. D. Home, gifted with such extraordinary powers, and always willing, nay, anx¬ ious, to place himself at the disposal of men of science for investigation, should have lived so many years in London, and, with one or two exceptions, no one of weight in the scientific world should have thought it worth while to look into the truth or falsity of things which were being talked about in society on all sides. To those who knew him. Home was one of the most lovable of men, and his perfect genuineness and uprightness were beyond suspicion, but by those who did not know him he was called a charlatan, and those who believed in him were considered little better than lunatics. ’ * NOT TRIVIAL OR UNWORTHY. We need not do more than refer, in passing, to the ob¬ jections of those who regard the tilting and rapping of tables, the ringing of bells, and other phenomena of the kind as ‘trivial,’ and ‘undignified,’ and ‘unworthy of spirits from the other world.’ We do not deem it trivial or undignified to lift the knocker and rap the door, or ring the door bell, when we call upon our friends and wish to make them aware of our presence. May it not be our materialistic tendencies which compel the spirits to employ * ‘Light,’ January 19th, 1895. 56 A Guide to Mcdiumship phvsicial means of reaching us because ‘having eyes we see not, and having ears we hear not,’ and are unrespon¬ sive to all their appeals upon the more spiritual plane? Further, this asserted ‘umvorthiness’ assumes the very point which the phenomena are intended to prove, viz., that there are people in the other world to communicate with us. Sceptics have doubted and denied the existence of the spirit world, and so the spirit people have been compelled to choose these methods to break through the materialistic incrustations with which we have surrounded ourselves. By and bye, possibly, we shall obtain the open vision and the listening ear, and instead of compelling the spirits to come down to our level we may ascend to their plane of light and ‘know as we are known.’ But, until then, the outward and visible signs and wonders will still be requisite, and physical demonstrations of ‘psychic force,’ ‘associated with and governed by Intelligence, demonstrably other than that of the mediums and the sitters,’ will still be efficacious, as they were with Sir Wm, Crookes and Dr. A. E. Wallace. HELPFUL SITTERS. There are many persons who, although they are not particularly mediumistic, possess a peculiar psychical power which is very helpful to young mediums. They are good sitters in a ‘developing circle.’ They may not do anything, or say much, but their influence is congenial, and sensitives like to sit beside them. These persons are fountains (or reservoirs) of force which the spirits can draw upon, and the medium is thus greatly assisted by their presence. conscious MEDIUMS. Persons of the mediumistic temperament, although they do not have objective evidences of spirit presence, oT even the personal experience of spirit influence to the ex¬ tent of being controlled, may yet be conscious that they are acted upon by, and receive ideas, suggestions, and im¬ pressions from, outside intelligences. They act and speak 'on the spur of the moment;’ they see things ‘with the A Guide to Mediumship 57 mind’s eye;’ they are conscious of being impelled—even compelled—to do or say things which apparently bear no relation to what has gone before, and for which, if chal¬ lenged, they cannot give any satisfactory reason. They simply £ liad to do it.’ FOREIGN CONTROLS. It is a common experience for a sensitive, in the early days of his development, to be influenced by foreign spirits and to find himself more or less consciously uttering sounds which, for aught he knows, may be the merest gibberish. There are several reasons for this. One of the most frequent causes will be found in the^fear of the me¬ dium that lie may in any way be a party to deception or even deceive himself. Owing to this feeling he resists all the attempts of the spirit to compel him to speak, lest it should be the result of the operations of his own mind in some unknown and inexplicable fashion, and thus, while he desires development, he renders the efforts of the spirits nugatory by his nervousness. It is, moreover, gen¬ erally affirmed that Indians are natural Spiritualists, and are, therefore, experienced in such matters. When they reach the other side they are able to exert a more power¬ ful influence upon mediums than the spirit friends and relations of the sitters can do, because they lived a more physically natural life, with fewer strains and drains upon their psychic and vital forces than Europeans are com¬ pelled to endure, and are therefore more magnetically positive. Then, too, they have less to unlearn, and are more observant and apt in adjusting themselves to their new environments. Not only so, but a sensitive when under their influence is not able to understand what is being spoken by and through his lips, and does not grow nervous and antagonistic as he would do if English words were being uttered; consequently, he feels that he is not speaking of himself, and allows the influence to proceed— generally with a curious feeling of detachment from him¬ self which awakens a desire to see what will be the out¬ come. 58 A Guide to Mediumship FRIENDS AND PROTECTORS. Many India n spirits become true and faithful friends. They act as protectors—‘doorkeepers,’ so to speak—to their mediums. They do the hard work of development in the circle, and prevent the intrusion of undesirable spirits. Sometimes they are boisterous and exuberant in their operations and manifestations, and, while we do not share the prejudices which are expressed against them, we think it is wise to exercise a restraining influence over their demonstrations. They generally possess strong heal¬ ing power, and frequently put their mediums through a course of calistlienic exercises—w r hich, although beneficial to the health of the medium and, in the presence of a few friends, may pass without adverse comment, would prob¬ ably cause criticism if performed in a public assembly. Personally, we are deeply indebted to spirits of this class, who have been trustworthy helpers and kindly counsellors, and we gratefully make this acknowledgment as a mat¬ ter of justice and right. IMPERSONATING AND TEST MEDIUMSHIP. An impersonating medium is one who is so thoroughly controlled by a spirit as to accurately represent and dis¬ play the characteristics and peculiarities of that spirit. The test medium when entranced, whether in the deep un¬ conscious condition or in the semi-trance state, will often reproduce the symptoms of the illness, and enact the scene of the last few moments prior to the release of the spirit from the mortal form. Such impersonations are generally so exact and striking, and are so often accompanied by ejaculations wrhich call to mind the last earthly utterances of the spirit who is seeking to manifest, that they are of a most convincing and consoling character. It is, how r - ever, unwise for sitters to stipulate that certain ‘tests’ must be given to them before they will believe; because the anxiety and the strong desire which they experience, when visiting mediums, frequently disturb the delicate psychic and mental conditions, and so prevent success. If, howmver, the particular test should be given by the A Guide to Mediumship 59 medium it might then be open to the objection that it was a case of ‘telepathy.’ The best attitude is to keep an open mind, encourage the spirits to do their best on your behalf, and judge the results on their inherent merits. TEST MEDIUMSHIP. When a spirit desires to establish his identity he has to endeavor to make the instrument speak his exact words, so that he can give names, dates, and relate specific details of his earth experiences, and, if possible, use phrases or other turns of speech which were characteristic of him while here, so that they will be familiar to his friends and carry to their minds the conviction of his real presence. To secure this result a very close rapport must be estab¬ lished between the spirit and the medium, and the ‘con¬ trol’ must be as perfect and as nearly ‘automatic’ as possible. Unless the instrument is extremely sensitive and responsive, the enhancement must be very deep to ensure success. ‘reliable’ mediums. We have frequently received applications for intro¬ ductions to a ‘good and reliable’ ‘test’ or ‘business’ me¬ dium, or clairvoyant. It will be easily understood, from what has already been said, that success will largely de¬ pend upon the sitter and the conditions provided by him. We may recommend the inquirer to a medium who is sincere and honorable, but the psychic or mental condi¬ tions of the sitter may be of such a nature that they will not harmonize with those of the medium, and under such circumstances (although both sitter and medium are hon¬ est and well-intentioned) little or nothing of any value can be given or received. But the same sitter, visiting another sensitive with whom harmonious psychic relations can be established, may find the spirit both able and will¬ ing to transmit even more than he expected or desired. It is well, therefore, to bear in mind that communications from the other side are liable to be affected by a number of influences, and while we are aware of the limitations on our side, we may profitably recognize that there are 60 A Guide to Mediumship many difficulties which hamper the spirit communicants on their side. The fact is that to a very large extent the spirits are groping their way to us just as we are feeling our way towards them, and therefore patience, forbear¬ ance, and kindly sympathy are needed in the endeavor to obtain trustworthy messages. IMPERSONATING SPIRITS. The mind of the medium may interfere with and affect the message. lie may wrongly interpret the thoughts that reach him. The expectancy or anxiety of the sitter may disturb his psychic perceptions. Other spirits may inter¬ fere. Well-meaning but unwise and self-assertive spirits —both in the body and out—may entertain and express ideas which they sin cere ly believe, but which are never¬ theless misleading, or entirely mistaken. We know how difficult it lias been in some famous legal cases to identify certain individuals, even on this side, and it is of necessity still more difficult to be quite certain that we know and can identify spirit visitants. Some inquirers have experienced much trouble and annoyance with ‘impersonating spirits’ who have sought to pass themselves off as relatives or acquaintances, or have posed as famous historical personages. As regards the latter class, it is so impossible to prove or disprove their claims that we are inclined to ask them for evidences of intellectual and spiritual power and brilliancy equal to the recoi’ded capabilities of the persons they assume to be. We attach no value to names— -we iu clge the message ac¬ cording to its rationality and real worth. But as regards spirit impersonators who claim to be relatives and friends, and fail to substantiate their claims, let us point out that it is a step gained when the inquirer is compelled to recog¬ nize that they are discarnate spirit people. The old test, ‘by their fruits ye shall know them,’ holds good. Test messages go a long way as proofs of identity—but there is a subtle psychical relation—and there are many little things—feelings, intuitive perceptions, and responsive heart stirrings, which we experience apart from, and in A Guide to Mediumship 61 addition to, what is said or done—that carry conviction; or that arouse us to the consciousness that some spirit pretender is at work. We are not afraid that level-headed people will be misled very far; and those who are not sufficiently emancipated to feel above the fear of Satanic agency, but dread the power of what they call ‘demons,’ bad better let the subject entirely alone, and go in for a ourse of rationalistic self-development and ‘higher criti¬ cism. ’ DEGREES OF TRANCE. What is called ‘trance mediumship’ is seldom of the nature of the deep sleep of entire unconsciousness.* It is more frequently the suspension of the ordinary conscious¬ ness of external surroundings, a temporary oblivion on the outer plane—a semi-conscious state, in fact—in which the subject does not retain the volitional ability to employ his thinking powers. They have been ‘switched off,’ so to speak, and respond to the will of the control. In the case of ‘speaking’ mediumship, where general and philosophical ideas are to be transmitted, the control is of a different order from that exercised for test mani¬ festations. It is more frequently of the nature of ‘sug¬ gestion.’ The spirit mesmerist suggests to the sensitive a certain train of ideas, and then stimulates the brain and the organs of expression to do the work of dressing up the thoughts and giving them utterance. Unless the sub¬ ject is a scientific or a biographical one, in which specific terms are required and accurate data are to be imparted, the relationship between the ‘inspired’ speaker and the control partakes more of the character of the engineer who feeds the fire and directs the movements of his engine, while the machine does the work, than it does of the actual voicing of the exact words, embodying in a full and * There are any number of degrees of trance, from the state of complete catalepsy to the feeling of simple quietude or passiveness, as it is sometimes termed. We find the same variations in our natural sleep; from the profound and dreamless slumber to the half-waking condition.—‘Essay on Mediumship.’ Professor Tx>ve- land. 62 A Guide to Mediumship complete fashion the ideas the spirit wishes to have ex¬ pressed. THE RELATION BETWEEN SPIRIT AND MEDIUM. At first the operator may succeed but very imperfectly in stimulating the brain of the sensitive and causing the cerebration and expression of his thoughts. The utter¬ ances may bear but slight resemblance to what the spirit intended to express. The vocabulary is that of the me¬ dium and the" form in which the speech is cast of necessity partakes of the mould familiar to the sensitive—but, by continued close association and frequent control of the medium, the operator gains experience which enables him to exert a more decided influence; and the sensitive, be¬ coming attuned, responds to and expresses the thoughts of the spirit with greater clearness and precision. Just as those avIio dwell together unconsciously approach nearer to each other and acquire a similarity in their mode of thought and of expressing their ideas (the more domi¬ nant personality impressing itself upon the less positive), so the medium imperceptibly, and very often uncon¬ sciously, acquires facility and proficiency in thought and elocutionary expression as the result of the co-operation between himself and his spirit guide. Here is where the work of ‘development’ comes in, and this is why a medium should not be rushed upon the public platform before his powers have been tried and evolved by continuous association. Both spirit and medium need experience and the education which mutual experiment and co-operation afford. WRITING: ‘AUTOMATIC’ AND ‘iMPREPSIONAL. ’ In ‘automatic’ writing the hand does the work—and, as was the case with ‘M.A. (Oxon.),’ the mind may be separately engaged in reading or study. In some instances both hands of the medium are employed simultaneously, and he does not know what has been written until he reads it afterwards. When the writing is ‘ impressional’ the sensitive knows beforehand what will be written, or is conscious of what A Guide to Mediumship 63 is being given as the hand writes. In all such cases the messages—including those which present statements of matters of fact of evidential value in establishing the identity of the spirit—should be judged on their own merits by the usual standards, and should not be accepted reverentially as true and authoritative simply because they come from an excarnate human being. If the thoughts are wise and helpful and the diction clear and forcible or beautiful, then such writings are worth keeping for their intrinsic value. PROGRESSIVE DEVELOPMENT. Many mediums pass through different phases in the course of their development. At first they obtain tilts, possibly raps; then their hands are moved and they write; su bsequentl y they are unable to keep their eyes open and they fall asleep. They are sometimes compelled to make 'passes’“over themselves and others; they know what they are doing, but lack the power to resist or prevent it. Their next impulse is to try to speak, and they gurgle and gasp and make inarticulate noises; or shout, laugh, cry, or sing, and probably finish by talking some jargon which may be an unknown tongue, or merely a series of sounds without meaning. By-and-bye they are more deeply entranced and are impelled to utter a prayer, or make a short speech. Probably some spirit claims to relate his experiences, and impersonates his death-scene more or less successfully. A number of spirits may control the medium in rapid succession, being unable to ‘hold the fort’ for more than a few minutes each. As time passes the entrancement deepens, and one or two spirits claim to be ‘guides’ and begin to direct proceedings from their side. Add r esses are given in the trance or semi-trance state, and then the return to more normal mediumship begins. In some instances the eyes open and refuse to shut; the medium becomes more conscious while speaking; and finally the exalted, inspirational stage’is reached. The medium attains the ‘superior condition’ and is now able to normally employ his psychic energies, and, as a clairvoyant, clairaudient, psyehometrist, healer, or orator. 64 A Guide to Mediumship can intelligently exercise his natural abilities, assisted and stimulated in the work by his spirit friends. He thus enters into self-possession and reaps the aggregate edu¬ cational results of his past abnormal experiences. The fruits of the co-operation are seen in the marked increase of the medium’s normal power and ability. A Guide to Mediumship 6c CHAPTER VII. PSYCHICAL SUSCEPTIBILITY AND MEDIUMSHIP. A medium is necessarily extremely susceptible—as sus¬ ceptible as a needle trembling to the Pole, and quivering to the slightest disturbing cause; and hence, unless cau¬ tious and guarded, is liable to be imposed upon.—Hudson Tuttle. When we come to deal with the development of me¬ diumship in Part Two, and the cultivation of psychic pow¬ ers in Part Three of this ‘Guide,’ we shall treat more fully of the methods for eliciting the susceptibility tc spirit influence and the normal exercise of psychic gifts, and therefore present these branches of the subject at the present time in their general bearing only, leaving the more specific elaboration for the later sections. Clairvoyance, psychometry, and magnetic healing are frequently developed in mediums by spirit operators, but all those who possess and employ these powers are not of ..ssity mediums—any more than all orators, singers, and writers are of necessity inspired or controlled—they may or may not be. Those who are naturally sensitive can themselves cultivate and use these faculties, or they may be assisted in that work by excarnate intelligences. The Rev. Dr. R. Ileber Newton says: ‘There is some¬ thing in that strange power by which a man can read the past on a lock of hair or a scrap of handwriting. These are the new powers entering into the life of man, as man enters into the life of spirit. Whereas, a few years ago those powers were the belongings of but a few—the mys¬ tics and the sages—they are now coming within our ordi- 66 Guide to Mediumship nary humanity. Tt is the coming of the Kingdom of Goo among men.’ MEDIUMSHIP AND PSYCHOMETKY. There are two kinds of psychometry, the passive a the a ctive. In the passive phase the recipient simply waits to be acted upon by the influence, and registers the im¬ pression produced; but in the active stage the psychom¬ eter pushes .out on an exploration on his own account, .dete rmined to wrest from the soul-world its secrets. He not only seeks the information, but obtains it by becoming consciously identified with the person or place or object under consideration. The experimenter may be both a medium and a psychometer, but the difference, as stated by Mrs. Denton, is this: ‘The medium is dependent for the information he receives as a medium upon intelli¬ gences foreign to his own—upon others; hence the neces- .sity for him to be passive, that his will may not intercept nor his opinions color the communication being given through him. The psyehometer must depend for any in¬ formation he may be able to acquire upon his own powers of recognition, of comprehension, of discrimination— largely upon his own judgment—as to whether he is con¬ founding different scenes, characters, and conditions, or holding them severally distinct and true to their own be¬ longings.’ But many mediums are employed by their spirit friends for psychometric experiences. "While normally unable to give such readings, their spirit guides are able to do so through them. Still, Mrs. Denton’s contention is un¬ doubtedly, in the main, correct; and those mediums who study, and seek to develop, their own powers, almost in¬ variable find, after a time, that they can successfully ob¬ tain results while in the normal state, which formerly could only be attained when they were ‘under control.’ In almost all phases of mediumship this tendency is observable. The cultivation of the psychic nature and the evolution of its powers under the abnormal stimulus of the ‘suggestion’ and magnetic influence of the spirit operator, result in the permanent liberation of those facul- A Guide to Mediumship 67 ties, and as the outcome of the education thus acquired, the medium is ultimately normally benefited, and can consciously employ those powers and co-operate with his spirit friends, so that instead of being a blind, unconscious automaton he becomes an intelligent co-worker with them. Many speakers who at first had to be entranced before they could address an audience become, at a later stage, very successful normal speakers, either with or without the inspirational aid of their spirit friends. THE POWERS OF SPIRITS LIMITED. We now know that spirits do not oust the medium and occupy his body and brain, as one tenant follows another and takes possession of a house. The spirit does not pro¬ vide and dictate the actual words'To he used by the me¬ dium, save in very exceptional cases, but acts upon him by ‘suggestion/ by impression, by thought-transference, and by stimulating his natural capabilities. The spirit cannot "create abilities; he can only quicken and intensify those which are latent. lie cannot cause the medium to ex¬ ceed the range of what is possible to him when his dor¬ mant powers are cultivated, but he may, and frequently does, cause him to transcend his ordinary abilities, and untimately brings up the normal expression to the plane of the abnormal. Hudson Tuttle emphatically expresses his opinion that: ‘A medium cannot be controlled to do anythi ng against his determined will, and the plea that he is compelled by spirits is no excuse for wrong-doing. The medium, like anyone else, knows right from wrong, and if the control¬ ling spirit urges towards the wrong, yielding is as repre¬ hensible as it would be to the promptings of passion or the appetites. While in this earth life the duties and obligations contracted therein are paramount to all others ; a proposition which must be admitted by all right-think¬ ing spirits. The medium who is unbiased in his own mind cannot be led away from right-doing by the influence of mortals or spirits/ 68 A Guide to Mediumshtfj UNSATISFACTORY SEANCES. How much depends upon the sitters as regards the suc¬ cess or failure of any given seance? Some people who visit mediums are almost invariably successful; others seldom, if ever, obtain clear and convincing evidences of spirit identity. It is difficult to always determine what are the causes of these differences. There is some peculiar¬ ity of sympathy, of psychic rapport, which is not neces¬ sarily mental or moral, and yet it is an openness of soul requisite for success. There may be a good deal of truth in the following, by Lucy A. Mallory:— ‘ ‘ The reason why there is so much that is unsatisfactory in the communications from discarnate spirits is because those seeking communications do not understand how to put law into harmonious operation. In the first place we must have acquired self-control before we can receive any¬ thing satisfactory from the spirit world. If our being is not in order we can get only confusing messages. But whoever will put themselves in proper condition can have communication with the spirit world, and there is nothing life can offer that gives such perfect satisfaction. No evidence will positively satisfy the soul below the plane of its own consciousness.’ SEEING, ‘SENSING,’ OR PERCEIVING? Miss Rowan Vincent, during her career as a medium, gave hundreds of ‘descriptions’ which were recognized by the recipients as accurate portrayals of their deceased relatives and friends, yet could not affirm that she actually saw them. She gave some interesting definitions of clair¬ voyance when speaking at one of the meetings of the London Spiritualist Alliance. She said it was as natural for a man or woman to exercise clairvoyance as to em¬ ploy the ordinary powers of vision. There were several kinds of clairvoyance. There was the kind which saw dearly the vision before it, just as the normal sight beheld the objects of everyday life. Then there was a type of clairvoyance which beheld visions in a dream-like fashion, sometimes scarcely able to realize that it was clairvoyance. .4 Guide io Mediumship 69 Again, there was the clairvoyance that seemed only men¬ tally to apprehend the picture or vision. Some clairvoy¬ ants could see into closed boxes or sealed packets, others could see across oceans and continents. These kinds, how¬ ever, belonged more to the mesmeric condition, and were not often found in the normal clairvoyant. The clair¬ voyance that found favor with most people, however, was that which described the forms, features, and characters of those who had gone from our midst. In such cases the seer was enabled to draw back the veil that hid one world from the other; and his clairvoyance became a sacred gift, and as such should be esteemed by both the giver and the recipient. IMPRESSIONAL clairvoyance. Mr. W. II. Bach, in his little work on ‘Mediumship and its Development,’ expresses the opinion that clairvoyance and clairaudienre are both ‘impressional.’ He points out that ‘clairvoyants see with closed eyes and m the dark as readily as, and in some cases better than, in the light.’ lie affirms his belief that ‘clairvoyance is a result of an i mpressi on produced directly upon the brain, and that the same holds good in regard to clairaudience.’ Passivity, attention, and responsiveness are needed to develop these phas es. Some clairvoyants, however, claim to see spirits as though they looked at them with their eyes. Mrs. Bessie Russell-Davies, herself a remarkably successful seer, claims that ‘clairvoyance is our “spirit vision,” the sight our souls see with. . . . By it we see clearly what is positively obscure and unseen by natural sight. Spiritual objects are seen by it more easily than are phys¬ ical objects.’ The causes why some people and not others possess the power of ‘clear seeing,’ she thinks, are yet to be discovered, although the faculty frequently runs m fam ilies for generations. MENTAL PICTURES, IMAGES, OR VISIONS ? When a clairvoyant describes a spirit near to a sitter and fills in the details of his personal appearance when in life here, and those delineations are of so vivid a nature 70 A Guide to Mcdiumship as to convince the recipient that the person thus described is in reality a departed relative, it is considered a good test of the clairvoyant’s power. But a little thought will con¬ vince the student that the vision was not a spiritual one in the sense of discerning the visitor as he really is in his new state of existence. The seer either witnessed a partial materialization, or described an appearance (a picture pre¬ sented to his psychic vision), or what had been impressed upon him by the spirit operator. The seer depicts the spirit as'wearing the garb, and presenting the appearance which characterized him here. But no one will claim that the people ‘over there’ wear the same clothes and are unaltered in their personal appearance since they died, as we call it. If the clairvoyant saw our friends as they are seen by their fellow-spirits we should find it very difficult, to recognize them. The child who died a babe is seen as a babe, although ten or more years have passed since he entered spirit life, and spirits unite in assuring us that children grow and develop in the spheres beyond the tomb. NOT WHAT THEY SEEM TO BE. The aged and infirm are frequently depicted by clair¬ voyants as still aged and bent with the weight of years; yet spirits tell us that all appearances of age and infirmity drop away from them soon after entering the spirit state. Hence, while no doubt the spirit thinks back, so to speak, and projects an appearance of himself (a thought-form) as he was, for the pur posse of recognition, clairvoyance, in the sense of seeing as a spirit among spirits, has not been exercised, although i.t has been a true exercise of medium- ship. An experienced mesmerist when he has a good sub¬ ject can cause that subject to see pretty much what he wills him to see. He has but to concentrate his thought and visualize an object or person clearly in his own mind, to sympathetically transfer the image to his sensitive with more or less distinctness. There are, however, so many grades of psychic perception, or lucidity, that it is difficult to determine where impression ends and sight begins, and where that which is seen is merely a temporary thought- form, a picture, a partial materialization, or bona-fide A Guide to Mediumship 71 spirit sight. Only experience, careful observation, and con¬ tinued experiment can settle the point in any given case or with any particular medium. A SUGGESTED EXPLANATION. Thought-transference may help us to form some idea of the process by which visual impressions are produced. If an operator draws a rough outline cf an object, and then, looking at the drawing, seeks to visualize and hold that pic¬ ture in his mind's eye, and, by the exercise of his will, en¬ deavors to project and transfer the thought-picture to a sensitive; and, further, if the sensitive is sitting passively yet expectantly, is all attention to receive the positive im¬ pression, and it is thus transferred, we have an experience which is, we think, largely analogous to (if not identical with) what happens in impressional clairvoyance. We fully recognize that there are various kinds of de¬ grees of clairvoyance, as the experienced mesmerist and Spiritualist knows, and we do not claim that the above- suggested explanation covers the whole ground, but it does seem to us adequate for this particular class of experiences. SPIRIT ACTIVITY AND BODILY SLEEP. Mr. W. J. Colville says: ‘ Spirit communion of the most satisfying and consoling nature is frequently enjoyed in sleep, and to render this communion thoroughly efficient as a panacea for doubt and sorrow, it is by no means necessary that on awaking the one who has been enlightened and con¬ soled in sleep should remember any of the detailed circum¬ stances of a vision or a dream. Intromission to the spiritual state surpasses many lesser mediumistic experiences, as it causes an unmistakable feeling of assurance within the one who has experienced it, while even the most convincing tests or proofs coming through another, supply less direct evi¬ dence than one’s own original experiences. The problem of sleep is now receiving, as well as invit¬ ing, far more attention than formerly, largely on account of the excellent results which often follow upon mental sug¬ gestions given to sleeping patients. We call particular at- A Guide to Mediumship tention to the sleeping state as that of interior or subjec¬ tive consciousness; never we are tmconscious. The phrase ‘ ‘ unconscious trance mediumship ’ ’ is one which needs qual¬ ifying, and is seldom appropriate, as it by no means ex¬ plains the recorded experiences of the many sensitives who, when in a superior or exalted state, are conscious of spir¬ itual experiences, though unconscious of what is going on in their material vicinity. ’ MAGNETIC AND SPIRIT HEALING. Healing power is possessed in some degree by many peo¬ ple who are not strictly of the mediumistic temperament, but, as they are charged with an abundance of vital, or ‘magnetic,’ force which is unused by them, it would prob¬ ably be productive of discomfort, if not disease, were it not for the fact that Nature has made health as catching as disea se, and their auric emanations act beneficially upon others who need healing and unconsciously draw to them¬ selves some of this abundant force. Nature ever works to¬ wards harmony, and strives to readjust inequalities. Those persons who are of the full-blooded vital temperament should try to relieve the aches and pains of those with whom they associate, for in relieving others they themselves would be benefited, provided a sympathetic feeling could be estab¬ lished. But no one should attempt to magnetize others to¬ wards whom he cannot exert kindly feelings, and no sufferer should submit to magnetic treatment by a “healer’ who does not inspire him with confidence and respect. Unless the magnetizer has gained confidence from study and experi¬ ence, and is guided by intelligent spirits who understand the methods of healing, it would be unwise for him to attempt to treat an illness of a serious nature. THE LAYING ON OP HANDS. Dr. Dean Clarke claimed, in the ‘Banner of Light,’ that: ‘When the mind, both conscious and “sub-conscious,” has full magnetic connection with, and control of, every organ in the body, health prevails. When it has not, a condition called “disease” prevails; and whatever method will re- A Guide to Mediumship 73 establish the normal state is a true art of healing. If there is too little magnetism to properly charge the nervous sys¬ tem it must be supplied from some source, or if there are obstructions to its proper circulation they must be removed or overcome. The experience of mankind, ancient and mod¬ ern, has proved the efficacy of “the laying on of hands,” by which the vital magnetism of the healer is imparted to the patient to “reinforce” his own exhausted or depleted vitality. ‘The art of imparting the subtle vital force inherent in the nervous system of man and animals was known centuries before either physiological or psychological science had dawned to explain it. In cjuite modern times Mesmer re¬ vived the ancient art, and presented a theory of explanation which, if not complete, has never been overthrown, though later-day hypnotists have essayed to destroy it by deny¬ ing his basic idea of animal magnetism. Granting all that may be claimed for the power of thought, or for mind acting upon mind, it would be just as rational and as scientific to attempt telegraphy without electricity, as to attempt hyp¬ notism or mental healing without the use of nerveaura or magnetism. The mind does not, and probably cannot, act upon the body without the intermediate agency of what has long been called animal magnetism. Insulate any portion of the nervous system from magnetic connection with the great dynamo, the brain, and the mind ceases to-control that part of the organism thus cut off from magnetic connection with the brain, and if this insulation continues, paralysis of those parts or organs follows.’ SPIRIT HEALERS AT WORK. ‘Spiritual science proves that human magnet i sm is but one of the factors of healing . It is the vehicle of all other power, but not the principal healing force, which is spirit- power. Every very successful healer, whether Spiritualist or “Christian Scientist,” has his own mental and spiritual power reinforced by a “spirit band,” or battery, if we may so speak. He or she may not be conscious of such aid, for spirit-power is so subtle that it may act through the 74 A Guide to Mediumship magnetic atmosphere of the healer unawares. Clairv oyants can see the spirit-healers at work doing “absent healing,” and psychometrists can sense their personality as decar- hated human spirits, and not the “Holy Ghost,” as was once supposed, and as is believed by “Christian Scientists” Today. ‘But usually the healing power from spirits, as well as mortals, is very sensibly felt. All “mediums,” whether healers or not, often feel very strongly the magnetic force through which they are influenced or controlled by spirits. It thrills their nerves, and not infrequently produces spas¬ modic jerking of the muscles or limbs. To claim that they are entranced, or otherwise influenced, solely by the force of thought or “suggestion,” is to ignore the universal ex¬ perience of thousands of psychic sensitives. ‘Our own psychic experience for twoscore years is con¬ clusive. We know whereof we affirm. We are positive that magnetism is the connecting force between mind and body, and also the intermediate force used by “controlling spir¬ its,” whenever their thought inspires ours, or they impart healing balm to cure the sick.’ INDIVIDUALITY DEVELOPED, NOT ‘LOST.’ There is no need for the student to decline to be in¬ fluenced, or ‘controlled,’ by spirit friends for fear of ‘los¬ ing his individuality,’ any more than he should insist upon asserting his freedom and refuse the aid of tutors, lest they should infringe upon his sacred ‘individuality.’ What are called the imconscious phases of mediumship generally lead up to loving co-operation with the wise and kindly souls of the higher life in efforts to establish the fellowship of man; to bring knowledge where ignorance now reigns; to banish the darkness by the light of that spiritual com¬ munion which shall yet be a blessing to the race; and ‘re¬ liance upon higher powers in or out of the body does not mean that we sacrifice our own abilities, nor do we thus be¬ come exempt from responsibility. Quite the reverse. It is the arrogance, of individualism against which we protest. In fact, there is no abiding strength of purpose apart from A Guide to Mediumsliip 75 the dependence every well-ordered mind should accord to the infinite Life and Wisdom and the beneficial services which His wise and loving ministering spirits can render to us if we are desirous and responsive.’ * SPIRITUAL UNFOLDMENT THE GOAL TO BE WON. Spiritual growth is not ne cessa rily identical with intel¬ lectual development or will culture. Although it may be ■assistedlliereby, there is danger of intellectual pride and self-glorification unless the motive and the method are both right. Excess or perversion is likely to be injurious either in'self-surrender or in self-assertion. We need to be care¬ ful that we do not fall into the error of supposing that what ordinarily passes for ‘education’ implies spiritual unfoldment. A great deal can be said in justification of the outcry for educated mediums, but we shall do well to remember that knowledge of the mechan ics of speech, or the technicalities of the schools of either science, phi¬ losophy, or religion, does not constitute soul-culture or HeEice the spiritual qualities belonging to the medium. Let us have educated mediums by all means, but let that educa¬ tion include the exercise of moral and spiritual powers and graces, as well as mediumistic ‘gifts.’ REACTIVE RESULTS BENEFICIAL. We agree with the ‘Harbinger of Light’ when it says: ‘There is no reason why the reactive consequences of fre¬ quent control by enlightened and earnest spirits, even in the case of the “trance’ medium, should not prove ex¬ tremely beneficial to the sensitive, and this, we believe, has been the case with many of the speakers in the movement. Where the medium is aspirational and ready to respond to the thought impulsions of the control, it stands to reason that the transmitted ideas, and the stimulation of the thought-faculties caused by the transference and expres¬ sion of the spirits’ opinions, will not be lost to the medium. “If you will take one step we can more easily help you * ‘Light of Truth.’ 76 A Guide to Mediumship to take a second than we could compel you to take the first if you were unprepared,” said the spirit teacher to Mrs. Emma Hardinge Britten, and there need be no loss of dignity or individuality, no injury to body or mind, but a gain of strength and spiritual vigor, education of mind and stimulation of moral purpose, by intelligent co-opera¬ tion and temporary surrender on the part of the medium to wise and loving spirit helpers and teachers.’ A Guide to Medium ship 77 CHAPTER VIII. BIBLICAL AND MODERN MEDIUMSHIP. Mediums can say, as did one of old, ‘Must I not take heed to speak that which the Lord hath put into my mouth.’ (Num. xxiii. 12.) Take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate; but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour that speak ye. (Mark xiii. 11.) The indebtedness of the clergy—if they knew their busi¬ ness—to Spiritualism was really very great. In the first place Spiritualism had rehabilitated the Bible. It could not for a moment be denied that faith in. and reverence for, the Bible was dying out, in consequence of the grow¬ ing doubts of people regarding the miraculous parts of the Bible.—Rev. H. R. Haweis. It would not be wise or right to close this explanatory treatise without dealing with the important and, to many people, the perplexing problem of how the inspiration of the prophets and apostles of the Bible compares with that of modern mediums. It is admitted by an ever-increasing number of sincerely religious minds that there is a human element in the Bible, and that the writings which make up that book are not of equal value. The passage, ‘Every Scripture inspired of God is also profitable,’ &e., as it is now rendered in the Revised Ver¬ sion, leaves it an open question as to which Scripture is given by inspiration and which is not. 78 A Guide to Mediumship TWO KINDS OF INSPIRATION. Inspiration may bo both particular and general—that is, it may be an inbreathing from an individual source, or it may result from the opening up of the inner powers of the spirit-self to the conscious reception of the inflowing thought impulses from the spiritual realm. We sometimes say ‘thoughts are in the air,’ and whoever becomes attuned to the same thought plane is acted upon by them. Like as water seeks its own level, so they flow into the soul that lies open to receive them. Dr. Eugene Crowell has well said ‘inspiration is a perpetual fact.’ He affirms that: ‘Inspiration, whether direct from the Divine mind, or mediately through the minds of spiritual agencies, is not a miracle of past ages, but' a perpetual fact, operative now as of old, and it is the method which, under the operation of Divine law, is employed to elevate man to higher spiritual planes. “The preparation of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the Lord.”— Prov. xvi. 1. ‘ “All men,” says Henry Ward Beecher, “have hours in which they see and do not think. Men of genius now and then are luminous in this way. From their souls they throw light upon things, and know without reasoning.” ‘With all men of genius inspiration flows in upon their minds independently of any creative power of their own. Thus Schiller, in writing, “wondered whence his thoughts came from; they frequently flowed through him independ¬ ent of the action of his own mind.” Robert Burns at one time, sitting down to write, penned these lines — “Which way the subject theme may gang Let time or chance determine, Perhaps it may turn out a sang, Or probably a sermon.” ‘He was here in the best condition for the reception of spiritual influence, his mind being passive and consequently receptive—the proper mental condition of all true mediums. A Guide to Mediumship 79 ‘Mozart said lie composed liis music because he could not help it. “ When all goes well with me,” he says, “when I am in a carriage, or walking, or when I cannot sleep at night, the thoughts come streaming in upon me most fluently; whence or how is more than I can tell.” ’ The Editor of ‘Light’ says: ‘In the unceasing strug¬ gle for truth, we would make an obscurantist a present of all the old dogmas if he would only leave with us the ad¬ mission that God still inspires the human spirit, and that the Heavenly Father can still guide His earthly child. Admit that, and the struggle is over: admit that, and we are free to shut the book and enter into the sanctuary of the soul: admit that, and it not only becomes our right but our urgent duty to revise all faiths in the light of the hopes, the inshinings, and the inspirations of our day: and then the battle is won.’ INSPIRATION FROM SPIRITS. Inspiration from a particular person, that is, from a deceased human being, is a branch of the subject which has not yet been generally recognized, and which only Spiritu¬ alism will force the students and ‘Higher Critics’ of the Bible to consider and apply. Hitherto they have dealt with the question of inspiration from the point of view of its alleged Divine origin, whereas Spiritualism makes clear the fact of the probable influence of excarnate human beings, and this view is born? out by Acts (vii 1)3), where it is said that the ‘Law’ was given bv the disposition (agency) of angels, and we hold that the Bible contains many de¬ tails of spiritual manifestations which can only be properly understood in the light of Modern Spiritualism. In an admirable address of welcome to the delegates who attended the ‘Parliament of the World’s Religions,’ held in Chicago, in 1893, the Rev. J. II. Burrows showed how the spiritualistic thoughts of the ministry and inspira¬ tion of excarnate human beings give vitality and breadth to the faith of the noble-minded people who recognize its truth. He said: ‘It seems to me that the spirits of just and good men hover over this assembly,’ and he went on to enumerate some of those who he believed were present, 80 A Guide to Mediumship naming Paul, Buddlia, Socrates, Jeremy Taylor, John Milton, Roger Williams, Lessing, Abraham Lincoln, Ten¬ nyson, Whittier, and Phillyss Brooks. MEN, NOT BOOKS, ABE INSPIRED. It is necessary to remember that a bock cannot be in¬ spired, although human beings may enjoy such an ex¬ perience. It is also important to recognize that a state¬ ment is not necessarily true because it is inspired. We now know that a man may receive thoughts, and be subject to impulses ‘from the other side,’ and yet those thoughts may be misleading and the impulses sometimes such as should be resisted. The recipient may fully believe that the ideas imparted to him are Divine Inspirations, but his belief does not guarantee their Godly origin or their in¬ fallibility. The affirmation that ‘Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost’ (2 Peter, i. 21), does not warrant the soundness of the statements which they made, or which have been attributed to them. No amount of inspiration can make a falsehood true, or an error accurate; consequently the test of the value of any inspired sentiment, teaching, or affirmation is to be found in its truth rather than in the source from which it emanates; and each reader is entitled to use his own judg¬ ment, and to be fully persuaded in his own mind. Inspira¬ tion affects the individual, and ,he cannot be inspired be¬ yond his capac ity to receive; therefore a perfect medium would be required for an inerrant gospel. THE WORD OF THE LORD. Much confusion of thought has arisen because of the modern misuse of the phrase, ‘the Word of the Lord,’ as though it meant the Bible, whereas it originally meant the message, inspiration, dream, or spoken word. It is claimed ‘that holy men of old spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit,’ but inspiration and guidance by spirits is not a miracle of past ages, it is a perpetual fact, which under the operation of the Divine law is em¬ ployed to elevate man to higher spiritual planes. The A Guide to Mediumship 81 prophets of old were ‘forth speakers,’ mediums, with all their human frailties and shortcomings. John Page IIopps says: ‘The prophets were in the main the revivalist preach¬ ers and political reformers of their time. . . It is when we ask how the prophets got what they called, or what others called for them, “the word of the Lord,” that we find how near akin the ancient prophet was to our modern medium. He had visions, he was clairvoyant, he went into trances, he heard voices, or he was moved by an ecstasy that sometimes went, perilously near raving.’ All through¬ out the Book of Ezekiel the phrase, ‘the word of the Lord came to me,’ occurs. Clearly it means ‘the thought of the Lord’—or what the prophet regarded as such. In the second chapter Ezekiel says: ‘And he said unto me, Son of Man, stand upon thy feet and I will speak unto thee. And the spirit entered into me when he spake unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard him that spake unto me.’ Here is an illustration of how the ‘word,’ or inspira¬ tion, came to the prophet. "When a modern speaking me¬ dium is ‘influenced’ and made to stand upon his feet, he too is (except when in the deep unconscious trance) able to hear him who speaks through him. It was common amongst the Jews for the kings to keep their own prophets or seers; thus, ‘ The word of the Lord for the impression, or message) came unto the prophet Gad, David’s seer.’ (2 Samuel xxiv. 11.) A further illustra¬ tion of the functions of the prophets is given in Numbers xxii., where we are told Balak sends to Balaam to come and curse the Israelites for him. Ilis messengers carry with them ‘the rewards of divination.’ Balaam invites his visitors to stay all night, while he consults his Lord. ‘And God came unto Balaam, and said. What men are these with thee?’ Balaam explains, and his God (guide) refuses to permit him to go and curse them. Balak thinks to buy Balaam, and offers great rewards; but Balaam says, ‘If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold I can¬ not go beyond the word of the Lord my God to do less or more.’ And his God comes unto Balaam at night, and d ? - rects him to go with them, ‘yet the word which I shall say unto thee, that slialt thou do.’ 82 A Guide to Mcdiumship From this narrative we learn that Balaam was a trance speaker and clairvoyant, that he received payment for his gifts, that the same power of divination, or prophecy, was nsed to curse or to bless. But the prophet of himself could do nothing. It was to be given to him in that hour what he should speak, as the spirit gave him utterance. Evidently it Avas the same power, gift, or mediumistic aptitude which in the well-disposed and true was called prophecy, while in the evil-minded it was called divination, enchantment, or witchcraft. SPIRITUALISM EXPLAINS THE BIBLE. Valuable as the Bible undoubtedly is as the record of man’s spiritual strivings and experiences, it loses that value when unwarrantable claims are made in its behalf. Even its own pages bear testimony against the partisans who deny the possibility of the exercise of spiritual powers by man to-day, and the communion with the departed by earthdwellers. The Rev. H. R. Ha\A r eis, when speaking before the London Spiritualist Alliance, said: ‘People now believe in the Bible because of Spiritualism; they do not belie\ r e in Spiritualism because of the Bible’. He continued: ‘Take up your Bible and you will find that there is not a single phenomenon Avhich is recorded there which does not occur at seances to-day. Whether it be lights, sounds, the shaking of the house, the coming through closed doors, the mighty rushing winds, levitation, automatic writing, the speaking in tongues, we are acquainted Avith all these phenomena; they occur every day in London as well as in the Acts of the Apostles. . . It is incontestable that such things do occur, that in the main the phenomena of Spiritualism are reliable, and happen over and over again, under test conditions, in the presence of witnesses; and that similar phenomena are recorded in the Bible, Avhich is written for our learning. It is not an opinion, not a the¬ ory, but a fact. There is chapter and verse for it, and this is what has rehabilitated the Bible. The clergy ought to be very grateful to Spiritualism for this, for they could not have done it themselves. They tried, but they failed.’ 83 A Guide to Mediumship 'angels’: who and what are they? Many earnest people are sorely puzzled to know tvhut to believe, because of the claim that is frequently made by theologians that the manifestations recorded in the Bible were not produced by human spirits but by special angels who never lived upon this earth; but, as Mr. Haweis said: ‘If they cannot explain the miracles naturally we do not want explanations which make even greater demands upon our credulity. It will not do to assmne the existence of celestial beings to account for occurrences which are in¬ credible unless they can be naturally explained.’ The Rev. Moses Hull said Jesus promised that when he went away he would send a ‘comforter’—the Greek reads parakletos, that is, a consoler—who was to teach the dis¬ ciples, bring the sayings of Jesus to their remembrance, and guide them into all truth. Thus they were to be inspired to teach by a Holy (good) Ghost (spirit or guide), con¬ soler, or comforter. ‘ MESSENGER ’ SPIRITS. When we know that the word ‘angel’ literally means ‘ messen ger, ’ and that it was applied to living men—proph¬ ets, priests, and others—we see how easily we may be misled by accepting the ordinaiy conventional interpreta¬ tion which is put upon that word. The burden of proof that such personages exist as the alleged superhuman angels of Bible times rests with those who make the as¬ sertion. The Bible cannot be cited as evidence, for the term is there employed interchangeably with ‘man,’ ‘spirit,’ and ‘Lord’ to designate the spirit visitant, as anyone can see by reading The tenth chapter of the Acts the spiritualis¬ tic narrative of Peter’s trance and vision upon the house¬ top, and the experiences of Cornelius, which are perfectly explicable in the light of the phenomena of modern me¬ diumship. That the word ‘angel ’ was us ed as a synonym for ‘spirit’ is indicated in the passage where it. is said that Peter’s friends, believing him to be dead, declared ‘It is his angel,’ or spirit, when he stood knocking at the door after his re¬ lease from prison by a spirit. Angels, we are assured, are 84 A Guide to Mediumshin ‘the redeemed from among the tribes of the earth,’ not super-human personages. Paul, when writing to the Hebrews, said that he was ‘compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses’ (xii. i). To whom could he possibly refer if not to the ‘pa¬ triarchs’ of whom he had .just previously been writing? Surely they were human spirits? That this interpretation is legitimate is made manifest in the 23rd verse, where he speaks of the ‘spirits of just men made perfect’ as consti¬ tuting the innumerable host of angels. The word ‘Lord’ in like manner was used as synonymous with spirit, and with a similar significance to that attached by Spiritualists to the words ‘leader,’ ‘guide,’ or ‘guardian spirit.’ Among others, Samuel, Moses, Elias, and Jesus are all reported to have manifested after death. Tt was ‘a man’s hand’ which appeared and wrote the mystic words of doom at Belshazzar’s feast; and Daniel testified that he saw a certain man and heard his words, and a hand touched him and set him on his knees, and ‘there came again and touched me one like the appearance of a man’ (x. 5, 9, 10, 18). Daniel heard the spirits (saints) conversing together (viii. 13). These ‘saints’ were once men on earth; see also Rev. xviii. 24. Gabriel is called both a man and an angel (or messenger spirit). There is not the slightest shadow of a shade of evidence in proof of the claim that the angels referred to in the Bible were a supernatural order of beings. There are many reasons against the claim. What would such creatures know of human sorrows, weaknesses, or trials? What would they know of human language, thoughts, -and pas¬ sions? How could they minister comfort to the sad and suffering souls of earth when they had never sorrowed or wept ? Sympathy is born of fellow-feeling —they who have known what loss is can feel most for others in their be¬ reavement. He who has been enslaved knows the value and joy of liberty, and can most truly sympathize with others who are slaves. Non-human angels would not com¬ prehend the woes, temptations, straggles, and difficulties of mortal life, and would be unfeeling counsellors and in¬ competent comforters. The mother, mourning the loss of A Guide to Mediumship 85 her beloved, would feel little consolation by being assured that one of these guardian angels watched over her. She would in all probability exclaim: ‘What care I for your angels —they are strangers—I know them not. Oh! God, grant that my child may return ; that I may know he lives; if only for a moment let me be assured that he is with me and loves me still.’ ‘turned into another man.’ Samuel in his instructions to Saul clearly illustrated the nature of inspiration when he said: ‘The spirit of [from] the Lord will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man’ (1 Sam. x. 6). This being ‘turned into another man’ is easily understood by Spiritualists who have seen mediums, tinder spirit control, ‘impersonate’ the appearance of the spirit and become so altered—transfi gure d, we might al¬ most say—that the resemblance is clearly recognized by the on-looker. In 2 Esdras, x. 28. 29, 30. although regarded as apocryphal, we get the following description of a trance medium’s experiences and sensations: ‘Where is Uriel, the angel, who came unto me at the first? for he hath caused me to fall into many trances. . . . And as I was speak¬ ing these words, behold, he came unto me, and looked upon me. And, lo, I lay as one that had been dead, and mine understanding was taken from me; [he was unconscious] and he took me by the right hand and comforted me, and set me upon my feet and said,’ &c. On another occasion he says: ‘Then I waked, and an extreme fearfulness went through all my body, and my mind was troubled so that it fainted. So the angel that was come to talk with me held me, comforted me, and set me upon mv feet.’ (2 Esdras, v. 14, 15). Although ‘Job’ is now admitted to be a poem, there are some important statements which indicate the prevailing beliefs of the people. For instance, we get the remarkable description of a spirit’s influence over Job in chapter iv. 13-16: ‘In thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, fear came upon me and trembling, which made all my bones to shake. Then a spirit passed 86 A Guide to Medium-ship before my face; the hair of my flesh stood up. It stood still, but I could not discern the form thereof; an image was before mine eyes; there was silence; and I heard a voice saying,’ &c. This description con'esponds to the shaking or trembling which many mediums experience, and which has given the names to the sects called Quakers and Shakers. "The following words might Avell be employed by a modern trance medium: ‘Therefore have I uttered that I under¬ stood not, things too wonderful for me, which I knew not’ (xlii 3). And again, in chapter xxvi., verse 4, we find a question which indicates the belief in spirit possession, not by God directly, not by supernatural angels, but clearly by human spirits, thus: ‘ To whom hast thou uttered words, and whose spirit came from tliee?’ E vi dently it was a com¬ mon thing for mediums to be controlled by differ ent spirits. Almost all the phenomena associated with modern medium- ship can be paralleled with quotations from the Old and New Testaments.' Space will not permit of an extended list of proofs of the claims we have made, and a few illustrations must suffice. Clairvoyance. —‘Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the King of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bed-chamber’ (2 Kings vi. 12). ‘And the Lord [spirit guide] opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw; and behold the mountain was full of horses and chariots as of fire round about Elisha.’ (2 Kings, vi. 17.) A Seance.— Elisha sat in his house, and the elders sat witli him. The king sent a man to him, but ere he arrived, Elisha said, See how this son of a murderer hath sent to take away mine head, &c. (2 Kings, vi. 32.) Spirit Voices. —Samuel heard the ‘voice’ when in the Temple. Samuel was told ‘in his ear’ that Saul would visit him. Peter heard the voice, ‘Arise, Peter, kill and eat.’ Paul heard the voice, ‘I am Jesus, w r hom thou perse- cutest. ’ Spirit Guidance. —Paul would have gone to Bithynia, ‘but the spirit of Jesus suffered them not.’—Revised Ver- 4 Guide to Mediumship 87 sion. (The King James version left out the words ‘of Jesus,’ which specify who the spirit was, and it is most probable that similar suppression of undesirable facts has occurred in other passages.) (Acts xvi. 7.) Inspirational Speaking. —‘Take no thought before¬ hand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate; but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour that speak ye; for it is not ye that speak.’ (Mark xiii. 11.) They ‘be¬ gan to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them ut¬ terance.’ (Acts ii. 4.) The narrative implies that these ignorant fishermen were controlled by spirits of different nationalities. How else could they have spoken in the lan¬ guages of the various nations round about? It is not only far more reasonable, but, to our mind, the only probable explanation, to suppose that the inspiring spirits were de¬ parted Jews. Writing Mediumship.—I n 2 Chronicles, xxi. 12, we get the significant claim: ‘And there came a writing to him from Elijah the prophet.’ Mr. Stead, with his ‘Julia,’ is only repeating the claim here set down on behalf of Je- lioram, for this is said to have occurred four years after Elijah passed away. Direct Writing. —The Commandments were written by spirit power upon tables of stone—probably slate. Spirit Writing. —‘David gave to Solomon his son the pattern of the porch and of the houses thereof. . and the pattern of all that he had by the spirit . . All this, said David, the Lord made me understand in writing, by his hand upon me.’ (1 Chron. xxviii. 11-19.) Again, in Daniel v. 5: ‘There came forth the fingers of a man’s hand, and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.’ Divination.— Joseph practiced divination (Gen. xliv. 15). Daniel was rewarded for his divinations (Dan. ii. 47-48), as also was Samuel by Saul. Physical Manifestations.— Gideon asked ‘for a test’ that a fleece might be wet with dew and the ground around it dry, and again the next night that the fleece might be dry and the ground wet, and it was granted (Judges vi. 37 and 40), It is hardly reasonable to suppose that the God of the Universe engaged in this task, and as it occurred in 88 A Guide to Mediumship tlie dark, and without critical observers, the testimony is less valuable than that of the witnesses to present-day facts. Ezekiel (viii. 3) testifies that a hand took him by a lock of his hair, and the spirit lifted him up between earth and Heaven. We are told that an angel released Peter from prison. The house where the Apostles assembled was shaken, and angels, called ‘young men,’ are reported to have rolled away the stone from the door of the sepulchre, but this happened in the dark, when no witnesses observed its occurrence. Abraham is said to have ‘waited in a horror of great darkness,’ &c. Trances.— ‘The spirit from the Lord will come upon thee and thou shalt prophesy [speak forth], and shalt be turned into another man’ [i.e., controlled by another man], ‘I was in deep sleep on my face toward the ground; but he [the man Gabriel] touched me and set me upright.’ ‘He hath said which heard the words of God, which saw the visions of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open.’ (Numbers xxiv. 4.) Som e me¬ diums nowadays have their eyes open when entranced, others have them shut. T The spirit entered into me when he spake unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard him that spake unto me.’ (Ezek. ii. 2.) Some mediums are unconscious, others hear the spirit speaking through them. Unconscious Trance, —‘Therefore have I uttered that I understood not, things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.’ (Job xlii. 3.) ‘To whom hast thou uttered words? and whose spirit came from thee?’ (Job xxvi. 4.) [Evidently there were different controls and they were known.] CURIOUS CONDITIONS. Conditions were required then as now, and sometimes very trivial means were employed, as when Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears, ‘spit and touched his tongue,’ and again, ‘He spat on the ground and made clay of the spittle, and put it on the man’s eyes.’ Sometimes he re¬ quired to be alone, or in the presence only of sympathetic A Guide to Mcdiumship 89 friends. ‘ He put them all out and took her by the hand. ’ ‘He took him, the deaf and dumb man, aside from the mul¬ titude.’ ‘He took the blind man out of the town.’ (Mark viii. 23.) Prayer and fasting were necessary for certain phenomena, and bigoted opposition or strong prejudice militated against successful results. The disciples failed, and were rebuked by Jesus (Luke ix. 40. 41), but Jesus failed too, according to Matthew xiii. 58. ‘ He did not many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.’ Honest and reasonable doubt is no detriment, though rancour is. WHILE IT WAS YET DARK. Spiritualists are often challenged to produce the pheno¬ mena in the presence of sceptics, and ridicule is poured upon them because the manifestations occasionally occur in the dark, or in the presence of but few witnesses. The Bible is full of phenomena occurring under such condi¬ tions, as we have already shown, the most noteworthy of all being the record o f the resurrection, which, we are told, transpired when no witnesses were present, and at night, for it was ‘yet dark’ when the women went to the sep¬ ulchre. Peter was released from prison in the night while the jailor slept. Peter was alone on the housetop. Cor¬ nelius was alone when the spirit appeared to him, and gave him what many people nowadays would call a trivial mes¬ sage, viz., to send to Joppa for Peter. LAWFUL AND RIGHT. ‘God forbids it,’ ‘It is unlawful,’ are objections that are frequently urged; but the attempt to substantiate them by the aid of a few isolated texts of Scripture is manifestly absurd, for the simple reason that the passages quoted car- have no possible bearing upon our facts. When challenged to fulfil the injunction to heal his sick friend by calling together the elders of the church, anointing him with oil, and praying over him, an opponent replied that ‘the promise was only made to those who heard and received it, and did not apply at the present time.’ It is now generally conceded that the denunciations and warnings of Scripture were local, directed against people 00 A Guide to Mediumship and practices of the times, and therefore they do not apply to Modern Spiritualism. Med iumship is a natural power which may be used with pure intent to do good, the same as any other. ‘A man can receive nothing except it be given him from heaven.’ (John iii. 27.) Where are the greater works, the signs and wonders, the gifts of the spirit, the healings, visions, prophesying and ministrations of angels that were to come ? Outside of Spiritualism they cannot be found. As to its being unlawful to hold intercourse with our departed friends, it would be as reasonable to declare tele¬ graphy illegal. We are sometimes defied to produce any Scripture texts which command or sanction spirit com¬ munion ; one might as well refuse to ride in a train, or use the electric light, for there are no passages commanding the use of either. Dr. S. B. Brittain says: ‘It was the recognition of many inferior divinities to the neglect of the Hebrew Jehovah that called down the denominations of Moses and the prophets. Among all men the Spiritualists would be the last religious body in the world to entertain the idea of re viving the polytheistic faith and worship of the ancient pagan nations. They are not hero-worshippers. They have not the excessive reverence which would render the apothe¬ osis of any man a possibility in their history. As a people they have no agency in the business of fashioning and mul¬ tiplying gods, either for themselves or others; and those who have made much progress accept no authority, visible or invisible, but Truth demonstrated.’ Some few objectors raise the cry, ‘It is of the Devil.’ but that has lost its power to scare the majority of people, since every good worker and work, from Jesus downwards, has been met with the same opposition. AN UNHOLY ALLIANCE. Materialistic scientists oppose Spiritualism, in the Bible or out of it, on the a priori ground of impossibility, because they refuse to admit the existence of the human soul, and repudiate the idea of supernatural interference with the order of the universe. But to find Christians joined in un- A Guide to Mediumskip 91 holy alliance with them, using the weapons of Materialism against Spiritualism, is a sign of the times indeed, and proves that their professions of faith are professions only; at heart, in speech and practice, they evidence the fact that they are Materialists. Epes Sargent, in his valuable work, ‘ The Scientific Basis of Spir itualism,’ very truly says: ‘The religion prompted by the facts of Spiritualism cannot differ largely in any essential point from that of Primitive Christianity. This fact of Christ’s re-appearance was the cardinal doctrine of the early Christians, their common faith and hope. It is for the very reason that Spiritualism has a scientific basis in known and demonstrated facts, that it offers the surest ground for religion. It proves to us the existence of etlieral beings . . nay, it proves that our deceased friends are still alive, and, inferentially, that there must be a spirit- world, however impenetrable it may be to mortal sense.’ SEEK AND YE SHALL FIND.’ The objection is sometimes raised that we have no right to seek to hold communion with spirits. It is urged that if w r e v r ere intended to know w r e should not need to inquire, yet one of the earliest instances of a manifestation of spirit power (or what is recorded as such) is reported in Genesis xv., where Abraham waited for a manifestation from his ‘God,’ or ‘guide,’ and ‘a deep sleep fell upon him, and ‘an horror of great darkness,’ a ‘smoking furnace and a burn¬ ing lamp passed between the pieces’ (verses 12 and 17). The priests in the Temple constantly sought counsel, and they wore the Urira and Thummim for the purpose of ‘crystal-seeing.’ That it was customary to ‘seek’ for spirit guidance is evidenced by the fact that we are informed, quite as a matter of course, that Saul sought unto the Lord, ‘but the Lord answered him not.’ Joseph sought for guid¬ ance, and used a divining cup for the purpose. The whole story of Balaam indicates the same thing: ‘Tarry ye also here this night that I may know what the Lord will say unto me more.’ (Numbers xxii. 19.) See also xxiii. 3: ‘T will go; peradventure the Lord will come to mee me.’ That it was customary to visit mediums for the purpose of ob- 92 A Guide to Mediumship taining counsel and guidance is clearly set forth in 1 Sam¬ uel ix. 6 and 9. Nothing could be more definite. Saul is assured that Samuel is a man of God. and an honorable man. Then we get this explanation: ‘When a man went to inquire of God, thus he spake, Come and let us go to the seer; for he that is now called a prophet was beforetime called a seer.’ The phrase, ‘inquire of the lord/ is frequently used, and indicates the common practice. Ezekiel was unquestionably a seer, a trance speaker, and a clairvoyant and clairaudient medium, if the record is trust¬ worthy. The Rev. J. Page TIopps, in his ‘Thus Saith the Lord, ’ says: ‘ The one little sentence —Ezekiel was a spirit medium— ex plains the whole book. He held regular seances, and the description of them in his book will be familiar to every Spiritualist. A few instances will suffice to show this. In chapter viii. 1, we read: “And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I sat in mine house, and the elders of Judah sat before me, that the hand of the Lord God fell there upon me.” This phrase, “I sat in mine house, and the elders of Judah sat before me,” is, in the circumstances, a perfect description of a seance. The same formula occurs in other places. Chapter xiv. 1: “ Then came certain of the elders of Israel unto me, and sat before me. And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,” &c/ In chapter ii. of Daniel we find that Daniel, -when re¬ quested to interpret the king’s dream, sought his friends, and they held a seance over the affair, desiring guidance, and Daniel had a night vision. JSSUS A SPIRITUALIST. We deny emphatically, that Spiritualism is contrary to tHe practices of the prophet-mediums, and declare that Jesits set the example of seeking to communicate with spir¬ its, for we find him selecting his beloved companions and taking them away from the people and holding a seance on the mountain, where he prayed and waited, and finally A Guide io Mediumship 93 ‘Moses and Elias’ appeared unto them and talked to Jesus (Matt, xvii.) Christians claim that they are now living under ‘Grace,’ not under ‘Law,’ and excuse themselves in that way for non- obedience to certain Old Testament commands. If, t her efore, we were to admit that the Mosaic commands against withcraft, &e., applied to Modern Spiritualism (which we do not admit), we, too, can adopt the claim that ‘the Law’ of Moses has been superseded by the sanction and action oFJesus. William Howitt well says: ‘Jesus went to seek this spirit as if the case was studied literally . . to Moses, the very man who prohibited such an act. and there on the mount broke the law before his fact, and by his example taught his disciples to do the same.’ Jesus declared that God is more, willing to give to the hungry-hearted than an earthly father is to give food to his offspring, and he made this emphatic promise, ‘_Seek and ye shall tind, knock and it shall be opened unto you,’ and this is a promise ‘of the Holy Spirit to them that ask him.’ (Luke xi. 1 to 13.) We might rest our case there and rely upon the plain meaning of the words, but we are assured that Jesus manifested to Paul (then S aul) . ‘I am Jesus whom thou persecutest,"’ and the revisers have been com¬ pelled to admit that Paul travelled about under the guid¬ ance of Jesus. ‘The Revised Version contains’ (says Rev. JTPage Hopps), ‘a small but very significant alteration. In Acts xvi. 7, Paul and Silas, when about to go into Bi- thynia, were forbidden* says the Old Version “by the spirit”; but the Revised Version says “the spirit of Jesus suffered them not.” What a revelation this is if we can ac¬ cept it! Jesus had been dead, to use our poor blind word, for several years; and yet here were these Apostles travel¬ ling about under his guidance! We turn our cold critical eye, perhaps our eye of pity or contempt, upon people who talk of spirit communion, and yet here, as with the flash of light, we find spirit communion quietly referred to as a matter of fact and homely inci dent. * FauTsays:‘ Concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.’ Covet earnestly the best gifts.’ 94 A Guide to Mediumship ‘The manifestation of the spii-it is given to every man to profit withal.’ The gifts are enumerated as the word of wisdom (inspirational speaking), faith, working of miracles (physical phenomena), clairvoyance, the word of knowl¬ edge, healing, prophecy, tongues, and interpretation. All these gifts are given by the self-same spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. The same God worketh all in all. How anyone can ‘covet,’ and ‘cultivate’ spiritual gifts and exercise mediumship without seeking the aid of spirits and receiving their ministrations of co mfor t, we fail to see. We claim that Spiritualists are the truest believers in the Bible, the truest followers of the practices of the Bible me¬ diums, and that those prejudiced and narrow-minded in¬ terpreters of the Scriptures, who decry Spiritualism as un-Scriptural, really do not know of what they are talk¬ ing—‘Having eyes they see not, and ears they hear not,’ and the advice given to the silversmiths of Ephesus is most applicable to them: ‘Let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men it will come to nought: but if it be of God ye cannot overthow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.’ The value of mediumship consists primarily in the fact that it supplements and confirms the hopes and intuitions of the human heart and gives certitude in place of conjec¬ ture, knowledge instead of belief. This all-important re¬ sult of the strenuous efforts of spirit people, of the noble fidelity of mediums, of the persistent devotion of the pioneer advocates of the facts of spirit intercourse, is now being recognized by advanced thinkers in all realms. The splen¬ did services of the heroic but despised sensitives who bore the brunt of the world’s scorn and contumely during the past half century are at last winning recognition, and the world’s desire—its ‘longing after immortality’—is to-day established as a conviction based upon demonstration—no longer a dream but a scientific assurance. A GUIDE TO MEDIUMSHIP AND PSYCHICAL UNFOLDMENT BY E. W. AND M. H. WALLIS 9n Slljm Parts PART II. HOW TO DEVELOP MEDIUMSHIP. Descend, and touch and enter, hear The wish too strong for words to name; That in this blindness of the frame My Ghost may feel that thine is near. ##**#**#*#* So word by word, and line by line, The dead man touch’d me from the past. And all at once it seem’d at last The living soul was flash’d on mine. Tennyson. The Occult Publishing House Chicago, III. INTRODUCTION. Having already explained tlie general aspects of me- diumsliip in the first part of this ‘Guide,’ we deal in the following pages specifically and in detail with the more immediate and personal considerations involved in the de¬ velopment and exercise of mediumship. and give such ad¬ vise to inquirers regarding circle holding, and the treat¬ ment of sensitives, as we, from our experience, deem neces¬ sary and helpful. In like manner, we seek to assist those who have had indications that they are mediumistic and that spirits are in sympathy with and influencing them; as also to counsel those who desire to become mediums re¬ garding the conditions for the development and the wise exercise of mediumistic powers. In part three of this ‘Guide’ we shall present the meth¬ ods to be followed by sensitives to intensify their impres¬ sibility and cultivate their psychic powers, but we now devote our attention almost exclusively to the exercise of the faculties of the inner self under the stimulation and guiding control of spirits. Many mediums, when influenced by their spirit friends, display marked abilities as clairvoyants, character,readers and psychometrists. They diagnose the conditions of those who suffer, and are frequently used by healing spirits to magnetize the sick and cure the afflicted; To~ give counsel, warning or encouragement to those who are worried and distressed in mind, body or estate. As a reactive result of the influence of and continued association with such intelligent spirits, sensitives fre¬ quently find that they can normally exercise their own psychic faculties, and after a time can do so as successfully as when under spirit control. Because self-respecting mediums may thus acquire the ability to consciously enter the ‘superior condition,’ that ia no proof that they ‘do it all themselves,’ or that they ‘never were assisted or controlled by spirit operators,’ as some people have imagined. It merely shows how benefi- eial spirit guidance and influence have been. By their aid mediums have acquired the power to reach lip to the psychic or spiritual realm and become consciously asso¬ ciated with and intelligently responsive to the thoughts of spirit people and to co-operate with them in demon¬ strating immortality and proclaiming the spiritual philosophy. E. W. and M. H. Wallis. PART IX CONTENTS CII AFTER PAGE I.—The Basis and Cultivation of Mediumship . . 99 II. —Spirit Circles : How to Form and Conduct Them 116 III. —How ‘Conditions’ Affect Results .... 129 IV. —Practical Advice to Sensitives.141 V. —Practical Advice to Sensitives—Continued . . 158 VI. —Obsession : Its Causes and Cure .... 180 VII. — Some Important Considerations ..... 194 PART II. HOW TO DEVELOP MEDIUMSHIP. CHAPTER I. THE BASIS AND CULTIVATION OF MEDIUMSHIP. Any form of mediumship which does not contribute to our own personal unfoldment or growth is something which we neither need nor want, and should therefore be most de¬ terminedly rejected.—Loveland. A knowledge of thelaws and conditions of mediumship is a primary requisite for the successful investigation of Spiritualism; and to the neglect of this important prelim¬ inary may be traced most of the difficulties, contradictions, and disappointments which beset the road of even the most earnest and painstaking who enter the path of practical in¬ vestigation.—W. II. Terry. Many persons are natural sensitives, and are more or less easily swayed by the personal magnetism and positive mental influence of those with whom they associate. They 'take on’ and refleet the conditions that surround them, al¬ though they may be unaware that such is the fact; and the study of the laws of psychic relationships would enable them to gain strength of character and of will. Such people are not infrequently stigmatized as ‘changeable,’ ‘weak- minded,’ ‘erratic,’ and ‘unreliable,’ because of their lia¬ bility to be affected by their surroundings; and they would profit by self-study and by watchful attention to their vary¬ ing moods, so as to cultivate a more positive and self-pos¬ sessed state of mind, and obtain self-control. fOO A Guide to Mediumship THREE GROUPS. Speaking somewhat roughly, the majority of people can be classified into one or other of three groups: viz., Positives, or actors, those who exert a dominating influence over others; Negatives, or those who are liable to be domi¬ nated and manipulated by others; and an intermediate class, consisting of those who are positive at times and to some people, but negative at other times and to other peo¬ ple, or varying between positive and negative as they themselves change in physical conditions and mental moods. It should, however, be borne in mind that an individual who is ordinarily a Positive may not always be so. He may occasionally meet with others even more positive than him¬ self. His own conditions may alter owing to illness and other causes; or ~by his sympathy and confidence being aroused and won, he may be ‘off guard/ so to speak, and become negative to those who usually would have no power over him. SENSITIVENESS INDISPENSABLE TO MEDIUMSHIP. ‘It is a fundamental proposition,’ says Hudson Tuttle, ‘that sensitiveness, or the capability of mediumship, is a faculty common to mankind, differing in degree—as hear¬ ing and sight are common heritage, but keener in some in¬ dividuals than in others; or under certain conditions it may disappear. ’ * The mediumistic temperament is often characterized by self-consciousness and diffidence, or by nervous self-as¬ sertiveness on the part of its possessor. People of this class are almost invariably emotional, enthuiastic, spon¬ taneous, and ardent. Strong in their predilections, they are decided in their ‘likes’ and ‘dislikes,’ but are some¬ times variable, volatile, and versatile. Zealous workers in what they feel is a good cause, they are generally stem and forcible in condemnation of what they deem to be wrong, but are seldom intractable. They are wounded to the quick by sneers and slights; but, while they may be re- * ‘Mediumship rind its Laws : Its Conditions and Cultivatioa.’ A Guide to Mediumship 101 sentful, they seldom sulk and are generally forgiving and ready to help others who appeal to their sympathies. ‘Generous and impulsive, hot-headed too and independent, a close friend and a merry heart; too sensitive to criticism of an unkind nature; too easily pleased by praise; without malice, without revengeful thoughts; a warm-blooded man, with an ever present humor that gilds his conversation and makes his company well liked.’ Such is the description given by an American writer of one through whose me¬ diumship remarkable materialization phenomena have been witnessed. WHAT A MEDIUM IS. A medium may be defined as a person who is const itu¬ tion ally sensitive or susceptible to ‘influence/ and responds more or less readily to the dominant thoughts, ‘sugges¬ tions,’ or impulses that impinge upon his psychic, or mag¬ netic sphere; or one who freely generates nerve aura, mag¬ netism, psychoplasm, or psychic force (whichever term mayjiejpreferred), which can be utilized by the operating spirits to produce the outward and visible evidences of their power and presence that are usually designated ‘physical phenomena.’ Spirits cannot manufacture the energy employed in the production of these demonstra¬ tions, and therefore they must draw upon the store pos¬ sessed by the medium, who, where possible, unconsciously attracts to him self some of the psychic force of others. ‘diversities of gifts.’ The assertion that, is sometimes made that ‘everyone is a medium’ is somewhat misleading. Tt, would be nearer the truth to say. ‘Everyone one is a spirit,’ and is there¬ fore endowed with the qualifications which may be culti¬ vated and exercised with more or less success in one or other of the several phases of mediumship. This of course implies that there are not only ‘diversities of gifts,’ but different degrees of susceptibilty; and the aspirant for me¬ diumship will do well to remember that, to use a familiar and an expressive phrase, ‘Many are called but few are chosen’; or, in other words, many arc sensitives but few 102 A Guide to Mediumship possess the ph ysico-psychi cal, men tal and spirtiual qualifi¬ cations for special excellence in any given direction. "While it is undoubtedly true that, broadly speaking, every one has some l atent mediumistic power, the question is. as "Mr. "W. H. Terry says: ‘Does the prospective result justify the labor involved to bring these powers into efflor- / escence? My impression is, that in at least, three eases ont of four, the time and labor it would take to develop this latent quality to its greatest effieiecy would be far in excess of its value when so developed.’ Just as a drum, or a tambourine, is incapable of being made to emit a tithe of what can be produced by means of i a piano or a violin in the way of music, so the differences in quality and conditions of the physical organisms, and In the degrees of nervous and psychical sensibility of those who desire mediumship, render it improbable that any but a small proportion will develop such extreme susceptibility to spirit influence as will repay them for the time and self-sacrifice involved in the cultivation of their powers. Further, it should be borne in mind that while wise spirits are ever ready to respond to the call of the earnest aspirant for spiritual truth, as wise spirits they are not likely to devote themselves to the preparation of an instrument that would be inefficient for their purpose. The nervous system of the medium, what ever his phase may be, has to be trained to respond to the will and psychic force of the controlling spirit, just as much as the muscles of the musician or artist, and ‘practice makes per¬ fect’ in the one as well as the other." Since mediumship is a strictly natural qualification, depending upon organic fitness and susceptibility, it is not a supernatural power or a special ‘gift.’ neither does it insure the moral purity nor the intellectual ability of the medium, any more than "musical or artistic capabilities are evidences of the special intelligence or the high moral tones of their possessors. MEDIUMSHIP A FORM OF GENIUS. The spirits who employed the hand of ‘M. A. (Oxon),’ once caused him to write a message in which they claimed that ‘Mediumship is a development of that which is, in A Guide to Mediumship 103 another sort, genius. Genius, the opened and attentive ear to spirit guidance and inspiration, shades away into mediumship. the facile instrument of spirit manifestation. In proporton as the medium becomes open to influence, directly exercised, is he valuable as a means whereby direct messages are conveyed; and in proportion as the individual spi rit is lost and merged in the great ocean oFspirit, is the result most direct and serviceable. . . It is when the passive spirit is content to allow us to use the corporeal instrument, as is does when itself operates, that we gain satisfactory results. That can only be when a condition of perfect passivity, as far removed from scepticism as from credul¬ ity, has been secured. This opening of the spiritual being to spiritual influences is what you call mediumship. It is rare yet, but not so rare as you imgainc. . . The true and valuable gift is purely, spiritual and must be used for spir¬ itual purposes; not for gain, or for satisfying curiosity, or for base or unworthy ends.’ NATURAL MEDIUMS. Some people are more or less fully conscious of the companionship of spirit people. They frequently catch glimpses of those they have known and loved, or, under exceptionally favorable circumstances, are the recipients of clear impressions and striking phenomenal manifesta¬ tions of spirit power. But these experiences are often an¬ noying and troublesome, because their friends are dis¬ tressed by their ‘peculiarities,’ and imagine that they are not sane, or are doomed to an early death. If we may form an opinion by the testimony of many of our friends, the number of those whose spiritual experiences were in¬ explicable until they heard of and understood something of Spiritualism, is by no means small, and we have on doubt that there are a great many persons who are per¬ plexed and often distressed, both in mind and body, to whom a knowledge of mediumship and the laws of spirit control would prove a great blessing. SPONTANEOUS EXPERIENCES. Those persons who are naturally sensitive sometimes experience stran ge and sudd en impulses. Tho ughts come 104 A Guide to Mediumship to them ‘in a flash,’ so to speak. They say things spon¬ taneously which the}' had not intended to say—the words seem to burst from them and to ‘say themselves.’ Others have equally sudden and fugitive clairvoyant experiences; they see spirits when they least expect it. and when they are absorbed in something else; but when they strongly de¬ sire to ‘see’ or to receive guidance, they get nothing. This state of things, in all probability, is due to the fact that their susceptibility is not sufficiently developed; their psychical impressibility can ony be reached and acted upon under specially favorable conditions, which are disturbed and dissipated when the ordinary intellectual self is 'aroused. The remedy will be found in the systematic cul¬ tivation of interior repose and confidence. The psychic must learn to regard it as a perfectly natural experience that the spiritual states and positive thoughts of excarnate people should impinge upon his spiritual sphere, and while ‘attentive to the holy vision,’ should calmly accept the fact and maintain the attitude or response; not anxiously nor demandingly, but thankfully enjoying the spiritual com¬ munion and illumination thus afforded to him. If is only natural that many people should desire to become mediums, and that they should wish to ascertain what constitutes mediumship and what is requisite to se¬ cure its development. We often hear some such exclama¬ tions as the following: ‘I should like to be a medium and to speak like-,’ or ‘give tests like-,’ or ‘have phe¬ nomena presented like those that occur with-’; but those who express these desires should remember that in all probability months, if not years, of patient development have been necessary to ensure the ability and success they admire and probably envy. THE SPIRIT CIRCLE. The ‘spirit circle’ is the assembling together of a num¬ ber of thoughtful and sincere people for the purpose of establishing the means of intercommunion between the two ■worlds, and it has been found to be the simplest, readiest, and most effective method for the discovery and develop- A Guide to Mediumship 10i ment of latent psychic and mediumistic powers. It is called by Hudson Tuttle 'the primary school for the study of spiritual facts/ and, we might add, the training of mediums. Sensitives are sometimes too ready to respond to any and every passing influence, and to attribute their own moods and feelings, or purely natural sensations, to spirit influence. They are so eager to believe, and become so ab- sorbed in the subject, that the veriest commonplaces as¬ sume exaggerated importance in their eyes, and they mis¬ take for spirit action the indefinite and seemingly inex¬ plicable impulses and sensations which they regard as promptings or impressions from the other side, whereas there may be perfectly natural physiological causes for them. A SAFE RULE TO FOLLOW. It is a fairly safe rule, all things considered, not to attribute anything to the action or influence of spirits un¬ til the ordinary and more immediate and probable causes TTaye been exhausted, or until the influence, or impression, becomes so clear and unmistakable that there can no longer be any doubt as to the spirits source. But even then it does not follow that the spirit is one that the medium should trust and obey. lie may be attracted, and even fascinated, but he must proceed cautiously and patiently, and by no means invite any and every spirit to influence him, in season or out of season. Neither should he implic¬ itly rely upon the ideas, advice, or messages he receives. The spirits are of all sorts and conditions, and there are so many attendant circumstances oud influences which limit the intercourse that great care and patience are needed, and every step on the road needs to be circum¬ spectly taken. It is better to make haste slowly and be sure of the facts, than it is to believe credulously and afterwards find that mistakes have been made, or that mis¬ leading spirits have seen their opportunity—and have taken it—to practise upon the too eager faith and un¬ questioning acquiscence in their sportive plans. There are mediums who have secured a certain degree of unfoldment and lucidifv. and can give a fair amount of 106 A Guide io Mediumship satisfaction to inquirers, but who are not strong enough to withstand adverse, critical, and chilling influences. They droop and fail in the presence of sceptical or cynical people, and ought not to venture before the public until their powers are more fully developed. In the happy pri¬ vate circle they are useful and render very acceptable serv¬ ice, and, possibly, after prolonged experience might be¬ come more positive, through the greater activity of their own spiritual nature, so that a larger work could then be successfully performed; but patience and persistent en- deavor are requisite in this realm as in all others, so as to secure steady and orderly unfoldment rather than rapid but imperfect growth. CONSIDERATION FOR THOSE WHO DESIRE TO BECOME MEDIUMS. What has already been said will naturally suggest to aspirants for the possession of mediumship inquiry as to the nature and extent of the application requisite in their case to evolve the essential condition for its successful exercise, and the result of which would test the strength of their aspirations and probably deter a large proportion of those who desire to become mediums, but are unwilling to devote time and energy to the necessary study, from attempting the task. This would be no disadvantage to them; it would save them much unprofitable work. The editor of the ‘Harbinger of Light,’ of Melbourne. Australia, very forcibly and truly says: ‘All mediums are liable to be affected by all sorts of subtle influences, such as a loss of magnetism on their own part; a lowered vital¬ ity; mental trouble; ill-health; excessive heat or excessive cold: an unsympathethie, hostile, or inharmonius circle; self-distrust, and a multitude of other disturbing circum¬ stances. The more delicate the organization, the more susceptible the medium to suffering from these adverse conditions; and the greater and the more considerate should be the care and watchfulness exercised over him by his friends. And again, the nonproductior, of the results desired by the sitters does not depend primarily upon the medium, who is simply a plastic instrument in the hands of the controls, who may see many good reasons for not 4 Guide to Mediumship 107 using his brain or voice. For the}" can perceive what the sitters cannot; and while the latter would go on working the powers of the medium to excess, the higher intelli¬ gences, with their finer appreciation of the delicacy of their instrument, and of the duty of carefully preserving it, will often put an abrupt and decisive stop to manifesta¬ tions, which are always liable to become exhaustive. The simple truth is, that even those who h ave had the greatest experience in Spiritualism possess but a limited knowledge of the laws and phenomena of mediumship; but what they do know suffices to convince them that the ancient Egypt¬ ians, Greeks, and Romans acted very wisely in surround¬ ing their mediums—priestesses, keepers of the oracles, and vestals, as they were variously called—with the best pos¬ sible safeguards for the preservation and protection of their beautiful gifts.’ EARNESTNESS AND DEVOTION REQUIRED. The crucial point of the whole matter is whether, grant¬ ing that they possess the requisite natural capabilities, those who seek development as mediums will be prepared to devote themselves thoroughly and faithfully to the task of securing the coveted results. Ella Wheeler AYilcox points out in a forcible manner the great need there is for earn estne ss and steady devotion to secure success. ‘So many of us are shilly-shallying along life in these days. "We do nothing seriously. We are in earnest about nothing. We all want to be multi-million¬ aires, and we are looking for sudden and quick methods of success. By success we mean accumulating a large for¬ tune. Our eye is out for the sign. “A millionaire while you w r ait,” as we pursue our daily avocations. Just as sure as the continual leaking of a faucet wastes water in a reservoir, so this continual frittering of our mental forces in frivolous and nonfocussed thought wastes our moral and \nental strength. ‘The man who is in earnest not only brings the full powers of his own mind and soul to bear upon his project, but he draws about him the influences of invisible intelli¬ gences who people space and come to the aid of the deserv¬ ing. Whatever your aim is at this moment, be in earnest.’ 108 A Guide to Mediumship HOW TO DEVELOP MEDIUMSHIP.’ The question, ‘How can we develop mediumship?’ may sound rather heretical to some Spiritualists, who would in all probability reply, ‘What have we to do with develop¬ ment? That is the affair of the spirits. If they want us to become their mediums let them do the work, and not expect us to do it for them.’ This attitude of mind was a perfectly natural one when it was supposed that spirits were exalted beings, possessing supernatural attributes; but, as our knowledge of the psychical nature of man has increased, we have come to realize that the powers which are possessed and employed by spirits already exist in us —dormant it may be, but inherent in our spiritual nature. This question then, ‘Can mediums assist in the develop¬ ment of their powers, or must they blindly surrender them¬ selves to be manipulated by people on “the other side” of whom they know little or nothing?’ -is one that requires careful consideration. Admitting that the spirits are the prime movers in pro¬ ducing the phenomena which demonstrate their presence, there can surely be no objection to the desire on the part of sensitives to know how they can provide the conditions which will render them fit and proper instruments for the spirits to use; how best to supply them with the ‘ power ’— physical, psychical, mental, or moral—which they require. NOT MERE CONDUITS. We unhesitatingly affirm that it is no t necessary^ that mediums should regard themselves as mere ‘conduits’ through which the spirits are to pour just whatever they choose. Nay, we go further, and claim that if mediumship i's to be lifted above the plane of mere sensationalism, me¬ diums must study their own powers, and learn how to pro¬ vide the conditions requisite for their own unfoldment, so as to exercise a determining influence over the results and share the responsibility as well as the pleasures and spiritual benefits accruing from the co-operative association. It is true that no one can become a medium solely bv his own act, or by his oavu will; but surely it must be manifest that A Guide to Mediumship 109 those whose attention and anticipation are directed towards the reception of intimations from the spirit side of life are much more likely to be affected thereby than those persons who are hostile—or, if not actively antagonistic, heedless and indifferent. Although there are certain general rules which apply to mediumistic development each medium will require some special condition, or conditions, which will facilitate the Best manifestation of his particular powers. Hence the urgent necessity that he should intelligently co-operate with, rather than render blind obedience to. the spirits who seek to control him. EVERY PHASE OP MEDITTMSIITP VALUABLE. Every phase of mediumship is valuable, and should be used to the fullest extent for the demonstration of the truth, and where that work is carried out in the spirit of devotion and service the medium will assuredly receive direct and reactive benefits. There is really no ‘high’ or ‘low’ in mediumship. No one can exceed his natural capa¬ bilities; therefore, he who does his best in his own sphere merits appreciation, and the highest mediumship is in real¬ ity, so far as the individual is concerned, just that for which he is qualified. We have heard of ‘low’ medium- ship, and physical manifestations have been stigmatized as ‘degrading,’ &c., but the production of a ‘rap’ requires the exercise of positive spirit, power quite as much as an inspirational address; and if by the agency of the raps, or the table movements, messages of a convincing and con¬ solatory character are transmitted to the sitter, they are of greater value —as evidence of the personal presence and the identity of excarnate spirit friends—than the most eloquent oration. Mediums do not make their own physi¬ cal organizations. It is not to the credit of one that he has clairvoyant or inspirational powers, or to the discredit of another that he has purely ‘physical’ capabilities; but it is to the credit of each one who does his best to keep himself in tune and fit for use, so that his powers may be A Guide in Mediumship no exercised at their best and highest, whatever his phase may¬ be. Remember— ‘Nothing useless is or low'. Each thing—in its place—is best; And that which seems but idle show Strengthens and supports the rest.’ MEDIUMSHIP STIMULATES LATENT POW'ERS. Dr. Dean Clarke truly says: ‘Physical phenomena are very pleasing to some persons, but actually repulsive in the eyes of others. Temperament largely accounts for pref¬ erences and antipathies, and temperament also has a great deal to do with the special bent of one’s qualifications, no matter in what direction. It may be safely affirmed that individual taste largely reveals particular ability, and it rarely if ever happens that anyone develops to a large ex¬ tent and successfully any phase of mediumship that does not closely accord with the general trend of nature and disposition. ‘Tne musical medium may never have learned notes, but has a native ear for melody, and loves to listen to sweet sounds. The inspired scribe, orator, or poet may have had no training whatever to fit him for the profession of litera¬ ture or for the platform, yet there dwells w-ithin, both the love of the art and an innate tendency to practise it. Me- djumship stimulates latent powers, and calls into action dormant capabilities; but its possession does not alter the special type of character or trend of ability which natur¬ ally characterizes the mediumistie person.’ WHAT THE MEDIUM CAN DO. The aspirant for development should recognize the ad¬ visability, in order to facilitate the work of the spirits, be¬ fore attending a seance, of making some personal prepar¬ ation ; such as seeking to eliminate from his mind all dis¬ turbing or irritating thoughts, and by striving to con¬ sciously realize unison of purpose with those who may have previously made their presence known or indicated their A Guide io Mediimship 111 intention to help in the work of his development, by men¬ tally requesting that the spiritual ties may be strengthened. Even where there has not been any clear indication of the presence of spirit helpers, a generally aspirational and receptive attitude of mind will do much towards providing favorable conditions. It is unwise to persistently endeavor to force medium- ship into activity; but when it expresses itself spontaneous- tyT'or when development follows upon temperate exercise, there can be no question that, rightly used, and within proper rational limits, it will prove helpful and educational to the medium and of service to others; but should the exercise of mcdiumship occasion continued ill-health In its possessor, it is wisest and safest to abandon it temporar¬ ily if not entirely. Too many people, intead of waiting until the spirits were ready to communicate with them, pressed for ‘tests’ before the connections were properly made; tlfey compli¬ cated matters by their eager questionings, and worried the operators till everything went wrong, and then, because the answers were incorrect, inconsequent, misleading, or persistently negative, they declared that the spirit was a de¬ ceiver, evil or foolish, and, while having only themselves to blame, gave up the sittings in distrust, whereas, had they been less impetuous, less opinionated, less prejudiced they would in all probability have eventually obtained satis¬ factory proofs of the presence of their spirit loved ones. PATIENCE REWARDED. We wonder sometimes what those people would say who are disappointed because, after a few sittings, they have not blossomed out into developed mediums, if they had to sit night after night for six months without missing a sit¬ ting and without being rewarded by any sign or movement •or external evidence, as Mr. and Mrs. Riley, of America, are reported to have done. Although there was no outward or visible sign of the spiritual agency that was at work, this persevering couple, after waiting for six months, got their first fact—the table 112 A Guide to Mediumship moved, and they knew that they had not moved it them¬ selves. Evidently the spirits had not tried their patience for nothing, they had been busy forming the connections, for, from that time onwards, movements, messages, raps, writing, and finally marvelous materializations followed in fairly quick succession. THE LESSONS OP FAILURES. It is unwise to expect that every seance will be success¬ ful, and sitters should not be disappointed if little or noth¬ ing occurs. Sometimes a ‘good failure’ is as helpful and as educational as a ‘grand success,’ if the members of the circle are thoughtful and observant and endeavor to ascer¬ tain the causes of the mon-success. The varying conditions of body and mind of the medium and sitters alike have much to do with the results, affecting as they do the health anjcTmoods of all concerned. Sometimes the sensitive feels buoyant and free. He realizes that a strong influence is at work, and that he is open and responsive, and readily answers to the suggestions that are given to him from the other side; but on another occasion there may be a strange lack of life, and a heavy depressing feeling, a sense of isolation and of being empty and ‘shut in’ may overcloud him, and little or nothing of a spiritual or satisfactory nature occur. Most mediums experience periods when they are ‘out of power,’ and seem to have lost touch with the other side. It may be that they have exhausted them¬ selves by overstrain, their spirit friends may have with¬ drawn for a time, the sitters may be tired, unhappy, or angular, or some uncongenial spirits may be at work trying to affect the sensitive, or to obtain power to move the table: In any case sitters must be prepared to experience such variations and to accept them with philosophic cheerful¬ ness. It is sometimes difficult to discriminate between re¬ sults arising from the stimulated activity of the spirit self of the sensitive and those which are due to the operations of the excarnate operator; even the sensitive cannot at first, t ell ho w to distinguish between them, and only pa¬ tience and experience will enable him to attain the ability to do so. Tn the meantime he must do his best. 113 A Guide to Mediumship HOW LONG WILL DEVELOPMENT TAKE? It is impossible to estimate how long it will take to develop the sensitiveness of any given person to that de¬ gree of responsiveness to spirit influence that it may be regarded as ‘reliable,’ since so much depends upon the in¬ dividual—upon his natural qualifications, so far as his suscept ibility is concerned,~ahd~his spiritual prep aredness, "as welTas his willing ness and perseve rance. Then, too, a good circle of harmonio us and intelligent sitters will ma¬ terially assist in The process of his unfoldment, whereas a circle of impatient and selfish people will provide condi¬ tions which will retard the progress, if they do not injure the psychical conditions, of the unfortunate sensitive. The knowledge and power of the spirits who communicate and direct the circle will also have a strong determining in¬ fluence upon the results, so that the novice who desires to succeed should decide to give time and attention to the study of the subject, and to experiment patiently and per- severingly— -without ha ste and without anxiety or fear . AN essential pre-requisite. One of the most important pre-requisites for success in the development of mediumship along spiritual lines is the cultivation of the power of concentration. In the early days of the movement the would-be medium was advised to be ‘passive,’ and pass ivity was often construed into self- effacement. We are learning to distinguish between re¬ ceptivity and docility, between apathy and aspiration. A medium is not, and should not be willing to become, a mere irresponsible tool. For intelligent and beneficial as¬ sociation with and inspiration from the people of the higher life,^certain degree of abstraction from one’s outer surroundings is necessary. To cut one’s self off from or¬ dinary conditions, to retire into the sanctuary of one’s own inner consciousness, to ‘enter into the silence,’ as it is some¬ times called, is helpful training for the preparation of con¬ ditions favorable for the manifestation of spirit power. The Quakers were true Spiritualists in this sense, and evi¬ dently realized the need for the concentration of the soul’s 314 A Guide fo Medntmshlp forces and tlieir withdrawal from the outer plane, prepar¬ atory to the descent of the spiritual influence that moved them to speak. Thejsincere supplication for illumination and guidance is never in vain. The spirit breathes a se- rener air, and is calmed, strengthened, and comforted by the consequent reaction. It is harmonized thereby, and thus becomes accordant to the psychic forces which, like the ocean’s tides, ebb and flow throughout the universe, and bathe every soul that lies open to their vivifying and quickening influence. Still more, there are those who dwell in the Light, whose thoughts and love go out to all such as truly call upon God; and these, the ministering messenger spirits, often pour their libations of sympathy into the sad hearts of the sorrowful ones on earth, even though they remain unknown and their interposition is un¬ recognized by those to whom they have given their loving and helpful thoughts. MEET THE SPIRITS HALF WAY. By the earnest study of the conditions requisite for development of body, mind, and psychic sense, the intel¬ ligent medium will endeavor to meet the friends who in¬ spire him at least half way on the Jacob’s ladder of com¬ munion, and to enter into reciprocal and conscious fellow¬ ship with them on the thought plane, so that their inspir¬ ations may freely flow through his instrumentality to others, unobstructed by his personality. Classes for the development of mediumship along these lines are very much needed; classes in which the members are expected to take an active part, not merely to sit and sit, and let the spirits do all the work, but by system atic preparation and spiritual aspiration and .cultivated’ recepti vity prepare themselves to become lucid and capable instruments for the transmission of information and helpful influences from the other side. There is but one course of procedure for the successful attainment of excellence in any field of labor or thought, and that is by study and training, by observat ion, by per - severing application and .determined effort, bv readine ss to Team and responsivenes s to every influence whi ch^wilTlreTp A Guide to Mediumship 115 to smooth the pathway to the desired success. The intelli¬ gent medium who follows this course will not go blindly on groping in the obscurity of the psychic realm and becoming the tool for unseen and unknown agents, but he will un¬ fold his powers, and by co-operating with them will learn to know and trust his spirit preceptors, until he may pos¬ sibly become as a spirit among spirits, the conscious pos¬ sessor of such knowledge regarding his own spiritual na¬ ture and powers that he will be a ready instrument in the hands of enlightened spirit people, with whom he can knowingly work for human good. .116 A Guide to Medium ship CHAPTER II. SPIRIT CIRCLES: HOW TO FORM AND CONDUCT THEM. The spirit circle is a gathering of persons who desire to establish relations with the world of spirits, and receive communications therefrom. As such intercourse is a mat¬ ter of fact—proved by oft-repeated experiment—it follows that the observance of those conditions which experience suggests will be the surest way of obtaining the desired results.—J. J. Morse. The mediumistic faculty in all its forms can .be culti¬ vated by sitting in the spirit-circle, which tends to perfect and spiritualize the magnetism of the sitte rs by their mu¬ tual'action on each other and by the influence of the spir¬ its.—Mrs. Emma Hardinge Britten. The purpose for which the ‘Spirit Circle’ is held is that by the blending of the aura, psychic force, or mag¬ netic emanations of the sitters, the attention of disembodied spirits may be attracted and a battery be formed by means of which they can communicate with the circle. The focal- ization of this force rests with the unseen operator, and if they are skilled in the modus operand.i, they know where, how, and in what way to use it to the best advantage. Let us suppose that a number of persons determine to experiment and seat themselves around a table, place their hands on its surface, and engage in agreeable conversation. After a time, if the sitters provide the right conditions, it will be found that the table will begin to move. When the movements occur readily, one of the circle, acting as chair¬ man, should ask that answers to questions may be given by the table signaling replies, tilting three times for affirma- A Guide to Mediumship 117 tive , once for negativ e, twice for ‘do ubtful.’ four for ‘don’t know,’ five times for the ‘alphabet’ to be called ovei. This code of signals is the one most frequently used, but any other will do as well. Answers to questions can gen¬ erally be obtained, and messages, regarding matters of fact entirely unknown to the sitters, respecting deceased per¬ sons (who claim to be causing the tilts or rapping), are spelt out by this means, to be afterwards verilied, so as to prove the identity of the person communicating. How to Form The Circle. —The number in the cii’cle I should not be less than four nor more than twelve. An equal number of both sexes is preferable to a preponder¬ ance of either. The date of meeting should be fixed and unchanged, and every member should attend regularly. It is best, when practicable, to have a room set apart for the circle, and it should be comforta bly warmed and seated and cheerfully lighted. The members should always oc¬ cupy the same places round the tabl e, exc ept when re¬ quested by the spirits to make a change. The sensitive, or known medium, if one is present, should form part of this circle. At the commencement joining hands (the right over the left) has advantages, but afterwards the hands can be placed on the table, palms downward. No one should be allowed in the room who does not sit in the circle. It should be constantly borne in mind thaf pure ai r and con¬ venient seats, insuring ease and physical comfort, are help¬ ful to success. Even more necessary is freedom from men - tal excitement and self-assertion. Innocent fun and socia¬ bility are good. The spirits are our friends—are human beings: they do not desire conventional solemni ty, nor an artificial assumption of reverence and stained-glass atti¬ tudes of piety. But frivolity, curiosity, wonder, self-seek¬ ing, disputation, mercenariness, and pride are still more injurious. The great aim should be to be natural, kindly, appreciative, strong and sensible. ‘How pure in heart and sound in head, With what divine affection bold Should be the man whose thought would hold An hour’s communion with the dead.’ 118 A. Guide io Mediumship "When to Sit.— The best time to sit is at that hour which is most convenient to all the sitters; when they are least likely to be disturbed, and when they can best give themselves up to the investigation. How Often and how Long. —As a rule twice, or at the outside three times, a week is often enough to sit. Seances should not last much over an hour, c erta inly not longer than two hours. The Requisite Conditions.—A round, three-legged, plain deal kitchen table is considered the best adapted for tilting or rapping, but almost any ordinary table will an¬ swer the purpose. Pleasant conversation will relieve the tedium and prevent strain while waiting for manifesta¬ tions. Avoid controversial subjects and the extremes of seriousness and levity. Kindly thoughts and an aspira- tional frame of mind are conducive to good results? Stiff¬ ness,' formality, ami conventional exclusiveness are likely to prove fatal to success. Sincerity, sympathy and cheer¬ fulness Will go a long way towards making good conditions, and if mediumistic powers exist and spirits are present who desire to manifest, phenomena of some sort are likely to occur. We have known manifestations to take place at the first meeting of the circle, but sometimes the sitters have to wait for weeks or even months. Inha rmonious feel¬ ings and discordant conditions will either prevent phenom¬ ena and react painfully upon any members of the circle who are" sensitive, or they may attract spirits of an un¬ desirable class. It is therefore better to suspend proceed¬ ings, or break up the circle, than to continue to hold the sit¬ tings if the feelings of mutual confidence and good will are absent. "When once the circle has been formed or phe¬ nomena have been obtained, no new sit ters should be in¬ troduced unless permission is obtained from the spirits. It is a good plan to sit in the same room, and wear the same garments as far as is convenient. Not that any spe¬ cial robe is necessary, but that, as the room and dress be¬ come impregnated with the psychic auras of the sitters, you may have as nearly as possible the same conditions from time to time. For this reason a special room is often set apart as a ‘seance room,’ and used for no other pur- A Guide to Mediumship 119 pose; there is Jess likelihood of mixed influe nc es or tur¬ bulent manifestations under such conditions. Punctuality .— Members of the circle should be punct¬ ual and keep their appointments with their spirit friends. Fancy keeping an angel waiting half an hour when he comes to serve and bless you! Angels are ‘messenger spirits.’ Reg ularity in Attendance is very important, so that, as far as is possible, the same conditions may be provided on each occasion. The seance should be opened promptly to time, and late comers—if admitted at all—should take flieTr seats as quietly as possible. Prayer and Song.— A few minutes of silent aspiration, of earnest soul-felt desire, should follow the singing of a hymn. Tf anyone is prompted, or feels the impulse from the other side, to utter a prayer, it should be done reverent¬ ly, quietly, and briefly. Passivity is Essential, not the passivity of an uncon¬ scious log of wood, but the serene and calm passivity of one who is expectant without being anxious; who aspires without being demonstrative; who is receptive without being exacting or personally active. Not passive in the sense of yielding implicit and unquestioning obedience, but resp onsive to impulses, impressions, thoughts or sugges¬ tions that come to him in a reasonable and intelligible manner . Patience is Necessary.— Time is required for growth; for the attuning o f the two spheres and the blending of the thought-life of the spirit with that of the medium. Do not be impatient nor over zealous. Steady unfolding and ripening are best. Persever ance is Indispensable.— There will of neces- sitybe difficulties to be overcome. Experiments will fail. Misconceptions will arise. Imperfect, manifestations will occur . Conditions will vary ~ A variety of contingencies which cannot be foreseen will have to be dealt with as they crop up. Do not be deterred nor downcast, but maintain a cheerful and expectant attitude. Do not demand. Spir¬ its do not like to be commanded, neither should mediums or sitters submit to dictation. Persist, go cautiously, but v r C 7 S 7 120 A Guide to Mediumship do not falter. Avoid extremes; be neither despondent nor over -sanguine, but if confident of ultimate success and pa¬ tiently determined to desei've it, the faith that is exercised will most certainly be rewarded. Not, perhaps, in the way the sitters or sensitive would most like or expect, but in some way good will be derived from the sincere search for truth and the desire for knowledge. One Circle One Medium.— Judging from our obser¬ vation and experience it is best that there should be a sep¬ arate circle for each medium. It is very seldom indeed that the conditions of one circle meet the requirements of more than one sensitive for any great length of time; there¬ fore it is best that a few friends should gather round a young medium and devote themselves to sitting with him for his development. How long will Development take?— It is impossible to foretell how long it will take to unfold the powers of a medium so that he may be regarded as fairly well devel¬ oped. Experience is needed both by spirit and medium to secure such results. But we may safely say that no me¬ dium is fully developed so long as his brain, body, and mind are capable of improvement. Development is there¬ fore a life-long process to those who are progressive and teachable, but the first essential is a true purpose and sin¬ cere desire for spiritual good. Sympathy and harmony in the mental and psychical conditions of the sitters are also needed. Diet and Drink.— Considerable importance is attached to diet by some people, and fasting is often recommended; but we find that if people live a rational, temperate, and cleanly life therels no need for fasting or special dieting, save under excepti onal ci rcumstances and for definite pur¬ poses—such as the production of strong physical, or ma¬ terialization, or test phenomena, under rigid scientific con¬ ditions. Try the Spirits. —All communications that purport to come from the other side should be received with reserve, and be tested by the ordinary rules and standards that we employ in our dealings with each other. We have to exer¬ cise our judgment and reason in daily life, and even then A Guide to Mediumship 121 are not infrequently misled; and as there are so many diffi¬ culties attending the intercourse with excarnate human be¬ ings, caution should be exercised in regard to accepting their statements or promises. There are many kindly, trustworthy, and wise spirits who communicate, but they cannot be known to be good and time until they have been tried and proved; therefore it is necessary to carefully and shrewdly ‘try the spirits,’ and not accept them as oracles or infallible authorities. Try the Sitters.— It is quite as necessary to try the sitters as it is to ‘try the spirits,’ but the trying in both cases should be accomplished with as much tact and dis¬ cretion as possible, so as not to give pain or cause needless friction. There are some people who are so sensitive that they should not sit in circles, because they are liable to be- come charged with the psychic emanations from, and dom¬ inated by the expectancy of, the sitters, and are not in¬ fluenced by spirits to any appreciable degree. Or prob¬ ably, there are ‘cross magnetisms’; members of the circle may be antagonistic to each other. '"Some sitters may be sarcastic, merely curious, or selfish, or mercenary, or not over clean, sober, or scrupulous, and all such surroundings act and re-act upon the highly sensitive organization of the undeveloped medium, and, above all, provide conditions favorable for the manifestations of mischievous or mali¬ cious spirits, unless the medium is sufficiently developed. or~is protected by wise spirits powerful enough to resist or control such influences. Like attracts like, as a general rule; but there are exceptions to this, as to most rules, as, for instance, where unfortunate or unhappy spirits are per¬ mitted to manifest, and are even brought to the seance by other and more experienced spirit people so that they may be helped. The Influence of the Sitters in moulding the con¬ ditions is too little realized. If they introduce an atmos¬ phere of suspicion, doubt, distrust or detraction, they break the continuity of the flow of the psychic energy that has to be f , i iployed. By thus severing the current, and dissi¬ pating the power, they mar the conditions essential to suc¬ cess; and, as all such disturbances of necessity centre upon 122 A Guide lo Mediumship and injuriously affect the sensitive medium, they render soul-satisfying and uplifting communion impossible. To all sitters we would say, ‘You get, to a very great extent, what yon make conditions for,’ therefore open the doors of the heavens by love and purity. Changes sometimes Beneficial. —A ‘circle’ may meet night after night without results, but if an additional sit¬ ter is added who possesses the right temperament, phenom¬ ena may occur almost immediately. If the general psy¬ chic conditions of a circle of sitters are harmonious, al¬ though there may not be any specially mediumistic person present, interesting phenomena and successful communion may be enjoyed up to a certain stage. For instance, tabl e tilting, or rappin gs, or both may oc cu r, but the spirits may no t be able to produce other or more striking evidences of their ability to manipulate physical objects, not because they are unwilling, but because the energy that they re¬ quire isTiioTpossessed'By "any one" member, or by the circle as"a"whole. If a person of the right type of physical sensi¬ tiveness can be discovered and induced to join the circle, the more definite and striking phenomena may soon be forthcoming. The introduction of a new sitter may pos¬ sibly have the eff ect of disturbing conditions and putting an end~t o the manifestations, or of affording conditions that will lead to new developments along other lines, such as entrancemefit, clairvoyance^ and speaking mediumship. When a good physical medium has been discovered, it is well for him if a few friends will devote themselves sys¬ tematically to assist the spirits in his development. ‘ Test’ Questions pan “Wait . —Should table movements occur, or raps be heard, let them go on for a little. Do not ask test questions. Requ est re pet itions, ask for them to be clearer or louder, so that they shall be sllarp and de¬ cisive. Ask for a certain number of movements or raps. Then you can proceed to ask questions as to whether the circle is sitting in the best arrangement for success. If changes are desired these should be made as suggested. It may happen that one or more of the sitters may be re¬ quested to change places or to withdraw from the table altogeth er. In the latter ease the sitter should not take d Guide lo Mediumship 123 umbrage, or regard such rejection as a reflection upon them personally. It merely indicates that their psychical conditions do not blend with those of the rest of the circle. W. H. Bach says: ‘If you are requested, either by the controlling intelligence or by the manager of the circle, to take another place, or even if your room is desired for some unknown cause, do not get angry and create a dis¬ turbance. but get with those with whom you are in spir¬ itual harmony and try it again. All who have succeeded have passed through great trials and failures, and when success is attained, think of what you have gained! A knowledge of immortality, possibly, or you have assisted in producing an instrument through whom the proofs of immortality may be given.’ * Preliminary Arra ngeme nts.— AYli en com munication lias been established by raps or table tilts, and some evi¬ dence has been afforded that the spirit possesses both the knowledge and the power to give effect to his wishes, defi¬ nite instructions should be asked for as to who is the me¬ dium and the frequency of the ‘sittings’ necessary for development. and for the appointment of one among the sitters to act as ‘conductor.’ Confusio n ofte n r esult s from several of the sitters asking conflicting questions at almost the sa me time, or. what is worse, making guesse s or positive statements as to the identity or the wishes of the communi¬ cating intelligence. The First Requisite is to Secure Free Oommunica- TiQN.— Inst ead of raps or ta ble movements, the hands or heads of those sitters who can be influenced may be made to m ove a certain number of times in response to questions. Remember, the lirst requisite is to establish the channel of communication ; and all personal questions as to who and what the spirit is should be reserved until the initial diffi¬ culties are overcome. It is most probable that at first the spirit operators will not be fully aware what effect is being produced by them, and the mind of the medium may be in a state of protest against being acted upon, and it is there¬ fore extremely unwise to attempt to obtain responses to test * ‘Mediumship and its Development.’ Page 24. 124 A Guide to Mediumship questions or to secure evidences of the identity of the spirit under these imperfect conditions. Many mediums and in¬ quirers have been deterred from further development or investigation because such questions have been prematurely put and the answers pressed for, with the result that con¬ fusing and contradictory responses were given, and the conclusion was hastily drawn that is was all fraud, delu¬ sion, or of the devil. Writing in ‘Light,’ a correspondent who related some striking experiences observed: ‘1 now, in my anxiety, made a mistake which anxious inquirers sometimes make. I wanted more—I pressed for another test, forgetting the difficulties of mediumship, and the supreme effort which must have been made to give me what I had obtained. And this resulted in failure after remarkable tests had been given.’ Commenting upon this, another writer said: ‘ This is exactly how mediums are used; they give test after test, not to satisfy, but only to produce the desire for more. Then when the power is weakened comes the inability—or fraud, as imperfection in mediumship is too often called. This will be the case until they can have the only condition which is suitable for spiritual communion—passive trust and confidence. Real tests cannot come when sought with materialistic conditions. The tests come unsought, un¬ looked for.’ A Necessary Warning. —We cannot too often reiterate the necessity of obse rving the manifestations first an d drawing conclusions afterwards. A. practice to be strongly deplored, and one that arises from the laudable desire to aid the spirit before the medium is under full control, is the common one of putting words into the mouth of the medium, or ‘reading’ into the message what the sitter thinks was intended. Tt is extremely difficult for the spirit to alter The impression thus made should he be desirous of so doing, as it is naturally easier to make the first im¬ pression upon the mind of the sensitive than it is to re¬ move an erroneous one and put another in its place. Do not pester th e med ium who is being influenced with ques- /I Guide to Mediumship 125 tions and suggestions; but quietly and sympathetically await results. Even though the process be slow and tedious, and the waiting long until the full message can be given (with the then means at command), yet, if it is at last clearly given from the spirit side, a decided step forward will have been taken, and in all probability subsequent messages will come much more easily, the channel of communication being so far opened. So many difficulties are encountered both on this side and the other (and even when the channel is cleared it needs to be kept open), that unless the spirit pos¬ sesses positive knowledge and power, oneTneetl not be sur- prised~lf there are frequent ‘breakdowns 1 and many dis- appomtments and perpI exit i es to be encountered and over¬ come in making the preliminary experiments. But having reached the stage of clear communication, and having re¬ ceived definite instructions as to conditions to be observed, the sitters and the medium alike should endeavor to faith¬ fully'' co-operate with the spirit workers. Spirits the Operators. —As the spirits are to be the operators, if the sitters and the medium can obtain from them intimations of what they wish to try to do, and in¬ structions as to what can be done by the circle to assist them to achieve the desired end, it is manifest that it will be wise to consult their wishes, and, as far as possible, with¬ in reasonable limits, conform to their suggestions. It should, however, be borne in mind that they should be con¬ sulted, not ‘with bated breath and whispering humbleness,’ but in a rational and friendly way, for the purpose of se¬ curing their intelligent co operation and obtaining their advice. Let Reason Rule Reasonably.— It may happen that the ‘conditions’ asked for by the communicating intelli¬ gences may seem to be ludicrous or impracticable; should "this be so, representations to that effect should be made to the spirit, and if such instructions are persisted in, except where, through long association, confidence is felt in tbe spirit, or very clear evidence of knowledge has been mani¬ fested, the medium and sitters, exercising their own reason¬ ing powers " should quietly and firmly decline to do what I 326 A Guide to Mediumship is asked of them, and some other course should be sug¬ gested. AVe do not advise either medium or sitters to blindly accept or follow what is given to or through them; reason should ever reign; but even reason will show that in experimental work it is sometimes advisable to tenta¬ tively adopt and follow some course that may not, at first sight, appear quite reasonable. Personal Messages.— AVe will suppose that a satis¬ factory arrangement of the sitters has been secured, and that table movements or raps of a clear and decisive char¬ acter have been obtained. Qu estions may now be put to ascertain whether the spirit is related to any person pres¬ ent, and if so, to whom, and the nature of the relationship; or with whom the spirit wishes to be in communication. The person indicated should then question his friend for himself; and should secrecy be desired, and the spirit ex¬ press readiness to answer mental questions, the questions can be put mentally, and they will be answered as if they had been spoken aloud. Each question should be put clear¬ ly, so that a simple answer can be given. But if the spirit agrees to move the table as the alphabet is called over, more detailed information can be obtained, and it may be left to spell out its name, its relationship to one or more of the sitters, and its message. The spirit should be ad¬ dressed courteously; a kindly visitant from the other world is no ordinary guest, especially if he is a loving friend who desires to give you comfort. Clear Thi nking Needed. —AVhile answers to mental questions are frequently given with startling accuracy and success, spir it people usually require that questions or wishes should be orally expressed; and the objection is urged by some people that if the spirits can see our thoughts they ought to know what we require. The fact is, however, that many people do not have clear thoughts or hold them definitely in mind long enough to be read, and many sitters actually require to express themselves in words before others, whether in the body or out of it, can understand what they mean or wish to know. Alluding to the expression which is frequently heard, ‘Jf 1 could only speak as well as T can think. I should have A Guide to Mediumship 127 little difficulty in saying wliat I want,’ a thoughtful writer has pointed out that this is largely a mistake, for if the thought was definite and clear, in words, there would be no difficulty in giving it utterance, and he claims that many people speak incoherently because they think incon¬ sequentially. C auses of Confusion.— It is possible that a sensitive who is easily impressed and who readily perceives what the spirit people wish to accomplish, may forestall them by prematurely expressing part of their thought himself, or even performing a similar action to that which they intend to produce, carried away, as it were, by his anxious desire for success; and yet the sensitive, being hypnotized by their dominant wish or purpose, will be unconscious that he has unwittingly helped on the manifestations instead of le tting the spirits do their own work. For instance, a. table may be tilted somewhat unevenly and with difficulty in response to questions; one of the sitters, who is sensitive to the wishes of others, ‘senses’ the desire of the spirits who are seeking to communicate, and in response to that psychic ‘suggestion’—unintentionally transferred by them —unconsciously to himself exerts pr essu re to help the table to move in unison with what he thinks or feels that the spirit people want to say; yet such a sensitive would be naturally indignant should he be charged with causing the tilts. ~ Persons who are easily affected sometimes act in this way in response to the dominant idea of the sitters, and considerable confusion ensues. Unless care is exercised to watch oneself such a tendency may be unconsciously yield¬ ed to; hence there has been some basis for the theory of un¬ conscious muscular action due to expectancy—or a dom¬ inant Idea. Tt is wise, therefore, when the communication purports to be for any particular member of the circle, for that sitter to let his hands slide over the surface of the table as it moves, and to note that he does not in any way accelerate or retard the movements. .The Re al Point to be Observed. —It is, however, not so much the fact that the table moves, with or without contact, that is of paramount importance, but that by its 128 A Guide to Mediumship means intercourse can be obtained and maintained with so-called dead people; and evidences of spirit identity, as well as loving and cheering messages, can be obtained in that way from loved ones who were supposed to be gone for ever. This is the important point to be established beyond all peradventure. A Guide to Mediumship 122 CHAPTER III. HOW ‘ conditions’ affect results. There are three factors concerned in mediumship: the ; spirit controlling, the mental atmosphere of the medium 2 . controlled, and the mental atmosphere of the people con- 3 stituting the company surrounding the medium.—J. J. Morse. The requirements for honesty on the part of mediums are equally binding upon investigators; they must have honesty of purpose if they expect to attract honest spirits. —A. 'Morton. Failure may be Caused by the Sitters. —Although the spirits may be intensely anxious to demonstrate their power, they are sometimes repelled from those whom they seek to approach by the ‘bristling’ and discordant condi¬ tions of mind that prevail among the sitters, who disperse with’a TeeTThg of dissatisfaction and disappointment. If the sitters only knew it, the ‘failure’ was directly trace¬ able to the destructive thought-atmosphere with which they surrounded themselves and the medium. Too frequently they do not prepare themselves for the ‘hour’s communion with the dead,’ and their mental attitude is anything but conducive to success. They do not put away the thronging thoughts, anxieties, arid worries of their busy lives, but carry them right into the seance chamber, yet expect good spiritual results. Bot h sitter and medium may very easily destroy the indispensable conditions of spirit-manifesta- tion, and the medium’s honesty, not his want of growth, or of knowledge, is called in question by the investigator 130 A Guide to Medmmship who knows, and perhaps cares, nothing for the occult laws he has violated, not obeyed. Mediums Often Mar the Manifestation^.— Great dif¬ ficulties are frequently encountered by sitters and spirits because of the mental barriers which the mediums erect, hv t heir objections, hesitations, and oppositions. As one is removed or overthrown, another speedily fills the place. For instance, a spirit may seek to communicate by impress¬ ing certain words on the brain of the medium and by striv¬ ing to manipulate his vocal organs, so that clear expres¬ sion shall be given to them. Two or three words may be uttered, but the mind of the medium, which had been pas¬ sive, becomes active and takes' fright, especially if what is said appears to be of a ‘test’ or evidential nature. He wonders if it is true. He fe ars that a mistake may be made, and’ TiesitafesTand thus, by interfering with the free course of the utterances, causes the very results which he Hreads. If is one thing to cause thoughts to flow through a clear channel or over a calm surface, and quite another to overcome resistance and produce the same effect. Spirits have Many Difficulties to Overcome. —On one occasion, a medium felt the influence of an arisen friend very strongly. It w r as accompanied by an intense desire to speak, and yet the medium was unable to give utterance to that which the spirit wished to have said. In answer to an inquiry that was subsequently made as to why the spirit had been unable to communicate with his dear ones, one of the familiar controls of the medium explained that he thought lie had spoken. His feeling of nearness to them Avas so vivid, and his wish to express himself through the lips of the medium had been so intense, that it was only after he had ceased his efforts to control that he realized he had only thought and intended, but had not succeeded in compelling the sensitive to utter his message. This will perhaps explain why mediums sometimes rise to their feet and act as if they were about to speak, but get no further —they do not receive the impression, or the right mental impulse; they feel as if they could speak and yet they have nothing to say. At such times a few words of sympathy and inquiry from the conductor of the circle may assist A Guide to Mediumship 131 the control to realize the situation and succeed in his en¬ deavors to communicate. Even on this side, when we send telegraphic messages or use the telephone, mistakes and misunderstandings are by no means uncommon occur¬ rences, and our letters sometimes create an impression in the mind of the reader which we did not intend to convey. Is it any wonder, then, that messages from the other side are imperfectly impressed upon, and incorrectly rendered by, the medium? Most persons who have attempted to transfer thoughts, fo' mesmerized sensitives have realized that general ideas can be tran smi tted much more easily than names, dates, or specific words can be impressed upon or expressed by the subject. The wonder is, not that so few names, ages, and spe cial details are given by spirits to and th rough medi ums, but that, considering all the at¬ tendant circumstances, so many ‘test’ messages are contin¬ ually being given, both privately and in public. The ‘Saving Sense op Humor. ’—We have heard peo¬ ple denounce the triviality, the fun and frivolity of the seance-room, and to a certain extent we agree with them; but there is danger, too, in the other extreme of deadly dulness, of decorous propriety, and of philosophic ‘supe¬ riority.’ Spirits are ‘human still,’ and a good breezy laugh, a hearty, joyous, kindly, sympathetic disposition, goes a long way to open the a ven ues bv which they can approach us. Mr. Henry Forbes well and truly says: ‘Experience has taught that the spiritual circle should be presided over by a “pure heart” and a “strong head”—to which quali¬ ties might be added a well-ordered development of the sense of humor, for the absence of humor often tends to make philosophy grotesquely ill-proportioned.’ Be Natural, Calm, and Cheerful.— Mr. T. Everitt suggests that the sitters should be natural and easy; that pleasant sociability, agreeable, even humorous conversation will be helpful; that the sitters should breathe in unison, and take good deep breaths for the purpose of setting up rhythmic vibrations and liberating the forces which are requisite for the production of physical phenomena. Sing¬ ing is often useful for this purpose, but it should be melo¬ dious. T TFisin noise T want,’ said a spirit once, ‘it’s liar- 132 A Guide to Mediumship mony. If you cannot sing you can count out loud, and count altogether; that may give us the right vibrations.’ It should be borne in mind that feelings of demand, of selfish, personal claim to the exclusion of others, will exert a detrimental influence upon the conditions of the circle and the medium. Such a mental sphere will necessarily affect the sensitive and rub him the wrong way. Impatience and Anxiety are disintegrating mental conditions. People who are all the time looking at their watches and thinking, ‘Oh! I wish they would hurry up.’ ‘Oh! do be quick, don’t keep us here all night, we shall surely miss our train,’ etc., are ‘disturbers of the peace,’ and break the conditions which require harmony and re¬ pose. ‘We have found out that we cannot hurry them,’ said a lady who had enjoyed much experience in circles; and consequently, when you are sitting for difficult phenom¬ ena, you need to have plenty of time and be prepared to sit good liumoredly for hours, if need be, to see it through, and then results are likely to speedily ensue; whereas the more you try to hurry, the more anxious you become, the less likelihood is there that you will secure re¬ sults at all. You can surely realize that hurry, impatience, anxiety, intense expectancy, fear and suspicion, must of necessity disturb the conditions and prove inimical to the efforts of the spirit operators to present clear and convinc¬ ing phenomenal demonstrations of their power and iden¬ tity. Harmony Absolutely Essential to Success. —When sitting in circle for phenomenal manifestations, harmony should be the primary consideration. To secure this re¬ sult, the sitters must be willing to co-operate in a friendly spirit, and abandon, for the time being at least, all exclu¬ siveness, and break down the attitude of reserve which is so frequently assumed between strangers. On one occasion in particular we had a remarkable illustration of the detri¬ mental influence of one or two sitters. It occurred in a seance at which a number of mediums were present, and, under ordinary circumstances, successful results would have been practically certain; but this was not an ordinary seance—at least, not in the opinion of one lady who ap- A Guide to Mediumship 133 parently imagined that she had been invited to discover fraud, and that the rest of us were suspicious characters. Up to the moment of her appearance in the circle we were a happy family of sociable folk, and enjoyed a very pleasant season of conversational interchange. When, however, the said lady, accompanied by a friend, joined the company, there was a silence that could be felt. The social tempera¬ ture fell rapidly—people visibly stiffened and became con¬ strained. The two ladies appeared to feel afraid to speak lest they should say anything that might be used by the mediums, and spoke in monosyllables. Sitting bolt up¬ right, grim and silent, they drew up to the table, and when the phenomena began displayed no signs of interest. Their ‘detective’ attitude was so objectionable that even those who had endeavored to thaw these self-constituted Sherlock Holmeses, gave up the attempt, and, in consequence, what had promised to be a. really enjoyable evening, proved one of the most uncomfortable it has been our lot to experience. How Not to Do It. —On another occasion, when some .experiments were being made by a medium, under control, in the direction of psychometry and clairvoyance, a lady expressed a desire to be the ‘subject’ for delineation. After one or two efforts the medium exclaimed, ‘I am very sorry, but for some reason I am quite unable to get anything from you. or for you.’ Shortly afterwards the lady in question remarked to one of the sitters, ‘I knew he would not be able to give me anything. That is the third medium I have “knocked out.” ’ The failure to obtain results under such impossible conditions is a proof of the genuine psychic nature of the powers of the mediums. If they were pre¬ tenders they would succeed in doing something under any circumstances and in spite of such adverse psychic con¬ ditions. A Variety of Considerations. —It would be unwise for us to attempt to give cut and dried instructions regard¬ ing the development of mediumship, because, beyond try¬ ing to offer harmonious conditions, the would-be medium '•an at first do so little. He is no t usually an active agent, but is an intermediary between earth and the spirit world. The spirits who seek to use him as their instrument may 134 ;1 Guide to Mediumship or may not be tit for that work. It is not every spirit who caii develop a medium. Some o f them lack both knowledge and aptitude. Others may have the knowledge and yet fail from want of the power to control. They may be able to affect one sitter and not another; to use a sensitive for one phase of mediumship, and yet be unable to succeed in any other direction. A spirit may be in such conditions that he can produce good physical phenomena; he may, however, try to do so through a ‘subject’ who is fitted for trance or clairvoyant mediumship and does not possess the quality or psychic force for sensuous manifestations. medium who is naturally qualified for physical demon¬ strations may persist in desiring trance or inspirational mediumship, and lie determined to become a speaker or nothing. Frequently at the outset both spirits and sitters are ignorant of their powers, of the conditions necessary for success, and the association that exists between them being affectional rather than intellectual or spiritual, they have to grope their way towards each other. It follows, there¬ fore, that experiments have to be made on both sides. Sit¬ ters and young mediums often spoil the seances by over- anxietv. There would not be half so much heard about ‘evil spirits’ (so-called) if more regard were paid to the necessity of maintaining a calm, patient, and serene frame of mind. Some people become excited as soon as phenom¬ ena commence; mediums not infrequently get nervous or timid when they feel that they are being affected, and, although they desire to be controlled, are afraid to submit to the influence when they are likely to lose consciousness. Air these are disturbing elements, and nat ura lly interfere with the flow of the forces that are to be utilized and pre¬ vent th e succe ss that is desired. A spirit without any very definite purpose, finding him¬ self in the presence of a mediumistic person, may seek to influence him, and spasmodic actions may result. Unless the ‘control’ should soon give evidence of clear thought and definite purpose he should be requested, in a kindly and courteous manner, to seek the assistance of some spirit wKo understands the metho ds to be employed, and induce A Guide to Mediumship 135 him to excit his power for the benefit of the medium and the circle. An Open Mind Necessary.— One of the first and most elementary conditions for spirit intercourse is this: Sitters and mediums alike should endavor to avo id prejudging the case, and be as responsive and open-minded as possible. Positive expectations should not be entertained, or strong claims made. But in the careful scientific spirit the sitters should await results and be determined to hold their judg¬ ment in suspense—to watch and wait; and after careful observation and a number of experiments, conducted in a sympathetic but unbiased, non-committal frame of mind, let the facts themselves speak. Avoid Theories but Gather Facts.— If an inquirer has formed, or adopted, the theory that it is all the mind of the medium, or the dominating thought of the sitter (that the table or the medium only gives back the thoughts of the most positive mind in the circle), it will be better for him as far as possible to hold back that thought, and watch, because if he tries to control the table movements by the exercise jof_his will upon it, he merely interferes with the efforts which the spirits may be making. If he actually succeeds in causing the movements to occur as he wills that they shall, he does not prove that spirits cannot do the same thing. He may possibly switch them off and himself on, but in that case the machine will simply re¬ spond to his thought and not theirs. That is all. The Crucial Question.— What sincere truthseekers, whether mediumistic or not, need to know is this: ‘Can spirits gain power to move the table, to make raps, to give ns messages which will prove their existence and identity?’ If they set out to obtain proof of the presence and power of spirits, they must give the spirits opportunities to sat¬ isfy them with evidence. Instead of interfering with the conditions and destroy¬ ing the connections, and then triumphantly asserting, ‘there are no spirits in it, T moved the table by my will, it only moved in harmony with my thoughts,’ the inquirer should preserve a calm, observant mood. He should have, as Sir William Crookes said, ‘a mind to let,’ and render 136 -1 (Juide io Mediumship assistance as far as possible by observing the conditions and seeking for proofs of spirit action; then, when the operators are ready to give them, ask for tests of identity. Impressions. —Mrs. Britton says: ‘ ‘ Impr essions ’ ’ are the voices of spirits or the monitions of the spirit within us, and should always be followed out, unless suggestive of wrong in act or word, ’ and she advises that ‘jf a strong im¬ pression to write, speak, sing, dance or gesticulate pos¬ sesses any person present in circle, it should be faithfully obeyed. It has a meaning even if it cannot at first be real¬ ized. ’ Of course, care and discretion must be exercised; but in the private or home circle greater freedom is pos¬ sible than would be judicious in a public gathering. Impersonations. —One of the most interesting and individually satisfactory mode of spirit manifestations is that knoivn as ‘impersonating test mediumship.’ Most me¬ diums at some stage of their career are employed in this direction, and some of them devote their whole time to it and place themselves at the service of inquirers who desire to get into communication with their departed relatives and friends. Mr. F . W. II. Myers was compelled to con¬ cede the fact of the inadequacy of his ‘telepathic’ and ‘subliminal conciousness’ theories to account for the evi¬ dences of the identity and independent consciousness of his spirit friends who controlled Mrs. Thompson and spoke 1 to him through her instrumentality, recalling to his recol- lection incidents in their mutual past experiences in such a conclusive fashion that he thankfully acknowledged his in- 1 debtedness to the medium and his gratitude to the spirits. Why a ‘Medium’ is Needed. — Beca use an individual has passed through the death-change he is not instantly endowed with the knowledge and power to use the aura given off by a sensitive for the purpose of communicating with his earth friends. It is often a source of perplexity and pain to the spirit who has just left the body that, al¬ though he speaks to those who are mourning because of his ‘death,’ they do not hear; though he touches them, they do not respond; though he would convey to them the truth that he is ‘living,’ they only weep and grieve, and he is compelled to turn sadly away as the conviction is forced A Guide to Mediumship 137 upon him that a barrier which he cannot overcome inter¬ venes between them. But although direct communication could not be established, they may feel strangely comforted as the effect of this influence, and leave his mortal form with the thought ‘he is not there, he is relieved from pain,’ or the more familiar one, ‘he is better off’! Inquirers sometimes ask, ‘Why must my dearest and most intimate friend approach me through the medium- ship of a stranger, instead of coming directly to me?’ Sup¬ pose that friend does endeavor to reach the inquirer, but is unable to impress him: suppose the spirit tries to ‘suggest’ telepathically to his friend that he is near to him, and fails; what can he do but seek out some one through whom he is able to manifest because lie is more psychically ‘open’ and responsive, or else leave him altogether without evi¬ dence? ‘The medium,’ says Mr. W. J. Colville, ‘is par excellence a sensitive individual, whose sensitiveness makes him aware of presences undetectable by those of less highly strung organization. Your friend comes to you, but if you cannot discern his presence, and one more sensitive than yourself is able to do so. it clearly follows that that other’s mediumship has served simply as a means of reveal¬ ing to you what your own blunter perceptions failed to discern.’ Life After Death Real and Human. —The fact that the life beyond death is one where law reigns supreme, and where ignorance and wrong-doing affect the status of the depa rted, holding them in the conditions of spiritual dark¬ ness and limiting their liberties—while know ledge, purity, and loving-kindness are necessary to the spirit’s progress and wellbeing—is constantly enforced from the other side, and Spiritualism has shown us the real life beyond the tomb, not the stained glass personalities nor the mythical conditions of the orthodox sectarian, but the natural and human beings who have persisted. It has banished mis¬ conception and miracle by giving us glimpses of the facts and the reign of law in the spiritual world. The law of continuity, of consequences, is as inexorable on the spir¬ itual as upon the physical plane, and that which is written is written and cannot be effaced. No magic or incantation 138 A Guide io Mediumship can suddenly transform the dying John Jones into the saintly soul 'who is tit for the celestial heights and the companionship of the wisest angels. The revelation of the simply human life of the de¬ parted, of the pers istence of .character, of the ma intenance of individuality—with its shortcomings, prejudices, limita¬ tions, and personal characteristics, as well as the preserva¬ tion of all the wealth of intellect and the treasures of soul resulting from life’s toil, study, and unfolding—this revelation is, to our thinking, the greatest blessing which Spiritualism has conferred upon humanity. If it did no more than awaken within us a divine discontent with the pettiness of the majority of our thoughts, feelings, and troubles, it would be of great service to the world; and those who deplore the trivialities are unconsciously con¬ demning the small and narrow conditions of the daily life of the average mortal—because, such as we are here so shall we be over there until we can grow to appreciate the fuller spiritual.life,, to realize our ideals by application to the task of development, and to recognize that beauty comes by use. But Spiritualism does infinitely more than this; it demonstrates the ‘going on’ of human beings, the preservati on of identity, and the orderly continuance—the sequential character—of life. Il dignifies this present 'stage' of expression. It gives an added incentive to effort, a new grace to affection, and an increased lustre to good¬ ness and worth. Many Methods, but One Object. —The modes of spirit manifestation are many, the phases wonderfully va¬ ried, but. like a golden cord running through them all, there is the distinct purpose of bringing to those on earth the glad tidings and proof positive of continued conscious personal existence in the life after death. The process of psychic development is usually slow, and the medium will be likely to grow disheartened; but by looking back over the ground already traversed, and by comparing the faint efforts made at the commencement with the later and fuller indications of spirit power, he should feel en¬ couraged, and proceed with renewed vigor. A Guide to Mediumsliip 139 Mediums must Participate in their O wn Unfold- ment.— Some mediums take little or no interest in their own mediumship, they are often reckless as to conditions and disregardful of the lesson that their experience should teach them as to the influence that their sitters exert upon them; they will sit, when pressed, to oblige so-called friends, even when to do so is injurious because they are already exhausted. Importunate acquaintances, mere sightseers and wondermongers, prevail over them because they have cultivated the ‘negative’ frame of mind and ‘leave it all to the spirits,’ and they suffer in consequence of their folly, indifference, apathy, and want of personal cultivation of will ability to govern themselves. If me¬ diums do not exercise self-respect they cannot expect to win the respect of intelligent people in or out of the body. It largely rests with themselves whether their gifts shall lead to spiritual graces and an unfolded selfhood. As Dr. Dean Clarke very truly says: ‘ Novices in me¬ diumship have no business to assume obligations they are not fully qualified to fulfil. Let them take the counsel given metaphorically to the disciples of Jesus, to “tarry in Jerusalem till their beards are grown.” They, surely, should wait till the spirits are strong enough to control and skidd, them from the meddlesome interference of igno¬ rant people, both in the flesh and out.’ We strongly urge all mediums to wait and serve their apprenticeship thoroughly before they undertake to sit for sceptics or perform public work, either as ‘test,’ ‘imper¬ sonating,’ ‘speaking,’ ‘seeing,’ or ‘healing’ mediums, and the best place to secure the necessary experience, training, and unfolding is in the private home circle. After a cer¬ tain stage has been reached, however, the medium who has been used for impersonations will in all probability begin to display the powers of clairvoyance and to receive vivid impressions. Then will come, or they will be accompanied by, the efforts of the spirits to pass beyond the purely per¬ sonal and limited forms of expression associated with the affectionate messages and greetings, to the consideration and explanation of the conditions and experiences of life on the other side. Spirits who can teach and give more 140 A Guide to Medium ship sequential and sustained addresses will in all likelihood as¬ sume control, and under such conditions it will be found necessary to enlarge the circle and introduce fresh sitters. The clairvoyant, or psychometrist, needs new subjects with whom to experiment, and the speaking medium requires an audience to listen to his discourses, so that the next step beyond the small private circle may well be a semi¬ public one, or an ‘after-circle’ such as is frequently held at the close of the public Sunday services in many towns, at which mediums who have reached this stage are afforded the opportunities they need. The Holy of Holies of Spiritualism.— Around the family table, where those who are united in affection meet to bold joyous communion with their spirit friends, where the blended desire ascends to the spiritual plane and be¬ comes the potent magnetic attraction by which those friends can establish harmonious relations with the sitters —in such a circle and under such conditions even a weak degree of mediumistic responsiveness to the outpouring from the spirit side will become intensified and exalted, until rhythmic vibrations are established and thought and emotion will readily pass from one to the other, and all will be attuned. The best method of cultivation is to re¬ gard the mediumistic sensitiveness as a natural and desir¬ able quality, to be evolved by training and experiment, under the direction of the reason and the conscience. In this manner the tribunal which decides the conduct of life is ever present, and no matter what influences are brought to bear upon the sensitive he remains steadfast, realizing that the responsibility for use or abuse rests with himself. A Cluidc to Mediumship 141 CHAPTER IV. PRACTICAL ADVICE TO SENSITIVES. No spirit can control a medium against his will and in¬ clination, if lie understands the s upreme power of his own selfhood.—Hudson Tuttle. We consider the highest degree of physical health per¬ fectly compatible with the very best manifestation of me¬ diumship.—J. J. Morse. The law of sympathy governs all spiritual relationships, and, as wc are all spirits here and now, although encased in earthly habiliments, we may come into sympathetic rapport with others and be affected by, or influence them, for good or ill.—15. G. E. When an inquirer says, ‘I have been frequently assured by mediums that I am mediumistic and should become a successful medium, but I am at a loss to know how to proceed; will you advise me what to do to become de¬ veloped?’ we feel inclined to reply: If you are animated by a sincere desire to be of service to others, and not by 'personal ambition or mercenary mot i ves, you are in the ri ght mood to enter upon the work. If you are endowed with the requisite tempera mental and organic conditions, the discipline of expe rience will teach you many things, and Hie spirits will help you if you are aspiring. Do not, however, expect immediate, results. Mediumship, unlike mushrooms, cannot be forced , and any attempt in that di¬ rection is likely to be followed by injurious results. no ‘ secret’ for sale. There is no great ‘occult secret’ that we can impart to you. No one can sell you the knowledge of how to become a medium within a specified and limited time, or develop 112 A Guide to Medium skip you by a set of ‘lessons.’ It is, in all eases, a matter of time, and frequently of painstaking and long-continued investigation, of experimental research, of steady training; and therefore time and patience are absolutely necessary. You will require to be ^observant, .cool, n atio nal, persistent, and affirmative, remembering that ‘it is dogged perseverance that does it. ’ THE RESPONSIBILITY OP MEDIUMSIIIP. Before you undertake to sit for development we should advise you to read the best books you can procure, so that you may have a good general knowledge of, and profit by, the experience and advice of others, and be prepared for the trials and disappointments that you will in all proba¬ bility have to meet. Further, we would remind you that while mediumship has its privileges and delights, it also has its duties and responsibilities; its ‘cross’ as well as its ‘crown.’ You should consider whether you are prepared to face the difficulties; to work and wait; to persevere in spite of odium and ostracism on this side and the possible attacks of the ‘dwellers on the threshold’ on the other; whether you will suffer and be strong, and consecrate your energies in an altruistic spirit to the Cause of Truth and Progress in the service of enlightened spirits for the good of Humanity. If you are ready to do this and endure, we wish you God-speed and the wise guidance of true and kindly spirit teachers, and we trust that you will find our advice of service to you in your studies. PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS. If you have had any reason to suppose that you are mediumistic and can devote sufficient time and thought to the subject without unduly interfering with your present occupation, and decide to try to develop your powers, you will do well to study carefully the preceding chapter on ‘Circleholding,’ and then, if possible, obtain the assistance of several good and sympathetic friends and form a circle as nearly as possible on the lines mentioned there. If you can secure the help of someone who has had experience, A Guide to Medium ship 143 especially if he is ‘impressional’ and can realize what the spirits desire to accomplish, you will be fortunate, as he, by his sympathy and advice, will be able to guide you and facilitate the work. Cultivate and give expression to an aspirational frame of mind. If you realty want anything you generally ask for it and try to get it. Why not pray, then ? Or, in other words, petition your spirit friends to help you? Why not send out longing desires to the Source of all Power, so that you may relate yourself harmoniously to the great stream of psychic potency which flows all around and through you, and, by becoming attuned, realize its existence and strength ? CAUTION AND RESTRAINT NEEDED. On some occasions you will probably 'feel stimulated and so ‘stirred up’ that you will be inclined to continue the sitting beyond the limits which are healthful and wise. After a time, in a prolonged seance, most mediums ex¬ perience a perceptible change, and weakening, in the tone or q uality of the conditions, frequently accompanied by a feeling of c hilliness and weariness. If such sensations af¬ fect” you, regard them as a warning' that the seance lias lasted as long as is good for you, and close it as soon as you are able. The spirits are generally good-natured and willing to do all they can, and unless you protect your¬ self they may unduly prolong the sitting without realizing 1 he injury they are inflicting upon you. Experi e nc ed spirits protect their mediums by taking control of this mat- Fer and ordering a cessation when they consider it wise and n eces sary, but until you have friends who will guard you in this way you must protect yourself. ABUSE, NOT USE, DANGEROUS. Never forget that your nervo -vital energy is used and expended in 1 lie exercise of your mediumship, and that the supply is limited, hence the necessity for care and modera¬ tion. Too frequent, prolonged, or discordant seances: in¬ harmonious conditions and sittings, when you are already jaded and exhausted, are therefore to be avoided. If you 144 A Guide to Modiumship make excessive demands upon your energies, nervous pros¬ tration and derangements are an almost inevitable con¬ sequence. It is not the use of mediumship but its abuse that is dangerous—perversion and excess are as injurious in this direction as they are in others, whereas temperate and healthful exercises are strengthening and exhilarating. If you feel ‘run down,’ decline to sit. If you feel that the circle is inharmonious, or that the sitters are depleted and exacting, refuse to sit. If you find that you are tired, and feel weary and de¬ bilitated on the day following your seances, you may be sure that you are sitting too long or that you require the help of a larger circle of congenial friends to supply the requisite psychic force for your further development, j ‘Mediumship,’ says Mr. J. J. Morse in his ‘Practical Oc¬ cultism,’ ‘occasionally acts in such a manner that it be¬ comes a stimulant to every organ and function of the system, and the individual becomes excited, nervous, and irritable; hence, the greater the acceleration of physiolo¬ gical functions as the result of psychical influences upon the human body, the more need of caution and restraint in every department of physiological life.’ Be very chary about allowing anyone to “magnetize” you ‘to aid your development,’ or ‘to give you strength,’ as they sometimes put it. Because you are a medium you are naturally susceptible and negative, especially so while you are in the circle, and you absorb a great deal of what is thrown upon you. If you permit people of whom you know little or nothing to exert their influence over you, it is possible that very painful results will ensue. You may become involved in all sorts of mental and passional spheres, and be liable to the intrusion of spirits who will produce discord and perhaps cause you a great deal of trouble. If you desire the best results you must institute | the highest and most harmonious conditions. Let your I seances be held in the light, in well-ventilated rooms. Only tinder the very best and happiest conditions, with personal friends and in private seances, should you be prevailed upon to sit in darkness. There is, however, no need to sit in the full glare of day, or the blaze of strong lights—the A Guide to Mediuhmsliip 145 ‘dim religious light’ (or a red shaded light) will be sufficient, and it is conducive to restfulness and receptivity. AVOID EXTREMES. Do not get excited or carried away by enthusiasm. Do not 7 give yourself away,’ but maintain rational self-con¬ trol. Remember that manhood and character are of greater value than mediumship. Do n'5t entertain the idea that you are so extremely sensitive that you are justified in being brusque, peculiar, odd, or rude. There is not the slightest reason why you should be angular, inconsiderate for others, or easily offended; neither should you cultivate singularity in your personal appearance or render your¬ self conspicuous in your dress or adornments. Do not urge that you ‘take on the conditions of people,’ and there¬ fore cannot shake hands with them, or that some people ‘ rob you of your psychic force like vampires, and irritate ami weaken you.’ The cultivation of your psychical na¬ ture should include the knowledge of how to resist all such influences and how to throw off the conditions that you absorb from your sitters. It is not necessary that you should be spasmodic, effeminate or incoherent; all such affectations are unworthy and bring mediumship into con¬ tempt. It may be, and doubtless is true, that to a certain extent mediums do reflect their surroundings and are liable to be dominated by people both in and out of the body; but that fact should be a warning to you to be on your guard and to protect- yourself, when not actually sitting in the seance, from becoming an echo of others, or a mere weather-vane to show which way the psychic winds are blowing. If you are not robust enough, if you have not sufficient knowledge and self-mastery to use your will and maintain control over your psychic self; if you are unable to guard against the adverse emanations or the ‘drawing’ powers of others, you had better take lessons in coneen- 1 ration and pyschic self-protection; and until you under¬ stand the art of self-possession, refrain from attempting to cultivate your sensitiveness. Tt will never do for you to be ‘too sensitive,’ be natural, sensible, and strong. 146 A Guide lo Mediumship FITNESS THE TRUE TEST. It is a mistake for a young medium to wish to be some¬ thing of everything and become envious because others succeed in obtaining manifestations that will not occur in his presence or through his instrumentality. We advise you, therefore, to be ambitious in a rightful way, and strive to give the conditions necessary to get the best and the highest results within the scope of your powers; but_you will dissipate your forces and weaken your influence for good if you are discontented, jealous of others, and try to outdo them, or to obtain phenomena in phases of medium- ship which are not natural to you. There are certain phases of mediumship which interblend and can be com¬ bined with good results, but we wish you to gua rd against the disposition to be something of everything—and end by being nothing in particular. Find out what your natural capabilities are, and seek to unfold them—other powers may afterwards develop as the result of the sensitiveness that has been thus evolved. SPIRITS NOT INFALLIBLE. The instructions that your spirit friends will give you, when they get you well in hand, as a general rule may safely be followed, but at first y ou will probably find it difficult to get clear guidance from them. You must there¬ fore keep a level head and go along very cautiously. _Never let any spirit, in or out of the body, us urp your right of pr ivate judgment or exercise undue authority over you. Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty: you must use your own discretion and try the spirits before you trust to them. The prevailing idea that a spiri t will kn ow ev erything and be able to work miracles, merely because he is a spirit, lias been a fruitful cause of mistakes, and has frequently Ted to much trouble. You should always bear in mind that a spirit is a human being; not of necessity better nor worse than yourself. When you remember that all sorts and conditions of people pass into spirit life, wh o are not transformed by J A Guide to Mediumship 147 death but continue, for a time at least, to be much the same sort of people that they were here, you will realize the unwisdom of Indiscriminate self-surrender and the danger of implicit reliance upon, and unquestioning obedience to, the spirits who may seek to use you as their agent. It is advisable to talk to and reason with the spirits as you would with people here. In a ‘developing circle’ many things can be tolerated, because both sides are experimenting and ‘feeling their way towards each other,’ and it is difficult at first to know just what is necessary or possible. But it is a safe rule to follow to refuse to be dictated to by the spirits and decline to go on blindly. THINGS YOU SHOULD NOT DO. Further, do not be always ready to be controlled, or to ‘drop into aT:ranee 7 just because you ‘feel the influence,’ and ‘ a spirit wants to say something,’ or to oblige injudi¬ cious friends who ‘wish you would let him come.’ Many people are very inconsiderate, and although they do not say so, they think (and the sensitive feels their thought) ‘I do wish he would go under control and tell me something.’ You should decline to be controlled except at the times when you voluntarily and with set purpose Jay yourself open to the influence of the spirits, in a properly con¬ stituted circle, or when you are prepared for it. If the spirits cause you to do foolish or ridiculous things, gently but firmly refuse to again submit. Do not be induced to yield by promise of future greatness and success" Not a few people have had their vanity tickled and their ambi¬ tions aroused by the flattery of crafty and domineering spirits, and in consequence they have been misled into do¬ ing and saying very absurd and foolish things. Your relations with the spirits should be upon the commonsense basis of fraternal co-operation; of mutual re¬ spect and confidence; of unity of spirit and harmony of purpose. If you respect yourself and respect the office rvF mediumship, you will almost certainly attract spirits who will respect you and co-operate with you in a wise fashion. 148 A Guide to MediumsMp PROBABLE EXPERIENCES. When sensitive people sit in the ‘circle’ the first evi¬ dence of spirit influence which they generally receive, and which you will be likely to experience, is a sense of heavi¬ ness in the hands, as though they were glued to the table; pricking sensations, as of ‘needles and pins’^or as of a mild electric current in the hands and along the arms, may fol¬ low, accompanied by a feeling as of a cold breeze blowing over the backs, of the hands; numbness and loss of sensa¬ tion, or sudden jerks or vibratory shakings of the bands and arms may ensue. These involuntary and spasmodic actions may become more continuous, until your hands re¬ volve rapidly and commence to make ‘passes’ over your own head and face, as if you were mesmerising yourself. You should not be afraid, nor should the sitters become alarmed. Harmonious singing by the rest of the members of the circle will prove helpful, and you will probably find that, as the movements become more definite, motions will be made as if you were writing. In that case, paper and pencil being provided, the conductor of the circle should request that an attempt to write may be made. Very prob¬ ably strokes, circles, or other illegible marks will ensue. At first the operators do not know how to direct the force in just the right way for successful results, and they have to learn by experience. Perhaps table movements or raps may occur, and com¬ munication be established by those methods. Remarkable results are sometimes secured at the initial seance, but at subsequent meetings, failures, confusion, unreliable mes¬ sages, and unsatisfactory phenomena may alone transpire. Do not jump to the conclusion that you are dealing with evIF spirits—be cool and hopeful. Remember you are merely ’experimenting, and that the spirit people are also, perhaps for the first time, trying to penetrate the veil and utilize powers and agencies of which, in all proba¬ bility, they know as little as you. So many possible dis¬ turbing factors exist— weat her, varying psychical condi¬ tions of the sifters, agit ated mental states, too great ex¬ pectancy, or anxiety for successful demonstrations—that A Guide to Mediumship 149 the true disposition to be maintained by the inquirer is that of the scientific student, who carefully watches what transpires and endeavors to discover the causes of failure as well as the conditions which favor success. By conforming to the advice which we have already given your innate powers will in all probability soon be revealed, but the spirit operators may have to experiment with you in different ways in order to ascertain what they can do best under the conditions that are afforded to them. When they have succeeded in establishing communication with you and your friends, you should request them to ex¬ ercise their power in the production of phenomena which will demonstrate the presence and operation of excarnate Intelligences. WHAT KIND OF MEDIUM SHALL I BE ? As a general principle the best results are secured by special development along the line of natural aptitude. A ‘Jack of all phases and master of none’ is a failure in mediumship as well as elsewhere. You may find it helpful to visit a public medium who is already developed and can examine you and give you an insight into your natural psychic powers, and counsel you regarding your qualifica¬ tions and aptitudes, and tell you what to do; but do not attach too much importance to directions received in that way, because so much depends on the knowledge and power of the operator. One spirit might use you with success in one direction and another in some other phase; just as one mesmerist may make a subject clairvoyant when another has previously attempted to do so and failed. Nothing but actual experience will settle the point. If, however, after a reasonable amount of patient devotion to the experiment you do not succeed, or are disappointed with what has been done, it will be advisable to effect a change in the conditions. A dissatisfied state of mind is a dangerous one. You may, if you choose, sit by yourself, and try to ob¬ tain table move ments, or to get ‘automatic’ or passive writ¬ ing. You can make experiments in psychometry or try crystal gazing, or endeavor to ‘visualize’ and to become elairaudient, but we~should not advise you to sit alone and 150 A Guide to Mediumship invite spirits to put you into the trance, as it would be awkward if some boisterous or foreign spirit were to take control of you and decline to withdraw his influence, or did not know how to release you and restore you to your nor¬ mal state; it might prove injurious to yourself, and your friends would be frightened and not know what to do un¬ less they were experienced Spiritualists. It is better to join a good private circle. WHY SOME PEOPLE DO NOT DEVELOP. You may have been informed already that you are a medium, and that if you sit you will develop certain gifts; but you may say: ‘I have sat and have not developed as I was assured I should! ’ That is quite probable. The me¬ dium whom you consulted may have misjudged your capa¬ bilities; the spirit may have estimated what he could have done with or through you, and, from his point of view, may have been perfectly accurate; but possibly the spirits who have endeavored to develop you were unable to succeed. People often say: ‘I have been told many times that I should make a good medium, but I have not yet had satis¬ factory results . 5 When we hear such statements we are jmompted to ask: ‘Have you sat for development for any length of time in a harmonious and congenial circle?’ You cannot expect growth unless you give the requisite con¬ ditions. You might as well anticipate a harvest without sowing the seed—just because you bought a sack of wheat! The marvellous results achieved by expert acrobats and athletes are due to their indomitable determination to suc¬ ceed, and their steady and continuous training of eye, and muscle, and nerve. They concentrate their attention and focus all their powers, and are at once temperate, patient, and persevering in their experiments. The same spirit of devotion; the same firm attitude and watchful attention to all the details; and the same observance of the conditions, physical, mental, moral, and spiritual, are needed if you would educate yourself and become a fit and serviceable instrument for exalted spirit intelligences to afford hu¬ manity the benefit of their experiences ‘over there . 7 A Guide to Mediumship 151 REGARDING MESMERIC ‘ DEVELOPERS. ’ Mesmeric influence from an experienced operator, for the purpose of inducing susceptibility, is sometimes helpful to a sensitive. If the mesmerist can put you into the trance condition and then hand you over to trustworthy spirits to control yo u, well and good. In the same way, mesmeric ‘passes’ may be helpful in the liberation of your clair¬ voyant powers. The operator may succeed in throwing you into the deep trance state, in which you may travel or become clairvoyant, but we should not recommen d you to submit to mesmeric influence or hypnotic suggestions from anyone, unless you know that he is an experienced and a thoroughly honorable and trustworthy individual. In circles for development one member is frequently impressed, or controlled, to make magnetic passes over an¬ other to aid in his unfoldment; and if such a thing should happen to you, and the influence is congenial, there need be no objection raised by you; but beware of those people who claim to be able, by mesmerism, to develop you into a medium in a given period of time. Professor Loveland says: ‘The conscious self must first consent before any con¬ trol can be acquired over the sub-conscious or automatic self-hood. . . In too many eases, only the power of auto-hypnotism is manifested, and we have obsession, fraud and folly as the result. There is one sure method of detect¬ ing the a uto-h ypnotic tra nce, and showing the difference between that and the genuine spirit trance. ^Any com¬ petent magnetist or liypno tise r can throw off the spell in all cases of self-induced trance, unless it has reached the condition of complete catalepsy. But, if a spirit has in¬ duced the trance and controls the medium, it will laugh at your efforts to restore him to the ordinary condition. The most unfortunate feature of this sorry business is that the poor subject is self-deceived and imagines that he or she is a full-fledged medium; and when he has made some terrible break on the platform or elsewhere he shields him¬ self by laying all the responsibility upon some supposed spirit guide.’ No sensible person would surrender himself to the magnetic influence of a human being of whom he knew 152 A Guide to Mediumship nothing; he would need to know and have confidence in him before doing so; yet we find many who, impelled by a desire to be a medium, without understanding how much the word implies, sit down and invite any spirit that comes along to experiment upon them! Under such circum¬ stances nothing but a high motive and a pure purpose will protect them from the operations of unwise or mischievous intelligences. As well might they go and sit in a public place with their eyes blindfolded and with an inscription on their breasts, ‘Who will come and magnetize me?’ It has been frequently asserted, and we believe with truth, that no one who is averse to it can be hypnotised unless he yields to persuasion without realizing the need for resistance! No one'who is watchful over himself can be drawn away to paths of vice or crime who has not the inclination in that direction, unless he is ignorant and too confiding. The man who has gained control over his de¬ sires and is "morally self-centered cannot be hypnotised or suggestibnised into wrong-doing, because the very sugges¬ tion is repugnant to him, and therefore there is little or no danger so long as the sensitive is alive to the need (which always exists for everyone) to maintain a level head and a pure purpose; a strong ‘will’ to do the right and a strong ‘won’t towards the wrong. PSYCHIC SPONGES. There are some people who, when they sit in a. circle, are extremely helpful, and give off the right kind of force that readily blends with that of the sensitive; but there are others who draw upon and appropriate the psychic forces which are needed by the medium, or by the spirits through the medium. While they mean well, enjoy the seances, and feel ‘so much better’ after them, the success of the circle is endangered so far as the object for which it was formed is concerned. Such persons should be re¬ quested to sit outside the circle or be asked kindly to re¬ frain from attending. FALLING ASLEEP. If you should fall into a quiescent state resembling sleep when in the circle, and neither feel inclination nor A Guide to Mediumsliip .153 ability to move or speak, do not be alarmed, but if you are sufficiently conscious, request that a good spirit friend will come and use you. IF, however, you are mentally in¬ active as well as physically quiescent, your friends must in¬ tervene after a time and audibly solicit spirit aid. If you get no further, and at subsequent sittings continue to fall into this inert and unsatisfactory comatose condition, ^you must make up yo u mind before you sit that you will awake out of the lethargy after about ten minutes unless some j spirit influences you in some way. You must give yourself/ the^suggestion ’ to awake, and after that you may try what you can do in the way of psyeliometry or conscious auto¬ matic writing. * TRANCE AND INSPIRATIONAL SPEAKING. Fhe mental phases of mediumsliip involve the develop¬ ment of a degree of impressibility which may range from the conscious reception of suggestion, or impulses, or thoughts from other intelligences to the lucidity on the spiritual plane which is displayed by conscious clear- seeing. or spirit-sight. The phenomena of super-sensuous reception due to spirit influence are elicited in much the same way as the mesmerist aropses the clairvoyant powers of his subject. The somnambulic sleep, or trance, is in-1 duced in the subject whose voluntary powers are no longer under his control, and the involuntary processes are well- nigli susp e nde d. In this state his spirit sometimes gains a large degree of freedom, and is able to perceive on the inner or spiritual plane. If you are likely to become a trance-speaking medium you will prob a bly experience a sensation as a falling or clizziness, as i f you are going to faint; this may continue until you become entirely unconscious on the external plane, and you will know no more until you regain your normal” condition, although, while under the influence of the operator, you may have been speaking more or less coherently. He may not, at first, be able to convey the * See Part III. of this ‘Guide’ for instructions regarding psy¬ chical self-culture. 154 A Guide io Mediumship exact impression he wishes to produce. Ilis ‘suggestion' is not strong enough to set your involuntary nerves vibrat¬ ing in just the way he desires ; consequently his thought is not tran sferred to you in a manner which ensures faithful reproduction, and you should not be disappointed because of such imperfect results at the outset. If your mind is tilled with the desire to succeed you will become too self- conscious, and thus destroy the very conditions upon which success depends. You need to lose sight of yourself and be¬ come calm and receptive, so that the message may be trans¬ mitted without hindrance. It is very probable that you will be semi-conscious. The influence will stimulate your breathing, which will become .rapi d and irregular; your eyes will close and you will be unable to open them, and you r hands and body may twitch mid jerk as if you were being subjected to a series of gal¬ vanic shocks. The sitters should keep calm and sympa¬ thetic, but they should check any tendency on your part to undue noise, or violence, or absurdity. You will be aware of what you are doing, but unable to exercise the will to interfere or try to stop. You will most likely be¬ come conscious of an impulse to do something, or to ‘blurt out’ certain words. If you resist you will only make the task more difficult and hinder the attainment of the end you have in view. Your best course is to hold your judgment in suspense; do not be hostile or critical, but act out your impressions. Let the influence have its course—say what you feel you must say, and nev er mind about your own state of consciousness, You will be much more likely to pass into the unconsciousness trance (if you desire to do so) if you can say : ‘Now, spirit friend, I trust myself to you and will yield my body and brain to your control, for you to do the best you can with and through me. I am willing To co-operate with you for the time being, and trust you to do your utmost for the good of others.’ It is not nec essar y that you should be entirely unconscious, although you may think it is, to prove that another Intel¬ ligence is operating upon and through you. The evidence of that fact will be displayed in the nature of the message A Guide to Mediumship 155 and the unusual ability exhibited by you when under the stimulating influence of the operator. There is only one way to develop as an inspirational speaker, and that is to try. Take every opportunity to express the thoughts that come to you. Speak, and fear not. Facility of expression will come. You cannot ex¬ pect that ideas will be poured through you unless you let them flow. Study elocution, if you like; the way in which things are said is very important, seeing that it has great influence upon the hearers. Do not be troubled about icho the inspirers are if you receive and express bright, true, rational, and helpful thoughts. If you utter the thoughts that come to you others will follow, but if you do not speak out your first thoughts you cannot expect that others will be given. Y r ou may know before you speak what is going to be said—even so, out with it, and let the sitters judge as to its value. Most mediums find that their powers vary. Sometimes there seems to be a high degree of lucidity. The impres¬ sions which they receive are clear and strong; the ideas seem to flow through them freely, and the quality of the inspirations is exhilarating, and they feel strengthened and uplifted. But there are other days when they feel very much alone. The influence that effects them is weak; they get only hazy impressions, and there is a woeful lack of ideas. It seems as though the heavens were brass, or they themselves were unresponsive. They know not why, but whatever they can ‘lay hold of,’ so to speak, or whatever the spirit people can project into their sphere seems forced and incomplete. If you should have these e xperien ces, turn your attention to something else. Do not ‘harp on one siring’ too much. Physical exercise, change of scene, social company, and rest will soon restore your tone and renew your powers. Should you be controlled to give public ‘addresses’ it will be best to withhold the name of the spirit who prompts or compels your utterances. Most intelligent spirits pre¬ fer to be known by their teachings rather than by the names they bore when on earth. If the addresses are elo¬ quent and beautiful and the thoughts presented are good 156 A Guide to Mediumship and true, they will be acceptable on their own merits, and would not be one bit more valuable because they were inspired by some well-known historical person. Whereas, if you announce the name of the spirit, your hearers may con¬ sider that the address does not come up to the standard of the ability displayed by that individual before he died, and may discredit and discard the good that they might other¬ wise have found in your utterances. If spirits voluntarily tender you their advice upon busi¬ ness matters, especially if they are friends or relatives whom you know and trust, and who, when here, were capable and experienced business people, you may well give heed to their counsel, even though you may not feel it wise to follow it; but do not make a practice of going to the spirits £or information regarding matters of trade or finance. Why should you expect that wise and enlightened spirits should concern themselves about stocks and shares, commerce, or manufacturing? Probably they knew but little about those things when they were here, and have no need for such knowledge over there ; and it will be well for you to learn to live your own life, do your own business, and accept the ordinary duties and responsibilities which naturally devolve upon you. Let mediumship be a part of your education and development, not the whole. A FEW WORDS OF WARNING. Do not go into public promiscuous/developing circles.’ There is always a danger of ‘cross magnetism’ and dis¬ orderly manifestations in such gatherings. Owing to the mixed and inharmonious mental, moral, and psychical con¬ ditions which necessarily exist where a number of strangers and curiosity-seekers are attracted, you run the risk of be¬ ing affected by undeveloped, unprincipled, frivolous, mer¬ cenary, self-assertive, or even immoral spirits, who being attracted to such assemblies seek to influence incautious and susceptible people who ignorantly render themselves liable to their control. The people ‘on the other side’ are human beings of all grades; they are not morally puri¬ fied by passing through the death-change; and as we .4 Guide to Mediumship 157 are constantly sending into the other state ‘all sort and con¬ ditions of people,’ you need not be at all surprised if you get into intercourse with the vain and foolish, the unreliable and pretentious, or the selfish and sinful, if you indiscrimi¬ nately open the doors of your psychic self and give a free in¬ vitation to any spirit ‘passer b}\’ ‘You can waste your time, you can sit in circles, absorb all kinds of psychological influences, exhaust your own, and in many cases become so filled up with contending influences that you are in a state of psychological fever all the time, or so exhaust yourself that you will become as limp and useless as a rag. This is not the way to use the oppor¬ tunities you have; and you should avoid the injudicious, promiscuous, and insane methods of development of many who are extremely anxious to develop you as medium, and who often bring discredit upon the subject of mediumship, and do no one the slightest practical good—not even them¬ selves.* We admit that the motives of those who conduct public promiscuous developing circles are good in most cases, but their methods are frequently ‘injudicious’—to put it mildly. Under ordinary circumstances, your own pure purpose and the spirits who are in sympathy with your exalted de¬ sires and intentions, are sufficient safeguards against the intrusion of low, mischievous or malicious spirits, but you should not venture into conditions which require the trained and disciplined will, and the influence of wise and power¬ ful spirits to protect you against danger, until you have acquired the ability to render yourself positive to the psychic spheres, of undesirable people, both in and out of the form, and can voluntarily become negative and responsive to the true and trustworthy friends whom you know and love. *‘Practical Occultism,’ by J. J. Morse. A Guide to Mediumship a.o8 CHAPTER V. PRACTICAL ADVICE TO SENSITIVES.—CONTINUED. The importance of mediumship can hardly be exagger¬ ated, for, without it, there could be no evidence of the sur¬ vival, identiy, and progressive evolution of those who have shuffled off the ‘muddy vesture of decay,’ their physical bodies.—B. G. E. The action of the controlling spirit is exactly analogous to what is known among you as mesmeric control. The spirit, whether in or out of the body, operates on another spirit in the same way. The controlling spirit affects the controlled by mesmeric power, and the shiverfngs are caused by the passage of the influence from the controlling fo the controlled. When you know more of the action of all the forces which are operating round and in you, you will see that they are far simpler than you fancy; and that what we describe as will power is at the root of every¬ thing.—‘Imperator,’ through ‘M. A. (Oxon.).’ THE WHEREABOUTS OP THE CONTROL. It is not necessary that the spirit operator, geographi¬ cally speaking, should be near you when you experience his power, although clairvoyants frequently see the spirits at work upon their subjects, making ‘passes’ over, and pouring out their influence upon them. This force, or ‘aura,’ is luminous; if varies in density and color accord¬ ing to the conditions, and is often thrown upon the sensi¬ tive from behind, the spirit mesmerist standing a few feet from, and a little above, the medium. The operators who do this preliminary work of entrancement and training are almost invariably those who are not very far removed A Guide to Mediumship 159 from the earth grade of psychical environment—spirits whose aura is both physical and psychical, and who are therefore able to relate themselves readily to, and affect, the psychic sphere of the neophyte, whose conditions are not responsive to the higher and more subtle vibrations of exalted spirits, and therefore cannot yet he influenced by their advanced thoughts. As the work of unfoldment proceeds and your psychic nature is tuned to a higher key, the spirits who have been engaged in the preparatory work are able, after they have entranced you, to stand aside and hand you over to tire more advanced and powerful controls, who ensphere your brain and act upon it. These enlightened ‘teaching spir¬ its’ are seldom able to draw near to the earth; distance is no barr ier to them, save only the distance of grade and qualify and thought and spirit, or the difference of plane, hr spiritual state. Il follows from what we have said that you can contribute largely to the development of your own powers by the cultivation of harmony; by sincerity of pur¬ pose and purity of motive as well as by spiritual concen¬ tration and aspiration. In the developing circle and upon the public platform, should you undertake public work, it will be of great serv¬ ice to you to have kindly and sympathetic sitters by your side. A cold, self-contained, absorbing, critical, or hostile sitter, or chairman, will frequently, although unintention¬ ally, derange the conditions or prevent success by his un¬ congenial sphere and hard mental attitude, which inevit¬ ably affects his psychic emanations, and in turn detri¬ mentally operates upon your psychic sphere and sensitive mind. SOME NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS. Pr eca utions should he taken on all occasions against sudden movements on the par t of the sitters. In those seances where physical phenomena occur it has frequently been noticed that the breaking of the circle has led to the cessation of the manifestations, and similar results ensue in seances where mental mediumship is being evolved. Abrupt and unexpected movements disturb the conditions, 160 A Guide to Mediumship and as these are centred in the medium all such disturb¬ ances react upon him. On the public platform, if you would have the best results, you should, if possible, be ac¬ companied by a kindly and appreciative chairman, who should on no account allow other persons to move about near to or pass behind you. Spiritualists talk freely to inquirers about the necessity for observing conditions, but frequently fail to regard them themselves. We have known trance speakers experience considerable pains as the result of the thoughtlessness of individuals who have passed close behind them just as the address was about to commence or during its delivery. As an illustration of the effect upon sensitives of un¬ expected disturbances, we may mention a recent experi¬ ence at the usual weekly seance of a medium who is under development. While she was being controlled the fire had burnt hollow, and the coals fell together, causing a sudden illumination. The medium was very much affected, but with an effort the spirit was able to maintain its hold upon her. The husband of the medium placed a newspaper in front of the fire to shut off the light, but put it a little too near, so that in a few minutes the paper caught fire and burst into a big blaze. This second disturbance so affected the medium that the control was broken; she sank back in her chair in a fainting condition, and it was some time before her consciousness was restored. The medium was laid upon a sofa and restoratives were applied. After some four or five minutes the spirit spoke through her a few words to the effect that the medium would recover soon, and that the spirit people were assisting to restore her. In about another five minutes the medium recovered consciousness, and felt little the worse except for some headache. ‘calling up’ the spirits. ‘I can call spirits from the vasty deep, but will they come?—aye, there’s the rub.’ Some very curious notions have got abroad in regard to spirits which it is necessary we should consider lest you should have adopted them, and the difficulty of your investigation and development be A Guide to Mediumship 161 increased in consequence. One of the principal and most curious of these misconceptions is the prevailing idea that mediums ‘call up’ or ’bring’ the spirits—as though the peo^eWiTMTTe - other world were at their ‘beck and call,’ and were compelled to do their best. This is not only an absurd but a dangerous idea, as it may lead to a variety of unpleasant experiences. Occult¬ ists sometimes assure us that the ‘adept’ occupies a super¬ ior position to that of the medium, for, they affirm, he can control the spirits; he can ‘summon’ them and compel them to do his bidding instead of being controlled by them. Let us suppose that this claim is not a mere empty asser¬ tion, but is based upon knowledge, wha t kind of spirits will serve, and consent to be enslaved by, the man thus despotically imposes his will upon them? We have been assured by one who claimed to know from personal experi¬ ence, that only very undeveloped beings can be reached and employed by the occultist, and he is even then in con¬ stant danger, for, should he lose his power to subjugate them, they will inevitably turn upon him and exact a ter¬ rible retribution. Their influence, even when he is success¬ ful, is likely to be demoralizing in its effect upon him, said our informant, and it is far better, therefore, to follow a healthy, rational, and spirtual course. You will be spared many trials and avoid many pitfalls if you recognize the humanity of the people of the other life. This implies that they have wills and ways of their own; that they can think, and plan, and perform along independent and orig¬ inal lines; and that no self -respec ting spirit will consent to be a tool of, or an appendage to, a medium any more than the latter should submit to dictation from, or coercion by, the spirit who uses him. When mediums talk about ‘my spirits.’ or ‘my guides,’ with an air of proprietorship, one is inclined to ask what manner of people their ‘guides’ are; just as the statement, ‘My guides won't let me do so-and-so,’ awakens one’s scepticism or pity, or the fear that the sensitive, by over¬ much confidence and credulity, has fallen into the hands of unscrupulous pretenders on the other side, or is self- 362 A Guide to Mediumship deluded by his own egotistic desires for communion with some exalted ‘authority.’ The spirit people act of their own volition. They are pr omp ted b y sim ilar motives to those which actuated them while they were here. They cannot be ‘commandered’ and ‘brought’ by you, or by those who sit with you. They will visit you if they love you, or if they can help you; but do not try to compel them. You may send out your thoughts and offer a kindly invitation, but if the spirits are otherwise engaged, if they have no desire to return, if they do not believe it possible, or lawful, or desirable to re-visit these ‘glimpses of the moon,’ they will not come. You may ‘call spirits’ from ‘vasty deeps’ or heavenly plains, but depend upon it they will exercise their own judgment whether they will re¬ spond; and you will need to be on your guard, doubly on your guard, if you indiscriminately open your psychic nature to visitants from the other side in promiscuous con¬ ditions, lest "some‘impersonating practical joker, or even worse, should seize the opportunity to amuse himself and strut in borrowed plumes at your expense. ‘ GUIDES. ’ Another erroneous idea needs to be considered. Some¬ how, we cannot quite discover when or how it originated, a notion who have been ‘appointed’ to act as his ‘guides,’ and that these spirits are in constant attendance, keeping watch and ward over him. Another version of this idea is presented by those who claim that we are each one at¬ tended by good and evil spirits who continually contend for mastery, and make us the battle-ground of their con¬ flict, tempting us with every art and wile of evil, and allur¬ ing us with every power and stimulus of love to our injury or our liapiness, and that, therefore, as we by our actions or desires give countenance or favor, leaning this way or that, one or the other triumphs in this conflict. Regarded as a poetic impersonation of the internal struggle which transpires in our consciousness, there is something sug¬ gestive in this pretty way of representing the fact that we A Guide to Mediumship 163 are not left entirely unaided to fight the battle of the spirit, and that in our hour of need, when we truly desire them, there ax-e loving hearts and willing helpers on the other side who will respond to the soul’s cry for help. But when it is iiteralized and localized, and the figure of speech is mistaken for fact; when certain spirits are supposed to he appointed to the life-long task of being our second selves on the spirtiual plane and following us like spiritual Paul Pry’s, then the poetry loses its prettiness, and the miscon¬ strued ‘figure’ becomes a falsehood. Because in specific eases and for a special work certain spir its may have co-operated, and selected a sensitive through whose agency they have endeavored to carry out their plans, and teach definite truths, or produce striking phenomena, that fact does not justify the supposition that every perso n who is mediumistic is chosen by a ‘band of guides 7 who have no other occupation in life but to be in constant attendance upon him, as some people imagine; and not imtil you have received clear demonstrations of the fact should you admit, even to yourself, that you have ‘guides’ who desirable to use you for a particular end. So many people with a ‘mission/ so many modern ‘Messiahs’ have sprung up, that you should be chary of giving credence to statements that you are to become a ‘great medium,’ that you will have a ‘remarkable career,’ that through you a ‘new reformation’ will be effected, etc., and so forth. Be content to take shoi’t views and keep a level head. Hold your judgment in suspense if necessary; modestly go your way and do the work of the hour, for, as the old adage has it, ‘the proof of the pudding is in the eating,’ and the proof of the accuracy of these and similar assertions will be (can only be) ascertained by the course of events; and it behooves you to walk circumspectly and maintain a rational attitude, remembering that ‘Rome was not built in a day.’ ‘Heaven is not reached at a single bound; But we build the ladder by which we rise From the lowly earth to the vaulted skies, And we moixnt to its summit round by round.’ 164 A Guide to Medium skip IMPERSONATING MEDIUMS1IIP It is, however, very probable that some spirit will con¬ trol you who wishes to communicate with a friend, and for that purpose he may find it necessary to cause you to im¬ personate himself. It seems to be a general law governing these manifestations, that when a spirit relates himself to the psychic conditions of the earth and takes control of a sensitive for the first time, he is compelled to re-enact his dying experiences, and mediums, present a pantomimic re¬ production of the causes of death and the accompanying symptoms which vividly recall to the observers the last sad and solemn incidents connected with the ‘passing’ of their dear ones. Not infrequently the medium reproduces in a most characteristic way, movements, modes of breathing or coughing, gestures, ejaculations, and even utters the few ‘last words’ that were breathed by the dying one. You may (and most probably will) be compelled to do this sort of thing. You may be partially, or even acutely, con¬ scious of what you are doing or saying, and may feel afraid to yield to the impulse, or shrink from conforming to the desire that urges you on to speak—perhaps to cry, to pour out endearing words, to say or do things the significance of which you do not comprehend. Our advice under such circumstances can only be this: Keep as calm and as collected as you can; txmst to the sincerity of the spirit and the good sense of the sitters, and throw off your fear; yield obedience to the control; neither help nor hin¬ der; just do and say what you feel you have to do or say, and leave the results. You cannot, or should not, be held responsible for failure by the sitters, if there is no recogni¬ tion ; and by responding and giving free course to the ‘sug¬ gestion,’ which reaches you as an impulse or mental im¬ pression, greater success will follow, and the development you seek will be promoted. If, however, you find that the impersonations are untrue, and the sitters are unable to interpret or recognize what you do or say after you have followed out your impressions a number of times, then resist them with all your strength of will and require from the spirit the proof of his identity in some other way. A Guide to Mediumship 165 Spirits often desire to communicate some special in¬ formation or confess some wrong, and are relieved by suc¬ cessfully performing the task. In such cases, says Hudson Tuttle, they take on the conditions of the medium, and by the association, the last experiences of their earth life. ‘It is difficult, perhaps impossible, for a spirit passing from earth life by a violent and painful death not to have the sensations of its last earthly experience revived in itself and reflected upon the medium when it thus comes in direct relation with the earth sphere. This is, however, quite distinct from that form of impersonation in which the me¬ dium is caused to imitate the death scene as a test of identity. One is under the direct control of the spirit, and in the other case the spirit is controlled by the preceding conditions.’ Addressing a class of students in San Fran¬ cisco, Mr. J. J. Morse, in the trance condition, said: ‘This form of mediumship (impersonation) is the most valuable that the world can possibly have today.’ . . ‘When by the aid of the impersonating medium (the inquirer) is enabled to see his beloved friends, and they make them¬ selves actual and visible in the personality of the medium, plain to consciousness and understanding, and tell him spe¬ cifically points and facts of identity and experience that were utterly beyond the power of any other intelligence to tell, then he has something borne in upon him through the senses of sight, of hearing and understanding that appeals to him, . . therefore the personating medium is the most valuable medium you can present to inquirers.’* In illustration of the naturalness and convincing char¬ acter of this phase of mediumship, we quote some of the experiences narrated by Mr. A. Smedley, in his ‘Reminis¬ cences.’ The medium, Mrs. Hitchcock, was a friend of ours, a thoroughly sincere and trustworthy, high-principled woman. Mr. Smedley attended one of her seances, and was very much surprised at -what took place. On inform¬ ing his wife of what had occurred, she expressed a desire to invite Mrs. Hitchcock to hold a seance in their own home. The invitation was given, and it was accepted by * ‘Practical Occultism.’ 166 A Guide to Mediumship the medium, who was at that time a perfect stranger to both Mr. and Mrs. Smedley, who also invited a number of their friends. The meeting was opened with a hy mn and prayer. After a second hymn had been sung, Mrs. Hitchcock passed under influence, and for a short time seemed dazed and unable to speak. Mr. Smedley says: ‘She then passed under the control of an intelligent being, opened her eyes, and manifested the greatest amazement. ‘After looking round the room very deliberately at various objects, then at one person after another, and fixing her eyes on my wife, she ran across the room, and throwing her arms around her neck, kissed her most affec¬ tionately, addressing her as “My dear sister.” ‘After speaking with her in endearing terms she came across the room to me, and placing her right hand on my shoulder, said: “Well my good brother.” (This was ex¬ actly as a deceased sister of my wife’s had been in the habit of doing.) “How unspeakably glad I am for such a privilege as this! When avc used to sit on the hearth at night, conversing on various topics that used to interest us so much, we little expected we should ever have such a privilege. You know we used to sit up at night discuss¬ ing theological questions till the embers in the grate died out, and sometimes a chiding voice from upstairs called out: ‘Alfred, Alfred, do come to bed. Do you know what time it is? You know Charlotte is not fit to sit up so late.’ ” This was precisely wdiat had taken place, the exact words being used. ‘She referred to a number of incidents known only to her and ourselves. She asked for an album in which she had written the dedication, pointing this out, and also various pieces of poetry she had written in it. ‘She asked for a hymn book and desired us to sing what had been her favorite hymn, which at my request she in¬ stantly found. She next asked for a Bible, and asked me to read her favorite psalm. I requested her to find it, although I knew well which it was. She turned to it in¬ stantly, and I read: “The Lord is my shepherd.” etc. ‘When the psalm was finished, the medium stood trans¬ figured before us; her countenance was radiant, and her A Guide to Mediumship 167 eyes bright, with a heavenly light. Turning to my wife, she said, “Sister dear, by inviting strangers to your house tonight you have entertained angels unawares!” ‘After the meeting the medium remarked: “When un¬ der control I was strongly influenced to look round for a picture, but could not find it. I do not know what it meant, but the control was anxious to find a picture.” ‘My wife replied: “My sister painted a picture of the Savior bearing His cross, many years ago, and it now hangs in our dining-room.” ‘The above incidents, combined with her mannerisms, and bearing in mind that the medium was an entire stranger to us, and uneducated, were sufficient evidence of the presence and influence of her deceased sister to cause my wife to explain, “Of a truth, that was my sister Char¬ lotte.” ’ The foregoing is an interesting glimpse of the kind of mediumship which carries conviction of the ‘real pres¬ ence’ of the so-called dead, and your aim should be to get into communication with the intelligent operator at the other end of the line, and elicit from him evidences of his identity and purpose. Table movements, raps, material¬ izations, writings, messages, or controls, are of compara¬ tively little value unless by their agency you can secure proofs of the personal identity and survival after death of your departed friends, or some indication of a rational purpose on the part of the operator. PSYCHOMETRY AND CLAIRVOYANCE. If you have good vital magnetism and are sufficiently sensitive, spirits may put you into the unconscious—or at least into the semi-conscious—trance state, and cause you to become clairvoyant or psychometrical while under their control. They may, through you, diagnose the diseases of and cause _you to lay hands upon, and heal, the sick. You may assist t hem in their efforts by maintaining your own health and observing the conditions which they recom¬ mend, and which experience shows are conducive to suc¬ cess. While yon co-operate with them thus to secure the 168 A Guide to Mediumship fullest possible unfoldment of your psychic nature, the reactive benefits which'will accrue to yourself as the result of their efforts will be very marked, especially so if you assist them by making experiments for normal self-cultiva¬ tion, in which, you may rest assured, you will not be left unaided, and will begin to find that you can consciously do some of the things which were formerly only possible when you were under control. The spirits will help in your experiments if they are wise, because such self-culture on your part will promote the success of the work. If you take one step on the road they will be able to help you to take the second much more easily than they could maize you take the first if you were indifferent. It is necessary to remember that mental mediumship depends upon the degree of susceptibility and responsive¬ ness, conscious or unconscious, on the part of the medium to the impressions, suggestions, pictures, thoughts, sensa¬ tions, and impulses, which may reach and affect him from various sources—from incarnate or excarnate Intelligences. This fact makes it difficult to classify the experiences of the recipient; and as all psychic sensations seem to be merged in the one grand sense— perception —it is hard to differentiate them and say just what is psychometry, clair¬ voyance, elairaudience, impression, mental picture, thought-transference, intuition, or sympathetic response to the feelings and ideas of others in, or out, of the body. 'But it will be unwise for you to be too analytical, especially in .your initial experiences. The first requisite is to de¬ velop your sensibility to the psychic conditions, auras, ethers, vibrations; classification may be attempted after¬ wards; but if you pause to ana lyze every sensation or im¬ pulse to determine if it is your own or someone else’s, you will not make much progress, Suppose you wish to become a psychometrist and to in¬ terpret the soul-sensations which you experience; you can easily make some interesting experiments if you ask your friends to lend you something belonging to, or a letter written by, a person you do not know. If a number of articles are offered you, do not let them be touched by others, and keep them separate. Take one article at a time A Guide to Mediumship 169 to experiment with: hold it in your hand or press it to your forehead, and try to get some idea of the sort of per¬ son who owns it; describe what you think he is like; ex¬ plain any sensations that come to you which you think may indicate his state of mind, bodily condition, general char¬ acter, spiritual surroundings, past experiences, present situation, feelings, and prospects. You will need to be spontaneous; do not wait to receive a very decided im¬ pression. ‘First thoughts are best,’ as a rule, in experi¬ ments of this nature; therefore speak out at once and de¬ scribe your feelings fearlessly, and run the risk of being mistaken. We are as yet but groping on the borders of the won¬ derful spirit-realm, seeking the clue that will lead us to the true interpretation of the subtile interior cognitions by which sensitives perceive spiritual states and things; hence, if you get a ‘mental picture,’ or seem to see an ap¬ pearance, whether it is subjective or objective—an image, picture, thought-form, or a spirit—whatever it may be, it will help you if you describe what you see, or think you see, as fully and as clearly as possible. But if you are too timid to speak and are afraid to risk a rebuff, neither you nor others will be benefited; remember, ‘Nothing venture, nothing win.’ To assist in focussing your attention and concentrating your psychic power for the cultivation of clairvoyance, you should take a clear glass tumbler, fill it with clean water and place it upon a stand or table over which a plain dark cloth has been spread, in such a position that it will not reflect any of the surrounding objects. It may be advisable to put up a screen (a folding draught-board will answer admirably if draped with black), so as to get the glass in the shadow and protect it from the direct rays of light. Then seat yourself so that you can gaze easily upon the glass or down into the water. Now look steadily at it—not so as to strain your eyes, but with sufficient in¬ tentness to fix your attention, and mentally ask the spirits to show you something or to reveal themselves. About a quarter of an hour will at first be sufficient for this experi¬ ment, and the time may be lengthened as you become ac- 170 A Guide to Mediumship customed to the effects of the effort. If, after a dozen sit¬ tings, you do not perceive figures, symbols, faces, or writ¬ ings apparently in the water, it will be as well to discon¬ tinue'; but if you are rewarded with some degree of suc¬ cess you will no doubt feel inclined to persevere. Some • investigators sit alone in a semi-darkened room, and with closed eyes, mentally desiring that their spirit friends will show themselves. One lady we knew did this, and was in¬ structed to sit with her back to the light, to cover her head with silk, and wait. She was advised to either close her eyes or (if she could not keep her mind passive without feeling inclined to go to sleep) to gaze into a glass of wa¬ ter. She sat for a number of times, and began to despair of success, but finally felt the power of spirit people and became a good ‘ clear-seer. ’ As so much will depend upon your ability to give graphic word-pictures of what you see, that others may recognize the spirits you describe to them, we should ad¬ vise you to train yourself in that direction. When you are traveling, for instance, you should observe closely the ap¬ pearance and personal characteristics of your fellow trav¬ elers, and then think out how you would describe them to others so as to convey mental pictures which would lead to their recognition. Any little peculiarity of appearance, dress, gesture, or speech should be especially noticed. Sim¬ ilar exercises in regard to places would also be serviceable in cultivating the powers of observation and clear descrip¬ tion which are so necessary for success in giving psy¬ chometric and clairvoyant delineations, especially so in public meetings. CLAIRAUDIEN CE. The faculty of clairaudience is frequently developed - with that hT clairvoyance) ~Soine~cIa iraudient persons dis¬ tinctly hear the voices of spirits as though they were ex¬ ternal, while others hear in a more interior fashion, as though the ‘still small voice,’ not of conscience, but of a spirit vis itant, was heard by the mind. Some ‘voices* sound as if they were.muffled,: or as if they came from a long dista nce or through an elong ated tube, In oth er cases A Guide to Mediumship 171 they sound sharp and clear, but the words are spoken sn rap idly that they can hardly be distinguished; or the ut¬ terances may be slow and measured, as though each word had t o be forced out. Andrew Jackson Davis says• ‘When spirits speak to us they address our interior and spiritual sense of hearing, and when we behold spirits we exercise the internal prin- ciple"of perception or seeing. It not infrequently occurs fTTafTah individual thinks his outward senses addressed when, like Saul, he hears a voice pronouncing his name, apparently, from the depths of the air: and when spirits have been seen, the beholder is apt to believe that the vision was confined or addressed to the outward sense of seeing, so distinct and selfevident is a real manifestation of spir¬ itual presence. . . To the healthy and discriminating mind there is no confounding of a substantial vision of su¬ permundane personages and scenery with the dreamy hal¬ lucinations of the disturbed intellect. Wh en the interior senses of the mind distinctly see a spirit, or hear its serene. rich, friendly tones, it is impossible for the thus favored individual to be mistaken. If, however, as it sometimes happens, we get only an imperfect glimpse of some guard¬ ian spirit who seeks our recognition and welfare—and if we cannot be absolutely certain and honest in our convic¬ tions of that angel presence, and have not a perfect assur¬ ance that the vision was no illusion—then it is wisdom to keep our understandings open to the reception of more substan tial evidence, to the end that the mind may not be conducted into regions of uncertain hypothesis and imag¬ ination.’ * Spiritual association arouses and quickens dormant sensitiveness, and, indeed, some mediums are only clair- sudient while the spirit people assist or control them. Tt is as though they are lifted out from their ordinary con¬ dition while under spirit influence, and grow keen in their ability to catch and convey the utterances of the spirits. The great requisites for the development of this phase of modiumship are attentio n, concentration, desire , listen- * A. .7. Davis. ‘Philosophy of Spiritual Intercourse.’ 172 A Guide to Mediumship jug, and response. The inward hearing can be cultivated by training one’s self to be on the alert to catch the echoes from the spheres. We are frequently ‘absent-minded’ and do not realize what is being said around us. We are too often inattentive to the sights and sounds as we go through life, even upon the ordinary plane, and there need be no wonder that we are blind and deaf to our spirit surround¬ ings. HEALING MEDIUMSHIP. If you have an idea that you possess healing power you can easily experiment upon your suffering friends or ac¬ quaintances. If you are mediumistic, and spirits desire to develop you for this work, you will readily feel that, you are impressed what to do. Your hands will be guided to the proper position, and you will spontaneously make the requisite passes. Magne tic healing has really nothing to do with massage, the induction of sleep, or with any form of hypn otis m of mesmerism. The healing medium should centre his thought and interest solely and wholly with the object of effecting a cure. You will need to be sympa¬ thetic, but hopeful. Do not let your patient think about his ailments, but arouse his thought and engage his atten¬ tion upon some outside subject. Make him comfortable, and lead him to expect good results; to do this you must be affirmative and confident. Unless you feel impressed, or are controlled, to do otherwise, sit in front and take hold of the hands of the sufferer for a time, then make gentle, short, downward passes over the part affected, and conclude with long, sweeping passes from head to foot without contact. For local affections, point your hands at or just touch the spot with your finger tips, or make direct horizontal or slightly downward movements, as if you were throwing something at him. A warm, comfort¬ able room is favorable to magnetizing, and a genial mental atmosphere, created by cheerful and kindly minds in the operator and persons present, will contribute largely to the success of the treatment. You will do well to act upon your impressions and make the passes in whatever way you feel impelled or compelled. If you operate under A Guide to Medium ship 173 spirit guidance you will be ‘impressed’ more or less clearly how to proceed in each ease. In all probability you will sympathetically T take on,’ and be affected by, the symp¬ toms of the disease from which the patient suffers, and in that way be able to form an accurate diagnosis of the ease; but you must guard against exhaustion, and should always ‘throw off’ from yourself the influence that you may have recei ved, and wash your hands carefully after each treat¬ ment. Mr. James Coates, in his useful work on ‘Human Magnetism,’ says: ‘In magnetic healing—as distinguished from cures in which “suggestion” is the main factor—the ‘Having-on of hands” is a special feature of the treatment. The psych opa thist lays on hands because he believes that beyond the conditions of health-magnetism furnished by himself he is a conduit through whom a spirit or a “band of spirits” pour healing virtues. I have no doubt that the attitude of mind in all these methods of cure, based upon sincere conviction, is a powerful healing °gent.’ WRITING MEDIUMSHIP. Your hands may be caused to shake and move about as if you desired to write. You may be quite conscious, or only semi-conscious, but you will feel you are unable to prevent the movements. In such a case the sitters should provide paper and pencils and await results. They should speak to the control and request him to work quietly, and in all probability the rapid preliminary scrawls will soon give place to slower and more legible writing. Many persons have developed as ‘automatic writers,’ who have never sat in a circle and without being entranced. We should advise you, if you decide to sit alone and make experiments in this direction, to avoid excitement, expect¬ ancy and preconceptions. Proceed as though you were speaking to a visible friend, and request that someone will move your hand to write. Provide yourself with a writing bad or several sheets of paper, and. while holding a pencil in readiness, withdraw your thoughts from your hand and arm and assume a passive condition. If you are strongly mediumistic, words and sentences may be written, but you need hardly expect such results at first. 374 4 Guide to Mediumship Mr. AY. T. Stead says: ‘I bold my pen in the ordinary way. but when the writing is beginning I do not rest my wrist or arm upon the paper, so as to avoid the friction Snd to give the influence, whatever it may be, more com¬ plete control of the pen. At first the pen is apt to wander into mere scrawling, but after a time it writes legibly. Unlike many automatic writers who write as well blind¬ folded as when they read what they write as they are writ¬ ing it, I can never write so well as when I see the words as they come. There is danger in this, which is most clear¬ ly illustrated when my hand writes verse—especially rhymed verse—for the last word in each line suggests to my conscious mind a possible rhyme for the ending of the following line; this rouses up my mind, mv own ideas get mixed with those of the communicating Intelligence, and confusion is the result.’ Inspirational or ‘impressional’ writing is frequently mistaken for that which is more purely passive or ‘auto¬ matic.’ The sensitive experiences a strong impulse to write, but does not receive any clear or consecutive train of thought. He sets down one word, and then others fol¬ low as fast as he can indite them, but he must begin to write before the complete sentence is given to him. In other cases the thoughts Aoav into his consciousness faster than his pen can record them; but in the truly ‘automatic’ form of communication the mind of the sensitive is not consciously affected. He can read and think about other and entirely different subjects, and need take no more in¬ terest in the work than he would if his hand did not belong to him, or than if a spirit laid hold of and guided the pen¬ cil. Some mediums who write automatically have to be mentally quiet; they find that if the mind is preoccupied the hand will not write, although, even in such cases, it frequently happens that the amanuensis is ignorant of the communication until he reads it afterwards. Mr . J. A. White, an intelligent trance and clairvoyant medium, says: ‘ Ther e is a great tendency, particularly in cases of automatic writing, to do too much of it. No sooner do some people find that the pencil will move than they spend all their spare time in this fascinating pursuit, A Guide to Mediumskip 175 which, in their undeveloped state, I believe to be a dan¬ gerous and unwise practice. They are apt to exclaim, when any question arises during the day: “Let us see what the spirits have to say.” This, carried to extremes leads to one thing, and one thing only—obsession. I be¬ lieve in fixing a time, and, unless in exceptional cases, re¬ fusing to~sit at any other. Of course I am speaking of mediumship while it is in the budding stage. A developed medium can judge for himself, and knows from experience how far to go. It is a favorite trick of a certain class of spirits when they find they have a sensitive who can “feel” them, to give them that pricking sensation in the arm which denotes their presence. “So-and-so want to write,” and away rushes the medium for the pencil, and sits down. This 1 do not believe in. I have seen far more harm than good come from it. The pro per way to develop, in my opinion, is to sit at home in a small, carefully-selected circle, two or three time s a week, at staled hours, and with a competent conductor who knows what he is doing.’ A French writer in ‘Les Grands Horizons de la Vie’ emphasizes the same point: lie says: “We urge beginners in their own interest not to take up the pencil (i. e., for automatic writing) or to sit at a table (for eommunica- tions) at any free moment, without rhyme or reason, for disorder in experiment is one of the first and most serious dangers to be avoided. An absolutely strict rule should be made not to attempt the effort more than once ever}' other day.’ The communications that are received by the various forms of passive, impressional, automatic, and inspira¬ tional writing must not be regarded as valuable merely because of the conditions under which they were obtained, nor because of their spirit origin, real or supposed. ‘Under all circumstances receive with the utmost re¬ serve and caution long-winded communications from not¬ able characters who claim to be “Napoleon Bonaparte,” “Lord Bacon,” “Socrates,” or other great personages; for, in the majority of cases, the value of the communica¬ tion is exactly the reverse of the importance of the name 17f> A Guide to Mcdiumship attached.’* This applies to automatic writings quite as much as to spoken messages. Judge the statements made by the ordinary standards, apart altogether from their claimed exalted origin; if rational, beautiful, and spirit¬ ually helpful and enlightening, they are worth having on their own merits; but if they are unreasonable, wild and dogmatic, or pretentious and flattering, they should be dis¬ carded; and, unless they change their character after re¬ peated experiments, your attention should be turned in some other direction. PLANCHETTE AND OUIJA BOARDS. To assist in the development of latent capabilities for writing mediumship, various mechanical devices have been constructed, the most popular of these being the Plan- chette, a heart-shaped little board which has two legs, with wheels at the end, attached to the broader part. Near the pointed end is a hole, into which a piece of pencil is in¬ serted. A large sheet of paper having been spread upon the table, the sitter or sitters (two people often use it) lay their hands, or the tips of their fingers, lightly upon the upper surface and await results. If sitters are sufficiently mediumistic the instrument will begin to move, slowly at first, but faster and more decidedly later, and probably, after some preliminary strokes, circles, etc., it will settle down as if guided by an unseen hand and begin to write. Sitters need to be patient. They may have to wait some time—even to try, try, try again. If it will not move for one person it will probably do so for another. When it does move do not be too hasty in asking questions—do not expect to get tests right away. Some people feel that the Planehette moves of itself, so to speak, as if if were alive; with others the impulse to movement seems to be given as fr om their arms. Sitters o ccasionally do not know what has been written until the Planehette is removed and the writing deciphered ; others get the thought of what is about to be written simultaneously with the movements. Scarce¬ ly two mediums have exactly the same experiences, there- * ‘Practical Occultism,’ by J. J. Morse. A Guide to Mediumship 177 fore experiment, wait, persevere, until you get into clear communication with Intelligences who have gained pretty full control of the instrument, and are able to give you sat¬ isfactory messages. The Planchette may be used as a ‘ Ouija’ by laying down a sheet oF paper upon which the letters of Ehe alphabet have been written or printed in a fairly large semicircle, the words ‘yes’ or ‘no’ being written at either end, and figures from 1 to 9 written straight across a little lower down. Now remove the pencil and insert a small moderately sharp ened st ick as a pointer and the Planchette may run about, point to letters or number, answer your questions by standing at ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ or messages may be spelt out as you watch its movements. These mechanical contrivances may be helpful to some people under certain conditions, but as a rule, anyone who has the gift of writing mediumship will do equally as well, andin time far better, if he will pvt a blank sheet of paper before him, hold a pencil in his hand, and wait —either for ‘automatic’ or impressional writing. Any medium, in whose presence tables move or raps occur, will be most likely to succeed with the above-named ‘boards.’ No one can ‘guar¬ antee 7 th at They will move with everyone who experiments with them, or promise that intelligent results will be imme¬ diately secured. DRAWING MEDIUMSHIP. Many people who have sought development for passive writing have found that their hands have moved in a seem¬ ingly erratic fashion, and curious drawings have resulted. Some of these have been beautiful, some symbolical, some few were quite artistic; but many, alas! were more curious than sensible or beautiful. Paintings and crayon draw¬ ings have also been produced in this ‘passive’ (or auto¬ matic) style by people who have never had any training in either drawing or painting; but although the coloring has sometimes been remarkable, even fine, we have seldom seen any that commended themselves on the score of their value as artistic productions. Here, as elsewhere, we can only judge by the results, and if mediums were to study the A Guide to Mediumship m rudim ents of art they would be more easily acted upon by spirit artists to produce good work. PRIVATE OR PUBLIC : WHICH ? If you find that you have good powers as a medium' and your development proceeds satisfactorily, you will soon meet with numbers of people who will be glad to sit with you, and should you be able to obtain for them mes¬ sages from their spirit friends or give them tests, advice, or guidance, the probability is that you will have more applications for admission to your circle than you can pos¬ sibly grant. If you develop as a speaker and clairvoyant you will most probably be urged ‘from the other side’ to devote yourself to tlie cause and become a public medium, and thus the question will be forced upon you (in the first ease by the demands made upon your time and strength, and in the second by the impelling power of the spirits) whether you shall become a public—or ‘professional’—me¬ dium. It is a matter in respect to which each one should realize his own responsibility and be ‘fully persuaded in his own mind’ as to where his duty lies, and not be carried away by injudicious or enthusiastic friends, or over-per¬ suaded by zealous spirits. In any case, we would warn you to avoid'hasty action. The life of a public ‘test’ medium is by no means an easy one, and only those who have at¬ tained a fairly high degree of lucidity and responsiveness, together with strength of will sufficient to protect them¬ selves against adverse surroundings, are fit to venture out upon the stormy sea, and successfully contend against the psychic influences which will of necessity assail them. All mediums are more or less in danger of being dom¬ inated by their sitters unless they are careful to hold them¬ selves w r ell in hand and maintain a positive attitude to¬ wards those who visit them, and therefore it is necessary that you should be watchful and avoid becoming too nega¬ tive. We have seen senstives struggling to give test de¬ scriptions (both elairvoyantly and psychometrieally) who depended too much upon the sympathy of their visitors, or the harmonious conditions of their audience. You must A Guide to Medium ship 179 study and practice until you can resist the adverse in¬ fluences of your sitters and their surroundings; and, while- receptive and responsive to the influences and impressions from the spirits, becomes impervious to the inliarmony, sus¬ picion, sneer and sarcasm of the sitters If you are strong, affirmative, determined, you may succeed; but if you are negative to such conditions you may not only fail, but you may respond to the unspoken ‘suggestions’ from the sit¬ ters, and confirm them in their skepticism. As a public medium you will need much patience, tact, and kindliness. If you are in love with your ministrations you can endure and overcome many of the difficulties and disagreeable trials which are inseparable from public serv¬ ice to ‘all sorts and conditions of people,’ but an impatient medium need not anticipate much success. Instead of be¬ coming annoyed, dispirited, or angry because you are un¬ able to satsify or convince those to whom you minister, the best course is to calml y go on and give just what you get. Do not be afraid of making a mistake, and never be ashamed to admit an error. Do not try to evade such an admission or seek to make your description ‘fit,’ or the message you have given apply, by ‘hedging,’ but, if you can jiosibly do so, obtain further particulars until you se¬ cure recognition. To all who aspire to be public mediums or platform speakers we can do no better than quote the words of Pro- fesor Loveland: ‘Acting as medium is not always reposing on a bed of roses. The roses may be there; so also are the thorns. While humanity is as it is there will be the bitter with the sweet. Our vocation as mediums is to put all the sweet we can into the fives which come into contact with ours; that is the way to change to sweetness the bitter in our own.’ J80 A Guide to Mediurnship CHAPTER V T. OBSESSIONS: ITS CAUSES AND CURE. Ther e must be some point of contact, of sympathetic vi¬ bration or harmony of spirit, otherwise there cannot be any permanent relation or association between a spirit and a sensit ive. —B. G. E. ~ Undeveloped spirits will not be attracted to their op¬ posites. Anyone who thinks he is obssessed should pay attention to himself first. If his own spirit is in the way of righteousness he need have no fear. . . . The medium who is unbiased in his own m ind cannot be led away from right-doing by the influence of mortals or spirits .--Hudson Tuttle. We have no desire to dwell unduly upon this branch of our subject, but is it as necessary to point out the pitfalls in the way of the young medium as it is to guide him into the pleasant paths. AVe have received numerous inquiries from beginners ■who have had strange and bewildering experiences, and who, misunderstanding the nature of then’ feelings, have concluded that they are obsessed. It is quite evident, there¬ fore, on the principle that ‘prevention is better than cure,’ and that ‘to be forewarned is to be forearmed,’ that we must emphasize the various explanations and warnings that we have already given in these pages and in Part I. ‘Where ignorance is bliss ‘tis folly to be wise’ is certainly not true in regard to psychic or spirit relationships. Neither is innocence a safeguard against error and folly. Innocent, but ignorant, people are all the time foolishly rushing in ‘where angels fear to tread’ and incurring risks A Guide to Mediumsliip 181 which, but for their innate simplicity and goodness, might lead to disaster. Even goodness and purity, however, are not always proof against the attacks of the unscrupulous and crafty. S incerity of intention does not protect the careless or ignorant from the consequences of their mis¬ takes and neglect of proper precautions. 'undue influence.’ That one mind can obtain undue influence over another is now generally admitted, and we need not go to the spirit world for instances of such domination—they are common enough in this world if we have eyes to see. The very ‘copy-book’ maxims of our youth indicate the fact—‘Evil commuieations corrupt good morals’: ‘ A man is known by the company he keeps,’ etc. The successful salesman or commercial traveler frequently exercises this hypnotic in¬ fluence quite unconsciously and legitimately; while the ‘confidence trick’ man, who fleeces his unwary victim, illegitimately employs the same power. They both soothe and surprise their subjects, gaining their consent before they can realize the situation, and, being aroused, become positive enough to exercise their will power in opposition. Many a marriage has been solemnized in which one of the contracting parties was fascinated, psychologized, or hyp¬ notized by the dominating influence which was unduly exerted by the other, and much misery might be avoided if young people of both sexes were taught the probability of such experiences and how to guard aginst being misled IS IT DANGEROUS TO DEVELOP MEDIUMSHIP? The student will sooner or later meet with the objection that it is ‘dangerous to seek to develop mediumsliip.’ That there are ‘personating, tricky, disorderly and evil spirits’; and, further, ‘as it is difficult to decide when those who communicate are honorable and trustworthy, it is best to leave the whole slbject alone.’ To this we reply, the same objection may be raised against intercourse with people on this side. Is it not often difficult to decide who among one’s nequnintanoos are honorable and trustworthy? So 182 A Guide lo Mediumship much so, in fact, that in certain moods one is almost tempted to emulate Diogenes, and set out to hunt for an honest man! But we have to take people as they are, and try to understand them, and then we realize that most of them are good, well-meaning, and sincere. Everyone has his limitations, and ‘to err is human’; but when we ‘try spirits’ (embodied), we generally find that they are not as black as their enemies paint them, nor as white as their admirers depict them. In other words, they are human beings. If we deal with spirit people in the same natural and sensible way, and treat them as we do the people we meet with here, we learn that though some of them are thoughtless, mischievous, and, at times, pretentious, the majority of those who manifest their presence differ very little from the people who live around us on this side. THE LAW OF ATTRACTION. Spirits are attracted to those persons with whom they can establish sympathetic relations upon either the phys¬ ical, affectional, or psychical planes. Although animated by the best intentions, it is possible for them to injur¬ iously affect those whom they love. In their extreme anx¬ iety to make their presence known, and to console their loved ones, they may attach themselves too closely to those who are susceptible to their influence, and cause the sensi¬ tives to experience sensations which may be mistakenly re¬ garded as injurious. SPIRITS OFTEN UNJUSTLY BLAMED. It does not follow that because a sensitive shakes and feel peculiar sensations and impulses, that these pheno¬ mena are of nec ess ity due to the operations of excamate intelligences. Very much that is attributed to the influence of obsesing spirits' may be explained upon purely physiol¬ ogical grounds. Many people do not understand, and are not prepared for, the natural cravings and demands which inevitably arise witbin them, and they suffer great distress of mind in eonsequense of their ignorance regarding their own per- 1 Guide to Mediumship 183 sonality. Sensitives are apt to regard these inclinations and tendencies as due to the influence of the devil; or, if they have leamt a little of mediumship, they find a scape¬ goat in ‘obsessing spirts,’ instead of studying human phys¬ iology. Furthermore, in the early stages of their develop¬ ment mediums generally experience strange feelings and much mental and nervous excitement. The unusual activ- ity~ahd the curious sensations that are induced by the in¬ fluence of the spirits upon them, together with the element of uncertainty, not unmixed with fear, consequent upon the newness of the stirrings and impulses that are aroused in them, tend to unsettle the sensitives and cause them to imagine that the spirits wish them to do or say things which are in rcalitj^ due to their own disturbed conditions, and it is necessary that they should guard themselves against becoming too much engrossed or too enthusiastic, lest they should be carried away by their own desires. It is frequently asserted by non-Spiritualists that me¬ diumship leads to insanity, but experience shows that it more often saves people from the lunatic asylum by ex¬ plaining the nature and causes of their perplexing sensa¬ tions and teaching them how to acquire self-control. True mediumshp does not consist in abject passivity and self-surrender to a dominating mind, but it involves the cultivation of the spiritual faculties and the exaltation of the consciousness until the sensitive acquires the positive power to receive or reject impressions or influences that may impinge upon his psychic nature. The strong yearnings experienced by the bereaved who sigh ‘For the touch of a vanished hand And the sound of a voice that is still,’ are frequently selfish and tend to hold the departed to the earth-conditions, thus setting up vibrations which may prove painful alike to the spirit and the mourner. CULTURE BRINGS PAIN AS WELL AS PLEASURE. The opening of the avenues of spiritual perception and the quickening of the responsiveness of his inner self to 184 A Guide to Mcdiumship psychic conditions, introduce the sensitive into a new realm of impulses, intuitions and experiences. The influences of places and people on this side, as well as on the other, im¬ pinge upon him and he grows conscious of sights, sounds, and sensations which he can neither name, account for, nor interpret. Like an Aeolian harp, that is stirred by passing vibrations, he may be responsive to the breath of love, or the gust of hate, the breeze of pure desire or the storm of passion. These subtle ‘sensings,’ and their reg¬ istration in his psychic consciousness, sometimes disturb, perplex, and annoy him, and in the rough and ready way of flnding an easy solution for difficult problems, he at¬ tributes them to evil spirits, but does not explain them nor truly interpret their significance. The training of the eye and ear to distinguish the shades of color and the nice gradations in sound, and the cultivation of the artistic power of attention to, and ap¬ preciation of, harmony, necessarily lay the individual open to the liability of being painfully affected by discords and inharmonies. The sensitive may expect to have to pay the same penalty for his development until he learns how to become master of his powers and inhibit all discords; to shut off, and out, those ‘suggestions’ and influences which rasp and injure him, while he invites those which are con¬ genial and spiritually beneficial. CAST OUT ALL FEAR-THOUGHTS. Fear hath torments, and the dread of the unknown is a sign of weakness born of ignorance. When we hold aloft the lamp of knowledge we fearlessly tread the path. Spec¬ tres grim and devils dark disappear when we can see the realities of the spirit. Fear has caused many poor souls to conjure up phantoms with which they have tortured themselves, cringing in terror where they should have been bold and confident. Traditional theology with its Satan and his emissaries has been responsible for a great deal of the insanity and for many of the hysterical hallucinations under which so many sufferers have broken down; and there is danger, unless they guard themselves against the A Guide to Mediumship 185 error, that unthinking and irrational people who dabble with Spiritualism will transfer their fear of the Devil to fear of obsessing spirits. To one lady who had an idea that a living person had exerted an evil influence over her, but who subsequently discovered that she was mistaken, and then attributed her feelings to an ezcamate individual, we felt constrained to point out that, while it was possible that a spirit was in¬ fluencing her, she had, by her ignorance and her fears, at¬ tached too much importance to the sensations she exper¬ ienced, and had imagined that they were far worse and more uncommon than they really were. She had, in fact, given a dominating suggestion to herself, and, while anx¬ ious for relief, she confessed by her fears what she denied with her words. She thus perpetuated the very conditions she deplored, and intensified her own sufferings. Victims of auto-suggestion are seldom in the condition of body or mind to understand their feelings 2 or to rise superior to the conditions that they hdve induced. If they could only see their folly, and realize how weak of will and infirm in purpose and principle they have been, they would speedily overcome their infatuation. But they think about and dilate upon their trouble, their feelings, their danger, and crave the sympathy of their friends, % until ‘trifles light as air’ assume great importance, and purely natural sub¬ jective states are regarded as evidences of the malignant purpose of an unseen enemy. NOT EVIL BECAUSE IMPERFECT. We have elsewhere pointed out that many difficulties have to be surmounted on both sides before clear and def¬ inite intercourse with spirit people can be enjoyed, and therefore allowance must be made for mistakes, failures, and misunderstandings. Imperfect or inaccurate communi¬ cations are not evil, nor~the work of obsessing spirits or clevils. It is so easy to misunderstand when both parties are groping in the dark that the wonder is, not that we get so few good and true messages, but that we get so many! The intelligent study by mediums of the laws of asso¬ ciation and of the conditions of mediumship will lead to 186 A Guide to Mediumship a more enlightened exercise of the powers of will by which they ean hold themselves free from all influences except those to which they desire to yield. It will be helpful to remember that spirits do not oust a man from his own body and take possession of his brain and personality, to use or abuse it at their own will and pleasure, whether he is agreeable or not. On the contrary, spirit influence is exerted upon a sensitive in the same man¬ ner as the mesmerist or hypnotist operates upon his subject; and while unthinking persons may heedlessly welcome any kind of influence in their eager desire to become mediums, and thus run the risk of being acted upon by undesirable spirits, they have the power to break all such associations if they are determined to gain their freedom. IMPERSONATING SPIRIT^. That there are spirits who ipmetimes ‘impersonate,’ and seek to pass themselves off as, the friends of the sitters, we have had proof on several occasions; but they invariably get ‘bowled out’ if the investigators are observant and careful, and they are by no means as numerous or as evilly disposed as some people imagine. That there are spirits who ‘play up’ to the weaknesses and flatter the vanity of those to whom they communicate; that they give glowing assurances of the good things that they will perform by- and-by, and profess to be some of the ‘great ones’ of the past, is equally true. ‘People dearly love a lord,’ and this amiable weakness is fully realized by the jokers on ‘the other side’—but the fault does not wholly rest with them! Their too-confiding subjects are in the main responsible for their own mystification and misleading. They are so anxious to be guided by some ‘eminent’ person who will be to them an ‘ authority, ’ that they practically invite pre¬ tenders who ‘ fool them to the top of their bent. ’ This does not apply to all cases of real or supposed deception, but it does cover a large proportion of such experiences. In many instances there is an element of self-deception—or auto-suggestion—‘the wish becomes father to the thought.’ and the sensitive’s unrestrained imaginative powers do A Guide to Mediumsliip 187 the rest. There are many persons outside of Spiritualism who believe that they are in direct communication with God, while others are equally as sincere and earnest in their belief that the agents of the Devil are continually tempting them—is it any wonder, then, that when un¬ balanced people investigate Spiritualism they should go to similar extremes? SPONTANEOUS MEDIUMSHIP NOT UNDERSTOOD. Sensitives sometimes hear unpleasant ‘voices,’ which medical men are apt to regard as purely subjective or imaginary—but they may be truly voices—those of spirit people—as spontaneous or natural clairaudience is quite as probable as natural clairvoyance or psyehometry. It may be that the inner hearing has been opened upon the lower plane of the thought-conditions of the soul realm, and the sensitive hears expressions, or senses the repulsive thoughts, that distress him, somewhat as one might be shocked by hearing the objectionable language of the habitues of a low public-house, or by the vulgar and brutal expressions of a group of coarse and ignorant men when passing them in the street. There would not necessarily be any intention to offend, under such circumstances, as those people would simply be speaking in their accustomed manner. In the same way it is probable that the spirits whose voices and thoughts produce unpleasant effects upon sensitives may be unconscious of the fact that they are overheard; or may not know how to move away from them, any more than the sensitives know how to close their psy¬ chic nature so as to become unconscious of, and unrespon¬ sive to, unwelcome companions. CONDITIONS AND CAUSES OF OBSESSION. The conditions and causes which lead up to real or supposed obsession may be summed us as follows: Temporary association; such as living in a haunted house or in companionship with people of a low moral tone, and being, perhaps unconsciously, subject to ‘sugges¬ tions’ from them. 188 A. Guide to Mediumship Nervous exhaustion and psychical depletion, resulting from too frequent and prolonged ‘sittings’ and promiscu¬ ous seances where inharmonious conditions prevail. Mental concentration by excited and continuous thought about the one subject to the exclusion of others; and indiscriminate self-surrender to ‘control’ in the anxiety to become a medium. Unrestrained imagination; the morbid pessimism which follows upon intense grief; or other ‘shocks’ which cause mental strain, hysteria, or melancholia, or both. Airto-suggestion resulting from fear and due to the misinterpretation of sensations and impulses which may be accounted for on purely physiological grounds. Diseased or unbalanced conditions of body of mind; or personal habits which make excessive drain upon the vital energies and lower the moral tone of the sensitive. We do not deny that spirits may, and sometimes do, dominate an individual, but we feel assured that in the majority of such cases, where the control obtains the mas¬ tery,there is some weakness or disease; some point of con¬ tact and similarity between the spirit and the physical, mental, moral, or psychical conditions of the sensitive. * Those associations, however, in which the disposition and purpose of the spirit may be called evil or malevolent are rare; and the instances in which the obsessing spirit can¬ not be reached by benevolent sympathies and services on the part of the sitters and the sensitive are still more rare! In our experience we have found that in the few cases where badly-disposed spirits were really at work, they came to gratify their spite, to mislead for revenge, or to ‘get even’ because of some injury or fancied slight. * Hudson Tuttle holds that ‘a deficiency of will power, induced by physical conditions, rather than mental, has been the immediate cause of what is called obsession, in varying degrees from a slight inclination to complete loss of self-control. . . Unless the gateway is open, such influence cannot enter. Known or unknown, there is a weak point of attack, a physical state, more or less diseased, reflected on the mind, and making it plastic to impressions received through the lower nature.’ A Guide to Mediumship 189 SPIRITS SOMETIMES PERSISTENT, BUT NOT MALICIOUS. Sp i rits are somet imes very persistent . Having found .someone who is sensitive, through whom they think they can reach their friends, they persevere in the most deter¬ mined fashion, in spite of the objections and fears of the subject. Perhaps they are penitent, anxious to confess their faults, or follies, and to obtain forgiveness. Or they desire to convince their friends of their presence and con¬ sole them, and, with such intentions in their minds, they, with a pertinacity that is distinctly human, but often very disagreeable, fasten on to the medium and will give him no rest. Then again, when s pi rits who hav e had little or no experience seek to control sensitives., they often exert fob much influence. They transfer their own conditions and desires too strongly, and, in their anxiety, fail to rea¬ lize that they are acting unkindly or prejudicially towards their instruments. Further, as ‘first control experiences’ are frequently of the nature of ‘impersonations,’ the sen¬ sitive who is overshadowed in that way by the memory- sphere of an unhappy, conscience-stricken soul may be ex¬ cused if he rebels against such influences and misunder¬ stands their purport. Still, distressed sensitives have fre¬ quently obtained relief by a temporary surrender to the wishe s of the control in the presence of experienced observers. By thus ascertaining the object of the spirit; by reason¬ ing with him; by appealing to his sympathy; and by in¬ structing him as regards the nature of the effects he has produced upon the medium and how to proceed in future, so as to secure happier results, intelligent and observant sitters can frequently relieve the sensitive from all fear; benefit the spirit; and themselves obtain experiences of a very educational character. Many mediums can to-day number among their most faithful and helpful friends in spirit life those who at first were rough, overmastering, and apparently obsessing and undesirable controls; but who, by kindness and love, were assisted and educated and afterwards became useful and trustworthy friends and co-workers 190 A Guide to Mediumship THREE COURSES OF TREATMENT. When it. is evident that a sensitive is under the in¬ fluence of a spirit who either cannot or will not withdraw from the association, there is no reason for perturbation on the part of the medium or his friends. There are, as we have indicated, three courses open to them in dealing with such a ease— 1st. Try to ascertain who the spirit is, what he wishes to do, and why he per sists in exercising his control over The medium. Talk to him kindly, help him, reason with him, pray for and with him, carry out his wishes as far as they are reasonable, and enlighten him to the best of your ability. 2nd. Invoke the assista nce, of stro ng, helpful, healing spirits, and call in a healer who is also a clairvoyant, or a medium who possesses the power to deal with undeveloped spirits, aricl build up the physical strength and the psychic nature of the sensitive and encourage him to resist and break the ‘spell’ that has been thrown over him. 3rd. This is the most important course, because it must be followed to some extent in every case, and is the one which we have already emphasized, viz., the medium must, by determined and persistent effort of will and spir¬ itual aspiration, learn how to be confident, and possess himself, and refuse to be held in psychological captivity by7or be made the sport and plaything of, unseen beings. He should not surrender to the idea that he is ‘obsessed’; or discuss the subject too freely with other’s, or weakly seek the sympathy and condolences of his friends, as all such admissions and recognitions tend to strengthen the im¬ pression that lie is a captive and powerless to resist. He should not go to this, that, and the other person for ad¬ vice and ‘cure’—the power to overcome is within. ‘I can and will be free T ~should be his affirmation, strongly felt and boldly proclaimed, and then he will speedily say ‘I am free.’ and know that it is true. As distance on the spirit side is more a matter of state than geography, the psychic must strive to attain a higher degree of lucidity—to get away from the plane of haunt- A Guide to Mediumship 191 ing, vicious, earthly or vindicative spirit people by rising above it, so as to be unaffected by those denser vibrations and respond to the m ore subtle and spiritual forces. The purpose of development can best be served when the sensitive, by sincere thought and earnest aspiration, pre¬ pares himself for the highest and purest baptisms of spir¬ itual illumination and learns to inflexibly hold himself in¬ dependent of all conditions save those to which he volun¬ tarily opens his consciousness for wise guidance. TO THE PURE ALL THINGS ARE PURE. Very much depends upon the objects entertained by the medium and the sitters, as also upon the character and in¬ tentions of tire spirit who seeks to manifest his presence; but, on general lines, where people of average intelligence and rectitude seek communion with those they have known and esteemed, or loved, the results are almost invariably beneficial. There is every reason why this should be so if the common-sense precautions are observed of keeping a level head, exercising patience, exhibiting unselfishness and sincerity, and desiring good spiritual counsel and fellowship. The rational course to follow is assuredly that of avoiding the extremes alike of credulity and sceptical incredulity, but letting the spirits do their best, and then collating the facts observed and drawing conclusions. Care, patience and perseverance will save both mediums and in¬ quirers from many misconceptions and enable them to avoid the errors of others. Above all, mediums should ob¬ serve their own feelings, study their own experiences, try to understand and co-operate with the spirits, but never yield servile or slavish service, nor permit themselves to be swayed by flattery nor dominated by any spirit (in the circle or on the spirit side) who claims obedience, poses as an J authority, ’ or refuses to recognize the rights of others. ADVICE TO THE SENSITIVE. Do not expect that you will be influenced by a low class of spirit people, either on this side or the other; neither should you fear any such contingency, as by so doing you 192 A Guide io Mediumship ■will go half-way to meet the very danger you dread—but in case it should happen, it is well that you should know what to do to close the avenues of your psychic self to any such unwelcome intrusions. By brooding, introspec¬ tive, sorrowful and self-pitying fear-thought, people be¬ come morbid and unbalanced. Do not give way to any such tendencies. We do not go about in terror of our lives because we know that there are scoundrels in this world— why, then, should you be cowardly and afraid because there are fools, frauds, and pretenders ‘over there’? Re¬ member that spirits cannot make you do anything against your determined will. Keep body and mind pure and healthy and control your thoughts. ‘Fe ar makes cowards of us all’— the~rem ¬ edy is knowled ge and pure purpose. You can overcome wealoiess and evil thoughts by substituting good strong thoughts; by cultivating an affirmative and positive men¬ tal attitude and by rising to a higher spiritual plane. When you know that, by the exercise of your own will, you can control your psychic conditions and become soul- centered so as to prevent any unwelcome or uncongenial influence affecting you to your injury, you need have no fear. Like seeks like as a rule. But if, owing to inhar¬ monious surroundings, or unspiritual sitters, or temporary weakness of body, or lack of watchfulness, you should be¬ come subject to the dominating thoughts of any spirit, in or out of the body, that are calculated to lower your tone, remember—you have but to be determined, and call upon your own governing will forces, to be positive and repel all such influences. A GOSPEL OF GLADNESS, GOODNESS, AND CHEER. Spiritualism is a gospel of glad tidings, and it should lift you above the mists of superstition and fear into the serener air of spiritual self-confidence, of faith in your own divine nature, and joyous self-possession. Obsessing influences cannot reach you or hold you when your soul is thrilling with delight and your mind is fully engaged in optimistic work for the good of humanity. A Guide to Mediumship 193 The path of mediumship is not an easy one to tread. Do not foolishly imagine that it will lead to the acquisition of knowledge, without effort and experience. It is not ‘spiritual attainment made easy,’ whereby the indolent can, by a species of substitution, wear the robes of righteousness and display the graces of exalted ‘guides’ in lieu of their owm. It is not to be expected that the great and good souls of the higher life will have fellowship with the ignorant and frivolous, and be content to express their ideas through instruments who do not make earnest and per¬ sistent endeavors to render themselves fit for the service of such sweet and enlightened souls. Forget yourself. Think, live, and find your joy in serving others. In the altruistic atmosphere, where self is forgotten, love and goodness are supreme. What are your woes and sufferings compared with those of the mourners and the world’s burden-bearers? In helping them you will gain freedom. 194 A Guide to Mediumship CHAPTER VII. SOME IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS. Modern Spiritualism came as a reaction against mater¬ ialism, and the single idea which gave it birth was that ghosts or spirits were indiv idualized entities subject to law. It is distinguished from the ancient Spiritualism by its sweeping claim that all spiritual phenomena, and the evo¬ lution and existence of spirits, are governed by the opera¬ tion of fixed and ascertainable laws.—Hudson Tuttle. The evidences of the presence, power, and identity of the people we call dead have accumulated to such an ex¬ tent that no really well-informed person will think of de¬ nying that under certain favorable conditions intercourse can be carried on between the people of earth and those of the after-death spheres of being.—B.G.E. There is no need for us to give directions for seances for the various physical phenomena, such as slate-writing, spirit photography, direct voices, materializations, etc., be¬ cause those mediums who possess the psycho-physical quali¬ fications for these demonstrations almost invariably elabo¬ rate strong and abundant psychic force by means of which the spirits themselves can give instructions (by raps, table tiltings, or in writing) how the seances are to be conducted. They alone know what conditions they require; they alone can select and place the sitters and generally arrange mat¬ ters, and, beyond providing the slates, cabinet, camera, and slides, or writing materials, very little can be done by the sitters or the medium, unless the latter acts upon such impressions as he may receive. Mediums for physical demonstrations are sometimes entranced, but it is not always necessary, and many of the A Guide to Mediumship 195 /nost successful who were put under control during the early days of their mediumship afterwards remained con¬ scio us during their seances ^ This is also true of many pub- lie speakers? As a general rule excellence is attained in one direction, and it is advisable to find out what the spir¬ its can do best through each medium, and let other forms of manifestation be supplementary. We fully recognize the immense importance of the phe¬ nomena which demonstrate the continued existence of hu¬ man beings, and prove the reality of our faith in a future life, and we only wish that they could be multiplied a thou¬ sand fold. It is impossible for a medium, or for the spirits, to sat¬ isfy all the whims and demands of sceptical and cynical sit¬ ters, or to gratify the wishes of those who are always on the look-out for ‘something new and strange.’ They can¬ not produce phenomena on demand; or turn on the tap and jet the forces flow like water. It is probable that the inveterate sceptic loses more than he gains by maintaining an attitude of rigid unbelief, which well-nigh invariably leads to cynical and critical habits of thought which bias the judgment, poison the mind, and erect impassable barriers that shut out the spirits. The sceptical habit causes men to mistrust others, and weakens their faith in their own ability to observe and de¬ cide; or it leads to an opinionated, egotistical self-com¬ placency which cannot be pierced by truth. On the other hand, sympathy and open-mindedness invite confidence and establish communion. It is as unreasonable to accept, without the most con¬ vincing demonstrations of their accuracy, the asserted ‘ex¬ planations’ of the facts of mediumship put forward by non- Spiritualists (which explain too much and depend upon ‘authorities’ rather than facts) as to accept the spiritualis¬ tic claim without proof; but when we remember that men like Crookes, Wallace . Hodgson and Myers have been lit¬ erally driven to accept the spiritualistic position, by the weight of the evidence, we can justly claim that it is wisest and most reasonable to maintain, not only a ‘mind to let,’ but an attitude of hospitality towards the spirits, for we 196 A Guide to Mediumship are much more likely to ‘entertain angels’ if we invite them with kindly thoughts than if we try to quarantine them and put them through a critical cross-examination. The credulity of the incredulous sceptic is often greater than that of the ‘believer,’ and is, to say the least, equally as un¬ scientific and unwise! Only their sincere love for the truth and their desire to be of service to others can sustain the workers under the constant suspicion of fraud (if not the direct charges of trickery) which so many have had to endure. PROGRESSIVE DEVELOPMENTS. After the sitters in a circle have had physical phe¬ nomena for some time, the power for the production of that class of manifestation will probably be exhausted, and unless some new sitters are introduced the more in¬ terior and subtle psychical forces of the medium and the members of the circle may be drawn upon for more men¬ tal modes of intercourse. Sirs. Britten, in her magazine, ‘The Unseen Universe,’ said that in early childhood she was a very susceptible magnetic subject, and continued: ‘By a party of eminent occultists who held strictly private—or, I might say, secret —circles for investigation, I was frequently invited, with other young persons, to become a subject for the magnetic operations of inquirers. In my own ease I was never ren¬ dered wholly unconscious by the will of the inagnetisers, though nearly all the rest of the subjects they experimented with were made so. I believe now that the difference be¬ tween the partial and total unconsciousness of the various subjects of these occult seances corresponded to the dif¬ ferent degrees of entrancement which we who are plat¬ form speakers experience. I realize that on the spiritual rostrum I am two distinct persons. I can go on speaking aloud, yet thinking of quite other matters, and whe n I can fix my mind on what I utter I have listened with a sense of strangeness, which brings conviction, to my mind, at least, that I am not the individual who originates the thoughts expressed, although they are undoubtedly shaped A Guide to Mediumship 197 by the o rganism and lingual capabilities through which they are transmitted. From this state of what I may call waking trance, up to the somnambulic sleep in which the spirit’s ideas are expressed automatically, I have observed many gradations, ranging, as above observed, from semi¬ consciousness to the deep somnambulic sleep. There is one striking difference, however, between the enhancement in¬ duced by human and spiritual magnetism. The former is much stronger, more direct, and, in general, may be con¬ sidered as being a much coarser, or more material, element than the latter. Human magnetic control annihilates in¬ dividuality, and even identity, for the time being, and sub¬ stitutes the sensuous perceptions of the magnetizer in place of those of the subject. ‘ ‘ A good magnetic subject ’ ’ is help¬ lessly in the power of the magnetizer, unless that subject passes away from the human to a spiritual control, when that of the human operator is at once last. This ivas con¬ stantly my own case, and thus T, and others similarly in¬ fluenced, have come to the conclusion that the spiritual con¬ trol is more subtle, finer, and—except in the case of obses¬ sion by evil spirits—far purer. Mediums , when once they have become such, are scarcely ever susceptible again to human magnetism. To avoid any such possibility, I have always been strictly charged by spirit friends never to sub¬ mit to be magnetized by human operators, and when pre¬ paring for the spiritual rostrum to wear silk, and avoid as much as possible conversation or contact with those around me.’ Replying to a question as to how spirits control their mediums, ‘Tien,’ the guide of Mr. J. J. Morse, said: ‘There is an effort to gradually subdue the normal nervous activi¬ ties of the body to gradually subdue the normal nervous ac- ties of the body to a state of rest and quiescence. This induces a heavy, depressing, drowsy kind of feeling, a lethargy stealing over the bodily functions, until one by one all the activities of the body still themselves and come to rest. They seem to do this to the consciousness of the individual subjected to the experiment. This quietude develops into a state of sleep, wherein the positive actions of the vital functions are turned inwardly, instead of being 198 A. Guide to Mediumship allowed to express themselves outwardly, as in waking ac¬ tivity. AVhen a complete state of quiescence has been es¬ tablished in the brain and body, there is a slow awaken¬ ing of various nervous centers which are gradually stimu¬ lated to a certain amount of activity. This results in a drawing forth, so to speak, of a psychological aura, gen¬ erated within the sphere of the body itself, which con¬ stitutes the bond or link between the medium as subject, and the spirit as operator, and completes the link between the subject’s body and the controlling intelligence. When this nervous or psychic link has been created, there is a fur¬ ther effort on the part of the will of the operator to awaken certain ranges of faculties within the mental sphere of the subject. This will be determined exactly by the kind of work to be done by this agency. For this special purpose the superior intellectual faculties are more directly ap¬ pealed to, agreeing with sublimity, reason, foresight, form, and color. Then a certain amount of physical energy is liberated as a sort of steam to direct the machinery when the handle is turned. Presently the wheels are set in mo¬ tion, and mentally there is an awakening of the higher faculties. Spiritually speaking, it is necessary that the spiritual element, the consciousness of the individual—that is himself—shall be held as quiet as possible. In some cases the spirit is withdrawn from the body, though sufficient re¬ lation is maintained so that the individual may remain a living being. In other cases, where it is not necessary that the spiritual presence should be withdrawn, it is reduced to a state of quiescence. This is absolutely essential, be¬ cause in proportion to the activity of consciousness in the individual, so are the difficulties of control. It is true, more or less, of all bodily and mental faculties, for just in proportion as the individual resumes sway over any part or parts of his body, just in that proportion is control pre¬ vented for the work in hand. Thus, bodily and mentally, the links are completed that enable us to build up, step by step, the complete result, which is called a “Control.” ’ When we remember that the more nearly the spirit and medium approach, or resemble each other mentally and morally—the more pe rfec t the psychic sympathy; the A Guide to Mediumship 199 more rhythmic the magnetic vibrations—the more success¬ ful will be the transferences and inspirations enjoyed by the sensitive, we shall see how difficult it becomes to elimi¬ nate the influence of the medium from the results. The character and quality of his psychic sphere must, to a large extent, determine the nature of the manifestations, and where mutual sympathies and aspirations constitute the basis of rapport, or union, _the blended forces of spirit and sensitive will be so harmonized that it will be well-nigh impossible even for the sensitive to say exactly where he leaves off and where the spirit begins. So long as no definite claim is made that the communications emanate from a given individual in the other state, they can be taken for what they are worth on general grounds, and allowance can be made for the well-known fact that me¬ diums of necessity give a tone and color to the expressions made through them, just as the character and quality of the instrument affects the music that is produced by its mean s. Mediums should remember that self-dissection, intense anxiety, desire for success, are bad conditions, and induce morbid self-consciousness, whereas the aim of the seeker after spirit guidance and soul-unfoldment must be to forget self, and, for the time at least, to be regardless of suc¬ cess or failure—neither anxious nor afraid, but absorbed in the process of receiving and transmitting the message. * * Just so soon as the sensitive wants to succeed , he is liable to j lose touch with the spirit, his own mind begins to work, and his own thoughts may be mixed up with those of the control, and confusion res ult. SHOULD MEDIUMS BE PAID? There are, unfortunately, very few developed me¬ diums compared with the hosts of inquirers. There are * ‘When we are anxious or impatient we become intellectually positive and then e.rliale a magnetic atmosphere while we inhale the necessary electric emanations which rapidly exhaust the presiding medium, and the communications are thereby deranged, becoming, as many persons have frequently observed, contradictory and con¬ fused.’—A. J. Davis, in 'The Philosophy of Spiritual Intercourse.’ 200 A Guide to Mediumship too few ‘home circles’ for the cultivation of mediumsliip for friendly intercourse with relatives and loved ones; and the tests sought from professional mediums are too often of a business or personal character instead of such evidences of identity as might be expected during an hour’s sweet interchange of thoughts. It is generally felt that mediums should earn their livelihood and devote only their few hours of leisure to the study and cultivation of their mediumship, and yet they are expected, with spent forces and tired brains, to be well-tuned instruments for spirits to operate upon! Strong prejudices are felt by many peo¬ ple against ‘paid mediums,’ but we cannot see why! If the medium is sincere and earnest; if he devotes his time and energies to the service of his clients; if he is not a mere ‘hireling’ (working solely for a fee), but one who loves his work and desires to do good, why should he not be paid, and well-paid, too, so that he may be above the financial disturbances which would unfit him for his office? Those who think mediumship too sacred for everyday life should do with mediums as the ancients did with their oracles—keep them, and surround them with good, time and happy conditions. Until that is done, and mediums are lifted out of the turmoil where they have to earn their daily bread, it must be manifest to unprejudiced people that if they devote their strength and service to the work, they are worthy of support. To those of our fellow-sensitives who feel the ‘call of the spirit’ to go forth and preach the gospel, heal the sick, and comfort the bereaved, we would say, ‘Magnify your office; do your utmost to perfect your powers; try to make progress and render yourself fit for the work you have to do, that it may be well and worthily performed; and at the “highest and the best.” ’ To be a successful public medium you will need to live for it, and devote your time and thought to the duties of your office just the same as does the artist, author, law¬ yer, doetor, and preacher, and, like them, you are justified in living by it. All experience goes to show that mediumship should be sought for the good that it can do in many ways when A Guide to Mediumship 201 unselfishly used, and those who possess it should seek to improve and perfect it by studying and obeying its laws, and by earnest self-culture, physically, morally and spir¬ itually. Be good, so as to get good, with which to do good. True mediumship leads to the development of a strong character; to healthy, harmonious and rational manhood and womanhood; and true sensitiveness leads to sensibility and to a rational, intelligent, and religious life. Nothing of real value can be obtained without effort or costly sacrifice. But is not the attainment of communion with w r ise and loving spirits an adequate inducement to you, apart from the pleas¬ ure incidental to the progressive harmonization of both mind and body? There is, we believe, a continual influx from the other side. Many people, who arc externally oblivious of the fact, are undoubtedly frequently impelled and compelled to cer¬ tain courses of conduct by spirits. Artistic, sensitive per¬ sons—teachers, preachers, authors, composers, inventors— aye, most people who feel and see and are awake on the inte¬ rior side of their nature—are the instruments for expressing the thoughts and purposes of inspirers from the spirit side to an extent which will astonish most of us when we learn the truth ‘ over there. ’ It is, perhaps, only our density and our unconsciously materialistic modes of thought that make it necessary for us to require ‘control,’ and demand sensuous or other ‘test’ evidences of the association and influence of spirit people. Spirit speaks to spirit, and true ‘spirit-communion’ (or community of feeling and purpose, thought and desire) has yet to be achieved. Some few sweet, serene, spiritually- minded souls have possibly entered into this realm, but the bulk of the race are still on the exterior, and are largely children of the senses rather than the spirit. We shall, how¬ ever, deal with the voluntary and personal cultivation of psychic powers in the concluding portion of this work (Part III.), to which we refer the I’eader. There is no need to extol mediumship at the expense of psychical self-devel¬ opment, or to uphold personal and conscious unfoldment and depreciate mediumistic culture, for the one frequently leads to, and merges into, the other. 202 A Guide to Medium-ship THE SPIRITUALISM OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY. The great distinctive feature which will differentiate the Spiritualism of the twentieth century from that of the past fifty years will be this very change of attitude. In¬ stead of living in the basement of the sense-self, the coming man and woman will naturally ascend to the psychic plane and throw wide the windows that open heavenward. The thoughts of welcome having overcome the feelings of fear, the visitants from the spirit realms will naturally find readier means of reaching the soul consciousness of sensitives and of transmitting through them fuller evi¬ dences of their intelligence and identity than was possible in the old days. The right ‘attitude’ is beautifully expressed in the lines— ‘Lie open, Soul! the great, the wise About thy portal throng; The wealth of souls before thee lies, Their gifts to thee belong. Lie open, Soul! the angels wise Will inspirations give: Oh, let your aspirations rise, That rightly you may live ‘ A GUIDE TO MEDIUMSHIP AND PSYCHICAL UNFOLDMENT BY E. W. AND M. H. WALL.jS 3n Shirr Par 1a PART III. PHYSICAL SELF-CULTURE. 'That serene and blessed mood, fn which the affections gently lead us on,— Until the breath of this corporeal frame, And even the motion of our human blood Almost suspended, we are laid asleep In body, and become a living soul; While with an eye made quiet by the power Of harmony, and the deep power of joy, We see into the life of things.’ Wordsworth. The Occult Publishing House Chicago, III. MAN S POSSIBILITIES. ‘There is no summit you may not attain, No purpose which you may not yet achieve If you will wait serenely, and believe Each seeming loss is but a step toward gain. ‘Between the mountain tops lie vale and plain, Let nothing make you question, doubt or grieve; Give only good, and good alone receive: And as you welcome joy, so welcome pain. ‘That which you most desire awaits your word; Throw wide the door and bid it enter in. Speak, and the strong vibrations shall be stirred; Speak, and above earth’s loud, unmeaning din Your silent declarations shall be heard. All things are possible to God’s own kin.- Ella Wheeler Wilcox INTRODUCTION. The preceding Parts of this Guide were devoted almost exclusively to the consideration of the development of sen¬ sitiveness under the influence and guidance of spirit people. We now address those who desire to cultivate suscep¬ tibility to psychical conditions and to consciously realize their relations to the great unseen realm of ‘principalities and powers.’ As self-knowledge, self-reliance, self-mastery, and self-expression are all involved in psychical self-cul- ture, the powers of concentration and psychical penetra¬ tion, insight, and conscious cognition should not be sought for the gratification of curiosity or for the purpose of money-making. No really permanent spiritual develop¬ ment can be attained by merely experimenting in thought- transference, psychomctry, and clairvoyance; but perse¬ vering effort to reach the ‘superior condition’ of lucidity will be helpful to those who sincerely aspire for spiritual illumination and the opening of their inner powers of per¬ ception. Between the animals and the angels we face two worlds, and may grovel or grow, sink or soar, according to our at¬ titude and desires. We find what we seek, and in so doing reveal ourselves. Our estimate of our nature and powers is exemplified in our character. With confidence, hope, and love in our hearts we look upwards, find good everywhere, and press forward with deep convictions and overcoming will. But he who doubts, worries and mistrusts, dwells in gloom; he glances downwards, trembles, and loses faith in himself. How true it is that ‘as a man thinks in his heart so is he.’ We have set down our best thoughts and have incor¬ porated those which have come to us from our spirit pre¬ ceptors. We have laid many writers under contribution for helpful advice and suggestions, and we commend this work to the kindly and thoughtful consideration of all who seek for spiritual self-knowledge and self-possession. To the extent that the reader is assisted to be strong , self-reliant, optimistic and affirmative—a radiant center of psychical force of health and cheer—and by his example exerts an influence for good as a result of his spiritual un¬ folding and altruistic service to humanity, our purpose will be fulfilled. E. W. and M. H. Wallis. PART III. CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I.—The Soul and Its Powers .207 II. —Mediumship and Psychical Susceptibility . . 220 III. —Mystical, Occult, and Magical Powers . . . 229 IV. —Psychical and Mental Culture.242 V. —Psychometry, Clairvoyance and Healing . . 255 VI. —Practical Instructions fob Psychical Unfold- ment . 271 VII.— The Spiritual Significance ...... 295 PART III PHYSICAL SELF-CULTURE CHAPTER I. THE SOUE AND ITS DOWERS. We must not for a moment forget that nian is a spirit, differing only from the spirit after the death of the body, by the necessities and l imit ations of its physical connection. As such, it is capable within such limitations of manifest¬ ing the phenomena of spirit.—Hudson Tuttle. EeFall who will, learn that they themselves are the re¬ positories of all force, and that wisdo m may co nvert that, force into power , the first use of which is to render them- selves sefLgoverning and symmetrical.—B. G. E. The tendency towards the materialistic interpretation of the phenomena of life and consciousness, which seemed likely to carry all before it some fifty years ago, has been checked, in a large measure, we believe, as the result of the persistent recurrence of the phenomena associated with me- diumship, and physical scientists are turning their atten¬ tion with increasing success to the exploration of the un¬ seen realm of force that exists behind what we call matter. In his Presidential address at the meeting of the British Association of Science at Bristol, in 1898, Sir William Crookes stated that he would like to reverse the famous apothegm of his predecessor, Professor Tyndal (who said that he ‘found in matter the promise and potency of every form of terrestrial life’), and say instead, ‘In Life I see the promise and potency of all forms of mat - 208 A Guide to Mediumship ter,” and this may be taken to fairly represent the change of attitude from that of the materialist to that of the philosophical Spiritualist. LIFE THE ORGANIZER. The word Life is frequently used synonymously with spirit, and thinkers are beginning to realize that all po sitive. crea ti ve, or organizing force is Spirit; that, in fact. Life is Spirit in operation; living forms are organized life. Bodies do not beget Spirit, but are the results of the activities of Spirit. Thus all formative power is spiritual. Life acts from within outwards. The kingdom of power, possibility, and realization (of Heaven) is within. The people of the religious world are being caught in the prevailing thought-currents which are impelling them onward to the recognition of the spiritual nature of man and the immanence of the Spirit of the universe. Thus the materialists, literalists and formalists are all being car¬ ried behind the veil of the seen to the realm of the real, and the old mechanical methods of interpretation of the phe¬ nomena of Nature and of consciousness—of manifestation and of expression—are being rapidly revolutionized. MAN A TRIUNE BEING. By their phenomenal manifestations spirit people have demonstrated that man is a spirit, acting upon, and func¬ tioning through, the physical brain and body by means of the intermediate agency of a spiritual body, or psychical organism—sometimes denominated the ‘astral body.’ While the physical form is a microcosm, containing, rep¬ resentatively, all the forces and substances of the world to which it belongs, the spiritual body—or soul—is the vi¬ talizing arch-typal form which preserves the integrity of the outer organism in spite of the disintegration and re¬ newal which are continually going on in its constituent elements. The spirit (Ego) is the real self —the center of con- seiousness, power, thought, and emotion—an Intelligence, becoming aware of its own nature and powers but always above its own comprehension. 209 A Guide lo Mediumskip The soul, or the spirit’s body, has frequently been seen ( by clairvoyants, and has been described as ‘the counterpart of, or a silver lining to, the physical form.’ It is the agent immediately employed by the spirit in all reception of sensations from, and the expression of its thoughts, feel¬ ings, and purposes on, the outer plane. M. Gabriel Delanne uses the term ‘perisprit’ to in- dicate this" inner organism, which, he says, is co mposed of matter more~Tarefied than ether. . . ‘The existence of this perisprit,—of this double of the body, was known to the Greeks, who called it UTdolon; to St. Paul, wh o called it “th e spiritu al body”; to the Egyptians, who named it 7Ta or Bai, and to the alchemists and others. . . The perisprit is the model of the bod3 r , and contains the immu¬ table "design of every part of the organism; . . the nervous force being precisely the intermediary by winch tile sensations act upo n the perisprit. . . To-day, science has established an intimate, an absolute co-relation be¬ tween physiology and psychology and Spiritualism, and by demonstrating the existence of the perisprit, has shed an intense light on the problem of the soul. Thanks to this imponderable fluidic envelope, all recollections are tixed in this imperishable body. ’ SPIRIT AND SOUL. , The te rms spirit and soul are frequently used inter¬ changeably by theologians to designate the inner individual wh o survives physical death, but as Mr. St. George Stock says, ‘The trichotomy, in the ascending order of body, soul, and spirit, is the genuine doctrine of Spiritualism.’ He also states that ‘the word “soul” was employed by our translators of the Bible to render-;Jhe word “spirit” Being"" reserved for the Greek-, with which it is synonymous. There can be no doubt about the sense of the "words in Christian psychology’; and Mr. Desmond G. Fitz-Gerald has quoted a very apt passage from Justin 210 A Guide to Mediumship Martyr: ‘The body is the house of the soul, and the soul is the house of the spirit.’ * Dr. Alfred Russel Wallace affirms that ‘Spiritualism shows us that mind may exist without brain (physical) and disconnected from any material body that we can detect. ’ Psychical phenomena demonstrate the existence of the interior subtile body, with its own avenues of conscious¬ ness and expression, which not only exists apart from the physical body after death, but is present and active within that body, and show that under certain conditions it may be liberated and employ its faculties so as to see sights and hear sounds; aye, feel, taste, and smell things which escape the physical senses, and which, but for these powers of di¬ rect perception by the spiritual consciousness, would re¬ main unknown and practically non-existent. PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL. The employment of the words ‘physical’ and ‘spir¬ itual,’ as though they were anithetical, is misleading. This is equally true as regards the terms ‘ Mater ialism’ and ‘Spiritualism’—for matter and spirit are not opposites, nor are they foes, and these ‘isms’ are merely the attempts ofThinkers to elucidate the facts of existence as they ap¬ peal" to their consciousness. There is truth in both; but when either ‘ism’ is advocated as covering the whole ground, to the exclusion, of the othe r, trouble begins. We may safely claim that matter is—but what it is has yet to be ascertained; still, for all practical purposes, we know it by its phenomena, and it is real enough to us; let us not, however, mistake our impressions and sensations * Andrew Jackson Davis says: ‘Spirit is all in all, and is not subject to imperfection or disease; Soul, the intermedial reservoir of psychical potencies, is subject to ethers, fluids, foods, time, space, motion, temperature, temptation, disorder, disease, and the change termed death; the body, the outermost material garment, evolved from the soul elements, is subject by induction to each and every I condition and alteration which is natural to and Inseparable from the soul—in this rudimental sphere.’ A Guide to Mcdiumship 211 regarding it for the absolute truth. ‘The fundamental ba¬ sis of all occult science,’ says a thoughtful writer, ‘is that there is but one essence, and that all things—concrete mat¬ ter in its various manifestations, force, thought, and spirit—are but different forms of this cosmic matter, the difference consisting in the distance separating the mole¬ cules and in their arrangement.’ MATTER AND MIND. Some metaphysicians tell us that there is no such thing as matter, all is mind, or Spirit. From one point of view that may be perfectly true; but the body—bones, brawn, blood, brains, breath, and all—is a real existence, for there is a something which we think we possess and use; a some¬ thing that answers to our will, and impresses our conscious¬ ness—it is therefore, for all practical purposes, a real body, and has to be treated as such. We may know that the color is not in the rose—all the same we think and speak of roses being red or white, or of some other hue, and we recognize that they exist externally to ourselves. It will be w r ell, therefore, to be on our guard against being carried away by metaphysical subtleties and getting be¬ yond our depth. While we are in this world w r e must pre¬ serve our relations to our environing conditions; it will be time enough for us to spurn them and rise superior to the sense-world—when we have done with it! In tne mean¬ time we are here, and our problem is, how to make the best use of our powers and opportunities. SPIRIT THE CAUSE, BODY THE RESULT. If it be true that all bodies grow as the result of the formative power of the indwelling life which calls them into being and maintains their existence, then our physical organisms may fairly be regarded as ‘materialized forms’; 'more enduring, it is true, than those which are sometimes observed in the seance chamber, but just as certainly man¬ ifestations of spirit power. It follows, therefore, that phy¬ sical life is a phenomenal expression of spirit, and that this Is a spirit world - —the first stage in our career as conscious 212 A Guide to Mediumsliip entities—and that we are spirits clothed upon with ‘forms,’ which are vitalized and governed by our soul-forces, more or less consciously and intelligently employed. This world, then, is a spirit-sphere, its laws and forces are spiritual, and therefore physical and spiritual condi¬ tions are but varied aspects of the same facts. Physical and spiritual forces are not antagonistic but complemen¬ tary: they are not antipathetic but may be regarded as different phases of the one great existence. Viewed from one standpoint, we see the material, viewed from, the other >ye see the sp iritua l; b oth v iews are correct as far as they go, but when we are no longer misled by ‘appearances’ we recognize that which is, and realize the Oneness, Order, and Beauty of Life, as expressed in the diverse modes of mani¬ festation with which we are familiar. ALL CULTURE REALLY PSYCHICAL. When we speak of psychical self-culture, then, we must bear in mind that all culture is psychical; it is the result of the study, concentration, and use of our natural powers, and involves conscious and persistent effort. There jean be no culture without intelligent observation, application, and volition, and as these activities belong to the spirit, the re¬ sults on all planes—physical, mental, and moral—are due to psychical activity, voluntarily exercised by the indi¬ vidual who desires to know himself and enjoy the fruits of his efforts. As the spirit is dependent upon the brain and body, through the spiritual organism, for its sensations, the mani¬ festation of its consciousness, the exercise of its power, and the gratification of its desires on the sensuous plane; the cultivation of the physical body, the preservation of health, and the improvement of organic conditions, will all come under the head of ‘psychical self-culture.’ For a sound body is needed through which a sound mind may operate, and physical cleanliness, equally as much as moral purity, is next to godliness. It is well known that the athlete, to secure the best results from his efforts, must put his mind and will into his work, and it is therefore clearly apparent A Guide to Mediumship 213 that physical and psychi cal conditions are so intimately re¬ lated that they cannot be divorced, and that nei ther body nor mind can be neglected or misused without injury to froth! True self-realization can only be attained through the healthy development of the instrument through which we have to operate to become conscious of our true nature, and make manifest our interior attributes. We need, therefore, to reverence and use our bodies, not neglect, con¬ temn, or despitefully treat them, for what they are they are, because of, and resulting from, the psychical powers inherent in the Spirit. DEFINITIONS ARE DANGEROUS. Definitions which divide and specialize need careful watching. The phrenologist who maps out the brain and feels for bumps, who apportions specific functions to special organs, it not likely to prove a succesful character-reader unless he allows for the fact that the mind, as a whole, is expressed through the agency of the brain and bod}', as a whole. If he does not recognize that there are interacting and reacting influences and conditions, both physical and spirit ual, winch affect and modify the special, or depart¬ mental, processes of the various organs, he will give but a superficial reading of his ‘subject.’ After all, spiritual states must be spiritually discerned, and he must not only feel bumps and consider physioligical processes but sym¬ pathetically feel, ‘sense,’ or intuitively cognize mental and psychical forces and qualities. ‘seven souls’ or one. For the purposes of analysis and comprehension it may be legitimate to speak of man’s ‘seven principles,’ or ‘seven souls’ (or even ten or twelve souls), just as we recognize that the body has its several parts—its bony framework, its muscular, arterial, nervous and other ‘systems’ and organs, with their respective functions, but these do not and can¬ not exist and live separately from each other; they are the ‘parts’ that go to make up the ‘whole.’ Similarly, we may speak of man’s ‘selfish animal propensities,’ his ‘intellec¬ tual faculties,’ his 'moral and religious sentiments,’ but 214 A Guide to Mcdiumship these cannot be separated save for the purposes of argu¬ ment, or thought, regarding them. Consciousness and in¬ telligence and moral values are involved in them all—the very term selfish animal propensities implies the moral standard of judgment. In the same way we hear of people who have ‘too much head’ and ‘too little heart,’ and of others who are ‘soft-hearted’ or ‘royal-souled,’ and fre¬ quently the man of heart or emotion is extolled and the hard-headed, cold-hearted scientist is condemned: but all these emotions, tendencies, and activities are states of con¬ sciousness in the individual who expresses them; they are not sep arate and distinct compartments of his mentality but are inter related, not independent—consequently, while controversialists and analysts may dispute as to which is best, highest, or most spiritual, we may recognize that they are correlated and that consciousness synthesises all the modes of manifestation by which the Intelligent Operator seeks self-comprehension and self-expression by self-educa¬ tion. THE PROBLEM OF CONSCIOUSNESS. The psychological vivisectionist in a similar fashion en¬ deavors to dissect the human consciousness and discourses of ‘sub’ and ‘supra’ liminal consciousness; of the ‘subjec¬ tive? inner as distinguished from the ordinary, everyday ‘objective’ self-consciousness; and, dealing with the more or less abnormal and fragmentary mental expressions of diseased persons, classifies the aberrations which they pre¬ sent for his observation, and talks glibly of ‘multiple per¬ sonalities’; but we need to be on our guard against sup¬ posing that the arrested, or broken, expressions of the psy¬ chical self of a limited number of unbalanced people are proofs that the normal man or woman is a congeries of personalities—or distinct individualities. The well-informed student of Spiritualism is aware of the fact that mediums are frequently controlled by a num¬ ber of different spirits who display istinct individual char¬ acteristics, and he will hardly be prepared to admit that they are merely phases of the multiple personalities of the sensitive that indulge in ‘play acting,’ and falsely assert A Guide to Mediumship 215 themselves to be discarnate human beings. He will nat¬ urally ask, if the sub-conscious self is conscienceless, how does it happen that mesmerists and hypnotists assure us that when their subjects are in the somnambulic state they are more than ordinarily affirmatively moral and reliable, and stern ly repel suggestions of an immoral or untruthful character?* He will inquire clear and convincing proofs before he believes that man is a bundle of personalities, more or less distinct and ignorant of each other’s existence, and that the subliminal self, or the supraliminal self, is an unmitigated liar, as he must assuredly be if he is the sole source of communications which purport to be of spirit origin. EACH ONE LIVES IN HIS OWN WORLD. The ordinary conscious mind of daily life may be re¬ garded as the sensuous and intellectual consciousness, re¬ inforced and illuminated to some extent by the occasional glimpses it-gets-of. the inner spiritual consciousness. We may live in the animal self, with a good deal of intellectual activity on the external plane, and be almost entirely un¬ aware of our interior psychical consciousness. Not only so, but we always live, in the court of our own individ¬ uality, in a world of our own. No one else can enter into it or understand us, see as we see, feel as we feel, or realize as we do. In fact, we only partially know ourselves. We cannot fully comprehend our own mental, moral, and psy¬ chical emotions and desires, and for the most part we have too exclusively devoted time and thought to acquiring knowledge of our sensations of external things, and have neglected to cultivate our intuitions and trust the voice of the spirit within. Theodore Parker has well said: ‘There * Here is what au American author says on this point: ‘Under hypnosis a subject may be made to do things that are ridiculous, absurd, or funny, but never anything that is an absolute detriment to himself, for the subjective mind is always on the alert for the welfare of the individual, and in that state he is more keenly awake to receive impressions for good, and therefore is better guarded than in the waking state.’ 216 dL Guide to Mediumsliip are practically four sources of knowledge—direct and in¬ direct, primary and secondary—viz: Perception for sen¬ sible things; Intuition for spiritual things; Reflection for logical things; and Testimony for historical things. ’ Professor Loveland says there is a duality of mental action and manifestation which seemingly indicates a du¬ ality of persons, but it would be better to say that there is a personal and an impersonal mind—or that there are two sources from which the reason obtains the material for thought formation. The imperso nal mind, he says, is the primary, organic homogeneous mind, that knows but does not know that it knows or what it does, and acts automati¬ cally; the personal consciousness is the intellectual pro¬ gressive mind that knows that it knows and is gradually mastering the problem of how it knows. The special is dif¬ ferentiated from the homogeneous, and the primary, or sub consciousness, is impersonal—lacking self- conscious¬ ness, but ruling the organs and functions of the body; and He affirms that, the conscious self is beginning to compre¬ hend and appreciate the other self; the intellect is learning to translate the sensations of the sub-conscious self, which intuitively knows and feels. * It is true that the range of our understanding of the processes of consciousness is being extended, and we are learning to discriminate and select. We need not respond to the predominant impulses which we expei’ience without realizing their source or significance. Still, with the best desire in the world, even under the most harmonious con¬ ditions and circumstances, we cannot give to others the full and true import of our daily inner spiritual life. Our own inmost consciousness is our own, and is incom¬ municable. CONSCIOUS CONSCIOUSNESS. Speaking of the subliminal consciousness, Mr. St. George Lane Fox-Pitt said: ‘Broadly, it might be said to include that overshadowing destiny of the individual with all its immense ramifications and affinities, as well as that * ‘Essay on Mediumship.’ A Guide to Mediuimship 217 mere fragment of its potentiality which happened to come under observation on some particular occasion. One func¬ tion of the su bliminal mind was comparable to that of a reservoir for the conscious self—to take in and give out memories and influences, increasing the resources and pre¬ venting waste of mental effort? Surely this is but another way of saying that there exists a spirit which is conscious of its own consciousness, and refers to what the Spiritualist has been in the habit of regarding as the ‘inner’ or ‘psy¬ chical consciousness,’ or what Andrew Jackson Davis calls the ‘superior condition.’ The Spirit self receives and unifies all impressions, in¬ tuitions, sensations, and presides over the agencies of ex¬ pression, and therefore the true spirit consciousness is a unit—a diamond with many facets, so to speak—flashing with and reflecting the light from all sides and from with¬ in itself. Horatio Dresser thinks the most plausible theory of the human mind ‘is that which regards il as a sub-con¬ scious unit, different aspects of which are called into con¬ sciousness during our waking hours, is somnambulism, in hypnosis, in clairvoyance, clairaudience. telepathy, and spiritual illumination.’* We are inclined to think the as- pects her e referred to are those which belong to the higher or supraliminal, rather than the lower or subliminal states of consciousness—these latter being the more automatic or involuntary processes whereby the normal mind is relieved of the necessity of constantly keeping watch and ward over the operations of the bodv. SPIRIT THE GRAND REALTY. While it is difficult to determine what are Involuntary and what are voluntary operations; what are purely in¬ tellectual processes and what are sentimental impulses; what are immoral or moral motives, or whether they are simply inunoral; what we owe to heredity, environment, or education, and what we originate and perform of and from ourselves—while, in fact, it is difficult to determine how far we are creatures of environment and circumstances, and * ‘In Search of a Soul.’ 218 A Guide to Mediumslvip how far we are spirits capable of initiating operations and wielding forces that mould circumstances and de¬ termine our status—whether we shall succumb to circum¬ stances or create and control them—we shall find that a great deal will depend upon our attitude, our view¬ point ; and here the beauty and utility of the spiritual philosophy are manifest. If we realize that Spirit is the grand reality, that we are permanent amid the changing elements of our bodies and our kaleidoscopic circumstances; that we educate our powers by trusting and employing them; that we are intelligent centers of force, not blind un¬ conscious aggregations of atoms, then we can realize that the purpose of Life here is served by the acquisition of knowledge, the intelligent use of power, the conscious un¬ derstanding, cultivation, and expression of inherent capa¬ bilities and possibilities; or, in other words, that the great business of life is to live; to secure all-round development; to mould one’s character; to realize ideals; to win the golden mean of use, of rightful observance, exercise, grati¬ fication, and enjoyment; to express one’s self, and live the normal, healthful, happy life naturally—as spontaneously as children; to attain to the thrilling life of self-compre¬ hension and inward realization of the liberty of the spirit, the joy of being and doing and the glad, conscious exercise of the power of overcoming limitations, of becoming free, wise, and strong in altruistic services to the race. ‘M.A. (Oxon)’ enforced this view when he said:—‘When we learn to cherish Harmony and to love Peace; to aspire to a life of true spiritual vigor and health; to regard the phe¬ nomenal evidences of spirit action only as the signs and wonders that testify to the inner working of the inspiring and informing spirit that broods over the waste waters of our earthly life; to avoid the depths where linger the mist and fog of earth, and to rise to the heights where we may breathe the pure and invigorating air that braces the spirit within us; when, in brief, we lift our souls to the noblest ideal that they can grasp, we shall realize, as we cannot now, the spirit and the truth of Spiritualism.’ Not only so; we shall realize that the ‘Unity of the Spirit’ and the ‘Brotherhood of Man’ are not mere idle phrases, A Guide to Mediumship 219 but scientific facts. That we stand related to each other in the Divine order in the closest and most intimate spir¬ itual sympathy—the Law laid upon us, and working through us, requires ‘from each, according to his capacity, service to each according to his need’; and Ella Wheeler Wilcox has sweetly emphasized the fact that we are all united by the cord of love on the plane of universal being, in the following beautiful lines:— ‘With every impulse, deed, or word, Wherein love blends with duty, A message speeds along the cord That gives the earth more beauty. Your unkind thought, your selfish deed, Is felt in farthest places; There are no solitudes where greed And wrong can hide their faces. Tlier are no separate lines; the chain, Too subtle for our seeing. Unites us all upon the plane Of universal being.’ 22 U A Guide to Mediumship CHAPTER II. MEDIUM SHIP AND PSYCHICAL SUSCEPTIBILITY. Mediumship, then, is a tutelage that leads you forward from the recognition of the fact that there are possib ilities in you that others can utilize, to the understanding of the greater" fact that you can utilize those possibilities for yourself. The true cultivation of mediumship is a stepping- stone to the exercise of your own spiritual powers.—J. J. Morse. Higher mediumship means higher manhood and -wo¬ manhood. It means consecration to the weal of all—an every-day consciousness of the invisible yet real substan¬ tialities of being. It means a spirit opened to the illapses of life, power and love from the realm of spirit life. In a word, it is becoming aware of the spirituality of our self¬ hood and our vital relationship to all the spheres of pos¬ sible spirit life.—Prof. Loveland. It has become somewhat fashionable of late years to extol the ‘higher mediumship’—by which is meant the ex¬ ercise by the sensitive of his powers or perception on the inner plane as a clairvoyant, psychometrist, or hea ler. Strictly speaking, however, in soTar as these powers are normally employed by their possessor, it. is hardly appro¬ priate to apply the term ‘mediumship’ to them, as tha t word implies that an outside Intelligence makes use of the medium as his Intermediary, for the purpose of communi¬ cating w'iht his friends. Bulbas imp ressions, suggestions, mental pictures, or symbols may be transferred to, im¬ pressed upon, or consciously received by, the seer from operators upon the other side; or he may see and de- scri be spirit persons and con vey thoughts from them to those who consult him—although not directly ‘controlled’ A Guide to Mediumship 221 by them—the word mediiimsliip in this ex tende d sens e may be permissible. ' There is undoubtedly far more communion between the people of the two states of existence than is ordinarily recognized, even by the Spiritualist. Many people act upon spontaneous impulses, and express ideas that they cannot explain to themselves, much less trace to their source. Spir¬ its frequently associate with and serve their friends, al- Though the recipients of their Benefactions are unconscious pT th eir dependence upon their unseen inspirers, and would be horrified, in all probability, if they were made aware of the origin of their ideas and impulses. THE GREAT THOUGHT WORLD. There is, too, the fact that, as we say, ‘ideas are in the air,’ and we become related to, and draw upon, the realm of thought forces and principles. Not only can we enter into personal relation with given individuals in the spirit world, but the great thought atmosph ere, the plane of uni¬ versal ideas, is open to those who are attuned to its vibra¬ tions, and all progressive spiritual thinkers ultimately ar¬ rive at that altitude, no matter what road they travel. * Many mediums have been conscious that they have tapped the thought-tides from the unseen and have been inspired by the combined influences of the thinkers of a certain grade or sphere, and there can be no doubt that there would be more of this kind of inspiration if the aspirational and receptive moods were more intelligently cultivated. So close and intimate on the plane of spiritual fellow¬ ship are the relations between the two worlds that he would be a bold man—or an ignorant one—who would repudiate the probability of his indebtedness to the people of the higher life, individually or collectively. Poets, composers, orators, and writers frequently write and speak ‘wiser than * It is said that at the time Professor Bell was perfecting his telephone at least three other inventors were developing the same thing. In wireless telegraphy Marconi had three rivals, and who built the first liquid-air apparatus is at present in dispute. they know,’ ami voice the thoughts which flow into and through them, which were born in that sphere of ideas and powers which we call the great spirit world. * HOW LUCIDITY CAN BE OBTAINED. By centering the thought upon a given object and by purposely abstracting one’s self from the external plane of consciousness, it is possible to liberate the latent energies of the p sych ical body, and by desire, or aspiration, call them into active use, and thus attain a condition of ‘lu¬ cidity.’ or inner perception, in which the mind intuitively apprehends and comprehends states, conditions, qualities or influences to which it is blind, deaf, and unresponsive under ordinary circumstances. This is the condition that is induced in the subject by the mesmerist when he is aroused from the coma into which he at first lapses. It is the ‘superior condition,’ or the ‘ecstasy,’ experienced by such men as A. J. Davis, Swedenborg, and by mystics gen¬ erally. It can be attained by mental abstraction, medita¬ tion. and desire, or by concentration, contemplation, and self-suggestion, and in course of time may be induced at will. Thus, by ‘retiring into the silence’ (or entering into the holy of holies of one’s inner self), and by calling upon the ‘Christ within,’ illumination will eventually be exper¬ ienced which will constitute veritable revelation, and prove to be a source of unexpected strength. * ‘Men err in attributing to spirit influence that only which is objective. The truer inspirations flow into the soul when it is least conscious of objective matters. The voice of the higher spirits com¬ muning with the soul is silent, noiseless, and frequently unobserved, felt only in its results, but unknown in its processes. For all in¬ spiration flows direct from Him whom you call God; that is to say. from the Great All-pervading Spirit who is in, and through, and amongst all. You live indeed, as we live, in a vast ocean of spirit, from which all knowledge and wisdom flows into the soul of man.' —‘Imperator’ to ‘M. A. (Oxon).’ A Guide to MediumsJiip 223 THE ATTITUDE TO BE OBSERVED. The attitude of mind to be adopted by the student who wishes to normally cultivate his sensitiveness and direct his soul forces for definite purposes, differs in some re¬ spects from that in which the seeker for mediumship ap¬ proaches the subject. He must concentrate his attention upon his own sensations, and cultivate the introspective powers of mind. Instead of being acted upon by a ‘con¬ trolling spirit’ he must become his own control. He can¬ not ‘leave it alb to the spirits’; he is to become the seer, the knower; ready to receive, interpret, and respond to the thrills and impulses that touch his psychical sphere. He must learn to estimate their significance; grow conscious of their quality; realize their value and be able to live the inner life—to feel, see, hear, and cognize with the soul’s perception. He has to govern himself; to discipline his emotions; to subordinate his own likes and dis¬ likes that he may deepen, intensify, focalize, and realize his consciousness upon the inner plane, so that the faintest vibrations of the subtile personal aura of others, and their delicate moral and spiritual aromas may be ‘sensed’ and gauged as clearly as those which are more violent, coarse, and gross. He needs to be sufficiently self-cultured and self-centred to register and interpret these ‘influences’ and then throw them off, so that he will not be affected per¬ manentl y or injurioulsy. He will require to know how and when to be ‘open’ and responsive, and to cultivate sufficient will-power to positively close up all avenues of psychical susceptibility whenever and wherever he feels It necessary. His desire should be to become consciously able to receive, and be ‘inspired’ by, the thoughts and emotions which move the hearts of others, and yet main¬ tain his balance and preserve a calm, discriminating atti¬ tude. SPIRIT INSPIRERS WELCOME. The intimate blending of his mental states with the ‘impressions’ or thought-transferences which he receives from the people both on this side and ‘over there,’ often perplexes the conscientious sensitive who neither wishes to 224 A Guide to Mcdiumship receive others nor be deceived, and lie requires considerable patience as well as discernment to learn to differentiate the ideas and impulses that reach him from an outside source, from those which result from the activity of his own spirit—and, ideed, it is often hard to tell whether* tne activity of his own spirit is not due to some stimulus that reaches him from a spirit friend. Many people are natural healers, intuitive character readers and normal seers from childhood; hence it is often hard for them to determine whether they are indebted to spirits or do their work unaided. It is a matter of evi¬ dence. If they receive proofs of the presence and action of an intelligent operator ‘on the other side,’ well and good; but if they do not, and yet see, ‘sense,’ and heal, they are doing good work, and at least demonstrate the fact that we are spirits here and now, and possess these spirtual gifts or psychical faculties by virtue of our spirit origin and nature. That is a great point gained as against materialism. The fact is, mediumship and psychical sus¬ ceptibility can and should be cultivated side by side. If sensitives were to devote two evenings each week, one to the development of mediumship and the other to the cult¬ ure of psychical susceptibility and the exercise of those powers, progress could be made along both lines with in¬ teracting beneficial results. It would be the height of unwisdom for one who essays to become as a spirit among spirits and enter the inner realm of spiritual life, to scornfully reject the sympathy and guidance of such spirits as would willingly aid him without infringing his psychical liberties or rights. The more fully he realizes this fact and the more willing he is to receive, and be grateful for, the protection, assistance, and inspiring thoughts of the illuminated and loving peo¬ ple of the after-death world, the more he will be assisted by those who are fitted to co-operate with him in his laud¬ able endeavors to cultivate his sensitiveness and attain higher spirituality, that he may be the more helpful to suffering humanity. A Guide to Mediumship 225 HAPHAZARD DEVELOPMENT DEPRECATED. The cultivation of psychical susceptibility has hitherto been left too much to chance. Many persons have been conscious that they possessed powers of perception and in¬ tuitive cognition beyond the ordinary range, but they did not understand themselves, nor were they understood by those around them. ‘Sensitives’ frequently suffer extremely because of the indifference and callousness of others. They themselves are apt to imagine that they are in danger of insanity; their friends and acquaintances regard them as being ‘ pe-. culiar, ’ ‘ eccentric, ’ or ‘ not quite right ’; and, as a nat¬ ural consequence, they shrink into themselves and en¬ deavor to repress all spontaneous exercise of their gifts; and what should be regarded as a priceless boon, and an agency for good, comes to be considered as an infliction and a cause of suffering and misery. Those who are mod¬ erately sensitive might, by attention to the necessary con¬ ditions, by study of their own peculiar sensations, and by experiments to develop their powers, speedily become con¬ scious of the fact that they are affected by, and reflect, the psychical and mental conditions of others. What are called psychometry, clairvoyance, and clair- audience may be classed together as one faculty, and it is more than probable that the phenomena of thought-trans¬ ference are but modes of the same sensitiveness, or the jmwer of r ecept ion and perce ption of vibrations on the psychical or so-called ‘astral’ plane. REALIZATION. The consciousness of the psychical realm is a state of realization which differs from that of the outer physical and mem ory consciousness. In many instances the ordinary consciousness is suspended and the psychic is in a state resembling trance; yet there are conditions of illumina¬ tion, or occasional experiences, in which the percipient is fully aware of all that happens, and the psychical is added to the physical consciousness, not substituted for it. Ac- 226 A Guide to Medhimship cideutal experiences have aroused curiosity and inquiry up to a certain point, or the haphazard groping in the dark of the ordinary ‘developing circle,’ where the sitters, Mi- cawber-like, have ‘waited for what ever might turn up,’ has led to the discovery of a number of individuals who, with the aid of excarnate operators, have become success¬ ful psycliometrists and clairvoyants, and some of these (when they have been studious and progressive) have at length attained the stage of self-unfoldment and self¬ comprehension, and have become normal psychometrists and clairvoyants by learning how to place themselves in the receptive attitude; but surely the time has arrived for the adoption of more intelligent and rational methods of development. While it is undoubtedly true that psychics, like poets, ‘must be born, not made,’ because ‘sensitiven ess^ is a nat¬ ural condition depending upon a physiological state, or an organic and constitutional aptitude, there are doubtless many persons who, while possessing these qualifications, are ignorant of their value when cultivated and intelli¬ gently employed. Most sensitives of note can relate strange incidents in their childhood which revealed their psychical openness, but such experiences are in reality pointers to the fact that there are in all of us inherent dormant capa¬ bilities which we may call forth and unfold—if we will. STUDY AND SYSTEMATIC CULTIVATION NEEDED. A School of the Prophets might be founded, and classes instituted for instruction in the methods of psychical ex¬ pression, but no amount of in-struction will suffice. It is only what the pupil appropriates and utilizes for the cdu- cation of his own powers that benefits him. Evolution is "from within outwards, and the unfolding and expression of the interior powers of the spirit self is a work which must be performed by each one for himself. Pupils daily “devote hours to practice upon the piano that they may master the difficulties of the right use of their fingers. The initial experiences are trying and monotonous, but the reward is sure in the ability and power which come at A Guide to Mediumship 227 last to the lover of music. Why should not the psychical student devote his time and thought, with equal persistence and patience, to the cultivation of his powers and the development of his responsiveness to those tones, chords, notes, voices, thrills, and harmonies which charm the inner ear and ravish the soul ? It is only by repetition, by contin¬ uous application and endeavor that men become expert and successful. The difficulty which at first seems insur¬ mountable disappears when resolutely attacked. NO TWO PSYCHICS ARE EXACTLY ALIKE. Sensitives who consciously exercise their soul-powers of perception vary considerably, and the personal equation has to be reckoned with in all cases. Some psychics can succeed under conditions which present insuperable bar¬ riers to others; and while we may give the general out¬ lines of methods to be pursued for the cultivation of psy¬ chical faculties, it will be necessary for the observant and intelligent student to make - experiments and discover the specific conditions favorable for their exercise. There are different planes of psychical unfoldment, of clairvoyant and psychometric perception : different degrees of lucidity and of response to influences and impressions; and the abilities of psychics differ. Some are quick, intui¬ tive, "affection ate, and poetic. Manj r readily respond to thought-pictures and impulses, but seldom reach the inner plane of clear spirit sight. Many perceive symbolical rep¬ resentations rather than the things themselves, and the value of their experiences will depend upon their ability to interpret tbe symbols accurately. Some seers are mystical, others practical and matter -of-fact, and other differences wTTT'soon become apparent to the student. The nature of one’s psychical experiences will vary from time to time. On one occasion a seer may reach a high level, breathe a clear air, become conscious of his spiritual surroundings, and possibly see into the spirit-world, whereas at other times he may feel himself hemmed in and hampered in an incomprehensible fashion. To-day he may be on the moun¬ tain-tops of exaltation, and revel in the delightful liberty 228 A Guide to Mediumship and power which he realizes; to-morrow he may he be¬ fogged and enveloped in the mists of the sense-world. He may try to cultivate his interior nature, and may observe all the instructions he can obtain, and yet have no outward and visible sign of any inward change or progress towards his goal. He may ‘retire into the silence/ and by medita¬ tion and supplication seek to harmonize his nature to the right rhythm for receptive response to the vibrations of the psychical atmosphere; or he may concentrate his attention and make his demand, may focalize his will-power and seek to visualize; but all to no purpose—the heavens are as brass, and his darkness is unrelieved. Then he may relax his strained endeavors and simply wait—neither anxious nor demanding, neither expectant nor imperious; content to wait; hopeful, but not impatient; and then the light may gome and the inner self may enter into the conscious rea¬ lization of its relationship to the realities of the unseen, and the outer consciousness may understandingly enjoy the inspirations of that inner and inward light. In one way or another, sooner or later, the opening up of the soul’s senses will be achieved if patience has her perfect work. But a serene and peaceable mind, a waiting and attentive attitude, a harmonious and altruistic spirit will prove to Be the best passport into the inner life and the attainment of the superior condition. A C’xuide to Mediumship 229 CHAPTER III. MYSTICAL, OCCULT, AND MAGICAL POWERS. There is one science and philosophy of life here and here¬ after, that comes free to all as the sunlight, and scorns the limitations of creed, set forms of belief, and the organic efforts of self-constituted leaders. It founds no lodge, and its believers are not identified by grip or sign. Its holy temple is the wide world, its brothers are mankind, its effort is to escape from the mysteries of ignorance to the light of truth, its leaders are the independent workers innumerable, who labor in diverse ways, and the angel host. —Hudson Tuttle. Psychology, or strong will, is perhaps a more potent fac¬ tor in the world’s economj' than the world’s rank and file know or dream of; and when psych ological power is pro- .jected in any direction from a strongly magnetic person, it touches the object or person aimed at for good or evil, and according to the intent for good or evil of the psychologist has it been named ‘white or black magic .* .As to spells, ehanas, incantations, etc., these were only used as means of concentrating will-power, tin real power being in the wilt,, especially as above stated, when that will is projected upon its object by powerful magnetism.—Emma Tlardinge Britten. As regards the so-called astral, magical or occult powers of man, sef/-culture may be regarded by some people as chimerical. To them these alleged ‘occult’ forces are mys¬ terious, and they believe that those who would learn to employ them require the aid of adepts, brotherhoods, secret rites, incantations, extraordinary discipline, symbols, spells. 230 A Guide fo Mediumship and we know not what. Myst ery and fear, ignorance and superstition go hand in hand, and the realm of the un¬ known was ever the happy hunting-ground of the charlatan, who, with his "bombastic pretences, fattened upon the cre¬ dulity and folly of his fellows. Every one of us is a centei*-stance as well as a circum¬ stance. We exert our influence by our example, and, too, by our auric emanations. We radiate health, hope, helpful¬ ness, and good; or send out influences which deplete and injure those who come into our sphere. If we are ignorant, but sensitive and psychically ‘open,’ we may be torn by conflicting emotions and distracted by cross magnetism, or fall victims to the positive psychical currents that are pro¬ jected upon us by the crafty, designing, selfish, opinion¬ ated people whose fair pretences and smooth words but cloak their ulterior sensual, mercenary, or malicious de¬ signs. UNCONSCIOUS HYPNOTIC INFLUENCE. Two persons may be naturally en rapport without any knowledge of the fact that they are psychical beings, or that there is any such subtle relationship. This explains why some people exercise a fascination over their fellows, in¬ fluencing their minds, sometimes even to the extent of mak¬ ing them tools and catspaws to do their will for good or evil. These are matters of daily experience; but the great trouble is that there is such profound ignorance with re¬ gard to them, and it is in ignorance that the danger lies, not in knowledge. One great fact in this connection which everybody should know is that all human beings can pro¬ tect themselves against adverse or injurious psychical sug¬ gestions. When they are consciou s of their power they can 'co ncen trate their will, shut the doors and windows of their personality, and refuse to be impinged upon or affected by influences other than those morally helpful and sustaining. Is it not the fact that the successful business man is often one who. whether he understands the science or not, has the power of bringing his will force to bear upon the unsuspect¬ ing persons with whom he Avishes to do business until they comply with his desires? On the Stock Exchange, in the A Guide to Mediumsip 231 mart, the factory, and the shop, aye, in almost all the re¬ lations of life, men are constantly directing their psychical powers upon one another in this way. The successful sales¬ man sells you something you do not want, but it is not until you have quitted his shop and are free of the ‘psychological envelope’ in which he enmeshed you. that you awake to a realization of the fact. The successful orator, preacher, re¬ former, revivalist, is generally one whose personal mag¬ netism enables him to dominate his hearers and relate him¬ self to them on the psychical plane, so that, although he may be unaware of the fact, his utterances become to them hypnotic suggestions. TIIE WONDERS OF EASTERN MAGIC EXAGGERATED. Those who talk of the wisdom of the ancients should remember that we are the ancients of the race. The further we probe into the records of the mystical East, the nearer we get to the childhood of the race, not to its maturity. If evolution—physical, mental, and spiritual—has been go¬ ing on throughout the ages, and the race progressing towards that ‘one far-off" divine event to which the whole creation moves,’ the world must possess, in the spirit that moves this age, the culmination and outcome of the thoughts and spiritual illuminations of the learned, wise, inspired, and great thinkers and teachers, poets and seers of all times; knowledge and enlightenment are more widespread, and the people of to-day know more of truth, and there is more intelligent goodness and love actively expressed and more generally manifested, than in any bygone period. ‘Tien Sien Tie,’ speaking through INI r. J. J. Morse,* after mentioning the fact, that his experience had been wide¬ spread and his observations extended, for he had enjoyed the opportvmity of investigating the so-called magic of the Orientals, went on to ‘unhesitatingly affirm’ that when magic is divested of all its superfluous elements and brought down to its basic facts and laws, the enlarged state¬ ments as to the alleged wonders performed by ancient ma¬ gicians were ‘either thoughtless or wilful exaggerations,’ * 'Practical Occultism.’ 232 A Guide to Mediumship and that, if their claims are closely investigated, the alleged performers of occult things avoid giving any public state¬ ment and shelter behind vows of secrecy, and refer to the claimed results of the powers they say they possess. If these facts are borne in mind, ‘half the glory and three- fourths of the mystery associated with magic in the past will flee away for ever. The Magi of the past,’ he con¬ tended, ‘when not teachers pure and simple, had been trained in a certain course of practical philosophy in re¬ gard to man’s mental, psychological and spiritual powers, expressed in symbols and veiled in allegories, which, when penetrated and interpreted, yielded only the same kind of knowledge familiar to Modern Spiritualists. There is in man a power which enables him to use all beneath him or upon a level with him, to the extent of his ability—but his ability is the governing factor, he cannot go beyond that. The power of the will, governed by the enlightened soul and intelligence, enables him to accomplish many things that seem most remarkable to the untrained.’ MAGIC, WHITE AND BLACK. Dr. Franz Hartmann says in his work on ‘Magic, White and Black’: ‘Magic is that knowledge of the spiritual powers hidden within the constitution of man, which enables him to employ them consciously and intelligently. IF he employs them for the purpose of attaining perfec¬ tion through the realization within himself of the highest ideal, common to all mankind, it is called “white magic”; and he may use these powers for beneficent purposes and in harmony with the universal law of love and justice; if he employs them for low or selfish purposes, or in opposi¬ tion to divine law, he makes the high subservient to the low, he degrades the spirit, and with it himself. This mis¬ use of divine power’s is called “black magic,” and it is not my object to teach this art, but to warn the readers against it.’ It will be seen that black magic differs from white in the character of the motives and mehods of the one who practices it. The white magician exerts his influence over others for their good. His motives are true and kindly; he A Guide to Mediumship 233 uses his will, magnetism, suggestion, and vital force to strengthen and stimulate those with whom he deals to vir¬ tuous courses. He heals the sick, comforts the sad, en¬ courages the weary, and helps the weak to become firm and brave. He does not seek to dominate others that he may use and bend them to his own purposes, but he strives to awaken in them the power of self-control and to assist them to gain the higher level of spiritual consciousness, that they may be intromitted to the world of souls and in¬ teriorly grasp spiritual truth. The black magician, on the other hand, endeavors to exert his psychological powers to fascinate others and ren¬ der them subservient to his-will, so that they shall become his tools to do his behests and further his scheme, gratify his love of power, his vanity, passion, or avarice; yield obedience to his whim, or execute his malicious designs to injure others. Those who thus seek to employ the force of will to dominate others, and exercise psychical control over them to gratify their own private and personal ends, are unworthy custodians of the power, and while they may succeed temporarily, they will themselves most assuredly suffer in the long run, and eventually, to use a Scotch proverb, ‘sup sorrow with a big spoon.’ HYPNOTISM : ITS DANGERS. There is, w 7 e fear, too much ground for the statement that we read recently that the study of magic is pursued in many cases for the sake of the power it is suposed to give to the student to cause others to do according to his will, and that he may be able to make the forces of Nature serve him in the prosecution of his selfish designs. There are a number of advertisers who, according to their own assertions, are prepared to teach others how to hypno¬ tize so that they can ‘compel success,’ even to the extent of making unwilling people sign documents in their fa¬ vor. * The power of hypnotism in the hands of unscrupu- | * Here is an extract from a circular by one of these advertisers: ‘We show you how people are made to execute wills in favor of certain persons. Hundreds of wills have been made contrary to the 234 A Guide to Mediumship lous people, when employed against ignorant, unsuspicious, or credulous persons who can be terrorized, is a most dan¬ gerous one, and no one who respects himself will submit to the experiments of a would-be operator whom he does not know, or cannot trust, because the subject is put into a peculiar state of semi-trance or sleep, and the operator dic¬ tates what he shall see, feel, think, and remember; thus the senses are subjugated, the memory is interfered with, and the subject is subservient to the will, or thought, or sugges¬ tion, or mental direction of the operator. Wherever the personal influence of the operator is the dominant factor in the situation and one person leans upon another for strength and guidance, there is likelihood of trouble. There is no danger in the use of hypnotic influence and suggestion, but there is great risk that the power may be abused. Mr. James Coates, in his work on Human Magnetism, says: ‘Suggestion in hypnosis is an impression made upon the psychical man,’ . . and he declares that ‘no sub¬ ject. however intellectual, level-headed, and balanced, can resist a suggestion given in a proper manner, while the subject is in a proper state of conscious, semi-conscious, or non-conscious hypnosis. ’* real wishes of the maker. The subtle power of hypnotism having secretly played its wonderful part. A lady in Kansas City took our course, hypnotized her husband, and by means of post-hypnotic suggestion induced him to deed his entire property to her. after which she refused to live with him.’ This circular also states ‘that many of the most complimentary letters we have received are from people who are employing the unconscious use of hypnotism, or per¬ sonal magnetism only, and they feel that the publication of their names might make those whom they wish to influence afraid of them.’ * The editor of ‘Suggestive Therapeutics’ says: ‘The exercise of hypnotic power requires a dual action to be effective. The power is not in the operator alone; nor in the subject alone. There is the positive or projecting power of the first and the negative or recep¬ tive power of the other. There must be a responsive enthusiasm, energy, "vibration or magnetism on the part of the subject to meet halfway the positive energy of the operator before hypnotic sug- A Guide to MediumsJiip 235 THE USE AND ABUSE OF HYPNOTISM. Great stress is laid by some writers upon the non-in- jurious character of hypnotism in the hands of a ‘proper,’ ‘qualified,’ ‘reputable’ practitioner—but the point is:— what of the power of the d/sreputable and designing? It is said that no one can be hypnotized against his will, or made to do anything contrary to his own wishes or without his consent; this, however, is disputed by others who claim to speak with the authority of knowledge. But what of those who are approached by slow and stealthy stages and psychologized before they are aroused to use their will ? Pleasant, tactful, suave, and pushing, the skilful ope¬ rator exerts his insidious influence, insinuates his poison¬ ous suggestions, and directs the attention of his subject away from his purpose—or overshadows him and seems to paralyze his powers of thought—and sweeps him along until he makes him think and act as he wishes, and the sub¬ ject does not wake up to realize how he has been manipu¬ lated until it is too late or he has been made to suffer. The danger is in the fact that sensitive people are often ignorant, afraid, and weak of will; or they are confiding, off guard, and their sympathies are played upon until they are subjected and captivated; in fact, many people (sometimes even those who know something of the facts) unconsciously comply with the conditions and give them¬ selves away to crafty and unprincipled operators, who rely upon the fact that many people are naturally sensitive, trusting, and easily affected. Of the beneficial effects of magnetic treatment by kindly, sympathetic, and competent healers there can be gestion can do its work. Hence, if the operator be a man and the subject a woman, there are opportunities for the abuse of this power which will ever be in evidence as long as one governs and another obeys. It is not the less true, though we have here spoken of man as the operator and woman as the subject, that when these places are reversed precisely the same conditions exist, rendering an abuse of this aeefuired authority possible.’ 236 A Guide io Medium ship no doubt, and when we deal more fully with magnetic or psychopathic healing we shall enlarge upon that aspect of the subject, but while the psychological influence of good and high-principled people is too seldom used with intention and forethought, the ‘confidence trick’ people have discovered their power and use it with evil or selfish intent, hence one of the greatest of the pressing needs of the hour is the promulgation of the knowledge of the danger, into which the ignorant and unthinking run, of being overpowered by the positive ‘suggestions’ and thought-projections of cunning and self-seeking people who knowingly employ their will-power for their own ends. Since, however, there must be liarmony of psychical states for the responsive vibrations to be elicited, the well-poised, self-centred, virtuous soul runs but little risk of con¬ tamination. * SELF-PROTECTION BY WILL-POWER. The ‘confidence trick’ is played in a variety of ways, and the student in this realm will need to cultivate the ability to ‘discern’ the spirit or intention, motive or dis¬ position, of those with whom he comes in contact. He should develop his will-power by concentration, so that it may be empolyed to close up the psychic self against the intrusion of harmful influences. It is said that this result can be achieved by holding in mind the thought of self- possession ; by joining the hands, finger-tips to finger-tips, or clasping them together, and crossing* the legs, and * A writer affirms ‘that no one can.be psychologized unless he sur renders his will to another. Therefore the essential thing on the part of the individual is to strengthen the will-power, to cultivate self-confidence and self-reliance, and parents should teach this to their children. No magic-working suggester can injure another who realizes the fact that no power can touch him, and simply ignores the suggestion; for magic power can have no effect, if it be simply"ignored. On the other hand, if the person keeps thinking about it and believes the magic workers can control him and accom¬ plish their designs, he will bring about the evil results by his own volition and thought.’ A Guido to Medium-ship 237 resolutely turning the thought and conversation into or¬ dinary social channels. It is, therefore, evident that will culture is as requisite as is the attainment of the receptive and responsive psychical state. The ‘will’ is not an independent attribute or a separate function. It is simply the soul’s force concentrated and in¬ telligently employed. The secret of its use is to be found m the three words ‘rely on yourself.’ It is developed by exercise. Each effort" increases the power which can be employed for the next. The cultivation of will-power is a process, and strength of will can he developed by trusting it, by using it with singleheartedness and pure purpose, and by its exercise strength of character can be achieved and psychical self-possession realized. We now know that psychical or occult powers are perfects natural, and that they can be trained and trusted just the same as other mental faculties. There is nothing supernatural or magi¬ cal about them. The same methods of observation, appli¬ cation, concentration, and determination which make the successful business man or scientist, will make one mas¬ ter of the forces of his soul-self. The phenomena of mes¬ merism, hypnotism, suggestion, and telepathy enable us to understa nd so-called magic; to guard against which the development and employment of the will are indispensable; as, for the matter of that, they are in all realms of attain¬ ment of knowledge and the use of power. NO NEED TO BECOME A HERMIT. It is not necessary to retire from the world and become a hermit or recluse in order to become a mystic or unfold interior powers. People who make vows, live in solitude and fast for prolonged periods, illustrate the power of will and afford us examples of perseverance and devotion, but they do not necessarily attain a high altitude of spiritual illumination by their self-imposed ordeals and by mortiifv- ing the flesh. The probability is that their attention is too strongly concentrated upon their voluntary seclusion and self-inflicted suffering to permit them to gain that calm and receptive serenity of spirit necessary for interior A Guide to Mediumship 23S evolution. To tlie same extent that the body suffers the mind is likely to become distracted, and its absorption in the process of maintaining the artificial conditions thus in¬ duced will prevent the attainment of that healthy poise and harmony of body and mind which are indispensable for true spiritual growth. Habits may be unconsciously formed (because we are not self-observant) that, when we realize how they have captured and enslaved us, we shall find terribly hard to break. This applies to modes of thought and feeling quite as much as it does to daily practices; hence the habit of level-headed self-scrutiny—of making one’s self ‘toe the mark’—is a wise and helpful one, provided we are not morbidly self-critical and condemnatory. THE VALUE OF GOOD HABITS. Habits can be consciously formed as the result of thought and exercise. First, we voluntarily pursue certain 'lines of thought, modes of expression, or of action, but after a time we cease to think much about them. We have formed the custom and involuntarily continue the same course of conduct; thus habit becomes second nature. It lies outside the boundary or below the threshold of our so- called ‘objective’ or active consciousness, and _our ’sub,’ ‘subjective’ or involuntary self takes it up and continues it, irrespective of 'whether it is good or bad. helpful or in¬ jurious. Habits, therefore, need watching and occasionally overhauling. We should take ourselves in hand and go into ‘dry-dock,’ so to speak, for a close examination and to clean off the barnacles that impede our progress. It is equally possible to lower the tone of the mind, to give way to moods, to become self-conscious and distrustful, to be passive, receptive, weak of will, and infirm of purpose. The great remedy for this state of things is substitution and occupation. Self-pity is dangerous, self-surrender to mistrustful and 'self-depreciatory moods is worse than dangerous— it is demoralizing; it is destructive of char¬ acter and paves the way for failure, misery, insanity, and degradation. Self-examination in the strenuous, hopeful, A Guide to Mediumship 239 and affirmative mood will be inspiring and increase strength and purpose, but morbid introspection leads to worry, fear, irritability, and loss of self-respect. Good habits of thought, feeling, desire, and living should be formed, and substituted for those which are less spiritually satisfactory. Thus deep breathing, concentra¬ tion, optimistic thinking, cheery kindliness, self-reliance, po sitive self -centere d psychical self-control, so as to be able to open or shut the windows of the soul at will, can all be cultivated until they become habitual and cease to be exceptional experiences that demand watchfulness and close application to maintain them. When they become the or¬ dinary normal practices of daily life the mind and will are left free to be exercised consciously in other and more ex¬ tended realms of use and discovery, and for the acquisi¬ tion of lucidity in the ‘superior condition.’ PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY. The value of knowledge consists in the use one makes of it—in its application in daily life not only for personal development but for the good of others. The responsibility for right motives and right exercise rests with each indiv¬ idual. Psychical self-culture is not ne cessa rily selfish or dangerous, not more so. if the motive is right, than musi¬ cal or scientific self-culture. One 'must first learn and know before he can understand, use, or teach. Personal in¬ fluence by example is the best form of teaching, so that seZ/-culture is a duty—as much for the good of others as for one’s own benefit. The motive for the acquisition of knowledge determines the morality or virtue of the act. If merely personal ends are served, if power is sought to gratify ambition, pride, self-seeking, vengeful or merce¬ nary ends, then the pursuit of knowledge is tainted and the seeker can never attain true self-unfoldment or spir¬ itual self-realization—his motives inevitably close the door against him. Only the pure in heart can see the Kingdom of Heave n ; only by the love of truth and goodness for their own sake, without hope of reward or desire for gain; only by loving service" to others and co-operation in the great- 240 A Guide to Mediumship cause of human emancipation and progress, can the key be found to the spiritual realm. Spirit ‘gifts’ are not of necessity spiritual graces. A man may be an intellectual giant but a spiritual dwarf; he may be psychically sensi¬ tive and able to read the signs of the times on the outer plane with much success, but he cannot penetrate to the realm of spiritual causes or comprehend spiritual values until his own motives are attuned to love. The difficulty hitherto has been to ascertain the actual meaning of the practices and the doctrines of ancient mystics, as there was an outer and an inner significance to their utterances. The claimed ‘mystic knowledge’ w r as not written but it was transferred ‘from mouth to ear’ and was frequently hidden from the uninitiated by figurative allegories and symbols. It was said of Jesus that he spoke in parables so that the populace might not understand. The consequence is that we have been left in doubt as to what the Gnostics or Mys¬ tics, who claimed to ‘know,’ really meant, and we can only conjecture regarding the actual purport of the parables, symbols, metaphors, and other methods that were employed for concealing rather than revealing ideas. We may at least suppose that the object sought to be attained by occultists and mystics was really the harmoniz¬ ation of the inidividual, by subordinating the animal pro¬ pensities and selfish desires to the control of the moral mind.' and by the cultivation, or the surrender, of the will, to attain psychical liberty and lucidity. The irrep ressible conflict between the inclinations of the outer, sensuous na¬ ture, and the ideals and intuitions of the inner, spiritual man, has to be faced and settled by each one for himself. T’he question is whether the passions shall be gratified, and the bodily appetites shall rule—and ruin; or whether they shall be sternly repressed, denied, and as far as possible crushed (with ceaseless and painful striving and bitter self- cendemnation for failure to maintain the austere self-com¬ mand necessary for the continual denial) ; or whether the Law of Right, of Use (of temperate and virtuous exercise and pleasure in such employment), shall be loyally ob¬ served. The question is one which, though old, is ever new, and demands solution from each individual sooner or later A Guide to Mediumsliip 241 •—and ‘ blessed is lie that overcometh’ and brings the outer nature to respond to the control and direction of the inner 'self, and avoids the extremes of perversion and abuse on the one hand and of unnatural suppression, solitude and denial on the other; and while in the world is not of it, but is able to Jive the w r ise, healthy, and righteous life of tem¬ perance in all things. It is not necessary to live in forests or caves, or to fast and make vows, or join occultic brother¬ hoods, secret societies, or communities, to secure these re¬ sults. But it is nec essa ry to be natural, strong, sympathetic, helpful, and loving. Ella Wheeler Wilcox puts the matter as forcibly as beautifully in the following lines:— ‘Here in the heart of the world, Here in the noise and the din, Here where our spirits are hurled To battle with sorrow and sin; This is the place and the spot For knowledge of infinite things; This is the kingdom where thought Can conquer the prowess of kings. Here in the tumult and roar, Show what it is to be calm; Show how the spirit can soar And bring back its healing and balm. Stand not aloof nor apart; Plunge in the thick of the fight. There in the street and the mart, That is the place to do right; Not in some cloister or cave. Not in some kingdom above; Here on this side of the grave, Here we should labor and love.’ 242 A Guide io Mediumship CHAPTER IV. PHYSICAL AND MENTAL CULTURE. The importance of good health can hardly be exag¬ gerated ; upon its preservation our general well-being mainly depends; for its loss there can be no adequate rec¬ ompense.—‘ Light. ’ Man faces two worlds, and is amenable to the laws of both. He must understand that obedience to the laws of physical health is as obligatory and as much a part of religion as obe dien ce to moral laws. Perfect health is a primary element of moral excellence. —Hudson Tuttle. The fullest expression of the powers of man—the mani¬ festation of his highest and best capabilities—can alone be secured when healthy conditions are afforded for their ex¬ ercise. Perfect health is Nature’s ideal, and health and sanity go together; or should we not say that they mean the same thing although employed in reference to body and mind. The possession of a robust, vigorous, well-bal¬ anced physical body—the ‘Temple of the Holy Ghost’— is a priceless treasure which makes optimism possible. A sound body will afford to its possessor possibilities of psy¬ chical experience, of pleasurable emotions, and of genuine all-round happiness which the sick and suffering may envy But cannot siiare. To be spiritually sane and clear, strong and serene, there must be harmony and equipoise between the forces of soul and body, that they may act and react upon the consciousness with refreshing and stimulating power. No wonder, then, that increasing attention is be¬ ing directed to the processes of living: not only to the influence of the body upon the mind, but of diet upon both body and mind; of the power of mind to affect the A Guide, to Mediumship 2-! 3 body; and the importance of right habits in regard to diet, and drink in order to secure health, buoyancy, and well-being. DO ‘ cures’ cure? If a man from Mars were to suddenly drop down in London and read the newspaper advertisements of the al¬ leged wonderful specifics for suffering humanity, he would probably begin to speculate as to whether any of the people of the earth were ever well! What with liver pills, kidney cures, stomach bitters, lung tinctures, head powders, brain invigorators, heart tonics, blood purifiers, skin oint¬ ments, nerve stimulants, and indigestion and dyspepsia tablets; drinks, powders, salts, etc., he would naturally sus¬ pect that there must be something radically—or racially —wrong with the people, either in body or mind, or both. Tf these ‘cures’ cure, how is it that the sales increase and doctors multiply? Do the people continue the mode of liv¬ ing which brought them down and induced disease, and so repeat their folly? or is it that they are psychologized— suggestionized—into believing themselves ailing? Does the drug-taking habit become a form of intemperance, like dramdrinking? Are we a race of despondent, dyspeptic decadents, or is it only our ‘little wav’? DISEASE : ITS CAUSE AND CURE. It is contended by some writers that there is in reality but one disease, namely, impure blood, caused by poison or foreign substance in the blood, due to imperfect diges¬ tion and non-assimilation of food and the consequent mal¬ nutrition of the body, which may result from over feed¬ ing or improper food, impure air, over-strain ,carelessness or non-observance of natural laws, chill, excess or perver¬ sion ; or it may follow mental causes such as shock, fear, worry, anger, grief, or prolonged excitement, and too in¬ tense concentration. If, as is affirmed by Dr. Dewey, the brain is a self¬ feeding organ—the power house of the body—a self¬ charging dynamo, regaining its exhausted energies through rest and sleep—and our need for food is limited to the 244 A Guide to Mediumship necessity to supply the nourishment required to make up the wastage which has been going on in the body, then it seems certain that the brain cannot get rest and oppor¬ tunity to store up energy so long as it is taxed to digest, or get rid of, the food-masses that accumulate in the stomach, with more of decomposition than digestion, and consequent flatulency and dyspepsia. If it be true that from early morning until late at night there is a gradual expenditure of energy and decline of strength, no matter how much or how little food may be taken, or how thor¬ oughly it may be digested, and there comes a time when even the strongest becomes weary and must go to bed— not to the dining-room—to regain strength, then it is mani¬ fest that rest is our only means of recovery from exhaus¬ tion, and we may well exclaim, ‘Nature’s sweet restorer, balmy sleep.’ It has been said that during slumber there is a change in the magnetic conditions of the body and of the relations it holds to the psychical realm; that the spiritual or inner consciousness becomes active, and we breathe the life-giving currents of the psychical atmos¬ phere and come into closer relation with, and are quickened by, the powers of the Spirit Divine. Pure air, pure water (for use inwardly and externally), sunshine, and an active, cheerful mind, are essential to health and happiness. Next to these comes the observance of Nature’s requirements in respect to hunger, thirst, and sleep. TREATMENT OF THE SICK. It is commonly believed that if the healthy need food the sick will need it even more; but it would appear that those who are ill recover more quickly if they are not dosed with food or drugs, because the process of digest¬ ing even small quantities of food is a tax upon the strength of the patient and diverts it from the work of restoration; and also because the renovating power exists in the brain, not in either food or drugs, and the patient will recuperate most thoroughly if Nature is given a free course in her re* parative work. When that has been accomplished the suf¬ ferer will be free from disease, the desire for food will re- A Guide to Mediumship 245 turn, and hunger will be experienced. It should, it is claimed, be the practice in the sick-room to withhold food until there is a natural desire for it; the sufferer should hot be tempted, worried, badgered, or coaxed to ‘take some¬ thing,’ and there is no fear that he will starve to death if he does not take nourishment for a few days, or even weeks. The old saying, in its popular but inaccurate form, ‘Feed a cold and starve a fever,’ has been responsible for much mischief, for it is an erroneous rendering of the fact that ‘ if you feed a cold you will have to starve a fever, ’ so that it actually advises the very course of procedure which must be avoided. The local congestion which causes the painful symptoms that we denominate ‘cold’ can be re¬ lieved'more expeditiously if food is witheld and cold water is given and freely imbibed, and local fomentations, hot packs, or vapor batns are used to open the pores of the skin. The desire for food will assert itself just as soon as normal healthy action is restored. When a bone is broken the surgeon can only set it— Nature repairs the injury. Doctors are rapidly coming round to recognize that the involuntary pow : ers of the self —sometimes called the sub-conscious self—that operate below the threshold of the every-day consciousness instinct- ively, will, if given free play, restore the patient to perfect health whenever that is possible; and those who are sick, sad, and suffering can, by preserving a cheerful, buoyant frame of mind, consciously assist Nature to a very large ex- tent to build up new cells and healthy tis sues until their deranged organs are practically renewed; for, as Andrew Jackson Davis said in the ‘Spiritual Telegraph,’ as long ago "as the year 1854: ‘ The min d can , by its own action,both cause and cure disease. Even as prominent an organism as a cancer can be psychologized into being, and cured by the action of the same law. It is very necessary that modern 'Spiritualists understand the whole force of this principle.’ DIET :—DIFFERENT DOCTRINES. On the question of diet much has been said and written and contradictory theories are continually being advanced. 246 A Guide to Mediumsliip One writer advises his readers never to go out into the open air until the system is fortified by a good breakfast, yet many people have been wonderfully improved in health by abandoning the early morning meal, because, says Dr. Dewey, during sleep the body is without exercise, and there is The minimum of waste, and little, if any, to repair on awakening, and consequently there is no immediate neces¬ sity for food. A newspaper recently stated that ‘fruits in general are ill adapted to sustain human life for any length of time because they contain remarkably little matter that is con¬ vertible, when eaten, into muscle and blood. Bananas and grapes have two per cent., while apples, cherries, straw¬ berries, blackberries, cranberries, lemons, and oranges are able to lay claim to only one per cent.—this, too, when skins and seeds are put aside.’ But a teacher of ‘Zoism‘ states that the ‘Zoist avoids, as far as possible, all cooked foods: even cooked vegetables and grains. He eats raw meal, raw fruit, raw nuts. The raw apple contains more zone than a whole plateful of cooked food’! Another ‘new school’ medical man says: ‘There is this to be said about fruits, that all those containing acids de¬ compose the gastric juice, as they all contain potash salts in union with free acids. As soon as they reach the stomach the free hydrochloric acid of the gastric juice unites with the potash, setting the fruit acid free to irritate the stomach. There is never any desire for acid fruits through real hunger, especially those of the hyperacid kinds; they are simply taken to gratify that lower sense—relish. . . Because of the general impression that they are healthful, and no tax, human stomachs are converted into cider mills at will, regardless of between-meal times. By their ravish¬ ing flavor and apparent ease of digestion, apples still play an important part in the “fall of man” from that higher estate, the Eden without its dyspepsia. . . Tropical fruits are without acids, and are therefore well adapted to a class of people who have only the least use for muscle and brain. Acid fruits can only be taken with apparent im- A Guide to Mediumship 247 punity by the young and old who can generate- gastric juice copiously. ’ EVERY ONE MUST JUDGE FOR HIMSELF. ‘The working energy of a pound of pulse (beans, peas, lentils),’ says a ‘Zoist,’ ‘is three times as great as the working energy tontained in one pound of beefsteak’; and, according to this same authority, ‘raw oatmeal is the ideal food’; and further, he asserts that ‘vegetarianism is the rock upon which he alt h is built. ’ Professor Huxley, however, pointed out that ‘mere chemical analysis is, by itself, a very insufficient guide as to the usefulness and nutritive value of an article of food. A substance to be nutritious must not only contain some or other of the food-stuffs. but contain them in an avail¬ able—that is, digestible form. A piece of beefsteak is far more nourishing than a quantity of pease-pudding contain¬ ing even a larger proportion of proteid material, because the former is far more digestible than the latter. And a small piece of dry, hard cheese, though of high nutritive value as judged by mere chemical analysis, will not satisfy the more subtile criticism of the stomach ’ We are reminded by the foregoing contradictory state¬ ments of the old saying that ‘.What is one man’s meat (food) is another man’s poison.’ The powers of digestion vary, and while some people may thrive on uncooked grains and pulse, others may starve if they attempt to live upon such a diet. Every one must be a law unto himself. We have seen bright, intelligent, earnest young men abandon flesh and adopt, vegetarian formulas and foods; but, while some succeeded in discovering what suited their constitu¬ tions and continued their vegetarian methods, the majority had to return to a mixed diet. EAT TO LIVE, NOT LIVE TO EAT. There can be little doubt that many people eat too fast and too often, and consequently eat too much, and add to the difficulties of digestion by failing to thoroughly masti¬ cate their food and by drowning it in the stomach with liquids of one sort or another; and Dr. Dewey advocates 248 A Guide to Mediuniship abstinence from food until midday, or until ‘keen hunger’ is felt, even if it is necessary to wait for days or weeks. He distinguishes between ‘appetite’ and ‘hunger.’ Appe¬ tite he regards as a fictitious and unhealthy prompting for food, which arises in the stomach—mainly the result of habit—and is often due to gas engendered by undigested food remaining there, which thus creates a false craving. Hunger, on the other hand, is experienced in the throat and mouth, and the keen desire for food makes its posses¬ sor feel as though he could eat and relish almost anything. Food should be wisely selected, thoroughly and slowly mas¬ ticated, and kept in the mouth until all flavor has left it. By this process it is best prepared for the stomach to deal with it, and one gets the full pleasure of eating, and relishes the goodness of the flavor. Drink should not be taken at meals, nor within half an hour before or two hours after a meal, and it should be sipped rather than gulped down. Two meals a day will be found adequate to main¬ tain perfect health and strength without stimulants or drugs of any description, and those who are making too much flesh will find the adoption of the plan of living out¬ lined above a ready, easy, healthy way to reduce their sub¬ stance, while those who are weak and wasted will develop to normal proportions, and gain vigor and elasticity. Excessive attention to the question of food and drink (constant and anxious thought ns regards when, what, how much or how little food shall be taken) is as great an error on the part of the vegetarian as the epicure. Both attach too much importance to what should be pleasant interludes in the daily round. ‘Eat to live, not live to eat,’ should be the motto, and feeding should take its place as an incident, not an end. DEEP BREATHING. Too much time has been spent in looking everywhere outside ourselves for ‘the Kingdom,’ whereas the secret of life and strength is to be found within. We mainly create our conditions and environments by the thoughts we en¬ tertain, the habits we form, and the attitude of mind that we adopt—or to which we surrender. That the ‘breath is A Guide to Mediumship 249 the life’ is even more true than the familiar adage, ‘The blood is the life,’ for is not the blood dependent iipon the air we breathe for the oxygen which vitalizes it? Nay, more; if, as we are assured, a psychical or etherial atmos¬ phere permeates the whole universe, then right, deep breathing of pure air should not only strengthen us phy¬ sically but stimulate and sustain us spiritually. One of the first essentials for this kind of breathing is that it should be intentional. The ‘elixir of fife’ will be found by those who learn to breathe the vitalizing breath by which energy is renewed, the brain nourished, the body strengthened, the will-power intensified, the magnetic power augmented and its restorative potency increased, so that they will be able to maintain their own health and dispense healing ‘virtue to others.’ In his ‘New Thought Essays,’ Mr . Charles Brodie Pat¬ terson contends that physical exercise is of little benefit save as it becomes the vehicle for ‘the expression of inner things. Strong, true, uplifting desire causes us to breathe strongly and deeply, while weak, vacillating, and false de¬ sires result in mere superficial breathing. The thought of anything black produces a restraining influence on the breath, while the thought of something white or yellow in¬ variably tends to freedom in breathing. It is evident, he affirms, that the breath is affected by different mental emo¬ tions; thus hate or anger cause short quick breathing, while loving and peaceful thoughts are accompanied by deep, long breaths. It is therefore possible, through thought action alone, to effect a marked change in the cir- eulafTofTof the blood, but, with a mentally controlled and directed action of the breath, such a change may be more rapidly and effectually produced. This practice will also aid in the development of the power of mental concentration, and this is most important, because it is not so much the long, deep breath that gives the strong, true tFought,as it is the strong, true thought that gives the long, deep breath. Under controlled and directed action the breath penetrates, or circulates, among all the molecules of the body, and it will therefore be readily realized how important it is for all who desire to retain good health, or to regain it, that 250 A Guide to Mediumship they should recognize the need for intentional and helpful deep breathing. And not only so for physical well-being, but as man grows more spiritual—as his desires become more centered in the inner conscious world—this practice of deep breathing will undoubtedly facilitate the develop¬ ment of the ‘inner breathing’ by which his psychical powers are liberated and his entrance into the ‘superior state’ is secured, in which condition he may be said to become ‘a spirit among spirits, ’ and have the higher life opened to his aspiring and responsive soul. Many teachers of the art of deep breathing are present¬ ing their theories, and rules, and lessons to the world, and the student may possibly gather something helpful from each one; but the great requisite is practice—again and again, and yet again—until, by thi application of the mind to the task and the performance of the effort, beneficial re¬ sults are realized in added power and confidence. Of course the ideal to be attained is, correct breathing all the time, under all circumstances! But as this will fol¬ low as a matter of habit, after the preliminary work of overcoming the results of wrong methods of breathing has been accomplished, it may be necessary at first to have stated times in which to follow definite rules, until one be¬ comes accustomed to the persistent, continuous, and nat¬ ural process of deep breathing. AUTO-SUGGESTION, OR THE MIND CURE. Self-suggestion plays an important part in all mental and psychical processes—hence much mo re satisfactory health results will be attained, and spiritual evolution will be more rapid, if an expectant attitude is maintained. ‘I know I cannot do it,’ or, ‘I do not believe it does much good,’ are phrases which indicate the ‘doubting Thomas’ frame of mind, and doubt weakens the will, eats out the heart of Hope, and lays the victim open to enervating chills and consuming fevers; whereas a calm, confident, and ex¬ pectant spirit is affirmative and gives the ‘suggestion’ of success which calls forth latent energy and accomplishes the desired good. A Guide to Mediumship 231 Many people unconsciously practice ‘mind cure’—they simply will not be ill; they refuse to give in to the feelings of depression, lassitude, weakness or pain, and struggle hopefully on, and in the end Nature responds to their call, and they grow well and strong. What some people do instinctively and without predetermination might be done by all intentionally and systematical^. Drugs do not cure any more than splints heal a broken leg. The repair¬ ing and restorative powers are inherent in the spirit, and operate, under ordinary circumstances, ^voluntarily; the mind or psychical cure, aims to assist Nature by auto-sug¬ gestion, by voluntary co-operation and control. That the body affects our moods and influences our feel¬ ings is universally admitted, and the well-known answer to the question, ‘Is life worth living?’—‘That depends upon the liver,’ embodies the popular conception of our mental subserviency to physical states; but in another sense it is equally true that the worth of life depends upon the liver— the manner of life of the individual; and in this sense.the mind affects the body and can largely master its weaknesses. By well-directed and sustained mental application and the maintenance of an optimistic" frame of mind, we may ex¬ ert a healing and strengthening influence upon our organs, and tune up the whole system to a healthy state. By adopting an affirmative and expectant attitude; by commanding the psychical forces and directing them to flow with positive power towards the particular organ or part of the body which is weak or diseased, we can do a great deal towards self-cure, especially if such self-sugges- iion is accompanied by deep breathing, daily baptism, tem¬ perate living, healthful exercise, cheerful company, and adequate rest. THE BETTER WAY MUST BE FOLLOWED. The mere denial of inharmonious conditions, or of dis¬ ease, will not wipe them out. The assertion that ‘all is good’ will not make selfishness and vice lovely and of good re¬ pute, and nothing is to be gained by paltering with ob¬ vious facts or blinding oneself to their existence. We may think ourselves on to a higher plane, and. by using our soul 252 A Guide to Mediumsliip forces, attune our natures so that to the pure all things are pure, and we may express the powers of the spirit. But, all the same, ignorance, sorrow, injustice, folly, mis¬ ery and vice are unwholesome conditions that abound in the world, and evil—to those who practice it and experience its dire penalties—is a very real fact. Selfishness and crime are not merely ‘undeveloped good,’ nor are they ‘good in the making,’ but are to be overcome and out-grown; and the better way of obedience to the law of love must be fol¬ lowed to secure health and happiness. Probably one of the best methods of bringing the mind to its bearings, and the body into tune with the laws of right, will be found in a de termination to possess the body instead of being governed by it—to live in it and delight in it; to enjoy its energy and bring it into healthy relations with the spiritual realm, and rejoice in the beautiful world of which it forms a part. Far too many people go through life blind to its beau¬ ties and deaf to its harmonies and conscious only of the ‘slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,’ when, by belief in themselves and knowledge of their own thought-power, they might realize much of joy and find many occasions for thankfulness and delight. They have a kind of morbid twist or kink in their natures. They nurse their ailments and thrive in an atmosphere of gloom. They love to pour forth their complaints and enlarge upon their sufferings. They are only happy when they are miserable. They de¬ cline to be cured, because they long for sympathy, and worry others who serve them. They would complain if they were well, an because they had ‘Nothing whatever to grumble at.’ As Horatio Dresser says, ‘The mind is limited in power and must choose; for there is literally no room both for trouble and trust,’ and these people, instead of heeding the motto: ‘Never trouble trouble until trouble troubles you’—and then making short work of it—look upon them¬ selves as so all-important that they try to have everything and everybody circulate around them; instead of trusting and expressing, their inner powers of love for and sym¬ pathy with others. A Guide to Mediumship 253 SELF-CURE BY WILL CULTURE AND THOUGHT POWER. Those who are ill in body or mind may do a great deal for their own restoration to normal and healthy conditions by cultivating the health-habit-of-thought, by adopting an affirmative and cheery frame of mind. Instead of self- pity and coddling when ailing, one can accomplish great things by ignoring the pains and turning attention away from them.° ‘Oh! I’m all right!’ is a self-suggestion pit tends to tune up the nerves and induce a healthy condition. The cultivation of the will, the calling up of the re¬ serve forces in the system, the directing of the vital auras Fo the seat of the su ffering, the centreing of the strong healing thought upon the afflicted part—at the same time breathing deeply, regularly, and hopefully—will go a long way towards effecting a cure. Change of surroundings and occupations and compan¬ ions will frequently prove effective in lifting the sufferer from ‘the blues’ into a happier frame of mind. So in¬ timately are body and mind related, so closely do they act and re-act, that what helps one helps the other; but the mind is involved in all attempts to secure and preserve good physical health, because attention, interest, thought, concentration of energy, and storng desire are requisite if one is to befaithfnl in well-doing until the habit is formed and it becomes natural, easy, to be well, cheerful, patient, and true. Then it is possible to be healthy and happy automatically—spontaneously—without thinking about it orTalung any pride in it; and psychical luedidity will in¬ crease, and activity upon the higher plane will be a source of strength and delight. CONCENTRATION AND ABSTRACTION. A great deal has been written of late in praise of con¬ centration, and there is no doubt that it is indispensable to successful self-culture and the expression of one’s own spirit. Business men find that they have to concentrate their energies and deal with one thing at a time. The ability to thus bring the mind to a point, to focalize the attention upon the work in hand, also requires that one 254 A Guide io Mediumship should be able to abstract himself from his surroundings. This is being done every day by hosts of people who are unmoved, undistrubed in the midst of bustle and noise. By this means it is possible to isolate oneself and be alone in the midst of a crowd. It gives the power of self-mas¬ tery; the ability to select thoughts; to take things in de¬ tail; to evolve order out of confusion;" to establish system; to train and discipline the will; to acquire lucidity; to h old an idea in mind—study it, c omtempl ate it, and understand it before passing on to the next. It strengthens one’s in¬ individuality, increases self-reliance, and develops firmness and decision of character. It will enable one to overcome moods and regulate impulses and acquire the art of atten¬ tion to details. By the practice of the art of concentration one may, by introspection, retire into himself and become so pre-occu- pied on the inner plane of his consciousness as to be en¬ tirely oblivious to external surroundings. By this process of self-abstraction the outer senses are overcome and all the energies are centred upon the soul, which becomes in¬ tensely conscious and sensitive, and its powers of intuitive perception are liberated, and psychical experiences of a rich ancl'varied character may be enjoyed. But it is not possible to be on the mountain-tops, breathing the rare atmosphere and surveying the golden landscapes of the higher life, all the time—such delights are the rewards for fidelity, and purity, and service, and cannot be expected continuously; they should act as stimulants to the perform¬ ance of ‘the daily round, the common task’ of every-day life. While we are on this side we must not expect to be able to take the Kingdom of heaven by force; we must keep touch with the world and maintain our equilibrium. An¬ drew Jackson Davis wisely says: ‘It is right to think and meditate often and profoundly upon things spiritual and heavenly. But it is dangerous to keep your mind con¬ centrated upon any subject so steadily and so protractedly that “you cannot think of anything else.”’ That way madness lies. A Guide to Mediumship 255 CHAPTER V. PSYCHOMETRY, CLAIRVOYANCE, AND HEALING. Near to us, on the other side of a very thin veil, lies a great realm of life which has the closest connection with our own. What that connection is we at present only dimly discern. Our org ans of perception seem only in the most rudimentary condition. It may be that our later indifference on this side has hindered their development. But develop they must, for they are amongst liumantiy’s most priceless possessions.—‘Christian World.’ Th