^ A* *W/^* Vy ^ ' °a ...... \ j!F.*!iLr. > V * ' '* > v , Form. Mode. Jo)-, Modei ■ Modei- Moder- Moder' Historv Vc Hi^tO' V. : Stohi i> \ Stc ( ■ Stor Sev ! • Ethic- Sesa r i Painters. Vol. t. By Ruskin Painters. Vol. 2 . . . 30 Painters. Vol. 3 40 Painters. Vol. 4 40 Painters. Vol. 5 40 >f the French Revolution By Thomas Carlyle, , . 30 )f the French Revolution f Venice Ruskin. . : Venice. 'enice. . : .' s ° f .40 \ ui. , 40 Vol. 3 40 \rchi'~cture. - Dust, iiy kuskin.. § nd Lilies. By Ruskin.. 25 The ^a en of the Air. Ruskin.. 25 Crown of Wild Olive. Ruskin.. 20 Frederick the Great. Vol. 1. By Thomas Carlyle 30 Vol. 4. Vol. 5. Vol. 6. Vol. 7. 30 Frederick the Great. Vcl. 2 30 Frederick the Great. Fiederick the Great. Frederick the Great. Frederick the Great. Frederick the Great. Frederick the Great. Vol. 8 30 Past and Present. By Carlyle... 25 Sartor Resartus. By Carlyle 25 Art of England. By Ruskin 25 King of the Golden River. By John Ruskin 25 Deucalion. By John Ruskin 40 St. Mark's Rest. By Ruskin 25 Lectures on Art. By Ruskin 25 The Two Paths. By Ruskin 25 Val D'Arno ; Pleasures of Eng- land. By John Ruskin 30 Arrows, I. By John Ruskin 25 Arrows, II. By John Ruskin 25 Our Fathers Have Told Us ; The Laws of Fesole. By Ruskin.. 30 A Joy Forever ; Inaugural Ad- dress. By John Ruskin 20 Oliver Cromwell, I. By Carlyle. 30 Oliver Cromwell, II 30 Oliver Cromwell, III 30 Chartism. By Thomas Carlyle.. 20 Poems. By John Ruskin 20 Poetry of Architecture ; Giotto and His Works. By Ruskin. . 25 Fors Clavigera, I. By Ruskin.. 30 Fors Clavigera, II 30 Fors Clavigera, III 30 Fors Clavigera, IV 30 Lectures on Architecture and Painting. By John Ruskin. . . 30 Preraphaelitism : Aratra Pene- lici. By John Ruskin 30 Elements of Drawing. Ruskin.. 25 Proserpina. By John Ruskin 40 Ariadne : Crystal Palace Lecture By John Ruskin 30 57 Morni. gs in Florence ; ■ -c and T: le. By John Rusl Life of .Schiller. By Ca 'e Life of John Sterling. iyle.. Latter-d? Pamphlets. rlyle. Heroes anu Hero Wor < . By Thomas Cailj e. Diamond Necklace and ~ ..-beau. By Thomas Cxr'/le. 58 Early Kings of Norwaj " .rlyle 59 Willis' Poems. By N./l .'dlis . 60 Characteristics a Id o r th( iys. By Thomas Carlyle. 61 L ;f e rf Heine. By Cai 62 Count G-tg'.iostro. E '•::... *~ lf>v Paul F fv3en>k Rj > . By Thomas Carls '. 64 Goethe and Miscellaneous Essays. By Thomas Carlyle 65 German Literature. By Carlyle. 66 Corn Law Rhymes and Other Essays. By Thomas Carlyle. 67 Signs of the Time. By Carlyle. . 68 Dr. Francia and other Essays. By Thomas Carlyle 69 Portraits of John Knox. Carlyle 70 Voltaire and Novalis. Carlyle. . . 71 Light of Asia. Edwin Arnold.. . 72 Aurora Leigh. By Browning... 73 Sketch Book. By Irving 74 Lays of Ancient Rome. By T. B. Macaulay 75 Bryant's Poems. By Bryant 76 Selected Poems. By Longfellow 77 Selected Poems. By Whittier. . . 78 Dante's Vision of Hell, Purga- tory, and Paradise 79 Lucile. By Owen Meredith 80 Life of Washington. By Henley 81 Crayon Papers. By Irving 82 Life of Byron. By John Nichol. 83 Emerson's Essays. Vol. I 84 Life of Gibbon. J. C. Morrison. 85 Paradise Lost. By Milton 86 Over the Summer Seas. By John Harrison 87 Lalla Rookh. By Thos. Moore. . 88 Life of Fredrica Bremer 89 Byron's Poems co Browning's (Robt.) Poems 91 Tennyson's Poems 92 Proctor's Poems. By A. Proctor 93 Scott's Poems 94 Goldsmith's Plays «p 95 A Tour of the Prairies. Irving.. 96 An Outline of Irish History. By J. H. M'Carthy 97 Whist or Bumblepuppy 98 Tale of a Traveler. By Irving. 99 Baillie the Covenanter. Carlyle 100 Emerson's Essays. Vol. II 101 The Bride of Lammermoor. By Walter Scott 102 Hyperion. By Longfellow 103 Outre Mer. By Longfellow SPIRITISM SPIRITISM / BY EDELWEISS j? NEW YORK UNITED STATES BOOK COMPANY SUCCESSOR TO JOHN W. LOVELL COMPANY 150 WORTH ST., COR. MISSION FLACE V *r Copyright, 1891 by UNITED STATES BOOK COMPANY. A II Rights Reserved. SPIRITISM. CHAPTER I. MY FIRST THOUGHTS ON TABLE-TURNING AND SPIRITISM. In my youth a novel amusement was in- troduced into Sweden called table-turning. In answer to my inquiries as to what this might be I was told that it was something new and remarkable which had been first dis- covered in America, where it had created a great, sensation, had then been brought to England, France, and Germany, and finally gained a footing in Sweden. I next asked why it was called " table-turn- ing." I was then told that when several people were seated round a table forming a chain by holding each other's hands, and 6 SPIRITISM. allowing them to rest on it, the table after a longer or shorter interval began to move of itself. " Is it to be wondered at," I asked, " that a table should move when so many hands are pushing it ? " But then I was told that before the chain was formed, each person promised that he would not push the table in the least, or in any way attempt to move it from its place. " If all faithfully kept their promise," I replied, " the table would certainly remain where it was." That this was not the case, I was assured. On the contrary, when a circle had been formed round the table of perfectly reliable persons, their hands resting on it so lightly as hardly to touch it, the table, in spite of every one conscientiously keeping their promise, would begin to move of itself, to creak, turn, sway gently backwards and forwards along the floor, and finally very often dance about at a rapid pace. My answer to this assertion was that I SPIRITISM. 7 must have proofs in order to be convinced and that it would interest me greatly to be present at an experiment like the one described. Accordingly a suitable table was chosen, around which we formed a circle, I feeling perfectly sure beforehand, that nothing extra- ordinary would happen. I was right that time and on several successive occasions when I, together with others, attempted to make tables, keys, or hats, " dance." It seemed to me simply impossible, that inanimate objects would be endowed with a life and volition of their own. Once I asked what was supposed to cause independent motion in inanimate objects. Great was my amazement when I was told that the table was not believed to move of itself, but was supposed to be under the con- trol of spirits. This appeared to me in- credible, for surely we should be able to see them. Besides, how could they possibly pass through locked doors and closed windows ? No, this was altogether too preposterous ! Soon after this occurred I heard my par- 8 SPIRITISM. ents speaking about table-turning, etc. My mother asked my father what his ideas were on the subject. My father, an eminent man of science, replied that in his opinion, the great sensation excited by the phenomena to which we alluded, had been much exaggerated, as no doubt such phenomena could in them- selves be easily and naturally explained ; peo- ple however were fond of exaggeration, and frequently let their imagination get the upper hand, so that what was in itself perfectly nat- ural, often assumed supernatural proportions. For instance, if an ignorant crowd were to see a long, thick beam in lively motion, with- out any, to them, visible cause, they would easily think it was bewitched and that some supernatural agency was at work, whereas the explanation was perfectly simple. All that was required was to insert into one end of a beam placed on two trestles, a fine glass tube, of which about five inches protruded, and then, with a violin bow, play continuously on the tube. At first a slight vibration would be perceptible, and this SPIRITISM. 9 gradually increasing, would at last give the whole beam the appearance of dancing and jumping about. With regard to table-turning, my father thought it probable that a similar almost imperceptible vibration might arise, commu- nicating itself from hand to hand, partly from the gradual increase of muscular fatigue, partly from the excitement which the people formfng the circle would experience during a period of longer or shorter waiting. As soon as the vibration had once arisen, it would go on increasing imperceptibly, until the table at last would spin round the room with ever increasing velocity. I remember even now what a lively impres- sion this explanation made upon me. From that time table-turning lost all interest in my eyes. The next time that my curiosity was 10 SPIRITISM. aroused on this subject was during a visit to England ; where a celebrated " medium " was creating a great sensation. ' My mother had been invited to attend a seance at a friend's house. This friend was deeply interested in the spiritistic movement. My mother related to me afterwards what had occurred during the evening. The company were assembled in a partial- ly darkened room. The seance commenced with a prayer for protection against evil spirits. After waiting a little time, slight creakings and knockings were audible, the " initiated " understood by the latter, that four candles were to be lighted. This, and a few more equally uninteresting trivialities, was all that happened that night, except that a promise was given that the spirits would return another time. Besides, Henry IV. and Louis XIV. prom- ised to come and relate some interesting things the following evening. ■ On hearing my mother's account, a strong feeling of repulsion to spiritism came over SPIRITISM. 1 1 me. It seemed to me that if spirits could appear to mankind, they ought to use this power for a higher purpose than merely to talk about the most trivial things, or to relate stories which were evidently more of an amusing than instructive nature. I seriously doubted the possibility of such an unprofit- able and paltry connection existing between the spiritual world and our own. Surely, I thought, if God actually per- mitted such an intercourse, it would only be in order to give mankind an opportunity of receiving communications of the most sacred and spiritual nature. Once more I lost all interest in so-called spiritism. Several years afterwards I was in Sweden and chanced to meet in society a person who was an ardent spiritist. No new experience had caused me to I2 SPIRITISM. change my opinion on a subject which I still considered so utterly trivial, and I continued to wonder how one could regard as super- natural what to me seemed so worthless. Happening, however, to fall into conversation with the spiritist above mentioned, I asked him to explain to me what it was he actually believed in. Then for the first time I heard that in order to facilitate communication with the spiritual world a so-called "planchette " had been in- vented. He explained its functions to me and told me that he frequently received very striking answers to questions he had addressed to it. I begged for an example and he went on to tell me that he lived in the country, and was in the habit of consulting the psycho- graph on all sorts of every day matters. To give you an instance he said : a few weeks ago when I was at home a cow was to be slaughtered. We rather wanted to wait a week longer, but feared that a thaw might set in. We wished therefore to have our doubts settled, and accordingly consulted the psy- SPIRITISM. 13 chograph : "slaughter the cow," was the an- swer, " it will thaw in a week." And so it did ! Does not this prove the inestimable value of the psychograph and the truth of spiritism ? All this made a very painful impression upon me. The psychograph had certainly proph- esied right, but could it be possible that voices from the other side of the grave, would let themselves be heard merely in order to answer questions of purely earthly import ? Once more so-called spiritism seemed to me too petty to awaken any responsive chords. Several years now passed without my hear- ing anything further about spiritism, then, however, I got to know a little more about the subject from a person who was very dear to me, and for whom I entertained the great- est reverence. During a sojourn in London he had become warmly interested in spiritism, having been present at several remarkable I 4 SPIRITISM. seances, one of which seemed to have been particularly wonderful. My friend related to me how he had met at the house of a Mrs. , a general's wife, a select circle of spiritists. When these persons, for whom he felt unbounded confidence, had assembled, the usual chain was formed. Daniel Home, the renowned medium, was present on this occasion. Suddenly a loud rapping was heard right up in the cornice, and light, rapid knocks. There was such a commotion that everybody heard it distinctly, and wondered if something very interesting was not going to happen. Very soon some gentle raps were heard in the table. Those who understood their significance, explained that the spirits wished all the lights to be put out, and the window opened a little, just a little, so that a present to Daniel (Home) might be brought in. The surprise of the company can be easily im- agined. This request was complied with, and after an interval of anxious waiting, my friend said, a sort of exultant sound like contented childish laughter was heard around the walls SPIRITISM. 15 and cornices, accompanied by a joyous knock- ing, whilst the table rapped out in the usual spiritist fashion the following sentence : " Mrs. has got a present which is intended for Daniel." " No, no," she exclaimed, " I haven't anything ! " " A continued rapping indicated, however, that the present was lying in her lap. Mrs. then tried to feel with her hands, as the room was still dark, but in vain ; she could find nothing but a bead which must have dropt from the trimming of her dress. " Light the candles and look ! " was next rapped out. When the lights were lit, it was discovered that what Mrs. had believed to be a black glass bead proved to be a remarkably beau- tiful oriental pearl. The sensation which this created can be easily imagined ! " What shall I do witK it ? " Home asked. " You shall put it in a cage," was the answer rapped out. No one understood what was meant by this, till it struck my friend, that as the pearl 1 6 SPIRITISM. was of such unusual beauty, it was perhaps considered a pity to bore a hole in it, and therefore it was to be enclosed in a delicate -network of gold to which a pin could be attached, so as to make it fit for use. When he had suggested this, he assured me that a sort of exultant noise was audible all round the room, which proceeded in his opinion from invisible spirits, who were re- joicing that their meaning had been rightly interpreted. Of course I did not for a moment doubt that my friend, whose integrity was above suspicion, had related everything exactly as it had happened, but any true conviction his ac- count failed to awaken in me. I told him with a smile that I had long wished to possess a beautiful pearl necklace, and now if I could become a spiritist, a splendid opportunity might offer itself to gratifying my desire. At this he gently shook his fine, venerable head, and with a kindly smile answered : " You don't understand this subject yet, my child, and it is not easy either to explain SPIRITISM. 17 or to understand ; but if you had seen and heard what I have, you would have been differently impressed. The gift of the pearl was simply a phenomenon which took place in order to show us how the spiritual world can rule the material, and use it in its service. This is a visible result, which I regard as nothing compared to the spiritual results which I have seen produced through the power of spiritism. Your time has not yet come, my beloved child, but if I under- stand you rightly, I foresee that the day will come, when your mind will be sufficiently matured to enable you to understand the higher revelations from the spiritual world and their deep significance." I then asked my friend if spiritism had in any way been a blessing to him, and he told me that through it, light had been thrown upon questions which hitherto had appeared to him simply inexplicable. He had never been able to understand the doctrine of the Trinity ; he had doubted the divinity of Christ, ^ SPIRITISM. and the revelation of the Holy Spirit had been to him an unsolved enigma. " Well," I said, " has spiritism converted you ? Are you now a believer in the divinity of Christ, and no longer a Unitarian ? " " Yes," he answered, " thanks to the enlight- enment I have received from good and holy spirits, I now believe in Christ as being the only begotten Son of God, though revealed on earth as the Son of man. I believe, there- fore, in His divinity, I believe in his own word and assurance, and if spiritism had brought me no other blessing than this belief, it would be sufficient to convince me of its inestimable value." " My beloved^ and revered - friend," I an- swered, " it seems to me so strange that through raps and drawings, often badly exe- cuted (for he had shown me such done by mediums ), you should have become con- vinced of what the Bible tells us in such very plain words. Spiritism is not a necessity to me. When we believe in the Bible, we get all the knowledge in spiritual matters that is SPIRITISM. fg needful." " My child," he replied, " it is a great blessing to have such entire faith, and although I feel sure that it suffices for you, still it would not surprise me if the day should come, when you will appreciate the blessing of being able to hold intercourse with, and receive instruction from, the invisible spirits who are ever around us." I did not understand what he meant, and had not in reality the slightest conception of the privileges to which his spirit had attained. Spiritism, as I understood it, still appeared to me either a detestible humbug, or the delusion of an excited imagination. Hitherto I had never myself had an oppor- tunity of witnessing any of the so-called spiritist manifestations. It happened, how- ever, that some years after the conversation above recorded, I chanced to meet a person whom I had not seen for a long time, and for 20 SPIRITISM. whom I entertained the highest regard, as well as the greatest admiration for his many and varied noble qualities. He was in fact one of the most gifted men among the many eminent persons it had been my good fortune to meet in the course of my life. It is easy to understand, therefore, how surprised I was to hear him say during a conversation, that he had received undeniable proofs of the truth of so-called spiritism. My amazement was so great, that I could not resist telling him how wonderful it seemed to me, that such an intelligent and gifted person as he was, could really believe in table-turning, spirit rapping and so on. He answered quite gravely, how- ever : " If you had seen what I have, even you would believe. I cannot yet explain how these phenomena arise, but deny them I cannot." I entreated that we might at once try and get a table to move. It would be curious to see how far the experiment would succeed, if I were one of those who formed the chain, for a greater unbeliever than I was, it would be difficult to imagine. As my wish was kindly SPIRITISM. 21 complied with, a table was selected. The legs of this table ended like claws which hooked into the carpet, besides which it was so heavy that it was almost impossible for me to move it from its place, much less to get it to spin round. There were five of us who formed a chain round this table, and we all promised on our word of honor not to " cheat " or " humbug." We were all equally interested in seeing if anything supernatural would take place. About half an hour passed without the slight- est sound or motion being perceptible, and I took it for granted, that if we were to sit there till doomsday nothing would happen. Sud- denly we all looked up ; we had heard a pecul- iar creaking sound, and were convinced that one of us had involuntarily occasioned it. Great was our satisfaction, when each in turn protested, upon his honor, that he had not moved in the least, and that it must have been the table itself. My friend, who was the most experienced, declared that it was a sign that the table would soon move. I was sit- ting next to him, and in a little while I saw, 2 2 SPIRITISM. quite distinctly, something that looked like a breath stirring the surface of the table, as if light billows were ruffling the exterior of the mahogany. Deeply interested I asked my neighbor if he had seen anything? " Yes," he replied : " Did you see what looked like a breath flying over the table and gently ruffling the surface." " Yes," he answered again. " Upon your honor ? " " Upon my honor ; besides," he added, " I have seen this before ; it is a sign that the table will soon move ; let us be patient and wait ; we can talk in the meantime." We began conversing on different topics, but every time we mentioned the name of a certain person who was absent, the table creaked in a peculiar way which, thinking the matter over long afterwards, I thought very remarkable and significant. Very soon the table began to move in a singular fashion. It turned slowly round as if it were not touching the ground, stopped, and then moved . again in a little while. After we had gone on about an hour, my friend thought we ought SPIRITISM. 23 to stop, as the exertion might be too much for some of us. He asked me how I had been impressed by what had happened. It was impossible for me to doubt that something very strange and unusual had taken place, but my father's explanation, many years ago, recurred to my mind. The table had cer- tainly moved, but not, as I believed, through supernatural agency. " Ah," replied the friend who had often solved many a deep problem for me, "what we are so ready to call * supernatural,' we really ought only to call ' unexplained.' We do not yet possess the key to this mystery which is nevertheless an indisputable reality." My mind, however, was not at that time sufficiently enlightened or matured, to be able to ponder deeply on these matters, and soon this new experience was quite obliterated from my memory. 24 SPIRITISM. Not long afterwards something occurred which I cannot help thinking was very remarkable. It happened as follows : At a large party, consisting for the greater part of young people, a psychograph had been brought out for our amusement. I had never seen one before, and was greatly surprised when, in answer to my question as to what was the use of it, I was told that when guided by two people it answered automatically the questions addressed to it. For the benefit of those who have never seen a psychograph, I will here mention that it usually consists of a piece of wood, covered with a paper, upon which are printed all the letters of the alphabet as well as ciphers and punctuation. Above this piece of wood is a smaller one resting on a little movable support, on one side of which is a kind of needle. The psychograph is placed on a table : two people then seat themselves one on either side, each laying a hand on the movable board. The phenomenon consists in the needle, without any conscious guidance SPIRITISM. 25 on their part, pointing from letter to letter until words and sentences are formed. Those who preside over the psychograph, can talk or think of anything they like, and the needle will fly just as surely from letter to letter. The best plan is for a third person to stand by, and note down, word by word, sentence by sentence, as sometimes all sorts of different questions are answered in an astonishing manner. Occasionally informa- tion is given to persons present, regarding things only known and understood by those to whom the psychograph is addressing itself. On this occasion it was some little time be- fore anyone could think of a question. At last a lady proposed the following : " Who will illuminate St. Petersburg, the Emperor or the Nihilists ? " I must here explain that just at this time there had been much talk about a fete which was to be celebrated in St. Petersburg, with illuminations, and great excitement prevailed, as it was feared that serious disorders on the part of the Nihilists would take place, and that they would even 26 SPIRITISM. set the Russian capital on fire. This question was so painful to me that I was just on the point of protesting against it, when I saw the psychograph was already in motion. The answer was : " How can you so thought- lessly ask such a serious question ? Remember that the weal or woe of a whole nation depends upon the answer." This reply seemed to me very satisfactory, on account of the grave reproach it implied. For the moment it made a deep impression upon me. The conversation now became general, and no one could agree about a question. All were perplexed, and at last I was asked . to decide upon one. As I looked at all the bright young faces about me, it struck me that it would interest the young people most if I were to- ask which of them would be first engaged. I need hardly say that my proposal was re- ceived with acclamations ! The psychograph presided over by two persons, instantly re- plied : " the young girl of twenty." A babel of questions now arose amongst the girls, SPIRITISM. 27 accompanied by exclamations of " it is not I ! " " It is not I ! " "lam twenty-one ! " "I am twenty-three ! " " I am nineteen ! " And so on, and so on. At last one of them ex- claimed : " It would really be too ridiculous if I were the only one who were twenty. Just think again, all of you." But in spite of thinking and reckoning the result remained the same ; she was the only one who was exactly twenty years of age. The next ques- tion proposed was which of the gentlemen would be first engaged. The psychograph instantly gave the name of a person whom we will call O. N. Deeply interested, he asked " How soon ! " " Before the month of May this year," the, psychograph replied. — We were now in the beginning of March. There was no reason to suppose, at that time, that either one or other of these two people would get engaged, and no one, not even they them- selves, ever thought of their getting engaged to each other. We therefore looked upon the whole thing as a joke. In course of time, however, this prophecy 28 SPIRITISM. was recalled to my mind ; for it happened that amongst all who were present on that occasion, just those two young people had become engaged to each other, and the en- gagement was announced on the 26th of April of the same year. Well, I thought it was strange, but this incident failed to convince me, nevertheless, that spirits could make themselves perceptible, or foretell future events. Very soon this new experience faded from my mind. Several months afterwards, I chanced to meet a friend who happened to say a few words about table-turning and spirit-rapping, but such manifestations still appeared to me as incredible. We certainly succeeded a couple of times in making a little table move, and I even heard some light raps, but took it for granted SPIRITISM. 29 that the movement of the table, as well as the raps, were unconsciously caused by our- selves. He must also have casually mentioned to me the possibility of writing unconsciously, for I remember, after he had gone, my tak- ing a pencil and holding it lightly over a sheet of paper, so as to see if I could feel any influence that would make me write without myself having an idea of what I was doing. Mechanically I drew several lines of con- secutive ms on the paper. Whilst doing this, my thoughts were engaged on some- thing quite different, and I remember now how vexed I was when I discovered what rubbish I had been unconsciously writing. Still I wondered a little, how it had been possible to have written those lines so very unconsciously. " Well ! " I said to myself a little surprised, " it went just as by it- self." Significant words, which long afterwards were made plain to me! I soon forgot all about the attempt with the table, or that I had ever heard of such a thing as being able 30 SPIRITISM. to write under the guidance of supernatural powers. After all these accounts and experiences, I remained just as incredulous as before. That so-called inanimate things could become ani- mate, seemed to me impossible ; that spirits could make themselves perceptible seemed to me also impossible; and yet I believed, in a vague sort of way, that angels could be near us and surround us with their love. The thought that a beloved mother could, from another sphere, watch over her child on earth, seemed to me beautiful, and not at all incred- ible. Neither did I ever doubt the truth of the Bible narratives, which relate how angels held communion with man, or how the proph- ets received inspiration from above. I re- garded all these as sacred truths, but I could never believe that the spiritual world would manifest itself in such a material fashion as the spiritists talked about. Thus, although I was firmly convinced of the veracity of the sacred writings, I never- theless could not bring myself to attach any SPIRITISM. 3I importance to such manifestations as table- turning, spirit-rapping, or the ability of " mediums " to interpret spiritual suggestions by means of a psychograph.. Neither could I imagine such materialization to be true as was described in the story about the pearl which was intended as a present for Home. That I had myself seen a table move, and even heard it rap in an unmistakably signifi- cant fashion, did not impress me as being sufficiently convincing. Even that my own hand had mechanically drawn the most un- meaning strokes seemed to me perfectly nat- ural, although I had certainly never before allowed it to act so very independently of my own thoughts. The secret why I refused to attach any im- portance to what I had seen and heard lay simply in these few words : I would not believe. And why not ? Because if these proofs were convincing, they would, to my mind, lower the spiritual world, which I regarded as so infi- nitely above our own, to the same level of earthly manifestations. 32 SPIRITISM. Could spirits, released from mortal clay, and free to rove in infinite space, renounce these advantages, and condescend to occupa- tions, which even for ordinary mortals were sufficiently commonplace ? No ! it was im- possible ! Besides which, across my mind gleamed the remembrance of theological doctrines, according to which the soul is fettered to the grave until doomsday. I had never dared to hope that if we faith- fully follow Christ, even unto the verge of the grave, we might perhaps with Him also be speedily released from its fetters, and enter into some new and spiritualized sphere of life. Death, to my idea, erected an impene- trable wall which it was impossible to over- throw, until it finally must fall at the sound of the trumpets on the last day ; till then the dead slept in peace in their graves. Such was my belief. Here ends my experience in Spiritism. SPIRITISM. SECOND CHAPTER. SPIRITUALISM. Reader, did you ever happen, when travel- ling abroad, in the midst of some beautiful scenery, to come suddenly across a footpath which seemed to lead to the summit of a lovely hill, studded here and there with small chapels or sanctuaries ? * The path is often bordered with beautiful foliage and fragrant flowers. You feel a longing desire to follow it, to see where it leads to; you want to know why these little sanctuaries, outwardly often so beautiful, have been erected there. What can they contain ? They are so small, they don't seem as if they could be of much use, and yet sel- dom does a wayfarer pass by without pausing * In Austria especially are to be found these kind of places of pil- grimage. There they are called " Kalvarienberge." 3 34 SF1R1TISM. before them in silent devotion. The end of the path is hidden from view, but you feel sure that it does not end until it has led you to the top of the hill or mountain. These tiny sanctuaries, standing at regular intervals, represent the sixteen so called " sta- tions on the road to the Cross." In each sanctuary there is depicted some of the bitter sufferings our Saviour endured on his road from the garden of Gethsemane, to the heights of Golgotha. Let me tell you at once, that no one (figur- atively speaking) escapes ascending that path, which leads us finally to the Golgothas which await us all. The wayfarer who beholds this footpath even from afar off, feels a strange desire to tread it. A similar yearning often takes possession of the human soul, when first it sees the path which it believes will lead it quickest to God. Even the " Via Dolorosa" itself has a spiritual fascination of its own, for it also offers flowers, shade and places of rest. It is narrow, but it leads ever upwards, SPIRITISM. 35 and between each halting place of new suffer- ing, the bold spirit obtains purer air, and a grander, more extensive view. All that man has suffered and experienced outside this region seems comparatively insignificant. There, where Gethsemane com- mences, does he first enter upon that stage of existence, when ordinary views of life do not longer satisfy him. Commonplace people, his former friends and acquaintances, here generally draw back, saying : If you tread that laborious path, we will remain out- side and rest. The poor human soul which is to be guided upwards, turns then, over- powered by agony, filled with forebodings of keenest suffering, to its friends, and pleads entreatingly : " Do not forsake me ! follow me at least with your prayers ! " But the friends do not understand; well intentioned though they be, they allow themselves to be weighed down by the spirit of indifference, which gradually lulls them to sleep. In the meantime the struggling, agonized soul sinks down in prayer before the first sanctuary, 36 SPIRITISM. which encloses a picture of the garden of Gethsemane. Let us now imagine some one who, wishing faithfully to follow in the footsteps of Christ, is confined within the region of Gethsemane, separated from the whole world, deserted by his most devoted friends, awaiting like our Saviour the most awful trials, stunned, like Him, with anguish and suffering. Now, is it impossible to believe that God could send down spirits to strengthen him also in the sore conflict, and to administer to him words of comfort, solace and encourage- ment ? I do think I can affirm without hesita- tion, that no one can be spiritually born again; that no one can be freed from the bonds of matter, who has not, with faith and submission, traversed the short but thorny road which leads from Gethsemane to Golgotha. Let me now resume the thread of my SPIRITISM. ^ narrative by saying, that some years after the occurrences described in the preceding chapter, I found myself within the region we just now called Gethsemane. In plain words, a great and crushing sorrow had befallen me, and I was separated from my near- est relatives as well as from my friends. I was in a foreign country on account of failing health, alone, without support or com- fort, feeling my strength giving way beneath a sudden trial, which under the circumstances seemed greater than I could bear. During this time my only consolation lay in the oppor- tunity afforded me, to be of some little service to a person who was poor in addition, just as solitary and quite unprotected. He was a young student who had been thrown out into the world's busy throng. Every day he used to come for a couple of hours and seek comfort, encouragement and peace in my temporary home. I did not know that he was a so-called " medium," in fact I hardly knew what the word meant. He was at my house the same evening 38 SPIRITISM. when that great trouble had befallen me. Little did he guess what was passing within me. We sat talking about all sorts of every- day subjects, whilst all the time I felt as if my heart would break. I seemed to hear a voice within me crying out in anguish : " It is too much ! My sorrow is greater than I can bear ! " When the mind is deeply afflicted, the nerves are generally in a state of tension, which renders any sound or noise almost insupportable. I was just in that state and was feeling quite tortured by a sudden hammering which seemed as if it came from the story beneath, but was heard most distinctly just near the place where we were sitting. The knocking became at last so annoying that I said to my young friend : " When one feels as ill as I do now, it seems almost cruel to be disturbed in this way by such persistent noise." He looked a little surprised, and had even a strange expression in his face when he an- swered : " Let us hope it will soon leave off." SPIRITISM. 39 But this was not the case ; on the contrary the noise increased, till at last it knocked, as it were, in a circle around us, and then I began irresistibly to realize that something strange was happening. I heard the knocking some- times quite close to the young man, then again just opposite to him at a distance of fully three yards, now beside me, now in front of me — it was astounding ! But then all of a sudden it seemed to dawn upon me that here was something which was especially intended for me. Each knock seemed to quiver with some inner meaning, to be inspired with a soul ! A flash seemed to strike my brain, my heart! Almost without hesitation I asked the young man : " Are these spirits who are knocking like this ? " He nodded. " Then," I exclaimed, " I know who it is." And I men- tioned the name of a dear deceased friend. " Shall I ask ? " he said. " Can one ask ? " I questioned. " Yes," he answered ; " one knock means no, three means yes, and two means neither yes or no, the answer remaining 4 o SPIRITISM. undecided." He then asked aloud : " Are you the person who was mentioned ? " Three loud, distinct knocks were audible in the floor at a good distance from where he sat. It was sufficient, for I had felt the presence of the person in question, and knew for a certainty it was he, and that he wished to speak to me. My young friend now remarked that perhaps this person wished to communicate with us in writing. This exceeded all that I could have believed possible. " Can spirits write ? " I asked. " Yes," was the answer, " through a medium." " But how can we get one ? " I asked again. " I am a medium," he replied with a smile. " But how can it be done ? " was my next question. " In this way," he answered; "we shall put some sheets of paper upon the table, and I shall take a pencil in my hand and let it rest on the paper. If the spirit wishes to communicate with us, my hand will then be guided so that letters and words are formed, without my being conscious of it." The experiment was made. To my sur- SPIRITISM. 41 prise a name was first traced on the paper, which we will call " Elsa." On another line was the following : " Be quite calm, dear child, and He who is our firm stay in all danger will shield and protect you! Yes, be sure of his protection and you will never despair!" Here the young man broke off the writing, which was extremely indistinct and said : " I don't know if this is right, but it seems intended for someone who is called Elsa, but whom I do not know." I begged him to continue, for I knew that the dear friend who was now dead and wished to communicate with me in this way had been in the habit during his lifetime to call me Elsa, whilst everybody else always called me Elizabeth. This alone would have con- vinced me, had any further proof been needed than the one I had already received, when I felt the presence of my deceased friend. The communication concluded thus : 11 My dear little friend, we .are with you in weal and woe. Keep our memory hallowed. We are grateful for every kind -thought from 42 SPIRITISM. earth ; it soothes us, and heals many a wound which the heart, so often misunderstood, car- ried with it to the grave. The spirit freed from the body can then perceive more plainly why all this trouble happened; he thanks God for every trial which he sent, submits himself humbly to the merciful power which in love directed and shall always direct all things. Farewell ! Your old friend prays God to protect you. Sleep in peace, my child." You, who read this, will perhaps not be able to understand what a living consolation (if I may use such an expression) this mes- sage conveyed me. In the very moment of my life when I felt myself so cruelly struck down by an unexpected sorrow, and conse- quently quite crushed beneath the heavy blow, just in that moment, when I had entered the confines of Gethsemane, I felt myself surrounded by an invisible love and comforted by a well-known voice, which had penetrated the barrier, my reason had thought fit to erect between the temporal and spirit- SPIRITISM. 43 ual world. In this moment of anguish my spiritual perceptions were awakened, and I could, as it were, become aware of the pres- ence of the messenger, which God in his mercy had sent to comfort and strengthen my spirit when it had entered the sacred pre- cincts of deepest suffering. In my inexperience I believed that this first station on the path of sorrow, would also be the last. I did not imagine one could survive greater agony, but already on the following evening I was brought to the next station of agony. 'We were again sitting together, when raps were heard as distinctly as on the preceding night, but they sounded more agitated, and on asking who it was, we were told it was the same friend who had come before. We asked if he wished to write, but an answer in the negative was rapped out. The knockings continued, nevertheless, and may no one doubt my word when I say that they seemed to get more and more agitated and troubled, 44 SPIRITISM. until at last, it appeared to me, they ex- pressed downright anguish or dread. Once more we asked if the spirit wished to write, and received for an answer : "Not now but later/' Almost directly afterwards, a servant entered with a letter for me. With no presentiment of any new evil threatening me I opened it. By the time I had read it through, I had reached the second station on the path of crucifixion. I will not detain my reader by describing what unendurable suffering is. Those who have not personally experienced it, would fail to understand. At any rate it is something bordering on madness or the agonies of death. At such a moment one cannot imagine that consolation is possible, at least I could not. But it was just then that I heard, close beside me, some low, distinct raps. This time they seemed pervaded with perfect calm. My young friend asked if we might receive a message. The answer was : " Yes, now we will write." And words were written, which brought strength and hope SPIRITISM. 45 and comfort to a bruised, broken and hope- less heart! — From that hour I became, and have ever since remained, a most convinced and steadfast spiritualist Now many a one may ask : " But what is really the difference between ' spiritism' and 'spiritualism? Are they not the same thing ? " " No," I answer, " they are no more the same thing than the shell and the kernel." If I may be permitted, I will now endeavor to explain as clearly as possible the difference between them. For a long time it struck me as particularly strange, that the connection between our world and the spiritual one around us, should frequently be manifested in such violent ways, as one often hears described in reports from America, England and several other countries. Afterwards when I had become a "writing medium" myself, I begged to be spiritually in- 4 6 SPIRITISM. formed how it is that spirits who could choose so many ways of communicating with us, should sometimes prefer to make themselves perceptible by loud knockings, disturbing noises, moving of furniture, etc., etc. I received the following answer to my question : " The loud material proofs of a connection existing between the spiritual world and earth, have long attracted the attention of mankind, and it has often been affirmed that such evidence is of a nature, rather to destroy than to strengthen man's belief. This is, however, a wrong conception of their meaning. The Word of God is full with the most consoling proofs of the mission of spirits sent to man, to convey God's commands, to comfort the afflicted, and to work miracles (according to our human conceptions), but all these proofs have achieved little, by reason of the blindness and indifference of man. More and more has he lost the power of understanding the great things, which he could not see with spiritual eyes. In all ages, however, there have been some who could see, and hear, and understand, SPIRITISM. 47 with their spiritual senses but they have been misunderstood by the many, and therefore they withheld, in silent meditation, the doc- trines, for the proclaiming of which, the time had not yet come. The world remained un- changed from century to century, man drew himself away more and more from the light of the Spirit, which at last was hardly able to penetrate the countless fogs of this dark Earth. Had the fog not been so thick, there had been no need for noise to awaken the children to a knowledge of their danger. But the peril was too close at hand, the peril of its becoming a disgrace to acknowledge that we have a Creator to thank for our life, and a Saviour for our salvation, and then the spirits clamored till man must awaken from his fatal lethargy. Then at last was his numbed repose shaken, and over the whole world the question started to life : " Are there invisible powers around us, who prove that we are as nothing before them, and that we, who believed ourselves so strong and inde- pendent, that we are merely like frail children 4 8 SPIRITISM. in the presence of superior beings ? " The growing conviction that such is the case, has called forth many other thoughts, which have formed a chain from the spark to the light. Thank God, that the light has been re- vealed, if even as yet only to the few elect ! But God's mercy is great, and He gladly calls those who long in earnest for the light. These He first tries, and afterwards He selects those who have stood the test. On another occasion I wondered if it was possible, that not only God, but also His ser- vants in the spiritual world, could hear the groans of the afflicted, the silent prayers for help, in suffering and temptation. To this question I received an answer, which I will give here : " The human voice, which on account of its material construction, can only penetrate a short distance on earth, receives entirely new power when it issues from the heart. Then it pierces through space, overcomes all obstacles, and always reaches its destination. We have often witnessed how a cry of anguish wrung SPIRITISM. 49 from repentance, has penetrated far into the eternal abode of love, and there awakened echo after echo. We have seen how the servants of God have exerted all their strength, all their power, to softly whisper a word of consolation to the anguished soul, but often their effort has remained unheeded, for even words of love, have difficulty to penetrate where un- belief and darkness reign. Alas, do not many say : ' I have no need of spiritism, it does not seem to me necessary for my salvation.' A blind man might as well say : ' I have no need of light. God's mercy is enough for me as it is ; I know His will, his revelations through others. I cannot certainly gain a knowledge of them myself by reading his holy words, or enjoying the beauties of nature, but I am satisfied as it is.' The poor, blind man has thus no conception of the joy of being able to convince himself at any moment, of the actual existence of the written word, just as little as he can imagine the delight of behold- ing those beauties of nature, which are so " often spoken of in the Word of God, nor can 5 o SPIRITISM. he enjoy the sight of all the glorious won- ders which surround him ; in fact see them as actual realities, not only believe in them as described to him by others. It is just the same when man has received spiritual in- sight ; he can then, in a far higher degree, en- joy the greatness and goodness of God ; he can also gradually free himself from the bondage of beholding God's greatness through the eyes of others. His belief in what has been described to him becomes certainty. He is then also given opportunities of attaining to such wider knowledge as will allure his spirit from the temptations of various, and often very sinful desires. " Is not this a desirable aim ? It is certainly true that spiritism also has its perils, if you seek by means of it to gain some earthly end, or to make it a pedestal for your own little- ness. These dangers can, however, be averted if you pray God to purify and strengthen your feeble nature, to turn your thoughts to noble aims, and to sustain your strength, so that you may be enabled to shun those errors, SPIRITISM. 51 to which you are else easily addicted, when you only live in, and for this world." Another time the following was written, when I was again wondering why God availed himself of intermediate hands, to carry out what he only required to will, in order to ac- complish. It seemed to me as if that marvel- lous, omnipotent " I will " ought to be alone sufficient to produce every required result. I could not imagine that God, the absolute Ruler, would deign to avail himself of the ser- vices of His subjects ; I did not even remem- ber that the Bible is one continued narrative, of how the servants of God have each in turn carried out His commands. But here is the explanation which I received : " We have endeavored to prove to man, that his conceit and self-sufficiency lead him astray when he attempts to explain those things which are from above. But if on the other hand, he seeks in faith and humility to approach those sanctuaries, where he can obtain peace, if he desire peace, and happi- ness, if he long for lasting happiness, and 52 SPIRITISM. serenity of mind, if he will sacrifice his own interest, then and under such conditions alone he will be able to draw near to us and to that land of promise which shall fall to the lot of all those who follow the chosen guides of God. Had not the people of Israel believed in God's message, they would never have been freed from bondage. Had they foolishly an- swered His chosen messengers thus : " God is sufficient for us ; you are only mortals like ourselves. If God will, He can deliver us with- out your help. You cannot offer us benefits, which God's mercy is not able to bestow without your interference." Had they said this, God, in his anger would not have per- mitted the deliverance for which they had so longed sighed. Even when they did receive His message, in a proper spirit, He put them to the test over and over again. Had they then only never wavered in their faith, or been tempted to evil when they believed themselves forgotten by the Lord, they would have done much to hasten their deliverance, but doubts and SPIRITISM. 53 murmurings prolonged the time of their probation. All ye wanderers on earth who are journey- ing towards the promised celestial land, do not, we pray you, reject the guides, whom God sends to point out the surest way. Reject not the council which is given you, not to murmur nor to despair, for thereby you only impede your own progress. Support the weak when they commence to waver ; show them how a Christian can bear his cross without murmuring, adorning it with the flowers which earth was permitted to retain, when our dear Saviour's head was stung by the deep thorns which pierced even to His soul. You have so infinitely much to thank God for, even when life seems most sorrowful, but egotism only beholds its own sufferings, and ingratitude turns away from the richest bless- ings. Pray God that you may become en- nobled, thereby worthier of all the invisible proofs of love with which He surrounds you. We spoke once of the blind who wished to continue in his blindness, but God forbid that 54 SPIRITISM. the selfish should also desire to remain selfish, or the thankless ungrateful. Before I now endeavor to explain to the reader, what is usually meant by one word ; " Spiritism," I must appeal to his good will to try and understand me rightly, so that by the help of intuition he may meet me half way. Only upon this supposition, shall I succeed in awakening in him that reciprocity of feel- ing which is requisite for understanding a sub- ject which lies quite beyond the pale of ordi- nary ideas. If he will only endeavor for a moment to forget all the contempt and deris- ion, which the words " spiritism " often calls forth, it is possible, that, however incredulous he may be, the subject, taken from a serious and truthful point of view, may at last awaken his interest. By Spiritism is meant a connection, or intercourse, with the spiritual world. Surely SPIRITISM. 55 there is no religion existing, in which, in some form or other, a belief in spirits is not to be found, just as there are few hearts which do not experience a strange sensation, when this subject happens to become the topic of serious conversation. This kind of feeling I should like to call a reciprocity of emotion, which the immortal within us experiences, when by the help of thought, or feeling, it comes in contact with the immortal which lies beyond our usual sphere of vision, or experience. In the Christian religion the belief in the invisible world has reached its height, but of this I will not speak yet, as I wish at present to confine myself exclusively to the word spiritism, which has a wide signification. This word contains, to speak plainly, the possibility of approaching the spiritual world in three different ways, or degrees. We Protestants profess only to believe in two states of existence in a future life ; we call them, Heaven and Hell. The Roman Catho- lics and Spiritists on the other hand, believe in 5 6 SPIRITISM. three states after death. Each of these can of course be divided into infinite grades, but the principle are called Heaven, Hell and Purgatory. According to the Protestants, the good spirits dwell in Heaven, the bad in Hell. After death, according to the Protes- tant doctrine, one is doomed to everlasting blessedness or damnation. The Catholics, on the other hand, believe that a weak, sinful human being, is not worthy of entering at once into everlasting bliss, nor that he is bad enough to be condemned by -&just God to the torments of an everlasting Hell. They believe, therefore, that his spirit passes to a sphere, where it can be ennobled and de- veloped^ and at last made worthy of entering into God's glorious habitation. The differ- ence between the Spiritualist and the Roman Catholic faith lies in this, that whereas the Spiritist believes in the celestial state, as well as in the probationary stage, he also believes in a Gehenna, a Hades, a something, which corresponds to what is usually termed "Hell," where a (symbolical) everlasting SPIRITISM. 57 furnace, purges the dross from the noble metal in the human heart. He does not be- lieve, however, that under any circumstances the spirit is confined forever, to this region of suffering and torment. On the contrary, he believes that when the work is done, the spirit is released from the bonds of punish- ment and trial and in God's own appointed time is raised to the sphere, where the wicked cannot dwell, and where the higher develop- ment commences. Therefore, to sum up briefly, the Spiritualist believes in three states after death. As the Spiritist believes, as we have just remarked, in a connection between our world and the invisible spheres around us, he also, in consequence, believes in a connection with the highest sphere, the intermediate sphere and the lowest. The connection with the latter I should call witchcraft or black magic, meaning thereby intercourse with the lowest, or evil world of spirits. " Spiritism" should again signify intercourse with a mixed world of spirits, a sphere where 58 SPIRITISM. they are neither all good, nor all bad. This world is therefore a dangerous field for ex- periences, as the spiritual communications issuing from it can assume a variety of forms, alternating continually between good and bad. But now we come to that kind of intercourse with the spiritual world, which I will give the name of Spiritualism. By this I allude to the connection with the highest sphere in the spiritual world, which is only permitted to the 'true followers of Christ, and through which they enjoy the fulfilment of His own promise, that He should send the Comforter, the Holy Spirit to them. By "Comforter" should in this case be understood that power which emanates from God Himself, which sustains and strengthens in life's sorest trials, and which is at times confided to holy angels and spirits, charged by God to enlighten and protect those who are in need, and who are in a condition to receive divine grace. Christ Himself enjoyed, in the highest degree this wonderful spiritual SPIRITISM. 59 union with the celestial powers, and. He prom- ised His followers that after His death the Holy Spirit should also descend upon them. Had not this promise been fulfilled, would the army of martyrs ever have been formed to bring down, as it were at any cost, a portion of Heaven to earth ? The heavenly seed was sown in their innocently shed blood, but earth reaped the blessed harvest, for it was only after the descent of the Holy Ghost had taken place, that man received strength to love his neighbor as himself, yea, often more than him- self, and thereby bring to earth the precious teachings from those spheres where love rules omnipotent. These elect ought not perhaps to be called " saints," but missionaries from Heaven, sent to spread light and true knowl- edge amongst all the nations on earth. If they had not felt the presence of the Holy Spirit in their hearts, they could not, as the prophets of old, have stood in direct communication with the heavenly powers — they could not then have carried out their various tasks, which all had but one aim, 60 SPIRITISM. namely, to draw down the Kingdom of God to earth. Christ taught them to pray : " Thy Kingdom come." The Holy Spirit bestowed upon them the power of endeavoring to realize this prayer. In Christ's day more could not be required of mankind than this : " Love God above all things, and thy neighbor as thyself." But since that time, mankind has been fortified by the gifts of the Spirit, which through the revelation of Christ alone could descend to earth ; he has, in consequence, grown in strength, and learnt to understand that if the world is to become a Kingdom of God, he must not only love God above all things, but, by doing so in the right way, be brought to see that he must love his neighbor more than himself. This is a hard saying, many will tell you. Do not believe it ! It is the token that the glorifying light of the Holy Spirit has touched your heart and your brow, that the " Holy Ghost" has made manifest Christ's divine word and mission, which was to teach us by His example this heavenly precept. SPIRITISM. 6 1 Impeded and oppressed as we are by the imperfections of our earthly nature, we are as yet little able to respond to what is demanded of us. But God does not look to the weak- ness of our attempts, but to the fervor of our desire, and that lies within the region of our own free will. If we now return to the word " Spirit- ualism," it is evident by the explanation I have endeavored to give, that every true Christian must be a Spiritualist, because he has intercourse with God— the God of spirits — by prayer. Prayer is, namely, communi- cation between the spirit within us, and the spirit without us. Prayer to Christ is another intercourse with the highest sphere. That inexpressible yearning to draw near in thought to the spirit of some loved, lost one ; to pour out the cravings of our soul to him, is also an intercourse with " the other world." The con- viction that we are, according to the teachings of Scripture, surrounded by angels is one of the pillars of spiritualism. Most Christians be- lieve thus much, but beyond this preparatory 62 SPIRITISM. faith, if I may so call it, they have seldom ad- vanced. And why? Because they have not first sought after the Kingdom of God. They have not searched the Scriptures. They have but seldom read them with prayer for guid- ance. They have mostly only availed them- selves of the light of their own limited under- standing to pierce the obscurity in which the Scriptures are shrouded. Had they, on the other hand, prayed for light from God, a divine ray would have dispersed the darkness, and illumined their reason. The light of the Holy Spirit would have called forth in them the capacity of receiving and understanding the immeasurably deep, but simple truths of Scripture. Had not the demons of pride and self glorification so often been allowed to obscure man's understanding, there never would have arisen so many dogmas, and confused in- terpretations of the Bible, — interpretations which have so long been the despair of the true believer. For the true believer does not believe because others force a faith upon him, SPIRITISM. 63 but because he feels within himself a corre- sponding emotion which agrees with that which is put before him. That is the reason why Humanity must, as yet, have such an infinite variety of religions and creeds, while it is still enveloped in the dense mist of sins, and open to false doctrines, which accord with its own wretched carnal- minded faith. For the spirit there is only one faith, but how many are there who even know that they have a spirit? At the most they feel, now and then, that they have a soul, that part of the spirit which is, so to say, intermixed with the body. Well, for the spirit, the purely immor- tal within us, there is only one religion, one faith, which corresponds to the one which belongs to the highest world of spirits, but is seldom revealed on earth, the faith which is the reward of the liberated, truth-seeking human spirit, and the realized bliss of the angels. The more this hidden world reveals itself to man, the deeper is the insight he gets, and the greater the certainty which he obtains, 64 SPIRITISM. that beyond this dream life on earth, lies the real, actual life. In former times prophets and prophetesses were chosen amongst the nations on earth, to prove to them, by visions, prophecies and counsels, that this world of ours is surrounded by another vastly its superior. Can this be told more plainly, than in the Second Book of Kings, 6th chapter, where it is related how Elisha, the man of God, by the gift of inspira- tion, warned the King of Israel of the various attacks the King of Syria intended to make upon him, or, when in the morning, Elisha's servant warned him, in the city of Dothan, that the hosts of the King of Syria, with horses and chariots, had, during the night, compassed the city round about, adding " Alas, my mas- ter, what shall we do ? " How calmly did not then the man of God answer : " Fear not, for they that be with us are more than they that be with them." By this he did not mean that the inhabitants of the little town could defend themselves against the mighty hosts of the warrior king. SPIRITISM. 65 No, he relied upon the hosts, invisible to ordinary eyes, which ever encompass us with their might, for he prayed and said : " Lord, open his eyes that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of his servant, and he saw, and behold the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha." A Swedish commentator of the Bible (Me- lin) has, inspired by the spirit of truth, thus interpreted this narrative : " It is an inexpres- sibly glorious thought, that the veil which shrouds the mortal eye can, for a while, be lifted here on earth, to enable man to get a clear view of the workings of Provi- dence." It is further related how Elisha (according to Melin's explanation), accompanied by the invisible guardian powers, went down with his servant from the heights of the city to the hostile bands, which encompassed it below, whilst the heavenly defenders surrounded it above. When they came to the enemy's camp, Elisha prayed that the Lord would 66 SPIRITISM, smite the people with blindness. This the Lord also did. The narrative relates further, how the prophet led them afterwards into Samaria itself — that is to say, to the headquarters of their enemies the Israelites, where the King of Israel dwelt. Here he prayed the Lord again to open their eyes, which also came to pass. But now the prophet shows that he is a man of God, one verily chosen and enlightened by God, for when the King of Israel wanted to smite his enemies the prophet reminds him that they had not been captured in the usual way with the sword — they must not therefore be treated in the customary warlike fashion, but be well entertained and afterwards sent back to their master. The king followed the counsel of the man of God, and the blessing was not withheld, for the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel. I dare not detain the reader too long by pointing out to him, how one Bible narrative after the other proves that there have been at all times elect, to whom have been revealed SPIRITISM, 67 the hidden ways of God for ruling and guiding His children. The "unbeliever" may smile, perhaps, at my simple faith, not only as re- gards what the Bible teaches, but also at what I have myself experienced many times in my life, but surely those who profess to believe in the Word of God ought rather to rejoice to hear, that the- spiritualist has really received proofs that the wonderful events recorded in both the Old and New Testament have their parallel in our days, although but few are aware of this, and no one to my knowledge has yet spoken of these, in the highest sense, spiritual manifestations. I must now beg to be allowed to explain, by means of two instances taken from the Holy Scriptures, the difference between a " spiritualist" and a " spiritist." I should then wish to call King Belshazzar's " wise men," " magicians, " " Chaldeans " and " soothsayers," whom he summoned to inter- pret the letters of fire on the wall, spiritists, or such- who cannot always rely on assistance from the spiritual world. Although their life 68 SPIRITISM. depended upon it, none of them could either read or explain the writing. It had been traced by spirit-hand, but who could interpret it ? A woman came to the rescue ; the queen comforted her husband with these words : " There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods ; and in the days of thy father, light and understanding and wis- dom like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him ; whom the King Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans and sooth- sayers ; forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and showing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel : now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation." And Daniel the man of God came, and the king spoke to him in these words : " I have even heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understand- ing and excellent wisdom is found in thee." So the king promised him rich gifts and SPIRITISM. 69 great earthly advantages, if he would fulfil the king's wish, and interpret the writing. But though the " spiritualist " Daniel would not receive rewards and distinctions for the gifts God had blessed him with, he still complied to the king's request. What was denied to the others to see, he saw ; and those fatal words : " Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin," he could not only read but interpret. Belshazzar must have felt that a man of God stood before him, a man to be honored above all others, for, in spite of the dreadful message he brought the king, he distin- guished him, the prisoner Daniel, as if he were one of the first in the realm. But Daniel knew from whence he had received this knowledge, both on this occa- sion and a former one when he had interpreted King Nebuchadnezzar's dream, for of him- self he declared ( Daniel, chap, ii., verse 30) : " But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but for their sakes that shall make JO SPIRITISM. known the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart." Here is another illustration, taken from the Old Testament, which shows the difference between " Spiritism " and " Spiritualism." I refer this time to the witch of Endor, so often mentioned with dread, and w hois un- justly, as I think, called the "witch," for, by witch, one means generally a wicked being, and this woman, on the contrary, showed a most kindly disposition of heart towards poor despairing king Saul, and is not the tree to be known by its fruit ? Let me first remind you of the story in a few words. King Saul had, from the heights of Gilboa, seen the hosts of the Philistines which were ready to attack him and subdue the country. His heart trembled at the sight, for the threatened danger was over- SPIRITISM. 71 whelming. Saul, who had so often forgotten his Lord and master, now inquires of the Lord what he had better do, but receives no answer, " either through dreams or through Urim* or the prophets." In his despair he then begged to be told where he could find a fortune-teller, or a woman who had familiar spirit ! He was told that there was such a one close to Endor. Saul went to her at night, disguised, and implored her thus : " I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto thee." The woman was frightened and answered : " Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those that have familiar spirits, and wizards out of the land : wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die ? " But Saul * Questions were answered through Urim and Thummim— so it is said— in the following manner. The High Priest put on his sacred robe, on the breast of which was fastened, what was believed to be a cut crystal, called Urim and Thummim. The inquirer looked into the crystal, and if God was gracious to him, he could read the answer in the stone. 72 SPIRITISM. assured her, that no harm should come to her. By this promise her fears were allayed and she asked whose spirit she should bring up. He begged her -to call forth the spirit of Samuel, which must have appeared immedi- ately afterwards and revealed to her who Saul really was, for she cried out at once : " Why hast thou deceived me ? For thou art Saul." Here I must beg to copy, word for word, the Rev. Melin's comment on what took place, in consequence of Samuel's ap- pearing to the woman. He says, namely : " She saw his ghost rising up from Sheol or the kingdom of the dead. The older inter- pretation of a spectral form, in which Satan had disguised himself, and in Samuel's shape and speech, talked with Saul, is as little to be commended as more modern ones, that the whole was an artful fraud on the part of the woman. Saul himself saw nothing, and what the woman saw and heard, she saw and heard in a state of magnetic clairvoyance or som- nambulism, without the least conscious inten- tion of deceiving. The Bible narrative is SPIRITISM. 73 moreover so vivid and intelligible, that even the most incredulous interpreters of the Scriptures have been obliged to acknowledge its historic truth, and all the more, as it has its counterpart in later times." I will now resume the narrative by calling to mind that King Saul endeavored once more to calm the frightened woman, beseeching her to tell him what she saw. She then told him that she saw " gods," or according to the Rev. Melin's explanation, " spirits," ascend- ing out of the earth. The king asked again : " What form is he of ? " She described " an old man, covered with a prophet's mantle."* * I cannot resist relating here, something very similar to what has just been described, which has happened to myself. The young "medium," I have mentioned before, described to me once in Paris, during a trance, how he saw a spirit who looked at me most lovingly. He described him as being an old man, with a gray beard, not exactly good looking but with such an infinitely loving expression, and eyes that seemed to shine like stars, and he added : " he wears a broad leather girdle round the waist ; it is very curious ! ' ' This spirit I used to call from the earliest communications he gave me the " beloved spirit, ' ' for none could compare with him in lovingness. Five years later I visited a lady in the south of Austria, a Countess Von V., well known in spiritistic circles for her mediumship. One evening, when she was in a trance, she described to me, in almost the same words as the young man in Paris (whom she had never heard me mention) the same spirit, for whom I had such great love 74 SPIRITISM. More was not needed, for Saul, by that strange feeling before mentioned, which re- sponds within us to truth, knew for certain that it was the spirit of Samuel. In this conviction he bowed himself to the ground, thus showing his veneration for the great spirit, who had answered his call. Samuel now reproaches Saul that he had disturbed him. Saul excuses himself in the following touching words, " I am sore distress- ed, for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets nor by and veneration. She described his wonderfnlly loving expression, his gray beard, his whole appearance, and mentioned, lastly also with an expression of surprise, ' ' he wears a leather girdle round his waist." What these two medium in two different places had seen and de- scribed to me, each separately and after a long interval of time, may I think be considered a modern counterpart to what the so- called witch of Endor described. Perhaps the most remarkable thing is that she and they had been allowed to see in spirit one of the greatest prophets. The woman of Endor saw Samuel, Countess Von. V. as well as the "medium" saw the prophet Elias. I hadyW/ intuitively, (though not quite without cause) that this " beloved spirit" who protected me and had shown himself at two different times, was Elias, but I was not quite certain until a year after this last occasion, when I read II. Kings, i. 8, Elias thus de- scribed, ' ' He was a hairy man and had a leather girdle about his loins." SPIRITISM. 75 dreams ; therefore I have called thee that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do." From this it is plain that a " medium," or as she is called here, a witch (seer), was neces- sary to put the living in communication with him who was dead according to earthly interpretation. Samuel speaks now and reminds Saul, that the Lord is no longer with him, but that now it has come to pass as the prophet foretold when he was alive. The kingdom has passed out of his hands, and been given to David. Because Saul has not obeyed the voice of the Lord, the Lord shall also give the people of Israel into the hands of the Philistines. Finally Samuel foretells that Saul as well as his sons "will be with him." On the fol- lowing day, they will have departed this life. When Saul hears these dreadful words, he falls fainting to the ground. It is then that the woman, by speaking loving words to him, proves whose child of the spirit she is. She reminds him now that by having called forth the spirit of Samuel at 7 6 SPIRITISM. his desire she has risked her life, and all that she asks as a reward, for what she has done for Saul is that " he shall hearken to the voice of his handmaid," and let her put before him " a morsel of bread " that he may eat and be strengthened. After much persuasion on the part of the woman as well as of his ser- vants, he at last consents. Then she kills the fatted calf, thus offering him the best she has at her disposal. Let no one therefore speak of " the woman of Endor" as being bad, or a " witch ! " She was only a spiritistic medium not a spiritual- istic, for in that case she would have been called a prophetess and treated with venera- tion. Saul on the other hand is the erring one. He ought not to have sought her aid, to com- pel an answer from above, which had been de- nied him by the men of God and the prophets. The answer he received, though in itself most awful, did not, however, contain more dreadful prophecies than others which the prophets afterwards gave to the kings both of Israel and Judah. SPIRITISM. 77 In contrast to the culpability of Saul in forcing himself to an answer, I will now point out a case where it was not only permissible but meritorious, to seek aid and counsel from one of God's chosen inspired seers. It was, namely, when King Josiah was informed, that during the repairs of the Tem- ple at Jerusalem, the Book of the Law, " which the Lord had given unto Moses," * had been found hidden in the money chest. When the king now heard the words of the Law read to him, he was frightened. He was himself a righteous and devoted man of God, and had not only endeavored to root out idolatry from amongst the neighboring nations, but had also conscientiously commenced, when only twenty years of age, an ecclesiastical reform which lasted from the twelfth to the eighteenth year of his reign. Thus for six years he had assiduously endeavored to purify the Church, when at last by the discovery of the book of the Law, he was enabled to learn how much that Church and its followers had * 2Chron. xxxiv. 14. 78 SPIRITISM. sinned, turning more and more from the Lord's holy commandments. What does this man then do, of whom the Scriptures say, "And like unto him was there no king before him, that turned to the Lord with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses." * Well, in his despair that the people of Israel and Judah had " not kept the word of the Lord," and that the wrath of the Lord should be poured over them, he commands the High Priest Hilkiah to go, accompanied by the highest in the land, to the prophetess Huldah, in order to hear from her mouth, through direct inspiration, what the Lord had to an- nounce to them. Her answer was not long in coming, it was almost similar to the one which Saul received from the woman of Endor, namely calamity and desolation should be the punishment for the sins which the priests and the people had committed, but as Josiah had lived a righteous and godly life, and his heart * II. Kings, xxiii, 25. SPIRITISM. 79 was moved with sorrow at the discovery of the great wickedness which prevailed in the kingdom, he should be spared the grief of witnessing the coming desolation, and be gathered to his fathers beforehand. And so it also came to pass. I have wished by these two narratives from the Bible to illustrate the difference between a justifiable wish to know God's will and receive counsel through one of His elect, and an unjustifiable craving to search out the hid- den mysteries of His will. In the one instance it is Saul, who after his request to be enlight- ened by one of God's chosen, and after having been denied this, seeks nevertheless to attain a knowledge which was refused to him. He then still persists and turns to a common medium, who probably for money made use of her gifts as a profession. The difference between these two is this, that "whereas the one never em- ploys her gift except in the service of God, and never without being entirely devoted to Him, as far as it is possible to be in this imperfect world, the other one often leans to both sides, So SPIRITISM. and serves God and Mammon alternately. They are both mediums, but the one is a spirit- ualist, the other a spiritist. With regard to the third class of mediums, I will merely say, that no doubt there exists an intercourse with the wicked spiritual world ; it is therefore all the more important that one should know what it consists in, and it is truly fortunate that from several pulpits in Sweden, warnings have lately gone forth reminding us that we are surrounded by " evil influences," " evil spirits," who want to lure man to de- struction. Those who lend a willing ear to the voices of these spirits, those who fly to them for help, who wish to avail themselves of their power and influence, will certainly get what they covet. All which comes to the petitioner through this source, however either to his own advan- tage or for the destruction of others, I should call witchcraft, or unjustifiable, sinful spirit- ism. Sometimes even noble and high-minded persons can be tempted by these false voices, SPIRITISM. 8! which often adopt a dangerous, fascinating language, resembling even that of justice. As an example I will mention here an oc- currence, for the truth of which I can vouch. It was related by the person himself, who, ac- cording to my idea, was tempted to an un- just thought, for action I cannot call it, al- though it led to an awful result. This person was a prominent member of the society for the protection of animals, and had nobly sacrificed six years of his life, in laboring without intermission to counteract that kind of torturing of animals, which is perpetrated in the name of science and called vivisection. This eminent man of science was very " mediumistic," and therefore also susceptible to the " evil influences " which are continually around us. One day he was thinking of all the dreadful suffering to which the poor defenceless ani- mals are exposed. He thought of the fright- ful abuse of power, which in cold blood, and with easy conscience and stony hearts, man, 82 SPIRITISM. on the plea of instruction, is guilty of towards them. He became suddenly seized with a feel- ing of deepest horror; among all the thousand vivisectors, the image of Claude Bernard the renowned physiologist seemed to stand out most vividly before him. It appeared almost as it were dripping with the blood so merci- lessly shed, and surrounded by innumerable eyes expressive of the most indescribable suf- fering. Contempt, hatred, blazed up in his heart, a kind of frenzy took possessions of him and entirely beside himself, he hurled a curse at the one who had so sinned and bid him die ! One can hardly realize the dismay this person felt, when he heard later on that Claude Bernard had actually died the same hour, when his opponent had so ardently wished him out of this world. Could one not almost feel inclined to believe in this case, that evil spirits had has- tened with joy to carry out the sentence of death. But what a heavy responsibility for the one, who in a moment of ungovernable fury had been tempted to curse his brother ! SPIRITISM. S$ Our great poet, Tegner has* in " Frithiofs Saga " has given expression to the idea, that man in critical moments is tempted by evil spirits, as well as warned and fortified by good ones. The two birds who sing into Frithiofs ears, as he is watching over his rival king Ring, during his sleep, are typical of these invisible conflicting powers. But how often is not this conflict, between good and evil influences, repeated in our every day life ! If man could only depict to himself the exultation which arises in the two opposite camps, when he either yields to, or withstands temptations such as envy, conceit harsh judgment, misunderstanding, calumny, deception, avarice, and — last but not least — sensuality. These are the demons of every- day life, but behind them are others which tempt to greater and greater sins. Well would it be if he could understand in its deep- est significance the words " Thousands of invisible witnesses compass us round about." And more desirable still, if he understood that amongst these are innumerable good and 84 SPIRITISM. blessed spirits and angels, who at the least prayer for help, are willing to protect us, and banish all evil from us. Here some one may remark " But I only seek God's protection." But surely these are His servants they bring you His protection ! For the present, what I have now tried to explain with regard to the three different ways of holding intercourse with the spiritual world, must be sufficient. Another time I may perhaps return to the sub- ject, but then much more fully. This first little work can only serve as a short introduction to a fuller treatment of a very vast subject. Probably there are many amongst my read- ers who think : " Yes, it's all very well, but we should very much like to hear of some actual result, something wonderful, which has really happened through the intercourse with the spiritual world." Oh, how well I can understand this! I used to feel just the same, before I received so many proofs, that I forgot my first yearn- ings for them. I will therefore gladly comply with my reader's wish. Let me first say, how- SPIRITISM. 85 ever, that the so-called actual proofs are certainly very interesting, but that those proofs which in the beginning are withheld, and only obtained after long years of waiting, are far more convincing. A prediction is often followed by circumstances which seem in direct contradiction to what has been foretold. The honest spiritualist, who believes with all a child's trust, has in consequence to undergo severe trials which often reach the limit of the highest suffering. But if his intentions are of the right kind, if he has consecrated his spiritual communions by prayer, he must not give way to despair, for everything will be explained in its own good time. We mor- tals have such limited capacity for understand- ing and comprehending aright. We interpret in our fashion, but we often afterwards receive proofs that it was our interpretation which was at fault, and that the fulfilment of what was foretold came to pass, in quite a different way to what we had thought. The first time that my wish to see a phys- ical phenomenon was granted, I was already 86 SPIRITISM. warned in the morning that it would take place in the evening. The young medium before mentioned and I were sitting chatting one evening, when he quite suddenly fell into a trance, which he took for a headache, or rather a feeling of overwhelming fatigue. He begged me to be allowed to rest for a moment on a little sofa which stood at the other end of the room. In order that no one may imagine that the young man had any conscious part in what now followed, I will explain graphically how it all occurred. We were sitting in a lar^e square room. Along one of the walls was a sofa on which I sat. On the wall opposite to me was a large open fireplace. To the right of that stood the sofa where he was resting. On the other side of the fireplace there were two large arm-chairs which blocked his view. Behind these, farthest away in the left corner of the room, stood a large velvet table, crossways ; between it and the door to the left, there was a little round table with some heavy object on it. Between this and SPIRITISM. $j the velvet table there was only a very, very small space left in the form of a triangle. The medium was still resting on the sofa, and I sat in my place occupied in drawing. After a good while had elapsed I heard a slight thumping sound, in the left corner of the room, just like the noise of a somewhat large glass object being put down, or falling upright on to a carpeted floor. I distinctly heard the sound of glass falling in this way. I looked up alarmed, thinking the young man had risen and perhaps knocked some table ornament down. He was lying, however, quite motionless on the sofa. Then I thought I must have heard wrong, but no ! Too distinctly to permit of doubt, I had heard what I am describing here. My eyes now sought a tall turquoise-blue Venetian glass vase, which used to stand amongst other things on the velvet table, a good bit from the edge, in order to be quite safe. To my surprise it was not there. ' " What has be- come of my blue vase ? " I exclaimed, " it 88 SPIRITISM. i can't possibly have fallen down ? it stood too far from the edge of the table ! " The medium, rousing himself, said : " Per- haps the spirits have put it down on the floor." " Impossible," I answered ; " surely spirits cannot move things ! " " Oh, yes," he replied, " it happens sometimes ! " I begged him eagerly to see what ,had happened, " for then," I added, " the blue vase is standing between the velvet table and the little round one, but it isn't likely, for there is no room for it there, but do, look ! " " Before doing so," answered the medium, still immovable on the sofa, " I will only call your attention to the fact that if the vase has been put down by the spirits, it will not be cracked or damaged in the least; but if on the contrary it has fallen down, it will certainly have been broken." Then he went and looked and my eyes followed his every move- ment. Before taking it up he said : " I can see it already on the floor," and then lifting the vase quietly up he brought it at once to me, and lo ! though it was made of the thin- SPIRITISM. 89 nest glass and ornamented with glass flowers, there was not the least damage done to it. After examining it carefully I went to the spot where it was found standing on the floor, and with the vase itself I measured the three- cornered space between the two tables, and saw that it was quite impossible for the vase to have fallen down without striking its length against the edges of the tables. It could only have been put down upright, and how carefully this had been done ! Let no sceptic now believe that the me- dium had himself quietly put down the vase. In the first place he was thoroughly honest, secondly it was through the occurrence itself, through the slight bumping sound, and the clink of the glass, that I was made aware of what had happened, while the medium never stirred from his place, and mind, the room was well lit. A couple of months afterwards a servant broke the vase. She had but touched it lightly as it stood on another table. As the vase was a dear remembrance, I hoped that 9