SPECIAL MEDIUMS.

Special aptitudes of mediums. — Synoptic table of the different kinds of mediums.

Special aptitudes of mediums.

Besides the categories of mediums we have just enumerated, mediumship presents an infinite variety of shades, which constitute the so-called special mediums, endowed with particular aptitudes, not yet defined, leaving aside the qualities and knowledge of the Spirit that manifests itself.

The nature of the communications always bears a relation to the nature of the Spirit and carries the stamp of its elevation, or of its inferiority, of its learning, or of its ignorance.

But, in equality of merit, from the hierarchical point of view, there is in it incontestably a propensity to occupy itself with one thing in preference to another.

The rapping Spirits, for example, never go beyond physical manifestations, and, among those who give intelligent communications, there are Spirits who are poets, musicians, draftsmen, moralists, scholars, physicians, etc.

We speak of the Spirits of the middling category, since, when they reach a certain degree, the aptitudes merge into the unity of perfection.

But, alongside the aptitude of the Spirit, there is that of the medium, who is, for the former, an instrument more or less convenient, more or less flexible, and in whom it discovers particular qualities that we cannot appreciate.

Let us make a comparison: a very skilled musician has at his disposal several violins, all of which, to the common man, are good instruments, but which are very different from one another to the consummate artist, who discovers in them shades of extreme delicacy, leading him to choose some and reject others, shades that he perceives by intuition, since he cannot define them. The same occurs with regard to mediums.

In equality of conditions as to mediumistic forces, the Spirit will prefer one or another, according to the kind of communication it wishes to transmit.

Thus, for example, there are individuals who, as mediums, write admirable poems, although in ordinary conditions they were never able or knew how to make two verses; others, on the contrary, who are poets and who, as mediums, were never able to write anything but prose, despite the desire they nurture to write poems. The same happens with drawing, with music, etc.

There are some who, without themselves possessing scientific knowledge, demonstrate a special aptitude for receiving erudite communications; others, for historical studies; others serve more readily as interpreters for the moralist Spirits.

In a word, whatever the medium's pliability, the communications he most easily receives generally carry a special stamp; 12 there are even some who do not go beyond a certain order of ideas and who, when they depart from these, obtain only incomplete, laconic, and not rarely false communications.

Besides the causes of aptitude, the Spirits also communicate more or less preferentially through this or that intermediary, according to their sympathies.

Thus, in perfect equality of conditions, the same Spirit will be much more explicit with certain mediums, simply because these suit it better.

He would therefore be in error who, simply because he has at his disposal a good medium, even one with the greatest facility for writing, should presume to wish to obtain through him good communications of every kind.

The first condition is, there is no disputing it, that the person make certain of the source from which they proceed, that is, of the qualities of the Spirit that transmits them;

but, it is no less necessary to keep in view the qualities of the instrument offered to the Spirit.

It is fitting, therefore, that the nature of the medium be studied, as the nature of the Spirit is studied, since these are the two essential elements for obtaining a satisfactory result.

There exists a third, which plays an equally important role: it is the intention, the intimate thought, the more or less praiseworthy sentiment of the one who interrogates.

This is easily conceived. For a communication to be good, it is necessary that it proceed from a good Spirit; for that good Spirit to be ABLE to transmit it, an indispensable good instrument is needed; for it to WISH to transmit it, it is necessary that the aim envisaged suit it.

The Spirit, which reads the thought, judges whether the question proposed to it merits a serious answer and whether the person who addresses it to it is worthy of receiving it.

If it is not so, it does not waste its time casting good seed upon stones, and it is then that the frivolous and mocking Spirits enter into action, for, caring little for the truth, they do not look upon it very closely and generally show themselves little scrupulous, whether as to ends, or as to means.

Let us make a summary of the principal kinds of mediumship, in order to present, so to speak, the synoptic table of all of them, including those we have described in the preceding chapters, indicating the number where we treat each one in greater detail:

We group the different kinds of mediums by analogy of causes and effects, without this classification having anything absolute about it.

Some are found with ease; others, on the contrary, are rare and exceptional, which we shall take care to indicate.

These latter indications were all made by the Spirits, who, moreover, reviewed this table with particular care and completed it by means of numerous observations and new categories, so that the said table is, properly speaking, their work.

By means of quotation marks, we set off their textual observations, whenever it has seemed to us fitting to mark them. They are, for the most part, by Erastus and by Socrates. [Synoptic table of the different kinds of mediums.]

— Mediums may be divided into two great categories:

Mediums of physical effects; those who have the power to provoke material effects, or ostensive manifestations. (no. 160.)

Mediums of intellectual effects; those who are more apt to receive and to transmit intelligent communications. (no. 65 and following.)

All the other kinds attach themselves more or less directly to one or the other of these two categories; some partake of both.

If we analyze the different phenomena produced under the mediumistic influence, we shall see that, in all of them, there is a physical effect and that to the physical effects is almost always allied an intelligent effect.

It is often difficult to determine the limit between the two, but this presents no consequence.

Under the denomination of mediums of intellectual effects we include those who can, more particularly, serve as intermediaries for the regular and fluent communications. (no. 133.)

— Varieties common to all kinds of mediumship.

Sensitive mediums; persons susceptible of feeling the presence of the Spirits, by a general or local impression, vague or material.

The majority of these persons distinguish the good Spirits from the bad, by the nature of the impression. (no. 164.)

“Delicate and very sensitive mediums must abstain from communications with the violent Spirits, or those whose impression is painful, on account of the fatigue that results therefrom.”

Natural or unconscious mediums; those who spontaneously produce the phenomena, without the intervention of their own will and, most often, unbeknownst to them. (no. 161.)

Facultative or voluntary mediums; those who have the power to provoke the phenomena by an act of their own will. (no. 160.)

“Whatever that will may be, they can do nothing if the Spirits refuse, which proves the intervention of a foreign force.”

— Special varieties for the physical effects.

Tiptological mediums; those through whose influence the noises, the knocks are produced.

A very common variety, with or without the intervention of the will.

Motor mediums; those who produce the movement of inert bodies.

Very common. (no. 61.)

Mediums of translations and suspensions; those who produce the aerial translation and the suspension of inert bodies in space, without a point of support.

Among them there are those who can raise themselves.

More or less rare, according to the amplitude of the phenomenon; very rare, in the latter case. (no. 75 and following; no. 80.)

Mediums of musical effects; they provoke the execution of compositions, on certain musical instruments, without contact with them. Very rare.

(no. 74, question 24.) [no.

190.]

Mediums of apparitions; those who can provoke fluidic or tangible apparitions, visible to those present. Very exceptional. (no. 100, question 27; no. 104.)

Mediums of transport; those who can serve as auxiliaries to the Spirits for the transport of material objects.

A variety of the motor mediums and of translations. Exceptional. (no. 96.)

Nocturnal mediums; those who obtain certain physical effects only in darkness.

The following is the answer that a Spirit gave us to the question we posed as to whether these mediums can be considered as constituting a variety:

“Certainly one can make a specialty of this, but this phenomenon is due more to the ambient conditions than to the nature of the medium, or of the Spirits.

I must add that some escape this influence of the environment and that the nocturnal mediums, for the most part, could come, through exercise, to operate as well in the light as in darkness.

This kind of medium is not very numerous.

And it must be said, thanks to this condition, which offers full liberty for the employment of the tricks of ventriloquism and of acoustic tubes, the charlatans have greatly abused credulity, passing themselves off as mediums, in order to make money.

But, what does it matter? The cabinet tumblers, like those of the public square, will be cruelly unmasked, and the Spirits will prove to them that they go ill, meddling in their work.

I repeat: some charlatans will receive, in a rather rough manner, the punishment that will disgust them with the trade of false mediums. Besides, all this will last but little.” Erastus.

Pneumatographic mediums; those who obtain direct writing.

A very rare phenomenon and, above all, very easy to be imitated by the swindlers.

(no. 177.)

NOTE. The Spirits insisted, against our opinion, on including direct writing among the phenomena of the physical order, for the reason, they said, that:

“The intelligent effects are those for whose production the Spirit makes use of the materials existing in the brain of the medium, which is not the case in direct writing.

The action of the medium is here entirely material, whereas in the writing medium, even though completely mechanical, the brain always plays an active role.”

Healing mediums; those who have the power to cure or to relieve the sick person, by the mere imposition of the hands, or by prayer.

“This faculty is not essentially mediumistic; all true believers possess it, whether mediums or not.

Most often, it is merely an exaltation of the magnetic power, strengthened, if necessary, by the concurrence of good Spirits.” (no. 175.)

Exciter mediums; persons who have the power, by their influence, to develop in others the faculty of writing.

“Here there is rather a magnetic effect than a case of mediumship properly so called, since nothing proves the intervention of a Spirit.

Be that as it may, it belongs to the category of physical effects.” (See the chapter on the Formation of mediums.)

— Special mediums for intellectual effects. Diverse aptitudes.

Audient mediums; those who hear the Spirits. Very common. (no. 165.)

“There are many who imagine they hear what is merely in their imagination.”

Speaking mediums; those who speak under the influence of the Spirits.

Very common. (no. 166.)

Seeing mediums; those who, in a waking state, see the Spirits.

The accidental and fortuitous vision of a Spirit, in a special circumstance, is very frequent; but, the habitual, or facultative vision of Spirits, without distinction, is exceptional. (no. 167.)

“It is an aptitude to which the present state of the visual organs is opposed. That is why one must not always believe the word of those who say they see the Spirits.”

Inspired mediums; those to whom, almost always against their will, the Spirits suggest ideas, whether relative to the ordinary acts of life, or with regard to the great works of intelligence. (no. 182.)

Mediums of presentiments; persons who, in given circumstances, have a vague intuition of common things that will occur in the future. (no. 184.)

Prophetic mediums; a variety of the inspired mediums, or of presentiments.

They receive, God permitting it, with more precision than the mediums of presentiments, the revelation of future things of general interest and are charged with making them known to men, for their instruction.

“If there are true prophets, there are still more false ones, who consider the reveries of their own imagination revelations, when they are not impostors who, out of ambition, present themselves as such.” (See, in The Spirits'

Book, no. 624: Characteristics of the true prophet.)

Somnambulist mediums; those who, in a state of somnambulism, are assisted by Spirits. (no. 172.)

Ecstatic mediums; those who, in a state of ecstasy, receive revelations from the Spirits.

“Many ecstatics are the playthings of their own imagination and of mocking Spirits who take advantage of their exaltation.

Very few are those who merit entire confidence.”

Painting or drawing mediums; those who paint or draw under the influence of the Spirits.

We speak of those who obtain serious works, since one cannot give that name to certain mediums whom mocking Spirits lead to make grotesque things, which would discredit the most backward student.

The frivolous Spirits take pleasure in imitating. At the time when the notable drawings of Jupiter appeared, there arose a great number of pretended drawing mediums, whom frivolous Spirits induced to make the most ridiculous things. One of them, among others, wishing to eclipse the drawings of Jupiter, at least in dimensions, if not in quality, made a medium draw a monument that occupied many sheets of paper to attain the height of two stories. Many others amused themselves by making the mediums paint supposed portraits, which were veritable caricatures.

(Spiritist Review, August 1858.)

Musician mediums; those who execute, compose, or write music, under the influence of the Spirits.

There are musician mediums who are mechanical, semi-mechanical, intuitive, and inspired, as there are for literary communications. (See — Mediums for musical effects.)

VARIETIES OF WRITING MEDIUMS.

— 1st. According to the mode of execution.

Writing mediums or psychographers; those who have the faculty of writing themselves under the influence of the Spirits. [no. 178.]

Mechanical writing mediums; those whose hand receives an involuntary impulse and who have no consciousness of what they write. Very rare.

(no. 179.)

Semi-mechanical mediums; those whose hand moves involuntarily, but who have, instantaneously, consciousness of the words or phrases, as they write. They are the most common. (no. 181.)

Intuitive mediums; those with whom the Spirits communicate by thought and whose hand is conducted voluntarily.

They differ from the inspired mediums in that the latter need not write, whereas the intuitive medium writes the thought that is suggested to him instantaneously upon a determined and provoked subject. (no. 180.)

“They are very common, but also very subject to error, because they often cannot discern what comes from the Spirits from what emanates from themselves.”

Polygraphic mediums; those whose writing changes with the Spirit that communicates, 9 or apt to reproduce the writing that the Spirit had in life.

The first case is very common; the second, that of the identity of the writing, is rarer. (no. 219.)

Polyglot mediums; those who have the faculty of speaking, or writing, in languages unknown to them. Very rare.

Illiterate mediums; those who write, as mediums, without knowing how to read, or write, in the ordinary state.

“Rarer than the preceding; there is a greater material difficulty to overcome.”

— 2nd. According to the development of the faculty.

Novice mediums; those whose faculties are not yet completely developed and who lack the necessary experience.

Unproductive mediums; those who do not manage to obtain more than insignificant things, monosyllables, strokes or letters without connection. (See the chapter on the Formation of mediums.)

Made or formed mediums; those whose mediumistic faculties are completely developed, who transmit the communications with ease and promptness, without hesitation.

It is conceivable that this result can be obtained only by habit, since in the novice mediums the communications are slow and difficult.

Laconic mediums; those whose communications, though received with ease, are brief and without development.

Explicit mediums; the communications they receive have all the amplitude and all the extension that can be expected from a consummate writer.

“This aptitude results from the expansion and the facility of combination of the fluids. The Spirits seek them out to treat of subjects that admit of great developments.”

Experienced mediums; the facility of execution is a question of habit and one that is often acquired in a short time, whereas experience results from a serious study of all the difficulties that present themselves in the practice of Spiritism.

Experience gives the medium the tact necessary to appreciate the nature of the Spirits that manifest themselves, 11 to appreciate their good or bad qualities, by the most minute signs, 12 to distinguish the deception of the mocking Spirits, who cloak themselves in the appearances of truth.

The importance of this quality is easily understood, without which all the others are destitute of real utility.

The trouble is that many mediums confound experience, the fruit of study, with aptitude, the product of the physical organization.

They deem themselves masters, because they write with ease; they repel all counsel and become the prey of lying and hypocritical Spirits, who capture them, flattering their pride. (See, further on, the chapter on Obsession.)

Pliable mediums; those whose faculty lends itself more readily to the diverse kinds of communications and through whom all the Spirits, or almost all, can manifest themselves, spontaneously, or by evocation.

“This kind of medium approaches very closely that of the sensitive mediums.”

Exclusive mediums; those through whom one Spirit manifests itself by preference, even to the exclusion of all the others, and which answers for the others that are called.

“This always results from a lack of pliability.

When the Spirit is good, it may attach itself to the medium, by sympathy, or with a praiseworthy intent; when bad, it is always with the aim of putting the medium in its dependence.

It is more a defect than a quality and very close to obsession.”

(See the chapter on Obsession.)

Mediums for evocation; the pliable mediums are naturally the most fitted for this kind of communication and for the questions of minute detail that can be proposed to the Spirits.

In this respect, there are entirely special mediums.

“The answers they give scarcely ever go beyond a restricted frame, incompatible with the development of general subjects.”

Mediums for spontaneous dictations; they receive spontaneous communications from Spirits that present themselves without being called.

When this faculty is special in a medium, it becomes difficult, sometimes even impossible, to make an evocation through him.

“Nevertheless, they are better equipped than those of the preceding class. Note that the equipment of which there is question here is that of the materials of the brain, for there is needed, frequently, I will even say always, a greater sum of intelligence for spontaneous dictations than for evocations.

Understand by spontaneous dictations those that truly merit that denomination and not some incomplete phrases or some commonplace ideas, which are met with in all human writings.”

— 3rd. According to the kind and the particularity of the communications.

Versifying mediums; they obtain, more easily than others, communications in verse.

Very common, for bad verses; very rare, for good verses.

Poetic mediums; without being versified, the communications they receive have something vaporous, sentimental, nothing that shows roughness.

They are, more than the others, fitted for the expression of tender and affectionate sentiments.

Everything, in their communications, is vague; it would be useless to ask them for precise ideas. Very common.

Positive mediums; their communications generally have a stamp of clarity and precision, which lends itself well to circumstantial details, to exact information. Very rare.

Literary mediums; they present neither what is imprecise in the poetic mediums, nor the down-to-earth quality of the positive mediums, but they discourse with sagacity.

They have a correct, elegant style and, frequently, of remarkable eloquence.

Incorrect mediums; they can obtain excellent things, thoughts of unassailable morality, but in a prolix, incorrect style, overloaded with repetitions and improper terms.

“The material incorrectness of the style generally proceeds from a lack of intellectual culture of the medium 12 who, then, is not, in this respect, a good instrument for the Spirit, which, moreover, attaches little importance to this.

Having the thought as essential, it leaves you the liberty of giving it the form that suits.

It is not so with regard to the false and illogical ideas that a communication may contain, which always constitute an index of the inferiority of the Spirit that manifests itself.”

Historian mediums; those who reveal a special aptitude for historical explanations.

This faculty, like all the others, is independent of the knowledge of the medium, since it is not rare to see persons without instruction and even children treat of subjects that are beyond their reach.

A rare variety of the positive mediums.

Scientific mediums; we do not say scholars, because they may be very ignorant and, despite this, show themselves especially apt for communications relative to the sciences.

Prescription mediums; they have the specialty of serving more readily as interpreters for the Spirits in medical prescriptions.

It is important not to confound them with the healing mediums, since they absolutely do no more than transmit the thought of the Spirit, without themselves exercising any influence. Very common.

Religious mediums; they especially receive communications of a religious character, or that treat of religious questions, regardless of their beliefs, or habits.

Philosopher and moralist mediums; the communications they receive generally have for their object the questions of morals and of high philosophy. Very common, as to morals.

“All these shades constitute varieties of aptitudes of the good mediums.

As for those who have a special aptitude for scientific, historical, medical, and other communications, beyond the reach of their present specialties, be assured that they possessed, in a previous existence, this knowledge, which has remained in them in a latent state, forming part of the cerebral materials that the Spirit which manifests itself needs; 25 they are the elements that open the way for it to transmit ideas proper to it, since, in such mediums it finds instruments more intelligent and more pliable than in an ignorant person.” Erastus.

Mediums of trivial and obscene communications; these words indicate the kind of communications that some mediums habitually receive and the nature of those who give them.

Whoever has studied the spirit world, in all the degrees of the scale, knows that there are Spirits whose perversity equals that of the most depraved men and who take pleasure in expressing their thoughts in the coarsest terms.

Others, less abject, content themselves with trivial expressions.

It is natural that these mediums should feel the desire to see themselves freed from the preference of which they are the object on the part of such Spirits and that they should envy those who, in the communications they receive, have never written an improper word.

A strange aberration of ideas and a divorce from good sense would be necessary, to believe that such language could be used by good Spirits.

— 4th. According to the physical qualities of the medium.

Calm mediums; they always write with a certain slowness and without experiencing the slightest agitation.

Rapid mediums; they write with greater rapidity than they could voluntarily, in the ordinary state.

The Spirits communicate through them with the rapidity of lightning.

One would say there is in them a superabundance of fluid, which allows them to identify themselves instantaneously with the Spirit.

This quality sometimes presents its drawback: that the rapidity of the writing makes it very difficult to be read, by anyone other than the medium.

“It is even very fatiguing, because it releases much fluid uselessly.”

Convulsive mediums; they remain in a state of almost feverish overexcitement.

The hand and sometimes the whole body are agitated in them by a trembling that is impossible to master.

The primary cause of this fact lies without doubt in the organization but also depends much on the nature of the Spirits that communicate through them.

The good and benevolent ones always produce a soft and agreeable impression; the bad ones, on the contrary, produce a painful one.

“It is necessary that these mediums make use of their mediumistic faculty only rarely, the frequent use of which may affect their nervous system.”

(Chapter on the Identity of the Spirits, differentiation of the good and bad Spirits.)

— 5th. According to the moral qualities of the mediums.

We mention them summarily and from memory, only to complete the table, since they will be developed further on, in the chapters: on the Moral influence of the medium; on obsession; on the Identity of the Spirits and others, to which we particularly call the reader's attention.

There one will see the influence that the qualities and the defects of the mediums can exercise on the security of the communications and which ones may with reason be considered imperfect mediums or good mediums.

— Imperfect mediums.

Obsessed mediums; those who cannot rid themselves of importunate and deceiving Spirits, but who are not deluded.

Fascinated mediums; those who are deluded by deceiving Spirits and who are deluded as to the nature of the communications they receive.

Subjugated mediums; those who suffer a moral domination and, often, a material one on the part of bad Spirits.

Frivolous mediums; those who do not take their faculties seriously and use them only for amusement, or for trifles.

Indifferent mediums; those who draw no moral profit from the instructions they obtain and in no way modify their conduct and their habits.

Presumptuous mediums; those who have the pretension of finding themselves in relation only with superior Spirits. They believe themselves infallible and consider inferior and erroneous everything that does not proceed from them.

Proud mediums; those who grow vain over the communications that are given to them; 9 they judge that they have nothing more to learn in Spiritism and do not take to themselves the lessons they frequently receive from the Spirits.

They are not content with the faculties they possess; they want to have them all.

Susceptible mediums; a variety of the proud mediums, they take offense at the criticisms of which their communications are the object; 12 they grow angry at the slightest contradiction and, if they show what they obtain, it is so that it may be admired and not so that an opinion may be given to them.

Generally, they take an aversion to the persons who do not applaud them without reservation and flee from the meetings where they cannot impose themselves and dominate.

“Let them go and parade themselves elsewhere and seek more complacent ears, or let them isolate themselves; the meetings that are deprived of their presence lose nothing.” Erastus.

Mercenary mediums; those who exploit their faculties.

Ambitious mediums; those who, though they do not traffic in the faculties they possess, hope to draw from them some advantages.

Mediums of bad faith; those who, possessing real faculties, simulate those they lack, in order to give themselves importance.

One cannot designate by the name of medium the persons who, possessing no mediumistic faculty, produce certain effects only by means of charlatanry.

Selfish mediums; those who make use of their faculties only in their personal interest and keep for themselves the communications they receive.

Envious mediums; those who show themselves spiteful at the greater esteem accorded to other mediums, who are superior to them.

All these bad qualities necessarily have their opposite in good.

— Good mediums.

Serious mediums; those who make use of their faculties only for good and for truly useful ends.

They believe they profane them, using them for the satisfaction of the curious and the indifferent, or for trifles.

Modest mediums; those who make no boast of the communications they receive, however beautiful they may be.

They consider themselves strangers to them and do not deem themselves sheltered from mystifications.

Far from avoiding disinterested opinions, they solicit them.

Devoted mediums; those who understand that the true medium has a mission to fulfill and must, when necessary, sacrifice tastes, habits, pleasures, time and even material interests to the good of others.

Secure mediums; those who, besides the facility of execution, merit all confidence, by their very character, by the elevated nature of the Spirits that assist them; those who, therefore, are less exposed to being deluded.

We shall see later that this security in no way depends on the more or less respectable names with which the Spirits manifest themselves.

“It is incontestable, you well sense it, that, thus recapitulating the qualities and the defects of the mediums, this will arouse vexations and even the animosity of some; but, what does it matter?

Mediumship spreads more and more and the medium who should take ill these reflections would prove only one thing: that he is not a good medium, that is, that he has bad Spirits to assist him.

Moreover, as I have already said, all this will be passing and the bad mediums, those who abuse, or make ill use of their faculties, will experience sad consequences, as has already happened with some.

They will learn at their own cost what results from applying, in the interest of their earthly passions, a gift that God had granted them solely for their moral advancement.

If you cannot lead them back to the good path, lament them, for, I can say it, God reproves them.” Erastus.

“This table is of great importance, not only for the sincere mediums who, reading it, shall seek in good faith to preserve themselves from the pitfalls to which they are exposed, but also for all those who make use of the mediums, because it will give them the measure of what they can rationally expect.

It should be constantly under the eyes of everyone who occupies himself with manifestations, in the same way as the Spiritist Scale, of which it serves as a complement.

These two tables bring together all the principles of the Doctrine and will contribute, more than you suppose, to bring Spiritism to the true path.” Socrates.

[Conclusion.]

All these varieties of mediums present an infinity of degrees in their intensity.

There are many that, properly speaking, constitute merely shades, but which, nonetheless, do not cease to be the effect of special aptitudes.

It is conceivable that it must be very rare for the faculty of a medium to be rigorously circumscribed to a single kind.

A medium can, without doubt, have many aptitudes, there being, however, always a dominant one.

It is to the cultivation of this that, if it is useful, he should apply himself.

He who would wish to force by every means the development of a faculty he does not possess incurs a grave error.

The person should cultivate all those of which he recognizes himself to possess the germs.

To seek to have the others is, above all, to lose time and, in the second place, to lose, perhaps, certainly to weaken, those with which he is endowed.

“When there exists the principle, the germ of a faculty, this always manifests itself by unequivocal signs.

Limiting himself to his specialty, the medium can become excellent and obtain great and beautiful things; occupying himself with everything, he will obtain nothing good.

Note, in passing, that the desire to enlarge indefinitely the range of one's faculties is a proud pretension, which the Spirits never leave unpunished.

The good ones abandon the presumptuous one, who then becomes the plaything of the liars.

Unhappily, it is not rare to see mediums who, not content with the gifts they have received, aspire, out of self-love, or ambition, to possess exceptional faculties, capable of making them noticed.

This pretension takes from them the most precious quality: that of secure mediums.” Socrates.

The study of the specialty of the mediums is necessary not only to them, but also to the evoker.

According to the nature of the Spirit one wishes to call and the questions one wishes to address to it, it is fitting that the medium most apt for what one has in view be chosen.

To interrogate the first that appears is to expose oneself to receiving incomplete, or erroneous answers.

Let us take an example from common facts. No one would entrust the drafting of any work, nor even a simple copy, to the first person he meets, merely because he knows how to write.

Let us suppose a musician, who wishes a piece of song composed by him to be performed. Many singers, all skilled, are at his disposal.

He, nevertheless, will not take them at random: he will choose, for his interpreter, the one whose voice, whose expression, whose qualities all, in a word, best accord with the nature of the musical piece.

The Spirits do the same, with regard to the mediums, and we ought to do as the Spirits.

It is fitting, moreover, to note that the shades that mediumship presents and to which others still could be added, do not always bear a relation to the character of the medium.

Thus, for example, a medium naturally cheerful, jovial, may commonly obtain grave, even severe communications, and vice versa.

It is yet another evident proof that he acts under the impulsion of a foreign influence.

We shall return to the subject, in the chapter that treats of the Moral influence of the medium.