DRAWBACKS AND DANGERS OF MEDIUMSHIP.

Influence of the exercise of mediumship on health.

— Likewise, on the brain.

— Likewise, on children.

Influence of the exercise of mediumship on health.

— 1st Is the mediumistic faculty an indication of some pathological state, or of a merely anomalous state?

“Anomalous, sometimes, but not pathological; there are mediums of robust health; those who are ill are so for other causes.”

2nd Can the exercise of the mediumistic faculty cause fatigue?

“The overly prolonged exercise of any faculty brings on fatigue; mediumship is in the same case, especially that which applies to physical effects, which necessarily occasions an expenditure of fluid that brings fatigue, but which is repaired by rest.” 3rd Can the exercise of mediumship have, in itself, any drawback, from the hygienic point of view, setting aside abuse?

“There are cases in which abstention is prudent, even necessary, or at least moderate exercise, all depending on the physical and moral state of the medium. Moreover, in general, the medium feels it and, as soon as he experiences fatigue, he should abstain.” 4th Are there persons for whom this exercise is more harmful than for others?

“I have already said that this depends on the physical and moral state of the medium.

There are persons with respect to whom all causes of overexcitement should be avoided, and the exercise of mediumship is one of them.” (n.º 188 and 194.)

5th Could mediumship produce madness?

“No more than anything else, provided there is no predisposition to it, by virtue of cerebral weakness.

Mediumship will not produce madness when this does not already exist in germ; 3 however, this existing, common sense tells us that one must use caution, from every point of view, inasmuch as any shock may be harmful.” 6th Is there any drawback in developing mediumship in children?

“Certainly, and I even maintain that it is very dangerous, since those weak and delicate organisms would in this way suffer great shocks, and their imaginations excessive overexcitement.

Thus, prudent parents should keep them away from these ideas, or, at the very least, not speak to them on the subject, except from the point of view of the moral consequences.” 7th There are, nevertheless, children who are mediums naturally, whether of physical effects, or of writing and of visions. Does this present the same drawback?

“No; 2 when in a child the faculty shows itself spontaneously, it is because it is in its nature and that its constitution lends itself to this.

The same does not happen when it is provoked and overexcited.

Note that the child who has visions generally is not impressed by them, which seem to it a most natural thing, to which it gives very little attention and almost always forgets. Later on, the fact returns to its memory and it explains it easily, if it knows Spiritism.” 8th At what age can one occupy oneself with mediumship without drawbacks?

“There is no precise age, everything depending entirely on physical development and, even more, on moral development.

There are children of twelve years whom such a thing will affect less than some grown persons.

I speak of mediumship in general; but that of physical effects is more fatiguing for the body; 4 that of writing has another drawback, deriving from the inexperience of the child, in the event that it should wish to give itself over alone to the exercise of its faculty and make a plaything of it.”

The practice of Spiritism, as we shall see further on, demands much tact, for the thwarting of the schemes of deceiving Spirits. If these delude grown men, it is clear that childhood and youth are more exposed to being their victims.

It is known, moreover, that recollection is a condition without which one cannot deal with serious Spirits. Evocations made thoughtlessly and in jest constitute a true profanation, which facilitates access to mocking, or maleficent, Spirits.

Now, since one cannot expect from a child the gravity necessary for such an act, it is much to be feared that it will make a plaything of it, if left to itself.

Even in the most favorable conditions, it is to be desired that a child endowed with the mediumistic faculty should not exercise it, except under the watch of experienced persons, who teach it, by example, the respect due to the souls of those who lived in the world.

From this it is seen that the question of age is subordinate to circumstances, both of temperament and of character.

Nevertheless, what stands out clearly from the above answers is that one should not force the development of these faculties in children, when it is not spontaneous, and that, in all cases, one should proceed with great circumspection, it being advisable neither to excite them, nor to encourage them in weak persons.

From their exercise it is fitting to keep away, by every possible means, those who present symptoms, however minimal, of eccentricity in their ideas, or of weakening of the mental faculties, inasmuch as, in such persons, there is an evident predisposition to madness, which may manifest itself by the effect of any overexcitement.

Spiritist ideas have, in this respect, no greater influence than others, but, should madness come to declare itself, it will take on the character of a dominant preoccupation, as it would take on a religious character, if the person gave themselves over in excess to the practices of devotion, and the responsibility would be cast upon Spiritism.

The best that one can do with any individual who shows a tendency to a fixed idea is to give another direction to their preoccupations, in order to provide rest to the weakened organs.

We call, with regard to this subject, the attention of our readers to paragraph XII of the Introduction of The Spirits' Book.