CHARLATANISM AND DECEPTION.

Self-interested mediums. — Spiritist frauds.

Self-interested mediums.

Since everything may become an object of exploitation, there would be nothing surprising in people also wishing to exploit the Spirits. It remains to be seen how they would receive the matter, supposing such speculation came to be attempted. We will say at once that nothing would lend itself better to charlatanism and trickery than such a trade.

Far more numerous than the false somnambulists, who are already known, would be the false mediums, and this simple fact would constitute a well-founded ground for distrust.

Disinterestedness, on the contrary, is the most peremptory answer that can be given to those who see in the phenomena only sleight-of-hand. There is no disinterested charlatanism. What, then, would be the aim of those who used deception without profit, especially when their honorability placed them above all suspicion?

If the gain that a medium may derive from his faculty constitutes a ground for suspicion, that circumstance will never constitute a proof that such suspicion is well founded. Anyone whatsoever might have real aptitude and act in perfectly good faith while having himself paid. Let us see whether, in this case, it is reasonably possible to expect any satisfactory result.

Anyone who has clearly understood what we have said of the conditions necessary for a person to serve as the interpreter of the good Spirits, of the multiple causes that may keep them away, of the circumstances which, independently of their will, are obstacles to their coming, in short, of all the moral conditions capable of exercising an influence over the nature of the communications, how could he suppose that a Spirit, however unelevated, would be, at all hours of the day, at the orders of an impresario of séances and submissive to his demands, in order to satisfy the curiosity of the first comer?

It is known what aversion all that smacks of covetousness and selfishness inspires in the Spirits, how little regard they have for material things; how, then, can it be admitted that they would lend themselves to helping someone who wishes to traffic in their presence? It is repugnant to think so, and one would have to know very little of the nature of the spirit world to believe that such a thing is possible.

But, as the frivolous Spirits are less scrupulous and seek only an opportunity to amuse themselves at our expense, it follows that, when one is not mystified by a false medium, one has every probability of being so by some of those Spirits. These reflections alone show the degree of confidence that should be granted to communications of this kind.

Moreover, of what use would paid mediums be today, when any person, if he does not possess the mediumistic faculty, may have it in some member of his family, among his friends, or in the circle of his acquaintances?

Self-interested mediums are not only those who may perhaps demand a fixed payment; interest is not always expressed by the hope of a material gain, but also by ambitions of every sort, upon which personal hopes are founded.

This is one of the defects of which the mocking Spirits know very well how to take advantage and of which they avail themselves with a truly remarkable skill and cunning, lulling with fallacious illusions those who thus place themselves under their dependence.

In short, mediumship is a faculty granted for good, and the good Spirits withdraw from anyone who intends to make of it a stepping-stone to attain whatever it may be that does not correspond to the views of Providence.

Selfishness is the plague of society; the good Spirits combat it; no one, therefore, has the right to suppose that they would come to serve it. This is so rational that it would be useless to insist further on this point.

Mediums of physical effects are not in the same category, for these effects are generally produced by inferior Spirits, less scrupulous. We do not say that such Spirits are therefore necessarily evil. One may be a mere porter and at the same time a very honest man.

A medium, then, of this category, who wished to exploit his faculty, would perhaps find many Spirits who, without great repugnance, would assist him.

But here again another inconvenience presents itself. The medium of physical effects, just like the medium of intelligent communications, did not receive the faculty he possesses for his own enjoyment. He received it on condition of making good use of it; if, therefore, he abuses it, it may happen that it is withdrawn from him, or that it turns to his detriment, because, after all, the inferior Spirits are subordinate to the superior Spirits.

The former are very fond of mystifying, but not of being mystified; if they willingly lend themselves to jests, to curiosities, because it pleases them to amuse themselves, it is also certain that, like others, it is repugnant to them to be exploited, or to serve as accomplices, so that the receipts may increase, and at every moment they prove that they have a will of their own, that they act when and how they see fit, whence it results that the medium of physical effects can have even less certainty of the regularity of the manifestations than the writing medium. To claim to produce them on determined days and hours would be to give proof of the most profound ignorance.

What, then, is he to do to earn his money? Simulate the phenomena. This is what will naturally be resorted to, not only by those who make of it an avowed trade, but equally by apparently simple persons who find this means of earning a living easier and more comfortable than working. Since the Spirit gives nothing, the deficiency is supplied: the imagination is so fertile when it is a matter of earning money!

Constituting a legitimate ground for suspicion, interest gives the right to rigorous examination, at which no one will be able to take offense without justifying the suspicions. But these are as legitimate in this case as they are offensive when it is a matter of honorable and disinterested persons.

The mediumistic faculty, even restricted to physical manifestations, was not given to man to display it in fairground theaters, and whoever claims to have the Spirits at his orders, to exhibit them in public, is in the case of being, with justice, suspected of charlatanism, or of more or less skillful sleight-of-hand.

Let this be understood every time announcements appear of supposed séances of Spiritism, or of Spiritualism, at so much per head. Let everyone remember the right they purchase upon entering.

From all that precedes, we conclude that the most absolute disinterestedness is the best guarantee against charlatanism. If it does not always ensure the excellence of the intelligent communications, it nevertheless deprives the evil Spirits of a powerful means of action and shuts the mouths of certain detractors.

There remains what might be called the contrivances of the amateur, that is, the innocent frauds of certain jesters of bad taste.

They may no doubt be practiced, by way of pastime, in frivolous and light-minded gatherings, but never in serious assemblies, where only serious persons are admitted.

Moreover, it is possible for anyone to give himself the pleasure of a momentary mystification; but a person would have to be endowed with singular patience to play that role for months and years, and each time for consecutive hours. Only some interest would afford that perseverance, but interest, we repeat, gives occasion to suspect everything.

It will be said, perhaps, that a medium who devotes all his time to the public, in the interest of the cause, cannot do it for free, because he has to live. But is it in the interest of the cause, or in his own, that he employs it? Is it not, rather, because he sees in it a lucrative trade? At such a price, there will always be devoted people. Has he, then, no other resource at his disposal but this industry?

Let us not forget that the Spirits, whatever their superiority or inferiority, are the souls of the dead, and that, when morality and religion prescribe as a duty that their mortal remains be respected, the obligation is still greater, for everyone, to respect their Spirit.

What would be said of one who, to earn money, took a body from the tomb and exhibited it because that body was of a nature to provoke curiosity? Will it be less disrespectful, than exhibiting the body, to exhibit the Spirit, under the pretext that it is curious to see how a Spirit acts? And let it be noted that the price of the seats will be in direct proportion to what he does and to the attractiveness of the spectacle. Certainly, even though he had been a comedian in life, he would not have suspected that, after death, he would find an impresario who, for his own exclusive profit, would make him perform for free.

It must not be forgotten that the physical manifestations, as much as the intelligent ones, God permits only for our instruction.

Leaving aside these moral considerations, we in no way contest the possibility of there being self-interested mediums who are nevertheless honorable and conscientious, for there are honest people in all trades.

We speak only of the abuse. But it must be acknowledged, for the reasons we have set forth, that there is more reason for abuse among paid mediums than among those who, considering the mediumistic faculty a grace, use it only to render service.

The degree of confidence or distrust that should be granted to a paid medium depends, above all, on the esteem inspired by his character and his morality, besides the circumstances.

The medium who, with an eminently serious and useful aim, found himself prevented from employing his time in any other way and, in consequence, saw himself relieved of his expenses, must not be confused with the speculating medium, with the one who, premeditatedly, makes of his mediumship an industry.

According to the motive and the aim, the Spirits may, therefore, condemn, absolve, and even assist. They judge the intention more than the material fact.

The somnambulists who employ their faculty in a lucrative manner are not in the same case.

Although this exploitation is subject to abuses, and disinterestedness constitutes the greatest guarantee of sincerity, the position is different, considering that it is their own Spirits that act.

These, consequently, are always at their disposal, and, in reality, they exploit only themselves, because they have the right to dispose of their own persons as they see fit, whereas the speculating mediums exploit the souls of the dead. (See no. 172: Somnambulistic mediums.)

We are not unaware that our severity toward self-interested mediums raises against us all those who exploit, or who feel tempted to exploit, this new industry, making of them, as well as of their friends, who naturally espouse their opinion, our fierce enemies.

We console ourselves by remembering that the merchants driven from the temple by Jesus likewise did not look upon him with favorable eyes.

We likewise have against us those who do not consider the matter with the same gravity. Nevertheless, we deem ourselves to have the right to hold an opinion and to express it. We oblige no one to adopt it. If an immense majority has espoused it, it is apparently because they have found it just, for we do not see, in fact, how it could be proved that there is no greater facility for finding fraud and abuses in speculation than in disinterestedness.

As for us, if our writings have contributed to discrediting, in France as well as in other countries, self-interested mediumship, we hold that this will not be the least of the services we have rendered to serious Spiritism.

Spiritist frauds.

Those who do not admit the reality of the physical manifestations generally attribute the effects produced to fraud. They base themselves on the fact that skillful conjurers do things that seem prodigies to those who do not know their secrets; whence they conclude that mediums are nothing but tricksters.

We have already refuted this argument, or rather this opinion, notably in our articles on Mr. Home and in the issues of the Review of January and February 1858. Here, then, we will say no more than a few words, before speaking of something more serious.

There is, in short, a consideration that will not escape anyone who reflects a little. There are, no doubt, conjurers of prodigious skill, but they are rare. If all mediums practiced trickery, it would be necessary to recognize that this art had made, in a short time, unheard-of progress and had suddenly become extremely common, presenting itself as innate in persons who did not even suspect it, and even in children.

From the fact that there are charlatans who extol drugs in public squares, even that there are physicians who, without going to the public square, deceive the confidence of their clients, will it follow that all physicians are charlatans and that the medical profession has lost the consideration it deserves? From there being individuals who sell dye for wine, does it follow that all wine merchants are adulterators and that there is no pure wine?

Everything is abused, even the most respectable things, and it may well be said that fraud too has its genius. But fraud always aims at an end, at some material interest; where there is nothing to gain, there is no interest in deceiving.

That is why we said, in speaking of mercenary mediums, that the best of all guarantees is absolute disinterestedness.

Of all the Spiritist phenomena, those that most lend themselves to fraud are the physical phenomena, for reasons that it is well to consider.

First, because they impress the sight more than the intelligence, they are, for sleight-of-hand, the most easily imitable.

In the second place, because, arousing curiosity more than the others, they are more apt to attract the crowds; they are, consequently, the most productive.

From this twofold point of view, therefore, charlatans have every interest in simulating manifestations of this kind; the spectators, the majority of them strangers to the science, generally flock in search much more of a distraction than of serious instruction, and it is known that what amuses is better paid than what instructs.

But, this aside, there is another motive, no less peremptory. If sleight-of-hand can imitate material effects, for which only dexterity is needed, we do not know it, however, to this day, to have the gift of improvisation, which requires an uncommon dose of intelligence, nor that of producing those beautiful and sublime dictations, often so full of apt remarks, with which the Spirits adorn their communications. This brings to our mind the following fact:

One day, a man of letters who was fairly well known came to us and told us that he was a very good intuitive writing medium and that he placed himself at the disposal of the Spiritist society. As we have it as a habit not to admit into the society any mediums whose faculties are unknown to us, we asked our visitor to consent to give proof of his faculty beforehand in a private meeting. He did, in fact, attend it, in which many experienced mediums gave either dissertations or answers of remarkable precision, on questions proposed and subjects that were unknown to them. When that gentleman's turn came, he wrote a few insignificant words, said that he was indisposed that day, and we never saw him again. He no doubt found that the role of a medium of intelligent effects is more difficult to play than he had supposed.

In everything, the persons most easily deceived are those who do not belong to the trade. The same occurs with Spiritism. Those who do not know it allow themselves to be easily deluded by appearances, whereas a prior attentive study initiates them, not only into the causes of the phenomena, but also into the normal conditions under which they are accustomed to be produced, and thus furnishes them the means of discovering fraud, if it exists.

The cheating mediums are stigmatized, as they deserve, in the following letter, which we published in the Review of the month of August 1861:

“Paris, July 21, 1861.

“Sir.

“One may be in disagreement on certain points and in perfect agreement on others. I have just read, on page 213 of the latest issue of your journal, some reflections concerning fraud in matters of spiritualist (or Spiritist) experiments, reflections with which I have the satisfaction of associating myself with all my strength. Here, any dissensions, with regard to theories and doctrines, vanish as if by enchantment. “I am perhaps not so severe as you are, with regard to mediums who, in a dignified and decent form, accept a payment, as an indemnity for the time they devote to experiments that are often long and fatiguing. I am, however, as much as you are — and no one could be too much so — with regard to those who, in such a case, supply, when an occasion is offered to them, by deception and fraud, the lack or insufficiency of the results promised and expected. (See no.

“To mix the false with the true, when it is a matter of phenomena obtained by the intervention of the Spirits, is simply an infamy, and there would be an obliteration of the moral sense in the medium who judged that he could do it without scruple. As you have observed with perfect exactness — it is to cast the matter into discredit in the minds of the undecided, as soon as the fraud is recognized. I will add that it is to compromise in the most deplorable manner the honorable men who lend mediums the disinterested support of their knowledge and their lights, who make themselves guarantors of the good faith that should exist in them and who in some way sponsor them. It is to commit toward them a veritable betrayal. “Every medium who was caught in fraudulent maneuvers; who was caught, to use a somewhat trivial expression, with his hand in the cookie jar, would deserve to be proscribed by all the spiritualists or Spiritists of the world, for whom it would constitute a rigorous duty to unmask them or to defame them.

“If it suits you, Sir, to insert these brief lines in your journal, they are at your disposal.

“Accept…, etc.

MATEUS.”

The imitation of all the Spiritist phenomena is not equally easy. There are some that evidently defy the skill of sleight-of-hand: such, notably, as the movement of objects without contact, the suspension of heavy bodies in the air, the raps from different sides, the apparitions, etc., except by the employment of contrivances and collusion.

That is why we say that what is necessary in such a case is to observe the circumstances attentively and, above all, to take very much into account the character and the position of the persons, the aim and the interest they may have in deceiving. This is the best of all forms of oversight, for there are circumstances that cause all grounds for suspicion to disappear.

We judge, therefore, in principle, that one should distrust whoever makes of these phenomena a spectacle, or an object of curiosity and amusement, and who claims to produce them at his will and in the manner demanded, as we have already explained.

It can never be repeated too often that the hidden intelligences that manifest themselves to us have their susceptibilities and make a point of proving to us that they too enjoy free will and do not submit to our caprices. (no. 38.)

It will be sufficient for us to point out a few subterfuges, which are accustomed to be employed, or which may be in certain cases, in order to forearm the observers of good faith against fraud. As for those who persist in judging, without going to the bottom of things, it would be time lost to seek to disabuse them.

One of the most common phenomena is that of raps within the very substance of the wood, with or without movement of the table, or of the object that is used. This effect is one of the easiest to imitate, whether by the contact of the feet, or by provoking little crackings in the piece of furniture.

There is, however, a special little trick, which it is well to unveil. It is enough for a person to place both hands flat upon the table and so close together that the nails of the thumbs press strongly one against the other; then, by means of an entirely imperceptible muscular movement, a friction is produced in them which gives a dry sound, presenting great analogy with that of intimate typtology. This sound reverberates in the wood and produces complete illusion. Nothing is easier than to make as many raps heard as one wishes, the roll of the drum, etc., or to answer certain questions by a yes or a no, by numbers, or even by the indication of the letters of the alphabet.

When one is forewarned, the manner of discovering the fraud is very simple. It becomes impossible, as soon as the hands are separated one from the other and as soon as one is certain that no other contact can produce the sound.

Moreover, the real raps present this characteristic: they change place and timbre at will, which cannot occur when they are due to the cause we have pointed out, or to any other analogous one. Thus it is that they leave the table, to make themselves heard in some other piece of furniture, with which no one is in contact, in the walls, in the ceiling, etc., and they answer questions that were not foreseen. (See no. 41.)

Direct writing is still more easily imitable. Without speaking of the well-known chemical agents, used to make writing appear at a given time on white paper, which can be prevented with the most ordinary precautions, it may happen that, by means of skillful trickery, one paper is substituted for another. It may also happen that the one who wishes to commit fraud has the art of diverting the attention, while he dexterously writes a few words. Someone told us that he had seen a person write thus with a piece of pencil-point hidden beneath the nail.

The phenomenon of the bringing of objects, from outside to the place where the meeting is held, lends itself no less to trickery, and one can easily be deceived by a more or less dexterous trickster, without there being any need for a professional conjurer to be involved. In the special paragraph that we inserted above (no. 96), the Spirits themselves determined the exceptional conditions under which it is produced, whence it is licit to conclude that its facultative and easy obtainment must, at the very least, be held as suspect. Direct writing is in the same case.

In the chapter on Special Mediums, we mentioned, according to the Spirits, the common mediumistic aptitudes and those that are rare. It is fitting, therefore, to distrust the mediums who claim to possess the latter with much facility, or who aspire to dispose of multiple faculties, a pretension that is only very rarely justified.

The intelligent manifestations are, according to the circumstances, those that offer the most guarantees; nevertheless, not even these escape imitation, at least as regards the banal and commonplace communications.

Some think that, with the mechanical mediums, they are more secure, not only as regards the independence of the ideas, but also against deceptions; hence they prefer the material intermediaries. Well then! it is an error.

Fraud insinuates itself everywhere, and we know that, with skill, even a basket, or a planchette that writes, can be directed at will, with every appearance of spontaneous movements.

Only the thoughts expressed, whether they come from a mechanical medium, or from an intuitive, hearing, speaking, or seeing one, dispel all doubts.

There are communications so far beyond the ideas, the knowledge, and even the intellectual reach of the medium, that only by an effect of strange obliteration could they be attributed to the latter.

We recognize that charlatanism disposes of great skill and vast resources, but we have not yet discovered in it the gift of giving knowledge to an ignorant person, nor spirit to one who has none.

In short, we repeat, the best guarantee lies in the notorious morality of the mediums and in the absence of all causes of material interest, or of self-love, capable of stimulating in them the exercise of the mediumistic faculties they possess, for those same causes could induce them to simulate those they do not have.\