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 skilled conjurers do things that seem like prodigies, to those who do not know their secrets, from which they conclude that the 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 [The mediums judged.] and February 1858. [The forest of Dodona and the statue of Memnon.] Here, then, we will say no more than a few words, before speaking of something more serious.

From the fact that there are charlatans who praise drugs in public squares, even that there are physicians who, without going to the public square, deceive the trust of their clients, does it follow that all physicians are charlatans and that the medical profession has lost the regard it deserves? From there being individuals who sell tincture 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 our previous issue, regarding mercenary mediums, that the best of all guarantees is absolute disinterestedness. It will be said that this guarantee is not unique, because in matters of conjuring there are very skilled amateurs who aim only to entertain society and make no profession of it. Could the same not happen with mediums? Without doubt, for a few moments we may amuse ourselves while amusing others; but to spend whole hours at it, over weeks, months, and years, one would have to be truly possessed by the demon of mystification, and the first mystified would be the mystifier. We will not repeat here all that has already been said about the good faith of mediums and of those present, as to their being the playthings of an illusion or of a fascination. To that we have already responded countless times, as well as to all the other objections, and so we refer the reader to our Practical Instruction on the Manifestations [see The Mediums' Book], and to our previous articles in the Review. Our aim here is not to convince the incredulous. If they are not convinced by the facts, they will not allow themselves to be convinced by reasoning; it would, then, be wasting our time. On the contrary, we address ourselves to the adepts, in order to forewarn them against the subterfuges of which they could be victims on the part of persons interested, for some reason, in simulating certain phenomena; we say certain phenomena because there are some that evidently defy all skill of conjuring, such as the movement of objects without contact, the suspension of heavy bodies in space, the raps struck in different positions, the apparitions, etc. And, even so, for some of these phenomena, to a certain extent simulation would be possible, such is the progress made by the art of imitation. What must be done in such cases is to observe attentively the circumstances and, above all, to take into account the character and the position of the persons, the purpose and the interest they might have in deceiving: there is the best of all controls, for there are circumstances that remove every motive for suspicion. In this way, we establish as a principle that one must distrust all who would make of these phenomena a spectacle or an object of curiosity and of amusement, or who would draw any profit from them, however small, boasting of producing them at will and at any moment. It could never be repeated too often that the hidden intelligences which manifest themselves have their susceptibilities and wish to prove to us that they too possess free will and do not submit to our whims. Of all the physical phenomena, one of the most common is that of the internal raps, struck within the very substance of the wood, with or without movement of the table or of any object that may be used. Now, this effect being one of the easiest to imitate and also one of the most frequently produced, we deem it useful to reveal a small ruse by which we may be deceived: it suffices to place the open hands upon the table, sufficiently close so that the nails of the thumbs press firmly one against the other; then, by an absolutely imperceptible muscular movement, a friction is produced resembling a dry noise, very much like that of internal tiptology. This noise reverberates in the wood and produces a complete illusion. Nothing is easier than to make as many raps heard as one wishes, a drumbeat, etc., to answer certain questions by yes and no, by numbers, and even by the indication of the letters of the alphabet. Once forewarned, the means of recognizing the fraud is quite simple. It will no longer be possible if the hands remain apart from one another and if we are certain that no other contact can produce the noise. Besides, the authentic raps offer this characteristic: they change place and timbre at will, which does not happen when they are due to the cause we have noted or to any other analogous one; that they leave the table to be heard in another piece of furniture that no one touches; that, finally, they answer questions not foreseen by those present.

We call, then, the attention of persons of good faith to this little stratagem, as well as to others they may recognize, in order to denounce them without ceremony. The possibility of fraud and of imitation does not prevent the reality of the facts, and Spiritism can only gain by unmasking the impostors. If someone says to us: I saw such a phenomenon, but there was fraud, we will answer that it is possible; we ourselves have seen supposed somnambulists simulate somnambulism with great skill, which does not prevent somnambulism from being a fact. Everyone has seen merchants sell cotton for silk, which likewise does not prevent there being true silk fabrics. One must examine all the circumstances and verify whether the doubt has foundation. In this, however, as in all things, one must be an expert. Now, we could not recognize as judge of a question someone who knew nothing of it. We say as much of the writing mediums. It is commonly thought that those who are mechanical offer more guarantees, not only for the independence of ideas, but also against deceit. Well then! This is an error! Fraud insinuates itself everywhere, and we know with what skill it is possible to direct at will a basket or a planchette that writes, giving them all the appearance of spontaneous movements. What dispels all doubts are the thoughts expressed, whether they come from a mechanical, intuitive, hearing, speaking, or seeing medium. There are communications that so escape the ideas, the knowledge, and even the intellectual reach of the medium, that we would have to deceive ourselves excessively to give them credit. We recognize in charlatanism a great skill and fertile resources, although we do not yet recognize in it the gift of giving learning to an ignorant person, or talent to one who has none. [1] Translator's Note: See The Mediums' Book, chapter XXVIII, items 314 to 316.