Should everything the Spirits say be published?

This question was addressed to us by one of our correspondents, and we answer it by means of another question: Would it be good to publish everything that men say and think? Whoever possesses a notion of Spiritism, however superficial it may be, knows that the invisible world is composed of all those who have left on Earth the visible envelope. Yet, by the fact of having divested themselves of the carnal man, the Spirits have not on that account clothed themselves in the tunic of angels. We find them of every degree of knowledge and of ignorance, of morality and of immorality; this is what we must not lose sight of. Let us not forget that among the Spirits, just as on Earth, there are frivolous, reckless and mocking beings; pseudo-wise, vain and proud, of an incomplete knowledge; hypocrites, wicked ones, and, what would seem inexplicable to us if we did not in some way know the physiology of that world, there exist the sensual, the ignoble and the dissolute, who drag themselves in the mire. Alongside this, just as occurs on Earth, we have good, humane, benevolent, enlightened beings, of sublime virtues; but since our world is found neither in the first nor in the last position, though closer to the last than to the first, it follows that the world of Spirits comprises beings more advanced intellectually and morally than our most enlightened men, and others who are still below the most inferior men.

Since these beings have a manifest means of communicating with men, of expressing their thoughts by intelligible signs, their communications must be the reflection of their sentiments, of their qualities or of their vices. They will be frivolous, trivial, coarse, even obscene, wise, sensible and sublime, according to their character and their elevation. They reveal themselves by their own language; hence the necessity of not blindly accepting everything that comes from the hidden world, and of submitting it to a severe control. With the communications of certain Spirits, just as with the discourses of certain men, we could make a very little edifying collection. We have before our eyes a small English work, published in America, which is the proof of this, and whose reading, we may say, a mother would not recommend to her daughter. This is the reason why we do not recommend it to our readers. There are people who find this amusing and entertaining. Let them define themselves in private, but let them keep it to themselves. What is even less conceivable is to boast of obtaining unseemly communications; it is always an indication of sympathies that cannot be a motive for vanity, above all when these communications are spontaneous and persistent, as happens to certain people. Without doubt this prejudges nothing in relation to their present morality, for we find creatures tormented by this kind of obsession, to which their character cannot in any way be ascribed. Nevertheless, this effect must have a cause, like all effects; if we do not find it in the present existence, we must seek it in a previous life. If it is not within us, it will be outside us, but we always find ourselves in this situation for some reason, even if it be through weakness of character. The cause being known, it depends on us to make it cease. Alongside these frankly bad communications, which shock any delicate ear, there are others that are simply trivial or ridiculous. Will there be drawbacks to publishing them? If they are given for what they are worth, they will only be improper; if they are given as a study of the genre, with the due precautions, the comments and the necessary correctives, they may even be instructive, in what they contribute to making the spirit world known in all its aspects. With prudence and skill everything can be said; the harm is to give as serious things that shock good sense, reason and propriety. In this case, the danger is greater than is thought. In the first place, these publications have the drawback of leading into error people who are not in a condition to go deeply into them nor to discern the true from the false, especially in a question as new as Spiritism. In the second place, they are weapons furnished to the adversaries, who lose no time in drawing from this fact arguments against the high morality of the spirit teaching; because, we insist, the harm lies in considering as serious things that constitute notorious absurdities. Some may even see a profanation in the ridiculous role we lend to certain justly venerated personages, and to whom we attribute a language unworthy of them. Those who have studied the spirit science thoroughly know how to conduct themselves in this respect. They know that the jesting Spirits have not the least scruple about adorning themselves with respectable names; but they also know that these Spirits abuse only those who like to let themselves be deceived, and who do not know or do not want to unmask their cunning by the means of control that we know. The public, which is ignorant of this, sees only an absurdity offered seriously to its admiration, which makes it say: If all the Spiritists are like this, they deserve the epithet with which they have been favored. Without a shadow of doubt, this judgment cannot be taken into consideration; you accuse them with just reason of frivolity. Say to them: Study the subject and do not examine only one face of the coin. Nevertheless, there are so many people who judge a priori, without taking the trouble to turn the page, above all when good will is lacking, that it is necessary to avoid everything that can give grounds for precipitate decisions, for, if to ill will malevolence comes to be joined, which is very common, they will be delighted to find something to criticize. Later on, when Spiritism is more popularized, better known and understood by the masses, these publications will have no greater influence than a book containing scientific heresies would have today. Until then, circumspection would never be too great, since there are communications that can essentially harm the cause they mean to defend, in an intensity superior to the coarse attacks and the insults of certain adversaries; if some were made with such an aim, they would not achieve any better success. The error of certain authors is to write on a subject before having gone into it sufficiently, thereby giving room for a well-founded criticism. They complain of the rash judgment of their antagonists, without realizing that often it is they themselves who display a flaw in the armor. Besides, despite all precautions, it would be presumption to think themselves sheltered from all criticism: first, because it is impossible to please everyone; in the second place, because there are people who laugh at everything, even the most serious things, some because of their condition, others because of their character. They laugh much at religion, so that it is no wonder that they laugh at the Spirits, whom they do not know. If at least their jokes were witty, there would be compensation. Unfortunately, in general they shine neither by finesse, nor by good taste, nor by urbanity, and much less by logic. Let us, then, do the best that is within our reach. Putting reason and propriety on our side, we shall also put the scoffers aside.

These considerations will be easily understood by all. There is, however, one no less important, which concerns the very nature of the spirit communications, and which we must not omit: The Spirits go where they find sympathy and where they know they will be heard. The coarse and improper communications, or simply false, absurd and ridiculous ones, can emanate only from inferior Spirits: simple good sense indicates it. These Spirits do what men who are listened to complacently do: they attach themselves to those who admire their follies and, frequently, take hold of them and dominate them to the point of fascinating and subjugating them. The importance which, through publicity, is granted to their communications attracts, excites and encourages them. The only and true means of keeping them away is to prove to them that we do not let ourselves be deceived, rejecting pitilessly, as apocryphal and suspect, everything that is not rational, everything that belies the superiority attributed to the Spirit who manifests himself and with whose name he clothes himself. When, then, he sees that he is wasting his time, he withdraws.

We believe we have sufficiently answered the question of our correspondent regarding the suitability and the timeliness of certain spirit publications. To publish without examination, or without correction, everything that comes from this source would be, in our opinion, to give proof of little discernment. Such is, at least, our personal opinion, which we submit to the appreciation of those who, being disinterested in the question, can judge with impartiality, setting aside any individual consideration. Like everyone, we have the right to express our manner of thinking about the science that constitutes the object of our studies, and to treat it in our own way, without claiming to impose our ideas on anyone whatsoever, nor to present them as laws. Those who share our manner of seeing do so because they believe, like us, to be with the truth. The future will show who is wrong or who is right.