Scarcity of Mediums.

— Although published only a short time ago, The Mediums' Book has already aroused, in various localities, the desire to form intimate Spiritist meetings, as we advised. But people write to us that they come to a halt before the scarcity of mediums. For this reason we deem it well to give some advice on the means of remedying this.

A medium, above all a good medium, is incontestably one of the essential elements of any assembly that occupies itself with Spiritism; but it would be an error to think that, in his absence, nothing more remains to be done than to fold one's arms or suspend the session. We do not at all share the opinion of a certain person who compared a Spiritist session without mediums to a concert without musicians. In our opinion, there exists a much more apt comparison: that of the Institute and of all scientific societies, which know how to make use of their time without constantly having the means of experimentation before their eyes. One goes to a concert to hear music. It is therefore evident that if the musicians are absent, the purpose has failed. But to a Spiritist meeting we go, or at least we ought to go, in order to instruct ourselves. The question now is to know whether this can be done without a medium. Certainly, for those who go to such meetings with the sole purpose of seeing effects, the medium is as indispensable as the musician at the concert; but for those who, above all, seek to instruct themselves, who wish to go deeper into the various parts of the science, in the absence of an instrument of experimentation they will have more than one means of obtaining it. This is what we shall try to explain. At the outset we shall say that if mediums are common, good mediums, in the true sense of the word, are rare. Experience proves daily that it is not enough to possess the mediumistic faculty to obtain good communications. It is preferable to deprive oneself of an instrument than to have a defective one. Certainly for those who seek, in communications, the fact rather than the quality, who attend them more for diversion than for enlightenment, the choice of the medium is completely indifferent. But we speak of those who have a more serious purpose and see further. It is to them that we address ourselves, because we are certain that they understand us. On the other hand, the best mediums are subject to intermittences of greater or lesser length, during which there is partial or total suspension of the mediumistic faculty, not to speak of the numerous accidental causes that may momentarily deprive us of their assistance. Let us add also that entirely flexible mediums, those who lend themselves to all kinds of communications, are even rarer. They generally possess special aptitudes, from which it is important not to divert them. It is seen, then, that if there is no reserve provision, we may be caught off guard when we least expect it, and it would be disagreeable if in such a case we were obliged to interrupt the work. The fundamental teaching that one comes to seek in serious Spiritist meetings is, without doubt, given by the Spirits. But what fruits would a pupil draw from the lessons given by the most skillful professor if, on his side, he too did not work? If he did not meditate upon what he heard? What progress would his intelligence make if he had the master constantly at his side to chew over his task for him and spare him the effort of thinking? In Spiritist assemblies the Spirits fulfill two roles; some are professors who develop the principles of the science, elucidate doubtful points, and, above all, teach the laws of true morality; others are materials of observation and of study, which serve as application. Once the lesson is given, their task is finished, while ours begins: that of working upon what has been taught us, in order better to understand, better to grasp the meaning and the scope. It is with a view to leaving us free time to fulfill our duty—if we may be permitted this classic expression—that the Spirits sometimes suspend their communications. They indeed wish to instruct us, but on one condition: that we second their efforts. They grow weary of repeating the same thing ceaselessly and uselessly. They warn; nevertheless, if they are not heeded, they withdraw, so that we may have time to reflect.

— In the absence of mediums, a meeting that proposes to itself something more than to see a pencil wielded has a thousand and one ways of using the time profitably. We shall limit ourselves to indicating a few, summarily:

1st To reread and comment upon the old communications, whose deeper study will cause their value to be better appreciated.

If it be objected that this would be a tedious and monotonous occupation, we shall say that no one tires of hearing a beautiful piece of music or of poetry; that after having listened to an eloquent sermon, we should like to read it with a cool head; that certain works are read twenty times, because each time we discover in them something new. He who is impressed only by words wearies at hearing the same thing twice, even were it sublime; he always lacks new things to interest him or, rather, to divert him. He who meditates has an additional sense: he is more touched by ideas than by words, which is why he likes to hear again that which reaches his spirit, without limiting himself to the ear. 2nd To recount facts of which one has knowledge, to discuss them, comment upon them, explain them by the laws of the Spiritist science; to examine their possibility or impossibility; to see what is plausible or exaggerated in them; to distinguish the part of imagination and of superstition, etc.

3rd To read, comment upon, and develop each article of The Spirits' Book and of The Mediums' Book, as well as of all the other works on Spiritism.

We hope to be excused for citing here our own works, which is quite natural, since it is for this that they were written. Moreover, on our part it is no more than an indication, and not an express recommendation. Those to whom they do not suit are perfectly free to set them aside. Far be it from us the pretension of imagining that others cannot make them as good or better. We only believe that, up to the present, in them the science is regarded in a more complete manner than in many others, besides their answering a greater number of questions and objections. It is on this account that we recommend them. As for their intrinsic merit, only the future will be their great judge. We shall one day give a rational catalogue of the works that, directly or indirectly, treat of the Spiritist science, in Antiquity and in modern times, in France or abroad, among sacred and profane authors, when it has been possible for us to gather the necessary elements. This work is naturally very long, and we shall be very grateful to the persons who may wish to facilitate it for us, supplying us with documents and indications.

4th To discuss the different systems on the interpretation of Spiritist phenomena.

On the subject, we recommend the work of M. de Mirville and that of M. Louis Figuier, which are the most important. The first is rich in facts of the highest interest, drawn from authentic sources. Only the author's conclusion is contestable, because everywhere he sees only demons. It is true that chance served him to his taste, placing before his eyes those that could best serve him, while concealing from him the innumerable facts that religion itself regards as the work of angels and of saints.

— The Histoire du merveilleux dans les temps modernes — Google Books, by M. Figuier, is interesting from another point of view. There one finds facts narrated at length and minutely, one does not very well know why, but which should be known. As for Spiritist phenomena properly so called, they occupy the least considerable part of the four volumes. While M. de Mirville explains everything by the devil and others explain it by the angels, M. Figuier, who believes neither in devils, nor in angels, nor in good and nor in evil Spirits, explains everything, or thinks he explains everything, by the human organism. M. Figuier is a scientist; he writes with seriousness and supports himself on the testimony of certain learned men. One may, then, consider his book as the last word of official science on Spiritism. And this word is the negation of every intelligent principle outside of matter. We lament that Science should be put at the service of so sad a cause, though it is not responsible for this—it which incessantly unveils to us the marvels of Creation, writing the name of God on every leaf, and on the wings of every insect; guilty are those who, in its name, strive to convince us that, after death, no hopes remain.

By this book the Spiritists will see to what the terrible thunderbolts are reduced that were supposed to annihilate their beliefs. Those who might have been shaken by the fear of a shock will be fortified upon ascertaining the poverty of the arguments opposed to them, the innumerable contradictions resulting from ignorance and from the lack of observation of facts. Under this aspect the reading may be useful to them, were it only to be able to speak with greater knowledge of the cause, which the author does not do with respect to Spiritism, which he denies without having studied it, for the simple reason of denying all extra-human power. The contagion of such ideas is not to be feared, for they carry in themselves the antidote: man's instinctive repulsion for nothingness. To prohibit a book is to prove that we fear it. We advise the reading of M. Figuier's book. If the poverty of the arguments against Spiritism is manifest in the serious works, their nullity is absolute in the diatribes and defamatory articles, in which impotent rage betrays itself by coarseness, by insult, and by calumny. It would be giving them too much importance to read them in serious meetings. There is nothing there to refute, nothing to discuss, and, consequently, nothing to learn; we shall have only to disdain them.

It is seen, then, that apart from the instructions given by the Spirits, there exists ample material for useful work. We add even that we shall gather in this work numerous elements of study to submit to the Spirits, in questions which it will inevitably raise. But if it is necessary to supply the momentary absence of mediums, one must not commit the error of doing without them indefinitely. One must neglect nothing in order to find them. For a meeting, the best is to go seek them within its own midst; and, if one refers to what we said on the subject in our last work, on pages 306 and 307, it will be seen that the means is easier than one thinks. [1] [History of the Marvelous in Modern Times — See, by the same author: History of the marvelous and of the supernatural.]

[2] Translator's note: Allan Kardec refers to The Mediums' Book, published the previous month.