On the perispirit

Spontaneous dictation regarding a discussion that had just taken place at the Society concerning the nature of the Spirit and the perispirit. Medium: Mr. A. Didier.

I followed with interest the discussion that was established just now and that placed you in such great embarrassment. Yes; words lack color and form to express the perispirit and its true nature. But there is one certain thing: what some call perispirit is nothing other than what others call the fluidic, material envelope. When such questions are discussed, it is not phrases that we must seek, but words. To make myself understood in a more logical manner, I will say that this fluid is the perfectibility of the senses and the extension of vision and of ideas; I refer here to the elevated Spirits. As for the inferior Spirits, the earthly fluids are still completely inherent in them; thus, as you see, they are matter; hence the sufferings of hunger, of cold, etc., sufferings that cannot reach the superior Spirits, considering that the earthly fluids are purified around thought, that is, the soul. For its progress, the soul always has need of an agent; without an agent the soul is nothing for you or, rather, cannot be conceived by you. For us others, wandering spirits, the perispirit is the agent by which we communicate with you, whether indirectly, through your body or your perispirit, or directly through your soul. Hence the infinite gradations of mediums and of communications. Now there remains the scientific point of view, that is, the very essence of the perispirit. This is another question. First understand it morally; there remains only a discussion on the nature of the fluids, which is inexplicable at the moment. Science does not know enough, but we shall arrive there if it is willing to march with Spiritism. Lamennais. n [1]

[cf. Lamennais.]