CHAPTER VII.
MEDIUMSHIP—SPIRITUAL HEALING.
When we make use of external language as a means of communication, our reception of truth does not depend so much upon who speaks, as upon ourselves; for it matters not who uses language, before it can awaken the idea in our minds, it must first be communicated to our understanding. Therefore though the communication may convey established truth, our understanding is quite liable to err as to the meaning of the communication. Though the communication were made by God himself, it might not convey the truth, because each man or woman would understand it according to his or her plane of development. The character of a communication is determined by the plane from which it is translated. The caution is, “Take heed how ye hear.”
However credible and truthful an individual may be, he may be mistaken, and falsify in respect to facts and principles communicated; so that unless we have an absolute perception of the truth of that which is communicated, we can not affirm that we have the truth upon the subject in question. In holding communication with our neighbor, we find that A or B or C has always told the truth, and therefore when he tells us a particular event has taken place, we rely upon his word. Yet we know that he is liable to be mistaken, and to be under influences which may lead him to falsify, so that after all we can not know, upon the report of an individual, that a thing is true. It does not address that department of our being by which we are made as certain of it as we are that we exist. Hence we always make a difference between what we know and what we hear—between a report and our consciousness. One we say we know to be true, and the other we say we believe to be true. The difference is that between knowledge and belief. So if a Spirit should communicate to me ten thousand facts concerning my absent friends, every one of which I should find in every respect true on investigation; and if, again, that Spirit should come and communicate still other facts, I can not know that such other facts are true. The fact that that Spirit has before told the truth is not a positive proof that it will continue to do so. I can believe the statement to be true, but, nevertheless, my belief can not amount to positive knowledge. So that the questions often arise when Spirits communicate with external language, How are we to know that they tell the truth, How are we to know that they are the ones they purport to be? When a Spirit raps out on the table, or speaks or writes through a medium, that he is such a Spirit, and that such and such things are transpiring at some distant place, how are we to know that he tells the truth? We are not to know it, and can not know it. If we are to be accurately informed on that subject, that which is addressed to our understanding must come more interiorly into our consciousness than it can come through the ear, the eye, or the sense of feeling. It may be true; and give me time enough to investigate, and I can determine whether it be true or not. But if I am to act upon it without investigation, I can not know. I do not care if all the Spirits in Christendom testify to it, still I can not know; for that means of communication can not, in the nature of things, bring certainty—can not produce interior conviction in the mind.
I may be persuaded that a thing is so, and shape my course as though it were so; still I am liable to be mistaken. Therefore I affirm again, that this outward method of communication can not be relied upon for the communication of absolute or positive truth. You can not make it the basis of action as you can when you have clear and positive information; and even if it should become as reliable as the ordinary communications passing between man and man, still it will not bring sufficient certainty to make it the basis of action. I might give many other reasons why this external means of communication can not be relied upon as sufficient to give us the necessary information respecting our connection with the Spirit-world. It may give facts or tests which may prove to be sufficient to satisfy the mind of every inquirer that Spirits do exist and communicate. This is no unusual thing; but the point is to make them the instruments of communicating to us such information as from day to day we need, and upon which we must rely. Those who do thus rely upon their communications, and yield implicit confidence to them, nine times in ten show themselves to be complete dupes, and make themselves the laughing-stock of every sensible man and woman.
You will find in all parts of the country those who, if they can get a rap, say “Spirits, is it so?” and act according to the responses they receive. Nothing can be further from the true use and design of these manifestations. My position is simply this: so far as these outward means of communication are concerned, they are designed for those who can not get a more interior view of their relations with the Spirit-world. If an individual is living in his exterior or sensuous nature, so that what comes to his understanding must come through his senses, then these outward manifestations are useful and necessary to satisfy him of the fact that Spiritual beings do exist, and have the means of communicating with us. But when he is fully satisfied on that point, he has received about all the benefit he can from these exterior communications.
There is another important point to which I wish to call your attention, and one which, if properly understood by those who investigate the Spiritual phenomena, will save them a great deal of embarrassment. It is this: that that class of Spirits who usually manifest themselves through public mediums, either by sounds, by moving physical objects, or by any other means before promiscuous objects, or by any other means before promiscuous public assemblies, can not generally be relied upon; and the reason is very obvious. It is well understood that an individual who is excessively sensitive to all moral influences—whose sensibilities are such that they can not endure the presence of that which is vulgar—are repelled by, or driven from, promiscuous circles or society; and, consequently, those who can endure the common influences of a public circle can not be of a very sensitive class. Take a medium who is exceedingly sensitive to external influences; who must be in just such a condition in order that the Spirits may communicate, and who requires that every mind in the circle shall be in a peculiar condition; and place that medium in a public circle, and you can get no manifestations at all, for the required conditions are foreclosed at once. This kind of mediums will not answer for the purposes of public circles; but if you get one that will answer for such purposes, that medium will be one who is excessively positive—one who can resist influences of ever so positive a character. As that medium is required to sit for all classes, as a matter of course he must be in a condition to respond to the kind of influences which are brought to bear upon him, or manifestations can not occur while such influences are present.
When communications are received through public mediums, the probabilities are that the communicator belongs to a very low plane of development, and that the communications can not be relied upon, whatever may be the professions of that communicator.
There is almost always an influence which belongs peculiarly to each public medium—an influence which seems to be a presiding Spirit, which that medium will usually recognize, answering to the name of “Jim” or “John.” It is generally the case that this Spirit will be found on hand first, and is the one to do whatever is to be done; and he becomes the father, mother, brother, sister, or friend of everybody. I speak from experience on this subject. If this Spirit wants to be very accurate in telling you a name, he gets you to write down a list of names, and as your finger runs down the list, he raps when you come to the right one. If he knows the name, why does he not spell it out? This is a very reasonable question. Permit me to explain how these questions are often answered. In mesmerism there is at times a certain relation of the operator to the subject called rapport, in which condition the operator can transmit his mental motions to the subject. In case a Spirit comes into rapport with yourself, he answers all the questions you ask, even mental questions, and you come to the conclusion that you are really conversing with the one who purports to answer. If you ask whether you have a father, mother, brother, or sister in the Spirit-land, he will answer according to your perceptions; and the tests seem to be very good, though the Spirit is constantly answering directly from your own mind. This often occurs in public circles. Another individual, sitting next to you, who is very anxious to get equally good tests from his Spirit-friends, gets no correct answers unless he hands his written questions to one who has been found to be in rapport with the Spirit. I once knew an instance of this kind. A doctor came into a circle with about thirty mental questions, to which he desired to get responses; but he could get no answers, it seeming impossible for the Spirits to get the questions from his mind; but upon his writing them out, and handing them to a lady, who shortly before had succeeded in getting answers, they were all replied to without difficulty. The simple explanation of this fact is, that the lady was in rapport with the Spirit, and consequently her thoughts could be seen by the Spirit, while he could not perceive the thoughts of the physician, who was not in rapport with him. If you ask questions orally, it may be that the Spirit does not hear them, except through the medium’s ears, so to speak. I might go on thus to great extent, showing the liability there is to be deceived in these public communications.
The circumstances of a public circle are exceedingly unfavorable to getting communications from Spirits of a high degree of refinement. The most that can be obtained under such conditions is some external evidence of Spiritual existence. The point to which I wish to call your attention is the almost universal fact that mediums devoted to external manifestations, while under the influence of this presiding Spirit, are under an influences to deceive, to cheat, which is almost irresistible. It does not matter particularly how good manifestations they get. I have seen this deceptive disposition manifested in mediums who could get very remarkable manifestations, such as the movement in the open light of a table with several men standing upon it. Not that they themselves wished to deceive, but they were almost irresistibly controlled by the influence surrounding them, and which must generally be present in a large circle. I have seen this many times when I knew the manifestations to be genuine. A skeptic, however, notwithstanding their genuineness, would, upon detecting the slightest thing like cheating, pronounce them all a humbug. There are but few mediums who could resist this influence which comes over them at times, inciting them to help the manifestations along a little, or to give them a little start, with the hope that they will thereafter get along without assistance. I refer to this to call attention to the influence to which mediums are at times subjected, not to condemn the mediums, nor to convey the impression that all these public manifestations are cheats. I have seen many which were not of this character. This cheating influence is attributable to the incongruous mental condition of a large circle, where no care is taken to secure harmony.
I offer these remarks as a caution not to get discouraged. You will meet with these things; and if the enemy can once catch you cheating, no matter how many good demonstrations you have given for months before, he has no hesitation in publishing to the world that it is all a cheat. He requires the medium to be very truthful, but he has no hesitation in lying himself. Being judged out of his own mouth, the enemy who takes advantage of the least deception on the part of the medium is as bad as the medium, and if he gets communications he must expect them to be marked by his character.
Permit me now to call your attention to the subject of healing mediumship. Man, as we have seen, possesses within himself the elements of all prior existence—in fact, of all existence, from dead matter to the self-living Jehovah. These elements exist in him in an individualized condition. He has composing his form individualized matter of various kinds, as electricity, magnetism, nerve-aura, which are connected with matter of a like character which is unindividualized. I need but say that all matter this side the Divine is of itself dead—that all life and consciousness flows directly and indirectly from the Divine Being, and that there can be no manifestation except as connected with the Divine Being. The idea that magnetism, electricity, or nerve-force has power of itself, is altogether false. They are only connecting parts in the universe, uniting the Divine on one hand with matter on the other. They are mere media of communication between the Fountain of all power on the one hand, and the recipient of power on the other. Let us for illustration observe a manufacturing establishment. One part of the machinery is perhaps concerned in scouring and cleansing wool; another part cards it into rolls; another part spins them into yarn; another part weaves the yarn into cloth; and another part dresses the cloth. Each of these parts seems to be disconnected from the other parts, and each seems to be accomplishing a specific end; but you will find that all parts are connected one with the other, and all connected with the primary power in the basement. In the water-wheel or steam-engine there is a power which puts them all in motion. The parts next to it are negative to it, and receptive of its power; and these parts, though negative to the principal power, are positive to those parts more remote. All parts are in motion, all moving as the primary wheel moves. Break the connection anywhere between the parts, and those parts beyond the connection cease to move. But establish the connection, and they will again commence their motion. Every part is negative to the primary power, but positive to all more remote from it than itself. No one of the parts has a power to move itself, and unless there is a connection maintained between the primary power and the several parts, they will cease to move. So with all media through which potential manifestations are made. Electricity has no power of itself. It is only by its connection with that which is nearer to the great self-existent Being that it derives all its power to act. Next comes magnetism, which derives all the power it possesses from the power which precedes it. Next is the life-force, which is negative to all nearer to God than itself, and receives its power from them, but is positive to all others. Next comes the nerve-force; and next the spirit, which derives all its power from the Divine Fountain. It is the medium through which all power is imparted to all that is more exterior than itself. I have the power to move my arm—by my will to make potential manifestations through this arm. If, however, by any means, you break any of the links out of the chain which unites the divine in me, through my spirit, with the matter of my arm—abstract the electricity, the magnetism, or nerve-force—I lose all power over my arm. Bisect the motor-nerve, which connects my arm with my brain, and my arm will hang lifeless by my side. There are all of the media there, but they are not continuously connected with my brain, and through that with the Divine Fountain. But if you will throw a current of electricity down the nerves of my arm, you will produce an extension of it. So you may withdraw the nerve-force, or the vital force from my arm, and it will cease to exist. My arm will be no longer subject to sensation, because you have broken the link between sensation and matter.
We then, as individuals, possessing in ourselves all these different media, which become receptive of influences, must come into connection with the Divine Fountain itself, if we would receive power from it; for we can impart nothing which we do not receive.
As spiritual beings we become receptive of this influence through our spiritual nature, but impart it through our lower nature. To become a medium of potential action or manifestation, I must have the power to impart to that medium through which the power is to be manifested. To affect you nervously to relieve you from pain, I must be able to impart through my nervous system that power which I received through my spiritual nature. To be able to operate psychologically, I must receive through my interior being and impart through my outward being—must first have the powers of receptivity, and, secondly, must possess the powers of impartability. It becomes just as necessary to have a good, healthful physical development to be able to impart, as to have a good spiritual development to receive the power. The individual becomes stronger as a medium in proportion to his development in receptivity and impartability.
That Jesus was so much more powerful than others was owing to the perfectly harmonic development of his different natures. Our power to exert healing influences depends upon our development. The higher we are developed—the nearer we come to the great absolute Fountain of all power—the more largely will we be receptive of that power.
Jesus being fully developed in his religious and spiritual being, was in conscious communion with the Father and with Spirits of the most exalted character, and received largely of the Divine power. He was always aware whether he had the necessary power to perform any work. Being so fully unfolded as to perceive the causes of the disease to be cured, he knew beforehand whether it was worth while to make the experiment. He knew what was to be done to bring the individual into a condition to receive that which he needed to restore him. Therefore, when called upon to perform a cure, if the individual was not in the right condition, he commenced to bring him into it, requiring them to come into a certain condition called faith or belief. That he might perform the desired work, he required the assistance of those around him. When he went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and where he was looked upon as an ordinary man, his right to teach was called in question, and his learning doubted. What was his success there? Mark says he did not succeed, because of their unbelief. He could not command the conditions which were necessary to impart his power, and he could do no mighty work there, except to lay his hands on a few sick folks. Another writer referring to it, says, “He did not many mighty works there, because of unbelief.” We all know that Jesus said, “A prophet is not without honor save in his own country.“ He had to keep away from Nazareth simply because the state of mind was such that he could not control the conditions necessary to produce his mighty works.
Within three weeks before his crucifixion, when going to Jerusalem to attend one of the feasts, his brethren called upon him and said, “If you do these things, show yourself openly, for no man doeth these things in secret, and yet seeketh to be known openly; for,” says John, “his brethren did not believe on him.” Christ, even with his high degree of receptivity, found it necessary at times to call to his aid surrounding minds; and he could not always perform his work without faith being reposed in him. The question was very often asked by him, “Believe ye that I am able to do this?” When he had performed the cure, he immediately said “It is faith that did it.” They had no faith in him as the Son of God, as supposed by some, but simply in his power to work a cure.
I desire to enforce the idea, that if we wish to be mediums of high and exalted powers for the removal of diseases, it becomes necessary that we should be highly developed, not only physically, but spiritually and religiously. A high order of the absolute religious development is very essential to great power as a healing medium, because this highest nature, this absolute nature, in man, much more than any other, serves to unite him with the absolute Fountain of all power. The highest development of this religious nature in man is necessary to give him a clear perception of the nature of disease and the means for its removal. The man who has this religious faculty highly developed, needs not that any man should say anything to him of man, for he knows what is within him. Clairvoyant mediums know very well that that condition which enables them to see most clearly the state of the individual is that which is high and exalted; for when their thoughts and aspirations seem to be ascending—like the odor from the flower—there is a sort of conscious exhalation going forth permeating every thing around the individual, and he sees and feels clearly the condition of everything by which he is surrounded.
There is nothing in the world which summons the human being to such a degree of activity as that which we call the religious nature—there is nothing which takes hold of him so deeply. What other influence in the world could cause a mother to destroy her babe, but the stimulating influence of this religious nature, coming up as it does from the deepest fountain of the soul? Make a man believe that his religious nature requires sacrifice, and he will make that sacrifice, cost what it may, simply because his religious nature wells up so strong when it is moved, that there is nothing outward which can resist it. When the individual’s religious nature is highly developed, it is more powerful than all his other natures.
We will become healing mediums just in proportion as we are developed in this religious nature, so that we shall become more receptive and perceptive, and be enabled to exercise stronger mental power to accomplish our results. But a healthy physical development is quite as essential to good mediumship as is a high and healthy spiritual development. Good organs of impartability are required. Secure a good harmonic physical with a good harmonic spiritual development, knowing that you are receptive on the Spiritual side, and impartive on the physical side.
There is much folly connected with mediumship. That such should be the case with people so profoundly ignorant as the majority of mankind are with reference even to their having souls, is by no means surprising. Many people suppose that if their hands are touched, a Spirit has got hold of them, and is about to make something great of them, and they set themselves up as something wonderful. If they can perceive any influence coming upon them, it is attributed to a Spiritual agency. It may be so and it may not, because there are other than Spiritual agencies. I once witnessed the curing in five minutes of an individual who had been blind for three years. This, told to the world as an instance of Spiritual healing, would appear marvelous; and if I had happened to do it on the platform, before the people of New York, they would have thought I had almost performed a miracle. It is probable that not a particle of Spiritual influence was exerted in the case. The individual performing the cure did not suppose that he was a medium, though some would not hesitate to publish it to the world as a remarkable instance of healing by Spiritual aid. The blindness was doubtless caused by a paralysis of the optic nerve, and required only a little action to restore the sight. The individual proceeded according to the usual modes of mesmerism. The cure was not half as difficult as it would be to get a sliver from under the nail, nor was it half as mysterious.
A case of the restoration of hearing, by placing the fingers in the ears and taking them out suddenly, is also within my knowledge. Such cases are frequently circulated as evidence that Spirits do cure. The cure in this case was doubtless effected by a strong mesmeric current passing from the fingers of the operator over the nerve of the ear. As honest men and women, we should be careful about publishing these things as instances of Spirit-healing. We have abundant genuine evidence of what Spirits do. Attributing to Spirits that which is not produced by them, tends to make us dishonest with ourselves and our neighbors. Were due caution exercised in this matter, we should not need half the evidence which is now required to convince the world that Spirits do exist and communicate. When it is observed that everything is attributed to Spirits, the world will not believe us even when we tell them facts.
I know that Spirits do communicate—do exist. It is not with me a matter of conjecture at all—I KNOW it; but there is no occasion to make persons believe that every thing comes from Spirits. I ask Spiritualists to be more careful, more dignified in their investigations in these matters, and they will find that there are facts enough before the world to convince it of the truths of Spiritualism, when you can convince the world that you are duly cautious and not easily misled. I do not wish to lie for Spirits, nor do I wish them to lie for me.