Wallis A Gu

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would-be medium can at first do so little. He is not usually an active agent,
but is an intermediary between earth and the spirit world. The spirits who
seek to use him as their instrument may
134 A Guide to Mediumship
or may not be fit for that work. It is not every spirit who can develop a
medium. Some of them lack both knowledge and aptitude. Others may
have the knowledge and yet fail from want of the power to control. They
may be able to affect one sitter and not another; to use a sensitive for one
phase of mediumship, and yet be unable to succeed in any other direction.
A spirit may be in such conditions that he can produce good physical
phenomena; he may, however, try to do so through a 'subject' who is fitted
for trance or clairvoyant mediumship and does not possess the quality or
psychic force for sensuous manifestations. A medium who is naturally
qualified for physical demonstrations may persist in desiring trance or
inspirational mediumship, and be determined to become a speaker or
nothing. Frequently at the outset both spirits and sitters are ignorant of
their powers, of the conditions necessary for success, and the association
that exists between them being affectional rather than intellectual or
spiritual, they have to grope their way towards each other. It follows,
therefore, that experiments have to be made on both sides. Sitters and
young mediums often spoil the seances by over-anxiety. There would not
be half so much heard about 'evil spirits' (so-called) if more regard were
paid to the necessity of maintaining a calm, patient, and serene frame of
mind. Some people become excited as soon as phenomena commence;
mediums not infrequently get nervous or timid when they feel that they
are being affected, and, although they desire to be controlled, are afraid to
submit to the influence when they are likely to lose consciousness. All
these are disturbing elements, and naturally interfere with the flow of the
forces that are to be utilized and prevent the success that is desired.
A spirit without any very definite purpose, finding himself in the
presence of a mediumistic person, may seek to influence him, and
spasmodic actions may result. Unless the 'control' should soon give
evidence of clear thought and definite purpose he should be requested, in a
kindly and courteous manner, to seek the assistance of some spirit who
understands the methods to be employed, and induce
A Guide to Mediumship 135
him to exert his power for the benefit of the medium and the circle.
AN OPEN MIND NECESSARY. One of the first and most elementary
conditions for spirit intercourse is this: Sitters and mediums alike should
endeavor to avoid prejudging the case, and be as responsive and open-
minded as possible. Positive expectations should not be entertained, or
strong claims made. But in the careful scientific spirit the sitters should
await results and be determined to hold their judgment in suspense to
watch and wait; and after careful observation and a number of experiments,
conducted in a sympathetic but unbiased, non-committal frame of mind,
let the facts themselves speak.
AVOID THEORIES BUT GATHER FACTS. If an inquirer has formed, or
adopted, the theory that it is all the mind of the medium, or the dominating
thought of the sitter (that the table or the medium only gives back the
thoughts of the most positive mind in the circle), it will be better for him
as far as possible to hold back that thought, and watch, because if he tries
to control the table movements by the exercise of his will upon it, he
merely interferes with the efforts which the spirits may be making. If he
actually succeeds in causing the movements to occur as he wills that they
shall, he does not prove that spirits cannot do the same thing. He may
possibly switch them off and himself on, but in that case the machine will
simply respond to his thought and not theirs. That is all.
THE CRUCIAL QUESTION. What sincere truth-seekers, whether
mediumistic or not, need to know is this: 'Can spirits gain power to move
the table, to make raps, to give us messages which will prove their
existence and identity!' If they set out to obtain proof of the presence and
power of spirits, they must give the spirits opportunities to satisfy them
with evidence.
Instead of interfering with the conditions and destroying the
connections, and then triumphantly asserting, 'there are no spirits in it, I [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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