EVIL SPIRITS.

 

The time-old superstition of evil spirits, devils, such as were cast out and entered into swine, has been retained by Spiritualists. By these beings they readily account for failures, want of success, contradictory messages, and moral delinquencies. The existence of evil, and of evil influences, is a chimera of ignorance, and its solution is like the resolution of night by the light of the sun.

Among savages, the word stranger is synonymous with enemy, because the members of different tribes are, almost of necessity, hostile, and as spirits are regarded as members of a different tribe, with interests and purposes essentially their own, it is not strange that nearly all savages regard them as evil. The first conception of God is as an evil spirit. The Hottentots, says Thunborg, have vague ideas about a good Deity. "They have much clearer notions about an evil spirit, whom they fear, believing him to be the occasion of sickness, death, thunder and every calamity that befalls them."

 

The New Zealanders believed that each form of disease was caused by a particular evil god. The Kols of Nagpore assign all diseases to two causes: "The wrath of some evil spirit who has to be appeased, or the spell of some witch or sorcerer." "The Indian," says Carver, "lives in continual apprehension of the unkind attacks of spirits, and to avert them has recourse to charms, incantations," etc. The West Coast Negroes, according to Artus, represent these evil spirits as "black and mischievous, and delighting to torment them in various ways."

 

Thus all over the world wherever we meet the savage, we find that he is ruled by fear and stands in dread of an evil influence, which be regards it possible for beings beyond the known realms of physical existence to exert.

 

The increase of knowledge has served to consign this belief to the category of nursery fables, Jack the Giant Killer, elves, fairies, etc. The more science, the less superstition.

 

Spiritualism, by stimulating the love of the marvelous, called their old beliefs again into being in a new form.

 

As the spirit enters the spirit world just as it left this, there must be in that world an innumerable host of low and uneducated, or, in other words, evil spirits.

 

If we believe this, and the dependent proposition that they are wholly irresponsible, our situation is horrible to contemplate. Surrounded on every hand by an ocean of intelligences all bent on doing evil, and we without power to resist!

 

This superstition is only a short step removed above that of the savage. Life becomes a wretched attempt to please these selfish beings. Fear takes the place of integrity, supine waiting of action, and existence itself becomes a burden, in its constant efforts to propitiate these evil influences, or not to offend them. At times the selfishness which has not yet been neutralized, and the undeveloped character will, when the door is open, manifest themselves. That they do, we think, is well established, but that we are situated in an ocean of irresponsible evil spirits, all of whom are anxious to commit through us some immoral or brutal action, we most unhesitatingly and uncompromisingly disavow. It is one of the most immoral doctrines, as it casts aside individual responsibility, and makes a scapegoat of spirits, after the manner the ignorant in the past have their ideal Satan. This admission is the denial of the fundamental principle of Spiritualism, that we are responsible only to ourselves for ourselves.

 

Admitting that evil spirits do come near and influence us, they must enter into our atmospheres through the gateways we ourselves open to them. There must be similarity and correspondence between our spiritual spheres which measure our spiritual condition and theirs, else we could not recognize their presence, and they could have no possible influence over us.

 

It has been our sad fortune to have met Spiritualists who, forgetting this absolutely essential correspondence, were completely subdued by the belief in this power of evil spirits over their lives, and instead of attempting to arise out of the sphere in which any influence might be exerted, they cast about them in childish endeavors to avert the malign purposes of their invisible enemies. They engaged in a continuous game of bo-peep with the invisible evil beings, laying all their plans with reference to thwarting any attempt these might make against them!

 

Dismal spectacle of an enlightened man of the nineteenth century returning to the abject superstition of the savage and abasing himself in childish fear of something he knows not what!

 

Some Spiritualists prefer even the pangs of the gout to spirit enemies, and are constantly foreboding some disaster. Such a state of mind is only slightly removed from insanity.

Again, others come to believe that a host of evil spirits are on the constant watch to take advantage of them. They are "surrounded by a host of devils!" If so, it is nothing to boast of, for they are the center of attraction, and, as like attracts like, it shows a wretched spiritual state on their part. To such it would be advisable to restore their depleted vitality, or exalt their spiritual nature, thus ceasing to attract, rather than wage the unequal combat.

 

To all such we would say that your fears are not only idle, they are positively immoral and debasing. Man is not a puppet in the hands of irresponsible, evil intelligences, unless be furnishes the conditions. The spiritual universe is governed by unchanging laws, and spiritual beings are held in their spheres with the same firm hand which keeps the planets in theirs.

 

Evil spirits may influence to evil thoughts or deeds, but the ground must be first prepared in the recipient's mind. If the individual is not in this recipient state, if he is above the sphere of evil, he may safely bid defiance to the whole universe of "elementaries," hobgoblins and "spirits of the damned."

 

I recall a friend in New York, a refined and educated lady of literary ability, who has been highly mediumistic for many years, and yet cannot trust the messages she receives, for they are as often false as true, and after being imposed on she is tantalized by the spirit who deceived her. In all such cases the development has allowed the approach of spirits of untruthful character, who have the power to control and prevent others from approaching. Apparently this is one of the most difficult problems furnished by Spiritualism. The experience has entered into the life of every medium at some time, and investigators have found it a stumbling­block; yet, if the laws and conditions of control are understood, it is readily comprehended. Mediums at all times accessible are subject to whatever control may chance to come. They are like a house with open doors into which anyone may enter. If sensitiveness alone is possessed and cultivated, this is the result. A strong power of will should always be dominant, and determine the character of the spiritual visitors. The door is often thrown open by sitting in promiscuous circles, at any and all times, without previous appointment, or by giving attention to spirits who come unappointed, or seances to curious investigators. It is more difficult to escape from this condition than to prevent falling therein.

 

If possible, a circle of harmonious persons should be established, meeting with absolute regularity. If the medium sits alone, then this element of regularity should be strenuously observed, and no attention given to the subject between appointments. Then the watchful care of spirit friends will guard from the approach of undesirable spirits, who, finding it impossible to approach, will cease making the attempt. The guardians favorably conditioned, hold such perfect control that no other spirit can manifest without their consent.

 

DIFFICULTIES OF COMMUNICATION.

 

If the hand of the medium wrote, or the tongue moved as an independent instrument, it would be perplexing to account for the failure and weakness of many communications, but with a better understanding this disappears. When the control is perfect, names and dates can be readily given, for the medium then is simply a machine obeying the will of the control. This state is rare, and in all cases of impressibility, thoughts are transmitted by waves through the spirit ether and are received by the mind of the medium as waves, and not in the form of words. To illustrate: Take the telegraph; the current of electricity passes along the wire to the receiving instrument, and is transformed into a series of sounds, which in turn are translated into thoughts. A thought is sent through the ether by a spirit in a series of waves, as the electric waves are sent along the wire. If the mind on which they strike is sensitive—that is, mediumistic—such mind becomes the receiving instrument, and these waves impinging on it give rise to the same idea that set the waves in motion. But as the mind is subject to ever-changing conditions and states, and the medium not amenable to the fixed determination which can be given an electrical instrument, he becomes an important modifying cause.

 

The culture and conditions of his mind determine the words by which the thought shall be expressed, and unless this capability exists impressions thus received could not be transformed into appropriate words. The idea may be thus given, but the words being the medium's expression, depend on his vocabulary, and the style must be more or less that of the instrument. To transmit a name or date, which has no idea, requires the most perfect conditions of impressibility, if pure automatic action is not reached. The difficulty will be understood by those who have experimented in hypnotism or mesmerism. Subjects who obey suggestions and read the thoughts of the operator are common, while those who are able to give names, dates, etc., are rare.

 

In Deleuze's work on mesmerism an instance illustrative is reported. A sealed letter was given a very susceptible magnetic subject. It read:

 

"No other than the eye of Omnipotence can read this sentence in this envelope.

 

"Troy, New York, August, 1837." The subject read:

 

"No other than the eye of Omnipotence can read this in this envelope.— —, 1837."

 

He omitted "sentence," and all the date but the year.

 

The difficulties of communication are very great and can be only comprehended by a spirit who undertakes the task. How changed the message may be by the receiving mind, is illustrated by an incident related by the well-known author and gifted medium, Mary Howitt. It came in the form of a dream. Mr. William Howitt was then in Australia, and she dreamed that she received a letter from her son, in which, in large letters, appeared: "My father is very ill." Six days afterward a letter came, not from her son but from a friend, saying: "If you hear Mr. Howitt is very ill, let this assure you he is better." All that was correct in the message was the central thought.