293 - (24). May spirits give us advice about our health?

"Health being necessary to the accomplishment of your work on earth, spirits are often allowed to occupy themselves therewith, and generally do so very willingly; but, as there are ignorant spirits as well as learned ones, it does not do to address yourselves to the first comer, in regard to this matter, any more than in regard to any other."

25. Are we more likely to obtain good advice, if we address ourselves to the spirit of some medical celebrity?

"Terrestrial celebrities are by no means infallible, and they are often influenced by the erroneous ideas of the earthly life; for death does not always deliver you from those ideas immediately. The science of the earth is very slight in comparison with that of the spirit-world. The more elevated a spirit is, the greater is his knowledge; and spirits who are utterly unknown to you may possess science far surpassing that of your scientific men. Besides, science alone does not suffice to make a man a superior spirit; and you would be astonished at the very low place occupied, in the spirit-world, by some of your terrestrial celebrities. The spirit of one of your lights of science, if he has not progressed in goodness as a spirit, will know no more, in the spirit-world, than he knew when in the earthly life."

26. Does a scientific man, on returning to the spiritworld, perceive the erroneousness of his scientific errors?

"If he has arrived at a sufficiently elevated degree to comprehend that his development is still incomplete, he perceives his errors, and avows them without hesitation but, if not sufficiently dematerialised, he may still retain some of the prejudices of his earthly life."

27. Could a physician, by evoking the spirits of his deceased patients, obtain an insight into the cause of their death, and ascertain the errors he may have committed in his treatment of them, thus advancing his medical knowledge?

"He could do so, and it would be for him a very useful study; especially if he could obtain the assistance of enlightened spirits.

"But to obtain such help, he would need to enter upon his inquiry seriously, assiduously, and with the simple desire of mitigating human suffering; and not as a means of obtaining knowledge and fortune with little trouble."