249. The method of combating obsession varies according to the character it assumes. There is no real danger for any medium who is fully aware that lie has to do with a deceptive spirit, as is the case in simple obsession; it is merely a very disagreeable thing for him. But it is precisely because it is disagreeable to him that the obsessor is obstinately bent on maintaining his hold upon him. There are two plans that may be followed in such a case first, to prove to the spirit that he will not be allowed to gain the mastery; and, secondly, to tire him out by showing a patience greater than his persistence. If the obsessor sees that he is losing his time, he will usually end by abandoning his attempts.

 

But this is not always sufficient, and the annoyance may have to be borne for a long time; for some spirits are terribly tenacious, and, to such, months and years are of little consequence. The medium who finds himself obsessed, should make frequent and fervent appeals for assistance to his guardian-angel, and to all good spirits who are in sympathy with him; and the obsessing spirit must be diverted from his purpose by remonstrance, good counsels, benevolence, and prayer. If really perverse, he will, at first, mock at these efforts; but, by persistent action of this character, he will at length be brought to yield and to amend. Obsession therefore affords an opportunity for missionary work; work that is often painful, fatiguing, and even repulsive, but that is all the more meritorious on that account, and that is also eventually productive of the liveliest satisfaction, as the accomplishment of a work of charity, the bringing back of a perverted brother into the path of purification and of progress.

 

It is well to suspend the exercise of medianimity when we perceive that we are being acted upon by an evil or unreasonable spirit, and thus to show him that he is not to have the pleasure of absorbing our attention uselessly. The writing medium is able to break off connexion with a troublesome spirit by merely abstaining from writing; but the auditive medium is not so fortunate, for, in his case, the obsessing spirit sometimes pursues him incessantly, and even assails him with vile and disgusting utterances against which the unhappy victim of this species of obsession has no means of stopping his ears. It is greatly to be regretted that any human beings should find amusement in the ribald jests of spirits of this description, and should even laugh at their folly and urge them on, instead of imposing silence on them, and endeavouring to bring them to a better mind. But counsel is of little use to those who are bent on drowning themselves.

 

250. There is, then, in simple obsession, much that is disagreeable, but no danger, for any medium who does not abdicate the use of his reason and common sense, because such a one will not allow himself to be deceived or misled. But when mediums are fascinated, it is altogether different; for, in that case, the authority usurped by the obsessing spirit over his victim has no limits. The only thing to be done for the fascinated medium is to try to convince him that he is deceived, and to bring him back to a state of simple obsession; but this is never an easy matter, and is sometimes impossible. The ascendancy of the obsessing spirit may be so complete as to render the fascinated medium deaf to every argument, and even to persuade him, when he ventures on some assertion contradicted by positive science, that science is in the wrong. As we have already pointed out, the fascinated medium generally receives advice with a very ill grace; he is irritated by criticism, and takes a dislike to those who do not share his infatuation. To doubt the superiority of his beloved spirit is a sort of sacrilege in his eyes; and that is just the state of mind which the obsessor desires to maintain on the part of his victim. A spirit of this nature exercised, over a medium of our acquaintance, an extraordinary fascination. We evoked the obsessing spirit, and, after some shuffling, seeing that he could not deceive us as to his identity, he confessed that he was not the spirit whose name he had assumed. To our questions as to why he thus deceived the medium, he replied in these words, which show clearly the character of this class of spirits 'I sought someone whom I could lead by the nose; I have found him; and I shall stay with him." "But if we help him to see clearly, he will drive you away." "We shall see" was the defiant reply. As "none is so blind as he who will not see," the best plan, when we find it impossible to open the eyes of a fascinated medium, is to leave him to his illusions. The sick man cannot be made whole as long as he hugs his disease, and refuses to follow the wise advice that would cure him.

 

251. Corporeal subjugation often deprives its victim of the energy necessary for getting the better of his obsession; in such a case, therefore, the intervention of a third person is absolutely necessary, and may be exercised by mesmerism or by the mere force of will. When the co-operation of the person obsessed cannot be had, the magnetiser must endeavour to obtain an ascendancy over the obsessing spirit; but, as this ascendancy can only be a moral one, it can only be gained by a person who is morally superior to the obsessor, his power over whom will be in proportion to the degree of his superiority. It was the moral elevation of Jesus that gave Him boundless power over what, in His day, were called "devils," that is to say, evil and obsessing spirits.

 

We can only, in regard to this matter, give general counsels; for no physical action is of any use. There is no exorcism, no sacramental formula that can drive away obsessing spirits. The party obsessed is sometimes wanting in fluidic force; and in such a case, the action of a good mesmeriser may prove a useful aid. It is always well, in regard to the cure of obsession, to take counsel of a superior spirit, or of the guardian-angel of the person obsessed, through a good medium.

 

252. The moral imperfections of the obsessed are often an obstacle to their deliverance; as is seen in the following remarkable example, which we here bring forward as being of general application:

 

Several sisters had been subject, for many years, to depredations of a very unpleasant nature. Their clothes were constantly scattered about in every corner of the house, and sometimes even upon the roof; they were cut, and torn, and holes were made in them, no matter how carefully they had been locked up. These ladies, living in a little provincial town, had never heard of spiritism, and their first idea was, naturally enough, that they were the victims of some malicious practical joke; but the persistency of the annoyance, notwithstanding the precautions they adopted in the hope of putting a stop to it, soon showed them that this could not be the case. It was not until the annoyance had gone on for some years, that, having heard of spiritism and spirits, they addressed us on the subject, in the hope of learning the cause of the damage thus caused to them and the means of preventing its recurrence, if possible. There could be, to our mind, no doubt about the cause of the annoyance; but to suggest a remedy was a more difficult matter. The spirit who manifested his presence by such acts was evidently animated by a sentiment of hostility; and, in fact, such was found to be the case when we evoked him. He showed himself; moreover, to be exceedingly perverse, and inaccessible alike to persuasion, and counsel. Prayer, however, appeared to exercise a salutary influence over him; but, after a short respite, the depredations complained of began again. We subjoin the communication of a superior spirit consulted by us in regard to these persecutions: -

 

"The ladies thus tormented must entreat their protecting spirits not to abandon them; but they must also examine their consciences, and ask themselves whether they have always practised neighbourly charity; I do not mean the charity which gives alms, but the charity of the tongue. Unfortunately for them, they have not yet learned to restrain that member, and therefore do not deserve the deliverance which they desire from the spirit who torments them; for they are much too fond of slandering their neighbours. The spirit who obsesses them does so out of revenge; for, while living, he was their drudge, and suffered much through their hardness and their exactions. They have only to consult their memory to see who it is that they have to do with.

 

"Nevertheless, if they set themselves resolutely to amend what is amiss in their daily life, their guardian angels will come back to them, and their presence will suffice to drive away the revengeful spirit whose power is principally in connection with one of them; her guardian angel having been forced to leave her by her indulgence in reprehensible acts and thoughts. Let these ladies pray fervently for all who suffer; let them practise the virtues required, by God, from every one according to his condition, and they will be delivered from the obsession that has so long tormented them."

 

On our remarking that these strictures appeared to us to be rather severe, and that it might, perhaps, be well to soften them before transmitting them to the ladies, the spirit added:

 

"It was my duty to say what I have said, and in the way in which I have said it; because the persons in question do not perceive that they make an evil use of their tongues, although they do so habitually, and to a deplorable degree. It is therefore necessary to give them a warning that may strike home to them."

 

From the foregoing, we learn a very important lesson, viz., that our moral imperfections bring us under the power of obsessing spirits, and that the surest method of getting rid of these is to attract good spirits to us by the practice of virtue. Good spirits are more powerful than bad ones, and their will suffices to keep off the latter; but they only assist those who second the action of their will by the efforts they themselves make for their own amendment; when no such efforts are made, good spirits retire, and their withdrawal leaves the field free to the evil ones, who thus become, in certain cases, instruments of punishment; the higher spirits allowing the lower ones to act, for the accomplishment of this end.

 

253. We must not, however, attribute to direct spirit action all the disagreeable things that may happen to us; for our annoyances are often the consequence of our carelessness and improvidence. A farmer once got somebody to write to us, for him, stating that he had been subject, for twelve years, to every sort of mishap with the animals on his farm. All his cows died, or their milk dried up; and all kinds of accidents befell his horses, sheep, and pigs. He had made many efforts to put a stop to these troubles by prayers and devotions continued, according to Catholic usage in such cases, for nine days at a time; but these had had no effect, nor had his affairs been improved by the numerous masses he had paid for, and all the exorcisms he had had performed, by the village-priest, in the hope of putting an end to his misfortunes. According to peasant-notions, he was persuaded that his animals had been bewitched; and as he probably supposed us to possess a conjuring power greater than that of the village-priest, he begged for our advice. Here is the answer we obtained for him from the spirit whom we consulted in regard to the matter. "The sickness and mortality among the animals belonging to this farmer are due to the fact that his stables, pens, and out-houses are in a foul and unhealthy state, and that he neglects, year after year, to get them cleaned and made wholesome, because that would cost money. "

 

254. We will conclude this chapter by appending, in confirmation of the foregoing statements, the answers given us by spirits to various questions bearing upon the subject we have been considering.

 

1. Why is it that some mediums are unable to rid themselves of troublesome spirits, and how is it that the good spirits whom they call to their aid are not strong enough to drive away the others, and to communicate directly with the medium?

"There is no lack of power on the part of good spirits; in all such cases, the want of power is on one part of the medium, who is not strong enough to second their action. Each medium, in virtue of his particular temperament, enters most easily into certain relationships, because his fluid identifies itself with that of one spirit more easily than with that of another. It is this which gives so great a power to the spirits who make a bad use of a medium's fluid."

 

2. But there are many excellent persons, of irreproachable morality, who are prevented from communicating with good spirits, notwithstanding their excellence.

"In such cases, the action of evil spirits, if not an expiation, is permitted as a trial. Can you be sure that there is not still some latent impurity in the secret heart of those persons? That pride does not lurk under their seeming excellence? Such testings are intended, by showing to the obsessed his weak side, to help him to the acquisition of humility.

 

"Can anyone on earth call himself perfect? And are there not always, under the most virtuous exteriors, some hidden faults, some old leaven of imperfection? For example, you say of one who does nothing wrong, who is upright in his social dealings, that he is an honourable and worthy man; but do you know whether the worth of those good qualities is not diminished by secret pride, whether there may not still be some remains of selfishness in him, whether he may not be covetous, jealous, bitter, caluminous, or defective in other ways that you do not perceive, because your intercourse with him has not shown you all the innermost recesses of nature? The surest way of combating the influence of evil spirits is to emulate, as far as possible, the nature of good ones."

 

3. When obsession prevents a medium from obtaining the communication which he desires, is it always a sign of unworthiness on his part?

"I do not say that it is necessarily a sign of unworthiness, but that it shows the existence of some obstacle, moral or other, to those communications. The medium should therefore try to get rid of that obstacle, which is always in himself; otherwise, his desires and entreaties will be of no avail. It is not enough for a sick man to say to his physician, "Give me health, I would fain be well!" The physician can do nothing for him unless he, on his part, consents to follow the necessary treatment."

 

4. The privation of communication with certain spirits may, then, be a species of punishment?

"In some cases it is a very real punishment, as the possibility of obtaining such communication is a reward that you should strive to deserve." (See No 220, Loss and suspension of medianimity; also The Spirits' Book, page 195 et seq. Possession.)

 

5. May we not also combat the influence of evil spirits by moralising them?

"Yes; people too often fail to attempt this, but it is exactly what they ought to do; for it is frequently a duty laid upon you, and one that should be kindly and religiously accomplished by you. Your influence may bring them to repentance, and thus hasten their advancement."

 

- How can a man possess in such cases more influence than is possessed by good spirits?

"Perverse spirits are nearer to the human beings, to whom they come with the desire to torment them, than to the superior spirits, whom they do their utmost to avoid. When, in their approach to the former, they meet with those whose influence is calculated to make them better, they at first refuse to listen to them, and only laugh at their remonstrances; but if the human being persists judiciously in his effort to act upon them, they usually end by following his counsels. Elevated spirits are too far above them; they dazzle and terrify them by their splendour. Assuredly men have not more power than the higher spirits, but the influence of men is more consonant with their nature; and superior spirits, on seeing the ascendancy that a man may exercise over inferior spirits, recognise still more clearly the solidarity which exists between heaven and earth.

 

"A man's ascendancy over spirits is always in proportion to his moral superiority. He can have no mastery over superior spirits, nor over those who, without having arrived at that grade, are good and kind but he can master all spirits who are inferior to himself in moral advancement" (279).

 

6. Could corporeal subjugation be carried to the extent of producing madness?

"Yes; a species of madness of which the cause is unknown to the world in general, but which has no connexion with ordinary madness. Among those who are treated as mad there are many who are only subjugated, and whose treatment ought to be exclusively moral; but such patients are often made really mad by the physical treatment to which they are subjected. When your doctors understand Spiritism, they will be able to distinguish between these two classes of madness and they will then cure many more patients than they now do" (No 221).

 

7. What is to be thought of those who, fancying they see danger in Spiritism, believe they can prevent it by interdicting spirit-communications?

"It might be possible to prevent individuals from seeking to hold communication with spirits, but it would not be possible to prevent spontaneous spirit manifestations from occurring to these very persons; for spirits can neither be suppressed, nor prevented from exercising their occult power. Those who should attempt such a repression would be like children who put their fingers into their eyes, and suppose that no one can see them. It would be folly to try to suppress what brings with it such great advantages, merely because unwise people may make a bad use of it; the best way to prevent the inconveniences that may result from Spiritism, among those who do not understand it, is, on the contrary, to let it be universally known and understood."