The Spiritist review — Journal of psychological studies — 1858

Allan Kardec

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Mr. Morrison, monomaniac

Last March an English newspaper published the following story with respect to Mr. Morrison, who has died recently, leaving behind a fortune of one hundred million francs. According to the paper he was held captive of a singular obsession over the last two years of his life. He thought himself reduced to extreme poverty, having to endure manual work to earn his daily bread. Family and friends alike had acknowledged the uselessness of trying to bring him back to his senses. His conviction was this: he was poor, had not even a cent left and had to work in order to survive. Every morning he was given a hoe and sent to work in his own gardens. Later he was sought to receive his modest daily payment, which he received with pleasure. His spirit would be in peace and his mania satisfied. Had they bothered him and he would have become a really upset man.

We request the Almighty for the permission to communicate with the spirit of Mr. Morrison, who recently died in England, leaving a considerable fortune.

- He is here.
1. Do you remember the state you were in over the last two years of your existence?
- It is always the same.

2. Has your spirit resented the aberration of the faculties during your life, after your death?
- Yes.
St. Louis complements the answer by spontaneously saying: “Detached from the body, the spirit feels, for some time, the compression of the bonds.”

3. Thus your spirit did not recover immediately its faculties in their plenitude, after death?
- No.

4. Where are you now?
- Behind Ermance.

5. Are you happy or unhappy?
- Something is missing.... I don’t know what... I search... Yes, I suffer.

6. Why do you suffer?
- He suffers for the good deeds he did not do (St. Louis’ answer)

7. Why the mania of judging yourself poor when in reality you had such a great fortune? - I was. In reality rich is the one who has no needs.

8. Where did you take the idea from that you had to work to survive? - I was crazy and still am.

9. How have you come to such a crazy state?
- Why does it matter? I had chosen such atonement.

10. What is the origin of your fortune? - Why is it important to you?

11. However, wasn’t your invention supposed to alleviate humanity? - And make me rich.

12. How did you employ your fortune when you were perfectly rational? - With nothing. I believe I enjoyed it.

13. Why would God give you fortune since you would not make it useful to others? - I had chosen the trial.

14. The one who enjoys a fortune acquired by his work is not more excused to be attached to it than the other one who was born in opulence and never experienced necessity?

- Less.
St Louis complements: “That one knows the suffering which he does not alleviate.”

15. Do you remember the existence preceding the one you have just left? - Yes.

16. What were you then? - A worker.

17. You told us that you are unhappy. Do you see an end to the suffering?

- No.
St. Louis adds: “It is too early.”


18. That depends on whom?
- On me. That is what I was told by the one who is here.

19. Do you know the one who is here?
- You call him Louis.

20. Do you know what he was in France of the XIII century?
- No. I only know him through you. I am thankful for what he has taught me.

21. Do you believe in another corporeal existence?
- Yes.

22. If you have to be reborn in the corporeal life, on whom shall your future social position depend?

- On me, I suppose. I have chosen so many times that this can only depend on me.

OBSERVATION: The words “chosen so many times” are characteristic. His present state proves that, despite the numerous existences, he has not progressed much and that for him it is always a restart.

23. Which social position would you choose if you could restart? - Low. Progress is safer. One is only in charge of oneself.

24. (To St. Louis) Wouldn’t there be a feeling of selfishness in the choice of a humble position, where one only carries the burden of oneself?

- Nowhere one has the burden of only oneself. Man responds for all those who surround him and not only for those whose education was entrusted to him, but also for the others. The example does everything wrong.

25. (To Morrison) We thank you for your kind answers and pray that God will give you the strength to endure your trials.

- You helped me. I learned.

OBSERVATION: The state of the spirit is easily recognized from the answers above. They are short and when not monosyllables they have something of somber and vague. A melancholic mad man would not speak differently. That persistence on the aberration of the ideas is a notable fact but which is not constant, or sometimes presents a completely diverse character. We will have the occasion of giving several other examples where the different forms of madness are studied.

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