5. There still remains the question whether spirits can communicate with men ;
in other words, whether they can exchange thoughts with us? But why should they not
do so? What is a man, if not a spirit imprisoned in a body? And why should not a free
spirit be able to hold converse with a spirit in prison, just as a free man can converse
with another who is bound in chains? If you admit the survival of the soul, is it rational
not to admit the survival of the soul's affections? Since souls are everywhere, is it not
natural to believe that the soul of one who has loved us during life should come near to
us, should desire to communicate with us, and should, for that purpose, make
use of the means in his power for doing so? Did not his soul, during his earth-life, act
upon the matter of which his body was composed? Was it not his soul that directed the
movements of his body? Why then, after death, if in sympathy with another spirit still
bound to an earthly body, should he not borrow an earthly body in order to manifest his
thoughts, just as a dumb man makes use of a man who can speak to express his wishes
?
