A Former DraymanThe excellent medium, Mr. V…, is a young man generally distinguished
by the purity of his relationships with the spiritual world.
However, since he moved in to the rooms that he currently occupies, an
inferior spirit meddles into his communications, interposing even onto his
personal affairs.
As he was at Mr. Allan Kardec’s house in the evening of September
6th, 1859 with whom he was supposed to work, he was then blocked by
that spirit who made him sketch incoherent things or totally precluded
him from writing. Mr. Allan Kardec then addressed the spirit with whom
he kept the following conversation:
1. Why do you come here uninvited?
- I want to torment him.
2. Who are you? Tell us your name.
- I will not tell.
3. What is your objective, meddling with something that is none of
your business? It doesn’t do you any good.
- No, but I prevent him from obtaining good communications,
and I know that it hurts him a lot.
4. Since you take pleasure out of evil things, you are a bad spirit. In the
name of God I command you to leave, allowing us to work in peace.
- Do you really think that you scare me with that strong voice?
5. If you are not scared of me you certainly are of God in whose
name I speak and who can make you regret your bad actions.
- Let us not be upset bourgeois.
6. I repeat that you are a bad spirit and once more I ask you not to
preclude us from working.
- I am what I am, it is my nature.
A superior spirit was called and asked to keep the intruder away so
that the work was not interrupted; the bad spirit probably left because
there was no other interruption during the remainder of the evening.
The superior spirit was questioned about the nature of that spirit,
responding:
This inferior spirit is a former drayman, deceased near the medium’s
house. He chose the medium’s room as his own, thus obsessing
and tormenting him since long ago. Now that he knows that the medium
must change house, following the orders of the superior spirits,
he is tormented more than ever. It is another proof that the spirit does
not write about something that is in his mind. You may then see that
there are good things, even in the most unpleasant circumstances of
life. God reveals his power through all possible means.
1. What was the character of this man, when alive?
- He showed everything closest to the animal life. I believe that
his horses had more intelligence and feelings than he did.
2. How can Mr. V… stay away from him?
- There are two ways: the spiritual, asking for God’s help; the
material means, leaving the house where he lives.
3. Then there are really certain places haunted by the spirits?
- Yes, spirits who are still under the influence of matter remain
attached to certain places.
4. Can the spirits who haunt certain places make them fatally dismal,
or adequate to the persons who inhabit them?
- Who could preclude them? The dead exert influence as spirits;
the living ones, as people.
5. Someone who was not a medium, who had never heard about the
spirits and did not even believe in them, could that person suffer
such an influence and be a victim of embarrassment by such spirits?
- Undoubtedly. This happens more often than you think and
explains many things.
6. Is there any truth in the belief that the spirits preferably inhabit
ruins and abandoned houses?
- Superstition.
7. The spirits will then haunt a house at the Rue de Rivoli in the
same way that they would do to an old shack?
- Certainly. They may be attracted to one or the other pending
on the spiritual disposition of their inhabitants.
Having been evoked at the Society, the spirit of the drayman mentioned
above manifested through Mr. R… by violent signs, breaking pencils,
sticking them onto the paper, and by a gross, trembled, irregular and
almost unreadable writing.
1. Evocation
I am here.
2. Do you acknowledge God’s power over you?
Yes, so?
3. Why have you chosen Mr. V… bedroom and not another one?
Because it pleases me.
4. Are you going to stay there long?
For as long as it pleases me.
5. You don’t wish to improve then?
Will see. I have time.
6. Are you upset because we called you?
Yes.
7. What were you doing when we called you?
I was in the tavern.
8. You were drinking then?
How silly! How can I drink?
9. Then, what did you mean when you said that you were in the
tavern?
I meant what I said.
10. When alive, did you mistreat your horses?
Are you with the local police?
11. Would you like us to pray for you?
Would you do that?
12. Certainly. We pray for all those who suffer for we have compassion
for the unfortunate and we know that God’s mercy is great.
Oh! Well, you are good people. I wish I could shake hands with
you. I will try to deserve it. Thank you.
OBSERVATION: This conversation confirms what experience has
already demonstrated many times, relatively to the influence that
people may exert over the spirits, and through which they contribute
to their improvement. It shows the influence of prayer.
Thus, such brute and almost untamable nature is like tamed by
the thought of interest that we may show. We have numerous examples
of criminals who spontaneously came to communicate with
mediums who had prayed for them, giving their testimony of regret.
We will add to the observations above the following considerations,
with respect to the evocation of the inferior spirits:
We have seen mediums, fairly aware of the need to keep their good
relationships with beyond the grave, refusing to operate as interpreters
of the inferior spirits that can be evoked. It is a misunderstood susceptibility
on their side. By the fact that we evoke a vulgar spirit, and
even a bad one, we will not remain under their influence. Far from
that, and to the contrary, we are the ones who will dominate them.
It is not like in the obsessions when they impose themselves, against
our wishes. We are the ones who impose. He does not command, but
obey. We are their judges and not their prey. Furthermore, we can be
useful to them through our advices and prayers and they appreciate the interest that we demonstrate towards them. Reaching out to them
is the practice of a good deed. Refusing to do so is lack of charity;
even more, it is pride and selfishness. As a matter of fact, these inferior
creatures provide us with a great teaching. It was through them that
we got to know the inferior layers of the spiritual world and the fate
that awaits anyone who employs their lives badly.
Let us notice, in addition, that it is almost always trembling that
they come to our serious gatherings, where the good spirits dominate.
They are ashamed, remaining at a distance, listening in order to be
instructed. They frequently come uninvited with that objective.
Why would we then refuse to listen to them, when their regret and
suffering constitute reason for edification or, at least, enlightenment?
There is nothing to fear from those communications, as long as
aiming at the good. What would become of the poor injured if the
doctors refused to touch their ulcers?
