Spiritist Review - Journal of Psychological Studies - 1865

The “Annales de la propagacion de la foi”, Septembre 1864, #216, contain a detailed report of events that took place in Tananarive, Madagascar, during the year of 1863, among others that of the death of King Radama II. We find the following story there:

“The most serious event that took place in Tananarive in 1863 is, without doubt, the death of Radama II. But before telling the story of the tragic end of that unfortunate prince it is necessary to remember another event that had almost the same repercussion of the first one, that was witnessed by more than two hundred thousand men and that may be seen as a prelude or prologue of the attempt to the life of the poor Radama. I want to mention the Ramanenjana.”

This word means tension and expresses a strange disease that first broke out in the South of Emirne. One month earlier people heard about it in Tananarive. It seems certain that numerous groups of men and women affected by the mysterious illness moved from the South to the Capital to speak to the King, from the part of his mother, the deceased Queen. People said that those groups traveled short distances, each night camping in the villages and increasing in number along the way, with all that were claimed on their path. But nobody thought that the Ramanenjana was so close to the royal city when it suddenly showed up, a few days before Palm Sunday.

Here is what they wrote to us about it:

“When we thought that it was still too far away, Ramanenjana or Ramena-bé as others call it, fell like a bomb. The only rumors in town are about convulsions and Convulsionaries. They are all over the place; their number estimated in more than two thousands. At this time they are camped in Machamasina, champ de Mars near the Capital. The noise they make is so much that we cannot sleep. Imagine the volume of that noise that can disturb our sleep more than four kilometers away! On Holy Tuesday a great review was supposed to take place in Soanerana. When the drums were played more than a thousand soldier suddenly left their ranks and started to dance to the Ramanenjana. Regardless of how much the leaders screamed and threatened the soldiers, they had to renounce the review.”


Characteristics of Ramanenjana?



“The disease affects specially the nerve system upon which it exerts such a pressure that soon provokes convulsions and hallucinations that can only be identified by science. Sick people initially feel splitting headaches, pain in neck followed by the stomach. After a while the convulsive fits begin; that is when the living ones enter into communication with the dead: they see Queen Ranavalona, Radama I, Adrian Ampoinemerina and others that speak with them and give them things to do. The majority of the messages are addressed to Radama II. The Ramanenjana seem specially deputies by the old Ranavalone, to indicate Radama that he must return to the old system, stop the prayers, fire the whites, prohibit pigs in the sacred city, etc.; otherwise big problems threat him and that she will be renegade him as her son.

Another effect of those hallucinations is that the majority of those that are affected imagine themselves carrying heavy loads and following the dead; imagine also a box of soap or a safe on their heads, a mattress, a rifle, keys, silver bows, etc. The apparitions must move really fast because the unfortunate ones that obey them make a real effort to follow them, always in a fast pace.

They did not receive their beyond the grave missions earlier because they dance, scream, ask for grace, agitate their heads and arms, shaking the tip of the lamba^[1] or a piece of cloth that covers their body. Then they throw themselves, always shouting, dancing, jumping and agitating convulsively. Their most common shout is: Ekala! And also this one: Izahay maikia (we are in a hurry). Most of the time a crowd follows them singing, clapping their hands and playing drums. They say that it is to agitate them even more and to speed up the end of the crisis like the horseman that loosens up the reins of the impetuous horse, and far from trying to stop it the rider stimulates the horse with screams and spurs until it trembles under the conducting hands, snorting, covered in sweat and stopping on its own, exhausted.

Although the disease affects the slaves in particular, it spares nobody. That is how a son of Radama and Maria, his concubine, suddenly fell victim of the hallucinations of Ramanenjana, screaming, agitating, dancing and running like the others.


In the beginning, at the first moment of horror, the King himself chased him but with the precipitation of the run he got one leg hurt, giving then orders to have a saddled horse just in case of a new accident.

The rush of those barbarians has nothing of well determined. Once impelled by God knows which kind of irresistible force they spread in the field, some to one side, and others to another. Before Easter they used to go to the tombs where they danced and offered a coin. But on the very Palm Day, coincidently, a new fashion seemed to have gained their preference: going to the lower side of town and cut a sugar cane plant. They carry it triumphantly on their shoulder and deposit it onto the sacred stone of Mahamasin, as a tribute to Ranavalona. Then they dance, agitate with all sorts of usual convulsions and contortions; then they deposit the cane and a coin and return running, dancing, and jumping as they came. Some take a bottle of water on their heads to drink and refresh, and something amazing! Despite all the agitation and convulsions the bottle remains balanced; one would say that they are glued to the skull.

A new fantasy has taken them over, we heard, the demand for people to take their hats off when they pass by. Unfortunate the ones that refuse to obey, however absurd it may be. Many fights resulted from that already and the poor Radama believed to be able to stop with the imposition of a 150 francs fine to those that did not abide. To avoid breaching the new kind of royal determination the majority of the whites decided to go out without their hats. One of our vicars was exposed to a much more serious situation. They wanted nothing less from him than taking his soutane off since the Ramanenjana pretended that the black color would obfuscate them. Fortunately the priest was able to escape and get home without the need to go shirtless.

The fits of the Convulsionaries are not continuous. Many, after having done their pirouettes before the sacred stone to which they make the heir of the throne climb to have him introduced to the people, throw themselves to the water and then return calmly to rest until the new crisis. Others sometimes fall exhausted on their path or in the streets, falling asleep and waking up cured. There are those that remain sick for two or three days before they are completely freed. Sometimes the sickness is tenacious and stays on for something like fifteen days.

During the crisis the individual that is taken by Ramanenjana recognizes no one. Almost does not respond questions addressed to him. After the crisis they vaguely remember something, like in a dream.

A remarkable particularity is that amidst their most tiring evolutions, their hands and feet are cold like ice whereas the rest of the body sweats in profusion and the head in on fire.

Now, what could be the cause of such a singular disease? Everybody is in agreement here. Several simply attribute it to the devil that revealed itself like before in the turning, thinking tables, etc. That is why many resigned to go without hats to avoid revering such diabolic majesty.”

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[1] traditional garment worn by men and women that live in Madagascar (TN)

It would be a big surprise if the name of Spiritism had not been involved in this case. Much fortunate still the followers for not having been accused of their causers. What people would not have said if those poor Malagasy had read The Spirits’ Book! They would have affirmed that the book had twisted their heads. Who, then, without Spiritism taught them to believe in Spirits and in the communications between the living ones and the soul of the dead? What is in nature is produced so well among the savage as it is with civilized people; with the ignorant as with the wise man and at the village as in town. Since there are Spirits everywhere, manifestations take place all over, with the difference that in those closer to nature pride has not yet stained the intuitive ideas, that are lively and in its whole ingenuity, the reason why naivety based on systems are not found there. They can judge things badly given the limitation of their intelligences, but the belief in the invisible world in them is innate and entertained by facts that they observe. Hence everything demonstrates that there, like in Morzine, the phenomena are the result of a collective obsession or possession, true epidemic of bad Spirits, like it was produced at the time of Jesus and in many other times. Each population must provide similar spirits to the invisible world, who, from space, react to these same populations, whose habits, inclinations, and prejudices have been preserved as a result of their inferiority. The savage and barbarian peoples are thus surrounded by a mass of Spirits still savage and barbarian until progress has led them to incarnate themselves in a more advanced environment. This is the result of the following communication. The report above was read in a private meeting, and one of the spiritual guides of the family spontaneously dictated the following:



Paris, January 12^th, 1865 – medium Mrs. Delanne

“Tonight I heard you reading the events of obsession that took place in Madagascar. If you allow, I will give you my opinion about the subject.”

Observation: The Spirit had not been evoked. He was then among us at the Society, hearing what was been said but without being seen. That is how we constantly have unsuspected invisible witnesses to our actions.

“The hallucinations, as the newspaper correspondent calls them, are not but an obsession, although of a different kind compared to the ones you know. Here it is a collective obsession, produced by a group of delayed Spirits, that by preserving their former political views, come to try to disturb their fellow citizens through the manifestations, so that the latter do not dare try to incorporate the new ideas of civilization that begin to implant in countries in which progress begins to shine.

The obsessing Spirits that lead those poor people to so many ridiculous manifestations are those of the former Malagasy that get furious, I repeat, by seeing the inhabitants of those regions admitting the ideas of civilization that some advanced incarnate have the mission of implanting among them. That is why you frequently hear them saying: - No prayers! Done with the whites, etc. You must understand that they are reactive to anything that comes from the Europeans that is the intellectual center.

Aren’t those manifestations, to the eyes of everybody, a confirmation of your principles? They are produced less for the sanction of more or less savage people than to the sanction of your works. The possessions of Morzine have a more particular character, or even better, a more restrictive. One can study the phases of each Spirit on the spot. Observing the details each individuality offers a special study, whereas the manifestations of Madagascar have the spontaneity and character of the national seal. It is a whole population of old and delayed Spirits that see with spite their homeland enduring the impulse of progress. Since they have not progressed they seek to block the course of the Providence.

The Spirits of Morzine are comparatively more advanced. Although brute the assess things better than the Malagasy; distinguish the good from the bad, recognizing that the form of the prayer is nothing but that the thought is everything. In fact you will later see through your studies that they are not as delayed as they seem at first sight. Here it is to demonstrate that science is powerless to heal such cases through its material means. There it is to attract attention and confirm the principle.”

A protector Spirit