The Spiritist Review - JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGICAL STUDIES - 1861

Allan Kardec

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Spontaneous Teaching of the Spirits

The Three Characters
Dissertations obtained or read at the Society by several mediums
(Medium Alfred Didier)

There are three eternal characters in the world. The great writers depicted them as they were in their times, correctly guessing that they would always exist. These are the characters: first it is Hamlet, who tells himself in a monologue: to be or not to be, that is the question; then comes Tartuffe who moans his prayers while thinking of evil things; finally there is Don Juan, that tells everyone: I believe nothing. Molière alone found these two characters. He stigmatized Tartuffe and chastised Don Juan.

Man remains in doubt like Hamlet without the truth, without conscience like Tartuffe and without a heart like Don Juan. Hamlet doubts, it is true, but he seeks, he is unhappy, disbelief bothers him, his kindest illusions vanish, and the ideal and the truth that he seeks fall into the great abyss, and like Ophelia it remains lost forever. He then becomes mad and dies in desperation. God will forgive him though, because he had a heart, loved and it was the world that took away what he wanted to keep.

These two characters are atrocious; they are selfish and hypocritical, each in their own way. Tartuffe wears the mask of virtue, making him hateful. Don Juan believes nothing, not even in God.

Have you ever had the impression of seeing in that famous symbol of Don Juan and in the statue of the Commander, the skepticism before the turning tables; the corrupted human spirit before the most brutal manifestation? Up until now the world has only seen a human figure in them. Don’t you think that you should see something more? That the incomparable genius of Molière showed common sense in his work with respect to spiritual things as he always had with respect to human faults?
Gérard de Nerval

Cazotte

Dissertations obtained or read at the Society by several mediums
(Medium Alfred Didier)

I t is curious to see the formation of a group of people of good faith, amidst materialism, propagating Spiritism. Yes, it is in the deepest darkness that God sheds light and it is at that moment when we forget, when He shows us best; like the sublime thief mentioned in the Gospel, coming to judge the world when least expected. But God does not come to you to surprise you. On the contrary, He comes to warn you that the great surprise that takes people at their time of death must be dismal or happy.

God sent me to the middle of a corrupt society. Thanks to the clairvoyance, some of those revelations that seemed so marvelous in my time are perceived as natural today. All those memories are like dreams to me and – thank God – the awakening was not painful. Spiritism was born or resurrected in your time; magnetism comes from mine. You must believe that the great revelations precede the great exclamations.

The author of The Devil in Love reminds you that he has already had the honor of speaking with you and would be happy to continue that friendly relationship.
Cazotte

In the following session the questions below were addressed to the spirit of Cazotte:

• You kindly told us last time, when you spontaneously came to us, that you would return. We take the opportunity to address some questions to you, if you are alright with that.

1. The story of the famous dinner in which you predicted the fate of every guest, is that entirely true? – A. It is true in the sense that there was a prediction but carried out over several dinners, in which I made fun of my dear guests through sinister revelations.

2. We know the effect of second sight (remote viewing) and we would understand that you were able to see remote things that were happening at that point in time, given the faculty you had. How could you have seen future things that had not happened yet, and see them accurately? Can you also tell us how such accurate details were given to you? Did you simply speak out of inspiration, not seeing anything, or you could see the pictures of the events, like an image presented to you? Kindly describe that the best you can for our instruction. – A. The human being has a moral instinct in his reason that drives him to predict certain events. It is true that I was endowed by great clairvoyance, but not always human, regarding the events that would take place. Would you believe that with common sense or with good judgment of earthly things, you can anticipate years ahead of time certain circumstances? No. Added to my natural wisdom, there was a combination of a supernatural skill: second sight. When I revealed to those around me the terrible events that were supposed to happen I evidently spoke as a man of logic and wisdom; however, when I saw small details of those events, vague and generic, when I noticed this or that victim, I then spoke not only as a skilled man but as someone inspired.

3. Regardless of this, have you had other examples of predictions during your life? – A. Yes. They were all more or less about the same subject. Nevertheless, I studied the occult sciences as a pastime, and got involved with magnetism.

4. Has such a predictive faculty followed you in the spiritual word, that is, after your death can you still foresee certain events? – A. Yes. That gift remained but much more purified.

OBSERVATION: One could see here a contradiction with the principle that opposes the revelation of the future. In fact, the future is hidden from us as the result of a very wise law from the Providence, since such knowledge would harm our free-will, leading us to neglect the present by the future. Furthermore, given our position, we could hinder certain events that are necessary to the general order. However, when such communication may impel us to facilitate the realization of something, God then allows its revelation, within the limits designated by his wisdom.

The Voice of the Guardian Angel

Dissertations obtained or read at the Society by several mediums
(Medium, Ms. Huet)

Every person is a medium; everyone that is prepared to hear has a spirit that guides them to good. It does not matter that some people may communicate with them through some specific type of mediumship and that others may only hear them through their inner voices in their hearts and minds. It does not matter; it is still the familiar spirit that gives them advice. Call it spirit, reason, or intelligence, it is always a voice that responds to your soul and gives you good advice. You don’t always understand it though. It is not this reason that drags and crawls as to never moving forward; not this reason that loses itself amidst material interests and bad behavior, but this reason that raises the individual above himself, transporting him to unknown regions; a sacred passion that inspires artists, poets, the divine thoughts that raises the momentum of the philosopher; and leads individuals and groups, a reason that the common crude individual cannot understand, but it approaches a man of divinity more than any other creature; an understanding that he knows how to steer from the known to the unknown, and makes him perform the most sublime acts. Thus, listen to that inner voice, that good spirit who unceasingly speaks to you, then you will progressively begin to hear your guardian angel that reaches out to you from heaven.
Channing

Flirtatiousness

Dissertations obtained or read at the Society by several mediums
(Medium Mrs. Costel)

Today we will occupy our time discussing female flirtatiousness which is the enemy of love: she kills it or weakens it, which is worse. A flirtatious woman is like a caged bird that through its songs attracts others to it. It attracts men who break their hearts against their protective shields. Pity her more than them. Held captive by her narrow ideas and the callousness of her heart, she tramples in the darkness of her conscience, incapable of enjoying the sunshine of love that only irradiates upon generous and dedicated souls. It is harder to feel love than to inspire it and all, however, are worried and search the desired heart without first examining if what they now possess is the coveted treasure.

No, love which is the sensuality of egoism is no more love than flirtatiousness is seduction to an elevated soul. There is reason enough to reproach and obstruct these fragile relationships, shameful exchanges of vanity and miseries of all kinds.

Love remains external to those things; more than the ray of light, it is not contaminated by the reprobate who will become enlightened. Foolish are the women that don’t understand that their beauty, their virtue, is love in its abandonment, in its neglect of personal interests, and in its transmigration of the soul itself, entirely to be loved. God blesses the woman who has worn the yoke of love, rejecting those who make a precious sentiment into a trophy of vanity, a distraction to her idleness, or a sensual flame that consumes the body leaving the heart empty.
Georges

Allan Kardec

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