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Doubtless many who take up this book, and glance carelessly at its pages, will exclaim, “What! more Spiritualism!” To which remark I answer, yes, more Spiritualism, an unequivocal, undisguised, positive Spiritualism—confirmed by many years of careful observation, study, and experience, and of which this book is the legitimate outgrowth. Eight years have elapsed since my first volume—“Poems from the Inner Life”—was given to the world (to the Preface of which I now refer for any explanation concerning my mediumship). During that interval of time, the ranks of the believers in Spiritualism have steadily increased in numbers, its phenomena, presenting an array of well-established facts, have challenged the investigation of some of the first scientific minds of the age, and its philosophy has done more towards liberating the human mind from the thraldom of old superstitions and creeds than any other form of faith which has arisen for centuries. But as yet, it has not secured that prestige of popularity and respectability which the combined influence of age, wealth, and organized action ever afforded. Consequently, those who are “named by its name” must be prepared to meet the anathemas of religious bigots—the lofty scorn of those who are wise in their own conceit—the scurrilous attacks of those who would divert attention from their own infamy and the petty irritations of a numerous pack who follow at the heels of every new movement, and ever distinguish themselves by noise rather than by knowledge. As a participant in this great movement, I have found such attacks to be helps rather than hinderances to my progress, inasmuch as I have been enabled to define my own positive and affirmative position more clearly from the negations of the opposers of Spiritualism.

We are told that “it is not a Religion.” But after a long and careful study of the past and present, I have yet to find any phase of faith, which, in its very inception has commenced so directly at the root of all necessary reform, viz., the purification and harmonious development of the human body. This primary and fundamental truth has been taken as a starting-point—it has been enunciated from the spirit world—repeated by the inspirational speakers—has been interwoven with all the spiritualistic literature, and has found a practical application in the Children’s Lyceums. The religion that teaches, “Take care of the soul, and let the body take care of itself,” will inevitably defeat its own purposes, and has already been taught long enough for us to know that it is a failure. No other form of faith ever brought the spiritual world so near, as to banish its supernatural character, and place it within the province of natural law. No other form of faith has illustrated the fact so clearly, that just as we go out of this world, so do we enter upon the next, thereby presenting a more rational incentive to endeavor, than the rewards of Heaven or the punishments of Hell; and no other from of faith has so effectually dissipated the idea of an inane and purposeless life in the future, and given to the angels a more exalted employment than “loafing around the throne.” It also teaches that mediumship, under proper circumstances, is a healthy, harmonious, and normal development of human nature, and that communion with the spiritual world is not interdicted, and no more impossible than any other attainment that lies in the direct line of natural law, human progress, and scientific investigation. This to me, and to those who have accepted Spiritualism thoughtfully and sincerely, makes it a religion indeed, and the positive assertions of any number of intellectual or religious “authorities” to the contrary cannot make it otherwise.

We have been told again and again, that “Spiritualism is Supernaturalism,” that we believe in miracles, which are contrary to the “methods” of God’s government. We have denied this repeatedly, assuming that we ourselves had the best right to say what we did believe; but our denial has not been accepted, and the reason is obvious. Any number of scholastic discourses, elaborately written essays, and eloquent appeals to popular prejudice, would lose their pith and marrow, and be found wanting, if this false predicate, this fabricated nucleus for their logic should be disallowed.

Again, we are told that “Spiritualism is not Science;” to which we reply, that Spiritualism has presented facts and phenomena which the later discoveries in Science are tending both to explain and substantiate. It has been demonstrated that it is not the eye that sees, the ear that hears, or the nerves that feel, but each of these avenues of sense serves to convey the vibrations of the surrounding “ether” to the central consciousness, which alone is possessed of the power of perception. Since this is so, who shall dare place a limit to the possibilities of that consciousness, of which so little is definitely known? Or why should any man prescribe, as a standard for all others, the limitations of his own feeble consciousness. A modern reasoner tells us that “if the bodily ear receives vibrations from one atmosphere, it cannot receive them from another, and no fiction of an inner ear can give genuineness to voices and whispers of a spiritual tongue.” Since, however, it is not the outer ear, but the inner consciousness, that hears, a quickening of its perceptions will allow it to catch the vibrations from another atmosphere, and Spiritualism demonstrates, by indisputable facts, that this is so. Also, that this is not an abnormal condition, but perfectly legitimate to certain states of the inner consciousness.

The revelations of the spectroscope, and the investigations of some of the greatest scientific minds of the present day, have determined the existence of a higher scale of vibrations than those which fall within the ordinary range of human vision. All the objects and forms of life comprehended in that scale, although so closely blended and interwoven with the vibrations of our own plane of existence, are lost to our dull perceptions, unless, through some physical or mental condition, there is a quickening of our inner consciousness. When this comes, as it has again and again to many, we have revelations from the “spirit world,” which is, after all, but a finer material world, as real, as substantial, as objective, and as directly within the province of universal law, as that which we now inhabit. That we should be made sensibly aware of this higher life, under certain legitimate conditions, is perfectly natural. Indeed, it would be strange, with the uniformity of succession and development which pervades all things, if we were not. It is not a world that is possible, but actual, not one that might be, but is.

In this matter, intelligent Spiritualists range themselves side by side with those of whom Professor Tyndall has said, “You never hear the really philosophical defenders of the doctrine of uniformity speaking of impossibilities in nature. They best know that questions offer themselves to thought, which Science, as now prosecuted, has not even the tendency to solve. They keep such questions open, and will not tolerate any unlawful limitations of the horizon of their souls.” However weak and imperfect our spiritual vision may be at present, we shall use each and every opportunity of obtaining all the information that is possible, either from this world or the next. The report of the committee chosen by the London Dialectical Society, to investigate the subject of Spiritualism, “bears strong testimony in favor of the reality of the manifestations,” and is a step in the right direction. All we ask of our opponents, is fair treatment and an unprejudiced consideration of the facts and phenomena which Spiritualism presents. We do not fear as to the result.

But the objection which is most frequently urged against Spiritualism is, that “it is immoral in its tendencies.” In my anxiety to prove all things, I have also taken this matter into careful consideration, and diligently compared the annals of crime in the so-called Christian church with those of Spiritualism. For several years I have collected the items from the daily newspapers, that I might have them for future reference, and in due time come to a just and impartial conclusion. As I write, that record of ministerial delinquency, ecclesiastical abominations, and human frailty, lies before me. Where I have found one spiritual sheep that has gone astray, I have found ninety and nine of the Shepherds in Israel in great need of repentance. Let the church cleanse her own Augean stables before she utters one word in relation to the immoralities of Spiritualism. Casting stones and calling hard names will not profit either party. It is neither Christianity nor Spiritualism that is responsible for these immoralities, but poor human nature. The remedy lies not in creeds or forms of faith, but in the growth of Truth in the Understanding, and Love in the heart. Not as a Spiritualist, but as a child of humanity, do I hope that the entire world may yet have a moral standard, harmonious with the laws of God and Nature, and consistent with the highest good of the individual and society.

Having, from inclination and a sense of duty to my kindred in the faith, pursued the subject thus far, the “Spirit moves me” to present, in conclusion, a few quotations which require neither comment nor explanation.

“If we are wise we shall sit down upon the brink and content ourselves with saying what the spiritual world is not and cannot be. * * The soul must be entirely ignorant of the second body until it has ceased to use the first. * * The new organs, may be, all correspond in intention and effect to the present ones; but we say that they do not yet exist. They cannot exist; the ground is pre-occupied.”

John Weiss, Unitarian Monthly Journal, May, 1866.

“Moreover, the satellites of Jupiter are invisible to the naked eye, and therefore can exercise no influence over the Earth, and therefore would be useless, and therefore do not exist.”

Francesco Sizzi, Times of Galileo.

“If the Spiritualists would secure the favor of sensible people they must let them see that they are not at war with good sense. * * It were better that very sacred and dear beliefs should go, than that this enemy of all rational belief should remain. Let us prefer to have no other world, than to have another world full of teasing, troublesome, meddlesome beings, who interfere with the rational order of the world we dwell in.”

O. B. Frothingham, “The Index,” July 8, 1871.

“If the new planets were acknowledged, what a chaos would ensue!” * * “I will never concede his four new planets to that Italian, though I die for it.”

Martin Horky, Times of Galileo.

“O my beloved Kepler! How I wish we could have one good laugh together! Here, at Padua, is the principal Professor of Philosophy, whom I have repeatedly and urgently requested to look at the moon and planets through my telescope, which he pertinaciously refuses to do! Why, my dear Kepler, are you not here? What shouts of laughter we should have at all this solemn folly!”

Letter from Galileo to John Kepler.