Drawbacks and Dangers of Mediumship

221. 1. "Is the medianimic faculty an indication of a pathological state, or simply abnormal?"

221. 1. "Is the ability to act as a medium a sign of a medical condition, or is it simply abnormal?"

"Abnormal sometimes, but not pathological; there are mediums of robust health; those who are sick are so from other causes."

"Sometimes abnormal, but not a disease. Some mediums are in excellent health. Those who are sick have other causes for their illness."

2. "Can the exercise of the medianimic faculty occasion fatigue?"

2. "Can using the ability to communicate with spirits cause fatigue?"

"The too prolonged exercise of any faculty whatever leads to fatigue: mediumship is the same, principally those who apply themselves to physical effects; it necessarily occasions an outlay of fluid which leads to fatigue, and is repaired by rest."

"Using any ability for too long leads to fatigue. The same is true of mediumship, especially for those who produce physical effects. Mediumship necessarily uses up fluid, which leads to fatigue. Rest replenishes the fluid."

3. "Has the exercise of mediumship dangers of itself, in a hygienic point of view, even if not abused?"

3. "Does practicing mediumship pose any health risks in itself, even if it is not overused?"

"There are cases where it is prudent, necessary even, to abstain from it, or, at least, to moderate its use; that depends on the physical and moral state of the medium. Besides, the medium generally feels it, and when he experiences fatigue, he should abstain."

"There are cases when it is wise, or even necessary, to avoid it, or at least use it less. This depends on the medium's physical and moral condition. Besides, the medium can generally sense this. When he feels tired, he should stop."

4. "Are there some persons for whom this exercise is more unsuitable than for others?"

4. "Is this exercise less suitable for some people than for others?"

"I have said that it depends upon the physical and moral state of the medium. There are persons to whom it is necessary to avoid every cause for excitement, and this is of the number." (Nos. 188-194.)

"I have said that it depends on the medium's physical and moral condition. Some people need to avoid every cause of excitement, and this is one of them." (Nos. 188-194.)

5. "Can mediumship produce insanity?"

5. "Can mediumship cause insanity?"

"No more than anything else, when there is no predisposition, owing to weakness of the brain. Mediumship will not produce insanity when the germ is not there; but if the germ exists, which is very easy to know from the moral state, good sense says that careful management is necessary in every way, for the least shock might be injurious."

"No more than anything else does, when there is no predisposition caused by a weakness of the brain. Mediumship will not cause mental illness if the seed of it is not already there. But if the seed is present, it is easy to tell from the person's moral state. Common sense says that care is needed in every way, since the slightest shock could be harmful."

6. "Is there danger in developing mediumship in children?"

6. "Is it dangerous to develop mediumship in children?"

"Certainly; and I maintain that it is very dangerous; for these tender and delicate organizations would be too much shaken, and their young imagination over-excited. Wise parents will remove all these ideas from them, or at least speak to them only of the moral consequences."

“Certainly, and I maintain that it is very dangerous. Their tender, delicate constitutions would be shaken too much, and their young imaginations would be overexcited. Wise parents will keep all these ideas from them, or at least speak to them only about the moral consequences.”

7. "Yet there are children who are naturally mediums for physical effects, for writing, and for visions: has that dangers?"

7. "Yet some children are naturally mediums for physical effects, writing, and visions. Is that dangerous?"

"No; when the faculty is spontaneous in a child, it is in its nature, and its constitution agrees with it; it is not the same when induced and over-excited. Remark, that the child who has visions is generally very little impressed by them; it seems to him a perfectly natural thing, to which he gives but little attention, and often forgets: later the fact returns to his mind, and if he knows anything of Spiritism, he can easily explain it."

"No. When a child's ability arises naturally, it is part of the child's nature and suited to the child's constitution. But this is not the case when the ability is induced and overstimulated. Note that a child who has visions is generally not very impressed by them. The visions seem perfectly natural to him. He pays little attention to them and often forgets them. Later, he remembers them, and if he knows anything about Spiritism, he can easily explain them."

8. "At what age, without danger, can a person practice mediumship?"

8. "At what age can a person safely practice mediumship?"

"There is no precise age; it depends upon development, physical, but still more upon moral. There are children of twelve years who would be less affected by it than some grown persons. I speak of mediumship in general, but that which applies to physical effects is more fatiguing, corporeally; writing has one great danger for a child, on account of inexperience; he might engage in it alone, and make it a matter of sport."

"There is no exact age. It depends on physical development, but even more on moral development. Some twelve-year-olds would be less affected by it than some adults. I am speaking of mediumship in general, but mediumship involving physical effects is more physically tiring. Writing poses a great danger for a child because of the child's inexperience. The child might practice it alone and treat it as a game."

222. The practice of Spiritism, as we shall see, demands much tact to unmask the tricks of deceiving spirits; if grown men are their dupes, childhood and youth are still more exposed, from their inexperience. It is well known that concentration of thought is a condition without which we can have no intercourse with serious spirits; invocations made with carelessness, or in a joking way, are a real profanation, which gives easy access to mocking or mischievous spirits; and as the necessary gravity for such an act cannot be expected of a child, it may readily be feared that, if left to himself, he would make a play of it. Even under the most favorable conditions, it is to be desired that a child gifted with the medianimic faculty should exercise it only under the eye of experienced persons, who will teach him, by their example, the respect due to souls that have already lived.

222. As we shall see, practicing Spiritism requires great tact to expose the tricks of deceptive spirits. If grown men are fooled by them, children and young people are even more vulnerable because of their inexperience. It is well known that we cannot communicate with serious spirits without concentrating our thoughts. Calling on spirits carelessly or jokingly is a real act of disrespect that gives mocking or mischievous spirits easy access. A child cannot be expected to treat such an act with the necessary seriousness. So there is good reason to fear that a child left alone would treat it as a game. Even under the best conditions, a child with the ability to act as a medium should exercise it only under the supervision of experienced people. By their example, they will teach the child the respect owed to souls who have already lived.

It will be seen from this, that the question of age is subordinate to the circumstances as much of temperament as of character. At all events, the clear results of the answers given above are not to press this faculty to development with children, when it is not spontaneous, and that, in all cases, it must be used with great circumspection; that it must be neither excited nor encouraged in debilitated persons. Those who have ever displayed the least symptoms of eccentricity, either in ideas or in weakness of mental faculties, should, by every possible means, be dissuaded from it; for there is, with them, an evident predisposition to insanity, which any too exciting cause may develop. The spirit ideas have not a greater influence for this, but insanity, once aroused, would take the character of the predominant preoccupation, as it would take a religious character, if the person abandons himself to excess in devotional practices; and every one would consider Spiritism responsible. The best thing to do with any one who shows a tendency toward a fixed idea, is to direct his mind to other things, that so the weakened organs may rest.

This shows that age matters less than a person's temperament and character. In any case, the answers above clearly show that children should not be pushed to develop this faculty if it does not appear spontaneously. In all cases, it must be used with great caution. It must neither be stimulated nor encouraged in debilitated people. Those who have shown even the slightest signs of eccentric ideas or weak mental faculties should be dissuaded from using it by every possible means. They have a clear predisposition to insanity, which any overly exciting cause may bring on. Ideas about spirits have no greater influence in causing insanity than other ideas. But once insanity is aroused, it takes the form of the person's main preoccupation. It would take a religious form if the person indulged excessively in devotional practices. Yet everyone would hold Spiritism responsible. The best thing to do for anyone who shows a tendency toward a fixed idea is to direct their mind to other things, so that the weakened organs can rest.

In this connection, we call the attention of our reader to paragraph XII. of the introduction to the Book on Spirits.

On this point, we draw the reader's attention to paragraph XII of the introduction to the Book on Spirits.