Return to Physical Life

330. Do spirits foresee the epoch of their next return to corporeal life?

330. Do spirits know when they will next return to life in a body?

"They have the presentiment of that return, as a blind man feels the heat of the fire he is approaching. They know that they will be reincarnated, as you know that you will die; but without knowing when the change will occur." (166.)

“They sense that return, just as a blind person feels the heat of a fire they are approaching. They know they will be reincarnated, just as you know you will die. But they do not know when the change will happen.” (166.)

—Reincarnation, then, is a necessity of spirit-life, as death is a necessity of corporeal life?

So reincarnation is necessary for spirit life, just as death is necessary for physical life?

"Certainly."

"Certainly."

331. Do all spirits occupy themselves beforehand with their approaching incarnation?

331. Do all spirits think about their approaching incarnation beforehand?

"There are some who never give it a thought, and who even know nothing about it; that depends on their greater or less degree of advancement. In some cases, the uncertainty in which they are left in regard to their future is a punishment."

"Some never think about it and do not even know about it. This depends on how far they have advanced. In some cases, being left uncertain about their future is a punishment."

332. Can a spirit hasten or retard the moment of his reincarnation?

332. Can a spirit speed up or delay its reincarnation?

"He may hasten it by the action of a strong desire; he may also put it off if he shrink from the trial awaiting him (for the cowardly and the indifferent are to be found among spirits as among men), but he cannot do so with impunity. He suffers from such delay, as the sick man suffers who shrinks from employing the remedy which alone can cure him."

"He may hasten it through a strong desire. He may also put it off if he fears the trial awaiting him. (Among spirits, as among people, there are those who are cowardly or indifferent.) But he cannot delay it without consequences. He suffers from the delay, just as a sick person suffers by avoiding the only remedy that can cure him."

333. If a spirit found himself tolerably happy in an average condition among errant spirits, could he prolong that state indefinitely?

333. If a spirit was fairly happy in an average state among errant spirits, could he remain in that state indefinitely?

"No, not indefinitely. The necessity of advancing is one which is felt by every spirit, sooner or later. All spirits have to ascend; it is their destiny."

"No, not forever. Sooner or later, every spirit feels the need to progress. All spirits must rise. It is their destiny."

334. Is the union of a given soul with a given body predestined beforehand, or is the choice of a body only made at the last moment?

334. Is a particular soul destined in advance to join a particular body, or is the body chosen at the last moment?

"The spirit who is to animate a given body is always designated beforehand. Each spirit, on choosing the trial he elects to undergo, demands to be reincarnated; and God, who sees and knows all things, has foreseen and foreknown that such and such a soul would be united to such and such a body."

"The spirit that will give life to a particular body is always chosen beforehand. Each spirit chooses the trial it wishes to undergo and asks to be reincarnated. God, who sees and knows all things, has known in advance which soul would be united with which body."

335. Is the spirit allowed to choose the body into which he will enter, or does he only choose the kind of life which is to serve for his trial?

335. Can the spirit choose the body he will enter, or only the kind of life that will test him?

"He may choose a body also, for the imperfections of a given body are so many trials that will aid his advancement, if he succeeds in vanquishing the obstacles thus placed in his way. This choice does not always depend on himself, but he may ask to be allowed to make it."

"He may also choose a body, because its imperfections provide trials that will help him advance. They will help him if he succeeds in overcoming the obstacles they place in his way. The choice is not always his, but he may ask to be allowed to make it."

—Could a spirit refuse, at the last moment, to enter into the body that had been chosen by him?

Could a spirit refuse at the last moment to enter the body it had chosen?

"If he refused, he would suffer much more than one who had not attempted to undergo a new trial."

"If he refused, he would suffer much more than someone who had not tried to undergo a new trial."

336. Could it happen that a child about to be born should find no spirit willing to incarnate himself in it?

336. Could a child about to be born find no spirit willing to incarnate in it?

"God provides for all contingences. Every child who is predestined to be born viable, is also predestined to have a soul. Nothing is ever created without design."

"God provides for every possibility. Every child predestined to be born viable is also predestined to have a soul. Nothing is ever created without a purpose."

337. Is the union of a given soul with a given body ever imposed by God?

337. Does God ever require a particular soul to join a particular body?

"It is sometimes imposed, as well as the different trials to be undergone by a spirit, and especially when the latter is still too backward to be able to choose wisely for himself. A spirit may be constrained, as an expiation, to unite himself with the body of a child that, by the circumstances of its birth, and the position it will have in the world, will become for him an instrument of chastisement."

"It is sometimes imposed on a spirit, as are the various trials the spirit must undergo. This happens especially when the spirit is still too undeveloped to choose wisely for itself. As punishment, a spirit may be forced to unite with a child's body. The child's birth and position in the world will then become a means of punishing the spirit."

338. If several spirits demanded to incarnate themselves in a body about to be born, in what way would the decision be made between them?

338. If several spirits demanded to incarnate in a body about to be born, how would the decision be made between them?

"In such a case, it is God who judges as to which spirit is best fitted to fulfil the destiny appointed for the child; but, as I have already told you, the spirit is designated before the instant in which he is to unite himself with the body."

"In such a case, God decides which spirit is best suited to fulfill the child's appointed destiny. But as I have already told you, the spirit is chosen before the moment it joins the body."

339. Is the moment of incarnation accompanied by a confusion similar to that which follows the spirit's separation from the body?

339. Is incarnation accompanied by confusion similar to what the spirit experiences after separating from the body?

"Yes, but much greater and especially much longer. At death, the spirit is emancipated from the state of slavery; at birth, he re-enters it."

"Yes, but much greater and especially much longer. At death, the spirit is freed from slavery. At birth, he returns to it."

340. Does the moment in which he is to reincarnate himself appear to a spirit as a solemn one? Does he accomplish that act as something serious and important for him?

340. Does a spirit see the moment of reincarnation as solemn? Does the spirit regard reincarnation as a serious and important act?

"He is like a traveller who embarks on a perilous voyage, and who does not know whether he may not find his death in the waves among which he is venturing."

"He is like a traveler setting out on a dangerous voyage. He does not know whether he might die in the waves he is venturing into."

Just as the death of the body is a sort of re-birth for the spirit, so reincarnation is for him a sort of death, or rather of exile and claustration. He quits the world of spirits for the corporeal world just as a man quits the corporeal world for the world of spirits. A spirit knows that he will be reincarnated, just as a man knows that he will die; but, like the latter, he only becomes aware of the change at the moment when it occurs. It is at this moment that the confusion produced by the change takes possession of him. as is the case with a man in the act of dying; and this confusion lasts until his new existence is fully established. The commencement of reincarnation is, for the spirit, a sort of dying.

Just as the death of the body is a kind of rebirth for the spirit, reincarnation is a kind of death. Or rather, it is a kind of exile and confinement. The spirit leaves the spirit world for the physical world, just as a person leaves the physical world for the spirit world. A spirit knows he will be reincarnated, just as a person knows he will die. But, like the person, he becomes aware of the change only when it happens. At that moment, the change overwhelms him with confusion, just as it does a person who is dying. This confusion lasts until his new existence is fully established. For the spirit, the beginning of reincarnation is a kind of dying.

341. Is a spirit's uncertainty, in regard to the successful issue of the trials he is about to undergo in his new life, a cause of anxiety to him before his incarnation?

341. Before incarnation, does a spirit feel anxious about whether he will successfully overcome the trials of his new life?

"Yes, of very great anxiety, since those trials will retard or hasten his advancement, according as he shall have borne them ill or well."

"Yes, very great anxiety, because those trials will slow or speed his progress, depending on how well he endures them."

342. Is a spirit accompanied, at the moment of his reincarnation, by spirit-friends who come to be present at his departure from the spirit-world, as they come to receive him when he returns to it?

342. When a spirit is reincarnated, do spirit friends come to accompany him as he leaves the spirit world? Do they come just as they do to welcome him when he returns?

"That depends on the sphere which the spirit inhabits. If he belongs to a sphere in which affection reigns, spirits who love him remain with him to the last moment, encourage him, and often even follow him in his new life."

"That depends on the sphere where the spirit lives. If he belongs to a sphere ruled by affection, spirits who love him stay with him until the last moment. They encourage him and often even follow him into his new life."

343. Is it the spirit-friends who thus follow us in our earthly life that we sometimes see in our dreams manifesting affection for us, but whose features are unknown to us?

343. Do the spirit-friends who follow us through earthly life sometimes appear in our dreams? Are they the ones who show us affection, though we do not recognize their faces?

"Yes, in very many cases; they come to visit you as you visit a prisoner in his cell."

"Yes, in very many cases. They visit you just as you visit a prisoner in a cell."

344. At what moment is the soul united to the body?

344. When does the soul join the body?

"The union begins at the moment of conception, but is only complete at the moment of birth. From the moment of conception, the spirit designated to inhabit a given body is united to that body by a fluidic link, which becomes closer and closer up to the instant of birth; the cry then uttered by the infant announces that he is numbered among the living."

"The union begins at conception, but it is not complete until birth. From conception, the spirit chosen to inhabit a body is joined to it by a fluidic link. This link grows closer until birth. The infant's cry then announces that the child is among the living."

345. Is the union between the spirit and the body definitive from the moment of conception? Could the spirit, during this first period of that union, renounce inhabiting the body designed for him?

345. Is the union between the spirit and the body final from the moment of conception? During this early period, could the spirit refuse to inhabit the body intended for him?

"The union between them is definitive in this sense—namely, that no other spirit could replace the one who has been designated for that body. But, as the links which hold them together are at first very weak, they are easily broken, and may be severed by the will of a spirit who draws back from the trial he had chosen. But, in that case, the child does not live."

"The union between them is final in this sense: no other spirit can replace the one chosen for that body. But the bonds between them are very weak at first and easily broken. A spirit who withdraws from the trial he chose may break them by his own will. But in that case, the child does not live."

346. What becomes of a spirit, if the body he has chosen happens to die before birth?

346. What happens to a spirit if the body he has chosen dies before birth?

"He chooses another body."

"He chooses another body."

—What can be the use of premature deaths?

What purpose can premature deaths serve?

"Such deaths are most frequently caused by the imperfections of matter."

"Such deaths are most often caused by imperfections in matter."

347. What benefit can a spirit derive from his incarnation in a body which dies a few days after birth?

347. What benefit can a spirit gain from being born in a body that dies a few days after birth?

"In such a case, the new being's consciousness of his existence is so slightly developed that his death is of little importance. As we have told you, such deaths are often intended mainly as a trial for the parents."

"In such a case, the new being is barely aware of his own existence, so his death is of little importance. As we have told you, such deaths are often meant mainly as a trial for the parents."

348. Does a spirit know beforehand that the body he chooses has no chance of living?

348. Does a spirit know in advance that the body he chooses has no chance of living?

"He sometimes knows it; but if he chooses it on this account, it is because he shrinks from the trial he foresees."

"He sometimes knows it. But if he chooses it for that reason, it is because he fears the trial he foresees."

349. When, from any cause, a spirit has failed to accomplish a proposed incarnation, is another existence provided for him immediately?

349. If a spirit fails to complete a planned incarnation for any reason, is another life provided for him immediately?

"Not always immediately. The spirit requires time to make a new choice, unless his instantaneous reincarnation had been previously decided upon."

"Not always immediately. The spirit needs time to make a new choice, unless his immediate reincarnation was decided in advance."

350. When a spirit is definitively united to an infant body, and it is thus too late for him to refuse this union, does he sometimes regret the choice he has made?

350. Once a spirit is permanently united with an infant's body, it is too late to refuse the union. Does he sometimes regret his choice?

"If you mean to ask whether, as a man, he may complain of the life he has to undergo, and whether he may not wish it were otherwise, I answer, Yes; but if you mean to ask whether he regrets the choice he has made, I answer, No, for he does not remember that he has made it. A spirit, when once incarnated, cannot regret a choice which he is not conscious of having made; but he may find the burden he has assumed too heavy, and, if he believes it to be beyond his strength, he may have recourse to suicide."

"If you mean to ask whether, as a man, he may complain about the life he must live and wish it were different, I answer, Yes. But if you mean to ask whether he regrets his choice, I answer, No. He does not remember making it. Once a spirit is incarnated, he cannot regret a choice he does not know he made. But he may find the burden he has taken on too heavy. If he believes it is beyond his strength, he may resort to suicide."

351. Does a spirit, in the interval between conception and birth, enjoy the use of all his faculties?

351. Between conception and birth, can a spirit use all his faculties?

"He does so more or less according to the various periods of gestation; for he is not yet incarnated in his new body, but only attached to it. From the instant of conception confusion begins to take possession of the spirit, who is thus made aware that the moment has come for him to enter upon a new existence; and this confusion becomes more and more dense until the period of birth. In the interval between these two terms, his state is nearly that of an incarnated spirit during the sleep of the body. In proportion as the moment of birth approaches, his ideas become effaced, together with his remembrance of the past, of which, when once he has entered upon corporeal life, he is no longer conscious. But this remembrance comes back to him little by little when he has returned to the spirit-world."

"He does so to varying degrees during gestation. He is not yet incarnated in his new body, but only attached to it. From the moment of conception, confusion begins to take hold of the spirit. This makes him aware that the time has come to begin a new existence. The confusion grows deeper until birth. During this time, his state is much like that of an incarnated spirit while the body sleeps. As birth approaches, his ideas and memories of the past fade. Once he has entered bodily life, he is no longer aware of those memories. But they gradually return to him when he returns to the spirit world."

352. Does the spirit, at the moment of birth, recover the plenitude of his faculties?

352. Does the spirit regain all its faculties at birth?

"No; they are gradually developed with the growth of his organs. The corporeal life is for him a new existence; he has to learn the use of his bodily instruments. His ideas come back to him little by little, as in the case of a man who, waking out of slumber, should find himself in a different situation from that in which he was before he fell asleep."

“No. They develop gradually as his organs grow. Physical life is a new existence for him. He has to learn to use his body. His ideas return to him little by little. It is like a man waking from sleep to find himself in a different situation from before he fell asleep.”

353. The union of the spirit and the body not being completely and definitively consummated until birth has taken place, can the foetus be considered as having a soul?

353. The spirit and body are not completely and definitively united until birth. Given this, can the fetus be considered to have a soul?

"The spirit who is to animate it exists, as it were, outside of it; strictly speaking, therefore, it has no soul, since the incarnation of the latter is only in course of being effected; but it is linked to the soul which it is to have."

"The spirit that will give it life exists, so to speak, outside it. Strictly speaking, then, it has no soul, because the soul is only in the process of becoming incarnate. But it is linked to the soul it will have."

354. What is the nature of intra-uterine life?

354. What is life in the womb like?

"That of the plant which vegetates. The foetus, however, lives with vegetable and animal life, to which the union of a soul with the child-body at birth adds spiritual life."

"Like that of a growing plant. However, the fetus has both plant and animal life. At birth, the union of a soul with the child's body adds spiritual life."

355. Are there, as is indicated by science, children so constituted that they cannot live, and if so, for what purpose are they produced?

355. Does science indicate that some children are born unable to live? If so, why are they brought into being?

"That often happens. Such births are permitted as a trial, either for the parents or for the spirit appointed to animate it."

"That often happens. Such births are allowed as a trial for either the parents or the spirit meant to give it life."

356. Are there, among still-born children, some who were never intended for the incarnation of a spirit?

356. Were some stillborn children never intended to be incarnations of a spirit?

"Yes, there are some who never had a spirit assigned to them, for whom nothing was to be done. In such a case, it is simply as a trial for the parents that the child arrives."

"Yes, some never had a spirit assigned to them, and nothing could be done for them. In such cases, the child comes simply as a trial for the parents."

—Can a being of this nature come to its term?

Can such a being come to an end?

"Yes, sometimes; but it does not live."

"Yes, sometimes, but it does not live."

—Every child that survives its birth has, then, necessarily a spirit incarnated in it?

Does every child who survives birth, then, necessarily have a spirit incarnated in them?

"What would it be if such were not the case? It would not be a human being."

"What would it be if that were not true? It would not be a human being."

357. What are, for a spirit, the consequences of abortion?

357. What are the consequences of abortion for a spirit?

"It is an existence that is null, and must be commenced over again."

"It is a wasted existence that must be started over."

358. Is artificial abortion a crime, no matter at what period of gestation it may be produced?

358. Is an induced abortion a crime, no matter when during pregnancy it occurs?

"Every transgression of the law of God is a crime. The mother, or any other, who takes the life of an unborn child, is necessarily criminal; for, by so doing, a soul is prevented from undergoing the trials of which the body thus destroyed was to have been the instrument."

"Every violation of God's law is a crime. A mother or anyone else who takes the life of an unborn child is necessarily guilty of a crime. This is because they prevent a soul from undergoing the trials for which that child's body was meant to be the instrument."

359. In cases in which the life of the mother would be endangered by the birth of the child, is it a crime to sacrifice the child in order to save the mother?

359. If childbirth would endanger the mother's life, is it a crime to sacrifice the child to save her?

"It is better to sacrifice the being whose existence is not yet complete than the being whose existence is complete."

"It is better to sacrifice a being whose existence is not yet complete than one whose existence is complete."

360. Is it rational to treat the foetus with the same respect as the body of a child that has lived?

360. Does it make sense to treat a fetus with the same respect as the body of a child who has lived?

"In the one, as in the other, you should recognise the will and the handiwork of God, and these are always to be respected."

"In both, you should recognize God's will and his work. Both must always be respected."

361. Whence has man his moral qualities, good or bad?

361. Where do a person's good or bad moral qualities come from?

"They are those of the spirit who is incarnated in him. The purer is that spirit, the more decidedly is the man inclined to goodness."

"They belong to the spirit incarnated in him. The purer the spirit, the more strongly the man is inclined toward goodness."

—It would seem, then, that a good man is the incarnation of a good spirit, and a vicious man that of a bad spirit?

Then it seems that a good man is a good spirit incarnate, and a wicked man is a bad spirit incarnate?

"Yes; but you should rather say 'of an imperfect spirit,' otherwise it might be supposed that there are spirits who will always remain bad, what you call devils."

"Yes, but you should say 'an imperfect spirit' instead. Otherwise, people might think that some spirits will always remain bad, like what you call devils."

362. What is the character of the individuals in whom light and foolish spirits are incarnated?

362. What are people like when light and foolish spirits are incarnated in them?

"They are hare-brained, prankish, and sometimes mischievous."

"They are scatterbrained, playful, and sometimes mischievous."

363. Have spirits any passions that do not belong to humanity?

363. Do spirits have passions that humans do not have?

"No; if they had, they would communicate them to you."

"No, if they had, they would tell you."

364. Is it one and the same spirit that gives a man both his moral and his intellectual qualities?

364. Does the same spirit give a man both his moral and intellectual qualities?

"Certainly it is the same. A man has not two spirits in him."

"Certainly, it is the same. A man does not have two spirits in him."

365. How comes it that some men, who are very intelligent, which shows that they have in them a spirit of considerable advancement, are also extremely vicious?

365. Why are some men who are highly intelligent also extremely vicious? Doesn't their intelligence show that they have a considerably advanced spirit?

"It is because the spirit incarnated in a man is not sufficiently purified, and the man yields to the influence of other spirits still worse than himself. The upward progress of a spirit is accomplished by slow degrees; but this progress does not take place simultaneously in all directions. At one period of his career he may advance in knowledge, at another in morality."

"It is because the spirit incarnated in a man is not pure enough, and the man gives in to the influence of spirits even worse than himself. A spirit progresses upward slowly. But this progress does not happen in all directions at once. At one stage, a spirit may advance in knowledge. At another, he may advance in morality."

366. What is to be thought of the opinion according to which a man's various intellectual and moral faculties are the product of so many different spirits incarnated in him, and each possessing a special aptitude?

366. What should we think of the view that different spirits are incarnated in a man? According to this view, each spirit has a special ability and produces one of his intellectual or moral faculties.

"The absurdity of such an opinion becomes evident on a moment's reflection. Each spirit is destined to possess all possible aptitudes; but, in order to progress, he must possess one sole and unitary will. If a man were an amalgam of different spirits, this unitary will would not exist, and he would possess no individuality, because, at his death, all those spirits would fly off in different directions, like birds escaped from a cage. Men often complain of not comprehending certain things, and yet how ingenious they are in multiplying difficulties, while they have within reach the simplest and most natural of explanations! Such an opinion is but another instance of the way in which men so often take the effect for the cause. It does for man what the pagans did for God. They believed in the existence of as many gods as there are phenomena in the universe; but, even among them, the more sensible ones only saw in those phenomena a variety of effects having for their cause one and the same God."

"A moment's thought makes the absurdity of this opinion clear. Each spirit is destined to have every possible ability. But to progress, a spirit must have a single, unified will. If a man were a mixture of different spirits, he would have no unified will. He would have no individuality, because at death the spirits would scatter like birds escaping from a cage. People often complain that they cannot understand certain things. Yet how cleverly they multiply difficulties when the simplest and most natural explanation is within reach! This opinion is another example of how people so often mistake the effect for the cause. It does for man what the pagans did for God. They believed there were as many gods as there were phenomena in the universe. But even among them, the more sensible people saw these phenomena as different effects of one and the same God."

The physical and moral worlds offer us, in regard to this subject, numerous points of comparison. While the attention of mankind was confined to the appearance of natural phenomena, they believed in the existence of many kinds of matter. In the present day, it is seen that all those phenomena, however varied, may very probably be merely the result of modifications of a single elementary matter. The various faculties of a human being are manifestations of one and the same cause, which is the soul or spirit incarnated in him, and not of several souls; just as the different sounds of an organ are the product of one and the same air, and not of as many sorts of air as there are sounds. According to the theory in question, when a man acquires or loses aptitudes or tendencies, such modifications would be the result of the coming or going of a corresponding number of the spirits conjoined with him, which would make of him a multiple being without individuality, and, consequently, without responsibility. This theory, moreover, is disproved by the numerous manifestations of spirits which conclusively demonstrate their personality and their identity.

The physical and moral worlds offer many points of comparison on this subject. When people paid attention only to the outward appearance of natural phenomena, they believed there were many kinds of matter. Today, we see that all these phenomena, however varied, may very likely result from changes in a single basic matter. A person's various abilities are manifestations of one and the same cause: the soul or spirit incarnated in that person. They do not come from several souls. Just as the different sounds of an organ are produced by one and the same air, not by as many kinds of air as there are sounds. According to the theory in question, when a person gains or loses abilities or tendencies, spirits joined to that person come or go in corresponding numbers. This would make the person a multiple being without individuality and, therefore, without responsibility. The theory is also disproved by the many manifestations of spirits, which conclusively demonstrate their personality and identity.

367. Does a spirit, in uniting itself with a body, identify itself with matter?

367. When a spirit joins with a body, does it identify itself with matter?

"Matter is only the envelope of the spirit, as clothing is the envelope of the body. A spirit, in uniting himself with a body, retains the attributes of his spiritual nature."

"Matter is only a covering for the spirit, just as clothing covers the body. When a spirit joins with a body, it keeps the qualities of its spiritual nature."

368. Does a spirit exercise his faculties in full freedom after his union with a body?

368. Can a spirit use its abilities freely after joining with a body?

"The exercise of faculties depends on the organs which serve them for instruments. Their exercise is weakened by the grossness of matter."

"The use of faculties depends on the organs that serve as their instruments. The coarseness of matter weakens their use."

—It would appear, then, that the material envelope is an obstacle to the free manifestation of a spirit's faculties, as the opacity of ground glass is an obstacle to the free emission of light?

Does the material covering, then, seem to prevent a spirit’s abilities from being freely expressed, just as frosted glass blocks light?

"Yes, an obstacle which is exceedingly opaque."

"Yes, an obstacle that is extremely opaque."

The action exercised upon a spirit by the gross matter of his body may also be compared to that of muddy water, impeding the movements of the objects plunged into it.

The effect of the body's dense matter on a spirit may be compared to muddy water slowing objects moving through it.

369. Is the free exercise of a spirit's faculties subordinated, during his incarnation, to the development of his corporeal organs?

369. During incarnation, does a spirit's ability to freely use his faculties depend on the development of his bodily organs?

"Those organs are the soul's instruments for the manifestation of its faculties; that manifestation is, therefore, necessarily subordinated to the degree of development and perfection of those organs, as the perfection of a piece of manual work depends on the goodness of the tool employed."

"Those organs are the tools the soul uses to express its faculties. That expression therefore depends on how developed and perfect the organs are, just as the quality of handwork depends on the quality of the tool used."

370. May we, from the influence of the corporeal organs, infer a connection between the development of the cerebral organs and that of the moral and intellectual faculties?

370. Does the influence of the body’s organs suggest a connection between brain development and moral and intellectual development?

"Do not confound effect and cause. A spirit always possesses the faculties that belong to him; but you must remember that it is not the organs that give the faculties, but the faculties that incite to the development of the organs."

"Do not confuse effect with cause. A spirit always has the faculties that belong to him. But remember that organs do not give him those faculties. Rather, the faculties prompt the organs to develop."

—According to this view of the subject, the diversity of aptitudes in each man depends solely on the state of his spirit?

According to this view, do each person's different abilities depend solely on the state of their spirit?

"To say that it does so 'solely,' would not be altogether correct. The qualities of the incarnated spirit are, undoubtedly, the determining principle of those aptitudes; but allowance must be made for the influence of matter, which hinders every man, more or less, in the exercise of the faculties inherent in his soul."

"To say that it does so 'solely' would not be entirely correct. The qualities of the embodied spirit undoubtedly determine those abilities. But we must also consider the influence of matter. It hinders everyone, to some degree, from exercising the abilities inherent in their soul."

A spirit, in incarnating himself, brings with him certain characterial predispositions; therefore, if we admit the existence, for each of these, of a special organ in the brain, the development of the cerebral organs is seen to be an effect, and not a cause. If his faculties were a result of his bodily organs, man would be a mere machine, without free-will, and would not be responsible for his actions. Moreover, if such were the case, we should be forced to admit that the greatest geniuses—men of science, poets, artists—are only such because a lucky chance has given them certain special organs; whence it would follow, still further, that, but for the chance-acquisition of those organs, they would not have been geniuses, and that the stupidest of men might have been a Newton, a Virgil, or a Raphael, if he had been provided with certain organs; a supposition still more flagrantly absurd, if we attempt to apply it to the explanation of the moral qualities. For, according to this system, Saint Vincent de Paul, had he been gifted by nature with such and such an organ, might have been a scoundrel; and the greatest scoundrel alive, had he only been gifted with an organ of an opposite nature, might have been a Saint Vincent de Paul. If, on the contrary, we admit that our special organs, supposing such to exist, are an effect and not a cause, that they are developed by the exercise of the faculties to which they correspond, as muscles are developed by movement, we arrive at a theory which is certainly not irrational. Let us employ an illustration equally conclusive and commonplace. By certain physiognomic signs we recognise a man who is addicted to drink. Is it those signs that make him a drunkard, or is it his drunkenness that produces those signs? It may be safely asserted that our organs are a consequence of our faculties.

When a spirit takes on a body, it brings certain character traits with it. Suppose each trait has a corresponding organ in the brain. Then the development of those brain organs is an effect, not a cause. If human faculties resulted from bodily organs, a person would be a mere machine. They would have no free will and would not be responsible for their actions. Moreover, if that were true, we would have to accept that the greatest geniuses owe their gifts to luck. Scientists, poets, and artists would be geniuses only because chance gave them certain special organs. Without those organs, they would not have been geniuses. And the stupidest person might have been a Newton, a Virgil, or a Raphael, if given certain organs. The idea is even more obviously absurd when applied to moral qualities. According to this theory, Saint Vincent de Paul might have been a scoundrel if nature had given him a particular organ. And the greatest scoundrel alive might have been a Saint Vincent de Paul, if given an organ of the opposite kind. But suppose these special organs, if they exist, are an effect rather than a cause. They develop through the use of the faculties they correspond to, just as muscles develop through movement. This gives us a theory that is certainly not irrational. Let us take an example that is both ordinary and conclusive. We recognize a person addicted to drink by certain signs in their appearance. Do those signs make the person a drunkard, or does drunkenness produce those signs? We can safely say that our organs are a consequence of our faculties.

371. Is there any foundation for the common belief that the souls of idiots are of a nature inferior to those of others?

371. Is there any basis for the common belief that the souls of people with intellectual disabilities are inferior to others?

"No; they have a human soul, which is often more intelligent than you suppose, and which suffers acutely from the insufficiency of its means of communication, as the dumb man suffers from his inability to speak."

"No, they have a human soul that is often more intelligent than you might think. The soul suffers deeply because its ability to communicate is limited, just as a person who cannot speak suffers."

372. What is the aim of Providence in creating beings so ill-treated by nature as idiots?

372. Why does Providence create people with intellectual disabilities, who are so badly treated by nature?

"Idiots are incarnations of spirits who are undergoing punishment, and who suffer from the constraint they experience, and from their inability to manifest themselves by means of organs which are undeveloped, or out of order."

"People with intellectual disabilities are incarnations of spirits undergoing punishment. These spirits suffer from the restrictions they experience. They also suffer because they cannot express themselves through organs that are undeveloped or do not function properly."

—Then it is not correct to say that organs are without influence upon faculties?

Then is it incorrect to say that organs have no influence on faculties?

"We have never said that organs are without influence. They have very great influence on the manifestation of faculties, but they do not give faculties; there is just the difference. A skilful player will not make good music with a bad instrument, but that will not prevent his being a good player."

“We have never said that organs have no influence. They greatly influence how faculties are expressed, but they do not give us those faculties. That is the difference. A skilled musician cannot make good music with a bad instrument. But the musician is still a skilled player.”

It is necessary to distinguish between the normal state and the pathologic state. In the normal state, the moral strength of an incarnated spirit enables him to triumph over the obstacles which are placed in his way by matter; but there are cases in which matter opposes a resistance so powerful that the manifestations of the spirit incarnated in it are hindered or changed from what he intended, as in idiocy and madness. These cases are pathologic; and as the soul, in such states, is not in the enjoyment of its full liberty, human law itself exempts such persons from the responsibility of their actions.

We must distinguish between the normal state and the pathological state. In the normal state, an embodied spirit’s moral strength allows it to overcome the obstacles matter places in its way. But sometimes matter resists so strongly that it hinders or alters the spirit’s intended expressions. This happens in cases of intellectual disability and mental illness. These are pathological conditions in which the soul does not have full freedom. For this reason, even human law exempts people in these states from responsibility for their actions.

373. What merit can there be in the existence of beings who, like idiots, can do neither good nor evil, and therefore cannot progress?

373. What merit is there in the existence of beings who, like people with intellectual disabilities, can do neither good nor evil and therefore cannot progress?

"Such an existence is imposed as an expiation of the abuse which a spirit has made of certain faculties; it constitutes a pause in his career."

"This kind of existence is imposed to atone for a spirit's misuse of certain abilities. It marks a pause in his progress."

—The body of an idiot may, then, contain a spirit that has animated a man of genius in a preceding existence?

Could the body of a person with an intellectual disability, then, contain a spirit that once inhabited a genius?

"Yes; genius sometimes becomes a scourge when it is abused."

"Yes, genius sometimes becomes a source of harm when it is misused."

Intellectual superiority is not always accompanied by an equal degree of moral superiority, and the greatest geniuses may have much to expiate. For this reason, they often have to undergo an existence inferior to the one they have previously accomplished, which is a cause of suffering for them; the hindrances to the manifestation of his faculties thus imposed upon a spirit being like chains that fetter the movements of a vigorous man. The idiot may be said to be lame in the brain, as the halt is lame in the legs, and the blind, in the eyes.

Intellectual brilliance does not always come with an equal degree of moral goodness. Even the greatest geniuses may have much to atone for. For this reason, they often have to live a life inferior to their previous one, which causes them suffering. The limits placed on a spirit’s ability to express its faculties are like chains restricting a strong man’s movements. A person with an intellectual disability may be said to be impaired in the brain, just as a person with a limp is impaired in the legs, and a blind person in the eyes.

374. Is the idiot, in the spirit-state, conscious of his mental condition?

374. In the spirit state, is a person with an intellectual disability aware of their mental condition?

"Yes; very often. He comprehends that the chains which hinder his action are a trial and an expiation."

"Yes, very often. He understands that the chains holding him back are a trial and a way to atone."

375. When a man is mad, what is the state of his spirit?

375. When a man is mentally ill, what is the state of his spirit?

"A spirit, in the state of freedom, receives his impressions directly, and exerts his action directly upon matter; but when incarnated, he is in an altogether different condition, and compelled to act only through the instrumentality of special organs. If some or all of those organs are injured, his actions or his impressions, as far as those organs are concerned, are interrupted. If he loses his eyes, he becomes blind; if he loses his hearing, he becomes deaf; and so on. Suppose that the organ which presides over the manifestations of intelligence and of will is partially or entirely weakened or modified in its action, and you will easily understand that the spirit, having at his service only organs that are incomplete or diverted from their proper action, must experience a functional perturbation of which he is perfectly conscious, but is not able to arrest the course."

"A spirit in a free state receives impressions directly and acts directly on matter. But when incarnated, he is in a completely different condition. He can act only through specialized organs. If some or all of those organs are damaged, his actions or impressions through them are interrupted. If he loses his eyes, he becomes blind. If he loses his hearing, he becomes deaf, and so on. Suppose the organ that controls the expression of intelligence and will is partly or entirely weakened or altered in its function. Then you can easily understand that the spirit must experience a disturbance in his functioning. He has only incomplete organs, or organs diverted from their proper function, at his disposal. He is fully aware of the disturbance but cannot stop it."

—It is then always the body, and not the spirit, that is disorganised?

So it is always the body, not the spirit, that is disrupted?

"Yes; but you must not forget that, just as a spirit acts upon matter, matter, to a certain extent, reacts upon him; and that he may therefore find himself, for the time being, subjected to the influence of the false impressions consequent on the vitiated state of his organs of perception and of action. And it may happen, when this mental aberration has continued for a long time, that the repetition of the same perverted action may exercise upon a spirit an influence from which he is only delivered after his complete separation from all material impressions."

"Yes, but you must not forget that just as a spirit acts on matter, matter also acts on him to some extent. As a result, he may temporarily be influenced by false impressions caused by the impaired state of his organs of perception and action. If this mental disturbance continues for a long time, repeating the same distorted action may influence the spirit. He is freed from that influence only after he has completely separated from all material impressions."

376. How is it that madness sometimes leads to suicide?

376. Why does mental illness sometimes lead to suicide?

"In such cases, the spirit suffers from the constraint which he feels, and from his inability to manifest himself freely; and he therefore seeks death as a means of breaking his chains."

"In such cases, the spirit suffers because he feels confined and cannot express himself freely. So he seeks death as a way to break his chains."

377. Does the spirit of a madman continue to feel, after death, the derangement from which he suffered in his corporeal life?

377. After death, does the spirit of a person with mental illness still feel the disorder they suffered during physical life?

"He may continue to feel it for some time after death, until he is completely freed from matter; just as a man, on waking, continues to feel, for some little time, the confusion in which he has been plunged by sleep."

"He may continue to feel it for some time after death, until he is completely freed from matter. Just as a man may still feel confused for a while after waking from sleep."

378. How can brain-disease act upon a spirit after his death?

378. How can a brain disease affect a spirit after his death?

"It is an effect of remembrance, which weighs like a burden upon the spirit; and as he was not aware of all that took place during his madness, he always needs a certain amount of time for recovering the hang of his ideas. It is for this reason that the continuance of his uneasiness after death is always proportioned to the longer or shorter continuance of the corporeal insanity from which he has previously suffered. A spirit, when freed from the body, still feels, for a longer or shorter time, the impression of the links that united him with it."

"It is an effect of memory, which weighs on the spirit like a burden. He was not aware of everything that happened during his madness, so he always needs some time to regain his train of thought. For this reason, the longer his bodily insanity lasted, the longer his uneasiness after death always lasts. A spirit freed from the body still feels the effects of the bonds that united him to it. These effects last for a shorter or longer time."

379. Is the spirit who animates the body of a child as developed as that of an adult?

379. Is the spirit that gives life to a child's body as developed as the spirit of an adult?

"He may be more so, if, before reincarnating himself, he had progressed farther; it is only the imperfection of his organs that prevents him from manifesting himself. He acts according to the state of the instrument by which alone, when incarnated, he can manifest himself."

"He may be more so if he had progressed further before reincarnating. Only the imperfections of his organs prevent him from expressing himself. He acts according to the condition of those organs, the only instrument through which he can express himself when incarnated."

380. During the infancy of his body, and without reference to the obstacle opposed to his free manifestation by the imperfection of his organs, does a spirit think as a child, or as an adult?

380. When a spirit’s body is an infant, does the spirit think like a child or an adult? Set aside the fact that its immature organs prevent the spirit from expressing itself freely.

"While he remains a child, it is evident that his organs of thought, not being developed, cannot give him all the intuition of an adult; his range of intellect is therefore only narrow, until increasing age has ripened his reason. The confusion which accompanies incarnation does not cease, all at once, at the moment of birth; it is only dissipated gradually with the development of the bodily organs."

"While he is a child, his organs of thought are still developing. They cannot yet give him all the intuition of an adult. His intellectual range is therefore limited until his reason matures with age. The confusion that accompanies incarnation does not end suddenly at birth. It fades gradually as his bodily organs develop."

The observation of a fact of human life furnishes us with a confirmation of the preceding reply—viz., that the dreams of childhood have not the character of those of adult age. Their object is almost always childish; a characteristic indication of the nature of a spirit's thoughts during the infancy of his organs.

An observation about human life confirms the preceding answer: children's dreams are different from those of adults. Their dreams are almost always about childish things. This reveals the nature of a spirit's thoughts while its organs are still in their infancy.

381. At the death of a child, does its spirit at once regain his former vigour?

381. When a child dies, does its spirit immediately regain its former strength?

"He should do so, since he is freed from his fleshly envelope; but, in point of fact, he only regains his former lucidity when the separation is complete—that is to say, when there is no longer any connection between the spirit and the body."

"He should, since he is freed from his physical body. But in fact, he only regains his former clarity when the separation is complete. This means there is no longer any connection between the spirit and the body."

382. Does the incarnated spirit suffer, during the state of childhood, from the constraint imposed on him by the imperfections of his organs?

382. During childhood, does the incarnated spirit suffer from the limitations imposed by his imperfect organs?

"No; that state is a necessity. It is a part of the ordination of nature, and of the providential plan. It constitutes a time of repose for the spirit"

"No, that state is necessary. It is part of the natural order and of God's plan. It is a time of rest for the spirit".

383. What is the use, for a spirit, of passing through the state of infancy?

383. What is the purpose of a spirit passing through infancy?

"The aim of incarnation is the improvement of the spirit subjected to it; and a spirit is more accessible during childhood to the impressions he receives, and which may conduce to his advancement—the end to which all those who are entrusted with his education should contribute."

"The purpose of incarnation is to improve the spirit that undergoes it. During childhood, a spirit is more receptive to impressions that may help him advance. Everyone entrusted with his education should contribute to that goal."

384. Why is it that the infant's first utterances are those of weeping?

384. Why does a baby’s first cry take the form of weeping?

"It is in order to excite the mother's interest on his behalf, and to ensure to him the care he needs. Can you not understand that if a child, before he is able to speak, uttered only cries of joy, those around him would trouble themselves very little about his wants? In all these arrangements admire the wisdom of Providence."

"It is to make the mother take an interest in him and ensure that he gets the care he needs. Imagine if a child who could not yet speak made only cries of joy. Wouldn't those around him pay very little attention to his needs? In all these arrangements, admire the wisdom of Providence."

385. Whence comes the change which occurs in the character of the young on the approach of manhood: is it the spirit that becomes modified?

385. What causes young people's character to change as they approach adulthood? Does the spirit change?

"The spirit, regaining possession of himself, shows himself such as he was before his incarnation.

"The spirit regains control of himself and shows himself as he was before his incarnation.

"You know not the secrets hidden under the seeming innocence of children. You know neither what they are, nor what they have been, nor what they will be; and nevertheless you love and cherish them as though they were a part of yourselves, and to such a degree, that the love of a mother for her children is reputed to be the greatest love that one being can have for another. Whence comes the sweet affection, the tender benevolence, that even strangers feel for a child? Do you know its origin? No; but I will now explain it to you.

"You do not know the secrets hidden beneath the apparent innocence of children. You do not know what they are, what they have been, or what they will be. Yet you love and cherish them as if they were part of yourselves. Indeed, a mother's love for her children is thought to be the greatest love one being can have for another. Where does the sweet affection and tender kindness that even strangers feel for a child come from? Do you know its origin? No, but I will explain it to you now.

"Children are beings sent by God into new existences, and, in order that they may not be able to reproach Him with having been unduly severe to them, He gives them all the external appearances of innocence; even in the case of a child of the worst possible nature, its misdeeds are covered by its unconsciousness of the quality of its acts. This apparent innocence does not constitute for children any real superiority over what they previously were; it is merely the image of what they ought to be, and, if they are not such, it will be on themselves alone that the punishment will fall.

"Children are beings sent by God into new lives. He gives them every outward appearance of innocence so they cannot reproach him for being too harsh with them. Even a child with the worst possible nature is unaware of the nature of its actions, and this conceals its misdeeds. This apparent innocence does not make children truly better than they were before. It merely reflects what they ought to be. If they are not like this, they alone will bear the punishment.

"But it is not merely for themselves that God has given to children this appearance of innocence; it is given to them also, and especially, in view of their parents, whose love is so necessary to them in their weakness: for this love would be greatly diminished by the sight of a harsh or cross-grained nature, whereas, believing their children to be good and gentle, they give them all their affection, and surround them with the most minute and delicate care. But, when children no longer need this protection, this assistance, which has been given them during fifteen or twenty years, their real character and individuality reappears in all its nudity. He who is really good remains good; but, even then, his character reveals many traits and shades that were hidden during his earlier years.

"But God has given children this appearance of innocence not merely for their own sake. It is also, and especially, for their parents, whose love they need so much in their weakness. For that love would be greatly diminished if parents saw a harsh or difficult nature. Instead, believing their children to be good and gentle, parents give them all their affection. They surround them with the most careful and tender care. But after fifteen or twenty years, children no longer need this protection and assistance. Their real character and individuality then reappear completely exposed. A person who is truly good remains good. But even then, their character reveals many traits and nuances that were hidden in their earlier years.

"You see that God's ways are always for the best; and that, for the pure in heart, they are easily explicable.

"You see that God's ways are always for the best, and that the pure in heart can easily understand them.

"Get it well into your minds that the spirit of the child who is born among you may have come from a world in which he has acquired habits totally different from yours; how would it be possible for this new being, coming among you with passions, inclinations, tastes, entirely opposed to yours, to accommodate himself to your world, if he came among you in any other way than in that which has been ordained by God—that is to say, by passing through the sieve of infancy? It is through this sifting process of infancy that all the thoughts, all the characteristics, all the varieties of beings engendered by the crowd of worlds in which creatures pursue the work of growth, are eventually mingled. And you, also, on dying, find yourselves in a sort of infancy, and in the midst of a new family of brothers; and in your new non-terrestrial existence you are ignorant of the habits, manners, relations of a world which is new to you, and you find it difficult to express yourselves in a language which you are not accustomed to employ, a language more living than is your thought to-day. (319.)

“Keep in mind that the spirit of a child born among you may have come from another world. There, the spirit may have acquired habits completely different from yours. This new being comes among you with passions, inclinations, and tastes entirely opposed to yours. How could the child adapt to your world except in the way God has ordained, by passing through the sieve of infancy? Through this sifting process, all the thoughts, characteristics, and varieties of beings are eventually mingled. These beings come from the many worlds where creatures pursue the work of growth. And when you die, you too find yourselves in a kind of infancy, among a new family of brothers. In your new existence beyond earth, you do not know the habits, manners, or relationships of this new world. You find it difficult to express yourselves in a language you are not used to speaking. It is a language more alive than your thought is today. (319.)”

"Childhood possesses yet another utility. Spirits only enter into corporeal life in order to effect their improvement, their self-amelioration. The weakness of corporeal youth tends to render them more pliable, more amenable to the counsels of those whose experience should aid their progress. It is thus that evil tendencies are repressed, and faulty characters are gradually reformed; and this repression and reformation constitute the duty confided by God to those who assume the parental relation, a sacred mission of which parents will have to render a solemn account to Him.

"Childhood serves another purpose. Spirits enter physical life only to improve themselves. The weakness of a young body makes them more receptive to advice. Those with experience should give them advice to help them progress. In this way, evil tendencies are restrained, and flawed characters are gradually reformed. God has entrusted this work to those who become parents. It is a sacred mission for which they will have to give him a solemn account.

"You see, therefore, that childhood is not only useful, necessary, indispensable, but that it is, moreover, the natural result of the laws which God has established, and which govern the universe."

"You can see, then, that childhood is not only useful, necessary, and indispensable. It is also the natural result of the laws God established to govern the universe."

386. Could two beings, who have already known and loved each other, meet again and recognise one another, in another corporeal existence?

386. Could two beings who have known and loved each other meet and recognize each other in another physical life?

"They could not recognise one another; but they might be attracted to each other. The attraction resulting from the ties of a former existence is often the cause of the most intimate affectional unions of a subsequent existence. It often happens in your world that two persons are drawn together by circumstances which appear to be merely fortuitous, but which are really due to the attraction exercised upon one another by two spirits who are unconsciously seeking each other amidst the crowds by whom they are surrounded."

"They could not recognize each other, but they might still be drawn to each other. Bonds from a former life often draw people into the closest loving relationships in a later life. In your world, two people are often brought together by circumstances that seem merely accidental. But these encounters are really caused by the attraction between two spirits who are unconsciously seeking each other among the crowds around them."

—Would it not be more agreeable for them to recognise each other?

Wouldn't it be more pleasant for them to recognize each other?

"Not always; the remembrance of past existences would be attended with greater disadvantages than you suppose. After death they would recognise one another, and would then remember the periods they had passed together." (392.)

"Not always. Remembering past lives would have greater disadvantages than you might think. After death, they would recognize one another and remember the times they had spent together." (392.)

387. Is sympathy always the result of anterior acquaintanceship?

387. Does sympathy always result from a previous acquaintance?

"No; two spirits who are in harmony naturally seek one another, without their having been previously acquainted with each other as men."

"No. Two spirits who are in harmony naturally seek each other out, even if they did not know each other as people."

388. May it not be that the meetings which sometimes take place between two persons, and which are attributed to chance, are really due to the action of some sort of sympathetic relationship?

388. Could some meetings between two people that seem to happen by chance actually be caused by some kind of sympathetic connection?

"There are, among thinking beings, orders of relationship with which you are not yet acquainted. Magnetism is the pilot of the science that will enable you to understand them at a future period."

"Among thinking beings, there are kinds of relationships you do not yet know about. Magnetism guides the science that will one day help you understand them."

389. What is the cause of the instinctive repulsion sometimes excited in us by persons whom we see for the first time?

389. Why do we sometimes feel an instinctive repulsion toward people we meet for the first time?

"The latent antipathy of two spirits who divine each other's nature, and recognise one another, without the need of speaking together."

"The hidden dislike between two spirits who sense each other's nature and recognize each other without speaking."

390. Is instinctive antipathy always the sign of an evil nature on the part of one or both of the parties who feel it?

390. Is an instinctive dislike between two people always a sign that one or both of them have an evil nature?

"Two spirits are not necessarily evil because they are not sympathetic; for antipathy may spring from a want of similarity in their way of thinking. But in proportion as they ascend, these shades of difference are effaced, and their antipathy disappears."

"Two spirits are not necessarily evil because they do not like each other. Their dislike may come from differences in how they think. But as they rise, these differences fade, and their dislike disappears."

391. Does the antipathy of two persons take its first beginning on the part of the better or the worse one of the two?

391. When two people dislike each other, does the dislike begin with the better or the worse person?

"It may begin simultaneously on the part of both; but, in such a case, its causes and effects are different. A bad spirit feels antipathy against whoever is able to judge and to unmask him. On seeing such a person for the first time, he knows that he will be disapproved by him; his repulsion changes into hatred or jealousy, and inspires him with the desire of doing harm to the object of his antipathy. A good spirit feels repulsion for a bad one, because he knows that he will not be understood by him, and that they do not share the same sentiments; but, strong in his own superiority, he feels neither hatred nor jealousy towards him, and contents himself with avoiding and pitying him."

"It may begin on both sides at the same time. But in that case, its causes and effects are different. A bad spirit feels hostility toward anyone who can judge and expose him. When he first sees such a person, he knows that person will disapprove of him. His dislike turns into hatred or jealousy, making him want to harm the person he dislikes. A good spirit dislikes a bad one because he knows the bad spirit will not understand him. He also knows they do not share the same feelings. But, confident in his own superiority, he feels neither hatred nor jealousy toward the bad spirit. He is content to avoid him and pity him."

392. Why does the incarnated spirit lose the remembrance of his past?

392. Why does an incarnated spirit forget its past?

"Man cannot, and may not, know everything; God, in His wisdom, has so ordained. Without the veil which hides certain things from his view, man would be dazzled, like one who passes suddenly from darkness to light. Through the forgetfulness of his past a man is more fully himself."

"People cannot know everything, and are not meant to. God, in his wisdom, has ordained this. Without the veil that hides certain things from view, people would be dazzled, like someone suddenly passing from darkness into light. By forgetting his past, a man is more fully himself."

393. How can a man be responsible for deeds, and atone for faults, of which he has no remembrance? How can he profit by the experience acquired in existences which he has forgotten? We could understand that the tribulations of life might be a lesson for him if he remembered the wrong-doing which has brought them upon him; but if he forgets his former existences, each new existence is, for him, as though it were his first, and thus the work is always to be begun over again. How is this to be reconciled with the justice of God?

393. How can a person be responsible for deeds he does not remember, or make amends for them? How can he benefit from experience gained in lives he has forgotten? Life’s hardships might teach him a lesson if he remembered the wrongdoing that brought them on. But if he forgets his past lives, each new life seems like his first. So he must always begin the work again. How can this be reconciled with God’s justice?

"With each new existence a spirit becomes more intelligent, and better able to distinguish between good and evil.

"With each new life, a spirit becomes more intelligent and better able to tell good from evil.

Where would be his freedom if he remembered all his past? When a spirit re-enters his primitive life (the spirit-life), his whole past unrolls itself before him. He sees the faults which he has committed, and which are the cause of his suffering, and he also sees what would have prevented him from committing them; he comprehends the justice of the situation which is assigned to him, and he then seeks out the new existence that may serve to repair the mistakes of the one which has just passed away. He demands new trials analogous to those in which he has failed, or which he considers likely to aid his advancement; and he demands of the spirits who are his superiors to aid him in the new task he is about to undertake, for he knows that the spirit who will be appointed as his guide in that new existence will endeavour to make him cure himself of his faults by giving him a sort of intuition of those he has committed in the past. This intuition is the evil thought, the criminal desire, which often come to you, and which you instinctively resist, attributing your resistance to the principles you have received from your parents, while it is due in reality to the voice of your conscience; and that voice is the reminiscence of your past, warning you not to fall again into the faults you have already committed. He who, having entered upon a new existence, undergoes its trials with fortitude, and resists its temptations to wrong-doing, rises in the hierarchy of spirits, and takes a higher place when he returns into the normal life."

Where would his freedom be if he remembered all his past? When a spirit returns to his original life (the spirit-life), his whole past unfolds before him. He sees the faults he has committed that cause his suffering. He also sees what would have prevented him from committing them. He understands why the situation assigned to him is just. He then seeks a new existence that may help him make up for the mistakes of the life just ended. He asks for new trials like those he has failed, or trials he believes will help him advance. He asks spirits who are above him to help him with the new task he is about to undertake. He knows that a spirit will be appointed to guide him in his new existence. This guide will try to help him overcome his faults by giving him a kind of intuition about his past faults. This intuition is the evil thought or criminal desire that often comes to you and that you instinctively resist. You attribute your resistance to the principles your parents taught you. In reality, it comes from the voice of your conscience. That voice is a memory of your past, warning you not to repeat the faults you have already committed. A person who faces the trials of a new existence with courage and resists its temptations to do wrong rises in the hierarchy of spirits. He takes a higher place when he returns to normal life.

If we have not an exact remembrance, during our corporeal life, of what we have been, and of the good or evil we have done, in our preceding existences, we have the intuition of our past, of which we have a reminiscence in the instinctive tendencies that our conscience, which is the desire we have conceived to avoid committing our past faults in the future, warns us to resist.

During our physical life, we have no exact memory of who we were in previous lives. Nor do we remember the good or evil we did. Yet we have an intuition of our past, reflected in our instinctive tendencies. Our conscience warns us to resist these tendencies. This conscience is our desire to avoid repeating our past mistakes.

394. In worlds more advanced than ours, where the human race is not a prey to our physical wants and infirmities, do men understand that they are better off than we are? Happiness is usually relative; it is felt to be such by comparison with a state that is less happy. As some of those worlds, though better than ours, have not reached perfection, the men by whom they are inhabited must have their own troubles and annoyances. Among us, the rich man, although he has not to endure the physical privations that torture the poor, is none the less a prey to tribulations of other kinds that embitter his life. What I ask is, whether the inhabitants of those worlds do not consider themselves to be just as unhappy, according to their standard of happiness, as we consider ourselves to be according to ours; and whether they do not, like us, complain of their fate, not having the remembrance of an inferior existence to serve them as a standard of comparison?

394. In worlds more advanced than ours, people do not suffer from our physical needs and illnesses. Do they understand that they are better off than we are? Happiness is usually relative. We feel happy by comparing our situation with a less happy one. Some of those worlds are better than ours, though they have not reached perfection. Their inhabitants must have troubles and annoyances of their own. Among us, a rich person does not suffer the physical hardships that torment the poor. Even so, other kinds of troubles make life bitter for the rich person. What I ask is whether the inhabitants of those worlds consider themselves just as unhappy by their own standards as we do by ours. Do they, like us, complain about their fate, since they have no memory of a lesser existence to compare it with?

"To this question two different answers must be given. There are some worlds among those of which you speak the inhabitants of which have a very clear and exact remembrance of their past existences, and therefore can and do appreciate the happiness which God permits them to enjoy. But there are others, of which the inhabitants, though placed, as you say, in better conditions than yours, are, nevertheless, subject to great annoyances, and even to much unhappiness, and who do not appreciate the more favourable conditions of their life, because they have no remembrance of a state still more unhappy. But if they do not rightly appreciate those conditions as men, they appreciate them more justly on their return to the spirit-world."

"There are two different answers to this question. In some of the worlds you speak of, the inhabitants remember their past lives very clearly and accurately. They can therefore appreciate, and do appreciate, the happiness God allows them to enjoy. But in other worlds, the inhabitants still suffer great troubles and even much unhappiness. This is so, though their conditions are better than yours, as you say. They do not appreciate their better living conditions because they have no memory of an even unhappier state. But if they do not fully appreciate those conditions while living as humans, they appreciate them more fairly when they return to the spirit world."

Is there not, in the forgetfulness of our past existences, and especially when they have been painful, a striking proof of the wisdom and beneficence of Providential arrangements? It is only in worlds of higher advancement, and when the remembrance of our painful existences in the past is nothing more to us than the shadowy remembrance of an unpleasant dream, that those existences are allowed to present themselves to our memory. Would not the painfulness of present suffering, in worlds of low degree, be greatly aggravated by the remembrance of all the miseries we may have had to undergo in the past? These considerations should lead us to conclude that whatever has been appointed by God is for the best, and that it is not our province to find fault with His works, nor to decide upon the way in which He ought to have regulated the universe.

Doesn't forgetting our past lives, especially painful ones, offer striking proof of the wisdom and kindness of God's arrangements? We are allowed to remember those lives only in more advanced worlds. There, the memory of painful past lives is no more than a faint memory of an unpleasant dream. In less advanced worlds, wouldn't present suffering be much worse if we remembered all the misery we may have endured before? These thoughts should lead us to conclude that whatever God has appointed is for the best. It is not our place to find fault with his works or decide how he should have ordered the universe.

The remembrance of our former personality would be attended, in our present existence, with many very serious disadvantages. In some cases, it would cause us cruel humiliation; in others, it might incite us to pride and vanity; in all cases, it would be a hindrance to the action of our free-will. God gives us for our amelioration just what is necessary and sufficient to that end, viz., the voice of our conscience and our instinctive tendencies. He keeps from us what would be for us a source of injury. Moreover, if we retained the remembrance of our own former personalities and doings, we should also remember those of other people; a kind of knowledge that would necessarily exercise a disastrous influence upon our social relations. Not always having reason to be proud of our past, it is evidently better for us that a veil should be thrown over it. And these considerations are in perfect accordance with the statements of spirits in regard to the existence of higher worlds than ours. In those worlds, in which moral excellence reigns, there is nothing painful in the remembrance of the past, and therefore the inhabitants of those happier worlds remember their preceding existence as we remember to-day what we did yesterday. As to the sojourns they may have made in worlds of lower degree, it is no more to them, as we have already said, than the remembrance of a disagreeable dream.

Remembering our former personality would have many serious disadvantages in our present life. In some cases, it would cause us painful humiliation. In others, it might lead us to pride and vanity. In all cases, it would hinder our free will. God gives us just what we need to improve: the voice of our conscience and our instinctive tendencies. He keeps from us what would harm us. Moreover, if we remembered our own former personalities and actions, we would also remember those of other people. Such knowledge would necessarily have a disastrous effect on our social relationships. We do not always have reason to be proud of our past, so it is clearly better for us that it remains hidden. These considerations are in perfect agreement with what spirits say about worlds higher than ours. In those worlds, moral excellence reigns, and there is nothing painful about remembering the past. The inhabitants of those happier worlds therefore remember their previous lives as we remember today what we did yesterday. As we have already said, their time in lower worlds is no more to them than the memory of an unpleasant dream.

395. Can we obtain any revelations respecting our former existences?

395. Can we learn anything about our past lives?

"Not in all cases. There are, however, many who know who they have been and what they have done. If it were permitted to them to speak openly, they would make curious revelations about the past."

"Not in every case. But many know who they were and what they did. If they were allowed to speak openly, they would reveal curious things about the past."

396. Some persons believe themselves to have a vague remembrance of an unknown past, which comes before them like the fugitive image of a dream that one vainly endeavours to recall. Is this belief only an illusion?

396. Some people believe they have a vague memory of an unknown past. It comes to them like a fleeting image from a dream they try in vain to recall. Is this belief just an illusion?

"It is sometimes real, but it is often an illusion to be guarded against; for it may be merely the effect of an excited imagination."

"It is sometimes real, but it is often an illusion to be wary of. It may be just the result of an overactive imagination."

397. In corporeal existences of a more elevated nature than ours, is the reminiscence of our anterior existences more exact?

397. In physical lives more advanced than ours, do we remember our past lives more accurately?

"Yes; in proportion as the body is less material, the spirit incarnated in it remembers them more clearly. The remembrance of the past is always clearer in those who inhabit worlds of a higher order."

"Yes. The less material the body is, the more clearly the spirit within it remembers them. People who live in higher worlds always remember the past more clearly."

398. A man's instinctive tendencies being a reflex of his past, does it follow that, by studying those tendencies, he can ascertain what are the faults he has formerly committed?

398. A man's instinctive tendencies reflect his past. Does this mean he can discover his past faults by studying those tendencies?

"Undoubtedly he can do so up to a certain point; but he would also have to take account of the improvement which may have been effected in his spirit, and of the resolutions taken by him in the state of erraticity. His present existence may be very much better than his preceding one."

"Certainly, he can do so to a certain extent. But he must also consider how much his spirit may have improved and the decisions he made in the state of erraticity. His present life may be much better than his previous one."

—Might it be worse?—that is to say, might a man commit, in a subsequent existence, faults which he had not committed in the preceding one?

Could it be worse? Could a man commit faults in a later life that he had not committed in his previous one?

"That depends on his advancement. If he were unable to resist temptation, he might be drawn into new faults as a consequence of the situation chosen by him; but such faults must be considered as indicating a state which is stationary rather than retrograde, for a spirit may advance or remain stationary, but he never goes back."

"That depends on how far he has advanced. If he could not resist temptation, his chosen situation might lead him into new faults. But those faults should be seen as a lack of progress, not a step backward. A spirit may advance or remain where he is, but he never goes backward."

399. The vicissitudes of corporeal life being at once an expiation of the faults of the past and lessons for the future, can we, from the nature of those vicissitudes, infer the character of our preceding existence?

399. The ups and downs of physical life are both atonement for past faults and lessons for the future. Can their nature tell us what our previous life was like?

"You can do so very frequently, since the nature of the punishment incurred always corresponds to that of the fault committed. Nevertheless, it would not do to consider this as being an absolute rule. The instinctive tendencies furnish a more certain indication; for the trials undergone by a spirit are as much for the future as for the past."

"You can do so very often, since the punishment always matches the fault committed. But this is not an absolute rule. Instinctive tendencies are a more reliable indication. A spirit's trials are as much for the future as for the past."

When a spirit has reached the end of the term assigned by Providence to his errant life, he chooses for himself the trials which he determines to undergo in order to hasten his progress—that is to say, the kind of existence which he believes will be most likely to furnish him with the means of advancing; and the trials of this new existence always correspond to the faults which he has to expiate. If he triumphs in this new struggle, he rises in grade; if he succumbs, he has to try again.

When a spirit reaches the end of the time Providence has allotted him between lives, he chooses his own trials. He chooses the trials he believes will speed his progress. In other words, he chooses the kind of life he believes will best help him advance. The trials of this new life always correspond to the faults he must make amends for. If he triumphs in this new struggle, he rises in rank. If he fails, he must try again.

A spirit always possesses free-will. It is in virtue of this free-will that he chooses, when in the spirit-state, the trials he elects to undergo in the corporeal life, and that he deliberates, when in the incarnate state, whether he will do, or not do, and chooses between good and evil. To deny a man's free-will would be to reduce him to a machine.

A spirit always has free will. Because of this free will, a spirit chooses the trials it will undergo in physical life while it is in the spirit state. When incarnate, the spirit decides whether or not to act and chooses between good and evil. To deny a person free will would be to reduce them to a machine.

When a spirit has re-entered corporeal life, he experiences a temporary forgetfulness of his former existences, as though these were hidden from him by a veil. Sometimes, however, he preserves a vague consciousness of them, and they may, under certain circumstances, be revealed to him; but this only occurs as a result of the decision of higher spirits, who make that revelation spontaneously, for some useful end, and never for the gratification of idle curiosity.

When a spirit returns to bodily life, he temporarily forgets his former lives, as if a veil hid them from him. Sometimes, however, he retains a vague awareness of them. Under certain circumstances, they may be revealed to him. But this happens only when higher spirits decide to reveal them. They do so of their own accord, for a useful purpose, and never to satisfy idle curiosity.

A spirit's future existences cannot, in any case, be revealed to him during the corporeal life, because they will depend on the manner in which he accomplishes his present existence, and on his own ulterior choice.

A spirit’s future lives can never be revealed to him during his life in a body. This is because they depend on how he lives his present life and on his own later choices.

Temporary forgetfulness of the faults he has committed is no obstacle to a spirit's improvement; for if he have not a precise remembrance of them, the knowledge he had of them in the state of erraticity, and the desire he then conceived to repair them, guide him intuitively, and inspire him with the intention of resisting the evil tendency. This intention is the voice of his conscience, and is seconded by the spirits who assist him, if he gives heed to the suggestions with which they inspire him.

Temporarily forgetting his faults does not prevent a spirit from improving. Even if he does not remember them precisely, he knew them during his time between lives. He also wanted to make amends for them. That knowledge and desire guide him intuitively and inspire him to resist his tendency toward evil. This intention is the voice of his conscience. The spirits who assist him also support it, if he listens to their suggestions.

Although a man does not know exactly what may have been his acts in his former existences, he always knows the kind of faults of which he has been guilty, and what has been his ruling characteristic. He has only to study himself, and he will know what he has been, not by what he is, but by his tendencies.

A man may not know exactly what he did in his past lives. But he always knows the kinds of faults he was guilty of and his dominant trait. He only needs to examine himself to know what he was like, not from what he is now, but from his tendencies.

The vicissitudes of corporeal life are both an expiation of faults in the past, and trials designed to render us better for the future. They purify and elevate, provided we bear them resignedly and unrepiningly.

The hardships of physical life atone for past faults and test us to help us become better in the future. They purify and elevate us, provided we accept them without complaint.

The nature of the vicissitudes and trials that we have to undergo may also enlighten us in regard to what we have been and what we have done, just as we infer the crimes of which a convict has been guilty from the penalty inflicted on him by the law. Thus, he who has sinned through pride will be punished by the humiliations of an inferior position; the self-indulgent and avaricious, by poverty; the hard-hearted, by the severities he will undergo; the tyrant, by slavery; a bad son, by the ingratitude of his children; the idle, by subjection to hard and incessant labour; and so on.

The hardships and trials we must undergo may also help us understand who we were and what we did. In the same way, we can infer a convict's crimes from the punishment imposed by law. So a person who sinned through pride will be punished by the humiliations of a lower position. The self-indulgent and greedy will be punished by poverty. The hard-hearted will suffer harsh treatment. The tyrant will be punished by slavery, and a bad son by the ingratitude of his children. The idle will be forced to do hard, unceasing work, and so on.