Take one string whose points of tension are unyielding, and another whose points of tension are yielding; then cause one of them to undulate, and it will impart its motion to the atmosphere, when the atmosphere will strike upon the other; and if it have the same points of tension that the other has, it will undulate; but if it have not the same tension, it will receive the influence of the atmosphere, the tendency of which will be to depress it and bring it to its own vibration; thus eventually the two strings will be made to harmonize. So when we sit down to mesmerize a person, he may be so positive that we do not at first succeed, perhaps, in producing the least impression upon him. We try again and again, and at last succeed in controlling the nerve-system, and through that the mental system of the subject. We are each time we try reducing the nerve-system to our key or standard, and the moment it is reduced to that point, the subject is under the operator’s control, and not till then. When I speak of the harmonic action of one system upon another, it will be perceived that I speak of the relative measure or length of the nerve-undulation which passes between one mind and another. In the nerve-plane there is this method of addressing the nervous perceptions by external means—by language, by signs, by pantomimic representations. And there is the internal method corresponding to inspiration, which consists in coming into nervous sympathy and receiving nervous sensations one from another. A sensitive person looking upon a wound shrinks from beholding the sight, and there are real sensations experienced in his nervous system which have been produced, not because a nerve-influence has acted upon him, but because he has seen the wound. The impression first fell upon his conscious perceptions, and then went to his feelings, which is analogous to the principle that the idea first comes into the thought, and thence reaches the feelings.
In the second plane—the mental or Spiritual plane—the same law prevails. There is the external method of addressing the mind, and there is also an internal method. The external is the method by which the mind is addressed first through the thought, and the internal is that by which the mind is addressed through the feelings. These two methods obtain in the whole plane of manifestation. If I wish to communicate with you, I must adopt one of these two methods; and if I am not in spiritual or nervous rapport with you, I must adopt one of the methods of external communication, and address you by signs or outward representations—addressing first the thought or understanding, and coming thence to the affection indirectly. In all external methods, as well as in internal methods, media of communication become necessary. In speaking to you it becomes necessary that there should be some external media between you and me, and my communication must be through that media. In the present case, my speaking to you is performed through the physical atmosphere. I undulate my organs of speech to produce sound, and the atmosphere connects them with your organs of hearing, so that my mind, through my organs of speech, is connected with your mind. The method of communication is to transmit the actions of my organs of speech to your organs of hearing. Without this external medium I could not communicate with you by an external language.
Were I to address, not the ear, but the eye, there must be between us an external medium which addresses the eye; and that medium is the light which takes up the image of that which I would represent, and transmits it to your consciousness through the eye. So also in respect to the nerve-medium. If I would communicate an impression through the nerve-medium, there must be that medium external to me which corresponds to the action of the nerve-fluid in you and me—there must be a medium between us which takes up my action and transmits it to you, and makes it your action. So with the mental medium. If I am to stand here, and you are to come into rapport with me, and I am to impress my thoughts upon you without external language, there must be a medium corresponding to these thoughts, and that medium must come down from me to you; and while I have power to awaken its vibration, its vibration must have power to awaken the same impression in you. Hence, then, in respect to all communication, there must necessarily be media connecting one with the other, who are all concerned in making and receiving the communication; and the medium must be such that it will extend from the one to the other. It must be continuous also; for if there be any interruption in the media, the communication can not be transmitted. For illustration, if I would address your consciousness through sound, the atmosphere, as the medium, must be continuous between you and me; for if you interpose a vacuum, you can not transmit the action through it, the connection being destroyed. So in regard to light. Interpose any medium which will not allow the light to pass through it, and I can not transmit the image by means of light. So also the nerve-medium must be continuous, in order to admit of transmitting communication through it. The mental medium must likewise be continuous, or I can not represent my thought through it. You perceive, then, this universal law in respect to communication between one mind and another, that there must necessarily intervene a medium, which must be continuous between them, and it must be such as to awaken action in the one, and transmit and awaken the same action in the other. It matters not what the plane is. They all come under the same law.
Before I, by my simple will-power, can transmit a thought or idea or impression of my mind to you, there must be something between us which can take up and repeat that idea, or record it in your consciousness. If there be anything to interrupt this medium, I can not transmit that thought; so that any power whatever which can interrupt that medium can interrupt the communication. Hence, again, it appears that in all communication between one being and another, there must necessarily interpose a medium, which must be continuous from the communicator to the one receiving the communication. This brings us to the consideration of other conditions necessary for communication between two minds—the difference between the thing, the being, or the existence itself, and that by which it is made known to the mind. I stand here before you. You can see me. I am then present in each one of your minds. I am present by my form, as well as by the sound of my voice. How many of me are there here? One, of course. How many do you see? How many of my mental images are here? Just as many as there are eyes to look. My image is that by which you see me. My image is not in your mind in reality; it is represented in your mind by something proceeding from me to you. My form is multiplied and repeated wherever there is an eye to see the image which proceeds from this form. If there are two or three hundred persons present, I have two or three hundred spiritual forms; and if there were ten thousand present, I should have ten thousand spiritual forms. There is a difference, then, between the form itself and that which represents the form, and you should make this distinction. You may take as many positions as there are mathematical points in this room, and place an eye in each, and my form will be represented in all of these points. The means, then, by which you, through the eye, become conscious of my presence here, is omnipresent in this room. I am not omnipresent, but that which represents me is omnipresent, and that by which mind becomes conscious of me is omnipresent.
There is never any existence to the mind in the sphere of manifestation, except by representation. We talk as though we saw the sun, moon, and stars, and not as though we saw their representations; but in regard to all things external or manifestational, man in all forms only perceives the representation; and when the representation corresponds to the reality, he has the truth. Now in looking at these lights, the light is not in your mind, but its representation is there. It is there by that which represents it. Then you must make a distinction between the omnipresence of being and of that which represents being. In respect to all means by which the mind perceives existence external to its consciousness, it is true that it only perceives it by representation, and not by its presence. Existence in every department is represented to your mind, and mind by its representation, and not by its absolute presence, perceives it. Understand this distinction, and it will explain a great many mysteries you have had to contend with in times past. As you perceive my form by that which represents it to you, and as that which represents it is omnipresent in this room, while my form, from which these representations flow, has but one position, so also, if you should remove these walls many feet, or even miles, making this room many miles in extent, my form would be omnipresent in all this space, and the mind that perceived me would perceive me by that representation of form, and not by my presence.
Now then, understanding this law, we will be very careful in all our investigations of communication to distinguish between the presence of the thing itself and the presence of that which represents it. Did I wish to communicate with a Spirit, who has unfolded in him a Spirit-consciousness, which can be addressed in another way than through the physical eye or ear or touch, and being so divested of this physical form that my mind comes in absolute contact with this Spirit-medium which permeates all space, and which internally and spiritually corresponds to light external and physical, and passes freely through bodies opaque to light—then my Spirit-form acts upon that Spirit-medium which is not impeded by this wall, but which passes through it as light through transparent glass, carrying my image with it. We say that glass is transparent, because light passes freely through it, and brings the image of that which it would represent. We see an individual or tree coming freely through the glass into the room. Now if we have a medium which will pass as freely through a board, then that board is as transparent to that medium as glass is to light. The magnetic medium, by which the magnetic needle is influenced, passes freely through a board even; therefore to that medium the board is as transparent as glass is to light. It is also well to understand that this nerve-medium, as well as the spiritual medium corresponding to the mind—which is to the mind what the medium of light is to the eye—passes freely through these opaque bodies. Therefore the individual brought in contact with this medium will see Spirit-existences, not by their presence in the consciousness, but by that which represents the presence there. Hence it is that the clairvoyant (when you have proceeded with your manipulation until you have insulated the mind, or brought it into clear rapport with this spiritual medium or atmosphere so that he sees by the spiritual sight and hears with the spiritual ear, and no longer sees with the physical eye, or hears with the physical ear) comes in contact with this spiritual medium, and can look out into another room, and tell what is transpiring, who is there, etc., just as we can look through glass and tell what we see. The principle is precisely the same. The medium by which he perceives things in another room freely permeates or passes through the intervening walls; so that although my spiritual form is still in this body, yet it is actually exerting its influence on this spiritual medium throughout the world—throughout not only this world, but throughout the solar system. Wherever this spiritual medium extends, this spiritual image of mine is taken and carried out through that medium, just as my physical image is carried out through the medium of light; and whoever comes into rapport with that Spirit-medium and influence, and undulates to the same motion, will perceive that form. Hence coming into the clairvoyant condition I may see a person in London, if it so happen that the undulation of my mind on this medium be such as to harmonize with that of the individual in London—not that his spirit is personally here present, or my spirit personally present there (but I am here in my own spirit-consciousness, and he there in his spirit-consciousness), but because his image as well as mine is here and there and everywhere else. The idea that my mind goes to London, or his comes here, is altogether a misconception. I perceive that individual in London, not by his absolute presence, but by that which represents that presence here; just as I see you, not by your presence in my mind, but by that which represents your presence there. It is in this way that persons in the body are at times seen as though in distant places; that is, they are seen by that spiritual image which is present, where the mind is unfolded so as to perceive by the spiritual medium, and happens to be in rapport so as to undulate to the same motion with that of the mind of the individual it perceives.
Standing here this evening, I may be seen in Philadelphia, because my image is there, as well as in every other place on earth; and the individual, let him be where he may, who happens to be in rapport with me, will perceive me as though I were present where he is, and all the imagery by which I am surrounded. I am looking on this congregation, and therefore the person seeing me, sees me surrounded by this congregation. He does not see you, but since you are in my mind, your image goes with mine. The person coming into rapport with me, sees you as your image exists in my mind. The idea that persons whose external forms are in different places, communicate with each other by being present one with the other, is altogether a mistaken one. So far as the external or relational is concerned—so far as the finite or manifestational is concerned—we communicate externally only by that medium which represents that which we investigate or perceive; and that is the peculiarity of arriving at knowledge through what is called the sphere of manifestation. The difference between being and manifestation is seen in that law.
If any one doubts this law, I am ready to be questioned. Bring up any case you please, either from the natural or the Spiritual world, and I will show that that is the law. I say it is altogether a fallacious idea that Spirits can not communicate without being actually present—the idea that Spirits can not communicate in New York, London, Liverpool, or any other place in the world at the same moment, is altogether a fallacious idea. They can be present wherever there is a mind in rapport with them to see that presence. People talk about their being so rapid in their passage from here to Boston or London, and wonder how they can go over the ground so quick. This is all explained when you understand the law of manifestation. There is no apparent difference of time between London and any other place—it is only a relative difference—merely a question of relation. This, then, being the law of communication and manifestation, we will just notice one thing further, which will explain why it is that individuals are obliged to come into certain states to receive communications, and will answer many other questions, among which are, “Why are not all mediums?” “Why can not all get communications?” “Why is it that one who can get a communication at one time can not at another?” Ten thousand such questions are pressed every day, when the law is just as simple as that two and two make four.
If we wish to get a communication we must conform to the conditions required by the law; and if we do not conform to those conditions, God himself could not give it to us. The laws of manifestation and communication are as fixed and immutable as God’s own being. Our business is to comply with the conditions, and then take what follows. We need not stop to quarrel because it requires a wire rather than a tow-string to make a good telegraph. It is enough for us to know that it is so, and conform to the conditions.
The great law by which all action producing result, producing development and communication, is governed, is the one to which I first referred—the law of commensurability in form and motion. All development comes under that law. The law of triunes, the law of sevens, and the law of twelves, are all wrought out by that simple law. You can not develop in any key except you comply with that law. Commensurability tends to produce harmonious results, while incommensurability tends to produce discord and death—the difference between concord and discord marks the difference between commensurability and incommensurability in form and motion.