Genuine Mediumship; or, The Invisible Powers

by William Walker Atkinson

Spirit Jokers.

Another writer says, on this point: "That there are spirits who sometimes impersonate, and seek to pass themselves off as friends of the sitters, cannot be denied; in fact, we have had personal proof of the same on several occasions. But these troublesome and vexatious visitors invariably get 'bowled out' if the investigators are observant and careful. In fact, such entities are neither as numerous, or as evilly disposed, as many persons imagine them to be. There are spirits who 'play up to' the weaknesses and flatter the vanity of those to whom they communicate. And it is equally true that there are spirits who give glowing assurances of the good things that they will perform by-and-by, and profess to be some of the 'great ones' of the past, is equally true. It is a well-known saying that 'people love a lord,' and this amiable weakness is fully realized by the jokers on the other side—but the fault does not wholly rest with them! Their too confiding and credulous mediums are too often in the main responsible for their own mystification and misleading. They are often so anxious to be guided by some 'eminent' person who will be to them an 'authority,' that they practically invite spirit pretenders to fool them to the top of their bent. This does not apply to all cases of real or supposed deception, but it does cover a large proportion of such experiences. In many instances there is an element of self-deception—or auto-suggestion—and the 'wish becomes father to the thought,' and the sensitive medium's unrestrained imaginative powers do the rest."

A Typical Case of Identification.

The following typical case of undoubted identification of a visiting spirit is related by Smedley in his work concerning spiritualistic experiences, and may be taken as a pattern to be followed by investigators in demanding and obtaining proofs of identity in cases where same is asserted. The medium in this case was a woman of high standing in spiritualistic circles, and the seance took place in Mr. Smedley's own home. The medium was at that time a perfect stranger to the Smedley family, and to their little circle of invited friends. The seance was opened by the singing of hymns, and before long the medium went under control. Mr. Smedley says: "She passed under the control of an intelligent being, opened her eyes, and manifested the greatest amazement." He then relates the subsequent experience as follows:

Recalling Past Incidents.

"After looking around the room very deliberately at various objects, then at one person after another, and fixing her eyes on my wife, she ran across the room, and throwing her arms around my wife's neck, she kissed her most affectionately, addressing her as 'My dear sister.' After speaking with my wife in endearing terms, she came across the room to me, and placing her right hand on my shoulder, said: 'Well, my dear brother.' (This was exactly as a deceased sister of my wife had been in the habit of doing.) 'How unspeakingly glad I am for such a privilege as this! When we used to sit by the hearth at night, conversing on various topics that used to interest us so much, we little expected we should ever have such a privilege. You know we used to sit up at night discussing theological questions till the embers in the grate died out, and sometimes a chiding voice from upstairs cried out: "Alfred, Alfred, do come to bed. Do you know what time it is? You know Charlotte is not fit to sit up so late."' This was precisely what had taken place, the exact words being used.

Identifying Property.

"She referred to a number of incidents known only to her and ourselves. She asked for an album in which she had written the dedication, pointing this out, and also various pieces of poetry she had written in it. She asked for a hymn-book, and desired us to sing what had been her favorite hymn, which at my request she instantly found. She next asked for a Bible, and asked me to read her favorite Psalm. I requested her to find it, although I knew well which it was. She turned to it instantly, and I read: 'The Lord is my shepherd,' etc. When the Psalm was finished, the medium stood transfigured before us; her countenance was radiant, and her eyes bright with a heavenly light. Turning to my wife, she said: 'Sister, dear, by inviting strangers to your house tonight you have entertained angels unawares!' After the meeting, the medium remarked: 'When under control I was strongly influenced to look around for a picture, but could not find it. I do not know what it meant, but the control was anxious to find a picture.' My wife replied: 'My sister painted a picture of the Saviour bearing His cross, many years ago, and it now hangs in our dining room.' The above incidents, combined with her mannerisms, and bearing in mind that the medium was an entire stranger to us, and uneducated, were sufficient evidence of the presence and influence of her deceased sister to cause my wife to exclaim, 'Of a truth, that was my sister Charlotte!'"

Identifying Historical Personages.

Of course, a close, personal identification, similar to that stated in the above recital, is impossible in cases when the spirit claims to be some well-known historical personage. But in the last named class of cases it will be found possible to ask questions concerning the life and career of the supposed celebrity, and to form a general idea of the correctness of the claim by the quality and general character of the answers given. It will be found that genuine spirits are nearly always anxious to definitely establish the truth of their claims to identity, and will often go to great pains to do so. The character of the language employed, the grammar followed, and the general evidence of the intellectual capacity of the spirit, all these will be found useful in testing cases of claimed identity; and no genuine spirit has any just cause to object to such tests and questions, if made in the proper scientific spirit, and with ordinary politeness. In short, treat the spirit just as you would were he in the flesh, speaking to you over a telephone, and endeavoring to establish his identity; this will always be a safe and just rule to employ and follow.