Procedures to ward off Evil Spirits Part 2 (Final)

The Spirits’ language is the true criterion by which we can judge them.

Test if the Spirits are of God. (I John, 4:1) 

In the sequence, St. Louis said: "You know that revelation exists from the earliest times, but was always in accordance with the degree of advancement of those who received it. Today, it is no longer a matter of speaking through figures and parables: you must receive our teachings in a clear, precise and unambiguous way. But it would be very convenient to have only to ask for clarification; this would, in fact, be a departure from the progressive laws which preside over the universal advance. Do not be surprised, therefore, if, to leave you the merit of choice and work, and also to punish you for infractions that you may commit against our advice, it is sometimes allowed that certain Spirits – rather ignorant than malicious - answer your questions. This, instead of being a cause of discouragement to you, must be a powerful stimulus to seek the truth with zeal. Be assured, therefore, that following this path you cannot fail to arrive at happy results. Be united by heart and intention; work all; seek, seek always, and ye shall find".

The language of the serious and good Spirits is of such a nature that it is impossible to make a mistake even if one lacks tact, judgment, or is not a good observer. The evil Spirits, as much as they try to cover their hypocrisy, they can never sustain their role forever; in some way they end up by showing who they are; if their language was unblemished, they would be good Spirits.

The Spirits’ language is, therefore, the true criterion by which we can judge them; being the language the expression of thought, it always has a reflection of the good or bad qualities of the individual. Is it not always by language that we judge men we do not know? If you receive twenty letters from twenty people that you have never seen, is it not that when you read them you will be impressed differently? Is it not because of the quality of style, the choice of expressions, the nature of thoughts, and by certain details of form itself, that you know the difference between a man that has studied and a coarse man, a wise man from an ignorant, a proud man from a modest one? It is absolutely the same with the Spirits: suppose they are men who write to you, and judge them in the same way; Judge them severely! Good Spirits are not at all offended by this scrupulous investigation, since they themselves recommend it as a means of control. We know that we can be deceived, so our first feeling must be that of distrust; only evil Spirits who seek to deceive us can fear the examination, because they, far from provoking it, want to be believed on their word.

Considering this issue, we can conclude that natural and logically the most effective means of averting evil Spirits is to prevent against their nonsense. The man who is not listened to, stops talking; the swindler that sees that he is known, does not make useless attempts. In the same way deceiving Spirits abandon the part where they see that they have nothing to do, and where they find only attentive people who reject everything that seems suspicious to them.

Finally, we only have to review the main characters that reveal the origin of Spiritist communications:

1. High Spirits have in many circumstances a language that is always dignified, noble, elevated, unmixed with any triviality; they say everything with simplicity and modesty, never boast, they never show their knowledge or their position among others. Lower or common Spirits always reflect some of the human passions; every expression that shows lowliness, sufficiency, arrogance, fanfare, acrimony, is a characteristic indication of inferiority, or fraud if the Spirit presents itself under a respected and revered name.

2. Good spirits say only what they know; they keep quiet or confess their ignorance about what they do not know. The bad ones speak of everything safely, without caring for the truth. Notable scientific heresy, every principle that clashes with reason and common sense, shows the fraud if the Spirit especially if the Spirit presents itself as an enlightened Spirit.

3. The High Spirits’ language is always identical, if not by form, at least by the context. The thoughts are the same, whatever the time and place; they may be more or less developed according to the circumstances, the needs and the facility to communicate, but they will not be contradictory. If two communications bearing the same name are in opposition to each other, one of the two, of course, is false, and the true one will be where NOTHING goes against the known character of the communicating Spirit. If a communication has in all points the character of sublimity and elevation, without any blemish, it is because it comes from an enlightened Spirit, whatever its name may be; it will be of a common Spirit, if it has a mixture of good and bad, and for what it is: a rascal using a name that he cannot justify.

4. Good Spirits never give orders; they do not impose themselves: they advise, and if they are not listened to, they leave. The wicked are imperious: they give orders, and they want to be obeyed. Every Spirit that imposes itself betrays its origin.

5. Good Spirits do not flatter; they approve when one does well, but always with reserve; the wicked praise in excess, encourage pride and vanity by preaching humility, and seek to exalt the personal importance of those whom they want to co-opt.

6. The Higher Spirits are above the puerilities of forms, in all things; for them thought is everything, form is nothing. Only vulgar Spirits can attach importance to certain details incompatible with truly high ideas. Every meticulous prescription is a sign of inferiority and fraud on the part of a Spirit who takes an imposing name.

7. It is necessary to be suspicious of bizarre and ridiculous names that certain Spirits take to impose themselves on credulity; it would be utterly absurd to take these names seriously.

8. It is also necessary to distrust those who present themselves, very easily, under extremely venerated names, and not accept their words except with the greatest reserve; it is there above all that severe control is necessary because, often, it is a mask that they use to make believe in alleged intimate relations with Spirits out of line. By this they please vanity, and take advantage of it to induce, often, regrettable or ridiculous endeavors.

9. Good Spirits are very scrupulous about what they advise; they only have, in all cases, a serious and mainly useful purpose. One should, therefore, look with suspicion upon all those who do not have this character and maturely think before accomplishing them.

10. Good Spirits prescribe only well. Every maxim, every advice that is not strictly in accordance with pure evangelical charity cannot be the work of good Spirits; it is the same with all malevolent insinuations tending to excite or entertain feelings of hatred, jealousy, or selfishness.

11. Good Spirits only advise perfectly rational things; every recommendation that does not follow the right line of common sense and the immutable Laws of Nature shows a limited Spirit and still under the influence of terrestrial prejudices, and therefore unreliable.

12. The evil Spirits, or simply imperfect Spirits, would still betray themselves by material signals with which they could not be mistaken. Their action on the medium is sometimes violent, and causes in his writing abrupt and irregular movements, a feverish and convulsive agitation, which contrasts with the calm and the sweetness of the good Spirits.

13. Another sign of their presence is obsession. Good Spirits never obsess; the wicked impose themselves at all times; that is why every medium should be wary of the irresistible need to write that takes hold of him in the most inopportune moments. This never translates the attitude of a good Spirit, and he should not accept this.

14. Among the imperfect Spirits who mix themselves with communications, are those who, kind of sneak to do something tricky, but who withdraw as easily as they came, and this at the first intimation; others, on the contrary, are tenacious, obstinate with an individual, and only give up by embarrassment and persistence; they take hold of him, subjugate him, fascinate him to the point of making him take the grossest absurdities for admirable things, happy when cold blood people open their eyes, which is not always easy, because these Spirits have the art of inspiring distrust and detachment on those who can unmask them;  therefore, one should suspect of inferiority or malice of every Spirit who prescribes isolation, the detachment of those who can give good advice. Self-love comes to your aid, for it often costs you to confess that you have been a victim of mystification, and to recognize a rogue in the one under whose patronage you had placed yourself. This action of the Spirit is independent of the faculty of writing; in the absence of writing, the evil Spirit has innumerable ways of acting and deceiving; writing is to him a means of persuasion, not a cause; for the medium, is a means of clarification.

Passing all Spiritist communications through the control of the foregoing considerations, their origin will be easily recognized - and the malice of the deceiving Spirits who are directed to those who allow themselves to be deceived will be frustrated; if they see that one kneels before their words, they take advantage of it, as would mere mortals; it is in us to prove to them that they waste their time. We add that, for this, prayer is a powerful resource, by which we call the assistance of God and the good Spirits, and increase our own strength; but the precept is known: help yourself and Heaven will help you.

God wants so much to help us, but on the condition that we do what is necessary in our part".  


Translation:

Eleni Frangatos - eleni.moreira@uol.com.br