Gabriel
Delanne was
one of the
greatest
disseminators
of the reality
of Spirit
communication.
He was born on
March 23, 1857
, in France ,
exactly in the
year in which
Allan Kardec
published the
first edition
of "The
Spirits’
Book.” His
father,
Alexandre
Delanne, was a
spiritist and
a very close
friend of
Kardec’s; for
this reason,
Gabriel
Delanne was
greatly
influenced by
spiritist
ideas. His
father was one
of the
founders of
the Parisian
Teaching
League, and
along with
Kardec, was
also involved
in the
administration
of the
Spiritist
Society,
founded by
both. His
mother was an
active medium,
cooperating
side by side
with the
master of Lyon
, in the
codification,
reception of
communications,
and
transmission
of reliable
filtered
information
from the
spiritual
world, through
her gift.
A great
defender of
Spiritism,
Delanne was
born under a
favorable
spiritual
atmosphere for
the task that
he was to
fulfill. This
was
accomplished
in a strictly
scientific
manner and
maintaining
absolute
fidelity to
the codifier.
He always
affirmed that
his unshakable
faith was
Spiritism, and
being devoted
from an early
age to the
experimental
research of
the facts,
witnessed
within his own
house, he came
to receive
from the
spiritual
world a
message whose
words would
instill in him
even more
dedication and
discipline
with his
researches.
The message
said: “Do not
fear. Have
confidence.
Although you
will not be
wealthy you
will never
lack the
material
necessities in
your life."
In 1883 he
founded the
magazine
"Spiritism"
thanks to the
generosity of
an English
woman,
Elisabeth D’
Esperance, who
donated the
necessary
funds. He then
started to
take part in
experiments
with great
mediums. In
1904 together
with Charles
Richet and
other
researchers,
he witnessed
the prodigious
phenomenon of
materialization
in Villa
Carmen, in
Argel. The
literary
production of
Delanne
doesn't rely
on imaginary
speculations,
but rather on
factual
investigation
and
verification.
Being
particularly
devoted to the
work of
demonstrating
that Spiritism
leans on
scientific
bases, he
produced
important
works, which
today are well
known all over
the world:
"Researches on
Mediumship,"
"Evidence for
a future
life," "
Spiritism and
Science," "The
Spiritist
Phenomenon,"
"The Evolution
of the Soul,”
"The
Materialized
Apparitions of
the Living and
the Dead",
"Documents for
the Study of
Reincarnation,”
and finally
"Reincarnation."
In “Spiritism
and Science,”
he builds with
rare mastery a
complete
picture of the
data that the
psyche can
present to
deserve the
respect of
scientists.
And as
demonstration
of the
admirable
certainty of
his argument,
it is enough
to read
through its
pages to see
that since the
first edition,
the author had
the
satisfaction
of verifying
that some of
his most
important
theories have
been confirmed
by Science.
In his
struggle to
establish the
spiritist
truth, aware
of the evils
generated by
ignorance,
fanaticism and
excessive
passion, he
writes: "The
struggle will
be hard and
probably long,
since the
religious and
scientific
damage are
obstinate.
However, the
evidence will
eventually
prevail. We
now have the
conviction
that
immortality
will become a
scientific
truth, whose
beneficial
consequences
will be felt
all over the
world, thereby
changing the
course of
mankind's
destinies.
Being a person
of a
polytechnic
mentality,
attracted
since an early
age to the
study of exact
sciences,
observations,
rigorous
deductions,
etc., he
became the
greatest
exponent of
the
experimental
side of
Spiritism to
which he gave
a great
impulse, as
yet
unsurpassed.
Gabriel
Delanne made
people see
through his
works that
modern Physics,
magnetism,
hypnotism,
verbal or
mental
suggestion,
clairvoyance,
telepathy, and
Spiritism, all
of the new
knowledge
converge at
the spiritual
borders. He
made it
evident that
the proof of
the spirit
communication,
being as
numerous and
varied, would
turn Spiritism
into a
scientific
demonstration
of immortality.
In his
incessant
effort, which
had begun when
he was 13
years old, he
published, at
the age of 68,
a work of
incomparable
value: “Reincarnation,”
the last one
of his
privileged
genius. This
work is a
consecrated
one due to
Delanne’s
solidity in
presentation,
rigidity of
logic, value
of argument,
choice of
proofs, the
superiority of
thesis, and
impartiality
with which he
presents the
facts.
Approaching
the angles
elaborated by
the
Codification,
Delanne always
answered with
humility
regarding his
own work: "I
have not added
anything new.
Everything
that exists
stems from
Kardec. I have
been merely
making
verifications.
I presented
them in my
books and I
demonstrated
them in daily
practice. I
have not added
anything new.”
This is surely
an excess of
modesty on his
part. His work
complements
and solidifies
the teachings
of Kardec,
approaching
related themes
and deepening
others, where
the great
codifier did
not have the
time for
further
considerations.
Gabriel
Delanne was
the researcher
who tirelessly
tried to
approach
science and
religion,
certain that
both would
have to walk
hand in hand,
for a logical
understanding
of the
universe and
of its
inhabitants -
the spirits.
This
distinguished
researcher
dedicated all
of his life to
the
propagation of
Spiritism.
According to
the point of
view of those
that only
consider the
here and now
as the true
reason of
living, his
life was a
useless
sacrifice.
They cannot
understand
that thanks to
his
disinterest in
earthly
ambition and
vanity,
Delanne was
covered with
spiritual
glories for a
work well
driven,
without
hesitations
and faithfully
executed until
the last
instant of his
corporeal life. |