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As a general rule, the best results of mediumship are secured by special development along the lines of natural aptitude. A 'Jack of all trades is master of none,' and such a one is a failure in mediumship as in anything else. You may find it helpful to visit a public medium who is already developed, and who can examine you and give you insight into your natural psychic powers, and counsel you regarding your qualifications and aptitudes, and tell you what to do. But do not attach too much importance to directions received in that way, because so much depends upon the knowledge and power of the operator. One spirit might use you with success in one direction, and another in some other phase; just as one mesmerist may make a subject clairvoyant when another has previously attempted to do so and failed. Nothing but actual experience will settle that point. If, however, after a reasonable amount of patient devotion to the experiment you do not succeed, or are disappointed with what has been done, it will be advisable to effect a change in the conditions. A dissatisfied state of mind is a dangerous one. You may, if you choose, sit by yourself, and try to obtain table movements, or to get 'automatic' or passive writing. You can make experiments in psychometry or try crystal gazing, or endeavor to visualize and to become clairaudient, but we should not advise you to sit alone and invite spirits to put you into the trance. It is better to join some good private circle.
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You have been already informed that you are a medium, and that if you sit you will develop special gifts. But you may say: 'I have sat, and have not developed as I was assured I should.' That is quite probable. The medium whom you consulted may have misjudged your capabilities; the spirit may have estimated what he could have done with or through you, and, from his point of view, may have been perfectly accurate; but possibly the spirits who have endeavored to develop you were unable to succeed. People often say: 'I have been told many times that I should make a good medium, but I have not had satisfactory results.' When we hear such statements we are prompt to ask: 'Have you sat for development for any length of time in a harmonious and congenial circle? You cannot expect growth unless you give the requisite conditions. You might as well anticipate a harvest without sowing the seed--just because you bought a sack of wheat! The marvelous results achieved by expert acrobats and athletes are due to their indomitable determination to succeed, and their steady and continuous training of eye, and muscle, and nerve. They concentrate their attention and focus all their powers, and are at once temperate, patient, and persevering in their experiments. The same spirit of devotion; the same firm attitude and watchful attention to all the details; and the same observance of the conditions, physical, mental, moral, and spiritual, are needed if you would educate yourself and become a fit and serviceable instrument for exalted spirit intelligence to afford humanity the benefit of their experiences over there.
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Do not go into public promiscuous 'developing circles.' There is always a danger of 'cross magnetism' and disorderly manifestations in such gatherings. Owing to the mixed and inharmonious mental, moral, and physical conditions which necessarily exist where a number of strangers and curiosity seekers are attracted, you run the risk of being affected by undeveloped, unprincipled, frivolous, mercenary, self-assertive, or even immoral spirits, who, being attracted to such assemblies, seek to influence incautious and susceptible people who ignorantly render themselves liable to their control. The people 'on the other side' are human beings of all grades; they are not morally purified by passing through the death-change; and as we are constantly sending into their other state 'all sorts and conditions of people,' you need not be at all surprised if you get into intercourse with the vain and foolish, the unreliable and pretentious, or the selfish and sinful, if you indiscriminately open the doors of your psychic self and give a free invitation to any spirit 'passer by.'
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You can waste your time, and you can sit in circles, absorb all kinds of psychological influences, exhaust your own, and in many cases become so filled up with contending influences that you are in a state of psychological fever all the time, or so exhaust yourself that you will become as limp and useless as a rag. This is not the way to use the opportunities you have; and you should avoid the injudicious, promiscuous, and insane methods of development of many who are extremely anxious to develop you as a medium, and who often bring discredit upon the subject of mediumship, and do no one the slightest practical good--not even themselves. We admit that the motives of those who conduct public promiscuous developing circles are good in most cases, but their methods are frequently 'injudicious'--to put it mildly. Under ordinary circumstances, your own pure purpose and the spirits who are in sympathy with your exalted desires and intentions, are sufficient safeguards against the intrusion of low, mischievous or malicious spirits, but you should not venture into conditions which require the trained and disciplined will, and the influence of wise and powerful spirits to protect you against danger, until you have acquired the ability to render yourself positive to the psychic spheres of undesirable people, both in or out of the physical body, and can voluntarily become passive and responsive to the true and trustworthy friends whom you know and love.
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Spiritualism helps us to understand the 'unity of spirit' and 'the brotherhood of man' in the divine relationship wherein the greatest among us is the servant of all. The possession of great gifts is an added responsibility. We are only stewards of our powers on behalf or others, and our desire to gain knowledge and influence should be vitalized and dignified by the intention to use them to help, teach, and serve our fellows, and in such service we shall ourselves be blest.
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| | Page 256: indicte amended to indicate | | Page 260: showly amended to slowly | | Page 265: materilaization amended to materialization | | Page 267: mediumsistic amended to mediumistic | | Page 268: phemonea amended to phenomena | | Page 269: accordian amended to accordion | | Page 270: State amended to Slate | | Page 276: ignoranty amended to ignorantly | | | | Small inconsistencies between the Table of Contents and | | the section titles, such as spelling, capitalization and | | hyphenation have been retained. In addition to these the | | following discrepancies are here noted, but have been | | retained: | | Page 3 Part I In the Table of Contents | | Super-sensible Vibrations should | | be followed by The Higher Vibrations. | | The Higher Senses of Man is The | | Higher Senses of Men on page 21. | | In the Table of Contents Discovery | | of New Worlds should be followed by | | Transcendental Senses. | | Part III The Categories of Thought is titled | | The Contagion of Thought on page 56. | | Page 4 In the Table of Contents Repelling | | Adverse Influences should be followed | | by Neutralizing Psychic Influences. | | Part IV Classification of Clairvoyant | | Phenomena is Classification According | | to General Distinctions on page 81. | | Part V In the Table of Contents Absolute | | Time should be followed by: The | | Occult Hypothesis.
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The Prophecy of | | Cazotte. The Dinner of the Elect. | | The Illuminatus. The Beginning of the | | Prophecy. The Shadow of the | | Guillotine. The Fall of the Great. | | The Fate of Royalty. The Fulfillment | | of the Prophecy. Other Historical | | Instances. The Eternal Verities. | | Page 5 Part VII Spirit Impersonation is titled Spirit | | Inspiration on page 165. | | Inspirational Speaking is titled | | Inspirational Writing on page 168. | | Part VIII In the Table of Contents The Jacob's | | Ladder of Communion should be | | followed by The Attainment of | | Excellence. | | Page 6 Part IX Difficulties Among Spirits is | | Differences Among Spirits on page | | 215. In the Table of Contents | | Self-Protection for Mediums should be | | followed by: Danger in Indiscriminate | | Magnetizing. Detrimental Magnetic | | Influence. Mediumistic | | Auto-Suggestion.
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Psychic Sponges.