31. Modern Spiritist Science

Modern spiritist science! What all gathers under this flag! What comes together under it, and what also fights under it! A playground of serious searching, little knowledge, grand plans, vanity, and stupidity, often also empty boasting, and even more unscrupulous business sense. Not infrequently, envy and boundless hatred blossom out of this tangle, which finally releases itself in treacherous vindictiveness of the lowest kind.
 
With such conditions it is of course not surprising that many people avoid all the mad doings and goings-on, with a timidity as if they would poison themselves if they came into contact with it. They are not so wrong either; for countless adherents of spiritual science show nothing appealing in their behaviour, still less attractive, but everything about them rather admonishes every other person to the greatest caution.
 
It is strange that the whole field of so-called spiritist science, which is often confused with spiritual science by those who are ignorant or who are disposed to do evil, is still regarded today as a kind of free territory, where everyone is allowed to pursue his nature and mischief unhindered, even unrestrained and unpunished.
 
It applies to this. But experience has already taught us very often that it is not so!

Countless pioneers in the field, who were reckless enough to venture a few steps forward with only imaginary knowledge, became helpless victims of their negligence. The only sad thing is that all these victims fell without even the slightest benefit being given to humanity!
 
Each of these cases should actually have been proof that the path taken is not the right one, since it only brings harm and even ruin, but no blessing. But with a peculiar persistence these wrong ways are maintained, again and again new sacrifices are made; great clamour is raised and countless treatises are written over every newly recognized mote of what is self-evident in the mighty Creation, which must frighten off many seriously seeking people because the uncertain groping in them only becomes clearly perceptible.
 
All the research that has been done so far is in reality more of a dangerous gimmick with a benevolent background.
 
The field of spirit science, which is regarded as a open territory, can never be entered with impunity as long as one does not know how to take into account the spiritual laws in their full extent beforehand. Every conscious or unconscious contradiction, that is to say “non-compliance” of them, which is tantamount to transgression, must, in their inevitable reciprocal action, affect the bold, frivolous, or reckless who does not or is not able to observe them exactly.
 
To want to roam the non-earthly with earthly means and possibilities is no different than if an undeveloped child, not yet familiar with earthly dangers, were placed in a jungle and left alone, where only a human being, suitably equipped for the purpose, can, with all caution, have a chance of passing through unharmed.
 
It is no different for modern spirit scientists in their present way of working, even if they think they are serious and really only dare to do much for the sake of knowledge, in order to help people to move forward over a border at which they have been knocking for a long time.

Like children, these explorers still stand in front of it today, helpless, groping, unaware of the dangers that could flow towards them at any moment or pour through them onto others, if their groping attempts dig a breach in the natural protective wall or open a door that would be better left closed for many.
 
All this can only be called recklessness, not boldness, as long as those who want to advance in this way do not know exactly that they will be able to master all possible dangers immediately, not only for themselves but also for others.
 
The most irresponsible act are the “researchers” who deal with experiments. The crime of hypnosis has already been pointed out several times. The researchers who are now making experiments of a different kind are in most cases making the regrettable mistake that, knowing nothing themselves – otherwise they would certainly not do it – they put other very sensitive or mediumistic people either into magnetic or even hypnotic sleep in order to bring them closer to the physically invisible influences of the “otherworldly” realm, in the hope that they will thereby be able to hear and observe various things which would not be possible if the subject concerned were in a completely day-conscious state.
 
In at least ninety-five cases out of a hundred they thus expose such people to great dangers which they are not yet able to cope with; for every kind of artificial tutoring for deepening is a binding of the soul by which it is forced into a sensibility which goes further than its natural development would allow.
 
The consequence is that such a victim of the experiments suddenly finds himself psychologically in a field in which he is deprived of his natural protection by the artificial tutoring or for which he does not have his natural protection, which can only come about through his own inner healthy development.

One must figuratively picture such a pitiful human being as if he were standing uncovered, tied to a stake, pushed far forward into dangerous terrain as bait in order to draw the still unknown life and activities there to himself, even to let it affect him, so that he can give a report on it or so that various effects can also become visible to others through his assistance with the surrender of certain earthly components from his body.
 
Such a test subject is able at times, through the connection which his soul, pressed forward, must keep with the earthly body, to report all that is going on as through a telephone and to convey it to the spectator.
 
If, however, the position thus artificially advanced is somehow attacked, it cannot defend itself because of the lack of natural protection; it is helplessly abandoned because, with the help of others, it has only been artificially pushed into an area into which, according to its own development, it does not yet belong or does not belong at all. The so-called researcher, however, who pushed him into it out of a thirst for knowledge, can help him just as little, since he himself is a stranger and inexperienced in the place where the danger comes from and is therefore unable to do anything to protect himself.

Thus it happens that researchers become criminals without wanting to and without being able to be prosecuted by earthly justice. This, however, does not exclude the fact that the spiritual laws exercise their reciprocal action with full force and chain the researcher to his victim.

Many a test subject has suffered ethereal attacks, which in time, often quickly or immediately, have a gross physical effect, so that earthly illness or death follows, but the spiritual damage is not yet repaired.
 
But the observers who call themselves explorers, who push their victims into the unknown realms, are in most cases in good earthly cover under the protection of their bodies and day-consciousness during such dangerous experiments.
 
It is seldom that they share in the dangers of the test subjects at the same time, that such dangers pass over to them immediately. But at their earthly death, when they pass into the ethereal world, they must in any case, through their linkage with the victims, go where the latter may have been dragged, in order to be able to rise again slowly together with them.
 
The artificial pushing of a soul into another region need not always be understood in such a way that the soul leaves the body and floats away to another region. In most cases it remains still in the body. It is only made unnaturally sensitive by the magnetic or hypnotic sleep, so that it responds to much finer currents and influences than would be possible in its natural state. It is only natural that in this unnatural state it lacks the full strength which it would otherwise have if it had come so far itself out of inner development and thus stood firmly and securely on this new, refined ground, opposing all influences with equal force. From this lack of healthy full power comes, through the artificial, an inequality which must lead to disturbances. The consequence of this is an unconditional clouding of all sensations, whereby distortions of reality arise.
 
The cause of the false reports, of the innumerable errors, is only ever given by the researchers themselves through their damaging tutoring. Hence it is that in the many “researched” things from the occult field that are already available, many things do not accord with strict logic. They contain innumerable errors which have not yet been recognized as such.
 
Now, in these visibly wrong ways, not the slightest thing is achieved that could have even the slightest benefit or blessing for the people.
 
In reality, people can only benefit from something that helps them upwards, or at least shows them a way to do so. But all this is completely excluded from the outset and forever in these experiments! By means of artificial coaching, a researcher is sometimes able to push a sensitive or mediumistic person out of the coarse earthly body into the ethereal world, but not a hair’s breadth higher than where he belongs according to his inner nature. On the contrary, by artificially helping it, it is not even able to bring it there, but always only into the closest environment to everything earthly.
 
But this environment, which is very close to the earthly, can only hold all that is beyond, which is still closely bound to earth, which remains chained to earth by its inferiority, vice, and passion.
 
Of course, something more advanced will also temporarily linger here and there in this environment. But this is not always to be expected. High things cannot be there for purely natural reasons. The world would sooner come off its hinges, or.... there would have to be a ground in a human being to anchor the Light!
 
However, it can hardly be assumed that this is to be sought in a test subject or a researcher who gropes in such a way. So the danger and futility of all experiments remains.
 
It is also certain that something really higher cannot come near a medium without the purifying presence of a highly developed human being, much less be able to speak through it. Materializations from the higher circles are out of the question, least of all the popular games with knocks, movements of objects, etc. The gulf is far too wide for this. The gulf is far too great to be bridged without further efforts.
 
All these things can, in spite of a medium, only be performed by those beyond who are still very closely connected with materiality. If it were possible otherwise, that is, if it were possible for the a high one to make contact with humanity so easily, Christ would not have needed to become a man at all, but would have been able to fulfil his task without this sacrifice. But the people of today are certainly not more highly developed than in Jesus’ time on earth, so that it cannot be assumed that a connection with the Light is easier to establish than it was then.
 
Now the spirit scientists say, however, that they primarily pursue the purpose of ascertaining life on the other side, namely survival after earthly death, and that in view of the now generally prevailing doubt, very strong and crude weapons are needed, that is, earthly tangible proofs, in order to make a breach in the opponents’ defensive position.
 
This justification, however, does not excuse the fact that human souls are put at risk in such a careless manner over and over again! Moreover, there is no compelling necessity to try to convince malicious opponents at all costs! It is well known, and it also emerges from Christ’s statements, that they would not be prepared to believe even if an angel came directly from Heaven to proclaim the Truth to them. After the angel’s departure they would claim that it was a mass deception, but not an angel, or use some other excuse. And if something or someone is brought that remains earthly, that is, does not disappear again or become invisible, then there are other excuses, precisely because it would again be too earthly for those who do not want to believe in an afterlife. They would not shrink from portraying such a proof as a fraud, but a person as a fantasist, a zealot, or likewise as a swindler. Whether it be too earthly or unearthly, or even both together, they will always have something to object to and doubt. And if they no longer know how to help themselves any more, they throw dirt, go over to stronger attacks and do not shy away from violence.
 
So to convince them, sacrifices are not appropriate! But even less so for many of the so-called followers. In a strange kind of arrogance, they believe that their somewhat unclear and fantastic belief in life in the hereafter enables them to make certain demands on it, in order to “see” or “experience” something for their part. They expect otherworldly signs from their guides as a reward for their good behaviour. The self-evident expectations they carry around with them, as well as the many-knowing, good-naturedly forgiving smiles as a show for their actual ignorance, often seem downright ridiculous. It is poisonous to even try to give these masses performances; for since they think they know so much, the attempts are not much more to them than well-deserved hours of entertainment in which the those in beyond are supposed to be the cabaret artists.
 
But let us now look away from the big experiments and consider the small ones, such as table-turning. These are by no means as harmless as is thought, but in their tremendous ease of spreading they are a very serious danger!
 
Everyone should be warned about this! Those with knowledge must turn with horror when they see how carelessly these things are handled. How many of the followers seek to show their “knowledge” in some circles by suggesting experiments with table-turning, or in families, either smiling or mysteriously murmuring, introduce the almost playful exercise with letters and glass or some other aid which, when lightly laid on the hand, slides or is pulled towards various letters, thus forming words. With uncanny speed, all this has developed into parlour games, where it is done amid laughter, mockery, and sometimes pleasant creepiness.
 
Every day, older and younger ladies sit together at a small table in families, or alone in front of letters drawn on cardboard, which, if possible, must be drawn in a very specific form, so that the hocus-pocus that stimulates the imagination is not missing, which, moreover, is quite unnecessary; for it would also work without it, if the person in question is only somewhat inclined to it. And there are countless of them!
 
The modern spirit scientists and the leaders of the occult associations rejoice in this, because real words and sentences are formed in the process, which the practitioner has neither consciously nor unconsciously thought of. He must be convinced by this and increase the number of followers of the “occult”.
 
Writings of occult tendencies point to this, speakers advocate it, aids are manufactured and sold to facilitate all this mischief, and so almost the whole occult world acts as a good-working henchman of the dark in the honest conviction that they are priests of the Light with it!
 
These processes alone prove the utter ignorance that exists in the occult efforts of this kind! They show that none of them is really seeing! It must not be regarded as proof to the contrary if some good medium has developed here and there out of these beginnings, or rather, what is more correct, if a good medium was temporarily drawn to it in the beginning.
 
The few people who are destined from the start have a completely different protection in their own natural development, carefully monitoring every stage, which others do not enjoy. But this protection only works in natural, inner development, without any artificial help! Because it is precisely only in everything natural that protection rests as a matter of course.
 
As soon as the slightest help is given, whether by exercises of the person himself or from another side by magnetic sleep or hypnosis, it becomes unnatural and thus no longer quite fitting into the Natural Laws, which alone are able to grant protection. If ignorance is added to this, as it is everywhere at present, then the doom is there. The will alone will never replace the ability when it comes to action. But no one should exceed his ability.
 
Of course, it is not impossible that among the hundreds of thousands who engage in these dangerous shenanigans, here and there a person really does get away unpunished and has good protection. Likewise, many are only harmed in such a way that it does not yet become earthly noticeable, so that only after passing over do they suddenly have to realize what stupidities they have actually done. But there are also many who already suffer earthly visible damage, even if they never come to realize the actual cause during their earthly life.
 
For this reason, the ethereal and spiritual process during these shenanigans must be explained. It is just as simple as everything else in Creation, and by no means as complicated, but it is also more difficult than many people think.
 
As the earth is now, the darkness has gained the upper hand over everything material through the will of humanity. In all material things, therefore, it stands as good as on its own ground with which it is well acquainted, and is thus able to have its full effect in the material. It is therefore in its element, fighting on ground with which it is familiar. Thus, it is at present superior to the Light in all material, i.e. coarse material.
 
The consequence of this is that in all material things the power of darkness becomes stronger than that of Light. Now, in such games as moving the table, etc., light, that is, high things, is not considered at all. We can at most speak of the bad, i.e. dark, and the better, i.e. brighter.
 
When a human being uses a table, or a glass, or any gross material object at all, he is placing himself on the battlefield familiar to the dark. A ground that all darkness calls its own. He thus grants it a power from the outset against which he can muster no corresponding protection.
 
Let us take a look at a spiritist occupation or even just a parlour game with the table and follow the spiritual or better ethereal processes.
 
If one or more persons approach a table with the intention of coming into contact with the otherworldly through it, whether they are to make knocking sounds or, what is more usual, to move the table in order to be able to form words from these signs, darkness is primarily attracted in the connection with the material, which takes over the manifestations. With great skill they often use high-sounding words, seek to answer people’s thoughts, which are easy for them to read, in this desired way, but then always lead them astray in serious questions, and, if it happens often, seek to bring them gradually under their ever-increasing influence and thus slowly but surely drag them down. In doing so, they very cleverly leave the misled to believe that they are going upwards.
 
If, however, at the very beginning, or on any occasion, a relative or friend who has passed on speaks through the table, which happens very often, the deception can then be still more easily carried out. People will acknowledge that it must really be a certain friend who makes himself known, and thereupon believe that it is always he when any utterances come through the table and the name of the acquaintance is mentioned as the author.
 
But that is not the case! Not only does the ever-watchful obscurity skilfully use the name to give misleading statements the most credible appearance possible and to gain the confidence of the questioner, but it even goes so far that the dark one intervenes in the middle of a sentence begun by the real friend and deliberately completes it incorrectly. Then the hardly known fact occurs that two were involved in a sentence that was stated smoothly and one after the other. First the real and perhaps quite bright, that is to say, purer friend, and then a dark, ill-willed one, without the questioner noticing anything.
 
The consequences of this are easy to think of. The trusting person is deceived and his faith shaken. The opponent uses the process to reinforce his ridicule and his doubts, sometimes to launch violent attacks against the whole thing. In reality, however, both are wrong, which can only be attributed to the ignorance that still prevails in the whole area.
 
But the process takes place in all naturalness: If a lighter, real friend is at the table to yield to the questioner’s wish and make himself known, and a darker one approaches, then this lighter one must retreat from it, since the darker one can unfold greater power through the mediating matter of the table, because all material things are at present the actual domain of darkness.
 
Man makes the mistake of choosing material things and thus creates unequal ground from the outset. The dense, heavy, i.e. dark, matter is already closer in density to the coarse matter than the light, pure, lighter matter, and through the closer connection has greater development of force.
 
On the other hand, the lighter, which is still able to manifest itself through the material, also still has a density that comes close to it in a certain degree, otherwise a connection with the material would no longer be possible for any manifestation. This in itself presupposes a coming close to materiality, which in turn entails the possibility of contamination as soon as the connection through materiality with darkness has been established. To avoid this danger, the lighter person has no choice but to withdraw quickly from the materiality, i.e. the table or another aid, as soon as a darker person reaches for it, in order to eliminate the mediating link that would form a bridge over the natural, separating, and thus protective gulf.
 
It is unavoidable that in such cases the person who tries things on the table must be exposed to lower influences. Admittedly, by his own action he has not willed otherwise; for ignorance of the laws cannot protect him here either.
 
With these events, many things that were previously inexplicable will be clarified for many, numerous puzzling contradictions will be solved, and hopefully many people will now also keep their hands off such dangerous toys!
 
The dangers of all other experiments, which are much greater and stronger, can now be described in the same detailed manner. But for the time being, these are the most common and widespread things.
 
Only one more danger should be mentioned. Through this kind of questioning and hustling for answers and advice, people make themselves very dependent. The opposite of what earthly life is for.
 
The path is wrong in every direction! It only brings harm, no benefit. It is a crawling along on the ground, where there is the danger of repeatedly colliding with small vermin, wasting one’s strength and finally lying exhausted on the track.... for nothing!
 
With this “wanting to research”, however, great harm is also done to those beyond!
 
Many dark ones are thus given the opportunity, they are even directly tempted by it to carry out evil and to burden themselves with new guilt, which they could not otherwise so easily come to. Others, on the other hand, are held back from their upward striving by the continual binding of desires and thoughts. On a clear observation of this system of exploration, it often appears so childishly obstinate, so imbued with the most ruthless selfishness, but also so stupid that one must shake one’s head and ask how it is at all possible that someone should want to open up a territory to the general public of which he himself does not really know a single step.
 
It is also wrong that the whole search takes place in front of the general public. This gives free rein to fantasists and charlatans and makes it difficult for humanity to gain trust.
 
In no case has this ever happened. And every research of which full success is acknowledged today has previously had numerous failures during the search. But the public was not allowed to experience them in this way! They get tired of it and lose all interest in time. The consequence is that when the truth is finally found, the main force of a revolutionary and resounding enthusiasm must have been lost beforehand. Mankind is no longer able to rouse itself to a jubilant joy that carries everything convincingly away.
 
The setbacks in the recognition of false paths become sharp weapons in the hands of many enemies who can instil such distrust in hundreds of thousands of people over time, that these poorest will no longer want to seriously examine the Truth when it appears, for sheer fear of new deception! They close their ears, which they would otherwise have opened, and thus miss the last span of time which could still give them the opportunity to ascend to the Light. The darkness has then achieved a new victory! It can thank the researchers who reached out their hands to it and who gladly and proudly rise to lead the modern spirit science!