What does the truth shall set you free mean?

You must not expect anything very pleasant from me.

You want the truth, and you will have it.

It is well that the world should know the truth, and not only its rosy side.

Just as we went to a pub, we also went to a bad house.

The great guide over lust is a spirit―like a woman, but foul and loathsome in every way.

As we could get a Dead Sea fruit satisfaction at the pub, so we can satisfy almost all our lusts.

Did I say satisfy?

Just the reverse.

That is our punishment―

The craving for what we want, but cannot really attain.

I began to find that drink dens bored me, and the dark spirit who acted as my guide said to me―

Shall we go to a séance?

What for?

Much fun can be derived from some of them.

The hell of it!

We are helping to drag down others all the while.

You are such fools!

Do you suppose you can give rein to evil and not suffer?

Nothing else?

If you are not careful to maintain the supply of semi-material elements, which form this body you wear here, you will find yourself losing it, and dropping down to hell.

Am I not in hell now?

You are still on the earth plane.

You would quickly feel the difference if you were in hell―really in hell.

I will do anything to keep this body going.

Now explain matters to me.

I went to a séance once.

I could not account for everything I saw, but put it down to fraud.

These séances fall into three main divisions, but often there is a good deal of over-lapping―

1. Genuine ones where the medium is controlled by a good spirit―

2. Genuine cases where the medium is controlled by evil spirits like us―

3. Fraud.

We cannot do anything with No. 1.

No. 3 is useless.

No. 2 is different, and we often succeed in leading astray a medium and converting her into No. 2.

What is it that enables you to get control?

We can get control if the medium uses her power for her own selfish ends―to advance her own fortunes, and so on.

Do you mean that they may not take money?

A medium has to live.

You do not think any worse of a parson because he gets a vicarage with £400 a year.

However, if he, instead of trying to help his fellowmen, devotes his whole time to getting on in position and fortune, you would say he was not a good priest, and so it is with mediums―it is the motive.

What good do we gain by doing this sort of work?

He leered―

First, you gain material elements for this psychic body.

Then you gain power.

Power!

Does that word not make you think?

Is it not splendid to be able to lead many people by the nose?

Above all, we can pay off old scores and even obtain a temporary incarnation.

Now is that not worth striving for?

Again to walk the earth knowing all you have learnt here—eh?

I seized on the idea, and with a band of other spirits congregated in a room where a woman was sitting surrounded by about a dozen men and women.

Beside her stood a great spirit of light― the first I had seen―but he was sorely beset by a mob of evil spirits.

He hurled us back time and again, but soon one evil spirit obtained control.

A howl of delight rose from us all, and we rushed round her, and began to form a complete ball of spirits round, above, and below her.

What are we doing? I asked my evil guide.

We are insulating her from the influence of her guardian angel.

He cannot penetrate this wall of evil any more than we can penetrate the wall of good, which is around the best mediums.

Now watch the spirit who has got to work.

The medium began to speak.

Turning to a middle-aged woman, she said―

I am your sister Sally, and proceeded to give several pieces of evidence.

How does he know all these facts? I asked.

He has hung round this medium for years and learnt all sorts of useful information.

Now watch him.

A man in the room spoke.

Can you give me any useful information?

I mean something of practical value?

I will ask your brother George, the spirit replied, and assuming that character said―

I wish to give you a useful hint, Henry.

Come here, and I will whisper it in your ear.

He gave him some advice on certain stocks that the man held, and the latter seemed pleased.

The spirit added―

You will make a pile of money by that.

Is that true? I inquired.

Sometimes, we give genuine information to lead them on―or else keep them engrossed in earthly matters, and so prevent them learning more important spiritual truths.

Now watch.

The medium approached a young woman.

My dear, I know what is in your mind.

Accept him.

He will make you a good husband.

Do not listen to the lies, which are told you about him.

What is the object of that advice? I asked.

The man who has asked her to marry him is a drunken beast and a blackguard.

He will drag her down, and then we will get her.

Now see this spirit.

He was a jovial hooligan on earth.

You will see some fun.

The personality made evil by an evil life remains evil after death and the more probably it will go to the logical conclusion, which its evil deeds naturally set up.

A new control came and began to play all manner of tricks―some harmless, others distinctly malicious, but none quite so devilishly cunning as those of the other spirit.

He moved things about and threw them across the room.

He hid, and even stole various objects out of the sitters’ pockets without their knowledge.

Nearly all these things were done without any visible contact.

Finally, he tipped up the table and upset half the audience.

The beauty of these manifestations is that they wreck the medium and often bring discredit on these séances.

We do not like genuine, good mediums and spiritualism.

They teach and warn too much.

I have been down to the very bottommost depth of hell, impelled largely by that intangible―a strong personality.

Like a burning fire, it drives one on the path one has chosen, and there is no hope until that path has been trod.