Mediumship & its Spiritual Attractions – Arthur Milton, 5/5/1906

In a former article on the correlation of soul, spirit, and body, we referred to introspection or self-study as the
best and surest method for developing right mediumship—that is, the kind most compatible with success in
connection with its possessor. In this reference it was also indicated that a knowledge of self was best obtained
by noting the dictates of the spirit—its influence or effects on the body. As like attracts like in large measure,
it is the spirit of man which invites freed spirits to his environment. The belief of some people that they are
attracted to the mortal body will be found, through introspection, to be a mistake. A body of flesh is no more
to a spirit than the trunk of a tree. But it may indulge itself with the spirit incarnate by rapport with the mortal
body—provided the indulgence it craves is being exercised. It may also attach itself to any such force in the
mortal’s spirit with the intention or hope of inciting it into action—even though the possessor is intuitively foresworn
never to indulge it. In this case, even if it is an inherited evil passion, it will not dictate to the body, and the self-
analyst may never discover that he or she has such an encumbrance. But if in communion with spirits, as an
automatic or clairaudient medium, it will soon become apparent that the spirits communicating do not always
harmonize with one’s adopted principles. Without some analogous force in one’s own spirit, such an obtruder
could not hold its own to communicate. By leaving the nature or condition of the latter, we may leave something
of ourselves—what is otherwise hidden—some force still unspiritualized by the moral force we are exercising
against it. How is that possible? By the superior guide put upon every medium at birth, who begins our life by
injecting principles into us, opposing our innate weaknesses, and which become principles with us by the time
we attain maturity. But until these inherited discords are neutralized by opposing principles or forces, we are
open to earthbound spirits with like discords. Such attractions are often called obsessions.

They are our best friends if we only know it, for they are inciting us to passions that we do not feel troubling us,
and which manner of temptation is neutralizing them for us—nolens volens—bringing our lax opposing principles
into activity on our own account. This is a great aid to our guides, as well as a developer of the mediumship
that will be the outcome of its neutralization. As before stated, sensual passions thus neutralized or spiritualized
generate inspiration; selfishness or hate spiritualized makes one clairvoyant; the combination produces psycho
-metric ability, or triple consciousness—that of knowing, seeing, and feeling all in one. And in psychometrizing
or reading human character we are subject to the same temptations that spirits throw upon us when acting on
our spirit-body during communion. But, as in the first case, we may not sense them unless it be some weakness
or passion that we are fond of indulging physically. In that case we are not freed from spirit temptation either,
despite the opposing force that our guide may inspire to that effect. We are always masters over our own spirit
—by “we” is meant the ego, the soul, the divine spark or life-principle of the whole. Now, as the spirit is connected
to the body and governs it, the soul is connected to the spirit, but not allied to the animal or discordant forces.
These it rejects, the conscience warning us to resist them—except what is needed for physical comfort—to give
it vitality, health, and strength. But what is injurious to it is also injurious to the spirit, and this the soul opposes,
because it knows what is right or just through its own rapport with universal soul or law. When it has succeeded
in subjugating all the lower forces of its spirit-body, the latter becomes positive to the attraction of discordant
or earthbound spirits, and the medium will hear nothing more of that which is out of harmony with his or her
adopted or inherited principles of morality or spirituality. Like will attract like then as it did before the positive
condition had been attained.

Instead of being attracted to the spirit-body, freed spirits are attracted to the soul entity; for this is now the stronger
force-centre and contains all the virtues and higher principles of life, outweighing, as it were, the spirit forces in
energy and intelligence or love. The former occurs when the life of the mortal has been of the intellectual order;
the latter when prompted by benevolence to rise out of its materiality—absolute truth being the inspired reward
of one, happiness that of the other—though some enjoy both, where the two principles have held peace with
each other. In this positive condition, the soul rules, while the spirit becomes its servant. The body, being relieved
of the spirit’s temptations, becomes the passive instrument of the soul’s dictates, which governs for right only,
so far as its tastes, needs, and desires are concerned. Of course, old habits, if not harmful, may be retained.
But the moral medium will always sense a prompting when over-indulging or encroaching upon the unlawful
—now all the more readily recognized because the spirit’s power is broken, so far as its negative or discordant
forces are concerned—the soul only allying itself to those that have been neutralized for a spiritual effect. Such
is not only the aim to which spirit guides are leading their moral mediums, but all who are sensitive to their infl
-uence. Religion teaches love as the road thence; science says truth; but Spiritualism advises both, because
one without the other leaves a void in the soul that will make a call sooner or later. Truth and love are the
soul’s needs, and mortal life furnishes the means.