Spirits Their Work & Influence – Florence Morse, 2/1/1908

Republished from the occult magazine the Sunflower

We often wonder how much ordinary individuals believe the saying of an old writer that “millions of spiritual creatures
walk the earth unseen, both when we wake and when we sleep”; we know it to be true. Spirits cannot mingle with you
in your offices or your homes without influencing you in some measure. You should recognize the spiritual side as being
the natural world, the spirit as the causative and eternal; that man dwells in a world of illusions and that the spiritual
is the only part of man—the identity which sums up at any given moment everything that he has ever done or thought.
If you wish to visit a friend you do not think it a great ordeal to travel to him, nor do you adopt a strange attitude of
mind or artificiality of thought and feeling, but you look forward to the meeting with gladness, anticipating a good time,
both socially and intellectually. Yet many persons have such strange views concerning the so-called dead that they
dread their coming and fear their companionship. This would not be their attitude if they realized that the spirits are
still people—men, women and children—leading natural human lives, remembering them and frequently beside them
in business and in the home circle—so much so, in fact, that they are indeed encompassed about by a cloud of
witnesses, unchanged in any manner by the fact of death. Let us consider spirit influences from this point of view
and we shall see that they are not necessarily spiritual influences. A person with thoughts of harm and malice might
exert influence upon another, and while it would be spirit influence, it could not be called spiritual. The spirit is power,
organized and conscious, which power can be employed with intent for good or ill. Death does not affect or change
the moral character, and persons of every nature, thought and sort have passed away, so that in the life after death
there are hosts of spirits of every condition. From this it will be seen that spirit influences may be from low and degraded
individuals, or from highly spiritual, illumined, loving beings, or from those of any sphere between these extremes.
Progress in spirit life, as on earth, depends upon the desire and the discipline of pain and experience.

There are many persons who are unaware of any spirit influence. An individual may act on the impulse of the moment,
and cannot afterwards understand why he was so unwise. His friends exclaimed, “Why, he was the last person in the
world to do so and so,” without a thought of the possibility of any spirit influence being exerted upon him, although
such is often the case. We are behind the scenes, so to speak, and see more than you do. There are, however, many
spirits who can truly say that they knocked at the door and it was not opened to them; in vain they tried to enter. Indeed,
it is one of the bitterest experiences of the loving heart to stand beside the loved ones who are overburdened with
grief, and yet be unable to speak a word of comfort, or to assuage the flood of tears or sorrow. Spiritualism will enable
mourners to accept death as natural, and prove to them that the dead, so-called, are not far away, but are often nearer,
and consciously seeking to give them comfort. There are more people swayed by spirit influences than just those who
are aware of the fact, and there are often determining influences upon our walls—Associate Editor of Light, for Two
Worlds.—side which cannot be escaped. If you enter a room wherein the air is poisoned or tainted you are affected by
it and suffer, but you are not responsible for the bad air; so you are environed by spirit influences, the world is bathed
in an atmosphere of thought, which constitutes a source of general inspiration. You sometimes notice how two men
who are investigating a matter at different places, independently of each other, simultaneously arrive at the same
conclusion: the fact is that they are both touched, influenced by, or receptive to the same thought which may be
said to be “in the air.” There is also direct or personal inspiration from one mind to another. Thus there is general
and personal inspiration. We often hear of obsession; respectable persons suddenly go wrong, and the cry is raised
that it is the work of demons, etc. Sensitives receive influence from the minds of those on the spirit side, as well
as from those in the world.

Those spirits who are not high-principled and who see an opening for the realization of their unprincipled ideas use
this means to gratify their desires, through others, and by that very gratification bind themselves to the conditions
which constitute their hells. The law of association applies to our side equally as truly as to yours; like attracts like,
and the quality of the influence from the spirits depends on the degree of desire and response on your side; hence,
unless you act or think so as to render yourself subservient to evil influences there is no danger. Many ignorant
persons unwisely seek spirit influences under the belief that all evil ones are in hell, and that, therefore, only good
spirits can come to them; but spirit influences may be harmful, as well as helpful, and ignorance renders the ignorant
and the unwise liable to consequences which may be painful. To all who inquire we would say, endeavor to attain a
calm, intellectual, spiritual integrity of purpose, a self-contained poise, and pray for power to become wise. Spiritual
influence implies purity, love, harmony, goodness, and virtue, and trustfulness recognizes the operation of true law,
so that great work may result, as pure minds will attract like-minded spirits and gain strength and blessing. The
dangers of spirit intercourse are the same as those of the everyday life of ignorant persons; knowledge comes
through experience only, therefore it is best to make haste slowly, to get knowledge studiously, and to test every
inch of the road as you go on before you rely upon it. Do not entertain thoughts of fear or feelings of dread of the
people of the other world. All human beings are not either embryo devils, or perfect angels, for the majority are
passably good, and when really known are found to be rather better than was imagined. As no person is absolutely
positive, everyone can be influenced to some extent, whether by an individual or by many. As regards the work
of spirit people, Miss Morse said: Picture to yourselves hosts of spirits interested in persons of the world, laboring
for reforms, whether in political or social matters, religious revivals, or in any other way for the good of humanity;
for such spirits are all around.

When they leave the body they do not drift off and become cut off from the world, with no future work to do, no further
use for all their knowledge, no further field for their abilities, no further recollection of their loved ones or past labors;
but the spirit on passing through the death change experiences a wonderful sense of freedom, and his first impulse
is, “Oh, if only I could make those I have left behind feel this!” There is no one, wherever he may be, who is seeking
for goodness and truth in all honesty of purpose who is not directly associated with the spirits and helped by their
influence. Writers, for their reputation, orators, preachers, inventors, actors, for their renown, are really indebted to
the influences poured on them, but they have, and are entitled to, every credit, as the results are the direct consequences
of their own labor and attitude of mind, which become the dominant factors of the inspiration which aids them. We
on our side are content to ensphere those whom we can affect, even though they do not comprehend, and in this
way we can be of use in work to bless the world. Some sensitive individuals on earth are selected to act as spirit
intermediaries, and my medium, who is now before you, is surrounded by my colleagues, in company with myself,
that she may voice truths to mankind, and some of us are always in attendance to so influence her life and surroundings
that we may employ her power to the utmost and develop her personality to give us greater scope in this work. The
influence exerted by us is similar to what you understand by hypnotism or mesmerism. Our medium, while giving
voice to our message, is in a state of unconsciousness; many mediums are not. There is no danger in submitting the
self to spiritual control; the individuality is, as a matter of fact, rather strengthened than weakened if the sensitive is
so well balanced as to keep his own personal identity at all other times, and the spirits do not dominate his life out of
season. There is danger to the sensitive if the spirit entirely dominates his life; as there is in every case when one
seeking power infringes the rights of another by dominating his individuality. Affection can be a grand aid or a deplorable
hindrance, according as it is wisely or unwisely used.

We find obsession existing sometimes through misunderstood influences from those who act from motives of affection.
Take the case of a mother who is deeply attached to her children; she has thought for them and acted for them in every
way; her whole being has been wrapped up in them, and they have, therefore, rather been part of her individuality than
formed separate ones of their own; she passes over, and drawing near to them tries to make her presence known. She
finds one of them is more responsive than the rest, and, in her delight, enters into and dominates that child’s life to such
a degree that the child practically becomes the mother, and is not herself at all; the rest see that something is wrong,
but do not understand the case, while the spirit mother has not sufficient knowledge to see that, although she is acting
with the best of good intentions, she is producing effects which are distressing to her children and friends, who imagine
that the child is mad or obsessed; their fears react on the mother, and from her to the daughter again, so that great
harm results to both, where a little knowledge and caution would have led to happy results. Therefore, it is necessary
that all should learn the lesson and study the law of spiritual association, cultivate self-reliance, discountenance all
but intelligent and rational surrender to spirit influence. Spirits who exert their influence reasonably should be welcomed,
but no spirit should be regarded as an infallible authority. Responsibility rests on the sensitive, as no uncongenial
spirit can break in or forcibly control so long as the medium is honest and self-possessed, unless by his own attitude
of indiscriminate desire and response he opens the way. On the whole, the judgments of the world are fairly accurate,
as the spirit usually rings true; the difficulty is that the world judges from the actions or from what is seen; whereas we
judge from the intentions and motives. In the long run character tells. Help others, but beware lest you carry them;
show them how to act, but do not act for them. Remember that we claim no authority other than that of truth, and
this can only appeal to you in so far as it commends itself to your own minds.