ASPR Journal, V14 - Iapsop.com

Correspondence.
CORRESPONDENCE.
ANALOGIES BETWEEN MEDIUMSHIP AND
INTERPRETING.
309
419 CuMB£RLAND Av£NU£,
WINNIP£G, MANITOBA, }Wle 30th, 1919.
Da. W ALT£R F. PRINe£, .
Dear Sir:
You asked me recently to make a note of a remark I had made
concerning the analogy between mediumship and interpreting.
Upon thinking the matter over the task seems to have assumed un·
expectedly large proportions for, especially when the sender and
the receiver of the message are considered, mediumship and interpreting
appear to have an unlimited number of points of resemblance.
To mention only a few of these:
(A.) The agent or sender, whether "living" or "dead," may
or may not give a definite, easily transmissible message. It is difficult
to interpret for a man who has hazy ideas ; it must be almost
impossible to convey an idea for a possible spirit communicator
who, instead of concentrating his mental powers upon some one
thing, has only a vague longing to get in touch with and to be
recognized by former associates.
The agent may have a wrong attitude toward the medium or
interpreter, may" rub him the wrong way," causing a lack of sympathy
and a loss of rapport.
The agent may wish to send a message objectionable to the
medium or interpreter, causing the latter, consciously or the .reverse,
to rid t4e message of some of its more displeasing features.
To illust-rate: A short time ago, while in the A. E. F. in France,
I used to be called upon to interpret for our company billetting
officer. When a disagreement arose between himself and a householder,
based usually upon his own inability to look at the situation
from the point of view of the latter, he used frequently to
make remarks which would, if exactly interpreted, have injured
the householder's feelings in the most unwarranted manner, would
Digitized by Goog I e