Experimental investigation of the spirit manifestations, [electronic ...

OF THE EXISTENCE OF SPIRITS. 361leaning would have been unfavourable to Spiritualism. The languageemployed is as follows :1754. ^' I hold it as a truth, that a divine atmosphere surrounds ourearth—an aroma emitted from the world of spirits, in which dwell thegreat truths and secre(s of the universe—a great world that pours downriches upon us, as the sun pours down heat ; and as without the sun thisworld would be but a formless wilderness, so, without this spirit sun, woulditbe barren of thought or beauty.1755. '^ Above us and around us exists a spiritual atmosphere, moresubtle than the natural one. As the latter is the supporter of physicallife, so the former is of psychal. We absorb the delicate magnetic aromatafrom all substances, through the medium of the air,as well as the comparativelycoarse oxygen ; so all of our soul-life comes from this spirit atmosphere—allthought, all feeling, all appreciation of truth and beauty.175G. " 3Ian is the apex of earth-creation, and the basis of all heavenlylife—the foundation of all spiritual existence. Standing thus in a middleplane as the highest thing of earth, and the lowest of heaven, he holdsmagnetic relationship to both ; the earth not only supplying the physicalrequirements of his being, such as food, drink, and air, but he absorbs impalpablenourishment from all his surroundings : the aroma from flowers,and trees, and fruit, as well as the magnetic emanations from people ; intuitivelyappreciating harmonious influences—feeling an instinctive repulsionwhen under those that are inharmonious.This antagonism, or horror,we call antipathy ; and biograph}'- abounds with strange stories of its individualaction. Whenever antipathy is experienced, it is a proof that somethingexists in the peculiar magnetic sphere which has no afiinity with theother sphere.1757. ^'An animal is but a highly organized combination of the mechanicaland chemical forces of the earth, returning to the earth whendeath ensues : the only good resulting from its life is, that gross matterhas been changed into a little higher condition by the combination.1758. " Man, regarded as the animal, possesses nothing after his deathbut the spiritual attributes he has received, corresponding to the physicalthings he sought in his earthly life; if that was low and sensual, his spiritualcondition will be the same ; for the spirit land is as much a spiritualcondition as it is a place.1759. "As man's external form grows from appropriating substancefrom the earth, so are thoughts and sentiments, and all things relating tothe soul, appropriated from the spirit world. Take the earth from man,and he ceases to exist as a physical being ;take the spirit world from him,and he ceases to exist as an immortal soul.17G0. " All physical things have corresponding truths in the spiritualworld, and a man is truly harmonious when he receives the correspondingessence or quality with the material thing—not as a mere symbolization.