The Opelousas patriot. [volume] (Opelousas, Parish of St. Landry, La.) 1855-1863, 1858-07-03
such i Godan1
conscience cry
british Messens
For the Patriot
spi1i .iis,p--No. 8.

Mr.. EDITOH-H you end the numerous feanefs ~
your excellent weekly will patiently bear VIII Win . ne,
Will try ID give you q thorough scientific lnsestisa-
tion7 81 what Il called spiritualism. 4 will presume
upon the intelligence Of your readers, aF take y
for granted, that they believe u suchsat as ~
voluntary notion We breath inyolnInsaflty out
blood flows inyolnntarily, and we may WALK q saih
hi work ins the same manner !: and when wesah ~
RRii.fsyoluTntarriiy walk ors talk III do any fting Htsa NE
ways done with The precision. Persons ia the som.
nainbulic state have been known y perform eats fuat
would be impossible Id Il natural state ouch as the
walking u joist, climbing precipices--perforriing
pieces Of mechanism etc. This involuntary melton
ID nothing more or less, than the Instinct instead Of
the intellect governing the actions of the body
Hence III arrange and seemingly unaccouiatabl
Wisdom and preeision-whieh characterizes them.
All animals baye instinct, man hassn0t only IN
stinct but also Resemblance whilst the lower ort
ders Of animate creation never imTrove, II il in the
province Of man tlitnprove continuaily-Hence 3his
superiority. The bird ny soon ~ hatched On the ap-
proach Of its mother will throw VI. ~ head and
open its besik forsthe receptionfFoff food " HE child
3of u day will draw its mothers bfeastr4-but while
sthe bird il full grown at birth in itsStnteilectna
powers, the child will grow and increase here and
hereafter & I'D infinitunlqN
The beaver Of the lst century constructed hlssdam
with sas much skill and precision az the beayer Of
the 18th century. But mar, the image ofs
with his soaring toHering-expanding--improving
and Strengthening intellect I has characterized him.
self as the superior Of all animal beings, ny his
wonderful Improvements and Inventions. Jndging
Of the future BY the past man is destined u an
eternal rogression-and if his progression lie sane
tilted he willvie with angels and archapgeis when
the brilliant day OF eternity shall throw around him
the undying ~splendors Of the on.coming future.
Catching tie fires Of glory and the love of the
Eternal, he will, with starry wings sweep eternity,
and drink in5 the Translucent splendors which paint
and garniEh the ~pavilliOns of the home Of Dicty.
Bat whilst man liz thus endowed with reason
that reason may often err--instinct never crrH--she
-. tA4., 1t.yn 4lxaA E Arx "a nsf ~ nt,X( 10
therefore always successful in her works. Hence
the most wonderful part Of the ~phsnoniina tvizl It's
Intelligence is accounted for
We find also that persons who pass easily into and
out ef the fiesImeric state or who may fall into
catalepsy are always the best mediums. Some per
sons are naturally III the electro psychological state.
These stltes may be attained BY entire p~assivity OF
resignation VI the voluntary powers Of the mind
and the ottener it Is done, the more easily It ac-
complished.
a person Of this temperament may sit down to
himself and passively await. for what lie would
call d communication and the involuntary powers
thus becoming charged. the voluntary being sus-
pended whilst the intention was to accomplish GER
tain ends: the person Will pass into 4 half dreaming
state and iii all probability will conceive that he i
m actual communication with departed spirits. He
will be honest III his convictions, and III his former
impressions have been correct on the subject Of en-.
quiry, his Impressions in that state will also be cor
rect. Now by bringing this person in this state Into
$3.50 49, thtttA y - tYth hhtVttfNtI Il ~ VS. vANAN
tary powers are aeting, he may be made to nppa'
rentty see, feel, hear, smell, or Taste any thing tho
person desires they should
All Of the senses, are susceptible Of the most as
tonishing Observation-Disclosures. fur superior TO any
Of the 50 called NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. this being The
fact and the mediums involuntary powers being
brought into sympathy with my mind, the medium
will see any thing that | see or hear any thing thai
! hear and 50 Of 1.-THE senses,
The table tipping il done, In one of " Why's
First by the inediHm'so " physical force as exefted
through the involuntary nerves, without tile me
Edinnn's Acknowledgements az a person is convulsed in
catalepsy. The second way ii by electro magnetically
human hands. When this ii the case it can he
moved without contact. This IS the most lnyste
lious and far theznost Interesting mode of operation
Now actuui experiment has demonstrated these
things. 1t Is the greatest absnrdity therefore IL
ascrihe TO supernatural agency, that which can be
accounted for on natural principles.
Take q man weighing lao pounds, lay him on his
stand one on either side of him ;4iet each place TIE
foredngers under the shoulder blade and loIns OF
each side and keep a steady lift Of Is pounds eacl
on the body. Let them all three together take in :
long inspiration, and hold the breath fol . moment
and then expire together and let them thus con
tinne for q short time, and the body will rise as ligf
as their heads and they will not increase thefl
pressure. Here is an unusual imitation Of tie lungs
and the power Of electricity III the blood and nerves
hence 100 pounds weight is overcome. Sd deaf
body may be thus slrcharged and moved at will
Take a silk umbrella stand iton end, and stroke il
downward D few times with the hands, then balance
il between the palms Of the hands, then gently Re
move the hands from contact with Il, you may thel
move the hands backwards and forwards and Til
umbrella will follow them, even though it lean non
"a perpendicular two or three inches.
RECTIIs.