The Mediums Book

A companion to his first book, The Spirits' Guide, The Book on Mediums explains how to apply Allan Kardec's principles of his practical science of spiritism in order to become a medium. His aim is to teach interested readers, those who believe in the existence of the spirit world, and people with a strong desire to communicate with the dead how to cultivate their sensitivity to the paranormal. It is a serious undertaking, and Kardec warns his reader to approach the subject with a scholarly mind and pure intentions. For those who are willing, there is a whole new world just waiting to be experienced. French scholar HIPPOLYTE LEON DENIZARD RIVAIL (1804-1869), aka Allan Kardec, was a longtime teacher of mathematics, astronomy, and other scientific disciplines before turning to the paranormal. He founded the Parisian Society of Psychologic Studies, and founded and edited the monthly magazine La Revue Spirite, Journal of Psychologic Studies. He is also the author of The Gospel as Explained by Spirits (1864).

“Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see if they are of God...” (1 Jn. 4:1). This work, the second volume of the Codification of the Spiritist Doctrine, explains how and in what ways spirits manifest themselves in the physical world and how to test them to determine if they are of God. The Mediums’ Book is the second of the five volumes comprising the Codification of the Spiritist Doctrine. Its author, Allan Kardec, explains that The Mediums’ Book combines “the special teachings of the Spirits concerning the theory behind all kinds of manifestations, the means of communicating with the invisible world, the development of mediumship, and the difficulties and pitfalls that may be encountered in the practice of Spiritism.” The Mediums’ Book is indispensable reading and provides priceless advice to Spiritists. It will always be a precious source of knowledge for any person who inquires into and considers the mediumistic phenomenon that has increasingly manifested itself throughout the world within or apart from formal Spiritist activities. Since we human beings are an integral part of the interchange between the physical and the spirit planes of life, it is best that we understand the mechanisms of this relationship as much as possible. The Mediums’ Book is the safest manual for all those who dedicate themselves to activities involving communication with the spirit world.

The Mediums' Book sees Allan Kardec introduce and explain how human beings can communicate with the vast spiritual realm. Through this book, we learn how to make contact with spirits of humans and ancestors, and identify both good and evil spirits. An excellent book of spiritual guidance, Kardec explains the methods of mediumship. How a seeker of the spirits can build an understanding of the practices needed to summon, and how the rituals must be carried out, is covered in many detailed chapters. Kardec is honest about the pitfalls; upsetting the spirits, or incurring the wrath and misfortune unleashed by malevolent spirits, is something a medium must always be cautious of. In studying the behavior of the spirits, Kardec answers questions about whether they attach themselves to people or objects. We discover why spirits can manifest even without the presence of a learned medium; such as in haunted houses or other sites.

The Mediums' Book is not addressed to Materialists, who must be brought from Materialism to Spiritualism, if at all, by their personal ascertainment of the reality of the modern spiritist "manifestations" and by the proof they give of the continued existence of the souls of the deceased men and women by whom they are produced.

Mediumship has been a part of humanity since pre-historic times. But only after the publication of the masterpiece that is The Mediums' Book in 1861 it was possible to thoroughly study mediumship. It gave humankind the ability of acquiring profound knowledge of the different types of mediums and mediumistic faculties and how to deal with this phenomenon in a safe and productive way. As Allan Kardec himself wrote when the book was first published:"A quite natural desire of people who are engaged in Spiritism is to be able to establish communication with spirits. This book is intended to smooth their way, making them enjoy the fruit of our long and laborious studies, because one would get a very false idea of mediumship if one thought that, to be an expert in such matters, it is enough to know how to place your fingers on a table to make it turn, or hold a pencil to make it write".