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Spirit Identity – William Stainton Moses

ABSENCE OF PRECISION IN STATEMENTS [OF INTER COMPOSER COMMUNICATION EXPERIENCES]

One cause of doubt [in the minds of those who have never had an experience] is the extreme difficulty that is usually found in getting any facts precisely given, especially facts that are certainly external to the knowledge of the sitters.  There is a general haziness about the messages, where there is not positive error in the statements made; and it is extremely difficult to get anything like definite and precise facts plainly put, unless this be insisted on as a preliminary to further colloquy.

This was my plan.  I used for a long time to refuse to hold any converse with a spirit from whom I could not first obtain some plain facts that I could verify, or that carried on their surface evidence of probability.  I had perplexed myself by reading hazy messages in the works and journals of Spiritualism until I came to doubt the identity of all communicating spirits.  I found great difficulty in getting what I wanted, but I persistently stuck to my point until, by determined exercise of will, by refusing to have anything to do with spirits that declined my method, and above all, by the good fortune of being able to enlist the co-operation of a spirit in whose integrity and power I had the perfect confidence which repeated trial and long experience alone can give, I did in the end get my proof.

Having got my facts, I found them very accurate in all cases when I was able to verify them.  They were at any rate, true.  I do not pretend that this fact proves anything as to the pretensions of the particular spirit who gives them, beyond establishing a favourable presumption.  I have reason to believe from what I know of spirit action, that all such facts might be got up and retailed to me.  Against this I have to say that the facts in question were assuredly unknown to myself; and if they were so got up, we have a very curious point before us.