the unknown guest(陌生客)-第35章
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their voice in order to make you listen and to amuse your often slumbering
attention。 If you prefer to deal with superior entities of unknown origin；
with interplanetary or supernatural intelligences； once more it is I； for；
since I am not entirely in your body； I must needs be elsewhere； and to be
elsewhere when one is not held back by the weight of the flesh is to be
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everywhere if one so pleases。〃
We see； it has a reply to everything； it takes every name that we wish
and there is nothing to limit it； because it lives in a world wherein bounds
are as illusory as the useless words which we employ on earth。
4
While it has a reply to everything； certain manifestations which it
deliberately ascribes to the spirits have brought upon it a not undeserved
reproach。 To begin with； as Dr。 Maxwell observes； it has no absolutely
fixed doctrine。 In nearly every country in the world； when it speaks in the
name of the spirits； it declares that they undergo reincarnation and readily
relates their past existences。 In England； on the contrary； it usually asserts
that they do not become reincarnated。 What does this mean？ Surely this
ignorance or this inconsistency on the part of that which appears to know
everything is very strange！ And worse； sometimes it attributes to the spirits；
sometimes to itself or any one or anything the revelations which it makes
to us。 When exactly is it speaking the truth？ At least on two occasions out
of three； it deludes itself or deludes us。 If it deceive itself； if it is mistaken
about a matter in which it should be easy for it to know the truth； what can
it teach us on the subject of a world of whose most elementary laws it is
ignorant； since it does not even know whether it is itself or another that
speaks to us in the name of that world？ Are we to believe that it was in the
same darkness as our poor superficial ego； which it pretends so often to
enlighten and which it does in fact inspire in most of the great events of
life？ If it deceives us； why does it do so？ We can see no object： it asks for
nothing； not for alms； nor prayers； nor thoughts； on behalf of those whose
mantle it assumes for the sole purpose of leading us astray。 What is the use
of those mischievous and puerile pranks； of those ghastly graveyard
pleasantries？ It must lie then for the mere pleasure of lying； and our
unknown guest； that infinite and doubtless immortal subconsciousness in
which we have placed out last hopes； is after all but an imbecile； a buffoon
or a rank swindler！
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5
I do not believe that the truth is as hideous as this。 Our unknown guest
does not deceive itself any more than it deceives us； but it is we who
deceive ourselves。 It has not the stage to itself； and its voice is not the
voice that sounds in our ears； which were never made to catch the echoes
of a world that is not like ours。 If it could speak to us itself and tell us what
it knows； we should probably at that instant cease to be on this earth。 But
we are immersed in our bodies； entombed prisoners with whom it cannot
communicate at will。 It roams around the walls； it utters warning cries。 It
knocks at every door； but all that reaches us is a vague disquiet； an
indistinct murmur that is sometimes translated to us by a half…awakened
gaoler who； like ourselves； is a lifelong captive。 The gaoler does his best；
he has his own way of speaking； his familiar expressions； he knows； and；
with the aid of the words which he possesses and those which he hears
repeated； he tries to make us understand what he hardly understands
himself。 He does not know exactly whence the sounds come which he
hears； and； according as tempests； wars or riots happen to be uppermost at
the moment； he attributes them to the winds； to tramping soldiers or to
frenzied crowds。 In other words and speaking without metaphor； it is the
medium who draws from his habitual language and from that suggested to
him by his audience the wherewithal to clothe and identify the strange
presentiments； the unfamiliar visions that come from some unknown
region。 If he believes that the dead survive； he will naturally imagine that
it is the dead who speak to him。 If he has a favourite spirit； angel； demon
or god； he will express himself in its name； if he has no preconceived
opinion； he will not even allude to the origin of the revelations which he is
making。 The inarticulate language of the subconsciousness necessarily
borrows that of the normal consciousness； and the two become confused
into a sort of shifting and multiform jargon。 And our unknown guest；
which is not thinking of delivering a course of lectures upon its entity； but
simply giving us as best it can a more or less warning or mark of its
existence； seems to care but little as to the garments in which it is rigged
out； having indeed no choice in the matter； for； either because it is unable
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to manifest itself or because we are incapable of understanding it； it has to
be content with whatever comes to hand。
Besides； if we attribute too exclusively to the spirits that which comes
from another quarter； the mistake is doubtless no great one in its eyes； for
it is not madness to believe that it lives with that which does not die in the
dead even as with that which does not die in ourselves； with that which
does not descend into the grave even as with that which does not take flesh
at the hour of birth。
6
There is no reason therefore to condemn the other theories entirely。
Most of them doubtless contain something more than a particle of truth； in
particular； the great quarrel between the subconscious school and the
spiritualists is based on the whole upon a misunderstanding。 It is quite
possible and even very probable that the dead are all around us； since it is
impossible that the dead do not live。 Our subconsciousness must mingle
with all that does not die in them； and that which dies in them or rather
disperses and loses all its importance is but the little consciousness
accumulated on this earth and kept up until the last hour by the frail bonds
of memory。 In all those manifestations of our unknown guest； it is our
posthumous ego that already lives in us while we are still in the flesh and
at moments joins that which does not die in those who have quitted their
body。 Then does the existence of our unknown guest presume the
immortality of a part of ourselves？ Can one possibly doubt it？ Have you
ever imagined that you would perish entirely？ As for me； what I cannot
picture is the manner in which you would picture that total annihilation。
But； if you cannot perish entirely； it is no less certain that those who came
before you have not perished either； and hence it is not altogether
improbable that we may be able to discover them and to communicate
with them。 In this wider sense； the spiritualistic theory is perfectly
admissible； but what is not at all admissible is the narrow and pitiful
interpretation which its proponents too often give it。 They see the dead
crowding around us like wretched puppets indissolubly attached to the
insignificant scene of their death by the thousand little threads of insipid
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memories and infantile hobbies。 They are supposed to be here； blocking
up our homes； more abjectly human than if they were still alive； vague；
inconsistent； garrulous； derelict； futile and idle； tossing hither and thither
their desolate shadows； which are being slowly swallowed up by silence
and oblivion； busying themselves incessantly with what no longer
concerns them； but almost incapable of doing us a real service； so much so
that； in short； they would end by persuading us that death serves no
purpose； that it neither purifies nor exalts； that it brings no deliverance and
that it is indeed a thing of terror and despair。
7
No； it is not the dead who thus speak and act。 Besides； why bring them
into the matter unnecessarily？ I could understand that we should be
obliged to do so if there were no similar phenomena outside them； but in
the intuition and clairvoyance of nonspiritualistic mediums and
particularly in psychometry we obtain communications between one
subconsciousness and another and revelations of unknown； forgotten or
future incidents which are equally striking； though stripped of the vapid
gossip and tedium reminiscences with which we are overwhelmed by
defunct persons who are all the more jealous to prove their identity
inasmuch as they know that they do not exist。
It is infinitely more likely that there is strange medley of
heterogeneous forces in the uncertain regions into which we are venturing。
The whole of this ambiguous drama； with its incoherent crowds； is
probably enacted round about the dim estuary where our normal
consciousness flows into our subconsciousness。 The consciousness of the
mediumfor we must not forget that there is necessarily always a medium
at the sources of these phenomenathe consciousness of the medium；
obscured by the condition of trance but yet the only one that possesses our
human speech and c
