A Genealogy of the Extraterrestrial in American Culture

Constant reminders of the fallibility of spirits further underlined their intrinsic
humanity. A Guide to Mediumship: Dictated by a Materialized Spirit; Through the Mediumship
of W.W. Aber admonishes the would be medium to “Remember, there are many spirits in the
spirit world who are not as wise as yourself, and you can teach them many things they do not
know.” 115
This sentiment was echoed by one Dr. Charles Main, who opined “many in the spirit
are below even our level, both intellectually and morally.” 116
Main went so far as to offer daily
lectures on moral improvement to interested spirits. The Reverend E.W. Sprague, in keeping
with Main’s apparent philosophy informed his readers “so-called evil spirits are only
undeveloped spirits…If crude, undeveloped, and seemingly evil-disposed spirits manifest, no
one should be alarmed; they should be treated kindly, words of encouragement should be spoken
to them. They should never be driven away, but we should try to help them.” 117
Frank
Podmore argued that “if there are spirits at all, to trust them on the same terms as we trust our
fellow-mortals would be our only practicable policy.” 118
The Spiritualist injunctions against
superstition and blind faith combined with the fervent desire for the survival of individual
personality find their logical corollary in noting the potential foibles and unreliability of spirits.
Moore notes both the “constant emphasis placed on the fallibility of spirit messages” and Judge
John Edmonds’ charitable reading of that fallibility— “A perfect revelation, he argued, would
leave the human mind with nothing further to do. It ‘would come to us “with authority” and we
should be encouraged to render obedience and not judgment’.” 119
Mediums tended to talk about their spirit guides/controllers as if they were friends. Mrs.
Cecil Cook describes each of her spirit controls in turn. “Bright face came—a child in spirit, as
117 Sprague, 35, 38.
118 Podmore, 357.
119 Moore, 48.
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