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Charles Richet communicates

Recorded: August 12th 1968

“Nothing is impossible to the power of the spirit.”

Professor Charles Richet was a French physiologist and pioneer

in the study of immunity and allergic reactions.

He was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1913 for his work on anaphylaxis.

 

He was also a successful aviator, novelist and playwright

who studied philosophy and paranormal abilities.

 

Professor Richet also investigated physical mediumship for many years and in 1894 he devised the term ‘ectoplasm’

to describe the rare physical substance created in the séance room.

 

In this audio Richet discusses the technicalities
of how spirits communicate and how his understanding

of the afterlife helped him after death...

The first voice heard in the recording is an unsuccessful

communication attempt made by a spirit guide of one of the sitters...

Note: Although this vintage audio is enhanced, the occasional sound of passing traffic can be heard.

Read the full transcript below as you listen to the recording...

Present: Betty Greene, George Woods, Leslie Flint.

Communicators: Achmad, Mickey, Charles Richet.

Achmad:

Hello, hello.

 

Woods:

Hello.

 

Greene:

Good morning friend.

 

Woods:

Good morning.

 

Achmad:

Good morning. How very nice. Very nice.

 

Woods:

Yes?

 

Achmad:

I am most happy to come here to speak, Mr – Mr – Mr ...

 

Woods:

Yes? We can hear you quite well.

 

Achmad:

Ah – Achmad.

 

Woods:

Achma?

 

Achmad:

Achmad.

 

Woods:

Achmad?

 

Achmad:

I am Achmad.

 

Woods:

Ach...?

 

Greene:

Eichmann?

 

Woods:

Eichmann.

 

Greene:

Oh, no, no, no, no, no.

 

Achmad:

Achmad. I am Achmad.

 

Greene:

Achmad? Would you spell your name?

 

Achmad: [Unintelligible]

 

Greene: [Laughter]

Woods:

Huh!

 

Achmad:

[Unintelligible] I come, I come, I come, I come here... [Unintelligible]

 

Woods:

Yes?

 

Mickey:

He's one of your helpers, comes when you have your little sittings.

 

Woods:

Oh good.

 

Greene:

Oh, bless you. How very nice.

 

Woods:

Very nice.

 

Greene:

Thank you.

 

Woods:

Yes.

 

Mickey:

I've got an idea he's Egyptian or something like that.

Flint: [Sniffing]

 

Woods:

Oh yes?

 

Greene:

[Unintelligible] How very nice of him to come.

 

Woods:

Yes.

 

Greene:

Thank you Mickey [for saying those things].

 

Richet:

Good morning.

 

Woods / Greene:

Good morning.

 

Richet:

I do not know if it is possible that you hear what I say to you?

 

Greene:

Yes.

 

Woods:

Yes.

 

Richet:

I am very interested, indeed, in everything that you are endeavouring to do. Because it is, for me, an opportunity to be of service and, uh, I know many of my friends here are very anxious - as indeed are... for you I know to circulate this knowledge.

Hello, hello, hello?

 

Greene:

Hello.

 

Woods:

Hello. We can hear you.

 

Richet:

It is, uh... my name is Richet.

 

Greene:

Your name is Richet?

 

Richet:

Richet.

 

Woods:

Yes.

 

Richet:

I was very interested in this subject, you know, before I come to this side of life.

 

Greene:

Mmm-hmm...

 

Richet:

Um... it is very interesting indeed to be able to manifest and to know from this side the mechanism and the methods of control and, uh, what is happening.

 

When I was on your side I had experience with various mediums and [there were] many things which were very puzzling, which of course now I begin to realise and understand much more clearly, the many difficulties there must be in communication.

 

Greene:

Yes.

 

Richet:

You have taken on a very responsible position, to express this knowledge to people. But with your modern machinery you are able to recapture the voice and everything, the séance, everything as it is originally. It is very important, very wonderful... to know that you have this machine, to be able to go here and there, to play and to give people the identical experience that you have.

 

Greene:

Yes.

 

Richet:

[Unintelligible] I am here with Flammarion*

*Camille Flammarion = French astronomer

Greene:

I beg your pardon?

 

Richet:

I am here with my friend Flammarion and also many other people that you would know.

 

Greene:

Yes?

 

Richet:

People that, uh, like myself, were very interested in this subject. Schrenck-Notzing and many other people, such as Doyle and Lodge...

 

Greene:

Is he with you?

 

Richet:

...my contemporaries, people that were in interested in this subject. We are all interested in your work, knowing that you are doing a great good in spreading this great truth - and by the scientific method of recapturing on, what you call, tape machine.

 

Greene:

Yes.

 

Richet:

Very interesting. I wish it was so in my day. It would have been a great blessing, a great help to us.

 

Greene:

Excuse me, were you a special kind of medium, when you were...?

 

Richet:

Oh, I was not a medium, madame! [Laughing] I was far from being a medium...

 

Greene:

Oh, I see.

 

Richet:

...but I was tremendously interested in this subject. I studied it and I experimented with mediums... You probably have not heard about me, which is good...

 

Woods:

Yes, I've heard about you.

 

Greene:

Richet, yes.

 

Woods:

Yes. You lived in France didn't you?

 

Richet:

Oh, my life. You hear, monsieur, what I say to you?

 

Woods:

Yes.

 

Richet:

Ah, it is so. I don't know, you see, always if my voice is registering.

 

Greene:

Yes it is, you're very clear now.

 

Richet:

I realise of course now, the thing I did not understand before; that all communication – our communication, my communication to you – it is the concentration of my thought which is transmitted to you, as thought, via the artificial voice-box which is responsive and reacts and vibrates in your [harmonious] conditions and gives to you my thoughts or the thoughts of any communicating entity, transmitting artificially to you.

 

Greene:

May I ask you something? When, um, when we're giving these taped demonstrations and I give a small lecture beforehand, am I correct in my description of how you people come through?

 

Richet:

Oh yes. Quite. Of course, we must also remember that there are varying methods.

 

Greene:

Mmm...

 

Richet:

But the chief method and the fundamental method is always the transmission of thought into sound, artificially. That is what people will not and do not realise in your world. Sometimes they question the intonation or the sound of a voice and say, 'well, that sounds rather like so-and-so or rather more so this or that', you know.

 

They must remember that the voice itself must be artificially created. It cannot be naturally reproduced as it would be in your own sphere with your own physical body. You are not using the same body, you are notusing the same vocal organs, you are not... indeed, you are not even communicating under natural conditions.

 

All communication must, to some extent, be unnatural. Although we are naturally anxious to communicate and we are desirous of it, the methods that we have to employ are not, in a sense, natural. They have to be transmitted artificially to you and therefore the miracle is that you receive anything!

 

These people who come and criticise, they do not understand the fundamental truth of this.

 

Greene:

We've had a lot of trouble over this actually.

 

Richet:

How do you mean you have had many troubles?

 

Greene:

Well, in one tape the voice was criticised quite a lot, you see.

 

Richet:

Oh, I see. Well that is bound to be. It is very unlikely, particularly in the first instance of communication, that a person will be able to recapture identically the voice of the Earthly body. I do not think that is feasible. After all, what [constitutes] a particular voice is the physical organism; the body, the construction of the larynx and the vocal organs, the education of the individual or the lack of it.

 

In other words, a voice is something which is built up in your world over a long period and, uh, when we reproduce, we must reproduce artificially. And also it depends on how much we can recapture and remember of ourselves. You know, it is not easy. People do not understand this. They should make more allowances. After all, it is what we say, not so much what...our voice may sound like, that matters.

 

Greene:

When you are speaking now, are you actually just thinking what you are saying into the voice-box, and it's coming to us as sound?

 

Richet:

You see, we build the voice-box. The scientists, whose task it is, utilising the ectoplasm drawn from the medium and also sometimes from the sitters that are present... they reproduce from ectoplasm a replica of the vocal organs necessary for speech that is held, as it were, in an auric emanation or an auric condition [surrounding] the medium.

 

Then we have to enter into the medium's vibration and the vibration, particularly, of the auric voice-box and then we have to transmit by thought – and that is automatically reproducing sound in your vibration.

Greene:

Mmm...

 

Woods:

And is it the same sort of principle when you impress upon anybody, you impress a thought into their mind... uh, to say, to do certain things or to say certain things?

 

Flint: [Sniffing / Coughing]

 

Richet:

All communication, whether it is in your world or from this world, is mental. It must be. There is not a single thing that you may do, that first your mind is not conscious or does not, as it were, make it possible. You lift a finger [and] your mind, your thoughts tell your finger to move.

 

Greene:

Now, when you take... say, for instance, a medium... a trance medium, when the spirit communicator takes them over, they are actually using their vocal chords are they?

 

Richet:

Oh yes. There is a difference between trance mediumship and direct voice.

 

Greene:

Yes, I know. But that's when they are actually using their vocal chords?

 

Richet:

That is so, obviously, and they must transmit through the medium and the medium's vocal organs are used.

 

Greene:

Yes, yes...

 

Richet:

The medium becomes, as it were, the subject. In other words, the instrument is merely under hypnosis. The more deeply entranced, the more hypnotic the power. All mediumship, to some extent, must be under hypnotic influence. In other words, we take control of the instrument. The more we can take control of the instrument, the more successful are our contacts.

 

Greene:

Mmm-hmm...

 

Richet:

The medium who is conscious, the medium who resists is not invariably such a good instrument. You see, the medium must be prepared to lose his identity completely. In other words, to 'give up' himself, that he may be taken over. I am talking here of mental mediumship: trance mediumship.

 

There is a vast difference between mental and trance mediumship and direct voice, which, uh... when direct voice is of a high calibre it is obviously the best, because we can bypass – how you say – avoid the medium completely.

 

Greene:

Now, when you're speaking to us now...

 

Flint: [Sniffing]

 

Greene:

...you can hear us quite plainly?

 

Richet:

I am more conscious of your thoughts than I am of the sound. I am conscious of the sound, I do not always pick – how you say – I am not always, uh, conscious of exactly what you are saying. But before you enunciate the word quite often I can pick it, you see?

 

Greene:

I see, so we are working in reverse, as it were? Our sound is [getting back to you] as thought?

 

Richet:

I think... I think what one must bear in mind is – and it is the most fundamental thing in communication – is that all communication is mental...

 

Greene:

Mmm...

 

Richet:

...whether it is with human beings or the animal kingdom, even birds. Whatever the form of life, there is thought, there is the power to send out. It is a form of telepathy almost.

 

Greene:

Yes. And can you see us sitting here?

Flint: [Sniffs]

 

Richet:

I can if I concentrate. You see, there again, I don't think it is possible for you to understand quite. It depends on the amount of, um, concentration that I put into it.

 

The more highly concentrated the thought of the communicator, the more successful will he be in his communication. Whether it is in transmitting a message or whether it is in actually being present. That is, to be knowledgeable or to be able to see the people, in this case, who are in the room and also, from the point of view, for instance, of materialisation.

 

It all depends on the tremendous thought-power of the communicator. The more they are able to concentrate their thought, the more dynamic it is, the more solidified it can become by concentration. Concentration of thought is a big factor in successful communication.

Greene:

Now, when you passed over, how did you find yourself? I mean, did you...

 

Richet:

Well I had some, uh, idea of this, of course, which was fortunate. But, uh, I was very happy because I knew what had happened to me. I was not a stranger to this knowledge. I knew that I had passed over and that I was quite content. I was quite satisfied.

 

In other words, I was not clinging to any particular preconceived idea. That which I had been given had satisfied me of its reality, that there would be a life after death; it would be, in many ways, a natural existence, which I found it was.

 

I had no, sort of, religious... strong religious convictions which would hamper me. I found that everything here was quite normal, quite natural. In many ways the life in which I found myself was very similar to that which I had experienced on Earth.

 

When I say this, what I am trying to convey is, that, um, our world is, in many ways, like the Earth – from the point of view of nature. We have all that you would expect in the way of natural surroundings; we have all the flowers, the birds and everything – all that you would hope for in a new life that would make one happy.

 

Greene:

And where did you actually find yourself when you passed over? How did you find yourself?

 

Richet:

Well it is a... [laughing]. When you say, 'where did I find myself'...?

 

Greene:

Well, did you find yourself in a room or...?

 

Richet:

Oh, I see what you mean...

 

Greene:

Yes...

 

Richet:

No, I was, uh, in what I suppose you would call a beautiful garden, which was not unlike a garden that I had known in my youth. And in the... I have since discovered, of course, that, in a sense, that it was almost a replica carried over by the mind, the thoughts, of my parents.

 

Greene:

Mmm-hmm...

 

Richet:

You see, they had always loved this garden and I had been used to it and, in consequence, uh, it was quite natural that they should have that surrounding which they retained.

 

You see, we do not realise what a tremendous effect we have by our thoughts. A man is no more or less than as he thinks. If he creates certain thoughts, which are strong and real to him, they are realities. And he will find that he has created certain conditions under which he will exist and live for a time, until he changes his outlook and his thoughts. We are no more or less than as we are in thought.

 

Greene:

Mmm...

 

Woods:

Does that mean to say that if you... if you can imagine a lovely garden in your thoughts, it's a reality you have created when you passed from this side?

 

Richet:

Yes that is so.

 

Woods:

Because I often see a lovely garden in my thoughts...

 

Richet:

Ah, but we must differentiate here a little, because there is a difference between what you would call imagination and that which you have helped to create by effort.

 

Woods / Greene:

Mmm...

 

Richet:

There are certain illusionary conditions here. In other words, a person maybe under an illusionary vibration... or condition rather, and in an illusionary vibration which will pass when the illusion passes, when the mentality changes.

 

The realities here are something quite different. Many people go through phases, changes, according to their outlook and their expectation of things. But realities are quite different thing.

 

Many of the things here are as real, indeed, they are more real than anything you know on Earth. And also you must remember, that many of the things here are created not by thought alone. It is true, that always at the beginning, there is the thought, but effort must come into it.

 

And also by your effort you must make it possible, and also you must be worthy of that which you achieve. Certain things come to you naturally in the first place, but they are not necessarily always permanent.

 

Greene:

No...

 

Woods:

Can you tell me, uh, how you influence a person? Say, in a lecture or, uh, certain things... when you're on a platform and you want to give a lecture on...um...

 

Richet:

Well I think, the whole point here is, that we can only affect a person according to how much they will allow us to affect them. We cannot force anything. Here everyone has free will, of course, the same as in your world. You have free will.

 

You may say that it is not always possible to follow your free will – which, in a sense, is true enough on Earth, because of circumstances beyond your control and influences of other people. But here for the first time your free will comes to play... into play, you know.

 

Here, if you wish to listen to something or something that is being said, then you listen, but you are not forced to accept something until you yourself can accept it. In other words, although we may discuss things here, we may, for instance – like I often go to people and places, and to lectures, science and so on; scientific things, uh...

 

...there are some people who can receive my inspiration, can receive my thoughts and accept them, and some people who will ask...intelligent questions and some people who will follow out certain things that I may convey to them. But there are others who perhaps did not receive – how you say – have not reached that stage of development and they cannot understand and they cannot accept.

Everything here is a matter of gradual growth. We cannot expect to convince everyone. Everyone here is not on the same strata. 

Everyone here is not always receptive even, to certain influences and certain thoughts. In other words, it is all evolution and that is life.

Mickey:

You know, I don't think you can ever realise or anyone can, for that matter, who is really immersed, as you might say, in this work, the number of people who do take an interest.

 

I mean, it's natural when you're sitting in circle and you're developing or you're working as a medium, you get to know a certain number of people and you become associated with them, you realise the point and the purpose of what you've got to do and it's very important to you and you strive and sometimes you get disheartened and all that, but nevertheless you go on...

 

The point is, that there's thousands of people really. Because, um, although you may know, say, half a dozen, but you can bet you're sweet life that they are only representing hundreds and hundreds of others, who, for various reasons don't make themselves known, who work in the background and transmit their messages and their thoughts and...

In other words, they serve on all levels, you know.

Greene:

Mmm. [Unintelligible] interested in the scientific side and also, of course, the mind especially.

 

Richet:

But what I am most interested in and the main reason why I come to you, is that I am very conscious of the doubts that must arise in the minds of people who are beginning, you might say, to search into this great truth.

 

And although they are anxious for conviction, there are many things which they find impossible to accept. Things they do not, of course, they do not invariably understand. And they often of course, quite wrongly – although in their own estimation quite rightly – expect certain things to be given to them clear and sharp without any distortion.

 

They must remember and realise that you cannot hope to obtain the sort of things that you might call evidence, without sometimes some distortion. You may see so far and you may receive so much, but you must remember that whatever we have to convey to you, we must, to some extent, bring it down to a level by which you can understand it and which you can accept it.

 

And also, of course, people do not realise that there are many difficulties and complexities – even with people whom you know well; relations and friends whom you love and who you are anxious to communicate with, for instance.

 

You may expect them to say the most obvious things, but then again, the most obvious things are not necessarily the most evidential and the most convincing. You may think so, you may expect those things and say, 'if I can receive so-and-so, and so-and-so, I will know that is good, that was correct, that is proof to me.'

 

But then again, you go away and you say, 'well I knew that. It was in my thoughts. I knew the answer to this or that problem or this or that question or this and that,' so on. And you say, 'ah, perhaps the medium reads my thoughts?'

 

That is why, quite often, communicators from this side will deliberately give to you certain information which is not registered in your own mind, things which you do not even know. But if you can prove that to be so, what they have told you, that is much better evidence, because it could not be in your thoughts.

 

In other words, we have to guard against this thought transfer, to some extent, in communication, because we have to avoid these things. If we are to bring conviction into your world, we must be able to tell you things of which you have no knowledge and which can be proved afterwards.

 

That's why we often, for instance, go in for – how you say – for... for prophecy. We don't prophesy just for the sensationalism of prophecy. We do it, invariably, for a good purpose, to give you conviction that we can see a little further ahead, that we know - which we do know.

 

Because we are not in time as you are in time, we are outside time. We can see a little further. We are rather like a man in the aerial plane, you know. We can see around the corner of the road, but you in the car cannot.

 

It is very important for people to realise that all the things we do are for a purpose. We seldom do anything just for the sake of doing it, for something to say or just for that moment to please. We do everything, invariably everything – particularly those of us who come with this work in mind and in heart, for the advancement of truth. We are concerned with truth and, in consequence, we work for that end, to give it and express it to you and prove it to you.

 

We are not concerned with mundane material things, which are so important to so many people. After all, the majority of people, as you well know, who go to Spiritualist and psychic centres, they are more concerned with the personal self. They are more concerned with material things.

 

Well, we may help you with those a little, as far as we may. But we are much more concerned, obviously, with spiritual things: things that are permanent, things that are real, things that are lasting. And when people come to us intelligently and spiritually, combined, and work in harmony with us and realise our difficulties and cooperate with us and are patient, nothing is impossible to the power of the spirit.

 

But the majority of people who are supposed to understand this truth are only concerned fundamentally with self, in some shape or form. They are concerned with material things, they expect the spirit world to be able to answer the most mundane problems, which of course sometimes we do. Sometimes we do it, not only because we wish to be of help, but sometimes because we want to give a kind of evidence.

 

But the whole point is, that the majority of people, who should know better, are not concerned with the spiritual facts of this great truth and the realities; the things that can be of real value to the world. We come into your world to show man how to live and how to express himself spiritually and advance far away from the material condition of things.

 

We have a purpose and when the Spiritualists have a purpose, then nothing is impossible between us. But there are far too many I'm afraid, who are content with the small things. They are not prepared to go further.

 

Greene:

There is one question I'd like to ask you if I may?

 

Richet:

You must be quick madame because the power is...

 

Greene:

You said you could see you around the corner. Well how do you see things recorded? Are they recorded on the ether, as it were?

 

Richet:

Partly. And partly because we can see the outcome of actions. Not only of the individual, but other people who affect that individual and what their thoughts, in regard to certain situations, will be. In other words we can – how you say – we can foresee because of the obvious developments on certain lines...

Richet:

Partly. And partly because we can see the outcome of actions. Not only of the individual, but other people who affect that individual and what their thoughts, in regard to certain situations, will be. In other words we can – how you say – we can foresee because of the obvious developments on certain lines...

 

Greene:

Mmm... Thank you.

 

Woods:

Thank you.

 

Richet:

Anyway I must go, but I will come and speak to you again. The power is waning. But my blessing to you. Go on with your good work my friends.

 

Woods:

Thank you.

 

Richet:

Au revoir.

 

Greene:

Thank you for an interesting talk.

 

Mickey:

Bye-bye!

 

Greene:

Cheerio Mickey. Thank you, love.

 

Woods:

Cheerio Mickey.

 

Greene:

That was interesting talk wasn't it?

 

Woods:

Yes.

END OF RECORDING

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