Helen describes this form of Spirit communication that James has commenced in his writings with Spirits.

December 8th, 1914

Received by James Padgett.

Washington D.C.

I am here, Helen, Let me tell you that you are only making yourself unhappy trying to learn all about the way that I write to you; for you cannot do it, as you are not able to see my method, and I cannot fully explain it to you. But I will try to do as best I can.

When you take hold of the pencil, I exercise all my power to move the pencil so that it will write just what I think, but in order to do that I have to let my thoughts go through your brain. You do not do the thinking but merely let the thoughts pass through your brain, and the movement of the pencil is caused by the exercise of your brain in conjunction with my power which I exercise on the pencil. So you see, you do not originate the thought but merely convey it to the hand, which I guide in accordance with my thought. You do not have anything more to do with what is written than an electric wire has to do with transmitting a message from the party at the end where the message is given.

Let me explain in another way. When I think a thought I pass it through your brain to your hand, and my power to move your hand is brought into action, just as when you think a thought your power to move your hand is brought into action.

My thoughts are not your thoughts; and when I think, your mind catches the thought but does not create the same. So you must believe that I am doing the writing and not you – for I write some thoughts which you could not write if you tried. How do you like that for assurance?

But to be serious, you could not write the things that I write without giving much thought to the different subject matters, for some of them are not familiar to you, as you have often said. Let go the idea that you are writing things which emanate from what is sometimes called your subconscious mind, for you have no subconscious mind, and the philosophers who teach such an idea are not acquainted with the laws of the mind. The mind is only the spiritual evidence of thoughts that congregate in the brain, but which really are not a part of the material thing which the “wise men” call the subconscious self or mind (sic). There is no such thing, and when they let their explanations of things which they cannot account for rest on the assertion that the subconscious mind furnishes these thoughts, they are all wrong.

Only the material brain furnishes thoughts which it puts forth from the observation of the senses, or from the faculties which are brought into action when the reason is made the basis of the thoughts.

I am not a very good expounder of these things, but I tried to make it as plain as I could. Yes, I am telling you this from my own observation and understanding of these things. When you receive communications from Mr. Riddle he will be able to explain more fully and more satisfactorily the laws which govern these things, and you must soon let him write.

I am studying the laws of physical and psychical sciences, so that I may be able to assist you in your investigations when you come to search for the true relationship between spirits and mortals, and the laws which control these communications. Yes, my studies include the investigation of the laws governing clairvoyance and inspirational communications. You will have the opportunity sometime to have an experience in each of these phases, and I want to be in condition to assist you to a degree that will help you in arriving at conclusions which will be correct, and which will help others to understand the laws that govern these things.

So you see your wife loves you so much that she is willing to attempt to learn these things which are thought to be only for the masculine minds, in order to help you more clearly understand them.

But while I will do this, I will not cease to try to learn, to the fullest, those things which will give me a clearer understanding of those spiritual truths that lead closer to God and His Love. These are the absolutely necessary; the others are important but not necessary in order that a soul may sooner or later reach the knowledge that makes it one with the Father. The Love of God, which passes all understanding, is the one great thing to learn of and possess.

My home is now so very beautiful that my happiness is more than I can tell you of. You will be also happy when you come over, for I am filling my home with such beautiful thoughts and so much love, that when you come you will wonder how your little wife could possibly have accumulated so much beauty and filled the house with so much love.

Yes, as I receive more of God’s Love into my soul, my home becomes the more beautiful, only I do not have to be in the home to be able to have this Love with me. It is with me all the time, and when I am in my home, the home becomes a reflection of that Love. The home is not beautiful if the Love is not there, so you see the home depends upon the existence of the Love for its beauty. My soul is the creator of my home, and without the soul being beautiful, the home could not be beautiful.

When I leave my home to come to you, the home remains the same, because while my soul is with me, and also the Love that makes it beautiful, yet the home retains the reflection, or as you might say, the atmosphere of that Love to such a degree, that the beauty of the home is not lessened or deteriorated by my temporary absence. So you see the home has a permanency although it depends upon the soul to give it its beauty and loveliness. My home is not yet perfect, but as I grow in God’s Love, then more perfection will come to it; the more Love that I have the more beautiful the home.

We all are dependent upon the degree of love in our souls for the appearance of our homes.

Let your endeavor be to get all of this Love that you possibly can, and if you succeed in getting as much as I have, you will be one with me and our home will be together. If you do not, I will have to wait until you do before we can live as one together. So do try to get all of God’s Love that you can. If you will only give your thoughts to the spiritual things, and let your soul be open to the inflowing of this Love by praying with all your soul longings, you can progress just as rapidly as I do. So love enough and want to be with me enough to try with all your heart to get this Love.

Your own true wife,

Helen