The Vital Message

by Arthur Conan Doyle

This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

Genres: Classics, Nonfiction, Religion, History

67 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1919

About the author

Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle was a Scottish writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for A Study in Scarlet, the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Holmes and Dr. Watson. The Sherlock Holmes stories are milestones in the field of crime fiction.

Doyle was a prolific writer. In addition to the Holmes stories, his works include fantasy and science fiction stories about Professor Challenger, and humorous stories about the Napoleonic soldier Brigadier Gerard, as well as plays, romances, poetry, non-fiction, and historical novels. One of Doyle's early short stories, "J. Habakuk Jephson's Statement" (1884), helped to popularise the mystery of the brigantine Mary Celeste, found drifting at sea with no crew member aboard.

Reviews

[Zain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Psychic Religion?

Of course I downloaded this book assuming it would be a mystery. Well, this is not what it is.

I have read a lot about Arthur Conan Doyle being a big fan of Spiritualism. This book is all about it.

Doyle begins his story by criticizing religion. Particularly the Old Testament. He believes that most of the problems of this world is because of its literal interpretation.

Wars, fear-mongering, poverty and just plain old hoo-haw is because of it. Too much focus on the death of Christ and the penalty for mankind.

Now the New Testament, on the other hand, which is more about the life of Christ and how he lived, are about more kinder and gentler stories.

He then quickly delves into his views on spiritualism. He blames religious dogma as the reason that people are not only turning away from religion, but have caused the suspicious feelings that people have for spiritualism.

He definitely believes in it. He brings forth many arguments and documented evidence of cases where highly respected people have supported it based upon research and self-evidence.

He says he, himself, have had many experiences with mediums who have displayed knowledge of things that they could not have known about, without their psychic skills.

If someone is unable to pass a test of their psychic abilities, it just means they are having a bad day.

Yep, this is the man who gave us Sherlock Holmes.

A strong 3.5 stars. 💫💫💫💫

[Mai · Rating 1 out of 5]

Delusional

This was a very strange book with an even stranger concept. I know many people believe in the paranormal—spirits, the afterlife, communication with the dead—but for me, it's just hocus-pocus. I only believe in what's backed by science. I can respect other people’s beliefs, but this kind of unproven, hypothetical thinking doesn’t trigger my curiosity—it repels it. It feels like a self-confirming placebo loop: instead of seeking evidence, you're trying to validate your beliefs by twisting every tiny event into "proof."

Reading what's on the mind of someone as celebrated as Arthur Conan Doyle was interesting, but the core ideas in this book are wildly off base.

Only when I thought it couldn't get worse, he starts quoting Bible verses and changing the words and meanings to fit whatever absurd theory he’s pushing. He genuinely suggests Jesus' miracles were a kind of sorcery—communicating with the spirit world. I’m not even Christian, and I felt violated by that concept. This is what we call the slip of the bright minds.

And THEN he proposes that since all religions are based on “shaky” beliefs, we should all switch to believing in spirits and afterlife communication... based on a book allegedly dictated by a dead woman through a living man. I’m sorry, but HUH? You were so afraid of death, you clung to any narrative that softened the blow, even if it was absolute nonsense.

Dude—so if the wizard you're using as a middleman hits the jackpot, he's legit and the spirit message is real, but if he misses, it's just “one of those days” and you still choose to believe? Can you not see the massive flaws in what you're writing with your own hands? Did you take a step back, read what you wrote, and think it through?

And the cherry on top: after FIFTEEN YEARS of spirit research with a full team... not one spirit wanted to contact their loved ones—and that didn’t set off a single red flag in your mind? Seriously?

I hope your spirit is reading this, Doyle, because this entire book was an unhinged journey into delusion.

[Maria · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had it in my bookshelf, saw how slim the book is and decided I'm going to read it that day...
I don't know what to say about this, I wasn't left with any vital message after I read it that's for sure.
Although I like to read about paranormal events/studies and while expecting a mistery, thankfully it's short because the essay bored me tremendously.

[Lucy · Rating 1 out of 5]

There is a section at the start of the book about the futility of war. If only this common sense mood had continued. Yet another work of Conan Doyle where all rigour of thought has been banished.

[Matt Kelland · Rating 1 out of 5]

Doyle was a brilliant man, which makes it hard to reconcile his passionate belief in spiritualism towards the end of his life with his firm grasp of logic and science as shown in his Holmes stories. This is a rambling, tedious polemic of an essay that was interesting as a perspective on Edwardian spiritualism as a whole and on Doyle as a person, but otherwise is utter garbage.

[Cooper Renner · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sort of supplement to "New Revelation". Doyle's overview of and argumentation for what he calls modern Spiritualism, concluding with some particular case studies and, before them, a Spirtualistic method of interpreting the Christian gospels. Interesting to those who are willing to consider the possibility that "nature" is not wholly materialistic.

[Marianna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed and somewhat share Doyle's modern perspective on Christianism - meant as Christ's philosophy and way of life rather than a religion stuck in dogmas, hierarchies, intolerance and punishments. I like the fact that he being quite a religious one (or, at least, a believer) he distinguishes the relevance of Bible's meaningful teachings from the old-fashioned impositions, claiming that no choleric or rabid God awaits us after death looking forward to judge us for our bad habits or behaviours, but he's a loving and compassionate one, kind and wise far beyond human comprehension. I've cherished this reassuring message of love.
Unfortunately, the middle chapters concerning the same prompts on Spiritualism which I already found in his previous work The New Revelation, were almost a mere repetition, though new interesting examples and "proofs" are given. I strongly believe that Doyle wasn't being completely scientific as he claims on the matter, but a little factious instead, and some of his ideas didn't impress or convince me at all - I still think he's been victim of some hucksters, as proven by many scientists in the years that followed Doyle's experimentalism (see Eusapia Palladino's crucial case).
Nevertheless, the last chapter ended up being worthwhile again, with very interesting and original interpretations of the New Testament and the revelation of some forgeries on it that really got me. I've also loved the final message of tolerance and I want to write down here some lines for a keepsake:

Each creed has brought out men who were an honour to the human race, [examples], are all equally admirable, however diverse the roots from which they grow. Among the great mass of the people, too, there are very many thousands of beautiful souls who have been brought up on the old-fashioned lines, [...].

After all, I consider this book a juicy and captivating one, though not always compelling. I hope it will one day be translated in many other language to spread worldwide its crucial contents.
3.5*

[Bella · Rating 2 out of 5]

same story from a different perspective

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

OK 👌listening

Due to eye issues and damage Alexa reads to me.
Another will written entertaining novella by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle with interesting subjects. This is not what I was expecting but give it a try. Enjoy the adventure of reading 2021

[Komal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lol what did I just read .....

[PenNPaper52 · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought this was going to be a Sherlock Holmes mystery, instead I find that the book is an essay written with passion by Doyle. It starts with Doyle trying to shake the very essence of the Christian religion stating that the Old Testament and the New Testament should not be taken verbatim but that it should be modernized with the times. As the essay progresses, it approaches hypnotism and soon turns it attention to explaining the supernatural... psychic phenomenon... showing with examples the different psychic mediums, the people renowned in this profession, how the media at large attack these people and the people at large shun them until they want to seek someone from beyond the grave. The essay is very boring in the beginning and only shows a bit of an edge when Doyle is discussing the psychic phenomenons. I would have long discarded the book except for one single genuine thing... Doyle... whether he writes Sherlock Holmes mystery or the Lost World or this essay... the force of his words makes you read on even though you want to just close the book and forget all about it. His ideas lingers in your mind, making you question things and you do forcefully end up reading the book just to see what all the fuss was about...