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Mystics, Prophets and Seers: Rules for the discernment of ordinary and extraordinary phenomena in the spiritual life, from the works of great mystical saints and other notable authorities
Mystics, Prophets and Seers
Rules for the discernment of ordinary and extraordinary phenomena in the spiritual life, from the works of great mystical saints and other notable authorities
http://www.theotokos.org.uk/pages/appdisce/mystics1.html
By Fr. Felix Bourdier, TOCD
Father Bourdier wrote this study to help souls with the difficult task, when considering supernatural manifestations, of finding out whether they might be false, so as to reject them, or whether they might be authentic so as to accept them.
This is to follow the wise middle way of St. Paul, who was himself carried up into the third heaven, and who advised: "Despise not prophecies, but prove all things. Hold fast that which is good." (1 Thessalonians 5: 19-21)
The author draws on the Church's deep knowledge of these matters, and sets out very clear-cut rules drawn principally from the writings of some of the greatest saints of the spiritual life.
It is not the intention of this study to say anything new on this subject, because almost everything that should be known about it has already been said.
In fact very few people today have either the time or the opportunity to study the numerous works which deal with this question. And yet, in our times which are so abounding with false mystics, false seers, and false prophets, who has not at some time wanted to know how they can recognise the true from the false, and thus avoid falling victim to the deceptions of the angel of darkness.
It is neither reasonable nor Christian to reject everything on the pretext that people have been misled and that Revelation closed with the Apostles. Heaven has sent mankind numerous warnings in the course of history, as the lives of various well-known saints attest. On the other hand, it is equally unreasonable and dangerous to accept everything without testing it; Satan knows how to come as an angel of light, and in the past, just as today, has raised up a host of false seers and illuminists, who have led astray a great many sincere people.
Accordingly, we must be neither incredulous, for spiritual manifestations are possible; nor credulous, for they are frequently illusory. They should be examined seriously, and for a long time, and if they are seen to be of doubtful or diabolical origin, they should be completely disregarded; but on the other hand, they should be accepted when they are supernatural. This was Saint Paul's advice: "Extinguish not the spirit, despise not prophecies; but prove all things. Hold fast that which is good." (I Thessalonians 5:19-21)
It is to help souls keep in this correct middle way and preserve this Pauline attitude of wisdom that we have resumed, classified and adapted some of the works dealing with the rules for the discernment of spirits in ordinary and extraordinary phenomena of the spiritual life. We accept in advance the decisions of the Church on this delicate subject.
RULES FOR DISCERNING ORDINARY PHENOMENA IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE such as Consolations, Desolations, Inspirations
1. What are the spirits we seek to discern?
By this question we ask from whence come the thoughts, feelings or desires which we experience internally, above all when we reflect or when we pray?
In the first place they come from ourselves, from our own spirit. The role of our spirit is to think, to reason, to compare, to judge, and to adopt this or that opinion, or this or that decision. But it can happen and it does happen that we are mistaken. It is necessary to recognise this, to beware of it, and to know what means we should take to control our spirit in its supernatural activity.
There is also the world and the demons, which unceasingly exert their pressures and attractions, to ensnare us in their prejudices, their errors or their false line of conduct. They are condemned by Our Lord and by the Church: "Woe to the world because of scandals". (Matthew 18:7)
On the other hand, there is the Holy Spirit, Our Lord, the Blessed Virgin, and the good angels, who seek to enlighten us and urge us to turn away from evil and to do good.
So it is important to be able to distinguish between them.
2. What action do they exercise?
This action is threefold, and operates on our senses and on our faculties, through consolations, through desolations, and through inspirations.
Consolations are those sentiments of peace and joy which are sometimes given to souls, principally during prayer. Sometimes they are sensible, as with tears and emotions which are perceived by the senses; and sometimes they are spiritual or interior, such as illuminations on some truth or an impulse of love towards God. These latter are called mystical or contemplative when they are directly infused by God and arouse a certain admiration or taste for God.
Desolations are aridity and dryness in prayer, temptations and the impressions of sadness and discouragement, and disgust and aversion for any effort at virtue, etc.,
Inspirations are the desires, projects or resolutions to undertake or to accomplish an act of virtue or a practise of piety.
3. Why is it necessary to have rules for the discernment of spirits?
Such rules are necessary because on most occasions, the action which different spirits carry out is mixed with good and bad elements. As Father Rigoleux explains: "When God gives us a grace, the devil comes at the same time in an attempt to snatch it away, or at least to weaken or tarnish it".
Furthermore, this action is very subtle, hence troublesome to discern, and consequently subject to errors of interpretation.
Besides, an action can be bad while appearing to be good, for Satan excels in coming as an angel of light in order to turn us aside from the right path.
Finally, the action of one's spirit is frequently misunderstood or incorrectly interpreted as a result of the widespread ignorance of the rules for the discernment of spirits.
4. What are the signs and effects of the good spirit?
According to the Exercises of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, they are:
(a) Spiritual joy, peace of the soul, and the absence of agitation;
(b) Courage to undertake good, virtue, and perfection;
(c) Tenacious and strong remorse in the case of serious sinners;
(d) Good feelings produced without previous cause. Feelings which are the result of a cause, such as preaching, a hymn, an emotion, a memory, the sight of an object, a thought, a prodigy, an apparition, a vision, or a message, etc., can come from the bad spirit just as much as from the good spirit. So they must be discussed.
(e) The other good feelings which lead to good and to the best, and which are good in every respect, from the beginning right through to the end, should also be discussed, and with care, when it is a question of taking decisions.
According to Saint Margaret Mary, the signs and effects of the good Spirit are:
(a) The fear of being deceived by Satan, coming as an angel of light;
(b) Feelings of humility, and the conviction of our nothingness, our unworthiness, our powerlessness to do any good;
(c) Attributing to God all good, and every grace, consolation, virtue, success: "nothing of myself, everything from God";
(d) Distrust of oneself, above all in the cases of exalted contemplation and virtue, as well as the absence of a feeling of security in one's perseverance; a relapse is possible at any time.
"He that thinketh himself to stand, let him take heed lest he fall" (I Corinthians 10:12). "Never become so assured that you cease to fear the possibility of relapse, and beware of occasions of sin." (St. Teresa);
(e) Praying against temptations and the snares of the devil;
(f) Contempt and humiliations, drawn by the graces a person has received and coming from creatures, very often from one's superiors. A mystic without this sign is a false mystic, contrary to the common opinion, which is even prevalent in the Church, and which wrongly considers failure to be a bad sign. This is to forget that Christ failed humanly because He is "a sign exposed to contradiction";
(g) The absence of disesteem for our neighbour and the growth of compassionate charity towards him;
(h) The pain of being well thought of by others, for seeking popularity is a very bad sign;
(i) Obedience and submission to the Church, to our superiors, and to the duties of our state in life;
(j) Openness of conscience with one's spiritual director, who need not necessarily be one's confessor;
(k) Conformity and attachment to holy Scripture and to the Church.
On this subject Saint Teresa says in her Life (chapters 25, 26, 32):
"I am ready to endure a thousand deaths in order to defend one single article of the Credo; A favour can only be considered as coming from God as long as it is in conformity with holy Scripture. If it departs from it in the slightest, I would be led to see in it a trap of the devil. . . I do not regard a revelation as true unless it is in no way contrary to Holy Scripture and to the laws of the Church which we are obliged to follow".
(l) The love of crosses and the thirst for humiliations;
(m) The desire for death as a motive of virtue: e.g., in order not to sin any more, to see God and to glorify Him;
(n) The thirst for God, for perfect love, and for complete union with Him;
(o) Faith in and abandonment to Providence in all one's circumstances, especially in one's crosses;
(p) The hunger for Communion, for the Eucharist.
All these signs as listed above are also indicated by the two great Carmelite Saints, Theresa and John of the Cross. They insist above all on the love of the cross, and also mention the following signs and effects of the good spirit:
(a) Confidence in God, faith, and hope in the victory of grace;
(b) Refusing to pray to be delivered from trials, and even having recourse to prayer in order to be given trials;
(c) Struggling to make progress in virtue: "It is by their fruit that you shall know them" (Matthew 7:16);
(d) The immediate production in one's soul of the good effects promised by supernatural utterances.
5. What are the signs and the effects of the bad spirit?
According to Saint Ignatius they are:
(a) Sadness, discouragement, anxiety above all if it is vain and without cause. Sadness on account of God, however, when it is caused by sin and by the loss of souls is not a bad but a good sign;
(b) Subtle motives and tortuous and confused arguments, to determine, this or that;
(c) Everything which incites to evil;
(d) Everything which, first of all presented as good, evolves towards the less good, the easy, the bad. "Enter ye in at the narrow gate" said Jesus (Luke 13:24), and in his letter 26 and countersign 194, Saint John of the Cross declared:
"If at any time any person, whoever he may be, and whether he is
your superior or not, attempts to teach you a broad and easy doctrine, do not believe him, and do not accept it, even if he were to confirm it by miracles, but embrace penance and even more penance";
(e) Whatever is suggested brutally and with a jolt, for the Holy Spirit acts sweetly.
According to Saint John of the Cross and Saint Theresa the signs and effect of the bad spirit are:
(a) Fruitless self-satisfaction and vanity;
(b) Anguish, as opposed to remorse or compunction, about the gravity of one's own sins; true repentance does not consist in being scrupulous;
(c) Spiritual security; believing in one's own virtue, in one's immunity and confirmation in grace. Saint John of the Cross refused to attribute to the true Spirit of God the lofty prayer of a nun "because she maintained an attitude of imprudent security without fearing that she might lose her way interiorly, whereas the Spirit of God never advances without this salutary fear, in order as Wisdom says, to preserve the soul from evil";
(d) Lack of confidence in God; if it is impossible for the soul to rediscover confidence, that is a sign that the temptation does not come from God;
(e) Impatience and murmuring when one is under trial; "he who complains or murmurs is not perfect; he is not even a good Christian", said Saint John of the Cross (countersign 173);
(f) Penances which are either indiscreet or above our strength, and especially those penances which prevent us from fulfilling the duties of our state or the service of God;
(g) Extravagant, inopportune or extraordinary things which attract esteem and publicity in the practice of the virtues and of perfection;
(h) Contempt for little things;
(i) Impressions or ways of doing things lacking in purity of conduct, in one's prayers, and in visions and revelations;
(j) Dissimulation and the lack of openness with one's confessor and spiritual director. The devil loves to remain hidden, not to be discovered, to act incognito;
(k) Disobedience and lack of submission to the Church, to one's superiors, and to the duties of one's state;
(l) Contempt for the liturgy, for the guidelines of the Church, and for the priest;
(m) Non-conformity with Scripture and Tradition: "It is not necessary to look for any other sign," wrote Saint Theresa in her Life, chapter 25; "this mark alone is sufficient to uncover the tricks of the evil spirit";
(n) That type of false humility which, under the pretext of compunction, takes away all taste for the spiritual life and renders us incapable of praying or acting. "When humility comes from God", says Saint Theresa in her Life, chapter 30, "it is true that the soul recognises and bewails its own misery, and becomes vividly aware of its own malice; but this sight causes it no trouble, anxiety, or dryness; on the contrary, the soul diffuses in itself joy, peace, gentleness and light."
6. What should our attitude be to consolations and movements of the good spirit?
According to all the saints whom we have been citing above, we should:
(a) Recognise that such things come from God and not from ourselves;
(b) Thus not glorify ourselves on account of it, but refer all the merit for it to God, and thank Him for it:
(c) Consider our own nothingness, above all at the beginning and at the end of each prayer, however inspired it may have been;
(d) Consider in advance what it will be like when we will be deprived of these good sentiments;
(e) Keep to reason, Holy Scripture and the Church, and never depart from them, when decisions have to be taken.
"Whether such things come from the good or the bad spirit, the best thing is not to be in the least concerned about that, and to allow ourselves to be guided in everything according to the lights of reason, the teachings of the Church and the doctrine of Christ", wrote Saint John of the Cross (Works, pp. 253, 291, 1191, 1195).
7. What should one do in desolation and the movements of the bad spirit?
According to the saints whom we have cited above, we must:
(a) Persevere in our state of life and the resolutions which we have previously taken;
(b) Give ourselves up all the more fervently to prayer and penance;
(c) Hope and wait patiently for the return of God's grace;
(d) Remember and believe that the grace of God will not fail us;
(e) Examine our conscience to see if we have been unfaithful to our exercises of piety or resolutions and, if so, to take them up again;
(f) Humble ourselves by confessing that we are powerless to do any good, and by recognising that when we were consoled this good came from God;
(g) Do the opposite to what the devil suggests, such as praying, singing, etc.;
(h) Open our hearts to our spiritual director or confessor or to someone in whose judgment we have confidence. Satan is horrified at this openness of conscience;
(i) Take not of our weak point, for it is here that the devil will attack us again and again, unceasingly;
(j) Remember that salvation is in the cross and self-renunciation, suffering, trials, humiliations.
"God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ," says St. Paul (Galatians 6:14).
Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus says the same thing: "I found joy and happiness on earth, but only in suffering, because I suffered a great deal here on earth; it is necessary that souls should know this."
In his Living Flames (pp. 961, 962), Saint John of the Cross says:
"The reason why so few souls reach the state of perfection is because these souls flee from suffering… Many have the desire to advance and insistently ask God to raise them to that state of perfection which consists in full union with God; but as soon as God begins to make them feel the first trials, these souls withdraw and flee from suffering, and so they flee from the narrow path and seek the broad path of consolations. They wish to arrive at the state of perfection without having to pass through that state of trials which is the path of perfection. "
Rules for the Approbation of Extraordinary Phenomena of the Spiritual Life (Visions, Apparitions, Revelations, Messages, Missions, Prophecies)
1. Resume of the rules of approbation
First of all, the seer should believe in the revelations which have been given to him, as soon as he is certain of the fact and of the supernatural nature of the revelation.
Secondly, the faithful may believe in them as soon as they are likewise certain of the supernatural nature of the revelations. Indeed, they should not despise them, if they are probably certain. When the revelations are approved by the Church, the faithful would sin in despising them, but it would not be a sin against faith.
Thirdly, the Church believes that such revelations are possible, because she consents to examine them and does not reject them systematically. The Church even believes that they are real, because she has approved several such revelations. But the Church does not believe that they happen frequently, and moreover she judges that they are difficult to recognise, on account of the many forms of illusion which can be found in them.
Finally, the Church does not accept them as superior to general revelation, and does not expect to find new dogmas in these private revelations.
2. The doctrinal foundation of these rules, in the case of seers
According to Hurter's Manual of Theology, (Volume 1, pp. 516, 517): "The person to whom a private revelation is given can and even should believe it by an act of divine faith as soon as he is certain of the fact of this revelation".
According to Pope Benedict XIV, in his Treatise on the Canonisation of Saints: "The person who receives a particular revelation and those to whom it is transmitted by order (par ordre), can and should examine its titles of belief. If these titles are recognised as valid, they have not the right in conscience to refuse to give it their adhesion."
Pope John XXIII, in his message on the closure of the Marian Year, on 18 February 1959, stated:
"We urge you to listen to the salutary warnings of the Mother of God with simplicity of heart and uprightness of spirit. The Roman Pontiffs are constituted the guardians and interpreters of divine Revelation, as contained in Holy Scripture and Tradition; but they also have the duty to recommend to the attention of the faithful – when, following mature examination, they judge it opportune for the general good – those supernatural lights which it pleases God to dispense freely to certain privileged souls, not in order to propose new doctrines, but in order to guide our conduct." (cf. Saint Thomas Aquinas, II. 11, q. 174, art. 6 ad 3m).
3. The doctrinal foundation of these rules, in the case of the faithful
Hurter tells us: "The faithful are not obliged to believe them. However, they are not permitted to despise them, since they could be and even probably are divine, and the presumption is in their favour.
"They are permitted to believe them as soon as their authenticity has been established with certitude. They can still believe them, even if their authenticity is only probable, but in this case their assent will not be an act of theological faith, but of simple prudence".
Pope Benedict XIV, in his Treatise on the Canonisation of Saints, states: "As for what concerns private revelations, they should not be received with a sense of Catholic faith, but only with human faith, according to the rules of prudence which present such revelations to us as probably and piously believable. This is not to say that these revelations cannot or are not destined to be the instrument of great graces, even for the faithful; but as they are not the object of a theological act of faith, putting them in doubt or denying them is not a sin of heresy.
"However, when the Church has approved them, and even more so, when the Church has established or recommended certain practices which flow from these revelations, to protest against them would be gravely lacking in the respect and the assent of mind and will which we owe to the directions and teaching of the Church even when she does not invoke her privilege of infallibility."
Mgr. Saudreau's book The Mystical State deals with this whole subject, in chapter 18 (pp. 209-270). On page 223, discussing the responsibility of those who disdain private revelations, he writes the following:
"There is no obligation to believe unless there is certitude, but the motives for belief can be such that all prudent doubt is rendered impossible. In such a situation, whoever refused to believe and obey would lack respect and submission to God, and would sin gravely. When a person who is favoured with an apparition or with a heavenly revelation has strong enough proof and believes without hesitating… he makes an act, not of Catholic, but of divine and theological faith. This act is very meritorious and can be the mainspring of great graces."
The author then quotes numerous examples of punishments or sudden death inflicted on incredulous priests and religious, and affirms that "the majority of those whom God has favoured with His communications have at first been contradicted, mocked, and treated as visionaries or people suffering from hallucinations" (p. 231).
"We considered it necessary to demonstrate the advantages of revelations, and the danger and the fault which there is or can be in despising them, because in our era there is no lack of sceptics; the tendency to minimise the importance of the supernatural, and to reduce it to the lowest possible level, has never been more accentuated, it is important to guard oneself against this attitude and not to forget the recommendation of Scripture: Despise not prophecies, but prove all things (1 Thessalonians 5:20, 21)" (ibid., p. 233).
Mgr. Saudreau also says (pp. 268, 269) that, according to some privileged souls, there will be terrible punishments in the future on account of the contemporary scepticism on this subject.
Saint Theresa states, in the Book of Foundations (chap. 8): "When a soul is truly humble, even if a vision were to come to it from the spirit of darkness, it could not cause it any injury; but it is also true that when humility is lacking, even if a vision were to come to it from God, it would not bring that soul any profit".
According to Saint John of the Cross: "The second kind of revelations concerns the manifestation of secrets or hidden mysteries … and divine promises or threats, as well as with events which should or which shall take place, either throughout the universe in general, or in a particular kingdom, a province, a state, a family or a certain person: our holy letters contain numerous examples of these revelations… God still grants them in our times to whomever it pleases Him. He is accustomed to reveal to certain souls what will happen to such and such a person or what will take place in such and such a kingdom, etc."
RULES FOR THE DISCERNMENT OF EXTRAORDINARY PHENOMENA IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE
It is necessary to know that errors are possible and real. They arise less frequently in the case of saints than with ordinary people who are not very advanced in virtue; but people should know that errors can happen even with the saints. Father Poulain names 32 saints who were deceived, on pages 355 and 356 of his Treatise on the Graces of Prayer.
1. Five causes of errors
(a) A revelation can sometimes be incorrectly interpreted by the person who receives it, because it is obscure, either for the reason that God does not make it fully known, or on account of conditions which are implied in the prophecy or the revelation. (See Saint John of the Cross, Ascent, Book 2, chap. 19). Such was the case with Saint Peter who, hearing a voice tell him three times: "Rise, kill and eat", (Acts 10:13), thought that it was a question of his food and not an order to baptise the pagans.
(b) When the visions represent historical scenes, they do so often in a manner which is only approximative and probable. So one would be mistaken in attributing to them an absolute exactitude, but God does not deceive us when He modifies certain details. He does so for a motive, namely, to make us better understand the secret thought which He has hidden in the mystery. In fact there have been revelations, made to holy persons and approved by the Church, which contradict each other; this demonstrates that it is lacking in prudence to attempt to reconstruct history by means of revelations made to saints.
(c) It can happen that during a vision, the human spirit keeps its power to mix its own action to a certain extent with the divine action; accordingly, on such occasions it will be self-deception to attribute purely to God the knowledge which is thus obtained: On one occasion it will be the power of invention which is being exercised, and at another time it will be the recollections of the memory.
Even those who often have true revelations can become negligent in the care with which they discern them, and hence they may issue a false prophecy.
Furthermore, the seers are often led to attribute falsely to the divine influence, during the ecstasy or the moments of intense union with God, those ideas which flatter their own desires, and their preconceived ideas on questions of doctrine and history. The activity of the spirit of the seers themselves is one of the principal causes of error. We find examples of visions filled with historical errors in the cases of Saint Elizabeth de Schoenau, Blessed Hermann Josef, Saint Hildegarde, Saint Catherine de Ricci, and Mary of Agreda, etc.
(d) It can happen that a true revelation may be involuntarily altered, after the event, by the seer himself; this danger is very great when the written revelation is very long, but nevertheless was received in an almost instantaneous manner. In such a case it is not excessive to say that not only were all the words not furnished by the revelation, but that as the thinking in the revelation was not detailed, the seer developed it himself subsequently.
(e) It is also easily possible for secretaries to alter the text, without bad will, and in good faith to insert their own choice of
expressions in it.
2. The five causes of a false message
It is possible a message not only to contain errors for the five causes which we have just listed above, but it can also be false in itself for the five following causes:
(a) It can happen that the person who says he has received revelations is a liar and in bad faith.
(b) A person can invent things in good faith, either as a result of an illusion, or arising from a certain disorder of the memory which consists in believing and recalling certain facts, although they have never existed.
(c) A person can be deceived by his own imagination or by his own spirit, if they are too lively.
(d) The devil can give false revelations or visions, as in the case of Nicholas of Rheims in the 17th century. The devil can also produce an alienation of the person's senses, in an attempt to produce a counterfeit of divine ecstasy. But this case is extremely rare, and almost no known and certain examples can be cited.
(e) A revelation can be the invention of forgers. Political prophecies have often been their work, being motivated by political or pecuniary interest, or by the desire to fool the public. Such prophecies abound in times of great political or religious trouble. One suspicious characteristic, which is noteworthy in modern political prophecies, is that they never urge people to take up the struggle against the wicked, and do not indicate any serious means of resisting them; they maintain that the world will change suddenly, by a miracle, without a prior conversion of hearts and morals.
In the first half of this part dealing with the rules for the discernment of extraordinary phenomena in the spiritual life, we have been studying what it is necessary to know about them.
In the remaining half, we are going to study what action should be taken.
3. Study whether the person gives divine signs
This means that it is necessary to examine if the seer is absolutely certain of the supernatural nature of his or her revelations, and if he or she works miracles or issues prophecies. If the answer is yes, the revelations come from God and not from the devil nor from nature. We will see below if stigmatisation can be a divine sign.
But revelations are in fact only rarely accompanied by such decisive divine signs; so it is necessary to reach a judgment following the rules of prudence, and after examining the reasons for and the reasons against. To do this, one must study the subject, the purport of the revelations and their attendant circumstances, and the effects of the revelation.
Some people propose that one should prove that neither the devil nor one's personal ideas have had any influence on the action of God, but this procedure only differs from the preceding one we have outlined by the way in which the information is classified and the conclusions are drawn.
4. Study the person himself
(a) First of all, what are his qualities and defects? Is the person sincere, from the physical, intellectual and moral point of view? Is he mentally well-balanced? Gifted with sane judgment? Given to exaggeration or invention? Weakened by illness, vigils or fasting?
If the answers are favourable, it is probable that there is no reason to fear the principal causes of error.
(b) What degree of instruction has this person received? What reading has he done? It is necessary to ensure that the knowledge which is said to have been revealed has not been drawn from the books or conversations of theologians, as was the case with Saint Hildegarde.
(c) What progress has the person made in virtue since the revelations? The important point to know is whether the person has made much progress, following the revelations; if yes, then there is a strong probability in favour of the supernatural; but if not, the revelations should be regarded as suspect.
The devil cannot lead souls to the practice of solid virtues in a true and durable manner. By trickery he can pretend to encourage them for some time, but it will end up in exaggerations and peculiarities; under his influence, penances will be increased to the extent of ruining one's health, and they will be accompanied by disobedience; purity of conscience will degenerate into scrupulosity, and humility into discouragement; zeal will become indiscreet, and it will entice the soul out of its present state and throw it into adventures which end in a cul-de-sac.
(d) Has the person made predictions, and have they all been clearly expressed and clearly realized, without having to invoke subtleties of interpretation. When only one isolated prediction has been realized, there is only a probability that it is divine, for it could have been thrown up at random, and the devil can conjecture many future events in the light of the usual pattern traced by the divine and human wills in similar circumstances.
If the prophecies are not realized, and there are no serious reasons to believe that they are conditional, it should be presumed that they are not divine. "And if in silent thought thou answer: How shall I know the word that the Lord hath not spoken? Thou shalt have this sign. Whatsoever that same prophet foretelleth in the name of Lord and it cometh not to pass; that thing the Lord hath not spoken, but the prophet hath forged it by the pride of his mind, and therefore
thou shalt not fear him." (Deuteronomy 18:21, 22)
(e) What extraordinary graces of union with God does this person believe he received previously, and what was his judgment about them? Apart from exceptional cases, these graces are only granted when the person is advanced in the ways of prayer.
(f) Has the person been sent great trials before or after the revelations? For example, illness, contradictions, failure, and delays in carrying out certain enterprises which the person had at heart? If the answer is yes, it is a good sign, for the life of saints is full of these trials, and it is impossible for extraordinary graces not to be accompanied by crosses; they are a mark of the friendship of God. If there are no crosses, the revelations are suspect.
The most usual trial of these extraordinary favours is that the public, if it gets to hear about them, adopts a sceptical or hostile attitude. Its criticisms and doubts are an excellent touch-stone with which to judge the humility of the seer, his patience and his confidence.
(g) Has the person taken the three indispensable precautions in order to avoid illusions? Namely, the fear of being deceived, openness to one's spiritual director, and not having desired the revelations?
It is clear that believing oneself preserved from illusions is just the disposition required to have them. Similarly, being unwilling to be open and considering oneself a good judge in the matter is favourable to the snares of the devil, who does not want to see his tricks being uncovered. Finally, a revelation should generally be regarded as suspect if it has been desired.
5. Study the revelation itself
(a) Is the text truly authentic? Or has there been any correction or even suppression of certain expressions and certain passages, as inexact or obscure?
(b) Is the revelation in full agreement with dogma and with the teachings of the Church, as also with the certain affirmations of history and the sciences? "I do not regard a revelation as true unless there is absolutely nothing at all in it contrary to Holy Scripture and to the laws of the Church which we are obliged to follow", says Saint Theresa in her Life, (chap. 32, p. 354).
(c) Does it contain any teaching or is it accompanied by any action contrary to decency and to good morals? Saint John of the Cross said: "One of the traps of the evil spirit is to divulge the sins of another with as much falsehood as apparent light. His object is defamatory."
(d) Is the revelation useful from the point of view of eternal salvation? One can be sure that revelations are not divine when their object is simply to make known vulgar matters which have no usefulness for the good of souls. God is not going to occasion a revelation in order to satisfy curiosity, but only for a grave motive. Despite their apparently religious scenario, therefore, one must regard as taletellers those people who, in the name of some celestial spirit, are ready to hold whatever consultation they are asked for at any hour and in any place, on the subject of births, marriages, lawsuits, illnesses and the outcome of political events.
A revelation is equally suspect when its unique object is to settle a disputed question of theology, history or astronomy. It should be clearly understood that eternal salvation is the only thing which is important in the sight of God. Saint John of the Cross says that "for the rest, His intention is that men should have recourse to human means". (Ascent, Book 2, chap. 22).
The revelation should also be regarded as suspect if, although very good, it is commonplace, and can be found in ascetical books. In such a case it is probable that the seer, without being aware of it, is repeating what he has learnt in his reading; or else he is being abused by the devil, who wants to gain his confidence in order to lead him into one of his audacious traps.
If the revelations or the visions are very numerous, this circumstance, taken by itself, is not an unfavourable sign, for to regard it as such would be to condemn a host of saints. On the contrary, if the revelations are long and numerous and do not contain anything false, dishonest or futile, it can be concluded, with probability, that they do not come from the devil; for otherwise he would fail in his objective, since it is not possible for the devil to hide himself for long.
(e) Does the revelation conform to that dignity and seriousness which is appropriate to the Divine Majesty, or is it on the contrary characterised by peculiarities, grotesque behaviour, convulsions, and an unworthy lack of restraint even in the case of people who are quite reasonable and well brought up, when the attitudes, the gestures, the words and the circumstances which accompany the vision are examined in detail?
Many authors state that the devil would never have permission to take the form of a dove or of a lamb in his apparitions, because these are the symbols of the Holy Spirit and of Christ. But this twofold assertion is contradicted by the facts. Hence Saint Françoise Romaine one day saw the devil take the form of a lamb, which came and lay down gently on the feet of the saint; she recognised it, and the devil transformed himself into a furious wolf.
On another occasion she saw seven demons which appeared to her as seven white lambs, declaring that they symbolised the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit; but again she recognised them, and they changed into wolves which attempted to attack her.
The celebrated Magdalen of the Cross, who worked prodigies through the action of the evil spirit, one day saw the devil appear to her in the shape of a dove.
(f) What peace or what trouble did the person experience during and after the revelation? This is a most important means of discernment.
With people of goodwill, the action of the good spirit is characterised by giving peace, joy, security and courage, except, perhaps, at the first instant. The action of the demon, on the contrary, produces diametrically opposite effects: when he acts upon persons of good will, he produces trouble, sadness discouragement, agitation and darkness.
It follows, therefore, that the peaceful or troubled state of the person gives an unquestionable means for distinguishing true revelations from false, when one of these characteristics is well defined. However, there is also the action of our own spirit to consider; it is possible that this spirit can introduce itself into the revelation, when it takes place during a period of profound recollection and great peace coming from God. Consequently, the sense of peace is not enough, by itself, to prove that everything is divine; it only makes it a probability.
(g) Does the revelation urge specific enterprises, such as a new devotion, the construction of a sanctuary, the creation of a work for which there are not sufficient resources, a new congregation?
If this is the case, the work should be examined to see whether it is: good in itself and in conformity with the mind of the Church; useful, and of a utility which explains the need for it to be made known by a means as exceptional as a revelation; opportune, that is to say, whether it responds to a new need; and whether it might harm any other work which it would be better to support. On this subject, Cardinal Pitra has said: "It is entirely permitted to discard such revelations, even if they have been approved, when one does so for solid reasons, and when above all the contrary doctrine is established by unassailable documents and unquestionable experience."
It should be noted that the revelations of women are probably false when, through this means, they seek to direct clerics and princes, and to teach them when speaking about authority.
(h) Finally, have the revelations been subject to the test of the times and of discussion? Without this condition, no revelation can be regarded as unquestionable, despite any favourable judgment it may have received.
6. Is stigmatisation a divine sign?
The answer must be in the affirmative, if the stigmatic wounds are:
durable, incorruptible, and without suppuration or infection; if they are incurable by medication and dressings, even though they sometimes suddenly heal up; if they bleed abundantly and periodically at the hours, days or liturgical feasts of the Passion of Christ; if they are produced on persons of heroic virtue; and if they display all the characteristics of their supernatural origin when their effects and various circumstances are examined.
But the answer should be in the negative, if the wounds do not yield the guarantees enumerated above; for auto-suggestion, fraud and the demon can sometimes produce wounds which are apparently and superficially similar to true stigmata. However such cases are very rare, and do not stand up to a critical examination and the passage of time, which results in them being quickly unmasked and condemned.
The question was dealt with at the Congress of Avon of 17-19 April 1936, and its discussions and conclusions were reported in the issue of October of Carmelite Studies. It is also excellently summarised in volume 11 of Father Garrigou Lagrange's work, The Three Ways of The Spiritual Life, from pages 775 onwards.
Finally, it should be noted that the great majority of theologians, psychologists and doctors all agree with the above opinion, and do not accept the insubstantial arguments of a very few doctors who maintain that it is possible to produce stigmata by auto-suggestion.
7. Study the effects produced by the revelation
In volume II of his work, the Three Ages of the Spiritual Life, (pp. 325, 796-798), Father Garrigou Lagrange gives a few good indications as to how one should examine the question. In practice it is sufficient to ask just one question: Yes or no, has the revelation produced good fruits of grace?
(a) The principle of discernment is given in the Gospels. Our Lord says: "Beware of false prophets. By their fruits ye shall know them. Every good tree bringeth forth good fruit, and the evil tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can an evil tree bring forth good fruit". (Matthew 7:15-18)
In the light of this principle, that "the tree should be judged by its fruit", we can judge what spirit moves the favoured soul. One must look at the results of its influence and compare them with what the Gospel tells us of the principal Christian virtues; if these virtues are increased, it is the sign of a good spirit, above all if these fruits are enduring; those, indeed, who are animated by a bad intention cannot remain hidden for long.
(b) True mystics and ecstatics also produce fruit.
With them, following upon revelations or other phenomena, there is always a development in their understanding of divine matters, those concerning the interior life, the life of the Church, and of everything which touches the salvation or loss of souls; there is also a constant increase in love of God, and in devotion to one's neighbour, which becomes evident in the works which they undertake and bring to a successful conclusion. Their foundations often endure for centuries; such was the case with Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Theresa, and Saint Catherine of Sienna who, although she died aged only 32, and did not know how to read or write, nevertheless for a long time played one of the most important roles in the affairs of her times, in particular by securing the return of the Pope to Rome.
With true mystics, there is a dominating idea which subordinates itself to all others in perfect harmony with them, as for example: the thought of the all-powerful nature of God and of His love, the desire to respond to His love above everything else, the passion for the salvation of souls, the pursuit of divine union, etc.
In The Psychology of Mystics, Mr. de Montmorand, who is himself an unbeliever, writes on pages 20 and 21:
"True mystics are practical people of action, not people of reasoning and theory. They know how to organise, and have the gift of commanding. They are very capable in handling affairs. The works which they found are viable and enduring; their crowning masterpiece would seem to be good sense, a good sense which is not troubled by any morbid exaltation or any disordered imagination, and which is accompanied by the very rare power of penetration."
(c) This is how the same author describes the fruits of forgers, and especially of hysterics:
"With forgers and hysterics in particular, instability increases, and with it dissimulation and lying. Finally, they become completely dominated by capricious sensitivity."
Works of Reference
Apart from the works he has already cited in the text, the author also lists the following authorities which the reader may wish to consult on the subject. Some of these, however, may only be available in French.
First of all, there are the detailed treatises of Father Scaramelli; pages 311 to 418 of Father Poulain's Graces of Prayer (Graces d'Oraison); and lessons 24 and 25 of Father de Guibert's Spiritual Theology.
There are also more condensed studies in Dictionnaire du Catholicisme, cols. 874 to 877; pages 321 to 328, of Father Albert Valensin's Initiation to the Exercises; and numbers 953 to 957 and 1281 to 1285 of Mgr. Tanquerey's Manual.
Finally, there are the excellent rules of St. Ignatius in his Exercises and those contained in the Imitation of Christ, Book 3, chapters 54 and 55.
This translation has been prepared from Father Bourdier's Discernement des Faux Mystiques et des Faux Prophètes
by T. Tindal-Robertson.
Apparition Discernment:
http://www.theotokos.org.uk/pages/appdisce/appdisce.html
This part of the Theotokos Books website is concerned with Apparition Discernment, that is ways of distinguishing between true and false apparitions, particularly, but not exclusively, apparitions of Mary.
Approved Apparitions:
http://www.theotokos.org.uk/pages/approved/approved.html
This section of Theotokos Books deals with the nine major approved Marian apparitions. These are Guadalupe, Rue du Bac, La Salette, Lourdes, Pontmain, Knock, Fatima, Beauraing and Banneux. There is also information about two "semi-approved" apparitions, those at Tre Fontane and L'Ile Bouchard.
NORMS REGARDING THE MANNER OF PROCEEDING IN THE DISCERNMENT OF PRESUMED APPARITIONS OR REVELATIONS
PAUL VI/CDF FEBRUARY 25, 1978 & DECEMBER 14, 2011
http://ephesians-511.net/docs/NORMS_REGARDING_THE_MANNER_OF_PROCEEDING_IN_THE_DISCERNMENT_OF_PRESUMED_APPARITIONS_OR_REVELATIONS.doc
NORMS REGARDING THE MANNER OF PROCEEDING IN THE DISCERNMENT OF PRESUMED APPARITIONS OR REVELATIONS 02
CDF MAY 29, 2012
http://ephesians-511.net/docs/NORMS_REGARDING_THE_MANNER_OF_PROCEEDING_IN_THE_DISCERNMENT_OF_PRESUMED_APPARITIONS_OR_REVELATIONS_02.doc
MARIAN APPARITIONS
http://ephesians-511.net/docs/MARIAN_APPARITIONS.doc
PRIVATE REVELATION
http://ephesians-511.net/docs/PRIVATE_REVELATION.doc
PRIVATE_REVELATION-CRITERIA_FOR_DISCERNMENT-RICHARD_SALBATO
http://ephesians-511.net/docs/PRIVATE_REVELATION-CRITERIA_FOR_DISCERNMENT-RICHARD_SALBATO.doc
CARDINAL IVAN DIAS PROMOTES CONTROVERSIAL MARIAN APPARITIONS
http://ephesians-511.net/docs/CARDINAL_IVAN_DIAS_PROMOTES_CONTROVERSIAL_MARIAN_APPARITIONS.doc
AKITA, JAPAN-ARE THE SUPERNATURAL EVENTS GENUINE?
http://ephesians-511.net/docs/AKITA-JAPAN-ARE_THE_SUPERNATURAL_EVENTS_GENUINE.doc
CHRISTINA GALLAGHER-THE HOUSE OF PRAYER
http://ephesians-511.net/docs/CHRISTINA_GALLAGHER-THE_HOUSE_OF_PRAYER.doc
FALSE PRIVATE REVELATION OF MICHAEL DIBITETTO – RON SMITH
http://ephesians-511.net/docs/FALSE_PRIVATE_REVELATION_OF_MICHAEL_DIBITETTO-RON_SMITH.doc
GARABANDAL
http://ephesians-511.net/docs/GARABANDAL.doc
JULIA KIM-MARYS ARK OF SALVATION
http://ephesians-511.net/docs/JULIA KIM-MARYS ARK OF SALVATION.doc
MARIA DIVINE MERCY-THE WARNING SECOND COMING AND THE BOOK OF TRUTH
http://ephesians-511.net/docs/MARIA_DIVINE_MERCY- THE_WARNING_SECOND_COMING_AND_THE_BOOK_OF_TRUTH.doc
MARIA VALTORTA-POEM OF THE MAN-GOD
http://ephesians-511.net/docs/MARIA_VALTORTA-POEM_OF_THE_MAN-GOD.doc
MAUREEN SWEENEY-HOLY LOVE MINISTRIES
http://ephesians-511.net/docs/MAUREEN_SWEENEY-HOLY_LOVE_MINISTRIES.doc
http://ephesians-511.net/docs/MEDJUGORJE.doc
MEDJUGORJE-CAREY WINTERS
http://ephesians-511.net/docs/MEDJUGORJE-CAREY_WINTERS.doc
MEDJUGORJE-JOHN LOUGHMAN
http://ephesians-511.net/docs/MEDJUGORJE-JOHN_LOUGHMAN.doc
PATRICIA DE MENEZES-THE COMMUNITY OF DIVINE INNOCENCE
http://ephesians-511.net/docs/PATRICIA_DE_MENEZES-THE_COMMUNITY_OF_DIVINE_INNOCENCE.doc
QUO VADIS PAPA FRANCISCO 02-MEDJUGORJE
http://ephesians-511.net/docs/QUO_VADIS_PAPA_FRANCISCO_02-MEDJUGORJE.doc
VERONICA LUEKEN-OUR LADY OF THE ROSES
http://ephesians-511.net/docs/VERONICA_LUEKEN-OUR_LADY_OF_THE_ROSES.doc
‹ Is a Cross with the Risen Christ licit?
Private Revelation.Are Prophets Who Give Messages Of Chastisement Sent By God? ›


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Articulated Bus Dives Headfirst Off NYC Overpass in Nightmare Crash
None of the eight injuries were considered serious, thankfully.
byPeter Holderith| PUBLISHED Jan 15, 2021 11:36 AM
Peter HolderithView peter holderith's Articles
_baldtires
Articulated buses are like a normal bus but longer, with a flexible joint in the middle to help them navigate tight city streets. To be clear, they're supposed to bend left and right, not up and down, though that's how it worked Thursday night in New York City. Photos of the incident look like something out of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but don't be fooled—they're definitely real.
A model Bx35 accordion bus was trying to turn left off University Avenue onto a ramp leading to the George Washington Bridge when the driver, 55, somehow lost control of the vehicle. Instead of turning, the bus carried on straight and went through a guard rail onto the Cross Bronx Expressway below. Only the first half of the bus made it, however. The second half remained on the overpass above.
Eight people were injured in the accident, although it's said that none of the injuries are serious, thankfully. The most severely hurt was the driver, who is said to have been hospitalized with damage to his jaw. Seeing how far the front half of the bus fell, it's truly amazing that nobody was put in intensive care.
Transportation authorities and firefighters later recovered the vehicle by winching the half still on the overpass backward and lifting the front half with a crane. Fuel and other fluid from the vehicle also had to be cleaned up. It's unclear what triggered this accident, with the MTA saying that "when an incident like this occurs we take it very seriously. We are conducting a full investigation and will implement lessons learned in order to prevent it from happening again."
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The Columnists
The Interns
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in-Training
the online peer-reviewed publication for medical students
From the Wards
Doctor's Orders
in-Training: Stories from Tomorrow's Physicians, Volume 2
Tag: doctoring
Farah Dadabhoy (2 Posts)
University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
Farah is a Class of 2017 medical student at University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. She has a passion for food and writing, although most of her meals are bought from the freezer aisle and most of her writing is associated with powerpoint slides.
Published by Farah Dadabhoy
It was early in third year and Ms. G was my only patient. I visited her every morning and evening and sometimes in-between. While our discussions had little to do with receptors and pumps, Ms. G taught me some of the most enduring lessons of that year.
Passion For The Process
Published by Joseph Joo
Aside from the obvious anatomical and physiological implications that dictate sports, I am convinced that there are numerous principles that run parallel between medicine and sports. The aim of The Sport of Medicine is two-fold: to show that there is power in understanding the journey of others to help mold our own, and why I believe that medicine is a sport in its own, unique way.
Columns / Featured / The Sport of Medicine
On Listening
Published by Tiffany Lin
Lessons learned from both sides — A column exploring the qualities of a physician from the perspective of a physician in training, through the lens of a patient.
Columns / The Patient | Physician Perspective
The Art of "Deep Hanging Out": Lessons from Ethnography
Published by Anna Delamerced
The loudest sound I heard was neither the punctuated laughter of youthful teenagers nor the whispered voices of lovers holding hands, but the wind.
Consults / Featured
Blurred Lines: The Doctor-Patient Relationship-in-Training
Published by Vivienne Meljen
It is one thing to be a doctor and another to be a patient. It is a radically different thing to be a medical student paired by your medical school to a physician who is your "patient-partner." Sounds like a word salad, but that is where I found myself as a first-year medical student at The Geisel School of Medicine of Dartmouth a few weeks after moving to New Hampshire, weeks before I would receive my white coat, months before I would have any clear idea of what the medical world is really like.
Featured / From the Wards
Vivienne Meljen (3 Posts)
The Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth
Vivienne T. Meljen is a fourth-year medical student at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth ('17) and a graduate of The University of Scranton ('13). She will soon be beginning her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Duke University Medical Center. She is a 2013 Truman Scholar and National Health Service Corps Scholar interested in working with medically underserved populations. Vivienne first learned about Narrative Medicine through an English course in college and is taking strides to begin to share her stories. She takes pride in her education and work as a physician-to-be as well as spending time with her family and enjoying outdoor action sports any time of year and anywhere. Follow her on Twitter: @StethoscopeOn
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A mobile application idea rewarding loyal grocery shoppers with a visual nutrition library of their food choices.
Our brief was how to create a viable business venture involving software and hardware, within our chosen domain of Food. Unhealthy diets are linked to four of the world's top 10 risk factors causing death. Bad eating habits cost a developed country such as the US 10bn dollars to their economy; 7.7bn on healthcare treatment, and 2.3bn in premature death of those who would live almost 10 years longer if they had adhered to dietary advice. People's life quality and potential is also limited when bad food is consumed.
Whilst researching people's relationship with nutrition many times we heard 'I would like to but it's just too much work.' Despite the numerous fitness and dieting apps, the basic need to track the nutrients in your food still requires the laborious process of inputting the nutritional data for each food item.
With e-receipts on the horizon and online shopping becoming ever more popular, the opportunity to automatically record the food items within a nutrition application is the next logical step. Furthermore in 2011 the Finnish Government passed a law requiring manufacturers to provide a digital copy of their products nutrition to be available for the public.
Supermarkets brand images are suffering, to tackle this Tesco (and subsequently many other supermarkets) introduced the loyalty card to reward their customers for shopping with them.
However, 10 years later the consumer has become a little savvier and the average €7/per Year reward is no longer enough. Conscious consumers are now looking for brands whose values resonate their own.
As a team we began ideating interface features. What would be meaningful within certain touch points of the customer experience? We also considered the stakeholders from the consumer, supplier and the producer. Would they also have the opportunity for a direct channel with their customers through their ingredients within the platform? Finally, what and how was the nutrition information to be presented? We created a model what regardless of how much food was input, the balance would still be shown according to the national GDA standards.
We proposed various interfaces we later tested with users by asking them to collect their receipts.
1. Download the free application along with their new loyalty card and input your basic BMI information.
2. Swipe your loyalty card when you next go food shopping.
3. Receive the nutritional information from your food to your phone; Such as how balanced was your basket according to how many calories your food contains, or how much of a particular nutrient was in each item according to your own goals.
4. Extra features consist of: telling you what nutrients you are lacking in your recent purchases and a nutritional encyclopaedia - informing you what each nutrient is good for.
Whole never shows you either 'positive' or 'negative' information – only facts according to the nutritional content in food, and the GDA according to your individual BMI.
By creating an online questionnaire we were able to increase our reach to many more people interested in monitoring the nutrition that was in their food. In total we were able to reach 52 people. Some of whom were committed to collecting their receipts (furthering the need for a more automated system) for us to test the value of the nutrition infographics.
We found that different people were interested in different aspects of nutrition depending on their lifestyles. As a result we developed a different infographic that allowed customers to personalise what nutrients were displayed according to their goals. For example; Russell's doctor had been encouraging him to reduce his cholesterol so the ability to see how much cholesterol was in his food per serving was extremely useful. Other users were keen on watching the nutrients that gave them better skin, or more optimum brain power. For the sports enthusiast who required a slightly different diet. Users particularly enjoyed understanding the benefits of each nutrient and seeing the recommendations of other food items that contained the nutrients they were missing for their next shop.
We wanted to see how far this project could go. In order to do this we entered several competitions including the Summer of Start-ups, the EU ICT innovation and continued to develop the project with Aalto Ventures Lean Launch Pad. We also had the pleasure of presenting this project to Valio (as a possible sponsor) and the Finnish Ministry of Food & Agriculture for their thoughts on the idea. For this we needed a team to cover the range of skill sets including; Design, Business and Technology.


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When the Civil War first started, people in and around the Vermilion enthusiastically supported the formation of the Confederate States. Once the reality of war sank in — up close and personal — their fervor waned.
Not only did Union troops patrol the Gulf and Vermilion Bay, in April of 1863 they captured New Iberia and destroyed the salt works on Avery Island. After that victory, Federal commanders divided their forces into two groups, with one heading directly toward the Pinhook Bridge and the other advancing up the west bank of Bayou Teche to St. Martinville and then westward to the Pinhook Bridge.
On April 17, 1863, just as Confederate General Richard Taylor, the son of U.S. President Zachary Taylor, and the last of his supply wagons crossed the bridge, the first group of Union soldiers arrived at the Pinhook Bridge. Once the Confederate troops and supplies were safely across, Taylor ordered the bridge destroyed. With the bridge ablaze, the Confederates positioned their infantry and artillery and engaged the advancing Federal forces. The two armies struggled for about four hours, with few casualties.
The next day as Union troops built a pontoon bridge, about half of the tired and dirty soldiers decided to take advantage of the spring weather and water. They stripped off their clothes and jumped into Vermilion. About that time, some of Taylor's cavalry doubled bank and opened fire on the bathers. Madness ensued as naked and half-dressed Union soldiers scrambled amidst Confederate shots firing.
According to an eyewitness description, "Such a spectacle never before was seen. The long [drum] roll was sounding and naked men, in every direction, were making a dash for their guns, trying to dress as they ran. Some with their trousers on hind side before; didn't know whether they were advancing or retreating."
About six months later, on October 9, 1863, Union troops approached the Pinhook Bridge again. Once again, Confederate soldiers set the newly rebuilt bridge afire. And, once again, Union soldiers built another temporary bridge. However, it was not strong enough to support their artillery and wagons.
Once the Civil War was in full force, the Union's naval presence along the Louisiana coast intercepted occasional schooners operating as blockade-runners out of the Vermilion.
Antebellum and Post-Bellum Vermilion
Effect of the Railroad and Congressional help
Hidden Treasure?
Ecological threats of 1911
Connecting with the Intercoastal Canal
No good deed goes unpunished: The consequences of the 1927 flood
Experience the tidal river known as the Bayou Vermilion while riding on a traditionally built bateau called "Cocodrie", French for alligator.
Canoe & Kayak Rentals
This day-long, self-guided paddle option allows skilled groups to customize their own paddle experience on the Bayou Vermilion. And, enjoy the bayou at their leisure.
The Bayou Vermilion District manages a few boat launches along the Bayou Vermilion including North Landing, Beaver Park and Rotary Point.
Learn about paddling, boat safety and more, or fine tune your skills with other advanced canoers and kayakers!
Trees are a major component of a local ecosystem, and quietly perform many roles that affect our everyday lives.


Vastavam web: Hundreds from Shikhar Dhawan and Murali Vijay gave Afghanistan the expectedly tough initiation into Test cricket but the debutants managed to find their bearings to leave India a tad uncomfortable at 347 for 6 on a rain-curtailed first day of the historic one-off Test here.
Dhawan (107 off 96 balls) bludgeoned the rookie Afghan bowlers into submission with a single session century while Vijay grinded them with a compact 105 off 153 balls as the duo smashed 168 in only 28.4 overs.However, the world no.1 hosts did take their foot off the pedal in the final session losing five wickets for 99 runs in 32 overs. The result was that the day end scorecard didn't paint a sorry picture for Afghanistan something that was threatening to happen after the first two sessions.
The Vijay-Rahul second wicket partnership yielded 112 runs but their dismissals brought about a collapse.Skipper Ajinkya Rahane (10 off 45 balls) and Cheteshwar Pujara (35) couldn't maintain the momentum giving the visiting team bowlers something to cheer about in the final session.Rahane became Rashid Khan's maiden Test scalp while Mujeeb ur Rahman got Pujara caught at leg-gully with one that spun in sharply.Comeback-man Dinesh Karthik (4) was run-out needlessly as a solid foundation laid by the openers was wasted by the middle-order.
Rashid (1/120 in 26 overs) conceded a 'century', getting a reality check on the enormous gulf between T20 and Test cricket during the first two sessions.Earlier, Dhawan became the first Indian batsman to score a century in the first session of a Test match joining the illustrious ranks of Sir Don Bradman, Victor Trumper, Majid Khan, and David Warner.The hapless bowlers struggled during the first two sessions as they were not able to hit the correct 'Test match length', especially the spinners, who are used to bowling flat and quick.
Afghanistan coach Phil Simmons' statement about "not knowing what it's all about till you get there" seemed prophetic as the talented bunch of cricketers got their introductory lessons in red ball cricket from two openers, who have played 85 Test matches between themselves.Dhawan also hit a flowing cover drive off Rashid to complete his sixth Test hundred off 87 balls as Vijay also frustrated the minnows with his watertight technique.Call it irony, Dhawan stepped out to hit straight sixes off Afghanistan's three IPL participants Rashid, Mohammed Nabi and Mujeeb ur Rahaman with effortless ease.
In all, Dhawan hit 19 boundaries and three huge sixes before Yamin Ahmedzai picked him with a perfectly pitched delivery that moved a shade away after pitching. Mohammed Nabi, in the slips, pouched it after his skipper Ashgar Stanikzai fumbled on the first attempt.At the onset, opening bowler Ahmadzai bowled a few sharp outswingers before leaving the field with a muscle pull. He did comeback at the stroke of lunch but left after another four-over spell in which he got Dhawan's wicket.
During the final session, he also got Rahul, who dragged a delivery back onto his stumps.The other new ball bowler, Wafadar was angling it across the left-hander and Vijay faced him more to wear him out and take advantage of the spinners.While Dhawan was more forceful in his strokeplay, Vijay was more silken in his drives. The shot of the day would certainly be a backfoot square drive off Wafadar.
However, the young pacer had the last laugh when he got one to jag back as Vijay shouldered arms and was adjudged leg before.While watching Rashid bowl during the pre and post lunch session, it seemed as if Kevin Pietersen's Pataudi memorial lecture was being played on the background."T20 offers cricketing buzz without the full sting. Wickets are less precious. Risks are taken without same downside. There is less character and technique required." Rashid understood it the hard way. Initially, he was relying too much on the quicker deliveries but missing the length time and again meant that he was carted on all sides of the wicket.


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Pollinator collapse could lead to a rise in malnutrition
by Jeremy Hance on 9 February 2015
A bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) covered in pollen. Photo by: P7r7/Creative Commons 3.0
Saving the world's pollinators may be a public health issue, according to recent research from Harvard and the University of Vermont. Scientists have long believed that pollinators are important for human nutrition, but this is first time they have tested the hypothesis. What they found is disturbing: pollinator collapse could increase nutrient deficiency across local populations by a up to 56 percent in four developing counties, with Vitamin A the most vulnerable to pollinator decline.
"Populations of both managed and wild pollinators are declining around the globe, and the importance of pollinators to farm productivity and economics is increasingly clear," the researchers write in the open-access paper in PLOS ONE.
By pollinating a huge number of important crops, the world's pollinators—like bees, butterflies, wasps and others—play an outsized role in global food production and nutrient production. As the researchers write, "recent studies have estimated that pollinators are responsible for up to 40 percent of the world's supply of nutrients."
In order to test the belief that declining pollinators will impact rates of malnutrition, the researchers began by studying the intake of five important nutrients—vitamin A, zinc, iron, folate, and calcium—in young children and women in Zambia, Bangladesh, Uganda, and Mozambique. Meticulously interviewing families about their eating habits over 24 hours, the researchers were able to estimate how much people in these developing countries depend on pollinators for each nutrient.
The researchers found that while results varied across countries, Vitamin A was the most dependent on pollinators. Folate—which is especially important for pregnant women—came in second.
"Sixty nine percent or more of the Vitamin A in children's diets came from fruits and vegetables, many of which depend strongly on pollinators," the scientists write, adding that, "fruits and vegetables also contributed most of the folate to children's diets, but these plants depended
on pollinators to a much lesser degree."
For example, without pollinators the percentage of young children suffering from Vitamin A deficiency in Mozambique would jump by 56 percent. In Uganda, it would rise by 15 percent. Folate was also a large issue for Mozambique as well: without pollinators, women and young children suffering from a lack of folate would rise by 28 percent.
"The take-home is: pollinator declines can really matter to human health, with quite scary numbers for vitamin A deficiencies, for example which can lead to blindness and increase death rates for some diseases, including malaria," said co-author, Taylor Ricketts with the University of Vermont. It's believed that Vitamin A deficiency can double the risk of death due from malaria as well as diarrhea and measles. Moreover, expectant mothers with Vitamin A deficiency are 4.5 times as likely to die in childbirth. Currently, experts estimate that Vitamin A deficiency plays a role in 800,000 mothers and children every year.
The research also found that local conditions were really important to understanding how the decline of pollinators might impact malnutrition. For example, the study found little impact in Bangladesh—but largely because the region studied already suffered widespread malnutrition. In other cases, people depended on very specific, locally-grown crops for certain nutrients, some of which are not tracked by global commodity chains.
"Ecosystem damage can damage human health," Ricketts noted, "so conservation can be thought of as an investment in public health."
While the collapse of bee populations has garnered the most media attention, research has shown that all kinds of pollinators are at risk of collapse and many are in decline. Researchers have pointed the finger at disease, habitat loss, and pollution. But, ehen it comes to bees, a significant portion of research points towards pesticides, especially neonicotinoids.
Policy-makers already estimate that micronutrient deficiency—i.e. lacking the proper amount of specific vitamins or minerals—impacts 25 percent of the global population. Losing pollinators could ending malnutrition—and feeding the world—even more challenging.
Ellis AM, Myers SS, Ricketts
TH (2015) Do Pollinators Contribute to Nutritional
Health? PLoS ONE 10(1): e114805. doi:10.1371/
journal.pone.0114805
Article published by Jeremy Hance
Bees, Biodiversity, Biodiversity Crisis, Butterflies, Ecology, Ecosystem Services, Environment, Environmental Services, Food, Food Crisis, Green, Hunger, Insects, Invertebrates, Jeremy Hance, Pollinators, Poverty


Various infrastructures such as Seosan Bio-Wellbeing Special Research Zone, Taean Company- friendly City, and Anmyeondo tourist attraction are created near the project land. It is growing as a blue ocean that creates high added value around the surrounding areas.
• Distance: located 140km away from Seoul; background main cities including Naepo New Town, Dangjin, Yesan, Hongseong, and Taean are located within 30km.
• Airport: takes around 30 mins from the Seosan International Airport to be built in the future.
• Port: takes about 1 hour from Seosan Daesanhang Port International Passenger Terminal.
• Expressway: takes about 1 hour and 30 mins from Seoul via Expressway.
• Ideal waterfront region that ensures 10m or more water depth and calm water: Waterfront region specializing in marina ports only in the pan-yellow sea area including China and Korea; private demand is rapidly increasing (leisure market size and users) compared to the supplied infrastructure.


The finals of the British Cycling Zwift eracing Championships will be broadcast live on BT Sport next Thursday (28 March).
The indoor cycling esport sees cyclist on a real bike mounted to a workout station (example pictured below, credit: Wahoo) riding a virtual course in a virtual environment.
The finalists of the Zwift eracing Championships include well-known cyclists such as Olympic gold medallist Dani Rowe, Ian Bibby, Rosamund Bradbury, Jon Mould and Stevie Young, who all placed in the top 10 of their gender categories in an online qualifying event in February.
The winner will become the first UK champion of the British Cycling Zwift eRacing Championships. They will also win a championship jersey and a virtual championship jersey that may be worn in-game for a year, as well as £400 in prize money.
The televising of the eracing competition and its general increase in profile over the last year "demonstrates the expansion of elite level competitive sport into the fast-growing esports scene," say the organisers.
The competition finals consists of an elimination race, a points race and a scratch race for both men and women. The action begins at 1:55pm on Thursday with a live stream on British Cycling's Facebook page and website. Then BT Sport picks up the live coverage, beginning at 8pm, broadcasting all the action from the final race of the tournament.
Fitness tech brand, Wahoo is the official race partner for the final and will provide all finalists with Kickr smart trainers and Kickr Headwind smart fans to keep riders cool throughout the evening's racing.


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Approach to PR
What we're good at
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What do women and water have in common?
by Ditto Branding
I was so pleased to be invited to an event hosted by water charity FRANK, at Carousel, one of London's hottest event spaces for chef residencies and pop ups.
On the eve of International Women's Day 2016, FRANK Water joined forces with Carousel to host some of the UK's best-known women chefs, speakers, writers and broadcasters to raise and much-needed funds for FRANK Water's safe water and sanitation programme in India where it is women and girls who are responsible for collecting enough water for their families to drink, cook and wash with. This daily chore is all-consuming. Women often walk up to 5km to collect water, several times a day. They are sometimes at risk from attack and are put under intense pressure in the summer months when the springs dry to a trickle and they MUST find water elsewhere to keep their families from going thirsty. It stops girls from attending school and women from earning a living.
Hosted by Lisa Markwell (ex-editor of Independent on Sunday) and Pinky Lilani CBE DL (Founder of the Women of the Future Awards & the Asian Women of Achievement awards) the event was a grazing style feast with some really amazing cooking talent including Olia Hercules, previously of Ottolenghi and author of critically acclaimed Mamushka; Maria Elia, former head chef at Delfina and author of the Modern Vegetarian; Romy Gill, head chef at Romy's Kitchen, FRANK Water Ambassador and marathon runner, Paula McIntyre - chef, teacher, Slow Food ambassador and broadcaster and last but not least, James Whetlor from Cabrito, chef, producer and winner of 2014 OFM award for best ethical producer. Dish after dish rolled out including a beautiful goat version of Kibbeh from James made with finely chopped kid meat, parsley, lemon and sunflower seeds to keep it British; knock-your-socks off Ukrainian buns made with enriched dough and stuffed with slow braised pork, cabbage and paprika and fresh samosas from the Samosa Queen Romy Gill. It was a great night and hopefully raised lots of money for FRANK Water
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text:
Erdigg's 'Red Japan Cabinate' - circa 1720
possibly John Belchier (fl. 1717-53)
Scarlet japanning on an oak and deal carcase, mercury-backed glass, brass, silk, gilt, silver gilt, iron, velvet
Erddig, Wrexham (Accredited Museum)
NT 1147081
A scarlet-japanned desk-and-bookcase, or bureau bookcase, English, circa 1720, possibly by John Belchier (fl. 1717 - 1753). The cabinet section topped by a double-arched cornice above a pair of doors each fitted with a pair of shaped and arched mercury-backed and beveled mirror plates. The doors enclosing seven pigeonholes above a central pair of concave cupboard doors between stop-fluted Doric columns and four flanking tall pigeonholes with ogee-fronted divisions. These above an arrangement of eight small drawers of various sizes, some of them concave. The bureau with hinged fall lined to the inside with a (velvet?) writing surface before pigeonholes and drawers. The fall supported on lopers and above two short and two graduated long drawers within double bead carcase mouldings. With a base moulding and four bun feet. Decorated all over in silver and silver gilt with Chinoiserie motifs, scenes, birds and flowers and foliage. With brass locks, handles and door catches. Iron hinges. Stamped 'RF' on the leading edge of the top of the bureau section.
This remarkable cabinet, with original brasses, feet and mirror glass, has been at Erddig since at least 1726, when it was listed in the 'Blew Mohair Room', one of the bedrooms at Erddig, furnished with furniture covered in blue mohair. It is one of four known pieces of japanned furniture stamped with the initials 'RF'. Bowett points out that since this stamp sits beneath a black wash, it was probably the mark of the joiner or cabinet-maker who made the carcase, and not the japanner who decorated it. The craftsman with the initials 'RF' has not yet been identified. One of the other pieces stamped by the same maker is also at Erddig - NT 1147114 - a very similar piece of furniture, japanned in black rather than scarlet. Several examples of this type of desk-and-bookcase are known to carry the trade label of John Belchier (fl. 1717-1753) and, whilst the examples at Erddig do not, they seem so closely related that they have always been tentatively attributed to him. The fact that Belchier also supplied mirrors and other pieces of furniture to John Meller (d. 1733) of Erddig, makes this attribution more compelling. It should be noted, however, that neither of Erdigg's japanned desk-and-bookcases appear on Belchier's surviving bills. This scarlet-japanned bureau bookcase is one of the most iconic pieces of early 18th century furniture to survive, and is remarkable in that it remains in the house for which it was made. (Megan Wheeler, February 2019)
Listed in the 1726 Inventory as part of the contents of the 'Blew Mohair Room'. Thence by descent, and given by Phillip Yorke III (1905-1978) along with the estate, house and contents to the National Trust in 1973.
Marks and inscriptions
On leading edge of lower half top: RF
possibly John Belchier (fl. 1717-53), cabinet maker
Bowett 2009, Early Georgian Furniture 1715 - 1740 (2009), Illustrated and discussed pp. 60 - 61, Plate 2:16 Drury, 1978: Martin Drury. "Early eighteenth-century furniture at Erddig." Apollo 108 July (1978): pp.46-55., p. 52
London (90277)
Wood (144892)
Deal (1968)
Glass (73281)
Brass (33905)
Gold leaf (210)
Silver leaf (17)
Iron (18581)
Erddig, Wrexham (Accredited Museum) (21505)
John Belchier (fl. 1717-53) (13)
Bureau cabinet (35)
Secretaire cabinet (25)
Record Status


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Antiguan woman appointed manager of new adult industry complaints forum
RegionalZIZ App
Bridgetown, Barbados — An Antiguan woman, Ray Huggins, has been appointed manager of a new international Complaints Forum for the adult industry, launched by Global Adult Industry Association (GAIA).
GAIA is a worldwide association that brings together all types of adult entertainment organisations, professionals and subscribers in every country under one international umbrella to collectively address their needs, concerns, interests and rights, from a local and global perspective.
The association is also a global platform for social and business networking for the industry.
Huggins said, "Our complaints forum is a very creative and effective strategy which speaks directly to the core objectives of GAIA. It helps the association and its members to find out many of the problems and issues that exist within the adult industry worldwide."
The complaints forum encourages and enables adult organisations, professionals and subscribers worldwide to submit complaints in the following categories:
• Complaints against individuals in the adult industry (professionals, subscribers, clients, etc)
• Complaints against organisations in the adult industry (sex toy manufacturers, clubs, agencies, directories, video production companies etc)
• Complaints against government authorities (police, immigration, health clinics etc)
The forum also notifies subscribers immediately of any complaints made against them and allows them to respond in order to resolve the issue.
"There is no cost to submit, view or respond to complaints in our forum. Therefore we expect thousands of submissions and views each week as there are millions of potential subscribers for this forum, from the adult industry worldwide," Huggins said.
This complaints forum is also an effective business tool that provides subscribers with instant notification of any negative feedback to their businesses, products or services.
When asked about GAIA's concerns about the authenticity and integrity of the forum being challenged by the potential for abuse by subscribers, Huggins replied, "We are forming a complaints committee whose main role is to screen and filter complaints. Abuse of the system will not be tolerated and complaints who do so will be warned and then deleted from the system if need be. The committee will also provide advice and assistance to complainants to take necessary action."
GAIA is also recruiting a global network of lawyers who will be available to assist subscribers who wish to take legal action.
In response the question why would a professional woman from a conservative Caribbean community, who has never had any affiliation with the adult industry want to join the GAIA team, Huggins said, "Firstly, as an ambitious woman in this supposed man's world, I can empathize and identify with women in the sex industry who are marginalized by society. GAIA is also a legitimate initiative.
"In spite of society's legal, religious and moral views, adult entertainment has become an industry in every country and there are many real issues which need to be addressed.
"As a visionary entrepreneur for many years in the Caribbean and international market, I am not easily impressed by business ideas. GAIA ticked all the boxes for me and I was impressed right away with its objectives, vision and values. This project also has considerable viability and sustainability on a global scale."
"I am happy to be part of the GAIA team particularly at the launch stage, and I eagerly look forward to play a substantive role in its development and success."
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Spread out over a marvellous three day itinerary, you'll get accommodation, meals and more all included as you're taken from Brisbane up the coast to the popular resort town of 1770, spending a night there before being taken via a scenic cruise to the stunning Lady Musgrave Island itself where you'll be able to take part in all the reef and sand style activities you wish. Enjoy lunch and dinner in these fabulous surroundings and revel in the wonders of the Great Barrier Reef both on and under the water. An extremely reasonably-priced getaway all within easy reach from QLD's capital city, book yourself a Brisbane to Great Barrier Reef tour online today.
Tours depart from the Brisbane Roma Transit Centre every Monday at Friday at 7:15am and return to Brisbane three days after at 6:30pm.
Caitlin Youd 1 year ago " The 3-day great barrier reef trip was amazing! The booking was quick and easy and the staff member (Harry) was super fun and friendly, keeping us all entertained on the coach journey! Watching baby turtles run down the beach into the sea, snorkelling in the great barrier reef and having a surf and paddle boarding lesson were just some of the highlights of the trip. The accommodation was clean and lovely. The food was also great, with Harry cooking most of it for us! It was an amazing trip and I would definitely recommend it to everyone!
If you're going to the reef from Brisbane, this is the tour to do. It may seem expensive, but you're getting transportation 4 hours up the coast to the reef and there are some pretty cool other activities you get to do, especially on the first day. This was pretty much the only expensive thing I did on my trip, and I do think it was worth the money. However, if you're able to go up the coast and do a tour from further up, I'd probably recommend that.
Great tour for travellers who want to see the Great Barrier Reef from Brisbane. The boat ride to the reef was very rough. My husband was sick even after taking 2 "travel calm" anti-motion sickness medication, but it was still worth it to see the reef. The staff on the boat to the reef were amazing. The tour felt a bit rushed but overall a good tour.
The 3-day great barrier reef trip was amazing! The booking was quick and easy and the staff member (Harry) was super fun and friendly, keeping us all entertained on the coach journey! Watching baby turtles run down the beach into the sea, snorkelling in the great barrier reef and having a surf and paddle boarding lesson were just some of the highlights of the trip. The accommodation was clean and lovely. The food was also great, with Harry cooking most of it for us! It was an amazing trip and I would definitely recommend it to everyone!
Had an amazing trip to the Great Barrier Reef!! Travelling solo I was quite anxious but from the moment I got on the coach the amazing tour guide Harry made me feel very comfortable. The island itself was amazing as well as the Reef which you get to snorkel got to see turtles which made my trip! All of the extras including the ice cream and the Bundaberg Rum Factory visit really made the trip, definitely recommend 100%!!!
Our Sunset Safari tour was magnificent! Our tour guide, Dave, was extremely knowledgeable and fun. Snorkelling and viewing the southern portion of the Great Barrier Reef via a glass bottom boat were once in a lifetime experiences. Lady Musgrave Island is full of wonder and history. We even got the chance to pet koalas and feed the kangaroos at a local zoo. Overall, this tour was a fantastic experience that everyone should have the opportunity to explore.
I am very happy about the trip. Harry, who is the driver done a great job. He is very cooperative, friendly and has safe driving skills. The resort Sandcastle is awesome. The vehicle is not comfortable and it does not have a mobile toilet. Thank you for the Trip.
With over 30 years of experience in the tourism sector, we bring quality and ECO Adventure experience to the next level. Our mission is to make your visit an unforgettable one, help create memories and give you an amazing experience! .


Two men, back to back, imply seperation and disagreement.
Ideas represented through images are my passion in photography. After 40 years in the art form, a pretty picture holds little interest for me, they can be found by the millions on the web.
My approach inclines toward commentary and concept, even in the face of a populace seemingly indifferent to such notions. This image dabbles with the number two, two figures back to back with no common point of view. Two identical shadows cast from nearly identical creatures.
Diving further into the image, the light pole and its shadow acts as a symmetrical divider, further separating the two figures. Ironically, it is that light that illuminates the men, creating their darker shadowed-selves… they cannot see the commonality of its source. So while in the midst of their opposition, this singular light shines equally on both, a potential metaphor to lead them toward unity.
I liken the image to our two party system and the seemingly insurmountable differences that appear to divide our society, politics and country. These differences will again be put to the test through our democratic system in the upcoming presidential election, though I hope we are not heading into more unbridled polarity, bombastic politicians and a populace at odds.


I've been thinking a bit over the past few months about water gun design. This year I will have access to rapid prototyping equipment, be able to use engineering analysis and CAD effectively, and have a more real job so I can afford more, so I'm rather excited. What was unachievable before is very achievable now. I'll explain some of my thoughts on my next water gun concept. Any comments would be appreciated.
Range: Capable of at least 65 feet. Typically gets about 60 feet without issue.
Nozzles: Rotating nozzle assembly made with rapid prototyping equipment.
Water reservoir: Polycarbonate water jug--strong, light, clear, available in reasonable sizes, and not too expensive.
Pressure chamber: LPD with a pressure ratio of at least 70%. Water pipe is 3 inch clear PVC. Air chamber is 4 inch normal PVC. Will have pressure gauge and schrader valve for bike pump.
Valve and trigger: At the moment I'm thinking of using an air cylinder to open a ball valve like 6061's water gun. This has some advantages and some disadvantages. The biggest disadvantages would be cost and that using the trigger would use air. But, the trigger always would be easy to operate and the valve would open very quickly. With a pressure regulator the air usage can be minimized, but that adds more cost to an already costly system. I'm still thinking about this. If I can make some sort of trigger actuated gate valve with rapid prototyping equipment that would be ideal.
Frame: Will be made of polycarbonate pieces cut somewhat like THR (which still hasn't been completed), and 6061's water gun. This basically would be slices like THR with a solid bar at the bottom to attach a handle and the pump.
Pump: The seal assembly will be made with rapid prototyping equipment. I'd like to experiment with some atypical pumps like dual-action pumps but that might not happen.
The main problem with what I've described is that it'll be expensive as hell. This might be a $300 water gun. But it'd be an extremely good water gun, which is all that matters (other than having fun building it of course).
I'd like to investigate water gun efficiency so I have to pump less to get a certain level of performance. Simply energy efficiency might not make too much sense because the vast majority of the input energy would be returned. Or maybe not. I haven't looked into it yet.
Will your trigger system be reliable? Fancy stuff might help performance, but if it breaks a la Max-D valves it's no good.
For a case, why not try vacuum forming? You can make moderately complex and fluid shapes with the technique, and it's relatively easy to make the formers (typically from wood). The only drawback might be I'm not sure how thick a plastic you can use.
I can't see how the trigger system would be unreliable because it's basically using compressed air to open the trigger rather than a hand. My biggest worries are that it wouldn't respond fast enough in some configurations, would use air too quickly, and could be too expensive. All concerns depend greatly on the configuration.
A pneumatic trigger also wouldn't directly help performance, though it can allow you to change your design for better performance. If a pneumatic trigger permits you to use a larger valve that originally would have been hard to turn, it'll help performance. This brings up the primary advantage of such a system--the trigger is always easy to pull.
Vacuum forming sounds interesting, but I don't know how useful it would be. I was thinking I might try that for a water reservoir originall, but I then thought about 4 liter polycarbonate jugs. The main goal is to make a frame rather than case because frames are a little simpler.
Water guns have become progressively more ambitious, and I'm waiting to see what this one will look like.
Cantab, I don't know if vacuforming's worth the trouble for Ben if he's only building one of these. And with that price tag, selling them won't be practical, either. I'm not familiar with the process, but I expect it's a little time consuming to hack and scrape out all the chunks of wood, especially if you're looking for symmetry. Sounds cool, though.
Ben, I'm a little surprised you're not going the constant air pressure for this one. At the very least that would help justify a pneumatic trigger valve.
Like cantab, I agree that trigger sounds overkill, and complexity alone makes it potentially unreliable. But I'll admit the ability to easily use valves ranging from one to two inches in diameter is promising, as far as performance goes.


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