CHAPTER THREE

 

HEALING

 

My first patient for healing arrived unexpectedly at a Spiritualist meeting at Hampton Hill. A mother brought a little boy suffering pitifully from asthma, and asked me to do what I could for him. I saw the child’s labored breathing and my heart sank. What could I, who knew little of spirit healing and had certainly never attempted it myself, do for this poor little boy who gazed at me with anxious, trusting eyes? But I knew I must try. With a silent a appeal to Red Cloud to guide me in what I must do, I laid my hands gently upon the child’s chest.

 

I have no idea what reaction I expected. I had never thought of myself as having healing powers. In touching the child, I did so more in response to the mother’s faith in me than any faith I had in myself. Yet what happened was nothing short of miraculous. One moment the child was struggling for breath, and the next he was breathing easily and normally. It was as quick and simple as that and, of all those present, I’m sure I was the most dumbfounded. I could not believe the evidence of my eyes and stood unconvinced, certain that the spasms must be renewed at any minute.

 

The child went on breathing normally, and continued to do so for the next twenty years, when at last I lost touch with him. It was, by it’s unexpectedness and the permanence of the cure effected, a profoundly moving experience. Though I have since being the instrument of hundred’s of other healings - some much more spectacular from the point of view of the onlooker – none has ever made a greater impression on me than my first treatment.

I remember the anxiety of another mother who came distraught to my house one winter’s evening. Her son, she said, was suffering from meningitis. All that was possible medically for the boy had been done. The Doctor’s had reached the limit of their resources. Now the child’s life lay in the balance. Was there not something that I could do, she asked, or Red Cloud, of whom she had read so much? She made tragic little figure sitting there, her eyes red from weeping, her shoulders bowed with worry. At such moment's words of consolation bring hollow and I wasted no time with them. “Come,” I said. “We will see what can be done.”

 

I went home with her and sat all night giving healing to the child. It was some hours before any change of condition became evident, but when it did it was undeniable. From then on, improvement was slowly but steadily maintained. When the doctor came the next morning he was greeted with joy where he might have expected grief. I returned home and had no further contact with the boy and his mother. Some fifteen years later as I was getting into a car after a Spiritualist meeting at Surbiton, a women and a young man tapped on the window. The woman said, "This is my son, whose life you saved." It was a happy moment for me when they reminded me who they were.

 

A great deal of Red Cloud's work is devoted to healing. He says there two types of healing, divine and magnetic. Divine healing is accomplished by means of seven rays, each of a different color, which come from higher spirit spheres. Arranged in order of their attributes they are purple, green, gold, blue, steel, pearl and red. The highest attribute in the seven vibrations is the purple ray, representing in its spiritual form the ray of life. This is the one which Red Cloud had used when curing the boy of meningitis. We know very little of these rays or how they work. We believe they are radiated on certain wavelengths, but beyond that we can say nothing with certainty except that they are manipulated only by very highly evolved spirit beings.

 

Magnetic healing is done by the white ray. This is a magnetic or earthly vibration. Its healing is useful but not permanent. Very often, when there are cases of sickness returning after a "cure," it is because the healer has only been able to contact this vibration. Red Cloud has said: "Magnetic healing is like the passing of a cloud from the sun's face. It brings the comfort of relief, but not cure. Only divine healing brings cure, stimulating the soul as it heals the body."

Spirit guides use the different rays according to the capacity and strength of the healer's body. So much depends upon the ability of the earthly healer to attune his consciousness to the level of the highest possible rays. So much, also, depends upon the patient. Even though the healer is attuned to the highest rays, if the patient's vibrations have not been lifted to a sufficient level, contact will be only by the magnetic ray, and no more than temporary healing will result.

 

Even Jesus made demands of his patients - "Thinkest thou that I can do this thing?"

 

Red Cloud has a band of spirit helpers which includes some who were doctors on earth. One of them is Sir Morell Mackenzie, whose photograph stands on my mantelpiece. The portrait was given to me by Sir Morrell's grandson, whose acquaintance I first made when he came to see me and was bubbling over with indignation. He had come, he said, "to scotch all the nonsense" about his grandfather being one of Red Cloud's spirit helpers. We talked for a long while and when we parted we had formed a friendship that persisted until his death.

 

Through my mediumship, Red Cloud and Sir Morrel Mackenzie performed a remarkable "operation" on a young women, a nurse, who came for healing. She had had an accident at an earlier date and now complained of pain in her spine which obstinately refused to yield to medical treatment. Sitting with me in the circle were several psychic healers. Also present was a doctor who was inquiring into this form of healing. We placed the patient on a table and Red Cloud diagnosed that the pain was cause by a splinter of bone. Acting through me while I was in deep trance, Red Cloud first sent the nurse to sleep-by placing my hand on her head. She became unconscious almost immediately. No form of hypnotism or auto-suggestion was used.

 

The doctor examined her and, deeply impressed, said, "For the sake of humanity, show me how to o this, Red Cloud."

 

The guide replied: "No, my son. Such power can take life as readily as it saves it, leaving no trance of how death occurred. In the hands of the wicked it would be an evil thing. For this reason I will not show you."

 

Through my hands he began gently to massage the women's back until there appeared in my right hand a small piece of bone. This, Red Cloud told the group, was the cause of pain. The doctor almost snatched it from my hand in his eagerness to examine it. Then, after a quick scrutiny of the bone-chip, he turned to the patient and made a careful search of her spine for some trace of scar or puncture through which the bone could have passed. There was none.

 

A few minutes later the nurse regained consciousness. She sat up and bent experimentally first in one direction, then in another. The pain had completely disappeared. It is now more than twenty years since this happened. I saw the nurse again about two years afterwards, and she told me the pain had never returned.

 

I need hardly add that possession of the piece of bone was promptly claimed by the doctor. It was his only proof that the "operation" had indeed taken place. He submitted the little chip to every test that he and medical friends could devise. It passed them all, being definitely established as human bone. Whether it was a splinter from one of the spinal vertebrae, however, could not be stated with the same degree of certainty though all those who examined it and were qualified to express an opinion were unanimous in believing that it was. I have had several visits from this ex-patient, Mrs. Haining, she now lives at Bournemouth and has resumed her nursing by looking after elderly people.

 

Another case of healing I recall is that of David Short, a three­year-old boy, whose mother implored me to see if there was anything that could be done. Suffering from pneumonia and gastro-enteritis, he was being kept alive on a diet of glucose and water, as he could keep no other food down.

 

My daughter Iris went with me and when we arrived at the house the boy was clearly very ill. I placed my hands on his body while Iris held his head, and for half an hour gave him healing from Red Cloud. Then I suggested he should be offered a little food. He took it readily, almost greedily, and to our delight was able to retain it,. He became noticeably less restless and finally fell asleep.

 

The doctor called later that evening and was surprised to find the boy in a deep, natural sleep, with his breathing greatly improved. I think he feared that he might not find him alive. This sudden turn for the better was completely unexpected. Iris and I went to the house to renew the healing on three consecutive days, and it was wonderful to watch the child's response. We could see him gathering strength from the treatment. His recovery was complete. As a mark of gratitude he brings me a bunch of flowers every year on my birthday.

Spiritual healing can be effective in some cases of mental sickness. I remember an interesting instance in which a young man was the subject of a dreadful obsession. Normally he was a person of charm and accomplishment, but he had periods when he was overcome by an almost irresistible desire to kill his mother. The climax came when he was discovered making his way to her room with the fixed intention of taking her life. Something obviously had to be done, and I was approached to give what help I could. I arranged for a sitting of my group members and invited the young man to attend. Red Cloud controlled me in a deep trance and addressed himself to the young man.

 

“Two years ago you visited a house of ill repute in France,” he said, “and when you left you did not come away alone. An evil spirit accompanied you in your aura, seeing in you a channel for the earthly expression of his own sinful desires.”

 

The young man was astonished at this mention of a visit which he shamefully admitted it to be true. But how did Red Cloud know of an escapade which had never been repeated?

 

“My son, much is known that is beyond your understanding,” the guide told him. “It is sufficient that you know know only that the spirit which now possesses you shall this night depart from your aura. And with his passing health will return to you and your body."

 

The exorcism which followed was, in the words of the witnesses, a raucous, rambunctious performance in which the threats and screaming blasphemies uttered through me – Red Cloud had allowed the entity temporarily to control me – eloquently betrayed the spirit to be of a very low order. The protests gave way to whining whimpering, while the circle members added the persuasion of their words to the force Red Cloud was exerting to dislodge the unwanted creature. The end came suddenly and without warning. The whining and whimpering ceased and all was silence.

I next saw the young man two or three years later. He called, bringing a young woman with him. He asked me if I remembered him and for a moment I didn’t. I apologized, explaining that I met so many people.

 

“They were beginning to say I was mad,” he went on, “but Red Cloud said I was possessed by an evil spirit. Do you remember now?”

I nodded. “I remember. And who was right?”

 

“Red Cloud,” he said emphatically, “though I wasn’t convinced at the time. The idea of evil spirit sounded so medieval. But I haven’t had another attack from that day to this, and that’s proof enough for me. It satisfies my wife, too, doesn’t it, darling?” He looked down at her confidently as she smiled up at him.

 

“Completely, darling,” she said.

 

“That’s all we came for,” he said, turning to me, “that and to say thank you. I owe you more than I can ever repay. I want you to know that I am grateful.”

 

When they had gone I thought about these two young people, so obviously adoring each other. It was pleasant to feel that I had played some part in making their happiness possible, especially when they had taken the trouble to come and tell me so.

 

I recall another case of obsession in which the cure was rather more drastic. It concerns a girl of twenty-three who was obsessed by a male entity. She would be perfectly normal for some weeks and then the invading spirit would suddenly take possession of her with distressing and startling results.

 

The difficulty in dealing with intermittent attacks of this sort is how to be on hand when one takes place. Since the attacks are unpredictable one can only arrange to spend as much time as possible with the afflicted person and await results.

 

A plan was arranged so that I could keep her under observation or be quickly available when needed. I soon discovered her to be an intelligent and charming companion. She was apparently so healthy and normal that it seemed we might share each other’s society for a very long time before her obsession was again ready to show himself. He manifested, however, within a few hours.

 

During our morning together we talked on many subjects. In the afternoon we went for a walk, arriving in time back for tea. We went upstairs to my room, I leading the way and chatting inconsequentially over my shoulder. As I opened the door I saw that someone had placed a lovely bowl of violets on my table. I hurried over to them, exclaiming: “Just look! Aren’t they perfect?” Naturally I expected her to respond in equally glowing terms.

No reply came. Suddenly, remembering the reason for her presence, I glanced quickly over my shoulder to see what she was doing. I was astounded by the transformation that confronted me. The pleasant-faced girl with whom I had spent the past four hours had in some Jekyll-and-Hyde metamorphosis changed into a course featured, full-mouthed man. It is difficult to explain. The features were as was before, yet different in some indefinable way. They had strengthened and hardened, their femininity replaced by something entirely masculine. There could not be the slightest doubt that it was a man who glared from those formerly gentle eyes.

 

The voice, too, was completely different. It had dropped several tones, and the words it now uttered belonged to the gutter. With bold effrontery the creature sprawled into a chair and dared me to take a step forward. Offering dire threats of injury if I did not obey his commands, he boasted of this strength and his determination to manifest in the girl’s body whenever he felt so disposed.

 

I have been thought never to fear the unknown. With absolute certainty I knew that Red Cloud was with me at that moment and I could have asked for no greater champion. As I began to advance on the intruder I was met with a volley of oaths and obscenities. I told him he must forsake the girl’s body for all time.

 

At this he screamed further threats of violence but made no move to carry them out. He just sprawled in the chair, his mouth slack and wet, his eyes furtive and frightened. I came to where he was sitting and now, under Red Cloud’s guidance, placed my two hands on the creature’s forehead. The cry this action produced can be described only as a scream of terror, followed by sobbing entreaties to leave him alone. Again I urged him to leave the girl’s body. Again he refused. I felt my hand beginning to move under some gentle compulsion until the thumbs met in the middle of the forehead and the fingers, stretched to their fullest extent, curved round the head and partially encircled it.

 

Again came the cry of terror, followed by the frightening sobs. Then came silence, broken a few minutes later, by the voice of Red Cloud breaking into my consciousness with the words: “All is over. He will return no more.” With the entity’s departure, the girl quickly returned to normal, never again to undergo a repetition of the ordeal she had suffered.

 

Not all healing cases are accomplished with spectacular speed; in some instances it takes months and even years to effect a cure.

Even so they are none the less remarkable, because they are mostly the cases in which all other remedies have been tried and have failed., The unfortunate sufferers come to spirit healing as a last-ditch resort, without real hope but ready to try anything. The percentage of such cures is hearteningly high, but they take longer to effect.

 

The case of Ewart Dudley, an author by choice, but a civil servant by profession, who first came to me in February 1955, was one of these. His doctors told him he was suffering from a condition known as chronic spastic colon, complicated by diverticulosis and diverticulitis of the transverse and descending colon. Translated into less complicated language this meant that he was suffering from a serious bowel complaint which ten years of the best medical treatment had failed to cure. The regular use of powerful drugs had contributed to lessening the intense pain but rigorous diet had sapped his strength. He was desperately under weight and in no fit condition to undergo the major operation which would be necessary should the colon close. It was a grim prospect for any man to face.

 

That was his condition when he first came to me a very ill man going steadily downhill, a man in continuous pain who was losing strength and beginning to lose hope. I gave him contact healing from Red Cloud. At the end of three weeks he began to show the first signs of improvement. We continued the treatment. For twelve months he visited me once a month for forty-five minutes. At the end of this time the bowel complaint was far less acute and his general health had improved out of all knowledge. After the first six months he had been able to reduce his intake of drugs from three times to once per day and after a year he was able to do without them altogether.

 

Six months later he stopped having colonic lavage, and his visits to me were reduced to one every two months. By December 1957 his bowels appeared to be perfectly normal. Though he still had to be careful with his diet, he claimed he was in better health and was more active than at any time since 1944. The cure took time, but it was successful.

 

In recording these cameos of spirit healing, I do not for one moment suggest that orthodox medicine should be superseded by spirit healing. As long as we have physical bodies, medical treatment will be necessary to repair them when they run down. But there are instanced when medicine falls short of what is required. It is then that spirit healing, with it’s much greater reserves to draw on, can sometime play an astonishing part.

 

The skeptic’s among my readers, if they have read this far, will doubtlessly be saying that the healer is the wrong person to be recounting such stories of miraculous cures – that it is the testimony of the “healed,” not of the healer, that they want to hear. And so they shall. The words comprising the paragraphs which follow are not mine but were written and published some years ago by Mrs. Emma Cunliffe-Owen, O.B.E. They call for no comment from me.

 

“Words fail me in trying to express the deep gratitude to God Almighty and to Red Cloud for all the wonderful help and protection I have received, and in being cured of rheumatoid arthritis. Red Cloud’s extraordinary knowledge of all medical matters, and his forceful, clear explanations in all details relating to the disease of both mind and body, are beyond words.

 

His loving guidance and teachings of God’s holy will are the greatest help to those in trouble and who have faith in god. Red Cloud's chief aim and object is, apparently, to make us human beings realize more fully that ‘To God, nothing is impossible; and to do unto others as we would they should do unto us.’

 

Red Cloud, the great spirit physician, is continuing his work for our heavenly Father here on this earth, curing and helping both soul and body. Wisely, tenderly, Red Cloud guides and leads those who need him, and who will listen to his voice; his spiritual work is never-ending.

 

As a young girl I was full of uric acid, and continually suffered from rheumatism and so called gout. Later, I had a very serious illness, septic pneumonia in both lungs, and phlebitis in four veins. Then a recurrence of some poison in my system revived the rheumatism, and all medical remedies failing me I determined to get in touch with Mrs. Estelle Roberts’ control, Red Cloud, who, I understood, was a spirit doctor.

 

I applied at the Marylebone Spiritualist Association for a sitting with Mrs. Estelle Roberts in the October, only to be told that the demands on this lady’s time were so great that I could not have a sitting with her until the following January 3rd. I demurred, saying, ‘Suppose that I am not alive in January?’ The reply was, ‘You need not fear: we should not be allowed to give you an appointment if there was any likelihood of your being on the Other Side then.’

 

When, at last, the day arrived for me to have my sitting with Mrs. Roberts, it proved to be a red-letter-day in my life. Red Cloud told me all the details of my earlier sufferings, and went on to say; ‘All your joints are rusty, and that is what is causing the pain. I will help you, if you have faith in God and will do as I tell you.’ Naturally I promised this, and I have never regretted the promise I made, or looked back for a moment.

 

Red Cloud asked me if I could have treatment in London under his guidance, but as this was impossible for me owing to the fact that I was living in Leicestershire, he told me to have one treatment before I left London and he would then give me treatment every night when I was asleep.

 

Red Cloud then spoke to me of many family matters, naming my dear ones in the spirit world, and telling me of many private family matters connected with them when alive. All these details were correct. And I would mention here that when booking my sitting in October I did not give the name of Cunliffe-Owen. There was therefore no chance of the medium knowing even my name, less still of making inquiries concerning my family!

 

All my swellings, aches and pains gradually subsided, but I began to have pains in the small of my back. When these continued I felt they might be connected with my treatment, so I went to London to have another sitting with Mrs. Roberts.

 

Red Cloud at once told me that he was sorry that he had been obliged to make me suffer pain in my back, but that he was getting rid of the uric acid through my kidneys, which, to may ‘lay’ mind, sounded feasible and common sense. There were many outward signs that this was the case. In connection with this, a very private remark, made on the subject, to my tried and faithful maid of thirty years’ standing, was repeated to me by Red Cloud verbatim, even to mentioning my maid’s name. Red Cloud informed me that the pains in my back would go, and they did. He also informed me that I should have no more violent headaches after three days had elapsed, and these too disappeared and I have had no more since.

 

On one occasion while on holiday I walked too much, and my maid rubbed my back night and morning for two days. The next night, while awake, I heard a voice say: