CHAPTER IX
"LIFE AFTER DEATH"
Gradually we may hope to attain
some understanding of the nature of a larger, perhaps etherial
existence, and of the conditions regulating intercourse, across the
chasm. A body of responsible investigators has even now landed on the
treacherous but promising shores of a new continent.—
SIR OLIVER
LODGE,
Presidential Address
before the British Association, 1913
AN earnest attempt has been made to
describe in simple language that part of man which is called the "soul,"
defining how it operates within the physical body during life, and how
it departs at death. A descriptive table of the first seven spheres has
been provided on pp. 202, 203, capable of being understood by everyone,
with two maps showing the geographical position of the spirit world in
its relation to the earth. With anything beyond these seven spheres the
author does not attempt to deal. That there are spiritual spheres
beyond, is un
"LIFE AFTER
DEATH" 229
doubted, but it is enough at the
present moment to discuss that playground of man's soul where he will
function for at least some thousands of years before passing into a more
perfect life, of which very little can be grasped by human
understanding.
After perusing the descriptive table
of general laws operating in these spirit spheres, the reader may welcome a
fuller account of man's life after
death. There has been an unfortunate tendency on the part of many
writers in the past to explain man's superphysical existence, in
mystical and symbolic terms, with the result that people of a practical
mind have been quite incapable of understanding such writings, which
have often puzzled even those of a poetic or mystical nature. Many of
the following glimpses of superphysical states record actual facts which
have been related by spirits possessing minds of a scientific bent,
while others have been witnessed by the author while functioning outside
his physical body.
It should be understood that the
structure of man's postmortem home is composed of matter no less solid
than is this earth, with its mountains and streams, its cities and
plains. To the ordinary mind of man this sounds impossible, especially
when he is told that these great superphysical continents whirl in space
between himself and the sun.
230 SPIRIT
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Fortunately, scientific minds to-day
can very well grasp such a possibility, and the ordinary man need no
longer stumble over it, for surely it is no more difficult to accept
than was the statement made to man's ancestors that this great physical
globe rests upon nothing, but continually whirls in space. That man's
spiritual home, after all the doubt and scepticism exercised regarding
it, does really lie in the sky overhead is quite true, and that it
should be unseen by physical sight, and that the sun's rays should
penetrate it, is no more wonderful than that X-rays should penetrate
through so-called solid matter. These superphysical continents are to
man's physical senses but as ghosts, while to the inhabitants of those
states the socalled solid earth also appears in ghostly form. For some
this conception may seem to be too materialistic, but neither for the
sceptic nor the poet can the facts of nature
be altered. The lowest of these vast
planes of superphysical matter
lies roughly about 300 miles beyond the surf ace of the earth. It would
be well to point out here, that between
the astral world and the earth's
surface lies the animal spirit
sphere, occupying a space of about seventy-five miles in depth, and lying
immediately below the astral world. Within this belt dwell the souls of
all animals recently departed from earth, but this
"LIFE AFTER
DEATH" 231
interesting sphere of nature must be
left for consideration in some future treatise.
The astral plane is extremely gross
and solid in its nature in comparison with the more distant spheres. The floor or basement of
this plane is composed of solid rocky substance, honeycombed with deep
gorges and chasms, in which are to be found degraded human beings who
once dwelt on earth. In ancient days, man divided the spiritual
world into three parts, hell,
purgatory and heaven, but these
divisions will no longer serve to
explain superphysical states or spheres to the twentieth century mind.
By reference to the maps on pages 197 and 198, one will be able to
perceive that there are seven distinct spheres, each quite separate from
the other. Man at death enters into one of these, and continues to dwell
there, passing from the lower
to the higher by slow, gradual evolution, taking some
thousands of years in the process. Around each planet a similar world
exists, on which the dwellers pass through a like education. The
spiritual worlds of each of the planets unite at the seventh sphere, so
that communication can easily take place between residents of one planet
and another upon the seventh sphere. Some considerable
amount of trouble has been taken by the author, working in
conjunction with several eminent
scientists in the postmortem
232 SPIRIT
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state, to arrive at the approximate
depth of the various belts of
the spirit spheres and their distances from earth, but it must be
understood that these are given as approximate
measurements only, and future
investigations may lead to a
more accurate scale being supplied. The atmospheres of
these various planes vary in density,
the heaviest being that of the
astral plane, called the first sphere, while the most refined is that of
the seventh. The substances or superphysical earths of these spheres
also vary in density, that
which is most gross or solid, judging from this plane of
matter, being that of the first
sphere, and the most refined that of the seventh. Looked at from the
seventh sphere, earth matter appears but as vapor, while the matter of
that sphere is to its inhabitants most real.
The seven spirit bodies of man,
called by the author "the soul," are each adapted to dwell upon one of
each of the seven spheres;
the first or outer soul, called the astral body,
being that used upon the first sphere
or astral plane immediately after death. In course of time, by a
purification of that body through the education of the spirit acting
upon the soul, it rises to a higher plane, the second sphere, and there
continues to dwell for some time in its
second soul body. There its
evolution proceeds, the grosser
particles of matter being refined
"LIFE AFTER
DEATH" 233
and the soul purified at each stage.
It must not be understood, however, that these bodies are cast off like
shells or carcases, such as men throw off at death on the physical
plane, for each of the bodies within the soul is purified by chemical
action, atom by atom being disintegrated, and nothing such as a shell or
a husk is left behind man when he passes to higher spheres, as claimed
by some, as his coarser spirit body, or soul, is disintegrated
and reabsorbed upon that plane on
which the body has functioned.
The matter which goes to compose the
spiritual world takes its rise
from the physical earth, ascending continually
day and night in electrical streams
of unseen essences. These essences are produced by chemical action, and
are commonly referred to as "decomposition" or "decay," the coarser
substances falling as dust upon the earth, while the more refined
particles rise in microscopic atoms drawn by electrical currents, which
continually ascend from earth up
through the various spirit spheres. As these atoms rise, they
burst into numerous particles, each
of these again disintegrating as they further ascend, until they have
reached a refinement which is termed spiritual. The atoms
are yet of various grades of
refinement, and as they ascend,
the grossest of these adhere to the
first sphere, the finer passing on to
234 SPIRIT
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the second and third, and so on to
the seventh, each collecting its particular grade of matter as it
ascends. Practically these spheres act as sieves, the coarser mesh
being that of the first sphere
which catches only the grosser particles, allowing the more refined to
pass through and on to the sieves above, the finest being that of the
seventh sphere. If one had sight sufficiently developed to see the
decomposing process going on within the physical substances of earth, a
living chemical flame would be perceived burning within every article,
both organic and inorganic, for every substance gives forth atoms of its
own particular nature, which ascend and have their place in similar
substances on spiritual spheres. It may be good to remember, when one
sees precious articles gradually perishing, that these are going to the
building of a future home. Millions of tons of matter are thus
ceaselessly passing from earth to heaven, and forming vast continents in
space. The essences condense into solid masses of substance, and float
in space by the operation of similar laws to those which govern our
physical planets, those of centripetal and centrifugal attraction and
repulsion, which are purely magnetic forces. These celestial continents
are built upon foundations no less solid than is the earth, and it
must not be thought that they
are floating like clouds on a
"LIFE AFTER
DEATH" 235
summer sky, without anchorage of any
kind. All have permanent places fixed firm and sure, both, in relation
to each other and to the earth, so that explorers from earth
may in future be able to visit these
new shores as men have sought
new earthly continents, and return with accurate and
minute details of their geographical
situation, giving their latitude and longitude, and build up such an
accurate map of the heavens
that the dwellers on earth may know exactly
where their departed friends and
relatives reside. Here is a new form of adventure for the rising
generation, more exciting than the wild adventures of Columbus or Cook,
especially now that men have so nearly completed the
geographical survey of the physical
globe. This is no fairytale
or allegory, but a common-sense proposition to men of the future, men
who will have to fit themselves by many years of training to understand
some of the subtle laws which will enable them to navigate the unknown
currents which sweep between these continents in space, and by such
labor render a service of incalculable value to humanity. It must be
understood that these countries in space, which to-day rise immediately
above England, will be there to-morrow; they were in a similar situation
thousands of years ago, and
there they will be thousands of
years hence, for they are interlocked
236 SPIRIT
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with the earth, and revolved through
space together.
Slight displacements sometimes occur
upon the lowest degree, or rocky basement of the astral world, and from
such movements great earthquakes take place within its solid
foundations. Such a disturbance recently happened at the outbreak of the
present European War, and continued for some months until an equilibrium
was brought about. This disturbance was entirely due to powerful
emotions in the minds of men and women on earth, which caused the
superphysical stratas to vibrate, producing great rents and fissures,
which was accompanied by thunderous noises, greatly perturbing the
ignorant denizens who dwell within the gorges of this rocky region. Such
seismic disturbances are temporary, as in the case referred to, where
the sudden and violent emotion ceased a few months after war started,
and allowed the superphysical sphere gradually to recover its
equilibrium. Here we have a strange demonstration of
the power of mind over matter, and
though that matter is of a superphysical nature, it is none the less
real.
Man at death rises by a law of
attraction to his appropriate plane, usually that of the second or third
sphere. If the reader will
refer to the diagram of the spheres
on pages 197-8, he will be able
"LIFE AFTER
DEATH" 237
to follow with understanding the size
and position of these with their varying degrees. Between each sphere
there exists a distinct division. The first and second spheres the
author has divided into three degrees, but these degrees are purely
artificial, and are simply used for convenience in describing the
different forms of life found upon the lower,
middle, and upper degrees of the
first and second spheres.
Regarding the inhabitants of these
seven spheres, it should be remembered that all have once been human
beings, have lived upon earth, and have passed through the change called
death. Within these seven atmospheres around the earth no angel, god, or
devil is to be found, such as
are pictured in Oriental scriptures. Something much
more natural and infinitely more
interesting exists, and that
is, the spirits of men and women on their way to perfection.
Nor are there to be found in these realms strange and wonderful beasts,
with seven eyes, six wings, three heads or nine tails, such as have been
described by many who have
professed to reveal the denizens of heaven and hell.
The nearest approach to a devil
anywhere to be seen is the degraded man or woman on the lowest plane,
and the nearest approach to an angel is seen in the highly developed
human being on
238 SPIRIT
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the seventh sphere. There is no
man-made God sitting on a big white throne judging the people, but an
Unseen Power, which directs with certainty the most rebellious sinner
into the path of perfection and holiness, and which affords the good a
continuous and unfolding happiness.
THE ASTRAL WORLD.
A man at death, who has lived a
worthy life, should rise by a law of his being into the third sphere,
but only a limited number arrive there, the majority, with less
perfection, remaining upon the first and second spheres.
The worst of humans, at death,
gravitate to the lowest astral
plane, where conditions are most disagreeable. There the atmosphere is
dark and foetid, and the inhabitants dwell in rocky gorges, made
intensely unpleasant by the emanations from their bodies and by their
degraded practices. These gorges vary in width and depth, but they
usually measure a few miles in width, and many hundreds of feet in
depth. They are natural formations in the rocky strata, the cliffs
rising almost perpendicularly around them, thus acting as a kind of
prison, from which they cannot escape but by selfpurification. Moisture
drops continuously down the sides of these cliffs, and lies in large
pools and lakes, but others again are quite dry. No vegetation
"LIFE AFTER
DEATH" 239
is to be found beyond dumps of fungus
and a quantity of dark mould
which grows at the base of some of these rocky
gorges.
With the object of describing the
varying amount of light upon
the spiritual realms it will be necessary to make earth sunlight a
standard of 100 degrees. Here upon the cliff heights of what we may call
the lowest astral plane, there would be about 10 degrees of light, and
on the floor of the pits probably about 5 degrees, decreasing to total
darkness in the crevices and tunnels which run within some of these
gorges, to which some of the most degraded beings resort. The light
gradually improves as one rises from the lowest regions to the upper
astral regions, where it reaches 20
degrees. These astral gulfs Dante
called hell, and described in
exaggerated language. He undoubtedly saw these by means of soul
projection while travelling in the spiritual spheres, but they might
more fitly be named nature's reformatories. Nowhere are fiery furnaces
to be found, but magnetic fires which burn within the souls of every
living being were doubtless seen by Dante clairvoyantly, who imagined
them to be torturing fires of God. There are also certain electrical
disturbances in the atmosphere which may have led him to imagine fiery
darts sent from heaven to
plague the wicked inhabitants. Since Dante's day
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man has learnt that such infliction
of suffering is purely artificial and valueless as a remedy for sin, and
that the descriptions of the Inferno were but vivid imaginations, partly
due to Dante's religious training, which colored all he saw.
These natural pits have steps cut in
certain places upon their rocky sides to enable the inhabitants to rise
and escape when thoroughly
sick and tired of their environment
and of the practices which have kept
them there. The manner of entrance into the lower spheres immediately
after death is partly natural and partly artificial, for by a law of
attraction and gravitation, souls of a degraded order naturally enter
these realms, guided by spiritual beings unseen by them, yet none the
less capable of controlling their movements, who guide them to that
particular reformatory most suited to their needs. These poor souls
are not all herded together, but are placed with those of like
tastes and failings', for like
attracts like, and they exercise upon each other a highly profitable
influence, which, though painful, is corrective. Within their limited
space they are allowed considerable freedom to live their lives of
debauchery and vice, until they become thoroughly sickened of such
vices, and learn by bitter experience that sin or wrong action brings
its own punishment. Once they begin to realize this fact, remorse
"LIFE AFTER
DEATH" 241
seizes them, and they seek a means of
escape from their horrible surroundings, which can only be found by
personal effort, by climbing the rocky walls that surround the pit in
which they dwell. This is no easy task, for the rocks are practically
perpendicular and the body in which they function is so gross that
gravitation affects it, holding it down to the base of the pit. By
strenuous effort and diligent search they at last find a particular spot
from which it is possible to make the ascent, and after many
attempts reach the cliff tops. There they are met by capable
guides, who take them in hand and
help them to reach happier surroundings, where they are taught the laws
of life, and how they may bring their actions into conformity with true
happiness. Spirits within these spheres of correction are truly a hell,
a hell of their own creation, where they must remain until they
sincerely desire a different
kind of life. In the case of some, long weary years
are required to accomplish this, but
in others, the medicine received quickly works a cure. The average
length of time spent in nature's dark "house of correction" varies
considerably, but, speaking generally, from one to twenty years is
probably about the average time necessary to educate the spirits, and
allow, them to pass on to the second and higher spheres. There are some,
however, so steeped in
242 SPIRIT
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ignorance and vice, and so dead to
higher human instincts, that they lie upon the lowest level for hundreds
and even thousands of years. In these worst cases, spirits have sunk so
low that consciousness seems for the time being dormant, and when they
ultimately reach a higher sphere,
they look back, as upon a painful
sleep, on those long years of incarceration in the bowels of the astral
plane.
The author had brought to him one
unhappy soul who had lived a most tyrannical and debauched life on
earth, and whose name in history in the early Christian era is
notorious. This man seemed more dead than alive, and when asked why he
did not make an effort to rouse himself from his unhappy state replied,
in sad and hollow tones, "All may rise, but for me there is no
redemption, " This case is most unusual, but not without hope, or these
dark prisons might well be termed the hell which Dante described, as
having written over its portals, "Abandon hope all ye that enter here."
An explorer of such regions was asked
if he could tell approximately what numbers inhabited the lower spheres
of the astral world, and his reply was, "I do not know, nor is there
anyone who can tell, but the number is considerably greater than the
population of earth. They are to-day,
"LIFE AFTER
DEATH" 243
however, considerably smaller in
numbers than in past ages, when men from earth were more degraded, but
they are far in excess of what they ought to be considering the world's
age and advancement. If man was taught on earth
something of his true parentage, that he is indeed of Divine
origin, and not a crawling worm, and
was shown the possibilities within his soul to rise into A degree of
perfection, even while on earth, these gloomy caverns would not find so
many occupants. We have great hope
that Spiritual Science will
stimulate and ennoble men in the
near future, and do something towards
limiting the numbers who constantly arrive here."
With the object of supplying some
accurate details regarding these lower spheres, a number of able spirits
assisted the author, who was shown scenes from spirit spheres projected
upon an astral screen. These pictures consisted of actual occurrences
taking place at the time they were shown, and were produced by the help
of many spirits. Mile these were being shown, an explanation was
supplied by one advanced spirit from a higher sphere, who
has worked in cooperation for some
tune with the author. It will
only be possible to give a very brief sketch of some of
these strange incidents of the state
of man after death. Most
disagreeable pictures were shown of the rocky
244 SPIRIT
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astral spheres, where were
congregated the souls of men and women lost in shame and misery, seeking
satisfaction in practices of the most degrading kind. Some were shown
huddled together like flocks of sheep, and seemingly quite as
frightened. A herd of these was shown in a pit measuring some two miles
in width. The atmosphere, though dark, was sufficiently illuminated to
show in outline the surrounding cliffs which towered high overhead. Near
the centre of this rocky gorge lay a dark cloud, considerably denser
than the surrounding
atmosphere, which rose as an emanation from the bodies of
a number of men and women standing
closely huddled together. This cloudy matter did not pass off as vapor
would from the bodies of a flock of sheep when huddled together on a wet
day, but hung amongst them as a cloud will sometimes hang about a
mountain top. Probably one hundred and fifty spirits stood thus huddled
together, their bodies in some cases looking perfectly black, while
others were slightly luminous. These wretched creatures in this
particular vault were quite unable to see each other, but were dimly
conscious of each other's presence. Most of them were even ignorant that
they had passed through the change of death, and acted very much as
people act who walk in sleep.
This inability to see was due to the deadened
state of the organs of
"LIFE AFTER
DEATH" 245
sight, which kept them practically
blind and in darkness, so that
if one of them wandered away some little distance from the others he
only gravitated to them again by a kind of magnetic attraction.
Occasionally one would creep out from the crowd, and after reaching a
short distance would stop, look around, and then, as if frightened,
would dart back again into the middle of the group. After months of this
kind of existence these spirits begin to awake to their surroundings,
and, like sheep, will wander away one by one from the crowd, returning
to it at continually wider intervals, only to leave it again, a fuller
consciousness gradually asserting itself, and a steady improvement in
the power of vision taking place. When separated from the crowd, they
perceive the light from above, and endeavor to reach it by clambering up
the rocks. Several of these who had, detached themselves were seen
climbing the surrounding cliff at various altitudes, seeking a means of
escape. Rising higher, by great effort they entered an atmosphere both
light and pure in comparison with that which they had experienced below,
and a desire for still better conditions sprang up within them. The
memory of their wretched state and the company with whom they had been
associated so long became repulsive, and spurred them to further effort
to reach the
246 SPIRIT
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cliff top which towered overhead. In
these efforts to rise, they fell from giddy heights again and again, but
without receiving any bodily hurt, though greatly hurt in spirit, and
undergoing agony of mind. These, as they fell to the cliff
base, reminded one of caterpillars
mounting the rough bark of a
fruit tree, falling back again and again in a vain attempt to reach the
leaves or the fruit above, but rising each time still more determined to
reach the goal. The efforts to escape gradually produce a striking
improvement in the bodily appearance of the spirits, for their bodies
and clothing while with the crowd presented a black, dense appearance,
but after several real attempts to climb the cliffs these became
considerably lighter in weight and color. After long and anxious effort
they at last found a way where steps had been cut in the rock by
thoughtful hands, and this giving them a better footing, they finally
reached the summit. These
rocky gorges communicate with
each other by narrow passages and tunnels, which are seldom used by
spirits, thus each gorge is practically separated from the others on
that account.
It may be asked why helpers do not
enter these gulfs and show those who desire to leave a way of escape.
There are several reasons why this is not done. First, it is prohibited
by the higher minds
"LIFE AFTER
DEATH" 247
who control these spheres, who will
not allow a soul to be helped until it makes a real effort to help
itself. Secondly, the effort made to find an exit purifies the soul, and
awakens it to that consciousness which is necessary before a higher
spirit can make its presence known. One such spirit instructor
volunteered the information that it was difficult to find controlled and
wise helpers who would not seek to assist the escape of residents
prematurely by entering these pits in their anxiety to help them. They
had learnt through long years of experience that until one is fully ripe
for help, proffered service is often a hindrance, and to bring any out
of the reformatories before their time
is unwise, and disastrous to helpers
and helped.
SEXUAL INDULGENCE.
Another gorge inspected was devoted
to beings whose lives had been given over to excessive animal lusts. The
picture here described is of such a bestial character that those of a
supersensitive nature may prefer to leave the next few pages unread. The
author, however, believes the subject too important to be omitted, and
therefore supplies a few details of what life in spirit spheres offers
to those whose lives on earth were wholly centred on the things of the
flesh. Reformatories for the correction of sexual vice are very
plentiful
248 SPIRIT
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on the lowest sphere, for such
actions lead the human family
into the most degraded depths of the spiritual world.
Within the shadows of a wide and
deep gorge lay a large lake,
from the black water of which emanated a heavy, steam-like moisture,
with a stench similar to that which
proceeds from a cesspool. Its size
was about a mile square, and
dotted over its surface were to be seen a number of human heads in
pairs. On the banks stood a man and a woman as if about to enter the,
water together, but the woman seemed loth to do so, owing to the
disagreeable odor which arose
from its surf ace as it was disturbed. Both
seemed of middle age; the man's face
was sullen and brutish, but the woman was horrible and ghastly in
appearance. Her jaw had dropped on one side, so that her
chin rested upon her chest, and the
mouth stood wide open. The
eyes were lustreless, like those of a dead fish. The face
was the face of dead flesh, and the
hair fell over it in loose and careless wisps. The woman stood
irresolute, as if wishing to turn away, but the man ultimately prevailed
upon her, and together they
entered the pool. Several of the
older residents, standing some little
distance off upon the bank, jeered, and one, pointing his hand towards
them, said, with a scornful laugh, "Ha! these poor simpletons imagine
they
"LIFE AFTER
DEATH" 249
can play the old game of earth here.
They will soon realize that
such hunger goes unsatisfied in this dead world."
At the edge of the pool lay a woman
with her head upon the bank, sick and groaning and asking to die, for
the vapors in which she lay
seemed as if they would choke her.
No one offered her help, for all were too self-centred to
give her a thought, and anyone whose
compassion could be aroused at
such a sight would have been too good for such a place. Compassion does
sometimes arise, but it is a sign of reformation, and when it appears,
that one is ready for a higher state.
THE DRUNKARDS' PIT.
A dwelling of drunkards was shown,
where men and women were congregated in varying stages of dejection and
filth, and where the craving for drink was felt more or less keenly.
Some who had been there for years were beginning to lose the desire for
alcohol, and occasionally interested themselves in others around them.
In course of time this awakened interest would lead them also to a
happier state by lightening the spirit body, and enabling it to scale
the cliffs which kept it prisoner.
Attention was called to one woman who
was walking to and fro, demanding from others how
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she might return to earth, swearing
that if once there she would be able to find her thirst for drink
satisfied. Some laughed, telling her they believed it was possible to
get there, but by what means they did not know. Learning of
the possibility, she became more and
more determined, and the
higher watchers helped her to the accomplishment of her object, seeing
that only in this way would she learn her lesson. It is commonly
supposed that evil spirits of a low order can leave their spheres
whenever they feel disposed,
and haunt the neighborhood where they once lived, but this
cannot be done without help from
others who know the way. When such visit the earth, they are actually
unconscious that they are being helped to accomplish their
purpose, as the guides who assist
them are unseen by them, owing
to the fact that these guides function in a body less dense, and so are
invisible to their sight.
The bodies of spirits living upon the
astral planes are of such a dense nature that gravitation affects them,
and so they are afraid to
visit the earth by flight, even if they knew
how to journey there. Tippling Nell,
the drunkard to whom we have referred, found herself one night upon the
earth near her favorite public house, but how she managed it she could
not say. She arrived at "The Red Lion" about 9 p.m., just as a poor,
"LIFE AFTER
DEATH" 251
hard-working charwoman entered for
some refreshment, determined to have one drink and no more. Here Nell
was left by the guide who had assisted her to earth, and who
knew how and where to find her again
when required. Now began a drama similar to many that are enacted not
only within public-houses, but in many homes and places of business,
though realized but by few, How could Mrs. Brown, the charwoman, quietly
sitting in the bar, know that
one from spirit spheres stood beside her? She was totally ignorant of
the fact, and altogether unconscious of the latter's power to influence
her actions. Mrs. Brown had half-a-crown in her pocket when she entered
the bright and comfortable public-house where she intended to spend but
a few moments, as she knew her children waited at home
for something to eat. She did not
leave, however, till eleven
o'clock that night, when her funds were reduced to a few pence, and when
she was in capable of walking straight. Meanwhile, the unseen occupant
of the saloon had endeavored
to enjoy by proxy the alcoholic drinks taken by
Mrs. Brown, but although Nell tried again and again to
gain satisfaction in this way, each
drink taken by her victim only
tantalized her the more, and though she haunted the public-house for
days and weeks, she never once secured that pleasure which
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she had so long anticipated. Wearied
by her effort, she began to hunger for the company of those whom she had
left in the spiritual world,
where she was able at least to see
and communicate with companions, for
here on earth, to her
surprise, the people completely ignored her, for to them
she was non-existent. Her wish was
quickly gratified through the agency of her unseen guide, who assisted
her return to her lowly place in the heavens. When Nell had settled
again in her rocky gorge, she sulked for some time, and more and more
held herself aloof from her
companions. Sitting thus alone, her mind wandered back to
her early days on earth when she was a child. She remembered her mother's
cottage, and the clean and happy
life she lived there, and comparing it with her present filthy
surroundings and her degraded
friends, she wished that she might be a child again. How long this
mental agony continued it would be difficult to say; probably weeks and
months elapsed while she sat in this state, until the feeling of disgust
became so powerful, that she determined to make an effort to free
herself from her surroundings. With this object in view she diligently
sought a means of escape by the only way that seemed possible to her, by
mounting the rocky walls of her prison. After long effort she at last
scaled their precipitous steeps, and was met
"LIFE AFTER
DEATH" 253
at the summit by one who to her
ignorant eyes seemed an angel.
Grasping the extended hand held out to her they rose together into the
atmosphere, Nell surprised at the lightness
of her own body, which until then she had scarcely observed, but which
had gradually been purified during the months of mental suffering she
had endured. After travelling for some considerable distance, they
presently drew near a country most beautiful to her eyes, and she longed
to ask questions from her spirit companion. No
encouragement to speak was given, but
by some means she was able to recognize that the intentions of her companion were good, and
that she was being taken to friends who would be able to help her to
begin an entirely new life. Drawing near a little cottage situated on a
hill-side, they saw one approaching, who seemed to Nell to be her own
mother. In a moment she found herself weeping in her arms, while her
guide who had brought her thus far in
safety was no longer to be seen. This
typical incident in the
translation of souls as they rise from dens of sin and ignorance to
higher spheres of light was an ascent from the lower to the upper astral
plane, passing through the middle degree.
The question may be asked, "Why
should such temptation by
unseen spiritual beings upon mortals,
254 SPIRIT
INTERCOURSE
as mentioned in the above incident,
be allowed?" First, it must be
realized that no spirit can force a mortal to do what
he does not wish to do; and secondly,
the temptation offered is exactly similar in kind and degree to that
which the mortal has to face
from his own fellow-creatures.
A HELL OF THE EPICUREANS.
The author was greatly interested in
one group of wouldbe aristocratic souls who lay around in the centre of
a large lake of warm water,
endeavoring in this way to isolate themselves from those whom they
called "the common herd," people who on earth practised similar vices to
themselves, but who were limited in wealth, and so unable to gratify
their whims to the same extent. The vices of the poverty-stricken herd
had kept them poor, and sick and ugly, but the others, by means of their
riches, had managed to cloak
the results of their sins from the outer world.
Some of the proud and degraded
aristocrats had passed through Universities on earth, and had received
what is termed an expensive
education. Wherever they moved they
picked up vicious practices, and left
an evil trail behind. Their whole lives had been spent in trying every
form of sense gratification, and they were extremely bored by
everything on earth except virtue,
which aroused
"LIFE AFTER
DEATH" 255
within their dilettante natures
sarcasm, fury, and hate. They
considered it a real disaster to meet anyone of a virtuous character.
Here these aristocratic souls were relegated to a muddy bath in nature's
reformatory.
The author makes no attempt to
describe the mental suffering, which all residents experience before rising from
these low spheres. A pen infinitely
more capable than his is
necessary to describe the agony of remorse, the ghastly fears, the awful
soul efforts that all must undergo before a
purified state is reached. These
inner states of the spirit are
left to the imagination of the reader, as it is the author's task at
present to describe chiefly the outer framework of the spiritual
spheres, and some of the laws governing life therein.
THE MIDDLE ASTRAL WORLD.
The conditions of life upon the
middle astral are considerably less objectionable than those of the
lower plane, owing to the fact
that the light is much better and the
habitations very similar to those of
earth. The light varies on the lowest plane of the middle astral from
thirty to fifty degrees, so that the upper plane is illuminated with
light equal to one-half the power of earthly sunlight. Water is found in
greater abundance, and
256 SPIRIT
INTERCOURSE
the landscape is broken by, low hills
and large lakes, and a green
carpet of moss is found in some places, which from a distance has the
appearance of grass. This moss, however, is the only kind of vegetation
to be found, as grass and trees are unable to grow, probably owing to
the lack of light and the poor nature of the soil, which is of a
character similar to shale or
slag. The atmosphere is peculiarly moist,
and has a tendency to produce a slime upon the outer walls
of the dwellings in some parts. The
buildings are congregated
together in large cities, so that one may enter a
town and walk through streets of
houses built after the pattern of earthly dwellings. The superior
spirits who govern the states on the middle astral plane, seek to keep
them in every way similar in appearance to earthly conditions. The
purpose of this will become obvious to the reader as he proceeds. The
author has on several occasions entered these spheres when out of the
body, and has been particularly struck with the similarity of the
structures to the buildings known to him on earth. Here were found
streets of working-class houses of a jerry-built type, with slums and
tumble-down buildings in a state of disrepair and ruin, while other
localities presented a more respectable appearance. One feature of this
purgatory or paradise, whichever it may be termed,
"LIFE AFTER
DEATH" 257
for it is both, was the marked
absence of children from its streets and dwellings, for only on very
rare occasions did one find a child, and none below the age of ten or
twelve years.
Let it be understood that the
description here given of the astral plane applies only to that portion
immediately over the British Isles. The appearance of architecture and
life would be altogether different in the same plane over India, China
or America, for the inhabitants on each of
these spheres create their own
environment, and it must not be thought that Red Indians, for instance,
would build cities and houses of European character.
The spirits upon the middle astral
are much less debased in
character than those of the lower planes, being men and women suffering
from less sensual vices. Many are of a
selfish or vain disposition,
sometimes deceitful, ill-natured,
lazy, gluttonous, or bigoted, too
good for hell and too bad for heaven. The length of years spent here
vanes considerably, as it does on the lower and upper planes, but
if an average length of time may be
given, five to ten years would
probably be sufficient to tire them of their evil practices and teach
them the folly of their ways. Some, however, are so well satisfied with
conditions on this sphere that
they imagine it a desirable heaven, and would
258 SPIRIT
INTERCOURSE
continue to reside much longer, were
it not for the elevating and encouraging influence of spirits of a
higher order who visit them, these being not only teachers, but
relatives and friends who have themselves advanced, whom the middle
astral dwellers once knew on earth, and between whom there still exists
a bond of love or interest. By such an influence they are drawn upwards,
and without it many would be very slow in attempting to rise above their
dull surroundings.
The guides and overseers of this
sphere endeavor to gratify all
the whims of the residents, so that one might say
it is a kind of paradise for them for
some time after their arrival, and at first they imagine they are in
heaven, a delusion which does not long continue. Here we may find the
lazy man whose highest ambition was a week of Sundays, the vain woman
who lived only for dress and flattery, those who lived for power but
were ignorant of how to use it aright, and those who hungered and
schemed to enter society, but who were incapable of knowing how to make
themselves fit for it, and here also may be found some good old stock of
blue-blooded parentage, who had a name, but failed to develop
corresponding virtues. Some actual cases may now be given, to enable the
reader to understand
something of the life on these planes.
"LIFE AFTER
DEATH" 259 THE RETIRED POLICEMAN.
In one of a row of
respectable-looking suburban houses, similar to those occupied by the
better working class, with bay window, two rooms and kitchen on the
ground floor, and three bedrooms above, with a little space for a garden
in front and one behind, some dwellers are to be found. The house can
only be distinguished from the others on the right and left by the
number, for the brick structure, the brass knocker on the door, the
paint, and even the curtains in the windows are all very much alike. The
only difference between such a street and one on earth, is the marked
absence of any traffic, for here come no milk vans or news paper boys,
with a rattling of tin cans and noisy cries, for their commodities are
not required. The house that our attention is directed to is tenanted by
Mr. Bates, who on earth was a police constable, and with him dwells his
wife, a highly respectable woman, once a domestic
servant, whose whole life was
devoted to polishing, dusting
and scrubbing from morning to night,
both before and after her
marriage. Both arrived in the middle astral plane within
a year of each other, and came to
reside in this dwelling, finding in it exactly such a house as had been
their highest earthly desire.
While in the police force, Mr. Bates' greatest
ambition was to put in enough
260 SPIRIT
INTERCOURSE
time to gain a pension, and retire as
the keeper of some club or institution, where he only needed to have the
keys brought out to unlock the doors in the morning and close
them again at night, with nothing to
worry him either in the way of
hard work or disturbing thought. Here, in this astral
world, he has been living a "year of
Sundays, 71 and is still
thoroughly content, occasionally chatting with his nextdoor neighbor in
his shirt sleeves, but not even troubling to explore the surrounding
neighborhood. One day, while talking with this neighbor, an old man came
down the street wearing a garment which showed him to be a traveller
from some other region. Stopping in front of Bates' door, he smiled, and
asked if he might come in for a chat. Bates paid no attention to his
remark, but went on speaking to his neighbor, and as the old man
continued standing, waiting
for an answer, Bates looked up, eyed him
for a moment, and then said to his
neighbor, "This is one of them
bloomin' missionary chaps, ain't it? Why, I thought
those coves wouldn't be wanted 'ere.
What can they do now that
we've passed into 'eaven and are 'appy?" Then, turning
to the old man, he said, with a grin
and a wink to his neighbor,
"No, old chap; we've no bottles or old clothes today."
The traveller, without a word, passed quietly up the street and
"LIFE AFTER
DEATH" 261
stopped at a door some little
distance away, where an old couple stood. Entering into conversation
with them, they welcomed him very differently from Bates, and together
they retired indoors, for they had important questions to put to their
visitor. They had been living for some considerable time in this villa,
and had grown weary of it, and had begun to question one another as to
whether the life they now experienced was worth living at all, even
though they had got exactly all they had asked for, comfort,
quietness, and freedom from worry.
Undoubtedly they had been somewhat selfish in their desires, but had now
realized how limited was the life they had imagined would
bring lasting happiness. The old man told them of a greater
and grander life, to which they
listened with deep interest, asking many questions, and that night,
while they lay asleep, they both passed into the second sphere,
accompanied by messengers who heard the prayers which they had offered
together some few hours before. Strange
and, wonderful is that elevating
force in life which compels
the human soul to progress.
Sleep is not at all necessary to any
spirit on any sphere, but the inhabitants of this particular paradise
have become such automatons that they feel sleep to be a necessity of
their existence, so ingrained has the habit become. Later, Mr. and
262 SPIRIT
INTERCOURSE
Mrs. Bates will pass on, higher, when
they grow tired of the monotony of their present existence. It may even
happen that one will go
before the other, for many a natural
divorce takes place between married
couples where one wishes to advance and the other refuses.
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