CHAPTER XXX

THE AUTHOR’S ADVENTURE IN THE PARK
ON THE SPIRIT PLANE

May 18th, 1914.

I AGAIN saw myself lying asleep on the bed, but this time did not feel nervous. The room seemed to get more and more distant and then grew nebulous. I seemed to be enveloped in a mist, and gradually this mist took shape and form, became solid, and lo! the landscape with which I was now familiar.

Before me was stretched a beautiful tract of country bathed in a soft evening light. I floated down on to a grassy hill and saw below me in the valley the town in which H. J. L. now lived. Soon I was able to pick out the roofs of the college and turned my steps in that direction.

The route I took led me through a beautiful wood, amid the branches of whose trees birds were singing merrily. As I drew nearer the town I saw the park with statuary and the sculpture gallery which I had seen before. I began to walk through the park, and I noticed how sweetly the flowers smelt.

Large numbers of spirits were constantly passing me, and several gazed at me intently, as if they felt I was in some way different.

At length two young men stopped and said, “Who are you, and are you dead? You do not look quite like one of us, and yet if you are not dead how come you here?”

I replied, “No, I’m not dead, but somehow I have developed in such a way recently since my father-in- law died that I am able to come and visit him here and even carry away a remembrance of what I see.”

“Well, that’s very funny. I wish I’d been able to do that,” said one of them, “when I was alive.”

"Can you visit any other planes of existence besides these?" the other inquired.

"No,” I replied, “but I meet others who have been selected by my father-in-law, and these give me accounts of their experiences in Hell and in the plane above this, and also in the astral plane.”

"You’re jolly lucky,” the taller of the two (who had spoken first) cried. “We know practically nothing of either Hell or the plane above, though, of course, we do know something of the astral plane. You might tell us something about them. Come, let us sit down by this fountain.”

I sat down with them and had just begun to relate some of the officer’s adventures, when I saw H. J. L. hurrying towards me. He was evidently annoyed, and said, “Really, Jack, you ought to have known better than to sit down here chattering when the officer and I are waiting to get to business.”

The two strangers at once apologized and explained that it was their fault.

H. J. L. answered, “ That’s all very well, and I know you meant no harm, but if you want that sort of information, come to me for it and you shall have it. My nephew’s work is to give it to those who are alive on the earth, not to preach to those who, having died, have come here.”

We then parted, and I went with H. J. L. through the streets, which seemed fairly full of people, into the college.

In his room I found the officer waiting, who, having shaken hands, remarked, “ If you’re not careful, you’ll get so fond of this country that you’ll not wish to return to your own.” He then took up the story of his life on this side of the grave.

CHAPTER XXXI

THE FATE OF CHILDREN

May 25th, 1914.

As in my last vision, I saw the whole landscape on my way to H. J. L., but this time spoke to no one till I was in H. J. L.’s room.

As soon as I saw him, I asked, “What is the age limit at which children can enter Hell? I notice that from the account of the officer there are no children in Hell proper, and yet they are to be found in the seventh division of Hell.”

H. J. L. answered, “You cannot, of course, fix any exact age limit. Things work much more reasonably than that. Thus if an infant dies who as yet knows nothing of God, it goes to the infant schools in Hell, as you know. If it has acquired a vague idea of God and a future life, it will come to our secondary schools in the realm of half-belief.

“If it has acquired sufficient knowledge it may go to the college, and, finally, boys and girls who have a real living belief may go direct to the realm above this, or occasionally to the highest plane of all. In these cases they will have to complete their education on the intellectual side, although their spiritual side may be well developed. This is, of course, a reversal of what generally happens here. Usually our intellects have been developed largely at the expense of our spiritual functions.

“Now let us consider the other side.

"When a child reaches a certain stage in its development, roughly from five to seven, it would ordinarily begin to have some general idea as to right and wrong. Now if a child has been badly brought up, or if it inherits a perverse and evil nature from its ancestors, or if obsessed, it may develop very unpleasant characteristics. It may commit serious offences, and in general may begin to develop badly.

“Under these circumstances it is cut off very often at the wish of its guide and transferred to the astral plane. There, clear of many of the surroundings which might have dragged it down, it will have an opportunity of developing and of learning sufficient to enable it on leaving the astral plane to come at least to the realm of half-belief.

“This period of child life stretches roughly from five to twelve, but, of course, may vary at either end.

“The third stage is when they are ceasing to be children and becoming adults, especially in the matter of sex. This is a very critical age, and many children unfortunately choose the downward instead of the upward path.

“The tendency is still, however, for the final decision to be left for the astral plane; and I must remind you that to a certain extent this is always the case. In the case, however, of an adult hardened in sin, the astral simply continues in its new life, repeating the sins of the former; but a youth who has started on the downward path, being less hardened, is more likely to be checked by the shock of death. Further, he is hardly likely to have had time to drive away his guardian angel in the way that a hardened sinner has. Thus even a thoroughly vicious youth will probably see the folly of his ways as soon as he reaches the astral plane, and the vicious habits, not yet being firmly rooted, will be easier to eradicate.

“On the other hand, if he rejects this second chance and falls into the type of sins represented by ‘obsessing,’ he will sooner or later be hurled out of his astral body into Hell. But when that day comes he or she will no longer be a child, probably not in years, certainly not in spiritual development.

“Thus you see how it comes about that there are no children in Hell.”

J. W. “But there are vicious children of five or six.”

H. J. L. “Not many. They may be spoilt, thoughtless, and selfish, but there are few who are really vicious. Further, they too will realize the wickedness of their faults on coming over and seeing them visualise, as we all do.

“If not sufficiently spiritual to pass straight on to us, they will remain on the astral plane and there learn wisdom. If, however, they do not learn wisdom, they will learn folly, but even that will take time to work out its full course, and only when they have become too gross and wicked for the astral plane will they drop to Hell. They will have ceased to be children when that happens.

“But it is seldom that a young child does grow worse on the astral plane. They nearly all improve, and, moreover, the bulk of young children are too spiritual to remain even there, but come almost at once either to the elementary schools in the top division of Hell or else to us.

“But here’s the officer.”

CHAPTER XXXII

OF ANIMALS, AND HOW THEY CONVERSE
WITH MEN

June 1st, 1914.

I FOUND myself floating over my body, and then began to whirl away into space. I seemed to pass through the ceiling into the open air, but yet was able to look right into my bedroom.

Then the room became misty and vanished. I seemed to be whirling on and on amid clouds and mists, and it seemed a long journey, but at length the mists began to take form. At first these were fantastic in shape, some like castles and cliffs, others like dragons and monsters, then fairy cities, minarets, and cupolas. At length these vanished, and, as the mists rolled away, I saw a vast landscape stretching away beneath me. First I saw high mountains and arid deserts, and, beyond these, a great wall of darkness. I appeared to be traveling away from this wall of darkness, and gradually the landscape became less forbidding. The rocky mountains became clothed with forests, the deserts covered with grass. By degrees it developed into the beautiful country I now knew so well, bathed in that curious evening glow.

Concentrating my mind on Old Queen’s College, I seemed to increase the speed of my flight. Almost for a moment I found myself actually in H. J. L.’s room.

“Oh, Boss,” I said, “ what do animals, such as fowl (which spend their whole life on earth hunting for food), do on this plane? They can have no occupation!’

He replied, “While they are on the astral plane most animals still endeavour to get food. They go on grubbing about for it, and it is only by degrees that they learn that any food they appear to find is but a delusion, and that, in fact, they do not need it. Once that stage is reached, the animal generally passes on to this plane. Many animals, such as most of the carnivora, seem quite unable to learn this lesson, and remain on the astral plane still hunting astral deer, which they never catch.”

J. W. “ Are there men who go on hunting animals which they never catch?”

H. J. L. “ Yes; there are even fox-hunters, horses and all, but sooner or later they weary of the empty sham, for they never catch anything. Usually, however, the tables are reversed, and the hunter upon earth becomes the hunted there.

“Man is back in the primitive world without the aid of weapons, and again is liable to the life of fear which our early ancestors suffered. Not till he has learnt the great secret, the power of the human will, is he again free from that fear. But you must remember that the type of man who runs foul of the astral animals is the man who has hunted them on earth. All men don’t have exactly the same experiences on the astral plane, any more than they do on this plane.

“When the animals reach this plane, they have done so because they have other interests besides eating. At times they still cast back and feebly hunt round. I know occasionally Molly misses a bone, just as I do my pipe.”

J. W. “Why, there is Molly,” and as I spoke Molly emerged from under a sofa and came up to me wagging her tail in quite a friendly way.

H. J. L. continued. “Animals here become far more closely attached to us than they ever do on earth. They certainly understand us better, and this compensates for the loss of more material amusements.

“You see, as we can perceive each other’s thoughts, so we can, though to a lesser extent, perceive the animals’ thoughts. They, too, visualise, but the difference lies in this: the average animal not having learnt to think clearly, as we have, can only visualise a muddled sort of idea. But they tend to improve.

“Of course their ideas, at the best, are very simple. Still, it creates a bond of sympathy which is largely absent on earth. Now just look at Molly’s thought.”

I (J. W.) looked intently, but could perceive nothing at first.

“I can’t see anything; perhaps she is not thinking of anything in particular.”

H. J. L. “ On the contrary, she is thinking very deeply for a dog. That’s why I thought you’d be able to see it, though, of course, you have not had any practice in developing that faculty. However, try again. Empty your mind of all personal thoughts and concentrate it on Molly. Fix your eyes on the tip of her nose.”

I laughed at the last sentence, but followed all his instructions. After a moment the whole room seemed to fade away, including even the dog herself, and in its place was a kind of light which grew into a picture similar to the clairvoyant pictures one sees in the crystal.

And then I saw Carrie sitting in the boat at Weybridge, and Molly herself seated in the prow. The boat moved out of the boat-house into the river, and Carrie, who was wearing a white jersey, was rowing. There was no one else in the boat.

Then the vision changed, and I saw Molly and Carrie seated in the garden at Weybridge. Tea was brought out, and Molly proceeded to lie down for a piece of cake.

Then H. J. L.’s voice broke in: “Well, Jack, you could see her thoughts that time?”

J. W. “Yes; but how did you know I could?”

H. J. L. “Because I could see both your thoughts and hers, and they corresponded. We get fairly expert in reading people’s thoughts here, but of course you are new to it.

“Well, I think that answers your question fairly well. You can easily understand that the more closely associated with man an animal is, the more it will develop. The more it develops the more complicated will be the ideas which it will be able to remember or understand, and so communication between men and animals will become easier. For example, that thought of Molly’s was fairly complicated. Many animals would have managed nothing more than a face of their mistress.

“If we wish to communicate an idea to an animal, we have to think of some very simple idea.

“Now watch. I’m going to think of Blanche.”

At once Molly jumped up and wagged her tail, and I perceived she was looking at the Boss. Between both of them appeared a vision of Blanche about two years old, but whereas H. J. L. saw her in the garden at L—, Molly only saw B. with no particular background. I knew this because Blanche stood out very clearly, while the garden at L— was much fainter, and I knew, by instinct, that this was because Molly had grasped the idea of Blanche, but not the more complicated idea of “at L—.”

Then it vanished, and H. J. L. said, “Yes, she got the first idea all right, but did not grasp that I meant at L— . I daresay if you were to think of her at G— she’d grasp that all right. The remembrance of G— in connection with Blanche would be so much clearer to her.”

I tried, and at once Molly got very excited, jumped up on her hind legs, and began to walk towards me. At the same time I saw the vision of Blanche on the tennis-lawn at G—, and the background was nearly, though not quite, as clear as Blanche.

In short, Molly had perceived practically the whole idea I had desired to convey. Then it faded again, and Molly retired once more under the sofa.

H. J. L. “How high the most intelligent animals can travel with us I can’t say, but you will see that there are possibilities of development for them here lacking on earth.

“Of course by telepathy even on earth, animals are often able to read our thoughts to a limited extent, but it is generally in the matter of the cruder passions, such as fear of them or dislike. Further, they are often helped even in these cases by involuntary movements of our own.

“I think, however, that we’ve said enough on this subject for to-night. If you think over carefully what I have just told you, you will realize its importance more fully. If, then, any point requires further elucidation—why, ask me again.”

J. W. “Thanks. By-the-bye, how are we communicating now? We appear to be talking.”

“It is only when we get on to the earth plane and try to communicate through a medium that we have to employ actual language. Then, if we wished to speak to foreigners and did not know the language, we should have to learn it. This can be done, but I do not propose to go into exactly how just at the present moment.

“When we perceive each other’s thoughts, our minds turn this perception into sight. Both are related to telepathy, but, for the sake of distinction, we can correlate perception of visions with clairvoyance. We can employ either method for communicating. With men, telepathy is slightly the easier; it seems to require less will exertion.

“With animals, however, I find the vision is the best method, probably because they have never spoken on earth. But of course both methods merge. Even in your own case, when the officer has been telling you his adventures, you have at times not merely heard, but seen what he went through.”

J. W. “ Yes, that is so, though, when writing these ‘visits’ down, I had not realised it.”

“Well, you will realize it now. Here comes the officer.”

The officer, having finished his narrative, went out.

H. J. L. then spoke: “Well, good-bye, Jack, for the time being.”

I then willed that I should return, and as I did so I seemed to rise in the air and pass out through the window.

Again I saw beneath me the spirit landscape, with its beautiful meadows and wooded hills and dales. Clouds came drifting by and gradually covered it as by a mist. I could still perceive it for a time through the mist, which, however, grew thicker and thicker, till it appeared almost like layers of cotton-wool.

This solid mist gradually became even more solid and began to assume shapes. At first these were vague, indistinct, and colourless, but before long they took the form of moorlands broken into hills and valley. This landscape was far more barren than that which I had seen on the spirit plane, still, it was not without a certain grandeur and beauty. Then by degrees colour came into the landscape, though slowly.

I seemed to be rushing above this country at a great pace, while at the same time drawing nearer to the earth. Speed! Speed!

I noticed that the light was becoming stronger, and gradually I realised I was passing down the Rivelin valley from the direction of the moors.

Faster and faster I whirled, and Glen House appeared to spring up and rush to meet me. I seemed to pass clean through the walls of the room and pirouetted round the bed.

Then I seemed to strike something with great force and lost consciousness.—J. W.

CHAPTER XXXIII

THE ASTRAL AND SPIRIT PLANES COMPARED

Monday night, June 15th.

AS BEFORE, I felt myself traveling through space and saw the earth landscape change for that of the spirit realms.

On entering H. J. L.’s room I asked him, “What do you consider is the exact difference between a man on the astral plane and one on the spiritual?”

H. J. L. “I understand what you mean. On the astral plane we are still to a certain extent material. We have, as it were, an etherealised material body. The astral plane consists of particles of very fine matter, much more etherealised, of course, than the gross atoms of the earth, but still matter. They stand somewhat in the same relations to the ordinary physical world that gases do to solids on earth.

“This material body, being so ethereal, is of course much more completely dominated by the spirit for good or evil.

“It is the same thing with the astral landscape. In the spirit plane, however, matter has, for all intents and purposes, been left behind. It is with our ‘ forms’ that we clothe our souls, and the landscape and the buildings which you see now before you are the ‘forms’ of those things when on earth.

“Thus it is when we wish to become visible even to the clairvoyant upon earth we usually have to clothe ourselves with a temporary astral form, just as, to make ourselves visible to ordinary folk, we have to materialise a temporary physical body. Mind you, there are clairvoyants who can see into the sixth plane —you are one—but most clairvoyants cannot. Even when a clairvoyant can, better results are often obtained by our clothing ourselves with an astral form.”

J. W. “In dreams do we come to the astral or to the spiritual plane, or sometimes to one and sometimes to the other?”

H. J. L. “Dreams are of many orders. Some are purely the invention of the human brain. They may be little more than the thoughts of the day worked over and redigested by the brain at night, or they may be pure fiction, similar to the stories children tell themselves for amusement.

“The very materialistic have dreams of these two orders, and most people at times have some of these, but many persons enter the astral plane in what they think are dreams, and a few, but very few, enter the spirit plane.

“You do so, but the reason is that you are mediumistic, and, still more important, because I call you. Very few have such a privilege, and even those who do seldom bring away so clear a recollection. We help you to remember, but it is true that experiences on the spirit plane, appertaining to the spirit as they do, seem to remain attached to the spirit and are more vivid than those of the astral plane, which, being more akin to earth life, become distorted as the astral reunites with the physical. It is as if the physical brain attempted to explain astral phenomena by physical laws and largely failed, but recognised the hopelessness of trying to do so with the spiritual.

"Far more people get on to the astral plans in their sleep. They come wandering along the fringe of it, as it were, often apparently half dazed, as if their connection with their bodies rendered them only partly conscious of the astral world in which they moved.

"The astral body, of course, is often unable to leave the physical body owing to the gross and material life such people live, and even when it can get out of the physical it cannot or dare not go any distance from it.

"But perhaps you would like to see some of these visitors to the edge of the astral plane?”

J. W. “I should; but what of the officer?”

H. J. L. “Oh, I’ll tell him not to come.”

He appeared to concentrate his thoughts for a moment, and as I watched him I saw the face of the officer visualize before him and then fade away again.

H. J. L. “Now we will go to the plane where the worlds meet. First I shall have to clothe myself with an astral body, however.”

J. W. “And what of me? Shall I not need an astral body too?”

H. J. L. “Yes. Where did you leave yours?”

J. W. “I don’t know. Do you think it will be with my physical?”

J. L. “We had better ask our guardian spirits.”

As he spoke, a light appeared behind him, growing stronger and stronger, till I could hardly bear to look at it. As it grew stronger, it took the form of the glorious spirit I had seen before overshadowing H. J. L. Like a silver trumpet he spoke:

“Return and fetch from your bed your astral body.”

CHAPTER XXXIV

A VISIT WITH H. J. L. TO THE
ASTRAL PLANE. THE DREAMERS

AT ONCE I seemed to be caught up in strong hands and whirled away into space. Once more I stood within my bedroom, but instead of sinking into unconsciousness, I suddenly appeared clothed with a more substantial body than that which a moment before I had possessed. Yet my physical body still lay asleep in bed.

I turned at the sound of H. J. L.’s voice, and saw that he too looked different. For one thing, he looked older. In the spirit world he appeared a good deal younger than when on earth; here he looked stronger, but not so very much younger. There was also a more subtle difference, but I do not know how to describe it.

“This is not my own astral body,” explained H. J. L.; “that disintegrated almost as soon as I died, as I told you. This is only a temporary body made out of the astral elements which are floating about. I have done my best to impress my form upon it as I remember it upon earth. Now come with me.”

I noticed that the room seemed shadowy and semi-transparent; so did my body, which lay on the bed, and so, indeed, did all the earth phenomena.

The body I now wore seemed, however, solid and real, and we passed through the shadowy walls without the slightest difficulty.

I said to H. J. L., “Earth things and people now look to me as you do when I see you at Mr. K.’s clairvoyantly.”

H. J. L. “Yes, I can quite believe that. There are many astral beings who cannot see the physical world for a long time after they have passed over, just as ordinary earth-dwellers cannot see them.

"All the same, this double vision is a bit of a nuisance, so will that you shall see only the astral plane.”

I did so, and at once the shadowy house and landscape faded quietly away.

H. J. L. took my hands and said, “Quick!” and we seemed to be rushing through space. It seemed neither dark nor light, but betwixt and between, and then we stopped.

“Here come some of the dreamers,” said H. J. L., and we waited.

Now I could not see the landscape very clearly, for it seemed all grey and shrouded in mist, but I could perceive there were hills and dales and castles and woods, trees and wide expanses of water, but all was indistinct and grey.

“Is it always like this—grey and shadowy?” I inquired.

H. J. L. replied, “ Oh dear, no. But you are more used to the spirit realms and so not attuned to these. But to many spirits who know no brighter place, this seems full of colors, but not even to all of them. This is a land of change, a half-way house, as it were, between the physical and the spiritual plane, therefore it seems somewhat unreal and changing to denizens of either plane. So, too, the elements which form it are ever changing, and, being very malleable, often assume forms in consonance with the wills of those who pass through them, even when they are sleepers dreaming. You understand, form which is eternal goes to the spirit plane, hence form here is not stable except where it is the living astral form. I mean the elemental forms have no stable form of their own.

"But see, here come a few of the visitors from earth to us.”

As he spoke, I noticed that large bands of spirits were floating towards us. Soon more and more passed swiftly by. Then it grew into a continuous stream. Sometimes there would come a crowd together, but at other times they would be spread out into ones and twos.

Ever and anon across this stream of dreamers would float a real denizen of the astral plane. It was easy to see the difference, but almost impossible to describe it in detail. However, one noticeable difference was that those still living on earth had trailing away behind them a thread of light. These threads, unlike material threads, never became entangled as the astral beings moved about. It seemed as if each cord was able to pass through any other cord without severing it.

There were many other differences more difficult to describe. When I turned to comparing these with myself, I perceived that many of them had their eyes shut, and with their arms stretched out in front of them they looked like people walking in their sleep. But not all were like this. Some had their eyes wide open, and seemed to be hunting for someone, and a few seemed to be idly wandering through a strange landscape, stopping every now and then to gaze at it.

Such a motley crowd of all ages and conditions, not only men, women, and children, but even animals! I saw a dog among the visitors, who caught sight of a rabbit, and at once gave chase.

“Now look at the dreams these people are dreaming and the friends they are seeking,” said H. J. L.

I noticed a woman; in front of her floated a thought visualisation of a little child. The thought seemed to float away from her, and she kept following, crying bitterly. Then suddenly the real astral form of the child came running up, and in a moment the thought child was shattered, but the mother gave a glad cry and flung out her arms towards the astral and took it in her arms. She sat down there and then and hugged the child and talked to it just as she would have done on earth. The child, a boy, appeared to be about six years old.

Then I saw a man about thirty, who came with eyes wide open and evidently expecting to find someone. In a few moments he was met by a young woman.

"Who are these,” I said, “for I can see that they are both alive upon earth.”

H. J. L. replied, “I cannot say who they are, but I can tell you this about them: that man is twin soul to that girl. He has not met her yet on earth, but he has on the astral plane. Whether they will ever meet on earth I do not know, but I hope so. But look at that pair.”

I saw a man and woman approach each other with delight, but floating near the woman was a thought form of an elderly man. By his face I should say he was a Jew, and I knew, as by instinct, that this was the woman’s husband, whom she had married for money, while the younger man, with whom she was now speaking, was the man she really loved, whom she had refused in order to marry the Jew.

“Now look at these,” said H. J. L.

I heard an agonized shriek, and saw one man pursued by another who had a knife in his hand. The hunted man kept looking over his shoulder, and every now and then he gave a piercing shriek. His face was livid, and his whole attitude betokened abject fear.

“What does this mean?” I began.

H. J. L. “ It’s fairly obvious that for some reason the dark man considers he has been done a great wrong by the fair man, and when they meet on the astral plane, he acts as he would like to act on earth.”

J. W. “ Will they remember this experience when they awake on earth?”

H. J. L. “I can’t say for certain, but I think they will each retain some remembrance, although it will very likely be a distorted one. But look, who is that?”

J. W. “Why, it’s the pater! What on earth is he doing here?”

H. J. L. “ Hardly an appropriate exclamation, eh? But why shouldn’t your father come here; he’s just dreaming like everyone else. Perhaps he’ll recognise you.”

But he went past, busily engaged in seeking for someone, and never seemed to see me, and as he passed I saw the thought form of his father floating before him.

"Will he meet his father here?” I inquired.

H. J. L. “Not very likely. Old Horatio is very comfortable in the division of faith without acts and not likely to come out here often.”

My father disappeared among the crowd, and as for a moment there was a lull in the throng that were continually sweeping by us, I turned again to H. J. L. and said:

“Does ‘place’ exist on the astral plane in the same way as it does on earth?”

H. J. L. “To a certain extent, for not only have we, as you see, an astral landscape, but that landscape tends to correlate with the surface of the physical world. Thus, at the present minute we are near London: that is why there is such a crowd of spirits. But though the landscape tends to correlate, our astral bodies are not bounded by time and space in the same way as they are on earth. We can rush from one part of the earth to another in next to no time. Nor do the astral landscapes exactly correspond to landscapes on earth, for there are, as it were, many layers of astral landscape; because the same district at various periods of the earth’s history will present very different aspects, as, for example, the site of London has not only held prehistoric forest, but at times it has been covered by the ocean itself.”

J. W. “This landscape, so far as I can see it, is not the same as the one in which London now stands.”

H. J. L. “Of course, but it is some not very ancient past landscape. But see who comes here.”

J. W. “Why, it’s Carrie. The whole family seems to be here.”

H. J. L. “Oh no, they are not, but all the same a very large number of people do come night after night on to the astral plane. There are some people who have a regular and continuous life here, just as they have on earth, only when they awake, as a rule, they remember nothing of it. The 'astral day' ends for them with falling asleep, just as the physical day does, and it is seldom that a very clear recollection of either state is carried into the other. More, however, is remembered by the astral memory than by the physical. Still, there are people who are alive on earth, yet when they are here they have no recollection of it and imagine they live here only. Such people often don’t even know when they die, but are surprised when they don’t fall asleep. Most astrals, however, do keep some remembrance of their earth life, and may come here with fixed recollections of some earth friend whom they desire to find. Many people also occasionally remember in a distorted manner fragments of their experiences here. There are also some who seldom, if ever, come here till death. They are so materialistic that the astral cannot escape from the physical. Gross feeders and heavy drinkers in particular chain their astral bodies to their physical; but I am going to speak to Carrie. See, she is seeking me.”

He made his way through the passing dreamers to where Carrie was standing, looking round as if seeking someone. I could see her thought visualisation, and it was of her father as she remembered him sitting in his armchair in the dining-room at L. She herself was clad in a long white dress of simple cut, but not precisely like anything I have ever seen her wear on earth.

As soon as she saw him, she hastened towards him with delight.

“How are you getting on, Boss? It’s such an age since I saw you.”

H. J. L. “Yes, it is. I’m glad you came here tonight. I’m right enough, but what do you think of the revelations we are sending through?”

She looked puzzled and said, “What revelations? I don’t remember any.”

H. J. L. “Oh, nonsense; yes, you do, only you are still half asleep. Wake up! The ones we are sending through by Jack. By-the-bye, here is Jack.”

Carrie then noticed me for the first time. I, though I had seen her from the first, had not obtruded my presence, wishing her to devote her time to H. J. L.

“Why, what are you doing here?” she began.

“Come to that,” I replied,” what are you? But, indeed, in my case it’s my usual Monday night’s excursion, and this time Boss has brought me to see you folk who enter the astral plane. I wonder whether you’ll remember having met me when you awake? “

H. J. L. “It’s not very likely. If she remembers anything at all it will probably be me, as that was the thought visualisation which came here with her. Well, Carrie, do you recollect now?“

C. W. “Yes, I do remember vaguely, but like in a dream. But how are you yourself? I have not seen you for a long time.”

H. J. L. “Well, very well, nothing at all wrong. Never better in all my life. I wouldn’t be back on your poky, silly, shadowy earth for anything you could give. I’m hoping, though, that a few old friends will join me soon from your side.”

C. W. “Whose house is that?”

As she spoke I noticed rather a nice house in the late Georgian style. It had a small garden in front, and we found it had a much larger one behind. H. J. L. “Oh, that’s the astral form of some house which has just been pulled down. It won’t remain long; the astrals of inanimate objects don’t last long unless someone takes possession of them and so links them with his personality. Let us go inside.”

C. W. “Why, it’s completely furnished!” said Carrie as we entered.

H. J. L. “So it is. That’s rather peculiar here, though on the spiritual plane where the forms come it’s the rule rather than the exception. I think it must have been burnt down and everything destroyed. Yes, I’m sure it was, for see, some of the pictures are missing. Look at the blanks on the wall. Why, there is even the cord, too, hanging to the nails from which they hung. Someone evidently slashed through the cords with a knife and carried out a few of the best pictures. They didn’t save much, though.” As he spoke, the Boss sat down in an easy-chair by the fireplace in a room which had evidently been the dining-room.

"A very comfortable house,” he commented; “plain, perhaps, but substantial. If I were still in the astral body I’d take possession of it.”

Carrie. “Let’s go into the garden.” So she and I passed out through a door in the dining-room down a short flight of steps into the garden.

A few moments after the Boss appeared in the doorway, carrying on his shoulder a small leather-covered trunk. On reaching us, he placed it on the ground, raised the lid, and drew out a book.

"There, Carrie, fancy finding that here.”

C. W. “Why, it’s your old book, ‘How to Make a House Healthy and Comfortable.’ ”

H. J. L. “Yes. I thought the house seemed very well brought up to date. Its owner was evidently a sensible man.”

I (J. W.) was mildly amused at the obvious pleasure H. J. L. felt on discovering that the owner of the house had appreciated his book, but at that moment Carrie broke in, as we re-entered the room, “I’m feeling rather tired, so I will be off to bed.”

I looked in surprise at H. J. L., who, however, appeared to take no notice of my inquiring look, but said, “Well, goodbye, then, for the present. Come again soon. I am always glad to see you, you know, and will take care to be here when you do come.”

Carrie then went out of the room, and as soon As she was out of sight (I noticed that the astral wall completely shut out astral figures) he said, “You were surprised that she said she was tired. What she really felt was the call of her physical to her astral body, but that was the easiest way for her to explain it. To most astrals still living on earth the change back from the astral to physical conditions seems like falling asleep.

“Now it is time you too were returning. See how the crowds who were hurrying outwards are now going back.”

We looked out of the front door, and, sure enough, the dreamers seemed all to be moving back towards the direction from which they had come. Faster and faster they hurried by, and among them my father again repassed me with a disappointed look upon his face. He had not found the one he was seeking. Fewer and fewer they grew, and I noticed the so-called “dead” bidding farewells, often with bitter tears, to those they loved and who were returning to the waking world. Still fewer and fewer grew the “dreamers,” and in proportion as they grew fewer, the number of real denizens of the astral plane increased.

Not all were pleasant to look at, and H. J. L. again spoke, “It is time for you to return;” and I seemed to fall asleep.—J. W.

Note.—C. W. remembered a considerable part of this meeting, but not all, and thought it was a dream.

CHAPTER XXXV

THE INFLUENCE OF THE WAR CLOUD

July 27th, 1914.

ON reaching the college in which H. J. L. lived, I asked him, “Boss, do you think this storm cloud which has arisen in Europe will lead to war? Things begin to look rather black.”

H. J. L: “I am afraid it will. Of course I am not closely in touch with the earth plane, but here men are saying that the astral plane is in a state of absolute chaos. All the evil spirits are crowding up there and are doing their best to precipitate war.

“Here we are beyond all that turmoil, but we are filled with strange forebodings. The next few days will, I think, decide it, but I have never made any pretensions to prophetic powers.

“Our work is drawing rapidly to its close, and it is well, for if there is war our little band of workers will certainly be dispersed. They will have different work to do.

“You are not well yourself. I can see, unless you are better by next week, it would be as well for you not to make any attempt to come here till you are all right again. When in sound health these excursions into the unknown can do you no harm, but when ill you need all your vitality to fight the disease. In any case, you will not be able to do any automatic writing during the month you are lecturing at Cambridge.

"I do not propose that you should have an interview with the officer to-night.

“In the first place, you are not well enough to stand a lengthy stay here, and, secondly, the officer is in a very excited condition owing to the war cloud. He longs to be able to rejoin his old regiment, but several spirits have taken him in hand and are trying to calm him. We don’t want all our good work flung away, and in that way he can do no good. There is a field of activity open to him, which we shall point out in due course. Just now, however, he’s like a tiger that has scented blood, and it is largely his extraordinary behavior, coupled with what appears to be happening on the astral plane, that makes me fear for the worst.

“Now, goodbye. Take care of yourself and get well as soon as you can. The book must be finished off before you leave for Burma.”

So I returned to the earth plane, and noticed how tired I was as I re-entered my body.—J. W.

Note.—I went up to Cambridge on the 3rd, and all through August suffered from a sharp attack of Pleurisy. During the whole of that time I had no visions, nor did I attempt automatic writing. It was not till the 5th of September that I was able to resume automatic writing at Mr. K.’s house.

CHAPTER XXXVI

THE WAR

Sept. 5th, 1914.

"WE must get on with the work as quickly as we can. The time lost owing to your illness is to be regretted, but it has at any rate enabled some little order to be restored in the astral plane. But the latter is still in a most chaotic state, and its reaction is beginning to be felt even in our plane.

"Of course the majority of the men who are passing over are young men, and go first to the astral plane. Huge crowds of spirits are pouring over, most of them still convulsed with hate, nearly all having died a violent death, and you can easily imagine the condition there. Many indeed do not even realise that they are dead, but ascribe their changed condition to some wound which has temporarily clouded their brain.

"The chief way, however, in which it affects the spirit plane is that a great call has gone forth for more enlightened spirits to come to the aid of the newcomers, and already countless hosts are pouring down to help. At present most of the helpers come from the two higher divisions of the spirit plane, but it is certain that some will go from our division also.

"As yet I am hardly fitted for such work, but when the call comes for me I shall answer it*, though I cannot pretend that I am looking forward to the turmoil of the astral plane after the peace and quiet I have enjoyed here.

"But enough of this subject; we must push on with the book, which I trust you will make every effort to get published, not immediately—of course, that is impossible—but presently, as the opportunity occurs; and we look to you, Mr. K., to write a preface**, explaining the circumstances under which these revelations were made.

"The officer will now take control.—H. J. L.”

CHAPTER XXXVII

THE BAND OF SPIRIT FRIENDS IS
DISPERSED. CONCLUSION

Sept. 14th, 1914.

ON arriving at the college in which H. J. L. lived, I found him seated there alone, save for the dog, Molly, who scrambled out from under the sofa to greet me.

H. J. L. then began to speak: “The work is now completed for the time being. Our little band of workers is scattered, and I alone remain amid the old surroundings. Soon you, too, will be undergoing new experiences in the East, which will tend to widen your outlook. You need have no anxiety as to the journey. You will arrive in Burma safely.

"Though for some time I shall not give you any communications of real interest, yet I shall expect you each Monday as usual. The door to this world having once been opened, we must take care that it does not close again, for after awhile I shall hope to start a new series of revelations, though their exact nature is yet unknown to me.

"Go carefully through what you have. You will have time to arrange the various contributions each under their proper headings, and thus you will have a fairly complete and continuous account of life over here.

"Hell, the astral plane, the realms of half belief, of real but narrow belief, and of belief shown forth in a life of good deeds, have all been revealed. Beyond these planes I as yet know nothing, but I do not despair of gaining some knowledge of life in the fifth plane.

"So henceforth consider me, as I know you will, not as sleeping an agelong sleep to be broken ultimately by the trumpets of judgment day, but as a man still much like yourself, but freed at last of the trammels of a body; no longer subject to pain, no longer needing material food or sleep, and therefore as one freed from the drudgery of life, dwelling among pleasant surroundings, with boundless opportunities, not for idle sloth and endless psalm-singing, but to study all subjects in which I am interested and the means to pursue those studies far further than any man can do on earth. Consider me able and anxious to help others, and by so doing preparing myself to climb higher and higher from division to division, making new friends and learning new truths day by day as time seems to you.

“Consider me happy and contented in a measure, glad to have escaped from the material world, but do not think of me as absolutely happy yet.

“Perfect happiness is a long way off still, and can only be attained by steady effort concentrated by a set and determined will after many ages, during all of which the spirit is undergoing fresh experiences, and learning new truths.

“Think of me thus, at all times, busy alike with work and recreation. The work is that which will help me to climb upward step by step, the recreation that which on earth I considered as work.

“So bear my greetings to all who will receive them. and come to me regularly week by week; and now goodbye for the present, thanking Mr. K., Mrs. K., and all who have assisted me in this work.’

J. W. “Before I go, tell me what J. B. P. and the officer and A. are doing.”

H. J. L. “The officer is shortly, after a little more training, to go down to the astral plane to help the thousands who are being hurled into the new life they will find there; and badly they will need all the help they can get, cut off thus in the prime of life. But help they will receive.

“J. B. P. has already gone down again into Hell. A. is still struggling to learn the simple lessons of the school where I was so long ago.”

J. W. “Yes, to you it must seem long; and yet as earth reckons time it is only nine months since you passed over.”

H. J. L. “Yes; but time here counts by experience and not by hours, if indeed one can call it time, and even on earth I think by the time Dec. 31st has arrived not only you, but the whole world, will say, ‘this is the longest year we have ever known;’ but now goodbye once again.”

And so we parted.

And to and fro since then I have journeyed, and always had a ready welcome, but little of special interest—merely family news and such small-talk—though all the time I know J. H. L. was working at various profound subjects.

But at length the fatal day came when I sought his aid on behalf of my brother, and that aid was given ungrudgingly. And now my weekly visits are devoted in the main to the astral plane, of which before long I hope to write a fuller account.