Dear Reader, your humble servant here presents you with a somewhat curious yet suggestive and thought-provoking work. So far as mere language is concerned, it might have been sent forth upon its travels up and down the world, clad in better raiment; but as I had nothing better than linsey-woolsey whereof to fashion its apparel, why, it must e'en take its chance in that.
A man's coat amounts to but little at the vest, compared
to the man inside it - and so of books. It is not always your
gilt-edged annual that either carries the most precious freight,
or does the most good in the world; hence, so far as the verbal
clothing of my precious babe, this child of my Soul, is concerned
so far as relates to the terms wherein that here offered is couched,
nothing need be said apologetically. If the dress suits, well
and good; if not, it is even well; the writer has done the very
best that could be done; no one can do more. In making the assertions,
the weird and strange revealments contained within the lids of
this book, no one can be better aware of the risk encountered
of being laughed at by the wise people of this wise age than I
am. Doubtless there are those who will cavil, deride, sneer at
and condemn the author and the work: but what of that? My truths,
if truths indeed they be - and to me they are intensely such -
will live. Why? Because they were chipped of the Rock of Truth
itself, and therefore will, unquestionably, survive many a laugh,
as have other truths ere now. They and their discoverer can well
afford being laughed at. The author feels that when the great
reaper, Death, shall have done his work, these same truth-seeds
will spring up into form, life, and beauty - all for the gladdening
of the people - and this feeling, this inner prophecy of and to
the Soul, contents and satisfies the being. Friendly reader, when
this body shall have gone back to the dust whence it sprung in
the hopeful years gone by; when this Soul shall be nestling in
the bosom of its Savior and its God, people who shall read these
pages then will find, if not before, more in that which the heart-weary
one has here written than either a psychological romance or the
daring speculations of undisciplined genius.
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(1) God does not demand of man that he shall do more than his
best, and if man does this, the irrespective of how poorly done
his best happens to be, his work is well done. We should, however,
be exceedingly certain as to whether or not we are doing our best
or merely using this law of God as an excuse for the accomplishment
of little or nothing.
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The foregoing observations have reference more especially
to the first part of this work, which is presented in the form
of Revelations from the Dead. It does not owe its origin to what
is ordinarily known as Spiritualism; it did not come either by
the "Raps," "Table-turning," "Speaking
mediumship," "Writing," or in any other of the
modes so commonly claimed for the mass of "Spiritual"
literature, now so widely circulated and read.. The process by
which what follows came, is to me as weirdly strange and novel
as anything can well be. I call this process The Blending. (2)
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(2) This process is a peculiar method as used by the Initiates
of the Secret Schools. To master the process is unquestionably
difficult, as it demands that the person who seeks this attainment
be able to wholly forget his own personality, remain widely and
keenly awake and, despite the forgetfulness of the self, wholly
place himself in the position of the person with whom he desires
to blend, and to remember the thoughts that pass through the mind
of the person with whom he blends. The great master Cagliostro
was an adept in this method and by means of it could quickly read
the thoughts, desires, loves, hatreds and plans of those who consulted
him. In many instances, after learning just what people thought,
he would then use the crystal or mirror to personify these thoughts
in pictures or symbols to those who came to see him, by this means
completely mystifying them so that they concluded him to be either
a god or the devil.
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The people called Mediums, a singular order among men, set
forth that their bodies are, for the time being, vacated by their
Souls, (3) and that during the vacation the Soul of someone else,
one who has died, and yet lives, takes possession of the physical
structure, (4) and then proceeds to give forth his or her wisdom
or folly for the enlightenment or darkening of men's minds. Another
class tell us that they are "impressed" by a departed
one to give voice to the spirit's thought; others declare that
they are obsessed. Well, it may all be so, or it may not. I do
not assume or presume to decide one way or the other; all that
need be said on this point is that this book does not owe its
origin to either or any of these methods.
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(3) In making this claim, these people are either deluding themselves
or guilty of faking. Until death occurs, the Soul is bound to
the body and does not leave except as to be noted. In genuine
farseeing, i.e., Clairvoyance, the body is entirely at rest and
the Soul is then capable of seeing to almost unbelievable distances.
For the Soul to then think of a place is to have its vision in
that place and to be as able to see as clearly, or even more clearly,
as could the physical eye see objects a few feet distant.
(4) When this is actually accomplished there is then no assurance
whatever that the Soul can ever again return to that body. On
the contrary, there is every possibility that one of the multitude
of earth-bound and inimical spirits which are forever hovering
over the earth and which are so easily seen by those in delirium
caused by fever or alcohol, will immediately take possession of
the body, and, having once entered, will refuse to vacate. When
his happens we have a genuine case of obsession.
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Machiavelli, the great Italian diplomat, is said to have gained a thorough and complete knowledge and insight of the state, frame of mind, and intentions of other men, through a wonderful power which he possessed above most, if not all, me, of completely identifying himself, by an intense desire and volition, with those with whom he came in contact. To such an extent and degree did he possess this power, that it was a easy task to circumvent and overreach most, if not all, his diplomatic opponents. He placed himself by a mental and physical effort in the exact position occupied for the time being by his antagonists, or the person he designed to read.
No matter what the mood indicated by the physical appearance,
or the outward manifestation of what was going on within, away
down in the deeps of being was, he immediately moulded his features
by the model thus furnished. "I am now in his place,"
said he, mentally, "and will see how to act, think, and feel,
from his position; and, for the time being, I sink my own personality,
my opinions, views; in short, all my self-hood, prejudices, like,
dislikes, and all else beside; in a word, I transmute Machiavelli
into the other man.; (5) which being effected, I shall be, to
all intents and purposes, that other man for the time being, and
of course will feel as he feels, see as he sees, know as he knows,
and be impelled to action by the identical motives whereby he
is prompted.
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(5) This method of blending is here rather fully explained and
would seem to be an easy method of procedure. However, it requires
a long period of training to be able first to hold but one thought
in mind to the exclusion of all else, and then entirely to forget
the personal self and at the same time remain positive. Were this
an easily mastered art, then all could be masters. To be able
to blend perfectly with another is to be an Occult Master.
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All the world knows that Machiavelli succeeded to a wonderful extent; and by this power of assumption, this easy yet mysterious blending, he often, in fact, nearly always, baffled his foes, and the foes of the State, so that now a successful diplomatist is said to be pursuing the Machiavellian policy.
Almost any person can make successful experiments in this
- Science, shall I call it? - and will be surprised at the results.
A man or woman appears before you with features bearing the impress
of a certain kind of thought, and you can find out what kind by
placing your own features, so far as possible, in the same shape;
keep them thus for several minutes, and you will become absorbed
in the same thought that absorbs the individual before you, and
in a short time will become an adept in the are of Soul-reading.
(6)
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(6) this statement would appear to contradict a great Occult Law
as voiced by the Moslem in His statement: "Nobody knows but
God and I, what is in my heart." It does not. That which
is really hidden in the heart cannot be read by any man, but the
truth is that the thoughts, desires, plans, passions and even
loves of the average person are of a superficial nature and never
enter as deeply as the heart. A desire is of today and forgotten
tomorrow then another takes its place; this is the result of an
artificial life which is without any actual goal or definite purpose.
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Many men, and a still greater number of women, who possessed
the power alluded to, have existed in all times past; but, above
all others, the age we live in has been prolific of such, so that
now it is not at all difficult to find those who can enter, almost
at will, the very abysses, labyrinths, and most secret recesses
of your being. Indeed, persons abound in nearly all the great
cities of the world (7) who attain high honor and renown - to
say nothing of the benefits of competence, and even wealth - by
the exercise of this marvelous faculty.
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(7) This is no longer true. A century ago, Germany, as an instance,
had what might be called a multitude of true Mystics, but as the
age became selfish and material there was a dearth of Acolytes
to take the place of those ho either passed on or left the country.
Many of the latter came to America, which became the richer for
their presence, but now this great country has followed in the
steps of Germany, and money, possessions, speed, pleasure have
taken the place of the glorious God of Light of our fathers.
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There are many wise ones who admit the existence of this power, yet deny its attainability by the many, and who stoutly maintain that it is a special gift of the Creator to a favored few. From such a verdict the writer begs leave most respectfully to dissent; and these are the grounds upon which that dissent is based:
All human powers and faculties are latent, until time, circumstance,
and discipline bring then out. All human beings are created alike
in so far as the germinal powers are concerned. All men naturally
love sweet sounds, and, if this taste be cultivated at an early
day, are capable of musical appreciation, if not of vocal or instrumental
execution. The seeds of all unfolding lie perdu, or latent, in
every human being; they are the property of Soul; in Soul-soil
they are imbedded, and from that soil they must eventually put
forth shoot, shrub, tree, branch, leaf, blossom, and finally fruit.
(8) Every faculty, strictly human, belongs to, and is a part of,
every member of the species; and that - this fact being admitted,
though any given one or more may be manifested most powerfully
by some, and not by all by others - all of them are one day to
be developed, called out, unfolded, in all, is a plain inference;
nay, an absolute certainty. The power to see without eyes, demonstrated
by scores and hundreds of clairvoyants, is not a gift peculiar
to a certain man or woman, or to a certain order of people. It
is a power that can be had for the trying, as any good mesmerist
will affirm and can prove.
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(8) The eighth wonder of the age. A promise yet to be fulfilled,
and all who have the heart's desire may be candidates for the
development of this mystic faculty. Deep down within every human
creature possessing the Spark of Divinity which may become a Soul
lies dormant the force which may be developed into this power,
and many enrolled in the Secret Schools are now well on the Path
toward the accomplishment of this object.
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It seems to me that the expression of the Crucified, "I
and my Father are one," (9) contains a direct affirmation
of the possibility of this blending. God was to Jesus the very
essence of goodness; Jesus strove to be also most thoroughly good,
and succeeded in reaching that point where Himself was in perfect
blending with the entire universe of Goodness, and therefore with
the Fount of all Excellence.
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(9) This is not a new thought. If those interested in Bible study
will examine the various references to the Atonement - which really
should be read At-one-ment, or the becoming of one with God -
will see that there is, in a spiritual sense, no difference between
the two, except that one is more of the material than the other,
one having to do with the everyday activities of men and with
personal affairs in a material world, while the other has reference
almost wholly to the spiritual.
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Perfect blending is perfect love; and whether that love be toward the person, the outer self, the body, or toward the Soul, or the mental treasures, or the secret self of another, the results are in degree, if not in kind, the same.
Mental telegraphy will be a perfect success, whenever two persons can be found in whom the power of entering the region of Sympathia shall normally exist. A few can transmit thought to and receive thought back from others, even now; but presently scores of people will develop the ability.
Now, this blending is not a mere magnetic union of physical spheres, but is a Soul-process nearly altogether.
Love, in its essence, is a thing of the Spiritual part of us, though, alas! It is often put to base uses.
There was once, not many years ago, a woman to whom I felt such a love as that subsisting between affectionate sisters; for it was deeper, purer, calmer, than that which binds brothers together. In life her Soul drew near, almost fearfully near, to mine; she thought my thoughts, read my spirit, sympathized with me in all my joys, my sorrows, and my aspirations. Often have we sat beside each other, that poor sick girl and I; and though no word broke the stillness of the sacred hour, yet not a region of our Souls was there but was explored by the other; not a silent thought that was not mutually understood and replied to. Presently she died; the forms were forever separated, yet not for a day were the mystic Soul-links which bound us together severed. No sister was ever more dearly loved than I loved her; and that love was fully and as purely returned. Everybody called her "Sister"; everybody felt that to them she was truly such.
Well, she died; and after a year or two had passed I began to understand that at times her Soul was near me, and many and oft were the periods in which I did not seem to be myself, but had an invincible conviction that I was Cynthia for the time being instead of who and what I am. By and by there came a consciousness of this blending, so deep, so clearly defined, so calm, that at last I began to appreciate a mighty, almost resistless, Will and Purpose behind it all; for I was myself and Cynthia - never simultaneously, as is asserted to be the case with many of the people called "Mediums," but in separate instants - now her, then myself; at first very imperfectly, but gradually approaching an absolute and complete mergement of Soul.
This continued for nearly two years, at intervals, and after about eighteen months had passed, one portion of the process seemed to have reached completeness; for in a degree it changed, and instead of momentary, as before, the transmutations became longer, until at last, as now, the changes last sixty, and in one instance have reached two hundred and forty minutes.
It may here be asked, "Where are you in the interim?" and the answer is: "We are two in one, yet the stronger rules the hour."
It will be seen, therefore, that this condition is as widely separated from those incident to the "Mediums' as theirs is supposed to be different from the ordinary wakeful mood. They reach their state by a sort of retrocession from themselves; they fall, or claim to fall, into a peculiar kind of slumber, their own faculties going, as it were, to sleep. On the contrary, mine is the direct opposite of this, for, instead of a sleep of any sort, there comes an intense wakefulness. Nor is this all in which we differ; as are the processes and states apart, so also are the results different.
The revelations of spiritual existences, moods, modes, and conditions of being, as given by nearly every "Spiritual Medium" of whom I have ever heard or read, are, to say the least, totally unsatisfactory to the great majority of those who seek for information on the vital question of Immortality - how, and why, and to what great end we are thus gifted and endowed?
Another, and equally important one, is that concerning the Soul-world and the inhabitants whereof - how they live, where they live, and to what end and use?
I believe that light is, in this volume, thrown on all these great and vital points; such light, indeed, as will be hailed and appreciated by all who read and think as well as by those who read and feel - two widely different classes, but to both of whom these pages are humbly, yet hopefully, addressed.
The process, strange, weird, and altogether unusual, to
which allusion has been made, went on for a long time; and by
slow degrees I felt that my own personality was not lost to me,
but completely swallowed up, so to speak, in that of a far more
potent mentality. A subtlety of thought, perception, and understanding
became mine at times, altogether greater than I had ever known
before; and occasionally, during these strange blendings of my
being with another, I felt that other's feelings, thought that
other's thoughts, read that other's past, aspired with that other's
inspiration. For a time I attributed these exaltations of Soul
to myself alone, and supposed that I was not at all indebted to
foreign aid for many of the thoughts to which, at such moments,
I frequently gave utterance; but much study of the matter has
at length convinced me, not only that the inhabitants of the Soul-worlds
have much to do in moulding the great world's future, but that
occasionally they so manage things that their thoughts are often
spoken, and their behests, ends, and purposed fulfilled by us
mortals, when we imagine that we alone are entitled to the sole
credit of much that we say, think, and do, when the fact is, we
doubtless are oftentimes merely the proxies of others, and act
our allotted rôle in a drama whose origin is entirely supernatural,
and the whole direction of which is conducted by personages beyond
the veil. (10)
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(10) Many of these are inhabitants of other spheres, beings who
never have inhabited the earth. Some of these belong to the Hierarchies,
the guides of the destinies of men and nations.
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Well, one day it so happened that I repaired to a beautiful village in one the the New England States on a visit to some very kind and well-beloved friends, the brother and the sister of the rare maiden whose wondrous thoughts abound in the volume now before the reader; and while there the conversation ran on topics wide apart from either Mesmerism or its great cognate, Spiritualism. During the time that had elapsed since my last visit to the beautiful village, some two years, Death had been busily gathering his harvests in all the regions round about; nor had he kept aloof from the house on the hill. No! Cruel Death had been over its threshold, and Azrael had carried two precious souls over the Dark River. These were Cynthia and her mother.
After partaking of a sorrow-seasoned meal, mournfully, and with aching heart and tearful eye, we, the left-behind and myself, took our way toward the ground where lay the sacred form of her we loved so deeply, so fully; and there I wept, and the great salt tears bedewed the sod for, indeed, my heart, poor, weary, troubled heart, was almost breaking. Soon we returned to the house upon the hill, and I lay down upon the sofa, near the window, the very sofa whereon her sainted form was wont to recline in the days now, alas! fled, with her, forever and forevermore, that same little sofa whereon she used to sit and converse with us, with her sister Clarinda, the gentle and the good John Hart, and her well-beloved Jonathan, with my humble self, and a few select and sober-minded lovers of the good and true; used to sit and converse upon the mysteries of the Great Beyond, and touching the realities of that other world, to which disease was remorselessly, and with relentless purpose, fast urging her life-car....And as I lay there with closed eyes I beheld the flitting ghosts of many a dead day, with all its troops of glad and bitter memories. Then suddenly it seemed that I was no longer myself, for so deep and perfect was the blending that I had not merely an insurmountable assurance that my body contained, for the time being, two complete Souls, but even the very thoughts, modes of expression, and memory of the departed one were mine; and yet this possession did not, for an instant, subvert my own individuality. I was there and so was she. For the time being, we two were not merely as one, but to all intents and purposes we actually were one.
Arising from the recumbent position, my body assumed certain singularities of movement peculiar to her before she flew up to her home in the bright empyrean, and these words were spoken: "The experiences and history of a Soul must be written, for the benefit of the people. I, we, intend to write it. A book shall be produced, containing the facts of a living, dying, dead, and transfigured human being, containing the reasons why men live after death and the methods of their after life and being. This book shall contain an account of the experience of two human beings, the one, while temporarily disenthralled, the other, when permanently so; shall contain the experience of Cynthia during her passage from earth to the grave of earthly hope and being, and a history of what befell thereafter."
These were the spoken words. Once more I resumed my personality and attended to the affairs of the busy world. In other days the promises were kept, and this first book was written.
Nothing further need be said by way of introduction to what
follows, further than to observe that certain soul-experiences,
related in the second part, were mine, while the reasonings are
not wholly original perhaps; yet I do not know that they are not
such, seeing that I never saw anything like them on earth before,
albeit others have thought in the same direction. Wherever in
this book the views of other writers are presented they are given
as such with name and fame; the rest is wholly mine.
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