by Gladys Osborne Leonard

After having made several excursions into the Astral World during sleep, and accomplished other short-distance exteriorizations while awake, there came to me the crowning adventure–the most convincing and satisfying experience of my whole life.

Never in my wildest dreams had I dared to expect such a wonderful revelation of that world which lies beyond the normal sight and hearing of our earthly existence. Ever since my husband’s death in February, 1935, I had prayed daily, morning and evening, that I might be allowed someday, to visit the place, locality, condition–call it what you will–in which my husband now dwelt, worked, and lived his life apart from me. Yes, “apart” is the word one is compelled to use when referring to separation by death in the “bodily” sense. No matter how great one’s belief in the Unseen World may be, the absence of constant objective evidence of the dear one’s presence is frequently a great strain on even the staunchest faith. (more…)

by Anthony Borgia

Beings in the exalted realms have beheld the evolution of man on earth and they have assisted in that evolution. They have watched man’s steady spiritual and material progression.

Man, as he now is, was not created upon the instant, as the Church teaches, in the image and likeness of his Creator. He was slowly and steadily evolved from a lower order of creatures. The image and likeness were to come later. The Paradise of Eden is the best attempt at an explanation of the ‘creation’ of man that man himself could that time evoke. The story of the first man and woman, whom the earth world has come to name Adam and Eve, is natural corollary to the legend of their creation. (more…)

by Anthony Borgia

Who are the residents of the homes in the spirit worlds? Are they family groups or single occupants?

Doubtless, you will call to mind such concentrations as you have on earth, but you must also remember that even on earth family groups are continually altering their composition. The children in an earthly family grow up, and for various reasons they leave their parental homestead upon marriage, for example, or for reasons connected with their business or occupation. People on earth live alone for equally varied reasons. And so the changing of family groups is constantly going on. In normal times on earth, families live their lives with these changes taking place in their family ties, and eventually they come into the spirit world. (more…)

by Anthony Borgia

We have spent some little time considering the house itself. Let us now wander out and inspect the gardens or grounds round about our homes. But before doing so I would like to revert to a subject which is not unconnected with the gardens themselves.

I have already remarked that we are never hungry, from which it might be inferred that our social gatherings are entirely without refreshment. Such is not the case. We have the most delicious fruit in abundance. Our host or hostess, whoever it may be, will always see to that. But it is fruit that is very unlike yours on earth, we eat it for a very different reason, and it produces a totally different effect upon us. To take the fruit itself first. We have a much greater variety than do you, even taking into account the diversity to be found in the different parts of the world. All the fruits that you have we also have here, but with the quality there is no comparison. And the size, too, is remarkable. That you must see to believe! (more…)

by Anthony Borgia

Of all the types of buildings to be found in the spirit world, and those which will interest my friends on earth, the most numerous, by far, are the dwelling houses, the ‘private’ houses and cottages in which we live. They are of all kinds known to you on earth. But the appearance of our houses is very different from the appearance of earthly houses. The principal distinction is, of course, in the building materials, as I have indicated to you in the case of the churches here.

Although we have houses constructed of brick or of stone, as well as the half-timbered variety which is so popular here, your mind will inevitably be drawn to your own acquaintance with such buildings upon earth. But bear in mind what I have told you about the quality of the materials with their particular and colorful external appearance, and you will see wherein lies the very great difference between your houses and ours. But there are other and important distinctions. (more…)

by Dion Fortune

The Great Anesthetist

Death is a universal experience. No one can hope to escape. It is only a matter of time till it comes to each one of us and each one of those we love. Yet Death is called the King of Terrors and is the supreme threat of the law to the wrong-doer. What is it that makes a natural process so terrible? Is it the pain of dying? No, for anodynes can deaden that. Most death beds are peaceful when the time comes, and few souls go out struggling. What, then, is it we fear in death that it should be for us a thing of grief and dread?

Firstly, we fear the Unknown. (more…)

by Pauline Fredericka Strong

For fifteen years I was a hospital nurse and attended more largely on the poor ward patients. It would be difficult for you to imagine one half the misery and pain that was pressed into my existence all through that most exceedingly unhappy time! Yet I was never happy unless I was doing something for some sufferer and so you see I could no more change my life or my vocation than I could create myself over again.

It naturally had fallen to my lot all the years almost of my life, to hear the woeful tales of sorrow from almost every mortal I came in contact with, and was almost driven to nursing from sheer sympathy. I soon found that my strong feelings of tenderness for those afflicted made me over-weak and unfit for duty! And so the years brought the discipline, courage and success, and lost me love, truth and purity! For as I witnessed such a multitude of suffering I began to grow more and more calloused to its call until I went at the call of duty only as a machine goes which is set in motion mechanically and at the will of its operator! Something was dying in me, not my good physical health, for I was most unusually robust! But something which used to speak to my inner consciousness, from my own inner self, that still small voice which men and women call the conscience for want of a better term, that thing was dying, even had died! (more…)

by Kenneth transmitted through by Madge Wood

Oh, it is good to be alive and deeply interested in everything, to love, and to remember loved ones and be near them. There is no barrier really between us and the dear ones we leave behind. When there is true affection; that is an eternal link and this I know that some day we will all be together again. We only leave our loved ones behind in the material sense, and we help and guide them inasmuch as they will allow us to do so.

You see also the sleep state is a wonderful link between your world and ours. When your spirit leaves the body in sleep you are freed to be with us for a time, and we look forward to this. Many are the discussions that take place when you come, and the things you do and see. Naturally this is because earth is only your temporary home. Your real home and belonging is here. In sleep your spirit returns from whence it came and to the things known and understood. (more…)

by Yogi Ramacharaka

There is a question which ever comes to the mind of those who indulge in speculations regarding “the other side”—that question which is voiced in the words of the familiar old hymn: “Shall we know each other there?” This query is rooted in the very heart of human love and affection. Heaven, even if it furnished every other joy and satisfaction, would not be heaven to the average person if it did not also furnish companionship and association with those loved in earth life. The soul instinctively craves for the society not only of those close to it by ties of the love of man and woman, but also of those to which it is bound by the relationship of parent and child; brother and sister; friend and friend. Without this assurance of continued companionship and association, heaven would seem a very bleak and cold place to the average human soul. (more…)