Glimpses Of The Next State.Pdf - Spiritualists' National Union

236Tom: I have seen a good many of them, and to-night I am having the same experience,coming in contact with a spirit who has left the body without being aware of it; and this spiritreturns to earth and talks to mortals with all the assurance that he had when in the body, which, ofcourse, is quite natural, taking up the last thought he had when he left the body, when he came intired and he took off his boots, and then he lay down. Then he thought: Well, now I will get up andgo out and see about that grain.” And he went around hunting for his boots, but he couldn’t findthem. Do you know such an individual?S.: Well, I had that experience. What are you trying to make out of that? Of course, Ilost my boots.Tom: Don’t you remember, you took them off, and you were tired?S.: Why, yes, I took them off.Tom: And you lay down on the couch, and you felt kind of queer?S.: Yes.Tom: Well, you burst your boiler.S.: What did you say?Tom: You left the body.S.: I left the body!Tom: Yes, you did.S.: Do you mean that I am dead?Tom: Yes, I do.S.: Oh, God Almighty! Jesus Christ!Tom: What are you talking that way for? That is the reason you can’t find your boots.Your father, your mother, Lucy, and all your friends are here to-night, and they have been themeans of your being brought here so that you could talk to these people here and they talk to you,and make you understand what has happened to you.S.: This is a staggerer! Great God! if I am dead—Tom: Say, JohnS.: Well, go on.Tom: Now you look at your hand real sharp, will you, and you will see the material dissolvethat your spirit is clothed with, which enables you to speak; now, watch close, and you will see thismaterial melt away from your hand. Now do you see?S.: Yes, yes. It’s gone—it’s gone. By God! it’s gone. I’m not all going away, am I.? Am Iall going?(He is dematerialised and then rematerialised.)S.: Well, I am here again. This is the Doxology. There is no use in talking.Tom: You see, John, they have clothed your spirit now with that material, so that you canspeak. There is a great work being done here. Spirits gather here and try to help those who don’tunderstand they have made the change, and try to help the poor creatures that are in sorrow,darkness, and despair up into the bright sunlight, and give them all the consolation, love, andkindness they can.S.: Well, if I am dead—and I guess I am—I guess I am dead.Tom: You have made the change called death, but there is no real death; you are just thesame, John, just as much alive as ever.S.: Where are my father and mother? Tell them I want to see them.Tom: I don’t know whether you can see them just now, but you can speak to them, andthey can hear every word you say, because they are the means of your being brought here to-night.They were aware of your condition, and wanted to help you out of that condition (that is the greatwork that is being done here), so you were brought here because the conditions are made here whenyour spirit can be clothed with the material which enables you to speak as you have spoken tonight.Your father and mother and all your friends are very anxious to have you becomeacquainted with your condition, so that you can take up the duties pertaining to the life which youhave now entered.S.: Well, I don’t know; it is a little startling to find that you are dead. What is to come?