I walked through the hall to the living room and started to enter—when I stopped on the threshold electrified—for crossing the room to his favorite chair—with his head turned laughingly toward me—was a friend—a most magnificent man—who had passed out of life about two months before!

My Mother was lying in state in her bedroom; she had passed out of life the day before; a relative and a friend sat in the library discussing Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I had just left them, and was passing down the hall by the closed door of my Mother's room, when it seemed to open, and she emerged and said: "I want you to go back to those people and tell them that I am here; that is all I wish you to say." I went back and told them, of course; they then ceased discussing Sir Arthur Conan Doyle!

Such is the character of real psychic or spirit medium power! I give only two samples, but they are significant.

Doubtless it will be a delight to many searchers for truth in psychic and spiritualistic matters, to hear at last from a real medium on the subject; one who has the power herself, (although not used professionally), and so is not repeating merely from hearsay of other people.

It will be a relief to be told that their loved ones appear as directly and simply after death to those who can see in a spirit medium way, as though they entered a room in life quite in the usual way. There are no plasms or isms about it, nor are the spirits dependent on any part or quality or substance furnished by medium or otherwise of this world. They appear in color, clothes and all just as we were accustomed to see them while here, and smile or laugh or are solemn as is their mood at the moment of appearing. They do not, however, speak aloud; we hear them through vibrations on our brain, as they, indeed, get their answers through our thoughts; hence it is literally intercommunication by thought or through thought. We also know that they lack the substance of earthly bodies, although their touch is entirely perceptible to a psychic—as of a hand laid on one's hand, or slipped into one's hand, for instance.

While it is possible for all real mediums to describe in detail to people interested, anything that is given to them to see, it is not possible for any medium to enable people who are not gifted in a psychic way to see supernatural things for themselves. That could only be accomplished by developing them into mediums if they so desired—which after all would rest with God to decide, for He gives the power. I might add— the gift is usually for a purpose, and for some work God has for the individual to do, and if they afterwards refuse to do the work, they usually lose the power.

I must include in this foreword one of the most interesting demonstrations given to the writer throughout her experience with this power, which was a view of herself as she had appeared in seven different incarnations, so placed before her that they were standing side by side. All were different in certain details, but sufficiently alike in general contour, as to be easily recognized as one and the same person.

At another time, I was shown a man whom I know well—and the world knows him too— as having been Julius Caesar in one of his incarnations. There can be no doubt that it is true!

The spirit pictures of Mrs. Marguerite du Pont Lee, a wealthy philanthropist residing in Washington, D. C; a psychic herself, and experimenting for truth in an honest way, many samples of which were reproduced by Dr. Hysslop in the Annual Report of the Society for Psychical Research, Vol. VIII, part 3, 1914, show things quite inexplicable, and that the spirits roam at will about and around us, quite as they do, but under certain psychic laws. Mrs. Lee was accompanied by Dr. Hysslop while taking many of these sample pictures, and I know he was facilitated by her in every way in seeing all the operations. She goes into a dark room with an exposed film, which she holds in her hand in such a position that anything in the room subject to the power of the photographic art will be portrayed. When sufficient time has elapsed, she comes out, and the plate is developed in the usual way. It will be found that there are no enveloping clouds, hoods etc., around any of the spirit forms in her pictures, and they prove conclusively that we are surrounded by a world not seen by ordinary human eyes, and that the camera can reproduce things of the spirit as understood, wonderful as it may seem, things only visible to eyes with the psychic inner veil.

In concluding this foreword, the writer wishes to state that, while begging to remain incog., she yet is the equal in earthly descent, on both sides of the house—of anyone in the world. As such she performs her task of placing these truths before you at this time, as she is commanded to do.

THE AUTHOR
New York,
July 28, 1922.