INCIDENTS IN THE WONDERLAND OF LIFE AND DEATH

Albert Bennett Whiting gives the following account of his experiences in the death-trance—

I was a spirit with immortal beings. I could see my body as it lay upon the bed, cold and lifeless. I thought of my mother and sister at home, dependent upon me; of their deep sorrow when they should hear of my departure. The spirits around me were conversing together. Some said—Let him stay with us! Others said—No! let him go back to earth and fulfill his destiny. Then my guardian spirit said—He shall return to earth. I recognised, among those around, the tall Indian chief—one of the first four spirits who appeared to me—and a number of others whom I knew; but soon one approached whom I had never seen—a man of venerable and majestic aspect. He was attended by a numerous company of spirits, and eagerly greeted, as if expected, with the request, Aid us to restore to earth this wandering mortal. I saw a green and yellow light fall upon my dead body, and I knew no more until I awoke in the form. I was cold and stiff, and could not move for a long time, but gradually warmth and feeling returned, and the next day I arose and told my astonished friends that I was going home. They said I could not possibly live to get there, and, indeed, gave me no hope of recovery if I remained. I knew I must go; so I coolly replied, Well, I won't die here, and started on Thursday morning. I arrived at Niagara Falls Friday, where I found my old friend, Judge Manchester—formerly of Providence—and in his excellent family rested until Monday. Then, though even more feeble, and against the wishes of my kind host, I continued my journey and reached home the Tuesday following, more dead than alive.

The editor of the Gardiner Journal had a narrow escape from death, his horse running away as he hung in the wheel. He describes his sensations—

Oh, can't some of my spirit friends do something to help me out of this scrape? beseechingly I said or thought. It was a prayer not laid down in the books, and perhaps the form was not staid or formal. Short as it was, it did me good. I saw then crowds of spirits around me—-part of whom I knew. I do not see what they can do, I thought, and as they seemed to hover round the front part of the wagon, and over the horse, I wondered how they kept up with him. Then I thought, perhaps they will take the old horse's strength away, but I couldn't see very clearly how they were to do this, for Old Robin was a hard customer to manage. I probably should have lived but a few seconds longer. The reins had worn off upon the wheel just when my strength was all gone. Had I died, people would pityingly have said, it was a horrible death, but, really, I suffered very little. The shock was such that my nerves of sensation were benumbed. I had no fear; in fact, there was a physical sort of feeling that it was a bundle about three feet long, with a sort of handle to it (which was my left leg, probably), that was bouncing along over the ground, which I was trying to untangle. I had often heard that in such a crisis as this, one's whole life passes in review before him, and I thought of that fact, but had no such experience. I had only one regret for deeds done or left undone, and that was that I had neglected my usual custom of taking accident tickets, and this regret I felt ashamed of. My only thought was of my wife. The knowledge that I have faced death unflinchingly is not without satisfaction to me, and there is a something that I feel, which I cannot describe, that assures me that there were more powerful influences than my own aiding, comforting and sustaining me. My religious friends will say it was the Good Father, and it matters not what we call it, the feeling is the same. I do not feel of sufficient consequence to merit God's special providence, but that loving friends from the other sphere may have comforted and sustained me is not repugnant to my common sense, and does not lessen my idea of the goodness and greatness of the Creator.

He passed through one of the multifarious stages of death, but was fortunately saved.

The Encyclopaedia of Death and Life in the Spirit World—Opinions and Experiences from Eminent Sources, J. R. Francis, Chicago, The Progressive Thinker Publishing House, 1903