The Book of Knowledge or How to become a Medium

The Book of Knowledge or How to become a Medium

Misery in the world to come

He that accumulates wealth in this world,

Accumulateth for himself misery in the world to come,

For no man can obtain riches and be honest to his neighbour;

And he who is without affliction, and eateth the bread of idleness,

Is an hypocrite, and hypocrisy is an abomination to the Lord.

Spiritual

The Laws of God

The laws of God are of a mild and gentle nature, breathing forth love, freedom, friendship and charity to all His creatures. 

He alone is Omnipotent Lord of All

He alone is Omnipotent Lord of All.

Unless we forgive, we cannot be forgiven

Look with charity, sympathy, and brotherly love upon all God’s creatures, remembering that He alone is our Father and Creator, and that unless we forgive, we cannot be forgiven.

Sufferings in Immortality

By the nature of the language, the following revelation shows us that even after death, while passing through the first progressive sphere, all experience a terrible dread of the future—

I have appeared by command of the higher powers and am the spirit of Dr Allen, late Bishop of Ely, who departed from mortal life to immortality in the month of March, 1845.

I am commanded to declare to the people of the earth things concerning which they have hitherto been kept in ignorance. The description of the sufferings I experienced immediately before leaving the world have been duly described in the public prints. But, nevertheless, I am commanded to describe the last pangs or struggles I experienced in endeavouring to retain life. After several convulsive struggles, I felt my limbs twinging, the sinews contract, and deprive me of their use, and my sufferings internally were indescribable. I experienced an icy chillness run through my frame; while my body was bedewed with cold clammy perspiration, my lips parched, and my tongue refused its office when I endeavoured to reply to the consolatory remarks of my friends. While at this juncture a terrible sensation seized upon my breast which convinced me that death was at hand. My past life moved with rapidity before my mind, and my friends perceived the intensity of my emotion. I then heard a terrible noise like the rumbling of heavy carriages over paved streets. My eyesight left me and my heart appeared as though enveloped by ice, and then appeared to explode. The next moment all was tranquil and all bodily suffering ended, and I heard the murmurs of my friends as they wept over me with the bitterest sobs of friendship and respect, saying to each other—He is gone, his last breath is drawn, his spirit has fled to the presence of its Creator. I distinctly recognised the words; I endeavoured to speak but the power of speech had left me. 1 felt the experience of a dream and could not understand their grief and sorrow, for all pain had ended; 1 felt happy, but as it were spellbound by apparent magic influence. As I lay gazing upon the group of friends around me I perceived objects, in every direction, at the same moment, but did not understand my true position. I saw my friends turn from the room, and persons enter and perform the last office to my body, and then I felt as if torn from the apartment, which gave way before me. I passed through the air with the greatest rapidity, and was enabled to see the reality of the world as it existed beneath me. At length I found myself in darkness, of a description beyond my power to explain. Here I remained for a considerable space, unable to define the exact time, and while in this position, far away from the sound of earthly or human voice, I could hear beyond the darkness a complication of frightful unearthly sounds, the hearing of which for the first time brought to my memory my position, and I knew that I was dead, and thoughts at once of the terrible place of torment I had so frequently described whilst living, and the dread of the future, with the thoughts of my past life, passed in rapid succession before my eyes. At length I found myself again whirling through the air, and wondered what would next follow. In this unsettled and unhappy state, I, as if waking from a dream, found myself again in the apartment with my body, upon which I gazed with wonder and amazement. I bent over it, shook it, touched myself, and believed for a time my experience was a dream, but remembering that at will I could move the legs, arms, head, or any part of my body, I again desired to do so, but found the effort was fruitless. I wept bitterly, and touched its cold chilly surface. The words of my friends again flashed across my mind; He is gone, said they, his spirit has fled, and the sensation was horrible. But there, oh there, laid the stern reality before me—cold, motionless, as death is described—dead in reality, and yet I, a moving, living being, witness of the things I have just described. At this moment persons entered, and passed by without perceiving me, and, as they were near to me by the most endearing ties, another pang of horror thrilled me as my real condition flashed through my mind. I was about to leave the room, as none would notice me. At the same instant, I was seized affectionately by the arm, when I perceived a dear female friend with whom I was formerly acquainted, but who had died some nine years previously. She led me from the apartment unseen and unheard, and endeavoured to administer consolation, and informed me of the dread she too felt for the future, and again left me to bitter reflection. I remained round the premises, and in the apartment which contained my body, witnessing with regret the voluptuous scenes of extravagance and waste displayed by my friends, but had no power to reveal myself unto them, to make them conscious of their follies. In this manner I continued near the last resting place of my body for several months, at times visiting the residences of old friends. But here I found that my spirit became more depressed as the thoughts of those who through me, or by me, had suffered injury, appeared to reach me and taunt me with reproaches, though unconscious to themselves; whom I had power to see moving through the mazes of the earth in their accustomed manner—and here fresh tortures awaited me. Those above and those beneath appeared to taunt me with hypocritical and ambitious desires to mislead or misguide my fellow creatures for the attainment of high office in the world. In this manner I found myself driven about from place to place, enduring indescribable agony of mind and apparent physical suffering. As I still feel perfect, every limb and every member appears to retain sensitive vitality. But the dread of a future still haunts me, and fear praying upon me, time fled swiftly, and yet nothing but uncertainty appeared. Again, after years of enduring I found myself in terrible and unspeakable darkness, where screams and mournful howls, mingled with the wild and inharmonious sounds of music, with the cries and weeping of the most wretched distress and agony, once more brought to my recollection my true position, and the thoughts of hell and eternal damnation with devils came upon me with the appearance of dreaded reality. As the darkness cleared, my eyes perceived the scenes which, with difficulty, can only be partially described, for thousands, nay myriads, of beings are thrown together, though in apparent confusion, yet distinctly classed, heaping reproaches upon each other for the injuries received whilst in the flesh. There are none without accusers, or none but what accuse, and every specie of bodily and mental agony is experienced by all. But oh, declare to the world the entreaties I am commanded to make, that the people may refrain from hypocrisy, ambition, selfishness, and all evils which arise therefrom, for the instigation of crime in the flesh will truly meet with a just retribution. My sufferings in this respect are great, but trifling in comparison with others of the same capacity while in life, and though I suffer, there are those who likewise suffer from me. But this is no alleviation to any; all is misery, horrible anguish, wretched misery, with a still further dread of a future state. All know of a future even from this state, but none can explain beyond their sphere. Therefore let this be made known to the people, that they may study the welfare of each other and show forth mercy and forgiveness to all, and thus abate the progression of their sufferings after passing from life to immortality. My mission is now ended. Peace and goodwill to all. Farewell; sorrow, weeping, anguish, and grief, are now my fate.

A Message from the World of Spirits, J. G. H. Brown, Holyoake & Co., London, 1807

The Change from Mortal Life to Immortality

I am Arthur Wellesley, known while on earth, as the Duke of Wellington, and at the age of 83, I finished my mortal career, or worldly existence, on the 14th day of September, in the year 1852. 

I am now commanded to describe the sensation I experienced while leaving the tenement of clay, which I inhabited. 

While lying upon my bed, supported by pillows of down, surrounded by every worldly comfort and luxury, with friends and relations bending and weeping over my aged and shrivelled form, watching, with the most intense and expressive anxiety, as each breath of vitality escaped through my parched lips, until, at length, by the convulsion of each successive fit, the difficulty of breathing increased, and my limbs gradually became paralysed and benumbed with a terrible sensation of a knowledge that death was at hand. 

I made an effort to speak, but the power of articulation had left me, and my limbs lay motionless and unable to obey the dictates of my will, although I felt that even raising a hand would abate the sensation. 

At length, the appearance of the apartment darkened, and all, for a few moments, appeared wrapt in gloom. 

The same moment a terrible sensation of cold, chilly, deathlike agony, seized my frame, while my heart appeared as a cold heavy stone, or icy substance—the weight of which forbade the office of its functions from being performed; and a dreadful noise, as if many waters were dashing furiously upon the rocks, filled my ears, and I made efforts to raise my head, but in vain. 

At that moment, a sudden thrill of indescribable pain ran through my whole frame; my limbs set, as with cramp, with an explosive sensation within my breast, and all was then still and tranquil, and my eyes again, as it were, opened, and I perceived the nearest friends bending over me, while tears bedewed their cheeks, and heard them articulate in stifled whispers the ominous words—he is dead. 

I appeared to smile at the assertion, for no pain was upon me, and I felt at ease, gazing upon them with astonishment and wonder, and made an effort to assure them of the contrary, but could not stir. 

At this moment, I appeared as if enabled to see in every direction, and felt as though in a dream, going from place to place without my body stirring, and knowing that it remained in the same position. 

I then felt myself seized by the shoulders, torn away through the apartment, which opened before me as if in a dream, was borne through the air, and could perceive fields, trees, hedges, waters, towns, villages and hamlets, which had the effect of bewildering my imagination, till at length, I found myself in total darkness, beyond the sound and reach of human ears or gaze, and then, for the first time, discovered the reality of my position. 

Here I could distinctly hear a complication of sounds of an appalling description, mingled together in the most distracting discord—music, singing, howling, screaming, with the most frightful yells of fear and alarm, which made me think of the reality of a hell. 

But I did not remain long in this state, but was shortly on my way back to the place where I had left my body, and which I knew was dead. 

I found my friends had left it cold and stretched to the full length. 

I gazed upon it with horror and amazement, and knew that it was myself, and then mingled thoughts of the world and my past life flashed before me. 

I endeavoured to persuade myself that my experience was a dream and wondered at the agility with which I moved from place to place, weak and feeble as I was, but there was the stem reality before me, cold, motionless and stiff. 

I endeavoured with my will to uncontract the limbs, to raise the head or the hand, but in vain. 

Still, I knew it was my body, and my will had exercised its power over its functions, which performed their office as I desired, but the effort was useless. 

I knelt by it, looked upon it with horror, felt of myself, and exclaimed, Are we separate beings, or what does this mean. Again the thoughts of the words, He is dead, recalled to my memory my exact position, and I knew I was only, as it were, the shadow of the reality, and wondered within myself what experience would next reveal. 

At this juncture, the door of the apartment opened, and fresh friends entered to see my body. 

They astonished me when they passed without noticing me, and though I knew them, some of whom were the most intimate friends, and offered my hand, it was unperceived or unnoticed. 

I wept bitterly on finding that I was in the room invisible to all excepting myself, and with these thoughts, I turned from my body, but, at that moment, observed the outstretched hand of an old friend whom I had known in former life, and who had died some twenty years previous. 

This inspired me with fresh hopes, and he kindly led me from the room unperceived or unheard. 

I, however, remained around the premises, and in the apartments, which contained my body until its interment, and witnessed the useless pomp displayed on the occasion. 

I also witnessed the tears of those who were nearest to me in ties of relationship and grieved that I could not explain to them the great relief I had experienced in the change from mortal life to immortality. From old, decrepit, feeble humanity, 

I found myself relieved from every worldly care and burden, but still experienced a terrible dread of the future. 

I must now leave you, for the present, but will give further description of the future state when permitted to appear.

 J. G. H. Brown, First Sitting, 16 March 1856—A Message from the World of Spirits, Holyoake & Co. London, 1807

The Veil of Mystery

The veil of mystery, when aside is drawn, 

Will show to what end all mankind is born;

Who, even as a blade of grass doth grow,

They pass by progress through each stage below,

And when the spirit leaves the coil of clay 

And enters on its dark mysterious way,

It, for its sins committed in the flesh,

Is purified and from all evils wash’d;

And thus progresses through each sphere above,

And, lastly, reaches eternal realms of Love,

Where, through the Great Redeemer’s precious blood,

Is ever singing praises unto God.

Spiritual

Was Jesus God or man?

To your final question, Was Jesus God or man? What think ye of Christ? I answer I do not think—I know.

As the Egyptian, in his reverence, spoke not the name of Osiris, lest his name be lightly breathed on earth, so, dear friend, do I falter as I try to speak of him who, in the providence of God was the highest and purest revelation of a spiritual soul.

Above the dim mists of superstition and materialism towers this majestic, colossal figure, mantled in holiness, his face all aglow with conscious, intimate communion with the Father—the ideal sanctified soul. One with the Father because filled with the Holy Spirit; the son, because living in the spirit, in harmony with the divine will— he hath left us an example that we should follow in his steps. 

Consider the beautiful spirituality with which he entered the future life, and then, if imagination does not fail you, conceive of the progress of nineteen centuries from that starting point! 

Yet is he our elder Brother and our Friend, and enthroned in the loving, grateful hearts of all who have been led by him into a higher life, he lives and works with that great company of holy souls to lead humanity onward and upward into the perfect light.

It were impossible with our finite minds and limited powers of comparison outside, or rather inside, the physical to conceive of the possibilities of progress there. 

Suffice it for me to say that having seen such ineffable glory, I know that farther heights are beyond our present comprehension. Merciful it is, that they are veiled from our sight until we grow strong and pure enough to bear them.

Light on the Hidden Way, Ticknor & Company, Boston, 1886

Spirits' Tools

There is but one worship, there, and that, the soul's deep sense of need and gratitude, the conscious communion with the Father, in spirit and in truth. Words, symbols, music, are the spirit's tools—essential and useful only as they serve to build the soul more stately mansions.

Light on the Hidden Way, Ticknor & Company, Boston, 1886