The
Universal Shifts of Consciousness
Monroe
Books in English
You
are not Your Physical Body; You are Not the Physical Matter: You are
Energy! And Everything what happened to You, happened for One Good
Reason: to Merge Your Energy with the Energies of Others, with the
Energies of Earths, with the Energies of Universes! The Culmination of
this Mixing Process for this Universe will be in December 2013: the
Final Stage of the Universal Shift!
Visible Sun and a Pentagon above, Elliott Heads, Australia, 20 Jan 2010
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Robert A Monroe has been a pioneer in exploring out-of-the body
experiences, and "Journeys OUT OF THE BODY", his first book, has become
the undisputed classic in the field. He had a long and distinguished
career in the broadcasting
industry, as a writer, director of programs, and creator and producer
of some four hundred radio and TV network programs, and eventually as
owner and operator of a radio network and cable TV system in Virginia.
He is the founder and executive director of the Monroe Institute,
internationally known for its work on the effects of sound wave forms
on human behavior. Robert Monroe's second book, Far Journeys, tells the
story of his research and development of the OOB experience and further
explorations beyond time and space. It was published by Doubleday in
1985.
Robert A. Monroe
Research Pioneer of Human Consciousness
Robert Monroe was a
successful
and distinguished business executive, dedicated family man, and noted
pioneer in the investigation of human consciousness. He also invented
Hemi-Sync and founded The Monroe Institute
http://vimeo.com/user692419/videos/sort:newest/format:video
Monroe
Institute in Virginia, USA
CONTENTS
Foreword Introduction
1. Not with a Wand, nor Lightly
2. Search and Research
3. On the Evidence
4. 'Die Here-Now
5. Infinity, Eternity
6. Reverse Image
7. Post Mortem
8. "Cause the Bible Tells Me So"
9. Angels and Archetypes
10. Intelligent Animals
11. Gift or Burden?
12. Round Holes and Square Pegs
13. The Second Body
14. Mind and Supermind
15. Sexuality in the Second State
16. Preliminary Exercises
17. The Separation Process
18. Analysis of Events
19. Statistical Classification
20. Inconclusive
21. Premises: A Rationale?
Epilogue: Personality Profile
FOREWORD
Much has taken place both in the world and in my personal life since
the final manuscript days prior to the publication of JOURNEYS OUT OF
THE BODY.
It was an interesting experience, to say the least, when I publicly
became a member of a highly suspect group labeled Psychic, Sensitive,
Freak, and, more generously, Parapsychologist. The publication of the
book quite thoroughly "blew my cover" as a reasonably orthodox business
executive.
However, a good many of the results were totally unexpected, and some
of the serious trepidations were unfounded. For example, the fact that
I was (and still am) well grounded and active in the material world of
business helped greatly in the serious consideration of the book
material.
Another facet: I should have had more faith and confidence in the
business mind as I know it. I had always maintained that business and
industry respected "something of value" without particular regard to
its origin. If it works, use it. Still, I was greatly concerned about
the reaction to the book of the board of directors of the corporation
of which I was president. (Who would want such an unstable person
running their multi-million dollar operationl) At the first board
meeting in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, after the book publication, no one
mentioned it. Nor did I. However, as we cruised up the canal in the
board chairman's yacht, on our way to dinner at the country club, the
chairman's wife came up from below deck with a copy of JOURNEYS in her
hand, "Bob, will you autograph this for me?" she asked. I complied,
more than a little self-conscious and surprised. I should not have
been. "Interesting stuff," the chairman called over his shoulder as he
steered for the yacht club dock.
"My wife is a real psychic. I never
make a major business deal without a reading from her. It works, too."
Needless to say, I was not asked to resign. Actually, I found little or
no adverse effect on my business relationships as a result of the
public disclosure of this "private" side of my life. Instead, many
broad new avenues opened up to me, totally unexpected. Who could have
guessed that I would speak on out-of-body experiences at such an august
and
conservative body as the Smithsonian Institution! It actually happened.
Another miscalculation, or so it would seem: it has been stated that
JOURNEYS was a book ahead of its time, that serious interest in the
type of material it contains is only now reaching significant levels.
This may have been true, yet what was it that precipitated such changes
in a mere four years? I like to think a chicken-or-the-egg question is
appropriate, that this book was and is part of a trigger or catalytic
process that is now in chain reaction. This process states simply; it's
O.K. to have strange experiences, to consider seriously as natural
those events and activities beyond the present ability of our physical
sciences to replicate or measure. Existence beyond death is one of
these.
Another decision made about the time of publication: that my conscious
mind or self had insufficient experience and/or training to control in
toto the scope of such non-physical exploration. This was brought about
first by the boredom and impatience of here-to-there-and-back tests in
our physical world. Who wants repeatedly to take an hour dressing in
preparation (wire up to instruments, develop a careful separative
state) just to go from bedroom to kitchen (Virginia to California or
Kansas). Second, many explanations were taking place far beyond my
conscious understanding and control -which inferred that the physical,
conscious "I" actually had very limited ideas as to where to go and
what to do. Thus I made an important decision. For the most part, I
would set up the conscious out-of-body state, then turn the action over
to my total self (soul?). My present consciousness would go along for
the ride, as a part of the whole. The results have been: ecstatic,
illuminating, confusing, awe-inspiring, humbling, reassuring-experience
and exploration far beyond my ability to conceive of, most of it an
apparent educational program that I am absorbing bit by bit. The
problem as I sense it is simple. Eventually, a quantum jump in
consciousness will be required to reduce the material to a practical
"something of value" level. What does this mean? Does that great
consciousness change take place while still alive physically? Or in
another reality, later? Who are the instructors, the helpers? Precisely
bit by bit, we are beginning to approach the answers in our research at
the Institute. Yes, a research facility was formed and became active in
1972.
Our work has attracted the interest and co-operation of physicists,
psychologists, biochemists, engineers, educators, psychiatrists,
corporate presidents, statisticians, many of whom serve on our board of
advisers. Among the eleven thousand plus pieces of mail received to
date, many sighs of relief were reported. The secret could be talked
about without the need for sanity hearings. Thus the book is serving
its primary purpose. Over seven hundred persons have participated in
our research and experimental training program. Our first Explorer Team
has six members. Some fifty more are waiting for our facility to handle
their final indoctrination, and their number is growing daily. We hope
to be able to expand shortly in physical space, equipment, and
personnel so that we can absorb the backlog and the increase. This
year, training programs at the Institute may qualify for credit at the
college and university level. Meanwhile, our Explorer Team of six is
bringing back data faster than we can process it, far more rapidly and
diverse than I alone could accumulate. That which we have sorted is
overwhelming in its import.
The fact of consensus and agreement from six different explorers-each
unaware of the other's experiences except in joint operations-has had a
formidable impact upon those who have examined the material. The
details will be reported in another book which is in preparation. A lot
of action to pack into four years. It only strengthens the concept of
accelerated change at work-especially the change in human needs. I have
reviewed JOURNEYS again carefully for this new edition. I'm happy to
say that nothing has to be altered in the light of later experience.
The basics are still the same. From the point of my experimental level
at that time, it is still accurate. One item we do know: the reality of
your reading these words with your left brain hemisphere is the first
stage of filtration.
human chakra
system
INTRODUCTION
In
our action-oriented society, when a
man lies down to sleep, he is effectively out of the picture. He will
lie still for six to eight hours, so he is not "behaving," "thinking
productively," or doing anything "significant." We all know that people
dream, but we raise our children to regard dreams and other experiences
occurring during sleep as unimportant, as not real in the way that the
events of the day are. Thus most people are in the habit of forgetting
their dreams, and, on the occasions when they do remember them, they
usually regard them as mere oddities. It is true that psychologists and
psychiatrists regard the dreams of patients as useful clues to the
malfunctioning of their personalities; but even in this application
dreams and other nocturnal experiences are generally not treated as
real
in any sense, but only as some sort of internal data processing of the
human computer. There are some important exceptions to this
general
put - down of dreams, but
for the vast majority of people in our society
today, dreams are not things that serious people concern themselves
with. What are we to make of a person who takes exception to this
general belief, who claims to have had experiences during sleep or
other forms of unconsciousness that were not only impressive to him,
but which he feels were real?
Suppose this person claims that on the
previous night he had an experience of flying through the air over a
large city which he soon recognized as New York. Further, he tells us
that not only was this "dream" intensely vivid, but that he knew at the
time that it was not a dream, that he was really in the air
over New
York City. And this conviction that he was really there sticks
with him
for the rest of his life, despite our reminding him that a
sleeping man
couldn't really be fiying by himself in the air over New York City.
Probably we will ignore a person who makes such a report, or we will
politely (or not so politely) inform him that he is becoming a little
weak in the head or crazy, and suggest that he see a psychotherapist.
If he is insistent about the reality of his experience, especially if
he has other strange experiences too, we may with the best of
intentions see about committing him to a mental hospital. Our
"traveler," on the other hand, if he is smart, will quickly learn not
to talk about his experiences. The only problem with that, as I have
found from talking to many such people, is that he may worry about
whether he's going crazy. For the sake of argument, let's
make our
"traveler" even more troubling. Suppose in his account he goes on to
say that after flying over New York City for a while he flew down to
your apartment. There he saw you and
two other people, unknown to him, conversing. He describes the two
people in detail, and mentions a few things about the topic of
conversation occurring in the minute or so he was there. Let's suppose
he is correct. At the time he had his experience, you were holding a
conversation on the topic he mentions with two people who fit our
"traveler's" descriptions. What do we make of things now? The usual
reaction to a hypothetical situation of this type is that it is all
very interesting, but as we know that it couldn't possibly happen, we
needn't seriously think about what it might mean. Or we
might comfort ourselves by invoking the word "coincidence." A marvelous
word, "coincidence," for relieving mental upsets. Unfortunately for our
peace of mind, there are thousands of instances, reported by normal
people, of exactly this sort of occurrence. We are not dealing with a
purely hypothetical situation. Such events have been termed traveling
clairvoyance, astral projection, or, a more scientific term,
out-of-the-body experiences (OOBEs). We can formally define an OOBE as
an event in which the experiencer (i) seems to perceive some portion of
some environment which could not possibly be perceived from where his
physical body is known to be at the time; and (2) knows at the time
that he is not dreaming or fantasizing. The experiencer seems to
possess his normal consciousness at the time, and
even though he may reason that this cannot be happening, he will feel
all his normal critical faculties to be present, and so knows he is not
dreaming. Further, he will not decide after awakening that this was a
dream. How, then, do we understand this strange phenomenon?
If we look
to scientific sources for information about OOBEs we shall find
practically none at all. Scientists have, by and large, simply not paid
any attention to these phenomena. The situation is rather similar to
that of the scientific literature on extrasensory perception (ESP).
Phenomena such as telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition, and
psychokinesis are "impossible" in terms of the current physical world
view. Since they can't happen, most scientists do not bother to read
the evidence indicating that they do happen; hence, not having read the
evidence, their belief in the impossibility of such phenomena is
reinforced. This kind of circular reasoning in support of one's
comfortable belief systern is not unique to scientists by any means,
but it has resulted in very little scientific research on ESP or OOBEs.
In spite of the lack of "hard" scientific data, there are still a
number of definite conclusions one can make from reading what material
there is. First, OOBEs are a universal human experience, not in the
sense that they happen to large numbers of people, but in that they
have happened all through recorded history, and there are marked
similarities in the experience among people who are otherwise extremely
different in terms of cultural background. One can find reports of
OOBEs by housewives in Kansas which closely resemble accounts of OOBEs
from ancient Egyptian or oriental sources. Second, the OOBE
is
generally a once-in-a-lifetime experience, seemingly experienced by
"accident." Illnesses sometimes bring it about, especially illnesses
which are almost fatal. Great emotional stress sometimes brings it
about. In many cases, it simply happens during sleep without our having
any idea of what might have caused it. In very rare instances it seems
to have been brought about by a deliberate attempt. Third, the
experience of an OOBE is usually one of the most profound experiences
of a person's life, and radically alters his/her beliefs. This is
usually
expressed as, "I no longer believe in survival of death or an immortal
soul, I know that I will survive death." The person feels that he/she
has
directly experienced being alive and conscious without his/her physical
body, and therefore knows that he/she possesses some kind of soul that
will
survive bodily death. This does not logically follow, for even if the
OOBE is more than just an interesting dream or hallucination, it was
still occurring while the physical body was alive and functioning and
therefore may depend on the physical body. This argument, however,
makes no impression on those who have actually had an OOBE.
Thus
regardless of what position one wants to take on the "reality" of the
OOBE, it is clearly an experience deserving considerable psychological
study. I am certain that our ideas concerning the existence of souls
have resulted from early experiences of people having OOBEs.
Considering the importance of the idea of the soul to most
of our
religions, and the importance of religion in people's lives, it seems
incredible that science could have swept this problem under the rug so
easily. Fourth, the OOBE is generally extremely joyful to those who
have it. I would make a rough estimate that between 90 and 95 per cent
of the people who have this experience are very glad it occurred and
find it joyful, while 5 per cent are very frightened by it, for the
only way they can interpret it, while it is happening, is that they are
dying. Later reactions of the person as he attempts to interpret his
OOBE can be rather negative, however. Almost every time I
give a
speech on this subject, someone comes up to me afterward and thanks me
for talking about it They had had the experience some time before, but
had no way of explaining it, and worried that they were going "crazy."
Fifth, in some instances of OOBEs the description of what was happening
at a distant place is correct and more accurate than we would expect by
coincidence. Not the majority, by any means, but some. To explain these
we must postulate either that the "hallucinatory" experience of the
OOBE was combined with the operation of ESP, or that in some sense the
person really was "there." The OOBE then becomes very real indeed. The
fact that most of our knowledge about OOBEs comes from reports of
once-in-a-lifetime experiences puts us at two serious disadvantages.
The first of these is that most people cannot produce an OOBE at will,
so this precludes the possibility of studying them under precise
laboratory conditions. The second disadvantage is that when a person is
suddenly thrust for a brief period of time into a very novel
environment he may not be a very good observer. He is too excited and
too busy trying to cope with the strangeness of it. Thus our reports
from the
once-in-a lifetime people are very rough. It would be of great
advantage
in studying OOBEs to have trained "travelers" available who could
produce the experience at will and who generally had the
characteristics of a good reporter. The book you are about to read is
very rare. It is a firsthand account of hundreds of OOBEs by a person
who is, I believe, a good reporter. Nothing like it has been published
in many years. Robert A, Monroe is a successful businessman who began
experiencing OOBEs quite unexpectedly over a decade ago. Coming from an
academic family and having more than the average intellectual training,
he realized the unusualness of these experiences and began taking
systematic notes from the beginning. I shall not say more
about his
experiences per se; his accounts in the rest of this book are too
fascinating and lucid to warrant further introduction here. Instead, I
shall note the qualities he possesses that make him a good reporter,
and which give me a good deal of confidence in his accounts. When most
people have a profound experience, especially one with religious
import, careful questioning will usually reveal that their original
account of it was not so much an account of what happened as of what
they thought it meant. As an example, let us suppose that what really
happens to a person is that he finds himself floating in the air above
his body, in the middle of the night; while still surprised at this, he
perceives a shadowy, dim figure at the end of the room, and then a blue
circle of light floats past the figure from left to right. Then our
experiencer loses consciousness and wakes up to find himself in his
body. A good reporter will describe essentially that scene. Many people
will say, in perfectly good faith, something like, "My immortal soul
was raised from the tomb of my body by the grace of God last night, and
an angel appeared. As a symbol of God's favor, the angel showed me a
symbol of wholeness' I have often seen distortions this great when I've
been able to question an individual about exactly what happened, but
most of the published accounts of OOBEs have not been subjected to this
kind of questioning. The statements that God will caused the OOBE,
that the dim figure turned into an angel, that the blue circle was a
symbol of wholeness are all things that are part of a person's
interpretation, not his experience. Most people are not aware of the
extent to which their mind automatically interprets things. They think
they are perceiving things as they are.
Robert Monroe is unique among the small number of people who have
written about repeated OOBEs, in that he recognizes the extent to which
his mind tries to interpret his experiences, to force them into
familiar patterns. Thus his accounts are particularly valuable, for he
works very hard to try to "tell it like it is." The initial series of
laboratory studies we were able to do occurred over a period of several
months between September 1965 and August 1966, while I was able to use
the facilities of the Electroencephalographic (brain wave) Laboratory
of the University of Virginia Medical School. On eight occasions Mr.
Monroe was asked to try to produce an OOBE while hooked up to various
instruments for measuring physiological functions. He was also asked to
try to direct his movements during the OOBE into the adjoining room,
both to observe the activity of the technician
monitoring the recording equipment and to try to read a five-digit
random target number, which was placed on a shelf six feet above the
floor. Measurements were made of Mr. Monroe's brain waves (the
electroencephalogram), eye movements, and heart rate (the
electrocardiogram). The laboratory was, unfortunately, not very
comfortable for lying still for prolonged periods; wehad
to bring an army cot into the recording room, as there was no bed
there. One of the connections for recording brain waves, the ear
electrode, was of a clip type that caused some irritation to the ear,
and this made relaxation somewhat difficult. On the first seven nights
during which he attempted to produce an OOBE, Mr. Monroe was not
successful. On his eighth night he was able to produce two very brief
OOBEs, and these are described in some detail in his own words on pp.
60-72. The first brief OOBE involved witnessing some unrecognized
people talking at an unknown location, so there was no way of checking
whether it was "fantasy" or a real perception of events happening at a
distance. In the second brief OOBE, Mr. Monroe reported he couldn't
control his movements very well, so he did not report on the target
number in the adjacent room. He did correctly describe that the
laboratory technician was out of the room, and that a man (later
identified as her husband) was with her in a corridor. As a
parapsychologist, I cannot say that this "proves" that Mr. Monroe
really knew what was happening at a distance: it is hard to assess the
improbability of such an event occurring after the fact. Nevertheless,
I found this result quite encouraging for one of the initial attempts
to bring such an unusual phenomenon into the laboratory'. My next
opportunity to work with Mr. Monroe in the laboratory came when he
visited me in California during the summer of 1968. We were able to
have a single laboratory session under much more comfortable
circumstances: a normal bed was available, rather than a cot, and we
used a different type of electrode for measuring brain waves which was
not physically uncomfortable. Under these conditions, Mr. Monroe was
able to produce two brief OOBEs, He awoke almost immediately after the
first OOBE had ended, and estimated that it had lasted eight to ten
seconds. The brain-wave record just before he awoke again showed a
Stage 1 pattern, with possibly a single rapid eye movement occurring
during that time. His blood pressure showed a sudden drop, a steady low
lasting eight seconds, and a sudden resurgence to normal. In terms of
Mr. Monoe's experience (see his description of this technique on p.
70), he reported that he "rolled out" of his body, found himself in the
hallway separating his room from the recording room for a few seconds,
and then felt a need to get back into his body because of a difficulty
in breathing. An assistant, Joan Crawford, and I had been
watching him on a closed-circuit television set during this time and we
saw him move his arm slightly away from his throat just before he awoke
and reported. Mr. Monroe tried again to produce another OOBE that would
be evidential in terms of ESP, coming over and seeing the recording
room and reading a target number on a shelf in that room. His
brain-wave pattern showed much light sleep, so after three quarters of
an hour, I called out to him over the intercom to remind him that we
wanted him to try to produce an OOBE. A while later, he reported having
produced an OOBE, but being unsure of his orientation, he followed a
wire which he thought led to the recording room, and instead found
himself outside in a strange area that he never recalled seeing before.
He decided he was hopelessly disoriented and came back to his body. His
description of that area matched an interior courtyard of the building
that he would indeed have found himself in during an OOBE if he had
inadvertently gone in exactly the opposite direction he should have. It
is not absolutely certain that he had never seen this courtyard while
visiting my office earlier in the day, so this experience is not in
itself good evidence for a paranormal component to the OOBE. In terms
of physiological changes, he again showed a Stage 1 dreaming pattern,
with only two rapid eye movements in the whole period and no clear-cut
blood pressure drop on this occasion. Mr. Monroe's experiences, those
of many prominent mystics throughout the ages, and all the data of ESP
indicate that our current physical view of the world is a very limited
one, that the dimensions of reality are much wider than our current
concepts. My attempts and those of other
investigators to make these experiences behave in an acceptable fashion
may not work
out as well as we would like. Let me give two examples of "experiments"
with Mr. Monroe which were impressive to me personally, but which are
very difficult to evaluate by our ordinary scientific criteria. Shortly
after completing the first series of laboratory experiments, I moved
from the east coast to California. A few months after moving, my wife
and I decided to set up an experiment. One evening we would concentrate
intensely for half an hour, in an attempt to help Mr. Monroe have an
OOBE and come to our home. If he were then able to describe our home,
this would produce good data on the para-psychological aspects of his
OOBEs.
I telephoned Mr. Monroe that afternoon, and told him only that we would
try to direct him across the country to our home at some unspecified
time that night, without giving him any further details. That evening I
randomly selected a time which,
I believed, would occur well after Mr. Monroe would be asleep. My
random selection came out 11 P.M. California time, or 2 A.M. east coast
time. At 11 P.M. my wife and I began our concentration. At 11:05 p.m.
the telephone rang, interrupting it.
We did not answer the telephone, but tried to continue our
concentration until 11:30 P.M. The following morning I telephoned Mr.
Monroe and told him only that the results had been encouraging, and
that he should write down an independent account of what he had
experienced for later comparison against our independent accounts. On
the evening of the experiment, Mr. Monroe had the following experience,
which I quote from the notes he mailed me: "Evening passed
uneventfully, and I finally got into bed about 1:40 A.M., still wide
awake (north-south position). The cat was lying in bed with me. After a
long period of calming my mind, a sense of warmth swept over my body,
with no break in consciousness, no pre-sleep. Almost immediately, I
felt something (or someone) rocking my body from side to side, then
tugging at my feet! (I heard the cat let out a complaining yell.) I
recognized immediately
that this had something to do with Charlie's experiment, and with full
trust, did not feel my usual caution (about strangers). The tugging at
the legs continued, and I finally managed to separate one Second Body
arm, and held it up, feeling around in the dark. After a moment, the
tugging stopped, and a hand took my wrist, first gently, then very,
very firmly, and pulled me out of the physical easily. Still trusting,
and a little excited, I expressed willingness to go to Charlie, if that
was where he (it) wanted to lead me. The answer came back affirmatively
(although there was no sense of personality, very
businesslike). With the hand around my wrist very firmly, I could feel
a part of the arm belonging to the hand (slightly hairy, muscular
male). But I could not "see" who belonged to the arm. I also heard my
name called once. "Then we started to move, with the familiar feeling
of something like air rushing around the body. After a short trip
(seemed like five seconds in duration), we stopped and the hand
released my wrist. There was complete silence and darkness. Then I
drifted down into what seemed to be a room.
I've stopped quoting from Mr. Monroe's notes at this point, except to
add that when he finished this brief trip and got out of bed to
telephone me it was 2:05 A.M., his time. Thus the time match with my
wife and I beginning to concentrate was extremely good: he felt the tug
pulling him from his body within a minute or so of when we started to
concentrate. On the other hand, his continuing description of what our
home looked like and what my wife and I were doing was not good at all:
he "perceived" too many people in the room, he "perceived" me doing
things I didn't do, and his description of the room itself was quite
vague. What do I make of this? This is one of those frustrating events
that parapsychologists encounter when working with poorly controlled
phenomena. It is not evidential enough to say that it was unquestionably
a paranormal effect, yet it is difficult simply to say that nothing
happened. It is comfortable to stick with our common-
sense assumptions
that the physical world is what it seems to be, and that a man (or his
sense organs) is either located at a certain place and able to observe
it or he is not. Some OOBEs reported in the literature seem to fit this
view, while others have a disturbing mixture of correct perceptions of
the physical situation with "perceptions" of things that weren't there
or didn't happen (to us ordinary observers). Mr. Monroe reports a
number of such mixed experiences in this book, especially his seeming
to "communicate" with people while he is having an OOBE, but their
never remembering it.
The second puzzling "experiment" occurred in the fall of 1970 when I
briefly visited Mr. Monroe in Virginia, en route to a conference in
Washington. Staying overnight, I requested that if he had an OOBE that
night, he should come to my bedroom and try to pull me out of my body
so I could have the experience too. I realized at the time that I made
this
request with a certain amount of ambivalence: I wanted him to succeed,
yet another part of me did not. More on that later.
Sometime after dawn that morning (I had slept somewhat fitfully and the
light was occasionally waking me), I was dreaming when I began vaguely
remembering that Mr. Monroe was supposed to try to get me out of my
body. I became partially conscious, and felt a sense of "vibration" all
around me in the dream world, a "vibration" that had a certain amount
of indefinable menace connected with it. In spite of the fear this
aroused, I thought that I should try to have an OOBE, but at that point
I lost my thread of consciousness, and only remember waking up a while
later, feeling that the experiment was a failure. A week later I
received a letter from a colleague in New York, the well-known
parapsychologist Dr. Stanley Krippner, and I began to wonder if it
really was a "failure." He was writing to me about an experience his
stepdaughter, Carie, who I am quite fond of, had the same morning I was
having my "dream." Carie had spontaneously reported to her father that
she had seen me in a restaurant in New York City on her way to school
that morning. This would have been roughly about the time I was having
the dream. Neither she nor her father knew that I was on the east
coast. What do I make of this? This was the first time in years that I
had consciously attempted to have an OOBE (I have never, to my
knowledge, succeeded), and while I had no conscious memory of having
one, a friend reports seeing me in a restaurant in New York City. Even
more puzzling, I would have no desire in the world to go to a
restaurant in New York City, a place I dislike intensely, if I were
having an OOBE, although visiting Carie and her family is always very
pleasant. Coincidence? Again, something I would never present as
scientific evidence of anything, but something I can't dismiss as
meaningless. This last incident illustrates an attitude toward OOBEs
that I nave observed in myself, although I do not like to admit it,
which is that I am somewhat afraid of them. Part of me is very
interested in the phenomenon scientifically, another part of me is
excited at the prospect of personally experiencing it. A third part of
me knows that an OOBE is something like dying, or opening up part of my
mind to an unknown realm, and this third part is not at all anxious to
get on with it. If OOBEs are "real," if the things Mr. Monroe describes
cannot be dismissed as an interesting kind of fantasy or dream, our
world view is going to change radically. And uncomfortably. One thing
that psychologists are
reasonably sure of about human nature is that it resists change. We
like the world to be the way we think it is, even if we think it's
unpleasant. At least we can anticipate what may happen. Change and
uncertainty have possibilities of unsettling
things happening, especially when that change doesn't take account of
our desires, our wills, our egos. I have tried to talk mainly about
straightforward scientific studies of OOBEs in introducing this book,
but now we get to what may be the most important aspect of the subject.
Mr. Monroe's experiences are frightening. He is talking about dying,
and dying is not a polite topic in our society. We leave it in the
hands of priests and ministers to say comforting words, we occasionally
joke about it, and we have a lot of aggressive fantasies about other
people dying, but we don't really think about it. This book is going to
make you think about death. You are not going to like some of the
things it says and some of the thoughts it
inspires.
It will be very tempting to dismiss Robert Monroe as a
madman. I would suggest that you not do that. Neither would I suggest
that you take everything he says as absolute truth. He is a good
reporter, a man I have immense respect for, but he is one man, brought
up in a particular culture at a particular time, and therefore his
powers of observation
are limited. If you bear this in mind, but pay serious attention to the
experiences he describes, you may be disturbed, but you may learn some
very important things.
In spite of being afraid. If you have had an
OOBE yourself, this book may help you to be less afraid, or to develop
your potentials for this experience into a valuable talent.
Read the book carefully and examine your reactions. If you really want
to experience it yourself, good luck!
CHARLES T. TART
Davis, California January 10,1971
NOT WITH A WAND, NOR LIGHTLY
The
following ordinarily would appear in a foreword or preface. It is
placed here on the assumption that most readers skip such preliminarie
to get to the meat of the matter. In this case, the following is the
crux of it all. The primary purposes for the release and publication of
the material contained here are (i) that through dissemination as
widely as possible, some other human being-perhaps just one-may be
saved from the agony and terror of trial and error in an area where
there have been no concrete answers; that he may have comfort in the
knowledge that others have had the same experiences; that he will
recognize in himself the phenomenon and thus avoid the trauma of
psychotherapy, or at the worst, mental breakdown and commitment to a
mental institution; and (2) that tomorrow
or in the years to come, the formal, accepted sciences of our culture
will expand their horizons, concepts, postulates, and research to open
wide the avenues and doorways intimated herein to the great enrichment
of man's (and woman's) knowledge and understanding of himself/
herself and his/her complete
environment. If one or both of these aims are served, whenever and
wherever it may be, this is sufficient reward indeed.
The presentation of such material is not designed for any particular
scientific group. Rather, the principal attempt is to be as specific as
possible in language understandable to scientists and laymen alike,
with avoidance of ambiguous generalities. The physicist, chemist, life
scientist, psychiatrist, and philosopher may each use more technical or
specialized terminology to state the same premise. Such interpretation
is expected. It will indicate that the plan of communication is
workable, that the "plain" talk does convey the proper meaning to a
wide base rather than to a narrow pinnacle of specialists. It is
expected, too, that many interpretations will be contradictory. The
most difficult mental process of all is to consider objectively any
concept which, if accepted as fact, will toss into discard a lifetime
of training and experience. Yet much has already been accepted as fact
on far less direct evidence than that presented here, and is now
"accepted." It is the hope that the same will apply to the data
included here. It is indeed the most difficult mental process of all,
this objective consideration business. Once in a lifetime is enough.
Let's look for a beginning to this candid report of a highly personal
experience. In the spring of 1958 I was living a reasonably normal life
with a reasonably normal family. Because we appreciated nature and
quiet, ours was a country environment. The only unorthodox activity was
my experimentation with techniques of data learning during sleep-with
myself as the chief subject. The first sign of deviation from the norm
took place on a Sunday afternoon. While the rest of the family had gone
to church, I conducted an experiment by listening to a particular tape
recording in a highly isolated environment It was a simple attempt to
force concentration on a single intelligent-signal source (aural) with
lowered signal input from the other senses. Degree of retention and
recall would indicate the success of the technique. Isolated from other
sights and sounds, I listened to the tape. It contained no unusual or
stray suggestion. Most significant in retrospect
was the strong suggestion to remember and recall all that took place
during the relaxation exercise. The tape ran its course with no unusual
result. My recall was thorough and complete because it had been a
product of my own efforts and thus familiar to me. Perhaps too much so,
as no retention and recall of original or new material was possible in
my case. The technique would have to be utilized with some other
subject. When my family returned, we all had brunch, which consisted of
scrambled eggs, bacon, and coffee. Some unimportant controversy
occurred at the table, which was not germane to the problem. A little
over an hour later, I was seized with a severe, iron-hard cramp which
extended across my diaphragm or solar plexus area just under my rib
cage. It was a solid band of unyielding ache. At first, I thought it
was some form of food poisoning from brunch. In desperation, I forced
myself to regurgitate, but my stomach was empty. Other members of my
family who had eaten the same food showed no signs of illness or
discomfort. I tried exercising and walking, on the assumption that it
was a cramped abdominal muscle. It was not
appendicitis, as my appendix had been removed. I could breathe properly
in spite of the pain, and my heart appeared normal in pulse rate. There
was no perspiration or other symptoms whatsoever-just the hard, tense,
locked-in-place rigidity of a band of muscles in the upper abdomen. It
occurred to me that perhaps some factor in the recording had caused it
In going over the tape and the written copy from which it had been
made, I found nothing unusual. What suggestion there was, I complied
with, seeking to relieve any unconscious suggestion that might have
been applied. Still, no relief. Perhaps I should have phoned
immediately for a doctor. However, it didn't seem that serious, nor did
it become any worse. But it didn't get any better, either. Finally, we
did phone for medical help. All of the local doctors were away or
playing golf. From one-thirty in the afternoon until around midnight,
the cramp and pain continued. No typical home medication seemed to
alleviate it. Sometime after twelve I fell asleep from pure exhaustion.
I woke up in the early morning, and the cramp and pain were gone. There
was muscle soreness throughout the afflicted area, much as one gets
from overcoughing, but no more. What caused the cramp in this area is
still unknown. It is mentioned only because it was the first
out-of-theordinary event, physical or otherwise, that took place. In
retrospect, perhaps it was the touch of a magic wand, or a sledge
hammer, although I didn't know it at the time. Some three weeks later,
the second major event entered the picture. There had been no further
recorded tape experimentation, because the suspicion was strong that
the cramp was somehow related. Thus there was
nothing that apparently triggered the event.
Again, it was a Sunday afternoon and the family had gone to church. I
lay down on the couch in the living room for a short nap while the
house was quiet. I had just become prone (head to the north, if that
had any meaning), when a beam or ray seemed to come out of the sky to
the north at about a 30° angle from the horizon. It was like
being
struck
by a warm light. Only this was daylight and no beam was visible, if
there truly was one. I thought it was sunlight at first, although this
was impossible on the north side of the house. The effect when the beam
struck my entire body was to cause it to shake violently or "vibrate."
I was utterly powerless to move. It was as if I were being held in a
vise. Shocked and frightened,
I forced myself to move. It was like pushing against invisible bonds.
As I slowly sat upright on the couch, the shaking and vibration slowly
faded away and I was able to move freely. I stood up and walked around.
There had been no loss of consciousness that I was aware of, and the
clock showed that only a few seconds had elapsed since I had stretched
out on the couch. I had not closed my eyes, and had seen the room and
heard outdoor noises during the entire episode.
I looked out the window, especially to the north, although why and what
I expected to see, I don't know. Everything looked normal and serene. I
went outside for a walk to puzzle over this strange thing that had
happened. Within the following six weeks, the same peculiar condition
manifested itself nine times. It occurred at different periods and
locales, and the only common factor was that it began just after I had
lain down for
rest or sleep. Whenever it took place, I fought myself to a sitting
position, and the "shaking" faded away. Although my body "felt" the
shaking, I could see no visible evidence that it was doing so. My
limited knowledge of medicine envisioned many possibilities as the
cause. I thought of epilepsy, but I understood that epileptics had no
memory or sensation in such seizures. Furthermore, I understood that
epilepsy is hereditary and shows signs at an early age, and neither was
evident in my case. Second was the possibility of a brain disorder such
as a tumor or growth. Again, the symptoms were not typical, but this
could be it. With trepidation,
I went to our longtime family physician,
Dr. Richard Gordon, and explained the symptoms. As an internist and
diagnostician, he should have had what answers there may have been. He
also knew my
medical history, such as it was. After a thorough physical, Dr. Gordon
suggested that I had been working too hard, that I get more sleep and
take off a little weight. In short, he could find nothing wrong with me
physically. He laughed at the
possibility of a brain tumor or epilepsy. I took his word for it and
returned home relieved. If there was no physical basis for the
phenomenon, I thought, it must be hallucinatory, a form of dreaming.
Therefore, if the condition came again, I would observe it as
objectively as possible. It obliged by "coming on" that very evening.
It began some two minutes after I lay
down to sleep. This time, I was determined to stay with it and see what
happened rather than fight my way out of it As I lay there, the
"feeling" surged into my head and swept over my entire body. It was not
a shaking, but more of a
"vibration," steady and unvarying in frequency. It felt much like an
electric shock running through the entire body without the pain
involved. Also, the frequency seemed somewhat below the sixty-cycle
pulsation, perhaps half that rate. Frightened, I stayed with it, trying
to remain calm. I could still see the room around me, but could hear
little above the roaring sound
caused by the vibrations. I wondered what would happen next. Nothing
happened. After some five minutes, the sensation slowly faded away and
I got up feeling perfectly normal. My pulse rate was up, evidently due
to the excitement, but no more. With this result, I lost much of my
fear of the condition. In the next four or five occurrences of the
vibration, I discovered little more. On one occasion, at least, it
seemed to develop into a ring of sparks about two feet in diameter,
with the axis of my body in the center of the ring. I could actually
see this ring if I closed my eyes. The ring would start at the head and
slowly sweep down to my toes and back to the head, keeping this up in a
regular oscillation. The time of the cycle seemed to be some five
seconds. As the ring passed over each section of my body, I could feel
the vibrations like a band cutting through that section. When the ring
passed over my head, a great roaring surged with it, and I felt the
vibrations in my brain. I attempted to study this flaming
electrical-seeming ring, but could discover no reason for it, or what
it was. All of this remained unknown to my wife and children. I could
see no reason to worry or concern them until something definite was
known of it I did take a friend into my confidence, a well-known
psychologist, Dr. Foster Bradshaw. If it had not been for him, I cannot
predict where I would be at this time. Perhaps in an institution. I
discussed the matter with him, and he was most interested. He suggested
it might be some form of hallucination. Like Dr. Gordon, he knew me
well. Consequently, he laughed at the concept that I was in the
beginning stages of schizophrenia or the like. I asked him what he
thought I should do. I shall always remember his answer.
"Why, there's nothing else you can do but look into it and see what it
is," Dr. Bradshaw replied. "Anyhow, it doesn't seem you have much
choice. If it happened to me, I'd go off in the woods somewhere and
keep trying until I found the answer."
The difference was that it was happening to me and not to Dr. Bradshaw,
and I couldn't afford to go off in the woods, either literally or
figuratively. I had a family to support, among other things. Several
months passed, and the vibration condition continued to occur. It
almost became boring, until late one night when I was lying in bed just
before sleep. The vibrations came and I wearily and patiently waited
for them to pass away so I could go to sleep. As I lay there, my arm
was draped over the right side of the bed, fingers just brushing the
rug. Idly, I tried to move my fingers and found I could scratch the
rug. Without thinking or realizing that I could move my fingers during
the vibration, I pushed with the tips of my fingers against the rug.
After a moment's resistance, my fingers seemed to penetrate the rug and
touch the floor underneath. With mild curiosity, I pushed my hand down
farther. My fingers went through the floor and there was the rough
upper surface of the ceiling of the room below. I felt around, and
there was a small
triangular chip of wood, a bent nail, and some sawdust. Only mildly
interested in this daydream sensation, I pushed my hand still deeper.
It went through the first-floor ceiling and I felt as if my whole arm
was through the floor. My hand touched water. Without excitement,
I
splashed the water with my fingers. Suddenly, I became fully aware of
the situation. I was wide awake. I could see the moonlit landscape
through the window. I could feel myself lying on the bed, the covers
over my body, the pillow under my head, my chest rising and falling as
I breathed. The vibrations were still present, but to a lesser degree.
Yet, impossibly, my hand was playing in a pool of water, and my arm
felt as if it was stuck down through the floor. I was surely wide awake
and the sensation was still there. How could I be awake in all other
respects and still "dream" that my arm was stuck down through the
floor? The vibrations started to fade, and for some reason I thought
there was a connection between my arm stuck through the floor and their
presence. If they faded away before I got my arm "out," the floor might
close in and I would lose an arm. Perhaps the vibrations had made a
hole in the floor temporarily. I didn't stop to consider the "how" of
it. I yanked my arm out of the floor, pulled it up on the bed, and the
vibrations ended soon after. I got up, turned on the light, and looked
at the spot beside the bed. There was no hole in the floor or rug. They
were just as they always had been. I looked at my hand and arm, and
even looked for the water on my hand. There was none, and my arm seemed
perfectly normal.
I looked about the room. My wife was sleeping quietly in the bed,
nothing seemed amiss. I thought about the hallucination for a long time
before I was able to calm down enough to sleep. The next day I
considered actually cutting a hole in the floor to see if what I had
felt was there on the subfloorthe triangular chip of wood, the bent
nail, and the sawdust. At the
time, I couldn't see disfiguring the floor because of a wild
hallucination. I told Dr. Bradshaw of this episode, and he agreed that
it was a rather convincing daydream. He was in favor of cutting the
hole in the floor to find out what was there. He introduced me to Dr.
Lewis Wolberg, a psychiatrist of note. At a dinner party, I casually
mentioned the vibration phenomenon to Dr. Wolberg. He was only politely
interested, and evidently in no mood for "business," for which I
couldn't blame him. I didn't have the courage to ask him about the arm
in the floor. It was becoming fairly confusing. My environment and
personal experience had led me to expect some kind of answers or at
least promising opinions
from modern technology. I had an above-normal scientific, engineering,
and medical background as a layman. Now, I was faced with something
where answers or even extrapolation was not quickly available. In
retrospect, I still cannot envisage having dropped the matter entirely
at any time. It may be that I could not have done so if I tried. If I
thought I faced incongruities at this point, it was because I did not
know what was yet to come. Some four weeks later, when the
"vibrations" came again, I was duly cautious about attempting to move
an arm or leg. It was late at night, and I was lying in bed before
sleep. My wife had fallen asleep beside me. There was a surge that
seemed to be in my head, and quickly the condition spread through my
body. It all seemed the same. As I lay there trying to decide how to
analyze the thing in another way, I just happened to think how nice it
would be to take a glider up and fly the next afternoon (my hobby at
that time). Without considering any consequences, not knowing there
would be any I thought of the pleasure it would bring,
After a moment, I became aware of something pressing against my
shoulder. Half-curious, I reached back and up to feel what it was. My
hand encountered a smooth wall. I moved my hand along the wall the
length of my arm and it ; continued smooth and unbroken. My senses
fully alert, I tried to see in the dim light. It was a wall, and I was
lying against it with my shoulder. I immediately reasoned that I had
gone to sleep and fallen out of bed. (I had never done so before, but
all sorts of strange things were happening, and falling out of bed was
quite possible. Then I looked again. Something was wrong. This wall had
no windows, no furniture against it, no doors. It was not a wall in my
bedroom. Yet somehow it was familiar. Identification came instantly. It
wasn't a wall, it was the ceiling. I was floating against the ceiling,
bouncing gently with any movement I made. I rolled in the air,
startled, and looked down. There, in the dim light below me, was the
bed. There were
two figures lying in the bed. To the right was my wife. Beside her was
someone else. Both seemed asleep. This was a strange dream, I thought.
I was curious. Whom would I dream to be in bed with my wife? I looked
more closely, and the shock was intense. I was the someone on the bed!
My reaction was almost instantaneous. Here I was, there was my body. I
was dying, this was death, and I wasn't ready to die. Somehow, the
vibrations were killing me. Desperately, like a diver,
I swooped down to my body and dove in. I then felt the bed and the
covers, and when I opened my eyes, I was looking at the room from the
perspective of my bed. What had happened? Had I truly almost died? My
heart was beating rapidly, but not unusually so. I moved my arms and
legs. Everything seemed normal The vibrations had faded away. I got up
and walked around the room, looked out the window, smoked a cigarette.
It was a long time before I had the courage to return to bed, lie down,
and try to sleep. The following week I returned to Dr. Gordon for
another physical examination. I didn't tell him the reason for the
visit, but he could see I was worried. He carefully examined me, ran
blood tests, fluoroscopes, electrocardiograms, palpated all cavities,
ran urinalysis, and about everything else he could think of. He checked
very carefully for indications of brain lesions, and asked me many
questions relating to motor action of various parts of the body. He
arranged for an EEG (brain-wave analysis), which evidently showed no
unusual problem. At least he never reported any to me, and I am sure he
would have. Dr. Gordon gave me some tranquilizers, and sent me home
with orders to take off weight, smoke less, get more rest- and said
that if I had a problem, it was not a physical one. I met with Dr.
Bradshaw, my psychologist friend. He was even less helpful and far from
sympathetic when I told him the story. He thought I should try to
repeat the experience if I could. I told him I wasn't ready to die.
"Oh, I don't think you'll do that," Dr. Bradshaw stated calmly. "Some
of the fellows who practice yoga and those Eastern religions claim they
can do it whenever they want to." I asked him "do" what.
"Why, get out of the physical body for a while," he replied. "They
claim they can go all over the place. You ought to try it."
I told him that was ridiculous. Nobody can travel around without their
physical body.
"Well, I wouldn't be too sure," Dr. Bradshaw replied calmly. "You ought
to read something about the Hindus. Did you study any philosophy in
college?"
I said I had, but there was nothing I could recall about this
travelingwithout the-body business.
"Maybe you didn't have the right philosophy professor, that's what it
seems to me." Dr. Bradshaw lit a cigar, then looked at me. "Well, don't
be so closed-minded. Try it and find out As my old philosophy professor
said, 'If you're blind in one eye, turn your head, and if you're blind
in both eyes, then open your ears and listen.'
I asked what to do if you were deaf, too, but I didn't get a reply. Of
course, Dr. Bradshaw had every reason to be casual about it. It was
happening to me, not him. I don't know what I would have done without
his pragmatic approach and his wonderful sense of humor. It is a debt I
shall never be able to repay. The vibrations came and went six more
times before
I got up the courage to try to repeat the experience. When I did, it
was an anticlimax. With the vibrations in full force,
I thought of floating upward-and I did. I smoothly floated up over the
bed, and when I willed myself to stop, I did, floating in mid-air. It
was not a bad feeling at all, but I was nervous about falling suddenly.
After a few seconds I thought myself
downward, and a moment later I felt myself in bed again with all normal
physical senses fully operating. There had been no discontinuity in
consciousness from the moment I lay down in bed until I got up after
the vibrations faded. If it wasn't real-just a hallucination or dream-I
was in trouble. I couldn't tell where wake-fulness stopped and dreaming
began.
There are thousands of people in mental institutions who have just that
problem. The second time I attempted to disassociate deliberately, I
was successful. Again I went up to ceiling height. However, this time I
experienced an overwhelmingly strong sexual drive and could think of
nothing else. Embarrassed and irritated at myself because of my
inability to control this tide of emotion, I returned back into my
physical body. It wasn't until some five episodes later that I
discovered the secret of such control. The evident importance of
sexuality in the whole subject is so great that it is covered in detail
later. At the time, it was an exasperating mental block which held me
within the confines of the room where my physical body lay. With no
other applicable terminology, I began to call the condition the Second
State, and the other, non-physical body we seem to possess the Second
Body. So far this terminology fits as well as anything else. It wasn't
until the first evidential experience which could be checked that I
seriously considered these to be anything but daydreams,
hallucinations, a neurotic aberration, the beginnings of schizophrenia,
fantasies caused by self-hypnosis, or worse. That first evidential
experience was indeed a sledgehammer blow. If I accepted the data as
fact, it struck hard at nearly all of my life experience to that date,
my training, my concepts, and my sense of values. Most of all, it
shattered my faith in the totality and certainty of our culture's
scientific knowledge. I was sure our scientists had all the answers. Or
most of them. Conversely, if I rejected what was evident to me, if to
no one else, then I would also be rejecting what I respected so
greatly: that mankind's emancipation and upward struggle depends
chiefly upon his translation of the unknown into the known, through the
use of his intellect and the scientific principle. That was the
dilemma. It may have been truly the touch of a magic wand and a gift
bestowed I still don't know.
2. SEARCH AND RESEARCH
These pictures are from a video on Youtube, but the address is lost.
The out of body astral flights are demonstrated very well here. The main energy and
information is entering through Crown Chakra on top of the head as a
blue stream of energy. Second
Body is joined to the physical body with the Energy (Silver) Cord (a
white cord), which would a guaranty, that you will come back
to the physical body. If the cord is cut or broken you would lose your
physical body, but it doesn't mean that you die. You will continue
living in your non-physical body in non-physical environment.
Second (Energy) body can fly through : the centre of Earth, through any
depth of the oceans, through mountains and fire, through air and
poisonous gases, away from Earth to any planet or sun in our and other
Galaxies and Universes, LM!!!
What does one do when faced with an unknown? Turn away and forget about
it? In this case, two factors negated that possibility. One was nothing
more than curiosity. The second: how can one forget or ignore an
elephant in the living room? Or more to the point, a ghost in the
bedroom? On the other side of the scale were the conflicts and
anxieties, very
real, very disturbing. There was no question that I was deeply afraid
of what might happen to me if the "condition" continued. I was much
more concerned about the possibility of a growing mental illness than a
physical deterioration.
I had studied enough psychology and had enough psychologist and
psychiatrist friends to compound such fears. Moreover, I was afraid to
discuss the matter with these friends. I was afraid that I would then
be classified as their "patients," and lose the closeness that equality
(normalcy) brings. Non-professional friends in business and community
would be worse. I would be labeled a freak or psychotic, which could
seriously affect my life and the lives of those close to me. Finally,
it seemed to be something to keep from my family. It seemed unnecessary
that they worry along with me.
It was only the definite need to explain
odd actions that forced the disclosure to my wife. She accepted it
reluctantly because there was no other real choice, and thus she became
a worried witness to incidents and events much in contradiction to her
religious training. The children were then much too young to
understand. (Later, the matter became commonplace to them. Away at
college, my older daughter reported that after she and her roommate had
looked around the empty dorm room one night, she said, "Daddy, if
you're here, I think you better go now. We want to get undressed for
bed." Actually, I was two hundred miles away at the time, both
physically and
otherwise.) Gradually I became more accustomed to this strange addition
in my life. More and more, I was slowly able to control its movements.
In a few ways it had actually become helpful. I had become reluctant to
part with it. The mystery of its very presence had aroused my
curiosity. Even after I had determined that there was no physiological
cause, and that I was no more insane than most of my fellow men, the
fears persisted. It was a defect, illness, or deformity that had to be
hidden
from "normal" people. There was no one to talk to about the problem,
other than an occasional meeting with Dr. Bradshaw. The only other
solution seemed to be some form of psychotherapy. But a year (or five
or ten) of daily interviews costing thousands of dollars with no
promised results didn't seem very efficient. It was very lonely in
those early days. Finally, I began to experiment with this strange
aberration, keeping notes of each event. I also began to read in areas
of study long neglected in my life pattern. Religion had not greatly
influenced my thinking, yet it seemed that this was the only remaining
body of the writings and knowledge of man in which I could look for
answers. Beyond childhood churchgoing and rare attendance with a
friend, God and church and religion had meant little to me. In fact, I
hadn't given the matter much thought one way or another, as it simply
didn't evoke my interest In my superficial reading of past and present
Western philosophies and religions, I found vague references and
generalities. Some seemed to fit as somebody's attempt to describe or
explain similar incidents. Biblical and Christian writings offered many
of these, all without specific causes or cures. The best advice seemed
to be to pray, meditate, fast, go to church, absolve my sins, accept
the Trinity, believe in the
Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, resist Evil, or resist not Evil,
and give myself to God. All of this did nothing but add to the
conflict. If this new thing in my life was "good," i.e., a "gift," then
it evidently belonged to saints, or at least saintly types, according
to religious history. I felt that qualification for sainthood was
certainly above and beyond me. If this new thing was "evil," then it
was the Work of the Devil, or, at the least, of a demon trying to
possess or dispossess me, and should be
exorcised. The orthodox ministers of organized religion whom I met
politely accepted the latter view to varying degrees.
I got the feeling
I was dangerous and heretical in their eyes. They were wary. In the
Eastern religions I found more acceptance of the idea, as Dr. Bradshaw
had indicated. There was much talk of the existence of a
nonphysical body. Again, such a condition of being was the product of
great spiritual development. Only Masters, Gurus, and other long-
trained Holy
Men had the ability to leave their physical bodies temporarily to
achieve indescribable mystical insights. There were no details, and no
pragmatic explanation of what was meant by spiritual development.
Implied was that in the practices of secret cults, sects, lamaseries,
etc., such details were common knowledge. If this were true, what or
who was I? Certainly too old to start life anew in a Tibetan monastery.
The loneliness became acute. Evidently, there were no answers. Not in
our culture. It was at this point that I discovered the existence of an
underground in the United States. The only factor missing is that no
laws exist against its function nor is there official persecution and
prosecution involved. This underground only occasionally intermingles
in part with the worlds of business, science, politics, academia, and
the so-called
arts. Furthermore, it definitely is not limited to the United States,
but infiltrates all of Western civilization. Many people may have heard
of it vaguely or casually have come in contact with it, and passed it
off as just people with queer ideas. For
one thing is usually certain: members of this underground who are
respected in their communities don't talk about the interest or beliefs
that qualify them for membership unless they know you too are in the
club. They have learned from experience that to be outspoken brings
censure - from their ministers, customers, employers, or even friends.
I suspect the membership may run into millions-if all would admit to
their qualification. They are found in all walks of life: scientists,
psychiatrists, physicians, housewives, college students, businessmen,
teen-agers, and at least a few ministers in formal religions. This
group meets all the qualifications of an underground movement. They
gather in small groups, quietly and often semi-secretly. (The events
are often publicly announced, but you have to be "with it" before you
can
understand the notice.) The participants usually discuss affairs of the
underground only with other members. Other than family or close friends
(who are probably also members), the community doesn't know of this
secret interest and life of the underground member. If you asked him,
he would deny such membership because often he doesn't realize he
really
is so associated. All are to some degree emotionally and intellectually
dedicated to a cause. Finally, the underground has its own literature,
language, technology, and to some extent demigods. At the moment, this
underground is highly disorganized. In fact, there is no organization
whatsoever in the usual sense of the word. Rarely, even, have the local
groups gone so far as to adopt a title or name for themselves. So far,
they are simply small but regular gatherings held
in someone's living room, or a bank's conference room, or quite
possibly a church rectory. This group of individuals is groping in the
dark and seems to take many diverse pathways-yet the goal is the same
for all. However, like other kinds of underground movements, if you
have become a member and you visit another city, you inevitably meet
other members.
It isn't planned. It just "happens." Who comprises this underground?
First, the professionals. At one end are the parapsychologists, very
few in number. These are men who have legitimate doctorates from
recognized universities, who have publicly conducted research into ESP.
The most well-known of these is Dr. J. B. Rhine, formerly of Duke
University, who conducted and compounded simple statistical probability
card tests for some thirty years. To his satisfaction, he proved
statistically that ESP is fact. His results are looked upon dubiously
and for the most part unacceptably by the
majority of psychologists and psychiatrists in the United States. There
are others in the same category. Andrija Puharich, J. G. Pratt, Robert
Crookall, Hornell Hart, Gardner Murphy all come under this
classification. If you are a member, these are familiar names. The
professional spectrum runs the gamut from the para-psychologist to the
roadside palmist who claims to be a gypsy or New Delhi Indian, and who
charges five dollars for a quick five-minute stock "reading." Areas of
interest are quite diverse, but all have interconnecting bonds of
common beliefs in one way or another. The mass underground looks to the
professionals for information and guidance, and gives them something
akin to hero worship. Anyone who Writes a Book, Organizes a Foundation,
Conducts Research, has a Major Experience, Studied with a Great
Professional, Gives Psychic Readings, Conducts Classes in Mind and/or
Soul Development, Heals by Faith, is an Accredited Astrologer, Minister
of Divine Science or Spiritualism, Trance Medium, Outer-Space Saucer.
Devotee, Hypnotist-these are the professionals. Most derive all or part
of their income from this activity. Many have deep professional
jealousy for each other, and often are inclined to be suspicious of
techniques and theories propounded outside their particular activity.
They may even subtly deride or look with tolerant, superior
amusement
at results unrelated to their specialty. This could well explain why,
as of now, there is no organization in the underground. Yet, in spite
of themselves, the professionals are drawn
to one another. Their common interest forces this. There are no others
with whom they can share their thoughts and experiences as equals and
with understanding. This is not in any way intended to cast aspersions
or discredit upon the professionals. They are a completely fascinating
and wonderful group of people. Each in his own way, whatever it may be,
is seeking after Truth. What a dull world it would be without them once
you have become a member of the underground. For the underground
consumer, there are magazines, newspapers, lectures, book clubs (at
least fifty new underground books are published each year, many by top
houses), and even TV and radio programs. The latter, evidently put
together by overeager members, have not been successful because the
underground is still very much a minority group. The basic
public reaction is: "You don't really believe in that stuff, do
you?"Who, then, makes up the mass of this underground? Contrary to what
one might expect, they are not merely a conglomerate of silly,
uneducated, superstitious, unreasoning misfits. True, some of the like
are included, but at no greater percentage than is found in the general
population. As a matter of fact, if it could be surveyed, it is quite
probable that their average IQ would be far above that of a general
cross section of Western humanity. The common bond or cause that draws
them together is simple. All have a belief that (1) man's Inner Self is
neither understood nor fully expressed in our contemporary society; and
(2) this Inner Self has
capabilities to act and perform mentally and materially to a degree
unknown and unrecognized by modem science. These are people whose prime
avocation is to read, talk, think, discuss, and participate in anything
"psychic" or "spiritual." This is all that is needed for membership.
Perhaps you are in the club and didn't realize it How do these people
"get" that way? The most common answer is to experience or be a part of
some phenomenon that cannot be explained by modem scientific,
philosophic, or religious teachings. One type of person shrugs it off,
sweeps it under the rug, and forgets about it.
The other, who eventually becomes a member, tries to find some answers.
I qualified for membership because I couldn't find any other source of
information. Unfortunately, the information I was looking for was very
sparse indeed, even in this strange new-old world. But at least there
were those who seriously considered the possibility that the Second
State could and did happen. It soon became apparent that the
underground started more than a hundred years ago, or earlier, when
present-day science began to organize man's concepts and rid them of
unreasoning, unsupported "knowledge." In such
efforts to purify, anything that did not or had not yet met the test of
empiricism was ruthlessly discarded by intellectual leadership. Those
who continued to hold any of the discarded beliefs fell into disrepute.
If they stubbornly persisted and still wished to be active and accepted
in society, they had no choice but to go underground with their secret
ideas while maintaining another image publicly. Many who refused to
practice this deceit became Martyrs. To date, in this enlightened
society, the same attitude still exists to a very great extent. Of the
professionals who are known by their
fellows as proponents of parapsychology or anything similar, there may
be five who still command admiration and respect publicly from their
profession, be it medicine, psychology, psychiatry, or the physical
sciences. At this stage,
I believe I have met all five. Sadly, I am
little wiser, through no fault of theirs. They just don't know much
about the Second State or Second Body. Most of all, I enjoy the people
I have met in the underground. I've found them in small towns, big
cities, in business, in church groups, in universities, and even in the
American Psychiatric Association! As a rule, they are truly gentle
people. They are jolly, with a warm sense of humor. They are a happy
group who can laugh when necessary at their own
serious interest. Whether intentionally or not, they are the most
altruistic and empathetic cross section of humanity I have known.
It
must be no accident that they are the most religious in the true sense
of the word. If this appears to be a curt dismissal of all
other
sources and material uncovered in the "psychic" writings available, it
is not so intended. Each has its own version of Truth, and perhaps
there are indeed many Truths. I have sat in seances with trance mediums
and asked definite questions, received vague answers which were to me
pure evasions when a straightforward reply would have meant so much.
Yet, later, to my
astonishment, in one such case I participated in a
Second Body experiment that verified (to me and others) the
authenticity of this medium's ability. Truth here is truly
a mystery!
The work of Edgar Cayce, virtually a latter-day saint in the psychic
world, was without doubt most evidential and well investigated, but
unbelievable in terms of present-day science and medicine. Most
definitely, here was truth unfolding, and history may not record it
except in some dim archives. Today, some twenty years after his death,
no more is known as to how his ability worked and what it was than on
the day he died. Cayce's
readings were helpful, but are exceedingly
difficult to bring
into concrete focus as they relate to Second State existence. He
confirmed it, but did not explain. Much of his material in this area is
clouded by the haze of a strong religious conditioning.
This leaves it
open to interpretation, so Cayce translators (ministers?) have sprung
up to provide such intercession. There are others even now who
evidently can perform similarly to Cayce. One gave quite accurate
physical reports of me, and provided some general data on my Second
State activities which were neither enlightening nor provable. They did
convince me of the validity of her ability, by all means. Again,
another Truth (to me and others who participated), but no direct
answers that could be used in a court of
law. Several "psychics" performed "life readings" for me. They included
wide generalizations, but were unable to give direct, straightforward
answers to simple questions. If genuine (and who am I to say they are
not?) these psychics must be definitely limited in their specific
perception. Either that, or they sutler problems in translation from
symbols to articulation. I can well appreciate how this latter might
occur.
It was in my readings and contacts with this branch of human thought I
fondly call the underground that I finally found strong glimmerings of
what was happening to me. If I hadn't been involved personally, I would
not have believed what I found. At the same time, it was comforting to
discover that I was not unique. What was it all about? Simply, I was
performing "astral projection." Dr. Bradshaw had given me the clue,
although he himself had heard about such things only remotely. Astral
projection, to the uninitiated, is a term given to the technique of
leaving one's physical body temporarily and moving about in a
non-material or "astral" body. Many connotations have been given the
word "astral," and many interpretations, scientific and otherwise. The
word "scientific" is used cautiously, because the modern scientific
world, in the West, at least, neither recognizes nor is seriously aware
of even the possibility of such things.
In the obscure history of
mankind, it is an entirely different matter. The word "astral" has dim
origins in early mystical and occult events which involve witchcraft,
sorcery, incantations, and other seeming foolishness which modem man
looks upon as silly and superstitious nonsense. As no attempt was made
to delve deeply into this area, I still don't know what the word
"astral" means.
Thus I prefer to stick to the terms "Second Body" and
"Second State."
This type of literature, which still flourishes,
depicts an astral world composed of many levels or planes, which is
where people go when they "die." The person who travels around in his
astral body can make short visits to these places, talk with "dead"
people, participate in activities "there," and come back to the
physical body apparently none the worse for
wear. There have been times
when I have fervently hoped (prayed!) for the latter to be true. In
order to perform this miraculous feat, one had to be arduously trained,
or, better still, "spiritually developed," according to the occultists.
These teachings have supposedly been handed down secretly through
history to enlighten those who had become advanced enough to receive
them. Evidently, from time to time, there were those who revealed the
secret or accidently learned the technique. In the past, they have been
canonized, castigated, cremated, laughed at, and locked up for such
public revelation. This doesn't make the future seem very promising, in
my case. Paradoxically, much of the data contained in my
notes tends to confirm this occult approach to the subject-which came
as quite a shock. Using liberal interpretation and translation into the
modern idiom, much of it fell neatly into place. Also, much was left
unsaid, although I do not know why. According to the literature
of the
psychic underground, the
religious, mystical history of men constantly makes reference to this
Second Body. Long before Christianity and the Bible appeared, cultures
in Egypt, India, and China, to name a few, held the Second Body idea as
standard operating procedure. Historians have
found these references
again and again, but evidently consigned them to the mythology of the
times. If one reads the Bible from this point of view, the belief is
confirmed many times in both the Old and New Testaments. In the
Catholic Church are found consistent reports of saints and other
religious figures having such experiences, some of them willfully. Even
in Protestantism, devout followers have reported the out-of-body
experience during some form of religious ecstasy. In the Orient, the
concept of a Second Body has long held a natural and accepted position
of reality. Again, this is an entire study in itself, and there are
numerous underground books and authorities on oriental cultures that
affirm the concept of a Second Body. There are supposed to be in
existence today those adepts, lamas, monks, gurus, and the like who
exercise mental and physical powers-including Second Body
activity that are completely at odds with present scientific knowledge.
Largely, these have been ignored in our materialistic society because
they can't be duplicated in the laboratory. In the files of various
psychic research organizations here and abroad, there are hundreds of
case-history reports of out-of-body experiences.
Such reports go back at least a hundred years, and many more are found
in various writings of the past. They are there for anyone who wishes
to investigate the phenomenon. Virtually all of such reported
experiences are spontaneous one-time-only events. Usually, they have
come at a time when the individual was either physically ill or
debilitated, or during an intense emotional crisis. All seem to be
highly subjective, yet the great mass of these reports is evidential in
itself. During this century, several impressive collections of these
experiences have been published and should be
required reading if one pursues the subject.
The weakness in all of
them is apparent: most are basically reportorial, supplemented by
conjecture. No specifics based upon direct examination or
experimentation are included. Reason? Evidently, there has been no such
solid research performed. In very rare instances there are published
records of individuals who could deliberately and willfully induce the
Second State and move about in their Second Body. There may be more,
but only two stand out in recent history. If others have and are
performing this act, they have kept the results to themselves. The
first of these is Oliver Fox, an Englishman who was active in psychic
research and practices. He published fairly detailed reports of
out-of-body experiences and techniques for achieving this state. Except
in the underground of 1920, his work received little attention. Yet he
very definitely attempted to bring the experience into the framework of
understanding of his era. The second and most well-known was Sylvan
Muldoon, who published several works on the subject in collaboration
with Hereward Carrington, over the period 1938-51. Muldoon was the
"projectionist" and Carrington was a consistent researcher in psychic
phenomena. To date, their books have been the classics in the field,
and offer interesting reading. In my after-the-fact investigation, I
again wondered at much that obviously had been omitted. Also, little or
no empirical experimental tests were made to provide data for a serious
yet objective investigator. The most recent has been a book by the
author Yram. (A woman? Mary backward?) It too offered several clues,
but no solid continuity relating to my case. Significant attempts at
scientific study and evaluation have been made recently by several
noteworthy men, such as Hornell Hart, Nandor Fodor, Robert Crookall,
and others with good academic backgrounds. Most of these are relatively
free of the distorting factors present in so much of the underground
literature, and their titles will be found along
with other recent publications in the Bibliography. All serve to verify
the fact of the existence of the Second Body, but bring forth little or
no concrete data at the experimental, non-philosophic level.
Again, how
can one discuss experiments that have not taken place? The most
consistent problem encountered in associating with the underground has
been to avoid submergence of the analytical approach in the vast morass
of theological thought and belief. Once, not too long ago, man thought
electricity was God; before that, the sun, lightning, and fire. Our
sciences told us these ideas were ridiculous, and tried to show us
through experimentation. Perhaps the Second Body operating in the
Second State can provide the quantum jump to prove God empirically.
Then there will be no more underground. The psychic underground
provided me with many new friends, but few specific answers to such
questions as, What do I do now? To my surprise, they looked to me for
answers. There appeared to be only one remaining path to take. Hundreds
of experiments spread over twelve years, and still continuing, have
brought
forth conclusions that seem inescapable yet alien to my environmental
conditioning. In the material to come, the test will be yours.
3. ON THE EVIDENCE
In the fall of 1964 an interesting meeting was held one evening in Los
Angeles. It was composed of some twenty assorted psychiatrists,
psychologists, scientists, et al-and myself. It was a most rewarding
evening. The purpose of the meeting was to examine with sincerity and
seriousness the experiences and experiments which have been condensed
herein. After several hours of interrogation by the group, it was my
turn.
I asked two simple questions of each of them: "If you were going
through what I have been experiencing, what would you do?"
It was the definite opinion of the majority-more than two thirds-that
every effort should be made to continue, such experimentation in the
hope of enlightening and expanding man's knowledge of himself. Several
half seriously stated that I should run, not walk, to the nearest
psychiatrist. (None present offered his services.) The second question:
"Would you, personally, take part in experiments that would lead to the
creation of such unusual activity in yourself?" Here, the pattern
changed somewhat. About half stated their willingness to participate.
Oddly, in this group were some of those who were most skeptical of the
reality of such experiences. Of course, this gave me the opportunity to
nudge gently those who were in favor of continued experiments. When it
came to the dive into the cold, strange waters, let someone else do
it.
And in many ways, I don't blame them. If presented to me twelve years
ago, I doubt that I would have volunteered. Why did the group bother to
assemble? Curiosity, perhaps. Or again, it may have been some of the
evidential material that had been accumulated, I hope the latter. Here
are some of the key reports from the notes, which aroused their
interest.
9/10/58 Afternoon
Again, I floated upward, with the intent of visiting Dr. Bradshaw and
his wife. Realizing that Dr. Bradshaw was ill in bed with a cold, I
thought I would visit him in the bedroom, which was a room I had not
seen in his house and if I could describe it later, could thus document
my visit. Again came the turning in air, the dive into the tunnel, and
this time the sensation of going uphill (Dr. and Mrs, Bradshaw live in
a house some five miles from my office, up a hill). I was over trees
and there was a light sky above. Momentarily, I saw (in the sky?) a
figure of a rounded human form, seemingly dressed in robes and a
headpiece on his head (an oriental concept remains), sitting, arms in
lap, perhaps cross-legged a la Buddha; then it faded. I don't know the
meaning of this. After a while, the uphill travel
became difficult, and I had the feeling that the energy was leaving,
and I felt I wouldn't make it. With this thought, an amazing thing
happened. It felt precisely as if someone had placed a hand under each
arm and lifted me. I felt a surge of lifting power, and I rushed
quickly up the hill. Then I came upon Dr. and Mrs. Bradshow. They were
outside the house, and for a moment I was confused, as I had reached
them before I got to the house. I didn't understand this because Dr.
Bradshaw was supposed to be in bed.
Dr. Bradshaw was dressed in light
overcoat and hat, his wife in a dark coat and all dark clothes. They
were coming toward me, so I stopped. They seemed in good spirits, and
walked past me unseeing, in the direction of a smaller building, like a
garage, Brad trailing behind as they walked. I floated around in front
of them, waving, trying to get their attention without result. Then
without turning his head, I thought I heard Dr. Bradshaw say to me,
"Well, I see you don't need help any more." Thinking I had made
contact, I dove back into the ground (?), and returned to
the office, rotated into the body and opened my eyes. Everything was
just as I had left it. The vibration was still present, but I felt I
had enough for one day.
Important aftermath: We phoned Dr. and Mrs, Bradshaw that evening. I
made no statement other than to ask where they were between four and
five that afternoon. (My wife, upon hearing of the visit, said flatly
it was not possible, could not be so because Dr. Bradshaw was home in
bed sick.) With Mrs. Bradshaw on the phone, I asked the simple
question.
She stated that roughly at four twenty-five they were walking out of
the house toward the garage. She was going to the post office, and Dr.
Bradshaw had decided that perhaps some fresh air might help him, and
had dressed and gone along.
She knew the time by back-checking from the time they arrived at the
post office, which was twenty minutes to five. It takes roughly fifteen
minutes to drive to the post office from their house. I had come back
from my trip to them at approximately four twenty-seven. I asked what
they were wearing. Mrs. Bradshaw stated she was wearing black slacks,
and a red sweater which was covered with a black car coat. Dr. Bradshaw
was wearing a light hat and a light-colored topcoat. However, neither
"saw" me in any way or were aware of my presence. Dr. Bradshaw had no
memory of saying anything to me.
The great point is that I had expected to find him in bed, and didn't.
The coincidences involved were too much. It was not important to prove
this to anyone else. Only to me. It proves to me-truly for the first
time-that there might well be more to this than normal science and
psychology and psychiatry allow-more than an aberration, trauma, or
hallucination- and
I needed some form of proof more than anyone else, I
am sure. It is a simple incident, but unforgettable. In this visit to
Dr. Bradshaw and his wife, the time of visit coincides with the
physical event. The autosuggestion hallucination factor is
negative. I expected to find Dr. Bradshaw in bed in the house, but did
not do so and was puzzled by the inconsistency. Identical reports with
conditions of actual events:
(1) Location of Dr. Bradshaw and his wife.
(2) Position of the two relative to each other.
(3) The actions of the two.
(4) Wearing apparel of the two. Possibility of unconscious
pre-knowledge
through earlier observation of the above:
(1) Negative, had no information of their change in plans or time
habits of post office visits.
(2) Indeterminate, consciously at least unaware of who walks first.
(3) Negative, would have no pre-knowledge of their walking across to
the
garage in such fashion.
(4) Indeterminate, may have observed both in similar dress, but
expected to find only one (Dr. Bradshaw), in bedclothes.
3/5/59 Morning
In a motel in Winston-Salem: I woke up early and went out to have
breakfast at seven-thirty, then returned to my room about eight-thirty
and lay down. As I relaxed, the vibrations came and then an impression
of movement. Shortly thereafter,
I stopped, and the first thing I saw was a boy walking along and
tossing a baseball in the air and catching it. A quick shift, and I saw
a man trying to put something into the back seat of a car, a large
sedan. The thing was an awkward-looking device that I interpreted to be
a small car with wheels and electric motor. The man twisted and turned
the device and finally got it into the back seat of the car and slammed
the door. Another quick shift, and I was standing beside a table. There
were people sitting around the table, and dishes covered it. One person
was dealing what looked like large white playing cards around to the
others at the table. I thought it strange to play
cards at a table so covered with dishes, and wondered about the
overlarge size and whiteness of the cards. Another quick shift, and I
was over city streets, about five hundred feet high, looking for
"home".
Then I spotted the radio tower, and remembered that the motel was close
to the tower, and almost instantly I was back in my body. I sat up and
looked around. Everything seemed normal. Important aftermath: The same
evening, I visited some friends, Mr. and Mrs. Agnew Bahnson, at their
home. They were partially aware of my "activities," and on a sudden
hunch, I knew the morning event had to do
with them. I asked about their son, and they called him into the room
and asked him what he was doing between eight-thirty and nine that
morning. He said he was going to school. When asked more specifically
what he was doing as he went, he said he was tossing his baseball in
the air and catching it. (Although I knew him well, I had no knowledge
that
the boy was interested in baseball, although this could be assumed.)
Next, I decided to speak about the loading of the car. Mr. Bahnson was
astounded. Exactly at that time, he told me, he was loading a Van
DeGraff generator into the back seat of his car. The generator was a
large, awkward device with wheels, an electric motor, and a platform.
He showed me the device. (It
was eerie to see physically something you
had observed only from the Second Body.) Next, I told about
the table
and the large white cards. His wife -was excited at this one. It seems
that for the first time in two years, because they had all arisen late,
she had brought the morning mail to the breakfast table and had passed
out the letters to them as she sorted the mail. Large white playing
cards! They were very excited over the event, and I am sure they were
not humoring me. In this morning visit to Mr. Bahnson and his family,
the time of visit coincides with actual events. Autosuggestion
hallucination, negative; no conscious intent of visit, although
unconscious motivation possible. Identical reports with conditions of
actual events:
(1) Son walking down the street tossing ball in air.
(2) Mr. Bahnson at car.
(3) Mr. Bahnson's actions at car.
(4) Device he had at car.
(5) Action of Mrs. Bahnson at table, the dealing of "cards."
(6) Card size and white color.
(7) Dishes on table.
Possibility of unconscious preknowledge through earlier observation of
the above:
(1) Negative, unaware of son's interest in baseball, and not conscious
of his basic activities.
(2) Negative, had no knowledge of Mr. Bahnson's actions in morning
around car, and reported action was not part of his daily routine.
(3) Negative, as indicated such actions were not routine, i.e., loading
of car, thus could not be part of preobserved habit patterns of Mr.
Bahnson.
(4) Indeterminate, possible that device had been observed previously
but not in location indicated.
(5) Negative, no part of preobservation memory, as Mrs. Bahnson did not
make habit of such action; sorting mail at table was unusual event.
(6) Negative, for reasons just given, coupled with no such habits in
own life pattern of sorting mail at table, plus misinterpretation of
action itself.
(7) Indeterminate, preobservation could have been applied here in
relation to the Bahnson family, as writer had taken breakfast there
several times.
10/12/60 Night
The results are so contradictory to what I believed that it must be
reported in detail. In our attempts to find some answers, anywhere, we
had come in contact with Mrs. M., who purportedly had mediumistic
powers. I have and still have the highest regard for her as a person of
great kindness and integrity.
However, in two
"sittings" in which we
participated, I came away with the definite impression that Mrs. M.,
although deeply sincere, was acting out some form of split personality
when she went into a trance. The "guides" who took over her body(?) and
spoke through her vocal cords were to me nothing more or less than
manifestations of this. This implied not that I thought Mrs. M.
deliberately created this illusion, but that it happened as a result of
a self-induced hypnotic state, and she truly had no knowledge of what
took place, I was sure that in no way was Mrs. M. attempting to "fake."
She wasn't and isn't that type of person. What left me unconvinced was
that when I had asked her guides-her dead husband and an American
Indian-certain questions as they spoke through her, I
received evasive replies. The best I could get was, "You will
discover this through your own sources." This at the time seemed to me
to be a simple way to avoid an answer that could be verified in other
ways. It is important that I point out my complete skepticism of Mrs.
M. and her guides. Yet what happened last night and the
report today
utterly confuses me. R.G., a friend of Mrs. M., had suggested that I
attempt to "visit" a seance to be held by Mrs. M. in a New York
apartment Friday night (last night). I half agreed, stating that I
certainly wasn't sure that it was possible. Frankly, when Friday night
came, the meeting had slipped my mind (consciously at least). Here is
what took place. After a normal evening at home, my wife and I went up
to bed around eleven-thirty. My wife fell asleep almost immediately, as
I could tell from her steady, deep breathing. As I lay there, evidently
deeply relaxed and possibly half-asleep, I suddenly felt that "walking
over your grave" coldness and the hairs on the back of my neck started
to rise. I looked across the half-darkened room, fearful yet utterly
fascinated. I don't know what I expected, but
standing in the doorway leading from the hall was a white ghost like
figure. It actually looked like the traditional figure of a ghost-some
six feet
tall as it stood there, with a flowing sheetlike material draping it
from its head to the fioor. One hand was reaching out and holding onto
the door jamb. I was completely frightened, and I had no chance to
connect the figure with anything I had done. The moment it began to
move toward me, I cringed in half-terror and at the same time
felt I had to see what it
was. Almost immediately I felt hands placed over my eyes so I couldn't
see. I kept putting the hands away in spite of my fear until finally
the ghost like form was beside the bed, not a foot away from me. Then
someone took hold of my upper arms, gently, and I moved up out of the
bed. With this,
I calmed down, evidently because I felt that whatever it was, it
was friendly. I didn't struggle or resist. Immediately, there was a
quick sense of movement and we (I then felt there were two of them, one
on each side) were suddenly over a small room, as if we were looking
down on it from the ceiling. In the room below were four women. I
looked at the two beings on each side of me. One was a blond male, the
other dark-haired, almost oriental. Both seemed to be quite young, in
their early twenties. They were smiling at me. I spoke to them and said
they would have to excuse my attitudes as I was uncertain of what I was
doing. Then I floated down to the only empty
chair and sat down in it. A tall large woman in a dark suit sat
opposite me. A woman in what looked like an ankle-length white robe sat
next to me. The other two were indistinct. A woman's voice asked if I
would remember that I had been there, and I assured her that I
certainly would. Another woman said something about cancer, but that is
all I could get. Then one of the women (the one in the dark suit) came
over and swung over the side of my chair, and draped herself right on
top of me! I didn't feel her weight, but for some reason, she got up
suddenly. There was laughter, but my mind was on other things.
Evidently, the contact with the woman who sat on top of me had altered
things. Just at that moment, I heard a male voice said, "I think he's
been away long enough; we'd better take him back." I was torn between
going and staying, but didn't argue. Almost instantly, I was back lying
in my bed and that was it -except that my wife had been awake during
the
entire time. She stated that I alternately gasped, made moaning and -
whimpering noises, and then seemed to do little or no breathing at all.
Other than that, she hadn't seen or heard anything, except that our cat
asleep in the room had awakened and
had been extremely nervous. My wife was quite upset and worried. I'm
sure I would have been too, if I had gone through the same with her.
The "meeting" certainly deserved checking, so I phoned R.G. and
discovered several things. First, there were four women at the stance.
At my request, they were gathered together at the same apartment (very
small living room) wearing the same clothes. The woman in the dark suit
was of identical build as I saw, and she inadvertently "sat" in the
chair "reserved" for me. This had taken place later in the evening,
after eleven-thirty, when the stance had been long over, and the four
were sitting around talking. The tall woman had jumped up out of "my"
chair when the rest called out, "Don't sit on Bob!" They laughed at the
joke. One of the other women had worn a long white housecoat. The words
about my remembering were not spoken orally (that supermind
communication again?), but one of the women had stated she was working
at Cancer Memorial Hospital the following day. I had met the other two
women previously, Mrs. M. and R.G., but the two herein described were
then strangers to me. Four women, the clothes of two, the build of one,
the sitting in the chair, the sitting on top of me and jumping up, the
laughter, the small room, the "cancer" reference-that's too much
coincidence even for me, and beyond my ability to hallucinate that
properly. I'm convinced. But the two men. Does Mrs. M. truly
communicate with her dead husband and an Indian? I didn't know until
afterward that he had been a blond!
I must be less of a skeptic and more open-minded with Mrs. M. In the
visit to the apartment, time coincides with the physical event.
Autosuggestion hallucination, indeterminate, as idea of trip may have
been retained unconsciously, although no conscious attempt was made.
Identical reports with conditions of actual events:
(1) Size of room.
(2) Number of women present, four.
(3) Empty chair.
(4) Apparel of two women.
(5) "Cancer" mention.
(6) Action of woman sitting in chair.
(7) Laughter attitude of group.
Possibility of unconscious preknowledge through earlier observation
ofthe above:
(1) Negative, no previous visits or descriptions of apartment.
(2) Indeterminate, R.G. may have revealed number of people to be present
(3) Negative, idea of empty chair came to group only during that same
evening.
(4) Negative, had never met women before nor observed their dress.
(5) Negative, for same reasons just given. Would have no knowledge of
unknown woman's work at Cancer Memorial Hospital.
(6) Negative, as action was unplanned.
(7) Negative, as reaction of others was spontaneous.
8/15/63 Afternoon
A productive experiment after a long layoff! R.W., a businesswoman whom
I know quite well through long work association, and a close friend
aware of my "activities'' (but somewhat skeptical still, in spite of
rather unwilling participation), has been away this week on her
vacation up on the New Jersey coast. I do not know exactly where she is
vacationing other than that. Nor did I inform her of any planned
experiment, simply because I hadn't thought of it until today
(Saturday). This afternoon, I lay down to renew experimentation, and
decided I would make a strong effort to "visit" R.W. wherever she was.
(Rule one in my case always has been that I am most successful going to
someone I know well and the opportunity does not come up too often.) I
lay down in the bedroom about three in the afternoon, went into a
relaxation pattern, felt the warmth (high order vibrations), then
thought heavily of the desire to "go" to R.W. There was the familiar
sensation of movement through a light blue blurred area, then I was in
what seemed to be a. kitchen. R.W. was
seated in a chair to the right. She had a glass in her hand. She was
looking to my left, where two girls (about seventeen or eighteen, one
blond and one brunette) also were sitting, each with glasses in their
hands, drinking something. The three of them were in conversation, but
I could not hear what they were saying. I first approached the two
girls, directly in front of them, but I could not attract their
attention. I then turned to R.W., and I asked if she knew I was there.
"Oh yes, I know you are here" she replied (mentally, or with that
superconscious communication, as she was still in oral conversation
with the two girls). I asked if she was sure that she would remember
that I had been there.
"Oh, I will definitely remember," the reply came. I said that this time
I was going to make sure that she remembered.
"I will remember, I'm sure I will" R.W. said, still in oral
conversation simultaneously. I stated that I had to be sure she would
remember, so I was going to pinch her.
"Oh, you don't need to do that, I'll remember" R.W. said hastily. I
said
I had to be sure, so I reached over and tried to pinch her, gently, I
thought. I pinched her in the side, just above the hips and below the
rib cage. She let out a good loud "Ow," and I backed up, because I was
somewhat surprised. I really hadn't expected to be able actually to
pinch her. Satisfied that I had made some impression, at the least, I
turned and left, thought of the physical, and was back almost
immediately.
I got up (physically!), and went over to the typewriter
where I am now. R.W. will not be back until Monday, and then I can
determine if I made the contact, or if it was another unidentifiable
miss. Time of return, three thirty-five.
Important aftermath: It is Tuesday after the Saturday of the
experiment. R.W. returned to work yesterday, and I asked her what she
had been doing Saturday afternoon between three and four. Knowing my
reason for asking, she said she would have to think about it and let me
know on Tuesday (today). Here is what she reported today: On Saturday
between three and four was the only time there was not a crowd of
people in the beach cottage where she was staying. For the first time,
she was alone with her niece (dark-haired, about eighteen) and the
niece's friend (about the same age, blond). They were in the
kitchen-dining area of the cottage from about three-fifteen to four,
and she was having a drink, and the girls were having Cokes. They were
doing nothing but sitting and talking. I asked R.W. if she remembered
anything else, and she said no. I questioned her more closely, but she
could not remember anything more. Finally, in impatience, I asked her
if she remembered the pinch. A look of complete astonishment crossed
her face."Was that you?" She stared at me for a moment, then went into
the privacy of my office, turned, and lifted (just slightly!) the edge
of her sweater where it joined her skirt on her left side. There were
two brown and blue marks at exactly the spot where I had pinched her.
"I was sitting there, talking to the girls" R.W. said, "when all of a
sudden I felt this terrible pinch. I must have jumped a foot. I thought
my brother-in-law had come back and sneaked up behind me. I turned
around, but there was noone there. I never had any idea it was you! It
hurt!"
I apologized for pinching so hard, and she obtained from me a promise
that if I tried any such thing again, I would try something other than
a pinch that hard. In this episode, the time coincides with the actual
events. Autosuggestion hallucination, indeterminate, as willful desire
was suggested, and preknowledge was present of general location of R.W.
at that time. Identical reports with conditions of actual events:
(1) Location (inside rather than outside).
(2) Number of people present.
(3) Description of girls.
(4) Actions of people present.
(5) The acknowledgment of pinching.
(6) Physical marks from pinching.
Possibility of unconscious preknowledge through earlier ob-servation of
the above:
(1) Negative, preknowledge implied activity outdoors on beach rather
than indoors.
(2) Negative, preknowledge implied adults in group, as R.W. was
visiting sister and brother-in-law.
(3) Negative-indeterminate, possibility of preknowledge of niece and
hair color through R.W. sometime previously, negative as to friend of
niece, her hair color and age.
(4) Negative, no preknowledge of non-existent habit pattern for that
particular moment of day.
(5) Negative, R.W. had no preknowledge of experimental attempt as no
such attempt had been made previously, nor was experimenter in habit of
pinching R.W. Had not done so previously.
(6) Negative, no possible way that R.W. could have known where pinch
marks should have occurred to conform with area reported. There are
additional evidential reports, some of which have been included in
other portions of this writing where they may help illustrate certain
areas of "theory and practice.'* One or two have been attempted under
laboratory conditions. The incidents may have been simple and
unimportant in themselves, but as minute pieces in a mosaic, they were
vital. The emerging pattern through the glimpses of the whole was made
believable and acceptable to me only
through the inclusion of hundreds of such scraps of evidence. Perhaps
it may be to you, too.
4. THE HERE-NOW
One of the most common questions that arises during any discussion of
the Second Body and the Second State is: Where do you go? In evaluation
of all experiments, there evolved what seemed to be three Second State
environments. The first of these was identified as Locale I, for lack
of a better nomenclature. More appropriately, it could be called the
"Here-Now."
Locale I is the most believable. It consists of people and places that
actually do exist in the material, well-known world at the very moment
of the experiment. It is the world represented to us by our physical
senses which most of us are fairly sure does exist. Visits to Locale I
while in the Second Body should not contain strange beings, events, or
places. Unfamiliar, perhaps, but not strange and unknown. If the latter
is the case, then perception is distorted. Thus it is that the only
evidential results provable by standard methods of confirmation have
taken place while moving about via the Second Body in Locale I. All of
the experiments in Chapter 3 were made in Locale I. Even
so, these and
others in the same category are pitifully few in proportion to all the
recorded experiments. On the surface, it seems quite simple. Get out of
the physical and into the Second, then go visit George and make
contact, come back into the physical and report. Nothing to it If only
it were that easy! Yet the factors present that make it difficult are
recognizable. Recognition of a problem presumes an eventual solution
one way or another, and perhaps it will be so in this
field. Let us take first the factors of direction and identification.
Suppose, for example,
fully conscious and in your physical body, you
were able to soar through the air rather than walk on the ground or
ride in a car. You discovered this ability, and decided to fly over to
George's house to demonstrate how it works. Your house or your
laboratory is on the
outskirts of a large city. George lives in a subdivision on the other
side of town. On a sunny afternoon, you start off. Naturally, you rise
high in the air so as to avoid obstacles of trees, buildings, etc.
Uncertain, you don't go too high. You want to be able to recognize
landmarks which might be difficult to see from five thousand feet.
Therefore, you stay low,
about a hundred feet off the ground. Now, which way to go. You look for
points of familiarity. It is at that moment you realize you have a
problem. You don't have a compass course to George's house, and it
wouldn't do you any good if you did. You don't have a compass.
Undaunted, you decide to cut across the city, using the familiar
buildings and streets as
guideposts. You have driven the route many times, so you should find
your way easily. You start off over houses and streets, and almost
immediately you become confused. The familiar has suddenly become
unfamiliar. You look back, and you have difficulty finding your own
house even at close range. It takes a moment to realize why this is so.
You have been earthbound, and your entire point of view has been from a
level of less than six feet. Most of the time, we habitually look
straight ahead or downward. Only occasionally do we look up, when
something attracts our attention. Even such an upward-looking angle of
vision has little relationship to looking down from one hundred feet.
How long would it take for you to recognize your own home if you were
shown a photograph taken from directly overhead? The same applies to
all "familiar" surroundings, streets, buildings, cities, and people.
You may get to George's house, but it will take you a long time. You
may not identify it from a distance of fifty feet because you know only
the appearance of the front of his house, and you approach it from the
back. It is not a failing peculiar to you.
Pilots of aircraft, if their
attention diverted for a moment, have become "lost" within two miles of
the airport when flying at low level in bright daylight. For a moment,
everything below is completely unfamiliar. Only navigational
instruments can bring the quick orientation needed. It is easy to see
how this
problem can be compounded when your friend George lives in another city
some distance away, where you have never visited, and when you have not
seen pictures of the house. Of course, if he painted a fluorescent
yellow "X" on the roof, with a
ten-million candle-power beacon of light, with similar markers on
streets and highways along the route, you just might make it. Now let's
take the same trip in the Second Body and examine it comparatively.
Again, you are overhead one hundred feet, floating in the air, this
time with no physical body. It is a bright sunny day, but your "seeing"
is somewhat impaired. You still are not fully accustomed to the
technique of "how" you are seeing. As a result, your vision is
distorted in one way or another. You can work your way slowly from over
your home to George's house much as you would if in the physical body.
It would be the same slow process under less favorable visual
conditions. There is a better, faster way. Happily, there seem to be
built-in directional senses if their use can be mastered. The "if" is
the catch. As noted elsewhere, you "think" of the person at the end of
your destination never a place, but a person-and use the method
prescribed. In a few
moments, you are there. You can watch the landscape move under you if
you wish, but it's a little disconcerting when you rush headlong toward
a building or tree and go right through it. In order to avoid such
traumas, forget about seeing during the traveling process. You never
quite get over the physical-body conditioning that such things are
solid. At least I have not. I still have the tendency to move in the
direction of the door to leave, only to realize again the situation
when my Second Body hand goes through the doorknob. Irritated with
myself, I then dive through the wall rather than the door to reinforce
my awareness of the Second State characteristics. In conjunction with
this convenient homing instinct that is unaffected by distance, you are
faced with a further problem, which is that the automatic navigational
system is too accurate. It works by what and of whom you think. Let one
small stray thought emerge dominantly for just one microsecond, and
your course is deviated. Add to this the fact that your conscious mind
may be in conflict with the superconscious as to what should be that
destination, and you can begin to appreciate why so many experiments to
produce Locale I evidential data have ended in failure. It sometimes
causes one to ponder how there have been any such results when the
difficulties are considered. As an experiment, try to concentrate for
just one minute upon a single action or event or thing which you
"dislike" emotionally and intellectually (the superconscious expressing
its will) without the intrusion of any unrelated thought. It takes
something more than practice, as you will discover. Here are some
examples of misdirection,
caused by an interrupting thought, taken from the notes:
4/12/63 Late Afternoon
Temp. 40s, humidity low, barometer high. Utilized countdown technique,
warm sensation surged in on thirty-one count. Disassociated easily,
under plan to visit a friend. Used stretch-out method, seemed to travel
unusually long for three-mile trip. . . . Then I stopped.
I looked
to see where I was, and found I was sitting on the edge of the roof of
a two-story house, with what seemed to be the back yard below me. There
was a woman working in the yard, with a broom in her hand. As I
watched, she turned to walk into the house. Just as she was about to
enter, something made her look up directly at me. With a frightened
start, she scuttled into the house, slamming the door. I felt that I
should leave, embarrassed at having frightened the woman. I used the
physical movement return signal, and came back easily, entering the
physical without difficulty. Time away, seven minutes, ten seconds.
Comment: Wonder what she saw sitting on the eave. Also, why this
destination? Evidently concentration failure again.
6/29/60 Late Evening
Temp. 70s, humidity medium, barometer average, physically tired.
Bloodflow surge came at hold-off point before sleep, under plan to
visit Dr. Andrija Puharich somewhere in California. Moved blindly for a
short period, then stopped. Four people were seated around a table,
three men and a boy of about eleven. Obviously not Dr. Puharich, unless
unusual situation. I asked where they were, what was the location, town
or
state. There was no answer to my query, and I sensed wariness and
caution on their parts. I asked again, and the boy turned and evidently
was about to reply when one of the men said, "Don't tell him!"
Evidently, they were afraid of me for some reason. I apologized for my
nervousness and explained I was still new to the non-physical business,
turned, and left, not wishing to make them uncomfortable. Return to
physical uneventful. Time away, eighteen minutes. Comment: No
connection with Dr. Puharich's activities at the time, as he reports.
Wrong
destination again, no
validation possible. Why does my presence create such fear?
(p.64)
This inability to control destination has been and still remains the
chief barrier to the production of consistency and repeatability. The
results of such attempts have brought many intrusions similar to the
above, and many follow a similar pattern. Here is one that brought
evidential data, although the persons involved were and are unaware of
their participation:
11/27/62 Morning
Temp. 405, humidity medium, barometer below average, physically rested.
Went into relaxation countdown, used sex center mental pattern with
oral breathing to create condition. Used peel-off to get out of body,
just as if outer layer of physical were being removed, then free and
floating in room. Plan was to go to Agnew Bahnson. Started trip slowly
to observe surroundings as much as possible. Went slowly through west
wall, feeling texture of each layer of material in watt, then into
another room, furnished as a living room, then into a third room,
another living room, all unoccupied, and speed became faster. Nothing
was visible but gray-black blur. Stiff concentrating on Mr. Bahnson,
finally stopped. Was in normal-sized room, bedroom, with three people
in it. There was a large bed to the right, and two adults lay on it. A
little girl, about five or six, was sitting on the floor beside the
bed, to the left of it. The little girl looked directly at me and said
excitedly, "I know what you are!' I turned to her, as gently and warmly
as I could so as not to frighten her, and said, "You do? Good! What am
I?" She was not at all afraid when she said, "You're an astral
projection!" (She may have used another term such as "ghost," but it
was definite understanding on her
part, one way or another.) I asked her where she lived and what year it
was, but she couldn't give me an answer so I turned to the two on the
bed. I tried to be careful to avoid making them afraid or nervous, but
it was obvious that they were. I asked them what year it was, but they
didn't seem to understand (no time concept in the superconscious?). I
concentrated on the man, and asked his name and where he lived. He
replied nervously. I moved away as he became more disturbed, and looked
out the window for area identification. Outside the window was a small
roof, such as over a porch. Beyond was a street, with many trees and a
grassy island strip in the middle. There was a car parked at the curb,
a dark-colored sedan. I sensed a need to return to the physical, and
turned back to the three people. I asked if they would like to see me
"take off" and the little girl was eager, and the two adults appeared
relieved. I used stretch technique, shot up through the ceiling, and
returned to the physical without problems. Reason for recall: Throat
dry from oral breathing.
Time away, forty-two minutes. Comment: Through a check by phone, I have
located this family at the address which the man gave me. Would it be
appropriate to visit them physically on some pretext? From this, it can
be seen that a much more extensive and organized effort would be
required for massive validation of Second Body activities in Locale I.
One subject and several assorted scientists and psychiatrists are not
enough. Also, it can be noted that unexpected visits to unprepared
persons can't be helped at this stage of control.
Perhaps much could be gained if such people could be interviewed as to
what they saw and felt at the time of the intrusion. The difficulty
lies in locating these people. It is the exception that enough data is
obtained to identify the place visited, as in the above. Also, it is
interesting when possible to determine the inconsistencies of
observation of Locale I activities while in the Second State. Except in
unusual instances, most "visual" input registers in shadings of black
and white.'This seems true under any lighting conditions. However,
strong light and shadow create wrong perceptions. For example, a strong
light reflecting from the dark hair of a man brings the impression that
he is blond rather than dark. For example, from the
notes:
5/5/61
Temp. 6os, humidity high, barometer medium, physically neutral. After
dinner, early evening, in planned attempt to visit Dr. Puharich used
breathing jaw technique for relaxation, obtained vibration state after
some difficulty via 90° reach-out technique. Applied simple
mental lift-out, and concentrated mental desire to visit Dr. Puharich,
After short trip, stopped in room. There was a long narrow table, with
several chairs, and bookshelves. There was a man sitting at the table,
writing on paper. He resembled Dr. Puharich, but he was more light or
blond-haired. I greeted him, and he looked up and smiled, then stated
that he would spend more time on our project, apologizing for being so
neglectful. I said I understood, then felt uneasiness to return to the
physical, and explained I had to leave. He stated that he realized my
need for caution, and I turned and quickly headed back to the
physical. Re-entered without
difficulty, with right arm circulation down from lying on it awkwardly,
which was evident reason for recall. Comment: In
checking with Dr. Puharich, the locale was right, and actions were
correct, but he has no memory of visit. Strong overhead light may have
caused the reflection of "blond." The preceding also illustrates the
problem of communication. Dr.
Puharich, awake and aware that specific attempts to "visit" him were
being made, had no conscious recollection of any such meeting. All
other factors checked accurately, except for the reported
"conversation." This has happened so frequently in such instances that
it became the source of much discussion. At first, it was suggested
that I was fantasizing
these communications. It seemed probable that in so doing, I was merely
calling upon my knowledge of the visitee -at the unconscious level-to
create an "authentic" conversation. This theory received a setback when
a number of such communications brought out data known only to the
second party. Still another difficulty of Locale I travel lies in the
time factor. Inconveniently, the best periods for deep relaxation so
necessary to create the Second State occur late at night. Therefore, it
is quite natural to take advantage of such instances when possible.
Less effort is required, and the separation is much more rapid.
However, the physiological and psychological conditions that help
induce the state are unpredictable and not known fully. This
inconsistency brought numerous occasions when experimentation for
purely evidential data
ended in failure. The person to be visited was performing no reportable
act other than lying in bed sound asleep. These were discounted
completely as evidence. Most people perform this "act" every night.
Similarly, attempts at validation during daylight hours brought their
share of complications. With no promise of "contact" at a specific
minute or hour, most people involved went about their normal affairs.
Thus when such "visits" were made, they were not necessarily discovered
in a unique or unusual act or condition. As a result, the small,
normally inconsequential acts observed during these visits often were
but vague memories to the contactee when confirmation was needed. We
have a great tendency to forget details of routine actions in life. You
can prove this to yourself. Simply attempt to recall precisely in
detail what you were doing at, say, three twenty-three yesterday
afternoon. If it was a routine task, chances are you will remember only
the doing, if that much, Exact details will escape you. Yet the
experimentation in visiting Locale I is extremely important, perhaps at
the moment more so than anything else to be attempted. For only through
evidential visits in Locale I can sufficient evidential data on the
Second Body and the Second State be obtained. Sufficient, that is, to
bring about serious study by authoritative scientific groups
of our time. Only through such concentrated and extensive study can a
breakthrough of a revolutionary nature be obtained as regards the
Second Body, and applied to the basic knowledge of man. Anything less,
and it will remain an unsolved enigma at best, and at worst a ridiculed
and unacceptable fantasy to both philosopher and scientist. For this
reason, the recurring theme in the reports of experiments is: Get
evidential data.
Here, then, is a later experiment in Locale I performed in the EEG
laboratory of a hospital on a major university campus.
EXPERIMENT #EEG-5
July 19th, 1966.
Arrived at the hospital EEG lab at 9:00 P.M., after driving seventy
miles from Richmond. No particular sense of fatigue. Sleepiness earlier
in the day, around 1 P.M., but no rest was taken. Active day from
around six-thirty in the morning.
By nine-thirty in the evening, all electrodes had been attached by the
technician, who was the only person present when I arrived. I reclined
on a temporary cot, in a semi-darkened room, using a pillow and sheet,
no shirt, but retaining trousers. Experienced usual difficulty in
getting head comfortable, especially the ear pressed against the
pillow. As a "side sleeper," it made no difference which side; each was
equally uncomfortable due to the electrodes attached to my ears. After
a semblance of ease, I attempted to relax naturally, but was
unsuccessful. I went finally into the fractional relaxation pattern
(count up from number one, associating each number with a body part
starting with feet, fixing closed eyes in direction of body part as
number and mental command to relax were thought). Experienced usual
mind "drift" at various points, and forced attention back to relaxation
technique. Went through entire sequence without complete relaxation, so
I started again at the beginning. After about forty-five minutes of
this without attaining full relaxation, I decided to take a break, sat
up (halfway), and called to the technician. I sat up partially, smoked
a cigarette, and talked with the technician for about five or eight
minutes, then decided to try again. After some time spent in attempting
to ease ear-electrode discomfort, concentrated on ear to "numb" it,
with partial success. Then went into fractional relaxation technique
again. Halfway through the second time around in the pattern, the sense
of warmth appeared with full consciousness (or so it seemed) remaining.
I decided to try the "roll-out" method (i.e., start to turn over
gently, just as if you were turning over in bed using the physical
body). I started to feel as if I were turning, and
at first thought I truly was moving the physical body. I felt myself
roll off the edge of the cot, and braced for the fall to the floor.
When I didn't hit immediately, I knew that I had separated. I moved
away from the physical, and through a darkened area, then came upon two
men and a woman. The "seeing" wasn't too good, but got better as I came
closer. The woman, tall, dark-haired, in her forties (?), was sitting
on a love seat or couch. Seated to the right of her was one man. In
front of her, and slightly to her left, was the second man. They all
were strangers to me, and were in conversation which 1 could not hear.
I tried to get their attention, but could not. Finally, I reached over,
and pinched the woman (very gently I) on her left side just below the
rib cage. It seemed to get a reaction, but still no communication. I
decided to return to the physical for orientation and start again. Back
into the physical was achieved simply, by thought of return. Opened
physical eyes, all was fine, swallowed to wet my dry throat, closed my
eyes, let the warmth surge up, then used the same roll-out
technique. This time, I let myself float to the floor beside the cot. I
fell slowly, and could feel myself passing through the various EEG
wires on the way down. I touched the floor lightly, then could "see"
the light coming through the open doorway to the outer EEG rooms.
Careful to keep "local," I went under the cot, keeping in slight touch
with the floor, and
floating in a horizontal position, finger tips touching the floor to
keep in position, 1 went slowly through the doorway. I was looking for
the technician, but could not find her. She was not in the
room
to the right (control console room), and I went
out into the brightly lighted outer room. I looked in all directions,
and suddenly, there she was. However, she was not alone. A man was with
her, standing to her left as she faced me. I tried to attract her
attention, and was almost immediately rewarded with a burst of warm joy
and happiness that I had finally achieved the thing we had been working
for. She was truly excited, and happily and excitedly embraced me.
I responded, and only slight sexual overtones were present which I was
nearly able to disregard. After a moment, I pulled back, and gently put
my hands on her face, one on each cheek, and thanked her for her help.
However, there was no direct intelligent objective communication with
her other than the above. None was tried, as I was too excited at
finally achieving the separation and staying "local." I then turned to
the man, who was about her height, with curly hair, some of which
dropped over the side of his forehead. I tried to attract his
attention, but was unable to do so. Again, reluctantly, I decided to pinch her
gently, which I did. It did not evoke any response that I
noticed. Feeling something calling for a
return to the physical, I
swung around and went through the door, and slipped easy back into the
physical. Reason for discomfort: dry throat and throbbing ear. After
checking to see that the integration was complete, that I "felt" normal
in all parts of the body,
I opened my eyes, sat up, and called to the
technician. She came in, and I told her that 1 had made it finally, and
that
I had seen her, however, with a man. She replied that it was her
husband. I asked if he was outside, and she replied thai he was, that
he came to stay with her during these late hours. I asked why I hadn't
seen him before, and she replied that it was "policy" for no outsiders
to see subjects or patients. I expressed the desire to meet him, to
which she acceded. The technician removed the electrodes, and I went
outside with her and met her husband. He was about her height, curly-
haired, and after several conversational amenities, I left. I did not
query the technician or her husband as to anything they saw, noticed,
or felt. However, my impression was that he definitely was the man I
had observed with her during the non-physical activity. My second
impression was that she was not in the console room when I visited
them, but in another room, standing up, with him. This may be hard to
determine, if there is a firm rule that the technician is supposed
always to stay at the console. If she can be convinced that the truth
is more important in this case, perhaps this second aspect can be
validated. The only supporting evidence other than what might have
appeared on the EEG lies in the presence of the husband, of which I was
unaware prior to the experiment. This latter fact can be verified by
the technician.
Important aftermath: In a report to Dr. Tart, the technician confirmed
that she was in the outer hall with her husband at the time of the
indicated "separation." She also confirmed that I did not know he was
present, and that I had not met him previously. Dr. Tart states that
the EEG shows definite unusual and unique tracings during time of
activity.
5. INFINITY, ETERNITY
The best introduction to Locale II is to suggest a room with a sign
over the door saying, "Please Check All Physical Concepts Here." If
getting accustomed to the idea of a Second Body was an uneasy
experience, Locale II may be hard to take. It is certain to produce
emotional effects as it steps solidly upon what we have accepted as
reality. Furthermore, many
of our religious doctrines and the interpretations thereof become open
to question, It is enough to say that only a small part of the visits
into Locale II via the Second Body has provided evidential data, for
these visits do not easily lend themselves to proof. Therefore, much of
the Locale II material is cautious extrapolation (conclusion from known
facts). However, several
hundred experiments in this particular area have provided definite
consistencies. If A plus B equals C sixty-three times, there is a high
order of probability that A plus B will equal C the sixty-fourth time.
Postulate (claim): Locale II is a non-material environment with laws of
motion
and matter only remotely related to the physical world. It is an
immensity whose bounds are unknown (to this experimenter), and has
depth and dimension incomprehensible to the finite, conscious mind. In
this vastness lie all of the aspects we attribute to heaven and hell
(See Chapter VIII), which are but part of Locale II, It is inhabited,
if that is the word, by entities with various degrees of intelligence
with whom
communication is possible. As noted in the percentile analysis in a
later chapter, the fundamentals are altered in Locale II.
Time, by the
standards of the physical world, is non-existent. There is a sequence
of events, a past and a future,
but no cyclical separation. Both continue to exist coterminously with
"now."
Measurements, from microseconds to millennia, are useless. Other
measurements may represent these factors in abstract calculation, but
this is uncertain. Laws of conservation of energy, force field
theories, wave mechanics, gravity, matter structure-all remain to be
proved by
those more versed in such fields. Superseding all appears to be one
prime law.
Locale II is a state
of being where
that which we label
thought is the wellspring (fountain, rich source) of existence. It is
the vital creative force that produces energy, assembles "matter"
into form, and provides channels of perception and communication. I
suspect that the very self or soul in Locale II is no more than an
organized vortex or warp in this fundamental. As you think, so you are.
In this environment, no mechanical supplements are found. No cars,
boats, airplanes, or rockets are needed for transportation. You think
movement, and it is fact. No telephones, radio, television, and other
communication aids have value. Communication is instantaneous. No
farms, gardens, cattle ranches, processing plants, or retail outlets
are in evidence. In all experimental visits, no food energy needs were
indicated. How energy is replaced - if it is truly spent - is not
known.
"Mere" thought is the force that supplies any need or desire, and what
you think is the matrix of your action, situation, and position in this
greater reality. This is essentially the message that religion and
philosophy have been attempting to convey throughout the ages, although
perhaps less bluntly and often distorted. A facet learned in this
medium of thought explains much. It is: Like
attracts Like.
I didn't realize there
was such a rule that acted so
specifically. It had been to me nothing more or less than an
abstraction. Project this outward, and you begin to appreciate the
infinite variations found in Locale II. Your destination seems to be
grounded completely within the framework of your innermost constant
motivations, emotions, and desires. You may not consciously want to
"go" there, but you have no choice. Your Supermind (soul?) is stronger
and usually makes the decision for you. Like attracts like.
The interesting aspect of this thought world (or worlds) of Locale II
is that one does perceive what seems to be solid matter as well as
artifacts common to the physical world. These are brought into
"existence," evidently, by three sources.
First, they are the
product
of thought of those who once lived in the physical world, the patterns
of which still remain. This is accomplished quite automatically,
without deliberate intent. The second source is those who liked certain
material things in the physical world, which they have re-created
apparently to enhance their surroundings in Locale II. The third source
I assume to be a higher order of intelligent beings more aware of the
Locale II environment than most inhabitants. Their purpose seems to be
that of simulation of the physical environment-temporarily, at least
-for the benefit of those just emerging from the physical world, after
"death." This is done to reduce trauma and shock for the "newcomers" by
introducing familiar shapes and settings in the early conversion
stages. By this time, one can begin to understand the relationship of
the Second Body to Locale II. Locale II is the natural environment of
the Second Body. The
principles involved in its action, composition,
perception, and control all correspond to those in Locale II. This,
then, is why the majority of the experimental travel attempts took me
involuntarily
somewhere into Locale II. The Second Body is basically not of this
physical world. To apply it to visits to George's house or other
physical destinations is like asking a diver to swim down to the ocean
bed without scuba gear or pressure suit. He can do it, but not for
long, and not too many times. On the other hand, he can walk a mile to
the store daily without ill effects. Thus travel to points in the
physical world is a "forced" process in the Second Body state. Given
the
opportunity of the slightest mental relaxation, the Supermind will
guide you in your Second Body into Locale II. It is the "natural" thing
to do. Our traditional concept of place suffers badly when applied to
Locale II. It seems to interpenetrate our physical world, yet spans
limitless reaches beyond comprehension. Many
theories have been offered
in literature throughout the ages as to the "where" of it, but few
appeal to the modern scientific mind. All of the experimental visits to
this
area have helped little to formulate a more acceptable theory.
The most
acceptable is the wave vibration concept, which presumes the existence
of an infinity of
worlds all operating at different frequencies, one of which is this
physical
world. Just as various wave frequencies in the electromagnetic spectrum
can simultaneously occupy space, with a minimum of interaction, so
might the world or worlds of Locale II be interspersed in our
physical-matter world. Except for rare or unusual conditions, our
"natural" senses and our instruments which are extensions thereof are
completely unable to perceive and report this potential.
If we consider this premise, the "where" is answered neatly. "Where" is
"here." The history of man's sciences supports this premise. We
had no idea that sounds existed beyond the range of human hearing until
we developed instruments to detect, measure, and create them. Until
comparatively recently, those who claimed they could hear what others
could not were considered insane or persecuted as witches and sorcerers.
We were able to perceive the electromagnetic spectrum only in terms of
heat and light until the last century. We are still unaware of the
capacity of the human brain, an electrochemical organism, in terms of
transmission and reception of electromagnetic radiation. With this gap
unbridged, it is easy to understand why modern science has not begun to
consider the ability of the human mind to penetrate an area where no
serious theory has been promulgated (promoted widely). There is so much
to report on Locale II that it would be impractical to quote directly
from the hundreds of referential pages of notes.
Visits
near and far in Locale II comprise most of the reporting throughout
succeeding chapters. It is the summation of consistent experiences that
may bring the pattern into focus and pose questions that plead for
answers. For every
known, there may be one million unknowns, but at least here is a
starting point.
In Locale II, reality is composed of deepest desires and most frantic
fears. Thought
is action, and no hiding layers of conditioning or inhibition shield
the inner you from others, where honesty is the best policy because
there can be nothing less.
Under the basic standards described above, existence is indeed
different. It is this difference that creates the great problems of
adjustment even when attempting to visit there while in the Second Body.
The raw emotion so
carefully
repressed in our physical civilization is unleashed in full force. To
say that it is overwhelming at first is a massive understatement In
conscious physical life, this condition would be considered psychotic.
My first visits to Locale II brought out all the repressed emotional
patterns I even remotely considered I had-plus many I
didn't know existed. They so dominated my actions that I returned
completely abashed and embarrassed at their enormity and my inability
to control them. Fear was the dominant theme-fear of the unknown, of
strange beings
(nonphysical), of "death," of God, of rule-breaking, of discovery, and
of pain, to name only a few. Such fears were stronger than the sexual
drive for union, which, as noted elsewhere, was in itself a tremendous
obstacle. One by one, painfully and laboriously, the exploding
uncontrollable emotional patterns had to be harnessed. Until this was
accomplished, no
rational thought was possible. Without rigorous consistency, they begin
to return. It is much like a slow learning from unsanity to calm
objective reasoning. An infant learns to be "civilized" in its growth
through childhood to adult status. I
suspect the same thing occurs all over again in the adaptation to
Locale II. If it doesn't happen during physical life, it becomes the
first order of business upon death. This implies that the areas of
Locale II "nearest" the physical world
(in vibratory frequency?) are peopled for the most part with insane or
near-insane, emotionally driven beings. For the most part, this seems
to be true. They include those alive but asleep or drugged and out in
their Second Bodies, and quite probably those who are "dead" but still
emotionally driven. There is evidence to support the former, and the
latter seems probable. This near area, quite understandably, is not a
pleasant place to be. It is a level or plane where you "belong" until
you learn better. I don't know what happens to those who don't learn.
Perhaps they stay there forever. The moment you disassociate from the
physical via the Second Body, you are on the fringes of this close-by
section of Locale II. It is here that one meets all sorts of disjointed
personalities and animatebeings. If there is some protective mechanism
for the neophyte, it was not apparent to me. Only by cautious and
sometimes terrifying experimentation was I able to learn the art or
trick of passing through the area. I still am not precisely sure of all
items in this learning process, and so have presented only the obvious.
Whatever the process, I happily have not encountered trouble in these
passages for several
years.
Aside from the tormentors and the several outright conflicts noted in
the following reports, the principal motivation of these near
inhabitants is sexual release in all forms. If considered as the
product of recent civilizations-including those both "alive but
sleeping" and "dead". It is quite simple to understand the need for
release from repression of this basic need. The key is that
all
those in this near section attempt sexuality in terms of the physical
body. There is no recognition or knowledge of the sex drive as it is
manifested in more distant parts of Locale II. With the lingering
conditioning of our own society, it was difficult to avoid
participation at times, as response was automatic. Hopefully, one
learns to control this factor. Like attracts like.
To date, I have not observed the death process in any experiments.
However, the conclusion that some form of existence in Locale II
follows life activity in the known physical world goes beyond
conjecture. Experiences similar to the following, consistent in content
over the past twelve years, may be explained by some other concept. At
this time, nothing else fits quite so neatly.
On one occasion, I had just left the physical when I felt an urgent
need to go "somewhere." Yielding to the insistence,
I moved what seemed to be a short distance and stopped suddenly in a
bedroom. A boy was lying in the bed, alone. He seemed about ten or
eleven in age, and that
now familiar inner identity perception was at work rather than just
"seeing."
The boy was lonely and afraid, and seemed ill. I stayed with him for
some time, trying to comfort him, and finally left when he had calmed
down, promising I would return. The trip back to the physical was
uneventful, and I had no idea where
I had been.
Several weeks later, I left the physical and was about to concentrate
on a given destination when the same boy moved into view. He saw me and
moved close to me. He was bewildered, but not afraid. He looked up at
me and asked, "What do I do now?" I couldn't immediately think of how
to reply, so I put my arm over his shoulder and gave him a comforting
squeeze. I thought, who am I to instruct or give directions at what
seemed a vital moment? The boy was reassured by my presence, and
relaxed. "Where do I go?" He asked it matter-of-factly. I said the only
thing that seemed logical at the time.
I told him to wait right where he was, that some friends of his would
be along shortly, that they would take him where he was supposed to go.
This seemed to satisfy him, and I kept my arm around him for a while.
Then I became nervous with a signal from the physical body, and patted
him on the shoulder and left. Returning to the physical, I found my
neck stiffened from being in an awkward position. After straightening
out, I succeeded in going into the Second Body again to look for the
boy. He was gone-or at least I couldn't find him. An interesting
sidelight. The next day the newspaper carried the story of the death of
a ten-year-old boy after a lingering illness. He had died in the
afternoon, shortly before I had begun the experiment. I tried to think
of some acceptable excuse to approach his parents and get more
confirmation, and perhaps relieve their grief, but could find none.
Only when you have
passed the "raw
emotion" stage do you move into the innumerable various but evidently
organized activity clusters of Locale II. It is impossible to convey to
another the "reality" of this
nonphysical eternity. As stated by many in centuries past, it must be
experienced. Most importantly, in many of the places visited, the
inhabitants are "still" human. Different, in a changed environment, but
still with human (understandable) attributes.
On one visit, I ended up in a parklike surrounding, with carefully
tended flowers, trees, and grass, much like a large mall with paths
crisscrossing the area. There were benches along the paths, and there
were hundreds of men and women Strolling by, or sitting on the benches.
Some were quite calm, others a little apprehensive, and many had a dazed
or shocked look of disorientation. They appeared uncertain,
unknowing of what to do or what was to take place next (straight after death and
they know it, LM).
Somehow I knew that this was a meeting place, where newly arrived
waited for friends or relatives. From this Place of Meeting, these
friends would take each newcomer to the proper place where he or she
"belonged." I could not think of any reason to stay longer-
there
was noone nearby I recognized-so I returned to the physical without
incident. Another time I deliberately set out to explore in the hope of
finding one answer to bring back. Upon disassociating into the Second
Body, I started to move rapidly as
I concentrated upon the thought, I wish to go where there are higher
intelligences. I kept concentrating as I sped swiftly through a void
that seemed endless. Finally, I stopped. I was in a narrow valley which
seemed normal in all respects. There were men and women in ankle-length
robes, dark in color. This time, I decided for some reason to take
another tack. I approached several of the women, and asked them if they
knew who I was. All were quite polite, and treated me with great
respect, but gave negative answers. I turned away, and asked the same
question of a man in a monk's robe who seemed hauntingly familiar.
"Yes, I know you," the man replied. There was a strong sense of
understanding and friendship in his attitude. I asked him if I truly
knew who I was myself. He looked at me as if he had met an old and dear
friend who now had amnesia.
"You will." He smiled gently as he said it.
I asked him if he knew who I had been last. I was trying to get him to
say my name.
"You were last a monk in Coshocton, Pennsylvania," he replied.
I started to get uneasy, and apologetically left, returning to the
physical.
Recently, a Catholic priest friend took the trouble to investigate this
possibility of past-life monasticism. To my surprise and his delight,
there is an obscure monastery near Coshocton. He has offered to take me
there for a visit, but time (courage?) has not been available. Perhaps
later . . . I could report many more of these experiences without fully
describing the scope and dimension of Locale II. There have been visits
to a group that appeared to be in uniform, which operated highly
technical equipment and identified themselves as the "Target Army" (the
mind's interpretation of what was said). There were hundreds, each
waiting for "assignments." Their purpose was not disclosed.
Another visit took me to a well-organized city, where my presence was
immediately construed as hostile. Only by taking evasive
action-running, hiding, and finally lifting straight up-was I able to
avoid "capture". I do not know what threat
I implied to them. In
a more
direct fashion, the appearance of very aggressive actions tended to
confirm again that Locale II is not solely a place of serenity and
non-conflict.
On another trip, I was accosted by a conventionally dressed man.
Warily, I waited to see what he would do.
"Do you know or remember Arrosio LeFranco?" He asked the question
bluntly.
I replied that I did not, still cautious.
"I am sure you will remember if you think back," the man said firmly.
There was a subtle demanding in his attitude which made me uneasy. I
replied that I was sure I didn't remember anyone by that name.
"Do you know anyone at all down there?" he asked.
I had just said that I did not, when I suddenly went limp, and the man
grabbed me. He took one of my arms, and I felt someone else take
another, and they started to drag me in the direction of what seemed
tobe three bright spots of lights.
I struggled, and finally broke loose when I remembered to use the
"go-to-physical" signal. I moved away rapidly, and after a short time
was back in the office and into the physical. Evidently-hopefully-I had
been mistaken for someone else.
Still another trip had "human" attributes. I had arrived in no
particular place, just a grayness, and was trying to decide what to do
when a woman approached me.
"I am from the --- Church, and I am here to help you," she said calmly.
She came close, and I immediately sensed the female sexuality but held
back as I didn't think the --- Church intended this kind of help. I was
wrong. After a bit, I thanked her and turned to see a man standing
nearby, watching.
He "spoke" in a strong voice, heavy with sarcasm. "Well, now are you
ready to learn the secrets of the universe?"
I masked my embarrassment by asking who he was.
"Albert Mather!" He almost shouted it. I also got the impression that
he was calling me by this name.
"I hope you're ready," he went on, his voice rising in anger, "because
nobody took the trouble to tell me when I was back there."
I didn't hear the rest. It was as if a roar of static interfered. I
moved away, not sure how his anger would vent itself, and returned to
the physical uneventfully. In checking, I found no significant
historical record of an Albert Mather (long a), who seems to have no
relation to the minister Cotton Mather of the eighteenth century. Other
experiences in Locale II were more friendly, as indicated elsewhere. In
most, there is no discernible pattern as to what attracted me to some
of the strange situations. Perhaps this will come eventually.
Two unusual recurring conditions must be added to the coverage of this
area. A number of times, the motion of travel, which is usually rapid
and smooth, has been interrupted by what feels like a violent,
hurricanelike gust in the spatiality through which one moves. It is as
if you are being blown away by this uncontrolled force, tossed
haphazardly around, end over end, like a leaf in a gale. It is
impossible to move against this torrent or do anything but let it carry
you. Finally, you are tossed near the edge of the current, and you drop
out, unharmed. There is nothing to identify it, but it feels natural
rather than artificially created.
The second condition is the sign in the sky. I observed this on five or
six occasions when escorted by the "Helpers." It is an incredible
series of crude symbols strung in an arc directly across one section of
Locale II. When moving through the area, everyone has to go around this
barrier, as it is solid, immovable, immutable. The symbols, as best my
"seeing" could determine, were crude, sticklike illustrations of a man,
an older woman, a house, and what looked to be algebraic equations. It
was from one of the "Helpers" that I learned the story of the sign. He
told it with some humor, almost apologetically. It seems that an almost
measureless time ago, a very wealthy (by what standards is not known)
and powerful woman wanted to ensure that her son would get into heaven.
A church offered to guarantee this to her, provided she paid the church
a tremendous sum of money (sic). The woman paid the church but her son
did not get into heaven.
In anger and revenge, she used her entire remaining wealth and power to
have the sign put up in the skies of heaven so that throughout all
eternity, all who saw it would know of the dishonesty and rascality of
that particular church. It was a job well done. The names of the woman,
her son, and the church are lost in antiquity. But the sign remains,
impervious to the efforts of scientists through the ages to bring it
down or destroy it. The source of the apology and slight embarrassment
is not the perfidy of some obscure sect, but the inability of anyone to
take down the sign! As a result, all studies of science in this part of
Locale II must necessarily include it. It would be much the same if
someone artificially created an element between cobalt and copper. If
you studied chemistry, by necessity you would have to include this
"odd" element. Or, if a huge artificial moon were created and it was
beyond our science to bring it down, students of astronomy would
include it in their lessons as a common fact. That's the story as it
was told to me.
The
greatest difficulty is
the inability of the conscious mind, trained and conditioned in a
physical world, to accept the existence of this infinite Locale II. Our
young Western mental sciences tend to deny its existence. Our religions
affirm it in a broad, distorted abstraction. Accepted sciences
contradict such a possibility, and can find no supporting evidence
through their instruments of research and
measurement. Most of all, there is the Barrier. Why it exists is not
truly known by anyone, at least in the Western world. This is the same
screen that lowers when you awaken from sleep, blotting out your last
dream-or the memory of your visit to Locale II. This is not to imply
that every dream is the product of a Locale II visit. But some of them
may well be the translation of Locale II experiences.
Translation-the symbolization of Locale II experience-is not
necessarily part of the Barrier. Rather, it would seem to be the effort
of the conscious to interpret superconscious Locale II events which are
beyond its ability to comprehend or pictorialize. Observation via
Second Body
in Locale I (Here-Now) proved that the most ordinary functions or
actions were subject to misinterpretation, especially when observed out
of context. Locale II, an environment totally unfamiliar to the
conscious, offers that much greater margin for interpretative error. As
can be inferred, I suspect that many, most, or all human beings visit
Locale II at some time during the sleep state. Why such visits are
necessary, I don't know. Perhaps one day, some year, our
life sciences
will unravel this knowledge and a new era will be born for mankind.
With this will come an entire new science based upon Locale II data and
our relationship to this wondrous world. Some day. If mankind can wait
that long.
6. REVERSE IMAGE
Paradoxically, the
scientist today
can conceive far more easily of the possibility of the area here
labeled Locale III than that of Locale II.
Why? Because it fits his latest discoveries in physics, small bits of
evidence he has uncovered in his experiments with matter bombardment,
accelerators, cyclotrons, etc.
The best way to get acquainted with Locale III is to take the
significant experiments leading up to it directly from the notes.
11/5/58 Afternoon
The vibrations came quickly and easily, and were not at all
uncomfortable. When they were strong, I tried to lift out of the
physical with no result. Whatever thought or combination I tried, I
remained confined right where I was. I then remembered the rotating
trick, which operates just as if you are turning over in bed. I started
to turn, and recognized that my physical was not "turning" with me. I
moved slowly, and after a moment I was "face down," or in direct
opposition to the placement of my physical body. The moment I reached
this 180° position (out of phase, opposite polarity?), there
was a hole. That's the only way to describe it. To my senses, it seemed
to be a hole in a wall which was about two feet thick and stretched
endlessly in all directions (in the vertical plane). The periphery of
the hole was just precisely the shape of my physical
body. I touched the wall, and it felt smooth and hard. The edges of the
hole were relatively rough. (All this touching done with the
nonphysical hands.) Beyond-through the hole-was nothing but blackness.
It was not the blackness of a dark room, but a feeling of infinite
distance and space, as if I were looking through a window into distant
space. I felt that if my vision were good enough I could probably see
nearby stars and planets. My impression, therefore, was of deep, outer
space, beyond the solar system, far in an incredible distance. I moved
cautiously through the hole, holding onto its sides, and poked my head
through carefully. Nothing. Nothing but blackness. No people, nothing
material. 1 ducked back in hurriedly because of the utter strangeness.
I rotated back 180°, felt myself merge with the
physical, and sat up. It was broad daylight, just as when I had left
what seemed a few minutes before. Lapsed time: one hour, five minutes!
11/18/58 Night
The vibrations came in
strong, but
nothing more. Again, I thought to try the rotation. When I did, it
worked, and I rotated slowly into the
180° position. There was the wall and the hole and the
blackness
beyond. This time I was more cautious. Carefully, I reached a hand
through into the blackness. I was astounded when a hand took mine and
shook it! It felt like a human hand, normally warm to the touch. After
the handshake, I withdrew my hand quickly. Slowly, I reached into the
hole again. The hand shook mine again, and placed a card in it. I
withdrew my hand and "looked" at the card. It gave a specific address.
I returned the card through the hole, shook hands again, withdrew my
hand, rotated back to normal, merged with the physical, and sat up.
Most unusual. I will have to investigate this address on Broadway, if
it is in New York.
12/5/58 Morning
I rotated again, and again found the hole. Still with a note of
caution, I approached the hole, and this time reached through with both
hands. Instantly, both were grasped by two other hands. Then for the
first time in all my experimentation, my name was called. A
voice-feminine, soft, low-pitched, and urgent (fast, as if someone were
trying to wake me up
from sleep without startling me too much)- called, "Bob! Bob!" I was
startled at first, then recovered and asked, "What is your name?"
(always looking for evidential material!) When I "said?* these words,
there seemed to be intense motion or activity, as if my words had
created the effect of dropping a stone into a still lake or pond-like
rippling, scurrying, crackling, etc. The voice repeated my name, and I
repeated my question, still with the two hands holding mine. To be sure
I was completely conscious, that I was actually somehow saying the
words correctly, I withdrew my hands, rotated in the
180°, blended with the physical, sat up physically, and vocally
spoke the question. Satisfied, I lay back, rotated, and called the
question through the hole again. No answer. I kept trying, until I
began to feel the vibrations weakening, and knew
I couldn't hold the condition any longer. I then rotated back into the
physical and normalcy.
12/27/58 Night
Upon setting up the vibrations, I again found the hole as expected. I
gathered up courage, and slowly poked my head through the hole. The
moment I did, I heard a voice say in utter excitement and surprise,
"Come here quick! Look!"
I could see no one (this could be due to my closed-eyes conditioning in
order to hold the vibration effect, i.e., physical seeing distracts).
There was still blackness. The other party didn't seem to be coming, so
the voice called again, urgently and excitedly. The vibrations seemed
to be weakening, so I putted back out of the hole and rotated back into
the physical without incident.
1/15/59 Afternoon
The vibrations came finally, and I rotated to examine the hole again.
There it was, at 180°. I was a little nervous when
I reached
through with one hand. Then I mentally smiled and relaxed, saying to
myself, well, be it hand, claw, or paw, I'm friendly. With that a hand
took mine and squeezed it, and I returned the grasp. I definitely
sensed a feeling of friendliness from the other side. I returned to the
physical by rotation after a little difficulty. In my excitement, I
forgot both rotation and return to normal signal!
1/21/59 Night
As a preliminary, I tried the hole again. Rotation went smoothly after
the vibrations started, and I then reached one arm deep into the hole.
When I reached in with the other arm, something sharp seemed to dig
into the palm of my hand, like a hook, and dug in more deeply when I
tried to
withdraw it. I finally did so, somewhat shaken. It felt as if the
"hook" had gone right through my hand. It was not necessarily painful,
but the effect was disturbing. I rotated to the physical and looked at
my right hand, physically. There were no marks or feeling (although the
sensation of the penetration aftereffect was present).
1/25/59 Night
Another hole experiment, with the same pattern of vibrations and
180°.
Again I carefully reached into the hole. A hand again took mine and held
it firmly (no hook!). Then the hand passed mine over to a second hand. I
slowly released the second hand and felt upward. There was definitely an
arm attached to the hand, and a shoulder I was about to explore more,
when the vibrations seemed to soften, and I pulled my arm back and
rotated to the physical. There was no indication of the need to return
to the physical, no cramped arms or legs, no noises. Probably a
momentary sound caused the return.
2/5/59 Afternoon
Perhaps my concern with the hole is justified. I followed the same
approach pattern, vibrations and 180° rotation, reached into
the hole,
and at first felt nothing. I reached deeper, and suddenly it felt as if
I had thrust my hand into electrically charged hot water (most accurate
description). I withdrew it very quickly, rotated, and sat up
physically. The physical hand felt numb and tingling. From the position
of my body, there was no evidence of poor circulation. The numbness and
tingling slowly disappeared in about twenty minutes.
2/15/59 Afternoon
I experimented with going in and out vertically, then rotated to the
hole. Gathering courage, I pulled myself through in a sweeping rush,
just as a swimmer might pull himself through a hole under water. I felt
the other side of the hole, and the wall was similar to "my" side. I
tried to "see" but there was still nothing but the deep blackness. I
decided to settle the matter once and for all. I shoved away from the
hole and performed the stretch-out in a direction exactly on a line away
from the hole.
I started to move, slowly, and soon accelerated rapidly. I kept moving
more rapidly, yet with only a slight sense of friction over my body.
Moving at what seemed a very high speed, I went on, waiting and
expecting to "get" somewhere. After what seemed a very long time, I
began to be concerned. I still "saw" nothing, felt nothing. Finally, I
began to get nervous. Fears about becoming lost began to creep in. 1
slowed, stopped, turned around, and stretched out back in the direction
of the hole. It took just as long to get back as it did to go. I was
quite worried when I finally saw the light through the hole up ahead. I
dove for it, went through, rotated, and sat up physically. Time away was
three hours, fifteen min-utes!
2/23/59 Night
The hole is populated! This evening (seven-thirty), I went through
vibration and 180° rotation, and this time without much
hesitation, I
pulled myself through and stood up. I immediately felt myself in the
presence of someone standing there. I sensed his presence rather than
saw him (impres-siont male). For some unaccountable reason that I do not
yet understand, even recollected now in tranquility, 1 dropped
thankfully in front of him and sobbed. After a moment, I calmed down,
carefully backed away, went through the hole, rotated back into the
physical, and sat up. Who was it? And why did I act so emotionally?
2/27/59 Night
Determined to find some more (or even one!) answers about the hole, I
went through the vibration and 180° rotation pattern, and
deliberately
went through. It was still black and dark, but not unpleasant, no hands,
no presence. I could feel something solid under me, so 1 tried very hard
to open my eyes and "see." I did, and everything came into view. 1 was
standing near a building (more like a barn than a house) on what was a
wide, meadowlike area. I thought I would try to soar up into the sky
(deep clear bluef no clouds), but I couldn't seem to get off the ground.
Maybe I had weight here. There was what looked like a ladder a hundred
feet or so away, and I went to it and realized it was a tower of some
kind, about ten feet tall. Like a bird needing take-off room, I climbed
the tower to the top, leaped away in take-off- and fell promptly to the
ground with a solid thud! I guess I was surprised as a bird with clipped
wings must feel.
I got to my feet, and realized how foolishly I was acting. I was not
following the proper procedures. Even "here," they had to be followed. I
held up my hands and arms in the stretch-out position, and went up
easily. I moved slowly over the meadow, enjoying the view and
exploration, when suddenly something flew past me. 1 turned just in time
to see it heading for the wall and the hole. I was afraid for some
reason that this was something that would go through and try to enter my
body, so I wheeled in flight and dove for the hole. Too late, I realized
that what I thought was the hole was a window in the side of the
building-and then I was through the window and in blackness. I felt
around in the dark, and there was the outline of the hole. I went
through, rotated, and sat up in the physical.
Everything looked normal, and I was in the right place, the time passage
was O.K., so back I went! Vibrations were still strong, so I rotated
180°, went through the hole and out into brightness. More
observant this
trip, 1 noticed two people, a man and a woman, sitting in chairs near
the outside of the building. I couldn't make contact with the man, but
the woman (no physical identification other than this) seemed to know I
was there. I asked her if she knew who I was, but I could get nothing
other than a sense of awareness on her part. The vibrations started to
fade, so I backed away, dove into hole, rotated, and sat up. Total time
of the entire episode was forty minutes.
What can be made of these experiments? Taken at face value, they add up
at the least to an unusual hallucination. At most, the observations show
a developmental pattern.
First, there seems to be nothing in written history of such experiences
as these to offer a comparison. These were not spontaneous incidents,
but deliberately planned and systematically repeated. As such, they
would appear to be unique.
Second, the experiment was repeatable by formula:
1) the setting up of the "vibration" condition; followed by
2) a 180° rotation; and
3) the appearance of the "hole." The experiment was performed not
once but at least eleven times.
The 180° rotation offers interesting speculation. The reference
to "out
of phase" and the apparent identical displacement in exact opposition
deserves the attention of the physicist. Wave-form studies of phase
relationships applied in this case might provide a fruitful theory.
The blackness of the hole was evidently a matter of my own limitation in
"seeing." Through the early experimentation, the restriction of vision
was self-imposed, as I felt this was a requisite for maintaining the
vibration condition. The evidence seems to point to this in the success
in seeing when I decided or tried to see, and did. It would have been
interesting indeed if I had utilized my vision during the long
exploratory
"flight." Much might have been learned.
The experience of the "hands" defies explanation. There is no evidence
to indicate that I was conditioned or suggested into the first discovery
of the hand. Second and later such experiences, however, could well have
been of this source. But this in no way invalidates the first of these
impressions. The card with the address might fall into the
classification of past memories, associated with the handshake of a
first meeting. Unexplained still is the "digging" of the "hook" into my
hand.
The calling of one's name is not uncommon under other circumstances.
There are numerous records of such sourceless voices, both in the waking
and sleep states. Various psychological theories have been formulated to
explain the event, with partial success.
Most interesting is the report concerning the evident discovery by some
other party of my penetration through the hole. In accord with published
reports of other experimenters, penetration of the "hole" was visible to
a person or intelligence at some location other than the immediate
vicinity. If this followed the pattern of other such reports, the time
element would be identical. There is no means to verify this one way or
another.
My emotional reaction to the meeting with the "Someone" had many of the
aspects of a mystical experience. It is significant that I felt a sense
of humble ecstasy which triggered an emotional release.
That was the beginning. A series of experiments followed that were
remarkable in their consistency of data, and defied any historical
explanation. The curious intellect cannot dismiss the collective
experience as hallucination.
Locale III, in summary, proved to be a physical-matter world almost
identical to our own. The natural environment is the same. There are
trees, houses, cities, people, artifacts, and all the appurtenances of a
reasonably civilized society. There are homes, families, businesses, and
people work for a living. There are roads on which vehicles travel.
There are railroads and trains.
Now for the "almost." At first, the thought was that Locale III was no
more than some part of our world unknown to me and those others
concerned. It had all the appearances of being so. However, more careful
study showed that it can be neither the present nor the past of our
physical-matter world.
The scientific development is inconsistent. There are no electrical
devices whatsoever. Electricity, electromagnetics, and anything so
related are non-existent. No electric lights, telephones, radios,
television, or electric power.
No internal combustion, gasoline, or oil were found as power sources.
Yet mechanical power is used. Careful examination of one of the
locomotives that pulled a string of old-fashioned-looking passenger cars
showed it to be driven by a steam engine. The cars appeared to be made
of wood, the locomotive of metal, but of a different shape than our now
obsolete types. The track gauge was much smaller than our standard track
spacing, smaller than our narrow-gauge mountain railways.
I observed the servicing of one of the locomotives in detail. Neither
wood nor coal was used as a thermal source to produce steam. Instead,
large vatlike containers were carefully slid from under the boiler,
detached, and rolled by small cart into a building with massive thick
walls. The containers had pipelike protuberances extending from the top.
Men working behind shields performed the removal, casually cautious, and
did not relax their automatic vigilance until the containers were safely
in the building and the door closed. The contents were "hot," either
through heat or radiation. The actions of the technicians all seemed to
indicate the latter.
The streets and roads are different, again principally in size. The
"lane" on which vehicles travel is nearly twice as wide as ours. Their
version of our automobile is much larger. Even the smallest has a single
bench seat that will hold five to six people abreast The standard unit
has only one fixed seat, that of the driver. Others are much like
living-room chairs, placed around a compartment that measures some
fifteen by twenty feet. Wheels are used, but without inflated tires.
Steering is done by a single horizontal bar. Motive power is contained
somewhere in the rear. Their movement is not very fast, at something
like fifteen to twenty miles per hour. Traffic is not heavy.
Self-powered vehicles exist in the form of a four-wheeled platform which
is steered by the feet acting upon the front wheels. A mechanism pumped
by the arms transfers the energy to the rear wheels, much like the
children's "rowing wagons" of some years back. These are used for short
distances.
Habits and customs are not like ours. What little has been gleaned
implies a historical background with different events, names, places,
and dates. Yet, while the stage of man's evolution (the conscious mind
translates the inhabitants as men) seems to be identical, technical and
social evolution are not completely the same.
The major discovery came soon after I gathered the courage for extended
expeditions into Locale III. In spite of early indications, the people
there were not aware of my presence until I met and "merged" temporarily
and involuntarily with one who can only be described as the "I" who
lives "there." The only explanation I can think of is that I, fully
conscious of living and being "here," was attracted to and began
momentarily
to inhabit the body of a person "there," much like myself.
When this took place-and it began to be an automatic process when I went
to Locale III-I simply took over "his" body. There was no awareness of
his mental presence when I temporarily displaced him. My knowledge of
him and his activities and his past came from his family, and what was
evidently his brain memory-bank. Though I knew that I was not he, I
could feel objectively the emotional patterns of his past. I have
wondered what embarrassment I have caused him as a result of the periods
of amnesia created by my intrusions. Some must have brought him much
distress.
Here is his life: "I" There-at the first intrusion, was a rather lonely
man. He was not particularly successful in his field
(architectcontractor),
and not too gregarious. He came of what might be classified
as a low-income group, and succeeded in going to the equivalent of a
minor college. He spent much of his early career in a large city in an
ordinary job. He lived on the second floor of a rooming house, and took
a bus to work. It was a strange city to him, and he made few friends.
(The bus, incidentally, was very wide, seating eight abreast, and seats
rose behind the driver in successively higher tiers, so that all could
see the road ahead.) My first intrusion caught him just as he was
getting off the bus. The driver looked at him suspiciously when I tried
to pay a fare. It seems that none is charged.
The next intrusion came at an emotional crisis. "I" There met Lea, a
wealthy young woman with two children, a boy and a girl, both under four
years of age. Lea was a sad, wistful, and somewhat preoccupied person,
who seemed to have experienced some major tragedy in her life. This had
some relationship to her former husband, but was not clear. "I"
There met her quite accidentally, and was deeply attracted to her. The
two children found in him a great companion. Lea appeared only mildly
interested at this first meeting. Her greatest response lay in his
attention to and warmth for the children.
A short time later an intrusion occurred just as Lea and "I" There had
announced to friends-her friends-that they were going to be "married"
(this has a slightly different connotation). There was much
consternation among the friends, chiefly due to the fact that it had
been only thirty days (?) since some major event had occurred in Lea's
life (divorce, her husband's death, or some physical debilitation). "I"
There was still greatly attracted, and Lea was still sad and
introspective.
A later intrusion came when Lea and "I" There were living in a house in
a semipastoral surrounding. The house sat on a low hill, had long
rectangular windows, and very wide eaves much like those of a pagoda.
The railroad curved around the hill some three hundred yards in the
distance, the tracks coming in from the right in a straight line, then
across the front of the hill, then around to the back and to the left
There was deep green grass from the steps of the house, down over the
roll of the hill. Behind the house, "I" There had an office, a one-room
building where he worked.
On this occasion, Lea entered the office and came over to the desk just
as I had replaced "I" There.
"The workmen want to borrow some of your tools,' she said.
I looked at her blankly. I was not sure what to say, so I asked her what
workmen.
"The men working on the road, of course." She had not yet sensed
anything wrong.
Before I realized what effect it would have, I said there were no men
working on the road. With this, she looked at me intently, with a
growing suspicion. I was thoroughly unsure of what to do next, so I left
his body and returned through the hole.
Another eventful intrusion came when "I" There had set up his
laboratory. He was not fully qualified to perform research, but he had
decided he could make some kind of new discoveries. He had (perhaps with
the assistance of Lea's wealth) taken a huge storage building, divided
it internally into small rooms, and was conducting some kind of
experiments.
In the middle of one, I displaced him in his body, but was unable
to calculate what was next in his routine. Just then, Lea came in, with
visitors, principally to show the kind of work he had achieved in the
renovated building. I (in "I" There's body) stood there unable to speak
when Lea asked me to tell them of the work I had been doing.
Somewhat embarrassed, Lea led the couple out into another room. I
hesitated when perhaps "I" There would have followed. I tried to "feel"
any pattern of activity that he might have been doing. The best I could
get was that he had been trying to develop new forms of theatrical
entertainment, designing theater stages, lighting, and sets, all in an
attempt to make watching a play a strongly subjective experience. With
only this partial success in his recall, I left his body when I heard
them returning so as to avoid further complicating his life.
A vacation in the mountains was under way at another intrusion point.
"I" There, Lea, and the two children were riding along a winding
mountain road, each on the self-propelled vehicle described elsewhere. I
"took over' inadvertently just as they were reaching the bottom of one
hill and had started up another. New to the device, I tried to make it
go up the next hill, and soon rolled off the road and into a small pile
of dirt. The rest waited while I tried to get back on the road, and I
muttered that there were better ways to get around than this. This
triggered something in Lea, and she suddenly became quiet. Why, I didn't
know. (I'm sure "I" There did.) I tried to tell her that I was not who
she thought, then realized that this was only making it worse. I
"left," returning to the hole and the physical body.
In later intrusions, "I" There and Lea no longer lived together. He had
met with some success, but some action of his alienated her. Alone, he
has thought of her constantly, and deeply regretted the weakness that
made him displease her. He met her casually once, in a large city, and
pleaded with her to let him visit her. She told him she would let him do
so, and see how things worked out. She lived in the equivalent of an
apartment, on the third floor of a residential building. He promised to
come.
Unfortunately, "I" There lost or forgot the address she gave him, and at
the last intrusion, was a lonely and frustrated man. He was sure that
Lea would interpret his loss of the address as indifference on his part
and another example of his instability. He was working, but was spending
his idle time trying to find Lea and the children.
What can be made of all this? In view of the less than idyllic
circumstances, it scarcely qualifies as an escape from reality via the
unconscious. Nor is it the type of life one might select to enjoy
vicariously. One can only speculate, and such speculation of itself must
consider concepts unacceptable to present-day science. However, the
"dual but different" life activity may lend a clue to the "where" of
Locale III.
The most important assumption is that Locale III and Locale I (Here-Now)
are not the same. This is based upon the differences in scientific
development. Locale III is not more advanced, perhaps even less so.
There is no time in our known history where science was at the Locale
III stage. If Locale III is neither the known past nor the present, and
not the probable future of Locale I, what is it? It is not a part of
Locale
II, where only thought is needed or used.
It might be a memory, racial or otherwise, of a physical earth
civilization that predates known history. It might be another earth-type
world located in another part of the universe which is somehow
accessible through mental manipulation. It might be an antimatter
duplicate of this physical earth-world where we are the same but
different, bonded together unit for unit by a force beyond our present
comprehension.
Dr. Leon M. Lederman, Professor of Physics at Columbia University, has
stated: "Basic physics is completely consistent with the cosmological
conception of a literal antiworld of stars and planets composed of atoms
of antimatter, which is to say negative nuclei surrounded by positive
electrons. We can now entertain the intriguing idea that these
antiworlds
are populated by antipeople, whose antiscientists are perhaps
even now excited by the discovery of matter'
7. POST MORTEM
Any acknowledgment of the existence of the Second Body immediately
demands the question mankind has pondered since the day he learned to
think: Do we live on? Is there life beyond the grave? Our religions say
believe, have faith. This is not quite enough for the syllogistic
thinker who seeks valid premises that are clear-cut, leading to an
inescapable conclusion.
All I can do is be as reportorial and objective as one can be in a
basically subjective experience. Perhaps my premises will be valid to
you as you read them.
I first met Dr. Richard Gordon in 1942, in New York. He was an M.D., a
specialist in internal medicine. We became friends, and he became our
family doctor. He had a very successful practice, built up over the
years, and possessed a rare cynical-sarcastic sense of humor. He was a
down-to-earth realist with the wisdom of experience. He was in his
fifties when we first met, so I never knew him as a young man. He was
short and thin, with straight white hair, tending to baldness.
Dr. Gordon had two conspicuous mannerisms. He had decided to live a long
time, evidently, and so paced himself very carefully. He walked
deliberately in a slow, careful stride.
He hurried only when absolutely necessary. More correctly, he strolled
when he walked, with studied casualness.
Second, when someone visited him in his office, he would glance out from
the inner doorway and stare intently. He didn't say "hello" or nod or
wave. He simply stared as if he were saying, "Now what in hell's the
matter with him!"
Without ever having spoken of it, Dr. Gordon and I had a very warm and
close rapport. It was one of those things that happen without
explanation, with no logical reason. We had not too much in common,
other than the fact of going going through a life experience at nearly
the same moment in history.
In the spring of 1961 visited Dr. Gordon at his office and had lunch
with him there, cooked over a Bunsen burner by his long-time nurse. He
looked tired and preoccupied and I commented about it.
"I haven't been feeling too well," he replied, and then flared up into
his usual self. "What's the matter, can't a doctor get sick once in a
while!"
I laughed, and suggested he do something about it, such as seeing his
family physician,
"I will," he said absently, then back up to his normal self, "but first,
I'm going to Europe."
I said that sounded fine.
"Already have the tickets," he went on. "We've gone a number of times
before, but this time I want to see a lot of the places we've missed.
You ever been to Greece, or Turkey, Spain, Portugal, Egypt?"
I said no.
"Well, you ought to," he said, pushing his food away. "Go when you have
the chance. You wouldn't want to miss seeing places like that. I'm not
going to miss my chance."
I said I would do my best, but that I didn't have a fat practice that
would wait around for me to return. But he was serious again.
"Bob?"
I waited for him to continue.
"I don't like the way I feel," he said carefully. "I don't like . . .
why don't you and your wife come to Europe with us?"
I wish we had.
Dr. Gordon and his wife sailed to Spain a week or so later. There was no
word, so I assumed they were sunning themselves somewhere in the
Mediterranean.
Six weeks later, Mrs. Gordon phoned. The doctor had taken sick in Europe
and they had to cut short their trip. He had refused treatment overseas,
and had insisted that they return home instead. He had been in great
pain, and had gone immediately into the hospital for an exploratory
operation.
I was unable to see him in the hospital, but I was kept informed of his
condition by his wife. The exploratory operation was a success. They
found what they were looking for, an abdominal cancer, beyond treatment.
Nothing more could be done but to make him as comfortable as possible.
He would never leave the hospital. Alive, that is. Or more aptly,
physically alive.
With this news, I felt I must find some way to see Dr. Gordon. It was
all quite clear now, as most things are in retrospect. I am sure he knew
of his condition that day in his office. After all, he was an internist
He certainly could have read the signs and symptoms in his own very
personal laboratory. That was the reason for the sudden trip to Europe.
He definitely wasn't going to miss his last chance! And he didn't
The need to talk with Dr. Gordon seemed urgent. In all of our
conversations, I had never mentioned my "wild talent" or what I had been
going through. I think I was afraid he would have thrown back his head
and laughed, then sent me to his psychiatrist son.
Now it was different. He was racing something where perhaps I could help
him for a change. I didn't know how what I had gone through could help,
but I had a deep conviction that it would.
I tried again and again to see Dr. Gordon, but only his wife was
permitted in his room. I finally asked Mrs. Gordon to help me get in to
see him. She explained that the doctor was in such pain that he was kept
under deep sedation most of the time. Thus he was very rarely lucid and
conscious. Usually he recognized her early in the morning, but even this
didn't happen every day. I told her that I had something important to
tell him. I didn't elaborate. Even in her sorrow, she seemed to
recognize that I intended to bring a message beyond that of a comforting
friend. The intuitive woman found a solution.
"Why don't you write him a letter,' she suggested. "I'll take it to
him."
I said I was afraid he wouldn't be able to read it.
"If you write it," she said, "I'll read it to him, when he's conscious
enough to understand it."
And so that was what we did. She read it again and again to Dr. Gordon
whenever he was conscious. She told me later that these repeated
readings were at his request, not at her suggestion. Was there something
in the letter he wanted to place firmly in his mind?
When I heard this, I felt a great sense of regret. Perhaps he would not
have leaned back and laughed, after all. We might have shared much more
if I had only gathered the courage to discuss my "activities" with him.
Here are pertinent excerpts of the letter to Dr. Gordon:
". . . and you remember all the tests and examinations you gave me
because you knew I was worried about something. Well, that was when it
started. Now as long as you are in the hospital for a while, you might
just try it and find out for yourself. That way, you don't have to take
my word for it. It will give you something to do while you recuperate.
"First, you have to accept the possibility, remote as it may be to your
experience, that you can act, think, and exist without the restriction
of a physical body. And don't tell your wife to send me to that
psychiatrist son of yours. It takes more than Freud to solve this one.
Besides, he's making enough money as it is.
"In all of our conversations, it didn't seem appropriate to bring up
this subject. But as long as you're going to be tied down, give it some
serious consideration. It might be useful later on, and I hope you can
discover a few things about it that I have passed over. It all depends
upon whether you can also develop the ability to 'leave' your physical
body while loafing in that hospital bed. If so, you might find many ways
that it can be helpful. It may be one way to ease physical pain. I don't
know. Give it a try.
"... With all the sincerity I can muster, I urge you, Dick, to think
about it. You will have passed a major milestone when you do no more
than accept the idea that this second, non-physical body of yours
actually might exist. Once this has been achieved, your only other
barrier is fear. And it need not be. Because this is like being afraid
of your shadow, of yourself. It is natural rather than strange. Get used
to this idea-that your lack of conscious experience with it does not
necessarily mean it is something to be afraid of. Unknowns are feared
only as long as they remain so. If you can hang onto this, you need not
have fear. Then, and only then, try the formula I have written here. I
don't know the effect of any medication you may be taking. It may help
or hinder the technique. But do give it a try. It may or may not work
the first time.
". . . Most important, let me know how you get along with it. When you
get better, perhaps I can drop over and discuss the whole thing in
detail. I would have come now in person, but you know how cranky the
hospital is about rules. If you tell your wife about any attempts, I'm
sure she will relay them to me. But I would much rather hear them from
you later on. Just let me know. . , ."
Mrs. Gordon did not let me know if he actually did try. I felt it
entirely inappropriate to query her too specifically at the time. She
was much too sadly overwrought with the knowledge that Dr. Gordon's
condition was terminal. I still am not sure that she realized my letter
could be construed as suggested training for death.
Dr. Gordon dropped into a coma several weeks later. He died peacefully
without regaining consciousness.
For several months I thought about an attempt to "go" to Dr. Gordon,
wherever he was. He was the first person close to me who had died since
the development of my "wild talent." I was both curious and objective.
It was the first such opportunity. I was sure that Dr. Gordon wouldn't
mind-if he did continue to exist.
Not knowing about such things, I decided he would probably need some
rest before I interfered with whatever he was doing. Also, I needed to
summon up some additional courage on my own. This was an experiment I
hadn't tried before. It might be truly dangerous.
Then, on a Saturday afternoon, I made the attempt. It took about an hour
to get into the vibrational state, and I finally swung up out of the
body mentally yelling, I want to see Dr. Gordon!
After a moment, I started to move rapidly upward, and soon all I could
see was a blur of motion and feel what seemed like a rush of very thin
air. Also, I felt a hand under my left elbow. Somebody was helping me
get there.
After what seemed an endless journey, I suddenly stopped (or was
halted). I was standing, somewhat dazed, in a large room. My impression
was that it was an institution of some kind. The hand under my elbow
moved me to an open doorway, and stopped me just inside the door, where
I could look into the adjoining room. A male voice spoke almost directly
into my left ear.
"If you stand right here, the doctor will see you in a minute."
I nodded agreement, and stood there waiting. A group of men were in the
room. Three or four were listening to a young man about twenty-two who
was excitedly relating something to them, complete with gestures.
I didn't see Dr. Gordon, and kept expecting him to appear at any moment.
The more I waited, the warmer I seemed to feel. Finally, I became so hot
that I was extremely uncomfortable. I didn't know what was causing me to
feel so hot, and I wasn't sure I could stand it much longer. It actually
felt as if streams of perspiration were running down my face. I knew
that I couldn't stay much longer; I couldn't take the heat. If Dr.
Gordon didn't appear soon, I would have to go back without seeing him.
I turned and looked again at the group of men, thinking that perhaps I
should ask them about Dr. Gordon. At just that moment, the short, thin
young man with the big shock of hair stopped in the middle of his
conversation, and looked at me intently for a moment. After the simple
short glance, he turned back to the other men and continued his animated
discussion,
The heat became unbearable, and I decided I had to leave. I couldn't
wait for Dr. Gordon. Using a motion I had learned, I moved quickly
upward and away from the room. It was a long journey back. After
reintegrating, I checked my physical body. I felt cold, a little stiff.
Certainly there were no streams of perspiration running down my cheeks.
Disappointed, I sat up and made notes of the trip. I had failed for some
reason. I had not been able to find Dr. Gordon. Time away from the
physical was two hours.
There is a stubborn streak in my heredity. The following Saturday I
tried again. Just at the moment I left the physical body and started to
yell for Dr. Gordon, a voice spoke right beside me, almost irritated.
"Why do you want to see him again? You saw him last Saturday!"
I was so surprised that I dropped back into the physical almost
instantly. I sat up and looked around the office. There was no one in
the room. Everything was normal. I thought of trying again, but decided
it was too late for another attempt that day.
Last Saturday. There was nothing important about last Saturday. It
hadn't worked. I went back through my notes for "last Saturday." And
there it was.
"The doctor will see you in a minute.' And what could have been a minute
later, a short, thin young man with a shock of hair had turned and
looked at me intently. He had looked at me without saying a word, as if
he were thinking. What I had noted was a perfect description of what Dr.
Gordon would have been at twenty-two instead of seventy.
This seemed to lend more credence to the experience than anything else.
I had expected to see a man of seventy. I didn't recognize him because
he was not what I expected. If I had suggested this as a hallucination,
I conceivably would have met a seventy-year-old Dr. Gordon.
Later, at a visit to the home of Dr. Gordon's widow, I managed to see an
old photo of Dr. Gordon when he was twenty-two. Of course, I didn't tell
Mrs. Gordon why I wanted to see the picture. It matched perfectly the
man I saw, and who saw me "there." She also mentioned that at that age,
he was very active and eager, always in a hurry, and had a big shock of
blond hair.
Someday I will try again to visit Dr. Gordon.
Another time, in anticipation of a move out of state, we sold our home
when a buyer suddenly came along. As a temporary measure, we rented a
house for the year prior to our move. .
It was an interesting place built on a pinnacle of rock directly over a
small river. We rented it through an agent, and never met or came in
contact with the owner. My wife and I took the master bedroom, which was
on the main floor.
About a week after we moved in, we went to bed and my wife fell asleep
almost immediately. I lay there in semidark-ness and looked through the
floor-to-ceiling windows at the night sky. Without willing it, I felt
the familiar vibrations begin, and wondered if it would be all right to
let it happen in the new location.,
Our bed was positioned off the north wall. To the right of the bed, if
you were lying down, was the door to the hall. To the left of the bed
was the doorway into the master bathroom.
I was just in the act of lifting out of the physical when I noticed
something at the doorway. It was a white form the general size and shape
of a person.
Having become extremely cautious about "strangers," I waited to see what
would happen. The white form moved into the room, around the bed, and
passed within a foot of my side of the bed as it went into the bathroom.
I could see that it was a woman of medium height, with dark straight
hair and rather deep-set eyes, not young, not old.
She was in the bathroom only a few moments, then emerged and started
around the bed again. I sat up-non-physically, I'm sure-and reached out
to touch her, to see if I really could.
Seeing the motion, she stopped and looked at me. When she spoke, I could
hear her quite clearly. I could see the windows and drapes behind her
and through her.
"What are you going to do about the painting?" It was a woman's voice,
and I could see her lips move.
Not knowing what to say, I tried to give a satisfactory answer. I said I
would take care of it, don't worry.
With this, she smiled slightly. Then she reached out with both her hands
and took my hand in hers, clasping my hand between both of hers. The
hands felt real, normally warm and alive. She gave my hand a little
squeeze, gently dropped it, and moved around the bed and out the door.
I waited, but she didn't return. 1 lay down, activated the physical,
then slid out of bed. I went to the hall door and looked into the other
rooms. There was no one there. I went through all of the downstairs
rooms and found nothing. Then I made out my notes, went back to bed, and
slept.
A few days later I met the psychiatrist who lived in the house next to
us, Dr. Samuel Kahn. (I kept meeting psychiatrists this casually!) I
asked him if he had known the people who owned our house.
"Yes, yes, I knew them quite well," Dr. Kahn said. "Mrs. W. died about a
year ago. After that, Mr. W. refused to go into the house, just moved
out and didn't come back."
I said it was too bad, that it was a fine house.
"Well, it was her house, you understand,' Dr. Kahn replied. "Matter of
fact, she died right there in the house, in the room you're sleeping
in."
I said that was interesting. She must have liked the house very much.
"Oh, she did," he replied. "Very fond of paintings. Had them hung all
over the place. But the house was pretty much her whole life."
I asked him if he happened to have a photo of Mrs. W.
"Let me see." He thought for a moment. "Why, yes. I think she was in on
a group picture taken at the club. I'll see if I can find it."
Dr. Kahn came back a few minutes later. In his hand was a photograph
showing some fifty or sixty men and women, most of them simply heads as
they stood in rows.
Dr. Kahn studied the picture. "She's in here somewhere, yes, I'm sure."
I looked over his shoulder at the picture. In the second row was a
familiar face. I touched it with my finger and asked Dr. Kahn if this
was Mrs. W.
"Oh yes, yes, that's Mrs. W." He looked at me curiously, then with
realization. "Oh, you must have found a picture of her in the house
somewhere."
I said yes, that was it. Very casually, I asked him if Mrs. W. had had
any unusual mannerisms or the like.
"No, not that I can remember,' he answered. "But I'll think about it.
There must have been something." I thanked him, and started to leave. I
turned when he called.
"Wait a minute, there was one item," Dr. Kahn said.
I asked what it was.
"Why, whenever she was happy or grateful, she took your hand in both of
hers, palm to palm, and gave a little squeeze. Does that help?"
That helped.
With experience, I became a little more convinced that I could take such
chances in areas that were certainly unusual. A very close friend, Agnew
Bahnson, was about my age and we had much in common. I had known him for
about eight years. He was a pilot, among other things, and flew
frequently in his company airplane. One of his research interests was
antigravity, which we discussed many times. He had a laboratory where he
conducted experiments in this field. Among matters we discussed relative
to his gravity studies was the question of how one or even two people
could demonstrate any effective results in antigravity in this age of
massive research teams and extremely expensive instrumentation.
On a business trip to New York in 1964, I found myself in my hotel room
with an hour to spare in the afternoon. I decided to take a nap. I lay
down on the bed, and had just started to drop off to sleep when I heard
Mr. Bahnson's voice.
"There is a way to prove antigravity. All you have to do is to
demonstrate it yourself, and you have been trained to do it"
I sat up, fully awake. I knew what the voice was referring to, but I
hadn't had the courage to try it. But why did Mr. Bahnson's voice sound
so real in this dream? I looked at the clock by the bed, and it was just
about three-fifteen. I was too wide awake now to sleep, so I got up and
went out
When I returned home two days later, my wife was very quiet I asked her
what was wrong.
"We didn't want to upset you with all you had to do in New York," she
said, "but Agnew Bahnson is dead. He was killed trying to land his
airplane in a small field out in Ohio."
I remembered Mr. Bahnson's voice in New York. I asked her if he had been
killed two days ago, at about three-fifteen in the afternoon.
My wife looked at me a long rime before she said, 'Yes. That was when it
happened."
She didn't ask how I knew. She was past that long ago.
I didn't make any attempt to "go** to Mr. Bahnson for several months. I
presumed without any known reason that he needed rest. It had something
to do with a violent death, and I'm still not sure I was right
Finally, I grew impatient On Sunday afternoon I lay down with the
deliberate intent of going to visit Mr. Bahnson.
After about an hour of preparation, I finally made it out of the
physical, and began to travel rapidly through what seemed to be nothing
but darkness. I was mentally shouting, Agnew Bahnson I, again and again
as I traveled.
Suddenly, I stopped, or was stopped, I was in a rather dark room.
Someone was holding me very still in a standing position. After a moment
of waiting, a cloud of white gas seemed to blow up through a small hole
in the floor. The cloud took form and some sense told me it was Mr.
Bahnson, although I could not see him too well or identify his features.
He spoke immediately in an excited and happy way.
"Bob, you'll never believe all of the things that have happened since
I've been here!"
There was no more. At a signal from someone, the cloud of white gas lost
its human form and seemed to recede back into the hole in the floor. The
hands on my elbows steered me away, and I took off back to the physical.
That is the way Mr. Bahnson would have been-too interested in new things
and new experiences to waste time in the "then" or the past Just like
Dr. Gordon.
If it was a self-induced hallucination, at least it was original I have
never read anything like it. Does that explain the time coincidence in
the New York hotel room?
There is one more. In 1964 my father died at the age of eighty-two.
Although I had been rebellious in early years against paternal
authority, I felt quite close to my father in later years. And I'm sure
he felt close to me.
He had suffered a stroke several months before which had left him almost
completely paralyzed and incapable of speech. The latter was evidently
most vexing, as it would naturally be to a man who was a linguist, whose
life had been devoted to the study and teaching of languages.
During this period, when I visited him, he made desperate, heart-rending
attempts to speak to me, to tell me something. His eyes pleaded that I
understand. Only slight moans came from his lips. I tried to comfort
him, talked to him. He tried his best to answer. I couldn't tell if he
even understood my
words.
My father died quietly in his sleep one afternoon. He had lived a full
life, a successful one, and his death brought mingled sadness and a
sense of release.
Again and again, I have realized the importance of some of the
down-toearth
beliefs and concepts that I learned from my father. I will always
be grateful.
This time, with one very close to me just recently dead, I had much less
trepidation than before. Or perhaps familiarity, at least the sense of
it, bred a little less caution and more faith.
The only reason that I waited several months was one of convenience.
Other pressing matters in my personal and business life seemed to
prevent the necessary ability to relax. However, I woke up at about 3
A.M. on a week-night and felt that I could try to visit my father.
I went through my ritual, and the vibrations came easily and swiftly. In
moments, I disengaged without effort, and was up and free in the
darkness. This time, I didn't use the mental yell. I concentrated upon
the personality of my father and "reached" to be where he was.
I began to move rapidly through the darkness. I could see nothing, but
there was the tremendous sense of motion coupled with the pull of thick,
liquidlike air rushing past my body. It is much like the feeling of
plunging through water after a dive. Suddenly, I stopped. I do not
recall anyone stopping me this time, nor could I feel the hand on my
elbow. I was in a dim room of large proportions.
I seemed to know that this was like a hospital or convalescent home, but
no treatment as we know it was practiced here. I started to look around
for my father. I didn't know what to expect, but at least I looked
forward to a joyful reunion.
There were several small rooms off the main room where I stood. I looked
into two of these, and in each there were several people who paid little
attention to me. I began to wonder if I had come to the wrong place.
The third room was no larger than a monk's cell, with a small window
about shoulder height in the wall opposite the door. There was a man
leaning against the wall near the window, looking out. I saw only his
back as I entered.
Then he turned and saw me. His face registered utter astonishment, and
my "dead" father spoke to me.
"What are you doing here!" He said this in exactly the manner a person
would use who had traveled halfway around the world and then met someone
to whom he had just said goodbye back home.
I was too excited to speak, and just stood there, hoping for the joyful
reunion I had expected. It came immediately. My father reached forward,
grabbed me under the armpits, and happily swung me high over his head
and down again, just as I remembered so well as a small child, just as
most fathers have done with their small sons.
He put me down on my feet again, and I was confident enough to speak. I
asked him how he was feeling.
"Much better now," he said. "The pain is gone."
It was almost as if I had reminded him of something he wanted to forget.
The energy seemed to drain out of him,
and he turned away, appearing tired. As I watched him, he seemed to
forget I was there. He looked thinner, and about fifty, based upon
pictures we have when he was that age.
I sensed that the meeting was over. There could be no more for now.
Quietly, I moved back out of the room, turned and "reached" out, and
returned to the physical body. It took much less time to return than to
go.
Was it that way? Was the pain so intense in those last days when he
couldn't make himself understood to get help to ease that pain? If that
is true, what a terrible prison his body must have been. Death was
indeed a blessing.
Will I try to "see" him again? I don't know, I don't know
if I should.
There are many other experiences, less personal, but equally impressive.
They all led me to an inescapable empirical conclusion, which alone
justified the many, many hours of anguish, uncertainty, fear,
loneliness, and disillusion; which was a point of embarkation on what
some call the Quantum Jump in thinking and the beginning of a new
viewpoint
and perspective; which permitted the pains and pleasures of Here-
Now to drop into their proper category of importance (what is a minute,
hour, or year in an infinity of existence?); which opened a doorway to a
reality that may ultimately prove incomprehensible to the conscious
human mind, yet will continue to tantalize the curious and incriminate
the intellectual.
Is this my answer? Compound these experiences with the knowledge that
the human personality can and does operate away from the physical body,
and there can be but one.
If there is to be a Great Message herein, this may suffice.
If the human being has a Second Body, if that Second Body survives what
we call death, if personality and character continue to exist in this
new-old form-what then? Again, an age-old question that pleads for an
answer.
To date, in twelve years of non-physical activities, I find no evidence
to substantiate the biblical notions of God and afterlife in a place
called heaven. Perhaps I have found this and simply haven't recognized
it. It is quite possible. It may be that I am not "qualified." On the
other hand, much of what I have encountered could be some basics which
have been distorted through hundreds of years.
Let's start with prayer, which is supposed to be a direct communication
with God. As we are taught to pray today, it is as if a chemical formula
is recited without any knowledge of the original intent or meaning of
the ingredients. Or the way our children sing "London Bridge Is Falling
Down," with no knowledge of the original meaning of the song. Our entire
civilization is filled with such irrational habits. Evidently, prayer is
one of these.
Somewhere, someone knew how to pray. He tried to teach others. A few
learned the methodology. Others absorbed only the words, and the words
themselves became altered and changed over the years. Gradually, the
technique was lost, until accidentally (?) rediscovered periodically
through the ages. In the latter cases, only rarely has the rediscoverer
been able to convince others that the Old, Established Way
is not quite right
This is all I can report. The Old, Established Way is not enough. Or as
I say, perhaps I am not qualified. Worse still, it may be that my prayer
training was insufficient or improper. At any rate, it didn't work for
me.
Here is an illustration. On one non-physical excursion, I was speeding
through nothing back to the physical with everything apparently well
under control. Without warning, I rammed into a solid wall of some
impenetrable material. I wasn't hurt, but I was utterly shocked.
The material was hard and solid, and seemed to be made of huge plates of
steel overlapping slightly and welded together. Each had a slight
curvature as if: part of a globe.
I tried to push through it, but could not. I went up, down, to the
right, and to the left. I was absolutely sure my physical body lay
beyond this barrier.
After what seemed an hour of scratching, clawing, and pushing at this
barrier, I prayed. I used every prayer I had ever learned, and made up a
few special ones. And I meant every word more than I had ever meant
anything in my life.
I was that frightened.
Nothing happened. I was still plastered against the barrier, unable to
get through and back to my physical body.
I panicked. I clawed, screamed, and sobbed. After this proved futile, I
finally calmed down only out of emotional exhaustion. Feeling lost, I
lay there and rested, clinging to the cold, hard wall
I don't know how long I lay there until the ability to think objectively
returned. But it did. I couldn't stay there forever -or at least I
didn't want to. It seemed an impossible situation. Where before had I
encountered an apparently impossible situation?
I remembered. Years before, a friend and I had purchased an airplane
whose flight characteristics we did not know. The only reason we bought
this particular plane was that it was cheap and in good condition.
After several practice flights around the field, we decided to take it
up for acrobatics. With borrowed parachutes, we took off and headed up
to around ten thousand feet.
We took it through several lazy eights, a few sloppy loops, and several
spins. Everything seemed all right. After climbing back to altitude, we
nosed the ship down slightly and popped stick and rudder to go into a
snap roll.
The next thing we knew, we were in a spin. We centered stick, and
forward, the accepted recovery procedure. It had worked before
beautifully. But not this time. The spin became flatter, faster, and was
developing a whiplike action. Opposite rudder against the spin, bursts
of power, none had any effect on the spin. If anything, the spin
worsened and the ground was coming up fast.
Bill looked around from the front cockpit, his face white. He yelled at
me over the wind roar, "We better get out of here!"
I was ready to leave too. The only thing that kept me there a few more
seconds was the possible loss of the airplane for which I had saved so
long. I reasoned, We've tried everything except the procedure that
violates the rules, the one thing not to do if you're in a spin. Pull
back on the stick. What did I have to lose?
I pulled back on the stick. The ship straightened out of the spin
immediately and gathered flying speed. I rolled it until the earth was
where it belonged. We landed safely and crawled out shakily and sat on
the ground. We had fallen into an outside spin. Neither of us had seen
such a spin before, much less tried one.
I remembered the outside spin. I tried to apply the concept as I lay
there panting against the barrier. Forward, up, down, right, left-no
good.
There was Just one remaining direction, although my knowledge said
definitely it was not right. It couldn't make things any worse to try,
so I did, and only a few moments later, I was back in the physical
shaken but safe.
Which way? It was obvious in hindsight: away from the barrier, back in
the direction from which I had been traveling. Why this worked, I don't
know. Nor do I know what the barrier was.
Perhaps it could be rationalized that prayer did work. I did get back,
didn't I? If it did, it was not in the manner that religion taught me.
No helping angel came hurrying to give me aid and comfort
Another time, I was visiting my brother and his family overnight Shortly
after retiring to the guest room, I went to bed for some much needed
rest.
If it has any bearing, the headboard of my bed backed against the wall
separating my room from that of my four-year-old niece. Her bed was
directly against the same wall
As I stretched out in the dark, the familiar surge of vibrations came,
and I decided to slip out for a moment just to test being in this
condition away from home.
The moment I left the physical, I became aware of three beings in the
room. I stayed cautiously close to my physical body as they came nearer.
They started to pull at me, not hard, but deliberately as if to see what
I would do. They were having a good time at it. I tried to stay calm,
but there were three of them. I wasn't sure I could get back into the
physical quickly enough before they pulled me away.
So I prayed. Again, I used every prayer I knew. I asked God to help me.
I prayed in the name of Jesus Christ for help. I tried a few saints I
had heard of through my Catholic
wife. The result? My tormentors laughed loudly and worked me
over more enthusiastically.
"Listen to him pray to his gods," one chuckled, most contemptuously.
"Listen to him!"
I think I got a little angry after that. I began to push back, got close
to my physical body, and dove in. I wasn't exactly fighting back, but I
certainly didn't remain passive.
I sat up in the physical most relieved to be back. Even as I sat up, I
heard a child crying. It was coming from the room beyond the wall. I
waited several minutes, expecting my sister-in-law to come and calm the
little girl and get her back to sleep.
After some ten minutes, the little girl, J., still had not stopped. I
got up and went out to the adjoining bedroom. My sister-in-law had the
little girl, who was still sobbing deeply, in her arms and was trying to
comfort her. I asked what was wrong, and could I help?
"She'll be all right in a little while, I think," my sister-in-law
replied. "She must have had a nightmare or bad dream, and I can't seem
to wake her up." I asked how long the girl had been crying. "Oh, just a
few minutes before you came in. She isn't like this. She usually sleeps
very soundly."
I offered again to help if needed, and went back to my room. Some time
later little J. quieted down and evidently went to sleep.
Was my niece's trancelike nightmare a coincidence? Or
perhaps some new praying technique is needed on my part
There are many more such incidents, but they followed
much the same pattern when I attempted the conventional
and accepted approach to prayer.
There are, however, more positive prospects to report re-garding heaven
and hell. If they exist, they are somewhere in Locale II.
In non-physical trips to Locale II, often there is a "layer" or area
which one must pass through, as mentioned earlier. It seems to be the
part of Locale II closest to Here-Now, and in some way most related. It
is a gray-black hungry ocean where the slightest motion attracts
nibbling and tormenting beings.
It is as if you are the bait dangling in this vast sea. If you move
slowly and do not react to the curious "fish" who come to investigate,
you pass through without much incident. Move violently and fight back,
then more excited denizens come rushing in to bite, pull, push, shove.
Could this be the borders of hell? It is easy to conclude that a
momentary penetration of this nearby layer would bring "demons" and
"devils" to mind as the chief inhabitants. They seem subhuman, yet have
an evident ability to act and think independently.
Who and what are they? I don't know. I haven't taken the trouble to stay
there long enough to find out. Only by terrified trial and error did I
find the method to pass through in reasonable peace.
In these worlds where thoughts are not only things, but are everything,
including you, your poison or perfection is of your own making. If you
are a remorseless killer, you may end up in that part of Locale II where
all are of the same design. This truly would be hell for such people,
for there would be no innocent, defenseless victims.
Project this outward, and you can begin to perceive the myriad
variations. Your destination in the heaven or hell of Locale II seems to
be grounded completely within the framework of your deepest constant
(and perhaps non-conscious) motivations, emotions, and personality
drives. The most consistent and strongest of these act as your "homing"
device when you enter this realm.
I am sure of this because it always works this way when I have traveled
non-physically in Locale II. It works this way whether I want it to or
not. The least stray desire at the wrong time, or a deep-seated emotion
I wasn't aware of, diverts my trip in that 'like" direction.
Some of the resulting destinations have had all the aspects of hell to
me. Others might possibly be construed as heaven, and some differ in
practice only slightly from our activities in Here-Now.
So. If Locale II seems to have portions of hell and doesn't quite live
up to our notions of heaven, what then? Where do we look for the
guidepost? Where are the God and heaven that we worship? Have I missed
something?
And yet, at times, in visiting Locale II, a very unusual event
periodically occurs. It makes no difference where in Locale II, the
event is the same.
In the midst of normal activity, whatever it may be, there is a distant
Signal, almost like heraldic trumpets. Everyone takes the Signal calmly,
and with it, everyone stops speaking or whatever he may be doing. It is
the Signal that He (or They) is coming through His Kingdom.
There is no awestruck prostration or falling down on one's knees.
Rather, the attitude is most matter-of-fact It is an occurrence to which
all are accustomed and to comply takes absolute precedence over
everything. There are no exceptions.
At the Signal, each living thing lies down-my impression is on their
backs, bodies arched to expose the abdomen (not the genitals), with head
turned to one side so that one does not see Him as He passes by. The
purpose seems to be to form a living road over which He can travel. I
have gleaned the idea that occasionally He will select someone from this
living bridge, and that person is never seen or heard from again. The
purpose of the abdominal exposure is an expression of faith and complete
submissiveness, the abdomen being the most vulnerable part of the body
or the area that can suffer damage most easily. There is no movement,
not even thought, as He passes by. Everything has come to a momentary
standstill, full and complete, while He passes.
In the several times that I have experienced this, I lay down with the
others. At the time, the thought of doing otherwise was inconceivable.
As He passes, there is a roaring musical sound and a feeling of radiant,
irresistible living force of ultimate power that peaks overhead and
fades in the distance. I remember wondering once what would happen to me
if He discovered my presence, as a temporary visitor. I wasn't sure I
wanted to find out.
After His passing, everyone gets up again and resumes their activities.
There is no comment or mention of the incident, no further thought of it
There is complete acceptance of the event as an ordinary part of their
lives, and this is the great yet subtle difference. It is an action as
casual as halting for a traffic light at a busy intersection, or waiting
at the railroad crossing when the signal indicates that a train is
coming; you are unconcerned and yet feel unspoken respect for the power
represented in the passing train. The event is also
impersonal.
Is this God? Or God's son? Or His representative?
Three times I have "gone" to a place that I cannot find words to
describe accurately. Again, it is this vision, this interpretation, the
temporary visitation to this "place" or state of being that brings the
message we have heard so often throughout the history of man. I am sure
that this may be part of the ultimate heaven as our religions conceive
it It must also be the nirvana, the Samadhi, the supreme experience
related to us by the mystics of the ages. It is truly a state of being,
very likely interpreted by the individual in many different ways.
To me, it was a place or condition of pure peace, yet exquisite emotion.
It was as if you were floating in warm soft clouds where there is no up
or down, where nothing exists as a separate piece of matter. The warmth
is not merely around you, it is of you and through you. Your perception
is dazzled and overwhelmed by the Perfect Environment.
The cloud in which you float is swept by rays of light in shapes and
hues that are constantly changing, and each is good as you bathe in them
as they pass over you. Ruby-red rays of light, or something beyond what
we know as light, because no light ever felt this meaningful. All the
colors of the spectrum come and go constantly, never harshly, and each
brings a different soothing or restful happiness. It is as if you are
within and a part of the clouds surrounding an eternally glowing sunset,
and with every changing pattern of living color, you also change. You
respond and drink into you the eternity of the blues, yellows, greens,
and reds, and the complexities of the intermediates. All are familiar to
you. This is where you belong. This is Home.
As you move slowly and effortlessly through the cloud, there is music
around you. It is not something of which you become aware. It is there
all the time, and you vibrate in harmony with the Music. Again, this is
more than the music you knew back there. It is only those harmonies, the
delicate and dynamic melodic passages, the multivoiced counterpoint, the
poignant overtones-it is only those that have evoked in you the deep,
incoherent emotion back there. The mundane is missing. Choirs of
humansounding
voices echo in wordless song. Infinite patterns of strings in
all shades of subtle harmony interweave in cyclical yet developing
themes, and you resonate with them. There is no source from which the
Music comes. It is there, all around you, in you, you are a part of it,
and it is you.
It is the purity of a truth of which you have had only a glimpse. This
is the feast, and the tiny tidbits you tasted before, back there, had
made you hope for the existence of the Whole. The nameless emotion,
longing, nostalgia, sense of destiny that you felt back there when you
stared at the cloud-layered sunset in Hawaii, when you stood quietly
among the tall, waving trees in the silent forest, when a musical
selection, passage, or song recalled memories of the past or brought
forth a longing for which there was no associated memory, when you
longed for the place where you belonged, whether city, town, country,
nation, or family-these are now fulfilled. You are Home. You are where
you belong. Where you always should have been.
Most important, you are not alone. With you, beside you, interlocked in
you are others. They do not have names, nor are you aware of them as
shapes, but you know them and you are bonded to them with a great single
knowledge. They are exactly like you, they are you, and like you, they
are Home. You feel with them, like gentle waves of electricity passing
between you, a completeness of love, of which all the facets you have
experienced are but segments and incomplete portions. Only here, the
emotion is without need of intense display or demonstration. You give
and receive as an automatic action, with no deliberate effort. It is not
something you need or that needs you. The "reaching out" is gone. The
interchange flows naturally. You are unaware of differences in sex, you
yourself as a part of the whole are both male and female, positive and
negative, electron and proton. Man-woman love moves to you and from you,
parent-child-sibling-idol and idyll and ideal-all interplay in soft
waves about you, in you, and through you. You are in perfect balance
because you are where you belong. You are Home.
Within all of this, yet not a part of it, you are aware of the source of
the entire span of your experience, of you, of the vastness beyond your
ability to perceive and/or imagine. Here, you know and easily accept the
existence of the Father. Your true Father. The Father, the Creator of
all that is or was. You are one of His countless creations. How or why,
you do not know. This is not important. You are happy simply because you
are in your Right Place, where you truly belong.
Each of the three times I went There, I did not return voluntarily. I
came back sadly, reluctantly. Someone helped me return. Each time after
I returned, I suffered intense nostalgia and loneliness for days. I felt
as an alien might among strangers in a land where things were not
"right," where everything and everyone was so different and so "wrong"
when compared with where you belonged. Acute loneliness, nostalgia, and
something akin to homesickness. So great was it that I have not tried to
go There again.
Was this heaven?
Once I tried to simulate There, on this world. I remembered as a child
swimming in a pool that had underwater deep-hued colored lights set in
the walls. I remembered specifically which pool had featured such
lights.
Our country home had a swimming pool, so I set to work. We installed
underwater lights, and I used color on the lights. Try as I might, I
couldn't get the deep hues I remembered. Too much power was required.
Also, we put in an underwater speaker so that you could lie in the
water, with your ears submerged, and listen to music from the system in
the house. This worked quite well. But it was not There, or close to it.
There was one peculiar item. Upon visiting the site of my childhood, the
pool I remembered was there, but it did not have colored lights under
the water. No one, including old friends who swam with me in the pool,
could remember this pool as ever having colored lights under the water.
Reality, Reality!
9.
ANGELS AND ARCHETYPES
One of the greatest enigmas of this whole affair is that someone-or
more than one-has been helping me from time to time in such
experimentation. Perhaps they are with me every time, and I am just not
aware of them. I do not know who these helpers are or why they are
helping me.
They certainly do not seem to be guardian angels, although a more
conventionally oriented personality might so interpret them. They do not
always respond when I need help, nor are they always responsive to
prayer. Mental anguish and screaming have sometimes brought one of them.
More often, they help me when I do not ask for help-or again, when I am
not aware of asking. Their assistance seems to be more of their choosing
and deliberation than mine.
They are rarely "friendly" in the sense that we understand the term. Yet
there is a definite sense of understanding, knowledge, and
purposefulness in their actions toward me. I feel no intent on their
part to bring harm to me and I trust
their directions.
Much of the help has been subtly applied. For example, the "hands" that
boosted me up the hill to Dr. Bradshaw's house were obviously helping me
to achieve what I desired. I did not see who was assisting me. However,
just prior to the assistance, I saw someone sitting yoga-fashion, with
robes and headpiece. Was this the "helper"?
In Chapter 10, the robed man with the hauntingly familiar eyes and face
who responded to my anguished plea when I was trying to rid myself of
the "parasites" paid little attention to my emotional distress. Yet he
had obviously come to help. He came as a result of my problem. Still, he
offered no words of comfort, nor did he attempt to calm or reassure me.
I never saw the helper who took me on the voyage to visit Dr. Gordon in
Locale II. I felt his hands and heard his voice, no more. The same
applied to the helper who, a week later, commented that I had already
made the trip when I attempted to do so again. There is some inherent
acceptance of the assistance without question. Rarely has it occurred to
me at the time to turn and identify the helper. It seems a rather
natural thing.
The two young men who took me to the apartment after the seance meeting
do not seem to fit into the typical category here. There was a definite
sense that they came for that particular purpose and nothing else. This
brings up the next peculiarity. Of all the helpers from whom I have
obtained some repeatable identification, only one have I been able to
identify a second time.
In my visit to Agnew Bahnson in Locale II, someone held me in position
to see him. The feeling of gentle but firm hands on each side of me was
very strong. The same hands, turning me around to leave, much as one
steers a blind person, could not have been more vivid. It was another
case of a helper responding to a specific desire on my part.
When I panicked, screamed, and prayed against the barrier on my way
back, no help came. When I was being teased and tormented by the
entities, no help came. When I was attacked by the beings so savagely,
no help came. More accurately, if it did, I was not aware of it What is
the difference? How do "they" decide when to help, and when to leave me
alone? I don't know.
Most of all, who quietly insisted that I return to the physical when I
drifted in that seemingly eternal bliss? I don't know whether to be
grateful or sad for that particular help.
I don't classify the "host" (Chapter 12) as one of the same helpers, yet
he may well have been. He is one of those whom I would have no
difficulty recognizing if I saw again. He was different in that I did
get an impression of warm friendliness and comradeship, but he was in
some manner not quite the same as I-older, knowledgeable in another
field. He was different in that he came forward and offered his help.
This was one of the few times that the option was mine.
Strangely, the other times I needed help badly, none appeared-e.g., the
wild experiences of seeming to be in someone else's physical body
(Chapter 12). On the surface, this would appear to have been a most
serious situation demanding immediate aid. The notes show no indication
whatsoever of anything other than extrication through my own efforts.
There is no evident pattern as yet.
Here are several of the many other reports in the notes that may
illustrate some hidden points about the helpers.
9/14/58
Early evening, on the porch, into relaxation system. Immediate
highfrequency
vibration. Experimented flipping in and out of the physical.
On one, had difficulty in re-entering. Two hands took my hips and rolled
me into proper position. I mentally sent my thanks, but didn't know who
it was.
3/18/62 Afternoon
E.W. was visiting us, and we both decided to rest before dinner, about
five in the afternoon. We went into adjoining rooms. Almost immediately
after I lay down, I heard voices, and it sounded as if E.W. was
discussing something with someone else. At the time, I thought I was
hearing him physically talking to the other person in the hatt outside
the door. (E.W. reported he went immediately to sleep, did not speak
with anyone prior, and has no recollection of the event at all.)
Immediately after hearing this muffled conversation, I lifted out of my
body, and a voice spoke almost over my shoulder.
"If you feel you must know, I guess we'll have to tell you."
With this, someone took me by the arm, and I went along willingly. We
traveled what seemed a long distance and ended up in a darkened house.
My distinct impression was that it was a club, fraternity, or similar
headquarters. There were quiet people in a room to the right, and I
seemed to know there were other people far upstairs somewhere.
As I stood there waiting, what looked like a 16mm. film projector
started, and I saw a white light frame on a wall or screen, much the
same shape as a motion picture. In handwriting, black on the white, was
this message:
For pure psychic results, take
six drops of a chemical in
a glass of water.
I became excited at this, and moved over to the projector to try and
reverse it to read the message again so that I could be positive that I
had read it correctly. I kept fumbling for the reverse switch, but was
unable to find it. (The picture had gone by this time.) I then saw what
looked like film unwinding on the floor, and I thought I had broken the
mechanism by tampering with it. This made me nervous, and I headed back
for my body to avoid trouble, returned, and re-entered easily.
5/3/60 Afternoon
I lay there, fully conscious, vibrations speeded up to nothing but
warmth sensation, eyes closed. I was about to lift out when two hands
held a book in front of my closed eyes. The book was riffled, turned
around on all sides so that I could see that it was a book. The book was
then opened, and I started to read. The gist of what I read was that in
order willfully to bring back a condition, it was necessary to recreate
the feeling of a similar experience that had occurred in the past (i.e.,
was a part of your memory). I took this to mean that one should think of
the "feeling," rather than the details of the incident. Several
illustrations were given, then gradually the book went out of focus as
the vibrations faded, and try as I might, I could not continue reading.
Finally, I sat up physically and made notes.
3/9/59 Night
As I lay there with the vibrations strong in the dark, the special black
darkness I could "see" with my closed eyes, the darkness grew brighter
in one spot, as if clouds were parting, rotting back, and unfurling, and
finally a white ray of light came through from somewhere above my head.
(I could still hear the noises of family activity in the house and was
still completely aware of time-space. I was still home and completely
conscious.)
I became excited, but managed to keep in stasis. A small mountain peak
seemed to grow in the center of the white ray, just where it hit the
clouds. I gathered courage, and asked for the fundamental answer to my
basic questions. I don't know why I did, but it seemed to be what I
should do. A rich, deep voice-yet not a voice, and certainly not my
conscious
mind, as I was waiting expectantly-answered.
"Are you sure you do want to know?" It came more from the light ray.
I replied that I was sure.
"Are you strong enough to take the true answers?" There was little
inflection and no emotion in the delivery.
I replied that I thought I was. I waited and it seemed a long long time
before the voice spoke again.
"Ask your father to tell you of the great secret."
I started to ask exactly what was meant, but one of the family came up
the stairs noisily and switched on the light in the hall outside my
room. With the click of the light, the white ray of light faded slowly,
no matter how hard I tried to make it stay, and the clouds went from
gray to black. When the clouds had faded completely, I opened my eyes.
(There was absolutely no transition from "vision" to sleeping to waking.
I had been awake as we define it, from all indications, throughout the
period.) It was indeed a moving experience, but not classified as outof-
body.
Since then, I have explored this in two directions. I have tried to
recreate
the experience without success. Second, I wrote to my physical
father, who was still alive and very interested in these events. I posed
the question without giving him the source. He wrote back an elusive
answer, stating that there were perhaps a half-hundred, and asking which
one I wanted. The other "father" has yet to give me the answer either.
3/15/59 Night
In trying to follow up, here is what took place. As I lay down in the
relaxing procedure, I mentally repeated the words, "Father, guide me.
Father, tell me the great secret." After several minutes, there was a
sudden blackout, and I was standing in a room with a high-beamed
ceiling. I left the house and started across a platform to some kind of
waiting conveyance (like a train), then stopped and turned. Someone had
called to me.
A tall, thin, rather dark-skinned woman in a long, straight dress or
robe stood almost beside me. My first impression was that she was Negro
with small and even features, dark straight hair, and evenly cut bangs
across the forehead. (In retrospect, I realize from the description, she
could have been Middle Eastern or Egyptian, but not oriental, as I would
have noticed the eye structure.)
She told me that I had done something wrong, the implication being in a
wrong manner rather than evil. I asked her what it was, and she said she
would show me. With that, we started to move, and walked around the
corner of a large building. We stepped into a large paved courtyard. We
stopped, and it was exactly as if we were watching a three-dimensional
life-sized motion picture in full color.
A group of people was standing to the left, and they gave the impression
of authority. To the right, lying in the courtyard, was a small,
darkhaired
girl who looked about twelve or thirteen years old. She seemed
bound, or helpless in some way. I was in the scene, and I was
simultaneously standing beside the woman watching. I could sense every
action of the "I" in the scene, every emotion.
The men of authority told the "I" in the scene that he must perform
certain harmful functions on the girl. He felt that he shouldn't do
this, and the girl pleaded with him not to. He turned back to the
authorities, to avoid carrying out their orders. The authorities were
very casual about the whole affair, especially the girl's tears. They
stated that if he did not perform the function (religious?), others were
arriving soon and they would do it instead. They added that it would be
better for the girl if he performed this act instead of the others, that
it would be less harmful to the girl.
Reluctantly, the "I" in the scene turned and followed out the orders of
the authorities. A few moments later, the woman led me out of the
courtyard and we stood on the platform again. (I lost contact with the
"I" in the scene the moment we turned away.)
"Now do you understand?" she asked.
I dazedly stated that I did not, and she looked at me steadily, rather
sadly, and turned away. Not knowing what to do, I thought of the
physical, took a long time getting back, and finally re-entered. I sat
up and thought about this one for a long time. Who was the woman? What
was the great secret? Looking at my own life history here, I am
beginning to know.
8/18/61 Afternoon
The hands and the book again. This time, in the office. Three in the
afternoon, rainy, humid weather, if that has meaning. Vibrations were
present, completely conscious and awake. I checked and tested by opening
my physical eyes several times and looking at the clock. Time passage
was as it felt it should be.
Again, the hands placed the book before my closed eyes. The book was
turned over, riffled, and held in many positions in very obvious
movements to make sure I recognized it as a book. I thought of trying to
see the title on the end of the book, and promptly the end was held for
me to see, but the print was too small, or I was too myopic. Try as I
might, I could not read it.
Finally, I gave up, and the book was opened and I saw both printed
pages. Again, I tried to read it, but it was just out of focus. Finally,
I mentally suggested that I might be able to read it if I took one
letter at a time. In response, a letter jumped out of a line and I just
barely saw it as it flew by. I checked and rechecked carefully and
laboriously, and got four words: "Evoke unhappy beings by ..." I tried
and tried to read more, but evidently I concentrated too hard, as it
only became more difficult. I noticed the large white billowy clouds
overhead, and this distracted me. The rain had stopped. It was clearing.
I wanted to go out and soar up among the mountains and valleys in the
sky. With this, I started to lift out slowly.
The hands closed the book, took it away, and a tolerant, amused, and
friendly thought sprung into my mind: "Well, if the soaring is that
good, go to it." It was as if a teacher had given up, for the moment,
trying to keep the attention of a child too restless to concentrate.
I soared out through the door, up into the sky, had a wonderful time
among the clouds, and returned without incident. (The clouds truly were
there after I sat up physically, just as I had experienced them,
although it had been cloudy when I started the experiment.)
Someday, perhaps, the helpers will identify themselves. I suspect that
the answer may be surprising.
10. INTELLIGENT ANIMALS
Throughout man's history, the reports have been consistent. There are
demons, spirits, goblins, gremlins, and assorted subhuman entities
always hanging around humanity to make life miserable. Are these myths?
Hallucinations? For once, suppose we don't dismiss the topic before we
take a good long look. Perhaps all such things do originate in the
imagination. The question is, from what source does the imagination
conjure
up these beings? The following excerpts from the notes offer
several possibilities.
4/18/60 Morning
I lay down on the couch around ten, and started fractional relaxation.
The room was bright in morning daylight. Halfway through the second time
around, the vibrations started. After a moment of "tuning" (with my
jaw), I opened my physical eyes to see if the vibrations would continue.
They did. With physical eyes open, I decided to try and "lift out" to
see what happened to my vision. The clock was in full view. My time
orientation was normal, according to the second hand. I was just about
eight inches over the physical when I saw a movement out of the corner
of my eye. Walking up beside my body was a human-appearing body (I could
see only the lower half with my head in the position on its side, by
turning my eyes to the right). It was nude, no clothes, and male. He
seemed in size to be about ten years old, some three feet tall, thin
legs, little pubic hair, undeveloped
genitals.
Calmly, as if it were a daily occurrence-like a boy swinging onto his
favorite horse-he swung a leg over my back and climbed on me. I could
feel his legs around my waist, his small body pressed against my back. I
was so completely surprised that it didn't occur to me to be afraid
(perhaps his size had something to do with that)! I waited rigidly, and
by rolling my eyes to the right, I could see his right leg hanging over
my body, less than two feet away. It looked like a perfectly normal
tenyear-
old boy's leg.
I was still hovering just out of the physical, and cautiously wondered
who and what this was. "He" seemed completely unaware that I knew of his
presence, or if he was, he didn't care. I felt that I didn't want to
confront whoever he was in an environment where he was obviously more at
home than I, so I retreated quickly back into my physical body, cut down
the vibrations, and started to write these notes.
I don't know what it was. I realized that I simply didn't have the
courage to turn around and get a good look at "him" (if I could have).
It was certainly humanoid in form, but upon reflection, it didn't have
the feeling of human intelligence. It (he) seemed more animal, or
somewhere in between. I felt insulted at the complete assurance with
which he came over and climbed on my back. He seemed confident that he
would not be detected, perhaps through long association with humans to
whom he was invisible. If it was a hallucination, that's very real
imagining-in broad daylight, with the second hand of the clock sweeping,
and with two senses reporting.
4/28/60 Night
About seven-thirty in the office, I went through the count-out procedure
and the vibrations came in nicely. I started out carefully-and felt
something climb on my back! I remembered the little fellow from before,
and certainly didn't want to try to go somewhere with him hanging on my
back. I let the vibrations continue, and reached down my side to get
hold of his leg, not sure that my non-physical hands wouldn't go right
through it. I was quite surprised when my hands did touch something! The
consistency felt much like flesh, normally body-warm, and somewhat
rubbery; it seemed to stretch.
I pulled, and the more I pulled, the more it stretched. I finally pulled
what I thought was all of it off my back, except for a leg which seemed
to be under my body. I finally got that out too, and pushed the entire
mass onto the shelf beside the couch. (It still seemed very much alive.)
It seemed to be trying to get back on me, and I had to hold it away. It
got to be quite a struggle (no viciousness on his part, just an effort
to get back on top of me), and I was getting a little panicky. I was in
over my head again! I thought of lighting matches and trying to burn him
up, to do something, anything. There seemed no way to prevent him from
climbing back on me until the moment I re-entered the physical.
Having talked the last episode over with various people, I followed
their various instructions. I tried to stay calm, but it wasn't easy. I
crossed myself several times, with no effect. I repeated the Lord's
Prayer fervently, but that didn't hold him at bay; then I screamed for
help.
Then, as I was trying to hold off the first, a second climbed on my
back! Holding the first off with one hand, I reached back and yanked the
second off me, and floated over into the center of the office, holding
one in each hand, screaming for help. I got a good look at each, and as
I looked, each turned into a good facsimile of one of my two daughters
(the psychiatrists will have a good time with this one) I I seemed to
know immediately that this was a deliberate camouflage on their parts to
create emotional confusion in me and call upon my love for my daughters
to prevent my doing anything more to them.
The moment I realized the trick, the two no longer appeared to be my
daughters. Desperate for a solution, I thought about fire, and this
seemed to help a little. However, I got the impression that they were
both amused, as if there was nothing I could do to harm them. By this
time, I was sobbing for help.
Then I saw someone else coming up out of the corner of my eye. I first
thought it was another one, but this was very definitely a man. He
simply stopped a short distance away and watched what was taking place
with a very serious expression on his face. I got a very good look at
him. First, his eyes were very familiar to me. They reminded me somewhat
of a paternal cousin's, light in color, a little sunken. He had his hair
cut evenly around his head, including bangs across his forehead, and
short across the pate, almost bald. He wore a dark robe down to his
ankles. I could not see his feet.
My first reaction was that he had come to help the "entities," and that
frightened me even more. I was still sobbing when he slowly approached
us; I was down on my knees, arms outstretched, holding off the two
little beings. The man was very serious, spoke not a word to me, nor did
he even seem to look in my direction. When he came close, I stopped my
struggling, and sank to the floor pleading for help. Still with no
recognition of me, he picked up each of the little beings, cradled one
in each arm, and looked down at them. As he held them, they seemed to
relax and go limp, limbs and necks
drooping.
Sobbing my thanks, I moved over to the couch, slipped into the physical,
still feeling the vibrations, and sat up physical and looked around. The
room was empty.
After a twenty-four hour contemplation of the event, I have at least
some speculation. There is the possibility that the entire thing could
have been hallucination or dream superimposed over my complete
consciousness. If so, I can see how those with paranoia have great
difficulty in choosing which is reality. If it is symbolism, it is
fairly evident. The "entities" around me are no more than a product of
me. The visualization of them as my children is pretty hard to interpret
in any other way than to show they are mine (I created them, my
children). Therefore, they belong to me, and are neither good nor bad. I
still don't know what they are. Are they disassociated parts of me, or
thought entities I have created from continuing thought patterns
habitually? What do I do about them? Who does the man in the robe
represent?
This will take more than twenty-four hours to understand. However,
the next time, if there is one, I certainly will try to maintain a more
calm objectivity, less fear, and an analytical approach.
5/21/60 Night
I was lying deeply relaxed, late evening, in the bedroom. The vibrations
started evenly, and I quickly noticed the small leg thrown over my body
(non-physical, I assume). I felt the small body hanging onto my back.
Carefully, I reached around (non-physical?), and felt the small back
superimposed on mine. I patted the little shoulder gently (intending
understanding) and carefully lifted the small body and pushed it away
from mine. I waited, and it didn't come back or attempt to come near.
Not wanting to push my luck, I re-entered the physical, sat up, and made
these notes.
5/27/60 Night
After lifting out, I again felt what I knew to be one of the rubbery
entities on my back. No words or action, just the small body clinging
warmly to my back. This time, I did not get too frightened, and managed
to pull at the thing slowly. I pulled, and called to God to help me (at
the insistence of several people who are more theologically inclined
than I).
Again, the thing stretched as I putted, but didn't come off completely.
I remembered the visualized thought of fire, and that it hadn't seemed
much use, but had helped a little. This time, I tried thinking of
electricity. I visualized two pieces of highly charged wire. I mentally
stuck them into the side of that part of the entity that I had pulled
off. Immediately the mass deflated, went limp, and seemed to die. As it
did, a batlike thing squeaked past my head and went out the window. I
felt that I had won. I felt deep relief and went back down into the
physical, reintegrated, and sat up (physically).
8/25/60 Night
It happened again this trip. Just as I was getting under way, several
"things" attached themselves to various parts of my body (non-physical).
I say things because it was in total darkness, and I wouldn't or
couldn't see. They seemed almost like small fish, about eight or ten
inches long, and they attached themselves like the parasitic "sucker"
fish in the ocean. I pulled them off and pushed them away as best I
could, but they (or others) came back immediately. They weren't vicious,
just troublesome. Finally I went back in the physical to get rid of
them.
11/3/61 Night
I've discovered something new about the "suckers." There is almost a
layer of them; sometimes you pass through it, but most of the time you
don't, or you move through so fast it is not noticed. This time, I
stopped right in the middle of the layer as the "fish" came clustering
around, attracted by me. Instead of reacting as before, I simply waited,
completely immobile. After a few moments, they detached themselves and
moved away. Then there was nothing, just blackness. I started to move,
and back they camel I stopped, waited, and again they moved away. This
time, I moved slowly. One or two came back, but that is all. I then went
upward, and on to the other places. It was as if I were bait in an ocean
of fish.
7/13/60 Night
This must be recorded, as it may contribute in some way. In hotel room
in Durham with my wife in bed beside me, late at night. I was just about
to fall asleep, when I sensed someone or something in the room. Without
realizing at first what had happened, I rushed up out of bed to defend
myself and my wife. Immediately, I was attacked by something I couldn't
see in the darkness. It fought at the animal level, i.e., tried to bite
and scratch, and for what seemed an eternity, we fought in three
dimensions through the room. I could not see in the darkened room (or
were my eyes closed?), and it was only through sheer determination that
I fought it step by step over to the window and hurled it out. It
apparently had no human or intelligence characteristics. It seemed pure
animal and about four feet long, like a large dog.
By the window, after disposing of it, I turned and realized for the
first time that I was not in the physical. (My hand was right through
the closed window!) I floated over to the bed, and there were two bodies
lying under the covers. I moved close to the watch on the night table,
and could see by the luminous dial that it was two thirty-five. I
remembered
that I was closest to the night table, and floated over, went
down, rotated, and was back "in." I sat up physically, and the room was
quiet, dark, and empty. I looked at the watch on the night table. The
time was about two thirty-eight.
10/27/60 Night
Went to bed tired, late, around 1:30 A.M., and mentally set myself to
have no "activities." Just as I started to sleep (no consciousness lapse
in sequence, no separation from physical noticeable, but I did feel a
sense of release just prior), I was attacked by something. It had no
apparent personality, nor was I able to see it. However, I knew this one
was incredibly vicious with an intent to "take" something that was mine
which first required getting rid of "me" (not necessarily the physical
"I," but the "I" who has the ability to act independently of the
physical).
This struggle was not like fending off an animal. It was a
no-holdsbarred
affair, silent, terrifyingly fast, and with the other seeking out
any weakness on my part. I did not fight back savagely at first, because
I was bewildered. I merely tried to defend myself. However, the "thing"
fighting me seemed to move from nerve center to nerve center, and some
of the holds and pressures it applied were excruciating. I knew that if
I did not fight back, I would lose, and losing seemed as vital as losing
existence. I then started to fight back with equal intensity, savagely
and with desperation. The thing fighting me knew every weak spot, and
used them. We fought for what seemed like hours, and gradually I felt I
might truly lose. I felt that this couldn't go on forever, and realized
that I was somehow out of the physical. Still fighting, I steered the
battle in the direction of my physical. When we were very close and
directly over it, I dropped back "in." It was the only way I could think
of to end the fight without losing.
I opened my eyes (physically) and sat up. The room was quiet and empty.
The bedclothes were undisturbed, so evidently there was no actual
physical motion involved. My wife slept beside me undisturbed. I got up
and walked around the room, looked in the hall. Everything appeared
normal.
It could have been a dream. If so, it was most vivid, and certainly did
not follow the usual pattern of dreams that I have. (I have long come to
recognize pure release-type dreams, which reflect the day's tensions or
long-felt inner anxieties, which can be likened to multiple feedback or
"monkey chatter.") The superimposure of the room perfectly as the
background for the action plus conscious control of action tends to
negate the dream concept.
After some twenty minutes of calming myself down, I returned to bed. I
was naturally reluctant immediately to try to sleep again. I did not
want a recurrence of the fight. I knew of no way to prevent it. I tried
what seemed to be the only answer. (The alternative was to stay awake
all night, and I was much too tired.) I lay there and repeated, "My mind
and body are open only to constructive forces; in the name of God and
good, I am going into normal restful sleep." I did, and awoke at my
usual time in the morning. Before sleep came I had repeated the phrase
at least twenty times.
The use of such phrasing indicates the seriousness and concern I felt at
the time, which will be recognized by those who know me well in that I
felt the need to look for help and protection in the manner that I did.
In truth, there was no alternative whatsoever. In retrospect, I still
cannot find an alternative, nor do I know of any method, place, person,
religious practice (that I would be sure of), drug, or anything else in
my fund of knowledge, experience, and information that would absolutely
guarantee protection against whatever attacked me. However, there must
be something other than the pure "fighting back" in self-defense, even
if you don't know what you are fighting. It was the same defense
mechanism
you would use if you were attacked by an animal at night in the
jungle. You don't stop to find a way to fight in the middle of the
fight. You don't stop to find out what attacked you. You fight to save
yourself, with what you have now, the moment the animal attacks. You
fight desperately, not thinking at the time how to fight, why you fight,
whom you fight. You have been attacked; the unprovoked attack in itself
seems to indicate to you that whatever is attacking you is not good, or
else it would not attack you in this manner. Defense is automatic,
instinctive, with no thought except survival, which is based on the
premise that it is wrong to surrender to someone or something whose
qualities (apparent unprovoked attack, blind desire to kill) you abhor.1
1 Of late, visits from the "demons" have been infrequent.
11. GIFT OR BURDEN?
Early in the experimentation, a side effect began to manifest itself.
It was not an out-of-body activity as such, but took place in states of
deep relaxation prior to any separation. It is evidently called in the
trade "precognition." As I was lying down, my mind stilled and body
relaxed, without my volition, the "vision" would occur. There would be
a hissing sound, localized in the forebrain, and I would
get the sensation of a small rectangular door, hinged at one end,
swinging downward to an angle of about 45°. This exposed a
perfectly
round hole. Immediately thereafter, I would see and semiexperience an
event or incident like a dream, except that I retained all of my
consciousness and sense awareness. The dream would be superimposed
directly
over outside stimuli. I could perceive both quite readily. I
could not and cannot produce the effect at will. It merely happened or
was triggered by some non-conscious mechanism.
At first, I paid no particular attention to the phenomenon, attributing
the dream visions to release of material from the unconscious. A major
event brought it strongly to my attention. It is important enough to
take directly from the notes.
During the early morning, the "valve" opened again, and what I saw has
concerned me only because it was so vivid. I was about to board a
commercial airplane. Standing by the door of the plane waiting was D.D.,
a man I've known for more than ten years. I got on the plane and took a
seat. I noticed that there were plenty of seats and the plane was almost
ready to go, so I was sure my friend would make it aboard. I noticed a
group talking up in front near the door, and they joined a young Negro
man who had just come in the door. They were very jolly, and were glad
the young Negro was going along. The group was composed of two older
Negro men, an older white man, and the young Negro. They noticed that
the plane was about to leave, so they all went down the aisle past me
and took their seats. I leaned forward to see if my friend would get on,
and in doing so, I became aware that the woman in front of me was
agitated. Just as the plane was starting, my friend got aboard and took
a seat. I was about to get up and go over to join him when the plane
started to move and I sat back. The plane started down the runway and
seemed to take a long time to get off, and I grew a little tense. We
finally took off, and we climbed low over boulevard streets (winding,
with cloverleaf intersections). We stayed at low altitude and the plane
climbed very little.
In a few moments, I heard the stewardess speaking through the plane's
speaker system. She stated that in a few minutes the pilot would decide
whether to take the plane on one of two routes, the one to the left
(going around) or the "under the wire" route. After a few moments' wait,
I noticed that the plane passed a given point (low over a city)t and I
realized before the hostess spoke again that we were taking the "under
the wire" route. When the hostess announced it, her voice seemed a bit
too light and too casual, and I could sense a slight tension in her,
too.
Looking out the plane window, I saw the area ahead with wires stretched
out in every direction. The plane approached and went under the wires,
staying very low. I was tense, and watched ahead looking for openings in
the wires that we could climb up through. Then up ahead, I could see the
end of the wires over us, and there was sunlight beyond. I began to
relax slightly because it looked like we were going to make it. At that
moment, the plane dropped suddenly and bounced against the street. As it
did, something broke off the plane very near me, and I jumped (or fell)
to the street some six or eight feet below me. I watched where I had
fallen as the plane moved upward and away from me after the bounce, and
then plunged off to the right and into an empty space between two
buildings. Huge clouds of smoke partially obscured the crash.
My first reaction after the crash was to thank God for the miracle that
saved me. The second was that my family would be worried because they
knew I had taken this flight, and that I should get word to them. The
third was that I should hurry over to the wrecked plane to try and save
some of the others, even though I knew it was of no use. I got up and
went over to the plane wreck, and as I approached I could see flames
through the smoke. The pilot (in leather jacket and cap) walked up and
looked at me rather dazedly and asked why I of all his passengers should
be picked as the one to be saved, I asked this question myself, then the
valve closed.
7/24/59
I am about to leave on what may be the first of four plane trips. This
first will be to North Carolina. At the thought of the trip, I have a
shaky feeling. This has made me pause to think, and in view of other
incidents, to review the experience related on 7/5/59. I am always
slightly concerned when I travel by airplane, as I believe everyone is.
I do not think anything is going to happen on the North Carolina trip,
but I may have the wrong interpretation. But what do I do if a similar
incident occurs at the beginning of one of these three trips-an exact
parallel to the 7/5/59 incident! Do I get off the plane? Or is it
impossible to break the pattern? My reading states that I will survive,
but survival may mean, in this case, death-transition, or that I see
death not as death, but I am still "alive" I honestly do not know what I
will do. However, to all who love me-and I hope there are many-in the
event that there is such an incident, and that the proper interpretation
means that I do experience death-transition rather than continuing life
here, please do not be unhappy over it. For I honestly, deeply feel that
it is a transition, and much as I will regret the many things that I
would never do here, some deep nostalgia, some great longing that I have
tried to fulfill in a fumbling way here, I believe will again become
actuality if 1 go "Home." For more than ever, I believe that the
physical body is but a machine for the use of "I." Therefore, once "I"
have departed, the body should mean nothing. No grave, no vault, the
body as such is unimportant. "I" am not there.
By the same token, because of my interest, if any such event should
occur, the "I" will try to establish communication with those who are
interested. (What could prevent this* and it is certainly a possibility,
is that the "other plane, place" may offer the same questions as here,
there may be more important matters there.) I do not know, 1 can't
promise. But rest assured, those who know me will have little difficulty
in recognizing an actual communication.
This is not in the least intended to be morbid, and perhaps I am overly
sensitive these days, but I simply want to have it on record, so that in
some small way, others may be enlightened if it comes to pass. I do not
want this to occur, I don't feel I'm "ready," and the thought of going
through it makes me very contemplative and sober. Yet I am at least
partially prepared for it.
10/23/59
This is written some twelve weeks after the previous entry. Four of the
twelve weeks were spent in a hospital, the remainder in a recuperative
period at home.
But first things first. The previous entry found me concerned with what
seemed to be a problem of portent, and the definition of survival. By
comparison with the "dream," here is how it worked out.
Recognition 1: I started on the trip, as indicated, a trip to North
Carolina. The first indication of similarity occurred when I got into
the bus that takes passengers from the New York airline terminal to
Newark Airport. I entered and sat down on the right, in the second seat
from the front. Sitting there, I was overwhelmed with a sense of
familiarity. It was the position I was in relative to the door, and the
pattern of the door ran, and the door shield. This made me alert, as I
thoroughly recognized this ''placement" as what I originally interpreted
in the precognition as the airplane. It was not the airplane, it was the
bus to the airport.
Recognition 2: Four men entered the bus, three in dark suits, one in
light, laughing and joking. (See earlier comparison, interpretation
before as Negro and white.)
Recognition 3: A woman took the seat directly in front of me. She became
very uncomfortable and agitated. However, it was not because of me, but
because of the porter's handling of one of her packages outside.
Recognition 4; The impression of my friend D.D. standing by the door
waiting, the last to get on. I looked out where the bus driver was
waiting beside the door for any last-minute passengers. His face and
build reminded me instantly of my friend, enough to be his brother.
Photographic verification of this was to come. (The mind, when unable to
identify truly, picks the nearest thing to it in the mind's experience.)
He then got in, closed the door, the last to enter, and slipped into the
driver's seat almost directly opposite me.
Recognition 5: In taking the Jersey Turnpike, the bus "flies low and
slow," or that could be the impression if compared to flying. The
turnpike is built over most of the surrounding streets and roads. As I
looked at the unfolding roads and curving boulevards as we traveled
above them, the instant sense of familiarity and recognition came again.
Only it was not the airplane (the original mistaken concept)t but the
bus.
Recognition 6: At the airport, I was quite alert after the early signs.
The plane was late in arriving, so I waited around the lobby. As I sat
on a bench, I heard a woman's voice speaking of east and west concourse
over the P.A. system. The hollowness of the sound was again strongly
familiar (east and west, left and right).
Recognition 7: When the plane finally did load, I momentarily debated
whether or not to take it, not from fear, but because of the uncertainty
of what "survival" meant. I finally decided that it was unavoidable,
that if 1 waited for a second flight, it would only prolong the
incident. 1 boarded the plane, very alert, and we taxied out for
takeoff.
Then the hostess announced on the intercom that we would fly at six
thousand feet. That confirmed the low altitude. We finally took off, and
promptly ran into a thunderstorm with a great deal of lightning display.
This confirmed my impression of an under-the-wires (electricity) flight,
long a recognizable symbol to me.
Midway during the storm, the pilot decided to change altitude (this was
not announced), but we flew up out of the storm, and landed in North
Carolina without incident. Upon landing, I decided that my
interpretation of the accident was wrong, and promptly forgot about the
whole thing.
Four days later, on a Monday morning in the middle of a quiet, friendly
chat in an office, I suffered what was later diagnosed to be a heart
attack (coronary occlusion), and was taken to the hospital. I did not
believe it was a heart attack, and had no idea that it was until I was
informed of it after an examination in the hospital complete with EKG.
It took much persuading that it was so, and for a reason. In every
physical examination I ever had, including two the previous week by two
different insurance doctors, my heart was always pronounced very sound,
with such statements as "You'll never have to worry about your heart"
and "That's one thing you won't die of, any heart problem." My mind was
thoroughly conditioned against that possibility. It seems that my mind
would not accept the precognitive inference of a heart attack. This
seemed impossible. Therefore, it selected a catastrophe that was
possible in its memory experience, i.e., an airplane crash. (The mind
takes the nearest seem-alike.) Thus the heart attack came through in the
form of an airplane crash, which was acceptable as a possibility.
The four weeks in the hospital were eased by use of suggestive therapy
on recorded tape, which worked wonders with my morale and seemed to
speed my recovery. No experiences of a psychic nature came about in the
hospital, which I finally deduced was caused by the sedatives
(barbiturates) which were given to me every three hours. At home, my.
recovery followed a standard procedure with no recurring symptoms to
date.
It goes without saying that I observed very intently after that when the
"valve" decided to open. Each time the vision presented fitted exactly
with events that occurred days, months, or years later.
Examples of these include a visual description of the interior of a
house, including paint and trim, that was selected by my wife for us in
a Southern city. I recognized it immediately and it was identical to the
description in the notes made two years previously. Most unusual was the
fact that at the time of the precognition we had no plans or intention
of moving south.
Another was that five minutes before the broadcast of a recorded
program, the valve opened and I "saw" the tape breaking sharply and the
reels running wildly. Some ten minutes later, during the broadcast, the
tape did break and was hastily reset. Such breakage had never happened
before during a broadcast, so this was not a common concern. Further, I
had made all editing splices myself, and knew they were tight. The break
was caused by a splice made by someone else who had used the tape
previously.
A third: In the office, the valve opened, to reveal a red light with the
words "Oil Pressure." An hour later, driving home in a nearly new car,
the red Oil Warning light flashed on. Again, this was not a subconscious
worry. The car had less than five hundred miles since it was new, and
had just been checked. The new car had an oil leak-something one does
not expect or worry about with a new automobile.
There are some eighteen more, all of which are personal incidents of
varied magnitude, previewed via the valve and later coming to pass
exactly as noted, allowing for minor errors in interpretation.
To date, a pattern of consistency has been established: H (Hissing
sound) + V (Valve-opening sensation) = F (Future event vision).
On the premise that this formula has been applicable and proved
twentytwo
times, what of the other cases listed in the notes where F has not
yet taken place? Without further comment, here are some where the
formula has not been proved as of this writing,
8/3/60
Air hiss/valve: An airplane passes overhead, obviously in trouble, with
flaps and landing gear lowered. It crashes behind a nearby hill and my
family and I rush over to try to help. When we get there, the plane is
burning slowly with a deep red glow. 1 recognize the glow and the slow
burning as something different than an ordinary gasoline fire, and warn
the others to stay back so they will not be injured by it, as there is
nothing we can do for the dead occupants.
11/5/61
Air hiss/valve: 1 am standing alone outside my house. The sky is mostly
clear, with a broken cloud cover to the north. I see a group of aircraft
emerge from the cloud cover, just above it. They approach, and I note
that they are not typical aircraft or rockets. Behind the first wave is
row after row of the strange aircraft, literally hundreds of them. They
are not like any airplanes I have seen before. No wings are visible, and
each machine is gigantic, some three thousand feet across. Each is
shaped like the head of an arrow, V-shaped, but with no fuselage as in
our swept-wing airplanes. The V shape is not a lifting surface, but
houses the occupants in two or three decks. They sail majestically
overhead, and I feel a tingle of awe at the mighty power they represent.
1 also feel fear, because I somehow know that these are not man-made.
10/20/62
Air hiss/valve: I am with other people in a suburban street. Looking up,
1 see what appear to be airplanes through a large break in the clouds. I
take a closer look, and realize these are a type of aircraft I have
never seen before, evidently powered by something other than propellers
or jets (impression is of a unique form of rockets, but not chemical).
Three of the aircraft dive down in a descending turn, and I can see they
have black sides and white square windows, but no wings to speak of. The
three make a low pass over a nearby street Houses and buildings collapse
in their wake, not from bombs but from something emitted from the
machines themselves. We all dive for a ditch for safety.
6/12/63
Air hiss/valve: My family and I are in a situation where the whole
population of the city we live in is trying to leave. Gasoline is
unavailable, electric power has been shut off. There is a great sense of
fatality among everyone. It doesn't seem to be the product of atomic
war, and there is no concern as to radioactive fallout. There is
principally a feeling of doom and the breakup of civilization as we know
it due to something momentous having taken place, a factor beyond human
ability to control.
4/11/64
Air hiss/valve: My family and I are in a large city, and there seems to
be great trouble. Everyone is trying to leave. I leave •what
seems to be
an apartment to try to find some way for us to get out into the country.
Out in the street, the whole city is in a turmoil and panic, with cars
stalled and jammed together, much like an anthill that has been
disturbed.
There are many more, personal, general, specific, local, worldwide. Only
time will bring confirmation. I hope some of them are hallucinations.
12.
ROUND HOLES AND SQUARE PEGS
p.155-165
Among the many mysteries encountered, there are several that stand out
as being apparently unmotivated yet deeply profound. My only hope is
that others more technically or philosophically oriented can perceive
in them purpose and reason which I cannot. Here are a few of those
which do not seem to be of Locales II or III.
8/23/63 Evening
I lay down to take a short napt not for any extraphysical activity, at
seven-seventeen, in the den, on the couch. The moment I stretched out
horizontally and closed my eyes, there was a tremendous soundless
explosion. There was no time lag. It occurred about two seconds after I
closed my eyes. The blast slammed me across the room and against the
wall in the opposite corner, where I slid to the floor. My first thought
was that there actually had been some kind of explosion in the house, as
the light fixtures overhead seemed to be sputtering, throwing off blue
sparks, then the wires themselves melting. (The lights were turned off
when I lay down, the room half-dark.) It seemed to me as if some huge
short circuit had taken place in the wiring. There was a tingling
sensation similar to electrical shocks (not like the vibrations I have
mentioned so many times). Then I looked across the room. My physical
body was still lying relaxed on the couch. I could see it plainly.
It was then that I seriously considered another possibility. This might
be death, true death, instead of the typical out-of-body experience.
This situation was such an unusual thing. Perhaps I had died, my heart
had stopped. I was still a little dazed from the explosion, but I was
not afraid nor did I panic. If this was death, so be it.
I lay there in the corner for some time, trying to collect myself. I
felt around under me, and I thought I felt the rug, but I was not sure.
At least something, felt solid under me. Then I decided that I should
try to get back in the physical, even if I failed. I would lose nothing
by trying.
With a great effort of will, I floated upward and over to the couch,
then down. There was a wrenching effect, and I found myself half in my
physical body. I realized the half-condition, wriggled and squirmed,
just as you would wiggle your hand to put on a glove. In a moment, I was
"whole" again.
I sat up (physically) and turned on the light. Everything seemed normal,
the house was quiet, my body seemed normal, except that I was covered
with goose-pimples. I was quite shaken by the experience and still don't
know what caused it and why. Was it an explosion of a non-physical
category? Was it an internal thing, in me, or was it the effect of some
outside force? In retrospect, there seemed to be nothing unusual in my
physical, emotional, or mental condition at the time to trigger it. In
analysis of the best recall I can muster of the instant of the
explosion, it was as if some stray beam had swept through the room and
just happened to catch me impersonally in its path, the effect of which
was to "blow" me out of the physical. Following this thought, I got the
impression that the beam was the product of some experimental device not
fully developed by the researchers who were testing it, i.e., all of the
effects were not known to them. It strikes an associative memory
relationship with the three-way device experience.
5/5/59 Afternoon
Today I learned about a strange device that is supposed to work three
ways. About five, I decided to try working a formula for the condition
(1-2o/LQ). I lay down on the bed, thought of the force field diagram,
then started the twenty count. I did not seem to be achieving any
result, and then turned my head. My eyes were open and I glanced at the
sun through the window (the day was sunny, and the window was to the
west). Immediately, the vibrations faded in, and I closed my eyes and
lay back. The vibrations were a tingling in the back of my head. I
followed the jaw movement procedure, and they seemed to get stronger or
weaker depending on my position, as expected. Finally, I determined the
peak tuning position of my jaw (this is the way I can express it). The
vibrations were strong in my head, a little too strong, so I "moved?
them down into my chest, then experienced placing them in various parts
of my body, that is to say, making them stronger in a. given part. Each
time they passed over my lower right side I got a burning sensation,
either in the liver, kidney, or lower right colon (foreign body or
chemical there?). This had happened before, although I do not remember
mentioning it. I mentally "wanted?' upward, and I floated up. Some stray
thought must have come forth, because I immediately rolled in the air
and dove through the floor. I momentarily heard a band playing (like
turning past a radio station on the dial), then I was standing in an
unfinished
house, with no windows installed as yet, and materials and
scraps lying around on the rough floor. Through the window was a rural
countryside, trees and fields, and the
house was evidently in the side of a hill, looking down into a slight
valley and onto the low hill on the other side,
I looked down, and there was a device, about eighteen inches long, on
the floor. It appeared to be laid there just temporarily while the
operator "went to lunch." I picked up the device curiously, never having
seen anything like it. It was rodlike, with three attachments spaced
along it. I held it up and looked along the rod and inadvertently aimed
it at a man standing on a patio outside the open window whom I hadn't
noticed before. Nothing happened, and then the man turned and noticed
me. He moved out of sight for a moment, then entered through a doorway
to the right and came up to where I was standing. He smiled, and to my
best recall, appeared to be perfectly normal. Seeing the device in my
hand, he indicated that he would show me how to use it. Pointing to the
tube (an open-ended cylinder) on the front of it, he showed me how to
"focus" the device by moving the tube or cylinder back and forth, away
for a narrow beam, and toward you for a wide, evidently more gentle,
beam or ray.
He then told me to point it through another window opening where a
second man outside was talking steadily and animatedly with someone
outside our range of vision. He said to push the cylinder forward for a
narrow beam. I did, and pointed the device at the man outside just as
you would use a rifle. I saw nothing, no beam or ray, emitted from the
device. However, the man beyond the window opening instantly slumped in
his chair as if he were dead. I turned to my host, frightened and
worried that I had unintentionally killed, the person outside. He
smiled, and told me to point the device again at the unconscious (?) man
outside, this time pulling back on the focusing device to produce a wide
beam. I did, and the unconscious man sat up and resumed his conversation
as if nothing had happened.
My host then led me outside, and I asked the second man if he had felt
anything. He stopped his conversation, looked at me puzzled, and said
no, he hadn't. I asked him if he remembered going to sleep or any lapse
of time, and again he replied in the negative and turned away to
continue his conversation.
The man who was my host looked at me and smiled, then took me over to
the other side of the house overlooking the valley, indicating that he
would show me another thing the device could do. He pointed toward the
distance. A small fire was burning brightly on the hillside some three
hundred yards away, with smoke curling up into the sky. He told me to
use the narrow beam, and aim at the fire. I did, and immediately the
fire went out. The flame shut off as if suddenly extinguished. The smoke
held for a moment or so longer, then it too was gone.
I grew very excited about the gadget, and asked my host to describe it
to me. He did gladly. It was composed of three parts, he told me. The
cylinder was a focusing device, which I understood. In the middle was a
spiral coil, which he said was the power source. Behind the power source
were three finlike plates (like those found in a rectifier), which he
explained were not too important in that they were only shields to
protect the user. He rubbed his thumb over them and they bent, showing
their flexibility. He asked me if I was sure I understood. I replied
that the affair looked like a large triode (the closest thing I could
think of resembling the layout pattern). He nodded excitedly and
replied, '"Yes! A triode!"
Feeling that I had to go and couldn't stay longer, I thanked him for all
of the information, and he said he would see me again at (unremembered).
My mind recognized the place, evidently, and I said yes, the Cadena
Azul. (This was a product of my South American visit, and it seemed a
natural way to say whatever I was trying to say-blue network.) My host
started to nod yes, then gave me a blank, uncomprehending look, and I
realized that my impression was right but that he didn't understand the
Spanish term.
I then went back to the unfinished room, and "took off" upward with a
stretch-leap. I went up what seemed to be only two or three floors, then
stopped. The place looked like my office room, but was empty. No
furniture, no couch, dust on the floor and windows-and no physical body!
I realized this was the wrong "place" (time?), that where I wanted to be
was still "up" I started up again, through the ceiling, and after eight
or ten floors, emerged in my proper office room, sank down into my
physical body (had a little difficulty with one arm), then merged
completely.
I sat up and opened my eyes. The clock indicated one hour, five minutes
time lapse. I sketched the device, then started these notes. A device
that puts people to sleep, wakes them up, and puts out fires. Someday
I'll try to build the device.
3/11/61 Night
. , . and I thought I had made a normal return to the physical. I opened
my eyes, and I was in a strange bed. A strange woman was beside the bed,
and she smiled as she saw me awaken. An older woman stood behind her.
They expressed happiness that I had finally come to, that I had been ill
for a long time, but that now I would be all right. They helped me get
out of bed, and I was dressed in some sort of robe (like a dressing
gown; their dress seemed normal to me), and I knew for sure I wasn't the
person they thought 1 was. I tried to tell them this, but they only
humored me and seemed to think I was still in some form of delirium. I
asked what day it was, and they only smiled understandingly as if I
wasn't yet fully oriented (1 wasn'tl). I was going to ask for a
calendar, then decided it was better simply to find out the year, I
asked the younger woman, who seemed to be my wife (or the body's wife),
and she replied that it was 1924, according to the Greek (?) method of
calculating time.
1 was sure that I couldn't stay there any longer, and despite their
strong objections, went out a door into the open air. I stood there and
tried to move upward, and I got the feeling I had to move up, very far
up. I tried to take off, but they were holding onto me. Nothing happened
and 1 became worried. I knew I was in the wrong place. I then remembered
the breathing trick, and started to breathe in the gasping manner
through half-closed lips. I started to rise slowly, up above the
building, which was U-shaped, still feeling them trying to restrain and
hold me back. I breathed hard and fast, faster, and I moved faster until
the familiar blue blur was all around me. Suddenly, 1 stopped, and I was
high in the air over a landscape of countryside dotted with houses. It
looked familiar, and I thought I saw what was our house and buildings
between road and river. I dove for the house, and in the next moment I
was merging with the physical. I sat up, whole again, and looked around
gratefully. 1 was in the right place!
8/17/60 Night
This was a misdirected attempt, to understate by an incalculable margin.
I went through the 1-2O/LQ procedure at around 11:30 P.M., in the
bedroom. I went out with the thought of visiting Agnew Bahnson, and
started on the windblown type of trip, but returned to the physical
almost immediately-or so I thought. I wasn't lying in bed, I was
standing. The room wasn't my room. A man, big and round-shouldered, was
supporting me on my left. He was much taller than I, and his shoulders
seemed to glisten. Holding me up on my right was a young girl. They were
forcing me to walk around the room, and I was having difficulty walking,
so they were half-supporting me under each arm. I heard them comment
about my hands, that there was something wrong or unusual about them.
They were not unfriendly, but I knew positively that I was in the wrong
place I kept my head, luckily, and employed the stretch and shot up out
of wherever and whatever I was, and after only a moment or two, merged
again with a physical body, I looked around carefully (physically)
before I moved. I was back in my own physical body, my own bedroom. It
was a long time before I turned over and was able to get to sleep!
11/23/60 Night
This was a most unusual and vivid experience, and I don't know if I want
any more like it. I went to bed late, very tired, around two in the
morning. The vibrations came in promptly without induction, and I
decided to "do something" in spite of the need for rest. (Maybe this is
rest.) After moving out easily, and visiting several places in quick
sequence,
and remembering the rest need, I attempted to get back to the
physical. 1 thought of my body lying in bed, and almost immediately, I
was lying in bed. But I quickly realized something was wrong. There was
a boxlike contraption over my feet, evidently to hold the sheet off my
legs. There were two people in the room, a man and a woman dressed in
white whom I recognized as a nurse. They were talking softly a short
distance from the bed.
My first thought was that something had gone wrong, that my wife had
discovered me in some kind of coma and had rushed me to the hospital.
The nurse, the sterile atmosphere of the room, and the bed all supported
this. But something still didn't feel right
After a moment, the two stopped talking and the woman (nurse) turned and
went out of the room, and the man approached the bed. 1 grew panicky
because I didn't know what he was going to do. I became more so as he
bent over the bed and held gently but firmly onto each of my arms at the
biceps, and looked at me with bulging, glistening eyes. Worst of all, I
desperately tried to move, but could not. It was as if every muscle in
my body were paralyzed. Inwardly, I writhed in panic, trying to get away
as he brought his face down closer to me.
Then to my utter astonishment, he bent over further and kissed me on
each cheek, and I actually felt his whiskers; the glistening in his eyes
was tears. He then straightened up, released my arms, and walked slowly
out of the room.
Through my terror, I knew that my wife had not taken me to the hospital,
that this man was a stranger, that I was again in very much the wrong
place. I had to do something, but all the will I could muster didn't
have any effect. Slowly, I became aware of a hissing in my head, much
like a strong steam or air hiss. Through some dim knowing, I
concentrated on the hiss and began to pulsate it, i.e., modulate it soft
and loud. I made the pulsating go faster and faster in frequency, and in
a few moments it had accelerated to a high-order vibration. I then tried
to lift out and succeeded smoothly. Moments later, I was converging with
another physical body.
This time, 1 was cautious. I felt the bed. I heard familiar sounds
outside the room. The room was dark when I opened my eyes. I reached for
the place where the light switch should be, and it was there. I turned
on the light and sighed with great, great relief, I was back.
6/7/63 Night
After some time, I started to leave, and outside the house, I met a
woman who was "flying" also, and she reminded me that we would be late
in getting back (where, I don't know), and that we might have trouble
getting in. Then we approached what seemed to be a large institution
(hospital?), and happily went directly through a door without opening
it, apparently to avoid the guard who was waiting (and a bed check or
reporting in late, which implied some penalty). Inside, we split up, and
immediately a man (friendly, doctor type) said that he would take care
of me, that I should wait in the second office to the right. I did,
although I got confused about which office, because each of the offices
had several people in them in deep conversation, and I remained
unnoticed. However, I waited in the second, and finally the man entered
and examined me, and stated that I would need treatment. He then spoke
of titration, and a treatment rising to 1500 c.c., then receding back
again to normal (whatever that means); I asked him why the treatment was
necessary, and he replied so that the universe (or humankind) can
develop and improve. I again asked why (meaning why the need for
improvement), and he didn't answer. I was somewhat apprehensive about
the treatment. Then shortly thereafter, I felt the need to return to the
physical and did so without incident.
7/13/61 Afternoon-Night
On a visit to Cape Cod, I arrived in Hyannis somewhat tired, and lay
down in the afternoon for a rest. Upon relaxation, the usual lifting-out
process occurred, and I found myself drifting over the back area of a
house, near the garage. A dog was in the yard (a large, German shepherd
type), and when he noticed me, he barked excitedly. A man came around
the edge of the house (right side, facing the rear), pulled a gun, and
aimed it at me. 1 withdrew hurriedly before I could realize that perhaps
bullets couldn't hurt me. I returned, lay in bed and thought it was
over, and was able to recall no more than the fact that the man seemed
very tall.
That evening, after going to bed, the surge came again, and I drifted
out. I was floating over several houses, trying to decide what to do,
when suddenly this tall man appeared in front of me (the same one), and
stopped me merely by being in my way. I got an impression of calm
strength. He asked me why I wanted to see the President. 1 was surprised
at first, because 1 didn't have any particular desire to see Eisen-hower
(that was my mind's connotation of President), but I made up an idea of
a plan for peace, and told the tall man about it. He then asked how "we
can be sure you are loyal to the United States." 1 replied, still
confused, that I was sure proper information on me was in Washington. He
then said, after a moment, that I could not see the President at this
time. I consented agreeably, and returned. Lying in bed, thinking it
over, I first realized that Eisenhower was no longer President of
course. I also suddenly had the very deep conviction that Kennedy had a
psychic bodyguard (or rather mindguard). I then realized that Kennedy
might be there in Hyannis that weekend. I got up and went downstairs,
found the local paper, and on the front page was the story that Kennedy
was arriving in Hyannis that afternoon. (I had not seen a paper for the
past two days.)
These represent a sampling of the many "events" that defy classificaton,
especially in terms of plain, everyday dreams. It may be that each is
but a fragment of a living mural, someday to be seen in its entirety. I
hope one does not have to
"die" to obtain the total view.
13. Second Body
p.166-178
The greatest proof of the existence of any particular phenomenon is
consistency through repeated observation. Only through such reasonably
careful analytical experiments, or as much so as I could make them, did
I come to the conclusion of the unqualified existence of the Second
Body. I do presume that all of us have one. I cannot conceive of being
that unique. If it exists, what is it like? What are its
characteristics? Through several hundred tests, here are excerpts from
the notes.
6/11/58 Afternoon
I opened my eyes again, and everything seemed normal, except the
vibration and the roar-rumble still in my head. I closed my eyes and
they both grew in strength. I decided to try to lift up and I floated up
off the couch, over the center of the room, and floated downward very
gently, like a feather falling. I touched the floor, and my head and
shoulders seemed to be against the rug, with my hips and feet angling up
into the air. It was as if my head had more weight than the rest of me,
more gravitic attraction, but all of me was gently attracted to the
earth. I still seemed to have weight, little as it was.
7/19/58 Afternoon
I was again on the couch, feeling very smooth vibrations. I opened my
eyes and looked around, and everything seemed normal and the vibrations
were still there. I then moved my arms, which were folded, and stretched
them upward as I lay on my back. They felt outstretched and I was
surprised (I am past proper use of the word astounded) when I looked,
for there were my arms still folded over my chest.
I looked upward to where I felt them, and I saw the shimmering outlines
of my arms and hands in exactly the place they felt they were! I looked
back at the folded arms, then at the bright shadow of them outstretched.
I could see through them to the bookshelves beyond. It was like a
bright, glowing outline which moved when I felt them move or made them
move willfully. I wiggled my fingers, and the glowing fingers wiggled,
and I felt them wiggle. I put my hands together, and the glowing hands
came together, and I felt my hands clasp each other. They felt just like
ordinary hands, no different.
For nearly ten minutes, I lay there, attempting to compare this strange
evidence, to determine differences. Visually, I could see my arms folded
over my chest. Simultaneously, I could see the glowing outline of my
hands and arms reaching out above me. I tried to move the physical arms,
but could not do so. I tried to move the glowing arm-outlines, and they
"worked" perfectly. I tried to feel with my physical arms, but could
determine no sensation. With the glowing outline arms, I clasped my
hands together, and they felt completely normal. I rubbed the outline
hands over each outline forearm, and the arms felt normal, solid to the
touch. I moved one outline hand to the shelf by the cot, and I couldn't
feel the shelf! My outline hand went right through it.
The vibrations started to fade, and I quickly moved the glowing outline
arms and hands back to my chest. It felt exactly as if I slipped on
long-sleeved gloves, and then I could move my physical arms. I didn't
want to get caught outside-even just my arms-without the vibrations. I
don't know what would happen, if anything, and maybe 1 don't want to
find out.
5/5/60 Night
Several times, I had felt someone, a body, warm and alive, pressed
against my back the moment I left the physical body. After my experience
with the "thought forms" and the otherst I had naturally become quite
cautious.
Each time I felt this "entity" on my back, I quickly moved back into the
physical. I was sure that it was more of the "thought children" or
perhaps some sex-distorted being, although I had detected no sexual
overtones. 1 was prudent, not exactly prudish, but certainly frightened.
The latter impression was confirmed when I noticed that the face resting
on the back of my non-physical neck had whiskers! Strong whiskers, like
a man needing a shave. Also, I could hear the panting of his breath
right in my ear. This was no mild thought-child. This was an adult male,
panting with passion, thoroughly sexually deviated or why would he pick
on me, another male? Would I have felt differently if it had been a
female form? In all honesty, I'm sure I would have. I'll have to get him
away from me,
5/22/60 Night
The whiskers were the clue! I need no longer worry about the "man" on my
back. He's still there, but now I know who he is. This time, after being
scared back into the physical some five times, I got up a little more
courage. I moved out slowly, just out of the physical, and felt the body
on my back the same as before, the whiskered head on the back of my
neck, the panting in my ear. Carefully, so the movement would not be
taken as a hostile one, I reached back and moved the palm of my hand
over the face behind me. It had whiskers, and they were very real. The
panting continued, the body stayed there pressed to my back, so I
reentered
the physical.
I sat up physically, and thought about it. As I did so, I pensively
moved my hand across my chin. I needed a shave, I thought absently, then
stopped. I rubbed my chin again. The feeling was too familiar. Just
exactly the same as when I rubbed the chin of-could it be? Then I
noticed that my throat was dry, as if I had been breathing through my
mouth, as one does when . . .
There was one way to find out. I lay down, and after a short while, I
was able to generate the vibrations. Slowly I moved out of the physical.
Yes, I felt it. There was the body again, the whiskers against my neck,
the panting in my ear. I reached back carefully and felt the face with
the whiskers. It was the same as my own. I held my breath, or thought of
so doing, and the panting stopped in my ear. I breathed again, once,
twice, then held my breath again. The "body" behind me panted in exact
synchronization. The warm body clinging to my back was me!
I went back into the physical, sat up, and thought about it. The
question is, which was which? Thinking it over, it seemed that the one
in back-the one I could hear and feel-was the physical "I" and the "I"
in front was the mental or real "I." I assume this because the physical
sensations and related action were in the rear body, while thought was
in the front "I." Confusing, but very real.
From then on, I had no problem when I experienced the sensation. Speak
of people being afraid of their own shadows!
8/8/60 Afternoon
I conducted another interesting experiment. After lying down, and
working through the count-up procedure, the vibrations surged in strong
and rough, then smoothed as they took on a more rapid frequency
(starting just around 30 c.p.s., as nearly as I can determine, and
speeding up until I felt them only as a sense of warmth). I decided to
lift out slowly to examine the process. I tried, and out came the
glowing legs, then the hips, but no more! I couldn't get my chest and
shoulders out, try as I might. It was very strange. I spent the entire
time moving the legs and hips up and down. I observed them visually with
my physical eyes, which seemed to be astigmatic. Several times, 1 tried
moving my legs up out of the physical, then to the right, and let them
fall; when I did, they floated slowly down, touched the side of the
couch, then draped over to the floor. They bent around and over the edge
of the couch as if they had no bones, just like a slow-motion version of
a piece of cloth falling loosely and bending where it made contact with
a solid object. There was no noticeable aftereffect when I re-entered
and sat up. Time away was twenty-two minutes.
9/16/60 Afternoon
I was out of the physical, again on a Saturday, trying to keep "local,"
i.e., staying in the same room. Again I noticed the strange rubbery
elasticity of this other body. I could stand in the middle of the room
and reach out to touch the wall some eight feet away. At first, my arm
didn't come anywhere near the wall. Then I kept pushing my hand outward,
and suddenly the texture of the wall was against my hand. Just by
pushing out, my arm had stretched to twice its length without my
noticing anything different. When I relaxed the pushing out, the arm
came back and seemed normal. This confirms the other evidence that you
can make it just about whatever shape you think of, consciously or
unconsciously. If left alone, it reverts to your normal humanoid shape.
If you consciously think it into a given shape, I suspect you take that
form. You might convert temporarily into the shape of, for example, a
cat or a dog. Could this be the source of the werewolf and vampire bat
mythology? I'm not so sure I want to give it a try.
10/10/62 Night
I have found another clue to the "how do you look when you're not
physical" question. In the early evening, around seven-thirty, I decided
to try to visit R.W. in her apartment some eight miles distant. I was
sure she would be awake (non-physically, of course). I had no
difficulty, and found myself immediately in a living room. There was
what I thought to be R.W. sitting in a chair near a bright light. I
moved toward her, but she didn't seem to pay any attention to me. Then I
was sure she saw me, but she seemed frightened. I backed away, then
started to speak, but something pulled me back to the physical, and I
found myself in my bedroom, in the physical, the vibrations fading. The
reason for recall was that my arm was asleep and tingling from lack of
circulation. I was lying on it the wrong way.
There was a most unusual aftermath. The next day R.W. asked me what I
was doing the night before. I asked her why, and she stated, "I was
sitting in the living room after supper, reading the paper. Something
made me look up, and there on the other side of the room was something
hanging and waving in the air."
I asked her what it looked like.
"It was like a filmy piece of gray chiffon" she said. "I could see the
wall and chair behind itf and it started to come toward me. I was
frightened, and I thought it might be you, so I said, 'Bob, is that
you?' But it just hung there in mid-air, waving slightly. I then asked
again if it was you, and if so, please go home and don't bother me. Then
it backed away and faded out quickly."
She asked if it was really me, and I said I thought it might be.
"Well, next time, say something so I'll be sure it's you," she answered.
"Then I won't be so scared"
I assured her I would. At least I'm not a very bright-hued ghost, and I
don't have human shape-sometimes.
11/21/62 Night
This time, I decided to make it a purely "local" trip. I started to
float across the room toward the door, then I remembered that I don't
need to use doors under these conditions. I turned and went straight to
the wall, expecting to slide right through it. I didn't! When 1 came up
against the wall, I seemed to be unable to penetrate it. It felt just
like a wall when you physically push against it with your hands. I
reasoned that there was something wrong. I have been through walls
easily before. I should have been able to go through it. With this, I
pushed with my outstretched arms against the watt. There was a moment of
resistance, then I went through, just as easily as if the wall were
water. But there was one difference. As I went through to the outside, I
felt and identified every layer of material in the wall-the paint, the
plaster, the lath, the sheathing, and finally the shingles on the
outside. It was much like the hand through the floor. Why the unusual
resistance at the first try?
2/15/63 Night
This was a most unusual experiment. After "lifting" out easily, and
holding control in the same room, I finally got up the courage to go
back and carefully examine the physical body remaining on the bed. I
started down slowly, reaching out in the semidarkness. (There was only
light from the twilight through the windows, and I couldn't see too
well, and perhaps this was good. There is some kind of revulsion about
seeing your own physical body.) I reached down carefully to touch my
physical head, and my hands touched feet! At first, I thought I had
drifted somewhere else, and I felt my toes. My left big toe has a thick
nail due to a long-ago mashing by a dropped log. This big toe (left) did
not! I felt with my hands to the right foot. The big toe on the right
foot did have the thick nail. Everything was reversed, like a mirror
image. I felt up the body slowly, and from the toe on, I couldn't tell
if it was reversed or not. The point is, I could feel the physical. My
hands didn't seem simply to go through it. It was very eerie to feel my
face with the closed eyes as if it were another person's. I got close
enough actually to see the face. It was 1, all right, but just a little
distorted. Either that, or I'm a lot less acceptable-looking than my ego
and pride will admit to. I never have thought myself to be handsome, but
at least I thought I was a little better than this! Strange, the
reversal. Floating in the half-darkness, I could have swung around and
become disoriented. But the thick nail was on the right foot instead of
the left. I must examine this further.
3/18/60 Night
A query from Dr. Bradshaw prompted this one. After being out and close
by, I thought I would try to find out if I wear clothes in the
nonphysical,
to try to answer his question. I had never bothered to find
out before, I suppose basically because I don't have too much of a
preoccupation with clothes. They are for me principally for comfort and
warmth. I felt my second, non-physical body. There was skin with goose
bumps, but no clothes. Not this time, anyway.
2/23/61 Night
I got out of the physical by the "log roll" process, then started across
the room. Something seemed to be holding me back. It was like trying to
walk slowly in water, pulling with arms and legs and getting nowhere.
Suddenly, there was a tug at my back (not painful), and I cartwheeled
backward, in an arc, feet over head, and re-entered the physical. I sat
up, physically, and someone was knocking at the door (my daughter). What
was it that pulled me back so definitely? The "cord" I have since read
of?
7/7/60 Afternoon
This was an experiment I don't want to try again. I was in the charged
Faraday cage (copper screen mesh, above
ground, D.C. charge 5okv.). / attempted to move through the cage. I got
out of the physical OK, then I seemed to be entangled in a large bag
made of flexible wire. The bag gave when I pushed against it, but I
couldn't go through it I struggled like a trapped animal in a snare, and
finally went back into the physical. In thinking it over, quite
evidently it was not the wire itself, but the electrical field pattern
set up in fundamentally the same shape as the cage, but more flexible.
Maybe this could be the basis for a. "ghost catcher!"
10/30/60 Afternoon
At about three-fifteen I lay down with the intent of going to visit E.W.
in his house some five miles distant. After some difficulty, I managed
to move into the vibrational state, then out into the room, away from
the physical. With a mental aim at E.W. I took off and moved slowly
(comparatively). I suddenly found myself over a business street, moving
slowly about twenty-five feet above the sidewalk (just above the top
edge of the second-story windows). I recognized the street to be the
main street of the town, and recognized the block and corner over which
I passed. 1 drifted along over the sidewalk for several minutes, and
noticed a filling station on the corner, where a white car had both rear
wheels off in front of two open grease rack doors. I was disappointed in
that I had not gone to E.W., my destination. Seeing nothing else of
interest, I decided to return to the physical, and did so without
incident. Upon return, I sat up and tried to analyze why 1 had not gone
where I intended. On an impulse, I got up, went down to the garage, and
drove the five miles to his town. My thought was at least to make the
trip profitable, and check on what 1 saw. 1 got to the same corner on
Main Street, and there was the white car in front of the two open doors.
Little evidential pieces like that help! I looked up at the approximate
position I had been over the sidewalk, and got a surprise. At just about
the exact height I had floated over the sidewalk were power primaries
containing fairly high voltage electrical current. Do electrical fields
attract this Second Body? Is this the medium through which it travels?
Tonight I finally reached E.W. at home. It seems that my aim wasn't too
far off. At approximately three twenty-five E.W. was walking down Main
Street, and I was following directly over him, as nearly as we can
figure.
1/9/61 Night
In response to a question brought up in discussion with Mrs. Bradshaw, I
decided to see if there truly was a "cord" between the physical and the
Second Body. In the past, I had not noticed any if there was, except for
an odd tugging action at times. With this in mind, I went through the
memory procedure, in the late afternoon, near dusk. I worked out of the
physical via axis rotation, and remained in the room several feet up and
away from the physical. I turned to look for the "cord" but it was not
visible to me; either it was too dark or not there. Then I reached
around my head to see if I could feel it coming out the front, top, or
back of my head. As I reached the back of my head, my hand brushed
against something and I felt behind me with both hands. Whatever it was
extended out from a spot in my back directly between my shoulder blades,
as nearly as I can determine, not from the head, as 1 expected. I felt
the base, and it felt exactly like the spread-out roots of a tree
radiating out from the basic trunk. The roots slanted outward and into
my back down as far as the middle of my torso, up to my neck, and into
the shoulders on each side. I reached outward, and it formed into a
"cord," if you can call a two-inch-thick cable a "cord." It was hanging
loosely, and I could feel its texture very definitely. It was body-warm
to the touch and seemed to be composed of hundreds (thousands?) of
tendonlike strands packed neatly together, but not twisted or spiraled.
It was flexible, and seemed to have no skin covering. Satisfied that it
did exist, I took off and went.
The basic characteristics noted have been confirmed many other times in
various ways. Still, there appears to be no method to validate such
evidence except by personal experience and observation by others.
Perhaps this will come, in time.
Let us see, then, what we have learned from the preceding. First, this
Second Body has weight as we understand it. It is subject to
gravitational attraction, although much less than the physical body. The
physicist might explain this, of course, by saying that it is a question
of mass, and anything that can interpenetrate a wall must have so little
density as to be able to sift through the space between the molecular
matter structure. Such little density implies very little mass-but it
still may be matter. This is further supported by the half-out
experiment, where the legs and hips were separated, then allowed to
drift downward and drape over the bed. The low-density mass fell as a
feather would fall. Pushing through the wall may be an example also. The
initial resistance may be caused by some form of surface tension,
vibrationally speaking, which, once broken, permits the less dense mass
to pass between the wall molecules. Perhaps some speculative physicist
can take it from there.
Second, this Second Body is visible under certain conditions. To be
visible, it must either reflect or radiate light in the known spectrum,
or at the least a harmonic in this area. Based upon the report in the
arms and legs experiment, I seemed to be viewing radiated light, but
only around the perimeter of the body form. The rest was invisible under
daylight conditions. It must be considered, too, that my perceptual and
sensory mechanisms may or must have been in some heightened or altered
condition which made this "seeing" possible. The "gray chiffon" seen by
R.W. under artificial light and in a fully conscious state may be
something else again. From the description, this may fall in the
reflected-light category. Taken as reported, there evidently are
conditions
where a fully conscious observer can be visually aware of the
presence of the Second Body. What such conditions are, I do not know.
Third, the sense of touch in the Second Body seems to be very similar to
that in the physical, i.e., when the hands felt each other, the
sensation seemed identical. The same seemed true in the report of the
search for the "cord." The hands could feel and touch the non-physical
self, and it was flesh touching flesh according to the sensory
receptors, with the exception of the hair follicle type of skin
protuberations. Also, there are indications that the non-physical hands
can touch the physical body, with much the same result-as witness the
experiment with the return for direct examination, beginning with the
toes. This is borne out again in the "man on the back" experience, where
I felt the physical body in direct proximity with the non-physical by
parts of the body other than my hands. It would seem that in a so-called
"local condition," the Second Body can perceive and touch physical
objects as well.
Fourth, the Second Body is very plastic and may take whatever form is
suitable to or desired by the individual. The ability to "stretch out"
the arm to three times its normal length points to such elasticity.
Extrapolated, one could conceive of the entire non-physical travel as
the incredible stretching out of some substance emanating from the
physical. The "snap back" to the physical when the desire or will to
"stay out" is terminated lends credence to the idea. The appearance of
the Second Body as a waving piece of filmy cloth defies analysis of any
kind to date, but may again indicate plasticity. If no special form is
transmitted by the mind or will at a given moment, we can assume that
the familiar humanoid shape is maintained through some automatic
thought-habituality.
Fifth, there exists the possibility that the Second Body is a direct
reversal of the physical. This is supported by the "logrolling"
rotational separation and by the experiment involving the exploration of
the physical body as it lay inert on the couch. There was the
head-tofoot
discovery, which may well be explained by the dislocation in
semidarkness. However, coupled with the big-toe identification, it
deserves consideration. There are suggestions of this in other reports,
which were relegated initially to disorientation and purely subjective
responses. The reversal concept may in some way have an association with
the antimatter theory.
Sixth, direct investigation tends to support the premise of a connecting
"cord" between the physical and the Second Body, as described many times
through the ages in esoteric literature. What purpose is served by this
connecting link is at this time unknown. It can be speculated that the
Second Body and the intelligence inhabiting it still exert control over
the physical via this communicating link. It seems probable that
messages also travel by this method to the Second Body from the
physical, as witness the call to return from the poor circulation in the
cramped arm, and the warning knock on the door. If the connection is
maintained, it must be truly a highly elastic substance much like the
Second Body itself in order to stretch the seemingly infinite distances
called for.
Seventh, the relationship between the Second Body and electricity and
electromagnetic fields is quite significant. The experiment in the
Faraday cage points to this, as does the positioning of the Second Body
over the street, in or adjacent to the field set up by the primary
electrical current or in the electrical current itself.
14. MIND AND SUPERMIND
Having described the "physical" aspects of the Second Body, it would
seem most important to examine how the mind apparently operates in
reaction to the Second Body experience. Students of the mental sciences
may dispute the terminology used herein, since no attempt is made here
to review the phenomenon in psychiatric, psychological, or
physiological terms. Rather, it is hoped that this section, as well as
the previous one, will have common meaning for all
sciences and scientific minds, and that it will act as a bridge to
further exploration for every intellectual interest.
The question posed most often is: How do you know you aren't dreaming,
that what you experience is nothing more than a vivid dream or a
hallucination of some sort?
This does deserve some answer other than the counter-question: How do I
know my waking experience is real? As reported elsewhere, I was certain
that these experiences were dreams or hallucinations for a long period
in the early stages. They were seriously considered as something more
only when evidential data began to accumulate.
The experiences differ from the typical dream state principally in the
following ways:
(1) Continuity of some sort of conscious awareness;
(2) Intellectual or emotional (or blends of the two) decisions made
during the experiences;
(3) Multivalued perception via sensory inputs or their equivalents;
(4) Non-recurrence of identical patterns; and
(5) Development of events in sequence that seem to indicate a time
lapse.
The most certain statement that can be made is that when the condition
exists, you are as aware of "not dreaming" as you are when you are
awake. The same standards of wakeful-ness can be applied with the same
positive result. This is what is so disconcerting in the early
experimentation. The duality of existence is completely contradictory to
all available scientific training and human experience. Again, the
ultimate proof of such affirmation is to experience one's self in this
state of being.
Is this a product of self-hypnosis with attendant post-hypnotic
suggestion? Quite probably the method of induction and establishment of
the condition relates to hypnosis in many ways. Hypnosis itself is a
phenomenon of which very little is understood. "Suggestion" as employed
in hypnosis may be part of the activation process. However, great care
has been taken to avoid any indirect suggestion or any stimuli that
would induce hallucinated experience. When more is known of the factors
involved in hypnosis, an interrelationship with the practices involved
here may appear.
If the mind does act differently, what are the points of diversion?
Generally, it seems that the conscious mind (or the entirety of the
individual) gradually passes through a learning process. In retrospect,
the effect is an evolutionary adaptation and acceptance of the conscious
mind into a relegated portion of a whole. The total is an equal blend of
conscious, unconscious, and Supermind (transcendent self?), all fully
aware of the others. However, this amalgamation is effective only in the
Second State. If it continues in the physical
environment, the effect is noticeable only to a limited
In the earlier penetration into the Second State, thought and action are
dominated almost entirely by the unconscious, subjective mind. Attempts
at rational understanding seem buried in an avalanche of emotional
reaction. All primary subjective drives are strongly evident, demanding
to be heeded and/or satisfied. It is impossible to deny their existence.
Basic fears which you believed to be erased are the first to come forth.
These are followed or joined by the equally strong drive for sexual
union, which will be examined elsewhere. Together, these present two
solid strikes against continued development of the Second State.
Throughout mankind's history, fear and sexuality have been the major
motivating and control characteristics in all forms of social
organization. It is therefore understandable that they play such a vital
part in the Second State.
Slowly, the conscious mind begins to act upon this apparently
unorganized, illogical mass, to bring order and objective perception
into it. In the beginning, it seems an impossible task. In the later
stages, the conscious mind develops a symbiotic relationship with it.
Only rarely do matters get out of hand. This is not to say that the
conscious mind is in full control in the Second State. Rather, it is
merely a modulator of a master or driving force. Who is the master? Call
it Supermind, soul, greater self-the label isn't important.
It is important to know that the conscious mind automatically responds
to commands of the master without question. In the physical state, we
seem only dimly aware of this. In the Second State, it is a natural
occurrence. The Supermind knows unquestionably what is "right," and
problems result only when the conscious mind stubbornly refuses to
recognize this superior knowledge. The source of knowledge of the
Supermind leads down many avenues, most of which seem beyond our
conscious-mind-world perception. Heredity is the most acceptable of
these, and the most insufficient
With this continuing adaptation in progress, we can deduce certain
observable premises. These lead to conclusions applicable to the Second
State environment.
Thought-action synchronicity. Whereas in the physical state action
follows thought, here they are one and the same. There is no mechanical
translation of thought into action. One gradually appreciates the
existence of thought as a force in itself rather than as a trigger or
catalyst. It is primarily an emotional thought force, which is gradually
molded into coherent action. It is the thought of movement that creates
the action. It is the thought of the person to be visited that
determines
the destination. Also, it is the supermind's needs that create
movement into unknown areas, often without an immediate conscious
awareness of the motivating forces.
Thought patterns carried over from physical activities strongly
influence responses in this Second State of existence. It is astounding
to discover how many small thought habits one has "grown," and how
embarrassed one often feels at the automatic quality of them. Although
no purely physical habits, needs, or desires (e.g., hunger, pain,
smoking) seem to be carried over as such, minor annoying thought
patterns and conditioning appear to confuse and divert attention. The
exception to all of this is the sexual drive, and even this is tainted
by artificial social standards and the habits they have produced.
Here is an illustration of a minor habit carry-over from the notes.
6/11/63
When they came close to me, each taking an arm to lead me through the
area, my hand went to my right chest pocket, to feel if the bulk of my
wallet was still there, so that it would not be taken. It took some
moments to realize that there was no wallet (perhaps no coat), nor was
there any intent on the part of the two who held me to take my
nonexistent
wallet. This is the price of living in crowds in the big city!
Little habits like these do get in the way, and you run into them again
and again. The method of disposal is to recognize them, one by one. Once
they are identified they are no longer bothersome. The same is true of
thoughts in relation to the shape of the physical body. For example, if
you have been conditioned to acute awareness of nakedness, you will
automatically think you are clothed-and so you are. The form of your
physical body is carried over in replica down to the last hair follicle
and scar, unless you deliberately think otherwise.
Conversely, if your thought habits have been in other directions, you
may take whatever form is most convenient, deliberately or otherwise. I
suspect that one may modify the Second Body into whatever form is
desired. Once the thought is discarded, the Second Body will drop back
into its habitual humanoid shape. This opens up some interesting
speculation into man's mythology. If one wished to experience the
existence of a quadruped, the Second Body might be transformed
temporarily into a large dog, and someone with Second State vision
(there probably are many such people) might encounter a werewolf. Or the
fables of half man, half goat/horse could be the result. One might
"think" wings and fly, and be transformed momentarily into a vampire bat
It seems less impossible when one experiments with the power of thought
in the Second State.
To put it another way, there seems to be nothing that thought cannot
produce in this new-old other life. This invites a note of caution in
large red letters: be absolutely sure of the results you desire, and
constantly in control of the thoughts you engender.
Perception changes. This is the area of most significant yet most
incomprehensible alteration. Because we have learned no other way of
dealing with it, all sensory input is translated at first into terms and
meanings appreciated by the five physical senses. For example, when one
begins to "see" in this unfamiliar shape, the impression is that this
"seeing" is much the same as optical reception by the physical eyes.
Only later do you discover empirically that this is not the case. It
isn't physical "seeing" at all. You learn that you can "see" in all
directions at once, without turning the head, that you see or don't see
according to the thought; and that when examined objectively, it is more
an impression of radiation rather than a reflection of light waves.
The same applies to other physical senses. You believe at first that you
are hearing people "speak" to you. Early, you perceive that no "ear" has
received a sensory message. In some other way, you have received the
message (thought) and your mind has translated it into understandable
words. Touch seems to have the most definite relationship to its
physical counterpart. Smell and taste have been conspicuously absent to
date. Most interesting is the evidence that none of these modes of
perception works wholly automatically. You seem to be able to turn them
"on" or "off" at will.
There also seem to be a few new means of sensory input. One of these is
identification of other human entities (living, dead?) not by how they
"look," but through an undisguised awareness of their prime personality
habits and thoughts. This is most remarkable, because it seems
infallible, with the innermost self appearing to radiate patterns, much
as the composition of a star or a piece of metal can be analyzed by its
spectrograph. I suspect that such emanations cannot be shut off by the
individual, so there can be no covering over of the inner self to hide
it from view.
Another is the ability to communicate with others at a level above
conscious awareness. This has been performed with living persons awake
and asleep. It is quite possible that it also takes place among people
living in the physical state who are completely unaware of it. In the
Second State, it is specific and utterly natural. There are many
incidents reported in the notes of such communication while the other
person is in conscious physical conversation with a third party.
The most frustrating part of this is that the communicant rarely has any
memory of it afterward. Also, it is only with difficulty that such
contact is opened with a person physically awake. It is like trying to
rouse a person from a sound, deep sleep. It may be that this
communicating portion of the mind is actually asleep during periods of
physical consciousness. Free association or regressive hypnotic
techniques should bring recall from such sources when needed.
One problem is encountered periodically in perception during the Second
State. It may be more common in perception by physical means than has
been reported, and thus not unique. I refer to the question of the
mind's identification of persons, places, and things which up to that
moment have been unknown and unperceived previously.
In the quest for evidential data and self-orientation, the mind seems to
act strongly in response to an unformed thought command to "Identify!",
without modification or equivocation. Therefore, when an unknown or
apparently impossible situation, place, person, or thing is encountered,
the mind comes up with some kind of answer rather than no answer
whatsoever.
The answer takes the form of rationalization, if it can be called that;
or more commonly, a search is made of past memories and experiences to
produce proper identification. It compares the situation under which the
object or action is perceived with past personal experience. If there is
nothing to coincide exactly with the observed data, the mind invariably
reports the most similar memory and states, "This is the object or
action you are seeing." It is only after critical analysis that some
semblance of what actually was perceived comes to light.
There are many good illustrations of this phenomenon. One of the best is
the visit to Mr. Bahnson's house in the morning. The mind, having no
reference in its memory of the object being placed in the back of the
car (Van DeGraff generator), identified properly its approximate size,
the round, wheellike protuberance on a post, and the base platform, and
reported erroneously that it was a child's automobile. The mind properly
reported the boy and the baseball, because this was a part of its
memory-bank data. However, it ran into a problem on the motion of Mrs.
Bahnson in handing out the morning mail. This was reported as "dealing
cards," but the mind was faced with the incongruity of playing with
large white cards (letters) at a table filled with dishes. The idea of
"card playing" was the least impossible similar event in the memory
association, so that was the unit retained.
Of equal interest was the experience of the airplane crash reported in
Chapter 11. Here was a whole series of events filled with much sensory
data, filtered by the mind's past associations. Added to this was the
rapid superimposure of information, so that the sequence of events in
time added to the confusion. The impression of taking a trip by airplane
was quite accurate. However, the mind "forgot" that there was a bus trip
to the airport first. Consequently, in reporting the loading of the bus,
the impression was that this was the airplane. In boarding the bus, the
mind perceived the driver waiting beside the door. In an attempt to
identify the man, the memory was searched and the most similar person in
past experience (D.D.) was selected as the person encountered. (The
physical similarity between the bus driver and D.D. when compared later
was most remarkable.)
Recognition of the woman in the seat ahead and her discomfort was
another form of misinterpretation. The, discomfort or anxiety was
accurate, the reason wrong. The mind had not determined the cause of the
woman's anxiety, so it related it to the individual, as some answer was
demanded. Then, the flying low and slow over streets was a perfect
description
of the event itself-the bus traveling the turnpike to the
airport-except that the mind was still fixed on the idea of flying in an
airplane.
The mind still held fixedly on the "fact" that the plane flight had
already begun. When the plane encountered the
storm, the mind reported the plane flying under power and telephone
wires because it could not translate directly the effect of the storm.
Most significant was the mind's interpretation of the "accident" or
catastrophe. It "saw" what appeared to be a disruption of the heart
activities. This was an impossible situation, an inconceivable event
based upon its experience. In the face of this past data, the mind was
forced to "Identify!" Experience said the observed catastrophe was not
possible. Therefore, it selected an airplane crash as an event that
would be believed and acceptable as a possibility.
From this, the difficulty of accurately reporting the observance of
unknown material can be understood. If it proves this complex in
familiar environments, one can well imagine what takes place when that
which is perceived has no relationship whatsoever to previous
experience. Only by laborious trial and error have a few facts been
assembled, and these may not all be common with the interpretation of
other minds with other experience backgrounds. This is the reason for
the need for others to experience the same conditions. The entire
picture may become clear with the help of such additional reports.
Of the few facts that have been properly tagged, there are the "flying"
and "falling" dreams. I am quite certain that such dreams are but
memories of some degree of Second State experience, I have often become
aware of experiencing the flying dream during sleep, only to discover
that I was actually floating out in the Second Body as I brought
consciousness
to the incident. This involuntary action happens most
frequently without any conscious effort. It may well be that many people
do have this experience during sleep, but just don't remember it.
A dream of riding or flying in an airplane has a similar connotation.
The mind, refusing to accept the possibility of flying without
mechanical help due to memory experience, conjures up an airplane to
rationalize the event Again, when consciousness and full awareness are
brought into play, the "airplane" disappears. There you are, high in the
air, with no logical means of support. It is most disconcerting until
you get used to the idea.
Falling dreams were also repeatedly examined in my early experiments. It
is a common "feeling" in quick reintegration of the Second Body with the
physical. Evidently, the proximity of the physical causes it to accept
relayed sensory signals from the Second, which is "falling" into the
physical. By the same token, the process of "falling" asleep often
brings forth a "sinking" sensation. By trying it again and again, the
effect is produced by the separation of the Second from the physical,
and the sensory impressions are split between the two. Perhaps the same
sinking sensation takes place when one loses consciousness from other
causes, such as fainting, application of anesthesia, etc.
Intelligence measurement On the surface, except for the addition of
sensory abilities just noted, there seems to be no immediate opening of
new vistas of knowledge and information. There is no jump in IQ by the
standards applied in the physical world. There is indeed a new kind of
intellect at work, but it is in a form that seems incomprehensible. This
composite mind uses the experiences of living in the physical, but
applies them only when they "fit" the event or incident Sometimes
actions take place that seem utter nonsense to the conscious mind, and
their validity is recognized only after the event.
After a significant number of experiments, one becomes aware that the
conscious mind in itself, even with its memory-recall patterns, is
insufficient for the task of full comprehension. There is too much to be
evaluated that is beyond the scope of conscious personal experience.
Again, this demands a continuing need to organize the available data
into comprehensive form, and to add to that body of knowledge through
the evidential experience of other conscious minds. This conscious mind
has recognized its limitations!
Memory patterns. If the conscious intellect does not seem improved, the
memory storehouse is another matter. One of the early changes is the
gradual flooding of the memory with events, places, people, and things
that have no relationship in any way to one's current physical life
activities or past experience. Nor do they seem to have any bearing on
the visits to Locales II or III.
The source of these memories still remains a mystery. They are sensed
and recalled while in the Second State. For example, I have a vivid
memory of a place where I used to live -the roads leading up to it, the
shape of the land, its location in relation to the road, and the
surrounding landscape. It is not a good piece of land, but I seem to
have worked hard for it and it was all I could afford. I had intentions
of building a house on it someday.
There is the memory also of three connected buildings on a city
streetold
buildings, some eight stories high. The top floors of these
buildings (similar to old apartment buildings) have been joined into one
large living area, with large, high-ceilinged rooms. One has to step up
or down slightly to go from one room to another due to the difference in
floor levels. This was a place I visited, not too often, sometime,
somewhere.
There are many more, probably unimportant in relation to the whole. It
is important to know, however, that these are directly the product of
Second State experimentation. Of what value they are, beyond to confuse,
I have yet to learn.
15.
SEXUALITY IN THE SECOND STATE
Throughout the entire experimentation, evidence began to mount of a
factor most vital to the Second State. Yet in all the esoteric
literature of the underground, there is no mention of this, not so much
as one word of consideration or explanation. This factor is sexuality
and the physical sex drive. If the Second State data is contemplated as
fact, this business of sex among humans has somehow become thoroughly
confused, distorted, and badly misunderstood. In a nation where over 90
per cent of the practicing psychiatrists are Freudian, much mention is
made of this factor. Virtually no thought or action stems from any
other motivation, if we subscribe wholly to this theory. With the label
of "evil" long pinned to the subject, the underground probably ignores
it as something grossly "material" and unworthy of any bearing in
spiritual development. Much the same pattern has applied to religions,
formal and otherwise. Like food, this necessity was manipulated in
man's history again and again under artificial rules and taboos to
exercise control over the mass populace. To a great extent, this still
applies as a basic control over our desires and actions. Watch almost
any American TV commercial to observe one facet. Listen to a
hell-fire-and-damnation preacher for another. Study the uncensored
history of any major civilization or religion for the long look. In the
underground, there were rumors based upon mild evidence that many
well-known "psychics" were highly sexed individuals. The more
sophisticated group claimed knowledge of this parallel, but nothing was
synthesized from it. Gurdjieff, the famous early-twentieth-century
mystic, was reported to have stated that if there had been two
obstacles to achieving the mystical state such as the sexual one
presented, he wouldn't have achieved it. It is impossible to describe
how deeply I now appreciate and understand Gurdjieff's comment. For I
have been subjected to the same environmental concepts and conditioning
as any American. Even now, after a deconditioning process, I sense
echoes of guilt and sin in attempting to bring some candor to this
section. Yet I know this would be an
incomplete report without it. Here are some excerpts from the notes in
the early experimental stage.
5/7/58
Late night, bedroom, low humidity, no moon, 1 was physically tired, mentally calm. I lay down to
sleep, and the vibration pattern developed some five minutes later. I
got up courage to try a "lift-out" thought,
and moved out and up slowly and steadily to about five feet over the bed. I was trying to decide
what to do when I was filled with a great desire for sexual
satisfaction. It was so strong that 1 forgot everything else. I looked
around and spotted my wife lying below me on the bed. I went down and
tried to wake her so we could have a sexual act, but was
unsuccessful-she wouldn't wake up. I felt that the only way I could achieve results
would be in the physical, so I dove back into the body. The vibrations
started to fade almost immediately. By the time I sat up physically, the
sexual desire had gone completely. This is very
strange; I didn't know I had such strong undercurrents of desire.
6/1/58
Late night, bedroom, average humidity, cloudy. 1 was sleepy, but
mentally alert. The vibrations came in some two minutes after lying down
to sleep. I lifted straight out and up by the "think" method, and was
overwhelmed again with the sex urge, for the fourth time in a row. I
can't shut it off, no matter how hard I try. Disgusted with myself, I
went back into the physical. The vibrations were not in evidence when I
sat up. There must be a way to shut it off!
7/29/58
Late night, office, average humidity. I was somewhat tired, but mentally
alert. I think I have found the answer to the sex maniac in me-it worked
this time with amazing results! The vibrations came in gently, and I
waited until they seemed strong, then "thought" up, and there I was over
the bed again. Again, I looked all through the office for a female. As
in the past, every time I tried to think of going farther than ten feet
from the physical body, the sex idea stopped me. The new technique was
that instead of fighting the idea of sex, or ignoring it, or denying its
existence, I thought, yes, the idea of sex is a very good one and we (I)
must do something about it. I will in just a little while, but first, I
want to go somewhere else. With a start, 1 shot up through the ceiling
and in just a few seconds, I was in another room. They were sitting at a
table and there was a long white book on the table. I was excited, but
quickly became worried about getting back, and thought urgently of my
physical body. With a rush, I felt myself wiggling into my body. I sat
up physically on the couch, looked around, and everything seemed normal,
including myself. But I had at last left the immediate vicinity. I
wonder who the two people were.
From this, it can be seen that the sex drive was never actually
conquered. Instead, it was set aside, put off for the moment while I
fully recognized and acknowledged its existence. Actually, the idea came
from what used to be called the "Gene Autry love scene." In his typical
Western, Gene would fight the villains to save the girl, and lead her to
the corral fence. He would move close to her and make remarks about how
pretty her hair was, just like a sorrel. The girl, with love in her
eyes, would move in. Just as you {and the girl) were sure he was going
to kiss her-even after she had asked him to kiss her-old Gene would say,
"I shore will, Susy Jane-but first, I want to sing you a little song."
And from nowhere, he'd pull out a guitar and sing about horses. After
the song, he never did kiss the girl because the picture ended before he
got around to it The idea of delaying instead of denying proved to be
the means of emancipation from the domination of the sex drive. The
drive remained, and still does, and will return given the least
opportunity. And those opportunities do arise in the Second State, but
in a different form.
"Different" is actually a very inadequate description. The sexual
action-reaction in the physical seems but a pale imitation or a feeble
attempt to duplicate a very intimate Second State form of communion and
communication which is not at all "sexual" as we understand the term. In
the physical drive for sexual union, it is as if we are somehow
remembering dimly the emotional peak that occurs among people in the
Second State, and translating it into a sexual act. If you find this
difficult to accept, try to examine objectively your own sexual desires
specifically, without the conditioning factors to which you have been
exposed. Take away the rules and taboos, and look closely without
emotional bias. It can be done. Perhaps you too will wonder how mankind
could have been so greatly misdirected.
Here is the closest possible analogy to the Second State experience, of
which physical sexuality is merely a shadow. If the opposite charged
poles of electrostatics could "feel," as the unlike ends approach one
another, they would "need" to come together. There is no barrier that
can restrain it. The need increases progressively with nearness. At a
given point of nearness, the need is compelling; very close, it is
allencompassing;
beyond a given point of nearness, the attraction-need
exerts tremendous pull and the two unlikes rush together and envelop one
another. In an immediate moment, there is a mind(soul?)-shaking
interflow of electrons, one to the other, unbalanced charges become
equalized, peaceful contended balance is restored, and each is
revitalized.
All this happens in an instant, yet an eternity passes by.
Afterward, there is a calm and serene separation.
It is as normal and natural as this. It may be difficult to reduce this
vital functional emotion to a simple and truly natural need, to nothing
more or less than the application of a law of physics at another level.
Yet many tests consistently support this premise.
The distillate of this conclusion did not come easily, as there were
almost insurmountable barriers to overcome. The first of these was the
conditioned responses set up and ingrained by the rules and taboos of
our social structure. Initially, these were carried over into the Second
State. Here is a good example from the notes.
9/16/59
Upon deciding to "see" I became aware of my position in the room. The
office was dimly lit and I was above the table and some eight feet away
from the couch, where I could make out my physical body half-visible in
the dark. Then, near the door, I saw a form, certainly humanoid, moving
toward me. Immediately, I "knew" that this person was female. I was
still cautious, but I was fighting the sex urge, which was rising in
spite of any self-will.
"I am a woman." It seemed to be a low, woman's voice.
I said that I knew she was, trying to hold back. The sexual overtones in
her voice were unmistakable. She came even closer.
My mind translated that she was indeed a woman, and the epitome of
sexual attractiveness. I backed away, torn by desire and the fear of
what might happen if I actually did have a sexual relationship while in
the Second Body, and the possible "disloyalty" to my wife. Finally, my
fear of possible unknown consequences overcame the desire, and I hastily
dived back into the physical body, reassociated, and sat up. I looked
around. The room was empty. The moment I thought about the event, my
physical body reacted and became stimulated. I went outside for a walk
before returning to make these notes. Maybe I am a coward!
It took a number of these meetings at varying levels of intensity before
I began to assess the "wrong" of it that held me back. There seemed to
be a direct relationship between what I interpreted as the sexual drive
and this "force" that permitted me to disassociate from the physical
body. Was it a redirection of this basic drive that I actually felt as
"vibrations?" Or was it the other way around? Was the sexual drive a
physical and emotional manifestation of the force?
Perhaps there is a way to examine this under very strictly controlled
conditions-that is, if there is a society mature enough to undertake the
experiments. Certainly ours is not. All that can be done here is to
attempt to bring certain points under scrutiny. Recently, in scientific
studies of dreams and sleep, it was noted that during REM (Rapid Eye
Movement) sleep, male subjects evidenced a penile erection. This
occurred irrespective of the dream content. A non-sexual dream still
produced the effect. This is about as far as science has experimented to
date. It is mentioned here only because the most consistent physical
reaction noted when returning from the Second State is a penile
erection. It is a clue, no more.
Whether through redirection or purification, Second State sexuality is
not the same as its physical echo, even once the habits and
preconceptions of the latter are discarded. The barriers created and
continually reinforced by social conditioning are but half of it. The
physical-mechanical elements themselves no longer seem to apply. For a
long time, the mind will continue to translate the
attraction-actionreaction
sequence as a similar function occurring non-physically. As
perception and control sharpen, the differences become more noticeable.
First and most obvious, there is no evidence of the male-female
interpenetration. Attempts to express the need in such a functional
manner become pathetic in retrospect. One discovers in frustration that
it just doesn't happen that way in the Second State. Next, sensuality
produced by the physical form of the sex counterpart is entirely absent.
There is no distinct pattern of physical shape, either visually or by
touch.
How, then? What then? The analogy of the opposite magnetic poles still
holds. There is an acute awareness of "difference," which is like
radiation (as it may well be) from the sun, or a fire as felt by one
shivering with cold. It is dynamically attractive and needed. This
attraction varies in intensity with the individual. (Define what makes
one person more sexually attractive than another; it is more than
physical proportions.) It can be like magnetic lines of flux.
The "act" itself is not an act at all, but an immobile, rigid state of
shock where the two truly intermingle, not just at a surface level and
at one or two specific body parts, but in full dimension, atom for atom,
throughout the entire Second Body. There is a short, sustained electron
(?) flow one to another. The moment reaches unbearable ecstasy, and then
tranquillity, equalization, and it is over.
Why this takes place, why it is needed, I do not know, any more than the
north pole of a magnet understands its "need" for the south pole of
another magnet. Unlike the magnet, however, we can perceive objectively
and ask "why." One fact is certain: as in the physical state, the act is
equally needed in the Second. In some part of Locale II, it is as
ordinary
as shaking hands. Here is an excerpt from the notes.
9/12/63
I arrived for no discernible reason in an outdoor area among some seven
or eight people, all standing in a casual group. They did not appear
particularly surprised to see me, and I was cautious as usual. There was
some hesitation on their part, as if they did not know how to treat or
greet me, but no hostility. Finally, one stepped forward in a friendly
manner as if to shake hands. I was about to thrust out my hand when the
person moved very close to me, and suddenly, there was a quick,
momentary flash of the sex. charge. I was surprised and a little
shocked. Then, one after the other, each stepped forward, greeted me in
this fashion-as simply as a handshake-right down the line of people.
Finally, the last one stepped forward, the only one I was truly able to
perceive as a female. She seemed much older than the others and than I.
She seemed to express friendliness and good humor.
"Well, I haven't done it for a long time" -she laughed as she said
it-"but I'm willing to give it a try!"
With this, she moved in close, and we had a short and not feeble sex
charge together. She backed away, chuckled humorously, and rejoined the
others. After a few moments, and some attempts to find out where I was,
I grew uncomfortable and felt that I should get back. I moved away
straight up, stretched for the physical, and returned without incident.
Was the sex-charge greeting a typical custom there, or were they
attempting to be pleasant to a stranger by temporarily adopting a custom
that seems to be commonplace in his homeland? This might be, if they
looked at the secret inner selves of most of us in "physical" bondage,
Sexual dream fantasies caused by some early sex repression? This might
be the Freudian answer, and also the "easy" way out, the mislabeling to
avoid facing uncharted possibilities. What evidence is there that it is
anything else? There is no way to prove the above, because there is no
means of determining the "where" of it.
In the experience above, yes. In another? Again, from the notes:
3/4/61
Late night, in the study, ground floor. 1 was not overtired, and
mentally alert. I deliberately induced the vibrations, by the cutdown
method. It was a Saturday night, and this is being written Sunday
afternoon, based upon notes during the night and later events. Some
preliminary information: On Saturday afternoon (yesterday), a friend of
my wife, a woman (J.F.), phoned to ask if she could visit us overnight
She arrived in time for dinner, and after a quiet and pleasant evening
we retired, our guest going upstairs to the small, square guest room in
the front of the house-or so I assumed. I believed also that our two
children were asleep in their own room, which is long and rectangular
and directly over the study, I decided to sleep in the study rather than
in the bedroom with my wife, as I felt that I could induce the
vibrations and didn't want possibly to disturb her sleep.
After many preliminaries, the vibrations came in strong and accelerated
to a frequency beyond perception as individual pulsation. I lifted out
of the physical easily, and with a strong sense of release and control,
went on up, through the ceiling and floor above and into a rectangular
room. The room was dark, and I was sure I was in the children's bedroom,
but could see no one. 1 was about to try to go somewhere else when I
became aware of a woman in the room not too far from me. I could not
discern her features, but she gave me the impression that she was in her
middle thirties, and that she was a woman of considerable sexual
experience (that familiar "radiation" of characteristics?). This latter
sense brought forth my sex drive, and I was attracted to her.
As I approached, she said (?) she would "rather not" because she was
very tired. I moved back, respecting her wishes, and indicated that it
was perfectly all right. She seemed grateful, and I was considerate but
disappointed. Then 1 noticed a second woman just to the right in the
background. This second woman was older than the first, in her forties,
but was also a woman of wide sexual experience. The second woman moved
forward and offered to "be" with me, as if she said "I will" (implying
that if the first woman wouldn't, she would, eagerly). I needed no
further invitation at that stage, and we moved together quickly. There
was the giddy electrical-type shock, and then we separated. I thanked
her, and she seemed calm and contented. Feeling this was enough for one
night, I turned and dived through the floor and soon was re-entering the
physical. I sat up and turned on the light. Everything was quiet in the
house. I smoked a cigarette and then lay down and slept for the rest of
the night without incident.
This morning (Sunday), I was up early as usual, and my wife came into
the kitchen for coffee at about ten. She debated about going upstairs
and waking J.F. to go to church. Casually, she mentioned that she hoped
J.F. slept comfortably because she had been so tired. This did not
strike a responsive note, but when she stated that J.F. had slept in the
children's room instead of the guest room (in a supposedly more
comfortable bed), and the children had slept in the guest room, it began
to ring a bell. As stated, the children's room is rectangular and is
directly over the study. Further, J.F. is in her middle thirties, a
professional singer, and certainly has had wide sexual experience (two
husbands plus a number of love affairs). Add to this the fact that she
was very tired.
It took several minutes to get up enough courage to ask, but I had to
know. My wife is fairly well indoctrinated by this time. I asked my wife
to go up and ask J.F. if she was sexually "tired." She asked me what I
meant, and I explained.
Then, of course, she wanted to know why, and said that she couldn't ask
J.F. such a question, I said I was sure she could find out, that it was
important. Finally, she agreed and went upstairs to awaken J.F. I waited
for a long time, and finally my wife came back downstairs alone. She
looked at me intently.
"How did you know?" Thank goodness she didn't ask it suspiciously. She
went on, "That's the reason she called and asked to come out. All week,
she has been having a violent love affair, with sex every night. She
told me she was just too tired to take another night of it."
A short time later, J.F. came down for breakfast. My wife, of course,
had not told her anything of my interest in her condition. She seemed
her normal self for the rest of the day, with one exception. Ordinarily,
J.F. treats me very casually as simply the husband of an old friend.
Today I caught her staring at me intently again and again, as if she
were trying to remember something about me but couldn't. 1 gave no
indication that I noticed this sudden interest. This was fairly good
identification. But who was the other, older woman?
Aftermath: 3/7/61. It is now Wednesday night. During the past few days,
I had tried to figure out what the older woman might signify. I had just
about decided that it was a nonliving person still deeply attracted to
physical sex relationships, who followed J.F. around just to enjoy
vicariously the Matter's sexual activities-if this is possible. Then,
yesterday, a friend dropped by the office. In the course of the
conversation, he mentioned that a mutual friend, R.W., had stated that
she had a dream about me the past Saturday night.
At the mention of Saturday night, I was immediately alert. R.W. was a
businesswoman in her forties. Although married, she definitely qualified
as a woman of wide sexual experience, according to my own observations
(but not participation}. R.W. had not described to our mutual friend the
nature of the dream, so I decided to find out. I was finally able to
reach vague about the dream content. At my gentle insistence, she stated
that in the dream, I gave her a detailed "physical examination." Beyond
that, she would not elaborate. Either she truly didn't recall any more,
or it was much too personal for her to relate to me. But the fact that
she dreamed this on the same Saturday night, that it suggested some kind
of intimacy and was important enough for her to mention it, that R.W.
meets the characteristics I had listed previously-these are hard to
label coincidence.
If there has been any undercurrent of sexual desire for J.F. and R.W. on
my part, I was not aware of it. There is some comfort in knowing these
two are still among the "living."
Many of the experiments in the notes are also "too personal" for me to
relate. What has been presented thus far will, I trust, give enough
indication. Suffice it to say that there have been experiences of all
types, as there are evidently all types in the Second State both in
Locale I and Locale II. The followers of the "astral planes" concept
would say that the "quality" of those met would determine the "level" of
the plane visited-"quality" meaning intensity and/ or degradation or
elimination of the sexual experience. This would depend upon
interpretation. Those who have not begun to understand the conditions of
the Second State ("alive" or "dead") might well still relate the pattern
to that of the physical, only without the inhibitions and limitations of
the "civilized" physical society. We continue to evaluate sexuality as
good or bad strictly in terms of such inhibitions, restrictions, and
social structure. The fallacy of this viewpoint is shown in that in our
own space-time continuum, we cannot reconcile sexual practice with
social rules, nor agree on this subject among the various social orders
now in existence.
The sexual drive in itself can be a catalyst to the vibrational
condition which is the doorway to the Second State. However, it is a
tricky matter; it is like an exuberant child, constantly testing the
authority directing it, and threatening to take over and run in another
direction. But in no way is it evil in the Second State.
16. PRELIMINARY EXERCISES
p.190-202
Throughout this writing, I have made many references to one evident fact; the only possible way for
an individual to
appreciate the reality of this Second Body
and
existence within it is to experience it himself. Obviously, if this were an easy
task, it would now be commonplace. I suspect that only an innate
curiosity will enable people to overcome the obstacles in the path of this
achievement. Although there are many cases of existence experienced apart
from the physical body, they have for the most part-at least in the
Western world-been of a spontaneous, onetime nature, occurring during
moments of stress or physical disability. We are speaking of something
entirely different, which can be objectively investigated. The
experimenter will want to proceed in a manner that will produce
consistent results, perhaps not every time, but often enough to validate the
evidence to his own satisfaction. I believe that anyone can experience
existence in a Second
Body if the desire is great enough. Whether or not
anyone should is beyond the scope of my judgment. Evidence has led me to believe
that most, if not all, human beings leave their physical bodies in
varying degrees during sleep. Subsequent reading has proved that this
idea is thousands of years old in man's history. If it is a valid
premise, then the condition itself is not
unnatural. On the other hand, conscious, willful practice of separation from the physical is contrary
to the pattern, it would seem, in view of the limited data available. Harmful physical effects from
such activity are undetermined. I have not detected (nor have any
physicians) any physiological changes, good or bad, that can be attributed
directly to the out-of-the-body experience. There have been many
psychological changes that I recognize, and probably many more that I have
not been aware of. However, even my friends in the psychiatric
profession have not claimed that these have been detrimental. My gradual
revision of basic concepts and beliefs is apparent in a number of ways
throughout this writing. If these psychological and personality
changes are truly harmful, there is not much that can be done about it
now. A note
of caution is in order here for those who are interested in experimenting, for once opened,
the doorway to this experience cannot be closed. More exactly, it is a
case of "you can't live with it and you can't live without it." The
activity and resultant awareness are quite incompatible with the science,
religion, and mores of the society in which we live. History is
strewn with martyrs whose only crime was
nonconformity.
If your interest and research become commonly known, you run the risk of being labeled a
freak, phony, or worse, and of being ostracized. In spite of this,
something extremely vital would be missing if you did not continue to
explore and investigate. In the unaccountable "low" periods when you cannot
produce this activity no matter how carefully you try, you realize
this deeply. You have a strong sense of being left out of things, of
the shutting out of a source of great meaning to living. Here, then, is the best written
description I can give of the technique
of
developing the non-physical experience.
There is one great obstacle to the investigation of the Second Body and
the environment in which it operates. Perhaps it is the only major
barrier. It seems to be present in all people, without exception. It may
be hidden by layers of inhibition and conditioning, but when these are
stripped away, the obstacle remains. This is the barrier of blind,
unreasoning
fear. Given only small impetus, it turns to panic, and then to
terror. If you consciously pass the fear barrier, you will have passed a
milestone in your investigation,
I am reasonably sure that this barrier is passed unconsciously by many
of us each night. When that part of us beyond our consciousness takes
over, it is not inhibited by fear, although it seems to be influenced by
the thought and action of the conscious mind. It seems to be accustomed
to operating beyond the fear barrier, and understands better the rules
of existence in this other world. When the conscious mind shuts down for
the night, this Super Mind (soul?) takes over.
The investigative process relative to the Second Body and its
environment appears to be a melding or blending of the conscious with
this Super Mind. If this is accomplished, the fear barrier is overcome.
The fear barrier is many-faceted. The most fearless of us think it does
not exist, until, much to our own surprise, we encounter it within
ourselves. First and foremost, there is the death fear. Because
separation from the physical body is much like what is expected at
death, early reactions to the experience are automatic. You think, "Get
back in the physical, quickly! You are dying! Life is there, in the
physical; get back in!"
These reactions appear in spite of any intellectual or emotional
training. Only after repeating the process eighteen to twenty times did
I finally gather enough courage (and curiosity) to stay out more than a
few seconds and observe objectively. The death fear was either
sublimated or assuaged by familiarity. Others who have tried the
technique have stopped after the first or second experience, unable to
suppress this first aspect of the barrier.
The second aspect of the fear barrier is also linked with the death
fear: will I be able to return to the physical or to get back "in." With
no guidelines or specific instructions, this remained a prime fear of
mine for several years, until I found a simple answer that made it work
every time. Mine was a matter of rationalization. I had been "out"
several hundred times, and the evidence showed that I was able to return
safely one way or another. Therefore, the probability was that I would
return safely the next time also.
The third basic fear was fear of the unknown. The rules and dangers of
our physical environment can be determined to a reasonable degree. We
have spent our lifetime building up reflexes to cope with them. Now,
suddenly, here is another, completely different set of rules, another
world of entirely different possibilities, populated by beings who seem
to know all of them. You have no rule book, no road map, no book of
etiquette, no applicable courses in physics and chemistry, no
incontrovertible authority you can turn to for advice and answers. Many
a missionary has been lulled in a remote land under just such
conditions!
I must confess that this third fear still crops up, and with
justification. The unknown is still to a great degree unknown. Such
penetration as I have made has brought forth pitifully few unalterable
and consistent rules, I can say only that, to date, I have survived
these expeditions. There is so much that I do not comprehend or
understand, and more that is beyond my ability to do so.
Another fear is the consequent effects on the physical body as well as
on the conscious mind of participation and experimentation in this form
of activity. This too is very real, as our history, at least to my
knowledge, does not seem to contain accurate reporting of this area. We
have studies on paranoia, schizophrenia, phobias, epilepsy, alcoholism,
sleeping sickness, acne, virus diseases, etc., but no assembled body of
objective data on the pathology of the Second Body.
I do not know how to circumvent the fear barrier, except by cautious
initial steps that create familiarity bit by bit as you proceed. I hope
this writing in its entirety will provide the psychological "step" over
the barrier. It may help to recognize conditions and patterns that are
familiar in that at least one person has had similar experiences and
survived.
The following are the necessary procedural developments.
1. RELAXATION
The ability to relax is the first prerequisite, perhaps even the first step itself. It is deliberately
generated, and is both physical and mental. Included with the
condition of relaxation must be the relief from any sense of time urgency.
You cannot be in a hurry. No pending appointments or anticipated
calls for your services or attention must clutter up your thoughts.
Impatience of any sort can effectively stifle your prospects for success. There are many techniques
available for obtaining this kind of relaxation, and a number of
good books cover the subject Simply select the method that works best for
you. There are three general methods that seem to work, two of which are
applicable in these exercises.
Auto- or self-hypnosis.
Most self-study books offer this method in
different versions. Again, it is a matter of which is most effective for
you individually. The most efficient and speediest way is to learn
selfhypnosis
through the training of an experienced hypnotist. He can set up
posthypnotic suggestion that will bring immediate results. However,
select a tutor with care. Responsible practitioners are rare, and
neophytes numerous. Forms of meditation can be converted to effective
relaxation.
Borderland sleep state. This is perhaps the easiest and most natural
method and usually ensures relaxation of both body and mind
simultaneously. The difficulty here lies in the maintenance of that
delicate "edge" between sleep and complete wakefulness. AH too often,
you simply fall asleep- and that ends the experiment for the moment.
By practice, conscious awareness can be taken up to this borderland
state, into it, and through it, to your destination. There is no way to
achieve it that I know of other than practice. The technique is as
follows: he down, preferably when you are tired and sleepy. As you
become relaxed and start to drift off into sleep, hold your mental
attention on something, anything, with your eyes closed. Once you can
hold the borderland state indefinitely without falling asleep, you have
passed the first stage. It is, however, a normal pattern to fall asleep
many times in the process of this consciousness deepening. You will not
be able to help yourself, but do not let this discourage you. It is not
an overnight process. You will know you are successful when you become
bored and expect something more to happen I
If attempts to remain at the borderland state make you nervous, this too
is a normal reaction. The conscious mind seems to resent sharing the
authority it has during wakeful-ness. If this occurs, break the
relaxation, get up and walk around, exercise, and lie down again. If
this does not relieve the nervousness, go to sleep and try another time.
You are just not in the mood.
When your "fixative," the picture thought you have been holding, slips
away and you find yourself thinking of something else, you are close to
completion of Condition A.
Once you have achieved Condition A-the ability to hold calmly in the
borderland state indefinitely with your mind on an exclusive thought-you
are ready for the next step. Condition B is similar, but with the
concentration eliminated. Do not think of anything, but remain poised
between wakefulness and sleep. Simply look through your closed eyes at
the blackness ahead of you. Do nothing more. After a number of these
exercises, you may hallucinate "mind pictures," or light patterns. These
seem to have no great significance, and may merely be forms of neural
discharge. I can remember, for example, attempting to achieve this state
after watching a football game on TV for several hours. All I saw were
mind pictures of football players tackling, running, passing, etc. It
took at least a half hour for the pattern to fade away. These mind
pictures are apparently related to your visual concentration in the
preceding eight or ten hours. The more intense the concentration, the
longer it seems to take to eliminate the impressions.
You have accomplished Condition B when you are able to lie indefinitely
after the impressions have faded away, with no nervousness, and seeing
nothing but blackness.
Condition C is a systematic deepening of consciousness while in the B
state. This is approached by carefully letting go of your rigid hold on
the borderland sleep edge and drifting deeper little by little during
each exercise. You will learn to establish degrees, of this deepening of
consciousness by "going down" to a given level and returning at will.
You will recognize these degrees by the shutting down of various sensory
mechanism inputs. The sense of touch apparently goes first. You seem to
have no feeling in any part of your body. Smell and taste soon follow.
The auditory signals are next, and the last to fade out is vision.
(Sometimes the last two are reversed; I suspect that the reason for
vision being last is that the exercise calls for the use of the visual
network, even in blackness.)
Condition D is the achievement of C when one is fully rested and
refreshed, rather than tired and sleepy, at the beginning of the
exercise. This is quite important, and not nearly as easy to achieve as
it is to write about. To enter the relaxation state full of energy and
wakefulness is great insurance for maintaining conscious control. The
best approach to take in the early attempts at the Condition D exercise
is to start it immediately after you wake up from a nap or a night's
sleep. Start the exercise before you move around in bed physically,
while your body is still relaxed from sleep and your mind is fully
alert. Don't take too many liquids before sleeping, and you won't have
the immediate need to empty your bladder upon awakening.
Induction by drugs. None of the relaxation-producing drugs that are
readily available seem to help. Barbiturates force a loss of conscious
control and only bring a confused state in deeper consciousness. The
same is true, to a lesser degree, of tranquilizers. Relaxation is
obtained, but at the cost of perception. Alcohol in any form brings
similar effects. More exotic compounds such as the alkaloids and
hallucinogens may be more productive, I have not had enough experience
or contact with these to offer an opinion or even an educated guess. It
would seem that far-reaching research is indicated for these.
I have utilized all three methods, and rejected drug relaxation quite
early as it resulted in both too much loss of conscious control and
distorted perception. In the first technique, hypnotic induction tapes
were specially prepared for the experiments. They were quite useful and
effective. The borderland sleep state techniques have been employed most
often. In spite of the complicated-sounding procedure, it is the most
natural method for me.
2. STATE OF VIBRATION
The generation of this effect is the most critical of all. The subjective sensory impression
it creates is described elsewhere. Once it is achieved, you will certainly
not have to be told you've been successful, and you will have
passed another major hurdle. All that can be given are
clues. At the present level of knowledge, it is not known why these things
work. It is much like turning a switch to obtain light without having any
idea of what the switch does, where the electricity comes from, or why
and how it acts upon a bulb enclosing tungsten filaments. At the least, all of the
material contained herein has been established
as empirically as possible. Aside from the principal human
laboratory this
writer andseveral other individuals have tried the pattern. Suffice it to say that they have obtained
positive results.
Aids to the vibrational state.
Lie down, in whatever position is most conducive to your state of
relaxation, but with your body along a
northsouth
axis, with your head to magnetic north. Loosen any clothes you may be wearing. Keep covered so
that you feel just slightly wanner than is generally comfortable for you.
Remove any jewelry or metal objects close to or touching your skin. Be
sure that your arms, legs, and neck will relax in a position that will
not impede circulation. Darken
the room enough
to ensure that no light can be seen through your eyelids. Do not use a
completely blacked-out room, as you will then have no visual point
of reference.
Absolute requisites.
Ensure without question that you will not be disturbed in any way, either by
direct physical intervention, a phone ringing, or other interrupting
noises. Do not set a time limit or a deadline. The time you spend in
the experiment is not more valuably spent elsewhere and you should
have nothing impending that might cut short this activity.
Achieve the state of relaxation.
Do this by whatever method you have found workable in your own
individual case. Work to Condition D or its equivalent, and hold at the
deepest level of relaxation possible without weakening your consciousness.
When you have taken as much time as you need to be sure you have
obtained this, mentally repeat, "I will consciously perceive and
remember all that I encounter during this relaxation period. I will
recall in detail when I am completely awake only those matters that will be
beneficial to my physical and mental being." Say this mentally five
times. Then begin breathing through your half-opened mouth.
Establish the vibration waves.
As you continue breathing through your half-opened mouth, concentrate
on the blackness in front of your closed eyes. Look first into the
blackness at a spot a foot away from your forehead. Now move your point
of concentration to three feet away, and then six feet. Hold for a while
until the point is firmly established.
From there, turn the point 90° upward, on a line parallel to
the body
axis and reaching out above the head. Reach for the vibrations at that spot. When you find them,
mentally pull them back into your head.
This simple description must pose many questions. Reach out with what? Pull - what back into your
head?
Let us try another method of explanation. Begin a mental
concentration, as if two lines were extending from the outer sides
of your closed eyes. Think of them as converging at a point a foot
away from your forehead. Visualize a resistance or pressure when
these two lines meet, as if two charged electric wires were joined, or
poles of a magnet forced together. Now extend this juncture outward to
about three feet, or the length of your arm outstretched. Due to the
angular difference, the pressure pattern is altered.
A compression of the space (forces?) between the converging lines must result, and the
pressure must therefore increase to maintain the convergence. After the
three-foot length has been established and
held, extend the intersection point out to six feet away from your head, or 30°. (So that you
can properly visualize the exact angle that represents 30°, it may
help to mark off a 30° angle by
protractor on
paper and memorize how it looks.) Once you have learned to
establish and maintain the 30° angle
outward (or
roughly six feet away), bend the point of intersection 90°
(or in an
"L") upward in the direction of your head but parallel to the axis of your body. You "reach" with
this point of intersection. Stretch or reach with this point more and more,
until you obtain a reaction. Again, you will know when you obtain it.
It is as if a surging, hissing, rhythmically pulsating wave of
fiery sparks comes roaring into your head. From there it seems to
sweep throughout your body, making it rigid and immobile. Once you have learned the
process, or the concept, it will not be necessary to go through the
entire routine. You need only to think of the vibrations while in a
relaxed state, and they come into being. A conditioned reflex has been
established, or a neuron path that can be followed again and again,
Again, it is not a technique that can be achieved the first time it is
tried. The probability of success increases with each successive
effort. The more often you attempt it, the more likely you are to have
positive results. However, once you have
succeeded, it is not always repeatable at will. There are still many variables that interfere which
have yet to be isolated and identified. But it does "work"
often enough to be subject to continued study.
3. CONTROL OF VIBRATIONS
p.213-215
When you have obtained the vibrational state, there are definite guidelines to follow. The
utilization of this condition under conscious control is the goal you are
seeking. To accomplish this, there are careful procedures to observe.
They should, of course, be followed in sequence, in the order
presented.
There is no evidence to indicate that this vibrational state has a deleterious effect on either
the mind or the physical body. Here, then, are some procedures that can be
applied systematically. They are a distillate of literally
hundreds of trial-and-error experiments.
Acclimatization and accommodation.
This is a way of saying that you should let yourself get
accustomed to the feel of this unusual condition. All fear and panic
must be eliminated when
you feel waves like an
electric shock without pain permeating your body. The best method seems
to be to do nothing when they occur. Lie quietly and objectively
analyze them until they fade away of their own accord. This usually
takes place in about five minutes. After several such experiences, you will
realize you are not being electrocuted. Try to avoid
panicky struggling to break the paralytic condition. You can break it
by sitting up with great force of will, but you will be disappointed
with yourself for doing so. After all, this was what you were trying to
achieve.
Manipulation and modulation.
Once you have eliminated the fear reactions, you are ready for
control steps. First, mentally "direct" the
vibrations into a ring, or force them all into your head. Then mentally push them down along your body
to your toes, then back up to your head. Start them sweeping in a wave
over your body rhythmically, from head to toes and then back again. After
you have given the wave momentum, let it proceed of its own accord until
it fades away. It should take about ten seconds-five down, five
back-for the wave to make the complete circuit, from head to toes and back.
Practice this until the vibration wave begins instantly upon mental
command, and moves steadily until fade-out. By this time, you will have
noticed the "roughness" of the vibrations at times, as if your body is being
severely shaken right down to the molecular or atomic level. This
may be somewhat uncomfortable, and you will feel a desire to "smooth"
them out. This is accomplished by "pulsing" them mentally to
increase their frequency. Their original vibratory rate seems to be on
the order of some twenty-seven cycles per second (this is the rate of the
vibration itself, not the head-to-toe frequency). The pattern
responds to this pulsing command very subtly and slowly at first. Your first
indication of success is when the vibrations no longer seem rough and
shaking. You are well on your way to control when they produce a steady,
solid effect.
It is essential that you learn and apply this speed-up process. The faster vibration effect is the
form that permits disassociation from the physical. Once you have set the
momentum of the speed-up, the acceleration seems to take
place automatically. Eventually, you may sense the vibrations only as
they begin. They will increase their frequency - like a motor
starting up - until the frequency is so high that you are unable to
perceive it. At this phase, the sensory effect is one of body warmth, slightly
tingling, but not excessively so. Consistent achievement of this stage is
the sign that you are ready for the first physical disassociation
experiments. Another word of warning is in order here. Beyond this point, I
believe you cannot turn back. Ultimately, you will be committed to the
reality of this other existence. How this will affect your personality, your
daily life, your future, and your philosophies rests entirely
with you as an individual. For once you have been "opened" to this other
reality, you cannot completely shut it out again, try as you might. The
pressure of material affairs may sublimate it for a time, but it will
return. You cannot always stay on guard against its reopening. As you start to sleep or
awaken, when you merely relax,
the vibrational surge may come without call. You can shut it off, of
course, but eventually you become too tired to bother - and you are off
on another excursion. You sense that you are fighting against yourself. And who wants to fight one's
self - at the price of a good night's sleep!
17. THE
SEPARATION PROCESS
p.216-227
After
you have achieved the state of vibration and some control of your stage
of relaxation, one additional factor must be considered. It is probable
that you have already obtained it, since it is ordinarily a product of
the previous exercises. However, it should be emphasized.
This factor is thought control. In the state of vibration, you are
apparently subject to every thought, both willful and involuntary, that
crosses your mind. Thus you must be as close to "no thought" or "single
thought" (concentration) as possible. If one stray idea passes through
your mind, you respond instantly, and sometimes in an undesirable
manner.
I suspect that one is
never
completely free of such misdirection. At least I have not been, which
may account for the many inexplicable trips to places and people I do
not know. They seem to be triggered by thoughts or ideas I didn't
realize I had, below the conscious level. The only approach is to do
the best you can. With this in mind, the first practices of
disassociating the Second from the physical body should be
limited in time and action. What follows is designed basically as a
familiarization and orientation technique which should permit an approach to
disassociation without fear or concern. Release of extremities (hands
and feets). This serves to acquaint you with the sensation of the Second Body without
full commitment. After relaxation and creation of the vibration
state, work with either your right or left hand and arm, one at a time.
This is important, as it will be your first affirmation of the reality of
the Second. With one hand, reach for any object-floor, wall, door, or
whatever-that you remember as being beyond the reach of your physical
arm. Reach for that object. Make the reaching process neither upward nor
downward, but out in the direction your arm is pointing. Reach as if you
were stretching your arm, not raising or lowering it. A variation is
simply to reach out with the hand and arm in the same manner with no
special object in mind. Often this method is better, as you then have no
preconceived idea of what you will "feel." When you reach out in this
fashion and feel nothing, push your hand a little farther. Keep pushing
gently, as if stretching your arm, until your hand encounters some
material object. If the vibration pattern is in effect, it will work, and
your hand will eventually feel or touch something. When it does,
examine with your sense of touch the physical details of the object. Feel
for any cracks, grooves, or unusual details which you will later be able
to identify. At this point, nothing will seem unusual. Your sensory
mechanisms will tell you that you are touching the object with your
physical hand.
Here, then, is your first test. After acquainting yourself with the object with your outstretched
hand, straighten out your hand and push against the object with your
fingertips. You will encounter resistance at first. Push a little
harder, and gently overcome the resistance you feel. At this point, your hand
will seem to go right through the object. Keep pushing until your hand
is completely through the object and meets some other physical object.
Identify the second object by touch. Then carefully withdraw your hand,
back through the first object, and slowly back to normal, so that it
feels as if it is where it "belongs." With this, decrease the
vibrations. The best way to do this is slowly to attempt to move the physical
body. Think of the physical body, and open your physical eyes.
Bring back your physical senses, deliberately. Once the vibrations have faded
away completely, lie still for a few minutes for full and complete
return. Then get up and make a notation of the object which you "felt,"
locating it relative to the position of your hand and arm when you
were lying down. Note the details of both the first and second objects which
you felt. Having done this, compare your description with the actual
first object.
Make special note of small details which you could not
have seen from a distance. Physically feel the object to compare it with
what you felt under the vibrations.
Examine the second object in the same manner. You may not have been consciously aware of its
presence or position prior to the experiment. This too is important.
Test the line of direction from the place where your physical hand lay,
through the first object and up to the second. Is it a straight line?
Check your results. Was
the first object you touched physically located at a distance it would have
been absolutely impossible to reach without physical movement? Did the
details of the object-especially the minute details-coincide with the
notes you have made? Make the same comparison for the second object.
If your answers are
affirmative, you have had your first success. If the facts do not check out, try
again another day. Almost without qualification, if you have
produced the vibrational state, you can perform this exercise.
You can also practice
the following quite easily.
After producing the
vibrational state, lying on your back, arms either at your sides or on your chest, gently lift your
arms without looking at them and touch your fingers together. Do this
quite casually, abstractedly, and remember the sensory results. Once you have clasped your
hands above your chest, look
at them first with your closed eyes. If you have moved easily enough,
you will see both physical and non-physical arms. Your physical arms will be at rest at your
sides or upon your chest. The sensory impressions will be with the
non-physical arms and hands above your physical body. You should test
this phenomenon as many times as you wish, however you desire.
Prove to yourself that you are moving not your physical arms, but something
else. Do it by whatever means are necessary to give you full assurance of
this reality.
It is important always
to return your non-physical arms to full conjunction with their
physical counterparts before "shutting off" the vibration state. Although
there may be no severe aftereffect if this is not done,
I think it best not to find out in the early stages.
Disassociation
technique.
The simplest method to use in separating from the physical is the "lift-out"
procedure. The intent here is not to travel to far-off places, but
to get acquainted with the sensation in your own room, with familiar
surroundings. The reason for this is that the first true experience will
then be examined and explored with identifiable points of
reference.
In order to assist in
this orientation, it is better that these first complete disassociation
exercises be conducted during daylight. Test for yourself your needs in regard
to the amount of light in the room. Avoid using an electric light if
possible.
To establish the condition, achieve the vibrational state, and maintain complete control of your
thought processes. You are going to stay only in the confines of your
familiar room. Think of getting lighter, of floating upward, of how nice
it would be to float upward. Be sure to think how nice it would be, as
the subjective associated thought is most important. You want to do this
because it is something you will respond to emotionally; you react even
before the act, in anticipation. If you continue to hold only these
thoughts, you will disassociate and float gently upward from your
physical. You may not achieve it the first time, or the second. But quite
surely, if you have accomplished the preceding exercises, you will achieve it.
A second method is the "rotation" technique, which has been mentioned elsewhere. Under the same
prescribed conditions, slowly try to turn over, just as if you were
turning over in bed to be more comfortable.
Make no attempt to
help yourself rotate with either arms or legs. Start turning by twisting the top
of your body, your head and shoulders, first. By all
means move slowly, exerting gentle but firm pressure. If you do not, you may become
loose and actually spin like a log rolling in water before you can alter the
pressure. Such action is disconcerting only because you may lose all
orientation and be forced to find your way back carefully in rotation
juncture.
The ease with which you begin to turn, with no friction or sense of weight, will inform you that
you have begun to succeed in disassociating. As this
happens, turn slowly until you feel that you have moved 180° (i.e.,
face to face with your physical body). It is uncanny how you will recognize
this position. This 180° about face is merely two 90° turns,
and without orientation, it is easy to sense, once you are in the
180° position, stop the rotation merely by thinking of doing so. Without
hesitation, think of floating upward, backing up away from the physical body.
Again, if you have reached the vibrational state successfully, this
method will surely bring results. Of the two separation
techniques, the first should be tried before the second. Then, after both have
been examined and tested, the one that seems easiest to you should be
utilized. Local experiments and familiarization. Once you have
succeeded in the separation process, it is most important for your own
objective continuity that you remain in complete control. The only
possible way to do this seems to be by staying close to the physical
in the early stages. Whatever you may feel emotionally, keep in close
proximity to the physical. This admonition is made not
because of any known danger, but so that you will maintain a step-by-step
familiarity and thus perceive for yourself exactly what is taking place.
Wild, uncontrolled trips at this stage may well produce uncomfortable
situations and conditions that will force you to re-learn much of what you
have already achieved. The process of mental acclimation will be
different from any you have ever consciously experienced The gradual
adaptation will greatly enhance your peace of mind and confidence. At this point, the principal
exercise is to return. Keep your separation distance no more than three
feet away, hovering over the physical. Do not make any attempt at this
time to move laterally or farther "up." How do you know how far away you
are? Again, this is something you sense. Your vision now is zero. You
have conditioned yourself not to open your eyes, and let them remain
closed for the moment. Stay close to the physical. The mental concept
of this will keep you in proper range. For the next three or four
exercises, do nothing but practice getting "out" and returning to the
physical. To return under these conditions, merely "think" yourself back
into the physical, and you will return. If you have used the first method
of separation, the reintegration is relatively simple. When you
are back in exact alignment, you will be able to move any portion of
the physical body and reactivate any or all of your physical senses. Each
time you return, open your physical eyes and physically sit up so that
you know you are completely "back together." This is to ensure
orientation, to instill confidence that you can return at will, and most
important, to assure yourself of continued contact with the material
world in which you now belong. Whatever you believe, this reassurance is
most necessary.
If you have applied the rotation method, move slowly back toward the physical, again by thinking of
it, and when you feel you have made complete contact, start your
rotation back 180° to conjunction with the physical. It seems to make no
difference whether you continue the circle of rotation or reverse and
turn back in a motion opposite to that which helped you release. In both techniques, there
seems to be a slight, clicklike jerk when you are again in conjunction with
the physical. An exact description of this sensation is quite difficult,
but you will recognize it.
Always wait a
few moments before sitting up after you have returned, primarily to avoid any possible uneasiness.
Give yourself some time to readjust to the physical environment. The
physical act of sitting up provides evidence of continuity in a
demonstrable form; you will know that you can consciously, willfully act in
a physical movement interspersed with experiments in the
non-physical environment and retain conscious awareness throughout the
process.
You will have completed the cycle when you are able to separate, return to the physical, sit up and
note the time, go back to the separation process, and return to the
physical a second time, all without loss of conscious continuity. The
notation of the clock reading will help in this.
The next step in
familiarization is to separate to a slightly farther distance, applying the same
procedures. Any distance up to ten feet will do. Always keep mental
concentration on a single purpose without stray thought patterns, especially
in these extended exercises. After you have become accustomed to the
feeling of being more "apart," mentally tell yourself that you can see. Do
not think of the act of opening your eyes, as this may well transmit you
to the physical and diminish the vibrational state. Instead,
think of seeing, that you can see - and you will see. There will be no
sensation of eye opening. The blackness will just disappear suddenly. At
first, your seeing maybe dim, as if in half-light, indistinct or myopic. It is
not known at present why this is so, but with use, your vision will
become more sharp.
The first sight of your physical body lying below you should not be unnerving if you have applied
the previous exercises. After you are satisfied that it is "you"
lying there, visually examine the room from the perspective of your
position. Mentally move slightly in one direction or another, slowly
and never violently. Move your arms and legs to reassure yourself of
your mobility. Roll around and cavort in the new element if you wish,
always staying within the prescribed range of the physical. At this stage, you may be
filled with strong desires which can be almost overwhelming. This is the
greatest problem you may face at the moment. These desires, appearing
unannounced and unexpectedly, are subjective and emotional, and can easily
submerge the deductive reasoning position you have built up so
carefully. The most important clue is to understand that they must not be labeled
evil or wrong. They simply exist, and you must learn to cope with them.
The rule is do not deny the existence of these desires. Recognize them
as a deep, integral part of you that cannot be "thought" away.
Until you do this, you will be unable to control them. These desires include freedom
(to revel in the release from physical limitations and gravitational
effects), sexual contact (first with a loved one, then at a strictly
sensory level), religious ecstasy (varying, based upon the
intensity of early life conditioning), and others that may originate in
unusual environmental experiences of the individual. The belief held
here is that everyone will have these subjective desires despite the
most stringent discipline and selfanalysis. What we speak of are those
elements far below surface consciousness that comprise
your own fundamental character and personality. As has been
explained earlier, these elements emerge because you are no longer just
a conscious, intellectual self. You are, perhaps for the first time, an
entirety (wholeness, completeness). Every part of you will be heard from and must be considered in
any action you take. The trick is to keep the conscious, reasoning you
(the one most cognizant of the physical world) in a dominant position.
It isn't easy.
Therefore, you will run into problems if you attempt a denial of self. Instead, you must accept these
sometimes surprising drives for what they are - a part of you - and go
on about your business. You cannot eliminate them, but you can set them
aside for the moment. Offer the promise of future fulfillment, and you
will have no resistance. These needs can understand diversion, as they
have been subjected to it for as long as you have lived!
When you have
reasonably dealt with these other parts of you, and have demonstrated this to your
satisfaction five to seven times in a near-separation condition (in the same room at
close vicinity), you are ready for more distant and specific
voyages. All of the foregoing presumes that you have overcome most of
the fears you have encountered up to this stage. If you have not, repeat
the exercises which produce fear until familiarity washes it away. Infallible return signal.
As noted, the fear of being unable to re-enter the physical is a basic
deterrent to leaving the body. In my early experimentation, I encountered
this problem many times. Happily, a solution was found whenever
this difficulty presented itself. After careful analysis of hundreds
of tests, an infallible technique was evolved. The only guarantee
that can be given is that it has continued to work for me.
First, if you have difficulty, don't panic. Above all, keep your rational thought
processes dominant. Terror only aggravates the situation. Internalize this
simple formula, and call upon it: to return to the physical from wherever
you are, think of your physical body.
Mentally begin to move
some part of your physical body. Move a finger or a toe. Physically take a deep,
deliberate breath of air. Reactivate your five physical senses, or any
one of them. Move your jaw. Swallow, or move your tongue. Any act that
must involve physical motion or use of physical energy will work. If
one doesn't immediately take effect, try another. Without question,
some such thought action will bring you back into the physical. It is
merely a question of which one works best with you.
When this technique is
applied, return is virtually immediate. It is an automatic direction finder and
rocket blast combined. Reintegration seems to be instantaneous when
this is used. However, this immediate return method eliminates your power
of choice or decision. Once it is put into effect, you cannot
stop it. You will return to the physical without any opportunity to
know what is happening, and how it is taking place. Thus it should be
thought of as an emergency reserve measure rather than a consistent step
in your methodology.
Under ordinary conditions, you should think of or feel the direction and location of your physical
body. Then, with no urgency and in a calm, willful manner, start to
return.
The mechanics of movement.
Now that you have set up the proper controls, including the emergency return
signal, you are ready for the most momentous step of all: to "go"
to a distant point and return. It is definitely not advisable
deliberately to attempt this exercise before you have completed all
previous tests and are at ease with them. It is quite possible that you may
have inadvertently gone to a distant point during the early stages. If
this is the case, you can recognize the importance of following a
procedure.
First, set your "aiming
point" Remember the rule: you must "go" to a person, not to a place. It may
be possible to achieve the latter if you have a deep emotional
attachment to the locale, but the experiments to date have shown little success
along this line. This, of course, may be due to the personality of the
writer.
Select the person
(living) whom you desire to visit. Choose someone you
know quite well. Do not inform this person that you are making the
test. This is most important so as to rule out any suggestion on his or
her part.
Make this selection
before you enter the vibrational state and before you start your
relaxation process.
Establish relaxation
and the vibrational state. Use your chosen method to separate. Move away to near
distance, six or seven feet from the physical. With your vision
still in "blackness," cautiously "think" of the person whom you plan to
visit. Think not
only of the name, but of
the personality and character of the person. Do not try to visualize a
physical being, for it is the reflection of the inner person that will
attract you, rather than the physical attributes.
As you think in this
pattern, turn yourself around slowly in a 360° rotation. Somewhere in the
circuit, you will "feel" the right direction. It is an intuitive thing, a
sureness that attracts you like a gentle magnet. Even so, you can check
for verification. Go past this point in your turn, and come back to
it. Again, you will sense it very strongly.
Stop, facing this
direction. Think that you have vision, and begin to see.
To give yourself motion
toward your destination, employ a total Second Body version of the "stretch,"
which you practiced in your first exercise with hand and arm.
The easiest method is to place your nonphysical arms over your head, thumbs
latched together like a diver about to plunge into water. With
your arms in this position, think of the person you wish to visit and
stretch your body in that direction. You may move fast or slowly,
depending upon the effort of this stretching action. The harder you
"stretch," the faster you go. At your destination, you will
automatically stop stretching without realizing it
To return, apply a
similar method. Think of your physical body, reach out and stretch, and you will
return promptly. Usually no more is required than this. There is
some speculation regarding the necessity of keeping your arms in the
diver's position. Originally, it was assumed that this stance would break a
path or ward off any encountered objects with the hands rather than the
head. It does help create the stretching action better than keeping the
arms at the sides.
There you have it. The foregoing may seem ritualistic, but it is not intended to. It may appear no
better than the magic formula of the Middle Ages. To date, there
are no explanations of why the technique works. Perhaps in the years to
come, interested and curious physicists, chemists, neurologists, and
other scientists will develop workable theories to fit the action. If
enough people undertake to examine it empirically, perhaps a new science will
result. In
the meantime, the boundaries can disappear for you, too, if you have courage and patience. The only
way you can accept and know this extended reality is to experience it
yourself.
Good luck !
18.
ANALYSIS OF EVENTS
p.229-240
How
did all of this happen? Was there some avenue or approach that made
sense? The best answer seemed to lie in data analysis. This precluded
use of the underground, the only area that considered or accepted my
"problem" as something beyond hallucination, since much of the
underground data dealt principally in vague generalities. I wanted
specifics. I reasoned that there must be some way to organize the
conflicting data
I was accumulating. So I began to extrapolate sound possibilities and
probabilities from what was known. The accepted method is to keep one
foot in the light and on solid rock as you step cautiously onto dark,
shifting grounds.
The known data were sequence of events, symptoms, and results. The sum
of my experience and experimentation fell easily into four chronological
stages.
PRELIMINARY
STAGE
This includes all events and activities prior to the symptom of solar
plexus cramp described earlier. Early life patterns disclosed two
instances of unexplained paradoxes that seemed relevant to this
research.
The first incident occurred when I was eight years old. I reported to my
parents a dream in which I sat in a room
paneled in red-brown wood. In one corner was a cabinet from which came
music and voices, which looked much like a vic-trola. In the front of
the cabinet was a window, and there were moving pictures in the window.
The voices from the cabinet matched what the people in the window seemed
to be saying. It was like the moving pictures shown at school except
that the people's words were heard rather than spelled out on the
screen. Also, the moving picture in the cabinet was colored just as
people and things really were. (Thirty years later I sat in a
mahoganypaneled
room and watched color television for the first time.) As best
as can be recalled, I had never seen any color motion pictures at the
age when the dream took place.
The second unusual event happened at the high school level at about age
fifteen. On a given Friday night, I had been looking forward expectantly
to a parry the next night I had estimated that my cash requirements for
the coming event were two dollars. The problem was to find a source for
the two dollars before Saturday night.
There had been no work available during the week to earn the money. For
one reason or another, my parents had been exhausted as a resource. No
prospect for work on Saturday was in sight. I went to bed Friday night
worrying over this immediate problem.
Upon awakening Saturday morning, I had an immediate vivid conviction
that two dollars were under an old plank lying outside on the ground
beside the house. I knew of the existence of the plank, as it had been
there for some time. However, I dismissed the idea as a wishful dream
and went down to breakfast.
After eating, still preoccupied with the dire financial problem, I
thought again of the board and the two dollars under it. Idly, in order
to dismiss the idea, I went outside and around the house to where the
plank lay on the ground. It looked undisturbed, half-covered with dirt
and leaves. It was impossible that someone could have inadvertently
"lost" some money or placed it under the board. Still, as long as I was
there, it wouldn't hurt to look just to get rid of the compulsion.
I pulled at the plank and raised it upward. There were hundreds of ants
and bugs on the damp dirt underneath, running frantically in all
directions. Also on the wet earth, in the center of the area where the
board had lain, were two folded, crisp, dry one-dollar bills.
I did not stop to consider how the money happened to be under the board.
I made no mention of the incident at the time, except to a friend. I was
too concerned that someone might claim the money. The problem for the
night was solved. The incident had been forgotten completely until
recalled under the personal history search.
There was nothing more. No great traumas, just a basic American
upbringing in a scholastic family. In view of the fact that it was a
"mental" problem, psychiatry seemed to be the answer. Still, no outward
evidence of the strong repressions, compulsions, anxieties, and/or
phobias which normally show up in mental illness could be found.
Close examination of the events leading up to the first out-of-the-body
symptom (the severe cramps) brings to light several factors which
deserve consideration. In the year immediately preceding the first
incident, there was only one relatively unusual physiological change.
During that year I had seven lower teeth capped in a rather lengthy
dental process. This was examined in detail in relation to the later
symptom of "tuning" the Second State condition by movements of the jaw.
It is possible that the bits of assorted metal comprising part of the
tooth-capping fabrication acted electrically or in some other fashion on
the brain. This still remains an unexplored possibility. Physicists,
physiologists, and electronics specialists have no theory relating to
this. Proper research could prove or disprove the hypothesis. There are
hundreds of thousands of people walking around with bits of metal in
their teeth, and other such incidents have been reported. A survey might
prove interesting.
There were no other physiological changes significant enough to be
recalled consciously. The only above-ordinary nutritional factor was
that of vitamin intake. Since my wife believed strongly in nutrition,
daily dosages of vitamins A, B complex, C, and E, plus mineral tablets,
had been a norm for several years. Again, a cumulative effect could have
been the cause, but no reports or research studies indicated any factors
resembling the Second State. Other than this, a normal diet was the
rule, with no major changes for five years at the least.
At the psychological and physical activity levels, there is much to be
noted. It is quite conceivable that the causes of the phenomenon lie
here.
The first consideration might be termed the anesthesia episode, which
took place some six months prior to the first symptom. The beginning
came when I noticed an unusual "heady" effect from the fumes of a gallon
can of contact cement. I was installing a cubbyhole desk top in the wall
of a bedroom at home when I became aware of the sensation. The can
clearly stated on the lid that the cement should be used in
wellventilated
areas. I correctly assumed that this was a fire-hazard
warning from the manufacturers.
The sensation reminded me of the strange effect I had experienced in the
past just as I was "going under" from anesthesia. Curious, I
experimented with the effect of the fumes a number of times in the
following month, with very significant results. Upon learning that the
