The Survival of Human Consciousness After Permanent Bodily ...

BeyondtheBrain

TheSurvivalofHumanConsciousnessAfterPermanentBodilyDeath

JeffreyMishlove

Singlefactscanneverbe“proved”exceptbytheircoherenceinasystem.But,asallfactscomesingly,anyonewhodismissesthemonebyoneisdestroyingtheconditionsunderwhichtheconvictionofnewtruthcouldariseinthemind.1

F. C.S.SchillerPhilosophyProfessorOxfordUniversity

1F.C.S.Schiller,“HumanSentimentastoaFutureLife.”ProceedingsoftheSocietyforPsychicalResearch,Vol.18,1903-1904,419-20.

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION:SOMEWHITECROWS

AnAfter-DeathCommunicationChangesMyLifePostmortemSurvival’sUniversalAcceptanceScientism’sDarkShadowTheNeedforaFrameworkDoestheBrainCreateConsciousness?TheastonishinghypothesisWilliamJames’filtrationtheory

HyperspaceandconsciousnessThequantumsoul

THEEVIDENCE

TheSpectrumofArrows

Near-DeathExperienceCardiacarresthospitalstudiesOut-of-BodyExperienceLifereviewsIndescribableloveSeeingthefutureNear-deathhealingpower

After-DeathCommunicationsPayingadebtKübler-Ross’transformativeafter-deathcommunication

ApsychotherapysystembornfromthegraveWhiletakingashowerAtthetimeofdeathThelate,communicativeElisabethTargInapsychotherapysessionInluciddreams

Prearrangedafter-deathcommunication

ReincarnationIanStevenson’smethodologyReincarnationandarchetypalsynchronisticresonancePatternsinthedata

IntermissionmemoriesAnnouncingdreams

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PeakinDarienExperiencesAnancientexampleAyoungnurse’ssurprisingdeathEbenAlexander’sProofofHeaven

PossessionTheWatsekaWonderTheShiva/SumitracaseImplicationsforpsychopathology

InstrumentalTransCommunicationKonstantinRaudive’sreturnAnabelaCardoso’svoices

PhonecallsfromthedeadAtextmessagefromthedead

XenoglossyTheJensenJacobycaseTheUttara/Sharadacase

MentalMediumshipLeonoraPiperFredericMyers’Return

GladysOsborneLeonard’smediumshipMediumlaunchesarevolution

ForensicevidenceprovidedbyamediumDiscarnatelaunchespsychotherapyapproachEnaTwiggandBishopJamesPikeLegalevidencefromChicoXavierMurderssolvedbymediumsTheGeorgeChapman/WilliamLangpartnershipTheMaróczy/Korchnoichessmatch

PhysicalMediumshipPreliminaryconsiderationsWalterStinson’sdiscarnatepersistenceTheScolegroup

THEFRAMEWORK:CONSCIOUSNESSBEYONDTHEBRAIN

ConsciousnessandPureLogicTheparsimonyprincipleKastrup’sanalyticalidealism

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PsychedelicResearch

TerminalLucidity

ExtrasensoryPerceptionandPsychokinesisThedataAbsenceoftheoryCanlivingagentpsiexplainthesurvivalevidence?

CONCLUSIONTheArgumentandtheEvidenceThePriceofIgnoringtheEvidenceAFinalThought

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

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NOTE: Per guidelines from the Bigelow Institute, I have placed graphics with embedded links to short video excerpts with witness and eyewitness testimony. They will allow you, if you choose, to see and hear the testimony of experiencers, observers, and scholars. They will play in a separate window. Each video’s length is shown in the thumbnail graphic’s lower right corner. When the testimony is about direct experience, the graphic is framed in red. If it is based on research and scholarship, the image is framed in blue.

It is not essential to watch the videos as their key content points are always included within the text.

INTRODUCTION:SOMEWHITECROWS

AnAfter-DeathCommunicationChangedMyLife

Itwasapeacefuldeath.

MyGreatUncleHarrySchwampassedawayonMarch26,1972.HediedinSheboygan,Wisconsin,atage84.Areligiouslyobservantman,heranasmall,cornergrocerystore.

HecamehomeafterattendingearlySundaymorningreligiousservices,satdowninhisfavoritechair,andpassedaway.InCaliforniaitwastwohoursearlier,7:30a.m.Iwasstillsleeping–capturedby,andabsorbedin,themostsurprising,vivid,andpowerfuldreamofmylife.

UncleHarryappearedandspoketomeaboutmylife,addressingpersonalissuesinawaythatpenetratedmetothecore.IcannotsayIknewHarrywellduringhislife.Hewasoverfiftyyearsmysenior.Iwas25yearsold.Yet,inthisdreamthatseemedmorerealthanwakingreality,wesharedasoul-to-soulcommunionthatdefieddescription.

Iawokeandwept,cryingjoyfultearsandsimultaneouslysingingaHebrewsong,AvinuMalkeinu,normallyreservedforthemostsacredJewishobservances.Somethingprofoundlybeautifulandtransformativehadtouchedme.NeitherbeforenorsincehaveIhadadreamembodyingsuchanintenselysublime,emotionalstate.

IimmediatelywrotehomeandaskedaboutUncleHarry,mentioningIhadadreamabouthimthatmorning.Twodayslater,assoonasshereceivedmyletter,mymotherphonedwiththenewsofhisdeath.Hervoicewassuffusedwithemotionwhensheaskedme,“Howdidyouknow?That’swhenhedied.”

2JeffreyMishlove,“MyGreatUncleHarry.”NewThinkingAllowedvideo(recordedonMarch4,2018).https://youtube.com/embed/n8089379hzc?start=144&end=310

Idescribethisexperienceinthenextvideo:2

Thereisonlyonereasonablewaytoaccountforthisevent,themostearthshakingandunforgettableofmyyounglife.UncleHarryactuallyvisitedmeinadreamwhenhedied.Extrasensoryperceptionalonedoesn’taccountfortheoverwhelminglypotentemotionsassociatedwithhispresence.UncleHarry’svisitationconvincedme,beyondalldoubt,thesoulexistsandsurvivesthephysicalbody’sdeath.

Iaskedmymotherforsomeobjectofhistorememberhimby.Withinaweek,IreceivedabookwithanotesayingithadbeenUncle

Harry’sfavorite.Tomysurprise,itwasabookofmysticalteachingstoriesaboutRabbiIsraelBaalShemTov,theeighteenth-centurymiracleworkerwhofoundedtheJewishChassidictradition.

That’showIlearnedUncleHarrywasamysticatheart.Whenhedied,hehadgiftedmewithabrief,yetunforgettable,tasteofanotherreality.

Igleanedfromthisindelibleexperiencethatpostmortemsurvivalispartofhumanity’slonghistoryofinner,mysticalexploration.HustonSmith,authorofTheWorld’sReligions,calledthephilosophybehindthisexplorationtheprimordialtradition.3,4

HustonSmithclaimedreligionsofeveryageandcultureheldunderstandingsincommon.Onesuchunifyingconceptisthesoul.Inthefollowing1987video,SmithandIdiscussthesoulanditsrelationshiptoscience.Whiletoday’ssciencewouldliketodenytheneedforsuchaconcept,Smithstatesneitherthesoulnorthespiritualrealityitimpliesisgoingaway.Itsurroundsus–evenifitisinvisibletoourinstrumentsandcannotbemeasured.5

3HustonSmith,TheWorld’sReligions.(NewYork:HarperOne,2009,2ndedition).4HustonSmith,ForgottenTruth:ThePrimordialTradition.(NewYork:Harper,1976).

ItriedtodiscussmyUncleHarryexperiencewithfacultyattheUniversityofCalifornia,whereIwasagraduatestudentintheSchoolofCriminology,withaclinicalpsychologyemphasis.Ireachedacompletedeadend.BasicallynooneIspoketoattheuniversityhadgivenanythoughttopostmortemsurvival.So,Iresolvedtobecomemyownexpert.

Withinayear,Ileftthecriminologyprogramwithamaster’sdegree.Takingadvantageofgraduatedivisionrules,Icreatedanindividual,interdisciplinarydoctoralmajoratBerkeleyinafieldthatraisedafeweyebrows– parapsychology.Iwasfortunatetofindprofessorsfrommultipledepartmentsinthewidespreaduniversitysystemwhowouldsponsorme.

In1980,Ireceivedwhatis–sadly,tothisday– theonlydoctoraldiplomainparapsychologyeverawardedbyanaccredited,Americanuniversity.

Myswitchincareerfocusfromcriminologytoparapsychologywasradical.Anexperience

5 Huston Smith, “The Primordial Tradition.” Thinking Allowed video, 1987. https://youtu.be/truXK4lemt0

lastingforonlyafewminuteswasthecatalystforthistransitionthatbecameapermanentfixtureofmylife.Suchextraordinarytransformationsaren’tuncommon.Theyaccompanymanyafter-deathcommunications.

WilliamJames,thefatherofAmericanpsychology,notedyouonlyneedtoproduceonewhitecrow–ifyouwishtodisprovethe

hypothesis,“Allcrowsareblack.”UncleHarry’sdreamvisitationwasmywhitecrow.Forme,it

disprovedthenullhypothesisthat

postmortemsurvivaldoesn’texist.Myexperiencealsohighlightstherelationshipbetweentheafterlifeandtherealmofdreams.Wewillseethroughoutthisinvestigationflocksofwhitecrows.Ofcourse,notallcrowsareblackorwhite.Somearegrey.Manydiscussionpointsandexamplesinthisessayareincludedtoprovidecontext.Nevertheless,dozensofevidentialexamplesremaininthisessay.Collectively,theycontributetoprovingbeyondanyreasonabledoubtthathumanconsciousnesssurvivesdeath.

PostmortemSurvival’sUniversalAcceptanceAbeliefinpostmortemsurvivalofconsciousnessiscommontoeveryculture,nationality,religion,andlinguisticgroupineveryregionandhistoricalperiodonEarth.6Everysingleone!Americans’beliefinlifeafterdeath,forexample,hasbeenstablefor75yearsatover70%.7

Thisconsistencyhasheldevenwhilereligiousaffiliationisdropping.8Itisn’tanaccident.Itdoesn’tmeanpeopleareincapableofrationalreasoning.Itresultsfromtheuniversalexperienceoftheevidence–comingfromflocksofwhitecrows.In1860,formerU.S.congressman,RobertDaleOwen,publishedascholarlybookonpostmortemsurvival–filledwithcredible,evidentialaccounts.9Manyreportsoverthelast161yearssinceOwen’sbookhave

6WilliamHowitt,TheHistoryoftheSupernatural:InAllAgesandNationsandInAllChurchesChristianandPaganDemonstratingaUniversalFaith.(Philadelphia:Lippencott,1863).7RoperCenterforPublicOpinionResearch,“ParadisePolled:AmericansandtheAfterlife.”RetrievedonJune17,2021.https://ropercenter.cornell.edu/paradise-polled-americans-and-afterlife.8PewResearchCenter,“InU.S.,DeclineofChristianityContinuesataRapidPace.”RetrievedonJuly16,2021.https://pewrsr.ch/2UnRrFn9RobertDaleOwen,FootfallsontheBoundaryofAnotherWorld.(Philadelphia:J.B.Lippincott&Co.,1860).

improvedtheconfidencewithwhichwecanacceptsurvivalafterdeath.Thereweresomeexceptionsbut,mostly,theearlyresearchersfromtheSocietyforPsychicalResearch–foundedin1882,toinvestigatetheparanormal–becameconvincedofsurvivalafterdeath.Theseaccomplishedindividualseachfoundtheirownwhitecrow:

SirWilliamCrookes,discovereroftheelementthallium10

GeraldBalfour,conservativemember,Parliament11

EleanorSidgwick,principle,NewnmanCollege,Cambridge12

SirOliverLodge,holderofkeypatentsforradio13

SirWilliamBarrett,professor,experimentalphysics,RoyalCollegeofScienceforIreland14

ArthurBalfour,UnitedKingdomprimeminister15

F.W.H.Myers,author,HumanPersonalityandItsSurvivalofBodilyDeath16

J.G.Piddington,honorarysecretary,SocietyforPsychicalResearch17

CamilleFlammarion,astronomerandauthor18

10SirWilliamCrookes,“SirWilliamCrookesandPsychicalResearch.”Light,Vol.36,1916,397.11GeraldW.Balfour,TheEarofDionysius:FurtherScriptsAffordingEvidenceofPersonalSurvival.(NewYork:HenryHolt,1920).12EleanorSidgwick,“TheSPR:AShortAccountofItsHistoryandWorkontheOccasionoftheSociety’sJubileein1932.”ProceedingsoftheSocietyforPsychicalResearch,Vol.41,1932,26.13SirOliverLodge,TheSurvivalofMan:AStudyinUnrecognizedHumanFaculty.(NewYork:GeorgeDoranCompany,1909).14SirWilliamBarrett,OntheThresholdoftheUnseen:AnExaminationofthePhenomenaofSpiritualismandoftheEvidenceforSurvivalAfter-death.(NewYork:E.P.Dutton,1918).15J.G.Piddington,“ArthurJames,EarlofBalfour.”JournaloftheSocietyforPsychicalResearch,Vol.26,April1930,60.

CesaréLombroso,fatherofmoderncriminology19

HerewardCarrington,researcherandauthor20

JamesHyslop,professorofphilosophy,ColumbiaUniversity21

Scientism’sDarkShadowUnfortunately,ourcurrenttechnologicaleraishistoricallyunusual.IrishBarristerJamesTunneyreferstoitas“thedarkageofscientism.”22Scientismisn’tthesameasscience.It’stheoppositeofsearchingfortruth.Scientismistheunquestionedbeliefthatthemechanistic,materialisticworldview–whichworkswellfortechnology–canprovideuswithacompleteexplanationofeverything.Inthisera,academics,scientists,and

16F.W.H.Myers,HumanPersonalityandItsSurvivalofBodilyDeath.2Vols.(LondonandNewYork:Longmans,1903).17J.G.Piddington,“PresidentialAddress.”ProceedingsoftheSocietyforPsychicalResearch,Vol.34,July1924,133.18CamilleFlammarion,DeathandItsMystery.3Vols.(NewYork:Century,1921-1923).19CesaréLombroso,AfterDeath–What?SpiritisticPhenomenaandTheirInterpretation.(Boston:Small,Maynard&Company,1909).20SylvanMuldoonandHerewardCarrington,ThePhenomenaofAstralProjection.(London:RiderandCo.,1951).21JamesH.Hyslop,LifeAfterDeath.(NewYork:E.P.Dutton,1918).22JamesTunney,TheMysteryoftheTrappedLight:MysticalThoughtsintheDarkAgeofScientism.(Independent,2020).

professionalslargelyignorethemassiveaccumulationofevidenceforpostmortemsurvival–asifitneverexisted.

Thenextvideo,from1989,iswithartificialintelligencepioneerMarvinMinsky.Heexemplifiesthisattitude–theoppositeofthatexpressedbyHustonSmith.Hevoicestheopinionthathumanconsciousnessisrathertrivial,aswearemostlyunawareofourinternalprocesses.Heevenproclaimsthathumanbeingsarethe“greatestmachineintheworld”andtothinkotherwiseistoshowalackofproperrespectforourselves.23

Thismodernist,materialistethoshasincorporatedanunfoundedpresumptionofnon-survival.Yet,bothcontemporaryandhistoricalevidence,consistentwithperennialexperience,certainlyrebutsthisblindingprejudice.

Somethinkthismodernistviewistherootofmanyproblemsfacinghumanitytoday–suchasalienation,violence,andpollution.The

23 Marvin Minsky “On the Human as Machine.” Thinking Allowed (recorded in 1989). https://youtu.be/NhBWNjZ7xD4

SwisspsychiatristCarlJungaddressesthissituationinhisbook,ModernManinSearchofaSoul.Humanitypaysaheavypriceforignoringtheevidenceforsurvivalofconsciousness,athemeIreturntointheconclusion.

Onealternativetothisblanketdismissaloftheevidenceforsurvivalafterdeathiscalledlivingagentpsi.Psiistheparapsychologicaltermforextrasensoryperception(i.e.,telepathy,clairvoyance,andprecognition)andpsychokinesis(ormind-over-matter).Livingagentpsiasahypothesisdoesn’trequireaspiritworld.Ittriestoexplainsurvivalevidenceasresultingfrompsychictalentamongonlytheliving.Nevertheless,evenextrasensoryperceptionandpsychokinesisarestilltabootopicswithinacademia.

Forexample,arecentarticlebytwoprominentpsychologists,ArthurReberandJamesAlcock,inTheSkepticalInquirermakestheirprofoundlyunscientific“skeptical”positionclearwhentheyclaim:

Parapsychologicalclaimscannotbetrue…thedataareirrelevant.24

Thisuntenablepositionreflectsthemainstreamacademicapproachtoparapsychology.That’swhy,fourdecadessincereceivingmydoctorateinparapsychology,therehavebeennoothers

24ArthurS.ReberandJamesE.Alcock,“WhyParapsychologicalClaimsCannotBeTrue.”TheSkepticalInquirer,Vol.43(4),July/August2019.RetrievedonJune14,2021.https://skepticalinquirer.org/2019/07/why-parapsychological-claims-cannot-be-true/

awardedbyanyaccredited,Americancollegeoruniversity!IreturntolivingagentpsijustbeforetheConclusionandsharefivereasonswhyitdoesn’texplainawaytheevidencefavoringpostmortemsurvival.Everyspiritualmediumintoday’sworldissubjecttounfoundedassumptionsaboutfraudulentbehavior.In1898,thebrilliantpsychologistWilliamJamesengagedinadebateinSciencemagazineaboutLeonoraPiper’smediumship,whichhedefended.Outragedbythecareless,mediocreargumentsusedtodismisstheevidenceaboutPiper,hedescribedthesituationwithstarksarcasm:

Mediumsarescientificoutlaws,andtheirdefendantsarequasi-insane.Anystickisgoodenoughtobeatdogsofthatstripewith.25

Insteadofassumingthemediumisinnocentuntilprovenguilty,theassumptionisthemediummustbefraudulentorterriblydeluded.Thestrongestevidenceisignored.Solidparapsychologicalevidenceisattackedasmerelyanecdotal,andhopefulthinking.AsDavidHume,aScottishEnlightenmentphilosopher,wroteinblankterms:

25WilliamJames,“Mrs.Piper,‘TheMedium’.”Science,Vol.VII(175),May6,1898,641.26DavidHume,AnInquiryConcerningHumanUnderstanding.(Indianapolis:Hackett,1993.Kindleedition.Originallypublished1748.)Location1903of3369.

…nohumantestimonycanhavesuchforceastoproveamiracle.26

Hume’sthinkingwaswell-intentionedasasafeguardagainstsuperstitionandreligiousexcess.Nevertheless,whenappliedtopsychicalresearchandparapsychology,ithasbecomeawedgeusedagainstgenuinescientificprogress.Theargumentforpostmortemsurvivalisfarfromtryingtoproveamiracle.Toalargeextent,itisbasedonphenomenology–“thestudyofthestructuresofconsciousnessasexperiencedfromthefirst-personpointofview.”27WilliamJames,alsooneofAmerica’sgreatestphilosophers,linkedphenomenologytoexperimentalscienceinhisfinalargumentonRadicalEmpiricism.ItwasanimportantstepinchallengingDavidHume’srejectionofhumantestimony.Jameswasadamant:

…empiricismmustneitheradmit…anyelementthatisnotdirectlyexperienced,norexclude…anyelementthatisdirectlyexperienced.28

Besidesacceptinghumantestimonyasimportantevidence,myessayisbasedonametaphysicalworldviewwherepostmortemsurvivalcanbestbethoughtofasnatural.

27StanfordEncyclopediaofPhilosophy.RetrievedonJuly13,2021.https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/phenomenology/28WilliamJames,EssaysinRadicalEmpiricism.(NewYork:LongmanGreen,1912).

Thescoffersarealmostcertainlycorrectwhentheyclaimthatneitherpostmortemsurvivalnorpsicanoccurinauniversecomposedofonlymeaningless,deadmatter.However,theirargumentsdon’tadequatelyaddressthemassivephenomenologicalevidence.Nordotheyexplainhowconsciousness,itself,canexistinsuchauniverse.Iarguethatconsciousness,ofanykind,occursbecausetheuniverseisaliveandmindlike.

TheNeedforaFramework

Wehavehadexcellentevidenceforpostmortemsurvivalforover160years.Thisevidencehasalwaysbeenwidelyaccepted,especiallybythosewhohavetakenthetimeandtroubletostudyitcarefully.However,withveryfewexceptions,academicandscientificinstitutionstreatthisevidenceasifitneverexisted.

Theharshtreatmentgivenparapsychology,andtheolderdisciplineofpsychicalresearch,needsanantidote.Werequireacognitiveframeworktointegrateevidenceregardinghumanconsciousnesssurvivingafterbodilydeath.

Thefollowingvideoexcerpt,takenfromaconversationwithfuturistWillisHarmanin1994,expressesmyoverallapproach.HarmanpointedtoDarwin’stheoryofevolution.Hesuggestedweneedabigpictureintegratingconsciousness,whichincludeslife

29 Willis Harman, “Metaphysics and Science.” Thinking Allowed video, 1994. https://youtu.be/nSHpEY6-44I

afterdeath,intoscience–aframeworkincludingreality’smetaphysicalfoundations.Hestatestheneed:

…notthatweknowallaboutsomeofthesethings;notthatwe’veproven,insomesense,thattheyallexisteverytimethey’rereported.Butthatthereseemstobeenoughofthatkindofdatathatweneedaframeworktoincludeitall.29

IreplytoHarmanwecan’texplainnormalconsciousnessifwedon’tconsiderallthedata–everythingweknowaboutconsciousness.Thatexplanationwilldifferfromthescientisticthinkingthatrefusestoevenacknowledgethewhitecrowdata,letaloneitsimplications!

Paranormaldatashedscruciallightonthenatureandpowerofhumanconsciousness.

SinceHarmanholdsDarwin’stheoryasanidealmodelforanew,scientificframework–itisespeciallyinterestingthatAlfredRusselWallace,theco-discovererofthetheoryof

evolutionbynaturalselection,wasaforcefuladvocateforthevalidityofpostmortemsurvival.Hewrote:

…theso-calledsupernatural,asdevelopedinthephenomenaof…modernSpiritualism,isanexperimentalsciencewhichmustaddgreatlytoourknowledgeofman’struenatureandhighestinterests,andthereforedemandsanhonestandathoroughexamination.30

AlfredRusselWallace(1823-1913)

Wallaceclaimednaturalselectioncouldoperatewithinahigherlaw:

…justassurelyaswecantracetheactionofnaturallawsinthedevelopmentoforganicforms,andcanclearlyconceivethatfullerknowledgewouldenableustofollow

30AlfredRusselWallace,TheScientificAspectoftheSupernatural.(London:F.Farrah,1866),57.

stepbystepthewholeprocessofthatdevelopment,sosurelycanwetracetheactionofsomeunknownhigherlaw,beyondandindependentofallthoselawsofwhichwehaveanyknowledge.31

Thishigherlawconcernsconsciousness,mind,orspiritintheuniverse–independentofthebrain.DifferentculturesandhistoricalerasexpresswhatHustonSmithhascalledtheprimordialtraditiondifferently.Buttheyallshareacommonthread,“thephenomenalworlds[includingthebrain]owetheirexistencetouniversalmind.”32Whilethisidea–knownasmetaphysicalidealism–mayseemradical,itisthesimplest,mostparsimoniousresolutionofthemind-bodyproblem(atopictowhichIshallreturn).

DoestheBrainCreateConsciousness?

ThephilosopherBertrandRussellrejectedbeliefintheafterlife,claimingthedeathofthebrainpermanentlywipesoutaperson’smemoriesandcharacter:

Weallknowthatmemorymaybeobliteratedbyaninjurytothebrain…Inviewofsuchfamiliarfacts,itseemsscarcelyprobablethatthemindsurvivesthetotaldestructionofbrainstructure…[that]occursatdeath.Itis

31AlfredRusselWallace,ContributionstotheTheoryofNaturalSelection.(London:Macmillan,1871),333.32Smith,ForgottenTruth,171.

notrationalarguments,butemotions,thatcausebeliefinafuturelife.33

Peopleoftenaccept,withoutquestionorexamination,Russell’sopinionasthebedrockofscientificorthodoxy

Theastonishinghypothesis.BertrandRussell’sbeliefthatconsciousnessisaproductofneurologicalactivityremainstodayanunconfirmedhypothesis.NobellaureateFrancisCrick,DNApioneerandauthorofTheAstonishingHypothesis,34expressesarefreshinglytruthfulscientificattitude.Inthisvideofrom1995,Crickacknowledgesthereligiousviewfavoringanafterlifemightwellbecorrect.35

Infact,forthelasthalf-century,leadingneuroscienceresearchershavechallengedtheideathebrain’sworkingscanaccountforconsciousness.Inthenextvideo,

33BertrandRussell,WhyIamnotaChristian(RoutledgeClassics,TaylorandFrancis.KindleEdition),(p.44).34FrancisCrick,TheAstonishingHypothesis.(NewYork:Scribners,1995).35 Francis Crick, “The Scientific Search for the Soul, I.” Thinking Allowed video, 1995. https://youtu.be/dRIAnxt75ps

neurosurgeonEbenAlexandercitestherenownedbrainscientistWilderPenfield’spioneeringwork.Penfieldarguedthatbrainfunctionaccountsforneithermemorynorfreewill.Hebasedthisassessmentonhismanystudiesinvolvingbothelectricalstimulationandresectionofthebrain.36,37

WilliamJames’filtrationtheory.EvenMartinGardner,anarch-scofferofeverythingparanormal,hasacknowledgedpostmortemsurvival!Inafascinatingbookchapterfrom1983titled“Immortality:WhyIDoNotThinkItImpossible,”Gardner’sopinionwentevenfurtherthanFrancisCrick.38

GardnerbuiltuponWilliamJames’1897filtrationtheoryofbrainfunction.Thishypothesislikensthebraintoafilterorreducingvalve,notthesourceofconsciousness.Thebrainaccessesmind-at-

36EbenAlexander,“IntegratingtheNear-DeathExperience.”NewThinkingAllowedvideo(recordedonSeptember6,2018).https://www.youtube.com/embed/lK3xsZpU3zw?start=1998&end=210537WilderPenfield,MysteryoftheMind:ACriticalStudyofConsciousnessandtheHumanBrain.(Princeton,NJ:PrincetonUniversityPress,1975).38MartinGardner,TheWhysofaPhilosophicalScrivener.(NewYork:Quill,1983),307-325.

large,oruniversalconsciousness,inallitsmagnificentpotency.Thenthebrainplacesintothespotlightofawarenessareducedlevelmostusefulforbiologicalsurvival.Jamespresentedthistheoryasawayofaccountingforlifeafterdeath.39

WilliamJameshadanunusualabilitytotakethecomplexandmakeitsimple.Histheory–thebrainisthefilter,ratherthanthesourceofconsciousness–isoneofhispowerfulandeasytograspideas.Atthesametimethereissubstantialempiricalresearchtoreinforcethishypothesis.Wewillseethislaterinstudiesofpsychedelics,terminallucidity,extrasensoryperception,andpsychokinesis.

Gardneralsodrewupontheworkoftwonineteenth-centuryScottishphysicists,BalfourStewartandPeterGuthrieTait.40Basedontheirthinking,hearguedthebrainitselfcouldbeathree-dimensional“surface”ofamuchgreater,higher-dimensionalself.Whatwethinkofasdeathisthe“shufflingoffofourthree-spacemortalcoil”…whilethehigher-dimensionalselfcontinues.41

Hyperspaceandconsciousness.Gardner’sinstinctabouthyperspacewascorrect.Workonhyperspacemathematicsandphysicshasmadestridesinrecentdecades.42Inthefollowingvideosegment,physicistBernardCarr,emeritusastronomyandmathematics

39WilliamJames,“OnHumanImmortality,”inWilliamJames:Writings1878-1899ed.E.M.Gerald(Original1898).(NewYork:LibraryofAmerica,1992).1100-1127.40BalfourStewartandPeterGuthrieTait,TheUnseenUniverse:OrPhysicalSpeculationsonaFutureState.(London:Macmillan,1879).41Gardner,TheWhys,324.

professoratQueenMaryUniversityofLondon,explainshowlinkingthemathematicsofhigherdimensionalspacecouldaccountforothermentalspaces:dreamspace,out-of-bodyspace,near-deathspace,apparitionspace,andmysticalspace.Theyallseemtoneedaspaceoutsideofordinaryphysicalspace.Andahigher-dimensionalselfwouldsupplyamplespace.43

Carrsuggestshyperspacehierarchiesformauniversalstructurethatwillhelpusbetterunderstandparanormalityandmysticalexperiences.Itwillalsohelpsolveconventionalproblemssuchasnormalmentalexperienceandtherelationshipbetweenquantumandclassicalversionsofphysics.Theideaofhyperspaceoccursinesoterictraditions.Whatisnewislinkingmentalspacedescriptionstothehigherdimensionsdescribedinphysics.

42Saul-PaulSirag,ADEXTheory:HowtheADECoxeterGraphsUnifyMathematicsandPhysics.(Hackensack,NJ:WorldScientific,2016).43BernardCarr,“Hyperspace,Consciousness,andTime.”NewThinkingAllowedvideo(recordedonJuly24,2020).https://youtube.com/embed/30JTeWttTac?start=3414&end=3511

Philosophicalschoolsrelatedtothemind-bodyproblemgenerallydivideintothreecategories:(1)materialistsandphysicalistswhoclaimconsciousnessisaproductofthebrain;(2)dualistswhobelievemindandmatterareseparateanddistinctaspectsofreality;and(3)idealistswhoseetheentirephysicaluniverseexistingwithinmind-at-large(i.e.,theuniverse’slivingconsciousnessthatisthegroundofallbeing).

Ahyperspaceapproachtoconsciousnesscouldexplainpostmortemsurvivalevidencewithinallthesemetaphysicalapproaches.However,asIelaboratenearthisessay’sConclusion,metaphysicalidealismisthemosteconomicalandlogicalapproach.Itresolvestheparadoxesassociatedwithmaterialismanddualism,withnounnecessaryassumptions.Metaphysicalidealismisalsoconsistentwiththeprimordialtradition.

Thehyperspaceapproachtoscienceandconsciousnesshasahistorygoingbackover100yearswithmanyscholarsandscientists– includingJ.C.F.Zöllner,MichaelWhiteman,RussellTarg,EdMay,HalPuthoff,ElizabethRauscher,VernonNeppe,andEdwardClose–offeringalternativeversions.44

44BernardCarr,“HyperspatialModelsofMatterandMind,”inBeyondPhysicalism:TowardReconciliationofScienceandSpirituality,eds.EdwardKellyetal.,(Lanham,MD:Rowman&Littlefield,2015),227-273.45C.A.Meier,ed.,AtomandArchetype:ThePauli/JuneLetters,1932-1958.(Princeton,NJ:PrincetonUniversityPress,2014).46WilsonVanDusen,ADimensionTheoryoftheNatureofMind.Doctoraldissertation.UniversityofOttawa,1957.RetrievedonJuly23,2021.https://ruor.uottawa.ca/bitstream/10393/20911/1/DC53485.PDF

OnefindsrelatedhyperspaceapproachestoconsciousnessinNobellaureatephysicistWolfgangPauli’sJungiandreamwork–whereanarchetypalfigurepresentedatheoreticalmodeltohim.45WilsonVanDusen,whoseworkinpsychologyismentionedlaterinthesectiononpossession,wroteadoctoraldissertationonahyperspacetheorythatwasseriouslyreviewedincorrespondencebetweenthegreatSwisspsychiatristCarlG.JungandWolfgangPauli.46,47

Carracknowledges,“perhapsthemostmathematicallysophisticatedattempttoconnectmatterandconsciousnessthroughhigherdimensionshascomefromSaul-PaulSirag,”aspublishedinanAppendixtothe2ndeditionofTheRootsofConsciousness.48,49

47Meier,ed.,AtomandArchetype.48Carr,“HyperspacialModels,”239.49Saul-PaulSirag,“Consciousness:AHyperspaceView,”inJeffreyMishlove,TheRootsofConsciousness:TheClassicEncyclopediaofConsciousnessStudiesRevisedandExpanded.(Tulsa,OK:CouncilOak,1993).327-365.RetrievedonApril24,2021.http://www.williamjames.com/Theory/Consciousness.pdf

Inthenextvideofromthelate1980s,mathematicianandtheoreticalphysicistSiragexplains–basedonhisowntheoreticalmodel–thatconsciousnessexistsinhyperspace.Siragalsosaysour4-Dspacetimematrixisalsoembeddedwithinhyperspace.Thus,themindisn’tinthebody.Instead,thebody–and,infact,theentirephenomenalworld–isinmind-at-large.Ofcourse,itisalsoveryreal.Inotherwords,ourownmindsareaprojectionfromamuchgreatermind.50

Thequantumsoul.Thelackofanacceptedtheoryexplaininghowsubjectiveexperienceandthenervoussysteminteractwitheachotherhashamperedprogressinthescientificstudyofconsciousness.ThemostsophisticatedandtestableconsciousnesstheoryistheOrchestratedObjectiveReduction(ORCHOR)modeldevelopedbyStuartHameroff,ananesthesiologistanddirectoroftheCenterforConsciousness

50 Saul-PaulSirag,“ConsciousnessandHyperspace.”ThinkingAllowedvideo.https://youtu.be/2LLv9yWJ_Vg51 StuartHameroff,“’OrchOR’istheMostComplete,andMostEasilyFalsifiableTheoryofConsciousness.”CognitiveNeuroscience,Vol.12(2),2020,74-76.

StudiesattheUniversityofArizona,andNobellaureatemathematicalphysicistandphilosopherRogerPenrose.51HameroffandPenrosehypothesizeconsciousnessoccursatthequantumlevel,insidetinymicrotubuleswithinneurons.Scientificteststosupportordisprovethistheoryarecurrentlyunderway.

Inthefollowingvideo,StuartHameroffexplainsthattheORCHORtheorydoesn’tconflictwithpostmortemsurvival.Hedoesn’tdenynear-deathexperiences,reincarnation,andout-of-bodyexperiences.Hespeculatesjusthowreincarnationmightwork.Hecharacterizestheselfasa“quantumsoul”thatcouldsupportentanglementandcoherenceoutsidethephysicalbody.52

StuartHameroffrespectfullydescribestheevidenceforreincarnationasanecdotal.However,thiscase-historyevidenceiswell-researchedwithfargreatercorroborationthancanbeexpectedfrommereanecdotes.Thereincarnationevidenceconstitutesa

52StuartHameroff,“ConsciousnessandtheBrain,PartSix:SpiritualImplications.”NewThinkingAllowedvideo(recordedonAugust5,2015).https://youtube.com/embed/jPlBGdZLwTE?start=1091&end=1195

giantwhitecrow(comprising1,700solvedcases).MyownsubjectiveUncleHarryexperienceandextensiveexplorationwithexperiencersandexperts,aswellashistoricandcontemporaryscientificstudiesoftheparanormalandofconsciousness,haveamassedarangeofevidencethatabsolutelyrebutsthemodern,unfoundedassumptionthatconsciousnessisextinguishedwiththephysicalbody’sdeath.Thisevidenceispresentedinthenextsection.Aftertheevidenceispresented,Ifurtherelaborateacognitiveframeworkwithinwhichpostmortemsurvivalisanaturaloccurrence.

THEEVIDENCE

TheSpectrumofArrowsThebestevidenceinfavorofanafterlifearethemultiple,independentinvestigationapproachesallpointing,indifferentways,topostmortemsurvival.Thissectionincludesninecategoriesofinquiry.Theyarepresentedhere,inclockwiseorder,astheyarediscussedinthissection.Ineachcase,criticshaveraisedobjectionstowhichresearchershavecarefully,andsuccessfully,responded.Salientdebatepointsarecovered.

Letusexaminetheevidenceoftheseninedistinctdomainspointingtosurvivalofconsciousness.Whileeachindividualarrowdepictedinthepreviousgraphicisstrong,whenunitedasawhole,theyarevirtuallyinvincible.ThepowerofthismetaphormotivatedtheAmericanfounderstoformaunionofstates.That’swhytheGreatSealoftheUnitedStatesshowsaneagleclutchingthirteenarrows,thethirteenoriginalstates.

ThearrowsintheGreatSealrefertopoliticalstrength.However,thesameprincipleholdsabouttheinvincibilityoftheevidenceforpostmortemsurvival.Thisisbasic,inductivereasoning.Referringtotheearlierwhitecrowmetaphor,eachofthenineapproachesinthissectionholdsmultiplewhitecrowexamples.

53ColinRollo,“ThomasBayesandtheBundleofSticks,”ProceedingsoftheSocietyforPsychicalResearch.Vol.55,December1967,23-64.54PeterSturrock,“AppliedScientificInference.”JournalofScientificExploration,Vol.8(4),1994,491–508.

Thescoffers’argumentsemploytheleakybucketmetaphor.Ifindividualbucketsdon’tholdwater,thencollectivelytheyalsodon’tholdwater.Ultimately,therearetechnical,probabilistic,andstatisticalfactorstobeconsideredinweighingthesetwoapproaches.In1967,ColinRollopublishedapaperevaluatingthiscontroversyinfinedetail.Hereachedthefollowingconclusionaboutargumentsfrombundlesofarrows:

…theyareconsistentwithsoundscientificmethod…manyofthe[leakybucket]criticismsmadeareuponanalysismuchmorevulnerabletothechargesofprejudiceandinconsistencythantheprocedurestheyattack.53

Rolloisn’ttheonlyonetomakethispoint.PeterSturrock,aSocietyforScientificExplorationfounder,reachedasimilarconclusionaboutthebundleofarrowsargumentbasedonBayes’well-knowntheoremforcombiningprobabilities.54

Near-DeathExperiences

Researchershavecollectedthousandsofnear-deathexperiencereports.Undoubtedly,millionsofindividualshavehadsuchexperiencesinvolvingcharacteristicsvaryingonlyslightlyfromculturetoculture.55,56

55RaymondMoody,LifeAfterLife.(NewYork:HarperCollins,2015,3rdedition).56BruceGreyson,After:ADoctorExploresWhatNearDeathExperiencesRevealAboutLifeandBeyond.(NewYork:St.Martins,2021).

Almostallthesepeoplereportbeingconvincedtoacertaintythatconsciousnesssurvivesdeath.Theobviouscriticismoftheseexperiencesasevidenceforpostmortemsurvivalis,sinceexperiencersinevitablyreturntotheirbody,theywereneverdead.So,theirexperiencecan’tbeaboutactualdeath.Amorerealisticinterpretationistheirexperiencesreflectthepostmortemstate’searlystages.

ThefollowingvideosegmentiswithBruceGreyson,aphysicianwhohasbeenresearchingnear-deathexperiencesfornearlyahalf-century.Becausenear-deathexperiencesshowmentalactivityintheabsenceofbrainfunction,heclaimstheyconstituteevidencepointingtopostmortemsurvivalofmind.57

Theconsciousnessrealmsdescribedinnear-deathreportsaredetailed.Theytypicallyclaimtheafterlifeismorerealthanwakingphysicalreality.Inthenextvideo,EbenAlexander,authorofseveralbooksabouthis

57BruceGreyson,“ResearchingNear-DeathExperiences.”NewThinkingAllowedvideo(recordedonApril2,2021).https://youtube.com/embed/ddlpApa3XSs?start=1158&end=1239

ownnear-deathexperience,offershispersonalrecollectionofthesupersensiblerealitywherehebelievesourphysicalfour-dimensionalspacetimeisembedded.Itincluded“colorsbeyondtherainbow,”andswoopinggoldenorbsoflight,sparklinggoldentrails.Chants,anthemsandhymnswouldthunderthroughhisawareness.Asapureawarenessspeck“onabutterfly,”hedidn’tmerelywitnessthisreality.Hebecameonewithit,therefore“youcanessentiallyseethrougheverything.”58

Cardiacarresthospitalstudies.Inthenextvideo,PimvanLommel,aDutchcardiologistandauthorofConsciousnessBeyondLife:TheScienceofNear-DeathExperience,59describescontrolledstudiesinvolvingpatientswhoexperiencedcardiacarrestinhospitals.Fiveindependentstudieshavebeenpublishedinvolving562patientswhosurvivedcardiacarrest.Between10%and20%reportedhavinganear-deathexperience.VanLommelreportsthatneitherphysiologicalnorpsychologicalfactorscanaccountfortheir

58EbenAlexander,“IntegratingtheNear-DeathExperience.”https://youtube.com/embed/lK3xsZpU3zw?start=1325&end=146559PimvanLommel,ConsciousnessBeyondLife.(NewYork:HarperCollins,2010).

experience.Thisiscontrarytothecarelessopinionsofferedbyscoffers.

Weknow,duringcardiacarrest,thereisnobrainfunctionleft.So,wewouldexpectnoconsciousexperienceatallduringcardiacarrest.60

Out-of-bodyexperience.Inthenextvideotestimony,ElizabethKrohn,coauthorwithJeffreyKripalofChangedinaFlash:OneWoman’sNear-DeathExperienceandWhyaScholarThinksItEmpowersUsAll,providesafirst-persondescriptionoffloatingintheairoutsideherbodyafterlightningstruckher.Shefollowedherscreamingchildrenintoasynagoguelobby.Then,whenshelookedbackoutsidethroughawindowshesawherphysicalbodylayingonthegroundintheparkinglot.Shesawthatherumbrellawassmokingandthesolesofhernewshoeshadbeen“blownoff.”Thenwhenshelookedat

60PimvanLommel,“ScienceoftheNear-DeathExperience.”NewThinkingAllowedvideo(recordedonMarch18,2019).https://www.youtube.com/embed/ruXn8FHGe7s?start=545&end=59561ElizabethKrohn,“ThePoweroftheNear-DeathExperience,Part1.”NewThinkingAllowedvideo(recordedonDecember20,2018).https://www.youtube.com/embed/S_Yomwcod3E?start=1161&end=1207

whatwemightcallherspiritbody,hershoeswereinperfectcondition.However,shenoticedforthefirsttimethatshewashoveringafewinchesabovetheground.61

Lifereviews.Onefascinatingfeatureincludedinmanynear-deathreportsisthelifereview.Theseeventssuggestarealmwheretimeiscompressedcomparedtophysicaltimeandwheretheboundariesbetweenindividualmindsarepermeable.Intheupcomingvideo,BarbaraHarrisWhitfield,whowasbothanear-deathresearcherandexperiencer,describesalifereviewthatincludedherdeceasedgrandmother’sthoughtsandfeelings.62

62BarbaraHarrisWhitfield,“ImplicationsoftheNear-DeathExperience.”NewThinkingAllowedvideo(recordedonMarch1,2016).https://youtube.com/embed/89mkpyuw428?start=278&end=344

Inthefollowingvideo,IconversewithEbenAlexanderabouttheparadoxofcompletelifereviewstakingplaceinarelativelyshorttime.Heexplains,webecomeonewiththescenesandobjectsoftheexperienceinthenear-deathstate.Hecallsthat“knowledgethroughidentification.”Onecan,therefore,realizemanythingssimultaneously.Earthtimeisn’tfundamental.Thereisadeepertimestructuretaking“soulgrowth”intoaccount.Headdsthatlanguagelimitsourabilitytounderstandtheseexperiences.63

PimVanLommelalsointerviewedpatientsreportingalifereviewaspartoftheirnear-

63EbenAlexander&KarenNewell,“AnOpen-EndedConversation.”NewThinkingAllowedvideo(recordedonMay12,2021).https://youtube.com/embed/A2gMBnR6Qs4?start=2087&end=2164

deathexperiences.Inthenextvideo,hesayspeopleclaimtoreliveeverythoughttheyhaveeverhadcombinedwithanintimateknowledgehowone’sbehavioraffectsothers.Ultimately,thelessonspeoplederivefromtheirlifereviewsareaboutbecomingmoreopenandloving.Theexperienceinspirespeopletochangetheirlives.64

Indescribablelove.Anessentialfeatureofmanynear-deathstates,towhichvanLommelalludedabove,isfeelingoverwhelminglypowerfullove.ThenextvideoisanothertestimonialfromElizabethKrohn.Sheemphasizesunconditionallove–morepervasivethananythingshehadexperiencedevenasamother,beyondthecapabilityoflanguagetodescribe,andsopenetratingthatshebecameonewiththatincrediblefeeling.65

64PimvanLommel,“Scienceof.”https://youtube.com/embed/ruXn8FHGe7s?start=667&end=73265Krohn,“ThePower.”https://www.youtube.com/embed/S_Yomwcod3E?start=1542&end=1608

Seeingthefuture.ElizabethKrohnalsoreportedreceivingextensiveprecognitiveknowledgeduringhernear-deathexperience– includingthe1988,GeorgeH.W.Bush,presidentialelectionoutcomeandthattheCincinnatiBengalswouldplayinthe1989Superbowl.66

Inthefollowingvideo,vanLommelexplainshowforeknowledgeisafeaturefoundinnear-deathreports.Hedescribestheexperienceasakintodéjàvu–as,perhapstenyearslater,individualswillrecognizeanexperienceasonetheyforesawduringtheirnear-deathexperience.67

66ElizabethKrohnandJeffreyJ.Kripal,ChangedinaFlash.(Berkeley:NorthAtlanticBooks,2018),29.67PimVanLommel,“Scienceof.”https://www.youtube.com/embed/ruXn8FHGe7s?start=1161&end=1191

Near-deathhealingpower.Onesingularlyimportantpieceofevidenceassociatedwiththenear-deathstateisEbenAlexander’scompletecerebralcortexregeneration.BruceGreysonexaminedthemedicalrecords,over600pages,withtwootherphysicians.PussfromarareinfectionfilledAlexander’scranium.HisGlasgowComaScaleresultindicatedminimalbrainfunction.Thethreephysiciansallagreedtherewaslessthanaonepercentchanceofsurvivalandnopossibilityofanormalrecovery.AsGreysondescribesinthenextvideo,“Thisguywasasdeadasyoucanbewithouthavinghisheartstop.”68

Yet,EbenAlexandertodayisabest-sellingauthorandpublicspeakerwhoisfunctioningatahighcognitivelevel.Asthenextvideoshows,whenIaskedAlexanderhowheaccountedforhismiraculousrecovery,hesuggestedhehadaccessedapartofhimself,beyondtheego,havingenormoushealing

68BruceGreyson,“ResearchingtheNear-DeathExperience.”NewThinkingAllowedvideo(recordedonApril2,2021).https://youtube.com/embed/ddlpApa3XSs?start=2375&end=2474

power.Hereferredtoitasthe“lightbody”orthe“higherself.”69

Otherunexpectedrecoveriesfromconditionsthoughttobeirreversiblehaveoccurredinconnectionwithnear-deathexperiences.Thesehavebeenwell-documented,andmonitoredbymedicaldoctors.70,71

After-DeathCommunications

AccordingtoGallupsurveys,approximately25-33%ofthepopulationbelievementalcommunicationwiththedeadoccurs.72Thesespontaneousexperiencesincludesensingthedeceased;visual,olfactory,tactile,andauditoryphenomena;powerfuldreams;hearingmeaningfullytimedmusicassociatedwiththedeceased;lost-things-found;

69EbenAlexander&KarenNewell,“AnOpen-EndedConversation.”NewThinkingAllowedvideo(recordedonMay12,2021).https://youtube.com/embed/A2gMBnR6Qs4?start =1302&end=135070EbenAlexander,“ExtraordinaryCasesofMiraculousHealing.”Explore,Vol.13(4),July-Aug2017,257-258.71LarryDossey,“DyingtoHeal:ANeglectedAspectofNDEs.”Explore.Vol.7(2),March-April2011,59-62.

communicationthroughelectronicdevices;symbolicmessages;synchronicities;andotherphenomenaunexplainablethroughtheprevailingWesternmaterialistworldview.Whilewecanattributesomeofthistoapophenia(i.e.,projectingmeaningontorandompatterns),manyafter-deathcommunicationsarewhitecrowexamplesofpostmortemsurvivalevidence.73Theexamplesthatfollowarepresentedinapproximatechronologicalorder.

Payingadebt.Rev.CharlesMcKay,aCatholicpriest,reportedanevidentialcasein1842.WhenhemovedtoanewassignmentinPerth,Scotland,aPresbyterianwomannamedAnneSimpsonapproachedhim.Shedescribedarepeatingdreamwhereadeceasedwomanshehadknown,namedMalloy,insistedshemustcontactapriest.Malloyowedasmallsum,three-and-tenpence,atthetimeofherdeath.Sheapparentlyexpectedapriestwouldgotothetroubleofsettlingherdebt.

Simpson,however,didn’tknowtowhomMalloyowedthedebt.ButMcKaybeganaskingaround.Eventually,hecontactedalocalgrocerwhocheckedhisbooksandfoundMalloyhadadebtinhisrecordsof

72DavidW.Moore,“ThreeinFourAmericansBelieveinParanormal:LittleChangefromSimilarResultsin2001.”(GallupNewsService,June16,2005).RetrievedonApril3,2021.https://home.sandiego.edu/~baber/logic/gallup.html73DianneArcangel,AfterlifeEncounters:OrdinaryPeople,ExtraordinaryExperiences.(Charlottesville,VA:HamptonRoads,2005).

exactlythatamount.McKaypaidtherequiredsum.74

Thiscaseisinstructiveasitshowsthedeceasedactingwithasenseofpurposewecan’tattributetoanylivingperson.

Kübler-Ross’transformativeafter-deathcommunication.AsreportedintheIntroduction,abriefdreamvisitationfrommydeceasedUncleHarrycatalyzedmylifetransformation.Anotherlife-changingexampleisElisabethKübler-Ross,whomTimemagazinenamedin1999asoneofthe“100MostImportantThinkers”ofthepreviouscentury.Apowerful,evidentialafter-deathcommunicationstimulatedherpioneeringworkonthestagesofconfrontingdeath.

Atthetimethisafter-deathcommunicationoccurred,Kübler-Rosswasexperiencingburnout.Herseminarsondeathanddyinghaddeteriorated.Shehaddecided,eventhoughshehadn’ttoldanyone,toquitherworkattheUniversityofChicago.Shewasabouttoannounceherdecisiontoanewministerwithwhomshewasworking,whensuddenlyawomanappearedandaskedtowalkwithKübler-Rosstoheroffice.

Astheywalked,Kübler-RossrecognizedthiswomanasthememorableMrs.Schwartz,aformerpatientwhohadbeenthefirstpersontoreportanear-deathexperiencetoKübler-Rossandhaddiedtenmonthspreviously.ThewomanwasinsistentKübler-Ross

74Owen,Footfalls,294-5.

mustn’tabandonherworkondeathanddying.SheeveninsistedKübler-Rosspromiseherrightthenandtherethatshewouldcontinue.

Kübler-Ross,recognizingthesituation’sastonishinggravity,askedMrs.Schwartztowriteanote.Kübler-Rossdescribestheevent’semotionalintensity:

Andthiswoman,withthemosthuman,no,nothuman,mostlovingsmile,knowingeverythoughtIhad–andIknewit,itwasthoughttransferenceifI’veeverexperiencedit– tookthepaperandwroteanote.75

Kübler-RosskeptMrs.Schwartz’notewithhersignature–asphysicalevidenceofthe

75ElisabethKübler-Ross,OnLifeAfterDeath.(Berkeley,CA:CelestialArts,2008,2ndedition),32-33.

remarkableevent,whichshecontinuedtodescribeinpublicappearances.76Thensheagreedtoherdemandandpromisedshewouldn’tabandontheworkthateventuallymadeherfamousworldwide.Thiscaseissignificantbecauseitcombinesevidenceofidentity,spiritmaterialization,andevidenceofintentionalitywithalife-transformingevent.Apsychotherapysystembornfromthegrave.SiegfriedFischer(1891-1966)wasapsychiatristwhotrainedinViennaandthenimmigratedtotheUnitedStates.HeworkedattheLangley-PorterNeuropsychiatricInstituteinSanFranciscoandauthoredabookonpsychopathology.77OneofFischer’sformerpatientswasBobHoffman,atailorwhoownedaclothingshopinOakland,California.TheyearafterFischer’sdeath,HoffmanawokeinthemiddleofthenighttofindFischerstandingatthefootofhisbed.KennethIreland,whoworkedcloselywithHoffmanforseveralyears,describesvividlythescenethatfollowed:

[Fischer]revealedtohimthemissinglinkinpsychoanalytictherapy:theconceptofNegativeLoveasthestreamofnegativebehaviorunconsciouslypassedfromonegenerationtothenext.ThenFischer’sspiritbeingtookHoffmanthroughhis

76JohnAlexander,doctoralstudentofKübler-Ross,personalcommunication.77SiegfriedFischer,PrinciplesofGeneralPsychopathology:AnInterpretationoftheTheoreticalFoundationsofPsychopathologicalConcepts.(NewYork:PhilosophicalLibrary,1950).

ownpsychictherapy,uncoveringtherootsofhisowninheritedpatternsofbehaviorandliberatinghimwithanewunderstandingthatreachesintothedepthsofhisemotionalbeing.Hoffmansaidthathewasabletoforgivehisparentsforallthenegativityhehadexperiencedgrowingup.Heknewthat“everyoneisguiltyandnoonetoblame.”FischerdisappearedwiththepromisetoreturnandassistHoffmantocompletesomeofhisown[i.e.,Fischer’s]unfinishedwork,hiskarma,andthatHoffmancouldhelp[Fischer]“moveon.”Hoffmansaidheheardthephrase“doorswillopen”whenheaskedFischerhowhe,atailor,wouldentertheworldofprofessionalpsychotherapyandpresentthisinsightasthemissingpiece,anantidotetotheendlesscycleofanalysis.78

DoorsdidopenforthetailorturnedpsychotherapistBobHoffman.TheprominentpsychiatristClaudioNaranjotookaninterestinhisworkandhelpedbringittoalargerpublic.Thus,wasbornFischer-HoffmanPsychicTherapy,aprocesswhichgrewtobecomeaworldwidemovement.Itisstillactiveandpopularwithinhumanpotentialcircles–overtwodecadesafter

78KennethIreland,“TheOntologicalOddandtheOriginsofFischer-HoffmanPsychicTherapy.”RetrievedonApril9,2021.https://jesuskoan.blogspot.com/2019/08/the-ontological-odd-couple-and-origins.html

Hoffman’sdeath.79ThenamewaseventuallychangedtotheHoffmanProcessortheHoffmanQuadrinityProcessinresponsetoalawsuitbyFischer’sheirs.

PsychologistCharlesT.TartexperiencedtheFischer-HoffmanprocessinagroupledbyNaranjo.Inthefollowingvideo,answeringthequestion–

Whatstandsoutthemostforyouinyourvaststudiesofconsciousness?

79BobHoffman,GettingDivorcedfromMother&Dad:TheDiscoveriesoftheFischer-HoffmanProcess.(NewYork:Dutton,1976).

TartexplainstheFischer-HoffmanProcessandthepositivebenefitofself-awarenessTartreceivedfromit.

WhenNaranjobroughtBobHoffmantovisitthegroupandintroducetheprocess,TartreachedtheconclusionHoffmanwasatotalphony,fullofhimself,opinionated,notverysmart,andcertainlynotpsychic.Nevertheless,becauseofhisconfidenceinNaranjo,Tartwentthroughthe8–10-weektherapyprocess.Attheend,HoffmanreturnedtomeetwithNaranjo’sgroup.ItwasthenTartrealizedhisearlierjudgmentsaboutHoffmanhadbeenacomplete,psychologicalprojection–becauseHoffmanhadmannerismslikeTart’sfather.RealizinghowunconscioushehadbeenabouttheprojectionwasahugelessonforTart.80

TarthadnowaytoverifyHoffman’sdiscarnatecommunicationwithSiegfriedFischer.However,wecanregardTart’stestimonyasapragmaticconfirmationofHoffman’sstory.Accordingtopragmatism,thephilosophydevelopedbyC.S.Peirceand

80CharlesT.Tart,“LiveStream.”NewThinkingAllowedvideo(recordedonOctober25,2020).https://www.youtube.com/embed/Vk756wjSPzE?start=1527&end=1705

WilliamJames,thetruthofanideabecomesclearinitsapplication–i.e.,doesitwork?

Whenatailorpresentsahighlyeffective,newformofpsychotherapyheclaimswasgiventohimbytheapparitionofadeceasedpsychiatrist–wehaveaclearexampleofdirectexperiencethat,accordingtoWilliamJames’radicalempiricismmustnotbeexcludedfromscience.Thiscaseisanotherinstanceofanidentifieddiscarnatepersonprovidingevidenceofpurposefulaction.

Intheupcomingsectiononmentalmediumship,thereisyetanotherexampleofadeceasedpsychiatrist,KarlNowotny,initiatinganewtherapeuticmethod.

Whiletakingashower.Oneneedn’tbemeditating,experiencinganout-of-bodystate,norhavingamedicalcrisistoexperienceanafter-deathcommunication.Inthenextvideo,clinicalpsychologistJosephGallenbergerdescribesaverifiedafter-deathcommunicationthatoccurredwhileshowering.HewasataMonroeInstituteLifelineprogramwhereparticipantslearnvariousmeditationstofacilitateafter-deathcommunications.Thereheendeavoredtoreceiveamessagefromanattendee’sdeceasedwife.

Later,intheshower,heexperiencedherspiritshowinghimaredandwhitecheckeredtablecloth.Heevenreceivedspecificinformation,including“page238”ina

81JosephGallenberger,“ASoul’sJourneyAfterSuicide”.NewThinkingAllowedvideo(recordedonFebruary28,2017).https://www.youtube.com/embed/ESRTZrTBGLU?start=275&end=342

particularbook.Helaterlearnedfromthehusbandthattheyusedtohaveweeklypicnicswiththetablecloth.Thepagecitationwasthefavoritepoemtheyusedtoreadtogether!81

Atthetimeofdeath.PeterFenwick,aBritishneuroscientist,hasbeeninvestigatingafter-deathcommunications.Hefoundmanyoccurredclosetothemomentofdeath(aswasmypowerfulUncleHarrydreamvisitation).

Inthenextvideosegment,FenwickdescribessuchanincidentwhenadrownedsailorinEnglandappearedtohismotherinAustralia.Heappeareddrippingwetattheendofherbedinthemiddleofthenight.Movingtowardher,hebecamesurroundedbylight.Hetoldherhewasfine,andthenleft.WhenshecheckedwiththeNavy,shelearnedhehadfallenoverboardanddrownedatthetimehehadappearedtoher.82

82PeterFenwick,“Mind,Brain,andSpirit.”NewThinkingAllowedvideo(recordedonMarch4,2021).https://youtube.com/embed/x3n6zlKGDXI?start=1242&end=1301

Thelate,communicativeElisabethTarg.PhysicistRussellTargdescribesanafter-deathcommunicationfromhisdeceaseddaughterElisabeth.Shecommunicatedtoathirdpersonaboutanobscureincidentfromherearlychildhood,whichconvincedRussellofhersurvival.

HiswritingpartnerJaneKatrawasapplyingforateachingjobatDukeUniversity.Astaffmemberapproachedher,claimingtohaveamessagefrom“arecentlydeceasedwoman,tall,withlongbrownhair,”Katrashoulddelivertothewoman’sfather.

Themessagewastoremindthefather,“whenIwasalittlechild,he…triedtostuffmeintoareddressagainstmywill…anditwasatraumaticexperienceforme.”ThisinformationconvincedTargthatElisabethhadsurvived.Nootherlivingpersonhadanyknowledgeofthisevent,whichtookplacewhenElisabethwastwoyearsold.83Theonlyotherwitness,Targ’swifeJoan,hadpredeceasedElisabethbyfouryears.

83 RussellTarg,“TheLife,Death,andAfterlifeofElisabethTarg.”NewThinkingAllowedvideo(recordedonMarch3,2017).https://www.youtube.com/embed/q_c-V472wl0?start=1705&end=1877

AdditionalElisabethTargafter-deathcommunicationsarediscussedinthesectiononInstrumentalTransCommunication.

Inapsychotherapysession.PaulLeslieisatherapistwho,duringapsychotherapysession,becametemporarilypossessedbythespiritofthepatient’sdeceasedfather.Thepossessionoccurredduringagestalttherapyemptychairtechnique,inwhichLeslieaskedhispatienttoimagineherfatherwassittinginanemptychairacrossfromher.Ashespokethosewords,hehadanuncannysense,towhichhewasn’taccustomed,ofapresencesittingintheemptychair.

Hedescribesthisfascinatingandpowerfulexampleofspontaneousafter-deathcommunication,inthenextvideo.Theexperienceincludedthetherapistblurtingoutemotionallypowerfuldetails,notpreviouslyknowntohim,abouteventsinthepatient’schildhood–eatingice-creampushupsbyalake.Therewasevenanuncharacteristicimpulse(forPaulLesliewho

wasthenintears)tohugthepatient.PaulLeslie’sstoryisapragmaticverificationofthepositive,therapeuticrolediscarnatehumanconsciousnesscanplay.84,85

InLucidDreams.Luciddreamingisauniqueexperienceinwhichdreamerssustainalevelofwakingawarenesswithinthedreamstate.Researchersandotherscantrainindividualstoenterthisstateandeventosignalresearcherswhileinthisstate.

Inonestudy,ninetyindividualsvolunteeredtolearnaluciddreamingtechniqueand,overtwentymonths,reportontheirluciddreamsofdeceasedpeople.Atthestudy’send,twenty-eightsubjectsreportedeightyluciddreamsinvolvingdeceasedpersons.86

Inthefollowingvideo,Idiscussoneluciddreamfromthestudyinvolvingapersonalcommunicationfromadeceasedministerto

84PaulLeslie,ShadowsintheSession:ThePresenceoftheAnomalousinPsychotherapy.(PaulLeslie,2019).85 PaulLeslie,“ParanormalExperiencesinPsychotherapy.”NewThinkingAllowedvideo(recordedonDecember17,2019).https://youtube.com/embed/oJRYCjYAkJk?start=786&end=983

hiswife,whichappearedtobeemotionalandparticularlyevidential.Theluciddreamerreceivedamessagetotellthewifethathisspiritwasnottobefoundintheportraitofhimthatwasinthechurch.Thismessagemovedherdeeply.Shehadbeentryingtocommunicatewithhisspiritbystaringattheportrait.Themessagebothacknowledgedthatfactandsuggestedtherecouldbeabetterwaytoconnectwithherdeceasedhusband.87Thevideoalsoreferstoluciddreamsofthedeceasedcontainingusefulfinancialadvice.

Prearrangedafter-deathcommunication.AuthorWhitleyStrieberspoketomeaboutanafter-deathcontacthehadprearrangedtotakeplacewithhiswife,Anne,beforeherdeath.Theyagreed,shouldoneofthemdie,thatpersonwouldtrytocontacttheother.Butitwouldbebetteriftheycommunicatedthroughathirdperson–sinceneitherof

86AnnekatrinPuhleandAdrianParker,“AnExploratoryStudyofLucidDreamsConcerningDeceasedPersons.”JournaloftheSocietyforPsychicalResearch,2017,Vol.81,No.3,145-161.87 JeffreyMishlove,“InPresence0085:LucidDreamsoftheDeceased.”NewThinkingAllowedvideo(recordedonMay17,2018). https://www.youtube.com/embed/2Cjn_V_x5co?start=517&end=584

themwouldtrustthecommunicationifitcamedirectly.(Theywould,Iassume,attributeittoahallucinationorwishfulthinking.)

Intheupcomingvideo,StriebersayshereceivedaphonecallfromafriendwithinthreehoursofAnne’sdeath.ShetoldhimsheheardAnne’svoiceinherear,insistingshecontactWhitleyrightaway.Withinthenextweek,hereceivedseveralsimilarcalls–convincinghimAnnehadsurvived.Onlythendidhebeganexperiencinghervoicedirectly.88

Reincarnation

IanStevenson’smethodology.TheUniversityofVirginia,DepartmentofPerceptualStudies,nowhasadatabaseofover2,500individualcasesinwhichyoungchildrenreportformerlifememories.Inroughly1,700cases,theinformationledtothedeceasedpreviousperson’sidentification.Weknowtheseassolvedcases.Thiswork

88WhitleyStrieber,“AnOpen-EndedConversationwithWhitleyStrieber.”NewThinkingAllowedvideo(recordedonOctober28,2020).https://youtube.com/embed/9d7Id84JL2g?start=3044&end=3186

wasinitiatedbyformerPsychiatryDepartmentchairIanStevenson,.

Themostsolidreincarnationevidencecomesfromthetotalityofthe2,500casesinthedatabase,insteadoffromthestrengthofparticularcases.

Stevensonworkedinthefield,meetingthechildren,talkingwiththeirfamilies,andwiththepreviousperson’sfamilies.Hecollectedfirsthandobservations–aswellasautopsyandpolicereports.Inmanycases,childrennamedthepreviouspersonorthevillagewheretheyhadlived.Thechildren’sbehaviorsareanessentialfeature.Theyareofteninlinewiththepreviousperson’shabits.Stevensonwouldoftenre-interviewthechildrenandotherwitnessesafteraperiodoftimehadelapsed,toseehowconsistenttheirstorieswere.

Essentially,Stevensonfollowedthecasestudyproceduresestablishedinthe19thcenturybytheresearcherswiththeSocietyforPsychicalResearchtocorroboratespontaneouseventssuchasapparitions.Stevensondependeduponlegalandforensicmethods.Heresearchedreincarnationcasesasifhewerepreparingtopresenttheminacourtoflaw.

Reincarnationandarchetypalsynchronisticresonance.PsychologistBrendanEngenandIoriginatedarchetypalsynchronisticresonance,asanalternative

explanationforsomereincarnationcases.89WebasethismodeluponJungiansynchronicity–eventsconnectedinameaningfulwaybutlackinganymechanistic,causalconnection.90Synchronicityimpliesaninnateuniversalintelligenceinfluencingworldlyevents.Wecanpushitevenfurtherthanlivingagentpsi,sincesynchronicityisn’tdependentuponindividualpsychicabilities.Archetypalsynchronisticresonanceis,tomyknowledge,themostsophisticated,publishedalternativetoreincarnation.

89JeffreyMishloveandBrendanEngen,“ArchetypalSynchronisticResonance:ANewTheoryofParanormalExperience.”JournalofHumanisticPsychology,Vol.47,No.2(April2007):223-242.90CarlG.Jung,Synchronicity:AnAcausalConnectingPrinciple.(Princeton,NJ:PrincetonUniversityPress,1973).

However,inmyforewordtoJamesMatlock’sbook,SignsofReincarnation,Iacknowledgethatreincarnationisamorefittingexplanationthanarchetypalsynchronisticresonanceregardingdatafromchildren.Thepatternsinthereincarnationdata,whichIwilldiscussnext,aretoostrongtoignore.91Patternsinthedata.Somepatternsfoundinthereincarnationdatabaseareculturallyspecific.Othersareuniversalandapplyacrosscultures.Birthmarks,physicalfeatures,andevendeformitiesoftenconformtothepreviousperson’sdeathwounds.Sometimes,thechildrenbegintospeakabouttheirpastlifeassoonastheystarttotalk.Themainwindowatwhichthesecasesbeginistwotofiveyearsofage.Afterafewyears,thememoriesfade.Thisprocessisgenerallycompletedbylatechildhood,i.e.,fivetoeightyearsold.Onlyaboutathirdofthechildrenretainpast-lifememoriesintoadulthood.Reincarnationsusuallyseemtooccurinthesamearea,withthesamereligiousorethnicgrouporthesamerace–essentiallywithinpsychologicalcomfortzones.92Recollectionisfirstperson,notasifchildrenwerewatchingsomeoneelseinamovie.Theyfeelasiftheirconsciousnessiscontinuouswiththeearlierlifetimetheyrecall.Itispersonalandcanbeemotional,withfearsandphobiascarryingoverfromtheformer

91JeffreyMishlove,“ATaleofTwoTheories:ReincarnationversusArchetypalSynchronisticResonance(ASR).”InJamesG.Matlock,SignsofReincarnation.(London:RowmanandLittlefield,2019),ix-xv.92JamesG.Matlock,SignsofReincarnation.(London:RowmanandLittlefield,2019).

lifetime,asanthropologistJamesG.Matlockdescribesinthefollowingvideo.93

Thereisanextremelyhighincidence,50%ofsolvedcasesinthereincarnationdatabase,wherethepreviouspersonmetwithaviolentdeath.Wemayrelatethistothefactthatabouttwo-thirdsofcases,cross-culturally,involvemalechildren.94Matlockreports:

Themostoutstandingcultural-linkedfeatureofreincarnationcasesissexchangebetweenlives.Inseveralculturestherearenoreportedcasesofsexchange,butinBurma,asof1986,33%ofcaseswereofthistype.95

Intermissionmemories.Anafterlifeexistencebetweenincarnationsisreportedinabout20%ofreincarnationcases.Theseintermissionmemoriesareoftenlikereportsfromnear-deathexperiences,including

93JamesG.Matlock,“PatternsFoundinReincarnationCases.”NewThinkingAllowedvideo(recordedonNovember12,2017).https://youtube.com/embed/mKBgiuqzj04?start=278&end=33594Matlock,Signs.95Matlock,Signs,182.96Matlock,Signs.

communicationwithspiritguidesandotherdeceasedentities.96

PsychiatristBrianWeisshasauthoredmanybooksonhypnoticregressiontherapyandrelatedtopics.97InthenextvideoexcerptwithOprahWinfrey,Weissreportsonasessionwithapatient,Catherine,whowasexperiencingthisintermissionperiodunderhypnosis.Whileinthatstate,CatherinecouldcommunicatewithbothWeiss’fatheranddeceasedchild.Sheoffereddetailedmedicalandfamilyinformationthatcouldn’thavebeenobtainedthroughnormalmeans.Weisstestifiesinthevideothatthisexperiencepermanentlytransformedhislife.98

JamesMatlockstudiedthelengthoftheintermissiontimebetweenlives.Itvariesbyculture.Globally,themediantimeis16-18monthsfromthedeathoftheearlier,identifiedlifetothebirthofthepresentlife.

97BrianWeiss,ManyLives,ManyMasters.(NewYork:Simon&Schuster,1988).98BrianWeiss,“BrianWeissonThePatientWhoMadeHimBelieveinPastLives.”TheOprahWinfreyShow,2013.https://youtube.com/embed/WMlLoPYwZ5w?start=225&end=373

Themediantimeforwesterncasesis35years.80-90%ofreportedcasescomefromAsia.99

Thesearedramaticfindings.Theystronglysuggesttheinterpenetrationofthelivingworldwiththatofthedeceased.Iftheafterlifeoperatedindependently,accordingtoitsownlawsandprinciples,onewouldexpecttheintermissionlengthreportedbychildrenwithpast-lifememories–aswellasgenderchangebetweenlives–tobeunaffectedbyculturalexpectations.Thisisclearlynotso.However,sincewearereferringtosolvedreincarnationcases,neithercantheresultsbepurelyafantasy-based,culturalartifact.

Suchfindingsshowuswethelivingcaninfluencetheafterlife.Peoplewhoentertheimmediateafterlifewillseewhattheyneedtoseeorwhatthey’repreparedorconditionedtosee.Theyarestillencounteringsomethingveryrealontheotherside.Tothedegreethatthesestoriesenterourculture,wearesettingourselvesuptohavedifferentafterlifeexperiences.100

99Matlock,“PatternsFound.”https://www.youtube.com/embed/mKBgiuqzj04?start=1621&end=1698100JeffreyKripal,“ThePoweroftheNear-DeathExperience,Part2.”NewThinkingAllowedvideo(recordedonDecember21,2018).https://youtube.com/embed/-qsLltCUetc?start=761&end=843101 James G. Matlock,“AnnouncingDreamsandRelatedExperiences.”PsiEncyclopedia.London:TheSocietyforPsychicalResearch.Retrieved7June2021.https://psi-encyclopedia.spr.ac.uk/articles/announcing-dreams-and-related-experiences.

Announcingdreams.Announcingdreamsarerelatedtoacurrentorfuturepregnancy.Expectantfathersandotherpersonsclosetothemothersmayhavethem,andtheymayoccurbeforeconception,duringpregnancy,andafterbirth.101Thissectionhighlightstheafterlife’sintersectionwiththedreamrealm.Itisimportantbecause,whenweignorethedataonpostmortemsurvival,wepaythepriceinnotunderstandingourownpsyches– athemeIreturntointheConclusion.

TheanthropologistE.B.Tylorwroteaboutsuchdreamsasearlyas1871–claimingtheyformedthebasisofreincarnationbelief.102ResearcherIanStevensonfoundandrecordedannouncingdreamsinallthecountrieswhereheinvestigatedcases.103JimTuckeranalyzed1,100reincarnationcases,inthedatabaseattheUniversityofVirginia.Hefound22%involvedannouncingdreams.104

StevensonandTuckerbothobservedculturaldifferences.Forexample,inMyanmar(formerlyBurma),peoplecustomarilydepictedthespiritasapetitionerrequestingpermissionratherthanstatingitsintention

102E.B.Tylor,PrimitiveCulture:ResearchesintotheDevelopmentofMythology,Philosophy,Religion,Language,Art,andCustom(2vols.).(London:JohnMurray,1871).103IanStevenson,ChildrenWhoRememberPreviousLives:AQuestionofReincarnation(rev.ed.),(Jefferson,NorthCarolina:McFarland,2001),99.104JimB.Tucker,LifeBeforeLife:AScientificInvestigationofChildren’sMemoriesofPreviousLives.(NewYork:St.Martin’sPress,2005).

tobereborn.HereisanexampleresearchedbyStevenson:

ABurmesewifewhosehusbandwasawayfromhomeonalongjourneyhadadreaminwhichadeceasedfriendseemedtobeaskingforpermissiontoberebornasherchild;shedidnotlikethisproposaland(inthedream)toldhimnottocometothem.Whenherhusbandreturnedfromhisjourney,hetoldherthathehaddreamedofthesameoldfriendandhadtoldhim(inhisdream)thatthefriendwouldbewelcometoberebornintheirfamily.Induecourseachild(MaungAungThan)wasbornwholatermadestatementssuggestingthathisfather’sacceptancehadprevailedoverhismother’sattemptedveto.HismotheracceptedthesituationwithgoodhumorcharacteristicoftheBurmese.105

BothMaungAungThan’sfatherandhismotherreportednearlyidenticaldreams.Inthefather’sdream,theirdeceasedfriendandvillageheadman,UBaKyar,saidhehadaskedthemothertoberebornintotheirfamily,butshehadturnedhimaway.106

MaungAungThanprovidedevidencetotheresearchersofreincarnation–includingvivid

105Stevenson,Children,100.106IanStevenson,ReincarnationandBiology:AContributiontotheEtiologyofBirthmarksandBirthDefects,Volume2:BirthDefectsandOtherAnomalies.(Westport,CT:Praeger,1997),1518.107Stevenson,ReincarnationandBiology,1512-1537.

memoriesofUBaKyar’slife,strongemotionsassociatedwithhismurder,anattachmenttoUBaKyar’sfamily,aswellasbirthdefectsrelatedtotheostensibledeathwounds.107Inthevideobelow,IdescribetheannouncingdreamsreceivedalmostsimultaneouslybyMaungAungThan’sparents.108

Severalwidelyknownreincarnationcasesarequiteevidential,suchasthoseofJamesLeiningerandRyanHammons.109Thesecasesarefascinating,verydetailed,andundoubtedlyevidential.Butthereincarnationmemoriesfadeasthechildrenreachadulthood,certainlyanaturalprocessasthegreatprojectoflife’sfirsthalfiscultivatingone’suniqueego.

108JeffreyMishlove,“TheReincarnationofUBaKyar.”NewThinkingAllowedvideo(recordedonMarch9,2021).https://www.youtube.com/embed/tynAhWFzGDI?start=263&end=396 109LeslieKean,SurvivingDeath:AJournalistInvestigatesEvidenceforanAfterlife.(NewYork:Crown,2017).

PeakinDarienExperiences

ThetermPeakinDarienreferstoaprovinceintheisthmusofPanama.WhenearlySpanishexplorersclimbedamountainpeakthere,itsurprisedthem,becausetheyhadarrivedfromtheAtlanticside,todiscoveraviewofthePacificOcean.Now,PeakinDarienhascometomeanasurprisingdeathbedornear-deathvision,orafter-deathcommunication,involvingapersonnotbelievedtobedeceased.

Fortypercentofnear-deathreportsincludeencounterswithadeceasedloved-one.Scofferstypicallyattributesuchvisionstowishfulthinking.However,whenthevisioninvolvesanindividualnotknowntobedead,thishypothesiscarrieslittleweight.

Anancientexample.Accountsofthisgobacktoancienttimes.PlinytheElderwroteaboutitover2,000yearsago.

…anoblemannamedCorfidius…waspronounceddeadbyaphysicianwhenhestoppedbreathing.Hiswillwasopened,naminghisyoungerbrotherashisexecutorandheir.Theyoungerbrotherthenhiredanundertakertoarrangethefuneral.Corfidius,however,stunnedtheundertakerbysittingupontheembalmingtable…Hethenannouncedthathehadjustcomefromthehomeofhisyoungerbrother.Hesaidthathisbrothertoldhimthatthefuneralarrangementshe’dmade

110 Bruce Greyson.After,136-137.

forCorfidiusshouldnowbeusedforhiminstead…AsCorfidiuswasrelatinghisstorytotheastonishedundertaker,hisyoungerbrother’sservantburstinwiththenewsthathismasterhadjustunexpectedlydied.110

Ayoungnurse’ssurprisingdeath.Inthefollowingvideo,researcherBruceGreysondescribesamaninSouthAfricahospitalizedwitharespiratorydisease.Hehadbecomefriendlywithayoungnurse.Oneday,shetoldhimshewastakingalongweekendoff.

Thenextdayhehadarespiratoryarrest,andhadtoberesuscitated,duringwhichhehadanear-deathexperience.Hesawhimselfinapastoralscenewhenthenurse,Anita,camewalkingtowardhim.Heaskedherwhyshewasthere.Shereplied,saying,“I’mherenow,butyoucannotstay.Youneedtogoback.IwantyoutotellmyparentsIlovethemandI’mverysorryIwreckedtheMGB.”Thensheturnedandwalkedaway.

Itturnedout,forher21stbirthday,herparentshadgivenheraredMGB.Shewassoexcitedshehoppedinthecar,tookoff,lostcontrol,crashedintoatelephonepole,anddiedinstantly–shortlybeforethehospitalizedmanhadthenear-deathexperience.Nobodyinthehospitalknewtheyoungwomanwaskilled.Greysoncannotinterpretthiseventasanythingotherthananafter-deathcommunication!111

111Greyson,“ResearchingNDEs.”https://www.youtube.com/embed/ddlpApa3XSs?start=1392&end=1509

EbenAlexander’sProofofHeaven.Throughmuchofhisnear-deathexperience,EbenAlexanderwasaccompaniedbyabeautiful,youngwomanhedidn’tknow,butwhosedistinctiveappearancehefoundunforgettable.

Sheneversaidaword,butshedidn’thaveto.Shelookedatmewiththislookofpurelove.112

Hedescribesthisinthenextvideo:113

Fourmonthsafterhisnear-deathexperience,Alexanderreceivedaphotographofhisdeceasedbirthsister,Betsy,whomhehad

112Alexander,“Integrating.”https://www.youtube.com/embed/lK3xsZpU3zw?start=2901&end=2929113Ibid.

neverknowninlife(ashewasanadoptedchild).Amazed,herealizedthiswasthesameindividualwhowaswithhim,ridingonthebutterfly’swing.Inhisfirstbook,hewrites:

Butnowtherewasnomistakingher,nomistakingthelovingsmile,theconfidentandinfinitelycomfortinglook,thesparklingblueeyes.Itwasshe.114

ThisrecognitionremovedanylastdoubtsAlexander,previouslyamaterialisticneurosurgeon,mayhavehadabouttherealityofhisexperience.Forhim,itwasindeed“proofofheaven.”Thiswashiswhitecrow.

Possession

Possession,initsmostextremeform,isalsoknownasreplacementreincarnation.Adeceasedperson’sspiritenterssomeoneelse’sbody,replacing–permanentlyortemporarily–theoriginalpersonality.Oneinterestingdistinctionbetweenthesecasesandreincarnationis,inpossessioncases,thepossessingpersonality’smemoriesdon’tseemtofadeovertime.Thereplacedperson’smemories,however,seemtovanish.

Replacementreincarnationisararephenomenon.Idoubttherearemorethanafewdozencasesonrecord–comparedtothousandsofreincarnationcasesstartingat

114 Eben Alexander,ProofofHeaven:ANeurosurgeon'sJourneyintotheAfterlife.(NewYork:Simon&Schuster,2012),169.

birth.However,intrancemediumship,short-termpossessionbycontrollingdiscarnatepersonsiscommon.Tomyknowledge,wehaven’tfullycatalogednorunderstoodthetypesanddegreesofpossession–aswellasitsrelationshiptoobsessionandspiritattachment.ThemostdetailedworkalongtheselineshasemergedfromtheSpiritisttraditionfoundedbyAllanKardec(apseudonymoftheFrenchpedagogue,HippolyteLeonDenizardRivail)inthenineteenthcentury.115TheWatsekaWonder.E.WinchesterStevens,aspiritualistphysician,firstreportedthecaseknownasTheWatsekaWonder.116ThecaseinvolvesachildnamedLurancyVennumwhobecameill.Acommunitymember,AsaB.Roff,recommendedStevens–aspiritualistmedicalpractitionerfromJanesville,Wisconsin–totheVennumfamily.Asaspiritualist,RoffwasconcernedforLurancyVennum.TherumorsweregoingaboutthelittletownofWatseka,Illinois,thatthischildmightbesenttoaninsaneasyluminChicago.ItwasacompassionateactonRoff’sparttosuggestthatspiritualisttreatmentcouldsaveLurancyfromthefateofinstitutionalization.Hisowndaughter,Mary,whohaddiedtenyearsearlier,hadsufferedfromasimilarillness.Henowbelievedhypnosiswouldbehelpful.

115AlexanderMoreira-Almeida&FranciscoLotufoNeto,“SpiritistViewsofMentalDisordersinBrazil.”TransculturalPsychiatry.Vol.42(4),2005,570-595.

AtthetimeStevenshypnotizedher,Lurancywashavingfits.Shewasobviouslyill.Underhypnosis,severaltroublesomespirits,orentities,orsubpersonalitiesappeared.Stevensinitiallydiagnosedherconditionasobsession.Sinceitappearedshewouldbecontrolledbysomespirit,heaskedLurancyifitwouldbebetterforafriendlyspirittotakecontrol.

Lurancysaidshewasgoingtoheavenandtalkingtospiritsandangelsthere.Shelistedseveralfriendlyspiritswhomightcomeandtakepossessionofherbody–includingMary

116E.W.Stevens,TheWatsekaWonder:ANarrativeofStartlingPhenomenaOccurringintheCaseofMaryLurancyVennum.(Chicago:Religio-PhilosophicalPublishingHouse,1878).

Roff,AsaRoff’sdeceaseddaughter.Roff,whowaspresent,thoughtitwasafineidea;anditwasagreed.Thesuggestion,underhypnosis,wasMarywouldreturntotheworldofthelivingforafewmonths.ThenshewouldgoawayandLurancywouldhaveherownbodyback.Thisiswhathappened.WhenpossessedbyMary,LurancywentandlivedwiththeRofffamily.SheunderstoodMary’sfamilybytheirnicknamesandexpressedaffectionforthem.Shetreatedherbiologicalparents,theVennums,withrespectandcourtesy,butnotaffection.Moreover,sheactedasifshehardlyknewthem.ThereplacedpersonalityLurancyVennumreturnedtoherownbodyafterthreemonthsandtendays,completelyhealed.ThiscasesoimpressedtheeminentpsychologistWilliamJames,heincludeditasanexemplarystudyinhisclassic1890text,ThePrinciplesofPsychology.Inafootnote,James,offershisfinalassessmentofthiscase:

Myfriend,Mr.R.HodgsoninformsmethathevisitedWatsekainApril1889,andcross-examinedtheprincipalwitnessesofthiscase.Hisconfidenceintheoriginalnarrativewasstrengthenedbywhathelearned;andvariousunpublishedfactswereascertained,whichincreasedtheplausibilityofthespiritualisticinterpretationofthephenomenon.117

117WilliamJames,ThePrinciplesofPsychology.(CompleteVol.1–2)Kindleedition.Location7202of25427.

EventhoughitwasLurancyVennum’sbodyitwascertainlyMaryRoff’sspirit.(Although,onceortwiceduringthepossessionperiod,Lurancycameback,briefly.)However,MaryRoffwasthedominantpersonalityforthreemonthsandtendays,providingmuchevidenceofheridentityLurancycouldn‘thaveknown.That’swhyWilliamJames,theresearcherRichardHodgson,andthewitnessesfromthesmalltownofWatseka,Illinois,leanedtowardthespiritualistinterpretation.

LurancyVennum

Inhismasterpiece,HumanPersonalityandItsSurvivalofBodilyDeath,FredericMyersregardedthiscaseasmultiplepersonalityorpseudo-possession.HeclaimedMaryRoff’sapparentspiritwasn’ttheactualdeceasedindividual.Instead,itwasLurancy’ssecondarypersonalityemergingbecause

Stevens(andAsaRoff)hadsuggestedittoherunderhypnosis.118However,Stevens’accountstatesthatLurancyinitiatedtheideaofMaryRoff’sspiritenteringher,insteadofitbeingsuggestedbyhimselforAsaRoff.Thepseudo-possessionhypothesisimpliesthesecondarypersonalityhadextraordinarypsychicgifts.ThepossessingpersonalityprovidedinformationknowntoMaryRoffortoherfamilymembers,butnottoLurancyVennumwhohadnopriorcontactwiththeRofffamily.Ineffect,MyershypothesizedthatVennum’ssecondarypersonalitywasmasqueradingasMaryRoff’sdiscarnatespirit.Thisexplanationisrathercontorted.Thecaseismoresimplyexplainedastemporarypossessionbyadeceasedperson.Myers’resistancetothepostmortemsurvivalisindicativeofthestrictscrutinyemployedbytheearlypsychicalresearchers.ThecompletehealingLurancyexperiencedsavedherfrompossiblelifetimeconfinementinoneofIllinois’huge,warehouse-likefacilitiesforthementallyill.ThisdramatichealingisreminiscentofEbenAlexander’srecovery.Itakeitaspragmaticconfirmation,combinedwitheverythingelse,ofthespiritualistinterpretation.

118Myers,HumanPersonality,360-368.

TheShiva/Sumitracase.Thisisathoroughlyresearchedpossessioncase.Itshowsthedifferencebetweenpossessionandreincarnationcases.119SumitraSinghwasawomanlivinginIndia.Shecouldbarelyreadandwriteandhadnoformalschooling.In1985,Sumitra,amarriedwomanwithchildren,beganexperiencingfits,goingintoalteredstatesofconsciousness,andillness.Shefearedshewoulddie.Atonepoint,aftershehadstoppedbreathingandherbodywascold,thefamilywastoldbyadoctorshewasdead.Asthefamilywaspreparingforcremation,sherevived.Uponreviving,sheclaimedhernamewasShivaTripati.SheclaimedShiva’ssister-in-lawhadmurderedherafewmonthsearlier.Sheseemedtobeaneducatedwoman–andshewantedtoreconnectwithheroriginalbirthfamily,theTripatifamily.TheSinghfamily,naturally,didn’tknowwhattomakeofthis.Thisnewpersonality,Shiva,didn’tevenrecognizetheSinghfamilymembers.Shivawasanindividualwhohadapparentlybeenmurdered,diedaccidentally,ortookherownlife.Theyfoundherbodyontherailroadtracks,afteraquarrelwithherin-laws.Shewascrematedquicklythereafter.ThreemonthselapsedbeforewordofthisstrangeoccurrencereachedtheShiva’sbirthfamily.

119IanStevensonetal.,“ACaseofthePossessionTypeinIndiaWithEvidenceofParanormalKnowledge.”JournalofScientificExploration,Vol.3(1),1989,81-101.

TheTripatifamilysuedShiva’sin-laws–becausetheyfeltshehadbeenmurdered.Thentherumorreachedthemthat,inanothervillageabout100kilometersaway,apossessionwastakingplaceinvolvingtheirdeceaseddaughter.So,theyarrangedavisit.

Assoonastheyarrived,Shivahuggedandkissedthem,treatedthemwarmly,andcalledthembytheirnicknames.Shewantedtoseeherchildrenandmakesuretheywerebeingtakencareof.

ThiscaseismoreevidentialthantheWatsekaWonderbecausetheSinghandTripatifamilieshadnocontactbeforethepossession.Onecouldnot,therefore,attributethepossessiontosuggestionorhypnosis.

Thenextvideoisfroma1992BBCdocumentaryfeaturingSatwantPasrichawhodidoriginalresearchonthiscasewithIanStevenson.Shivagavesixteenfactsaboutherlife,notmentionedinanypressreports.Shenamed22relativesofShivafromphotographs.ThevideoalsohasaninterviewwithShiva’sfatherandmotherwhoexplainhowShivaconvincedthemshewastheirdaughter.ThevideoalsoshowsShivafiveyearsaftertheoriginaltransformation,stilladamantlyinsistingshehasallofShiva’smemoriesandnoneofSumitra’s.120

120BBC,“ReincarnationResearchDocumentary.”RetrievedonMay31,2021.https://youtube.com/embed/uuWL5bJGXWk?start=1436&end=1572

Alsoaddingtotheevidentiality,itlastedfortherestofSumitra’slife–orthelifeofSumitra’sbody.Shiva’sspiritremainedinthatbodyuntilshediedin1998.WhenShivafirstappeared,sheannouncedshewouldstayforanother10-12years.

In2010,CanadiananthropologistAntoniaMillswenttoIndiaandconductedmoreresearchonthiscase,assistedbyKildipDhiman.Byinterviewingwitnesses,MillslearnedthatShivaTripati’spersonalityremainedinSumitraSingh’sbodyconsistentlyforthirteenyears.WhenMillsreviewedthecasein2010,sheregardeditasastrongcasesupportingpostmortemsurvival–yetanotherwhitecrow!121

Shivahadacollegeeducationandwroteletters.SheexpressedherselfusingmuchmoresophisticatedlanguagethantheuneducatedSumitra.TheTripatifamilywishedtoadoptSumitraastheirdaughter–andtheytriedtofindworkforJagdishSingh.

121AntoniaMillsandKildipDhiman,“ShivaReturnedintheBodyofSumitra:APosthumousLongitudinalStudyoftheSignificanceoftheShiva/SumitraCaseofthePossessionType.”ProceedingsoftheSocietyforPsychicalResearch,Vol.59,October2011,145-193.

Shivafoundherselfmarriedtoastranger.However,shekeptSumitra’ssocialstatusasthewifeofSumitrahusband,JagdishSingh.Shewasuncomfortableaboutthis.ShivawouldlookatSumitra’sbodyinthemirrorandsay,“Thisisn’tme.Thesepeoplearenotmyfamily.”Butsherealizedshehadtoaccommodateherselftothesenewcircumstances.Sheevenhadtwomorechildrenbeforeshedied.Thecaseisstrongevidenceforsurvival.Youhaveanintactpersonalitysurvivingforasustainedperiod,withthedeceasedperson’sfullemotionalexpressionandmemories.Forexample,sheinsistedonbeingreferredtoasShivafortheentirethirteenyears.That’swhoshefeltshewas.Interestingly,inreplacementreincarnationcases,thereplacedperson’smemoriesdon’tappeartoremainwiththephysicalbody. Implicationsforpsychopathology.Asmentionedearlier,manytypesanddegreesofpossessionhaveyettobecataloged.Thisisparticularlytrueregardingpossessionwithinmentalmediumshipandchanneling.However,thereisalsoapsychopathologicaldimensionassociatedwithpossession,obsession,andspiritattachment.Thissectionincludestestimonyfrommultipleprofessionalpsychotherapists.Sometimesitincludestheidentificationofdiscarnateentities.Thismaterialhighlightsthepricetobepaid–intermsofhumanwell-

122WilsonVanDusen,ThePresenceofSpiritsinMadness.(SwedenborgFoundation:1972).

being–forignoringthedatasupportingpostmortemsurvival.WilsonVanDusenwasChiefPsychologistatMendocinoStateMentalHospitalinCalifornia.VanDusenfeltnegativediscarnateentitiesoftenhoundedthepsychoticpatientswithwhomheworked.HemaintainedthatEmanuelSwedenborg’svisionarydescriptionsofheavenandhellwereactuallyanaccuratedepictionofthehumanunconscious.122

MentalhealthprofessionalsinfluencedbythespiritisttraditioninBraziloftenincorporateasimilardiagnosticapproach.123

ClinicalpsychologistEdithFioredescribes,inthenextvideo,howsomediscarnatespiritsbecomeearthboundbecauseoftheiraddictionstoalcohol,cocaine,nicotine,andevenchocolate.Manydiscarnatesareconfusedanddon’trealizetheyarenolongerintheirownbody.124

ThesituationFioredescribesmaybemorecommonthanwerealize.AdamCrabtree,aFreudianpsychotherapytrainerbasedinToronto,acknowledges,inthevideobelow,thathehasalsoencounteredcasesofdiscarnatepossessioninhistherapypractice.125

123EmmaBragdon,ed.,SpiritismandMentalHealth:PracticesfromSpiritistCentersandSpiritistPsychiatricHospitalsinBrazil.(London:SingingDragon,2012).124EdithFiore,“TheUnquietDead(excerpt).”ThinkingAllowedvideo,1993.RetrievedonApril14,2021.https://www.youtube.com/embed/JvGSDUFv4dk?start=172&end=249

Psychotherapistsrarelyfunctionaspsychicalresearchers,tryingtoverifytheidentitiesofthepossessingentities.Theyaimtohelptheirpatients,nottocultivateevidenceaboutpostmortemsurvival.Becauseofthesediverginginterests,thepsychicalresearchliteraturepayslittleattentiontothetherapeuticinterestinpossession.

Nevertheless,thereareinstanceswheretherapistsworkingwithdepossessionhavebeenabletoidentifythediscarnatepossessingentitiesthatmanifestunderhypnosis.Inhis1934book,TheGatewayofUnderstanding,CarlWickland,aphysicianwhopracticeddepossessiontherapyforseveraldecades,suppliesspecific,verifieddetailsnamingfoursuchdiscarnatepersonsunknowntohimatthetimeofthetreatment.126

125AdamCrabtree,“ThePossessionExperience.”NewThinkingAllowedvideo(recordedonDecember8,2017).https://youtube.com/embed/cyY5HMasf1w?start=483&end=515126CarlA.Wickland,MD,TheGatewayofUnderstanding.(LosAngeles:NationalPsychologicalInstitute,1934).

InstrumentalTransCommunication

BeginningwithThomasAlvaEdison,researchers,hobbyists,andghosthuntershavebeenexperimentingwithelectronicdevicesforcommunicationwiththedeceased.Populartelevisionprogramsandbooksreporthundredsofsuccesses.127,128

Thepotentialcriticismofapophenia(projectingmeaningontorandomstimuli)cloudsmostinstances.However,weshouldn’tlightlydismissInstrumentalTransCommunication.ThelateWillisHarman–emeritusStanfordUniversityengineeringprofessor–tookthisdataseriously.Whilemanydiscarnatevoicesappearvagueandsubjecttovaryinginterpretations,othersareunmistakable.

KonstantinRaudive’sreturn.Inthefollowingvideoexcerptfromthemid-1990s,WillisHarmanexpresseshisinterestinthephenomena.AfterWorldWarII,commercialtaperecordersbecameavailable.Itwasn’tlongbeforevoicesmysteriouslyappearedontape.Researchersandhobbyistssooncametoacceptthatthesewerediscarnateentities.

KonstantinRaudivewasanearlyresearcherwhodiedin1974butkeptuphisinterestfromtheotherside.Messagesandpicturesfromhimhavecomethroughonaudiotapes,

127TomandLisaButler,ThereisNoDeathandThereAreNoDead.(Reno,NV:AA-EVPPublishing,2004).128AnabelaCardoso,ElectronicContactwiththeDead:WhatDotheVoicesTellUs?(Hove,UK:WhiteCrowBooks,2017).129 Willis Harman, “Metaphysics and Science.” https://youtu.be/VB1qR8jLw-Q

videotapes,televisionscreens,andcomputerdisks.

HarmanconcludesthevideobysuggestingwewilltakeInstrumentalTransCommunicationseriously,“becauseitisnotgoingaway.”129Basedonthecoverageinpopularmediaprograms,Harman’sanalysiswascorrect.

ThenextvideodocumentarywasproducedbyDanDrasin,anesteemedcolleagueIhaveknownforoverthirtyyears.Itpresents(withaudio)severalKonstantinRaudivecommunicationstowhichWillisHarmanwasreferring.Onerecipient,MarkMacy–authorofInstrumentalTransCommunicationbooks,130,131tape-recordeddetailedtechnicalinstructionsfromRaudive.132Raudive’svoiceisclear!

130MarkH.Macy,SpiritFaces:TruthAbouttheAfterlife.(SanFrancisco:Weiser,2006).131MarkH.Macy,MiracleintheStorm:TalkingtotheOtherSideWiththeNewTechnologyofSpiritualContact.(NewYork:NewAmericanLibrary,2001).132DanDrasin,CallingEarth,videodocumentary,2015.https://vimeo.com/101171248#t=43m46s

AnabelaCardoso’svoices.CardosoisaformerPortuguesediplomatwhohasservedasConsulGeneralintheUnitedStates,Spain,andFranceaswellasChargeD’AffairsinJapanandIndia.ShehasauthoredthreebooksonITC,133,134,135and,overtwodecades,shehasmadehundredsofaudiorecordingsofanomalousvoices.

CardosohasspecializedinatechniqueknownasDirectRadioVoice.Shetunesherradiostoagovernmentchannel,reservedforemergencies,sotheonlysoundnormallyiswhitenoise.Whenvoicesappear,shecanengageintwo-wayconversations,eventhoughthereisnoradiotransmissioncomingfromherend.Inthefollowingvideo,shedescribeshowshecommunicateswithherfamilymemberswhocallherbyherpetnameofBela.136

133AnabelaCardoso,ElectronicVoices:ContactwithAnotherDimension?(Winchester,UK:SixthBooks,2010).134AnabelaCardoso,ElectronicContactwiththeDead:WhatDotheVoicesTellUs?(Hove,UK:WhiteCrowBooks,2017).135AnabelaCardoso,GlimpsesofAnotherWorld:ImpressionsandReflectionsofanEVPOperator.(Hove,UK:WhiteCrowBooks,2021).

PsychologistDavidFontana,formerpresidentoftheSocietyforPsychicalResearch,hasobservedCardosocommunicatingwiththesevoicesonmultipleoccasions.Hestates,asacorroboratingwitness:

Thevoiceswereclear,atnormalvolume,and…therewasnodoubtthatthevoicesweredirectcommunicationswithAnabela,andcouldnotbedismissedasstrayradiovoices.137

FontanaconductedhisowntestsandbackgroundresearchandconcludedthatCardoso,herself,wasnotengagedinsubterfuge.138

Cardosoalsoorganizedatwo-yearstudyofthevoices,conductedatawell-equippedandwell-shieldedacousticallaboratoryattheSchoolofEngineering,

136AnabelaCardoso,“InstrumentalTransCommunication.”NewThinkingAllowedvideo(recordedonJuly21,2021).https://www.youtube.com/embed/VX0OY0EELiM?start=1505&end=1542137DavidFontana,“Foreword.”InCardoso,ElectronicVoices,3.138Ibid.

VigoUniversity,Spain.There,manyanomalousvoicesweredetectedandindependentlyverified.139

Phonecallsfromthedead.Asinthepreviousvideos,individualsreporthavingreceivedtelephonemessages,andsometimesclear,two-wayconversationswiththedeceased.ResearchersD.ScottRogo,workingwithRaymondBayliss,carefullyinvestigatedfiftysuchcases.140

139AnabelaCardoso,“ATwo-YearInvestigationoftheAllegedlyAnomalousElectronicVoicesorEVP.”NeuroQuantology,Vol.10(3),September2012,492-514.

CallumCooper,apsychologistintheUKhascontinuedtoinvestigateoverthirtyadditionalcases.141Cooperhasanalyzedthesecases,puttingthemintodifferentcategories.Inthefollowingvideoexcerpt,hedescribeswhatatypicalcase,inthemostextremecategoryinvolvingaprolongedconversation,wouldbelike.Thetelephoneconversation,initiatedbyadiscarnateperson,mightlasthalfanhourandbewithsomebodywhomyoubelievetobealive.Theconversationcouldcovermanytopicsandendwithasuggestionthatthepersonwillbegoingaway.Onlylateritislearnedthatthe

140D.ScottRogo&RaymondBayliss,PhoneCallsFromtheDead.(NewYork:Berkley,1980).141CallumCooper,TelephoneCallsFromtheDead.(OldPortsmouth,UK:TricornBooks,2012).

callerwasdeceased.Thephonecompanywillthenshownocallrecord.142

IhadaminorexperiencealongtheselinesincombinationwithaluciddreaminvolvingthelateElisabethTargwhodiedin2002.Inthedream,IwasconversingwithElisabeth(whohadbeenafriend)andcongratulatingheronallthereportedafter-deathcommunicationsinvolvingher.

ElisabethTargandJeffreyMishlove

142 CallumCooper,“PhoneCallsFromtheDead.”NewThinkingAllowedvideo(recordedonDecember17,2018).https://youtube.com/embed/EDA8nJMbsM0?start=1176&end=1230

JustasIwastellingherinthedream,“….especiallythephysicalmanifestations,”thephonenexttomybedrangandwokeme.WhenIpickedupthereceiver,allIheardwaswhitenoise.IdonotrecallanothertimewhenIansweredaringingphonetodiscoveronlywhitenoise.IdescribethiseventinthenextvideowithRussellTarg.

TargalsodescribesanincidentwhereElisabethcommunicated,shortlyafterherdeath,byinterferingwiththeelectricalcircuitryinhishouse.Onthatoccasion,notlongafterElisabeth’sdeath,hewaswithhisson,NicholasandElisabeth’swidower,MarkComings.Theyremarkedtoeachotherthat,becauseElisabethwassuchastrongperson,perhapsshewouldtrytocommunicate.Atthatmoment,allofthelightsinthehousewentoffandcamebackon.AsRussellwascommentingonhowunusualthatwas,asifsomeonehasturnedthecircuitbreakerforthewholehouseonandoff,ithappenedasecondtime.143

143 RussellTarg,“ElisabethTarg.”https://youtube.com/embed/q_c-V472wl0?start=812&end=954

Atextmessagefromthedead.EmmyVadnais,theauthorofIntuitiveDevelopment,reportsanotherwell-documentedInstrumentalTransCommunicationexample.Hermother-in-lawSallyDixondiedonNovember5,2019.ThebodywaslyinginreposeatVadnais’homeforaday,priortocremation.Friendsandrelativescametooffercondolencesandpaytheirlastrespects.OnecloserelativewasVadnais’stepfatherDonaldEmpson.OnThursday,November7,2019,EmpsonreportedhehadreceivedatextmessagefromEmmyat3:23am,saying“Gladit’sover!”Hesuppliedthecomputerscreenshot,below,documentingthismessage:

SallyDixonandEmmyVadnais,2007

DonEmpson’sTextMessageRecordfromEmmyVadnais’CellPhone

Empson’sscreenshotsurprisedVadnais.Sheknewthiswasn’tamessageshesentorwouldhavesent.Hercellphonerecordsshowedshehadn’tsentthismessage–althoughmessageswithherstepfathershowedup.OnecanseeonthescreenshotfromEmmy’scellphone,onthenextcolumn,allthemessagessentfromDon,plusthehearticonsentbyEmmy.However,betweenWednesday,November6,2019,at6:01pmand“Yesterday”(November7,2019)at5:55pm,therewerenoothermessagessentfromEmmy’sphone.

EmmyVadnaisandDonEmpsonhavedrawnthelogicalconclusion:SallyDixon,Vadnais’deceasedmother-in-law,sentthemessage,“Gladit’sover!”Herbody,at3:23am,wasatthecrematorium.

Vadnaistestifiestothesituationinthefollowingprivatevideo:144

OtherInstrumentalTransCommunicationexamples,fromtheScoleGroup,areintheupcomingsectiononphysicalmediumship.

144 Emmy Vadnais, Private Communication. February 16, 2021. https://youtu.be/aHRxsBlO6-E

Emmy’sCellPhoneRecordofTextswithDonEmpson

Xenoglossy

Theabilitytounderstand,andevenconverse,inalanguageonehasneverlearned–sometimesanarchaiclanguage–constitutesevidencefavoringreincarnationorpossession.145

145 Ian Stevenson,UnlearnedLanguages:NewStudiesinXenoglossy.(Charlottesville,VA:UniversityPressofVirginia,1984).

TheJensenJacobycase.Inthefollowingvideo,WalterSemkiwdescribesaPhiladelphiawomanofRussian-Jewishdescent.Uponbeinghypnotizedbyherhusband,amedicaldoctor,shebeganspeakinganoldformofSwedish,claimingtobeaSwedishmannamedJensenJacoby.

HesaidhewasaChristianfarmerwhoownedlivestockandwholivednearthecoast.HeexpressedgreatfearofRussians,sayinghehaddiedwhenhewasforcedintoabodyofwater–andthenhitonthehead(theimplicationbeingRussiansoldiershadkilledhim).

SwedishscholarsexaminedrecordingsanddeterminedthespeechwasmiddleSwedish,asusedintheseventeenthcentury.IanStevensonwhoinvestigatedthiscaseevensubjectedthefamilymemberstoliedetectortestsandhadthemsignaffidavitstestifyingnoneofthemspokeSwedish.Also,JensenJacobycouldaccuratelynameobjectsinSwedish.146

146 Ian Stevenson,Xenoglossy:AReviewandReportofaCase.(Charlottesville,VA:UniversityPressofVirginia,1974).

Forexample,whenshownaSwedishseventeenthcenturysailingshipmodel,Jensoncorrectlycalledita“skuta”or“skute.”147

TheUttara/Sharadacase.Inthenextvideo,WalterSemkew,MD,describesawell-knownxenoglossycase,referredtointheliteratureasUttara/Sharada.Itinvolvesintermittent,temporarypossession.Here,thereplacingpersonality,Sharada,spokeonlytheBengalilanguage–alanguageunknowntoUttaraandherfamily.

Uttarawasaneducatedwomanwithtwomaster’sdegrees.Shewasauniversitylecturer.Atonepointinherlife,shewashospitalizedformedicalproblems.Whileshewasinthehospital,agurucamethereandtaughtmeditation.Uttarastartedtomeditate.

Oneday,unexpectedly,aBengalipersonality,calledSharada,emergedfromher.UttaraonlyspoketheMarathiIndianlanguage.SharadacouldonlyspeakBengali.Thiswasstrangeforthefamily,becausetheycouldnotcommunicatewiththeirdaughter.Nobodyin

147Semkiw,“CasesofXenoglossy.”https://youtube.com/embed/EnBh5NUId5o?start=818&end=1016

thefamilyknewBengali.TheSharadapersonalitycompletelytookoverthebodyforaslongas43continuousdays,duringwhichthefamilyhadtobringintranslators,sotheycouldinteractwiththeirdaughter.Sharadastillthoughtshewasalive,inthe1820s,inBengal.SheexpresseddisdainforthepeoplewhospokeMarathi,andshedidn’tknowhowtousemodernappliances.Shewasunable,forexample,tocookonagasstove,beingfamiliaronlywithwood-burningstoves.MultipleBengaliacademics,andoutsideresearchers,studiedthecaseovernineyears,makingtaperecordingsoftheirBengaliconversations.148

WhiletheSharadacasehasattractedmuchcriticism,thecriticshaveallfailedtoaccountfor(a)Sharada’sBengaliwaswhatonewouldexpectfromthe1820s;(b)lengthyconversationsSharadahadinBengaliwith

148WalterSemkiw,“CasesofXenoglossy.”NewThinkingAllowedvideo(recordedonNovember22,2015).https://youtube.com/embed/EnBh5NUId5o?start=398&end=561149 Karen Wehrstein.“UttaraHuddar/Sharada(PastLife).”PsiEncyclopedia.London:TheSocietyforPsychicalResearch.Retrieved4July2021.https://psi-encyclopedia.spr.ac.uk/articles/uttara-huddarsharada-past-life

scholars;and(c)Sharada’sabilitytoidentify,byname,ancestorsinherfamilytree.149

MentalMediumship

SincetheFoxSistersin1848,rightuptothepresentday,therehavebeeninnumerablespiritmediumsprovidingpostmortemsurvivalevidence–informationfromanduniquepersonalitycharacteristicsofdiscarnateindividuals.150Theexamplesinthissectionareprovidedinroughchronologicalorder.

LeonoraPiper.WilliamJamesbroughttheBostonmediumLeonoraPipertothepsychicalresearchcommunity’sattention.Shebecameoneofthemostresearchedmentalmediumsinhistory.

James’colleagueRichardHodgsonhadestablishedhisskepticalcredentialsearlierbydebunkingMadameBlavatsky,aTheosophicalSocietyfounder.Hodgsonstudiedover500sittingswithPiper.HeconcludedthatamannamedGeorgePellew(1859-1892),whoproducedautomaticwritingthroughPiperashercontrolspirit,wasanauthentic,discarnateindividual.151

150ArthurConanDoyle,TheHistoryofSpiritualism.(London:Cassel&Co.,1926).151RichardHodgson,“AFurtherRecordofObservationsofCertainPhenomenaofTrance.”ProceedingsoftheSocietyforPsychicalResearch,Vol.13,1897-1898,288.

HodgsonwroteareportdetailingthecorrectandintimatedetailsthedeceasedGeorgePellewcommunicatedthroughLeonoraPiper.Of150sitterswhocametoseePiperinsessionswherethediscarnateGeorgePellewmanifested,thirtywereindividualswhohadknownPellewinlife.In29ofthesesessions,thedeceasedPellewrecognizedthemandaddressedthembyname.TheonlysitterthediscarnatePellewdidn’tidentifywasawomanwhomhehadn’tseeninlifesinceshewasalittlegirl.152

ThesedetailedandintimatecommunicationsconvincedHodgson–whohadbeenskeptical

152 Alan Gauld, Mediumship and Survival. (London: William Heinemann, 1982), 47

untilthen–thathewasdealingwithaformerlyincarnatehumanbeing.

HodgsonalsonotedthediscarnatePellewdidn’trecognizetheother120sitters,peopleattendingPiper’sséances,whomhehadneverknowninlife.HesawthisasevidencecountingagainstthehypothesisthemediumLeonoraPiperorhercommunicatorGeorgePellewweregettinginformationbytelepathicallyreadingtheindividualsitters’minds.

Inthevideoexcerptbelow,philosopherStephenE.Braudeemphasizestherigorofthesefindings.Theresearchersevenhadhertrailedbydetectives.Hercareerwentonforyears,supplyingevidenceofthisquality.153

AfterworkingwithPiperforyears,Hodgsonhimselfdiedunexpectedlyin1905.Subsequently,heappearedasacommunicatorinsittingswithPiper.TheprominentpsychologistWilliamJamesanalyzedthesesessions.Heremarkedthat,becauseHodgsonhadworkedforsolong

153StephenE.Braude,“EvidentialityofSpiritualistMediumship.”NewThinkingAllowedvideo(recordedonJuly9,2016).https://youtube.com/embed/R2MCPdu06jc?start=730&end=846

withPiper,theconditionswerefarfromideal.Still,RichardHodgson’sspiritcommunicatingthroughPiperprovidedmanyintimateandaccuratedetailsconcerningHodgson’slifethatPiperdidnotknow.Whenviewedinthelightofhiswiderknowledgeofmentalmediums(andPiperinparticular),JamesacknowledgedhebelievedHodgson’sostensiblespiritprovidedinformationthatwasparanormal.Itwasn’tlikelytobeattributedtoPiper’stelepathicabilities:

…thetotaleffectinthewayofdramaticprobabilityofthewholemassofsimilarphenomenaonmymind,istomakemebelievethata“willtocommunicate”[meaningviaaspiritentity]isinsomeshapethere.154

Therefore,hespeculatedthatifthediscarnateHodgsonwasn’tcommunicatingthroughPiper–perhapsitwasaspiritentity,withaccesstoacosmicreservoirofallknowledge,masqueradingasHodgson.Jameshoped,withinthenexthundredyears,psychicalresearchwouldresolvethispotentialconfusion.155FredericMyers’return.ThemajorcaseofadeceasedentitystartingandtakingpartinpsychicalresearchisthatofFredericMyers.In1902,thediscarnateMyersstartedanexperimentlastingforoverthreedecades.Itresultedinover3,600documents,referredto

154WilliamJames,“ReportonMrs.Piper’sHodgson-Control.”ProceedingsoftheSocietyforPsychicalResearch,Vol.23,1909,117.155Ibid.

asthecross-correspondences.Neartheendofthisseries,MyersdictatedtwobooksabouttheafterlifethroughGeraldineCummins’automaticwritingmediumship.FredericMyerswas,withoutquestion,astellarfigureinthefoundingandearlyinvestigationsoftheSocietyforPsychicalResearch.Hewascoauthor,withEdmundGurneyandFrankPodmore,ofPhantasmsoftheLiving.156Overacenturyafteritsposthumouspublicationin1903,Myers’book,HumanPersonalityandItsSurvivalofBodilyDeath,remainsaclassic.157

156EdmundGurneyetal.,PhantasmsoftheLiving.(London:SocietyforPsychicalResearch,1886).157F.W.H.Myers,HumanPersonalityandItsSurvivalofBodilyDeath.(London:Longmans,Green,andCo.,1903).

MyersintroducedthetermtelepathyandprecededFreudindiscussingthesubconsciousmind,whichhecalledthesubliminalmind.Myersexpectedthatcommunicatorsfromtheothersidewereplanningexperiments:

…thereareprobablyexperimentsofacomplexityanddifficultywhichsurpassourimagination;buttheyaremadefromtheothersideofthegulfbytheeffortsofspiritswhodiscernpathwaysandpersonalitieswhichforusareimpenetrablydark.158

ThediscarnateMyerslaidoutaplanforthecross-correspondencesinmessagestransmittedviaautomaticwritingthroughMargaretVerrallinCambridge,aclassicalscholar,andMyers’friend:

Recordthebitsandwhenfittedtheywillmakethewhole….Iwillgivethewordsbetweenyouneitheralonecanreadbuttogethertheywillgivethecluehewants.159

Thusbeganaprojectthatran,atleast,until1936andincludedscriptsfromninedifferentautomaticwritersreceivingmessagesfromMyersandotherdeceasedresearchersfromtheSociety.Theoverallprojectistoocomplextobesummarizedadequatelyhere.Thiscomplexityhasledsomecriticstodismisstheentirematterashopelesslyobscure–requiringGreekandLatin

158Ibid,VolII,275.159Ibid,382.

knowledge,andanunderstandingofpoeticallusionsfromWordsworthandothers.IttookseveralyearsbeforeSocietyforPsychicalResearchinvestigatorsdetectedMyers’projectandwroteaboutit.ThisfirstoccurredwhenAliceJohnson,theSociety’ssecretary,publishedalengthyarticleconcerningtheautomaticwritingofMrs.HollandinIndia–apseudonymforAliceFleming,thefamouspoetRudyardKipling’smarriedsister.Fleming’sfamilydisapprovedofherremarkable“uncanniness.”160Nevertheless,AliceFlemingpersistedinherexperimentswithautomaticwriting.TranscriptsshowdiscarnatesMyersandEdmundGurney(anotheroftheSociety’sdeceasedfounders)bothcoachedherinthisdiscipline.However,asshehadbeenreadingMyers’classicbook,itisreasonabletoassumehersubconsciousmindwas,atleast,helpingthemalong.Atonepoint,shewrotetheaddress,5SelwynGardens,Cambridge,alongwithamessagethatFlemingshouldcontactMargaretVerrall,thefirstautomaticwritertoreceivemessagesdictatedbyMyers.FleminghadneverbeentoCambridgeandhadnevermetVerrall–althoughsheknewofherfromMyers’book.ShehadnowayofknowingVerrall’saddress(whichitwas).Fleming,however,didn’tcontactVerralldirectly.Instead,shereachedouttoAliceJohnson.

160AliceJohnson,“OntheAutomaticWritingofMrs.Holland.”ProceedingsoftheSocietyforPsychicalResearch,Vol.21,1907-1909.

Johnson,inthatlengthyarticle,describesthecross-correspondenceprocess:

Whatwegetisafragmentaryutteranceinonescript,whichseemstohavenoparticularpointormeaning,andanotherfragmentaryutteranceintheother,ofanequallypointlesscharacter;butwhenweputthetwotogether,weseethattheysupplementoneanotherandthatthereisapparentlyonecoherentideaunderlyingboth,butonlypartiallyexpressedineach.161

Thesecross-correspondencesarecomplicated,withmanyoverlappingmeanings.IttookJohnson226pagestodescribetheearlyinstances.Despiteitsobscurity,thecross-correspondencespresentsubstantialevidenceforsurvival.HereisoneexampleknownasTheHope,Star,Browningcross-correspondence:162OnJanuary2,1907,J.G.PiddingtongaveamessageinLatintotheentrancedLeonoraPiper.ShewastheninEngland.Bythistime,theresearchershadcaughtontoMyers’project,andwantedtotakepart.ThemessageurgedMyers’spirittogiveseeminglyunrelatedmessagestotwodifferentmediums,followedbyacommunicationtoathirdrevealingtheconnectionsbetweenallthreemessages.

161Ibid,375.

Then,onJanuary16,PiddingtonrequestedthediscarnateMyers,throughPiper,todrawacirclewithatriangleinsideofittosignifysuchacross-correspondence.OnJanuary23,1907,MargaretVerrallinCambridge,tookthefollowingmessagefromMyers:

…ananagramwouldbebetterTellhimthat–ratsstarstarsandsoon.

Then,onJanuary28,MargaretVerrallproducedthefollowingaddedscriptusingautomaticwriting:

162TrevorHamilton,ArthurBalfour’sGhosts:AnEdwardianEliteandtheRiddleoftheCross-CorrespondenceAutomaticWritings.(AndrewsUKLimited,2017,KindleEdition),370-374.

StarWonder…AbtVogler…[Drawingofatriangleinsideacompletecircle.]

ThenextmessageinthisseriescamethroughonFebruary3.ThewriterwasMargaretVerrall’sadultdaughter,HelenVerrall.(MargaretandHelenVerralldidn’tsharetheirscriptswitheachotheruntilafterthecompletionofthecross-correspondence.)

…hesetsoutagreenjerkinandhoseanddoubletwherethesongbirdspipetheirtune…[Drawingofastar.]

ThisdescriptionisareferencetothePiedPiper.Then,onFebruary11,J.G.PiddingtonhadthefollowingconversationwithMyersthroughthePiper’smediumship.

JGP.DoyourememberwhatyourexactreferencetoBrowningwas?Myers.IreferredtoHopeandBrowning…IalsosaidStar.…MeanwhilelookoutforHope,StarandBrowning.

OnFebruary17,HelenVerrallproducedthefollowingautomaticwritingscript:

Drawingofastar…andastaraboveitallratseverywhereinHamelintown.

TherearemeaningfulconnectionsinthesescriptsrelatingtoRobertBrowning’spoems,“AbtVogler”and“ThePiedPiperofHamelin.”

163Ibid,371-2.

TheanagramswereofthesortMyers,inlife,oftenenjoyed.Thekeypointisthis:thescriptsfulfiltheJanuary2,LatinmessagetoMyers.TwodifferentmediumsreceivedmessagesfromMyers,appearingunrelatedtoeachotheruntilMyersexplainedtheconnectionthroughathirdmedium.Thetriangleinthecirclewasdrawn–asMyershadpromisedtoPiddingtonthroughLeonoraPiper.Insummary,psychicalresearcherTrevorHamiltonexplainshowthecaseconcluded:

Finally,Mrs.SidgwicktookoverthesittingswithLeonoraPiperfromPiddingtonandaskedMyerswhichpoemparticularlylaybehindthiscross-correspondence.Aftersomedifficulty,hegotoutAbtVoandvariationsonthewordVoglerwhichMrs.Sidgwickcompletedforhim(buthehadgottheessentials).LeonoraPiper’swritinghandwavedwithexcitementandthenwrote–‘NowdearMrs.Sidgwickinfuturehavenodoubtorfearofso-calleddeathasthereisnone.’163

Ofevengreatersignificanceisanentiremanuscript,TheRoadtoImmortality,channeledfromMyersin1929viatheGeraldineCummins’mediumship.Atalentedautomaticwriter,CumminsneverknewMyersinlife.Thisbookhasaforewordbyradioco-inventorSirOliverLodgewhohadbeenwell-acquaintedwithMyersandvoucheditwaswritteninMyers’ownstyle.164

LodgehadregularsessionsforyearswiththecelebratedmediumGladysOsborneLeonard.Thesesessionshadconvincedhim,beyondalldoubt,hewasinregularcommunicationwith

164SirOliverLodge,“Foreword”inGeraldineCummins,TheRoadtoImmortality:BeingaDescriptionoftheLifeHereafter,WithEvidenceoftheSurvivalofHumanPersonality.(London:PsychicPress,1932),9-15.

hissonRaymond,whowaskilledinWWI.RaymondcouldcommunicatedirectlywithMyersontheotherside.HepassedontoLodgethemessagethatMyershaddictatedthisbook–albeitwithsomedifficulty–throughtheCummins’mediumship.Overall,hertranscriptionwasconsistentwithhisintentions.

LodgeclaimedheonlywrotetheforewordafterreceivingapprovalfromMyersthroughtheLeonard’smediumship.165Moreevidence,justifyingLodge’sconfidenceinLeonard’smediumshipfollows.

Inthenextvideofromthe1990s,WillisHarman,thenInstituteofNoeticSciencespresident,offershisimpressionsofMyers’communicationsthroughCummins.Shedidn’tevenrealizewhatshewaswriting.Thewordscameataswiftpace.Sheworkedwithapartnerwhochangedthesheetsofpaperunderherhand–soshecouldkeepwritingwithoutinterruption.Heclaimsthisautomaticwritingisconsistentwithdifferentwritingsbyotherchannelers.Theyalldescribeasimilarprogressionofthesoulthroughstagesoftheafterlife.166

165Ibid,15.166 Willis Harman, “Metaphysics and Modern Science, Part II: Consciousness Beyond Death.” Thinking Allowed video. https://youtu.be/kK29VDAwZ_s

GladysOsborneLeonard’smediumship.ThereweremanyexamplesofinformationcomingthroughMrs.Leonard’smediumshipthatconvincedtheeminentphysicist,SirOliverLodge,hissonRaymondwasaliveontheotherside.Themostimpressiveofthesewastherecoveryofaphotograph,describedbythediscarnateRaymond,takenjustbeforehisdeath.Lodgedidnotseeituntilaftertwoséancesinwhichhewastoldaboutit.

Thestoryofthephotograph,shownbelow,involvesacross-correspondencebetweentwomediums.Raymond,whowaskilledonSeptember14,1915,issittingsecondfromtherightendofthefrontrow.ThemanbehindhimisrestinghishandonRaymond’sleftshoulder,soRaymondisleaningslightlytotheright.OnSeptember27,LadyLodge,SirOliver’swife,hadananonymoussittingwithamediumnamedAlfredVoutPeters.Thephotographwasfirstmentionedthere,alongwithinformationconcerningRaymond’sidentity.RaymondalsomentionedatthissessionthatFredericMyerswashelpinghimadjusttoexistenceontheotherside.ThemessageplacedspecialemphasisonthegroupphotographwhereRaymondisholdinghiswalkingstick.Atthispoint,theLodgeshadnophotographsofRaymondwithothersoldiers.

Then,onNovember29,theLodgesreceivedaletterfromthefamilyofanothersoldier,referringtosuchaphotographandofferingtosendacopy.OnDecember3,OliverLodgehadasittingwithGladysLeonardwhereheinquiredfurtheraboutthephotograph–whichhadnotyetarrived.Inthesession,Leonardwasintranceandherspiritcontrol,Feda,reportedonherconversationswithRaymond,whoexplainedthattheoriginalcommunicationaboutthephotographwasthroughadifferentmedium.Raymondaddedthathewassittingdowninthepicture,thathewaswithadozenormoreothermen,andthatitwastakenoutdoors.Healsoreferencedverticallinesaboveandbehindhim.Herememberedsomebodywastryingtoleanonhim.Healsomentionedanotherman,B,whowouldbethemostprominentpersoninthephoto.ThephotographarrivedfourdayslateronDecember7.Themostprominentpersoninthephoto,standinginthesunlightinthebackrow,isCaptainS.T.Boast.Raymondwasholdinghiswalkingstick.Themanbehindhimisdistinctlyleaningonhim.Theverticallinesintheroofbehindthemarealsoveryprominent.Lodge’sbook,RaymondorLifeandDeath:WithExamplesoftheEvidenceforSurvivalofMemoryandAffectionAfterDeath,wasabest-sellerandimmediatelycatapultedGladys

167SirOliverJ.Lodge,RaymondorLifeandDeath.(NewYork:GeorgeH.Doran,1916).

OsborneLeonardtointernationalfameasatrancemedium.167

Shecontinuedhermediumshipforthenexthalf-century,duringwhichmembersoftheSocietyforPsychicalResearchstudiedherextensively.TherehavebeenoverthirtyarticlesaboutherinthepublicationsoftheSociety,andsevenmoreintheJournaloftheAmericanSocietyforPsychicalResearch.NeaWalker,OliverLodge’ssecretary,madealong-termstudyofLeonardthatranfornineteenyears.Oneresearcher,theMethodistminister,Rev.CharlesDraytonThomas,hadover500sittingswithher.Throughoutthisentiretime,therehasnever

beenasingle,credibleinstancewhenLeonard’sintegrityorsincerityhasbeenquestioned.168

In1921,KatieDawson-SmithheardfromhersonwhohadbeenkilledinWWIinasessionwithLeonard.Hewasinsistentshefindanoldleatherwallet,whichshedid.Hesaiditheldatiny,yetimportantcheckstub.Thesignificanceofthisbecameclearwhen,in1924,shereceivedademandfroma

168RosalindHeywood,“MrsGladysOsborneLeonard:ABiographicalTribute,”JournaloftheSocietyforPsychicalResearch,Vol.45(741),September1969,95-105.

Hamburgfirmfortherepaymentofadebtincurredbyhersonin1914.However,thecheckstubenabledhertoshowthathersonhadalreadyrepaidtheten-year-olddebt.Shereceivedanapologyfromthecompany.Dawson-SmithlatersenttherelevantdocumentationofthisincidenttotheSocietyforPsychicalResearch.169Anotherexampleofacross-correspondenceinvolvingLeonardoccurredin1925.Followingthedeathofherhusband,WilliamF.Barrett,thephysicistandco-founderoftheSocietyforPsychicalResearch,FlorenceBarrettarrangedasittingwithLeonardduringwhichherdeceasedhusbandcamethroughandstatedthathehadsentheranothermessagefromadistantplace.Later,shelearnedfromherfriend,aMrs.Jervis,thatshehadreceivedaletterfromLeonoraPiperinAmerica.BarretthadcommunicatedthroughMrs.PiperthathewassorryhecouldnotkeepanappointmentwithMrs.Jervis(becauseofhisdeath).Infact,JervishadanafternoonteaappointmentwithBarrettthatwaspreventedbyhisdeath.170UnderthesupervisionofWilliamMcDougallatDukeUniversity,JohnThomasearnedadoctoraldegreeinpsychologyforhisextensivestudyofGladysOsborneLeonard’smediumship.Thomaswasseekingevidenceofhiswife’safterlifeexistence.Shehaddiedin1926.Hisstudyranfornineyears.Itincluded2,964specificpointsofinformation

169Mrs.W.H.Salter,“AReportonSomeRecentSittingswithMrs.Leonard.”ProceedingsoftheSocietyforPsychicalResearch,Vol.36,1928,170FlorenceBarrett,PersonalitySurvivesDeath:MessagesfromSirWilliamBarrett.(London:Longmans,GreenandCo.,1937),xl-xlvi.

– apointbeingasinglestatementofapossiblyverifiablefact.Ofthese,2,358werecorrect;196incorrect;231inconclusive;and179unverifiable.Thepercentagecorrectofthetotalverifiablepointswas92.3%.171PsychicalresearcherTrevorHamiltondescribesThomas’approachasmeticulous:

…heoftenhadsomeoneelsesitwithLeonardasaproxyonhisbehalf,ensuredtheywereaccuratelyrecorded,lookedforverifiablesourcesforthemedium’sstatementsamonghisownrecords,anddiscardedunverifiablepoints,nomatterhowseeminglypersuasive.172

TheseexamplesmerelyrepresentsomehighlightsfromGladysLeonard’slongcareerasamedium.

Mediumlaunchesarevolution.FranciscoI.MaderowasthefounderofMexico’s1910revolution.Hewasaspiritistmediumwhowroteabookviaautomaticwriting,spellingoutguidancehebelievedhewasreceivingjustbeforelaunchinghisrevolution.Somemessageswerefrom“BJ”–presumably,Mexico’sformerpresident,BenitoJuarez(1806-1872).MexicansrevereJuarezasthefirstindigenousMexicanpresident.

171 JohnThomas,BeyondNormalCognition:AnEvaluativeandMethodologicalStudyoftheMentalContentofCertainTrancePhenomena.(Boston:BostonSocietyforPsychicalResearch,1937). 172TrevorHamilton,T.“GladysOsborneLeonard.”PsiEncyclopedia.London:TheSocietyforPsychicalResearch.Retrieved24July2021.https://psi-encyclopedia.spr.ac.uk/articles/gladys-osborne-leonard

Inthefollowingvideo,C.M.Mayo–whotranslatedMadero’sbook,SpiritistManual,intoEnglish–explainsthatBJinstructedMadero,throughautomaticwriting,tolaunchhispoliticalcareer.

Specifically,BJtoldMaderotowriteLaSucesiónPresidencialen1910.TodayregardedastheMexicanRevolution’sseminaldocument,thisimmenselysuccessfulbookcalledforfreeelections,withnoreelectiontoasecondterm.TheMexicanswerethenexperiencingathirty-yeardictatorship.Thatelectionwasheld,andMaderowasvictorious.173

AportionoftheEnglishtranslationbyC.M.Mayofollows,fromtheautomaticwritingtransmittedthroughMaderoandsigned“BJ.”

Verydearbrother…Iwillbeginbyverycordiallycongratulatingyouon

173C.M.Mayo,“TheRoleofSpiritismintheMexicanRevolution,PartOne:Madero’sSecretBook.”NewThinkingAllowedvideo(recordedonFebruary26,2016).https://youtube.com/embed/MD_rSP2dxdA?start=1470&end=1530

yourtriumphsoveryourself,whichhaveputyouintheconditiontosuccessfullybeginthecolossalofreestablishingFreedominMexico.Itisanarduousenterprise,butyouareuptoitandyouwillhappilyreachthesummit.YourtriumphwillbeverybrilliantanditwillhaveincalculableconsequencesforourbelovedMexico…Youmustunderstandthatbeforeyoucameintothisworld,weagreedtoundertakethismissionandtogiveyouallyouwouldneedtosucceed.Towardthisendwehavebeenworkingandpreparingeverything,andnowthatthespiritsareready,allweneedisthepowerfulelectriccurrentyourbookwillproduce…Whenyoucallme,Iwillreturnwithpleasure,forIampartofagroupofspiritsthatsurroundsyou,helpsyou,guidesyousothatyoumaysuccessfullycrowntheworkyouhavebegun.174

ThenewpresidentFranciscoMaderofaceddifficultiesinrulingMexicoafterthe1910Revolution.Someenemiesopposedhimbecausehewasaspiritist.Others,bothontherightandleft,feltdissatisfiedwithhispolicies.Attheendofhislife,whenfacedwithacoupd'état,heshowedenormous

174C.M.Mayo,MetaphysicalOdysseyintotheMexicanRevolution:FranciscoI.MaderoandHisSecretBook,SpiritistManual.(Kindleedition,2013),location2606of5176.

courage,consistentwithhisspiritistbeliefs.175

FranciscoI.Madero,SpiritistMedium,

RevolutionaryLeader,PresidentofMexico

Madero’sspiritistcommunicationscausedhimtosacrificeeverything,opposingbothhisfamilyandtheCatholicChurch,forthesakeoftherevolutionhelaunched.Hispoliticalcareerandhisspiritistactivitiesandbeliefswerealmostinseparable.Theychangedthecourseofamoderngovernment,affectingmillionsoflives.Today,mostMexicansregardMaderoasahero.

175Ibid.

Although,welackproofMadero’sautomaticwritingwasn’taproductofhisimagination,hewasanardentspiritualistwhoacceptedthecommunicationsliterally.Giventhebackgrounddatabaseinspiritualismandpsychicalresearch,aswellasthehistoryofMadero’srisetopower,IregardMadero’sassumptionasjustifiedthathewasguidedbythediscarnateBenitoJuarez.AswiththepreviousdiscussionoftheFischer-Hoffmanprocess,theverificationofthespiritcommunicationispragmatic.Forensicevidenceprovidedbyamedium.OnOctober5,1930,theR101dirigiblecrashedinFrance,killing48crewmembersandpassengers.Twodayslater,EileenGarrett,oneofthetwentiethcentury’sgreatestmediums,experiencedanunanticipateddrop-incommunicator,i.e.,anunexpectedvisitor,duringasitting.ThecommunicatoridentifiedhimselfasHerbertIrwin,thevessel’sdeceasedpilot.Irwindescribedthetechnicalfailuresanddesignflawsthatcausedthecrash.Thisdisasterwasfraughtwithpolitics.TheBritishAirMinisterLordThomson,whohadoverriddenthecaptain’sdesireformoretestflights,diedinthecrash.WillCharlton,aformersupplyofficerfortheR101whoknewtheairshipanditspersonnelwell,independentlyreviewedthemediumisticinformation.Heconfirmedtheaccuracyofmanydetailsprovided.

176JohnG.Fuller,TheAirmenWhoWouldNotDie.(NewYork:G.P.Putnam’sSons,1979).Kindleedition,location4763outof5577.

WilliamH.Wood,anairshippilotandafrequentcontributortotheFreethinker,anatheistpublication–conductedanotherindependentreview.In1949,WoodshockedtheBritishrationalistandatheistworldbyannouncingthedataconvincedhimofpostmortemsurvival.HewroteintheFreethinker,

Ifthiscasedoesnotprovesurvival,thennothingeverwill.IconsidertheR-101casetobecastiron.176

Whileacceptingsurvival,Woodkeptuphisstatusasanatheist.177

177Ibid,location4269outof5577.

Discarnatelaunchespsychotherapyapproach.InacasereminiscentoftheFischer-Hoffmanprocesspreviouslydescribed,anotherdeceasedpsychiatristKarlNowotny(1895-1965)returnedfromthegravetosetupanewpsychotherapymethod.Hewastrainedinindividualpsychology,asoriginatedbyAlfredAdler.HelecturedinpsychiatryandneurologyattheViennaUniversity.OneofhispatientswasGreteSchröder,aprosperoustaxconsultant.TwodaysbeforeNowotny’sdeath,shehadadreaminwhichafigurespokethesethreewords:“Nowotnyisdying.”Becausesheheardthisvoice,shearrangedasessionwithamediumandcontactedNowotnyafterhisdeath.ThisledtoSchröder’slearningautomaticwriting.SheeventuallywrotesixvolumesdictatedtoherbythediscarnateNowotny.178Theyprimarilydealwiththespiritualcausesofschizophreniaandotherseverepsychoticdisorders.Thetherapeuticmethodsarelikethedepossessionpracticereferredtopreviously.Today,thewebsiteoftheNowotnyFoundationofferswebinars,eBooks,andhasalistoftherapiststrainedinthemethodstaughtbythediscarnateNowotny.Theyspecializeintreatingcasesotherwiseconsideredincurable.179

178KarlNowotny,MessagesfromaDoctorintheFourthDimension.(AMRAVerlag,2015,3rdedition).179NowotnyFoundatione.V.RetrievedonApril9,2021.https://www.nowotny-foundation.com/en/

EnaTwiggandBishopJamesPike.BishopJamesPikefamouslyresignedhispostasCalifornia’sEpiscopalBishopafterongoingmediumisticcommunicationswithhissonJimwhohadtakenhisownlife.180Shortlyafterhisson’sdeath,BishopPike,whowasdevastatedbythesuicide,begannoticingpoltergeist-likephenomenaintheCambridgeapartmenthehadbeensharingwithJimafewweeksprior.Hedrewupalistof55inexplicableeventshesuspectedweresignsofJim’ssurvivingpresence.ThisledhimtoseekadvicefromCanonPierce-Higgins,anAnglicanChurchofficial,whorecommendedavisittotherespectedmediumEnaTwigg.Eventually,Pierce-

180JamesA.Pike,TheOtherSide:MyExperienceswithPsychicPhenomena.(NewYork:Dell,1969).

Higginsarrangedasitting,andPeirce-HigginsdroveBishopPiketotheséance.HetookcopiousnotesthatheeventuallysharedwithmynextintervieweeRoyStemman,ajournalistwhocoveredthestoryforPsychicNewsinEngland.

BishopPikealsoconfirmedthatEnaTwiggprovidedinformationabouthissonshecouldn’thaveknownorguessed.ThroughEnaTwigg,thelatetheologianPaulTillich(1886-1965)alsoappeared.TillichhadbeenbothPike’sfriendandJim’sgodfather.CommunicationswithJimcontinuedthroughothermediumsPikeconsulted.

181RoyStemman,“BishopJamesPikeandtheMedium,EnaTwigg.”NewThinkingAllowedvideo(recordedonApril10,2021).https://youtube.com/embed/syXNKmnMjjs?start=1575&end=1747

BishopPike’sbook,TheOtherSide,documentsalengthyconversationheheldwithhisdeceasedsonandPaulTillich.Thetopicstoucheduponpersonalfriends,family,educationalmatters,andtheemotionalturmoilthatledJimtotakehisownlife.Anothertopicdiscussedwasthepoltergeist-likephenomenaseenattheCambridgeapartment–whichwereJim’sinitialattemptstocommunicate.TheconversationalsotoucheduponthecontroversyswirlingaroundBishopPike’sliberalattitudestowardchurchdogma.Eachtime,theresponsesgivenbythediscarnatespirits,Pike’ssonJimorTillich,wereknowledgeableandappropriate.Pikeregardedthesessionashighlyevidential.

ItwasafterthisencounterPikegaveuphisloftypositionintheEpiscopalChurch.Hewishedtopursueinvestigationsofspiritcommunicationandpsychicalresearch,andChristianchurchorigins.

Inthenextvideosegment,thejournalistStemmandescribestheeventsleadinguptoBishopPike’ssessionwithEnaTwigg.181

LegalevidencefromChicoXavier.Afewcasesinvolveacourtoflawadmittingtestimonyorevidencefromadeceasedspirit.InMay1976,MauricioGarcezHenriquewasatthehouseofhisfriendJoséDivinoNunes,age18.

Joséwaslookingforcigarettes.Hedidn’tfindany,buthecameuponhisfather’sguninstead.Hewonderedwhatwouldhappenifheshotathisreflectioninamirror.MauriciosuddenlywalkedbetweenJoséandthemirror,atwhichpointthegunwentoff,fatallywoundingMauricio.

Joséwasarrestedandchargedwithmurder.Priortothetrial,Mauricio’sparentshadbeentoseeChicoXavier,thefamousBrazilianmedium.Themessagetheyreceivedfromtheirdeadsondescribedwhathadhappened:

JoséDivinowasnotguilty,norwasanybodyelse.Wewerejustplayingaround,thinkingaboutshootingsomebody’sreflectioninamirror,andwhenIpassedinfrontofmyimage

182GuyLyonPlayfair,ChicoXavier:MediumoftheCentury.(Brasilia:InternationalSpiritistCouncil,2010),90-91.

reflectedinthemirror,theshothitme.Ifanybodyhastoaskforgiveness,itshouldbeme–Ishouldhavebeenstudyinginsteadoffoolingaround.182

Attorneyspresentedthemessageincourt,andJudgeOrimardeBastosnoteditagreedwiththeevidence.Heconcluded:

WemustgivecredibilitytothemessageautomaticallywrittenbyFranciscoCandidoXavierwherethevictimrecountstheevent,exemptingthedefendantfromanyguilt.Hedescribesthescenewhereheandhisfriendwereplayingwiththegun,andhowtheshotcametobefired.183

183Ibid,91.

Thecasewasdismissed.PsychicalresearcherGuyLyonPlayfairwritesthatthiswasthefirstknowninstanceofacriminalcasedecidedonevidencepurportedlyoriginatingfromadeceasedperson.However,healsoreportsonthreeotherBraziliancaseswhereamessagefromChicoXavierwasenoughtoinfluenceamurdertrial.Onecaseresultedinanacquittal.Intheothertwo,thecourtreducedthechargesbecauseofthemediumistictestimony.Murderssolvedbymediums.Ina1977caseinChicago,thecourtconvictedAllanShoweryofmurderingaFilipinowomannamedTeresitaBasa.PolicearrestedhimfollowingtheclaimbyanotherFilipinowoman,RemibiasChua.ShehadcommunicatedwithBasa’sspiritintheirnativelanguage,Tagalog,andwastoldaboutthetheftofaringinadditiontothemurder.Confrontedwiththisevidence,Showery(whohadpreviouslybeeninterviewedbypolice)confessed,andpolicerecoveredthering.184Anevenstrongercaseisthe1983murderofJacquelinePooleinaLondonsuburb.Poole’sspiritcommunicated,unbidden,toayoungIrishmedium,ChristineHolohan–whohadnootherconnectiontoPoole,nortoherfriends,oranyoneelseassociatedwiththecase.TheinformationprovidedbyPoolethroughthemediumimpressedthepolice.Althoughtherewasinsufficientevidenceatthetimeforaconvictionoftheidentified

184ArthurLyons&MarcelloTruzzi,TheBlueSense:PsychicDetectivesandCrime.(NewYork:WarnerBooks,1991),245-6.

murderer,AnthonyRuark–theysavedthesuspect’spulloversweateridentifiedbythemediumHolohan.Policereopenedthecasein2000whennewlaboratorytechniquesanalyzingthesweaterenabledpolicetomakeaconvincingidentificationofRuark,whowasconvictedandjailedforlife.185AcarefulanalysisbyskilledpsychicalresearchersGuyLyonPlayfairandMontagueKeenreachedthesameconclusionasthepolice.TherewasnoplausiblealternativetothehypothesisthatJacquelinePoole’sspirithadcommunicatedwiththemediumChristineHolohan.186TheGeorgeChapman/WilliamLangpartnership.Inmyestimation,thesinglemostevidentialcaseforhumanpostmortemsurvivalistheongoingmanifestationofWilliamLang(1852-1937),aprominentophthalmicsurgeoninLondon,throughthemediumshipofGeorgeChapman.ChapmanwasafirefighterworkinginAylesbury,UK,whenhismediumshipbeganin1946.Lang’sspiritworkedthroughChapmanregularlyforsixtyyearsuntilChapman’sdeathin2006.Duringthesesessions,ChapmanwasintranceandknewnothingofwhatLangwasdoingwhileusinghisbodytoconducthealingsessions.GeorgeChapmanwasamilitaryveteranandaformerboxerwithnohighereducation.His

185GuyLyonPlayfair&MontagueKeen,“APossiblyUniqueCaseofPsychicDetection.”JournaloftheSocietyforPsychicalResearch.Vol.68,January2004,1-12.186Ibid.

personality,whennotintrance,wasmanifestlydistinctfromWilliamLang.

Severalpopularbookshavebeenwrittenaboutthiscase.187,188,189Lang,throughChapman,calledthesesessionsetherichealing.

In1966,notedpsychicalresearcherEricDingwallpleadedforaseriousinvestigationofthiscase.190Nevertheless,theprofessionalpsychicalresearchandparapsychologyliteraturehasignoredit.Ontheotherhand,thespiritualistcommunityknewofand

187GeorgeChapmanandRoyStemman,SurgeonfromanotherWorld.(London:W.H.Allen,1978,1stedition;Hove,UK:WhiteCrowBooks,2017,Kindleedition).188J.BernardHutton,HealingHands:TheIncredibleStoryofPeopleBeingCuredTodaybyaDoctorWhoDied30Yearsago!(NewYork,PaperbackLibrary,1968).

celebratedthiscase.AsearchofthePsychicNewsarchives,attheUniversityofManitoba,forthename“GeorgeChapman,”returned734pagesmentioningthename.

InMarch2021,IinterviewedRoyStemman,formerPsychicNewseditorandauthorofmanyarticlesabouttheChapmanmediumship.191Stemman’s2017book,SurgeonfromanotherWorld,wasanupdatedversionofa1978bookcoauthoredwithChapman.Herearethesalientfactsaboutthisextraordinarycasemakingitespeciallyevidential.

189W.R.Cross,FactsNotFiction.(Aylesbury,UK:LangPublishing,1982).190EricDingwall,ReviewofHealingHands.JournaloftheSocietyforPsychicalResearch,Vol.43,No.729,(Sept.1966):375–376.191 RoyStemman,“Dr.WilliamLang’sReturnFromtheGrave.”NewThinkingAllowedvideo(recordedonMarch31,2021).https://youtu.be/jW0sEvN9oDQ

Formerpatients,familymembers,andmedicalcolleaguesacknowledgedChapman’sspiritcontrolasLang’sactualpersonality–completewithmemory,professionalknowledge,speakingstyle,andmannerisms.

LyndonLangCommunicatingWithHerFatherThroughGeorgeChapman

WilliamLang’sdaughterLyndonLang,andagroupofLang’sformermedicalcolleagues(andcolleaguesofhissonBasil,whopredeceasedhim),heldweeklyséanceswithGeorgeChapmanfordecades.TheywereconvincedoftheauthenticityofLang’sspirit.Inthenextvideo,journalistRoyStemmanreportshowthisarrangementcameabout.FirstLyndonLang’sskepticismwasovercomebyinformationfromWilliamLang’sspiritthatonlyhecouldhaveknown.ThensheintroducedChapmantomedicalcolleaguesofLangandhisson,Basil.192

192Ibid,https://youtube.com/embed/jW0sEvN9oDQ?start=1678&end=1808

Theseformercolleagues,familymembers,andfriendsofLangsorespectedtheworkofGeorgeChapman’smediumshiptheygaveChapmanmanypersonalitems–includingthebedoriginallybelongingtoLang.Stemman,whowasawitnesstothisseriesofgifts,testifiesabouttheminthenextvideosegment.Chapmanhadsomanyofthesepersonalitems,hecalleditthe“LangMuseum.”Today,theyarestillinthepossessionofChapman’sfamily.193

LyndonLangsupportedthismediumshipfinancially,leavingatestimonialandbequeathingaportionofherestateuponherdeathtoGeorgeChapman.

193Ibid,https://www.youtube.com/embed/jW0sEvN9oDQ?start=1904&end=1988

Inthefollowingvideo,journalistStemmandescribeshowheevenobtainedacopyofthewill.WhileithelpedChapmanfinancially,itwasevenmorevaluabletoChapmanasasignofthesupporthereceivedfromLang’sfamily.StemmanalsohasinhisfilesvoluminoustestimoniesaboutLang’shealingbothfrommedicaldoctorsandpatients.194

AsimilarpublishedtestimonialcamefromWilliamLang’sgranddaughterSusanFairtlaughwhoknewhergrandfatherwhenhewasalive.Shecorroboratedtheauthenticityofhergrandfather’sspiritthroughChapman:

Hespoketomeandrecalledpreciseeventsofmychildhood.195

LaterSusanandherhusbandinvitedGeorgeChapmantovisittheirhome.Shecassertedinasubsequentinterview:

Ihaveherethreeobjectswhichusedtobelongtomygrandfather.Chapmanwalkedthroughthehouseandrecognisedthemimmediately.196

194Ibid,https://youtube.com/embed/jW0sEvN9oDQ?start=2270&end=2364

Duringhissixdecadesofmediumship,whileintranceforasmuchassixhoursatatime,GeorgeChapmanengagedinaspiritualhealingpracticethatattainedinternationalrepute.Medicalprofessionals,whodidn’thesitatetosendtheirpatientsforhealing,oftenattestedtocures.

AsRoyStemmanreports,throughouthisdecadesofjournalisticcoverageoftheChapman/Langmediumship,therewasneveratimewhenhefoundanyreasontoquestiontheintegrityofeitherthemediumorthecontrollingspirit.

In1979,theprestigiousOphthalmologySectionoftheRoyalSocietyofMedicine(ofwhichLanghadformerlybeenpresident)invitedGeorgeChapman,theformerfirefighter,tospeakabouthismediumisticrelationshipwiththedeceasedLang.

WilliamLang’smanifestationisparticularlyevidentialbecauseitpersistedoversixty-years.MultipleindividualswhohadknownLangattestedtotheauthenticityofhisdiscarnatespirit.

TheMaróczy/Korchnoichessmatch.GézaMaróczywasthesecond-bestchessplayerintheworldin1905.VictorKorchnoiwasthesecond-rankedchessplayerintheworldin1980,butlaterbecametheworld’sseniorchesschampion.Throughtheauspicesofaspiritmedium,theyplayedaremarkablechessgamelastingfrom1987until1993.

195Chapman,Surgeon,location2468of3672.196Ibid.

Korchnoiwasaliveduringthisperiod;andMaróczywasdead,havingdiedin1951.

GézaMaróczy

WolfgangEisenbeisswasaSwisseconomistwithaninterestinpsychicalresearch.In1985,hehadtheideathatevidenceforsurvivalwouldbeenhancedifadeceasedchessmasterwouldmanifestthroughamediumandplaychesswithalivinggrandmaster.197,198HewasabletopersuadeKorchnoitotakepart.EisenbeisswasanamateurchessplayerwhowasfamiliarwithRobertRollans,amediumwhopracticedautomaticwriting.Rollanswasn’tachessplayer.However,Eisenbeiss

197WolfgangEisenbeissandDieterHassler,“AnAssessmentofOstensibleCommunicationswithaDeceasedGrandmasterasEvidenceforSurvival.”JournaloftheSocietyforPsychicalResearch.Vol.70(2),April2006,65-97.

instructedhimsufficientlytounderstandthestandardnotationsforchessmoves.HealsogaveRollinsalistofdeceasedgrandmasters,withtherequesttofindonewhowouldcooperatewiththisexperiment.OnJune15,1985,GézaMaróczy,communicatinginHungarian(andlaterinGerman)confirmedhiswillingnesstoplaythematch.Maróczyestablishedhisidentitythroughhisskillandstyleasachessplayer,playingchessatthegrandmasterlevel.Maróczy’sspiritalsosupplieddetailedandobscureinformationabouthislifewhenhewasalive.Suchchessskillisimpossibletoreplicate,evenbysomebodywhohasstudiedchessextensively.Someinformationprovidedappearedatfirsttobeinaccurate.Onlylaterwasitdiscoveredtobecorrect.Inthevideoclipbelow,neuropsychiatristVernonNeppe(himselfanavidchessplayer)elaboratesonthequestionsposedtoMaróczyaswellasdetails,makingthecorrectinformationinitiallyseemincorrect.Forexample,thediscarnateMaróczydidn’tnametheItalianchessmaster

198VernonNeppe,“ADetailedAnalysisofanImportantChessGame:Revisiting‘MaróczyversusKorchnoi.”JournaloftheSocietyforPsychicalResearch.Vol.71(3),July2007,129-147.

MassimilianoRomibecauseheknewhimbyhisCroatiannameofMaxRomih.199

ThediscarnateMaróczycorrectlyanswered79of81questionsposedtohimabouthislife(or97.53%accuracy).Thatthechessgameextendedoversixyears,withadiscarnateentitywhohaddied36yearsbeforethegamewasstarted,stronglyarguesforMaróczy’ssustainedpostmortemsurvival.

RobertRollans,themedium,neversoughtpaymentforhisservices.Eisenbeisskeptthematterquietanddidn’tpublishhisresearchforadecadeafterthechessmatchwascompleted.Nevertheless,theSwisspresslearnedaboutthegamearound1990and,thereafter,beganfollowingdevelopmentscarefully.Inthemiddleofthegame,KorchnoicommentedonhowwellMaróczywasplaying.Atthatpoint,Korchnoi(whoeventuallywon)wasn’tsurehecouldwin.

In2006,para-psychologistRussellTargaskedhisbrother-in-lawBobbyFischer,agrandmasterhimselfandoneofthegreatestplayersinchesshistory,toexaminethe

199 VernonNeppe,“TheChessGameFromBeyondtheGrave.”NewThinkingAllowedvideo(recordedonApril15,2016).https://www.youtube.com/embed/g1S6y1-Pz_w?start=606&end=687

moves.FischerappraisedMaróczy’sgameatthegrandmasterlevel.ThisfeedbackconvincedTargthechessmatchwasthebestavailableevidenceforsurvival.200

VernonNeppeanalyzedMaróczy’suniqueplayingstyle,whichhewasabletoverify.ItwasanunmistakableexpressionofMaróczy’spersonality.Neppeconfirmedthatthisstylecouldn’thavebeenreplicatedbythechess-playingcomputersavailablewhenthegamewasplayed.Heelaboratesonthesepointsinthenextvideo.201

Moróczy,forexample,playedaninferiormoveatthegame’sopening.However,itwouldhavebeenagoodmovein1905.Thecounter-playtothatmovewasn’tknownuntilafterMaróczy’sdeath.

200RussellTarg,personalcommunication.201Neppe,op.cit.,https://youtube.com/embed/g1S6y1-Pz_w?start=1238&end=1359

PhysicalMediumship

PreliminaryConsiderations.Theevidenceproducedthroughphysicalmediumshipoftenfunctionsincombinationwithmentalmediumship.Thephysicalphenomenaincluderappingsounds(withuniqueacousticproperties),peopleandobjectslevitating,directvoice,ectoplasmicproductions,andmaterializations.Often,wedismisssuchphenomenaout-of-handbecausetheyappeartobetoobizarretobebelieved.Almostallprominentphysicalmediumshavesufferedfromaccusationsoffraud.Often,theseaccusationsarebaseduponsupposition,lackinganycredible,evidentialbasis.Thereissomuchgoodevidenceforlifeafterdeath,apartfromphysicalmediumship.Whyriskantagonizingpotentialreadersbybringingupphenomenasotaintedwithcontroversy?Whynotplayitsafe?Timesarechanging.Manypeoplewilljudgethissectionappropriately,giventheprecedingcaveats.Herearemyreasonsfordiscountingbothfraudandbelievability.Ithinkthisinformationistooimportanttoignore!First,myexperience,asdocumentedinmybookThePKMan,hasshownmemacro-psychokineticphenomenacanberealand,therefore,deserveseriousinvestigation–nomatterhowbizarreorunbelievabletheymayappear.202

202JeffreyMishlove,ThePKMan:ATrueStoryofMindOverMatter.(Charlottesville,VA:HamptonRoads,2000).

Second,somephysicalmediumshaveheldforthfordecadeswithanuntarnishedreputation.IamawareofnopublishedaccusationsagainstStewartAlexanderwhoseworkwillbediscussedinthissection.Third,thestudyofphysicalmediumshipcanleadtoimportantinsightsaboutsurvivalofconsciousness.Somepeopleattributethesephenomenaaspsychokinesis(or,sometimesfraud)bythemedium.However,potentiallytheyshowtheuniquepowerofthediscarnatespirits,manyofwhomhavegreaterpsiabilitythantheliving.Somediscarnatespiritsresponsibleforproducingphysicalphenomenainséanceshavemanifestedthroughdifferentmediumsformorethanacentury.WalterStinson’sdiscarnatepersistence.Stinson(1884-1911)wasboththecontroversiallyfamousmediumMinaCrandon’sbrotherandhercontrollingspiritduringséances.AlsoknownasMargery,Crandonattractedenormousattentioninthe1920s.ShewasaHarvardphysician’ssocialitewifewhoperformedphysicalmediumshipfeatsbeforeapanelconvenedbyScientificAmerican.ThefamousmagicianHoudinibecamehernemesis.Stinson’sspiritcontrolfeaturedthephenomenonknownasdirectvoice.AlthoughtheMargerymediumshipwascontroversialatthetime,andremainssotoday,thedirectvoicefromStinsonwascarefullyresearchedandwell-attested.Inthefollowingvideo,

KeithParsons,ajournalistandpsychicalresearcher,speaksaboutthevarioustestsusedtoverifyStinson’sdirectvoice–bycovering,orotherwisemonitoringMargery’sandherhusband’smouths.

AdevicecreatedbyMarkWymanRichardson,aHarvardphysicianwhobecameadevotedsitteratMargery’sséances,wasinsertedintothesitters’andmedium’smouths.ItensuredalllipsremainedsealedwhileStinson’sdirectvoicewasmanifesting.Inthenextvideo,KeithParsonsaystherecanbenoquestionabouttheauthenticityofdirectvoice,independentofthemedium.203

Itislesswell-knownthatWalterStinsonproducedsimilarphenomenathroughMaryAnnMarshall,amediuminWinnipeg,Canada,whoseséanceswereorganizedbyThomasGlendenningHamilton.

Hamilton,aprominentmedicaldoctor,hadasophisticatedséanceroomequippedwithmanycamerastodocumentphenomena.Stinson’smanifestationsinCanadabeganin

203KeithParsons,Houdinivs.Margery:ImmortalityonTrialvideodocumentary(releasedonFebruary5,2020).https://youtube.com/embed/8bxvXXLYsIU?start=1109&end=1214

1926,afteravisitfromMargeryandherhusband.

TheUniversityofManitobahasarchivedthecollectionofHamilton’sphotographs.JaniceHamilton,thegranddaughterofT.G.Hamilton,describesWalter’sinvolvementinthefamilyséances:204

EctoplasmformingonMaryAnnMarshall’sfaceduringaséance

SpeakingthroughMaryMarshall,thepersonalitywhommostgroupmembersacceptedasthespiritofWalterStuartStinson(1884-1911)demandedthatT.G.installabell,insideabox,thathecouldmakering

204JaniceHamilton,“BringOnYourGhosts!TheThomasGlendenningHamiltonFamilySéancesfrom1918to1944,Winnipeg,Canada.”ParanormalReview,Issue77,Winter2016,6-16.

bysupernaturalmeans.T.G.wasscepticalatfirst,buteventuallyhecomplied,andthebelldidringonmanyoccasions.Ononeoccasion,followingWalter’sinstructions,T.G.tookaphotographofthemediumwiththebell-boxinstalledseveralfeetaboveherhead,whilethebellwasringing.Thephotographrevealedathread,describedasateleplasmiccord,betweenMaryMarshall’sheadandthebell-box.Atthatpoint,T.G.losthisskepticismaboutWalter’slegitimacyandthetwobegantocollaborateaspartners…T.G.photographedseventy-twodifferentteleplasmsinfiftyphotographicexperiments.Theresultissome300photographicimages,takenfromdifferentangles.205

Currently,WalterStinson’sspiritappearstobeproducingsimilarphenomenathroughUKmediumStewartAlexander–aphysicalmediumofhighrepute.206,207Inthenextvideo,hedescribeshow–afterextensivelystudyingMinaCrandon’smediumship–WalterStinsoncametojoinhisspiritteam.Eachmemberhasauniqueresponsibility.Walter’sspecialtyontheteamistoproducephysicalphenomena.Hedoesn’twishto

205Ibid.9206LewSutton,“ContemporaryPhysicalMediumship:StewartAlexanderSéances.”ParanormalReview,Issue51,July2009,14-20.207SteveHume,“ReviewofAnExtraordinaryJourneybyStewartAlexander.”JournaloftheSocietyforPsychicalResearch,Vol.75,July2011,151-153.

discussMargery’scontroversialmediumship.Instead,hekeepsfocusingonthefuture.208

Inthefollowingvideo,journalistLeslieKeansharesherexperienceofseeingectoplasmproducedinaséancewithStewartAlexanderviaWalterStinson’sspiritvoicedirection.Ectoplasmisanactualsubstancethathasbeenphotographed,althoughitisn’tunderstood.AccordingtoStewartAlexander,thespiritteamusesectoplasmtocreatevariouseffects.Sometimesthespiritteamusesectoplasmformaterialization.Sometimes,theyformitintorodstolevitateobjectsandmovethemaround.Keanexplainsshewatchedtheectoplasmappearasacloudy,amorphoussubstance.Itthenbecameasolid,humanhandshecouldtouch.Afterthat,shewatcheditvanish.209

208StewartAlexander,“TheMakingofaPhysicalMedium.”NewThinkingAllowedvideo(recordedonNovember16,2020).https://www.youtube.com/embed/yd54sTJK7r4?start=2174&end=2322209LeslieKean,“SpiritMaterialization.”NewThinkingAllowedvideo(recordedonJune9,2020).https://youtube.com/embed/-zqRevHrXXk?start=1318&end=1492

WhileIhaven’tfounddocumentationshowingthediscarnateWalterStinsonprovidingproofofhisidentity,thepowerandrangeofthephysicalphenomenaassociatedwithhisséanceshavebecomehisuniquesignature.

TheScolegroup.ThreeseniorresearchersattheSocietyforPsychicalResearchstudiedtheScoleGroup,knownforproducingawidevarietyofphysicalmediumisticphenomena.DavidFontanawaspresidentatthetime.ArthurEllisonwasaformerpresidentandanengineeringprofessor.MontagueKeenwasthepublicrelationsofficer.Amongthem,theyhadoverfiftyyears’experienceinvestigatingséances.

Theyattendedtwenty-fourseancesovertwoyears.Initially,theywereskeptical,becausetheScolegroupclaimsweresoextraordinary.Nevertheless,allthreeconcludedthephenomenatheysawweregenuine.Theircriticscontendedtheresearchprotocolsdidn’truleoutfraud,acommonaccusationeventhoughtherewasnoevidencesupportingfraud.

210AlanGauld,“CommentsontheScoleReport,”inMontagueKeenetal.,TheScoleReport(London:SocietyforPsychicalResearch,2011),284.

OnecriticwashistorianAlanGauld,aformerSocietypresident.HemadeapointofsayinghehadknownRobinFoy,theScolegroup’sorganizer,forwelloverthirtyyears,

…withoutfindinganyreasontoregardhimasanythingotherthantotallysincere.”210

ThefollowingvideoisanothersegmentfromDanDrasin’sdocumentary,previouslyreferencedaboutInstrumentalTransCommunication,whichwasalsoaScolegroupspecialty.Thissegmentincludesparanormalimagesonvideoand

photographicfilm–tiny,animatedlightsflyingaroundtheroom.Enigmaticfaces,fuzzyandvague,alsoappearonthevideo.Thevideoshowsmanysmallobjectsthatwereapportedinmid-airinthecellarwheretheséanceswereheld.Expertsinpaperandprintingexaminedandverifiednewspapersfromthe1940sthatwereapportedinmintcondition.

Inaddition,thethreedistinguishedresearchers–Keen,Fontana,andEllison–offerpersonaltestimonyastotheauthenticityofthephenomenatheyobservedovertwoyears,andtheprecautionstheytooktoavoidfraud.Forexample,onoccasion,theytooktotalcontroloverthePolaroidfilmuponwhichelaborateparanormalimagesappeared–includingportraitsandsignaturesofknownindividuals,whimsicaldrawingsandsymbols,diagrams,andpoetrywritteninmultiplelanguages.

Voiceswereheardthroughataperecorderfromwhichthemicrophonehadbeenremoved.Directvoicescomingmid-airwererecorded,notablyconversationswithadiscarnatenamedRegLawrencewhoclaimedtohavediedin1942.Thevoicessometimesshowaplayfulsenseofhumor.

Theresearchersarguethatnoonecouldduplicatethevarietyandrobustnessofthephenomenathroughtrickery.ProfessionalmagicianJamesWebsteralsotestifiesthisisthecase.211

211DanDrasin,“CallingEarth”videodocumentary,2015.https://vimeo.com/101171248#t=82m4s

Inafollow-uppaperpublishedin2001,ScoleresearcherMontagueKeenreviewsthefallaciesinthecriticalcommentsfromthosewhofoundtheextraordinaryphenomenaunpalatable.Hepointsto:

…thetotallackofanytraceofdeceptionatanytimebyanymemberoftheGroupoveraperiodoffourorfiveyears,despitethepresenceofhundredsofwitnessesinsixcountries.Sincenearlyallnon-paranormalexplanationspresupposemovementsonthepartofoneormoremembersoftheGroupwhichwouldinviteriskingobservationandhenceexposure,theabsenceofanysuchreportsisitselfsignificantevidence.212

Keenalsopointedoutthatthepositiveevidence,inthiscase,wasallbasedonempiricalobservation–whilethecritics’claimswereinferential.

TheScoleGroupismostrememberedforthephotographicevidenceproducedintheir

212MontagueKeen,“TheScoleInvestigation:AStudyinCriticalAnalysisofParanormalPhysicalPhenomena.”JournalofScientificExploration,Vol15(2),2001,173.

séances.Inthenextvideo,RobinFoydescribeshowthisbegan,withthespiritteamsupplyinginstructions,levitatingthecameras,andcreatingunusualimagesonphotographicfilms.Theprocessbeganwitha35mmcamera.Foy,himself,tookthefirstpicturethroughawindowlookingatthegardenforthepurposeofidentifyingtheparticularrolloffilm.Onceinthecellarwhereséanceswereheld,theroomwascompletelydarkandtherecouldnotbeanygenuineexposures.

Oneofthemediums,Sandra,wasinstructedtotakethecameraandpresstheleverwheneveranyonesaid,“now.”Afterfourorfivepictures,sheputthecameradownonasparechair.Afterthat,thesittersintheroomcouldhearthecameraintheairmovingaroundwiththeshutterclickingandmorephotographsbeingtaken.Whenthefilmwasdeveloped,therewereelevenseparatepicturesofimagesfromallovertheworld–thefirstpicturebeingtheimageofthegardenFoyhadoriginallytaken.213

213RobinFoy,“TheScoleExperiment.”NewThinkingAllowedvideo(recordedonMay6,2021).https://youtube.com/embed/kfCaLjQK46Y?start=2941&end=3095

RobinFoy,inthenextvideo,explainstomethegroupexperiencedspiritcommunicationthroughaspecialdevicereferredtoasTCD(aTransCommunicationDevice).ThomasEdison’sdiscarnatespiritseeminglysupplieddirectionsforthecreationofthisdevice.Ittooknearlyayeartobuilditandgetittowork.Itwasattachedtotheamplifierofacassettetaperecorder.Foystatesthat,throughthisdevice,thegroupmanagedtohaveafifteen-minuteconversationwiththediscarnateThomasEdisonhimself.

RegardingEdison’sappearanceinspirit,theScoleexperimentincludedextensiveevidence,producedbydiscarnatespirits,ontofilm.Amongthesewasasignature,presumablyleftbythespiritofEdisonhimself.Asthenextvideoshows,thesignaturematchedthoseofEdisonthatwerelaterretrievedfromtheEdisonInstitute.RobinFoyelaboratesontheabovepointsinthefollowingvideo.214

ThefollowinggraphicimageshowsThomasAlvaEdison’sactualsignature,withthe

214Ibid,https://youtube.com/embed/kfCaLjQK46Y?start=1782&end=1908

initialsTAEontheright,andthesignatureimpressedonphotographicfilmduringaScoleexperimentontheleft.

Ithasbeenovertwenty-twoyearssincethereportontheScoleGroup.215Therehavebeennoevidence-basedaccusationsoffraudordeceptionregardingthismaterialinsubsequentyears.Theseresultschallengeourmostbasicnotionsoftime,space,andconsciousness.Thischallenge,however,ispreciselywhereweneedtobe.

215MontagueKeen,ArthurEllison,andDavidFontana,David.“TheScoleReport.”ProceedingsoftheSocietyforPsychicalResearch,Vol. 58,1999,150–452.

THEFRAMEWORK:CONSCIOUSNESSBEYONDTHEBRAIN

ConsciousnessandPureLogicTheparsimonyprinciple.Forcenturies,scholarshaverecognizedOccam’sRazorasthefundamentalruleofexplanationitself.Thepreferredexplanationisalwaystheonewiththefewestassumptionsthatcanaccountforalltherelevantfacts.Thereisalmostuniversalconsensusconcerningthisprinciple.Inscientism’sdarkage,wehavedeviatedfromthisimportantprinciplebypresumingdeadmatteristhefoundationofreality.That’swhywesaywhensomethingisimportanttous,itmatters.Inthisdarkage,wegiveprecedencetoexternalsensationsoverintuitionsandfeelings.That’salsowhy,whenweagreewithsomestatement,wesayitmakessense.Theseideas,elevatingtheimportanceofmaterialityandsensation,aresodeeplyingrainedwedon’tnormallyevenconsiderwhetherornottheyarevalid.Paradoxically,allphilosophybeginsinthemind–andnotinmatter.DescartesmadethisexplicitwithhissimplestatementinLatin:Cogitoergosum.Ithink,therefore,Iam.Weeachhavedirectknowledgeofourmind.Nothingismoreimmediateandintimate.Welackdirectaccesstoanythingelsebutmind.Thegreattwentieth-centuryphysicists,suchasErwinSchrödingerandMaxPlanck,understoodthis.Planck,thefounderofquantumphysics,famouslysaid:

Iregardconsciousnessasfundamental.Iregardmatterasderivativefromconsciousness.Wecannotgetbehindconsciousness.Everythingwetalkabout,everythingthatweregardasexisting,postulatesconsciousness.216

Planck’sposition–anexplicitstatementofidealistmetaphysics–isneitherafringe,nor

216MaxPlanck,quotedinTheObserver,January25,1931

outdated,viewpoint.RichardConnHenry,AcademyProfessorofPhysicsandAstronomyatJohnsHopkinsUniversity,publishedasimilarperspectiveinNaturein2005.Hewrote:

Physicistsshyfromthetruthbecausethetruthissoalientoeverydayphysics...Theuniverseisimmaterial–mentalandspiritual.217

Unfortunatelyforthesubjectmatterathand,formanypeople,“immaterial”meansirrelevant!Thisisyetanotherexampleofscientism’sdistortinginfluence.IfMaxPlanckwascorrectandpuremind-at-large,asthefundamentalcategoryofreality,sufficestoexplainallknowledge–thenthereisnoneedtopostulatedeadmatterasanextracategoryofexistence!Idealism,thepositiontheuniverseisessentiallymindlike,satisfiestheparsimonyrequirementinthemetaphysicaldomain.Metaphysicalidealism

217RichardConnHenry,“TheMentalUniverse.”Nature,Vol.436,July7,2005,29.

isaworldviewwherepostmortemsurvivalisbothnaturalandexpected.

Inthevideobelow,physicistandaphilosopherRuthKastnerclaimsmaterialismisametaphysicalhypothesisresultinginproblemsanddeadends–suchasexplainingthehardproblemofconsciousness.Inprinciple,onecannotderiveconsciousexperiencefrominsensatematter.Dualism,amajormetaphysicalschoolofthought,hastheunresolvableproblemofhowtwometaphysicallyuniquesubstances–mindandmatter–caninteract.Metaphysicalidealismisthemostlogicallyconsistentpositionasiteliminatestheproblemsofbothmaterialismanddualism.218

Inthepresentmaterialistera,Kastneracknowledgesthatidealistmetaphysicsareoutoffashion–as“itsoundstoowooo.”219

218RuthKastner,“PostmortemsurvivalandthePhysicalUniverse.”NewThinkingAllowedvideo(recordedonMarch11,2021).https://www.youtube.com/embed/aME8UONGRFg?start=2362&end=2433219Ibid.https://www.youtube.com/embed/aME8UONGRFg?start=2434&end=2454

Kastrup’sanalyticalidealism.ComputerengineerandphilosopherBernardoKastrupispossiblyidealism’sforemost,contemporarychampion–andishelpingtobringitbackintofashion.Since2011,hehaswrittentenbooksexplicatinghisposition–andhaspublishedessayssupportinghispositiononScientificAmerican’swebsite.

Inthefollowingvideo,Kastrupdefinesmetaphysicalidealismtomeanrealityismindlike.Matterisaparticularexperientialmodalitywecallperception.Personalconsciousnessexistswithinmentality-at-large.220

Kastrupmakesitclearthatheacceptstheevidenceforpersistenceofconsciousnessafterdeath.Inthefollowingvideo,heacknowledgesitisnaturalforidealiststoexpectpostmortemsurvival.Itwilldifferfromourexperienceinaphysicalbody.221

220BernardoKastrup,“MetaphysicalIdealism.”NewThinkingAllowedvideo.(RecordedonNovember13,2018).https://www.youtube.com/embed/97MwsoHF2ps?start=239&end=265221BernardoKastrup,“PostmortemSurvivalandAnalyticalIdealism.”NewThinkingAllowedvideo(recordedonMarch15,2021).https://youtube.com/embed/-OLLK7n3O9E?start=310&end=365

Theawarenessassociatedwithout-of-bodyandnear-deathevents,asreportedinthepreviouspages,differsconsiderablyfrombodilyexperience.

Kastruphasrefutedthetraditionalargumentsusedtoopposethemetaphysicaltheorythatallrealityismindlike.

222BernardoKastrup,“MetaphysicalIdealism.”https://www.youtube.com/embed/97MwsoHF2ps?start=2487&end=2561

AsexpressedbyBertrandRussell’squoteintheIntroduction,theobviousobjectionisthebrain’sseemingprimacyoverstatesofawareness.Kastruprefutesthatobjectioninthenextvideopassage.Heshowsthatthecorrelationbetweenbrainactivityandpeople’sexperienceneedn’timplycausation.

Thealternativeviewisthatthebrainistheexternalappearanceofinnermentalprocesses–justaslightningistheexternalappearance,ratherthanthecause,ofatmosphericelectricaldischarge.Hisnewviewpointsuggeststhatconventionalneuroscientistslackimaginationwhentheyseethingsfromonlyoneperspective.222

Kastrupclaimsidealismcanaccountforthefollowingfactsandmore,withouttheunnecessarypresumptionofametaphysicalcategorywecalldeadmatter:

• thesocialconsensusconcerningtheworldasexperiencedthroughthesenses.

• internalmentalactivity’sapparentprivacy

• sensoryexperience’sconcreteness223

Kastrupaffirmsthephenomenalworld’srealityandimpact.Yet,ifhisargumentsaresufficientandPlanck’sdictumiscorrect,thosewhopostulatenon-consciousmatterasaseparateprincipleviolateOccam’sRazor.

Inthefollowingvideo–inresponsetomyquestionabouttherelevanceofBernardCarr’shyperspaceapproachtoconsciousnesstohiswork–Kastrupexplainsitprobablyrequiresasophisticatedhyperspaceexplanationtoaccountforindividualconsciousselveswithinthemindlikenatureoftheuniverse.224Wewon’tunderstandnormalhumanconsciousnessuntilwecometogripswiththefactitoperatesoutsideourfour-dimensional,spacetimematrix.

223BernardoKastrup,TheIdeaoftheWorld:AMulti-DisciplinaryArgumentfortheMentalNatureofReality.(Washington:iffBooks,2019).224BernardoKastrup,“AnalyticalIdealismandPostmortemsurvival,”NewThinkingAllowedvideo(recordedonMarch15,2021).https://www.youtube.com/embed/-OLLK7n3O9E?start=3503&end=3525

Kastrupisreclaimingvenerablephilosophicalideasandreframingthemintermsofcontemporaryscience.Thebottomlineisthatwepartakeinthelivingconsciousnessoftheuniverse.ThegreatSwisspsychiatristCarlJungunderstoodthis.Generally,heavoidedmakingmetaphysicalpronouncements.However,inthispassagefromhiscommentaryontheTibetanBookoftheDead,hetippedhishattoidealism’slongphilosophicaltradition:

Itisthepsychewhich,bythedivinecreativepowerinherentinit,makesthemetaphysicalassertion;itpositsthedistinctionbetweenmetaphysicalentities.Notonlyisittheconditionofallmetaphysicalreality,itisthatreality.225

Inthefollowingthreesubsectionsonpsychedelicresearch,terminallucidity,andexperimentalparapsychology–IhighlightempiricalresearchreinforcingWilliamJames’theorythebrainisthefilterofconsciousness,insteadofthesource.Thisresearchinvolvesstatesofawarenessindirectlyrelatedtoafterlifecommunicationorexperience.

225CarlG.Jung,“PsychologicalCommentaryonTheTibetanBookoftheDead”inJennyYates(Ed.),JungonDeathandImmortality.(Princeton:PrincetonUniversityPress,1999),23.

PsychedelicResearch

Underpsychedelicinfluence,userstypicallyreportvividandcomplexmentalstateswithunearthlycolorsandsounds,aswellascomplexchainsofassociation.Researchsuggeststheseenhancedmentalstatesfunctionindependentlyofbrainactivity.

Severalstudiesnowreporttheseintenseexperiencescorrelatewithreducedelectricalbrainactivityandmetabolism–notincreasedactivity.226, 227, 228, 229

Consciousnessresearcher,StuartHameroff,MD,inthenextvideo,discussesrelevantpsychedelicresearchdetails.Researchersgavesubjectsintravenouspsilocin,theactiveingredientinpsilocybin(i.e.,“magicmushrooms”),whilesittinginanMRIscanner.TheyalsomeasuredEEG.

Subjectsweretrippingandreportedhavingenhancedperceptionsundertheinfluenceofthedrugwithincreasedinformationdensity

226RobinL.Carhart-Harrisetal.,“NeuralCorrelatesofthePsychedelicStateasDeterminedbyfMRIStudieswithPsilocybin.”ProceedingsoftheNationalAcademyofSciences,February7,2012,Vol.109(6),2138-2143.RetrievedonApril6,2021.https://www.pnas.org/content/109/6/2138227AdamHalberstadtandMarkGeyer,“DoPsychedelicsExpandtheMindbyReducingBrainActivity?”ScientificAmerican,May15,2012.RetrievedonApril6,2021.https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/do-psychedelics-expand-mind-reducing-brain-activity/

andmeaningfulconnections.Theresearchersexpectedincreasedbrainactivity,buttheyfoundtheopposite.

Hameroffassumesconsciousnessisfunctioningatthequantumlevel–adeeperlevelthanthebrain’sneurons.230

KastrupechoesHameroff’spointinthenextvideo.Headdsnewexampleswhereconsciousexperienceincreaseswhilethebrain’smetabolicactivitydecreases–showingconsciousnessdoesn’tdependuponbrainfunction.

228BernardoKastrupandEdwardF.Kelly,“MisreportingandConfirmationBiasinPsychedelicResearch.”ScientificAmerican,blog,September3,2018.RetrievedonApril6,2021.https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/misreporting-and-confirmation-bias-in-psychedelic-research/229FrederickS.Barrettetal.,“PsilocybinAcutelyAlterstheFunctioningConnectivityoftheClaustrumwithBrainNetworksthatSupportPerception,Memory,andAttention.”NeuroImage,Vol.218,September2020.RetrievedonApril6,2021.https://bit.ly/39QSiDf230 StuartHameroff,“TestingtheORCHORTheoryofConsciousness.”NewThinkingAllowedvideo(recordedonJanuary14,2021). https://www.youtube.com/embed/taO6Yg4PB0Y?start=1971&end=2025

TheseincludepilotswhopassoutduringG-Forcetrainingandwho,althoughbloodisdrainingfromtheirbrain,experiencevivid

dreams.231Anotherexampleisateenagefadofreachingaeuphoricstatebycuttingoffoxygenthroughchoking.232Athirdexample,involvesmediumsengagedinautomaticwriting.Brazilianstudieshaveshownbrainmetabolismslowsdownwhilethemediumswritecomplexthoughtsmorerapidly.233,234

Thereisalsoaconnectionbetweenpsychedelicuse,enhancedconsciousawarenessunfilteredbythebrain,andperceptionsconcerningpostmortemsurvival.Oneofthefirstinsightsaboutthepsychedelicexperienceisitsresemblancetoclassical

231K.L.MorrissetteandD.G.McGowanDG.“FurtherSupportfortheConceptofaG-LOCSyndrome:ASurveyofMilitaryHigh-PerformanceAviators.”AviatSpaceEnvironMed,Vol.71(5),May2000,496-500.232NicoleJ.Ullrich,etal.,“’TheChokingGame’:Self-InducedHypoxiaPresentingasRecurrentSeizurelikeEvents.”Epilepsy&Behavior,Vol.12(3),

2008,486-488.233BernardoKastrup,“MetaphysicalIdealism.”NewThinkingAllowedvideo(recordedonNovember13,2018).https://www.youtube.com/embed/97MwsoHF2ps?start=2749&end=2872

afterlifedescriptions.AldousHuxleywroteaboutthisin1954,comparinghisexperienceonmescalinewithdescriptionsintheEvans-WentztranslationofTheTibetanBookoftheDead.235TimothyLeary,RichardAlpert,andRalphMetznerexpandeduponthisideain1964whentheybasedtheirbook,ThePsychedelicExperience,upontheTibetanBookoftheDead,aBuddhistmanualtoassistthedeceasedinnavigatingthroughtheafterlife.236

234JulioFernandoPeresetal.,“NeuroimagingDuringTranceState:AContributiontotheStudyofDissociation,”PlosOne,November16,2012.RetrievedonJuly2,2021.https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0049360235AldousHuxley,TheDoorsofPerception.(NewYork:Harper&Brothers,1954),37.236TimothyLeary,RichardAlpert,RalphMetzner.ThePsychedelicExperience:AManualBasedonTheTibetanBookoftheDead.(UniversityBooks,1964).

TerminalLucidity

Thiswell-documentedphenomenonoccursamongindividualswhohaveAlzheimer’sdiseaseorwhoareotherwisebraindamaged.Bedriddenpatientscansometimessitup,bright-eyedandalert.Theycancarryonconversationsbeyondtheirearlierabilities.Sinceaseverelycompromisedbraincannotregeneratesuddenlylikethiswhileapatientisontheirdeathbed,themostreasonableinterpretationisthatconsciousnesscanfunctionindependentlyofthebrain.Onemightevensaythebrainhasdeterioratedsomuchitcannolongeractasafilterkeepingthelargerconsciousness(orselforsoul)fromawareness.

Terminallucidityusuallyoccursbetweentwo-weeksandshortlybeforedeath.PhilosopherStaffordBettydescribesatypicalcaseofterminallucidityinthevideosegmentbelow.Thedyingperson,whomayevenbeinavegetativestate,cansuddenly“erupt”intotheiroldpersonalitywithfullmemory.Ithappensin5-10%ofAlzheimer’scases.237

237 StaffordBetty,“VideoNugget:Jeffrey’sExamplesofTerminalLucidity.”NewThinkingAllowedvideo(recordedonFebruary13,2017).https://youtube.com/embed/s_-CRXs6QmE?start=45&end=131

Mywife,JanelleBarlow,witnessedterminalluciditywithmymotherwhowassufferingfrombothAlzheimer’sandastroke.Theepisodelastedforabouttwohoursandoccurredwithinaweekofherfinalpassing.Itincludedaheartfeltconversationaboutlife,marriage,children,andtheprogressofmymother’sdisease.IdescribeJanelle’sexperienceinthenextvideosegment.238

ExtrasensoryPerceptionandPsychokinesis

Thedata.Startinginthe1930s,thefatherofmodernparapsychologyJosephBanksRhinearguedparapsychologywouldachievegreaterrecognitionifitfocusedonexperimental/statisticaltestsoftelepathy,clairvoyance,precognition,andpsychokinesis–ratherthanonfieldstudiesdesignedtofindevidenceforpostmortemsurvival.Asaresult,parapsychologyresearchersmovedawayfromthesurvivalquestion.

238Ibid,https://youtube.com/embed/s_-CRXs6QmE?start=132&end=221

Rhine’sstrategywaspartiallysuccessful.TheAmericanPsychologicalAssociation’sflagshipjournalrecentlypublishedasummaryofover1,300parapsychologyexperiments.Itshowedtheoverallresultswerebothhighlysignificantstatisticallyandofexcellentquality.239IntheIntroduction,Idescribedthehostilereactiontothisarticlefromscofferswhoclaimed,“…thedataareirrelevant.”240Absenceoftheory.Theproblemis,whiledataareplentiful,therearenoacceptedscientifictheoriestoexplainpsi.Thepsidatarequirewereexamineourmetaphysicalassumptions–aspsi’sveryexistenceisbecauseofthemind’sreachbeyondthephysicalbody’slimitations.Thesignaltransmissioninterpretationofparanormalperceptionsuggeststelepathyisanalogoustotelegraphicorradiocommunication.Thisideahasalwaysbeencontroversialandis,infact,unfounded.Thereisnoorganofpsychicperception,noristhereanyknownpsychicinformationchannel.Toexplainpsi,wemustexplorethedeeperimplicationsoftime,space,andconsciousness.Thisbringsusback,onceagain,toidealism–toaviewpointwhereweseetimeandspaceasemergingfromthemindlikegroundofbeingconnectingallreality.

239EtzelCardeña,“ExperimentalEvidenceforParapsychologicalPhenomena:AReview.”AmericanPsychologist,Vol73(5),2018,663-677.240ReberandAlcock.

Canlivingagentpsiexplainthesurvivaldata?Therearephilosophersfriendlytotheparanormalwhoclaimthatextrasensoryperceptionandpsychokinesiscreateacloudoverthepostmortemsurvivalhypothesisasallthedataisbetterexplainedaslivingagentpsiratherthansurvivalafterdeath.241,242Thesearepeoplewillingtolookattheparapsychologicalevidencebutwhostillholdtounreasonableobjectionsregardingthesurvivalinterpretation.Herearefivereasonswhytheyarewrong.1.Thefirst,basedonmy1972after-deathdreamvisitationfromUncleHarry,isthatpsychicabilitiesalonecannotaccountforthepowerful,life-transformingencounterswefindinpostmortemsurvivalevidence.Besidesmycase,wehaveseensuchextraordinarytransformationsinthecasesofEbenAlexander,ElizabethKübler-Ross,BrianWeiss,andBishopJamesPike–amongothers.

2.Muchofthestrongestevidenceforpsicomeswithincontexts,suchasséances,wherespiritshavemanifested.WeseethisindiscussionsconcerningGeorgePellew’sspiritcontrolthroughLeonoraPiper’smediumship,JohnThomas’dissertationonGladysLeonard’smediumship,GézaMaróczy’sspiritcontrolthroughRobertRollin’smediumship,andtheScolegroup’sextraordinaryphysical

241StephanE.Braude,ImmortalRemains:TheEvidenceforLifeAfterDeath.(Oxford,UK:RowmanandLittlefield,2003).242MichaelSudduth,APhilosophicalCritiqueofEmpiricalArgumentsforPostmortemsurvival.(NewYork:PalgraveMacmillan,2016).

manifestations.PsychologistDavidFontanastates:

Spirits,disembodiedindividuals,whichevertermonechoosestouse,appeartobecapableofpsychicfeatsbeyondthosedemonstrablebylivingbeings.243

Therearealwayslivinghumanstakingpartontheseoccasions.So,criticspointoutwecannotruleoutlivingagentpsi.True.However,livinghumansexhibitgreaterpsimoreoftenwhenworkingwithdiscarnateagentsthanotherwise.Weneverfindtheintensity,variety,andstrengthofphenomenaassociatedwithphysicalmediumship–soclearlyshownintheexampleoftheScoleGroup–insituationsnotexplicitlyemployingpartnershipwithdiscarnatehelpers.

3. Wemustaskwhyembodiedhumanbeingshavepsychicabilities.Inthenextvideo,philosopherMichaelGrossostatestheseareunnecessary,rarelyusedabilitiesformostlivingpersons–aswemeetoursurvivalneedsthroughconventionalsensorimotorandrationalfaculties.However,ESPandPKarelatentpotentialsthatbecomestronger,“afterwedropourbodiesindeathandourmindsareallwepossess.”Thentheybecomeessential.244

243DavidFontana,IsThereAnAfterlife:AComprehensiveOverviewoftheEvidence.(Hants,UK:OBooks,2005),104.244MichaelGrosso,“MindAtLarge.”NewThinkingAllowedvideo(recordedonSeptember18,2020).https://www.youtube.com/embed/o3D1rUnqnKI?start=1235&end=1275

Inthefollowingvideo,reincarnationresearcherandanthropologistJamesMatlockexpressesasimilarviewpointtoGrosso.Headds,whilewearealiveinthebody,ourexternalsenses“takeover”andovershadowpsi.245

4. Virtuallyallindividualsgiftedwithdemonstrablepsiabilitiesclaimafirmafterlifebelieftypicallybasedondirectknowledge.WhileIhavebeeninthisfieldfor48years,Iamunawareofasingle,testedpsychicwhorejects,orisevenneutral,aboutpostmortemsurvival.Anoutstanding

245JamesMatlock,“TheProcessofReincarnation.”NewThinkingAllowedvideo(recordedonNovember14,2017).https://youtube.com/embed/OanmT8o-oWI?start=982&end=1010

exampleisHaroldSherman,thepioneeringremoteviewerwhosuccessfullymonitoredSirHubertWilkins’polarexpeditionfromseveralthousandmilesaway.246Shermanalsowroteabookdescribinghisafterlifeknowledge.247

AcclaimedremoteviewerJosephMcMoneagle,inthededicationofRemoteViewingSecrets:AHandbook,addsthepithyphrase,“AllofrealitybowstotheillusionofLifeandDeath.”248IngoSwannisanothertestedclairvoyantwhowroteabouttheafterlifebaseduponhisowninnervision.249

5. Initsextremeform–i.e.,psihasnoknownlimits–wecannotfalsifyordisproveitasanexplanationforthedatapointingtowardpostmortemsurvival.Thisisarequirementforanyscientifichypothesis,inthesensedescribedbyphilosopherofscienceKarlPopper.250BruceGreyson,MD,aresearcherspecializinginthestudyofNear-DeathExperience(NDE),makesthispointinthenextvideo.251

246SirHubertWilkins&HaroldM.Sherman,ThoughtsThroughSpace:ARemarkableAdventureintheRealmofMind.(Charlottesville,VA:HamptonRoads,2004,2ndedition).(Originallypublishedin1951.)247HaroldM.Sherman,YouLiveAfterDeath.(NewYork:CreativeAgePress,1949).248JosephMcMoneagle,RemoteViewingSecrets:AHandbook.(Charlottesville,VA:HamptonRoads,2000).v.

Insummary,extrasensoryperceptionandpsychokinesispointdefinitivelytowardtheonemindprincipleandWilliamJames’filtrationtheoryofconsciousness.Theydonot,however,offerareasonablealternativeinterpretationofsurvivalevidence.Theystrengthenthatinterpretation–astheyprovethathumanconsciousnessisnotlimitedbythephysicalconstraintsoftimeandspace.

249IngoSwann,ResurrectingtheMysterious:IngoSwann’s“GreatLostWork,presentedbyNickCook.(Kindleedition,BioMindSuperpowersBooks,2020).250KarlPopper,TheLogicofScientificDiscovery.(Routledge,2005).251BruceGreyson,“Researching.”https://youtube.com/embed/ddlpApa3XSs?start=1592&end=1611

CONCLUSION

TheArgumentandtheEvidence

Since1972,whenUncleHarrycametomeinadreamatthetimeofhisdeath,Ihavespentmyprofessionallifeexploringparapsychologyanditsimplicationsforourunderstandingofpostmortemsurvivalandconsciousness.Havingasolidtheoreticalandpracticalknowledgeofthefield,Ihaveoverthedecadesbeenabletoengageinpersistentinquiriesthroughtheinterviewprocess–andhavecreatedvideoconversationswithbothexpertsandexperiencers,goingbackthirty-fiveyears.

AsthelonelyrecipientoftheonlydoctoraldiplomainparapsychologyeverawardedintheUnitedStates,Iknowmuchabouttheoverwhelmingoppositionwithinacademiaandelsewheretotheveryideaofpsychicfunctioningamongtheliving.Thatoppositionismuchstrongerregardingcommunicationwiththedeceased.Asaresult,Iseethewaytobreakthroughthisimpasseistochallengetheaxiomspeoplerelyonwhentheyrejecttheaccumulatedevidence.OneaxiomderivesfromHume’sargumentthathumantestimonycanneversuffice“toproveamiracle.”252Inresponse,Ihavepointedoutthatpostmortemsurvivalisbothnormalandnaturalfromthevantagepointofidealistmetaphysics.Ihavealsohighlightedtheimportanceofhumantestimonyintherespectedphenomenologicaltraditionwithinphilosophy.Thepsychologist,religiousscholar,andphilosopherWilliamJameshasappliedthisapproachtoscientificinvestigationoftheparanormalthroughhisdiscussionsofradicalempiricism.Sciencehasyettoshowthatconsciousnessisaproductofneurologicalfunctioning.Alternativeviewpointshavealengthy

252Hume,AnInquiry.

history,goingbackmorethanacentury.ThereisempiricalsupportforthefiltrationtheoryofWilliamJames.Wecanalsointegratepostmortemsurvivalintosciencebydevelopinghypothesesentailinghyperspacemathematics.Purelogicfavorsmetaphysicalidealismasanexplanatorymodelofreality,asMaxPlanck,quantummechanics’founder,explicitlysaid.Fromthisperspective,consciousnesssurvivalisnaturalandexpected.Thisessayhasbeenpredicateduponthebundleofarrowsprinciplethatthebestevidenceforpostmortemsurvivalisthebigpicture:ninedifferentdirectionsofevidenceallpointingtopostmortemconsciousness.

Near-deathexperience After-deathcommunications Reincarnationcases PeakinDarianexperiences InstrumentalTransCommunication

Xenoglossy, Possession Mentalmediumship Physicalmediumship

Theseinvestigativeapproachesarelargelyindependentofeachother–andeacharrowcontainsmultiplewhitecrowexamples.Ihavesuppliedhotlinkstovideotestimonyfromovertwentyeyewitnesses,aswellasscholarlyvideotestimonyfromanequalnumberofresearchers.Thebundle-of-arrowsargumentisoverwhelming.Ihavelookedcarefullyatthetwomajoralternativeparanormalinterpretationsofthedata:livingagentpsiandarchetypalsynchronisticresonance(ofwhichIamthecoauthor).Neitheralternativesufficestoexplaintheaccumulatedevidence’srangeandintensity.Thenon-paranormalalternativesareunsustainable.Herearethemanywhitecrowexamplespreviouslypresented.Takenasawhole,alongwiththecontextualdiscussions,theyformasystematicframeworkthatunequivocallydisprovesthemodernistviewthatconsciousnessendswithbodilydeath.

thedreamvisitationfromUncleHarry,atthetimeofhisdeath,transformingmylife

twelveearlyresearcherswhosubscribedtosurvivalofconsciousness

researchonhospitalizedcardiacarrestpatientswhoreportednear-deathexperiences

AnneSimpson’srecurringdreamsfromthedeceasedMalloyaboutathree-and-tenpencedebt

ElisabethKübler-Ross’life-transformingafter-deathvisitationfromthedeceasedMrs.Schwartz,wholeftawrittennote

anewpsychotherapymodalitycommunicatedbythedeceasedSiegfriedFischertothetailorBobHoffman

JosephGallenberger’safter-deathcommunicationfromaseminarattendee’swifewhiletakingashower

thedrownedsailorwhoappearedinavisiontohismotherinAustralia

ElisabethTarg’safter-deathmessageforherfatherRussellTargconvincinghimofherpostmortemsurvival

possessionofPaulLesliebyapsychotherapyclient’sdeceasedfather

theluciddreammessagetoaminister’swifeaboutherhabitofstaringathisportrait

WhitleyStrieber’sprearrangedafter-deathcommunicationsfromhisdeceasedwife,Anne

seventeenhundredsolvedreincarnationcasesintheUniversityofVirginiadatabase

psychiatristBrianWeiss’life-transformingafter-deathcommunicationviahishypnotizedpatientCatherine

announcingdreamsfromthedeceasedUBaKyartoMaungAungThan’sparents

peakinDarienexperienceofCorfidiusasreportedbyPlinytheElder

peakinDarienexperiencebyaSouthAfricanpatientexperiencingrespiratoryarrest

peakinDarienexperiencereportedbyEbenAlexanderduringhisnear-deathexperience

possessionofLurancyVennumbythedeceasedMaryRoff

possessionofSumitraSinghbythedeceasedShivaTripati

testimonyofpsychotherapistsWilsonVanDusen,EdithFiore,AdamCrabtree,andCarlWicklandregardingattachmentofdeceasedindividualstotheirpatients

voicemessagesfromthedeceasedKonstantinRaudivetoMarkMacy,GeorgeMeekandothers

AnabelaCardoso’stwo-wayelectronicvoicecommunicationwithdeceasedfamilymembers

fiftyphonecallsfromthedead,documentedbyD.ScottRogoandRaymondBayliss

thirtytelephonecallsfromthedeadresearchedbyCallumCooper

myluciddreamexperiencewithElisabethTarg,involvingaphonecallwithwhitenoise

RussellTarg’sreportofElisabethTarginterferingwiththeelectricalcircuitryinhishousefollowingherdeath

thetextmessagesenttoDonaldEmpsonfollowingSallyDixon’sdeath,documentedbyEmmyVadnais

theJensonJacobyxenoglossycaseresearchedbyIanStevenson

theUttara/SharadaxenoglossycaseresearchedbyIanStevenson

twenty-nineformerfriendsrecognizedbythedeceasedGeorgePellewviaLeonoraPiper’smediumship

WilliamJames’statementthatdiscarnateRichardHodgsonwascommunicatingthroughLeonoraPiper,oranotherspiritwasimpersonatingHodgson

initiationofcross-correspondencesbythedeceasedFredericMyers

dictationofTheRoadtoImmortalitybythedeceasedFredericMyersthroughGeraldineCummins’automaticwriting

spiritistmedium,FranciscoMadero,launchestheMexicanRevolutionandbecomespresident,basedonguidancefromthedeceasedBenitoJuarez

GladysOsborneLeonard’smediumshipconvincesSirOliverLodgethatheiscommunicatingwithhisdeceasedsonRaymond

KatieDawson-Smithreceivesinformationfromherdeceasedson,throughGladysLeonard,regardinganeededcheckstub

cross-correspondenceinitiatedbythedeceasedWilliamBarrettthroughthemediumshipofLeonoraPiperandGladysLeonard

JohnThomas’nine-yeardoctoraldissertationprojectinvestigatingGladysLeonardandshowing92.3%accuracy

deceasedR101dirigiblepilot,HerbertIrwin’sforensicevidence,providedthroughEileenGarrett’smediumship

psychotherapymodalitystartedbythedeceasedKarlNowotnythroughGreteSchröder’smediumship

BishopJamesPike’slife-changingcommunicationswithhisdeceasedson,Jim–andthedeceasedtheologian,PaulTillich,throughEnaTwigg’smediumship

testimonyfromthedeceasedMauricioGarcezHenriqueviaChicoXavier’smediumship,acceptedinaBraziliancourt

AllanShowery’smurderconvictionbased,inpart,uponthedeceasedTeresitaBasa’safter-deathcommunicationtoRemibiasChua

AnthonyRuark’smurderconvictionbased,inpart,uponcommunicationbythedeceasedJacquelinePoolthroughtheChristineHolohan’smediumship

deceasedWilliamLang’smanifestationforsixdecadesthroughGeorgeChapman’smediumship

chessgameplayedatthegrandmasterlevelbythedeceasedGézaMaróczywiththelivingVictorKorchnoi

deceasedWalterStinson’sphysicalmanifestationsthroughthemediumshipofMinaCrandon,AnnMarshall,andStuartAlexander.

thetwo-yearstudyofScolegroupmanifestationswitnessedbyresearchersDavidFontana,MontagueKeen,andArthurEllison

Thisevidenceismassiveandconsistent.Thus,thereisnoreasonablealternativetotheconclusionthathumanconsciousnesscansurvivepermanentbodilydeath.Thisisn’tasurprisingconclusion.Lifeafterdeathhasbeentheacceptedbeliefineverycultureandhistoricalperiod.Theevidencepresentedin

253JeffreyKripal,“ThePoweroftheNear-DeathExperience,Part2.”NewThinkingAllowedvideo(recordedonDecember21,2018).https://youtube.com/embed/-qsLltCUetc?start=3057&end=3109

thisessayis,afterall,asmallsamplefromamuchlargeruniverseofhumanexperience!

ThePriceofIgnoringtheEvidence

Inthisfinalvideo,JeffreyKripal,professor of philosophy and religious thought at Rice University,suggeststhatnear-deathexperiencesandafter-deathcommunicationsaremuchmorecommonthanwetypicallyrealize.Socialpressureisstillsuppressingthedata.Publicdiscussionofpostmortemsurvivalisstillrelativelyrare.Thereasonisthatweareafraidofourownsupernature:

Becausethat’swhowereallyare.That’swhatwearecapableof.253

Thestudieddisinterestinpsychicalresearchandparapsychologybylargeportionsofeducatedprofessionalstodayhasrestrictedmodernsocieties’abilitytoaddressmentaldisordersassociatedwithdiscarnatepossession,whichhasbeendocumentedbymultiplepsychotherapists.Additionally,Ian

Stevensonshowedthatreincarnationcouldhelpusbetterunderstandphobiasandphilias,genderidentityconfusion,vendettas,andbellicosenationalism.254Moderncivilizationispayingthepriceforignoringpostmortemsurvival–andfavoringtheview,expressedbyMarvinMinskyintheIntroduction,thathumanbeingsarenomorethansophisticatedmachines.ThegreatSwisspsychiatristCarlGustavJungaddressedwhatheconsiderscivilization’sprimaryailmentinhisbook,ModernManinSearchofaSoul.Hewrote:

AsaphysicianIamconvincedthatitishygienic–ifImayusetheword–todiscoverindeathagoaltowardswhichonecanstrive;andthatshrinkingawayfromitissomethingunhealthyandabnormalwhichrobsthesecondhalfoflifeofitspurpose.255

Wehidefromourowndeepestidentitywhenwepostulatethatconsciousnessisextinguishedwiththedeathofthebody–resultinginaseveregapinourcapacityforself-knowledge.

254IanStevenson,“TheExplanatoryValueoftheIdeaofReincarnation.”TheJournalofNervousandMentalDisease.Vol164(5),1977,305-326.255CarlG.Jung,ModernManinSearchofaSoul.(Kindleedition:ChristopherPrince,originallypublishedin1933),114.256JeanHouston,“ThePsychenautProgram:AnExplorationintoSomeHumanPotentials.”JournalofCreativeBehavior,Vol.7(4),1973,253-78.

AFinalThoughtInclosing,Iwouldliketohighlighttheloose-knitgroupofindividualsandorganizationsIthinkofaspsychenauts–atermfirstusedbyJeanHouston.256Theyincludepractitionersofhypnosis,meditation,yoga,out-of-bodytravel,luciddreaming,spiritmediumship,entheogenics,activeimagination,remoteviewing,andotherintuitiveartsandsciences.Someoftheseindividuals,citedinthisessay,includeEbenAlexander,ElizabethKrohn,BarbaraHarrisWhitfield,JosephGallenberger,WhitleyStrieber,StewartAlexander,RobinFoy,andBernardoKastrup.Thesepeoplearepioneersinexploringinnerspacerealms.Earliergenerationshavealsohadgreatpioneers:Swedenborg,AllenKardec,FredericMyers,WilliamJames,andCarlJung–tonameafew.PerhapsthetimehascometobuilduponwhathasalreadybeenachievedandtocommenceaprojectthatCharlesTartoncereferredtoasstate-specificscience.257Ithinkwearenowatthemomentinhistorywherewecouldseriouslybegintomapcontinentsofmind-at-large–justas,intherenaissance,webeganthescientificmappingofnewcontinentsontheEarth.258Theremaybesomenewwhitecrowstobefound.

257CharlesT.Tart,“StatesofConsciousnessandState-SpecificSciences.”Science,Vol.176,1972,1203-1210.258JeffreyMishlove,“PsychenauticsManifesto.”NewThinkingAllowedvideo(recordedMay13,2021).https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQMhPspf6tY

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

ThefollowingThinkingAllowedandNewThinkingAllowedguestsappearinvideotestimonyfromtheirpreviousinterviews,helpingtobringlifetothisessay.Theirnamesarepresentedintheorderinwhichtheirvideosarepresented:HustonSmith(1919-2016)MarvinMinsky(1927-2016)WillisHarman(1918-1997)FrancisCrick(1916-2004)EbenAlexanderBernardCarrSaul-PaulSiragStuartHameroffBruceGreysonPimvanLommelElizabethKrohnBarbaraHarrisWhitfieldCharlesT.TartJosephGallenbergerPeterFenwickRussellTargPaulLeslieWhitleyStrieber

JamesG.MatlockEdithFioreAdamCrabtreeAnabelaCardosoCallumCooperWalterSemkiwStephenE.BraudeC.M.MayoRoyStemmanVernonNeppeStewartAlexanderLeslieKeanRobinFoyRuthKastnerBernardoKastrupStaffordBettyMichaelGrossoJeffreyKripal

Additionally,IhavelinkedtopubliclyavailablevideosproducedbyOprahWinfrey,theBritishBroadcastingService,DanDrasin,andKeithParsons.EmmyVadnaisalsoparticipatedinaprivatevideoandsuppliedastillimage.Thefollowingindividualsreadthroughdraftsofthisessayandofferedhelpfulfeedback:JamesTunney,EmmyVadnais,SandraFriedman,ElizabethLord,andDeborahHayden.IalsoreceivedsubstantialsuggestionsfrommywifeJanelleM.Barlowwhoreadthisessaywithmetwice,outloud,linebyline–bothofusaliveonthissideofthegreatdivide.ThecoverartworkisJacob’sDream,byWilliamBlake,circa1799-1806.

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