Beyond the Vail

The late 1800s and early 1900s saw a heightened consciousness towards spirituality that included much research and the search for truth. This was evident in the churches through the revival craze, Azusa Street Pentecostalism (which is a form of Spiritualism), Salvation Army, and the great orators and writers within Christianity.

However, this heightened consciousness was not limited to Christianity. This same time period birthed a revival in Theosophy, alternate religions, Socialism, and Spiritualism - or talking with the dead. Many of the great spiritualists have been forgotten through time and history. Part of the demise of Spiritualism was due to the media exposing many frauds and quacks that attached themselves to the movement out of greed for a quick buck.

Christianity is facing the same scenario a hundred years later, as it only seems to beget the quick buck preacher or evangelist, and the movement is rife with fraud and quacks. There also is a dire vacancy in Christianity of intelligent, truthful researchers and scholars that it was blessed with in times past.

This series of books was not compiled for pleasure reading. The authors and compilers indexed every paragraph, thoroughly cross referenced across three books, outlined texts, topical highlights, and more. These do not make for easy reading, but then again their purpose for compiling these books was not for pleasure, but to document every detail in their personal experiences in Spiritualism. These books would never see a best seller's list, so they were not published for any gain or profit.

Some of their contacts in the spirit world would have opened them up to ridicule and scrutiny if their efforts and research were not fully documented. These serious researchers were not in the business of talking to a dead loved one, while fleecing the grieving widow. They were not charlatans - they were truth-seekers. Even Christians have to admit, if they are not hypocrites, that Spiritualism is biblically documented and used by actors in the Bible, and if the Bible is true, then they must accept that Spiritualism is also true.

From the Introduction

"Beyond the Vail" seeks to reveal to persons in the physical condition something of practical life in the immediate beyond death, by relation of experiences of spirits who are inhabitants of the spirit world; and, to reveal further the true relation of the earth life to the post-mortal condition, and thus furnish mortals a basis of such practical ethics as is most conducive to desirable conditions both on earth and in the spheres beyond.

For the reason that, as yet, so many people query, "Can these things be true?" the reader will find, on close scrutiny, that these records show every sèance to have been absolutely a test sèance. And, to keep this fact of test conditions before the reader's mind, there is much repetition of phenomena, but with constant variation of detail. So that, if the reader see a "loop-hole" in one sèance large enough to allow a camel to pass through, he will not have read on very far until only a gnat can pass; and a little farther on, the mountains, molehills, camels, and gnats of objection are gone, and he or she stands face to face with glad immortality.

Again, these works do not so much seek to dogmatize as to set out facts from which each reader may theorize for himself according to his or her own rational and spiritual developments, and be able to discern continuity of conscious personality beyond the tomb; and also to discern what relation his or her course of life on earth bears toward shaping desirable conditions in the post-mortal condition, and thus teach what kind of life should be lived on earth in order that one may reap the greatest reward in the immediate beyond.

In so far, therefore, as these works are compilations of psychic facts, they may be considered of scientific value. And, in so far as these compilations relate reliable methods of obtaining psychic facts, they may also be considered of scientific value.

Excerpt:

Joan of Arc

21. A spirit which the controls told us is Joan of Arc, dressed in long white gown, fitting by waistband, rather trumpet-sleeved and borders all of white lace, standing between the secretary and southeast corner of the cabinet, facing the north (see R. V., 1170); rather large form, somewhat masculine in manner of gesticulation, speaking in a rather low but clear, distinct whisper, said:

22. "I am one of the few fortunate ones chosen by this band to in this way convey to the world of mortals some idea of experiences in the spirit world; and in doing so I may repeat somewhat of expressions made by me elsewhere and elsewise in presence of other and different sensitives.

(a) "Of my earthly career you may learn much from books already published in your world, and therein you may find that, many years ago, as you count time, there was one whose life was called to be extraordinary for one of my sex. I had a varied experience in your world, and, out of trials and tribulations there brought on me because of great soul sympathy for my people, I came to the spirit world with yearnings for such as need a guiding land out of dark conditions (1195); and soon the course of my future life was opened unto me. And to lead me along, I was caused to meet many who needed assistance and sympathy; and as such touches went out to make their burdens lighter, my own soul began to grow and round out and open up to itself greater powers of appreciation of new beauties, new grandeur, new delights, everywhere, increasingly shone on me even out of that which had been darkness and gloom unto me; and now, my very being continually more and more thrills in unison and symphonic harmony with the rolling of the spheres: and so, they tell me, will it ever and endlessly be; and what has been and is mine in spirit is awaiting you all, my dear friends."

Little Nellie

23. One of the cabinet controls, called Nellie Gray, we usually designate as "Little Nellie" (R. V., 1163), talked a little while in childish manner of speech, being glad to meet us all; and, speaking of her childish manner, she said: "I never was born, but was taken by good spirits to the spirit world before I was born on earth. I was born right into the spirit world. Have to be longer in childish ways than if born into your world before going to the spirit side." (R. V., 2410)