Road I Know, The

There may have been, in the world's history, others who have been as rigorously and systematically trained as was Betty for her especial job of divulgence. If so the details of their training, if recorded, have not come to my attention. The capacity for mediumship is beyond question a natural gift. But, like any other natural gift, it is of itself imperfect, unreliable in detail. Above all, without intelligent cultivation, it does not progress. Used prematurely or excessively it often appears to deteriorate, perhaps finally to atrophy to nothing. There is close analogy to a natural singing voice that is used too soon or too much. No reasonable teacher allows that. He wants reliability, stability, and progress.

Now Betty had this natural gift of mediumship to a high degree. But until 1919 nobody-not even she or I-recognized it technically. Her friends knew her as one with exquisitely delicate human sympathies and relationships, extraordinarily sensitive and responsive to the deeper beauties of life, and possessed of almost uncanny intuitions. Then occurred the small "chance" experience which presently she herself will describe.

She found herself unexpectedly in what is called "psychic" touch with an unseen world. This is, of course, no very unusual occurrence. Indeed, since I came out openly on the whole subject, I've had so many people write me and recount their own experiences, that I am almost tempted to say it is a rather common occurrence! But most such persons run a standardized course.

As it ordinarily goes, the psychic gets in touch, by one technique or another, with what seems indubitably to be discarnate intelligences. These latter give "communications." Sometimes these communications are convincing enough to withstand skilled and dispassionate appraisal of genuineness; though even then, more often than not, they show a strong dash of "coloring" from the medium's subconscious. Both the new-fledged medium and the sitters are enormously impressed. They feel that to them is being confided a message of sacred trust. The world must be told of it! Indeed, not infrequently they feel they have been especially instructed to go forth and proclaim. The psychic has said-and the statement has been accepted at face value-"you are chosen" to give forth a revelation. Naturally this sense of almost sacred obligation results in a book or pamphlet, generally privately printed, distributed in all good faith, and with all confidence that it is going to arouse said world. Its failure to do so is a most disheartening and disillusioning puzzle.