Here and Hereafter

Ruggieri

Preface

Since the first of our scripts was published there has been a steady stream of letters from readers all over the world, each of them showing an immense interest in psychic science and, in particular, in the subject matter of the scripts themselves. So much so, indeed, that our readers have constantly asked for still more information upon this important subject.

In compiling the scripts, our communicator's chief problem, he has always said, is not so much what to say, but what to omit, since, he says regretfully, with the limitations of space it is impossible, in describing the life and people of so vast a place as the spirit world: 'to get a quart into a pint pot'.

It is inevitable, therefore, that much interesting matter should be omitted altogether or have but fugitive reference to it. With this in mind, but chiefly in view of the great number of requests for additional information,our communicator has dictated this present volume, which was completed in 1957, and I use the word dictated in its literal sense. As with the previous scripts, I received the dictation by means of clairaudience. Should this fail, as at times it is almost inevitable that it should, then direct inspiration was resorted to, it mattered not which, for both were equally effective.

For my part, every care was exercised to ensure absolute accuracy and authenticity, and to this end I was anxious that the scripts should have some sort of independent verification, at least my share of them. This I was able to do through the services of a non-professional trance-medium of the highest integrity, during the course of twice-weekly circle-sittings. I was thus able to talkdirectly to the communicator, who gave me his verbal assurance independently that I had taken down correctly all he had to say.

Interested readers may be wishful to know, perhaps, how the communicator views the results of his achievement regarding the previous books and their penetration into many lands. He says with warm appreciation: 'I am delighted with the results that have far exceeded my expectation.'

A voluminous, world-wide correspondence has itself been a 'revelation', our readers being folk of allages, from a youthful 20 to an equally youthful 80 years of age. Throughout all the letters, I have been almost overwhelmed by the writers' many expressions of appreciation and gratitude, of cordiality and warmth. 'Life in the World Unseen', writes one minister of the Church, 'has given me much inspiration. Thank you most sincerely.' And the wife of a clergyman wrote to say: 'I have read your indescribably lovely book through twice already, and hope to read it many times more.' It is not surprising, therefore, that our communicator should have feelings of justifiable gratification.

Here and Hereafter is, in fact, complete in itself, and while it is not a sequel to the two previous books, it bears a thematic relationship to them by responding to our readers'oft-repeated entreaties (in the words of Goethe) for 'light, more light' .

A.B.

Introduction

It seems incredible that the organized body known, collectively, as 'the Church', while speaking repeatedly and familiarly of heaven, confesses to knowing nothing whatever about that future state. (A clergyman once wrote to me that nine- tenths of his congregation did not believe in a hereafter at all.)

On the other hand, one Church in particular claims to know a good deal about hell, one of its most important features being that once a person has got into it, there is no getting out of it. One's residence there is for all eternity. A priest of this Church was once asked if he really believed in hell. 'Oh, yes,' he replied, ‘but I don't believe anyone ever goes there’!

The Church has made the hereafter into a place of mystery, and the whole subject of a future state has been wrapped round with a mantle of religiosity, until people have come to look upon it with fear, with awe, with skepticism, with ridicule. Withhorror, and with a variety of other emotions according to their several temperaments of upbringings.

Death can come to a person slowly or rapidly, but it must inevitably come sooner or later. There is no dodging it. It has been going on since life began. Would it not be a relief to many minds, then, if they knew something, even if only a little, about the possible or probable state of their being after they have made the change from this life to the next? In other words, what sort of place is the next world? The only way to find out is to ask someone who lives there, and to record what is said. And the latter is precisely what has been done in this present volume as in the two that have preceded it.

It is again necessary to say that I first came to know thecommunicator of this book, Monsignor Robert Hugh Benson, many years ago. A son of Edward White Benson, former Archbishop of Canterbury, he was then at the summit of his fame both as author and preacher.

By telling others, who are still on earth, of his experiences in the spirit world, he will have attained more than his purpose if he is able to cast out of people's minds the fear of death and the hereafter.

ANTHONY BORGIA

The Threshold

WHEN we first began to set down the joint experiences of Edwin, Ruth,and myself of our life in the spirit world, I was told that there would be some who would take exception to what I had to say upon one particular incident or another. Indeed, that was almost bound to happen among thinking people whose eye I should be fortunate enough to catch.

The thoughts of many persons still upon earth have come to us here in the spirit world as a consequence of the narration of those experiences.

Some there are who have thought to themselves, and, indeed, voiced the opinion to their friends, that the descriptions I have given of the spirit world, or rather, of that part of it with which I am acquainted, are almost too good to be true. An ideal state, they would say, that is too wonderful to exist in actual fact. The picture I have painted, they would continue, is an imaginative one, and has no existence outside the imagination.

Now, that attitude of mind is not confined to the earth. People who are newly arrived in the spirit world express exactly the same opinion upon thousands of occasions. They simply cannot realize the concrete existence of all the wonders and beauties and marvels that they see around them. At least, they cannot do so at first. When they do realize it, their joy is supreme. So that, if seeing these entrancing things brings with it an initial and temporary disbelief, then it is not surprising ‘In Life in the World Unseen’ and ‘More About Life in the World Unseen’ that mere descriptions of them should engender something of a similar disbelief among people still upon earth.

But the validity of my descriptions still remains, whatever adverse opinion or disagreement may be expressed upon them. I cannot alter the truth. What Edwin, Ruth, and I have seen, millions of other folk also have seen, and are still seeing and enjoying. We would not have one tiny fragment of these conditions altered. They are our life, and they afford us the greatest satisfaction and happiness. When the time comes for anyone of us to depart for realms higher above us in spiritual progression, we shall never for a single instant regret the period we have passed in these realms. They will always remain a fragrant and happy memory; and it will always be permissible for us to return to these realms whenever we so wish.

There is an enormous number of people throughout the entire earth that prefers to leave the whole subject of an ‘afterlife' alone. These people regard it as an unhealthy subject, and treat the very thought of 'death' as morbid. If such people were truly honest with themselves they would admit that such a state of mind merely increases their fear of 'death' and the 'hereafter', instead of reducing it. They believe that by sweeping the question completely from their minds they will also have dismissed the real fear that so many people have, an instinct, they would say, of self-preservation. Others who are more fortunate and who have no such fears, will divide the unseen world into twoprincipal departments, namely a place where the wicked will go when they leave the earth, and a place where the not-so-wicked, in which category they would, perhaps, place themselves, will eventually find themselves.

The average earth-dweller has no notion what kind of place 'the next world' can possibly be, usually because he has not given much thought to the matter.How those very same people regret their indifference when they eventually arrive here in the spirit world! 'Why,' they cry, 'were we not told about this before we came here?'

Now, all this arises from the fact that the average person does not know of whathe himself is composed. He knows he has a physical body, of course. There are not many who can easily forget it. But leaving the earth in the common act of 'dying' is a perfectly natural and normal process, which has been going on continuously, without intermission, for thousands upon thousands of earthly years.

Man will proudly point to the vast achievements that these passing centuries have seen. He will tell you of the world-shaking discoveries he has made, and remind you of the countless inventions forthe greater happiness and wellbeing of man on earth. He will tell you how 'civilized' he has become by comparison with his ancestors of medieval times. He will tell you that he has exact knowledge of this or that, and that many years and vast sums of moneyhave been spent in acquiring that knowledge. But officially, man has neglected the most important study of all, the study of himself, and, arising from it, the study of his ultimate destination when, after his very, very brief span of life on earth, the time comes for him to leave it at 'death' and to journey forth, where?

It is commonly understood that man is composed of body, soul, and spirit. The physical body he is fairly conversant with, but what of the soul and spirit? Of these two man knows little indeed. What he does not realize is that he is a spirit, first, last, and always. The physical body is merely a vehicle for his spirit body upon his journey through his earthly life.

The mind belongs to the spirit body. Every human experience, every thought, word, and deed, that go to make up the sum of earthly human experience is infallibly and ineradicably recorded upon what is called the subconscious mind through the agency of the physical brain, and when the time comes for man to leave the earth, he discards the physical body for ever, leaves it behind him upon the earth, and passes into the realms of the spirit world. His spirit body he will find, is a counterpart of the earthly body he has just left behind him. He will then find that what he called thesubconscious mind when he was incarnate has now assumed its rightful place in his new scheme of existence. And it is not long before it begins to show its particular attributes to its owner. By its principal ability of ineffaceable and infallible recording, this mind reveals itself as a complete and perfect chronicle of its owner's life upon earth. The revelations, therefore, that are attendant upon the person newly arrived in the spirit world can be sufficiently startling.

It is customary among certain minds of the earth to regard the spirit world and its inhabitants as vague and shadowy, extremely unsubstantial and speculative. These same minds regard the dwellers in spirit lands as a class of sub-human beings who are immeasurably worse off than themselvessimply because they are 'dead'. To be upon earth is normal, sound, and healthy, and infinitely to be preferred. To be 'dead' is unfortunate but, of course, inevitable, very unhealthy, and anything but normal. The 'dead' are much to be pitied because theyare not alive on earth. This line of thought tends to place an undue importance upon the earthly life and upon the physical body of man. It is as though it were only at the point of 'death' that man takes upon himself any spiritual nature, whereas, in truth, that spiritual nature has been present within him since the moment of his drawing his first breath upon earth.

The whole process of leaving the earth, of dying, is a perfectly natural one.

It is merely the operation of a natural law. But for thousands of years the generality of people have lived in entire ignorance of