A Call from the Spirit World
A Call from the Spirit World is an article written by Lady Conan Doyle published in the Sunday Dispatch on 4 january 1931.
A Call from the Spirit World
LADY CONAN DOYLE
By LADY CONAN DOYLE.
[In a startling series of articles on Spiritualism, the first of which is given below, Lady Conan Doyle testifies, with a sincerity that disarms criticism, to the proofs of spirit communication, as revealed to herself and her husband.
Her later articles will describe Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's activity "on the other side" and his desire to send messages to his friends on earth.]
I feel it my duty to try to pass on some of my dear husband's evidence of personal survival, and my own evidence, because of the wonderful comfort and uplifting strength which I have derived from my knowledge of Spiritualism; and also because of the very great number of letters I have received, since my first article appeared in the Sunday Dispatch, from people who had get comfort and hope from it and are so anxious to know more.
Refused Sunlight.
I am constantly being asked how long I have been interested in Spiritualism and what made me become so. I will tell you.
When my husband passed over he had studied and investigated and had been convinced of the truth of survival for over 40 years. When he first talked to me a little about it I thought it was uncanny, and I decided that I would take one world at a time. This was the one and only subject which we had not in common.
The bitterest regret of my life is that by my foolishness I lost years of a great happiness, because by refusing this knowledge I, as it were, refused to let God's sunlight into my life.
My dear husband was the last man in the world to try to convert or convince people against their will. His precious knowledge he was anxious for all to have also, but having passed on that knowledge he considered that the rest was their affair, to take or leave it. He would never press the subject.
Military Secrets.
When a very dear brother of mine was killed at Mons my husband suggested that he and I and a close friend, who had also lost two brothers in the war, should have a little sitting together at home, just the three of us.
We discovered that both my friend and I had mediumistic powers and our brothers were able, therefore, to use them and to communicate with us.
The evidence of their personality was overpowering. They gave us military information which neither of us nor my husband could possibly have been aware of and which could only have been known to the heads of the War Office.
The proof of their own personal identity was beyond all doubt. They gave evidence which we had to verify from other people and which proved to be correct.
That was the first stepping-stone of my knowledge. From then onward for sixteen years I have had so many great experiences and have sat with mediums all over the world, and I have heard and read of the experiences of an very many others — all corroborating my own.
People little realise the fearful responsibility they take upon themselves and the terrible remorse they suffer when they pass beyond the veil of death after they have scoffed at the idea of communication between the living and the so-called dead and so have deterred others from having this comfort and hope in life.
Apart from all the joy it brings to the individual, think what it means to the world in general. Wars will be utterly impossible when Spiritualism prevails universally. There will be no claw or race hatred then.
The minds of the people will be re-charged by contact with those in the higher spheres and they will see more clearly and understandingly. They are, as it were, at present suffering from mental and spiritual astigmatism.
In this short-sighted way people say to me, "Why must I go to a medium?" I reply, "Why go to a post-office to send a telegram to a friend? Why don't you just breathe the words into the air? Why go to a telephone to speak to a friend?"
In each case you must use an instrument, and so obey material laws. In psychic matters you obey psychic laws. The medium is the psychic instrument.
Mourners often say, "Why is it that my dear one has never got into touch with me — made no sign? I have so prayed for a sign."
The Barrier.
Yet how can a friend in Manchester speak to you in your home in London if you have no telephone. They are at their 'phone, but you have not troubled to install one — you have not troubled to learn how to communicate.
Or perhaps you have said, "I won't go to a medium. I do not believe this or that to be possible." By your own ignorant superiority of mind you have created a barrier making it impossible for your dear ones to get into touch with you.
People do not realise how cruel they are being to their loved ones who have passed on by cutting them off as utterly, and how deeply they feel it. Why do they do it? Because the Church, being out of touch with the spirit world and all practical knowledge pertaining to it, says it is wrong.
Wrong! Then why did Christ call back Moses and Elias and talk to them? When the Churches once more get into touch with the spirit world their teaching will he revitalised in power and they will then be the mainspring and striving force in the affairs of the world.
They are like a battery which has run down. In the early Christian days a medium was attached to every church called the "Angel" of the church, and so they were in direct touch always with spiritual forces and inspiration. Had they not cut themselves off from all spiritual powers and instituted forms and ceremonies in their place which are camouflage to hide the emptiness, then all the ghastly horrors which have been done in God's name, such as the Spanish inquisition, could never have taken peace.
Europe would not then have been soaked in blood from 1914-1918. Such a war would have been an utter impossibility. That appalling war showed the whole world how completely Christianity as taught by the Churches, has failed.
Let them get back once more to the pure, simple, unadulterated spirit of Christ's teaching and they will be revitalised — will give people bread instead of a stone.
The people are crying out for something seal in the way of religion. Their souls are hungry for it. I know this from experience.
I have had many letters pouring in to me from many countries ever since my dear husband passed over, from mourners, from agnostics, atheists, scientific men, clergymen, doctors, asking me to help them towards a knowledge of Spiritualism. Why don't the Churches wake up to the great human need and get back to the vital source of all spiritual inspiration — contact with the spirit world?
Unscientific Attack.
Professor Low is reported in a recent book to have referred to Spiritualism in what seems an unscientific way. Truth surely must be the backbone of a man's opinion if it is worth anything, and what Professor Low says is not true.
Among many mistakes, he infers that we go in for orgies of prayer at seances, and therefore our powers of observation are weakened. In all the great experiences of séances I have had, never have I been at one where there was a prayer lasting snore than two or three minutes at the beginning, and at the end a word or two of thanks for the Blessing of spirit communion.
There cannot be a twentieth century religion if men like Professor Low belittle a new science which they are really very ignorant about, and so discourage the Churches from investigating the one science that has the power to help and strengthen religion — the one living knowledge which can give them proofs of Immortality.
For All Religions.
The dictatorial attitude of mind of some scientists, who are really ignorant of this subject, makes one realise how very limited the human brain capacity is at present and what a kindergarten stratum of mental evolution we are living in.
I am often asked how spiritualism fits in with orthodox religion.
Where it differs from all other religions and why it is such a vital vein in the world is that no matter what religion a man may have, be he any kind of Christian or Buddhist. Mahommedan, or Jew, he can add our knowledge to his creed, take splendid comfort and help from it and remain in whatever pen he has been reared.
Grey Souls Helped To Redeem Their Evil Lives
As all must die, and all must lose deer ones, therefore it concerns everyone what lies beyond the Portal of Death, and everyone needs this bridge of knowledge to spite that dark valley to their dear ones who have passed to the other side of it.
Here is an example of what our knowledge can do for a human and spirit person's life. When we were in Australia a woman wrote to my husband in great distress saying that her young son, still in his teens, being very run down in health, in a weak moment had severed the cord of life — the only child of a widowed mother;
Joy of Reunion.
Think of her suffering, the anguish I Her whole life stricken to the core. And what happened? A medium whom we knew arrived at that time, on her first visit to Australia. She asked us if we would like her to give a private séance at our hotel. We accepted.
At the last moment we suddenly thought of the poor sorrowing mother and asked her if she would like to come. She came — a perfect stranger whose name the medium did not even know.
As soon as the medium was in a trance the boy came through and a most touching intercourse between the mother and the poor young son took place.
I shall never forget the pathos of it and at the same time the exquisite happiness of the reunion. Tears of joy ran down the mother's face. She was a changed woman.
Bridged Death.
She looked ten years younger when she came to the ship to see us off a few weeks later. A medium had bridged death for her and no had eared her broken heart, her broken life.
And prejudiced and ignorant people say that Spiritualism turns people mad ! Did ever happiness turn people mad?
The thought of Hell's tortures as taught by some Churches and of predestination and horrors of that kind as preached in God's name have turned many a soul mad, and have made many a deathbed an agony of mental torture.
No wonder that "Christ has shed many bitter tears "over the misrepresentation of His teachings by the Churches, as was said to us at a séance by a wonderful and high spirit on the other side.
On the other band, one of the most truly Christian works in the world to-day is being done by the Spiritualistic rescue circles.
Earth-bound.
They are circles of experienced Spiritualists who have seam, regularly with fine mediums in order to contact — what the present-day Pharisee calls an evil spirit — in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred, an earth-bound human being, earth-bound because of his selfish, or cruel, or bigoted life on earth.
These fine Spiritualists help those poor, unhappy souls to rise by their loving influence and teaching. In some cases it takes years and years before an earth-bound human soul will shake off the evil qualities which took him to the lower sphere. Progression, there, as here, depends upon the person's own individual efforts.
In our own home circle my dear husband helped several to leave that grey sphere and rise to the happy Homeland, as many call the next stage of existence.
"Society Ruff."
It was always most interesting work. They told us all about their earth life. I remember one describing himself as "just a piece of Society fluff." He was full of bitter regret at the thought of his wasted earth life and his utter selfishness.
He made great efforts to improve, and because of that is now in the higher sphere with his mother. He, in turn, often goes to help those in the lower sphere, and has continually sent them to our séances for help.
So it is like a chain of loving helpers rescuing God's lost sheep. But the Pharisee says, "Spiritualism, oh, no! I might get in touch with an evil spirit," and they pass by on the other side of the road. Those are the very people that we Spiritualists will have to help when they pass over.
[World copyright.]
Next week: Strange and startling revelations from Beyond the Veil.
