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Flammarion, C., Carroll, L,
Death and its mystery: before death, proofs of the existence of the soul

In the year 1894, the twentieth of April (the day of my mother’s death) fell during Easter week (old style) and on the nineteenth I had gone to pay an Easter visit to some friends. They live about two kilometres from my estate and I have often passed the night with them, returning home the next morning. I expected to do so on this occasion.

Nevertheless, an indefinable presentiment prevented me from spending the night with them, and despite their urgent entreaties, I started back the very same evening. During the whole journey I was ill as ease and obsessed with the presentiment of approaching misfortune.

I knew no relief until I arrived home and found some friends with whom my mother was playing cards.

My mother used to suffer from violent attacks of headache, and when I asked her how she felt, she answered that her head pained her little. Before going to my room, I wished her good night, as usual, and then lost no time in falling asleep.

My house is large and my chamber is somewhat removed from my mother's; two stonewalls separate them.

The next day (April 20th) I awoke entirely covered with cold sweat and trembling from a frightful dream that had just appeared to me. To tell the truth, it was not a dream but a vision. At the moment of my awakening, at exactly half-past seven (for I looked at my watch), I plainly saw my mother approach my bed.

She came and kissed me on the forehead, saying: "Farewell, I am dying I am dying!"

I was just getting up to go into my mother's room when I suddenly heard a great uproar in the house and people running about.

My mother's chambermaid dashed into my room, bathed in tears and screaming: 'Monsieur, Madame has just died!'

According to the statement of the servants, it appeared that my mother had risen at about seven, and had gone into her grandchildren's room. She kissed her little granddaughter, went back to her room and, as her custom was, knelt down before the icons to say her morning prayers.

At the moment when she prostrated herself before the images she suddenly died. Death had been caused by the bursting of a blood-vessel.

Well, the death had taken place at exactly half-past seven, the hour of my vision.

There, my dear Master, is the event which l believed I ought to communicate to you. If you desire to ask me some questions I shall make haste to satisfy you for the sake of your valuable and carefully verified researches. It seems to me, as a matter of fact, as if I had already written to you.

Alexis Arboussoff
Kolm, Government of Pskoff, Russia.  (letter 814. )