Observations placeholder
Mr Emerson of New Zealand, a gold miner, suddenly left his body and after travelling upward through space, found himself passing over a strange country
Identifier
023596
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
A description of the experience
Dr Horace Leaf contributed an article to Light, vol. LV, 1935, p. 86, which included the following:
"Mr Emerson, of New Zealand, informed me that his whole outlook on life was changed through an unexpected visit to the spirit world. At the time he was gold-mining in Ballarat, Australia. Whilst reclining on his bed in his hut, he suddenly left his body at the request of the spirit of his sister (who had died several years before) and, after travelling upward through space, he found himself passing over a strange country, which, nevertheless, resembled this earth. Suddenly, he became aware of numerous dark objects lying motionless on the ground and, on approaching them, observed that they were dressed in the garbs of various periods,-Tudor, Stuart, Georgian, Victorian, etc. There were no children among them.
Following the floating form of his sister, he descended, and was astonished to find himself standing beside the unconscious form of his cousin, who had died a few months before, a firm believer that the dead slept until the Judgement Day. His sister then said: 'He was a good man, but we are unable to waken him. You try !.
After shaking the recumbent form vigorously for some time, the cousin showed signs of awakening, whereupon Mr Emerson's sister beckoned him to depart, which he did, finally finding himself lying wide awake in his hut.
He was absolutely convinced that he had visited the spirit-world. His explanation of the strange experience was that all after-death abnormal sleepers were believers in a final Judgement Day, and that they would, immediately on dying, sleep until the Last Trumpet sounded to awaken them.
Their thoughts were working out in this way. The reason why there were no children among them was, he contended, that children were too young for the belief to set up an illusion strong enough to make them sleep.
The source of the experience
Ordinary personConcepts, symbols and science items
Concepts
Communication with a Spirit helperCommunication with disembodied souls
Judgement
Psychopomp