Observations placeholder
Whiteman, J H M who did he wake up beside
Identifier
007916
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
It does beg the question where did he end up. He makes the assumption it was him he saw, but the evidence doesn't seem to indicate it was.
A description of the experience
The Mystical Life – J H M Whiteman
(October 1935). I seemed to be awake in bed, the light being that of early morning but was fully aware that the state was one of-separation or incipient separation. On trying to rise, there was a definite hindering force as if I were being held back, so that muscular effort was needed. This, however, did not enable me to get free, and I then looked to the right and noticed, in a clear light, some strange objects which I could not bring into proper focus, close to the bed.
Alongside I perceived, in a startling flash, a human head, turned away so that chiefly the back of it was seen, the person being instinctively named within me as 'myself'.
Being unable to control an unreasoning reaction of fear, I reached out with a hand (in the separated state) in an endeavour to confirm or refute this presence. For a few moments I was conscious of the warm feel of the head and hair, being too startled, however, to see anything further. When I was able to see again, the person was no longer there, and my attention was turned to the objects mentioned.
Two spaces were clearly superposed. In the one was a representation of the bed and the objects,-as if out of focus (in a mental way); in the other, which was taken to be physical space (but which must have been a second duplicate space, since It was seen by interior eyes), the corner of the sheet and a handkerchief on a chair seemed to correspond with the out-of-focus objects (still visible) in position and outline.
A strong persuasive influence tended to take hold of-the mind, to make it believe that the strange objects were 'really' the sheet and the handkerchief, seen in a physical state, so that I was really awake after all. Only the knowledge that the state was really one of separation enabled me to counter this persuasion and prevent an abrupt return to physical wakefulness.