PROPEL E PETE REGS t TEETER SEE EaLE t ‘ ie yeh PPLE REDE RES BREE aT t eehine HE t Gaara hat tan! : Hi tt ae |S en es Nr pce ame ten = = ————= = = = ' PEPER EEE EET CREE EREEEEG EERE rhet hy ith FUER EE ERE t hit .DAt £ Ls y . at 4 ; ST st > Date Gra ke We era Oh te pees * yey ji Library of The Theological Seminary PRINCETON - NEW JERSEY TIKES FROM THE LIBRARY OF THE REVEREND CHARLES ROSENBURY ERDMAN D.D., LL.D. BE\OAD Reais Ud Z s PA Li Lea nee AL ti‘ , of ‘ 4. C J g uy aa THE DOOR OF DEATH WIDE OPEN THE DOOR OF DEATH WIDE OPEN BY JULES GUYARD lalate ‘The Christopher Publishing House n, U.S.A. Copyright 1925 BY THE CHRISTOPHER PUBLISHING HOUSE Dedicated to All Those Who Have Loved Ones Beyond the Great Valley of Death iM ses be) she pA BLN yan 7 iY ‘ seu + Os Py i ve : Mira nit ? DIB AIG ke cca ES iis pare it Pao Whe Whe Pe OE am he — —s XXXIL. XXXIIL TABLE OF CONTENTS Is There a Life After Death? ........ Where are the Dead? ...........2-- VOUSV OMIE YX OUR LALO Ile dinsatchavalate «a. Thre Mtherie: BodV circa csictne sie The Trip if the Dead Could See ...... THE LANGING Ete e cele ae eles ae ta tine ats The Etheric Body in the Etherical MOGIONS: ceeds och eee aes GEE OLINGER ore ealee oie vine lacatasidese ENG [MITA ELON, Cu. cis iare'e.e-lelssa tates talels Rules, Regulations and Customs of Miriteys ec ae ais sate aera wy os os TO EANGTIC LILO 7s aaloc's neleles eecniels es Israel Reconstructed The Daily Life of Spirits ........... Have the Spirits Sexes ............- Gifts of Spirits Retrospective Thoughts of Spirits ... The Aura INGWS SCLVICE C2 eo eee ewiacicintsiaes Operas, Theatres and Movies ....... MEE SDD ORG Eis aectte a choles e otd a arto aha’ s Holidays in the Spheres ............ PTE NTECHOPICS fs ee male ec ek lot Wacere Spirit Children in the Etherical PREDTONS! 2 wre aa ork ah chats Chait tae The Spheres of the First Stratum ... Communications Between the Spheres and the Earth are Open ........ Spheres of the Fifth Stratum ....... Spirits Govern Themselves ......... The Mooners and the Islanders ...... MADETIC SCTISES IN: cites ee te els Does Death Cure Every Ill? ........ Packing for the Moon’).2.6 2332 00.%. ENBEOLOOD Wee avi satachilcta ceils State coeeoeeeeee ee eee as ae ? AM ‘ forth Gay mW Oh Oey TA hs Oe gtr, The Door of Death Wide Open CHAPTER I. IS THERE LIFE AFTER DEATH? Is there a lifé after death? This question which is on every lip will be answered in the most affirma- tive way. There is a life after death, a life as real as the life on earth. This question which embarrasses, even, those who believe in a life after death, does one retain the same personality, the same individuality as on earth, will also be answered, if it is possible, in a still more affirmative way. I will say to every one, after you leave your body, after you are out of the flesh, you are just as much yourself as when you were living. I use the word living in the sense, earth people understand it. Spi- rits hardly ever say dead, they do not say: he is dead, they say: he is out of the Flesh. Flesh is a word which according to Spirits, should always be written with a big F. Flesh, this word full of prestige that spirits love so much to say. How often does the word “Flesh” sound in the conversations of the Spi- rits; when I was in the Flesh, if I were again in the Flesh. Often, very often, they think of the Flesh, they used to wear on earth. (As far as possible, I will express myself as the Spirits do, using as much as possible the Spirit’s language, that is, their own words, their own expressions, their own idioms.) How often do spirits ask one another this question, with a capital Q: where is your Flesh rotting, always adding; shall I spell the word? F-l-e-s-h. Flesh like Death is a word, which is always, always spelled by Spirits; in fact, it is criminal, it is sacri- legious to pronounce Flesh or Death without spell- 10 THE DOOR OF DEATH WIDE OPEN ing them. There are some other words like Flesh, Death, which are sacro-saint for Spirits; which must always be pronounced with awe and regret, as: Earth, Sun, Blue Sky, Stars. Do the Spirits think often of the earth, it is a superflous question afterthe enumeration of the above words. Whether Spirits liv- ed happily or not on the wonderful ball called earth, their thoughts are always centered on it. They like to think of the seas and rivers of the earth, of its forests and mountains. Far away, far away, they live in reality a dual life, they are almost as much on the earth, in imagination, of course, as in the Moon. (The use of this word will be explained later and is full of meaning.) The American, by the mind, lives in the United States, making frequent excur- sions to New York; the Englishman lives in his misty island, taking also frequent trips, in imagination, to his foggy London, as for the Frenchman, he is by mind and by heart, twenty-four hours a day in his beloved Paris; the South American is always dream- ing of his Paradiselike hemisphere. All Spirits, al- though it is against the rules, visualize daily earth scenes and earth life. What is the day of the Week, earth people like best? The answer will be Sunday, because it is a day of rest and pleasure. Sunday is for the Spirits, (the days of the week exist just as much for them as for the earth people) a day of sorrow, a day of gloom, a day of acute depression. Sunday has for them too many bitter memories of happy hours, not to hate it. Spirits hate, despise, abhor Sunday and in spite of that and for this very reason, their thoughts, on that day are more earth- bent than any other day. Sunday is a word put out, banished, extirpated from the Spirits’ vocabulary, a nameless day, nameless, but however, longer and more real than all the other days. As for Christmas, New Year, Easter and Fourth of July, if you value your life at all, better never to utter even the first syllable of any of those festivals. Think of them if you want, and they all do, but never THE DOOR OF DEATH WIDE OPEN 11 speak of them. Woe to the Spirit or Spirits, who raise the fateful cry of “Earth,” wonderful earth, earth, jewel of the creation where art thou? Spirits sometimes call themselves the “Quakers of the other Side” because they use exclusively in speaking the “thou” form. Not only do the days and the months exist for Spirits but also the seasons. In fall, they like and hate to think of the falling leaves, in winter, of the snow, in spring, of the flowers, in summer, of the seashore. When very gloomy and depressed, Spirits like to imitate the rattling of the rain, in fact they are so gifted for imitation and visualization that they almost see the rain falling, at first, a show- er, then a heavy rain turning into a downpour. Ex- clamations, as on earth, are heard on all sides; some rain, was that not a downpour, are you drenched? The classical spirit reply is; I am soaked to the skin, as 1 had left my umbrella at home. Then, everybody bursts out into smiles and the gloom disappears. (Spirits cannot laugh, their face can only, break into smiles.) All Saints Day, le jour des Morts, Palm Sunday and Memorial Day are red letter days with the Spi- rits, if on these days, the earth people think of their dead, the Spirits duly return them the compliment, abusing their friends and relatives for not thinking of them, more often, and complaining bitterly to have been so quickly forgotten. New Comers (the Dead who have recently arrived) wonder if their grave is decorated, older Spirits to console them say: your grave has not been touched, earth people are through so quickly with their departed. New Com- ers often say on those commemoration days: give us eyes to cry. (Spirits can neither laugh nor weep.) The Dead send this strange message to the earth people; plant weeping willows in the cemeteries in- stead of fir trees, we are so tired of those dark trees. CHAPTER II. WHERE ARE THE DEAD? The cemeteries are empty, the graves contain nothing but shells, where are the Dead? The Dead like the living belong to the Solar System and do not go out of it. They leave, it is true, for a far away country, from where, until recently not one, not a single one had ever returned. Where is this country of the Dead, in another planet? The Dead are at an average distance of two hundred and fifty thousand miles from the earth. They live on islands, scattered in the exterior seas of the moon and in the moon it- self. The moon with its orbit is the abode of the Dead of the earth. Great, no, immense is their sur- prise, their astonishment, their amazement, in fact, there are no words strong enough in any tongue to express their state of mind, their feelings, when they land in those mysterious isles, which form with the moon, the Empire of the Dead. Where did they expect to go? Many to Heaven, many to Purgatory, many nowhere, not a single one expected to go to Hell; there is not one Spirit, who thinks himself bad enough for Hell. It is only very slowly and gradu- ally, the Dead come to the realization that it is an- other life which begins for them. A life, it is true, totally different from the life on earth, but all the same a thinking life, with the same mind, the same soul and the same spirit. For some, it takes two or three months, for many, long long months to discover exactly where they are, refusing absolutely to accept the absurd idea they are in the moon. How often do the new comers ask this question, the Spirits call it, the Eternal Question; where are we exactly, are we dead or alive? They receive from the old timers (Spirits who have been there for years) the invari- THE DOOR OF DEATH WIDE OPEN 13 able answer; you are dead and you are not dead, you are in Hell and you are not in Hell. Little reassured, little satisfied and little enlightened, the new comers -will risk the expected question: Is so and so here? They receive the unexpected answer; If you do not know, how can we know; we rely upon you to en- lighten us. This is said ina sharp icy tone, the ex- pected happens, the conversation stops. The new comers keep silent, glaring angrily at the old timers, who do their best to look formidable. Silence reigns for a few minutes, the conversation is resumed, both sides rather eager to talk. New comers will be as a rule, the first to reopen the conversation; by way of excusing themselves and to court sympathy, they gay: We ask you where we are because we are stunned, dazed, bewildered. The older Spirits put in good humor by the humility and meekness of the new comers reply in a softer voice; after having crossed the great valley of Death, how can you be dumb and stupid enough, to think you are quite yourself, be sensible. Spirits continue; We will be kind and good hearted enough, to give you some ex- planations about your new life. Remember the ex- planations we will give you, because our time honor- ed custom is never to repeat, we are no repeaters: listen, you are born again, consider yourself a child, newly born, you will grow in stature, grace and wis- dom, if you show yourself meek, obedient and sub- missive. It is the first part of the speech, the second part follows: Here, you will have an easy life, but, but, first and last warning, if you show yourself willful, headstrong and rebellious, your path will be strewn with pebbles, and sown with thorns. Before leaving, Spirits say to new comers, We go and leave you for a week or so in the hands of the Consolers: weep today and tomorrow, on the third day, dry your tears, begin to smile on the fourth, on the fifth we will return and expect to find you laugh- ing and full of mirth; last advice and a very impor- tant one, do not think of the earth and of your rela- 14 THE DOOR OF DEATH WIDE OPEN tives, you are here and you are here, that’s all. As soon as the Spirits have left, the consolers begin their painful and arduous task. The consolers: Did you suffer much before passing over? The new comer to excite sympathy which is not very appar- ent, replies: I have suffered martyrdom. The con- solers ; Did you see yourself dying? The new comer ; sure the consolers are warming up; I saw myself passing, it was the most agonizing part. The consol- ers; How long did last your atrocious agony? The new comer ; Hours long hours long, it seemed I could not die and all the time suffering atrociously. The consoler; Was the doctor around while you were agonizing? The new comer; I do not know as I was unconscious. The consolers burst in laughter and slap the new comer on the back, exclaiming; What a big liar you are, how nicely you fabricate lies. The con- solers; Our self imposed task is accomplished, you are consoled. The new comer amazed, writes men- tally a big interrogation Point ‘?). The consolers: as you know how to lie so cleverly and so artfully, you must have a most brilliant imagination; being So imaginative, you can easily console yourself by imagining all kinds of pleasant and funny things, you do not need our consolations so sincerely meant. Exeunt the consolers. Now it is the turn of the amusers, called also the fun makers and the gloom chasers. Do they deserve rightly their names, my readers will judge for themselves. The amusers speaking to the new comers; as you do not need any consolation, the Spirits have sent us to amuse you. The new comers do not reply anything, expecting something on the same order. The amusers ; Do you like fairies and fairy stories? The new comers angry; what kind of fairy stories? The amusers: Fairy stories in a fairy land. The new comers, if they have brains, reply diplomatically; We used to like them very much when we were children. The amusers looking very stern; you are children again, you have just left your cradle, you surely do love THE DOOR OF DEATH WIDE OPEN 15 fairies, fairy lands and fairy stories. The new com- ers remain silent, wishing their eyes could kill. The amusers delighted at the ire of the new comers, con- tinue: we know many wonderful fairy stories, but as you are in a fairy land, instead of hearing them, you will live them; for this very good and excellent reason you don’t need to be humored. Exeunt the amusers. The new comers look at one another, dis- concerted and nonplussed, little suspecting they are bound to march from amazement to amazement; Spirits have still in reserve for them a great many shocks and knocks. CHAPTER III. YOU VOMIT YOUR LIFE It is Judgement Day, it is true, there are no angels with white robes and golden wings, but there is a vast gathering of Spirits, robed in orange yellow. The Spirits form a big half circle, many rows deep, the half circle has almost the shape of a gigantic horse shoe. As the angels with their trumpets are missing, the Spirits themselves supply the trumpet- ers. On each flank of the horse shoe, they have two groups of old timers massed in squares. One group is supposed to trumpet, the other group to shout, rather to scream; the Judgement, the great Book will open: Woe to the wicked, Woe to the mean one, Woe to the selfish one. Useless to say that the two groups, on each side of the horse shoe, acquit them- selves with energy and vigor of their duties. The trumpeters trumpet to make everbody deaf and the shriekers to make everybody shiver. The new comers, who are being judged, stand almost in the center of the crescent, they look pitiful in their distress and fear. Many, probably for the first time, go over their earthly life, all their mean and despisable actions are so to say, flashed by themselves in their mind; they will have to vomit them. Vomit is a crude word but the only right one, because every word concerning their contemptible acts will have to be forced out, to be squeezed out, to be vomited out. On each side of. the “Vomiter” stand two Spirits, the Spirit on the right is the Laudator, the Spirit on the left is the critic. It goes without saying that the Laudator is there to compliment, to praise, to laud: the critic, to criti- cize, to belittle, to abuse. I am very sorry to have to say that often, the Laudator betrays his trust and THE DOOR OF DEATH WIDE OPEN ve joins forces with the Critic in attacking the “Vom- iter’. Before starting, as a rule, Spirits spring a surprise on the new comers. The very people, for whom they have been repeatedly inquiring and clam- oring, stand right in front of them. For the first time, they see their parents, relatives or friends, who have preceded them in the Etherical Regions. The parents, the relatives, the friends, are the star spec- tators, the star witnesses of the proceedings of the honorable Court of the Spirit Justice. Judges are absent for the valid reason that Spirits will be at the same time juries and judges, lawyers being so expensive on earth, are dispensed with; the Lau- dator is supposed to replace the lawyer, as the Critic is a kind of District Attorney. In reality, the new comer has no lawyer but two accusers, who will go over all his life, starting from the age of reason and understanding, which, according to Spirits, should begin at the age of ten years. They dwell at great length on his mean and contemptible acts, pass light- ly over his good and laudable actions, which, as a rule, are very rare and far apart. The strange and extraordinary thing is that Spirits never get tired of hearing lives vomited; they hear them, so to say, day, after day, month after month, with the same eagerness and pleasure. The august Court of Spirit Justice sits every day, except Sunday, from twelve o’clock to two o’clock P.M. to hear the pleas of the new comers and enter verdict. Every mean and despisable action bared out by the “Vomiting” is carefully recorded by the Scribes; Spirits go over all the particulars of each reprehensible and culpable act, reviewing it from every angle. After a long and animated discussion, they agree unanimously on the verdict, to which they always attach a sentence, being mild or severe, according to the life of the new comer, on earth. A verdict is followed by a sentence for the good and excellent reason that nobody has been perfect on earth; the benign sentence as the character of “Praise.” Spirits divide lives into five 4 18 THE DOOR OF DEATH WIDE OPEN categories: a noble life, a good life, a passable life, a bad life, a wicked life. A noble life is a mention, which is seldom given, it is necessary to have been a splendid man on earth, to compel Spirits to grant a noble life. The mention “a good life” is not easy to obtain. Spirits demand a life far above the aver- age. A “passable life” is freely granted but not without discrimination. As for “a bad life’ and a “wicked life,” Spirits are very liberal in granting those mentions. The mention “A good life,” entitles to many privileges; the mention ‘a wicked life,” entitles also to many privileges, but to privileges of another sort altogether. The official positions of the Spirit’s realm such as; Administrator, Critic, Laudator, Censor, Admonish- er, Exhorter, Scribe, are, only open to those with the coveted diploma “a good life.” New comers with the diploma of ‘a bad life” or with the super diplo- ma of “a wicked life” are entitled, during the initia- tion period, to as many slaps and kicks as they can assimilate, the “passable life’ may also get some when their life is rather below the av- erage. After the sentence has been imposed, the new comers are privileged to speak with their friends and relatives, it is a highly prized privilege, only granted to those who on earth, strove for good, right, truth, and justice. The wicked lifers receive nothing but a scornful and frigid greeting. The probabilities are they will never see again their friends and rela- tives. Spirits, except for the good lifers, do not wish to perpetuate the family ties or the bonds of friend- ship. The wicked often, on earth, prosper more than the just, because they are heartless and without scruples, but “in the other world” they will pay. CHAPTER IV. THE ETHERIC BODY I am positive that every one of my readers has by this time, a burning and anxious question on the lips; Is there a God?’ The immense Universe, no human brain can understand its immensity, is ruled by a Great Power, who has his seat in the most won- derful, in the biggest, in the farthest away solar system of the Universe. This solar system is the axis of the Universe; his Light, the breath of the Universe. This Great Power loves the earth people, and thinks they are now advanced enough for a great revelation. The first revelation is the truth on Life after Death; other revelations will follow. Everbody car- ries in himself his victory over death. Every human body has its exact counterpart caved in, it is the etheric body. This etheric body is visible to those called psychists, but they are far fewer in number than supposed, most of them are in India or come from India. The etheric body appears to psychists bluish grey in color, Spirits say color of smoke. A psychist sees with the eyes of his own etheric body, dispensing entirely with the eyes of his physical body. A psychist sees not only the etheric body but also the etheric colors. The mind generates colors which the etheric body radiates in shafts. These colors are more or less bright, the shafts more or less spread out according to the moral character of the individual. The colors radiated by high spiritually developed people are beautiful and vivid, contrasting strongly with the ugly and dull colors of people of low spirit- uality and morals. There are three requisites to emit blue colors, which are divine colors; faith in 20 THE DOOR OF DEATH WIDE OPEN God, a heart and brain; there are also three requi- sites to open the Door of Heaven; faith in God, a heart and a brain. The mind, the soul, the spirit, the seat of thoughts and memories is not in the head of the physical body, but in the head of the etheric body; when the etheric body leaves the physical body, it takes along with it the mind, which is in reality, part of it. The mind, seen with etheric eyes, is not any bigger than a speck; Spirits call it the point. Etheric eyes look a great deal like glass eyes and magnify. It is the mind, speaking like Spirits, the point, which gives to the head its facial characteristics, for this reason, the etheric head is hardly different from the physical head ; any one can easily be recognized. The etheric body does not leave the physical body at the hour of death, as it would be supposed, but detaches itself during the agony. Earth people think the agony is the supreme struggle between life and death, a tragic duel, which always ends in favor of death; such is not at all the case. The agony is more or less painful, more or less prolonged, accord- ing to how solidly the etheric body is caved in. When the etheric body is, so to say, just framed in, the sick one will go without much suffering. The dreaded agony is over, pitiless death has won, the pody lies lifeless on the bed, a body no longer, only a corpse. Two or three days after, the body is taken to the cemetery and committed to the grave. I will certainly give a severe shock to everybody when I affirm most categorically that, although the body is in the grave, the dead is still in the house where he passed away. He is unconscious and moves dream- lessly around, a psychist could see him. At this time, he is well a specter, a ghost, half gray, half white as the popular imagination pictures them. The form of a ghost is fluid, and could be best compared to a form, made of smoke or of mist. After a week or so, the fluid form gets somewhat hard, becomes bluish, the shafts of colors which framed the head, THE DOOR OF DEATH WIDE OPEN 21 form a circle over it, resembling greatly an umbrel- la, or more exactly a parachute. Little by little, the parachute which is at first diaphanous, becomes solid and will be strong enough to lift up the etheric body. The mind, during all these changes, sinks more and more into absolute unconsciousness; Spirits say: the mind sinks into an etheric sleep. The colors are etheric, consequently the parachute is also etheric. The parachute ascends as would a balloon, drawing after it the etheric body; Spirits compare the para- chute to an airship and the etheric body to its basket. Everybody will ask: Where does the etheric body go? Where did I say the etherical regions are situated? In the orbit of the Moon. The lifter, (this is the name given by Spirits to the parachute) with its more or less precious burden, is drawn as by a mag- net, toward those regions. Etheric attracts etheric; The law of attraction is one of the greatest laws of the Universe. CHAPTER V. THE TRIP IF THE DEAD COULD SEE The dead leave the earth for the etherical regions from ten days to two weeks after their physical death; some leave only three weeks after. Spirits call those who arrive a week or so after their death, the fast ones; Spirits think they were so quick in coming, because they were awfully anxious to know what kind of a place is the “Hereafter.” They lost no time in taking their flight. The dead who land two or three weeks after, Spirits call them the slow ones. The old timers think they were dubious about their new Place, being so slow in coming. When they are Home (Spirits call their place, home) the fast ones think they were too fast; the slow ones think they were not slow enough. Nobody is specially pleased to be “Home,” everybody is of the opinion he could have stood “The Exile” a good many years more. They were told on earth they were pilgrims, they are all sure they took their pilgrimage too seriously and did not enjoy the life and the charms of the earth as much as they should have done. Spirits make to themselves this constant reproach; when I was on earth, why did I not find more pleasure in admiring the beauties of nature, the wonderful landscapes, the roaring ocean, the lovely flowers, the starry skies. Spirits never fail to compliment the fast ones to have been speedy in coming home; the compliment is rather resented. On the other hand, the slow ones are rebuked to have shown go little hurry in coming home to roost. The etheric body is up in the air, on its way to its destination: the etherical regions. The etheric body ascends in spirals, making all the time wider and wider spirals until it pierces the earth envelope. The THE DOOR OF DEATH WIDE OPEN 23 ascension is rather slow. The etheric body is not in its element and struggles against air currents, which delay considerably the ascent. As soon as the ether- ic body is out of the earth atmosphere, it is released, it is in its own element; the etheric body feels, so to say, at home. The etheric body which had been unsteady in the air regions, becomes almost a bolide, etherizes, ‘read flies,) at a terrific speed, following a zigzag course, each curve increasing its velocity. To some one who could hear, the etheric body whis- tles almost as a big shell, leaving behind it a trail of luminous phosphorescence. How long lasts the ascent? I will say from three to five hours. Earth’s atmospheric conditions have greatly to do with the flight duration, as most of the time is consumed on the first leg of the trip; the earth belt leg. Old people are far less speedy than those dying in the prime of life. It takes them fully from seven to ten hours to reach their etheric destination. The flight is steady until the etheric body nears the Moon, a planet full of dangers for etherics, on ac- count of etheric storms; the greatest sea storms do not approach, in any way, in size and magnitude to the etheric moon storms. The etheric moon storms are produced by the violent oscillations of this so called dead planet; Later on, I will prove that the moon is a planet, in all the glory of etheric life. Mysterious pilots patrol the etheric seas of the orbit of the moon, forcing the dead to give a wide berth to the moon and piloting them to their destin- ation. After having left the moon on the side, if the dead could see, they would perceive an etherical mass, orange yellow in color, so dense and compact that it is, as the Spirits say, etheric stonified. This enormous mass would appear to them as a gigantic pyramid, triangular in form and sharply pointed, composed, so it would seem, of five distinct strata. This pyramid could also be compared to a sea, rising in height, dotted with thousands of isles. The isles are much more orange yellow in color than the sea, 24 THE DOOR OF DEATH WIDE OPEN making big spots on it. All these scattered isles, the empire of the dead of the earth, which I call spheres form an immense empire. The Great Power who rules the Universe, has entrusted me with the rule of the dead, who are in the spheres and in the Moon, and also, with the mission to lift the veil of death for the earth people. The door of death sealed up for thousands of years is wide open. CHAPTER VI. THE LANDING At the base of the pyramid is found an interior etheric sea, separated from the exterior etheric. sea by dikes of stonified ether; these dikes shelter this enclosed sea. The great etheric storms break them- selves against these mighty dikes, without being able to disturb the calmness of this interior sea. The dead land on this sea, remain immersed in it, for at least a week, at a depth of about twenty feet. This immersion solidifies their body, although the etheric body remains always, in spite of its solidity, very flexible. Day by Day, the etheric body becomes more and more solid and rises in proportion to its solidity. Usually at the end of one week, the etheric body comes to the surface, floats on its back, lulled gently by the waves, which at times awaken the mind to a dizzy kind of consciousness, but only for a few minutes; the mind, then, relapses into its etheric lethargy. This great etheric sea is guarded and watched by Etherics, who hover over it, on the look- out for any sign of life. I call Etherics, most intelligent beings, who have never been on earth, born and raised in the etherical regions. The Etheric watchers, as soon as they think the dead are strong enough to resume their journey, confide them to guides who take them to such and such a sphere, according to their spiritual development. Every dead carries and bears with him, both terms used in a literal sense, his judg- ment. The colors which his etheric body used to radiate on earth, will affect him automatically where he intellectually, spiritually and morally belongs. On earth, each and every one writes his own judgment and prepares for himself happiness or regret. The 26 THE DOOR OF DEATH WIDE OPEN dead, after a trip lasting a couple of hours, land for the second time. This time not on an etheric sea but on an etheric island. An etheric sea is fluid, an etheric island is solid. When he lands on the etheric island, the dead is still in his lethargy. After one hour or so, lethargy makes place to deep stupor, which, at the end of two or three hours is replaced by bewilderment. The dead remains in his state of bewilderment for three days, with, at intervals, states of semi-consciousness, he sees or rather dis- tinguishes, he hears or rather perceives sounds. On the fourth day the dead finds himself lying his back propped up, his head hurts, his body vibrates ina rhythmic way. He does not know where he is, in fact, he does not know if he is dead or alive; it seems to him he has been transported to a most strange and mysterious country, among most strange and mys- terious people. He dimly sees a vast throng, look- ing like men and not looking like men, looking more like statues, but living statues; he vaguely hears a deafening noise, a bedlam of voices and shrieks. New comers are too confused, too stunned, to be scared, they think it is a dream, rather a nightmare; every- thing is to them so new, so strange, so unexpected. The crowd howls: you are dead, you are dead, you are dead; after a short pause they howl again; all the same, you are living, you are living, you have a voice to tell us, how glad, how delighted, you are to be freed of all human infirmities and miseries. They continue: thank death to have been kind and merciful enough to bring you here where money and toil do not exist. The new comers try to speak, but are only able to stutter incomprehensible words. Ex- hausted by this exertion, still beyond their strength, they relapse into their lethargic stupor but they wake up for good, with a clear mind and fully con- scious a few hours later. What was fantastic be- comes existent, what was a dream becomes a reality ; they are born to a new life; the etheric life. CHAPTER VII. THE ETHERIC BODY IN THE ETHERICAL REGIONS All scientists proclaim the human body with its nerves and muscles a marvel. If the human body is a marvel, the etheric body is the marvel of marvels. The Spirits are immensely proud of their etheric body; they think that in the scale of evolution (I do not use this word in its literal sense) they are far more advanced, far more developed than earth peo- ple, according to them, they have gone up the ladder. The etheric body which was bluish on earth, in the etherical regions is solid and orange and yellow. It is always easy to know if a Spirit is a new comer or an old timer, by the color of his skin. The skin of the new comer is more yellow than orange, with the old timer, it is the contrary. When Spirits have been there quite a number of years, their skin is a combin- ation of two colors; orange and rust. Ether solidi- fied could be best compared to rubber. Spirits, in- stead of a flesh body, have a body made of rubber; (I use this word for lack of a better one) like rub- ber this body is resisting and yet very supple. Spi- rits, as a rule, are of the opinion their etheric body is much more handsome, much better built than the physical body, many are never tired of admiring themselves ; vanity exists in the spheres as on earth. The face is lighter in color than the rest of the body and seems to radiate a soft light; the face is long, round heads being unknown for this reason, learned Spirits say they are dolichocephalic and not brachy- cephalic. In appearance, except for color and the ab- sence of hair, they are not so very different from earth people. Spirits are highly pleased with their etheric body, they, only, object to their hands. The hands of the etheric body are clumsy, the palms are 28 THE DOOR OF DEATH WIDE OPEN large and the fingers short, they say, speaking their own slang; their hands have too much palm and not enough finger. For myself, to the risk of displeasing them, (they are rather easy to offend and very sus- ceptible when it comes to their body) I will say, that their feet are too big in proportion to their body. Spirits are taller than they were on earth, most of them measure fully seven feet and a half; giants in stature, they are, often, dwarfs in intellect. When speaking to them, I often say; you are a giant in sta- ture, aim at becoming a spiritual giant. It is my custom to invite every Spirit with whom I was acquainted on earth, to come and spend a few weeks near me. Spirits, instead of hair on the head, have a luminous crown, right over the top; this crown has the form of a halo. (Angels and Saints are sup- posed to have such a halo behind their head; statues and pictures represent them, always, haloed.) The etheric body has all the articulations of the physical body, but is not so stiff. Spirits can walk, run, jump, stoop. The etheric body like the physical body is subject to fatigue, I will probably astound every- body, when I affirm that the etheric body becomes tired rather more quickly than the physical body; headache is the chief pain of the etheric body, eye- soreness a close second. If the etheric body is not exempt from ills, it is not also exempt from wants, it needs air, (read, ether,) and at regular hours, must reinvigorate itself in a kind of slumber which Spirits call “etheric drowsiness.” Spirits have even dreams when they slumber, but those dreams are more in the nature of visions than anything else; they visualize earth scenes and home surroundings. CHAPTER VIII. THE POINT Spirits have two forms; the point and the etheric body; they pass from one form to the other with lightning rapidity. Spirits call also the Point “The twinkling eye” because it seems to open and close; in fact it twinkles. They pass from the etheric body to the twinkling eye and from the Point to the ether- ic body just by an act of will. When Spirits pass from the Point to the etheric body, they say; they materialize; from the etheric body to the twinkling eye, they say; they dematerialize. They use the Etheric form most of the time but spend one hour or two a day in the Point form. The Point form is the form best adapted to think, to concentrate, to medi- tate, to send thought waves. The supreme ambi- tion of all Spirits is to be able to send thought waves and to speak by thoughts, it is a legitimate ambition that only a limited number of bright Spirits realize. It takes, indeed, a strong Spirit to converse by thoughts, if you can do it, you are classed as a Spirit of the first magnitude. There are Spirits, like stars, of the first, second, third magnitude and so on. There is a sport, rather an amusement, of which Spirits are exceedingly fond; the dance, in fact, they have raised it to the dignity of a ceremony, of a rite. In order to be fresh for the dance, they pass the pre- ceding hour in the Point form, to rest their etheric body. They have dances for all occasions, as the American Indians have: dances to welcome the new comers; dances of mourning, dances of sorrow, dan- ces of joy, dances of defi; Spirits say: the etheric body was made for the dance; the Point to prepare for the dance. The Point hovers but can also fly. A strong Spirit can fly several miles, in the Point 30 THE DOOR OF DEATH WIDE OPEN form; a weak Spirit, only, a few yards. The Point is really the wonder of wonders, the etheric body dis- appears as by magic, rolls itself around the twink- ling eye. When Spirits materialize again, the Point, by the mere act of will power, forces the electricity wrapped around it, to project the etheric body. Strong and mighty Spirits, in the Point form, can speak, hear and see, for them, the twinkling eye has all the faculties of the etheric body ; weak Spirits, in the Point form, are mute, deaf and blind. Every one of my readers will say: When I am dead, may God still give me a great many years of life, I wish to be a strong and mighty Spirit. I will say ; to be a strong and mighty Spirit, you must be on earth, a God fearing man or woman, kind to every- body, anxious to do, always, the right thing. CHAPTER IX. THE INITIATION Colleges, barracks, warships have their initiation, so have the Spirits of the lower spheres. The initia- tion period in the lower spheres, (Spirits call them the devil’s spheres,) lasts three months, unless a Spi- rit shows himself rebellious and recalcitrant, in this case, Spirits double the dose. As soon as the new comers are sound in mind and body, or in other | words, as soon as they have gone over their grief, they begin their novitiate, the initiation period be- gins for them. Spirits think you should be acclima- tized six weeks after your arrival, as their etheric climate is so healthy and delightful. Spirits of the lower spheres never forget this hated period, which is for them full of hardships. It is, only, at the end of the initiation period, that Spirits say “thou” to new comers during all the time of the initiation, they say “You” to them; at the close of the’ initia- tion period, they are judged worthy of the “Thou.” Before I tell some of the hardships, imposed on new comers, I must state most categorically, most em- phatically, that I strongly disapprove of such de- grading practices. It is, only, recently I have assum- ed the rule of the dead, all my efforts are directed to root out, to stamp out those infamous practices. I be- lieve that soon they will be things of the past, they are unworthy of men and still more of Spirits. The word mistreatment is not strong enough to stigma- tize these horrible practices, which should justly be called torments, tortures. Spirits disguise these torments under the euphen- ism of punishments. The word “punishment” sounds ugly enough but not so ugly as torment. The chief punishment inflicted on new comers is ; mater- 32 THE DOOR OF DEATH WIDE OPEN ialization and dematerialization; Spirits like to be brief and just say: M.D. It is a very painful process to pass four or five times in succession through the two forms; the etheric body and the Point. After the fourth drill, (Spirits call each M.D. a drill) the new comers are on the verge of collapse, often un- conscious for hours. New comers go through this drill every other day, during three long months, which for them seem like centuries. There are many minor punishments besides the chief one: Material- ization, Dematerialization. Every day, they must swing around in a circle, during ten good minutes, at the expiration of the ten minutes, they are dizzy, they can hardly stand. If new comers do not put enough pep in their swing, they are abused by the bystanders, who are not shy at administering to them slaps and kicks. At the conclusion of this min- or drill, they are not allowed much rest, they are made to answer criticisms on their life or explain certain acts not sufficiently elucidated during “the Vomiting ;’” they are harassed, new comers say, dev- iled, for a couple of hours. Novices do not know the meaning of the word “Freedom,” they are all the time under the strictest supervision of their trainers. Trainers are old timers, appointed by the Spirits’ Council to train and discipline the new comers, to break them to all the rules and regulations of the circle; a sphere is divided into circles. New comers have their working hours and their recreation hours mapped out at the beginning of their probation time; they are, even, entitled to a day of rest a week. Working hours are spent in all kinds of drills; M.D. head movements swinging of arms and legs, tip toe walk. Recreation hours are spent just as agreeably, just'as pleasantly. During their rest hours, new comers receive the visit of all those whom they have defrauded on earth. Their victims have the right, and they use it, to insult and mistreat them. If you have neither robbed, cheated nor defrauded any one, you receive unwelcome callers all the same. All THE DOOR OF DEATH WIDE OPEN 33 the persons you have disliked, despised and hated on earth, call on you, to offer you their best and most heartfelt congratulations over your belated dismiss. On the day of rest, which is usually Sunday, no haz- ing takes place. The duty of new comers is to en- tertain Spirits with stories, songs and dances. Spi- rits like stories, full of humor and thrills. I would advise the new comer to do his best, as a good story teller gains quickly the respect and the friendship of Spirits. Should the Spirits be delighted with the story, they probably exempt the new comer from drill for a whole week. Entertainers are always much in demand, and a new comer who is a first class story teller, will probably be requested to join the circle’s cohort of entertainers, cutting short by a good many weeks his probation time. CHAPTER X. RULES, REGULATIONS AND CUSTOMS OF SPIRITS The novitiate of the new comers is at end, they can now look back on three long months of hardships and semi-slavery, with the well earned satisfaction of knowing they have paid in full their passage toll. Their probation time is over, they are now full fledged Spirits, although, during their first year in the sphere, they have special duties to fulfill and are subject to certain restrictions. New comers have now to learn their catechism; the rules, regulations and customs of their circle. A sphere, as I have stated before, is divided into circles, each circle living its own life having its own laws and customs. The number of circles in a sphere varies greatly, some spheres have as high as three hundred circles ; some, only, a few dozen. Relations between circles are correct but not intimate, Spirits like home life and like to stay at home; it is true each circle is a city in itself. There are cities and towns, by city, understand, a large circle with a Spirits’ population of two or three hundred thousand; by town, understand, a popula- tion of less than one hundred thousand. Spirits pre- fer cities, especially large cities, because life is so much more pleasant and lively, they don’t care for towns, which are dull and lifeless. The privilege of paying visits to other circles is restricted to old timers, it is a privilege much appreciated, as it breaks the monotony of home life, even, home loving Spirits are not adverse to taking trips. There is a virtue, the catechizers (old timers, who are in charge of the catechism classes, are named cate- chizers) try by all means to instill into the heads of new comers; it is humility. Spirits, I mean old tim- THE DOOR OF DEATH WIDE OPEN 35 ers, are very much angered when new comers lack humility and show themselves arrogant and all know- ing, they exclaim, raving mad; you want to know as much as we, who have been here for years and years. One of the main rules taught by the catechism is: never speak to old timers unless addressed. Spirits, who have been there for years, form a kind of aris- tocracy and keep very much to themselves. They form a circle in the circle, called the inner circle, a circle very exclusive and dictatorial ; the inner cir- cle, in fact, rules the circle, makes laws and enforces them. New comers learn quickly to know a member of the inner circle, not only his skin is much darker than theirs, (inner circlers say, they are much more sunburnt, much more tanned) but everything in his precious person indicates some one high in authority. Inner circlers walk, always, very slowly and majes- tically, they seem, most of the time, to be on an in- spection tour. When an inner circler is passing, first year comers must stand at attention, refrain from conversation and stare at him. Spirits, often, com- pare their life to military life. I intend, as far as possible to break those military traditions, because they back strongly this relic of another age; Initia- tion. Spirits often boast of their military spirit, as long as they are proud of it, as long as they boast of it, hazing will go on, with all its degrading features. Spirits have time honored customs, which may sur- prise, which may amaze the earth people. On the first of November and on Memorial Day, when earth people are thinking of them and praying for them, they spend the whole day in dancing, resting just long enough to recover their breath. The abiding principle of Spirits, who are contrary people, is to make merry when earth people mourn and to weep when earth people rejoice. Consequently le jour des Morts. and Memorial Day are days of rejoicing. Christmas and Easter, days of mourning. CHAPTER XI. THE ETHERIC LIFE Is the etheric life superior to the earth life? many Spirits think so. Time exists in the spheres but not haste; Spirits don’t believe in haste, as time does not count where they are. As they dislike to hurry, they often call themselves “The Chinese of the Moon.” When they speak to one another, the conversation often lasts for hours, chiefly composed of questions and answers, as a rule, at the beginning, the talk runs this way: What country do you come from? Where were you born, how long have you been out of the flesh, were you lucky on earth, did you live to be old, what kind of a life do you prefer, the etheric life or the terrestrial life? There is, only, one an- swer to this last question; I prefer one thousand times the etheric life. Are Spirits honest in this sweeping affirmation; some are, some are not. Spi- rits are very wise and sensible in this; leave behind vain earthly regrets, adapt yourself to your life, find in it (the etheric life has many good sides) all the happiness you can. The chief complaint of new com- ers is, that on earth they had to work so hard, to slave from morning to night, having no time to rest or think. The etheric life affords Spirits golden op- portunities; education, knowledge, unlimited leisure to think, unhampered by physical care, and materi- al needs. The etheric life is not an end, it is a begin- ing. Spirits are a succcess or a failure. They are a success when they make up their mind to live an etheric life; they are a failure, when they obstinate themselves to live a terrestrial life in etherical re- gions. CHAPTER XII. ISRAEL RECONSTRUCTED Jews, on earth, live religiously and racially their own life, dead Jews live also their own life, etheri- cally and religiously. Jews form a kind of state in the state, they have their own etherical regions, their own spheres, their own circles; they rule them- selves. The Great Power who rules the Universe takes a special interest in the welfare and advance- ment of the Jewish Spirits. This, to prove that God still considers the Israelites his people, in spite of all their failings and shortcomings. It will be the Eternal Glory of the Jews to have conceived God as one, to have kept alive through centuries and cent- uries, in spite of all their tribulations the idea of the One God. I am immensely pleased to state, that the Jews in the Etherical Regions have been un- wavering in their faith and trust in Jehovah. I am also very glad to say, that the Jewish spheres are the best conducted spheres, the most orderly, the happi- est. The welcome, newcomers receive in the spheres, governed by Jews, is a real welcome, shorn of all irony and sarcasm. The Jewish initiation is very short and very mild, more funny than anything else. New comers pay their entrance fees, by narrating their funniest experiences on earth and telling of their migrations. New comers are, also, expected to be able to quote from the Talmud, passages relating to the restoration of Israel and to the coming of the One so long expected, so ardently desired. A Great Power is on earth, is the Peace Maker on earth? The Jews in the spheres send this message to their brethren on earth: if you have eyes; see; if you have ears; harken. The Israelites, who are dead, say the their brethren still in the flesh; the prophe- 38 THE DOOOR OF DEATH WIDE OPEN cies of the Great Prophets of Israel will soon be ful- filled. The ruler of the Dead says:is the Third Temple looming up? I say to the Jews; there is but one God, who is the Almighty Ruler of the Universe! Etherics call God, the Father of the Seven Spirits, by Spirits, they mean, His Seven Forces. God is One with Seven Thinking Forces; these Great Forces are creative, ruling, and annihilating. CHAPTER XIII. THE DAILY LIFE OF SPIRITS Hour by hour, I will tell to the earth people the life of their departed in the etherical regions; sooner or later, I hope, not before many years, those who read me, will, also, have to leave the earth, cross the valley of death and come into my etheric empire. As I have stated before, time exists for the Spirits just as much as for the earth people. Spirits used to be, in spite of all their calculations, at least three hours be- hind standard time, since communications with the earth are open, Spirits have the exact time; when it is noon in New York, it is also noon in the spheres. One of the greatest wishes of Spirits, to be on time with the earth, is at last gratified. It is twelve o’clock in the spheres, noontime, as they have no clocks, Spirits, newcomers, replace them. They dance around, announcing the time: it is noon, it is noon; Spirits call them: the time Criers. The Criers are kept very busy because they must sound the quarters, the halves, and the hours, and, of course, calculate the time accurately. Nobody is especially anxious for the job, which requires a good voice and a good calculating head. Spirits start the day with twelve o’clock, noon time, and not with midnight. Good whistlers have an opportunity to show their talent by whistling, whistles make the noon hour, more impressive, more solemn. Good whistlers are numerous, because etheric breathing has a whistling sound. The conversation period is from twelve to two o’clock; Spirits divide the day into periods. Spirits gather in small groups, dancing, on account of the os- cillation of the sphere, backward and forward, all the time; everybody has a chance to talk, as they all 40 THE DOOR OF DEATH WIDE OPEN speak In turn. The conversation period is the first — period. The second period from two to four o’clock is given to amusements; songs, music and dancing. Etheric voices are specially gifted for singing, the best opera companies on earth do not approach Spi- rits’ choirs, to hear Spirits sing, accompanied by their wonderful orchestras, gives the impression of being in Heaven. Spirits are so great imitators that they can reproduce the sound of any musical instrument. On Sunday, they never fail to imitate church bells. Dancing follows singing; dancing is a form of amusement very dear to Spirits, they keep posted through new comers on all the newest dances on earth and reproduce them. It is four o’clock, the third period of the day, the slumber period. Spirits scatter in every direction and for the first time hast- en, they hurry to betake themselves to their dormi- tories, to escape the ether tide, (Later on, I will ex- plain just what those dormitories are exactly.) The slumber period is well timed, after dancing, Spirits are tired and are glad to rest their etheric limbs, which as physical limbs know fatigue. The fourth period, probably for the Spirits the most interesting and the most important one, begins at ten o’clock, it is the welcome period. Spirits get up in very good humor, leave their dormitories to go and welcome new comers or rather to enjoy their astonishment. All turn out, slackers are few, all in high spirits. The introducers, the consolers, the exhorters, the amusers, are all there, ready to play their part. Spi- rits form themselves into groups, a group interro- gates the new comers, pokes fun at them, asks if they have paid their passage or brought any clothes. Another group listens to the new comers, vomiting their life and plies them with questions. Still an- other group more charitable may be than others, demonstrates to the new comers how to use their etheric arms and feet. At two o’clock, everybody is tired, exhausted, voiceless the ether tide carries back the Spirits, more or less gently, to their dormi- THE DOOR OF DEATH WIDE OPEN 41 tories; the second tide is reputed to be treacherous. It is the second slumber period lasting until eight o’clock. This second sleeping period constitutes the fifth period. Eight o’clock A.M., in earth term, opens up the sixth period; the school period. The curricu- lum of the college includes; instruction in astrono- my, in etherics, in physiology; in mind reading, in mathematics and in thought wave transmission. At ten o’clock, all the students are glad, the school is over and Spirits enter the seventh and last period of the day; the thinking period, called also by Spirits, the meditation or the concentration period. During the thinking period they are in the Point form; they are in the etheric form, during all the other periods. At twelve o’clock sharp, all the twinkling eyes are again etherics; Spirits call this a full day. CHAPTER XIV HAVE THE SPIRITS SEXES Biologists say: beings with two'sexes, male and female represent the lowest form of life. Spirits, according to themselves, being far more advanced, far more developed than earth people, have and should have, only one sex; the male sex. Women can only, retain their sex ten years at the most, unless they are very feminine, with absolutely nothing masculine in them. Twenty-years is about the lim- it a very feminine woman can remain a woman; in the end, the strong sex will gradually dominate the weak sex and finally absorb it. Women as a rule, have no objection to changing their sex, admitting the inanity of fighting against forces so much stronger than they, and in line with rational etheric developement. After ten years spent in the etherical regions, the transformation of women is in full swing and will not end until the Spirit, who was on earth a woman, has become a man, with all the attri- butes of the male sex. The first sign which indicates the transformation has started, is the breaking of the voice. Next, the mind influenced by the voice, by the male surroundings, and the yearning for the male sex, takes a masculine turn. As it is the mind which gives to the face its fa- cial characteristics, it will not be many years before the woman looks like a man. After an average of twenty-five years, it is impossible to say if a Spirit Was a man or a woman on earth. Women, who have been mothers, resist the transformation much bet- ter than maidens or childless women and can, with due precaution, retain their womanhood from forty to fifty years. The maternal love is a fire which seems to preserve the sex. Many women, on earth, wish to THE DOOR OF DEATH WIDE OPEN 43 be men, their wish will be realized in the next life. The question of age will also please and satisfy everbody. Old men grow younger, young men grow older, after a certain number of years, they do not age any more one way or the other for two decades. After this spiritized period, to use their expression, they become etherized spirits, subject to all the great laws of Etheric. Etheric (the Great Force which rules the etherical regions, and the etheric planets) in due time, will make of etherized Spirits, full fledged Etherics, and open for them all its treasures. CHAPTER XV. GIFTS OF SPIRITS Spirits are gifted wonderfully in many directions. They possess the gift of imitation as nobody on earth. They can imitate, as I have said, any musical instrument, especially string instruments, to perfec- tion; there is not a noise, a sound, a cry on the face of the earth they cannot reproduce. One of the greatest pleasures of boys and young men is to imi- tate the cry of all kinds of animals and the imitation is as good as the original. My readers must not be too hard on my spirit young men, they have lots of time on their hands and any distraction is welcome, especially when it savours of the earth. The etheri- cal life offers unlimited possibilities for spiritual and intellectual developement, but none, of course, for manual work. Not all Spirits are intellectually in- clined, may prefer puerile distractions; Spirits like to imitate the rattling of the rain, claps of thunder, the passing of an express train, the sirens of ships. Spirits are also great for concentration, they would put to shame the greatest psychologists on earth. Their concentration is so powerful that it affects everybody around, they can sow contentment, dis- atisfaction, all kinds of feelings at will. Just by thinking strongly of an odor, they can make every- body smell it; like women on earth, they have their favorite perfumes. Spirits are particularly fond of violet, rose, lilac, heliotrope and lily of the valley. Each etheric body has its own odor; good Spirits spread a delicate fragrance of hawthorn; inferior Spirits, a smell, which reminds one, of musty bread. Spirits are also great mind readers; it is impossible to hide anything from them, strong Spirits read you as an open book; the mind out of the flesh centuples THE DOOR OF DEATH WIDE OPEN 45 its powers. Spirits have a wonderful system of wire- less to communicate with all the spheres, two thou- gand and five hundred in number. They call their system: the flash system. The operators are called: the flashers. It is one of the greatest ambitions of strong Spirits, besides being a thought wave conver- sationalist, to be a good flasher. A description of this system would be too long and rather out of place in this book. It does not take Spirits more than half an hour to enter into communication with all the spheres. Spirits have tried for decades to send ether messages to the earth, but earth people up to now, have been irresponsive. The reason of their failure is that their ether messages could not filter through the air tight envelope of the earth. For myself, I communicate twice daily with the Spirits of the Spheres and of the Moon. One of the greatest gifts of Spirits, is their power of visualization with their powerful mind, they can throw on the receptive and transparent screen of the ether, any earth scenery, almost whole cities. Ether is very transparent, al- most crystalike, during the full etheric quarter. CHAPTER XVI. RETROSPECTIVE THOUGHTS OF SPIRITS From time to time Spirits review their life on earth, reconstruct their life as they should live it, if they could come back on earth. If they would start life all over again, what would they do? “All the good they can,” say the best of Spirits. Kindness may not pay on earth, but it does pay in the life after. Spirits often reproach themselves for having been too credulous on earth, for having accepted beliefs not at all in harmony with the great laws, which govern the Universe; Spirits say simply the oda Bik A great law rules the whole Universe, a law re- sumed in three words: birth, life and death; physical death gives birth to etheric life; etheric death gives birth to spiritual life. Spirits often ask one another this question: on earth, did you think for yourself ? Very few can answer in the affirmative. Saint John the evangelist begins his Gospel with these words: At the beginning was the Word, it should read: At the beginning was the Light or still better the Light- ning God, in Greek, Oeos, comes from the Sanscrit, Tos, the lightning. The best of Spirits agree if they would come back on earth, they would have three great aims in view; the abolition of wars, the feder- ation of nations and the fusion of all faiths. There is but One God, there should be but One Faith. The earth, is in may ways one of the most backward planets in the Universe; all planets except a dozen, including the earth, have abolished wars and done away with militarism. The inhabitants of Mars, who are at least five centuries ahead of the earth people, fought their last war three centuries ago, to be quite accurate, three hundred and twenty-six years ago. THE DOOR OF DEATH WIDE OPEN 47 To scientists I will say that the Martians have known for, at least, two centuries, the earth is inhabited. In another book, I will throw open the planet Mars to earth people, to tell them of the brilliant civiliza- tion, of the wonderful achievements, of the high state of advancement, of its inhabitants who are a one sex race. Mars people call their planet “Maker,” the mother, and themselves the ‘Makerians.” Is the planet Mars dying, I will answer with a sten- torian: No. Do the famous Lowell Canals exist on Mars? I will answer again with a stentorian: No. The Earth and Mars, are the only planets in this Solar System, inhabited by physical beings, all the other planets, except Mercury and Jupiter, are peo- pled by etheric beings. In my book “on the Moon,” I will deal at length with Etherics and their life. CHAPTER XVII. THE AURA The Moon is the ruling planet of the spheres, their life, their breath and their light. Life on earth de- pends upon the Sun, life in the spheres depends upon the Moon. The earth receives its light, its heat, its energies from the Sun; the spheres receive their light, their vibrations, their etheric energies from the moon. The spheres, as I have said before, are. located in the orbit of the moon, and are, so to say, its satellites. At night, just by raising their eyes, earth people can see where their Dead are. The moon is a dead planet, in this sense only, that it is inhabited by the Dead, by the best of the Dead who have made good in the spheres. The spheres are lighted by the moon, splendidly lighted and at times are gorgeously illuminated. The light of the spheres is golden, giving to them the appearance of a huge mass of gold; over them is a cupola, bluish grey in color. Spirits call this cupola, this dome, the sky, but it is much lower than our sky and circular. The sky, speaking like Spirits, not only covers the sphere but surrounds it. Spirits say that their isle is topped by an immense canopy, a canopy bordered with fringe. The moon has four phases; the illumination of the spheres has also four different phases; illum- ination by the first etheric quarter, by the second etheric quarter, by the full etheric quarter and by the last etheric quarter. The illumination by the full etheric quarter is gorgeous, fairy-like, ten times more powerful than the earth’s daylight on a hot summer day. The illumination of the isle by the full etheric quarter is the most grandiose spectacle con- ceivabie. When the sphere is illuminated by the full etheric quarter, gloom, depression, earth regrets are THE DOOR OF DEATH WIDE OPEN 49 banished, and it is a time of great rejoicing; the Spirits sing and dance most of the time. The full etheric quarter brings good times; the last etheric quarter brings hard times. The illumination by the last etheric quarter is poor, and during all of the last phase, the isle is in semi-darkness. The Spirits say they are experiencing winter, and that is true, for the isle is wintry and they are depressed. The last etheric quarter not only gives a poor light but it also brings etheric storms. The isles, especially at the base of the pyramid, are swept by etheric wind storms, cyclonic in character. These wind storms rise from the seas, circling the moon and are pro- duced by violent oscillations of the planet, and for certain etheric reasons they always take place dur- ing the last quarter. At times, the wind is so strong that Spirits must seek the shelter of their dormitor- ies. New comers with no previous experience, are exhorted to venture out; the wind rolls them about as a ball or swings them in circles. As soon as the storm subsides they dash into the dormitories, very bruised, their heads on fire, almost unconscious. Spirits, during the second etheric quarter and still more during the full etheric quarter, feel full of pep, because these two phases accelerate the circulation of the ether current which runs through all their body. This ether current is the life blood of the etheric body, its heart and its lungs. The current has its root in the left foot, follows the leg, makes a small circle at the base of the trunk, runs inside the body on the left side, enters the head through the left ear, feeds both eyes and goes out on the right side of the head, forming around and over the head a luminous halo which Spirits call their aura. After their first decade in the spheres, Etheric presents Spirits with three ether bags which give them the power of etherization. These bags are disposed in the form of a triangle on the left side of the trunk. The ether current is influenced, as I have said, by the fluctuations of the etheric light. Spirits are full of 50 THE DOOR OF DEATH WIDE OPEN strength during the second etheric quarter and dur- ing the full etheric quarter, fairly robust during the first etheric quarter, weak during the last etheric quarter, while the halo, or the aura, as the Spirits call it, during the rule of the last etheric quarter, loses its luminosity and becomes dull. My readers probably would like to ask how long the etheric life may last. It can last almost indefi- nately, depending upon the aura. The aura has the wonderful power to rejuvenate itself every ten years, but after two or three centuries, unless there is a change of etheric climate, the aura will languor, de cline and finally die. . Etherics, as soon as the first symptoms of old age make their appearance, must leave for other etheric regions, for planets charged with more electricity. CHAPTER XVIII. NEWS SERVICE Each circle has its own newspaper, edited by the scribes, managed by an administrator. During the world war, which Spirits followed with lively inter- est, without taking sides, on account of their inter- nationalism, the newspaper had two editions, a morn- ing and an evening edition. (Spirits often hear this admonition: You are neither American, nor French, nor English, nor German: you are Spirits.) At times of crises, of major offensives, of great battles the newspaper had three editions, an extra edition at noon. During the last phase of the war, Spirits caught the war fever in full and asked for an edition every hour, but the administrator of the circle drew the line and rather than submit, offered his resigna- tion; his scribes stood back of him. The Spirits capitulated and resigned themselves to three editions a day; they knew, if they had insisted, they would have found themselves without news, and, rather than face this eventuality, gave up the idea of keep- ing informed hour by hour. Spirits knew also it takes a long time to form good reporters, who must extract all the news from new comers, who are often sullen. Nevertheless, Spirits have an excellent news service; and claim they hear news quicker than country people. They know everything of interest which happens on any part of the globe. The news- paper is, of course, oral, one of the reporters being the morning or the evening edition. The newsman stands in the center of a large group of Spirits and publishes all the news, gathered by himself or the other reporters; occasionally he colors the news or invents yarns as newspaper men on earth do. CHAPTER XIX. OPERAS, THEATRES AND MOVIES Spirits have operas, go to theatres, watch movies, just as earth people. They are very proud of their opera companies, of their actors and of their movie stars. If a circle possesses a very good opera com- pany or great actors, the other circles of the sphere try by all means to hear them. Opera singers and actors to visit other circles, must obtain the author- ization of their inner circle. (the inner circle con- stitutes the government of the circle.) This per- mission is always reluctantly given, each circle wants to live its own life; for myself I do not see the slight- est reason for such obstruction, I intend to throw down the barriers which separate the circles. Spirits pride themselves to be, not more than one year be- hind the earth, for theatre plays, and movies. Spi- rits love operas, must hear at least one opera a week; they have asked me to tell the earth people their favorite operas: Faust, Lohengrin, Tanhauser, Rig- oletto, Trovatore. Spirits are always on the look out for genius and often discover great talents who passed unnoticed on earth. Gifted musicians, tal- ented actors, birdlike singers are exempted from most of the initiation forms. Spirits are not long at re- producing the latest earth’s movies; ether is very receptive for messages and pictures. Movie actors, drawing on their minds, flash on the screen every picture of the play; each picture as good, as faithful, as perfect as the original. Saturday concerts are al- ways well attended. Spirits, even, those who did not know a single note on earth, have a very good ear for music, Spirits say; the sonority of the etheric at- mosphere opens the ears and loosens the tongue of every new comer. Sounds vibrate in the ether for hours, after their discharge. CHAPTER XX. THE SPHERE I could best compare a sphere to a cork island or rather to a sponge island, the sponge island floats in the ocean; the sphere floats in the ether. The sphere is not quite round, the circle is bent somewhat inside on both sides; originally the sphere was a perfect circle, but the oscillations, the sphere oscillates con- tinuously from one side to the other as the pendulum of a clock, have caused those bends. Spheres vary greatly in size, many are large islands, some, tiny isles. Large islands have a surface between one thousand and three thousand acres; the surface of small isles does not exceed six hundred acres. Spi- rits call often their sphere a ship, a vessel almost stationary on a sea of ether; the ship moves but little although, at times, severely beaten and assailed by fierce etheric storms. The oscillations of the sphere are perfectly perceptible to Spirits, new com- ers at first are inconvenienced by this pitching but rapidly get used to it. ‘Spirits say,new comers are sea sick and must acquire sailor legs.) It would be an error to picture the island as flat, the island slopes in three steps, expressing myself as Spirits, and is divided into three parts: the upper part, the central part and the lower part. Spirits have their own geographical terms, they call the upper part, the highland; the central part, the middleland; and the lower part, the lowland. The buildings, built of stonified ether, are located in the upper part of the island. I could almost compare these buildings to huge hollow rocks; these buildings are not the handi- work of beings but have been piled up, stoned up, by etheric storms in the course of the last three thousand years. Spirits use these buildings for 54 THE DOOR OF DEATH WIDE OPEN dormitories, halls, club houses. When storms are raging, (storms are always raging during the last etheric quarter,) Spirits keep indoors, killing time the best way they can, just as earth people when it is raining or snowing. Etheric wind storms resemble greatly tornadoes, they work in cycles, describing circles always narrower and narrower until they form a cone which spits out lightnings. During the three other etheric quarters, Spirits spend most of their time out of doors, coming only indoors to slum- ber. The spheres have, like the sea, a tide, an in- coming tide and an outgoing tide, for both, the moon is responsible. Around four o’clock P. M. a very thick tide of ether covers the island, invading the buildings and flooding them. Soon the buildings are full of bluish grey fog, read, of thick ether. This ether tide rises to the height of six feet, lifting up the Spirits, and stretching them in a bed of ether, which swings as a hammock. At ten o’clock the tide withdraws, laying down the slumberers more or less gently on the rocky floor. At two o’clock A. M. the tide comes back to put the Spirits to bed again and at eight o’clock rolls back to the sea, giving them this time, before retiring, a few good shakes up and down. Tides originate in the sea in which the islands are situated, Spirits call this etheric sea, the Dead ‘Sea or the Black Sea; for myself I call it the Meridian ‘Sea, because it occupies the center between the Moon and a very small planet, undiscovered by earth as- tronomers which I call the Moonlet. In my chapter on the Moon, I will write a few lines about this minuscule planet, highly interesting in every respect. CHAPTER XXI. HOLIDAYS IN THE SPHERES Spirits grant themselves holidays at the beginning of each trimestre, holidays lasting three days, which are devoted to merry making, songs and dances. No school, no lessons, no lectures during the holiday season. Spirits often play truant, prolong the holi- day season, miss school for a whole week. They have to pay for their truantcy, they have to make up for the last time, by studying much harder and much longer. Spirits, weeks ahead, look forward to the holiday season, not only because it breaks the mon- otony of their existence but chiefly on account of the mail. Mail is delivered four times a year, this mail distribution is an event of the first importance. During the holiday season, on account of the vol- uminous mail, even new comers take a back seat, little or no attention being paid to them. Each Spi- rit gets mail, letters, cards, telegrams from their relatives, friends, acquaintances, scattered among all the isles of the Peninsula. ‘Spirits call the agglomer- ation of isles; the Peninsula.) Everbody is busy writing back, that is to say, hammering in the minds of messengers their answers. Most of the aerial mail messengers (it is the name given them by Spirits) are wonders. They can cram into their heads thousands and thousands of messages and deliver them faithfully, almost word for word. Telegrams, like on earth, bring only news of first importance, often they read this way: uncle on his last leg, daily expected; Cousin Harry reported as good as dead, watch for him, might strike your isle; Aunt Mary coughing her lungs out, but too stingy to con- sult a specialist, soon due. It is the eternal complaint of Spirits, that so many 56 THE DOOR OF DEATH WIDE OPEN people stay on earth, so long after their time of usefulness is over; when very old people show up, they are rebuked for being so overdue. The old peo- ple rebuffed, reply: why do you grudge us those few years of life. The Spirits give the time honored answer: because you were a burden to yourselves, to your relatives and to society. Confronted by such a sensible answer, old people keep mum. Dur- ing the holiday season, the members of the inner cir- cle aristocracy condescend to mingle with the com- mon herd, but as soon as the quarterly festival is over, they resume their aloofness and retake the dignity they divested for the holiday season. CHAPTER XXII. THE ETHERICS Etherics is the name given by Spirits to most in- telligent beings, who have never lived on earth or on any other material planet. Etherics are natives of the etherical regions and spend their whole existence there. In my fifth chapter, I have spoken of pilots, who, in the seas bordering the Moon, pilot the dead to shore and of guides who guide them to their des- tination; those pilots, those watchers, those guides are not Spirits but Etherics. The messengers who cover the whole Peninsula are, also, Etherics of the first magnitude. They can fiy, Etherics say ether- ize, from the base of the pyramid to the top, scour- the outside seas of the Moon and even land on the Moon itself. Those Etherics are wonderful beings, possessing ten times more brain than the brightest men on the earth, seeking all the time to increase their knowledge, pumping, for this purpose, all the informations they can from the new comers. Those Etherics are long lived, they live easily from four to five hundred years, they grow in an etheric sense during the first hundred years and are in the prime of etheric life, during the two following hundred years and decline after. -They are a one sex race but pass all the same through both sexes, the male and the female. Ether- ics are born male, remain male until they are fifty, then lose their sex and its attributes and become fe- male. They remain female during about fifty years, bearing children every ten years. When Etherics are over one hundred years old, they discard, speak- ing like they do, the female sex to retake the male sex with all its attributes. They change sex four times during their lifetime, when very old, they be- 58 THE DOOR OF DEATH WIDE OPEN come again female, but, of course, remain fruitless. Spirits, with little etheric power, cannot leave their sphere and have to depend upon Etherics to assure communications between all the isles of the Penin- sula. Earth people are subject to the laws of nature and must observe them under penalty of retribution, Spirits and still much more Etherics-are under the great laws of “Etheric” and must always take them into consideration. Etherics are much more solidly built than Spirits, their etheric senses much more highly developed. Etherics can see hundreds of miles away, hear etheric sounds one thousand miles distant; they have a sense lacking with Spirits; the sense of direction. Spirits have a voice more power- ful than they had on earth; the voices of Etherics carry easily twenty miles away; new comers shiver when they hear them. Sound reigns supreme in the Etherical Regions, coming immediately next to lightning. CHAPTER XXIII. SPIRIT CHILDREN IN THE ETHERICAL REGIONS Tiny islands are reserved exclusively for children, they are brought up by Etherics and not by Spirits. Many of them are promising Etherics and destined to an etheric life and not to a spirit life. Etherics think they are much better qualified to take charge of spirit children than Spirits themselves. Etherics say the younger they come, the better it is for them. Eight or nine years of age is an ideal age for child- ren to come, as they adapt themselves so much easi- er and so much quicker to their new life than older children. Spirit childrenmake good Etherics, grasping fairly well the etheric laws which govern etheric life but however remain always inferior to born Etherics. When children come after the age of ten, they bring with them earth regrets, they cherish earth visions, they treasurecertain memories, which handicap them. Are Spirit children much different from earth child- ren? They are in this respect: they like sports not games. The great ambition of spirit children is to learn to fly, to become star fliers, (Etherics say; etherisers of the first magnitude.) Spirit children, like etheric children, are great mathematicians and can tell accurately at what distance is the moon, the center of their own Universe, from the sun and from all the planets. Etheric children are great linguists mastering besides their own tongue, a guttural and monosyllabic language, which they call the moon idiom, the chief languages of the earth. Many ether- ic children at the age of ten have a wonderful com- mand of French, English, German and Spanish. Etherics, try by all means, to instill into their own children and into their adopted children, a strong will power and a great confidence in them- 60 THE DOOR OF DEATH WIDE OPEN selves and in their abilities. They are never tired of repeating to children: have a will of your own, have a mind of your own. The etheric life demands a strong will power combined with a brainy mind; if there is no brain, no will power, only a shadowy etheric life is to be expected. Spirit children, when they are grown up, are ashamed to admit they were born on Earth and as much as possible hide this fact: Etheric I was born and Etheric I am; such is their proud boast. CHAPTER XXIV. THE SPHERES OF THE FIRST STRATUM The spheres of the first stratum, situated at the base of the Pyramid are the least desirable, swept as they are by etheric storms, degenerating almost always into terrific, electric storms. The storm during the first hour, is etheric, during the second hour, turns electric. It is a grand and terrifying spectacle to see the electric cyclone describe huge rings of fire, the rings getting wider and wider all the time, until the whole island is transformed into a lake of fire. Old timers (new comers are too fright- ened to stare) from their safe shelter watch the wonderful pyrotechnic display (Spirits say: fire- works.) The isle is a lake of fire of all colors, colors much more vivid than earthly colors; one end of the island is deep purple, the center is scarlet red, the other end is vivid green. When the storm subsides, lighter colors appear as: pink, azure, lavender, and orange. Spirits call these colors “the rainbow” be- cause they triumphantly herald the end of the storm. After a severe electric storm, the isle remains shrouded in a dense smoke for a couple of hours, a smoke which burns and could set etheric bodies a- fire, if Spirits ventured out. It is only three hours after the storm, Spirits can leave their shelter with impunity. Spheres of the first stratum are more or less alike, visited or rather afflicted periodically by etheric and electric storms of the first magnitude. Spirits do not object to those storms and with rare exceptions, like them when accustomed to their whistling and to their roaring; storms alternatively whistle and roar. Etheric storms roar more than whistle; Electric storms whistle more than roar. Etherics, like Spirits, have their own slang, they 62 THE DOOR OF DEATH WIDE OPEN call etheric storms “whistlers;”’ electric storms “roarers.” The spheres of the first stratum, being least desirable, on account of the severe storms which honor them, and also on account of the glare of the light (the light of the other strata is much softer) are attributed to those who on earth have led a mean, wicked and selfish life . The company found in spheres of the first stratum is, of course, crude, ignorant but often, infernally wicked; the way of the transgressor is hard in the next life. As far as possible certain spheres are affected to certain nationalities, for this reason there are spheres where Americans constitute the majority; in this case, it is said the sphere is Amer- ican owned. There are spheres which are American owned, French owned, German owned, South Ameri- can owned, Italian owned. I have not yet come to any conclusion concerning this system of affecting certain spheres to certain nationalities. I think in this discrimination there are advantages and disad- vantages; some Spirits are in favor of it, most of them opposed to it. For myself, I would prefer, without taking the nationality into consideration, to assemble together, Spirits of the same culture, of the same mentality, cherishing the same ideals. If the first straters (I name first straters, the dwellers of the spheres located in the first stratum of the Pyra- mid) deserve it, they are promoted and sent to a higher stratum, to a better and more advanced sphere. The Etherics and the Dead of this solar sys- tem, are ruled by a Force, who is a divine Emana- tion; in my lectures I will explain: the working of this Great Force. CHAPTER XXV. COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN THE SPHERES AND THE EARTH ARE OPEN Since the last six centuries, Spirits had prophecies predicting that in the first part of the twentieth cen- tury, they would be ruled from the earth by a pow- er in the flesh. Century old prophecies are fulfilled, the Dead since the beginning of 1924 are ruled by a Power on earth, a member of the “Firm Universe and Eternity.” The Living and the Dead today form almost one; I am the Bond uniting them. There is a weekly service of etheric messengers between the spheres and the earth. Each stratum has its own corps of messengers recruited among the best and fastest etherizers. The Dead of the Moon are totally independent of the Peninsula and have their own special Earth service. Every week in the year, mes- sengers leave the spheres or the Moon for the earth; every week in the year, messengers leave the earth for the moon and the Peninsula. Etheric Messen- gers stay about two weeks on earth, resting, before they go back; they bring me the news of the spheres, the wishes and complaints of the Spirits. Strong and powerful Etherics as they are, they make the trip to the moon in less than three hours. Dead make the trip plunged in etheric unconsciousness; Ether- ics, in lucid unconsciousness. No longer are the Spirits cut off from the earth, no longer are the Living cut off from their Dead. Death has lost its sting, earth people know where they will go and what they have to expect; the Door of Death so sealed up, so barred up, so locked up, is wide open. CHAPTER XXVI. SPHERES OF THE FIFTH STRATUM The spheres of the first stratum are at the base of the Pyramid; the spheres of the fifth stratum are at the point of the Pyramid. The first stratum’s spheres border a stormy ocean; the fifth stratum’s spheres border a pacific ocean. The best spheres are found on the fifth stratum, the worst ones of course on the first stratum. The atmosphere of a fifth stratum’s sphere is entirely different from all others; happiness and contentment reign in the sphere; many Spirits say they are far more happy and con- tented than they were on earth. Free of material cares and earthly anxieties, they can devote them- selves entirely to studies and researches. Etheric and electric storms die out before they reach the fifth stratum; the fifth straters know them by hear- say and through descriptions. The largest islands are on the fifth stratum, some really are pricipalities and rightly deserve the name of wonderful spheres. Not only are fifth stratum’s spheres sheltered from storms but their light has all the force of the other strata, minus the glare. The buildings on the islands of the fourth and fifth strata are very spacious and imposing. The buildings on the lower strata look grottolike and are half under ground. The build- ings on the upper strata look often arenalike. They form an arena which circles the islands; the arena looks very much as the Coliseum in Rome. On some islands, the arena goes all around, on others forms a half circle only. The edifices of the spheres of the fourth and fifth stratum resemble, also, often, the nave of a gothic cathedral, aisles running on both sides; they have, like all the great cathedrals, catacombs. New comers, familiar with the great gothic cathedrals of Western Europe THE DOOR OF DEATH WIDE OPEN 65 have the impression of finding themselves in one of them, which would have been transported, as by a miracle, in the exterior seas of the Moon. I will probably amaze my readers when I say that the great gothic cathedrals are almost faithfully repro- duced, but on a much bigger scale and, even, have spires, towers and domes. Spirits and Etherics di- vide the palaces into buildings and into edifices; buildings are arena-like; edifices are cathedral-like. Etheric, master Etheric, the greatest of all archi- tects, took about five thousand years to erect those majestic monuments. If Father Etheric could see, he would certainly be proud of his work, which equals in majesty and mag- nificence the most beautiful buildings erected by men. Spirits, living on the islands at the top of the Pyramid, are very little interested in earthly affairs, being so well satified with their leisurely existence. They often say: we are through with the earth, we look forward not backward. The welcome, they ex- tend to new comers without being warm and effusive, is cordial and sympathetic. New comers are left off easy, their club dues are not high; they vomit their life, sing a few stirring songs, tell a few hum- orous stories. Fifth straters, boast of being kind Charon, who do not charge much to cross new com- ers over the Styx; they are justly proud that their barque is light, meaning inexpensive. The fifth stratum’s spheres are one of the stations on the way to eternal life, on the way to Heaven. Good Spirits, after having fufilled certain spiritual and etherical conditions leave for the Moon where they lead an etheric existence in all its fullness. The top spheres of the Pyramid are but a stepping stone to the neigh- boring planet, the Moon, where are the Dead, who have reached a high state of spiritual developement and who have mastered the elementary laws of Etheric. CHAPTER XXVII. SPIRITS GOVERN THEMSELVES Spirits govern themselves, each sphere is auton- omous; each sphere has its own laws, rules and cus- toms. Spirits elect all their officials, the duties of those officials are manifold; a great deal of tact, dip- lomacy and patience is required of them. The high- ests posts of the circle hierarchy is the post of admin- istrator; on his shoulders, rests the rather heavy burden of the administration of his circle. He must provide news, amusements, lectures, games for his subjects, who are far from easy to please, he must placate every subordinate who is out of temper and dissatisfied, he must calm and appease every irate and disgruntled Spirit. The diplomatic service is a career open, only, to the lucky ones who pass suc- cessfully a most severe examination on spirit laws and customs. Many applicants, few elect. To be an ambassador, is a very enviable position, un poste tres recherche’ as the envoy visits, on official busi- ness, all the spheres of his stratum. The chief jus- tice of peace settles differences between Spirits, he has an arduous task as Spirits at times, are not ad- verse to quarreling. The duty of the pacificator is to maintain peace, harmony and concord between Spirits; in the lower spheres it is an ungrateful task as Spirits are often on the war path and full of fight. There are, besides the superior positions, many minor ones which entitle the holder to many privileges and carry with them a great deal of pres- tige. Scribes record the “Vomiting of lives” and spread news. Admonishers rebuke unruly Spirits, their warnings are limited to seven. The disciplin- arian imposes punishments on repeater offenders, he is feared and respected. Exhorters, as their name THE DOOR OF DEATH WIDE OPEN 67 indicates, exhort forcibly new comers to forget the earth and accept the inevitable; if after many ex- hortions, they do not, even, succeed in making them: resigned, they are discharged and replaced by Regret. Makers. Regret Makers attempt the job, by using an entirely different method, they do their utmost to intensify the earth regrets of new comers, they make them frantic with earthly thoughts and earth- ly visions. Sometimes they succeed, more often they fail in their mission. Preachers, every Sunday, address the Spirits of the circle in fiery harangues, trying to inculcate into them the wish, the desire to raise themselves morally and spiritually; often, too often, their appeals fall on deaf ears. CHAPTER XXVIII. THE MOONERS AND THE ISLANDERS There are Etherics and Etherics; there are Ether- ics of the first magnitude, of the second, of the third and fourth magnitude. All Etherics reach a vener- able age, death seems to forget many of them; cen- turies roll by, leaving them untouched, just making them wiser and shrewder. Count five hundred years of life for an Etheric of the first magnitude, four hundred for a second magnitude Etheric, three hun- dred for an Etheric of the third magnitude, two hun- dred for a fourth magnitude Etheric. Some Etherics of the first magnitude proudly boast they go back to the discovery of America, that is to say, they were living in 1492. Old Etherics are well acquainted with the French and English history, they often pay this compliment to Frenchmen; You have the great- est history of all nations, we know that your history is largely the history of Europe; with the English, you have left your stamp, they prefer to use the French word “empreinte” on all the parts of the globe. Although Etherics have never been on earth, they know historically and geographically every country of the earth, there is not a city or even a town they do not know. They are very familiar with the great continent of North America, and have a high regard for Americans, but are just as familiar with the immense Chinese empire or mys- terious India. Etherics could not understand why Asia, Europe and America, with all their culture and learning, were unable to find out the truth about death and survival. They reasoned this way: the moon comes from the earth, earth people should have sense enough to understand that everything which leaves the earth, must come here, and according to THE DOOR OF DEATH WIDE OPEN 69 all laws of reason, of logic and of common sense, cannot go elsewhere; originally the earth and moon were one, etherically they are still one. Etherics are to be found in the Moon and in the Peninsula, the Etherics of the Moon are called Mooners; the Ether- ics of the Peninsula are called Islanders. Mooners are etherically more strongly built than the Island- ers, their senses are still more highly developed, be- cause the etheric atmosphere of the Moon is charged with more electricity than the ether of the Penin- sula. There has been for centuries, for ages, a keen rivalry between the Mooners and the Islanders; the Sons of the Moon are more educated, more cultured and more refined than the Insulars, who blame their insularity, their isolation, for the lack of polished manners. CHAPTER XXIX. ETHERIC SENSES The superiority of the etheric body over the phy- sical body consists in its mobility and in its senses Strong and mighty Etherics can cover a radius of one hundred thousand miles in about one hour time; Etherics of the fourth magnitude, at the most, a twenty-five thousand miles radius in three hours time. Etherics are very vain and boastful about their radius and their speed time; many are not afraid of exaggeration. Etherics have two great topics of conversation; the radius they can cover and the speed to which they can etherize. As soon as a dozen Etherics are together, they begin to discuss those eternal questions. the radius limit and the speed time; more than once the lie is passed around. Etherics often challenge one and another to radius duel or speed duel; to be a winner in such contests is an honor very coveted, which ranks the triumpher as the Etheriser of Etherisers. Etherics never fail to present to Spirits of mark, that is to say, to Spi- rits who have held high positions on earth, their King Etherisers; they have, as they knew so well to do on earth, to compliment and congratulate. Ether- ics are real birds who cannot remain long without using “their wings;”’ they take up the ether, almost every day, not to get rusted. Etherics have many more senses than planetar- ians, besides our five physical senses (theirs are, of course, much more highly developed) they possess many other senses. The sense of direction; they are always aware in what direction they are etherizing, they never get lost. The sense of scenting dangers; dangers in the form of etheric and electric storms, hours before, they know a storm is coming. The THE DOOR OF DEATH WIDE OPEN 71 sense of altitude; they know almost exactly at what height they are flying. The sense of distance which enables them to know, within a few miles, at what distance they are from such and such etheric point. The sense of speed; they can always tell at what mile speed they are etherizing, they never make the slightest mistake about what they call speed mile- age. The sense of etheric time, which is regulated in their Regions by the Tides. They have always to know what etheric time it is, because they must fill up their bodies, at irregular intervals, with ether; they take a strong dose of ether if the tide time is still a few hours distant and a small dose if the tide is near. The sense of ether, which they call also the sense of weight; in certain regions, ether is lighter or heavier than in some others. Etherics must reg- ulate their flight according to the ether weight. Etherics have mapped out all the Moon’s Regions, they know accurately whereare such and such Points, such and such Zones. They use Points to know at what distance they are from the Moon or from the Peninsula, as distances are calculated from either. Etherics divide the ether into three zones: strong ether zones, mild ether zones, weak ether zones. In the strong ether zones, they do not breathe at all; in the mild ether zones, they must inhale every half hour; in the weak ether zone they must fill up their bodies every five minutes. Useless to say, they avoid, as much as possible, the weak ether zones. Islanders ask me to tell earth people that, although etherically weaker, they have, all the same, the best and fastest etherisers, their Kings of Ether are without peers. Etherics, when they are etherizing, resemble somewhat skaters in their feet, they swing their mighty arms around; they say that they have four wings: their two circling arms and their two zigzaging feet. CHAPTER XXX. DOES DEATH CURE EVERY ILL? Earth people have the strange idea, Spirits say the queer idea, not to use a stronger word, that death cures every ill, restores everybody to normalcy, makes everybody whole. Idiots, insane, feeble-mind- ed are just as idiotic, as insane, as weak minded over there as they were on earth. They have changed place but they have not changed state. They are exactly in the same distressing state they were on earth. Most of them, in fact, are far more insane than before, far more out of their mind than in the flesh. Weak minded believe they are still on earth but have been transported to some enchanting coun- try of South America, as they associate South America with a country of gorgeous birds, they keep on asking for green periwinkles, red parrots and blue birds. At times, they become very insistent about those gorgeous birds, they want absolutely to have some or at least see some. To calm them, it is necessary to humor them with stories of green birds, of blue lakes and of red foliage trees. As in- sane and weak minded are in need of hospital treat- ment, certain small isles are affected to them, high minded Spirits devoting themselves to the task of restoring their reason and healing their mind. Dead, who have passed away after a short illness, recover their balance, their equilibrium much quicker than those who died after a prolonged and severe malady. Youth counts also over there for a great deal. Young men triumph over death in a few weeks, old men re- cover their full mind only after months, insane after years of patient labour and laborious efforts of self sacrificing Spirits. I call those Spirits so full of abnegation, “my Spirits, my Soldiers, my Guard.” CHAPTER XXXI. PACKING FOR THE MOON “Packing up for the Moon, packing up for the Moon;” this cry resounds from time to time, in the fifth stratum’s spheres. “Packing my etheric trunk for the Golden Planet,” shout Spirits who have be- come etherically too strong for the top spheres, the spheres, the most etheric of all. There comes a time, when Spirits become, speaking like they do, anemic for lack of ether. The etheric air they breathe is no longer strong enough to keep them in good etheric health, they must have a change of climate. In good English, spiritually and etherically they have out- grown the spheres and must go elsewhere. The fifth stratum’s atmosphere which for years agreed very well with them, now stifles, chokes, suffocates them, they must have more air, in other words, they must have stronger ether, ether, with more electricity in it. My readers would probably like to know how many years Spirits spend in the top spheres of the Peninsula, preparing for their Moon expedition. It is very different, some grow etherically fast, many very slowly; the fast growers remain an average of fifteen years, the others much longer. Spirits, who have outgrown the spheres know their time is almost up, when from time to time, they are lifted up, off their feet, rising sometimes five or six feet in the ether. It is the etheric warning they will soon have to leave for a more electric climate. Spirits say for a warmer climate. After a few liftings; Spirits call them, jumps up, lifts up, they start making their trip preparations, they pack up. This time, they are ex- perienced travelers and know their destination. This lifting up lasts about one month, each week they feel more and more uncomfortable, each week 74 THE DOOR OF DEATH WIDE OPEN they are lifted higher and higher up. The lifts up become real ascensions, in fact, are real training for the Moon flight. Spirits, when they are in training stop all other exercises in order to be in the best etheric condition for the trip to the Moon. On-the third week, their wings are spread out and they be- gin to pay farewell visits. They call on the officials of the sphere, on their friends and acquaintances to bid them farewell, they tell them gleefully they may be up and off almost any time. They could easily imagine they are back on earth, receiving answers they often heard down. (for Spirits and Etherics the earth is down and the moon is up) Are you go- ing? So sorry to see you go; Hope to see you again in the near future; take good care of yourself. They also receive answers which do not belong down but up as: On your way east, watch for storms; wish you a safe landing; avoid, if you can, weak ether zones; may you strike strong ether zones. One day, probably in the fourth week of training, they feel queerer in the head than they ever felt before, their feet cannot stand on the ground, they are no longer dancing, they are hovering, they are flying low. They are aware it is their last day in the pyramid- like Peninsula and that almost a new life is opening up for them, a life much more fascinating, much more attractive than the old one. All of a sudden, they feel a jerk and up they go, etherizing in the direction of the Moon, attracted by the powerful and irresistible etheric mass, which the Moon con- stitutes with its interior and exterior etheric seas CHAPTER XXXII. THE MOON One hour after they have left the point of the Pyramid, they land on the Moon itself, forced to descend by the irresistible down etheric attraction; etherically, they are not strong enough to resist, they are brought down or rather pulled. down Speaking like etherics, the Moon is a planet made of slate and of rubber; beings and plants are rubber- ized, mountains and valleys are slaterized, seas and lakes are etheric. It is a colorful planet; colors reign supreme on the Moon. Mountains are rust color, valleys are generally red or pink, seas are purple, plains are orange. To be quite accurate, seas are of three colors: there are purple seas, lavender seas and bluish seas; purple seas are to be found in the cenfral part of the planet. The noyau of the Moon is solid, I use the French word “‘noyau” because the English language has no exact equivalent, expressing my idea so well. The Ring of the Moon is not yet completely solidified it is still in a state of semi-fluidity ; in a few cent- uries, it will be as solid as the noyau, I mean, as solid as the central part. Contrary to the opinion of many astronomers, the Moon does not rotate but has a double oscillation, which I can best compare again to the swing of the pendulum of a clock. This oscillation gives to Mooners a high jumping step; when the oscillation is very violent, they spin like a top. To Americans, the solid parts of the Moon would look a great deal as the Rocky Mountains, the base of mountains, is orange yellow in color, the sum- mits, rust color. In the narrow valleys, which wind their way between hills and mountains, grows an 76 THE DOOR OF DEATH WIDE OPEN etheric vegetation, bluish and sometimes bluish grey in color. Right before the floraison time, the veget- ation is bluish, almost blue. Etherics call this sea- son, the Budding time; after the floraison is over, the vegetation turns almost grey. This etheric veg- etation blooms twice a year and remains in bloom two or three months at one time. Etherics complain bitterly when the blooming season is short; storms have a great deal to do with its duration. At the time of the floraison, the valleys are literally carpeted with red and pink flowers. Valleys are then, using the language of Etherics and of etherized Spirits, (Spirits living in the Moon are called etherized Spirits) rivers of red and pink flowers. When moun- tains are very high, valleys are scarlet red, when they are normal speaking always like Etherics, they are pink purple. Etherics and etherized Spirits say, there is nothing on earth so beautiful as their rivers in bloom. Some day, the Mooners hope to have real rivers, and watch with interest certain valleys full of humid smoke, of dewy steam. There is nothing on earth to which I could compare the plants and flowers of the Moon; plants look like bushes; flowers look like huge leaves. Ther are many volcanos and geysers on the Moon. They are the very life of the planet; Mooners hail them as benefactors. Volcanos vomit flames miles high; young volcanos spit out deep red flames, older vol canos vivid green flames. From a distance, it is a grandiose spectacle to watch volcanos hurling col- umns of fire, sometimes ten miles high, geysers spitting out clouds of burning smoke, purple and deep blue. Etherics, sometimes watch those clouds of hope for hours, exclaiming at intervals: “Some day, water, blessed water will come out of them.” The Moon is lighted by two suns, one of the first magnitude,-our sol, the other of the fifth magnitude, our earth. Seen from the Moon with etheric eyes (etheric eyes magnify for distances) the sun and the earth almost divide the firmament. Etherics and THE DOOR OF DEATH WIDE OPEN at etherized Spirits are never tired of contemplating the sky with its two glories, remaining, often hours long, in contemplation. The sun, from the moon, is about ten times bigger than seen from the earth, shining on a background of deep pink. The earth looks about seven times bigger than the full moon and ten times, at least, more brilliant, dancing re- splendently, on what seems from the Moon, a deep blue ocean. Spirits of the spheres know only the moon through descriptions of their etheric friends, the dream of every Spirit is, some day, to see, with his own eyes, this planet of wonders so near and yet so far from him. There are many more Etherics than Spirits on the Moon. CHAPTER XXXIiiII. LIFE ON THE MOON Spirits, especially new Mooners, enjoy life on the Moon immensely, everything is to them so new, so Strange, so fascinating. Instead of an island, they have a whole planet for field. Spirits in the moon lead a contemplative and nomadic life. I say con- templative, because they spend lots of time contem- plating the resplendent firmament and in admiring the glorious landscapes, the wonderful sceneries of the moon. I say nomadic life because, all the time, they are wandering, roaming, roving through the mountains and the valleys; they call themselves the gypsies of the Moon. Occasionally they are forced to interrupt their peregrinations, on account of etheric and electric storms; which are almost as sev- ere as those of the Peninsula; those storms rage during the last etheric quarter. Etherics and ether- ized Spirits say, they have one week of bad weather and three weeks of fair weather, every month. At the base of almost every mountain are found huge caves, which often form a kind of underground town, stretching under its stratum. Itinerant Etherics and Spirits take refuge during storms in those rocky caves, they use them for shelter and dormitories. Etheric travelers often compare those refuges to the Caravansaries of the Orient, open to all comers and to all winds. Over the mountains, they etherize, in the valleys, they gallop on etheric horses, in band, in caravan, another reminiscence of the Orient. Spirits in the Moon are nomads, philosophers and contem- plators. Where does the Moon come from? The Moon comes from the earth; the earth, from the sun. The Moonlet, to which I have alluded in one of my preceding chapter comes from the Moon. The THE DOOR OF DEATH WIDE OPEN 79 daughter of the Moon is a strange and minuscule planet with earthlike aspects, I mean, with earthlike aspects when the earth was young: small seas of boiling water, giant trees, enormous animals, a vegetation rust in color, which is almost as hard as stone. The moonlet is inhabited by etheric beings, giant in stature, who are bony, they are only half etheric now, becoming more human every century; in a few centuries they will start to put flesh on. Many Spirits, who are now sightseeing the Moon, some day, will fulfill certain etheric, electric and spiritual conditions of divine order which will open for them the Door of Heaven. DATE DUE =a Ss io so PRINTEDINU.S.A. GAYLORD | | | | | : | | | iil | c © a ° av = = ar © @ 3 _ ° “a ro) o 3 w = — © oO Oo oO Tr oO So ie aa) |