Читать книгу 30 Years Among the Dead - Dead Carl Wickland - Страница 7

Dr. Where have you come from?

Sp. I don't know where I am, and I don't know what is the matter with me.

Dr. Would you care to know what is the matter?

Sp. I don't know what is the matter.

Dr. Did something happen to you?

Sp. That is what I should like to find out.

Dr. What have you been doing lately?

Sp. I don't know.

Dr. Tell us who you are. Do you know?

Sp. Well, I should say - well, I think I do.

Dr. Where do you think you are?

Sp. I don't know.

Dr. Yes, you do.

Sp. No, I don't know. Everything is so queer, and it just seems to me I don't know what's the matter.

Dr. Can't you look back and see whether something happened to you?

Sp. I can't look back, I have no eyes in my back.

Dr. I mean, think back.

Sp. Think of my back?

Dr. No, think of your past. Just use your thinking faculties.

Sp. I don't know anything.

Dr. You must not be so mentally lazy.

Sp. What can a man do?

Dr. This is a woman sitting here. Are you a man or a woman?

Sp. I am a man, that fellow is a man, and the others are women. I have always been a man. I was never a woman, and never will be. You know I am a man.

Dr. Look at your hands; where did you get them?

Sp. Those are not my hands.

Dr. Look at your feet.

Sp. They are not mine, either. I never was a woman, and I don't want women's hands and feet, and I don't want to borrow any one's body now.

Dr. Are you old ?

Sp. Well, I'm not a young kid.

Dr. You are probably old in years but not in knowledge.

Sp. No, I don't know that I have so much knowledge.

Dr. If you had knowledge you would not be in your present position.

Sp. That has nothing to do with knowledge.

Dr. Knowledge is just what you lack. Tell us what your name is. Is it Mary?

Sp. Have you ever heard of a man being named Mary? That's ridiculous.

Dr. Then tell us what your name is. I can only guess.

Sp. For goodness sake alive, man, it is a man's name, not a woman's.

Dr. Introduce yourself.

Sp. What in the devil do you need my name for?

Dr. You are well versed in English. Did you have white hair as you have now?

(Referring to hair of psychic.)

Sp. I had gray hair.

Dr. Did you wear curls as you are doing now?

Sp. No, I don't like them.

Dr. Did you wear a comb?

Sp. Did you ever know of a man wearing a comb?

Dr. Where did you get that wedding ring?

Sp. I didn't steal anything. I don't want a woman's hand.

Dr. John, where did you come from?

Sp. I'm not named John.

Dr. What did your wife call you? What did your mother call you?

Sp. She called me Harry. I was not married.

Dr. What is your other name?

Sp. I do not need to tell my name to a lot of women.

Dr. There are some gentlemen present.

Sp. How in the world did I get into this crowd of women? I hate women.

Dr. You must have been disappointed in love. What was the trouble?

Sp. I'd be a big fool to tell my secrets to a lot of women.

Dr. Why did she marry the other man?

Sp. Who?

Dr. The girl who jilted you.

Sp. She never in my life - no!

Dr. Weren't you disappointed in love?

Sp. No.

Dr. Then why do you hate women?

Sp. I must not tell you any of my secrets before this bunch of women, so they can sit here and laugh at me. I should like to know why all these women are staring at me. What's the matter with that man over there? (Spirit.) I mean the one behind that lady (Mrs. Burton seated in circle).

Mrs. B. I'm a man hater; he can keep away from me.

Sp. Why is that man around her? Is he her husband? Lady, what does he hang around you for? What's the matter with You? Do you like him so well that you want him to stick to you like glue?

Dr. Ask him how long he has been dead.

Sp. He sure is an ugly thing. I'm afraid of him. He looks like he wants to fight.

Dr. Ask him how long he has been dead.

Sp. Dead? He sticks so she can't move without him. Whenever she moves, he moves. He seems to me like a monkey.

Mrs. B. Say, take him away with you, will you?

Sp. Why should I take him for? For God's sake, I don't know the fellow! Do you like

him, lady?

Mrs. B. No, I don't. I'm tired of him.

Sp. What's the matter with him? Is he your husband?

Mrs. B. No, he is not, and I don't understand it myself.

Sp. Do you like him?

Mrs. B. No, I want him to get away from me.

Sp. Where am I, anyhow?

Dr. You are in Los Angeles, California.

Sp. There's also a woman around her, and she sticks like glue.

Mrs. B. Are you here to help us? Can't you take those things away from me?

Sp. Do you like that man who is with you?

Mrs. B. No, I am wild to get rid of him. The door is wide open; he can surely go.

Sp. For God's sake, shut the door! I don't want such a man following me. Why don't you tell the police? Can't the police take him away from you, if you don't want him?

Dr. They are all spirits.

Sp. Spirits?

Dr. Yes, like yourself.

Sp. Oh, you tell me that man is a ghost, the one standing behind that woman there?

Dr. Can you see him?

Sp. He's no spirit, he's a man. He stands there. He's afraid she will get away from him and he can't follow. He says he is sick of her.

Dr. He is a spirit but does not understand it. She does not see him and neither do we. He is invisible to us.

Sp. What kind of a place is this I came to?

Dr. We cannot see you either.

Sp. You can't? Don't you hear me?

Dr. We hear you, but we can't see you.

Sp. Is this a crowd of blind people? I can see them all and lots more. The whole room is full of people.

Dr. We can hear you, but we can only hear you talk through a woman's body.

Sp. Now, you're kidding me. You think that I - I would ever talk through a woman?

Not much! I would not go across the street to talk through a woman. You know, I can't understand what this thing is. I don't know why I should be here. I don't know what's the matter; all of you are sitting around looking at me. Why are there people standing around each one here? There are others, standing around looking at me too. Could they have conversation with a fellow?

Dr. If I explain to you, will you try to understand? In the first place, you are dead, as people would say.

Sp. If I'm a dead one, that's a good thing!

Dr. You yourself are not dead.

Sp. But you said I was dead.

Dr. You are dead to your own people and friends. We know you are not dead in reality; you only lost your physical body. But you also have a spirit body when you pass out of your mortal body. You find yourself alive, and you have a spirit body, but you cannot explain it.

Sp. I know I have been walking a very great deal, and it seems to me I never get anywhere. I saw a lot of people here. I came here with the crowd, and before I knew it, everything was light, and I saw you all sitting around in a circle, singing. I thought it was a prayer meeting, so I stopped, and before I knew anything, I could talk. Before then I thought I must be deaf and dumb and blind, because I could not see anything, and I am so tired.

Dr. Most of those you see here are spirits like yourself.

Sp. Why are we here?

Dr. Many have been brought to obtain understanding. You yourself are controlling my wife's body. You are not my wife, but you are using my wife's body. It does not make any difference how strange it seems to you, it is a fact. You are invisible to us, and you are speaking through my wife's organism. That man you speak of is a spirit too. Take him with you when you go. He is invisible to us.

Sp. I should like to fight him.

Dr. Did you ever read the Bible?

Sp. Yes, a long time ago. I have not seen one for a long time.

Dr. You remember reading in the Bible about obsessing spirits that Jesus cast out? He is one of that kind.

Sp. They are all around that woman (Mrs. B.).

Mrs. B. I have the door closed now.

Sp. If you keep the door closed, I'll take them along with me. I want to fight with that fellow anyhow. What's your name?

Dr. What does he say?

Sp. He says his name is Jim McDonald. Don't you know him, lady? If he is a spirit, for goodness sake, why does be hang on to that woman when she doesn't want him?

Dr. Perhaps he found himself there, as you find yourself here. You say you saw a crowd, a light, and here you are.

Sp. That man says he was walking in the dark and saw that lady. Say, will I always have to stay here too?

Ques. What are the names of those around me? (This was asked by another patient.)

Sp. There are two. They fight once, in a while. I see them fighting.

Ques. I fight them too.

Dr. Do not fight them physically; that gives them strength and magnetism. When you fight them in that way, you give them much more strength. You hold them by fighting them as you do. Fight them mentally. Why don't you try to close up?

Sp. I will take them along too, if I can. Don't fist fight them any more. I don't know what's the matter with me. I feel strange.

Dr. Where was your home?

Sp. It was in Detroit, Michigan.

Dr. What year can you recall?

Sp. I can't recall any.

Dr. Who is President?

Sp. I don't know for sure, but I think Cleveland.

Dr. He was President a long time ago.

Sp. I have been walking so long that I feel tired. Is there any rest for a weary person?

Have you a bed so that I can lie down and rest?

Dr. If you look around you will see intelligent spirits.

Sp. Why, I see some beautiful girls. No, girls, I will not come with you. Don't try to

fool me. I'm not going with you, not much!

Dr. They are different from the girls you have known. They are not mortal girls, they are spirits.

Sp. They have a smile like others to give to a man.

Dr. They are different altogether. They help spirits who need help.

Sp. Those girls seem to be honest, but you know, I hate women.

Dr. You should not condemn them all because one was false.

Sp. You see, I want to take all those folks with me. If I can, I will take them with me.

I think I will follow those girls, anyhow. (Surprised.) Why, there's my mother! She's been dead and gone a long time.

Dr. She's not dead.

Sp. Don't you think she's in Heaven?

Dr. Ask her. She can speak for herself.

Sp. She says she is in a beautiful place called the spirit world.

Dr. The spirit world surrounds the physical. “Heaven” is a condition within you; when you have found that, you will be contented and happy. That is what Jesus taught also. Sp. I should like to go with my mother. She's a good old lady. I want to take McDonald along too. Come here, McDonald. I don't want to stay around here any longer, and I want you to come along. He acts as if he is trying hard to wake up. Say, come on, McDonald, let us be good fellows and go with those girls, for they might be honest and sincere. Mother, you come along too. I will go now. Goodby. Come on, you fellows. Say, what do you stick to that woman for, anyhow? I should be ashamed of myself, hanging around her. I'm going. Goodbye.

Mrs. B. Be sure and take them along with you.

Dr. What is your name?

Sp. Harry. That is all I can remember. I have not heard my name for many years.

Dr. Make the others understand the folly of staying.

Sp. I'm going to take those fellows along. Now, you look here! You're going to come along with me. I'll fight every damned one of you that won't come. You ought to be

ashamed to stick around a woman like you do. Now, come along with me! You see, they come. I'll look after them all right. Goodbye.

During another circle “Frank,” one of the spirits interfering with Mrs. Burton, left her, and controlled the intermediary, exhibiting little trace of memory in any form.