[DUST JACKET ITEM THAT CAME
WITH "THE SILENT ROAD"]
'Some of your experiences are almost
unbelievable . . . A most interesting
book that will do an enormous amount
of good.'
Dr. Raynor Johnson
In this unusual thought-provoking and,
at times, controversial book the author
tells the reader in his foreword that it
'should be read with a mind free from
preconceived ideas or set opinions'.
The author's personal experiences ,~
described in these pages are varied,
illuminating and always intriguing.
You will read about:
. . . The doctor who left his body in
Britain while he visited Major
Tudor Poie Iying ill in a houseboat
on the Nile.
. . . through the gift of 'prevision'
the author was able to change a
certain verdict of 'guilty' to one of
'not guilty' in a manslaughter case.
There is so much of absorbing
interest. Each chapter is a little gem in
itself--a separate entity, dealing with
some aspect of the mind, be it clairvoy-
ance, precognition, dreams, memory or
imagination. Nevertheless, all are con-
nected for they are different facets of the
whole.
About the Author: Wellesley Tudor Pole,
O.B.E., soldier, traveller, industrialist. Stu
dent of archaeology in Egypt, Palestine,
Turkey and the Sahara. Founder of the
Big Ben Silent Minute Observance. Chair-
man: The Chalice Well Trust, Glaston-
bury and Governor of the Glaston Tor
School for Boys.
In the opinion of many, the insights
revealed by Wellesley Tudor Pole
in his previous books, The Silent
Road and A Man Seen Afar establi-
shed him as a seer possessing
capacities of an order altogether
different from what is ordinarily
understood by clairvoyance.
In this book he amplifies, again
through the faculty of 'extended
memory', some of the glimpses of
Jesus already given.
He believes that at certain mo-
ments of his life, Jesus, though
seemingly involved in ordinary every-
day events, was in reality acting as
the instrument of cosmic forces.
Though such events may be re-
corded in the Gospels, their signi-
ficance was unseen at the time and
has gone unrecognised for two
thousand years.
One such event in particular, the
'writing on the ground', involved a
cosmic decision that will affect not
only the possible future of humanity
but of all life on this planet.
Tudor Pole believes that the
impulse of spiritual renewal is not
a 'once and for all' event but is a
continous process, and he suggests
that in the life of Bahá'u'lláh, founder
of the Bahá'ís, and his son Abdu'l-
Bahá, the continuity of the process
can be glimpsed.
Though such a noumenal process
is forever beyond decription in three-
dimensional terms, connections
between the Gospel events, the
Bahá'í activity and our situation
today are clearly suggested and the
discerning reader may well arrive at
an understanding that goes beyond
what could be conveyed in words.
Tudor Pole believes that a new
impulse of renewal is imminent and
that the energies associated with this
event are already flowing into human
life. Such a flow of higher energies
does not automatically presage a
golden age. Such energy is in a real
sense 'neutral' and may be used by
man for good or ill. We stand at a
moment of opportunity or disaster.
Jachet design by
JUANITA GROUT
W. Tudor Pole
Jesus said: 'Let not him who seeks cease
until he hnds, and when he finds he shall
be astonished; astonished he shall reach
the Kingdom, and having reached the
Kingdom he shall rest.'
(From the Oxyrhyncus Papyrus Third Century A.D.)
THE
SILENT
ROAD
In the Light of
Personal Experiene
L o n d o n
NEVILLE SPEARMAN
(c) W. TUDOR POLE,
LONDON, 1960
THE CONTENTS
FOREWORD ix
INTRODUCTION xi
Part I
1 PASSERS BY 3
2 AN ACCOUNT OF THRE SUPERNATURAL EX-
PERIENCES 6
Love's Victory over Death 7
A Healing Mission 10
The Monk of Tintern Abbey 12
3 FURTHER UNUSUAL INCIDENTS 19
A Puzzling Time Sequence 19
Transit Most Mysterious 23
A Ring of Surprise 24
An Aftermath of Suicide 26
4 MEMORY, TIME AND PREVISION 30
5 PSYCHIC METHODS OF RECEPTION 44
The Dangers of Psychic Automatism 45
An Observer on the 'Other Side' 46
Building for the Future 56
Communion and Communication 57
6 THE ENIGMA OF SEX 59
7 THE ATTITUDE OF THE SCEPTIC 63
The Closed Mind 66
8 SPIRITU~L HEALING
Healing 'Mirades'--Abdul Bahá
Padre Pio
9 THE GENIE ~ND THE L~MP
The Genie and the Little Horse
The Genie and the Storrn
10 CONSCIENCE--A HOUND FROM HEAVEN
11 SOME SPIRITU~L ISSUES UNDERLYING
WORLD PROBLEMS
Part II
1 THE MYSTERY OF DREAMS
Premonitions
An Incident at Karnak in Egypt I I I
A Foreign Legionary Meets Himself I I I
A Waking Dream Experience I 12
The Soul in Relation to the Spirit and
the Mind I I 8
2 MOUSSA THE SNAKE-CHARMER
3 A PERSONAL NOTE
The Uses of Prevision I28
`Tell Her to be My Mother' I30
The Problem of Evidence I 3 I
The Transience of Existence I32
An Experience on the Orient Express I33
A Case of Intervention I 34
The Saving Presence I34
The Origin of the Silent Minute I 3 8
4 VOICES
5 THE PROBLEM OF SURVIVAL
Time and Timelessness
6 SEVEN FACETS OF THE MIND
7 THE LURE OF ANCIENT EGYPT 162
'For the King's House in the Desert'I62
The Desert, The Khamsin and The
Sphinx
8 AN EXERCISE IN THE USE OF THE IMAGIN~-
TION
9 FOOD POR THOUGHT
On Meditation
The Gift of Giving
To One Bereaved
Affluence
Thinking from the Summit
10 LIGHT OUT OF DARKNESS
The Ilusion Called Evil
11 TIMES OF TRIBULATION
12 A COLLOQUY BETWEEN THE AUTHOR AND
HIS PUBLISHER
13 `CHALICE WELL AND THE UPPER ROOM'
Introduction
By The Hon. Brinsley le Poer Trench
SOME PEOPLE ARE publicists; others act unseen
behind the scenes and let their deeds speak for
themselves. 'rudor Pole is one of the latter group.
If you passed him in the street you would not realise
that there was anything particularly unusual about him.
But he is, I assure you, a quite e~ceptional man.
He is utterly modest and unassumin~. Although he
would never admit it, I dare say that half his life has been
spent in listening to people's troubles and advising them
on how to overcome their problems. In addition, I sus-
pect that much of his sleeping life is also taken up with
problems concerning the world's affairs. And by this
I mean actual spiritual work while he is 'out of the body'
in the sleep state.
Tudor Pole is the confidant of the great and the lowly,
the rich and the poor. He is a kind of Albert Schweitzer
for the sick in mind. And yet he is wise enough to know
that nobody can solve another's troubles or run thek
lives for them. One cannot permit another to take over
one's own burdens and liabilities, leaving one, as it
were, free and comfortable, without responsibilities.
Each one of us has to find his own way and salvation.
Spiritual and material progress lies solely with the
individual. Outsiders can only point the way. And this
is what Tudor Pole, in his wisdom, tells each one who
comes seeking solace.
Although he has had many astonishing experiences
of a most singular nature, some of which are described
in these pages, he has his feet hrmly anchored on the
ground. The greater part of his life, apart from five
years in the Army, has been spent in the world of indus-
try. However, his interests are decidedly varied. He has
travelled widely and has undertaken archaeological
research in Egypt, Palestine, Turkey and the Sahara.
In I940, at the time of Dunkirk, he founded the Big
Ben Silent Minute. He asked people everywhere to
enter at nine each evening into a dedicated silent prayer
for Peace. Today, nearly twenty years later, there is
hardly a country in the world where this practice is not
known and kept. In the words of its founder: 'There is
no power on earth that can withstand the united co-
operation on spiritual levels of men and women of
goodwill everywhere. It is for this reason that the con-
tinued and widespread observance of the Silent Minute
is of such vital importance in the interest of human
welfare.'
Tudor Pole has recently been instmmental in forming
the Chalice Well Trust to safeguard and preserve for
ever Chalice Well, its gardens and orchards at Glaston-
bury. Now that it is a reality excavations will be under-
taken in the hope of bringing to light many more of the
hidden truths, together with historical- and archaeo-
logical data which have puzzled so many for so long.
It can be seen then that his work for humanity is not
only on a very high level, but on a very practical one
too. He is, indeed, a veritable 'lighthouse'. Through the
light that radiates from him others are drawn into the
same work. A good example of what I mean is his
vision in founding and carrying on the Silent Minute
which has had a wonderful effect on thousands of people.
The amazing experiences he describes and the subjects
he discusses in this compellin~ and extraordinary book,
whe~hef dealing Willl Scers~i~, Prcvision, Melllory,
Imagination or Dreams, all treat different aspects of the
mind. They are parts of the whole and are tmly facets of
Tbc Silcnt Road along which we all eventually travel
towards an ultimate and sometimes unknown goal.
I feel that when the reader does reluctantly come to the
end of this volume, his consciousness will have been
uplifted by the compassion, wisdom and understanding
contained within it as written by a most remarkable
man.
London, S.W.I.
January, 1960.
PART I
Passers By
MAN'S LIFE ON earth is of short duration.
Viewed from the background of history it is
literally true to say that we are here today and
gone tomorrow.
We come into this world.
We remain here for a little while.
Then we go away.
Where have we come from? For what purposes are
we here? What happens next?
For those who think that man's existence as a con-
scious being begins at birth and ends at 'death' these
questions are meaningless. For the rest of us, they are
surely of great importance and cannot be side-stepped
or dismissed outright. 'rhe teaching contained in the
lewish and Christian Scriptures is preoccupied to a
~arge extent with the need for man to prepare himself
now for carrying on his life beyond the grave. Such
teaching is not concerned with the past or with belief
in the pre-existence of the soul.
On the authority of its Founder, the Christian Faith
assures us that eternal life is God's gift to man. The word
'eternal' can only have one meaning, namely, 'without
begl~ g ~ll(l wi~llou~ e~ his l~e llle casc, surdy it
THE SIL~NT RO~D
PASSERS BY 5
is impossible to think that life for you and for me com- I
divine ordinance. For instance, I have been warned by
menced when we were bom into this world on the
theologians of repute that any attempt to pierce the
present occasion and that its 'eternality' refers to the I
veil between life on earth and life in other states of
future only and not to the past as Well ? I
consciousness is a sinful practice. One would al-
In spite of the assertions of the materialist to the I
most conclude that on a subject of such overwhelming
contrary, it is my conviction that few people really ~
importance to us all we are expected to remain satished
believe in their hearts that life for them is fimited to the I
with the vague generalities concerning Heaven and the
period between their arrival in this world and their j
after-life that are contained in the Christian Scriptures.
departure from it. 3
I never cease to be ama~ed at the lack of serious
Most of us reject instinctively the idea that we are I
curiosity shown by so many people in regard to the
doomed to e~~tinction when the form we now inhabit !
purpose of their lives either here or in a future state. I
decays and dies.
cannot remember a time when my desire to know where
There are certain indicati-~n~ in th~ Nf~~r rlo~t~m~~nt I
and how I lived before I was born into this world was
not as insistent as my wish to obtain reliable information
about the conditions of life I am likely to meet after the
death of my physical body.
The injunction to 'Seek and ye shall hnd' is su~ely
applicable to the region of knowledge that lies beyond
the immediate con~nes of our present state of existence ?
There is a saying attributed to Jesus which is re-
corded in an early Coptic script found at Nag Hamadi,
Egypt, some years ago. According to this saying,
Jesus enjoined those around him to learn how to regard
their present existence on earth from the standpoint of
a traveller in transit. (And Tesus said: 'Learn to become
Passers By.'*) This wouId suggest the wisdom of
regarding life on earth as a temporary phase in a journey
that acts as a link between a pre-existence and a future
life. In my view such an attitude of mind can become the
first step towards the extension of our perceptions and
the widening of our understandin~.
It is my hope that the sharing of my personal experi-
ence in this ~eld of research may prove of some senice
to those who are seeking but who have not yet found.
which suggest that Jesus and those around Him accep-
ted the implication that man as a livin~ soul did not
start his career when born into this world. 'rhis belieÏ
however, is not now or since the 6th Century, a recognised
doctrine of the Church. On the other hand, continuation
of ~life after death' is a fundamental thesis without which
Christian teaching would have little, if any, purpose.
This being the case, it may seem surprising that the
Scriptures contain no dear guidance about the con-
ditions and circumstances to be expected when our
present life is overl No doubt the explanation is that
Revelation is a progressive process and that knowledge
concerning the eternal verities reaches human con-
sciousness by stages, being regulated by the rate at
which spkitual perception unfolds within each one of
us individually. ~lthough the doctrine of Reincarnation
or a succession of lives here and elsewhere has never
been accepted by those who formulated the alristian
creeds, it iS basic in the teaching and outlook of the
principal oriental faiths. Certain experiences related in
the following pages would suggest that it may be worth
while to examine this belief with care. There are those
who assert that the limitation of man's present know-
led~e on Illallcfs Or Illis kin~l is ~ed by some kind of
~ T~ Gospc~ a~~or ~ o rbomas.
CH ~ R Two
An A~coun~ of Thrce Supernatural
E~periences
THE FOLLOWING EXPERIENCES have been
selected from a large number of similar 'glimpses'
into the unseen realms surrounding us--glimpses
which have come my way unsought over a long period
of years. If they stood alone one might perhaps regard
them as coincidental or the fruits of the imagination.
I cannot feel that this explanation is adequate, however,
in view of their frequency and range of variety; and
also the fact that no artificial or automatic methods
were employed to bring them about. My views on the
use of trance mediumship, automatism and the pos-
session of one individual's mind and person by a disem-
bodied intelligence are referred to elsewhere. I have
never fdt that such methods were desirable or likely
to bring true enlightenment in any permanent sense on
the problems of our life on earth or on the conditions
awaiting us when we depart elsewhere.
Even if the reader is inclined to disagree with such
a sweeping statement, it should be admitted I think that
the use of natural and perce~tive dairvoyance, the fruit
of discipline and training i~ -ess ~l~ngerous, less illusory
THREE SUPERNATURAL EXPERIENCES
and more evolutionary in character than methods
which involve the domination of one mind by another.
Each of the three experiences now to be related falls
into its own category.
The first deals with the return of a lady who had
'died' some years before the events in question took
place. As you will see, she was drawn back to earth
levels through the link forged by her great love for her
husband and son.
The second is an experience during which a man
living in the flesh was able to transport all that made up
himself with the exception of his bodily form over a
distance of some two thousand miles in order to fulfil
a healing mission.
And the third relates to a being who lived on earth
some ISve centuries ago and who appears to be still in
contact with our level of consciousness.
Love's Vic~o~ Over Deatb
In I9I2 I was spending a holiday on the South Coast
of Devon. One Sunday morning I walked through
country lanes to attend an early Communion service at
a village church some miles away from my hotel. I had
not visited this church before and its rector and congre-
gation were complete strangers to me. The rector ~vas
elderly and frail in appearance. About a do~en members
of the congregation accompanied me to the steps before
the altar to partake of the bread and wine. Much to my
astonishment, when the rector handed me the cup he
stooped down and asked me, in a whisper, to join him
in the vestry when the service was over. This I did and
found the old man in a state of considerable agitation.
He made no attempt to explain his strange behaviour,
but at once began to tell me of his distress over the
conduct of his only son, nineteen years of a,~e, who since
his mother's death some years earlier had taken to drink
THREE SUPERN~TUR~~L EXPERIBNCES 9
8 THE SILENT ROAD
and other bad habits, thereby causing much scandal in
before him: I am staying at the . . . Hotel and if you
the village and the countryside around. In some
need me let me know and I will come.'
bewilderment I enquired in what way I, as a complete
, I then went my way after saying goodbye to the boy's
stranger, could be of service. I was then asked to ac-
father, whom I was not destined to see alive again. At
company this agitated dergyman to his rectory and to
breakfast next morning a violent quarrel broke out
take breakfast there with him and his son. To this I
between father and son. (The latter told me this later.)
agreed, puz~led rather than alarmed, and thinking that
The son left the house, jumped on his horse and rode off
perhaps my presence might bring solace to a man who
in a rage- The old man appears to have retired to his
was evidently su~ering from a sense of sorrow and
study and during the morning fell dead from a stroke.
unhappiness.
There he remained, undiscovered, until the boy, return-
When we entered the hall, I was shown an enlarged
ing for lunch, stumbled over his father's body lying
coloured photograph of the rector's wife which was
just within the study door. Evidently he had been
hanging on the wall, and for whom he evidently felt a
trying to reach the bell. In a fit of remorse, the boy then
deep and lasting affection. Soon after we sat down to
went to his own room and took down from the wall a
breakfast, the boy came in from a morning ride. He was
sporting rifle, with the intention, he told me afterwards,
a tall handsome fellow, b.lt it was not di~icult to see that
¿f killing himself Whilst loading the gun, he happened
he was already under the influence of drink. He sat
to see my card which was still lying on his desk. He
silent throughout the meal and then rose abruptly and
threw down the rifle and went to the stables, where he
left the room. His fathergave me furtherparticulars of the
remounted his horse and rode over to fetch me. I went
sad events that had followed his wife's death, and begged ~
back to the rectory with him and stayed there until after
me to have a talk with his boy before I went my way.
the funeral- (Subsequently Noel became my ward, pulled
On entering the boy's study, I found him sitting
himself together, entered the Army and died coura-
before his desk, silent and morose, with a decanter Of I
geously whilst bringing in a wounded man from no
whisky at his elbow. Conversation seemed to be im- ~
man's land in France in I9I6.)
possible. Quite unexpectedly, his mother, whom I I
At the funeral service the mother again came and
recognised from her photograph, came into the room. I
spoke to me- She said that she had 'come back' to help
She went over and placed her hand upon the boy's
her husband across the Valley of Darkness, having
shoulder and then turned to me and said quite dearly: ~
realised that his earthly end was near. She said she was
'Please help my darling lad through the terrible trouble
able to impress her husband sufficiently to enable him
that is coming to him.' This gave me the opportunity
to speak to the only member of the congregation on that
I was waiting for, and I said, 'Noel, do you know that
particular morning whom she believed could intervene
your mother is in the room?' The reaction was im- ,
in such a way as to avert a double tragedy. Her deep
mediate, the boy turned very white, took up the whisky 3
gratitude made me feel very humble, because it was
decanter and threw it through the window. He then
only with reluctance that I had accepted the rector's
buried his face in his hands and wept. Realising that he !
invitation to breakfast.
was in no fit state to talk, I took out a card and wrote
Surely we can believe that, under certain circum-
on it the following message, which I placed on the desk I
stance~, the bond of love can transcend 'death' ?
THE SILENT ROAD
A Healing Mission
'~e now come to an experience of a very different
kind. In I9I9 I was living in a houseboat on the Nile.
Apart from my Berberine servants, there was no one
else on board. An occasion arose when a virulent fever
laid me low and to such an extent that I could not make
my servants understand that I wanted one of them to
go down the river to Cairo to fetch a doctor.
Whilst lying on my bunk, some seven days after the
illness began, I heard a distinct knock on the cabin
door. This was followed by the entry of a man who was
evidently an Englishman of the professional class.
Being in the height of summer, I remember wondering
in a hazy way why my visitor was dressed in such
unsuitable clothing for the climate, as he was wearing
a frock coat and thick striped trousers. He carried a top
hat in one hand and a stick and small black bag in the
other.
My visitor greeted me pleasantly and sat down on the
side of my bunk. I distinctly felt his weight upon the
bed. Concluding that he must be a doctor, possibly
sent out to see me from the Residency, I thanked him
for calling, but added that he had come too late. He
took no notice of this remark, but, after studying me
closely, advised me to tell one of my servants to go to
the Mousque at Cairo and to bring back from a herb-
alist's shop there a certain remedy for which he gave me
the details. This herbal compound was to be infused
in hot water and taken three times daily and I was to
drink pure lemon juice but to take no solid food of any
kind.
I should have mentioned that on entering my cabin
this visitor had placed his hat and stick on a small table
behind which stood a mirror. During our conversation
I happened to look at his hat and, to my surprise, found
that I could see the rnirror through it. Only then did it
THREE SUPERNATURAL EXPERIENCES ll
dawn on me that my visitor was not bo~lily present in
the accepted meaning of the term. I asked him who he
was and where he came from. He replied that he was a
British doctor in regular practice. For some time past
he said he had been in the habit of locking the door of
his consulting room for an hour each evening, stilling
his mind and, in prayer, asking that he mi~ht be sent
wherever he could prove most useful. He added that he
rarely remembered his experiences subsequently, al-
thou~h he always knew whether they had proved
fruitful or not. After assuring me that I should soon be
ht again (which forecast was fulfilled) he wished me
well and went away.
Still not being sure that my visitant had not been
present in the flesh, I rang for my servant and asked
whether he had escorted the doctor safely ashore. In
surprise he assured me that no one had come on board
throughout the day. I then sent my cook into Cairo,
where he succeeded in ~;nding the herbalist's shop and
in bringing back the remedy that had been prescribed.
Whether following the instmctions related above
resulted in my cure or whether this was brought about
by the doctor's healing presence is a problem I have
never solved, but the intervention described above
undoubtedly saved my life.
On returning to London the following year, I tried
to trace my visitor by every means in my power, but
failed to do so. However, I induced the B.B.C. to allow
me to broadcast an account of the experience under the
heading 'The strangest thing that has ever happened
to me' and this was transmitted in one of their Home
Service programmes.
Some weeks later I received a confidential letter
from a general practitioner in Scotland, who has long
since passed away. He told me that he was in the habit,
on specihc occasions, of leavin~ his body and travelling
wherever 'he was sent'. He added that he had no recol-
12 THE SILENT RO~D
lection of having ever visited Egypt in this way, but
that he knew of a colleague of his in Belfast who fol-
lowed the same practice and that they often compared
notes. He begged me to regard his disclosures as con-
l~dential because he had no desire to be stmck off
the Medical Register. Next time I was in Scotland I
called at his address but he was away, and when I
wrote subsequently his son, who was also a doctor,
replied that his father had died whilst on a sea voyage
for his health. It turned out that the son knew nothing
about his father's supernatural experiences and so,
unfortunately, I was obliged to let the matter drop.
Tbe Monk of Tin~crn Abbey
'rhe incident now to be related is, in my view, the
most interesting of the three.
In June I92s I was staying with a friend at ~intern
in South Wales. We were much interested in the Abbey
mins there and spent a good deal of time in examining
them and their surroundings. One evening whilst sit-
ting on an ancient stone within the Abbey precincts, I
became aware of the presence of a monk, venerable
and charming ~vho seemed anxious to enter into con-
versation. He called himself Brother Brighill. My friend
did not see him, but acted as an amanuensis in jotting
down the conversation that followed.
Perhaps I should have explained earlier that I am al-
ways fuIly conscious dnting such experiences as those
I am relating. They came and still come to me spon-
taneously, unexpectedly and quite naturally. There is
never any question of abnormality or trance conditions
on such occasions.
Only recently my friend's notebook containing
details of this particu~ar experience came into my hands,
after his o~vn death, and this is why ~ am retnin ~
THREE SUPERNATURAL EXPERIENCES 13
the episode. I cannot do better than set down extracts
from this notebook, because the contents were recorded
at the time and are therefore more reliable than the ~lse
of memory unaided could be, and especially so in view
of the lapse of time since these events took place.
Brotb~r Brighill'~ Stor~
Here, therefore, are extracts from the diary in question:
June Ioth, 1925.
At the end of the ~fteenth or beginning of the sixteenth
century there lived at Tintern Brother Dorninic, a great
initiate and scholar of princely family, being of royal
French and English blood. He had frequented both courts.
Having had the misfortune accidental~y to kill a man, he
retired from the world and received absolution from the
Bishop of Reading. He was a great scholar, linguist and
calligraphist, as well as an murninator of missals. He l~rst
entered Tintern as a lay brother, but later became a brother
and then Librarian and Custodian of Records. People from
all parts came to him to decipher old documents: even I
fetched over from Glastonbury to Tintern records for his
inspection and advice. The name Brother Dominic hid a
very well-known and historic personage.
The stream (which runs down the hill) was once called
the Brig, but later became known as the Stream of the Fish
because a salmon had managed extraordinarily to climb or
jump up the stream to the top of the hill and was caught
by monks in the pond there. Upon the fish being opened,
a tiny circk of gold was found inside it. No doubt owing to
the Abbey's connection with the Fish symbol, a special
mystic significance was attributed to the event, and because
of it the hill and stream then became known as the Hill and
Stream of the Fish. There was once healing power in the
sueam, and radio-activity, but apparently it has not now
the same qualities, and the volume and level of the water is
lower.
l~ THE SILENT ROAD
In a later conversation, Brother Brighill gave us the
following information:
June lIth, 1925.
There is still extant in the mountains of central South
America a race of very small men with clairvoyant and
other powers not usual to men on earth. This race had its
roots in Egypt and south of Egypt and rnigrated across
Atlantis. These men are now fair, almost flaxen, though
tanned. They are very good men, directly God-inspired.
They are not what you call civilised. The black men who
surround them regard them as gods and keep travellers at
bay, thinking they would lose their good fortune and pro-
tection if their 'gods' were not protected. The mountains
are snow-capped but the valleys are warm. Among the
black men they are supposed to guard great treasure. If you
ever visit South America you will hear of the quest for
the great white race. When a new race comes about in the
New World, they will be its inspirers. I once visited them.
They built up a body for me. They are one of the centres of
illumination which have helped to keep the light in the
world. They do not generate physically. They are quite a
small number, and come and go without the need of
incarnation.
June ~2th, I925.
There is excitement just now I understand about great
scientihc discoveries in Germany and the United States of
America, and there is someone in England who is nearly
at the same point (scientihcally) as the group in Germany.
The discovery is a chemical one in Germany and of an
'electrical' nature in the United States of America. The
scientists are being held back as the time is not ripe. One of
the teachers of the race of white men had to work on these
discoveries and 'send the seed out'. I see no cataclysm
ahead. An earthquake was diverted the other day but no
cataclysms. You have misinterpreted the symbols. The
white men referred to above use the Fish symbol and also
that of the Chalice.
THREE SUPERNATUR~L EXPERIENCES 15
The following Incantation against evil forces was
given by Brother Brighill on another occasion:
In the name of the White Cross and of the Pentagram
of the Red Rose, I command thee to depart from hence and
be transmuted from darkness into Light. In the name of
God, His Christ and of all Holy Souls. ~mcn
Next day Brother Brighill came to us and spoke as
follows:
une 13, I92s.
There were four chapels in my time [at Tintern~, 116
years from the building of the present edihce. The Blessed
Mother, St. Peter, St. George right of the High Altar in
the transept, St. Thomas and St. Luke the Healer in the
West Aisle of the nave. In the Abbot's private chapel there
was an altar dedicated to the Four Archangels. At a later
time the chapels were dedicated afresh and to other saints
--much, much after my time, near the Reformation. These
were not the only saints honoured in the Abbey, and the
Holy Mother was much revered here. There were wonder-
ful bells and there was a belfry. It was not the central tower
of the Abbey buildings. There was an altar in the novices'
lodgings dedicated to Holy Souls. It was a place of inspira-
tion for the novices. A small pulpit was there. The term
'lodgment' is not exact. In my time there was a great oak
tree growing near the lodgings and a small garden. It was
such a long time ago I may not be quite e~~act as to details
but I shall do the best I can. There was no village but only
a few homesteads--several small farms near the hills and
houses and a castle near where the Wye joined the Severn
[Chepstow].
Brother Brighill then related how a young man who
was condemned to death at Chepstow (for stealin~ a
loaf of bread), was first put into the stocks. The Abbot
saw him there and begged the governor of the castle to
pardon him, which he did, and then sent him to the
Abbey where he became a lay brother. Later, by special
~6 THE~ SILI~NT RO~D
dispensation, owin~ to his eloquence, he became a
wandering friar and used to come to the Abbey once
in a while. He died in old age and was buried here.
Eloquent in spiritual things, he was dear-seeing and at
times prophetical. He became known as Friar John. He
went once so far afield as Reading and London and was
oft at Gloucester in the market place and even in the
churches. Brother Brighill thinks he can show where he
was buried. Behold what a good deed of charity can do I
He never learnt to read or write. He made a prophecy
at a service in the novices' room to the brothers, 'that
a time would come when the river would diminish, a
town would spring up, the Abbey Church would lie
in ruins, new mlers would be in the land, the common
people would be their own masters, there would be
no more ordinary servants but many slaves to machines.
This and other of God's houses would be in mins and
Orders dispersed. Great battles would be fought out
in foreign lands, ships would move with wheels, they
would fly like birds, coaches would run on rails. The
climate would change. Voices raised in the praise of
God would be little heard. C~ur Holy Hill would be
forgotten.
'There would be myriads of men in the Isles where
there are now thousands so tha. they could not feed and
support themselves from their own gardens or from the
common store. Then a Sign would come in rnany holy
centres, and in this one too [11intern] and at Avalon
new life would spring. The birth of Jesus, the Christ,
and of His life and His word would become freshly
known once more, turning men's minds from earth to
heavenly thin,~s. Li~ht would appear at those centres
where the symbol of the Holy Fish was honoured. This
day is afar off and all its wonders cannot be told now,
but out of the darkness will come a great light and from
the womb of God will come forth once more the
shining ? f ~is Spirit.'
THREE SUPERNATUR~L EXPERIENCES 17
In the course of further conversation Brother Brighill
stated that this sermon caused a great commotion, many
of the brothers thou~ht that Friar John was mad and
their rninds went back to his early history.
The Abbot caused him to be protected, although it
was long before he allowed him to journey forth again
to preach the word of God in the countryside. No name
was placed on his tomb when he came to be buried.
The Holy Fish was inscribed thereon and the letter J.
Upon being asked questions, Brother Brighill stated
that the prophecy was in the Abbot's diary or journal,
which he thinks was destroyed. One reference to it,
however, was to be found. It was not here ('rintern).
It was on the flyleaf of a Latin missal belonging to a
Monk Alban, now in a room (museum?) in a private
house of a Catholic household. It is here (i.e., the missal)
that a reference is made to these prophecies. This Monk
Alban was on a visit from Llanthony and was told the
story whilst he was at 'rintern Abbey.
Brother Brighill conduded his conversation with us
by saying:
Where a prophecy concerning great spiritual matters is
made it is usual by the hand of Providence for a record
to be kept for the use of future ages and it may be so in this
mstance.
Brother Brighill stated that he was alive at the time
of the blessed Joan and was middle-aged at the time of
her death. Throughout these conversations with this
lively visitant, my companion and I had been sitting
on the stone in the Abbey grounds ~,vhich has been
mentioned earlier.
When we came to examine its surface carefully bY
scraping away the lichen, the faint outline of a fish
became visible, also part of a letter which may well have
been the letter J.
.
IX THE SILENT ROAD
I only propose to make short comment here on the
value or otherwise of the three experiences given in this
chapter. In the first two I think one might be justi~ed
in feeling that there was su~icient evidence inherent
within the episodes themselves to justify a measure of
belief in their validity. This, however, is not tme of the
third, so far as I am aware. If any historical evidence
exists to the effect that a Brother Brighill once lived at
Tintern Abbey, so far it has not come to light. On the
other hand, several monks and friars belonging to
Tintern Abbey in the fourteenth and hfteenth centuries
were named John. It may well be that the name Brighill
was used colloquially and was not this brother's
Christian title. In spite of this fact, the impression left
upon me by what seemed to be a genuine conversation
with the intelligence calling himself Brother Brighill
remains profound. I hnd it impossible to dismiss the
whole experience as fantasy. If it be the latter, then my
powers of improvisation must be far more remarkable
than I think is at all likely.
Wh~r~ not giv~n in th~ Cont~xt, th~ nam~s of thos~ conncct~d ~vith
thc
e~~pcti~nce~ td~t~d in this book ar~ ~vailabl~ in conGd~nc~ to
s~tious enquk~
--W. T. P.
CH~PI'ER TT~REE
F~rtber Un~s~al Inciden~s
A Pu~zling Time Se~quen~e
I NOW COME to a difficult task. This is to describe
in intelligible words experiences which to the reader
may seem both incredible and inexplicable. I can but
relate these happenings exactly as they occurred, and
leave it at that.
Some eight years after the end of the second world
war, a soldier friend of mine ran into grave trouble.
Caught up in a complexity of unusual circumstances, he
found himself involved in a case of manslaughter
Technically, and perhaps legally also, the charge against
him appeared on the surhce to be watertight. Whilst
out on bail this unfortunate youn~ man came to consult
me con~dentially as I was a friend of long standing. He
showed me the notes that his legal advisers had pre-
pared for him. In substance their contents indicated
that he would be wise to follow the unusual course of
pleading guilty, but with extenuating circumstances,
and to throw himself on the mercy of the court. Realis-
ing instinctively that he was innocent, I felt unable to
advise him to plead guilty even if the court allowed him
to do so. He seemed inclined to agree with me, but was
too per~ulbed mentally to decide for himself then one
2--~SR
~o THE SILENT ROAD
FURTHER UNUSU~L INCIDENTS
way or the other. Later, however, he did decide to put
forward by a day. Half an hour later he rang me
plead 'Not guilty'. back
to say that the Case had not yet begun but would
The trial was due to open on a Certain Thursday at a open
as originally arranged at I I a.m. the next day
court in Britain that shall be nameless, because those
(Thursday). This neWs staggered me and brought me
intimately concerned are still alive. On the preceding to the
condusion that my eXperience had simply resulted
Tuesday, affairs called me abroad and I left England from
the Vagaries of imagmation. Some hours later,
hlled with foreboding for my friend- I arrived in Genoa whilst
at dinner, it Came to me quite dearly that, as a
about noon on the Wednesday and Went straight to my result
of what I had heard of the first day's hearing, my
hotel. After lunch I retired to my room to Write letters, friend
Was doomed to a verdict of 'Guilty' unless he
but found that I Was too upset to be able to ConCentrate changed
the whole Course of his defence. I got up from
on correspondence. I Went out on to the balcony oVer- dinner
and telephoned to a collea~ue who I knew
lookingtheharbour--oneofthemostinterestingsights could
gain aCCess to the accused the same night. I
in Europe--and sat down there to enjoy the View. The asked
him to advise an entire change of defence policy:
time was about 2 p.m. local time, equivalent to noon in this
to Consist in refusing the serVices of defending
London. Unexpectedly I found myself in an English
counsel, ignoring all the carefully prepared legal argu-
court of law listening to the pleadings in a Case of man- ments
on hiS behalf and goin,e, into the witness-box on
slaughter. I should explain that I Was not asleep in the his oWn
aCcount, unhampered by any previous 'coach-
normal sense, because the noiSeS from the harbour and ing'.
There he should relate in simple laneuage his
the cries of the seabirds continued to ring in my earS. , Version
of the eVents leading up to the tra,e,edy and his
As the case proceeded I realised With a Start that it Con- oWn
part in them, being careful not to defend his con-
cerned my friend, who at the moment Was Writing a note duct
in any Way or to appear to be seeking a verdict of
to his solicitor. Realising that it Was Wednesday and 'Not
guilty'. After listening to all this, my colleague,
that the case Was not due to begin until the neXt day~ I who Was
not a lawyer (neither am I) but possessed a
came to the conclusion that for some unexpected reaSon good
meaSure of legal experience, beean to expostulate
the case had been put forward by twenty-four hours- j With
me. He said that it would be madness to follow the
It soon became evident that in the light of the evidence advice
I offered. In any case, he pointed out that until
being given a ConViCtion WaS almost inevitable, and I ! the
trial had begun the next morning, no one could
roused myself without listening further and returned . predict
the arguments and the evidence that would
to full conSCioUsneSS of my surroundings in Genoa I be put
forward by proSecuting counsel. I realised that it
Curiously enough, eVen then I contmued to hear I Was
useless for me to assure him that I had already
snatches of talk from the Court~ CommentS by the judge I heard
these arguments and had summed up in my mind
and interchange of paSsages between oppoSing counsel- the
dangerous effect they would have upon both judge
As there waS no tele~hone in my room I Went down into , and
jUry. Finany I persuaded my conea~ue to pass on
the hotel lobby anC put through a call to my London ! to the
threatened man the advice I had tendered. He
office. The time Was noW about 4-30 p-m-, or 2-30 p-m- I Sa~v
him late that night and telephoned me early next
in London. On getting through to London I asked my I morning
to Say that the course I had su~gested was
secretary to f;nd oUt why the Case in queStion had been I likely
t-) h~ fc llowed, addin~ that he himself~had warned
22 THE SILENT RO~D
the accused ~~f the dangers involved by such unwise
and unprecedented action. I went down to an early
breakfast on that Thursday morning, only wishing that
over seven hundred miles did not separate me from the
scene of action. My colleague's hnal words the evening
before kept ringing in my ears. 'What on earth is the
good of spending over ÏI,ooo on legal advice and then
throwing it all over at the eleventh hour?' I left for
Rome that morning and during the long and dusty
journey I did all possible to project myself into that
court again. In this I failed. Perhaps if the place had
been familiar I might have succeeded, but I had never
visited it in the flesh. Usually people rather than places
afford the best 'links', but not always. On reaching
Rome very late that night I managed to contact my
London secretary, who was annoyed at being roused
from sleep. He had heard that the case was going very
badly for my friend, but he had no idea as to what line
the defence was likely to take. On the Friday I was too
absorbed by business affairs to secure any quiet, but
towards evening a sense of peace came over me and I
kne~,v that all was well. I heard afterwards that my advice
had been followed, much to the anger of the legal
pundits. To everyone's complete surprise, a verdict
of 'Not guilty' was brought in at four-hfteen London
time on that Friday afternoon. Due to telephone delays,
the good news did not reach me in Naples, where I
then was, until midday on the Saturday. However, it
had already reached me interiorly and its conhrmation
came as no surprise. When back in London a week
later, I was able to read through the transcript of the
court proceedings. The gist of what I had heard and
seen on the Wednesday afternoon had actually taken
place some twenty hours later and over seven hundred
miles away. In some strange way I had forestalled
'time' through the faculty of prevision.
As most of thosc intimatcly conccrncd with the events
FURTH~R UNUSUAL INCIDEiNTS 23
just described are still alive, I have felt it only fair to
disguise to some extent both venue and personalities
For the same reason I can offer readers no corroborative
evidence to support my story. Take it or leave it, but if
taken seriously a very interesting line of research is
opened up.
Trans~'t Most Mysterio~~s
And now for another experience which also involves
the time factor.
On a wet and stormy night in December Igs2, I
found myself at a country station some mile and a half
from my Sussex home. The train from London had
arnved late, the bus had gone and no taxis were avail-
able. The rain was heavy and incessant. The time was
s-sS p.m. and I was expecting an important tmnk call
from overseas at 6 p.m. at home. The situation seemed
desperate. To make matters worse, the station call box
was out of order and some trouble on the line made
access to the railway telephone impossible. In despair
I sat down in the waiting-room and, having nothing
better to do, I compared my watch with the station
clock. Allowing for the fact that this is always kept
two minutes in advance, I was able to confirm the fact
that the exact time was then S S7 p.m. Three minutes to
~ero hourl What happened next I cannot say. When I
came to myself I was standing in my hall at home, a
good twenty minutes' walk away, and the dock was
striking six. My telephone call duly came throu~h a few
minutes later. I should have explained that I had set out
that morning minus both coat and umbrella. It had been
a fine morning but by early evening the downpour had
become almost tropical. I laving ~nished my call, I
awoke to the realisation that something very strange
had happened. Then, much to my surprise, I found that
my shoes were dry and frcc fiom lllud, an~l that my
~~ THE SIL~N~ ROAD
dothes showed no sign of damp or damage. My house-
keeper looked at me somewhat strangely at supper that
night, but no word was said. Indeed, what 'word' was
there to say ?
A Ring of S~rprise
When Allenby's forces entered Haifa in 1918 I made
it my hrst duty to visit the Persian prophet Abdul Bahá
Abbas, leader of the Bahá'í movement, who at that time
was residing on the slopes of Mount Carmel. I was
relieved to hnd that the measures we had taken to ensure
his and his followers' safety had proved successful. This
benevolent and saintly man, to whom I shall be referring
again later in this book, presented me with a signet ring
on which was inscribed in Persian the names and titles
of God. Before giving me the ring, Abdul Bahá blessed
it in a very special way. It thus became a precious pos-
session and never lcft my hnger.
Soon after the Armistice in November I9I8, whilst I
was living on a dahabieh on the Nile, not far from the
Gizeh pyramids, a messa~e reached me from the Resi-
dency at Cairo. I was asked to call there on the following
afternoon to meet a very distinguished Englishman and
his wife. This I did and took the opportunity of inviting
the famous pair to take tea with me on my boat. I'o this
they agreed and we enjoyed a very pleasant afternoon.
Later, as it was a hne evening, I suggested that the
Residency car, which had brought us from Cairo to
Gizeh, should be dismissed. I then offered to sail my
visitors down the Nile to the Residency steps about a
mile away and on the opposite side of the river. For
this purpose two of my Berberine servants manned the
felucca and so soon as my guests were safely on board
I took the tiller and we set forth briskly, helped along
by the usual evening wind from the south. The Nile
~as ~n flood, thc current strong, and my whole attention
FURTHER UNUSU~L INCIDENTS ~5
was centred on stcering and on watching the way in
which my servants managed the considerable span of
sail. We are now coming to the central focus of a very
strange experience. When we were in mid-stream and
about a quarter of a mile from our destination, a shot
rang out. At that moment my attention was distracted
by an unusually violent gust of wind which resulted in
the felucca losing its equilibrium I took one hand off
the tiller to reach for a trailing roF and in so doin~ the
precious and unique ring described above slipped from
my finger and disappeared into the water at a point
where the Nile was deepest. Gone for ever. . . . Only
then did I see that the bullet must have passed within
two feet of my head and that its passage had rent a
small hole in the sail. The gun had evidently been hred
from marshland on Roda Island, but no one was to be
seen there. I should have explained that at the time
British officers were unpopular in Egypt and on several
previous occasions I had been hred at in the narrow
streets of Cairo. Had I not been in uniform the incident
described might never have occurred. Fortunately my
passengers, Lord and Lady X, had noticed nothing and
our journey was completed safely. Then I sailed back
to my dahabieh, a sad and disappointed man. The sense
of loss seemed more than I could bear
When I awoke the next morning I found myself
saying, over and over again. 'Pray for all you are worth
and all will be well'. This injunction remained with me
during the next three months and I did my best to
believe that nothing is impossible in answer to deep
prayer and profound faith. At that time my office was
situated in the British Military H.Q. at the Savoy Hotel
in Cairo and was on the top floor at the back of the
buildin~, being faced on the opposite side of the street
by a tal~ block of flats with balconies. The city was still
in a very disturbed state and British officers had been
warned to dress in mufti as often as official regulations
26 THE~ SlLÏNT ROAD
permitted. One late afternoon, at about the same time
as my ring had fallen into the Nile three months before,
I was sitting at my desk in shirt-sleeves, the double
windows of my room bein~ wide open. Suddenly a shot
rang out, apparently hred from a balcony across the
street. The bullet missed me by two feet or so and em-
bedded itself in the wall facing the windows. At that
very moment my ring fell down upon the blotter on
the desk in front of me with a sharp thud. It was intact
in every way and is still in my possession.
For those who believe in the theory of the material-
isation and the dematerialisation of objects and their
transportation across space whilst remaining in invisible
'form', there is one point about this very unlikely tale
that will interest them.
The time and conditions associated with the loss of
the ring were duplicated as nearly as may be when the
ring reappeared. The hour of day, the weather, and
the transit of a bullet were all repeated, the main differ-
ence being of course that the loss took place in the water
and in the open air, and the recovery took place on land
and in a room. Yes, there are certainly 'more things in
Earth and Heaven' than can be conceived by man in his
present state of spiritual and mental infancy.
An Aftermatb of S~icide
The following incident is one of several others of a
similar kind that have come my way and may be worth
recording here.
When living in Hampstead some years ago, the wife
of a business friend called upon me in great distress.
Her husband had been missing for two days and she
feared that he was suffering from loss of memory.
Realising instinctively that the situation was more
serious than appeared to be the case, I ot~ered my help
in ttying ~-- tt ~ h~ mi~~in~ man.
FURTHER UNUSUAL INCIDENTS ~7
His wife told me that her husband was in good health
and had no business worries so far as she knew. Having
done my best to calm her agitation I accompanied her
home after promising to get into touch with the police
on her behalf.
On the evening of the same day I returned with the
intention of enquiring whether any news had been
received meanwhile. When approaching the house I
noticed that someone was trying ineffectually to unlatch
the garden gate, and on closer inspection it turned out
to be the missing man himself. He was drenched to the
skin and was shiverin~ violently. Turning to me he
said, 'I am so cold and frightened and am longing to
be dry again and to get into a warm bed, but I cannot
seem to open this gate'. It was not until I had done this
for him and watched his progress towards the front door
of his home that I realised what had happened. My friend
had been drowned but evidently was quite unaware of
the fact. At the moment there seemed no way in which
I could intervene, mainly because no objective con~rm-
ation of my impression Was forthcoming. I went home
and spent some time in prayer both for him and his
distracted wife. Then I rang her up with the intention
of trying to soften the blow if by chance an intimation
of the tmth had reached her. She said there was no
neWs, but she felt that something terrible had happened.
Would I get into touch with the police again? This I
did, and without giving my reason intimated that the
missing man might have been drowned and suggested
that search be made in the Thames and elsewhere near
London, with this idea in mind. Meanwhile there seemed
no useful purpose in sharing my apprehensions with
the wife or with anyone else. After all it was just
possible that I might be mistaken in my interpretation
of the position.
Next day my friend's body Was recovered from the
Thames and ~ vetdict of suicide WaS duly recorded, with
~8 . T~IE SILENT ROAD
the rider that no evidence was available as to the state
of his mind at the time. His aflairs were in good order
and he had always enjoyed a happy home life; in fact no
explanation of his action was forthcoming either then
or subsequently. After the cremation I accompanied the
widow to her house, doing all that was possible to
relieve her grief.
Two days later when passing his house on my way
home from the City, I met my friend once more. As on
the previous occasion, he was standing in the road
outside his own gate trying to get in. He still had no
idea that he was 'dead' and complained that he felt as
if he were on ~re and feared that he was suffering from
fever. It seemed wise to try to make him understand
what had happened to him and to keep him company
until some measure of comprehension dawned. This
proved a difficult task, but was accomplished in the
end through the loving aid of his own brother who had
died some years earlier and who was able to come to his
rescue at this time of tragic crisis.
I have related this experience exactly as it happened.
There has seemed no good cause, either then or since,
to pass on the details to his widow or to anyone else
concerned. In a matter of this kind it would be im-
possible to divulge names without causing needless
suffering, and it is for this reason that I have disguised
some of the details in order to preserve anonymity.
In cases of sudden and premature death, especially
when resulting from suicide, it would seem wise to
delay cremation, if that form of disposal of the body be
desired, for at least seven days after 'death'. This should
give ample time for complete disassociation to take
place.
As our knowledge of other worldly conditions grows
and becomes more ~enerally understood I feel con-
vinced that the suicide rate will begin to decline. The
man who dcstroys his own body must expect to remain
FURl'~lER UNUSUAL INCID~NTS 29
earthbound at least until his natural span on earth
would have been completed. In the meantime the con-
ditions of his existence in the shadow realm 'between
heaven and earth' will prove to be extremely dif~icult
and unrewarding.
It is to be hoped that the relating of such incidents
as the above may prove helpful to those who feel
tempted to end their earth lives prematurely.
No evidence has reached me to suggest that harmful
e~ects follow cremation where death has been due to
natural causes; in fact I have arranged for my own body
to be cremated when I have no further use for its
services.
Thc Bra~~e injury to the cornmunity rcsulting from c~pital
nishment is
rardy recognised. Wlxn the bady of a murderer is hnBed or
e~trocuted hi-
unregenerate rnind live5 on, clothed in a body tht is invidbk to
e~thlr dght.
Inevltably he remains earthbound, perhap for a long period, with
his dearet
unsatisfied ~nd unabated. It is not unwual for a man who has
committed sn
unpremeditated murder to confess that he felt himself compelled to
do it and
that he acted automaticdly.
Are we so sure that on many such occ~sions the impulse to kill
did not result
from a powerful but unseen incitement, ~n incitement inspired by
a former
murderer alre~dy 'dead' ? The destruction of the body of one who
It obsessed
by evil impul~ solves nothing and may indeed result in 9n incre~e
of 5uch
crimes.
For this re~son it may well be that the use of capital
punishment by the
State is in itself a crime ag~inst the community as ~ whole.
CHAPTER FOUR
Memory, Time and Pre1Jision
B~ing tbe ~~bstan~e of an ~4ddre~s gi~en in IDndon
~n ~94,,~.
THERE ARE THREE subjects closely related to
one another which can be summed up in three
WOrdS: M~MORY, TIME and PREVISION.
MEMORY Can be dehned aS the faCu1ty Of the mind by
which it can retain and recall previous ideas and im-
pressions. It is therefore associated with the past, where-
as prevision belongs to the future. The passage of time
linfss the past and the future within the immediate nou~
which in reality contains them both. This fact should,
I think, give us the clue to the relation between memory
and prevision, and may indeed indicate that they repre-
sent two sides of the same coin.
It is strange that neither Religion nor Science has so
far been able to throw light upon one of the most
ama~ing faculties of the human mind; that is, the power
or gift of memory. In fact memory is far more than a
power or a gift, and we do not know what it is nor do
we know anythin~ about the agency or medium wllich
acts as an intermediary between mind and brain through
which memory operates. Our knowledge is so small in
this held of research that we have not yet discovered
the method by which a thought impresses itself upon
t~l~ physical brain, I~ow the brain reacts to this impression,
MeMoRY, I-IME ~ND PREVISION 31
nor by what process a thought-wave is translated
through the brain into an external act. According to one
theory the brain, or its subtle counterpart, contains
within itself some apparatus that can be compared to the
sensitised hlm or plate used in photography on which
every thought, feeling or event experienced by the indi-
vidual is indelibly recorded. Think what this means!
Every hour of the day, hundreds, perhaps thousands
of impressions are recorded in this way and are stored
up in some mysterious manner capable of being brought
to light again when the human will calls memory into
play. For instance perhaps twenty years hence you and
I will be able to recollect, if we so will, the thoughts
and experiences that come to us as we are gathered
here this evening.
According to Eastern lore there also exists what might
be termed 'planetary memory', which includes within
itself a record of the acts and experiences of all forms of
life that have ever existed upon this earth. These records
are said to be our common heritage and the foundation
upon which individual memory is built. For instance,
the combination of ideas which form the basis of 'new'
discoveries are thought to proceed from this universal
reservoir that is available to be drawn upon whenever
the need arises.
In any case it seems that nothing is ever lost. Every
idea or impression received throul2h all or any of the
five senses during every minute of the day is recorded
automatically and can be brought back into view
through the exercise of what is called memory. It is
tme that we are forgetful creatures and therefore dis-
inc]ined to believe that all we think and do is indelibly
stored in the mind in this way. And yet it often happens
that some chance remark will bring a flood of memory
into play concerning long-forgotten incidents, some-
times of quite trivial character, showing dearly that
evcrything that happens is regisler~~l p~rmanently.
~~ THe SILENT ROAD
~his ama~in~ fact brings us to the consideration of
time itself and the relation between time and memory.
Tirne used to be regarded as a kind of ever-unrolling
scroll or thread upon which all human and planetary
events were inscribed as and when they happened.
Accordin~ to this concept time in the past tense was
hxed, all happenings within its orbit being unalterable.
It was considered that time in the present tense was
fluid and not necessarily affected by either past or future
events. This conception has been modi~ed considerably
and 'Time' is now regarded as if it ~erc a ~holc, in which
is induded past, present and future as a completed unit.
Instead of time in the future sense being virgin, like a
series of blank sheets in a book, it is now believed by
many that what we call the future 'in time' is not only
already in existence but is already hlled with the im-
pression of events that in a human sense have not yet
taken place. It is as if time were in the form of a closed
cirde rather than a spiral that is so far as life on this
planet is concerned and consequently happenings at
any point in the cirde, past, present or future, are so
closely interrelated that in a certain manner, past,
present and future are included and operative in the
NOW. In this connection it seems well to remember
that there are many different forms of what we call
'time'.
'rO the Creator, viewing His creation from the stand-
point of eterniq, a thousand years may seem but as a
day. Then we have the Divine promise assuring us that
our calls wm be heard and answered bcforc they are made,
which indicates a conception of time that is unfamiliar
to most of us.
You wm have noticed that the relation of time to
cvents as experienced in dreams is of quite a different
order to solar 'time' and in the use of memory we can
vary the duration of past happenings at will so that in
such mstan~;es time becomcs om sc~ instead of our
MEMORY, TIMe ~ND PREVISION 3~
master. In regard to interior mental and emotional
experiences it would seem that each individual possesses
a time sense that is his own unique property. It is, I
think, well ~o bear these ideas in mind when discussing
time as a link between memory and prevision.
Many of you may have had the experience when
taking part in certain events on a given day of having
lived through these very events previously, either in
dream or waking state. I wm give you one of many
happenings of this kind in order to illustrate what I
mean.
Travelling by train on a route previously unknown I
have suddenly become aware that the scenery was
familiar and that the stranger sitting opposite was about
to make a remark which was already known to me. A
conversation ensued every word of which was familiar
recalled by the memory of these very incidents, as if
they had already happened once before, perhaps many
years previously. As the train proceeded the view from
the windows conformed with what had previously
been foreseen and was related to the conversation be-
tween the stranger and myself, also foreseen or fore-
known m every particular.
One explanation put forward in recent times suggests
that the subconscious registers external impressions a
fraction of a second before the conscious mind, hence
the sense of familiarity shown by the latter in instances
of the sort just described. This explanation, however,
does not cover the many case3 where the prevision of a
chain of events precedes their happening externally
by a period of anything from twenty-four hours to
perhaps twenty-hve years or more.
In instances of this kind, which are fairly common,
we seem to be faced with the fact that memory is a
faculty which can probe into the future as well as into
the past. If this be a fact capable of scientific proof, then
we are faced by a great mystery. If incidents in human
36 THE~ SILI~NT RO~D
own will or submission of his freedom and hi9 fate to
the Will of his Creator. It is at this juncture that the
greater Mind begins to make its presence felt and he
who chooses to obey the Divine wm rather than his
own discovers a freedom and a happiness that he has
never known before. It is then that personal fate and
free-will gradually become merged into something
that transcends them both, and the problem we are now
discussing ceases to exist.
In connection with the prevision of future events
some modern writers have made use of the following
illustration.
If a man is walking along a road with high hedges on
either side his vision is restricted to that section of the
road immediately in view. Let it be supposed that it
were possible for him to lift his consciousness into an
aerop~ane that is travelling overhead. Under such cir-
cumstances he would be able to watch himself walking
along the road and to see what was going on on either
side of it and his vision would also include a far longer
stretch of the road than would be possible from ground
level. For instance if a motor-car were approaching
from round a bend of the road ahead he would be in a
position to compute the moment when the car would
pass the pedestrian, that is himself, and so to predict
certain events before they actually happened in a physical
sense. In other words, the power of accurate prediction
may largely depend upon the angle and ekvation of
vision from which the person concerned is looking out
on life. However, even if one allows for the possibility
that extended vision of this kind is possible under certain
circumstances it does not fonow that the interprctation
of the events so perceived will of necessity prove correct.
Perhaps the most remarkable case of prevision which
has fallen to Iny lot happened in I9IO, in the Egyptian
desert. I had lost my way in the sand, many miles from
camp, and was feeling desperate. After some hours of
MeMORY, TIME ~ND PReVlSlON 37
wandering I met an Arab on camel-back who directed
me upon my way. Before parting we sat down for a
chat and quite unexpectedly my companion began to
smooth the sand in front of him with a circular move-
ment of his hands. He then appeared to pass into a trance
and in a voice that was not his own began to prophesy.
This quite unlettered man whom I had never met before
gave an accurate picture of events in my life up to that
time and carried on his story over a period which
covered both the great wars. His predictions in re~ard
to the part which I and others would play in these
upheavals was given in some detail and has proved correct,
I might add uncannily so, even in re~ard to the measure-
ment of the time that would elapse between each event
touched upon.
I am well aware that many prophetic utterances of
this character turn out to be without foundation in fact,
but when accuracy of the kind referred to is attained it
is only possiue to suppose that a little-known dair-
voyant faculty does exist in human consciousness
through which events and experiences stiU in the
'future' can be correctly foreseen. The law governinP
such prevision is unknown and perhaps it is just as we~i
that this is so.
It is of course possible to conceive that 'memory',
properly trained, can roam about in time whether it be
past, present or future, according to human standards,
and can even perceive those happenings that have not
yet 'happened'.
Be this aS it may, a fairly wide experience extending
over fifty years has convinced me that only in very
rare cases is there anything of real value to be gained
by a knowkdge of future events disdosed by the dair-
voyant or some other faculty of the human mind. On
the contrary, there are dangers associated with the
attempt to peer into the future that in my view far
outwdgh any advantages to be obtained.
~o THE SILENT ROAD
there are many well-attested instances that seem to
point the other way. Broadly speaking, howcver, there
is no reason to suppose that the experience of physical
death is in itself the gateway to deeper vision, that
a man's faculties are necessarily changed or enlarged
purely as a result of his exit from bodily conditions.
Growth is a slow and evolutionary process wherever
one may be.
It is, I think, true to say that the conditions of war
and sudden death do seem to thin the veils between our
world and that condition of life sometimes ca!led
Borderland by which we are invisibly surrounded. Let
me give you two instances out of many which could
be quoted, to illustrate what I mean. ~
During the last war a company commander well
known to me was killed by a sniper's bullet at the
beginning of an engagement in the Palestine hill
country. He was so loved by his men that it was de-
cided not to disclose his death until the battle was over.
This officer was killed at seven in the morning and yet
throughout that day he was seen leading his men into
the attack and on several occasions his speech and
guidance saved those under his command from ambush
and probaue annihilation. At the end of the day when
the objective had been successfully reached, this officer
went among his men and thanked them for their
bravery and endurance. He spoke, and was spoken to
in a perfectly natural way. It was only later the same
night when the men were told that their commanding
officer had been killed early that morning that he ceased
to be visible to them and even then there were rnany
who could not be convinced that their leader had 'gone
west'. This is an experience which I can vouch for
personally as I was there, and I know of others of a
similar kind.
Durillg t~l~ prt~ t W~r, ~or ~stance, thc following
l~IE~{ORY, TI~IE ~~ND PREVISION ~t
account was given me by an airman whose level-
headedness I have no reason to doubt.
He was briefed to pilot a bomber plane for a raid over
a German city. I will quote his own words so far as I
can remember them ~ is was my first operational
flight, and I was nervous. My squadron leader, forwhom
I had a great affection, called me aside before we set
out and gave me his hnal instructions. Having done so,
he addec: "If you get into trouble, signal me and I will
look after you." The outward journey was successful,
and I dropped my bombs and tumed for home. At that
moment a flak splinter entered the cockpit and smashed
my instmments. I lost touch with the squadron and
~und myself alone in a fog circling over the North
Sea. I had lost my bearings. Oil and petrol were running
low. I got through to X and he replied giving me my
right course and suggesting methods for making the
best use of my petrol reserves. As a result I landed
safely at the base. To my amazement I then heard that
X had been shot down and killed during the raid, some
time bcfort I had heard his voice over the R.T. giving me
clear directions which undoubtedly saved the lives of
myself and my crew. My observer heard and recognised
his voice as clearly as I did.'
If there is any moral to be drawn from these experi-
ences I think it is this: the bond of love is stronger than
the power of death and under certain circumstances can
overcome the barrier which is caused by death. Were
these isolated incidents they might be explained away,
but many more of a similar kind could be quoted to
suggest that physical death in itself does not necessarily
mean the complete severance oftangible ties between men
on earth and their companions who are no longer here.
Before passing on to a more important sub1ect, may
I say a few words on the question of attempting to
communicate with intelligences in the invisible realms
~tound us_ We are in the midst of an uphe~val greqter
4z THe SILENT ROAD
than any previous experience in human history. The
ef~ects of this upheaval (and possibly some of its causes
also) are to be perceived in that borderland state into
which we pass at death. ~his is a time for prayer and
silence rather than for attempts to open doorways of
communication between those who are in different
states of consciousness, whether through the agency of
automatism or trance. There is considerable danger that
forces of a chaotic and mischievous character may be
unwittingly released through the unwise opening of
such avenues, with results that can but prove deplorable.
Communion of a spiritual character between mind and
mind through the agency of trained or natural clair-
voyance falls into another category and may prove of
service during these times of tribulation.
Finally there is a matter of great moment about which
I should like to say something.
We have seers in our midst who can look far beyond
human horizons and whose vision can be of immense
service at the present time. This vision contains what
may be called a prophetic element, but as this is of
universal rather than of personal application, value can,
I think, be attached to it. These seers report the gradual
approach towards human levels of a wave of illumina-
tion and spiritual power emanating from higher regions
beyond the ken of most of us. They report the coming
of a greater Light than has yet pierced the darkness in
which we live. There may be a few present here today
who will remember that this approaching Event was
touched upon when I spoke in this hall some ISfteen
years ago, and has indeed been referred to by more
than one speaker or visionary at intervals during the
past half-century. In spite of the two world wars-and
the uneasy peace which separated them, the radiance
thrown out by this coming Illumination has continued
to grow in strength and imminency. TL is, I believe,
within the power of the human race to accelerate or
MEMORY, TIME AND PREVISION ~3
retard the momentum of a revelation that will ulti-
mately uplift life upon this planet and in the inter-
mediary worlds as well to an extent that at ~resent
seems incredible. Each one is asked to prepare nimself
as a channel for receiving and passing on this illumina-
tion. It contains a Divine leaven through which
humanity may be purihed, uplifted and transhgured.
Rightly directed, there is a greater power in the
exercise of Expe~tation than is generally realised. We
are asked to expe~t in faith the coming of a new dawn
for the human race and to begin to reflect the light of
this dawn within our hearts and minds. The actual
form in which this Coming may show itself objectively
is a matter of secondary importance, and need not
unduly concern us now, but it seems evident that the
recognition of the creative Presence in and around us as
a living reality will help to speed that advent which we
have been told to expect.
It does seem important to remember that light, love
and wisdom are the birthright of every son of the Father
and that illumination must ~rst be reflected within the
individual and then be sent out in all directions from
each such centre of life and being.
Surely it is your and my duty and privilege to so
discipline and train ourselves in silence and through
the stilling of the self that we may become servitors
of value in the drama now unfolding. How few
there are who have begun to understand the ~ower of
Silence! Stillness begets awareness of spirituaI realities
as an interior and personal experience which can come
in no other way. The complete stilling of the self would
seem to be the doorway through which the Christ
revelation for the new age may come in and dwell with
us . . . dwell with each awakening man and woman, and
in so dwelling bring that peace which must precede
the descent of the Kingdom into our midst.
PSYCHIC METHODS OF REC~PTION ~,~
intractable during waking hours to be solved quite
naturally whilst the body and the brain are asleep.
CH~PTER FIVE
P~ycbic Methods of Reception
~HE HOUSEKEEPER TO a Quaker lady friend
of mine was in the habit of coming down to
_ breakfast each morning and then quoting from
memory teaching which had been given to her during
the silence of sleep. Her mistress made a record of these
quotations and ultimately sent the script to me. Apart
from the faulty grammar and the excessive length of
sentences, there was little to criticise in a literary sense,
and the teaching itself showed inspiration of a high
order. After the necessary revisions had been made,
this record was published under the title Cbr~st in You*
being financed by a Scotsman who was a close friend
of mine. This inspiring little book has run into many
editions, here, in America and in Europe, and it con-
tinues to meet a steady demand. This is the first time
that its origin has been disclosed, the book having been
published anonymously. When sleep is preceded by the
Stining of the mind and by prayer, the results can prove
of untold value, especially if those concerned have
learn~ how to retain in memory the impressions received
whilst the body and the brain are quiescent.
It is not unusual for problems that have proved
~ C ~ ill Y¿4 U ~1. W9thinJ, London).
Tbe Dangers of Psycbic Automatism
Elsewhere in these notes I refer to the dangers and
uncertainties connected with the use of artificial methods
for obtaining information on 'other-worldly' matters.
In taking this view I have no wish to suggest that
nothing of value or interest results from the use of these
agencies. Spiritualistic literature covers a wide range,
including useful teaching on philosophical and meta-
physical subjects. To dismiss all these 'communica-
tions' as valueless would be both presumptuous and
untrue. However, in regard to the information provided
in this way about conditions on the other side of
'death', one fact stands out, and it should not be ignored.
There appears to be no agreement between those who
'communicate' in this way. Statements about the future
life and how it is lived are so contradictory that it is
difficult to hnd among them any common ground.
For this reason, to accept them as a reliable guide
would seem to be unwise. I think it fair to consider
seriously whether as the result of the large number of
'spirit' communications received during the past half-
century we are today any nearer definite proof of the
permanent survival of the individual or are in possession
of accurate details relating to the conditions of such
survival ?
Communications of this sort have without doubt
brought comfort and consolation to many thousands of
those in distress and sorrow. rO deny them such satis-
faction would be cmel, but surely the time has come to
replace the artificial and automatic methods still so
prevalent by the more evolutionary agencies through
which natural dairvoyance and the training of the mind
4G THE SILENT ROAD
can be used in order to differentiate between the brain's
imagi~iing and true inner vision ?
I would include trance mediumship among the arti-
ficial methods referred to above, but in saying this I
do not wish to cause offence. In my experience the great
majority of those who practise this profession are men
and women of high character and ideals. Voluntarily
and with the best of motives they allow their minds and
bodies to be invaded by disembodied entities, over
whose activities they have no control. They are willing
to stand aside in order to be used as channels of com-
munication with another world of life and being. By
doing so they feel that they are fulfilling a valuable
mission, undertaken with good motives and for the
purpose of bringing enlightenment to those who seek
their help. However, the dangers involved in the process
of what might be called automatic possession are rarely
recognised, nor the fact that such practices are de-
volutionary in character rather then progressive.
In the long run, certainty as to whether the gift of
eternal life belongs to each one of us or not will never
be obtained from ;,ources outside ourselves. Certainty
comes from within and can never reach us in any other
way. Prayer and Silence are the gateways through which
such certainty can be reached, and meanwhile simple,
conhdent faith can prove a most valuable stepping-
stone towards certitude. Children 'enter in' because
they are not dominated by the pride of the intellect,
which stumbling-block can prove so dangerous to
those of maturer years. There can be no ~nal or hnite
proof of immortality short of immortality itself.
An Observer on ~bc 'O~ber Sidc'
Let us now consider the conditions likely to be met
with immediately after physical death has taken place,
viewed from the standpoint of an observer.
PSYCHIC METHODS Ol' RECEPTION 47
Physical death is as natural a process as that of birth
and in some ways it is similar in operation. Nine months
is spent in the mother's womb in the preparation of a
body for use during life on earth. A new-born babe
possesses in embryo all those faculties that are to deve-
lop gradually for his use in later life. Sometimes an
individual comes into 'full possession of his faculties',
as the saying is, by the time he is seven years old. At
the other extreme there are those who never appear
to reach maturity at any period in their lives. Usually
a man's mental and emotional faculties emerge naturally
as his body grows into full stature. In some instances a
point is reached when the further development of these
faculties appears to cease, to become static. In other
cases the process continues throughout life and well
into a mellow age. So much the better.
When we are born into the next world, the order of
events is very similar. Almost invariably there is a period
of sleep, which state can be likened to the period spent
in a mother's womb. When awakening takes place the
new arrival gradually becomes conscious of the fact
that he is still alive and still in possession of everything
that made him a conscious and living entity on earth.
The absence of a physical body proves to be of no
inconvenience, because the new arrival discovers that
it has been replaced by a 'fresh' and much more adapt-
able 'form' now ready for his use. Just as a baby has
to learn how to use his arms and legs, how gradually
to control his bodily activities, so does a similar process
take place when one is born into the next world. It is
a fascinating experience, because the new body or form
is capable of a far wider range of interesting activities
than was the case in connection with the body he has
left behind him.
The new arrival soon discovers with surprise that
each time he thinks a thought, or feels an emotion,
ese thoughts and emotlons at once assume appear-
~,8 THE SILENT RO~D
ances of their own and surround him as tangible
realities. He then begins to learn how to direct and
control his thinking and his feeling in order not to be
overwhelr.led by a complexity of dominating 'body-
guards'. It is, of course, impossible to put into lan-
guage a description of these conditions which would
bring understanding to the majority of those who have
not yet experienced them. The new arrival slowly
recovers memory of his previous existence, a memory
which in time throws off much dross, but still retains
in a distilled form the important elements which make
memory such a wonderful possession.
A 'time' comes, if one dare use the word, when
the individual whose experiences we are describing
discovers that he need not stay in one 'place', but can
move about at will as freely and fully as he so desires.
I~is discovery brings a sense of ama~ement and joy. He
begins to explore his strange and often interesting sur-
roundings and then becomes conscious of the presence
of other beings, similarly placed, with whom he can
'converse' in a manner that might be called telepathic
for lack of a word giving a more accurate dehnition
of the process. As memory becomes more active, recol-
lection of his past life grows stronger, and this is often
accompanied by a desire to retum into the conditions
he was used to before he 'died'.
At this stage of the process I am describing it is
usual for the new arrival to see before him a panoramic
picture or review of the main events and experiences
which made up his life on earth. I his strange and arrest-
ing phenomenon may give pleasure or sorrow, hap-
piness or regret. What is called Purgatory often consists
in the bitter recollections resulting from the vision of
a misspent or evil life lived out on earth. It is too late
now to remedy one's sins, to rectify cmelties and in-
iustices for which one may have been resPonsible.
~emorse can create a stat~ ~~f ~le~lessioll and anxiely
PSYCHIC METHODS OF RECEPTION ~,9
which in itself is a form of Hell. It should be remembered
that the thoughts and feelings engendered at such a
time immediately take an outward form of their own
and surround their victim so that he feels imprisoned
and deprived of all initiative. Although a wise man
once said that 'Regret is the lowest use to which memory
can be put' we should not forget that remorse for
wrongdoing, for selfish and sensual actions, for the
abuse of the gift of life, can be both terrible and
salutary.
It is not long after the new arrival recovers con-
sciousness and memory that he begins to e~perience
what one may ~all a two-way 'gravitational pun'. Here
again we lack a word that will describe accurately the
meaning of this term. He feels the Presence of an
attraction back towards the earthly conditions he has so
recently left behind him. On the other hand, there
seems to be present an upward pull, one capable of
lifting him out of his strange and often difficult sur-
roundings towards a more harmonious level of con-
sciousness and action. This two-way gravitational pull
can be extremely unpleasant and often continues for a
period which seems unendurable in length. One who
leaves earth unprepared to do so, entrenched mentally
in the love of sensuous and sensual pleasures, now hnds
himself attracted almost intolerably back to those
material conditions from which he departed so reluc-
tantly.
Then, of course, there is the natural desire of those
who have left their loved ones behind to return to them
and to relive experiences of which they now ~nd them-
selves deprived. It is all very pu~zling and difficult
but usefuI lessons are being learnt and in due course it
will be realised that progress upward is the law, which
law can only be ignored at one's peril.
Now let us look at the prospect as it appears to those
wh~~ hav~ b~ ft b~hilld, mourning their departed
S¿ THE SILI~NT ROAD
PSYCHIC METHODS OF RECEPTION 5~
As we have been dealing with the conditions likely
to be met in Borderland, it may not be amiss to add a
note on sudden death and its effects.
In this connection, I cannot do better than quote
the experiences of a soldier killed in battle during the
first world war. Conhrmation of what he told me,
within a f~w weeks of his passing, has come to hand
from many other sources since. For this reason con-
hdence can be placed, I think, in the validity of what
follows. I will quote the ideas expressed by my soldier
friend in words which are as exact an interpretation
of his meaning as is possible.
On a Monday in March I9I7 whilst I was home on
leave I happened to be walking along the sands at
Bournemouth when I felt the presence of someone
behind me and I heard steps and these followed me for
the rest of the day. Suddenly I found myself saying to
myself, 'It is a soldier who has been killed in battle
who wants to make his presence known.' The steps
were followed by a voice and finally by a presence and
the following is a record, taken down at the time, of the
message 'Private Dowding' was so an~ious to impart:
relatives or friends, uncertain perhaps as to the fate
which may have overtaken them. What can be more
natural than the desire to contact and even bring back
into communication these loved ones who have gone
before? Whilst this desire is the inevitable resurt of
grief, it can prove very sel~sh and may harm the
roved one more deePl~ than is realised. ~e task
of those on earth should be to lift consciousness,
through prayer and silence, to a level where natural
communion can be achieved. There is great danger in
reversing this process by trying to pull back the person
concerned into earthly conditions.
Many of those who are distracted by their grief seek
the services of mediums to act as intermediaries. Or
they experiment with automatic writing and similar
devices. In these ways the gravitational pull downwards
is intensified and progress for the departed one in his
efforts to escape from the intermediary realm towards a
higher and happier level is obstmcted and often delayed
indefinitely. To give way to the temptation of trying to
return to earth levels is both dangerous and devolu-
tionary. For those of us still on earth who co-operate in
this endeavour, whether from selfish or personal motives,
the penalty may proVe seVere.
My name is of no importance; apparently names over
It should also be remembered that conditions in what
here are not needed. I became a soldier in the autumn of
we have called the intermediary or borderland realm
19~5, and left my narroW village life behind. I joined as a
are rendered confused and discordant as a result of the
priVate and died as a priVate. My soldiering lasted just nine
struggle to respond to the downward gravitational pull.
months, eight of Which Were spent training in Northumber-
~he attitude of mind and the practices referred to above
land- I Went out With my battalion to France in July I916,
may result in those we love being obliged to remain in I
and We Went into the trenches almost at once. I was killed
h t i b t rth nd Hea en to use ConVen
by a shell splmter one evening in August, and I believe
tional language, far longer and more miserably than i5
hasten over these unimportant events, important to me
necessary. Also, their effect upon so many who are
once, but now of no real consequence. How we over-
striving to rise out of purgatorial conditions is serious,
estimatc the significance of earthly happeningsl One only
making it far more diflicult for them to resist the lure
realises this when freed from earthly ties.
to turn backwards towards that material state Which is
W~ll, my body soon became cannon fodder, and there
their habitation no longer.
Wer~ fCw to mourn me. It Was not rOr mC lo l,lay anyllling
3--lSR
51 THE~ SILENT RO~D
but an insignificant part in this world--tragedy, which is
Still unfolding.
I am still myself, a person of no importance; but I feel
I should like to say a few things before passing along. I
feared death, but then that was natural. I was timid, and
even feared life and its pitfalls. So I was afraid of being
kilkd and was sure it would mean estinCtion. There are
still many who believe this. It is because extinction has not
come to me that I want to speak to you. May I describe my
experiences ? Perhaps they may prove useful to you. How
necessary that some of us should speak back across the
borderl The barriers must be broken down. This is one of
the ways of doing it. Listen therefore to what I have to say.
Physical death is nothing. There really is no cause for
fear. Some of my pals grieved for me. When I 'went west'
they thought I was dead for good. This is what happened.
I have a perfectly clear memory of the whole incident. I was
waiting at the corner of a traverse to go on guard. It was a
fine evening. I had no special intimation of danger, until I
heard the whiz~ of a shell. Then followed an explosion
somcwhere behind me. I crouched down involuntarily, but
was too late. Something struck, hard, hard, hard, against
my neck. Shall I ever lose the memory of that hardness ?
It is the only unpleasant incident that I can remember. I fell,
and as I did so, without passing through any apparent
interval of unconsciousness, I found myself outside myse]fl
You see I am telling my story simply; you will find it easier
to understand. You will karn to know what a small incident
this dying is. Think of it I One moment I was alive, in the
earthly sense, looking over a trench parapet, unalarmed,
normal. Five seconds later I was standing outside my body,
helping two of my pals to carry my body down thC trench
labyrinth towards a dressing station. They thought I was
senseless but alive. I did not know whether I had jumped
out of my body through shell shock, temporarily or for
ever. You see what a small thing is death, even thc violent
death of war I I seemed in a dream I I had dreamt that some-
one or something had knocked me down. Now I was
dreaming that I was outside my body. Soon I should wake
up and rlnd myselr in Ihe traverse waiting to go on guard.
PSYCHIC METHODS 0~ RECEPTION 5
. . . It all happned so simply. Death for me was a simplc
e~cperience--no horror, no long-drawn suffering, no con-
flict. It comes to many in the same way. My pals need not
fear death. Few of them do; nevertheless, there is an under-
lying dread of possible extinction. I dreaded that; many
soldiers do, but they rarely have time to think about such
things. As in my case, thousands of soldiers pass over
without knowing it. If there be shock, it is not the shock
of physical death. Shock comes later when comprehension
dawns: 'Where is my body ? Surely I am not dead l' In my
own case I knew nothing more than I have already related,
at the time. When I found that my two pals could carry my
body without my help, I dropped behind; I just followed,
in a curiously humble way. Humbk ? Yes, because
seemed so useless. We met a stretcher party. My body was
hoisted on to the stretcher. I wondered when I should
get back into it again. You see, I was so little 'dead' that
I imagined I was still (physically) alive. Think of it a
moment before we pass on. I had been struck by a shell
splinter. There was no pain. The life was knocked out of
my body; again I say there was no pain. Then I found that
the whole of myself--all, that is, that thinks and sees and
feels) and knows--was still alive and conscious. I will tell
you what I felt like. It was as if I had been mnning hard
until, hot and breathkss, I had thrown my overcoat away.
The coat was my body, and if I had not thrown it away I
should have been suffocated. I cannot describe the experi-
ence any better way; there is nothing else to describe.
My body went to the first dressing station, and after
examination was taken to a mortuary. I stayed near it all
that night, watching, but without thoughts. It was as if my
being, feelin~ and thinking had become suspended by some
Power outside myself. This sensation came over me gradu-
ally as the night advanced. I still expected to wake up in my
body again--that is, so far as I expected anything. Then I
lost consciousness and slept soundly.
No detail seems to have escaped mc When I awoke my
body had disappeared I How I hunted and hunted I It began
to dawn upon me that something strange had happened,
54 - THE S~LENT ROAD
although I still felt I was in a dream and should soon awake.
My body had been buried or burned; I never knew which.
Soon I ceased hunting for it. Then the shock came I It came
without any warning, suddenly. I had been killed by a
German shell I I was dead I I was no longer alive. I had been
killed, killed, kilkdl Curious that I felt no shock when I
was hrst driven outside my body. Now the shock came,
and it was very real. I tried to think backwards but my
memory was numb. (It returned later.) How does it feel 10
be 'dead' ? One can't explain because there's nothing in it !
I simply felt free and light. My being seemed to have
expanded. These are mere words. I can only tell you just
this: that death is nothing unseemly or shocking. So simple
is the 'passing along' experience that it beggars description.
Others may have other experiences to relate of a more
complex nature. I don't know....
Let me relate my hrst experience after I had somewhat
recovered from the shock of realising I was 'dead'.
I was on, or rather above, the battleheld. It seemed as if
I were floating in a mist that muffled sound and blurred
the vision. Through this mist slowly penetrated a dim
picture and some very low sounds. It was like looking
through the wrong end of a telescope. Everything was
distant, minute, misty, unreal. Guns were being hred.
It might all have been millions of miles away. The detona-
tion hardly reached me; I was conscious of the shells
bursting without actually seeing them. The ground seemed
very empty. No soldiers were visible. It was like looking
down from above the clouds, yet that doesn't ~xactly
acpress it dther. When a shell that took life exploded then
the sensation of it cam~ much nearer to me. The noise and
tumult came over the border-line with the lives of the slain.
A curious way of putting it. All this time I was very lonely.
I was consdous of no one near me. I was neither in the world
of matter nor could I be sure I was in any place at all I Just
simply conscious of my own e~~istence in a state of dream.
I think I f~ll askep for the second time, and long remained
unconsdous and in a dreamless condition.
PSYCHIC METHODS OF RECEPTION ~~
At last I awoke. Then a new sensation came to me. It
was as if I stood on a pinnade, all that was essential of mc.
The rest receded, receded, receded. All appertaining to
bodily life seemed to be dropping away down into a
bottomless abyss. There was no feding of irr~trievable
loss. My being seemed both minute and acpansive at the
sam~ time. All that was not r~ally mc slipped down and
away. The sense of loneliness deepened.
I do not hnd it easy to express mysel~. If the ideas are not
clear, that is not your fault. You are setting down just what
I impress upon you. How do I know this? I cannot see
your pen, but I see my ideas as they are caught up and
whirled into form within your mind. By 'form' perhaps I
mean words. Others may not feel this loneliness. I cannot
tell whether my experiences are common to many in a like
position. When I hrst 'awoke' the second time I felt
cramped. This is passing and a sense of real freedom comes
over me. A load has dropped away from me. I think my new
faculties are now in working ord~r. I can r~ason and think
and feel and move.
I am simply myself, alive, in a region where food and
drink seem unnecessary. Otherwise 'life' is strangely similar
to earth life. A 'continuation' but with more freedom. I
have no more to say just now.
Thank you for list~ning to m~.*
It is only right to add here that the passing-out
experience is not always SO easy as in Private Dowding's
case. When the emotions of fear or hatred are upper-
most the transition can be far more di~icult. For the
consolation of those who have lost their loved ones in
war or as the result of accident, the following fact should
be recorded.
~ere exist in the Borderland region a number of
groups and organisations similar in function to our
Red Cross Societies on earth. Their members are drawn
~ Pnv~~ DoJv~n,~ by W. T. P. (~. M. W~tlcin~, London).
S6 THE SILENT ROAD
from those who have been specially trained in what
might be termed rescue work.
These important activities are undertaken by volun-
teers, many of whom were alive on earth not so long
ago. They are equipped with hospitals, rest houses
and educational centres on a scale adequate to meet all
urgent needs.
It has been my privilege on many occasions to take
part in these 'life-saving' activities. Those readers who
believe in prayer should remember these devoted
helpers and thelr healing ministry.
The time may come when many of us will be only too
glad to avail ourselves of the services of these selfless
and dedicated beings.
B~~ilding Sor ~c Future
It is easy to believe that we stand where we do in
life as the result of circumstances over which we have
had no control. Nothing can be farther from the truth.
The house I live in, my friends, my general surround-
ings, in fact an the circumstances of my life are not the
outcome of fortuitous events. On the contrary, it is my
thoughts and actions in the past which are soldy
responsiue for what I am today and for the conditions
which surround me now.
We ~nnot evade the e~ects of causes which we have
originated in the past. To this extent we are the slaves
of our yesterdays but can become the masters of our
tomorrows.
The working of the law of cause and effect does not
cease when we pass out of our present world. At this
very moment 90u and I are fashioning the circumstances
and conditions which are destined to surround us on
the other side of 'death'. Here and now we are building
the habitations we shall occupy there and the circum-
stances of our en~rironment.
PSYCHIC METHODS OF RE~CEPTION ~7
Using the language of symbols, my present thoughts
and actions are the bricks and mortar from which my
future home wm be built. It is within your and my
power to prepare our habitations and our surroundin~s
for good or m in the realm which awaits us beyond the
veil.
I would suggest that you do not dismiss this conception
as being too far-fetched for thoughtful consideration.
Through the use of prayer, constructive thinkin~ and
right actions here and now, let us use the gift o~ true
imagination to begin the construction of a lovely house
and garden for use in the hereafter, a place of harmony
and light suitabk to enable us to carry on our lives in
happiness and service. Let us learn how to become the
masters of our tomorrows.
Whether you agree with me or not, one fact cannot
be evaded. ~e law that govems human wdfare never
ceases to operate but, being based on love and justice,
it can be our best friend when obeyed but our worst
enemy when we try to disregard and flout it.
Commb.nion and Comm~ni~ation
Let us now consider how we can best help forward
on their upward way those who have left us temporarily
behind.
After all, k wm not be long before we oursdves must
face the same problems and the same temptations. The
~;rst ksson to be mastered is to learn how to rdease
from the bondage of our thinking those whom we so
strongly desire should return to our earth in order to
make their tangibk presence seen and fdt. Communion
rather than communication is surely the goal for which
we should strive. By communion I mean our capacity
to lift consciousness to a point where mind can meet
mind without the need to d~raw those we love back into
mulldane condi~ons. 'The Communion of Saints' is no
~8 THE SILENT ROAD
empty phrase. It is a communion available to us as well,
although we have not yet attained the qualities of saint-
hood. Communion is in itself a form of communica-
tion, far removed from the region of words, yet com-
pletely satisfying in itself. The contact is direct between
mind and mind, no intermediary being necessary. The
experiences recorded in this book have not involved the
employment of a third party as a transmitting agent.
There is nothing artihcial or automatic in the process,
which is both a natural and a spiritual one.
llle universal Mind in which all living beings dwell
need not be divided arbitrarily into watertight compart-
ments, each being cut off from the rest. In this Mind
which is our eternal habitation we can learn how to
move forward freely, yes even whilst still seemingly
confined within the trammels of the flesh.
The dedicated use of prayer and silence is the surest
means for enabling us to commune with saints and
angels, and to do so with those who have already
departed from this life and with whom the bond of
love is strong and enduring. This is the ideal we should
set before us rather than the use of artificial forms of
communication of a kind which obstmct and delay
the upward progress of those no longer with us. Words
are too feebre to make transcendental ideas of this kind
easily understood or available for our practical use here
and now. Revelation is an interior process and neither
you nor I can attain it from books or people or from
other external sources.
Thc ?ercing of the veils must come about through
spiritualPand natural processes of mind and heart, and not
through the employment of magic, ritual or trance.*
~ ('The M~~sen~~r'~~ quoted in P~iva~~ DOJ ~
C H~P~ER SIX
The Enigma of Sex
NOW I TURN to a subject which involves tread-
ing on delicate ground. First let me make it
clear that I claim no authority for anything I
write and that it is not my wish to seek either acceptance
or rejection for the views put forward. We are all
novices in matters spiritual and at best can only hope
to be used as channels through whom a glimpse of
understanding may be allowed to flow
I have already touched upon certain similarities
between the process of being born into this world and
being born into the next. The use of the word 'pro-
creation' tends to give many people the idea that the
physical union of a man and a woman is capable of
producing a new life, an entirely virgin entity now
coming into existence for the hrst time. That the spirit,
mind and soul belonging to a new-born babe have
enioyed a previous existence is unacceptable to many
parents, who, on the other hand, believe that they them-
selves are solely responsible for the creative act. Those
who are more thoughtful will have realised the tmth
that God is the only Creator and that the men and
women Hc has cleated, whilst capable of reproducing
THE SILENT RO~D I
THE ENIGM~ 0~ S~X 61
form in matter, Cannot Create the life and intelligence
life eSsences, male and female, are blended, something
inhabiting the form which results from sexual union-
important happens. I~is is true whether th~ act iS
Far too many parentS regard the children they bring
un~ertaken casually or ~,vith serious intent. A certain
into this worl as their personal property, llttle above
energy of etheric potency is released containing an
the level of their other goods ana chattels- ~ey tend
inStinctiVe life of its own, irrespective of whether pro-
to consider their offsprin~ as their property and not
Creation in an external Sense results or not. To release
as their tmstees. 'My Child belongs to me.and to my
such an ener~y for no other purpose than to ~ratify
husband and to no one else.' This and slmllar remarks
a sensual deslre cannot be the fu~61ment of a i~ivine
to the same effect are all too Common. Such an attitu,de
law, though it appears to satisfy an urge which is fdt to
may not be intended to be taken literany, but the m-
be both natural and desirable. Even on the human plane
ference is there too often to be ignored as resultmg from
there is a Sanctity connected with the release of a force
mere thoughtlessness. .
- which contains ~vithin itself a speci~c ootentiality which
A minority in the modern world stlll look upon
may result in the Sowing of a seed designed by Nature's
marriage as a divine saCrament, a dedicated alliance of
alchemy to become a human habitauon. Words are
a man and woman for mutual companionship and for
powerless to explain dearly the seen and unseen effects
the fulfilment of fore-ordained purposes of great
produced when the sexual act is consummated. These
evolutionary import, purposes WhiCh may or may not
, effects are by no means conf;ned to the. two participants.
result in conceptlon in outward form- Others look upon ~
The unSeen outflow resulting from the generativc
the marriage ceremony, whether taking place m church
: proCess radiates widely. Its influence for good or ill
or in a registrar's office, solely aS a meanS for legalising
' is not lessened by the fact that its effects do not show
cohabitation, and With no other important purpoSe m
themselves externally in a manner that can be seen and
view l~s statement may sound exaggerated~ b,ut. lt
measured. Whenever the sexual union takes place as
certamly contains an element of truth- The proVlslon
~. a purely sensual rather than aS a sacramental act, the
of a suitable form for the uSe of an immortal soul aWal,t- --
influences or energieS released cannot find employment
ing entry into this world to fUlhl purposeS of. m,oment lS
--,,' in beneficial Ways and may do great and widespread
such an important task that to undertake ~.tly lS
''I harm. Itis unlikely thatmanyreaders wm treat theabove
little short of blasphemy. Far too often S mter-
,-, aSsertion seriously. They wm think that its implications
course iS looked upon aS a pleasant but tranSltory
3 are too far-fetched and that they make no concession
mdulgence, one that iS a suffiaent .end m ltself. Many
l'',. to human frailties. I cannot quurel with them if they
children, as a result are broueht lnto thls world by
?ccident rather than by design VCan there be any object
~ do~ ~ecause no words ate ~vallable to provide an
m setting down these wen-known facts ?. Consi n
~~ It woult take a book eVen to begm to explain the
of some of the deeper aspects of the. subLect may prove
~ bases and the reasons for thc views I have ~pressed.
for a fe.w of those whom .it concerns intimate~y to pause
1~. tHherte again ib a.regiOn of knowledge and uuderi~oding
and th~k and thmk agam. .
~i~ knowledge and the understanding behind it can onlv
Each time that, as a result of sexual mtercourse~ the
~; b~ obtail~ed inmitlvely by those who are ready to re-
6~ THE SILENT ROAD
cdve and willin~ to act upon it. If, however, we descend
from the specurative hei~hts to the level of eugenics,
here is an issue that should be faced and treated
seriously.
Is it not stran~e and very wrong that the human race
in general sholiId devote more care and skill to the
breeding of its animals and pets than to the propagation
of its own spdes ? How can we expect to attract into
incarnation souls of pure and high qualities, souls
whose presence in our midst would prove of incalculable Tbe
Att~tude of tbe Scepti~
beneht, if we are unwilling to provide them with bodies
that are conceived under the best possible physical,
psychic and mental conditions ? With this very pertinent
question offered for your consideration, I will leave the
subject, only regretting my inability to place it before
you in a more adequate and convincing way.
CH~PTI~R SEVEN
THE NOTES WHICH form the basis for this
book were shown, before publication, to a scien-
tific friend who would describe himself in matters
of this kind as an 'honest but open-minded sceptic'.
This description seems to involve a contradiction in
terms, but let that paSs. His attitude can be summed up
as follows: 'I approach the study of all phenomena
incapble of scientific proof with curiosity but also with
a considerabk measure of suspicion.' Recently this
scientist made what he described aS being a detailed and
objective investigation into the evidence so far produced
in connection with the apparitions known as flying
saucers. His verdict in this Connection was 'Not proven'
I asked this friend to Set down frankly his comments
on the experiences that I am sharin~ with you now
I thought it would be interesting to discover whether
any Common ground existed between his outlook and
my own. Here is what he wrote, which he sent me on
the understanding that his name and standing should
not be disdosed.
I have read your notes with interest and with some
amusement. I~ank ~~vu fvr showing them to me. The range
64 THE SILENT ROAD
of your experiences is quite remarkable, but I could hnd in
them no evidence that could be subjected to scientihc
proof. Frankly, in my view, some of the stories you relate
are so incredible that they lead me to the conclusion that
your forthcoming book is intended to be a work of hction
and not a serious contribution to human knowledge. You
seem to evade any opport~nity to equate the information
you present with the vast range of phenomena akeady
known to scienc~ and for which reasonable proof has been
deduced and accepted as such by the scienti~c world of
today. rherefore I feel unable to offer you any useful
comments.
In writing to thank my friend for giving me his views,
I told him that had I been briefed as counsel for the
prosecution the case I could have presented would, in
my view, have been far more convincing and logical
than his own. It was my hope that this rejoinder would
draw him out and that, as a result, some common
~round between us might have been discovered. To
date, however, no further word has come from him,
which seems a pity.
Let us examine what he says: The reference to
'scientific proof' is interesting, ~his term, I take it, is
intended to apply to all phenomena that can be shown
to obey the laws of science and of physics to the extent
that these are known and generally accepted at tbe
prcsent timt. These laws, I understand, apply strictly and
solely to our three-dimensional world of matter. If this
statement is untme, I willingly stand to be corrected.
'rhe extent to which the laws of physics can be
applied to experiences taking place within the mind of
ma_n_ is surely a very open question? Would it not be
tme to say that the mle of sclentific law as known today
cannot be applied usefully to the realm of such experi-
ences as those with which this book is dealing? No
vardstick seems to exist at our present stage of know-
iedge which can be used for measuring the relations
THE ATTITUDE 01' THE SCEPTIC 6S
between the world of matter and the world of mind.
Here again I stand open to correction. Were not my
friend so famous in his own held, I _n_~ight venture to
co_nnment on his use of the word 'incredible' as bein~
unscientihc in its implications. Every discovery made
by man has seemed to be incredible to the orthodox
thinkers of the day. As a recent example one could cite
the way in which Einstein was Pilloried by his fellow
scientists when hrst he made his revolutionary dis-
coveries known. Surely the word 'incredible' should be
deleted from the scientihc dictionary ?
My friend goes on to liken what I have written to a
'work of t~ction'. Before making this comparison it
might have been well to pause and think awhile. The
conversion of much once believed to be hction into
fact is an unending process, never tmer than at the
present time. Open-minded en~uirers should surely be
willing to agree that no dehmng line can be drawn
between fact and hction, and by ~ction in this instance
I wish to conhne its application to the kind of experi-
ences related in this book.
My friendly critic then goes on to suggest that I have
made no effort to 'equate the information you present
with the vast range of phenomena already known to
science and for which reasonable proof has been de-
duced, and accepted as such by the scientific world of
i~ today'. I ~nd this a very surprising statement. Use of
the word 'today', to my way of thinkin~, undermines
the value of what in my case I should regard as an
unscientihc and incorrect assertion.
The range of human knowledge never ceases to
unroll and to expand. 'rhe incredibilities of yesterday
i~; are continually being converted into the facts of
today, and here I am using the word 'fact' in the same
sense as my critic has applied to it. It should also be
remembered with due humility that many so-called
~- scien~ c facts of yesterday have now been relegated
68 TH~ SILENT ROAD
in what is called an age of materialism, a period during
which experiences beyond the understanding of the
intellect are regarded with scornful scepticism. Here
again is a generalisation, which while containiDg an
important erement of tmth should be regarded warily.
Dogmatism in matters spiritual can be as dangerous as
belief in the infallibility of the reasoning power of the
human brain.
On the occasion to which I have just referred, one of
the speakers, a person of undoubted intellectual stand-
ing, made a statement so remarkable that I cannot
refrain from comment. Whilst accepting the prevalent
de~nition of illusion as being something which is
contrary to 'fact' and therefore 'untrue', he went on to
ex~lain his view that illusions were valuable and
indeed essential to happiness and peace of mind. When
challenged he cited, as an example, the hct that he
knew the Biblical story of Creation, and much else
recorded in the Jewish and Christian Scriptures, was
illusory and untme; nevertheless, he said that he felt
no inconsistency in accepting what he knew to be false
and contrary to reasonl Two of the other speakers lost
no time in voicing their dissent, being care~ul to make
it dear that nothing could be tme for them which was
incapable of being proved through the exercise of
reason and common sense.
Reason and common sense? Here are the venerated
watchwords of those who rely implicitly upon the much-
vaunted supremacy of the human animaI's capacity to
decide between what is 'true' and what is 'false'. I have
heard a statement to the following effect put forward
recently more than once, 'Modern thought has now
outgrown the need to believe in God and in an after
life'. Pride in the self-sufficiency of the intellect could
hardly be carried further.
On several occasions I have challenged in private
one or other of these leaders of modern thought,
THe ATTITUDE OF THE SCEPTIC 69
intellectual giants in thek own field. I have told
them that in my view they are suffering from the tram-
mels of a dosed mind. The fat is then well and tmly
in the fire. I am assured that nothing could be further
from the truth, that my criticism is both unjust and in-
correct. In one sudh instance I purposely went out of
my way to relate an 'other-worIdly~ experience of my
own, slmilar in content to those which are induded in
this book. It was fascinating to watch the process by
which my listener set to work to dose his mind and
to refuse even a passing doubt to cloud his reasoning
power.--'What have I to do with the fantasies of a
mind deranged?'--This thought may not have been
expressed in words, but the inference was plain to
see.
It is alarming to reflect that our mod~rn system c~f
education is to a large eX~ent devised ancl l~qrri~~l nnt
by men and women who~e mind~ appear to be dosed
in this way. ~
The influence of scientific thought and reasoning
leaves little room for a reverent consideration of religion
and its daims. Reason so dominates faith that the latter
has come to be regarded as the plaything of the weak
and thoughtless. Here, of course, I am speaking of a
subtle pervasive trend, one that at present is almost
paramount in its influence upon the young. What a
shock awaits these prisoners of thelr own minds when
the time comes for them to stand naked and dismayed
outside their prison housesl That time must come
inevitably for one and all, and cannot be evaded. ~e
state of Purgatory can be a fearful experience for many
whose attitude of mind whilst still on earth is similar
to the exa_m__ples I have given. Do not dismiss my words
lightly even if it may have been necessary to exaggerate
my thesis, in order to drive home an important truth.
A little child who accepts the fact that 'I of myself can
do nothing' is nearer the gates of Heaven tha_n_ those
70 THE SILENT ROAD
who assert that 'I of myself ~unaided] can do and
know everythin~ that is worth doing and knowing'.
The virtue of~ humility is sadly conspicuous by its
absence in the thinking processes of so many leaders in
our modern civilisation.
The notion that a 'little child shall lead them' is far
too often dismissed out of hand as being contrary to
reason and common sense.
In saying this I shall be accused of the yery evil of
dogmatic statement which I so deplore and as under-
estimating the value of the use of the human intelligence
in many useful fields of life and action. How difficult it
is to state a case fairly without lapsing into generalities,
which can be both sweepin~ and unhirl I have spoken
of the trend towards belie~ in the infallibility of that
form of intellectual reasoning which has assumed
Godlike proportions in these so-called 'progressive'
days. Fortunately there is another and more inspiring
side to the picture.
'Closed minds' can open. Realisation can dawn that
the capacities of the brain are limited and cannot be
regarded as infallible agencies through which under-
standing can be reached. Even durin~ my own lifetime it
has been possible to witness a decided trend towards a
larger measure of open-mindedness, a trend which in
time must re-ch and influence the most entrenched
exponents of the materialistic outlook. I will hazard
the guess that whereas half a century ago impartial
consideration of the experiences I am now sharing with
you would have been dismissed as hction, today there
are signs of a willingness to listen to thoughts that may
not be understood, but which are now beginning to
receive serious consideration. Someone has said that the
seeming lunatics of one ~eneration have been known to
become the wise men of the next, and, in part, history
is on the side of this assertion. In this connection
Slukespe~te has voiced the truth in one of his wisest
~rHE ATTITUDE OF THE SCEPTIC 7.
sayings. I can well believe that he was a man of humility,
a genius who fully recognised the limitations of the
intellect, unaided.
It is the 'closed mind' which is la~ely responsible fQ~
having brought the lluman race to the very brinl~ of
disaster, to a point where the Pressin~ of a button can
result in man's extinction overnight. If you think care-
fu~Y ;t W;ll he ~IF~~ to you that there is no exaggeration
in this statement. Surely it is the fruit of-lntellectual
prlde that has resulted in men's ~ross and impertinent
interference with the fundament~ processes of Nature
and with the cosmic rhythm of our planet, upon which
so much depends? Recently I mentioned this idea to
a leading scientist in the realm of atomic research. ~o
my surprise his response was quite unt,vpical of what
one might expect from such a quarter. I cannot reveal
his identity; great men are naturally more jealous of
their reputations than we lesser mortals. They are
fearful of one another's criticisms. This is what he
said in regard to the atomic problem: 4
'We are playing with forces that are not yet under
our control and so far we understand little about them.
Some of us realise that we are in process of releasing
energies which may assume mastery over us. It is too
late now to retrace our steps and to take another path.
We must go on. It is my hope, not a very strong one,
that in time to avert disaster we may discover means
for harnessing the energies we have so recently released
and begin to understand what we have done and why
we have done it. In any case we must go on, ready
to acceE~,t whatever consecuences may follow.'
I asked this leamed anc famous man whether he did
not feel that the time had come to seek spiritual
guidance in matters of such devastating importance
to thc human race? For a while he looked at me un-
comprehendin~ly with an expression of amazement. ~
Then he repl~ed to my question with passion and ~,
72 THE~ SIL~NT ROAD
sincerity. And what he said was this: '~or God's sake,
show us how.'
(It is strange how often those who call themselves
atheists will invoke the name of God when hced by
some problem~or crisis beyond their understanding.)
It is wonderful to watch the gradual opening of a
mind hitherto closed to a consideration of spiritual
realities.
When I spoke of prayer as one of the sure gateways
to understanding, he did not dismiss the notion out of
hand. He told me that the capacity to pray aright and
with prospect of results involved laws beyond the range
of sclenti~ic knowledge. Maybe (he thought) to tamper
with such laws in ignorance might result in dangers as
great as those which have resulted from interference
with the laws of Nature. However, I left him in what I
could see was a very thou~htful mood, after promising
to send him a copy of this book at his own request.
C~~PTER EIGHT
Spiritual Healing
THE PRESENT REVIVAL of interest in healing
by the use of spiritual and mental processes alone
is certainly a matter for thankfulness. It was not
until the third century of our era, when Christianity
became a State religion, that the successful practice
of healing through the methods used by Jesus fell into
disrepute. Church organisations in Britain and America
are now beginning to wake up to the fact that they have
long neglected their responsibilities in this connection.
Resulting from this negIect many organisations outside
the orthodox Churches have come into existence during
the past half~entury. The largest and most successful
among these sectarian groups is the Christian Science
movement, which now has its own churches and
societies throughout the world.
Christian Saence healing relies entirely upon t~e
use of prayer combined with mental affirmation. The
majority of other organisations established for the pur-
pose of practising healing differ from Christian Science
methods in at least one imPortant respect. 'Spiritual
healing' as interpreted by such bodies includes not only
the use of the forces of the mind, but also the employ-
ment of such material aids as the laying on of hands
7~ THE SILENT RO~D
and co-operation with the medical profession. The use
of psychic methods of diagnosis and the enlistment of
the services of 'spirit doctors' are other ways in which
divergence from Christian Science methods can be
discerned. One result of these developments can be
noted in the increasing interest in non-medical methods
of healing now being shown by doctors themselves.
The immense power of mind over matter, a subject
of ridicule half a century ago, is now becoming a recog-
nised factor in all forms of the healing art. Evidence
is now available to show that certain individuals possess
natural healing powers of a kind that can be transmitted
by the hand and sometimes simply by the presence of
the healer at the patient's bedside.
It seems reasonable to suppose that we all possess
the ability to heal, to a greater or lesser extent. Just as
the clairvoyant faculty can be brought into play through
training and discipline, so is it reasonable to believe
that the capacity to heal mental or bodily diseases by
'spiritual' means can be cultivated. It seems certain that
man is only just beginning to tap the spiritual, mental
and psychic potential with which he is endowed. The
Spirit of Chr~st is within each one of us, only awaiting
to be aroused and utilised. Why are we so chary in
accepting the vast heritage which is ours?
It is useful to remember the views on healing that
have come down to us from the wisdom of an earlier
age.
Pythagoras said that the most divine art was th~t of
h~aling. And if the healing art is most divine, it must occupy
itself with the soul as well as with the body; for no creature
can b~ sound so long as the higher part of it is sickly.
Apollonius of ryana (d. ~.D. 97).
The physiaan should know the invisible as well as the
visible man.... There is ~ great di~erence hetween the
SPIRITUAL HEALlNG
power which removes the invisible cause of disease and
that which causes merely e~~temal effects to disappear.
Paracelsus 'Paragranum' (~.D. I493-1 f 4I).
If several healers offer themselves--namely, one who
heals with the knife, one who heals with herbs, and on~ who
heals with the holy word, it is this one who will best drive
away sickness from the body of the faithful.
The Avestas, Vendidad (c. 1000-400 B.C.).
Hcaling 'Miracles'
(Abdul Bahá Abbas)
It has been my good fortune to meet two saintly
men whose capacity to heal has seemed to me to be
almost as wonderful as that of Jesus Himself.
I have already referred to the Persian seer, Abdul
Bahá Abbas, a modern-day prophet, whose father,
Bahá Ullah, founded the Bahá'í Faith a century ago.
This great movement first emerged from the Moslem
world and has now become a purifying and regenerating
influence far and wide. One of the great purposes
inspiring the Bahá'í Faith is to bring about unity and
brotherhood between all religions, with the desire
to establish a universal faith that shall embrace all man-
kind. For a period of over forty years Abdul Bahá and
his family lived in Turkish prisons, first at Adrianople
and later within the walled town of Acca on the Pales-
tine coast. His saintly father died there in I892 and it
was not until the Young Turkish Revolution in I908
that Abdul Bahá secured freedom for his farnily and
himself. They had committed no crime, but their
movement was so much feared by the Muslem fanatics
in Persia that the Teheran authorities were able to
induce the Turkish Government of the notorious
Sultan Abdul Hamid to act in this barbaric manner.
It was not unusual for devoted followers to make the
76 THE SILI~NT ROAD
long journey from Persia to Acca, by mule or on foot,
solely for the ~urpose of receiving their master's
blessing, althoug:l this could only be obtained through
prison bars. Many sick and maimed were brought all
this way, taking two or three months on the journey.
They would be carried to a spot on the seashore from
which a view could be obtained of the barred window
on the sea wall of Acca, through which a glimpse of
their venerated leader could be obtained.
Although unable to be present on such occasions,
I have secured reliable evidence to the effect that many
remarkable healings, even of so-called incurable diseases,
took place solely as the result of these pilgrimages o~
faith.
The patients would be carried on to a small rock in
the sea which gave the best view of the window behind
which Abdul Bahá would stand to give his blessing.
I have spoken with one of those who was completely
cured in this way. He had been bedridden for twenty
years and was both dumb and paralysed. His sons
had carried him on a stretcher all the way from Tabriz
to Acca by road and mule track. He told me that so
soon as he saw his beloved master, standing behind
these prison bars, with his hands held out in blessing,
he felt new life surging throughout his body. (It should
be mentioned that there was a distance of over sixty
yards between the wall of the prison and the seagirt
rock on whidh the pilgrims were wont to gather.)
Within a few minutes of receiving Abdul Bahá's bless-
ing, the h~lin~ happened. The paralysed man found
his voice, stood up and was able to carry his own stret-
cher back on to the shore. When I met him some years
later he told me this story, and one of his sons (who was
present when this mirade took place) was able to assure
me of its truth in every particular.
After his release in 1908 Abdul Bahá went to live on
the ~lopes of Mount Carmel at Haifa, where I often
SP~RITU~L HEALING 77
visited him. Later, he was twice my honoured guest in
England.
The following incident is worth recording. In the
spring of I9IO I went out to Alexandria, where Abdul
Bahá was staying at the time. I had been entmsted with
gifts from his English friends to take to him. I had
travelled from Marseilles on a steamer called the
Spbinx and intended to retum overland via Darnascus,
Smyrna, Constantinople and Vienna. My return ticket
and reservations for the round trip were arranged
before I left London. On arrival at Alexandria I lost
no time in visiting my revered friend and in carryin~
out the commission with which I had been entrusted.
I sl~~ak no Persian and my knowledge of Arabic is
mdirnentary, and so our conversation was carried on
through Abdul Bahá's grandson, acting as interpreter.
At one point the latter was called away, but Abdul
Bahá continued the conversation and I found myself
replyingl When the interpreter retumed~ my ability to
do so ceased. 'rO make sure that I had understood
correctly, I asked for a translation of what Abdul Bahá
had been saying in his absence, and this confirmed the
fact that I had been able to understand and to reply
accurately in a language ot which I was compktely
ignorant. (This curious e~perience was rePeated some
years later when visiting Abdul Bahá in ~aris.)
On returning the next day for another interview, I
asked the master to give me his blessing for the joumey
that lay ahead of me. ~his he did, addin~ casually
that I should be returning to Marseilles on the following
day on the same steamer from which I had so recently
disembarked. I then explained to the interpreter that I
had made other arrangements and that all my overland
bookings had been made. He replied to the effect that
if the Master said I had to retum to Marseilles now,
then that was what would happen.
I went back to my hotel in a state of considerable
78 THE SIL~NT ROAD
annoyancc because I saw no good reason for changing
my plans. During the night, a very restless one, I found
myself in two minds as to what I should do. Next morn-
ing, when I went to say goodbye, and much to my own
surprise, I told Abdul Bahá that in fact I ~as leaving
on the Sphinx for Marseilles later on that same day. He
took this for granted and then requested me to carry
out a commission for him on reaching Paris. He said
that there I should meet a certain Persian student who
was nearly blind, and he gave me ÏI¿ in gold to pay his
fare to Alexandria. (Travelling was much cheaper in
those daysl) I was to tell this young man, whose name
was Tamma~lun ul Molk, to lose no time and to present
himself to his master as soon as he arrived. I accepted
this commission with very bad grace because it seemed
a poor reason for upsetting all my previous plans. When
I asked for the student's address in Paris I was told that
this was unkown, but that a way would be found for
bringing me into contact with him.
On reaching Paris I went to the Persian Consulate,
only to hnd that Tammadun ul ~Iolk was unknown to
the officials there. I then visited the students' quarter
on the left bank of the Seine and spent the whole day
there and elsewhere in a task that yielded no results
whatever. When one's mind is fearful or depressed, no
interior guidance can be expected. This I have found to
be true on many occasions throughout my life. In the
present instance I ~ave up the search and set out for
the Gare du Norc. where my luggage was already
deposited in readiness for the return to England. En
routc I crossed the Seine by the Pont Royale. Happening
to look across the bridge to the opposite pavement, I
saw, among a crowd of pedestrians, a young man,
evidently of Eastern origin, who was using a stick to
tap his way along. I dodged through the traffic and
accosted him. In reply to my question, he told me he
was of ~ersian origin. I then enquired wheth~r L~y cllancc
SPIRITUAL HEALIN~ 79
he knew a certain Tammadun ul Molk. In surprise he
replied 'C'est moi, adding that he had only arrived in
Paris from Vienna that very morning. In a Vienna
cl~c three serious operations on his eyes had been
undertaken, but the results were negative and he had
been told by the surgeon that his sight could not be
saved.
I then gave Abdul Bahá's message and the ÏIo for
his ticket to Alexandria. To watch the profound joy on
his face was more than sufl~cient reward for all my pre-
vious disappointments, including the abandonment of
my European tour. Tammadun duly reached Alexan*ia
and visited his master at once. Those present told me
later that Abdul Bahá poured a few drops of attar of
roses into a glass of water. He then gave the youth his
blessing whilst anointing his eyes with the water in
question. Immediately full sight was restored, and when
I met Tammadun some years later he was still enjoying
perfect vision.
The further sequel was both significant and instruc-
tive. I crossed to England late that ni~ht and on reaching
my o~lce the next day discovered that I was only just
in time to avert a very serious crisis in my affairs. The
change in my plans had indeed turned out to be a bless-
ing in disguise.
On many other occasions the prophetic insight of
the Bahá'í leader was made clear to me. As an instance
of this, I recall that when visiting him at Haifa, just
after the Armistice in November I9I8, I spoke of the
thankfulness we all must feel that the war 'to end all
wars' had been fought and won. Sorrow came into the
master's eyes. He laid his hand upon my shoulder and
told me that a still greater conflagration lay ahead
of humanity. 'It will be lalgely fought out in the
air, on all continents and on the sea. Victory will
lie with no one. You, my son, will still be alive to witness
this tragedy ancl t~> rl~y yollr ~art. F~eyQnd and follow-
80 TH~ SIL~NT ROAD
ing many tribuiations, and through the beneficence of
the Supreme One, the most great peace will dawn.'
Abdul Bahá left us some years ago and his mortal
remains lie buried in a mausoleum on Mount Carmel,
specially built for the purpose by devoted followers
from many countries.*
Padre Pio
Before proceeding, I should explain that these notes,
covering a period of half a century, are written almost
entirely from memory. When my London offices were
destroyed by enemy action in I944, my diaries and many
other irreplaceable records were lost. No doubt I have
slipped up in connection with dates and other historical
details. Memory, wonderful faculty that it is, cannot
always be brought to the surface at will.
Now let me tell you something about a very saintly
healer and visionary who is still arive. Incidentally, how
is it that such holy men so rarely seem to emerge in
Protestant countries? I refer to a Catholic priest who
is known as Padre Pio of Pieltricena in Southern Italy
and who comes of peasant stock. From early life he
appears to have been gifted with healing and visionary
Powers. In early manhood he becarne a Franciscan
friar and later entered a famous monastery situated in
the ~argano hills not far from Manfredonia. He is now
the venerable Abbot there. In I9I8, some months
before the Armistice, when praying for peace through the
night hours, he lost consciousness and was found in the
morning lying insensible before the altar of the mon-
astery chapel, bleeding from the stigmata on hands and
* Rc~d~rs wh(, would c~r~ to h~r morc ~bout thc Bsh ~ ith c~n
obt~in
~uch inform~tion from th~ Bahá'í Publishing Tru~t, 27 Rutland G~u~,
London,
S.W,7,
SPIRITUAL HEALING 81
feet, which strange phenomenon must have happened
during the night.
Some twenty-~ve years ago, when I was on a visit
to Padre Pio, a peasant woman came into the sacristy
carrying in her arms a seven-year-old ~irl of very frail
appearance. Her husband followed and~he told me that
their child had been dumb and paralysed since birth
and had never walked or spoken. The child was in an
emaaated condition and appeared to be unconscious
Padre Pio caused a rug to be laid on the stone floor of
the sacristy and told the mother to lay her child upon
it. He then sprinkled water upon the seemingly lifeless
form and remained in silent prayer for a long time.
Finally, he said in Latin, 'Rise up and walk'. The child
stirred, opened her eyes, half smiled, and then sat up.
Both parents were on their knees, wee~ing and prayin~
by turns. Padre Pio then took the chill by the hand and
very gently raised her to a standing position. Wordless
soun s of happiness came from her lips and she was
able to stagger a few steps into her mother's arms. Six
months later, when visiting the village school at Monte
San Angelo, I saw the same child, sane and well
playing happily in the schoolyard.
I could relate many other cases of a similar kind, but
what has remained especially in my memory is an inci-
dent of another kind with which Padre Pio was
connected.
Between the two world wars I was associated with
an international group who were engaged in draining
and reclaiming the malaria-infested marshlands around
the Lago di Lesina near the Adriatic shore. Malaria in
its most virulent form had been rampant in these regions
since Roman times. We found it impossible to induce
the sturdy peasants from the Gargano hills above to
come down into this disease-infested valley to work
as labourers and artisans. Although poverty-stricken,
the high wages offered proved no inducement to these
sz THE SILENT ROAD
men. Finally I decided to visit Padre Pio and to seek
his advice. He showed keen interest in our Bonifica
undertaking and told me to let it be known throughout
the district that he had blessed the work and all who
were engaged upon it. This I did. Within a week over
two hundred of the hill folk--men, women and children
--had come down from the hills to offer their ;ervices.
The only accommodation we could provide at the time
was a tin shack where meals could be served, and bell
tents for sleeping quarters. The deadly mosquito was
soon at work, as the necessary netting for protection
was in short supply. During a period of over eighteen
months not a single case of malaria was reported among
them, and our workers finally returned to their hillside
and forest homes cheerful and in the best of health.
Padre Pio is now an old man, but still active and deep-
ly venerated. One curious fact about him is that he him-
self has suffered from poor health since youth, to which
is added the grievous and continuous pains resulting
from the wounds of the stigmata which have never
healed. I have never met a more saintly man or one more
imbued with healing power and prophetic vision, but
how strange it is that he has evidently made no effort to
secure relief from his own bodily ills ~
CHAPTER NIN~
The Genie and tbe Lamp
IF I NOW turn to lighter matters it is because useful
lessons can often be learnt from experiences which
at the time seem of small account. Recently a friend
was anYious to secure a medieval sanctuary lamp for
her private chapel. She had searched the shops in
London, Manchester, Brighton and elsewhere, but
without success. I offered to try to help, but without
holding out much hope. Some days later, when travel-
ling into Brighton by bus to do some market shopping,
my thoughts turned to the problem of the lamp
Unexpectedly, as is usually the case in such instances, I
became aware of the presence near me of a little visitor
whom I have since learnt to look upon as 'my little
genie'. He was a puckish-looking sprite dressed in green
but with a face that showed both humour and intelli-
gence. You will have noted my use of the word 'aware'.
Clairvoyant vision does not operate through the eyes,
in fact better results often follow when the eyes are
closed. To say that one 'sees' beings or objects that are
invisible to normal vision is consequently misleading
The mind possesses a vision of its own, one that lS
independent both of the brain and of physical eyesight
'Speech' is of course 'silent' except on rare occasions
~--TSR
81 THE SILENT ROAD
THE GENIE AND THE LAMP 8S
After a lon~ search the lamp was duly found and it
turned out to~be exactly what was required, being a hne
specimen of fourteenth-centur,v Italian origin. It has
now been cleaned and repaired, and remains li~hted
My littlegen~e: What's troubling you? night and
day before the altar in the private c~apel
W. T. P.: I have been asked to hnd an ancient sanctuary at
Adlmgton in Cheshire.
I~mr~ ~n~l T rl~~n'~ knn~ whPr~~. tn look for it On other
occasions since, my little genie has proved
his usefulness. I cannot call
him up at will, much to my
annoyance. His visits are
rare, always unexpected and
(so far) onlv when I am in
Bri~hton or its environs. and
These facts should be remembered and the use of such
words as 'ask' or 'talk' should not be taken in a literal
or three-dimensional sense. The following 'conversation'
then took place:
M. L. G.:Fancy worrying about tha
W. T. P.: But I do.
M. L. G.:I daresay I can help you. In fact there is such a
lamp in the place where you are going.
W. T. P.: I don't think so, because all the likely shops
there have already been searched without result.
M. L. G.: Don't you believe what I say ?
W. T. P.: I rnight, if YOU would give me the address where
such a lamp can be found.
M. L. G. (e~~ident~ a little touchy): Very well, if you don't
believe me, goodbye. (And o~J6c ~ent.)
Just before the journey ended, my little visitor re-
appeared and seemed to have recovered his good
humour.
M. L. G.: I hope you are now sorry for your lack of faith.
You don't deserve it, but if you will go into the
~rst shop you see when you leave the bus, you
will hnd what you are looking for.
Then off he went again, dancing away beyond the
horizon of my vision. Following the suggestion, but
without much hope, I walked into the hrst shop I saw,
which happened to be a modern jeweller's. The assistant
who answered my enquiry said no such object could be
found anywhere in Brighton, and dismissed me. As I
was leaving, the proprietor of the shop came for vard
and enquired whether he could be of any service. I
repeated my enquiry. 'Why, yes,' he replied. 'I do happen
to have such a~amp in my cellar, but until now I had
quite forgotten all about it.'
nowhere else.
Tbc Gcnic and tbc Littlc Horsc
About a year later I was again in Brighton. As I left
the Queen's Hotel on the front, my little man came
dancing towards me, evidently in high glee.
'Go into the Lanes and buy the little horse,' said he.
W. T. P.: What little horse ?
M. L. G.: Never mind, do as you are told or I shall be very
angry I
Meekly I turned up into those ancient and narrow alleys
called the Lanes and farnous for their curio and antique
bazaars. I hunted through every shop but found no
trace of a horse or any other animal. I then visited the
post office near by, posted some letters and bought
stamps. On coming out I was met by my little man,
who appeared to be almost speechless with fury. 'Go
back and do as I told you and I will sharpen your eye-
sight.' Back I went and, after a further search, hnally
glimpsed through a grimy window on a back shelf what
might have been a small carved animal of some kind.
I went in and asked to be shown the object in question.
It turned out to be a magnificently carved small Tibetan
pony, fashioned out of a lovely piece of mahogany. On
asking the rrice I found that I had insufficient money
THE SILENT ROAD
TH~ G~NI~ ~ND THE~ L~MP s~
on me to pay for it. Also, the price was more than I
the control of the mind and of the will. In my view
expected. . .
such fantasies are not the product of the creative
I went home and told my wife about the mcldent
imagination. Tme imagination is surely of a di~erent
Being used to my peculiar ways, she. showed no sur-
order altogether. It is a gift bestowed upon us by our
prise, but urged me to go back to Brlghton as soon as
Creator and should be cherished and treated with
possible and not to return without .the little horse
respect. As has been said before, all great art--music,
A few days later I followed this advlce and was for-
sculpture, painting, literature--is the product of divine
tunate to be ~ust in time. A London (lealer, already m
imagining, a creative capacity with which we have been
the shop, was showing an mConVenlellt mterest m the
endowed by God. Every form of life must have ori-
object which I had come to buy I succeeded m makmg
ginated as images in the Mind of the Creator. When the
the purchase and asked for the name and address of the
WORD was spoken, these children of God's Mind were
crattsman who had created this fine pleCe of carvmg.
imaged forth into manifestation and, as a result, we live
He turned out to be a young seafarer who carved as a
and move and have our being, and cannot be dePrived
spare-time hobby and who had never recelved any
of any of these three. This is my profound belief. I do
training. Subsequently I was able to secure for hlm
not voice my convictions in this respect forthepurpose
regular and interesting employment and so to glVe hlm
of giving any particular importance to the experiences
the opportunity to pursue hls craft under favourable
which I am sharing with you now. Each should form
conditions. The little horse has now been in my pos-
his own judgment and, as has been said earlier, I have
session for several years and I have refused tempting
no desire to convince anyone of the 'truth' of what I
offers for it. Up to now, and so far as I am aware, there
write, and am certainly no propagandist in this respect
seems no particular reason why it should belong to me
Why should we strive to convince each other of any
rather than to a museum or to another collector My
thing at all? Tmth and reality are not external objects
little genie disdains to give me any reason for hls
that can be handed round upon a plate. They are the
insistence in this respect, but perhaps a sequel lies ahead
private and interior possession of each one of us, not
The time has come, I think, for me to advlse readers
to be sought for outwardly, but from within. The
not to take the stories related in thls chapter too
consciousness of the individual man is capable of
seriously What may seem reallty to me may prove
in~nite extension. It can reach up into the highest
mere fantasy to someone else who had not met
heaven or range down into the lowest hell. Its pos-
with similar experiences. The border-line between what
session should be regarded with the deepest reverence.
we call imagination and what seems to be reallty lS hard
~o assert that man's mind is cosmic in its in~nity and in
to def;ne. Perhaps it does not exist ? Who can prove that
its universality may sound meaningless to you and to
dream life is not nearer reality than the activltles of
me at present. What of it ? We have eternity in which to
the day?
solve the mystery of Creation. There need be no un-
The dividing line between reality and imagination
seemly hurry. We are not the slaves of time and, if we
may be a narrow one. There are, of course, two kmds .
seem to be, then we should begin to awaken now and
of imagination: one consists in the Vagarles and frlv- -
claim the heritage which is ours through the Love and
olities of the brain, when it is released temporarlly from _
tlie Will of God. We can roam the wide world in urgent
s8 lHE SILENT ROAD
search for the Holy Grail of Wisdom, and in vain.
Sooner or later, this search will end successfully within
the self, where in fact it resides already.
In my view, one of the most profound truths ever
uttered was voiced by Clement of Alexandria some
eighteen centuries ago. It sums up in a single sentence
the purpose of human evolution. 'The WoId of God
became man in order that thou also mayest learn from
man how man becomes God.' Or, in another rendering:
'How man becomes God's likeness.'
Tbe Genie and ~be Storm
On a later occasion I was walking along the Brighton
promenade when a violent thunderstorm overtook me
and I was soon drenched to the skin. As I turned to
run for shelter my little friend appeared and pointed
towards a seat fully exposed to wind and rain, where
could be seen two hgures crouching under a ragged
macintosh.
M. L. G.: Go along and stop them.
W. T. P.: Stop them from what?
M. L. G.: Do as I say or I shall be furious with you.
Docilely I approached the seat, sat down upon it and
after a while ventured to address the wretched pair.
They turned out to be a young West Indian fellow and
his girl. They were down on their luck, had nowhere
to go and, to make matters worse, the girl said she had
just received news of her mother's death at home. They
said they had come down from London on foot, with
the intention of drowning themselves.
W. T. P. to M. L. G.: What can I do?
M. L. G.: Tell them that the sun will be shining again in a
few niinutes and that they must cheer up.
Now, if meant literally, this was absurd. The time was
near sunsel, Lhe dowrlpouL col~unued, ~lere was n~~
THE GENIE AND THE LAMP gy
wind, and black clouds filled the sky. Thinking
M. L. G.'s remark was made for some special purpose
and intended to be metaphorical, I told the desperate
couple what he had said, but without disclosing who
had said itl Then I got up, shook hands, and went my
way. Within a few minutes a bree~e sprang up from the
sea, the clouds parted to the westward and rays from
the setting sun lit up the scene. Never before have I
witnessed such a dramatic and sudden change in
weather conditions. I turned round and hurried back
hlled with natural curiosity. There they were standing
by the sea rail, bathed in sunlight, and laughing like
children. Then they turned and, arm in arm, crossed
the drenched road and made their way down a side
street, evidently in the best of spirits.
W. T. P.: What will become of them ?
M. L. G.:No business of yours. Nothing to worry about.
Go nome and get into dry clothes.
This I did, still amazed at having been the witness of
what was for me an unprecedented incident so strangely
linked with a remarkable freak of the weather
Long life to my little genie and may he never desert
mel
CH~PT~R 'r~N
Conscience--A Hound from Heaven
MANY OF THOSE who write books of memoirs
or reminiscences sprinkle the contents with the
names and exploits of famous or notorious
personalltles whom the author has met. In the present
book I have been careful to draw a veil of anonymity
over the identities of such celebrities as have come my
way. The only exception to this mle, I think, has been
in the case of the Persian seer Abdul Bahá, no longer
with us, and Padre Pio, the Catholic saint, who is still
alive. In a way the following of this rule has seemed
a pity, because, as a result, a number of interesting
and dramatic experiences in which famous and historical
characters have taken part cannot be included in these
pages.
It is often surprising to ~nd that those frailties which
are associated with lesser mortals should be present
also in the lives of many who occupy high and influential
places in our affairs. Recently a personage of consider-
able standing came to talk over his problems ~-ith me.
It appeared that he had been evading his tax liabilities
for many years and now lived in perpetual dread that
llle Reve~lue autholitics would catch up with him at any
CONSCIENCE--~ HOUND FROM HEAVEN 9.
moment. His life had become a purgatory. When I
enquired why he did not decide to make a clean breast
of his position, irrespective of the consequences, he
replied that this course of action would be impossible.
He said that the payment of his tax arrears, plus penal-
ties, would ruin him. It would involve giving up his
lovely country house and estate, his cars, his servants
and his clubs. He added that such sacrihces would be
unfair to his wife and children and would cut short
the education of his sons. I asked his reason for coming
to see me. It appeared that he had reached a point at
which the need for a conhdant had become imperative.
He felt he could not take his troubles to his vicar or to
his medical advisers. I then enquired whether the fears
from which he suffered were caused by pangs of
conscience or by his dread of being found out. He
confessed that conscience did not trouble him, but the
dread of being 'shown up', resulting in the ruin of his
career, made confession and reparation impossible.
~is family and personal reputation must be safeguarded
at all costs. So far as I know he is continuing to live
what must be a hell on earth, a far worse condition in
fact than would result from confession and its conse-
quences. Nothing I could say would make him change
his mind.
It is curious that those who deny most vehemently
that they are troubled by a conscience should be the
very people whom conscience never leaves alone I
Conscience can be as much a 'IIound of Heaven' as is
pursuit and capture by the spirit of the Christ. In the
long run neither can be evaded. Fear is an emotion,
whether the result of conscience or of other causes,
that can bring a man to downfall. It saps the health,
undermines the moral faculty and can never solve a
single problem. 'That which I greatly feared has come
upon me', was Job's lament. Fear attracts more fear, and
as a result of the accumulation that follows, no way out
g~ THE SILENT ROAD
of the morass can be discovered. The fog of depression
makes it impossible to think or see either clearly or
constructively.
Few will own up to a fear of God, and the dread of
a hell in the after-life is no longer a serious cause of
anxiety for most people. Man fears his fellow men or
the dreaded outcome of mundane circumstances beyond
his control. He fears poverty, loss of the regard of his
loved ones, the onset of old age and ill health. These are
the considerations which weigh with him, whereas
the 'fear of God' (the only fear that really matters)
rarely enters into his calculations. The true signif;cance
of the term 'fear of God' is usually unrecognised; in fact,
the word 'fear' as commonly understood is surely
not the best word to use in this connection? Awe,
reverence and the recognition of His omnipotence
need not be looked upon as 'fear', and especially
so when the significance of the Creator's everlasting
love for all Creation begins to dawn.
When overcome by fear, be the cause what it may, the
only sure remedy is to take the fear to God in humble
prayer, and thus be enabled to receive the comfort
and solace that is Divine.
I have spoken elsewhere of the way in which thoughts
and feelings e~ternalise themselves in form in those
realms into which we pass at 'death'. And that these
forms appear to possess a semi-independent life and to
become tangible realities to those responsible for their
origin. That mind, and its product thought, influence
matter is now widely accepted, but that no material
form or object can come into being ~vithout a thought
behind it is not yet fully recognised. Not only is it
correct to say that thoughts are things, but it is also
true to affirm that no 'thin~' can come into existence
without a thought (or a combination of thoughts) both
behind and within it.
The world of matter, as we know it today, owes its
CONSCIE~NCE--A I~OUND FROr~l HBA~/ EN 93
structure and prcsent condition to the accumulation
over the ages of the totality of the effects created by
materialistic thought processes which have been in
operation for an unknown but immensely long period
The belief that God created matter is surely a man
made conception of the functions of One Who is of
too pure eyes to behold evil and Who is responsible
only for the creation of Spirit and all spiritual states of
life and being ? According to this thesis it is the mind of
man which at a certain stage in evolution 'fell' into an
illusory 'substance' called matter which cannot owe its
seeming and temporary e~istence to the Mind of the
supreme Creator. Be this as it may, it will not be seriously
disputed that the form now inhabited by man and the
environment and circumstances surroun&g this form
are the direct outcome of his thoughts and actions over
a past of great duration. We are each the sum total of
our thinking, and this thinking makes us what we are
today.
When one arrives at a point of vision from which
what we think and feel becomes immediately apparent
before our eyes, t}~en we shall begin to direct and con-
trol our thoughts with extreme care, and thereby cease
to remain their prisoners and the slaves of our past
errors. Should you fnd this reasoning to be unsound,
what alternative thesis, one that appeals to reason,
would you put forward in its place ? The primary causes
behind events in world history, or in individual lives,
should not be sought in happenings that have immedi-
ately preceded such events. These causes may, and
usually do, owe their origin to the remote past, and no
doubt it is possible for a seer to trace the ever-
lengthening thrcad right back from the event itself
to its or;gin. In saying this I am aware that one is on
debatabie ground, largely becausc the laws of cause
and c~ect are only dimly recognised at present, and still
less ul~dcrstood i~ ejl- full implications.
94 THE SILENT RO~D
Also, how few of us realise that we cannot think
unto ourselves alone? The visible and invisible impact
of what we think and feel flows forth into the common
reservoir to which we all have access, and by which
we all are influenced. Your and my thinking can help
to uplift the racial consciousness as a whole, or it can
have the opposite effect. This I believe to be true not
only of what we may term our serious mental activities
but also of our day-to-day and seemingly trivial thought-
life. The time will come when we shall each learn how
to cease from thinking our own thoughts and begin
to reflect within our minds the living and eternal
'thoughts' sent forth for our service by our Creator.
The meaning of that stupendous phrase 'in Him we live
and move (and think) and have our being' will then begin
to dawn and we shall find ourselves one step nearer to
that peace which passeth understandin~.
CH~PT~R EL~VEN
Some Spiritual Issues Under~ying
U~orld Problems
.5~ec~ givcn at tbe RoJ~a~ Pala~e of Het O~~(Je
Loo Hol~and on 28fk Jan~ary I9~~.
~j~OUR MAJESrY AND FRIENDS~
It lS a great privilege for me as an Englishman
to be invited to come and speak here today at
this international gathering organised under such
gracious and inspired auspices. I appreciate it particu-
larly, because a great portion of my life has been spent
in issues associated with international rather than
national and personal problems.
I feel that by emphasising the universal brotherhood
of all mankind, under the Fatherhood of God, and also
by emphasising the importance of 'God as the Founder
of the Universe and therefore Invincible', you have
sounded a keynote which should inspire all who take
part in gatherings of this kind. I believe you are light-
ing here a beacon that may very well shine around the
world.
You also refer in the notes you sent to your speakers
that propaganda for any particular Church, society or
movement is regarded as being outside the confines of
yout discussions. Here again I fcel how ~ise you are,
96 THE SIL~NT ROAD
because far too many people are engaged upon trying
to reform each other, believing that they have secured
all of the truth for themselves and overlooking the fact,
of course, that Truth is both universal and inhnite, ever
unfolding to human consciousness. Therefore when
speaking on such subjects as these, the very deepest
humility is essential, if we are to make any progress
whatever.
Another reason which gives me such pleasure to be
here today is the fact that we in our little island have
always regarded the people of the Netherlands with the
most intense admiration, for their courage, their spirit,
their integrity of character under oppression and under
the tragic encroachments of the sea, meeting their
national problems with a pluck that hnds an answering
echo in our land.
My subject today is 'Some spiritual issues underlying
world problems', and in order to disarm criticism at the
beginning I should like to say that I am no authority
on the subject about which I am speaking. I am talking
to you simply as a seeker of Truth, and you must not
regard what I say as anything beyond my own personal
belief and experience.
There is a widespread belief that world problems can
be solved by the use of the human intellect unaided.
One is almost inclined to think, however, looking back
over the centuries of human history, that the 'pride of
the human intellect' is, above all else, the cause of the
terrible chaos in which we now find ourselves and our
modern so-called 'civilisation', the relations between
nation and nation, between people and people and even
between individuals themselves.
The idea that any problem, whether it be great or
small, international, national, or personal to you or
to me, can be solved by the exercise of the human mind
unaidcd without recourse to some form of spiritual
guidance from the Source of all wisdom~ is undoubtedly
SPIRITUAL ISSUES--WORLD PROBLE~IS 97
--and I am sure you will agree with me here--a fallacy
which has led us to what appears to be a dead end in
human history.
When we are considering world problems, when we
as ordinary men and women are wondering as to the
extent to which we as individuals can best serve our
generation, it is perhaps a good thing to remember
the great mystery that within each one of us, within
you and me, within all men and women, the whole
universe exists: the sun, the moon, the stars, the hier-
archy of heaven, and the creative power of God. When
I speak about 'you' and 'me' in this context I am not
referring, of course, to the external man: to the brain
to the physical body or to the human intellect. I am
referring to the soul and the spirit at the very centre
of our being, where the whole universe exists, and where
we are contained and sustained, as individual entities,
in the consciousness of God. And if that be tme, and I
think you will agree with me that all the wisdom handed
down to us from the past would indicate that it is so,
we are in fact the sons and daughters of God. Therefore
the hrst thing that we can do, or should do, if we wish to
pull our weight in helping to solve the terrible problems
m the world today, is to see that our own houses are in
order, and that the problems affecting our own lives are
to the best of our ability, solved by our seeking humbly
for guidance and inspiration from on High. After all,
in the last analysis, world problems are a reflection, on
a ma)or scale, of your problems and of my problems.
As man reaches understanding within himself and
is able to reflect the illumination of the Divine spirit
(always waiting to pour down upon him), as he does
this, he is doing more than he realises to uplift the
consciousness of the whole of the human race, and in
so doing has taken the best step he can towards playing
his patt in helping to solve the great problems of the
~,~
98 THE SIL~NT ROAD
May I say a few words about rruth ? As we go about
the world we meet those who tell us that they have
found the Truth. They say they have found all the
Truth there is. You hnd this reflected in international
affairs by the great ideologies by which the world is
split, ideologies held so ~rmly that those who are
responsible for expressing them are prepared to fight a slngle
Indl~rldual, have any appreciable effect on the J
and to destroy in order to endeavour to bring converts great
Cosmlc forces that appear at the ptesent time to be /
to their particular point of view- It seems almost im- in such
deadlv conl~ict one with another ?'
possible (and I am speaking now as an inter-
nationalist, not as an Englishman, and not even as a
European) for our leaders and for the majority of man-
kind to remember that you cannot kill an 'idea' with a
SPIRITUAL ISSUES--WORLD PROBL~.MS 99
other could tip the scales in the direction of progress
for humanity or of the coming of the dark ages once
more. Here again, we have each a vast responsibility.
I~.very man and woman of good will, of the will-to-good,
can affect those scales either towards the darkness or
towards the light. It is natural to say- 'How can I, as
bomb.
The only effect of physical force when you are dealing
with the realm of ideas is to strengthen the very ideas
which you believe are evil, by your opposition to them.
This seems to me such a fundamental truth, so necessary
to be learned by us all, that I do implore you who are
associated with the work here to remember that the
-'only way in which you can destroy or transmute an
idea which is destructive or evil is by putting in its
~place in your mind and in your life a better idea. All
conflicts, all wars, all the great crises that may still lie
ahead of us, are crises of i~ea~. If we would play our
part it is on that plane, on the plane of prayer, and of
seeking spiritual ~uidance to help us in what we shall
say, and do, and be, that progress can be made, and a
solution of such problems found.
As we look around us in the world today, it would
appear as if the powers of light and darkness, to use a
symbolical phrase, are about evenly balanced, I am not
referring now to politics, economics, or social affairs.
I am referring to the realm of human thought as mani-
fested by the events that are taking place around us.
So evenly balanced appear the forces of light and dark-
ness that the very slightest weight on one side or the
~Iay I come back to what I said earlier in regard
~o the great truth that the whole universe is ~ fJin yo~~.
~~hat ~ou say and do- and think and feel affects the whole
universe because the universe is within you. It is all
there. The Creative power is there, waiting to be rightly
used, and if you rightly use it you are doing more than
ou realise to tip the scales in the right direction.
There are seers in our midst, who, looking up into
the hills, can perceive a new wave of cosmic energ~~
gradually approaching human levels. I-lere, in ail
humility, may I say that I am not speaking entirely from
hearsay, because in times of deep silence and stillness I
have been able to watch the gradual approach towards
human horizons of the coming of this remarkable, this
tremendous new wave of spiritual life and light. There
are many who believe th~t its approach heralds, and is
the preparer of the way for the return of the Christ
towards earthly levels. In any case in your own indi-
vidual deep awareness you will gradually begin, I am
sure, to feel and to sense the coming of a new wave
of power into human consciousness, available for us
as individuals, as communities, as nations, to use for
human betterment. --
We must remember that as man has a large measure
of freewill this cosmic energy can be used on the left
path or on the right path. It is for us to decide, having
the privilege of this great new outpouring of power
placed at our disposal, as to whether we shall use it for
100 TI~E SILENT ROAD
the betterment or for the worsening of human relations
and our relations with God Himself.
One can take as an analogy the way in which the
human intellect has discovered the means for splitting
the atom, thereby upsetting the rhythm of the mineral
kingdom. The great nuclear energy that results from this
discovery is ours to use, either for the betterment of
mankind or for the destruction of the human race. At
present the omens are not too good.
And so it is with this great new wave of energy that
I am speaking about. It is the privilege of our genera-
tion to receive, and to use, this most potent power for
good or for ill, something that by God's Grace can
become the saviour of the world.
Right back through human history, and probably
before that extraordinary event which is known bibli-
cally as 'The Fall', man was given dominion over what
we contemptuously call the. 'lower kingdoms nf ~a_ture'
th~ min~ral~ the v~g.ot~l:le, th~anLmal. the kin~dom of
the waters and the kingdom of the air. It seems to meJ
and probably you feel the same about it, that havin~
~e
we can expect to see peace and brotherhood established
in our uman ~m ~e n~ust begin to ma e our
peace With liff i~its other fQrnls on our planet. as
expressed by the k~d,oms about which I have !ust been
s~eakin~
The mineral kingdom, for instance. What do we do ? We
tear the mme~ out o~ the earth. and in a lar~e number
of cases we use them for the production of armaments,
for blastin~ and destrovin~life. In many other ways we
~ave ~~~ _
~gdom. ~e should no~ to make our peace
with those intem~i~o are in control of~
- kin~dom and w~Qse f~riendliness we have lost.
And so it is the case w ~ the ve~etable kinl2;dQm,
Here we are poisonin~ our soil with artif~iql ~'e~Lsers..
SPIRITUAL ISSUES--WORLD PROBLÏ1~15 lol
thereb~ creatin.~ an increase of diseases among~lants,
anima s and human beings. We are cuttin~ down our
= ~
eserts. ~ow can lt ~e sald t at we are usmg our
slQm~n over the ve~etable kingdom in ~e wa~ in
wkich it should be used or is intended to be used ?
And what about the animal kin~aom? ~reeding to
~kl~d eatl vivisect ~ the cruelties which
aivide us fr~~m~ ~ Lkin~dom~om our brothers
and all life upon thi~ rl~nPt~ .Surely the time has come
when we should begin, to the extent which is within
our power, to make our peace with the animal kingdom !
'rhen again, in the kingdoms of the water and of the
air we have created conditions through racial wrong
thinking all down the centuries, and more recently
through atomic explosions, and in many other ways,
which have gravely upset the natural rhythm of these
kingdoms, thereby causing climatic and other elemental
upheavals.
If vou ~o up some 80~ooo feet into the atmosphere
and you have vision, you will find that all round the
~b~etheric fabric which is
a protective garment for our planet itself. And it can
be seen that repeate atomic exp osions have created
rents in this protective 'envelope' through which
inimical currents can enter our sphere, allowing all
sorts o~ dlscordant, unnecessary and unessential ~orces
from outer space to come into our atmosphere and even
into our minds. How can we say that we are doing our
duty towards the kingdom of the air or the kingdom of
the waters ?
In Holland it is the element of water through the
encroachment of the sea which has always provided a
major problem for the nation. In all humility I am going
to suggest the wisdom of an entire change of attitude,
nationally and individually, towards this dreaded
menace. The winds, the tides, the waters of the sea~ the
IOZ TH~ SILENT ROAD
rain, are all gifts from God, and if we have upset thc
rhythm of the laws governing the activity of these
elements then it is not for us to place the blame on any
other shoulders but our own. In dealing with your great
problem of the encroachment of the sea upon your
beloved land, why not change your attitude towards this
seeming enemy, realising where the fault lies and bless-
ing your enemy rather than cursing him ?
Whenever each one of you is on the sea or is using
the rivers, waters and canals of your country, and in
other ways, why not make a special point of blessing
the waters that they may become friendly and co-
operative as you become friendly and co-operative
towards them? Each time you drink a glass of water
remember to bless it and to ask those intelligences in
charge of this element for their friendship and under-
standing, promising to do all that is possible in return
to right the wrong that has been done.
Here it is natural for ~o~L~8~i~
e~ort of this--description can surely have very little
tangible influence upon one of the great cosmic rces
o~ Nature. but may I remind you once more of the tact_
about which I s~oke at the be~innin~ oFbis address,
;~;~ as an in livi ~ ~ns the uni-
verse within his own self t~~g~-ther wi~h that divine
~divi-
~ual efforts to become far m-~rt~ rntt~nt for gnQ~l th2.
~enerally realised.
In my travels about the world people are constantly
coming to me--why I do not know--and asking me
'What can I do with my life to be of service?' There is
a very simple way, I think, in which we can all help,
and that is by the right use of the power of expectation;
the more we can look ~Jb and ex~ec~ with fai~h th~ v;~tory
of r~ht over darkness~ dedicating ourselves to selfless
SPIRITUAL ISSUES--WORLD PROBLEMS ,03
service, the surer and the quicker will be the vic~ory
'What thlngs soe~reI ye desire (expect~~he~~,
believe that ve receive them, and ye shall have them.'
Un~ortunateiy lt is the habit of the human mind in its
fear and unrest to look down to matter, disease,
discord and difficulties, forgetting the realisation of
Job that 'what I greatly feared has come upon me'.
May I end on a rather personal note? Many people
of various races and nationalities come to me with their
personal difficulties, which are largely a reflection, in
miniature, of the international or world problems now
facing the human race. Recently when in Libya an
intelligent and thoughtful Arab, in relating the diffi-
culties by which he was personally surrounded, told me
that in his view it was as if the very Devil himself had
been unloosed in our midst, sowing discord and seek-
ing whom he might devour.
In times of great stress I myself have been tempted
sometimes to feel a deep depression, almost as if the
Creator had lost touch with His universe, leaving the
human race to its own misguided devices. However,
at such times I have been greatly helped through being
able to change my attitude towards those seeming evils
by which humanity is beset. Is it not possible to believe
and understand that even Lucifer himself can become
the Creator's instmment for good ? It is I am sure tme
that no man is ever faced with problems that are ~reater
than can be dealt with by the inherent spirituarintel-
ligence which stands on guard at the centre of his very
being.
Well may we be tempted to feel at times that what
may be termed symbolically our stmggle with the Devil,
or the Evil One, is beyond our power to handle. Never-
theless, it is surely true that through such struggles we
gradually learn how to lift ourselves step by step out
of darkness into the light o~ ~Ieaven.
PART II
CHAPTER ON~
The Mystery oJ~ Dreams
THE HUMAN BRAIN is a peculiar organ and
especially so when it is in action whilst the con-
scious self and the guiding will of the individual
owning it are absent or asleep. No doubt all the bodily
organs possess a semi-independent life of their own, but
with the exception of the brain these organs appear to
function automatically, being concerned solely with the
mechanics of the body, of which they form part. The
human brain, however, seems to possess a particular
entity of its own, capable of acting at times independently
of the mind. In spite of the theories of the 'experts'
who often seem to hide their doubts behind long words,
it is qucstionable whether we know much more about
the brain and its relation to the mind than was the case,
say, fifty years ago
rhe mystery of man's dream life and especially in
relation to the time factor remains unsolved. Experi-
ments have been made by lSring a gun close to the ear
of a man in deep sleep. He awakes immediately and on
many occasions relates details of a lengthy dteam just
experienced, a dream which culminated when the gun
was hred, this sound being a natural and integral part
and conclusion Or the dleanl iLself. It ~~cms correct to
108 THF. SILE~NT ROAD
believe that a lengthy dream experience can take place
within a split second of our 'time'. Then the brain,
when unhampered by mental control, seems to possess
a strange humour of its own.
Recently I visited a sale to buy a box of tools. The
box was a very good one and in my view was worth
quite as much as its contents. My bid for this lot was
unsuccessful, but the image of the box remained with
me. rhat night 'I' dreamt about a box that at hrst seemed
to resemble the one I had examined the day before.
Suddenly it expanded and took on the form of a coffin.
Its lid opened and out trooped a group of interesting
py~mies who shut the lid and began to dance upon it.
Thls continued for some time and then a large black
cat appeared and the little ~gures hid in fright behind
the coffin. The lid opened of its own accord and the cat
peered in. Suddenly the lid closed with a snap, trapping
the cat's tail as in a vice. The pygmies formed a ring
and danced in glee around the unfortunate animal, the
cat meanwhile uttering piercing shrieks. At that moment
I was awakened by a boy in the street outside crying his
wares, which were the early morning edition of a famous
newspaper. Now who, or what, was responsible for
conjuring up this farrago? It would be beyond the
capacity of my imagination when awake to create such
a senseless picture. Was it within the province of my
brain, unfettered, to enjoy itself in this peculiar way ?
I sent out for a copy of the paper, to dlscover whether
its contents could offer any due. I could hnd nothing
relevant, apart perhaps from the announcement of the
death of a man I once knew who had always been
devoted to cats and who had travelled in Central Africa
where pygmies are to be found. But what is the point of
it all and why should we be subject during sleep to such
humiliating experiences ?
A clear distinction should, I think, be dtawn between
dreams of this order and actual incidents on another
T~IE ~IYSTERY OF DREA~IS 1O9
level of consciousness experienced when we are absent
or withdrawn from the body bob
On occasion I have found myself standing in the cold, co p ~e
If)~)k~n~ n--wn nn rr~Z sleeplng form. Sometimes I have
seen what was going on in the brain which was
apparently out of my control at the time. The 'dream'
it was dreaming would form pictures in colour, usually
grotesque and far removed from everyday events.
Who or what was operating the camera? I would dis-
dain to be responsible on such occasions, except perhaps
when certain dreams lose their nightmare effect and
become rational or even prophetic.
Premonitions
Accurate premonitions often seem to manifest at the
moment of waking from deep sleep. When fully aroused,
however, one is inclined to dismiss their validity, even
if previous and similar experiences have shown that
one can only dismiss such premonitions at one's risk.
In this particular sphere of dream 'fantasy', there is one
recurring experience which I have never, and rightly,
been ~ble to ignore. The milieu of this dream is always
the same and it never happens unless a crisis in my life
is imminent, a crisis of which I never receive any
previous warning. I see a swift dark river sweeping by
me as I stand on the nearer bank. The time is always at
night and the stars are more brilliant than they ever
appear to normal vision. A gloomy barge emerges,
manned by unseen oarsmen and gradually approaches
the shore on which I stand. At that moment I am aware
that if the barge touches land at the spot where I stand,
then the time will have come to forsake my mortal coil.
If, however, the barge veers away before reaching
the bank, then I know (in my dream state) that it is a
warning that a serious crisis in my everyday life is
imminent.
.~O TH~ SILE~NT ROAD
Needless to say, this strange and sinister vessel has
not hitherto 'touched land', otherwise I should not be
writing these words. On four out of five occasions,
separated by intervals of from three to nine years, when
this dream barge has appeared, approached me and then
departed whence it came, within a week of the dream
itself the crisis it foretold has duly happened. These
crises are always of the ~rst-class variety. A ship tor-
pedoed on which I was travelling. Lying gravely
wounded on a bare battlef;eld in the Palestine hills,
a railway accident and a serious illness involving a
major operation. On the fifth occasion, however,nothing
untoward happened so far as I know. What is the object
of such warnings ? They do not enable one to evade the
approaching crisis or to mitigate its effects. The only
value they appear to have is to assure one that, however
grave the crisis turns out to be, one knows beforehand
that it will be survived, even at long odds, because the
barge turned away in the nick of time. Who or what
produces and directs such dreams as these? It cannot
be the brain unaided. Do they emanate from that
mysterious entity sometimes referred to as the higher
self, or is a benign and intelligent being outside the self
at work on one's behalf ?
I have often watched in dreams events that are taking
place contemporaneously (as I have found out later) in
the outer world, perhaps in one's own vicinity, somc-
times thousands of miles away. Now and again I have
'seen' events both tragic and comic affecting people I
know, from a day to some months before such events
actually occurred. Rarely have I been able to intervene
usefully, as the result of this foreknowledge. On one
occasion I was allowed to do so in a matter of some
historical and political importance, but details cannot be
related now as the events in question are too recent.
Then again, one dreams of places one has never
visited, and of stran~e people met there. Later, when
THE MYSTERY OF DREAMS l~l
such dreams are ful~lled, it is amusing to know before-
hand exactly what the people one meets in the flesh
on these occasions will say and do before they say and
do it! There seems nothing tangible to be gained by
such dreams as these, so far as one can tell at the time.
~4n Incident at Karnak in Eg)~pt
Once when in my bodily form I was approaching
the ruins of the great Temple of Amen Ra at Karnak I
saw a procession of priests, chariots and strangely
garbed 'astrologers' wending their way around the
temple precincts. I took this spectacle to be part of a
pageant, a modern re-creation of ancient ceremonies for
the purpose of a hlm, but no cameras were in sight.
On nearing the procession I found that my gaZe was
focused upon the back of a slave boy, dressed for the
occasion in a white and girdled robe. He was leading
a camel on which some royal or priestly personage was
riding. I accompanied the procession at some twenty
paces distant from it, whilst willing the boy to turn
round and show me his face. Finally he did so and I
found myself looking into my own eyes.
I can assure you, if you have never had a similar
experience, that there is nothing stranger in life than
to come face to face with yourself. And to know beyond
all peradventure that this is so. ~a~Y~
A Foreign Legionary Meets Hitnself
In the French Sahara later, I met a man, a deserter
from the Foreign Legion, who was at the point of death.
I~e had been without food or water for what he termed
'a moon and a half'. I never discovered his nationality,
as there were no papers on him, but from his accent
I think he may have been of Teuton ori~in. When
seemingly beyond speech, he half rose from the hollow
112 THE SILENT ROAD
in the sand where he had tried to take refuge from the
sun, and cried out in broken French (I translate), 'Why,
there is myself coming to meet me. How wonderful'.
Then he fell back and died and we reported the incident
on reaching Bou Saada the next day.
Such incidents make on~ wonder whether there can
be tmth in the theory of twin souls, two parts of one
whole, who some day will be united. Yet that 'slave
boy' to me was not my twin soul, or my long-lost
brothe~; he was me and no one else, the whole and not
a separated part of me. A reincarnation perhaps ?
~4 Waking Dream Experience
During the night following the Karnak temple inci-
dent, which took place in January I9I9~ I was visited
by a memorable wakin~ dream.
In the earlier stage o~ this experience I found myself
reliving the incidents of the previous day, but with an
important difference. I was no longer only acting as the
eye-witness of a royal procession during which my
identity seemed to become merged in that of a slave
boy, but I was also aware of myself as an objective
observer of both past and present incidents associated
with the scene unrolling before me.
This phenomenon illustrates the operation of faculties
which deserve the serious consideration of students.
It appears that the mind and its agencies are able to
percelve happenings and conditions from more than
one angle of vision at the same time. By this I mean that
the individual called 'I' can act simultaneouslv as~arti-
cipant and observer.~On such occasions both awareness ~-z~
and vision are able to function on two separate and
distinct ievels of consciousness enabling one ~o live
through e~periences whils~ at the same time wat~
oneself so doing from an outside vanta~2e-point. As a
rcsult of this dual form of vlsion, it is possiblc to 'scc'
~
THE ~IYSTERY OF DREAI~IS ~,~
events that have led up to the moment at which one
stands and to appreciate the e~ects of past causes on
current happenings. If we refer to the two faculties
I have tried to describe as B and C, then there is still a
faculty A to be accounted for. I will try to illustrate what
I mean. When sitting in my office dictating letters or
engaged in a business discussion involving the full use
of faculty A, faculties B and C have unexpectedly
begun to operate on their own and independently
of faculty A's objective activities. On such occasions
there never seems to be any link between the material
interests and activities occupying faculty A and those
with which B and C are concerned. The latter may be
dealing with events and experiences perhaps taking
place thousands of miles away and often at a different
period of time. Subsequently it has proved possible
to set down a detailed account of everything that has
been seen or heard as the result of the functioning of all
three faculties, in the form of at least two and often
three distinct and separate records. By this I mean that
the brain appears able to register particulars of the
experiences of all three faculties of the mind, even when
such experiences are taking place simultaneously
Then of course there is a fourth and still more
wonderful~aculty invf)lvf d, Whith w~ wjll call D~ namely
that of memoryl If the reader has been able to follow
me so far, then he will ~nd it easier to understand how
faculties A, B, C and D can all function at once and from
several distinct levels of perception. rhe above explana-
tion is useful to bear in mind when considering, for
instance, the implications of the Karnak experience, to
which we shall now return.
In this connection I spoke of a dream that came to
me on the night following the meeting with my altcr ~go
in the form of an Egyptian slave boy. I should make it
clear that the dream in question did not take place
du~ g sleep but in the waking state. As faculties B,
11~ THE SILENT ROAD
C and D were at work in their own departments faculty
A was not only registering all that was going on in this
respect, but W'15 also able to take note of the clock ticking
and of conversations and noises proceeding from the
room next to mine in the Luxor hotel, where I was
then stayin~. i
As alread~y mentioned, the events of the previous day
were repeated in this waking dream, but with the
difference that I now became both the participant and
the observer of everything going on around me. At
the moment when my eyes met those of the slave boy
and recognition dawned all four faculties came into
play. What follows therefore should be regarded with
this fact in mind. The reader should disentangle for
himself the diverse operations which go to make up the
picture as a whole. Here was I looking at a royal pro-
cession. It was headed by the high priests of Amen
Ra who had led the way from the altars of sacrihce
within the precincts of the temple at Luxor dedicated
to this god. I had just witnessed the slaughter o~ many
prisoners and sla~ es, slain that their blood might
propitiate the great god himself. Nothing perpetuated
by a Stalin or a Hitler could seem more cruel and
terrible. Behind the high priests came lesser priests in
robes of white and gold, wearing the ankh upon their
foreheads and holding aloft between them the ark ~-
boat of the dead. I could see that this boat contained
the remains of a royal personage on its way to the river,
which it was destined to cross when the sun went
down. The cortege would then be rowed across the
Nile to the royal wharf and from there the procession .
would wend its way to Thebes, the traditional burial
place for the kings of Upper ~gypt between 40oo B.C. .
and 3oo B.C. ;,.
The human sacrihces that had been offered up at
dawn were for the purpose of averting the wrath of .
Amen Ra and t~l~r~l~y ill~lu~ing ~litll lO plolccL onc ~
THE MYSTERY OF DREAMS ~.5
who was of his royal blood on his journey across the
Styx. An avenue of sphinxes lined the route from
Luxor to the great Theban temple at Karnak, where
the principal funeral ceremonies were to take ~lace.
I have never seen an ediflce raised by human hands
which could compare in majesty and size with this vast
series of gigantic buildings, as I saw them then.
The hypostyle hall within it with its I~4 columns,
eighty feet high and over thirty feet in circumference
took my breath away. The funeral procession, with its
two thousand priests, servers, acolytes and slaves,
having assembled in this hall, seemed to occupy only
a fraction of its area, more than ~fty thousan~ square
yards in extent. No single building in ancient or modern
times can have rivalled it for size and grandeur. When
originally constmcted the whole of this gigantic edifice
was dedicated to the three gods Amen Ra, Mut and
Khonsu, a trinity representing the father, the mother
and the son.
I stood just inside the inner archway of the main giant
portal and for a while watched the strange ceremonies
in process at and around the altars which seemed to
be placed upon a distant horizon. Being unable to
keep my own slave boy in view and tiring of the spec-
tacle, I went my way.... At this point my dream experi-
ence appeared to change its dimensions and its form.
I next found myself standing below the granite statue
of the great Rameses outside his own temple at Thebes
across the river. Its height towered into the sky and I
could not visualise details of his features from the
ground level where I stood.
Next day, for the first time in the flesh, I was to
. stand beside the fragments of this statue now fallen
F~: into a thousand pieces. I was then told by the local
guide that this ancient wonder had been hewn from
one block Or s~one weighing over a thousand tons. It
~
i~7~
~~ .
~
~
116 TH~ SILE~NT RO~D
is dif~icult to imagine how a single block of granite
of such colossal si~e could have been hewn out of the
quarries at Assuan and conveyed by raft on tlie long
iourney dov~n the Nile to its hnal resting place at
Thebes I
But I digress and have in fact done so for a purpose~
This is to give readers the chance to pause in order to
ISnd out whether they have understood the way in which
four faculties of the mind, working both as a team and
independently of one another, have each added some-
thing of value to the pattern o~ the narrative ?
Perhaps the use of the word 'independent' may provt
misleadin~ in one particular. The 'I' who speaks, th~
individuar spirit behind the mind and the senses and
usually veiled from view, is in fact the director of the
team and is responsible for the cohesion of its separate
parts.
The last portion of my waking dream experience has
still to be related. It took place at dawn when the rising
sun aroused me from my reveries. It was then I remem-
bered that, under circumstances which I cannot now
recall, my lot in life had become transformed from tha
of a slave when maturity was reached. I subsequently
became elevated to the position of a priest, one of four,
who were jointly responsible for safeguarding the sacred
boat and tomb containing the remains of a Pharaoh,
whose name escapes me. After the passa~e of time I
saw myself en~aged in superintending alterations t-~
the walls of the temple of Queen Hathepsut and
remember how irate I felt at the overpowering bmtality
shown by the master foreman to the slave workers
under the lashes of his whip. I realised then that but
for the mercy of the gods, my present lot would hav~
been the same as theirs.
Later still, much later, I found myself living in p~ce
ful retirement in the precincts of a temple built by
Thotmes the Second on the Island of the Elephqnts
THB MYSTERY 0~ DRE~~MS 117
many leagues up-river. It came back to me clearly that
I was fortunate indeed to have lived so long. Years
earlier I had spent my middle life in and around the
Valley of the Kings at Thebes, scheming to bring about
the supremacy of Queen Hathepsut, hrst over her
father Thotmes II and then over he~ brother and
husband Thotmes III. Through her influence I had
usurped a place of power within the Brotherhood of
Priests, several of whom had been 'removed' through
the agency of poison provided by the Queen herself.
Subsequently I was given a glimpse of the river god
who dwells near one of the principal sources of the Nile.
I was shown how his influence permeates the waters
of the great river over a distance of three thousand
miles, a presence that spreads itself across the cultivated
land on and near its banks, and hnally loses itself
beyond the Delta in the oceans of the sea.
It is evident that the happenings described above
must have taken place during the Isth Dynasty, at
least hfteen hundred years before Christ. To this day
I have been unable to decide whether 'glimpses of the
past' of this character can ever serve a useful purpose ?
Certainly they do not make for tranquillity of mind,
and tend to arouse curiosities which may prove dis-
turbing and most unhealthy. I should be interested in
hearing if those who have had similar exPeriences
would be inclined to agree with me? It would also be
helpful to know whether other students recognise the
validity of the thesis I have put forward ? I am referring
to the four facilities of the mind (A, B, C and D) whose
functions I have been trying to elucidate, using the
narrative itself for this purpose. If I have not b~ able
to make myself clear I hope the note that follows m~y
prove helpful.
THE SILE~NT RO~D
Tbe Soul in Relation to tbe Spirit and
tbe Mind
So far we have been dealing with the mind and its
parts and their relation to the ego and to the brain.
It may be wondered why no mention of a man's soul
has yet been made. What part does the soul play in the
thesis I have tried to outline? The spirit, the mind and
the body would seem to form a trinity in themselves,
and one naturally would like to know how a man's
soul l;ts into the pattern of his life. Here again we are
up against the problem of dehnition. The or~inary man,
or shall I say the average man, because no one can be
entirely ordinary, is, I think, inclined to regard the
words 'spirit' and 'soul' as synonymous. If this sup-
position be incorrect, how can the difference between
the two be dehned? Theologians are usually inclined
to refer to the soul of man as something within him
which needs to be 'saved'. Rarely is it suggested that it
is the spirit and the mind of man that call for salvation.
Why the distinction ? If I may attempt to apply a
definition, I would make the following tentative
suggestion, for what it may be worth.
Man's ego, his spiritual selfhood, appears so far as
we know to manifest in form. In this context the mind
and the body are two of such forms, each functioning
within its own territory. Can it be that there is a third
and more subtle 'form' available to man? May it not
be that the spirit's most ethereal and intimate vehicle of
action is his soul, thereby completing a trinity of forms
at his disposal, namely soul, mind and body?
On such a suggestion it might perhaps be easier to
understand why so much stress is laid on the need for
a man to save his soul ? It may well be that this garment
is so closely associated with the spi~it within that its
THT;. MYST~RY OF DRE~AMS ll9
'salvation' is essential to the ultimate welfare of the
spirit itself.
It may be objected that whilst the fate of the physical
body is of no account, the fate and the future of the
mind is of primary importance to the spirit of the man
to whom it belongs. As already said, religious teaching
rarely speaks of the need for man's spirit or his mind
to be 'saved'. The concentration is upon his soul
There must be some reason for this. If we postulate the
theory that the soul contains within itself elements
that are both spiritual and mental, then it might be
argued that upon the soul's salvation depends the future
of the whole man. But what is meant by 'salvation' ?
Would it be a reasonable assumption to suggest that this
process is concerned with the gradual uplifting of the
whole man into those spiritual regions and then
beyond and above them, where finally the man~nds him-
self at home and once more consciously alive within
the Mind of his Creator? The soul ma.~ perhaps be
regarded ac the medium tht~ h which thf ~rir~
communicates with the mind and vice versa. These
metaphysical speculations may perhaps be of little
importance, because understanding wlll come to you
and to me, interiorly and naturally, when we are ready
to receive it.
CH ~ R Two
Moussa ~be Snake-Cbarmer
LET US NOW descend from the metaphysical
heights and enjoy a little relaxation.
I should like to tell you about my adventures
with Sheikh Moussa Mahomed, the famous charmer of
snakes. Whether he is still alive I do not know, but as
the secrets associated with snake-charming are always
handed down from father to son, we canbe sure that
the Moussa family are still in business. When I first
met the Moussa of my time (1919) he was a middle-aged
man, bearded, tall and wiry. His eyes were dark and
deep-set, and possessed a kind of interior intentness.
The red fez he wore was surrounded by a green band
to indicate that Moussa had earned his sheil~hly status
following a pilgrimage to Mecca. The appurtenances of
his calling were simple. They consisted of a large sack-
lined basket, a pilgrim staff and a flute-like reed. It ~,vas
soon evident that Moussa took his vocation seriously.
Before each operation, which involved the charming
and the capture of a snake, a nest of scorpions or
poisonous tarantulas, he was in the habit of chanting
aloud an invocation to the Prophet Suleiman the Wise
and to Mahomed.
We first visited the mins of the Temple of Memnon,
MOUSS~ THE~ SN~KE~H~RM~-R Ill
near Thebes, and stood awhile upon a broken pylon
near its entrance. The day was pitilessly hot under a
molten sky. Among the mins there was no sign of life.
Moussa set his basket down upon the sand, tightened
the girdle of his robe, stretched out his hands and began
to chant a mantra in Arabic, in which the name of
Suleiman was constantly repeated. Soon one became
aware of a mstling within the crevices of the mined
walls, a rustling both sinister and uncanny in its sound ~
Then Moussa took his flute and played. There was no
action in the 'music' which was keyed to one note,
constantly repeated, quiet but wild in tone, and very
penetrating.
I asked Moussa what we were to expect and he replied
with one word, 'Scorpions'. Almost at once the sand
became alive as do~ens of these venomous creatures
emerged from holes and crevices and began to crawl
towards us. Some of them were so enormous that I
could hardly believe my eyes. There must have been
at least hfty of them, and it was evident that they were
crawling towards us, impelled to do so by a kind of
hypnotic spell. Some of them appeared to wither and
die en route. Moussa gathered up the rest and threw them
into the basket, where they remained inert. He allowed
one of the largest specimens to bite his arm, in demon-
stration of the fact that all true snake-charmers are
immune from poison. The basket was then dosed and
slung over Moussa's shoulder and we proceeded on
our way.
We toiled up into the higher reaches of the royal
Valley of the Tombs and it was evident that Moussa
was making for a certain spot on the sun-drenched
hillside. There, among the boulders which still bore
faint inscriptions upon them, we found ourselves
before the entrance to a cave. Moussa knelt down and
prayed. Then, standing upon a stone, he repeated the
ritual that has alleacl~ ~~een described. Once again I
122 THE SILENT ROAD
asked him what we were to expect; I did not under-
stand his reply, but gathered later that he was referring
to a cobra. Shortly afterwards one of these deadly
reptiles could be seen, coiling and uncoiling at thc
entrance to the cave. Even at a distance it gave the
impression of being of enormous girth and length.
There seems to be a sinister aura surrounding these
reptiles, an aura that can be felt even from a distance
of ~fty yards away.
Finally this cobra uncoiled anew and began to rear
its head and gaze in our direction. Then, inhnitely
slowly and with devious undulations, it approached
the stone on which we stood, reared its head and the
upper part of its body and swayed before us as if in
submission or in prayer. Moussa stepped off the stone
and with his stick made a circle in the sand around our
visitor. This was followed by another chant to Suleiman
the King. Instantly the cobra subsided on the ground,
coiled itself and then appeared to enter into a cataleptic
trance. As it was far too big to go into the basket we
left it where it was, and moved on. Towards sunset,
when we returned that way, it was still there and still
immobile within the magic circle on the sand.
By this time Moussa's son Mahmoud had joined us
and between them, father and son, the coiled cobra
was wrapped in sacking and hauled off to a closed
paddock behind Moussa's house some miles away.
At that time, the E~yptian Government was in the
habit of paying a fee for every poisonous reptile cap-
tured, and no doubt Moussa's well-to-do appearance
was evidence of this fact.
Bv noon we had become exhausted and so we des-
cended into a small oasis not far from the Nile bank. ~ ~
There we found shade and fresh water and made ar- _
rangements for a picnic meal. Before lunch, Moussa h
drew a circle in a patch of sand near by, a circle that :r_~
was then converted into a narrow trcnch. Mahmoud ~!1
~
~
MOUSSA THE SNAKE-CHARMER 12~
stood in its centre whilst Moussa performed his ritual
of incantation. Mahmoud then helped his father to open
the basket and to tip its contents into the centre of the
circle I have just described. It was a sinister experience
to watch what followed. Picture a writhing mass of
snakes, scorpions, tarantulas and other nameless but
venomous creatures as they tried to disentangle them-
selves from each other and to escape. Whenever one
or more of these reptiles reached the circumference of
the circle it seemed that some invisible agency prevented
passage into freedom. It was as if the shallow trench (no
real barrier to progress) was ~lled with liquid ~re.
Whilst Mahmoud sat upon his haunches, cleaning out
the basket, Moussa walked round and round the circle,
chanting and tapping with his stick. Suddenly the
writhing mass within became completely still as if in
a state of petriflcation. Each creature remained in the
exact posture that it had occupied the moment before.
No sign of life or movement could be observed. Leaving
the spot we returned to the oasis, lunched and enjoyed
a short siesta.
Before proceeding on our way back into the hills to
continue our search, I made a point of returnin~ to the
'magic circle'. Immobility remained complete, and when
we came back towards sunset the situation had not
changed. Meanwhile Mahmoud had obtained a large
sack into which he poured the contents of the basket
which contained the captures made during the after-
noon's activities. The basket, now being empty, was
placed upon the sand and Moussa repeated his previous
ritual, but on this occasion he walked round the cirde
anti-clockwise. Again the stick was tapped and at once
life came back, every creature within the cirde bursting
into violent movement. At a word from his father,
Mahmoud walked calmly into the circle and, using his
bare hands, gathered his 'flock' together and heaped
them into the baskct, whidl Moussa had opened and
1~ THE SILENT RO~D
was holdin~ in his hands. Father and son then left us to
convey bot~ the basket and the sack to their home some
distance away, and so ended an experience which for
me had proved unique.
No true charmer ever kills his captUres. If he did so,
his powers would cease. By the end of the day I have
described, the basket was ~lled with a writhing mass
of scorpions, tarantulas, hooded vipers and hissing
snakes. Eventually they would kill each other, but that
was no concern of Moussa's. He had broken no law of
a kind which he recognised as binding, and on produc-
tion of his basket and its contents his fee would be
assured. When, however, snakes captured in the way
described are dead and fees collected, I was told that
the charmer performs certain funeral rites before he
buries his captures deep in the sands within the sacred
valley. Evidently there is a kinship between the charmer
and the charmed.
Soon after sunset on the same day, Moussa, with the
innate courtesy of an Arab untainted by Western con-
tacts, conducted my companion and myself back across
the Nile to the door of our hotel at Luxor. He gave
us his blessing in the name of Sulieman the Great and
then accepted a fee for his time and services.
In the lounge of the hotel the same evening I met a
French doctor who turned out to be an authority on
poisons. He told me that in ancient times the profession
of snake-charming was regarded with reverence as a
holy occupation. He added the interesting information
that when the son of a recognised and traditional
charmer reached the age of seven, he would be inocu-
lated by his father with a combination of herbal
essences and poisons which would immunise the child
throughout his life from suffering any serious effects
from snake bites which would kill a normal person
instantly. One wonders whether the powers so evidently
possessed by Moussa and his trih~ cc!uld nnt he made
MOUSS~ THE SN~KE-CH~RMER 125
available for other uses? For in-sta-n-ce~ could not the
secret knowledge of these strange people be adapted
for the cure of malignant disease? I had intended to
put this quer,v to Moussa nimself before leaving for
Assuan the next day, but he was already on his rounds
when I sent a messenger to call him. We have not met
again.
It should be explained that no casual tourist would be
allowed to witness the spectade I have described.
Should he visit Upper Egypt, the aragoman at his hotel
would secure on request the service of a snake-charmer.
In the hotel courtyard or near at hand, such a visitor
would be shown some tricks performed with the use
of snakes that had been tamed and whose fangs had
been extracted. Nothing more.
In India it may be different, but in Upper Egypt
the rules are stringent. Genuine snake magicians belong
to a closed corporation among themselves. Probably a
secret Order exists which lays down the law. No alien
or unbeliever is allowed to witness an exhibition of the
kind with which I was allowed to take part. An affinity
of sympathy and understanding, which involves a
friendly relationship with the Arab mind, must be
reached before the door will open. Even then the
chances are that nothing very spectacular will follow.
I~s lS why I have described my own experiences in
so much detail.
CH APTER TH R EE
A Personal Note
I THINK THE time has come for me to explain
to those readers to whom I am unknown that ~ am
quite an ordinary person. Those who know me
fairly well may perhaps wonder at times why I am so
interested in the supernatural, but they are usually
too polite to show their curiosity. What I hnd so strange
is that the peo~le I meet never seem to have lived any-
where except m the foreground. They appear to have
no interesting background to their lives, with the result
that if I try to share an unusual experience with them,
one simila~ for instance to those that form a portion of
this book, they stare at me as if I were in some way
abnormal. This makes life difficult at times, because one
longs to compare notes with those to whom such or
similar incidents are familiar. Probably I have been
unlucky in this respect. I sometimes meet those who
tell me strange stories of events that have happened
to others but rarely can one track down these 'other
people'. Usually when one does the stories they tell
are not after all 'hrst hand' but have been related to
them by 'other people' still.
Let me add that on rare occasions, and in most
uneYpe~ted rlaces, I have met men and women remark-
A PERSONAL NOTE 127
able for their spiritual or mental qualities. Healers,
seers, prophets, sages, initiates from East and West.
All these have come my way and I am the better for the
privilege of having met and talked with them. However,
I have never contacted knowingly anyone with whom
I could exchange views in an intimate way, at the par-
ticular level at which I stand myself. This may be my
fault. The loneliness of life for one who differs from his
fellow men, in ways that are signi~cant and seemingly
important, can be very grievous.
There is one problem that has faced me ever since
I was a boy. It consists in the fact that I never know
for certain whether experiences which are of daily
occurrence to me are considered unusual to other
people of my time and age. What is no mystery to me
seems far too often completely pu~~ling to those to
whom such incidents are related. I cannot ~nd a way for
solving this particular prouem.
A relative of mine by marriage is a hmous mathe-
matician and astronomer. I admire his range of know-
ledge beyond measure and yet am completely baffled by
his mental outlook. Should he by chance read this book,
he in turn will, no doubt, be baffled by experiences
which to him will seem as mysterious as his are to me.
If we are wise we shall not dismiss each other's stand-
point out of hand. Rather should we try to look for a
place where our minds can meet. Meanwhile he would
no doubt be justified in assuring me that whereas his
level of thought and action were of benefit to his fellows,
the same could not be said for mine. I would hesitate
to claim anything in this respect, but it is a pity if such
experiences as come my way cannot be made of help
to others. T~is is a matter about which no one can judge
for himself, but if the motive is good and one strongly
desiKs to serve those who are in need, opportunities
are not too tar to seek.
I.~ THE SILENT ROAD
T~c Uscs ¿S Pr~vision
Often such an occasion presents itself without the
seeking. Not long ago a young man came to see me,
bringing an introduction from a mutual friend. He was
on the point of migrating to South Africa, and at our
friend's request I had promised to provide introductions
to people I knew in the Union and in Rhodesia. Since
leaving the Army this fellow told me he had been work-
ing as a bank clerk but that he saw no worth while
future there. He said he was leaving his wife and two
children in England and that they would join him as
soon as he had made good in Africa. After hearing
about his capacities and plans, I settled down to dictate
letters of introduction for him, which he promised to
pick up from my London office later in the day.
Whilst engaged on this task it was borne upon me,
beyond any doubt, that what I was doing was a waste
of time. It became clear that his present life was to be
cut short as the result of an accident and that I was
powerless to intervene. What therefore was I to say to
him when he returned later that day ? Who was respon-
sible for placing an embargo preventing me from
offering words of warning? But what warning could
I have given? The nature of the danger facing this
young man ~,vas not revealed and so I went on dictating.
When he called on me later on the same day I was en-
gaged, but my secretary sent in a message to the effect
that I was urgently required in the outer office. Apolo-
gis~ng for leaving the board meeting I was then attend-
in~, I went outside and found that the young man had
refused to leave until he had the opportunity to thank
me and to say goodbye. He told me he was due to sail
in a week's time. Had I anything more I would like to
say to him? On the spur of the moment I enquired
whether he had made his will and also whether he had
~ PERSON~L NOTE ll9
insured his life in the interest of his wife and hmily ?
He had done neither, but promised that he would do
both before sailing, even if he had to borrow money
for a solicitor's fee and to cover the ~rst premium Qn
adequate insurance. Then he went his way and I returned
to my meeting, sad to think that such a hne young life
was so near its earthly end. For the rest of the day an
interior refrain kept repeating itself: 'It is not for you
to interferewith the destinyof another.' (Years earlier the
same refrain had haunted me in connection with an inci-
dent in Rome, which is related elsewhere in this book.)
The sequel was as follows. In due course this man
boarded the steamer that was to take him to Gpe 'rown,
a freighter carrying a few passengers. Having said ~ood-
bye to his wife and children, and after they had left
for home, he found that he was short of tobacco and
cigarettes and returned on shore to buy them. On his
way back to the boat, so I was told later, he missed
his way among the dock sidings and was run over and
killed by a shunting en~ine. Fortunately his widow
was left reasonably provided for from the insurance.
There is no moral to this story. I wish there were.
How inhnitely preferable to have been allowed to avert
a tragedy rather than to be the means of providing for
the survivors I What is the value of prevision if it cannot
be put to better use than this ? ~he complete answer to
this question still evades me.
It is not unusual for people I know to ask me to look
forward in their lives and to tell them what I see. On
such occasions I am struck dumb. I can 'see' nothing
either for them or for myself. ~With thek curiosity un-
satished, such people are liable to go away with the
natural feeling that I am a weaver of strange and un-
likely tales--the product of 'imagination'. Who can
blame them ?
It is my conviction that we are not intended at our
present stage of development to peer into the future
.30 TH~ SILENT ROAD
for the purpose of tr,ving to foresee the character of
forthcoming events likely to affect oneself or other
people. 'Sufficient for the day' whether it be good or
ill, should, I think, remain our watchwords.
I never attempt ~on~~io~s~y to look into the future,
either for myself or for others. When tempted to do so
I dose my mind to the temptation and go my way.
The power of prevision can be dangerous and often
brings unhappiness. It is not easy, however, to evade
those 'spontaneous' glimpses which may take one
unawares. When these concern other people, I have
learnt to remain silent. Sometimes, however, fore-
knowledge of this kind has made it possible to offer useful
advice, but without disclosing the reason for doing so.
When a man comes to see me ~lled with depression
at his inability to solve a serious problem, I have oc-
casionally been allowed to 'see' how in the end that
problem will be solved. If it be right for me to inter-
vene meanwhile, I realise this right instinctively and
proceed to action. If the right is not there and yet I
insist on offering advice, the result is usually disastrous.
If asked what is meant by the word 'instinct' I am at a
loss for a satisfactory dehnition. I am not referring here
to bodily instincts, but to what might be termed that
intuitive facult,v which is possessed by all to a greater
or lesser extent. Whilst it sometimes happens that in-
tuition and reason take opposing views, it is usually
unwise to follow intuition blindly without first wei~hing
carefully the pros and cons. It is no more easy to define
'intuition' and to understand what it is than to do the
same ~vhere 'instinct' is concerned. We are still children
in such matters.
'Tell Her to be My Motbcr'
A lady came to see me to talk over a very intimate
problem. She told me that she longed for a child, but
~ PERSONAL NOTE ~31
her husband had no such desire. My immediate reaction
was to explain that no outsider should intervene in
such a matter. As I was speaking, a pleasant-looking
boy of about six appeared upon the scene and, pointing
to my visitor, said, 'Tell her to be my mother', to which
I replied, 'Go away and don't try any monkey tricks'. In
surprise the lady asked to whom I was speaking. I said
I was speaking to her, and, being annoyed, I added
rather unkindly that if she could not manage her hus-
band in a better way than she had described, she did not
deserve to have one. To soften the blow I said I was
sure all would be well, given a little patience and a ces-
sation of resentment. My visitor then left, but not before
leaving a five-pound note on the table. So soon as I
discovered this I had it returned immediately. Never in
my life have I accepted fees for the use of a faculty
which, however one may re~ard it, should be treated
with respect. It is not a facuIty to be sought (or sold)
or to be envied. Its use calls for great care and its avail-
ability brings immense responsibilities and the need for
discipline and trainin~.
The sequel to the above incident was the arrival of a
babygirla year later, happily welcomed by both parents.
The Problem of Evidence
Readers will naturally ask for tangible evidence to
prove that these stories are tme. How can one supply
outside evidence to support the tmth of interior experi-
ences ? I have no wish either to be believed or other-
wise. Some day we shall no doubt be endowed with
wider vision and understanding than is the case at
present. Many of the experiences that come my way
raise problems which cannot be solved easily. What does
it matter ? Beyond the duration and perplexities of time
Eternity stretches out into the In~nite. What is impor-
t~nt~ I think, is to avoid snap judgments based on in-
13~ THE SILE~NT ROAD
complete knowledge and to exercise patience whilst
keeping an open m~nd.
Once before I was visited by another little boy who
asked me to arrange for him to be born into a family
well known to me. When I told him to mind his own
business he replied that it ~var his business and that if
he could not arrive in this world through the parents
he desired then he would prefer to stay where he was.
As a matter of fact he di~ obtain his desire and some
years later I met and recognised him in the flesh. I have
no knowledge as to why a discarnate being, awaiting
to arrive in this world as a baby, should appear before-
hand in the form of a little boy. Why not as a grown
man or woman or in some other guise ?
Tbe Transience of Exisfence
A wise man whom I met many years ago in Damascus
assured me that our present state of existence is nothing
but a transient dream. When I told him about what may
be called my 'other-worldly' experiences he replied
that these were 'One degree nearer to reality', but still
fashioned from the texture of dreams. The search for
reality is indeed as elusive as the quest for the Holy
Grail, but by the very essence of our make-up the search
must ~o on. Truth in an absolute sense must be like
a jewel with a million facets, and no doubt there is a
separate doorway into Heaven for each one of us.
Perhaps, on the other hand, there may be only one door
into those nether regions which we shall probably be
fated to visit, if we decide to give up the search for
truth? These nether regions are very interesting. Many
invaluable lessons can be learnt by visiting them and
by talking to those who are compelled to reside there.
Such a visit can have more salutary results than the
effect of listening to a thousand sermons. I suppose no
one is quite free from his own per$nrlal hell~ here and
~ pFRsoNAL NOTE l~~
now, just as no one need be deprived of his own private
heaven. Mention of this subject reminds me of a curious
lncident.
An Expericn~e on tbe Orient Express
In the spring of I938 I happened to be travelling to
Constantinople on the Orient Express. I had taken a
copy of Dante's Inferno to read on the journey, and spent
some time in speculating on what manner of mind and
outlook Dante may have possessed. The train stopped
unexpectedly outside a wayside station in Bulgaria. On
looking out of the window I was surprised to see a
middle-aged man, handsome and well dressed, who was
walking along the railway embankment in the snow.
He looked down at me, nodded and smiled. The train
moved on and very shortly entered a long tunnel. For
some reason my carriage remained unlighted. When we
came out into daylight I was surprised to find that my
friend from the embankment was sitting in the opposite
corner of the carriage. Seeing the copy of Dante's
masterpiece on the seat beside me, he entered into a
most fascinating conversation about the problems of
heaven and hell and the enigma of our present state
of existence. My companion spoke with an impeccable
accent, but evidently he was not English. His clothes
and the slant of his mind suggested that he might well
be Hungarian. I only wish I had made notes at the time
of our very interesting conversation. When the Pullman
attendant announced dinner I invited my friendly
visitor to dine with me, to which he replied, surprisingly
that he did not eat food. Realising that I was face to
face with a mystery, I got up in some confusion and
went along the corridor to the dining car. On my re-
turn an hour later, my visitor had vanished. The train
had not stopped anywhere meanwhile. To this day I am
nol sure whether I had been talking to a 'visitant' or
134 THE SlLeNT ROAD
whether my very charming companion had in fact been
clothed in bodily form. There had been nothing to sug-
gest that the latter was not the case.
A few days later I was standing outside the door of
my compartment on the platform at Scutari on the
Bosphorus. My luggage was already in the train. Once
more my friend of the Orient Express appeared;
he was standing amon~st the crowd some distance
away, nodding his head vigorously. Taken aback, I
allowed the train to leave without me. Some time later
this train was involved in an accident about a hundred
and hfty kilometres up the line. Eventually I recovered
most of my luggage. Sc)me of it was bloodstained. By
then my anger at losin~ the train and my connections
had noticeably subsided. Evidently there are occasions
when external influences or intelligences can affect
one's life and destiny, but I think such occurrences are
very rare. On the other hand, I am satisfied we each
possess a benignant guide or guardian of our own,
whose services and counsel can be sought and found
through prayer when the need arises.
~4 Case of In~ervention
One such instance may be worth recording. When
Iying gravely wounded in the hills around Jerusalem
in December I917~ I prayed for guidance or that my
end might come. 'Someone' knelt down beside me and
gave me instmctions through which my safety was
ultimately to be assured. It may be of interest to give
the story in some detail, based on notes set down in
a Cairo hospital soon after the event in question.
Tbe Sa~ing Presence
It had been a sunny blue day and the scenery was
glufiou~. It was Sunday, I~ecember 2nd, I9I7~ a fort-
A PERSONAL NO~E 13~
night before the fall of Jerusalem to Allenby's armies.
We were ordered at 8 p.m. to start creeping up the hill
of Beit el Fokka a do~en miles north-west of the city
and almost overlooking its outskirts. The night was
dark; in places the boulders were almost insurmount-
able. We were able to advance only a few yards at a
time. The men (drawn from the Devon Yeomanry,
dismounted) were cheery, for they knew little of what
lay ahead; only the officers knew, and I for one was
satisfied that the enterprise was desperate. The summit
of the hill was but half a mile away, thou~h about five
hundred feet above us in actual height. WeTay down and
waited for the rising of the moon. Waiting under such
circumstances was not pleasant. The silence was broken
only by the cries of jackals.
Suddenly the moon rose across the hills, turning the
country into fairyland. We could see for miles, away
beyond the orange groves down to the plains and to the
sea. It was not long before we were discovered, for
there were Turkish snipers behind each ledge and
boulder and in the trees. Machine-guns were hidden
cleverly at the entrance to caves and ravines; high above
were the breastworks on the hill crest, then a bare
plateau without cover, and finally the rough walls of
an old Roman village on the summit. The first wave
of men began to creep forward. The force I com-
manded was in the second wave, and we followed on,
just a few yards every hve minutes.... In the distance
we heard a few stray shots, and then silence. Suddenly
chaos was let loose. Shrapnel burst over our heads-
machine-gun bullets rained down upon us and how
any men in the first wave escaped I cannot tell. The
moonlight was in our eyes; we could not fire back
accurately. Turkish guns two miles away on another
high ledge began to bombard us, and we could not
hear our own voices. Men began to fall; some crumpled
up wiLllout a cry, while others groaned in agony and
?36 THE SILENT ROAD
then lay still. ?l he hrst wave needed reinforcements, so
I took my men up into the front line, mnning and leaping
over and around the rocks, then falling flat to recover
breath....
Water was scarce in both armies, and we were
hghting for it--hghting for two wells in an old Roman
village on the hilltopl Bullets whistled past us, whi~~ed
through the air above. We reached the front line one
hundred and hfty feet below the hill-crest, hxed bay-
onets, and leapt forward on to the crouching Turks.
It was a terrible moment.... I do not give details
because as I jumped over the crest an interior form of
guidance began and I was lifted in consciousness above
the blood and hell around us. I gathered my men
together. The enemy, who had been driven temporarily
off the hilltop, swarmed up through the trees under
cover of machine-gun hre which raked the ledge on
which we lay. We tried vainly to hre over it and down
while we flattened ourselves out on the hard rock.
Suddenly a score of shrieking Turks jumped on to the
ledge, but they never went back. Hundreds were behind
them, led by officers dressed in British khaki, shouting
in quite good English 'Don't shoot I Don't shoot l'
Orders came not to advance, so we lay there, to be
~icked o~ one by one, our fire going too high and doing
ttle damage.
We could not dig in, for we lay on the bare rock.
Then Mills grenades were sent to us and we pitched
them over the ledge more or less blindly.... Someone
stood by me unseen, a guardian who seemed grave
and anxious. I knew my f'ate would be decided during
the next few minutes. I called for reinforcements, and
half stood up. There was a Turkish sniper in a hg-tree
just visible below but we could not move him. Wails
from the enemy camc from the woods below, but there
was silence on the ridge--those of us who had been
stmck were beyond pain.... I felt a sudden premonition
A PERSON~L NOTE 137
that a decision had been arrived at as to my own fate.
The sniper in the hK-tree hred. I fell on mv knees,
wounded. My sergeant came over to see where f was hit,
but fell dead across me, pinning me flat to the ground
on that bare bullet-swept ledge. I was bruised and
broken, bleeding freely, unable to move....
' The sun was rising in all its splendour across the
hills of Judah, and there was silence. With pain I raised
my head. It was a bitterly cold morning and there was
no sign of life around me. What could I do ? I longed for
another bullet, and just then ~ring began again. The
enemy swept over the hill, bayoneting the wounded,
stripping their bodies and throwing them into the wells
to contaminate the water. No one who showed signs
of life was spared. The protection of the sergeant's
body saved me from this ~nal indignity.
Then the unseen presence knelt and told me to lay
my head on the ground. I obeyed, and lay still. I heard
a whisper in my ear. The substance of the message was
that I was needed for some other work later on in life
and would not die just then however much I desired
to do so. The experience I was passing through would
be valuable, especially as a test of faith. The ridge on
which I lay could not be held. Had I remained un-
wounded, my duty would have kept me upon it until I
was killed.... Later, I heard that no one was left alive
there. My 'guide' had come to a decision how to get me
away safely. I was to be wounded. I was to lie still
for some time longer and make no effort to move whilst
my escape was arranged. I must 'obey implicity, faith-
fully'.
That is all I can remember now, except that the mes-
sage satisfied me. I just lay still and waited.... Probably
i an hour passed, and then I was 'told' to stir. I raised
myself and found that the sergeant's body and rifle
_~ _ had rolled off me and I was free. Beside me there lay
,-- a stt_ong hooked stick; I have no idea from whcnce it
.38 THE SILENT RO_/~D
came. With its help I drew myself into a position which
enabled me to crawl along the ground, though without
any clear sense of direction. Later, through the inter-
vention of the same 'guide' already referred to, I was
led to a cave where fresh water was available and ulti-
mately to a place of safety.
There is one point about this incident which perhaps
is worth recording. Whilst in hospital, the surgeon
in whose charge I was told me that the bullet had
passed right through my body without touching a
vital organ, without severing an artery or breaking any
bones, which fact he considered surprising to the point
of being miraculous.
Who decides when intervention of this kind shall be
allowed? Who arranges for an intervener to be avail-
able when needed? I have written earlier in this book
about the mystery of premonitions. Sometimes a pre-
monition of a very simple kind can lead to important
consequences.
The story has often been told of a conversation
between two young officers in Palestine on the eve
of battle. This particular experience took place the
night before the incident that I have just related. May
I quote the details here ?
The following extract is taken from a pamphlet
entitled Ro~Jnd tbe l~orld at Nine o'~lo~k.*
Tbe Origin of Jbe Silent Min~~te
During the ~ghting in the mountains around ]eru-
salem early in December I917, two British o~icers were
discussing the war and its probable aftermath. The
conversation took place in a billet on the hillside at the
~ Published by th~ Big Ben C-)uncil, Parliamen~ I~lansions,
Wes~mimter, "~~
London, S.W.I. ,~
A PERSONAL NOTE 139
mouth of a cave and on the eve of battle. One of the
two, a man of unusual character and vision, realisin
intuitively that his days on earth were to be shortened
summed up his outlook thus: 'I shall not come through
this struggle, like millions of other men in this war;
it will be still m~ destiny to go now. You will survive
and live to see a more tragic conflict fought out in
every continent and ocean and in the air. When that
time comes remember us. We shall long to play our
part wherever we may be. Give us the opportunity
to dO SO, ~or that war ~or us wlll be a rlghteous war.
We shall not hght with material weapons then, but we
can help you if you will let us. We shall be an unseen
but mighty army. Give us the chance to pull our weight.
You will still have "time" available as your servant.
Lend us a moment of it each day and throueh your
silence give us our opportunity. The power of silence
is greater than you know. When those tragic days
arrive, do not forget us.'
The above words are quoted from memory and are
not literally exact. Next day the speaker was killed
His companion W. T. P. was severely wounded and
left temporarily with the enemy, but managed to get
back to the British lines with an inescapable sense of
miraculous delivery.
It was then that the idea of a daily moment of united
prayer and silence was bom, now known as the Silent
Minute and signalled by the chiming and striking of
Big Ben at nine each evening.
- Is it not strange to think that a movement destined
to become so widespread should owe its birth to the
~remonitions of a single man as he prepared to take
eave of his life on earth ?
History has shown that on many occasions the fate
of the human race lla~ depended on incidents of a
~~O TH~_ SILE~NT ROAD
seemin~ly minor character. I suppose there is a moral
to be drawn from this undoubte~ fact. It is reasonable
to believe, for instance, that if Hitler's hvourite sooth-
sayer had not predicted victory for Germany, the
Second World War might never have occurred. Per-
haps it is more reasonable to suppose that the cumulative
forces behind any world event, or even behind the
happenings in men's lives, are responsible for bringing
about the hnal minor 'incident' through which the
powers of Destiny are unleashed ?
It may be that when the fate of kings and empires
appears to hang upon a single thread, that thread is
t~e instrument through which immense forces operate,
and in a way far beyond the range of human vision
To think otherwise would make the world picture I
WAS SITTING on the deck of a transport in the
lying before us at the present time an enigma beyond I
Eastern Mediterranean. It was at sunset on the
comprehension to those whose vision is restricted to I
--evening of November I sth, I9I7. The day had been
the lmmediate present. ! a
glorious one, marred only by an attempt made to
torpedo our ship during the afternoon. 'rhe sun went
down
in splendid radiance; the sea was still, stars
shone up above. There was silence everywhere. I sat
alone. Suddenly the night was filled with a tumultuous
sound of 'voices'. For a time I could distinguish nothing.
I
seemed to be surrounded by unseen presences striving,
striving, striving to make their voices heard and under-
stood. I could hear voices speaking many tongues: Eng-
lish, French, German, Russian, Italian and many Eastern
dialects. The confusion of the sound was great, but,
strangely enough, there arose abot~c the confusion an
Idea. The Idea was dothed in form, but to atternpt
description wo~ld prove impossible. I ga~ed long upon
the
Idea that StOOa before me, strivin~ to understand
its
purport. The Idea grew out of the babel of voices
that
surrounded me on every side, welling uD out of
the
sea, and through the air and from the sky. Gradually
the
voices died away, and then theform of an Idoa became
for
an instant m(lte distinct; then disappeared. In that
CH~PThR FOUR
' Voices'
~42 T~~E SlLENT ROAD
instant I gleaned some inkling of what it stood for,
and, taking out my notebook, I jotted down a record
of the meaning of those voices. A strange cry from
the night, herce and uncontrolled, sad, but clamour-
ously insistent:
'Our voices ntu~t be heard. Some day our voices will
be heard. No power can hold back from us the chance
to say that which awaits our utterance. What is it that
we have the need to say? Why should we not remain
silent whilst the world groans on in agony ? Our
message must be delivered, come what may, a mes-
sage that shall in some degree exprcss the ideas, the
ideals of a countless number of us, slain on the battle-
helds of Furope and elsewhere, slain needlessly, use-
lessly and as if unendingly. The great ones of the world
talk of the Wars that are to follow, as if human conflict
woul(l never cease. On this subject we have the right
to make our voices heard, voices that cannot be stilled
until our message has been given. Because our bodies
have been taken from us, snatched away when strengtl
and vigour were at their height, who dare deny to us thl
right to speak back across the river we have just crossed i
Who dare to erect barriers of unbelief, saying we are dea
and gone for ever ? Because a cruel fate has robbed us o
our earthly lives of usefulness, robbed us of our huma
birthright, hurled us across space into a strange and sol
emn land, this is no reason why we should not speak tha
which is in us, pass back our message into those region~
where chaos and carnage still mercilessly riot. We are o~
every race, our message is for every race, we know nc
barriers of colour, creed or sex. We claim our right to bt
heard above the din of earthly conflict. Againwe say, whc
dare deny us this ? Life itself cannot be taken from us
for God alone can give life and take it away. We hav~
been robbed not of life, but of the form in which w~
were expressin~ it. Our opportunities of service and
'VOICES' 14~
experience have been cut in two. Beyond again will
come a day of judgment. Beyond once more will come
a day of reparation and repentance. Then will dawn
the days of peace. Our bodies lie broken and buried
beneath a hundred battlehelds, but our souls live on,
we have triumphed over death in ways not yet apparent
even to ourselves. Listen to what we have to sav, for
have we not the right to speak our minds ? Is it f~or no
great end that we have been murdered wilfully? Who
are we who speak to you? By whose authority do we
speak? You wish to know? Then you shall hear:
I am a French soldier, I fought in many battles, was
wounded thrice, suffered unspeakably, was taken prisoner,
died a death of misery--cold, hungry, covered with disease.
Shall I tell you of the agony su~ered by my wife, my
children, my mother ? The story is too tragic in its holiness.
I dare not speak of it. What has the world gained through
the terrors of my life and death ? Tell me.
I am a Belgian girl. I died in the market square, naked
and alone. Can I never banish from my thought the horrors
of my last hours on earth? I was torn from my home,
stripped nakcd and thrown on the ground in the public
place. It was evening: I looked up to the quiet stars above
and longed for death. Death was so long in coming. I lay
upon the pathway of my Calvary all night--and longer
still. Can you picture what this means ? The enemy soldiers
had just come in that hrst and awful night. They were
drunk, they stood in jeering groups around me and used
my body for their sensual satisfaction. They brought my
mother, my father, my young sisters, and forced them to
watch my agony, my shame. Need I say more ? Death came
at last, at last, and I am here. Some day peace may come to
mc again, or, better still, oblivion. And I am only one of
countless many. Countless many. What has the world
gained through the terror of my life and death ? Tell me.
~
l~ THE SILENT ROAD
I was a Russian peasant, full of lusty youth, of lif~, of
hop~. A shell struck me; an arm was torn away. I remained
for hours upon the battleh~ld until I bled to death. I died
alon~, in mortal agony. I di~d alon~. Nothing can effac~
th~ m~mory. I can sp~ak but littl~ of th~ thoughts that wdl
within, but t~ll m~ this: What has th~ world or my country
gain~d through m~ ? What has become of me ?
I was in th~ Prussian Guard. I s~rv~d my fath~rland well
for n~arly three y~ars of war. Why should I not speak? I
s~~ my country writh~ in agony and still th~ danc~ of d~ath
go~s on and on. I mct my d~ath from E~nglish gas. For
two days I lay outside the parap~t slowly suffocating,
gasping my lif~ away in froth and blood. I sp~ak for
thousands of my countrym~n. Our voices bl~nd with those
who speak to you across th~ gulf. War must for ever
cease.
You know my voice of old. I can claim your fri~ndship
from the days I sp~nt on ~arth. You know my story well.
I was shot at sunset just outsid~ th~ lin~s in France. I died
quickly. What do d~tails matt~r? Suffici~nt that I am still
aliv~. My work h~r~ brings m~ into touch with the maimed
and weary on~s who dic on battl~fi~lds. Add my words to
those already spoken to you by other soldiers killed in
battle. We dare not think we died in vain.
'Who are we to speak to you? Our voices blend,
our message is the same, yet, as we have already told
you, we belong to every race, we no longcr hght among
ourselves. We only strive to speak, to give our message,
to make our influence felt and understood. To give
our individual stories would be to tell unending
tragcdies of war; to tcll of vilcst passions hideous
'VOICES' l~s
cdmes, lusts unending, evils unspeakable, callcd into
being by the trumpets of the conflict. For us, all this
is over. We have not returned to speak of what has
been, but to speak of what shall be--what must be,
if the race is not to be swallowed up for ever in the dark-
ness of unending night. We claim the right to give
our message; we command attention. Mark wel~ our
words.... We dare not rest while wars continue.
There can be no blissful heaven for any one of us
while the anguish of the battlehelds remains. We tell
you this. We work that wars shall end for ever. There
are millions of us now. We work in bands, in councils,
in communities. We are behind the people's cry for
peace in every land. We strive in Russia that the people's
voice be heard. In every conflict we are the~e to urge
our cause. Think you we have no power? Our power
grows and in time will become greater than any power
the war lords of the world can raise against us.
'We inspire many who know not of our presence.
We stand behind kings. We sit in council halls. We walk
at noonday in the market places of the world. We are
never absent from the battlefields. We move in and
out of the minds of the great ones of the earth, and all,
unknowingly, they fear us. We sit beside priests and
ministers in their private hours. When they descend
from pulpits, having preached of righteous war, we
give them war within themselves instead of peace.
We dog the footsteps of all who dare to take the name
of God in vain. They cry to Him forsooth for victory
for this or that material cause. They cry in vain. God is
not near such men and will not help them.
'We sit beside our soldier pals in trench and bivouac
and hut. They know us not, but all unconsciously
they feel our presence and our thoughts. War must
for ever ceasel Our powers will grow apace. The timc
will come ~ en we shall bring mortal fear into thc
146 THE SIL~NT ROAD
hearts of all who dare to stand before our way. We
strive, oh, bo~ we strive, to make our voices heard
above the mortal din. No mundane power can hold
us back. We will be heard. We arepurposeful, hercely un-
relenting, strong in our demands, united in our strength.
'No man dare tell us we have died in vain. No man
dare stand between us and the purpose we are pledged
to carry through.
'Our message is to all. Hearken before it be too late.
We would avert a chaos beyond words menacing.
Listen to our words I A people's peace, a soldiers'
peace, a peace such as a child would make--that is the
peace that must be made.
'There must needs be renunciation, sacri~ce, peni-
tence from all. We see signs, we see blessed signs upon
the dim, the very dim, horizon. Meanwhile we cannot
rest and would not. Tell the commol~ people of the
world, the simple souls, those who su~er silently in
trenches or elsewhere, the quiet and steadfast men and
women who watch and wait and pray. Tell them that
we are with them. We dare not watch, we work. We
dare not wait, we act. We cannot pray. We yearn for
the day when we can kneel before our God once more
and tell Him that the great purpose to which we have
bent our very selves has been won--achieved, accomp-
lished. You who fight in war! Soon you will hear the
voices of us who hght for peace: who fight across the
veil; who hght the long night through.
'One word more. A lesson we hnd hard to learn, a
lesson all must heed. Peace comes to those who are at
peace within. Such inner peace is worth a thousand
victories on the outer battlehelds of life. Be q,uietl
Listen for that inner voicel The still, small volce--
obey it I Never act without its mandate first. Purify the
sanctuary within your soul, that the Christ may walk
therein. Bar not the gates. The Christ awaits without.
'VOICES' ?47
He is calling everywhere. Above the deafening noise
of battlehelds we hear His Voice. His Message is greater
than any we can give. Listen for that still, small voice.
Live with it, hearken to it, and all will yet be well. We
have spoken. We can say no more. I~ere is nothing
more to sayl'
I have rccorded above a message that has comc down from thc First
World
War. As a footnote I should like to add what follows in thc words
of a lloldkr
who is still on earth and who is still suffering from the dark
agonies of the
Sccond World War.
I met him some ycars ago whilst on my travels and havo since done
what lay
in my power to help him to for~t the past and to facc forward into
tho future
with hope and coura~r. I givc hus own words, in translation, to thc
bcst of my
ability. He shall remaun anonymouc and it matterY littk on which
side hc fought
because what he has to say transcends thc barriers of nadon, racc
or creed
The message of his cxperience is for us all and its implications
can only be
dismissed at our peril, whoevcr wc may be.
~lere is a mmmary of what he told mc, haltingl,v and from the
dcpths of
great suffering and distr~.
In 1939 I was siill at school, strong, happy, ~lled with
the joy of living. When the war started I was nearing my
eighLeenth year, preparing to go on to a university to
complete my training to become a lawyer. I came of a well-
to-do family and had been brought up in an atmosphere of
culture and great comfort. I was an only son and my future
looked bright indeed. In those days I felt on the top of the
world. Now I am in the abyss, and cannot escape &om the
black memories of the war years and what they did
to me.
I was called up in the autumn of 1939 and drafted almost
at once into a unit of a special kind to be trained for
service in a branch of the Army equivalent to what has
- since become known to some as Comrnandos or Shock
troops.
There were about two hundred of us at that time and at
that place and our instmctors were men of brutality be-
- yond description. I hav~often wondered since how any
~
what we were called upon to endme and to c:ur~
tne name or patrlotism . Our training had but one end in
6--TSR
~~8 THE~ SILENT RO~D
view, narnely to teach us the best methods for using our
bodies and our hands to murder other men silently and with
speed.
We were not allowed to practise with any weapons
except the knife, but we were told that the knife was only
for self-defence and that our hands alone were to be our
main weapon of attack.
r Long before I went on active service all light had gone
out of my life and all hope for the future. I had become
simply a machine for murder, cruelly dominated to a point
~,~ where freewill and the sense of personality had disappeared.
There were occasions during our training when we
were shown how to creep up silently behind sentinels and
watch-guards to take them unawares and to extinguish life
by throttling. We were even shown examples.
I lived through the whole war as in a nightmare and am
only sorry now that I did not finish myself by comrnitting
suicide. Our activities ranged through several theatres of
conflict in Europe and in Africa and our work was carried
out to a large e~~tent behind the enemy lines. In the ent
I was one of five out of our original number who remained
unscathed and still alive.
Yes, I have murdered men, often in cold blood and with-
out the 'solace' resulting from the heat of battle. My hands
can never be clean again. Many times all that was kft of
my better self stood up before me and cried 'Don't do it--
don't do it'. To my unutterable shame and on each such
occasion I did it, I did it. When at long last I was dis-
charged and returned home I felt an outcast, quite in-
capable of picking up the threads of my existence as a man.
I have become a stranger to my own kin and am now a
wanderer and alone.
The girl I loved so dearly has never ceased to wait
for me, but I dare not marry, nor have I the right to
bring children into this world or to hear myself called
'Fathcr'.
Hclp me if you can, lest I losc what measure of sanity
still remains, help me to forgive and to forget and to pray
ceaselessly for those whom I have killed in the cause of
'Cllristian patriotism~ (~or God and country).
'VOIC~3S' 1~~9
I have only one dcsire left, that my story and my c~a,mple
may stir the conscience of mankind so that all who prepare
for further wars and who train future gcnerations in the
art of murder may bc driven for ever from power in the
councils of the pople and expclled from the governments
of all nations.
CHAPTE;R FIVF.
Tbe Problem of Survival
SINCE THE TURN of the century, and especially
so following the I9I4-I9I8 upheaval, interest in
questions involvinE~ human survival and the con-
ditions to be expected after 'death' has quickened.
Before the Reformation, Christians rarely queried the
possibility that life for the individual might end with
the dissolution of the body. It is difficult to understand
why anxiety on this subject should have become so
widespread in recent times. Prayers for those who are no
longer with us are rarely heard in Protestant churches.
Prayers for the sick are still a feature of the services
in many churches. One often hears the remark: 'Do you
know that Mr. X is being prayed for in church ? He must
be dying.' When death does occur, the prayers usually
cease. Sometimes when reference is made to the
Christian Fathers, or to the saints, it is suggested by
inference that they may still be alive 'behind the veil',
but our religious leaders rarely seem able to give
clear guidance about the after life of a kind that will
bring solace and understanding to the bereaved. How
strange it is that Communists and those who believe with
them that our personal lives have no future before them
seem in no way perturbed by this terrifying thou~ht.
THE PROBLEM OF SURVIV~L ISI
On the other hand, the fear of 'death' is very pre-
valent among many who profess and call themse~ves
Christians. This subject interests me very much because
clergy and ministers who have sought my views often
flnd it difficult to give satisfying and illuminating
guidance to those who seek their help. It may be that
one result of this unhappy state of af~airs is the fact
that the modern Spiritualist movement has established
itS own church organisations and has attracted numbers
of Christian people away from the orthodox church
communities. I have found that many clergy are as
anxious for enlightenment on this important subject as
those whom they serve as spiritual advisers.
It is my hope that the relation of a few of my own
other-worldly' experiences may prove of some service
in widening the hori~ons of those who are perplexed
and who hnd that the teaching of the Churches as a
whole does not satisfy their needs or alleviate their
fears of what the future may hold in store for them.
The majority of people I meet do not credit the possi-
bility that anyone can leave his earthly body until
'death' brings this release. A minority has begun to
realise that during sleep, and sometimes on other
occasions, a man can function consciously on a dil~erent
level of being whilst his body remains quiescent. It is
not easy for me to understand why this possibility is
frowned upon by many religious leaders and why the
very idea is regarded as non-Christian and therefore
repugnant. In such a vital matter one can only speak
from ~ersonal experience.
To say that I am as much at home when 'absent from
my body' as I am when imprisoned in the flesh may now
have become apparent to readers of this book. I do not
deny the fact that discipline and long training are essen
tial before the novice should attempt to leave his body
~drudriing wdakbngdhours. During sleep, however, when the
o y are relaxed, supernatural experiences
If2 TH~ SIL}~NT RO~D
are far more common than is generally supposed. It is
here that the faculty of memory seems to be at fault.
The brain, for reasons of its own, hates to recognise
the possibility that the mind can operate ~on~cio~~y with-
out using the brain as its instrument for the purpose.
This may well be one of the reasons why the memory
of such experiences is so often cut off at the moment of
waking from sleep. The brain strives to dominate
the mental and physical processes of man to the exclu-
sion of any other agency. We have come to regard it
as our master and not as our servant. I have tried to
deal with this problem in a booklet entitled Tbe Mind
Sct Frce.* I believe that most people still consider that
the brain is the sole medium through which thought
can be expressed. How can they explain the fact that
enlightenment often comes when the brain is still
and that it is only after such enlightenment has been
realised interiorly that the brain is called upon to
transmit the fruits of such enlightenment to the external
senses ?
To return to the central question, one that is constantly
being put to me in the fol~owing terms: 'What tangible
evidence or scientific proof exists for believing that I
as an individual continue to exist when my body is no
more?' 'How can I be sure that the survival of my
human personality, if indeed it be tme that it does sur- ~ ,-
vive, is not temporary and that there is no danger of
my being absorbed into the great unknown, or extin-
guished alto~ether?' ;~-
In view o~ the wealth of religious and psychic liter- ~?~
ature now available, it is surprising that such questions
should continue to be posed seriously and with such
evident anxiety even by those who call themselves
Christians. Christ made it abundantly clear that the
Creator's greatest gift to man was the gift of eternal
life, but His words seem to carry little weight in the
~ J. M. W~ticin~, London. ; f
TH~ PROBLEM OI7 SURVIV~L IS3
modern world. If we are all destined to be absorbcd
in a common vacuum, then the Divine promise of
eternal life becomes a mockery.
It is difficult for me to treat these doubts about
human survival seriously. The first step in the directio~
of sol~ing this problem is, to my way of thinking, the
need to make a drastic change in our conception of
'Time'. Time as we know it is a man-made system for
measuring the duration of material events. Its usefulness
ceases when we pass from three-dimensional conditions
into wider spheres of consciousness. The mind and
spirit of man need not be conhned within Time's prison
house, even while we are still on earth. It is here again
that the brain tries to dominate the activities of man
Time, as we know it, is unable to extend its t~ranny
beyond the world of matter. So long as we believe
that it can do so the meaning of eternity will elude us.
Timc and Timelcssness
When one stands erect and free from mortal trammels
time at once loses its power of domination and the
brain can no longer act as master. When such freedom
has been achieved, the meaning and reality of eternal
life becomes apparent. I cannot expect you to believe
this until you yourself have experienced personally
the freedom of which I speak. If this means waiting
until you 'die', well, no great matter. Whether we recog-
nise it or not, we are everlastingly alive in the eternal
NOW. As this tmth dawns it will be found that most
of our problems have ceased to exist.
Meanwhile it should be realised that the laws of
physics cannot be applied to metaphysics or to the
realms of mind and spirit.
No terrestrial yardstick is capable of measuring the
measureless.
For this reason Llle ~alue of the experiences related
'S4 Tl{E SILENT ROAD
in this book cannot be assessed scientihcally. The evi-
dence they contain must be looked for within the
experiences themselves. External conhrmation lies
beyond the range of possibility. ~s has been said before,
this is why those who demand 'scientihc proof' of sur-
vival are doomed to disappointment.
CH~P rER SIX
Seven ~acets of the Mind
~
~
~
I HAVE BEEN driven to the conclusion that the
human brain is incapable of registering clearly any
idea which cannot be expressed in writing or in
speech. We are now entering a region of ideas for which
no words have yet been invented. This is why the brain
can be of little service in this context.
I am prepared to be challen~ed as to the truth of
this statement--indeed, I should be interested to hear
what alternative and satisfactory theory can be put
forward in its place.
If, however, you accept my thesis, then it will be
realised that what follows can only be expected to
reveal a faint glimmer of signihcance to those readers
who rely upon the brain as the sole source of enlighten-
ment.
I have spoken earlier about four distinct faculties
possessed by the mind of individual man, viewed from
the standpoint of his present existence. For purposes
of convenience these faculties have been labened with
the first four letters of the alphabet. Facultv A could be
described as belongin~to that portion of the mind
which functiolls tht~ gl~ tain and i~ ~~o o~ber ~~y.
~56 THE SILENT ROAD
This fawlty or, if you prefer the term, this facet of the
mind is concerned exclusively with events and activities
taking place within the conhnes of the world of matter.
It will be objected that no part of the mind can be
con~ned solely within the closed circuit of three-
dimensional conditions. This is no doubt correct,
nevertheless I insist that my faculty A cannot manifest
or operate without the co-operation of the brain. The
daily actions and affairs of most people are dominated
by this faculty.
It is probable that many of us are unaware of the
existence of any other facet of mind or consciousness
than the one described above. So much for A.
If it has proved difficult to define A, how impossible
it is to ~nd words that could give an accurate des-
cription of B and Cl We can, however, start by saying
that neithe~e two is dependent upon the brain
for the ful~lment of its functions. These functions are
carried on in regions of four dimensions where the
barriers of time and space are non-extstent. It is only our
faculty A that cannot transcend these barriers, beyond
which it would appear to remain completely dormant.
I have already mentioned the way in which the ego
can employ mental processes, involving two levels of
vision simultaneously, the level of a participant and
that of an outside observer. For convenience sake I
use the letter B to represent the activities of the
~nt, and~e letter C to represent those o~e
observcr or the watcher. Already we are in deep water,
being in a regi~n where the use of words may obscure
the issues rather than help to clarify them. However,
let us struggle on.
Perhaps an illustration of how B and C can work
togethe~ may prove helpful. In a book called Thc Upper
Room* I have described a visit to a house in Jerusalem
~ T~ Upp~ Room. Publisbcd by thc Ch~licc Wdl Trust, Gl~tonburr,
5~ froc. ~ho obt in~blc from Nc~illc Spllrman Ltd.~
a ~;n~
to. pa~~~c~~~
c olose4~e~
~
SEVEN F~CETS OF THE MIND 157
where the Last Supper ~vas held. This visit resultet
from a revival of memory enabling this glimpse from
the past to be recollected and re-lived. Faculty A was
not employed because my body and my brain were not
present on that occasion, but 'I' was there. 'rhrough the
use of faculty B I was able to visit the house in question
and to note in detail, amongst much else, the furnishings
of the Table andthe Upper Roomitself. I could exchange
views with my companion and with the good man of
the house, and I could also record such views. To do so,
it was necessary to call faculty D (memory) into action.
Meanwhile, however, my faculty C was ablc to act as
an observer of the scene, not only so, but to extend th~
range of my and its awareness to places outside the
house, to visit a donkey in its shed, to note that the
household well in the back courtyard was nearly dry
and so on. I presume to think, subject to correction,
that without the agency of D (memory) neither B nor
C could operate in any manner comprehensible to
one's reasoning powers. Perhaps I should add that th~
use of reason and intuition, to a greater or lesser extent,
can and usually is employed in connection with all
four faculties, in accordance with the individual needs
of each of them.
On re-reading what has just been written, I doubt
whether the reader will have any conception of what I
am tr~ing to explainl You have been warned already
that no ~vords have yet been invented which can ~iv~
a clear picture of the meaning and activities of B and C.
But deeper waters still flow ahead. It is believed, and
with some tn~th I feel, that the mind available to each
one of us contains seven separate faculties in all. If we
use the simlle of a six-pointed star, then it can be said
that tllree points of this star radiate upward, and three
radiate in a downward direction.~These three down-
ward radiations correspond to our A, B, and C.
158 THE SILE~NT ROAD
D (memory) operates as the essential intermediary be-
tween the upper and lower sections of the star.
For convenience, let us refer to the three 'upward'
radiations as~F and C~. These three are somet~mes
~as the servants of the spirit of the mind,
whereas A, B and C can be regarded as the servants of
the body of the mind, with faculty D as the link be-
tween the conscious and the (so called) unconscious
facets of the mind.
E, F and G function in regions so far above our
present ken that, for all practical purposes, even their
existence is unknown to us at the point of evolution at
which we now stand. This is a dangerous generalisation,
but let it pass. Now, in spite of what has iust been said,
it is, I believe, correct to assert that as the mind as a
whole is a sum total of its parts, there can be no rigid
barrier between these parts, which no doubt are capable
of influencing one another and co-operating when the
need arises. If this sounds nonsense it is only because
I cannot t;nd words that will embody clearly the ideas
I am trying to express. For the same reason, it would
be useless to attempt to describe the attributes of facul-
ties E, F and G or to give you an idea of what their
functions are in relation to A, B and C.
All that can be usefully said is that these three higher
faculties of the mind are not concerned with the acti-
vities of man within the limitations of time, space and
form (matter). Beyond the immeasurable furlness of
time, eternity extends into the infinite, a conception
that is incomprehensible to us at present. The experlence
of the mystic may touch the fringe of inhnitude through
the use of the three higher mental faculties (E, F and
G) which I have ventured to describe as being the ser-
vants of the spirit of the mind.
I have made no attempt to include in this book
experiences that have come my way at this high cos-
evel. NO userul purpose lS serve~ in my view ~y
SEVEN Fl~CETS o~ THE MIND 1~9
trying to describe the indescribable. In this field, how-
ever, I can warmly recommend the writings of Dr.
Raynor C. Johnson, whose book, Wat~b~r on t~c Hill~*
contains a valuable summary of the mysticarexperiences
of men and women in modern times with interesting
references to the teaching of the great mystics of the past.
To return to our central theme perhaps an analogy
can be drawn in one respect between the working of
the bodily organs and the activities associated with the
various segments of the mind. Such an analogy should
not be stretched too far; in fact I am by no means sure
that it should be used at all. In a certain sense each
organ of the body is a unit within itself. rhis unit pos-
sesses sufl~cient instinctive intelligence to perform its
functions and to respond to messages which it may
receive from the brain through the avenues of the nerves
and blood. The poise and health of the whole body
depends upon harmonious co-ordination and co-
operation between all its organs. For the purpose of
the picture we must postulate that the human 'I' that
is in control is centred within the brain. Tn a similar
manner, each of the seven segments of the mind pos-
sesses an intelligent capacity of its own. These seven
parts can be regarded as the organs of the mind and
perform their separate duties in a way that is similar
to the organs of the body. The 'I' that is in control
dwells at the centre of his universe just as the bodily
'I' is situated within the brain. This 'I' is the spirit of
tl~ man. God-created, it is eternal in bein~ and indes-
tmctible in essence. This 'I' clothes itself in various
forms and conditions, which change from time to time
in accordance with the needs of the occasion. Durin~ its
career (if one can use such an inadequate expresslon)
in the so-called worlds of phenomena, it may circulate
in and through seven distinct spheres of manifestation
~ Hoddcr ~c Stoughton, London.
160 Tl-lE SILENT ROAD
and 'life'. Ultimately and at a point far beyond human
calculation, this 'I' returns to its Creator, perfect, and
enriched by e~periences that have occupied a 'period'
of quite immeasurable 'duration'. That is the picture
I put before my readers. It is for them to decide whether
it contains for them an element of truth.
I shall be asked what useful purpose can be served by
putting forward metaphysical speculations of this kind ?
I have two reasons for doing so. Firstly, to stimulate
thinking beyond the present range of our horizons.
Good may result therefrom. Secondly, to throw out
clues which, if they can be perceived, may help the
//
reader to understand more dearly the conditions
through which the experiences related elsewhere in this
/
book could happen and the mental agencies employed
for recording and explaining them.
lr~ I ~.
When the brain and body die, faculty A becomes
quiescent in the same way that, for the majority of
people, B and C appear to remain inactive during life
on earth. Faculty D (memory) acts as a permanent link
between A, B and C, although after the death of the
body its methods of operation change in order to con-
form with the conditions resulting from the transfer I
~ _ --
of activity from A to B and C. Without the gift of ~2
~~ j ,~ ,~,
memory, life on any plane of being would have little J
'~
meaning. It is the function of memory to guide and
ensure our progress and our growth as we pass forward
and onward from one state of consciousness to the
A
next, in a sequence both orderly and divinely planned.
It is for this reason that,.as I have already said, your life
~ MinJd actioJn thro~h the bnin
and mine would possess no meaning memory were _
B. Mind ~ un~een P~rticip~nt.
non-existent. ~is faculty acts as the medium through 3
C. Mind a~ un~een Obser~er.
which in due course all the other six faculties men- -
D. Memorr~~integr~dnglinlc.
tioned will become fully integrated as man regains his
Thb ~ rf~~loftb ~
freedom and progresses towards perfection. 'God is ~
E. Mind on th~ Ray of Seer~hip.
good and man is created in His image and likeness.' 7
~~F. Mind ~~ h~~kr~nd T~~~her
In the etemal sens~ this st~~t~ment clf a fundament~ ~
G- MindinCo'rununion~ithit~ Source(God).
SEVEN FACETS OF THE MIND l6r
tmth must surely be accepted, as applying to the spirit
of man and not to the for_rns he inhabits temporarily
either on earth or in any other world of phenomena.
F
'"\~
b. /ow~ fo ~ oJ ~h ~ri~.
A. Mind action thrnllgh ?h~ h~,~jn.
B. Mind ~ unseen P~rticip~nt.
C. Mind a~ Unceen Ob ~
~1,"''
,, D
~3 The ~go or ~pirit of m n dothed in the g~ment of hh oul.
THE~ LUR~ OF ~NCIENT E~GYPT 163
important astrological landmark, one that was intended
to give prophetic ~uidance to seers and occultists
throughout the world.
There it stands, in gigantic symmetry towering up out
of the desert sands towards the sky. Its proportions are
SO perfect that one only becomes gradually aware of
its immense height and girth. There is something mag-
netic about this monument, a strange influence pours
forth from it. Students of the mysteries tried to explain
T~e Lure of An~ient E8ypt ~ the symbolic signi~Cance
of the Great Pyramid and
have failed in the
attempt. As we stand within the King's
Chamberl inhalin~ an
'atmosphere' that is nearly ~ve
thousand years o_d, I
become almost petri~ed by the
silence of the centuries.
Outside the world moves on.
Life roars on, without
interval for rest or stillness. Here
there is no movement.
Centuries have come and gone,
- leaving no evidence of
their passage within this hidden
chamber. Five thousand
years of time--five thousand
yearsl The span of a
single human life, what is it?
Within these walls it
seems as nothing. Civilisations,
wars, human hopes and
fears, life and death, all these
shrink into
insignificance. Yet nothing seems to take
their place. One feels
detached from the world of men
- and things, detached even
from oneself, standing inert
within a vacuum.
Thousands visit the Great Pyramid
each year, millions have
been drawn into the desert
since it hrst came into
being, drawn by a strange and
irresistible fascination.
Can it be that this vacuum within
,' an empty tomb has the
power to cast a magic spell upon
the restless souls of men
? As I stand ga~in~ down into
the empty sarcophagus of
Cheops, words from Laotzu
? come to my mind: 'Thirty
spokes surround one wheeL
The usefulness of the
wheel is alwa~s in its emp~y
-, mnermost. You fashion
clay to make a bowl. the useful-
- ness of that bowl is
always in itS empty innermost.
You cut out doors and..
w.i~ows to make,a hQIlse;
uleir usen~ln~~~ t~ se iS
a~w,ays in their empty
CH~PTER SEVEN
'For tbe King's House in tbc Desert'
The Pyramid~ and th~ Sphinx Re~isited
(Written in 1917)
I HAVE JUST enjoyed a most interesting experience.
I have revisited the Ghizeh pyramids and the ruined
temples surrounding them, piloted by Malaby
Firth, the well-known Egyptologist. He was in charge
of the excavations undertaken in I906 by the Harvard
University authorities which resulted in the discovery
of the mins of the Upper Temple of the third
pyramid.
We flrst explored the Great Pyramid of the Pharaoh
Cheops, the rargest and the oldest of the three, com-
pleted about 2900 B.C. This is said to be the most im-
posing stone edifice in the world that is still extant. At
the very centre of this pyramid, in the King's Chamber,
we examined the stone sarcophagus that once contained
the mummy of Cheops, known in ancient times as the
Pharaoh Khufu. ~at this vast building which has
exercised such an immense influence upon the imagina-
tion of the race for nearly five thousand years should
have been built solely to become a tomb seems most
unlikely. Its orientation and measurements suggest that
it u~as also erected for the purpose of becoming an
64 THE~ SIL~NT ROAD
Therefore proht comes from external form, but
use u ness comes from the empty innermost!'
- What usefulness, I wonder, can come from the
'empty innermost' within this great pyramid, standing
in the central desert of the earth?
There is no feeling of sanctity within this tomb,
simply the sensation of complete emptiness. I remem-
bered Private Dowding's words: 'Empty yourself of
self if you would be filled', and begin to understand
their meaning.
Should we make pilgrimage to the desert and pene-
trate to the empty centre of this monument that we may
learn to understand the true signif;cance of silence?
Certainly when standing there one feels the uselessness
of much that we call the activities of 'life'. Should one
come here to pierce the veil between the world of
illusion and the world of tmth? The candle has gone
out and we are plunged in darkness. I grope my way
along the wall, seeking escape both from my thoughts
and from this tomb....
And now we are outside again, bathed in the strong
Egyptian sunlight.
I sit down on the hot yellow sand, exhausted by the
long scramble throu,gh narrow and steep passages. We
put on our coats and shoes and gaze away towards the
river and the busy city beyond. It is as if the world
were once more closing in around us, clamouring for
our attention, reminding us that we are still subject to
the phantasies of external living. Strange sensations
are still surging through me. I feel as if the whole
world--my whole world--had been standing still,
while I lived back throu~h five thousand years in the
silent tomb we had just ~eft. And now the machinery
of life is again in motion. I am whirled back into the
midst of noisy movements and events.
Surely these can never stir me to fear again, or to
passion or tumultuous action? I sit gazing across the
THE LURE 01' ANCIENT EGYPT 165
desert away towards a far-off mirage, wondering how
far I have correctly caught the meaning of this majestic
monument.
We move on towards the second pyramid, slightly
smaller than the hrst, built by Chephren (known as the
Pharaoh Khafra) some seventy years later than the
Pyramid of Cheops. It is less impressive, built of
inferior stone, and shnws slgns of dilapidation. We do
not go inside, but pass on until we stand before the
third (and smallest) of the Ghi~eh pyramids, completed
about 2800 B.C. as the tomb of Mycerinus, son of
Khafra, grandson of the Great Cheops. On its eastern
side the sand slopes away towards the Nile and it is
here that the ruins of the temple, known as the Upper
Temple of the Mycerinus Pyramid, were unearthed in
I906. Malaby Firth is now completely in his element.
We spend much time in examining all that is left of
what must once have been an impressive building. Each
of the three pyramids is said to have had two temples
attached, called the Upper Temple and the Valley
Temple, but the sand has swallowed nearly everything.
I stand spellbound before an enormous block of red
granite weighing at least one hundred tons. These blocks
were originally intended for 'facing' the lower slopes
of the pyramids themselves. While examining this stone,
I notice a neat inscription in red paint across one of its
corners. So clear cut and fresh is this inscription that
it might have been written yesterday. Firth stoops down
and reads it fot me. Simply these words: 'For the
King's House in the Desert.' Probably a foreman at the
Asswed quarries, over six hundred miles away, had
labelled the stone thus some hve thousand years ago
'For the King's House in the Desert' I In those days
there was only one king and one king's desert house,
and so the stone could not go astray while it journeyed
many hundreds of nliles do~ll Llle Nile on rafts.
~66 THE~ SIL~NT RO~D
Somehow this intimate human touch seems to bridge
the centuries as in a lightning flash. In the King's
Chamber of the Great Pyramid time had unrolled its
way backwards, slowly, with halting ponderous steps.
Out here in the sun, standing before this block of
granite, ga~ing at a simple inscription, I felt immediately
in touch with that quarry foreman as he bent down to
label this great stone so that it should find its wav
safely to its ri~htful destination.
Why should we not each have a 'King's House' within
the central desert of our being; a sanctuary where we
could retire from storm and stress, where in the central
stillness we could gain poise and strength and renew our
faith? Perhaps after aII I am only now beginning to
understand the lesson of the pyramids I
We walk down a temple avenue towards the Sphinx.
I notice that the floor is paved with slabs of ala~aster.
We pass out of the ruins and plod along across the
sand.
The Sphinx is now in sight. As we approach it from
behind, it looks like a giant mushroom throwing strange
shadows across the ground. The sun is setting and the
sands are empty. Here is a mystery indeed. I will not
attempt to describe the indescribable. I'he Sphinx
can be delineated as to its form and shape, but who can
pottray the thoughts and ideas that brought this creation
into being? We pass on to the Temple of The Sphinx
(also known as the Valley Temple of the second
pyramid) and then turn round and sit down upon the
sand. I will not speak of the Sphinx just now. I have
often seen it before and I shall see it many times again.
I will spend a night some time within the magic circle
of its influence--a moonlight night. Then perhaps shall
I feel able to speak out the thoughts that come to me.
At present I am dumb before this mystery. I am still
learning the lesson that is eternally waiting within the
King's Chamber of the Great Pyramid to tcach itsclf unto
THE LUR~ OF l~NCIENT EGYPT 167
the minds of men: Silence, Stillness, Sanctuary; then the
~
From the silence of time, time's silence borrow.
In the heart of today is the WORD of tomorrow.
The Builders of JOY are the children of sorrow.
Why should that triad of William Sharp's (written
on an envelope and given to my sister at St. Bride's
Well, Glastonbury, England, in I908) refuse to leave
my mind alone at such a moment ? Have these great and
most ancient monuments still some message for the
future, waiting to be revealed? The world iS certainly
peopled with the children of sorrow. Are the Builders
of ]oy truly those who have learnt to become unselfed
who spend much time in their own King's Chamber in
the desert ? 'Proht comes from external form, but use-
fulness from the empty innermost'. This is the final
thought I take back with me from the desert, back with
me into the world of war and woe. And, for me, it is
a message of hope, of inspiration and of joy.
T~c Dcsert, T~c Khamsin and Tbe Sphinx
(Written in March, I9I8)
Today the desert called me with no uncertain voice.
When the desert calls, there is profit in obedience. So
I went out into the wild from the city on the Nile.
At Mena House I stopped awhile. It was a Sunday.
The terrace before the hotel lies almost beneath the
shadow of the Great F'yramid itself. A band was playing
French airs, the terrace was crowded with English
officers and their ladies. I sat down and ordered co~ee;
a long walk lay ahea~l, and my day had been a tiring one.
At the next table there sat two officers, down on
leave from Palestine, and a well-known Egyptian
Pasha. I could not help overhearing scra~s of their
conversation. rhe Pasha was speaking with animation
THE SILENT ROAD
and many gestures. Evidently the campaign north of
the ~ordan had been under discussion. 'You English
are killing many Turks. Your nation has always pro-
fessed friendship for the ~Ioslem faith. Why are you
killing Moslems up in Palestine ?'
One of the officers, a captain, replied: 'Don't you see
we must free the Holy Land from the Turkish yoke?
Also we have t-- pr(ltect the road to India and the
East. The British are not hghting a religious war in
Palestine.'
The Pasha smiled. 'Then why are you turning out
the Moslems in order to give the land to the Jews ? Why
hand over Palestine to the people who murdered your
Christ Prophet so long ago ? Does your religion mean
so little to you?'
The captain had no reply available, but his com-
panion spoke: 'We cannot throw stones at the Jews
because their ancestors slew Jesus Christ. We have been
murdering His teaching ever since. Few of us have the
right to be called Christians.'
~Ah,' said the Pasha thoughtfully. 'If Moses, Mahomed
and Jesus were in the world today, they would hold
a council of peace, and there would be an end of war.'
This conversation rang in my ears as I set out for a
long tramp across the desert. 'If Moses, Mahomed and
Jesus were in the world today.' A strange phrase ~rom
the lips of a Moslem. The Pasha had spoken with con-
viction. His belief in the power of the prophets was
evidently great. Can the prophets of the past stand idle
now? Surely their voices will make themselves heard
through the whirlwind of war and carnage. (~ut here
in the wilderness perhaps they may be holding their
council of peace.
The desert makes one think such thoughts. Have you
ever walked on and on, hour after hour, until even the
Great Pyramid vanishes from sight ? This is what I did
~oday. I was alone. Thefe was no sign of life oc move-
THE LUR~ 0~ ~NCIeNT EGYPT 169
ment. The sand seemed to undulate away towards the
four corners of the earth. It is the period of the Khamsin,
the Fifty Days' Wind, which sw,eeps across the desert
every spring, heralding the approach of the summer
heats. In the desert, where sand and sky alone are
visible, wind assumes a new signihcance.
The Khamsin is the wind of winds. One can almost
watch its approach, surging gently up out of the south,
moulding its movements to the billowing sand. This
wind has entity, intelligence, spirit. Today the Khamsin
is a friend, I can speak with it while its gentle bree~es
blow around me. It holds a message which I strive hard
to understand. It is a wind with which one can com-
mune. But the Khamsin is not always in friendly mood.
I have known it blow fiercely, lashing the cmel sand
against one's face. Within an hour I may lie buried
beneath the turbulence of a storm of sand. Then the
Khamsin is one's enemy.
Today the sand lies quiet, the wind blows gently;
the sun is not too hot, and all is well. There broods a
Presence in the desert that I have never found elsewhere.
Today I felt this Presence strongly. I have likened it
before to an elemental mind. This mind hlls the
empty spaces of the world, and at times it gives of its
abundance both to man and Nature.
The empty spaces both on land and sea have their
special usefulness; of this I have now ceased to doubt.
The wind has dropped, the sun is dipping towards
the west. Out of the sand a mist arises. This mist seems
substanceless. One moment it is not, the next it hlls
all the vast spaces of the wilderness. This mist is warm,
mysterious, golden-grey. It rises up between one's
feet as if from the centre of the earth. It does not come
~ro~l the desert sands, but rises from within them. I
have known the Khamsin mist appear from nowhere
and, almost instantly, cover all the spaces between the
desert and the city on the Nile. Uncanny silences follow
?7o THE SILENT RO~D THE LURE OF
ANCIENT EC'.~'PT ?7-
in its wake. The sun ~oes out. And so it was today, as I
turned and wandered back towards the desert monu-
ments. My mind was full of questioning. It often is out
here: vague, searching questions that seem unanswer-
able. Perhaps the Sphinx has some message for me
before the moon comes up. In Egypt one always turns
towards the Sphinx when baffled by the mystery of the
land. And yet, the Sphinx is the greatest mystery of all.
Tonight the moon is not yet up, the mist has cleared,
the stars above are radiant in blue.
The Sphinx at nightl It is the wonder of the world.
Travellers speak of it as an inscrutable monument hewn
from rock, expression unchangeable. It is not this to
me. I have never seen the same Sphinx twice. rhis is
no simple carven image rising from the desert waste,
ga~ing eternally towards the east. Let us sit down upon
the sand awhile. Those eyesl What do they see? The
mouth. Surely words lie behind it ? Those ears. Are they
not listening in the silence? Every curve of face and
~gure expresses power and life.
This image is more than a rock-hewn idol. It is a great
symbol, and it is more. The Sphinx expresses life ele-
mental, life that can be felt by all who stand before it.
The questions I have come to ask die down upon my
lips. Those eyes pierce into the recesses of my being,
into the secret chamber, hidden within, where the
answer to all questions can be found.
I begin to understand. I have brought with me the
solution to every problem. There is no need to ask the
Sphinx to unlock the gate of knowledge. All that I need
to know, I know already. The Sphinx has one great
message to proclaim to those who make pilgrimage to
its feet. Toni.~ht the message took this form: 'Cease
searching in the outer world to solve the mystery of
life. Within yourself there is a chamber. It lies hidden at
the end of a long, winding corridor. This chamber is
your secret sanctuary. There you will f;nd all that is
needed by your soul. Stay with me awhile in silence, and
I will lead you to the door. The door is locked, but the
key is in your hand. It has always been there, invisible,
while you have ranged the wide world searching for it.
'Use your own key. Retire within. I will not come
beyond the threshold. In showing you the way, my
task IS done.
This is what the Sphinx said to me toni~ht. I believe it
gives the same message, in a myriad ways, to each one
who stands silently before it, listening.
The moon is rising across the river. The desert
becomes a silver lake. The silence deepens. The message
of the Sphinx is with me. The key is in my hand. I
hasten down the corridor. I pass through many avenues
within my mind. I stand before that inner door, key in
hand. The door is open. Here is sanctuary at last. I
have no need to seek elsewhere, for within the sanctuary
I can see the light. Within the light, the prophets of God
Omnipotent are walking. Peace dwells therein. I hear
the Sphinx speak once more: 'Those who attain true
inner peace become God's messengers in a world at war.
Shed forth the light from your secret sanctuary until it is
caught up and reflected everywhere. Then will a world
at war become a world at peace.'
CH~PT~R EIGHT
An E~ercise in tbe Use of
the Imagination
The notes recorded in the previous chapter
were set down over forty years aKo. The mes-
sage which now follows was written in I959
and should be regarded as a personal com-
munication from the author to each reader of
this book. Although the wording is very differ-
ent, the theme is similar to that contained in the
writings which precede it. As a result, the span
of forty years ceases to exist and thus becomes
a natural sequence of ideas as from one
moment to the next.--W. T. P.
IN MY VIEW the faculty of creative imagination is
one of our most valuable possessions. This faculty
should not be confused with the phantasies evolved
by the brain when actinK independently of the mind.
No masterpiece in any of the arts or in other fields of
human endeavour could come to fruition if the gift of
creative imagination were denied to man. There are
ways in wbich the fruits of this gift can be enjoyed
without the need for their manifestation in external
form.
~X}~RCISE OP THE IMl~GIN~TION ~7~
Let me give an example of what I mean.
The mind of man is a house of many mansions. We
each possess one of our own.
Remember tbat yours will remain the habitation you
are destined to use throughout your pilgrimage across
eternity.
'Man, know thyself' is an injunction that has echoed
down thc centuries, but so hr little progress seems to
have been made in respondin~ to this call. The key to
self-knowledge is to be found within the mind and we
should seek ~or it there and nowhere else. No key but
yours will fit the lock of that inner gateway beyond
which lies your own sanctuary of spiritual awareness.
My key will not fit your lock, nor yours mine, for as has
been said elsewhere, the search for truth is a solitary
adventure. If you are ready to undertake this exploration
seriously, why not summon to your aid the faculty of
creative imagination? It is a gift from God, freely
available for our use now and at all times.
Your house of many mansions is not built by hands.
It is situated uithin yourself and is an essential and a
permanent part of you. It is your citadel. Picture your-
self standing within its portals and take conscious
possession of your property.
Pass from room to room remembering that you have
the power to furnish each of them to suit your tastes and
needs. Continue your exploration until you reach the
door leading to the sanctuary of your being. Realise that
the key of entry is in your hand. Use it. Go in and close
the door. Here you will find yourself at home. Treat this
inner sanctuary with care and reverence. Regard the
place where you now stand as holy ground, a temple of
the spirit and a haven of rest from the turmoil of the
outer world. Utilise the services of your imagination
to create an altar before which to pray.
r~ow is the time to relieve your shoulders of ~e bur-
174 THE SILENT ROAD
dens they have been carrying, the problems that have
weighed so heavily upon you, the tasks which hitherto
have seemed beyond your ability to fulhl. Take these
burdens and lay them upon the altar before which you
kneel, remembering with thankfulness that 'the govern-
ment is upon His shoulders'. We have the highest
authority for permission to 'cast our burdens upon the
Lord'. Then ask for that understandin~ which will
enable you to become of greater service to your fellow
men. Such service is the fulhlling of the law of Love. It
is the Holy Grail of all endeavour. Request nothing for
yourself because in the fulfilling of the law 'all these
things shall be added unto you'. 'I'hen rest awhile in the
silence of complete stillness. When you leave this inner
shrine, lock the door behind you but take the key and
keep it in safe custody. The time will come when, once
having found and used this key, you will return more
and more often to this hallowed place.
~lake a habit of preparing yourself to do so before
retiring each evening. In due course the journey will
become a joyful and familiar pilgrimage. As a result the
perplexities that beset you in the outer world of men
and matters will begin to fall away. Life will assume a
new and joyful guise. Fears and anxieties for yourself
or others will disappear, for you will have brought light
into your consciousness and you will be at rest. At rest,
yes, but able from then onward to bring illumination to
those who sit in darkness and so help them on their way
towards that peace and understanding which you have
found. Soon now you will be ready to take another and
important forward step. The occasion will arise when
you will feel impelled to assume once more those bur-
dens which you had laid upon the altar. And beholdl
they will have ceased to weigh you down and will have
become transmuted into opportunities of achievement.
You will be following what is known as the 'Pathway
of Relinquishment and Reassumption' and you will be
EXERCISE 01' THE IMAGINATION 175
wise to think out for yourself the signi~cance of what
this means.
From now onwards you will not be alone. A Com-
panion will have joined you to guide your footsteps for-
ward. He will help you to understand that the key to the
best solution of every human problem lies within the
problem itself and not outside it.
The task of discovering this solution will now be
easier, but do not be disturbed if the upshot does not
always turn out to be in accordance with your hopes and
expectations. This is of no consequence because that
which you had relinquished and which you have now
reassumed is no longer something to be feared. It has
become instead a stepping-stone in your climb towards
fulhlment. Your enemy has become your friend and this
friend has brought into your life a Companion to be
your guide and cornforter.
It will have become dear that the 'laying down' and
the 'taking up' process described above has in no way
involved the shirking of your mundane responsibilities
meanwhile. You will now realise that it is not these
responsibilities themselves which have constituted
the burden but the fears that you had infused into
them; the anxiety as to your ability to ful~l them
satisfactorily.
It is the weight of ~bi~ burden that will now have been
removed, thereby enabling you to go forward on your
way rejoicing.
In the above allegory I have tried to suggest a means
by which constmctive imagery used prayerfully with
the right motives can become a gateway to reality. The
particular form of spiritual alchemy which has made
this ttansmutation possible will be discussed elsewhere.
176 TH~ SILENT RO~D
I should be ~lad to think that the simple method of
initiation out~ned above may prove of as much service
to you as it has been to me. It is one of the ways through
which realisation is reached that 'the Kingdom of
Heaven is within you' and not in some distant region
beyond our present recognition and attainment.
CH~T~R N~N~
Foodfor Tbougbt
I HAVE BEEN asked to include the five short
essays which form this chapter although they havc
already appeared privatdy in pamphlet form.
On Meditation
~e practice of meditation is subject to lawin the same
way that mathematics or any other science is subject to
law.
Meditation bears little good fruit until we have
learned how to control our thou~hts and feelings in
order to bring about an interior stillness of mind. ~rue
meditation consists in communion with spirit leading to
a dear realisation of the presence of God within one's
whole being. It is useless to ~ay to meditate simPly by
emptying the mind or by allowing one's thoughts to
drift first in one direction and then in another. Medita-
tion must be based on a principle, that is to say on a ~rm
foundation su~plied by a dear realisation of a basic
truth. Otherwlse our human thoughts and feelings, our
hopes and fears, our physical condition of health or
disease will dominate the mind and render all attempts at
mediLaLion frllitless.
1~8 THE SILENT ROAD I
l~OOD FOR THOUGHT 1~9
Brother La vrence, in his Writings, lays down some
At thiS point it iS as well to State (to yourself~ the
simple rules for meditation, by Which word he means ~
pa~ticular objective for your meditation, sending ut) a
the practice of the Presence of God- The principle upon
pra,~,rer that you may become attun_ed to the spirit of all
which he founded his meditations Was embodied in the
love and truth.
hrm conviction and clear realisation that Divine Love I
Now the time has arrived to sto~p tbink~ng tbo~~gbt~ and
is a power and a presenCe that is always and immediately _
to realise yourself as being withm the light of God's
available for use within the Consciousness of each one of
Presence, humble, reCeptive and serene. From this ,point
us. We have here indeed a Very seCure foundation upon
onwards, no instruCtions or directions given by one
which to base our eXercise of the serVices of meditation I
person to another Can be of any real value, because
both for our own and for other people's welfare rO try
your oWn soul Will take charge and no external aids can
to meditate without a principle of guidance is powerless
apply.
to produce satisfactory results-
A period of meditation should always end by offeting
Here are a few simple rules Which I have found useful
a prayer of thankfillness and gratitude to God, .~.ollowed
as a preliminary to the praCtice of meditation-
by a gradual return to the normal conditions of daily life.
Retire into your oWn room where yoU Can be free
There are some who find help in the use of symbols in
from noise and distraction. Sit upright but in a Com-
Connection With their times of meditation.
fortable chair and be careful to see that neither the light
As an instanCe, consider for a moment the significance
noritsreflectionisstronglyimpinginguPonyourvision~ ~
of ~he symbolism contained in the cirde, the Cross and
otherwise there is risk of producing an hypnotic Con- .I
the Cup. The circle, as a sun sign represents the Light of
dition of mind. Meditation should not take place in I
the all-pervading presenCe of God, within which we live
complete darkness. No ticking clock should be in the
and moVe and have our being. Here in itself is a valuable
room. After a few minUtes~ complete stillness it is well
principle of tmth on Which to base a whole series of
to fows your mind on the obje~t and reason for your
periods of meditation- The Cross as a symbol of duality,
meditation and then allow intuition or interior perCep-
of the descent from spirit into matter .s also the symbol
tion to convey to you the most suitable principle upon
of redemption through Christ and of the Ascension
whichtobaseyourmeditationaryperiod-Therearethose
through discipline and suf~ering resulting in a retum
who hnd it helpful to read a short passage of Scripture
from matter into spirit.
~(like the 91St Psalm) as a means ~or qUietening the oUter
The Cup or chalice is the symbol of the uprising from
I senses and for creating a measure of t~anquillity You
the duality of the Cross to the unity on Which all God's
I may care to dwell upon the parable Which indicates that
Creation is based, the ultimate goal of human endeavour.
God is not to be found in the strong wind nor in the
It is the symbol Containing the Wine of inspiration, a
I earthquake nor in the hre but only within the silence of
fount eVer flowing and available to us all through which
Lhe Stlll small Voice.
the ideal of the Brotherhood of Man under the Father-
Having tranqtlillised your thoughts and feelings,,
hood of God Can become an actuality. In this particular
shutting out all material preoCcupations, it is good to
form of meditation, We Can piCture the circle, ablaze with
spend a few minutes in the praCtice of deep, natural -
light and Containing within itself the symbol of the
hythlllic bleathillg.
ClOS ~ adually dissolving to reveal the golden chalice
7--TSR
~80 THE SILENT RO~D
filled with rose red wine, the veritable Holy Grail and
the central symbol for the coming age.
One last point: before a meditation begins, cast out all
personal desires, fears or hopes, all sense of dread per-
plexity or frustration. Adopt the humble attitude of one
who says 'Here am I. Send me' and entmst your entire
being to the arms of the sustaining Tnhnite.
Tbe Gift of Giving
Most people are taught to accept that the main
objective in life is to get and to hold, without any ques-
tion arising of the need to give in return. As a result, the
law of love is violated with consequences that are only
too apparent on every side.
Those who give freely all that is within their power to
give will ~nd that their own needs are always met. To
give in the spirit of selflessness is to get, but to attempt
to get without giving is surely contrary to Divine law
and can bring no lastin~ satisfaction. I think it can be
safely said that the working of this law is as applicable
to nations as it is to in~ividuals. Nearly a~l world
problems could be solved by an understandin~ of the
principles involved in giving and in the givin~ of thanks.
The following illustration has been used before, but
it is very apt:
There are two seas in Palestine. One is f;lled with
fresh and sparkling water. Trees and flowers grow
around it. Fish live in it and its banks are green. The
pure waters of this sea, which possess a healing quality,
are brought down by the river Jordan from the hills
around Mount Hermon. The Master loved this sea and
many of the happier moments of His ministry were
spent beside it. It is a place filled to this day with serenity
and power.
The river Jordan flows on south into another sea.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT 181
Here there is no life, no song of birds, no children's
laughter. The air hangs sinister and heavy above its
water and neither man nor beast nor bird will drink.
This sea is dead.
What makes so mighty a difference between these two
seas of Palestine ?
This is the dif~erence--the Sea of Galilee receives but
does not keep the waters of the Jordan. For everv
drop that flows into it another drop flows out. The more
it gives joyfully away the more it receives in return. This
is the Sea of Life.
The other sea hoards every drop of water reaching it
and gives nothing in return. The Sea of Galilee gives
and lives. The other sea gives nothing and does not
live. It is truly named 'The Dead'.
It seems to me that to give and to give thanks will
open many doors that would otherwise remain barred
against us.
]esus gave thanks and blessed the hve barley loaves
and the two small ~shes in the sure knowled~e that as a
consequence the Divine law of supply would be brought
into operation. He gave thanks to His Father bcforc
the manifestation had taken place and abundance fol-
lowed as a natural sequence. It is easy to give thanks
after a blessing has been received, although we often
forget to do so. It is not so easy to give thanks when
everything looks black and the problem facing us seems
to be insoluble. Surely this is the thanks that counts
because it flows from a faith which understands the
working of the law of love.
Is it not well worth while to observe the Silent
Minute at nine each evening in the spirit of thankfulness
that seeks no reward beyond the joy of giving ?
There are those who use the Minute to ask for
strength and courage to meet and solve their own per-
sonal problems and perplexities.
There are those who use the ~inute tO link them-
182 THE SILENT ROAD
selves in thought and prayer with absent relatives and
friends or with loved ones who are no longer here.
Many keep the Minute in prayer for the nation's
leaders, for understanding between the peoples, and
for the coming of uni~ersal fellowship and peace.
I~en there are others who remain silent and recep-
tive, listening for the still small voice of guidance and
inspiration.
An increasing number use this simple prayer: 'May
Thy will be done on earth. Show me how to do my
part,' and then remain quietly still, knowing that oppor-
tunities of service will come to them in God's own way
and time.
Complete uniformity of method in keeping the Minute
is not to be expected, but it is hoped that a bond of
fellowship may invisibly unite all who meet in silence at
nine each evening. What I would like to suggest is that
we should agree to keep what for many is the most
important moment of the day in the spirit of thankful-
ness. By this I do not mean to suggest that Remem-
brance and Resolve, the other two watchwords that
have been chosen for the Minute, should be absent from
our thoughts, but simply that thanksgiving should be
the predominating keynote of the observance.
To give and to give thanks, in the increasing recog-
nition of Christ's presence in our midst, will ful~l the
law and bring us happiness and peace.
To One Bereaved
Notes based on a letter to a correspondent who
lost her husband and two sons in a motor
accident.
You tell me that your belief in an after-life is very hrm
and that you have read many boQks Qn the. subject Qf
FOOD FOR THOUG~T IB3
after-death conditions. But that the more you read, the
more confused does your mind become. You ask for
some simple description of the relation of physical death
to the hereafter.
I am not an authority on this subject and can only tell
you the result of my own researches and experiences
along these lines. Firstly, I think it is important to remem-
ber all the time that what we tllink of as 'death' contains
within itself a birth or a renewal of life in the conditions
of a wider state of consciousness or of awareness. At
death we throw aside the mantle of our bodily form,
but we throw off nothing else which belongs to us or is
a part of us. Whilst alive on earth our spirit (that is the
real and eternal self, individual, indestructible) is clothed
within the soul, the soul is clothed within the mind,
the mind is clothed (for the time being) in the physical
body. This physical body is surrounded by what is
sometimes called an etheric mould or semi-invisible
counterpart. This mould has certain functions to per-
form as an intermediary between the body and the soul.
After the body has disintegrated, it gradually disappears,
there being no further use for its services. What ha~pens
at death is the withdrawal of spirit, soul and mind, as a
trinity, from their earthly form and from external mani-
festation in the three-dimensional world of life and
being.
Whilst on earth the spirit, soul and mind, although
part of one whole or entity, are rarely fully active.
The 'nature life' which infuses our bodily form takes
prior place in most of our activities on earth, but this
nature life is not individual to ourselves but is the com-
mon property of all forms of 'life' manifestin~ in this
our present world. At death the only part of us that
'dies' (for us) is this nature life or physlcal vitality fol-
lowed by the disintegration of the bodily form which
contains it. The value of the experiences ~arnered
through the use of the nature life ~ust referred to be_
184 THE SILENT ROAD
comes the property of the soul and is taken forwatd into
the next life for use in new conditions.
To the completely unevolved man still hardly con-
scious except in an animal and instinctive sense, death
must really seem to be the end of all things, but his
embryonic spirit, mind and soul are well looked after
when he 'passes on', and we need not concern ourselves
.vith this problem here.
In this connection I often think we should do well
occasionally to stop and think about what we shall be
leaving behind us when we go from here. I am not, of
course, referring to material possessions but to other
legacies that, inevitably, we shall bequeath to present
and future generations.
Firstly there will be the effect of all our thoughts,
words and deeds, that is to say their cumulative effect
for good or ill on human consciousness as a whole: no
small matter indeed. Then there is the legacy of the
'nature life' referred to above, which has infused
vitality into our earthly form from birth to death. We
can return this 'life' to the general reservoir, either
enriched by the good use we have made of it, or tainted
by the manner in which we have misused it whilst it has
been in our possession. These are matters that call for
deep meditation, it seems to'me, and for right action
before it is too late to act at all.
Now we come to something that is almost impossible
to explain; namely, what it means to pass at death out of
a three- into a four-dimensional state of being. Our lan-
guage is three-dimensional, and so it is impossible to
use words to explain what is meant by a state of living,
to which one more dimension has been added. It is true
I think to say thatour thoughts (and certainly our dreams)
'operate' in four and not in only three dimensions--
and it is also tme to say that the addition of this further
dimension to our experience of living and being has the
effect of destroying for us the bondage of 'form', 'tirne'
FOOD ~'OR THOUGHT 185
and 'space' conditions. Whilst on earth, it is as if we
were in a cage, unable to get outside, whereas this cage
disappears at 'death' and gives us a freedom that passes
our present understanding altogether.
When we are born into this world it is necessary to
learn, step by step, how to see and feel and think, and
how to move our limbs and eat our food and how to
master all the bodilY activities.
When we 'die' and are immediately born into a new
habitation, a very similar process takes place. For a time,
varying in length according to the spiritual and moral
development of the individual concerned, we remain
asleep, or quiescent and unthinking, in preparation for
the next step. It is tme that after sudden death and in
certain other cases there is a flash of complete con-
sciousness immediately after the 'passing' experience;
but usually this is not of long duration.
For a highly evolved soul no period of sleep or quies-
cence following physical death is necessary.
It should never be forgotten that when we awake into
our new surroundings, we are exactly as we were before
in so far as our thoughts and feelings and general make-
up are concerned. Any changes that take place as we
grow accustomed to our new habitation are gradual,
but we never lose our complete sense of individuality.
I might tell you something here about those beings
who are known as the Angels of the Passin~. These are
not angels in a celestial sense, but human beings who
are very advanced in their development and who have
elected to return to what is sometimes termed the
borderland region which lies just beyond the frontiers
of our present earthly realm. The duties of these beings
are very beautiful to consider and to watch--their
activities are somewhat similar to those of a midwife in
that they help each soul to leave its earthly form in an
orderly manner and to emerge unscathed into the wider
life that is encompassed by four~imensional condiLiol~s
186 THE SILI~NT ROAD
instead of three. 'r,he Angels of the Passing superintend
the severing of the silver cord and help to free you and
me(whenourtimecomes)from ourpresent prison house.
Another of their tasks is to call for the help of rela-
tives or friends of the soul who is being bom into the
new state of consciousness, that is to say relatives or
friends or loved ones who have already experienced
physical death, and who are at home in their new sur-
roundings. When~ for instance, your husband or your
sons awakened into their new life, they were 'met' by
people whom they already knew and loved, and so
were soon freed from any sense of fear or loneliness.
You ask me to give you details of what life is like in
borderland and in the wider world above it',' but this is
a bi~ task, perhaps an impossible one, because we have
no ~anguage capable of describing such conditions.
What is important, as I said before, is to regard death
as birth, as a new and glorious rebeginning and not as
an abmpt end without a sequel. It is a completely natural
process and it should be the custom to rejoice when
death releases a loved one into a freedom and a hap-
piness that are quite unknown to us whilst still on earth.
Sorrow and regret for them or for ourselves is quite out
of place; just as much so as it would be foolish to regret
the throwing away of an overcoat when it was worn out
and beyond repair.
You will ask why it is that so many 'overcoats~ have
to be discarded before they are worn o~t--this is a very
important question involving the twin laws of love and
justice operating in close connection with the law of
cause and effect as established over long periods of
existence and on many occasions, both here and in other
worlds of life and being. Divine Love is ful~lled in
justice and We need never fear the result, even if for the
time being we may not be able to understand how these
laws work.
And so when sorrow seems to over~vhelm you, keep
~OOD ~OR THOUGHT 187
on saying to yourself: 'Death is the joyful gateway to a
new and wider life, and I rejoice in the freedom that has
now come to my beloved ones.'
.
A,b~'ucn~c
What a lovely word this is and vet in its full signifi-
cance how little understoodl Contrary to common
belief true affluence does not consist in a large bank
balance or the possession of houses, property or motor-
cars. Such material amenities may represent outer
reflections of 'supply' but affluence itself iS a divine gift
within the reach of those who care to learn how to
become receptive to this gift and worthy to possess it.
We speak of 'the In~nite Love of God' towards all the
beings that He has created but rarely do we stop to con-
sider the full meaning of this stupendous statement.
Nor do we often realise that the out-pouring of in~nite
love must include affluence among its gifts. In fact we
cannot imagine one without the other.
Life itself is free, we do not have to buy it, nor do we
buy the capacity to think and to feel. These possessions
belong to us as sufely as the very air we breathe. Afflu-
ence in the tme meaning of the word is availaue to us
now and always. It is a gift of the spirit and its origin is
never mundane. Even i~ this statement seems to be too
transcendental for our present acceptance, pause a
moment to give it carefuf thought before you reject its
implications altogether.
There is nothing visible in man's life on earth that
did not originate as an 'idea'. The house you live in, the
car you drive, the business which occupies you, the very
table at which I am now writing came into being from
an idea or from a combination oE ideas. This of course is
only another way for saying that the material universe
as we know it has a mcntal oligin. Ideas canllot be
~S8 TH~ SILE~NT RO~D
created by what we call physical substance. They are
children of the mind and the mind's capacity to think is
a gift 'beyond price' which is our common heritage. It
is in fact a truism to say not only that 'thoughts are
things' but that no 'thing' can come into existence
without a thought behind it.
Among God's gifts to man is the possession of free
will. ConsequentlY we are at libertv to align our thinking
with the Source of our being, which inevitably results
in affluence, or we can refuse to do so which results
sooner or later in a sense of poverty and lack. The choice
is ours and it is a choice which is renewable from day to
day.
~he average man, if the question be put to him, will
assert that all he needs and longs for here and now is
l!ood health, happiness, friends and enough money to
riVe on amply. His attention is concentrated not on
ideas but on their external outcome in the form of
'things' and conditions, the possession of which appears
to him to depend almost entirely on the contents of his
purse. Such an attitude of mind makes it impossible to
tap the Source of affluence and to ensure its never
failing bounty. If you tell such a man that his well-being
ill every sense of the word depends solely upon his
attitude of mind, he will dismiss this suggestion with
incredulity, yet it happens to be tme I
The Cosmos itself was created by an Idea sometimes
referred to as the Logos or Word of God. The spirit of
each one of us is a reflection of this Cosmos and an
in~nite supply of ideas is ever flowing into the orbit of
our minds. We have the power to obstruct'this flow or
to take advantage of it. We also have the power to com-
bine such ideas in harmonious sequence or to misuse
them or even to refuse their entrance altogether. As a
result, affluence (o~ its lack) does not depend upon
people, or circumstances beyond our control, which
we are only tw ready lo believe, 1~ut upon Ouf a~ ude
E7OOD FOR THOUGHT 189
of mind and the way in which we use ideas. If one tries
to state this truth in metaphysical terms, it would be
accurate to say that our affluence and general well-
being will inevitably increase, through prayer and right
motives, in direct proportion to our efforts to align our
thinkins2 with the Source of Life itselÏ 'In Him we
live and move and have our being' can be as tme for
us today as it ever ~~ll be, for in tke Mind of God,
our Father, there is no 'time' that must be endured.
There is instead the eternal and ever-present NOW.
Tbinking from tbe Summit
Perhaps it is natural that we should tend to identify
ourselves almost exclusively with the physical body.
We incline to give it reality as an integral part of the
'I am' within, instead of regarding it as a temporary
garment, which iS shed when no longer of further use to
us.
A neighbour who called to tell me about the loss of
her mother said, 'I have lost my dear one. She is dead.'
When I pointed out the fact that it was only her mother's
physical body and not her mother who was dead, she
replied, 'I cannot recognise the difference.' l~is situ-
ation is ver,v common.
A great deal of unnecessary suffering resulting from a
sense of separation comes from the habit ingrained in
many people of regarding the physical body as being
the real you or me. In this and indeed in all other con-
nections, the word deatb as meaning a hnal and extin-
guishing end should be expunged from our dictionaries I
It should be replaced by the word 'separation' from the
physical which in fact is the only true meaning of the
term deatb, as exemplihed by the departure of life from
the form it has temporarily used.
Recently a friend carne in for a chat. After a while he
l90 THE~ SILENT ROAD
said, 'What a lovely day it is I Let us take our bodies out
for a walk. The exercise will do them good.'
This remark struck me as a right step forward in help-
ing to change the direction of my thinking. It made one
realise how unwisely one has hllen into the habit of
identifying oneself almost exclusively with the form in
which one is temporarily housed. It is useful sometimes
when saying, 'I am going to do so and so', to stop and
ask oneself whether one is referring to the body or to
one's real self. Or to some combination of both as if
they were an indissoluble whole.
To cease identifying oneself exclusively with the
physical body as the real you or me does not mean that
its temporary possession is valueless.
FOOD POR THOUGHT
One way of drawing near to God is through a con-
sideration of His attributes.
Therefore if we think of Him as being infinite lifc,
lotJc and ~i.rdom, we are approaching as closely as is
humanly possible to the 'point of our First Departure'.
If this is so, then our hrst task should be to meditate
very carefully on the meaning of the word 'inhnite'--
perhaps the most awe-inspiring word in the language,
A good but by no means adequate dehnition of the
word 'inhnite' is: 'Limitless as to duration, boundless
as to space and wholly inexhaustible.'
The next useful step in our effort to 'think from the
summit' is to apply this dehnition to the best of our
ability to the meaning of the words 'life', 'love' and
wisdom~ and to ponder on the signihcance of such an
application.
Your and my conceptions of the true signihcanc~o of
the ideas signposted by these great words may be frail
and faulty. This fact should not deter us because we
are in the process of replacing the bad habit of beginning
our thinking from the basement by the good habit of
starting from the roof-top. Perhaps I can best explain
what I am trying to describe by an allegor,v. In any case
this presents a worth-while foundation fo~ meditation
upon the tme signihcance of the 'I am', which is the real
vou an ~
A garment is useful so long as it is kept in good con-
dition. That the body has a nature life which is available
for our present use, of course cannot and should not be
overlooked. But the more I identify myself with it, as
being me, the more insistent will become its demand for
undivided and e~cclusive attention, sometimes as a result,
making foolish and unwarranted claims upon me who
am but ~ts wearer.
Have you ever considered the value of starting your
thinking from the summit of your understanding and
descending from there rather than the other way about ?
The mode of 'thinking from the body' upwards often
ends in a return of one's thous~hts to the needs and
The Creator of the Universe plants a seed in th
claims of the body to the exclusion of all else.
spiritual SOil of Heaven. 'rhis seed groWs Up It is y
I am so tired, or 'I feel ill and I am in pain', may In
due Course three gifts are offered to you by the Deity
echo in my thinking to such an extent as to make me (I?
The gift of eternal life; (2) the gift of intelligenCe or
forget it is the body claiming to be me taking advantage
mmd; (3) the glft of the Capacity to draw upon the
of my passiVe Consent to identihcation With it.
mexhaustlble resourCeS of Life, Love and Wisdom
Let us see how the good habit of 'thinking from the _ .
The primary use to WhiCh you could put the gift of
summit' can be developed. =
lntelligence when responding to the Divine declaration:
Let us try to lift up our thought, in prayer and medita- _
Bec,aus,e I am., Thou art is by replying 'Because God is,
tlon to the point of First Departure, to the source of I
aC ~ ; I,n HlmhIillveandmoVe andhave mybeing~. This
THI~ SIL~NT ROAD
What a complete change of outlook t]~is involves
compared with the mundane habit of thinking and
believing that 'I live and move and have my being'
exclusively in my physical bodyl
Remember that you draw your very being from the
eternal fountain o~' Life, your ve~y being in God. From
the wellspring of love in order to reflect His love in
fellowship and service to others. From the ~ource of
wisdom in order to understand the purpose of your life
and to fulfil it.
To continue the allegory. You, having become living
and spiritual, must needs go forth upon your Father's
business. Inevitably you will require a form in which to
do this.
You therefore become clothed by the Grace of God in
a garment which is your spiritual body. This garment
being made of spiritual substance is indestructible, per-
fect and free from the dangers of decay. It is your real
body which never changes but which may wear outer
garments or 'bodies' which your spiritual identity uses
in service when required.
In the terms of this attempt allegorically to state a
great truth, the 'I am', your spiritual self, lives in the
Mind, the Consciousness which is God, not only in some
far-distant future, but here and always. You and I can
think, speak and act from this standpoint, no~v, even
whilst apparently hindered by the present veils of flesh
surroundmg us.
You and I have the right to declare eternally 'I am
spiritual and I worship God in Spirit and in truth'.
You may wonder what the va~ue of such a complete
change in your thinking as I have tried to describe may
turn out to be. The full reply to this question is not for
me to give, but in any case a stilling of the outer self
in order that we may learn how to be 'absent from the
body and present with the Lord' eases both mental and
FOOD ~OR THOUGHT 193
physical tensions and thus becomes an effective healing
exercise.
Apart from this undoubted bene~t I can only sug~est
that it may be worth your while to make such a method
the basis for your prayers and for your periods of medita-
tion.
It will not be easy at ~rst. Experience shows that per-
sistent effort is essential before valuable results can be
expected. On waking in the morning, begin by reaching
up in thought towards the summit of your under-
standing. During the day, whenever you begin a new
train of thought, start at the top. When faced by a prob-
lem rise above it and look down upon it. Refuse to des-
cend to the point where you wou~d become merged in
the perplexities of the problem and so lose the right
perspective for solving it.
And when you are preparing to keep the Silent
Minute at nine o'clock each evenin~ bring back to mind
what has already been written in these notes. Meditate
awhile quietly on the m~aning of:
Here and now I draw from the fountain of Life to mani-
fest my e~istence in God. From the wellspring of Love so
that I reflect His Love in fellowship and service to others.
From the source of Wisdom in order to understand the
purpose of my life and to fulhl it.
The time will come both for you and for me, when as
a result, a deep silence will descend upon us, a silent
stillness ~lled with the love of God.
And out of this silence a still small voice will make
itself heard and the answer we seek will be both yours
and mine.
When this happens how wonderful it will be to go
our ways rejoicing and to be at peacel
LIGHT OUT OF DARKNESS 195
CH~PI'ER TEN
Light out of Darkness
THE TRADITIONAL STORY of Lucifer, Prince
of Darkness, as it has reached us from a very
ancient past, is without parallel in its range of
interest and of paradox. 'How art thou fallen from
Heaven, O Lucifer (Day-star), Son of the Mornin~?'
This question put by the prophet Isaiah might well be
rendered in this way: In what manner and for what
reason art thou fanen from Heaven, O Lucifer, whilst
still retaining your heavenly titles of Day-star and Son
of the Morning? It is to be noted that even when
Lucifer is traditionany associated with 'Satan' or the
Prince of Darkness, he is still referred to as the Light-
bringer and the Shining One. Is there some clue here
to the mystery of how light can emerge from darkness,
how what we call 'evil' can be transmuted into good?
Just as we are given in the early chapters of Genesis
two widely di~erent accounts of Creation,* so two
entirely distinct stories concerning Lucifer and his fall,
have come down to us. The more orthodox of the two
relates how Lucifer, originally an angel of great light,
rebelled against his Creator and was banished from the
The first account i~ given in Gencsb i. and up to ii. 5
inclu~ive. The
~econd account begin~ Gene~ ii. 6: 'And there went up a rniYt from
the e~rth.'
heavenly spheres. He was therefore forced to descend
into our world and the underworld, ultimately to be-
come identified in Biblical records with Satan and also
with Diabolos, the ~ccuser and the Calumniator. An
earlier tradition of Lucifer's 'hll' from grace is more
subtle in its implications and may be a nearer approxi-
mation to the truth.... Luci~er, one of the Seven
Angels around the throne of the Creator of the solat
universe, was reputed to be the guardian of the sacred
planet Venus,* one that is said to be far higher in the
spiritual scale of evolution than our own world. A
time came when ~od called for a volunteer from amongst
His angels, one who was willing to descend into the
material darkness of human consciousness on earth.
This angel was asked to sacrifice himself by undertaking
his new mission veiled as the Prince of Darkness. The
tradition goes that Lucifer responded to his Father's
call, and sacrificing his high estate, 'fell' or descended
into matter and so came to dwell in our midst, becoming
known among us as 'Satan' or the Adversary (but not
necessarily an evil bein~).
In Revelation, St. Jo~n tells us of a star (Angel) who
fell from Heaven, and to whom was given the key of
the bottomless pit (Rev. ix. I), a reference which might
well apply to Lucifer himself, who according to an
early record was given keys of the Underworld and the
control of the forces of Nature.
To continue the allegory.... When Lucifer entered
human conditions, he is said to have met with no
response to his willingness to become the Light-
bringer, and owing to the ignorance and opposition of
mankind the light of his Star became dimmed amidst
~ Thi5 ndiant star has becn the hrst to be noticed ~ince
earlicst ages, it is the
only pJanet mcntioned by Homer: Isaiah celebnte~ he~ ~plendour
undet the
n~me of Lucifct; at thc time of the pynmid~ tho ERyptians calkd hct
'thc
celestial bitd of mom'; thitq-hvc ccnturie5 a~o the Babylonians
obscrved one
of it~ tnnsits across the sun, the Indians c~lled hcr 'the
brilliant', and the Arabs
'Zonh, the spkndour of the 5ky'. Camille Flammarion, Dr~am of an
~rtrono~ r,
~p gs-
~96 THE~ SILI~NT RO~D
the dark conflicts that raged on earth- As Job has it :
sound would have no significance if silence wCre non-
(~viii): 'Where Wast thou when I laid the foundations
eXistent ? Perhaps it would be equally true to say that
of the earth ? Declare if thou hast understanding, ~
Were it not for the help of Lucifer, the Prince of Dark-
When the morning stars sang together [that is, before ;
ness, We should be incapable of discerliing Christ, the
the descent of Lucifer, the Day-star from on high], and ,
Prince of Light ? If Lucifer correctly interpreted is in
all the Sons of God shouted for joy. ? ? ? Hast thou Com-
fact complementary to the Christ, then a passage in
manded the morning sinCe thy days and caused the ,
II Peter(i. I9) takes ona deepermeaning: 'Wehavealso
Day~pring to know his place? That it ~he] mlght take ~
a more sure word of prophecy whereunto Ve do well
hold of the ends of the earth that the wi~ked might be
that ye take heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark
shaken out of it' (i.e., That the earth might be cleansed
place until the day dawn [the realisation of the Christ
of sin). And so it Came about that Lucifer s mission Was
presenCe] and the day-~~ar [Lucifer] arise in your hearts.'
not welcomed or understood by the sons of men- The
In this Connection it is not without interest to note that
methods he employed Were such that he became errone-
the morning star heralds the dawn of the greater light
ously known and feared as the Red Fiery Dragon or the
of the sUn and is absorbed in it as the sun rises towards
Great Serpent, and as is always the Case fear brought its I
its full splendour.
own retri6ution, shrouding men's minds from the light- ~
It would seem as if our Conception of Lucifer as a
Lucifer in fact became the Tempter (the l'ester).and ~
fearsome and evil entity is mistaken because he rnay
the Redeemer in one- He taught and disc ~ med
well be as much an instrument of Divine purposes as
humanity (and still does so) by the proVision ot,pains ~
Christ Himself (Rev. xxii. I6): 'I, Jesus, have sent
and sufferings through Which mankind may be gradually '
mine ange~ to testify unto yoU these things. I am the bright
stimulated and encouraged to turn aWay from the dark- I
and morning star.' Lucifer incarnated in human con-
ness of ignoranCe toward the light of understanding- I
sCiousness, and regarded as a kind of celestial leaven,
. . . So runs this anCient allegory of Lucifer s mlsslon to I
Can onlyarise and go to his Father in Heaven ashumanity
humanity, and who would Care to deny that the story
itself arises and progresses in the same direction. To
may well contain important elements of tmth? Just as _
regain his place in the spiritual realms, Lucifer must
the human intellect would not know how to perCeive _
bring us With him, hence the references to this ~reat
light had it not experienced darkness, so Lucifer the -
being in eastern sCripts as both the Tempter and Re-
Prince of I~arkness brings to us the knowledge of the
deemer.
light. In this sense Christ and Lucifer may well be not
Perhaps it might be of interest here to give a list of
only complementary one to the other,. but also integral
the many names and titles by which Lucifer was known
parts of the same whole. The promlse m Revelatlon
to the Ancients, and including those which have been
(ii. 28) seems to confirm this sUggestion: And I ,wlll '
mentioned already. Its range and Variety are ama~ing:
give him [i.e., he that overcometh] the morning star, a
Lucifer, Prince of Darkness, Venus, Son of the Morning,
recognisable synonym for Lucifer, the Day-star and I
Day-starorDay-springfromonhigh, theDawnbringer,
Son of the Morning. . ~
the Shining One, the Light-bringer, the Red Fiery
It is surely true to say the light Cannot be percelved
Dragon, Phosphoros, the Prodigal Son, the Great
without presUpposing the e~istenCe of darkness~ JuSt as _
Serpent, Ten~rt~r and Redeemer, Satan and the 'Evil
LIGHT OUT OP D~RKNLSS 197
198 THE SILI~NT ROAD
One', The Tester, Possessor of the Keys of the Dead,
the Liberator, the Reveale~, the Dweller on the Thresh-
old, and the Intervener. In fact, Lucifer is the one word
in the dictionary which combines the two extremes of
the human conception of good and evil.
It is not without importance to emphasise once more
that, so far as tradition can be relied upon, Lucifer was
allowed to retain his celestial titles. even after his so-
called 'fall' from Heaven. Does not this suggest that he
descended from his high estate not as a rebel, who had
been expelled for his evil deeds, but in oIder to under-
take a great mission involving heavy sacrihce and by
God's command ? Is it not possible that St. Luke
(Lucas--the luminous one) may have had this in mind
as well as the more direct implication, when he wrote
(i. 78): 'Through the tender mercies of our God, where-
by the dayspring [or day-star] from on high hath visited
us. To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the
shadow of death and to guide our feet into the way of
peace.' Is it to be Lucifer, the selfless sharer of our dark-
ness, whose hand will lead us out into the Light, through
the agency of the many trials and tribulations he him~elf
imposes upon us; and when in that Light, we shall come
to recognise Lucifer as indeed our Morning Star, the
Dayspring from on high ?
Somewhere it is written in an ancient Eastern text:
'And now it stands proven that Satan,* the Red Fiery
Dra~on, the Lucifer or Lightbearer is in ~~; 'It is our
Mind, our Tempter and Redeemer, our Liberator and
our Saviour from pure animalism.' If this statement is
true, then there should be brotherly relations be-
tween Christ and Lucifer. They must be symbolically
speaking, opposite sides of the same coin, because in
~ Th~ word 'S~tan' i9 not her~ to be undcrstood in thc lat~r
srns~ of th~:
enany of man smd God. The Satan is that on~ of God's minist~ts
whos~ part
is to oppos~ men in thcit pt~tcnsions to a tight s~nding Wotc God
(Z~chatiah
iii, ~); that is, who r~ptesents God'~ trying, sifting ptovidcnc~.
A. G, HoBg,
Tbc M ~ gt of ~~c Km,~dom, page 26.
LIGHT OUT OF DARKNESS ~99
the ultimate sense, Absolute Light and Absolute Dark-
ness must surely contain one another.
There is no doubt that Biblical commentators have
confused the two allegories to which reference has
been made. It is also true that Biblical records
themselves have tried to blend into one story the two
distinct accounts of the Lucifer mystery as is evidenced
by the contradictory qualitles that are attributed to this
enigmatical being. I want to make it clear that in speak-
ing of Lucifer as the herald of Christ the Eternal, I am
re~erring to him on the basis of the earlier tradition
only. This being the case, I reject the later interpolations
which attempt to identify Lucifer with the Devil and all
that is evil Abaddon, the Appolyon of the Greeks, the
destroyer, lS according to this view a conception which
iS entlrely distinct from Lucifer the Light-bringer, or
even Satan (the Adversary). It will be remembered that
in Job (i.), Satan is referred to as one who holds friendly
converse with the Deity among those who are called the
Sons of God. This is one of the Biblical instances when
it would appear that Satan was entrusted with a Divine
Mission, in this case as the tester of Job's faith and good-
ness. Job passes through the rehnet's hre, the Luciferian
flame, and as a result is given strength to overcome
every calamity by which Satan besets him.
.
Having tried to tell the story of Lucifer, so far as it is
possible to piece it together from the very scanty records
available, it remains to be discovered whether there are
any useful lessons to be learnt from this allegory, lesso_ns
that can be of practical selvice in our daily lives. There
are those who will prefer to draw their own conclusions,
but I will give a few reflections that have proved useful
to me personally.... In our present state of knowledge,
what we term good and evil, light and darkness, Christ
and Lucifer, can only be de~;ned and understood in a
LIGHT OUT Ol~ D~RKN~SS 20r
disguise' to us) and by no means something evil of
which to be afraid. C~ur 'friend the enemy' (Lucifer)
should be welcomed and not spumed, because all
obstacles and difficulties placed in our way by him are
intended to teach us how to rise throu~h overcoming
them.... Just as we are taught to pray for our enemies,
so we should pray for the Lucifer who is imprisoned
wi~hin us and who can only rise and retu~n unto his
Father as we do the same.
200 THe SILE~NT ROl~D
relative sense.... The main value of the Lucifer tradi-
tion as understood in its deeper meaning seems to lie
in the extent to which his testing and revealing mission
lifts humanity out of darkness into the light of Christ's
redemptive and healing presence.... Our fear of what we
call Satan appears to be the result of ignorance, and
ignorance is the main ca,use of 'sin'. If what we term
evil Intelligences exist in a fallen state of being, then
every effort we make as individuals to lift ourselves up
toward the Light, must help 'Satan' to redeem himself
and so gradually to annul the consequences of the
'Fall from grace'..* We should not fear Lucifer, the
In TbC S~~C~ of Timc and Satan Edward Carpenter
Liberator within ourselves, but Co-operate With him by
~oes to the heart of the matter and puts the issue
far
resisting the tests and temptations he puts before us and
better than I Can. Here is what he says: 'And so
at last
by understanding his role in the great Plan- ? ? The I
I saW Satan appear before me . . . magniticent,
fully
production of electric Current depends upon the friction ~
formed ~ Feet first With shining limbs, he glanced
of opposites--No ship or airplane could moVe for~vard \ down from
above among the bushesIn the burning,
unless the propellers met With the 'opposition of sea j
intolerable sunlight he stood, and I in the shade
of the
or air, that is to say the Contrary pressure of these media- I
bushes ~ Come out," he said With a taunt. "Art
thou
Is it not reasonable to apply this analogy to human !
afraid to meet me?" And I answered not, but spran~
progress and so to explain the value and rationale of i
upon him and smote him. And he smote me a thousan~
Lucifer's opposition to man's upward striVing towards
times, and lashed and scorched and slew me as with
the light?
hands of flame; and I Was glad, for my body lay
there
In our daily lives each one Can become either a light-
dead; and I sprang upon him again with another
body;
bearer or a disseminator of darkness, having been giVen
and he turned upon me, and smote me a thousand
times
freewill to choose which path he Will follow. (Light and I
and slew that body; and I Was glad and sprang upon
him
Darkness are used here in their deeper sense, that is I again With
another bodyAnd Wlth another and
Light as wisdom or spiritual knowledge and Darkness as I
another and again another; and the bodies which
I took
ignorance and selhshness). The proCess of being tested
on yielded before him, and Were like Cinctures of
flame
(tempted) is not in itself a sin. Temptations if resisted ~
Upon me, but I flung them aside; and the pains
which
are instruments of progress, valuable opportunltles for
I endured in one body Were poWers Which I wielded
in
man to exercise his spiritual muscles- This is only
the neXt; and I greW in strength till at last I
stood before
another way for saying that the presenCe of Lucifer in _
him complete, With a body like his oWn and equal
in
human consciousness is a blessing (eVen if seemingly in . might
exultant in pride and joy~hen he ceased
~ Fc~r of de~th and hell s~~m to b~ man-mad~ b~liefs without any
r~ found~- and said: I love thee- And lo I his form changed
and
tion Phy5ic~1 d~atb is th~ g~t~Way toward ~ wid~r and full~r lif~
It,is he leaned backwards and drew me ut~on him And he
probabl~ that th~ only hcll that ~Sists r~sid~s in m~n's rninds and
h~' no rc91lq ~ . . . . r
out~id~ hun~n oon5clousn~ss.
Wr~ me u? ~nto Ule alr and ~oated me oVer the
topmost
20Z THE SILENT ROAD
trees and the ocean and round the curve of the earth
under the moon.... Till we stood again in Paradise' ...
And this is how St. John in Revelation (ii.) sums up the
whole matter: 'And he that ot~ercometh and keepeth my
works unto the end, to him will I give power over the
nations.... And I will give him the m~rningstar.'
TfJe Illusion Called Evil
We have come to regard evil as an entity with intelli-
gence of its own and this incorrect belief has led to much
fear and misunderstanding. What is called evil is
force or energy turned in the wrong direction~--The
energy itself is netJ~ral and can be used by us in which-
ever direction our freewill dictates. As an example we
can use atomic force to blow up a city or to provide
it with illumination. The choice is ours. If tke universal
Primary Energy reached earth levels as pure Light, then
our gift of freewill would be lost, because mankind
would only then be able to follow the Light without any
other choice. This Energy therefore reaches us in a
completely netJtral form, available for our individual use
in any direction we desire, good, bad or indifferent.
If you or I determine to use this Energy for selhsh
or other wrong ends, in time we involuntarily infuse it
with an intelligent 'life' of its own, whereupon it begins
to dominate our thoughts and actions, until in extreme
cases we appear to lose all freewill and so become the
tool and not the master. When Jesus released the 'devils'
from those who were obsessed, what He was doing was
to bring the energy concerned back to 'neutral', de-
priving it of the 'intelligence' it had been given, hence
ready again for proper usage. When Jesus said 'Get
thee behind me Satan' E~ewas referring to an embodiment
of energy into which human misuse had infused a seem-
in6 male~cent life and intelligence of its o~~rn. ~~he
LIGHT OUT OP D~RKNESS 20~
accumulation over the ages of wrong thinking and
acting has resulted in creating temporarily a state of
'Hell' in the invisible realms around us.
Some traditionalists tell us that every word in our
Scriptures represents God's truth and nothing else. By
'Word' in this connection is meant the actual English
words used in our translations of the Bible from Greek
Latin and Hebrew. T~ey pin their complete faith to the
Authorised, Revised or some modern English transla-
tion, thereby ignoring some very important considera-
tions.
The many and varied interpretations placed on Jesus'
words by listeners and translators has resulted in the
fact that after passing through Greek and Latin forms
our English embodiment of the ideas used by Jesus
does not give a clear or accurate interpretation of what
He actually said nearly two thousand years ago, whether
He was speaking in Greek, Hebrew or Aramaic as the
case may be. It is only by Divine Grace that we are in
possession of His teaching in a form which does retain
so much of truth and illumination. Jesus and other
great teachers never regarded 'evil' as an intelligent and
independent entity even if many of the sa~~ings that
have come down to us in garbled form seem to imply
that this is so.
In a spiritual and only real sense evil (and all its
works) is an illusion, resulting from the misuse of the
imagination. "rhat which I greatly feared has come upon
me,' said Job. His fear was only a mental ~gment until he
'feared' it out into manifestation. On the practical plane,
never speak or think of anyone as an 'evil man or
woman' but rccognise that the energy being used is
directed by him in the wrong direction and that this
process can and will be rectified, sooner or later through
conscious reorientation of the force in question. Then
~o4 TH~ SILI~NT ROAD
the so-called evil disappears and in fact it never had
anything but a transitory eXistence within the human
mind. To impersonalise evil is to win half the battle in
grappling with its pretensions to dominion over us.
Enl iS man-made, not God-created.
God created His Universe pure and perfect and be-
hold all that He made was and is good. The Mystery of
the Fall of Man into the worlds of unrealit,v will become
explained and understood so soon as we are ready for
this revelation. When this happens it could well become
the prelude to the return of the Golden Age and to the
disappearance of all musor,v states of life and being.
One final thought. Tne Creator's supreme gift to
man is that of the capacity to receive and respond to the
infinite Love of God. ~his gift ensures the ultimate
salvation of humanity. Without it life itself would
prove valueless and man's freewill would include the
risk of his final destmction. But God who gave us the
greatest gift of all can never deprive us of it. Our ap-
preciation of this tmth frees the mind from the almost
intolerable burden of belief in original sin. Here and
now and always let us take full advantage of our heri-
tage of that Love which passeth understanding, one
that will remain our most precious possession through-
out eternity.
CH~PTER ELEVEN
T? r ~ .~ .
~mes OJ 1 rt~ula~on
HERE IS CONFUSION of thought in many
people's minds about the venue and signi~cance
of the hnal conflict of this age, often referred to
as 'Armageddon' or the Times of Tribulation.
What is not generally realised is the fact that the main
arena for this struggle between the forces of light and
darkness is not situated in our outer world of life and
being at all. Fundamentally, this great battle is being
fought out on a different level and what we are expericnc-
ing on earth is a reflection of this immense stmggle and
the repercussions flowing from it. This does not mean
that we play no part in what is going on 'elsewhere'.
On the contrary, our every thought, word and deed
can help to tip the scales in one direction or the other,
because the battleground is on a mental level to which
our thinking and feeling processes have access.
The means by which events taking place in invisible
spheres around us throw their light and shadow into
human consciousness and are translated into conditions
directly affecting external happenings on our planet is
not known to us. Study of the interplay of forces be-
tween various levels of life and being belongs to the
science of the future. Wllat ~e cannot doubt is that
206 THE SILI~NT ROAD
under Divine Providence the law of cause and ef~ect
operates justly, and has always done so, not only in the
affairs of men and of nations but in relation to all mani-
festation of life everywhere, and that this law is based
on infinite love in action.
It is, I thinlc, tme of the human race as a whole as it
is of single individuals that no one can live unto him-
self alone. In f~c~, ~ feel ~hat this principle is capable of a
still wider and deeper application covering experiences
and events taking place far beyond the time-space
conditions within which we are conhned at present.
The long-standing interior struggle between Light
and Darkness, what we call 'good' and 'evil', is as old
as time. It now appears to be reaching its culmination
for the particular era to which we belong. This is almost
certainly the 'Armageddon' forecast in Scriptures to
take place 'at the end of the age'. Its re,~qe~tion on this
planet, in so far as space-time conditions are concerned,
appears to have been in operation since I9I4 and will
probably last for about half a century. History will no
doubt record three acute phases of this manifestation,
represented by the I914-I918 and I939-194S wars, and
by what we hope will be a comparatively short period
from I958 onwards, the third phase being the most
critical and the most decisive. However, the reflection
in our world of events happening elsewhere cannot be
accurately interpreted or measured by f;nite sense. 'I~he
point I should like to make is that the process of
'Armageddon' as reflected in our world is not still in
the future, as many people imagine, but has been going
on since at least I9I4, and that itS final repercussions
affecting life on earth will depend upon who will be
the victors in the invisible struggle between Light and
Darkness referred to above, and also upon our human
reactions both to the stmggle itself and to the victory.
If this be a correct assessment of the position, we
sh~uld ask l~u~s~lv~s Wll~dt W~ C~'dll ~lo ~dS ill~livi~luals in
TIM}3S 01~ TRlBULATlON 20~
humble service to God and to those great Beings who
direct the battalions of the Light. There is a certain
sense in which the whole universe is contained within
each one of us. And it is- this universe for which each
individual is responsible. The area for o~r battle between
the light and dark forces lies within yOur consciousness
and mine, because this battle is personal to you and to
me. We c3n live in such a way as to be capable of
reflecting and declaring the power of the Light out into
manifestation, or we can allow the dark forces of our
natures to secure the upper hand. There can be no
neutrals in this struggle. You and I are personally
responsible for the outcome of this 'Armageddon of the
Soul'. It is beyond our hnite understanding to compute
the extent to which our thoughts and acts can influence
the stmggle as a whole. However, this much we can
know: namely, that it lies within your and my power
by our prayers, thoughts and actions to reinforce the
armies of the Light and to an extent which, cumulatively,
may well prove decisive. Or we can provide ammu-
nition for the dark forces by self~sh preoccupation with
our own desires, ambitions and sensuous pleasures,
thereby giving the Light no opportunity to be reflected
and manifested through us and, as a direct result,
intensifying the agony of the conflict. Each one, there-
fore, can play his part in prolonging the time of tribula-
tion or in shortening it.
Until the present epic struggle 'in high places' has
been fought out and, as we must firmly believe, won by
the Powers of the Light, and until this victory has been
reflected in human consciousness, there can be no
return of the Christ among us, nor can the Golden Age
be born. There is a certain sense in which the Christ, as
the supreme representative of the Creator, is never
absent from the hearts and minds of men (that is, to the
extent to which we are willing to receive Him). But His
a~tiw manifestation in our midst once more must inevi-
~o8 THE~ SILI~NT ROAD
tably depend upon our willingness to create the right
conditions for such a manifestation to take place success-
fully. It cannot be His function to interfere with the
working of the law of cause and effect.
I should like to pause here a moment to speak about
the event scripturally referred to as the 'Day of Judg-
ment'. Each time we pass from one level of life to
another we shall hnd ourselves faced by a 'Dav of
Judgment' when the accounts will be reckoned and
when whatever debit balance stands against us will have
to be met and paid. This is a truth which I think is
recognised in the teaching of all religions.
Whether there is to be a fnal 'day' of reckoning for
humanity as a whole and for individual men and women
is a question that lies far beyond our present know-
ledge. What does seem probable is that 'Days of Judg-
ment' occur periodically not only in our own lives but
also in the life of nations and peoples and planets. Our
knowledge of human history does not go back very
far. For instance, accounts of the 'Flood' and of the
disappearance of Atlantis and Lemuria have come down
to us in a legendary form only. Is it inconceivable
that such happenings have a direct relation to the sub-
ject we are discussing? It may be that from time to
time in world history the accumulation of wrong think-
ing and acting becomes so burdensome in its effects that
a drastic deansing process proves inevitaue, providing
the opportunity for a wiping of the slate and the pro-
vision of a clean surface in order to make a fresh start
possible. We may not be far distant from such happen-
ings as have just been mentioned.
In this connection one is rer~iinded of the words of
Bossuet:
~Quand Dieu e~ace, c'est qu'll se prepare a ecrire.
In giving consideration to the ideas I have expressed,
it may bc hclpful to rcmember that whatever may seem
TIM~S 0~ TRIBUL~TION 209
to be happening in the illusory worlds around us, 'tht
Got~~rnment is upon His shoulders'. It is within our power
to receive the protection of this Government and to
take our modest part in carrying out its laws and
dictates.
As events unroll, it may be only too easy to give
entry into our minds to the two great enemies: Fear
and Depression. Bar the gates against theml On ~e
other hand, welcome into the home of your spirit
Faith, Serenity and Comage. Open your doors widely
to receive and entertain these three good friends, and
be at ~oeace.
Rea~ise that the sun never ceases to shine; however
dark the clouds may be which seem to obscure its
light, these clouds are temporary, in relation to eternity,
and possess no real substance. For this good reason . . .
let us give thanks I
CH~PTE~R TW~LVE;
A Colloquy Between ~e ~t~~or
and his P~blisher
HAVING READ THROUGH a portion of the
scripts which are now included in this book, my
publisher approached me and in a most courteous
manner made the following request.
He enquired whether I would be willing to comment
on certain subjects dealt with which he felt needed some
elucidation. I was not in the least surprised, being fully
aware that for many readers much that I have written
will be perplexing to them. This is not altogether my
fault. The language of the words at present available
is totally inadequate to explain many of the conceptions
which I have been trying to outline. Our present
vocabulary is at best a feeble vehicle for expressing
ideas and for describing conditions that lie outside the
range of our material surroundings. However, I sug-
gested that if a short questionnaire might be prepared I
would do my best to comment upon its contents. This
questionnaire duly arrived, so let us get to work upon
it.
Qt~e~Jio~~ ,4. How can you expect anyone to believe any-
thin~ you s~y without concrete evidence of its truth ?
COLLOQUY BET~VEEN AUTHOR ~ND PUBLISHER ~It
W. T. P.: I have no expectations. As has been said
earlier in these notes, it is not feasible to produce what
is called 'conaete evidence' in support of the interior
experiences of the mind. Even if one could, there is
little reason to suppose that those to whom such experi-
ences are foreign would be convinced. When predic-
tions concerning future events are published before
such events happen, and if such predictions prove cor-
rect, the evidence is there, but even then it is often
regarded as resulting from coincidence.
A more pertinent query is as follows: We come into
this world presumably to make the best use possible of
the conditions we ~nd here. Surely it is unwise to allow
our thoughts and actions to be diverted towards the
study of 'other-worldly' states and conditions ? My ~rst
comment would be to suggest that we are here not only
to make the best use of the conditions we are born into,
but to seek to improve upon them. If the study of meta-
physics can help in this connection, so much the better.
I agree with the questioner's inference that there may
be danger of such study distracting us unduly from our
day-to-day duties and responsibilities. Unless one's feet
-are hrmly planted on the ground and the reasoning
faculty is kept alert, experiences of a supernatural order
may well upset the balance of our lives. Certainly indul-
gence in artihcial methods for the purpose of trying to
widen our range of knowledge is to be avoided. Until
the race emerges from adolescence it would be danger-
ous for the veil to be removed entirely which now
separates our world of thought and being from the
wider realms of consciousness into which we pass ~at
'death'.
Having said this, there is I feel still something further
to be remembered. Both world and personal problems
are beyond solution if we rely solely upon the power of
the human mind unaided to solve them. The pride of
the intellect refuses to believe this, '~l~l especially so is
this the case in social, scientific and political circle~s. If
therefore there be those among us who are suitably
equipped for exploring regions which lie at present
beyond out normal ken, surely in the common interest
they should be encouraged to do so? To reject out of
hand the experience of such explorers, because of th<:
transcendentll nature of their findings, IS I feel to be
deplored.
There are dangers inherent in every form of rcsearch
into the unknown, and those dangers should be recog-
nised and safeguarded against: nevertheless, the explor-
ation should go on.
It is often argued that interest in these matterC is
morbid and unnatural. If, however, it be true, as my
own researches tend to suggest, that we on earth are
subject to unseen influences and energies, whether we
be conscious of the fact or not, then the exploration of
these 'borderland' conditions is of importance to us
here and now. Some day no doubt such research will be
developed into a science and many cosmic laws, at
present unknown and unrecognised, will be tabulated
for our guidance and our safety. Meanwhile, pioneers
in this held should not be perturbed unduly bv criti-
cism and misunderstanding of their aims and motives.
There is one direction in particular where modern
civilisation has fallen into grievous error. The value of
silence and the training of the mind to become still and
receptive has ceased to be recognised and practised. We
educate our children almost entirely through the use of
noisc. I hev arc taught to focus their attention upon what
the~~ hear and see. In their homes and at school they
are surrounded by continual clamour, to which are now
added the mechanical distractions of radio and tele-
vision and the roacls.
I he immense importance of silence as an integral part
of education is rarcly recognised. Training in the still-
in~ of tllc mind, in thought control, is never gi~~en and
COLLOQUY BETWEEN AUTHOR AN~ PUBLISHER ~l~
the results are serious. The practice of silence can b~-
come a healing and educative agency, and it is time th~t
this truth should be recognised and made available,
both for children and adults alike. Even such a simple
practice as the keeping of a Silent Minute each day is a
step in the right direction. The Quakers and many
Eastern sects draw much of their strength and inspira-
tion from that deep interior silence which brings
inspiration and peace.
Qt~cstion B: In these 'latter days' are there people who
have evolved beyond the present evolution incarnated_
on this planet, and who have returned to guide us
within the limits to which they are permitted by Karrnic
or universal law ?
W. T. P.: Yes, there are reasons for believing that this
is so. The fact that the presence of such highly evolved
beings in our midst is not generally recognised need not
cause undue anxiety. They work silently, powerfullv
and with set purpose. They are imbued with a selfless
love of humanity far beyond anythin~ that we can
conceive. I cannot go further into this very important
subject just now. ~he time is not ripe.
Qucstson C: In regard to the Second Comin~, could it be
possible that the disciples who were with Our Lord
two thousand years ago will be with Him again when
He returns, and perhaps indeed have already incarnated
to prepare the way ?
W. T. P.: Use of the term 'Second Coming' is liable to
give a wrong impression of an event about which much
confusion persists. The eternal Christ of God is not a
being Who 'comes and goes' or passes from one level
of life and being to another in endless succession. In this
sense the 'Christ' is ever present everywhere and we
can each recognise and receive this Presence if we will.
Or we can reject it. I-he Spirit of Christ manifested in a
supreme way through Jesus during the ~Iaster's years of
mi~ ry on earlll. The same Spirit, in various manncrs
~~4 THE SILENT ROAD
and degrces, m~ifests through great spiritual mas~ers
and initia~es at all times throughout human histoty and
has never ceased to do so. It can manifest through you
and through me to the extent that we are able to become
dedicated channels for the putpose. When the need
arises and the 'call' is strong enough, the same Christ
selects the body of a dedicated 'master' through whom
to give forth a message for the enlightenment of man,
and especially so at the beginning of each new 'age' as
the evolution of life on this planet proceeds.
The expectation that such an event may be imminent
now is widespread, both within the world's great
faiths and outsidc them. Scers can tell us that 'Preparers
of the Way' for such a coming are already in our midst.
It may well be that many 'dedicated disciples' from ~he
past are among them. I have dealt more fully with ~his
important subject elsewhere.
~Que~tion L): As earth moves into the Aquarian Age,
what specif~c differences will we notice ? Will, for
instance, the vlbrationary tempo change ?
W. T. P.: A ~radual quickening of men's pe,rCeptive
faculty is already in evidence and this is not confinPrl ~Q
members of anv one creed, cl?ss ot race. The use of the
term you refer to as vibratlonary te~' may cause
con~usion because the word 'vihta ~ n _IS often applied
solely to the electrical and allied material helds o~
opera~Qn.
The rhythm of life and thought is already be~inning to
be attuned to a new keynote, suitable for use during the
coming dispensation. Here again the subject is too vast
to be dealt with in a casual note like this.
However, as a hint to help the discerning seeker, this
can be disclosed. A quality of Dcity hitherto not avail-
ablc to Inell on carth is now hcgim~ g to unfold. ~rlliS
quality or attribute could be referrcd to symbolically as
a Blended Ray, the child of the union of Love and Wis-
dom. This ray will produce a new rhythm within human
COLLOQUY 13ETWEEN ~UTHOR ~ND PUBLISIIER 21~
consciousness and it is within this rhythm that the mes-
sage for the coming age will manifest. No word has yet
been coined to describe this new quality or to dehne its
attributes or eflects. The word 'new' in this connection
only refers to the fact that the newness applies to human
consciousness now for the hrst time, in so far as evolu-
tion on this planet is concerned. The keynote for this
quality will be sounded in a very special way, by the
Christ messenger now believed to be approaching our
level of existence.
Qu~stion E: It is understood that many people all over
the world are coming together in groups, big and small,
to learn how to adjust thenlselves to the new Aquarian
Age which we are said to have already entered. Could
the Blended Ray have a harmful effect on some of these
groups if they are not under proper guidance and leader-
ship ? Are there evolved souls in sufficient numbers on
this planet--people capable of functioning harmoniously
in such a high state of consciousness and rhythm--who
will be able themselves to act as 'lighthouses' and diffuse
the light to those who are seeking, but are perhaps less
evolved and trained occultly than themselves ? This seems
of importance, as it has been said that too much light
can blind those not accustomed to it.
W. T. P.: The Blended Ray will undoubtedly possess a
deansing and harmonising influence within human
consciousness and it will bring with it a new vista of
revelation for mankind. The cleansing process may
prove drastic and testing but its effects will certainly not
be harmful or depressive. It is true that the responsi-
bilities of those who act as leaders in every ~eld of
human activity will be greater and more far-reaching
than at any previous period in the evolution of the race.
Ncvertheless as I have said bcfore, revelation is an
interior and personal experience and as a consequence
each individual should look for spiritual guidance from
within rather than from with--ut.
,.6 TI~E SILENT RO~D
If a sufficienl number of men and women of the will-
to good in every walk of life can be found (and their
number is steadily increasing) then the 'lighthouses' to
which you refer will prove adequate and their number
and influence will grow in proportion to the awakened
demand that is made upon them.
To use an electrical analo.~y, thcre will become
available for hulllan service many initiates, seers and
'elder brothers' active both ill bodily form and other-
wise whose mission will be to act as 'transformers'.
~Iany of us who cannot claim to be in the above cate-
gories are alIeady acting in this way and in a certain
sense the contents of books like this can be regarded
as transforming agencies. The cosmic energy behind the
Blended Ray will not be allowed to defeat its own pur-
poses, even if to the casual onlooker it may appear as if
shock tactics were in operation, designed to arouse the
sleeper and to carry out the task of opening closed
minds and hearts.
In this respect there will be found suggestions in the
notes in 'Times of Tribulation' which may help to
bring a measure of understanding.
The ultimate direction and control of the Blended
Ray belongs to One who will manifest the Christ for
the New Age. That great being known to us as Michael
the Archangel* and his ~Iessengers are the 'Preparers
of the Way' and we can each do our part to hclp them
in their present mission. Michael can in fact be regarded
not only as the eternal standard-bearer for the Christ,
but as the transformer-in-chief of the energies of the
Blended Ray which is now approaching.
Q~~tion F: Can you explain the difference between nega-
tive and positive thought? Would a third world war
providc more ncgative thought and a cosmic upheaval
which we might well be powerless to halt and so destroJ
the earth through cataclysms ?
h~l Prin~~ of H~av~n ~ . W~~lcin~, Londc~n).
COLLOQUY BETWEEN ~U'I'~~OR ~~NI~ PUBLISHER ~l~
W. ~'. P.: 'Negative' and 'positive' are relative tcrms.
What to some of us may seem to be negative thinking
may well bc the closest approach to positive thinking
that those concerned can reach, at the point of evolution
where they now stand. Wars and all happenings in our
midst of what we call a 'disastrous' kind produce both
negative and positive thought and action. In another
context, a mental attitude that is attuned to fear, de-
pression, anxiety, will by its very incidence attract more
negative and devolutionarv influences. ~n attitude of
mind attuned to the principles of love, service and
selflessness will, on the other hand, create the right con-
ditions for progtess and upliftment. Dwelling upon the
fear of cataclysms, a third world war and similar
disasters, can do immense harm, tending to create the
very conditions suitable for such events to happen.
Q~~~SJjO~~ G: How can prayer help the individual and
produce cosmic changes and positive results ?
1~ T. P.: Dr. Alexis Carrel has wisely stated that 'prayer
is the inexhaustible motive power that spins the uni-
verse'. A conscious turning towards God through
prayer and meditation opens thc gates through which
illumination and wisdom can flow into human con-
sciousness. l'his form of prayer is selfless, not being
concerned with asking the Deity to satisfy our im-
mediate personal and mundane needs. The prayer of
affirmation of all that is in accordance with love and
beauty, of the power of light over darkness, such prayer
is the best means for combating the effects of negative
thought and action. ~ach of us is a universe with~n
himself, and if We think and do the best we know,
within this univcrse, then we are helping to create a
leaven within human consciousness as a whole.
Que~tion ~~: Can you explain timc and space in connec-
tion with cosmic laws and why we ought to get outside
time and space in our thinking and actions? ln other
words, try to reach out into a fourth dimension.
2~8 THE SILENT RO~D
lEY. T. P.: No short answer to this question would prove
of real value. We are capable here and now of using the
faculties of our minds to operate beyond and outside
what you refer to as 'time-space' conditions. Many of
the experiences related in this book indicate how the
rnind can function outside time and space and quite
apart from the use of the brain, the latter being unable
to register clearly experiences that take place outside
the regions governed by time and space. 'I'he mind
of man is not conhned in its activities to three dimen-
sions, even if the brain would try to affirm that this is so.
When you or I endeavour to lift up our eyes and our
minds to the hills, to becon~e receptivc to the light of
inspiration ever waiting for our acceptance and use, we
are active in 'dimensions' which far transcend the three
dimensions of time, space and form (matter).
No words are available to explain the working of
cosmic laws. Revelation in this held can only come to
you and to me as a spiritual and interior experience.
Q~e~t~o ~ In your description of a visit to the house in
Jerusalem where the Last Supper was held as related
in The Upper l~oom you speak of the use of two faculties
of the mind referred to as the participant and the
observer. Was this experience recorded as the result of a
memory of actual events ?*
W. T. P.: In my note on the elasticity of time in
'Memory, Time and Prevision' I have tried to deal with
some aspects of this problem. Although the incidents
referred to appeared to be taking place at the very
moment when the experience came to me in ~.D. 19S9,
with myself both as participant and observer, it seems
reasonable to believe that, through the use of memory,
I was reliving through events which actually took place
just before the period of the Crucihxion in the hrst
century ~.D.
Some readers may be inclined to think that I was
COLLOQUY BI~TWEEN ~UTHOR ~ND PUBLISHER ~19
recollecting the details of events with which I had been
associated during a previous life on earth. There could
be other explanations, too complex to deal with in
this note. On a future occasion and after further re-
search I shall hope to pursue this investigation further.
Qs~cstion J: What effect is the emer~ence of the Blended
Ray likely to have on orthodox re~igion ?
W. T. P.: The wind of the Spirit bloweth where it
listeth. Its breath will be felt within palaces, prisons and
in the humblest homes. This fresh outpouring of energy
to which I have referred as the Blended Ray will per-
meate churches, synagogues, mosques and temples. No
human barriers will be able to keep it out or to with-
stand its presence for very long. The fermentation
already so apparent within religious organisations is a
presage of events to come. The time is not yet when
man will be sufficiently mature to dispense altogether
with form and ceremonies and the use of ritual. 'The
Church' referred to by the Master lesus is awaiting to
be discerned within the sanctuary of the soul.
Meanwhile there is hope that the churches and
temples of every faith will begin to adapt their institu-
tions to meet the current needs of man as he journeys
forward on his pilgimage towards the light. The break-
ing of old bottles and the fashioning of new ones is a
process that has never ceased to operate and will con-
tinue to do so throughout human history.
It can be a painful process, as indeed it is today, a
cause of bewilderment and distress to many people,
including those who practise their re~igion and those
who call themselves materialists.
There are signs around us today which suggest that
the gap between science and religion is in process of
being bridged. I bclicvc this to be ~rue ir~ spite of the
~20 THE SILENT ROAD
fact tha~ some famous eXponents of modern science
continue to assert that religion in all its forms has no
impact on the evolution of the human race and is there-
fore valueless. The physicist has now traced matter back
to its point of origin namely, force or energy. The next
step forward will be to discover the source of this
energy and its causation. ~ven the conception and the
working of a mechalustic universe would be inConceiv-
able without the services of a Master Mechanic. I pre-
dict that before the present century has run its cou~se,
discoveries in science and mctaphysics will have shaken
the standpoint of the materialist to its foundations,
tllereby rendering lus position quite untenal)le.
Discovery and revelation are twins that should not be
rent apart, the one working from below, the other from
above. As we enter the age now dawning it will be the
activities of the Blended Ray under Divine direction
that will merge the two in a manner of inestimable
benefit to all mankind. Each one of us, in ways too
numerou~ to calculate, can be instruments through
tlle servlce o~ humanity as a whoie.
One tlnal thougllt--nlan's discoveries in all f;clds of
research can prove very dangcrous to him unless ac-
companied by the revelation of how such discoveries
should be harnessed and put to uses that are both right
and good. In other words, the discoveries of material
science, through the use of reason from without and
revelation through the exercise of intuition from within,
must be united once and for all and never allowed to
become separated again.
CH~PTE;R THrRT}~EN
Cbalice Well and 'The Upper Room'
AT THE BEGINNING of 1959 it was my privi-
lege to launch a wonderful adventure. The
Chalice Well estate at Glastonbury, Somerset,
lies on the slopes of Chalice Hill, almost under the
shadow of the far-famed Michael Tor. For centuries
past this hallowed site had been in private ownership,
not easy of access to visitors and pilgrims.
With the co-operation of a group of friends, the
propeIty has now been vested in a charitable trust and
the hallowed well, the gardens and Little St. Michael
Hostel are now open to all comers, irrespective ,of race,
class or creed. History, legend and tradition surround
this site, bein~ intermingled in a way that is both
mysterious and perhaps unique. This is not the place
to review in detail a past which stretches across two
thousand years and more.
The story has already been told in many books and
pamphlets readily available to all who are interested in
Celtic Christianity and the arrival of Christ's Message
in Britain within fifty years of the Crucifixion. F.arlier
in this book I have touched upon the mystery of pre-
monition. Here is a case in point. I visited Glastonbury
and Chalice Well for the first time in I9~4 and at a ti~ne
2~2 TH~ SILENT RO~D
when the Chalice Well property bclonged to a Catholic
Order. I was allowed to visit the well and to drink the
healing and vitalising waters from its spring. I was also
permitted to roam over the gardens surrounding it and
to spend some time in the adjoining orchard which lies
farther up the slopes of Chalice T~ill. I was left with a
feelillg of sanctity and inspitation, whicll has never left
mc. ~ nd I was left with somcthing more, namelv the
premonition that in time to come I should be given the
opportunity to come into the possession of this truly
wonderful place, so that it might be thrown open to all
who believe in the Brotherhoo(l of Man under the
Fathcrllood of C~od. oVcr half a century was to pass
before the event fulfilled the premonition. Strange are
the ways of Destiny !
One of the legends closely a~sociated with Chalice
Well has lived 011 since early Christian times and has
refused to die or to be forgotten. It tells of the arrival
of Joseph of Arimathea (reputed to have been the uncle
on his mother's side of Our Lord) at Chalice Well some
years after the Ascension. IIe came, it is said, with a
devoted group of disciples, to hrillg Christ's message to
our country and to scttle heIe.
Joseph is believed to have brought with him the
Cup used at the Last Supper and to have buried it for
safe keeping beneath Chalice Hill within a stone's throw
of the well itself. One of the hrst books published by the
Chalice Well Trust is called The Uh~er Room. This eon-
tains what purports to be a description of the Master's
Cup, whicll in medieval times came to be linked in men's
hearts and minds with the lovely mysticism of the Holy
Grail.
The message carried by this little book has already
brought responsc from readers scatteted right across the
world. I am happy to have this opportunity of thanking
all those who have written me about it, as the letters
received are far too numerous to reply to individually.
C~IALICE WELL ~ND 'THE UPP~R ROOM' ~2~
I believe that the Cup or Chalice is destined to b~-
come the symbol for the new age now dawnin~, and it
is my hope that Chalice ~ell may once more fulhl the
inspiring mission of acting as a gateway through which
revelatlon for coming times may flow, radiating from
there across Britain and the world.
It is my conviction that the people of our Island will
be given ~he opportunity once more to lead humanitv
out of its present darkness into the Light.
The beams from the Lighthouse which is within our
power to build may well be destined to radiate Illumina-
tion to the far corners of the Earth.
I hrmly believe that it lies within the capacity of our
children and their children to carry out this task. In my
view the discerning among them should lose no time in
preparing themselves to fulf~l a Destiny that most surely
will be presented to them and at no very distant date.
R~d~rs who atc intcrcsted can obtain furthcr inforrnation from
tbc
Custodlan, Chalicc Wcll Tmst, Littl~ St. Michacl, Glastonbury,
Somerset.