Behind the Beyond"
Books on. the subject of what is called "spiritualism? continue to pour from the press, and the supply will doubtless be maintained until public interest, artificially stimulated by the war, decline: The latest volume has this titi "The life beyond the veil: spirit messages received and written down by the Rev, G. Owen Vale, of Orford, Lancashire, appreciation by Lord Northcliffe and_an introduction by Sir A. Conan Doyle." Thus, with the authority of the Church, a practical newspaper man, and a popular novelist, the new book
now modest price of 6/-, a circum-should have a wide reading, at the, stance which, in our view, is unfortunate. The best that can be hoped is that the hectic craze for "communication with the other side" will speedily be replaced by saner and safer methods of approaching the problem of psychology involved.
Tue Cetestia, Tereorapn.
"The lowlands of heaven" is the title of Book 1, and its editor (Mr. H. W, Engholm) claims that it supplies ''the most complete and most detailed statement of conditions in the after-life yet published." Urged by his wife, who had developed the power of "automatic writing," to take down any thoughts which seemed to conic into his mind, "projected there by some external personality," Mr. Vale, we told, relucteatly cided to sit in his cassock in the vestry of hig church after evensong. The fact that a portrait of the rev. gentleman taken on this occasion appeared in the "Weekly Despatch" suggests that he was not averse from a little cheap notoriety incidental to celestial revelation, and may not be altogether un: comected with Lord Northeliffe's appreciation. Automatic writings, spook photographs, and kindred mysteries of late been a boon to "circulation" managers, According to Mr, Vale, the "mes. sages" he received "seemed to travel on a celestial-mundane tele. graphic current" carrying him into "the very domain of ecstasy."
Tue Woop.anpers.
Amongst the unseen who contri-' buted to Mr. Vale's ecstasy were Kathleen, a seamstress, Astrid, a schoolmaster who lived in the reign of George I, and Gulielmus Monachus, the _latter of whom told' the writer 7 where to find the Edgar Chapel at" 7 Glastonbury. There were seven, communicators, all "living" in the! Celestial Lowlands, pending advancement to the Highlands, The. occupants of this plane include (says Astrid), "fairies, pixies and
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.