Observations placeholder
J. Turquin, an Instructor in the Ardennes, and the ghost of a 12 year old boy’s cousin
Identifier
025011
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
A description of the experience
Death and its Mystery: After Death – Camille Flammarion
March, 1899, the following letter was written by a boy about twelve years old:
I did not know what fear was. One of my cousins, with whom I had taken a walk the evening before and talked with until half- past nine, died suddenly at eleven o'clock. At four o'clock in the morning (it was in the month of August) I left the farm, to go to school as usual, but earlier than I generally did, to report his death at the town hall.
At eleven I usually went to ring the bell and wind the clock. The latter was in the tower of the church. In order to reach it, it was necessary to climb a long spiral staircase and cross a loft about twenty meters long. The teacher stopped me that day and said to me, "If you don't want to go up alone to wind the clock to-day, stay down, and I'll go myself."
“l?" I said. “Why shouldn't I want to?" I am telling all this to explain my state of mind at that moment I remember very well that I said to myself, "How funny that the teacher asked me that question!"
When I reached the loft I was, therefore, very much surprised to see my cousin standing there, hiding a part of the door which led to the clock. The light from the window in the roof fell right on his face. He was in his working-clothes, and was looking at me hard, his face a little sad. I picked up a small iron bar which lay on the floor, and going forward, I threw it right at the apparition.
The bar struck the door with a dull sound and the illusion - if it was an illusion, for your accounts make me doubt this - vanished. Then I wound the clock and went away. My cousin was on my right, in the loft, leaving me a free passage this time, and smiling.
“This is too much!" I said out loud, as if to prove to myself that I was not dreaming. The phantom made a movement as though to raise its arms, and disappeared suddenly. I went downstairs quickly and told my story to the teacher, who said to me, “Now you’ll know what fear is.”
(Vouched for by) J. TURQUIN, Instructor,
Ardennes.