Observations placeholder
Stainton-Moses, William - Receives a visitor
Identifier
011283
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
A description of the experience
Death and its Mystery, At the Moment of Death; Manifestations and Apparitions of the Dying – Camille Flammarion
from Annales des Sciences psychiques 1907
One evening last year – 1878 – I decided on an attempt to appear to the Reverend Stainton Moses. I did not inform him in advance of my intention.
I concentrated all my thoughts upon him with intensity, though I did not know where he lived. It was about midnight, and I ended by going to sleep.
I had no knowledge of what might have taken place.
When I saw the reverend Moses some days afterwards, I asked him ‘Did anything happen in your home Saturday night?’
‘Yes’ he answered ‘something remarkable happened. I was sitting near the fire with X smoking and talking. Towards half past twelve my friend rose to take leave and I accompanied him to the door. I then came back to the fire to finish my pipe, when I saw you seated in the chair just left vacant by the man who had gone. I gazed at you attentively, then took up a newspaper to convince myself that I was not dreaming; and when I put it down you were still there.
While I was looking at you, without speaking, you disappeared gradually. I thought you must have been asleep at that hour; nevertheless, you appeared to me in your ordinary garments, just as I see you today’.
‘Capital!’ I cried ‘I wished to make an experiment; it succeeded. The next time I come, ask me what I want, for I had determined in my mind upon certain questions I wished to put to you; but I was waiting, probably till you should ask me to speak’
Some weeks afterwards, the experiment was repeated with the same success, this time as well, I had not previously informed the Reverend Moses. Upon this occasion he not only questioned me upon a subject which we had long discussed, but he held me back, by the influence of his will, some time after I had manifested a desire to leave. As on the first occasion, I retained no memory of the occurrence upon awakening.