Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1885-12-16
THE OCCULT wORIIf,.
a Talk with Gentlemen who Claim
Adeptship in Eastern Mysteries.

a Talk with Gentlemen who Claim
/ Adeptship in Eastern Mysteries.
Said friend. II noted truth telle
had told me the experience herein nal
rated had happened to him 1 could no
have believed him. 1 would hav
thought he was dreaming, and did no
know it, though it would have hurt hi
feelings by telling him so. Spook
ghost or goblin were to me the crea
tions of a disordered in. 1 could n,
more have believed in The existence o
a spirit apart from the body, or surviv
ing 1t after death, than ] could hav
believed in tho trinity, or the lively
gods OF Olympus. Whatever was ont
side of the known laws of matter was u
me absolutely non-exlstent.
81 had read OF astral bodies, so
called, lighter than air, SO ethereal that
like gases, they could pass through
brick walls. When the material bodie
OF which they were the counterpart wer
chained in dead siumber ii was said the
spirit, clothed in this astral shape
could escape and fit whittier it would
over the face OF the earth, like vii
o the wisD, realizing veritably Mrs.
BrownIng's aspiration:
"If men could ride with naked sous
And make no noise, and pay no price a
Nonsense! Blatherl'
'lt was a figment of fancy. Those
who pretended to have, or had faith IL
such stuff were about equally divided
between frauds and fools.
Nothing short of what actuully die
happen could have ever changed my
mind. 1t was necessary for me, with
my own eyes, broad awake. in iull pos
session OF my senses, to see an astral
body. Only such evidence, l contend,
should be taken by anybody in case
like this.
"Since the experience here men,
toned many Others, more remarkable,
have been mine, but concerning these
there Is silence. That was the first con-
yinclng one.
sit was in September, 1894. A
pleasant acquaintance and friendship OF
some years standing had existed be-
tween DIR. Elliott Coues and myself.
He had Just returned from across the
water, with head and ears full of the
strange beauties and mysteries of oc-
cult science. He called one evening
1t WAS very hot, and we left the stuffy
parlor and betook ourselves to the COM
mon Ieople's open air breathing place,
Madison Square park. We sat there
under the twinkling electric lights till
past 10 o'clock, two hours perhaps.
And nearly all that time the doctor was
trying to convince me OF the realities
OF things which now all good theoso-
phists know to be true. He was pass
ing eloquen.-as he often is-and l was
stupidity incredulous, rs l often am, too,
for tine matter OF that.
81 would as soon admit the moon was
made of green cheese" l said.
He told ME of wonders he had wit
messed. l laughed. 81 believe you
believe it" L said.
VERY well. You may laugh, an
swered DR.. Coues; "but it's true, all
ssa. sa:zc- CiairFayeesS. nesmerism,
astral y!sitations, are facts, and the
scientific world will be forced to admit
1t sooner or later. Happy they who
have sense enough TO give INTO it
sooLer."
l cannot remember the half he said,
OF the quarter. But it was all in the
same strain, tue estupendousand dazzling
acquisitions occult science offered to her
votaries, and the perfect purity of life
and lofty unselfishness theopsy de-
mabded of its disciples.
Finally the doctor said: 81 will tell
you what 1 intend to do. Some night
L am coming to visit you in the astral
shape"
'Don't," said 1. at might be en-
"Well, 1 shall come" he replied.
when you do, I'll believe In it"
1t was rash promise.
''Dr. Coues went to his hotel. l went
home and to my room, and bolted the
door and retired. In less than no time
| was asleep. Never did slumber seal
D mortal eyes more "tight-fast" than
mine that night. TOWARDS morning l
was startled fron. q sleep SO profound
that it seemed like coming from another
world. 1t was the touch of hand and
arm that reused me. Just rs walked, it
flashed upon me that had been dream
ing about DR.. Coues. Somebody was sit
ting upon the edge of the bed.
started up wildly. And as did so,
saw that the person who sat beside me
WIS Or. Cones. The form and face
we're shadowy, but distinct and unmis-
.akable. Then IT was gone, in an in
'tant; vanished "like the baseiess fabric
BE-. dream" 1t faded cut.
The impression the apparition left
oehInd was SO startling that L cannot
describe it. 1t was there in my own
'oom, in my own bed, sitting up ard
gazing through the dim light at the
blank wall. L was awake, in my full
enses, if 1 ever had been. Often, in
ny past life, I had been wakened from
leep by a hand touching me. Most |
,eople have. The sensation was too
amiIiar to be mistaken. Yet nobody
vas there. The door was fastened with |
n iron bolt as had lett it. Nobody
Iad been there. Nevertheless, l had !
cen and been touched and walked by
by friend. He had visited me IL astral
orm, Just as he said he would do"