South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-08-13
JACK LONDON SAYS
LIFE Is ETERNAL
Remarkable Theories of Life
Revealed in Story Purport-
edly Written by Author.
BY EDWARD b. PAYNE
written for the 1. y. 81


BERKELEY Aug. 11-Perhaps
the most important Of the many
communications purporting to come
II ON Jack London is What Life
Means 10 Ne Now" During his
life an article by Mr.. London on
What Life Means 20 Me" attracted
wide attention.
The medium asked II he could not
tell something Of the conditions and
meanings of life as he was now ex-
pqTienc.ng il. Ii was in answer to
this that we secured the cOmmunIca-
zion which We now make public. and
which seems 20 US 20 make a near
approach 20 the literary style and
thinking power OF Jack London.
Here is the text Of the message.
as IL was received and written out
early in August 1920, except for the
punctuation and the emphasis,
which indicate the psychic's under
standing Of the meaning conveyed
TO her
I am a soul, a living soul,
I followed the lost trail of ma
terialism and sickened in the loul
mists Of error. I was bold. No mis-
givings assailed me. I had the as
sCrance Of the cock NV egotism
linked arms with a com bativeness
which silenced opposition but did
not meet IT, I faced oblivion. I took
a spurious pride In facing IT,
laughed at it. I spUrned other men
when they quaked I loathed their
slavish attachment TO life. which
chung the more slavishly the less
life offered. had the courage to die.
I was not enraptured with life.
which had given me all my desires
which had withheld nothing for
which I reached.
The distaste which filed my
mouth was not the foretaste Of
deaths mold The failure of earth
to give life a chance coated my
tongue. 1 saw death Top off vital
strugglings in haphazard whim I
/ rebelled at the incompletion
81 IlabOred. 1 Taught"
I labored; I taught-when I did
| teach-that man might set his ma
tcrial house 10 rights that these vital
| developments might not be inter
| rupted by brutal chance. Chancei
Mans dependence upon chance as
an explanation determines the blind
ness OF his vision. There is no
chance
But 7 must not outstrip my story
Myssoul, though I knew it not, was
dyspeptic with the materialistic
fodder I crammed into it. missed
the incentive. had been lucky
Another had missed. I might have
! been such a one Ny highest vision
OF service 20 my fellow man was TO
minimize evil chance through secur-
ing a propitious environment The
evil and the good lives after me
Life Joined the snufed-out lights OF
countless candles.
Death caught me unawares. I had
no opportunity to watch his APP
proach. He snapped me up. and my
fece was not turned his way. al
most regret this. l believe it made
my transition the harder.
I awoke. Dreaming2 I was sure OF
e. I dreamed on and on. was not
\ awakened. dreamed myself into
eternity
am vague. I was vague to my
self.
Ny powers returned. I could think
I hailed my old brain like a return
ed friend. I fumbled and CROPPED
II was no instantaneous visioning OF
life eternal My earth blindness
hazed me about. fought my way
I through it, I had no goal I had
passed the only goal I had ever ad-
mitted. I was en- the other side
of 1t. I struggle 10 seize the cor
rect term. I try vainly TO translate
| the experience into terms OF earth
which haseno utterance for IT,
Margaret tells me it is four years
Time is an earth factor, but I meas
ure it by my own change / have nc
other scale.
died. I am looking at life from
, the other side. the tame. friendly
B side Of him. And life is indestruc.
tible Ny scientific prattle called
D matter indestructible. Life. spirit
soul, mind reason-these are eter.
nal They know no change bu
; growth Lesson one
Ny vision Of man Is the same a.
. when on earth. My mind quality Il
the same. Ny hope Of him Is stronl
b as when / voIced.it there. I see hin
facing his destiny as I saw him or
earth. I see him fall. I see him ris,
and go on. There IS no limit, M
leash. He fights his way. and wher
his place is ready here he comes
. There IS no catastrophe All is in or
J der
I am a stranger TO this tongue.
, am but learning to speak What IA
cility I possessed on earth Is dis
rupted by a condition IL was nevet
5 trained and shaped 20 meet. 7 shall
, ! strive 10 re-eStablish Il and friend
b Of earth. you shall recognize m.
j Voice.
Iv,r,..t~b. 5000 L.. ~ 60