THE FROM THE Cornell Itthreraitg ffithrartj Jlthara, New fork \\^s.a3XLuWit& rue date snows wnen mis volume was taken. To renew this book copy the call No. and give to the librarian. , HOME USE RULES All Books subject to recall All borrowers must regis- ter in the library to borrow books for home use. 1 * All books must be re- turned at end of college year for inspection and n repairs. Limited books must be * returned within the four week limit and not renewed. Students must return all books before leaving town. Officers should arrange for , the return of books wanted during their absence from town. Volumes of periodicals and of pamphlets are held in the library as much as possible. For special pur- ._ poses they are given out for a limited time. Borrowers should not use their library privileges for the benefit of other persons. Books of special value and gift books, when the giver wishes it, are not allowed to circulate. Readers are asked to re- port all cases of books marked or mutilated. Do not deface books by marks and writing. Come"^*«ra»y arV1 7069 Library L the s irit MiVfSn«i iiK wSr..- P world. 3 1924 031 olin.anx 238 078 Cornell University Library The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924031238078 CARLYLE PETERSILEA LETT FROM THE pitrit World Written Through the Mediumship of Carole petersUea, BY MIS FATHER, FRANZ PETERSILEA, And Other Spirit Celebrities. CHICAGO: THE PROGRESSIVE THINKER PUBLISHING HOUSE 1905. Copyright 1905 BY J. R. FRANCIS. PUBLISHER'S INTRODUCTION. In Presenting these "Letters From the Spirit World," the publisher thinks he is filling an important niche in the literature of Spiritualism. Carlyle Petersilea was a most remarkable medium, and his writings have always met with the cor- dial approval of Spiritualists generally. There is a peculiar fascination in all his works, that interests and instructs, and leads one to a higher plane of thought. These "Letters From the Spirit World" are the crowning triumph of his career as a medium, and they are presented with confidence in their uplifting and entertaining qualities. HOME OF THE PROGRESSIVE THINKER. 40 Loomis St., Chicago, Illinois. The above illustration represents the beautiful home of The Progressive Thinker. It is situated on the west side of Jefferson Park. There is no lovelier locality in the city of Chicago. — LETTER NUMBER ONE. Carlyle, My Dear Son:—Some twenty years ago, ac- cording to your earth's division of time, I passed out of my material body, and entered the celestial world. "We call our world here the celestial world because, be- ing freed from the earthly form, we are at liberty to move among celestial bodies if we choose; and I have chosen so Still, world also properly called the to do. this may be ethereal or spiritual world—celestial, ethereal, spiritual. You are well aware that all space is ether or ethereal; that this ether is filled by spiritual, celestial and material bodies or forms; that these forms differ both in shape and density. Not long after leaving my material body, finding that I was yet alive and not dead, I returned to you and suc- ceeded in writing a small book. We agreed to call this book "The Discovered Country," for the very good reason that I had discovered a country about which I knew little or nothing—in fact, a country that I knew nothing about, for I had not taken the slightest trouble to inform my- self on the subject of a life after so-called death. Like the dear brother who has lately joined me here—Eobert G. Ingersoll—I believed that death ended all. If I oc- casionally had a hope, I knew nothing, believed nothing, and as Mr. Ingersoll, who now stands by my side, says, it was far better thus than to believe a mass of falsehoods our spiritual minds being like the unwritten pages of a book, clean and ready to be put to the best use possible. Dear Carlyle, I tell you no falsehood when I say that my dearly loved friend and coadjutor, Eobert 6. Inger- soll, now stands by my side, and together we shall dictate these letters. Let those jeer who care to. Scoffs and jeers never yet accomplished a great deal; they do very little, even, to break down error. Far better is it to place 4 LETTEKS FEOM THE SPIEIT "WORLD. beautiful truth by the side of error, and let the observer and student discover the difference between the two. In the book which I wrote, called "The Discovered Country," I gave you a detailed account of the first few months of my life and experiences here in the celestial world. Having now been a resident within this world for twenty years, I certainly can tell you much more than I was able to at that time; still, all that I then wrote you is true, and now I shall add to that the experience of twenty years. But first I would like to tell you a little about our friend Eobert. His experiences and mine were not at all alike, for no two souls can tell precisely the same story. When I was born into the celestial world, my father and mother received my spirit, although they concealed from me the fact that they were my parents, and accom- panying them was the other half of myself, the comple- ment of my own soul—all three unknown to me at the time. All who have read "The Discovered Country" will remember the account; but our friend Eobert was received by a multitude of disenthralled beings, with loud acclaim and waving banners. These people, together with their banners, were real and visible to his sight, and upon these banners were words, sentences and emblems, for everyone who bore aloft a banner, his or her soul had become disen- thralled of an error—in other words the herculean arm of our friend Eobert had struck a chain from off them, let- ting their souls go free, and thus the host met him with banners and huzzas. At first he thought he had fallen asleep and was dream- ing, not knowing he was free from the body, and really he was not at that time when the vision first struck his spirit- ual sight, but gradually things took permanent shape and clearness. The colder his earthly body became the brighter and bolder the celestial scene was to his sight; and presently he was able to read many of these banners. As I was present myself, I will tell you what was upon some of the most striking of them. "Welcome to the Land of Hope, Dear Bob;" upon another, a large star glittered brightly, and beneath were the words: "A Star is a Eeal World, and Hope is as Eeal as the Stars;" upon an- other, "Hope On, Hope Ever," and beneath these words a circle: "Have you found the end of the circle, dear brother," and yet another, the symbol of the cross, an ex- LETTEES FEOM THE SPIKIT WOKLD. 5 act representation of a cross with Jesus nailed to the tree, together with the words, "I die that you may live." Bobert's eyes took on a wide expression as they rested on this symbol, for he was intensely surprised. The standard-bearer came and stood directly by him. "Wouldst know the meaning of this symbol, Eobert?" he asked. "You have said in the past, 'When I die.' I is dead, dear friend, and You live. I die, that You may live. The body of man is his crucified savior, for if his body never died his spirit could not go free." Upon an- other banner a blazing fire, representing Hades, and the words, "Burn up the Chaff and Preserve the Wheat," and a beautiful spirit escaping from the charred form of a man within the flames. Upon another, a serpent, a wo- man, and the tree of life. "Oh, I never believed that garden of Eden story," mur- mured Eobert, and neither did I, but now I do. It was an ancient symbol, and its meaning—a woman represents life, for through her or the female element, life comes into being. The serpent represents the beginning of wis- dom. At first wisdom is low and crawls on its belly upon the earth; but, as the ascending ages roll on, wisdom be- comes a beautiful woman, knowing good from evil, for she has eaten of the fruit of knowledge of both good and evil, or rather, life was at first ignorant, but at last wise. She only not gives life to man but shares equally with him in wisdom and knowledge. She also being first in spirit- ual wisdom is the first to pluck the fruit of knowledge and give him to eat thereof, and the spiritual voice, or their own spiritual wisdom, which is called the Lord God, called to them in the restful part of the day, saying: "Now thou hast reached an altitude where thou hast sufficient wisdom. Go forth and till the soil that thou mayest live above the beast, for thou art now one of us, or one with the angels or spirits. Go forth and till the soil that thou mayest eat and be clothed." And they went forth, the man and his wife, or other- wise, men, together with their wives and families.