BACK IN PRINT! VINTAGE EDITION.

Dr Florence Barrett was a prominent gynaecologist and obstetrician, as well as dean of the London School of Medicine for Women.  Professor William Barrett, her husband, was a distinguished physicist, knighted in 1912 for his contributions to science.  He was also one of the founder of the Society for Psychical Research.  Sir William spent much of his life investigating mediumship and the possibility of life after death until his own death in 1925.

During the 11 years that followed Sir William’s death, Florence, initially very skeptical, sat with renowned trance medium Gladys Osbourne Leonard on numerous occasions (35 sittings are recorded in this book) and became convinced that William and numerous other deceased friends, acquaintances and relatives were communicating with her.  Many topics were discussed, including cancer, diet and the nature of reality. During one communication William explained:

“We cannot locate the seat of life in the physical because it is not there. How many have tried to find something in the physical organism – the seat of life – some spark, germ, cause of what is called life. It doesn’t lie in the physical body, it is useless looking for it there. It is in the etheric – or more correctly, the etheric is the true carrier of life.”

When theologian and scholar G. W. Butterworth reviewed Personality Survives Death in 1938, he wrote: “If mere quantity of evidence were all that was necessary to establish the truth of the spiritistic hypothesis then all men ought by now to be believers. ” In 2020 the same could be said to be true. Materialist science has failed to explain psychic phenomena preferring to opt for the easy explanation that it doesn’t exist.

For the hardened sceptic this book may do nothing, but for the seeker it has much to offer.

A few quotes from the book.

“We are so much happier than you, because even the lowest here is conscious of God. You wondered whether the teachings of Christianity were essential to the human race; the longer I am on this side the more convinced I am that it is so.”

“Physical relationship isn’t so important on our side as yours. There are many people in your family you will never meet again – not spiritually related at all.”

“You know it’s not just the evidential side of communication that counts – people have had a great deal of that; they want to know this: if we live, how we live. And what do we consider the best way they can live in order to make the best of life before passing and after – the two sides of the picture.”

“It is a case of a lot of work to be done in editing these messages – posthumous communication. (I dislike being identified with posthumous.) I’m living, I’m more alive than I have ever been.”

W.F.B. “I hope that in publishing this work, you will assist people to take the first rung of the spiritual ladder.”
F.E.B. “What is the first rung?”
W.F.B. “The first rung is looking above self.”

“The life of reason is shared with higher animals – life higher than human is spirit rather than intelligence. We share spirit with higher beings as animals share intellect with us. As we help to raise animals, so angels help to raise us even on Earth to reach the fringes of the spiritual.”

“God helps those who help themselves – there is a lot of truth in it. God only allows us to help those who help themselves.”

“Communication is always permissible so long as it is not allowed to interfere with the spiritual, the mental and physical development of the individual while on Earth.”

Dr Florence Barrett (1867-1945) was a prominent gynaecologist and obstetrician, as well as dean of the London School of Medicine for Women.

William F. Barrett (1844-1925) was a British physicist and a leading figure in the early years of psychical research, investigating telepathy and clairvoyance, apparitions, mediumship, dowsing, deathbed visions of deceased persons, and related topics. Barrett co-founded the Society for Psychical Research and the American Society for Psychical Research. Source: psi-encyclopedia.spr.ac.uk