Tag: afterlife

The Actor Lionel Barrymore and the Playwright Oscar Wilde describe Entertainment and their Existence in the Afterlife or Heaven

Article by: Walter Semkiw, MD

Source: Communication from the deceased in this case was facilitated through the direct voice mediumship of Leslie Flint. George Woods and Betty Greene were present during tape recordings of Flint’s mediumship sessions and they asked questions of the deceased, who spoke in their own natural voices. Neville Randall reviewed these recordings and summarized the dialogues in his book, Life After Death. Dialogue in the article provided below has been slightly edited to make it more concise.

To learn more about the mechanism of communication with the deceased, go to: Leslie Flint and his Direct Voice Mediumship

Lionel Barrymore describes his Arrival in the Spirit World

In a session that occurred on February 9, 1957, a voice with an American accent came through. Betty Greene recognized the voice as that of the actor Lionel Barrymore, who had died two years before of a heart attack while watching television in his Hollywood home.

(Barrymore is best known for his role as the nasty banker, Mr. Potter, in the classic movie, It’s a Wonderful Life, whose star was Jimmy Stewart. In the photo provided to the above, Barrymore is seated and Stewart is standing with finger pointed at Barrymore).

Betty Greene asked, “You are Lionel Barrymore, aren’t you?”

“Yes, how did you know that?”

George Woods: “When you first passed over, how did you find things? Did you find a world similar to this one?”

“Well, I would say similar. In certain respects, similar as far as nature is concerned. But I certainly didn’t see any streetcars and automobiles, and all that kind of thing. But then again, I understand on the lower spheres nearer to Earth, those things exist. Everything is a matter of the state of mind of the people who inhabit that particular place.

When I first came here, I remember quite well waking up in a beautiful garden. Not unlike a garden I had been very fond of in my youth. And my father and mother were there. When I open my eyes, there was my mother just as I have remembered her when she was a much younger woman. It was a wonderful experience.

Then a crowd of friends came and made themselves known to me. People that I had known in my earlier years.

It seemed in my first experience that I was meeting people that I had known way back when I was quite a young lad. As you know, when I became older, I had a crotchety leg, and trouble one way and another, and I often used to daydream back into my youth. I guess that as I passed over, my last Earthly thoughts were to do with my earlier years.

Pets in Heaven

I have a dog here that I was very fond of. If anyone had told me years ago on Earth that animals existed after death, I would not have believed it.

I never really believed that dogs and cats and horses had a soul. I realize now that we are very much responsible for the animal kingdom and that they depend a great deal more on us than we realize.

I also have my brother John with me. We did not always hit it off on Earth, but we get on very well here.”

Theatre in Afterlife features Morality Plays

Woods: “How do you spend your life on that side? What do you do?”

“Well, I’m still interested in the theater. We do have entertainment, I suppose you would call it, although it is not exactly that. Everything we do here has a motive, has a purpose. Every play that is produced, and everything that is achieved and done here has a real purpose, not only just to give people pleasure and entertainment.

For instance, we put on plays that you’d call morality plays into the lower spheres and we reproduce the lives of certain individuals that we see in the audience. It helps them to see themselves as they really are. In consequence, they begin to think more deeply and it helps them to sort themselves out and desire a better existence.

I have met Florenz Ziegfield and a crowd of others here who still produce what you’d call kind of extravaganzas.

(In the photo provided to the right, Ziegfield is standing in the middle, surrounded by his showgirls.}

Here we treat nature in the true sense, and in the right way. Here we are very conscious of the great gifts that have been bestowed on us in every sense and every way. All types of people here find all sort of interesting work to do. There are some that create beautiful clothes, others who design beautiful pictures, or perhaps scenery for our plays. There are others who compose great music.

Music in the Afterlife

Music here which is far removed from anything you’ve heard on Earth–orchestras numbering several hundreds of people and each one an artist. Here some of the great composers have composed new works, so magnificent that I couldn’t begin to tell you. As they are playing you can see the atmosphere changing lights and colors. It is a most magnificent sight. Oh, I could go on telling you all kinds of things.”

Woods: “What sort of theaters are there? What are they like? Are they like theaters on Earth?”

“Yes. Some are very like theaters on Earth, and some are very far removed. We have the kind of theater very much like what you see on Earth, with beautiful ceiling and carpeting, and the auditorium beautifully appointed and all that sort of thing. Also, we have great open amphitheaters in natural surroundings. Here are produced all kinds of plays. Great plays from the earliest times, and by men and women who’ve made an art of writing and producing and acting.”

Shakespeare in Heaven

All the great plays of Shakespeare are produced here, and what is more interesting still newer plays, greater plays, much greater plays than you know on Earth. And Shakespeare is still writing and producing and acting too.”

Woods: “Do they still write plays in the same style as they did?”

“No. As one gains more experience in a new existence, naturally your style changes. If Shakespeare were living today, he would write great plays as he does on this side, but of course they would be in the modern idiom. Sometimes I come back to Earth and go to your theaters, watch the acting and plays. With a few exceptions, most of it is pretty bad.”

(Note from Walter Semkiw: In contemporary times, Shakespeare reincarnated as the African-America playwright August Wilson, who the press has dubbed an “American Shakespeare.” This reincarnation case is featured in my book Born Again.)

Woods: “Have you met Shakespeare?”

“I have met Shakespeare, and I can settle the argument once and for all. There is no doubt about it. He wrote his own plays. It doesn’t mean to say he didn’t sometimes use old plays and refurbish them. But you can take it from me that when you have a Shakespeare play, it’s Shakespeare’s”

Singers in the Afterlife

Woods: “Have you met any famous singers on your side?”

“Sure, I have met many a famous singer here.”

Woods: “Kathleen Farron. Have you met her?”

“Kathleen Ferrier, you mean. The young English lady who passed over some years ago. Yes, I met her. She’s a magnificent soul and she has a wonderful voice. You know half her charm was not only her voice, but her wonderful personality and character. It came out in her voice. I’ve listened to many a great artists on Earth, but I have known them to be like wild cats backstage, quite different to their voice. But this one you are talking about is quite different.”

Barrymore paused and then returned.

“Sorry to have to break away like that, but it is quite an effort to talk at length. I’ll come and speak to you again some other time.”

Playwright Oscar Wilde describes his Life in Heaven

Five years later on August 20, 1962, a rich and fruity male voice came through.

Betty Greene: “Please, may we have your name?”

“My name is Oscar Wilde.”

Betty Greene: “Mr. Wilde, can you tell us something of your life on the other side? What are you doing?”

“I must admit, it’s a relief to be asked to discuss one’s life over here in preference to one’s own life on Earth. Because in any case my life on Earth is pretty well-known among gossip mongers. If I were to say to you that my life here is not unlike my life on Earth, you would probably be horrified. But it happens to be perfectly true. And I’ve no regrets about it whatsoever!

I’m perfectly happy and perfectly contented, and I live a life of delicious sin. It is no longer sin here to be human and to be natural. But on Earth to be natural is to be sinful. Over here one can be sinful because it is natural. The world has strange ideas of sin. I live a natural existence here, and I’m perfectly happy.”

Woods: “What are you doing?”

“Actually, seriously, I’m still writing and I’m still having my plays performed, and I’m often called on to go down into the lower spheres to help.

Strange, no doubt, you may think, that I should be called to the lower spheres to help!

Probably, I’m more suitable to help people on the lower spheres because I haven’t progressed very much myself! But actually, I’m very much in tune with all peoples. My mind, I trust, gives me entry even if my reputation does not! My reputation does not worry me, but it seems to worry a hell of a lot of people on your side!

More money has been made out of my reputation since my death than ever I was able to make out with my plays, which goes to say that sin is very successful.”

Betty Greene: “You always had a very open mind, didn’t you?”

“I was always ready to receive inspiration. Indeed, I might say that my most successful works were due to the fact that I had an open mind, and in consequence much was poured through it of inspiration-which was highly successful.

I feel sure that if it were not for the fact that I was high-minded, you wouldn’t have had perhaps some of the successful works that I was able to perform. But, of course, all this is a matter of dispute among many people. One man’s rat poison is another man’s meat.

So many people when on Earth were so serious that they couldn’t to fail to be utterly boring. I refuse to join such a gathering. This I do deliberately because there will always be people who will say, how do we know that this was Oscar Wilde?

And so I am expected to come back very much the same, with the sort of things that would be expected of me. For your sakes I do this because I know, poor dears, you’re struggling so desperately hard to convince. And if I can assist you to convince, then I shall be doing some good work, and it may wipe out some of my blots!”

Betty Greene” “Mr. Wilde since you been on the other side, have you learnt anything?”

“I’d be a strange person if I hadn’t learned something after being here so long. We all learn whether we like it or not. Whether we are apt pupils or not we all learn, no matter how bad the teacher.”

Betty Greene: “Can you describe your actual passing?”

“Oh, I died like everybody else. Actually, seriously, I was met by my mother.”

Woods: “And how did you find things there?”

People are the Same in the Afterlife, including in Appearance

“Well, naturally, you do can’t go to a strange country without finding it vastly different. But the extraordinary and interesting thing is, the people were the same. Situations may be different, but the people, thank God, were the same.

They still looked the same. They still are the same. And in consequence one felt at home. I’ve met many people that I had admired and many I didn’t admire and have learned to admire for different reasons.

Oscar Wilde travels to Multiple Spheres in the Spirit World

And I have traveled a great deal, went to many places, many spheres, many countries if you would like to call them such, because in a sense they are.

There are no barriers, only barriers of oneself within oneself, and one’s own mind. The barriers between human relationships and peoples are within oneself. They are man-made. One learns to discard them.

When one has been here even for a short time, one realizes very much we are all part of the other. All God’s children eventually begin to merge, although they retain their individuality and separate personality. We all begin to merge until we are harmonious and in consequence we live in a condition of peace, and quietude in harmony, where all and each can have his or her interest, such as it may be.

Some feel the urge and need to work in various ways. Others do not. I prefer to continue to write, because writing was, to a great extent, my life.

Betty Greene: “Your trial it has been enacted several times.”

“Yes, yes I know. It has been the most highly successful part of my career.”

Betty Greene: “I expect, everybody has regrets when they pass over. Do you had some regrets, perhaps something you didn’t do while you were on Earth?”

“My first regret was that I didn’t stay longer on your side! I still had desires. I still wanted to write further. I wanted to reinstate myself, and strange as it may seem, in human society. Not that I ever felt completely outside it. But I was sufficiently vain to assume that I could recapture my old place in the world. But that was such a long time ago. Since then I’ve changed”

Betty Greene: “Have you met Bernard Shaw on that side?”

“Oh, I have met Shaw. What a man! Extraordinary character.”

Nature Exists in the Afterlife, but Without Pests

Betty Greene: “What’s it like on your side. The plane you are on. Could you tell us something about that? You’ve got theaters, haven’t you? You still write plays on that side?”

“Oh, one still writes. One still continues. Our world, in some senses, as no doubt you’ve heard, is very similar to your Earth. We have all manner of scenery, which you are accustomed to, even more beautiful. As you know, nature exists here, but the more irritating aspects of nature are nonexistent to us.

For instance, we don’t have the pests, such as flies, and all the irritating things that nature concocts to annoy man. These things seem to have disappeared, fortunately. We seem to have all the beauty and loveliness of nature without all the petty irritants. No more swatting flies!”

Cities and Animals in Heaven

George Woods: “What are the buildings like on your side?”

“There are all manner of buildings, but on the sphere on which I live they are all elegant, of great beauty.”

George Woods: “Are there towns or cities?”

“Yes, you can call them cities. There are cities in which untold thousands of people live and have their habitat, but so different, and yet, in some ways, so like old. We don’t have cars, but horses we still have.

I sometimes think that animals are more advanced than humans. At least they follow their natural instincts and they are not, in consequence, considered to be doing anything wrong.”

Betty Greene: “Do you have a house yourself where you can write?”

One Creates One’s Own Dwelling in Heaven

“Yes, I do. A very beautiful house. A house after my own heart. But then again in a sense I suppose it is because I myself created it. Without even realizing it, I was creating it before I came here by my thoughts.”

Betty Green: “Have you a garden?”

“I have a garden. Not too large, but sufficient. I was never one for outdoor life. I appreciated nature, but I preferred to watch nature from a distance rather than to always be underneath her glaring light.

I must go. May God bless you.”

Stephen Fry as the Reincarnation of Oscar Wilde

Of interest, Oscar Wilde has been identified as in contemporary times as the British actor, writer and activist, Stephen Fry. Click on the image to enlarge it.

Terry Smith, Who Died in WW I When the British Ship Hood was Sunk by the German Navy, Describes his Experiences in Heaven, a Telepathic Cat and a Welcoming Committee

Article by: Walter Semkiw, MD

Source: Communication from the deceased in this case was facilitated through the direct voice mediumship of Leslie Flint. George Woods and Betty Greene were present during tape recordings of Flint’s mediumship sessions and they asked questions of the deceased, who spoke in their own natural voices. Neville Randall reviewed these recordings and summarized the dialogues in his book, Life After Death. Dialogue in the article provided below has been slightly edited to make it more concise.

To learn more about the mechanism of communication with the deceased, go to: Leslie Flint and his Direct Voice Mediumship

Terry Smith describes his Drowning in the Sinking of British Warship Hood and Arrival in the Spirit World or Heaven

In a session that took place on July 16, 1966, a young male voice announced his identity as Terry Smith. He said that he was blown up and drowned when a shell from the German battleship Bismarck sank the British battle cruiser Hood in the cold green waters of the North Atlantic 

“It all happened so sudden. None of us really had a chance. It was hopeless.” 

Betty Greene: “Terry, can you describe your reactions after your death? What happened to you?” 

“The first thing I remember was going up a street. It was a street I had never seen before. I couldn’t realize at first that it wasn’t a real street. It was all very attractive. Lovely trees on either side of the road and lovely houses. There were little bungalows dotted about here and there, and there were bigger houses, and it was ever so attractive. I didn’t recognize the place, and yet it seemed as if it could be somewhere, perhaps in California. I’d seen pictures of wide sort of boulevards with trees, sloping lawns and pretty little houses. I couldn’t make head or tail of it. 

There was nobody else about. It was just as if I was all there on my own, you know. I thought this is odd. I thought I was probably dreaming. The road was not a bit familiar, yet there was something about it that gave me some sort of inner confidence. Not a sound, you know. Nothing.  

Terry Meets his Spirit Guide in the Afterlife, Who Adopts Him

Then when I came further along I saw a very sweet lady, a very pretty woman, perhaps 28 or 30 years old, standing at a little gate. It was the first house with a  gate, all the others seemed to have no gates 

Anyway, this little old lady–funny thing about her was she looked young, yet I felt she was old. She was leaning over this gate, and as I came to her she smiled. I stopped and she said: ‘Are you looking for something, sonny?’ 

I said, ‘I don’t know quite what’s happening or where I am.’ 

‘Oh,’ she says, ‘that’s alright sonny, I’ve been waiting for you. Come in.’ 

I thought, ‘Well, I’ve got nothing to lose, so I’ll go in.’ At least it’s someone to talk to.  

She took me into the front, I suppose you’d call it the parlor, a nice little room it was, with nice curtains and chairs, and it looked very homey. And there was a cat sitting in one chair. A beautiful black cat. I thought, “Cats?” I can’t be dead with cats.  

She says, ‘Come on Sonny, sit down.’ So I sat down in the other chair with no cat in it.  

A Cat in Heaven Speaks Telepathically

All of a sudden, this cat did a most funny thing. He jumped off his chair and came to me, sat on his hind legs and looked up to me, sort of cocked his ears up and he didn’t meow, didn’t make a noise like a cat, but it was just as if the thing spoke. Do you know I nearly dropped? I was so shaken. 

‘Oh. don’t worry,’ she says. ‘You’ll get used to that. The animals over here have developed to a great extent their ability to make themselves understood. Of course, on Earth in a way they can do that, but we don’t hear them speak because they don’t have a language as we understand it. But over here their thoughts are such that they can vibrate the atmosphere so you can hear the sounds. It’s merely their thoughts being transmitted to you so that you can hear them.’ 

This cat says: ‘How are you?’ 

I thought, ‘By Christ this quite mad. Cats don’t say how are you?’ I didn’t know what to do, what to say. 

‘Don’t worry,’ she says. ‘You’ll get used to that. Animals are much more sensitive than people realize and they have their own knowledge of things. They can transmit thoughts and pick up thoughts, and you’ll get used to the fact that animals can convey a great deal more from this side then they can on Earth.’ 

I sort of got adjusted to the idea and said: ‘Very well, thanks.’ 

And it seemed as if the cat said: ‘I hope you’ll be happy here.’ Then he went back and sat on the chair, curled up and went to sleep.  

My friend told me the cat’s name was Nelly, which was given to the cat by her mother.  

‘Your mother? I said. ‘How old is that cat then?  

‘This cat,’ she said, ‘must be now, by material age, about sixty years old.’  

Terry’s Spirit Guide informs Him that He is Dead

She then said, ‘Would you like something a drink?’ 

So I said, ‘Yes, I would please.’  

She asked, ‘What would you like?’ 

So I said, ‘I’d like a lemonade.’  

‘Would you? All right.’ So she he goes out and comes back with a glass of lemonade.’ 

‘You know you’ve got nothing to worry about, sonny,’ she says. ‘I’ve been waiting for you.’ 

Waiting for me? 

‘Yes.’ 

I didn’t know what to say. I sort of sat there, and she says: ‘You know you’re dead.’ 

What?

‘You’re dead’ 

‘Come off it. I can’t be dead sitting in a room with a cat over there and drinking a glass of lemonade. And your solid and real enough. How can I be dead? I admit it’s all a bit strange.’ 

At first I thought I was having a dream or something.  

‘It’s no dream, sonny,’ she says. ‘You’re dead.’ 

‘Well if you say I’m dead, how did I get here?’ 

‘I was thinking about you and praying for you, and I’ve been given charge of you.’ 

‘What do you mean you’ve been given charge of me?’ 

‘Well,’ she says, ‘When your ship down…’ 

And it suddenly came to me. When the ship went down. Last thing I remember was in the water holding onto a bar of wood. Sort of thought it might hold up, but of course I realize it was hopeless. 

‘You were drowned,’ she says. 

‘Oh.’ 

‘There’s hundreds and hundreds of lads,’ she says, ‘have come over.’ 

‘Oh.’ 

‘Yes, and every one of those lads has got someone somewhere to look after them. Some have their own people, relations and friends. Some have got other souls, and I’m the one in charge of you,’ she says. 

Terry was Telepathically Directed to Meet his Spirit Guide

‘You don’t really realize it, but you were directed. You thought you were walking on your own up the road. but you weren’t. You were being helped by inspiration from a soul whose job it is to help people when they come over suddenly like you did.’ 

‘Well I don’t understand all this.’ 

‘Don’t you worry,’ she says. ‘You stay with me. I’ll look after you. I’ll be like your mum.’ 

I thought, ‘Well, that’s something.’ And she started talking about my people. It rather shook me, because she seemed to know about my mum and dad, and how they sort of separated, and about my sister, about us, so I says: ‘Are you in any way related to us?’ 

‘Not really,’ she says, ‘but it is part of my job to know something about your people, being as how I am to look after you.’ 

‘Well, that’s funny,’ I says. ‘Since you say as I’ve only just come over, how do you know about my lot?’ 

‘Oh well, that’s not difficult. It’s only a matter of tuning in.’ 

‘Tuning in,’ I says. ‘Sounds like the wireless.’ 

‘Oh well we can,’ she says. ‘If we have a special reason for wanting to know about a particular person or persons, and it’s a special work that we have to do, and we’ve got some sort of a connection there that is necessary for us to know things, then we tune in. A little later on, not yet, we’ll go see your people.’ 

‘Oh, that’ll be nice.’ 

Terry’s Spirit Guide informs Him He Can Visit and Observe his Relatives on Earth

‘Of course, you know they won’t know your dead. I mean they won’t know that you’re there. They’ll know that you’re dead, but they won’t know that you’re still alive, that you can sort of watch them or go and see them. You mustn’t be too upset if no one takes any notice of you.’ 

‘Oh welI,’ I says. ‘I did have an aunt who is a Spiritualist.’ 

‘Oh, that’s good,’ she says. ‘Perhaps we can get something through in that direction. You never know. We’ll have to try her.  

For the time being, you must try to be content here. I’ve got a son on Earth and I’m hoping one day when he comes over here that we shall be together again. I expect we shall. But in the meantime, I’m going to look after you as if you’re my own son. I’m going to do all I can for you and try to make you feel happy. You’re not to worry, and you’re not to feel sort of alone or anything like that. 

A little later on, when you’re rested—I think you should rest: this has all been a bit of a shock for you–I’ll take you out and you’ll be introduced to all sorts of interesting people in our community.’ 

Light in Heaven Generated Without a Sun

A little later she took me out, and what appeared to be the sun–although later she told me there was no sun, that it was illumination from which all of us, all of life was able to draw some power…Funny thing about this illumination-this may seem odd-but it didn’t seem to cast in the shallow shadows. It seemed to me as if everything was pleasantly bright without being harsh, and it didn’t seem it was necessary to withdraw from the light, because the light was so pleasing and pleasant, and it wasn’t what you say is hot. You didn’t feel as if was burning you, yet it was a pleasant warmth.  

Anyway, we went out, I went out with her. And she just pulled the door. ‘Are you going to lock your door.?’ 

‘Oh, there’s no need for that here you know.’ 

I told you when I came up the road in the first instance it seemed as if the place was empty. It was like a dead city, with no one at all, and yet everything looked trim and clean and fresh as if everyone had gone off for an afternoon siesta.  

A Welcoming Committee in the Afterlife or Heaven

This time going up the road it was as if everybody was out, standing at the door, or coming down the pathway. And goodness me I hadn’t got very far up the road before I was surrounded by people–mostly young people. One or two seemed to be elderly, and yet looking back on it I realize they weren’t old, but there was something about them that suggested there was age, and yet didn’t look old. I can’t explain that.   

Anyway, they were all shaking me by the hand and calling my name. I thought, well, that’s odd, everybody knows my name and everyone’s calling me Terry as if they’ve known me all their lives. 

I realized afterwards that there’s very little that escapes them if a new person is coming into the community, or a number of new people coming from Earth.  

I found afterwards it was a special community whose task it was to help newcomers and to guide them. And with the war on there were loads of youngsters coming over. Anyway, they were all around me making me feel welcome, and I really felt as if I was among old friends. 

I thought, ‘Well, this is extraordinary. Here was I arriving in a place where everyone seemed dead or away, and no one bothered. And now it’s as if they’re all here, all coming out to meet me. So, I asked my friend” ‘Why is it that when I arrived, no one came to meet me?’ 

‘Oh,’ she says. ‘That was deliberate.’ 

‘But why deliberate?’ 

‘That was very necessary, really. It was necessary for you to come direct to me as I was the one who was chosen to take care of you. The others knew, of course, of your arrival. And every house you passed, though you didn’t see anyone, their love was so strong that it was helping you. They know that the right moment would come when you’d adjusted yourself and you’d been helped by me to see and understand a little. Then you’d be more ready to be received by a lot of people. If we’d all been there it would have been too much for you. 

Now you’re settling in, you’re getting to know people, and next thing will be to find you the kind of work you’d like to do.'”

Rose, the Flower Seller, Describes, Plants, Animals, Entertainment, Architecture, Apparrel, Work, Marriage and Children in Heaven: We Should Look Forward to Death

Article by: Walter Semkiw, MD

Source: Communication from the deceased in this case was facilitated through the direct voice mediumship of Leslie Flint. George Woods and Betty Greene were present during tape recordings of Flint’s mediumship sessions and they asked questions of the deceased, who spoke in their own natural voices. Neville Randall reviewed these recordings and summarized the dialogues in his book, Life After Death. Dialogue in the article provided below has been slightly edited to make it more concise.

To learn more about the mechanism of communication with the deceased, go to: Leslie Flint and his Direct Voice Mediumship

In a Leslie Flint direct voice mediumship session that took place in 1953, a London flower seller named Rose came through. George Woods asked Rose what her existence in the spirit would is like.  

Rose describes the Spirit World and How Plants Grow in Heaven

“You’ve asked me to describe our world in a material language. I don’t know which way to start. I suppose if you could think of all the beautiful things in your world, without all the things that aren’t pleasant, you’d have some vague idea of what it’s like. Beautiful natural surroundings, you know. Flowers, birds, trees, lakes.”

Woods asked, “Is it easier to grow flowers over there than it is here?” 

“Well, you plant them, and they come up, but you don’t have seasons. You don’t need to water them. All I know is that they grow, sort of natural.” 

Woods asked, “Is your world very much like this world only much more beautiful?” 

“Mind you, I can only speak about my own particular place where I am. I mean it’s a vast place altogether. I mean there are many spheres and conditions of life, you know. But where I’m at its very much like a beautiful English countryside. But I understand there are all other forms of nature, you know, as regards to scenery and that.” 

“Have you villages and towns?” Asked George Woods. 

“There are places that you’d call towns, where there are thousands of people that congregate together, you know. But there’s no buses and trams, and all that nonsense.”

Woods: “How do you travel?”  

“Walk or if you’ve got at any distance, well you just think of the place you want to be in, close your eyes, and well, in a split second I suppose you might say, you’re there.” 

Woods: “Do you live in a house?” 

“Well, I do live in a house, but you don’t have to. But I’ve never seen anybody who didn’t.” 

Woods: “What kind of houses are there? Like here?” 

“All types of houses, dear. Some are small little cottages like you’d see in a little country hamlet, and some are quite big places where whole families live. The point is that it’s a matter of your choice of architecture and all that sort of thing. Of course, the houses are very real. I mean they are built by people over here. They didn’t just happen you know. You just you don’t just think of a country cottage and you’ve got it.”

People in Heaven Work at What They Love

Rose: “I mean here you’ve got architects and designers and so on, and they create and they build. It isn’t hard labor like it is on your side, but it’s a real formation that goes on.” 

Woods: “They don’t use money over there, do they, or anything like that?” 

“Money! You can’t buy a nothing here with money, mate. The only thing you can get here is by character, and the way you lived your life, and the way you think and act.” 

Woods: “So how do you get your architects to do your work?” 

“Well, you don’t pay him. He does it because he loves to it. He loves to design houses. The same way as the musician loves to play the violin. He’s happy to entertain his friends and people, and people who like music they form orchestras and choirs. 

Everything is done for love, and anyone, for instance, on your side who never had a chance in life, perhaps they want to be a musician or an artist, they can study over here, you see.” 

Woods: “They are doing all the things they wanted to do?” 

“That’s right. I mean after all you think of the millions of people that go through life and have to do a hard-slaving day’s work, and never have a chance to do anything they would really like to do, never get the time, or never have the background or the money or education. Over here they can take up something that really appeals to them. It’s work, but it’s a joy to them.” 

Food and Flowers in the Afterlife

Woods: “Do you eat anything?” 

”We have fruit and nuts. We have fruit trees and all the things that you’d associate with your world regarding food, but you don’t kill animals and eat them over here.” 

Woods: “What do you do with your flowers?  Do you use them to beautify places?” 

“Well, of course you can if you want to. You can cut down the flowers and you can use them in your homes, but very few people do that after a time. It’s usually people who haven’t been here long. They see the flowers and think would be nice to have a few indoors and so on. But the point is that you begin to realize it’s not necessary, and it isn’t perhaps a good thing.”

In Heaven or the Afterlife, Travel is Done by Thought

“The flowers are natural. They have a life. And it’s not the right thing because you can have all the beauty of nature and the flowers without cutting them and taking them inside. And if you’re sitting in your house and you want to see the flowers outside, you don’t necessarily have to go inside and see them. You can just sort of think about them and you can see them. I don’t know whether this makes sense to you?” 

Woods: “We would open doors or windows.”  

“Well, we don’t even have to do that if we don’t want to. I means I can sit in my chair and think to myself that I would like to go to Flint’s circle, so I just think and close my eyes and the next minute, you might say, I’m here with you. It may sound a bit farcical, a bit odd, but I can’t help that. It’s true. Time and space don’t mean anything. “

Marriage and Children in Heaven

Woods: “Do people get married there?”

“When two people really love each other and they are suited to each other, and they’re naturally happy with each other, a man-made law, or ceremony is not needed, to make them man and wife.  We don’t have marriage laws here” 

Woods: “Are there children there?” 

“Well, there are children over here, but no children born of marriages, born over here. It’s not a physical thing in the same sense that you understand it.” 

(Note by Walter Semkiw: In other Flint sessions, it is explained that when children die on Earth, they continue to be children in the afterlife and in heaven, they grow to be adults. See the case of Alfred Higgins.) 

Animals in Heaven

Woods: “Are animals tame there?” 

“Oh, tamed dear, good heavens yes. I expect that first when you come here you might think, oh dear, I wouldn’t like a lion to come to my door step, but you wouldn’t think anything of it. Animals are as tame as your pet cat is.” 

Woods: “Animals don’t kill each other, do they?” 

“No, that’s a merely a material thing, desire for food, and hunger. Material desire in that respect drives them to kill each other, but that doesn’t exist over here, because the desire for food is soon lost. There are some people who come here, at first, feel a desire to have a certain food. Well, they can have it. But they soon get out of the habit of wanting it, and after a time it all sort of passes away from them, you might say.” 

Sleep and Time in the Afterlife

Woods: “Do you sleep?” 

“Oh yes, you can sleep if you feel so inclined, but it’s not necessary. IIf you’re mentally tired, you just sort of mentally relax, close your eyes and you rest and you reopen your eyes after a time. You don’t feel tired anymore.” 

Woods: “Do you measure time?” 

“Well, I don’t know. There isn’t any measurement of time as I understand it. We are not conscious of time. I know you can’t realize, I mean you think oh well, afternoon and evening and night. Well those things don’t affect us. We don’t have time as you have it.” 

Woods: “Do you have night and day over there?” 

“No, but if you close your eyes, you go into a condition which you can call a kind of twilight.” 

Planets, Spheres and the Sky in Heaven

Woods: “Rose, have you ever visited any other planets?” 

“I have been to some of the lower spheres, dear, but I haven’t been to any planets as you understand it. Is that what you mean?” 

Woods: “Have you been to Mars and Venus?” 

“No, I haven’t been to any of them, my dear. I don’t know anything about Mars and Venus, and all the rest. Some of the scientifically minded people might know. I don’t.” 

Woods: “Is there a thing such as law and order over there?” 

“There is the natural law, dear, which we all begin to realize soon after we arrive. There aren’t any laws and rules and regulations like governments and so on, but there are common laws, which we all recognize.” 

Woods: “Are there clouds?” 

“There are clouds in the sky from time to time, beautiful effects in the sky, much more wonderful than anything you ever dreamed of, and it isn’t necessarily blue. Oh no, sometimes the sky can be green and red, or all kinds of magnificent colors. Some of the colors we have I’ve never seen on Earth. We’re not limited like you are, you see.” 

Apparel in the Afterlife

Woods: “Rose, do you wear clothes?” 

“Of course, we wear clothes, dear. People cloth themselves in the type of thing they feel happy in. Of course, in the early stages of coming over here, when a woman perhaps passes on in a particular century, they think that that particular type of dress is essential to them and for a time they wear it. But after time they realize that it’s not important.  Gradually they change their outlook and change their apparel.” 

Woods: “Well, at this moment Rose, what you have got on?” 

“I’ve got a very pretty white dress on from top to toe. It’s got a border around the bottom, it’s got longish sleeves, very wide sleeves, and a I have a kind of a belt around the middle, of gold.” 

Woods: “What is the material?” 

“It is like a kind of silk. And my hair is not short, like it used to be, it is quite long.” 

Rivers, Lakes and Swimming in Heaven

Woods: “Do you have to wash your clothes or hair?” 

“No, but you can swim. You can go into the water if you want to, but you don’t get dirty. There’s no dust, dirt or anything like that here.” 

Woods: “Do you have the sea just as we have here?” 

“Well, I haven’t seen any sea, but there are beautiful rivers and lakes.” 

Woods: “Do you have boats on them?” 

“Oh, good heavens, yes. Beautiful boats. I don’t mean great liners, but very pretty boats, like they have in Venice.” 

Woods: “Gondola type?” 

“Yes, very pretty, all festooned with flowers. Sometimes we have galas or celebrations on the water and everything is illuminated, not by electricity or gas, but illuminated by the minds of people. It’s the only way I can describe it.” 

Cities and Entertainment in the Spirit Realm

Woods: “Do you have cities?” 

‘There are beautiful cities, but they’re not like your cities, dirty and grimy and all the rest. Some of the cities are absolutely wonderful. And we’ve got plays in theaters and places with music, but of a much higher order. Everything has a purpose. There’s nothing frivolous about it. 

Yet we do laugh. We have comedy things you know too. After all, we don’t lose our sense of humor because we’re here.” 

Woods: “Are there schools of learning?” 

“Oh, great schools, museums, places where you can go and turn up all history of nations and people. All sorts of marvelous places there are. Nothing is lost, you know.” 

Talking and Telepathy in the Afterlife

Woods: “Do you talk?” 

“Well it isn’t necessary, but people do talk. But after you’ve been here a few years in Earth time you realize there’s no need to talk. You can send out thoughts that are picked up. It’s a kind of telepathy.” 

Rose faded out in the Flint mediumship session in 1953. She returned ten years later on September 9, 1963. Betty Greene recognized the voice of Rose. 

Rose: “All kinds of people come to talk to you from week to week. You always seem to attract a lot of people. Whenever you come here there’s always crowds. I haven’t had a chance to get anywhere near for ages, you know. I haven’t forgotten you.” 

Domestic Life in Heaven

Woods asked: “What are you doing now?” 

“I spend quite a bit of my time with the youngsters. I’m very fond of children. I do quite a bit with them.   

I like little quiet hours when I sit and do a bit of needlework and I read.” 

Woods: “Are you living in the same house, Rose?” 

“Yes, and I’m quite happy. I have no particular desire to move. Of course, you to get these people who all the time are wanting to get further on. It doesn’t appeal to me all that much.  

I suppose I’ll get the urge one day to shift. But why should I? I’m all right. I’ve got a nice little place of my own, all my own interest and friends.” 

Woods: “Have you got a garden?” 

“I have and it suits me. I grow my own flowers and I never pick one.” 

Woods: “You don’t?” 

“No. I let them stay in their own natural surroundings and I get the greatest happiness and joy just looking after them and watching them. They never seem to die. They’ve got vitality and life of their own.” 

Woods: “What is your house like?” 

“’It has got four rooms, quite enough for me to look after. Funny thing, you don’t ever get dirt. People tell me you only get dirt or dust in your place if your mind is wrong! I’m quite content to let everything grow and do what it wants to. The birds come into the garden. They are as tame as tame.” 

Social Life in Heaven

Woods: “Do you visit many places, Rose?” 

“Oh, occasionally to see friends of mine.  

People come and talk to me sometimes about different places and spheres as they call them. It all sounds very nice, but I don’t feel educated up to it yet. I am happy where I am.” 

Woods: “Are there neighbors around?” 

“There are people who live around and about, who are very much as myself in outlook. Probably that’s why they are there and I’m with them. We get together occasionally.  

I’m quite happy to relax and be quiet. I’ve learnt to read, a thing I couldn’t do much when I was on your side. I get books. There are people who bring me books. We sit and we talk and we read.  Sometimes we go to the pictures.” 

Woods: “Can you describe some of these pictures?” 

“You can see things that you saw on your side, pictures you were very fond of. But a lot of them have some sort of moral, they’re very interesting and helpful.” 

Weather, Grass, Corn and Giant Flowers in the Afterlife

Woods: “Are there fields and things there? Are they beautiful?” 

“Oh yes, gorgeous. Very beautiful green grass we have and I know it will surprise you if I tell you we have cornfields. Yet the funny thing is we don’t have any seasons. For instance, I have never seen any rain. Neither have I known it be hot. It’s always very pleasant. Nice, pleasant warm atmosphere. And yet I’ve never seen the Sun. So I don’t think our illumination and light can be from the sun because I’ve never seen it.” 

Woods: “Is the grass like ours or is it a finer texture?” 

“Well, it’s springy underfoot and it’s very, very nice. A beautiful green. And I’ve been to places where the flowers are so high that—oh I should think they are a good seven or 8 feet high. It’s like walking through a forest of them. And the trees are beautiful, and the blossoms on some of them are beautiful. And the perfume! The scent’s marvelous.” 

Woods: “Really? Rose, what do they do with the corn? Do they cut it, or do anything with it at all?” 

“Well, I don’t know. I’ve never seen it cut, and yet it always seems to be there.” 

Woods: “Never seen bread made from it?” 

“No, and that’s another thing. I don’t feel the urge to eat. I did when I first came here, but it was mostly fruit and that sort of thing. I suppose you lose your desire for something, you realize it isn’t so important, and then it ceases to exist for you. 

But I was one for my cup of tea, and I like it and still have it.?” 

Woods: “How do you get your tea?” 

Well, it’s a funny thing, you know. I don’t go into a kitchen and put the kettle on and make myself a cup of tea in that sense. But if I feel the need for a cup of tea, now all I can say is it’s there.” 

Music and Hobbies in Heaven

Woods: “Do you have music there?” 

‘Oh yes, I’ve been to lots of concerts and things. Beautiful music. Not highbrow, but nice, you know. Not jazzy muck but pleasant stuff. Don’t hear much of religious music.” 

Betty Greene: “You said you did needlework. Do you make any of your clothes?” 

“Yes, I do. I’ve made quite a few things and people bring me material. A very nice gentleman I’ve met over here, oh, he is a very nice man. He’s a bit highly placed, but he visits, he visits some of my friends too. And he never comes empty-handed. Oh, very generous he is. He recently brought me a beautiful place piece of stuff, a lovely shade of blue, just the color I like. He told me that the material will make a nice outfit.” 

Animals in the Afterlife can Communicate

Woods: “When you walk out in the to walk out in the country, do you see animals?” 

“Oh, I’ve seen animals in the fields, of course I have. And I’m not scared of them. Over here they’re gentle and it’s almost as if they can talk to you. I haven’t seen anything like gnats or flies, but I’ve seen butterflies that are very beautiful.”

Nothing Dies, but People can Move On to Higher Spheres

“I’m told they never die. Funny business, you don’t die you know. Nothing dies. When I first came here, once I settled in that was, I thought, well how long is this going to last, you know. I wondered how long this is going to last? I wondered if it was another sort of life where you go on for so many years, you get antique again, and then you kick the bucket. I wondered if there was anything beyond that. But there is no dying here. It is most peculiar. 

While on Earth we used to say poor old so and so, she’s gone you know. Well over here, it’s much the same. Someone will tell me that so-and-so has gone on. Of course, that means they have gone on a bit.” 

Woods: “To another sphere?” 

“Yes, I’ve lost a few of my friends like that. They’ve gone on. But I don’t know, as I am staying put.” 

Architecture and Movie Stars in the Spirit World

Woods: “What are the towns like?” 

“Oh, beautiful, I must say. Not that I live in one. But they’re beautifully laid out, I will say that. Beautiful gardens and all sorts of parks and places for children especially. All very nice. Nothing common. Nothing cheap and nasty.  

All real nice, classy stuff, but entertaining, you know. I’ve been to one or two of the theaters and seen plays. I’ve seen lots of famous people that I used to read about, as I never went much to the theater. Couldn’t afford it. Occasionally, I see some of the old stars. I’ve seen quite a few here. A lot of them still do the same type of work.”  

Woods: “How is the architecture?” 

“Oh, it’s very nice and varied, all kinds. The stone looks like mother-of-pearl. Another thing, there’s no traffic. You don’t get any cars, no motorcycles and nothing like that. People are all content to walk. Nobody rides. No need for that. No effort in walking here.” 

Woods: “But if you want to go a distance, you go by thought, don’t you Rose?” 

“I don’t know whether you go by thought, exactly. No, I suppose it is that you can sort of feel that you want to go to a certain place, and find yourself there. There’s no effort.” 

Woods: “Are there woods up there?” 

“Yes, lovely woods. It’s a wonderful place.”

We Should Look Forward to Death

“No one need fear dying. It’s something everyone should look forward to, unless they’ve got something terrible in their mind or in their background. Of course, I suppose everybody’s got some skeleton in the cupboard. But the average person has nothing to worry about coming over here. 

Even the very wicked, from what I’ve heard, although its very sad and probably in a sense it’s very bad for them, yet they don’t get lost, poor dears. They are helped and guided, and eventually come out of the dark. 

The average person has got nothing to worry about. I mean I wasn’t particularly good and I wasn’t particularly bad. But I must say I’ve done quite well for myself, and that’s why I don’t want to change.” 

Woods: “You’re very happy where you are?” 

“Yes, I am. And that’s why I don’t feel disposed to make any changes. Well, I must go. Anyway, look after yourselves. And I’m glad to hear all the good work you are doing.”

George Hopkins Dies, Doesn’t Realize He is Dead, is Welcomed in Heaven by His Family, Dog and Food, Where He Enjoys the Company of Horses and Cattle

Article by: Walter Semkiw, MD

Source: Communication from the deceased in this case was facilitated through the direct voice mediumship of Leslie Flint. George Woods and Betty Greene were present during tape recordings of Flint’s mediumship sessions and they asked questions of the deceased, who spoke in their own natural voices. Neville Randall reviewed these recordings and summarized the dialogues in his book, Life After Death. Dialogue in the article provided below has been slightly edited to make it more concise.

To learn more about the mechanism of communication with the deceased, go to: Leslie Flint and his Direct Voice Mediumship

Farmer George Hopkins Dies while Harvesting and Doesn’t Realize He is Dead

In a Leslie Flint direct voice mediumship session that took place on April 11, 1959, a farmer named George Hopkins came through. Betty Greene asked Hopkins how he died. He responded: 

“Well, I just had stroke, or seizure or heart attack. Or something of that sort. As a matter of fact I was harvesting. I felt a bit drowsy, a bit peculiar, and must have dozed off. But dear, oh dear, I had such a shock.  

I woke up, as I thought. The sun had gone down. And there was me, or what appeared to be me. I couldn’t make it out at all, I was that puzzled. I tried to shake myself to wake myself up. I thought, this is funny. I must be dreaming. I couldn’t make head or tail of it. It never struck me at all that I was dead. 

Anyway I found myself walking along the road to the doctor’s. I thought, well, perhaps he can help me. I knocked on the door, but nobody answered. I thought, well, I shouldn’t have thought he would have been out because people were going in the surgery door. 

I saw one or two of my old cronies. They all sort of seemed to walk through me. No one seemed to make any comment about me.  

I stood there for a bit trying to work it out. Then I saw someone hurrying down the road like mad to the doctor’s. He rushed in, pushed past me and everyone, and the next moment I heard them talking about me. I thought what the hell’s wrong? I’m here! I heard them say I was dead!  

The doctor went in his car up the road, and I thought I don’t know about being dead. I can’t be dead. I’m here. How the hell can I be dead?  

The next thing I saw was them picking up my body and bringing it back. They put it in the chapel.  

‘Oh, dear,’ I thought, ‘this is the last straw. I must be dead.'”

George, as a Spirit, Taps his Minister on the Shoulder and Makes Him Shiver

“I supposed the best thing to do is to go and see the parson. He’s sure to know something.

So I went up to the vicarage and waited. I saw him come in and sit at his desk. I noticed that nothing was solid. If I sat in the chair, in a sense I sat, and yet I didn’t. I didn’t feel any weight under me. 

I saw the old parson. He came in, walked right past me, went to his desk, started to write letters and doing things. I started talking to him. If he didn’t take any notice! 

I thought, ‘He’s like the rest of them. I should’ve thought he would know something.’

So I tapped him on the shoulder. Once he turned around as if he thought something was there, and I thought, ‘I’m getting on a bit there,’ so I tapped him again. He didn’t take any notice. Then he got up and sort of shook himself and then I think he was shivering. It was quite a decent sort of morning. I couldn’t see no reason why he should have felt cold.  

Anyway, he didn’t seem to realize I was there at all. I thought, ‘I’m not getting anywhere here.'”

George Watches his Body Being Buried and is Welcomed to the Afterlife by his Wife and Brother

“They were carrying my body down to the old churchyard in a box, and they put me there with the old lady. It suddenly dawned on me about Poll, my wife.  

I thought, ‘That’s funny. If it’s as how I’m dead, I should be with her. Where is she?’

I was standing there watching them putting this body of mine in the grave. After the ceremony I was walking behind them down the path. There, right in front of me coming up towards me, was my wife! 

But not my wife as I had known her in the last few years of her life, but as I first knew her when she was a young girl. She looked beautiful, really beautiful. And with her I could see one of my brothers who died when he was about 17 or 18. A nice looking boy who was fair-haired. They were laughing and joking and coming up towards me. My wife and brother made a proper fuss of me, saying how sorry they were that they were late. 

They said, ‘We knew you hadn’t been it too well, but we had no idea you were coming as sudden as you were. We got the message but were sorry we couldn’t get here quicker.’

I thought that’s odd. How the hell do they get about? I knew I’d got about, but as far as I was concerned I seemed to be walking about, same as I did before, except that everything was much lighter. I didn’t seem to have any heaviness of the body, and no more aches and pains like I used to have. They said I’d got to get sort of adjusted and settled. 

So I said: ‘You talk about settling in. Where the deuce do we settle in?  Nobody here seems to want to have anything to do with us, and nobody seems to take any notice.’ 

‘Oh, that’s all right. Don’t worry about them.’

I told him about the parson. 

‘You don’t want to go and see him,’ they said. ‘He was the last one to go to and see. He knows less than some other people. You’re all right.’

George’s Deceased Wife and Brother take Him to their Home in Heaven, which He Recognizes from Visits during Dreams

“‘But where do we go?’

‘We’re going to take you to our home.’

‘Where’s that?’

‘Oh, we can’t tell you exactly where it is,’ they said. ‘But we can take you there, and you’ll soon realize it’s home all right. You’ll recognize it.’

‘How can I recognize it? I’ve never been there.’ 

‘Oh, yes you have. Many times when you’ve been asleep. As a matter of fact you know it quite well.’

I started to think: ‘I used to have some odd dreams. Once or twice I remember dreaming about a very pretty place with a lovely garden, and my old dog Rover was there, that died many years before. I remember I used to think I was just dreaming.’

‘No that wasn’t dreaming. That was you with us when you was asleep when your body was asleep. When your body was asleep, your mind was free, and you could travel and be with us.” 

‘Well it sounds very nice, I must say.’ 

‘Don’t you realize that you’re different?’ they said. 

‘Well, I feel different. I don’t feel old. I don’t have the old aches and pains like I used to.’

‘Have you seen yourself?’

‘No, I never thought of that.’

‘Well, come on, will show you.’

I thought, ‘Well, this is going to be interesting to see myself.” And then, ‘I could have a look in the mirror.’

‘Oh no,’ they said. ‘Not in the mirror.’

So they took me to what appeared to be a very beautiful place with a lovely setting, lovely scenery and beautiful houses, more countrified than townified. They took me to one house in a beautiful field.  And it was just the same little place I had dreamed of, or thought I had dreamed about. And there I was in my dreams some years ago. 

I remember waking up in the early hours of the morning and remembering this, and I thought this is an odd dream. It was exactly the same! 

Georges deceased Dog Rover and a Group of Relatives Welcome Him to his New Home in Heaven with a Spread of Food

“And there was my old dog racing about and wagging his tail and jumping up and down. 

I opened the door and went in, and there was a congregation of about a dozen people I had known. Another brother of mine and a sister, my wife’s people, they were all there, pleased and welcoming me and making a fuss of me. In fact, there was so much noise going on, chattering and talking all at the same time, the dog barking, it was a real homecoming. They had a nice spread of food for me. You’d be surprised. 

That struck me as odd. I thought I shouldn’t have thought they had cups of tea over here and sat down and ate things.  

They said, ‘Oh yes, at first. Perhaps you don’t expect it, but it’s something you have been used to, and we like to make you feel at home. It helps you to get settled down. Anyway, you’re going to be all right now. You’ve Poll and the dog and us. We’ll keep in touch with you and come and see you now and again.’

I suddenly realized I could see myself, not as I used to see myself in the mirror, but as myself for the first time. I said to everybody: ‘It’s so wonderful, I don’t know what to say. I certainly don’t know what to do.’ 

They said: ‘Well don’t say anything, you don’t do anything for a time. Just relax, enjoy yourself and rest, and get over the shock of, well, passing over is you call it.’

‘Well,’ I said, ‘I don’t understand it all. It’s all so natural, all so real. Here you are, all the people I’ve loved, all the people that meant so much to me in life, all here waiting to receive me and make me happy. And there’s all those people down there you would’ve thought would have the least known something, particularly the parson. I know I wasn’t a churchgoer.  I didn’t go regular.  But he doesn’t seem to know anything. He doesn’t seem to be able to comfort anyone very much. What’s wrong?’

‘Well,’ they said, ‘you mustn’t blame the poor old parson. He’s doing the best he can, under perhaps difficult circumstances. But you see they just haven’t got the right end of the stick.'”

Horses, Cattle and Other Animals in Heaven

The session then ended. George Hopkins returned to speak through Leslie Flynn’s direct voice mediumship sometime later.  George Woods asked him, ‘”What are you doing now?” 

“’Well,’ Hopkins replied, ‘I’m very interested in cattle.’ 

‘You have cattle over there?’ 

‘Oh yes, and we’ve got horses. I was always very fond of animals and horses in particular. I love cattle and we have cattle here. Why not? We have lovely pasture lands, lovely fields and animals just the same as you do. Everyone lives near nature. There is no killing. I have my garden which I love very much. I have my cattle. I like to walk, and I’d like to ride a horse which is an thing I didn’t have much opportunity to do in life, even though I worked on the land. I never seemed able to do some things, like riding a horse. Walk in front of a horse, yes. But as to riding, well, very seldom.’

Betty Greene then asked, ‘Do you find the cattle, the animals, have got a higher degree of consciousness, the ones you’re dealing with? Do they understand you?’

‘Yes, I would say definitely yes to that. Of course, they have. And then again, I think when one’s on Earth, one is inclined to underestimate the intelligence that cattle have got. 

After all, they have their feelings and emotions, and they are not an unintelligent lot of animals, you know. Of course, I know I should have thought it was unnecessary to eat meat, because there are so many other forms of food one can live on. And after all, I think an animal has its right to life as much as man. In fact, more so in many cases, I should think.'”

Alfred Higgins, a House Painter, Falls Off a Ladder, Experiences the Afterlife and Takes his Spirit Guide to a Pub

Article by: Walter Semkiw, MD

Source: Communication from the deceased in this case was facilitated through the direct voice mediumship of Leslie Flint. George Woods and Betty Green were present during tape recordings of Flint’s mediumship sessions and they asked questions of the deceased, who spoke in their own natural voices. Neville Randall reviewed these recordings and summarized the dialogues in his book, Life After Death. Dialogue in the article provided below has been slightly edited to make it more concise.

To learn more about the mechanism of communication with the deceased, go to: Leslie Flint and his Direct Voice Mediumship

Alfred Higgins shares that He Died by Falling off a Ladder

In a Leslie Flint direct voice mediumship session on October 14, 1963, a spirit came through and told Betty Greene and George Woods that his name in life was Alfred Higgins and that he lived in Brighton, England. Betty asked Higgins how he passed over. Alfred responded: 

“I fell off a letter. I wasn’t killed outright, but I was unconscious and I died in the hospital. Of course this was quite a few years ago. I was a painter and decorator.” 

Ms. Green then asked: “Mr. Higgins, can you tell me your reactions on passing over? How you found yourself?” 

“Well, when I first had any realization or consciousness of what happened to me, I was lying on a bank overlooking a river. I couldn’t make out where I was. I didn’t recognize the spot and couldn’t think how I got there.”  

A Spirit Guide informs Alfred that He is Dead

“Then I saw someone coming towards me dressed in what looked to me as if he was a monk. He had a sort of long habit or robe on and he looked to be a benevolent gentleman, and quite young. I thought he’s a young person to be a monk. As a matter of fact, quite frankly, I thought at the time that he looked like Jesus. But I realized of course it wasn’t afterwards.”  

He came and stood beside me and said: “Ah, you’ve arrived.” 

“Arrived?” I says,  “I don’t quite know what you mean. All I know is I don’t recognize this place. It’s very beautiful.” 

“Your dead, you know.” 

“What?” 

“Yes, you’re dead.” 

“I’m not dead. How can I be dead? I wouldn’t be able to see.” 

I felt myself. “Look.” I says, “I’m not dead. I’m solid.” 

‘Ah,” he says, “There are a lot of people seem to think that when they’re dead they’re nothing at all. You are in a condition of life which is as real, as you can see yourself, as anything you’ve know before. Life beyond what you call death is a state of mind. Your condition at the moment is perhaps a little bewildered. But you’re not unhappy, and certainly you seem, as far as I can tell, quite at ease. You seem quite calm and placid. You’re not over anxious about anything in particular, are you?”  

“No,” I says, “But now I’m beginning to realize that what you say is so. I must admit that I’m a bit concerned about my people. It must be a terrible shock for them, you know. I’ve no recollection of dying. I don’t remember anything but falling. At least I had a feeling I was falling, and then I don’t remember no more.” 

“Well, of course,” he says, “You died in the hospital.”  

“Oh, did I?” 

Alfred travels Back to Earth to Visit his Wife, Ada

“Would you like to go back for just a little while to see your people?” he says. “Do you think that would help you?” 

“Well,” it would be interesting, wouldn’t it. I would like to see them. 

“They won’t,” he says, “take any notice of you, you know.”  

“Oh. Why not?” 

“Well,” he said, “they won’t realize that you’re there because they can’t see you and they won’t hear you if you speak to them.” 

“Well, not much point in going then, is there?” 

“Well, it’s up you.” 

“I’ll go,” I says. “It’s possible that Ada-that’s my wife-she might-I’d like to see how she’s is getting on, anyway.” 

“All right. Let’s go.” 

‘Well how do we get there then?” 

“You just come with me,” he said. “We’ll walk up this road.” 

I climbed up this hillside and on to a road. As we walked along he says, “Just take my hand.”  

I felt a bit peculiar, you know. I thought it sounds a bit silly me holding someone’s hand like this. But still he said to hold his hand so I held it. 

It seemed so strange, but as soon as I touched his hand everything gradually seemed to disappear. It was as if I was going to sleep, in a kind of way, yet it wasn’t sleep. It was just a sort of lack of understanding and realization of things around and about me. I became sort of unconscious I suppose.  

The next thing I knew I was standing in our kitchen, and I was watching my wife.  She was standing over the sink peeling some potatoes. I thought I wonder if she knows I’m here, and I called her name. She didn’t hear me.  

My friend says: “She won’t hear you, you know.” 

“Well, l don’t know. What could  I do?” 

“Nothing you could do. But she may sense your presence. You can never know. Let’s just wait a little while.” 

Spirits Communicate with the Living though Thought

“Then he says to me.” 

“Concentrate your thought on her. Just think hard. Think as hard as you can.  Think her name.” 

I did. And all of a sudden she stood up and looked. She dropped the knife and potato she was peeling, and she looked round. Properly bewildered she looked, almost scared.  

I was rather sorry in a way that I’d scared her. She just flew out of that kitchen. She opened the door, and then sort of shut it again, and then she sat down, put her head on the table and started to cry.  

I felt awful about this. I thought, “Oh dear, this is terrible.” 

“Don’t worry,” he said. “She senses. She knows in herself, she doesn’t understand yet, but she knows in herself that you’re near her.” 

“Well, if I’m to make her miserable like this, there’s not much point, is there?” 

“Don’t let that worry you,” he says, ‘This often happens. They don’t know anything with any certainty. They’ve never been told about life after death. But she’ll come, she senses, she feels, and deep down in herself, deep down inside, she knows.” 

“Isn’t there nothing I can do?”

“Nothing,” he says. “This is not the time. You must wait. Later on perhaps we’ll be able to do something.” 

“Well what do we do now?” 

“I don’t think you can do much good here. I think the best thing is for us to go back.” 

Alfred asks his Guide to Take Him to his Old Pub, to Visit his Mates

“All right.” Then I says: “But I would like to go to one or two places before we go back, if I may.” 

“Well, where do you want to go?” 

I thought: “I’d like to see some friends.” 

“Well, all right.” 

“Do you mind coming into a pub?” He laughed when I said that. “You don’t mind do you?” I says. “It seems a strange question for me to ask an angel to come to a pub.” 

“Oh, we often go into pubs and places,” he says, “And I’m not an angel.”  

“Well I was under the impression that since you’ve here, highly respectable and all that, you must be. But I notice you haven’t got any wings.”

He laughed again.  

“Of course,” he says, “you don’t have wings. That’s the old idea that a lot of religious people get on Earth.” 

He had a wonderful sense of humor, and I felt so settled with him. I says, “I would like to go to this pub.” 

“All right.” 

I thought to myself this is going to be a bit awkward because he obviously doesn’t know where the pub is and I don’t know how to get there on my own, not as I am now situated, without a physical body as you call it.  

“I know what you are thinking,” he says. “You just think of the place, close your eyes, and we’ll be there.”  

I thought, “This is alright.” He put out his hand out to me. I thought, “I suppose I put my hand in his again.” So I did.

Alfred makes his Incarnate Friend drop his Beer

The next thing I know I was standing in the bar of this pub, and there were three of my old mates there. I went up and stood beside one, and I remembered what I’d been told to do about the wife-to concentrate and think hard. He’d got this mug of beer up to his mouth, and I was thinking to myself his name, and all of a sudden he dropped it onto the counter. He looked quite bewildered. 

He looked round and said to his mates, my other two friends: “That’s funny. I felt sure I heard, I felt sure I heard…” 

“Heard what?” 

“Didn’t you hear nothing?” 

“No, we didn’t hear nothing.” 

They laughed and said: “What’s up with you mate? You got the jitters?”

But he heard me alright. It was done by my thoughts. One of the first thing I realized was that you don’t have to talk to be heard. You’ve got to concentrate hard. It is a matter of thinking all the time that you want to get into touch, or you want to do something, and then it’s possible. You just can’t do it by speaking out in the old way, you know. It was my first lesson in this sort of thing.