Fiona Bowie - Tales from the Afterlife

I would like to thank the following for permission to reproduce extracts from their published works:

The Awakening Letters: Varieties of Spiritual Experiences in the Life after Death and The Awakening Letters: Volume Two by Cynthia Sandys, edited by Rosamond Lehmann, reprinted by kind permission of the Random House Group and The Hon. Mrs Meriel Wingfield.

The Eternal Truth: Spiritual Teachings from Paul of Tarsus after two thousand years through the unique trance mediumship of Raymond Brown. Edited by Revd. Susan Hewitt. Raymond and Gillian Brown, Susan Hewitt, Tarsusco Ltd. All rights reserved, used by kind permission of the publishers. Copies of this book are available from: www.raybrownhealing.com.

Destiny of Souls: New Case Studies of Life Between Lives by Michael Newton, PhD. 2000 Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd. 2143 Wooddale Drive, Woodbury, MN 55125-2989. All rights reserved, used by permission and with the best wishes of the publisher.

Journey of Souls: Case Studies of Life Between Lives by Michael Newton, PhD. 2002 Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd. 2143 Wooddale Drive, Woodbury, MN 55125-2989. All rights reserved, used by permission and with the best wishes of the publisher.

Life Between Lives: Hypnotherapy for Spiritual Regression by Michael Newton, PhD. 2004 Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd. 2143 Wooddale Drive, Woodbury, MN 55125-2989. All rights reserved, used by permission and with the best wishes of the publisher.

These short sketches are works of imagination, drawing upon my own everyday experience and that of people known to me, as well as many published sources. Examples from some of these sources are reproduced in italics, forming the second part of each chapter. The longer quotations form short stories in their own right. The information in these quotations comes by and large from four types of source material It is striking that despite their different origins, styles, emphases and details, a consistent picture emerges of life beyond the grave.

(1) Channelled material (acquired through mediumship and clairvoyance). A good example of material derived from mediumship are the letters received by Lady Cynthia Sandys. Lady Sandys discovered that she had the ability, while in a light trance, to receive communications from people in spirit, which she took down in the form of written letters. Most, although not all, of her interlocutors are immediate members of her family or former friends (her father, husband, brother and daughter Patricia, for instance). This gives many of the Awakening Letters an intimacy and freshness that enables the reader to share the sense of discovery and wonder of Cynthia Sandys discarnate interlocutors as they explore life on the other side.

(2) Material recorded from individuals undergoing past-life and interlife hypnotic regression. These accounts are usually published in the form of question and answer sessions between the therapist and client, together with additional commentary from the author/therapist. The quotations from Michael Newton and Andy Tomlinson fall into this category.

(3) Academic commentaries, usually drawing on both of the above sources, on near death experiences (NDEs), religious traditions, and insights from philosophy, science or literature, as in the work of David Fontana (among others).

(4) The Theosophical writings of Annie Besant (1847-1933) and C.W. Leadbeater (1847-1934) which, in many ways, anticipate more recent discoveries. Theosophy draws upon the esoteric traditions of many world religions (particularly Hinduism and Tibetan Buddhism). Besant and Leadbeater were heavily indebted to the writings and teachings of the founders of modern Theosophy, especially H.P. Blavatsky (1831-1891), as well as drawing upon their own occult spiritual and clairvoyant experiences.

In addition to these varied but consistent sources of information I have drawn upon ethnography, fiction and spiritual writings. The message that shines through is that to live and die with an awareness of our identity as an eternal spirit eases our passage through the gate of death, and can inspire us to make the best possible use of our time on earth.

Besant, Annie (1977) [1897] The Ancient Wisdom. Adyar, Madras: Vasanta Press.

Besant, Annie (1979) Thought Power: Its control and culture. Wheaton, Illinois: Quest Books/Theosophical Publishing House.

Besant, Annie and Leadbeater, C.W. (1980) [1925] Thought Forms. Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar, Quest Books.

Brain, Robert (1970) Friends and Twins in Bangwa in Mary Douglas (ed.) Man in Africa. London: Tavistock, (pp.215-227).
http://www.lebialem.info/Brain1/braintwin.htm

Fontana, David (2009) Life Beyond Death: What Should We Expect? London: Watkins Publishing.

Guggenheim, Bill and Guggenheim, Judy (1997) Hello From Heaven. Bantam Books: New York.

Hewitt, Susan (ed.) (2009) The Eternal Truth: Spiritual teachings from Paul of Tarsus after two thousand years through the unique trance mediumship of Raymond Brown. Scarborough: Tarsusco Ltd.

Hicks, Ester and Hicks, Jerry /The Teachings of Abraham (2008) The Law of Attraction: How to Make it Work for You, London: Hay House.

Lawton, Ian (2007) The Wisdom of the Soul: Profound insights from the life between lives. Southend-on-Sea: Rational Spirituality Press.

Leadbeater, C.W. (1912) A Textbook of Theosophy. Dodo Press.

Leadbeater, C.W. (2006) Astral Plane: Its Scenery, Inhabitants and Phenomena. Filiquarian Publishing.

Lubich, Chiara (2007) Essential Writings, New City: London.

Mason-John, Valerie (2008) The Banana Kid. London: BAAF.

Newton, Michael (1995) Journey of Souls: Case Studies of Life Between Lives. Woodbury, Minnesota: Llewellyn Publications.

Newton, Michael (2007) Life Between Lives: Hypnotherapy for Spiritual Regression. Woodbury, Minnesota: Llewellyn Publications.

Newton, Michael (2008) Destiny of Souls: New Case Studies of Life Between Lives. Woodbury, Minnesota: Llewellyn Publications.

Sandys, Cynthia and Rosamond Lehmann (1978) The Awakening Letters: Varieties of Spiritual Experiences in the Life after Death. Jersey: Neville Spearman.

Sandys, Cynthia, selected and edited by Rosamond Lehmann (1986) The Awakening Letters: Volume Two. Saffron Waldon, Essex: C.W. Daniel.

Schwartz, Robert (2009) Your Souls Plan: Discovering the Real Meaning of the Life You Planned Before You Were Born. Berkeley, California: Frog Books.

I closed my eyes waiting for the impact, and the thought flashed through my mind, This is it! Its over. But the sickening thud never came. I found myself surrounded by a whitish gray mist, in which after a moment I could vaguely discern moving shapes. The lorry must have swerved to avoid me, and for some reason I couldnt quite work out at present the summer afternoon sun had disappeared, to be replaced by a thick fog. I tried to orient myself, to concentrate, but felt light-headed, or at least light, as if floating. I shook my head to clear it. I must find the road, avoid a crash. I must have dozed off at the wheel, but at least now I was wide awake. All I needed was to focus, to get back on track. The movements in my peripheral vision started to annoy me. What were they? I couldnt hear cars or voices but knew that I was no longer alone. Someone said my name, in my head. It was as if the sound came from the inside out rather than outside of me. As I reflected on this unusual sensation one of the shapes drew closer and sort of thickened. I felt as if I knew whoever it was, but couldnt quite locate them. A slight sense of panic started to rise up if I couldnt drive the car in this fog, that would be it, finished. This was hardly the time or place to socialize, I thought irritably. I wasnt getting anywhere. Look, whats going on? I demanded of the rather transparent figure, who was too close, encroaching on my personal space. Where am I and what on earth is happening? The answering voice came into my head again, simultaneously from this familiar stranger and from my mind; Its time to go. We are going home. I was about to protest. I was confused, panicking, but at the same time vaguely curious and rather sleepy. The temptation to just let go and float away with this strange stranger grew stronger. I held on. To give in and allow oneself to fall asleep in a desert or on an ice-field can be fatal. This person was evidently trying to trick me. Whoever she (somehow it felt like a she) was, she would have to be resisted. To keep myself awake I tried to picture my study at home. I had an article to finish. Lunch-time drinks are all very well, but I now needed a clear head, not just to get home. Deadlines wont wait. No copy, no money. As my mind clawed its way back from the dangerous lure of abandonment I suddenly found myself in my study. Thank God for that! was my first reaction. How on earth did I get here? was my second. I must work it out. Something was very wrong. It all looked normal enough, and at least I was home. I must have suffered a temporary memory loss, maybe the shock of the accident, or near miss, had affected my mind. I floated down to my desk and sat down in, or rather hovered a little over, my chair, and stretched forward to turn on the computer. As I reached toward the power button it flickered into life. Weird, but rather impressive, I thought. I reached forward again to turn it off, but before I made contact with the power switch the screen just went dead. It hadnt shut down properly more wretched temporary files to clog up the memory. But I didnt want to work now anyway. I was tired, so very, very tired. I must sleep. I needed a long, long, deep sleep.