Darklore Vol. II

Greg Taylor's nonfiction anthology Darklore Volume II has just come out. Greg runs the much-trafficked Web site The Daily Grail and sometimes participates in comment threads on this blog.

Like Volume I, the second volume in the series is a collection of essays on various topics of interest to paranormal enthusiasts. One of the essays in Volume II is my own "R-101," about the loss of the R-101 airship and some highly evidential mediumistic communications that followed. (This article is adapted from one that I posted online at my author Web site.)

Here are the other highlights, according to Greg's writeup:

Professor Stephen Braude writes about the 'Fear of Psi', Theo Paijmans shares some of his groundbreaking new research into UFO/ET reports from the 19th century, Nick Redfern discusses the mysteries of Loch Ness (besides that well-known beastie), Jon Downes looks at the history of Japanese soldiers who fought on after the official end of World War II, Paul Devereux teaches some little known history about European witchcraft and psychedelics, Mike Jay provides some startling new insights into the beginnings of Illuminati lore, and I write about the occult underpinnings of modern rock music. ... Also: Michael Tymn tells the fascinating story of an early 'near death experience', Mac Tonnies ponders on whether UFOs are the vanguards of a post-biological intelligence, Neil Arnold reveals the chilling history of the 'Bennington Triangle', ... Filip Coppens has the inside story of the discovery of the crystal skull, Regan Lee discusses Mothman, Blair MacKenzie Blake shares his thoughts on the possible role of DMT in magick, and The Emperor points out the links between paranormal events and strange fogs and mists.

Order yours today!

Comments

[william]

R-101 is a case presented in the book “no living person could have known”. Also included in this very small but interesting book are several other cases that highly suggest communication from the other side.

It appears that this book is no longer available on the internet under used books.

[zerdini]

"No Living Person Could have Known" by W.F.Neech can be requested in the 'Wants' section of, for example, Abebooks and when it becomes available they will notify you.

Neech also wrote "Death is he Life" the story of the famous medium, Lillian Bailey, who gave sittings to members of the Royal Family.

[Zerdini]

Michael P - the R-101 case is famous in Spiritualist literature.

[Zerdini]

The correct title of the book by W.F.Neech should be "Death Is Her Life".

[Paul Welsh]

Charming title.

[Ben]

Some excellent research her -I'm saving up for the hardback.

[Michael Prescott]

Michael P - the R-101 case is famous in Spiritualist literature.

And?

[Zerdini]

And?...although the case is famous as alleged evidence of survival it's strange that Eileen Garrett makes no mention of it in her autobiography "My Life" published in 1939.

[Ulysses]

I am not sure if this is relevant to Zerdini’s comment but I have read somewhere that ironically as it may sound Eileen Garrett herself was not convinced of the survival of the human personality or the reality of the spirit world, in spite of providing one of the best single evidence for survival through the R-101 case. Perhaps this article on The Ethics of Mediumship may help clarity her position regarding her own gift:
http://www.fst.org/ethics.htm

[Zerdini]

In Eileen Garrett's book she discusses her introduction to mediumship... including how she started to develop physical mediumship and the production of ectoplasm but was encouraged by Hewat Mackenzie to drop it and to concentrate on her trance mediumship.

Who knows we might have had a first class materialisation medium in addition to a trance medium.

But...c'est la vie!

[william]

“In that early address to the S.P.R. Jung said that he saw "no proof whatever of the existence of real spirits, and until such proof is forthcoming I must regard this whole territory as an appendix to psychology."

This is apparently how Jung felt about the existence of real spirits and the validity of mediumship speaking to a group in 1919.

[Zerdini]

Jung also said:

"I shall not commit the fashionable stupidity of regarding everything I cannot explain as fraud."

[Zerdini]

Carl Jung also said:

"I shall not commit the fashionable stupidity of regarding everything I cannot explain as a fraud."

and also asserted:

“Anyone who wants to know the human psyche will learn next to nothing from experimental psychology. He would be better advised to abandon exact science, put away his scholar's gown, bid farewell to his study, and wander with human heart throughout the world. There in the horrors of prisons, lunatic asylums and hospitals, in drab suburban pubs, in brothels and gambling-hells, in the salons of the elegant, the Stock Exchanges, socialist meetings, churches, revivalist gatherings and ecstatic sects, through love and hate, through the experience of passion in every form in his own body, he would reap richer stores of knowledge than text-books a foot thick could give him, and he will know how to doctor the sick with a real knowledge of the human soul.”

[Ben]

Carl Jung also said:
“Death is indeed a fearful piece of brutality.There is no sense in pretending otherwise. It is brutal, not only as a physical event but far more so psychically. However, from another point of view, death appears a joyful event. In the light of eternity, it is a wedding, a mysterium conjunctionis. The soul attains, as it were, its missing half. It achieves wholeness.”

Mystics like Paramahansa Ramakrishna help to explain this: "The Godhead … has become these two [God and the devotee] in order to enjoy Its own bliss. He made Himself manifest so that He might know Himself and enjoy His own Bliss, His own Fullness, through Self-Knowledge."

In metaphor, Sri Ramakrishna depicts God, or Shiva, meeting Himself in the moment of illumination: “When Siva realizes his own Self, He dances about in joy exclaiming, ‘What am I! What am I!’”

[Zerdini]

Jung died on June 6, 1961. His last recorded words were, "Let's have a really good red wine tonight."

[Ben]

As I read what you say, Zerdini, I'm half way through a particularly nice Pinot Noir.

[Zerdini]

Hope to hear from you tomorrow then,Ben!!