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Recent History. Product Information. Copy Link Tweet This. Luke Seefuss. Original electronic Scanned image These products were created by scanning an original printed edition. Most older books are in scanned image format because original digital layout files never existed or were no longer available from the publisher.
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You don't need a PayPal or Stripe account and it only takes a minute. The buttons below are set in British Pounds currency - click here if you would prefer to donate in USD. I was convinced that I no longer belonged to the world of the living, yet I continued to inhale deep breaths of air.
Since when had I become the puppet of irresistible forces? I could not say. I felt like a prisoner, trapped in the dark cage of horror. With my hair on end, my heart thumping uncontrollably, a prey to terrible fear, many times I shouted like a raving lunatic. I begged for mercy and clamored against the bitter despondency which had taken hold of my spirit. But my cries fell only on silence; or were answered by lamenting voices still more moving than my own.
At other times, sinister roars of laughter rent the stillness, as if some unknown companion must be close-by me, a prisoner of insanity. Diabolical forms, ghastly faces, bestial countenances crossed my way from time to time, increasing my panic.
Thus, I proceeded on that strange journey. To what end? Who could say? I only knew that I kept fleeing. Fright drove me on blindly Where were my home, my wife and children? I had lost all sense of direction. The fear of the unknown and my dread of darkness had annulled all my powers of reasoning from the very moment I had broken free of my physical body in the grave. My conscience tormented me. I would have preferred the total absence of reason, or non-existence. Copious tears ran constantly down my cheeks, and only rarely was I blessed with a few minutes of sleep.
Chapter 33 Curious observation,. Chapter 34 Newcomers from the lower zones,. Chapter 35 An unexpected meeting,. Chapter 36 The dream,.
Chapter 39 Consulting Laura,. Chapter 40 As you sow, so shall you reap,. Chapter 41 A call to the struggle,. Chapter 43 An informal conversation,. Chapter 44 The dark regions,. Chapter 45 The music fields,. Chapter 48 The home prayer meeting,. Chapter 49 Returning home,. Chapter 50 A citizen of the Astral City,. They teach us, alert us and give us solace. From Saul consulting the dead Samuel Samuel on the direction of Israel, to the disciples in Galilee Matthew visited by the Master after crucifixion.
Messages on the state of the human spirit after death often remains hidden in these news. Messages translated into the proper language and customs of their times speak us about heavens and hells, where human beings find themselves and the results of their actions. These are more or less happy resorts according to the spiritual state of their inhabitants.
Even recently, at a time of positivist science, the flux of news did not stop. On the contrary, starting in it has grown increasingly, finding elucidation in the gigantic effort of analysis and compilation carried out by Allan Kardec. Spiritism, the set of teachings contained in Kardequian works, has organized and spread the interchange of news among incarnate and discarnate. Groups were established in several countries. In the Brazilian lands however a propitious environment for good mediumnistic work and practical application of the Spiritist postulates was found.
In this world, Spiritism stands up straight, marching forward in the enlightenment of people. At the very moment when man find himself far from God, a masterpiece shows him his supreme target, shaping forever the behavior of future generations.
It displays many patterns of the Brazilian society at the time, forecasting other ones that would arise in the following years. Wherever the human spirit goes after death, be it a spiritual colony of an English speaking country or a spiritual town in ancient India, it always meets itself, carrying its conquests or past mistakes, beloved affections or inner enemies.
In one word, it goes to a place with which it has strong affinities. So we strongly recommend to all our dear friends the reading of this work. We remark that just after the edition of this book, as if reinforcing a practical teaching by Bezerra de Menezes, Brazil saw the appearance of many Spiritist groups attached to the ideal of social and spiritual assistance works.
In this way, Spiritism became one of the leading schools of thought in Brazil. Thanks to this book, we find today assistance works everywhere, no matter how small the Spiritist group. Let us be in the service of our beloved sisters and brothers, that God will open the closed gates, placing us at the exact position where required hands lack.
October 15 th Ever since that time, several dedicated friends, moved by a sense of duty to translate such an important story, had progressively submitted their manuscript for evaluation. We are especially indebted to Laura Speeth Luczynski who worked on the final editing of the text.
Luczynski succeeded in reducing flowery Portuguese into current English yet without altering the original thought. This being a book of universal importance and altogether the result of voluntary work, we cannot but praise God for the interest that it has found in the hearts of all those whose efforts have contributed to make it available.
Introduction to the First English Edition. Through the course of history, man has progressively received information about the afterlife according to his ability to assimilate it.
During his brief sojourn on Earth, man is generally too involved in his worldly affairs to be able to readily conceive of an invisible plane of life. This being the case, his spiritual education could not but move at an exceedingly slow pace from its beginning centuries ago. Revelations pertaining to a spiritual world permeate the scripture of all major religions in various degrees. These revelations, or instructions, however, were necessarily limited in scope, and at times cautiously veiled in fragmentary statements of allegorical language.
It is interesting to note, for example, how this instruction process gradually develops in the Old Testament beginning with the idea of a paradise, and continuing with references to angels or spiritual messengers, and then to chariots and horses of fire, followed by the notion of a lower world or Hell, and many other similar statements implying a transcendental world. The mechanics of judgment and the importance of our deeds are also described in Revelation.
After the Biblical period, only sporadic descriptions of the life beyond were recorded, and these were sometimes separated by centuries. The centuries that passed were apparently necessary for mankind to ponder, analyze and digest the older revelations. In the mid-nineteenth century, however, this pattern changed, and the information process began to accelerate. In the century that followed, more information concerning the beyond was available to man than in all past centuries combined.
Spirit communications have always cause, and are still causing, a stir. Needless to say, these communications, to be constructive, must be approached with a responsible and reverent attitude. The Astral City is undoubtedly one of the most remarkable works contributing to this new awareness. It stands as one more sign that a new era of transcendental knowledge is in process, and that the age of veiled references to the life beyond is receding.
Furthermore, it presents to us a Spirit world of an amazingly realistic nature. At times, we tend to be surprised at the quasi-material aspects of 'The Astral City' colony. After careful consideration, however, we begin to see the wisdom of God's laws which afford the spirit a gradual adaptation to a life without the grosser material body.
It has been repeatedly confirmed by reliable messages that the etherical replicas of the physical world are a common event in the next plane of existence. Indeed, the similarities of the two worlds are at times so confusing to the newly departed that the spirit mistakes them for material life, often ignoring the fact that death has occurred and that he has lost his physical body.
Bearing in mind these and other basic principles of transition expounded by The Astral City we begin to conceive of a hereafter that is within the realm of Nature; a realm equally ruled by just laws of cause and effect. In most mediumnistic works, at least two entities are involved: the medium and the communicating discarnate entity. The only available information about the identity of this spirit is that he was a fairly well known physician who lived in the early part of this century in Rio de Janeiro.
The many attempts, motivated by natural human curiosity, to further identify him have resulted in mere speculations. His stupendous spiritual gifts and great literary success close to books.
Xavier has donated the copyrights of all his works, which to date have sold in the neighborhood of six million copies have not affected his goodness and humility. He was then proclaimed an honorary citizen of Uberaba, the city where he now lives. This official gesture was followed by many other cities and towns throughout the country, each also making him their honorary citizen.
His appearances before panels of intellectual on Brazilian television networks, some lasting several hours, have earned him national respect for the wisdom with which he answered, under spiritual guidance, the controversial questions put to him.
It is with great satisfaction that we present to the English speaking reader this highly significant book. August, S J Haddad. A New Friend Prefaces generally introduce authors, extolling their virtues and enlarging on their personalities. Here, however, the situation is different. Often real understanding and true love come to us hidden under the cloak of anonymity. In order to redeem a disgraceful past in the process of reincarnation, old names are wiped away and new ones take their places.
All bygone happening sink into temporary oblivion — a blessing of Divine Mercy. Thus, we cannot introduce an earthly doctor and human writer, but instead present a new friend and brother in eternity. In order to bring his valuable impressions to his earthly companions, it was necessary for him to forego all conventions, including the use of his name. He did so to avoid hurting loved ones still wrapped in the mist of illusion.
He acted with the same generosity as a reaper of corn, who avoids giving offense to those tilling in the distance and does not trample on the green fields still in bloom. We realize that this book is not the only one of its kind. Others have already described the conditions of life beyond the grave. Nevertheless, we are glad to have drawn to our spiritual circles one who might transmit an account of his own experiences.
He gives as much detail as possible to clarify the laws that preside over the efforts of diligent Spirits of good will in spheres which are invisible to human eyes, although intimately connected with the planet. Many will surely smile on reading certain passages in this narrative.
Let me remind you, however, that the unusual has always caused surprise. Who on the Earth did not smile tolerantly upon hearing about aviation, electricity, or the radio before their development some decades ago? Surprise, perplexity and doubt are common to students who have not yet gone over their lessons. It is natural and most just. Every reader must analyze for himself what he reads.
We will refer here to the essential aim of this work. The Spiritist Doctrine is rapidly increasing the number of its adepts. Thousands of people are taking interest in its work, methods and experiments. Yet, faced with a world of novelties, man must not neglect his most important goal — his own spiritual growth. It is not sufficient to investigate phenomena, adhere verbally to any doctrine, collect and improve statistics, exhort the conscience of others, gain converts or win public approval, however commendable all this may be on the physical plane.
It is essential to acquire the knowledge about our infinite potential, and to use it in the service of good. Man is not forsaken on Earth.
He is a child of God engaged in constructive work, temporarily clothed in flesh. He is a student in a meritorious school, where he must learn to raise himself up. The human struggle is his opportunity, his set of tools, and his textbook.
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