ces where they had their hopes and joys. These are often the
longest to remain . . . many are not unhappy. They feel the relief to
be sufficient to be without their earth bodies. All pass through the
borderland, but some hardly perceive it. It is so immediate, and there
is no resting there for them. They pass on at once to the refreshment
place of which we tell you." The anonymous author, after recording
this spirit message, mentions the interesting fact that there is a
Christian inscription in the Catacombs which runs: NICEFORUS ANIMA
DULCIS IN REFRIGERIO, "Nicephorus, a sweet soul in the refreshment
place." One more scrap of evidence that the early Christian scheme of
things was very like that of the modern psychic.

So much for the borderland, the intermediate condition. The present
Christian dogma has no name for it, unless it be that nebulous limbo
which is occasionally mentioned, and is usually defined as the place
where the souls of the just who died before Christ were detained. The
idea of crossing a space before reaching a permanent state on the other
side is common to many religions, and took the allegorical form of a
river with a ferry-boat among the Romans and Greeks. Continually, one
comes on points which make one realise that far back in the world's
history there has been a true revelation, which has been blurred and
twisted in time. Thus in Dr. Muir's summary of the RIG. VEDA, he
says, epitomising the beliefs of the first Aryan conquerors of India:
"Before, however, the unborn part" (that is, the etheric body) "can
complete its course to the third heaven it has to traverse a vast gulf
of darkness, leaving behind on earth all that is evil, and proceeding
by the paths the fathers trod, the spirit soars to the realms of
eternal light, recovers there his body in a glorified form, and obtains
from God a delectable abode and enters upon a more perfect life, which
is crowned with the fulfilment of all desires, is passed in the
presence of the Gods and employed in the fulfilment of their pleasure."
If we substitute "angels" for "Gods" we must admit that the new
revelation from modern spirit sources has much in common with the
belief of our Aryan fathers.

Such, in very condensed form, is the world which is revealed to us by
these wonderful messages from the beyond. Is it an unreasonable
vision? Is it in any way opposed to just principles? Is it not rather
so reasonable that having got the clue we