return shortly. My conductor then waved his hand courteously to
everyone by way of farewell, the good spirits also returning the salute
while we descended more rapidly than we had ascended, and all around me
became as before, a thick cloud. I felt nigh fainting with a singing in
my ears, but this vanished by degrees the farther I left the paradise
behind.

At length my senses being sufficiently recovered, I gazed around me; all
was mist still, but every now and then I observed certain curious
phenomena, visions which appeared and disappeared. Sometimes it was a
garden or a building, sometimes an animal, a solitary tree or flowers. I
heard strains of music, voices, laughter. Sometimes a rose or other
flower fell at my feet, and immediately vanished; sometimes a toad or
other reptile fell near me, and likewise vanished. Sometimes birds of
prey or fierce animals were seen striving with one another. Then again,
fragments of distant landscape appeared and vanished.

None of these apparitions lasted beyond a few seconds.

Then turning to my guide, I said:

"Tell me, O sage, what is the meaning of all these appearances?"

To which the old man replied:

"These are all signs and symbols of things which in your world have no
visible nor tangible existence, their essence being purely spiritual,
yet which, nevertheless, in their own atmosphere--the spiritual
world--have a visible existence of their own. These are the thoughts of
mortals yet living in your world.

"We are fast approaching your earth, and therefore these appearances
become visible. The more beautiful of these visions, such as the
flowers, landscape, and singing birds, are the representations of the
pure thoughts and desires of the good; those of the less pleasing sort,
such as the toads, adders, serpents, bats and owls, signify the evil
thoughts of the wicked, and correspond to revenge, hatred, lust, murder,
fraud, and the like.

"Where these wild beasts and reptiles appear in great numbers in the
spirit world, and are seen combatting one with the other, it is a sign
of war on earth."

"But tell me why," I said, "I hear the sound of music yet see no
musicians, and hear the sound of voices yet see no one?"

Then my companion answered me: "The murky atmosphere through which we
are now passing is also an inhabited world. The spirits of this world
are invisible to you because you are not altogether freed from the
material veil which obscures your vision, and