The Seven Purposes
An Experience in Psychic Phenomena
"That is what we hope to establish as a recognized truth
in your life there; that a force as yet unknown to science
is operating between the planes, and can be developed and
used in your life."
"A force compared to which electricity is spring water."
"Some day your scientists will discover and prove by
experiment certain laws now unrecognized."
"If you will only believe and know that I am not dead."
"Come, all ye who struggle and strive! Perceive once
and forever the purpose of life. Join now the forces of
construction, and bring to all men brotherhood."
"A great brotherhood is only possible when its com-
ponent parts are great."
"Forget the class and remember the man. Forget the
price and remember the pearl. Forget the labor and re-
member the fruit. Forget the temple and remember God."
CONTENTS [Original Page]
Introduction
Part I
Chapter I [3]
Chapter II [17]
Chapter III [32]
Chapter IV [39]
Chapter V [51]
Chapter VI [59]
Chapter VII [73]
Chapter VIII [88]
Part II
The Lessons
Chapter I [97]
Chapter II [101]
Chapter III [105]
Chapter IV [109]
Chapter V [112]
Chapter VI [116]
Chapter VII [119]
Chapter VIII [122]
Chapter IX [124]
Chapter X [126]
Chapter XI [128]
Chapter XII [130]
Notes [131]
Part III
Chapter I [137]
Chapter II [149]
Chapter III [166]
Chapter IV [178]
Chapter V [188]
Chapter VI [195]
Chapter VII [213]
Chapter VIII [228]
Chapter IX [238]
Chapter X [255]
Chapter XI [275]
Chapter XII [287]
Chapter XIII [296]
Chapter XIV [301]
Chapter XV [313]
INTRODUCTION
TWENTY-FIVE years or more ago my atten-
tion was attracted to the entertaining possi-
bilities of a planchette, and, like other young
persons, I played with one at intervals for
several years. Like others, also, I speculated
concerning the source of the remarkable state-
ments sometimes obtained in this way, but the
assumption that these statements were dic-
tated by disembodied personalities always
seemed to me rather absurd.
At no time has my interest in the matter
been sufficient to lead me to read anything
describing or discussing psychic phenomena,
with the exception of an occasional magazine
article. Neither have I read philosophies to
any extent. I have been always a busy per-
son, taking life at first hand, without much
regard to what students have said about it.
Such faith as I have had in anything, human
or divine, has been based upon works, and,
without convincing demonstration, it has been
impossible for me to be sure that individual
life continued.
After the beginning of the war, however,
when interest in the possible survival of the
individual was so suddenly and pathetically
increased, and one heard on every hand of
attempts to establish communication with those
gone before, I resolved to experiment again
with planchette; but it was not until our
friend V____ expressed a desire to try it with
me, sometime in 1917, that I really bought
one. For almost a year it lay untouched in
its box, and when finally we found opportunity
to test it we had no success. It did not move
from the spot where we placed it, and I made
no attempt to try it alone.
Several weeks later, two friends, Mrs. Wylie
and Miss Gaylord, told me that they had been
making efforts, through some one near their
home, to get into touch with their brother
Frederick, with results they thought promis-
ing. A day or two later we tried planchette
together, with some success. It moved brisk-
ly, wrote "Frederick . . . mother . . . love . . .
happy . . ." and other detached words. It
also persisted in making little circles, perhaps
two inches in diameter, the pencil tracing the
circumference again and again. This was so
often repeated that Mrs. Wylie thought it
might be a symbol, but could obtain no satis-
factory reply to questions about it.
My friends went home without renewing the
experiment, and my interest was not greatly
stimulated. It seemed quite probable that the
words written had reflected the thoughts and
desires of Frederick's sisters, and that the
whole episode could be explained by the theory
of unconscious response by the muscles of the
hand to the prompting of the subconscious mind.
I had dismissed the matter, as far as my own
participation in it was concerned, when a letter
came from Mrs. Gaylord, saying that her daugh-
ters had told her I had "mediumistic power," and
suggesting that I might be able to help her.
I knew that the exceeding bitterness of her
grief lay, not in the separation from her only
son, but in her inability to believe that his
identity and development continued, and that
the assurance that he had not "gone out, like
a snuffed candle," as she afterward expressed
it, would bring her the greatest—indeed, the
only possible comfort. Therefore I replied at
once that while I had no reason to believe that
I possessed "mediumistic power" to the slight-
est degree, I would make further experiments,
at the same time warning her that the attempt
would probably prove fruitless.
The following pages contain a partial his-
tory of the result. It was soon evident that
certain of these revelations were of too great
moment to be withheld from public knowledge.
In addition, while much of the more intimate
personal matter has been omitted, most of
those to whom these messages were given have
felt impelled to share, in this tragic time, the
comfort and assurance of their conviction, and
have voluntarily yielded their privacy, hoping
thereby to bring to those in sorrow an added
faith in the continuance of personality, with
all that this implies.
To facilitate reference, and to avoid break-
ing the sequence of the twelve impersonal
communications forming the basis of the whole
revelation, this report has been arranged in
three parts. First, the genesis and rapid de-
velopment of the individual message, brief at
first, and purely personal, but growing both
in volume and in import with each day.
Second, the Lessons. Third, additional in-
dividual messages, no less personal in their
original application than the first, but more
impressive in their wider human appeal and
significance, illuminating and emphasizing the
meaning of the Lessons.
For obvious reasons, the names and initials
used have been substituted for those of the
persons involved, with three or four exceptions.
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