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Letters From the Other Side:
With Love, Harry and Helen
 A book of letters written from 1913 to 1917 by a brother and sister, Harry and Helen Blount... the historic context would make these letters of interest, but that's not what's unusual about them. Harry and Helen were both dead when they "wrote" these letters.
A Blind Sister Writes Words From Deceased Siblings
This unusual book is a collection of letters written from 1913 to 1917 by a brother and
sister, Harry and Helen Blount. The historic context would make these letters of some
interest, but that's not what's unusual about them or why you should read them. What
makes them of interest is that Harry and Helen were both dead when they "wrote" these
letters. The writing was done through the hand of their sister, Mary Blount White,
who would feel a "quiver" in her arm, then the spirit would take over and write the
message on a pad of paper. You might suspect fraud except for a number of factors
that seem to indicate otherwise. For one thing, Mary was blind and could never
write more than a few words. For another, the information in the letters is so
personal and knowledgable about the family.
Mary's mother, Lucia Blount, was so moved by the messages from her deceased children,
she had some of the letters printed into a booklet in 1917 that was sent to a few
trusted friends and family. They were so impressed, that another larger version was
published. I don't know how many copies were printed, but the original letters have
been handed down in the family and in 1987, Upper Access Press printed a paperback
book with a selection of the letters. Mrs. Blount says in the Introduction to the
older publication that she had considered publishing anonymously, but had decided
instead to "face the world's skepticism" and use her own name. In the first letter
from Harry, he says "don't tell anyone of this writing; it is better not to. I only
want to be of use and not be made a show of." However, his words from the Other Side
are in print today, and I for one am glad they are.
How Spirits Communicate
I ordered this book from the publisher and was soon enchanted with the words of these
two people who had died so many years ago, Helen at age 16 and Harry at age 33. Their
view from the Other Side is very much in tune with what we have learned from others
who have claimed some knowledge of it. They exist as spirits in a plane that has
many levels and only those spirits at the lower vibratory level can communicate
with the living. Harry progresses beyond this level, studying music with a master,
and Helen then communicates through Mary for him. Helen deliberately stays at a level
where she can communicate with the living; she wants to continue bringing reassurance
and help to her living family. Their messages reveal that Harry and Helen retained
much of the qualities they had in life, but their main interest was in progressing
spiritually. Friendship, love and respect are the facilitators of spiritual progress.
How do the two worlds connect? From Helen: "Harry wants me to write first as he is too weak to push through the separating wall of neutral matter which lies between your plane and ours." What happens at death? Helen tells us we build our own spiritual body before we die. She writes "Do people die before their time? Yes. often; it happens to thousands. I mean people on your plane come here through accident or disease before they have built their future bodies, as we do our abiding places, and when one is hurled over too soon it is not comfortable... that is why we all unite so readily to keep a soul in his body til we are sure he will arrive here in first-class condition." In another letter, Helen writes about cremation, which she says is debated as much on her plane as in ours. She says it results in a fast popping out of the body for the soul, but she (she and Harry were cremated) prefers this.
Work on the Spirit Plane
What do souls do? They work at a variety of activities, either creative work or in helping others. The more advanced, who are described as bright white, help the less advanced. Harry and Helen work in music and color. Helen explains "I have often seen Tee's brother, and am his pupil on the violin, as well as in experimental work with nature forms in music. He is one of our great music masters here...his home is higher than mine, and I can study there with benefit as it has a great uplifting power." They work with color as well as music. Harry writes to his blind sister about colors she has not seen. "Color has value as it vibrates either with or against the rythm of personal harmonics. You see it is allied to music and to me tone and color are so closely linked I speak of each in terms of the other. Each of us is related by the law of vibration to some tone and color which represents our stage of development... We have an entire vocabulary for this study of musical color." Service to others is of great importance in this life and life on the Other Side. Helen tell us "Here we are always looking for people to serve the masses. When one is found with a show of promise for such work, we try him out to see how much strain he can bear and then lead him to the gaps which need filling and his intuition forces him into the public service."
How is life organized and who is in charge? Helen tells us "There is a succession of graduated planes or evolutionary steps over here, each governed or mastered by the most advanced soul on that plane, who is responsible for the work in that division. Above him are others, ever higher, ever more complex or exalted. The great general plan is doubtless known only to the Ultimate Mind or Creator..." Helen and Harry move around to different planes, studying first with Tee's brother (Tee was Mary Blount's husband), then even greater masters. When Harry moves on to a higher plane, he is able to come back to Helen's plane and tell her about his experiences.
Only in the later letters do we learn about reincrnation. Harry and Helen only gradually learn about the opportunity to return to earth in another body. Harry learns he can view his past lives in a kind of theatre. He then finds he can learn about the past lives of others. "The past is preserved in records as indestructible as existing life itself and one's past is easily read if the will power is strong enough to magnify the pictures which lie, layer upon layer, on the tenuous material used to preserve them." He tells Mary the reason she was born blind was because in a previous life she had cruelly blinded a child. She has had a number of earthly lives in which she was blind. Harry tells her that her debt is nearly repaid and she will never be blind again.
God
What about God? Here is what Helen tells us: "We prattle a lot about God, but how many realize for a moment that it is the personal presence of God at the center of each which enables him to exist? God is life. God is the Creator, and he creates constantly, continuously, throughout the universe. That is the secret of life. God is behind and through everything, from a rock to a man, planet, or sun. All have life. All vibrate. All move." Later she adds "Knowledege is power. Why? Because one is then carrying no weights whatever but is free to advance and serve." In the view of Harry and Helen, God is a force within each of us and the more we seek that force, the more we can recognize the God that is within and without; the more we can gain "the key to all wisdom."
The Horror of "The Great War"
Helen and Harry are aware of the Great War (World War I) going on in the earthly plane and decry the slaughter and the selfishness of man. They tell us those youth dying in that war will quickly reincarnate and will hate war in their next lives. They say they can hear and feel the anguish of the war dead. They constantly admonish their living family to be kind and generous toward others. It is important to contribute to the the advancement, not the suffering or discouragement, of others. "Every harsh thought we indulge in is a drag on the soul who is battling for his eternal life. How cowardly in anyone to cripple another...You gain by giving, not by grasping. The miser is the greatest pauper of them all."
More Advice From "The Other Side"
They counsel against having useless possessions. "One should not just sit in the midst
of things but live in a place where what is about one is in active service... Keep
things circulating and they don't die. This is a great truth. Things live and have a
character as well as people. They absorb the personality of their owners and give
off the atmosphere or feeling of them. That is why one can feel at once whether
the people who live in a place are fine and hospitable, or selfish and cold.
Their things talk."
In these letters, we see the development of Harry and Helen over the several years
covered. Both try to give advice and sometimes take it back later, as they learn even
more about spiritual truths. They feel for the problems of Mary and Tee and want to
help, but don't always know how. They seem very human in their concern. They also
warn about bad spirits who try to trick and fool people. At one point Helen tells
us "It takes love, and those who care, to make the chain strong enough to carry
past the borderland of darkness where spirits live who love to deliver false
messages from us to you." They warn against believing everything delivered through
mediums or oija boards.
The book is full of inspiring advice, and reading these letters is an uplifting
experience. The words are so compelling, it is almost difficult to pull oneself
back and ask if this material is credible or not. As a reviewer, I feel I should
express at least some skepticism about the source of this material. Were Harry and
Helen really speaking from the beyond? The only answer I have is if this was not
the source, then where did these letters come from? Because they were written 85
years ago, there is no way to check out where they have been in those years or to
verify how they originally came into existence. We have to accept the words of
Mary and her descendants and just take whatever inspiration we can from these
loving letters. I can only say they touched me in a most personal way.
Consistency With Other Sources
The picture of life after death presented in these letters in consistent with
other accounts written much later in time. The many reports of near death
experiences (NDE) and out-of-body experiences (OBE) tell us of an existence in
which we shape what we see, and that we will be with other spirits. But absent
from Helen and Harry's reports is the tunnel and "being of light" described
by NDE experiences. They also did not seem to be met by a spirit guide, as
reported in Michael Newton's books, although they certainly reported on other
beings who assisted them and the more advanced souls were described as being
very bright. The closeness of this family, even crossing the line of death,
may be unusual. Perhaps they act as guides to each other.
We must keep in mind that any communication from the
Other Side gives only the view of the communicating spirit and it may or may not
even be accurate. If indeed we take our personality and faults with us, then
what we hear from these spirits will vary a lot, depending on what they actually
know and how much of it they tell us. In the final analysis, there is no proof.
But I found this book to be well worth reading, and took a lot of comfort in
knowing that the true nature of mankind is to be a seeker.
Buy Letters from the Other Side: With Love, Harry and Helen from amazon.com.
More books about spirit communications. See these reviews:
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