“To resist change is to ignite pain and separation; to surrender and move with, and eventually to pilot change is to become the center of the universe rather than the periphery: the creator rather than the victim.” ~ Dr. Peebles, To Dance With Angels, Don and Linda Pendleton
Last night Dr. Joe Dispenza was a guest on Coast to Coast AM Radio Show and I found his concepts very interesting. I was reminded of Dr. Peebles and his spiritual psychology in regards to resisting change.
Showing posts with label Coast to Coast AM Radio. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Coast to Coast AM Radio. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Oscar the Cat With the Extraordinary Gift
Oscar the cat is still doing what he does best, and that is to be with a patient as he or she is about to die.
Oscar lives on the third floor of Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Providence, Rhode Island, and he has made his home there since he was two months old.
In 2007, Dr. David Dosa, a geriatrician at Rhode Island Hospital and an assistant professor of medicine at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, both in Providence published an article in the Massachuttes Medical Journal about Oscar’s apparent ability to predict when someone is about to die. Oscar was two years of age when the article was written.
Last night, Dr. Dosa was a guest on Coast to Coast AM Radio with George Noory. He has now written a new book, Making Rounds With Oscar: The Extraordinary Gift of an Ordinary Cat.
He stated that Oscar is not particularly a friendly cat, and in some ways seems to be a loner and stand-offish, that is until Oscar “knows” a patient is close to death, within hours or less. The doctors and nurse, and even families, view Oscar’s behavior as almost an absolute indicator of impending death, and this indicator even then allows the staff members to notify families to come.
Oscar climbs upon the bed and stays with the patient and even once swiped at Dr. Dosa when he came near. In one sense, Oscar “keeps guard,” in another, gives companionship so those dying are not alone. Even if the patient is unaware of the presence of Oscar, it seems to not matter at all to the cat. He is doing what he does best, to be present as a person makes his or her transition to the other side.
Oscar will stay there, curled up on the bed along side the patient, long before the chaplain is called and he does not leave until death comes....
Oscar lives on the third floor of Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Providence, Rhode Island, and he has made his home there since he was two months old.
In 2007, Dr. David Dosa, a geriatrician at Rhode Island Hospital and an assistant professor of medicine at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, both in Providence published an article in the Massachuttes Medical Journal about Oscar’s apparent ability to predict when someone is about to die. Oscar was two years of age when the article was written.
Last night, Dr. Dosa was a guest on Coast to Coast AM Radio with George Noory. He has now written a new book, Making Rounds With Oscar: The Extraordinary Gift of an Ordinary Cat.
He stated that Oscar is not particularly a friendly cat, and in some ways seems to be a loner and stand-offish, that is until Oscar “knows” a patient is close to death, within hours or less. The doctors and nurse, and even families, view Oscar’s behavior as almost an absolute indicator of impending death, and this indicator even then allows the staff members to notify families to come.
Oscar climbs upon the bed and stays with the patient and even once swiped at Dr. Dosa when he came near. In one sense, Oscar “keeps guard,” in another, gives companionship so those dying are not alone. Even if the patient is unaware of the presence of Oscar, it seems to not matter at all to the cat. He is doing what he does best, to be present as a person makes his or her transition to the other side.
Oscar will stay there, curled up on the bed along side the patient, long before the chaplain is called and he does not leave until death comes....
Hanging on the wall on the third floor of the Steere Nursing Center is a commendation from the local hospice agency, engraved with these words: “For his compassionate hospice care, this plaque is awarded to Oscar the Cat.”
He’s psychic, he has to be. And he’s an angel.and he is doing the job of an angel...how do we know that he is not in telepathic communication with the dying patient who may have one foot in this world and the other foot in the nonphysical world. And hey, maybe Oscar, who has four feet, has a couple of feet there on the other side, getting everyone together to welcome the new arrival.
My cat is psychic so I understand, and many of us have had pets that know if are sick, or sad, or need some reassurance that we are loved unconditionally. You’ve experienced that, haven’t you?
My cat is psychic so I understand, and many of us have had pets that know if are sick, or sad, or need some reassurance that we are loved unconditionally. You’ve experienced that, haven’t you?
What I find so unique about Oscar, is that during normal days when no one is on the verge of death, he minds his own business and does not care to be around people much, and often hisses at anyone disturbing him or coming too close.
But then he knows when it is time...
He knows his job awaits him, yes, it is time.
~Linda
But then he knows when it is time...
He knows his job awaits him, yes, it is time.
~Linda
Friday, January 8, 2010
Life After Life, and NDEs
Last night, best-selling author, lecturer, and researcher, Dr. Raymond Moody was a guest on George Noory’s Coast to Coast AM Radio Show. Dr. Moody is a medical doctor and has a Ph.D. in philosophy and is most noted for his expertise and research into “near-death experiences,” a term he coined in the seventies with his classic book, Life After Life. In 1975, Dr. Elisabeth Kubler Ross wrote the Foreword to his book with these words: "It is research like Dr. Moody presents in his book that will enlighten many and will confirm what we have been taught for two thousand years -- that there is life after death." At the time Dr. Kubler-Ross was also doing her own work in the area of life and death.
The discussion with George Noory was, of course, about near-death experiences. But he was also there to talk about his upcoming book later this year, co-written with Paul Perry. Moody’s book Reunions: Visionary Encounters with Departed Loved Ones, was co-written with Paul Perry. Perry has also co-written a number of books including several written with Dr. Melvin Morse on NDEs, and with Dannion Brinkley. I’ve always enjoyed the writing of Paul Perry that seems to come through in those mentioned books.
Dr. Moody has for years researched Near Death Experiences but he said he has recently become more confident about the reality of life-after-death because of what he calls, “shared death experiences.” In other words, bystanders who are at the death bed of a loved one have reported seeing a light, the appearance of a tunnel, deceased loved ones, spiritual beings, and even co-participating in the panoramic life-review of the person who was passing away.
He stated they are in effect, “empathically co-living the dying experience of those that are close to them.”
Doesn’t that sound absolutely extraordinary and fascinating? Not only will it be interesting reading the book by Moody and Perry, but then hearing others who will come forward with their own experiences that occurred at the time of death of a loved one.
And people will come forward as they did and have done about their own NDEs or other spiritual experiences when they realize it is safe to do so, and not be thought “crazy.” We’ve all seen that happen in recent years with the acceptance of spiritual experiences, including angels, spirit guides, mediumship, communication with the Other Side, and past lives. And I must say, the media has helped with that as has professionals, such as Doctors Moody, Kubler-Ross, Weiss, Morse, Dossey, Chopra, among others.
The new book, Between Two Worlds: Glimpses of Eternity Through Shared Death Experiences will be published in the Fall of 2010.
From the Paul Perry Website:
“In this truly groundbreaking book, New York Times bestselling authors Raymond Moody, MD, and Paul Perry search for the answer to mankind's oldest question, What happens when we die?
“They have searched for the answer before by examining the compelling stories of those who have had near-death experiences. This time they examine the stories of those who share the death experience with a loved one. In this book you will read jaw-dropping stories of people who unexpectedly find themselves leaving this earth as loved ones die and following them "into the light" where they see dead relatives and beings of Light before returning to their place on earth, convinced of a life after life.
“This book provides convincing evidence that we survive bodily death, and takes a giant step forward in afterlife exploration.”
After watching the interview of Dr. Raymond Moody by Paul Perry, you can download a PDF of the first chapter of their new book here.
Not only do I enjoy reading about life after death and the other spiritual phenomena, I also enjoy researching and writing about these kinds of spiritual experiences in my e-courses, e-books and my print books. The latest of those would be my e-book, How Thin the Veil: 150 Years of Spiritualism, if your interested in reading more.
150 Years here in America, so, what’s new? We just need facts, ma’am. Then we’ll believe it.
The discussion with George Noory was, of course, about near-death experiences. But he was also there to talk about his upcoming book later this year, co-written with Paul Perry. Moody’s book Reunions: Visionary Encounters with Departed Loved Ones, was co-written with Paul Perry. Perry has also co-written a number of books including several written with Dr. Melvin Morse on NDEs, and with Dannion Brinkley. I’ve always enjoyed the writing of Paul Perry that seems to come through in those mentioned books.
Dr. Moody has for years researched Near Death Experiences but he said he has recently become more confident about the reality of life-after-death because of what he calls, “shared death experiences.” In other words, bystanders who are at the death bed of a loved one have reported seeing a light, the appearance of a tunnel, deceased loved ones, spiritual beings, and even co-participating in the panoramic life-review of the person who was passing away.
He stated they are in effect, “empathically co-living the dying experience of those that are close to them.”
Doesn’t that sound absolutely extraordinary and fascinating? Not only will it be interesting reading the book by Moody and Perry, but then hearing others who will come forward with their own experiences that occurred at the time of death of a loved one.
And people will come forward as they did and have done about their own NDEs or other spiritual experiences when they realize it is safe to do so, and not be thought “crazy.” We’ve all seen that happen in recent years with the acceptance of spiritual experiences, including angels, spirit guides, mediumship, communication with the Other Side, and past lives. And I must say, the media has helped with that as has professionals, such as Doctors Moody, Kubler-Ross, Weiss, Morse, Dossey, Chopra, among others.
The new book, Between Two Worlds: Glimpses of Eternity Through Shared Death Experiences will be published in the Fall of 2010.
From the Paul Perry Website:
“In this truly groundbreaking book, New York Times bestselling authors Raymond Moody, MD, and Paul Perry search for the answer to mankind's oldest question, What happens when we die?
“They have searched for the answer before by examining the compelling stories of those who have had near-death experiences. This time they examine the stories of those who share the death experience with a loved one. In this book you will read jaw-dropping stories of people who unexpectedly find themselves leaving this earth as loved ones die and following them "into the light" where they see dead relatives and beings of Light before returning to their place on earth, convinced of a life after life.
“This book provides convincing evidence that we survive bodily death, and takes a giant step forward in afterlife exploration.”
After watching the interview of Dr. Raymond Moody by Paul Perry, you can download a PDF of the first chapter of their new book here.
Not only do I enjoy reading about life after death and the other spiritual phenomena, I also enjoy researching and writing about these kinds of spiritual experiences in my e-courses, e-books and my print books. The latest of those would be my e-book, How Thin the Veil: 150 Years of Spiritualism, if your interested in reading more.
150 Years here in America, so, what’s new? We just need facts, ma’am. Then we’ll believe it.
~Linda
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Ghosts and the Alamo
Last night I was listening to Coast to Coast AM Radio Show and George Noory’s guest was Robert Wlodarski, author of a book about the ghosts of the Alamo, and other books on the paranormal. I had not heard much about ghosts there, but I did have an experience of psychically tuning into the past historical and traumatic events that had taken place there and resulted in the deaths of many.
In 1986, my husband Don and I were in San Antonio, Texas while on a book tour and had a weekend of free time. The first place we headed was to the Alamo. As a kid, I always loved reading about Davy Crockett, Jim Bowie, and the Alamo. So I was pleased to finally be able to visit the place. But my pleasure almost immediately faded away shortly after entering. I felt overwhelmed with a chaotic, frantic feeling, almost as if I were in the middle of a battle, maybe the big battle. It was a very disturbing feeling and I had to leave there immediately. I could not stay in the building. I was disappointed that I could not see more, but I could not stay. We walked out and we sat on a bench in front of the Alamo, and I discovered Don also had picked up on the negative energy in there and he was somewhat uncomfortable also. So here we were, two people very much interested in the historical history but unable to enjoy it as we were too tuned in psychically to the past events of the place.
In February 1836, a thirteen day battle between General Antonio López de Santa Anna’s Mexican Army and American defenders of the Alamo left many dead, some have estimated more than 1,700, with the Mexican Army troops being the largest number, nearly 1,500, and about 250 defenders including Jim Bowie, Davy Crockett, and Colonel William Travis.
The Alamo, Mission San Antonio de Valero, is a former Roman Catholic mission and fortress compound, in which construction began in 1724, and in the early 1800’s a Spanish military stationed a cavalry unit at the former mission, and it became known as the Alamo, the Spanish word for cottonwood.
Ghosts have been seen at the Alamo for years, dating back to 1836, shortly after the last battle there. Stories indicated that General Santa Anna wanted the Alamo burned to the ground and in an attempt to do so, one of his Colonels and troops encountered six ghostly monks who materialized from the walls of the chapel and while advancing toward them holding and waving flaming swords commanded “Do not touch the walls of the Alamo.” The troops retreated and General Andrade returned and was again given the dire warning by these six monks who hurled fire balls causing the General to retreat as fast as he was able.
Although the story of the monks was believed by many it was also contradicted. But by 1894, the city of San Antonio used the Alamo mission as police headquarters and a jail. Prisoners complained of ghostly activity, including mysterious sounds, and the presence of a ghostly sentry who walked the roof keeping guard was enough to have the human night guards refusing to patrol the area at night. So it did not last too long as a jail. The paranormal events there became subject of newspaper articles just prior to the turn of the 19th century.
Even today, paranormal events are commonly observed—shadowy figures, noises, voices, screams, eerie cold spots, a little girl often seen looking out a high window of the gift shop, a ghostly sentry looking out the front entrance, a young boy who carried on a conversation with a young six year old girl visitor and the boy invisible to the girl’s father.
Nearly 200 years, and spirit still visits and/or hangs out there, maybe to watch the 2.5 million physical beings who visit the Alamo every year. Could be that spirit wants to figure out why all those people keep showing up. Have you been there?—and if so, did you have any encounter with spirit or the psychic past?
~Linda
In February 1836, a thirteen day battle between General Antonio López de Santa Anna’s Mexican Army and American defenders of the Alamo left many dead, some have estimated more than 1,700, with the Mexican Army troops being the largest number, nearly 1,500, and about 250 defenders including Jim Bowie, Davy Crockett, and Colonel William Travis.
The Alamo, Mission San Antonio de Valero, is a former Roman Catholic mission and fortress compound, in which construction began in 1724, and in the early 1800’s a Spanish military stationed a cavalry unit at the former mission, and it became known as the Alamo, the Spanish word for cottonwood.
Ghosts have been seen at the Alamo for years, dating back to 1836, shortly after the last battle there. Stories indicated that General Santa Anna wanted the Alamo burned to the ground and in an attempt to do so, one of his Colonels and troops encountered six ghostly monks who materialized from the walls of the chapel and while advancing toward them holding and waving flaming swords commanded “Do not touch the walls of the Alamo.” The troops retreated and General Andrade returned and was again given the dire warning by these six monks who hurled fire balls causing the General to retreat as fast as he was able.
Although the story of the monks was believed by many it was also contradicted. But by 1894, the city of San Antonio used the Alamo mission as police headquarters and a jail. Prisoners complained of ghostly activity, including mysterious sounds, and the presence of a ghostly sentry who walked the roof keeping guard was enough to have the human night guards refusing to patrol the area at night. So it did not last too long as a jail. The paranormal events there became subject of newspaper articles just prior to the turn of the 19th century.
Even today, paranormal events are commonly observed—shadowy figures, noises, voices, screams, eerie cold spots, a little girl often seen looking out a high window of the gift shop, a ghostly sentry looking out the front entrance, a young boy who carried on a conversation with a young six year old girl visitor and the boy invisible to the girl’s father.
Nearly 200 years, and spirit still visits and/or hangs out there, maybe to watch the 2.5 million physical beings who visit the Alamo every year. Could be that spirit wants to figure out why all those people keep showing up. Have you been there?—and if so, did you have any encounter with spirit or the psychic past?
~Linda
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Psychic Abilities, Abraham Lincoln and His Precognitive Dreams
Psychiatrist, and former Harvard professor, Dr. Diane Hennacy Powell was a guest on Coast to Coast AM Radio show this week. Her new book The ESP Enigma: The Scientific Case for Psychic Phenomena, combines philosophy, physics, and examines paranormal traits like clairvoyance, precognition, telepathy, intuition.
She mentioned how scientists in the field of study of the paranormal often times put their careers on the line by pursuing topics out of the mainstream paradigm. She specifically mentioned the late Dr. John E. Mack, Harvard professor, and how he fought to keep his Harvard tenure while studying the UFO abduction phenomena and writing best-selling books on the subject. He was able to keep his position at Harvard. Dr. Powell was Director of Research at the John E. Mack Foundation.
Dr. Powell talked of how we all possess psychic ability but some are more psychic than others. Her studies go along with what I believe, that for many, it is genetic and runs in families. There is often a family history covering several generations. She believes there is an undiscovered “psychic” gene. She also mentioned psychic ability may show up after a head trauma. And we know others have had a traumatic event or a Near Death Experience and their psychic ability appears for the first time or is greatly enhanced. For instance, Dannion Brinkley, Dr. Dianne Morrissey both recovered from NDEs and discovered their new ability. The late Peter Hurkos apparently fell off a ladder, had a head injury resulting in his psychic ability. Dr. Powell also touched on animals' psychic abilities, noting Rupert Sheldrake's work on dogs and their owners. (Read my article, Animal Communication: Animal Smarts or the Gift of Intuition? By Linda Pendleton) People with autism also have a higher probability of psychic abilities, such a autistic savants, according to Dr. Powell.
In a recent online Time interview by M.J. Stephey, Dr. Powell spoke of Abraham Lincoln’s famous precognitive dream of his death, several days before his assassination.
“Lincoln had a very vivid dream of walking around the White House and hearing all these people mourning and asking, "What's going on?" and then having someone tell him, "The president's dead." Then he saw his own corpse. He had this dream literally ten days before he was assassinated. He didn't tell anybody about it at first, but a few days before [his assassination], he told his wife and some friends.”
I just wrote about Lincoln’s dream in my new ebook, How Thin the Veil! 150 Years of Spiritualism. He apparently often had meaningful and precognitive dreams.
Excerpt:
Dr. James Martin Peebles wrote about Abraham Lincoln’s dreams in his 1903 book, What is Spiritualism? and describes Lincoln's prophetic dream as told by Charles Dickens. "When Charles Dickens was in the United States in 1868, he wrote to his friend, John Forster, under date of February 4 of that year, that he had dined by invitation with Senator Charles Sumner, at Washington, on the previous Sunday, when Edwin Stanton, Secretary of War under Lincoln's administration, was the only other guest. The conversation having turned on the assassination of Lincoln, Dickens writes:
'He and Sumner having been the first two public men at the dying President's bedside, and having remained with him until he breathed his last, we fell into a very interesting conversation. ...Mr. Stanton told me a curious little story. On the afternoon of the day on which the President was shot, there was a Cabinet Council, at which he [Lincoln] presided. Mr. Stanton arrived rather late.
'He noticed that the President sat with an air of great dignity and was grave and calm. Mr. Stanton, on leaving the council with the Attorney-General, said to him: ‘What an extraordinary change in Mr. Lincoln!’
'The Attorney-General replied: We all saw it before you came in. While we were waiting for you, he said, with his chin down on his breast: Gentlemen, something very extraordinary is going to happen, and that very soon.
'To which the Attorney-General had observed: ‘Something good, sir, I hope?’
'When the President answered very gravely: ‘I don't know; I don't know. But it will happen, and shortly, too!’
'As they were all impressed by his manner, the Attorney-General took him up again. ‘Have you received information, sir, not yet disclosed to us?’
'No, answered the President, but I have had a dream, and I have now had that same dream three times. Once on the night preceding the battle of Bull Run; once on the night preceding such another,’ naming a battle also not favorable to the North. His chin sank on his breast again, and he sat reflecting.
'Might one ask the nature of this dream, sir?’ asked the Attorney-General.
'Well,’ replied the President, without lifting his head or changing his attitude: ‘I am on a great, broad, rolling river, and I am in a boat, and I drift and I drift...but, this is not business,’ suddenly raising his face and looking round the table as Mr. Stanton entered. ‘Let us proceed to business, gentlemen!’
'Mr. Stanton and the Attorney-General said, as they walked on together, [that] it would be curious to notice whether anything ensued on this, and they agreed to notice. That night Lincoln was shot by Wilkes Booth, at Ford's Theatre and died the following morning.'"
Another interesting story about Lincoln's spiritual awareness is given in Carl Sandburg's Abraham Lincoln, where he reports that Lincoln was often haunted by his dreams. Sandburg relates Lincoln's own words, "It seems strange how much there is in the Bible about dreams. There are, I think, some sixteen chapters in the Old Testament and four or five in the New in which dreams are mentioned; and there are many other passages scattered throughout the book which refer to visions. If we believe the Bible, we must accept the fact that in the old days God and His angels came to them in their sleep and made themselves known in dreams. Nowadays dreams are regarded as very foolish and are seldom told, except by old women and by young men and maidens in love."
Mrs. Lincoln, Mary, remarked that the President looked dreadfully solemn and asked him if he believed in dreams.
Whereupon Lincoln replied, "I can't say that I do, but I had one the other night which has haunted me ever since. After it occurred, the first time I opened the Bible, strange as it may appear, it was at the twenty-eighth chapter of Genesis, which related the wonderful dream Jacob had. I turned to other passages, and seemed to encounter a dream or a vision wherever I looked. I kept on turning the leaves of the old book, and everywhere my eyes fell upon passages recording matters strangely in keeping with my own thoughts,–supernatural visitations, dreams, visions, etc."
Responding to a complaint by Mrs. Lincoln that this kind of talk frightened her, the President apologized for upsetting her, explaining, "...the thing has got possession of me, and, like Banquo's ghost, it will not down."
This was President Lincoln's dream:
"About ten days ago, I retired very late. I had been up waiting for important dispatches from the front. I could not have been long in bed when I fell into a slumber, for I was weary. I soon began to dream. There seemed to be a death-like stillness about me. Then I heard subdued sobs, as if a number of people were weeping. I thought I left my bed and wandered downstairs. There the silence was broken by the same pitiful sobbing, but the mourners were invisible. I went from room to room; no living person was in sight, but the same mournful sounds of distress met me as I passed along. It was light in all the rooms; every object was familiar to me; but where were all the people who were grieving as if their hearts would break? I was puzzled and alarmed. What could be the meaning of all this? Determined to find the cause of a state of things so mysterious and so shocking, I kept on until I arrived at the East Room, which I entered. There I met with a sickening surprise. Before me was a catafalque, on which rested a corpse wrapped in funeral vestments. Around it were stationed soldiers who were acting as guards; and there was a throng of people, some gazing mournfully upon the corpse, whose face was covered, others weeping pitifully. 'Who is dead in the White House?' I demanded of one of the soldiers. 'The President,' was the answer; 'he was killed by an assassin!' Then came a loud burst of grief from the crowd, which awoke me from my dream. I slept no more that night; and although it was only a dream, I have been strangely annoyed by it ever since."
This dream came to Lincoln just days before he was shot on Good Friday, April 14, 1865, and he died the following morning.
It is obvious that Lincoln was very strongly connected and often aware of that whispering presence from beyond the veil. And he referred to those spirits on the Other Side as "our friends from the upper country."
She mentioned how scientists in the field of study of the paranormal often times put their careers on the line by pursuing topics out of the mainstream paradigm. She specifically mentioned the late Dr. John E. Mack, Harvard professor, and how he fought to keep his Harvard tenure while studying the UFO abduction phenomena and writing best-selling books on the subject. He was able to keep his position at Harvard. Dr. Powell was Director of Research at the John E. Mack Foundation.
Dr. Powell talked of how we all possess psychic ability but some are more psychic than others. Her studies go along with what I believe, that for many, it is genetic and runs in families. There is often a family history covering several generations. She believes there is an undiscovered “psychic” gene. She also mentioned psychic ability may show up after a head trauma. And we know others have had a traumatic event or a Near Death Experience and their psychic ability appears for the first time or is greatly enhanced. For instance, Dannion Brinkley, Dr. Dianne Morrissey both recovered from NDEs and discovered their new ability. The late Peter Hurkos apparently fell off a ladder, had a head injury resulting in his psychic ability. Dr. Powell also touched on animals' psychic abilities, noting Rupert Sheldrake's work on dogs and their owners. (Read my article, Animal Communication: Animal Smarts or the Gift of Intuition? By Linda Pendleton) People with autism also have a higher probability of psychic abilities, such a autistic savants, according to Dr. Powell.
In a recent online Time interview by M.J. Stephey, Dr. Powell spoke of Abraham Lincoln’s famous precognitive dream of his death, several days before his assassination.
“Lincoln had a very vivid dream of walking around the White House and hearing all these people mourning and asking, "What's going on?" and then having someone tell him, "The president's dead." Then he saw his own corpse. He had this dream literally ten days before he was assassinated. He didn't tell anybody about it at first, but a few days before [his assassination], he told his wife and some friends.”
I just wrote about Lincoln’s dream in my new ebook, How Thin the Veil! 150 Years of Spiritualism. He apparently often had meaningful and precognitive dreams.
Excerpt:
Dr. James Martin Peebles wrote about Abraham Lincoln’s dreams in his 1903 book, What is Spiritualism? and describes Lincoln's prophetic dream as told by Charles Dickens. "When Charles Dickens was in the United States in 1868, he wrote to his friend, John Forster, under date of February 4 of that year, that he had dined by invitation with Senator Charles Sumner, at Washington, on the previous Sunday, when Edwin Stanton, Secretary of War under Lincoln's administration, was the only other guest. The conversation having turned on the assassination of Lincoln, Dickens writes:
'He and Sumner having been the first two public men at the dying President's bedside, and having remained with him until he breathed his last, we fell into a very interesting conversation. ...Mr. Stanton told me a curious little story. On the afternoon of the day on which the President was shot, there was a Cabinet Council, at which he [Lincoln] presided. Mr. Stanton arrived rather late.
'He noticed that the President sat with an air of great dignity and was grave and calm. Mr. Stanton, on leaving the council with the Attorney-General, said to him: ‘What an extraordinary change in Mr. Lincoln!’
'The Attorney-General replied: We all saw it before you came in. While we were waiting for you, he said, with his chin down on his breast: Gentlemen, something very extraordinary is going to happen, and that very soon.
'To which the Attorney-General had observed: ‘Something good, sir, I hope?’
'When the President answered very gravely: ‘I don't know; I don't know. But it will happen, and shortly, too!’
'As they were all impressed by his manner, the Attorney-General took him up again. ‘Have you received information, sir, not yet disclosed to us?’
'No, answered the President, but I have had a dream, and I have now had that same dream three times. Once on the night preceding the battle of Bull Run; once on the night preceding such another,’ naming a battle also not favorable to the North. His chin sank on his breast again, and he sat reflecting.
'Might one ask the nature of this dream, sir?’ asked the Attorney-General.
'Well,’ replied the President, without lifting his head or changing his attitude: ‘I am on a great, broad, rolling river, and I am in a boat, and I drift and I drift...but, this is not business,’ suddenly raising his face and looking round the table as Mr. Stanton entered. ‘Let us proceed to business, gentlemen!’
'Mr. Stanton and the Attorney-General said, as they walked on together, [that] it would be curious to notice whether anything ensued on this, and they agreed to notice. That night Lincoln was shot by Wilkes Booth, at Ford's Theatre and died the following morning.'"
Another interesting story about Lincoln's spiritual awareness is given in Carl Sandburg's Abraham Lincoln, where he reports that Lincoln was often haunted by his dreams. Sandburg relates Lincoln's own words, "It seems strange how much there is in the Bible about dreams. There are, I think, some sixteen chapters in the Old Testament and four or five in the New in which dreams are mentioned; and there are many other passages scattered throughout the book which refer to visions. If we believe the Bible, we must accept the fact that in the old days God and His angels came to them in their sleep and made themselves known in dreams. Nowadays dreams are regarded as very foolish and are seldom told, except by old women and by young men and maidens in love."
Mrs. Lincoln, Mary, remarked that the President looked dreadfully solemn and asked him if he believed in dreams.
Whereupon Lincoln replied, "I can't say that I do, but I had one the other night which has haunted me ever since. After it occurred, the first time I opened the Bible, strange as it may appear, it was at the twenty-eighth chapter of Genesis, which related the wonderful dream Jacob had. I turned to other passages, and seemed to encounter a dream or a vision wherever I looked. I kept on turning the leaves of the old book, and everywhere my eyes fell upon passages recording matters strangely in keeping with my own thoughts,–supernatural visitations, dreams, visions, etc."
Responding to a complaint by Mrs. Lincoln that this kind of talk frightened her, the President apologized for upsetting her, explaining, "...the thing has got possession of me, and, like Banquo's ghost, it will not down."
This was President Lincoln's dream:
"About ten days ago, I retired very late. I had been up waiting for important dispatches from the front. I could not have been long in bed when I fell into a slumber, for I was weary. I soon began to dream. There seemed to be a death-like stillness about me. Then I heard subdued sobs, as if a number of people were weeping. I thought I left my bed and wandered downstairs. There the silence was broken by the same pitiful sobbing, but the mourners were invisible. I went from room to room; no living person was in sight, but the same mournful sounds of distress met me as I passed along. It was light in all the rooms; every object was familiar to me; but where were all the people who were grieving as if their hearts would break? I was puzzled and alarmed. What could be the meaning of all this? Determined to find the cause of a state of things so mysterious and so shocking, I kept on until I arrived at the East Room, which I entered. There I met with a sickening surprise. Before me was a catafalque, on which rested a corpse wrapped in funeral vestments. Around it were stationed soldiers who were acting as guards; and there was a throng of people, some gazing mournfully upon the corpse, whose face was covered, others weeping pitifully. 'Who is dead in the White House?' I demanded of one of the soldiers. 'The President,' was the answer; 'he was killed by an assassin!' Then came a loud burst of grief from the crowd, which awoke me from my dream. I slept no more that night; and although it was only a dream, I have been strangely annoyed by it ever since."
This dream came to Lincoln just days before he was shot on Good Friday, April 14, 1865, and he died the following morning.
It is obvious that Lincoln was very strongly connected and often aware of that whispering presence from beyond the veil. And he referred to those spirits on the Other Side as "our friends from the upper country."
~Linda
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