of things above to those below—not with the colloquial and literary, nor even with the aid of modern philosophical, scientific, metaphysical nor theological technics now in use amongst thinkers. But the people are longing for information respecting the soul's condition subsequent to its departure from the rudimental scene; they want to know what a soul is, where it goes, how it gets there, and what are its environments thereafter; consequently the essay to impart the required information must be made, even at the risk of adding to the hundred failures already made. The word vast, for instance, when I apply it in the description about to be given, is not to be understood in the sense of enormousness, but in a different one altogether. Well then, in a short time, the side of the sphere yielded to the applied force, and broke completely in two from top to bottom, and the two sides instantly thereafter resolved themselves into a vast archway—vast in beauty, grandeur, color, form and symbolic meaning. Toward the inviting passage thus presented, as if impelled by an invisible, but powerful force, I slowly moved involuntarily. Upon reaching it, the entire sphere seemed to draw into me. I stepped over the threshold; turned to look at it—but, lo! it had vanished.
This taught me a lesson. I saw that if one chose to do so, he might, while on earth, and in the Middle State, draw his sphere within him, and lie concealed in the deeps of his own being, unreadable by any, save God and the dwellers of the Soul-world. This is effected at first by strong efforts of the will,—(both Napoleons are illustrative instances),—which soon becoming a habit, is effected by the soul mechanically. At first, upon finding myself alone, and my sphere absorbed, I could not
