Today is Good Friday and Easter Sunday is two days away.  So I thought this would be an ideal time to start a thread on Howell Vincent's old book, "Lighted Passage" (1943).  Roger was kind enough to bring this book to my attention and even mailed me a copy.  For this I am most grateful.  As I recall, one of Roger's colleagues at work is related to Howell and brought the book to Roger's attention.  The book was written long before the consolidation of modern New Age dogma and jargon, and long before modern claims of soul retrievals.  The retrieval practices the book reports are among the most compelling I have ever read and are the main reason why I do not dismiss this site's poorly verified retrieval reports outright.    

Howell Vincent, was a teacher of Applied Science, a Presbyterian minister, and a missionary to Thailand (then Siam) and pre-Communist China.  He and his family specialized in the retrievals of recent World War II fatalities.  His book is written in the shadow of the recent tragic deaths of his daughter Rea and her husband Herb.  This couple were on their honeymoon in New England when they suffered fatal wounds in a car crash and died slowly in a hospital.    

I will quote from Howell's account (p. 25) of an ADC that he experienced in the presence of  4 of his family members.  I will be quoting this passage in my Easter Sunday sermon on Jesus resurrection appearance in John 21:1-19.  Howell's account rivals Jesus Easter appearance by the Sea of Galilee in terms of its multiple simultaneous witnesses, its "physicality" (e. g. eating fish; offering an etheric calendula flower that is then pressed and preserved), and its power to comfort in times of crisis.  To help the reader, I note that Nellie is Howell's late first wife, Agnes is his 2nd wife, and Rea is his daughter by Nellie.  After Rea's accident Nellie appeared to her again in a comforting deathbed apparition.  Quoting Howell Vincent:

    ON AT LEAST 2 OCCASIONS THIS RADIANT MOTHER HAD
     COME TO REA IN VISIBLE, TANGIBLE FORM & TALKED WITH
     HER.  IN 1933, I WAS PRIVILEGED TO BE PRESENT AT ONE OF
     THESE HEAVENLY VISITS BY MOTHER NELLIE.  TOGETHER
    WITH REA, I TALKED WITH NELLIE, FULLY RECOGNIZING HER
     FACE AND FORM & VOICE.  I SAW HER PLACE HER HAND ON
     REA’S HEAD IN BLESSING, & I SAW HER GIVE REA A FLOWER,
     A CALENDULA, WHICH WE PRESSED AND KEPT.  AT THAT
     TIME 3 OTHER MEMBERS OF OUR FAMILY WERE PRESENT,
      INCLUDING REA’S 2ND MOTHER, AGNES, AND THEY ALL SAW
      NELLIE AND TALKED WITH HER, AS REA AND I DID.  WE
      WERE ALL WIDE AWAKE AND WALKED ABOUT THE ROOM
      WITH NELLIE.  IN HER HOUR OF DEVASTATING PAIN AND
      FRUSTRATION, REA RECALLED THOSE FORMER VISITS
      WITH THE SHINING METAMORPHOSIZED PRESENCE OF HER
      MOTHER NELLIE, AND THAT LOVING PRESENCE NOW CAME
      ONCE MORE TO ENFOLD HER WITH PEACE, DISSOLVING HER
      FEARS AND EASING HER PAIN.

Don

Don-

How did the sermon go?  What were reactions from congregation?

Yes, Vincent's book presented the most compelling case for retrievals that I have ever read.  All the more so because that really wasn't the focus of the book.  It really was written about his daughter.

He would have written more about it but he was anxious to get the book published.  A real shame since his first hand knowledge about retrievals, along with explanations as to why we humans are essential in helping departed souls find the light, was invaluable.

He didn't say, but I doubt he used the imagination technique.  He was profoundly religious, and knew that retrieval work was highly spiritual in nature and not a parlor game.  He always approached it in a prayerful attitude.

His deceased daughter referred to retrievals as "gleaning."  What a marvelous term!

R

[Carl, I will answer your question in due time.  I'm very busy righr now.  But thought I'd share HV"s retrieval insights and experiences.]

RAE’S TRANSITION AFTER THE AUTO ACCIDENT:

“Rea in the Border Land was the center of the theatre.  She was dancing and bubbling with joy like an excited child, but was also consciously watching...and appraising her reactions to that marvelous environment. ..Mother Nellie and her mother and a large group of relatives and interested friends remained on the brilliantly lighted Headlands; they did not cross the border to meet Rea.  Only the procession of brides came on to her stage to bid her join their gliding dance into the joy and peace of the heavenly place…

We asked Nellie, “Why don’t you come and take hold of Nellie and help her start?”  Nellie shook her head; that was not allowed; no help could be given from her side.  Rea had to make her own crossing “in Light,” with such help that we through love and faith could give her from this side.

HOWELL’S FACILITATION OF RAE’S TRANSITION:

The chasm which Rea still had to cross in part resembled…the barrier of an inferiority complex that has to be attacked and overcome by the person himself.  When the person takes the initiative, the barrier is crossed, and thereupon, vanishes…The effort required of her can be compared to the act of will that a chick makes to pip the shell in its second birth…The love light that we were able through love and faith to draw down to her from the Father combed out all the shadows from her valley of shadows, but the chasm remained to be crossed,…though it was..filtered clean of all the blackness of shadows.

From our border of the Border Land, I called to Rea, “Love never faileth…Forgive me for holding you here in pain those last hours, but I could not let you go until every art of earth was tried to keep you with us.  Adieu, my lovely daughter, join in the ritual of those beautiful brides.  They are the Father, impersonated in these His children, for you, His child…Underneath are the everlasting arms.

REA’S TRANSITION DANCE:

She turned to us with a childish curtsy, smiled and waved, then turning to her mother Nellie on those gleaming Headlands, she leaned forward as though to take a step, and one of her brothers standing just behind her gave her a gentle loving push, and instantly she was gliding in the rhythm and formation of the bride’s ritual dance.  Over the valley now robbed of its shadows, a bride among brides, danced our beautiful Rae into Emmanuel’s Land, into the arms of her mother Nellie…This is possible for all of us since Jesus Christ opened this trail to all of us when He passed this way for us all.”

dON

I mean no disrespect, but I don't understand how this proves to be the truth. How do you know what is written in the book you mention is real? It could of been peoples imagining it all. How do you know? What makes you believe this to be true?

Thank you for answers.

smidee

DISCARNATE LOVED ONES AT THE FUNERAL OF HERBERT AND AN ALREADY REVIVED REA

“Wonderful blankets of flowers covered the caskets, and the pulpit platform was banked with flowers.  The church was well filled with friends.  On the spirit side…a pavilion was seen stretching over and around the church, and 200-300 spirits were visible in attendance.  They were not interested in the funeral service…They were wholly interested in the resurrection body of Herbert, that it be completely strengthened…One shining spirit said, “We are not interested in these rites that concern the outward shells of life.  Does your poultry man give much thought to the shells when the chicks are out needing attention and filling the place with joyous new life?”  

But on Sept. 2 there were 2 different services going on, and some of us present were permitted to take part in those rites that produced results, though all others present were unaware.  A Great Advanced Spirit stood just behind Dr. Buker[the minister]  and above him.  This Spirit was of vast power and poise.  He stood motionless and serene.   His chest was of the Christ blue color; the rest of him was shining white.  We were not told his identity or rank.  In front of us, on our left side as we faced the pulpit, back of Herbert’s casket, was an extended platform on which [discarnate] Mother Nellie and her mother and others sat.  Nellie was holding Herbert in her arms.  Rea flitted in and out.

We observed that Herbert was powerless to move; the life force had not yet circulated in his spirit body.  We asked Nellie and other attendants, “Can’t you start the life force in him to give him mobility?”  They answered, “Vitality will come to Herbert very slowly on this spirit side and only as he is able to recognize his own powers and use them.  But help can be given from the earth side, because the earth human vibration is the cradle and feeder of the spirit body.”

THE RETRIEVAL OF HERBERT
Intuitively, it came to one of us, “I can start the Life Force, I am permitted to do it.”  Without any precedent or former knowledge of this technique, he knew what to do and did it.  He visualized the life currents in his own spirit body, seeing them in motion, flowing from his head to his feet.  Then through…a conscious summoning of the inductive force of life, he inducted these currents into Herbert by visualizing them as flowing in the same way through Herbert’s spirit body as they were flowing in his own body…Such visualization is not mere imagination; it is an act of creative faith.  He saw small particles of light becoming more and more active in Herbert’s spirit body.  Soon Herbert was able to rise and walk about the platform and join Rea, and together they thankfully rejoiced in the completed transmutation of his resurrection body.  Then they skipped right out of church and were heard shouting happily (“Lighted Passage,”  pages 111-113).”

Don  

Berserk2 wrote on Apr 18^th, 2009 at 4:53pm:



Don, I have read what you have just described in another book! That's where the dead relatives were at the funeral, here on Earth, waiting for or with the recently deceased!  I'm trying to remember what's the name of the book it came from. Thank's for that! Carl & Family.

VISIONARY AND CLAIRAUDIENT COMMUNICATIONS FROM HERB, REA'S DECEASED GROOM: ON THE NEED FOR GODLY PRAYERS FROM THE INCARNATE AS AN AID TO RETRIEVALS ("Lighted Passage" 221-222):

"To join us in this work for which we are called is the greatest gift you can give us.  Your prayers and faith are our credentials with the lost.  As we approach these bewildered dead who know not which way to turn, we bid them look into your hearts for the credentials that verify our service to them.  The reason for this is that they cannot see us clearly; our atmosphere or environment of light is too bright for them.  Often they have more difficulty than living mortals have in seeing us understandlngly.  They are still of a slow, mundane vibration of life,..and so, they have no trouble in seeing you, and they carefully scrutinize your motives.  The love and good will for them that they see in your heart, as you lift them to the Father in prayer, assure them of our sincerity even though they cannot see us.  We lead them to you.  They look into your heart that is freed from all animosity by the love of God that shines there through your prayer.  You invite them to the Father.  Gladly they ascend to a place provided, and all their problems begin to melt away in the ever increasing light that is given, tempered to their vital quality and their need."  

Don

Hey,

I just had a thought! -- The Bible doesn't talk about retrievals because people back then weren't' ready for them'
SO
That shows we are Evolving! (Despite that some say we are devolving.)

Thanks, Rondele!
Yay!

Bets