A Man Describes How He Went into the Afterlife

Anyway, I could hear him speak and he says,“ All right, nothing to worry about. You’re all right, mate. Come on.”

And there was me putting my hand in his, just like a kid. And I thought, “Well, this is damn daft, this is. There’s something wrong somewhere.” Anyway, all I know is I got hold of his hand and suddenly felt a, sort of floating sensation and before I knew where I was, it was just as if I was being lifted up in the air, holding his hand too. And I thought, “Well, this is something this is.”

It reminded me of something I saw years ago; Pan – Peter Pan or something. There was me, floating up in the air holding his hand and I thought, “Crying out loud! This is a funny dream this is.”

There was us, sort of floating. I can’t say I was doing anything else but floating, just with my feet off the ground – going gradually higher and higher, as if everything gradually was getting further and further away. And I could see in the distance down below the battlefield. And I could see the guns and the light and the explosions and the war was obviously still going on. And I thought, “Well, I don’t know, this is a most peculiar dream this is.”

And then the next thing I remember was, sort of gradually coming in sight of what appeared to me, to be a big city. It was luminous.

    It was as if all the buildings, sort of had a sort of glow about them. This glow, by the way, seemed to be something that seemed to be, not only with him, my friend, but, you know, with everything. Even when I remember now looking back, there was a sort of haze or a glow over everything.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, I suddenly felt my feet touching ground again. Most peculiar, and it felt solid. And I remember walking along what appeared to be a long avenue. And on each side of this street or avenue were beautiful trees. And between every other tree, or so, there was, what appeared to be, a sort of statue. That’s the only way I can describe it – figures. Beautiful figures they were. Sculptured sort of figures, you see.

And on the sidewalk, I suppose that’s what you’d call it – or the path, pavement – people were going about, but dressed in most peculiar sort of dress. I thought, “Oh dear, this is a real corker this is,” you know, “A real dream.” They looked like as if they might have been Romans or Greeks or something, like you see in pictures. And er, beautiful buildings with pillars and beautiful steps leading up, some of them had. And there were mostly flat-roofed, by the way. I don’t remember ever seeing any roofs and gables, like one associates with England, for instance. They all seemed to be, what you call, on the Continental style, you know, sort of beautiful flat roof houses. Beautifully designed and this sort of glow coming from them. All sorts of people there was and I saw horses. I saw several people on horseback riding, beautiful, magnificent looking horses they were and anyway I thought, “This is quite a-do, this is,” you know.

And anyway, he was talking away to me…

“Course,” he says, “Of course, you know what’s happened to you?”

So I said, “What’s happened to me?” I said, “All I know is what’s happened or what ain’t happened, I am having a good time here. It’s better than being down there, in that lot. I shall be sorry to wake up.”

He says, “Don’t worry. You ain’t gonna to wake up.”

I said, “What do you mean, you ain’t gonna to wake up?”

“Well,” he says, “You’ve had it, chum.”

I said, “What do you mean – had it?”

So he says, “You’re dead.”

I said, “Don’t be so silly. How can I be dead? I’m here. I can see all what’s going on around me. I can see you.” But I said, “I know as how you died some months ago. You got a packet. But, how is it that um…I don’t know”…I said to ‘im, “You may be dead, but I’m dreaming.” “Ah,” he says, “no you ain’t. You really are dead. You got a packet in that charge.”

I said, “Ah, get away ! How can I have had? I wouldn’t be here like this would I?”

He says, “That’s just it,” he says, “You are here. You’re dead.”

I said, “What? You don’t mean to tell me this is heaven?”

So he says, “Well not exactly, but it’s an aspect.”

I thought to meself, “Aspect? What’s aspect mean?”

And then suddenly it dawned on me, that it was a sort of “part of,” like, you know.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, we went up this nice, very pleasant road in this beautiful city, and we came to a sort of hill. Not a very steep hill. And right in front of me on top of this hill I could see what looked like a beautiful building. Like – well, how can I describe it? – something I’d seen in the City of London, only much more white and much more beautiful. And, “Oh,” I thought, “This is a nice looking place, what’s that?”

So I said to him, “What’s that place?”

“Oh,” he says, “you’re going there,” he says, “to meet some of your old friends.” He said, “That’s what we call a reception station.”

I said, “A what?”

He said, “It’s like a kind of an hospital.”

I said, “Well, I don’t want to go to any hospitals. There’s nothing wrong with me. I’m all right.” I said, “and in any case, I can’t get this at all.” He said, “Don’t worry. Just don’t tax your brain,” he says, “too much at the moment. It’ll come to you later. Just relax and enjoy yourself.”

I said, “Well, I’m doing that alright. It’s a darn sight better than being down there. In a sense,” I said, “I don’t particularly want to wake up. If this is what you say – true. I have to believe you, but at the same time I can’t make head or tail of it.”