A Survival of The Spirit – Telling Photograph
Sir Oliver Lodge, Raymond’s father and one of Britain’s most prominent scientists, claimed that his son was regular communication with him from beyond the grave. Did Raymond communicate with his family from beyond the grave? Although the spirits Raymond did seem to have intimate knowledge of parts of his life, he was surprisingly vague about many important details. And skeptics point out that the incident of the photograph may have been no more than the result of a couple of lucky guesses on the part of the medium.
Raymond Lodge became more famous after his death than he had ever been in life. In a best-selling book published in 1916, Sir Oliver Lodge, Raymond’s father and one of Britain’s most prominent scientists, claimed that his son was regular communication with him from beyond the grave.
Raymond Lodge was Sir Oliver’s youngest son. He enlisted in the British Army in September 1914, soon after the outbreak of World War I, A little more than a year later; the 25-year-old officer was dead, killed by a shell fragment in the front line trenches in Belgium.
Yet within days Raymond, who had been close to his family and sent home many letters from the front, was apparently in touch with his grief stricken parents. But this time his communications were through mediums: men and women who profess to be able to communicate with the dead.
Hoping to Bear
Sir Oliver was an experienced researcher into paranormal phenomena and a former president of the British Society for psychical Research. He needed no convincing that communication with the dead was possible. He and his wife, Lady Mary, began a series of sittings with mediums, hoping to receive a message from Raymond.
They seem to have had little trouble making contact with their son, who painted an extraordinary picture of the spirit world. He called it Summer-land and said it was a place where the dead were allowed time to recover from the shock of death. The deceased were reunited with relatives who had died earlier. Raymond himself, the medium reported had found a brother and sister waiting for him, and the first person to welcome him to his new existence had been his grandfather.
Raymond’s surrounding seemed to be much like those on earth. He described hoe he lived in “a house built of bricks – and there are trees and flowers, and the ground is solid.” There were libraries and rivers, and newcomers were allowed to wear earthly clothes, although most people were dressed in white robes. Even cigars and whiskey were available for those who craved them.
Intimate Details
Sir Oliver approached the sittings in a scientific manner, taking careful notes and visiting mediums anonymously to prevent any charlatans among them from gathering information about him in advance. Gradually he accumulated the proof, he believed, that his son did continue to exist and was communicating with him.
In many instances Raymond the spirit seemed to display an impressive knowledge of details of his earthly life. Mediums told Sir Oliver, correctly, that Raymond had been nicknamed Pat by his brothers, and that he had been in the habit of calling his teammates Norman during hockey games. He also accurately described the drawing room of his home, which the medium had never visited. He even knew the name of the family’s pet peacock and was able to describe a tent and a sand yacht that he and his brothers had built during their seaside holidays.
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Sir Oliver admitted that many of these facts about Raymond could have been unconsciously transmitted to the mediums by living people through telepathy. One piece of evidence, however, could not be explained away so easily.
On September 27, 1915, a medium told Lady Mary that Raymond was talking about a photograph in which he was one of a group. Lady Mary did not remember such a photograph and assumed that the medium had made a mistake. But two months later Lady Mary received a letter from the mother of one of Raymond’s fellow officers. The woman wrote that Raymond had been photographed with members of his regiment a few months before his death, and asked if Lady Mary would like a copy of it.
Before the picture arrived, Sir Oliver asked a few questions about it at a séance. Through the medium, Raymond told him that the photograph had been taken against “a black background with lines at the back of them.” Raymond also said that while they were posing “someone wanted to lean on him, but he was not sure if he was taken with someone leaning on him.”
When the photograph arrived, Raymond was seen with a group of officers in front of a wooden building: the roof timbers formed vertical lines behind the group. Far more astonishing to Sir Oliver, however, was that the officer sitting behind Raymond appeared to be leaning on him. Why had Raymond been uncertain as to whether or not this had happened when the picture was taken? The group had been photographed three times; in one of the frames no one was leaning on Raymond.
From The Grave: A week after Raymond Lodge died in 1915; his spirit allegedly began to communicate with his family. On one occasion, the spirit was able to tell his mother of existence of a photograph (above) that was unknown to her. (Raymond is in the front row, second from right.) Raymond also pointed out an error on his memorial plaque (right): he had died on a Tuesday, not a Wednesday.
Proof from the Beyond?
Did Raymond communicate with his family from beyond the grave? Although the spirits Raymond did seem to have intimate knowledge of parts of his life, he was surprisingly vague about many important details. And skeptics point out that the incident of the photograph may have been no more than the result of a couple of lucky guesses on the part of the medium.
But Sir Oliver and his family had no doubts. And the story of Raymond is still quoted by spiritualists as irrefutable evidence that the human personality survives bodily death.
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User Comments
cutedrishti8
On September 4, 2009 at 7:01 am
Nice one to share…Great work…
Jenny Heart
On September 4, 2009 at 7:21 am
Great article. Who really nows? It could happen.
unown971
On September 4, 2009 at 7:48 am
Marvelous article, truly inspirational!
A.L.Smith
On September 4, 2009 at 8:36 am
Great article.
Christine Ramsay
On September 4, 2009 at 9:13 am
An interesting article. I suppose it could be possible to receive messages fom the grave. It probably depends on how receptive a person is. Good work.
Christine
Idazalee
On September 4, 2009 at 9:48 am
That was interesting and well researched story. I liked it. Keep it up and thank you so much for sharing this wonderful article.
papaleng
On September 4, 2009 at 10:20 am
Definitely a must read one. Yes I do agree, a person has a gift like this one. One has to learn how to use it.
hfj
On September 4, 2009 at 10:32 am
Fascinating article and pictures. As for myself, i don’t think those who have passed on can communicate from the grave. Well done friend.
Faith Hodge
On September 4, 2009 at 11:25 am
Very interesting.. Nice photos as always.
CHAN LEE PENG
On September 4, 2009 at 11:45 am
Another attractive piece! You always have us in awe of your talent. Have my liked it then.
ken bultman
On September 4, 2009 at 1:42 pm
I think the peacock was a rooster.
Susan
On September 4, 2009 at 4:40 pm
Mr. Ghaz, you write about such unusual incidents. Death is such a mystery to so many people, and obviously, communication with his parents brought them great relief.
How very sad that some people believe that this life is all that there is.
Mystify
On September 4, 2009 at 4:56 pm
Wonderful work as always!I like how your writing has changed to the unknown.The human mind with never cease to be fasinated by the unknown! Very enjoyable and interesting read!
Lostash
On September 4, 2009 at 6:24 pm
I like to believe that there is something after death….when it happens, I’ll let you all know!
hollynoel001
On September 4, 2009 at 6:55 pm
great article about this person i like to believe that our “spirtis: live on and do believe in this wonderful work thanks!!
welch
On September 4, 2009 at 7:01 pm
Very Interesting Article, Who Knows what is beyond/? Thumbs Up and Greatly Written.
ducroisjosef
On September 4, 2009 at 7:40 pm
Makes you wonder. Whiskey and cigars in heavens waiting room, I can believe that.
Joe Dorish
On September 4, 2009 at 9:27 pm
Fascinating story Mr Ghaz. Whether to believe it was his spirit communicating or not IDK but it was certainly fun reading about it!
Lauren Axelrod
On September 5, 2009 at 12:00 am
A photograph tells a hundred tails. Great piece my friend
Ruby Hawk
On September 5, 2009 at 7:49 pm
Very interesting subject and we can never be sure although I have no faith in mediums. the one thing that makes me wonder is about wearing clothess and living in a brick house. I think spirits would have no need for such frills.
Patrick Bernauw
On September 6, 2009 at 3:38 am
Wow, Mr Ghaz! I clicked three articles in the “Popular Articles” list of Socyberty because they seemed to be very interesting… and guess what? You wrote them all three!
And even better news: they not only “seemed” interesting, they also were “a good read”!
This is one of them!
Patrick Bernauw
On September 6, 2009 at 3:39 am
Wow, Mr Ghaz! I clicked three articles in the “Popular Articles” list of Socyberty because they seemed to be very interesting… and guess what? You wrote them all three!
And even better news: they not only “seemed” interesting, they also were “a good read”!
This is one of them!
Chris Marlowe II
On September 6, 2009 at 4:01 am
“Did Raymond communicate with his family from beyond the grave? Although the spirits Raymond did seem to have intimate knowledge of parts of his life, he was surprisingly vague about many important details.” – Story of my life again!
Yours Truly,
the One & Only
Sterling Christianson
On September 6, 2009 at 3:53 pm
Pretty interesting themes…great article. Are the dead among the living….or are the living among the dead? The key to this reality is TIME. We will all know in due time. Maybe the non-believers will become believers when they’re dead.
Momof4
On September 6, 2009 at 11:08 pm
Very intresting reading. Great article, Wonderfully written. Thanks for sharing all the information.
WoodlandStar
On September 7, 2009 at 6:06 am
Your meticulous attention to detail in article research is inspiring. In fact it leaves me somewhat breathless because I know what it takes to produce this type of article.
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