TALKS WITH THE DEAD.

Grey River Argus, 15 December 1928, Page 4 (Supplement)

TALKS WITH THE DEAD.

AN ACTOR’S EXPERIENCES. VISIT FROM SHAKESPEARE. Sir Frank R. Benson, the well-known theatrical manager and Shakespearean actor, has drawn attention to his beliefs by writing a foreword to a book, “Telepathy ami Spirit Communication.’ In this he says:— “I have seen, touched, and spoken witli the risen dead. I have frequent communications, with and without mediums, with most of my friends who have passed on. I am not aware that I have any mediumistic power. I am only one of many who daily live in dose contact and sympathy with thoscwhoni we wrongly call dead.” Interviews have followed in which Sir Frank has affirmed that he has spoken with Shakespeare. This, in his I own words, is how it happened. “A | voice—that of Shakespeare—spoke to n;e through a trance medium, saying: ‘ I know that you are engaged with niy plays. I am glad. Go on.’ ” “I a ked no questions but listened for the next voice. It was tliat of Aeschylus. Aeschylus said: ‘lt was I who sent you to work on the stage before my great successor. Ou r work is on the same lines.’ By his successor Ae chylus meant Shakespeare and the explanation was this. I went on the stage in consequence of the success of ‘Agamemnon,’ which we played at Balliol while I was an Oxford undergraduate. I am perfectly satisfied that the communications were genuine. That Aeschylus spoke to me in English was but natural. Thought has no language. Wond: are symbols.” Sir Frank said that his first experience took place many years ago at the hour of his father’s death, when a being in the shape of his father, came t 0 him, kissed him on the forehead, and said, “Farewell.”

A later experience was at the front during the Great War when Lady Benson and himself were serving with the French Bed Cross. “I was,” said Sir Frank, ”140 miles south of where my son was on the Western Front. I was just going off to sleep when midway between th e eeiling and the floor I saw a light, and in the midst of that light stood my son. I sprang up and half got out of bed. ‘‘l exclaimed, ‘My God, Erie, I thought you were dead.’ ‘Dad,’ said my boy. ‘you know we always agreed that there is no such thing as death.’ ‘Of course, said I, what a fool I am. How are things going with you?’ ‘Oh fine, he said. ‘Everything is going well. Good night, dad. God bless you,’ and then the vision faded away. I at once turned on the electric light, looked at my watch, and took a note of the time.”

Sir Frank adds that next day he read in the papers that his boy’s regiment had been in action. Three dayafterwards came a telegram saying that he had been killed on the afternoon of the day on which he appeared to him