My Library

5. The Shell. This is absolutely the mere astral corpse in the later stages of its disintegration, every particle of the mind having left it. It is entirely without any kind of consciousness or intelligence, and is drifted passively about upon the astral currents just as a cloud might be swept in any direction by a passing breeze; but even yet it may be galvanized for a few moments into a ghastly burlesque of life if it happens to come within reach of a medium’s aura. Under such circumstances it will still exactly resemble its departed personality irt appearance,and may even reproduce to some extent his familiar expressions or handwriting, but it does so merely by the automatic action of the dells of which it is composed, which tend under stimulation to repeat the fosm of action to which they are most accustomed, and whatever amount of intelligence may lie behind any such manifestation has most assuredly no connection S