My Library

In this case, as so often with ordinary materialization, any wound inflicted upon that animal form will be reproduced upon the human physical body by the extraordinary phenomenon of repercussion; though after the death of that physicabbody, the astral (which will probably continue to appear in the same form) will be less vulnerable. It will then, however, be also less dangerous, as unleS's it can find a suitable medium it will be unable to materialize fully. In such manifestations there is probably a great deal of the matter of the etheric double, and perhaps also a toll is levied upon the gaseous and liquid constituents of the physical body, as in the case of some materializations. In both cases this fluidic body appears able to pass to much greater distances from the physical than is ever otherwise possible, so far as i*yet known, for a vehicle which contains at least a certain amount of etheric matter.
It has been the fashion of this age to scoff at what are called the foolish superstitions of the ignorant peasantry; but as in the ahove cases, so in many others, the occult student finds on careful examination that obscure or for- gotten*tr?iths of nature lie behind what at first sight appears mere nonsense, and he learns to be cautious in ?ejecting as well as cautious In accepting. Intending explorers of the astral plane need have little fear of encountering the very unpleasant creatures