Tempo:
"First, you have to accept the possibility, remote as it may be to your
experience, that you can act, think, and exist without the restriction of a
physical body. And do not tell your wife to send me to that psychiatrist son of
yours. It takes more than Freud to solve this one. Besides, he's making
enough money as it is.
"In all of our conversations, it did not seem appropriate to bring up this subject.
But as long as you're going to be tied down, give it some serious
consideration. It might be useful later on, and I hope you can discover a few
things about it that I have passed over. It all depends upon whether you can
also develop the ability to 'leave' your physical body while loafing in that
hospital bed. If so, you might find many ways that it can be helpful. It may be
one way to ease physical pain. I do not know. Give it a try.
"... With all the sincerity I can muster, I urge you, Dick, to think about it. You
will have passed a major milestone when you do no more than accept the
idea that this second, non-physical body of yours actually might exist. Once
this has been achieved, your only other barrier is fear. And it need not be.
Because this is like being afraid of your shadow, of yourself. It is natural
rather than strange. Get used to this idea—that your lack of conscious
experience with it does not necessarily mean it is something to be afraid of.
Unknowns are feared only as long as they remain so. If you can hang onto
this, you need not have fear. Then, and only then, try the formula I have
written here. I do not know the effect of any medication you may be taking. It
may help or hinder the technique. But do give it a try. It may or may not work
the first time.
". . . Most important, let me know how you get along with it. When you get
better, perhaps I can drop over and discuss the whole thing in detail. I would
have come now in person, but you know how cranky the hospital is about
rules. If you tell your wife about any attempts, I'm sure she will relay them to
me. But I would much rather hear them from you later on. Just let me know. .
, ."
Mrs. Gordon did not let me know if he actually did try. I felt it entirely
inappropriate to query her too specifically at the time. She was much too
sadly overwrought with the knowledge that Doctor Gordon's condition was
terminal. I still am not sure that she realized my letter could be construed as
suggested training for death.
Doctor Gordon dropped into a coma several weeks later. He died peacefully
without regaining consciousness.
For several months I thought about an attempt to "go" to Doctor Gordon,
wherever he was. He was the first person close to me who had died since the
experience, that you can act, think, and exist without the restriction of a
physical body. And do not tell your wife to send me to that psychiatrist son of
yours. It takes more than Freud to solve this one. Besides, he's making
enough money as it is.
"In all of our conversations, it did not seem appropriate to bring up this subject.
But as long as you're going to be tied down, give it some serious
consideration. It might be useful later on, and I hope you can discover a few
things about it that I have passed over. It all depends upon whether you can
also develop the ability to 'leave' your physical body while loafing in that
hospital bed. If so, you might find many ways that it can be helpful. It may be
one way to ease physical pain. I do not know. Give it a try.
"... With all the sincerity I can muster, I urge you, Dick, to think about it. You
will have passed a major milestone when you do no more than accept the
idea that this second, non-physical body of yours actually might exist. Once
this has been achieved, your only other barrier is fear. And it need not be.
Because this is like being afraid of your shadow, of yourself. It is natural
rather than strange. Get used to this idea—that your lack of conscious
experience with it does not necessarily mean it is something to be afraid of.
Unknowns are feared only as long as they remain so. If you can hang onto
this, you need not have fear. Then, and only then, try the formula I have
written here. I do not know the effect of any medication you may be taking. It
may help or hinder the technique. But do give it a try. It may or may not work
the first time.
". . . Most important, let me know how you get along with it. When you get
better, perhaps I can drop over and discuss the whole thing in detail. I would
have come now in person, but you know how cranky the hospital is about
rules. If you tell your wife about any attempts, I'm sure she will relay them to
me. But I would much rather hear them from you later on. Just let me know. .
, ."
Mrs. Gordon did not let me know if he actually did try. I felt it entirely
inappropriate to query her too specifically at the time. She was much too
sadly overwrought with the knowledge that Doctor Gordon's condition was
terminal. I still am not sure that she realized my letter could be construed as
suggested training for death.
Doctor Gordon dropped into a coma several weeks later. He died peacefully
without regaining consciousness.
For several months I thought about an attempt to "go" to Doctor Gordon,
wherever he was. He was the first person close to me who had died since the
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