Metaphysical Lessons of the Leslie Flint 'Direct Voice' Recordings

This is a photo of "Leslie and group early '70s" (with Flint seated center among a seance group) from an archived older version of The Leslie Flint Educational Trust website.      (photos link)

  

Experiencers of unexplained phenomena find themselves with a new awareness of life yet it has often proven difficult to share their knowledge with others who have only a superficial understanding of the evidence.  However, for centuries the vast field of journalism involving the so-called 'paranormal' has been an expanding data source.  Ancient Greek accounts include 'the oracle at Delphi' and 'the daemon of Socrates.'  Concerning the hundreds of audio recordings made at seances of medium Leslie Flint from the 1950s through the 1980s, the mainstream media has long ignored this documentation of Direct Voice phenomena (disembodied speech) that may currently be heard at such Internet websites as wholejoy.com. 

Leslie Flint appraised the entities who came to speak: " . . . all of them had something interesting, informative or uplifting to say which was recorded on tape . . ."  He wrote in his autobiography about the first sitters to make tape recordings of his seances, George Woods and Betty Greene: ". . . they always recorded their sittings on tape so that others might share their experience . . ."

Other collections of recordings available at wholejoy.com are named after those patrons responsible for the sittings: the Cook Sisters or Lynn Russell; while others are named after recurring voices such as those recognizable as that of Annie Nanji or of Douglas Conacher.  The complexity of the manifesting personalities was considered in a previous blog article.  Many recordings feature at the beginning and conclusion Flint's control 'Mickey,' whose humorous orations put people at ease upon dealing with profound questions of oneself and life beyond our earthly sphere of existence.

There are many illustrious communicator names to be found among the recordings, such as: Charles Dickens, Sir Winston Churchill, St. Francis of Assisi, Herbert Hoover, Thomas Jefferson, Louis Pasteur, George Bernard Shaw, Rabindranath Tagore and Queen Victoria.  There are as many communicators who led Earth lives without achieving worldly renown.  A communicator voice identified as "Chinese Man" is heard to say: "I have lived on your planet back centuries ago to China.  I have been called by several names.  And I do not feel there would be any advantage for you to know the name by which I was known . . . We are not in a world that is three-dimensional.  We are in a world that is fourth dimensional which you could not possibly conceive or understand.  It's beyond your comprehension." 

There are also found among communicator names those of people who during their lifetimes were investigators of unexplained phenomena.  These include Sir William Crookes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Arthur Findlay, Camille Flammarion, Gustave Geley, Sir Oliver Lodge, Rev. Stainton Moses and Charles Richet.  Descriptions of the numerous recordings may be read at an archived edition of a previous version of The Leslie Flint Educational Trust.  There are also some transcripts available.  Here are some examples of the descriptions.

Brother Adjul          Was a medium in his lifetime - life is truly eternal - we are with you constantly though you see us not.


Amenhotep        Talks of Egypt and the peace and contentment that spirit connection can bring.


Sir Thomas Beecham          The conductor still conducts in a world at a very different vibration - UFO entities from planets have interest in assisting us - will find how jolly good dern it is there - has a much younger appearance now - able to hear sitters' thoughts before they speak.


Bimbo the clown          Makes the people laugh still - very good time for everyone when you die - met many people he used to work with in the circus - no animals confined to cages there - you cannot escape from yourself.


John Grant          Warns that there will come a time when man will rue the day that he undertakes certain experiments in space travel - may open up a door to a disaster - man thinks that the nation who masters the moon will master the world - contacts have been made of a mental nature from souls from other planets - invisible worlds are generally of a higher order of advancement.


Jeremiah          A 1600s Cromwellian soldier killed in battle narrates his death and gives his views of the futility of war.


Dr. Charles Marshall          British surgeon and author of a long list of medical texts and a book titled How I became a Spiritualist.


John Sloan          The Glasgow Direct Voice Medium made famous by Arthur Findlay's series of books comes with Findlay to speak by direct voice himself for a few minutes - still very interested in what goes on down here - life there is wonderful; wouldn't want to be back here at all - says the atmosphere around this world is like a dark deep fog.


Bessie Smith          Slave cotton picker from the fields of Alabama - surprised she didn't have any wings - has some dandy shoes and a nice dress now - loves education.


Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree          The actor and Shakespearean producer says they are real human beings living in a world of reality - a great shock to many when they realize the naturalness of life - religion is about the last thing most of us think about - death is the great and glorious gateway to a truly fuller and happier life - we are creating while on earth the conditions we shall inherit.


Dr. Stephen Ward          English Osteopath.  Committed suicide whilst on trial in the 'Profumo Case.'


George Woods          George Woods himself returns for a few words along with Marie Curie and Daisy Judge's guide John.

In the 'John Sloan' recording (also available with some other Flint recordings at psychictruth.info) he/they are heard to say: "I'm not surprised there's not many mediums about because the conditions are terrible around the world . . . and if you could see your world you'd have a shock.  The way that we see it.  It's as if it's in a deep, deep fog . . . man sews the seeds and I'm afraid he has to reap the harvest . . ."

When during a 1985 recording the communicator introduces himself as "George Woods," the group of sitters express their surprise.  One of them acknowledged the irony: "You're a dead man now."  The voice is raspy while explaining the interval prior to communicating: ". . . well I suppose it's like everything else — takes time to get adjusted . . . I haven't lost interest in what you're all up to . . . I'm hoping to get back occasionally — and Betty as well."  In the same Flint recording, 'Brother John' told the sitters: "We are a band who come together in love — in spiritual harmony, anxious to serve those in your world who are seeking for the light and the truth."

'Brother Boniface' answers a question about 'God' in a 1960s recording: "An individual can only give an own interpretation, an own realization, if you like, of God.  And I think the greatest mistake of all has been to imply that God is a person, personality, individual.  I think this has been the greatest drawback to man's realization of things that are true and things eternal . . . how strange it must be to realize that man cannot conceive that the very essence, the very power, the very generating Force of life is in a sense—if one must use the expression or term—God . . . the world must not confuse and say unto ourselves that we are God any more than we must assume that there is a God who sits and weighs and judges and condemns and praises.  Christ understood but Christ's teachings . . . have been so transformed and altered, so changed that the real meaning and interpretation of  Christ's mission has been often misconstrued.  'But I and my Father are One' . . . and there is a Force and a Power at which we become more and more conscious of . . . we have when on Earth a physical body and when away from the physical through death we have an astral body.  And when away from the astral planes we have a spiritual body . . ."  Other cases of transcendental communication equate God and 'the Christ Spirit'/'Christ Consciousness' with 'we' and with the 'I Am' to reveal a Superconsciousness expressing through the totality of innumerable 'units.'

The description for the "Laughing Molly" recording—"Is she still having too much to drink?"—may be overstated as her speech exhibits a frequent neurotic tic.  'Molly' informed the sitters about her life in Ireland and commented about her current life on the other side: "I'm learning how to be a good woman.  It's a bit belated but I'm quite all right.  I'm quite happy . . . I go to school."  Many of the Direct Voice seance communicators evince that people maintain a sense of humor after their transition to a new sphere of existence.

Flint wrote in his autobiography about the puzzling "Ancient Voices [dead languages]" recording.

At the seance when it was taken Mickey announced he was bringing two people who had lived in ancient times to speak to George and Betty.  Thereafter a male and a female voice were heard talking together in some unknown tongue.  After a time the woman sang several little ditties.

When I listened to this 1967 recording, a male voice is heard to have said at the conclusion:

Ancient souls.  Ancient souls endeavoring to speak languages from which many of the Roman languages have been derived.  This is of special interest because we feel that it would be of scientific interest and which will be a basis for future occasions when we hope to be able to reproduce any souls speaking in languages long since dead.  And it may even be possible for many things to be deciphered which been discovered.  There is a purpose behind this.  We must ask you to be very patient and to realize that there may be individual instances of souls coming in the future who will speak and sing in various languages, which may be a great service to mankind.  Especially to those who are endeavoring to find out something of dead languages and dead peoples . . .

A similar recording is "Roman Soldier (Lucius [Lucillus]) - ancient language - recorded 8-31-1964 .mp3".  Mickey is heard to say in this recording:

There's several people here.  I don't quite know what's going on.  Hold on.  There's an Egyptian — an old ancient Egyptian he was.  Then there's also a monk here.  There's a oooh dear . . . (after Lucius spoke)  You seem to have got hold of a new group.  There's a number of ancient or at least a old Roman people here and also there's an Egyptian here.  And also there is a monk who evidently came over in the Middle Ages who speaks mostly Latin and doesn't know a lot of English.  And his chants — um oh it's all very confusing — a combination here I'll tell you . . . (after a woman's voice is heard singing first in English and then in an ancient language) . . . This is very unusual.  That lady came with Lucius — I got an idea she's an ancient Roman.  I may be wrong but they seem to all be linked up together and they're all associated with presumably centuries ago.  Possibly in Italy and Greece.

Mickey mentioned: "I don't know whether that was a song of her day or what but she's trying to get hold of something which could be very evidential — interesting I suppose.  (pause)  Do you know who Mithras is?  Well I'm not saying there's anyone here called Mithras — they talk about Mithra.  I think they have some particular religious sect."  Flint's frequently recurring guide 'Dr. Charles Marshall' was next heard and explained in his own manner, commenting:

. . . we feel that occasionally if we can bring something through which is in a sense very unusual and something which, if checked, and if possible proven, it would be so highly evidential that it would be a marvelous thing in itself.  And we have tried and we shall continue to try from time to time to link you up with some ancient souls who may I hope be able to transmit messages in their own dead language or a language which we hope is not that dead it cannot be followed but certainly something unusual and rather different which should prove and I'm sure it will prove highly interesting and evidential . . .  

The description of the 'Harry Price' recording was another of those that caught my attention: "The ghosthunter and psychic researcher during earthly life talks about haunting ghosts as being different from spiritual entities."  The recording is of a December 19, 1963 Woods and Greene sitting.  It is expressed that the topic is "Ghosts" with commentary about "the astral or the etheric world which intermingles with yours."  I noticed that there was no declaration of an omnipresent spiritual Force involving all aspects of anomalous phenomena (although the expressions "thought force/s," "psychic forces," "memory forces," "individual forces" and "etheric forces" are mentioned).  While listening to the discourse, I heard two prominent overlapping utterances of "NO" at 13:04 and 34:55.  There have been numerous similar instances of what is usually called 'Electronic Voice Phenomena' (EVP) that I've heard while listening to the Leslie Flint Direct Voice recordings as well as microcassette tapes of my own interviews and journals; these usually succinct utterances are audible when one listens carefully to all unedited radio and television broadcasts.

As expressed in this recording, Harry Price's theoretical perceptions of unexplained phenomena seem similar to those he expressed in books published during his lifetime although there is no mention of  specific cases that involved him.  It is mentioned about life on the other side: " . . . we on this side, as you know, are not necessarily changed immediately by death.  We are very much the same people.  That's one thing that I've discovered since I've been here — that this is a world of reality.  To us, of course, your world is the world of illusion in as much that so much that goes on, that you accept as factual and real, to us is very unreal apart from being factual.  This is the world of reality and we have the attributes and we have the defects often that we may have had on Earth."

Mr. Woods asked Harry Price to comment about "something not very nice" written about Sir William Crookes.  The response was given: "There will always be those who will — if they cannot by one mean or other — some means or other, they'll use fowl means to blacken the name of the person who has done so much to progress science and truth . . . Well, you know, there's an old Chinese proverb — I think it's Chinese — that 'Tall trees gather the most wind' . . ."  After the voice of Harry Price concluded speaking, Mickey had the final words as typical: "And a happy Christmas and a very pos — prosperous new year.  Yes.  Bye-bye.  And I hope the Spirit of Christmas will be with you.  And I hope Marley's ghost won't turn up.  Bye-bye.  Bye-bye."

A 'Mickey' recording entitled as being about "Truth" provides a perspective of the state of being sometimes called 'the other side' or pertaining to other 'spheres': ". . . various people coming from various spheres can only give you an insight into the knowledge that they have appertaining to their particular advancement or development . . ."

One recording features sitters Ida and Louise Cook (Cook Sisters #5) as Mickey began a conversation involving reincarnation by telling them about a Roman Centurion (soldier) seen by him during each of their sittings.  Mickey stated: ". . . whether you believe in reincarnation, I can't help that but I'm told to tell you that centuries ago when you were on Earth you both lived together in ancient Rome.  And that he was your brother . . . He's concentrating his thought force on to me.  And he says that one of you was called Octavia and one of you was called Flavia."

Mickey's statements included: ". . . I'm told to tell you that he's conveying to me that you are both what we call 'old souls' and that you've had various incarnations at different periods."  Louise was stated to have once been Mother Superior in a convent in Italy.  There was also an ancient Egyptian incarnation for the sisters before the Roman one.  Mickey said, "Your last incarnation from what I can make out of it from what they tell me must've been in France during the reign of Louis the Fifteenth."

Mickey further explained to the sisters: ". . .you have certain guides or controls — or people who have a certain specific work to do who really are acting under the agency of higher souls."  Mickey described these souls as "the masters" although he stated that it wasn't quite the word he wanted.   The masters were said by Mickey to "relay their teachings and relay their power and their love through others . . . all communication must be by the very nature of things on a relay system.  That is the more highly evolved a person becomes — and the higher their teaching, the higher their realization of truth and that — that has to be sent down via other souls who act as agents, who are nearer Earth conditions."  Mickey informed the sisters that they had wonderful work yet to do: " . . . the seeds are sewn and gradually you'll be shown the path and the way."

This instruction about reincarnation correlates with other cases of transcendental communication and channeling as indicated by articles about other cases that have been topics at this blog.

In the 1966 recording of "Nellie Wright," 'Nellie' informs the sitters she told the gentleman she didn't think they'd be interested in talking to her.   She said that she used to be very religious in her time and was in the Salvation Army for fifty years after joining at age seventeen.  She'd lived in London with an unhappy marriage and was killed in the Blitz.  Upon passing from her Earth life, she was greeted by her mother.  Nellie mentioned that she'd always thought people interested in Spiritualism were "a bit touched."  Her appraisal of Flint was: "He looks half daft to me.  I don't know what to make of any of you."  She eventually told the group: "You know, it wouldn't hurt you to get saved, you know."  She was asked what she was doing now (in her life on the other side) and replied:

I'm doing the Lord's work among the children — teaching them and helping them.  The little ones who come over.  And I'm still preaching 'cause I'm no real preacher.  I mean I didn't have that kind of education.  But I can talk to people down in the depths, down in the dark places I go.  Take the light and the truth and the Word — I do.  I teach them and preach to them, you know.

Although she hadn't yet met the Lord Jesus, Nellie told them that she still went to meetings and sang hymns.  She lived in "a nice little place of my own."  After some reminiscing, she expressed concern that they didn't have a religion and recommended them to "join the [Salvation] Army."  When asked how she knew Jesus was there, Nellie responded: "He must be here" and commented that she wouldn't presume to know when she would meet Him.  Nellie's discourse is momentarily interrupted by Dr. Charles Marshall, who informed them: "This friend, as you can tell, is not very advanced but she's a good soul."

When asked if she has a Bible, Nelly told them she knows it from beginning to end by heart.  She also now knew about "a lot of other chapters that was missing."  She continued: "My mother still argues with me, you know.  Oh she comes to see me from time to time.  She says — you know she says to me — she says: 'You know Nell, you're living in a fool's paradise.'   Oh I was so upset . . . Here, you're with people that you like — people that think the same.  We're all the same, you know — we all have the same outlook . . . And one day we shall all be caught up together and be with Jesus . . ."

In the recording of "Brother Boniface" that I heard, a perspective of a bible lesson was offered: ". . . It is within ourselves.  We have within us the power to know many things.  We have the power within us to make many things possible . . ."  Listening to the Leslie Flint Direct Voice recordings reminded me how important it is to share what you've learned after gaining knowledge that may at first be unfamiliar to others.  Becoming more enlightened extends to life beyond the earthly plane.

Here is an excerpt from the April 25, 1966 'Sir Oliver Lodge' recording (dated according to an archive transcript).

We are very much concerned when we see your present world and the terrible, terrible state which man has allowed himself to get into.  Science properly used, properly applied is a blessing to man.  Much that is given to man through science could mean for man a better way of life and a much happier one.  But there are the limited few who see it, often, as a weapon which can be used in defense, so they say, of war.  And this is, of course, [an] appalling fact.  Instead of being used for man's good it is often used for man's destruction.  We have seen it in the past.  We want to avoid it in the future.  We who come from this side, particularly those of us who come with an idea of being of service and of being of real value and help to your world, are distressed and appalled, of course, when we see the state and condition of your world.  We are concerned with proving, if we can and I'm sure we can eventually in a scientific way of which I try to give you some idea.  But it will be, it must be.  The time is not far distant when there will be such a scientific aspect of communication.  There will be no doubts and it will be universally accepted and then perhaps we shall see the true beginning of the brotherhood of man.  We shall see many of the old barriers knocked down and we shall see that man has realized, perhaps [for] the very first time, how vital and necessary it is for him to band together and break down the barriers that separate, the barriers of creed and barriers of religion and politics.  These barriers that man has built up over centuries of time.  We are hoping and praying that it may not be too long before the first fruits of our labor will become apparent.