Note: This enhanced recording is over 50 years old and is not to modern standards.

Read the full transcript below, as you listen to the recording...

Betty Greene:

The following direct voice tape recording is that of Ellen Terry, the late Victorian actress. This was recorded on the 27th of January 1964. The sitters being Mr S.G. Woods and Mrs B. Greene of 11 Elm Road, Worthing, Sussex, England.

Medium Mr Leslie Flint.

Terry:

I'm so pleased to [be] here...

Woods:

Yes.

Terry:

...once more.

Woods:

Yes. We're very pleased you've come.

Greene:

Yes, welcome friend.

Terry:

I'm never quite sure as to whether you can hear correctly.

Woods:

We can hear you very well indeed.

Greene:

Yes, you're quite clear.

Woods:

Quite clear.

Terry:

I'm quite sure that I shall never, ever get used to this.

Greene:

[Laughing]

Woods:

Well, you're doing very well.

​

Terry:

Each time I attempt to speak to you I'm very conscious indeed of all the difficulties.

I don't think it's possible for anyone on your side of life to realise how very, very difficult it is; endeavouring to converse, endeavouring to convey, with some clarity, one's thoughts, endeavouring to enunciate words under such strained and difficult conditions.

I'm quite sure, of course, that it has never been satisfactorily explained to you and for that matter, I'm quite sure that no-one on this side could ever hope to do so. The difficulties are tremendous. And I suppose the extraordinary thing is that we are able to speak at all, to convey anything at all.

As I'm talking to you, all around and about are numerous souls - some whom I know not, others whom I know well. Yet, all have come with a desire, if not to personally communicate, to convey the power of their love to Earth and to you in particular, because of the work that you are endeavouring to do to enlighten mankind.

Actually, it is some time since last I spoke to you, but nevertheless in a country, as it were, such as mine, where time exists not, and one is only conscious of time when one endeavours to make a contact or a link with your Earth, and by your thoughts are we conscious of time at all.

It is extraordinarily difficult to hold fast to Earth memories when we have been here, as I have now, for over forty years. It is extremely difficult to recapture with any clarity some memories, some events of the past, for all this seems to have been such a long time ago.

And one, of course, has become adjusted to one's new life; which is full of interest, full of happenings which, even if one would wish to convey in words I know it would be practically impossible, because so much that transpires on this side of life cannot be picturised in words to you.

Indeed, I feel each time I come, more and more, the difficulty in transmitting very much that would make sense to you or perhaps would be of any great value to you. Everything must be brought down to a level of Earthly comprehension. And so it is that I am sure that others who come, say much the same and refer to events and incidents similar to my own, on a level which only can be described, in a sense, as a material conception of things spiritual.

And I think so much, in a sense, nonsense has been talked about spirituality and spiritual conditions. Possibly, chiefly due to numerous references over countless years to Biblical sayings and happenings and the aspect of mind of possibly the Church and the clergy, whose comprehension of things spiritual is in a sense, at times to say the least of it, very much mis-understood, very much coloured by things which in themselves are far removed from the reality as we understand the term and expression of 'spiritual'.

Spiritual is not necessarily religious. And whenever I think back to Earthly conception of things spiritual, it's invariably tied up or affected by or coloured by the interpretation given by the Church. Spirituality is not necessarily what it may seem or what it may have been conveyed by people on Earth.

Spirituality, in a sense, is not necessarily...and in fact. very rarely has anything to do with religion, as such. In fact I would go as far as to say, that true spirituality is an escape, rather, from religious thought and religious experience.

There is so much spoken about the spiritual life and so very few people know what the spiritual life is or what it really means. And until one has become what is termed a spiritual being one can hardly expect to grasp and understand what it implies. Certainly, here, to be a spiritual person you have to discard many of the ideas, many of the theological conceptions of a spiritual life and existence.

I would say that this is the natural life and yours is the artificial and that the truly natural life is, in a sense, a spiritual life. I think it's St Paul [who] says we have a physical body and a natural body. We have a natural body and it is sometimes confused with the spiritual body. This is the natural existence - that life which is termed the spiritual. And the material life is a very pale reflection of the reality.

There is no need for anyone, in a sense, to fear death. For whatever the individual may be, no matter how undeveloped, no matter how low that person may have sunk, over here there are varying degrees of existence, various planes of unfoldment or development, into which every individual finds his or her place. And there is growth, there is no standing still. There is evolution which passes through phases and conditions. And the soul certainly grows in its knowledge and experience.

I would say that the truly spiritual person, is the person who has lost so much of the material and has grasped and become truly a part of this life - which is so vast in its conception and its experience, that as one becomes more and more aware and conscious of it and becomes more and more developed unto it and with it, so that individual becomes truly more spiritually grown, more spiritually conscious and aware - but not in the narrow sense as the Earth understands the term or expression - but without fear, without any of the drawbacks which hold man so firmly to Earth when living in the body.

Here there is no restriction placed upon expansion and expression. Here you assimilate knowledge and experience and here you throw off more and more of the old self and become truly free. And I think freedom of expression, freedom of realisation, freedom of thought, is truly the spiritual lesson that comes to us all gradually and gives us that spiritual consciousness and awareness and truly creates and makes possible a spiritual life.

But it is the narrow confines of Earth which prevent individuals from becoming spiritual beings. One must have complete and absolute freedom of expression in the highest sense, to be able to discard all that which is of the material, all that which holds one down, all that which prevents one from expressing and expanding. Anything which is inclined to prevent the human life from developing and growing and expressing on Earth must be and is bad. Anything that stultifies, anything that in anyway makes it an impossible thing for the human being to have freedom of expression and thought must be and is bad.

There is so much that is taught that is erroneous and untrue. There's so much supposition. There is so much that is sheerly guesswork. And sometimes it is, no doubt, given to the people of the Earth with a distinct desire to hold back growth and progress. Certainly there is much in the religious teachings, of which can be traced back to individuals in past ages, who used their power for themselves and for that which they felt was good and yet has since oft-times proved to be otherwise.

Anything that stultifies, anything that holds back freedom of thought and expression must be bad. And I think so many people do come here with firm, fixed ideas - ideas that have been implanted in them through the whole of their existence, often through fear. They have been afraid to express their true feelings and emotions. They have been afraid to pursue new lines of thought. They have been afraid even to read books which possibly would have helped them tremendously, but it had been forbidden to them.

Over here a spiritual life is a life of complete and absolute freedom, in which you are able to assimilate all experience and knowledge. Great teachers from other spheres enter the lower spheres to advise and to guide and to uplift. Here there is complete unity and harmony and love. Here there is truly brotherhood. Here there is the wisdom of all time, expressed in all manner of ways, by all manner of peoples; irrespective of any Earthly idea of class or creed or colour.

I would say that what holds humanity back in your world, is this unfortunate clinging to old ideas and old ideals - clinging to outworn creeds and religions - clinging to the barriers built up by class, built up by ignorance and peoples that are held apart from one country to another because of patriotism and all the false ideals. We want to break down all the barriers that have kept men apart. We want to bring a new realisation of God's love and purpose and give you some glimpse of what truly a spiritual life is.

​

Greene:

Friend, I think I know who you are. Would you give me your name please?

Terry:

My name is Terry.

Greene:

Oh, Ellen Terry. Yes.

Terry:

Yes.

Greene:

Thank you.

Terry:

It's quite a long time since last I came and spoke to you.

Greene:

Yes.

​

Terry:

[My] life has changed, as indeed all lives change. As one expands one's knowledge and experience, one enters into new life on other spheres.

Though we do not have, as you understand the expression, 'death', there is a form of death; that is a passing from one sphere to another - a greater consciousness and awareness of new conditions and ideals. But all this is progression, gradual, assimilating knowledge and experience.

There is no time, of course, to us, as you understand it and yet there is a form of realisation of time; but it is so different that one cannot hope to express it in words, or explain it. On the sphere on which I now exist, there is such tremendous opportunity and there are great souls, indeed, who have progressed through sphere to sphere and experience to experience. We have the most wonderful form of existence that one could hope to experience - and yet all the time one is experiencing this existence and life, one is ever conscious of the possibilities of that which still lies further ahead.

It is impossible, I think, for any soul to describe the spheres that are more advanced. The spheres that are near the Earth, because they are near the Earth, can be depicted and described and no doubt have been described and depicted many times. But the souls who have gone into an atmosphere and condition far removed from Earth can never hope to recapture in words and expression, to you, that which they inhabit.

But I can say that that which constitutes my life is full of beauty, full of colour, full indeed of every aspect of loveliness that words could depict or experience could experience. There is so much. There are great buildings, beautiful to behold. There are great cities in which all can be found that is good for the life of the individual. There are great theatres, of course, in which great plays are performed. Great operas, even, are sung. Great musicians compose great works, so the great orchestras can play and many can be blessed by music and the colour which suffuses the whole auditorium during its performance.

If only I could even just depict the colourings of this world, this place in which I find myself now, so far removed from your realisation. Colours beyond description; ever changing in their subtlety and ever giving forth, as it were, a luminosity and a beauty so far removed from material ideas, that one cannot hope to recapture. Thinking, as one must, in comparison to the rainbow of the Earth, one can see here, as it were, the colourings of innumerable rainbows with innumerable colourings, far more vast and comprehensive in their spectrum.

There is a diffused subtlety of light at times. There is never darkness. There is a kind of, what you might call perhaps, a twilight - and yet this is something which in itself is so unlike yours. There is a time for quietitude with us and rest and yet there is never any need for rest or sleep; but a peacefulness that comes upon us when we feel the need. And then our energies, which never seem to flag, are ever present, ever calling upon us to do more, to experience more, to endeavour more.

There is all the beauty and magnificence of the countryside and the colourings of nature, but even more glorified and beautified than anything you know. There are all the conditions that one would expect of your life - but much more rarefied and more beautiful - much more vast in its comprehension and its experience.

We have, of course, all the animals that constitute nature, but there again in a more highly developed state of being. There are all the domestic animals that one has loved, but even with them there is the realisation of that oneness with man's world and man's kingdom. There is the ability for the animal world to make itself understood and we to understand them. They do not have to convey in words, because it is not necessary or possible, possibly.

But the point is, that we know what they think, we know what they feel and they know what we say unto them. They read our thoughts and they are able to understand all that we feel. That, I think, is one of the greatest things of this life: is that being completely and absolutely comprehended, not only by the human race similar to oneself, but to the lesser (so called) kingdom of the animal and the birds and the freedom and the beauty. One cannot experience these things without feeling, when one endeavours to depict and describe them, so...so lacking in oneself, so feeble in one's attempt to convey and yet one endeavours.

I can only say this to you. To all those who may listen, there is no need to fear the crossing from your world to this. It is a great adventure. It is the great awakening into a greater world of loveliness and beauty and freedom of thought. Truly, this is a spiritual world, but not as man has depicted it.

Indeed, it is so, so different and so tremendously alive, so vital, so tremendously, as it were...so far removed from man's conception of things, that it cannot be depicted or described. One can only feel it and know it and sense it. It is so vast and so beautiful.

Do not fear that passing from your world to this. For whatever condition of life you may enter, no matter how lowly it may be, it will be a reflection of your world, but according to its condition and according to your condition of passing - and particularly according to your development or lack of it - so you will find a condition that will apply to you and be best suited.

And even though it may seem, perhaps, to some dark and drear, according to their light, yet there is freedom to express and develop and evolve. Of course, we know there are the lower spheres, the undeveloped spheres, where the undeveloped souls go, but even so, it is not a hell as pictured by many who would have it so. There is no hell, only that which man himself creates by his own thinking and his own living.

Here, that which man has created will change according to him, according to his striving and his uplifting himself from the darkness. Man dwells oft-times in darkness of his own creating. As soon as he begins to desire the spark of life eternal, as soon as he is endeavouring to strive and uplift himself from the lower sphere, so he will be helped and guided and given instruction and shown the path.

No-one need fear, for this is a world of love and true brotherhood and all who come will be shown the path and the way. There is no need for fear, for God truly is love. And this is a world of love, in which all who dwell are seeking to uplift themselves from stage to stage in evolution, to a greater sense of the reality of the power and the love of the spirit.

All is good, if man will but seek it and find it. Man will progress from the depths to the heights. All is here for man to experience and enjoy. It is truly the life of the spirit, but it is a spiritual existence far removed from man's ideas and man's conception of things; for this is a world created by the thought and the beauty of expression of life, that is so far removed from the material ideas and ideals.

Be patient, but above all, strive to overcome the worser self, endeavouring to see with a clarity of vision all that which is of God, truly of God, and cast aside all that which holds you back. Do not be afraid, for to have fear is a bad thing indeed. To have strength and faith and courage and to lift up your eyes to the beauty of the spheres: this shall set you free.

You will find truly, the path and the way. There is no need for man to fear the consequences of death. For death is the great door through which we all find the world of reality, the world of the spirit, the world everlasting.

There is no death; only that which seems so. And man himself has created death in ignorance and in foolishness. But one day he will find, as I and others have found, the way of truth, the way of life, the way of freedom: the path that leads to God. My blessings to all and to you both, in particular.

​

Greene:

Thank you Miss Terry...

Woods:

Thank you, very, very much.

Terry:

Goodbye. Bless you.

Greene:

...and for that lovely talk.

Woods:

That's lovely. It was, beautiful.

Mickey:

Bye-bye.

Greene:

Goodbye Mickey.

Mickey:

Bye-bye...