Volume 7, Issue 3, page 9
THE VOICE THAT FAILED
DON'T know much about memories in "The
House of Love". I just know that Mandah
Love suddenly asked me to St. Petersburg
to give four lectures and do private "studies" for an unspecified number of persons.
Shortly after I agreed, she suggested I
send a dozen and a half tapes, or bring them
with me, as considerable interest was being
manifested, especially by persons who had gotten studies during my visit in October, 1959.
I had two dozen tapes sent, whereupon Mandah
wrote that she expected to use them all. I was
to fly down on March 26 and return on April 1,
which meant I'd do a lot of talking in about
five days.
As a sergeant during World War Two, I came
down with "Spanish flu" and lost my voice for
six weeks. Occasionally, thereafter, I'd lose
it momentarily. One can imagine what sort of
life Marines led me when I couldn't order them
around. Except for a pair of corporals who
were big men, with loud voices augmented by
sturdy sticks of stovewood, I'd have maintained no authority at all. I could fancy this
sort of thing happening again.
What man imagines, man visits upon himself.
I did the four lectures, which were more or
less approved. Next day, I started the taped
studies. Each new tape was to run approximately
one hour and repeats about half an hour, as
nearly as such could be judged. Since previous
tapes seemed to have caused quite a stir, I
felt on my mettle to serve this time as a
clear channel.
The studies went well. I did about 11 the
first day, which means I talked steadily for
something like eight hours, then lectured an
hour and answered questions. The voice stood
up very well. There wasn't supposed to be any
healing, any excessive use of the "red hands",
but two persons wished to see me in the "House
of Love" after the lecture -- delivered at a St.
Petersburg hotel. A dozen or more applied for
treatment.
The first few individuals were treated personally, which meant general all-over use of
the "red hands" -- that is, as much "all over"
as was mete for public viewing. The "public"
was those waiting for treatment. Finally, I
found it necessary to treat seven or eight at
one time -- just as effectively, I hasten to add,
since this work can be done without touching
"patients", and at any distance, preferably if
a time has been decided upon and adhered to.
The patient still receives benefit at a distance, even if he forgets, but it's better if
he/she participates.
Four lectures and a half-dozen studies
later I was still doing all right, even tho I
found it necessary occasionally to hold the
stop button on the recorder to keep a throatclearing off the tape. Then, in the midst of
a truly important study -- they're all important
to the person who gets them -- I opened my mouth
and only parts of words came out. I was using
a definitely truncated English.
Soon, even that came to an end and I was
whispering hoarsely. I might have whispered on
tape, but even the whispering became truncated.
And I had maybe ten studies left to do. In the
midst of one, I stopped and searched out the
*manager". But nothing disturbs Mandah much.
She simply led me to a kind of operating table where she turned the "hypersonic" electronic machine inherited from her husband on
my throat and chest. My face felt as if it
were being massaged by invisible but determined hands. I didn't feel anything in the
throat. Seven and a half minutes later, I
spoke again, without a trace of hoarseness.
Then we made a mistake. I went back to the
people waiting at the recorder and resumed
their study. It went along for a few minutes,
then out! Not even a whisper.
I tried again later, but finally had to
give up, and bring eight or ten studies and
tapes back to Paradise, Penn., with me.
I never once thought of treating myself,
applying the "red hands " to my own throat. But
then, maybe it wouldn't have helped, since "a
prophet is without honor in his own country!"
The delayed tapes got themselves done in
spite of the fact that others came along after
me for doing. I like to talk. When I can't
talk, I might as well be beheaded. This has
been suggested, once or twice.
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