Spiritual manifestation in a hospital.
The following account of spontaneous spiritual manifestation going on that time in the Hanuman-nagar Hospital, Bhagalpur District, sent by the medical officer in charge of the hospital, a graduate of the Calcutta University and which appeared in the ‘H.S. Magazine’ of November 1908, is reproduced below:
“I beg to approach you with a very strange case of ghostly pranks which has simply bewildered me, and I hope you will kindly send me your advice as to how I can get rid of the ghosts. I have been so much worried and frightened by the occurrence that I have been obliged to change my quarters.
Originally I had my quarters within the hospital compound. I lived there with my wife, two children and my elder brother’s wife, a widow. I have been the medical officer here since the last five years. On the 23rd of September last, Wednesday, at about 2-30 a.m. in the morning, a loud knock was heard on the door of the room occupied by my sister-in-law. We took it to be the work of thieves, and immediately made a search all round, but nothing was found. Next day, at about the same time at night, another knock was heard, and, as thieves are rampant here just now, we made a more elaborate search after them without being able to find out the offender.
On the third day, brick-bats began to fall from all sides, from morning till dusk. We received about 50 or 60 of them thoughout the day. After night fall we began to hear knocks on all the doors. We, thereupon, made arrangements to keep a strict watch throughout the night. A gentleman of the place volunteered to help us, and we and my servant and the cook, kept up watching till 2 o’clock in the morning with lights, and wooden clubs. We passed the night in the verandah of the house.
After we took up our position in the verandah, knocks began to be heard incessantly. As soon as knocks were heard at a certain door and we ran towards it, they ceased at once and fresh knocks were heard at another place. It appeared to us that some invisible force was amusing itself by putting us to all this trouble. It was in this way that we passed the whole night.
On another night four or five men kept watch on the verandah with a gun. The gun was fired several times, but with no better result. This state of things continued for a few nights together. We were then obliged to change our quarters. But here also we were not allowed rest. Though for two nights successively everything passed off smoothly, the disturbances commenced on the third. We used to take our food in our original dwelling place, but slept in our new lodgings. Brick-bats were thrown only when my sister-in-law went to take her food in our old house. But nothing of the sort happened when I or my wife went there.
“I have said that we passed only two quiet days at our new quarters. But from the third night knocks began to be heard again at the side where my sister-in-law used to sleep. One night we changed places, and I slept with my wife at the side where my sister-in-law slept before. And as was expected no knocks were now heard on that side, but they followed my sister-in-law and were heard at the place previously occupied by my wife and myself. No stones were thrown in our new lodgings. They were thrown in large numbers only when my sister-in-law went to our old place, and only a few of them fell when my wife went there. But if myself or any other male member went there no disturbance was found to occur.
“After we had stopped at our new quarters for 4 or 5 days, these knocks somewhat changed their character. At first there were gentle raps on the door, but they gradually changed their volume and intensity and became loud knocks which generally frightened everybody. Sometimes knocks were heard within the almirah containing medicines. On a few occasions sounds were heard within the almirah even at daytime. The knocks continued without cessation even if a large number of people were present at the door. What however happened afterwards was simply astounding, and we were obliged to remove from our new house also.
“Up to this time there were only raps and knocks and showering of brick-bats. But now the mosquito-curtains began to be swayed to and fro with great force at night after we had gone to bed. Cold draughts of air which sent a thrill through our system, began to be blown within the curtains. Fans were suddenly taken away from our beds and that with great force. These fresh antics on the part of the spirit, or whatever you might call him, naturally frightened us a good deal and we sought refuge in another house as I told you.
“I forgot to mention one fact. When in our old house, on two occasions, during the daytime, though all the doors and windows were kept closed and there was no opening even for the admission of a needle into the room, we were astonished to receive a shower of brick-bats on our cot. Thus matter was found to have passed through matter apparently. Brick-bats were pelted even at cooking pots, when cooking was going on. One day a few gentlemen visited our house to see things for themselves. We were seated on a wooden cot and discussing the matter. As soon as, however, one of us remarked that we might hear a knock if we could wait only a few minutes, there was a loud knock on the door which was quite close to us.
“Besides raps and loud knocks we heard also scratchings on the doors. One day when the knocks were going on, we said amongst ourselves, we must vacate the house at once and the knocks ceased immediately. On another occasion, as soon as we said, “We have been fortunately spared to-day from any disturbances” and the knocks were renewed at once. So it was quite plain that the invisible force was near us and readily understood us. Yesterday, after having removed to our new lodgings, we have not as yet come across any fresh developments. It is not exactly our intention to give publicity to our experiences through your journal. But we are quite sick of these antics and we solicit your help in getting rid of these disagreeable occurrences. We are quite willing to meet any reasonable expenses in getting things to their original state.”
In reply to the above, Mahatma Sisir Kumar, the Editor of the H.S.M., wrote to him as follows:
“It is the work of a spirit but not a wicked one, most probably that of a relation. He wants to open communication with you. You better ask him, “Who he is and what he wants.” And it was suggested by the Editor how he should try to open communication. He was also told, that what he thinks a misfortune, may possibly change into a very great blessing. In reply to the above the following reply was sent to the Editor:
October 20, 1908. Sir,
I am delighted to receive your favour of the 18th instant. After I had written my first letter, the following incidents have taken place. “We stopped for four days in our new house and during the time did not feel anything amiss. Within that time nothing happened in our old house also, so we came back there. We are now in our original house again. As soon as however, we came there, 6 or 7 stones were thrown during the day on the roof of the house, and about 3 or 4 within the rooms, and a few knocks were heard on the doors for two days successively. The nights were rather quiet.
“From the third day, however, the manifestations assumed a new form. Hitherto the disturbances occurred without any bodily injury to us, but now master ghost took a fancy to cut practical jokes on us. The doors were suddenly closed and my sister-in-law began to receive blows and slaps on her person. We heard the sound of blows. She was also pinched on her body. Even my wife was not spared. She also received the same treatment, but not with so much force as my sister-in-law did.
“One day an Ole (arum) was found to drop from the ceiling to the floor of the room. Thus matter was sent through matter again. An earthen pot was kept filled with ashes. In the presence of all of us this earthen pot was suddenly imbued with life; it turned itself, threw down its contents and then resumed its former position. Some skins of potatoes were kept at a place, and these were now thrown on the head of my sister-in-law. Now and then bael leaves are being showered on her devoted head which of course were brought from a distance.
“One night a Brahmin appeared to my sister-in-law in her dream and said, if you ask me to come I shall come and if you tell me to go I shall go away. There was no more disturbance on that particular night and day. And, in order, to prove the truth of the Brahmin’s statement I asked my sister-in-law the following night to desire that the spirit should appear. No sooner had she desired it, than there fell three brick-bats on the cot in the room, underneath the mosquito curtains, and then three or four knocks were heard on the door. She then desired that there should be no repetition of such things, and every thing stopped. Though, of course, nothing was heard of the ghosts on that particular night, but we know that the ghosts have not altogether left us. Your letter of the 18th instant reached us at 3 p.m. Everything was quiet before the receipt of this letter. After I made over the letter to the members of the house for perusal, two small pieces of cotton, besmeared with scent, were plugged in the ears of my sister-in-law, after the manner of Indians in the habit of using alar. It was afterwards found that the scent used was from a phial of essence kept in the room. After sometimes when she was in the cookshed, her wrapper was taken away from another room and thrown on her body.
“Besides the incidents stated above, various other things are also happening now and then, which shewed that the spirit meant to play jokes on my sister-in-law. The ghost has evidently a large fund of humour in him. We have now learnt from experience that if we talk about the spirit, he will shew by his action that he is near us and hearing us.
“A phial of essence was kept in a closed box under lock and key. This was brought out, the stopper was removed and a large quantity of scent was poured on the head of my sister-in-law. The box was then found to be closed like before. Some of us were incidentally talking about money, and, in an instant, a rupee and five pice were brought out from a closed box and were dropped in our presence. This box, like before, was also found under lock and key.
“According to your instructions we made sister-in-law sit quietly with a piece of paper and pencil. In a few minutes her hand began to shake. Then she complained that she felt very bad in her heart. The hand was, it seemed, trying to write, and she wrote out something on the piece of paper which I beg to send herewith. (From the two or three lines of scrawl written by her, we have been able to decipher only the following: “I shall not tell you now. Don’t be afraid – I love you.” – Ed. H.S.M.). Then she fell down quite senseless and muttered out the following.
‘I love you most dearly. I have come to see you as we have not met for an age. I feel sorry if you suffer. I asked you to use scent, but you did not listen to me. I, therefore, myself put scent on your person. I bid you not to go. I touched you to remind you of me, for you have forgotten me. I, however, did not forget you.’ She went into fits of this nature eight times in the course of this day and every time spoke to us intelligently. She always falls senseless having said, ‘I have come’ and clenches her fists and she awakes saying, ‘I go’.”
The medical man in charge of the hospital, when he came to know that it was the work of an unseen agency, at once came to the conclusion that the agency was no other than a ghost. In this country the belief is that those spirits who manifest themselves, are low and generally evil. So the medical man wrote to us for help and advice how to get rid of the devil. We, however, suspected that the ghost was either a friend or a relation, at least a harmless one, who was trying to draw attention. We wrote to the medical officer to that effect. His letters printed above speak for themselves. The subsequent doings of the spirit are still more wonderful.
He has, at last, announced himself to be the husband of the widowed lady. Now that communications have been opened the spirit-husband is talking and talking incessantly. Our correspondent writes that his sayings and doings would form a big volume. Our correspondent says that he is absolutely certain that the spirit is no other than his dead brother. One reason for this supposition is that he is talking in a way which his dead brother only could do, – he is cognisant of all the family secrets. he has summoned his other brothers to come to him, so that he can talk to them. He is in the highest spirits, always practising practical jokes on his delighted wife. They suffered a sad bereavement, but now they are happy. They feel the presence of their dead dear one constantly. He proves his presence not only by talk but by many wonderful physical manifestations. Just observe one thing: he has declared that he can do better in the darkness than in light. It appears that the good spirit is not willing that his wife should be the gaping-stock of open-mouthed curiosity.
[…] Gradually this borther-spirit became a familiar, though invisible, figure in the family. He resented being called a ghost. He was high above that. In fact, he wanted worship as angels are worshipped. He then undertook to heal diseases by administering drugs and adopting other methods. A short time after he began to get scarce day by day, and finally disappeared altogether from the family.
[The sister-in-law then seems to become a medium: “She would enter into a state of trance, and while quite senseless, personate other people and talk. in this manner she would be entranced several times a day.”]
In ‘Life beyond death’ by M.K. Ghosh (1934).