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Life After Death - Living Proof

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As the prior reviewer suggests, this book will exceed the boggle threshold of nearly everyone. Had I read it 10-15 years ago, before reading the works of Sir William Crookes, Dr. Charles Richet, Dr. Hamlin Garland, Dr. Harry Price, and other reputable researchers who closely observed similar phenomena, I would not have believed it and probably would not have finished the book. But unless one is stuck in the muck and mire of scientism and immediately jumps to the conclusion that all those respected scientists of yesteryear were duped time and time again under strict scientific conditions, there is no reason to assume that the author is trying to put one over on us or that his mother, the medium, was making a fool of him and her friends for many years.

While the author is not known as a scientist, he comes across as a very sincere, intelligent, and credible observer and reporter. After serving as an officer in the British Army during WWII, he began sitting with a circle of friends at seances in which his mother, Minnie Harrison, was the medium. He kept detailed notes of the sittings from 1946 to 1955, and this book is the result. Apparently, it wasn't until a few years ago that he was persuaded to make a book out of the notes and his memories. The Foreword of the book is written by Dr. David Fontana, a highly-respected psychical researcher in Great Britain. Professor Fontana states that he has had many long conversations with Harrison and that his memory of everything that happened is undimmed. Fontana has no doubt as to the sincerity and integrity of the author. There are other testimonials by people still alive who observed some of the phenomena. One of the regular sitters was a senior surgeon in nearby hospital, who ran some tests of the ectoplasm emanating from the medium.

The phenomena included many full materializations of spirits -- spirits who walked around the room, talked with the sitters, laughed with them, shook hands with them, kissed them, had them tug on their beards, and sometimes evaporated before their eyes. There were also many apports -- objects materialized in the room by the spirits. There were spirit voices through the trumpet (direct voice), spirit writing, and spirit lights. There are a number of photos of the materializations and apports in the book.

The skeptic will ask why we don't hear of such mediumship today. Actually, the late Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross tells of witnessing a full materialization about 20-25 years ago in one of her books, but we rarely hear of this phenomenon now. There are apparently several reasons for it, including the fact that such mediumship requires time and patience. Before television, people didn't have that much to do at night, so they sat around, sang, and waited for spirits to communicate or materialize. Harrison indicates that there were many long waits and some of the more impressive phenomena didn't come about until the second or third years of their Saturday night sittings. How many people today have that kind of patience? There are other reasons advanced for the lack of such phenomena today, but this is not the place to go into them.

Although I have never seen a materialization, I simply cannot believe that distinguished researchers like Crookes, Richet, Garland, Price, and many others were duped over and over again by some little old ladies trying to pull off magic acts. Moreover, I cannot see any possible reason why Minnie Harrison would have wanted to dupe her son and friends month after month for some nine years. As Tom Harrison reports, his mother was unconscious or in a trance as the phenomena developed and had to be told later what took place.

If you are in the least bit spiritually challenged, you simply won't believe Harrison's accounts of the amazing phenomena and there is no point wasting your money on this book. If, however, you are completely openminded and are familiar with the research done by Crookes, et al, this book has much to offer. Harrison's reports provide answers for many things that Crookes and the others didn't cover. This is a fascinating read.

"Life after Death-Living Proof" by Tom Harrison-is a captivating book dealing with the title's highly controversial subject matter. Whether the reader is a "believer" or not, if one should approach Tom's premise with an open mind that there is life after death-which he supports, exclusively as the recorder of the "Circle," a small group sitting together as the Saturday Night Club in the 40's/50's in Yorkshire, England, documenting the happenings, primarily focusing on the incredible mediumship of his mother, Minnie Rose Harrison-then one will enter a world of spirits, ectoplasm, moving objects, materialization, apports-and, much much more.

It is fascinating, as the reader, to see both worlds' skills progressing in their deepening interactions during the ongoing seances-giving comfort, respectively, to those "passed over" (that their loved ones on earth know that they are "OK") and to those on earth (knowing there is a world beyond and that life continues on, even though at a higher vibrational level). As scribe to these Saturday nights, Tom's language is practical, factual, not overly-dramatic, yet justifiably excitable in certain circumstances-with eventual opening up of the sittings to larger audiences, thereby gaining greater documentation. The book has an easy-to-read format, augmented with family photos, both past and present, infra-red photos of seances with materialization and fascinating apports-all historically recorded and explained. Toward the end of the book, there's updated material from current Circles, plus a segment devoted exclusively to frequently asked questions regarding the Spirit World.

Tom comes across as a deeply spiritual, kind person, who's obviously putting to practice his beliefs, in having spent a good part of his life devoted to helping others in their suffering-all proceeds of this book going to cancer aid research (his mother's fatal illness). He's traveled extensively doing speeches over the years and continues with his wife, Ann, to participate in Home Circles, both in England and Spain, where they currently live.

Am I a believer after finishing this amazing book? Having never witnessed a seance personally nor experienced paranormal activity-I can't say for sure. However, I must admit to a greater degree of comfort in knowing the possibilities. So, take the trip-and judge for yourself!

Exceptional is the only word to describe this outstanding work of physical trance medium Minnie Harrison and the Saturday Night Circle chronciled here. If you are seeking proof that life after death exists, this is THE book for you. Well documented, well written and meticulously detailed, Tom Harrison has offered the proof all seekers have sought down through the ages. Easy to read, with clear pictures and first person accounts other than his own, Mr. Harrison's book is a MUST READ for anyone willing to consider Life After Death.

Author Tom Harrison is an honest and reputable Spiritual investigator.

It is rather painful to see this British World War 11 veteran/husband/father feel he has to repetitively "prove" to us readers he is telling us the truth about what he states and what his photographs portray.

His book does conclude with the over-riding viewpoint; I have told you the absolute truth as I experienced it; believe it or not, as you wish.

How many are still afraid to tell family and friends you think you experienced extra-sensory phenomena?

Harrison was lucky enough to come from a psychic family where both his mother and her oldest sister were trance mediums (others were gifted, as well).

His mother served in this capacity for almost a decade before her cancer brought her to the Spirit realm. Spirit used ectoplasm from this woman to recreate "earthly bodies" of passed family members and friends in weekly "family reunion" sessions.

Although we have trance mediums and direct voice mediums, none seem to be able to bring about the Spiritual "flesh" of yesteryear.

Perhaps, the family bonds of true and abiding love; through the generations, have loosened too much for the older folks to make such a supreme effort of "showing themselves" to their descendants in today's world. Perhaps, today's mediums have too much of themselves based in this "real materialistic, ego-driven world" to both make and keep themselves in a constant state of pure/selfless love to make this visual proof possible.

Harrison's world was family-driven, deeply spiritual, and fully committed to friends and community.

AND they were happy (imagine that?)despite the world's trials, for which they were not immune.

A unique book written by a man who was gifted by Spirit with their weekly visual presence, complete with their pictures!

Skepticism is always useful, especially when one confronts stories such as this one told eloquently by Tom Harrison in "Life After Death: Living Proof." After all, Harrison himself warns his readers about frauds in the psychic world. But there comes a time when one must lay aside the skeptical attitude, think rationally with an open mind, and evaluate the source and motives of the writer. When I did that with Tom Harrison's account there was only one logical conclusion - Harrison is telling the truth!

I had the good fortune more than 30 years ago to sit in a séance with a good medium and my wife and I went away from that with a feeling of wonder. While that experience came nowhere close to those recounted by Harrison, we were provided with precise information that nobody else in the room had any access to (in fact we had never met any of those folks before). On top of that, the "spirit" voice accurately described a unique antique clock that was ticking away on our mantle some 80 miles away and he proceeded to say he was going to "fix" it for us. When we returned home, it was fixed all right! It had stopped running and it has not resumed since. Harrison recounts a similar experience of psychic tinkering with clocks and watches but Harrison's spirit was much more skilled with clocks than ours was.

As I examined Harrison's claims it became abundantly clear to me that he has absolutely no motive for fabricating even the slightest minor detail in this book. He does not gain financially from his work (profits are donated to cancer victims); he does not have any personal program or organization that he's pushing; nor is he drumming up an audience for future lectures. He is an old man wanting to leave for everyone an accurate description of wonderful experiences dating back some 60 years.

Likewise, those séances Harrison sat in so long ago in England were not public affairs and the motive for having them was as pure as any could be. Those folks were fascinated with the ability to contact their departed loved ones. They were not conjuring up the spirits of Napoleon, Jesus or Shakespeare - these were common, every-day spiritualists visiting with their departed friends and relatives. As Michael Tymn says in his review on this site, "there is no reason to assume that the author is trying to put one over on us or that his mother, the medium, was making a fool of him and her friends for many years." To think otherwise is ludicrous.

It's time for all of us, including our scientists and academicians, to wake up and realize that over the past 150 years an amazing record of communications with the spirit world has been accumulated. Some of the most credible has been conducted under rigorous test conditions but I would quickly place the mediumship of Minnie Harrison in that same category. This book is an amazing read and I felt last night as I completed it that I was saying good-bye to dear friends - both living and "dead."

If you're looking for an easy read this book should work. I was a bit disappointed as I was expecting more vivid after life encounters and these seem to be rather strange.

I am always reading books on parapsychology and looking for substantial empirical information. I try to keep an open mind always, but seek data that can be measured. In this sense I am a skeptic.

This was a light read, with no new information and no empirical data. Believers will beleive more, and skeptics will be vindicated. The stories were interesting, and I was left firmly believing that the participants in the various 'Spiritualist" churches really did believe with great sincereity that they were contacting the dead. Evidence of proof that mediums were genuine was offered, but again, without any means to verify the claims.

The work of Kenneth Ring Ph.D. and other near death (NDE) researchers offer a much greater foundation for empirical validation.

Tom Harrison waited over 50 years to report on a home circle that involved his mother, Minnie Harrison. Whether you believe his account or not just remembered his sincerity comes through. Mr. Harrison obviously was not looking for fame or fortune, but to simply tell his story and that of his mom. I have worked for many years in exploring physical mediumship. I don't have the time to sit for years and years waiting patiently for something to happen. But that does not minimize my conviction that it can happen even in today's noisy and well lit world. What brought my attention to this book was another interesting story on its own. My deceased husband Patrick Harrison sent a message via the spirit world last July, 2010. It may sound self serving, but not in the least. His name - Harrison - is what caught my attention. I have several apports that I have collected over the years. The material in Harrison's book shows the possibility of what can happened in a dedicated home circle. Take the time to read the book, you might find yourself exploring new possibilities. Dinah Harrison Lechner is the author of Never Alone - A True Story

Today (Monday 10/25/10), I learned that Tom has just recently passed away. I, having networked with him (thanks to Robin Foy), got to learn more from him and his wife's continued engagement in experiencing/advising others regarding spirit contact. Although I now will not be able to meet him in person, I know he was a robust and happy person, and sincerely shared with everyone his real experiences produced by his mother Minnie Harrison; a most remarkable Medium. For those who find it impossible for ectoplasm to exist and for spirits to materialize, solid and warm, using this kind of material/"flesh," I don't feel sad for you, but hopeful, that you will be fortunate enough to know of its validity, one day. Anyone can see that Tom was (is) a beautiful soul, and I know I will meet him in the future. It should be remembered that his beloved mother never charged a penny to anyone to attend her seances, and she continued them while she had cancer, because she cared (that deeply) about how much it meant to individuals to be reunited with their loved ones. Minnie's gift was so extraordinary that your loved ones could embrace you again, and laugh, and recall your lives and joys together. Tom remained devoted to sharing his wonderous life experiences, to the very end of his life here.
Thank You Tom!, and my love and respect goes out to your beautiful wife Ann. Your truth, is for those whose minds are open enough to embrace possibilities, and the greatest of beauties: life eternal.
Rand in Los Angeles.

By page 97, I was still none the wiser. The book is an easy read, but it really doesn't go into great detail. In fact, I found if rather vague. There is a lot of foreshadowing, and by the time I reached page 97, the events foreshadowed still had not occurred. Every few pages there is mention that there were full ectoplasm aspirations in red light and all will be revealed later in the book, but all that seems to be revealed are more foreshadowing hints. All I really learned by page 97 is that the group met every Saturday night to hold the sessions and they were a happy, friendly bunch. By the time the chapter came around for the actual sessions, the descriptions were too vague to actually reveal what happened. There is some talk of communication through horns, and some talk of objects appearing and disappearing, but nothing really as astonishing as the foreshadowing implies.

There are only a few actual photographs from these sessions, and to be honest, I have my doubts about them. Maybe they are true, But I personally don't believe them. There are lots of other pictures, mostly groups of people posing, or known fake spirit photos by other people.

To be honest, I was rather disappointed by this book. It didn't live up to it's own self hype.