Andrew Jackson Davis : The Summerland Reader

By Andrew Jackson Davis

This reader is a condensed summation of some of the great themes taken from two of his books - ‘Answers to ever recurring questions’ and ‘The Harmonial Philosophy’. Our hope is that it will whet your appetite to read more of Andrews works.

Some of the many subjects covered - Principles of Nature, Consciousness, Inner and Outer Worlds, Mind, Reason, Spirit, Soul, Spirit Body, Memory, Birth, Death, Hauntings, Dreams, Truth, Will, Religion, The Bible, Jesus, Pantheism, Progress, The afterlife, The central Laws, Creation, Marriage, Philosophy, Personal Power.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Nov 10, 2017
• ISBN: 9780244346409

Book preview

Andrew Jackson Davis : The Summerland Reader

The Summerland Pocket Reader

(Author - Andrew Jackson Davis)

Compiled by Spirit-Horizons.co.uk

ISBN : 978-0-244-34640-9

© www.spirit-horizons.co.uk All rights reserved.

Quote Reference:

AERQ - Answers to ever recurring questions

by Andrew Jackson Davis (1868)

THP  - The Harmonial Philosophy

by Andrew Jackson Davis (1847)

This contents of this book were digitally remastered from  OCR scans of the original books. Due to this process it may still contain some typographical errors but the greatest effort has been made to remove as many as possible. Editor.

© www.spirit-horizons.co.uk All rights reserved.

1. Foreword

If Swedenborg be the Grandfather of Modern Spiritualism then Andrew Jackson Davis, in my opinion, should be praised as its founding Father. He often came into conflict with the movement, during his long and illustrious career, but his volumes of detailed spiritual works stand as a testament to his extraordinary gifts and talents.

Born from uneducated stock he discovered, that when in magnetic trance, esoteric knowledge of science, healing and clairvoyant contact with the spirit realms flew from his lips and flowed onto the pages of his much loved books.

Like Swedenborg he was a true seer of his time but times have changed, and this we can’t deny. Much of what was considered to be normal in this time period we might find distasteful today. With that in mind this edition does have some word changes, which might offend a more modern audience. I am sure if Mr. Davis was alive today his opinions would differ greatly. I think he would be the first to say that he was no saint.

This reader is a condensed summation of some of the great themes taken from two of his books - ‘Answers to ever recurring questions’ and ‘The Harmonial Philosophy’. Our hope is that it will whet your appetite to read more of Andrews works.

If you are further interested then In our humble opinion ‘The Harmonial Philosophy’ is as good a place to start, as it is itself a condensed form of his groundbreaking ‘Principles of Nature’ and the four volume ‘Great Harmonia’ series. Another recommendation is ‘The ‘Magic Staff’’, Andrews autobiography.

Editor – Spirit Horizons

2. Principles of Nature

"Man’s mind, though submerged in matter and buried in abject ignorance, is destined for harmony and wisdom. Nature is the visible manifestation of God; but God is equally a manifestation of Nature: each inspires, directs, companionates, and reflects the other. You cannot learn orthodox theology from Nature; neither can you obtain creedal religion from God; for God and Nature, though infinitely diversified, are essentially and practically One.

True religion is derived from Nature. Miracles innumerable are incessantly performed by Nature to attest the divinity of her mission. Stars in the sky, and the grass beneath, are her signs and wonders. And truth is the golden door of entrance to the human heart.

The age of Nature will not come until men become wiser and more respectful of whatsoever is natural and reasonable. The chaotic mind, viewing Nature with the senses, sees no harmony or unity. Men love what is nearest to their state of mind and body. A change in condition necessitates a change of appetite.

All things throughout the immeasurable domain of terrestrial and celestial existence — with their forces, laws, movements, and developments — are reciprocally related to, and inseparably connected with each other; so that there is formed or constituted a magnificent unitary system of existence and causation, of which the Divine Being is the great positive life-principle and regulating power." - AERQ

3. Consciousness

Consciousness is the only indubitable fact.  All else is relative and questionable. Self-existence is the primary demonstration of existence. Mind is known to itself by and through its consciousness. Your only perfectly clear idea is that of your existence. You can mistrust every fact but the fact of yourself. Consciousness is irresistible, absolute, irreversible, and beyond controversy. It is that which you accept without question. - AERQ

4. On the Inner and Outer Worlds

"The body of man is a form and as such is transient and changeable; the internal does not change. The true man is inward; that which is outward - his form - is an effect. Mind acts upon body, not body upon mind. The reality is that which is within, and that upon which it acts is visible and mortal, like other appearances. The visible is not the real, and that which is unseen is that also which is eternal... It is not the form, substance, sound or word that produces thought, but the irresistible impression which these produce upon the mind. There is the cause in the first place and, secondly, the effect produced, the thought, idea or ultimate ranking third in the series.

Moreover, no physical manifestation is produced unless that which is cause or prompter exists previously; but this is thought. And antecedent to the thought itself is the mind in which it dwells. Here again is developed the principle established previously - that the visible