Silver Birch was a spirit guide who communicated through Hannen Swaffer while in a trance state.
“Silver Birch has described something of the beauties of the spirit world, which he declares we visit frequently in our sleep, although most of us cannot remember our experiences on waking.
‘You have not tasted the joys of the world of spirit. There is nothing in your world of matter with which you can compare the life of the spirit, freed from the trammels of the flesh, escaped from the prison of the body of matter, with liberty to go where you will, to see your thoughts take shape, to follow out the desires of your heart, to be freed from the troubles of money. No, you have not tasted the joys of the world of spirit.
You who are encased in matter do not yet comprehend beauty as it can be. You have not seen our light, color, scenery, trees, birds, rivers, streams, mountains, flowers — and yet your world fears death.
When people die, as you call it, they come to our world, but all of the richness of soul and mind which is theirs cannot die. It is divine, infinite, and like all things divine and infinite, it cannot perish. All the qualities of soul and mind continue to grow, to unfold, to develop, and to mature in our world.
You are the children of a Great Spirit, a Great Spirit whose wisdom and love have fashioned the whole universe. The ties that bind you to that Great Spirit can be strengthened by your understanding. If churches stand in the way of your receiving that knowledge, then discard the churches. If men are the obstacles, then discard the men. If books are the obstacles, discard the books.
Retire into the silence of your own being; forget the world of matter with all its harsh discord. Tune in to the subtle, delicate vibrations of the teeming spirit life around you, and you will know that you can transcend the limitations of the fleshly body. Awaken to knowledge; awaken to understanding. Open the windows of your souls, so that you can become aware of that mighty, vast power of the spirit which will strengthen and encourage you and make you know how life can be lived and enjoyed to the full.”
Silver Birch Anthology, Edited by William Naylor, pgs. 69 – 70, 78 – 81.