If a man is so misguided as to wish to cling to the physical life, and even to his own corpse, the
preservation of the dead body, either by burial or embalming, offers a distinct temptation to him
to do so, and immensely facilitates his unfortunate purpose. Cremation entirely prevents any
attempt at partial and unnatural temporary reunion of the principles. In addition, there are
certain unpleasant forms of black magic, fortunately rare in Western countries at least, which
make use of the decaying physical body; the etheric body of a dead person may also be
similarly used in a variety of ways.All of these possibilities are avoided by the wholesome
practice of cremation. It is quite impossible for a dead person to feel the effects of the fire on
his discarded body, for, so long as it is death, the astral and etheric matter have been
completely separated from the dense physical.
Although it is quite impossible for a dead person to get back entirely into his dead body, yet, in
the case of one who knows nothing beyond purely physical life and is crazy with fear at being
entirely cut off from it, it is possible for him, in his frantic effort to keep in touch with physical
life, to get hold of the etheric matter of the discarded body and drag it about with him. This may
be the cause of considerable suffering, entirely unnecessary, and easily avoided by the
practice of cremation.
In the case of people who cling desperately to physical existence, the astral body cannot
altogether separate from the etheric, and they awaken still surrounded by etheric matter. The
condition is very unpleasant, as such a person would be shut out from the astral world by the
shell of etheric matter, and at the same time the loss of physical sense organs prevents him
from coming fully in touch with earth life. Consequently he drifts about, lonely and dumb and
terrified, in a thick and gloomy fog, unable to hold intercourse with either plane.
In process of time the etheric shell wears out, in spite of his struggles, though usually not until
after he has suffered intensely. Kindly people among the dead, and others, endeavour to help
the class of person described, but seldom with success.
Sometimes a person in this condition may endeavour to get in touch once again with the
physical plane through a medium, though usually the medium’s “spirit guides” sternly forbid
them access, knowing that the medium runs the risk of being obsessed or maddened.
Occasionally an unconscious medium – usually a sensitive young girl – may be seized upon,
but the attempt can be successful only if the girl’s Ego has weakened his hold on his vehicles
by indulging in undesirable thoughts and passions. Occasionally also a human soul wandering
in this grey world may succeed in partially obsessing an animal, those most commonly seized
upon being the less developed – cattle, sheep or swine, though cats and dogs or monkeys
may also be used in this way