[This question was purposely slanted to explore further Duncan’s occupation. It is to be noted that here Bridey made no reference to her former allegation that Duncan was also a barrister.]
Yes… He was… he was supposed to be. That’s the way it went.
All right. Now, what kind of crops?
Well, there was… oh… it was divided off. There was… flax… and there was hay… and there was… some… Way in the back, there was some tobacco. And there was… hmm… corn… and… Did I say flax?
All right. How did you take up those crops? How did you harvest them? What kinds of implements or tools?
I didn’t do it.
No. I mean how did they do it?
They cut them down. They had a… long… I don’t know what they called it.
All right.
Long handle, and it had a… funny blade.
All right. Do you remember your address in Cork? Do you know your address in Cork?
… Just the Meadows.
Now how about… how about the Morning Jig that you told us you danced before? Can you see yourself doing the Morning Jig?… Can you watch yourself in your mind doing the Morning Jig?
Mm-hmm.
Can you see yourself?
Yes.
All right. Now watch yourself carefully doing that Morning Jig. Watch yourself doing the Morning Jig. Watch yourself doing that Morning Jig… in your mind. See yourself.
Mm-hm.
After you awaken, I’ll ask you to do the Morning Jig. Ill ask you to get up and do the Morning Jig. And you will want to do it. You enjoyed it so much, you will enjoy dancing it again.
Mm-hm,
And tonight, after you awaken you will do the Morning Jig twice. You will go through the Morning Jig twice. After you awaken. After you awaken. I’ll ask you to get up and show you where to dance the Morning Jig. And you will be glad to do it. You will enjoy doing it.
Mm-hm.
All right. Now do you remember your little brother? Do you remember your little brother, the one that died? The one that you told us died when he was very young? Your little brother.
I don’t remember very much.
Do you remember what he died from?
[No answer.]
… Some kind of… black-something.
All right.
Or something…
All right. Now tell me, can you sing? Can you sing?
Mm-hmm.
What song do you like? What Irish song do you like?
Mm… mm… I like “The Londonderry Air.”
Can you sing “The Londonderry Air?”
… I’d rather not. I don’t like to sing very well.
Is there any other song, any other real short song that you would like to sing?… Just some little short song… Perhaps some gay little song that you liked.
Mmm… [Sings] Father’s girl’s a dancing doll.
Father’s girl’s a dancing doll.
Sing around and swing around.
Father’s girl’s a dancing doll.
Very good. And did you sing that in Ireland? Did you sing that at Cork?
Uh-huh.
All right. What was the date of your birthday? That is, the month and the day. The month and the day of your birthday?
… Mm… I was… mm… ’twas in the holidays. ’Twas in the holidays.
Do you remember the month?
’Twas the twelfth month.
Twelfth month?
Uh-huh.
What about the day?
It was the… twentieth day.
Twentieth day of the twelfth month?
Uh-huh.
[This does not correspond in any way to Ruth Simmons’ birthday—neither the month nor the day.]
All right. I want you to take any one day in Cork… any one day that was very pleasant. Recall any one day that you particularly liked. Recall it to your mind, and tell me about that whole day. Just tell me about that day, what you did that day from the time you got up till the time you went to bed. Tell me about that day.
… Mm… Got up for a fitting. And I… had… one, two, three… new… slips. And they had wide sashes. And… my mother spent the whole morning… making me… three pretty slips with sashes. And I had… slippers…. They were sent to me. White slippers. And I went to… Mrs. Strayne’s… for a… tea and cakes… for… Geneviève. Tea and cakes for Geneviève, and I wore my white slips with the… green sash… and my new shoes. And they said… “You’re… a… ve-ry pretty little girl.”… But she was with her hand out for what I brought her, too.
[Chuckle.] All right, what else?
And I had tea and cakes, and I spilled… And I… I had to… take the slip off, and I had to stay back in the back parlor till it dried.
All right. Did anything else happen that day? That was a pleasant day. The party. Tea and cakes, and three new—slips. Did you do anything else that day?
[No answer.]
And what was the fitting for? Why was there a fitting?
For my three new slips. I had to have the one done for Genevieve’s tea and cakes, and… my mother said, “We will just make three while we’ve got you on the board.”
All right.
… A little girl likes pretty things.
Now can you tell me… what was your word for ghosts? What’s your word for ghosts?
A banshee.
Is there any other word for ghost?
… If you want to know the Gaelic words, you’ll have to ask somebody else.
All right.
A banshee… or a… a… ghost is a spirit, or a…
All right. Now while you were there in Cork, while you lived at that house in Cork, did you say any prayers or blessings before you ate? Did you say any prayers or blessings before you ate?
Yes.
Can you say one now? We said… Bless… bless this… mm… this… Bless this food… Umm… Bless this… Keep us happy, bright, and good…. Bless this… bless this…
[It is interesting to note that on the very first tape Bridey delivered this blessing without any hesitation. But here she stumbles and is unable to recall all the words. This is possibly an indication that a deeper trance was achieved during the first session. In regard to the recall type of ordinary hypnotic age regression, Le Cron wrote (in Experimental Hypnosis): “Such memory recall may be only partial and rather vague; at other times it may be clear and remarkably redundant.”]
You said that prayer for me once before. You said that for me once before. Are you having trouble remembering it now?
Bless… I know it. Bless this house…. Bless the food. There’s more. Bless… Keep us happy, bright, and… good. But there’s some more.
All right. Don’t worry about that. Did you ever hear of Killarney? Did you ever hear of Limerick, or Galway, or Clare?
Limerick. There’s a County Limerick.
Limerick was a county?
There’s a county, Limerick.
All right.
And there’s a… Galway. Galway.
What is Galway?
Tis a port.
A port?
A port.
All right. Now, let’s for just a minute… let’s for just a minute drift back to Belfast. Drift back to Belfast. Now, tell me, on the street in front of St. Theresa’s Church, in front of St. Theresa’s Church… what was the road made of? Was it a dirt road or a brick road? What was it?
[During the fifth session, you may recall, Bridey was directed to draw, as a post-hypnotic suggestion, a simple sketch showing the respective locations of her house and St. Theresa’s Church. At the end of the session she responded to the post-hypnotic direction and made the drawing.
Several days later, however, Hazel looked over the “map” and noticed dozens of tiny circles that our subject had sketched in what was supposed to be the street. “I bet she meant these little circles to be cobblestones,” Hazel suggested. So I decided, without saying anything to the subject, to find out whether these could have been
cobblestones. Hence the question above. And it should be observed that I did not refer to a “stone” road; I asked whether the road was dirt or brick.]
’Twas a stone road.
Stone road? What did they call those stones?
Cobbles.
All right. Now did you ever receive the last rites or the Extreme Unction before your death in that lifetime? Did you ever receive the last rites or Extreme Unction?
[Positively.] No! But they ditched you in the… in the… They ditched your body in the… St. Theresa’s churchyard?
[Suddenly.] Are you a Catholic?
No. No, I’m not.
… They ditched me. … I wasn’t on the hallowed ground. Oh, you… you weren’t on the hallowed ground. I see. All right. All right, now rest and relax. Be perfectly comfortable… perfectly comfortable. Be very, very comfortable. Now, what was the name of your family… there in Belfast—what was the name of your family surgeon?
… I don’t know what you mean,
Chirurgeon?1
Ch… ?
The man who took care of you when you were ill?
Yes.
What was his name?
I was ill. I caught a terrific chill.
[The reference to the “chill” will probably lead the mind of the reader to flash back to earlier sessions, when she had also complained of a bad chill experienced during the Bridey Murphy lifetime. Since many researchers in this field contend that some current afflictions have their origin in past-life experiences, several of the people working with me on this matter wondered whether Bridey’s “chill” could in any sense be germane to Ruth’s present allergies.
There was never sufficient time, though, adequately to look into this possibility. Nor did the following direct suggestion result in any substantial improvement.]
Now, you’ll never have that chill again. That chill will never bother you again. That chill will disappear. In the future you will be free from all the effects of that chill. That chill will never bother you. That chill will disappear, it will vanish, it will leave you. The chill will leave you. Now and forevermore, the chill will not bother you. The chill will go away. The chill will leave you. And after you awaken, you will be free from the effects of the chill. The chill will never again bother you. You will be free after you awaken. And now your body is becoming warmer and pleasantly comfortable. Your body will become warm and pleasantly comfortable. You’re feeling fine… feeling just fine. And your head will be clear, and your nose will be clear. And you’ll feel fine after you awaken. You’ll feel fine after you awaken. Now relax. Relax, because you’re going to awaken. In a little while you’re going to awaken. In just a few moments you’re going to awaken. After you awaken, you will want to dance the Morning Jig. After you awaken, you will want to dance the Morning Jig after you awaken. After you awaken, soon after you awaken, I will ask you… I will ask you to take a spot on the floor and do the Morning Jig. And you will do it twice, and you will feel fine. Now, I’m going to count to five. I’m going to count to five. I’m going to count to five, and you’ll awaken at the count of five. You’ll be back at the present time and place. You’ll be back at the present time and place. You’ll be Mrs. Ruth Simmons. You’ll be in Colorado, and you’ll feel fine. You will feel comfortable and warm. And the chill will never again bother you. You will never again be disturbed by the chill. Nor will you be disturbed by any allergies, if the chill caused the allergies. You will never again be disturbed by them. You will be free from them. And you’re feeling more and more comfortable all the time as I begin to count. Number 1. Number 2. Number 3. Number 4. You’ll awaken gradually. When I reach the count of five you’ll be at the present time and place, and you’ll feel fine. Number 5. Now, you’re going to awaken and feel fine. You’ll open your eyes gradually. Open your eyes gradually to get adjusted to the light. And you’ll feel fine and very, very comfortable. You’ll feel just fine. Now… the lights too bright? Lights too bright?
Ooh.
How do you feel, Ruth?
1Archaic form of “surgeon.”
CHAPTER 16
In asking people to listen to the tape recordings, I had particularly sought out keen thinkers whose incisive analyses would probe all possible explanations of the Bridey Murphy phenomenon. And I was especially interested in drawing out a conclusion from one listener whose brilliance and penetrating logic had won him national prominence. Consequently I called on him several months after he had listened to the recordings.
“You’ve heard the Bridey tapes,” I said, “and you’ve had time to think about them. Now what’s your opinion of the whole thing?”
“I’ve given those tapes considerable thought,” he answered. “At this point I’d be unwilling to state a definite conclusion. But I don’t mind listing some general observations.
“In thinking over the Bridey matter, for instance, I was reminded that philosopher Hume said that no testimony is sufficient to establish a miracle unless the testimony be of such a kind that its falsehood would be more miraculous than the fact which it endeavors to establish. And in the Bridey Murphy case I admit that alternative explanations are more fantastic than the rebirth explanation she gives while under hypnosis. Her explanation, in fact, is the only one which seems to fit all the facts.
“For example, an alternative theory which will probably be suggested by some is that your subject has read or heard a story which she has adopted as her own. But this idea has too many shortcomings. Hearing or reading a story would not account for her subtle Irish brogue while under hypnosis; it would not account for her ability to dance the Morning Jig. Furthermore, Bridey’s life is too drab and unromantic to have been the theme of any story. And if there is such a story, where is it?
“If she had read or heard all this, your subject could easily explain that fact under hypnosis. But she insists that she actually lived through those experiences. And I believe I’m safe in saying that anyone who has listened to your tapes will promptly agree that the spontaneity and character of her responses—and her association of thoughts—indicate that this is a person who is actually relating her own experiences and not merely repeating a tale.
“On top of all this, it is very unlikely that any story would have included the after-death episode that Bridey describes.”
“What about the possibility that the whole thing might have been produced by fraud?” I asked him.
“That’s even less tenable than the story theory,” he replied, “for some of the reasons I just mentioned. Moreover, if there was trickery or deception, it means that your subject was acting. And if what I heard was a histrionic performance, then Ruth Simmons is a greater actress than Sarah Bernhardt.
“Besides, much of the information she disclosed while in trance simply was not available to either you or her. Some facts were not even available on this side of the Atlantic. No, fraud is not the answer.
“Any alternative explanation, it seems, would have to include the fantastic combination of ingenious and costly research, histrionic perfection, astonishing coincidence, plus fraud and collusion. The probability of such a combination fades to the point of impossibility.
“But despite these observations, we still know far too little about the mind to conclude safely that the Bridey Murphy case proves the reincarnation principle. About all I can say—and perhaps all you should say—is that it is an interesting piece of evidence and might point the way to further exploration.”
Yes, I admitted to myself, that was about the size of it.
Later, when I was about to leave, he added one more observation: “There is another hopeful aspect of the Bridey case. For years men have been trying to learn whether man’s consciousness survives the death of his physical body. Almost invariably investigations in this area have gone in only one direction—the attempt to establish some sort of communication after death of the physical body.
“The Bridey type of experiment at least suggests the possibility of reversing the direction of these investi
gations—of establishing evidence, that is, of individual consciousness before birth.”1
His point was clear. To prove the survival of consciousness after death is a task fraught with extreme difficulty. By reversing the direction, however, we are at least provided with a solid launching platform—a living, conscious being.
1A New York psychiatrist has already been quoted as follows: “Prenatal psychology may shatter the last fetters with which scientific materialism has bound our minds.”
CHAPTER 17
As I played the tape recordings for various groups in both Colorado and New York—groups which included hardened skeptics from the ranks of doctors, lawyers, clergymen, and Wall Streeters—I was naturally bombarded with questions. Some of these queries were repeated so frequently that it might be well to touch on them at this point.
Naturally, most listeners wanted to know about Ruth Simmons’ reaction. How does a normal twentieth-century woman—a youthful matron primarily interested in her family and a well-maintained home—react to hearing her own recorded words describe a previous lifetime in nineteenth-century Ireland? To be sure, Ruth, who had never before given a thought to the reincarnation concept, was stunned by the impact of the first disclosure of Bridey; she gasped again and again as the Bridey story unfolded.
On the other hand, her interest subsided quickly as she returned to her normal duties as a housewife. Even playing bridge or watching the local baseball club took definite priority over another “Bridey session.” She now took for granted that in her last lifetime her name had been Bridey Murphy, and that was that. As a matter of fact, she said, “I know there has got to be something to Bridey Murphy, but it has in no way affected my outlook in this lifetime.”
The attitude of her husband can perhaps be best summarized by his reply to a group who had sought him out to learn whether he accepted the rebirth idea. “What choice do I have?” he asked. “I know my wife and I know all that information could not be pouring out of Ruth.” He added that they owned no encyclopedia or reference books, nor did they even have a library card.
The Search for Bridey Murphy Page 22