Loitering at the Gate to Eternity: Memoirs of a Psychic Bystander
Author: Louisa Oakley Green
Published: July 16th 2013 by iUniverse.com
Author website and purchasing info: http://www.psychicbystander.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/louisa.oakleygreen
When author Louisa Oakley Green first contacted us in regards to her book Loitering at the Gate to Eternity: Memoirs of a Psychic Bystander I was sceptical. My initial thought was, "here we go again another self published book on psychic powers written by some self proclaimed expert or paranormal guru." Amazon.com is filled with these types of books that are often poorly written and researched and that are regularly given away in order to falsely inflate numbers, and encourage log rolling reviews from friends and/or similarly styled authors. It can be depressing, particularly when someone such as myself is genuinely interested in the subject. I admit I am somewhat jaded towards these books because of it.
Despite my usual misgivings something within that first communication with Ms Green told me to give this particular book a try, and I am sincerely glad I did. Perhaps it was a bit of my own "psychic" intuition that was guiding me as it seemingly fell into my lap when I needed to read it, and squash some of my building cynicism.
Loitering at the Gate to Eternity is not a typical book on the subject of psychic phenomena. The author is not a professional psychic, nor is she a parapsychologist, which immediately gives this book a unique perspective. Louisa's memoir is based on the experience of a thoughtful, educated, and intelligent person who marries into a family that has a history of numerous psychic experiences and manifestations. The author's own beliefs, which begin in a more agnostic non-believer type camp, are shaped over time and through her getting to know her husband and his family. She shares this journey of discovery and learning with us through numerous family anecdotes. It is made quite clear that these people are not professional psychics nor psychic entertainers and have nothing to gain by sharing these stories beyond a sincere belief they are experiencing things that are extraordinary. As a "psychic bystander" the author eventually comes to accept the reality of her extended family's experiences and goes on to research and investigate the available evidence for these various psychic phenomena.
The stories and information within the book are presented in a friendly and easy to comprehend way. I personally think it will be of value to all readers no matter what their feelings on the subject. However, I don't think this book will change the mind's of the majority of non-believers. Quotes that were included from certain professional psychics that some find not very credible including myself gave me cause to pause and sigh. As a psychical researcher it is of my own opinion that some of the experiences could be rationalised and explained through natural means, and yet others were far more intriguing.
Overall the book does make for a compelling case for the reality of psychic experience, and the possibility that some of us may be more genetically predisposed to them. Those who are believers and those who are just mildly curious about these things will thoroughly enjoy and benefit from having read this book, and those of you who are non-believers may just want to give it a chance and see if you might be persuaded even just a little.
