Item #62067 The Sacred Book of Death and Hindu Spiritism, Soul Transition and Soul Reincarnation; Exclusive Instruction for the personal use of Prof. De Laurence's Chelas (Disciples) in Hindu Spiritism, Soul Transition, Reincarnation, Clairvoyance and Occultism. L. W. DE LAURENCE, aka Lauron William de Laurence.
The Sacred Book of Death and Hindu Spiritism, Soul Transition and Soul Reincarnation; Exclusive Instruction for the personal use of Prof. De Laurence's Chelas (Disciples) in Hindu Spiritism, Soul Transition, Reincarnation, Clairvoyance and Occultism

The Sacred Book of Death and Hindu Spiritism, Soul Transition and Soul Reincarnation; Exclusive Instruction for the personal use of Prof. De Laurence's Chelas (Disciples) in Hindu Spiritism, Soul Transition, Reincarnation, Clairvoyance and Occultism

Chicago, IL: De Laurence, Scott & Co. (Distributed by Wehman Bros., Inc.), 1905 (?). First Edition Thus (?). Hardcover, Octavo. 400 pp, Original deep red cloth, gilt title, etc. to spine and gilt design to front cover. Published by Lauron William de Laurence (1868 - 1936), book pirate, plagiarist, and publisher of occult literature. De Laurence was renowned for taking other people's works and reissuing them under his own name (sometimes retitling them in the process). Despite his eccentricities he played an important part in the occult history of the USA: he was a pioneer in selling occult books and supplies by mail order, and the cheap "Pow Wow" books and other books of simple magic which he published were received with great fervor by many in the American occult community. We do not know whether this is an original work by De Laurence or (more likely) an earlier work that he retitled. The chapter headings are: Spiritism; Link of Perispirit; Hindu Spiritism; Insanity; Death; God; Soul and Body; Dreams; Death Trance; Benevolent Spirits; Casting Out Evil Spirits; Familiar Spirits; Sorcerers and Conjurers of Spirits; Revealing the Future; Loss of Those we Love; Resurrection of the Body; Earthly Joys and Sorrows; Paradise, Hell and Purgatory; Suicide; Evil Passions; Selfishness; Reincarnation; Lessons in Hindu Spiritism; Instructions for the Invocations and Convocations of Spirits; Sacred Magic. Typically de Laurence did not designate reprints of his works: this copy has the copyright date 1905 and "Student's Occult Edition" on the verso of the title-page, and the paper and print are consistent with a book of the first decades of the 1900s. It has an owner's signature and acquisition date of "April [19]20" on the front free endpaper, so it certainly dates from before then. Whether or not it is a first edition thus, or an early reprint is impossible to say, but a copy with the 1905 copyright date (the earliest known) is very uncommon. Cheap gilt on spine dulled, light rubbing to boards at points, front hinge, and head and tail of spine; pages evenly toned. Overall a tight, clean VG+ copy. Was $175.00. Item #62067

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