The Leslie F​lint​ Tr​ust

By Betty Pierce

Spiritualists try to demonstrate and to prove what other religions teach about life after death, according to Rev. Leslie Flint, London, in El Paso this week. Rev. Flint is visiting his cousin, Rev. Lena Halstead, and will speak on “Psychic Research” tomorrow at 7.30pm, at Bassett Centre Community Hall.

“We have seen the failure of man in many different ways,” says Rev. Flint. “Spiritualism, properly understood, could be the salvation of man, from the chaos, strife and uncertainty. In Ireland, we now see a religious war. There are terrible barriers linked with religion.”

He believes that through Spiritualism man may eventually realise the brotherhood of all men. “Christianity is based on the same thing all religions are based on, and the idea of the virgin birth is common to many religions,” he says.

“But life after death is something that the average man who goes to church believes in, because he's told to believe it - while deep down every person wants to know, for sure. In other religions, if a man asks for proof, he's told he's delving into something he shouldn't be, and if you mention spirit communication, many people are quick to say positively that it's of the Devil.

Modern science, with our new technology, has more opportunity to prove the validity of life after death,” Rev. Flint says. “I have sat, on and off, for the scientifically minded people, using throat microphones, and other means to prove the existence of the voices.

“At this time in my life, I am more interested in the psychical research than in the religious aspects, regarding seances. At tomorrow's lecture, I will play a part from the tapes made during seances. People who have never seen a séance, and who would like some idea of what goes on during a séance, will have the opportunity to hear part of what led three publishers to ask me to write the story of my life.”

Rev. Flint decided on MacMillan of London as his publisher and estimates that his book, ‘From Where I Sit’* will be made available in the U.S. in late summer next year. He is on a tour of the U.S. “Really it's a vacation, not a working tour,” he says. He will make public appearances only in El Paso and in New York.

Rev. Flint has been the medium for such voices as Lord Birkenhead, Ellen Terry, Rudolph Valentino, as well as ordinary people which have been recorded, and he explains that the voices come out of space, and he is not in trance.

It has been more than 20 years since Rev. Flint was last in the U.S., and he says that he came here at the strong urging of Rev. Halstead, minister of El Paso’s First Spiritualist Church, and because he suddenly knew, one morning, that he was finally going to return to the United States.

“I had wanted to make the trip, but there was the matter of my two dogs and two cats, and the little old lady upstairs that I don't like to leave alone – it means finding someone to come into my apartment and stay while I was gone. Then, suddenly, right after I knew I was coming, that someone appeared – a former newspaper woman and her husband offered to close up their apartment and move into mine while I was gone.”

“People nearing the end of the their lives become more interested in Spiritualism,” he says, “however, in England, many young people are attracted to the religion.

“Life is eternal. This world is a testing ground and the power of the spirit can remove mountains. With evidence to support one's beliefs, one need have no doubts or fears.”

* 'From Where I Sit' was finally published as 'Voices in the Dark'