This would seem to offer reasons—in addition to David Bruce’s explanation of the difficulties of translation when the messenger’s reaction to certain word-symbols fails—for occasional delays in the transmission of these communications.
“Margaret hasn’t tried us yet with an antagonistic force on your plane,” she said, on another occasion. “We don’t do it this way when the forces there are not harmonious.”
“Is your forward sight much greater than ours?” her husband asked. “Or is it, in relation to other planes, about what ours is in regard to yours?”
“We can see the end as you have not even dreamed it yet, but our detailed knowledge is limited to two or three planes beyond ours. Even here, development is uneven, and some of us see farther than others. We are far from omniscient or omnipotent. We have advanced beyond you, our individual purposes are clear where yours are confused, we know where we are bound and why, we see much farther ahead than you can, and we work in three planes—yours as teachers, ours as laborers, and the next as students.”
Referring to the statements about Russia, of which we had told him, he asked whether there were the same relative differences of opinion and judgment among them as among us, as to psychological policies to be pursued for the Great Purpose, and as to the applications of those policies on this plane.
“There are some differences of perception. Light, for example, sees shadow and desires to dispel it. Truth sees error and wishes to correct it. But, broadly speaking, the opinions are the same. The impediments in the path of progress are many. Each purpose deals with its own; Light with darkness, Truth with error, and so on. Each may work in the same field, even in the same individual, but here we work for the same ultimate purpose. We do not disagree. Each follows his own work, and recognizes the other’s field.”
“We have a united policy,” she said, at another time, “but each our individual application of it in personal relations and messages like these. It is all intended to enlighten and inspire you, but only in certain fundamental and specific matters are we instructed what to say.”
“Can you determine time there, by other than the memory of it here and by close inspection?” was another question.
“We have no time here, in your sense. We watch you, and remember, but we lose track of you, sometimes.”
Mr. Kendal then said—explaining his phrase, “close inspection”—that he thought they saw time dimly, as we see through water or through fog.