The Deceased speak out. Dieter Scharnhorst

you."

      At first I looked at myself and thought:

      "Haven't I broken arms, legs, and backbone?

      I slipped and fell, I knew that, but can I still stand up straight?"

      I thought so, but Detlef saw my thoughts and said:

      "Oh, your mental body is quite healthy. You haven't broken your legs, your hands or your back. "Without your earthly body, you are perfectly healthy."

      Then I looked around, and it felt as if I was being carried away. I looked at my feet, and I felt as if the ground under my feet was moving. Then I made walking movements, but they were not as fast as the ground under my feet was moving. So the Detlef led me into the new world, saying

      "Look to the right."

      Then I saw three beautifully dressed, distinguished-looking figures. I did not know them, so I asked him:

      "Who are they? I do not know them."

      "Yes, of course, there are many here you don't know," he replied, "you know, they'll come and talk to you!"

      I asked him:

      "Should I be afraid of them?"

      "You need not fear them," he returned, "but they will still hold court over you, as all here have been judged by them, for they are angels of judgment.

      Come and greet them!"

      Yes, at his instigation, I dared to greet them. I also held out my hand to greet them, and they accepted it. But their faces remained motionless. They stood there like pillars and did not speak a word, those beautiful beings.

      I looked to all sides for I heard different voices and one of them called out:

      "'Why don't you take him to the hospital now? I know that, it is not good if souls who have died a violent death are not taken there immediately.

      So I asked Detlef:

      "Why should I go to a clinic, when I'm doing fine? I didn't break any limbs."

      "Oh yes, you did!" said Detlef, "It's probably better for you."

      In the meantime Detlef turned away from me a little and exchanged a few words with one of these three judge angels. But I could not understand his words. But he only wanted to make sure with them whether I belonged in the clinic or not. The three also gave their consent. So I let everything happen to me. I was a stranger and a completely new world had suddenly opened up for me. I was led on and very quickly we arrived at this hospital. But this one I had imagined differently, it did not look like that at all. I thought it had to look like on earth. But it was a splendid, longish building with many columns. I saw a beautiful, long corridor, on both sides of which were wonderful flower beds. I thought it couldn't be a clinic. Its windows shone in the most wonderful colours.

      "Well," I thought, "if they call this a hospital, I don't understand it."

      But I was ready to see and experience all the surprises. Now these three judging angels came along, whom I had secretly been afraid of. Now they addressed me for the first time when they opened the big gate of the house:

      "Enter this house and rest."

      As soon as I had taken a few steps into the magnificent garden, other beings came rushing towards me and asked if they could take anything from me, any luggage or superfluous clothes. Astonished, I thought to myself, what kind of luggage should I have?

      Because when you come to the next world, you would surely not have any luggage with you! I didn't know what they meant yet. I just had what was hanging on my mind and nothing more. What did they want from me? So Detlef said:

      "You'll find enlightenment later. Don't worry about it now."

      Alone when he said these words, someone came up to me again. I hadn't even had the chance to enter the house. I was constantly being stormed, so to speak, and to my astonishment they even brought me something to drink with these words:

      "Brother, you must be hungry or thirsty. "Come, let's get you some refreshment."

      Detlef nodded at me:

      "Just take some, it's good for you!"

      "What," I thought to myself, "here in the kingdom of God people also eat and drink?"

      I had imagined it differently. But I gratefully accepted the drink. It was a bit harsh, but I liked it and felt it would strengthen and cheer me up. Little by little I had thought of other things:

      "So quickly I have entered the kingdom of God, and how will people judge me? I still had a secret fear of these three noble creatures behind me. For I was convinced that they knew everything about my life, I could not fool them, they knew all my faults. So I was a little frightened, but Detlef cheered me up:

      "Don't worry, everything is going well, everything is going well! After all, you were a good person, don't worry!"

      "Yes, you say that, Detlef, but how are my relatives who are left behind on earth? Where do they get their bread now? And what about my old parents?"

      Yes, I was suddenly very worried about them. But Detlef said:

      "Come now, come! "Go on!" and I was shown around the house, through beautiful halls. I still didn't know how they were used. But then we came to a chamber that was flooded with light. Here were several beds where three beings were already sleeping and next to them someone was watching. Detlef said:

      "Do you see the fourth, still unoccupied couch? You can lie down there."

      I looked behind me again to see if the three noble creatures had followed me here, and they were indeed after me. It became more and more eerie for me, because they never spoke to me.

      I would have preferred you to tell me right away

      "Guenter, you did this and that wrong, and God will punish you for it."

      But this silence made me uneasy and gave me no good feeling. But Detlef comforted me:

      "I'm staying with you now, and as you keep watch with these three, I will watch with you."

      "You know me."

      "Oh yes", I said, "you were always a good guy." I then lay down, whereupon one by one, these three judging angels, stepped forward. Each one took my hands, folded them and prayed with me. I listened to their beautiful words. Such a pleasant warmth flowed from their prayer, their intercession for me, that later I only longed to be accompanied by these angels in prayer again. The last one had already prayed with me and I felt so blissful. All fear went away from me. No more worries pressed me. I thought of my loved ones whom I had to leave behind on earth and I knew that they were crying for me. But the angels promised me to take care of them. They would visit them, they told me in their farewell greeting, they would see to it that they had their daily bread, but I should rest now. So I was ready to devote myself completely to rest. It became clear to me: they were spirits of God, angels of God. They had prayed with me. So I could no longer feel bad. I had put my trust in them, for their face was no longer stern, their face was now full of love and goodness. I had the secure feeling that I could be completely unconcerned and then Detlef said to me:

      "Now you try to sleep, but first you need a drink."

      So they brought me another drink, but it was something completely different than before.

      Now it tasted rather bitter, but Detlef said:

      "It's good if you drink it, you'll sleep wonderfully. And if this drink is not enough, you will be given something else. But you must sleep now, Günter, you must! So you can recover. I will watch over you, and the angels will look after you again."

      Oh, I already had the feeling that I could sleep well, for after this somewhat bitter drink a pleasant tiredness came over me. How long I had slept then, I did not know. Detlef had woken me up again and told me

      "That's enough, you slept well and long."

      When I looked around, I was all alone with Detlef. The three others who slept when I entered