Classic Mysteries
On A Cold Wintery Night
by Brent Raynes
The below testimonial of a possible bilocation visit of noted Maine psychic Dr. Alex Tanous appeared in the February 2011 edition of The Light, a e-newsletter of the Alex Tanous Foundation. Dr. Tanous was reportedly very adept at out-of-body experiences and was a frequent laboratory subject at New York’s American Society of Psychical Research.
Andover, New Brunswick
February 11, 1976
Dear Alex,
You wouldn’t believe what happened to me, as I don’t really believe it either.
At 3:30 a.m. (AST) this morning (February 11) I woke up to a loud knocking on my back door. I got up and turned on the kitchen lights as well as the inside and outside back porch lights, and looked through the window of the door.
YOU were standing in the porch smiling. I opened the door and said: “For gods’ sake, come in. How are you and what are you doing in this neck of the woods at this hour?”
You replied: “Well, I’m fine and you are looking well. I just dropped by to tell you my book will be arriving here soon and I hope you like it because you were part of it and your name is in it.”
I relied: “That’s great. I really want to read it and see what you have been up to lately.”
At this point Paddy (my golden retriever—partly at any rate I think) was growling and acting very fierce. I turned around to tell her to quiet down and when I turned back you were saying something about the storm being over. We had about 3 inches of snow that morning and the weather changed during the night.
I said: “Well come in out the the cold and I’ll make some coffee. You must be tired. Did you drive up from Portland or sly up?”
You smiled and didn’t answer but I noticed you had a funny look.
The dog was again very snarly and I turned to tell her to quiet down. When I turned back, you were totally gone. I looked for a car and there was none. There was also no tracks in the snow but a very slight odor of shaving lotion or a perfume in the back porch.
You can imagine my conversation and surprise at that. I thought that I must have been dreaming or having a nightmare but if I was, the stove worked well in it and the coffee I made wasn’t much better when I am awake. I didn’t go back to bed at all and the morning came, so I don’t think I was asleep or really dreamed all that.
Details---you were wearing a turtleneck sweater in an off-white or cream shade and had some sort of a pin or emblem in the lapel of a dark blue or charcoal sports coat. You were hatless and clean-shaven. You have a light scar on the left side of the cheek above the edge of the mouth which appeared paler then the rest of the gave and on the right side near the chin line a small fresh scar or blemish of some sort. Your hair on the left side of the part was a bit awry with a few stands falling over the forehead.
Paddy my dog acted very funny. After I closed the door she whined to go out but would not enter the porch. She finally went out the front door and barked for a while. When I tried to get her in, she would not enter the back porch and I had to let her in the front. She hasn’t been in using the front since the fall, as we seldom use that door.
When the mail came at 11:00 a.m. that morning, there it was—the book all done up by Doubleday. I opened it up and remarked to my wife that I thought it should be coming soon but never mentioned the events of the night at all. She slept through the night and never mentioned hearing anything. I don’t believe I will discuss this with anyone until we can meet and discuss it privately. I recorded the details right after the event and I am typing this at 4:04 a.m. so you can see what the impression it made on the details and me will still be fresh. (Feb. 12). I tried to sleep earlier but couldn’t as I often don’t sleep that much and I did have a little darkroom work to do anyway. I want to thank you for the book. I finished it the same date that I got it and plan to write a review for the paper next weekend.
I hope that as soon as time permits, you will visit our corner of the world again. The Legislature opens March 8 so I will be in Fredericton through the week and maybe you could get down there and meet Premier Hatfield who has expressed a lot of interest in you.
Warmest personal regards and success. Hope your book requires several printings and you “break a leg” on the lecture and talk show circuit.
Keep well,
Ellsworth (EL) DeMerchant
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To Listen to an audio interview with Ellsworth DeMerchant, conducted by a Dr. Fred Frohock, visit the following link: http://www.alextanous.org/media/media.php?media_id=248 To learn more about the late Maine psychic Alex Tanous, go also to this website: www.alextanous.org
