"On Saturday, October 21st, 1893, I was in Berlin with Lord
Carnarvon. We went to a theatre together and returned before
midnight. I went to bed, leaving, as I always do, a bright
light in the room (electric light). As I lay in bed I found
myself looking at an oleograph which hung on the wall opposite
my bed. I saw distinctly the face of my father, the Maharajah
Duleep Singh, looking at me, as it were, out of this picture;
not like a portrait of him, but his real head. The head about
filled the picture frame. I continued looking, and still saw my
father looking at me with an intent expression. Though not in
the least alarmed, I was so puzzled that I got out of bed to
see what the picture really was. It was an oleograph
commonplace picture of a girl holding a rose and leaning out of
a balcony, an arch forming the background. The girl's face was
quite small, whereas my father's head was the size of life and
filled the frame."
The Prince's father had been in ill-health for some time, but nothing
alarming was to be expected. On the day following the dream he mentioned
it to Lord Carnarvon, and on the evening of that day Lord Carnarvon
handed him a telegram announcing the elder Prince's death. He had had an
apoplectic seizure on the previous evening and never recovered. It is
interesting to note that he had often said that he would try to appear
to his son at death if they happened to be apart. The account is
confirmed by Lord Carnarvon.
It sometimes happens that the point of hallucination is not quite
reached. The following instance, communicated to the Society for
Psychical Research, is straightforward enough:
"'20 Rankeillor Street, Edinburgh,
"'December 27th, 1883.
"'In January 1871 I was living in the West Indies. On the 7th
of that month I got up with a strong feeling that there was
something happening at my old home in Scotland. At seven A.M. I
mentioned to my sister-in-law my strange dread, and said even
at that hour what I dreaded was taking place.
"'By the next mail I got word that at eleven A.M. on the 7th of
January my sister died. The island I lived in was at St Kitts,
and the death took place in Edinburgh. Please note the hours
and allow for the difference in time, and you will notice at
least a remarkable coincidence. I may add I never knew of her
illness.
"'A. C----N.'
"In answer to inquiries, Mr C----n adds: 'I never at any other
time had a feeling in any way resembling the particular time I
wrote about. At the time I wrote about I was in perfect
health, and in every way in comfortable circumstances.'"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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