It has always been my aim in life to live uprightly before God and man, and as to the success of this noble purpose, formed in early life, I may confidently refer to my neighbors, and many of the leading citizens of Cincinnati, Ohio, with whom I have enjoyed an intimate social and business acquaintance for nearly forty years. I do not know why I should have been made the recipient and custodian of the truly remarkable spirit communications contained in the following pages, except from a long lifetime of honest endeavor to do right I was deemed worthy, and from the additional consideration that the spirits interested in the work knew I would cordially co-operate with them in laying the matter presented before the world, and that, happily, I possessed the pecuniary means to do so.

I was born at Grafriset, near Fahlun, in the kingdom of Sweden, March 1, 1811, and have now passed my seventy-first year. At the age of sixteen I entered the Swedish army, and at nineteen became a student at Upsala University, where I remained for two years. After rendering military service for five years, and passing a successful examination, I was permitted to enter the civil service of my country. In the capacity of land surveyor I served for over ten years, when a desire to personally witness the workings of republican institutions induced me to make an application to travel in foreign countries, which permission I obtained for the period of two years. In 1844 I left my native land for the United States, and in 1845 located at Cincinnati, Ohio, and soon thereafter engaged in the art of daguerreotyping, and afterwards photographing, and in the following year married Miss Annie E. Franks, daughter of Frederick Franks, a leading and influential citizen of the city, who is still remembered as the proprietor of Cincinnati's early famous museum. In religion I was raised a Lutheran, but at the time (1879) of embracing spiritualism and for thirty years preceding I was a devout and earnest Swedenborgian. I commenced the investigation of spiritual phenomena in 1879, and soon became convinced of the sublime truths of the spiritual philosophy.

As in the following pages the exalted spirit of Madam Fredrika Ehrenborg imparts, among other things, marvelous information in regard to the Planet Mars, of our solar system, it is deemed fitting that somewhat of her history should be made known in this connection:

She was born March 15, 1794, in the Province of Wermland, in the kingdom of Sweden, and at the age of seventeen married a highly esteemed nobleman, Casper Isac Michael Ehrenborg. He left the body in 1823, and was at the time Chief Justice of Sweden. Madam Ehrenborg was an enthusiastic Swedenborgian, and she passed to the higher life in the Swedish city of Linkoping on the 20th of May, 1873. Her life in many respects was an eventful one, and largely devoted to literary pursuits. She translated writings on religious subjects from several languages into Swedish, and wrote books and pamphlets in the interest of Sweden borgianism, and visited England, Switzerland, Denmark, Germany and Prance in search of materials for her works. It was not my good fortune to have met this eminent lady during her mortal life, but I happily enjoyed a truly instructive and pleasant correspondence with her during the last three years of her life in the form.

I commenced my investigations in September, 1881, with the celebrated medium Mrs. Lizzie S. Green, through whose mediumship the most communications to follow were written. For ten months I had never less than two sittings a week, and the largest portion of that time four per week, and have had ample opportunities to study her true character. As the result I am justified by the truth in proclaiming to the world my thorough conviction of her honesty, purity and simplicity of character. Her education, as I have been informed, was sadly neglected in youth, and she has had few opportunities to improve in later years. She married the Hon. Edward H. Green, of Aurora, Indiana, before her eighteenth year, and has devoted her succeeding years until recently to the domestic duties of life and to the raising of a family, of whom only one, a daughter, survives. Her husband served with ability a numerous and intelligent constituency in the Indiana legislature of 1866-7, and served recently and to general acceptance two terms of two years each as Mayor of Aurora, Indiana, his native city.

The communications of spirits contained in this volume were written by the spirits with their own materialized hands, and the process was generally as follows: A small stand of the ordinary kind in construction, covered by a table cloth, was used, the medium placing with one hand under the covering of the stand a slate on which was placed a small piece of pencil. The other hand of the medium was continually exposed to full view, as was also her entire form. Both double and single slates were used. We heard the writing as it progressed, and when the slate was filled it would be indicated by distinct taps on the slate and the dropping of the pencil. The slate would be then taken out, and as the chosen scribe I would faithfully transcribe the written matter into the book aforementioned, and the slate would then be cleaned and returned under the stand, and in this manner all the matter hereinafter set forth was produced. I have reported it verbatim et literatim, without changing it in the slightest degree, neither adding nor taking therefrom a single word. Each sitting would occupy from one to two hours, and in broad daylight. I have taken occasion to preface some of these communications with a few lines, by way of explanation and to secure clearness of understanding in relation to them.

This volume is truly a book written by the spirits themselves, and whatever merit it may possess, they alone are entitled to the credit, and whatever of demerit, if any, they alone are chargeable and responsible. Of one thing both the mediums and myself can truly avouch, and are willing to solemnize with our oaths, namely, that we had nothing whatever to do with the production of the communications except so far as we may have aided the communicating intelligences by furnishing them with the necessary and required conditions.

I launch forth the work not, however, without misgivings as to its reception and fate in this age of incredulity and skepticism, and my only hope is that it may be instrumental in doing good, if but only in a feeble degree, which alone will be ample compensation for my time and labor.

Carl Gustaf Helleberg.

177 Auburn street, Cincinnati, Ohio.