The Blue Island: Experiences of a New Arrival Beyond the Veil

by William T. Stead, Estelle Stead

When on April 12, 1912, the British passenger ship, "RMS Titanic," famously sank 400 miles off the coast of Canada, Estelle Stead was on a tour in the United Kingdom with her own Shakespearean drama company. One of the members of her group was a young man named Pardoe Woodman. According to Estelle, a few days before the tragedy Woodman told her over tea that there was to be a great disaster at sea and that an elderly man very close to her would be among the victims.

Estelle’s father, British newspaper editor and pioneering journalist, William Thomas Stead was a passenger on the "Titanic" and went down with the ship.

Five years later in 1917 Woodman began receiving messages from William Stead by means of automatic writing. Having been discharged from the army Woodman was a guest of Estelle’s and she began sitting with him and recording the messages. She noted that Woodman wrote with his eyes closed and that the writing was very much like her father’s. Moreover, while writing he would stop at times and go back to dot the “i’s” and cross the “t’s,” a habit of her father’s which she was sure Woodman knew nothing about.

Allegedly, Stead claimed that after he died he and other deceased passengers were taken to what he described as a Blue Island, presumably, somewhere in the so-called Astral Plane. This book is a record of what he gleaned in that post physical death state; an afterlife travel guide of sorts for anyone looking for directions.

Genres: Spirituality

79 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1922

About the author

William Thomas Stead was an English newspaper editor who, as a pioneer of investigative journalism, became a controversial figure of the Victorian era. Stead published a series of hugely influential campaigns whilst editor of The Pall Mall Gazette, and he is best known for his 1885 series of articles, The Maiden Tribute of Modern Babylon, written in support of a bill to raise the age of consent from 13 to 16, dubbed the "Stead Act."

Stead's 'new journalism' paved the way for the modern tabloid in Great Britain. He was influential in demonstrating how the press could be used to influence public opinion and government policy, and advocated "government by journalism". He was also well known for his reportage on child welfare, social legislation and reformation of England's criminal codes.

Stead died when the RMS Titanic sank, and was considered to be one of the most famous Englishmen on board.

Reviews

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

W.T. Stead was the most famous Englishman dying in the sinking of the Titanic. This book is supposed be composed of messages by him to his daughter where he describes the blue island as a place where the dead settle for a while before coming back to earth as ghosts.

[Nicola Pierce · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've written about the Titanic which is how I came to discover the journalist and newspaper editor William Stead. He was a fascinating person who wasn't afraid to embark on unpopular campaigns no matter who he annoyed amongst the rich, the titled and the politicians. He didn't survive the tragedy, at least his body didn't. Legend has him sitting in the First Class Lounge, quietly reading his book and refusing to panic. He was interested in a huge range of subjects and the spiritual or supernatural world was one of them. A firm believer in life after death, he was friendly with mediums and believed that he was in contact with at least one spirit from the After-World. This book was the result of his visitations, after his death, whereby his messages were transferred via automatic writing, that is a Mr Pardoe Woodman, sitting at dusk, with eyes closed and writing as fast as he can, without any consideration for the consequences. I don't think the reader necessarily has to believe in this sort of thing because Mr Stead's message is mostly about the importance of positive thinking, highlighting the relevance of the saying, 'As ye sow, so shall ye reap'. He repeats it over and over again that we are what we think. The cynical reader will struggle with his descriptions and explanations for where he is and why ... while the believer will be relieved to hear that death is far from terrifying though Stead returns us to the notion that in order to have a 'good' death, one must strive to have a 'good' life. All in all, I found it an interesting read.

[Daniel G · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Błękitna Wyspa" to książka napisana przez Williama Steada po jego śmierci, którą przekazał z zaświatów swojej córce Estelle. Opisuje pokrótce wydarzenia w trakcie katastrofy Titanica, na pokładzie którego zginął (jego nazwisko znajduje się na liście pasażerów). Potem opowiada o świecie, do którego trafił po śmierci, a który nazwał właśnie Błękitną Wyspą.

Owy świat jest jednym z wielu, do których mogą trafić duchy po śmierci. Jest on pewnym odbiciem codziennego ziemskiego życia (co jest charakterystyczne dla opisów takich miejsc). Niemniej jednak taka egzystencja nie jest celem samym w sobie. Życie na Błękitnej Wyspie to tylko forma przejściowa, podczas której możemy doskonalić się i nabywać nowe umiejętności (zgodne z własnymi zainteresowaniami i wolą), które następnie będziemy mogli rozwijać bądź poddać próbie w kolejnym wcieleniu - autor wspomina też o reinkarnacji charakterystycznej dla spirytyzmu.

Polski czytelnik bez wątpienia "Błękitną Wyspę" będzie porównywać do "Naszego Domu" Andre Luiz (spisane przez medium Chico Xavier). Oba opisy diametralnie różnią się w szczegółach, lecz w założeniach są identyczne. Prawdopodobnie różnice wynikają z kultur, w jakich obracały i żyły (prawdopodobnie też i w poprzednich wcieleniach) duchy - "Nasz dom" odpowiada mentalności Brazylijczyków, a "Błękitna Wyspa" oddaje ducha anglosaskiego kręgu kulturowego. O ile Andre Luiz zdecydował się na napisanie książki w formie powieści (która jest obszerniejsza), o tyle William Stead po prostu opowiedział o swoich doświadczeniach (przez co znamy mniej szczegółów, ale lektura jest treściwa i nie czyta się jej długo). Zdecydowanie polecam "Błękitną Wyspę" jako pierwszą pozycję dla osób zainteresowanych szczegółową tematyką życia po śmierci.

[heresy · Rating 3 out of 5]

ignore my rating tbh, i didn't go in expecting to believe any of it; i was just intrigued.

read this for one of my wips bc i thought i should include some stuff about spiritualism. aside from all the thoughtcrime business, it said about what i expected. was slightly insane and very much rooted in christian doctrine. the points are very clearly put forward, and there are some quotes that i thought were really pretty:

'Go, each one of you, in reality or imagination, to the edge of a high cliff overlooking the sea. Let it be a bright, starry, frosty night, and go alone. Stand there and meditate. Look down upon the lights of any harbored, anchored boats, and think; then look up to the stars. You know where you are, and you are fully conscious of the flickering and movement of the lights on the boats.

You can see them. You are only a little way off…and perhaps you could make them hear if you called, but it would be easier to wait till the darkness breaks when they can see you without any effort on your part. That is how we spirit people are; conscious of those left behind, some willing to wait, others fighting and struggling to make themselves heard. It is only a little way from earth, and between this, our spirit state and the Great Universe, there is as much distance as between you on the cliff and the farthest star.

We are only a little way on our journey—nothing yet forgotten. Love still remaining.'

like, that's such a lovely sentiment! if only the rest of the book didn't accuse everyone of perpetual thoughtcrime.

[Jo-Ann Leake · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume speaks to the principles of the Spiritulist movement as lived in the early years of the practice in the UK. Whether one believes in an afterlife or not, the recounting of "life beyond the veil" is a fascinating read.

[Susan McLeod · Rating 5 out of 5]

New way of thinking of the after life. Loved this book.

[STEPHEN ADAMCZYK · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blue Island tells a story about the Titanic and the aftermath that to a great extent is ignored in most accounts of the tragedy.

[Sara Casalino · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating!

[Karim Zia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ein Einblick in das Leben nach dem Tode

[Gaby Farrera · Rating 3 out of 5]

A beautiful depiction of the after life. I find it very in line with the Book of Urantia.

[Brooke]

Ward Book Night Recommendation Jan 2018