The God Within

A Handbook for Spiritual Growth

In 1970 Charles Hapgood asked Elwood Babbitt, a full trance medium, to contact the Hindu deity, Vishnu. At that time he believed that Vishnu was one of the Hindu Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva, which corresponded in ancient philosophy to Earth's seasons of spring, summer, and fall. When this request was made of Elwood Babbitt's chief assistant in spirit, Dr. Frederick Fischer, Fischer said Hapgood was asking for the All-In-All. Hapgood found, on investigation, that the highest thought of India was indeed monotheistic, that Vishnu was accepted as the One, the Universal Spirit, of which Brahma and Siva were aspects. Fischer said that bringing in the total Force of the universe to express through the body of a medium had never been done before, but he thought it could be done, and he accomplished it but not without mortal danger to the medium. Exposed to too great an energy, Babbitt became very ill and for several weeks it seemed he was unlikely to survive. Fischer, however, managed to moderate the vibrational force so that the transmissions could continue.

Hapgood interrogated Vishnu, attempting to cover as wide an area as possible to answer questions in the minds of people. Tape recordings were made, and after the recordings were transcribed, Hapgood edited the texts to clarify any expressions that were confused owing to minor distortions of language because of distortions of the vibrations coming through Babbitt's brain. The result is a comprehensive and clear work, avoiding technicalities of philosophy or dogma and concentrating on the problem of assisting all those who wish to devote themselves to the path of spiritual growth.