Flying Zoila

If you've been reading Fun and VJs for a while, you probably know I'm trying to find more information regarding the original owners of the Sow's Ear - the Stables family - for my house history research.

After my visit to the crematorium a fortnight ago, I contacted the office to locate the rest of the Stables family. They are all cremated at Mt Thompson's Crematorium...all in different niches scattered throughout the grounds...

...except for Zoila. I don't have her date of death, yet and it makes it hard to search their records without a date.

I can find lots of information about Zoila online though, because she was a published author, attended the University of Queensland in the 1920s and was a participant in a case study in a book about out of body experiences or astral projections by Robert Crookall.

Just recently, the entire text of the book called The Study and Practice of Astral Projection, published in 1966 was made available on the internet.

Image from here

When I read the case study out loud to Jason, we both giggled like school children and thought Zoila sounded like a complete Fruit-loop. With a capital F.


"One night I had what I then considered a dream, but what I now believe to be a genuine projection. I simply woke to find myself flying through the air at a considerable height above the ground."  

"I have never for a moment believed I was dreaming during a projection;any more than I could believe I am dreaming at the present moment! The experience is far too real for that. I KNOW I am not."

Oh man! I'm just imagining Zoila levitating near the ceiling as I write. I know one shouldn't mock the things they don't understand...but, seriously?

Interestingly, I also discovered from the book that the Stables family did not always live in Brisbane.

"We lived then on a small selection in the empty western grazing areas,and were 200 miles from the nearest town."

I did a quick search of historical electoral rolls and found out that they were living in the Capricornia Electorate, near Rockhampton, I suspect. 

I'm waiting for some more information about Zoila through other sources; hoping, in particular, to find a photograph of her. 

I'd love to put a face to the name.