- Lost Legacy
Lost Legacy (
1941 ) is a novella byRobert A. Heinlein . It tells of the rediscovery of psychic powers by a trio from a California university (a woman student, and two male friends, an MD/instructor at the medical college and a Psychology professor), and the attempts of a corrupt elite to silence them. It is collected in the book "Assignment in Eternity ". No date is given for the events, but they are in a near future America whereAmbrose Bierce (born1842 ) is said to be over 100 years old. Europe and Asia have suffered a "collapse" and the only significant technological advances mentioned arePicturephone s and a "pocketphone".The novella is an exploration of the possibilities that people, with the proper training, have the potential to make use of a wide range of telepathic and telekinetic abilities. It is based on the presumption that most, if not all, humans have innate psychic abilities, but simply don't know it and therefore do not make use of them. This ignorance is encouraged by a mysterious and powerful cabal which benefits from keeping people unaware of their abilities.
There is also a group of individuals that have developed their telepathic and other powers for good and live in secrecy on
Mt. Shasta . They can tap into an inner power somewhat likeThe Force discussed inStar Wars . This group claimsMark Twain was one of them, as wasWalt Whitman andOliver Wendell Holmes . As part of their program to protect America as a bastion of freedom they choseAbraham Lincoln . After being rescued by Ambrose Bierce the three main characters stay with them. In the secret headquarters on the mountain they receive training. According to psychic records found by the good adepts, humanity reached a great level of development in aGolden Age , but when their leaders (mythologized into such gods asJove andOdin ) moved on to a new plane of existence, a new group used their mental powers for profit. After a great war their main bases in Mu andAtlantis sank and humanity was thrown back to aStone Age .The main characters begin to spread information on how to use psychic powers, particularly training
Boy Scouts . After the evil cabal tries to stop them, individual mental battles occur between the two groups with the good adepts victorious. The story ends with a lyrical description of an empty Earth, since the human race has now evolved to a new plane of existence. Anape is beginning the long climb of his species to intelligence and psychic ability.
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