creighton not only recounts the experiences of others, but her own encounters with the supernatural, from her experiences with forerunners such as death knocks, to her own helpful spirits and premonitions. she attempts to write without judgement of the stories, admitting that some may be a result of imagination, but also that there are those with unquestionable authenticity. she does not compare them with similar stories from other parts of the world, explaining that "this book is devoted to the thinking of our own people."