Do We Live After Death?
Do We Live After Death? is an article written by Arthur Conan Doyle published in Hull Evening News on 25 november 1926.
Conan Doyle argues that Spiritualism proves personal survival after death and should be seen not as a threat to religion but as its true foundation, restoring direct contact with the spiritual world. He distinguishes condemned "black magic" from legitimate spiritual communion, claims that the Bible and early Christianity are full of such phenomena, and predicts that Spiritualism will renew and unify religions.
This was the 1st article of a series of 3 in the Hull Evening News:
- Read 2nd article (27 november 1929)
- Read 3rd article (29 november 1929)
Do We Live After Death?
WHAT SPIRITUALISM CLAIMS
I propose to write three short articles which shall deal with first what Spiritualists claim, secondly some proofs of their claims, and lastly how Spiritualism is destined to penetrate and reform all the religions of the world. Let us first consider the claims.
The real controversy now in the religious world is not the difference between this creed or that creed, but it is over the basic fact, do we live after death or do we not? Several plebiscites at different times have shown that a surprising number of people, including all the so-called. Rationalists, contend that we do not, while an even larger number say that they are uncertain upon the point. And yet the foundation of all religion seems to lie there, for if it is uncertain whether we live again and preserve our own individuality why should we worry ourselves about self-improvement and development during the few years of our earthly life?
It is all very well for a few philosophic men to say that self-respect and the eternal fitness of things would hold up their moral standard; but the vast majority of the human race would certainly, as it seems to me, say "Let us eat, drink, and be merry," if it were certain not only that" to-morrow we die," but that there was no further morrow beyond that. Therefore it is the very central core of all religion which we are defending, and it is indeed strange that our inveterate opponents are not merely the materialists, whom we attack, but the main body of the clergy in the various religions whose deepest interests we defend.
BLACK AND WHITE MAGIC.
The main reason for this is that they have a very distorted view of the subject, and the cause of the misunderstanding is not difficult to find. Man passes over into the wider life unchanged, and consequently all sorts are to be found beyond the veil. The difference between black magic and white is that man has sometimes got in touch with the lower forces for his own ends instead of connecting with those higher ones which represent spiritual advance.
It is against this black magic, this pursuit of occult power for selfish or wicked ends, that the Old Testament thunders, Modern Spiritualists are no less emphatic in their condemnation. But the other, the white magic, the Communion of Saints and Angels, is the essence of all religion. The Bible is saturated with it; indeed, it is impossible to understand that wonderful and inexhaustible Book without it.
If you will bear in mind that the word "prophet" means inspired medium, that the word "angel" means high spirit, and that the word "miracle" means phenomenon, then you will see that our modern psychic knowledge is in complete agreement with the ancient experience. Translators did not know our modern terms. We have ourselves to trace and understand the analogy.
SAINT PAUL'S SPIRITUALISM.
The early Christians seem to have taken the matter for granted. "Try the spirits whether they be of God," said John, showing in those few words that he recognised as we do the difference between the lower and the higher messages. I believe that he meant to give the actual test in that sentence. In our domestic seances we always begin by the challenge. Do you believe in God?" When the answer is negative, we know that we are dealing with an un developed entity. Thus we follow St John's precept.
As to Saint Paul, he was a deep psychic student and his epistles are full of psychic knowledge. The Angel of this or that Church to whom he alluded was probably the medium. attached to the church, for it was clearly a living human being, and the word "angel" means a messenger or message-carrier.
Saint Paul actually gives us a complete list of spiritual gifts, which he regards as highly commendable things, and which cover all the phenomena of modern mediumship with the exception of photography. Translated into modern psychic language, his list as given in Co. 1-12 means inspirational talking, trance talking, knowledge, power of healing, phenomena, prophetic power, clairvoyance. power of talking and of understanding unknown languages.
If these were desirable gifts in early Christian days, why should they be undesirable now? As to the Fathers of the Church, they are full of spirit. knowledge from Irenaeus to Augustine.
WITCHCRAFT IN THE MIDDLE AGES.
The declension from spiritual to material seems to have come gradually in the first few centuries. Orign complains of the change; so does Eusebius. As the churches grew larger and richer, the man of affairs who could administer eclipsed the man with the psychic gifts. Gradually he was eliminated, and the higher spiritual knowledge faded away.
The lower unhappily still persisted, and accounts for that witchcraft which undoubtedly did exist in the middle ages. It is only in recent times that an attempt has been made to renew the old angelic communion, and to found religion, not upon hearsay and distant tradition, but upon the direct personal testimony of those who are in a higher sphere than ourselves.
What they teach us is beautiful, charitable, reasonable, and is des tined, in my opinion, not to displace but to modify every religion and to provide a common basis upon which all men may meet.
We claim, therefore, that, being in touch with the dead, we can not only renew our relations with those whom we have loved and lost, but that we can do even greater work by bringing a new force into religion and giving mankind definite assurance as to his fate in the hereafter.
On Wednesday next Sir Arthur Conan Doyle will write on the "PROOF OF SPIRITUALISM."
