The Belief in Immortality, Vol. 5 (Classic Reprint)

By SIMEON SPIDLE, B. D., Fellow in Psyc Jiology, Clark University. I ntroductory. The present writer makes no claim to having any special light to shed upon the age-long question of immortality. He is rather an inquirer than an illuminator. Having been for a number of years interested in this subject, there has grown up in his mind a desire to make somewhat of a first-hand study of it. Others have worked in this same field and have given us, from time to time, the results of their investigations. All this is necessary in order to know how the current of thought concerning the belief in an after life is tending. No one cross-section of the belief can tell us this. We need several such crosssections in order to indicate the direction of its flow. If the study made in this paper shall in any small degree contribute to this end, the writers purpose will be abundantly fulfilled. The subject will be treated under four general heads. First of all we shall attempt an analysis of the concept of immortality with a view to determining the different senses in which that concept is used. Next we shall outline the different theories which have been advanced to account for the origin of the belief. Then we shall make a brief survey of the grounds upon which the belief rests. A nd, finally, we shall give the results of our own empirical study regarding the present status of the belief. The numbers included in brackets refer to the corresponding numbers in the bibliography at the end. Where the letter pis prefixed to the number, the reference is to the page of the book quoted. I. Types op Immortality Concepts. 1. Plasmic I mmortality: No part of the furnishings of the human mind is endowed with greater plasticity than the concept of immortality. It is capable of being moulded into a great variety of forms. Not infrequently do we hear the word used with reference to the rejuv
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