This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1921. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... THE SURVIVAL OF MEMORY AFTER DEATH There is an old legend which still holds influence over many to-day when other tales of equal antiquity and value have long since been discarded. It tells of how the souls of the departed drink of the Waters of Lethe and straightway forget their earthly existence. This thought is mainly responsible for the fear of death, for the fear of death is, in reality, the fear of eternal separation, which is inevitable if oblivion is to be our future state. If memory of the earth life is entirely dependent on that part of the physical body we call the brain, then indeed is the legend justified, but we are a long way from proving that, and, to draw a fair conclusion from the ever increasing mass of evidence, it is obvious that something persists, consciously endeavouring to manifest itself and, in a few cases, there appears to be positive proof of survival. Survival need not necessarily include memory. Were there no indications of a desire to communicate with us we might suppose that the whole interest would be centred on the wonders of the spiritual world to the exclusion of old earth ties. But the fact that communication is desired speaks for itself, and, in the face of this, the continuity of a spiritual law of affinity is more probably a feature of a happier existence. A short memory is not characteristic only of the dead. If we consider how elusive it is in life, and with what difficulty old memories are awakened, more sympathy will be shown with those on the other side when disappointing messages, which are perhaps distorted out of recognition in the transit through another's mind or brain, are received. The delicacy of telepathic communication, to take but a normal method, can only be realised through practical experience, and like...