This section is from the book "What Happens After Death?", by Misc. See also: After This Life: What Catholics Believe About What Happens Next.
By A. G. BENSON, C.V.O., M.A.
The question of our immortality is far too wide and intricate for me to enter upon an argument or discussion about it here. The proof is cumulative, and contains a large subjective element. I can here only summarise my own belief, drawn from experience as interpreted by reason.
My own belief is that life is a force, coming out of the Mind and Essence of God, for ever trying, for reasons unknown to us, to express itself in matter.
I believe it to be as indestructible as matter; at least, I can conceive of no process by which life or matter can either be originated or brought to an end.
I therefore believe in a subsequent life, just as I believe in a previous life - but under what conditions I cannot say. But I do not believe that personality depends on memory - it is rather a matter of quality and temperament; and thus the fact that our memory does not seem to extend beyond one life is no disproof of pre-existence.
 
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