Foreward
More than 30 years ago I was
introduced to the literature on the survival of death and spent some time
reading a selection of the material described in the above sections. At the
time I was greatly impressed by the case supporting survival but did not
continue further with the subject. Many years passed and I had followed up
other lines of interest, allowing the concept of survival to remain relatively
dormant in my consciousness. However, in 1999 this situation was changed by the
publication of two small books by Quaker authors. These were, Quakers &
the Spiritual/Psychic Dimension by Rosalind Smithı and Continuing Life by Angela Howard². I was
particularly interested in the latter as Angela Howard asked me to write the
foreword to it, and this rekindled my interest in survival. In part of one
sentence I stated that there is "... a considerable body of
well-documented evidence supporting the validity of a belief in continuing life
beyond death".
As a result of the publication of
these books, in April 2000 a small group of Friends met together at Claridge
House and decided to set up an informal group, the Quaker After-Life Studies
Group (QASG), to explore the subject of survival further. One of the outcomes
of this meeting was the decision to produce a bibliography of the main sources
of evidence supporting the survival of death; and I agreed to undertake the
production of the bibliography. I therefore found myself in the position where
I had to justify my earlier contention about this "... considerable body
of well-documented evidence ...". What is set out in the main body of this
document is the result of many months work researching the various sources of
information with the help and support of other members of the QASG. It is
essentially only an outline of the evidence, quoting many of the main sources
and accompanying these with a descriptive commentary to make the whole more
than just a list of appropriate books to read. The final discussion and
conclusions seek to give some depth to and to sum up the main body of the text.
To have sought to fully describe
the great body of evidence favouring survival which is available would not have
been possible in the context of what the QASG is seeking to do; which is to provide
a straightforward and easily-accessible introduction to the subject for Friends
and others who wish to look into a subject that still, inexplicably, remains a taboo
for many individuals. (It would also have been an encyclopaedic project
beyond the inclinations or capabilities of any of the Group). It is hoped that
there will be enough information provided here to set many readers off on a
further exploration of a subject which, superficially, is fascinating but
which, on a deeper level, is of fundamental importance to our individual
spiritual growth and development.
David Hodges, March 2001.
(David Hodges is a
member of Ashford Preparative Meeting and an Elder of East Kent Monthly Meeting
of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). A biological scientist and a
university lecturer for more than 30 years, he has taught and researched in the
fields of animal physiology and cell biology, as well as being involved in
researching, practising and writing about spiritual healing.)
- Smith, Rosalind (1999). Quakers & the Spiritual/Psychic Dimension. Friends Fellowship of Healing. ISBN 9-873048-43-2.
- Howard, Angela (1999). Continuing Life. The evidence for the survival of death through mediumship. Webbs Cottage Press, Braintree, Essex. ISBN 1-899391-04-5.
Next Page:- Introduction