xvn THE DESIRE FOR IMMORTALITY 329 



conduct of men and from sporadic declarations of individuals, that 

 this tradition is very far from accurately representing the facts, and 

 that these are actually more various and complicated. Moreover, 

 it should not be forgotten that in India the literary tradition seems 

 to be exactly reversed, and it is assumed that men naturally crave 

 for extinction or absorption in the Absolute. 



It becomes a question, therefore, what the actual sentiments of 

 men are, and what, consequently, is the actual bias with which they 

 are likely to receive the doctrines and the evidence that bear on 

 the subject. 



Both these questions are capable of being determined with 

 sufficient precision by instituting a statistical inquiry over a 

 sufficiently wide field collecting answers until it becomes evident 

 that the percentages of the various types of answer have become 

 constant. 



To determine the nature of men s actual sentiments and actual 

 bias should be a matter of great interest, not only to the S.P.R. 

 and psychologists generally, but also to every religious organization. 

 For both the scientific labours of the former and the moral exhorta 

 tions of the latter are likely to be in some degree, at least, ineffectual, 

 so long as they are conducted in ignorance, and so in disregard, of 

 what men really want. It is only when the facts have been 

 ascertained that they can be argued from for the various purposes 

 of the scientist, the philosopher and the theologian. 



First of all, therefore, it is necessary to discover the nature of 

 human sentiment ; and to obtain it in its purity, it is desirable to 

 exclude, as far as possible, all extraneous influences, whether of a 

 religious or of a scientific kind. It is, of course, recognized that 

 these may and often do influence sentiment, that they may engender 

 or check it, and also that there may be a marked divergence 

 between conviction or belief and sentiment. But as it is primarily 

 the nature of the sentiment which has to be determined, these other 

 considerations should be excluded as far as possible. 



Hence the subjoined questions should be understood as directly 

 referring only to the personal preferences, sentiments, or desires of 

 those who answer them, quite irrespective of their religious faith or 

 reasoned convictions, the influence of which, where it exists, may 

 be recorded in answer to Question III. 



N.B, All names will be regarded as strictly confidential. 



QUESTIONS 



I. Would you prefer (a) to live after death or (b} not ? 

 II. (a) If I. (), do you desire a future life whatever the conditions 



may be ? 



(b} If not, what would have to be its character to make the 

 prospect seem tolerable ? Would you, e.g., be content 

 with a life more or less like your present life ? 



