Monsignor Benson outlines the problems new arrivals can face in the spirit realms.

As a minister of religion during his earth life Monsignor Benson felt some remorse over the errors about the afterlife which he had preached. In the following account he relates the difficulties many people face after their transition to the spirit realms and repudiates the teachings of the Church to which he once belonged.

‘The Church has assumed responsibility for the spiritual care of man upon earth, and the Church has failed dismally. It is in most respects an impostor, for in professing to know much, it knows very little which can be of spiritual service to man. It can provide no answers to vital questions, questions that are in the minds of so many people. Can the Church answer these questions, for instance, as applied to yourself: What becomes of me when I die? What has become of all my relatives and friends? Why is there this seemingly profound silence between them and me?

There is an enormous number of people throughout the entire earth that prefers to leave the whole subject of an ‘after life' alone. These people regard it as an unhealthy subject, and treat the very thought of 'death' as morbid. If such people were truly honest with themselves they would admit that such a state of mind merely increases their fear of 'death' and the 'hereafter', instead of reducing it. They believe that by sweeping the question completely from their minds they will also have dismissed the real fear that so many people have, an instinct, they would say, of self-preservation. The average earth-dweller has no notion what kind of place 'the next world' can possibly be, usually because he has not given much thought to the matter. How those very same people regret their indifference when they eventually arrive here in the spirit world! 'Why,' they cry, 'were we not told about this before we came here?'

The whole process of leaving the earth—of dying—is a perfectly natural one. It is merely the operation of a natural law. But for thousands of years the generality of people have lived in entire ignorance of the truth of 'dying' and of the 'hereafter'. And in this, as in so many cases, ignorance, or lack of knowledge, means fear. It is fear of the future following upon 'death' that has surrounded the act of transition with so many mournful and morbid solemnities and doleful trappings.

I think if one were asked what was the most common mental state in which the majority of people arrive in the spirit world, I should be disposed to reply from a fairly extensive experience, that they arrive in a state of bewilderment and complete ignorance of the fact that they have passed from the earth world. Many people here regard their advent into spirit lands as their second birth, and they keep up the celebration of the second birthday with a deal more vigour than they ever did their birthday on earth.

Remember always another sublime and eternal truth: that all the spirit realms are open to the whole race of humanity, and that faith or religious creeds can have no say in the matter. The spirit world is immeasurably greater than all the religions and all the creeds rolled into one’.

As we have witnessed during the recent covid pandemic, most people appear to possess a strong fear of death believing that it will result in their complete extinction. This is unsurprising given the false narrative that they have been provided by both religion and science, which between them retain a near monopoly over the very limited public discourse that takes place on this subject.