David Fontana was a Professor of Psychology, a Fellow of the British Psychological Society, a President of the Society for Psychical Research and chairman of their Survival Research Committee. His book ‘Life Beyond Death: what should we expect’ [2009], describes his findings over 40 years of research, professionally and privately into what survival after death could mean. “It seemed clear to me that existence must be much more than the passing moments of our time haunted lives on Earth – which brought me back time and time again to the question of an afterlife, and of a soul that lived on after death”.

Fontana draws from interesting developments in science that suggest that consciousness and the mind are truly fundamental – “far from suggesting that mind is merely a by-product of matter, these developments point in the opposite direction, namely that matter may be a product of mind.” Hence he makes no excuse for drawing evidence from mediumship, as well as from the great religions, and from psychologists, and scientists, past and present to describe the essence of what we are and what survival of death might mean.

Readings and ideas from the book will be discussed, prodded, stretched, and sometimes bounced off the walls by all present and related to other opinions we might hold. This process will embrace contributions from other writers on the subject including F W H Myers, Peter Fenwick and Even Alexander. The ideas of our founder Eugene Halliday will also be brought into the mix regarding the most important aspect of how these ideas relate to how we could live our lives right now.

N.B. This event will be followed by part 2 in 2020.

Alan Roberts has a PhD in English literature and has been involved with Tan-Garth-Hall since its establishment in the early 1970’s. Originally mentored by Eugene Halliday he teaches a range of subjects including yoga, perennial philosophy and Sacred Drama (a means to gaining a new understanding of relationships) to classes across the North West. He currently leads a spiritual healing group that meets regularly on the Wirral and is a member of the Eugene Halliday Association Committee.