Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-11-05
is THERE NOLIFE
BEYOND GRAVE?
Thomas A. Edison Evolves a Theory
That Would End Us Completely
When Death Comes

nounced that he was working on a
communicate with the dead. now ex-
presses doubt as to whether there is
any life beyond the grave for the
human personality.
In an article for the Scientific Amer
lean. Mr.. Edison writes that after a
life devoted to scientific study IN
which he has conferred his attention
on the source of energy. he believes he
has come TO a scientific conclusion on
the source of life. the cause of death.
and the ultimate end. He finds the
human bodies made up OF countless
little cells of life which he calls EN-
titles" These are sufficient unto
themselves to do certain work but
when they leave the body death is the
result His theory. that while life
continues beyond the grave. the huma n
personality. as it is known in this
world, may not. is expressed as fol-
lows: -
While life entities live forever.
this giving US the eternal life which
tie TO YOU and me if. when we come
to that stage known as death. our per-
sonality simply breaks up into sep
arate units which soon combine with
others to form new structures"
Mr.. Edison writes:
II believe that life. like matter. is
indestructible. There has always
been certain amount of life on this
world. and there will always be the
same amount. You cannot create; you
cannot destroy life; you cannot null
tiply life. ] believe our bodies are
composed of myriads of infnitesimal
entities. each in itself unit of life.
which band together to build a man.
There is no limit to the sQaliness of
things. Just as there is no limit as to
largeness. The electron theory gives
US reply which is wholly satisfac-
tory. ! have had the matter roughly
calculated and have at hand the data
of the calculation.
Il am sure that a highly organized
entity, consisting of millions of cleo
irons yet still remaining too small to
be visable through any existing mi
croscope. is possible. There are many
Indications that we human beings act
as community or ensemble, rather
than as units.
Now. lets see why we must be
composed of life entities. Surprising
You take finger, print of your thumb.
in the conventional manner of the po-
lice record. Then burn your thumb
st1ffi
you know that after the new skin has
formed the finger print of your record
thumb will be precisely the same as
the first one? Yes. absolutely the
same. even down TO the last line ana
irregularity. 7 tried it to make sure
Here is mystery which has remained
unanswered until now. ''.'.' 90
of course. you say it is nature. But
what is nature? That seems TO me to
be such an evasive reply 1t means
nothing. 1t is just a subterfuee--a
convenient way OF shutting off further
questioning by merely giving an emp-
~ word for an answer. l have never
peeh satlsned with the word nature.
Now. my answer is that the skin
didn't happen to grow that way again
by accident. Some one had to MAN
the new growth and to supervise IA
make certain that it would conform in
every way with the old skin. You do
not know Just what that pattern is.
and so your brain plays no part in the
operation.
Here is where our life entities
come into action. firmly believe that
the life entities rebuild that thumb
with consummate care, drawing aunon
their remarkable memory for all the
details. -.
Let us consider an analogy, for the
sake of making my point more. clear
to you. Surprising that a man from
Mars came to this earth, and his ewes
were so much coarser than ours that
ths smallest thing he could see was the
Brooklyn bridge? He could not see
us. Naturally, he might take Brook
Ign bridge for some natural growth.
Just as we consider grass. sand, min
erals and other things as matters Of
natural development.
"Supposing that same man from
Mars were to destroy the BROOKLYN
bridge and several years later he hap
pened to find new bridge in pre-
ciseiy the same place and of pre-
cisely the Same design. would it, seem
logical for that man to assume that
the bridge simply grew again in the
same manner and in the same place ?
Don't you suppose that the Martial
would be compelled TO assume that
some intelligence and guided EFFORT
were behind the rebuilding of the
structure he had destroyed
That is precisely the stand we