Reflection on the pre-existence, by Jean Raynaud“Here is a man who is nearing the end of his career; in a few hours he will be gone. At this supreme moment, is he aware of the result, of the net product of life? Does he see the summary as in a mirror? Can he get an idea of that? No without a doubt. Yet, this net product, this summary exists somewhere. It is in the soul, in a latent way, without her being able to discern it. She will discern it in broad daylight; then the summary of all the past coming to life, at the same time, it will be really recognized. Here below, we only know each other by installments; the light of one day is erased by the darkness of another day; the soul collects and keeps in its treasure a crowd of impressions, perceptions, desires that we forget.
Our memory is far from being proportionate to the capacity of our soul; and so many things that have acted on our soul, of which we have lost the memory, are for us as if they had never been. However, they have had their effect, and their effect remains; the soul keeps its imprint, that will be found in the final summary that will be our future life. (Extract from Pensées Genevoises, by François Roget. Magasin Pittoresque, 1861, page 222.)”
