57. PREFACE - Agonizing is the prelude to the separation of the soul from the body. It can be said that at this moment the person h05 one foot on Earth and the other in the next world.
Sometimes this phase is painful for those who are deeply attached to worldly things and who live more for the possessions of this world than those of the next one, or whose conscience is agitated by regrets and remorse. On the other hand, for those whose thoughts seek the Infinite and who are able to disengage themselves from matter, it is less difficult to break the links which tie them to the Earth and there is nothing of pain in these last moments. Only a thin thread links their physical body to their soul, while in the first case there are thick roots which hold them prisoner. in every case, prayer exercises a powerful action in the work of separation (See HEAVEN & HELL, 2nd part, chapter 1 - "The Passing").
