It has always been up to philosophy, not religion, to demonstrate that one is before, after and beyond matter. Until recently, this was a matter of consensus, as the humblest peasant could attest to it, even if his only tool for validation was direct perception. Today, of course, everything has changed. And when we take into account the simplicity of the reasoning that leads to the necessity of the old conclusion, it is truly astonishing how many obstacles modern man has to overcome in order to reach it. He first has to undo an infinite number of deceptions, get rid of a series of stupid notions, in short, uneducate himself. And the worst thing is that saying it this way does not express the tremendous effort required to do so, which involves an almost detachment from time and an almost denial of experience. This effort, as we can see, seems to require the fiber of a devotee, which is why the so-called conscience today is more easily attained through religion than through philosophy.