The second one, the spiritual one, was one espoused in an Echo column by Scouse spiritualist medium Derek Acorah.

Famous for over-acting worthy of a Mexican soap opera, Derek was the reason for ever watching TV’s Most Haunted programmes. Now, rather than using his column to tell ghost stories, he takes genuine letters from members of the public who may have encountered weird things in their homes or lives. He then tells them, quite matter of factly, that these events are caused either by their spirit guide or by their loved ones, who drop in from the spirit plane every now and again to spread their love and peace. They also like to let you know they are around (usually by scaring the bejesus out of you!)
Derek even described the after-life. He has first hand information you see, from nattering to spirits all his life. He explained it away in his columns, simply in terms of what we would call a comfortable life.
In his ‘world of spirit’ everyone has a nice home and is happy. The sun shines. There are no high-rise buildings; we all live in bungalows! Ex-footballers even compete in teams of all time greats and we all go and watch them and smile.
Then if we want to see our still living loved ones, we simply decide to go and watch them and move their pictures around a bit.
In literature however, the bright future seems to have died. Possibly the most famous dystopia was created by George Orwell in 1984. This future world manages to snuff out all love, character and defiance from the protaganist, Smith, his lover and, hence, the reader.
Yet even Orwell is not without hope, writing: “If there was hope, it lay in the proles.� Who the proles represent in our current society is open to large debate.
Perhaps the proles are now the great swathes of middle-classes that have such power and numbers in this country but choose ‘things’ and ‘comforts’ over thoughts and actions?
If this is the case, let's hope they wake up soon.

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