Materialism refers to the concept of granting supremacy only to what can be seen with the physical eyes. It is the concept of denying the Beyond, or the possibility of its existence. All attention and focus is then on the material world with no thought of any expanse beyond that. Such people are often atheists.

They are earthbound, as their ethereal bodies cannot take flight when they reach the world beyond. Since they acknowledge only the earth as existing, they are deaf, blind and dumb when the reach the Beyond as through their volition they have expressed their desires not to see or hear of this Beyond. They lie prostrate in there and such souls thrash about dejectedly. It is only through the most extreme suffering that they are set right.

If apart from denying the Beyond, they happen also to be evil-minded, then their suffering is manifold. Many people, in denouncing organised religion throw the child out with the bath. Some of the antagonism that many people have towards organised religion is understandable, but the mistake they make is to confuse organised religion with God. In denying organised religion they also deny God. This is, however, misplaced as God and organised religion are not the same. They may hold whatever opinion about organised religion but they must also pursue their own independent investigation as to the Nature of God. It is after all their responsibility that they find God, not anyone else’s since they bear all the consequences for all their decisions.