The conversations are imaginary as the title says. The meeting place is purgatory, or Summerland. The people here (men) have survived the grave. That is a big issue. Many who died are atheists and can hardly believe they are still alive, and they linger in the corners up there until their minds are clear. Women are separated from the men. They are being treated in another part of purgatory. The average time a person spends there is about 150 years. So that is a lot of time for most of them to work out their problems. All their actions and sins committed on earth are recorded, so they can hardly dispute the evidence against them.
