I’ve seen some discussion recently regarding the afterlife – either the belief in eternal nothingness, the idea that something perpetuates when the body dies, etc etc. And there are people here that hold each of those views, and a hundred of variances in between. I felt that would add my two cents (.007 cents after taking inflation and currency exchanges into account).
The ‘big question’, as many cultures see it, is what (if anything) waits for us when this body dies. I believe that we truly cannot know with absolute certainty, for many reasons. Sure, it makes sense scientifically that once the electronic processes inside our bodies cease to function, that any modicum of what would classically be called a ‘soul’ or ‘spirit’ would also fade out. Like a light bulb being switched off, as the electricity leaves the element, the light ceases to shine. End of story.
Or, maybe not. Consider that same science, which is an ever-growing exercise to understand the nature of the universe around and within us. One hundred fifty years ago, there were wavelengths of light that we had no idea existed. As little as ten years ago, things like the Higgs-Boson particle were theorized, but not observed. Many highly educated people were uncertain that it existed, or that we could ever ‘prove’ in any meaningful way, that it existed. But, with time, patience, and science, we did prove the Higgs-Boson was real, and observable.
So who is to say that the same may not be true of the spirit? That, in some form, the essence of us continues to experience awareness, in a way we simply cannot observe and measure.
So, what about the afterlife? Like the very concept of the soul, I believe the notion has been framed in a way that humans could relate to; and lets face it, for most people living today, concepts that are abstract, or go beyond what they can see or feel without thinking about it, are far too complex. It’s only when you introduce math, science, quantum mechanics, etc, that a truly ever expanding universe of possibilities starts to become imaginable, let alone relatable.
I for one take comfort in the mystery of it all. If this really is all there is, here and now, in this moment, then each moment is still an undiscovered country, ripe for exploration. But, in the infinitesimal chance that even a sub-atomic particle of our life essence continues to experience any form of self-aware existence after these vessels have stopped living, what wonders could await you? Sure, it is unknowable for us in this form of existence. But there is always tomorrow 😉
