Death: The End of Life - Destruction - Extinction
The title of this post is taken directly from the Merriam-Webster dictionary's definition of death.
On two separate occasions, I have received comments via the communication page of my novel Levels' website criticizing the use of the term "died" instead of "passed on" whenever describing a character's demise as being crude or insensitive. Coincidentally, an attendee at a recent funeral service in which I was asked to deliver the eulogy also expressed their dismay regarding the use of the word "died" instead of "passed away".
I personally do not believe in life after death in any form. For me, death is the cessation of existence. Except for a few famous people, most are forgotten within a couple of generations after their death. It is as though they never existed. Someone once told me that everyone dies twice - once when their lungs, heart and brain cease to function and again when people stop talking about them.
Eventually, we all die. We do not pass away, pass on, move on, sleep eternally or go to a better palce. We die.
This is not an easy concept to accept. After all, as far as we are concerned, the world began when we became cognizant of it. The only thing we know about the world is what we ourselves have seen, experienced, read about or heard. Our ego makes it difficult to imagine a world or any other form of existence that does not include us.
Whether you agree or disagree is your prerogative. If you choose to believe that death is merely a gateway to another form of existence that includes an eternity of happiness, perfect health, reunion with loved ones and universal harmony, so be it. One of us wrong.
The only thing that really bothers me is the fact that, if I'm wrong, I and everyone else will eventually become aware that I was wrong. If I am right, no one, including me, will ever realize that I was right. Now that, my ego does have trouble accepting.
On two separate occasions, I have received comments via the communication page of my novel Levels' website criticizing the use of the term "died" instead of "passed on" whenever describing a character's demise as being crude or insensitive. Coincidentally, an attendee at a recent funeral service in which I was asked to deliver the eulogy also expressed their dismay regarding the use of the word "died" instead of "passed away".
I personally do not believe in life after death in any form. For me, death is the cessation of existence. Except for a few famous people, most are forgotten within a couple of generations after their death. It is as though they never existed. Someone once told me that everyone dies twice - once when their lungs, heart and brain cease to function and again when people stop talking about them.
Eventually, we all die. We do not pass away, pass on, move on, sleep eternally or go to a better palce. We die.
This is not an easy concept to accept. After all, as far as we are concerned, the world began when we became cognizant of it. The only thing we know about the world is what we ourselves have seen, experienced, read about or heard. Our ego makes it difficult to imagine a world or any other form of existence that does not include us.
Whether you agree or disagree is your prerogative. If you choose to believe that death is merely a gateway to another form of existence that includes an eternity of happiness, perfect health, reunion with loved ones and universal harmony, so be it. One of us wrong.
The only thing that really bothers me is the fact that, if I'm wrong, I and everyone else will eventually become aware that I was wrong. If I am right, no one, including me, will ever realize that I was right. Now that, my ego does have trouble accepting.
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J
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May 12, 2014 08:37AM
Amen
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J wrote: "Amen"J,
You are still the most loyal and dependable follower of this blog.
Thank you for taking the time to post a comment.
Jim
I certainly wouldn't want to raise anybody's hopes about life after death, but I think you should bear in mind the following:
Whether life after death is possible depends on whether mental activity (i.e. our experience of seeing, hearing, feeling and so on) is created by brain activity, or merely correlated with it. Scientists tend to assume the latter, but in fact no-one knows: it isn't a scientific question but a philosophical one, and philosophers are divided about it, and likely to remain so.
If brain activity creates mental activity, then of course when the brain dies the mental activity stops for good, and that's the end of us. But if the two are merely correlated, then in theory mental activity could continue after the brain stops working.
I've been agnostic on this question for many years, and I've learned to accept that it's only by dying that I'll find out which answer is right, and perhaps not even then. It seems ironic that we can only find out the answer to what is perhaps life's most important question by ceasing to live.
Whether life after death is possible depends on whether mental activity (i.e. our experience of seeing, hearing, feeling and so on) is created by brain activity, or merely correlated with it. Scientists tend to assume the latter, but in fact no-one knows: it isn't a scientific question but a philosophical one, and philosophers are divided about it, and likely to remain so.
If brain activity creates mental activity, then of course when the brain dies the mental activity stops for good, and that's the end of us. But if the two are merely correlated, then in theory mental activity could continue after the brain stops working.
I've been agnostic on this question for many years, and I've learned to accept that it's only by dying that I'll find out which answer is right, and perhaps not even then. It seems ironic that we can only find out the answer to what is perhaps life's most important question by ceasing to live.
Chris wrote: "I certainly wouldn't want to raise anybody's hopes about life after death, but I think you should bear in mind the following:Whether life after death is possible depends on whether mental activit..."
Chris,
Your theory is thought-provoking and intelligent.
As you point out, it is ironic that the answer to whether or not some form of an individual's existence continues beyond death will only be provided at the time of death.
If the answer is "No!", no one will ever know it.
Thank you very much for taking the time to post such a plausible addendum to the original premise.
Jim
