A Little Break From Politics
What Happens After Death?
I have long been interested in the widely differing views, beliefs, and expectations people have about death and what comes next. Some base their views on religion, most often one they grew up with or are surrounded by culturally. Others base their views on long and deep thinking about the subject, trying to apply reason, intellect, and spiritual aspects – not an easy task.
I’ll share my views sometime in the future in another post (one sure to agitate a lot of folks, one way or the other). But for this round, let’s have a little fun with one potential intermediate outcome.
Meet the Genie
Suppose your time comes and you are surprised to find yourself standing before someone who looks like a mythical genie. No magic lamp in sight, but otherwise he/she (your call) looks the part. The genie advises that shortly you will move on to the next stage, and you will be advised at that moment what comes next. You wonder the possibilities. Heaven? Hell? Purgatory? Reincarnation? Becoming a set of particles, substance or energy, to reintegrate with the Universe? Something else you have not even imagined?
The genie interrupts your thoughts with a surprising statement. While here with the genie you may ask three questions. Absolutely anything you want to know (except what happens to you personally next – that is coming). Anything large or small, your question will be answered. What do you want to know? What an interesting situation! You could obtain the answer to absolutely anything you wished to know, but only three choices and after that, who knows what happens. Have fun thinking about your three questions.
Bill’s Three Questions, At Least As Of Today
I have always wondered about a lot of things. If I am anything, it is curious – about almost everything. To get your juices flowing about your questions, I will share mine.
Question 1: I have long thought – sensed, actually – that the entire universe is connected in some grand and in some small ways. That there is something of a consciousness, almost like a computer but more organic (not to be confused with a god- people tend to invent those). Science now tells us that the Universe seems to be organized and, in some ways, seems to function much like a brain. What is the truth? Is the Universe connected at all levels or not? Is our own planet organized in that way perhaps?
Question 2: My species (well, the one I belonged to before I died) is just starting to figure out how complex animals are and we are making rudimentary progress in cross-species communication. The question is this: How much thought, memory, emotion, and intellect actually exists in animals and what surprises would we find if we could truly communicate with them?
Question 3: Another Space question. A bit of a cheat, in that it is a two-parter (hoping the genie is feeling generous today). It goes like this: We have only an inkling of the size and scope of the Universe. Is the one we know the entire Universe or one of many or simply the latest iteration and how many intelligent species are out there. Will any species ever (or has already) managed to travel the distances that now seem to us beyond our reach to any appreciable degree? In other words, can or has anyone gone beyond their own galaxy? It would take us 100,000 years to traverse our galaxy at the speed of light. Is everyone or everything so limited in reach?
OK, Your Turn
I will take an email if you wish but would love it if you entered a comment on this blog, sharing your questions (up to three of them) with others. What makes your list? Maybe you could also share why these are your questions.
We played a game not unlike this a few years ago on this blog. The reference was to a wonderful Steve Allen show (remember him? A real Renaissance Man.) He created a show called A Meeting of Minds. In that show, he was able to assemble people from all across history to come together in one room and have a conversation about big and small issues. The one I remember best featured Cleopatra, Genghis Khan, and Thomas Edison, if memory serves. I asked my readers what 3 people – famous or not – would you invite.
We had a lot of fun with that. Let’s do the same today. Share your questions.
Bill Clontz
If you find this blog worthy of your time and curiosity, I invite you to do three things:
(1) Join the conversation. Your voice counts here.
(2) Share the word about this post with friends and colleagues. Share a link in your emails and social media posts (https://agentsofreason.com).
(3) You are welcome to share this post with anyone. It is easy to pass on via email, of course, but also on Facebook, Blue Sky, LinkedIn, or Reddit; simply click on the links for these services at the end of this article.
Let’s grow our circle.