Death (Part 1)
Chapter from “Culture Is Not Your Friend: Sex, Death, Drugs & Madness”.
Death.
Next to sex, this is the scariest word in the English language. Death is the ultimate mystery, the last journey we will ever make - into unknown territory. Share on X
What Happens When You Die?
So what is death, scientifically speaking? And what happens to the body when you die?
If you divide death into two stages, the first will be what is known as clinical death. This is when your heart and respiratory functions stop. This only lasts between 4-6 minutes.
The second part is the slow degeneration of your body, its cells and organs – biological death.
Near Death Experiences
Those who have been brought back from the brink of death occasionally report strange experiences. In the US, an estimated 8 million people have had a Near Death Experience (NDE), and talk about floating above their bodies and seeing what goes on around them after they are clinically dead.
Some also speak of a tunnel of light and being greeted by deceased family members. Are these experiences just the result of a dying brain, or is there something more to it?
Is the brain a separate computer which ceases to function once the power is turned off at the moment of death, thereby causing the loss of data, the person’s soul, experiences and consciousness?
“Vanderbilt University researchers have found evidence that awareness or consciousness results from widespread communication across sensory and association areas of the cortex — challenging previous hypotheses that changes in restricted areas of the brain were responsible for producing awareness. “ – Kurzweil Accelerating Intelligence, “Network theory suggests consciousness is global in the brain”
Consciousness inside the brain is not localised, but global, researchers have now found. What if consciousness outside the brain is possible and has a similar function?
What if a person and their brain are simply a node in a network, capable of creating, storing, sending and receiving data? If we are nodes in a network, the data (our experiences and consciousness) will continue to exist elsewhere after death. Share on X
Maybe this is why some people claim to remember their past lives, as those experiences are still available to be accessed in the network?
Is Death Final?
The notion that death is the final word is a popular and acceptable one in the West. It is a natural consequence of the ideas of science and its materialist view of the universe.
Death means that your body is no longer functioning, and since the body is you – you are dead. The end. There is no soul, there is no disembodied consciousness, there is no afterlife. You are gone and you will not return. End of story. Atheists seem to have a preference for this view.
The Christian view is that after death, souls either go to spend eternity in Heaven or Hell, possibly making a pit stop in Purgatory on route. Or maybe life is Purgatory, where the souls are cleansed in preparation for eternity?
According to Gnostic teachings, Hell no longer exists. In the Gospel of Nicodemus, Jesus descended into Hell and released all souls, including those of Adam and Eve – the creators of original sin. And since all our sins are forgiven, Hell is no longer an option.
“The King of glory stretched out His right hand, and took hold of our forefather Adam, and raised him. Then turning also to the rest, He said: Come all with me, as many as have died through the tree which he touched: for, behold, I again raise you all up through the tree of the cross. Thereupon He brought them all out .” – Gospel of Nicodemus, Chapter 8 (24)
Some say that life on Earth is Hell. You may be lucky enough to inhabit a quiet corner of it, but it is Hell nonetheless.
Or, maybe this is really Heaven, and Hell is simply in our heads.
“The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven.” – John Milton, “Paradise Lost”
The modern spiritual view is that death is not final. That there is consciousness after death, but no one is exactly sure how it works. Share on X The more common theory is that your consciousness continues to exist in another dimension. But what is this other plane of existence? And what happens there? Here the theories multiply.
You meet your loved ones and live happily ever after in some other dimension. You meet with God, the Light, the source – whatever you call it, cease to exist as an individual and become incorporated into the Godhead. Or you accept the Hindu and Buddhist views of Karma and rebirth and maybe add your own personal twist to it. Or, (my personal favourite) you continue your existence in another form and are able to visit the Earth as a ghost.
I keep thinking I will return as a particularly rambunctious ghost. That I will forever haunt all places of government, causing mayhem whenever politicians propose ridiculous laws and regulations. But according to science I will just rot away and get eaten by worms. However, when I am dead and gone and you see a politician drop his drawers while speaking bull, it may just be me playing around.
Which makes me wonder: If they do discover that there is an afterlife, will they try to regulate it?
Methods Of Disposing Of The Dead
Why is this topic of what happens to your body after you die so difficult to talk about?
Contemplating your own death is seen by many as morbid. They know death is inevitable, but they do not want to plan for it. They have no last will and testament, they never talk of organ donation, if they want to be buried or cremated, what songs they want played at their funeral and so on.
This could be a way to avoid thinking about death, or it could be that they believe funerals are only for the benefit of the living, and that these things should be left for them to decide. You are dead anyway so it no longer matters to you. Others have carefully considered their options and have very detailed last requests.
As for disposing of the dead, there are several options to choose from, such as burial, cremation and embalming.
Or, how about turning the deceased into a diamond? They were precious in life, and now they will remain precious in death. But what happens if they get lost or stolen?
“Officer, I want to report a theft.”
“Alright, son. What was stolen?”
“My Grandmother.”
“Excuse me? Are you saying she was kidnapped?”
“No, stolen. You have to find her.”
“OK, son. Describe her for me. “
“She’s tiny, about 4 carats, princess cut and set in a white gold ring.”
“Is this a prank? Will somebody please escort this clown outta here!”
Another option that you might want to consider is turning into a tree after you die. If you get cremated your ashes can be put into a biodegradable Bios Urn, which contains a seed. When this urn is buried, the seed inside grows into a tree.
Maybe birds will nest in your tree. Maybe young lovers will sit under your branches and carve their names into your trunk. Maybe cats will scratch you and dogs will piss on you…
Anyway, you get the idea.
All I am saying is that you have plenty of options. Whether you are interested in spending eternity being eaten by worms, want to be turned into a diamond or a dog’s urinal, there is something out there for you, and your loved ones.
© Merlyn Gabriel Miller
