Three Views of Death

Call me morbid, but lately – as I find myself careening into my mid-70s – I’ve been giving more thought to Death.

You know: That subject which most people would rather die than talk about.

Ironic, oui?

But the way I view it, there are basically three ways of looking at Death – of what happens upon our death.

Of course nobody – and I mean NOBODY – really knows anything about that, and I’m including all the NDE (Near Death Experience) people who swear they float over their bodies just before they return to them in the operating room or wherever.

I’m sorry. I would LOVE to believe in an Afterlife of some kind, one in which we could all be together again, be young and pretty again, have all our marbles again, etc., etc.

But OK. I get that. These are the kinds of thoughts that sustain us through the hardships and tragedies of Life – and keep us going with hope in our hearts.

But what I’ve come up with is my THREE ways of looking at Death.

They are: First, a new existence that begins at the moment of Death in some other unreal reality somewhere in the Universe. What that might look like, I couldn’t begin to tell you.

The second way is reincarnation – of being reborn in the same physical world but to different parents – at some point in the future. This one, I’ve always looked upon favorably, especially when I hear of seven-year-olds playing Beethoven or graduating from college at age 12.

I mean, how does that happen – other than springboarding off a previous existence?

A third way to look at Death, I believe, is Total Extinction. Black, silent, nothingness. Just somehow becoming re-absorbed into the endless energy of the Universe.

You’ll no doubt notice that none of the three ways I’ve described involve religion. I’m sorry, but I don’t subscribe to ANY religion. As I like to say: “I’m spiritual, but not religious.”

Meaning I am constantly trying to understand the Universe and Life a little more, but through spiritual experience and scientific study.

So here's a deeper look at My Three Ways:

No. 1: We awaken into a wonderful Afterlife. Probably not sitting on puffy clouds and playing a harp, but something indescribably wonderful and rewarding for those who tried to live a Decent Life. 

And for those who didn’t? Well, THEIR Afterlife would perhaps be a whole lot more problematic…

No. 2: We are reincarnated into a new body and a new life on Earth. Another chance to succeed, to be truly happy, to really find Mr./Miss Right this time, etc., etc…

I don’t know. I’m not too excited about reincarnation, despite its young over-achiever examples. For me, doing everything all over again just doesn’t sound that appealing.

And – God forbid – what if I came back as a WOMAN?

Hey, I’m not putting down women here. It’s just been my observation as a man that women have it so much harder than we do. Especially living as we do – mostly across the globe – in very patriarchal societies.

Men can be such jerks.

Women have to carry so much of the burden of the world on their shoulders, including the sacred duties of baby gestation, birth and primary child raising. 

They do most of the work, and men take most of the credit.

So, although I love women and generally respect them much more than men, I just wouldn’t want to be one and have to deal with all they go through.

That leaves No. 3: We die, and that’s it. There is nothing else. Our consciousness simply ends. Maybe – if we’re lucky – our spiritual energy is somehow absorbed back into the Forever Unknown Universe from which it came.

But look: What do I know? It’s just what I currently believe, and I’m offering it to you as food for your own thoughts about Death, which creeps a little closer to us all every day.

And maybe there are many, many more possibilities that I’m not yet aware of -- or that are simply beyond my puny brain to ever conjure up.

I guess we’ll all find out one day. In the meantime, hey, eat, drink and be merry! Or try to live super simply -- like a virginal, monkish do-gooder.

It’s really all up to you.