Andrea Leyton-Mange: What Happens When We Die?

[Andrea Leyton- Mange]

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Death is life's only certainty. The sad truth is that all of us will die, and not one of us knows first-hand exactly what the experience entails.

This isn't the easiest concept to deal with. Fear of death is one of the strongest instincts we have. If we are able to keep our own death at bay for long enough to enjoy a long, full life, we will have to suffer through the deaths of those we know and love.

Death encompasses the human conditions of personal tragedy, fear of the unknown, and the nature of the connection between mind and body. That it touches on all these concepts makes it prime ground for supernatural explanations. Rituals and superstitions involving death abound, and most religions make reference to some sort of afterlife. I am a rationalist, so I don't believe in superstition or the afterlife. My belief is that nothing happens when we die except that we cease to live.

To believe in an afterlife would be to believe that the essence of a person is an entity separate from the body. A person is certainly more than just a body; a whole person encompasses body, mind, experience, belief, personality, decisions, and relationships with others. When our bodies die, however, the brain and all it contains dies with it. Because I believe that the brain (not a soul, spirit, or other supernatural entity) houses the all-important workings of the mind, I don't believe that there is any part of us that literally lives on after death. The only part of us that continues its existence after death is the effect we had on the world around us.

Because I neither believe in God nor the afterlife, I also don't believe in Heaven or Hell. If I had to guess, I would say that this is probably the biggest reason atheists are so frightening to the American public. Since I don't believe in divine judgment, a lot of theists don't see why I should care about the welfare of others, much less what happens after I die. The truth is that it makes me feel good to help others, and helping the people and animals of the future by promoting environmental awareness and world peace gives me the same satisfaction. Since the only way I can live on after death is through my actions in life, there is a kind of real Heaven in the fact that the world after my death will be a better place because I will have done good.

I don't believe that the body is linked to a spirit after death, so I also don't believe that it matters to the dead what happens to their bodies. Whether they are cremated, buried, prayed over or wept for is really only important to the survivors. The body is an empty vessel after a person's brain no longer functions. For this reason, I have chosen to be an organ donor and wish that the rest of my body will be donated to science. But that's just my wish for myself—a dead body does have meaning to the loved ones of the deceased, so the decision is ultimately up to them.

Religious death rituals like burial ceremonies and the evocation of an afterlife arise as an attempt to comfort the family and friends of a deceased person during what is an extremely trying time. It doesn't matter what rituals take place, as long as the survivors are doing what makes them feel best. Whether you believe in Heaven or not, dealing with the death of a loved one is extraordinarily difficult. You can only hope that eventually your grief will turn to acceptance, and that you can be thankful that the person you loved ever lived at all.

My belief in the finality of death makes me serious about a lot of life's decisions. When I lie on my deathbed, I can't hope for absolution of my sins or for a more fulfilling life. I can only look back on what I did with my time on earth and assess whether I was happy and whether I made the world a better place. There's no going back.

[Isaac Hernandez-Fajardo]

Interesting point. I believe in the existence of God, however your points do not contradict logical facts or the reasoning process. Obviously the question is linked directly to the existence of a superior entity and since no one has ever come back from dead to tell us how it is, the only possible response is based on what each person believes, in your case nothing. Tricky question. Good point. Bye.

[Richard]

You describe my beliefs exactly. Others seem to have such a hard time accepting these views. Congratualtions on expressing your views so clearly.

[TXVagabond]

You expressed essentially the same beliefs I hold as well. Adding to that, I'd like to paraphrase something a friend told me about Heaven and Hell:

Heaven is accepting your life as you lived it in the final moment before you die.
Hell is that same moment tinged with regret.

David

[Pat Hastings]

Since I don't believe in divine judgment, a lot of theists don't see why I should care about the welfare of others, much less what happens after I die. The truth is that it makes me feel good to help others, and helping the people and animals of the future by promoting environmental awareness and world peace gives me the same satisfaction. Since the only way I can live on after death is through my actions in life, there is a kind of real Heaven in the fact that the world after my death will be a better place because I will have done good.
...It doesn't matter what rituals take place, as long as the survivors are doing what makes them feel best.

It seems like your idea is that what you should do in life is whatever makes you feel best. Would you say that's accurate? I guess that's a whole question in itself...