What comes next? The mystery beyond.

I was born Easter Sunday, 1950 in the late afternoon. Had I known early that morning I would be leaving the comfort of my mother’s womb, had I seen even a small glimpse of what was to come, I may have chosen to stay put.  But I didn’t know, and I am glad for that. So it is with my death, it is as mysterious as my pre-birth ignorance. I do not know the hour, the manner, or what follows this life, and I am glad for that, but like many people, the older I get, the more often I contemplate what’s next.

The questions “What is the pre-birth experience? and “Does our human nature transcend physical death?” are the grownup version of the young child’s questions, “Where did I come from?” and “What happens when I die? Although unanswerable, these mysteries have been the subject of culture, art, religion, and science for eons. Moreover, views about pre-birth and the afterlife shape our thinking, decisions and behaviors. What we believe about our pre-existence and the next step after death can have a deep impact on our moral code.

When death occurs, it is natural to think about what happens beyond this life. Indeed death rituals reflect the decedent and survivor’s views. The more pluralistic a society, the more varied the death rituals and corresponding belief systems. For an entirely Christian nation, morality codes and death rituals will be replete with the notion of heaven and hell. Where Hinduism and Buddhism are practiced, reincarnation impacts ideas about life and death. For example, the Caste system is easier to swallow when one believes we live more than one human life. As our nation becomes more pluralistic, the exclusivity of a Christian memorialization of death and a belief in a singular “heaven” is being joined with additional worldviews.

From caveman drawings to the works of Michelangelo, the afterlife is depicted as a place where life continues. Thus, many cultures surround or bury the deceased with food, and other essential items for the journey to the next world. The Irish believe the veil between this world and the next is thinnest around 4:00 A.M. and so they try to connect with their recently departed loved ones at that time. Christian belief in the communion of saints imagines a united community that includes the living and the dead. In recent years science has closely examined NDE (near death experiences) reviewing copious accounts of people whose hearts were arrested and then subsequently reported visiting a place of “light and peace,” commonly interpreted as “heaven.” The simple fact is that none of these practices can be proven through empirical observation. We may have faith in what we believe is next after human life, but like moving out of our mother’s womb at birth, we will have to wait to find out.

We do not know if human nature, soul, spirit, heart or an emotional bank pre-exist or survive physical death, but the mystery is worthy of serious examination. The next time a baby is born or a person you know dies, reflect on your beliefs and how these impact your daily living. Explore the theme of the afterlife in poetry, art, science, film, music or religious canons with which you are unfamiliar. No matter one’s chosen religion, spiritual experience or moral practice, a bereaved person finds themselves in the middle of the mystery of what comes next. There is a plethora of theories to explore and the journey can be very healing.

Einstein believed that the most beautiful emotion we can experience is “mystery.” While I never thought of mystery as an emotion, I concur with his assertion that ”anyone who is a stranger to the mysterious, who cannot any longer wonder or stand rapt in awe is as good as dead.”