Death is our greatest fear, and our only certainty. Lucky for us that, for the most part, life is so busy and interesting that we rarely contemplate it – for to do so would leave us a miserable species, indeed.
This said, it is quite likely that the first expression of known religion, culture and art came because of death. As long as 30,000 years ago, we left evidence of ritual burial. Indeed, until recently, death was central to our culture.
Also of vital importance was the idea of afterlife. Death simply could not be the end. There had to be more, so we had to have continuance upon death. From the Christian heaven, to mythological lands and palaces, death was transition from one existence to another.
I think I’m dying, I think I’m done,
so much living, it’s been such fun;
I’m not sure that I deserve to die,
I’ve been good and vibrant, never sly
Life’s for living in all it’s glory,
literature has told its marvellous story;
Musicians and artists; life, they adore,
damn it! I love it! I want more!
Life’s a wonder, to be understood,
I’m not to be snatched through lack of blood;
science and philosophy got it to a tee,
imbuing us all with curiosity
But as I face my final breaths,
I contemplate: will it be the fiery depths?
Please! I can’t take this thing called Hell,
to send me ‘up’ – that’d be swell
Heaven sounds much more to my taste,
but still don’t send with so much haste;
Maybe neither exist at all,
did we create them, ‘cos we feel small?
Life seems just too short to take,
so an afterlife we’d naturally make;
Without it, then what’s it all about?
All that knowledge, of which we shout
Maybe we become universal essence,
that would be so very pleasant;
But not yet, not me, my heart does ache,
for more life, to partake;
So, God,
give me a break!
(c) Anthony North, February 2008
This is a post inspired by Totally Optional Prompts. Have you had a go yet?
A Little Xtra – IMAGES OF AFTERLIFE
From where does our idea of afterlife come from? Many people, today, claim to have near death experiences, where they rise from their body, travel down a tunnel, and meet a bright light that questions whether death should yet come.
Intriguingly, there have been experiments on deep faints, and often similar symbolism can be remembered, usually aping the cultural inheritance of the experiencer. Is this evidence of a form of ‘symbolic’ afterlife deep in our psyche?
Ancient tribal ritual was known to be based on hysterical dancing forms, resulting in the deep faint. It was viewed as a process of death and rebirth, with the adept ‘dying’ and coming back to life.
With such a cultural inheritance, it is hardly surprising we have religions.
(c) Anthony North, February 2008
