Death

Have you ever wondered what happens to us when we die? Yes, I am aware that there are different theories people have come up with, most of which stems from various religious believes. But for a moment, can you step out of that box religion and society has placed you and imagine what it happens or what it feels like to die? My apologies to religious folks, I mean no offence with my reference to religion as a box. It is an attempt to get you out of what you have always been told as you will agree with me that we live in a world where religion and society drives our believe system. And if you belong to the category of people who find my discussion on the subject somewhat assaulting to the senses, I would say ‘please snap out of it already’.

Death is inevitable. It is all around us whether we fail to acknowledge it or not. It is a common leveler; not respecting persons. It does not have special preference, anyone or anything would do. Old or young, rich or poor, male or female, human or animal, it does not matter. It is the one thing we would all experience whether we like it or not. Death is a vehicle, a transition between here and hereafter. Death is a part of living; it’s just like every other thing that happens to us. We eat, we sleep, we cry, we laugh, we walk, we run, we live and we die. It is that simple.

There are many description of what people say happens when we die. Of course we know that the heart stops beating, but the question is what happens to the mind and soul? What exactly does it feel like? Sometimes, I wonder if it is just like we see in the movies where your life flashes before your eyes, and you step out of your body and walk towards ‘the light’ until you disappear. Sometimes I also wonder if it is like my Sunday school teacher taught me where death is described as falling into deep darkness if you have been ‘bad’ or flying into the skies if you have been ‘good’. Most times I am not satisfied with these descriptions; they lack the depth I think dying entails. Details like what happens to your will, memory and feelings in that moment should be described. Not that I would know, after all I am very much alive.

I propose that how you feel in that final moment when you come face to face with death and you realize that ‘this is it’ is a direct result of the quality of life you have lived. The quality of life you have lived is measured by how well you are able to achieve your purpose or like some will call it, destiny. The truth is that we are all on a quest to find our bliss, to discover our purpose and claim our destiny. It is only those who are able to achieve this that will be fulfilled enough to smile through death. Somewhere deep within our subconscious is the blueprint to discovering who we are meant to be but religious demands and social expectations have inhibited the originality of our individuality so that it becomes increasingly difficult to access who we really are. Life is very short and living someone else life with the little time we have is foolish. Death is the final whistle and not knowing when it will blow only makes it more intriguing. My advice is to live everyday like it is your last chance to be ‘you’.