Life after Death

Ideas, thoughts, character, memories are the conclusions of our minds.

Usually, what we hold true and adopt into our personality are ideas that were passed on to us by these mechanisms.

But the more we uphold our individual personality, the more we’re bound to walk into a trap. It is when we abandon the concept of individuality, of which life after death is merely an extension, that we are free to shape our lives whichever way we want.

It’s like a fun game. All games are designed to absorb us to the full. And still most games are better played when we don’t forget that they’re just games.

Our ideas, thoughts, character and memories live on in as much as we pass them on to our children or peers, just as we have acquired them from our parents and peers.

The fact that we perceive these ideas, thoughts, character and memories in that particular combination to be us, is an achievement of our memory towards a certain purpose.

Whatever we think about life, it’s a model. We need models, because we’re sense-making creatures, not because there is a meaning to life.

So I’m free to adopt a model that I feel works best.

As an exercise, walk into an old-folks home and watch people’s memories fade away. Their personality fades. And yet you can’t say that the person is gone. Just the same as a baby, that hasn’t developed a personality yet, you can’t say that he/she is not a person. In my opinion we need a life model that includes these and other fringe-type of situations (mental illness, coma, paranormal, etc)

The latest research simply shows that need for a better model. The more we know about the brain, the more we have to adapt our models. And I’m not convinced that the model of individuality serves towards our happiness. It does serve towards our survival, that is sure. That’s why, when you touch on it, people instantly relate such a move to death and yearn for a life beyond.

One question…

As long as I can think back, there was only one subject I ever pursued – with persistent commitment. Yes, there were other pathways, but they were picking-daisies kinds, never holding my attention for long. Nothing could quench that quest not even family and children. While I had a fabulous go at it, I was running a comprehensive experiment to supply me with data about my one and only question: what is life?
There is a dilemma though: how can you objectively look at life, while you’re alive? Yet what other chance have I? Or rather has my mind?
To life itself my being alive or dead is a negligible factor; it’s my mind that is making the difference and wants to understand life.
Obviously, the experiment isn’t over until I take my last breath, but I can always give an update as to the progress…
So the latest update is:
Ta Taaaa:
There is no life except in the body. All reality is in the body. And when you consider that the body functions without the mind most of the time, then the notion that life is in the world must be a construct.
It seems to me that the mind notoriously disrespects the body and there for creates reasons of its own. Perhaps it’s merely oblivious, but the mind has the gift of focusing on what’s important.
When the body is healthy the mind isn’t aware of it, turning outward to the world.
Maintaining awareness of the body is living, and living well.

Summer is over

Thinking back over the summer in Romania, what stood out is the executive role I consistently took in order to get things done. There was no letting up, one thing led to the other, and I got the hang of it after an initial rough phase.

My life here in Germany consists of flowing with events, rather than initiating processes. If I wished to do so, I’d have to up my lifestyle which is cumbersome. Here, being on the active side of life doesn’t increase my quality of life. Not so in Romania. Every little thing I do makes my life better.

This year, settling back into the winter routine seems uncomfortable. The confines feel narrow and I can’t find my step. Feels like changes are ahead.