There are as many ideas and concepts about post-mortal existence as there are people on this planet. In the vast universe, the conceptualization of what happens after death is likely, well, universal.

We hold onto our life. We sometimes go to extreme means to prolong it. And sometimes, we choose to end it by our own hand.

Regardless of how it happens, we all will die. Cease to exist in this particular form and manner.

So, naturally we wonder, where do we go?

Is it me, or my idea of myself, that exists outside the corporeal me?

Is it some ethereal existence, sans a physical form?

Or is it merely the atoms that once took my form follow the rules of physics and bind into another?

Where do we go? Where have those that have gone before us got themselves to?

No hard evidence exists of anyone ever coming back (despite the Bible or Shirley Maclaine’s claim to the contrary).

So, where did they go?

Is our composition of stardust our only path, reverting to that molecular essence?

I hope we do return to the stars. Taking on forms in locations we can only dream of. Becoming, once again, a living part of the universe.

Those that would have us ascend (which way is up by the way? It changes as we rotate in our current world) to heaven or descend (same direction issue) to hell show signs of self-limiting human thought.

I imagine a different ascension.

While my human self-awareness may end, each of the atoms and molecules of my brain that power my consciousness will continue.

Matter can neither be destroyed or created.

The law of conservation of mass, or principle of mass conservation, states that for any system closed to all transfers of matter and energy (both of which have mass), the mass of the system must remain constant over time, as system mass cannot change quantity if it is not added or removed. Hence, the quantity of mass is “conserved” over time. (Wikipedia definition)

Hence, while I will die, the matter that is me will not cease to exist. And since no one has ever come back, there must be something to it.

Now, understand something, this is no death wish. I intend to continue on this level of existence for as long as I can. There is much to do, much to experience, many things to live for.

As things come into my mind, compelling me to write, one of the things I contemplate is the end of life. As you age, it becomes more apparent that each day brings you closer.

By thinking about the realities of our physical world, by trying to understand the concepts of physics and all it’s weird possibilities, multiple universes, string theory, quantum theory, by the simple act of looking into the night sky and seeing the immense universe, one cannot help but imagine the possibilities of existence after this human experience.

So, where do we go from here? No one has the answer. Religions have tried to corner the market by selling a guarantee on the post-human experience. While many are well-intentioned, I think they lack true imagination.

Our minds, our ability to dream, our ability to think is our most precious asset. If we can imagine it, we can do it.

By using that same ingenuity in contemplating our post-human experience, I believe we can see the infinite possibilities of our continued existence.

While I enjoy this level of existence, I believe there is something to look forward to when the time comes.