WHY?

That is a colossal question isn’t it?

Why…

….Such a simple word with such complex trappings. I meditated on the word WHY for over an hour yesterday… WHY?  Why do we live… why do we die? They are pretty important questions and many times we take them for granted. Some might even consider it an intimate or personal question. Not only is the concept of death something many people are uncomfortable talking about it is also considered somewhat private and taboo. As for origin, much like the concept of death and an afterlife, its root or quality is heavily laden with religious dogma. No wonder everyone wants to take a detour away from such questions.

Why?

Birth and Death are part of an adapted cycle of life – an exchange of energy; and we will all experience it eventually. Many of our loved ones and friends have already crossed the threshold of mortality – some too soon. Still, it is something we all cannot and will not escape. Kind of sounds depressing doesn’t it?

For many it is depressing. For many there is this dark cloud of nagging passive dread. Why? When, how and where? Will it hurt? Will my thoughts cease to exist?

Here are some blogger comments when asked if they are afraid to die:

I have no fear of being dead…but I am afraid of suffering… (English girl)

Personally am not looking forward to it, but I know it’s coming a little closer everyday.. (Minon of)

I have a fear of the unknown (PatriotH)

Those who live away from God are afraid of death (Tiger)

BONUS: I’m not afraid of dying. I just don’t want to be there when it happens (Woody Allen)

That is just a small sampling but from my social experience the driving factor for the nagging dread of death is FEAR. Fear of death is a major component in the pillars of religion; more precisely, the fear of what comes after death. Do we face a black, soundless eternity devoid of all thought and feeling? Religions assure us that there is life after death. For some, life itself is an arduous journey of all work and no play and seeing many loved ones die before you. Believing there is a rebirth or an afterlife of peace and relaxation is a major aspect supporting religious interest. Religions bring many peace of mind that hard work, suffering, and faith are the keys to a heavenly paradise.

But in this day and age – we are a society that sits at the brink of realization; pondering whether religion may just be mythology. That religious dogma may perpetuate this fear. The question becomes: What is fear? Well, there is fight or flight in response to fear and then there is the social/psychosomatic version of fear that is born from the ego. The ego perpetuates a false-self that feeds on fear, anger, addiction,  self-gratification as well as fantasy.  With the treats of heaven and the threats of hell fear is mostly a social learned trait. We were not born to fear and I would imagine there will be no fear after death. So, coupled with ego and the suffering that seems intrinsic to our being – it is no wonder religion was invented. But is it enough to believe in an origin and afterlife on just blind faith?

What if I told you astrophysicists are uncovering some fascinating theories on our origin and afterlife. My next two blog posts will focus on cosmic origin/cessation and our own humanistic origin and cessation based on philosophy and science. This stuff fascinates me and I look forward to sharing some insights from the realm of the Responsive Universe.

John C. Bader

www.responsiveuniverse.com