You are immortal!
“There should be something more,” said my friend, as we discussed how science cannot stop death. “It might prolong life for a few more days, but when it’s time, people die. Even if machines can keep the heart beating and whatnot. There must be a soul.” This was something to ponder upon. Some people believe in the existence of a soul because there is no explanation as to why we haven’t found a way to stop death. However, I do not believe in the concept of a soul. I often wonder if people would find sense in how I see it…
As beings, we are made up of everything around us, existing as a part of a greater whole, always changing forms. Is there ever really an end or a beginning? When we pass away, our physical bodies may transform into the mud, stone, carbon, or something else entirely, but we continue to exist as we always have. Perhaps what we commonly understand as death is merely the cessation of our animation in human form, and although we may appear to disintegrate, we continue to exist in a myriad of other forms, such as bacteria, insects, and phytoplankton.
With each new embodiment, we experience joys and sufferings unique to that particular form. And someday, through a process of merging with millions of other forms, we may once again take on the human form. We form from our parents and ancestors, the food we eat, the air we breathe, and the water we drink. We may someday become a tree, standing tall for hundreds of years, or take on the guise of a stone for thousands of years. Eventually, when the Earth will disintegrate, we will become dust traveling through space, light-years away, fusing with something in a distant galaxy and taking on yet another manifestation.
Everything in the universe is in a constant state of flux, always becoming and unbecoming. So, do we truly die? Or do we exist in some form, always present in the universe? Perhaps our memories disintegrate and merge with the universe’s memory. And what if our dreams and imaginations are simply manifestations of things that have already existed in the universe, communicated to us in ways we cannot yet comprehend? What if the universe has no beginning or end, always changing and never ceasing to exist?
Human life is a mere fragment of the universe, just like the Earth, Sun, and Milky Way. We may be short-lived in our current form, but we are just as full of life as any other part of the universe. We are all interconnected, part of the universe and, at some level, even the universe itself. It is like the eye, a part of our body made up of millions of cells that live, function, and eventually get replaced when they can no longer perform their duties. In the same way, we are constantly changing the cells in our body, much like how the universe is always in a state of flux yet remains whole.
Perhaps, as human beings, we find it more desirable to persist in this form, but perhaps the same is true for all species. Maybe the concept of a soul, a sense of control, makes us believe that we are different from other beings. Maybe every sentient being has the innate drive to survive, to do its best to continue existing in its current form.
Of course, it’s not to say that humans won’t discover ways to prolong our existence in this form, or that the pursuit of longevity is meaningless. Science is already extending the lives of countless people every day, and in the future, we may even replace our skin and nerves with steel and electronics, utilize AI and other advancements to enhance longevity, and potentially add more years to our lives. However, the reality is that nothing is permanent, and we will not be human beings forever. We will inevitably change, just like the planet and the solar system that we are part of. And one day, when the planet will disintegrate and take on a new form, with it, we will change too. In this sense, nothing is truly lost, and nothing truly ceases to exist. And in fact, you are immortal.
