Not so long ago—remember, I read old books—living to 60 was considered a full life. I’ve passed that and while I’m in no hurry to shuffle off this mortal coil, I often think of how improved medical practice has prolonged many lives. This is a good thing, but it does make death a more difficult fact to deal with. If there is any good that came from my Fundamentalist upbringing, it was that it taught me early on to think about death with some frequency. I’m not a particularly morbid person, but since we all have to face this, avoidance seems to lead to grief, shock, and acute mental pain. I tend to consider watching horror movies a spiritual practice. Little reminders, in case I forget to consider my own mortality today.
Our faith in science is a little bit misplaced. Sure, it helps enormous numbers of people live longer, healthier lives. But it may also detract from the necessity of attending to our spiritual lives. I don’t care if you call it consciousness, your soul, psyche, or mind, but we have a life we’re accountable to, and it’s not all physical. Since consciousness feels neutral enough, let’s go with that. We don’t know what happens to our consciousness after death. There are plenty of theories and ideas about it, but no certain knowledge. There may be faith, and there may even be some evidence, but it is always disputed. It does seem to me that facing death squarely on may help take care of at least some of the anxiety. Fear of the unknown is probably the greatest fear our species possesses, so pondering it may take the edge off a bit.
Some people claim to remember past lives. Sometimes I wonder if they might be tapping into the great unknown: consciousness. Perhaps consciousness survives without a physical body. Perhaps it’s large—expansive—and encompasses far more than we can imagine. Maybe some people can access part of that consciousness that includes the past lives of others. We have no way of knowing, but it seems worth thinking about on this All Souls Day. Of course, I have the advantage of having lived what used to be considered a full life. In it I have set aside at least a little time each day to consider what happens after this. Do I have a definitive answer? No. I do have faith and I do have beliefs. And I’m always reflective on All Souls Day.
Frans Hals, Young Man holding a Skull (Vanitas), public domain via Wikimedia Commons
