After Now, What Comes Next?

Two very emotional and powerful moments seem to frame most people's lives. One is the exhilarating experience of looking at the newborn baby swaddled in a warm blanket with a face of innocence, wonder, total trust and in need of unbound love to survive. The second experience, probably the most dramatic, is being present at the moment of someone's death, be it a relative, a close friend, a colleague of arms, even a complete stranger. Regardless of who might that person be, the lifeless expression of his or her face, the coldness of her skin, the absolute inertness confirms that their vital energy is no longer present animating the body. This experience of death as a definite and permanent state has been present in our human reality since man took his/her first baby steps on our planet and became aware that this reality was ever present when a loved one, a dear brother, the mother that cannot be replaced by any other woman, the exemplary father, or the especial relative that departed leaving an empty void that cannot be filled. Death's grip is inexorable, no matter how well we take care of ourselves, how we judiciously choose our healthy food, how much exercise we do to keep the body's functions at top efficiency, how well we manage stress, how deep our spiritual beliefs are, or how positively we create thoughts of wellbeing, peace, and happiness. There comes a time when disabling age takes away our most basic organs' functions, an unforeseen car accident happens, a stray bullet kills you; a tsunami, an earthquake, a cyclone, a hurricane, or a flooding river unexpectedly takes away your life. We will explore as many aspects of this undeniable experience we all humans must face with the aid of science, philosophy, and religion to see if we can find some reassuring and illuminating answers that will serve us as we steer through the undeniable experience of not knowing experientially beforehand what happens after we make this earthly transition.