It seems like nearly everyone has some sort of interest or fascination in understanding what, if anything, happens after someone has passed away. There are several theories and beliefs about whether death is the end or if there is an alternative experience that occurs.
Understanding Biocentrism
Biocentrism, a concept created by Dr. Robert Lanza, notes that time and space are not the reality, but merely human's reality. This means that people use this information to make sense of the world surrounding them. Lanza also focuses on what happens when people aren't looking and posits that this is not the only reality, just people's reality. When one dies, "there's a break in linear consciousness", meaning that death is merely part of one reality, but there are many other realities and universes that you carry on in (in fact infinite). Underlying this concept is the notion that death does not really exist, and it is an illusion of people's current reality. Experiments that have illustrated this concept include:
- The observation effect demonstrated by Weizmann Institute illustrated that electrons behaved differently when observed versus when they weren't observed. This means that the researcher shaped the reality of the experiment by simply observing and noting the reality of it.
- Quantum superposition means that a single atom can be in several places at the same time, but only when it is not being observed.
- Nicolas Gisin created the entangled photon experiment, which illustrated that light particles that had been entangled and then separated by miles in differing villages were connected outside the bounds of people's reality of time and space. When one researcher manipulated one photon, its twin experienced the same reaction faster than the speed the light.
Religious Views of Death and What May Come Next
Different religions have various views on what happens at the moment of death and after someone has passed away. Keep in mind that not every individual who identifies as a believer in a certain religion will have these general beliefs. Everyone's beliefs can have certain nuances, while others may follow their religion to the book. Some generalized common beliefs include:
- Rebirth is a common belief associated with Buddhism, as well as eventually reaching Nirvana.
- Heaven and hell are common beliefs in Christianity indicating a belief in the afterlife.
- Those who identify as Mormon may believe that the spirit and body reunite in Heaven.
- Those who identify as Greek Orthodox tend to believe in living eternally, and the body and spirit are brought together again after one has passed away.
- Those who identify as Hindu believe in many gods, as well as reincarnation and reaching Nirvana.
- Those who identify as Muslim tend to believe in an afterlife where one either goes to heaven or hell.
- Some individuals who identify as Jewish believe in heaven and hell, while others do not.
The Multiverse
The notion of the multi-verse, or parallel universe, posits that people's observable reality is limited and there are an infinite amount of possibilities in infinite realities. This means that when you die in this universe, there's an alternate universe where you continue to live on without an awareness of alternate versions of yourself.
Differing Viewpoints Regarding Death
There are many perspectives on whether or not death is the end of everything. From research to varying religious beliefs, there are a multitude of different concepts and theories surrounding this fascinating topic.
