The afterlife, the last frontier. There is no precise conception of what the afterlife is. Many beliefs and ideas have been set forth, such as the incredibly detailed version of Greek Mythology to the Heaven and Hell of Christianity. The afterlife is usually regarded as something spiritual, religious, otherworldly even, but David Eagleman doesn’t state it that way. Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives by David Eagleman has an eye-catching topic. One with many possibilities that in turn can cause uncertainty. It’s not a surprise to see a person who is frightened of something they don’t know or don’t understand. Although the book focuses on what the afterlife may have waiting for us its effect resonates into the now, the time when one is alive. No matter what is on the other side, make the time one has on Earth worth whatever comes after, maybe even more. Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives brings …show more content…
into perspective human mortality and the way it is written brings out a need to understand what is at the core of oneself and humanity. The title is an important part of every book, for Sum the main title and chapter titles foreshadow what is in the stories.
The title, Sum, shoots two birds with one stone. It describes what the first story is about. Which is when all similar moments of our lives add up (tying shoelaces) and you live through it all at once (two days tying up shoelaces). It also describes what the entirety of the book is: a collection of ideas. Parts whose sum add up to something wonderful. Another example is “Reins,” where the concept of the story is a forceful change of command in the afterlife; a change in the handler of the reins. Although some the chapter titles seem as if they could not possibly have anything to do with the afterlife, it is not so. Eagleman has taken advantage the use of titles to present his unconventional ideas of the afterlife. After reading the short story, the titles define what has been read. Such as, after knowing a person for a while, their name holds meaning. One associates it with their personality, traits, habits, and/or quirks. Their name has been
defined. There are words and images that have continued to live on in our thoughts long after they have reached their end. Thought-provoking throughout, the book at times requires a re-reading to really understand what is happening. Such is the case personally for the short story “Distance,” which is still turning the gears in my head. Due to this, it is recommended that it not be read in one sitting. It is a sweet that can be savored little by little. In the end, it leaves an unforgettable flavor. “Missing” pointed out what is felt one time or another; a part of us is missing. The idea of a person existing who completes has become a universal concept. The short story doesn’t present it as black and white but as the complex way that it is; it being love. It has left a feeling/thought that resonates with me time after reading. Sum is simple in its writing. One doesn’t need to be a philosopher to understand what Eagleman expresses. He is a neurosurgeon with an understanding as to how the human brain works. As complex as that topic is, his writing is not. The ideas are stated directly with many details coloring the images that are brought up by the words. It brings a bit of definition to what it means to be human. The desires, ideas, and ideals that are at the core of humanity. It also critics some of the things that humanity tends to focus on. “Mirrors” presents one such aspect. Does anybody truly know who they are? If you saw your true self, everything that others have defined you with has been stripped away, would you recognize yourself? The short story gives a surprising conclusion to this, one which after much thought doesn’t seem as surprising. What we define, love, or understand makes us who we are. Who we are follows us wherever we go. The afterlife is not an obstacle for that. All in all, the book is intriguing. The creativity to create all forty different outcomes yet present them so simply wonderfully is an amazing talent. I would recommend the book to anyone. I do add that whoever accepts to read keep an open mind. Some of the ideas presented could be different to what one would expect and it is best to try to see the author’s viewpoint before criticizing. The author regards himself as a Possibilian. Instead of favoring theism or atheism, he goes down the road of exploratory thinking. Through the book one is able to explore the afterlife. Once you begin, I bid you a good trip. Enjoy.
Afterlife myths explain what becomes of the soul after the body dies, as humans have a problem accepting the possibility that the soul becomes nothing.
What do the following words or phrases have in common: “the last departure,”, “final curtain,” “the end,” “darkness,” “eternal sleep”, “sweet release,” “afterlife,” and “passing over”? All, whether grim or optimistic, are synonymous with death. Death is a shared human experience. Regardless of age, gender, race, religion, health, wealth, or nationality, it is both an idea and an experience that every individual eventually must confront in the loss of others and finally face the reality of our own. Whether you first encounter it in the loss of a pet, a friend, a family member, a neighbor, a pop culture icon, or a valued community member, it can leave you feeling numb, empty, and shattered inside. But, the world keeps turning and life continues. The late Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computers and of Pixar Animation Studios, in his 2005 speech to the graduating class at Stanford, acknowledged death’s great power by calling it “the single best invention of Life” and “Life’s great change agent.” How, in all its finality and accompanying sadness, can death be good? As a destination, what does it have to teach us about the journey?
Many religions and philosophies attempt to answer the question, what happens after a person dies? Some religions, such as Christianity and Islam, believe there is an afterlife. They believe that good and moral people enter Heaven or Paradise and that bad and immoral people go to Hell. Other religions and cultures believe that death is final, and that nothing happens after a person dies. Buddhism and Hinduism have different ideas about death.
Each religion has its own idea of what will happen in the afterlife. In Buddhism, they believe that dying is apart of an ongoing cycle until the dead receive enlightenment. This cycle is called Samsara and by definition means an ongoing cycle of life and death until that person reaches enlightenment (heaven). There is a three stage cycle that occurs from the moment you die until you are reincarnated; This process is called The Three Bardo's. The first bardo is when the soul goes into a trance and often doesn't realize that they have passed away. People recall seeing a bright light once in this trance and if that person welcomes the light then they will not be reincarnated, but most people flee from this light. The second bardo begins when the person realizes they are dead. The deceased will see everything that they have done or throughout their life. The third bardo and final stage contains a longing for possessing someone. When they do posses someone the rebirth occurs and they are reincarnated as a living
Four main themes are the most important in the assigned section of The Apology. I will begin with a brief synopsis of each major theme, with an analysis and my opinion following, and ending with the question of Socrates' own death.
First let's examine more specifically the belief of afterlife and how it impacts internalized beliefs of the soul. When people think of death, there is a sense of depression and sadness of this idea of “the end” to their lives. This in turn, causes an imbalance in their internal milieu, leading to anxiety and fear of death. To keep the homeostasis of the internal milieu, there is another force that must counterbalance this fear, by replacing it with comfort. This comfort is founded on the belief in “eternity” of the soul in an afterlife. Whereby, life of the soul continues to live beyond the death of the physical body, thus relieving the anxiety of death, and bringing back the homeostasis of the internal mil...
As mortal human beings, our lives have a beginning, a middle, and an end. We are born, we live, and we die. But what happens to us after we die? Do our souls separate from our physical bodies and ascend somewhere above the clouds to a place a lovely as the Heavens? Or have our souls been tarnished with mal-content and wrong-doing, thus condemning ourselves to a fate as demonic as Hell? Or perhaps there is nothing that awaits us after death, and our bodies simply decompose, returning to the Earth? These questions still plague modern man today, so it comes as no surprise that the inevitability of death weighed heavily on the hearts and minds of ancient Mesopotamians. Although The Epic of
Marquez’s criticizes the Catholic religion in A Chronicle of a Death Foretold through the town’s hypocrisies. The story takes place in a town that has a strong emphasis on religion, yet society refers back to archaic rituals of honor. Society and its religious leaders persistently defy the Catholic faith, which allows for the brutal murder of Santiago Nasar. Through the hypocrisies shown in the chronicle of Santiago Nasar’s death, Marquez shows the failures of the Columbian culture’s Catholic faith as it has a negative impact of the community.
Life and death are dualities. These two immaterial forces culminate into a beautiful and tenuous composition creating an awareness of abject mortality that indirectly contributes to the breadth and depth of human existence. This existence or being is marked by an incessant love of life, influenced by the pervasive knowledge of eventual death. The characters in Mrs. Dalloway endeavor to grasp the meaning of both life and death through the act of resistance and/or acceptance of the impermanence of human existence as it relates to them personally and to those around them. Nietzsche’s interpretation of the themes of life
Many Christians believe that when a person dies, they enter into complete oblivion - a state of non-existence. They remain in dormancy. At the time of the second coming of Jesus, the dead are resurrected and judged. Those who had been saved while on earth will be given special bodies and go to Heaven unlike the unsaved who will go to Hell for eternal punishment (Robinson).
The afterlife is defined as life after death. The afterlife isn’t known as a fact of today but many people do believe that there is an afterlife. “Nearly 80
the afterlife, and look at it in new ways. The afterlife has been a theme in
Throughout history, the concept of death and an afterlife has always been present regardless of the culture or religion. It has also been very influential in literature and other writings. In the epic poem The Odyssey, by Homer, there is a portrayal of the Greek beliefs of the afterlife. The Bible addresses this theme as well in the gospel of Matthew. Between these two works, there are noticeable differences about the beliefs of death due to the different cultures in which they were written. Despite the many variations, there are some slight similarities regarding the afterlife. Although the two writings were composed in different cultures and time periods, the notions of an afterlife in each piece can be easily related.
Everyone hopes for afterlife, In one of Emily Dickinson’s poems this is a topic in “I heard a Fly buzz—when I died”, When a lady is on her deathbed hoping for “The King” or “God” to come with a gift of afterlife, when he does not show up the only one there is “The Lady” and a “Fly”. When we hope for something it could be in the smallest things, Questioning are beliefs when it comes times, and Hope is the best way through the toughest times.
Death is something that causes fear in many peoples lives. People will typically try to avoid the conversation of death at all cost. The word itself tends to freak people out. The thought of death is far beyond any living person’s grasp. When people that are living think about the concept of death, their minds go to many different places. Death is a thing that causes pain in peoples lives, but can also be a blessing.