| | I was reading an article about Atheism and immortality and I had some thoughts that I wanted to record, if for nothing else but my own benefit. (I hear writing while thinking can be productive, sometimes.)
I am under the impression that when we die, our bodies are gone and that we cease to exist. That's my reality, and I think that is everyone's reality.
In reading the article, though, I'm surprised (or alarmed) at how many Atheists believe that there is some form of life after life, or some form of soul. I kind of like the idea of a sea of consciousness that we all share, and that we continue to exist only in that our collective consciousness continues existing after our instance of life is finished, but I don't actually think that it's true.
What I do find compelling about immortality is that it can be portrayed or executed in a number of ways: through living forever on earth in human bodies, or possibly in simply having our memory carry on through whatever means. I'm acutely inclined to believe that the only way we can assure ourselves immortality is to produce information, knowledge, or impacting innovation that attracts or compels others in some or fashion, such as written language, song, and possibly even memory.
Inspiration is one form of immortality, to some degree: to be inspiring or to be inspired requires influence from an outside source to change ones ideas or to create new ideas, potentially creating or associating something lasting... potentially immortal.
A black man was able to gather a group of millions and give his thoughts to them in front of the White House, compelling them to push forward for their rights as a people... that created his own immortality by a special day we celebrate for him, by changing humanity in the general, changing how lives are lived, how society treats its members, etc. Immortality means change.
Creativity and inspiration are two of the most awkward, rewarding, beautiful, ugly, exhausting, maddening forces in all of existence, and to become creativity for someone or to be inspiration, in their own creation and inspiration, allows us to become immortal.
At least, that is how I believe immortality works.
I hope that what I say, how I think, how I lived (parts) of my life will compel and inspire some, and will last until they're found to be completely and ultimately destructive, and maybe even after that. I hope to have inspired someone to create in some fashion, be it through a web application, a book, a picture, a painting, a word, a number, a view, a philosophy, a frame of mind, or even a way to talk. I hope my creativity in my life will extend forever, or at least until it doesn't matter anymore.
Because, you know, things will eventually stop mattering, and then immortality just becomes a burden.
M.T.
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| | Posted 8/1/2007 3:07 PM - 61 Views - 2 eProps - 3 comments
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