Death!! (the suspense is killing me...)

   Nearly two weeks ago, I wrote a post about Bob Ripley, the former United Church preacher who, after much agonizing and deliberation, had decided to become an atheist. He wrote about this in his new book, "Life After Belief: A Preacher's Deconversion".
   In my post, I mentioned how closely I found my own beliefs aligned with those of Ripley---it seemed as though we had traveled more or less the same path, at least in our hearts and minds.
   What I didn't talk about was what I found to be the most significant difference between his beliefs and mine.
   Ripley believes that, once you die, it is the end of things. There is no God, no heaven and no afterlife.
   I, on the other hand, believe there is a possibility that a portion of our energy goes on in at least somewhat of a conscious state.
   What I base this on is difficult to pinpoint. Science tells me that energy cannot be destroyed, that it merely changes forms. Anecdotal evidence suggests to me that spirits exist and we can communicate with them. Because of this, I am willing to hope and assume that something will become of me after I die.
   There are enough tales out there describing near-death experiences and people who claim to have seen wonderful glimpses of the afterlife that there is some contentment in believing that I will experience some of this when the time comes.
   Ripley believes that death is essentially the same as what you experienced before you were born---nothing. He points out all the time of the world's existence and all the monumental things which have occurred over the millenia---all of which were no consequence to us in our unborn state. And it will essentially be this same state we pass into upon our deaths. 
   I have considered this as well, as a possibility, and have come to the conclusion that this is the worst possible thing death might mean. And it really isn't all that bad, when you

Remember any of this?

stop to think about it. I think of dinosaurs, the Roman Empire and I think about concentration camps and then I think that all of those things existed without me and that I was fine with all that. Then, when I am dead, I will be fine with all of everything that happens for eternity. So what's to be scared of?
   I do, however, believe there's more to it than that.
   I believe that the actual moments of death will be a wonderful experience. Granted, there may be some suffering and anguish leading up to it but, when that moment comes, I believe I will welcome it. I am anticipating a yes, this is what it's all about type of experience.
   After that, who knows?
   I fully expect to encounter some form of cognizant state after I pass away, but to what extent I'm not sure. I also wonder whether it will be a lasting state or one which constantly changes. It might well be that the energy I take with me to the other side will slowly and eventually dissipate, leaving me in the pre-birth state I described above. The main thing is, I don't think it will scary and unpleasant, quite the contrary.
   

Thanks!

This, then, is where Bob Ripley and might disagree. He believes in a nothingness after death and I believe there will be an experience to be had.
   I quite often find myself  jealous of the people I have known who have passed. They have received answers to many of our great questions and they are not doing a good job of sharing them with us. I can only imagine that this is now one of their privileges, part of the rite of passage, so to say. The irony is that we all want to know, we just don't want to find out!