h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Some particle physicists are speculating that they might soon be able “to prove that life after death exists” -but as a natural phenomenon and not necessarily by command of a deity. This ties-in with long-held beliefs in those sections of the spiritualist and new-age movements who reject belief in deities.

Both h2g2 (the original radio series) and Star Trek -The Next Generation (my two fave SF works) gave something similar to (what I call) Natural Afterlife an occasional work over.

So how, roughly, could natural afterlife work? Well, we humans are made up of small packages called cells, which are made up of smaller objects called molecules, which are made up of still smaller things called atoms, which are made up of even smaller items called particles, which are made up of yet smaller bits of stuff called sub-particles.

So the organic machine that we call the brain is made up of those same cells, molecules, atoms, particles and sub-particles. We can reasonably guess that further stages of decreasing size exist for mind to AFFECT, including the theoretical ‘cosmic energy field’ of which all things, dense or ethereal, comprise varied assemblies.

The optimistic speculation (or far-fetched leap) is that

MIND ESTABLISHES A SECURE AND PERMANENT PRESENCE AS A SUBSTANTIAL FUNCTION OF THE COSMIC ENERGY FIELD, AND ABIDES AFTER THE BRAIN HAS DIED.

The hope is that each individual mind is a self-aware energy-being, solid at its own hyper-thin level, not a captive of the gravity well of Earth or Sol, nurtured by ambient interstellar and inter-galactic energy, able somehow to navigate freely (and to communicate with others -see coming section).

I find no reason to believe these weasel words of faux-scientific musing but, given the history of theist atrocity, the fact that humanity has begun to spread off Earth, and the desperate need most humans have for a faith in an afterlife, I do see Natural Afterlife as a better opium-of-the-people than theism has been and I support its promotion in churches old and new.

Theists can believe in Natural Afterlife as "the way that He chooses to do it". Non-theists can believe in NA as simply another manifestation of the laws of Physics. In either case, what are the implications finding oneself floating on the cosmic energy field?

To an extent, we reap what we sow in this life, but most bullies get away with it:

BRAWN BEATS BRAIN.

A Natural Afterlife in an ethereal realm might produce a situation of:

MIND OVER MORON

-mucho reaping of oo-nasty-as-you-did via direct mental communing (a good selling point for NA) then (after a period) closure as the enlightened penitent finds his or her positive path.

As to communication twixt one energy being and another, I discovered that mind-to-mind does indeed (very rarely) work back here in this dense matter realm on the surface of Earth. I think it worked for me (once only) when a memory of mine seemed to pass from my mind (one day in 1982) to the mind of my friend, Keith, as we stepped out of the lift onto the Fifth Floor landing of the YMCA Westover Road, Bournemouth.

He said “Oh, how awful! Some poor chap’s been contemplating suicide here.” A fortnight earlier, I had been sitting on the bed in Room 57 across from the landing where we stood, at the other side of the central light-well. (OK, he could have had knowledge of a previous example of this, but that is more of stretch than to accept it is telepathy.)

I had sat with the 400 soluble aspirins, the bottle of vodka, the orange squash, the black plastic sack and the cord. As soon as I had downed the deep-sleep concoction I would shake the sack, filling it with air, insert my head and tie the cord around my neck. I would have plenty to breathe whist I nodded off and then painlessly faded away when deeply unconscious.

After two hours of trying unsuccessfully to make myself do it, I quit and drank some very large vodka and oranges instead. I forgot my troubles, moved back to Room 69, and felt much better (until my weight excess, my high blood pressure and the debilitating pains in my head (controlled by medication) that I suffer (well-deservedly) today.)

It is essential to note that the message got across the metre of space between my friend and I at a moment when it was blocked from my upfront conscious mind by the thought of taking the stairs to level six and making tea. At the back, in my subconscious mind, an automatic, casual note was being made of the recent extreme emotion that occurred four metres away across the well. We seem never to get a thought over the gap when we are trying. Telepathy does not work like that, in this dense matter realm at least.

But, perhaps, fully functional telepathy, so rare here in the dense matter realm, is found to be the norm in the thin matter realm, rather as when you move the tranny off the telly (sorry, transistor radio off the top of the TV set) and get a clear signal on the other side of the room. Working out implications and details of the What-If possibilities could be a fine lot of fun for adherents to NA. Form a branch and go to it.

Whether I personally believe it or not (I do not) Natural Afterlife seems, to me, to be a benign faith for the Space Age. I do not like the idea of theism being taken off Earth (Jim, Frank and Bill of Apollo 8 must not be allowed to set a trend) but particularly not the fundamentalist, literalist brand. If faith has to be with us on voyage, let it be NA says I.

Clearly, some folk do need an afterlife faith. They cannot bear the idea of not continuing. At the least, they want to know what happens in this comedy/tragedy of life in Sol and, it seems inevitable, around the cosmos. And if those poor souls who are blighted by illness or poverty are to be happy at all, they need an assurance that there is better to come than what they have here. Knowledge can be bliss but ignorance can be a lesser evil.

Would it be good or bad to spread the NA word? Would it be positive or negative to encourage the punters to assume that NA is indeed the deal? Would it be creative or destructive to promote NA to soothe the fear-filled masses until it gently replaces the inferior product we know and regret so much? Would it be right or wrong to say the following to Space Age youngsters?

If you fancy Natural Afterlife (and agree that it makes more sense than Original Guilty Sin and Ritualistic Redemption via Suffering) make the switch and plant good NA seeds all around. You and your friends will be prepared, and feel less confused, as you float off on the Solar wind into cosmic matrices and enjoy a virtual nice cup of tea with the ancestors.

Folk feel a loyalty to the deity of their childhood and it feels ungrateful to give it up. Yet there is no need for them to feel bad. After all, if NA is the deal, all the big names in Faith-Biz who each set up their own show will have come out of denial as they found themselves in the natural afterlife and seen how much better it was than their own idea. They will not thank you for fussing around for a virtual autograph, or a blessing.

It is not, as many theists claim, needful to be a theist in order to behave properly. Believers in Natural Afterlife, whether non-theists (the normal, or Default, position of intelligent life-forms, or mindkind) or theists (the Special-Assertion position), can adhere quietly to the WISE precepts of the gurus of old and politely reject the FOOLISH ideas of those that followed and screwed up the Love They Neighbour deal with Crusading etc.

That which is pro-life, positive, constructive and healthy is right for the individual. The opposites are wrong for him or her. I say that we do not need a creator to tell us that. It is embedded-natural (except in a few mal-chromosomed guys) but we are a work in progress, and WE have to do the work. Since, anyway, most people need a faith, I suggest that NA is the best one yet invented. I invite you to think about setting up your own local NA group.

Cy