Teen Thoughts on Death

  My Aunt Barbera Margaret Wood (August 24, 1947 - November 17, 2009, may she rest in piece) just passed away. This has really made me think about death and what happens after. Well, here it goes:

  To address what happens after death, another question must first be answered: Do we have a soul? If so, there is almost certainly an afterlife of somesort. I believe it was Eienstien (though I'm not sure, I didn't do any research for this) who said matter cannot be destroyed, only changed into another form. According to this, our souls, if they exist, can't just vanish once the body dies. So where does it go?

  One obvious theory, is that it goes to Heaven or Hell. However, due to my atheistic beliefs, I don't agree with this theory. If there is no god (see my othere piece of writing), than who decides which soul goes where? Do the other souls decide based on their actions on Earth? Can they even see what happens on Earth? Where exactly is Heaven? An alternate dimension? If everyone does go to heaven, wouldn't the evil souls ruin it? Based on all this, I think the "Heaven/Hell" theory is out.

  What if the souls stay on Earth as ghosts? I find this theory much more likely. The souls could keep watch over loved ones, which I bet most would like alot. However, there are flaws in this theory too. What would ghosts do once they're dead? I'm sure watching someone else live could get borring, or even depressing. It would remind the spirit of everything they're missing out on because they are no longer alive. Another question is how they can interact with the physical world. Some people claim to see ghosts in dreams, are theses real or just works of imagination? Could a spirit affect physical objects? Based on the last question, could they harm the living? There are still too many unanswered questions to be sure this is it.

  Now onto the possibility that we don't have souls. Our bodies would rot in the ground, so we would just see blackness. Right? We wouldn't have any senses, thoughts, or conciousness. Despite how bleak that sounds, I think it would be peaceful. Unfortunately I wouldn't be around to enjoy the peace. I'd be dead.

  In conclusion, I find the ghost theory preforable, but the "rot in the ground" theory probable. The problem is that we have absolutely no evidence one way or another. If I ever die and comeback, I'll let you guys know what happens. If anyone else has ideas, I'd love to hear them. Until then, to quote a famous Greek thinker ( I forget which one, maybe Socrates), "There is no reason to fear death. As long as we live it does not exist. When it is present, we no longer exist."