What Would You Do Differently?

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Greetings all! I hope this post finds everyone happy and healthy. Things in New York are warming up (literally and figuratively!) Pretty soon I'll find myself occupied with impulses to golf and preoccupied with trying to find a new apartment. May is my last month in my current place, and I'm itching for a solo place of my own. I'll keep you posted, and am hoping to make a little video of wherever I end up so you all can see where I live.

My friend Kerry recently recommended a book to me that details a scientific exploration into the possibility of consciousness after death. They take multiple renowned psychic mediums and multiple participants and run consecutive experiments that prevent all possibilities for fraud, only to have some pretty incredible things start coming up. It's called The Afterlife Experiments, for those who are up for a truly interesting read. The idea is that if you live a life filled with love, you will maintain a connection with others after your body is no longer a part of the existential equation. At its root, this meshes well with my favorite goals in life: treat others the way you'd like to be treated, and love one another. It also fits the dreamer in me that believes much of what might be seen as coincidence is actually a nudge from someone that cannot be seen with the naked eye, but only felt with the heart.

Now this type of subject matter can get dicey or touchy when different religions get involved. The beauty of this book is its objective point of view. It simply amasses factual evidence that points to a strong possibility of consciousness after death. And then it asks: What would you do differently if you knew the entities that are "you" and "loved ones who have passed" would exist infinitely, like the light that long-dead stars emitted thousands of years ago? Would you drop a grudge against someone? Or conversely, be more careful about crossing others? Spend less time worrying? Personally, I think it strengthens my goal of adhering to the golden rule by making the consequences for how we treat one another more weighty.

So if it is possible, what would you do differently?