Search for your own truths

To the editor:

The Big Bang set off a contingent series of causes and effects that formed the physical universe, where evolution established life and the self-consciousness of man.

Although the origin of the Big Bang remains a mystery, various religions offer a multitude of answers about why we exist, but the ancient gurus of India were probably correct when they proclaimed, “There is no truth except from a single point of view,” which essentially means we must find our own answers about our place in the scheme of things and whether or not our spirit will survive in an afterlife when we die.

Organized religion is a necessary component of human life because people who are united by the common beliefs of a religion are better able to survive because they can live together in relative peace with each other. However, the religious ideas about a preordained life-plan for each of us is questionable because human beings develop a personal “inner-self” that makes us aware of individual longings and aspirations. Through the use of reason and our awareness of passion, we become the masters of our own destinies to some extent, because we can make choices and pursue our own best interests according to our own outlook on life. At death, our non-physical inner-self is likely to continue existing in a spiritual realm of being where it will be better able to understand the scheme of things.

Even though we cannot prove the existence of an afterlife, we are able to visualize what we think it may be like. Perhaps we even “create” the conditions of an afterlife in the same way we develop our own little corner of the world, which is where we go after being overwhelmed with sadness from a broken heart or when we experience the ecstasy of finding love at first sight. Our own little corner of the world is where we are alone and become aware of deeper levels of pain and pleasure, as well as joy and sorrow. Perhaps the private little sanctuary of ourselves will merge into the realm of the afterlife, where we might eventually realize the full significance of our Earthly experience.

But regardless of our religious beliefs or personal theories, our survival on Earth requires us to obey the laws of physics, as well as the customs, laws and morals of our culture. In a community of family, friends and neighbors, we develop our memory, imagination, intellect and will, including our character and personality, all of which will likely continue functioning in “heaven” — or whatever.

Our inner-selves reflect our true state of being as we progress toward a higher level of humanity. However, despite the possible wonders of an afterlife, we should cherish our present time on Earth, which is the only opportunity we will ever have to experience the pain and pleasures of a physical body, and the joys and sorrows of human relationships amid the constant changes in a physical world.

Art Carney

Wasilla