There was a time when the majority of civilisations believed that death was not final, but simply a transition to another world. This was an ultimate belief, accepted as fact and rarely questioned or doubted. In some cultures, death was regarded as an honour, something to be earned by those considered worthy of it. The Aztecs, for instance, played highly physical ritual games in which, according to some interpretations, sacrifice could be regarded as a privilege.
Views on the process of this transition, and opinions about what awaits us on the other side, differ from one culture to another. Yet a common theme remains: the belief that death does not represent an absolute end. This belief has existed since time immemorial and was, in fact, the foundation of many civilisations, some of which regarded death as the great liberator. In many African cultures, death is honoured and commemorated in a communal, celebratory atmosphere, accompanied by tears, dancing, laughter, and abundant food and drink.
I do not know how we lost our way and came to embrace ignorance over enlightenment. For many, science became the new religion, and logic the only acceptable means of understanding the world. I believe in logic as an explanation for some things, but certainly not for everything. The scientific community is gradually acknowledging that there are areas of human existence that remain uncertain and cannot yet be fully explained. I am observing a significant transformation as more people come to recognise that our current scientific understanding does not encompass everything we may one day discover.
We are now moving in the right direction, returning to the fundamental questions that once encouraged us to contemplate life more deeply and to appreciate its mysteries. I am teaching my ten-year-old daughter that life may be more enduring than we can fully comprehend and that, perhaps, our journey does not simply end here.
