If Happiness Doesn’t End it Becomes a Nightmare

There isn’t a more terrifying place than heaven…

Ever since I got introduced to the bible and its teachings as a child, I felt that something might be off there. Now, I believe it’s a great set of stories and teachings, that can be easily misunderstood without the proper context of the time they were written. Or when miss explained.

The truths and teachings this book could offer might be time resilient due to the fact that they aim to explain the horrifying human condition. But what about the core fundamental offering that such religion as Christianity tries to sell us in the end?

Life after death

Despite what You believe happens after You die, there is such a concept as heaven offered in most popular religions. Let’s capture what heaven means in the culture we live in today, from a Christian perspective.

Like many of us, I google it and pick the most trusted source (after reading through Wikipedia on the subject). For me, christianity.com looks like a viable source I feel like clicking on. The last paragraph in the article roughly summarizes the fact that even though mentioned many times in the bible, we have no idea what heaven actually is.

Here’s a quote from that article.

But that ‘home in heaven’ that we look forward to is not described in the pages of Scripture. It is beyond our ability to grasp. But whether our ultimate destiny is in heaven, or in a recreated heaven and earth, it will be glorious beyond the ability of words to describe.

With much more research into this and many articles (still on the first page of google) fully read, here’s the conclusion I get…

It will be good, beyond comprehension. God is in full control there. Just being good is not enough to get there. Heaven has nothing to do with what You have to practice on earth to get there. Everyone will get rewarded differently. Among many other ideas thrown in this pot, it seems that most explanations are very interested in “not focusing on eternity”.

This makes me look for other vague ideas in these concepts, due to the simple fact I can’t miss. There is a big difference between eternity and non-eternity. Big. It’s like dividing by zero.

After reading through all of this, without being Christian, baptist, catholic, Jewish, or believing in god in general… I start to question the concept further.

Where this general popular concept of eternal happiness after death comes from?

Could it be, the laziness of not actually practicing what You preach from certain devoted individuals?

After doing some research it feels, that stories as represented by religion and how certain individuals poorly transcribe them to You — don’t overlap at times.

Heaven is Amazon?

The way most people describe or understand heaven can feel like a project that could easily be called “Amazon Unlimited”. It’s way beyond prime, You get whatever You want, whenever You want.

Think not only things but places, experiences, feelings, relationships, and whatever else You wish. Which doesn’t take to be a genius, to call hell, not heaven.

You would get bored beyond comprehension. We all know it. Think Dorian Gray. Think of that episode from Black Mirror where a doctor gets addicted to pain. If everything satisfies You, nothing satisfies You anymore.

The issue with great things is that they are great as long as they are rare. Or difficult to get. Or requires a great sacrifice.

Sacrifice = Actual Price

If You get things for free, You don’t value them.

If there is life after death, I will allow my ego to stake a couple of “generic needs” before we get there…

What heaven can’t possibly be

Heaven can’t be eternal. Period. Otherwise, Your mind would deteriorate beyond comprehension. Nothing would actually have meaning before it even starts.

Heaven has to be balanced. So there has to be time to cry, just as there have to be cheerful moments. Only by the ability to measure and compare, we can make conclusions or learn anything, for that matter.

Heaven has to have a big “risk to reward” ratio, meaning the higher the risk You take — the bigger possible reward is. The bigger the sacrifice, the bigger the reward.

The same idea works backwards, the less effort You put into something the fewer results You get or the lower the chance is to actually succeed. Or the more depressing results.

There have to be others in heaven, to share it with. To enjoy, see new perspectives, disagree, talk, dance, and have sex with. Maybe even a dog that You can pet when You don’t feel like exploring the wast offerings of heaven.

Everybody should not be created equal in heaven. But everybody should have the same amount of “credits” distributed. And hard work should be responsible for at least 90% of the possible results in heaven.

There have to be places that sell shitty food in heaven. So that You know You are enjoying a place that actually serves good food in heaven when You find one.

There have to be distractions in heaven, so that when You focus and fight them away — You can enjoy the present moment even more. Those distractions can also be useful when You manage to enjoy them responsibly, by allowing You to relax for a while.

All the possible drugs have to be present in heaven. Because if You manage to get a valuable connection with a drug of Your choice, You could open the horizons of Your mind. And other types of enhancements. Those drugs also have to be extremely dangerous if abused or used too often.

That’s why there have to be consequences for each and every action You have taken in heaven. So You would think before You do anything. You would analyze, plan, prepare, and execute. And then enjoy it.

There should be roads in heaven, that disappear after You choose to go in the opposite direction. This would allow You to always stop and think before You choose. To think of where You would love to go.

You shouldn’t be able to be in two places at once in heaven.

With that being said, there should be ways to change tracks in heaven. But that should require even more sacrifice than it would have in the first place.

What heaven actually is?

Heaven is a temporary place, where You can meet others, get to experiment, get to know Yourself along the path. Heaven is where bad and good things exist. Heaven is where You are in control of Your choices (but not choices of others or choices of the god). Heaven is where nothing is fair, but You can raise Your chances by sacrificing something. And working hard.

Heaven is where You can taste, smell, feel, see, notice, and learn things.

This means heaven is exactly where You are now.

Enjoy it before everything goes dark!