CREATIVE ADVENTURES — 80
Imagine You Have Seen Afterlife
What happens after we die? For centuries, humans have been obsessed with this question. World religions and philosophers have all attempted to address this question.
In this imagination experiment, you will imagine that you have seen the afterlife, and you have come back.
Even if you are a materialist person, you will benefit from reflecting on or speculating about what happens after death. Think of this as an exercise in imagination.
If you are a spiritual or religious person, this subject is already very important for you, so the exercises provided below will help you deepen your spiritual reflections.
In this imagination experiment, you will imagine that you have seen the afterlife, and you have come back. Please respond to the following prompts:
- Do you believe in an afterlife? Why or why not? Reflect on the implications of your response to this question. How does this affect your life?
- Imagine that you have an opportunity to visit the afterlife and come back. Would you like to take such an opportunity to go on such a visit? Explain why or why not.
- There are thousands of accounts of near-death experiences. People who have had near-death experiences report witnessing and experiencing life-altering events on the other side. They report seeing a bright white light at the end of a long dark tunnel, feeling content, their spirit detaching from their body, or being reunited with lost friends. Many of these people report being convinced that an afterlife exists outside of the physical realm. Imagine that you do have a near-death experience and come back. Write down your story and imagine what happens.
- People who go through near-death experiences report sensations of floating up and spending time in a beautiful otherworldly realm. Imagine that you witness such an experience, see heaven (or a magical realm), and come back. Describe what you have seen in heaven (sights, sounds, sensations, feelings, colors, tastes, people, surroundings, etc.).
- Imagine that you see a dream where you have died and gone to the afterlife. Write down your dream. What happens in your dream? How do you interpret it?
- The majority of people who reflect on death often report feeling calm, satisfied, and relaxed after their reflection. How does this happen? Why does this happen? Do you have any theories?
- Near-death experiences provide meaning, hope, and purpose for many people. Perhaps it is because these people appreciate their lives better. Perhaps they have a desire to survive beyond death, and these experiences give them hope. Many people who went through near-death experiences report being transformed or profoundly changed after coming back. They say what they witnessed ‘is more real than real life’. Some embark on radical shifts in their lives. Write down a story where your character goes through such an experience. Describe the radical changes he or she initiates in his/her life after this experience.
- Joseph Campbell points out that the hero’s journey is pervasive in storytelling because it offers the possibility of a transformation into something better. Our hero sets sail to the unknown, faces numerous battles, experiences the brink of death, and comes back as a reformed person. Write down a story that follows a similar narrative structure.
- Imagine the day, the hour, and the minute that you die. Write down the story of your death. How do you experience it? Do you feel as if you are on a cloud? How does your life flash before you like a movie? Do you have any regrets? Do you feel resistance or surrender? How do you feel?
- Imagine that there are unexpected consequences of having seen the afterlife and coming back to life. You are surprised at the turn of events. What happens? Write a story.
- Write down a thriller or a horror story about the afterlife. You can choose anyone as your hero.
