What happens when we die? When you need bliss and to forgive yourself

“I’m serving a purpose. I’m feeding life.”

Commenting on Riley’s view on death.

In a previous article, I wrote the small discussion that Riley had with Erin about what happens after we die.

If you don’t know the characters are from a Netflix show called “Midnight mass” and you can read the article here:

I want in this article to write about Riley’s view on life after death.

I believe that each person’s view on religion and life philosophy is developed during their lives. What happened to them or around them influences their beliefs a lot. That is why I want to give a little context about Riley’s character.

☝☝️️Please be advised that this offers a lot of spoilers about the show.☝️☝️

Context

Riley is a man that got to know success with a tech startup a few years before the action in the movie. He also has a drinking problem. The show starts with an accident caused by Riley while drunk and which killed a girl.

For this Riley goes to prison and the show starts the action after he gets out of prison and comes home to his parents.

In the show, it is visible that he did not go past what he did and he still feels guilty for his crime.

What is important

For Riley is very important to feel forgiveness, especially from himself. he feels a greater burden from his actions. He feels that he doesn't deserve to live, be happy, or have a life because of what he did.

At this point what his soul seeks is relief and forgiveness. He knows that he cannot forgive himself so he settles for relief.

That is why what death offers him is a relief.

My brain activity ceases and there is nothing left of me. No pain. No memory, no awareness that I ever was. That I ever hurt someone. That I ever killed someone.

The journey

Getting there, to his relief, Riley imagines what his body will go through. He imagines all the biological and physical reactions that occur in his body right before death.

When I die … my body stops functioning, shut down. All at once or gradually. My breathing stops, my heart stops beating. Clinical death!

But he has faith that nature has prepared him for this. He hopes that when all that will happen his brain has a way to make it all easy and beautiful.

But in the meantime, in between, maybe my brain releases a flood of DMT, a psychedelic drug released when we sleep.

He hopes for dreams. He hopes that he will see all of the beautiful memories. The most lifelike dream. “The dream to end all dreams.”

I like this because it shows that he has love for himself. He invents a nice story because he doesn’t want to suffer. He did not forgive himself for what he did. Yes! He still believes that he doesn’t deserve to live. Yes! But he still loves himself enough to offer himself an easy death. A dream! A beautiful view of all the wonders and miracles that have ever happened! A way life says: “Thank you for your trip!”

The purpose

You see, we all seek purpose. We all want to be important. We have a very interesting self-centered view of ourselves. We want to be the only ones.

God has made us in this infinite Universe! Just us! No other intelligent being, anywhere! Just us! God’s specially chosen smart beings! And we are here to rule the universe!

This idea gave us the necessity to have a purpose. We cannot accept that we are like any other animal, insect, or microbe on this planet. That we are just a coincidence of nature. A coincidence that can be, and could have been, replicated in any other place.

That is why Riley sees his purpose at the end of his trip.

And I’m serving a purpose. I’m feeding life.

For him, the end purpose of every life is to spawn new life. There is no individual or individual purpose. He sees that we are all connected. Not just humans, but all of nature, “and I’m billions of other places, and my atoms are in plants and bugs and animals”. There is no “you”, “me” or “him”! There is only “us”! And this “us” is universal. this “us” includes all of Earth, all the planets and all the stars, and all the galaxies.

There one moment and then just skittered crossed the god damn cosmos.

How is this image interesting?

In the image of death, we find our greatest fears and our greatest desires. Contemplating it helps you discover yourself.

If you, like Riley, are an atheist, and you feel the need for purpose, maybe his image of purpose in the interconnection of life and Nature will help you.

Either way, don’t be afraid to contemplate death. Be brave! Dig deep inside your fears and face them. Search your desires and accept them.

I will come back with my analysis of Erin’s view of life after death.

Check out the next part of this mini-series of “What happens when we die” with the analysis of Erin’s view:

If you want to re-read Riley and Erin’s views on death here it is:

If you are want to know how to bring yourself up from a dark place, check out my adventure here:

If you want another way to find your values check out this article:

If you want to know how to be 800% happier read this article from Carrie Kolar

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