Key Points:
Civilizations like ancient Egypt believed in a detailed afterlife, involving the Duat, the Field of Reeds.
Neil deGrasse Tyson rejects the idea of an afterlife, arguing from physics and thermodynamics.
Tyson’s perspective emphasizes finding purpose in the present life.
In the ancient carvings of the Egyptians, many people truly believed in the concept of the afterlife. They imagined a life beyond the gateway of death—a life among the dead that closely resembled the living world. Many religions, such as Hinduism and Abrahamic faiths consist of belief systems in which one’s spiritual body continues to exist even after death.
However, contrary to this popular theory, which has been solidified by several religions, people with scientific temperament argue that the concept of the afterlife is instead a state of nothingness and non-existence.
American astrophysicist and author Neil deGrasse Tyson spoke about life after death and shared what he believes will happen after death on a StarTalk podcast episode aired on January 31, 2020.
He enlightened viewers by approaching the discussion from a scientific perspective. Tyson and co-host Paul Mecurio were answering some quirky questions submitted by curious fans. One such question pondered what life is like after death. Does life exist beyond the last breath? If it does, what does that realm look like?
See Also: Feeling Good Within Oneself
Tyson answered the question from a scientific standpoint and denied the concept of afterlife altogether.
“You have no existence after you die”, he said.
Tyson explained his view that nothing exists beyond life on the basis of physics and thermodynamics. “Everything about you that says you exist now—you tell yourself, I exist now, I think therefore I am—is gone,” said Tyson. He further introduced the idea of non-existence into the discussion.
As previously established, the notion of the afterlife is not novel. It is believed that the earliest mention of the concept was recorded in ancient Egyptian records. According to the popular beliefs of the ancient Egyptians, the path beyond death was a trial-filled journey, meaning that reaching the afterlife was not easy.
Egyptians believed that when the spiritual soul departed from the physical form, people went to a place called the Duat. Duat referred to a place that was often viewed as the underworld, where people were believed to go after death.
Ancient Egyptian belief divided the human being into numerous elements: the essence (ka) and the personality (ba). When the spiritual part left the physical body after death, it was believed that these two elements joined to form a perfect spirit known as the ‘akh’. According to this belief, the dead embarked on a journey toward the afterlife through the Duat in two forms—the human form and the ba (personality).
See Also: Has Japan Banned Muslim Graveyards? Find Out the Truth Behind the Viral Claim
The ultimate goal of the dead was to reach the ‘Field of Reeds’, which was the Egyptian version of heaven. They also believed in preserving the body through mummification for the spiritual afterlife, which was possible only if the soul re-entered the body after death.
While supporting the belief systems upheld by various religions according to their cultural and geographical contexts, Tyson proposed a scientific perspective on the concept of life beyond death.
The concept of non-existence is varied and has multiple interpretations across different fields. In science, it refers to a void in which everything ceases to exist—where no thing and no being can occupy space. This absolute void of nothingness is also referred to as a state of non-existence.
Meanwhile, in the context of Christianity, non-existence can be described as a state that exists before one’s beginning. This idea is often integrated into discussions of “resurrection.”
Tyson explained the state of non-existence after death by linking it to the state before a person is born. “I am not given reason to think that your state of non-existence in death differs in any fundamental way from the state of non-existence before you are born,” added Tyson.
When asked about his viewpoint on the notion of the afterlife, he stated, “I am not convinced, and because I am not convinced, I am doing as much as I can in my own life.”
Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson’s approach to the afterlife, presented through a scientific lens, supports the idea of finding meaning within life itself. This scientific approach implies the significance of life within life, rather than focusing on a space that has no certainty of existence.
Suggested Reading:
