The Conclusion of Humanities

During the Humanities English course this semester, we have discussed and explored many of the unanswerable questions that have motivated the most brilliant minds in the history of human culture. Through our exploration, we have been able to understand how the abstract concepts of love, nature, sacred space, law, ethics, human frailty, inner journey, and human reality have influenced and shaped the human experience. By studying a variety of different cultures throughout history, we have been able to observe how these different concepts have affected their literature, art, and religion. Although, it has also become clear that there are many questions about the human experience that can never be answered, which is both frustrating and enticing. Our Humanities English Course has only just grazed the surface of discovering what it means to be human because it is such a complicated and abstract topic. Nonetheless, we have left the class more enlightened about the different aspects of the human experience, and how they have influenced humanity throughout history.

To begin, our introductory unit at the beginning of the semester was about cognitive and affect ways of knowing, as it has played such a significant role in the experience of being human. In the selected reading, “Right Brain / Left Brain” from the novel, The Alphabet versus the Goddess: The Conflict Between World and Image, author Leonard Shlain explains the differences between the left hemisphere of the brain and the right hemisphere. The left hemisphere is responsible for cognitive thought, a linear sense of time, and understanding “the world through its unique form of symbolization- speech” (Shlain 20). The right brain, on the other hand, is in charge of abstract thought, a cyclical sense of time, and “comprehends the language of cries, gestures, grimaces, cuddling, suckling, touching, and body stance” (Shlain 18). The human evolution of cognitive thought in the left side of the brain has significantly influenced the human experience. Logic and reason have helped humans to become more efficient, skillful and adept. It has allowed for the advancement of agriculture, science, and engineering, which have all increased human survival. Cognitive thought has also given human beings the ability to ponder and explore such difficult questions about the meaning of being human, and has separated humans all other life forms on Earth. Abstract thought has aided in the spiritual development of human beings, and has allowed for alternative ways of viewing the world. In the excerpts from The Spell of the Sensuous, by David Abram, we learned about the Aborigines of Australia, and their concept of “Dreamtime”. Dreamtime is the Aboriginal understanding of the world, its creation, and the meaning of all life. Spell of the Sensuous examined the different parts of Dreamtime, and how it affected the human experience. The Aborigines experienced a cyclical sense of time, and were always connected to their ancestors and the realm of Dreamtime. Their understanding of the world was heavily influenced by the right side of the brain, and its ability to interpret the world in a transcendental way. I recognized this same understanding in the Ted talk we watched by Jill Bolte Taylor called “My Stroke of Insight”. Taylor discussed the experience she had when one day she woke up and had a sudden stroke in the left hemisphere of her brain- the side responsible for cognitive thought. Due to this, she was unable to understand or form words, but instead experienced a sense of being “huge” and felt continuous energy around her. She saw the world in the same way that the Aboriginals do, and in the same way that many people describe “nirvana” as, which is the final stage in one’s spiritual development. The different ways of knowing and comprehension has had a significant impact on the human experience, from technology and science, to spirituality and connectivity, and this is all due to the different roles that both the left and right hemisphere of the brain play.

The second unit in our Humanities English Course was about humans, nature, and sacred space. As I mentioned in the last paragraph, human beings have been able to develop and advance technology throughout history, which has had a considerable impact on the relationship between human beings and the natural world. I first came to this conclusion while watching, National Geographic's Australia’s Aborigines, a documentary about the life, culture, and religion of the Aboriginal people. In this documentary, I learned that the Aborigines have a spiritual, physical, social and cultural connection the Earth. They believe that they are the protectors of the Earth, so land management and care are vital for Aboriginal health and spirituality. We can also see this connection through Aboriginal artwork, as is is based on traditional stories of how the Earth was created and shows the importance of animals and the other life forms found in Nature. It was very interesting to connect the Aboriginal creation stories to the Christian Biblical story of Genesis, and explore how these stories influenced each culture’s relation to the physical world. In the Aboriginal stories, the Earth’s surface was once nothing but a vast, nondescript expanse of mud. But that lifeless landscape changed when ancestral spirits assumed the forms of animals, plants, and humans and journeyed across the Earth. Their footprints shaped the hills, rivers, and terrain of the physical world. The spirits also gave birth to all living things—including humans. This creation story established the basis of the Aboriginal connection to the physical world, which significantly influenced their experience of being human: everything on Earth has an important and powerful role that relates to the spiritual realm of Dreamtime. In the story of Genesis, on the other hand, there is one all-powerful God, who created Earth in seven days. He created light, the sky, water, vegetation, animals, and then finally formed “man in [his] image, after [his] likeness. [He made them] rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the cattle, the earth, and all the creeping things that creep on Earth” (Genesis 1.20). From this quote, it is evident that the story of Genesis influenced the human connection to the physical world in a negative way. Men were shown to be the rulers of Earth, so in turn, it was perceived that the land was not as powerful or as important as human beings- especially men. This mentally has had a notable influence on the human experience, as they are not as connected to the environment as the Aboriginal people are. In the reading, How Art Made the World: “Second Nature,” by Nigel Spivey, I also learned that the Christian religion has adopted the idea of paradise “as the destination of souls eternally blessed” (Spivey 137), which relates to the concept of sacred space. In the text I discovered that for many cultures, paradise could be found on Earth as well as out of Earth (e.g. heaven). The Hanging Gardens of Babylon and the full-scale imperial landscaping practices by the Han dynasty in China show that paradise and sacred space could be found and created on Earth. Sacred space has been an integral part of the human experience throughout history, as it has allowed for a sanctuary and appreciation of the physical world. Although, some sacred spaces are completely man-made- like the Cathedrals found in Europe and the Temples in China and India. These buildings have allowed for human beings to connect to a higher, more divine power, and experience a deeper spirituality. Throughout history, it is evident that sacred spaces have impacted the human experience and human being’s connection to nature in a meaningful and intense way.

The third unit we covered in Humanities was titled, “Love, Beauty. And Art”. In this unit, we discussed how these three subjects relate to, and influence each other. The novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde, made a strong connection between the physical aspect of beauty and how this affects art and love. Dorian Gray, the protagonist of the story, is considered to be the epitome of male beauty: young, fair, and perfect. He captures the attention of all those around him, especially artist, Basil Hallward. Basil is captivated and and enchanted by Dorian’s beauty, and his artwork is inspired by his fairness. He created a portrait of Dorian and considers it to be his finest piece of work. It is evident that Basil has fallen in love with Dorian, which encourages the idea that beauty and love are consistently connected. I saw this same relationship between love, beauty, and art in the Ancient Egyptian love poetry that we read in class. In the first poem, the lines, “Diving and swimming with you here / Gives me the chance I’ve been waiting for: / To show my looks / Before an appreciative eye”(1-4), and “To have seen her approaching / Such beauty is / Joy in my heart forever” (30-32) reveals that the author’s love was influenced by her beloved’s beauty, which in turn inspired her highly emotional poetry. Egyptian love poetry is a perfect example of how love and art are usually influenced by beauty; either by what the art is based after, or the beauty of the artwork itself. Art has obviously been remarkably important to the human experience, as it has been an integral part of almost every civilization known to man. I observed the distinct link between art and beauty in the documentary, How Art Made the world: “More Human than Human”. This is the first episode of the series, and it begins with investigating the Venus of Willendorf, an 11 centimeter high clay sculpture of a female figure, estimated to have been created between 24, 000 and 22,000 BCE. The figure is not an accurate portrayal of the female body: it has an exceptionally large abdomen and breasts, as well as a lack of face or arms. During the time period that the Venus of Willendorf was created, ideal beauty was influenced by the fact that fertility and health were considered the most desirable traits found in men and women. Due to this, the art of that time was designed with this optimal form of beauty in mind. This unit undoubtedly taught me about how love, beauty, and art are fundamental parts of the human experience, and have all influenced the way human beings interact with the world. I discovered that ideal forms of beauty are different in every culture and have all affected the various sculptures and artwork made throughout history.

The next unit that we explored was, “Law, Ethics, and Human Frailty”, where we studied the different morals found in cultures throughout the world, and how this affected their experience of being human. To start, the reading, “Basic Teachings of Buddhist Ethics” by Charles Goodman taught me about the fundamental aspects of Buddhism, and that the main goal of Buddhist practice “is to reach freedom from suffering by coming to see the world as it actually is and abandoning the distorted projections that our thoughts and emotions create” (Goodman 1). In the packet, I learned about the Ten Good Paths of Action, also known as The Non-Virtues. The Ten Non -Virtues are listed in order as: Taking life, Stealing, Sexual Misconduct, Lying, Divisive Speech, Idle chitchat, Covetousness, Malice, and Wrong view. When comparing the Buddhist teaches to the “Ten Commandments” of the Christian religion, I noticed some similarities that enlightened me about the way law and ethics relate to the human experience. Many of the rules in “Ten Commandments” correspond with the Ten Non-Virtues, such as murder, stealing, lying, and adultery/sexual misconduct. This reveals that there are a number of universal truths that many cultures follow, and believe help one to live a virtuous life.  But, the differences I found in the two teachings also exposed how some rules and laws are set in place for societal control, not because it’s a universal truth. For instance, the “Ten Commandments” has rules such as, “thou shalt not take God’s names in vain,” and “keep the sabbath day holy”. These commandments are an example of how some religions have stricter guidelines, which could influence the experience of being human in either a negative or positive way. It is evident, though, that ethics and morals have helped to deter societies from becoming too chaotic, and ensure that there is a sense of community within a civilization. This sense of community is a very important aspect of the human experience because human beings are innately social creatures, so it is crucial for everyone to behave in a way that will benefit the entire society. Although, it is obvious that many people break some of the universal truths, and commit crimes that hurt themselves and the people around them. I saw an example of this in the infamous novel, Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky. The novel focuses on the story of Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov,  the terrible crime he has committed, and how the crime affects his sanity. Raskolnikov murders an unscrupulous pawnbroker and her sister: the only justification being that he wanted to see if he could overstep the limits of evil itself and exert ultimate power over another person. As the novel progresses, Raskolnikov becomes tortured by his conscious and his overpowering sense of right and wrong. He knows what he did was unethical and cold-blooded, and because of that he suffers through immense turmoil. The plot of Crime and Punishment and the characterization of Rodion Raskolnikov revealed to me that people usually have an instinctive and deep-seated sense of right wrong, which is why there are many universal truths found in various cultures throughout history. Ethics and laws have had a profound influence on the human experience, creating a better sense of community and helping people to the live more virtuous and happy lives.

Finally, our final unit of the semester was about, “The Inner Journey and the Meaning of Human Reality.” In this unit we explored topics such as the role of suffering in the human life and how the reality of physical death affects one’s life. There were three pieces of literature I read for this unit that helped me answer some of these questions, but still proved to leave me mystified by the inner journey and the meaning of human reality. Over the summer, I read the play, Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, which divulged in the concept of pre-determined fate, and how trying to escape one’s destiny results in suffering. The protagonist, Oedipus the King, was informed by an oracle that his destiny was to kill his father and marry his mother, and although he does everything he can, he is unsuccessful in changing his fate. Oedipus Rex is a tragic play in which Oedipus’ mother/wife hangs herself out of guilt and Oedipus blinds himself because he cannot bear the sight of what he has done. This play showed me that suffering is unavoidable and a fundamental aspect of the human experience. The second play I read for this unit was, Hamlet by William Shakespeare, which shed light on the role of death and how this relates to human suffering. Death, like suffering, is inevitable, and Hamlet reveals how both experiences affect the human life. The main character, Hamlet, struggles to accept his father’s death, and spends the entire play trying to avenge him. Hamlet suffers through immense grief and finds it very difficult to obtain justice for his father. This play also delve into the concept of human reality, and what lies beyond the physical world. Hamlet struggles with the idea of life after death, and consistently conveys his religious doubt, as he contemplates the idea of suicide and how he believes it could be considered more noble to kill oneself than suffer in life. This play supported the idea that death and suffering are always inevitable, and can affect one’s experience of being human in a negative way. Finally, the last book I read was, Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse, which focused on the inner journey and spiritual development. The main character is Siddhartha, who deeply desires to find enlightenment, and journeys down many different paths to reach nirvana. Siddhartha is unsuccessful in finding enlightenment because he is fueled by longing, which is considered the main reason for suffering in the Buddhist religion. It isn’t until the very end when Siddhartha learns to release all desire that he is able to find true enlightenment. He relinquishes the concept of time, and learns from the river that the past, present, and future are all the intricately connected. This novel taught me about the importance of an inner journey, and how experience and new perspectives can help one to achieve enlightenment and wisdom. It also revealed the role of desire in the human experience, and how it can lead to immense suffering and unhappiness. Through these works of literature I learned that death, suffering, and desire are all fundamental pieces in the experience of being human- which can either lead one to live a more virtuous life like Siddhartha, or drive one to their ultimate demise like Oedipus and Hamlet.

The Humanities Honors English course forced me to think about topics and ideas that I had never questioned before. But, because of that, I now have a better understanding of other civilizations and their cultures, languages, history, and art. I was encouraged to think creatively about different aspects of humanity, and come to the conclusion that there are many aspects of the human experience that are universal and unique to the human race. Humanities English allowed me to gain new insights into everything from poetry and paintings to ethics and the inner journey. I was amazed at the fact that every topic we studied connected to each other, and each had an overarching influence on the others. All the readings we explored in class revealed to me that people have been studying the same unanswerable questions that we explored in class for centuries, which I think is immensely fascinating. And, it is safe to say that the only concrete conclusion that I came to in this class is that human beings are the most mystified by the things we should understand the most: ourselves and our experience of the world.

Final

Over the course of the semester, Humanities 12 has divided the class into five units that highlight different aspects of the human experience. Each unit contained numerous pieces of text from novels to films, that helped to truly understand each aspect. The five different units covered this semester were the ‘Introductory Unit that covered storytelling, language, brain functions, and time’, ‘Humans, Nature, and Sacred Space’, ‘Love, Beauty, and Art’, ‘Law, Ethics, and Human Frailty’, and ‘The Inner Journey and the Meaning of Human Reality’.

‘The Introductory Unit’ contributed to our knowledge of the human experience by providing us with the beginning of storytelling as it is known today, and connecting it to functions of the human brain. David Abram’s  Left Brain/Right Brain  reading exposed both sides of the brain and the functions that each specialized in. This is where we learned that thing that were more creative and artistic like music and metaphor occurred in the right brain, while more mechanical structured things like mathematics occurred in the left brain. Things like oral storytelling or writing stories use both parts of the brain because the creative aspect of them utilize the right brain while the physical actions of writing or speaking involve the left. The Australia’s Aborigines documentary talks about the importance of storytelling to indigenous people, reflecting the importance of oral storytelling before modern literature existed. To the Aborigines, storytelling in a way of life that helps them survive. It’s the one method of passing on and keeping their entire history as a people alive. Without oral storytelling, their culture would not only die out, but customs needed in their everyday survival would be forgotten. Karen Armstrong’s What is a myth? Talks about the importance of myths and oral storytelling in the development of humanity as a civilization. According to her, without myths society would never develop a set of morals or rules to follow within civilization, and as a result society would have never evolved to what it is today.

‘Humans, Nature, and Sacred Space’ brought the three aforementioned topics together, talking about how humans have sacred spaces for religious or personal reasons, and that these spaces are oftentimes found in nature. The best text covered in this unit was without a doubt Werner Herzog’s Grizzly Man, (my personal favorite), a documentary chronicling the life of the late grizzly bear activist Timothy Treadwell and whether or not he went too far in living with the bears. This film shows Timothy’s belief that his place as a human being was in nature with the grizzlies, essentially as his sacred space. This belief, mixed with Herzog’s opposing viewpoint that nature is in fact scary and dangerous, and should be separate from humanity, provided a relatively unbiased look at both sides of an argument centered around the relationship between nature and humanity. I was absent alot in this unit but I’m pretty sure Montague’s Of Cannibals was here, so that’s my next text. Of Cannibals recognizes a strong rift between humanity and nature, but not in the way that most would assume. He recognizes the indigenous cultures left in the world, those that are still within nature, to be the ones that are truly human and/or humane, while those who are civilized and religious and recognized as dignified members of society are actually the savages. This implies that those who fall under strict rules of civilization, quickly lose the sense of humanity that they’re trying to control. Nigel Spivey’s Second Nature talks about nature itself acting as a sacred space. As a result of nature being picturesque and beautiful, it has naturally calming aspects, making it a good place for religious worship and personal reflection as well as the subject of much art.

‘Love, Beauty, and Art’  used art to not only recognize the social constructs of love and beauty, but also to recognize that there are no set requirements that make something beautiful. In this unit, we read Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, a story about a young man whose obsession with eternal youth and beauty led him on a downward spiral into moral depravity. We learn that even though Dorian is beautiful, his outward beauty comes at the cost of his soul, instead allowing any age that comes his way to be represented in a once-beautiful self portrait of him. Like The Picture of Dorian Gray, the greek love poems we read also recognize the importance of eternal youth while addressing both the complications and meaning of love. One of the myths, Aphrodite and Anchises, tells us of the beautiful and immortal Aphrodite who falls in love with the handsome human Anchises. Similar to Dorian, Aphrodite manipulates Anchises to get him to sleep with her, only to essentially ruin his life by making him feel as if he’ll be unable to love for the rest of his life. This myth provides us with the idea that beauty does ot always equal love, and that those who are beautiful on the outside oftentimes can face tragedy when love is involved. Pablo Picasso’s Les demoiselles d’avignon  continues the idea of beauty by providing us with a piece that is considered to be a beautiful piece of art despite the grotesque appearances of the figures depicted in it. This piece teaches us that beautiful or not, the piece is still art, and because it’s art that means there is at least some beautiful aspect to it.

‘Law, Ethics, and Human Frailty’ made us think harder than most of us probably wanted to do this late in  the school year. It pointed out how fragile the human psyche really is, and made us ask alot of questions about the morality of humanity. Woody Allen’s Crimes and Misdemeanors told the story of a successful doctor who gets away with murdering his mistress, and a nerdy documentary filmmaker who falls in love with a woman other than his wife. While both are presented with morally unjust situations, the doctor decides to abandon morals while Woody Allen decides to do what is morally sound even though it doesn’t work out for him. This brings up the argument over whether or not there really are consequences to living an immoral life as well as questioning the total existence of God. The 10 Commandments introduce us to a set of moral rules we’re expected to live by, some of which make sense while others just reflect religion as a method of controlling society. By making it seem as if you need to keep God happy in order to go to Heaven, you’re instilling a fear of God as well as the likelihood of obedience in those that follow the commandments. The Buddhist principles provided a comforting opposite to the 10 Commandments.  Instead of scaring the reader that they’ll be sentenced to eternal damnation if they sin, Buddhism promotes a series of beliefs that will essentially help you become a better person on your journey to the next life, while bringing no damage to the lives of others. Most of these beliefs are rooted in a more accepting manner, bringing a more comforting approach to human ethics.

‘The Inner Journey and the Meaning of Human Reality’ made us question not only what it really means to be a human, but what this means in the grander scale of things when our lives on this Earth are over. It also introduced us to the hero’s journey to focus on humanity’s natural desire for something within them. Whether it be Enlightenment like for Siddhartha, fame and recognition for Gilgamesh, or honor for Hamlet, we learned that there is a driving force behind the way life is lived within everyone. By reading Herman Hesse’s Siddhartha, we’re given a first-hand look at the inner journey as we follow Siddhartha on his journey to reach Nirvana. Through this journey, we learn the importance of suffering and self-awareness in reaching an almost-unattainable level of self content. Siddhartha’s suffering at the hands of the Samanas, his son, and death prove that suffering is an inevitable part of the human existence, one that we can’t avoid and should instead use to grow as people. William Shakespeare’s Hamlet takes those same ideas of suffering and the hero’s focus, but looks at them from a completely different perspective. Unlike Siddhartha, Hamlet views life as the cause of all suffering. As a result of this, the only reason he doesn’t commit suicide is because of the discomfort associated with not knowing what comes after life/happens in death. This brings up a strong point about human reality, pointing out that realistically, the universe is so broad with so many parts unknown, that humanity actually only makes up a very small portion of it. Hamlet also provides a desire driving the hero’s journey that is completely different from the hero’s journey in Siddhartha. Instead of Enlightenment being the driving force, Hamlet is driven by grief and the need to avenge his father’s death at the hands of his uncle, Claudius. The idea of death played a relatively big role in this unit, coming up again in The Epic of Gilgamesh, the first “superhero” story of a demigod set out to make a name for himself and learn the secret of eternal life. Following the death of Gilgamesh’s friend Enkidu, Gilgamesh is deeply troubled by the concept of death and the unknowing associated with it, so he starts on a quest to gain eternal life. Through the story of Gilgamesh, a valid point is also brought up where no matter what role you hold in life, in death none of that matters, especially if you’re in Hell.

Throughout the semester, the understanding I had of the human experience as a whole, shaped itself and shifted more than I initially expected. Each unit added another piece to the reality of our existence as human being. From the first unit on brain functions and oral storytelling, to love and beauty, to bringing it all full circle with the final unit on the reality of humanity’s place in the universe and the place of ourselves within our soul, the human experience shaped humanities drastically.

My view on ethics

I believe that ethics is for the most part an arbitrary concept in which each person has their own viewpoint. I do also believe that there is an umbrella that covers "Right" and "Wrong". While peoples views can be different most topics, people will have similar views on big ticket issues. Whats right to one person is not necessarily right to another person. Is making sacrifices for your community considered good if it jeopardizes your own well being? Is focusing on yourself considered good if it throws the sanctity of the community into question? How does each person come about their own moral code, is it inherited or is it a product of your environment? 

Defining an ethical code for me is tricky, because each situation has different circumstances which warrant various responses. I think a big end goal of living an ethical life is personal happiness. Achieving at least a base level of happiness is important because to a certain extent your won happiness dictates your attitude. If you are not personally fulfilled then your attitude towards others reflects your lack of happiness. I don't have a particular memory or experience that I could attribute to my ethical values but I do believe that your ethical code is molded by those you have relationships with

Death by Electric Boogalo

Death is the ultimate mystery. There is much speculation about what happens after we pass on. Different religions have varying predictions and even those who don't follow any religion have views on the afterlife. Death is a scary idea because we know nothing about it, but conceptualizing an afterlife can help cope with the fear of the inevitable. Does our conscious leave our body and travel to an ideal realm or does the biochemistry in our brain shut down and that's the end?

We can't possibly know the truth about what happens after death but each individual is allowed to have his or her own idea. While it is on the rather unpleasant side, I hold the belief that after death there is no afterlife, and we experience a nothingness for lack of a better word. Quantifying what that nothingness means is not easy, for me it's almost impossible to imagine what its like to not exist. I can't say for certain there is no afterlife however. realistically its just as possible as any other outcome. 

possibilities of life after death

   When I think about what happens after death, I want to think that there is something after. I want to believe in a heaven or anything, but deep down I have a feeling that after wards is just nothingness. I like to have hope and I believe somewhat in reincarnation. The idea that we come back as different beings or life forms. That if we do good in our former lifer, then we will life an even happier life in our next form. This concept comes from a Hindu belief called Samara. This idea gives me a sort of hope and helps me keep my values and my morals. Its a kind of hope for me and it eases my mind of the idea of death.
     I also have a idea of my own that death is an everlasting slumber. That we lay restless and dream. That the soul is sleeping that kind of sleep you have when you are extreme tired and you rest your eyes. Maybe life is just one big dream, where the bad parts are just nightmares, and when we die, we wake up. I like to come up and imagine multiple possibilities.When it comes down how I truly feel deep down. I tend to believe in science. That after we die, it's just nothing and we simply exist in only memories.
     I don't tend to think of death, it does bother me, but it does not scare me as much. The thought of loved ones dying scare me more than myself. I like to live in the moment, but also think of the consequences and end result. I think you should live your life without the constant fear of death, because death is inevitable and I think when it's someone's time to die, then it's their time, and nothing could have prevented it.

Life After Death? No

Many people have a common fear of death, even myself. Life is short, it goes by fast and there is nothing we can do to stop it or slow it down. That is the scary factor to me, how time is at a fixed rate, a ticking clock that never stops. We like to consider the human life lasts one hundred years approximately, although sadly, in many cases lives are taken way earlier than the expected one hundred years. But what happens when death takes over us? Where do we go? I personally do not believe in a life after death. I do not think there is some other realm we go to when we die. I also do not believe that we become "reborn" into another body after our own body has past. I can understand those beliefs to an extent, but to me they just don't add up. I do, however, believe in heaven and hell. Which I guess some might say, "well those are considered other realms to go to after death", but I do not see as heaven and hell as realms. I think when people die, they will be sent to where they belong. Obviously, the people who go to hell are people with bad intentions and who do not have good in their hearts. Heaven, on the other hand, hold people who lost their lives too soon, or people who lived their lives with a good heart.

With believing in a heaven and a hell, I will never know for sure that they are true until I pass. No one knows for sure where we will go, or what happens after death takes us. Once a person dies, it is not like they can come back to life, tell us what happens, and go back to being dead. If only it worked that way. We would all have the answer and rest assured knowing what happens when our hearts are no longer beating. Death is my biggest fear, and especially since a health condition I have puts me in more danger of dying than the typical person, it makes me sick to my stomach. Even thinking of my loved ones passing away gives me a headache full of depression. Even though I believe in a heaven, and that I will see them again someday, it still has an uneasy feeling of heaven not existing at all. Believing in a heaven also gives me reassurance of loved ones that have already passed. I like to think that they are up there, having a party that my family members who are still alive just haven't been invited to yet. Everything happens for a reason, we die at a certain time for a reason. I just hope that one day, when I'm invited to that party, that I will feel no pain and no sadness that the life down on earth gives us.

death and the crazy stuff that comes after

Nobody knows what happens after we die which is why it is the scariest part of life. We all know we are going to die, we know that death is impending and that death is final. There is absolutely no way to escape it, nobody likes losing and death is kind of like the ultimate loss. Lots of emotions can be stirred up by death, some might feel anger or sadness. Some people might want to blame somebody or something for death while others feel guilt or sorrow. The people who accept death in a solemn way but keep a good attitude towards it are the people who win at death. Those people win dying.

I think the best way to do this is through faith, whether that be religion or just spirituality, you must have faith. People may say there is science behind what happens after you die, but that's your death there talking about, your death belongs to you and nobody else. After all you are the one dying. So since it's your death you can chose to believe anything you want. You can completely make up a story of some magical heavenly land you go to and nobody can tell you that it's not true or real and if you believe it enough and put all of your faith into it than it becomes real. I think the reason we chose to believe in a heaven as apposed to the harsh scientific realities is because it's just happier, it's a way to look at death and be able to comprehend it. having faith in a heaven almost gives something to look foreword to after death instead of just the thought of dying.