This is the third part of my ongoing series A Commentary On Life. It's been a while since I continued the series so I decided that I'd write another addition to the series today. To read the previous entry in the series, click here.

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I've pondered this question one too many times: what happens after death?

The question may seem religious or spiritual in nature to some but it is really only human curiosity at its finest. Not only is it unanswerable, it leads to more questions: is there anything after death? If yes, then why? What is it? What is the purpose of our existence? Why are we here? These questions have no answer and they will remain unanswered forever.

Science says that there is nothing after death, except nothingness itself. It is termination of all biological functions and processes. So, death really is the end. No heaven, no hell. You feel weak, eyes close, death comes. Cut to black. THE END.

But that feels a bit, I don't know how to put this. It feels a bit anticlimactic. You struggle all your life, in the pursuit of happiness which feels two steps away whenever you take one step towards it. You work hard, are a good person, help everyone who is in need, and sometimes you get what you deserve. Other times, you don't. No one cares, life doesn't stop. The earth keeps spinning and the universe keeps working. After all that struggle, pain, and suffering, you finally arrive at a point that is supposed to be the most major even in any individuals life. It's an event everyone knows will come one day or another, it's inevitable. No matter what you do, you can never stop it from happening. At best, you can delay it but death has all the time there is. You, on the other hand, do not. You might've wondered about the mystery of death at some point in your life and now you finally get to uncover it, whatever the cost maybe. And so, you ahem die and there is absolutely nothing. A black screen. No try again, game over messages, no god. Just a black screen. All your life has led you up to this point. This point of nothingness.

Religion gives us faith, it gives us something to believe in. It assures us that there is indeed something after death. There is heaven, and there is hell. Both of which are opposites of each other. Everything awesome and great that you can ever imagine you'll find in heaven. Everything awful and terrifyingly horrible that you can ever imagine you'll find in hell. To get into heaven, you have to be a good person. You have to be pious, you have to follow the teachings of that religion, pray to god, and you must not sin. The greater your sins are, the greater your chances are of getting on the highway to hell instead of on the stairway to heaven.

As children, we are told that in heaven, there is an endless supply of chocolate and candies. There is an endless supply of whatever your mind can imagine. But to get there, you have to be good. And so you live out your lives, you encounter hurdles and obstacles along the way. Sadness, disappointment, grief, and betrayal that make you question your existence and even your faith. But you keep marching forward, in the pursuit of that eternal happiness that has been promised to you. So, let's say you die as a pious person. You never wronged anyone, always kept your promises, helped your friends and even strangers in need, and did everything that qualified you as the greatest human being on the planet. You die surrounded by your children and grandchildren with no regrets. This whole scenario is impossible in reality but we are going with it just for the argument's sake. So, what happens when you die?

Let's imagine four scenarios.

1. Nothing happens

We have already discussed this one above. There is nothing aside from you and nothingness. As soon as you close your eyes, instead of feeling the warmth of God, you feel nothing. Cut to black. You're dead.

2. Heaven and Hell are real.

Okay, so this one is a bit more traditional. You find out that Heaven and Hell are in fact real. You enter heaven, and finally grasp the happiness you've been chasing all your life. While it's good for you, things aren't looking good for the atheists.

3. There is something after death, but it isn't what you expected.

Maybe you expected the traditional concept of heaven and hell, and instead, you were greeted with the prospect of limbo. Or even reincarnation. This scenario contains everything aside from heaven and hell. Maybe instead of a black screen, you get a white screen. Maybe you end up in an endless blank space with nothing in it that you have to roam forever. Maybe you go to purgatory. There are so many possibilities that could fit in this scenario that I couldn't possibly list all of them.

4. You picked the wrong religion.

Okay, this is the most absurd scenario but it is also the one that bothers me a lot. So, many of the religions require you to accept a crucial part of their theology. For example, in order to become a Christian you have to accept Jesus Christ as the son of God and your savior. Only then can you become a part of Christianity. Many times, the teachings of one religion contradict the teachings of another religion. For example, Christianity says that Jesus was the Son Of God. While Islam states that Jesus was not the Son Of God. God is one, and the sole master of the universe. So, if you believe that Christ was the Son of God, you cannot be a Muslim. If you don't, you cannot be a Christian. Say, you die as an adherent to some religion. It turns out that you believed in the wrong religion when in reality the real religion was some other. I have really no idea what would happen in such a scenario.

Something I feel that I should make clear: I'm not here to talk about religion, I'm not saying which one's better, which one's not. I'm not here to talk about that. I'm here to talk about my topic which is Existence and Death, it just happens that religion is connected to death in a way.

It is strange that we come into this world, not by our own will, and we leave this world against our will. Expectations, wishes, and regrets never stop chasing man. They are ever-present even when man is on the brink of death. Death is the only thing that provides an escape for man.

The mystery of the concept of death piques my curiosity. I've always deemed time to be the main antagonist of our stories instead of death. Time robs us of our friends and families. It robs us of our best moments. It withers us. It is the most merciless killer there is. Personally, as much as I try not to think about death, I think about it way too much. And here I am writing this article. Oh, the irony.