You know, I just had a thought. I have maintained during the course of my life that subject of "life after death" should be forbidden for discussion or speculation.

Having said that, It seems to me that the trend of the last 25 or so years regarding thrill seeking, and extreme sports may in fact be a very important, key piece of evidence regarding the experience of death if not the character of the "aftermath". We are addicted to experiences that mimic death. Drugs are one such experience. Increasing amounts and more powerful drugs yield a kind of psychological thrill ride, the sensation of disconnection, acceleration and "lightening" (in both the weight, as well as the dark senses of the word) Thrill rides, being made increasing advanced and more "thrilling" by technology are, in fact benefiting from the closeness to which this induced experience mimics the threat of immanent death, or the dislocation of the drug experience through physical experiences. Extreme sports are the ultimate expression. This involves the actual risk of death being very immediate and very real, and then being avoided through skill. The great pleasure that we seem to derive from this may come from one of several factors:

1. The actual experience of death may involve the massive dump of certain hormones and chemicals in the brain that induce the "ultimate" rush, there by easing the mortal terror of dying. (this however, calls into question what the source of this kindness is as the concept is predicated upon the idea that the death of the organism is absolute, so why bother with comforting the organism?)
2. The "brain dump" is the physiological analog of the higher experience of death and this process is needed to ease the experience of the transitional state. This would involve willingness, if you are fearful or reluctant or enter death the experience is certain to be horrible, as there is no choice. If, however, your "ready" and willing to accept the experience it may be that it becomes the greatest "ride" of all, which if not followed up with any "continuation" is your last experience and you wouldn't remember anything anyway so it just won't matter to you. Just like the moment of maximum fear and release during a thrill ride or an orgasm, the sense of "selflessness" being the disconnection from your memories. Although, once again this calls into question the purpose of this complex system of easing the experience if there is nothing after. (though it is quite possible that there IS nothing after and the "pleasure" or "pain" of the experience is purely a subjective interpretation of the physiological process. Very possible)
3. The simulated experience of death is purely cathartic in nature and the subjective experience is the release of our inner mortal terror of the prospect of death itself and the end. There is no "experience of death" only the anticipation of it.
4. The experience of death is an actual physiological reality and is the direct objective experience of the transitional state that is our procession from this the "next" state. The sensation of "acceleration" is in fact the experience of acceleration from this to a higher state. The "lightness" is the experience of the de-physicalization of the entity. The over-whelming sense of pleasure is the realization of the end of physical limitations and depredations. This would then call into question "what is it that lays beyond?" The reported experiences of the death process are remarkable similar to that which we might imagine a newborn infant experiences at birth. Sudden change, the end of a stable existence and the transition to a new state, motion, acceleration, disconnection (umbilicus?) and the perception of an on-rushing brightness that seems to contain a living presence followed by the greetings of people that we "know" (the implications of that are far beyond the scope of this article). The experience of the process of physical decay would then be a component of the death experience, perhaps the "de-physicalizaion". This then calls to mind the possibility of a highly altered time sense. The years of physical decay passing in only moments of subjective time, or, alternately, lasting forever. This would make sense considering the Einsteinian predictions of time flow as we accelerate.
5. Thrill rides are just big time fun, drugs are a blast and extreme sports are an ultimate, "peak" experience due to the fact that it proves real, physical superiority.

So which seems the most likely to you? And, if you really think about it, does it matter? I think that a little of all is involved at some level and that we simply do not have the capacity to comprehend it fully.

Just an thought

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