Before and After

There are many philosophical questions that have persisted for millennia in human history. Finding answers to these questions has often been difficult, and in some cases, even impossible. However, as human curiosity and the drive for discovery continue to grow, responses to some of these questions are becoming more attainable. For example, a large majority of religions believe in the existence of a world beyond the one we live in. There are over ten thousand different religions around the world, but more than seventy percent of the global population adhere to just five major religions: Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism.

The worlds they envision to ascend to are often supernatural, mystical, and alluring. While these extraordinary realms can sound fascinating, many of them share similar structures. Upon closer examination, the basic philosophies of these "promised lands" are often simplistic, one-dimensional, and sometimes even childish.

At the same time, non-religious groups, such as Agnostics and Atheists, are rapidly growing in number, many of whom are hesitant to entertain ideas beyond our physical world. Philosophical questions about the purpose of existence and the meaning of life in this world remain central to human inquiry. The fundamental question to find an answer to is to know what was and what will be before and after this world.  For those who believe in religions, answers are readily provided through their teachings. Though these responses may seem simple-minded to some, they are deeply cherished by those who adhere to these beliefs.

Ultimately, the most fundamental and timeless questions concern our presence in this life, and what, if anything, exists before or after the world we can experience with our five senses.

 

First, we look at each one of these questions, and then we examine them in the same order:

1. Who and where were we before we were born?

Before we set foot on this earth, did we exist in some other place, in some special or different form? Was there a soul waiting for a body to inhabit? After our mothers conceive us, we begin as nothing more than a fetus, which grows in the womb and eventually becomes a baby. We are raised in our parents' households, under their care, and as we grow, we eventually leave their homes to live independently and form our own families. Years later, we grow old, our bodies can no longer support us, and we die. Do we know what our next destination is after death? Our bodies will perish, but is there a soul that remains? If so, where does that soul go?

2. The circumstances of our birth

I came into this world with no desire to be born, and I had no role in entering it. No one asked me to join the other living beings on earth; I arrived here as a result of the physical pleasure experienced by a man and a woman. I had no desire, knowledge, or will to live in this world—at least, not that I can remember. Yet, here I am. During my childhood and youth, it took me many years to learn what my elders knew and to follow their guidance. When I was born, I had no physical skills—I couldn’t speak, walk, or do anything on my own. My only function was to consume and learn through my senses, mimicking those around me. My brain recorded everything, and my memory retained all the facts and activities that surrounded me. When I die and my brain ceases to function, will my memories continue somewhere, or will they vanish along with my brain?

3. The cycle of life

When we are born, our five senses are weak, and we do not have good eyesight, for example. We also lack hair, teeth, and physical skills. As we age, we eventually lose our vision, hair, teeth, hearing, and physical agility. This is the cycle we go through. Animals learn about the world more quickly, but because their average lifespan is generally, though not always, shorter than ours, we might infer that they learn faster in some ways. When we are born, we rely on our parents for care. But as we age and lose our spouses, and as our physical weaknesses accumulate, we find ourselves without anyone to care for us. Even if we have children, they often become tired of looking after us, as their primary responsibility is their own family. Today, many people send their parents to nursing homes or similar facilities. There is no known reason why we must start from nothing—birth—and progress physically and mentally until old age, only to regress back to where we began, both physically and mentally, until death. Of course, this is a general pattern; some people may not experience old age, but for those who do, it is the norm. Why must we start from zero and return to zero after traveling through this cycle?

4. The need for sleep

We all need to sleep for a certain amount of time each day. It is said that each person requires about eight hours of sleep per night to relieve fatigue and maintain physical agility and mental health. In this way, we spend one-third of our lives unconsciously. But if we need sleep to rest our minds and bodies, why is it that when we wake up, our bodies are often physically tired, even though we may feel mentally refreshed? If we rest to rejuvenate both mind and body, why does our body feel numb, requiring exercise to bring it back to a normal state? Why are we structured in such a way that our bodies need to rest one-third of the time to function properly?

5. The need for food

The structure of the world dictates that living beings require food at certain intervals throughout the day. Most creatures, including humans, consume other living things to survive. Why must we eat and drink several times a day, especially when it involves consuming other living organisms? Furthermore, to live longer and healthier lives, we must eat specific foods. It is said that consuming a variety of products that provide our bodies with essential fuel is the key to maintaining healthy function. Our bodies need substances such as vitamins and minerals to survive, and we also need to kill plants and animals to continue our existence. Why does our survival depend on the destruction of other living things?

6. The inevitability of death

Some people die in their sleep, or when their bodies succumb to heart attacks or similar sudden illnesses, though most deaths are preceded by illness. The worst types of illnesses are those that affect the mind and brain, such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease. Death marks the end of everything for the deceased, but it is a devastating moment for those left behind. For the living, it is painful to know that they will never see their loved ones again. The fear of suffering a similar fate is equally painful. We continually strive to delay this moment by maintaining our health. We are cautious about our food, the environment around us, and we exercise to ward off diseases as much as possible, using prevention and medication. Despite our efforts, illness remains one of the most common causes of death. We undergo countless medical tests to detect any potential issues that could compromise our body’s functions. Thanks to advancements in medical science, we hear about people living well over a century. In fact, if we look at the average lifespan over time, we can see that it has been steadily increasing. This raises the question: how much longer can we extend our lifespans? How long can we keep our bodies alive?

7. The role of religion

We have created gods who promise to protect us, and religions that claim to guide us to a better place after death. These gods are portrayed as all-powerful and eternal, and we seek their forgiveness and pray to them. By praying to these gods and their agents, and by offering praise and thanks daily, we expect to live a healthy and happy life in this world and ascend to a better place after death. We even go so far as to fight and kill others who do not believe in our gods and prophets. In some countries, such as Iran and Afghanistan, governments execute or stone those who were born into a particular religion, such as Islam, but later renounced their faith. Some religious leaders speak of a paradise from which the first inhabitants were expelled for eating a forbidden fruit. If these gods created this world and their prophets introduced them to us, why should we pray to them, praise them, and ask for forgiveness, rather than simply accept their compassion and live our lives with love and peace?

8. The fear of death

We call ourselves the most intelligent beings on earth, yet we are so afraid of death that we have created another world where we will go after we die. We mourn and grieve for those we have lost, but do we truly cry for their absence, or are we afraid that we will one day face the same fate? If they have ascended to a better world, why are we not happy for them, as promised by the prophets? What is the philosophy behind such mysteries as God and religion?

9. The vastness of the universe

We look up at the sky and see an endless expanse of space. Our eyes cannot perceive distant stars or planets, and our ears cannot hear their movements. Our knowledge has expanded to the point where we understand their existence, but we have no means of traveling to them. Since we cannot reach these distant planets, we do not know if they host life in any form. Some scientists, such as Stephen Hawking, have theorized that our universe is not infinite, and that it has boundaries—edges that limit its scope. He even estimated the age of the universe. With increased life expectancy and control over diseases, the human population continues to grow. However, the damage we have caused to Earth threatens its sustainability. One of the most dangerous consequences of our progress is global warming, which we do not yet know how to solve. Some scientists have even suggested moving the entire planet away from the Sun! What is the future of our planet?

10. The end of the world

Is it true that our world had a beginning and will one day come to an end? What is the purpose of our existence? The Bible speaks of Armageddon, the final battle between good and evil, right and wrong, angels and demons. According to the Bible, it will take place in the hills of Megiddo in Haifa, where the Zionist state of Israel is currently committing atrocities against Palestinians in an attempt to seize their land. If Israel continues these crimes with American military support, it may escalate into a global conflict involving nuclear powers. Another potential Armageddon could take place in Ukraine, where the U.S. is also providing military support, thus spreading the war further. Will we witness Armageddon in our lifetime?

11. Humanity’s violence

It is both surprising and tragic that humans are the only species that kills members of its own species due to differences in ideology, wealth, or revenge. While animals fight over territory and resources, they do not pursue the weak to their complete destruction. Yet humans invest enormous time and resources into creating weapons solely designed to kill. The military-industrial complex, particularly in the United States, is the most profitable industry, capable of influencing the election of government officials, including the president. We develop new technologies to strengthen our military forces, only to use them against other nations. The U.S. operates about 800 military bases in over 70 countries, claiming to defend the homeland against foreign threats, even though it is the greatest aggressor in history. Is this truly the behavior of the most intelligent species?

12. Is the world a dream?

Could it be that the world we live in is just a dream? When we sleep, we know we are dreaming or experiencing a nightmare. But could it be that our entire existence—the cycle of birth, life, and death—is part of a larger dream in another realm? Are we living in separate dreams, where all the events of our lives are nothing more than illusions? Will we someday awaken from this dream? What is reality, and what is a dream?

 

None of the questions raised here can be answered easily. In fact, the vast majority of philosophers have addressed these issues and tried to find reasonable answers to them. These are fundamental questions, and here in this section every effort will be made to examine them and find a reasonable answer to each question. Of course, if no answer is found for any of these questions, they will at least be expanded and analyzed:

1. Who and where were we before we were born?

Our bodies were formed during the pregnancy of our mothers, but when we were born, we had no ability to take care of ourselves. We depended entirely on our parents to nourish and nurture us until we reached adulthood. When we were mere fetuses, and if we had been transferred from another world into our mothers' wombs, we likely forgot any memories of that world at the time of birth. These memories were replaced by the acquired experiences of the world we were born into. If this is true, then upon death, we would similarly not carry any memories of this world with us. In this sense, everything ends with death. If we believe in a soul or some intangible phenomenon, it is possible that this soul travels to another realm beyond our current world—a realm that cannot be understood with the knowledge we possess now. Therefore, the ideologies of various religions that inform us about a world before birth and after death are not fully acceptable, as that world cannot be measured with our current understanding. Consequently, our existence begins with birth and ends with death. What we perceive through our five senses constitutes our world, and there is no evidence to suggest the existence of another world outside of it. The Earth, the only place discovered so far that supports life, has a definite lifespan, and scientists predict that it will one day cease to exist. In the meantime, for the survival of future living beings, we must look for another habitable place—provided we don’t destroy this world through wars.

2. The circumstances of our birth

In the previous section, it was explained why we have no knowledge of our existence before or after this world. If we had any memories from before our birth, they did not accompany us into this world. In fact, our birth occurred without our consent, knowledge, or approval. Similarly, our death will occur without our desire or consent. Of course, if someone wishes to die, they have the power to voluntarily end his or her own life through suicide. However, death that is not self-inflicted will happen without our will. The violence and killing of humans by a few in power is also not the desire of the majority of people in most societies. While many sociologists have theorized about the creation of a government that benefits all members of society equally, and that is kind to other beings and the environment, such a government has not yet materialized. Perhaps the best form of government is the absence of one! After death, what remains of a person is only a memory, and these memories tend to fade within a generation unless that individual had a significant impact on society, turning their memory into history.

3. The cycle of life

If we do not accept the theory of evolution for living beings, then according to religious texts, the first humans were Adam and Eve. These two figures were created at a young age and remained that way until they were expelled from paradise and began living on Earth as we do. If we believe in these religious stories and follow the texts that describe them, we might think that after death, we will return to the paradise from which our ancestors were banished—perhaps because they ate an apple or a seed of wheat! However, if we reject these myths and look at reality, based on historical and scientific evidence, we know that humans underwent an evolutionary process, one that took place after the dinosaurs' extinction. Over millions of years, we evolved into the intelligent beings we are today, surpassing other creatures. We developed verbal and written communication, physical skills, tools, and countless other concepts that facilitate our lives and contribute to human art. People with Alzheimer's disease or other cognitive impairments lose much of this mental development and revert to earlier stages of human cognitive capacity. In fact, when we are born, we start with the same mental capacity as animals. Before we learned about the advancements of our current world, our lives were much like those of other non-human creatures. We acquire these advancements from our parents and the people around us, and we continue to pass them on. Our bodies seem to maintain a certain physical limit as we age, and our minds follow a similar trend. Despite the advances in medicine that allow us to live longer and healthier lives, for the majority of us, our mental capacity does not keep pace with our physical health. As we age, we tend to forget more, learn less, and the process of mental growth eventually halts.

4. The need for sleep

There are many unknowns about our existence that we have yet to understand or uncover. Our bodies, especially our brains, require eight hours of rest every day—meaning we spend a third of our lives sleeping, in a mental state beyond our control. Additionally, to maintain the health of our body, we need to exercise our muscles unless our daily work involves physical labor. Despite these measures, diseases still afflict our bodies if we don’t take proper care. This is because our bodies are structured in such a way that, as we grow from childhood to adulthood, we become bigger and stronger up to a certain age. After reaching this peak, our bodies start to decline. This is the life cycle of all living beings: birth, growth, and decline. But is there a planet where birth and death do not occur? A place where beings live forever in perfect conditions, constantly building and improving their surroundings? Some may argue that eternal life would eventually become tiresome. But what if those beings started from the Stone Age and, over time, improved their lives through discoveries and innovations? Life might be enjoyable under such circumstances. We are accustomed to believing that everything has a beginning and an ending. Yet, we should remember that everything begins, evolves, and eventually ends. We do not know if there is a world beyond our own, nor if any such world would follow the same patterns of beginning and end.

5. The need for food

To keep the body healthy and active, it is not only necessary to exercise but also to consume a proper and healthy diet. The food we eat is converted into energy that sustains both our bodies and minds. Every living being must feed itself and take care of its nutrition in order to survive. It is a mystery why our bodies are not designed to sustain themselves through breathing alone. Another paradox is the need to consume other living beings in order to survive. This creates a system where the survival of one depends on the death of another. Humans have learned to increase the quantity and quality of their food through agriculture and animal husbandry. However, this process often leads to the destruction of certain species in the pursuit of survival. While we talk about love and affection, and broadcast messages of care, the harsh reality is that survival often involves the death of another living thing. When we discuss justice in society, we must acknowledge that such a society is built upon the survival of one being at the expense of another. This raises important moral questions: are we, as humans, truly living in a just world? Do the wars and killings that rage across the globe stem from this mentality? The answer seems to be yes. In a general sense, it is unfair to all species, especially since humans have the capability to destroy millions of lives in an instant with their weapons.

6. The inevitability of death

Children born in the last decades of the 20th century may live long enough to see the 22nd century, and possibly even live for three centuries, thanks to advances in medicine and technology. It is fascinating to consider how much longer we may be able to extend human lifespans. We know that Earth, like everything else, has an expiration date. There are living beings whose lives span only a few seconds, while there are stars that burn for eons. But eventually, everything must reach an end. It remains unclear whether this is part of a larger cosmic cycle—where stars, planets, and all living things are born and die, only to be reborn again. It would be interesting if we could discover that a world existed before ours, and when our world eventually ceases to exist, another world will be born. However, we may never live to experience the life and death of our world.

7. The role of religion

Throughout history, powerful, invincible gods have been invented by humans who sought to find an explanation for the existence of the world. Some reached their zenith by creating religions, the most extreme examples being the criminal regimes that wield power in the name of religion today. In these religions, adherents are instructed to praise and glorify God through specific rituals and ceremonies. But if one truly believes in these superstitions, one should raise a simple question: If God is omnipotent, why do we need to praise Him? It is absurd that religious leaders should be the ones to inform us of God's existence and introduce us to Him, instead of God instilling His presence and teachings in us from the moment we are born. Why don’t the gods of these religions reveal themselves to us clearly and remove all doubt, preventing the wars that rage between competing religions? In truth, gods and religions are some of the most absurd products of human imagination and have been the driving force behind many of the misfortunes of humanity throughout the ages.

8. The fear of death

As has been pointed out many times, everything eventually dies and disappears. This fact has been discovered, evidenced, and proven repeatedly by countless thinkers. This is the story of life’s inevitable end, whether we call it Armageddon or simply the end of the world. Life itself follows a cycle: birth, growth, and death. Everything begins and ends in this world. When we come to terms with the fact that everything has a beginning and an end here, perhaps we will become kinder to our fellow human beings. At the moment of our conception, we were among millions of potential life forms that had the chance to be selected to live in this world. Therefore, we should be grateful and proud of our existence, and we should value our lives and the lives of others. We should strive to preserve and continue living meaningfully, despite the hardships we face. By adopting this mindset, we might be able to halt the destruction of our fellow human beings and end wars. Perhaps we can find new ways to sustain ourselves that don’t involve harming other living creatures, allowing us to live in peace and harmony in this world—whose beginnings and endings remain a mystery.

9. The vastness of the universe

Stephen Hawking theorized that the universe began with the Big Bang around fifteen billion years ago. He suggested that the universe would eventually go dark and fade away, in a process he called "a smooth exit from eternal inflation." Hawking also predicted that the universe might ultimately end in what he called the "Big Freeze" or the "Big Cooldown." According to his theory, by the year 2600, the Earth would become a giant ball of fire. These are predictions made by one of the most brilliant scientists of our time. The only way to measure the validity of these predictions is to wait for the future, something neither Hawking nor any of us will be around to see. Despite the uncertainty, it is clear that Earth, like everything else in the universe, has a finite lifespan. With the increasing pace of global warming, it is inevitable that Earth will one day cease to exist. Some scientists propose solutions like moving Earth away from the Sun to reduce the amount of sunlight reaching our planet, but this idea seems more science fiction than scientific reality. Another more exotic idea is to abandon Earth altogether and move to another planet. Some have even suggested that a planet with similar conditions to Earth has recently been discovered, potentially offering a new home for humanity. The universe is so vast that the possibility of finding another Earth-like planet does not seem entirely unreasonable.

10. The end of the world

While we’ve discussed the possibility of the world ending one day, Armageddon could come much sooner, potentially in our lifetime. The existence of nuclear weapons in countless countries, combined with ongoing wars in the Middle East, Africa, and Eastern Europe, could lead to the destruction of life on Earth. Unfortunately, it is difficult to find many countries with sensible and humanitarian leadership. In the past, wars were often fought over territorial expansion, but today, many wars are driven by the need to sell weapons and products. The largest producer of household goods is China, while the largest arms producer is the United States. For China, the best condition for selling products is a world at peace, while for the United States, the opposite is true. History has shown that when a superpower declines, it leads to destruction, decadence, and ruin, and the falling superpower will fight tooth and nail to maintain its dominance. In the nuclear age, with so many countries possessing weapons of mass destruction, a world war could be the beginning of the end for humanity. The United States, in particular, is losing its industrial, academic, and financial superiority, which is why it supports belligerent governments such as Israel and Ukraine. Unless people across the globe rise up against these wars, the possibility of Armageddon occurring in our generation seems all too likely.

11. Humanity’s violence

We’ve already discussed the military-industrial complex of the United States, the largest and most productive military apparatus in the world. This complex has initiated or been involved in nearly every conflict since World War II. The political power in the U.S. is in the hands of this military-industrial complex. Many people over the age of fifty-five may remember the anti-war movements of the 1960s, when people used to place flowers in the barrels of police officers' guns. Symbols of love, peace, and tolerance were part of the movements, and it is time for this tradition to be revived—not only in the U.S. and Europe but around the world. This movement should begin with the prohibition of the death penalty, to ensure that the taking of a human life becomes a historical nightmare. In order to enjoy life, every human being must ensure that their neighbors also have the chance to enjoy life. Governments should be led by those whose primary concern is the well-being of all members of society—even criminals. Harm and killing should be banished from the minds of individuals, and armies should be disbanded. Instead, forces should be trained to teach tolerance and patience. Although armies are supposed to defend a country’s territory, it has been shown time and again that their primary role is often aggression and invasion. We spend vast amounts of time, resources, and energy killing each other, yet we still call ourselves the most intelligent species. Until we stop exploiting weaker nations for our own benefit, such as the way we exploit Africa, Palestine, and other regions, we cannot claim to have truly reached humanity's highest potential.

12. Is the world a dream?

The distance between dreams and reality is as brief as the blink of an eye. In our dreams, we visit worlds that are unimaginable to us when we are awake. We encounter unknown people and places, yet these dreams are entirely separate from reality. When we wake up, the dream remains in our minds for a short time, lingering in our thoughts. Sometimes, dreams are so vivid that they stay with us throughout the day. When we are immersed in a dream, do we know it’s just a dream? Often, we wake up from a powerful dream, and its story occupies our minds for hours. Eventually, we forget about the dream and resume our daily activities. Yet, we spend a third of our lives sleeping and dreaming. Could it be that we pass a third of our lives in a dream, within a dream? This implies that our current lives might be no more than a dream—whether it’s a pleasant dream or a nightmare. One day, we may wake up, stretch, and think, “What a strange, long dream that was”! Could we all be living in a dream right now, unaware that someday we will wake up to a different reality? And of course, while we are dreaming, we don’t know that this is only a dream.

(Edited by Natasha Fazeli)