ktbeyonddeath103-blog

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Statement of Purpose

In fifteen posts, I show my thought process on what happens after death. Starting from the bottom, I use images to explain what happens post death according to my religion. The first image is of a figurine of Buddha, the “enlightened” one. The other image is a reblog of someone’s spirit rising out of the person’s body. I also created a list of instructions on how one can reflect on if he or she will reach Nirvana, which is a state where one is ultimately happy and free from suffering, desire, and temptation. Because there are different branches of Buddhism practiced by people all across the globe, I am specifically looking at the beliefs behind Jodo Shinshu Buddhism. This branch of Buddhism believes that one will achieve enlightenment after he or she dies and enter into the “Pure Land” or reaches the state of Nirvana. Moving up, the next religions I delve into are Catholicism and Christianity. While this is not specified, I look at these religions as one and show my interpretations of their beliefs through a biblical verse and comedic image. The biblical verse explains how someone can be admitted into heaven from the Christian view. I used the funny cartoon-like image because death should not be solely devoted to sadness. People reflect on the good times they have had with their lost loved ones. Also, death is a mystery, so this image could be an accurate representation of what happens in heaven. There is a post of a drawing with the words heaven and hell in the center. In this drawing, I used my research to categorize actions that are perceived to lead someone to heaven or hell. For the next area of thinking, I thought about the scientific or medical take on death. In these posts, I showed a quote from a doctor’s take on death, discussed a story of someone who essentially came back to life, and shared a picture of a functioning brain next to one that is declared brain dead. Expanding on the story about the “death traveler,” people, who come back into consciousness from a coma, help researchers explore the science behind what happens after death. The preceding two posts are on my take on death. For one post, I wrote a letter to death, while discussing what I think happens when and after one dies. The second post under this topic of inquiry is part of my own story and indirect experience with death in two different situations. My grandma passed away before I was born, and my grandpa passed away when I was little. Even though these deaths happened at different times in my life, these experiences are responsible for making me believe in the reincarnation of people’s spirits. Moving further up, there are two posts taken from the Native American view on death. Since there are many different Native American tribes, who hold their own beliefs on the afterlife, I specifically looked at the beliefs of the Hopi tribe in the post of the figurine. This figurine is of the Skeleton Man, who watches over the dead in their form of an underworld or spirit world. The quote that rejects the idea of death is spoken by Chief Seattle from the Suquamish tribe, who believes one enters heaven and can continue to exist in spirit form. Because I was interested in my friends’ beliefs, I filmed them discussing their take on what happens after death. By putting what they said together, one can see that everyone has their own take on the afterlife or what happens post death. When I first asked them about their opinions about this topic, they both had no idea how to respond. While they thought about what to say, they told me that what happens after death is a huge mystery that they are still trying to figure out. My final post, at the very top, is my reflection on what has influenced my belief on what happens after one dies. This post, the letter to death, the instructions or steps to reach Nirvana, the heaven and hell drawing, and the post titled “My Story” all use Kurt Cobain’s Journals as a model for their writing style or creation style. In Journals, Kurt Cobain wrote lists and letters, drew his thoughts, wrote a recipe, which is the same format as a list of instructions, and recorded his reflections. Throughout my Tumblr page, I use hashtags under each post to make it easier for the viewer to categorize what the post is about or some of the topics of thought within my post. Some people wallow in sadness, while others move on. Besides trying to understand this, I also tried to understand the different perspectives on the events that occur after death. While no one including myself may not be able to fully understand what exactly happens after one dies, I am able to identify that one’s religion, beliefs, and experiences alter their take on death. From doing this blog on this particular topic, I hoped to answer some of the questions and built up confusion I had on the topic of death. Rather than coming to a conclusion, I find myself with more questions than before. I have settled on my beliefs on death and what precedes it, but there is room for exploration and further discovery.

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These are some of the influences that have formed my opinion on what happens after one dies.

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What do you think happens after you die?

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There is no death. Only a change of worlds.

Chief Seattle

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The Native American Hopi tribe beliefs in the Skeleton Man, who is the Spirit of the Dead. They also belief in the Skeleton House, which is the land of the Dead.

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My Story

With death, there is life. A few weeks before I was born, my grandma passed away. While I never got the change to meet my grandma, I feel as if she lives on through me. I heard she was a fantastic cook and loved to joke around. I may not be able to make a beef stew as well as she knew how to, but I sure know how to make people laugh and feel loved.

With death, there is life. My uncle and aunt always wanted a child, but health complications always prevented them from having a baby. A few weeks after my grandpa passed away, my uncle and aunt adopted a baby boy from Japan. While coping with my grandpa’s death, I was able to see the happiness my cousin brought to my family.

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Dear Death,

Take me easily. I won’t resist. I will dive deeper into this sleep with no dreams. It is cold and lonely in the darkness. Soon, I will be blinded by the sight of enlightenment and fulfillment. My soul and consciousness will slowly blur as it transfers into another form. In a sense, I will live on through that other person or thing. That other person or thing will not remember it was me all along, and I will not remember that I was recreated. Why do you do this to us, Death? You will forever remain an unanswerable mystery. Your’s truly, Kendal

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Once someone goes brain dead, there is no chance they will remember anything or be the same person they were before.

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A “Death Traveler’s” Story

Tony Cicoria, a neurosurgeon from New York, was struck by lightning and believed he was dead. He did inhuman things, such as going up stairs without walking, while still experiencing what was happening around him, like the nurse trying to bring him back to life. There was a point in his dying experience in which he did not want to come back to life. This is common amongst “death travelers” because "being dead is evidently a very interesting experience” (Worrall). While his brain may have been considered dead, he could still hear things happening around him and see things whether they were actually happening or not. Because of experiences like these, scientists should look into consciousness related and unrelated to brain function.

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Dying is a huge gray area. It is actually a shockingly gradual process that plays out over hours.

Dr. Stephan Mayer

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Here are some beliefs on how one reaches heaven or is sent to hell

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Will God allow you into heaven?

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Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5: 19

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Beginning the cycle of reincarnation

Rebirth II. Revisiting an older piece..

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Will you reach Nirvana?

To cleanse the mind: 1. Go somewhere you will be free from any distractions 2. Dim the lighting or turn off all of the lights or go into the shade 3. Sit up straight but relaxed and crosslegged with your hands in your lap (optional: interlock fingers except for your thumbs) 4. Breathe in absorbing the calmness surrounding you 5. Breathe out releasing all the tension and stress that has been built up 6. Clear your mind of all thought 7. Sit in reflection 8. Think deeply about this question: Have you been following the Eightfold Noble Path?* 9. Take a deep breathe in 10. Breathe out completing the meditation 11. Open your eyes and either start or continue living righteously

*Right view, right aspiration, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration

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Buddhists believe that one’s goal should be to achieve enlightenment. Buddha, pictured above, is sometimes referred to as the “enlightened” or “awakened” one.