By Chitegetse A. Minanago
Grief manifests differently for each person; some cry, others fall into deep melancholy or depression. This emotional response stems from the profound sense of loss, the gap left by a loved one’s passing which seems too painful to bear. In some societies, death is seen as the end of life, but what if we viewed it differently?
How about we viewed it as a continuation or a new beginning? What if death is not the final end, but a transition to something beyond our comprehension? For some cultures, death is viewed as a passage, not the end. Could our essence, our consciousness, persist in ways we can’t yet grasp? When the body dies, physiologically speaking, does consciousness die along with it? Near-death experiences (NDEs), as we might have heard of, filled with light, peace, and encounters with loved ones, suggest there may be more to death than we realize. Can we take the insights from NDEs and rethink what death is?
Let’s consider the beginning of life for a moment. For a plant to grow, it requires both living and dead cells nourished by nutrients from decomposing organic matter, even though it starts from a living seed. Something needs to die for a new life to prosper. Science tells us that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed. If we, too, are energy beings, could death simply be a transformation into another phase of existence? Think about it.
What if we could know the exact moment of our death? Would it be terrifying or liberating? Throughout history, death has been feared and discussing it especially in our Tanzanian cultures has often been avoided. Some people would even be mad when one starts talking about death out in a blue, you’d hear them say “tuondolee uchuro,” which literally means spare us the bad omen. However, perhaps by embracing this inevitable transition, we could reduce our fear. If we knew that death wasn’t the end, would we live more boldly, love more deeply, and take more risks?
Death’s mystery challenges us to live with curiosity and wonder, reshaping how we view life and legacy. Perhaps the full comprehension of death isn’t meant to be solved, but to inspire us to consider that what we call an end could be the beginning of something far greater. Perhaps, further research into life after death could provide the peace and understanding we need to embrace both as part of an ongoing cycle.
