Major religions promise eternal life. However, eternity is
a very long time. Eternity is longer than the life of the universe. What would eternal
life be like?
I reckon that even if you could have things exactly as you wanted them to be, that you
would eventually get bored there. Even if you could sleep there for many years at a time
-- so that you could awake to see what has changed -- this too, after doing it over and
over again would eventually bore you.
Eternity is long enough to watch all your favorite sit-coms and soaps with as many
variations introduced to them as you like. Eventually you would become bored stiff.
Imagine the the wildest ecstasy as you can then think of experiencing it forever or until
you have had enough of it -- then another wild experience until you have had enough . . .
forever. After a long while (which is just a tiny fraction of eternity), nothing would
impress you and nothing would surprise you. Even if you could take
an infinite variety of drugs, and even if a god personally saw to it that you were being
entertained; eventually you would become spoiled to death and nothing would make you
happy.
Eternity is longer than it would take you to learn about everything. Imagine living a life
where there is nothing more to learn! Even if you could rewind your life experience back
to any point in time and change a circumstance of or happening and continue your life with
this change in effect -- after doing this for a large number of times it would no longer
amuse you, or interest you, or entertain you.
You would eventually become bored even if you could make all the choices; set all the
circumstances; have every thing your way; live like a king; have as many servants as you
wanted; have as much wealth as you could imagine; live out every sexual fantasy; and so
on.
Even if you could acquire more senses than the normal sight, smell, touch, taste, and
hearing -- after having these extra senses for a very long time you would eventually take
them for granted and you would again become bored.
Eventually you would find yourself trapped in a life experience that
would lead to depression. You would want it to end. Death would be your only escape.
Personally, I wouldn't want to live longer than say, 140 years.
|