Change of Mind: An Eternal Life

For the past several years, I've been deathly afraid of death (irony!). I simply couldn't take the fact that one day, I will just disappear from the face of the earth...forever. Forever?! That's a very long time and I can't imagine going through something for an eternity. I was just scared of the unknown. Of what ACTUALLY happens once I die. Will I still have my spirit and carry it on forever in an eternal realm? Will I be in a place of pure happiness? A place where I will just forget about time and not know that it's for eternity? All these questions cloud in my mind and sometimes, I get the weirdest feeling in my body whenever I think about this subject.

And throughout this whole time, I've always wanted to live forever. I just wanted to see what the world would be like in the year 5348. How humans would change. How technology would change. Food, cultures, music, etc. It was because of the fact that I was scared of death and didn't want to experience that reality.

However, I recently changed my mind. One day, during Humanities class, we were talking about philosophy and the future and how in each generation we are embarrassed of the previous generation of their thoughts, technology, innovative ideas, etc. Then we got into discussing about how in 2050 we will have the technology to allow a person to be able to live forever. I thought it was absurd. I couldn't believe it and I don't think it will happen. BUT, the reason why I've changed my mind about living forever is because of the fact that once we have this advanced technology, it is predicted that people will just be mushed together into singularity and that everyone will be just one conscious. I cannot live a life like that. I love individuality and uniqueness and this is how our lives currently are. I don't want to be labeled as a "concept". "One person". Psh. No.

I think there is a reason for everything that happens in life. It is a constant chain reaction. There is a reason why we die. So I just feel that it would be wrong to have the capability of living forever when that's not the purpose of life.