What Is an Atheist?
Atheists are people who do not believe in a deity’s existence. Atheism is not a rejection of a belief system, but a lack of belief.
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Atheists can come in many forms, but there are three main varieties: the nonreligious, the nonbelievers, and the agnostic. These types of atheism can overlap, contradict, and co-exist. Really, atheism can look different from person to person.
Billions of People Do Not Follow Religion
Over a billion people do not follow a religion. In the United States, over a quarter of the population identifies as atheists, making it the second largest “belief” in the nation.
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Atheists believe that this is the life we get, so what happens when this life comes to an end? Since everyone is different, the idea of what happens when life ends can vary from one atheist to another.
The End of Consciousness
Many atheists believe that death marks the end of consciousness, leading to eternal oblivion. This state of eternal oblivion, also known as nothingness, entails the cessation of the person’s consciousness and their ability to interact with the world around them.
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The nothingness that ensues after the cessation of physical life and consciousness is what awaits some individuals. While this notion might sound frightening, some people find comfort in this belief.
The Comfort of Nothingness
One atheist writes that once their consciousness ends, they will simply be gone from the world. “My afterlife will be in the memories of those I knew, those who loved me, those who carry me on in their hearts. I, myself, cease to exist,” they write.
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The hope in this idea is that it helps them be present in the now. “I am constantly gobsmacked by the minutiae of life; I stand in awe of the things around me right … now,” they write.
Returning to Nothing
Others believe that returning to nothingness entails a return to a liminal space similar to the state just before birth. Some believe that this space, forgotten upon birth, akin to the earliest years of our lives, awaits our return.
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Many perceive this return as a cycle of life. Some atheists believe that we must return to nothingness just as we were born from it.
The Science Behind Death
Other atheists have a more scientific approach to death. Scientists claim that energy cannot be created or destroyed, with black holes potentially serving as an exception.
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When you die, the body’s energy has to go somewhere else, but where? Scientists believe that the energy we all have is redistributed into other forms once we are no longer alive.
Humans Harness Energy
The human body contains roughly 20 watts of energy coursing through it at any given moment—enough to power a light bulb. This energy is utilized to move various muscles, including those controlling your eyelids and legs.
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After death, these atoms of energy, or your ‘light,’ will continue to resonate through space until the end of time. Although this energy does not encompass your consciousness, it remains a part of you.
Returning to the Cosmic Cycle
Some atheists who believe in the redistribution of energy also believe that there is some level of consciousness to this change. While there is no clear sign that consciousness has energy, those who believe that their consciousness lives on hope it will become a part of the stars.
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This energy could be used to create new life on Earth or somewhere in the vastness of space. This is just another way of thinking about the cycle of life, but this time the life force is returning to the cosmic cycle.
Returning to Mother Nature
On a greener note, some atheists focus on returning to the Earth. Atheists believe that after death, their bodies will decompose in the ground, returning their physical elements back to nature.
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This decomposition replenishes the soil and brings new life to the world left behind. However, consciousness still ceases to exist in this idea of the afterlife.
The Inevitable End
Some atheists do not think about the afterlife or what will happen to them after they die. Instead, they simply accept death as it is, completely the cycle that we are all born into.
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This acceptance of death is comforting rather than terrifying. Embrace death as something promised and unavoidable, rather than living in fear of a natural occurrence.
The Natural Cycle of Life
Death is unavoidable, but there is comfort in planning for what will happen in the future. Consider your beliefs on the afterlife–next life or peaceful nothingness. Either way, you can take action now to create lasting comfort for the people you leave behind.
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There are many options to consider after you pass. You can donate your organs, become a tree, or get buried in a mushroom suit! There are many interesting and unique things you can do after consciousness ends, but that is a journey you must take on your own.