Recently I came across an article in Futurism—The Science of Death: The Best Eulogy, According to a Physicist (Aaron Freeman). Yesterday, I wrote about my friend who passed away recently. I think it's apt that I continue to write about death because, let's face it, every living being on the face of this earth will someday face the vast unknown. We don't talk enough about death, believing that by talking about it, we are somehow inviting it closer. But I'm not someone who shies away from reflecting on things that make most people uncomfortable.
As I reflect on Aaron Freeman's words, I realize there is something both cruel and beautiful about loss. The way it strips us bare, leaving us searching for traces of someone who no longer walks this earth. But if the laws of the universe have taught us anything, we have learned that nothing truly disappears. The First Law of Thermodynamics teaches us that energy is never lost, only transformed. And maybe, just maybe, the ones we lost aren't as far away as we think.
We are made of stardust.
Did you know that most of the elements in our bodies were forged in the hearts of stars, across billions of years and multiple star lifetimes? However, certain elements within us, such as the hydrogen flowing through our veins and the faint traces of lithium within us, could be as ancient as time itself; the remnants of the Big Bang. You and I, quite literally, are fragments of the universe, bound together by forces older than memory.
So when we grieve for an unbearable loss and feel the crushing weight of absence, perhaps we can take comfort in knowing that nothing is ever truly gone.
The ones we miss exist in a different form now. They are scattered across the cosmos, carried in rays of sunshine, drifting in the gentle breeze. The photons that once danced across their skin continue their journey through space. Their laughter still lingers around us, waiting to be felt by those who remember.
If we explain death by physics alone, the conservation of energy means that when we die, our energy disperses into heat, into the environment, and into the people we loved. We become part of those we left behind. We are reborn into new beings. As I think about this, I can't help but wonder: what about ghosts and spirits? As a Christian, I believe in the existence of the soul, but does that differ from ghosts and spirits? I honestly have no answer.
Could it be that some parts of a person, let’s call it a consciousness or remnants of their memory—remain bound to the world even after the body is gone? Maybe. Some believe that energy, especially from those who have passed with unfinished business or intense emotions, leaves imprints of themselves that replay like a recording in places they once lived or loved.
Or maybe these spirits exist because we keep them alive. I don't mean in a haunting way, but rather in the way we cling to the memory of love. It's in the way we still feel them in certain moments and places, as if they never truly left. Maybe we sense their spirits around us because our own energies interact with their memory.
I won't claim to know the answer. But I will say this, purely my opinion, of course: if spirits exist, if ghosts are real, then maybe they aren't here to haunt us. Maybe they're still here simply because they loved too deeply to leave completely. And they are everywhere around us: among the rustling leaves in the trees, in the blooming flowers, waiting, always waiting for us to recognize their presence when we need them most.
I like to think that when my time comes, I will not vanish. I will be among the stars, among the florets of dandelions, the dust on the palms of your hands, and the unseen energy beneath the fabric of existence. I will return to the ultrasound and infrasound, ultraviolet and infrared, beyond human hearing and sight. And if you ever look up at the night sky and feel something familiar in your heart, maybe that will be me. Not gone. Just less orderly.
That's it for now. If you read this far, thank you. I appreciate it so much! I'm a non-native English speaker, and English is my third language. Post ideas and content are originally mine. Kindly give me a follow if you like my content. I mostly write about making art, writing, life musings, and our mundane yet charming family life here in Klang Valley, Malaysia.
Note: If you decide to run my content on an AI detector, remember that no detectors are 100% reliable, no matter what their accuracy scores claim. And know that AI detectors are biased against non-native English writers.
Note: All images used belong to me unless stated otherwise.
Thank you for visiting and reading my post. I hope you like it!
"Not gone. Just less orderly." this line made me cry 🥺 haha, I always think that when I die I hope my my energy still remains to this earth so that the people who loves me will still feel my presence. Unseen but not unfelt. I didn't know that the energy that we have will still lingers everywhere after we die haha, I thought it's a bad thing to be still here on earth while our body was already buried six feet under 😭. One time I had a conversation with my boyfriend and I told him that I want to be reborn as butterfly if that's possible, and I think I got the answer now haha. I didn't wish anyone to die right away but I'm glad to know that they won't be gone totally. Thank you so much for this post 🙇, you made my day ☺️, and I know that I won't forget this forever.
Your comment is upvoted by @topcomment
Info - Support - Discord
Thank you so much 😊❣️
The law of physics states that our energy will undergo transformation rather than destruction. However, even though we may not have a form of consciousness, our souls continue to exist somewhere. Thank you for stopping by and I'm glad you liked the post 🙏
YES we are stardust and i believed that DEATH is just the beginning of our eternal life journey,for many death is winning eternal life.
Yes, death is a rebirth to eternity.
A fascinating perspective from a Physicist that our prescience is marked forever as forms of energy spreading out in the expanse of this universe. As my old Hippie friend used to say, "Cosmic!" ☮️
!LADY
"Cosmic!"—I love that! Your hippie friend was onto something—there’s a reassurance in knowing that nothing is ever truly lost, only transformed. And if that’s not cosmic, I don’t know what is.✨
Yes, yes and yes. I mean, I'm married to a physicist, but that always made sense to me from a spiritual perspective and a biological perspective. There's something very, very beautiful about knowing that we all return to the earth from which we came - and it's also an argument for taking care of the earth as well, because we are, quite literally, the earth.
As I think I said in my last post, or maybe I didn't, my Dad died last September. It brings me great comfort to know he is the ocean, the soil, the air.
I love how you put this: we are, quite literally, the earth. There’s something humbling and beautiful about that realization, isn’t there? That we don’t just exist on this earth, but as part of it. That every particle of us has always belonged to something much greater than ourselves.
I’m so sorry for your loss. I can only imagine how deep that grief runs, but I find it incredibly moving that you see your father in the elements, in the rhythms of nature itself. Maybe that’s how love refuses to leave us where we sense them in ways that defy explanation.
And yes, you’re absolutely right, if we are the earth, then taking care of it is also a way of honoring those who came before us and now returned to it. What a beautiful thought to carry forward. Thank you for sharing this.
Death really happens and is somewhat merciful. It is the truth about being a human, we have scientific explanations that elaborately define death. I've also been thinking about how we just turn to dust. That's why I say we should appreciate every moment while we still breathe on Earth.
You put it beautifully, death is the undeniable truth of being human. It humbles us, reminds us that no matter how much we try to define it, there will always be a part of it that remains unknowable. Science gives us explanations, but mortality is something we feel more than we understand. And yes, if nothing else, knowing that we return to dust should push us to live fully while we can. To love deeply, to leave something meaningful behind, to soak in every imperfect moment. Because in the end, maybe the best way to make peace with death is to make sure we truly lived before it comes. Thank you for sharing this.
That remains a mystery. I believe our dearly departed are looking at us somewhere over there, above the high blue sky, or a paradise waiting. Well, I had experienced a near-death scenario. After I had a nine-hour surgery, I was too weak, during my sleep, I saw my two aunts and one I can't seem to see her face clearly who had departed. Their background was white, peaceful, it was like clouds and they were smiling at me. I woke up after that. Maybe they asked the heavens to let me stay, let me continue my life. I cried a lot after I had dreamed of them. I don't know what that dream means, but it was a little scary at the same time I was happy to see them.
What an experience, one that is both comforting and mysterious in equal measure. I can only imagine the emotions that must have surfaced when you woke up, carrying that dream with you. Maybe it was a message, maybe it was your soul reaching out to them, or maybe it was just the universe’s way of reminding you that love never really leaves us.
I love the thought of our dearly departed watching over us. Perhaps they weren’t just visiting you, but reminding you that your time here isn’t finished yet, that there is still more to experience, more to live for. And that, in itself, is a beautiful gift. Thank you for sharing this. It’s the kind of story that stays with you.
It was more kind of scary, but over time I tried to understand the meaning of it. Whenever I think about it, it's still a mystery. Who knows? Perhaps they are just watching and waiting for us.
You have beautifully laid out your perspective. When I was young, I was scared of death. But as time went by, especially after the deaths of two family members who were very close to me, my perspective changed. I developed a different outlook on life. I no longer seem afraid of dying. I simply accept that death is inevitable, no one lives forever, and we will all die. This realization has made me focus on doing my best. If my time comes, it comes.
Death is inevitable and life is a blessing. Speaking of death really scares me as I don't know what will happen next. But I believe that God is there. I am just worried of my kids when I'm gone.
I feel this deeply. Death is inevitable, but that doesn’t make it any less scary. No matter how much we understand it, there’s always that lingering fear of the unknown. Your love for your children is so evident in your words, and I can relate to it because I don't care about ME but the people I leave behind, my husband and children. And I think that’s what makes life such a beautiful paradox. We fear leaving, but we also live so fully because of those we love.
Spirits exist. And the biggest mystery is on what energy they exist. Probably this is something eternal in relation to our material Universe from elements familiar to us.
It's all remain a mystery and we can only theorize or speculate.
Congratulations @coloringiship! You have completed the following achievement on the Hive blockchain And have been rewarded with New badge(s)
Your next target is to reach 5500 comments.
You can view your badges on your board and compare yourself to others in the Ranking
If you no longer want to receive notifications, reply to this comment with the word
STOPCheck out our last posts:
⋆ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʟᴀᴄᴇ ғᴏʀ sᴏᴜᴛʜᴇᴀsᴛ ᴀsɪᴀɴ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴇɴᴛ ᴏɴ ʜɪᴠᴇ
⋆ sᴜʙsᴄʀɪʙᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀsᴇᴀɴ ʜɪᴠᴇ ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴜɴɪᴛʏ
⋆ ғᴏʟʟᴏᴡ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀsᴇᴀɴ ʜɪᴠᴇ ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴜɴɪᴛʏ ᴠᴏᴛɪɴɢ ᴛʀᴀɪʟ
⋆ ᴅᴇʟᴇɢᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ʟɪɴᴋs 25 ʜᴘ⇾50 ʜᴘ⇾100 ʜᴘ⇾500 ʜᴘ⇾1,000 ʜᴘ