To my daughters Hannah and Katelyn: after I die, when you're thinking of me-open to your mind's eye-I will not simply be a cold, hard memory in your brain tissue. The memory you will experience is me-the part of my consciousness that is entangled with you.
Maybe it will happen when you pray, or perhaps when you are on a walk with your dog. You will look up at the stars on a crisp, clear night when the whole world will seem wondrous and beautiful. You will sense my soul or my spirit is with you and that my love for you is in some way eternal. It is.
In the past, the words soul and spirit have seemed to be without meaning in the real world; they were hopeful words of the simple-minded or dogmatic. They are not.
I believe that our consciousness endures after death in another realm, entangled between loved ones and with everything else. Ultimately, our consciousness is entangled with God. This is heaven-nirvana-an eternal sanctuary beyond our capabilities to describe or understand. But it is not beyond are capabilities to experience.
Our true purpose in life is to discover this experience-to become aware-to be with God. I continue to struggle mightily at this, but I know that my unconditional love for you both has me moving in exactly the right direction.