Since the beginning of time, humankind has pondered the meaning of life, the extension of life beyond this world, and the existence of a God or creator. The Hermetica is the second major work of the Ancient Egyptian philosopher Hermes Trismegistus, who is reported to have had an awakening during an extended period of meditation.During this awakening, Hermes, much like Jesus and Buddha later on, claims to have been exposed to the meaning of life, the presence of a world beyond this world, the existence of God, and the secret of our immortality. The Hermetica is his account of the experience."Just as we were developed for this world in the womb, so too are we being developed for the next world within these bodies.""Just as we emerged from the world of our mother's womb into this world, so too will we emerge from the world of these bodies into the next..."