Change is happening at lightning speed all around us; every millisecond, every minute, every hour, every day! Change is the most constant factor of life.

Our body is changing from the very core of our being as cells die and new ones miraculously materialise inside of us.

But like it or not, even while our cells are rejuvenating we’re unfortunately dying a slow death because of free radical damage to the insides of our body.

The free radical damage to our body is like a nail rusting when left to the elements in the open air. Medical experts suggest that if we could slow down this free radical “rusting” process inside our body there’s every chance we can live a little longer.

However, exactly when our body calls it a day is not for us to know.

Revolutionary change is on the way if advocates of euthanasia have their day. Euthanasia, the proponents claim, will give us the choice of dying with dignity.

However no matter how we die, with or without dignity, death is inevitable for every one of us. We’re here for a very short time, like the blink of an eye they say, and our body clock is tick-tocking its way from the womb to the tomb.

Our earthly timeline can be measured in seconds, minutes, hours, days and years.

For most of us death is a frightening future. Because, of a host of different reasons, it’s an unpleasantly painful future to contemplate leaving loved ones behind.

However, there’s no getting away from this inevitability no matter how rich or poor we are. Death is coming for all of us in some shape or form.

So if we know death is coming should we not embrace it like a caterpillar does? And is it possible that the amazing phenomenon of a caterpillar morphing into a beautiful butterfly is but a sign that it could possibly happen to us too? And if so, how should we live our lives and what’s the purpose of living if death is sure to end our earthly existence?

Most of us want control over our lives which is why the euthanasia debate is heating up and appeals to a great many people because it’ll give control of how and when we die as opposed to dying through sickness or when our time’s up.

Either way, we’re on the way out the moment we’re born. It’s the conundrum of life.

When looking at it in this light it doesn’t make sense why we’re even here at all. Why are we born to die? Why can’t we just go on living?

It seems like a raw deal to struggle through life then die at the end of it with not much to show for our earthly existence! But someone or something has designed and designated it to be this way. Whoever that someone or something is, like you, I’m “dying” to know.

Curiosity is one of our greatest gifts. It allows us to explore and discover, to learn and to grow and to invent and create. My curiosity about the subject of life and death has taken me on a fascinating journey over the years. I have read countless books on the subject and it has enthralled me no end.

Is it possible that what the scriptures say that our lives will take on a different form after death — a form defying death — is actually what we need to be looking forward to? Is it possible that when we die, our body dies but not our spirit or soul? And is it possible that our spirit or soul has the opportunity to live in a different celestial realm where we have no need for a human body?

If we do have a spirit or soul what does it look like?

In my quest for answers I came across a very interesting fact, not in a religious book though but would you believe in a physics book titled “Light Years” by Brian Clegg.

I didn’t do physics at school so the book was a mind-bending maze of information, a lot of which didn’t make any sense to me.

But when I came to page 241 in the book, it seemed what I had been searching for jumped out at me. Physicists have made a startling discovery.

They say there’s empirical evidence to suggest that a fireball of light energy is what exists inside every living human being. And they have proof to suggest that this fireball of light energy is what holds our body together.

Fireball of light energy! Oh my golly gosh! It was like I had been whacked between the eyes by the most profound mysticism of enlightenment ever. I was gob-smacked as I began joining the dots.

Could this fireball of light energy be the missing link of our identity and of “who” we really are? Is it possible that this fireball of light energy is actually our “spirit” being?

The word “light” is spoken about in so many religious texts. Jesus claimed to be the light of the world.

There’s light consciousness, light years and the speed of light.

There’s always talk of light over darkness and so many other references to light that are mind-blowing.

We spend trillions of dollars exploring outer space yet we spend a lot less in studying our inner space.

Many religious books speak about the matter of life and death in different ways. However, all of these books seem to agree that there’s life after death.

I was given a movie by our daughter-in-law to watch titled, “Heaven is for Real”. This amazing movie tells the true story of a four-year-old boy in the US who had an encounter with Jesus Christ in heaven.

What’s even more bizarre is that he had this experience while undergoing a surgical operation in hospital. The fact that he was anaesthetised and in a comatose state for the operation suggests there’s no way he could “see” what was happening to his dad who was in the chapel at the hospital going berserk at God.

However, when his dad had time to digest everything, he knew without a shadow of doubt that what his son saw and experienced was not a figment of his imagination.

Had his spirit left his body momentarily and for what purpose? The book tells a fascinating true story seen from the innocence of a four-year-old which will truly thrill you and encourage you not to fear death.

Perhaps we are being given clues from a host of different sources to better understand the enigma of death so that we can have a more purposeful life on earth before we journey “home”.

And perhaps we are being encouraged to be unafraid of death because it is the transitory form for our journey into the universe where we have come from. Even though I’m still clueless about lots of things in life I have this feeling deep down inside that there is definitely life after death.

I guess, regardless of what each of us believes, if the day comes that we do learn about life and death it may surprise us to learn that our perspective is far removed from the realities of the celestial realm as portrayed in that profoundly thought-provoking movie called The Shack.

* The views expressed are the author’s and not of this newspaper.