Forever no more

It's come to my attention that a widow who lost her husband to chronic illness almost a year ago is still reeling and grieving to the point that her health has now suffered. That to me doesn't make sense. And that's because the couple had been very devoutly religious and had been leaders in their church. Isn't he now in a so-called better place? Isn't he now free from the fetters of the mortal coil that only caused him physical torment in the last years of his earthly life? Isn't it a fact in their worldview that she will, sooner or later, be joining him, and they would be together forever living in utter bliss? Hence, her inability to let go makes no sense. If she really believes all the religious drivel then letting go wouldn't be an issue at all. In fact, she would've rejoiced at his departure and continue reveling at his good fortune. Therefore, it must be that her psyche in large part doesn't buy into the theological, supernatural, afterlife bullshit.

In this regard nonbelievers are in a superior position, mental health wise. They have no belief in any hereafter. To them physical, biological death is the end of it all. Consciousness, the ego, the I, personality, everything we associate with the vivacity and individuality of the living person are co-terminus with the body (brain included). Do we therefore not grieve? Of course we do. But we are untrammeled by delusions which try to mitigate the full impact of complete physical loss of the other. We know and accept the fact that the inevitable is coming. Either we will succumb first or our loved ones will go before us. Loss--complete and irrevocable--is built into the worldview that is aware of and accepts the reality of life and the reality of eventual nonbeing.