Abstract

With the growing scientific knowledge, we are beginning to understand that several phenomena which used to be explained by non physical entities (e.g., demonic possessions) are being logically and systematically explained through the scientific method (e.g., epileptic seizures). The development of the scientific method strongly contrasts with centuries of false beliefs and esoteric ideas which had no logic or were irrational. Nowadays, it is undeniable that science helped increase life expectancy and life quality. Neuroscience is now contemplating problems that used to belong to the philosophical field (e.g. consciousness). Nevertheless, the problem of death makes some scientist exceptical to the principles of science because that would imply for example to accept death as the end of the consciousness. With the apprehension that we are no more than an extraordinary unique combination of matter and energy, it follows that when we die, matter and energy reorganize in a different way and we ceased to exist as individuals. In this article, I attempt to explain that many pseudo scientific approaches trying to unify science with religion are actually based on emotional rather than rational thinking. I propose that, even though accepting the end of our consciousness is something hard to manage, it only have but positive effects in our quality of life and also benefits science by focusing all the efforts of intelligent and capable people into something that might have real effects in our present life and future generations to come.

Keywords

death, consciousness, science, pseudoscience, religion, magical meaning, society, pharmacological properties, neuroscience, post-truth, soul, memberships, awards, gravity, basal ganglia