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  • You were on your way home when you died.

  • It was a car accident.

  • Nothing particularly remarkable,

  • ...but fatal nonetheless.

  • It was a painless death.

  • The medics tried their best to save you,

  • ...but to no avail.

  • Your body was so utterly shattered,

  • ...you were better off, trust me.

  • And that's when you met me.

  • "What happened?"

  • "Where am I?"

  • "You died," I said, matter-of-factly.

  • No point in mincing words.

  • "There was... there was a truck...

  • ...and it was skidding."

  • "Yes."

  • "I..."

  • "I... I died?"

  • "Yes."

  • "But don't feel bad about it."

  • "Everyone dies."

  • You looked around.

  • There was nothingness.

  • Just you and me.

  • "What is this place?"

  • "Is this the afterlife?"

  • "More or less."

  • "Are you God?"

  • "Yes, I'm God."

  • "My kids, my wife..."

  • "What about them?"

  • "Will they be all right?"

  • "That's what I like to see," I said,

  • "You just died and your main concern is for your family.

  • That's good stuff right there."

  • You looked at me with fascination.

  • To you, I didn't look like God.

  • I just looked like some man or possibly a woman.

  • Some vague authority figure, maybe.

  • "Don't worry," I said, "They'll be fine."

  • "Your kids will remember you as perfect in every way.

  • They didn't have time to grow contemptuous of you.

  • Your wife will cry on the outside,

  • ...but will be secretly relieved.

  • To be fair, your marriage was falling apart.

  • If it's any consolation,

  • ...she'll feel very guilty for feeling relieved."

  • "Oh...

  • So, what happens now?

  • Do I go to heaven or hell or something?"

  • "Neither, you'll be reincarnated."

  • "Ah,"

  • "...so the Hindus were right."

  • "All religions are right in their own way.

  • Walk with me."

  • You followed along as we strode through the void.

  • "Where are we going?"

  • "Nowhere in particular.

  • It's just nice to walk while we talk."

  • "So, what's the point then?

  • When I get reborn,

  • ...I'll just be a blank slate, right?

  • A baby.

  • So, all my experiences and everything,

  • ...everything I did in this life, won't matter?"

  • "Not so.

  • You have, within you, all the knowledge and experiences of all your past lives.

  • You just don't remember them right now."

  • I stopped walking and took you by the shoulders.

  • "Your soul is more magnificent, beautiful and gigantic than you can possibly imagine.

  • A human mind can only contain a tiny fraction of what you are.

  • It's like sticking your finger in a glass of water to see if it's hot or cold.

  • You put a tiny part of yourself into the vessel,

  • ...and when you bring it back out,

  • ...you've gained all the experiences it had.

  • You've been in a human for the last 48 years,

  • ...so you haven't stretched out yet and felt the rest of your immense consciousness.

  • If we hung out here for long enough,

  • you'd start remembering everything.

  • But there's no point to doing that between each life."

  • "How many times have I been reincarnated then?"

  • "Oh, lots.

  • Lots and lots,

  • ...and into lots of different lives.

  • This time around,

  • ...you'll be a Chinese peasant girl in 540 A.D."

  • "Wait, what?"

  • You're sending me back in time?"

  • "Well, I guess technically.

  • Time as you know it only exists in your universe.

  • Things are different where I come from."

  • "Where... where you come from?"

  • "Oh sure, I come from somewhere, somewhere else.

  • And there are others like me.

  • I know you'll want to know what it's like there,

  • ...but honestly you wouldn't understand."

  • "Oh..." you said, a little let down.

  • "But wait.

  • If I get reincarnated to other places in time,

  • ...I could have interacted with myself at some point."

  • "Sure, happens all the time.

  • And with both lives only aware of their own lifespan,

  • ...you don't even know it's happening."

  • "So, what's the point of it all?"

  • I looked you in the eye.

  • "The meaning of life,

  • ...the reason I made this whole universe,

  • ...is for you to mature."

  • "You mean mankind, you want us to mature?"

  • "No, just you.

  • I made this whole universe for you.

  • With each new life you grow and mature,

  • ...and become a larger and greater intellect."

  • "Just me?

  • What about everyone else?"

  • "There is no one else.

  • In this universe, there's just you and me."

  • You stared blankly at me.

  • "But all the people on Earth?"

  • "All you.

  • Different incarnations of you."

  • "Wait, I'm...

  • ...everyone?"

  • "Now you're getting it."

  • "I'm every human being who ever lived?"

  • "Or who will ever live, yes."

  • "I'm Abraham Lincoln?"

  • "And you're John Wilkes Booth, too."

  • "I'm Hitler?"

  • ...you said, appalled.

  • "And you're the millions he killed."

  • "I'm Jesus?"

  • "And you're everyone who followed him."

  • You fell silent.

  • "Every time you victimised someone,

  • ...you were victimising yourself.

  • Every act of kindness you've done,

  • ...you've done to yourself.

  • Every happy and sad moment ever experienced by any human

  • ...was or will be experienced by you."

  • You thought for a long time.

  • "Why?

  • Why do all this?"

  • "Because someday, you will become like me.

  • Because that's what you are.

  • You're one of my kind. You're my child!"

  • "Wow!," you said, incredulous.

  • "You mean, I'm a god!?"

  • "No, not yet. You're a fetus,

  • You're still growing.

  • Once you've lived every human life throughout all time,

  • ...you will have grown enough to be born."

  • "So, the whole universe...

  • It's just..."

  • "An egg!", I answered.

  • "Now it's time for you to move on to your next life."

  • And I sent you on your way.

You were on your way home when you died.

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