What happens when we die?

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Can anyone really know if there is an afterlife? Major religions promise eternal reward for believers and punishment for skeptics. Naturalists, however, view the afterlife as wishful thinking.

Science supports the naturalist view: our thoughts, memories, and identity depend entirely on a physical, functioning brain. When the brain dies, consciousness ends. There is no remaining ghost in the machine—awareness simply ceases.

Immortality is a comforting fantasy. Instead of harboring false hopes for eternity, we should accept reality and fully embrace the present life we have.