I was recently hospitalized with a near death situation. There's nothing like almost dying in order for one to confront one's own mortality. As an atheist in good standing, it caused me to do a lot of metaphysical thinking. It seems that the more we learn about the universe, the more we don't know. What happens after death? What is consciousness? Does it continue to exist somehow after 'shuffling off this mortal coil?" Does it have anything to do with dark energy or dark matter? We know they exist even though we can't detect them but we build a device 2 miles underground in order to detect neutrinos which would give i=us proof of dark matter. The same with consciousness in that we know it exists but have no concrete evidence. The subject is so ephemeral that we rarely discuss it in this forum. Perhaps because we are afraid to be scorned for delving into a subject so close to mysticism. I think it may be a subject worthy of our attention. There's an awful lot of big brains lurking in the gulch. What is death? What is consciousness? When "life" ends is it the same as turning off a light swith. I'm quite sure that there's not a Michaelangelo type fiure with a white flowing beard in white flowing robes playing with the universe like we would a bacteria colony. And, just what is real anyway?Help elucidate me.