It's Almost Over

This is part four of a five-part account.  For the full reading please wait until July 13th.

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He had never clarified “OWWW” and I had no idea what it was. So I interrupted and asked. This time he heard me.

“It's the 'Other-World Wide Web.' The main use is as part of the program to bring everyone up to speed on the true religion and all the virtuous acts that our residents perform. They can help each other to see the light, though I suspect that I did so without their help when I was in the tunnel. Souls can communicate with each other as well. They can learn from each other, because learning is never finished. And, to a point, they can connect with the WWW, although their address is changed so there is no trail to the OWWW.

And they can't log onto any site that requires money.ⁱ That makes it impossible to get some of the most recent religious insights. Of course they're not short of divine wisdom in Heaven, but for more than a millennium it's been a human prerogative to determine the meaning of the holy works and they only learn of the advances after the various authors die.ⁱⁱ Since their books cost money, no one on the OWWW can get them and they only learn the new ideas after the authors die. And, unfortunately, medical progress on earth is resulting in longer life spans, so we have to wait longer. Since time progresses slowly in comparison to what we experience on earth, it can be a while before the new information reaches Heaven. Not that they have any place to go or that they're likely to run out of time, but they're junkies for that stuff. After all, spiritual knowledge is one of the criteria for status in that venue.”

I still wasn't sure where he was going. Fred had a lot to say and he seemed to be unstoppable. And what he said was a little complicated. But I was beginning to take him seriously. Even if I didn't really understand what he was telling me. Even though my own education was in law and, though I knew some science, my knowledge of it wasn't much beyond that of an intelligent layman, I was most struck by concepts of time – that of “Heaven” and ours here on earth. I still believed that the apparent expansion of time in dreams was the best explanation, but I couldn't rid myself of thoughts of Einstein. Suppose Heaven is in motion, and moving close to the speed of light. Time would certainly slow down in comparison to what we experience. Maybe that's what was happening. Or was I just getting sucked in? And why do I have to use rational concepts to explain anything as mystical as he was relating?

So I just listened.

“And then it all started falling in place.”

Finally Fred was getting to the point.

“'Bernie,' I said, 'I think that working together we can solve some of the problems you've described. As I understand it, Heaven isn't so different from earth. The biggest problem is money. And what makes it a problem is distribution. But it doesn't have to be. As long as your OWWW can communicate with the WWW it's possible that some way can be found to transfer money.ⁱⁱⁱ I could try to convince them to have their money buried with them like the Pharaoh, but that would be up to their heirs, and I suspect it wouldn't happen very often. It's not a feature of modern religions and people are greedy. They'd rather pocket the money than throw it into a hole.' But what I needed personally was some assurance that I hadn't died and I'd get back to the world I knew. I saw a real opportunity, not only to make scientific progress, but money.”

That was the Fred I knew. I also knew that he was very level-headed and I wasn't ready to disregard his views. In fact, I was becoming convinced.

“I explained to him what I was thinking and asked for the assurance. But, of course, he couldn't give it. Life and death were not decisions he made. 'We'll see what happens and work from there.' I have to admit that if I stayed dead it wouldn't have been a calamity. Everyone seemed happy where they were and I was sure I would be, too. The challenge, though, was tempting. It was an entrepreneur's heaven. Here was the chance to link this world with the afterlife and make money doing it. Everything was already in place, all it needed was someone imaginative enough to connect the dots. I can do that, but I'll need your help to make it work.”

Next episode: “It's Over” – No fat lady, but this will bring us up to date.

 

 

 

 

I        Actually, they can't log into most sites other than the religious ones. Certainly not pornography and other social media.

ii       Remember how slowly time passes up there compared to what we experience. A human lifetime would seem endless in their terms.

iii      Fred and Bernie eventually worked out the protocols necessary to do this. Mostly Fred. His education was worth all that his father paid for it.