“Consciousness survives death. You may think this is a religious or metaphysical claim, but it is not. To understand how this is possible, you simply have to accept a definition of consciousness that most of us already do: consciousness is a dynamic relationship between environment and individual. Anything that perceives the world, responds to it, and influences it is conscious. Some may argue that environment and individual are actually one, but for the purpose of this thought experiment we will consider them separate. 

It is obvious that humans are conscious. We perceive the world with eyes, ears, limbs, and mind. We respond to it with thoughts, words, and actions. We influence it in every way that make change. Although consciousness may be the most complex for humans, is it unique to us? Certainly not. Although a chimpanzee may have a simpler view of the world, it still perceives, responds to, and interacts with it. A praying mantis does too, and the same is true all the way down the tree of life. Although the consciousness of simpler beings becomes less multidimensional, it still exists. If you accept the above definition of consciousness, you even have to cede that a simple, single cellular E. Coli bacteria is conscious. It perceives concentrations of favorable chemicals, and responds by moving the flagellum (little paddles that propel the bacteria) to approach those chemicals. As it processes them, the very environment is influenced as well. All three of the dimensions of consciousness are met. The conscious experience of an E. Coli is certainly less rich and less complex than that of a human, but it exists nonetheless. 

Now consider the idea that perhaps consciousness can exist even outside the domain of biological life. An electron perceives the forces of electromagnetic attraction and repulsion. It responds by movement, and even influences nearby particles with its own fields. At the subatomic level, consciousness is perhaps as simple as it may become, yet subjective experience for that electron exists. The same may be true of celestial bodies, which are sensitive to, affected by, and sources of forces of gravity. 

Everything is conscious, although along a spectrum of complexity. When we die, the experience we humans are familiar with decomposes along with our bodies. We no longer perceive, respond to, or influence the complex systems of sociology, psychology, neuroscience, infrastructure, or government. Our complex and rich consciousness is substituted with billions of simpler ones, first as the bacteria in our bodies die off and eventually as the atomic matter is all there is to “us.” We don’t cease to perceive, respond, and influence. We just do it differently. 

Who knows, maybe it’s nice to be an electron.”