The Egg

The Egg

By: Andy Weir



You were on your way home when you died.

It was a car accident. Nothing particularly remarkable, but fatal nonetheless. You left behind a wife and two children. It was a painless death. The EMTs 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… what happened?” You asked. “Where am I?”

“You died,” I said, matter-of-factly. No point in mincing words.

“There was a… a truck and it was skidding…”

“Yup,” I said.

“I… I died?”

“Yup. But don’t feel bad about it. Everyone dies,” I said.

You looked around. There was nothingness. Just you and me. “What is this place?” You asked. “Is this the afterlife?”

“More or less,” I said.

“Are you god?” You asked.

“Yup,” I replied. “I’m God.”

“My kids… my wife,” you said.

“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. More of a grammar school teacher than the almighty.

“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 contempt for you. You 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,” you said. “So what happens now? Do I go to heaven or hell or something?”

“Neither,” I said. “You’ll be reincarnated.”

“Ah,” you said. “So the Hindus were right,”

“All religions are right in their own way,” I said. “Walk with me.”

You followed along as we strode through the void. “Where are we going?”

“Nowhere in particular,” I said. “It’s just nice to walk while we talk.”

“So what’s the point, then?” You asked. “When I get reborn, I’ll just be a blank slate, right? A baby. So all my experiences and everything I did in this life won’t matter.”

“Not so!” I said. “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. An in to lots of different lives.” I said. “This time around, you’ll be a Chinese peasant girl in 540 AD.”

“Wait, what?” You stammered. “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 you come from?” You said.

“Oh sure,” I explained “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?”

“Seriously?” I asked. “Seriously? You’re asking me for the meaning of life? Isn’t that a little stereotypical?”

“Well it’s a reasonable question,” you persisted.

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,” I said. “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 said, with a congratulatory slap on the back.

“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 added.

“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 victimized someone,” I said, “you were victimizing 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?” You asked me. “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.”

“Whoa,” 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,” you said, “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.

www.galactanet.com...
Notice: I did not write this.

If any kind of afterlife holds to be true, I would hope for it to be this.

I just thought I would pass this along to ATS. I did a search to see if this was posted yet.

[edit on 9-7-2010 by Phlynx]

that is awesome reminds me of the scientist who tried to identify the 11 different dimensions and was able to explain up to like 8 or 9 of them through mediums seperate mediums putting together different messages that made no sense apart but perfect sense together lol could've been coincidence or subconcious tricking them but i dunno the descriptions sounded legit

This is a beautiful illustration. Not what I expected, it opened my mind. WE are on the path to becoming a God. After that, will come pure freedom. But I don't understand why the lessons are limited to human existence. Can spirits and angels even not make mistakes? Can one God not learn from another? So I begin to see it as a never ending cycle. There is no dichotomy, directly between material and spirit at least.

The stages of spiritual existence should also contain with them their own lessons. But if we are to say the human life is the lower, and the rest (outside of incarnation) is the higher, then I say that's a strange place to draw the line. There are so many levels in this model, BETWEEN man and God (man, spirit, divine beings, God) at least a few I can think of, not to mention what I can't.

Wow, that's actually quite a beautiful way to put it. Good Job!

The cosmic egg. If anything is true, it is that story.

Sounds like someone found the theory of everything ; )

reply to post by GeechQuestInfo


The theory of everything? I'm sure there is more than one.

A theory of everything maybe? Big difference.

But yes it is a very interesting post.

reply to post by Phlynx


Very Cool!

Thanks for posting. Not what I expected....much better.

“Every time you victimized someone,” I said, “you were victimizing 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.”

Well, that was a nice story, but I don't believe any of it.

Why? Because my best girlfriend died in a head on collision, and that night I had a dream.

In that dream I saw my friend wake up in a huge green pasture. The wind was softly blowing. There was a huge tree in the distance.

She slowly sat up and was looking around. In the distance a man was walking toward her. He was wearing a long white robe.

She slowly arose to greet him. He took her hands and began talking to her. I felt he was telling her that she couldn't go back, and wanted to know what he could do for her.

She leaned forward and whispered in his ear.

And so it came to pass all she requested of him.

So if you ever have a loved one die, you can be sure they are standing in the presence of Jesus and ANYTHING they ask of Him... He will do it.

Originally posted by sodakota
Well, that was a nice story, but I don't believe any of it.

I agree, because it is just that, a story. No one is asking you to believe in it, and the OP is in no way an attack on your beliefs. Just enjoy the story for what it is.

"Once you’ve lived every human life throughout all time, you will have grown enough to be born".

Sounds like waayyy too many trips back to this world to me. How depressing - I'm done with this world now!

Edited to add that it was a pretty story (Didn't mean to come off as rude!).

[edit on 9-7-2010 by illusioned2]

[edit on 9-7-2010 by illusioned2]

Originally posted by getreadyalready
reply to post by Phlynx

 

Very Cool!

Thanks for posting. Not what I expected....much better.

“Every time you victimized someone,” I said, “you were victimizing 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.”

reply to post by Phlynx


The Egg - Written by Andy Weir.

Read this years ago and think it's a very significant piece.

With my star, that makes 11 and yet someone else who will write some stupid meaningless dribble will get 50 stars, go figure?

Most people just aren't ready for enlightenment.

We are all of us together like drops of water and "god" is the ocean.

Thank you for sharing.

I want to thank you for posting that, it was beautiful, and it was sort of a relief, that sometimes our fears can consume us, when there should be peace, we'll come back some day, all I know is I want to be good.

S&F.

Peace to you...

Very nice story and thread, I want to thank you for sharing. I wish we could all live knowing that we are connected and stop the hatred in this world. What a great place it would be then...

S + F for you OP

Flag for this thread! Thank you Andy Weir for writing this story, and thank you Phlynx for sharing it here on ATS. Or should I be thanking myself?

I found this narrative extremely profound and enlightening. Since reading this when originally posted, I catch myself wondering if people I encounter are "me." True, half-true, not true... this story is a wonderful way to be considerate of others!

reply to post by ofhumandescent


You're ready for enlightenment when you finally realize it's all meaningless drivel. No significance. No purpose. It just is. Stop trying to explain it.

*Bump*

In case there is anyone out there who missed this short story, it is my hope it brings you love and understanding.

This is one of the top writings that has positively effected my love, understanding, patience, and positive view of 'others.' This is most definitely well worth the few short minutes it will take to read.

Peace and Love to you all

Originally posted by sodakota
Well, that was a nice story, but I don't believe any of it.

Why? Because my best girlfriend died in a head on collision, and that night I had a dream.

In that dream I saw my friend wake up in a huge green pasture. The wind was softly blowing. There was a huge tree in the distance.

She slowly sat up and was looking around. In the distance a man was walking toward her. He was wearing a long white robe.

She slowly arose to greet him. He took her hands and began talking to her. I felt he was telling her that she couldn't go back, and wanted to know what he could do for her.

She leaned forward and whispered in his ear.

And so it came to pass all she requested of him.

So if you ever have a loved one die, you can be sure they are standing in the presence of Jesus and ANYTHING they ask of Him... He will do it.

if that was the case wouldnt you just ask to not have died?

reply to post by Phlynx


Bumping this oldie but goodie in response to many of the recent spiritual threads that have been popping up. I think people should read this work every morning before beginning their day, and keep it in mind every time they interact with anyone throughout the day.

Thats really some food for thought. Thank you for sharing, this story has really made me observe people and become more understanding of their feelings. Also, very interesting to think what if this was the truth after we die.