How to Achieve A Forever Life

Friday morning, I was lying in my bed, suffering from a hangover. Shenanigans of the previous evening were a clear cause of my temporary illness. I consumed one too many margaritas, hanging out with my friends at our favorite Mexican restaurant. It was a quiet Thursday evening and the bartender was sparsely occupied by the few relaxed clients who while sipping drinks, eagerly munched corn chips dipped in a cantina-style salsa. Feeling generous, the bartender free-handed tequila, liberally pouring it into our glasses, which we repeatedly raised to our lips and with drunken enthusiasm consumed the high-octane concoction.
The weekend was right around the corner, but Friday morning meant that regretfully my partner had to crawl out from our warm bed, dress, and dutifully proceed to work, leaving me with his two fluffy, lazy cats.
“If the cats can lounge around in bed all day, then I should be allowed to do the same,” I thought in an effort to liberate myself from daily responsibilities. Feeling the unpleasant effects of alcohol, I rolled over and hugged a soft pillow to my chest. My head was spinning and my stomach was unsettled.
In my diminished physical state, I was unable to absorb or experience external sensory inputs, and the mere concept of doing so repulsed me. I pulled down window shades to prevent sun rays from sneaking in and disturbing the cavy darkness of my bedroom. Normally, I would ask Alexa to provide me with a news brief, but on this day, I couldn’t care less about the current weather, S&P500 index, or all the global conflicts. The sound from the speaker would only increase my general discomfort by making my head spin faster. I did not intend to watch TV because the rods and cones in my eyes were not ready to handle flashing colors. Motion pictures jumping on the screen could only induce epilepsy, which is something that I didn’t care to ever experience. For the next few hours, I could not imagine having culinary interests, complex flavors and tastes were conceptually unappealing. I even unplugged the Airwick, lavender-chamomile air refresher because the scent was making me nauseous.
The self-imposed sensory deprivation limited the scope of my existence to the inside of my brain. I was locked in with my memories and free-flowing thoughts serving as the only source of comfort and entertainment. In modern society, every moment of our waking hours is occupied by actions, leaving us with little time to do anything but think.
By Western standards, this day was perhaps a write-off, time wasted.
But can any day lived be considered wasted?
Through his infinite godly wisdom, Bacchus granted me the whole day to do nothing but think. I had the privilege to lock myself into my mind to analyze, dream, reminisce, and maybe even to create and innovate. In reality, my brain was composing a science fiction story.

Problem Statement
We all know what happens to our bodies after their natural lifespan elapses or when a disease destroys human cells and systems. When we cannot fully understand the cause of death, we request an autopsy, a physical post-mortem analysis to answer troubling questions. But none of us know what happens to our soul as the energy is either extinguished or as it passes back into nature or into another sphere of existence. Religions offer numerous unverifiable options for the afterlife, all of them with strings of faith attached based on an institutional dogma. Lacking a better alternative many people accept the religious views and sign up for a lifetime of worship, control, and obligations. What if at the time when our body can no longer sustain us as a fully functional living organism with the help of modern technology, we could artificially extend the existence of our mind or soul or personality? Even though there are clear differences between the three words for the purpose of this exploration, I will interchangeably use the terms mind, soul, and personality.
With this idea in mind, I decided to use my day of convalescence to perform an exercise in mental gymnastics asking the following questions:
If an extension of metaphysical life was possible beyond the physical life, what would the economy and science (fiction) of keeping souls alive look like?
What ethical and social implications should be considered, and most interestingly what would be the unintended consequences of this service or disservice?

Background
Through a breakthrough in molecular chemistry, biotechnical engineering, and neural science a company (Company) devised a substance called neuroplasma. Neuroplasma offers a self-cleaning, nourishing, eco-friendly medium for souls to sustain a viable, fully functioning live-energy state. When human consciousness is transitioned into a neuroplasma vessel the core of memorable human experiences is downloaded into the solution preserving personality and the awareness of self. A human soul can’t exist in two places at the same time; hence, this process is a strict transition as opposed to a cloning function or a duplication event. The resulting personality is strictly based on the prior human content and can theoretically reside in the closed neuroplasma system, or vessel, for eternity requiring very minimum to none of external energy influx.
The devised transfer procedure can only be performed prior to the physical death of a body. For ethical reasons and to comply with international laws and local government regulations, the procedure can only be initiated by a fully functional primary subject and cannot be medically assisted by a third-party participant, irrelevant of their association with the subject. This means that accident victims or terminally ill people who lose their bodily faculties while retaining their mental awareness cannot undergo the transfer procedure. These rules and safeguards were put in place to ensure an informed consensus related to the unknown and potentially harmful consequences of soul extension.
During the procedure, as the soul and the subject’s consciousness are transferred out of the body into the neuroplasma solution the remaining shell of the body expires or dies. Careful observations of the procedure indicate that such a bodily death is a painless and peaceful process. Post-transfer the soul will no longer be able to communicate with the physical world of the living but it will theoretically live forever in the neuroplasma vessel. Because humans experience sensory inputs via physical organs such as ears, eyes, taste buds, etc., post-transfer, and without these organs, the souls will no longer receive external stimuli.
All clients are required to read, sign, and notarize a Document of Understanding (DoU) and the Company disclaimers document. The disclaimer states that while during the transfer, it is possible to subjectively observe an energy disturbance it is not scientifically possible to verify that the transfer was successful. Just as religious devotees believe that what their chosen philosophy offers for the afterlife is true, equally the clients need to believe that the Company’s service supported by unverified scientific theory is true and valid. At this point, there is no possibility to get away from the necessary leap of faith.

Corporate Structure
Since theoretically the clients’ souls can live infinitely in the neuroplasma vessels, the company was set up in perpetuity as an irrevocable trust. Significant origination fees and Client payments are invested into an independent fund that is managed by an international Board of Directors composed of business leaders, politicians, academics, physical and social scientists, and members of the working-class. The location for the storage of souls is in international waters in the middle of an ocean. The exact location is known only to the Board of Directors and support technicians. The location was selected in hopes that the system would not be disturbed or destroyed as humanity experiences conflicts and causes destruction. Moreover, since the closed system requires very little external energy as it is almost self-sufficient, the ocean with its natural tides provides enough energy necessary to maintain the ongoing operation. Solar, even with its rays diluted by the depth of the ocean, serves as a backup energy source. Clients of the company sign a legal document holding the company and its directors harmless for the procedure and any unintended consequences. Living relatives and descendants of the clients cannot sue the company for any real or perceived damages. Because of these stringent legal requirements, the company established a three-year program to prepare and educate potential clients and their families about the procedure. There are several irreversible decisions that clients and their families need to make.

Pre-procedure decisions
Once a soul or personality is transferred into neuroplasma, there will be no external sensory inputs and no communication from the inside of the system to the outside.
It is believed that the procedure can have four possible outcomes on clients’ souls:
(1) They can live infinitely, the most desired outcome.
(2) Their neural activity can faint to a self-unsustainable level at which point the soul involuntarily degrades and gets reabsorbed into neuroplasma.
(3) A soul can commit an intentional self-termination similar to liberation in Jain philosophy and be reabsorbed into neuroplasma.
(4) A vessel can be damaged or destroyed resulting in a neuro-plasmic spill and an involuntary termination of all resident souls. *

* Company’s physical, legal, financial, and managerial structures are set up to prevent the possibility of external damage and destruction, but for the purpose of full disclosure the possibility of external harm is clearly noted. If such harm is caused by force majeure, Client and Clients’ descendants indemnify the Company and agree to hold the Company harmless. If the Company is judged of wrong-doing or neglect, Limitation of Company’s Liability is set at ten times Client’s net worth at the time of transfer, adjusted for inflation or deflation. Each Client must set up an irrevocable trust prior to their transition to facilitate any future transactions with the Company.

Vessel selection
Acknowledging the four potential outcomes, it is imperative that the Client makes the best decisions prior to the transfer.  The first decision is related to the neuroplasma vessel selection where four choices exist.

(1) Personal Vessel: Space requirement for each individual soul is measured in cubic zeptometers. For practical reasons, the Company decided to standardize and manufacture Personal Vessels in a form factor similar to a regular-sized play marble.
One benefit of a Personal Vessel is that it can stay in the care of the Client’s chosen person or location. This can also be a drawback increasing an opportunity for loss, theft, or neglect potentially resulting in external destruction and termination of the residing soul. Termination of a soul is an irreversible event that interrupts eternity and discontinues the soul’s post-physical existence. It is believed that there is no mental anguish nor discomfort associated with external destruction as the event is like an on/off switch. One chronon the soul has active energy and the next chronon the energy is no more.
Solo existence offers no opportunity for interaction with other personalities or souls. A soul’s seclusion poses an increased risk of natural memory loss potentially resulting in the shortening of the soul’s life span due to degradation and involuntary reabsorption into the surrounding neuroplasma.
The Personal Vessel program is recommended only to those who in their physical life have proven capability, preference, and desire for independent existence.
Examples of current clients in this category include Buddhist monks, Christian hermits, and certain certified sociopaths.

(2) Friends and Family Vessel: This vessel allows people to spend eternity with their loved ones sharing common memories that can be reaffirmed based on history, shared experiences, and inherited genetics.  Future generations of the family can be injected into this vessel at their given time making this a truly multigenerational experience. Using chemical messaging or direct neuro-bonding, members of this vessel can assist each other to remain relative by refreshing memories and keeping minds active with energy, extending their common existence into infinity (and beyond).
A significant element to consider when selecting a Friends and Family Vessel is the fact that without physical organs in a soul-only state, no social filters exist. Through direct chemical messaging what a personality thinks invariably and immediately enters into the public domain. Unlike physical humans who have an opportunity to think but not to verbalize, souls’ communication is always direct and often lacks social graces. Specifically for families and friends who share a turbulent past or who might have unresolved issues, this could be a risky proposition.
Friends and Family Vessels require an establishment of bylaws and designation of an independent counsel to judge if new personalities should be injected into the vessel. Each applicant’s request for an injection is judged by the pre-established bylaws and the applicant’s intentions are reviewed by the independent counsel resulting in acceptance or rejection. A rejected personality has one opportunity to appeal. Company’s Trustees review the appeal and their decision is final and cannot be disputed. Friends and Family Vessel is recommended only to those who in their physical life were joined by strong common desires that surpassed most human decencies and persisted through generations. These drivers are usually expressed by a desire for dynastic achievements such as political power, monetary wealth, or ideological beliefs.
Examples of current Clients in this category include the Trump, Médici, Al Nahyan, Koch, Ming, and Khan families.

(3) Common-Interest Vessel: As the term implies this option groups strangers into a vessel based on shared life interests. The goal is to continually invigorate an exchange of ideas promoting mind-energy stimulation via chemical messaging or direct neuro-bonding. One might think of this option as being injected into a summer camp or into a fraternity house.
At its inception, the Company established a large number of Common-Interest Vessels in hopes of stimulating interest in the Transition as a viable option for the afterlife. Over the years, various professional guilds established new Common-Interest Vessels guarded by a strict set of bylaws. Injection into the Common-Interest Vessel is an application-based process managed by an independent contractor agency and overseen by Company’s Trustees.
There exist what seems like a limitless number of Common-Interest Vessels. To name just a few, there are vessels for engineers, teachers, domestic help, bar association members, farmers, musicians, gamers, miners, accountants, health professionals, cancer survivors, runners, chefs, dog trainers, clergy, and pretty much anything that one might be enthusiastic about.
When choosing this option, one must be undisputedly sure that their current interest is an eternal passion and not a temporary and perhaps even fleeting infatuation. Once a soul is injected into a vessel there is no way to communicate out and no way to change between vessels.
The Company is investing in R&D that will permit safe inter-vessel soul transfer. Currently, while technically possible, during the inter-vessel transfer, too many souls could be unintentionally released into ether, and as such, the practice is not permitted.
Examples of current clients in this category include Steve Jobs in the Innovator & Business Tycoon vessel #2.3, Victor Kalashnikov in Everything Russia vessel #3.8, Thanga Darlong in Musician vessel #25.3, Josef Vacenovsky in Sports vessel #17.6.

(4) General-Population Vessel: This vessel only requires a program origination fee and does not require an application. All customers who successfully complete a 3-year initiation program are granted admittance into the General-Population Vessel. Due to the large variety of residents, Company’s psychologists consider this to be the lowest-risk vessel because it replicates the world as we know it. In some way, it is like moving into a new city to meet new souls and personalities. A resident should expect to meet both souls they like and ones they find repelling.
The General-Population Vessel experiences the highest rate of new soul injections.
Even if souls don’t agree to direct neuro-bonding and only experience chemical messages emanating from the injected souls, the resulting energy stimulation is clear and measurable. For example, when a new soul enters a public vessel, there is a stronger energy spike than what is observed during the original transition into a solo vessel. Company’s scientists measured the energy spike and concluded that the frequent injections of new souls are arguably beneficial for the established residents because new souls refresh memories leading to increased longevity. On the flip side, the immediate attention might be stressful to a newly injected soul.
Modern studies attempt to answer the question of what is the ultimate number of souls per general population in a given vessel to ensure an optimum signal-to-noise ratio. The goal is to maintain a quotient that promotes a clear exchange of chemical messages increasing personal relevance and contributing to eternal survival for all souls.
Examples of current clients in this category include any of your neighbors, colleagues, friends, employers, and people that you meet out and about during your daily life.

Preparation for the Transition
Process of transition and the subsequent eternal survival are complex matters. To prepare its clients for the journey, the Company established a 3-year preparatory program. The program addresses topics that the Company believes facilitate a carefree longevity. Imagine being without a body and no longer being able to experience external stimulation.
Imagine working strictly and only within the confines of your mind.
Yes, of course there is no physical pain once in a neuroplasma vessel, and that is a big positive, but there is also no color, no aroma, no sound – any emotion that a soul wishes to experience based on these senses must be extracted from the memories created during the physical life already lived. The richer life one has led, the wealthier the bank of memories to fuel their eternal needs.
Today, in our general population live thrill-seeking people, commonly referred to as adrenaline junkies. They can be overheard saying, “This experience will last me an eternity.” Make no mistake about it, people uttering these words are probably in the program getting ready for their Transition and therefore eagerly collecting valuable experiences and making memories.

Intra Vessel Memory, Communication, and Bonding
Through many years of undisturbed operation while maintaining and observing numerous vessels, the Company learned that if a mind runs out of memories or as the memories faint, chemo-electrical functions diminish and the soul frails. A feeble soul can disintegrate and become absorbed into neuroplasma hence terminating its existence. To live infinitely the mind cannot rely on memories alone but it needs to continuously innovate, invent, and create. In multi-dwelling vessels, minds get to interact by absorbing chemical messages or occasionally agreeing to a direct neuro-bond.
Chemical messaging is a promiscuous and unfiltered communication system. While a trained soul can manage and direct its thought process, every biochemical action presented within neuroplasma becomes public domain. There are no secrets in neuroplasma.
Direct neuro-bonding requires an agreement between two or more souls for a direct energy attachment to create an integrated neuro-network. Neuro-network communication is even more efficient than chemical messaging as souls that are directly connected become one. By the laws of physics, each soul in a neuro-network maintains equal electro-chemical value so that the resulting neuro-chain remains balanced. Once a soul agrees to a direct neuro-bonding, it is believed that no mechanism exists to separate or disjoin from a neuro-chain, and like a pair of conjoined twins, when one soul terminates, the entire neuro-chain terminates with it. Direct neuro-bonds can be observed externally and while neuro-chains of souls exist, they are a rarity which by a small factor is more readily observed in the Friends and Family vessels.

Tools For Eternal Survival
Company’s scientists believe that dreamers, artists, and philosophers have a higher chance for an eternal success while people who, in life, depended on physical stimuli might experience a more difficult journey. Therefore, during the 3-year preparatory period, clients are encouraged to practice living inside of their minds. The Company offers classes in general studies, mindfulness and meditation, as well as practice in sensory limitation using sensory deprivation units.

General Studies:  Clients who lived their bodily life in a physical fashion drawing joy strictly from the external sensory stimulations from sports and athleticism concentrating on physical health might have increased difficulty transitioning into an eternity of mind without a body. For these clients, the Company offers a variety of sessions teaching and encouraging them to become more cerebral. These are designed to expand their base of knowledge in humanities, fine arts, and liberal studies.

Mindfulness: Souls capable of achieving a state of satisfaction by focusing on the present moment without distractions of their past doings or future hopes proceed well into eternity. After all, eternity is infinite and while it is possible to prepare for the transition once in neuroplasma, comfortable existence, emotional stability, and acceptance of feelings is the key to success. Classes in mindfulness are offered by the world’s top psychiatrists and psychologists and can be accessed via classroom participation or through remote learning programs.

Meditation: There are no secrets in neuroplasma, all thoughts are immediately released into the public domain which can cause stressful electrical spikes between souls. Without a sensory-capable physical shell, there is no separation between thinking something and saying something; therefore, meditation can assist in controlling the free flow of potentially harmful thoughts. The Company offers mandatory courses in beginner and advanced meditation techniques.
Elective courses are available in Buddhism, Confucianism, and Hindu philosophies.
Advanced courses in Stoicism and Cynicism are accessible from the world’s top liberal arts universities. These classes are only open to clients with a humanist background and without criminal records as the application of these concepts might be complex and even dangerous. Stoicism might be difficult to translate into an eternity without physical senses and Cynicism when misunderstood could induce predatory behavior.

Sensory Deprivation: In an effort to expose clients to eternity without senses, the Company requires completion of a mandatory Sensory Deprivation Program (SDP) composed of multiple sessions. The initial session lasts only five minutes where the Client is submerged into a sensory deprivation unit. With each subsequent session, the duration increases culminating in a one-month stint. Clients who cannot exist in a sensory deprivation chamber due to, for example, panic attacks, phobias, or sheer boredom, are not good candidates for transition as they will have low possibility for a successful eternity. In the best cases, not only do potential clients survive in the sensory deprivation chamber but preferably they actually enjoy and crave the experience.

Safety Provisions  
Regardless of their final destination, every Client undergoes a one-year adjustment period in a closely controlled solo compartment. One year might appear like a long time, but in the scope of eternity, it is less than a unit of Planck time.
Lacking any inputs from the inside of the active vessels, social scientists struggled with their recommendation. Assessing customary norms widely accepted in our civilization such as a one-year separation requirement prior to a legal divorce or the generally endorsed concept for a one-year cooling period before making important decisions following a meaningful loss, scientists settled on one year as a reasonable solo-adjustment period. During the solo year, a freshly transferred soul has an opportunity to adjust to the new circumstances. In a safe environment, the soul can practice and strengthen their skills including memory retention, meditation, and creativity. Moreover, without a risk of unpleasant repercussions, the soul can work on thought control and management, two tremendously important skills necessary for a peaceful existence in the multi-dwelling capsules where unbolted chemical messaging is the norm.

Disclosure
17.32% of souls do not survive the solo-adjustment year. They expire for unknown reasons and are absorbed into neuroplasma.
In an open letter to the Company, potential clients and investors expressed a concern with the solo-adjustment survival rates. In response, the Company called for a joint meeting of its Board of Directors and Trustees resulting in the introduction of a pilot program. Every newly established Friends and Family vessel can now write a solo-adjustment waiver into their bylaws. In one hundred years, the outcomes of this pilot program will be reviewed, and pending evaluation, further actions addressing the subject might be taken.

Terminal Transfer
At the end of the solo-adjustment year, survivors who are intended for Private vessels are transferred to their desired terminal location, and the “marble” is passed into the care of their designee or the oceanic location where the Company deposits all the vessels.
Clients intended for multi-dwelling vessels are analyzed for their sustained energy load, and those meeting designated thresholds are transferred into their predefined vessel of choice. Those who fall below the threshold are held back for an additional duration in hopes that they either increase their energy load or peacefully expire. The Company wishes to avoid the rare but extreme cases where a weak soul injected into a multi-dwelling vessel is immediately poached by the residents.
The extension of solo-duration and the desired resolution is contractually agreed prior to transition. When the agreed solo-extension time is reached, the soul is either transferred to their original vessel of choice or into a special-needs vessel where souls with sub-par energy are aggregated.

Note: Certain customers have requested an additional contractual rider stating that if their soul fails to reach a recommended energy level, their solo-vessel should be externally destroyed resulting in termination of their soul. After close evaluation, the Company’s Board of Directors deemed such termination by the Company unethical.

The Principle – Eternity Is Not Fair
It is well understood that the program of transition can become heaven for some and hell for others. While based on science and technology, transition is not an exact science and its hypothesis and theories cannot meet the stringent requirements of proof. There is no guarantee of strict regularity and there is no way to assure equity of outcomes. Each Client and their soul are given an opportunity for eternity but the success of achieving “happy” eternity depends on them alone.

It is also believed that sensitive beings will have a harder time absorbing unfiltered chemical messages from their environment. It is probable that those with an I-don’t-care attitude during their lifetime and those with “thick skins” will do better. People who lived their lives being consumers of information will do worse than those who generated content. Dreamers will do better than doers.

Due to the fact that post-transition there is no way to safeguard the injected souls, the Company requires the potential clients to study Jainism. Clients shall be prepared to terminate their eternity or break the cycle by performing an action of self-liberation. The Company realizes that it is a misuse of the Jain ideology but also believes that it is an important tool to equip their clients with.

Summary
Because transitioning is not an exact science, it is very difficult to provide a success/failure assessment. While potentially an enticing offer of eternal life, the transition program is viewed as risky and difficult. The neuroplasma solution achieves a fine balance between matter and energy; neither of the two can be created nor destroyed but one can transfer into the other and vice versa. The Company believes that the way to measure success is by assessing theoretical energy of all the participants in the vessels and comparing it to the actual mass of neuroplasma, whereby an eternal-life quotient is established. Souls that are reabsorbed by the neuroplasma reduce a given vessel’s energy and increase the neuroplasma mass. Arguably such a reabsorption can be viewed as a failure to achieve eternity. Every decade, the Company performs this measurement and publishes its data, over the last century the eternal-life quotient hovered at 43% success rate, signifying that the transitional opportunity for an eternal life is both an expensive, as well as a risky proposition.

Discussion:
As the sun began to set, I was still rolling in bed hugging a pillow to my chest. The idea for a science fiction story safely congealed in my brain. I marveled at the inspiration that my mind drew from the decrepit state and how sensory deprivation molded into an eternal life in a neuroplasma solution. It was time for me to pull together and rejoin the living, especially since my partner would soon be coming home from work. It was certainly more reasonable for me to join my partner in real life than to invite him into the neuroplasma world which only resided in the annals of my mind, and was not yet put to paper. But I kept wondering. If I would receive a flier from the Company describing their services and disclosing all the known pitfalls and unknowns:
(1) Would I consider signing up for the transition?
(2) Would I consider entering the 3-year Initiation Program to see if I am a viable candidate?
(3) How does this program compare to what the world’s religions offer to the people?

Dear Reader, at this juncture, I am soliciting your help with the most important question:
Is this a viable enough concept to expand the story into a longer literary work that investigates the before and after the transition and explores a variety of experiences and outcomes within the available vessels?

Examples of potential chapters:
(1) Story of a person who was in the 3-year initiation program with a planned date of transition but due to an accident or a medical condition died prematurely and never completed the transition.
(2) Mental gymnastics of  a person who just transitioned and got injected into the solo vessel and their experience during the adjustment year.
(3) Drama between souls that are in Friends and Family vessel describing how eternity plays into the generational gap between new and old souls.
(4) A suicidal person decides to use transition as a way out with the old life and a clean start with the new one.

Please share your opinions in the comment box below. Whatever thoughts, opinions, ideas you have after reading this piece will be highly valuable to me. Please be brutally honest with the quality of your input and generous with the quantity.

Thanks to Asher for his editing skills