The most challenging hypothesis about what happens to us when we die is suggested by a well-known author-researcher. A hypothesis, however, whose essence was recently confirmed by scientific research!
Anthony Peake has a potential that earlier scholars of the eternal question of mankind did not have. As we move toward the middle of the 21st century, the author of "Is There Life After Death?" can utilize all the past philosophical and religious currents that were born on the planet and combine them with the most modern scientific discoveries, to ask the question whether "Quantum Physics confirms Plato", as we already read on the cover of his book that recently released (Cactus publications).
At the same time, he utilizes both the empirical knowledge and the common testimonies of those who came close to death (mortal experiences), in which he identifies common elements with some mental illnesses (such as epilepsy), in order to reach his conclusion. A conclusion, not uniquely his own, as it is identified with other, not widely known, philosophical and religious currents that have been placed on the big question "what happens when we die".
The recent discovery by researchers, who accidentally recorded the human brain function in the seconds it was dying, concludes that, in those last moments, our brain probably "plays" in repetition throughout our lives, which the dying person watches in the form of memories.
But does that just happen? Anthony Peake, author of other philosophical and scientific books, wrote "There is life after death" before this very recent discovery, but in its pages it refers mainly to it as a central idea: When we die, we see our whole life again. Or rather, we see it again, it is not the right verb to interpret his hypothesis, and not his theory, as he himself corrected us, during our discussion… A hypothesis, which ends in… "deception" of Varkaris, the well-known from our mythology Charon, since in the "real" reality, as he suggests, we never die…
Mr. Peake, in formulating your theory you utilize the collective knowledge of mankind, from ancient philosophies and religions to quantum mechanics. Which theories helped you get closer to your conclusion and why?
I have always been of the opinion that science goes hand in hand with subjective experiences in that it is the melding of both that allow us to make considered opinions about the true nature of the world that surrounds us. It is consciousness that interprets this information, even though the generation of that evaluating (and perceiving) awareness is still a great mystery to modern science. As such both the subjective world of philosophy and religion and the objective world of materialist science are equally important. However, my starting point has always been the science because it adds a degree of objectivity, and it is the science, specifically neurology, cosmology and quantum mechanics, from which I have built the framework of my hypothesis.
How could you define what happens to us after death, in a few words?
Quite a task this, but I will try. I argue that at the point of death consciousness enters another perceptual reality that exists in a different chronological framework. By this I mean that subjective time is dilated to such an extent that the final micro-seconds are subjectively perceived as a whole lifetime. This time is populated by a rendition of a new life in which the dying person is taken back to their moment of birth in order to live their life again. This is a literal re-incarnation, but not as somebody else, but as themselves. This is similar to a third-person virtual reality rendition of one’s life. I argue that the data needed to create this rendition is uploaded from the quantum vacuum in the roll of zero-point energy, creating a data-based holographic simulation or, as I prefer to call it, an “Instantation”.
Recent research in cosmology is suggesting that at its base level, everything that we perceive as matter is, in fact, created out of information, binary data. This is known as the holographic theory and it relates directly to black holes and the second law of thermodynamics. Consciousness is simply a process by which this data is transformed into a seemingly real, three-dimensional universe of matter.
In effect, the vast majority of us are re-living a simulation of our lives, downloaded into our consciousness from the in-formation field. Evidence that we are living our life again comes from such experiences as déjà vu and precognitions.
Now this is very important, I further argue that the final micro-seconds of the new life follows the same process and another life is lived in the final seconds of that life …… a reflection of the famous Zeno’s Bisection paradox applied to time.
I call this hypothesis “Cheating the Ferryman” (CtF) because we all, in a very real sense, never pay Charon to ferry us across the Acheron! We “cheat” him out of his oboli!
The most important part of your theory has been recently scientifically confirmed (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-60495730), confirming also the testimonies you refer to in your book. How do you comment on that? Could there be other scientific and 100% substantiated confirmations of what you claim in the future?
I do indeed. The original CtF model was postulated in 2001 and appeared in a peer-reviewed academic paper in 2005, before being published as a book in 2006. Since then, there have been a number of groundbreaking discoveries in quantum physics, cosmology and neurology, all of which are totally supportive of the CtF model. Indeed, I know of no empirical discoveries that contradict the model in any way. I am quite sure that in the next few years yet more discoveries will be made and these will continue to reinforce the hypothesis. But what is of great significance is that the model is also supported by people’s subjective experiences. I have already mentioned déjà vu, but in my books, I discuss evidence from many schools of philosophy, theology and occult beliefs. This is why on fully understanding the model, both scientists and philosophers, agree that I am onto something of great significance. For example, there is some fascinating work being done researching the effects of mind-altering substances known as entheogens at various universities across the world. I believe that it is in this area that the breakthroughs will be made.
And because we are talking about science, your theory is based on parallel universes and many dimensions. Will we ever be able to confirm all this?
There is growing evidence for the “Many-Worlds Interpretation” from many areas of cosmology. In its modern iterations, such as the Hawking-Hertog “Top Down” Interpretation, the “Transactional Interpretation” of ??? and the “Sum Over Histories” model of Richard Feynman all suggest that we exist in a “multiverse” were every outcome of every event, from the subatomic level upwards, is encoded within the information field. This suggests that there is a universe in which the outcome of every decision we make exists.
The Daemon, then, is our "old" self, who always lives with us and has already lived our present life at least once. It is the cause of déjà vu, and of the inexplicable premonitions that can save our lives. I would like you to explain this to me a little more. Is it really the Daemon that Socrates was saying?
In my opinion it is exactly what Socrates described that was manifest in his life. This entity was aware of Socrates life, including his future. This is the same entity that was the “voice” that guided Joan of Arc and has assisted writers, poets and countless other people throughout history. As you will know, the concept of The Daemon is rooted in Greek philosophy and, together with its human counterpart, the Eidolon, is a dyad of consciousness. Continuing with the third-person VR computer game, the Eidolon is the in-game avatar that exists for just one game, whereas the Daemon is the game-player who plays the game many times, and each time it learns more and uses this knowledge to protect its numerous Eidolons. This is totally in keeping with ancient Greek beliefs, beliefs that became incorporated into Gnosticism and other esoteric groups. In effect, it is our “Guardian Angel”, but it is also much more as it is the real person, whereas the “eidolons” are as the word suggests, mortal facsimiles trapped within the “game”. A quite literal “Eidos”.
You say you are trying to bridge the gap between serious science and subjective experience. Seizures and some cases of schizophrenia are signs of Daemon, you say. How can you support this and how can it change the way we treat these diseases?
Over the years since my first book was published, and its closely-related second volume, “The Daemon: A Guide to Your Extraordinary Secret Self” I have been contacted by people who experience temporal lobe epilepsy, all of whom consider my Daemon-Eidolon Dyad model to be part of their everyday life. Indeed, many have stated that my hypothesis explains fully their experiences. I argue that it is significant that in ancient times epilepsy was known as the “Diviner’s Disease”….. that it facilitates precognition. In a later book, “Opening the Doors of Perception” I suggested a model I call the “Huxleyan Spectrum”. In this I argue, and present evidence, that all human beings are located at one point or another along this spectrum. This runs from “neurotypicals”, whose “doors of perception” are closed, to people who experience classic migraine to TLE then to schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s. I also argue that autism is also a feature of this. In effect, when the “doors of perception” are open then the communication channels between the Daemon and the Eidolon are more effective. I feel that by applying this model to these “illnesses” we may be able to discover a great deal about the human condition.
And finally, to what extent do you connect your theory with that of reincarnation? So are we trapped in the same life - same sex, nationality, time and place of birth - or in your theory, can these change after death?
It is important to stress that by definition my model is not a theory, it is, at best, a hypothesis, and possibly even just speculation. A hypothesis only becomes a theory when it is supported by empirical research that is consistent over time.
Now back to the model. Your question has two elements. Firstly, As I stated above, CtF is a model of re-incarnation, quite literally to be re-born back in the same body and in the same time. In classic reincarnation the soul is reborn as somebody else in another time and, usually, another location. This new personality has no memories of its past existence, it suffers from what Plato called “Amnesis”, “forgetting”. This new personality starts afresh and, in most cases, lives this new life ignorant of its previous lives. I say in most cases because all the evidence for reincarnation is from the rare individuals who spontaneously (and for seemingly no known reason) have memories of their past lives. These are usually young children who claim to be somebody else who lived before they were born. In recent years a number of adults have recollected “past lives” whilst experiencing hypnotically-induced trance states. I have long had logic issues with this model. I am surprised as to why all people do not have these memories and why, in most cases, they can only be induced by hypnotism. I also have an issue with the fact that this lack of continual memories carried from life to life achieves no purpose. If I do not remember my past lives how do a learn anything from the previous life experiences? There is an English saying, “to learn from one’s mistakes”. The standard reincarnation model precludes this.
CtF has none of these logistic issues. For example, I do not have to explain the transmigration of souls from one body to another, a journey across time and space that cannot be explained in any way by modern science. Similarly, reincarnation is a post-mortem scenario whereby a person continues living even though their body, and brain, has died. CtF takes place in a living brain and has no elements of transmigration. In CtF the location in time and space between the incarnations does not change.
I would now like to address the second part of your question; can circumstances be changed after death? Well, as stated above, there is no “after death” scenario in CtF. Everything takes place at the point of death and in a living brain. It is also important to stress that each new life is different. This is not a reinstatement of Friedrich Nietzsche’s “Eternal Return” but an application of how modern computer gaming works. As discussed earlier, in a standard RPG virtual-reality game the environment and back drop by which the game is played is always identical, particularly the initial starting scenario. The game-player finds themselves (or more accurately the game player sees their on-screen (or in-game) avatar in exactly the same location every time a brand-new game is fired up. Remember that the game-player is the equivalent of the Daemon, a consciousness that carries the experiences and learning acquired in previous games to each new game. This knowledge and experience helps the game-player/Daemon negotiate hazards and dangers within the game environment. They “remember” when the hazards and dangers are about to occur and assist the in-game avatar/Eidolon in avoiding them. Now, and this is very important, from the viewpoint of the avatar/Eidolon, these “pre-warnings” of dangers about to be encountered, will seem like precognitions, inklings from somewhere else that danger is nearby. As with a computer game, each decision that is made renders a whole know scenario to accommodate that decision. In effect, every decision creates a new outcome. CtF argues that this is what happens in our many-lives. Each decision we make brings about a new universe that then has its own outcomes. In quantum physics terms this is known as the “collapse of the wave function”, one of the most intriguing elements of quantum mechanics.
In this way CtF also overcomes the other logical inconsistencies of reincarnation. In this model we do “learn from our mistakes” because part of us, our Daemon, carries through the learning experiences encountered in previous lives, and uses this knowledge to improve the new life of its Eidolon. Indeed, a wonderful fictional application of this idea is the movie “Groundhog Day”, in which the hero lives the same day over and over again, and each new day he applies the knowledge acquired in previous days to his advantage. In this regard you may be interested to know that the title of the Russian language edition of my first book was “Groundhog Life”!
In your book you rely heavily on the Gnostics, while you say that the worldview of the Aborigines is closer to yours. Would you like to explain this to us? Why did some other movement or culture not come so close to your conclusion?
Gnosticism was a huge influence upon me. Gnosticism, based, of course, upon earlier classical Greek philosophies such as the Eleusinian Mysteries and the teachings of Plato, suggests that this reality we exist within is a hallucination created by a false god known as the Demiurge. This fake universe is known as the Kenoma and we are trapped in it. The real universe exists outside of this and is known as the Pleroma. The Gnostics argued that we all have inside of us a tiny shard of the Pleroma and this is our immortal self, the Daemon. This acts as our guide and assists us in negotiating the dangers within the Kenoma. As you will know, Gnosticism has always been an “occult” belief system contained within all the Abrahamic religions. In Judaism it manifest as Quabbalism and in Islam within Sufism whilst within Christianity it became part of the Hermetic traditions. The world-model of Gnosticism became central to the “occult” (hidden) magical traditions, traditions that have run in parallel with the wider-held beliefs of the general population. It is these hidden traditions, ones in which involve intense training and secret initiations, that have carried forward many of the aspects found in CtF. From this I would argue that my conclusions are not new in any way, they have been known for millenia by the elites and secret societies. I would further argue that many concepts related to CtF are now welling up within the Zeitgeist in that large numbers of movies, TV series and fictional books over the last fifty years have focused on these concepts. Films such as “The Matrix”, “Interstellar”, “Vanilla Sky”, “The Man in the High Castle” and countless others are presenting these ideas as a form of fiction.
This idea of the world as a fabrication or a simulation is central to many Eastern traditions. For example, the Hindu concept of Maya in which we exist in a dream of Brahman. In my forthcoming book, actually entitled “Cheating the Ferryman” I will be addressing how elements of my CtF concept can be found in most religions and philosophies. All that I have done which may be different to the approaches made by most other writers, is that I have made links between religious beliefs, esotericism and philosophy and the modern scientific discoveries about the true nature of the universe.
So what is your conclusion that comes up from your theory? What is the purpose of being in this world? How much does it change your outlook on the world and life? What is your message to the world, about this?
Of course, anything I say from now on is pure supposition on my case, but I genuinely believe that the logic behind CtF is a really simple one; it allows us to grow and develop as points of conscious awareness. In my next book I will argue that we are all one single consciousness experiencing itself subjectively. Consciousness is prime and it is from this consciousness that matter and energy arise. Consciousness creates reality by its “observation” of that reality. Each Daemon is simply a part of a greater collective-consciousness I call the Uber-Daemon. This is equivalent to Carl Jung’s “Collective Unconscious” and related to the concept of the “Zeitgeist” I mentioned earlier. But there is more, each species has its own Uber-Daemon, and across the universe there are probably countless other sentient species, each of which will have its own collective Uber-Daemon. I believe that it is the awareness and knowledge of the Uber-Daemon that is accessed when people are hypnotically regressed. These are not “past-lives” in the reincarnation sense, but an accessing of the databanks of all human experience. This, in turn, explains DNA “memory” and epigenetics. Above the Uber-Daemon is something I term the “Godaemon”. This is the everything that is, what Hindus and Vedantists call Brahman and what the Quabbalists call the “Or Ain Sof”. This is the source of all consciousness, and each Daemon is simply an emanation of this singularity, a singularity, while in the role of a Daemon, has forgotten what it really is. This idea is again central to the teachings of Plato; that we are all in a state of amnesis and its only by achieving “anamnesis”, or loss of forgetting, that we discover what we really are.
And these then leads us to the role of CtF. Each of us here on Earth are Daemon-Eidolon Dyads. By this I mean that we have a mortal, in-game, consciousness that exists for just one life and then dies. This is the Eidolon (from the Greek “eidos”, form and related to Idol, something that represents something spiritual). The Daemon, as I have stated earlier, is the real person, a consciousness that carries through from life to life, collecting knowledge, experience and information. It is, in effect, the soul. By living many lives it moves towards perfection, each life being used to make the next life slightly more perfect. Like Conners in the movie Groundhog Day, after many, many lives, the perfect day (life) is achieved and the Daemon-Eidolon Dyad evolves and merges with the Uber-Daemon. This is known as becoming a Bodhisattva, a being who has achieved perfect knowledge (from Sanskrit “bohdi”, perfect and “sattva”, being or essence).
As more Daemons achieve a state of Bodhisattva-hood so the Uber-Daemon perfects itself to achieve one-ness with the GoDaemon. Humanity can then awake from the dream and break off what the great British Gnostic poet William Blake called the “Mind-forged manacles” and, like the prisoner in Plato’s Cave, realise that what we thought was reality was just shadows on the wall and all we perceive as Eidolons is simply “Maya”.
