Beyond the Horizon: Thoughts and Matters of the Body and Mind

By Joel M. Levin

You are invited to go on a fantasy voyage exploring the splendor and

mysteries of life. You are on the bridge of a fictional vessel, the symbol

for life and our individual journey through it. As in all his novels, the

author places you alongside the characters he has created.

With the Captain of the vessel, we

• Language: English
• Publisher: Joel M. Levin, M.D.
• Release date: Feb 25, 2022
• ISBN: 9781734186086

Book preview

The Sea

We are tied to the ocean and when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch—we are going back from whence we came.

—John F. Kennedy

For life and death are one-, even as the river and the sea are one.

—Khalil Gibran

It is like a voyage of discovery into unknown lands, seeking not for new territory but for new knowledge. It should appeal to those with a good sense of adventure.

—Frederick Sanger

Table of Contents

The Sea

Chapter 1: Evolution

Chapter 2: The Essence of Life

Chapter 3: All Aboard

Chapter 4: The Story of Ahanu

Chapter 5: The Story of Alice

Chapter 6: The Story of David

Chapter 7: The Story of Mary

Chapter 8: The Saga of the Four Amigos

Chapter 9: We have Been Here before, Por Favor!

Chapter 10: Three’s a Crowd

Chapter 11: Beauty and the Boat

Chapter 12: The New Century and the Millennium

Chapter 13: Can We Survive the Battle of Human versus Microbe?

Chapter 14: Man, Metals, and Machines: Can We Get Along?

Chapter 15: Moving on Down the Road

Chapter 16: Friend or Foe? Who is to Know?

Chapter 17: The Sixth Extinction

Chapter 18: The Final Symposium

Chapter 19: The Seminar: What Is Life?

Chapter 20: Believe It or Not

Chapter 21: The Intense Debate

Chapter 22: There Is More to the Story

Chapter 23: Let us Give God a Chance

Chapter 24: Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

Chapter 25: Stairways to Heaven

Chapter 26: Gods, Giants, and Frequent Flyers

Chapter 27: The Bridge of Why and The Captain’s Log

Chapter 28: Memories

The Illustrations

About the Author

CHAPTER 1

Evolution

Well, I can’t tell you where I’m going,

I’m not sure of where I’ve been But I know

I must keep travelin’ till my road comes to an end

Dolly Parton

Life as ever-flowing sea can be considered the sea of life. Ancient civilizations looked to the heavens and earth for answers. There are many religious myths, legends, belief systems that suggest our creation. Science, in a different manner, uses experimentation and mathematical formulas to propose theories regarding the origin of life. It it all an allusion?

I’ve looked at clouds from both sides now

From up and down and still somehow

It’s cloud illusions I recall

I really don’t know clouds at all

Both Sides, Now

-Song by Joni Mitchell

In this book, we will look at basic questions regarding human existence and try to sort it all out. They are as follows:

1. Where are we from and how did it all begin?

2. Where are we going when our life’s journey ends?

3. Does death extinguish our existence?

4. If there is no finality, what existence may lie beyond it?

5. What are the religious and scientific ideas regarding these questions?

6. Is life an illusion based on how we perceive the universe

Life is compared to the ongoing currents of the sea that are ever moving forward. In our travel, there is the final port of call where you must get off. We will examine the final port of call in some detail, as it may not be what you think it is.

In Beyond the Horizon, the word evolution does not refer to the evolution of the humans but theories and beliefs regarding these questions. Scientists who talk about evolution say life arose from the sea. The Bible says that God created heaven and earth and then the sea, with all that dwells within it. Is there an impasse in these opposing views? Are we looking at the same issue through different foci? Is there a possibility of a middle ground or a new understanding where both concepts can merge?

Religion has been the center of belief from ancient times, with science back then playing a marginal role. At present there is vigorous scientific and religious debate. As I am not an expert in either theology or science, the approach will be different.

As an author, I decided to fictionalize the story, using the sea as a symbol of our travel through life. The reader imagines there are people who travel together on a sail ship we can call the Sea of Life. The ship carried by the currents of the sea and winds of fate is fueled by our imagination. The sea vessel is filled with travelers who enter at different times and from different places, but all share in the voyage of their lifetime. We will observe each of their lives with interest and in doing so may learn about ourselves.

Boarding is viewed from the lofty height of a fictional possibility. Imagine that we are standing on a captain’s bridge called the Bridge of Why. Each passenger will share his or her life experience with us as he or she boards. We listen to them all, and we question them about their life’s journey. Can we learn anything from them about the meaning of life and perhaps the existence of an after -life? We have experts on board who will give us some details along the way and have prepared some seminars, as is customary on a cruise. We promise to make the travel educational but also tempered by easy conversation and moments of humor. The final geographical port of call is America, where our Sea of Life cruise ends. On the bridge, we eventually see a foggy cloud that does not allow clear entry to a channel toward the Harbor of Knowledge (symbolizing death and after-life).

At the conclusion, we need to decide if we shall remain on the Bridge of Why or exit as do sailors with binoculars looking fore and aft or decide to leave it. After all is done, the master of the vessel closes the ship’s log and reflects on the voyage.

The Sea of Life concept is also based on a sentiment repeatedly expressed by my dad during his lifetime. He and my mom went through the Great Depression, the personal loss of loved ones, many financial woes, and other stressful issues that arose from time to time. Despite it all, he had a balanced calm nature and a great deal of optimism. He believed in the power of positive thinking and was a good master of his life. He would say to my mom, We will weather the storm together. Many times, he spoke about the changing tides of life. This led me to use the sea as a metaphor.

As my life goes on, I remain on a bridge and still do not have a clear answer of what is life and is there an after-life? As a physician who grew up in a religious family, I did not know the answer. Are you there with me or are you resolute as one can admire and envy those with resolute stands? It was easier as a kid when my family tradition became my own as my beliefs were based on the faith of my father. When I became a physician later in life, sobering medical experiences changed me forever. I saw death for the first time in medical school. As a doctor in the care of my patients from the cradle to the grave, I witnessed premature deaths, human suffering, and the ravages of disease and the aging process, while standing by with family and friends, when patients passed away. I heard the lament, Why me, God? from many patients . I began to wonder. It once seemed as simple as a sunrise and a sunset, with death as the finality.

Later as a physician, I heard of an interesting experiment where prayer was added as part of the care of seriously ill patients with cancer called double-blind studies. It was part of the care process for one group of patients while the other group received standard care. Neither patient group knew whether prayer engaged in their care, and the prayer teams did not know the people for whom they were praying. In the group where prayer was included, patient survival was longer, and sometimes there was remission of the disease. How could that be? What was happening? Was there more to know about healing than what was taught to me in medical school?

Being raised in a home with parents and grandparents as multigenerational homes with families remaining together was once common. My grandfather was devout in his faith and had great skills in strongly debating his point of view. My father, however, was the sort who showed an understanding and accepted different viewpoints but remained trusting in God. Both firmly rejected the question of why, with strongly believing in heavenly reward after death.

At an early point in life, something happened that made me begin to think independently. On a weekend day ,Saturday or Sunday, there was a required trip back to Grandma’s house and it was a pleasant time for all. I got to know my uncles, who all contributed to my life in one way or another. Our kinship was obvious.

One of my uncles changed my life forever and started me on the questions that are the focus of the book. I spent time with him when the two of us would part from the large family group. These were special encounters that I still remember, and he unknowingly became my early mentor. It gave me a chance to absorb some new ideas and expand my thinking. He the son of a fundamentally religious father always took a few moments to speak with me about things. He never spoke in terms of religion or any one scientific theory but had a vast range of knowledge about many things. I would describe him as a deep thinker and a person of quiet demeanor.

He suggested that I expand my reading, as he had a nice library. I always loved reading the books that young people liked, but these were different. Some questioned the strict theology I was raised with . For example, in Worlds in Collision, Immanuel Velikovsky suggested that the planet Venus arose from an interplanetary encounter in our solar system. At that point, Venus was a comet and changed Earth’s orbit. He said this cosmic event, by itself, influenced the religions of the time. Velikovsky said this led to the mythical legends of the Bible and other ancient legends. He proposed that the origin of religion was based on natural events. His book and myths that are now discredited, but it was an early exposure for me questioning the origin of humans and our gods.

I began to look for sources other than the Bible to see if this was so. The cult of Venus the comet/planet as a goddess, for example, led to various legends in many ancient cultures. When Venus came close to Earth, it appeared in the sky like a comet and then a shining light, thought to be a deity and Venus was worshiped as a goddess. It is well known that early civilizations always looked to the sky for answers. Their priests, as observers of the sky, were also expert astrologists. They are interpreting the heavens and became a God concept for the people they served who were asking the very same questions we are still asking today. God was the answer then, and that is how creationism began. Science was not ready to weigh in on alternative concepts. We now have different concepts and ideas about human existence.

It was both exciting and challenging for me to attempt this project. If successful, we will review incredibly complex issues together. I want to recognize my family, my friends, and all my life teachers who inspired me and gave me the courage to do so. I have a great appreciation for all the great thinkers over time who contributed much to this book and the music composers and illustrators who hopefully make this enjoyable for you. They say one picture is worth thousands of words, and music can heighten one’s emotions and awareness. Lastly, my sincere appreciation to the publisher and the entire staff, who have always been there to assist and advise me, helping to make my work product better. What remains is for you, the honored guests, to render your judgment at the end of our journey.

CHAPTER 2

The Essence of Life

We were born before the wind

Also younger than the sun

Ere the bonnie boat was won as we sailed into the mystic

—Van Morrison, Into the Mystic

That captures the concept. It is amazing to see how music can express the things we author try to say with words. Music sums up the thousands upon thousands of words used by some authors who explore the lofty subjects of creation, life, and death. One example is Into the Mystic.

There are many reasons that humans are attracted to water and the sea. Water is essential to all life as nothing can live without it. It is a prime necessity of life. Our bodies are composed of inert chemicals and an internal sea that acts as a solvent and helps transfer things in and out of it. Our bodies contain abundant water, as does our planet. Humans needed water and when early humans left their origin , they searched for bodies of water and usually settled along them.

Scientists searching the skies, to this day, state that, if the water is discovered elsewhere , there likely is some form of existence of life .

Evolutionists say that life emerged from the sea, and there is a subliminal desire embedded within us to return to our origin. From early life on, children take pleasure in splashing and playing in the water, as adults do when on vacation. Therefore, our brains must have an affinity to water that drives us to feelings of happiness.

There are theories that human brains started to grow rapidly after we separated from the early forests and began to live close to water. People started to eat fish and other products of the sea. As a physician, I know that fish are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. This fatty substance is necessary for brain development and brain function. Our brains expanded rapidly. We know that modern nutrition recommends consuming fish products. Medical literature also shows that those who ingest a fish suffer from less depression.

It is no wonder that ancient cultures lived near and revered water sources, not knowing the things we just reviewed. In history and in modern times, we see initiations and death ceremonies filled with reverence, including baptism with water, the cleansing of hands and body with water, and the simple happiness and peace one gets from staring out to sea. I think of the Greek and Egyptian mortuary ceremonies for the ancient dead that involved traveling to another world on a river. In the Viking mortuary ceremony, the departed is set out to sea aflame. In the ancient Jewish tradition, the priests’ hands were washed in a consecration ceremony on the Day of Atonement. As I was writing this tale , it was the time of Passover and Easter. Water is needed for the removal of pollution during the Passover meal, and there is a ritual use of water during the Seder and a remembrance of the exodus by the parting of the sea. Jews also remove the pollution of exposure to death when leaving the cemetery before returning home. Water has a ritual use in Christianity (holy water), as well as in other religions for spiritual cleansing. It becomes part of the last rites before one die.

The Hindu love of the Ganges as a cleansing of both body and soul (spirit) as a religious rite is well known. The concept is that life is ongoing and cyclical. Each world is destroyed in preparation for the next. The various gods or manifestations of gods known as Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva participate in the cyclical creation and destruction that occurs over and over. The belief is that there are more creations than drops of water in the Ganges. In India, the sacred River Ganges embodies the water of life for Hindus. Legend has it that the Ganges is the river that flows beyond its earthly bounds to Moksha, the realm of nirvana.

Water has a use in other ways. Jeremiah describes God as the fountain of living waters (Jeremiah 2:13; 17:13). Juan Ponce de León tried to deny aging by looking for the fountain of youth. Martin Luther King Jr. said in one of his sermons, Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream. People today go to healing spas to enjoy the pools and hot tubs. Nutritionists advise all of us to drink a lot of water. A Doctor of Medicine adds water therapy to the healing process.

I enjoy this quote by the famous author Mark Twain, who interestingly looked at water in a literary manner. High and fine literature is wine, and mine is only water, but everybody likes water. I guess we can add a touch of humor by mentioning the fictional comic strip character Bathless Groggins, created by Al Capp. He is the ultimate contrarian to all that we have said. Water for him seems unnecessary, and he resists it. Since we are talking about the necessity of water, in, he in opposition becomes the atheist.

We find another instance in the Bible, where the sea is mentioned to in a different light containing a sea beast to be feared. The Leviathan is mentioned by name in the book of Job but is also present in many ancient sea narratives, where a primeval monster is defeated by the gods. There is a sea creature known in Scottish legend as Nessie, the Loch Ness monster, an aquatic being that inhabits Loch Ness in the Highlands There is also the legend of Jonah and the great whale. There is the tale of Noah and the great flood, in which God punished the wickedness of civilization by wiping it out.

A flood narrative is seen in other cultures. Water is often associated with danger and death. This is apparent with all the floods and tsunamis in our world today. For those who are spiritualistic, Nostradamus, a physician, and astrologer who lived during the sixteenth century would stare into a bowl filled with water. While observing the liquid, he would receive visions of the future.

Some people claim that, as a seer, he foresaw many future events. In a relative prediction, he said that the earth’s polar ice would melt in our times. He also predicted great flooding, which we have seen in the Gulf of Mexico basin in recent years.

Science tries to rationalize all such events, searching for verification of natural disasters that were once interpreted as acts of the gods. The great flood is one of the topics under investigation. One theory refers to a great flood in the Black Sea seven thousand years ago, which may once be thought to be Noah’s flood in the Old Testament. A more global theory that accounts for the great floods in other cultures is that a comet crashed to earth five thousand years ago. Geological research has suggested that there have been recurrent floods in the history of our planet. Flooding and the rising of ocean levels today, based on global warming, is becoming a concern for those who live in coastal areas.

We have all encountered the modern beasts of the sea. There are the sharks, alligators, crocodiles, eels, and other sea creatures, a source of phobias and fears for many of us. Fear of water alone is one of the most common phobias. Interestingly, the fear of the sea or large bodies of water is called Thallasophobia referring to Thalassa the ancient Grecian name for the Mediterranean Sea. For some people , dreams that involve the sea can reflect some past or present trauma (for example, drowning) if one believes in past lives. I have a phobia of swimming in deep water, including the ocean. Many Americans are afraid of deep open bodies of water, including the deep end of a pool. As a young child, I saw a child drown in the waters of Lake Michigan. This fear intensified with an uncle’s sink-or-swim theory of learning to swim. This uncle just threw me in the lake as I flopped around as a fish caught in a net. My fear of water was magnified when I almost drowned in a pool while vacationing with my young wife. I lost the phobia but never learned how to swim. Yet the sight of a calm sea and sailing upon the sea is relaxing for me. Thankfully, I did not deny my children that tool for both survival and pleasure.

CHAPTER 3

All Aboard

As the tides of life rolled onward, I lost my wife Donna in the murky waters and the fog called death. Her passing led to a book in commemoration of our life together for half a century. It was called Life Love and Longing. In a way, that book led to the present one. Feeling that I emotionally died with her, I started thinking about death. What had happened to her? Was she now in a new life, one that I could not share? Did one ever join his or her loved ones after death as my family believed? It was a book of love lost, but it did not satisfy my thirst for answers to the questions we are now asking in greater detail.

I had to set my compass in a new direction and leave the serious and searching thoughts in that book. In a new book, to ease ongoing questioning and probing, I spoke of a gentle stream of life where things were not as stormy. It was a comfort book, written because I had been a loyal Chicago Cubs fan for more than seventy years, and the Cubs had finally won a world championship. The book called Holy Cow, Black Cats, and Billy Goats and a sequel The Cubs and Me looked at life differently.

This book is entirely different from the other books I authored as it is more philosophical and searching. It takes us on a different journey and the age-old quest to know what may happen when life’s journey is at an end. What is waiting for us and where are we headed? Reminded of an old saying common to the time of the Roman Empire that all roads led to Rome rang a bell for me, and using an author’s imagination, I changed the saying to all roads lead to home. What is home? Is it the place where we reside, the earthly home? Or does another home await us? The book is a searching discussion and debate regarding this question.

Home is the sailor, home from the sea, And the hunter home from the hill.

—From Requiem, by Robert

Louis Stevenson (1850–1894)

We are now on our way to discovery and have started to move away from the dock. All our fictional travelers are aboard, and we are now at sea. The captain on this voyage considers you incredibly special guests and wishes you bon voyage.

CHAPTER 4

The Story of Ahanu

The earth is our mother; We must take care of her.

Hey yanna, ho yanna, hey yan yan.

—Traditional Native American song

We look down from the bridge at a cheerful but watchful man. He is smiling and sees that we are speaking with him. He has heard about us , and states that we must be spirits from above. His medicine man has always told him about us. He failed to see us, no matter how many times he looked, even when he was in the sweat hut for days or was given some potent medicine from his shaman. At last, it is no longer necessary, as you, great spirits, found me in a time of need.

His story begins somewhere about 1730. He does not know a united country but, rather, of the territory of his people who spoke the same language and shared the same land. They called themselves the Blackfoot. He tells us there were many large mountains around the plains and many waters and abundant creatures around him. There were also people of other tribes around him when he was young. He remembers there was trade with them, but at times, there were quarrels that were settled by war.

We ask about the origin of his people’s name, but he is not sure. He knows that their sandals are dark and black. Elders told him that his people went from place to place, and their footwear became dark with ashes on the earth. His grandfather, who lives in a tipi (we call it teepee) in his small tribe, tells him that his people once came from the east an exceptionally long time ago, and they were pushed out from their territory by enemies called the Cree.

Much of what he knew he learned through the oral traditions of his people during large gatherings. It was imparted that they had existed as a people for many moons (thousands or more of years) and created by a God who created the first man, who came from far away. Ahanu’s religious training was led by a holy man who was the tribe’s medicine man. He remembers that the most important ceremony gathering involved a sun dance. He was shown other rituals and was encouraged to try to contact a guardian and guiding spirit during these rituals

Ahanu tells us that he had no regular home and had to travel from place to place. The large tribe of people, which he saw only during summer or for special holiday ceremonies and rituals, was divided into smaller traveling groups during the harsh winters. He usually lived near a wooded area near water with a smaller group of a hundred or so people during the colder seasons. The smaller group had a leader or a chief. Ahanu tells us that the tribe divided into groups to hunt the buffalo and the deer and, on occasion, catch fish from the nearby waters. The group lived near the areas where the animals wintered. He remembers returning the spring to a larger tribal camp.

At an early age, he was shown how to hunt the great animals using traps, snares, and bow and arrow. In his early youth, hunting was done on foot. In addition to this primary source of diet, his mother and other women of the tribe would gather vegetables for food. The use of the meat and the vegetables was controlled by a great man in his gathering who knew the safety of the world around them and the value and safety of the types of foods that made up their diets. He was the shaman (medicine man). He also taught them to revere and respect the animals who gave up their lives for them to survive. There was never killing for fun. The buffalo hunt was to provide food.

Ahanu first saw a horse at an early age, but his tribe had none. The people who traded with or attacked them had these animals. His people eventually acquired their horses through trade. They would trade their buffalo hides for the horses and, later, for a newly arrived weapon we know of called the gun.

He is not happy about it but tells us that his people had to fight many wars with others and had no allies to help them. He remembers that many older braves died in wars with the Cree, the Sioux, the Crow, and others as enemies, and when the women were killed during raids or taken as slaves. His tribe had no possessions, as they were always on the move. We ask him if the women created any form of pottery or baskets that are unique, and he remembers them as necessary implements for daily life, as well as in trade. They had no canoes and traveled from place to place on foot until they had access to horses. In time, he was shown how to ride on a horse, as his people were now beginning to gather large herds of these animals.

As a young man, Ahanu had to go to a form of military school. There were ranks of warriors, from boys to older warriors and those who could not fight anymore were the supervisors and directors. He had to wear several types of uniforms, war paint, and equipment and perform different songs and dances. In the early days before the pale face arrived, the uniforms were generally made of deerskin, and the weapons were bows and arrow, knives, shields, and lances.

We ask him about marriage in his culture. He looks at us, laughs, and says he was married many times and had numerous children with these wives. His oldest daughter was named Nuttah. He loved her and explained that this name meant my heart. His oldest son was Kimi and named for his personality, as he was thunderous.

We asked him about his people and where they came from a long time ago. Much of what he knew he learned through the oral traditions of his people during large gatherings. It was imparted that they had existed as a people for many moons (thousands or more of years) and created by a God who created the first man, who came from far away. Ahanu’s religious training was led by a holy man who was the tribe’s medicine man. He remembers that the most important ceremony gathering involved a sun dance. He was shown other rituals and encouraged to try to contact a guardian and guiding spirit during these rituals. This meant going to a quiet place and fasting for several days

If he got sick, the