Who doesn't want to live forever?
The concept of immortality has existed throughout the ages in different myths as well as religions. Regardless of whether it is possible or not, living forever could certainly be interesting. One would get to see all the major events in the history of mankind unfold right behind his eyes. He could see the progress of man, from the dark ages to the modern ages. Imagine being an ageless being back in the prehistoric times who has survived through all these years and still lives today. From the stone-age to the digital age.
While the advantages of immortality are pretty obvious, the disadvantages are horrifying. But before we get in to that, let's get into the history of the concept.
According to Christianity, in the Fall of Man Adam and Eve lost their physical immortality. In most Abrahamic religions, immortality exists in both heaven and hell, which are where one enjoys eternal reward or eternal damnation respectively. Aside from the religious perspective, the concept of immortality or more specifically the Fountain of Youth can be found in The Histories written by Herodotus, an ancient Greek historian. Funnily enough, Herodotus is also known as The Father of Lies for his tendency to manipulate and even fabricate factual material and eye-witness accounts. Nevertheless, he writes in his book The Histories,
The Ichthyophagid (coast-dwelling people) then in their turn questioned the king concerning the term of life, and diet of his people, and were told that most of them lived to be a hundred and twenty years old, while some even went beyond that age- they ate boiled flesh, and had for their drink nothing but milk. When the Ichthyophagi showed wonder at the number of the years, he led them to a fountain, wherein when they had washed, they found their flesh all glossy and sleek, as if they had bathed in oil- and a scent came from the spring like that of violets. The water was so weak, they said, that nothing would float in it, neither wood, nor any lighter substance, but all went to the bottom. If the account of this fountain be true, it would be their constant use of the water from it which makes them so long-lived.
The above is one of the earliest mentions of the Fountain of Youth in recorded history as The Histories by Herodotus was written in 5th century BCE, though it is not the only one. Fountain of Youth is then described in the Alexander Romance, in which the exploits of Alexander the Great and his servant who cross the Land Of Darkness in search for a restorative spring. An interesting bit to note it that servant in this story is the sage Al-Khidr who is mentioned in the Qu'ran as a servant of God possessing vast wisdom and knowledge. It is stated that Al-Khidr obtained eternal life through the Fountain Of Youth and dedicated his entire life to the worship of God.
The legend was further popularized by the exploits of Ponce de Leon, a Spanish conquistador. In a handful of accounts, it is stated that Ponce de Leon searched for the waters of Bimini, but the conquistador himself never mentioned the existence of a Fountain of Life in all of his writings.
For a moment, let's say that you found this fountain. Would you drink from it? If yes, then let's consider that for a moment.
Well you could live forever, that's the obvious part. But your loved ones would not. You could live till the end of time, but you'd have to say goodbye to your friends, family, and the ones you love. Living forever is certainly cool, but when you realize that all that time actually forces you to witness the horrific deaths of your children, friends, and family, your life becomes equivalent of hell on earth. What is the point of living forever, when you can't share it with someone else forever?
Personally, years ago if someone offered me to drink an elixir of immortality, I'd have drunk it in an instant. But now, I'm not so sure. Everything must have an end, whether we like it or not. That's the law of the universe. And universe doesn't take kindly when someone breaks it's laws, in fact sometimes it even unleashes it's fury. So it's best to stay on it's good side.
Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it!