From the pyramids of Egypt to the battlefields of the Vikings, from Aztec temples to the philosophy of Hindu rebirth, humanity has never seen death as a simple ending. In this episode of Time Machine Diaries, Cullen delves into how a handful of cultures viewed death not as a barrier, but as a doorway. We explore the Egyptians’ architectural obsession with immortality, the Aztecs’ cosmic cycle of sacrifice, the Hindu belief in endless reincarnation, and the Vikings’ quest for glory beyond the grave.
Blended with modern theories from quantum physics and biocentrism, this episode challenges the materialist view of death as “game over” and instead asks: what if cultures across history were closer to the truth all along? What if consciousness never really stops, only shifts?
Assmann, Jan. Death and Salvation in Ancient Egypt. Cornell University Press, 2005.
Carrasco, David. City of Sacrifice: The Aztec Empire and the Role of Violence in Civilization. Beacon Press, 1999.
Flood, Gavin D. An Introduction to Hinduism. Cambridge University Press, 1996.
Price, Neil. The Viking Way: Magic and Mind in Late Iron Age Scandinavia. Oxbow Books, 2019.
Lanza, Robert, and Bob Berman. Biocentrism: How Life and Consciousness are the Keys to Understanding the True Nature of the Universe. BenBella Books, 2009.