Hypothesis: If a person were born at the same time, in the same place, to the same parents, and had the same genes and experiences as you, that person would be indistinguishable from you in every aspect, including consciousness and identity. That person would be you.

Experiment: Imagine that you do not exist. However, a child is born in your place, identical in every way. This child inherits your genes, follows your life path, interacts with the same people, and makes the same decisions. His experiences mirror yours perfectly.

Observation: As this person's life is identical to your own, their sense of self - their "I am" - would be the same as yours. Their subjective experience of being would mirror yours exactly.

Conclusion: If the "I am" of this other person is indistinguishable from your "I am," then perhaps there is only one "I am," or one soul. This soul is not bound to individual identities, but instead, it experiences itself through the lens of every possible identity. Even if another person came into being instead of you, you would still be that person.

This thought experiment suggests a universal shared consciousness or soul that manifests in each individual, experiencing life through their unique perspectives. The individual's experiences contribute to the cumulative experience of this singular soul. "I am" , but this from which I spring, is the Great "I Am". The universal soul.

This universal soul experiences everything, through you. Through me. Through every life, everywhere. I realised this one day, when I was sitting and wondering why I am me. I realised that the obvious answer is.. "Because someone had to be". So when a child is born, that's me. That's you. Someone had to be that child too. Experience it seems, never ends.

So while a life may end.. Still, you will experience. Just as you do today. Death is but a transition. Life goes on. One story ends, another begins.

Another way to think about this is to visualise a black screen. Behind this screen a giant light shines, but the black screen stops the light. Suddenly, a hole in the screen appears and light shines through. Then another. And another. Three lights now shine through the screen, but it's really just one light expressing itself through three holes. But now... billions. Trillions of holes. Some appear, some close. It's a firework of lights dancing upon the screen. One of those lights, is you. Sitting now, reading this.

But there's only one light.