There is a trilogy of possible universes we inhabit - Supernatural, Natural and Simulated. There are also several universal beliefs that nearly all humans, all cultures, over all of history share. Belief in these universals usually extends to the present day. Can the later assist in determining which of the three possible universes we might live in, is the one we do live in? I continue exploring this scenario in Part Two.

Deities

One such universal are deities (or aliens misinterpreted as deities).

* Natural Universe: Deities are almost by definition supernatural since they all have powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men (and women). However, it's perfectly logical to have a natural universe containing extraterrestrials with advanced technology. Advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic, the supernatural, if your level of sophistication is below that level of that advanced technology (what would a Neanderthal make of a jet aircraft flying overhead). To ancient human societies, €ancient astronauts' would be deities, even more so if these extraterrestrials pawned themselves off as deities for various reasons. Because extraterrestrials violate nothing in the Natural Universe, yet the existence of extraterrestrials hasn't been verified to date, you have to decide if the glass is half full or half empty.

* Simulated Universe: The deity in question here is the software programmer. Though not an actual deity, the end products created by the programmer, if given enough sophistication, might worship as a deity this unknown creator they envision as having to exist in order to account for them.

* Supernatural Universe: Here deities are really real deities, real deities strutting their real deity stuff for all and sundry to see and appreciate. So, it's only natural that their existence should be acknowledged.

Free Will

Probably the most universal of the universals is the concept of free will. Very few humans would deny that they are in control of their own fate, destiny, etc. They might be subjected to the laws of the land; to the laws, principles and relationships of physics, chemistry and biology; to the whims of others; but ultimately you yourself pick and choose - or do you. Let's just say that philosophers and metaphysics professors have been arguing that point for thousands of years.

* Natural Universe: There are two possibilities here. Firstly, at the time of the creation of the universe, all the laws, relationships and principles of, ultimately physics, were set in motion. Everything from that point onwards was fixed. Determination ruled. Causality ruled - absolutely. From first principles, the future, to as many decimal places as you'd care to measure, was fixed - absolutely. As such, you were predetermined as long ago as the Big Bang - 13.7 billion years ago. Therefore, you have no free will. Classical Physics rules, OK? However, part of physics is known as quantum physics, the physics that rules the roost of the microscopic. Apparently, causality doesn't rule the roost in all things quantum, only probability. Therefore, there's wriggle room, not certainty, and you can exhibit free will. Again, is the glass half full or half empty? It's an each way bet.

* Simulated Universe: Unless software is way more sophisticated than I dreamed possible, you dance to someone else's tune. There's no free will if you're a virtual being. There are actually two scenarios here, but one outcome. Either simulation parameters were set at the Alpha Point and the enter €run program€ button pushed, or else there's an active €player' who manipulates events as they unfold, like someone would in a video game or in a pilot training simulator. Either way, there's no free will being the order of the day.

* Supernatural Universe: In the monotheistic religions, and for that matter in the polytheistic religions, free will tends to be the order of the day. You are free to believe or not believe; free to sin or not to sin; free to rule your own roost and pay whatever piper needs to be paid accordingly.

Afterlife

Another universal concept is an afterlife. Part of your existence in the here and now will survive your clinical death and decay.

* Natural Universe: There's no evidence that any part of you that was part of you, when you were alive, remains a part of you after you die. You are 100% composed of matter and energy, and all of that matter and energy can be accounted for post death, because of the various laws of conservation (matter/energy can neither be created no destroyed but only changed in form). Unfortunately for you, those changes in form go from the highly complex to the less complex (that's what decay is), the exact opposite of what is required to form life, even an afterlife. No one has ever witnessed a newly deceased body or the transition from a dying body to a dead body, with any associated phenomena that would suggest that part of that body's life essence survived. If the living you is 120 pounds of matter and energy; and the dead you is 120 pounds of matter and energy, then there's nothing left over that survives and goes to La-La-Land.

* Simulated Universe: If your name is Joe Blow, and you're just software, then there's a command within that software that you come to that says something like €end subroutine program Joe Blow€ - Joe Blow kicks the bucket. But, then there's another command which says €start subroutine program Joe Blow afterlife€ - Joe Blow gets resurrected into another simulated realm. Easy! So the logical possibility is that the Supreme Programmer or Supreme Player likes to subject their simulated characters to perform in various scenarios, sort of like on earth scenario as it is in heaven scenario.

* Supernatural Universe: Any and all texts that have any relationship to verifying a Supernatural Universe, like the Bible, are full of references to everlasting life, life everlasting, eternal life, life eternal, immortality, in fact an afterlife. Somehow after you die a biological death you get resurrected into a supernatural realm, €alive' and kicking and maybe screaming (just depending on location).

One general question, what happens to all those artificial body bits in the afterlife - tooth fillings, artificial heart valves or pacemakers, metal hip or knee joints, etc. For that matter, if you're a ghost, do you retain those artificial bits and pieces?

Afterlife Location

If the afterlife is universal, then an afterlife location is also universal, from Hades to Hel to Hell; the Spirit World, Valhalla, Heaven, etc.

* Natural Universe: If there can be no afterlife in a natural universe, then it makes no sense that a natural universe would contain geographies that house those blessed with a nonexistent afterlife. In any event, no such afterlife location has ever been discovered and pinpointed either up there or down here.

* Simulated Universe: If you have a simulated afterlife, then you need to have a simulated location(s) in which to put down your simulated afterlife roots.

* Supernatural Universe: The Supernatural literature is full of locations where you get to spend your immortal life everlasting existence. There are no promises on whether or not you'll be a happy afterlife camper however.

Ghosts

There's the paranormal phenomena of ghosts, spirits, phantoms, wraiths, spectres, call them what you will, but a rose by any other name€¦ Whatever they're called, they appear to verify the existence of life after death. Ghosts have been observed and in general an accepted phenomenon by all peoples, all societies, and all cultures since recorded history began and probably even before that that requires an explanation. However, there's one fly in the ointment. There are observations of non-living €ghosts', things like phantom trains (the Abe Lincoln funeral train), trucks (€Phantom 309') and cars, planes and of