We may discover that the ideas we have are more real than we are.
We have all died countless times already, 'I' am not the person that was at age 13. There might now be some memories or conception of that person, I could estimate what they would do or think in a given situation (similar to a wife or close friend). But that 13 year old doesn't exist anymore and neither do most of the atoms reside in the current body. I like the flame reference. We die every moment, consciousness is inherently transitory.
That's also a good thing to ponder on, previous versions of your self. The teachings surrounding this in the Buddhist sense are called anatta for anyone interested in reading more.
We have all died countless times already, 'I' am not the person that was at age 13. There might now be some memories or conception of that person, I could estimate what they would do or think in a given situation (similar to a wife or close friend). But that 13 year old doesn't exist anymore and neither do most of the atoms reside in the current body. I like the flame reference. We die every moment, consciousness is inherently transitory.