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Post by halfbreed on Sept 29, 2007 10:30:22 GMT -5
Today I was watching a documentary on Near Death Experiences (NDEs) and it got me thinking about what happens to us after death. Is there an afterlife - or do we simply cease to exist? The people who had NDEs all saw a white light, felt feelings of great love/compassion, were cleared of all regret, and were greeted by dead loved ones. However, a few experienced something different. One woman recalled being eaten alive by sadistic demons. Scientists say that these experiences are caused by something to do wth the brain shutting down and what they saw had to do with their psychology. But, the people only seemed to experience Heaven or Hell, and their descriptions were all very similar. So, is it really to do with our individual psyche?? Do these NDEs prove that their is a God & a Devil? And what about Ghosts?? Sup with them?
Afterlife. y/n?
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Post by avax on Sept 29, 2007 10:52:39 GMT -5
But, the people only seemed to experience Heaven or Hell, and their descriptions were all very similar. So, is it really to do with our individual psyche?? Let me guess. Heaven - bright white light, a tunnel-like vortex, memory flashbacks Hell - black, sense of complete loss of hope I usually hear more 'near-heaven' experiences. Do you not think it has something to do with the plethora of incessantly similar accounts people come across during their life of what "heaven" is supposed to be that affects their "psychology" at the end? Ie. coming across the SAME descriptions again and again and again during their life in movies, in religious studies, paintings, art, media, internalizing it and then when going through it, manifest those internalizations. As in any repeat cycle, all you need is that one person at the start proclaiming they know what heaven is like, others liking it, latching on and perpetuating the same image or belief. Nothing wrong with that. But it makes little sense if someone were to base the existence of heaven and hell based on "similar accounts" alone. It doesn't prove anything. For me, what is real is only part of your reality. It makes the concept of faith and belief even more bizarre and powerful. To me, it's the power of the human mind - the same way having faith in someone, another human being or earthly creature, is just as amazing and life-altering as any concept of the supernatural. |
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Post by Freecia on Sept 29, 2007 11:10:28 GMT -5
I don't know what to believe, because I don't know. None of us know if there's life after death.
Celtriya is right though. All of those near death experiences may all be based on descriptions of heaven or hell as we learnt through books and movies. I don't think any of them can be valid until we experience our own life after death....if it exists.
I'd rather think that the objective for us, should be to enjoy our time living, love others and be loved by others. If there's life after death, great. We reconnect with the ones we once lost, or we evolve into a higher conciousness. If there isn't life after death, at least we've lived a good life. Why must we always need to find the meaning and the purpose of our own existance? Can we not exist if we don't have a purpose? Call me ignorant, but I think I'll be happier living a life that I enjoy than to figure out why I exist, and what purpose I should fulfill. If everything is destined and I was suppose to fulfill a greater purpose, I can not escape it. If life is what I shape of it, then I'd like to shape my life a happy one, one that is to my satisfactory. It's that simple, but it may be ignorant for some of you.
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Post by morningstar on Sept 29, 2007 11:41:23 GMT -5
The afterlife would be pretty crowded if it was there. And why is it that when we read about ppl dying, they usally become younger if they are older, or remain the same age if they are young? What about babies, if you go to the afterlife not knowing anything about life, and remain like that for all eternity, dont you think it would be pretty unfair and a bit dull! I don't think there is an afterlife, i think this is it, so we had better make the most of it! I think once the bucket has been kicked, we cease to exist, game over. ^ I agree with you, i dont think there is any meaning to life, maybe it was just one big fluke. The only certainty in life is that we will eventually go extinct and be replaced by something else. We can 'kill' the world but really, we are just making it uninhabitable for our own-selves, the world will carry on no problem. without batting an eye. Maybe in the future some new creature that needs UV light and conditions of low oxygen to survive will prosper, and maybe, evolution would have learnt from the past mistake and make them stupid, so that they wont eventually kill themselves  |
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Post by i move the stars for no one on Sept 29, 2007 13:27:54 GMT -5
i personally can't believe that our existences are meaningless and that we simply cease to exist after death.call me an egotist. i believe there's got to be something after,but i don't know what.reincarnation,heaven/hell/purgatory,moving on to another plane,maybe even becoming a ghost.i don't know.i don't even know if we'll retain any conscious memories of the life we just lived or who we were in that life,maybe the slate gets wiped clean (though that doesn't make a lot of sense to me.) in my mind it's exactly like 'What Dreams May Come'.  |
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Post by morningstar on Sept 29, 2007 13:32:03 GMT -5
i don't know.in my mind it's exactly like 'What Dreams May Come'. ^It would be a very cool and colourful afterlife, i would not complain about that ;D |
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Post by morningstar on Sept 29, 2007 13:40:34 GMT -5
The people who had NDEs all saw a white light, felt feelings of great love/compassion, were cleared of all regret, and were greeted by dead loved ones. W/O the getting greeted by their loved ones I heard another interpretation of that NDE by Eckhart Tolle. He says that to fully experience every moment we have to stop thinking all the time (you know all these thoughts that never stop flooding your mind). He said that these ppl have experience just that. Stopping to think unnecessary thoughts, letting go and fully experiencing the moment. ^Is it similar to meditation of some sort? |
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tbw
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Post by tbw on Sept 29, 2007 16:31:50 GMT -5
The afterlife would be pretty crowded if it was there. And why is it that when we read about ppl dying, they usally become younger if they are older, or remain the same age if they are young? What about babies, if you go to the afterlife not knowing anything about life, and remain like that for all eternity, dont you think it would be pretty unfair and a bit dull! I was thinking about this and thought that this is what has been portrayed in movies, novels and other works. What if the afterlife was a place where you just 'existed'. An ageless entity that waits upon the next step in the journey of life. Heaven/hell would be one in the same place as the experience of just existing might be a pain/burden for some, yet a great joy for others. In this way no matter the age of who dies all that you take with you to the next place is your experiences from this life. This would make the phrase "you are the sum of all your experiences" pretty accurate. I do believe in reincarnation, more just a feeling that it feels right with me. So I believe that there is more to experience after this life, but I'm happy to enjoy/experience this one first! |
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Post by waywardwolf on Sept 29, 2007 17:10:17 GMT -5
At the risk of quoting Peter Pan, death will be a great adventure. I'd be up for it at any time, the rest is up to fate to try to send me there. Bring it, fate!
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Post by 2bob on Sept 29, 2007 23:21:27 GMT -5
Today I was watching a documentary on Near Death Experiences (NDEs) and it got me thinking about what happens to us after death. Is there an afterlife - or do we simply cease to exist? The people who had NDEs all saw a white light, felt feelings of great love/compassion, were cleared of all regret, and were greeted by dead loved ones. However, a few experienced something different. One woman recalled being eaten alive by sadistic demons. Scientists say that these experiences are caused by something to do wth the brain shutting down and what they saw had to do with their psychology. But, the people only seemed to experience Heaven or Hell, and their descriptions were all very similar. So, is it really to do with our individual psyche?? Do these NDEs prove that their is a God & a Devil? And what about Ghosts?? Sup with them? Afterlife. y/n? do u live in Australia? cuz I think i saw the documentry ur talking about. one of the stories was about some woman who drowned when she was scuba diving right? then she saw "the light!" i dunno i guess we will find out once we die right? |
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Post by morningstar on Sept 30, 2007 1:44:36 GMT -5
The afterlife would be pretty crowded if it was there. And why is it that when we read about ppl dying, they usally become younger if they are older, or remain the same age if they are young? What about babies, if you go to the afterlife not knowing anything about life, and remain like that for all eternity, dont you think it would be pretty unfair and a bit dull! In this way no matter the age of who dies all that you take with you to the next place is your experiences from this life. This would make the phrase "you are the sum of all your experiences" pretty accurate. But that means the babies would again get the short stick, and whenever a baby dies - its always because a powerful being has called it back early, because it is so pure, etc, but if said baby goes to the afterlife with the sum of its experiences (lets say it had not been born yet, or had just been born), it would have no experiences to experience, so all it would experience for is the actual pain and suffering which led to its death. For all eternity. It would only be a good afterlife if you have lived a full, long, fulfilling life. Think your idea of heaven and hell based on a state of mind is pretty interesting. |
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Post by xandra on Sept 30, 2007 2:45:35 GMT -5
Penn and Teller did an episode of Bulls*** about Near Death Experiences. Apparently it's just the brain's reaction when the body is under severe stress, or at least that's what the psychologists on the show say. www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAywxhVvLU4 |
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tbw
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Post by tbw on Sept 30, 2007 3:31:46 GMT -5
if said baby goes to the afterlife with the sum of its experiences (lets say it had not been born yet, or had just been born), it would have no experiences to experience, so all it would experience for is the actual pain and suffering which led to its death. From this life the baby would indeed have taken a very small portion of what we experience into the next world. The afterlife of just existing would be a collective sum of all lives of that entity before the next journey of reincarnation, so the small experience of the baby contributes to the whole. |
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Post by morningstar on Sept 30, 2007 3:56:18 GMT -5
if said baby goes to the afterlife with the sum of its experiences (lets say it had not been born yet, or had just been born), it would have no experiences to experience, so all it would experience for is the actual pain and suffering which led to its death. From this life the baby would indeed have taken a very small portion of what we experience into the next world. The afterlife of just existing would be a collective sum of all lives of that entity before the next journey of reincarnation, so the small experience of the baby contributes to the whole. Yup, i see what your saying - if reincarnation is true, it would all work out ok. |
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Post by Ajeno on Sept 30, 2007 8:49:53 GMT -5
I agree with cel and freecia.I belive those near death experiences are all visions based on learned data and beliefs.
After becoming agnostic it was hard making peace with death and the thought of there being no afterlife.So, i came to the conclusion that peace could never enter death.But after meditating on this for awhile ive relized that i would never want to transfer my consciousness to an afterlife and reign for all enternity anyways.Now i have an even greater appreciation for my time on this planet.As for reincarnation, i belive in my atoms being recycled as a form of reincarnation but not this theory of a soul moving on.
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