Is There Any Possibility Of An Afterlife?

[LivingLife]

OK, guys. I was looking for some affirmation of an afterlife, but some people are trying to convince me that there isn't one, or are saying that annihilation is really the best end. Can we not do that, please?

I do no think many here hold onto that concept and if they do, it is not anything they could prove.

 

Is there a reason for this "need"? If we know, we could be more supportive.

 

My own views of course appeals to no one except those that share them. Everyone deals with their mortality and find peace in whatever they choose to believe.

[Lilith666]

 

 

OK, guys. I was looking for some affirmation of an afterlife, but some people are trying to convince me that there isn't one, or are saying that annihilation is really the best end. Can we not do that, please?

 

To answer the OP: Of course there is. Whatever it is that is "you" is here now, why not again? We are talking about a time span you cannot wrap your mind around and a universe that is bigger than you can imagine.

 

No one really knows but I say the odds favor it.

Thank you, Deva. *hug*

So you only want responses that are not uncomfortable and that encourage you to believe there is an afterlife? 

 

Yes. In this respect, I do not care about critical thinking. It won't matter when I'm dead. Believing in a nasty god who hates all non-Xians because of fear is one thing; it hurts people. But I see nothing wrong with anyone wanting to think that they will see the one's they love after death. And if you read my reply to Blue elephant, I am going through a hard time right now. I would rather not have anyone try to convince me that there is nothing after life because they think it's good for me. Thank you for asking.

[Lilith666]

 

OK, guys. I was looking for some affirmation of an afterlife, but some people are trying to convince me that there isn't one, or are saying that annihilation is really the best end. Can we not do that, please?

I do no think many here hold onto that concept and if they do, it is not anything they could prove.

 

Is there a reason for this "need"? If we know, we could be more supportive.

 

My own views of course appeals to no one except those that share them. Everyone deals with their mortality and find peace in whatever they choose to believe.

There is a reason. I wrote about it in my reply to Blue elephant, which is at the bottom of page 1.

[Vigile]

 

 

OK, guys. I was looking for some affirmation of an afterlife, but some people are trying to convince me that there isn't one, or are saying that annihilation is really the best end. Can we not do that, please?

 

To answer the OP: Of course there is. Whatever it is that is "you" is here now, why not again? We are talking about a time span you cannot wrap your mind around and a universe that is bigger than you can imagine.

 

No one really knows but I say the odds favor it.

Thank you, Deva. *hug*

So you only want responses that are not uncomfortable and that encourage you to believe there is an afterlife? 

 

Yes. In this respect, I do not care about critical thinking. It won't matter when I'm dead. Believing in a nasty god who hates all non-Xians because of fear is one thing; it hurts people. But I see nothing wrong with anyone wanting to think that they will see the one's they love after death. And if you read my reply to Blue elephant, I am going through a hard time right now. I would rather not have anyone try to convince me that there is nothing after life because they think it's good for me. Thank you for asking.

 

 

I'd suggest using the spiritual forum then as critical thinking is pretty much what we do outside that area of the site. 

 

[Ro-bear]

This topic might have been better placed in the Ex-Christian Spirituality forum.

[Lilith666]

Oh, sorry, I forgot about that. Mods can move topics if they want, right?

[TheBluegrassSkeptic]

"I would like to someday be able to spend time with her without being afraid of when she'll go."

 

I understand this a lot. It would be wonderful to have escaped the constraints of this life and have a go at just a time period of zero influence. I have this desire myself with my father. An opportunity to know him without worry of him reverting to his hateful, self-absorbed, assholish nature. I never got to meet the man that was innocent. I would like to know this side of him before it hadn't been tainted. Almost a white like room with a couch and we just talk in a timeless place with no limits.

 

I am unsure as to what happens when we die and it had crossed my mind today this very topic. Could there be an afterlife? Anything is possible. I want to say yes with every fiber of my being, and they say your gut is usually right. Do I believe it is some heavenly construct? No. Could it be we retain some consciousness of who we are? Possibly. There are many things out there yet to be explained that are way beyond the effect of group think or overly exaggerated experiences. I know when I face my final moments, it will be without fear ( unless I'm drowing or burning to death). I am willing to step off that cliff and see what happens because I know my energy has to dissipate somewhere. The notion that I just will suddenly not be aware is disheartening, cruel, and on a personal level unfair. And I know that sounds like a five year old talking, but it's how I feel, and that is a legitimate expression of my feelings which are obviously biased.

 

I look at pictures from the turn of the century of a child playing with their collie. I know the picture I am holding gave someone such joy for many years, and to know that is exactly how my existance will eventually be relegated is upsetting. People will hold my objects and think the same damn thing.  So, while I tell myself cliches like "It will be okay" or "It won't matter once you are gone you won't realize", it doesn't take away the fact that I have lost control of my person. About the only thing I know to do to deal with this is prepare myself and create as much as possible. I write books. I draw pictures. I compose music. Everything I touch, I instill a bit of me. I do firmly believe in residual energy, and if there is residual energy, then hopefully there is something even further beyond my comprehension. There is so much we are completely unaware of because we are limited beings, but that doesn't mean we cannot interact. I think we just haven't figured out HOW to interact, and once we do that, maybe we will have better answers.

 

For now, you will quite literally need to have a firm belief of your own supposing as to what will happen and immerse yourself in it.

[florduh]

Heads up. As suggested, this topic has been moved to the Spirituality forum. You materialists and skeptics know what that means. Carry on!

[AlwaysNow]

Here is something you might want to check out.  Dr. Michael Newton does hypnotic regression, taking people back to their time between lives.  It's very interesting, and answers many questions about why we are here.  Nobody he regresses has talked about Christianity being "true", and nobody has seen Jesus in the afterlife.

 

http://www.amazon.com/dp/1567184855/?tag=googhydr-20&hvadid=28642453647&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16889384031725677134&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_11aper7wfz_b

[Deva]

Lilith,

 

Here is some evidence for you.  It is from the University of Virginia's Division of Perceptual Studies.  It is an ongoing study of very young children who purport to remember past lives.  The way this study works is that for at least some of these children, a team goes out and tries to verify (or debunk) what the young children remember about past lives.  They have made some remarkable findings.  I do not say that it "proves" past lives (reincarnation) and people may dispute the weight of the evidence, but I believe it is at least evidence worth considering.

 

http://www.medicine.virginia.edu/clinical/departments/psychiatry/sections/cspp/dops/

 

The University of Virginia is carrying on the work of Dr. Ian Stephenson, which he pursued from the early 60s until his death fairly recently.  I applaud their efforts, since some of these findings are truly remarkable.  But even so, unfortunately it is not definitive proof, as Stephenson admitted.

 

This line of research is still well worth reading, since there is something obviously happening to these children.

[Deva]

OK, guys. I was looking for some affirmation of an afterlife, but some people are trying to convince me that there isn't one, or are saying that annihilation is really the best end. Can we not do that, please?

 

To answer the OP: Of course there is. Whatever it is that is "you" is here now, why not again? We are talking about a time span you cannot wrap your mind around and a universe that is bigger than you can imagine.

 

No one really knows but I say the odds favor it.

Thank you, Deva. *hug*

 

You are very welcome.  Even Nietzsche had the idea of an "eternal reoccurrence." Not that this would be a good thing, but just another possibility.

[DrGuitar]

I think much points to it...

I therefore concluded we don't just get turned off ...

I would suggest the book by Eben Alexander MD and also books by Alan Hugenot and Brian Weiss MD on this topic

Medium experiences, paranormal communications. past life regressions, ghosts, and NDE's are but a few things pointing to an afterlife

 

We've heard ghost footsteps in our house and seen lights go on ...so something is out there but it is unseen

As I've said I'm no longer Christian ..not in the slightest .. but I do think we go on and the conscious being isn't vicious and punishing like Yahweh

[ExCBooster]

Oh, hey, I also did some grubbing around online, and turned up a HUGE archive of near death experiences.

 

At this page. See "stories". Maybe you'll find it helpful.

[duderonomy]

Lilith666, I hope your friend is OK. 

 

 

 

[Joshpantera]

A "black hole" can spawn more universes? We don't even know or understand what a black hole is, LifeCycle.

I mean, if light can't even get out of one, how could a whole Universe?

He's actually referring to a theoretical scenario of black hole to white hole exchange. The idea is that the matter and light taken in to a black hole gets blown out into another dimension which serves as a Big Bang for the birth of a new universe in another dimension which will in turn spawn more black holes which will in turn take in matter that will in turn blow out of white holes and energy is neither created nor destroyed......

 

We'd be a part of a material existence that had no beginning and will never end, in short a part of the eternal here and now. 

[Joshpantera]

And if you read my reply to Blue elephant, I am going through a hard time right now. I would rather not have anyone try to convince me that there is nothing after life because they think it's good for me. Thank you for asking.

You don't seem to be getting the jist of it, but several times so far wise and well seasoned ex-christians have pointed out that getting to the point where you're ok with either option is key. Because if there's no absolute certainty either way, and there isn't, then there can't be that sort of certainty. The materialist and spiritual perspectives are on uncertain ground based on speculation about the afterlife. And it depends on whether you speculate that there's nothing or something beyond this ego perspective. 

 

It can seem very foolish to think there's something beyond, but then all of these anomalies come up and it can seem that closing the door completely may be unwarranted. There's nothing wrong with saying "I don't know" and being completely content with KNOWING that you do NOT KNOW.

 

Ravenstar and others have hinted at this which is really key in an ex-christian life. The more well seasoned responses seem to keep going in that general direction. The most you can know and prove is that you don't know. And it's quite possible that you may never know. The key is learning to live in peace and harmony with the reality of uncertainty and learning to live with the acceptance of all possibilities concerning the afterlife, including the possibility of a void of any consciousness whatsoever. 

 

If some one says, "yes, it's certainly something or certainly nothing" they are lying....

[Lilith666]

 

Lilith666, I hope your friend is OK.

 

Thank you.

[chrisstavrous]

Yes its the biggest deal of all deals, all I can say is many ignore death untill its too late and some are haunted by it day and night. My advice is that we must not try to escape this reality, you must deal with it your way.

[chrisstavrous]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsTO57M3KgA&feature=youtube_gdata_player

[Lilith666]

Yes its the biggest deal of all deals, all I can say is many ignore death untill its too late and some are haunted by it day and night. My advice is that we must not try to escape this reality, you must deal with it your way.