The afterlife. The one thing that we will never really discover for humanity. What do you think it is? What is the experience. It is in fact scary for many people including myself to think about, and I think that maybe when you pass you are stuck eternally in a calm state of mind, or you are reborn, and completely forget about your past life, but this starts the topic of reincarnation, which I will cover in another forum. But I want to hear opinions about the afterlife from everyone from atheists to creationists, and agnostics included.
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I think in the afterlife souls rest, recuperate from life, and reflect on the experiences they had during their lives. It must be like dreaming while you are sleeping...an endless dream.
I was asked this question when I gave a presentation about being Atheist at a Religious Understanding Day. I spoke alongside a Jew, Seventh Day Adventist, Scientologist and Pagan. They all gave such elaborate explanations for what they think the afterlife is and all I said is "I don't know" lol. It sounds childish but it's true, I don't! I went on to say that it is beyond me to tell anyone where we go after death and I really do not dwell on it. I am appalled that people even have the notions of heaven or hell and have the nerve to tell people where they will be going after they die.
Good answer! I'm sure that the other religions were shocked by your honesty, and I hope your audience appreciated it. It's true - we don't know, and as Atheists we;re not obligated to make something up and expect just one belief to suit everyone that classifies themselves as Atheist.
The concept and theory of old souls and new souls is quite interesting but just as difficult to explain as anything else.
No one can really explain it so the most important and I think the thing that we must focus on during our lifetime is doing good things, not necessarily for a religion but for the world, to other people and to ourselves. In that way, even if afterlife is true, then we will most probably be at the bright and positive side of it.
I always find it interesting when people tell me their opinion of the afterlife and it's one I've never heard before. I'd say I've heard literally over a hundred, and most are really nice ideas that put a pleasant and positive spin on the afterlife. The interesting thing though is no matter what you would LIKE the afterlife to be, that has absolutely no bearing on what it is (and if indeed there is one). OP, like many other people I've heard, your calm state of mind hypothesis is a really nice one. I'd like to think that if there's an afterlife, it could be that. That sounds like a positive afterlife. But I feel that you only believe that because you yourself would also like to think that's how it works :)
I pretty much agree with you Mysticrose. If you assume that this is your one and only life, then you should make the most of it. Be good and do good for others. If the afterlife does exist then great, but if not then you will be remembered and you will live on in people's memories. That actually brings me nicely to my idea of the afterlife. When you die, that's it - it's the end of you. But it's the impact you've had and the impression you leave on the world that carries on. If you do something to improve our world or help others, you will be remembered. That's how you live on after your death... Your legacy.
I just found this article and it really captured my interest. Think of this scientific theory "Energy can't be created nor destroyed". If it's true, then according to his article, death is non-existent. Check it out.
http://www.robertlanza.com/does-death-exist-new-theory-says-no-2/
I found the read interesting. This captures some of the essence of what I believe could be possible . For some time I have thought of the soul as energy and as a result figured it therefore could not be created or destroyed. I am not sure where Dr. Lanza got 20 watts or any proof of the multiverse but I would like to learn about the studies he references in his article.
Rather than think of the soul as energy, I think of energy instead of souls. I understand that most people aren't willing to accept the idea that we utterly sacrifice our essence to the larger circuit of universal flow when we die, but that's pretty much how I believe it happens. Whatever spark, so to speak, that we captured when we became a person, we let that energy flow on through the loop when we die. I don't believe that anything that would be identified with "us" would go with it though.
I think the afterlife could be many things. If there is such thing, it could mean that we evolve into a different plane of existence and might or might not remember our past life. Anyone that pretends to have a solid answer is just full of crap. There is no way of knowing what is next, but there are many theories that are very attractive, such as reaching other realms of existence in parallel universes.
Other think we reincarnate back in the world as other people and this is why there are old sould and new souls. Some have reincarnated many times while a few are just starting out.
In the end we are only going to know when each one of us is dead. This is a secret that the dead keep, and will keep forever.
Maybe when our existence ends, we go back to where we were before we existed. Hmmmm.
Have some balls. Accept that death is very real, and very final, and followed by an eternity of non-existence. Because the universe doesn't need you. And in a century no one will remember who you were. You're just not that important.
I do agree that that realization takes more balls than most people have.
But, I also agree that it's the most likely outcome.
Most people would rather imagine all sorts of things that have the balls to admiting the grim reality. We are just creatues that are bor and die to decay and become part of the earth again. There is probably nothing else out there and if there is, it really wont matter if we believed in it or not.
After life there is death... Afterlife as in "life after this life" as in "life after death" is an oxymoron.
To be honnest...for me i beleive That when The Body dies,It fall with all the other organs...and when the brain dies...it is like shuting off The TV ....You won't feel a thing or see a damn...you sampily cease to exist ;)
I'm still waiting for a good answer to that question. I had my own ideas but they have changed since my TBI and now they are more along the lines of the afterlife being whatever one's mind conjures up for the perfect rest.
I would not be surprised if we all created our own form of afterlife as if in some sort of dream state.
I have heard some stories from those who experienced near death and what common is that they feel peaceful and seeing la very bright place as if on another world far different from earth. It gives me an idea that afterlife is a better place. :)
Ta Da!
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/04/100408-near-death-experi...
Yes, high carbon dioxide levels in the blood stream might in fact be a better place.
Probably not though. Just saying.
Others see a bright light which they think as their guardian angels waiting to accompany them in a heavenly place. Some see their dead relatives during their near death experience. That was really mysterious.
The bright light is explained in the link above...
Besides, any of us who have played aggressive school sports will tell you that the bright light means you're getting knocked out!