Life after death

[trashman]

hi, not to start a outrage I was just woundering if any one has given this topic any thought. the reason I am asking is we all have herd it said that life isin’t fair. So if this is true , and as we all know that there are some people better off than others. nowing this and looking at all the diffierent religons. how is it that people are some how able to control there own final eternity? any thoughts.

REPORT ABUSE

[Anonymous]

I am new to this site but have done extensive reading on the subject of the afterlife. I don’t believe I have read anything on people being able to ‘control’ their final eternity. I assume you mean controlling what happens to them after death. It is a fascinating topic but I have to ask why you bring it up here? I would also question whether life is fair or unfair. I believe we all have some type of obstacles to overcome in life-some are just more apparent than others. It is how we approach and handle those challenges that matters. I believe that life is supposed to be great and it is usually our choices and actions that keep happiness, success, etc from manifesting. That is why I am on this site now; to learn better ways of managing my ADD. I hope I will be able to make better decisions, and control my thoughts and behaviors in order to enjoy this brief life. We will have plenty of time to enjoy the afterlife-it is this life we need to take control of. I hope my thoughts are of some benefit to you.

REPORT ABUSE

[trashman]

creeder38, your assumtion is correct .I ask just Iwas reading out all the things going on all over the world. as we all know everyones life’s , needs and wants and teachings verry from one part of the world to another. the sad thing is I was always taught when it came to the after life,if there is one . that if someone did not beleve what we did they were lost, and if they did not come around to our belief before they died they were damed. I agree pretty harsh and mean way to think of life,s end. not saying thats what I think , just trying to get some other points of view. having lived and knowing now that there are some in te world some richer or poorer some very smart and some not so smart. all that does is make me quiestion what to think about life after death.

REPORT ABUSE

[Anonymous]

Well, look at it this way – irrespective of what religion teaches us, which scenario would be preferable? That when we die, our spirits are transported up to another plane of existence, or that when we die it’s the endless black void, much like turning off a light bulb. Nobody knows, no one has returned with solid evidence of an afterlife. This is the “raison d’etre” of religion, to explain the unexplainable. Personally, I can’t speak for others, but I think there’s got to be more to it than turning off the life engine, taking out the key and tossing it in the trash! I know I can’t prove it, and the only way we’ll know for sure is when we experience it for ourselves.

My father-in-law died last December, and observing the death process was fascinating. He had dementia, and he spent the last week of his life in a nursing home. We went to see him every night that week, and I never knew that dying was such hard work! The nursing home was instructed to take no special measures to keep him alive, but he was getting near the end anyways. He was constantly hallucinating, and at one point he said he saw God! Thing is, no one else was in his head, so who knows what he saw! Like I’ve said, only he knows what he saw, so when it’s our turn we’ll get an idea of what it’s like.

REPORT ABUSE

[Patte Rosebank]

The whole purpose of the notion of an afterlife is to try to deal with the fact that life is frequently unfair, so all we can do is hope that there will be fairness after we’re dead. This hope is what makes it possible for people to survive the ups & downs of life…and, more sinisterly, to be controlled by those in power.

For centuries, religious leaders (in collusion with monarchs) have convinced their followers that if they suppress their own needs & wants, and if they willingly submit to pain & oppression throughout their lives, or join a crusade to slaughter “heathens” and steal all their possessions, they will be rewarded in Heaven after they’re dead. Likewise, if they don’t do what those leaders tell them to, they will be punished in Hell after they’re dead. It’s a very effective means of controlling the masses, since nobody has ever come back to confirm or deny the existence of any sort of an afterlife. Even Houdini, who devoted so much of his life to the question of whether or not dead souls can return, never came back. And all those cases of past-life-regressions, out-of-body experiences, and angelic visitations that supposedly prove the existence of an afterlife, can now be explained by actual science—for example, the Third Man phenomenon.

But even though we know there are no rational grounds whatsoever for a belief in an afterlife or ghosts, that belief is so comforting, especially when we lose a loved one, that we can’t help clinging to it. We want so desperately to believe that that person is still out there, somewhere, watching over us—or that we ourselves will continue to exist forever—that we simply must believe it.

REPORT ABUSE

[Anonymous]

“Well, look at it this way – irrespective of what religion teaches us, which scenario would be preferable? That when we die, our spirits are transported up to another plane of existence, or that when we die it’s the endless black void, much like turning off a light bulb.”

I don’t believe in an afterlife because there is no evidence for one. I’m not going to waste my time and energy hoping for something which probably doesn’t exist, or worrying about something that I won’t be aware of anyway.

It’s hard for humans to imagine not being aware of their surroundings, but it’s not like you’ll be in a black void for eternity, because if there is no afterlife you won’t be aware of there being no afterlife because you won’t be aware… Kind of like how you’re not aware of anything while you are asleep.

This comparison you’ve made is old and tired. Just because a scenario might be preferable, that doesn’t make it any more likely to be the case. What’s preferable: Having $1million in my bank account and feeling secure, or struggling to scrape together enough money to pay my car registration? I know which I prefer, but that doesn’t make it real.

REPORT ABUSE

[Anonymous]

I believe strongly in reincarnation and karma. My brothers thought me when I was a teenager about all of this, and it made great sense to me so I adopted their vue on the subject. We are here to better ourselves through trials from one incarnation to another. And however you deal with your God chosen burden reflects on your karma. You do good… good karma coming to you. You do bad… Basically, we need to ‘win our wings’

REPORT ABUSE

[Anonymous]

Nimthiriel – I’m not sure if you’re referring to me, but if you are, I disagree that any comparison I’ve made is “old and tired”. All I was trying to point out is which scenario a person would prefer. I’m glad to see you’ve made your choice, and I see Moka has made his. Myself, I’m on the fence about this topic, meaning I honestly don’t know what happens to us after we die, and I don’t think any of us are absolutely sure.

REPORT ABUSE

[trashman]

one of the reasons I was asking was to deal with what I was thaught as I was growing up. that was ever person has a spirit that would lead them back to GOD. we are here to help explane what that voice is telling someone. know having said this part of the teachings was we were responisable for all others on the earth and every one sins and thats why I was told was the need for the trinity and the only way of a peacefull afterlife. On the other hand for those of us who didn’t want to believe those were dammed . so now we where told we had to chose heaven or hell. on one side there was eternaty with god in heaven on the other side was hell and seperation from God and heaven. this is what I was told growing up. so is this part of the reason I am so messed up. I consider all of your insights helpful. thanks.

REPORT ABUSE

[Anonymous]

As a Buddhist I have a different take on it. What we want is not always what we need. I believe in cause and effect. That is what karma is….cause and effect. People really suffer for their choices. I know that one may say there are all of these people who are making money hand over fist. I ask you “How many of these people suffer from drug and alcohol addiction?” It does come back to people in the end…if not in this life in the next life. I was abused by my father. I am at the point where I realize that my experiences has allowed me to have compassion for others who are victims for domestic violence. In order to have compassion I had to heal. I think people may have difficulty with my beliefs. This is what I believe and have found to be true.

REPORT ABUSE

[trashman]

ADHDplus thanks for all your insight into Buddism.interesting points makes alot of sence . if we could all live inthat mind set. its funny that a lot of people have to cheat others to get ahead , then I am not interested. I not saying when I have dealt with people in busisness that there allways been harmony, but as a rule it ends up costing someone because of a decition they have made that I have no say in. thanks again for all your insights everyone.

REPORT ABUSE

[Anonymous]

ADHDPlus,

I was raised buddhist as a result I can relate to your perspective, I refer you to a posting called TED Talks: The power of Vulnerability under the heading of “What is it?” Trashman I think you will find this interesting as well.

K

REPORT ABUSE

[Anonymous]

I believe in a kind of fate or things happen for a reason …..

I believe in these things because of my person experiences..many have been beyond coincidence.

Not sure about afterlife..but did have one experience that made me think..

My older sister had brain and lung cancer and was diagnosed as palliative. I was her primary suppoert as she was not married and single. When she was in chemo, she used to joke and say she was coming back to haunt me.

(As a child, her and my other sister tried to cure me of being scared of the dark, but only served to accidentally terrify me in the process and this was one of our funny family stories)

Shortly after she passed away, I was hammering away, doing crappy paperwork for her (there is a mountain after someone passes away) and getting extremely frustrated. Suddenly my printer came to life, started sputtering away and wouldn’t stop. I sat there and told me sister if that was her, and she wanted me to get this stuff done, then to knock it off. The printer kept going anyway and I had to pull the plug on it.

It had never done that before, and it has never done that since.

Made me go

Hmmmmm….

REPORT ABUSE

[Anonymous]

I believe that God sent His son Jesus to die for my sins so that I could spend eternity with Him in heaven. And I know that God loves me no matter how much I mess up. This gives me the strength to live every day, and the will to never give in to ADD.

REPORT ABUSE

[Myzee]

Do we have ‘free will’ in the afterlife just as we do in the ‘nowlife’

Do we choose to come back?

Do we choose the time(re astrological influences)?

Do we choose our parents?

Do we choose……..our ‘challenges’?

And…if we do……………..WHY?????!!!!!!

I’m getting ‘feedback’ from these questions that work……………for me

I’m feeling more ‘UN’ victimized

I’m feeling more ‘UN’ confused

It’s a big BIG topic

BTW James Redfield’s books started me on this journey,,,,well,,,,perhaps it’s better to say they were a catalyst

We are all on our own personal spiritual journeys

I am so grateful that I truly believe in the sacredness of someone else’s journey

I love the way the Beatles put it

I am you…and

You are me…and

We are we…and

WE ARE ALL TOGETHER

Do we have the best of both worlds?

We are all ONE

and

We are all UNIQUE (fingerprints…dna)

So for me the topic of an ‘afterlife’ is very much related to my ‘challenge’ re Add

and again I would like express my gratitude for this site and these forums

REPORT ABUSE

[Author]

Posts