What are your views on the afterlife?

[HelloNiceToMeetYou]

Just wondering, I know there is no evidence of an afterlife, but this is the human question forum, and I am wondering what are your views on the afterlife? When I say your views, please try to explain in detail what you think happens after death. It is a fascinating subject.

Ill start, I would think that, when you die, all of your memories, ego is gone, but the consciousness stays. I do not know what this is, but i see no evidence that would suggest the latter. Also it seems like the universe is one big circuit and were just a small particle in the grand scheme of things.

Hopefully this thread gets popular. Enjoy

[JaJa]

Hello nice to meet you...

We have something very similar going on here if your interested...

http://thunderbolts.info/forum/phpBB3/v ... =10&t=3905

JJ

[HelloNiceToMeetYou]

It is a good threat I am asking something different. I am talking about an afterlife. It does not have to do with a god or "heaven" for example. But just a continuity of the soul. Also for that matter does anyone believe in a soul?

[moses]

This follows on from the morphic field question, for what happens to this field at death ? There is no guarantee that the self dies at death, and there are occult views that the self exists as a physical reality beyond the body. So we have the physical body, the self, the morphic field, and consciousness ( = experiencing ).

One scary possibility is that consciousness still responds to the self, both the conscious and the unconscious, after death, so we are trapped in the unresolved trauma of the past for many an eon. Hence an extra reason to free oneself of the past. But there are many possibilities offering untold speculation.
Mo

[KeepitRealMark]

"In religion and politics people's beliefs and convictions are in almost every case gotten at second-hand, and without examination, from authorities who have not themselves examined the questions at issue but have taken them at second-hand from other non-examiners, whose opinions about them were not worth a brass farthing." [Autobiography of Mark Twain by Samuel Clemens]

Mr. Clemens was once asked whether he feared death. He said that he did not, in view of the fact that he had been dead for billions and billions of years before he was born, and had not suffered the slightest inconvenience from it.

I agree with Sam

Just like there is no beforelife... There is no afterlife.

[Aristarchus]

KeepitRealMark,

Sorry, I couldn't resist quoting from one of my favorite fiction books:

“Well, what do you expect? The human body when confined, produces certain odors which we tend to forget in this age of deodorants and other perversions. Actually, I find the atmosphere of this room rather comforting. Schiller needed the scent of apples rotting in his desk in order to write. I ,too, have my needs. You may remember that Mark Twain preferred to lie supinely in bed while composing those rather dated and boring efforts which contemporary scholars try to prove meaningful. Veneration of Mark Twain is one of the roots of our current intellectual stalemate.” ~ John Kennedy Toole (A Confederacy of Dunces)

Incidentally, is Twain one of your second-hand sources of authority?

Oh, and just to note, you do realize that there are particular strain of atheists that do not believe in a God, but still entertain the notion of an afterlife?

[KeepitRealMark]

KeepitRealMark,

Sorry, I couldn't resist quoting from one of my favorite fiction books:

“Well, what do you expect? The human body when confined, produces certain odors which we tend to forget in this age of deodorants and other perversions. Actually, I find the atmosphere of this room rather comforting. Schiller needed the scent of apples rotting in his desk in order to write. I ,too, have my needs. You may remember that Mark Twain preferred to lie supinely in bed while composing those rather dated and boring efforts which contemporary scholars try to prove meaningful. Veneration of Mark Twain is one of the roots of our current intellectual stalemate.” ~ John Kennedy Toole (A Confederacy of Dunces)

Incidentally, is Twain one of your second-hand sources of authority?

Oh, and just to note, you do realize that there are particular strain of atheists that do not believe in a God, but still entertain the notion of an afterlife?

Hi
In my humble estimation… Sam Clemens was one of the greatest Thinkers of all time.
And incredible funny.
I am not one of those who buy the idea of an afterlife.
I am certain that when we're Dead... we're Dead forever.

No different than a Dead Skunk in the muddle of the road.
No gods caring about us. No theme park in the sky called Heaven.. With a flashing neon sign.

"Man is a marvelous curiosity ... he thinks he is the Creator's pet ... he even believes the Creator loves him; has a passion for him; sits up nights to admire him; yes and watch over him and keep him out of trouble. He prays to
him and thinks He listens. Isn't it a quaint idea." [Mark Twain.. Letters from the Earth]

[Aristarchus]

In my humble estimation… Sam Clemens was one of the greatest Thinkers of all time.
And incredible funny.

You should read Confederacy of Dunces, it will have you rolling.

"When a true genius appears, you can know him by this sign: that all the dunces are in a confederacy against him." ~ Jonathan Swift

"Then you must begin a reading program immediately so that you may understand the crises of our age," Ignatius said solemnly. "Begin with the late Romans, including Boethius, of course. Then you should dip rather extensively into early Medieval. You may skip the Renaissance and the Enlightenment. That is mostly dangerous propaganda. Now that I think of it, you had better skip the Romantics and the Victorians. For the contemporary period, you should study some selected comic books." ~ John Kennedy Toole (A Confederacy of Dunces)

I am certain that when we're Dead... we're Dead forever.

And on what authority did you reach this conclusion.

No gods caring about us. No theme park in the sky called Heaven.. With a flashing neon sign.

With all due respect, I believe the argument presented on this topic is a bit more subtle than that.

"Man is a marvelous curiosity ... he thinks he is the Creator's pet ... he even believes the Creator loves him; has a passion for him; sits up nights to admire him; yes and watch over him and keep him out of trouble. He prays to
him and thinks He listens. Isn't it a quaint idea." [Mark Twain.. Letters from the Earth]

What's very quaint is someone who brushes with a broad stroke on what others may or may not believe.

[KeepitRealMark]

In my humble estimation… Sam Clemens was one of the greatest Thinkers of all time.
And incredible funny.

You should read Confederacy of Dunces, it will have you rolling.

"When a true genius appears, you can know him by this sign: that all the dunces are in a confederacy against him." ~ Jonathan Swift

"Then you must begin a reading program immediately so that you may understand the crises of our age," Ignatius said solemnly. "Begin with the late Romans, including Boethius, of course. Then you should dip rather extensively into early Medieval. You may skip the Renaissance and the Enlightenment. That is mostly dangerous propaganda. Now that I think of it, you had better skip the Romantics and the Victorians. For the contemporary period, you should study some selected comic books." ~ John Kennedy Toole (A Confederacy of Dunces)

I am certain that when we're Dead... we're Dead forever.

And on what authority did you reach this conclusion.

No gods caring about us. No theme park in the sky called Heaven.. With a flashing neon sign.

With all due respect, I believe the argument presented on this topic is a bit more subtle than that.

"Man is a marvelous curiosity ... he thinks he is the Creator's pet ... he even believes the Creator loves him; has a passion for him; sits up nights to admire him; yes and watch over him and keep him out of trouble. He prays to
him and thinks He listens. Isn't it a quaint idea." [Mark Twain.. Letters from the Earth]

What's very quaint is someone who brushes with a broad stroke on what others may or may not believe.

Please feel free to believe anything that makes you feel good.
All any of us can do is give careful thought to the questions and share our thoughts seeking the truth.
There is only one true Reality. But…An infinite array of perceptions of it.
Imagination doesn’t equate to Reality.
I try to accept reality and stick to what I believe is the truth.

I am my own authority on reality. I don’t require anyone else’s approval.
Likewise no one else requires mine.
Nobody can turn a Marshmallow into a Pink 1959 Cadillac Convertible.
Even an imaginary god can’t pull that rabbit out of his hat.
Imagination or desire won’t make it happen.
See you around.
Have a Great Day

[Aristarchus]

Please feel free to believe anything that makes you feel good.

If you read my postings on the topics that you have also contributed, namely Theosophy and Science & Kaballah Wisdom and Modern Cosmology, you would already be acquainted with my positing that suffering is the impetus for creating - and this assists humankind in ascertaining knowledge, including spiritual. This form of asceticism is not only a theme of Medieval Christian Saints, some aspects of Eastern religions, Middle East religions, but also found in the works of Friedrich Nietzsche. Although, I would add, that my position doesn't really endorse an arduous asceticism.

Trying to make my argument for me in the manner, "anything that makes you feel good," doesn't demonstrate an acknowledgement of my position. This is what happens when we deliver pronunciations with too broad a stroke.

I try to accept reality and stick to what I believe is the truth.

What is reality?

I am my own authority on reality. I don’t require anyone else’s approval.
Likewise no one else requires mine.

I don't seek to give anyone approval. For an open and honest debate, you can't really claim that your postings deserve no critique or challenges. You're giving your critque; I'm giving mine. If we didn't do this kind of analysis, we would end up only having conversations with ourselves. You expressed your opinion and that of Mark Twain's, but, surely, what's good for the goose is good for the gander. Otherwise, we end up negating any form of debate.

In the words of William Blake, "when I tell any truth it is not for the sake of convincing those who do not know it, but for the sake of defending those who do."

Would you deny me my right to counsel, even one that comes self appointed?

Nobody can turn a Marshmallow into a Pink 1959 Cadillac Convertible.

I wasn't aware that this was a demanding aspiration for a great many people.

[JaJa]

What is reality?

The Truman Show

[StevenJay]

There is only one true Reality. But…An infinite array of perceptions of it.

You might as well have just said, "There is only one true God. But...an infinite array of perceptions of it."

Either way, it all seems to be predicated upon perceptions. But, hopefully, not any of those "crap" perceptions that you're so adverse to!

I am my own authority on reality.

In your authoritative view, what determines what's "real" and what's not? And are you absolutely positive that it's not just your "imagination?" After all, we experience everything in this life subjectively. There is no other way to "directly" experience it.

So, "real" for you, and "real" for someone else isn't going to jive 100%. And that would hold especially true for the non-physical, such as, compassion, intuition, inspiration and, of course, imagination.

Nobody can turn a Marshmallow into a Pink 1959 Cadillac Convertible.

The point you miss, Mark, is that there are any number of ways to make it appear to you that, indeed, that is what happened. At that point, it doesn't matter that NO one else perceived a marshmallow turn into a pink Caddy. You did. That is your perception, your experience, your "reality."

You may have jettisoned religion from your life, but it appears you still carry around your anger at being "deceived" - even if it was only inadvertantly. There has been a LOT of deception foisted upon the masses of the world - mostly bythe masses themselves.

It's been my experience that the trick is to get over any self-righteous indignation and move ahead with one's newly-blossoming awareness.

How does that saying go? Something like: When I realize I'm only half as wise today as I thought I was yesterday, I am wiser today."

[JaJa]

it appears you still carry around your anger at being "deceived" - even if it was only inadvertantly. There has been a LOT of deception foisted upon the masses of the world - mostly bythe masses themselves.

Amen to that (metaphorically speaking)

[KeepitRealMark]

it appears you still carry around your anger at being "deceived" - even if it was only inadvertantly. There has been a LOT of deception foisted upon the masses of the world - mostly bythe masses themselves.

Amen to that (metaphorically speaking)

I hold no personal “anger” for my own experiences. I am very glad for all my past exposures to the myths taught by religions. It was a teaching/learning process that served me well.
I have learned to decipher the reality from the nonsense. And be honest about it all. What does anger me is the prevailing hatred and killing caused by the various religious beliefs. Every time someone dies in the name of a false god is an atrocity. I have little tolerance left for this sad state of affairs assaulting our humanity. I prefer to point a finger in the face of religion and loudly say…. Face Reality. Face the Truth. There are no gods. Stop killing in the name of gods. Start taking care of each other in the name of Humanity.

What is most important is to share the knowledge we have gained and help eradicate the disease of delusional religious dogma.
And remove the restrictions of false science dogma.

I am pleased that the truth behind EU serves to accomplish both.

[KeepitRealMark]

StephenJay wrote:
You might as well have just said, "There is only one true God. But...an infinite array of perceptions of it."


That's OK... I'll stick to saying there is only one reality. That I am certain of.
It bothers some people for me to be so unrelenting in my approach to reality.
All I can say is... Sorry if it bugs you. I hope it doesn't.
After 38 years of debating the subject. I have become Rock Solid in my opposition to religious insanity.