Life After Death

Unickuta

Unickuta

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http://lifeafterdeath.info/

I read the whole thing, and it was really, really interesting.

I've really been contemplating whether or not there's life after death lately- I mean, I didn't know if it was just nothingness after death- but reading this really helped me think (btw, I think there is an afterlife)

lol, I know we all hope for an afterlife, but this really was a good read.
 
[quote name='Unickuta']http://lifeafterdeath.info/

I read the whole thing, and it was really, really interesting.

I've really been contemplating whether or not there's life after death lately- I mean, I didn't know if it was just nothingness after death- but reading this really helped me think (btw, I think there is an afterlife)

lol, I know we all hope for an afterlife, but this really was a good read.[/QUOTE]

id like to think theres life after death... but yeah, who knows.
 
[quote name='Some site']To come to the belief that there is likely no life after death, one would have to accept ALL of the following:

1) NDEs and/or OBEs do not actually occur and are just part of the brain's chemistry.

2) Jesus Christ, Mohammed, etc. were all frauds (or were given fraudulent information by someone or something eg. alien beings).

3) Ghosts, poltergeists, angels, and spirits are not what they appear to be and instead all have some other rational explanation(s).

4) No medium has communicated with the dead and all mediums are fraud artists.

5) There is some other explanation for the evidence for reincarnation (past life regressions and claims of previous lives lived).
[/quote]
Um, ok. Done.

There is nothing after death.
 
Yeah actually that one wasn't that complicated.

I love how somehow this author jumps to aliens in #2 too.

Not knowing the cause of something doesn't mean the cause is extraordinary. Just like how unidentified flying objects are unidentified, not identified as aliens.
 
Yeah, that's a pretty weak list.

I've made my thoughts clear on this before - death is death, and death is the end. I don't particularly fear it and I don't really wish for any sort of permanent afterlife, though I partially chalk this up to my only being 18 and (hopefully) being quite a long ways from it.

Dying, however, is a significantly scarier thing. That bit tends to - you know - hurt.

EDIT: Just looked at the "science" section of that website. fucking weak stuff. Arguments from incredulity, special pleading, and some things that are just flat out bullshit and lies.
 
Unamuno's San Manuel Bueno, Martir, provides an interesting take on the topics of religion, belief, and life after death.

It's a highly recommended read...
 
[quote name='The Crotch']Yeah, that's a pretty weak list.

I've made my thoughts clear on this before - death is death, and death is the end. I don't particularly fear it and I don't really wish for any sort of permanent afterlife, though I partially chalk this up to my only being 18 and (hopefully) being quite a long ways from it.

Dying, however, is a significantly scarier thing. That bit tends to - you know - hurt.

EDIT: Just looked at the "science" section of that website. fucking weak stuff. Arguments from incredulity, special pleading, and some things that are just flat out bullshit and lies.[/quote]

I agree with your thoughts regarding the afterlife. I think that once death occurs, just your entire consciousness fades away and that's the end. I figure it's hard for people to accept eternity of nothingness, hence the concept of an afterlife.

My favourite part is when fundies say that considering most atheists don't subscribe to a concept of a god or an afterlife, somehow life is automatically meaningless. :rofl:
 
I certainly fear an eternity of nothingness. I realize if that is what happens, I won't know about it but it still scares me. I love life, everyday is a holiday, everyday above ground is a good day for me. I have a girl that loves me, a warm bed, lots of freinds and badass videogames. I don't want any of that to ever go away or end. Sometimes I'll try to visualize what an etenity of nothingness would be like and it really really upsets and scares me. It makes me feel so meaningless and small in the grand scheme of things. We really are even less than a tiny blip on the timeline of the universe. I wish I could say with 100% confidence that there is life after death, then none of this would upset me. As of now I can say that I would guess there is life after death, and I can say with 100% certainty that I really really hope there is.

Being alive is fuckin great, and it sucks IMO that it has to end. I've heard that acceptance comes with old age. It is easy to see how a pain-ridden stomach cancer patient does not fear death, or how a colonial slave may not fear death.

Here is a hypothesis: The better and more pleasurable one's life, the greater they fear death.

Whadaya think?
 
Your hypothesis is definitely valid. However, I would caution you that feelings about this tend to change as we progress throughout life. We see it all the time in the geriatric population where people's fear of death is decreased for a variety of factors: loss of loved ones and friends, loss of physical and mental ability, and realization that one is closer to the eventuality.

What I fear more than death is being in an incapacitated state on earth: status post a bad accident or just severely demented in my old age... as the brain atrophies and gets filled with plaques and tangles, one's personality and abilities may drastically change... hallucinations, delusions, and paranoia may develop in addition to a loss of social inhibitions... and that is very tough on loved ones.
 
[quote name='pittpizza']I certainly fear an eternity of nothingness. I realize if that is what happens, I won't know about it but it still scares me. I love life, everyday is a holiday, everyday above ground is a good day for me. I have a girl that loves me, a warm bed, lots of freinds and badass videogames. I don't want any of that to ever go away or end. Sometimes I'll try to visualize what an etenity of nothingness would be like and it really really upsets and scares me. It makes me feel so meaningless and small in the grand scheme of things. We really are even less than a tiny blip on the timeline of the universe. I wish I could say with 100% confidence that there is life after death, then none of this would upset me. As of now I can say that I would guess there is life after death, and I can say with 100% certainty that I really really hope there is.

Being alive is fuckin great, and it sucks IMO that it has to end. I've heard that acceptance comes with old age. It is easy to see how a pain-ridden stomach cancer patient does not fear death, or how a colonial slave may not fear death.

Here is a hypothesis: The better and more pleasurable one's life, the greater they fear death.

Whadaya think?[/quote]

I disagree. Why should one have to fear it? Believe me, I love life as well. Sure, certain aspects suck now, but compared to the livelihood of the rest of the world, I have a damn fantastic life. Sure, I'd prefer that all of the wonderful things I experience to go on forever, but I also recognize and acknowledge that like all good things, it must end. As long as I can have the people I love around me (not my blood family, to be honest), I could die happy. Sure, it sucks that it has to end, but it's just that: it has to end. I've accepted that fact, 'cause it's just how things work. They say live each day like it's your last, right? Dude, I'm a student in the most valuable and amazing field that exists, ever. I have a job that sucks, but I make money in order to have (relatively) nice things to make the short-term pleasurable. I have friends and a boyfriend who make the short AND longterm something to enjoy, yet I don't fear death 'cause it's just a biological process, and I know that once it happens, it happens and I probably can't change it. So, I think that it depends on how you live, and your life philosophy that determines how you feel about dying. You can't apply a formula to everyone, in other words.

I try to live with my motto of primum non nocere, I try not to be a dick, and I try to improve people's lives. I think that's enough to be a good person and validate one's life. :)

There was something else I wanted to mention but I forget. Oh well. I have a question: how do you all plan to have your remains processed after you die? I figure I'll donate my body to medical research/education, 'cause I've taken a lot out of that community and I'd be happy to give it back.

Either that or have my body be cremated and the ashes spread somewhere near the Maroon Bells mountain range.
 
The nothingness doesn't bother me because we all came from nothingness to start with. I can't pinpoint the exact moment I became self-aware.

I don't have a fear of death as much as I have a fear of not seeing humanity advance.
 
Interesting points made by all. It is kind of cool to be able to talk about this stuff w/ you guys/gals. It's sort of a morose and unusual topic to discuss in the real world.

How do I plan of having my remains processed? Ugh, who the fuck wants to talk/think about that? Nobody but it really should be done. As of right now I would like to be buried next to Amie. If she is not dead yet, I'd like to arrange for something to happen so we could be buried next to each other ASAP (
 
[quote name='pittpizza']Interesting points made by all. It is kind of cool to be able to talk about this stuff w/ you guys/gals. It's sort of a morose and unusual topic to discuss in the real world.

How do I plan of having my remains processed? Ugh, who the fuck wants to talk/think about that? Nobody but it really should be done. As of right now I would like to be buried next to Amie. If she is not dead yet, I'd like to arrange for something to happen so we could be buried next to each other ASAP (
 
[quote name='pittpizza']I certainly fear an eternity of nothingness. I realize if that is what happens, I won't know about it but it still scares me. I love life, everyday is a holiday, everyday above ground is a good day for me. I have a girl that loves me, a warm bed, lots of freinds and badass videogames. I don't want any of that to ever go away or end. Sometimes I'll try to visualize what an etenity of nothingness would be like and it really really upsets and scares me. It makes me feel so meaningless and small in the grand scheme of things. We really are even less than a tiny blip on the timeline of the universe. I wish I could say with 100% confidence that there is life after death, then none of this would upset me. As of now I can say that I would guess there is life after death, and I can say with 100% certainty that I really really hope there is.

Being alive is fuckin great, and it sucks IMO that it has to end. I've heard that acceptance comes with old age. It is easy to see how a pain-ridden stomach cancer patient does not fear death, or how a colonial slave may not fear death.

Here is a hypothesis: The better and more pleasurable one's life, the greater they fear death.

Whadaya think?[/quote]

I believe in the afterlife. I really do think that there's some sort of spirit inside of us that leaves our body after death.

I think it's because we have consciences. Why would some people throw their bodies in front of trains to save people they don't even know, why would some donate kidneys? I really think that this thing we have translates to an afterlife.

And even if there isn't one- which I honestly doubt, I'm not just making wishful thinking- then I don't have any say in the matter.
 
[quote name='Unickuta']I believe in the afterlife. I really do think that there's some sort of spirit inside of us that leaves our body after death.

I think it's because we have consciences. Why would some people throw their bodies in front of trains to save people they don't even know, why would some donate kidneys? I really think that this thing we have translates to an afterlife.

And even if there isn't one- which I honestly doubt, I'm not just making wishful thinking- then I don't have any say in the matter.[/quote]

Well there have been reasonably convincing arguments about the evolution of consciences. But moreover I'm sure there have been loyal pets that have given their lives to save their masters.

I guess what I'm saying is that the difference between humans and other animals is mostly quantitative, not qualitative. I don't see why humans would have souls and other animals not (even if they have some kind of "lesser" soul). In addition, I can't imagine the evolution of a soul since by definition it's not biological and in fact has no physical properties. Since humans almost certainly evolved from some other animal, unless all animals, plants, and bacteria have souls it doesn't make any sense. In fact, since all life is made up of the same materials as nonlife it doesn't make any sense to me for even an atom, quark, or whatever not to have a soul, since unless there was some other entity that injected a soul in later if would have to have existed from the start.

So, if everything has a soul I don't see what exactly would be happening in the afterlife, would it be exactly the same as this? What's the point? Obviously those religions that do give humans a soul and an afterlife of bliss/torment don't consider other life/nonlife to be a part of that. The only religions I know of that really take into account the oneness of all life are those who have either no afterlife or some kind of reincarnation.
 
I think everything has a soul, but it's more of an adjunct of consciousness. But to that end, I think the soul fades away as consciousness fades away when we perish- there's no transcending spiritual planes or any of that shenanigans.
 
Wait, wait, wait.

So there's a soul. But it's pretty much the same thing as a regular mind. And when the regular mind dies, so does the soul.

...

If that soul was an organ, it would be the appendix.
 
Nono. It's pretty nebulous to explain, but I'll do my best. I do think that there's a mind, and there's a soul. The mind is the more logical part of the consciousness. You know, motor skills, decision making, etc. The soul is more how one forms their beliefs and their core, or morals or whatever you want to call it. I might be a damn dirty socialist atheist pillowbiter, but I'm still a moral person, at least by a measure that isn't some wacko conservative family-values bullshit. So I think that I have the same idea as many people as to what the soul is if, one believes in it, however I think it fades away with death, just like all mental capacities.

So it does serve a purpose.. unlike the appendix. :x
 
Okay. That makes a lot more sense. But...[quote name='Hex']Nono. It's pretty nebulous to explain, but I'll do my best. I do think that there's a mind, and there's a soul. The mind is the more logical part of the consciousness. You know, motor skills, decision making, etc. The soul is more how one forms their beliefs and their core, or morals or whatever you want to call it.[/quote]... enormous changes in personality - and moral beliefs - can be brought on by damage to the brain. I recall a story of a construction worker (or person doing some heavy-ish labour job) who took a spike to the noggin'. He miraculously survived, but he went from being a completely normal person to an amoral asshole.

I realize that don't mean all that much unless I can find my source on that, but I'm lazy.
 
[quote name='The Crotch']Okay. That makes a lot more sense. But...... enormous changes in personality - and moral beliefs - can be brought on by damage to the brain. I recall a story of a construction worker (or person doing some heavy-ish labour job) who took a spike to the noggin'. He miraculously survived, but he went from being a completely normal person to an amoral asshole.

I realize that don't mean all that much unless I can find my source on that, but I'm lazy.[/quote]

Ahh, the story of Phineas Gage... his frontal lobes were affected by the spike, mostly on one side. To some degree, this may cause one to lose his inhibitions and lose planning ability (a similar effect is noted in older people with frontal dementia... affected grampas/grandmas start talking in extremely vulgar terms... just ask them to name any words that come to mind that start with the letter "F" and prepare for a treat...)

Of course, with Gage, there was the huge counfounder of severe facial disfigurement and partial blindness... I'd be pissed off constantly too if that happened to me.


Nono. It's pretty nebulous to explain, but I'll do my best. I do think that there's a mind, and there's a soul. The mind is the more logical part of the consciousness. You know, motor skills, decision making, etc. The soul is more how one forms their beliefs and their core, or morals or whatever you want to call it. I might be a damn dirty socialist atheist pillowbiter, but I'm still a moral person, at least by a measure that isn't some wacko conservative family-values bullshit. So I think that I have the same idea as many people as to what the soul is if, one believes in it, however I think it fades away with death, just like all mental capacities.

So it does serve a purpose.. unlike the appendix. :x
Click to expand...
That's easy, the soul is in the pineal gland :D Unfortunately, it's very small and becomes calcified with age... ;)
And the appendix serves to keep general surgeons on their toes...
 
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