Discussion Making peace with what comes afterwards

[soda_pressed]

I have no idea with what comes after death, and that scares me. I know people have different view points of what happens after, but I'd love to hear what other people think.

My date to ctb is coming up next month and I know I need to start thinking about what could possibly happen.

 

[Fadingfast]

I used to believe that there was some form of heaven or hell. In the past month I have changed to believe in the nothingness. I am not sure if that scares me or puts my mind at ease. Either way I just lost my faith.

 

[manderley]

I was raised a Catholic, so when I was younger I believed in heaven and hell. For some reason, as a child, I always just assumed I would go to heaven so I actually looked forward to dying as it sounded so great!

But as I got older I started to believe that there is just nothingness. I just want to cease to exist, so I'm kind of hoping there's nothing after death.

 

[Ashpac]

After researching the afterlife for the last 3 years I've come to learn energy can not be created or destroyed more like transfer to another vessel or life form. Before that though I was a firm believer in heaven and hell.

 

[bacardirum]

It will be amazing, you have nothing to worry about, ur best sleep x 1000 x

 

[The.End]

I was brought up to be religious and I truly believed in god (and an afterlife) all my life.

That was, up until about a year ago, where I started having some serious doubts and now I don't know what to believe.

That being said, if my families religion is true, I'd probably be spending all of eternity in hell.

Making peace is difficult for me too, personally I'm just trying to accept I have no idea what's coming next.

Iv heard a lot of people on this forum say "there is no god or an afterlife" and there is only "nothingness after death". Maybe they are right but how can they be so sure? Even with all their good arguments, it's still a mighty big assumption to make.

After spending my whole believing in god, I've learnt my lesson. Now I choose to question everything and I presume to know nothing. As Socrates himself might of said "I know that I know nothing"

 

[bacardirum]

I think the same applies the end

It will be amazing, you have nothing to worry about, ur best sleep x 1000 x

 

[Sailfisher]

If only I knew there was nothing, I would already be gone...

 

[The.End]

It will be amazing, you have nothing to worry about, ur best sleep x 1000 x

Most of my night are plagued with bad dreams and nasty nightmares, I could really do with a good sleep for once.

 

[Jean Améry]

Since you're going to find out eventually why worry? I fail to see why it would be true that one's fate in a next life (if indeed there is such a thing) would depend on one's actions in this life let alone one single action. This implies a sort of moral causality and in my view the only way this would be possible is if there is an almighty intelligence governing all things. I don't see any evidence that supports this thesis.

The most likely scenario imo is simple nothingness: just like a computer or a lightsource that is shut off ceases to fulfill its function with death consciousness ceases to be and with it all experience and sense of self. It's like going to sleep but without any brain activity whatsoever and you'll never wake up. I'm perfectly fine with that.

There is not a single good reason why any religion would be right about the nature of death so I'd leave that sort of distorted dream-thinking behind.

 

[Cairn]

I have no idea with what comes after death, and that scares me. I know people have different view points of what happens after, but I'd love to hear what other people think.

My date to ctb is coming up next month and I know I need to start thinking about what could possibly happen.

I used to think a lot about heaven and hell but now I feel it is a calm and peaceful nothingness. I too, am looking forward to ctb next month so will find out then. I hope you have a good journey.

 

[Loli]

My point of view might be cynical, but I believe it doesn't matter what happens aftewards. What create us are our memories, experiences of external and internal world, thoughts, reactions. A person may change completely after brain trauma. So the whole information about personality is stored in nervous system that will decompose after death, not in hypothethical soul.

Therefore whenever human being has a soul and whatever happens to it in afterlife- you brain dies, you die. I would be able to believe in reincarnation thing but analogically, whoever I was in past life died as well because I have no single memory of it. Heaven and hell sounds like a comforting wishful thinking to me. Besides, we all here know how relative is perception of good and bad.

Summing it up, personally I'm apathetic towards afterlife. The person we are at this moment probably dies once and for good.

 

[Soul]

@soda_pressed, I have miles of theories but obviously none of us knows. I can't even say "there's one way to find out" because it might not be find-outable, or what I find out may not be the same as what anyone else finds out.

I'm so curious! @soda_pressed , what do you imagine or believe or hope it will be?

 

[Imgonnahangmyself]

I hope it's like sleeping forever

 

[StoleYoWaifu]

For me, I'll just stop existing.
I don't really care if a god exists or if there is an afterlife, I'll be leaving with a clear conscience so I've got nothing to worry about.

 

[Imgonnahangmyself]

For me, I'll just stop existing.
I don't really care if a god exists or if there is an afterlife, I'll be leaving with a clear conscience so I've got nothing to worry about.

What do you mean clear conscience

 

[Mysterymeat]

I was just exploring my thoughts on this in my journal. I think we can't know for sure but it's likely a total cessation of self. This has been the most difficult aspect for me. Especially being that a very dear loved one has recently passed that I miss like crazy. I just hate how messed up life is. All this nonsense and pain for nothing? I can't even just sleep forever with those I love? It really sucks. But it's even more of a reason for me to not continue. Nothingness may be nice. Surely better than this.

 

[bluesky1972-2019]

We I believe there is nothing to fear about dying. The earth and universe have been around for millions of years and we are all between 18-100 years old. So we have not existed for long, so we go back to where we came from unaware of anything else!

 

[soda_pressed]

@soda_pressed, I have miles of theories but obviously none of us knows. I can't even say "there's one way to find out" because it might not be find-outable, or what I find out may not be the same as what anyone else finds out.

I'm so curious! @soda_pressed , what do you imagine or believe or hope it will be?

I don't think there will be a heaven or hell, but I think (hope) something will happen so my soul after I pass on. Although I'm becoming comfortable with the possibility of nothing after

 

[Alan James]

Once I had dreams in which I understood that I was sleeping and could change a dream and everything in it: locations, events, characters. It was happening itself, against my desire. It was like I was in a place where thoughts can change reality, but I could not control my thoughts and it turned out very chaotic. Everything appeared - both good and bad, nightmares included, all I was thinking about. I felt like part of everything, part of some kind of network, AI or collective mind, and this was the best feeling I had. I didn't have a body there, but I wasn't even some kind of flying spirit - I was just like a software, computer program that controls everything. It is very much like virtual reality (as shown in the movies). I don't believe in any life after death, I am an atheist, but if after death it would be just like in such dreams - it is like a virtual reality and you a software, computer program, in that place your thoughts can create and change everything.

 

[Soul]

I don't think there will be a heaven or hell, but I think (hope) something will happen so my soul after I pass on. Although I'm becoming comfortable with the possibility of nothing after

Does the idea of reincarnation resonate with you at all? Or have you had enough?

Would you enjoy haunting anyone or any place if you have that option?

Once I had dreams in which I understood that I was sleeping and could change a dream and everything in it: locations, events, characters. It was happening itself, against my desire. It was like I was in a place where thoughts can change reality, but I could not control my thoughts and it turned out very chaotic. Everything appeared - both good and bad, nightmares included, all I was thinking about. I felt like part of everything, part of some kind of network, AI or collective mind, and this was the best feeling I had. I didn't have a body there, but I wasn't even some kind of flying spirit - I was just like a software, computer program that controls everything. It is very much like virtual reality (as shown in the movies). I don't believe in any life after death, I am an atheist, but if after death it would be just like in such dreams - it is like a virtual reality and you a software, computer program, in that place your thoughts can create and change everything.

That sounds like so-called lucid dreaming, but not quite all-the-way lucid. Interesting!

 

[KnightOfEnceladus]

Don't reincarnate. It's a trap. When you're dead, you're beyond all this. Just try and merge into The Source/God/Spirit/whatever you call it. You don't need to come back if you don't want to, as I understand it, and it's never worth it. The Buddhists have got that much correct. Don't come back, don't listen to anyone telling you you have to, and above all don't make any "contracts."

 

[soda_pressed]

Does the idea of reincarnation resonate with you at all? Or have you had enough?

Would you enjoy haunting us anyone or any place if you have that option?


That sounds like so-called lucid dreaming, but not quite all-the-way lucid. Interesting!

So I've had a thought about this and whilst I am currently in the process fo trying to tie up as many loose ends as I can, there's still some unfinished business.
I'm going to ctb because of mental issues, but certain people in my life have had a massive impact on why I'm taking my life. it ranges from my "friends" trying to belittle me because of jealousy, to being raped by someone I thought to be a friend. Although I love this forum and how lovely the people are

 

[Alan James]

Does the idea of reincarnation resonate with you at all? Or have you had enough?

I also have a version of another explanation of the phenomenon of reincarnation (to which I do not believe): if we assume that human memory will remain in some kind of digital network (like the Internet), then it can easily be loaded into new bodies as a hard disk, the body is used as a drone, a device for interacting with this reality. In this case, a computer program (a network like the Internet) needs some device (like a mouse or keyboard, for example) to be in this physical reality and this is the main function of physical bodies, the meaning of their existence. Value is memory, generation and collection of information.

 

[Soul]

Don't reincarnate. It's a trap. When you're dead, you're beyond all this. Just try and merge into The Source/God/Spirit/whatever you call it. You don't need to come back if you don't want to, as I understand it, and it's never worth it. The Buddhists have got that much correct. Don't come back, don't listen to anyone telling you you have to, and above all don't make any "contracts."

A bodhisattva willingly returns until even the grass is enlightened.

(I'm not arguing. It's just a concept that I find beautiful. Which doesn't mean it's a good idea.)

 

[lynn14]

I honestly believe that death is a state of nonexistence, without any thoughts or sensations whatsoever. Which I find disappointing in part, but also relieving in part.

 

[KnightOfEnceladus]

@Soul, yes, as a Bodhisattva. We most certainly have not attained to the path of bodhi by any measure. Note that, again, I'm not a Buddhist and do not believe they are correct; I just study religions in serious depth and take what I find to be useful from them.

 

[Soul]

@Soul, yes, as a Bodhisattva. We most certainly have not attained to the path of bodhi by any measure. Note that, again, I'm not a Buddhist and do not believe they are correct; I just study religions in serious depth and take what I find to be useful from them.

Same here, KoE, but more as a dilettante than in depth, and without any convictions about which ones got what right about what comes after we die. Maybe for some beings reincarnation is a sort of equivalent to turning the other cheek, but to the whole world.

What you wrote up there about not believing anyone telling us we have to come back and not accepting any "contracts" sounds like we have an epic test to face after we die. Like passing through the cosmetics department at Saks Fifth Avenue while sad-eyed beings reach for you imploringly. "Buy from me!"

 

[throwaway123]

I have no idea with what comes after death, and that scares me. I know people have different view points of what happens after, but I'd love to hear what other people think.

My date to ctb is coming up next month and I know I need to start thinking about what could possibly happen.

same here. I think it's best to just accept what comes after. Whatever it may be.

 

[Darkhaven]

Personaly i think the whole heaven/hell thing was made up by the Catholic Church to brainwash uneducated peasants in Europe's Medieval era.
If you care to check out this scriptures in an online bible: Ecclesiastes 9:10; Romans 6:7; Genesis 3:19; Deuteronomy 32:4.
Even the bible, in these scriptures, seems to refer to death as an eternal sleep.
Of course some bibles have been altered to fit some specific theologies but i believe the idea is the same on every version.
Soul sleep theory i think it's what they call this thesis.
Basically it means that once you die your soul enters eternal slumber and you lose consciouness.
That's good and reconforting!