Do you believe in an afterlife, reincarnation,or other related phenomenon?

[Deja Q]

Or is there truly nothing once our corporeal forms cease to be?

[LeftyMom]

1. Nope.

I figure if this is all we've got, I've got to make the time I have meaningful. If I live life assuming that something comes afterward that makes it meaningful, I'd better hope I'm right or I just wasted it all hoping for a future that isn't happening.

[tuvor]

2. I like the first law of thermodynamics.

Energy can't be destroyed. I hope that law applies upon my death. Yours, too!

[Deja Q]

4. And we all needed to be reminded of the second law of thermodynamics...

Nothing is immune from entropy, and its effect on all things.

Somehow, I don't dig the idea that we end up as a pile of atoms, scattered throughout the cosmos. Especially if the first law is actually true and not the scientists' conjured up dream to keep themselves from going nuts at the prospect of "no afterlife" either.

[havocmom]

33. As one who received a phone call from a deceased family member once

I am tempted to speculate some form of energy left of our being might remain for awhile. And, no, I have never been drunk or stoned in my life! ;)

[hyphenate]

35. Scientifically

There is some evidence that energy survives. Scientifically, I'm of the opinion that something definitely tangible survives the human body dying. Whether that is arguable by others who disagree is not my concern. I would believe it, regardless.

As someone who is familiar with New Age philosophy as well, and someone who has had some possible experience with people (ghosts?) who have passed over, I firmly believe that there is more to death(?) than meets the eye.

We are in the infancy of some sciences at present, and as far as ahead as we are from a millennia--nay, a century--ago, we have so much more to learn. The Shakespearian quote from Hamlet--"There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy"--definitely applies here--if we had more answers, this might be a slamdunk, but since there are still untold mysteries that we don't have the ability to truly answer, this will remain one thing we need to remain openminded about.

[Oeditpus Rex]

3. Dunno if this is reincarnation, but...

I believe souls continue to another physical being. Like, as soon as a human passes, his or her soul is drawn into another human born that same instant.

There're probably issues at work other than time — energy fields and whatnot — but I'm not prepared to postulate on this.

[RevCheesehead]

5. Yes, no, and it depends on what you're talking about. n/t

[Whoa_Nelly]

6. There's more beyond human mortality

Uncle Baird told me so. :hi:

Go with the flow :D

[WindRavenX]

7. I'd like to believe there is

But from a scientific standpoint...I'd say I'm gonna make fine ashes for trees.

[Jamastiene]

13. That's about how I think I will end up too.

So far, the atom theory seems plausible. Reincarnation seems possible. THe idea of a heaven or a hell, while possible, seems relative. If it's heaven, can Jerry Falwell or Pat Robertson be there? And if they are there, how can it be heaven? Can Falwell or Robertson go to hell? How could I go to the same place they are going if they are always telling me I'll go there but they won't. It definitely could be hell to have to spend eternity with those two.

I'm hopefully optimistic that there is a better solution than those two options. My heaven is another person's hell and vice versa. Your idea of either may be similar but might be something else entirely. I still don't understand those concepts well enough to totally without a doubt believe in an afterlife. I'd rather not think about something that has no concrete answers. Science will eventually answer that question for us, or we will answer it when we learn enough to know what to look for.

Great, I hope I didn't confuse you as much as I confused myself. I'm trying to say I agree with your post here. I have a few brazillion questions that can't be answered, but we basically agree.

Scientifically, it seems we turn into worm food or if creamated, make up part of some fertilizer for trees.

[RevCheesehead]

14. Do you know this old thing?

One day, an old preacher dies and goes to heaven. She is met at the gate by St. Peter, who welcomes her warmly, then asks if she would like to have a tour. She, of course, agrees.

He shows her the bowling alley, and she says "I knew it!" She sees that heaven is filled with all kinds of people, of diverse backgrounds and faiths. She is delighted to see that beloved pets are there as well.

"Well," says St. Peter, "that's about it. Do you have any questions?"
"Just one. What is that group way over there in the corner?"

"Ssshhhh.... (whispering) those are the fundamentalists.
They think they're the only ones up here."


O8)

[Jamastiene]

19. LOL

:rofl:

That's a good one. My aunt would switch and say Baptist. She's Methodist. She's always saying stuff like a Methodist is a Baptist who is actually right. She says the reason she is a Methodist is because she can get more sleep on Sunday morning with a Methodist preacher (the Baptist preachers yell too much, she says.)

I do wonder sometimes. Our bodies definitely die, that much is true. I read where some believe that we are reincarnated as better people, but our overall track record seems to indicate that the species is devolving. Case in point, the Bush bunch in general.

My aunt and I do agree on one thing though. Even though she doesn't believe in evolution, she says the scientists have it backwards anyway. You know how they say evolution shows that the human species is more evolved (translated: better) than animals? Well, my aunt says that's the opposite. We wholeheartedly agree on that. Animals seem to understand the concept of unconditional love better than people do. And a chimp could run this country better than that bunch up there in D.C. right now. What's that saying about 100 monkeys typing and ending up with a Shakespeare type story? I mean, a chimp would be way cooler. At least we could laugh when he made the poked out lip faces and scratched his armpits and made those who who who ha ha ha sounds. And when he hurled crap at the camera, we could take it a little easier, as actual crap would be easier to believe than anything Bush says. LOL.

[RevCheesehead]

21. Your aunt sounds like a hoot!

Oh, and Methodists are Baptists who can read. ;)

[Jamastiene]

24. LOL.

That's a good one too.

[leftofthedial]

8. I believe in death after life

I'm a songwriter and look forward to spending a few centuries decomposing after I die.

[Wapsie B]

9. I believe that we're much more than flesh and bones.

Who we are as individuals is due to our soul, our core being. Without this soul we'd be nothing more than borgs. Our souls will live on in another dimension after our physical bodies give out.

[RevCheesehead]

10. It only seemed right to kick this thread back.

To stir up the debate. :evilgrin:

So sue me. :P

[Jamastiene]

17. You do know Santa's watching, don't you?

He's knows when you've been naughty. He might :spank: you. :evilgrin:

[RevCheesehead]

34. I'm not afraid of ol' Santa.

It's the Mods that frighten me. :scared:

[Jamastiene]

46. Yes, they do me too.

Especially lately...

[RevCheesehead]

48. LOL

I certainly can understand that! (and no, I don't believe that would be paranoia, either!) :)

[Guava Jelly]

11. I believe we are nothing more than Meat

no soul or anything special and when you die thats it...

[chknltl]

12. Yep, I sure do...

Willing to discuss it with any who wish to do so.
I believe in Astral Projection as well.

Neither religion nor science have not addressed these issues well enough to validate or discount either in my opinion.
(spelling edit)

[enigmatic]

15. yes

absolutely.

[ghostsofgiants]

16. No, no, no, and I don't know.

That was easy.

[Robeson]

18. Nope. It's a real bummer to contemplate, but, no.

[NuttyFluffers]

20. but of course!

i am not my body. i am more and always have been more.

[lildreamer316]

22. Reincarnation.

I'm with tyvor--energy is neither created or destroyed. But that is not the only reason. I'm a huge Richard Bach fan. Need I say more?

[tjwmason]

23. Yes I do

Our souls rest in purgatory being prepared for Heaven, some achieve the Beatific vision (a small number of whom the Church has declared to be Saints). At the latter day, we're given new perfected bodies in which we can enjoy eternity in heaven.

[Left_Winger]

25. Nope

[johnnie]

26. Yup

I have no doubt there is something more than this. If not than I guess I will be wrong but not know it.

[Shell Beau]

27. Heaven! I believe in Heaven and that is where we will be

reunited with our loved ones.

[ET Awful]

28. I want to be reincarnated as a butterfly . . . .

Nobody ever suspects the butterfly. :evilgrin:

[ALago1]

29. LOL!

I didn't burn down the school, it was the butterfly!! The butterfly I tells ya!

Nice reference :)

[ET Awful]

30. I tried to find a picture

of the Bart-faced butterfly with the gas can, but I couldn't :evilgrin:

[smirkymonkey]

31. God, I hope not.

Once is enough for me.

[NashVegas]

32. I'd Like to Think There Is a Stream of Consciousness

Imagine the scene in Finding Nemo when Nemo hooks up with the sea turtles.

I'd like to think that once in a while, a little chunk decides it wants to come down here and party, in corporeal form.

[I Have A Dream]

36. I believe in an afterlife and reincarnation. Absolutely. n/t

[Chovexani]

37. I believe in reincarnation 100%

I know of a couple of past lives I've had.

Actually, I'm going through a sort of metaphysical crisis at the moment, as I've been hit with memories of a past life that should well be impossible. Triggered by two other people who incarnated with me at the same time, in fact, and all three of us were involved with each other.

I've kind of been spending the last week or so going :wtf:

[NNadir]

38. The last time I died I didn't believe in reincarnation. I don't this time

either.

However I do believe in carnations.

Here's one:

[Whoa_Nelly]

39. Absolutely.

Has nothing to do with a religious viewpoint. We just...are.

[Gold Metal Flake]

40. I believe that once electrons stop moving around the brain, you are off.

Click.

So, better get it right the first time.






.

[Liberalynn]

41. I wasn't sure one way or the other

and still am not convinced one hundred percent either way, but I did have an experince that left me wondering.

I went out of curiosity to a for lack of a better word medium or spirtualist holding a small group session.

I had never met her before in my life. Neither had my sister unless she was lying to me which she normally doesn't do.

The medium proceeds to identify a nervous habit of my grandmother's and says that is coming from a grandmother energy. I.e. folding Kleenex or cloth into a small squares and smoothing them over with her hands. She also said she had really thin legs and kept having to pull up her stockings. My grandmother did that too.

The medium then Idenitfies a motherly energy around me then tells me almost exactly how my godmother died. Then the medium says I always got picked on for being overly emotional even by family members but my godmother said that I should consider being sensitive a gift. Which sounds like what my god mother would tell me. She also said my Godmother was one of the strongest spirits she'd ever felt, and that fits. She was always kind of bossy in a good way, of course.

The medium also came up with a nickname that only got used once in my life but that was used during an incident that had a huge impact on my life. She didn't fish just used the word right out.

She then described an incident that had happened to me earlier that morning, of tripping over a rug, which no one could have known unless they were in the room with me, she said my deceased father had been in the room with me at the time, and he said "to watch my language." Which i did swear when it happened. I hadn't mentioned it to any one else.

She even told me one of the fears that I had in my head that day which I hadn't really talked about to anyone but my sister on the way there, and the then said that my godmother told me not to worry because that it was all going to work out, and I was going to have what I wanted.

Then she said she sensed a fatherly energy and then proceeded to describe exactly how my Dad dressed when he was going to work. He was a mechanic who often worked on snow plows out in the cold and wore insulated jackets. She said he was hugging my sister and I, and apologizing for not having said I love you enough in life, even though he always loved us very much. My Dad wasn't overly demonstrative but we did know he loved us.

I was in such shock, I later signed up for a private session and again she came up with specifics that I don't see how she could have got from a cold reading. Unless my sister had been calling her on the phone giving deets. But then let me tell you my sis would have had to be some good actress, because she looked as shell shocked as me.

On the other hand this same lady predicted some future events on a timeline that haven't happened, and she said I was a madame out in the old west in a past life, and that was why I was drawn to stories of the West. Which to be honest I am not. In fact I've always been drawn North East to Massachussets and Maine for some inexplicable reason. If I had a past life at all I think it was there and maybe during the Revolution, because I always seemed to be drawn to the study of it, and somehow knew a lot of the answers, even though I just skimmed some of my reading assignents. But I used to have a photographic memory for words, so it's possible I absorbed more than I thought. I am just not really convinced I had any past life. Maine though feels like going home for some reason, even though I have only been there twice to visit, and I was born and live in NY State.

But the Medium said the unexplained sense of guilt I have always felt, came from the Madame past and I should stop feeling guilty because I was the only one judging myself harshly. Okay the unexplained guilt is there, I just always wrote it off to being raised on Catholicism, but who knows?

But on the crossed over relative stuff it wasn't this fishing around that most of the TV mediums do, like I sense an R. This was out and out specific details prompted by no questions from me. She just came out with them. ODD.

So I don't know what to think.

[StellaBlue]

42. No.

I think we all are physically reincarnated as trees, worms, monkeys, moss, elephants, etc. Over many thousands of years, and in pieces here and there. I also think that if there is any actual energy in our bodies that is released when we die (and I mean actual energy, not New Age pseudo-soul energy) will necessarily have to be absorbed into or converted into something else. I am more into the science of thing, which, as Carl Sagan would say, is just as beautiful and mysterious and amazing (actually moreso) as some ridiculous supernatural explanation.

[bikebloke]

43. Not in this life.

In previous lives I have.

Seriously, I'll find out when the time comes. In the meantime, I'll maintain my corporeal self.

[Strong Atheist]

44. No nt.

[hickman1937]

45. I have to believe that this is just a stop on our way.

Otherwise what is it all for? Anything else makes robber barons and successful serial killers the ultimate that humans can achieve.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

47. I would like to think that there's something after my death........

I know I have a soul, and I believe it will continue on after my body dies.

But as to any further lives, or reincarnation......I'd like to think that those things will happen, but honestly, I don't know.

And I'm not ready to die to find out, either!

:shrug:

[JackDragna]

49. No.

Dead = worm food.