Do you believe in an afterlife?

[holden]

I believe that we are forever connected to certain people (soulmates). They could be parents, children, friends or spouses. When we die that connection is not lost. So I guess I believe in an afterlife.

 

[22Tink]

Yes

 

[antmaril]

Yes I find comfort in that thought

I agree. It is comforting.

 

[jesusfreak75]

Yes for sure.

 

[DLgal]

I definitely do not. I believe when you die, that's it, and that is very comforting to me. It means when you are gone, there is no more worry, sadness, fear, anger, happiness, joy, etc. You are just done "being."

To the question of energy, we know what happens (scientifically) to the energy present in living things when they die. It gets transferred into other energy, mostly heat, either through decomposition or whatever means a person's body is disposed of (cremation, etc). I mean, think about all the other living things in earth that die. We know how that cycle works. We all learned about it in elementary school science.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I believe all of it stemmed from the same basic, biggest fear of humanity - death and the unknown. Every culture found a way to "explain" things so it wasn't so feared, and then the story-telling grew to what we know now.

Just my opinion.

I think it was more than that. People throughout the ages had their own experiences, and shared them. They’ve found ancient cave drawings that depict scenes like the ones people describe today who’ve had near death experiences. Those give us a lot of information about what we can expect when we die. (IMO.) I’ve read a lot about them, and I’ve had patients tell me their own experiences, too. It’s fascinating.

 

[momz]

I do believe in the after life. Life is eternal. I know where my forever home is. I look forward to it too. But I also believe that not everyone is will be there. There is a separation. Send me a PM is you want to know about it.

 

[John VN]

I believe all of it stemmed from the same basic, biggest fear of humanity - death and the unknown. Every culture found a way to "explain" things so it wasn't so feared, and then the story-telling grew to what we know now.

Just my opinion.

I think it was more than that. People throughout the ages had their own experiences, and shared them. They’ve found ancient cave drawings that depict scenes like the ones people describe today who’ve had near death experiences. Those give us a lot of information about what we can expect when we die. (IMO.) I’ve read a lot about them, and I’ve had patients tell me their own experiences, too. It’s fascinating.

Let's not forget the stories (cave drawings) of the sun being eaten as a solar eclipse occurs BUT THEN IT ENDS AND ALL IS WELL. happy-happy, joy-joy, the fear of dying is gone

I definitely do not. I believe when you die, that's it, and that is very comforting to me. It means when you are gone, there is no more worry, sadness, fear, anger, happiness, joy, etc. You are just done "being."

To the question of energy, we know what happens (scientifically) to the energy present in living things when they die. It gets transferred into other energy, mostly heat, either through decomposition or whatever means a person's body is disposed of (cremation, etc). I mean, think about all the other living things in earth that die. We know how that cycle works. We all learned about it in elementary school science.

Tonight make an effort to mentally capture the moment you fall asleep. Can't be done because NOTHINGNESS HAPPENS as it does upon death. I believe in the comfort of a nothingness as apposed to having a form of consciousness where one is HAPPY FOREVER in some unknown plane of existence with relatives and friends?????? Seriously, not my cup of tea!

 

[goofyernmost]

It's interesting to see replies.
I like that some find comfort in thought of afterlife.

I'm the opposite - after I'm gone (Please, not for a loooong time) I won't even know. No awareness.
I always say - do you remember what it was like before you were born? No? Same with after.

That actually gives me comfort when losing loved ones, no fear, no awareness, no consciousness.

Would I love to be wrong and find out we go live with the aliens for another life? Absolutely!

Agree with that position, well, except for the Alien part. I'd still prefer.. dead is dead. For some reason whenever I think about after life all I can think about is my Mother watching me having relations. Even Clarence knew every move that George made and he wasn't even a relative. Course that could be why it took Clarence so long to get his wings. A little to much peeping.

 

[tcufrog]

What matters to me is the life I live right now on Earth. I don't believe in an afterlife but I could be wrong. I've been wrong before. I figure that the fact that I've lived a good life will hopefully matter if I'm wrong and there is an afterlife of some sort.

 

[Nox]

I don't.

I find it a hard pill to swallow now, after losing my dad only four months ago. To think that everything he ever was is simply gone forever. To know that I will never see him again. To know that will eventually happen to everyone I love. It was much easier to feel when the concept only involved myself - I will cease. I will no longer exist. I will be gone forever. That was fine and, in some ways, comforting. But now that reality has truly struck, that I'm not the only one who ceases to exist, it's no longer comforting, if that makes sense. (I knew, of course, that everyone dies eventually, but I had never experienced death before my dad, so it was still one of those faraway concepts that I didn't think about much, despite thinking about my own death constantly.)

 

[ronandannette]

What matters to me is the life I live right now on Earth. I don't believe in an afterlife but I could be wrong. I've been wrong before. I figure that the fact that I've lived a good life will hopefully matter if I'm wrong and there is an afterlife of some sort.

Some interesting thoughts on that by the renowned 17th century physicist and philosopher Blaise Pascal (called Pascal's Wager):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pascal's_wager

 

[only hope]

In the end, whether a person believes in heaven/an afterlife or not does not determine whether or not it exists. Humanity doesn’t get to decide that.

 

[happily single]

This is such a hard question, but for me it ties into “do you believe in spirits/ghosts”? And the answer to that is Yes.

just a few months ago as part of a fundraiser I had a zoom call with a psychic medium. She immediately felt the energy of my ex-husband (who despite my screen name I considered my soulmate).

The information she passed on was not known by a single person. The only explanation was she tapped into (or however she called it) into his energy.

 

[hereyago]

I voted yes I believe.

 

[John VN]

Had me thinking about those who believe --

Get married and have a wonderful relationship being VERY MUCH IN LOVE. Spouse dies so "goes to Heaven" and children are told that spouse is in Heaven looking down on them and is proud with how they are doing. Life goes on, meet another individual and fall crazy in love and marry. I guess since everything in Heaven is wonderful, then spouse looking down must be wonderfully happy for the new relationship with someone to share life with.

New spouse dies and goes to Heaven. Guess the two meet up and have a wonderful time in Heaven each waiting for you to die to go to Heaven.

You die and go to Heaven sooooo who do you decide to spend ETERNITY with to be wonderfully happy FOREVER and what happens with the other spouse for ETERNITY????

 

[ford family]

Had me thinking about those who believe --

Get married and have a wonderful relationship being VERY MUCH IN LOVE. Spouse dies so "goes to Heaven" and children are told that spouse is in Heaven looking down on them and is proud with how they are doing. Life goes on, meet another individual and fall crazy in love and marry. I guess since everything in Heaven is wonderful, then spouse looking down must be wonderfully happy for the new relationship with someone to share life with.

New spouse dies and goes to Heaven. Guess the two meet up and have a wonderful time in Heaven each waiting for you to die to go to Heaven.

You die and go to Heaven sooooo who do you decide to spend ETERNITY with to be wonderfully happy FOREVER and what happens with the other spouse for ETERNITY????

Good question but bear in mind that you may not consider yourself to be in heaven if you have both mothers in law there also!

ford family

 

[Buckeye218]

Unquestionably.

 

[ronandannette]

Had me thinking about those who believe --

Get married and have a wonderful relationship being VERY MUCH IN LOVE. Spouse dies so "goes to Heaven" and children are told that spouse is in Heaven looking down on them and is proud with how they are doing. Life goes on, meet another individual and fall crazy in love and marry. I guess since everything in Heaven is wonderful, then spouse looking down must be wonderfully happy for the new relationship with someone to share life with.

New spouse dies and goes to Heaven. Guess the two meet up and have a wonderful time in Heaven each waiting for you to die to go to Heaven.

You die and go to Heaven sooooo who do you decide to spend ETERNITY with to be wonderfully happy FOREVER and what happens with the other spouse for ETERNITY????

Well, from a Christian perspective, your premise is off the mark theologically so I can't say I'd personally struggle with it. My own DMom is buried between her two husbands in our family plot so I just have to trust everything is working out OK.

 

[only hope]

Had me thinking about those who believe --

Get married and have a wonderful relationship being VERY MUCH IN LOVE. Spouse dies so "goes to Heaven" and children are told that spouse is in Heaven looking down on them and is proud with how they are doing. Life goes on, meet another individual and fall crazy in love and marry. I guess since everything in Heaven is wonderful, then spouse looking down must be wonderfully happy for the new relationship with someone to share life with.

New spouse dies and goes to Heaven. Guess the two meet up and have a wonderful time in Heaven each waiting for you to die to go to Heaven.

You die and go to Heaven sooooo who do you decide to spend ETERNITY with to be wonderfully happy FOREVER and what happens with the other spouse for ETERNITY????

There is no marriage in heaven, according to the Bible. I know other faiths teach something quite different but don’t know enough to answer the question from those perspectives.