What is the afterlife like?

[EGspirit]

I have very good reasons to believe the mind continues after the body dies. Perhaps we'll get into that, if you're interested, in this string, but I'm more interested in speculating about what the afterlife would have to be like, if there is such a thing.

Is it like a dream?

Is it simply non-existence--no mind, no realization of any sort?

Is it a world, a universe of its own?

What does Morpheus say to Neo in The Matrix? "Have you ever had a dream that seemed so real? What if you never woke up? How would you know it was a dream?" ...or something to that effect.

[khminh]

I love answering questions like this. I believe an afterlife does exist. I'm a Christian, so I believe in Heaven. I believe our new heavenly bodies are created when we pass from this earth life to our life in heaven where Jesus is. There are many great books of testimony available of peoples experiences regarding the afterlife. One in particular, Within Heaven's Gates by Rebecca Springer is a great account of what she experienced and what God showed her. As a Christian, I try to hold the Bible as my barometer when reading people's accounts of NDE. Also the vision of Marietta Davis, Nine Days in Heaven is incredible. It is hard to wrap my finite mind around eternity but I know in my heart I will spend it with my creator. This is just my personal belief so I hope what I have stated here is not offensive to anyone who is a non-believer as it is not my intent. Just putting in my two cents. :)

Then you could have just said that your view about afterlife is based on the Bible. Why did you bring up other people's NDE who match up your biblical view? Are you implying that a true NDE has to lead the person to Christianity?

Your interest in answering questions like OP is indeed interesting. What a good Christian tactic!

[khminh]

You do make an interesting point there. Because I've thought about that in the past. God (or the mind of God) can't deny that I existed. He can't forget me. I don't believe even God can make something that existed be as if it never existed. And I am very careful about saying what God can and can't do. But I don't believe a pure consciousness, which God would have to be, could forget an entity he created.

And I think this because I believe God is monistic in nature, and to forget something would be to create a true separation, which I believe is impossible: There would be God, and then apart from God there would be the things he's forgotten. But then the "things he's forgotten" would still be part of his monistic being, so it's a contradiction.

I could expound on that, but I don't want to bore you. The fact is, I hear what you're saying, and you may be very right in it.

Now, I may be confused about what constitutes "me." I may naively believe that EGspirit as he exists on Feb 3, 2018 is the be-all and end-all of my identity. But in fact, like your uncle-in-law, my life is not really defined, my creation is not really complete, until it is over, until it is "finished." That finished identity is what remains, I think, and I think it is integrated after death, unlike now, where it is remembered in a sequence of past events.

At any rate, thanks for making me think some on that. :)

No problem. What I said is my speculation. I cannot prove or disprove it.

You seem to be concerned about two different things: your identity in your eyes and your identity in God's eyes.

If this god you believe in is really how you describe him, your identity is unique to him.

Even if your uniqueness is irrelevant to your god, it matters to other people who knows you. I think that should also make your current self special to you.

Among the religions that believe in reincarnation, Buddhism stands out because it doesn't believe "the self". That's why the doctrine is that the self in the new reincarnated life relates to the self in the previous life, but they are not the same.

I came from the branch of Buddhism that doesn't believe in the self, but I am not convinced of reincarnation claim. Still, you can see the idea is that a physical body infused with consciousness creates a unique individual in this particular life. No body can ever replicate you even after you're gone.

[Davey Do]

I was involved in an MVA at the age of 19 and suffered a closed head injury, among other multiple fractures a comminuted fractures of my right arm and leg, a lacerated liver, a ruptured spleen, mediastinal air bubble, hematuria, and some other injuries.

...there were two different stages of my comatose state.

The first stage, which was probably the deeper state of being unconscious, was akin to many stories I've read of near death experiences. GENERALLY pleasant experiences. The second was misinterpretation of my environment, the ICU, which were generally unpleasant experiences.

I was unconscious for about three weeks. In the first stage one experience was like one of the bardos described in The Tibetan Book of the Dead where I was surrounded by a gray fog with lots of people in maroon gowns.

The feeling was extraordinary. I felt loved and a part of the whole, is the best way I can put it.

I communicated with the people there, but not in words. My maternal grandfather, who died when I was about 6 years old, was there. We knew I could not say in this place but we were all peaceful and happy and felt loved.

I had many experiences while I was unconscious, but none were like this one.

After this experience I got into the subject of life after death, reading books like Life After Life by Raymond Moody and several other books on reincarnation, including many on Edgar Cayce.

For the next several years my beliefs were set in stone until I read

Sherwin Nuland in his book How We Die, believes the brain during its shutdown is bombarded by neurotransmitters to the point that the individual is capable of extraordinary senses, like the out of body experiences by those having had an NDE.

which shook my beliefs, somewhat.

However, I chose to believe what I believe, and my beliefs give me peace. For me, it really doesn't matter if there's an afterlife or not. I am grateful for my experiences and will continue to live my life as best I can, to the fullest extent that I can.

[Davey Do]

I was still grieving my beloved cat, whom I had to euthanize several weeks before.

I began to hear purring. Within a second or two, it was as loud and unmistakable as a purring cat on the chest, yet there was no cat in the house.

It went on for for 15 or 20 minutes.

He was letting me know that he was still with me, everything was going to be ok, and to follow my heart.

It would seem that entities can communicate with us from different levels of reality.

My older brother Eddy passed away in 2013. Eddy told both my younger sister Cat and I before he died that if there was a way to communicate with us after he was gone, he would.

Cat was Eddy's primary caregiver in the several months before his death and she believes he has communicated with her on different occasions. Finding previously unknown items that he owned in unusual places is one example.

I made a little story of how I believed Eddy communicated with me.

Eddy and I had talked about the spelling of his name sometime before he died. Usually the name is spelled Eddie and his is spelled like the circular movement of water, counter to a main current, causing a small whirlpool.

[guest655229]

No, I wasn't implying that a"true NDE" has to lead the person to Christianity. I was using those with experiences that are in alignment with what the Bible teaches as my example of my belief. My response was not meant as a "tactic" of any sort. I was just stating what my personal belief is about the afterlife as an answer to the question.

[guest655229]

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[Farawyn]

No, the onus is on you. Why? Because I couldn't care less if you believe the way I do, or if you know what I know. If you're not seeking answers, if you couldn't give two bits for the afterlife, or if you're a materialist through-and-through, then just ignore me. I don't have to prove anything to you. I don't even want to. I don't really want to defend what I believe. I want to know what YOU believe so that I might modify what I believe, or at least evaluate more closely what I believe.

Then why post?

[Farawyn]

No one cares about anyone anymore.

I care about a lot of people here. I agree with Mav,

[jetsy62]

There is a show on Lifetime, I believe, called I Survived. It may have some answers.

[wondern, ASN]

... his is spelled like the circular movement of water, counter to a main current, causing a small whirlpool.

Thanks, Davey Do, I never knew there was a name for this. I learned a new thing again.

The 'little story' and illustration you shared with us about Eddy was so beautifully symbolic and sweet. Thank you for sharing.