What happens when we die? What does death mean?

A topic all mankind can relate to. Although I am Buddhist, I found a comforting synopsis of life after death as viewed by Jewish / Torah scholars at this site:

www.beingjewish.com...

Originally posted by SEEWHATUDO
As most people are I fear death, I take it a bit farther than most. I have anxiety attacks with just a flickering thought of death, I refuse to do many things because of my fear and I am very over protective of my children. I was raised a Christian and my family is very religious, not fire and brimstone but still very much believers. I have been the black sheep and could never just swallow the whole Heaven/Hell Jesus is our Savior pill. I don't have any hardcore beliefs beyond, I know there is a greater power, I feel it in my core.
What do you believe? I am not looking for proof or facts (if you have them well that would be incredible too) just your beliefs. I feel as if I have been living a very sheltered existence and I would like to broaden my little world, I would like to research and discover my own beliefs so that I might not be so fearful of what happens next.
So, if you could just hold my hand and show me other possibilities so that I can at least start the journey I would be truly grateful. Any and all beliefs are welcome, I and others will take what we want from those, we still have free thinking minds right?

Hi SEEWHATUDO From my own experience I believe 100% that the way death has been portrayed is a dirty lie. Many people who have died in accidents who have come back to life. Say its the most beautiful experience. Religion is a way of controlling people. Not to say all religion is bad as used right it can be a very rewarding. But this you follow our rules and beliefs if you want to go to heaven. If not you go to hell are just ridiculous. And completely contradicts itself over and over. For one we have not seen all the information at the vatican. Hmmm wonder why and it was a group of men that decided what the bible will be and out of many scrips they were the ones that choose the Bible.
From my own experience of life after this one. I lost a close family member and knew they were at peace. I as well as other family members saw them and saw they were happy. They wasn't of a religion at all. But was openminded to the unknown. I will try and find a video that will illustrate on how death can be the best thing and come back

Ok I have just found a video I watched a while back and found it very interesting as it covers peoples experiences. This is part one

[edit on 28-6-2008 by smason202]

Its is interesting that others out there also think about death as often as I do. I dont think I fear death, if I did, I would be afraid of everything. I think I merely contemplate what might happen when we die. I used to firmly believe that when we die, we just cease to exist, but the thing is, when we die things like our hair and fingernails continue to grow, this means that a part of us continues to live as a body. I also conceive the known universe to be nothing more or less than perhaps an atom. Look at how we as human portrays atoms and molecules. We present them as spheres with red hot suns at the centres. Could it not be that in fact the earth is in fact a proton and the sun is an electron or vice versa I am not a scientist, and that our universe and all its matter is simply one single molecule on another beings body, and that his so called universe is the same and so on until you cant be bothered counting the stages? Why not? If you have seen the Dr. Suess cartoon, 'Horton Heard a Who' and you can imagine that on each grain of dust exists an entire universe and on the grains of dust in that universe exists another grain of dust in which another complete universe exists and so on again until boredom sets in, then when you die, you rot into a trillion molecules that cannot NOT exist they just dont look like a person anymore, what used to be a fingernail is now 5 billion carbon and water and glucose molecules in which an infinitiy of new universes with complex life exists. How can we consider that the small part of our existence cannot be the largest part of something elses existence? What is to say some creature, animal or whatever is currently sitting thinking that when it dies it will be reduced to a trillion molecules when in fact our entire universe of blackness and all its suns and planets and meteors comets etc is currently residing in a molecule on that creatures body, and when it dies although it will have no further conscious knowledge, our world will still be exactly as it is without any change even though that creature was put in a crematorium furnace on his planet and burnt to nothingness, the elements which made it up still exist and we are just one of those elements of its body we carry on like nothing has ever happend to small to be effected by whats happend in its world. The thing that is confusing is that of souls. Do they exist? Are thoughts and feelings just sensations of the mind or are they something bigger? This is harder for me to fathom as the soul has no physical entity. The soul doesnt feel cold or hot or wet or dry, but it does feel upset and hurt, how can that be explained? It is funny that we are not meant to understand, if we could understand it in totality, would it make any difference? Could we change it? I dont believe in ghosts. I think that is just a fear, to be able to conjour up a figure to represent what is now missing in physical form is just fear. I am absolutely crazy crazy in love with my girlfriend. If I died and my soul could actually see her still existing, I would stay by her side until she died and then hopefully find I can connect with her soul and go on to the new whatever it is WITH her as she completes me on earth I see no reason why she could not complete me in the 'after whatever'. But look as far as death is concerned, it is a very strange thing to ponder. To even sit for a few moments and conjure what it would be like to NOT EXIST, is hard to imagine. Its hard because its damn well meant to be hard, our conscience minds understand what we have come to know as existence. For it to not exist is not fathomable for us. So in summary I think death would feel like going for an operation, you would be knocked out by the anaesthesist, you would see the room get darker and darker and rather than dream or wake up after the op. you would just remain in that state of nothinness for all eternity. It hurts to live, not to die.

Originally posted by David2012
PS. I don't believe in reincarnation. I wonder what the point of your view would be.. sounds as pointless as dieing the way science sees it... (rotting away, end of existence)

Well I do believe in reincarnation. I think we have all been here many times, some more then others.

Of course I have no proof of this. But I read about an incredible case regarding reincarnation some time ago.

A summary of the case can be found here:

The Reincarnation of Jeffrey Keene

So the stories from all these people who had near death experiences and past live memories seem to indicate that there is more to death then meets the eye...



[edit on 7/7/08 by Fastwalker81]

The Big O, you just said everything I fear. I'm young (16), but I was recently thinking about my grandmother the other day. She was only 62 when she died, and for the past few days, I've been thinking about death.

I always want to be everywhere , and I don't want to miss out on anything. I think a big part of that is that I'm a teenager, so I haven't really experienced much of anything in life. But right now, I just can't come to terms with the fact that I'm going to die someday. I hope that maybe, when I'm much, much older, I will be able to accept this fact and feel that I can leave this world.

Are there any older people that have any opinions about this? Do you ever feel finally fulfilled in life?

reply to post by SEEWHATUDO


In Genesis 3:19 Were are dust and will return to dust . In the sweat of your face you will eat bread until you return to the ground for out of it
you were taken for dust you are and dust you will return . We have hope
through Jesus sacrifice Romans 8:2 For there being an incapability on
the on the part of the law while it was weak through the flesh, God, by sending his own Son in the likness of sinful flesh and conserning sin condemned sin in flesh . All who are in the tomb will raised . John 5:28'29
Do not marvel at this because the hour is coming in which all those in the
memorial tomb will hear his voise and come out , those who did good
things to a resurrection of life, those who practiced vile things to a resurrection of judgement. [email protected]. com