Why do people believe in an afterlife??

Is it because the human mind is incapable of dealing with the concept of eternity. Do you people that belive in an afterlife honestly think you're somehow going to have your same consciousness and memories forever?

That is an absolutely ridiculous thing to believe. I think many of you fail to grasp just how truly primitive and inconsequential we really are. A lot of the elderly are unable to form coherent thoughts after 80 or 90 years let alone an eternity. And if our consciouness were somehow augmented to handle infinity, would you really be who you are now? No, you would not. You would lose your identity in the process to be able to exist as an eternal entity. Either way, your personal memories and consciousness will cease to exist after you die.

What we do know though is that when a person dies, brain activity eventually ceases. No neurons firing, no consciousness. You may see things before you die, time may distort, etc, but eventually it will stop. I don't know what else there is to prove. It is up to the people saying your consciouness will somehow magically travel to another dimension to prove that, not me to disprove it.

I mean I could understand believing in that if some people had mind powers like telepathy, the force, whatever, but no one does. Your consciouness resides in your brain, end of story.

The evidence that humans create superstitions and myths from that whcih they cannot explain is demonstrable. That is why ALL Religions and religious beliefs come and go.

This may seem like a terrifying thing, and it is. That's why it's so important we rid ourselves of such foolish beliefs and religions. They only divide us as a species and hinder our progress. Instead of crusades and jihads, wouldn't it be better to work together to prolong human life and make it better? To take care of our planet so we can live here a while longer? These things are possible but it is up to us to do it. Believing in a fairy-tale ending when we die is not going to change anything and it only encourages/enables more people to believe the same pipe dream.

Besause people fear death which is one of the reasons religion was made.... one of many i might add (no tellies back in the day so stories where made

reply to post by ac3rr


Easy to understand your point, not mine, but easy to understand. And I wanted to add this video. Just makes me think.


www.youtube.com...

People fear Death, Because they know deep down inside, that there is nothing there..It is hard to come to terms with not existing.. Or that you threw your life away praying to a god that you always doubted existed anyway..

Thats why I still stand by the fact that, WE EXIST TODAY..So we need to live for today, And not stress about tomorrow..The past is the past..The future is never promised, So you see all we have is the now.

The truth is that I don't know if there's an afterlife or not. I believe in the possibility of an afterlife. Not that I would still have this same consciousness or be identified as the person I am here in the physical, but I believe in the distinct possibility that some part of the host remains after death of the body.

The brain is a physical organ and, of course, ceases to function when we die, but is there more to the person than the physical? I tend to think so. And I fully realize that it may just be wishful thinking. But for now, I think when the physical part of our selves dies, the non-physical (if there is such a thing) would live on as something we have yet to identify in a "place" we have yet to define.

I am atheist and I don't have a big fear of death. I think it's like birth - the transition from one existence to another. And I could be wrong. The simple truth is - I don't know.

I think the reason non-religious people believe in an afterlife is that we want to think that there's a spiritual aspect to ourselves. We "want to believe" that there is more to life than just a short burst.

Why do religious people believe in an afterlife? Because it would be very hard to control a populous if there was no gigantic reward or gigantic punishment in the end.

Originally posted by happysouljason
reply to post by ac3rr

 

Easy to understand your point, not mine, but easy to understand. And I wanted to add this video. Just makes me think.

www.youtube.com...

edit on 1-3-2011 by happysouljason because: seems video didn't embed

reply to post by ac3rr


I'm a spiritual person but I make no assumption to know what exactly happens after death, all I know is that for me a belief somewhere along these lines gives me strength and lessens any fear of death (not the thought of dying ...but death.) If there is nothing so be it...if there is something so be it.

I don't know how anyone can make an assumption about anything after death. I don't believe we come even close to understanding everything that can be understood (if that is even possible).

You believe it's naive for people to belief in something after death. I believe it's naive to believe to KNOW beyond any doubt that there is not.

Repeat those words you've posted when you are on the verge of death.

Peace & Respect,

AS

I don't know if your identity/consciousness goes on, after all the brain is an organ that dies with the body. However we all know that energy cannot be destroyed, and there are countless accounts through history of an afterlife and a spirit. I understand where you are coming from. Having an eternal soul/life is appealing when we consider eternity and oblivion.
But I know for myself that the soul exists I have communicated with spirits. I have had a NDE (Near Death Experience). All I know for sure is that we don't know for sure. I don't subscribe to any organized religion by the way, no fanaticism here.

When the brain is dead that's it, it's all over. Death is easy to understand...it's like being asleep without the dreams for eternity...it's like it was before we were born...nothing. Which is why people make up religions and pray to non existent Gods. Even religious people deep down know this but they are so scared that they need to create a fairytale ending. The sooner the human race comes to grips with knowing that death is nothing for eternity then the sooner we can make this planet a better place and live for today instead of thinking you are going to get an eternity in the clouds and killing eachother over who's fairytale book is the one true religion.

Well, my two cents....I happen to know beyond any doubt that there is an Afterlife, but that's me, and please don't just take my word for it. The reason I say this is because for one I see the dead sometimes. I have spoken to my Grandfather who passed in 1962, and two good friends who passed some years ago. My real Father also came to visit me, and was seen to materialize by my wife, it most scared her half to death. Secondly, I died myself in 2001, had three heart events, saw the Light, saw many relatives and friends there waiting, and learned a few thing about the Light itself in the process. Yes, there is an Afterlife, you are not a carbon based human body, that is simply your suit. You are a Spiritual Being is Divine Energy, and are in fact Immortal. So don't look at death as a fearful thing, or with sadness, look at it as a New Beginning. For myself, I can hardly wait, as I have seen the other side, and the grass is a lot greener over there. Whatever you think of there become reality right before your eyes!

Have you seen a shrink?

reply to post by autowrench


My god. You have no idea how long I have been waiting for this proof.

Ten long years searching through the masses of grey for a spark. A beam of hope. A living window into the next dimension to no avail. Now, I am at the end of this decade long road looking into the eyes of the guarantee. The promise. I don't know where to begin. Question. So many questions...

• Have you had your head examined so you can know for sure this is real and not brain farts?
• What are the secrets from beyond that no other man could dream up in a hallucination or fib?
• Which god is the true god of all the religions of the world?

You see, I've had other people tell me exactly what you're saying before and it turned out they were crazy and just looking for attention. Also there were a few who promised me their stories were real, but then one promised Jesus was true, another promised it was Vishnu, and the third guy swore to me it was North Korea's Kim Jong Ill.

There was also a jerk who fooled me into thinking he was Jesus Christ, and he had a compound in Waco Texas where everything got blown up. That didn't turn out so well, even though he promised too.

Then I hooked up with Michael Travesser who said everything you're saying, and he couldn't wait to die either! It was so exciting for all of us anticipating death! He's doing 18 years in a federal prison now.

But now there's you, and I have to admit, it's hard to deny what you're saying. How else can you explain it? And I personally can't think of a time when anyone's ever been as sure as you are then turned out to be wrong. And if you're not wrong.... then that'd mean you were right! And what you say true!! My GOD!! Where do I sign up?? Are you looking for followers? I'm available. I'll believe anything you say!! Please, tell me what to believe and I will bow to every word!

I swear I've got chills running up and down my spine knowing I'm speaking to one who's seen the afterlife and visited with so many spirits from beyond. You are a chosen one. God chose you to deliver your message. You are a Prophet among us. I will carry out your word on my dirty knees.

reply to post by ac3rr

I will not give you a proof. But I will give you an analogy.

Assume there is a robot vehicle on another planet in this solar system. It unpacks from the lander and goes exploring. It is a smart robot and has programs that "learn". Periodically it sends data back to Earth, where a complete set of its programs exist, as well as all data it has ever transmitted. Also, it occasionally receives "messages" from Earth that modify one or more of its programs in the collections of programs that it has. Eventually it runs out of juice, or falls into a crater -- and "dies". All programs wiped, all data gone.

And yet. Back on Earth all the programs still exist. All the data has been received and recorded. So what, exactly, "died" on that planet? Just the hardware.

reply to post by ac3rr


Well most people believe because they were taught it was true. I call this a cultural incentive. That incentive is reinforced as we grow older and see people die, we are constantly told they are "in a better place" or "with the angels" or some other such nonsense. This offers us comfort and emotional solace, what I call the emotional incentive. So our psychology and society lean us towards these beliefs from the get-go. Fear of death is also a big emotional incentive although for me when I was a Christian I was doubly afraid of the idea of living FOREVER.

Imagine that for a moment, living FOREVER, you'd go completely insane in a matter of centuries and spend the entirety of eternity, which DOESN'T END, as a stark raving lunatic. I'd say that's even more frightening than just being, well, dead.

reply to post by ac3rr


Well, thanks, I guess? I am not asking for anyone to believe me, there are many others who will tell a similar story. I guess since someone is really interested, although some already tell me I need a shrink, I will explain what I know about the whole affair.

This is hard to swallow, I know, but bear with me, this information was very hard to come by, in fact, I had to die to get it. Now, here we go, down the rabbit hole!

When a human being passes, they stay near the body, or loved ones for up to three days. then the need to go along comes, and eventually one will see the Light. Now we have been taught to always go into the Light, right? There is even a TV show that dwells on this concept. And, you can do this. It reads your mind, and sends you where it thinks you want to go.

The Light is about 12 feet tall from the "floor." it is really bright, it has a golden hue, and glows, and lights up the area around it. It is actually a crystalline based sophisticated computer system. It resides in the 4th dimension, you will never see it unless you are "dead." If questioned, the Light will inform you and show you, like a video player, all of the many thousands of Heavens, Hells, Summerlands, Happy Hunting Grounds. If humankind ever thought of it, it is programmed into this machine. And it is a machine. It can send an enlightened being to anyplace they wish to go, and it can neutralize an angry, or psychotic soul, and send them back again. Suicides are always sent right back through. The Light has a friendly attitude, and will not argue or dispute you, it is designed to work the birth/death cycle necessary for a planet such as this one. Without it, souls would wander, or cause trouble in the cosmos. Trouble is, the original design has been altered, and souls are programmed when they go through. The programming doesn't always work, it doesn't work at all with old souls, and hybrids, but it does work well on "young souls." Hope this has helped at least one of you, for those who think I need mental help, stick around, and remember this when it is your turn.

reply to post by Titen-Sxull

Well most people believe because they were taught it was true. I call this a cultural incentive.

Good analogy, friend. However, I have a different name for this effect. I call it Religious Programming. I was taught the Heaven/Hell concept also, but I rose above those concepts really quick, it seems. Some are prone to grasp that which tends to control, and dumb down the mind, while others are prone to grasp that which opens the mind to every possibility. I cannot really see where the gene is that makes a person grasp concepts that keep they from knowledge, but it is in there somewhere.

As the great American philosopher Woody Allen put, "I am not afraid of dying, but I don't want to be there when it happens."

Many people are like Woody. They fear dying, which usually sucks, but fear of being dead may not be as common as people who post, with Olympian tones, that everybody fears death.

If you actually listen to what people say about their own attitudes about death, instead of telling them what they think, then you will hear many people say that they don't mind dying themselves, but they do mind, say, not seeing their loved ones ever again. It is a very interesting subject.

It is said that the ego cannot imagine its own non-existence. It is at the very least difficult. Brave talk to say that "it's just like you were before you were born." What if the truth of the matter is that I've simply forgotten what it was like before I was born?

I've definitely forgotten almost all of what it is what like to be younger than three, and the womb? Nothing... except a species-wide telltale fondness for the imagery associated with that. Something in us remembers something. We only think we remember nothing.

No doubt about it, when the brain dies, the brain dies. And if the self does not, then how do you propose that the dead should tell you?

We die when the brain dies. Yet another thing many atheists believe on no evidence whatsoever, or to be precise, believe based solely on their personal interpretation of what the evidence might mean. Just like everybody else when they interpret evidence, except when non-atheists do it, they do it wrong. We know that because they reach different conclusions, or assert that no conclusions can be reached.

Real scientists have a parable, the story of the spider experimenter. He trained spiders to jump when he shouted "Jump!" Then he pulled out the legs of his trained spiders, one leg at a time. When he pulled out just one leg, the spiders still jumped when he yelled "Jump!" but not so high as before the surgery and with a delay. He often had to shout "Jump!" two or three times.

Then he pulled out two legs, and the delay always got worse, never better. Three legs, four legs, and so on until eight legs. More delay, more shouts, fewer jumps. And then, with all their legs gone, no matter how many times he yelled "Jump!" no spider ever jumped.

That's how he found out that spiders' organ of hearing is located in their legs. When their legs are gone, they become deaf.

Those spiders must be deaf, because otherwise they'd be jumping. Fool.

So, yeah, sure, the evidence that we die when the brain dies is compelling. Otherwise, we'd be sitting up talking. Fool.

Originally posted by eight bits

No doubt about it, when the brain dies, the brain dies. And if the self does not, then how do you propose that the dead should tell you?

We die when the brain dies.

You say this like one who is really in the know about it. Ever had an NDE? Ever Astral Projected? Ever been "out of body" for even a few seconds?

I used to be like you, and I too believed that dead is dead. But friend, when someone you knew and loved dearly comes to your bed, in full bodily form, touchable, smellable, and he was much younger than I remembered. Also, before he passed, Grandpa had Black Lung disease and a bad back. He always walked with a cane, and coughed constantly. This was not present at all. He took me by the hand and we talked for a long time, most of the night, actually. He reminded me of certain promises I have made to him, and he showed me things that amazed me. Upon my return, I saw my body laying there, breathing, laying on it's side, and it was then that I noticed the very thin silver thread that was connecting us together. I had to crawl back into my body. I have been out astral traveling many times, never had to do this before. I cried and cried when I got back in, which alarmed my wife. I am telling this as I remember it, so take it as such. But I can say without any reservation that what I experienced was true and yes, there is life after death. There is a way of looking at human spirit and again, a dictionary definition can be of use. Dictionary.com defines the human spirit as such:

1. the principle of conscious life; the vital principle in humans, animating the body or mediating between body and soul.
2. the incorporeal part of humans: present in spirit though absent in body.
3. the soul regarded as separating from the body at death.
4. conscious, incorporeal being, as opposed to matter: the world of spirit.
5. a supernatural, incorporeal being, especially one inhabiting a place, object, etc., or having a particular character: evil spirits.
6. a fairy, sprite, or elf.
7. an angel or demon.

Believe in Angels and Demons? Spirit without body.
Check this:
It should be noted that spirit is equated, to some extent, with consciousness, and it is surely the latter that provides the greater evolution in the life of humanity. In common terms, the Spirit evolves, not the body, except for minor cosmetic changes, surgeries, deformities, and other ways of changing the human receptacle. It grows older with each passing day, and I can really attest to that, being as I am more than half a century old. My spirit, however, is young, and strong. And here is the best part...I am my Spirit. I come from a Divine source, as all of you did. A part of that Divine source resides within every one of us, and it is Immortal, for it is Energy, the most pure energy in the Universe. Go right now and look in your mirror. Say these words: "I AM." Say it loud. Look into the eyes that stare back at you. Do you see what I am telling you?

Science has nothing in its findings that can predict living systems will possess consciousness. There is no way to measure this, and without measure, a scientist is lost, and cannot define a thing. Consciousness seems to be above and beyond the basic material construction of carbon based physical bodies. Investigations of near-death experiences, for example, reveals that those experiencing this phenomena are convinced that they can exist without a body. I am one of these. This is also consistent with many statements; by individuals who can deeply immerse themselves in a meditative/contemplative state and experience direct contact with beings existing on higher planes of existence, without any evidence of possessing a physical body.

reply to post by ac3rr


After reading the entire thread I know now that the your title query is totally disingenuous. You are not really seeking to learn from other people's views. You simply want to ridicule those who you don't agree with. You have much more in common with judgemental, bellicose, after-life believing religious zealots than you think. You speak like a man who knows he has a monopoly on truth. Where has that been seen before? I think you know.

I have an opinion on this matter but I'll withhold because you don't care what it is anyway.

Originally posted by SunSword
reply to post by ac3rr

 

I will not give you a proof. But I will give you an analogy.

Assume there is a robot vehicle on another planet in this solar system. It unpacks from the lander and goes exploring. It is a smart robot and has programs that "learn". Periodically it sends data back to Earth, where a complete set of its programs exist, as well as all data it has ever transmitted. Also, it occasionally receives "messages" from Earth that modify one or more of its programs in the collections of programs that it has. Eventually it runs out of juice, or falls into a crater -- and "dies". All programs wiped, all data gone.

And yet. Back on Earth all the programs still exist. All the data has been received and recorded. So what, exactly, "died" on that planet? Just the hardware.

so thats all we are then just hardware?
if our bodies dont matter and life as we know it is just an illusion? then we could all kill ourselves and everything would be ok

i dont know if you realize, that IS what your saying. and if that is what you're saying, then i think that advice is extremely malicious and i hope you reconsider your views.