How To Stop Fearing Death (Blog)

[Mynder]

That's what I meant. You can hear every other person talking about how they experienced xyz, but if you've never seen anything like it, all you have to go by is that it is "likely to not be delusional if so many people experience it".

That still proves nothing, and as you sure know, examples about where (especially in science) the majority believed something that proved to be wrong in the end (and was proven wrong by somebody who found a better explanation, that possibly later was also proved wrong).

As long as it helps to explain what it is supposed to explain, a model is helpful. And if new knowledge arises, you update the model to reflect it, or if that isn't possible, scrap it and build a new one.

[Mato Kinze]

Originally Posted by Mynder

"how things are" (tm),

"(tm)"?? Srsly?? I'm coughing I laughed so hard.

Sorry... didn't mean to derail the thread... it just struck me. Please... carry on.

[Moonshadow]

Originally Posted by Mynder

are you still putting blame on your spirit guides, god, the world, or the cruel universe for playing a mean joke on you?

I am not blaming anyone or anything...............after all, death is a fact of life.

I am simply saying that spiritual theory and actual reality sometimes differ.

Moonshadow

[Mynder]

In my opinion they don't. I guess it depends on what your "spiritual model" is and whether it allows for things like that to happen.

Anyway, I really didn't want to take this thread off on that tangent, so if you wish to pursue this, feel free to PM me.

[Orlando]

re. life after death -- I would like nothing more for this to exist, but just am aware that that wanting colours my and our views of this and that there is so far little scientific agreement on how such a thing would be possible, and it seems to not fit all that well with modern discoveries about the brain -- how much easier it would have been in the past when people thought the brain was just an organ for cooling the blood and our whole personality and awareness was "obviously" caused by the animating spirit in us. This is a similar situation about "heaven" -- in ancient times it was literally thought to be above us -- hence in my second language, French, the words for heaven and sky are still the same. That is clearly implied, for example, in the tale of Jesus ascending up there before his disciples' eyes.

Another thing that disillusioned me, being from a Christian (Anglican) background, was the discovery that the early Christians focussed mainly, not on the idea of an immortal soul going to heaven, but on the idea of resurrection of the dead into new immortal bodies on a renewed Earth -- an idea that seems to me terribly unlikely given what we know about how the world and the universe work (universe is about 12 billion years old or so, we are just living on some small planet in one of many galaxies, we evolved from single-celled animals etc.).

On the other side of the picture though, I continue to have some interest in NDEs, for example, and would like to mention a new book coming out which might interest people here:

Amazon.com: Consciousness Beyond Life: The Science of the Near-Death Experience (9780061777257): Pim Van Lommel: Books

It is by former cardiologist Pim van Lommel, a doctor who is convinced NDEs show consciousness can exist outside the body. I will be interested to see if he seems to have much new to add to the debate or not.

[Moonshadow]

Originally Posted by Mynder

In my opinion they don't.

Well in my opinion they do.

Originally Posted by Mynder

so if you wish to pursue this, feel free to PM me.

No thank you.


Moonshadow

[supertom]

I think you have to make peace with the wost kind -eternity of nothingness, utter oblivion- After you have made that peace you can move on to more empowering ones.

[Mato Kinze]

Originally Posted by Orlando

re. life after death -- I would like nothing more for this to exist, but just am aware that that wanting colours my and our views of this and that there is so far little scientific agreement on how such a thing would be possible, and it seems to not fit all that well with modern discoveries about the brain -- how much easier it would have been in the past when people thought the brain was just an organ for cooling the blood and our whole personality and awareness was "obviously" caused by the animating spirit in us. This is a similar situation about "heaven" -- in ancient times it was literally thought to be above us -- hence in my second language, French, the words for heaven and sky are still the same. That is clearly implied, for example, in the tale of Jesus ascending up there before his disciples' eyes.

Another thing that disillusioned me, being from a Christian (Anglican) background, was the discovery that the early Christians focussed mainly, not on the idea of an immortal soul going to heaven, but on the idea of resurrection of the dead into new immortal bodies on a renewed Earth -- an idea that seems to me terribly unlikely given what we know about how the world and the universe work (universe is about 12 billion years old or so, we are just living on some small planet in one of many galaxies, we evolved from single-celled animals etc.).

On the other side of the picture though, I continue to have some interest in NDEs, for example, and would like to mention a new book coming out which might interest people here:

Amazon.com: Consciousness Beyond Life: The Science of the Near-Death Experience (9780061777257): Pim Van Lommel: Books

It is by former cardiologist Pim van Lommel, a doctor who is convinced NDEs show consciousness can exist outside the body. I will be interested to see if he seems to have much new to add to the debate or not.

If we separate a "Spiritual existence" from a "Physcial existence" then your struggles to reconcile the two make perfect sense. I think this is what your "Modern Science" attempts to do.

In my opinion, this is unfortunate and the source for so much debate and uncertainty in the world today.

It is my belief that the "physical world" - that which our brains can measure, classify, catalog and examine - is simply a reflection of the "Spiritual World." What we experience with our normal five senses is like a skin overlayed on the rest of reality which is only perceptible to most of us by its influence but that, with a little work and practice, can be measured by the Heart.

If we accept that the Spiritual World coexists with the Physical World and that acceptance and "understanding" of one does not negate the other, then much of this confusion and separation goes away.

Understanding how the brain and body works does not eliminate the possibility of some form of self-consciousness continuing after that said body ceases to function in the way we recognize as "life." Likewise, understanding that "illness" is the result of imbalances in a person's Energy Body does not negate the fact that viruses, harmful bacteria, and genetic mutation exist.

A "cold", after all, is not a sore throat, stuffy nose and fever. These are the symptoms of a cold. In the same way, viruses, harmful bacteria and genetic mutation are all symptoms of energetic imbalances. Treat the cause and the symptoms disappear.

Harmones, neurotransmitters, and electrical impulses are likewise "symptoms" of what happens in our Energy Bodies. They are the measurable effects of things that happen outside our normal sphere of experience.

"Dying" is simply a release of that particular expression of our Energy Body.

At least, for me that's true. For you, it may be different. I don't know.

[wbindia]

I don't fear death at all-

As a Christian believer in the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior-I do not fear death and instead-look forward to spending eternity with Him


Best-

Wayne

[Bazza]

Originally Posted by Orlando

Yes -- if you don't think there's anything, then you think you will just be annihiliated and never experience anything again. That's not as bad as, for example, going to an eternal hell, but is not a particularly comfortable thought.

Is it weird that i think it would be a good thing to have death be the ultimate end for us? i have trouble imagining an afterlife i would want to live in forever....

[Bindi]

Hi

We are spritual beings who have agreed to incarnate here at this time to view the changing of the planet and finally get away from this reincarnation thing and also karma.

This planet is the prison - religion, wars famine, disease etc. You name it we are seeing it or suffering it. Why would you think that after being on this planet we would have to content with the thought of maybe going to hell. There is no such thing for us - the average human who has not harmed other beings. The problems are not created by us as humans on this planet no matter what we are told by 'them'
We are made of energy ( we have chakras - energy centres in our bodies) and there fore when we die on this planet we automatically go to the 4 th dimension in our Astral bodies which are just as physical as these ones) Energy cannot be destroyed. We are governed by Universal Law not human or religious laws,

[Starby]

I don't fear death so much as I fear how I will die. For me, the thought of having a long drawn out, painful death is worse than death itself. Knowing what is going to happen and having the time to reflect on it would also be terrifying. I want to die in my sleep while I'm blissfully unaware.

Have to admit I'm much more afraid of losing my loved ones than I am of my own death.

[Gene]

Originally Posted by Starby

I don't fear death so much as I fear how I will die. For me, the thought of having a long drawn out, painful death is worse than death itself. Knowing what is going to happen and having the time to reflect on it would also be terrifying. I want to die in my sleep while I'm blissfully unaware.

Have to admit I'm much more afraid of losing my loved ones than I am of my own death.

I am still alive so I have not experienced death. I have however experienced extreme pain over an extended time period. Thinking about the pain is way more frightening that going through the process of actually experiencing the pain. I think it might be the same for dying.

[Mato Kinze]

Originally Posted by Starby

I don't fear death so much as I fear how I will die. For me, the thought of having a long drawn out, painful death is worse than death itself. Knowing what is going to happen and having the time to reflect on it would also be terrifying. I want to die in my sleep while I'm blissfully unaware.

Have to admit I'm much more afraid of losing my loved ones than I am of my own death.

This was my original point. Fear of "Loss" is pointless (Fear of ANYTHING is pointless actually, but that's a different thread.)

You have nothing to lose that is meaningful enough to Fear it's separation. If you are so attached to ANYTHING or ANYONE, then you are not allowing energy to flow appropriately and you will become unbalanced.