Death

[spacedout]

Death is the biggest underlying fear for most people because fate after death is mysterious and unknown. Is the personality and even consciousness lost forever or does something of ourselves exist after death? Is there something to look forward to or is there complete nothingness?

What is your innate feeling, not your religious view, but your deep down intuition of "life" after death? Below are seven hypotheses for what follows death. Which one fits your belief? I'll post the results in two weeks.

1. Fatalistic view - Here today gone tomorrow. Dust to dust.

2. Reincarnation - Will come back as someone or something else.

3. Cyclic view - The human is only one form of a never-ending cycle. Much like a sapling becomes a tree, a tree produces a flower, a flower produces a seed, and a seed grows into a sapling and neither one knows where it came from or where it's going.

4. Heaven and hell - If you are good you go to heaven and if you are bad you will go to hell.

5. Cosmic view - We are all energy and when we die our energy is dispersed into the universe to be used over as something else.

6. I don't buy into any of the above views. I believe that after death _________________________________________________.

7. I don't have the faintest idea.

[Abitofzen]

Can I pick all 7?

If I had to pick one, I would probably go with "I haven't the faintest idea"...... but that's not really true, either.

This is a rather charged issue, and some lively discussion will be fun.

Unfortunately for the 'lively discussion', I'm not terribly opinionated here...

keep smiling,

BEn

[themaster]

1. Fatalistic view - Here today gone tomorrow. Dust to dust.

True enough..

2. Reincarnation - Will come back as someone or something else.

True enough again.. but I always have to point out all incarnations are going on right NOW..

3. Cyclic view - The human is only one form of a never-ending cycle. Much like a sapling becomes a tree, a tree produces a flower, a flower produces a seed, and a seed grows into a sapling and neither one knows where it came from or where it's going.

True enough..

4. Heaven and hell - If you are good you go to heaven and if you are bad you will go to hell.

EGO judgment/fear view..

5. Cosmic view - We are all energy and when we die our energy is dispersed into the universe to be used over as something else.

True enough..

6. I buy into any of the above views. I believe that after death we just keep on exploring ourselves

7. I don't have the faintest idea.

Nein..

[Rhythman]

1. Fatalistic view - Here today gone tomorrow. Dust to dust.

3. Cyclic view - The human is only one form of a never-ending cycle. Much like a sapling becomes a tree, a tree produces a flower, a flower produces a seed, and a seed grows into a sapling and neither one knows where it came from or where it's going.

5. Cosmic view - We are all energy and when we die our energy is dispersed into the universe to be used over as something else.

I agree with the 3 above. In each case, there is no self awareness after death. We will be as self aware as dirt or a piece of furniture.

Rhythman

[Ilikedeadpeople]

My dead dad told me that after he died he learned things/lessons he wish he learned in life. I asked him if he was going to or had to reincarnate, he said no, he doesnt want to. So apparently you have a choice. I think you keep improving and learning after death, but much faster than the constraints of life would have let you.

[Terri Powell]

What isn't considered here is our consciousness. It is beyond energy. So that is not dispersed nor returned to the unvierse. Our consciousness is eternal. That is how we are able to communicate with those who have left the physical realm.

I agree that choice is at the helm of what happens when one transitions from the physical.

If you believe that death is an ending, then you'll make different choices in your existence than you do if you choose life - to know that you will always exist, not necessarily in a body.

If we let go of our ideas of separation, a whole boatload of new choices is available to us. It is all happening now and we can choose to let go of our perceived limitations and step into other realms now. Of course, most of us don't believe that we can, so we don't make those choices.

Great discussion. I'll let this topic simmer and see what else I can add...
Terri

[Abitofzen]

Some compelling thoughts, but I'm still rather fond of 7.

And on the subject of what I'm fond of... I've always liked the term "Dirtnap" (which might sum up #1 rather well)... and I didn't know who else to tell.



keep smiling,

Ben

[Johnny5]

Spacedout, I picked No. 2 and 4.

Our consciosusness is subject to our own deeds. In our lifetime, we perform good deeds (good karma), and bad deeds (bad karm). The power of our deeds take us to a certain destination. All deeds are not equal. The deed of killing a dog is not equal to the deed of killing a person. The deeds of generocity is not equal to the deed of practicing meditation. The strongest deed will take us to the destination, and the weaker deeds will become the support in the existence of that destination.

Bad deeds usually go in combination; for instance, an individual who kill--may also cheat, lie, steal, rob or get intoxicated, with deluded mind.

Good deeds usually go in combination; for instance, an individual who practice meditation--may also generous, kind, humble, compassionate, with good conscience.

our mind is equal; however, our deeds are not equal. So our existence is subjected by our deeds.

Best Regards,

Johnny

[Ilikedeadpeople]

Johnny, I know what is right and wrong, and what is universally considered right and wrong. And I believe in karma. But your post seems to indicate that there is a karmic judge who makes decisions for me. For example, I'm an animal lover/vegetarian, so in my mind, killing a dog IS equal to killing a human. In fact, it might be worse because we are also taking advantage of the dog being a weaker species than us, in general.

So I was wondering if you, or anyone, thinks we are our own karmic judge, and just how far up and down that scale the judgment can slide. For example, what if I love to steal but would never harm an animal? Does one cancel the other out? What if I help an old lady reach something in the store but then on the drive home I engage in nasty/aggressive driving and scare someone? Are there checks and balances? If so, who keeps the check book? Personally I'd rather keep my own ledger, be my own karmic judge and juror. Interested in what you and others think.

[Abitofzen]

Clearly our beliefs about our actions (or lack thereof) have a powerful effect on us in life...

Their exact effect after our life ends is arguable.

For my part, I don't think we cancel out 'bad' things with 'good' things.

Much of what we call 'good' flows from a person who is contact with their deeper/higher aspects... it seems to me just a natural state of being.

What we call 'bad' seems to flow from some perceived division/separation or resistance.

In my experience, once we let go of the resistance (easier said than done), we let go of the karma as well.

The problem, is acts that come from resistance/division/etc. tend to foster more of the same... in ourselves and others.

This is very simplistic... but it is handy for a basic understanding of the possibilities.

keep smiling,

Ben