Heaven and Hell? Reincarnation? Cessation? What Happens When We Die?

Just to get a better idea of where most of my fellow ATS'ers (specifically the Skunk Works regulars), I figured I would ask THE question.


What do YOU think happens when we die?


Are you a heaven and hell kinda person? Or do you think we are reborn into a new life?

Do you think everything simply ceases in the end? Or maybe you think we go into a sort of limbo?


Either way, throw your opinion into the mix and let's have a nice friendly discussion.


J

"Have the most beautiful conversations with all the prettiest earth worms."

Nothing. Like someone turning the radio down and eventually off. Recycling of energy to earth.

Let's face it. We're just animals. Animals die. Nothing mystical or theatrical about it.

reply to post by DeadFlagBlues


It's quite likely that you are correct.

From a rational standpoint, your belief seems to win the race.

Unfortunately, while we ARE indeed animals, we do have a tendency to let our consciousness and self awareness put blinders on us.

Even those of us who have absolutely no fear of death have a hard time seeing past ourselves into the greater scheme of things.


Jasn

reply to post by SimiusDei


The thing that makes people different from animals is self consciousness. No animal is going to sit around pondering the meaning of life. That makes us very different from animals.

I think its very likely that karma and reincarnation exists, but I think the western view of it is wrong. We tend to think that if we are nice to people, we get a good next life. I think karma is more like action->reaction. With your personality, you create the experiences you need to learn from. Thats why different personalities get attracted to different occupations.

Thats why every person have problems in life, only different ones. We all have different things we need to work with while in this existence.

Just my 2 cents.


[edit on 15-10-2007 by Copernicus]

reply to post by SimiusDei


decomposition happens

...or cremation, that might be in your will

or you might have died by being vaporized, so nothing more really happens

There is no 'me' after I die. I am dead.

That is how it works.

In this universe energy cannot be created or destroyed so it must change form. The more subtle underlying waveforms that compose our consciousness, without a body to inhabit, must also change form...

Maybe when we are able to get a better picture of that sublt underlying energy we will get some rational, scientific understanding.

It might be possible that this waveform can manifest itself through our intuition and that with practise, our intuition could become a more usefull tool in understanding the science of consciousness and getting clearer answers to these questions than the manipulative superstitions we have been conditioned with to date.

[edit on 15-10-2007 by JimmyBlonde]

I read the Tibeten Book of the Dead at a very young age, so I suppose it had an impact into my beliefs.

Tib etean Book of the Dead pt1

Tib etan Book of the Dead pt2

[edit on 15-10-2007 by squiz]

Ok Simi...here is my 2 cents.
I do not believe in heaven or hell....you create them for yourself.
Our thoughts create our own experience in this life and after it.If that means you you die, and you analyze your life experience and believe you belong in either heaven or hell...your thoughts create a perfect hell for you.As well as the thoughts of others...together...could create the "form" of a heaven or hell.A collective of consciousness so to speak.
If you believe that reincarnation happens after death...you will experience that.
I do not think people give enough credit to thoughts being the ultimate energy.

reply to post by Copernicus


That's a good point to remind people of. Karma doesn't work on a "bank" system. You can't save up Karma points to get a cool life the next ring(because mo..I mean gods will just hack you because they disagree with your pos.. I mean actions for 500 points a pop...I digress). Karma is very cause:effect, the natural way of life.

I say if anything there is an immediate reincarnation. Body decomposition, life to new organisms, viruses, germs, etc... We contribute to the cycle of life and death and repeat it an infinite amount of times beginning with our birth.

Potential to kinetic. Forever.

Question guys, maybe one of you will know the answer.

Do you know if it's legal to be burned on a pyre after death?



That is my ultimate wish. No way I'm being put into the ground.


Jasn

I think when we die we enter a kind of 'gravity well'.

Our 'being' heads off into space and is subjected to a dragging sensation trying to pull us back to earth and into another re-incarnation.
Only complete enlightenment can give us enough strength to break free and head off to the next level.

Either that or we're worm food.

I don't know what happens when we die. Sorry to disappoint. But I suspect it's very much like our life before we were brought into existence. Do you remember what that was like? Neither do it.

Originally posted by DeadFlagBlues
Karma is very cause:effect, the natural way of life.

I tend to agree with this. It makes perfect sense to me. Actions will have consequences that echo through the ages; "good" and "bad". It seems this concept has been manipulated by those with some agenda or other, into some metaphysical belief system. Still, if it results in more "good" being done in the world, who am I to argue?

Originally posted by SimiusDei
Do you know if it's legal to be burned on a pyre after death?

That is my ultimate wish. No way I'm being put into the ground.

I don't know about the legalities of funeral pyres, but I am similarly minded. When I die, I would like to be burned up and scattered on the wind. Perhaps off the coast of Cornwall, but hey, wherever really, it's not like I'll care by then.

I think of graveyards, no matter how beautiful they may be, as a waste of space to be honest. Why should anyone own land after they have passed on? I guess it's a result of our own arrogance. The vain hope to remain a part of this world after our passing? I don't know. Still, look at the price of housing these days. Lot of great land that we could build some great low cost housing in being taken up by dead people.

reply to post by SimiusDei


Even if it's not, so what. Set aside some land and do it. It's your life, your death. You can't let anybody regulate that for you. I have this plan on hopping over a cruiseliner at 50 if not 30. I have the same death phobia of being put in the ground.

Oh, and I mean't to tell you I love your avatar. Amazing.

[edit on 15-10-2007 by DeadFlagBlues]