Coven's Question of the Day - July 31, 2012

Startled awake; T.V. turns on

Broken remote on the ground; Its usefulness gone

In a moonlit night; A reaper appears

I come not for your soul; No need for the fear

As you start to stand up; You hear your wife say

Turn that # off; Its just Coven's question of the day!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Coven's Question of the Day - July 31, 2012

What comes next?

There are as many answers to this as there are starts in the sky. OK not really but the answer you will get will almost always differ depending on who you talk to. Most of us were raised on a specific theology or religion. Our beliefs on life after death, or lack there of, are usually based or are entirely entrenched in these teachings of our youth. But which one is correct? Or are any of them correct?

Its funny but after many years of pondering this question I have come back to the initial belief I held as a child. That we are here, in this life to learn something. There is an old Albert Brooks movie called "Defending Your Life", in which after your death you are basically put on trial to see if you learned what you were supposed to in this life. If you did you move on to whatever is next. If you did not then you are reincarnated back on earth and given another try. I often think that might not be to far off from the truth.

Here is a link to the movie if you would like to watch. www.putlocker.com...

I do believe we are here to learn something, though I doubt whatever it was in the movie is correct, and I also believe that this life is more about ourselves. That the next life, if you move on, is about "us". I liken it to a tree. We are in the roots, separated and on our own paths. The next life would be like the trunk, in which everything we have learned in our time in the dirt, is used to help the whole or trunk of the tree.

But who knows? Maybe your afterlife depends solely on what you belief of it is.....
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“To die, to sleep -To sleep, perchance to dream - ay, there's the rub,
For in this sleep of death what dreams may come...” ― William Shakespeare, Hamlet

“The real question of life after death isn't whether or not it exists, but even if it does what problem this really solves.” ― Ludwig Wittgenstein

Hello Coven!
I sometimes wonder if we really believe what we think we do....or do we believe something that makes us feel better? To believe that death is the end of consciousness seems to suggest that our lives have no meaning....that our actions are pointless because there is no final reward (or punishment) for them.
I tend to think like you do.....that we are here to learn....and to either move forward or reincarnate when this human vessel is finished. But you have to then believe that the consciousness remains after the body has died.....and that humans do indeed have immortal souls.
There is still a part of me that is quite afraid that the opposite is true though. I'm not sure how I feel about the "once you're dead....you're dead" theory. This changes so much.....karma, what-goes-around-comes-around....when someone has really hurt me, I tell myself that they will get what they deserve. What if that's not true?
If no supreme being/s is watching and judging us and our behaviour on Earth....what would that kind of knowledge bring out of people? Unfortunately, probably pretty much what is being seen now. A lot of people would be selfish, pleasing themselves and not caring about others.
I see that SO much in our population (and governments) that it makes me wonder if this IS the truth, and that's what they're hiding from us.
It will be interesting to see what people write here.....could be really good.
S&F
jacygirl

reply to post by coven83


What Comes Next

Only you can answer that

in only you, is that truth a fact

that question arises with the sun every day

to keep us all from losing our way

go with your heart, with what is right,

and that one choice alone, will help you through the night.


I think people, present company included, need to be more content with the fact that we don't know everything, sometimes we stumble through parts of our lives because we don't know what we're doing yet, and some of the most important parts of our life we have to take on faith.

There are many parts of our life that we can control, but there are others we can't. If we learn to be OK with that, we'll be OK with a lot more things then we are now. The "remote" can break all it wants, all that means is that we have to work a little harder to get what we want or need.

That's my opinion at least.

youtu.be...

reply to post by jacygirl


Your post reminded me of the story of George Price. He was a mathematician who came up with a equation that proved that kindness is an evolutionary tactic. That the only reason we behave selflessly is that it is the best way to ensure the survival of our off spring.

Later in his life he decided that if that were true than the whole human experience was lacking a fundamental truth. He spent the rest of his life trying to disprove his own theory, eventually committing suicide because he could not take the world the way he had proven it to exist.

reply to post by Taupin Desciple


Nice limerick.

I agree with most of what you say. Except the word "faith" to me is a trap. To have faith is to hope that a certain action or event will happen (i.e. I have faith my daughter will pass her test).

I often think that faith might not be enough, maybe you have to "know". (I know my daughter will pass her test)

Just a thought.

reply to post by coven83


I have never heard that story of Mr. Price....but sadly, I can relate to his story.
Awakening was a dual-edge sword.....aware of alll the good in life....and also all the bad.
jacygirl

What to say.....

I like the thought process. I enjoy learning and the best way to learn is to listen.

But due to the sad fact that almost everyone I listen to is crazy......(not ATS members of course).

I wonder if I am wandering toward the truth or toward insanity or both.

Originally posted by cavalryscout

I wonder if I am wandering toward the truth or toward insanity or both.

The truth will give you more peace of mind.

That's how you'll know.

As far as the crazy people are concerned? If you're in Phoenix it comes with the territory. ( Not you of course)

Lived there for quite awhile and it just got too nuts for me.