Believers in after life, do you really think reincarnation takes place, why or why not?

This is my very FIRST thread and I'm excited to finally participate on here. I'm more of an asker than answerer. This thread isn't to argue whether reincarnation exists or not or whether or not there is an afterlife. I'm just asking for opinions on why you think it may exist or not.

Anyways, the thought of what happens after we die has been on my mind for the past week now. I think about it non-stop and it has given me a headache thinking about it so much. After much research of hearing people's opinions on NDE (Near death experiences), paranormal activities, etc. I believe that there is something more than this life. I believe that the conscious does exist after our bodies are gone.

Many people who have had NDE experience peace, love, being greeted by deceased relatives, and the bright light. A couple of stories I have heard that are very unexplainable by science. I'm confident in my faith that this is true, BUT I am not sure about reincarnation.

Why am I confused about reincarnation? Well, I read up on reincarnation and hear that we go through many life times (if we choose) until you reach enlightenment. BUT after you've reached enlightenment then where do you go? Do you forget all the ones you love in the past?

Also, with reincarnation, I believe there are so many other planets with life out there besides earth. What makes people so sure it's just earth that we reincarnate into a human?

I hate the thought of reincarnation honestly. I hate the thought of starting all over again, not remembering anything, and the possible idea of my husband turning into my brother in the next life LOL since some people believe those you love cycle within you.

If reincarnation DOES NOT exist, I can't imagine what we do for all eternity. If energy is neither created or destroyed then where did I come from.

Sorry for all the questions! It's been bottling up for the past week since I've been here and I couldn't wait to ask!!

I'm an atheist but I had a thread on this a while back where I actually suggest an afterlife might be plausible.. my view is that what people view as the soul might be the electrical impulses that drive everything we are.. and energy never goes away, it merely changes form..

So what if in death, the pure energy in us just changes form ..

Ultimately the rational, biologist in me .. says nonsense... =) but wonder and imagination is what makes us so remarkable and allows us to advance

reply to post by chelle21689


There is an article on Water and Spirit Baptism and the root symbolism that is linked to this from the Bible. It is linked in my signature. This would be a good start, but the rest of my articles touch on other related subject as well.

According to Enoch the Scribe all nephilim flesh will die innocently. All nephil spirits are damned to traverse this world until Judgement Day.

Nephil spirit is the another name for ghost, djinn, ancestral guardian, demon, rapha/raphah, eternally dead.

Rapha's (plural:Rephaim) have geographical places of origin. These places are where the spirit resides when the flesh perishes. If its land based then they are seen as crows or ravens. Note the film 'the Crow'. Cormorants (black) are coastal based rapha's.

reincarnation exists. the same applies to multiple hells and paradises as well. But that is another story.

Why am I confused about reincarnation? Well, I read up on reincarnation and hear that we go through many life times (if we choose) until you reach enlightenment. BUT after you've reached enlightenment then where do you go? Do you forget all the ones you love in the past?

I dont think anyone can legitimately answer your questions because death is a personal experience. It may be different for everyone. Mabey feelings can survive death, mabey. No one has ever come back so whatever happens there is no refund to this movie show.

Obviously I know that no one can really answer but I want to hear different opinions on reincarnation and what happens. For those that don't believe in reincarnation I want to know what they think.

i beleive we will perpetually reincarnate untill we are released from this prison planet!

thats my euros worth!

You guys are answering but some of you aren't answering my questions...those that do believe in reincarnation. Please read the details and answer with your opinions on that... =(

A great first thread, by the way OP. I wish I had some great logic or intelligent sounding arguments on this one. This is about my Faith in the core of things and that just doesn't come as easily for me to put into words. Much I probably won't get into in a forum at all, but reincarnation in an interesting point.

I'd like to think I know the reasons and the whys of it all, but I don't know for certain any more than a Christian knows the mechanics of getting from a Death bed to Heaven in their belief system. It just happens....and was meant to be that way.

Outside the philosophical, I absolutely believe in reincarnation and believe strongly it's a part of my Soul and my past as a person. At this point I'll leave the why on a personal level as simply being a strong senses of past experiences totally out of time and place to this life. I also think there is a period between death and reincarnation. I have no idea in conscious recall of any sort what that delay is about or what happens....but in almost all reincarnation descriptions where multiple lives are talked about with back-back dates, the start and finish won't line up and it won't miss in any consistent way between people or past lives from the same person, IME. Funny thing on that.....

I hope more come and participate for this topic. it's always been near and dear in learning and understanding more.

Well in a common theme in life is that nothing ever lasts, yet nothing is ever lost; everything is recycled stardust.

Aside from this, thought is not generated in the brain, though it is influenced by it. Given that the brain is like an organic supercomputer, someone or something has to be giving it commands, hence suggesting the existence of a third party entity within the body more commonly referred to as the "soul."

If the soul is apart from the body, death is simply a severance between whatever links the body to the soul. I don't know if this points to reincarnation, per say, but it does suggest that existence is not so finite.

Originally posted by miniatus
I'm an atheist but I had a thread on this a while back where I actually suggest an afterlife might be plausible.. my view is that what people view as the soul might be the electrical impulses that drive everything we are.. and energy never goes away, it merely changes form..

So what if in death, the pure energy in us just changes form ..

Ultimately the rational, biologist in me .. says nonsense... =) but wonder and imagination is what makes us so remarkable and allows us to advance

Yeah, the energy changes form but where did that energy come from? I know you can't answer this and no one can lol.

I'm just wondering where does that energy go though...what's your theory?

Originally posted by chelle21689


Many people who have had NDE experience peace, love, being greeted by deceased relatives, and the bright light. A couple of stories I have heard that are very unexplainable by science. I'm confident in my faith that this is true, BUT I am not sure about reincarnation.

OK, for one thing before you call anything unexplainable by science, what is the definition of NEAR?

As far as reincarnation? Ask the Tibeten Monks, although they never died either to tell us if is in fact true or not.

What would be the purpose of a life after death, why would the Universe care to do that for us?

reply to post by chelle21689


These are all very good questions!

I relived the last few hours of my last lifetime after some serious meditation.
Some things it answered for me was:
That we do indeed reincarnate, along with other people close to us.
That we do carry some things over from one life to another,such as phobias created in past lifetimes.
(I was killed by a dog and in this lifetime I was terrified of them until after I remembered and then the fear went away and was replaced with respect)
And the rest is speculation for me because I don't know

Originally posted by Darkblade71
reply to post by chelle21689

 

These are all very good questions!

I relived the last few hours of my last lifetime after some serious meditation.
Some things it answered for me was:
That we do indeed reincarnate, along with other people close to us.
That we do carry some things over from one life to another,such as phobias created in past lifetimes.
(I was killed by a dog and in this lifetime I was terrified of them until after I remembered and then the fear went away and was replaced with respect)
And the rest is speculation for me because I don't know

So you think that say...your spouse/partner could be your parent in the next life? I just think that's so weird and I hate that idea >_< I hope not the case.

reply to post by chelle21689


Personally, I believe it is role swaps.
Now this is just personal belief,
I cannot say it is so for everyone, just my conclusions.

People call them soul groups. After my experience with the memory,
this was something I accepted for myself because that is what it appeared to be, as co workers in that life time were best friends in this one, as well as some others I saw and know.

Perhaps the afterlife is like the placebo effect in that each person creates their own afterlife based on what they believe.
since the afterlife isn`t a physical place it won`t be possible to convince everyone of it`s existence by seeing it because there is nothing physical to see,touch etc. attempting to convince someone of something without physical proof rarely ever is successful.Each persons afterlife can be different since there is no physical set of rules or limitations.
If someone believes that the afterlife is an endless party of cold beer and hot women then perhaps that`s what their afterlife will be since that`s what they believe and there will be no physical proof in the afterlife to prove to them that they are wrong.

The placebo effect is a proven reality in this life and it is created by our minds,it is not created by our physical bodies,so there`s no reason to think that it will be any different when we are no longer in these physical bodies.

reply to post by Tardacus


I believe this also to be true.
As we create our own realities in a lot of ways.

reply to post by Darkblade71


Meditation told you all this?
How do you know it wasn't your own brain that told you this?

How can you convince us that reincarnation is true and that you did not dream the answer in a meditative state?

reply to post by Toadmund


I'm not going to convince anyone of anything.
Just giving my own personal understanding from what I have experienced.
Yes, after a long meditation and a request to the universe to know if reincarnation was a valid spiritual experience,to know if there was any truth to it, it happened.

But that is just me.

Originally posted by Tardacus
Perhaps the afterlife is like the placebo effect in that each person creates their own afterlife based on what they believe.
since the afterlife isn`t a physical place it won`t be possible to convince everyone of it`s existence by seeing it because there is nothing physical to see,touch etc. attempting to convince someone of something without physical proof rarely ever is successful.Each persons afterlife can be different since there is no physical set of rules or limitations.
If someone believes that the afterlife is an endless party of cold beer and hot women then perhaps that`s what their afterlife will be since that`s what they believe and there will be no physical proof in the afterlife to prove to them that they are wrong.

The placebo effect is a proven reality in this life and it is created by our minds,it is not created by our physical bodies,so there`s no reason to think that it will be any different when we are no longer in these physical bodies.

What you have said sounds a lot like what my ex had believed when he no longer believed in Christianity lol.

Well, anyways...I'm fine if there's NOTHING at all after we die. But that is something hard for me to believe but I kind of would find it comforting than reincarnation. Reincarnation sounds like it'd suck lol unless it's just another passage to some other realm you can journey to.