(I'm not trying to start a big religious argument, this is just a thought that came to me, and I thought it would be worth discussing here.) I was thinking about something earlier, could the belief in an afterlife be the result of one being in denial of the fact that they will one day die? I mean, I know that they acknowledge death inorder to have the concept of after-life, but think about it. The afterlife could serve as a way to comfort someone who fears death, by allowing them to basically ignore it's existance. They are comfortable with "life", because they are familiar with it. They fear death because they don't understand it, and have never experienced it. With the belief in an afterlife, they can think "Well, I will die one day, but it's alright because I'll still be alive after!" One desires to live forever because it's something they already know how to do.
I think the idea of eternal life is just as scary as the idea of eternal death. In fact I'm quite sure that in Buddhist beliefs life is hell and death is Nirvana.
I surely am curious to find out... when the day comes of course. Who know?! That's such an amazing mystery. It's fun to think about.
To me afterlife is obvious. You aren't in the same form or a similar form like most people think. Think about, energy cannot be created nor destroyed, when one dies they become a food source for other organisms and help them grow. So in that essence yea afterlife is real.
In the sense that your body becomes nourishment for other organisms, yeah, that's obvious. But I was talking about "heaven", or a more religious idea of an afterlife.
well the thought of death is kinda scary. to think after a loved one dies and theyre gone forever never to be seen again is depressing. like they don't even exist anymore. guess thats why people create an afterlife to ease the pain. i see nothing wrong with believing that. cuz to really think that after i die theres nothing, makes me just want to give up life cuz i see no point in it.
Well that entertains the idea that people have souls and other organisms don't. I see them as one in the same, catch my drift? lol so no I don't believe in heaven or hell. People aren't special just because they can question the world around them. So I guess I agree with you that those who believe that afterlife is heaven or hell do fear death.
Not only is it denial of death, it is complete disrespect and unappreciation of one's own skin and existence.
I don't believe in "souls" either, I think humans just kind of mutated into this wierd, unnatural sentience. Like an evolutionary accident almost. I don't know it's hard for me to explain. But what I'm saying is that I don't think it's a "soul" that gives humans setience, I think it's just a mutation (not necessarily and 'advancement') of basic thinking that all animals have.
I get what you're saying and it's kinda fun to think about that idea. Seems logically possible to me seeing as how 'rare' our species is.
I doubt it I mean, that is something to think about, but just the fact that we are aware means that we are alive
I'm with Land Cow, I've lost sleep over the idea of eternal life and sudden death, both are scary in their own right. I also agree with you on an afterlife being a way of comforting people who are afraid of death. It makes perfect sense that the unconscious mind would conjure a delusion up to help sooth the pain of one who is about to die. Maybe that's why we have DMT in our brains; maybe that's why people have those seemingly mystical, enlightening near death experiences. To make us believe that everything's going to be alright in the end despite the fact that we're dying. But I'm not saying that there isn't an afterlife nor am I saying there is one; I'm completely agnostic.
Death is something all of us are going to go through, and we are all united in that sense. We may die alone but we all die as a whole. It makes me feel better knowing we all are going to go through it. I do believe in an afterlife, though. I highly doubt all this, everything we know on this planet, all the feelings we feel, just... happened.
I think of death/afterlife in the exact same way As for a religious point of view, there are so many conflicting religions with conflicting ideologies, that it seems impossible to me that one of them is "more right" than another. As much as the blackness of death scares me, having my spirit/soul/consciousness/whatever floating around aimlessly for all eternity scares me infinitely more. As for heaven and hell, I think they're both bullshit. Heaven is filled with goodie-goodie assholes and hell is an eternal pit of burning torture. Neither seems fun to me heh
Im more scared of the possibility of an eternal afterlife. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-Q7b-vHY3Q]YouTube - Forever[/ame]
its to cope with death so that you can better accept it... for yourself as well as for loved ones when they pass away.