The Afterlife

[annalee]

Only because it's been keeping me awake for a few nights lately, I want to know some theories from YOU guys to take my stupid mind away from my own thoughts and fears. I'm finding that I'm petrified of dying, not because I'll be dead but because I'm gonna miss out on how the world looks year after year when I'm gone, that and dying alone - I hate that thought. I wish I had that special person that I could say would be waiting for me when I'm dead. But I don't have anyone yet.

I'm afraid of watching my family die when we all get older, my parents and then siblings - just the thought of dying last is creepy. But then, when I'm lying awake, I think about how I'm going to die? Would I rather die when I'm young, so then I don't have to endure that feeling of being left behind, or would I rather die old - having a whole life experience behind me that will go to waste when I die? But then my brain switches to the afterlife, do I believe in ghosts/spirits?

I guess, of sorts.

I mean, I think I've encountered one at work that's in the hotel room 47 and 21 that's directly below - strange things happen in those rooms. But then, I wonder who old they are, are they nice or are they mean? Do they have feelings? Are they waiting for something? I begin to wonder if they're waiting for someone to come by, someone that they've been waiting on this earth for - perhaps that's the reason they haven't crossed over.

So, do you believe in heaven? Do you believe that there's somewhere else better that you go, a perfect world of sorts where there are things just waiting for you - generations of family that will welcome you to their heaven? Will I even go to heaven? I shudder at the thought of hell, just being away from those good people - but I haven't done anything to make me a horribly bad person. Not that I believe in God and the Christian religion.

Tell me what you think?

[clairebear]

Good god Annalee - this is pretty heavy and morbid. I have to say I never think of dying, I don't like to, nor does it make me feel good. With dad passing away two years ago then death is something I don't particularly treasure either.

But I can't say I sit and worry myself every night over it. I do believe there is a heaven and I do believe there can be an afterlife. I believe in ghosts and spirits also, although nothing has technically happened to me, yesterday my brother told me when he was in work the other day, he got a tap on his shoulder and when he turned nobody was anywhere near him. He believes it was my dad just saying "I'm here".

I probably should think of it more, because the amount of times I've been at the doctors and they've told me I wont live past 40 if I don't change my ways and all that shit, but I just think you'll die when your time comes, not before and not after. Plus they say it to scare me. I might be overweight, but most of that is due to being unable to exercise because of the arthritis, not particularly because I sit and over eat by stuffing my face from morning to night.

I think along the same lines as my mum, everybody has a number and when God calls that number, its your time, regardless of age.

I have been brought up Protestant Christian, but I don't go to church every week or anything like that. So that's my view.

[maiwolf]

Well this is a really hard topic to discuss for me.

Just because I write about zombies and death, and actually draw zombie crap doesn't mean I love death. In fact, just the opposite. Some nights I'll scare myself into believing I'm going to die the next day and so either cry myself to sleep or tell myself that I shouldn't be worried about that stuff. I get very nauseous when I think about my death or the death of a loved one.

When I was seven, my great grandmother on my step-dad's side died. I went to her funeral (and I played my GBA most of the time, not knowing the severity of the situation. Go Pokemon!) I knew then that she was gone forever and that she could never see another light of day, but it didn't register to me that we will all die one day.

. . . Great, I'm crying while I'm writing this. Geeze.

Well, anyway, my great grandfather on my biological dad's side died a week after I was born. He died in the same hospital, but one of the last things he did before he died was he held me in his arms. And I believe that, even though he is dead, he is watching over me, because I know there were times when I should have gotten hurt and I didn't. I don't care if you call it ghosts, angels, or just pure blind luck, but I believe that he's still here. Even if I never knew him.

Apart from that, I am Christian, and everyone believes there's a life after this one. But, truly, has anyone ever talked to someone who's died? Does anyone really know what's going to happen after death? Maybe we're born into another body and we lose all of our memories. Maybe we just blink out of existance like an extinguished candle flame. Maybe we do go to the promised land after our Earthly bodies can no longer sustain us.

It must sound weird, though, me saying I am a Christian and then coming up with all these theories of what might happen even though it says plain as day in the Bible what is going to happen. I do believe in God, and I do believe that he's going to come again and save us all. And I do believe in heaven, where every time an angel goes bowling (why wouldn't they?) thunder cavorts across the sky.

And I'm like you, Annalee. I am afraid for the future, because a human's future always ends the same way. We are all born and, sometime, we all must die, whether it's as a child or as a withered old lady (or man) on her (his) sickbed. That is a clear future for all of us to see. No amount of new-fangled crap (cryo and cell-regeneration) can stop the inevitable from happening. But I fear the day when I'll wake up and my mom is no longer alive, or my brother (even though I hate to admit it). I fear the day when I have to see my parent's still forms in a casket, and I fear the day that I, myself, will die. Partly it's because I don't ever want to die, to fade away into history, partly it's because I love my life (who wouldn't), but partly it's because I don't know what happens after that. I don't know if i'll ever see my family, my friends, again, or if I'll just be gone.

And, really, I don't want that to happen.

[annalee]

I know that it's hard to talk about, but I just can't seem to get it out of my head - and I need to talk about it with other people just to hear their views. I've already talked to my family and stuff about this morbid stuff...

It's rather funny, this ironic story. A few years ago, I was that depressed that I wanted to kill myself (and at one point tried) just to relieve myself of whatever pain I thought I felt but over the last year I've changed that way of thinking and I DO love life - and I DO love my life, and who I am. Just the thought of a fading name on a tombstone devistates me. The things that I'm gonna miss out on, not watching awesome movies, meeting awesome people, not doing the things that I love on a daily basis. Things like that really unnerve me and leaves me with a horrid chill running down my back, stopping my heart and clouding my head.

Mands and Riley, I do believe that those who loved you do watch over you - for how long, I don't know. Like, I was talking to a friend of mine, who's mother had recently passed away. It was devistating for her, as her family aren't close at all, so her mother was the only one there for her (from what I could guess.) Anyway, after the funeral and things, she heard a bird singing a song outside her window on a very still night. It was close to the window and Kathy, felt a wave of warmth over her, feeling safe and knew that she didn't have to cry anymore. She also went on to explain that her sister had the same experience. If they don't watch you, then how do you explain that instinct feeling and the coincidence that the bird was there singing to them at night. Birds just don't come out at night and sing a sweet song...

Which then, makes me wonder... would those people who I leave behind, remember me? Would I be able to go and watch them for a while to make sure they'll be alright, and if they aren't alright - how would I be able to help them at all in an entity form? I don't want to die, and this will sound vein but... they won't know me. They will never hear me play music, or laugh or listen to my stories. And I wouldn't be able to enjoy them too...

I've recently had a stupid fantasy dream that I'm gonna do something awesome to be in the history books for years and centuries to come. Just trying to figure out the logistics of it all - is the hard part. But really, I don't want to fade away either......

I don't have a particular religion - I had been Presbyterian growing up, but after one scripture at school - scared the shit out of me. And it was about devils, instead of trying to steer us in the right direction, I decided from then on, I wouldn't have anything to do with the Church. So, with that void that needed to be filled, I started searching and came across Wicca and Paganism. They might be about magic, but their outlooks on the afterlife is somewhat comforting to me. They say that our bodies go back to the earth, and that we're almost free to do as we please. Whether it be in spirit form, or reincarnation or going directly to your heaven (whatever that might be for you). But still, I'm just so frightened.

And me thinking this, has only really come up resently, sinse I started my new job ...

[clairebear]

I really don't know what else to say on it all to be honest. I've kinda already given my view and I don't think there's much else I can add.

*shudders*

But I think it's safe to say just about everybody has a fear of dying really.

[rocky]

Well my view might be a little discourage to others. But here it is. I think when you die you just rot in the ground. I don't believe in heaven or any religion. I think the truth is before religions ever started, people needed a way of explaining things. "How did we get here? ... God created us." I think religion is just the easy answer of what people used to explain things they didn't understand before science discovers them. But it cant discover everything like " is there a heaven? " I would like to believe in ghosts and spirits but I'm afraid i don't. we will never know for sure and i think people believe what they want to believe. For example the bird singing in the middle of the night could have been caused by another animal scaring it or something and then it flew to the window and sung. Your Friend then felt like it was the person watching over them and felt worm by thinking about the thought of her. No offense to them or you just my thoughts.

Another reason why i think religions are made up is because theres so many of them. Which religion is true? did god just create people who believe in him? how can people say that there religion is what happened when others say another thing. the truth is nobody knows because its all fictional. somebody made it up a long time ago and others went along with the ideas. cults were formed and then became religions over time. I don't believe in angels or heaven and hell. (tho i think there cool ideas. sorry for my weird side.) angels actually have wings and halos and the devil has horns? think about it logical. would that be in real life or would it come from an idea a person had or thought he saw.

Not to be a downer or anything but alls i think happens is that people die. They are burred. They rot in there graves and nothing spiritual or magical happens. They stay there not in some fairy tail happy land were all dreams come true aka heaven. Or hell were people most likely created so people would follow there rules out of fear. " be good and worship god or you'll burn in hell. " over time people became accustom to this and as it passed threw generations people have become stupid "sorry no offense" and now believe in things because they are brought up that way. " I am supposed to be a Christian but it never took with me. I got kicked out of ccd because I told them god was a lie. i was like 7 or something i was kinda evil back then. " If your parents believe in something and tell you over and over that its true, and other children's parents say the same thing is true then you most likely grow up to believe that that thing is true tho it could be a completely made up thing.

" sorry guys i just had to get that out there. my views might offend people and I'm sorry for that but thats just what i think its not personal just how i feel. "

For the topic of dieing, well this might sound cold hearted but i think it could be a good thing. It brings people together and forces you to remember them. " I work in a nursing home and i see old lonely people just sit in there rooms all day. i feel so bad for them and think to myself i would rather die then do that. nobody comes to see most of them and they have no friends. they wake up eat have someone wash them. eat, do nothing eat and go back to sleep. after a year of that i would want to kill myself. "


So to sum it all up i think that pepole want there to be somewhere else after death so they believe there is. They believe loved ones are waiting for them because they want to see them again. It all comes down to hope. They don't want to believe that you just rot away. They want something more value then that so Heaven or reincarnation is worshiped. On supernatrual things such as ghosts or weird things that they presume they had an encounter with a loved one i think its all in there head. If it had happened before they died they would have not noticed it or brushed it off as somthing else. But because they wish they are still here they think that that was them. We all want somthing more then what is.

Do i like my life? yes very much. Do i want to die? I don't really care. If i die then i die nothing you can do about it. I wont know the difference because ill be rotting in the ground. Im not saying that i want to kill myself. Im just saying when i die i will except it because it means my time is up we all have to die. If i had to pick an age to die i would say around 85. Death should not be hard. Live life to the fullest before you die and then as loved ones dieremember there lives and all the good times. I had a feiw pepole die in my life but i never once cried because i just felt that there time had came and tho i was sad i would never see them again it seemed meaningless to get upset about it because it wouldn't change that fact.

"sorry again. most pepole dont see this side of me because ive learned to control myself and i relize it depresses pepole so i keep to myself. And while thinking in this way im happy allmost all of the time. many pepole say im allways smiling and happy. Im very easy going and i guess this is just somthing i have thought up since i was little to fit my personality. back then i wasnt so (nice) about things. Maybe its just me but im very content with life and death. If you have no expectations you can not be disappointed kinda thing expecialy if i think its all fictional and unreasonable. "

[clairebear]

I didn't read everything you had to say Rocky, sorry, I read the first part and had to stop, cuz I had already agreed with myself, I wouldn't respond here again. But I'm sorry, I disagree with you - religions do exist, and just about every religion worship God.

Just because some religions worship him in a different way - doesn't mean they're all different.

Catholics for instance, worship what we call a full cross - Jesus on the cross - because they worship the fact he died to save us. Protestant Christians, worship an empty cross because we like to worship the fact he rose again.

There are many different concepts in life for religions and people will believe what they believe. And you're right this might cause a lot of arguements - but I'm not going to fight with anybody over it.

I do believe in an afterlife, I swear I felt someone sit on the edge of my bed one night - not long after my grandfather passed away. And my brother was born days after my uncle died, and he has the same mannerisms as him, stalky like he was, and when he was in the boys brigade, wore his cap like my uncle would have worn it when he was a sailor in the navy. My uncle had a eye for the ladies, as does my brother. So I even believe in re-incarnation.

But something like this - a topic like this - isn't going to please everybody - everybody is going to have their own opinions and those people should be left alone with their opinion. And this is the very reason why I hadn't wanted to respond to this thread in the first place.

Raaah!!!

[General Admin]

Now I’m only using my experience from the lovely Jehovah Witness. I’m Christian (Evangelical), but not a part of what they(Jehovah Witness) call a religion. Anyways, they come to my door all the time and my mother always makes me answer it. Because I’m the religious one of the family. My parents are Catholic. I converted to Christian because of my opinion of the Catholic Church. Which I will not say. For some reason every time the Jehovah Witness’ people come to my house. They always talk about the afterlife or some shit about what peace on earth will be. But to be perfectly honest we are never to go have peace on earth. AGAIN. Just my opinion.

So I’m just going to say it, I’m from a church that was founded by a hippie. So whatever I say might be a bit crazy. But I do believe in one god, heaven, hell, and reincarnation. Of course, some people of my religion don’t believe in that kind of shit, but I believe in the afterlife because I classify it under a different classification rather than under my religious views. I personally don’t care if my rant makes any sense, but it is just a part of who I am and you lot know that sometimes I don’t make any sense. And I will admit that I'm afraid of dying, but that is just my personal opinion.

And yet I wonder why my two favorite songs are called: “Viva la Vida” and “Death and all his friends” by Coldplay.

NEVERTHELESS, as Mands say this topic won’t please everyone because we all have the right to value our own opinion. So you can disagree with my opinion and I might not reply to this topic ever again, but don’t get mad if I don’t get into this debate. I’m just putting in my two cents and that is all. So I will leave you with this quote. "See to it that no-one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ” Colossians 2:8 Which basically means “Not of this world” and to myself that passage means that there is an afterlife. (NOT OF THIS WORLD).

[clairebear]

Well said Mich xD

[maiwolf]

Notw is my favorite store. ... Anyway, I will no longer think about this. Just reading everyone's posts makes me squeamish. So I will say this: belive what you want to believe, and live life to its fullest. You never know what's going to happen next.

[annalee]

I didn't mean for this thread to become a religious debate, and I respect everyone opinions, that's the whole point - I wanted to know what YOU thought. Which is cool, means that we all think different and NOT let us get carried away with bickering and stuff.

Ray, you're just a non-bullshit type of person, you just take things as they are and accepting to die is a pretty good gift to have. I almost envy you to have that skill.

[clairebear]

I knew you'd come on and say that about it turning into a religious debate - unfortunately some people's views on religion proves how they feel about death and the afterlife.

I certainly wasn't going to fall out with anybody over it - falling out with people over something like this isn't worth it - been there done it and wore the t-shirt before, don't plan to do it again.

Least you got people's opinions Annalee and that's all you wanted.

[rocky]

Thanks Maya, youve got me just right. "wasnt sure if pepole were going to get what i was tring to say. " I like topics like this sort of like discusions about things, we should have more. Its good to get everything out in the open and hear other pepoles thoughts about it. I actualy like all religons and even tho i dont belive in them i still get cool ideas from them. I draw alot and alot of my drawings are from various religons, so i do resarch on wiki for them lol. but this is nice and im glade we can have deep discusions on this site without getting into heated battles. *group hug.*

[annalee]

I love D& Ms We should all do more of it