Do you think there is an afterlife?

[kittypop]

I was watching a you tube seminar which was hosted by John Cleese. It was full of eminent psychologists and scientists who came from a sceptical point of view, however, following their research they have found a lot of information that supports the idea that there is something more. They talked particularly about near death experiences and reincarnation. It wasn't about ghosts and spirits. One particular topic was about people who had extremely bad dementia being able to be suddenly lucid and talk to their family as normal just before they died. These are subjects I have been interested in since | was a child. Anyway I was talking to DH about this last night and he told me it is all nonsense. I asked him if he had ever read any of the research i had. The answer was no but he said no credible scientist supports the theory of an afterlife. My AIBU is I think unless you have read the research on a subject that you shouldn't dismiss it - you should read, do your research and then make up your own mind instead of dismissing someone who has actually been reading about the subject their whole life.

No. Afterlife, God, all bollocks. You die and you're dead and that's that. I understand how hard and upsetting that is for most people to get their heads around and the only way they can live their lives is to believe that there is more afterwards and that they don't just stop existing, but nothing else makes sense. I don't believe I lived before, nor that I will live again. I'm a set of cells that was randomly created and when I die those cells will return to the matter of our world and other things will be made from them - so if that's what people mean by reincarnation then yes - all matter is recreated endlessly - but to come back as another person and remember my previous life? I believe that the human mind is capable of all kinds of creative things - look at the amazing and varied creations that humans have come up with - and dreaming up previous lives is one of them. It's nonsense. Deluded nonsense, dressed up as something profound.

No.

My point is though - not just this subject, any subject, surely you can only make an informed decision if you have researched it?

No, though it’s not something I really give much thought to. And I’m totally happy with the idea of dying and that being it. But logically - regardless of whatever “research” you’ve read, how do you actually think it would work? Where is the afterlife? How do you walk around in it when you’re dead? And no, I think there are some subjects, this being one of them, where any research is so inconclusive and inconsistently conducted that people aren’t obliged to consider somebody who has read that research more knowledgable on the subject and defer to their beliefs.

I can appreciate it's a huge subject but there is a lot of research and a lot of scientists are coming round to the idea that there is something more. One of the subjects as mentioned in my original post was people who had dementia or brain cancer or some other disorder that had left them totally unable to communicate or remember their loved ones. There are many stories of them suddenly recognising and being able to communicate with loved ones just before they passed. This should apparently be impossible because they did not have the cognitive capacity to do this. Anyone ever experienced anything like this?

No I don't believe in an afterlife. I think the brain goes through various processes before it shuts down though.

Presumably you haven't read 'all the research' on this subject?

I would be be interested in reading any peer reviewed journals which have evidence of life after death though, if you could link to them.

Of course I haven't read all the research. It's just a subject I have always been interested in - I've also watched countless documentaries. I don't know for certain there is an afterlife just like I don't know for certain there isn't. It's a bit like life on other planets - unless you have experienced something you can't know for sure. I just wouldn't dismiss any subject out of hand if I had never read anything about it - that is my point. It doesn't matter what the subject is - I think you have to have done some research on something to have an informed opinion.

'Research' is not watching documentaries which agree with your viewpoint, that's just confirmation bias.
No journals then?

Surely it seems far more likely and credible that, as as theory off the top of my head, just before death the physiological affects of the body dying affect the brain which is is flooded with hormones and chemicals or different electrical signals firing which, in some cases, mean people suddenly regain abilities they’d previously lost for years. Similar has been been noted after trauma, in certain stages of brain tumour and with psychedelic drugs. It wouldn’t be medically surprising. As PPs have said, the human brain is an amazing thing, capable of all kinds of things which when you think about it are pretty unbelievable. That’s far more exciting than any idea of afterlife, isn’t it?

Do unicorns exist? Are you going to go away and spend your Sunday researching the arguments for and against their existence so as to be sure your opinion is an informed one? If not, why not?

Many, many people rally before death and no one knows exactly why or how. I don't think that is any sign there is an afterlife.

I also read very recently, that new discoveries in neorology means that the tunnel and bright light etc are just produced by the brain cells dying.
I think it might have been in New Scientist, not absolutely sure.
I used to think there was an afterlife, but now l don’t. I think you just cease to exist.

www.independent.co.uk/news/science/life-after-death-largest-ever-study-provides-evidence-that-out-of-body-and-near-death-experiences-9780195.html ashtrayheart hope this link works. I am not saying there is a heaven - I don't know - haven't been there. All I was saying was you shouldn't dismiss something that you have read nothing about.

I’ve just read the independent piece you linked but for me it’s not meaningful as the subject describing what was happening in the room wasn’t dead. The fact that he can tell people about his experience is conclusive evidence that although he needed rescusitating he is still alive. I think despite knowledge increasing all the time, we still know relatively little about the capabilities and complexities of the brain. It maybe functions at some level after death for a little longer than was thought.

I had a near death experience after an allergy to the contrast dye used in a scan. The whole whizzing backwards thing and knowing I was dying but couldn’t tell anyone etc. But I’m still here. I didn’t die so I’m not sure how something like that can be evidence there is life after death.

Dying people hallucinate, see long dead loved ones and they will often rally and become lucid shortly before death. People with dementia have good days, good hours even, where they seem completely ok. I think that’s more the nature of the disease than proof of an afterlife.

I’d love to think there was some sort of consciousness after death but I just don’t think there is.

HadopelagicZone I agree - even if there isn't an afterlife, the brain can do amazing things. The interesting thing point is that people have reported hovering above their body and seeing things they could never have seen.

You can always find a link or "research" on the internet backing any opinion you might have.

If you believe the earth is flat you will find comments, entire websites devoted to proving the earth is flat. Try flat earth society.

So if there really is an afterlife we'd know by now. Most people, including scientists, don't particularly look forward to disappearing forever and ever.

There is no research on the existence of an afterlife. How on Earth would they conduct that?

But no, I don't believe that there's an afterlife.

There is no afterlife, reincarnation, God, ghosts - in my opinion.

PolytheneSam to be honest if there is no afterlife none of us will ever know anything about it. If there is one I'm not sure I want to be about in some form or other for eternity. The whole point of my post is that I don't think that someone who has not ready any research either way should have such a definite opinion. I've got a friend who argues with me with conviction regarding topics regarding my line of work, which she has no experience of. She is so definite in her views and can't be convinced otherwise even though she is wrong!

No, your atoms will live on in billions of things after you die and will be constantly recycled.

Yes I believe there is an afterlife. If we can be created to life from just two cells, we can be re-created to life from our remains.

No, of course not. We weren't conscious before we were born, so why would we be conscious after we die?

Our consciousness is 100% produced by our brain cells. Once those brain cells die, there is no way we could retain consciousness.

Anyone experienced anything that is unexplained?

Yes definitely.
I have had many experiences during my life which are all the 'proof' that I need.

If there is it must be extremely crowded! My DFIL is going to be in a bit of a sticky situation when his late wife and current wife meet up there.