To ask about the afterlife

[el1zabeth]

I'm hoping that someone will be able to explain to me how the whole idea of an afterlife works (if there is one) I am not religious at all, but my genuine question is this. Does everything that has ever lived, from the smallest insect to the largest animal, including dinosaurs live for eternity in the afterlife? Do they age, and if so would that mean there's a whole load of people, animals etc etc possibly millions of years old?

Also, and this is one thing that really baffles me; if I die when I'm 80 years old, well my mum died when she was 70, dad at 72 (I was mid thirties at the time) so, how then would they know who I am in the afterlife because I would be older than them when I get there or will they have aged too?
It's a lovely thought to believe that you'll meet your loved ones again, but it just doesn't make sense to think that every single thing that's ever lived since the beginning of time will be there too.
My mind is blown!

I think your relatives will recognise you as they will have guided you throughout your lifetime and when it’s your time they will be there to greet you.

What blows my mind is reincarnation. If you believe in it obviously. But say for instance if I died tomorrow would my spirit pass
To the other side or does it get recycled and then my spirit comes back as another person to love another life and die and then come back again as someone else? If this is the case no one would be in the afterlife as the spirits would just come back as other people to love another life time.

Woo

It's simple really. There isn't. We just don't exist. However great article in the Guardian about the science behind why we choose to ignore this. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2019/oct/19/doubting-death-how-our-brains-shield-us-from-mortal-truth?CMP=ShareiOSAppp_Other

It doesn’t make sense because it isn’t true.

I'm not at all religious but I have no doubt whatsoever that there is life after death and, in fact, I believe we are more alive after death than we are now.

I look forward to meeting those who have meant most to me on this earth, even though I know that I will be seeing their spirit, or soul, manifesting what they looked like here until I can recognise them in their true form.

I have to say, this sounds sarcastic and disrespectful of others’ beliefs to me.

And the Christian conception of Heaven isn’t as simple as “You rock up to a place and greet your relatives and ask Auntie Pat why she looks younger than you”. A soul isn’t a physical thing. The beatific vision isn’t exactly you, God and Uncle Jim enjoying an episode of Gavin and Stacy and a can of Diet Coke.

I have no idea, but I'm sure to find out one day.

Are you saying that my post sounds 'sarcastic and disrespectful of other's beliefs' seaweed, because I can't see how the OP's questions are in any way offensive to the beliefs of others?

DonKeyshot

I am not saying anything about your post. But I don’t find the OP very respectful of others’ beliefs, mainly because it seems to suffer from a lack of research about what people actually believe.

Maybe asking questions is the OP's research and may lead her to further study of what people 'actually believe', seaweed.

In any event, I can't see the harm in her questions or in the responses of those who are trying to answer them.

DonKeyshot

If I believed that, I wouldn’t have made my comment. I don’t believe that.

I do believe in the afterlife. It our souls that continue on living not our body. Everyone will be similar age, there is an age that we will all be resurrected as (I can't remember it at this moment in time). I'm a Muslim so yes, I expect to see all our loved ones and hated ones to. The first meeting will not be about love and happiness but fear and everyone would be trying to run away from everyone else. People who be scared about other people complaining about them and having to carry further sin. Because they forgot that on day x of their life they backbited/ slandered/ basically not treated the other person the way they had a right to.

I have read a chapter in the quran where someone in heaven is having a conversation with someone else in hell. But as a none scholar I have no more information regarding this.

I don't have the answers to all questions about my religion, I can just offer my perspective on issues I am aware off. There are things in my religion I can't explain.

Because of all the microorganisms that live within/on us, there's more non human cells than human in our bodies. When we die that whole ecosystem collapses. We're probably as significant as those microorganisms in the whole scheme of things.

I like to think that all living things, particularly humans, are one consciousness and we rejoin that singular consciousness when we die. I know it's most likely nonsense but makes me feel good and more compassionate towards people.

XJodiex - thanks so much for sharing I’m fascinated by NDE. Have you heard of Peter Fenwick - great Dr. On YouTube who has studied near death for decades. Can I ask you Jodie, how did you feel when you saw yourself, did you get any pull to leave earth?

My view is death is not annihilation- that consciousness can never be created nor can’t it ever die. That all living things are part of a whole consciousness. I am certain my grandad is here with me now never too far away. I have heard that death can be likened to coming home after a long day and taking off a really uncomfy bra.
I also certainly hope I’ll be able to have a ducking cigarette in heaven because every after 10 years. I still really fancy one.

The afterlife is for eternity while this life is completely temporary - even those who live for 100+ years, it's not really all that long in the grand scheme of things.

Ofcourse there's a heaven and hell - I know society often tries to brainwash us into thinking there isn't but up until recently denying there is a greater being was a completely implausible and unheard of ideology. Anyway, I'm diverging.

So in heaven/paradise we will all be the same age, 33. Children who passed away as children/babies (including unborn babies) will still be children and will hold the hands of their mothers and walk with them to paradise.

Everyone will know their place/house in paradise as if they've lived there for millions of years. The purpose of paradise is to give us eternal happiness and pleasure so all feelings of upset, distress, pain, jealousy etc will be non-existent.

As for hell, then it is a place of torment and torture. For those who oppress others and oppress themselves. Those who were entrusted with leading and caring for nations but betrayed the trusts of their people. It is a place for all the hypocrites, the unrepenting murderers, rapists etc. It is however possible to be removed from hell after many years of being punished depending on your life (ie if it was a mixture of good and bad).

Wow long post! I'm Muslim btw in case you haven't noticed!

PS - I don't think OP was being offensive - I found the post sincere.

I love threads like this. People pontificating on souls living on etc 😁

In order to believe that our souls live on, we need evidence that they do.

Before THAT we need evidence that souls exist in the first place.

we need evidence that souls exist in the first place

Yes! "The soul", or individual consciousness, is perhaps just an illusion or construct which serves to keep the species going.

we need evidence that souls exist in the first place

And I need evidence to prove that souls don't exist, saying they don't exist is not enough.

Seaweedandmarchinbands Don't be so ridiculous. To say of my post I have to say, this sounds sarcastic and disrespectful of others’ beliefs to me is utter bollocks !

I asked the question because it baffles me....it's got nothing to do with disrespect nor sarcasm. I'm interested in how others interpret the afterlife, which personally I don't think happens - I believe, as others do, that it's nothing more than a coping mechanism when we lose loved ones that they carry on for eternity in some happy, flowery always sunshiny place.

Perhaps you shouldn't be reading the other thousands of threads or topics posted on here if you're so easily offended.

It’s an intriguing idea isn’t it. No one can be 100 percent sure can they.
I personally think we return to nothing, seems most likely really, no evidence for anything else, and I find that actually quite comforting. However I used to think our consciousness formed part of a greater whole, so we could still be present in some form or another.
We can tell a million stories about it, but we will all find out soon enough.

Robert Schwartz has written a book that comes the closest to my belief about the afterlife.

yoursoulsplan.com/index.php/books/books-3

They say we are all spiritual beings having a human experience on earth.

I like to believe that the Afterlife is like a radio station that we have to tune into to be able to hear spiritual messages . We vibrate at different frequencies. Those who do bad stuff vibrate on a much lower frequency. We will go to a place that firs pur energy vibration.
That is what fits the construct of Heaven and Hell.
We decide our lessons to learn, we choose our parents and friends, we have probably incarnated with them over many life times.

Hand w
Wilhelm is interesting to watch on YouTube.
Saddguru and Dr Bruce Lipton are interesting too.

We are all here to learn Universal life lessons. Then we return after our akashic records are reviewed and we review our lives and how we affected people for good or for bad.

We then have recovery time, before we incarnate again, unless we have achieved nirvana.
Just my ramblings!

I have quite a vivid picture of the afterlife yet the scientist in me knows it can't be true. So my mind is regularly blown as well!

On 9/11 I was expressing to my best friend at work my upset at 3000 souls suddenly being wrenched from life and with no warning and were they all in purgatory because heaven hadn't made up their rooms yet (so to speak). She said not to worry because my (late) mother and her friends would be organising the tea urns for the "waiting room" which, as ridiculous as it sounds, I found quite comforting.

I kind of hope not...i dont want to go on forever.

Got to agree with PooWillyBumBum (which is a phrase I never thought I'd type)

There is no afterlife, it's a lie told to people to make them feel better about their shitty lives.