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Philosophy/religion

Join our Philosophy forum to discuss religion and spirituality.

Your opinion - what happens when you die?

82 replies

TinkerSailerSoldierSpy · 17/04/2012 20:41

I'm curious. What do you lot think? I'm actually terrified that there's just nothing. I hope not, need reassurance!

OP posts:
AgnesBligg · 19/04/2012 12:02

Vicar so sorry you lost your sister but so pleased she managed to message you.

I firmly believe we weave in and out of life and death, so sometimes alive sometimes not. Not sure what happens in between though. Confused

Snorbs · 19/04/2012 16:38

Once you die then that's it. Looked at one way, the endless years that will pass once we're gone are no different than the billions of years that passed before we were born. The difference is that we will hopefully make a positive enough impact on those around us for us to be remembered fondly.

Moreover, we're only alive for a relatively short time. Worrying about what will happen once we're gone takes our attention off of making the most of life while we're here.

LaurieFairyCake · 19/04/2012 16:43

I'm terrified of dying (obviously), the process, the fact that there is often pain.

But I don't remember what (if anything) life was like before birth so I'm not afraid of what is after - "Life is the light between two darknesses" for me (and Schopenhauer Grin)

I don't believe in the traditional view of heaven or taking your earthly body with you - or seeing your family there. I instead believe that the soul/energy/love/spirit goes and joins all the other spirits and it's just a peaceful feeling.

I also can't imagine you know who you are (or were) once dead so there is no feeling about anything apart from peace.

chipmonkey · 19/04/2012 19:17

I have had little signs from my dd and I know she has never really left me.

Tizzylizzy · 19/04/2012 19:29

Rindercella so sorry you lost your DH. Happy that you feel him around you.

The 'after death' thing seriously tortures me, and I'm actually now receiving counselling to help! It all started around the time I gave birth to DC a year ago. Births can kick of an existential crisis apparently.

I'd love, love, love to think there was 'something else'. I'm a proof person though (and a pessimist to boot) so find it hard to accept.

Saying that though I've still had a few woo experiences and the way my life has panned out I kind of subscribe to the everything happens for a reason philosophy (although childhood cancers scupper that theory somewhat too).

Sorry for the ramble. In summary would love to believe, kind of believe more than I don't and the thought of nothing petrifies me.

mumofjust1 · 19/04/2012 19:37

I firmly believe 'souls' and the afterlife. Always have done, and a couple of experiences have backed up my beliefs.

I'm confident that when we die, our souls leave our bodies and we continue our journey Smile

Tizzylizzy · 19/04/2012 19:55

Nice mumofjust1 :)

Is it rude to ask your experiences?

LikeARollingStone · 19/04/2012 20:03

I currently tend to believe there's nothing apart from others people's memories/feelings for you. However, I'm open minded and there is a possibility that you do leave some after effects... Not sure what or how...

fraggly · 19/04/2012 20:23

This is a difficult topic for me. I lost my lovely mum to cancer 8 weeks ago. There was only 2 weeks between her diagnosis and her death. I didn't have chance to tell her how much I loved her and truly regret it. I went to see her very shortly after she died but I knew she wasn't there. I don't feel her spirit with me and honestly feel robbed. I hope that makes sence.

Tizzylizzy · 19/04/2012 20:27

Fraggly sending you love,

youarekidding · 19/04/2012 20:31

Fraggly Sad and some very unMN (((hugs)))

I believe there is 'somewhere'. I'm not sure myself where or what this is but always hope it's a nice place.

My DS (7) was discussing death the other month (we were following a hearse!) and he asked about what happens to a dead body. I explained burial and cremation.
His reply "well I don't want to be put underground in a box or set on fire, I think I'll go to heaven" Grin

LikeARollingStone · 19/04/2012 20:36

Fraggly, I know what you mean about not feeling they are there....Only in dreams, thoughts, memories and feelings... It seems that's all we have sometimes, but you never know, some people day they have experienced more, we can live in hope. So sorry about your mum.

chipmonkey · 19/04/2012 22:38

fraggly, ask your Mum for signs. You may get them. Shortly after I lost my dd, I met one of ds1's friend's Mum in a shop. She told me to ask my dd for signs. I was kind of afraid to ask in case I didn't get any but I did ask. And eventually I did get some.
One day, I walked into ds3 and ds4's bedroom, feeling very low. I just said out loud "I miss you, Princess." and one of ds4's toys started moving and making noise.
Toys have also moved in my living room and she leaves little white feathers all over the place for me to find.
I would place a bet on it that your Mum is still there and will be there to meet you when your time comes.

ThatVikRinA22 · 19/04/2012 22:53

fraggly am so sorry. The pain does lessen through time.

i dont feel my sis is there, i think she must have some important stuff to do (!) and i feel that the message she left with my boy was like a "cheerio" and she doesnt seem to feel the need to be around all the time.

i actually missed her so much about a year after her death i went to a spiritualist church with a friend, my friend went in for a reading and the lady sent her out again to fetch me - i hadnt met her before but she told me that my sis (she actually knew her name - she asked my friend who Angela was when she went in...she said Angela had been there all day but she didnt know who she was waiting for) ....she died many miles away from my home and this was about a year later....i absolutely know from what the spiritualist lady said that she is there, not always, she isnt constantly around, and im not in the least bit sensitive to any hocus pocus....but i just know she is going to be there when my time comes and she will meet me. i just know. She told me what she needed to tell me through my son, and then she popped up to say hello at the spiritualist church, i dont feel so desperate now to know she is ok because now i know she is im ok,....i went back once more the church but she wasnt there, and i was fine with that.

im sound slightly fruit loopy i know, but she was my soul mate and when she died i thought i would too, it was just too much loss, because she was all i had (no other family left, bar one other sis who i wasnt as close to, but now we are closer i suppose in part because of what happened) and the only person in the whole world who loved me and my son unconditionally.

the comfort in what i know now soothes the anguish in what happened because the circumstances around her death were just awful. (she hit a bus, she was driving a small car....the details were harrowing) and i was so worried about how she died that it consumed me, so knowing that when she came back to see my boy, knowing that she looked happy and well, and just wanted to pass a warm and loving message, meant the world to me and helped me deal with what had happened.
so fruit loopy or not, i couldnt care less! i am not religious at all but i have an unshakeable faith that there is something after this.

ThatVikRinA22 · 19/04/2012 22:55

oh and thank you for the hugs too! Smile

Tizzylizzy · 19/04/2012 22:58

Thank you for sharing that Vicar. I'm seriously considering giving a Spritulalist church a go.

DuelingFanjo · 19/04/2012 22:59

you rot.
I don't think there is anything 'there', you just rot.

tethersend · 19/04/2012 23:07

I think that whatever you believe will happen to you, will happen to you.

We all have individual consciousness, so why should that change after death?

1944girl · 19/04/2012 23:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

mumofjust1 · 19/04/2012 23:22

I always believed that there was something else after die, from a very young age. Don't know why. Can't explain it, I just did.

I remember being about 5 or 6 and seeing a lady in my room ironing. I knew it wasn't my mum, but I remember her looking up and smiling at me. To this day I remember it, clear as day.

My uncle lives in Australia. He knew his father had died before anyone told him. He was in his office at home and looked up and saw his father standing there. He shot himself. 10 minutes later he got a call with the news.

I have always been interested in spirits and the afterlife. My dad died almost 7 years ago, and about 5 years ago mum my dp and I started attending our local spiritualist church. I loved it, loved the atmosphere. The first time we went my dp's parents came through. The description of them was spot on, and they were with other family members. Correctly said they had 3 sons and that dp was the youngest. Dp - who is as skeptical as they come - was blown away. He shed a tear which was not like him.

My dad came through for me once. Again, lots that was said was true. One thing that sticks in my mind is when the medium asked me if I had recently passed a test. He didn't wait for an answer he said yes, it was your driving test wasn't it? He then said that the gentleman that was with him said he was with me in my car and had heard me say "I never though I'd do it" almost my exact words. On the way home from the previous spiritualist service I was saying to my mum "I can't believe I'm driving at last, I never thought I'd get my license"

We saw one medium who was amazing. He had my dad come through for my mum. He described my dads physical appearance and his personality to a t. He knew the pet name dad used for mum which dad only ever used at home. He said that my dad had seen a large stain on the carpet in the hall and had laughed at us trying to clean it up. Dd had dropped a whole plate of spagetti bolognase on the floor the previous week. He said dad also found it funny that we kept going to the door when the doorbell rang and nobody was there. That had been happening recently.

Another time, the medium talked about the way dad passed. Again, something he couldn't have known.

Mum went to see one of the mediums from the church for a private sitting. He was spot on with everything. Mum had no doubt at all that my dad was there. At the private sitting her own father came through as did her grandmother.

I am definately a believer in the soul going on after our physical form has gone Smile

merrymouse · 19/04/2012 23:29

Our bodies return to the universe. As Moby says "We are all made of stars".

CelticPromise · 19/04/2012 23:30

Interesting thread. I'm Christian and have always believed in heaven but I struggle with it lately. I am scared of it and of what will happen to my body. Having said that the thought of living too long gives me the horrors too.

Think I just feel more mortal since I had DS, and my mum is very ill. Makes you think about such things.

Duckypoohs · 19/04/2012 23:30

I really hope that it's just oblivion, return to the universe etc, the thought of being me essentially for eternity is worse than anything Grin.

Duckypoohs · 19/04/2012 23:38

Tethersend, the thought that what happens is what you expect to happen has also occurred to me, makes a certain kind of sense really.

1944girl · 19/04/2012 23:43

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.