Your opinion - what happens when you die?

[TinkerSailerSoldierSpy]

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

1944firl, I swear there are stars that I see now that used not to be there. And if I am particularly upset about dd, I tend to see a lone bright star.
I forgot about smells! Shortly after she died, I was walking through the hallway of our house and I suddenly got her lovely baby smell. It was only for a moment but it was her smell.

I don't mean to be insensitive to those who have lost loved ones here but ...

Surely you don't believe that actual physical stars suddenly pop up when humans die? Seeing as stars are millions of light years away etc.?

I don't believe that anything happens after death, I think you die and that's that. But I do think that the afterlife is how you are remembered, what you leave behind.

And yy Duckypoohs, this for eternity would be hell

Vicar, I don't know if this will be any comfort to you, but i'll try. When I was 16 I was hit by a car. You would expect that to hurt, but it didn't. I experienced the whole thing in slow motion, saw the car coming (couldn't move), felt it hit, felt flying, felt the ground. Then I was stood at a nearby bus stop watching myself on the ground with everyone else panicking. I don't think this was a near death experience as such, but I do think it is the body's way of dealing with extreme trauma. It was very detached.

Regarding life after death, i'm firmly in the reincarnation camp.

When I had a close family member die,both I and another family member had a very unusual thing happen to each of us (not the same,but kind of personalised to each of us IYSWIM) that I can only take as a sign that that person is still somehow able to see over us,and let us know they were alright.

It was a huge comfort to me,and has gone some way to alleviating my (ridiculously huge) fear of dying.

1944girl you literally sent shivers down my spine,with that!

I find that an extremely calming thought.

I'm with tethers

If you think there's a heaven then there will be be, if you think you are reincarnated it will happen, if you believe nowt wll happen, it won't.

I'm clinging to that as my belief involves hints of Robert Downey Junior holding a tray laden with all my favourite foods. And an ashtray

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

erm, because you're dead?

Current scientific thinking is that energy cannot be created or destroyed. Everything we are, from our thoughts and dreams, to our physical body, is made of nothing but energy and an awful lot of nothing. Actually, we are mostly made of nothing, interspersed with bits of nothing that have, in some way, folded in on themselves to create bits of energy.

When we die the energy that is us will continue, just in a different form. This is what science tells us and I find some comfort in knowing that whether the atheists or the religious are right - this much is true.

As for the rest, I don't know whether the consciousness that is me will continue, maybe it will blend into some great cosmic consciousness, maybe it will cease to exist, maybe it will dream it's in a meadow of eternal summer being fed cream cheese and perfect tomatoes on gorgeous crusty bread for a few years before heading back down for another go.

This is one of my favourite pieces of writing:

Unto them from whose eyes the veil of life hath fallen may there be granted the accomplishment of their true Wills; whether they will absorption in the Infinite, or to be united with their chosen and preferred, or to be in contemplation, or to be at peace, or to achieve the labour and heroism of incarnation on this planet or another, or in any Star, or aught else, unto them may there be granted the accomplishment of their wills; yea, the accomplishment of their wills.

I think that when the body dies, the consciousness lives on. I think that our time on earth is only a part of our existence and we move into a different state.

I have no evidence for this, and we may well wink out of existence when we die.

But it doesn't matter. Because the belief that we don't just stop existing gives me comfort in this life. If I get to the end of it and cease to be - I won't know anything about it, so it won't matter. But I'll have had what to me is a happier life, feeling like I won't just end, my children won't just end and that we will be together in some other way, in some other place.

I don't bother anyone else with this, I don't try to convince other people to believe it, but I won't stand for anyone mocking me or my belief with sneering jibes about imaginary friends and delusions and trying to take it away from me, just because they think it's a load of bull and they want everyone to think that we just stop existing after death.

I heart Hecate.

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

erm, because you're dead?"

But why does this mean that after death, there is a common experience?

Arf at Shaky

I did a massive post in response to you JustHecate,and lost it.

Can't replicate it,but bloody well said.

"But why does this mean that after death, there is a common experience?"

after death you can't 'experience' anything.
Any energy we have is maybe transfered into something else i.e our body rots and feeds a tree but trees don't have concious thought (I don't think) at least not in the same way as a person does.

How do you know, Dueling, have you been dead?

Something happens. My grandfather saw a vision of his mother weeks before he was diagnosed with cancer. After he died, the internal door handles in his house used to rattle on significant dates - even when windows were closed.

When my mum was dying she couldn't speak but did shout her mother several times. Several odd things happened between her death and burial, I unexpectedly smelt her perfume and I felt someone putting their arm around my waist at her funeral - no-one was close.

I get some comfort from thinking she might be able to see her grandchildren and I might see her again one day.

I think, that most people just die. Thats it. No lingering. Their bodies die, and their 'spirit' - their 'lifeforce/energy/being' dies. They are gone. Nothingness. Like sleep without dreams. Thats what I think happened to my dad, who died two years ago. He is gone completely.

I also believe that some conciousenesses linger - call them 'souls' or 'spirits' or whatever - I think that the best way to describe what I think is that they are sort of electrical blips in the world - sort of residues of their 'whole' beings - and these blips hang around in the universe - occasionally being sentient and 'passing on messages' - again for want of a better phrase - but mostly being 'blank' and having no impact on the universe.

I realise that sounds like claptrap - have probably been watching too much sci-fi, but I dont really know how else to describe it.

"How do you know, Dueling, have you been dead?"

no - but basic science and study of the brain would suggest that having thought would involve a working brain of some kind, no?

(I am not technical nor medical so I don't know)

I think the universe is all a set-up.

I don't think anything happens after you die. Sad though that is.

Don't be sorry 1944,as they were nice shivers!