Discussion does anyone else dread the potential of an afterlife?

[mushroomhive]

personally, when i CTB (or just if i die accidentally) the afterlife would be the worst possible outcome. i don't want to think i don't want to exist not in ANY form let alone for eternity that sounds unbearable. i don't care if there are angels and buffets and lovely people waiting for me - i want to be how i was before i was born just.. not existing. no memories no thoughts just nothingness completely gone from existence. does anyone else feel the same way?

 

[LifeCanBeCruel]

I wouldn't mind an afterlife if it was pleasant. I don't believe in an afterlife, though.

 

[Forever Sleep]

Yes- definitely. I used to want to see all my dead family members in heaven. I suppose a brief reunion would be nice. An eternity ANYWHERE though sounds dreadful. Especially if I'm conscious and aware- like I am now- and if I'm not- then- I'm not really me then anymore am I? In which case- there's probably nothing to worry about.

I'm warming far more to the idea of there being nothing. I have to say- if there is a designer of this world and they have anything to do with an afterlife- I'd say we're all screwed.

 

[jodes2]

Yeah it would suck. Especially reincarnation, having to live a whole life from scratch, all the struggling. Heaven would be ok I guess. But I don't believe in any of that except when I'm psychotic so meh... Just gonna see what I can make of this life. Not much but I guess something is better than nothing. Fuck I hate being skint

 

[LocalAngel]

Yeah it would suck. Especially reincarnation, having to live a whole life from scratch, all the struggling. Heaven would be ok I guess. But I don't believe in any of that except when I'm psychotic so meh...

You pretty much summarized my feelings perfectly.

 

[morimori]

Same here, I'm scared of reincarnation and heaven/purgatory/hell. I want to have no existence and no sentience.

 

[CredibleLemon]

Yeah, reincarnation would be the worst possible outcome. Imagine being reincarnated as something worse that this world. An Isekai of misery. Very dreadful indeed.

I personally do not believe any of it but I have dreaded over the thought of it in the past.

 

[morimori]

Yeah, reincarnation would be the worst possible outcome. Imagine being reincarnated as something worse that this world. An Isekai of misery. Very dreadful indeed.

I personally do not believe any of it but I have dreaded over the thought of it in the past.

lol you made me laugh at "isekai of misery"

 

[cryst]

I don't believe in the afterlife but when I was religious I would kinda be sad because I thought that there was no end. I didn't wanna live forever and ever in heaven. That sounds like torture.

 

[FuneralCry]

The thought of an afterlife is something that sounds absolutely horrific to me, I don't wish for life in any shape or form, and I consider the ability to be conscious and aware to be a curse. I simply don't wish to experience anything ever again, but in my case I very strongly believe that we just cease to exist after this, so therefore I don't fear the possibility of some kind of afterlife. I just believe that life is just an unfortunate consequence of evolution, a cruel mistake that never needed to exist and death is true freedom from all this. The thought of permanent non existence comforts me so much and I personally believe that it's the most ideal thing to lack the ability to exist, as existence just leads to unnecessary suffering.

 

[annointed_towers]

There is a heaven and a hell. Don't ask me how I know.

 

[HybridSpectre]

Possibility of an afterlife has always been confusing to me cause I grew up in a religious family. I'm not sure whether to believe in annihilationism or eternal oblivion. I wasn't an ardent follower of their religious beliefs cause this is my life and only I get to choose what I believe. Nevertheless, the religious beliefs of a possible heaven where all is bliss without any suffering is welcome. However, I dread the possibility of hell as I've heard it. I don't believe hell exists though. So I'm sought of at a crossroads of what to believe.

 

[Raven2]

Yeah this has been playing on my mind a lot recently. I hate the thought of reincarnation what if that life is worse that this one?! I think I'd just prefer there to be nothingness when we pass but then I watch shows like the clairvoyant, Tyler henry where he passes messages from the dead to loved ones and makes me inclined to believe that there is indeed an afterlife. I've read some NDEs that have seen hell too and that's a even scarier thought. If I knew for certain what was on the other side I'd been more inclined to Ctb with that knowledge but the unknowing keeps me here for the time being.

 

[Gustav Hartmann]

Many people on this forum never asked to be alive and they are not happy with the offer. So, why should you like the next offer (afterlife) better?

 

[sheepgirl]

It fucking terrifies me. I don't want an afterlife wether it's good or bad. I want nothing. I want blackness. No awareness or knowledge or existence. I just want to be gone and never think or feel again. The potential of an afterlife - specifically some type of hell is one of the reasons I'm still alive. I'm so scared of it. If there was 100% certainty of no afterlife the process of dying would be instantly so much easier

 

[liz!!!!!]

personally, when i CTB (or just if i die accidentally) the afterlife would be the worst possible outcome. i don't want to think i don't want to exist not in ANY form let alone for eternity that sounds unbearable. i don't care if there are angels and buffets and lovely people waiting for me - i want to be how i was before i was born just.. not existing. no memories no thoughts just nothingness completely gone from existence. does anyone else feel the same way?

the idea of there not being anything, or the alternative that it's bad, is the only thing keeping me here. what's so horrible about what i'm dealing with now when the other possible option is getting probed with a flaming hot rod for all of eternity? religion is scary.

 

[sunnydaysahead]

personally, when i CTB (or just if i die accidentally) the afterlife would be the worst possible outcome. i don't want to think i don't want to exist not in ANY form let alone for eternity that sounds unbearable. i don't care if there are angels and buffets and lovely people waiting for me - i want to be how i was before i was born just.. not existing. no memories no thoughts just nothingness completely gone from existence. does anyone else feel the same way?

If a Christian afterlife is real, I'm kinda screwed because I don't really believe in it; I feel like I can't. I'm pretty certain an afterlife doesn't exist. An endless cycle of rebirth (or whatever it's called) is the worst case scenario. I don't want to live one life, why would I want to live multiple?? And you may not even reincarnate as human. Sometimes I think about that, even though nobody I know believes in it. I don't really want an afterlife, but I could see why others would. I kinda just wish religion wasn't a thing.

 

[lionetta12]

personally, when i CTB (or just if i die accidentally) the afterlife would be the worst possible outcome. i don't want to think i don't want to exist not in ANY form let alone for eternity that sounds unbearable. i don't care if there are angels and buffets and lovely people waiting for me - i want to be how i was before i was born just.. not existing. no memories no thoughts just nothingness completely gone from existence. does anyone else feel the same way?

If there's an afterlife, don't send me there.

 

[Lynx.]

If An endless cycle of rebirth (or whatever it's called) is the worst case scenario. I don't want to live one life, why would I want to live multiple??

I dunno about that, reencarnating as a cockroach sounds comfy as hell. No consciousness, no societal structure, no obligations or any shiny monkey business that humans take part of; the only worry would be to avoid being squeezed to death by a shoe.

Jokes aside, both the concept of the afterlife and reincarnation would be the worse outcome possible after birth; without the initial birth, both of these concepts are nullified and useless.

Not that I personally believe in any of that; but if by any chance it would turn out to be true, then we would truly be subjected to an eternal game of horror. It already is that, but there's at least relief in the fact that it doesn't seem to be eternal. Some day, the lights will fade.

Another point to add to the reincarnation stuff is the fact that, in order for such a mechanism to work, there has to be a place suitable for life in the universe; with Earth being the only one that we know of so far, this mechanism basically remains nullified as soon as life isn't sustainable anymore... Unless somehow time reverts itself and when you reincarnate you go back to when there was a inhabitable space in the universe. Such a thing doesn't even deserve consideration.

And the Christian afterlife would be even more unworthy of consideration if it wasn't for the fact that it has been drilled into most of us since we were little kids.

Then, another option remains after death - eternal nothingness. This one is still quite terrifying to me, even though I'm a pessimist and I find this whole ordeal of living kind of unpleasant; but I also find the process of dying unpleasant as well.

After you are dead it may not be so bad, kind of like sleeping with no dreams. But it's still kind of terrifying due to the fact that I'm now alive and thanks to having consciousness I can wonder and think about how eternal nothingness will be... Ever since I was little life caused me dread, yet death does too.

It's a game where everyone likes to gamble everything into this one shot, thinking they'll somehow win; but the result is always the same, for every person that has ever took a breath on this earth.

None of the options are my cup of tea - but eternal nothingness is way more preferable to eternal consciousness.

 

[downndone2]

Hoping it isn't hell or some BS nightmare. I really want to see those I love again. I have a feeling it won't be so easy. What if we just end up back 2 this hell

 

[Rob1984]

Yes- definitely. I used to want to see all my dead family members in heaven. I suppose a brief reunion would be nice.

A family reunion occurring in heaven...? Idk, that sounds more like hell to me

Many people on this forum never asked to be alive

Sorry to break the news, but it's not "many people." It's literally everybody. Not a single person in the entire world signed up for existence. It's not optional.

 

[Sister of the Moon]

I lean towards the idea that everything has some sort of consciousness, from rocks to trees, insects and animals, and of course humans. I've read a lot of NDE accounts and played about with consciousness expanding substances. Due to what I've experienced I feel that we are one interconnected infinite consciousness, temporarily inhabiting the human body. The body will eventually die and I kind of hope there's nothing to be honest, yet I've got a feeling it's going to be (sigh) infinite consciousness. I did also read somewhere that if you expect it to be nothingness, then it will be nothingness... until you have a thought - and then your consciousness reignites and does whatever it does in the void. There are many accounts of what happens to that consciousness when it's no longer in the human body. I don't want to be infinite consciousness though. At least not as a human or on this planet.

 

[sunnydaysahead]

I lean towards the idea that everything has some sort of consciousness, from rocks to trees, insects and animals, and of course humans. I've read a lot of NDE accounts and played about with consciousness expanding substances. Due to what I've experienced I feel that we are one interconnected infinite consciousness, temporarily inhabiting the human body. The body will eventually die and I kind of hope there's nothing to be honest, yet I've got a feeling it's going to be (sigh) infinite consciousness. I did also read somewhere that if you expect it to be nothingness, then it will be nothingness... until you have a thought - and then your consciousness reignites and does whatever it does in the void. There are many accounts of what happens to that consciousness when it's no longer in the human body. I don't want to be infinite consciousness though. At least not as a human or on this planet.

I'm pretty sure that trees are proven to have some level of consciousness; the trees can communicate with each other, at least. I think thats pretty cool.

 

[coconutsandalwood]

There is a heaven and a hell. Don't ask me how I know.

You don't.

 

[Parnate]

I am actually looking forward to an afterlife. I believe in reincarnation and i am sure that all the good karma i have in this life will give me a better next life where i won't face the same issue

 

[SunnysSunset]

Same here, the idea of existing for eternity sounds so boring. And I guess you can't really take yourself out if you're just like, a spirit, so you're basically trapped :/ I think reincarnating as an animal would be cool though.

I'm pretty sure that trees are proven to have some level of consciousness; the trees can communicate with each other, at least. I think thats pretty cool.

Really? That's actually really comforting. I'd love to be a tree lol it sounds so chill

 

[outrider567]

personally, when i CTB (or just if i die accidentally) the afterlife would be the worst possible outcome. i don't want to think i don't want to exist not in ANY form let alone for eternity that sounds unbearable. i don't care if there are angels and buffets and lovely people waiting for me - i want to be how i was before i was born just.. not existing. no memories no thoughts just nothingness completely gone from existence. does anyone else feel the same way?

Yes, I feel the same way that you do

 

[LittleBlackCat]

Used to hope there would be some sort of afterlife, but now it scares the shit out of me. I just want nothing, I want to rest. Does having this opinion mean I go to 'hell'? Fuck ..

 

[wait.what]

lol you made me laugh at "isekai of misery"

I didn't know what an isekai was, and now I do. Neat new word! Yay!

Also, I have zero belief that awareness or personal identity can survive the destruction of the brain. Sort of a grim example, but you can look at stroke patients, people with Alzheimer's, people who have had traumatic brain injuries, and you can see that their "self" is altered, sometimes annihilated, by the damage done to their brains. All that makes you "you" is contained in your physical body. Consciousness cannot hang in space, near-death hallucinations notwithstanding.

To make eternal life work, everyone who dies would have to be issued an eternal brain that is an exact copy of the living brain they used to possess, as it was at some arbitrary point in their lifetime. Say the brain they had on their 35th birthday. Why not. But even then, if the original brain is dead, how is the eternal brain not a different entity? It could be a mental identical twin that appears to be the same as person you, but is actually an entirely different being.

Maybe "soul" is different from "mind," and only "soul" is eternal. But if there's no mind attached to the soul, how does it even know it exists? A mindless soul could be basking in heaven or languishing in hell for eternity and never even notice.

People who have faith in these things say "I don't know how it works. It just works," and I don't want to take that from them. I'm all for anything that gets people through the night. The Long Dark Night Of The Soul (That Doesn't Actually Exist, But Hey).

But if you're someone who would rather have your awareness and sense of self extinguished when you die, take comfort. It will be. Lots of people have tried to make some kind of logical connection between the world as we know it and an afterlife, and nobody's managed to make it work yet. Personally, I'm happy about that.

 

[theboy]

I am afraid of being "conscious" in the dark void after death.