Discussion I like to think there is some sort of afterlife. Do you?

[Lovey]

So let me explain what I mean: Sometimes thinking about this is what keeps going. I don't believe in god and I don't really believe in the existence of an afterlife, but I like to think about one specific scenario, and it is so soothing and comforting when I feel afraid of dying.

I had a miscarriage not so long ago, my partner and I were super excited even if it wasn't a planned pregnancy. It was devastating to lose the baby (I wasn't that far along, but still, devastating), and then my anorexia got a lot worse. I have restored most of my weight back and maybe I could get pregnant again eventually, but I just know my disordered thoughts around food and my body will always get in the way. I will never be free from them.

So whenever I feel scared or doubtful about CBT, I just think about meeting my baby. Holding her in my arms for the first time. Touching her tiny hands or grabbing her tiny feet. I think about what the top of her head smells like. And I think about being a mom to her, finally… sometimes I think about her being a little older (maybe 2 or 3 years old), and reuniting with her in a hug. Playing with her, showing her plants and animals she's never seen before. Looking into her eyes or carrying her…

And that is all I need to feel at ease. To know in my heart this is the right choice. Because even if none of that happens, my body will be the same as hers and I will no longer miss her.

I'm curious, do you like to think about anything like what I described to feel more at ease or even comforted? I always cry my eyes out when I do think about this but it is so reassuring

 

[fields.of.lace]

I think about the "life review" that many western near death experiencers talk about, and how after that everyone I've ever been close to will apologize to me for everything they've done.

Yours is beautiful, it even made me cry. I've never even wanted children but yours is still beautiful. I'm sorry about your miscarriage, and your struggles with anorexia.

 

[PurpleVoid]

That's a lovely scenario. If there was a conscious afterlife, I'd want to spend it with people I loved, getting to learn about things I'm curious about, making inside jokes, creating art.

I've always had troubled thoughts about the afterlife, which came from a very turn-or-burn Christian upbringing. As a young person I didn't like thinking about hell or how it was a literal place of no return, whether it was filled with fire, painful torture, darkness, or just being alone with one's own thoughts. But I never liked thinking about heaven, either. To be forced into a perpetual conscious existence (even if it was supposedly positive) seemed so frightening to me that I had panic attacks. I didn't tell anyone about why I was panicking, because I was afraid that if I told them, the idea would get stuck in their minds too. I didn't want to spoil their "carrot", if you understand.

Before I became more agnostic, I was still a Christian, but I had ceased believing in a real eternal hell. I believed that even if there were negative experiences after death for people who deserved them, they wouldn't be inescapable or eternal. And that if living forever in heaven was not something a human could enjoy, God would be aware of this and let us say goodbye when we were ready.

Now when I think about the afterlife, I hope that there's nothing at all, but at worst I worry that I'll just go on experiencing the same feelings and problems for a while but in another realm.

 

[Nights]

Yes, but there isn't any after life, i also hate the idea that i'll be non-existent and in the darkness for eternity, this idea scares me, but there is no afterlife, death is final, nothing can bring you back to live after you die

 

[Forever Sleep]

I used to imagine an afterlife. My situation is kind of the mirror of yours. My Mum died when I was 3. I really don't have many memories of her. I imagine hugging her and telling her how much I missed her. Weird thing is though- I'm now 3 years older than her when she died. Most of my close family members are dead- so- I used to imagine a reunion a lot.

Things have changed as I've gotten older though. Now, I just really long for nothing. I really don't like the thought of anymore life or consciousness.

I'm so sorry you lost your baby.

 

[Superdeterminist]

Only if it's heavenly - no suffering. Otherwise I would prefer eternal nothingness afterwards. It wouldn't bother me since nothingness is neutral, and sure beats this hellish existence.

 

[favouriteworstnight]

I'm usually a skeptic and materialistic person, so I have no reason to believe in an afterlife. Actually, I find beauty when I think about the nature of life, because we are the result of years and years of natural selection and when the time comes we will cease to exist. It's not going to be endless darkness or anything like that, it's just going to be nothingness because we don't have a consciousness to experience reality anymore.

 

[Lost Magic]

Yeah, I do believe in something after this because I have watched a shit ton of NDE and DMT videos (and most of them talk about feeling warm and comforted). It seems that conciseness does survive after the point of death. However, I no longer fear it because there are worse things to fear in this life than death. To me living in a human body is a lot tougher to deal with than anything else, so the sooner it is gone, the better. I see death as the beginning, not the end.

 

[peaceindeath]

I hope I can become a light creature, like a fly. Just feel without thinking

 

[blacksand]

I have a similar thing but its more about being able to go back to a particular moment in time with a particular person and living there forever, eventually merging my soul into that moment for eternity. The likely reality? A return to the same nothing as before conception.

 

[FuneralCry]

I only find the thought of permanent nonexistence to be comforting. I see so much beauty in the thought of not existing forever where this existence won't even be a distant memory. I very strongly believe that we just cease existing after this, to me existence is so meaningless and impermanent especially in comparison to the vast eternity of nothingness. The existence of life is such a tragedy so to me that automatically means that death is beautiful. True peace to me could only ever exist in the absence of everything.

 

[blacksand]

I only find the thought of permanent nonexistence to be comforting. I see so much beauty in the thought of not existing forever where this existence won't even be a distant memory. I very strongly believe that we just cease existing after this, to me existence is so meaningless and impermanent especially in comparison to the vast eternity of nothingness. The existence of life is such a tragedy so to me that automatically means that death is beautiful. True peace to me could only ever exist in the absence of everything.

the more I meditate on death the more I'm convinced that the nothingness we came from and will return to is nirvana. We are the unfortunate ones who have to go through hell on earth before getting to return to it.

 

[AerialBoundaries]

Unfortunately, there is no afterlife.

Of course I'd like to see people I love that have passed on and exist in a place in which I don't suffer, but it's just a tool religions use to keep the masses in check.

 

[Azora]

I only find the thought of permanent nonexistence to be comforting. I see so much beauty in the thought of not existing forever where this existence won't even be a distant memory. I very strongly believe that we just cease existing after this, to me existence is so meaningless and impermanent especially in comparison to the vast eternity of nothingness. The existence of life is such a tragedy so to me that automatically means that death is beautiful. True peace to me could only ever exist in the absence of everything.

There is no such thing as an experience of nothing. To say that nothingness is beautiful is to say that there is something for which to contain beauty, which would not be nothing. Nor can you experience peace when no peace can be felt.

People often struggle with the concept of death as a concept of being nothing. They think that you're going to be locked up in a dark room and be in some kind of tranquil slumber. This is because human beings don't have the capacity to understand what nothing is, because it is logically impossible. There is always something.

What this means is that, unless there is some further understanding of nothingness that humans don't understand, an experience after death must occur. Either in the supernatural or some form of reincarnation.

 

[woh6]

For me the thought of "nothingness" brings me peace. Sorry to hear about your miscarriage and anorexia, sounds like you've been through a lot. I think your view is very beautiful and touching though, thanks for sharing

 

[Unwr!tten]

I believe in an afterlife and that whether we die by natural causes or choose to leave early, we will be happy and loved in the afterlife. I believe we will be with our families and we will be surrounded by those we cherish and those whom cherish us.

 

[Challu]

Unfortunately, there is no afterlife.

I disagree.

 

[AerialBoundaries]

I disagree.

The fundamental issue is, we need demonstrable evidence that an afterlife exists and not quotes from religious books or people's anedotes. Belief isn't enough. It's not simply a case of disagreeing. It's a case of where's the proof?

 

[PurpleVoid]

The fundamental issue is, we need demonstrable evidence that an afterlife exists and not quotes from religious books or people's anedotes. Belief isn't enough. It's not simply a case of disagreeing. It's a case of where's the proof?

Respectfully, who is going to give you your proof? The people who can prove it are dead.

 

[AerialBoundaries]

Respectfully, who is going to give you your proof? The people who can prove it are dead.

Not necessarily. How many claimed to have seen ghosts of their dead relatives, or psychics who claim to speak to the dead?

Fallibilism would suggest that I don't have to certain, regardless. It's up to the person making the claims to prove them. If they can't be proved, then why should we ever entertain the idea?

 

[The_End_Is_Comfort]

I think that we get to choose our own afterlife based on what we believe in. If you prefer an eternal sleep, it'll be that, if you prefer rebirth or reincarnation you'll live again as a new person or restart your life again with the ability to make new choices or may even, with a bit of knowledge. If you prefer heaven it'll be that. If you believe in the greek gods, maybe you'll meet Hades, If you believe in ghosts, maybe you can roam the earth and spook people. etc.