researching the afterlife

[tora]

I'm currently preparing myself to CTB. I have a list of things I need to do before I go that I'm slowly working my way through. the main thing stopping me right now is my fear of there being an afterlife. I'm an atheist, so I don't really believe in that sort of stuff, but there's this fear that's been stopping me from being able to go through with CTB that what if a god is real and they send me to hell or they reincarnate me in a worse place?
I have religious trauma from my childhood, so the fear of ending up in a bad afterlife has always been in the back of my mind. does anyone know of any articles or books I could read that go over the proof of, or lack of proof of an afterlife? I know I won't be able to pull the trigger until I get over this stupid fear. and I know it's not possible to be 100% sure of an afterlife until you're dead and you either end up in one or you don't, but I just want to be able to comfort myself with the thought that once I die, my end will be permanent.

 

[weedico]

(opinion)
can't be permanent. you came from somewhere, you're going that same somewhere.

 

[suicidaleeyore]

I have a huge fear of the afterlife. My biggest fear is hell. I'm not a bad person - I've done bad things but I mostly try my best to live by my values and morals which is to be a good person. However I've never dedicated myself to religion. I don't not believe but I also am not sure what to believe as I find there as many things within religion that are very contradictory. So I fear I might go to hell for not believing enough if it's real (though I struggle to see how it could be real). My research on the afterlife has also led to other ideas - and while these versions of the afterlife usually talked about by mediums sound quite peaceful however I'm afraid there will still be existence once we are dead. What I truly want is to die and everything to be over. I want it to be lights out. Absolutely no form of awarensss or consciousness. I'm terrified there IS an afterlife and I'm terrified it could be worse than this

 

[MrDarkness]

If your interested in learn about catholicism, lutherism, is very relaxed with its heaven and hell concept, it believes that you will go to heaven as long as you have faith and share love, it's a very kind religion, I do believe in an after life, I believe that god, is a loving mother that loves her children and will accept them home with no issue, death is scary but these thoughts have calmed me down

 

[Darkover]

i know when we die your life ends for all time there's no loving caring god that much is for certain it's either a random chance at life or nothing forever either way the unintelligent universe is far from being desireable it's far better to never exist at all

 

[Aergia]

(Could've sworn I made a comment like this before but can't seem to find it).

It's common for people with religious trauma to contend with a fear of hell— many former theists out there have created content regarding how and why hell is a manmade concept, and how you can get over aforementioned fear:





This question gets asked a lot in ex-muslim spaces (and I'd imagine ex-christian ones too)— you could search the relevant subreddits to find more resources.

I haven't read it yet, but I often see Bart D Ehrman's Heaven and Hell recommended in response, too.

If it helps, pain is caused by the reactions of your nervous system to stimuli in your environment. Once you die, all of your cells die. They won't be able to sense stimuli or transmit signals to your brain. It's not really possible for you to get tortured postmortem (assuming your idea of hell is physical).

 

[020x]

did i hear trigger? i think you need to hand that gun over to me instead, cause i would be gone the next second.

 

[carac]

Have you heard of Christopher Hitchens he was quite a notable athiest? he is no longer with us but it might be worth checking him out on youtube

One of my favourite bits from him

 

[Dmoore3232]

Heaven is real. I am not sure about God depending on the definition. You were probably alive before this life.

 

[Huntfish34]

The fear of Hell is one of my main reasons for not pulling the damn trigger yet........ FML.