Discussion Do you believe in an afterlife?

[endofthelinebros]

So I'm planning to CTB within the next week, I have supplies prepared and I've been writing my notes.

This has just been on my mind, and I'm curious as to what the rest of you think. Personally I lean towards reincarnation just going on stories I've heard from people I trust who have medically died or experienced past life regression, however ultimately I'm unsure and it makes no impact on my decision, whether I'm reborn into a new body or I just face eternal oblivion, I consider it a win.

 

[tara44]

this is something i think about all the time, i guess no one really knows. I don't mind if i reincarnate but I just dont want to be trapped alone for eternity.. that's my biggest fear.

 

[passer-by]

I'd opt for an eternal oblivion if the choice was mine. Reincarnation concerns me, as I already have a few recollections of my past lives (through vivid karmic dreams) and there's nothing pleasant about that. Even good memories are bittersweet. I don't wish to keep on piling up on new experiences, which are ultimately meaningless and random. I'm tired of playing this game. Whether in this life or a next one.

I suppose I mostly lean to the gnostic idea of an afterlife and so called "soul trap", which I'm still not sure I wouldn't fall into if I was offered better conditions or a fulfilment of my desires in my next life. That's why I want my ctb to be a rational, steady decision, not something done out of despair or rage. I feel the less emotions involved, the better. That way you can ultimately free your soul.

 

[darkness456]

No, but I am open for a surprise.

 

[Darkover]

No it's like asking do you think my computer that die will ever magically reassemble and have all the same data on it
it's impossible you only get one life

 

[BirdNamedRose]

Personally i think it depends on what the person belived in, and the situation, maybe even the circumstances in what caused the persons demise. However due to my experiences I've been mostly certain i'd be reincarnated but that might not happen if i ctb. Going off of my peoples views on the matter, my "soul" would fall off the path that was set for me and i guess i'd just be trapped, maybe as a ghost or spirt unable to move on. Which if thats the case would suck. And the only way to fix that would to hold a cermony that i doubt there's anyone who knows about or how to do in my family. This all sounds so wacky discussing and i doubt anyone would understand, but thats my best guess

 

[endofthelinebros]

this is something i think about all the time, i guess no one really knows. I don't mind if i reincarnate but I just dont want to be trapped alone for eternity.. that's my biggest fear.

Yeah I'm with you there, I would say if I do reincarnate I'd hope not to be a human this time around. Human life is too complicated for me.

I'd opt for an eternal oblivion if the choice was mine. Reincarnation concerns me, as I already have a few recollections of my past lives (through vivid karmic dreams) and there's nothing pleasant about that. Even good memories are bittersweet. I don't wish to keep on piling up on new experiences, which are ultimately meaningless and random. I'm tired of playing this game. Whether in this life or a next one.

I suppose I mostly lean to the gnostic idea of an afterlife and so called "soul trap", which I'm still not sure I wouldn't fall into if I was offered better conditions or a fulfilment of my desires in my next life. That's why I want my ctb to be a rational, steady decision, not something done out of despair or rage. I feel the less emotions involved, the better. That way you can ultimately free your soul.

To be honest eternal oblivion is a very comforting thought, although reincarnation is exciting to me too. As I said, for me it's a win-win. I'd honestly never heard the idea of a 'soul trap' before this.

No it's like asking do you think my computer that die will ever magically reassemble and have all the same data on it
it's impossible you only get one life

That's a fair way to look at it. Personally I'm a bit more spiritual about things, but in the end it doesn't really matter. Unless the abrahamic hell is the truth of it, anything is better than my current situation, but I'll make sure to quickly ask Jesus for forgiveness just in case they got it right before I go

Personally i think it depends on what the person belived in, and the situation, maybe even the circumstances in what caused the persons demise. However due to my experiences I've been mostly certain i'd be reincarnated but that might not happen if i ctb. Going off of my peoples views on the matter, my "soul" would fall off the path that was set for me and i guess i'd just be trapped, maybe as a ghost or spirt unable to move on. Which if thats the case would suck. And the only way to fix that would to hold a cermony that i doubt there's anyone who knows about or how to do in my family. This all sounds so wacky discussing and i doubt anyone would understand, but thats my best guess

I love that way of looking at things. Maybe it's gonna sound dumb bringing some teen cartoon into a serious discussion, but the series 'Black Butler's has that as a concept where the 'Reapers' are the souls of those who've caught the bus and now guide the souls of the dead into their afterlife. I think I'd be happy with something like that, being someone so comfortable with the idea of death, it'd be nice if my 'purpose' was to bring peace and reassurance to those who weren't quite so ready to pass.

 

[tara44]

Yeah I'm with you there, I would say if I do reincarnate I'd hope not to be a human this time around. Human life is too complicated for me.


To be honest eternal oblivion is a very comforting thought, although reincarnation is exciting to me too. As I said, for me it's a win-win. I'd honestly never heard the idea of a 'soul trap' before this.


That's a fair way to look at it. Personally I'm a bit more spiritual about things, but in the end it doesn't really matter. Unless the abrahamic hell is the truth of it, anything is better than my current situation, but I'll make sure to quickly ask Jesus for forgiveness just in case they got it right before I go


I love that way of looking at things. Maybe it's gonna sound dumb bringing some teen cartoon into a serious discussion, but the series 'Black Butler's has that as a concept where the 'Reapers' are the souls of those who've caught the bus and now guide the souls of the dead into their afterlife. I think I'd be happy with something like that, being someone so comfortable with the idea of death, it'd be nice if my 'purpose' was to bring peace and reassurance to those who weren't quite so ready to pass.

I tried to message you but you're account is only new. I wish we had the answers, it would make all of this so much easier… but we don't

 

[Darkover]

That's a fair way to look at it. Personally I'm a bit more spiritual about things

the lack of any evidence for a soul, it's pretty easy to make a human appear soulless by damaging specific parts of brain matter. The brain drives consciousness and our experience of being human, once it dies so does the concept of us.

If a soul, a spirit animating the body, existed, it would continue its function regardless of damage to the brain. Instead we see a direct correspondence between the brain and most of the functions we think of as "us". Again this indicates a human machine with the brain as the cpu, not an invisible spirit

 

[FuneralCry]

No, I just believe death to simply be non-existence which is all I hope and wish for, I'm so tired of suffering in this cruel, torturous existence, ceasing to exist is all I see as desirable, I only hope to never suffer ever again. To me existence itself truly is the most terrible tragedy, I'd never wish to suffer in this existence, I'd always prefer to die than prolong this suffering just to end up way more tortured and tormented.

 

[legoshi]

I just want to be done. I want to feel like how I feel when I'm asleep I know nothing it's just blank I'm asleep but I don't know I'm asleep until I wake up. And if I never wake up, I never know. That's how I hope it is. I don't want to be reincarnated, I don't want to experience life anymore. The thought of heaven sounds great but I kind of don't want to exist at all in any form. i want to be done.

 

[OutOfThisBody]

Human beings arent special enough to have some sort of afterlife while other animals don't. Like what was the line between evolution from our ape ancestor and current human species that god was like 'okay you go to heaven now'? Did neaderthals go to heaven? Did bacteria on mars go to heaven? Do skin mites go to heaven?

Religion is founded on believing that humans are unique somehow. But we really aren't. Theres a high possibility somewhere in our universe there are lifeforms with technology ten thousand times as advanced as ours. Are we gonna see them in heaven? In our earth-developed religions' afterlife? We are so insignificant. How would a god say that some animals are better than others and have souls while others don't? A slug is just as good at doing what it evolved to do as a human is. We aren't better than them.

 

[CantDoIt]

I said ,"unsure," as I suppose it's the truth. I think it's either eternal oblivion or something like what NDEs describe which includes both afterlife and reincarnation. I would hate if it were like "The Egg," where you are literally every person on Earth and you have to go through each individual life of every person once at a time...

 

[JohnnySack]

i was brought up to believe in one but as time went on i've just sort of lost my faith i guess, like a lot of people.

 

[legoshi]

Human beings arent special enough to have some sort of afterlife while other animals don't. Like what was the line between evolution from our ape ancestor and current human species that god was like 'okay you go to heaven now'? Did neaderthals go to heaven? Did bacteria on mars go to heaven? Do skin mites go to heaven?

Religion is founded on believing that humans are unique somehow. But we really aren't. Theres a high possibility somewhere in our universe there are lifeforms with technology ten thousand times as advanced as ours. Are we gonna see them in heaven? In our earth-developed religions' afterlife? We are so insignificant. How would a god say that some animals are better than others and have souls while others don't? A slug is just as good at doing what it evolved to do as a human is. We aren't better than them.

I often ponder this, like I wonder if ants look at us as mythical beings. When we drop a chip or something I wonder if they are like look at this blessing that has been delivered to us. On top of that ants like humans have their own communities, build shelters, they work and are very intelligent.

 

[nihilistic_dragon]

Not anymore. Even if there is afterlife, I don't think these two existences are connected in any way that we will be cognizant of. You don't remember anything from when you were in your mother's womb, do you?

 

[Tuonetar_]

I don't think so, but I also think that the existence of an afterlife can only be truly proven when you die. And so far no one has managed to rise from the grave and write a memoir about their experiences, so it's impossible to prove either way.

 

[SA1994EC]

I don't think there is afterlife. I have a lot of logical thoughts on it, but those are not particularly worth being discussed now.
But emotionally, I don't want afterlife to exist. Having one chance to suffer and agonize this much this long is more than enough.

 

[ctb2soble]

I believe in an afterlife and it's actually a driving force towards me wanting to CTB (more passively than actively lately) and why I don't fear death. When my ex boyfriend died a decade ago, he visited me, his roommate, and his sister on separate occasions post death. I don't believe in heaven and hell per say, but if I did I would say Earth is hell and the afterlife is some kind of heaven/paradise space.

 

[donwhitman]

Heaven for me is non existence

 

[KillingPain267]

Only a physical resurrection

 

[pariah80]

I choose to believe that I'm a soul. I've existed before, and I'll exist again. I'm an intelligent being now, and I'll be in another form, in another life.

 

[theolivanderroach]

I really hope it's nothing. Going back to a state of non-existence. An eternal afterlife sounds like hell to me.

 

[ijustwishtodie]

No, it's just bullshit made by humans for humans

 

[_AllCatsAreGrey_]

I used to believe in reincarnation. I don't anymore. I now see thoughts of the afterlife as a thought experiment that may be helpful for some in guiding moral actions. I no longer find it helpful.

That said, I voted "unsure" as I'm still closer to agnostic on the issue.

 

[ThisGameIsOverrated]

Nope, I don't get how most after life theories revolve around humans when we have only been on this earth for a very small portion of the total time that there's been life on Earth

 

[divinemistress36]

I'm open to the idea we go to another dimension as energy. Heaven sounds to bibical to me

 

[avalonisburning]

I believe I'm gonna break away and do my own thing after I die. Whatever that looks like, I'll know when I see it.

 

[graveface]

I've never seen any evidence of any afterlife, so I don't think there is one. That's it, that's all, as far as I'm concerned. If I'm wrong so be it, but have seen nothing to indicate anything happens after we die.

 

[four_walls_girl]

I believe in shifting! I know I've done it before. But I am also that desperate to be with my comfort character that I could be completely kidding myself. Though we could controversially say that with all religions…

All I can think about is this one popular post I saw once in the astral projection subreddit that said they saw the "spirits" of those who ctb became left stuck wandering the astral planes as demonic entities or soulless beings and the thought of that freaks me out a little…