Does Death End it All?

[JayJayDee]

What are your individual thoughts on death and where it takes us?

"The Sting of Death.
Death is an uncomfortable subject. Many people prefer not to talk about it. But sooner or later, we must confront it. And the sting of death is sharp and painful.
Nothing can fully prepare us for the loss of a parent, a spouse, or a child. A tragedy may strike unexpectedly or unfold relentlessly. Whatever the case, the pain of death cannot be eluded, and its finality can be devastating.

Antonio, who lost his father in a road accident, explains: “It is like somebody sealing up your house and taking away the keys. You cannot return home, even for a moment. You are left with only your memories. This is the new reality. Although you try to deny it—since it seems so unfair—there is nothing you can do.”

When faced with a similar loss, Dorothy, who became a widow at the age of 47, resolved to find some answers. As a Sunday-school teacher, she never felt that death ended it all. But she had no clear answers. “What happens to us when we die?” she asked her Anglican minister. “No one really knows,” he replied. “We will just have to wait and see.”

Are we condemned merely to “wait and see”? Is there any way we can know for sure whether death ends it all?

Read more...
The Sting of Death: Is Death the End?

 

[Runewolf1973]

I believe in reincarnation most definitely. I will get into details about my personal reasons for this later..really sick with a cold right now, but here is a rather interesting video I just seen on YouTube


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWCUjx4nI98&feature=youtube_gdata_player

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

I believe in reincarnation most definitely.

I believe in reincarnation, too. I think the ultimate goal is spiritual evolution/ascension.

 

[Runewolf1973]

On a personal level, and I am even an atheist, I know for myself that death is not an end to anything, it is a transformation just like that transformation we call life. The underlying fundamental forces in nature are both ceaseless and formless. Some part of those fundamental forces that give us our consciousness remains intact after that transormation we know as death. Nothing ever truly ceases, it only changes form. There is no true Life, there is no true death. There is no evidence for this that I can present to you and that is a fact which I will be the first to admit. Guess you'll just have to find out for yourself.:yes:

 

[Runewolf1973]

I believe in reincarnation, too. I think the ultimate goal is spiritual evolution/ascension.

That's a possibility. Or perhaps there is no real goal to it. It is possible that this transformation is merely another neverending cyclic pattern that happens naturally...much like the seasons that come and go.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

That's a possibility. Or perhaps there is no real goal to it. It is possible that this transformation is merely another neverending cyclic pattern that happens naturally...much like the seasons that come and go.

Could be. But that's not how I see it.

 

[Runewolf1973]

Could be. But that's not how I see it.

It is good that we see things a little differently. In that respect, I am open to the idea that there may be more possibilities out there.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

It is good that we see things a little differently. In that respect, I am open to the idea that there may be more possibilities out there.

Of course. I'm open to many different possibilities, too. I just base my views on ascension from what I can see in the development of humanity's collective consciousness which, to me, is expanding and becoming more complex. But I'm a transhumanist and so that is definitely a big part of my spiritual views. I believe in apotheosis - becoming gods.

 

[Runewolf1973]

Of course. I'm open to many different possibilities, too. I just base my views on ascension from what I can see in the development of humanity's collective consciousness which, to me, is expanding and becoming more complex. But I'm a transhumanist and so that is definitely a big part of my spiritual views. I believe in apotheosis - becoming gods.

I believe we are already creators and part of that "Great Spirit" as the Native Americans would say, or "Brahman" as others traditions would say...that which is both ceaseless and formless. In that sense we are already like Gods...or at least in part, but on a purely natural level, not "supernatural".

 

[Sunstone]

I find the acceptance of death makes life all that much the sweeter.

 

[Runewolf1973]

I find the acceptance of death makes life all that much the sweeter.

Or the bitterness of death... I agree.

 

[bobhikes]

I want it to be the Ultimate Rest but I really don't have any Idea.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

I believe we are already creators and part of that "Great Spirit" as the Native Americans would say, or "Brahman" as others traditions would say...that which is both ceaseless and formless. In that sense we are already like Gods...or at least in part, but on a purely natural level, not "supernatural".

I see what you mean. I'm using "gods" in more of a Neo sort of sense. Having powers greater than we do now.

I do believe in a cosmic God, however.

 

[NobodyYouKnow]

I find the acceptance of death makes life all that much the sweeter.

Same here!

I don't know what's going to happen after I die and I don't really want to know it either.

It's not like I am avoiding it, or I am scared of it or anything, it's just not relevant whatsoever to the way I live my life now.

Also, that 'burden of existence' usually rests with those left behind seeking to come to terms with loss and to find a path of understanding through their grief.

All I know about death, is that it's only painful and terrible if you fight against it...trying hard to fight to stay alive, being that survival is the natural human instinct.

When one resigns themselves to fate, when one puts the future of their Soul into the hands/heart of God, what's there to worry about?

If reincarnation happens, it happens (and I won't remember it). If I go to Heaven/Hell, what am I going to 'experience' an afterlife with, if all my sensory equipment dies when I do? If I 'stay dead', what's to know?

Fear of death is a lame excuse to have faith in religion/God imho. Love is the only reason to do it...the only excuse...

So, I try not to think about it anymore, and I have reached that point through having Generalized Anxiety Disorder and suffering panic attacks on a daily basis....since losing my fear of death, I haven't had a panic attack in over 2 years now.

 

[Runewolf1973]

There are those who willfully choose to stay on the "other side" to help those going through that tough transformation. They are like spirit guides almost..and they help those who have recently deceased (especially very young children that have died) find their way back to a new beginning..a new life. Andrew, I am talking about YOU. He is one of those guides. The "other side" is not a fun or joyful place to be. It is actually quite bland, depressing at times, confusing, and uninviting. I don't look forward to it, but I know I'll be there some day.

 

[dyanaprajna2011]

I find the acceptance of death makes life all that much the sweeter.

In the Dhammapada, the Buddha said "for those who keep death in mind, their quarrels cease at once."

 

[Sunstone]

Or the bitterness of death... I agree.

Bitter in some ways, perhaps. But I see death as in some respects no more an issue than is letting go of the past on a daily basis. There can be a bit of emotional pain to letting go of the past at times, but it is both necessary and possible for us to do it. If death brings about absolute oblivion, that seems to me a plus, actually. I would prefer oblivion to eternity.

 

[StarryNightshade]

What are your individual thoughts on death and where it takes us?

Well, I know that one day we will all die, our bodies will decay, and we return to the earth.

Beyond that? How should I know?

 

[Erebus]

Firstly I'll say that I don't know what happens after death and I don't believe anybody else does either. To my mind the best we can hope for is to make an educated guess. Saying that there is definitely nothing after death is presumptuous and creating detailed heavens and hells reached through specific actions/beliefs can actually be dangerous.
Having said that, my best guess is that the afterlife is roughly similar to Hades or Sheol though without the elements of punishment/reward sometimes found in their respective mythologies. This guess stems from my brief explorations into Necromancy, though I will say that I am by no means an expert.
Whether that view of the afterlife is positive or negative really depends on your perspective. Some people have told me that oblivion would be preferable while others have implied that it proves I'm afraid of Hell/non-existence. To my mind though, it's not really any better or worse than either this life or oblivion, it's just a different state of being.

 

[Runewolf1973]

That transformation I call reincarnation is such a powerful thing. It is in fact very traumatic and straining on that "spirit" which is that semi-conscious part of that ceaseless and formless animating force which continues on. It is because of this tremendous strain on our "spirit" that all memory of previous life experiences are forgotten. Those previous life experiences are not erased however, and while on the "other side", we do have the ability to recall at least some part of our previous life. Generally it is mostly pertaining to the memory of our most recent life, how we died or that time just immediately prior to our death. A "spirit" will almost always show the tell-tale signs of how it died though, in the form of visible wounds or injuries. It is not always "pretty".