There is Evidence for an Afterlife

[SamuelTP1977]

I feel it is important to acknowledge the possibility of an afterlife. Here is some evidence that I am aware of, you may be interested and care to share what you have heard of over the years.

Just this spring on NBC news with Lester Holt, He reported on finding a doctor who is making a record of people with past life experiences. He reported about one boy who claims in a previous life he used to be an actor I believe from the 1920's. The doctor checked him out and found he knew 55 different things about this actor. Including how old was the actor when he died.

There are a whole bunch of other hard to explain events that definitely leave me wondering and hoping for the divinity of Jesus Christ. Can really all these people in this day and age be totally wrong about at least the possibility that something that was hard to explain really happened 2000 years ago?

So what are your thoughts on this?

 

[Ana the Ist]

I don't think the boy had a "past life".

Every one of these cases that I've heard of...the little boy seems to "grow out of it" at some point. Seems to me if you genuinely thought you were someone else, that would be a tough thing to just let go of.

 

[Cearbhall]

Reincarnation and the Christian concept of life after death are two very different concepts.

 

[Eudaimonist]

Just this spring on NBC news with Lester Holt, He reported on finding a doctor who is making a record of people with past life experiences. He reported about one boy who claims in a previous life he used to be an actor I believe from the 1920's. The doctor checked him out and found he knew 55 different things about this actor. Including how old was the actor when he died.

Unfortunately, without scientifically controlled conditions, which are very difficult for this sort of thing, these stories are not helpful. The child could have been recently "contaminated" by information about the actor, and even coached by someone else.


eudaimonia,

Mark

 

[SamuelTP1977]

I feel it is definitely a mystery, you never know maybe there is something to the possibility of an afterlife of sorts?

 

[jayem]

Unless our remains are completely and perpetually sealed off from the environment, the atoms of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium, and other elements comprising our bodies might eventually be recycled into other plants or animals. Other than that, I can't imagine any kind of life after death. And certainly not any sentient life that would retain our sense of self. I realize I can't prove this. But the analytical part of brain of my tells me that all these ideas of an afterlife are just wishful thinking.

 

[SamuelTP1977]

I feel all these people who believe in a higher power and Heaven can't be wrong. There are billions and billions of people who believe in a higher power. I think something very hard to explain happened 2000 years ago and Jesus could have come back from the dead. I do hope so that is for sure.

Here is a near death experience that I read about in philosophy for dummies. A man was in his bathroom and a had a heart attack. He collapsed on the floor and could of swore he saw something and heard something. There was like a ghost or a man there who told the heart attack victim "we are not ready for you yet, we will come for you later." His wife found him and called 9-1-1 and he recovered in the hospital. The man felt comforted that he saw this ghost because he felt that when he died he wouldn't be alone.

So you never know there could be something to it.

 

[paulm50]

Reincarnation and the Christian concept of life after death are two very different concepts.

More than different, the Christian church says we go to Heaven or Hell. No knowledge of it saying reincarnation.

 

[GrimKingGrim]

Question: Where do non-humans go then?

 

[jayem]

I feel all these people who believe in a higher power and Heaven can't be wrong. There are billions and billions of people who believe in a higher power.

But the details of what these billions of people believe about a higher power, and heavenly (or other) afterlife can vary tremendously. Many times they aren't even close. (Also you can't deny that these differences are culturally dependent.) If, as you say, these billions of people can't be wrong, are they all correct? And if not, then who is wrong, and how do you decide that?

I think something very hard to explain happened 2000 years ago and Jesus could have come back from the dead. I do hope so that is for sure.

As I said--wishful thinking.

Here is a near death experience that I read about in philosophy for dummies. A man was in his bathroom and a had a heart attack. He collapsed on the floor and could of swore he saw something and heard something. There was like a ghost or a man there who told the heart attack victim "we are not ready for you yet, we will come for you later." His wife found him and called 9-1-1 and he recovered in the hospital. The man felt comforted that he saw this ghost because he felt that when he died he wouldn't be alone

Or it could be a hallucination or dream-like event brought on by altered cerebral blood flow, hypoxia, sudden release of stress hormones, or any number of physiologic mechanisms related to cardiac malfunction. You know that the out-of-body experience sometimes reported during NDEs has been reproduced by stimulation of a cortical region (the right temporo-parietal junction, IIRC.) It can also occur as part of an epileptic aura, and after taking LSD, ketamine, and some other drugs. It is clearly a neuropathologic phenomenon and no conclusions about supernatural implications are justifed.

 

[bhsmte]

I feel it is important to acknowledge the possibility of an afterlife. Here is some evidence that I am aware of, you may be interested and care to share what you have heard of over the years.

Just this spring on NBC news with Lester Holt, He reported on finding a doctor who is making a record of people with past life experiences. He reported about one boy who claims in a previous life he used to be an actor I believe from the 1920's. The doctor checked him out and found he knew 55 different things about this actor. Including how old was the actor when he died.

There are a whole bunch of other hard to explain events that definitely leave me wondering and hoping for the divinity of Jesus Christ. Can really all these people in this day and age be totally wrong about at least the possibility that something that was hard to explain really happened 2000 years ago?

So what are your thoughts on this?

My thoughts?

Need a lot more evidence than what you state.

 

[FrumiousBandersnatch]

I feel all these people who believe in a higher power and Heaven can't be wrong. There are billions and billions of people who believe in a higher power.

Are you suggesting that reality is determined by the number of people who believe something?

I think something very hard to explain happened 2000 years ago and Jesus could have come back from the dead. I do hope so that is for sure.

There are a lot of tall stories from that period (and since) - how are you judging which ones are plausible?

Here is a near death experience that I read about in philosophy for dummies. A man was in his bathroom and a had a heart attack. He collapsed on the floor and could of swore he saw something and heard something. There was like a ghost or a man there who told the heart attack victim "we are not ready for you yet, we will come for you later." His wife found him and called 9-1-1 and he recovered in the hospital. The man felt comforted that he saw this ghost because he felt that when he died he wouldn't be alone.

Lots of people have had hallucinations of many different things - most don't talk about them, and there's no reason to believe any of them are anything more than neurological glitches. Check out 'Hallucinations' by Oliver Sacks.

So you never know there could be something to it.

And magic pixies too...

 

[Eudaimonist]

I feel all these people who believe in a higher power and Heaven can't be wrong.

I feel they can be wrong. Where does that leave us?

There are billions and billions of people who believe in a higher power.

Yeah, so? According to one study, roughly one billion people in the world are "secular, non-religious, agnostics and atheists". Can one billion people be wrong?

The percentage of religious people versus secular people can and does change. Let's say that 51% of the world's population in the future were to be atheists. What would that indicate to you?


eudaimonia,

Mark

 

[GrimKingGrim]

Still wondering where the not humans go if a supposed afterlife exists. Think about it, they're still lives.

 

[SamuelTP1977]

Still wondering where the not humans go if a supposed afterlife exists. Think about it, they're still lives.

I have no idea where non-humans go when they die. I hear from the catholic Pope pets have an immortal soul and go to Heaven when they die. So you never know. Also, the Hindus believe in reincarnation so maybe there is something to that as well. Maybe non-human animals die and get reincarnated like recycled souls? Or non-human animals do not have an immortal soul and simply die when it is their time.

 

[SamuelTP1977]

To Eudaimonist,

It is possible that there are a lot of tall stories from the bronze age, and that might be all they are, but still there is good reason to keep hope a live. There could be a Heaven or a Hell, we don't know.

I think it would be a real shocker if it turned out that billions and billions of people are wrong about the after life. Especially when so many people are hoping for Heaven. I am not sure where it leaves us to say I feel they can't be wrong, but you say you feel that they can be wrong. However I think we can find common ground and say it is a huge mystery.

After all according to science the Universe has been around for 14 billion years and I have been around for about 40 years. So this really is a curious thing I know that I got here by reproduction a product of evolution and really lucky to have my faculties together.

When it comes to religion I do take it with a grain of salt, because we really do not know what happens when we die or what happened 2000 years ago, let alone if we are really nothing more than a highly evolved biological life form. It is a mystery and everyone is entitled to their opinion.

I also feel it is possible to have a belief in a higher power from a well thought out position. Many clerics and even atheists and agnostics have accomplished this. My hat is off to those who have done that. I think that is great that there are people who are seekers and have not given up on searching for the truth. However do I think evolution explains enough, or even everything? No I do not, there is just too much you can't explain, especially when you consider the kind of odds that would have to play out for all of that to happen.

 

[Eudaimonist]

I am not sure where it leaves us to say I feel they can't be wrong, but you say you feel that they can be wrong. However I think we can find common ground and say it is a huge mystery.

Perhaps so, but I think that you are making a religion out of "not knowing" and then believing anyway, which is an odd position to be in. It makes more sense to me that when faced with not knowing one should withhold belief until one does.


eudaimonia,

Mark

 

[FrumiousBandersnatch]

I think it would be a real shocker if it turned out that billions and billions of people are wrong about the after life. Especially when so many people are hoping for Heaven.

Well no, it wouldn't be a shocker. Think about it - nobody would ever know. Just like now.

After all according to science the Universe has been around for 14 billion years and I have been around for about 40 years. So this really is a curious thing I know that I got here by reproduction a product of evolution and really lucky to have my faculties together.

According to the best science we have, there is no afterlife and no possibility of it. See 'The Higgs Boson & the Fundamental Nature of Reality' (below). The whole lecture is worth watching, but I skipped to the relevant part):

However do I think evolution explains enough, or even everything? No I do not, there is just too much you can't explain, especially when you consider the kind of odds that would have to play out for all of that to happen.

What, exactly, did you have in mind?

 

[paulm50]

To Eudaimonist,

It is possible that there are a lot of tall stories from the bronze age, and that might be all they are, but still there is good reason to keep hope a live. There could be a Heaven or a Hell, we don't know.

I think it would be a real shocker if it turned out that billions and billions of people are wrong about the after life. Especially when so many people are hoping for Heaven. I am not sure where it leaves us to say I feel they can't be wrong, but you say you feel that they can be wrong. However I think we can find common ground and say it is a huge mystery.

After all according to science the Universe has been around for 14 billion years and I have been around for about 40 years. So this really is a curious thing I know that I got here by reproduction a product of evolution and really lucky to have my faculties together.

When it comes to religion I do take it with a grain of salt, because we really do not know what happens when we die or what happened 2000 years ago, let alone if we are really nothing more than a highly evolved biological life form. It is a mystery and everyone is entitled to their opinion.

I also feel it is possible to have a belief in a higher power from a well thought out position. Many clerics and even atheists and agnostics have accomplished this. My hat is off to those who have done that. I think that is great that there are people who are seekers and have not given up on searching for the truth. However do I think evolution explains enough, or even everything? No I do not, there is just too much you can't explain, especially when you consider the kind of odds that would have to play out for all of that to happen.

Many of the stories come from the stone age, and yes they have to be in the bible.

Once those are established to be fiction, along with others. Why believe in a fiction book on the off chance it might be right and not created to control people. Which is very easy to prove.

 

[Oafman]

I have no idea where non-humans go when they die. I hear from the catholic Pope pets have an immortal soul and go to Heaven when they die.

My Gran used to have a gay dog. There's no way he went to heaven!