[stevenmu]

Originally Posted by KatieK

I dont believe in an afterlife I believe this is a 'prelife' and what we go on to is the real deal. We come here to be mortal and experience pain and pleasure and emotion and learn from that. Every life lived has a lesson, be it a child who lives for a moment, or a serial killer who destroys the lives of others. Sometimes we teach others sometimes the lesson is ours. Death is not the end, its going home. At a funeral I feel sad for myself, not the person who has died, I think its a joyful experience for them.

I think the 'other side' is a place where we are free from the physical, we loose our obsession with possessing and can live and commune on a higher level I cant begin to understand, being flesh and blood right now . It is a place beyond our tiny minds or scientific ideas, which is only explained to us through metaphors (this can be when we meditate). Maybe religion is based on such metaphors, which is why we have such rigid things as heaven and hell and purgatory

Do you think that we retain much about ourselves when we cross over, such as our personalities and memories ? How do you think we would then view the physical existence we have now, would we be very aware of it ? Would we view it at distinct points in space and time or just be kind of aware of it all at once ? (i.e. would a spirit 'looking down' be 'seeing' you as you are right now or would they be 'seeing' everyone and everything at all times, kind of omnipotent)

Sorry, I realise they're tricky questions, but from your previous posts I'd be really interested to hear what you think, feel free not to answer if you'd prefer.

[Oryx]

I think initially, we do retain much of ourselves. I think it depends on how good your life was here, and how sudden your passing was, on how easily you let go of 'you'. I like to understand it as people that pass on have a lot of love for those they leave behind, and they may not want to move forward until they are happy we are ok, or maybe until we have gone on with them. Unhappy souls may not want to leave behind unfinished business or possessions. (I think higher souls remember everyone they ever were, and can use these guises when communicating with us, so as to have a form we can relate to.)

Im not sure about the moving through time bit, any experience I have had has been with souls close to us, who have not moved up the ladder, so to speak , I think on the higher levels the spirit can move at will through time, it is fairly irrelevant to them, I had what you might call an insight into this once while meditating but I honestly am lost for words as to how to explain it.

[stevenmu]

Originally Posted by KatieK

I think initially, we do retain much of ourselves. I think it depends on how good your life was here, and how sudden your passing was, on how easily you let go of 'you'. I like to understand it as people that pass on have a lot of love for those they leave behind, and they may not want to move forward until they are happy we are ok, or maybe until we have gone on with them. Unhappy souls may not want to leave behind unfinished business or possessions. (I think higher souls remember everyone they ever were, and can use these guises when communicating with us, so as to have a form we can relate to.)

Thanks, that explains a lot. Sometimes I think I just need to hear things over and over in slightly different ways to understand it.

Originally Posted by KatieK

Im not sure about the moving through time bit, any experience I have had has been with souls close to us, who have not moved up the ladder, so to speak , I think on the higher levels the spirit can move at will through time, it is fairly irrelevant to them, I had what you might call an insight into this once while meditating but I honestly am lost for words as to how to explain it.

I'm sure they'd be wasted on me anyway, but I think I get the general idea.

[Ruadan]

Reincarnation, Karma, Enlightnment, Nirvana (a state of non existance)
All fairly Buddist, but i've come to believe in the idea of the Eternal Spiral as a representation of the path we take, moving from the periphary to the centre, each path unique and encompassing manyfold reincarnations, from amoebas, fleeting beings, up through trees and gods to oneness.

(and just to comment on a fiew posts i saw, matter is energy there is no distinction, e=mc2 )

[downandout]

Originally Posted by stevenmu

Do you think that we retain much about ourselves when we cross over, such as our personalities and memories ?

The best guide is the testimony of the Near Death Experiencers (who all but die on the operating table and have out of body experiences). Check out Raymond Moody's books - it seems that yes, we retain much about ourselves, but the 'we' who is doing this expands in an extraordinary and indescribable way

[ether]

We won't know until our time has come, but the way i see it we believe in other things throughout our daily lives why not the after life? I've heard people saying theres no proof, but theres no proof that there isn't either.
In a way its like a safety net for all your fears of dying, if you have any.

[Stabshauptmann]

I think I heard a bible basher in america give "mathematical proof once". Twas funny.
He constucted a little table, 2X2, benifit if our right, cost if your wrong on top and believe, not believe on the side. Like I said, proof

[CerebralCortex]

Originally Posted by mathie

Not to re-open an already re-opened issue but how can you believe in God when there is zero proof?
M

The question you(I think) should be asking is where is the proof that he/she/it doesn't exist.