If possible, I'd like to keep this discussion on a basic level and not get into a religious argument. It will be obvious that, for some, an afterlife is inherent in any discussion of death. I would ask that people who don't believe in an afterlife accept it as "alternative ending" for discussion sake.

So the question is this:

What do you personally feel will happen when you die?

Not how you will die, or the medical condition of death, but once death comes, what happens next?

I won't have to pay taxes anymore, I know that much.

If possible, I'd like to keep this discussion on a basic level and not get into a religious argument.

Good luck. I really have no idea what happens. If my dream scenario comes true I'll come back as a really hot lesbian.

I know for a fact there is an afterlife. Whether it's the Christian afterlife or an afterlife of booze and chicks, I don't know.

I really have no idea what happens.
If you had to guess, what would you say?

I know for a fact there is an afterlife.
A fact? So you are personally 100% certain that when you die, you move on to something else. What would your guess be as to the next stage?

The question really should be posed: Is all life sacred?

If yes: Then why are humans regarded as the only lifeform to venture forth to a potential afterlife or reincarnation or altered dimension?

If no: Then death is merely stasis, it is the final process, be it cremation or the natural process, death is finality. Once you die, there is nothing more, you are merely a cycle (whose purpose is yet to be determined) in completion.

I'm pretty sure I believe that nothing happens. That's it, its over. But I really, really, really don't want to believe that and struggle with it quite a bit.

If you had to guess, what would you say?

If I had to guess, I would say that there will not be 77 virgins waiting for me. Besides that, there's what I hope will be waiting - something reasonably peaceful, and what I think will be waiting - nothing.

It's over until the universe collapses upon itself and the big bang reoccurs. Then everything happens again exactly as it was. I've probably lived my life an infinite amount of times already.

I hope I got it right the first time :)

I'm pretty sure I believe that nothing happens. That's it, its over. But I really, really, really don't want to believe that and struggle with it quite a bit.

I think I'm in this camp. Though I remember reading the Castenada books and liking the idea of my energy being fed to the giant eagle or whatever that was...

A fact? So you are personally 100% certain that when you die, you move on to something else. What would your guess be as to the next stage?A fact. I cannot guess what it would be, but the way I've thought it out in my head is this:

You are you. Say your life is a timeline. From the moment you come into consciousness, you are you. When you die, your timeline has two choices: end or continue on. If it ends, then there is no afterlife. If it continues then there is an afterlife.

From present to the beginning of your timeline, you can remember everything that's happened to you, regardless of whether it was in your conscious or subconscious memory, right? If that is true, which I believe it is, and your timeline continues after you die, then you should still remember everything that's happened to you. Let's say you die and you remember nothing. Well, then essentially there is no afterlife, since you wouldn't be you, right? If that is true and you're able to follow me so far, you can prove there is an afterlife because if there is no you after you die, then your thoughts, feelings, memories have no meaning. Since we all know they do have meaning, you must continue on after you die as you. It's somewhat of a space-time continuum thing where you can "look forward" in time and know that because you're you now, you will be you in the future.

I don't know if I've explained this properly since I like to describe this theory with pictures.

What do you personally feel will happen when you die?Buffet for the worms

Forgot that we may be able to download ourselves onto a computer. So that's something.

Biblical answer (I'll try to make it 'clinical' as opposed to 'preachy'). Man is made up of 3 parts, 1. body (physical) 2. soul (seat of your intellect and emotion, your 'consciousness") 3. spirit (along with your soul, the 'indestructable' part of you that that your body fits over like a glove).

Your body is your legal permission to exist on earth. Upon death your soul/spirit exits your body to either 1. continue to exist in the presence of God or 2. continue to exist outside of the presence of God.

At some point in the future, known only to God, the Judgement will take place. All humans ever alive on earth will once again be fitted to their earthly bodies. The forgiven by God will have a new, Christ-like (after the ressurection) body that can exist in both heaven and on earth. The others won't.

I'm pretty sure I believe that nothing happens. That's it, its over. But I really, really, really don't want to believe that and struggle with it quite a bit.

I'm in this camp.

"Game Over man.. GAME OVER!"

How can this not be a religious discussion? This is perhaps the most fundamental religious question out there.

How can this not be a religious discussion? This is perhaps the most fundamental religious question out there.

Agreed.

And maybe it's because I'm just simple minded and refuse to believe that there is nothing waiting for us after we die, but I cannot look into the eyes of my children and think that one day they will be nothing more than worm food.

I don't know if I'll get into heaven (or if there are even requirements), but my idea of heaven is getting to be with my family and loved ones.

What do you personally feel will happen when you die?Rotting silently below the surface as I'm slowly recycled.

Biblical answer (I'll try to make it 'clinical' as opposed to 'preachy'). Man is made up of 3 parts, 1. body (physical) 2. soul (seat of your intellect and emotion, your 'consciousness") 3. spirit (along with your soul, the 'indestructable' part of you that that your body fits over like a glove).

Your body is your legal permission to exist on earth. Upon death your soul/spirit exits your body to either 1. continue to exist in the presence of God or 2. continue to exist outside of the presence of God.

At some point in the future, known only to God, the Judgement will take place. All humans ever alive on earth will once again be fitted to their earthly bodies. The forgiven by God will have a new, Christ-like (after the ressurection) body that can exist in both heaven and on earth. The others won't.

I've never thought of the soul and spirit as being separate...interesting theory. I'm not very educated when it comes to religion...is this common among the different Christian religions (e.g. Methodist, Baptist, Catholic, etc)?

I will become one with the universe.

(I'm not sure what that means, actually...)

I've never thought of the soul and spirit as being separate...interesting theory. I'm not very educated when it comes to religion...is this common among the different Christian religions (e.g. Methodist, Baptist, Catholic, etc)?

Afaik, most religious/philosophical doctrines differentiate between spirit and soul. It's an extremely complicated subject.

I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams gliter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in the rain. .

How can this not be a religious discussion? This is perhaps the most fundamental religious question out there.
By that I mean that I don't want to debate Christian concepts of the afterlife versus atheism or whatever other belief or unbelief system people follow. The question is simple, and can be answered without couching that answer in religious doctrine. If you got hit by the proverbial bus today, what would happen next?

By that I mean that I don't want to debate Christian concepts of the afterlife versus atheism or whatever other belief or unbelief system people follow. The question is simple, and can be answered without couching that answer in religious doctrine. If you got hit by the proverbial bus today, what would happen next?

Cancel Christmas.

when i die i will get buried in a box in the ground. the box will slowly start to become more porous and the maggots and flies and what-not will feast on my decaying body.

but i've made peace with that. i'm okay with it.

.that's pretty. where'd it come from?

Well, I think the question is meaningless, since it posits 'before' and 'after' the moment of death, when death is one's removal from the world of sensation - time being a sensed concept. But my cosmology is pretty bizarre even by Christian standards.

What do you personally feel will happen when you die?

The Leafs win the Stanley Cup the next day.

The Leafs win the Stanley Cup the next day.LOL. Nice.

My guess is that I go to the same place I was at before I was born.

My guess is that I go to the same place I was at before I was born.
Which would be where?

Which would be where?Must...hold...back...about...panerd...mother...comment...

Okay, RA. You're on the spot here, since you've laid out your reasonings why you believe an afterlife is a 100% certainty, yet you have no clue what it might be. Explain.

Okay, RA. You're on the spot here, since you've laid out your reasonings why you believe an afterlife is a 100% certainty, yet you have no clue what it might be. Explain.Well, I don't know if my reasoning made sense to anyone. I am totally not sure what lies out there after death. Being in the military and having an MSE degree, I have a hard time believing in a supreme being. This is because in the Army, everyone has a boss. As a pseudo-scientific guy, I look more at what we can prove as opposed to what we can't prove.

I think that it will be a plane of higher existence (sorry for being so trite). I think that it will be much like this life, but...different. Frankly, I haven't thought too much about it since there isn't too much I can do to prove what it is without dying and coming back to life. Sorry it doesn't help, but I can try to explain my theory in a different way if you didn't understand it.

that's pretty. where'd it come from?
It's Rutger Hauer's soliloquy from the end of Blade Runner.

I think that it will be a plane of higher existence
Beats the heck out of being maggot food.

So you think it might be something like a rebirth in a new world? Conscious awareness of your previous life, or not?

Beats the heck out of being maggot food.

So you think it might be something like a rebirth in a new world? Conscious awareness of your previous life, or not?Well, according to my theory, when you die, you remain you, so you essentially have all of the memories, morals, etc. that you did when you died. It could be something like going into a 5th dimension of sorts where time and space don't matter and your "body" is something else.

I'll probably be posting here later tonight when I'm drunk

I believe everyone gets the afterlife they believe they will recieve* ... that is a christian goes to heaven and an aetheist simply ceases to exist.

Personally I'm a great believer in heaven ;)

*This idea stolen lock, stock and barrel from Terry Pratchett .... but it does appeal to me somewhat.

I will become one with the universe.

(I'm not sure what that means, actually...)When I die, want my ashes shot out into space.

I believe everyone gets the afterlife they believe they will recieve* ... that is a christian goes to heaven and an aetheist simply ceases to exist.

Personally I'm a great believer in heaven ;)

*This idea stolen lock, stock and barrel from Terry Pratchett .... but it does appeal to me somewhat.
"I pray to God every god-damned day.....just in case." - Chris Rock

I believe everyone gets the afterlife they believe they will recieve
I like to think this as well.

The tricky part is the "how" of that. Does your consciousness pass beyond the physical limits of your dead body, or does your brain capture the essence of your heaven in some fantastic time-stopping moment?

I'm pretty sure I believe that nothing happens. That's it, its over. But I really, really, really don't want to believe that and struggle with it quite a bit.
Thirded.

I like to think this as well.

The tricky part is the "how" of that. Does your consciousness pass beyond the physical limits of your dead body, or does your brain capture the essence of your heaven in some fantastic time-stopping moment?
As opposed to what I believe...this here is what I want to believe (the Pratchett, everyone gets their own way thing). However, like Coug, I have no idea of the 'how.'

Fade to black.

With all the people that have lived and died, it would make sense if at least a few of them could have come back from the "other side" and made some big hubbub among us living (i know that would be the first thing I would do).

Hudini tried it and nothing (at least as far as we know). I promised my family that if I die before them I'm going to try my hardest to haunt their ass if there is an afterlife so that they would know for sure. Morbid but hey.

Sometimes I wish I could believe in an afterlife - but I just don't. My personality, my memories, my morals: all of that is in the mushy stuff in my head . If someone shot a hole through that, or if it got ran over by a truck, it'd be gone. I suppose there could be some kind of uncomprehendable "energy" that survives, but it wouldn't be concious, it wouldn't be ME.

Religions exist to try to answer this question, and because of man's fear of this question, but I've sort of embraced the finality of existence. When you imagine yourself as a mass of cells improbably combined to form conciousness, living and breathing on this this random rock spinning around in the galaxy, and you're able to share this experience, for a brief time, with others - that's "meaning" to me. The lack of my belief in any kind of "judgment" doesn't alter in the slightest the way I treat people. We're all in this together, for no reason, for a cruely short time, and it's up to us to make the best of it.

Sometimes I wish I could believe in an afterlife - but I just don't. My personality, my memories, my morals: all of that is in the mushy stuff in my head . If someone shot a hole through that, or if it got ran over by a truck, it'd be gone. I suppose there could be some kind of uncomprehendable "energy" that survives, but it wouldn't be concious, it wouldn't be ME.

Religions exist to try to answer this question, and because of man's fear of this question, but I've sort of embraced the finality of existence. When you imagine yourself as a mass of cells improbably combined to form conciousness, living and breathing on this this random rock spinning around in the galaxy, and you're able to share this experience, for a brief time, with others - that's "meaning" to me. The lack of my belief in any kind of "judgment" doesn't alter in the slightest the way I treat people. We're all in this together, for no reason, for a cruely short time, and it's up to us to make the best of it.If that's true, then why not live a hedonistic life?

If that's true, then why not live a hedonistic life?With a forum name of molson, there's a chance that he does.

If that's true, then why not live a hedonistic life?

Maybe I'm hedonistic-lite. I wouldn't do anything that would cause pain to anyone else, and I wouldn't do anything that would destroy myself. I'm human, so I understand how short-term pleasure can equal long term disaster.

But are you implying that religious people, if not for their religion, would rape and pillage? Or do people even think, "I would cheat on my wife, but I want to have a good afterlife, so I won't?"

Basically, my loyalty is to people, not a supreme being I can't comprehend. And I realize I could be totally wrong, but I can't fake it. It just kind of turned out that my personal philosophies weren't really that different than the teachings of Christianity anyway.

With a forum name of molson, there's a chance that he does.

Nope, that's just uncreativity - it's just part of my real name.

I agree with Molson. Maybe what I am about to post is philosophy 101, I don't know I have never taken a philosophy class. But religion seems to exist to comfort people for what they fear most, death and thier friends and families' deaths. But as I posted earlier if it is so confusing where we go after we die, it's twice as confusing to me to think about where we were before we were born. Heaven? If you beleive in most religions beliefs our soul had to have been somewhere. But nobody cares about that, they are more concerned with dying. My Sunday school classes never wanted to go any furthur than... "Adam & Eve. Deal with it. Now who has any more questions about Jesus and the afterlife?" Maybe I went to a bad chruch and other churches address this issue. Maybe they avoid it. I don't know, but nobody seems to want to discuss "the beginning".

Here's the part nobody ever addresses. If the ultimate comfort to a human being is the belief that one day we will live forever in the presence of an all powerful, loving God then wouldn't that actually be an instinctual emotion? Maybe even 'designed' into us to prod us into searching for its origin? And if that is the case, then why do so many insist on fighting that instinct even though they may acknowledge it?

But religion seems to exist to comfort people for what they fear most, death and thier friends and families' deaths.

Do most religions strike you as 'comfortable?' To me, the answer to that question is NO. Most religions are difficult and uncomfortable. That they ultimately provide comfort, despite that, is, to me, evidence of something true. ymmv

You will crap your pants due to the fear, and then it will be over.

Here's the part nobody ever addresses. If the ultimate comfort to a human being is the belief that one day we will live forever in the presence of an all powerful, loving God then wouldn't that actually be an instinctual emotion? Maybe even 'designed' into us to prod us into searching for its origin? And if that is the case, then why do so many insist on fighting that instinct even though they may acknowledge it?I have heard that addressed quite often.

"If the ultimate comfort to a human being is the belief that one day we will live forever in the presence of an all powerful, loving God then wouldn't that actually be an instinctual emotion? Maybe even 'designed' into us to prod us into searching for its origin? And if that is the case, then why do so many insist on fighting that instinct even though they may acknowledge it?"

I think that there is certainly a universal instinct to want to live forever. (Fame!) But I wouldn't say that there is a universal instinct to want to live forever in the presence of an all powerful, loving God. That's the Christian route to immortality, but other religions sometimes have different ways of avoiding annihilation (immortality through ancestor worship, for example, which has been and still is widely practiced among polytheists.)

If we are programmed for anything, I think it's to avoid death by having kids and passing on our genes. But even that does not qualify as a universal instinct, I guess.

It's sad to think about death, but at least when it happens you'll be done with it and won't be bummed out by it because, well, you can't. I'd be more worried about my loved ones, and if they'd be sad about it. Imagining your family/friends at your funeral is the saddest part because, hey, they won't be privied to your piercing wit or smoldering good looks anymore :)

Two comments:

When Rupert Murdoch had a heart attack he was out for 10/12 minutes before they revived him. At a press conferance he held later he said (not sure of his exact words):

"The good news is - there's no devil. The bad news is - there's nothing else either".

I can't help but think that consciousness after death will be exactly the same as it was before birth. That may sound pessimistic but the upside is that it does put enornmous value on the life we have now.

A second point comes from a cartoon I remember. It depicted a miserable looking guy with angels' wings sitting on a cloud asking "You mean, THIS goes on FOREVER?"

Unfortunately, I think Molson has got it right.

I think that one purpose of religion is to help us deal with the fear of death. Another reason for organized religion is as a tool to control the teeming masses. (I think there is a web page that explains this theory that has been posted here before.)

Unfortunately I think death is the same as before you were conceived, and for just as long.

I'm pretty sure I believe that nothing happens. That's it, its over. But I really, really, really don't want to believe that and struggle with it quite a bit.

I'm here with ya...

I haven't faced death. I've cheated death. I've tricked my way out of death and patted myself on the back for my ingenuity.

If that's true, then why not live a hedonistic life?
This answer has always scared me, is fear of your maker and trying to get to a good place after you die the only thing that makes you a good person?

I'm in the "not sure what happens, likely nothing camp" My theory is that, I'd prefer not to have anyone send me there before I've really done something, so I don't really want to do anything to them that would prevent them from doing the same thing. If you only get one shot, you may as well allow everyone else to have theirs.

You will continue to be reborn till you live the perfect life and reach enlightenment.

Then you will become one with the supreme, aka pure energy.

Depending on how you live your life you are either moving up or down on the path to enlightenment.

It's always worried me to think of this, so I try to avoid thinking about it.

my guess? absolutely NOTHING

With all the people that have lived and died, it would make sense if at least a few of them could have come back from the "other side" and made some big hubbub among us living (i know that would be the first thing I would do).

Hudini tried it and nothing (at least as far as we know). I promised my family that if I die before them I'm going to try my hardest to haunt their ass if there is an afterlife so that they would know for sure. Morbid but hey.
People almost 'routinely' report communicating or feeling the prescence of loved ones who have passed away.

I know people who have personally been part of such things (not myself but close friends) - however its never 'proof' because without a physical prescence which others can see and recordings it could always be your mind playing tricks on you ... some things imho you're not meant to know 100% either way, if there were no mysteries in the world it'd be a darker place for all ...

You know I believe we are reborn. That we as people are a mix of other people who has lived before us. That is one some people have so many different sides of their being. It seems to me people don't ask why we are here as a entire species. As for death I imagine between the time you die and are reborn you just sleep until it your turn to be brought back. Its like when your really tired and you fall asleep then wake up in the morning without knowing what you did(did you toss n turn, etc.) I dunno I can explain....

People almost 'routinely' report communicating or feeling the prescence of loved ones who have passed away.

I know people who have personally been part of such things (not myself but close friends) - however its never 'proof' because without a physical prescence which others can see and recordings it could always be your mind playing tricks on you ... some things imho you're not meant to know 100% either way, if there were no mysteries in the world it'd be a darker place for all ...

I completely agree. I think that people's desire for something to be true can greatly sway their beliefs. If they lose a loved one that they don't feel like they had closure with, they can still 'communicate' with them. If they cared for that person, they want them to continue to exist. This even happens here on Earth, when people assign their own 'reason' why people do different things. We say that they did something some way because thats what we want to believe. Thats the major problem with perception - It's self centered.

As for religion, the evidence just doesn't add up for me. Religion isn't tangible enough. There's just not enough proof. Show me someone who went to heaven and came back with his ticket stub. Show me god's intervention. Show me how god cares. Show me god's wrath. Show me his ability to exibit any control over the domain within which I exist.

It's human nature that events without explanation were assigend explanation. In the past, things became attached to god's 'will' or his 'wrath'. In this age, however, we have explanations for many of these things. We know why the seasons change, why volcanoes erupt, and why hurricanes strike Florida year after year. Instead of tagging things as an act of god, we have proven scientific explanations. This greatly diminishes the number of things that we chock up to god's domain, and he is left with the things we cannot see to prove. The afterlife happens to be one of them. As such, people continue to assign their own explanation to it.

As for me, I'm in the worm food class. I don't know what happens for sure, and as such I won't discount the possibility of anything else. I know for a FACT that our body is left behind to decompose, so I'll assume that when we die, we're finished. If something comes along to prove otherwise, so be it.

This is the best Football Question I've ever seen!
1. Death is what you are when you don't come back..
2. Everyone dies...so there must be a key somewhere.
2b. Like hole recognition for RB.
3. Those that are dead never send me money
4. Most only use 1% of their brains. So obviously we should live longer
4b its like that great RB you drafted he has a 1for his red line
but his green line is a 99 then he dies like joe delaney!
5. Death is like a banning
6. I guess unless you believe that jesus is your QB the discussion ends.
7. Its not 77 virgins...its 77 angry Virginians.

People almost 'routinely' report communicating or feeling the prescence of loved ones who have passed away.

I know people who have personally been part of such things (not myself but close friends) - however its never 'proof' because without a physical prescence which others can see and recordings it could always be your mind playing tricks on you ... some things imho you're not meant to know 100% either way, if there were no mysteries in the world it'd be a darker place for all ...

But I'm not talking about simple little dreams/experiences or "Oh my god! Johnny's favorite ceramic elephant is pointing the other direction!" I'm talking about Obi-wan Kenobi'ing people, i.e., appearing to them like a pale blue hologram. Or appearing before Congress on cspan (oh wait, nobody will ever see that).

In other words, something to make an impression on many.

According to the bible, we can communicate with the dead (I Samuel 28 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=9&chapter=28&version=46)-the woman of Endor ).

This answer has always scared me, is fear of your maker and trying to get to a good place after you die the only thing that makes you a good person?

Then maybe it's best to keep the secrets of atheism....secret. ;)

Personally, I'm not sold on my Roman Catholic up-bringing but I'm also not sold on the big bang theory. I am convinced that human intelligence is the proof of a higher level of civlization. Our creativity, our artistry, our building power, our ambitions, our war waging, our explorations, our ability to be curious and do something about that curiosity. Somebody or something created us.

Do we die and turn to dust? Maybe. Do we go on to the next round/stage/export file? Maybe. But none of that is proof or debunking the theory of a higher form of intelligence. Not by a long shot.

This wild belief that a couple of dust particles formed the universe today is simply rediculous. Unless those two dust particles were the "key" ingredients from former dead life. Now wouldn't that be interesting considering many of us believe life turns to dust?

I wouldn't call myself an Athiest, despite whatever rants I've been on.

I will say if you are only kept in line due to fear, you are not a good person at all. No matter what your beliefs are.