Well it would be reassuring if there were some way to know if there was an afterlife! If there isn't and we just cease to exist: We won't regret it because we won't be able to contemplate it, right? Even if that's what happens, I think that reassurance comes from knowing you did the best you could to help others, were kind and that you tried to improve things while you were alive. Whatever happens, it happens to everybody, is totally natural and so we shouldn't dread it.
I've read a lot of cosmology theory and astrophysics, and they say that "information is never lost." That has a special meaning in physics theory, but may have bearing on what happens to us. Time is said to be an illusion of sorts and something that exists as a human concept only. If you've ever been put under anesthesia, you know that time is lost to you during that period. It seems as if no time at all has passed while you were under!
If the universe (or multiverse) is eternal, the laws of probability say that after an unimaginably long time (which would pass instantaneously if you had no consciousness,) you might return in some manner. These things appear to be beyond knowing at this time, but to me are a lot of fun to think about.
Recently scientists have found that the visible universe (energy and ordinary matter) are only "the tip of the iceberg," and that we are surrounded by other forms of matter and energy that are invisible to us. It's easy to jump to conclusions and start assuming that that is actually "the spirit world," and I have had discussions with TBMs that actually think these discoveries prove god theory, etc. but I'm not buying that without further evidence. It is a tantalizing bit of knowledge that shows how little we know! To me, it's probably not a good idea to totally discount the existence of some sort of higher power, but if there is one it's certainly unlikely to be like any religious concept that's been dreamed up so far.
Well it would be reassuring if there were some way to know if there was an afterlife! If there isn't and we just cease to exist: We won't regret it because we won't be able to contemplate it, right? Even if that's what happens, I think that reassurance comes from knowing you did the best you could to help others, were kind and that you tried to improve things while you were alive. Whatever happens, it happens to everybody, is totally natural and so we shouldn't dread it.
I've read a lot of cosmology theory and astrophysics, and they say that "information is never lost." That has a special meaning in physics theory, but may have bearing on what happens to us. Time is said to be an illusion of sorts and something that exists as a human concept only. If you've ever been put under anesthesia, you know that time is lost to you during that period. It seems as if no time at all has passed while you were under!
If the universe (or multiverse) is eternal, the laws of probability say that after an unimaginably long time (which would pass instantaneously if you had no consciousness,) you might return in some manner. These things appear to be beyond knowing at this time, but to me are a lot of fun to think about.
Recently scientists have found that the visible universe (energy and ordinary matter) are only "the tip of the iceberg," and that we are surrounded by other forms of matter and energy that are invisible to us. It's easy to jump to conclusions and start assuming that that is actually "the spirit world," and I have had discussions with TBMs that actually think these discoveries prove god theory, etc. but I'm not buying that without further evidence. It is a tantalizing bit of knowledge that shows how little we know! To me, it's probably not a good idea to totally discount the existence of some sort of higher power, but if there is one it's certainly unlikely to be like any religious concept that's been dreamed up so far.
Being agnostic, I can confidently say, "I don't know." -- I do think that the possibilities of souls continuing after this life could happen, and sort of believe in reincarnation- though, I really don''t know and don't claim to.
A mormon-themed belief in an after life involves a ghawd who is in charge of 'things' and a belief that this ghawd knew everything about our lives and our final destinations before we left his presence, but we came here to practice Free Agency, doing exactly what ghawd knew we would do. But if you happened to die before your age of accountability (44 for me) you'll be resurrected to live under circumstances that would make the CK pretty much automatic. The logical absurdities that flow from inspection of 'ghawd's plan' are pretty much limitless, in my opinion. Like this one:
"Nothing is going to startle us more when we pass through the veil to the other side than to realize how well we know our Father and how familiar His face is to us."
– President Ezra Taft Benson
By this logic, I should know my spirit mom fairly well, too. And my full siblings. Did I leave a car, or whatever my personal mode of transportation was, behind when I finally left the pre-existence to be born? I refuse to accept the notion that I took the bus! And nobody had better have touched my stuff!! Are their taboos regarding Celestial Marriage with one of your full siblings? And since anything is possible with ghawd, and he's shown us examples here on earth of creatures that can switch sexes...
Our braggadocio on our missions, so proud about knowing the complete plan, where we came from, why we're here and where we're going... What a joke!
Once you decide not to believe in mormon heaven, there's such a smorgasbord of theories to chose from, if that's the direction you want to go. And no matter what you pick, no one can prove you wrong.
A mormon-themed belief in an after life involves a ghawd who is in charge of 'things' and a belief that this ghawd knew everything about our lives and our final destinations before we left his presence, but we came here to practice Free Agency, doing exactly what ghawd knew we would do. But if you happened to die before your age of accountability (44 for me) you'll be resurrected to live under circumstances that would make the CK pretty much automatic. The logical absurdities that flow from inspection of 'ghawd's plan' are pretty much limitless, in my opinion. Like this one:
"Nothing is going to startle us more when we pass through the veil to the other side than to realize how well we know our Father and how familiar His face is to us."
– President Ezra Taft Benson
By this logic, I should know my spirit mom fairly well, too. And my full siblings. Did I leave a car, or whatever my personal mode of transportation was, behind when I finally left the pre-existence to be born? I refuse to accept the notion that I took the bus! And nobody had better have touched my stuff!! Are their taboos regarding Celestial Marriage with one of your full siblings? And since anything is possible with ghawd, and he's shown us examples here on earth of creatures that can switch sexes...
Our braggadocio on our missions, so proud about knowing the complete plan, where we came from, why we're here and where we're going... What a joke!
Once you decide not to believe in mormon heaven, there's such a smorgasbord of theories to chose from, if that's the direction you want to go. And no matter what you pick, no one can prove you wrong.
( ) I find that absurd too. I am sure you didn't take the bus!!!!!
Ecstacy:
What do you think?????????? I don't think there is an afterlife. I figure when you are dead, your are dead!!!!!
No afterlife.. Nothing.. Bupkis...nyet... The big zero.. Exactly as I remember prec-life. Anybody who wishes to assert otherwise show your proof. Otherwise my experience, and the facts of reality prevail.
