The afterlife

There's another very interesting podcast on RadioLab.

This time it's 11 'meditations' about the afterlife.

I've also already ordered the book 'Sum' by David Eagleman that they refer to and from which they read at times. He's asking very interesting questions!

What are your thoughts on the afterlife then?

There isn't one.

If there is an afterlife, which I believe there is 'something', we will all be pleasantly surprised. The afterlife is not like anything the bible worshipers, the Hindus, the Buddhists, the New Thought, the Jews, Christians, or the Atheists think it is.

Ken wrote:There isn't one.

That could well be true. I like the above mentioned 'meditations' anyway though. Did you listen to them?

Chokmah wrote:If there is an afterlife, which I believe there is 'something', we will all be pleasantly surprised. The afterlife is not like anything the bible worshipers, the Hindus, the Buddhists, the New Thought, the Jews, Christians, or the Atheists think it is.

That could be true as well (not at the same time though as Ken's assumption, hehe). In my opinion there is either no afterlife or a pleasant, yet for our current minds totally incomprehensible and unimaginable, surprise for everybody. Did you listen to the podcast?

Chokmah wrote:If there is an afterlife, which I believe there is 'something', we will all be pleasantly surprised. The afterlife is not like anything the bible worshipers, the Hindus, the Buddhists, the New Thought, the Jews, Christians, or the Atheists think it is.

Well damn. Enlighten me!

What do I think?

That we need to focus on this life.

I agree.

I think that looking into past and future lives are helpful, but as it is, our future life (assuming we get one) is based on this one, and we can't change our past lives. This one is what's important.

allthegoodnamesweretaken wrote:What do I think?

That we need to focus on this life.

I agree. But a comforting view of the afterlife can help people, if they need it.

Nothing like false hope.

I tend to take the position that people need less comforting

allthegoodnamesweretaken wrote:Nothing like false hope.

I tend to take the position that people need less comforting

What's bad about hope if it makes your life better and you don't annoy anyone with it?

Celsus wrote:

What's bad about hope if it makes your life better and you don't annoy anyone with it?

Whats wrong with taking a little heroin to unwind at the end of the day?

allthegoodnamesweretaken wrote:

Celsus wrote:

What's bad about hope if it makes your life better and you don't annoy anyone with it?

Whats wrong with taking a little heroin to unwind at the end of the day?

It damages your body and health?

Yes, because it is applied directly to the body, false hope is applied to the spirit and I think it has the same effects on the spirit as heroin has on the body.

Of course, I also think they should legalize drugs too. I just wouldn't use them personally.

all

allthegoodnamesweretaken wrote:Yes, because it is applied directly to the body, false hope is applied to the spirit and I think it has the same effects on the spirit as heroin has on the body.

I disagree. Let's say you live quite a good and decent life but the fact that you or your loved ones have to die one day makes you uneasy. Why not create a nice theory about what happens when you die that comforts you? What's bad about that? How does that hurt your mind? It actually eases your mind and allows you to focus on the present again.

And what's your alternative then? That we just die and that's it? Well, maybe. And personally I'd be ok with that. But why claim that having hope is like using heroin? What's the 'real', 'naked' truth then that you prefer?

allthegoodnamesweretaken wrote:Yes, because it is applied directly to the body, false hope is applied to the spirit and I think it has the same effects on the spirit as heroin has on the body.

Of course, I also think they should legalize drugs too. I just wouldn't use them personally.

all

False hope is not the same to the spirit as heroin is to the body, that's ridiculous! If someone hopes in something after this life and there is nothing, what have they lost? Nothing!

False hope is the same as hope when it comes to issues of the afterlife. Did anyone know what was going to happen before they were born? No one knows the future, but some purveyors of 'religion' and 'shamanism' set themselves up as middlemen between this world and the next. Their main tools are made of fear, greed, and ego.

Religion is the only philosophy that purports to follow you into the next world. Religion says you MUST agree with them now and into the afterlife... or else!

I think this is a form of stealing.

Chokmah wrote:

allthegoodnamesweretaken wrote:Yes, because it is applied directly to the body, false hope is applied to the spirit and I think it has the same effects on the spirit as heroin has on the body.

Of course, I also think they should legalize drugs too. I just wouldn't use them personally.

all

False hope is not the same to the spirit as heroin is to the body, that's ridiculous! If someone hopes in something after this life and there is nothing, what have they lost? Nothing!

False hope is the same as hope when it comes to issues of the afterlife. Did anyone know what was going to happen before they were born? No one knows the future, but some purveyors of 'religion' and 'shamanism' set themselves up as middlemen between this world and the next. Their main tools are made of fear, greed, and ego.

Religion is the only philosophy that purports to follow you into the next world. Religion says you MUST agree with them now and into the afterlife... or else!

I think this is a form of stealing.

Some beliefs can be detrimental to one's (mental) health though.

I think it's better to know that someday we are all going to die. This is the natural order of things. Why not just accept it?

all

Chokmah wrote:

allthegoodnamesweretaken wrote:Yes, because it is applied directly to the body, false hope is applied to the spirit and I think it has the same effects on the spirit as heroin has on the body.

Of course, I also think they should legalize drugs too. I just wouldn't use them personally.

all

False hope is not the same to the spirit as heroin is to the body, that's ridiculous! If someone hopes in something after this life and there is nothing, what have they lost? Nothing!

False hope is the same as hope when it comes to issues of the afterlife. Did anyone know what was going to happen before they were born? No one knows the future, but some purveyors of 'religion' and 'shamanism' set themselves up as middlemen between this world and the next. Their main tools are made of fear, greed, and ego.

Religion is the only philosophy that purports to follow you into the next world. Religion says you MUST agree with them now and into the afterlife... or else!

I think this is a form of stealing.

You don't think that a person's actions would be altered because of this belief?

allthegoodnamesweretaken wrote:I think it's better to know that someday we are all going to die. This is the natural order of things. Why not just accept it?

People accept it. Some just have like to have comforting ideas or hopes about what happens next then. What's bad about that?

It is a reason not to accept it. It is a reason to continue on pursuing a selfish agenda.

Understand my POV though, it is not for me. Other people can do whatever they want.

all

allthegoodnamesweretaken wrote:It is a reason not to accept it.

What is a reason not to accept it?

It is a reason to continue on pursuing a selfish agenda.

I'm not sure how that fits in ... ?

Understand my POV though, it is not for me. Other people can do whatever they want.

And you've still got to come up with evidence that people who believe in some sort of afterlife don't accept that they have to die?

Celsus wrote:
What is a reason not to accept it?

The belief that a person will continue on after death is a reason not to accept death as the end.

I'm not sure how that fits in ... ?

If you don't accept the possibility of the end of your own existence, you are less likely to consider the harm that you may be doing to others.

And you've still got to come up with evidence that people who believe in some sort of afterlife don't accept that they have to die?

Why would I have to do that, I thought we were talking about opinions here?

all

Before video cameras, the internet, telephones, modern transportation, lie detectors, modern psychology, anti-depressants... there was religion.

Religion has done a wonderful job for the past several thousand years, and sometimes it screwed up. Humans have not done so good, just look at the 20th Century... what a mess! Just look at WWI and WWII... more people died from these two secular wars than all the other wars in the history of mankind!

Does this not impress you one iota? And don't try to blame these two abortions on religion... these were the works of modern, scientific, secular, rational man. Religion has a much better track record than the efficient fiends of the 20th and 21st Century.

I'm not easily impressed.

And I don't have any more respect for popular secular beliefs than popular religious beliefs.