Up until the past six months, I've been 150% sure that when I died I would be resurrected after Christ's second coming.

Since my faith has unraveled, so too has that belief. For the first time in my life I'm grappling with the question of what happens when we die. It's causing some anxiety and fear in me.

What did you guys do?

I recognised I was going to die no matter what I thought.

I also realised I had no way of knowing what was on the other side, so why spend wasted time worrying about something I can never resolve?

I also recognised I needed to enjoy this life more.

It's been said that all the religions ever founded had as their primary purpose the answering of that one question, "what happens when I die?"

All the answers have been wishful thinking.

If the spark that is life goes somewhere after we shuffle off this mortal coil, it's going to be very, very crowded.

And possibly the difference between agnostics and atheists is that agnostics hold out a glimmer of hope that there might be something after death.

I have no problem with it because I'm a stoic of epic proportion.

I was relieved to think that eternity won't be one big endless fast and testimony meeting with white robes and polygamous sex. My atoms returning to the universe sounds much more exciting.

Same. I want to live as long and healthy as possible, but the thought of endless Mormonism--the judging, PPIs, home teaching, signing praises to the leaders, multiple wives, testimony crying, that smell from the chapel, and worst all, having billions of children--is just too much to think about.

I'm pretty sure it's lights out, and it's over. Something like it was before I was born. I'm cool with that.

I was young enough when I left TSCC that death was pretty far from my mind.

When it sunk in with more than passing thought that like the rest of anything that has lived I, too, will die - for sure 100%, no doubt about it - I remember something that helped a little:

Before I was conceived by my parents, how worried and fearful was I about what coming into existence would be like?

It gave me a perspective I found useful, and I know I'm not unique in having it. If death is truly The End then there's nothing to fear other than one's own emotions and state of mind, whether it will be painful due to injury or health condition, how long one might suffer, etc. My death will be emotionally hard on those I might leave behind who loved me but not on me.

If death isn't the end, as some say, there's nothing I can do while alive to learn about what supposedly will be an existence beyond all human imagining. It's beyond science's capacity to find out and all indications point to death being a permanent end. It's pointless to worry either way but of course it's in our nature to worry about things we can't control ;-)

There's something right and appropriate to know that I will join the legions who went before as my existence reaches its own end, and that I've been a part of something so massive in scope (the cycle of life). Humility, acceptance of the rightness of taking my turn when it comes...hopefully meeting it with a fraction of the dignity and grace I've seen some dearly departed loved ones show, almost as a parting gift to those of us who will miss them so much.

I work as music director for a large Presbyterian church. Presbyterian tend to think more and feel less, which I personally like. Our pastor recently quoted, in a sermon, an article by one of the big ny papers. They ran a scientific piece on what happens when we die. A recent study claimed that when you die you continue life in an alternate universe. To big for me to wrap my head around, but interesting nonetheless.

What the hell did they study? Dying for details.

I was BIC but became inactivate the age of 18/19 after I left home. I married outside of the church and raised a family and had no contact with Mormons or Mormonism whatsoever. Gradually over my years my faith diminished and I told myself I did not believe; however early indoctrination dies hard and there was always the fear of dying at the back of my mind. What if it is really true? I would certainly be in trouble in the next life.

Fortunately I discovered RfM. When I left the church in 1979 I knew nothing about JS and polygamy, the CES letter, the essays, early church history, etc, etc. I am much more at ease with myself and I am quite happy with the idea that dying is the end.

There is NO WAY anybody knows for certain what happens after we die. And anyone who claims to know is either lying or fantasizing.

The main reasons one might fear death are: 1) the actual dying might be long and painful; and 2) the belief that one is going to be punished somehow for one's acts during this life. The second fear is based entirely on religious teachings, e.g. the Bible.

If one rejects the teachings of religion, then only the first fear remains, and that is only a possibility, not a certainty.

With #2 gone, non-existence or a neutral, non-suffering existence are left. Why fear them?

As Mark Twain said, for millions of years before he was born he did not exist, "...and it caused me no inconvenience whatsoever."

Non-existence should cause no rational person to fear. And it is to be hoped for, rather than an eternity of continuing existence. As Rosencrantz said, in Tom Stoppard's "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead": "Eternity is a terrible thought. I mean, where's it going to end?"

- Richard
81 years old, with absolutely no fear of death (actually, thinking it might be finally a relief!)

While I agree with almost everything you said, and personally am not worried about continuing in another plane of existence, or ceasing to exist as a conscious entity, I take exception to the assertion that there is "NO WAY anyone knows for certain." I do not know for certain, but theoretically there could be someone who has some special knowledge (such as revelation from a higher being or a previous experience with death) that I do not possess. If you said it is extremely unlikely that anyone knows for certain, I would agree. I get concerned about some people who leave religion and become just as certain about what they "know" not to be true as they used to be about what they once thought they knew. (Not saying you are one of them, as you appear to be quite open-minded.)

And in a way, we do know that we will continue to exist after death. If I get cremated, most of the matter in my body will be combined with oxygen and released into the air, with a little dust remaining. Those particles that once were me will be incorporated into a bunch of plants and animals, and in a larger sense, will remaining part of the earth (as they are now while I'm still alive). So I will continue to exist as many living and nonliving things, leaving aside the question of whether my consciousness will survive the death of my body.

"There is NO WAY anybody knows for certain what happens after we die."

I will say I believe pretty strongly that we will certainly not die (our bodies die). WE are eternal spiritual beings in temporary physical bodies. We have lived hundreds of lives so don't sweat death!

Read up on past live experiences of people (they are in the paper about every week) the library is full of books. If these people can have past lives then then really didn't die did they??

If you want to have some 'experience' with this go to a medium or psychic or go to a hypnotist that will probe your past lives. Actually, one of the members of this board is going to have a regression on Friday and return and report.

Why people believe in resurrection when only the bible and Joe are witnesses. However, we have libraries full of books with past live experiences, near death experiences, psychic books, medium books, books from people obtained from people in the after life, etc. etc. but obviously the quantity of proof is not going to fool some genius' who are as closed minded as brain washed Mormons!!!!

I have had hundreds of experiences proving to myself this stuff (after life, eternal life, reincarnation, God, etc.) is true.

Good Luck!!!!

I agree, RPackham, No one knows what happens to us after we die and if they claim they do they are lying. A lot of people will give you their opinions on this matter...

Coming to the realization that I don't know actually helped relieve my anxiety. No more worrying if I've done enough to be with my family forever, etc... If there is no afterlife, who cares? If there is, bonus!

Now that I am well past my prime, I find that my views on death are constantly changing.

As a young person, I didn't give it much thought. After all, it was probably going to be a long time before I died.

As an adult, I wanted to find ways to not hasten death to my doorstep because I had a lot to do and realized that time was valuable and death was a possibility that started to cast a shadow on my plans.

As a senior looking at not working anymore and having run a fairly hard road through my lifetime, death is not such a scary prospect. At some times it is not a welcome thought, and I have adjusted my lifestyle to try to do things that will lengthen these final days. At other times, I think that it would be a relief to be done with all the effort required to maintain a life and all of its difficulties.

When I stop working and have more time to reflect on the future, short that it will be, perhaps I will revise my views on death yet again. I just hope that it doesn't come to the point, like it seems to with other people, that I start to consider religion as a refuge and place to join up for the after-life benefits.

In my entire life I don't think that I have ever considered the religious dogma of heaven or hell. As a teen I considered reincarnation or the eternal existence of a 'soul' that endures. That's as close as I got. As far as I'm concerned, when I go cold, that's the end of another entity that will be long forgotten, much like all of the other living creatures that live and die on this planet...

All I really know is that we're born from the earth, we walk the earth and one day we'll return to the earth....

Everything is just role-play...

ps

This is my first post.....cool forum.

Cool moniker!

Welcome to the board. Your philosophy is mine. That's why I want to be cremated and have my ashes returned to the earth to nurture the next generation of pines that overlook my favourite spot on earth.

moose Wrote:
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> n/t


Thanks yo.

Religion isn't real. It's made up. There's no God, Jesus, angels, Satan, demons, none of it. It's just make-believe for grown-ups.

I remember reading my first astronomy book when I was six ("A Field Guide To The Stars And Planets" which is still in print http://www.amazon.com/Field-Guide-Planets-Peterson-Guides/dp/0395934311/ref=pd_sim_sbs_b_4?ie=UTF8&refRID=0AMZPB7VBZ5KJ8517B9F) and was frightened by the description of the end of the world after the Sun begins to lose its nuclear fuel, expand, explode and go nova. The Sun rose the next morning and everything was fine.

There's nothing you can do about death. I've touched and handled the dead and cut them open. When you are dead you're dead. There's nobody home. You don't come back.

Do not fear that which you cannot control. Live life and live well.

I understand some anxiety over death--it's an unknown. We have no experience with it. Sleep isn't even close.

For those who have died before me--lack of belief in an afterlife seems helpful. When I think of my daughter and how she suffered with depression, I don't have to worry that God is judging her or that she remembers what she went through. Any suffering is mine. I miss her. I remember. I regret.

My dad was awful. He was also righteous according to Mormons. I don't really feel like I have to forgive him or even think about him. His only existence is the one I give with my thoughts. His sons believe he's with God and has become a better person. They think he watches over them. I think he's worm food.

It was an interesting transition in thinking. In some ways, I'm much less egalitarian. I used to think we all had eternal souls and everyone was exactly equal in worth. Now I don't believe in souls. If a person can't think or talk, they won't ever be "made whole". This is it. The whole enchilada. The Good News is this is all of it for us.

“I do not fear death. I had been dead for billions and billions of years before I was born, and had not suffered the slightest inconvenience from it.”

Mark Twain

I really think this quote captures the issue with human fear over death. Why do we stress so much when there is no stress factor present?

My only regret is that when I’m dead I will be unable to even say to myself “see, you’re right, you don’t exist.”

I recently decided that the way to “live on” is to leave behind something of value. Maybe that value will exists in my grandchildren or my art or something else.

From what I know of physics (which I like to think is more than the average person on the street), information only exists as a physical entity. Some “essence” of me can’t exist in some non-physical magical realm.

I do believe in an afterlife. But even if I didn't, I could take comfort in the knowledge that people who come back from near-death experiences report a largely pleasant and loving experience. I like to think that nature will take care of us. I don't believe that there will be anything to fear.

I was with my mother as she died, and I can report that she was not afraid in the least. She was just tired, and ready for the release. As I often have said, "her bags were packed." Just ten minutes or so prior, she was having a conversation with one of my dad's friends who (as she reported) was standing by an airplane. I like to think that my dad, who was a private pilot in his lifetime, flew her over to the other side.

She also saw her family, especially her brothers and sisters, quite frequently in dreams in the two weeks before her death.

I can relate with you when it comes to the fear of death, ohdeargoodness. Rational people do fear it, it's in our genetic makeup to do so. We are the only species who are self-conscious, meaning that we know we are born and have the ability to contemplate our own deaths. Animals sense danger, but it's the fight or flight instinct needed for survival.

I have written extensively on this very subject. I have suffered debilitating fear at the notion that the entity I know as Iwhisper will cease to exist. It's a horrifying thought to me. In the past year I've come to some sort of resolution. The entity called Iwhisper will die and her ashes will be scattered. But I believe there is an aspect of all of us that was never born and will never die. Within the fabric of this consciousness is an indelible memory of each life and the key players in that life. It seems that the more we learn about the quantum world, the more it backs up this theory. The bottom line is that I think there is more than what we see here, but I'm not sure what that means exactly. I end this post with a quote by Walt Whitman, "To die is different from what any one supposed, and luckier."

I almost died when I was 2 1/2. Ever since then, I have been severely afraid of dying & of being dead. I'm afraid of what will happen. I am afraid that there will be a horrible afterlife. I am scared of all kinds of possibilities.

Tristan, you might benefit from reading some of the NDE literature.

Do we remember life before birth ? It will be like that after death. The end. Game over so enjoy yourself in the one existence we know we get.

and then there is me. I am having anxiety over life.