I believe that we continue to exist. Our soul, our consciousness moves on to another plane, another dimension. I believe in an afterlife but I think it will be very different from what we’ve been taught. I think it will be more like we will become able to understand of ourselves, our life on earth and what our purpose was. When we pass over to the next life we will continue to exist and grow and I believe we will meet our Creator. I’ve read many, many books on people who have had a near death experience and it all sounds wonderful. The cares and worries of this world no longer exist and we are our truest selves in a place of perfection.

I have no proof but this is what I believe: Every soul is on many journeys (life times) to become enlightened. There is no “burning hell”. The hell is how we feel when we depart from a life time - return home and everything becomes clear to us and then we must live and therefore learn from our mistakes we made here. Eventually - we will need little material possessions - placing instead our need for non-material goals. We will love everyone and never notice if they are different than we. As God loves all - so will we. Caring less about the Movie Stars and Donald Trumps of this time - and embracing Ghandhi, Mother Theresa, Martin Luther King, Jesus Christ. We will realize how interdependent we are on this Earth - and will become the wonderful stuards we should be - for the love of Earth and the love of others. There will be no starving people, no homeless people, as we will realize these problems are a reflection of how little we care for each other - how blind we have become to allow one child to starve. In our minds - that will be inexcusable. This I believe.

NOTHING……get used to it

I wanted to share my thoughts with you on “What happens to us after we die?” but was unable to figure out how to enter my comments so I’m using this venue … The answer to the question is, “Nobody knows!” … Just about everyone has an idea or concept concerning what happens to us when we die … do we continue “life” and where and in what form? … when we look at the “universe” we are inclined to believe there has to be more to life than the “three score and 10 year” we spend here on the third rock from the sun … religion is man-made … each “brand” of religion is a “window” through which an individual can look and judge for himself whether this “brand” is for him/her or not … when we have a “spiritual” experience we are perpelled into a new dimension so to speak … our reality is forever changed as we journey to the “house of origination” (we hope) … having said all this; my answer to your question remains the same … Nobody knows what lies in store for us on the other side of the “door” man has identified as “death” … personally I think the “journey” continues … I like your web-site and thanks for giving me the opportunity to share my thoughts on this question … I saw the “girls” on the Charlie Rose show and thought I’d pay you a visit … talk to you later … Rodney

This is certaily a unique website and I appreciate the thoughtful posts of everyone. (And thanks to the ladies who started the site, I visited after I heard you on Charlie Rose.) I want to thank especially the civil tone of the Christians who have posted their beliefs. Although I don’t believe the Bible is the innerant, inspired word of God as evangelical Christians do, I believe that your beliefs should be treated with respect, just as I believe that my opinions should be treated with respect. If we can’t figure out how to do this, the whole world is in big trouble.

Ms. G. 4/11/08 11:41pm Well I was baptized & confirmed a morman when I was 10 years old. The last time I attended church was 1956. I have been going to the Methodist Church with a little old lady (I give her a ride), she’s 93. I haven’t read the Book of Morman, or the Bible, because I don’t believe it’s completely accurate, and truthful. To many people (men) have been playing with the story. I think we all come from a different planet, and when we die a soul ship (UFO) comes down—takes our soul, and returns it to the Home Planet to be recycled into another person. Then depending on how good you have been here on earth you will be placed on another planet for another attempt to get it right. GOOD NIGHT. MS.G.

After the birth of my first child in 1958 I had a “near-death” or actual death experience, twenty years before I read of other people’s similar experiences. I left my body in a euphoric state and went through a long, extremely peaceful tunnel toward the light at the end of it. There, I was met by my beloved grandmother. We talked for some time. She then told me I must return to my body because I had just had a baby daughter who needed me. I rapidly returned to my hospital room and observed from ceiling height the doctors and nurses working on my body. My husband sat beside my body, ashen with fright. I later related everything I had observed being done to me exactly as I had seen it from out of my body. I re-entered my body and came out of the comatose state I had been in. This experience was so profound I can still recall every detail fifty years later. It was not a religious experience, but it was spiritual. Before this time, I had not believed in the hereafter. I know now there is a spiritual after life and that death itself is truly not frightening. Subsequently, I have been the caregiver for two people who were terminally ill and had out of body experiences. In both cases, I climbed onto their beds and held them to ease their transition.

Interesting that none of this discussion on the afterlife touches on evidence. Quoting what some guy wrote hundreds of years ago is not evidence. Wouldn’t you think that by now there would be some scientific proof that believers could point to? But alas no!

In the end, regardless of what you believe, and there are so many ways of thinking about this, “Imagine all the people living for today…..” I think it is an amazing mistake to focus on the afterlife, whatever your rationale. If, indeed, there is an afterlife with people who’ve gone before still distinct personalities/egos, wouldn’t they be SO MUCH MORE PLEASED WITH US if we would live today to the fullest, giving it our best effort to make this earth a heaven (which of course it was before we screwed it up) and our relationships with each other based on how we imagine los angeles treat each other, i.e., with compassion, dignity, empathy, and respect? Regardless of whether you have a spiritual compass, a religious belief, or an understanding that this is all there is, folks, living a conscious, kind, and compassionate life will bring heaven closer to you, and make death less onerous. I remember my mother when she was dying telling me not to be sad because she’d had such a good life, but now it was time to go. She was fine. I miss her, but I was fine with what she said. Just to move the essence of your beliefs to “it doesn’t matter what comes after, we’re here now, and let’s do the best we can with what we’ve got.” Wouldn’t that profoundly change the world in and of itself? Or to think, well, what if we already died and THIS is heaven?

I agree with Joni, and it is so hard to explain without feeling crazy even talking about it. I felt a presence around me for the longest time after my dad died. I thought for sure he was around me, and I too had a physical occurrence where I believe he stepped in and saved my life (while driving). This was in the 80s, and I have had more types of experiences since (have lost a brother and my mother since then). While my mom was in a coma on the way out, I asked her to visit me if it was at all possible. Were she able to smack me, she would have in that moment. But I really believed and hoped she would visit. I went to Maui a few weeks later to ‘heal’, spending much time in the ocean (feeling quite ‘in the womb’). I KNOW she was with me, and a few years later, after many return visits, I moved to Maui, and continue to live there most of the time. Recently, my very conservative cousin told me about a psychic that does readings over the phone. I thought, “what the heck.” Had a session with him about 2 months ago and this guy got all of my dead family right. Being cynical, I assumed he had access to death records and was using them on me. Then he asked about my mom’s best friend, then about her husband, and even about her best friend’s sister. He said, “They want you to know they are all together.” (As an aside, my mom and her friend had a falling out and did not speak to each other when mom passed.) There was no way he could have made those connections. He proceeded to talk to me, providing information from my mom. It was extraordinary. He knew things no one else could, said my mom was aware of all that went on after she died, etc. There was just too much info that was not known to anyone else for this to be a load of crap. But try explaining this to people – they kind of stare off and you end up closing up shop with regard to sharing. Anyway, for what’s it worth, Joni, you got this one right.

No one answered Ms. Soler’s question: Humans are energy, but energy can’t be “killed.” So that seems to me to be the essence of life after death…. Where does our energy go? Scientists and philosophists amongst us, anyone have a theory, where art thou? Oh Plato among us women, do provide debate….