From the Ashes http://myspiritualwindows.info/SacredImages.html My daughter’s house a year ago was gutted by fire. On a shelf above where the fire started, sat a painting of her spirit guide that a very close friend of mine had done. Of all that was lost in the fire, the painting was not damaged. As if it was covered and protected from the flames. The artist is Deb Hanna. She can be reached by sending me an email to lindamyers47@msn.com Any messages that I receive I will forward to her, to be responded from directly. She is available to do visionary/spirit art, book jackets, commissioned work. Painting not only this venue of work, but all artistic work.

As a Jew I do not believe in the so-called After-Life. What I do believe though is that no one really dies because, as the Russian writer Gogol said, the body is just an overcoat for the soul. As well, people I love and have loved are in my heart and mind forever. Still, if I could imagine a Heaven, it would have both a jogging path and a dance floor for my late twin sister, who became quadriplegic from multiple sclerosis, and said she often jogged and danced in her dreams.

I have read that a very long time ago religion was conceived because life on earth was extremely difficult andpeople needed something to give them hope in the future.

Visit my website ladied. Through the pages you will see evidence that there is more than the physical, plus just maybe some more understanding. www.myspiritualwindows.info Linda

i honestly have tried to have a belief in God, but i can’t….mainly because i can’t believe a God would allow all of this grief and horror and suffering, and greed..to go on in this world… i can’t believe a God would allow my grandfather to molest me at three… i can’t believe in a loving God, a compassionate God, after 67 years of surviving i believe in a punishing God, a mean-spirited, cruel god…… if there is a God, then it is a elitist one, metes out punishment on a whim, to see how they jump thru hoops, gives the goods to WHO? and Why?… I simply don’t get life ….of course mine started out extremely awful which stunted my emotional growth and therefore any semblence of reason or sanity….

I believe so differently from yous…and this is why, my cynicism, sometimes my friend, as it has protected me, and sometimes it works soooo against me… never-the-less, i believe it is a control mechanism for the masses, a sort of an opiate for the masses….and what it ultimately does is keep the very humanness’ individuality from bloosoming….stifiles the creative ability of humans…..how? by the teaching of the church doctrine, is it God’s will? oh please!!!! if you believe in God, then the obvious fact that you are here is in fact God’s will, then everything you ultimately do is God’s will, right?…..see what i mean, my mind will mug me, if i don’t watch out…lol on that statement….but i think that the creative part of many beings is stunted at the religous level: no you can’t do that, no you can’t have that, no it’s not in God’s plan, no no no…too much time in church, too much obeying and praying instead of doing and being….that’s my take….mainly a control issue, for control freaks…and for man in general, can you imagine everyone doing as they please…omg! no work, no church, no control…who would big bad government, military and corporations have to do their dirty work for them……cynical at the least, i am….i think, therefore i am……

IT IS WAY PAST MY BEDTIME BUT I COULD GO ON AND ON READING THESE WONDERFUL COMMENTS. I HAVE LISTED ALL THE BOOKS WHICH WERE SUGGESTED . THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR INSPIRING CONTRIBUTIONS. THIS IS SUCH A REMARKABLE WEBSITE. THANK YOU, CHARLIE ROSE, FOR INTRODUCING ME TO WOWOWOW!

an interesting phrase in both physics and probability theory—-‘given enough time’—-Voltaire once said, ‘I live now, so I will again’. Dr. R. Sheldrake’s hypothesis contends (and this has been raped, scraped, trashed, bashed—to no avail) as each snowflake has its unique form, so do all ‘things’—-the simple way to think of this is as ‘Form-Fields’—-they are permanent, exist throughout this universe, and are not subject to space, time, or astronomical distance—-And may ‘re-assemble’ wherever conditions permit—-in our case, extant humans—- so, if there are extant ‘parents’, even on other planets, or better yet, a true corporeal ‘Heaven’ with such? death could be ‘space-travel’, ‘time travel’ to a perfect future—-now, if only i had Voltaire’s faith!!!!!

Oh my! What an amazing topic and amazing responses. I don’t have time to linger now, however, my 2 cents worth again… grin I have researched, studied, prayed, discussed, and written about this topic. I have also had an occurrence of a “near death experience.” In the process, I also went into a coma. So, the point of this was to tell you I do not know in what sequence, or in what moment it all happened. Finally, I have just come to the conclusion that we all have our own understanding and experience of death. Many of us have our own belief system which dictates what death is, and how the ‘after-life’ will happen for us. Some are taught that none of this is true. When it comes right down to it, who really knows for certain? I propose a bit of a unique concept about ‘death, dying’ and living (again) … I have begun to comprehend the “John Edwards” phenomena as a kind of carbon footprint of the soul. John can feel people, and see them in a non-physical realm, and those who have ‘crossed over’ communicate through him to their loved ones. For whatever reason this phenomena happens, it is very real. The bottom line is; I believe we simply need to be ourselves, live our lives the best we can, love the best we can, do the best we can, and not worry about the rest. If we continue to worry about whether we are going to live again, or if we are just going to be a speck of dust forevermore, what will we have gained? Rather than fantasize about dying, and living, and heaven and hell, (I believe we are already in hell now, thank you very much). Or, as my old pastor friend used to say: “If you worry so much about _____ you will miss the ‘rapture’ for picking up lint off the carpet!” What I believe is: When I die, I will return to earth again and live life from a different perspective than I am presently. Perhaps I will be male instead of female, or another female in a completely different role, or stature. I also tend to agree with those who believe we must return and undo, or make different the mistakes of the past life. So, here I am - (nearly) perfect and charming as can be and lo and behold, I might end up being someone quite different. Now that is scary! (Laughing, here - I do so much enjoy laughing at myself.) Just in case this is true, I have made it a point to be open, honest, and direct with people. Even when it may not be in my own best interest - as in, a little white lie is really not okay. Ultimately and finally - I believe it when God said to me, paraphrased, “You can come home now if you want, or stay here on this plane - you don’t have to do anything to show how much you love me, or how good you are. I love you just the way you are.”

oops, sorry for the quotation marks at the end.