# Obsessing about the afterlife?



## shadowmask (Jun 22, 2009)

Does anyone else do this? Could it be OCD? The strange thing is, I'm an agnostic, but I've been obsessively thinking about scientific explanations for an afterlife and now I can't stop, it's driving me nuts. I went to see Avatar this afternoon and couldn't even concentrate. It's really taken over my mind. I wonder if it's a real problem or maybe I just have to much time on my hands, but I'm finding it impossible to focus on anything else now.


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## Louis (Jun 30, 2009)

heh more like lookin forward it, im agnostic too, but it doesnt mean you dont believe in an afterlife

just take some solace in knowing your going the same place a lot of people u like have gone too i guess


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## JayDontCareEh (Jul 16, 2007)

It sounds like it could be ocd related.

I ponder this thought too from time to time. Like what am I here for, what's my purpose, is this all leading up to something?

I guess only time will tell... "Way of the future".


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## letitrock (Jan 10, 2009)

You beat me to the punch, I'd been thinking about starting a thread aimed at atheists asking what they think happens after death besides decomposition.

Anyways, I have had some recurring disturbing revolving scary(not scary as in gory) thoughts about creation and death and stuff, and I am scared of it, and I think about it, but I wouldn't say I do it as obsessively as you do.

The reason I do it I guess is cuz I'm afraid of death..........But while I was watching Saw a while ago, I think the way to get over this fear of death, to get over this obsession with what happens after death is by following Amanda's advice which was:

"The cure for death itself. The answer is immortality. By creating a legacy, *by living a life worth remembering,* you become immortal."

Us SA'ers don't exactly live life to it's fullest potential so we obsess with death because we're afraid to die having lived only a mediocre life.

Anyways, if you find any scientific explanations for what happens after death please post them here cuz I'm interested in that too. I don't believe in God, I don't believe in heaven, I don't believe in angels, but I do believe in psychics, in ghosts, maybe in reincarnation, I don't know, I havn't really done research in that.........

Also, there's something that sticks out in my mind that I've seen on some of the ghost specials or whatver I've seen on tv-See, I heard once that psychics or whatver can sense things when they're in a room because the body leaves behind electrical signals or electrical something long after they've left a a place......So I feel like after death, maybe we don't just decompose, maybe we become "energy" and that's what psychics sense as ghosts???? Maybe we live on another plane of existence, not some mystical heavenly plane, but a plane that can be explained scientifically.......Because like I said, I do believe in ghosts, yet I don't think that's connected to God or anything cuz I'm an atheist.


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## delirium (Jun 24, 2009)

umm... to paraphrase Woody Allen, I don't want to live forever through my work, I want to live forever by not dying... 

nobody knows what happens (I didn't read the thread)... why fixate on it? Focus on living your life... however you want.


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## thewall (Feb 1, 2009)

I think about this a lot too. I'm not afraid of being dead though because if there is an afterlife, great, but if this is it and we just turn to dirt (which is what I think is more likely) I'll be nonexistant, so I won't care anyway. It does make loved ones dying much harder to deal with though.

I obsess more about how I will die. That freaks me out a lot more because there are so many horrible ways to go.


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## shadowmask (Jun 22, 2009)

Louis said:


> your going the same place a lot of people u like have gone too i guess


Oh ****


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## Cleary (Nov 10, 2007)

letitrock said:


> The reason I do it I guess is cuz I'm afraid of death..........But while I was watching Saw a while ago, I think the way to get over this fear of death, to get over this obsession with what happens after death is by following Amanda's advice which was:
> 
> "The cure for death itself. The answer is immortality. By creating a legacy, *by living a life worth remembering,* you become immortal."
> 
> Us SA'ers don't exactly live life to it's fullest potential so we obsess with death because we're afraid to die having lived only a mediocre life.


Agreed.

I've been thinking a lot about this as well. I'm an atheist too. I don't believe in the afterlife, I don't believe in souls or ghosts. The only part of you that can 'live on' after death is your name and your legacy. If you've achieved something in your life worth remembering - people will remember you, tell the grandkids stories about you etc.

But I haven't accomplished anything in my life. I haven't left any impression on anyone. That and I haven't lived. I can't say that I've had a happy, good life, because I haven't.

I go back and forth between fearing death because I haven't done anything worth being proud of and because I've never been truly happy with my life. and then to thoughts of accepting/wanting death (and ceasing to exist) because I think "it can't be any worse than what I've been doing with myself every day, nothing. And besides it doesn't matter if anyone cares about you after you've died. You wouldn't care or even know about it because you're dead."

but more importantly, I fear the physical pain that comes with death and I can only hope I get a painless death.


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## shadowmask (Jun 22, 2009)

Well I've been reading a lot about near death experiences and the subjective perception of time flow, and I think it's totally possible that upon death your mind creates either a "heaven" or "hell" based on your own sense of worth, your motivating factor in life, and your expectations. Since your consciousness can't conceive the possibility of not existing, your perception of time is shifted so that you remain in this state of mind for what you perceive to be eternity.


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

Does sound like OCD. I can't concentrate on other stuff either when I'm obsessing over something.

I never worry about an afterlife. I assume we cease to exist upon death, just as we didn't exist before conception. I figure it's logically impossible to worry about non-existence. If you don't exist, it's not like you'll be there to worry about it. If you take that view, then I guess the only thing one could worry about with regard to life ending is the potential discomfort of the dying process and that being dead rules out the potential for ever doing anything that's left on your to-do list.


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## huh (Mar 19, 2007)

Sometimes I think about it, but not obsessively. I'm worried about how I'll die rather than what happens after I die. I just hope it's quick/painless rather than prolonged and agonizing.


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## HTF (Nov 15, 2009)

I love reading about the afterlife, love paranormal, and have personally found some good evidence that there is one. 
I used to think about it alot, and how i would go.


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## TheCanadian1 (Sep 14, 2009)

I get obsessed about wanting to know... I've read many books, always looking for answers... I want to know so badly, and at one point I thought suicide would be my answer. I didn't understand why I was in such a state of mind, but even today I'm extremely curious about the afterlife... I'd love to get into paranormal research, as I'm extremely intuitive, thus have the ability to become psychic.


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## Lincolnradiocat (Dec 10, 2005)

I think about it frequently. It is not OCD. I don't think people ponder their mortality enough. Death is too much of a taboo in our society. We really need to ask ourselves what happens after we die. I am fascinated by the Near Death Experience account. I have read several books, and I can't get enough of it.


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## contranigma (Jun 24, 2009)

I'm agnostic. Sometimes I think about it and it really scares me to think if reincarnation happened. If you kept getting reincarnated into different lives you'd eventually end up with a really ****ty life where you get Ebola or something. Of course, you would eventually land on a really sweet life, like being Tiger Woods.

Mostly I don't think too much about it though and just hope that death is the actual end to life. I don't understand why people want to believe in an afterlife. So it is probably more of your OCD that's keeping you thinking about it.


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## illlaymedown (Oct 6, 2009)

If I didn't believe in an afterlife, I'd have no problem doing what cannot be talked about on this forum. This life isn't worth it to me and the whole leaving a legacy thing does not appeal to me. I don't care what people think about me when I die, I want life now and if we cease to exist it won't matter anyways, neither will anything else I do here. Since I'm having such a sucky life, the only thing keeping me going is my belief. 
To OP: I don't think you have OCD, I think you're human. We all think about these things. On a side note, is Avatar any good? :lol


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## shyvr6 (Feb 18, 2008)

I wouldn't mind an afterlife as long as I don't have sa during it.


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## Fuzzy Logic (Sep 16, 2009)

Remember what it was like before your were born? Well, that's likely what it will be like after you die. You didn't always exist in the past, so there is no logical reason to assume you will always do so in the future.

At least, I hope that is the case. It would be terrible if people were forced to exist forever no matter what. I've only been here twenty-three years and I'm already tired of it.


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## jim_morrison (Aug 17, 2008)

letitrock said:


> "The cure for death itself. The answer is immortality. By creating a legacy, *by living a life worth remembering,* you become immortal."
> 
> Us SA'ers don't exactly live life to it's fullest potential so we obsess with death because we're afraid to die having lived only a mediocre life.


Thats a good point, I guess it's important to live life to the fullest, even though for us SAers generally we usually don't live life to our full potential unfortunately


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## shadowmask (Jun 22, 2009)

illlaymedown said:


> If I didn't believe in an afterlife, I'd have no problem doing what cannot be talked about on this forum.


Me neither, but I wouldn't do it immediately. I'd like to have a little bit of fun first. I wish I knew for certain there was no afterlife, that would be so liberating. I think it would actually give me more of a reason to live.

And Avatar was awesome, you should check it out, especially if the 3d version is playing anywhere near you.


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## alohomora (Apr 5, 2009)

delirium said:


> umm... to paraphrase Woody Allen, *I don't want to live forever through my work, I want to live forever by not dying*...
> 
> nobody knows what happens (I didn't read the thread)... why fixate on it? Focus on living your life... however you want.


LOL! i love woody allen


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## illlaymedown (Oct 6, 2009)

shadowmask said:


> Me neither, but I wouldn't do it immediately. I'd like to have a little bit of fun first. I wish I knew for certain there was no afterlife, that would be so liberating. I think it would actually give me more of a reason to live.
> 
> And Avatar was awesome, you should check it out, especially if the 3d version is playing anywhere near you.


I don't ever try to force my beliefs on anyone, but it's so hard for me to understand why no afterlife would make life easier to live or desirable to live. I mean in that case, if you cease to exist absolutely nothing you've done or could do in this life matters and when people lose meaning they tend to lose hope. I've also heard the theory that we live to further humanity, keep the population going but I fail to find that acceptable for so many reasons one of which being I'm pretty sure I won't be having kids ever and even if I did, why should I care what happens with humanity if we all just end up ceasing to exist in the end. Besides the whole of humanity is pretty distasteful. No, I don't want to live forever in this kind of a world, in this life, but neither do I see any point in any existence if it all ceases. Idk, the only thing keeping me alive at this point is my beliefs. If people can make it believing in no afterlife then great for them, I just don't get it. My life has been pretty crappy on the other hand and I really am tired of struggling with it. I still think it's gonna get better for some reason :/ blah :sigh

I don't wanna go see Avatar by myself and that would be the case....plus I can't really afford it. Perhaps someone here will buy it when it comes out on dvd. I think I read somewhere it was kinda "corny" so that's why I asked.


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## myhalo123 (Nov 18, 2009)

I personally am counting on some kind of afterlife or reincarnation. Otherwise I am screwed.


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## rincewind (Sep 7, 2009)

illlaymedown said:


> I don't ever try to force my beliefs on anyone, but it's so hard for me to understand why no afterlife would make life easier to live or desirable to live. I mean in that case, if you cease to exist absolutely nothing you've done or could do in this life matters and when people lose meaning they tend to lose hope.


Well, it is equally hard for me to understand your beliefs... I absolutely reject the idea that an afterlife is necessary for life to have meaning. If anything, it gives it *less* meaning. Who cares about a few decades on Earth when you supposedly have an eternity in heaven (or hell :roll) to look forward to?

If you don't believe there is an afterlife, it makes the brief life you do have far more precious and meaningful! You said "absolutely nothing you've done or could do in this life matters". Again, I don't agree. An obvious counterexample is if you have children. The memories of people who knew and loved you will persist long after you've gone. That's part of the reason we have funerals instead of chucking corpses in the nearest ditch. Or to go in a different direction, Stalin was an atheist, but you'd have a hard time arguing that nothing he did in his life mattered (eg killing millions of people).


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## shadowmask (Jun 22, 2009)

^Ultimately, it doesn't matter either way, eventually all the people who have any recollection of you will be gone just the same. Making all those good memories won't mean a thing, it's simply the better alternative. I agree though, if heaven does exist there's really no point in living your life to the fullest, after all, how could it ever compare to eternal happiness?


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## illlaymedown (Oct 6, 2009)

rincewind said:


> Well, it is equally hard for me to understand your beliefs... I absolutely reject the idea that an afterlife is necessary for life to have meaning. If anything, it gives it *less* meaning. Who cares about a few decades on Earth when you supposedly have an eternity in heaven (or hell :roll) to look forward to?
> 
> If you don't believe there is an afterlife, it makes the brief life you do have far more precious and meaningful! You said "absolutely nothing you've done or could do in this life matters". Again, I don't agree. An obvious counterexample is if you have children. The memories of people who knew and loved you will persist long after you've gone. That's part of the reason we have funerals instead of chucking corpses in the nearest ditch. Or to go in a different direction, Stalin was an atheist, but you'd have a hard time arguing that nothing he did in his life mattered (eg killing millions of people).


I fail to grasp your point in the first paragraph so I'll just leave it at that unless you have something better to add. Onto the next paragraph you seem to have missed what I did say or maybe I didn't explain it well enough(but to be blunt I expected such). I already said I won't be having children or at least it's very unlikely. Say I did have kids though. I have kids, die, they remember me, make babies & then die.....so on & so on. Even if I am "remebered" 3000 years from now, what good is it to me if I don't exist? Why should I care? Makes no sense. So what people remember Stalin(albeit negatively which is a whole nother subject), if he doesn't exist what does his brief life here matter. Only to those of us left here? To suffer in his wake? What does it matter to him? How can it matter to someone who doesn't exist? There is no point in coming into existence just to go back out imo. If you can live your life thinking otherwise then great for you, but personally I don't give a damn what people remember about me if I'm not around to know they're remembering.


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## rincewind (Sep 7, 2009)

illlaymedown said:


> I fail to grasp your point in the first paragraph so I'll just leave it at that unless you have something better to add.


I thought I was pretty clear, but to put it another way, what you are saying is effectively that *nothing* about your life matters except in how it relates to the "afterlife". Your entire life ultimately comes down to that single question: do you end up in heaven or hell? That's all the "meaning" it can possibly have, and it's not much! If you have an eternity in heaven to experience, are you going to remember anything about your life on Earth after a few hundred years, to say nothing of billions or trillions? It's completely irrelevant.



illlaymedown said:


> Onto the next paragraph you seem to have missed what I did say or maybe I didn't explain it well enough(but to be blunt I expected such).


I don't think I missed anything. We apparently have very different definitions of what it means for a life to have "meaning" or to "matter", that's all I can say.



illlaymedown said:


> I already said I won't be having children or at least it's very unlikely. Say I did have kids though. I have kids, die, they remember me, make babies & then die.....so on & so on. Even if I am "remebered" 3000 years from now, what good is it to me if I don't exist? Why should I care? Makes no sense. So what people remember Stalin(albeit negatively which is a whole nother subject), if he doesn't exist what does his brief life here matter. Only to those of us left here? To suffer in his wake? What does it matter to him? How can it matter to someone who doesn't exist? There is no point in coming into existence just to go back out imo. If you can live your life thinking otherwise then great for you, but personally I don't give a damn what people remember about me if I'm not around to know they're remembering.


 To sum that up, you only act as a decent human being just because you *believe* there might be an afterlife and want people to be thinking "Oh she was great wasn't she" while you're sitting around in heaven? And what *I* said makes no sense? You don't see it as at all worthwhile or meaningful to be a good person in order to make yourself and the people around you happy during the brief time you are alive? There's really nothing at all that you think matters about life if you remove the idea of an afterlife?

I certainly wouldn't like to think about the world the way you do! Why even bother continuing to live if you feel like that? Wouldn't it make sense to take the "shortcut" and get it over with?

Finally, the idea of being eternally aware should scare the *sh*t* out of any rational human being. I look at it as a form of torture. Knowing that there will come a point when I will cease to exist is extremely comforting to me. Releasing all your problems, obligations, fears and worries and drifting into complete oblivion sounds like a pretty damn good way to end your life. If I had a choice between that or eternal life I'd pick oblivion without hesitation.


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## rincewind (Sep 7, 2009)

shadowmask said:


> ^Ultimately, it doesn't matter either way, eventually all the people who have any recollection of you will be gone just the same. Making all those good memories won't mean a thing, it's simply the better alternative.


The point I was trying to make was about doing worthwhile things *during* your life. Even if everyone forgot all about you the second you died, it wouldn't change the fact that your life would have had meaning!


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## shadowmask (Jun 22, 2009)

rincewind said:


> The point I was trying to make was about doing worthwhile things *during* your life. Even if everyone forgot all about you the second you died, it wouldn't change the fact that your life would have had meaning!


Yeah, but ultimately it still wouldn't have a meaning, at least objectively speaking. Everything will eventually cease to exist, so there's no real point to any effort. But I get what you're saying, I'd like to lay on my deathbed and feel satisfied with my life, and believe that I've contributed something meaningful to the world, but I doubt that's gonna happen, and even so, I'll still end up oblivious to it all, so what does it matter really?


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## rincewind (Sep 7, 2009)

shadowmask said:


> Yeah, but ultimately it still wouldn't have a meaning, at least objectively speaking. Everything will eventually cease to exist, so there's no real point to any effort. But I get what you're saying, I'd like to lay on my deathbed and feel satisfied with my life, and believe that I've contributed something meaningful to the world, but I doubt that's gonna happen, and even so, I'll still end up oblivious to it all, so what does it matter really?


Taking this attitude to it's logical conclusion, we should all kill ourselves right now because this planet will only last a few more billion years!

To be strictly accurate, it is true that no matter what you do with your life, it doesn't matter in the end. There are two ways to look at that fact. One is your "objective" way, aptly summed up by Shakespeare in _Macbeth_:


> Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
> That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
> And then is heard no more: it is a tale
> Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
> Signifying nothing.


Always liked that passage. _Anyway_, if you look at life that way, of course it's going to seem pointless. The alternative is to think of your life as your one and only chance to experience the universe. It should be absolutely awe-inspiring to consider the long fragile chain of events that led to your birth, stretching back over billions of years to result in a handful of decades of awareness and emotion! Why not exploit the opportunity you have and live as full a life as possible? In the end you are the only person who can decide if your life has/had meaning.


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## rcapo89 (Jun 3, 2009)

I don't obsess over the concept of the after life. I find it quite comforting and liberating that I will cease to exist after I'm gone.


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## shadowmask (Jun 22, 2009)

A few interesting videos regarding DMT. My whole view on life has changed now after learning about this stuff. _Wow._


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## illlaymedown (Oct 6, 2009)

I think Shadowmask got what I was saying a bit more & he summed it up quite well, so I'll add what I think ur other ?s appear 2 be. Firstly tho, I must apologize 4 my jumbling of words & whatnot due 2 being on here thru mobile. It also keeps me from multi-quoting so I'll do my best 2 get 2 everything since u said quite a bit & if I miss something u'll have 2 either let me know or let it be, whichever u wish  U seem 2 be misunderstanding 2 certain theological truths(meaning what is true biblically whether u believe it 2 be true or not)1 of which I see is that u think we get saved by what we do or in essence we go 2 heaven by consistantly constantly doing good. That isn't true. I don't believe I can ever be "good enough" 2 be saved. Therefore, no, I don't do good just cus I want a ticket in2 heaven. Then u seem 2 be pointing 2 some form of morality(u refer 2 being decent/good)which if there is a true morality is fine. So how do u define goodness? Where does it come from? What is evil? I can say that in a world where there is no moral law, there is no true good & no true evil, it's all based on personal assumptions. Therefore; what does anything I do here matter if there is no consequence & we just end? What is a "good person" in ur worldview? No, I do what's right because I finally have a definition of what that truly is! If there is no absolute moral law, u can never tell me anything I do is wrong cus that's just ur opinion. Furthermore, I didn't say my first post 2 get in2 a theological war & 2 be frank I figured u or a certain other poster would come here & start bashing Christianity, even tho be4 u posted I didn't rly say anything flattly about Christianity so there was no need, so I don't really see the point in continuing this discussion if ur going 2 go off on a theological rant about things u claim not 2 believe in. If u don't believe it then ignore it, don't go all over the site trying 2 spread ur hate of it all over the 1s who believe. It's a SUPPORT site afterall, not a hate site & it turns ppl away.


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## rincewind (Sep 7, 2009)

I wish you'd waited until you could post this properly, it's a bit of a mess to read.



illlaymedown said:


> U seem 2 be misunderstanding 2 certain theological truths(meaning what is true biblically whether u believe it 2 be true or not)1 of which I see is that u think we get saved by what we do or in essence we go 2 heaven by consistantly constantly doing good. That isn't true.


I would really love to hear some of these "theological truths". They seem to be very similar to what are normally called "facts", and the Bible is not known as a good factual reference. Regardless of any theological handwaving it still comes down to heaven or hell in the end.



illlaymedown said:


> I don't believe I can ever be "good enough" 2 be saved. Therefore, no, I don't do good just cus I want a ticket in2 heaven.


I didn't believe your behaviour was based on that reasoning, but that is the impression you gave. Sometimes religious people ask atheists how they can have any morals at all, implying that they believe all their guidance on how to live their life comes from their religion.



illlaymedown said:


> Then u seem 2 be pointing 2 some form of morality(u refer 2 being decent/good)which if there is a true morality is fine. So how do u define goodness? Where does it come from? What is evil?


What is a "true" morality? As far as I'm concerned, everyone has to decide for themselves what is moral, obviously with input from the society they happen to be living in. I used words like "good" and "decent" in the accepted way, as shorthand for the long list of qualities commonly found in people widely considered to be "good" or admirable. Evil is easy to explain if you consider a scale of personalities similar to scales for measuring temperature. With temperature, there's no such thing as "cold", just an absence of heat. Similarly, "evil" is just the absence of "good".



illlaymedown said:


> I can say that in a world where there is no moral law, there is no true good & no true evil, it's all based on personal assumptions. Therefore; what does anything I do here matter if there is no consequence & we just end? What is a "good person" in ur worldview? No, I do what's right because I finally have a definition of what that truly is! If there is no absolute moral law, u can never tell me anything I do is wrong cus that's just ur opinion.


Where are you getting the idea that we have no moral law? I've already asked what "true morality" is, so what are "true good" and "true evil"? What does anything you do matter? Well, go murder someone and see what happens. I'll wait right here for you to get back. Shouldn't take long since there are no consequences, right?



illlaymedown said:


> Furthermore, I didn't say my first post 2 get in2 a theological war & 2 be frank I figured u or a certain other poster would come here & start bashing Christianity, even tho be4 u posted I didn't rly say anything flattly about Christianity so there was no need, so I don't really see the point in continuing this discussion if ur going 2 go off on a theological rant about things u claim not 2 believe in.


There is only one person ranting here and it isn't me.



illlaymedown said:


> If u don't believe it then ignore it, don't go all over the site trying 2 spread ur hate of it all over the 1s who believe. It's a SUPPORT site afterall, not a hate site & it turns ppl away.


Hate? *Hate?* Are you serious? I simply disagree with you and you turn around and start shouting about hate? :wtf

As for spreading my "hate" lol) over those poor persecuted believers, there is a subforum dedicated to religious discussion, which is specifically "not for debate". I make a point of staying out of there, so why not reciprocate and keep the religious stuff to a minimum in the other forums, especially if you don't like your beliefs being challenged.


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## britisharrow (Jun 18, 2009)

"I don't want to achieve immortalty through my work, I want to achieve it through not dying." Woody Allen.


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## SloopjohnB (Jan 1, 2009)

I think questioning mortality is normal, when we get older we come to accept and make peace with it.


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## sean7phil (Jul 6, 2009)

Here is how you can tell if it's OCD--

If you want to stop thinking about it, but you can't stop thinking about it, then it's OCD.

Here is a (nonprofit) organization that can help with that: http://obsessivecompulsiveanonymous.org/


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## rcapo89 (Jun 3, 2009)

illlaymedown said:


> so I don't really see the point in continuing this discussion if ur going 2 go off on a theological rant about things u claim not 2 believe in. If u don't believe it then ignore it, don't go all over the site trying 2 spread ur hate of it all over the 1s who believe. It's a SUPPORT site afterall, not a hate site & it turns ppl away.


So debating a theist's perspective on life, God, and the concept of the afterlife is ranting and spreading hate?! 
I agree with Rincewind, you should be able to debate someone without resorting to accusations of spreading "hate". :roll

If you want to discuss your religious beliefs free of debate, visit the Spirituality section.


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## illlaymedown (Oct 6, 2009)

.....I posted another post after that last one cus I ran out of space on the last one and it didn't go through apparently so I'll restate it. I made that last statement based on more posts I've seen of yours, yes even in the "no debate" area than just what you've said in this thread. And many non-believers go on this "spirituality" forum as well. It's quite obvious from the culminative posts that you hate Christianity which is your deal, have fun with that but that doesn't make it ok for you to go around finding places to spread that either and it doesn't help Christians who come here for support. And your example for morality isn't cutting it for me, but like I said, don't wanna turn shadowmask's thread into a big theological war. If you truly cared to understand or learn anything about what I believe and I believed that, I wouldn't have a problem, but I have a very strong feeling that's not the case...if I'm wrong, PM me please or even VM me, but I think I'm not. Sorry, I warned you before going into it and I haven't had computer internet for a loooonnnng time so you'll just have to take it as is. I don't have a problem with you just so you know, but you can understand when someone downs something/someone you love consistently(not just you in this case) how it can affect a person negatively. But please, if you want to seriously discuss, and I mean discuss(not either one of us attacking)beliefs, you know where to find my page


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## Neptunus (Oct 29, 2007)

rcapo89 said:


> I don't obsess over the concept of the after life. I find it quite comforting and liberating that I will cease to exist after I'm gone.


Same here. I'm religious and believe in afterlife, however, the idea doesn't appeal to me. Non-existence would be the ultimate reward, which is why I've prayed for it.

Just my two copper's worth to add to the piggy bank of pessimism here... :lol :um


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## rincewind (Sep 7, 2009)

illlaymedown said:


> .....I posted another post after that last one cus I ran out of space on the last one and it didn't go through apparently so I'll restate it. I made that last statement based on more posts I've seen of yours, yes even in the "no debate" area than just what you've said in this thread.


I did indeed make one or two posts in the spirituality forum not long after I signed up here, and the outcome was my decision to avoid posting there in the future.



illlaymedown said:


> And many non-believers go on this "spirituality" forum as well. It's quite obvious from the culminative posts that you hate Christianity which is your deal, have fun with that but that doesn't make it ok for you to go around finding places to spread that either and it doesn't help Christians who come here for support.


I don't hate Christianity and I don't hate Christians. If I "hate" anything it is organised religion, of which Christianity happens to be the most prominent and popular example on the planet. I'm not actively going round looking for Christians to provoke here, I just feel an obligation to point out that Christianity (and other religions) have no special status or claim to truth.



illlaymedown said:


> but I have a very strong feeling that's not the case...if I'm wrong, PM me please or even VM me, but I think I'm not.


You're correct, I have no interest in doing that and I don't think it would be a good idea for either one of us.



illlaymedown said:


> but you can understand when someone downs something/someone you love consistently(not just you in this case) how it can affect a person negatively.


I do understand that, but I still don't think it should be cause to protect religious belief from any form of challenge or criticism, even on here.

And now I'm out of this thread...


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## Witan (Jun 13, 2009)

shadowmask said:


> Does anyone else do this? Could it be OCD? The strange thing is, I'm an agnostic, but I've been obsessively thinking about scientific explanations for an afterlife and now I can't stop, it's driving me nuts. I went to see Avatar this afternoon and couldn't even concentrate. It's really taken over my mind. I wonder if it's a real problem or maybe I just have to much time on my hands, but I'm finding it impossible to focus on anything else now.


I did something similar my year abroad. I heard about something called the quantum suicide experiment, which suggested that everyone is immortal. I wondered if it was true, and it scared the **** outta me (I don't WANT to live forever, especially the way QI puts it).

I don't think it's true, but it still threw me into a really deep depression where I just couldn't stop wondering/worrying if it was true. There was about a month straight where that was literally all that I thought about. Even to this day I worry about it from time to time, even though I'm fairly sure it's bull****.


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