Life After Death

Ditto.

 

I believe in life after death because the Bible tells me so, and I have sound evidential reasons to believe the Bible. But even if I wasn't a Christian, I'd have receptiveness to the idea, given the numerous near death experience testimonies I've watched on YouTube and results of actual studies done on the matter. The only argument that skeptics can offer is that the mind functions after the brain is clinically dead. To that point, we have empiracle evidence of people's minds, conscience, or souls leaving their body immediately upon physical death based upon things they report seeing during that experience which are naturally inexplicable.

I think Ken and others are right that it's only natural to fear the actual dying experience, but most of us probably worry more about the unpleasant time leading up to it. As an aging Christian with increasing health issues, I look forward to a new body, world, and life to come. But it's only my faith that gives me such peace and comfort with the issue. I can't imagine facing old age and death without having the assurance of eternal salvation for my soul. Nor can I can understand why anyone would reject the grace of God who offers it.

 

I guess, Joseph, that you are referring to NEAR death experiences. However, if the brain has already died, I fail to see how they could ever report anything.

I am one of those who worry most about the unpleasant time leading up to death, but not so much the actual death itself.

 

I have the same worry and hope I die in my sleep peacefully.

 

Yes indeed. I hope for the very same thing.

 

Richard, many accounts of near-death experience (NDE) seem sincere. One of the best examples is the near-death experience of Dr. Eben Alexander, the brain surgeon who has done a 360 degree reversal from no-way to definitely yes. His book "Proof of Heaven" describes why he now believes in an afterlife. He was in a coma for many days and his brain was virtually destroyed by e-coli. And yet, he claims to remember what happened, which suggests that consciousness may also exist outside the brain. His book is a great read by a highly qualified scientist, not to be dismissed without an open-minded consideration of what he claims to have experienced.

Another incredible NDE is that of Anita Moorjani who wrote a book "Dying to Be Me". She was quite ill, covered all over with large ugly lumps, and given no chance to survive. But she did survive and describes what she learned on the other side. What she learned led to the clearing away of the horrible lumps and other ill health she had. She is doing great today. Doctors are shaking their heads trying to figure out how she survived their death sentence and her subsequent healing with a return to good health.

Another interesting bunch of soft evidence for an afterlife is the 30-years of research done by Dr. Michael Newton who wrote a book called "Journey of Souls". In this book, Dr. Newton gives an interesting account of thousands of clients where he did past-life hypnotic regressions. The descriptions of what happens in the afterlife are very interesting and I hope they are basically true. It sounds like a lot of healing and growth takes place in the afterlife.

My bottom line: The question of an afterlife is at best a three-state answer: Yes-No-Maybe. I lean toward the yes answer. To me, it seems more likely to be true than not. I'm not 100% certain, but I'm close.

 

The only thing I could say to those authors is: the people who had NDE experiences COULD have been dreaming. We all know quite well that dreams can seem so very real at the time.

One thing is absolutely certain. When the brain has died, the heart stops beating and the rest of the body quickly follows unless it is kept working by medical intervention. That is until the relatives tell the Drs. to "pull the plug" .

I am happy for you that you do get some comfort in believing in an afterlife.

 

Hi Richard,

Yes, it is possible that some NDEs might be nothing more than vivid dreams. But I think that most NDEs are another kind of experience. And yes, the prevailing view among scientists is that the brain creates consciousness. However, not all scientists accept this view because of the missing link between the dance of the neurons and the final virtual reality we see in our conscious minds.

Dr David Chalmers is one of the leading researchers in consciousness and he coined the phrase “The Hard Problem of Consciousness” to describe how difficult it is to find the connection between the brain and consciousness. Chalmers say one possible solution for the difficulty is that consciousness may turn out to be a fundamental quantity like mass, time, electric charge, etc. If that turns out to be true, it will be a game-changer.

Of all the NDEs, I think Eben Alexander’s is the most important one ever because he and his colleagues analyzed his 7-day coma and concluded it was impossible because the e-coli infection destroyed his neocortex. Their conclusion is that his brain could not possibly produce his conscious experiences during his 7-day coma.

One of Eben Alexander’s latest books called "Living in a Mindful Universe: A Neurosurgeon's Journey into the Heart of Consciousness" discusses the hard problem of consciousness and some possible solutions. One explanation for his incredible experience is that he made whole thing up since he and his colleagues agree the brain could not produce his NDE experiences. To me, that is too much of a stretch. The afterlife is not an either-or question. For me, it is a yes-no--maybe question. What rings true for me is somewhere between a maybe and a yes.

 

As a Clairvoyant and Clairaudient, I've seen enough situations where I spoke to people, one lasting a full half hour at a funeral parlour in my teens, to find out later that shed died recently and was in the coffin at the end of the parlour. Her son found a note saying, give thanks to that wee girl with her grandfather. When he showed the picture, I was stumped...

So, yes, I believe in an Afterlife. I've lost two people recently, my son in 2017 and husband in 2022. I wasn't there both times when they passed away.

Ten days after his death and two days after his funeral, my son's spectre showed up in the hallway to the kitchen. I heard him clearly as day, "Thank you Mum, for the beautiful funeral you gave me, for the life I shared with you, Daddy and Sis. I'm fine now, no more pain. I'm with grandad and the kittens..."

Then, he said bye, blew a kiss and walk off in the kitchen and vanished.

The kittens he spoke of, are the baker's dozen we'd lost in 1962 in a house fire. My Papa passed away 50 years this Valentine's Day.

Finally, I'd made promises along with daughter and this morning we were able to fulfill those. We went to our local church and lighted 10 votive candles ️for family and friends who are in the afterlife.

Blessed be!

 

I just got the book Afterlife Experiments doing research on mediums etc to find scientific proof of afterlife.
I have had some experiences, the most impressive were after my soul mate died. But I still have questions.

 

In the early years of the Christian religion, a belief in re-incarnation was part of the teaching. I don't know why that was abandoned. If you think about it, it makes sense to have more than one life. Each life we live serves a different purpose.
There have been many cases where children have talked about their previous lives and every thing they have said has been followed up and proved to be accurate.
We fear the unknown and so we fear death. Instead of fearing death, start planning what you're going to do in your next life.

 

At the same time things don't make sense could be true, Logic at times gets in the way.
I think matter is composed of energy as in atoms electrons. And science and God can co-exist.
Energy is spent, like once the atom bomb explodes, it dies.
Once we burn up our energy we too die, some of course die by time and chance.
Lots of questions for me, Like who were " the sons of god who came into the daughters of men"? I have a general idea but no proof.
I also believe in God but still have questions.

 

True; and many of them are heavily drugged/sedated. I remember when my father was dying, he had been given so much morphine that he thought he saw a cat pulling a wagon up near the ceiling of his room. It makes me sad to remember that.