I'm not sure what comes after death, but in my own opinion so far I would say it's probably mostly decomposition. The thing is, though, that I have and my family has seen ghosts, so how can you explain those appearances without the presence of some inherent force being present? Perhaps our life force leaves behind memories imprinted into existence, or we do in fact have souls and they go somewhere or wander around. If we don't have souls or anything of the like, we do technically live on in a form of reincarnation, since our matter never dies, it becomes nutrients for other creatures and the soil, etc. We then live on as worms and bugs and air and soil and flowers, etc.

I would really like for there to be something else, though. Heaven, or something, anything. Life seems too short to have to say goodbye to the pretty things in life and the people you love just to... become dirt.

Originally Posted by Shtona

But whether or not I find the debate worth the effort (because no matter what we discuss in here, nothing will change. People will go on living and dying every day, every hour, every minute...) I believe death to be just that. An ending to a (hopefully) long and at least somewhat prosperous life. I can only imagine blackness, darkness, emptiness. Nothing else.

Okay. ^^ No offense meant by my misleading title; this post really wasnt meant to dissuade someone's opinion as it was to discuss the merits and faults of everyone's point of view. Whether or not discussing what these opinions are will actually change what occurs is irrelevant to the purpose of a debate. ^^ Thanks for commenting~

Originally Posted by rampagerose

I'm not sure what comes after death, but in my own opinion so far I would say it's probably mostly decomposition. The thing is, though, that I have and my family has seen ghosts, so how can you explain those appearances without the presence of some inherent force being present? Perhaps our life force leaves behind memories imprinted into existence, or we do in fact have souls and they go somewhere or wander around. If we don't have souls or anything of the like, we do technically live on in a form of reincarnation, since our matter never dies, it becomes nutrients for other creatures and the soil, etc. We then live on as worms and bugs and air and soil and flowers, etc..

Okay, you say you've seen souls/ghosts, yes? How or why do you think that is? Do you think that the presence of a ghost or ghost is some sort of soul? In that case, then would animals and plants absorb part of the soul after the body decomposes into plant matter or dirt? This question is also posed to anyone who feels like responding~ ^^

Originally Posted by beagirl1227

Given this, I have to ask a question. ^^ Do you think that a man who has sat alone in his room, all his life, doing absolutely nothing, is going to end up in a better place than a congressman who, lets say, donates money that he steals from innocent constrituents to the poor? Just trying to further discussion. ^^

Well I think that yes, he possibly would, as he did not commit a crime, whereas the congressmen is using "Rationalization" to prevent himself from "feeling guilt".

Originally Posted by http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defence_mechanism

Rationalization: Where a person convinces him or herself that no wrong was done and that all is or was all right through faulty and false reasoning. An indicator of this defense mechanism can be seen socially as the formulation of convenient excuses.

Based on this, he is still wrongdoing in what he does, however rationalizes it so that he doesn't feel guilt...

Not to mention it's still stealing one way or the other...

Well i belive in re-incarnation I mean this might sound weird but...I mean..
Have you ever had a dream your kissing someone and felt it?
even tho youve never kissed someone before?
or some like that?

OR Ever felt like youve been is the place but you know youve never been there?
and strangely you know here things are...

Well, physical death is when the body of someone is either too old, sick or mangled to support a life, in which case the spirit/soul/ghost/whatever's inside moves on to wherever. After that, I have no idea what'd happen. I've been taught at my church that there's this kind of... waiting place, one called Prison and one called Paradise, where the spirits of people are kept. People who kept God's commandments and lived a righteous life went to Paradise to wait for the Judgment Day, and people who commited sins or were bad people went to Prison to wait. After that, at Judgment Day, a spirit will be sent to either the Celestial, Terrestrial or Telestial Kingdoms. The Celestial Kingdom is the highest degree of glory, where the people who belong to my religion will go, where they'll be the angels of Jesus and God. They'll be blessed and prosperous people who have hardly sinned at all.
The Terrestrial Kingdom is where the people who lived good lives, but didn't know or accept the church while they were alive. You could think that if the spirits in the Celestial Kingdom lived in grand castles, the spirits of the Terrestrial Kingdom would live in really nice houses. They're good people, but they're either athiest or of some other religion that isn't correct in the eyes of God. (Not flipping off any religions here, that's just the story..)
The Telestial Kingdom is the last degree of glory, where the sinners would go. The ones who committed lesser sins like stealing, taking drugs and profaining God and Jesus by taking their names in vain. Sins like that. They'd be people who'd live in tents, if you know what I mean.. Bleh.
Then there's Outer Darkness. This place is for the worst people who lived, for example Adolf Hitler and Asama Binaldin would be placed in Outer Darkness, with sins like murder and things. People who break the ten commandments knowingly and willingly multiple times are sent to Outer Darkness. This place is where Satan will be chained for a thousand years, and where his 'angels of darkness' will be bound.

Well, that's what my church believes, but.. I'm the type of person who needs to see it to believe it. If you wanna know which church this is (just in case some people don't know the church I'm talking about I mean), it's one called Mormon, or Latter Day Saints.

Ooh, I think I said a bit too much O.O I blabber easily xD;

@ Kish, that second one is actually due to your brain sending the same information twice I believe, making it feel like you've been there before. Not saying that's every time, but sometimes that's why a room/area can be familiar for no apparent reason.
*should stop quoting their psychology teacher* ^^"

The other one though, never experiences something like that... though I end up going out like a light every night...

I say death isn't when somebodies Body stops working, I say it's when they give up on the things they really love. Your passion is what keeps YOU alive, when you get rid of it you're pretty much just a lifeless body with no spirit or anything.

But. My teacher says it's when your body stops working and all. Yadda, yadda, Yadda. I never listen much O.o'

Originally Posted by kishura

Well i belive in re-incarnation I mean this might sound weird but...I mean..
Have you ever had a dream your kissing someone and felt it?
even tho youve never kissed someone before?
or some like that?

OR Ever felt like youve been is the place but you know youve never been there?
and strangely you know here things are...

Okay. ^^ at what point would you be reincarnated? Right after death or after deterioration? How would you be reincarnated? *see prompts* ^^

Originally Posted by opalistic8

Well, physical death is when the body of someone is either too old, sick or mangled to support a life, in which case the spirit/soul/ghost/whatever's inside moves on to wherever. After that, I have no idea what'd happen. I've been taught at my church that there's this kind of... waiting place, one called Prison and one called Paradise, where the spirits of people are kept. People who kept God's commandments and lived a righteous life went to Paradise to wait for the Judgment Day, and people who commited sins or were bad people went to Prison to wait. After that, at Judgment Day, a spirit will be sent to either the Celestial, Terrestrial or Telestial Kingdoms. The Celestial Kingdom is the highest degree of glory, where the people who belong to my religion will go, where they'll be the angels of Jesus and God. They'll be blessed and prosperous people who have hardly sinned at all.
The Terrestrial Kingdom is where the people who lived good lives, but didn't know or accept the church while they were alive. You could think that if the spirits in the Celestial Kingdom lived in grand castles, the spirits of the Terrestrial Kingdom would live in really nice houses. They're good people, but they're either athiest or of some other religion that isn't correct in the eyes of God. (Not flipping off any religions here, that's just the story..)
The Telestial Kingdom is the last degree of glory, where the sinners would go. The ones who committed lesser sins like stealing, taking drugs and profaining God and Jesus by taking their names in vain. Sins like that. They'd be people who'd live in tents, if you know what I mean.. Bleh.
Then there's Outer Darkness. This place is for the worst people who lived, for example Adolf Hitler and Asama Binaldin would be placed in Outer Darkness, with sins like murder and things. People who break the ten commandments knowingly and willingly multiple times are sent to Outer Darkness. This place is where Satan will be chained for a thousand years, and where his 'angels of darkness' will be bound.

Well, that's what my church believes, but.. I'm the type of person who needs to see it to believe it. If you wanna know which church this is (just in case some people don't know the church I'm talking about I mean), it's one called Mormon, or Latter Day Saints.

Ooh, I think I said a bit too much O.O I blabber easily xD;

No no, its good! I like long posts. ^^ Thats really interesting, I've always been curious of what the Mormon faith was like. Was there a kind of purgatory involved? What if you were equally good and bad?

Originally Posted by Mortaeu

I say death isn't when somebodies Body stops working, I say it's when they give up on the things they really love. Your passion is what keeps YOU alive, when you get rid of it you're pretty much just a lifeless body with no spirit or anything.

But. My teacher says it's when your body stops working and all. Yadda, yadda, Yadda. I never listen much O.o'

So that passion is what keeps you alive, and not a spirit? or is passion a form of that spirit?

I believe we have a Soul that is housed in the body for our time on earth, I don't know if we are reincarnated or if there is a place completely different than our current state of existance that is meant only for souls. I remember a quote from a Wayne Dyer (sp?) book that I read that goes like this. "We are not humans having a spiritual experience, we are spirits having a human experience" I like that Idea, that we aren't struggling with our spirituality, but we are spirits strugling with our humanity. I dont think we go to heaven or hell because of our actions since our actions in themselves are only good or bad by our own definitions,. I'm sure a murderer or rapist would be punished in some way, or maybe cleansed of whatever filthied their souls during their 'human experience' but I can't say 100% on anything since I haven't died yet. I believe there is a God that has interceded for us in the past and probably will in the future but I don't think he's this angry judgemental figure we have made him out to be, I think he's just there to help us out on our human experience and guide is in a way that is helpful to ourselves and anyone we decide to journey with on the way. This is turning into a rant really quick but I also like "Namaste" which unless im utterly wrong (which i have been known to be on the extremely rare occasion :P jk lol) means "the light within me greets the light within you" makes me think about the spirits having a human experience quote, anyway I'm finished yapping your ears off XD sorry.

Originally Posted by beagirl1227

[COLOR="RoyalBlue"]


So you think that there is some kind of reincarnation element to the soul debate? ^^ would there be some sort of end to the cycle, or do you think we'd just keep going? ^^

By the way guys, thanks so much for replying to my thread! ^^

Well if we do have souls then they have to be something, even if it's just an energy or something in another dimension of space, otherwise it doesn't really have anything. As far as the cycle goes I think we just keep going, depending on what we want.

Originally Posted by Your Fallen Angel

I believe we have a Soul that is housed in the body for our time on earth, I don't know if we are reincarnated or if there is a place completely different than our current state of existance that is meant only for souls. I remember a quote from a Wayne Dyer (sp?) book that I read that goes like this. "We are not humans having a spiritual experience, we are spirits having a human experience" I like that Idea, that we aren't struggling with our spirituality, but we are spirits strugling with our humanity. I dont think we go to heaven or hell because of our actions since our actions in themselves are only good or bad by our own definitions,. I'm sure a murderer or rapist would be punished in some way, or maybe cleansed of whatever filthied their souls during their 'human experience' but I can't say 100% on anything since I haven't died yet. I believe there is a God that has interceded for us in the past and probably will in the future but I don't think he's this angry judgemental figure we have made him out to be, I think he's just there to help us out on our human experience and guide is in a way that is helpful to ourselves and anyone we decide to journey with on the way. This is turning into a rant really quick but I also like "Namaste" which unless im utterly wrong (which i have been known to be on the extremely rare occasion :P jk lol) means "the light within me greets the light within you" makes me think about the spirits having a human experience quote, anyway I'm finished yapping your ears off XD sorry.

No no no its great that you've made a long post; I love long posts. ^^
I really like how you've incorporated the quote! its really interesting. ^^
So, if we are souls having a human experience, then could our soul also have an "animal experience" so to speak? I mean, do you think that the same souls that have been put into our bodies are solely human souls, or do you think that, if there IS some kind of reincarnation, that our souls could be recycled and used in animal or plant lifeforms?

Originally Posted by Hazuki

Well if we do have souls then they have to be something, even if it's just an energy or something in another dimension of space, otherwise it doesn't really have anything. As far as the cycle goes I think we just keep going, depending on what we want.

Ooh, what do you mean "depending on what we want"?

I lean towards agreeing with Fabby, though my personal beliefs are a little more out there. As a scientist I'm familiar with the idea that there and many things that we do not understand and that due to principles of uncertainty, we never will. So speculating on the existince of god is a passtime at best. That said, in an infinite universe anything is possible. I think that with all the worlds out there, accepting the bigbang theory as true, postulating from that that there is cyclical time as the universe expands, contracts and expands again, every possible combination can/will/has happened or is going to at some point, there is no real death. Someday, somewhere, someone exactly like you will exist again, statistically speaking. If your personal belief includes the possibility of alternate dimensions, the probability of likelihood only expands. At least, that my opinion. And it is rather comforting to know that somewhere out there in space and time there's a version of me that's a superhero, (So awesome!) so that's my comforting mega-philosophy.

I'm honestly not sure. I grew up with the Christian belief that Death is either Heaven or Hell. A year or two ago, I decided that instead of everyone going to either one, everyone gets reincarnated, but months ago, I changed my mind on that. I'm thinking that maybe there's an afterlife, but I'm not certain. As far as the whole souls debate, I really don't know.

I have NO religion what so ever. Love to learn about it though, and science too.
I think death is all it is: death.
One person dying of natural or un-natural causes.
Good or bad or netural when a person dies they die. that's it.
No spiritual anything about it.
Reincarnation is a pretty cool idea, but unlikely as such. I don't know the answer to that completely but it seems pretty darn unlikely.
I believe there is no soul.
What drives us to act is the way we were brought up in the society by whomever raised us. and to feel, emotionally is the same thing, based on what we believe ourselfs, what our morals are, what WE think is right or wrong.

So all in all death is just that. A person of any age/race/gender dying of natural/un-natural causes not to be alive again.
I guess, in a way(so iv'e been told) I have the atheists' point-of-view. But really, it is all my own opinion based on the way I was brought up and what I have come to believe as a person in todays' society.

Originally Posted by Firemare

I lean towards agreeing with Fabby, though my personal beliefs are a little more out there. As a scientist I'm familiar with the idea that there and many things that we do not understand and that due to principles of uncertainty, we never will. So speculating on the existince of god is a passtime at best. That said, in an infinite universe anything is possible. I think that with all the worlds out there, accepting the bigbang theory as true, postulating from that that there is cyclical time as the universe expands, contracts and expands again, every possible combination can/will/has happened or is going to at some point, there is no real death. Someday, somewhere, someone exactly like you will exist again, statistically speaking. If your personal belief includes the possibility of alternate dimensions, the probability of likelihood only expands. At least, that my opinion. And it is rather comforting to know that somewhere out there in space and time there's a version of me that's a superhero, (So awesome!) so that's my comforting mega-philosophy.

So, there is no real death because in some other time, another you will exist? Thats very interesting. ^^

Originally Posted by Oscar the Wild

I'm honestly not sure. I grew up with the Christian belief that Death is either Heaven or Hell. A year or two ago, I decided that instead of everyone going to either one, everyone gets reincarnated, but months ago, I changed my mind on that. I'm thinking that maybe there's an afterlife, but I'm not certain. As far as the whole souls debate, I really don't know.

I see~~ Well of course you dont know XD no one really knows. Doesnt stop you from having an idea that appeals to you, right? ^^

Originally Posted by ||_HXC_||

I have NO religion what so ever. Love to learn about it though, and science too.
I think death is all it is: death.
One person dying of natural or un-natural causes.
Good or bad or netural when a person dies they die. that's it.
No spiritual anything about it.
Reincarnation is a pretty cool idea, but unlikely as such. I don't know the answer to that completely but it seems pretty darn unlikely.
I believe there is no soul.
What drives us to act is the way we were brought up in the society by whomever raised us. and to feel, emotionally is the same thing, based on what we believe ourselfs, what our morals are, what WE think is right or wrong.

So all in all death is just that. A person of any age/race/gender dying of natural/un-natural causes not to be alive again.
I guess, in a way(so iv'e been told) I have the atheists' point-of-view. But really, it is all my own opinion based on the way I was brought up and what I have come to believe as a person in todays' society.

So, do you think that death occurs in an instant, or that it occurs over time. There is a way that some people live, that every day you are dying and that one day you just reach the point where your body stops functioning. That death is a lifetime process, something that always happens that eventually the body can no longer handle. Or do you follow the belief that life is growing and developing, but death is just the end. How do you view it?

So, do you think that death occurs in an instant, or that it occurs over time. There is a way that some people live, that every day you are dying and that one day you just reach the point where your body stops functioning. That death is a lifetime process, something that always happens that eventually the body can no longer handle. Or do you follow the belief that life is growing and developing, but death is just the end. How do you view it?

It depends on the situation. Someone can die in an instant from a car crash or something; or have a long, drawn out death due to some sort of medical complication.
I believe a little of both. We ARE slowly dying with each passing second, some faster than others, But through our lives, no matter how long or short a time that may be; We learn, grow, and develop. Ultimately dying at the end, but learning ways to preserve and extend life.

Originally Posted by ||_HXC_||

It depends on the situation. Someone can die in an instant from a car crash or something; or have a long, drawn out death due to some sort of medical complication.
I believe a little of both. We ARE slowly dying with each passing second, some faster than others, But through our lives, no matter how long or short a time that may be; We learn, grow, and develop. Ultimately dying at the end, but learning ways to preserve and extend life.

So, if we indeed are slowly dying every day, then what is the "moment of death" if you will? The precise time that the body ceases to function. if death is a part of life, then what is the end of life (and, therefore, death)?

Originally Posted by beagirl1227

So, if we indeed are slowly dying every day, then what is the "moment of death" if you will? The precise time that the body ceases to function. if death is a part of life, then what is the end of life (and, therefore, death)?

The body ceases to function when each organ ceases to function. End of life is just when our body can not take it anymore, when it can not continue running properly, eventually not running at all.

This is an interesting thread. I like it! =D

So the question is.. WHAT IS DEATH?
I dunno.. I'd like to believe there is an after life, or at least.. that ghosts exists. But if that's true, I wonder why we don't see little insect ghosts? We see humans, and cats, and dog ghosts.. But never those little guys.

Yeah yeah, you're going to say.. They have tiny brains, or they don't have enough energy to have traces of them remain behind, or that they do linger after a while.. But not as long as humans do.

I guess that's plausible.

& if there is a heaven and a hell..
Well, I doubt its as harsh as the Bible describes it.

Originally Posted by melusinia

This is an interesting thread. I like it! =D

So the question is.. WHAT IS DEATH?
I dunno.. I'd like to believe there is an after life, or at least.. that ghosts exists. But if that's true, I wonder why we don't see little insect ghosts? We see humans, and cats, and dog ghosts.. But never those little guys.

Yeah yeah, you're going to say.. They have tiny brains, or they don't have enough energy to have traces of them remain behind, or that they do linger after a while.. But not as long as humans do.

I guess that's plausible.

& if there is a heaven and a hell..
Well, I doubt its as harsh as the Bible describes it.

Oh, thank you! :D
If its not so harsh, then why would people be sent to hell in the first place, if not to be punished?
so are ghosts some kind of manifestation of the spirit? is there a specific reason that someone would become a ghost?

From the point of view of an Atheist, death is just the end to someones lifespan and there's nothing else to it after that.
Im not convinced by the idea of Heaven and Hell, though If I had to choose between going to Heaven or being reincarnated, Id prefer Reincarnation.

i believe that souls are completely fictional, and that everything that we think and say are just reactions in our brains. i believe that death is the shutting down of our bodies. it's scary, but that's the only thing that has ever made sense to me.

Death: You die.
It's pretty simple in my mind. You just...die. It's like that feeling when you slip into unconsciousness, but it never ends. Throughout your life you are slowly decaying, like all other life on earth. When your body is too old and tired out, it dies.
I'm pretty afraid of the uncertainty of death...

Originally Posted by Little Miss

Death: You die.
It's pretty simple in my mind. You just...die. It's like that feeling when you slip into unconsciousness, but it never ends. Throughout your life you are slowly decaying, like all other life on earth. When your body is too old and tired out, it dies.
I'm pretty afraid of the uncertainty of death...

one of the major flaws is our inability to comprehend what it would be like to not exist. that is what makes death so scary, and i believe that that is one of the reasons why people invented religion. people were incapable to believe that after their bodies shut down they would just be...gone.

Death is... the end of a good book.

You have your run, but just like everything else, you must make an end. If we went on forever making books, then no one would read them.

(4 am, I'm feeling metaphorical.)