Life After Death

[nolanrh]

In my lifetime I have seen zero evidence or read anything that has come remotely close to convincing me there is any sort of after life. That goes the same for the existence of a spiritual world or a human soul.

I do believe people have experienced events that cannot be easily explained using the existing body of scientific knowledge. I also believe there are natural explanations for many events which people attribute to interaction with the spiritual world.

I believe the burden of proof should be on those charging that these events are somehow related to the spiritual world, not on those denying the explanation.

In regards to the specific discussion on the human body losing weight at death, there has been no conclusive scientific study that shows this to be the case. Even if the body does lose weight (which has not been shown), there is no evidence supporting the hypothesis that it is the result of the human soul exiting the body.

[CoffeeCanuck]

Hi nolanrh

I can appreciate that there are many people who need some sort of proof to believe in something. Then there are people who do not, that is what faith is, believing without proof. I'm not sure what actually makes a person more prone to leaning to one side or the other. Ever since I can remember, I've leaned towards, been drawn to, spirituality. A couple of my brothers are the opposite. Unless God were to stand right in front of them, smack em upside the head and say...."I am God, do you believe now?" they will continue to be disbelievers.

As for believing in the soul, I dont understand how people dont believe in the soul. The soul is in essence who we are. It's our personality, individuality, what gives us our insight. It's difficult for me to put into words, sorry. Without a soul, we would be nothing more than the tree I'm looking at now. Thats how I see it anyhow.

~D

[zzontar]

There have been so many stories of how people have died and been brought back to life, and can describe visually what happened when they were dead, it makes me wonder... I could see if the brain was still active and might remember what was heard, but to have your body lying there with eyes closed and be able to "see" events and recall them leads me to believe there is life after death.

[CoffeeCanuck]

Thats just it zz. There have been many cases where the person died, then came back to life and recalled exactly who was in the room working on them in exacting detail. This is not something that can be simply explained away.

~D

[ferri]

Thats just it zz. There have been many cases where the person died, then came back to life and recalled exactly who was in the room working on them in exacting detail. This is not something that can be simply explained away.

~D

most of them describe hovering over 'the body' and watching. that's pretty strange right there.

[CoffeeCanuck]

Thats just it zz. There have been many cases where the person died, then came back to life and recalled exactly who was in the room working on them in exacting detail. This is not something that can be simply explained away.

~D

most of them describe hovering over 'the body' and watching. that's pretty strange right there.

Strange and cool at the same time. Well, providing my body wasn't sliced open.

~D

[ferri]

Thats just it zz. There have been many cases where the person died, then came back to life and recalled exactly who was in the room working on them in exacting detail. This is not something that can be simply explained away.

~D

most of them describe hovering over 'the body' and watching. that's pretty strange right there.

Strange and cool at the same time. Well, providing my body wasn't sliced open.

~D

yeah, that might be hard to handle...most of them didn't have any desire to go back into the body either, but most say they were 'sucked' back in.

[CoffeeCanuck]

:lol: yeah, that might be hard to handle...most of them didn't have any desire to go back into the body either, but most say they were 'sucked' back in.

If the experience is as wonderful as these people say it is, I would get sucked back into my body kicking and screaming. LOL. Hey, just had a thought, wonder if one could make a little sweetheart deal and ask for an improved body!

~D

[zzontar]

I guess it wouldn't hurt to ask lol... another thing I find intruiging is that not all people brought back from the dead have the wonderful experience, the ones I've read about that had a horrible experience would be classified as very "bad" people, many having turned their lives around once they were brought back... this helps to also confirm my belief in a heaven and hell, which seems to be a state of being rather than either a physical place with a guy waiting by some pearly gates with a checklist or a guy with a pitchfork standing in a fire.

[steven lloyd]

If the experience is as wonderful as these people say it is, I would get sucked back into my body kicking and screaming.

I was once heard a saying that "death is the greatest rush - save it for last".

[CoffeeCanuck]

Hey Steven, long time no see. (posting that is..lol)

Yeah, I for one plan on saving the best for last. Not really last because it will just be another stage in the life of this old soul.

Nice to see you back.

~D

[nolanrh]

I can appreciate that there are many people who need some sort of proof to believe in something. Then there are people who do not, that is what faith is, believing without proof. I'm not sure what actually makes a person more prone to leaning to one side or the other.

One compelling argument for why people are capable of believing without any proof is that it is actually a survival mechanism that has evolved in humans over time.

When we are young we are inclined to listen to authority figures, our parents, teachers and community leaders. We accept this information without questioning it and this characteristic makes it more likely we will succeed in life.

Let's take it back a few years. If your Dad told you not to try to play with a Grizzly Bear and you followed his advice you'd be far more likely to procreate than the boy who didn't. Thus, the ability to believe without truth becomes a survival trait favored by natural selection. This vary same survival trait makes us susceptible to things like religion, which require belief without proof.

As for believing in the soul, I dont understand how people dont believe in the soul.

I believe the functionalities you associate with the soul are associated with the natural operation of my brain. To say without a soul I'm nothing more than a tree ignores one very important piece of information! A tree doesn't have a brain! Why would we make up something (soul) to attribute these characteristics to rather than the brain, which clearly exists and has evidence pointing to its involvement in these areas. Occam's Razor?

[CoffeeCanuck]

You raise some interesting points nolanrh. I understand where you are comming from when you equate certain characteristics to brain function and not a soul. I guess what I was trying to say is that I believe our spirt body (soul) is something separate from our physical body, and when we die, our spirit body (soul) lives on.

I take it that you do not believe in life after death?

Edit...ok, I answered my own question, by readiing your previous post.

~D

[zzontar]

I found this from a post waaaay back, it's very interesting:
http://www.near-death.com/evidence.html

[CoffeeCanuck]

I believe the burden of proof should be on those charging that these events are somehow related to the spiritual world, not on those denying the explanation.

How could someone prove that their NDE really happened so that true skeptics believed it to be true? I dont think they can. Take my grandma for example. It happened to her, she told those close to her of her experience and because of who my grandma was (a loving, practical and no-nonsense type of woman), I believe what she experienced and saw was indeed very real. Was it important for her to prove it to us, no.

~D