So what do you think happens when we die?

[DC]

All religion aside for a minute, I'm talking about day to day. You can't just sit in the clouds with your harp and sing hymns for all eternity. My only gut level feeling about life is that it's all about learning, so: Do you think you'll get to watch your life back from a third point of view? (hopefully with FF and RW buttons) Maybe change your major in college and see how that life would have worked out. Maybe if you married that other person instead of the one you did, your life was duller, but you had a daughter who discovered the cure for cancer and your life meant so much more. Or maybe you were a model parent, but your son became a Charles Manson. Do you think you'll experience the consequences of your actions? Maybe you were a CEO and you'll get to live the life of all those people you laid off, see how your actions affected their lives. Maybe you were a womanizer or a manizer and you'll live those feelings of rejection. Or maybe you did something nice for a complete stranger once and you'll get some happiness for no reason. Do you think you might come back to earth in another body? Maybe you were a sadist who enjoyed running down animals in your automobile so you come back as a possum who lives on one side of a busy highway where most of the food is, but the water supply is on the other side. In the same vein, can you really know what it's like to be a woman/man, a cripple, a different race from your present one, rich, poor, beautiful, ugly, unless you live a lifetime with these traits? Do you think that you'll watch your own funeral? Do you think people on the other side watch over us? Relatives, spirits, guardian angels? Sorry, amateur philosophy for musicians...

[miroslav]

Do you think that maybe...NOTHING HAPPENS...??? Do you think that maybe...THIS IS AS GOOD AS IT GETS...??? Hmmmmmm...... My beliefs are rooted more in science than any religion, but if I was going to lean towards a particular religious belief...it would have to be the Buddhists and reincarnation. NO...I don't mean like coming back as a dog or tree... But, everything is matter...and you can't create it or destroy it...only "recycle" it. So...that's reincarnation...some of your molecules will end up as part of something else after you die and decompose... My spirit/soul...??? I HOPE there's a place for it...another world/dimension/life...but then again... What if...NOTHING HAPPENS...? What if...THIS IS AS GOOD AS IT GETS...??? Hmmmmmm......

[rold]

I'll second Miro's reply and hope that somewhere along the line (preferably in between ) I get hooked up with a 10 foot long phatty... :D

[Sylver]

I think that when you die, either you will achieve some sort of higher consiousness, meet the greater being, be one with the universe and learn the Truth of Life, the universe and everything, laugh at the divine punch line, be come one with the collective unconsious, find Nirvana, and learn from your mistakes ... or not. I'd put the odds at 70/30 in favor of "or not"

[LiveMusic]

Well, you've asked the 64 trillion dollar question. If you get the answer, please let me know. Why do you think ANYthing happens? Could it possibly be that when you die, it's lights out? Forever. And if you believe otherwise, WHY do you BELIEVE? That word "believe." Hmmmm. So, you BELIEVE this or that. Well, why do you "believe?" Is there any evidence for you to "believe" or do you "choose" to believe because you "want to." I'm not making fun and I'm not asking you, DC, in particular. But this entire "I believe" thing just drives me nuts. Human beings invented religions. Why? Because we don't like the idea of living and dying and it's lights out. We hate that notion. But what evidence is there otherwise? Nothing. And all of the religious hocus pocus, wow, why should anyone "believe" this or that because some guy dreamed it up? Yet, millions do. As for me, I think about it a lot. Too much, probably. Because there are no answers. Philosophers for thousands of years, people a whole lot smarter than me, couldn't figure it out. I don't even know why I try. Yet, just two days ago, I bought a book on religions of the world so I could, in one book, kinda have an explanation of everyone's roadmap. I wonder if ANYone has ever pondered this kind of stuff and ever found peace. And if so, what was the conclusion. And HOW did s/he find the answers? Was George Harrison at peace? If so, how did he find his answers? On what basis did he form his conclusions? I'd really like to know. I can't see myself ever being "religious" again. And believe me, it's a helluva lot easier being religious than not. Because religion provides answers. Now, those answers were dreamed up by some guy smoking hemp, so it doesn't have any basis in fact, but it does give a roadmap. Life is extremely "unfair." Why do things happen the way they do? Because it's God's plan. Oh. Man, that's one WEIRD god guy. I wrote a song about this issue entitled "Me And Socrates." I kinda like it. Actually, my disillusionment with religion, meaning I actually find it quite revolting now, is probably the greatest tragedy of my life. I am not at peace. I sure hope to be someday. Maybe it never ends. Or maybe I could be like my ex-flame, who talks to God all the time. I'm talking, she's got a hotline right to him. From all outward appearances, this girl is a normal human being. But she's got this hotline. And in fact, her entire family is pretty much the same way. Mother, sisters, brothers, everybody. Wonderful people. And they ALL have a hotline. And they are not stupid people. They are actually quite well-educated. But this hotline they have, I just find that one of the most fascinating things I've ever heard of. I wonder why I couldn't get on it? Is that fair? On the other hand, I actually think they are in some type of derangement. Like some kind of mental illness thing. Cuz I don't believe one word of it. No way is that hotline for real. When they speak that way, I just want to roll my eyes. But I endure. What's that god guys phone number?

[Franknputer]

[quote] "Thou hast asked Me concerning the nature of the soul. Know, verily, that the soul is a sign of God, a heavenly gem whose reality the most learned of men hath failed to grasp, and whose mystery no mind, however acute, can ever hope to unravel. It is the first among all created things to declare the excellence of its Creator, the first to recognize His glory, to cleave to His truth, and to bow down in adoration before Him. If it be faithful to God, it will reflect His light, and will, eventually, return unto Him. If it fail, however, in its allegiance to its Creator, it will become a victim to self and passion, and will, in the end, sink in their depths." [i]Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, LXXXII, p158-159[/i] [/quote]:)

[Kris]

[quote]Originally posted by miroslav: [b]But, everything is matter...and you can't create it or destroy it...only "recycle" it. So...that's reincarnation...some of your molecules will end up as part of something else after you die and decompose... [/b][/quote]And eventually a part of "you" is spread throughout the entire universe, everything is you and you are everything. Eternal Life. Heaven. One with the universe. I'm feelin it!

[strat0124]

Well in the physical world the dying probably have unrealistic expectations of the ones left behind. Not in that position, but I had always thought that old loves, folks who had wronged you, old friends you haven't seen in eons, and of course friends and family, would all gather at your death bed renouncing the bad, carry out your wishes, and help send you into the great unknown..... Not sure that really happens. Was it the Greek who made a reference between sex and death, calling an orgasm as a glimpse into death? And if death is that....when our eyes roll back, body shuddering from head to toe, rushing out into that great void........I for one hope there is light at the end of the tunnel, with guides and spiritual beings as welcoming committee. Doesn't sound too Baptist or Catholic....but spirituality doesn't have ANYTHING to do with organized corporate religeon. Jerry Falwell on CNN last night should have made America snap to that. O'Death......Ooooooo Death....won't you spare me for another year...... :)

[Anderton]

Okay, here's the deal. "Life" is a holograph of the electromagnetic spectrum, which is why some religions consider life an illusion. We have two main types of energy in our bodies, nerve-oriented, "slow" energy that controls breathing, moves fingers, etc. There is also something akin to RF energy that envelopes the body, and is what galvanic skin response measurements track (the concept of it measuring sweat or whatever is incorrect, because if the probes pierce the skin, the effect goes away). "Conciousness" is the process of modulating that energy. It's like a radio station: it has a carrier wave, but doesn't convey information unless it's modulated. Our life experiences and impressions all contribute to this modulation process. After the body runs out of gas it dies, but the RF-type energy cannot die, just like radio waves kind of go on forever into space. It instead disconnects and is simply a manifestation of the electromagnetic spectrum. Over time, it seeks out another entity to "inhabit." For those of lower consciousness, this is a more or less automatic process. Some actually choose their body. I think enlightenment is when your carrier is fully modulated, and you have control over it to the point where you truly have no time or space limitations, and see no real point to being limited by a body. This theory takes into account the Christian concept of eternal life, an immortal soul, and resurrection, as well as the Eastern concepts of reincarnation. And there you have it! BTW about the heaven and hell thing...the "soul" undergoes a period prior to finding a new body where it basically feeds solely off the impressions gained during life. Depending on what kind of life you led, these are either positive or negative. As that's all you can experience (no body, remember), your "soul" undergoes an intense, subjective experience that reflects the type of life you led. Simple, isn't it?

[Tusker]

[quote]Originally posted by DC: [b]All religion aside for a minute, I'm talking about day to day. You can't just sit in the clouds with your harp and sing hymns for all eternity.[/b][/quote]All religion aside, if there is an eternity, it's concept of time would likely need to be different than a day to day concept. If there is a longer life, I would think it would need to have a broader focus than this present life we rush through so quickly. If there is a music, it might have a different sense of meter do you think? Perhaps not tied to the human heartbeat so closely? BTW, I am not aware of any religion which has people in clouds singing hymns for eternity. Perhaps that was invented by a cartoonist who didn't want to waste ink? ;) :D It's an interesting question for me, DC. More so as I see how quickly my kids grow. Cheers, Jerry :)

[BP3]

[i]So what do you think happens when we die? [/i] Our CD sales will greatly increase.

[KikkyMonk]

I find comfort in the fact that I am going to die and then its lights out. The urgency that death places on my life makes it possible to do meaningful things. You spend a day with your family, well, if you were eternal then it wouldn't matter because you would have an infinite number of days to spend. But as humans we only have so many and so it makes that time meaningful. In dying nature has given me the right to live. And in that I place my faith and energy to live as best I can for both myself and everyone I ever come into contact with. Today will never happen again so I'm going to make the best of it and remember the big picture -- friends, family, neighbors, people you don't even know -- not money or "stuff" bleh Dave

[miroslav]

[quote]Originally posted by Anderton: [b]"Life" is a holograph of the electromagnetic spectrum, which is why some religions consider life an illusion.[/b][/quote]You know...maybe The Matrix exists...and we really don't...but just as a food for the machines. Our thoughts and existence are all just code...part of a huge software program...running at 24Bits/96kHz...written by the REAL Digidesign...which is just a "front" for the REAL…Machine World... ...man I hope Digidesign - PT|HD didn't fuck up their new dither algorithm...I/we might end up as a discarded Bit!!! :eek:

[Jeff Klopmeyer]

I'm not surprised that if [i]anyone[/i] knew the answer to this, it would be Craig. :) Okay...death. It's one of the definitions of life. You can't be alive if you won't die. Keep that in mind. I have to say that I have romantic little fantasies that I'll be able to retain awareness as a sentient being after I die. That I'll be able to review my life...zip through history, looking at interesting things. Then I put on my cynical hat and pretty much think that like a flame on a candle, once it's gone...[i]it's gone[/i]. I don't know, and I can't gamble either way. I guess I have to think everyday about whether, when laying on my deathbed, I would say that I had a good time or a bad time doing the things I did. That I made other people happy, or sad, or indifferent. I guess that's all I should focus on...the death part is inevitable, so I might as well not worry about it and focus on the here-and-now. I try, occasionally, to think about scientific theoies in regard to energy dispersion...that energy never really goes away, and is merely transferred from form to form. But I don't know that [i]that's[/i] a comforting thought either. Ah well. Live now. Die later. Make music and have a good time in between. - Jeff

[LiveMusic]

[quote]Originally posted by Anderton: [b]Okay, here's the deal. ...profound wisdom... Simple, isn't it? [/b][/quote]YES! YES! YES! YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS! Oh WOW, I just had a Meg Ryan moment. YESSSSSSSSSSSS! I humbly bow before you, oh, Great One! Man, that is just too cool. I will never again be the same. I am... a changed man. I have seen the light. And it is good.

[cg1155]

Livemusic, we should be neighbors, we would have a great time. [quote]Livemusic: Is there any evidence for you to "believe" or do you "choose" to believe because you "want to."[/quote]First, it must be stated that there could never ever be any scientific evidence for a supernatural reality because it is by definition beyond our senses to detect. If we can't directly sense it and recreate it then we can't scientifically investigate it. That said, I think it is both, I believe what I believe because I have subjective evidence, and because I want to. [quote]Human beings invented religions. Why? Because we don't like the idea of living and dying and it's lights out. We hate that notion.[/quote]If, as the three monotheistic religions of the world contend, God did give us "religion" through people then this cannot be disproven for reasons stated above. Otherwise, I would generally disagree with your contention as is seems like a flimsy thing to build your life around if you're afraid of dying - everybody dies. At least in my case, this is not why I believe what I believe. [quote]As for me, I think about it a lot. Too much, probably. Because there are no answers. Philosophers for thousands of years, people a whole lot smarter than me, couldn't figure it out.[/quote]I think that there are answers, and lots of those philosophers did too, although they didn't all agree. Just my opinion. -Casey

[where02190]

The worms crawl in the worms crawl out..... I like the idea of increased sales though, maybe I can get an advance on that from the label?????

[Wewus432]

I've always suspected that Craig Anderton was an alien being and now I'm sure. How else would he know all that stuff about carrier waves and RF energy? I think there is a grain of truth in The Matrix. Ever read Castenada?

[Anderton]

<> That's a possibility. But I don't think we can figure out where we go until we figure out where we come from. If we truly come from nothing, then it's logical that we return to nothing. But I don't think we come from nothing. I became convinced of this after having a child; she came into this world with consciousness. I fully expected that when a baby comes into the world, it's kind of like a Windows machine with a blue screen until the reboot process begins. But she came here with something that went above and beyond her genetics, because I saw it disappear over about a six-month period, and then saw her "rebuild" her personality in her new reality. So my reasoning is that if she came from someplace, she likely goes someplace when this particular adventure is over...as do we all.

[Tedster]

I'm willing to bet that the answer isn't "nothing"...a state of non-existence. The evidence all around us is too strong that this life we live is a "final exam", or better yet, an "entrance exam" for things to come...a graduation. Yes...death is a graduation. We either pass or we fail. Let's take an extremely mundane example. Almost everything that we "like" is in some way bad for us. Food is a biggie. Double fudge nut chocolate brownie sundae supreme. Bad for you. Celery stick. Good for you. Where's the justice in that? If this were as good as it gets...then it'd be the other way around. I also can't believe that bad deeds go unpunished. If that were indeed true...then when someone pisses us off, we should blow them away with no regret. But, most of us hesitate to go to such extremes. How about all of the unsolved murders? Will there be no ultimate accounting for that? Likewise, what about the young lady who gives all of herself, helping care for the sick, needy, elderly, what have you, only to suffer personal financial ruin and/or die of cancer at 35. The mentally handicapped? How we treat them...if there is no reward we might as well shove them aside. They're in our way. They're inferior, aren't they? Ahh...but, something inside most of us tells us that they are worthwhile humans, who've suffered a terrible injustice. I've got to believe that on the other side they will be more perfect than we will for suffering the injustices they do. I guess... to put it bluntly, if there is no other side, perhaps Hitler was right. Survival of the fittest. Allow ourselves to believe anyone or anything different from ourselves is inferior. Kill anyone we perceive to be different or inferior. No rules. Live for ourselves for the day. I don't subscribe to that for even one second. And, if I'm wrong, I've lived my life without harming anyone.

[Steve LeBlanc]

When you die the energy that was you dissipates into the rest of the world...you're gone...you don't get to see how much your music is REALLY worth...sorry.

[Wewus432]

Good analogy Tedster: Perhaps some pass the final exam and some don't.

[Jeff Klopmeyer]

[quote]Originally posted by Tedster: [b]Celery stick. Good for you. Where's the justice in that? [/b][/quote]I [i]like[/i] celery. I must be dead already and everyone forgot to tell me. - Jeff

[miroslav]

[quote]Originally posted by Tedster: [b]I'm willing to bet that the answer isn't "nothing"...a state of non-existence.[/b][/quote]As I mentioned earlier...we are always here...always have been…always will be...in molecular form...we just keep changing our shape. But, I think some folks expect some sort of "consciousness" after they die. Like you are in a spirit form looking down or back on the living...etc..etc..etc... That is where I think that THIS conscious life may be as GOOD AS IT GETS...and that even though on a molecular level we may become a brain cell in someone else head after we die... I don't think we really can maintain THIS conciseness. THIS will all become NOTHING. Although...you get those stories of some folks "remembering" past lives...etc. I think that is possible, because it might be that sometimes(?)...the “cosmic wiring” has a “ground short” and the signal goes somewhere where it ain't supposed to go...but those are just system glitches and not the norm. All that said...I sure hope there is another form of consciousness after we die. I for one think that THIS life is good and THIS life is too short. So...do I wanna' just place my bets on the "afterlife"...ahhhh... "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush."

[Xenophile]

Frank Drebin said something like, "I don't know where I'll be when that happens... but I do know that I won't smell too good." Someone else said, "I used to meditate alot. One day, when I was meditating, I saw God. He told me to stop meditating." In a past life I was Shirley MacLaine. Whatever happens, I want a hit of whatever Craig is smoking! "Small moves, Sparky!"

[Sylver]

[quote]Originally posted by Geenard Skeenard: [b]Was it the Greek who made a reference between sex and death, calling an orgasm as a glimpse into death? [/b][/quote]I believe (or so I've been told, but I could very well be wrong) that the French slang for orgasm is "Le petit morte" or the little death. French speaking peoples, please don't kill me for any spelling errors.

[Sylver]

[quote]Originally posted by Anderton: [b]Okay, here's the deal. "Life" is a holograph of the electromagnetic spectrum, which is why some religions consider life an illusion. We have two main types of energy in our bodies, nerve-oriented, "slow" energy that controls breathing, moves fingers, etc. There is also something akin to RF energy that envelopes the body, and is what galvanic skin response measurements track (the concept of it measuring sweat or whatever is incorrect, because if the probes pierce the skin, the effect goes away). "Conciousness" is the process of modulating that energy. It's like a radio station: it has a carrier wave, but doesn't convey information unless it's modulated. Our life experiences and impressions all contribute to this modulation process. After the body runs out of gas it dies, but the RF-type energy cannot die, just like radio waves kind of go on forever into space. It instead disconnects and is simply a manifestation of the electromagnetic spectrum. Over time, it seeks out another entity to "inhabit." For those of lower consciousness, this is a more or less automatic process. Some actually choose their body. I think enlightenment is when your carrier is fully modulated, and you have control over it to the point where you truly have no time or space limitations, and see no real point to being limited by a body. This theory takes into account the Christian concept of eternal life, an immortal soul, and resurrection, as well as the Eastern concepts of reincarnation. And there you have it! BTW about the heaven and hell thing...the "soul" undergoes a period prior to finding a new body where it basically feeds solely off the impressions gained during life. Depending on what kind of life you led, these are either positive or negative. As that's all you can experience (no body, remember), your "soul" undergoes an intense, subjective experience that reflects the type of life you led. Simple, isn't it? [/b][/quote]... or not. LOL, j/k Craig! Seriously, that is one of the freshest outlooks that I have heard in years. Very cool!

[Sylver]

[quote]Originally posted by TheWewus: [b] Ever read Castenada?[/b][/quote]Carlos Died just like everyone else. Too bad, I was waiting for the press release that he evaporated in a huge column of flames. Oh well. They were good boks, and justified me trying some pretty good drugs.

[DC]

Craig, thanks so much for explaining it all! :thu: And Duke, I never said I believed anything in particular, I just asked some hypothetical questions. I was actually hoping for some more Mark Twainian answers to this query, but thanks for responding guys. I guess the topic hits people as being too serious an issue to have fun with. The unknown seems to scare us humans a bit. At any rate, I think you should all go read Captain Stormfield's Trip to Heaven by Mr. Twain right now. p.s. I do like the idea of an animal hater coming back as that possum I described. :eek: ;)

[CarmenC]

[quote]Originally posted by Anderton: [b]Okay, here's the deal. "Life" is a holograph of the electromagnetic spectrum, which is why some religions consider life an illusion. We have two main types of energy in our bodies, nerve-oriented, "slow" energy that controls breathing, moves fingers, etc. There is also something akin to RF energy that envelopes the body, and is what galvanic skin response measurements track (the concept of it measuring sweat or whatever is incorrect, because if the probes pierce the skin, the effect goes away). "Conciousness" is the process of modulating that energy. It's like a radio station: it has a carrier wave, but doesn't convey information unless it's modulated. Our life experiences and impressions all contribute to this modulation process. After the body runs out of gas it dies, but the RF-type energy cannot die, just like radio waves kind of go on forever into space. It instead disconnects and is simply a manifestation of the electromagnetic spectrum. Over time, it seeks out another entity to "inhabit." For those of lower consciousness, this is a more or less automatic process. Some actually choose their body. I think enlightenment is when your carrier is fully modulated, and you have control over it to the point where you truly have no time or space limitations, and see no real point to being limited by a body. This theory takes into account the Christian concept of eternal life, an immortal soul, and resurrection, as well as the Eastern concepts of reincarnation. And there you have it! BTW about the heaven and hell thing...the "soul" undergoes a period prior to finding a new body where it basically feeds solely off the impressions gained during life. Depending on what kind of life you led, these are either positive or negative. As that's all you can experience (no body, remember), your "soul" undergoes an intense, subjective experience that reflects the type of life you led. Simple, isn't it? [/b][/quote]I'll buy all of this if I can take my studio with me. I've got too much wrapped up in this to give it up now... Peace. C :wave: