Abandoned Forum

[Pimienta]

I was reading a book that asked this question and I was amazed when the main character thought the same question as I do.
I think the question is: what happens when we die?

I hope for something beyond death. I really can't bring myself to believe that minds and strengths are wasted. that we are all through in the 80 years we live. however I can't imagine how crowded an afterlife would be. all the people we have ever known times 5 billion or some other huge number.

so what is anyone else's thought on the questions that humans feel they must answer?
what are your thoughts on the question I ask?
what are your thoughts in general?

[TheCountess]

Well, people say that energy cannot be destroyed or created, only changed. So when we die, our bodies break down and that energy becomes part of the food chain. BUT the spirit energy in my opinion seems separate to the body. So my personal belief is that there is life after death, and reincarnation so that the energy is recycled. Strengths and minds aren't wasted, just changed to a different form.

However, as pressing and important that question is, there is one that bothers me more... "How can I make it worth it while I'm alive?" I think death and a possible afterlife is easier to ponder than what the hell should I do in the meantime! But thats probably just me.

[nil]

I have been thinking about this question since I was three. This ought to be the most important question for everyone. We can never be certain of what will happen tomorrow, but we are 100% certain that one of those tomorrows we will die. 100% sure. No if, but, maybe, perhaps. 100% certainty.

Life is like a hotel. No matter how long is your vacation, one day, you have to return home. What happen in the hotel is not a big deal--you are only there for the time being. You don't have to make up your bed, you don't have to worry about the coffee stain on the carpet. But what happen in your own home is a big deal. Death is unavoidable, undeniable, and totally not fun. No regret, no refund. What happen--or doesn't happen--after death is a very very very important question.

I like Countess' energy theory, it's kind of like going vacation - return home - going vacation - return home, again and again forever and ever. But I'm sure there are certain things you can't bring home from your vacation.

1) Your money, your credit card, your MP3 collection and any physical or softy-physical possession (but on the good side, you won't be bother by your credit card debt or your unpaid mortgage). I guess this is so obvious that I don't need to provide any proof.

2) Your memory -- No, you can't bring any of your memory. If you want proof, just hit your head on the wall (not like that, harder! harder!) and you will find that you can lose your memory before you are dead. If memory can't survive a hit on the head, what make you think it can survive when your brain decayed into some mussy substance? Memory is stored on our brain, like the MP3 songs stored on your harddrive. But unlike the MP3 songs, there's no backup. When it's gone, it's gone. You can't bring it with you as much as you can't bring your legs, brains or kidneys to the afterlife.

Now, that's a big deal. Everything you learn from kindergarten to university will pop out of existence at the moment of your death. Every phone number you remembered, every happy, sad and embarrassing moment will be obliterated into thin air. Without your memory, do you still think you can call yourself "you"?

[Insanity test]

I could be really obtuse and say "what is the most important question human beings must answer" is the answer to itself. (get through that logic loop this side of eternity!)

For me, I want to know how everything works. True, I'm too lazy to figure out all the details, but in general speculation and comparing of theories I like to understand everything.

As far as memory and the afterlife goes, my reasoning is thus:

All of experience is memory - I remember typing this mere seconds after I do, but it is memory.
If there is no future point from which to remember, how can we be experiencing anything at all?
True, we get blanks, like after too much drink ... ahem ... but the information will have been stored, we just cant access it.
There must be an afterlife, or continued existence, therefore, because if our minds cease to exist, there will be nothing from which to remember our current experiences and since all experience is memory, we couldn't experience anything and therefore don't exist. QED.

[TheCountess]

That hurt my head the first time reading it, but I think I see where you're coming from. Sounds like a solid theory to me.

[Insanity test]

lol, yeah, its a little convoluted!

[Bomadeno]

I'd say we need some way to relive those memories, or bring them into mind, which means we need some existing 'reliving unit' or imagination. I'd say without that store/reliver, we can't experience the memories we build up. I think when we die, nothing happens. We have no idea and the world carries on and mourns us for a bit. I hope it doesn't, but having this outlook leaves me more time for other stuff.

Going with this theory I need to make the most of this existence as there will be no second chance, and after 5 generations or less I won't be remembered by anyone, so probably try to make some dent in the world around me that I can get labelled as "Bomadeno".

Nothing matters to me more than my memory, so I guess I should write a memoirs while I'm at it. I think the number of sales would be very low though...