Why does there have to be an Afterlife?

[Gheld]

I'm not religious at all. Hell. I wouldn't even say I have the slightest inkling of a spiritual side either.

Consciousness, in all it's sentient glory, however defies scientific experimentation. It exists and yet because it is the only tool by which we can experience existence one can't experiment on it and actually break it down.

It can't be proven to me that anybody else is conscious. Nor can it be proven to anybody else that I am. And we can identify the chemical and physical processes that cause consciousness, and we can explain why, but we can't explain what it is, because there is nothing by which it can be compared.

And the conditions by which I (me personally) am currently experiencing consciousness will eventually cease to be. But there is nothing stopping those conditions from ever existing again, other than random chance.

So the question becomes if I die, and the conditions by which I am conscious cease to be, but then occur once again at some future point in time, will I be conscious again? Obviously I wouldn't have any memories of this life though, since we are reasonably certain they exist as a part of the physical brain.

Or if you want to get really oogie boogie about it; If string theory is correct, and within the folds of the n-dimensional space an infinite number of me's exists, would my consciousness perhaps just continuously and seamlessly move between "me"'s that are capable of consciousness.

So I think 3 possibilities exist.

1. The cold darkness of non-existence awaits.
2. Non cognizant reincarnation.
3. Each individual in their own experience is actually immortal (but not necessarily to each other).

1 and 3 would both suck for their own reasons, and 2 doesn't really matter because your previous experiences are lost and you effectively become an entirely different person.

EDIT: And I guess for all intents and purposes, none of those 3 possibilities are technically an "afterlife".

[PACOX]

I figure the correct answer to these type of questions is Morgan Freeman.

but in seriousness (although i was being partly serious with Morgan Freeman lol) : I believe in it because it makes it easier to cope with loved ones deaths. I really want to be able to see my grandparents and pets again. :S

The Through the Wormhole episode about the possibility of an afterlife is pretty cool.

[Tradewind]

The thought that always pops into my head, usually when I'm tired or have been imbibing/inhaling things...or a combination of all 3. Is that feeling of "self." Like I am aware of my existence, I know that somewhere in this grey matter exists that electrical sum of parts that makes me conscious or what not. But, if and when that gets "snuffed out." Will it ever...be aware of itself again. Not in any kind of afterlife, but a continued life. Unaware of where it came from. Is it possible, that I feel "me" again, after I die.

[PACOX]

Why are people convinced that the belief in an afterlife comes from fear?

How are people so certain about something we know so little about. Consciousness constantly challenges our notions about biology.

I don't understand how you can pick one side or the other from a secular point of view.

Problem of teleportation loosely related to death and consciousness: If you were to unravel ever atom in your body and them put them back in the same order, would the body contain you or just a copy of you?

[Tradewind]

Why are people convinced that the belief in an afterlife comes from fear?

How are people so certain about something we know so little about. Consciousness constantly challenges our notions about biology.

I don't understand how you can pick one side or the other from a secular point of view.

Because it's usually used in such a manner. We tell our kids "don't feel sad, Granny is in Heaven now." Or, "Skippy is in Dog Heaven." Not so much a fear for our own mortality, but to cope with the mortality of others. It's more often than not used as a balm for grief, rather than a philosophical "what if."

[Deleted]

I never understood why people are scared of death as in non existance. You don't care. You don't feel anything. I think people are scared of the process of dying and the eventual pain rather than what comes after death.

Also, I find it incredibly stupid to judge someone by what he believes in. There was a popular thread these days about rich people leaving their money to pets after they die and there were a few guys disagreeing with this idea. Everyone was yelling "OMG IT'S THEIR MONEY STOP TELLING THEM WHAT TO DO OMG". This is exactly the same thing. Stop telling people what to believe. It's incredibly retarded. If I choose to believe that when I die I become a ghostly jar of pickles, why do you even care? How does this affect you? I find people complaining about other's beliefs more ridiculous than those who believe in some kind of afterlife.

[Jibjabb]

Its hard to talk about this without getting into religion (probably impossible). Im sure there are some people who only believe in an afterlife because they are scared or cant cope with the idea of death being the end. But there a large(er) amount of people that do so because they have faith in their religious beliefs to be true. Whether or not you or I agree with them on those beliefs doesnt change that it is what they personally feel to be true and the reason they think the way they do, not because of any issues of acceptance of death.

[JimPaladin]

People only think there's an afterlife because it's too scary for them to accept that once you die, that's it. You're done. Out of existence.

Died a lot of times, have you?

[Eroginous]

As much as I wanted to see this thread progress into something interesting, it has gotten too far into religious discussion to be left open.

Locking this now.