Death

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 21 Oct 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

mirja crimson	21 Oct 2002
I'm very afraid of death. I don't know what happens to us after death, but my best friend thinks that we just disappear, just no longer exist, and thinking about no longer existing grips me with a fear that is unparalled by anything else I've ever encountered. What are your views on death? What happens after it? Any suggestions on how to not fear it?

Dark Inquisitor	21 Oct 2002
There is plenty of stuff for you to read on this subject to set your mind at ease if you want to. Well known mediums have written many books on their experiences with channeling the spirits of those who have gone beyond. There do seem to be common themes & experiences. Even back in the early 1900's & before, this subject was being investigated & written about by many famous & educated people using the scientific methods available to them. It is up to you to investigate & decide for yourself. I try not to worry about it too much. I figure it's like birth- everybody does it whether they want to or not- it's a natural & unavoidable part of life. Tarotphelia

AmounrA	21 Oct 2002
Perhaps a deeper essence of 'ourselves' is carried in the genes, and therefore lives on in the next generation. The first 'life' is in us today in a very real sense. I suspect the ego dies with our brains. The person we feel as us, the named 'Iam' , goes out like it came in. I see it like this-Imagine a relay race carrying a flaming batton. The batton is the deeper aspect of life, the force that manifests in evolution. Now imagine the batton carrier, s/he is passed the batton and runs with it. In time s/he passes on the batton on to the next runner. Our life could be seen as a tempory carring of the batton of 'life'. Better to have lived once, than never :-)

WhiteDrag0n	22 Oct 2002
Life after death. Bet you didnt know that even science confirms there is life after death, Ill explain. Law : Energy cant be created for distroyed only changed from one form to another. So tell me what are our thoughts? Scientificly speaking they are small electrical Impulses. So when we die where do these impulses go? Cease to exisit? No they cant, only change from. Think of all youve seen and heard from people on tv about pastlives, near death experinces, out of body expericance. That should be clear enough for most people that something is out there. Sadly our society like to chalk things like that off as nonsense. Only cause they want answers without understanding. Its easyer not to believe than have faith. You cant messure, test, guage, the after life in scientific terms. So if you cant test it, its not real. That is how our society works. Be asured that that there is indeed life after death. And remember dont get so caught up thinking about the end that you forget to live. Hope this helps you, in love and light

Violet Gargoyle	22 Oct 2002
I still work through my moments of necrophobia (I think that is the correct term- fear of death) but essentially I hold true pretty much the same things that White Dragon already mentions. Energy cannot be created nor destroyed, and therefore we have to go somewhere in some way. We are all made of stars, ick, a Moby referance, but its kinda right. We are part of the same energy flow, its just for a while they are able to cluster together as a body- perhaps more than one. Makes our energy flow act like a pond for a bit-once that pond opens up (when we die and are release from human understanding), the energy goes back into the flow. Our DNA carries on in our family members. We have serindipity with our friends. Time is a measurable fourth dimension. Who knows why? I wish I knew where we go after death a little better. I am afraid that I do not have those close contact stories to assure me like many people on these boards have. No real reason, I had a sheltered existance, that's all. Somehow we are able to keep it all together, Im sure.

Kismet	22 Oct 2002
Mirja Crimson, I can only echo some of what those here have said. I at one time had a great fear of death, but as Tarotphelia said, it's like birth, we all must do this wheather we wish to or not. I used to be so fearful of death when a child....And I know some may laugh at this and I can now laugh at it...But when I was a kid, I used to be so fearful someone would break in and kill me, I would pull the covers up to my neck to look like I'd already been killed, I even thought of pouring ketchup on myself, hehe. Only in the mind of an 8 year old :) I do not so much fear death as being judged by my maker and the pain of death itself. I have every faith and belief there is life after death. I now see death as being born to the other side, and that is something to look forward to and embrace. :) I am one of those that has been blessed on the boards to have been visited by a loved one that's passed. So regardless my faith, it is also something I have had happen to me to prove there is life after life here. As Tarophelia said, you have to search for and find your own answer...And as WhiteDrag0n said "Remember don't get so caught up thinking about the end that you forget to live. " The only thing I'd disagree with is death is not the end...it is a new begining. Peace be with you, love, light and blessings, Kismet

mirja crimson	22 Oct 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Kismet I have every faith and belief there is life after death. I now see death as being born to the other side, and that is something to look forward to and embrace. :) If I could truly believe there was life after death, I wouldn't be so scared, maybe a little excited perhaps. But I don't know what I believe and I not knowing scares me the most- especially with the possibility that we could just vanish. Thank you all for your replies, they've been helpful!! I do know that I need to search as to what I believe happens after death.

Cillygirl14	26 Oct 2002
Even if you have a purely materialist view of the world death is never the end of all that we are. Not only do our genes survive in our children, but all that we believe and love endures as we communicate with others, create things and give to those around us. There is a very strong basis for this in high science; every thought or idea we have can be described as a 'meme' (like a gene, but a unit of information) which we pass on to others. This way everything that we are can be passed on and not die with our bodies, even if we do not have children of our flesh. Also, the cheesy Moby reference is literally true! We are all made of stars, or more correctly stardust. When this universe was made first it was almost entirely swirling hydrogen gas, which cohered to form galaxies and stars within. A first generation of stars were born out of this gas, and in these stars heavier elements were forged: Carbon, Iron and so on. When the larger of these exploded in supernovae these elements were scattered across the universe, some of which ended up in the cloud that became our Sun and solar system, the Earth, life and eventually us. The beauty of it is life would be impossible without these elements, which were literally forged in stars and now are the fabric of our bodies. We -are- all made of stardust, don't forget it! Now that truly is magical... :D Of course, I'm a li'll Pagan scientist gal who has experienced and believes in plenty beyond the material, too, and personally I don't believe that death is the end... I'm quite sure of it :) But that really is individual belief...

Fuzzmello	26 Oct 2002
I'm pretty sure I was anxious and frightened by the prospect of being born before that happened. It turns out being born is a pretty good thing, even though it's very different than I probably expected it to be, and I wasn't very happy to be doing it. I have the same troubled illusions with the prospect of dying now that I'm living, but I'm willing to give it a chance to be a good thing too, when that day comes. Fuzz

ssplam	31 Oct 2002
I'm 24 years old and in my life have been to at least as many funerals. When I was still very young I decided that I would welcome death when it came, because even then I felt like I would see all those wonderful people again when it was my turn. Since then I've had a couple of visitations that assure me that I was right...that my loved ones are still around me in the spirit form. I'm not constantly aware of them, but do find that there is a comforting spirit when I most need it. While I was typing the words below I found that it got long, and jumped around a bit. Please forgive the randomness and hopefully you find at least one or two things that bring you some comfort. I tried not to put forward to many of my personal beliefs, and instead a couple of different viewpoints. I wonder, are you in doubt that there is an existance after death? Or are you worried that you'll find yourself in the netherworld that religion likes to frighten us all with. If it's the first... Well lets say that our spirit did technically cease to exist... Haven't you ever heard the supposed condolance (I say supposed because it doesn't make the hurt go away), "he/she will always live in your heart". As long as there are people connected to you, you're spirit will live through them. (And don't think this stops with the people you know today either... One of my most favorite "memories" that I carry with in my heart is of a relative that died well over a hundred years before I was born. I never met him obviously, but have been researching him as thoroughly as possible and the more I learn, the more connected I feel to him...not just like historically knowing president washington, but a real feeling of emotional knowledge) There was a post earlier about energy... even on the most scientific level, this is absolutely correct. Energy continues to live always... just changes of form. In that sense, if there were no spirit world, you're energy would survive eternally in the air around us here today. Now if you believe in a general existance but are afraid of what you might find... would you mind terribly if I recommended a book? It's called "Conversations With God" by Neale Donald Walsch. If you can get past pages 4 or 5, then it's a really fast and easy read. I think you're just on the edge of a belief either way. Let me pose a question. You seem to have an idea that you remembered feelings from before you were born. That is a special thought, as not many people have it. You remember a "life" before you were born. Wouldn't it stand to reason that, that life would continue after this one ended? In general I think we should never fear death, nor should we fear life. I believe that our spirits are eternal and that each of us carries a piece of God within us (whichever God/Goddess you choose to believe in). Peace be with you... and please don't be afraid. ~Christina

stormsis	31 Oct 2002
I hope I can help you with this one. We are all born alone and we all die alone, meaning that we all have our own journey's as individuals. Have you ever expierenced that feeling when you first meet someone - I know I know you from somewhere - but I'm not exactly sure where? Then come to find out you never met that person in this life. When we first die we are all sent to this place to mourn. Yes the dead mourn also. Once we figure out a few things we go on to the next place, and so on. Once we have the wisdom, we go to what we believe heaven is. Life here as we know it is the illusion. We are all afraid of death in one aspect or another. You have the non believer that is afraid of never existing again, then you have the believer that knows in their heart it will be better is afraid of leaving their loved ones behind. Which brings us to that feeling have I met you before? After a long time and were all gone together we will be reborn with all the people that we knew before. People that commit suicide think their going to have it easy by leaving this life. Well their not! They now have to go through the mourning and a long time of rehabilation, then the wisdom. Some are reborn after this and dont wait for there loved ones. Then their life on this earth may be short lived because they only needed so much time here to figure out whatever it was they needed to know. That's where spirits come in. We can all see or feel them as long as we keep an open mind and keep all the garbage out of it. Have you ever seen something in the corner of your eye? Or have you ever felt someone or thing talking to you? How about that little voice in your head that says don't or do? The best one is knowing something that you know you never studied or seen before? Where do you think all of this fit's in?

Demonesse	01 Nov 2002
Strange as it may sound, at this point in time I am not afraid of what comes after (IF there is an after) death - I imagine I would feel curious, nervous, a little scared - the way one might feel taking a long journey alone for the first time. I'm more concerned with the physical pain of death -short and incredibly sharp, or a long wasting of flesh and wreckings of illness. I don't believe that one "regresses" a past life or in the many fancies that people seem to have about visions and visitations. But I've dreamt many times of falling into a sea of spikes. Doesn't it sound interesting?

The Death thread was originally posted on 21 Oct 2002 in the Spirituality board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Spirituality, or read more archived threads.