The Afterlife.

[noxious.sunshine]

What happens when we die? What do you believe? Reincarnation? An eternal life in Heaven/Hell? Or that we just go into the great wide beyond that is Nothingness?

If you do believe in an Afterlife of sorts, do you think that the dead can communicate with us?

This is why I ask.. I was never especially close with any of my grandparents. My mom's mom passed away when I was 3, my dad's dad when I was 12 (though I did visit him often, he was already older and couldn't do much like he could with my brother & sister) & my dad's mom was ... I don't know. I loved her, but we weren't especially close. So there's no experiences I've had with them trying to communicate.

Now, my dog I had, on the other hand, is different. I had him for 15 years. I was 17 when he died. So we grew up together, he was a massive beast of a dog (1/2 black lab, 1/2 Newfoundland), we were super close, etc. I was devastated when he passed away. However. It doesn't happen very often, but every once in awhile I will have a dream about him. And most of them are of him reassuring me that he's ok now and that he's not mad that I hadn't been home to see him in a long time when he died. I did have one a couple of months ago and it was very clear that he was disappointed with me. I'd been doing some stuff I shouldn't have been.

And yes, I know a lot of it is the subconscious manifesting itself in some way based on how you're feeling and that's why dreams happen. Most of the time, I don't remember my dreams or they really don't bother me.

lolz Sorry if that's cheezy or whatever, but yeah.. What do y'all believe in?

[Tallulah]

Interesting thread.

Only one other person in the world knows of my experience up until now. I recently lost my mum, in February, to lung cancer. Because of a backlog, with there only being two public crematoria in the area and a lot of especially old people passing away, mainly due to the winter weather, it was a long wait for the funeral, just over a month in facl. During this horrible, awkward time, I used to have these upsetting dreams that, although she was as she had been when she was well (having all her hair, before she lost weight due to the treatment, basically how I remembered her), however in these dreams she seemed grumpy, on edge. She was a smoker, and she would get like that whenever she attempted to quit (which she eventually did for good, about 5 years ago). After the funeral, though, these dreams stopped, and in fact a few weeks ago I had a dream I got a phone call from her to tell me that she loved me.

So yeah, I do believe there must be something left after we die, and I do, to an extent, believe in reincarnation. Mum recalled that at my grandad's memorial service, a week after his actual funeral, which was held mainly for colleagues and people who couldn't make it to the funeral, a robin was perched on a tree nearby during the service outside. When it finished, the robin flew away. So whenever I see a robin, I am reminded of my grandad, and Mum as well. :,) Mum believed in life after death (even though Dad doesn't!) so this brings me comfort.

[noxious.sunshine]

Oh T... I'm so sorry! I meant to ask about her on the other forum, but I didn't want to upset you. *hugs*

That made me think of my sister's poodle, Chelsey. Our friend Julie had her for a weekend and was doing college homework at her mom's old house.. Chelsey started barking her fool head off, which she never really did anyway. Julie couldn't figure out what was wrong with her, but she wouldn't stop... Then it hit her that it was her dead Grandfather's birthday and the dog had been barking at his picture.

[Tallulah]

It's okay, Nox. Whilst it's not been the best of times by any stretch, I had a feeling Mum might leave us when the cancer was diagnosed. So did she, as she left me a letter to be read if she did die, which I still can't bring myself to do.

It's funny how dogs, cats and other animals react to things like that, as well. We can pass it off as coincidence, but there must be something to it.

[Mirage]

I don't think there is anything. The life we have now is all we'll ever get.

Occasionally, though, I hope I am wrong.

[noxious.sunshine]

Chalk it all up to being a rock, man. It's ok. lol

Nah, I go through phases with it. But if there -is- something, I like to believe in reincarnation. Makes more sense than headin' on up to the Pearly Gates for Eternal Happiness.. Especially if there's no booze. ;p

[LocoColt04]

When I was dead, I experienced what felt like an eternity of gray. If every sense you had could experience the most neutral shade of gray, that's what it was. I saw gray, I felt gray, I heard gray, I smelled gray, I tasted gray.

This is either a lack of afterlife, or limbo. I'll let you all interpret that as you choose.

[Taco-Calamitous]

I would guess it was limbo.

I do believe in an afterlife because I am a Christian, and therefore believe in it by default. Sometimes I wonder what it will be like to die, what's going to do me in, etc, and what if there was nothing afterward? But I don't linger on those thoughts for too long, as I feel convicted to my beliefs strong enough to believe that there MUST be something. Anyhoo...

Wuv, Yer Mom

[noxious.sunshine]

Wait wait wait.

You -died-!?

I should probably show more sympathy than this, but but but you -died-!? ANd you remember that?

[Odin1199]

Either heaven/hell or different plane, where you can return to Earth in ghost form occasionally.

[Alpha]

I believe that we'll never know and that it's unhealthy to dwell on it.

[SuperSabin]

Like telegraph I am a follower of Christ and I do believe in a Heaven and Hell. I believe that when we die we meet up with Jesus and if we have personally accepted Him as Lord of our life and our name is written down in the book of life we are granted eternal life. It is a pretty big thing to wrap your mind around but I choose to believe because of the love He has shown me through life and its situations.

[Rowan]

I believe that we'll never know and that it's unhealthy to dwell on it.

Since when?

[Alpha]

Since when?

Since I've been an agnostic theist... most of my life if not all of it. Although I had a year or so when I didn't know which way was up.

[noxious.sunshine]

My bf doesn't believe in God. He's in the Army, as well, but this made me LOL

[noxious.sunshine]

Oh yeah.. Also, he had a son when he was 14 or 15 and it had some kind of heart disorder and passed away at a really young age. His son's funeral was the last time he ever stepped foot in a church.