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This question is obviously for people who believe in "life after death." My personal belief is in reincarnation.
I am looking forward to death, IF it means I cannot see what is going on down here on Earth.
Does anyone know of any religious texts that speak of this issue?
If I have to know what is going on down here, I am going to be seriously ticked off.
Believe me, *if* there is anything going on after you die (and I have no opinion one way or the other about that). There is going to be so much happening and it is going to be so incredible, that the *last* think you are going to think about is what is going on down here.
I'm convinced that dreams are another reality, and a common stomping ground for all kinds of things to happen. I believe that we change form, but not the essence of who we are. God's little filing system (so to speak) must be a hum dinger.
No. I don't believe in any sort of afterlife, so obviously not. When I was a Christian, my answer to your question still would have been no, dead people can't see anything on Earth. There's nothing in the Bible that says they can.
I still long for eternal life, even though I am an atheist. I hope cryonics works, because the thought of eternal nonexistence really depresses me. It's better than hell, but I still prefer life to death.
You would do well to take the time and read my post of reply in the thread "convince me".
Also, go to your local bookstore, and pick up "The Spirit's Book by Alan Kadec.
Bob.
I have to ask a semi-serious question: who would really want to?
I mean, this silly ball / rock in space is in a far away corner of both the galaxy and the universe. It is out of the mainstream of anything that is happening.
If, after death, one is able (in whatever form) to enjoy the universe en total (e.g., go anywhere, experience anything), it seems to me super myopic to want to hang around this "dark" corner of the universe.
Such an idea suggests that the Earth is where everything is happening, that the Earth just might be the "real" center of the universe. That we might be so caught up with ourselves that we don't want to expand our horizons.
These thoughts remind me of the seventh book of the Chronicles of Narnia, whereby a group of Dwarfs remained in the confines of the barn, oblivous that the barn no longer existed except in their minds. All they had to do was to take off the shackles that blinded them to see a whole new universe open up to them. But, unfortunately, they never did and doomed themselves to a stagnant "non-existence."
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Does anyone know of any religious texts that speak of this issue?
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There are various Bible references to several heavens: “The heaven of heavens,” (Deuteronomy 10:14; 1 Kings 8:27; Psalms 115:16; 148:4). (1Kings 8:27) - “The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you.” (Psalm 2:4) Paul refers to the the third heaven: "I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows. And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows— was caught up to paradise. He heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell." 2 Corinthians 12:2-4.
This ties in with the earlier beliefs of seven heavens and of course when we say something exceeds our experience or expectation we say we are "in seventh heaven."
The 'heavens' were also referred to as spheres and modern research into the afterlife seems to confirm that there are levels of different vibrations around the earth, to which spirits move when they leave behind their earthly body. In that respect, those at the lowest levels are then closer to earth and this possibly accounts for 'residual' energies that seem to connect a person to a place after they have died. Whether these spirits are always looking at earthly events I doubt. I don't spend all day peering out of the window at events outside my house!
Apparently most people will move to the third heaven at death, from there you have to work your way up to the seventh. You can descend at will, but cannot rise without effort. For a look at the latest research into the Afterlife see Victor Zammit
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