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I've got worst-case scenarios and best-case scenarios about the afterlife. I worry the most about reincarnation, as I don't want to return, ever!
I'm just praying this endless thinking about the afterlife comes to me in the shape of a semi hitting me head-on, a well-aimed gun to my head, as I want to die instantly, without one last agonizing thought about the afterlife!
My best friend Scott was a strong and physically impressive man. He ran marathons and was also a amateur power lifter.
Scott and I got into a rather knock down drag out argument about my forthcoming divorce causing he and I not to speak to one another for close to 4 months.
During that time Scott received a cut on his finger at work while planting some trees. he cleaned out the cut, placed a bandage on it and kept working.
Within a week He came down with what he that was a rather severe cold. His condition became worse, much worse.
Finally he called his sister to tell her what was occurring.
She convinced him to go to the doctor. The doctor immediately had an ambulance take him go to the hospital after he passed out in the exam room.
His condition became even more dire with him not breathing well and slowly moving in and out of conciseness.
He was life flighted to a larger city where he went under open heart surgery.
He died on the table within a half hour of going under the surgeon said.
Less than two months later I was in bed preparing for a good nights sleep. I had moved into that "" in between "" twilight state of being awake and asleep.
I opened what I thought were my eyes to see a silhouette of someone standing at the door of my bedroom.
After the person spoke to me I immediately recognized it to be Scott. He was speaking to me, only not by using words if you will but he was speaking to me in my mind.
He told me that our arguments concerning my divorce had been really bothering him since they happened. He told me that he was sorry and that he loved me.
He then said "" I'll see you soon, but not that soon "" "" I have to go now "".
I woke up a few minutes later in a state of peace and was shocked as to what had occurred.
Approx a week after the visit I called Scott's sister and told her what had happened.
She replied in a matter of fact tone "" Congratulations, it appears your the first non family member that Scott has
"" visited "" since he died.
She went on to tell me that within a week following his death Scott had visited his mom and dad and his sister.
She asked me to explain how he came to me. I told her, she said it was the exact same way that he had come to them.
Scott died in July of 2002. His death and subsequent visit by him post mortem seems like it was yesterday.
I had always believed in the spirit world and the afterlife but the gift that Scott gave me by his visit solidified my belief that our true selves live on past this reality we call life.
Back in '89 or '90 hubby was hit by a hit and run. He flew over 80' down the street. He remembered looking down on a crowd of people gathered 'round him and the EMTs working on him. He felt no pain and could see a light that he was floating into with his grandparents waiting at the end. He said it was so peaceful but remembers thinking for a split nano second that he didn't want to go yet.
BOOM!!! He was back in his body and was filled with intense pain. One of the EMTs said "good, you're back". (EMT was a cousin) Hubby had been flatlining for a few minutes.
Hubby never talked about his experience except to me and I told others when the appropriate time in conversations led me to. His experience has led me to not be afraid to die. Yeah, I don't want to but when the time comes, I know there is something more out there and it's not from watching people on tv who have had the experience! My very own hubby had it too so I KNOW there is life after death now.
I worked with a nurse who tells the following story. She was on the OR table having a procedure when she had a heart attack. They ran a code to revive her. She was able to tell what each person was doing during the code as she watched from over the OR table. When they pronounced her dead, she thought to herself that her husband and sons were all in good health and knew they would be taken care of ... and she accepted what had happened, and made the sign of the cross with her fingers. The surgeon saw her fingers make the sign of the cross, realized she was still alive and started the efforts to revive her again. Obviously, she lived to tell the story!
Concerning Near Death Experiences (NDE). The point on that is, they were never dead. Keyword is "near". Doctors have had to reevaluate when death truly occurs. The only definite way is putrefaction of the body according to one medical source. Brain activity is even suspect.
For my part, I have to go with the ancient text of the Bible. 1500 years in the writing. It would be easy for many to say, Jesus Christ did not rise from the dead. The problem with that is lots of testimony to the contrary without any concomitant ancient texts to the contrary. The other piece of that is the transfiguration when Jesus met with Elijah and Moses on the mountain in the presence of Peter, James and John who wrote a lot of the New Testament. Those 3 knew who Elijah and Moses were. We are not provided any more details but the testimony exists.
One might say, I don't believe it. Perfectly fine. Lots of people say they don't believe in UFOs but there is testimony to their existence and many people believe that even though they have not seen a UFO personally. At the end of the day, each person decides what they will put their faith in. There were many witnesses to the ascension of Jesus Christ. There were many witnesses to his post resurrection activity. And I am certain that the Roman soldiers knew how to kill someone so that is not an option either.
Bottom line for me is, I go with the Bible as reliable on our future state. My free will choice.
At the end of the day, each person decides what they will put their faith in.
I realize this will be slightly off-topic, but here goes. You are correct ... and if we could all learn to respect each others decisions to believe what they choose to believe, what a wonderful place this would be.
You go to the same place you were at before you existed, non existance. No great beyond no heaven hell, these are just props used by religion to keep the living in line.
I have come to this conclusion myself, what with something like 20,000 known religions out there, all with different beliefs, and no real sign of any god/gods/demons etc. The concept of heaven and hell comes from mainly one religion - the Christian religion and it's offshoots. Man existed long before the concept of Gods and devils and things like eternal life as a reward and a fiery hell as punishment.
This post is not meant to start a religious debate.
I think our souls instantly leave our bodies and then of course become spirits. Our spirit joins those who have passed before us in a place so wondrous we won't even know what to look at first. Anything we want-all we have to do is imagine it and we have it.
We can visit those who remain on earth as easily as walking through a door.
We choose to reincarnate-or NOT; it's not an automatic given.
I've connected with many who have passed on. This information was rec. from them.
I have no doubts and have no fear of dying.
I agree with you.
The place we go, that heaven, to me is some sort of magnificent holding pen, a part of a process of sorts. There are higher heavens and we end up as high as the spiritual progress of our souls permit. While we love it in that heaven, to advance we require more wisdom and to get that we are having to be reborn into another life, so we choose to reincarnate. That's my understanding, anyway.
In that heaven we must understand our soul's progress and analyze our past life, so we remember who we REALLY are, as the sum total of all our lives. That must mean that we have friends and loved ones from ALL our lives, which explains why my dad came back once and said he never had met so many wonderful people.
I think that any Catholic, which is essentially my faith, should be ecstatic if NOTHING happened, meaning they went into a perpetual sleep. When they talk about eternal rest at funeral Masses, I'm asking myself "Ain't that the same thing as the best snooze of one's life ... or death?"
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