Our existence

[tranquility]

Anyone wanna get deep here? I know that this is 'just' a car forum, but I often wonder about this topic.

Everyone who's reading this thread is obviously alive and conscious. The thing I sometimes think about that causes a slight suffocating feeling is what when I wonder happens after we die? If we die and that is it, ok, that is kinda 'fine' because I won't feel anything afterwards. However, if there is an afterlife in whatever guise, the 'suffocating' aspect to me is that no matter how infinite that greater reality is, we are still stuck in that realm, and will have to continue existing. I suppose if there is reincarnation, we will have our memories wiped and think that we are living our first and only life, but right now before we die, I am aware of this possibility and it is a bit unsettling to me.

Anyway, just thinking out loud here. I find this all fascinating and claustrophobic at the same time. Anyone wanna give their thoughts?

[ezaircon4jc]

Start with Genesis (lays the foundation), then the 4 Gospels. Then read the Bible, cover to cover. I would find a chronological Bible.

[Nachbar]

I like the imagination, that our spiritual mind will stay on earth. Also the thought, we get a better/worse life after, depending how „good" we were, the life before.
So - be nice. I certainly am. But not just because of this.

[dreamingat30fps]

No idea, the only thing I can think of that would be closest to being dead is how it was before I was born. The thought of being dead doesn't bother me that much. I mean I don't recall being upset before I was born so.

Having had to see more death first hand in the past few years than I have in my entire life though... makes the PROCESS of dying quite terrifying to me. Ideally we would just be here one second then not. Unfortunately most people don't get it that easy and it's a long drawn out horrible process.

Now I'm not very religious, but my little human brain can't really wrap itself around all this stuff is just here, has always been here and came from nowhere. My brain wants to attribute all of this to some god or aliens or something. Being a computer guy I tend to like the idea that it's all some kind of simulation. Now if we assume the universe was created or set in motion by something, I have personally seen no indication that it cares all that much for us. As far as I can tell it hit start on that shit and is now afk. If that's the case then it wouldn't make any sense that it planned for some kind of after life.

Even if I try thinking of what an after life would be like it doesn't seem that great. If you still have all your old thoughts then wouldn't you be there missing all your friends and family (assuming you don't go at 98 or something). If you don't keep your thoughts then are you really you and is it an after life or more like a reincarnation?

[M_Six]

Originally Posted by dreamingat30fps

Having had to see more death first hand in the past few years than I have in my entire life though... makes the PROCESS of dying quite terrifying to me. Ideally we would just be here one second then not. Unfortunately most people don't get it that easy and it's a long drawn out horrible process.

My younger brother died from a massive heart attack some years ago. Stepped down out of the cab of his truck and just collapsed. Doctors said he was probably dead when he hit the ground. He's the only one in our family to have passed quickly. Everyone else went out really slowly and miserably, with long hospital stints. Much of that was due to "advances" in medicine that keep you alive longer, but don't necessarily give you any decent quality of life.

Dying quickly has its downside, though. (Aside from the obvious.) It can leave those left behind with a huge red tape mess to sort through. I just got back from my sister's internment service at the National Cemetery in Bourne, MA. She's an ex-Marine. She left a simple will, but failed to leave records and paperwork about insurance policies and bank accounts, etc. She handled all that stuff and her husband hasn't a clue where any of it is, so my nephew (her son) is having to try to sort it all out. Best thing you can do to help with that is to have a very specific will and some sort of up-to-date record of where the accounts and associated paperwork can be found. Wifey and I keep talking about getting a will drawn up, but our situation is unusually complicated (mostly on Wifey's end).

All that said, I've always believed that when you're dead, you're dead. Lights out. We're biologically not very different from any other animal. The next time you see roadkill, ask yourself if that critter's spirit (soul, ghost, whatever) is in some second life. Does a mosquito meet St Peter after you swat it? My biggest fear about dying is not about me, it's about my wife and how she'll have to deal with stuff. This even comes into play as I'm toying with home automation. Sounds silly, but I'm always concerned if I go too far and make it too complicated, she'll go crazy trying to deal with the hassles of lights not working, etc, after I'm gone. Plus I have a ton of camera gear and bicycles and tools and crap she'll have to do something with after I'm gone. Leaving her in a bind is my "fear of dying."

[Maynard]

Originally Posted by tranquility

...
Everyone who's reading this thread is obviously alive and conscious.

Thanks for the vote of confidence. And welcome to Intro to Philosopy - now your'e getting a taste of why Liberal Arts degrees are actually worthwhile (OK, not the degrees, but the curriculum).

But don't take life too seriously...

[Romo]

Before you were born; there was nothing

After you were born; there was life

Life has no meaning, only what you make of it yourself

Reproducing is the way to preserve the mankind species

After your death; there is nothing



And if I`m wrong afterwards, I can not tell you about it.

[Bingham]

More questions than answers…

https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna31393080

[Romo]

^Very nice reading stuf, thanks.

Quantum mechanics is on the way and improving day by day.

There is stil a lot to be learned.

[Nachbar]

Originally Posted by M_Six

My younger brother died from a massive heart attack some years ago. Stepped down out of the cab of his truck and just collapsed. Doctors said he was probably dead when he hit the ground. He's the only one in our family to have passed quickly. Everyone else went out really slowly and miserably, with long hospital stints. Much of that was due to "advances" in medicine that keep you alive longer, but don't necessarily give you any decent quality of life.

Dying quickly has its downside, though. (Aside from the obvious.) It can leave those left behind with a huge red tape mess to sort through. I just got back from my sister's internment service at the National Cemetery in Bourne, MA. She's an ex-Marine. She left a simple will, but failed to leave records and paperwork about insurance policies and bank accounts, etc. She handled all that stuff and her husband hasn't a clue where any of it is, so my nephew (her son) is having to try to sort it all out. Best thing you can do to help with that is to have a very specific will and some sort of up-to-date record of where the accounts and associated paperwork can be found. Wifey and I keep talking about getting a will drawn up, but our situation is unusually complicated (mostly on Wifey's end).

All that said, I've always believed that when you're dead, you're dead. Lights out. We're biologically not very different from any other animal. The next time you see roadkill, ask yourself if that critter's spirit (soul, ghost, whatever) is in some second life. Does a mosquito meet St Peter after you swat it? My biggest fear about dying is not about me, it's about my wife and how she'll have to deal with stuff. This even comes into play as I'm toying with home automation. Sounds silly, but I'm always concerned if I go too far and make it too complicated, she'll go crazy trying to deal with the hassles of lights not working, etc, after I'm gone. Plus I have a ton of camera gear and bicycles and tools and crap she'll have to do something with after I'm gone. Leaving her in a bind is my "fear of dying."

I also thought a lot about wife/home automation stuff. And crypto stuff as well. She couldn't handle both. I might have to tell her, she'd better find another IT guy after me 🤪

[Tyga11]

Nobody has ever explained to me how something could form from nothing. If anyone can provide an example or theory thanks

[Our03z4]

Listen to Blurry Creatures if you want to get real deep. They started with talking about things like Big Foot but have changed the path the show went as they felt lead to. Has an 80s theme too, I've never enjoy a podcast so much and has really gotten me back on track, thanks to the guests explaining things I had trouble with.

[///d]

The thing that bothers me the most is I will likely die before any of the things I want to know are figured out, and thats pretty much anything on everything outside of our solar system or our current understanding of the universe, creation, etc.

Oh, and if I die today what will my dog think?

[Our03z4]

Originally Posted by ///d

The thing that bothers me the most is I will likely die before any of the things I want to know are figured out, and thats pretty much anything on everything outside of our solar system or our current understanding of the universe, creation, etc.

Oh, and if I die today what will my dog think?

My thought is the afterlife will be so incredible that you won't care about the other stuff.

[3.0L]

I don't remember being not born, so I figure death will be just the same.

I'm not afraid of dying - I've had a good, long life. My only fear is the possibility of spending my last days in a nursing home, drooling.

[///d]

Originally Posted by Our03z4

My thought is the afterlife will be so incredible that you won't care about the other stuff.

I personally am not sure if there is anything after death. If there is, I hope all my questions are answered, if there isn't, well, guess it wont matter lol

to relate that to the OP and the title;

I feel like a lot of people have to justify their existence with religion, promise of an afterlife, etc. Without those I think people in general would crumble, which is why I see religion and the promise of an afterlife as something created to control the masses. Not necessarily in a negative way, but to give people purpose and shape a "moral" society, because otherwise we would live in a chaotic free-for-all world because there would be no judgement. I am not a religious person and I don't feel the need to justify my existence, I'm here so I'm going to make the best of it until I no longer can.

But thats just me. I may be wrong, many will tell me I am wrong, but

[shawnhayes]

Originally Posted by ///d

I feel like a lot of people have to justify their existence with religion, promise of an afterlife, etc. Without those I think people in general would crumble, which is why I see religion and the promise of an afterlife as something created to control the masses. Not necessarily in a negative way, but to give people purpose and shape a "moral" society, because otherwise we would live in a chaotic free-for-all world because there would be no judgement. I am not a religious person and I don't feel the need to justify my existence, I'm here so I'm going to make the best of it until I no longer can.

But thats just me. I may be wrong, many will tell me I am wrong, but

As far as "created", if you mean people create things for themselves, to give themselves greater purpose, of course. I don't think though that the original idea to "create" religion came from some giant plotter to control the masses occurred. They did "buy in" later, to make a profit and keep themselves in power, but the original idea we can see wayyy wayyy back. People feel the innate "need" to believe in something greater than themselves. If that's some inborn weakness, or it's an inborn need because there IS something greater is the only argument. Are we deluding ourselves on purpose, or were we made with that desire "plugged in". I'll keep my own personal opinion to myself, but that is the what the discussion should be about.

Shawn

[dreamingat30fps]

Originally Posted by Tyga11

Nobody has ever explained to me how something could form from nothing. If anyone can provide an example or theory thanks

I can't grasp the concept, however I probably can't wrap my human mind around many things, like giant numbers.

However just because I can't understand it doesn't mean I can dismiss it as a possibility. I mean just look at monkeys vs us. Smartest monkey ever couldn't wrap their mind around basic human ideas, what about an ant, bacteria? There might be things we cannot even see/sense etc.

[nazali]

I researched a better way, the plan was Read 1 chapter (in the morning when you wake) of psalms every day, then proverbs, then the Gospels

I did 97 (97th Psalm) days straight, (3 months) I won't be a hypocrite and tell you I managed to carry on, other things got in the way.

I did find the Psalms' very inspirational and meaningful, I would start my day with the psalm and pray on it.

Originally Posted by ezaircon4jc

Start with Genesis (lays the foundation), then the 4 Gospels. Then read the Bible, cover to cover. I would find a chronological Bible.

[nazali]

A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.

[nazali]

The afterlife..... is like insurance.

I hate to die and get to see St.Peter and he will say, so.. you didn't believe, hmm,
all fake, man made, just something that weak minded poor people think.. then pointing to the blinding light of the throne of God, saying, so what do you think that is you schmuck a giant bagel... Bye, exit stage left, going down ?

[nazali]

Doesn't matter if you believe in God... no, it matters more if God actually believes in you