Hard Evidence of Life After Death, is there any?

by Blueblades 65 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  LittleToe

  Hehehe...

  if sufficient evidence comes along, LT, i will happily switch sides in the debate. it's the same difference as a debate about the existence of god. i won't be backing down until those paranormal hypothesis' are accepted as theory, or fact in the scientific community. thank you!

  Likewise. Our approaches are similar, only the details vary. I choose not to throw something out until there's a better way of explaining it. You choose to put you head in the sand until it bites yer bum!
  But lets not go muddying the waters by bringing the question of Divine interaction into the equation - we're specifically discussing life after death, here.

  BTW, you point about NDE's occuring while there is no brain activity is a moot point. if it was a NDE, then that means that the person lived to tell about it, which means that neurological activity started at some point, which is very easily (according to parsimony!) when the NDE occured.

  Then you've pretty much written out the likely only avenue that evidence would have come, for you. I say this under the assumption that you're looking for a physical "life after death". It's a bit like the scientist telling you that he'll believe in colour when you prove it to him, just before putting his eyes out with a spoon...

  ...actually it's nothing like that, but you've got me in wind-up mode, now

  What other avenue is there? A ghostly apparition of a grandparent, telling you to mend your ways?
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  tetrapod.sapien

  I choose not to throw something out until there's a better way of explaining it.

  LT,

  so then, you don't mind if i make something up for you?

  Then you've pretty much written out the likely only avenue that evidence would have come,

  the only one? really?

  A ghostly apparition of a grandparent, telling you to mend your ways?

  no. that, most assuredly, would be neurological. why would i presume otherwise?
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  Lois

  Is there life after life? ABSOLUTELY! I believe Jesus had a bodily resurection and he raised others from the dead. 2 Corinthians:5:(6)Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are home in the body, we are absent from the Lord. (7). For we walk by faith, not by sight. (8). We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. Also check out 1 Corinthians 15:35-58 In Matthew 10:30 But the very hairs of your head are numbered 10:31 Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. We are so precious to our Lord that even the number of hairs on our head are known. He also knows our heart and its desires. He's aware of our weaknesses and victories, our tears and laughter, our pain and joy. With all these attributes stored in his knowledge...why wouldn't he provide a safe haven for us after our physical bodies die? What would be the purpose of knowing these things if he didn't have a plan for each and every one of us? Ephesians 2:(8) "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God". (9) Not of works, lest any man boast. Jesus also states in John 14:(2)"In my Father's house are many mansions:if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you".
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  Frannie Banannie

  I only have my own experience as evidence. I don't support the scriptures anymore, though I may quote them at times to refute WT policies, doctrines, teachings and practices. I am no longer in a religion of any kind, but the strongest beliefs I ever had were based on WT teachings which, of course, do NOT support the thought of life after death....except in the case of resurrection after Armageddon. By the time this particular experience I'm about to relate occurred, I'd been out of the borganization about 5 yrs ago and I've been out of the borg now for 13 yrs, so even 5 yrs ago, I'd already had my eyes opened online with all the info available to destroy the WT fantasy.

  Some years back, I "adopted" the cat my daughter left behind when she moved out of her dad's house.....I was living here by myself with "Misty" and she was a truly sweet cat that seemed to love me dearly.....she always would get up in my lap, whether I was trying to read the paper or a book and insert herself between whatever I was trying to read and my face, purring and "kissing" my face and nuzzling my neck all the time.....One night I went to work (I'd NEVER taken her there)....and about 11 PM I was turning over facing the back of the sofa at the patient's house to catch some "Z's" when I suddenly felt something "plunk" down between my chest and the sofa back....I opened my eyes, but could see nothing there....however, I heard a loud purring sound.....the sound continued for approx. 60 seconds or so.....and I could feel the "cat" nuzzling my face and neck.....then it slowly faded......the next morning, when I arrived at home, I went in expecting "Misty" to run up to me meowing and wanting to be petted and fed.....she didn't appear and I went all through the house calling her.....I finally located her on the floor in the back bedroom.....I had no idea "Misty" was ill....but she had passed away during the night and rigor mortis had already set in.....I've read that cats can read our minds....that they know where we are and when we're coming back, though they haven't "been there" with us.....and I figured that the JW's have their heads up their butts on this "life after death" issue, because as sure as God made little green apples, "Misty's" departing spirit visited me.....at work......at the time of her death....to let me know she loves me and to say goodbye.....

  So....to me.....yes, our spirit or personality lives on after death. Perhaps a person's dying and experiencing a nothingness is simply because we think with our brains, which are part of our physical body that's dying/dead.

  Frannie
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  Lois

  As for 'scientific' proof...all I can relate is a story about the death of my father. I was very emotional at his passing and the night after his death I was trying to sleep but was so upset I couldn't even begin to close my red swollen eyes. Then I had what I would define as a 'vision'. It was like flashes of scenes so vivid I couldn't believe what I was viewing.I saw a field with a curved wall made of every precious stone imagened. Beyond the wall was a castle glittering in solid gold...so bright yet it didn't hurt the eyes to look upon it brillence. Beyond the castle was a valley with a city of gold, although not quite as illuninated as the castle, yet had it's own splendid light. Then I saw what appeared to be a layered road...also made of multi-colered precious stones...each layer a different color. Then I saw a vision of my father. When he died he was 71 years old, however in the vision he appeared to be in his early 30's. He was sitting on an old wooden chair leaned over with his right elbow on his knee and his right hand under his chin. This is significiant because my dad was a triple amputee as a result of diabetes...lost his right arm to the elbow and both legs to the knee. He was wearing a brown garment...later I realized it was sackcloth. I couldn't understand why he was wearing this garment until I researched the meaning. Sackcloth is a rough garment worn as a sign of penitence (feeling sorrow for sins or offences). Then the vision changed and he was wearing a pleated white gown. It appeared as though he had shoulder pads beneath the white garment...like football or armour protection. He was standing to the right of a white chair....like a throne. I couldn't see anyone sitting on the throne, but sensed their presence. On the backrest of this throne was something carved...chisled all the way through...it was some form of wording I didn't understand...I somehow sensed it was perhaps Hebrew. Then the vision ended. I was completely amazed at this vision. I began placing all these flashes of the vision together and I truely believe I know what the Lord was telling me. He was telling me my dad had repented through the vision of the sackcloth, he was telling me dad had put on the armour of God (Ephesians 5:11)by the 'padded' garment. He gave me symbols/illistrations to guide me through and gave me peace. In the following weeks I was really high spirited and then one day I was down in spirit and was driving back home from visiting my mother. I started thinking about my dad...how he left this earth in such terrible physical state...tripple amputee , blind and had been bedridden for 10 years before his death. Tears were rolling down my face thinking about his suffering...how my mom was such a wonderful caregiver for him through all the hardships in life. etc. Then out of the clear blue, as I turned a corner,....there before my eyes was the most beautiful rainbow I'd ever seen in my life. It literally drew my breath away! I said ,"Thank you Jesus...I needed this". The rainbow was the most comforting and awe-inspiring scene you could possibly imagine. In my belief the Lord was telling me..."I'm still here...I'll never leave you...I understand".
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  tetrapod.sapien

  hi lois, welcome to the board. enjoy your stay!

  As for 'scientific' proof...all I can relate is a story about the death of my father. I was very emotional at his passing and the night after his death I was trying to sleep but was so upset I couldn't even begin to close my red swollen eyes.

  i am sorry about the death of someone close to you. but i must also point out that this is not scientific proof for life after death. especially if you were under such physical stress.

  also, as regards your post just up the thread a bit. it is fine if you want to assert that you have faith in life after death. that is a subjective thing, and it's not my place to say anything about, really. but again, the fact that your faith is so strong, does not make it so. just because one believes strongly, does not mean that life after death will be waiting for any of us when we go.

  respectfully,

  TS