are we conscious after death?
if we don't understand why and how consciousness exsist now, how do we know it doesn't continue after death?
can consciousness survive the death of the body?
I can tell cofty you haven't read Stevenson's research. You probably went to skepdic.com or similar site.
In the short time I've been on this forum I can see that you are completely convinced you are right and you've closed your mind off to any other opinion. That's all right you have the right to a closed mind.
are we conscious after death?
if we don't understand why and how consciousness exsist now, how do we know it doesn't continue after death?
can consciousness survive the death of the body?
Since you've done so much research on the afterlife undoubtely you've read about Dr. Ian Stevenson's research on reincarnation , what did you think about it? What points made you totally reject it?
are we conscious after death?
if we don't understand why and how consciousness exsist now, how do we know it doesn't continue after death?
can consciousness survive the death of the body?
Hello cofty,
Exactly what research have you done into the afterlife?
are we conscious after death?
if we don't understand why and how consciousness exsist now, how do we know it doesn't continue after death?
can consciousness survive the death of the body?
I'd agree with you gromitsk that if someone truly did research into the topic of afterlife they could not assert without doubt that we do not survive physical death.
I've been particularly impressed by Ian Stevenson's research into reincarnation.He's researched many cases where young children remember living another life and have provided many details that later prove to be true. These are extremely well documented cases. I believe he has investigated over 2000 cases. In a typical case a child between 2 and 5 yrs. of age begins talking about a previous life. Usually by 6-8 yrs. of age the child no longer remembers.
Only someone who hasn't studied the evidence in-depth or someone with a completely closed mind can assert that there is no afterlife.
it's easy to just poo-poo the ufo thing, especially if you're naturally very skeptical after your jw experience as i am, but when you see documentary's like this it seems undeniable that some kind of inexplicable phenomenon is occuring.
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could vehement deniars of the ufo phenomenon please suspend their criticisms until they've at least watched the whole documentary, to be fair to others who are more open-minded on this subject.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjismjxshpg.
Anyone who says there is absolutely nothing to the UFO phenonemon except swamp gas and self delusion has a closed mind. The same can be said about the ton of evidence that there is something to the afterlife.
It is true there is no reproducible lab evidence. However there have been probably millions of expericences that indicate there is something to these things. To not be completely convinced is understandable to deny a real possibility that there is something to them is evidence of a closed mind.
read this comment by bertrand russell:.
that man is the product of causes which had no prevision of the end they were achieving; that his origin, his growth, his hopes and fears, his loves and his beliefs, are but the outcome of accidental collocations of atoms; that no fire, no heroism, no intensity of thought or feeling, can preserve an individual life beyond the grave; that all the labours of the ages, all the devotion, all the inspiration, all the noonday brightness of human genius, are destined to extinction in the vast death of the solar system; and the whole temple of mans achievement must inevitably be buried beneath the debris of a universe in ruins all these things, if not quite beyond dispute, are yet so nearly certain, that no philosophy that rejects them can hope to stand.
only within the scaffolding of these truths, only on the firm foundation of unyielding despair, can the souls habitation henceforth be safely built.. .
What is it you are indicating when you say "our very attention changes the brain"?
Is the power to give something attention located in physical traces in the brain when doing so changes the physical make up of the brain? I don't know. I'm only asking.
Your puzzlement puzzles me.
read this comment by bertrand russell:.
that man is the product of causes which had no prevision of the end they were achieving; that his origin, his growth, his hopes and fears, his loves and his beliefs, are but the outcome of accidental collocations of atoms; that no fire, no heroism, no intensity of thought or feeling, can preserve an individual life beyond the grave; that all the labours of the ages, all the devotion, all the inspiration, all the noonday brightness of human genius, are destined to extinction in the vast death of the solar system; and the whole temple of mans achievement must inevitably be buried beneath the debris of a universe in ruins all these things, if not quite beyond dispute, are yet so nearly certain, that no philosophy that rejects them can hope to stand.
only within the scaffolding of these truths, only on the firm foundation of unyielding despair, can the souls habitation henceforth be safely built.. .
I find this interesting as well, jgnat. Would this indicate that our will, attention, and consciousness can reside outside the brain?
read this comment by bertrand russell:.
that man is the product of causes which had no prevision of the end they were achieving; that his origin, his growth, his hopes and fears, his loves and his beliefs, are but the outcome of accidental collocations of atoms; that no fire, no heroism, no intensity of thought or feeling, can preserve an individual life beyond the grave; that all the labours of the ages, all the devotion, all the inspiration, all the noonday brightness of human genius, are destined to extinction in the vast death of the solar system; and the whole temple of mans achievement must inevitably be buried beneath the debris of a universe in ruins all these things, if not quite beyond dispute, are yet so nearly certain, that no philosophy that rejects them can hope to stand.
only within the scaffolding of these truths, only on the firm foundation of unyielding despair, can the souls habitation henceforth be safely built.. .
The human ego has a need to feel special. As you say JWs as well as many others need to feel special that they are God's "special people". Perhaps others feel they're special because they feel they are more logical than others. Perhaps others feel special because of financial success. In other words nobody is immune to the belief that they are cut above everyone else and others "just don't get it".
I of course agree with you on your assesment of Hawking's opinion of free will.
read this comment by bertrand russell:.
that man is the product of causes which had no prevision of the end they were achieving; that his origin, his growth, his hopes and fears, his loves and his beliefs, are but the outcome of accidental collocations of atoms; that no fire, no heroism, no intensity of thought or feeling, can preserve an individual life beyond the grave; that all the labours of the ages, all the devotion, all the inspiration, all the noonday brightness of human genius, are destined to extinction in the vast death of the solar system; and the whole temple of mans achievement must inevitably be buried beneath the debris of a universe in ruins all these things, if not quite beyond dispute, are yet so nearly certain, that no philosophy that rejects them can hope to stand.
only within the scaffolding of these truths, only on the firm foundation of unyielding despair, can the souls habitation henceforth be safely built.. .
jgnat, I thought you were referring to Sam Harris's belief that free will is an illusion when you wrote "Well, I'm not Sam Harris. From what I can see there are moments where choice sits on a razors edge and some choose a better life"
read this comment by bertrand russell:.
that man is the product of causes which had no prevision of the end they were achieving; that his origin, his growth, his hopes and fears, his loves and his beliefs, are but the outcome of accidental collocations of atoms; that no fire, no heroism, no intensity of thought or feeling, can preserve an individual life beyond the grave; that all the labours of the ages, all the devotion, all the inspiration, all the noonday brightness of human genius, are destined to extinction in the vast death of the solar system; and the whole temple of mans achievement must inevitably be buried beneath the debris of a universe in ruins all these things, if not quite beyond dispute, are yet so nearly certain, that no philosophy that rejects them can hope to stand.
only within the scaffolding of these truths, only on the firm foundation of unyielding despair, can the souls habitation henceforth be safely built.. .
Bohm, it doesn't look like I'll be able to explain myself in anyway that you'd understand and that's OK
