What happens when you die?

[slowpoke999]

You know what I consider more scary then eternal slumber?If time was a loop so eventually we will live our lives, again and again for all eternity, the mere thought of that actually being a possibility gives me more shudders and shivers then thinking about afterlife for 20 years. Yeah, being afraid of death is stupid, but by god I won't blame you if you are afraid of time.

 

[Deacon Cole]

What was it like before you were born? It will be like that.

Our consciousness is created by the electo/chemical reactions in our brains. How this works is still being studied by scientist although they've made some amazing discoveries in the last thirty years, such as identifying the chemicals that allow us to grow new brain cells [http://www.lifescientist.com.au/article/352675/u_scientists_identify_chemicals_grow_brain_cells/?fp=4194304&fpid=1] which effects our ability to learn and other things.

But, once this shuts down at death, it just stops. That's it.

Such questions are usually asking about the supernatural. The fact is, there is no reason to believe in the supernatural. Not a single claim has ever been supported. What was not outright deception is based on ignorance and emotion. That is, a person doesn't know anything, but they feel something, but they do not understand what they feel and thus make incorrect conclusions. Learn just a little bit and it becomes harder and harder to believe in the supernatural.

Some might call it scary that we will not survive the death of our brains, that there is no afterlife. I find it comforting, personally, that eventually my existence will end. Once I'm gone, it won't matter. I like this better than any concept of an afterlife because, as noted above, none of them are certain. There is no way to know for sure if you serve the correct gods or worship them in the correct way. There is no evidence that points to, say, mormonism as being correct or any other religion or afterlife concept you could name or concoct. I prefer to avoid all of that by saying that existence ends when life does. Many religions say that the end of existence is the punishment for not believing so I lose nothing.

That's pretty much my take. It's like before you were born. Don't be afraid because you won't be able to feel fear.

 

[Uzigawa]

interesting analysis watson..

EDIT:i agree with antithesis and slowpoke, basically if life continues on after death, that would be the true hell, eternal life is a curse, for what is the point of life if it never ends? i say accept that life is short, but live that short time to your damn fullest, i forget where i heard this quote but it's what i live my life by

"One day, we are all going to die. When my time comes, i intend on deserving it"

2nd EDIT: actually, f*ck it, that's gonna be my new motto.

 

[thahat]

well, you start of by dieing.
eg. think 'black'.

now to understand my theory on this, you need to know what i think 'you' or 'i/me' is. XD
you/i/etc. is a cloud of shaped gravity or whatnot. look at it like... a work of art made oud of toothpicks and verry bad glue. XD when you die, the glue weakens XD and your artwork = YOU weaken. now look at stuff being born and needing a soul as small childen making an artwork. they nick each others stuff ceasslessly, just grabing and nibling what they need.
in other words, you could be split up over a colony of ants. or a raindeer, or anything else for that mater. the point is, it can also be a combined effort of stolen bits. *most likely* so you wont remember a thing, but there is a small chance, if your verry lucky, that ALL or most of your bits go into the same creature. such as a new human. this is why some people remember their past lives.

 

[Burningsok]

I hope all this doesn't turn into a flame war. Well anyways I think there might be a heaven, but who knows. Reincarnation seems about right.

 

[Uzigawa]

well, you start of by dieing.
eg. think 'black'.

now to understand my theory on this, you need to know what i think 'you' or 'i/me' is. XD
you/i/etc. is a cloud of shaped gravity or whatnot. look at it like... a work of art made oud of toothpicks and verry bad glue. XD when you die, the glue weakens XD and your artwork = YOU weaken. now look at stuff being born and needing a soul as small childen making an artwork. they nick each others stuff ceasslessly, just grabing and nibling what they need.
in other words, you could be split up over a colony of ants. or a raindeer, or anything else for that mater. the point is, it can also be a combined effort of stolen bits. *most likely* so you wont remember a thing, but there is a small chance, if your verry lucky, that ALL or most of your bits go into the same creature. such as a new human. this is why some people remember their past lives.

wow k, i'm running on about 3 minutes of sleep, so i have no idea what u just said

 

[tehweave]

When I die and they lay me to rest.
I'm gonna go to the place that's the best.
When they lay me down to die, I'm gonna go up to the spirit in the sky.
Going up to the spirit in the sky. That's where I'm gonna go when I die.
When I die and they lay me to rest, I'm gonna go to the place that's the best.

 

[Amphoteric]

Nothing! Yay! Its probably like an infinate dreamless sleep.

 

[Uzigawa]

When I die and they lay me to rest.
I'm gonna go to the place that's the best.
When they lay me down to die, I'm gonna go up to the spirit in the sky.
Going up to the spirit in the sky. That's where I'm gonna go when I die.
When I die and they lay me to rest, I'm gonna go to the place that's the best.

meh, it rhymes, yea, but kinda repetitive dontcha think?

 

[DigitaIpirate]

nothing happens you just cease to exist.

But what happens if we cease to exist? Has our life only been some miserable 70 years, just to die and never be reborn?

Indeed that is what happens.

You know no one ever wonders if animals go to heaven or hell, we only think about our self, seriously religion is so.... never mind.

 

[chaos order]

You die, and are not aware of anything ever again, while the universe continues for billions of years. So many things will happen, but you'll never be aware of any of them.

Fucking horrific thought isn't it, I try not to think about it.

c this is y i dont like the atheist view of death......god i hate it!(see what i did there)
im not a particularily religious person but, i PREFER the idea of heaven and hell over the UR DEAD.... BLANK SCREEN version.

 

[tehweave]

When I die and they lay me to rest.
I'm gonna go to the place that's the best.
When they lay me down to die, I'm gonna go up to the spirit in the sky.
Going up to the spirit in the sky. That's where I'm gonna go when I die.
When I die and they lay me to rest, I'm gonna go to the place that's the best.

meh, it rhymes, yea, but kinda repetitive dontcha think?

"Spirit in the Sky" by Norman Greenbaum

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPPlGFh6OpQ

 

[Uzigawa]

wow, so few are actually defending the religion side of the argument, i think that kinda says something about the people in escapist, either we're mostly atheist, or most religious people just see the article and blow it off as more scientists lying about their so called "facts"

 

[Uzigawa]

When I die and they lay me to rest.
I'm gonna go to the place that's the best.
When they lay me down to die, I'm gonna go up to the spirit in the sky.
Going up to the spirit in the sky. That's where I'm gonna go when I die.
When I die and they lay me to rest, I'm gonna go to the place that's the best.

meh, it rhymes, yea, but kinda repetitive dontcha think?

"Spirit in the Sky" by Norman Greenbaum

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPPlGFh6OpQ

oooooh, i see what you did there

 

[EgoDeusEst]

You die, your body ceases to function, and that's it. It's a good thing your consciousness doesn't persist after death, because it would be painfully boring.

This.

 

[coldshadow]

I have thought about this before and gave up on trying to figure it out because its nearly impossible

I HOPE that we get to move on to a next life, mabey on another planet where we still know what we learnt while on earth.

 

[Uzigawa]

really religion is a choice, but with no proof, running on blind faith, just believing what you were raised to believe, it's a risk, what if another religion is true, i see atheism is the safe option, for maybe since i'm not a direct heretic thinking something else, i just don't believe it, i may receive some form of mercy. prolly not though

 

[Jackalb]

Nothing.
Just blackness you cease to exist.

 

[TimeLord]

I have no idea. I've been an atheist all my life

Being an atheist doesn't mean you can't have an idea of what happens when you die.

Death happens to us all and is not religeon specific.

OT: I think we start again in a newborn baby but obviously without memory of our previous lives.

That and regeneration of the physical form

 

[the7ofswords]

Insert Coin to Continue. ^_^

But, seriously, though ...

You die, and are not aware of anything ever again, while the universe continues for billions of years. So many things will happen, but you'll never be aware of any of them.

Fucking horrific thought isn't it, I try not to think about it.

This. Exactly.

The only thing that bothers me about not existing is that I won't get to see what happens next. I'll miss out on "the rest of the story," as it were. (I always feel like I've been dropped into the middle of a story. The Book of Humanity, if you will. Sure, I can get an idea about what went on before me by studying history, but I'll never get to know what happens later in the story ... and that makes me hurt inside.)

And as comforting as it might be to think I'll get to watch the rest from heaven, or from a new body, or whatever, I can't delude myself into believing that. I can't help it, I'm just not a believer.