[Goober5000]

Discuss.


Clarification: I don't want this to turn into another flame war.  I don't even want it to be a religious thread.  I'm just interested in what might come of an unbiased discussion.  Forget everything you already know about religion and philosophy, and post your own thoughts.

[Ford Prefect]

Sometimes I can't sleep because I try to think about what it would be like to not exist after death-- going for all of time without being self-aware.

Either that or I'm sitting in band feeling that eternity couldn't be as bad as playing the same god damned Christmas tunes every day.

[Taristin]

Originally posted by Ford Prefect
Sometimes I can't sleep because I try to think about what it would be like to not exist after death-- going for all of time without being self-aware.

I've done that... It's a bit unnerving to think that once you're dead, it's over. And there's no more.

[Goober5000]

When I was little I actually did the opposite... I laid awake at night worrying that if you do live after death - and there's no end - that it would be boring, or scary, or interminably tedious.

[Bobboau]

I'd rather have too much time than not enough

[Liberator]

Immortality is not meant for us as we are.  

I think that there is life after death.  However, it can hardly be a physical existence.  I mean, think how quickly you can get bored with something, now imagine having done everything(literally) and been everywhere(literally) and still have till the end of time to do it all again.  One word:  Boring

[Taristin]

So... according to you, heaven is boring?

[Goober5000]

I certainly used to think heaven was boring.  I don't now, but that's because I've learned more about it (or specifically, Christianity's take on it).  But again, I'd prefer if this thread stays away from dogma if possible.

[Liberator]

I wasn't clear enough I guess, death is a transition.  Your mind, while basically unaltered in fashion, will work slightly differently in the next life.  How I can't exactly say.

[aldo_14]

(my personal view)

Life is precious.  Enjoy it while it lasts because it's all we've got.

 And if there is anything afterwards - well, we won't know till we get there, so don't waste your time worrying about that.  just get on with enjoying what we know we do have

[vyper]

No energy leaves our existence. It's always returned in another form - when wood burns it creates heat and light energy etc. When humans die, our bodies eventually turns into base elements, even our bones. We can acelerate the process via cremation etc, but the end result remains the same.

If you can accept that self-aware conciousness is a form of energy, then you must accept that whatever we are will continue to live on in another form.

However, that isn't what you need to worry about now, just remember: Treasure every moment, live for them, because they'll never come again.

[Flipside]

Imagine you are a tiny part of a huge universe that is, quite literally, trying to experience everything

I suppose if I were to define my own feelings of Eternity it would be that we are each here to experience something for the Universe, every person has a slightly different view and emotion regarding things.

It would be nice to think that, after we have done our job, we return 'home' to some kind of meta-awareness in order to pass that experience on

[Setekh]

I think eternity is the word that people use to describe that realm where time is no longer a constriction on our experience, but a whole new dimension we are free to move around in and enjoy.

[Stealth]

Originally posted by Liberator
I mean, think how quickly you can get bored with something, now imagine having done everything(literally) and been everywhere(literally) and still have till the end of time to do it all again.  One word:  Boring

hehe.  yeah.  but it's either that, or spend eternity burning in hell.  i'm sure that would get boring too

i'm just kidding

[Lynx]

You'll never reach the end of eternitiy even if you tried, so it's probably circular in shape.

[Flipside]

Well, if I recall correctly, you actually only spend a certain amount of time there, depending on how naughty you've been.

And Dark is faster than light, since it always manages to get out of the way

[Goober5000]

Originally posted by Setekh
I think eternity is the word that people use to describe that realm where time is no longer a constriction on our experience, but a whole new dimension we are free to move around in and enjoy.

I've wondered about that.  Think of all the great (and not-so-great) time travel stories that sci-fi writers have come up with.  That's just using one dimension of time.  Imagine the crazy stuff you could do with multiple dimensions of time.

[Roanoke]

Dying without achieving your goals, or living forever knowing you will never achieve them.

Take your pick.

[Flipside]

Eternity is like the Bill.

It's what left once everything important has been removed

[Sandwich]

Originally posted by Goober5000
When I was little I actually did the opposite... I laid awake at night worrying that if you do live after death - and there's no end - that it would be boring, or scary, or interminably tedious.

I've thought that from time to time as well.

All I know is, I ain't gonna be sitting on no puffy white cloud - nuh-uh! Me, I'll be surfing the storms of Jupiter, skimming the rings of Saturn, and making the center of the galaxy my hood.