Do you believe in an afterlife?

Idk if afterlife exists or not.. But if does, I doubt it would be in the form religions predicted it to be..

I also understand that losing someone makes you wonder about these things, or wish they exist. I am agnostic, and I lean towards no afterlife. I lost my mother to Cancer a year ago, and I wished there was an afterlife where she could live the life she never loved on earth.

I don't know... My husband died a few days after Christmas, I miss him so much but I don't know if he is still out there somewhere. I used to have a strong Christian faith but these days I'm less sure of anything.

From: "xxxxxxxx"
To: drpennysartori@drpennysartori.com
Sent: Monday, 20 February 2012, 18:22
Subject: post death experiences

About a year ago I related the story of my friend Kristin's NDE pior to her actual death in October of 2010. Since then I have had 3 odd experiences that are beyond my explanation. Let me begin by saying that I'm an engineer and was raised as a Lutheran and I'm not much for ghost stories.
The first happened in January of 2011. I've only spoken of this two Kristins' daughter and a close friend but I want to know if this is common.
In this first experience I was driving back home from shopping. The store is only about a mile to the east of me and it was around 6 PM (dark here in MN but the street lights were on.) I was about 5 blocks from my house when I suddenly seemed to be standing outside of a room, looking through some doors. There were tables/booths along the right side and back and dark paneling with edging about halfway up. Chairs were to the left of the tables and about three booths in I saw two people at on of the table. The person closest to me was a man hunched over the table and to his left was Kristin. She gets up, gets that tight smile on her face that she would get when she was really happy and bounces over to me and gives me a hug. At that point I found myself parked a mile to the south of my place at a bowling alley/bar/restaurant that I've maybe been to about 5 times. I called Kristin's friend Wendy and told her about the experience and she said that Kristin had gone to that bar a couple times but said she didn't know what she was looking for there. 10 months later on the anniversary of Kristins' death I decided I didn't want to be at home on Halloween night as I was too upset so I went down to that restaurant but couldn't find a parking spot by the way I usually go in so I went around the building. There was a door close to where I parked that I'd not seen before so I went in through it and there was another small bar that I never knew existed in that building and it was exactly as I sketched it the night after I had the weird car experience.

The second experience happened a month later. I went on a cruise to the south Caribbean on Holland America. On the second night of the cruise we were at supper in the big dining room in the back. Two of our friends are quite well off sue we were at a big round table on a raised floor. The seat to my left was empty.
The guy across from me was telling jokes and stories and while there was wine we had not had much and I felt something or sensed something to my side. I looked and I swear she was sitting next to me. Her hair was perfect, she was looking across the table and smiling, she was wearing a silver dress with horizontally oriented white diamonds, the collar or lapels on her dress were noticeable. Someone asked me what was wrong as I must have had my mouth open. I turned to say something, when I turned back she was gone. I choked down tears and didn't say anything.

The third experience was a couple of weeks ago. In the middle of the night I awoke from the strong smell of perfume. It was as if someone was right over my face. I looked around the room and house and the scent gradually disappeared. I smelled the bedding but there was no trace of it. It smelled very much like the perfume that she would wear.

OK, so am I nuts or is it all in my head or are these visitations??? Have you ever heard of similar stories???

maybe there is an afterlife but we are not meant to know because this experience on earth would be less meaningful if we knew. imagine you have always existed , that you are an eternal spirit , and sometimes you come for a little trill ride on earth , a little vacation from eternity, but if you clearly remembered being immortal nothing would mean anything. so we intentionally come here with no memory of our eternal past and only remember right after we die and then we laugh our heads off realizing how we took everyting so seriously and how exciting it was. maybe once she died your love remembered it all and now realizes she would ruin it for you if she intervened and also , in her present perspective , life literally last a few seconds to an eternal being so there is no point in reaching out, she'll just let you finish your trill ride and you will both laugh about it when you die. I like to see it that way, makes the experience make sense but I can't say "I believe" because, what does that even mean? some kind of subjective certainty? I just like to imagine it that way.

@Ambroseguy80 yes I most certainly do believe in the afterlife.
I believe this life is one phase and the afterlife is another.
I don’t believe it to be the same as how they portray it to be in the movies but there is another place a higher calling in the spiritual realm but I also believe you can’t get there until you learn everything your supposed to learn here in this life. We come to life with a mission and a purpose, over the course of years we forget and some lost sight of it.
I believe after losing sight of what’s important, and forgetting what you were born for, it’s a chance the spirit can get turned around and reincarnated back through generational lines of birth.
Once you figured out your destiny what you came fr, even if it was to give the world utmost true version of love they could’ve imagine and helped others, when you pass a calm easy death, I believe you go to your heaven. Karmaic deaths I believe are reincarnation to relive what you went through and find a better way to evolve, which each incarnation you become better and more humble in life.
They say your eyes and your demeanor/will and drive are the only things you take with you to the next life, which is why when you bump into someone, they seem vaguely familiar even though you haven’t met. You haven’t but your souls may have in a passed life.

One theory says that the deceased spend a few hours or maybe a couple days here but then move on. If that holds any truth, then after several years they are gone gone.

I think the idea of an afterlife was born out of the fact that it is nearly impossible to imagine, in first person, ones self not existing.

Try this -

Imagine yourself driving down a familiar road, or laying in bed, maybe spending time with a lover or just whatever you do.
You think of how you feel, your surroundings, who might be there, all that. You do not see much of your own person, just what is around.

NOW try to imagine not existing, from the same perspective (first person).
Or try to remember something from before you were born. REALLY try to tap into your psyche for either one of those.

It takes your mind to a place that is almost suffocating.

People cannot accept that one day they will no longer exist so that is why there are speculations of an after life.

I had a near death experience in 1998, and as a result, I strongly believe in an afterlife. I met my two angels who worked on repairing my physical body over a few days, and I survived. I have no fear of death, and I believe I will see them again, but only when it is time. I did not see anyone I knew during the experience, but I believe I will.

Yes. Not too long ago one of my grandad, dead when I was a kid..just popped into my mind for unknown reasons.
I asked : show me if you are around..give me a sign..I got 2 that day. I forgot the fist one but the second one surprised me : I received a book that day , I opened at random and first word I read was the town where he was born...a very unknown small town.

I'm sorry for your loss. However I do believe there is an afterlife of some sort. Also I do believe that loved ones who've passed do send us messages to show us they're still with us in spirit.
I have a Robin who regularly visits me, I lost my very close friend last February and this Robin has visited in recent weeks.
It's like it knows of my recent struggles in recent months.
Don't lose hope!

The personality ends at death,it only started to develop after we were born.
However the mental stream continues in a very subtle form..like in a dream world.
Then due to attachments and desire it takes rebirth. Those are the Buddhist teachings at least.

There is only Life. After life is the continuation of an individual's life without a body.

The question here is if you can contact your wife or vice versa. Yes, there are possibilities. But, you gain nothing from it. It will not benefit either of you.

Every life, in some way, is continuously evolving. The best thing you can do for your loved one is to pray for divine grace to help them along their journey.

@Eoghan] nah...don't pay closer attention! You always find things when you're not looking for them! Sometimes it's hidden in plain sight! Keep the faith, but don't dwell on it! One day you'll be surprised! I subscribe to the Buddist belief that once your soul leaves your body, it immediately goes on to the next adventure.

no. i believe some people experience an eternity within moments as a side effect of brain death, tho

i am truly sorry for your loss. i wish my comment wasn't so stark but that's what i believe

My brother sends butterflies, sometimes if I’m doing something stupid I can hear someone yelling my name but it sounds like it’s from so far away.

Assume for a minute that she is in Heaven or some spiritual world now. Time must be completely different there. Maybe it just isn't possible for her to reach out to you, because you are in completely different dimensions. But if it is possible, she may just not realize that years have gone by. It may be mere moments from her perspective. I think you should keep your faith in the afterlife, and especially your faith in her.

I am sorry for your loss @Eoghan but they may be wanting you to live a life of piece and happiness. They may have a choice and though they may want to reach out to you. They may have to restrain themselves. You see most religions believe you have total knowledge of everything after death. That means if they reached out to you it may not be the best for you.... you may try to rush your afterlife not knowing you may have an important role here that you have not finished.

I believe we reincarnate. Makes more sense than heaven or hell and eternal nothingness.

One interesting question. The best answer, although not mine, I heard recently is that we stay foot somehow and wait for our new bodies. That's been promised to us for the end of days and all that. Thus, nothing like the one we had before but for ever nevertheless. In short, I like to hold on the thought that we'll even meet up again in what ever way there is

She may have shown you in different ways. 🤗
I’m sorry for your loss. 😞

I'd like to believe in it, but it seems a bit unlikely to me.

If there was eternal nothingness we wouldn't be here now.

Dont if she promised then she is trying you are just not listening hard enough . Some people are sensitive others arnt its not yourself to blame its just life . Find a genuine medium they will help you talk to her . Please dont give up on her as I guarantee she isnt giving up on you . You just need a go between to make it happen .

Only in the legacy defined by those who remember us.

I believe in lots of things to do with the afterlife. One that our soul is never gone and another that humans aren’t permitted to fully understand the afterlife while on earth. I think souls will always find each other. I’ve nothing really to back any of that up. It’s just my thoughts.

I know there is some kind of life after death. Maybe something spiritual but very real. I have experienced it. I guess I should post the story.

I always used to think when we [quote]die[/quote] it's because God who ever he/she it might be has a better life and job wherever we may end up.

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I absolutely do.

Not necessarily "heaven" but I believe our consciousness leaves our body when we die and goes on to a different life form.

She’s not a ghost. Of course you can’t hear her. Have you tried a psychic ? I have heard stories from friends . Since you are desperate , try to find a reputable one and see if the word is spoken through them . 🤷🏻‍♀️

Same here...no contact after many yrs..no, I don’t believe there is anything after we leave this mortal coil. Fucking depressing! Life is the shits, then annihilation. 😢

I hope we simply wink out of existence, but there’s absolutely no way of knowing what lies beyond death without actually dying.

I have known a peson or two that had a near death experience and saw the other side.

Yes. I believe our soul will transcend to another existence. I have actually seen ghosts of relatives so I know it exists.

Yes I believe there is an afterlife at least that's what they tell me in the Bible we will wait and see....

I believe in an alternate realm aka heaven but i don't presume to know anything about it... i just wonder

I believe, I just believe it looks basically like this world.

No.
So much BS is said to fabricate dreams.

I do yes, half a religious and half my own personal interpretation.

I'm sorry for your loss.

I think we reincarnate

No I don't

I’m so sorry.

Yes.

No.

After drinking water from Lethe, the river of forgetfulness, she can't remember your secret word.

There is no evidence of it. You need to put the past behind you and face the dawn.

I believe we come back as something, or someone, just we don't know it

I'm not sure, but ALL of us will be finding out, won't we?

I believe there’s something beyond this world we can’t just disappear and never move on there has to be another world

I've seen enough stuff that I can't not believe in an afterlife. It's possible that she hasn't been able to communicate because she's already been reincarnated.

No, but I believe that our spirit or essence lives on somehow, I don't know how to explain it much more.