The Afterlife

[DeeLicious]

This is interesting: http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/femail/article-5529827/Readers-share-stories-proving-afterlife.html Anybody on here had such experiences?

[naomi24]

Theland, have you ever wondered why your almighty, all powerful God doesn't just zap that git once and for all? (Sorry for the diversion, DeeLicious. Just had to ask).

[Patsy33]

I've said before on here that about 3am, (some 20 years ago), I suddenly woke up and saw my mother in law appearing from the lower half of my husband's body! She looked about 21 and looked really pretty and wore a Pink cardigan which was her favourite colour. She died about 14 months before...

[Theland]

Oh yes Nims.
It's justice.
God made the law and sticks to it.
To zap the git would be like a copper stitching him up.

[naomi24]

Theland, Hmmmm… Seems a bit suspect to me. God knows all and yet he created something that he obviously knew would cause havoc in the world – and now he won’t do anything about it – even though he [God] made the rules and can change the rules if he wants to. I could be forgiven for gaining the impression he rather enjoys all the misery he's created. Funny old do. Night night, Theland.

[dunnitall]

Yes I have had experiences and shocked by them. My OH is the most sceptic person ever.... However over the years they have seen, heard, experienced things they couldn't explain or even really believe in. I don't like relating my experiences because just as seen on here, those who haven't had these experiences will not accept and there are others who will diss anything just because IMO it's what they have to do.

[Theland]

Ta Ra luv.

[naomi24]

dunnitall, ignore them. They all speak from experience .... none.

[naomi24]

T. x

[Theland]

Dunitall. Post without fear. I believe you.
We should discuss all the possibilities.
Most ABers are nice and interested in your views.

[fender62]

iv mentioned this before on aber, many years ago i was walking down old iron stairs making my way to the marine docks where i used to live, as i was walking down the steps a man was walking up, we passed on the stairs, i noticed he had on what appeared to be old fashion clothing long trench coat and had a suit on and a trilby hat, i thought odd but maybe he was going to a fancy dress party or something, anyway when i got to the bottom of the stairs, i looked up and he was gone..i went back up..he was gone, there was nothing but scrub ground, and no where to hide.

[tamborine]

Not needing to convince you AHughes as it was my experience. Patients I met months later said they thought I had died, by the medic activity around my curtained off bed.

[waterboatman]

My Vera was stood alongside me as I addressed the people at her funeral. She also does still visit me at home. I always know when she is here.

[mibn2cweus]

There is far more in reality than has ever been imagined . . . and no less that can be imagined than will ever be real. The only way to determine the difference is through an understanding of how you know it.

[Theland]

Waterboatman - I have a great deal of respect for you and of course believe your experience of Vera.
So,
I ask you I'm all sincerity, that you therefore believe in a spiritual dimension?
God is spirit.

[waterboatman]

Everyone has a spirit. Obviously I don't know the spiritual procedure when the body is of no more use. the body dies, the spirit goes on. I suppose there is a boss on the other side. I don't know, I'll find out, as will everyone else, when we leave our bodies at the end of it's life. I'm sure the spirit does be 'reborn' in another body. When I was posted to Malaya in army days, many places were familiar to me, although I'd not been there before.

[naomi24]

Theland says // We should discuss all the possibilities.//

… and I agree with him, but in the next post he declares that ‘God is spirit’ – a statement that I believe has the potential to limit discussion. In order to examine this question frankly, pre-conceived notions such as the certainty that the so-called ‘supernatural’ must necessarily be associated with religion, should be abandoned. Discuss the possibility, certainly, but don’t assume that to be the answer before other options have been considered.

[jim360]

One of the other possibilities is that andy-hughes is right, at least to some extent. For some reason, though, people seem rather less keen to promote that discussion.

Personal experiences are very difficult to evaluate properly anyway. I'm always happy to hear about what other people say they've experienced, but I don't think it's sensible to let it shape my world view. Likewise I wouldn't expect anyone, like mamya, who has had such experiences, to be all that interested in what I have to say about them.

Still, if there is a discussion to be had, then it should also include criticism of personal experiences -- for example, by pointing out that human senses aren't always reliable, or that we are often prone to various cognitive biases, etc etc. Otherwise it would just become an echo chamber, where everyone agrees with everyone else as long as they don't mention God.

[naomi24]

Jim, // if there is a discussion to be had, then it should also include criticism of personal experiences -- for example, by pointing out that human senses aren't always reliable//

I’ve no doubt that everyone is aware that the human senses aren’t always reliable, and I don’t believe anyone objects to that being said. However, what people do object to is being told, definitely, that their experience is not what they think it is.

You mention andy-hughes who in response to the question, “Anybody on here had such experiences?”, says with certainty, “No”, and subsequently goes on to ‘suggest’ that one poster’s experience results from her ‘stressed psyche’ when in actual fact he hasn’t a clue what her experience emanates from. He just thinks he does.

[Sqad]

I just wonder if we are confusing "afterlife" ( dead returning to visit us)with "near death experiences?"
Two different concepts.
I certainly accept the latter but cannot consider the former in any serious way.

[jim360]

A-H put his opinion across in his usual way, and I wish he wouldn't, but then again does anyone else know what their own experiences emanate from either?

I'm generally very sceptical of any meaningful "discussion" being possible about personal experiences anyway, because -- by nature -- they're far too personal for anyone else to be able to form a meaningful view on. But if there is one to be had, then sceptics should have their place in it too.