Life after death...

Orionaut

Orionaut

Orionaut

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I have got to the point in life now that all you younglings only have to look forward too. :p

Both my parents are dead and my contemporary friends are starting to die off too.

However, there is an interesting phenomena that I am experiencing

In my dreams I sometimes (Not very often mind) am visited by my departed friends and parents.

It is actually a very reassuring experience mostly. Though there are also times when I would be quite happy to have remained in the dream world and never woken up....:(

Now, The OCUK bit...

What is actually happening here?

Is it some sort of quantum mechanical communication from an alternative universe?

(I do not accept the idea of communication from beyond the grave, when you are dead you Rot!)

Or is it something like, if you have known somebody for a very long time, you basically build a model of the person you know in your brain to reproduce their behaviour. In a sense a VR copy of that person based on your own experience.

So even if they are now dead, in a strange sort of way they are still alive, but only in your own brain. An sometimes you can access this model, if only in the dream world.

(Sort of like Dr Who and the Library)


Anybody else experienced this?

Any other thoughts on the matter?
 
wolfie138 said:
it's on your mind so it seeps into your unconsciousness and you dream it. nothing more paranormal than that.
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Like I say, do not think it is paranormal.

But it is interesting...(It is certainly an interesting experience!)

I may be wrong but I suspect that this is something that only happens to people as they get older.
 
Orionaut said:
What is actually happening here?
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It's a dream... most people have them.

Is it some sort of quantum mechanical communication from an alternative universe?
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Nope, it's a dream.

Or is it something like, if you have known somebody for a very long time, you basically build a model of the person you know in your brain to reproduce their behaviour. In a sense a VR copy of that person based on your own experience.
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You're overcomplicating it... it's a dream... yes dreams often involve people we know etc... and that is in turn based on our perceptions of them etc..

So even if they are now dead, in a strange sort of way they are still alive, but only in your own brain. An sometimes you can access this model, if only in the dream world.
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Not really - only in so far as they're alive in your memories of them... you don't need to sleep to remember them though, that's all you're accessing, your own memories.


Essentially I guess you could say we die twice... firstly our bodies die then we die again in two generations when no one alive even remembers we existed.
 
Found in OP's Driveway:


i-Stock-610648922-1.jpg
 
dowie said:
then we die again in two generations when no one alive even remembers we existed.
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Are you Greek? :p

Classical Greeks didn't believe in an "Afterlife" as such.

Your life after death was vested in the memories of those who remembered you.

That is why Alexander made the deal with the Gods exchanging a long life of obscurity in favour of a short one of eternal fame!

As things panned out, He got a damn good deal! :D

To this day, If you travel to anywhere in the ME and introduce yourself as "Alexander" you will still get dirty looks!

(It really is a bit like turning up to a Synagogue and introducing yourself as Adolf!)
 
@Orionaut who cares what it is, it seems to bring you peace and enjoyment. Don't overthink it, just take it in.
Wish you many more nightly visitations!
 
Dis86 said:
@Orionaut who cares what it is, it seems to bring you peace and enjoyment. Don't overthink it, just take it in.
Wish you many more nightly visitations!
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Nice thought. Thankyou!

:)

But me, being me, I want to know what is actually happening.

Take the US culture thing about the moving stairway to heaven.

If it was me, I would be looking over the edge to see how it worked and where the drive motors were!:p :D
 
When you see them how do you remember them? As they were when they died, younger, older etc?

The mind is an incredibly good story teller, the smallest of things can bring back memories and influence our dreams. Sometimes we can even take control, like with lucid dreaming which can be quite an odd experience.
 
have you recently stopped drinking or smoking weed? that brings on the dreams :p

seriously though...as said, it's just a dream, doubt it's related to age...I had a recurring dream when I was in my teens that a family member who had recently died had actually just been on holiday!... although as you get older more people you know die so you're more likely to dream about a dead person I suppose

if you've never had weird dreams with ridiculous stuff in them that could never happen in real life I could see why you might think there's any more to it...but they're just dreams
 
This is my view but it is quite negative so please ignore me :)

Lets get down to the smaller species like dogs and ants.

We are pretty sure dogs dream also, do you think the same could be happening to them? Would we think it is silly if a dog is communicating with its parents in its dreams? I think we would.

What about an ant, you might think it would be silly for an ant to dream? Every single ant that has ever lived, would we think it is ridiculous to say that every ant goes to heaven? Surely we couldn't be so elite-est to think that one species has an after life and goes to heaven, but to most I bet it would seem ridiculous an ant would also go to heaven?

We are made of the same building blocks as our smaller species and if you go back far enough according to scientists we all get traced back to sea life.

So to summarise. If we think there is an afterlife, do you think if we accidentally stepped on an ant, do we think this ant has an after life prospect also? Or does it just disappear from existence?. Just because we are a bit more intelligent then our other species on Earth doesn't mean we would get special treatment spiritually.

Every single beetle, every single ant that has ever lived, many billions upon billions, do they all have master plans? To me I don't think they do and because I don't think humans are special compared to other animals, unfortunately I don't have hope of afterlife's for us :(
 
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sityeuropa said:
We are made of the same building blocks as our smaller species and if you go back far enough according to scientists we all get traced back to sea life.
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Yeah and at what point in evolution did we get a "soul"... like one generation of apes suddenly got one but their parents with minimal difference don't have a soul etc...

Not surprising some religious people either don't like evolution or try to ignore/gloss over the awkward bits.
 
I would say faith can certainly help you move through life healthily, positively and mentally. I'm quite jealous.

I have a nihilistic view and its hard to detach from it.
 
I put dreams down to your sub concious mind doing a bit of housework tidyup in the background when your sleeping. Such as going back over memories from the day or recent time, and filing them away. Neural networks seem to build through repeated messages ... so maybe dreams are just your mind repeating those messages through itself to re-enforce the memory and its importance.

Then sometimes, it overspills into your consious mind, and so you become aware of it.

To the OP, I wouldn't worry about it, and as other say, just embrace it ... its your memories of your lost ones.
 
Puzzled said:
When you see them how do you remember them? As they were when they died, younger, older etc?
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Good question.

First time I consiously experienced this phenomena was shortly after my Dad died (12 years ago)

I was really upset at the time because this really shouldn't have happened, but it did so that was that. (another story)

I had this really strange experience where we were sitting opposite each other over the kitchen table. He asked me how I was doing, I said fine.

Then I said "You are looking very good for a dead person" He said "Yeah, its not so bad, are you <Coping with My Mum>"

I said fine.

I haven't seen him since, but I have seen other people.

This is not "Just" a dream, there are subtle differences. Seeing ones old friends doesn't work like a dream, it is rather more real.

(Again, until you experience this for yourself you really do not understand it)

As I have said, I am absolutely not invoking the supernatural here, I think this is just a way in which the brain works and how one remembers people who are/were close to you.

The emotional experience is very strong however

I do find the process/whatever fascinating however and I do want to understand what is actually happening..
 
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