What is the purpose of life after death ?

The concept of life after death is not founded on verifiable information. It does not have its origin in first hand reports or observable data achieving anything close to adequate scientific veracity. Resist the temptation to quote your holy book, cultures much older than yours have also held beliefs similar enough to be called life after death. Man has long entertained an idea consisting primarily of continuation after death. We have entertained this idea under the cover of numerous rationales, each replaced after sufficient generations by a new rationale. None of these afterlife rationales represent the folding in of new information, rather they are themselves folded into new religions, co-opted as it were into new cultural expressions.

The original question had me asking these questions:
Why do humans entertain the hope of a life after death?
What are the origins of this peculiar hope in an afterlife?
What benefits, for society or individuals, promote the maintenance of this belief?

After more thought I have begun asking these as well:
What does the nature of an afterlife tell us about its adherants?
What does an afterlife tell us about the needs, and societal stressors of its origin societies?

Of course they are questions, but they are questions with certain assumptions behind them that circumvent discussion of assumed results. Of course that is true of every question, its just that the assumptions here are very strategic. Overall, I would probably agree with them, but I would not say this of many of the people in this thread.

Understanding that time might not exist as we know it might be one explanation

constructing the ability to exist without form is that so hard to visualise?I am not flesh and blood to you

If there is no time, then there can't be movement. Time is the line between two points. Movement is the change of one point with another point. So if there is no time then there is just a single snap shot event that does not change or move.

This is what I mean by people rarely ever give it enough thought. You can't just toss out ideas and think, "Yeah this is how I would like it to be according to my belief." That doesn't work, it is nothing more than living in a fantasy land of make believe.



That's why I asked if you become a brain or intellect which would be formless. But saying formless is not easily written off. It means that there still has to be something that is you or not you, right? What I mean is, if we have no form then does our mind expand and fill up ever thing equally? So do all our minds overlap? How would you recognize anyone without form? You just hear their thoughts?

Or do you mean formless in an apparition? So a ghost that mimics your previous form but it is just a non-physical thing? But you still have arms, legs, head, hair, clothes, teeth, shoes and so on?

:confused: Can any one explain to the forum why there is supposed to be a life after death and what would the purpose of that life be ,

Thank you

I take it that this question is sarcastic.

The only purpose for the idea of a life after death is in this life. The purpose is to make us feel more comfortable about our fear of death, and the desire to reunite with loved ones when we die.

The concept of life after death is not founded on verifiable information. It does not have its origin in first hand reports or observable data achieving anything close to adequate scientific veracity. Resist the temptation to quote your holy book, cultures much older than yours have also held beliefs similar enough to be called life after death. Man has long entertained an idea consisting primarily of continuation after death. We have entertained this idea under the cover of numerous rationales, each replaced after sufficient generations by a new rationale. None of these afterlife rationales represent the folding in of new information, rather they are themselves folded into new religions, co-opted as it were into new cultural expressions.

The original question had me asking these questions:
Why do humans entertain the hope of a life after death? Hope
What are the origins of this peculiar hope in an afterlife? Primordial
What benefits, for society or individuals, promote the maintenance of this belief? People might live more carefully and righteously because they will account to a deity

After more thought I have begun asking these as well:
What does the nature of an afterlife tell us about its adherants? Question makes no sense

What does an afterlife tell us about the needs, and societal stressors of its origin societies? Belief in an afterlife makes accepting death much easier

Hello Hue,
I am curious why you think it was sarcastic? It seemed like genuine to me?

William

Q1: What benefits, for society or individuals, promote the maintenance of this belief?
A1: People might live more carefully and righteously because they will account to a deity

Q2: What does the nature of an afterlife tell us about its adherants?
A2: Question makes no sense

Q3: What does an afterlife tell us about the needs, and societal stressors of its origin societies?
A3: Belief in an afterlife makes accepting death much easier

Thanks for responding Alan :-)


I can definitely see that. I could see the "carefully" as a benefit to the individual and "righteously" as a benefit to the society.


I was just thinking that many different societies have formed notions of the afterlife and that there is some variety in what they came up with, which led me to wonder if there was some difference in the people originating the afterlife conceptions that could account for the differences in their ideas about the afterlife. Did that help the question make more sense?


I can definitely agree that modern, esp. Christian, conceptions of the afterlife could provide some comfort when contemplating death, but what about ancient Greek notions of the afterlife? They did not make it sound appealing at all.

The Norse and Muslim conceptions of the afterlife give a prime place to those dying in combat. That may speak to the stress that those societies were under as well as giving motivation and comfort to those engaged in battle...

In my opinion: Life after Death, the concept, is humankind's response to trying to reconcile in its self-aware, sapient consciousness, the knowledge of its own end. I believe its the very same horror many lifeforms have instinctively. The only difference, is that we're aware of it through our intellect.

Another way to say it is simple: A charming possibility that helps quell the fear of nothingness.

Khethil,it may be problem for certain people the thought of that enormous void of death, but for me even though i can and do prescribe to its possibility,i dont fear the possibility of that nothingness.I think many see my belief in the possibility as a security blanket,wishful thinking but not in least.It is either the final adventure or oblivion, either way I wont be disappointed.

Yea, on a personal level I'm with ya.

Assuming such a thing doesn't exist (and I've no reason to believe it does), then I was trying to come up with a "Where'd this idea come from?"-answer. Such was my musing...

Cheers

It does not always come from the need for salvation as many suggest with their smug comments.Experiences may drive the need to know.

Sure, I could see that possibility. Like near-death experiences? That kind of thing?

Thanks