Atheists and Afterlife views

[Meridiani Planum]

Atheists don't believe in the existence of deities, but there is no requirement that they not believe in afterlives. Atheists may vary in their views on the possibility of an afterlife.

I'm an atheist, and I believe that nothing that makes us the unique individuals we are truly survives death. Our personalities pass out of existence. At best, I can say that there is life after death, but the life that exists after my death won't be my own.

So, as a non-believer in gods, what are your views on life after death?

[Tubbsalot]

I sincerely doubt there are many atheists who don't believe in a higher power, but still believe in an afterlife. Chances are, almost everyone here believes we rot in the ground.

Good luck though!

[Dyakovo]

Atheists don't believe in the existence of deities, but there is no requirement that they not believe in afterlives. Atheists may vary in their views on the possibility of an afterlife.

I'm an atheist, and I believe that nothing that makes us the unique individuals we are truly survives death. Our personalities pass out of existence. At best, I can say that there is life after death, but the life that exists after my death won't be my own.

So, as a non-believer in gods, what are your views on life after death?

Pretty much the same as yours I guess... Don't really think about it.
I'm fond of the idea of reincarnation, but couldn't say that I believe in it.

[The Blaatschapen]

For me there is no life after death. And it's also irrelevant to me, once I'm death I don't care

[Meridiani Planum]

I sincerely doubt there are many atheists who don't believe in a higher power, but still believe in an afterlife. Chances are, almost everyone here believes we rot in the ground.

I'm certain that rejection of an afterlife will win by a landslide. That is not interesting. It is the exceptions (if they exist) that should prove interesting, even if they are rare.

[Carlitonia]

I like to think that there's some sort of afterlife, because it'd be a bitch if life just ended after death.
Just like the idea of a "God", I can't grasp the idea of an "afterlife" either.

[Augustenborgh]

I agree with everyone so far. To claim that some kind of "soul" should pass into another existence after death is just rubbish from my point of view, and maybe somewhat disrespectful to life and nature itself - we need to be happy with the life we got and enjoy it to its fullest. Good for those who believe, but i don't really care about death. It's life that matters.

[Barringtonia]

I used to think reincarnation would be a good idea given choice, and I'd settled on the Koala Bear as my choice. Nothing but sitting around in the warm sun getting stoned, sleeping and generally having a good time.

Then I learned that in order to prepare the stomach for what is essentially poison in terms of their main diet, a baby Koala eats its mother's shit for the first couple of years until its stomach can handle raw eucalyptus.

So, with that dream crushed, I'm happy to be wormfood to be honest.

[The Beautiful Darkness]

I'm fond of the idea of reincarnation, but couldn't say that I believe in it.

Yeah, this.

[Bryn Shander]

I'll find out what's on the other side when I get there. Unless there's nothing. In which case I won't be around to care.

[Conrado]

I'm an atheist. I have no way of knowing what awaits me upon death, but there's no way to know what it is. More than likely, there is nothing.

Personally, I'd like to enter Odin's Golden Hall in Valhalla upon death, but that's just a pipe dream.

[Bryn Shander]

I'm an atheist. I have no way of knowing what awaits me upon death, but there's no way to know what it is. More than likely, there is nothing.

Personally, I'd like to enter Odin's Golden Hall in Valhalla upon death, but that's just a pipe dream.

You have to die in battle to qualify for Valhalla.

[Cabra West]

Atheists don't believe in the existence of deities, but there is no requirement that they not believe in afterlives. Atheists may vary in their views on the possibility of an afterlife.

I'm an atheist, and I believe that nothing that makes us the unique individuals we are truly survives death. Our personalities pass out of existence. At best, I can say that there is life after death, but the life that exists after my death won't be my own.

So, as a non-believer in gods, what are your views on life after death?

None. I don't believe there is one, it wouldn't make sense on any level at all.
Unless you take the view that as your body gets recycled by nature, you're contributing to new life.

[Showtek]

I sincerely doubt there are many atheists who don't believe in a higher power, but still believe in an afterlife. Chances are, almost everyone here believes we rot in the ground.

Good luck though!

And the world is flat.

[Tubbsalot]

I sincerely doubt there are many atheists who don't believe in a higher power, but still believe in an afterlife. Chances are, almost everyone here believes we rot in the ground.

Good luck though!

And the world is flat.

I'm afraid the wooshing sound I heard may have been your point flying right over my head.

[Xirnium]

It’s curious that in the near infinity of existence that is the lifespan of the universe, our present is located at the very, statistically insignificant moment when we experience self-awareness. Even ignoring for a moment the almost unscalable mountain of improbability of accidents that brought us into existence at all, it’s strange that the universe should be exactly old enough for us to exist and not a trillion years older, long past our deaths.

And then there are those metaphysical philosophies that treat time as an illusion, or more specifically reject the notion of a present. To me, this sort of gives self-awareness the illusion of timelessness. Not sure if you were asking for musings like this or something more supernatural. That said, I still fully expect oblivion when I die.

[Showtek]

I sincerely doubt there are many atheists who don't believe in a higher power, but still believe in an afterlife. Chances are, almost everyone here believes we rot in the ground.

Good luck though!

And the world is flat.

I'm afraid the wooshing sound I heard may have been your point flying right over my head.

Evolution of thought: there is much we do not comprehend because no one has observed it yet; I find it humorous that many of those who believe the universe is expanding because we expect to be expanding can dismiss the possibility of a different type of energy being a part of conscious beings. It holds as much ground scientifically as, say, the existence of dark matter [aka transparent matter].

[Bormanico]

I do believe in a stronger probability of afterlife. Why? Let me answer with a question. Why do Atheists not believe in God? Because theres no proof. Well... i have no proof of the afterlife but i have heard of first hand experiences which make me question it, at least.

This happened with an Aunt of mine, which is infinitely more skeptical on everything related to religion. She's a judge and she is very objective and analytical, and absolutely despises everything related to the supernatural. One day, she had something fucked up happen to her and she got sent to the hospital. She was in a coma for a couple of weeks. She told me that while she was in a come she would wander around the hospital in spirit form (sounds stupid, bear with me). When she woke up, she knew the names of every employee in the hospital (she had never been to that hospital before). The people at the hospital were shocked.

She told me this, and i believe her because i know her very well and have met few people more sensible and level headed. I don't expect others to believe it, but i have heard of other similar accounts that do make me wonder.

[Xirnium]

Evolution of thought: there is much we do not comprehend because no one has observed it yet; I find it humorous that many of those who believe the universe is expanding because we expect to be expanding can dismiss the possibility of a different type of energy being a part of conscious beings. It holds as much ground scientifically as, say, the existence of dark matter [aka transparent matter].

Well one is required in certain understandings of cosmology and the other is wishful thinking. Occam’s razor.

[Tubbsalot]

Evolution of thought: there is much we do not comprehend because no one has observed it yet; I find it humorous that many of those who believe the universe is expanding because we expect to be expanding can dismiss the possibility of a different type of energy being a part of conscious beings. It holds as much ground scientifically as, say, the existence of dark matter [aka transparent matter].

The thing being that there is evidence - implied evidence, but evidence nonetheless - for the existence of dark matter... there's no reason for a Higher Energy (if you will) to exist, there's no evidence for it, and if it exists it certainly hasn't affected us so far.

[Allbeama]

I do believe in a stronger probability of afterlife. Why? Let me answer with a question. Why do Atheists not believe in God? Because theres no proof. Well... i have no proof of the afterlife but i have heard of first hand experiences which make me question it, at least.

This happened with an Aunt of mine, which is infinitely more skeptical on everything related to religion. She's a judge and she is very objective and analytical, and absolutely despises everything related to the supernatural. One day, she had something fucked up happen to her and she got sent to the hospital. She was in a coma for a couple of weeks. She told me that while she was in a come she would wander around the hospital in spirit form (sounds stupid, bear with me). When she woke up, she knew the names of every employee in the hospital (she had never been to that hospital before). The people at the hospital were shocked.

She told me this, and i believe her because i know her very well and have met few people more sensible and level headed. I don't expect others to believe it, but i have heard of other similar accounts that do make me wonder.

You realize that this proves nothing whatsoever, right?

[Zandan]

I do believe in a stronger probability of afterlife. Why? Let me answer with a question. Why do Atheists not believe in God? Because theres no proof. Well... i have no proof of the afterlife but i have heard of first hand experiences which make me question it, at least.

This happened with an Aunt of mine, which is infinitely more skeptical on everything related to religion. She's a judge and she is very objective and analytical, and absolutely despises everything related to the supernatural. One day, she had something fucked up happen to her and she got sent to the hospital. She was in a coma for a couple of weeks. She told me that while she was in a come she would wander around the hospital in spirit form (sounds stupid, bear with me). When she woke up, she knew the names of every employee in the hospital (she had never been to that hospital before). The people at the hospital were shocked.

She told me this, and i believe her because i know her very well and have met few people more sensible and level headed. I don't expect others to believe it, but i have heard of other similar accounts that do make me wonder.

You realize that this proves nothing whatsoever, right?

I don't think it was meant to prove anything. Only showing that some have reason to believe that an afterlife exists.

[Cabra West]

I don't think it was meant to prove anything. Only showing that some have reason to believe that an afterlife exists.

By telling a story about what happened to someone who was still alive?

[Zandan]

I do believe in a stronger probability of afterlife. Why? Let me answer with a question. Why do Atheists not believe in God? Because theres no proof. Well... i have no proof of the afterlife but i have heard of first hand experiences which make me question it, at least.

This happened with an Aunt of mine, which is infinitely more skeptical on everything related to religion. She's a judge and she is very objective and analytical, and absolutely despises everything related to the supernatural. One day, she had something fucked up happen to her and she got sent to the hospital. She was in a coma for a couple of weeks. She told me that while she was in a come she would wander around the hospital in spirit form (sounds stupid, bear with me). When she woke up, she knew the names of every employee in the hospital (she had never been to that hospital before). The people at the hospital were shocked.

She told me this, and i believe her because i know her very well and have met few people more sensible and level headed. I don't expect others to believe it, but i have heard of other similar accounts that do make me wonder.

You realize that this proves nothing whatsoever, right?

I don't think it was meant to prove anything. Only showing that some have reason to believe that an afterlife may exist.

[Helgrin]

Evolution of thought: there is much we do not comprehend because no one has observed it yet; I find it humorous that many of those who believe the universe is expanding because we expect to be expanding can dismiss the possibility of a different type of energy being a part of conscious beings. It holds as much ground scientifically as, say, the existence of dark matter [aka transparent matter].

The thing being that there is evidence - implied evidence, but evidence nonetheless - for the existence of dark matter... there's no reason for a Higher Energy (if you will) to exist, there's no evidence for it, and if it exists it certainly hasn't affected us so far.

Perhaps the gravity effect that the scientists have observed and believe is Dark Matter is the effect of parallell dimentions. Their gravity affecting our dimention. Just to bring it back to topic, it could be a parallel universe in which the dead dwell(I just said that because it sounded cool). Or maybe it's the gravitational pull of "spirits" or something.
I reckon there might be something after death. All cultures around the world think that there is. I haven't heard of a culture that doesn't have some form of afterlife.

By the way, I'm an agnostic, so I don't know if I qualify to post on this thread...