Heaven...scary?

[hotsauce]

Larry King asked the other night..."if heaven is such a great place, why are people so afraid of dying?"

Now the answer may seem obvious...but really think about it.

Is it...

people are scared of the way they will "go" (pain, prolongation, etc.)

people have been christians all their lives...but still have a bit of doubt

people are scared of the unknown (but according to religion...it isn't really unknown...is it?)

Or, is it something else?

What are your feelings (personal, religious, or other)?

[Clint]

My mother says she's not afraid to die, she just doesn't want to be there when it happens.

[hotsauce]

wow! That is awesome! little candle flames? really? No great white light then?

I need to google little candle flames and near death. This is interesting. Wonder if more people have experienced this. One day I will have all the answers.

You wrote about "RA" before. I wanted to ask...but didn't want to pry. What is RA? I'm not familiar.

Originally Posted by hotsauce

Larry King asked the other night..."if heaven is such a great place, why are people so afraid of dying?"

Now the answer may seem obvious...but really think about it.

Is it...

people are scared of the way they will "go" (pain, prolongation, etc.)

people have been christians all their lives...but still have a bit of doubt

people are scared of the unknown (but according to religion...it isn't really unknown...is it?)

Or, is it something else?

What are your feelings (personal, religious, or other)?

I don't want to die. I want to live to see the future. what if everyone's wrong and nothing happens to you when you die. all i got to say is AAAAAAAAA

[Clint]

Jives,

I believe you. I had a similar but much shorter experience not very long ago. I was above myself while lying on the bed. No pain, no sense of heat or cold and no fear. I was however, not happy with what I was doing. I was thinking and saying, “this isn’t right….not now”, then the whole thing was over and I was feeling weak and shaky, wondering what had just happened to me. There wasn’t enough time to know what was going on beyond my being away from my body and questioning why.

This in no way explains death to me. It does give me the assurance that dieing is not painful in itself.

[Lon]

Originally Posted by hotsauce

Larry King asked the other night..."if heaven is such a great place, why are people so afraid of dying?"

Now the answer may seem obvious...but really think about it.

Is it...

people are scared of the way they will "go" (pain, prolongation, etc.)

people have been christians all their lives...but still have a bit of doubt

people are scared of the unknown (but according to religion...it isn't really unknown...is it?)

Or, is it something else?

What are your feelings (personal, religious, or other)?

At 70, I am a lot closer to croaking than most of the posters. Not believing in heaven or hell, I am not afraid of dying, I'm afraid of what I will miss out on. Their will be space travel for sure, more and better technology, a host of new and wonderful inventions, and I won't be around to see it. That really pisses me off.

[Lon]

Originally Posted by Jives

But surely you must believe in some kind of Creator, If not.... doesn't the prospect of death seem bleak and meaningless? Especially when faced with two people on this thread who are certain that existance doesn't end at body-death?



Well, hang around a while and maybe you can catch a ride on NASA's Ion drive engine...get up to 0.9C, whip around the sun a few times (about a year or two) and come back...you'll be over 100 years in the future!

Time Dilation Effect.

Besides, Lon....think of all the wonderful inventions you've seen in your life! You're typing on one right now, aren't you? The world has changed more in your lifetime that in all the previous centuries of mankind's history. You lucky devil!

Jives asked:
But surely you must believe in some kind of Creator, If not.... doesn't the prospect of death seem bleak and meaningless?

Sorry Jives, I just don't believe in any kind of creator, and the prospect of death seems no more bleak and meaningless to me than my existence prior to birth.

With a mom and dad that lived well into their 90's, I do plan on hanging around a bit longer. Besides, I bungy jumped 285 ft. off a bridge, into a river on my 65th birthday and plan to do the same on my 75th.

[abbey]

I'd love to believe that their is something or somewhere else when my time here is done, but the realist in me says no.
I read a report once that explained near death experience as a massive rush of endorphines to the brain when its starved of oxygen.
I think that astronauts get it momentarily when travelling at great speed, Halucination and feelings of euphoria are common when your brain is starved.

[smithy87]

I'm not scared of dying and I do believe there is something waiting for us after this life. I'm just scared of HOW I'm gonna die. I know it sounds silly but its something I think about. I'm I gonna drown, will I be in a fire? Its morbid but scares me

[hotsauce]

Originally Posted by abbey

I'd love to believe that their is something or somewhere else when my time here is done, but the realist in me says no.
I read a report once that explained near death experience as a massive rush of endorphines to the brain when its starved of oxygen.
I think that astronauts get it momentarily when travelling at great speed, Halucination and feelings of euphoria are common when your brain is starved.

I have to believe that they are trying to explain things that are very difficult to explain.