My DD works in an ICU with obviously very sick people and finds a lot of the patients get an ICU "psychosis".

Given that, and the sort of stories and culture of Christianity most of us will have been raised in will be present in the minds of most of patients.

I wonder what sort of delusional thoughts, ideas, etc cultures other than the Judeo/Christian/Islamic traditions, (which all have the same roots), might be like.

I only have had one experience making me wonder. During radiotherapy, my lung was damaged causing me real problems with breathing. One afternoon it got so bad I had to go to bed. I was exhausted trying to breathe and wondered if it was worth the effort. At that point, I remember seeing both my parents (long dead) coming towards me holding out their arms towards me encouraging me to join them. I don't remember any bright light or music at all but it was very vivid. I nearly went to them but decided there were still things here I needed to do, and they left.

A medical friend suggested that this was hallucination caused by severe lack of oxygen getting to my brain, which makes sense.

Make of that what you will.

Christians believe the message of Jesus, that all who believe in him will not perish, but will have everlasting life in Heaven.
If that's not true, then Jesus was either the biggest liar that ever lived, or he was insane and deluded, or he didn't exist at all. So,if you don't believe there is an afterlife, which of these statements do you think is true?
Just asking!

If I am bring entirely serious and a bit maudlin, I hope a little of me will live on in DDs and maybe even in DGCs. That would be an achievement to be proud of,

Well that depends on what you have been up to?

Repent of what for God's sake?!

jingl that is what I mean. Anything of me that might live on after my life is over will be in the impact I may have had on others..but I will never know!

I am happy for others to have a different view as long as they do not use their views to try to impact on my life /opinion/belief.

Don't agree. End of.

There is heaven.

And there is hell.

And we need to be ready.
It is very important.
We need to repent.

But you won't be living that, will you? Other people remembering you is a different thing altogether.

Sorry, but the end is the end. There is no loving God waiting to enfold us under any sheltering wing.

I hope not! When my turn on earth is done I hope my afterlife is in the people left on earth who care about me.

No. Just a big nothingness. Like a dreamless sleep. What's to fear?

Good eh?

I know many people who believe in God and many who don't. I don't think it is that easy to change anyone's mind. I believe and hope but don't know anymore than anyone else.

I like that, durhamjen! My dad, who was very clever, believed that too.

This talk of people waiting for you is scary. What if I got to whatever and found my ex waiting there?

But why???????

We tell our grandchildren that when granddad died all his energy went into everything else, just like energy from the sun and the stars goes into making food for us and other plants and animals.
Grandad's energy could be anywhere in the cycle of life. They prefer to think he's still vegetarian, though, a goldfinch in the garden, rather than the blackbird pulling out a worm.

Human beings seem to be hardwired to seek answers that make sense and to impose reason where there is none. We would like there to be an "end product" and for there to be some reason to living, loving etc. - that does not mean that any of these are true.

It is indeed an unending (?) wheel - the cycle of life: we live, we die and our atoms return whence they came and someone else gets a crack at life.

There has to be an ultimate end product though. Otherwise it's just a big unending wheel.

Why assume it's just for nothing, just because there is no afterlife. Surely it's for everything we do in this life, trying to make the world a better place for future generations.

I like to think if the person who dies didn't believe in the afterlife .....they'll be really surprised when they get there

Agree with Anya, no

But surely if we go through all the journey of life; loving, learning etc there should be some reason for it. The miracle of birth, animals, nature can't all be a just for nothing?????? Arghhhhh! If only I didn't care! And my brain would stop questioning.

I know what you mean wot - there are many people who I think are so lovely they should go on forever. But I accept that life is just tough and our wishes are not always granted.

I know Soop is a lovely person. I don't know why I thought like that. Perhaps because she is lovely it seems such a waste for her not to go on forever. Maybe I'm nuts.