Nell, sending condolences and love x you will be together again, I'm sure.

I believe that when you leave this earth you are outside of the limits of time so you wouldn't want to come back as you are all together with those you love anyway. A bit mind boggling, sorry!

"I go to prepare a place for you. If it were not so I would have told you". Jesus said that and I for one believe him.

Me too.

I have no doubt in my mind that there is an afterlife

And me.

I've been a practising Christian for 50 years, so for me the concept of life after death is integral to my faith.

I like to think of myself as a strongly practical person, but I am absolutely convinced that there are things we don't know and things that science cannot explain that it likes to brush under the carpet, pretending they have not happened.

I went to see a medium just to keep a friend company and with no expectations at all.

What I was told could not have been known to the medium, and there were even things which I didn't know, but were then corroborated by others or by subsequent events.

I have had staggering examples of synchronicity in my life. Some may call it coincidence, but the person who was responsible for one humdinger coming about told me there was no such thing as coincidence.
Those particular events involved someone who had died; others have involved people who were very much alive.

I am not afraid of death, I feel that there is nothing to be afraid of. Of course, if my end was to be less than peaceful, then the moment of passing might be fearful, but of death itself, no.
Canon Scott-Holland got it right in 'Death Is Nothing At All', I will just be in another room. We had that read at both my parents' funerals and I believe it absolutely.

mcculloch I've had a few strange "coincidences" as well. Here's a recent one: I had met a friend for lunch, she had completed treatment for breast cancer (chemo and surgery) and in the coming weeks would be starting radiotherapy. She is 42. I told her about a young relative of mine (R) who works in London as a radiographer and how she is passionate about her job and how wonderful (but unlikely) it would be if R could be the one to treat her. I left my friend and headed home, London is heaving with tourists. En route home in a busy, busy station with throngs of people, who should come walking straight towards me but R, the young radiographer. After the usual greetings, I told her the story and all she said with a smile was "You summoned me". Guess where my friend has been assigned for radiation treatment.

The mind is very powerful and can play tricks on you.

Far too was to write off a huge international history of these events as 'the mind playing tricks'. If you want to talk about 'minds' keep them open to new learning and experiences.

Posted too soon-easy not was.

Science has explained those end of life experiences as a rush of endorphins in the brain - probably nature's way of making death tolerable - I think animals have the same rush too; hence the reason individuals have a 'memory' of what has happened.

Perhaps it's God that provides those endorphins?

Never give up, do I?!

'Science' has a lot to learn!

What we think of as scientific facts, are in fact only theories and hypotheses that have so far not been proved wrong in spite of rigorous testing. However new discoveries and knowledge are advancing all the time, and many long held 'facts' have been and will continue to be, disproved while others take their place.

I agree with you wot

My husband was an agnostic and I'm a believer. I used to say to him that the belief that the universe was created out of nothing (correct me if I'm wrong) as opposed to the belief that it was created by a loving God are both equally difficult for us to grasp.

Our brains may possibly be too small to really understand what is going on, so I'm going for the God and the afterlife theory, got nothing to lose.

I used to think do but not now. My friend has absolute certainties in it and she thinks she us going to be with all her loved ones again. How nice to have that comfort. I think maybe in some way our DNA is recycled. However I do think you should try to leave this Planet better in some way than we found it and always try to be a little kinder to each other. The miracle of life is being here in the first place, however brief.

My Mum was a 'closet' Christian. She wrote down her wishes for her funeral, hymns and readings etc, and at the bottom wrote "I believe in the Afterlife". I have never felt her presence in the 19 years since her death but a friend who is very spiritual used to say "I heard from Dorothy today and she wants you to know that she is fine". Strange that, as the friend had never met my Mum... My Dad called it a load of mumbojumbo. Since DH died 4 years ago, I have never felt his presence around me or in the home we made together. He died and that was that although sometimes I wonder if he knows what I am doing and is looking down on me - I hope not although I must admit it would be comforting to feel he was still around me. None of us will ever know, the whole thing is a mystery ; I sometimes think it would be good to have a faith - such conviction. As for the tunnel with a light at the end: I had that aged about 9 when undergoing dental surgery. I whizzed down the tunnel and popped out at the end into the light, going from an unconscious to a conscious state, however 2 years later I suffered a head injury and was in and out of consciousness for some days (my Poor Mum thought I was dead). I had no recollection of any tunnels or light. I was just completely out if it and that is how I expect to die. Here one minute and then gone......no choir of angels and no blinding light. Perhaps I will be proven wrong?

My husband died 27 years ago. He was young, and I had only just given birth to our daughter. He had no religious beliefs, but when near to death he told me he was 'ready to go home'. He was in a hospice and I thought he meant he wanted to die at home. He said no, he didn't mean that, he meant 'home'. It was a great comfort to me to know he felt he was going somewhere he felt at peace with. I do believe there is a 'spiritual home' we all return to. About a year after he died I had an experience at home when I believe he was with me, and I believe he came to comfort his daughter. I think there is a lot we don't understand but I do think you have to be open to this sort of thing. I guess it's nice to have a little bit of mystery in life, and if there is an afterlife I hope it's easier than this one!

janieuk - I certainly hope for an easier life for you if there is an afterlife. You have obviously had it tough but you sound like a lovely person and I do agree with you that it's nice to have a bit of mystery in life. All good wishes to you and your daughter.

My Father "died" in 1988 and 12 years later communicated on my first visit tp a Spiritual church. The things which were told were very accurate and since then communications have been frequent and very helpful together with other "passed over" relatives and friends who have guided us and many others. We would say to anyone interested there is definitely a wonderful afterlife where everyone goes with no need for fear or anxiety.

What does everyone do in the afterlife? I'm worried I'll be bored........

Is there such a thing as boredom in the afterlife?
Maybe you have to go to hell to be kept busy.