where are my loved ones?

I don't believe in an after life. But all I would say is that if someone finds comfort solace and strength from religious belief in this and in a God then that is up to them.
Providing those people only espouse a religious view that goes for kindness and peace to all. As moderate Islam tries to.
(Most of the other major religions have gone through periods of oppressive and violent doctrines.)

I do think meditation offers a great deal of benefit and comfort for those stressed and anxious. Does it matter if it's a "God" or an individual brain calming system? If it does not harm any one else and makes you feel good go for it.

Near death experiences have been shown to be caused by lack of oxygen to the brain. I am sure that out of body experiences are the same.

But of course that has nothing whatsoever to do with this thread.

I think this is an over simplification of the roles of the 2 sides of the brain

Broad generalizations are often made in "pop" psychology about one side or the other having characteristic labels, such as "logical" for the left side or "creative" for the right. These labels are not supported by studies on lateralization, as lateralization does not add specialized usage from either hemisphere
Both hemispheres contribute to both kinds of processes
(Wikipedia)

Halloween
I don't think I've ever read about where the spirit lies within our bodies.

I've never had a near death experience, only an out-of-body experience.

As I understand that if a spirit is earth-bound, the person who owns the building will contact a Catholic priest, who in turn, will call on a qualified exorcist.

luckyg Do I remember correctly? That one hemisphere is to do with abstract thought while the other hemisphere is more temporal?

The location of a spirit sounds like an aura. Am I on the right lines? Met someone who purported to see auras of different
colours, when looking round at our fellow BBS members.

Why is my preview message neat and but when it's posted it looks as awful?

Drat! More fireworks. Hope they've stopped by my bed time. Looked for a sleepy smiley - nothing Maybe one more Merlot hic

I worked for many years for a brain injury service and can confirm that our personalities are situated in our brains and have nothing to do with "spirit."

For me the concept of spirit is about value - each human being, however damaged by illness or injury, is unique and valuable and to be treasured, respected and nurtured, until the point at which they are recycled back to nature, and their atoms redistributed in the universe. Spirit is not something separate from the human being - a sort of nebulous something-or-another that floats about in isolation from our physical being.

Spirit doesnt have much to do with the brain.

Does spirit have to be tied to the brain? What about all the near death experiences when the brain is technically dead, or 'deja vue' happenings when something happens that we dreamed about long ago? Many scientists and doctors are now considering the possibility that the spirit does not need the brain or any part of the body. Could the brain be like a robot's software, the means for the operator to make the robot (or body) work. Even if a robot is programmed to learn, the operator still gets to learn along with the robot, and if you destroy the robot, the programmer is still alive and still has all the knowledge the robot had. So our spirit could be like the programmer, it can learn by using the brain, but is not dependent on it for existence. It can manifest itself through the body, using the brain (like a programmer controls the robot using a microchip) but doesn't need it for existence. I love this idea, not least because it means that in every person is an independent spirit that can live, love and learn, even if the brain is damaged.

Lucky Ducky - just the major ones, (Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, Islam) the idea is that religion is progressive, there is only one God, what is revealed is in accordance with our understanding and the needs of the time - the message gets perverted over time so it needs renewing and updated to suit changing conditions, but the basic spiritual truths are the same and unchanging. A simple example is that in Islam for example, given that Muhammad was talking to nomadic tent dwellers, cutting off the hand of a thief made sense to protect the community, (but there were strict conditions attached to it), today of course, it is needlessly cruel.

Rationally Heaven and Hades simply cannot exist, it's all too complicated. What about pre Christian souls? People of other faiths? what about people you don't like that much that you're bound to run into? people, like my mother, who would have two much loved husbands? the list of complications is endless. I would love to see people again who were much loved and long gone, but deep down I know I won't, they're gone and that's that. As for Hades, it doesn't exist , I think ithat the threat of everlasting torment was a good weapon to frighten people in the days when folk believed fervently in the afterlife. Mind you I think it was Voltaire, when on his death bed and asked to renounce the devil, remarked, that it was no time to be making enemies!!!!

Ana

(not funny, not funny!!)

Hi starbird

I like the idea of accepting all religions, though do you have to accept all of all religions?

I hope I'm long lived then, I've a long road to travel

Just as well, as no one's grave would be safe...

At least we don't have all our possessions buried with us as the Egyptians, Celts and other ancient civilisations did.

Exactly. It is not the possessions that are wrong in themselves for much good can be done with them, but it is when the focus of one's life is on the material rather than the spiritual. What a hard saying this is especially for us in the wealthy West.

The other interpretation is that the words camel and rope are similar and got mixed up in translation.

And my previous link referred to it:

this is part of the link:

The interpretation that seems to make sense is this. The "Eye of the Needle" was indeed a narrow gateway into Jerusalem. Since camels were heavily loaded with goods and riders, they would need to be un-loaded in order to pass through. Therefore, the analogy is that a rich man would have to similarly unload his material possessions in order to enter heaven

The camel bit is a mistranslation - see previous post.

Matthew 19:24New International Version (NIV)

24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

Your father, and others, ought to get their quotes correct....the important word is rich which appears to have been missed out

I don't believe in satan. If a person chooses to shut out all the potential 'good' in themselves, like love, compassion, etc they become evil. It's like turning off the light. You do not create dark, you just take the light away and darkness is all you have left.

If one of the chief angels in Heaven is wary of d, then it is wise to do the same.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. It says this at least twice in Proverbs and at least once in the book of Psalms.

jingl, why are you erasing the d from the Bible?

that

There is no 'him' (devil). And I think you know what hat quite well soon. Anyone would have to be weak minded to really believe such a thing.

soon, why fear ? Did you fear your earthly father?

The devil cannot touch you, you are in Gods light, I am trouble you hold do much fear

www.bibleinfo.com/en/questions/what-does-bible-say-about-death