What do you believe you can take with you?

[Penumbra]

I've heard people say that money or material possessions aren't all that important because you can't take them with you when you die.

The question here is, what do you believe you can take with you to the afterlife? Some people believe that they'll basically get their bodies and personalities back in a resurrected paradise. Others believe personality persists but not the body. Others believe personality doesn't persist but individual pure consciousness does. Some believe that not even individuality remains, and that you merge back into the ocean of conscious existence. And of course, there are people that believe that death means oblivion, that consciousness is an emergent property of physical matter and that upon destruction of that physical matter, consciousness is dispersed and no longer existent.

What do you believe? What do you have now, that you believe that you'll have, or that will matter, in the afterlife?

-Body?
-Race?
-Gender?
-Wealth?
-Personality?
-Memories?
-Relationships?
-Virtue?
-Knowledge?
-Wisdom?
-Individuality?
-Consciousness?
-Something else?
-Nothing?

 

[Sunstone]

And of course, there are people that believe that death means oblivion, that consciousness is an emergent property of physical matter and that upon destruction of that physical matter, consciousness is dispersed and no longer existent.

I think that's the best guess. Nothing. Not even karma. As Sagan might say, we were born of star stuff and we might eventually return to star stuff.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

Nothing except the mark you made on other people's minds and society.

 

[nazz]

First off, I must say that what I am is a near-attributeless being who experiences and acts in this physical world. What I like to call "the I behind the my". This is a matter of knowledge, not mere belief. The death of this physical body I inhabit, even the loss of things like personality, memory, and consciousness itself, would have no effect on the existence of this being. But without consciousness I would have no awareness of myself or anything else.

However I do believe there is a conscious experience after physical death and that NDE's and paranormal research are good evidence supporting that notion. If NDE's and the results of paranormal research are an indication of what the afterlife is like then it would include consciousness, memory, personality, and even some kind of fuzzy, nebulous body.

What happens after that I can't say. I am open to a variety of possibilities including reincarnation, heavens, hells, ghost-like existences, or absorption into the Godhead. I think where one is at spiritually speaking would determine the outcome.

ETA: I think gender may pass over from life to life and this may explain transgenderism.

 

[1137]

Whatever I'm buried with.

 

[Ashoka]

The only thing I believe survives death is the Jiva (soul), that which does not die.

 

[Penumbra]

The only thing I believe survives death is the Jiva (soul), that which does not die.

What is your definition of a Jiva? What attributes does it have?

 

[Ashoka]

What is your definition of a Jiva? What attributes does it have?

My definition is a kind of monist-dualist look at it (dvaitadvaita). The Jiva is not the same as God, but it is made of the same essence. The Jiva can be seen as an expansion of God, kind of like rays coming from the sun. It's immortal and deathless, the Self.

 

[idea]

what do you believe you can take with you to the afterlife?

I believe loving relationships continue beyond the doors of death...

(New Testament | Matthew 6:19 - 21)
19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Mormons don't get married "till death do you part", we get married for time and all eternity. We seal ourselves to our children and parents for time and all eternity. I believe the treasures in heaven are others we know and love.

 

[Sumit]

We inherit
Gender {In 90% of cases}
Personality
Memories
Virtue
Knowledge
Wisdom
Individuality
Consciousness or Soul.
Edit... And our Karmas

 

[nazz]

My definition is a kind of monist-dualist look at it (dvaitadvaita). The Jiva is not the same as God, but it is made of the same essence. The Jiva can be seen as an expansion of God, kind of like rays coming from the sun. It's immortal and deathless, the Self.

Hmm, I understand that to be called Atman and that the jiva was the individuated soul?

 

[Breathe]

-Body?
-Race?

No.

-Gender?

Completely unsure.

-Wealth?

Naked in, naked out, so no.
Kind of a shame, because I think Hell money rocks. I wouldn't mind being buried (if I were to be buried, I'll probably cremated) with a coin in the mouth and/or on the eyes.

-Personality?
-Memories?
-Relationships?
-Virtue?
-Knowledge?
-Wisdom?
-Individuality?

Definite possible to at least some of these.

-Consciousness?

Big C Consciousness, yes.
Little c consciousness, no.

-Something else?

Probably.

 

[captainbryce]

I've heard people say that money or material possessions aren't all that important because you can't take them with you when you die.

Matthew 6:19-21
19 “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. 21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.

The question here is, what do you believe you can take with you to the afterlife?

Only my own soul.

Some people believe that they'll basically get their bodies and personalities back in a resurrected paradise.

Okay, well then when you put it that way, this is what I believe also.

Others believe personality persists but not the body.

The bible says that we do have a body (although it is a different body than the one we have now. Our bodies will be transformed into perfect bodies.

Philippians 3:20-21
20 But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. 21 He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control.

1 Corinthians 15:53
52 It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. 53 For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.

Others believe personality doesn't persist but individual pure consciousness does.

I don't see one can be distinct from the other. What would an individual consciousness distinct from any other if there was no personality? Personality is built largely on memories and experiences. So unless our consciousness has "forgotten" all of that, how could it not have personality?

Some believe that not even individuality remains, and that you merge back into the ocean of conscious existence.

Interesting. I wonder what this belief is based on.

And of course, there are people that believe that death means oblivion, that consciousness is an emergent property of physical matter and that upon destruction of that physical matter, consciousness is dispersed and no longer existent.

I also believe this. And I believe that this is ultimately the fate of anyone who is not saved from death (as the bible teaches).

What do you have now, that you believe that you'll have, or that will matter, in the afterlife?

-Body? Yes, but a new, perfect one. Not the one I have now.
-Race? There is no such thing as "race"
-Gender? Not sure. That's something interesting to ponder.
-Wealth? Yes. But not financial wealth as we know it, but spiritual wealth.
-Personality? Yes.
-Memories? Yes. But only the good ones. Bad memories will be erased. [Rev 21:4]
-Relationships? Yes. And they will all be wonderful, fulfilling relationships.
-Virtue? Of course.
-Knowledge? Yes.
-Wisdom? Yes.
-Individuality? Yes.
-Consciousness? Yes.
-Something else? There is also the "unknown element". I'll find out when I get there.

 

[Sleeppy]

Good will and power.

 

[StarryNightshade]

While I do believe in an afterlife, I don't think we take anything worldly with us, because, well, I don't believe the afterlife is a literal place. I believe it is a state of being.

However, in the end I can't be 100% sure for the simple fact that, as far as I know, I have never been dead.

 

[George-ananda]

What do you believe? What do you have now, that you believe that you'll have, or that will matter, in the afterlife?

-Body? Non-physical bodies (for a long time but not forever)

-Race? Initially we'll think of ourselves as a continuation of the same person

-Gender? Initially we'll think of ourselves as a continuation of the same person

-Wealth? No

-Personality? Initially we'll be a continuation of the same person

-Memories? Yes

-Relationships? Initially we'll continue our relationships with some individuals

-Virtue? Yes

-Knowledge? Yes

-Wisdom? Yes

-Individuality? Yes, but it will continue to change/evolve

-Consciousness? Yes, consciousness is not physical

-Something else? taxes

 

[Aquitaine]

Nothing except the mark you made on other people's minds and society.

Which also eventually "dies" and ceases to exist.

 

[George-ananda]

Nothing except the mark you made on other people's minds and society.

Right, like how often we think about each of our 8 great-grandparents and the marks they left on society.

 

[nash8]

-Body?
-Race?
-Gender?
-Wealth?
-Personality?
-Memories?
-Relationships?
-Virtue?
-Knowledge?
-Wisdom?
-Individuality?
-Consciousness?
-Something else?
-Nothing?

Any number of these things. I believe your soul is essentially a code represented as a resonant frequency. Whatever is so prominent in your life to be engrained in this resonant frequency will be carried over. I believe in reincarnation, so these things will come back in some way shape or form when your "base frequency" is reincarnated.

As for consciousness, I believe we are conscious in between lives, but I have really formed an opinion on how this consciousness is the same and/or different than it is when we are incarnate.

 

[Erebus]

Good question! I'll have a go at answering. Please bear in mind though that I'm largely agnostic about an afterlife and prone to changing my mind on a regular basis.


-Body? No
-Race? No
-Gender? No
-Wealth? No
-Personality? Not much
-Memories? Not much
-Relationships? Possibly, probably not though
-Virtue? I don't like that word, too subjective. I'll say no.
-Knowledge? Possibly more than we currently have. More likely less or none.
-Wisdom? As above.
-Individuality? About the same as now. That is to say, less than we think.
-Consciousness? Kind of, without a brain I think we'd perceive things very differently.
-Something else? A shadowy half-existence assuming we don't simply disappear or become something else.
-Nothing? Not quite

My idea of the afterlife is closest to the Greek idea of the Underworld (minus Tartarus and Elysium). I see it as a shadowy, misty place where the dead exist in a sleep-like state. Just as with deep sleep you're not conscious, but it's certainly not nothing either.
I also believe that the dead can be roused from this sleep for various reasons and that when roused they would be somewhat akin to how they were in life, but not quite. Still a shadowy being with more of a connection to death and the dead than with life and the living.

It's hard to put exactly into words, but that's kind of the point. It's ethereal, indistinct and, for want of a better word, dark.