Thoughts on reincarnation

[Angushjalmur]

Originally Posted by skarlorn [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Sorry bud, but you've confused the material universe for being the entirety of existence. If you're sincere about this line of inquiry, there are some ancient texts from the Buddhists (namely Tibetan book of the dead) as well as plenty from Hinduism that delineate the existence of the spiritual-infinite world and the material world. These ancient religions state that the human body is no different from a material animal who lives purely for sense gratification except for the our soul, which allows us the ability to engage in spiritual development and escape this plane of suffering.

Tl;dr material (atomic) energy is finite. God energy is infinite. Spirit/soul comes from god energy.

I think you misunderstood me, brother Skarlorn. Spiritual energy would fall into a realm other than the material universe, though all dimensions are in some way connected, at least at times. Strange supernatural phenomena occurring when the fabric of this reality rubs and intertwines with another. Spirits not being material means that there must be at least one other reality in which they reside while not inhabiting a physical form. I'm not sure I agree with the goal being escaping the suffering of the material plane, as a soul wouldnt return here once escaping the first time. It might just be god (me) returning here to experience mortal life to fend off the divine ennui of infinity and eternity.

Originally Posted by skarlorn [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

However, the people you suggested as spiritually undeveloped (seekers of material wealth as life calling) etc, would probably be considered young souls that have not made much progress in their former lives, or only recently began human expressions of existence

Interesting take with the young soul theory, but I believe all energy that will ever be has already been created. The only way for this to happen is if energy in one form is somewhere being converted into spiritual energy.

Originally Posted by Spyder73 [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

The Georgia Guidestones are a construct sponsored by uber-rich racist Eugenicists who plan to wipe out 90% of the world population.

Can't say I dont support depopulation and eugenics, provided the right group is propagated. It would make for a much nicer arena for the deserving spirits to inhabit physically

[skarlorn]

Originally Posted by Angushjalmur [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Interesting take with the young soul theory, but I believe all energy that will ever be has already been created. The only way for this to happen is if energy in one form is somewhere being converted into spiritual energy.

Please understand Brother Angushjalmur that spirits come from the infinite spirit skies and are simply bound to our bodies like confused children at boarding school. There is only an ebb and flow of the spiritual energy into the material round, not a creation/destruction.

[Tolgrim]

It's a thought but it still sounds like a very far stretch to me. Just enjoy and live life. I find that worrying about whether or not I'm going to hell or where I'll go when I die just makes me miserable. But it is fun to ponder on. I personally believe when we die. Well, we die. There's nothing more. Once the brain dies so does our consciousness. Just like before we were born.

[Trollhide]

The human soul and by extension the afterlife are fictional constructs of our fragile human ego's inability to process the fact that we just aren't as important as we think we are. We came from nothing and will become nothing.

Quite literally, YOLO.

[Angushjalmur]

Originally Posted by Trollhide [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

The human soul and by extension the afterlife are fictional constructs of our fragile human ego's inability to process the fact that we just aren't as important as we think we are. We came from nothing and will become nothing.

Quite literally, YOLO.

In order to assert this claim, you must have already experienced death firsthand, and have been reborn retaining previous consciousness, thus proving the existence of souls and a world aside from this one while denying it exists.

[Trollhide]

Originally Posted by Angushjalmur [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

In order to assert this claim, you must have already experienced death firsthand, and have been reborn retaining previous consciousness, thus proving the existence of souls and a world aside from this one while denying it exists.

The same can be said of any belief regarding an afterlife. What's your point?

[Whirled]

So, if a person dies, you feel he reappears in another form, here on Earth and continues this cycle? Why not another life form on a distant planet? What about the many other things that live off of methane gases or stuff our science is just scratching the surface of? Or do oxygen breathing souls have to continue as the former dead selves?
/ponder

[Angushjalmur]

Originally Posted by Whirled [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

So, if a person dies, you feel he reappears in another form, here on Earth and continues this cycle? Why not another life form on a distant planet? What about the many other things that live off of methane gases or stuff our science is just scratching the surface of? Or do oxygen breathing souls have to continue as the former dead selves?
/ponder

I didn't say that, and yours is certainly a reasonable assumption. Life is life, and statistically isnt exclusive to earth. Souls wouldnt breathe or require anything a physical body would require. It's not outside the realm of possibility that a soul that once inhabited a carbon based life form may also at some point inhabit a silica or sulfur ect based life form

[maskedmelon]

Dunno what I think about reincarnation specifically as I not given it much thought. In fact, I generally abstain from any serious consideration of supernatural things because there can be no solution and that, for me, is absolutely maddening. I prefer to rule my delusions from atop the high mount of deviance. There is no place for irrational thought outside of me.

A couple of thoughts though ^^

1. Life is finite. Whether a soul or a thing's energy survives an encounter with death, a life has ended.
2. Death is infinite. All things die and outside of a handful of exceptions, remain that way, indefinitely. Death is persistent.

Death is the nature of reality.

[Spyder73]

I like to think that energy neither being created nor destroyed means that in some way we live on forever. Will we have a recollection of this life? No. But that isn't a bad thing. imagine if you lived a horrible life - crippled/blinded/maimed/tormented/retarded/stupid/ugly/fat - There any number of things most people probably wouldn't want to remember. Maybe your energy makes you a tree for a while, or maybe a bird, or maybe a millionaire pimp. In the infinite timeline of the universe you can be anything/everything at some point.

I do believe that we are all part of the Earth and our energy feeds it and lets it continue to renew itself, but if the universe is infinite and Time is perhaps meaningless, everyone will eventually be everything.