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Author Topic: Death & spirituality  (Read 2689 times)

EclecticWheel

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Death & spirituality
« on: October 15, 2016, 10:56:08 am »
This post is aimed particularly at those who do not believe in the continuation of awareness after death.  You die, and that's that.

This comes to mind because I had a conversation with a friend this morning who is unsatisfied with values without a rootedness in eternal life.  I failed to see how it makes a practical difference.  Though he usually seems the cool headed philosopher he stood up and screamed and screamed at me.  I wondered, if nothing matters in such a case, why does he say it would matter to him, and why is a philosopher filled with such anxiety at the thought of dying?

As for myself I value human life and other life forms instinctually.  I am content to let morality develop from those basic instincts that evolved and leave it at that.  I could agonize over the eventual heat death of the universe.  But by instinct I will get on with life and can acknowledge that all I value is temporary with no further rational, eternal justification.

As I see myself there is no static self, no unchanging driver in the seat.  The self is emergent from the universe, temporary, changing, always being revised, and not in control.  My self depends on everything being exactly the way it is, interdependent with everything, emergent.  One way of thinking of it is that the self is everything.  So in a sense there is no one to die.

Of course this may not seem enough to my friend.  He wants his awareness, memories, and form to endure permanently, so he is very allured of Christianity.  I simply don't entertain such ideas as plausible and am at more peace seeing myself as a temporary emergent flux within everything, eternal in that it took every moment and thing to make this one eternal now.  I do not fear falling asleep: I just don't want it to hurt much!

If you see death as the end of consciousness how do you address it spiritually?  Do you have a particular theology?  Do you have devotions, such as to a personification of death in deity form?  Are you at peace?
« Last Edit: October 15, 2016, 11:00:33 am by EclecticWheel »
My personal moral code:

Love wisely, and do what thou wilt.

Snake-Bitten

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Re: Death & spirituality
« Reply #1 on: October 23, 2016, 01:40:02 pm »
Quote from: EclecticWheel;197511

If you see death as the end of consciousness how do you address it spiritually?  Do you have a particular theology?  Do you have devotions, such as to a personification of death in deity form?  Are you at peace?

 

I do not share your belief, but if I did, I imagine that my thoughts on death would be the same as they are now. Life is for living, not for worrying about what comes next.

Elding

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Re: Death & spirituality
« Reply #2 on: January 11, 2017, 05:23:11 pm »
Quote from: EclecticWheel;197511

If you see death as the end of consciousness how do you address it spiritually?  Do you have a particular theology?  Do you have devotions, such as to a personification of death in deity form?  Are you at peace?

 
I hope you don't mind me answering here, since I DO believe in a life after death... though, not necessarily the life of me as I know myself. The person I am right now is temporary. You might even say, I'm a mask, a facet in the jewel. And that mask is going to be taken off, and I will 'become dead' as they say in the Old Accounts, and I don't expect my memories or my identity to tag along with me into the afterlife. They might, or they might not. But for the sake of discussion, lets assume it's the latter.

The idea of absolute death would make it even more spiritual in its nature if you ask me. It would make working with it, and coming to peace with it, ever more important. Because it would create for an absolute removal of second chances, and an even more focus on getting things right in THIS life, because we won't come back to set out old mistakes right. So creating something lasting for our children ect., would be even more important than ever before. And the only dying moment we get... well, it can be hell on Earth, or we can prepare, and go in peace.

I'm not at peace yet. I wish I could say I am, but if I were to die right now, I would have regrets, and I would be afraid. It is something I want to work on more. Until I feel somewhat prepared, I suppose. It's inevitable regardless.
Out in the woods, and I\'m not alone, but the sun\'s quickly going down!
There! In the trees! Something stalking me! Stop walking around!
\'K, just be cool, don\'t be such a fool! There is nothing at all to fear...
... other than the trees and the night and a beam of light, and the breathing in my ear...
[/I]

Night Owl

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Re: Death & spirituality
« Reply #3 on: January 13, 2017, 03:27:35 pm »
Quote from: EclecticWheel;197511

If you see death as the end of consciousness how do you address it spiritually?  Do you have a particular theology?  Do you have devotions, such as to a personification of death in deity form?  Are you at peace?

 
I'm personally a fan of the idea that the soul and the ego are different things- the ego being a construct of the mind and the soul being the thing that might survive death. What happens after that doesn't matter to me-- because at that point what makes me 'me' will be gone anyway.

Lumpino

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Re: Death & spirituality
« Reply #4 on: March 05, 2017, 02:40:18 pm »
Quote from: EclecticWheel;197511

This comes to mind because I had a conversation with a friend this morning who is unsatisfied with values without a rootedness in eternal life.  I failed to see how it makes a practical difference.  Though he usually seems the cool headed philosopher he stood up and screamed and screamed at me.  I wondered, if nothing matters in such a case, why does he say it would matter to him, and why is a philosopher filled with such anxiety at the thought of dying?

As for myself I value human life and other life forms instinctually.  I am content to let morality develop from those basic instincts that evolved and leave it at that.  I could agonize over the eventual heat death of the universe.  But by instinct I will get on with life and can acknowledge that all I value is temporary with no further rational, eternal justification.

.........................................

Of course this may not seem enough to my friend.  He wants his awareness, memories, and form to endure permanently, so he is very allured of Christianity.  I simply don't entertain such ideas as plausible and am at more peace seeing myself as a temporary emergent flux within everything, eternal in that it took every moment and thing to make this one eternal now.  I do not fear falling asleep: I just don't want it to hurt much!

If you see death as the end of consciousness how do you address it spiritually?  Do you have a particular theology?  Do you have devotions, such as to a personification of death in deity form?  Are you at peace?


I think that it will be a bit complicated.
1/ For example there are evocations of  Hells demons. See Magia naturalis et innaturalis by dr. Johannes Faust. What does it mean?
2/Why was performed ancient mysteries? See Apuleius, Golden ass. Iamblichus, Theurgia or Mysteries......
3/What is astral and mental travelling?
 
And many other things. What do you mean about? Many things clearly shows that life does not end with death of the body.
But what will happens next is a very complicated matter.

EclecticWheel

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Re: Death & spirituality
« Reply #5 on: April 18, 2017, 10:48:38 am »
Quote from: Lumpino;203460
I think that it will be a bit complicated.
1/ For example there are evocations of  Hells demons. See Magia naturalis et innaturalis by dr. Johannes Faust. What does it mean?
2/Why was performed ancient mysteries? See Apuleius, Golden ass. Iamblichus, Theurgia or Mysteries......
3/What is astral and mental travelling?
 
And many other things. What do you mean about? Many things clearly shows that life does not end with death of the body.
But what will happens next is a very complicated matter.

 
I am not at all convinced of an individualized afterlife, but not sure this is the place to debate it and it is beside the point of my thread.
My personal moral code:

Love wisely, and do what thou wilt.

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