Will you remember...? (Life after Death)

Member Name: chrispitts

Product:	Life after Death
Date:	25/07/02 (87 review reads)
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I've been tempted to write an op in this category for some time now, but today, it seems more appropriate than ever.

I'm a doctor. I've got this afternoon off to go to my wife's grandmother's funeral. I've also just seen a man with cancer. He's only just found out. And then, as some of you may know, my Mum's dying of melanoma. So I've had plenty of opportunities to think about what happens after someone dies.

I can't begin to debate life after death without mentioning religion. I've been confirmed into the Church of England. Like many, I don't go to church often, but still view christianity as my "core religion".

Views on life after death vary considerably.

Some believe in reincarnation - that you come back as someone or something else. Evidence for this is suggested by hypnosis, in which people recount incredible details from "previous lives". In some cases, these details are not known about until much later (locations of buildings, contents of documents), when they are uncovered by archaeologists. Seems convincing. But I don't really believe that.

Some believe in heaven (or valhalla, or nirvana...) and hell. As a christian, I suppose that's the view I should take. But I refuse to believe in the "pearly gates" vs "eternal fires of hell" belief system.

Most views on "life after death" come from the belief that a person's "soul" is a seperate entity to their "body" or shell. Now that's the first thing I believe. I've seen many people die as part of my job. I've seen the moment when, in my view, the soul leaves the body. Medically, the eyes become fixed at the moment of death. Non-medically, you can see something change in a person's face at the moment of death. I do believe that when a body is cremated or buried, it is just that - a body. The soul - the person's ch
aracter and qualities and values, has gone elsewhere. But where?

Do souls just float around aimlessly? Are they aware of floating around, or not? Can they choose where to float? Obviously, there are no answers to this, but, again, I have my doubts.

As to "near-death experiences" - I agree, there seems to be some convincing evidence for this, but I personally believe that if there is a God, He knows when someone is going to die, and when they aren't, and he's unlikely to make mistakes ("I'm coming to get you... oh, no, actually, I'm not"). It just doesn't seem like God's way. Some might view this as those idiot doctors playing God, and pulling people back from death when they should rightfully be sitting in heaven. Well, put it this way, I've had no complaints so far from my patients...

In terms of death itself. Yes, I agree, it's something we are all generally afraid of. But people who know they are dying seem strangely calm and accepting. Why? Do they know something we don't? I remember being talked to by some door-step religious people (I won't mention the religion...), who tried to persuade me that people should rightfully live forever. After laughing for some time, and medically debunking that idea, I also mentioned to them that there would be a bit of an overcrowding problem if no-one died. Personally, having been involved in death for my entire working life, I know that when it's my time, it's my time, and I'll accept it. I'll be a bit upset and annoyed, but there you go!

So, we've got to this stage, and I haven't actually said what I believe. OK then, here goes...

I believe that when you die, you are no longer a concsious entity. You don't function in the same way at all. There's no looking down on friends and family, no chats with long-dead relatives (but then how do I explain psychic mediums?)... I think the soul floats a
round - as I said, as an unconcsious thing. Maybe echoes from this soul can be picked up by tuned-in people (mediums), or maybe that's just one big hoax - the jury is out on that one.

I personally think that we all live on after death. Not in the traditional, religion-based sense, but in the things we leave behind on the physical world, the things we've done, the people we've known... And that links in nicely with the Heaven and Hell idea as well. If you're well-respected and loved, or you've done many good deeds, people will remember that. Hey, maybe you'll even get a shopping centre named after you, or a statue. But if you've been nasty, bad, rude... people will remember that side of you. So my message to all is:

Don't fear death. Make the most of life, and make sure when you die, there are enough people who care, enough things you have done, enough individuals you have "touched", even in a small way, that you will be fondly remembered when you have gone. That, to me, is heaven enough.

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