Do you believe there is some form of self-conscious life after death?

[steve s]

No. I expect it to be just like it was before I ever existed.

Steve S

 

[Thor 2]

You will , given time , imo . If not in this life ,then the next . With eternity, the blink of an eye , the wait is irrelevant .

You know this is something I find extremely irritating. Theists gloating about how we are going to find out how wrong we were after we die.

We atheists however, although quite secure in our knowledge regarding the non existence of Heaven/ Hell, do not have the satisfaction of knowing the theists will find out how wrong they were. Grrrrrrrrr....

 

[Thor 2]

ynot,

For the purpose of this exercise you can put me down as a definite NO.

The slight glimmer of probability of thought transfer being able to enable it, is so slight as to be almost non existent. In the future though, after we evolve to be equipped with, or science equips us with, a USB port, perhaps it may be possible.

 

[Jodie]

Yes, I've discussed why ad nauseum on here already so won't elaborate.

Ynot, it looks like you've got twice as many votes as you do comments. It looks pretty good to me unless a herd of "no'ers" came by between the time you commented and now.

 

[ynot]

ynot,

For the purpose of this exercise you can put me down as a definite NO.

The slight glimmer of probability of thought transfer being able to enable it, is so slight as to be almost non existent. In the future though, after we evolve to be equipped with, or science equips us with, a USB port, perhaps it may be possible.

Wonder why you seem to be reluctant to vote to register your NO.?

 

[ynot]

Yes, I've discussed why ad nauseum on here already so won't elaborate.

Ynot, it looks like you've got twice as many votes as you do comments. It looks pretty good to me unless a herd of "no'ers" came by between the time you commented and now.

Yes I'm please with the overall number of votes but had hoped more of the believers would've voted. Early days perhaps?

 

[TheGoldcountry]

I voted no. While it might be comforting to think that death is not the end, there seems to be no evidence to suggest any kind of continuing consciousness.

We don't exist before we were born, we won't exist after death other than in the memories of those we leave behind.

Pretty much how I feel. Many dead loved ones, they still exist inside me, but I will evaporate someday. Enjoy people while they are here.

 

[TheGoldcountry]

You know this is something I find extremely irritating. Theists gloating about how we are going to find out how wrong we were after we die.

We atheists however, although quite secure in our knowledge regarding the non existence of Heaven/ Hell, do not have the satisfaction of knowing the theists will find out how wrong they were. Grrrrrrrrr....

Also, when theists go "What if you're wrong?" I always say I will say, "Sorry, God, I was mistaken." If I am his creation, He should have a little forgiveness.

 

[JayUtah]

"Do you . . . ?" means right now, today. Not "May you in the future?".

Indeed, I can't dispute your response. It just makes me want to change my answer to No.

 

[ynot]

Indeed, I can't dispute your response. It just makes me want to change my answer to No.

My fault due my inadequate wording. Perhaps if better explained others wouldn't have voted “Not sure” either. As I said earlier, I think including "Not sure" options was wrong anyway.

Don't think the differential of the vote numbers represents the differential of the member numbers so far. Not sure why more believers don't want to play. It's not like the poll has a gotcha.

 

[abaddon]

I had to vote no.

I suppose it is vaguely possible, but why would anyone think that it is true with not a scrap of evidence of any sort? To me personally, that seems deeply irrational. If one pushes the question, one always ends up by various circuitous routes with faith, the irrational belief that the irrational is real.

I still recall the first time many years ago I encountered a BAC. I was a teen bloke, she was hot, we were young students working to fund college, there was flirting but no action. Nevertheless, I had romantic hopes. Out of the blue one day she asked "Have you found Jesus?". Thinking it a jest, I quipped "What, you lost him? Where have you searched? Shall we organise a search party?"

That did not go down well. Her eyes actually glazed over as her cherished beliefs were challenged. She pronounced me the spawn of satan and so forth. I confronted management with it, but it being a union house, the best they could do was make sure we were never on shift together. We are talking the archetypical bunny-boiler. Management knew it.

So the bottom line is that I voted "No". Thousands of years have passed. Any evidence that any deity of any stripe exists? Nope. Should evidence turn up in the future, I am open to changing my mind. So far over millenia, nobody can produce any, therefore "no" the vote must be.

 

[ynot]

I had to vote no.

I suppose it is vaguely possible, but why would anyone think that it is true with not a scrap of evidence of any sort? To me personally, that seems deeply irrational. If one pushes the question, one always ends up by various circuitous routes with faith, the irrational belief that the irrational is real.

I still recall the first time many years ago I encountered a BAC. I was a teen bloke, she was hot, we were young students working to fund college, there was flirting but no action. Nevertheless, I had romantic hopes. Out of the blue one day she asked "Have you found Jesus?". Thinking it a jest, I quipped "What, you lost him? Where have you searched? Shall we organise a search party?"

That did not go down well. Her eyes actually glazed over as her cherished beliefs were challenged. She pronounced me the spawn of satan and so forth. I confronted management with it, but it being a union house, the best they could do was make sure we were never on shift together. We are talking the archetypical bunny-boiler. Management knew it.

So the bottom line is that I voted "No". Thousands of years have passed. Any evidence that any deity of any stripe exists? Nope. Should evidence turn up in the future, I am open to changing my mind. So far over millenia, nobody can produce any, therefore "no" the vote must be.

There doesn't have to be a god for there to be an afterlife (that's just the most popular method ).

 

[Mcreal]

For there to be some form of self-conscious life after death, there would have to be activity in and cognition by one's brain. That cannot happen without an oxygenated blood supply.

 

[ynot]

For there to be some form of self-conscious life after death, there would have to be activity in and cognition by one's brain. That cannot happen without an oxygenated blood supply.

Some believe that consciousness isn't merely the product of a blood-fed grey walnut in the skull. What say you to them?

 

[Loss Leader]

I had the great pleasure of actually being dead for a minute. My heart was completely stopped. EMT's used a defibrilator on me while I was still awake. I can report the following: The time between my death and my rebirth (about 1 minute) did not exist for me. It was not like sleep. It was not like nothing. It was less than nothing. It was not black. It was absolutely devoid of anything.

So, I voted No. And every time I hear some stupid anecdote about seeing a light or angels as evidence of an afterlife, I wonder why my anecdote doesn't cancel out that one.

 

[ynot]

I had the great pleasure of actually being dead for a minute. My heart was completely stopped. EMT's used a defibrilator on me while I was still awake. I can report the following: The time between my death and my rebirth (about 1 minute) did not exist for me. It was not like sleep. It was not like nothing. It was less than nothing. It was not black. It was absolutely devoid of anything.

So, I voted No. And every time I hear some stupid anecdote about seeing a light or angels as evidence of an afterlife,

Sounds like conscious sedation where you're fully conscious but remember little or nothing. I had that once for a colonoscopy. Apparently saw everything on a screen but only remember the camera about to go in, a brief view of the inside, then the doctor saying "We're all done". Spookier than any paranormal bright light.

I wonder why my anecdote doesn't cancel out that one.

Perhaps you're not destined for the place of bright lights and angels.

 

[fuelair]

Would like that, but NO!!!

 

[alexi_drago]

No, life is a beautiful arrangement of chemistry, that is all.

You may as well be asking if a rock has self consciousness.

 

[Kid Eager]

As the poll is a survey of *belief*, it really doesn't matter why, or whether that belief will change if and/or when further information comes to hand.

tl:dr - poll should only have two options: yes/no.

 

[Craig B]

I voted no. I see the mind brain dependence argument as utterly irrefutable. If the brain ceases to exist, as it does after death, then the survival of a conscious personality is out of the question.