Your Thoughts On Re-Incarnation...What Are They?

Cookie said:
http://www.skeptic.com/insight/proof-of-heaven/

Interesting, I read the Wiki info about this man and also an article in Skeptic, which is well worth reading.

His life definitely did improve after the experience, he had been in a lot of trouble as a neurosurgeon and falsifying records etc., yet after he published his book he made a fortune. Whose to say? How can anyone know what was really going on with him. People want to take him at his word, yet is his word reliable considering his professional history?
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Thanks for sharing that article Cookie. It does throw a lot of shade on his story doesn't it? I'd have to take his story under advisement in that case, but the one thing I could say (not in his defence) is that his is not the only incidence of NDE's reported over the years in other countries. Heck, even the Bible has a couple of what appear to be cases of NDE's. So while I'm going to quit putting this doctors name forward as an example, there are instances where people have reported similar events (and where they didn't go on to write books or start foundations). Again thanks for the heads up.
 
Your welcome, Debbie. Not trying to discredit the idea nor the doctor, and I agree I've also heard of many NDE cases. My elderly (93 yr old) friend out in BC is passionate about this subject and talks about it constantly as well as all things 'spiritual' and occult. I think many elderly people are looking for answers and are very quick to accept the stories and books about these kinds of experiences. Because I was once involved in a spiritual group to my misfortune (I really mean cult, but I'm getting tired of that word) I've become skeptical and try to learn about the techniques and methods of leaders of these groups to gain a following. Interestingly these leaders and writers on the subject seem to become very very wealthy in the process. That's always a red flag for me. Of course there are many authentic people who have these experiences that do warrant our attention and study.
 

Warrigal said:
Inherited memory is something that interests me too. I understand that mitochondrial DNA, unlike nuclear DNA, can be altered during the lifetime of the organism. These changes are passed on by our mothers.

I have always been surprised about the way I am stirred by the sound of the bag pipes. As a third generation Australian there is no reason why I should be affected by the music of the Scots. I am totally unmoved by indigenous music, including the digeridoo. Perhaps I have an inherited memory from my ancestors that is expressed by an affinity for Celtic music. It could be hard wired in my cells. Who knows?
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I feel the same way about the bagpipes. I have thought it is because of Scottish ancestors but so far haven't been able to trace the British branch of my family. I also thought the bagpipes were designed not only to stir the souls/spirits of the Scots but also of their enemies (in a negative way!). I love many kinds of music but the bagpipes ... well, not even a good pipe organ has the same effect on me.
 
Bettyann said:
Well, Warrigal, it took me YEARS to overcome the damaging affects I received from 'religion' from various religions in my fear-motivated searching for 'the right one' to 'please god.'
.... I don't mean to insult anyone that is sold on religion (I have the greatest respect for Buddhism, which isn't actually a 'religion' but a philosophy...its just not my OWN thing.... If organized religion works well for some that's great. You and I may have a 'good gifted life' in the present moment... but many, many do not...in THIS one life!
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Christianity isn't a religion. It's a relationship.
 
Debby said:
I thought everyone liked ponies:(
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That's mean, Debbie...but also funny.:laugh: I agree with Bonzo's conclusion, but I wouldn't go so far as saying its all "phony". There are charlatans embedded in every aspect of human life. I certainly believe that 99% of the people who have NDE's are relating what they honestly experienced.
Being a total non-believer in anything supernatural or spiritual, I just think there is a more mundane explanation. There is certainly enough there to bear investigation.
 
Well, I believe that most of the people who claim they have had NDEs have certainly experienced SOMETHING quite profound. I read somewhere that some docs explain it as basically a neurochemical thing as the body begins shutting down in the early phases of death -- the body firing off random neurons, etc., which could trigger a sort of hallucination. OR, it could be an actual short foray into the "other side." I don't believe this is a question that can be answered at this time.

However, I do believe SOMETHING has happened to these people, as many of them report very similar experiences, and many of them certainly did come back from death (on operating tables, after heart attacks or trauma, when doctors brought them back from that edge, and/or after a period when their brains were giving no clinical evidence of life).

Before my mother died, her oncologist explained to me that death of the body isn't an instant thing, as different bodily systems shut down at a slightly different pace, so maybe this is something that happens during that short interval.

Very interesting.
 
Christianity is a religion. Just as a species has defining species, so do religions.

Here is one attempt to list them

In his book Religions of the World, Niels Nielsen presents 12 common characteristics found in most religions.

  1. Most religions include belief in the supernatural (spirits, gods, God) or belief in some other Ultimate Reality beyond, yet connected to, human experience and existence.
    A. Hindus acknowledge 330 million gods and one Ultimate Reality, the Brahman, which is beyond all names and forms.
    B. Christians consider themselves Monotheists, but Muslims reject the doctrine of the Trinity as a dangerous possible form of Polytheism.
  2. Religions distinguish between the sacred and profane (or ordinary) in terms of time, space, objects, and people.
    A. Mecca is different from Milwaukee for Muslims.
    B. Christmas and Easter are the most sacred days in the Christian calendar.
  3. Religions strongly encourage or require prescribed ritual activities for individuals and communities of faith.
    A. Rituals connected to birth and death frame the lifecycle in all religions.
    B. Most religions celebrate and reenact sacred stories through annual rituals.
  4. Religions commonly promote a moral code or ethical principles to guide individuals and communities.
    A. The Ten Commandments anchor legal and moral requirements in the biblical tradition, while shari'ah ("Islamic law") should ideally govern Muslims in an Islamic state.
    B. Following the path of the Buddha includes vows of poverty and chastity, as well as dietary restrictions, for monks.
  5. Religious life engages and incorporates common emotional and intuitive human feelings.
    A. These feelings include a sense of the wonder and mystery of existence, joy, guilt, and the bond experienced in the community.
    B. Religious worship often appeals to feelings of guilt and remorse, as well as joy and thanksgiving.
  6. Religions both encourage communication and provide ways to communicate or connect with the divine.
    A. Individual and corporate prayers are visible among Christians, Muslims, and Jews.
    B. Hindus and Buddhists refine meditative techniques in order to discover the truth that is accessible within.
  7. Through sacred stories, the religions provide a coherent worldview.
    A. The meaning of creation has to somehow fit into a logical pattern that explains how we get from where we are to where we hope to be.
    B. Stories about the lives and teachings of the great religious leaders underscore the nature of the human predicament and offer guidance on how to realize the fullness of a hopeful future.
  8. Religions organize life for individuals--including dress codes, personal sacrifices, and appropriate occupations--in the context of their respective worldviews.
    A. A Buddhist monk wears a saffron robe and has a shaved head.
    B. A Muslim woman wears the hijab, a traditional, loose-fitting covering that may include a veil.
  9. Religions require and promote social organization and institutional forms to carry out the necessary functions of worship and leadership, preserving orthodox teachings and practices.
    A. Protestant Christians don't have a pope, and Sunni Muslims don't have ayatollahs (supreme religious leaders) as Shi'ite Muslims do.
    B. All communities, however, have religious functionaries and institutional structures.
  10. Religions promise an inner peace and harmony despite the vicissitudes of life.
    A. Discovering meaning that transcends physical existence enables people of faith to overcome the challenges posed by disease, evil, and injustice that permeate life and society.
    B. The religions that have stood the test of time have offered hope and meaning that move beyond mere physical survival.
  11. Suffering and Compassion:
    Suffering and compassion are common themes in most religions.
    See Compassion
    Compassion and the Search for Common Understanding
  12. Religions typically offer a future hope through the coming of a new age or a better existence in the afterlife.
    A. Most religions anticipate the coming of a gifted person (for example, the Jewish messiah, the Second Coming of Jesus, one final incarnation of the Hindu deity Vishnu, or one last manifestation of the Buddha) who will help usher in a new age of peace and tranquility.
    B. The future hope may be realized in a new heaven or new Earth or a blissful existence beyond this physical life.
  13. Religions must propagate themselves through the recruitment of new members and procreation within the community of faith.
    A. Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam are the primary "missionary" religions in the world.
    B. Most religions require marriage and procreation within the community as the primary source of new adherents.
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Butterfly said:
Well, I believe that most of the people who claim they have had NDEs have certainly experienced SOMETHING quite profound. I read somewhere that some docs explain it as basically a neurochemical thing as the body begins shutting down in the early phases of death -- the body firing off random neurons, etc., which could trigger a sort of hallucination. OR, it could be an actual short foray into the "other side." I don't believe this is a question that can be answered at this time.

However, I do believe SOMETHING has happened to these people, as many of them report very similar experiences, and many of them certainly did come back from death (on operating tables, after heart attacks or trauma, when doctors brought them back from that edge, and/or after a period when their brains were giving no clinical evidence of life).

Before my mother died, her oncologist explained to me that death of the body isn't an instant thing, as different bodily systems shut down at a slightly different pace, so maybe this is something that happens during that short interval.

Very interesting.
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I think you have it down exactly right, Butterfly.
 
Warrigal said:
Christianity is a religion. Just as a species has defining species, so do religions.

Here is one attempt to list them
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"All you need is love. All together now!
All you need is love. Everybody!
All you need is love love
Love is all you need."
:heart:
Just having some fun here, Warri, but making a statement as well.
 
Warrigal said:
Well, to some the Fab Four still constitute a religious experience.
Usually brought on by smoking a herbal cigarette. :grin:
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Truth is I never gave them much thought either way. They were way after my time. Now lets talk Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. That's a religious experience!
 
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