Chumley,

I truly feel sorry for you.  Many of your assumptions are simply incorrect.  A scientist named Lashley did experiments with mice, where he would train them to run a certain maze.  Then, he would remove sections of their brain, figuring he could localize memories of how to run the maze.  No matter how he burned their little brains (disgusting as that is to animal lovers like myself), the rats maintained their memory.  He came to the conclusion, that consciousness/memory for them was not in any one location in the brain, but everywhere at once.  This right brain/left brain dictum is greatly overstated.  There are neuronal pathways interconnecting our brains in many convoluted ways.  I believe, myself that Lashley is correct, in that the brain is more of a receiver of the spirit than the creator of our thoughts.  But the dualism you see.  Conscious/unconscious, right brain/left brain, is all a construct of our intellect, and is not real.

Freud postulated the id/ego/and superego.  His theories held true for many situations.  Your hypothesis doesn't ring true for him.  These are all intellectual constructs.  They are interesting, but come and go.

The notion that I am divided in two is, to me ridiculous.  Most spiritual teachings and religions consider the true nature of all things to be connected and one.  These divisions are mental constructs, employed by our rational minds. 

For those who have explored into F27, and with astral projection, many have reported visiting memory centers and having past live memories restored.  Completely restored - if this is to be believed.  I'm still on the fence about this.

Descartes wrestled with these issues, but finally said "I think therefore I am."  This is you, your conscious mind with thought and intent.  In meditation, you can merge with a more universal mind and soul, and truly learn new things.

If you take your conscious thoughts to a dark and fearful place, and if thought is all there is when we pass, than for a time, a person is most likely to experience dark and fearful things.  I choose not to  do so.

Best to you,

Matthew

Chumley said
"In the last couple of years, "spiritual" matters have become a compulsion for me (accounting for about 60% of my time on the Web...)"

Are you also researching and trying real life spiritual adventures?  For me the experience goes hand in hand with the reading and investigative aspect of it.  The "aha" may come after some time of sifting through both kinds of learning. 

It's good to see you again--your "penmanship" is a bit  softer to the ear...

love, blink

Well, that's pretty much self-explanatory, isn't it. 

In the Afterlife, there's enough room for everyone to have their own private universe.

That's one way to look at it, Spitfire. 

Another is that, like Christopher Reeves, a person can choose to live out a higher purpose than that of their own pleasure.  I'm sure there were many days he wished he had not survived, but he found the strength to live on for his wife and son, and found worthwhile things to do for his fellow men, all while never giving up hope that he might forge new ground in finding new medical advances for his condition.  The world needs more people like him.  His was a meaningful existence, even after a terrible accident and a fate that many would shun.

love, blink

You sound like a man(? you didn't specify your gender, or if you did, I missed it) after my own heart.
Go to the top of this page (page 2 on this thread) and read what I wrote up there in response to DocM's header post.
There is evidence that the ancients who first conceived of the afterlife, WEREN'T trying to comfort themselves... they were more, well, DESPERATE to try to save themselves from what they thought would naturally happen to their MINDS after their bodies were sloughed off.
Also check out:

http://ww.divisiontheory.com/

And see what you think.
The website proprietor (Novak) maintains a Christian perspective on this ancient theory (which is found in different cultures all over the world) but it is not necessary to be a Christian (I'm not) to see the implications of the theory, and cast some light on the historical (and even pre-historic!) roots of religion (which you are QUITE interested in, unless I miss my guess.)

Chumley

@ Blink: You make a good point, but im sure that superman, if given the choice would not have chosen to live a higher purpose and would have kept his mobility.

Alot of people, are bound my things other then love, such as, honor, dutie to ones family as you said, this to me could be a form of love, for it's a decision you must make each and every day. But on the other hand, he's not given the choice, because of what he believes in, i dont know where he is religous or not, but we all fear what we cant sense, and ending ones life, is not an easy task, unless your mental state is very degraded.

Most people, no matter how badly injured would not choose to end there life, because the body's instincts of self presevation are to strong to overcome.

Even he has some things going for him. He has a family, fame, a purpose.

People who i feel worst for are those who have no supportive family, no fame, and seemingly no purpose in life except to suffer.

Then again if i knew 100% id get somthing out of it at the end of my life, i would put up with it. But since we mortal beings dont get a how existence works manual, it's hard to know whats best for anyone.

@ Chum: Indeed im an 18 your old guy, and you make a good point, i think the "you get to do whatever you like best all the time in the afterlife", is abit of a falicy.

For if the afterlife does exist, then you will no longer have a pshyical body giving you urges, such as eating, sleeping, drinking, running a marathon etc.

Which is why i guess we come down to earth etc to have experience's which we cant in the afterlife (if it exists).

i have read a few books which claim, ancient people lived on earth, long ago, im not very inclined to believe this, because theres no evidence, not 1 artifact etc, you can often find some trace of man, somewhere, unless the full earth has gone and flipped it's entire crust.

The best proof for an afterlife ive seen, are mainly NDe's, (Near death experiences). As they sound logical to me, and also Plausable with modern neuro since explaining that our conscoiusness operates at a quantum level. And they say how it can leave the reciever of the brain when a persons body comes near to death.

Im not to sure about being able to visit the afterlife totally unless you meet this requirement, it seems to me if you think about a subject for hours on end, when you sleep or enter a trance, your dream will evolve around what you have previously been thinking of.

Look into edgar casey's work also, i find it very intresting, especially since he could get very accurate infomation about things without being there.

Id try to look at the link, but it seems it's down or incorrect.

Laters