With regard to the death of the soul (the topic in question), I believe that the inner perception of life that we call the "I," can not die, as it is not a separate, perishable entity, but part of the universe itself. 

It may be that the "I" within us can, in some way be absorbed into God or reality and that the individual point of perception may cease to exist, if certain conditions are met.

That conjecture aside, several spiritual adventures I've read seem to document more of a soul-hibernation, where the person, while living,  was so convinced that there was nothing after death, that he/she entered a deep slumber upon dying which went along with his/her belief system.  These cases, we have referred to in discussions as soul statues; people who appear unmoving in the astral realms, who can only be roused with great effort.  Even in these statue-like states of hibernation, the inner light of life and perception exists. 

Will Matthew (myself) exist as an immortal being with my current ego attachments, hopes, dreams, fears, etc.? - Lord, I hope not!  I look forward to evolving, and shedding the trappings of fear and issues that earth life generates.  My own opinion is that physical immortality would be an awful fate, as one would be stuck on earth, unable to evolve, with all the hindrances of the physical world to our spiritual perceptions. 

M

Matthew,

Christianity is based on the quest to produce a new kind of unconditionally loving human being.  The New Testament values Christian doctrines insofar as they serve as catalysts to produce such people.  Of course, many Christians fall short, but churches view themselves as welcoming spiritual hospitals who accept people just as they are and then try to facilitate spiritual growth.  So of course, one can view the lowest common denominator through a jaundiced eye.  

The Catholic church recognizes God's goal of producing unconditionally loving human beings, and so, teaches that many non-Christians fit the category of "anonymous Christians." THEY would include you and others like you in that category.  The early days of the Catholic teaching, "no salvation outside the Church," are long gone.  So we need to be very careful in the way we assign religious groups to specific religion-based hollow heavens.  Swedenborg's astral travels discover Catholic bishops in hells and Catholic peasants in the higher heavens.  In the afterlife, the quality of one's inner life and core desires will be a more important factor in one's "astral level" than the dry facts of one's belief system.  

I have beaten a Catholic university in a sex discrimination lawsuit and have deposited my winnings in a nice monthly fund to gives me financial security for the rest of my life. I have been exposed to the darker side of Catholicism more than most.  Yet in my new town, I am in awe of the moral quality and unselfish altruistic industry of local Catholics.  Because of their spiritual light, they are growing in leaps and bounds.  Prior to my arrival, they enticed several people away from local Protestant churches, including my own.  More power to them!  I have a wonderful working relationship with local Catholics in giving time, energy, and a lot of money weekly to meet the desperate needs of the local poor.  We must learn to take people one at a time.

The Jesus of Howard Storm's NDE is particularly intriguing because He does not fit modern stereotypes of Jesus; yet His teachings can be independently verified by analyzing the ancient neglected Jewish background that shapes them.  Then there are all the angelic apparitions that Storm experiences after his NDE that secure his miraculous recovery and, in one case, are witnsssed by an independent observer.  If I have time, I may start a thread on Storm's book in the near future.

Don

There are a lot of well known writers who haven't had any spiritual experiences.  If they had, they wouldn't believe that is noble to want your existence to come to an end.

There is absolutely nothing wrong whatsover to want your existence to last for all of eternity. In fact, once you find out how absolutely wonderful and joyful existence can be, it would be absolutely insane to want your existence to come to an end. Actually, it would be impossible to want your existence to come to an end once you find out how wonderful and complete it can be.

What's next? It would be egotistical for God to want to exist for all of eternity?

The ability to think, learn, understand and comprehend, aren't the same thing as egotism.



Rog_B wrote on May 22^nd, 2009 at 4:31pm:

Roger:

I agree that self-centered existence isn't the way to go.  I don't get the impression that you see things precisely as Chesterton believes.  It is hard to say for certain since all I know about him is what you wrote.


Rog_B wrote on May 22^nd, 2009 at 5:23pm:

Sidey wrote on May 22^nd, 2009 at 7:56pm:


What is eternity?  Is it infinity?  I do not think so...
I don't look at living for a long time as work.
Life is meant to be enjoyed most of all.
Also we always need change and I am sure we have all changed a lot since our beginnings...

I believe it is HOW we live within ALL of our lives...3D or other wise is interesting and fun.
Sure there is some 'work' to it but, life would be boring if all we did was goof off all the time.
We need challenges and I believe that is what reincarnating is all about.
Challenge! That is where the 'learning' is at.  Not Drill & Kill type learning...
Experiences...now that is the fun kind of learning and living.
Call it 'On the Job Training....'  

We live in a Free Will/ Freedom of Choice Existence.
We made the CHOICE to be in the here and now.
So we all must know something more then what we chose to forget while we are HERE...now...  
(Especially NOW....in this time frame on Earth I believe we all made the choice to be here for something wonderful)

Then we we move on from this 3D life we then have the RUSH of meeting ALL of our families and friends once again...
We play, relax, share our lives with one another again...

THEN....After X amount of 'Time' which can be eons to what we call time on Earth...

Rinse and Repeat!  

Some of us dwell that this is all as so much work or it is too painful and not worth it.
Or say, "I don't want to come back here again..."
Well, let's answer that after we are done here on this go around...We just might have a whole different perspective about it ALL.

Here is Robert Bruce's answer to this question.

Quote:

I totally understand and agree with Robert's answer.  He did not say that we are unable or unworthy of pursuing our spiritual destiny.  However, the fact of the matter is that our physically conscious minds are just a minute aspect of our larger consciousness.  I know this from experience.  I wouldn't say our mind/essence changes after death.. I would say that it is opened to its true, greater reality, without the limitations of the physical world in its way.  True, we carry with us our beliefs acquired from the physical life just lived, but as these shed, we begin to realize,understand,learn more and more about our true selves and our true spiritual nature.  I have read of NDEs where the person dies and immediately connects with the universal consciousness which we are a part of, and instantly remembers everything about their greater reality and higher self.  I would say that this answer really cannot be truly known until we experience the answer directly.

Try to imagine not existing.  It is impossible.  The intuitional state of knowing and the strong connection with my higher self which are opened during projections into higher levels have given me the knowledge that I will never cease to exist and that I am infintely and eternally unconditionally loved.