A typical day in heaven.

In My Humble Opinion
21

Agnostic with open mind. I tend to think one of three things will happen:

  1. Nothing. I die. Lights out.

  2. Metaphysical afterlife - a “What Dreams May Come” situation where what you imagine comes true, based on your state of mind. Maybe a holodeck type situation or some far out trip like you might experience on heavy psychedelics.

  3. Transhuman singularity Omega point whatever: I die, it’s over, but some future amazing technology resurrects my essence either into a new body or into an indistinguishable from reality virtual world.

I’m 100% certain I will not have an afterlife resembling any of the dogmatic religions except in the loosest most metaphorical way possible.

22

FriarTed, OtakuLoki, NinjaChick, jackdavinci, Thank you.

Not picking on you or anything, just curious about this bit:

Why would your heaven be “vaguely physical”? Or for that matter, take any physical form at all?

It’s just that this is the first time I’ve heard that particular idea in a very long time …
This is some good [DEL]shit[/DEl] stuff. Ain’t these metaphysical thought experiments fun? :smiley:

23

I am not sure what my beliefs are concerning the afterlife, but what I imagine is this. I would have free reign to explore the universe as I see fit. This would be the ability to examine the lives of others or other random minutiae on Earth as time continues after my death, or to examine the rest of the universe. I could view whatever I wanted to view throughout the entirety of the universe with unrestricted access. If I had questions, I would be able to communicate with God to get answers, or in the case of learning about people from before my time on Earth, I would be able to speak with them as I wished.

In short, the afterlife, for me, would be about having unlimited access to knowledge and unlimited time with which to seek it.

I am currently hovering between being generally religious and being agnostic. I was raised Catholic, but thanks to my high school education coming at the hands of the rebelliious Jesuits, I left the Church at 18.

24

Atheist here. If there were an heaven, for me, it would amount to just feeling incredibly good.

I wouldn’t be doing anything special. I’m not even sure I would need to be corporeal anymore. I’d imagine something like lying on a couch, on a comfy, warm, comfortable kind of life-support.
While I’m on that life support, caring hands would administer a mix of heroin and MDMA to me. Over and over again. And my long term memory would be disabled, I would be pretty much in a state of dementia, so I wouldn’t know how long I had been there, and each new fix would seem like bliss for the first time.

Not pretty, not worthy. Not sustainable, even. But it is the only way I can imagine feeling good, continuously.

25

I wake up and I feel a profound sense of oneness with all consciousness throughout the universe. This continues all day.

26

Hmm… Lesse here. Well first I wake up around ten and have a stretch. I get fed he finest of comesibles and have a swim, then a nap in the sun. After that it’s fun and games for a few hours, followed by a marathon sex session. Food again. Adoration. Snackies and cuddle time, Bed.

Because I have reincarnated as a pampered stud dog in a wealthy household that loves me to pieces.

Folk Shintoist who also believes in serial reincarnation, but the dog thing would be nice.

So actually I don’t really get heaven, just a 9 month nap in the warm until i get to start it all over again.

27

When I was a kid and believed there was a heaven, I always imagined it as some sort of an all-you-can-eat fast food restaurant. I have no idea why; I was never fat, and I don’t even generally like fast food. Maybe I just didn’t ever really want to go to heaven.

Now I’m an atheist though.

28

having read the thread now I guess I ought to take a stab at what it would be like in that timelessness though. Since there is no time, and I am not limited by a corporeal body, I literally have all the time in the world to learn and experience anything that comes to mind. My profound satisfaction of understanding the entirety of how everything works would be all the reward I’d need before forgetting it all to start a new life.

29

Watching these few posts pile up, I find interesting, to say the least, that most who have responded have been either Atheist or Agnostic. To all who have responded so far, a sincere Thank You.

However, I must admit to a wee bit of disappointment here. I was kinda hoping that more “people of faith” would post a response. I really do find their beliefs educational. Perhaps, because it’s Sunday, maybe they’re all in church and will drop in later. Perhaps, they are watching, waiting, thinking someone might flame them - not like that hasn’t happened before around here. Maybe they think all of this is an inappropriate subject.

It could also be, I imagine, that they’ve never given a moments thought to the question and are still thinking about how they want to respond. I hope that this is the reason and that they’ll drop in shortly.

In the mean time, I face a bit of a quandary of my own. My own beliefs are a mixture of many which I have observed, evaluated, modified, edited and re-edited, accepted (or rejected) over many decades. Many of you have posted philosophies so close to mine that I hope you’ll recognize a kindred soul and not think me a plagiarist.

I wrote what I’m about to post before I even posted the OP. I started with a little background info, and tried to give you some sense of where I came from and how I got to where I am.

I edited it for length (in the beginning, it was actually much longer), content, spelling and grammar (hey, I did the best I could!) about two hours after I wrote it. I have not touched it since.

I’m going to step out for a smoke then come back in and cut and paste it without editing it further.

For whatever it’s worth.

Back in a few.

I know, I know! You’re all sitting out there waiting in breathless anticipation! Just makes me all ooogggly-goooggllly inside …

30

I was born & raised, entirely by chance, in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. That’s right … Home of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The Mormons. At that time (early '50’s) you couldn’t swing a dead cat full circle with out hitting a Mormon. Let’s just say that it’s a given fact that I was baptized in to the predominant faith.

I was reared by parents who taught me to question everything (Dad: “… it’s how you learn to live in this world …”). So I did not take to religious doctrine easily. I asked many ‘uncomfortable’ questions. In many cases, as it turned out, unanswerable questions.

Like most kids, I believed in the easter bunny, the tooth fairy, Santa, and god. The easter bunny bit the dust early - as soon as I found out that rabbits don’t lay eggs. The tooth fairy got axed for non-payment. Santa, well, as a physical entity, he went down in flames too - Rudolf was a bit too much to swallow. As a concept? He still visits good fortune upon me & my family many times each year.

God and I hung out a while longer, but there were always those pesky unanswerable questions.

As I write this, I’ve written but not yet posted the OP. At this time, I have no idea what will be posted in this thread - but I’m confident that it will be interesting. I’m hopeful that everyone will behave themselves - I added a few rules as somewhat of a guideline. I expect that most will misinterpret the actual question, and I’ll have to tweak it a little. Not to worry. I used to be a Boy Scout. It was a long time ago, but I still remember the motto.

While I’m waiting, here are some of the more common themes I’ve heard from people over the years:

Some people have described their version of daily activities in heaven as renewing relationships with relatives and friends. Shit, I can’t stand to be around most of my relatives more than a couple of hours two or three times a year. Spend an eternity with them? Sounds like hell to me. Same with most of the other people I’ve known. Eternity is a long, long time. Seems to me ya’d kinda run outta things to talk about … how’s the weather in heaven, anyway?

Some have described watching over loved ones back here in this mortal world. Somewhat like the ultimate in voyeurism. Makes me a little paranoid just to think about the possibility that there might be a bunch of dead people with the ability to watch over me. I sure as hell wouldn’t want to do that, even if I could.

Some have described spending eternity worshiping [insert deity here]. I can’t go there without starting a debate or violating my promise to you, so I won’t.

Atheists and Agnostics tend to be more … and I’m not sure this is the right word … pragmatic? I’m not happy with that word, but I can’t seem to come up with another. Little help here?

Those raised in Far Eastern/Indian cultures tend to be much more metaphysical or, ahhh, inventive? imaginative? I’m not sure any of those words fit well either.

If any of you have posted along any of those lines, please understand that I’m not taking a swipe at your beliefs, merely stating my belief with regards to some of those scenarios.

There was a time, long ago, when I relished such debates. Now? Not so much. Any more I find them tiresome. I’m not a missionary. I have no desire to convert anyone to my beliefs. Nor do I have any desire to challenge or change anyone else’s beliefs. Or, for that matter, spend even one more nanosecond defending mine.

Having said that, it is also true that I never tire of hearing others’ beliefs. It’s why I keep asking the question, that’s why I started this thread. Some beliefs are interesting. Some quite inventive. Some provocative. Some entertaining. Some are humorous, and some are just downright weird! And yet I recognize and respect the fact that they are all sincerely and deeply held beliefs.

To get back to my story, and, as promised, my personal views:

I’ve spent a fair percentage of the last half century studying many of the organized religions out there, finding that, in most of the essential elements, they’re all pretty much about the same stuff. I eventually gave up and left them behind. I passed through general theism (“I believe that there may be some kind of supreme being out there …”) to agnosticism (Oh yeah? Prove it to me!"), progressing on to atheism (“Nope, no evidence. What you’re saying doesn’t even make sense.”), and eventually to where I find myself today:

Apatheism. (“I just don’t care anymore. You believe what you want. I’ll believe what I want. I won’t challenge you, and you, well, you can just leave me alone.”) I wish I could remember where I first heard that term. I love it. Fits me perfectly.

My belief: Dead is Dead. You get one shot, each day, at making this life heaven or hell. It is my sincere and firmly held hope that this reality is the only one I’ll ever have to deal with.

However, if it turns out that I’m wrong (could happen – how does that go? “I thought I was wrong once, but I was only mistaken” … where was I? Oh, yeah) If it should turn out that I’m wrong, here is what I’d like to experience in the way of an afterlife:

Pure Consciousness. Mere Intellect, with an eternity of learning to be had for the desire. Kinda like a cosmic version of the Internet without the worn-out hamsters, no mouse to click, no screen to view. Just think of something and I’m there. Instantaneously. Kind of like hitting a link on a web page, but infinitely faster.

No pesky physical limitations. No awareness of time passing. No one to answer to, no one to ask permission of. Set my own goals. Go anywhere, view any civilization, any ecosystem, on any world, in any star system or galaxy.

Learn everything that I’ve ever wanted to learn but was unable/did not have the time to learn in this life. Learn about all the stuff I never even considered learning. Learn all about the stuff I had no way of knowing was even out there to be learned.

To be challenged with the task of learning everything about anything everywhere in the Universe.

In short, a typical day in my “heaven” would be spent hanging out on the ultimate version of the 'Net (maybe even with it’s own version of the SDMB, just in case I get hung up on something and want to discuss it with others, or find some mundane, pointless stuff I must share!) followed by a period of rest and a “moment” or two of quiet time to assimilate all that information.

And maybe, just maybe, the ability do something good with it all.

That would be a “Heaven” that I could hang out in for eternity.

Oh, and one more thing, just as or maybe more important than the rest: I must retain the ability to dream. (Without that, it would be hell.)

That’s it.

As an aside: IF it were possible, and IF my wife would care to share all of that with me, so much the better. I don’t know though. We’ve been together for more than 21 years now. I don’t know that she could put up with me for eternity. That’s jus’ a bit longer than 21 years. So I damn sure wouldn’t hold it against her if she wandered off for a millennium or two.

From time to time.

And to my daughters and the grandkids: “Get off my lawn and go find another part of the Universe to hang out in. If I want you, I’ll call you. And if I’ve told you once I’ve told you a thousand times: turn down that damn stereo!”

BTW, I’d like a new username in the afterlife, also. Don’t want anybody that I wouldn’t want to hang around with for eternity to be able to look me up. :smiley:

Thank you for taking some time and sharing your beliefs with me. I’ll be hanging out here reading your posts as they come in. I will endeavor not to question, but to learn instead.
[EchoMyDad] “In matters of philosophy, seek as many opinions as possible. Never accept anything at face value. Never accept any one source as an authority. Question everything. Learn all you are able to learn. Then, and only then, form your own philosophy. It’s how you learn to live in this world … it’s how you learn to survive in this world … it’s the only way to keep others from controlling you, and it’s the only way to retain your sanity in this insane asylum.”[/EMD]

Very lucid when he was sober. And that’s some pretty heady stuff to try to teach a kid.

Awfully glad that it was one of the lessons that “took”.

Lucy

31

Well, there ya go. I hope it wasn’t all you expected.

I also hope it doesn’t kill this thread. I hope y’all keep it going for awhile, 'cause I’m still interested in learning more.

Heading out with Mama in a few minutes to do some shopping and get something to eat at the local choke and puke. (Had to get at least one truck driving cliche in here somewhere.)

I’ll check back a little later, as time permits. Hope to see y’all here.

Lucy

32

Honestly, I’m not sure. I suppose it’s that I can’t imagine what an entirely non-physical existence would be like; the only non-physical frame of reference for “being” that I have is dreams, and my dreams certainly aren’t heavenly. So for me to imagine what heaven would be like, there needs to be some sort of physical component.

At the same time, I know that someone’s ‘presence’ in heaven would also necessitate the physical end for that person. Your body is either buried in a sealed box or burnt up or what have you, so it’s obviously not going to be truly physical. I can’t muster up enough suspension of disbelief to toy with the idea of a physical manifestation of the soul or spirit.

I can, however, imagine that in a literally heavenly place, you would be able to be “as you should be”. Not physically perfect, but physically right. For example, I have a friend who was born with some minor defect, and the fingers on his left hand are underdeveloped. They don’t work like normal fingers but cause him exactly no problems, and it took me months to even notice it. It’s a non-issue to him, so I imagine it would be the same in heaven: his hand would be abnormal, but it’s no big deal. On the other hand (hah), I’m very short. I was a bit small at birth, but didn’t fall off the height/weight charts for about six months. A number of digestive problems, including serious lactose intolerance that persisted throughout childhood, helped keep me tiny. I dislike being so short and know that, if circumstances were different, I’d be at least closer to average height. Thus, in heaven, I would be closer to average height.

Now you’ve got me plotting out my hypothetical heaven, and I really should be doing my math homework. Alas…

33

This is a long, theological-ish answer, so bear with me.

I was raised Catholic, so as a child, I had the stereotypical view of the afterlife – four tiers: your standard “pearly gates, streets paved with gold” heaven; limbo, which was kind of full of puffy clouds and (unbaptised) babies; purgatory, which I didn’t have a very good image of; and stereotypical hell.

As I got older, I thought, “Heaven sounds really boring.” Then I started wondering about the whole concept of being reunited after death with people you loved. But if I died at 90 and my mother died when she was 80, how would we meet up? Would we be our earthly ages when we died? That sounded kind of boring (and weird), too.

So I pretty much set all that aside for many years. But there were certain concepts about the afterlife that always resonated with me, primarily the “going home” concept. I have always been moved by the gospel hymn that has the words about “Softly and tenderly, Jesus is calling – calling for you to come home.” But even that, on the surface, was weird. Jesus wants me to die?!?

Then, about 15 years ago, I read, as part of the adult education class at the church I was attending at the time, Marcus Borg’s “Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time.” I have never, ever gotten the whole “Jesus died for my sins, his blood was shed for me” thing, despite (or perhaps because of) my Catholic upbringing. In his book, Borg talks about various faith models. He calls the “Jesus died for me” model the priestly model, where blood sacrifice is essential. I don’t remember any others, except the model that he related to the Jews’ exile in Babylon, and everything in this model had to do with going home. The spiritual light bulb went on for me. Not only did I gain a way of understanding why “Jesus is calling me home” resonated with me, I liberated myself from feeling like a fraud and a failure for not getting “Jesus died for my sins.”

This “going home” model won’t work for lots of people. My childhood was, for the most part, safe and happy and pretty carefree. I compare that with the eternal vigilance I now know as a parent and can tap into “going home” as happy in a way in which fear or worry doesn’t even exist. One of my favorite pieces of sacred choral music is Virgil Thompson’s setting of Isaac Watts’s rendering of the 23rd Psalm, “My Shepherd Shall Supply My Need.” The KJV version of the last line of that psalm is rendered as, “And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Watts has, “No more a stranger or a guest, but like a child at home.”

If I’m going to be like a child at home, then pearly gates and streets paved with gold don’t cut it. I’m going to be surrounded by everyone who loves me, including Charmin, Catullus, Fortuna, Borbet, and all the other pets I’ll love before I die. And that includes people who love me but live on after my death – like, I hope to hell, my son.

So, in my heaven, there is no “day,” as I know it. There is some existence in which I am with everyone I love (including pets), at every point in time that I have loved them. I am the 8-year-old so happy to be fishing on my cousins’ farm. I am laughing with my sisters as kids, as teenagers, as young adults, as old adults. I am able to know that those who grieve my my death will be OK. And when those who love me die, there will be an amazing spiritual reunion. “And when I see you coming I will rise up with a shout and come running through the shallow waters reaching for your hand.”

Upon rereading, my post seems kind of fundie, but FWIW, I’m a bleeding-heart liberal and attend a bleeding-heart liberal church. I think the Christian Right is scary, and some factions of it are despicable.

34

A typical day in heaven.

There’s always more work to be done, more of the Song to sing. Love is what we live around here, but let no one say that love is always (or ever) easy. Takes work, takes effort, takes thought, takes passion. Hey, no kidding, lots of pleasure involved as well, lots. Otherwise, it’s a little hard to say exactly what the great work is, because it is so different than what our previous existence was. (Wouldn’t have missed that, wouldn’t miss this. For nuthin’.)

At the end of the day, or whenever we get tired (a different kind of tired, an excellent kind), we rest. Sort of. Different ways of doing the great work - it’s like playtime, it is - all the time.

It’s all Good.
Christian, trying to use the mind and soul that God gave me. Sorry I’m not more specific, but I’m trying to keep an open mind about the whole thing, expecting to thoroughly enjoy whatever actually happens.

35

This has me in tears. Our spiritual beliefs may be chalk and cheese, but this is just the essence of happiness the way I imagine it.

Bravo.

36

Had to jump back in here for a minute to acknowledge NinjaChick’s response to my query:

Thanks for the attempt to clear that up. I think what you’re saying is that you’d simply like a physical frame of reference to make your version of heaven more practical for you. If I’m pretty close, then go finish your homework and don’t sweat the small stuff.

And to freckafree, Civil Guy, & ThirdCultureKid - Thank you for checking in.

So, ThirdCultureKid, now that we know what moves you, how’s a day in your heaven going to be spent?

Gotta go hit the sack - 3:00 AM brings “miles to go before I sleep” again.

Be safe out there on the highways and byways my friends.

Good Night, see ya tomorrow.

Lucy

37

Put me in the camp of “I’ve been thinking about this all day now”… And I think I have a (somewhat trite, I guess) answer.
To clarify, I’ve always classified myself as being a “skeptic”. I have a very strong belief in science while believing that there is some stronger creative force in the universe which is the key to understanding life’s fundamental questions.

My version of heaven is very much like this world, but with the negatives cut out, if that makes sense. It would be a pristine earth, with a semi-platonic, just society, where we each are free to pursue the goal we wish, where we wish. The difference between this world and heaven is, there is no duress, stress or use of force.

We in heaven would be aware of and capable of watching over those in “this” world, seeing both our loved ones and the gradual progress that human society makes.

So a normal day for me would be much like this one, only without the nasty, nitty-gritty that the fact of “living” involves in this one. For example, competition in knowledge and evaluation wouldn’t exist. I’d spend my time in the pursuit of knowledge, by both reading and dialectic with different minds. You could discuss Machiavelli’s The Prince with Machiavelli himself, discuss science with Galileo, and try to understand “human” nature gradually, wonderfully. There would be discussion, but no fighting, since we’ve all come to know that fighting achieves nothing, and each person has their own truth.

I would live in a beautiful home (with a vast library, big cushy leather armchairs and roaring fireplaces!), with my family, friends and loved ones nearby. We would talk, go for walks, explore our pristine world through travels, experience new things and gain knowledge from them. There would be traditionally “bodily” pleasures to be enjoyed such as eating, drinking, partying with friends, games and so on.

I know this sounds odd, but just imagine the best holiday you can, with the people you love and care about, where cares, worry and unhappiness don’t exist, there’s no shadow of a dark future, and every day is spent blissfully living, learning and experiencing.

Does that make any sense?

And freckafree, every time I scan those sentences, I start tearing up again. That fundamental feeling of well-being is so very central to my idea of heaven.

38

Born and raised Catholic (with a brief stint in Protestantism). I don’t accept everything just on what I’m told. I’ve questioned a lot these past few years and I think I’m going to continue to do so, although I know that I will never leave the Church.

Anywho, my heaven is best put into terms by a couple of different “Futurama” episodes. In my defense, I had these ideas before I saw those episodes, they just animated them for me.

My heaven would me having a ‘what if’ machine. I could watch that thing for all eternity. Not just a little screen though, but a, I don’t know how to describe it. Think of the greatest television you could ever have in the future. 3D, can walk around the characters, etc. I want one of those to answer those pesky ‘what if’ questions. And not just the bigs ones like 'what if the South won the Civil War?" but also an infinite amount of, “what if Joe Smoe in Everytown, USA took a left instead of a right?” or ‘What if Bob asked out Suzie that one day in class?’ ‘What if some random high school student decided not to skip school that one day?’

Think about how many things in your life may not have happened if you made a different choice. You met your future wife at the grocery store? What if you decided to eat out that day? Then you would not have met her, had children and then those children would effect other people’s lives etc etc. It’s a huge ripple effect from just one simple, everyday decision. So many possibilities. I would never, ever get bored.

I would also be a god to a tiny race of beings, like Bender was when he was floating through space. How could would that be?
But man, a ‘what if’ machine?

39

Athiest, materialist, don’t believe in an afterlife.

Basically like being in a perfect fidelity full senses computer simulation/virtual reality, with me in control. And it’s able to interface with similar pocket pseudo-worlds, with other people in command of theirs. I’d be able to send avatars of myself into their pocket worlds to interact; they’d only be able to affect me as I wished, and they can expel me at any time. And the other way around. And there’d be “windows” allowing me to perceive and study our universe and whatever other ones there may be. And over time, I’d evolve into a being of greater and greater intellect and perception, as I grew bored with each level of mind.

Basically the perfect VR with the ultimate Internet to go with it, plus evolution. And as an aside, I consider the unreality of whatever I wish into existence to be a virtue, not a defect; it removes moral considerations from whatever I’m doing.

40

Another atheist, and sweet, sweet oblivion sounds heavenly enough to me. But if I am, by chance, wrong about the whole thing, and for whatever reason allowed into heaven, then it would certainly have to resemble the physical world pretty much in order for my self to make any sense. I’d like it to be like a hippy commune, but one that works without the need for dole/welfare money. Actually, a bit like those heaven pictures on Christian pamphlets, with humans and animals communing together, but with more dirt and marijuana. All in all though, eternity sounds too wearing to be heaven for ever.