# Do you believe in past lives? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 23, 2013, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-in-past-lives/648137 "2013-01-23T19:02:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-in-past-lives/648137/101 "2013-01-28T13:31:29Z")
> [@Raging\_Bull](#): > > At sometime we were all born and at sometime we will all die. > > Perfect , I agree, 100% > > But what does that have to do with what happens when we die? Why even consider what happens after we die? How much time do you spend wondering what happens to the energy of a car battery after _it_ dies? Do envision little Duracell ghosts haunting the utensil drawer in the kitchen? Are the ghosts of dead cars haunting the freeways of the world? When your hard drive crashes and burns beyond any hope of recovery, do you think about the possibility of contacting it from byond the grave to retrieve your WOW game? Why do you bother even _thinking_ about an afterlife for which there is no evidence? What happens _after_ we die? if something happened _after_ we die, then obviously we aren’t dead yet, are we? ---
**Author:** ![Latro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a87d85/32.png) [@Latro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Latro)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-in-past-lives/648137/102 "2013-01-28T13:32:41Z")
> [@Raging\_Bull](#): > > Perfect , I agree, 100% > > But what does that have to do with what happens when we die? Well, evidence that something happens. Simple. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-in-past-lives/648137/103 "2013-01-28T13:38:59Z")
What happens to a sandcastle after that last wave washes it away? ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-in-past-lives/648137/104 "2013-01-28T13:40:42Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > What happens to a sandcastle after that last wave washes it away? It powers the dreams of rainbows! ---
**Author:** ![Raging\_Bull](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@Raging\_Bull](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raging_Bull)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-in-past-lives/648137/105 "2013-01-28T13:42:37Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Why even consider what happens after we die? How much time do you spend wondering what happens to the energy of a car battery after _it_ dies? Do envision little Duracell ghosts haunting the utensil drawer in the kitchen? Are the ghosts of dead cars haunting the freeways of the world? When your hard drive crashes and burns beyond any hope of recovery, do you think about the possibility of contacting it from byond the grave to retrieve your WOW game? Why do you bother even _thinking_ about an afterlife for which there is no evidence? What happens _after_ we die? if something happened _after_ we die, then obviously we aren’t dead yet, are we? The point i’ll come to again is you don’t have to consider what happens after you die, thats entirely your choice. Humans can choose to believe whatever it is they want to believe, and i may not necessarily agree with what their theories are but in the case of what happens after they die, all options are equally valid, they wont all be true but whilst we alive we cant know for sure what is and what is not. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-in-past-lives/648137/106 "2013-01-28T13:45:39Z")
> [@Raging\_Bull](#): > > The point i’ll come to again is you don’t have to consider what happens after you die, thats entirely your choice. > > Humans can choose to believe whatever it is they want to believe, and i may not necessarily agree with what their theories are but in the case of what happens after they die, all options are equally valid, they wont all be true but whilst we alive we cant know for sure what is and what is not. You are misusing the term “theory.” Theories are not opinions or beliefs; they are explanations for observations. If there are no observations which need explaining, then your guesses or fantasies do no qualify as theories. ---
**Author:** ![Raging\_Bull](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@Raging\_Bull](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raging_Bull)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-in-past-lives/648137/107 "2013-01-28T13:49:45Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#): > > You are misusing the term “theory.” Theories are not opinions or beliefs; they are explanations for observations. If there are no observations which need explaining, then your guesses or fantasies do no qualify as theories. theory (n.) 1590s, “conception, mental scheme,” from Late Latin theoria (Jerome), from Greek theoria “contemplation, speculation, a looking at, things looked at,” from theorein “to consider, speculate, look at,” from theoros “spectator,” from thea “a view” + horan “to see” Well thats the etymology of the word theory. Happy? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-in-past-lives/648137/108 "2013-01-28T13:51:56Z")
> [@Raging\_Bull](#): > > The point i’ll come to again is you don’t have to consider what happens after you die, thats entirely your choice. > > Humans can choose to believe whatever it is they want to believe, and i may not necessarily agree with what their theories are but in the case of what happens after they die, all options are equally valid, they wont all be true but whilst we alive we cant know for sure what is and what is not. All options are NOT equally valid. The option that nothing happens after we die is backed up by centuries of people looking for evidence of an “afterlife”, and finding nothing. If we are discussing finding cows that have the tartan of the McDougal clan naturally occurring on their hide, and I bring up the evidence that in thousands of years none have ever been found, you don’t get to say that because I haven’t _proved_ that such a cow doesn’t exist we have to put the possibility that it does on an equal footing with the possibility that it doesn’t. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-in-past-lives/648137/109 "2013-01-28T13:57:19Z")
> [@Raging\_Bull](#): > > theory (n.) > 1590s, “conception, mental scheme,” from Late Latin theoria (Jerome), from Greek theoria “contemplation, speculation, a looking at, things looked at,” from theorein “to consider, speculate, look at,” from theoros “spectator,” from thea “a view” + horan “to see” > > Well thats the etymology of the word theory. Happy? I can play Argumentum ad Lexicon as well: the·o·ry [thee-uh-ree, theer-ee] noun, plural the·o·ries. 1. a coherent group of tested general propositions, commonly regarded as correct, that can be used as principles of explanation and prediction for a class of phenomena: Einstein’s theory of relativity. Synonyms: principle, law, doctrine. 1. a proposed explanation whose status is still conjectural and subject to experimentation, in contrast to well-established propositions that are regarded as reporting matters of actual fact. Synonyms: idea, notion hypothesis, postulate. Antonyms: practice, verification, corroboration, substantiation. 1. Mathematics . a body of principles, theorems, or the like, belonging to one subject: number theory. 1. the branch of a science or art that deals with its principles or methods, as distinguished from its practice: music theory. 1. a particular conception or view of something to be done or of the method of doing it; a system of rules or principles: conflicting theories of how children best learn to read. Which, of course, does not invalidate the \*origin \*of the word, just the current meaning. ---
**Author:** ![Raging\_Bull](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@Raging\_Bull](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raging_Bull)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-in-past-lives/648137/110 "2013-01-28T13:58:45Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > All options are NOT equally valid. The option that nothing happens after we die is backed up by centuries of people looking for evidence of an “afterlife”, and finding nothing. If we are discussing finding cows that have the tartan of the McDougal clan naturally occurring on their hide, and I bring up the evidence that in thousands of years none have ever been found, you don’t get to say that because I haven’t _proved_ that such a cow doesn’t exist we have to put the possibility that it does on an equal footing with the possibility that it doesn’t. Who exactly are these people who were looking for afterlives and how exactly did they intend to go about that task? Again you may not be satisfied that your model of the world is not followed by all, but you wont ever be able to discredit those who believe in an afterlife rightly or wrongly ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-in-past-lives/648137/111 "2013-01-28T13:59:30Z")
> [@Raging\_Bull](#): > > The point i’ll come to again is you don’t have to consider what happens after you die, thats entirely your choice. > > Humans can choose to believe whatever it is they want to believe, and i may not necessarily agree with what their theories are but in the case of what happens after they die, all options are equally valid, they wont all be true but whilst we alive we cant know for sure what is and what is not. Let’s see how open minded you really are. How much time do you spend contemplating the existence of Valhalla? The Big Rock Candy Mountain? Any of the afterlifes of other religions? Your list: > [@](#): > > Go to Heaven > Go to Hell > Float around like a spirit > Be reincarnated as another being > Cease existing completely > None of the above with the options of Heaven and Hell, but no mention of any other religion’s beliefs, other than the possibility of them being relegated to the last choice “None of the above”. If I were to throw out the evidence we now have and start thinking about possibilities for which there were no evidence at all, my list of possibilities would be so long that any serious contemplation would stop me from thinking about anything else for the rest of my life. ---
**Author:** ![Raging\_Bull](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@Raging\_Bull](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raging_Bull)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-in-past-lives/648137/112 "2013-01-28T14:01:38Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#): > > I can play Argumentum ad Lexicon as well: > > the·o·ry > [thee-uh-ree, theer-ee] > > noun, plural the·o·ries. > 1. > a coherent group of tested general propositions, commonly regarded as correct, that can be used as principles of explanation and prediction for a class of phenomena: Einstein’s theory of relativity. Synonyms: principle, law, doctrine. > > 1. > > a proposed explanation whose status is still conjectural and subject to experimentation, in contrast to well-established propositions that are regarded as reporting matters of actual fact. Synonyms: idea, notion hypothesis, postulate. Antonyms: practice, verification, corroboration, substantiation. > > 1. > > Mathematics . a body of principles, theorems, or the like, belonging to one subject: number theory. > > 1. > > the branch of a science or art that deals with its principles or methods, as distinguished from its practice: music theory. > > 1. > > a particular conception or view of something to be done or of the method of doing it; a system of rules or principles: conflicting theories of how children best learn to read. > > Which, of course, does not invalidate the \*origin \*of the word, just the current meaning. So you can admit then that the word “theory” does not only have one meaning. And by reading my passage you can see exactly what context i was using the word “theory” in… Im not seeing the problem? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-in-past-lives/648137/113 "2013-01-28T14:01:49Z")
> [@Raging\_Bull](#): > > Who exactly are these people who were looking for afterlives and how exactly did they intend to go about that task? > > Again you may not be satisfied that your model of the world is not followed by all, but you wont ever be able to discredit those who believe in an afterlife rightly or wrongly I don’t have to discredit those claiming that there is an afterlife, for they have earned no credit to begin with. If you want to sit at Science’s poker table, you’ve got to bring more than wishes to bet with. ---
**Author:** ![Raging\_Bull](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@Raging\_Bull](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raging_Bull)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-in-past-lives/648137/114 "2013-01-28T14:07:58Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Let’s see how open minded you really are. > How much time do you spend contemplating the existence of Valhalla? The Big Rock Candy Mountain? Any of the afterlifes of other religions? Your list:with the options of Heaven and Hell, but no mention of any other religion’s beliefs, other than the possibility of them being relegated to the last choice “None of the above”. If I were to throw out the evidence we now have and start thinking about possibilities for which there were no evidence at all, my list of possibilities would be so long that any serious contemplation would stop me from thinking about anything else for the rest of my life. Well im not religious So i wasnt refering to any specific religion, but the idea of a “good place” and a “bad place” is consitent with many so i added it to the mix There are a multitude of beliefs, and im no position to say which is correct and which isnt because i simply dont know ---
**Author:** ![Latro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a87d85/32.png) [@Latro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Latro)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-in-past-lives/648137/115 "2013-01-28T14:09:32Z")
> [@Raging\_Bull](#): > > Who exactly are these people who were looking for afterlives and how exactly did they intend to go about that task? Uhmm, up until rather recently just about everybody. For thousands of years people have always just assumed there was such a thing as an afterlife. When you really think about it that is rather a big assumption. How did people go about the task to find out? They asked their priest. ---
**Author:** ![Double\_Foolscap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85e7bf/32.png) [@Double\_Foolscap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Double_Foolscap)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-in-past-lives/648137/116 "2013-01-28T14:11:32Z")
> [@Jimi](#): > > When i was 8 years old,i went on hols tae Ballyjamesduff in Ireland with my grandparents,i had never been in Ireland before. > One day myself and an older cousin went to see a film in the local cinema. > Halfway through it,he was sick and told me he needed tae go home,so i said i would go with him,he said no,just carry on and watch the film,which i did. > When i left the cinema,i got lost on my way home cos i started walking in a totally different direction. > Instead of being frightened,i seemed to recognize every street that i was passing through,even though i’d never been on them previously. > 2 miles later,i finally arrived back home,and yet i never felt in the least bit scared at all,maybe there is something in it after all. > I am also sure that many of us have been in a place where we have never been yet think they have been there before. When I was in Prague on holiday, I got lost trying to find my hotel. After about half an hour, I started to recognise some of the streets. Turns out it was because they were near Wenceslas Square, which I had visited earlier that day and was nowhere near my hotel. I ended up getting a taxi back. I’m sure we’ve all had that experience where we thought we recognised a place we’d never been before, but turned out we were mistaken and never bring it up because it isn’t an interesting story. ---
**Author:** ![Raging\_Bull](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@Raging\_Bull](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raging_Bull)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-in-past-lives/648137/117 "2013-01-28T14:13:18Z")
> [@Latro](#): > > Uhmm, up until rather recently just about everybody. > > For thousands of years people have always just assumed there was such a thing as an afterlife. > > When you really think about it that is rather a big assumption. > > How did people go about the task to find out? > > They asked their priest. Did you read the post i was replying to? ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-in-past-lives/648137/118 "2013-01-28T14:14:30Z")
> [@Double\_Foolscap](#): > > When I was in Prague on holiday, I got lost trying to find my hotel. After about half an hour, I started to recognise some of the streets. > > Turns out it was because they were near Wenceslas Square, which I had visited earlier that day and was nowhere near my hotel. > > I ended up getting a taxi back. > > I’m sure we’ve all had that experience where we thought we recognised a place we’d never been before, but turned out we were mistaken and never bring it up because it isn’t an interesting story. But, were you scared? This seems to be key. ---
**Author:** ![Double\_Foolscap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85e7bf/32.png) [@Double\_Foolscap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Double_Foolscap)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-in-past-lives/648137/119 "2013-01-28T14:16:21Z")
> [@cmyk](#): > > But, were you scared? This seems to be key. No - I went from false confidence to giving up and getting a taxi. But the taxi guy knew where my hotel is - maybe _he_ stayed there in a past life. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-in-past-lives/648137/120 "2013-01-28T14:18:59Z")
> [@Double\_Foolscap](#): > > No - I went from false confidence to giving up and getting a taxi. But the taxi guy knew where my hotel is - maybe _he_ stayed there in a past life. The evidence seems to be overwhelmingly so. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-in-past-lives/648137.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-in-past-lives/648137.md?page=7)