# Life after death is real - how do you spend it? (Just for fun, not for heavy debates...) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 8, 2023, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-after-death-is-real-how-do-you-spend-it-just-for-fun-not-for-heavy-debates/985212 "2023-06-08T17:08:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2023, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-after-death-is-real-how-do-you-spend-it-just-for-fun-not-for-heavy-debates/985212/21 "2023-06-08T19:21:52Z")
Explore the universe. Can I travel through time as well? If so, then explore the past and future. Acquire all possible knowledge. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2023, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-after-death-is-real-how-do-you-spend-it-just-for-fun-not-for-heavy-debates/985212/22 "2023-06-08T19:38:20Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > Once your carcass has given up the ghost, the you that is you - call it soul, spirit, essence, whatever - continues to exist. Your senses continue to function as they do now, so you can see, hear, smell, etc, but you cannot interact with the living. It depends, if I can interact with _things_ but not people, I figure I can blow a few centuries reading and learning, but if I can’t turn a page of a book, it would be pretty limited. Better find someone who shares my interests and make a point of reading over their shoulder when possible! Secondly, all my senses explicitly work! OMFG, best food tour of the world! Go from city to city exploring the best tastes available? Sure, I’ll miss out on the textures if I can’t interact with the physical items at all, but still, pretty aweseome. Seriously though, if it’s just my consciousness, even given the above, after the first few centuries (at a guess) I’ll start checking with everyone else if there’s a way to end: I don’t think my mentality is equipped for eternity - eventually I’ll get bored with everything I can experience especially in my incorporeal state. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2023, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-after-death-is-real-how-do-you-spend-it-just-for-fun-not-for-heavy-debates/985212/23 "2023-06-08T20:42:43Z")
I shouldn’t start threads when babysitting - just now able to get back to this… _ANYWAY_… I’d like to see what becomes of my grandkids, and their kids, and their grandkids - like did someone down the line cure cancer or discover life on another planet? I’d like to find out from my grandparents’ families what their lives were like in Poland and why did they emigrate. That would require a universal afterlife language - a Deathtongue, if you will. (I know, I should be ashamed…) And at the risk of anyone thinking I’m a voyeur, I’d love to see how other people live around the world, and up and down the economic spectrum. I don’t care about their intimate lives - just the everyday stuff - do they put their feet on the furniture? Elbows on the table? Do they put their t-shirts on hangers or fold them in the drawer? Yeah, I know, boring, but it’s something I occasionally think about, whether it’s mega-millionaires or minimum-wagers. As for real intellectual curiosity - what the heck is in a black hole?? ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2023, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-after-death-is-real-how-do-you-spend-it-just-for-fun-not-for-heavy-debates/985212/24 "2023-06-08T21:17:35Z")
Assuming that I can read (the OP is rather vague on this point) I would catch up on all the books I never had time for when I was living. Ditto movies and TV shows. World Tour! Visit all the places I’ve always wanted to see but never could. This would include sampling the local cuisine, of course. Especially foods I’ve heard of but never had the nerve to try, like fugu. Finally, I would definitely like to track down my paternal grandfather, who died when I was a year old, and find out the truth behind why he emigrated from Berlin in 1901. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2023, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-after-death-is-real-how-do-you-spend-it-just-for-fun-not-for-heavy-debates/985212/25 "2023-06-08T21:29:44Z")
Probably waste most of it posting on the 'Dope. About like now. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2023, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-after-death-is-real-how-do-you-spend-it-just-for-fun-not-for-heavy-debates/985212/26 "2023-06-08T21:41:38Z")
> [@Akaj](#): > > Do ghosts have sex drives? Imagine the fun you could have without all those earthly entanglements. - Especially if it’s Arcturian! ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2023, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-after-death-is-real-how-do-you-spend-it-just-for-fun-not-for-heavy-debates/985212/27 "2023-06-08T21:43:47Z")
I’d probably go explore the planets (since I apparently have that ability). I just know some of the moons around Jupiter have little alien fishies swimming around in that underground sea. I’m going to be disappointed if they’re not there. Lol ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2023, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-after-death-is-real-how-do-you-spend-it-just-for-fun-not-for-heavy-debates/985212/28 "2023-06-08T22:03:32Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > > [@Akaj](#): > > > > Do ghosts have sex drives? Imagine the fun you could have without all those earthly entanglements. - > > Especially if it’s Arcturian! Is that a _Hitchhiker’s_ reference? I read it like 40 years ago … ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2023, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-after-death-is-real-how-do-you-spend-it-just-for-fun-not-for-heavy-debates/985212/29 "2023-06-08T22:08:08Z")
> [@Akaj](#): > > > [@running\_coach](#): > > > > > [@Akaj](#): > > > > > > Do ghosts have sex drives? Imagine the fun you could have without all those earthly entanglements. - > > > > Especially if it’s Arcturian! > > Is that a _Hitchhiker’s_ reference? I read it like 40 years ago … - [_Aliens._](https://avp.fandom.com/wiki/Arcturian) > “_Hey, I sure wouldn’t mind getting some more of that Arcturian poontang, remember that time?_” > “_Yeah, Frost, but the one that you had was male._” > “_It doesn’t matter when it’s Arcturian, baby._” > ―Pvt. [Frost](https://avp.fandom.com/wiki/Ricco_Frost) and Pvt. [Spunkmeyer](https://avp.fandom.com/wiki/Daniel_Spunkmeyer) (from _[Aliens](https://avp.fandom.com/wiki/Aliens_(film))_) ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2023, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-after-death-is-real-how-do-you-spend-it-just-for-fun-not-for-heavy-debates/985212/30 "2023-06-08T22:13:42Z")
I love that movie, but totally forgot that exchange! ---
**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2023, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-after-death-is-real-how-do-you-spend-it-just-for-fun-not-for-heavy-debates/985212/31 "2023-06-08T22:29:15Z")
> [@commasense](#): > > > [@FairyChatMom](#): > > > > What do you do? Will you watch your descendants? > > For one man’s answer to this one, see Act Three of Thornton Wilder’s _Our Town._ (Short answer, people watch their descendants with indifference, but it’s unbearably painful to go back to see your own past and witness your loved ones not fully appreciating the brief and precious time they have with each other.) > > …And to paraphrase, Eternity is long. Really long. You just won’t believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly long it is. I mean, you may think it’s a long wait for the pizza delivery guy to show up, but that’s just peanuts to eternity. To continue the analogy there, eventually you enter the long, dark teatime of the soul. To me, it’s one of the main arguments against there being some kind of “eternal afterlife”. What kind of loving God would condemn his beloved Children to madness? To be human is to have a beginning and to fear the end, but at some level, also to _need_ one. Life is a story, and a story that never ends is just boring, isn’t it? (I was really, really impressed when the final season of _The Good Place_ nailed this, BTW.) ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2023, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-after-death-is-real-how-do-you-spend-it-just-for-fun-not-for-heavy-debates/985212/32 "2023-06-08T22:34:25Z")
> [@robardin](#): > > To me, it’s one of the main arguments against there being some kind of “eternal afterlife”. What kind of loving God would condemn his beloved Children to madness? - Remember, some think your soul spends eternity sitting around worshiping God. Apparently, God needs validation _badly._ ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2023, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-after-death-is-real-how-do-you-spend-it-just-for-fun-not-for-heavy-debates/985212/33 "2023-06-08T22:39:20Z")
I would like to observe which of my former friends makes a move and starts fucking my now widowed wife. Having been divorced, it has been astonishing how swiftly, and who, makes their move. Your best friend that you started primary school with, the best man at your wedding, the pastor or priest who performed your wedding and your last rights. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2023, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-after-death-is-real-how-do-you-spend-it-just-for-fun-not-for-heavy-debates/985212/34 "2023-06-08T23:04:27Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > > [@robardin](#): > > > > To me, it’s one of the main arguments against there being some kind of “eternal afterlife”. What kind of loving God would condemn his beloved Children to madness? - > > Remember, some think your soul spends eternity sitting around worshiping God. > Apparently, God needs validation _badly._ You mean that particular flavor of god is about like Trump? Good to know. ---
**Author:** ![Dandan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a87d85/32.png) [@Dandan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dandan)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2023, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-after-death-is-real-how-do-you-spend-it-just-for-fun-not-for-heavy-debates/985212/35 "2023-06-08T23:19:57Z")
I’d bop on over to Rottweiler/Tabbycat heaven and angle for an adoption - mine, by them. Dan ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2023, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-after-death-is-real-how-do-you-spend-it-just-for-fun-not-for-heavy-debates/985212/36 "2023-06-08T23:44:25Z")
I’d go all _Good Place_ style and learn everything there is to learn. Piano, art, music, woodworking, and of course writing, which I already have experience with and wish I could do more. And I’d read all the books. And watch all the good movies. And visit every art and archeology museum. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2023, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-after-death-is-real-how-do-you-spend-it-just-for-fun-not-for-heavy-debates/985212/37 "2023-06-08T23:52:46Z")
I would like see what it is like to fly at the speed of light. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2023, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-after-death-is-real-how-do-you-spend-it-just-for-fun-not-for-heavy-debates/985212/38 "2023-06-08T23:57:39Z")
As a non-physical entity, why not exceed it? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2023, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-after-death-is-real-how-do-you-spend-it-just-for-fun-not-for-heavy-debates/985212/39 "2023-06-09T00:00:04Z")
Exactly. I presume the soul/consciousness has no mass, so there would be no limitation. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2023, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-after-death-is-real-how-do-you-spend-it-just-for-fun-not-for-heavy-debates/985212/40 "2023-06-09T00:16:55Z")
> [@Dandan](#): > > I’d bop on over to Rottweiler/Tabbycat heaven and angle for an adoption - mine, by them. > > Dan You better hope ghost’s don’t need to eat. 'Cuz they suck at cooking. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-after-death-is-real-how-do-you-spend-it-just-for-fun-not-for-heavy-debates/985212.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-after-death-is-real-how-do-you-spend-it-just-for-fun-not-for-heavy-debates/985212.md?page=3)