# Well I read some of your topics and this comes to mind
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-read-some-of-your-topics-and-this-comes-to-mind/733273
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [October 2, 2015, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-read-some-of-your-topics-and-this-comes-to-mind/733273 "2015-10-02T16:19:33Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@WildBlueYonder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildBlueYonder)
#### Post date: [October 2, 2015, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-read-some-of-your-topics-and-this-comes-to-mind/733273/1 "2015-10-02T16:19:33Z")
:eek:
I’m new so I hope I am in the right place
What do you think happens when you die?
😉
😃
I believe in reincarnation myself
Hoping though that there is a HELL for them that deserve it…
(Can I say that bad word in here?)
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### Author:  [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)
#### Post date: [October 2, 2015, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-read-some-of-your-topics-and-this-comes-to-mind/733273/2 "2015-10-02T17:01:13Z")
Welcome to the Straight Dope.
This is a suggestion that you don’t have to heed but many members here find it annoying when colored fonts are used. Considering that different viewing platforms (screens/tablets/phones) are being used the font thing becomes a bit of an aggravation.
As far as your question. I think that there is some form of consciousness that continues on. Not sure if I care whether a sense of “self” is there or not.
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### Author:  [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)
#### Post date: [October 2, 2015, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-read-some-of-your-topics-and-this-comes-to-mind/733273/3 "2015-10-02T17:08:05Z")
> [@WildBlueYonder](#):
>
> (Can I say that bad word in here?)
Avoid “cunt” and you should be ok.
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### Author:  [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)
#### Post date: [October 2, 2015, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-read-some-of-your-topics-and-this-comes-to-mind/733273/4 "2015-10-02T17:13:09Z")
> [@kayaker](#):
>
> Avoid “cunt” and you should be ok.
Well, I’ve gotten where I am by **not** avoiding it, but you’ve got to go your own way in this regard.
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### Author:  [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)
#### Post date: [October 2, 2015, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-read-some-of-your-topics-and-this-comes-to-mind/733273/5 "2015-10-02T17:19:48Z")
I heard some interesting discussion on the big question - life after death - just the other day [on the radio](https://youtu.be/gGI9L1wwlwY?t=268).
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### Author:  [@GrumpyBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrumpyBunny)
#### Post date: [October 2, 2015, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-read-some-of-your-topics-and-this-comes-to-mind/733273/6 "2015-10-02T17:23:19Z")
In the ground.
Anything other than that, I have no idea. If something happens to my consciousness (I can’t bring myself to say “soul”), it will be an interesting surprise. And I’ll be asking exactly how it works, because I gotta know.
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### Author:  [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)
#### Post date: [October 2, 2015, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-read-some-of-your-topics-and-this-comes-to-mind/733273/7 "2015-10-02T17:53:42Z")
Since this will probably spark a debate, I’ve moved it to Great Debates.
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### Author:  [@Hiker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hiker)
#### Post date: [October 2, 2015, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-read-some-of-your-topics-and-this-comes-to-mind/733273/8 "2015-10-02T18:35:46Z")
> [@WildBlueYonder](#):
>
> I believe in reincarnation myself
Since this is in Great Debates now, it would be interesting to learn \*why \*you believe in reincarnation.
Personally I do not believe in any form of life after death, because I know of no credible evidence that suggests there is one. Do you know of such evidence?
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### Author:  [@Mikeisskeptical](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mikeisskeptical)
#### Post date: [October 2, 2015, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-read-some-of-your-topics-and-this-comes-to-mind/733273/9 "2015-10-02T18:39:50Z")
There is no evidence that Conciousness can survive death. There is very good reason to believe that consciousness ends with the cessation of electrochemical activity in the brain. When you die your thoughts and experiences will almost certainly cease to exist. Your body will decompose.like any other animal carcass unless preserved. Hope this helps.
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### Author:  [@Donald\_Rump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donald_Rump)
#### Post date: [October 2, 2015, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-read-some-of-your-topics-and-this-comes-to-mind/733273/10 "2015-10-02T18:43:00Z")
Think back to what it was like before you were born. That’s most likely what it’s like after you die.
Enjoy.
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### Author:  [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)
#### Post date: [October 2, 2015, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-read-some-of-your-topics-and-this-comes-to-mind/733273/11 "2015-10-02T18:45:15Z")
> [@Mikeisskeptical](#):
>
> There is no evidence that Conciousness can survive death. There is very good reason to believe that consciousness ends with the cessation of electrochemical activity in the brain. When you die your thoughts and experiences will almost certainly cease to exist. Your body will decompose.like any other animal carcass unless preserved. Hope this helps.
This is where I’ve ended up on the topic as well.
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### Author:  [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)
#### Post date: [October 2, 2015, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-read-some-of-your-topics-and-this-comes-to-mind/733273/12 "2015-10-02T18:52:34Z")
> [@WildBlueYonder](#):
>
> What do you think happens when you die?
Not only do I believe there’s only oblivion and maggots (because why would there be anything else ?) ; I sincerely \*hope \*there’s only oblivion and maggots.
The idea of plowing through this mostly painful and/or boring shit again and again is profoundly disheartening ; as is the idea I’ll remain “me” forever, whether it’s be-harp’d on a golden cloud watching all of humanity being retarded until their final day or being industriously shat in the soul while on fire.
When I’m done, I want to be **done**.
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### Author:  [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)
#### Post date: [October 2, 2015, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-read-some-of-your-topics-and-this-comes-to-mind/733273/13 "2015-10-02T19:12:34Z")
What happens to us when we die is the same thing as what happens to a running program (called a process) when you turn off the computer. Pfft, it’s gone.
Now we can save the state or the process and maybe start it somewhere else, but we can’t do that for our consciousness, yet anyhow. It would take lots of storage, which I don’t see around for saving souls in the literal sense. When we talk about backing up stuff to the cloud, we don’t mean a real white fluffy cloud.
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### Author:  [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)
#### Post date: [October 2, 2015, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-read-some-of-your-topics-and-this-comes-to-mind/733273/14 "2015-10-02T19:26:02Z")
Sometimes I think I’d like a do-over in life. Except it wouldn’t be good enough to have to start out as a dumbass again, I’d need to carry some knowledge forward with me to do it properly. But that’s the problem, even if there is reincarnation, we all start out with a blank slate.
And that got me thinking - given that we all start out fresh, how could you tell whether one person’s consciousness had been re-used (we reincarnate), or if we don’t reincarnate and consciousness ends with death? Those two scenarios are indistinguishable - there’s no way even in principle to know which is true.
So I like to tell myself that I’ll live again, I just won’t have any memories of this time around. And I tell other people that when I die, that impoverished kid on the other side of the world might actually be me, or that kid in the wheelchair over there could be me. If you love me, treat them well.
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### Author:  [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)
#### Post date: [October 2, 2015, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-read-some-of-your-topics-and-this-comes-to-mind/733273/15 "2015-10-02T19:40:15Z")
> [@WildBlueYonder](#):
>
> :eek:
>
> I’m new so I hope I am in the right place
>
> What do you think happens when you die?
> 😉
> 😃
>
> I believe in reincarnation myself
>
> Hoping though that there is a HELL for them that deserve it…
Wow are you in for some deep disappointment.
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### Author:  [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)
#### Post date: [October 2, 2015, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-read-some-of-your-topics-and-this-comes-to-mind/733273/16 "2015-10-02T19:59:22Z")
Where does the flame go when the candle is snuffed out?
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### Author:  [@Hiker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hiker)
#### Post date: [October 2, 2015, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-read-some-of-your-topics-and-this-comes-to-mind/733273/17 "2015-10-02T20:12:53Z")
> [@Trinopus](#):
>
> Where does the flame go when the candle is snuffed out?
Ah, but when the candle is lighted again, is the flame reincarnated? Is it a different flame or does the same flame get a new life? Those are the questions …
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### Author:  [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)
#### Post date: [October 2, 2015, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-read-some-of-your-topics-and-this-comes-to-mind/733273/18 "2015-10-02T20:18:09Z")
> [@Donald\_Rump](#):
>
> Think back to what it was like before you were born. That’s most likely what it’s like after you die.
>
> Enjoy.
So back to a giant playground with puppies and ice cream? Sweet.
> [@Trinopus](#):
>
> Where does the flame go when the candle is snuffed out?
Up onto the curtains and then the ceiling and eventually the whole neighborhood.
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### Author:  [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)
#### Post date: [October 2, 2015, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-read-some-of-your-topics-and-this-comes-to-mind/733273/19 "2015-10-02T20:18:20Z")
Where does the song go when a person stops singing?
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### Author:  [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)
#### Post date: [October 2, 2015, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-read-some-of-your-topics-and-this-comes-to-mind/733273/20 "2015-10-02T21:10:59Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#):
>
> Where does the song go when a person stops singing?
That one’s easy : the crowd keeps singing it, increasingly out of tune. 😛
ETA : aaand I just realized this was not only a random off-the-cuff joke, but also a relatively accurate representation of the socio-historical process. Fuck me, I’m so deep I could strike oil.
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