Atheists:TECHNICALLY, possible life after death?

Question

Hi I'm 15 and I'm vastly intrigued by online debates about the proof of God, life after death, Jesus Christ etc. However, I'm NOT going to debate about the proof of God but I want an atheist's opinion about this because it might as well be possibly true. I've came up with a theory.
Big bang sun was created, Earth was a ball of lava that cooled down over years, ocean was created, first living organisms started appearing, yadayada now we're to the day you're born.
When you're conceived you're brain starts to develop when it has burrowed into the uterine wall, therefore you start to form a conscience/mind of your own after genes are done combining and the growth development of you're organs begin, right? You're brain is obviously a vital organ (unless you're a troll/dumbass) so it's created after genetics take place, hence, you never existed until the fourth week of conception. That means you're mind what's made out of nothing (not exactly out of nothing but you get it). Now let's go to death and deterioration of the body and mind. (An atheist's view)-When you die your body rots away to nothing and so does your mind therefore you're conscience/being/personality can't exist anymore in any shape or form. (Plus in genetics you're technically only half a person without a mind or bodily functions until you're conceived) Now I've state all the facts, I have a question. Why, out of the mind blowing number of creatures on earth that have had a brain, and why are we here now in 2011? I'm talking about out of all the creatures that roamed the Earth that had a conscience how come we became here? Why weren't we born in the Roman times? Or during the dark ages? What I'm trying to ask is can we come out as another human with another conscience from the point where we exist no more and are six feet under?- And yes I'm talking about "reincarnation" using a "religious" word... but instead of soul a different conscience like you're coming back to live but in different mind/conscience. And if you came back into the world again with a new mind you will obviously know nothing of your previous life. I'm not talking about genetics because genetics never had a conscience. I'm talking about conscience, because unlike cells we have free will and plus cells are just building blocks. I mean this theory started out as an idea and then started to grow. It has some flaws and I know it but some things its kindof too hard for me to explain. Like I'd have to have time to go deeper into detail. I don't believe in my theory because, well... its a theory. So don't get the idea that I'm going to start a cult or anything because it took some heavy thinking and I'm kindof a drifter when it comes to my beliefs. So yea, don't get me wrong there could be thousands of things wrong with it but if you interpret it right and think about it heavily it could actually make clear sense. Thanks for you're time, and give me you're true feedback. Like don't be a stubborn *** and think that you're right because you've believed it all along. Actually think about it. (BTW preachers who talk about souls, I'm catholic too, so **** off you're killing my moment).

Answer 1

So you're talking reincarnation. Well we don't know, and there is no evidence for it. Simply as that. Until we do find evidence, we will maintain the default position, which is negative.



Moreover, you'd need to define "conscience", because what I'm thinking of has absolutely no relation to reincarnation or souls or anything supernatural. It's simply the active and thought processing part of the brain.



Descartes famous line; "I think therefore I am"

To me, and many others, that is what "conscience" is. Intuition, reasoning, rational, whatever you want to call it. Simply put it's, thinking!



Many animals have somewhat of a conscience as well. Not compared to humans of course, but still relatively amazing. For example, Dolphins can recognize themselves in a mirror. They can create air rings underwater and use them as toys. They can manipulate fish to bank onto shorelines while hunting. Not to mention their superb communication skills.



And that's just a few things dolphins can do. Take into account all the others, as well as all the other animals with similar cognitive abilities.



By the way, your idea isn't exactly a theory. Not by the scientific standard. It may be a hypothesis at best, but by no means a theory. Theory implies evidence based conclusion. At least in the scientific framework.

Answer 2

Consider that you got 23 chromosome from your mother (out of the 42 she has) and 23 from your father (from the 23 pair he has).

Just statistically, that means there are 70 trillion different kids your parents could have (for the record, the total human population of the planet is 7 billion, 10000 times less). If who you are is controlled by your DNA, then there is little chance that you would get another 'chance', even if all the men and all the women on the planet were clones of your parents.

But there is more. Who you are is also the result of what you went trough in life; identical twins have the exact same DNA, yet would have variation in taste and preferences.



You have 100 billion neurons in your brain (the DNA does not determine how each is connected, only that they have to get connected, somehow. Some connections are the result of learning), each with several connections to neighboring neurons. The number of different ways to connect just a few thousands neurons reaches a number that is greater than the number of atoms in the universe, imagine 100 billion. Not only is your brain truly unique in this universe, it is also unique to the here and now. In one minute, you would have been exposed to some new situation, and new connections would be called for, so your brain keeps changing.

The chance of you being 'reborn' given those conditions, is such a big zero, actually expressing the probability against take numbers that cannot be expressed easily.

Answer 3

I see many problems with your theory and I'm not going to list them all because it would take too long lol. Your basic questions here is "Why are we here in 2011, as opposed to, say, 1483?" We are here because your dad had some alone time with your mom and a sperm and egg united and started growing and duplicating and eventually a small clump of cells became you. That's the only reason why. I get the idea that you feel reincarnation has a role in why we are here. I feel that's ridiculous. Any animal starts off as a sperm and an egg that united and grew into a living organism. There is nothing really beyond that unless you go into the specific science of it. There is no reincarnation. There is no life after death. In my opinion at least. And I'm not saying it's 100% impossible. But based on my research and beliefs, life after death is about 99.9% impossible in my view.

Answer 4

I read it. I don't think the energy can maintain itself with a consciousness. Nothing's proven about this though. I think I should link you to a former question. Let me find it...brb.



Sorry, I can't find it. I think it was deleted. Basically, a fellow asked about near death experiences and the human brain, and sixth sense.



What I told him was basically our energy is going to leave our body, and by physical laws, would decay into the energy of all things. The energy will be recycled, as the corporeal body will to. The concept of maintaining a consciousness through "between lives" is seemingly impossible. However I don't know. No one does. But I logically can't look forward to it - presently.

Answer 5

All the word 'atheist' means is that the person doesn't believe in a god/dess.

Many Buddhists are atheists. Plenty of atheists are more willing to thinkj there might be an afterlife but don't see how an omniscient, all-powerful deity that was even benign, much less loving, could sit by while so much evil happens in the world.

Answer 6

Wow,you seem like a really well read,educated kid.

I'm much too lazy to read this whole post,but as an atheist,I strongly do not believe in life after death.

I believe that this is it,so I try to live a fulfilling,fun life.

Answer 7

All matter is energy therefore cannot be created or destroyed so our minds being highly organized energy most likely wouldn't dissipate after death

Answer 8

A decaying brain can no more think than a computer can work if the motherboard is broken into many pieces.

Answer 9

I never read that but an atheist can believe in an afterlife.

Answer 10

So many words, my answer to just the top question is that everything is possible, we wont know until we are dead.

Answer 11

In terms of science? It seems doubtful.

Answer 12

What was the question again?

Answer 13

J E S U S L O V E S Y O U !!!!



lmao JK