If there is a heaven

[Eltu]

Hehe, no.

Also, just because it's the afterlife, it doesn't have to mean it's eternal.

Personally my beliefs are quite close to what's described in the OP. I do think that where you get when you die, very much relates to what you personally believe. There is a lot to the world beyond what we can physically see... and a part of this is very closely linked to what we believe ourselves.

That goes hand-in-hand with my opinions on the astral, too.

[apache_blanca]

Originally Posted by Eltu

Hehe, no.

Also, just because it's the afterlife, it doesn't have to mean it's eternal.

yeah! i.e. imho "eternal" doesn't mean "set in stone" - there is a change & development "out there".

Personally my beliefs are quite close to what's described in the OP. I do think that where you get when you die, very much relates to what you personally believe. There is a lot to the world beyond what we can physically see... and a part of this is very closely linked to what we believe ourselves.

^^ I would add - beyond what we can imagine. Let's say with our human mind & based on our knowledge / experience we can imagine 10 options (only as an example) - but what if there are millions? By the time you tried all of them, you might as well start again cos you'll forget what the first one was like

That goes hand-in-hand with my opinions on the astral, too.

what are your opinions of the astral?

[Eltu]

Ah yes, indeed.

Originally Posted by apache_blanca

what are your opinions of the astral?

Many and diverse, my friend. Related to this topic, well... since it's more or less formed by our (and others) minds and thoughts... I'd say it's a first stop beyond the physical, when our bodies die here. And just because it's formed by our beliefs, what we experience there just after we die, is very much dependant on this.

[apache_blanca]

Originally Posted by Eltu

Ah yes, indeed.


Many and diverse, my friend. Related to this topic, well... since it's more or less formed by our (and others) minds and thoughts... I'd say it's a first stop beyond the physical, when our bodies die here. And just because it's formed by our beliefs, what we experience there just after we die, is very much dependant on this.

Have you read "The Autobiography of a Yogui"? there is quite a bit on that. Sri Yukteswar, the teacher of the author (Paramahansa Yogananda, the man who brought Yoga to the West) said, rather poetically, that "the physical universe is like a gondola compared to the balloon of the astral universe" - this latter is Huge! Ah, and that idea about many levels of heaven - I got it from the same book, too. It makes sense (after one gets thru the book of course )

[Eltu]

I have not, but I will definitely check it out!

As for many 'levels' of heaven, I'd agree - I think I'll agree with a whole lot presented in this book.

[apache_blanca]

Hmm... feel free to share your impressions when you get to it... It appears in your life when you need it. This book has its own soul, it has a... very interesting effect on people

[auroraglacialis]

If the afterlife or heaven is like that - like whatever one really likes best - I would say that once you really get bored of Pandora and experienced all that is to experience there (yes, I probably would also imagine an afterlife like that ) - what speaks against creating something new. It does not have to be like you get to choose once and that is it for the rest of time. I think if we will be in an afterlife, I hope that it will not be static, that whatever is let of me will go to other places all the time and see what else there will be - changing all the time.

[apache_blanca]

^^^ precisely. Of course nobody knows for sure - unless one goes there & back - but from what I read, it is this: exploring never stops. Once one experiences everything one needs/wants to experience in a given place (or level of heaven so to speak), one can move on... and on... and on. It sounds really fascinating - especially the stuff we cannot even imagine! Just wonder what it could be like? ah, but even if I see it - say, in a dream - I won't be able to describe it...

[Tsyal Makto]

Someone once posted on 4chan (because, yes, sometimes something decent is posted there ) about their ideal heaven. It would be a garden-like place with a set of gates, and through these gates they can step into another life or other worlds. They could stay in the garden as long as they wanted, and could return if they wanted.

Now replace "garden" with "Pandora" and you've got my heaven.

[apache_blanca]

^^well this "Pandora garden" (mentioned by Hunter in the OP, too) is "like a splinter in my mind"! (quoting The Matrix by memory)

See my pre-Avatar vision

and this post? (I am sorry if I shouldn't be posting it all over the place but it's important to me, still can't figure out, what's going on).

Given the fact that it was a pre-Avatar vision, & the movie knocked me out with its similarity... & given the fact we're talking on this thread about heaven, & even a possibility to return from it if we wish... & given "Pandora homesickness" that some have & some don't...

Could it be that I (we) actually lived in a Pandora-like world before?? If yes - what in the universe made me (us) come here on this planet? Did we want an exotic tour? an adrenalin rush? were we so happy in our beautiful bioluminiscent heaven that eventually we got bored & wanted some adventures? (eh? )

If the vision happened after Avatar that would be pretty clear: an "under the (Avatar) influence" dream. But to see Pandora first, in my mind, & then, in the movie??

Why "Pandora is Home"? Why the longing? What makes us different? What's going on!?

[auroraglacialis]

Hmm - I have a concept for a story that I want to write that has something in it like "gates" between worlds. And this story also involves death and rebirth. That concept, that we are beings that got "bored" or rather wanted to experience other things is one I heard some times before. I think it is part of Asian mythology (Hindu? Buddist?) that life basically is a way to experience something new. Some of these also talk about rebirth and souls that are reborn until they have enough experienced and adventure and return home.
Also as I am reading some stuff by Charles Eisenstein (The Three Seeds | Reality Sandwich and Home - Ascent of Humanity), he also talks about humanity setting out for an adventure. His ideas do not involve other worlds though

[apache_blanca]

briefly, about other worlds "feeling like Home": apart from my own experiences (which are individual & subjective, not the absolute truth) I felt quite inspired by Michael Newton's Journey of Souls: some of his patients "remembered", during a PLT (past lives therapy) sessions having lived on other planets before! iirc we talked about it somewhere: one described a "short-stature* flying race" that lived in a world with such a starry night sky that you could hardly see black spaces between the stars. But apparently their sun became a supernova, & all those souls needed somewhere to continue "the journey" after the "vacations" between lives. They considered several similar planets, & some of them chose... Earth. Maybe they have flying dreams more often than anybody else

(*Short-stature compared to what? Go figure. Imho during a PLT there is a part of rational mind that knows full well that you're in the office on the couch & your name is Mary Jane - while the other mind part is "watching the movie" & "remembering").

There are no "samples" of course (but I wish I had a 'dream-recording device'! I would be posting the 'videos' of my 'dreams' left, right & center ). It all can be a beautiful legend, a patient's amazing imagination, or I don't know what. But having read that particular case, I almost feel justified about "my personal purple heaven"

Hunter, I hope we're not deviating too much from the OP & your question? if yes, say so - you're the author.

[Moco Loco]

Back to this-- actually, I have had lots of dreams about dying, and heaven is always the same. It always goes by the same rules every time. My subconscious seems to have a fixation on this one scenario. When I die, if it isn't too sudden, I have the sensation of the top of my head getting mushy.
!!!!TANGENT!!!!( That sounds awful enough, but sometimes I get that feeling in real life, and it isn't as unsettling as it sounds sometimes certain voices trigger it, sometimes I get it when I watch someone draw or really do any type of art. Sometimes I get it when I see Avatar.)TANGENT OVER
Then, I sort of crawl out of my own body through my head like it was a chrysalis. The whole world looks foggy and wispy. I can see my body where it was, and I know I am dead. Usually, another person takes me to heaven. Maybe they're there already when I die, but sometimes I just have to wander around to find them. There are different levels of heaven, all reminiscent of college I live in a dormitory and take classes. Sometimes some of the teachers are aliens. We are always urged to continue moving up, trying to get to level 100 (final level) and to never be tempted to go back to Earth.

I have gotten so comfortable with this idea of heaven that I wouldn't mind if it were true

[apache_blanca]

Originally Posted by Moco Loco

...There are different levels of heaven, all reminiscent of college I live in a dormitory and take classes. Sometimes some of the teachers are aliens. We are always urged to continue moving up, trying to get to level 100 (final level) and to never be tempted to go back to Earth.

I have gotten so comfortable with this idea of heaven that I wouldn't mind if it were true

you know what, if you ever get tempted to read the book I mentioned above you'll find some very interesting similarities with your "heaven dreams" Learning, teachers, different levels of heaven, moving on... yer man.

[Moco Loco]

I thought that book was about past lives, but cool. The heaven dreams are extremely detailed and always follow the same rules. A while back, I mentioned that the only Avatar dream I'd had was being in heaven among a group of people who also liked Avatar which was a great dream if only because I'm surrounded by indie hipsters all day every day at school. In heaven, Avatar is regarded as a classic, and in heaven, IMAX 3D showings require no glasses to see clearly