If You Were Offered Immortality, Would You Accept It?

15 years ago

Originally Posted by Dan C. Rinnert

If you were offered immortality (by God, super-beings, aliens, whatever), would you accept it?

This would be physical immortality, and not a supernatural immortality (heaven) or a trick (you wrote a book -- you "live" forever through your work) or anything like that. You'll just live forever. Would you accept that?

I would, with some conditions. I'd want super-healing abilities too. You'd expect normal stuff like cuts and the like to heal, but I'd want things to grow back too. You have to figure that, no matter how careful you are, the odds are, especially as the years go on, that you'll lose something. Sure, some people can make it 100 years without losing anything, but there are always accidents and malicious people, so could you make it 200 years? 500 years? 1,000 years?

I'd want that super-healing too. Otherwise, at the end of a couple thousand years, you could end up being a deaf, blind, mute head that someone drags along with them. Or, worse, they toss you in a dark corner somewhere and forget about you. Not that it would matter, since you can't see or hear anything anyway. But, who wants to have a few hundreds years of a reasonably good life only to spend the next few million years (into eternity) alone in your own thoughts?

You'd definitely want to be able to grow back fingers, arms, legs, eyes, ears, and so on.

Of course, the best plan would be immortality (including super-healing) plus a time machine. That way, you'd have more than an eternity and, even if mankind became extinct, you could still hang out with some people sometime.

Lol. I would accept it until I could choose to go back to being mortal. I also would want to be able to make other people immortal as well. Maybe like ten or so if I had to put a cap on it.

I also would want super healing as well as super strength, much like a vampire without drinking blood.

Also, time machine is a must. I'm sure I'd want to quit living at some point though and want to see what the spiritual realm is.

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HomeComputerGames

15 years ago

LOL
Mushroom spiked batch of wine there Dan?

damn.....sitting 1000 years in this chair sounds a little much for me

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Adeel_Chowdhry 15 years ago

Originally Posted by HomeComputerGames

LOL
Mushroom spiked batch of wine there Dan?

damn.....sitting 1000 years in this chair sounds a little much for me

LOLOLOLOLOL.
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Killer Joe

15 years ago

Well, this may sound really wierd, but there is NO way I would want that disability.

When I was 28 I died. Luckily, for my children I was in a hospital when it happened. But I went through the whole death trauma, and it scared what life was left in me right to the core.

The doctors told me I was a "long shot, that we usually can't bring people back that were that far gone" (their words).

When I frist regained consciousness in the ICU I was disappointed to the point of being mad that I had returned.

What that has left me with over these past 30 years is an undeniable belief that we are indeed spiritual creatures first, and protoplasmatic beings second.

This was put to the test last year when I had a servere episode where my entire system shut down without a warning. For a few hours my life hung in the balance, but what was really cool was that throughout the ordeal I was completely overwhelmed with happiness.

I will tell you that the original episode of actually dying (clinically) was extremely frightening as I had no idea what was going to happen next, (DUH).

Perhaps the greatest gift anyone can receive in their life is the gift from fear of death. I have that, and when I die I will be the happiest person at that moment on the planet.

Immortality? On this Planet?

I'll pass...

KJ

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bozz723

15 years ago

Originally Posted by Killer Joe

Well, this may sound really wierd, but there is NO way I would want that disability.

When I was 28 I died. Luckily, for my children I was in a hospital when it happened. But I went through the whole death trauma, and it scared what life was left in me right to the core.

The doctors told me I was a "long shot, that we usually can't bring people back that were that far gone" (their words).

When I frist regained consciousness in the ICU I was disappointed to the point of being mad that I had returned.

What that has left me with over these past 30 years is an undeniable belief that we are indeed spiritual creatures first, and protoplasmatic beings second.

This was put to the test last year when I had a servere episode where my entire system shut down without a warning. For a few hours my life hung in the balance, but what was really cool was that throughout the ordeal I was completely overwhelmed with happiness.

I will tell you that the original episode of actually dying (clinically) was extremely frightening as I had no idea what was going to happen next, (DUH).

Perhaps the greatest gift anyone can receive in their life is the gift from fear of death. I have that, and when I die I will be the happiest person at that moment on the planet.

Immortality? On this Planet?

I'll pass...

KJ

Hi,

So you had a near death experience? Just feelings of happiness that you were about to pass? I'd like to hear a bit more.

Thanks

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1 reply

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Killer Joe

15 years ago

Originally Posted by bozz723

Hi,So you had a near death experience? Just feelings of happiness that you were about to pass? I'd like to hear a bit more.

Thanks

Ok, just a little, I may want to release a WSO on the subject so here are a few teasers

This could be unique to me, so your milage may vary...

When I went through the clinical death stage, and I mean actually dying, I started to lose all movement and feeling in my body. So the parts of me that were farthest away from my heart (the blood pumping organ) were the first to become inanimate.

Now, don't get me wrong, I struggled to stay alive as hard as anybody could, but at the time I had no control over the situation. So the first appendages to lose all feeling and ability to respond were my legs. I had never gone through such an event so I knew something was out of kilter, big time.

But here is the most striking thing that happened...no sooner than I lost the use of my legs, I also lost all memory of ever having them. Same with the rest of my body as it slowly lost it's function over a 5 minute period.

In a sense it was as if I had never had them. I know reading those words means absolutely nothing to most people. But once you realize that the real you is not comprised of your physical manifistations, but rather the soul, or spirit, or whatever you want to call it, it will change every perception you had about this thing you call your body.

We're just in this form for a brief period much like a butterfly lives part of its' life as a caterpillar.

Hopefully, we don't end up as bird food, but we're certainly not going to remain in this state.

KJ

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cimbah 15 years ago

I have no fear of death because like KJ, I believe there is much more to us than the physical bodies we currently inhabit. I don't even think of it as death but more like going back to what I was before I came into this body.

As for being immortal, I believe we already are - we just go back and forth between physical and non-physical but we never cease to exist. So, why stay in this body forever when I can come back later in a new one.
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- Lawrh 15 years ago
  
  Read "Time Enough For Love" by Robert Heinlein
  
  It's the biography of Lazarus Long. At the time of writing he was about 3000 years old. Wonderfully presents how a person who doesn't die lives and moves through mortal societies on and off world.
  
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  â€œStrategy without action is a day-dream; action without strategy is a nightmare.â€ â€“ Old Japanese proverb -
  
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Patrician

15 years ago

Originally Posted by Killer Joe

I know reading those words means absolutely nothing to most people. But once you realize that the real you is not comprised of your physical manifistations, but rather the soul, or spirit, or whatever you want to call it, it will change every perception you had about this thing you call your body.

We're just in this form for a brief period much like a butterfly lives part of its' life as a caterpillar.

KJ

I know exactly what you are saying. I like your caterpillar/butterfly analogy.

When I frist regained consciousness in the ICU I was disappointed to the point of being mad that I had returned.

I know exactly what you mean - this statement convinced me that you were 'THERE'. So damn aggravating to wake up on the same plain when you had transcended. Like somebody gave you wings and then took them back. Total bummer.

Death is the beginning, not the end...

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R Hagel

15 years ago

Thanks for sharing, KJ. Your story is awesome.

Originally Posted by Killer Joe

But once you realize that the real you is not comprised of your physical manifistations, but rather the soul, or spirit, or whatever you want to call it, it will change every perception you had about this thing you call your body.

I read once (can't remember who wrote it), that we aren't physical beings having a spiritual experience. Instead, we are spiritual beings having a physical experience.

Cheers,
Becky

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Michael Motley

15 years ago

Originally Posted by Killer Joe

Ok, just a little, I may want to release a WSO on the subject so here are a few teasers

This could be unique to me, so your milage may vary...

When I went through the clinical death stage, and I mean actually dying, I started to lose all movement and feeling in my body. So the parts of me that were farthest away from my heart (the blood pumping organ) were the first to become inanimate.

Now, don't get me wrong, I struggled to stay alive as hard as anybody could, but at the time I had no control over the situation. So the first appendages to lose all feeling and ability to respond were my legs. I had never gone through such an event so I knew something was out of kilter, big time.

But here is the most striking thing that happened...no sooner than I lost the use of my legs, I also lost all memory of ever having them. Same with the rest of my body as it slowly lost it's function over a 5 minute period.

In a sense it was as if I had never had them. I know reading those words means absolutely nothing to most people. But once you realize that the real you is not comprised of your physical manifistations, but rather the soul, or spirit, or whatever you want to call it, it will change every perception you had about this thing you call your body.

We're just in this form for a brief period much like a butterfly lives part of its' life as a caterpillar.

Hopefully, we don't end up as bird food, but we're certainly not going to remain in this state.

KJ

Is it a possibilty that your experience is a manifestation of what you personally believe or have been led to believe due to external influences of your environment or the people within your environment?

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Killer Joe

15 years ago

Originally Posted by Michael Motley

Is it a possibilty that your experience is a manifestation of what you personally believe or have been led to believe due to external influences of your environment or the people within your environment?

For all I know I'm just a manifistation of a dream you're having.

KJ

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Michael Motley 15 years ago

Originally Posted by Killer Joe

For all I know I'm just a manifistation of a dream you're having.

KJ

could be

I just wonder when you hear people with near death experiences who always say pretty much the same thing of a 'white light', or 'floating above the body', or 'seeing family and friends'..etc, if the images they see are just their brain thinking its dying, freaking out and regurgitating everything that has been beat into our heads from the time we are old enough to listen about death and dying. Just like you hear people talking about seeing their live pass before their eyes.

I would think that since so many people see the same thing, its possible that this is just some kind of 'death throe' of the brain, or what essentially amounts to a conditioned response to death, made so by society.

just throwing that out there
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Dan C. Rinnert

15 years ago

Originally Posted by cimbah

As for being immortal, I believe we already are - we just go back and forth between physical and non-physical but we never cease to exist. So, why stay in this body forever when I can come back later in a new one.

If you don't remember who you are or were, are you still you?

Originally Posted by seasoned

I WOULD want super healing, the ability to get back what I lost(hair, 20/20 uncorrected eyesight, etc...) and invincibility. After all, if someone found you could heal, etc... they might want to shoot you all the time, etc... just for the fun of it. As for making others immortal, I would like my then current wife and kids to be likewise affected.

I wonder how many people could really stay married for eternity.

Originally Posted by TMG Enterprises

While I'm not to keen on dying any time soon, I don't believe I would want immortality here on earth. I should think it could get pretty damn boring after a couple hundred years or so.

I imagine it would take a long time to read every book ever written and so on. The challenge would be surviving crackpot empires and such that try to destroy anything that doesn't fit their worldview.

Originally Posted by christftw

p.s. While I was finishing up this reply, The Today Show started talking about scientists "erasing death." Pretty sure that means I am immortal, the whole world knows, and you're all playing a trick on me... am I right?

Maybe it's just everyone else that dies.

Originally Posted by Wakunahum

It would seem that eventually one would just be floating in space all alone for eternity at some point in time.

Thus, the time machine.

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Tom E

15 years ago

Originally Posted by Michael Motley

Is it a possibilty that your experience is a manifestation of what you personally believe or have been led to believe due to external influences of your environment or the people within your environment?

Read "The light beyond" by Raymond A. Moody Jr. Phd - if you want hard research on the subject from the man who actually coined the expression "Near Death Experience", this book is a wonderful and very much illuminating read on the subject.

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Dan C. Rinnert

15 years ago

Originally Posted by gr8tocre8

Read "The light beyond" by Raymond A. Moody Jr. Phd - if you want hard research on the subject from the man who actually coined the expression "Near Death Experience", this book is a wonderful and very much illuminating read on the subject.

If you see the shadow of a man on a wall, looking only at the shadow, do you know for certain whether it is cast by a real man, a cardboard cutout, or something else entirely?

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Tom E

15 years ago

Originally Posted by gr8tocre8

Read "The light beyond" by Raymond A. Moody Jr. Phd - if you want hard research on the subject from the man who actually coined the expression "Near Death Experience", this book is a wonderful and very much illuminating read on the subject.

Originally Posted by Dan C. Rinnert

If you see the shadow of a man on a wall, looking only at the shadow, do you know for certain whether it is cast by a real man, a cardboard cutout, or something else entirely?

Lol, I wasn't trying to argue about this - I was simply recommending a research-based book on the subject for anyone who have doubts about the validity of NDE's.

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JayOnNet 15 years ago

Originally Posted by Killer Joe

Immortality? On this Planet?

I'll pass...

KJ

Agreed ... with all the chaos and anarchy prevailing ... I too would never like live on and on and on
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seasoned

15 years ago

I WOULD want super healing, the ability to get back what I lost(hair, 20/20 uncorrected eyesight, etc...) and invincibility. After all, if someone found you could heal, etc... they might want to shoot you all the time, etc... just for the fun of it. As for making others immortal, I would like my then current wife and kids to be likewise affected.

Otherwise, FORGET IT! when I had that operation 4 years ago, I was actually HOPING I would die. This planet could be paradise, but too many want to be leaches and it has become a kind of hell.

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christftw

15 years ago

I wouldn't want immortality, unless it could be turned on/off. But even then I'm thinking I'd want something more along the lines of "invincibility" like Seasoned said.

If things did "go to hell in a hand basket" * (i.e. war, revolution, etc.) it sure would be handy to be able to deflect items & bullets, dash through fire, survive under water, and so on. It would certainly give my family and I a greater chance at surviving (providing I wasn't obvious, and people tried to harm/kill me for fun thus putting them in danger), but the "side" I was on would wield a heckuva weapon.

* no, I have no idea how that saying goes. Around here I'm pretty sure it's said incorrectly... but it's a very normal saying so it's slurred together worse than a drunken sailor's dirty joke anyway. Feel free to correct me if I got it wrong :p

p.s. While I was finishing up this reply, The Today Show started talking about scientists "erasing death." Pretty sure that means I am immortal, the whole world knows, and you're all playing a trick on me... am I right?

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Unsigned

15 years ago

wouldnt mind being immortal for a bit as long as I heal and stuf kinda like hancock,

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Wakunahum 15 years ago

I probably wouldn't want it.

Someday the sun is going to go away so living on earth wouldn't work out.

Sure someone by that time might have something to travel to another world and whatnot, but that process would repeat over and over losing suns as their energy burnt out.

It would seem that eventually one would just be floating in space all alone for eternity at some point in time.
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TLTheLiberator

15 years ago

I'll take it under these conditions...

- I can not grow to look old.

- I can go back to normal whenever I want.

TL

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Alican Yenidogan

15 years ago

Being immortal means seing everyone you love or care dying in some part of your ENDLESS life.

It's like dying over and over again. Nothing would be special, you wouldn't enjoy a birthday, new year, money...

Uhmm.. wait a second, that explains why I love pain after 295.422 years...

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Dan C. Rinnert

15 years ago

Originally Posted by Alican Yenidogan

Being immortal means seing everyone you love or care dying in some part of your ENDLESS life.

But, how different is that from mortality? Most people will lose many loved ones throughout their lives. So, whether you are mortal or immortal, you'll lose people you care about.

The difference is that, 100 or 200 years from now, no one will remember those people. But, if you were still around, you would. So, your great-great-great grandkids would be able to hear stories about their ancestors, personal stories that might not be in books or journals.

Most people only get a photo of distant ancestors, if that. Think how special your immortality could be for others.

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Alican Yenidogan

15 years ago

It is like saying, you'll lose $10 or $1.000.000,00 so what's the difference. In a normal life, say you'll lose 100 relatives/friends but if you live forever, everybody around you will die...

Also, you'll not get any older but your loved one will look older year after year, you'll not be able to love that person, at least I wouldn't.. why would I? I look young even after 10000 years, so no grandkids for me or at least not any that I know of

And 1 last think, if you can remember anything related to your endless life, you'd go insane. Don't want that also. If I'm going to forget everything like a formated computer, that may be ok

Originally Posted by Dan C. Rinnert

But, how different is that from mortality? Most people will lose many loved ones throughout their lives. So, whether you are mortal or immortal, you'll lose people you care about.

The difference is that, 100 or 200 years from now, no one will remember those people. But, if you were still around, you would. So, your great-great-great grandkids would be able to hear stories about their ancestors, personal stories that might not be in books or journals.

Most people only get a photo of distant ancestors, if that. Think how special your immortality could be for others.

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gareth

15 years ago

Yes I want to be physically immortal.

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David Louis Monk

15 years ago

Despite what the rest of the world thinks, God is at work in the world, ruling in the affairs of men to bring about the purpose for which God created this earth in the beginning. He gives us the assurance that He will "make all things new" and that the future kingdom will be far better than we can ever imagine now.

God's plan is for this planet and the people who are responsive to his invitation to be in the kingdom. The nearest I can imagine to living in the new world to come is to think of the best day in my life when I was in my best health and waking up without a care in the world and wishing that everyday could be just like this one.

The kingdom is going be so beautiful and wonderful that it will be more than we can imagine in this life. God will over deliver in this respect.

The new world will be inhabited by people who deserve to be there, hence the sorting out of the wheat from the chaff. If the new world is anything like a continuation of the present, not even I would want to live for eternity in that world, but it is not going to be like that.

It is a wonderful prospect I have to look forward to.

As my new-found internet marketing guru says, "don't be a busy fool". Jump on board while there is time. I hate exaggeration and hype and none is intended, but eventually the door will be closed and you do not want to be left on the outside.

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Flyingpig7

15 years ago

What about loneliness? Is that not the biggest problem. I mean others would have to have this ability also to understand your perspective on life as an imortal. (Your loved ones would you not want to share a fair bit of time with them?).
There are other problems too we are in a world of 5 or 6 billion people if more than a few were mortal what would be our population issues be?

Mm I'm not sure I would want this, I don't mind living to 100 with a very full quality life.I think that is more important the Quality of it.

Keren

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MikeAmbrosio

15 years ago

No, I would not accept it. Don't ask me why.

Entertaining movie on this subject is "The Man From Earth" - about a man who claims to have been living for the past 14,000 years:

Amazon.com: Jerome Bixby's The Man from Earth:...

(that's not an affiliate link. It's a good place to read both a description of the movie as well as reviews)

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acrasial

15 years ago

Yes you would watch everyone you know die... and everyone would leave but you... at some point and time if you ever hated yourself that much, you couldn't even committ suicide! If nothing was going your way... it would be ironic... because you could never die...

what if the person given this power... was also some perverted murderer? God knows we have loads of sicko's in the USA, and heck, they probably want that power too!

HAHAHA.