Maybe in the Next Life

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What do you think of reincarnation?

Who/what would you come back as?

If you chose to come back as a human would you rather come back as a man or a woman?

Why?

― Lara (Lara), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 11:25 (twenty-three years ago)

Would you still want to be an internet mentalist?

― Lara (Lara), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 11:33 (twenty-three years ago)

No I'd quite like it to be all over really. Once is enough for me. Although if I had to come back as something, it'd probably be a sloth.

You don't say?

No, I do.

― j0e (j0e), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 11:36 (twenty-three years ago)

I don't know much about it. In what sense are you the person you're reincarnated as?

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 11:37 (twenty-three years ago)

Um , like, completely, like. You were once a snail Andrew.

― Lara (Lara), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 11:37 (twenty-three years ago)

But you out-perfomred so came back as a programmer.

― Lara (Lara), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 11:39 (twenty-three years ago)

But I don't remember. It's not "I was a snail" in the same way as "I was a Boy Scout".

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 11:40 (twenty-three years ago)

Of course you don't remember. You will have to come round to mine and be bathed in a essential oils until you start to speak in tongues for you to remember.

What would you like to have a go of in the next life though?

― Lara (Lara), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 11:42 (twenty-three years ago)

I would like to come back as an International Jive Dance champion.

― Lara (Lara), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 11:43 (twenty-three years ago)

So are you saying you're resigned to not becoming one this turn? There's still time! Actually, this thread may bear some resemblance to What feat do you aspire to that you could never possibly achieve? . I'm just saying.

Err, anyway. An astronaut.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 11:49 (twenty-three years ago)

Actually, I say actually a lot. But that thread could be "What would you like do to except it would change your life more than you'd like?", and this one could be "What have you completely missed the boat on, would have to start again". Maybe stuff that you're too old to do now.

My answer stands.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 11:55 (twenty-three years ago)

I want to be something that isn't sentient.

― kate, Wednesday, 5 March 2003 12:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I don't remember my former life either... can I be bathed in essential oils too?

― DV (dirtyvicar), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 12:11 (twenty-three years ago)

Andrew, stop confusing things! Reincarnation is vastly different to aspiring to be something that you are not in this life.

You could come back as an Indian peasant boy but you'd have quite a job becoming one in this life given the upbringing and education you've had.

Maybe I'll come back as a wispy cloud that appears on summer's days.

― Lara (Lara), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 12:16 (twenty-three years ago)

I know it's different, that's what I'm saying (the second time around!)

It's my (perhaps faulty) understanding that if I came back as an indian peasant boy, I'd still have a chance of ending up a computer programmer. This is practically my definition of progress (of the world, not just karmically).

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 12:26 (twenty-three years ago)

I suppose Bangalore has come on in leaps and bounds. I have to be at the airport in 27 minutes - next time I might come back as the owner of a helicoptor...

― Lara (Lara), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 12:28 (twenty-three years ago)

When I was about six years old, I changed schools. On my first day at my new school, I noticed a painting of a young girl hanging in the school hall and proceeded to tell everyone that I knew who she was, knew her name (which was some long complicated Italian one I seem to remember) and described how I used to play at her house sometimes.

I was so upset when they scoffed at my fanciful story, that I told my Mum about it. She checked the history of the painting and it turned out to be a young Italian girl from about 1890, a distant relative of the school's headmistress, with the very same long complicated name I had said.

I don't know whether this means I have been reincarnated or if I am just bonkers.

― C J (C J), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 14:52 (twenty-three years ago)

I would want to come back as a bird. Something small and cute like a robin. True, I would have to eat worms, but I'm sure that as a bird I would totally love it.

― Sarah Hotnights (coco), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 14:54 (twenty-three years ago)

A capybara. They look like they have fun.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 15:45 (twenty-three years ago)

For those (like me) who are not quite the smarty pants, these are capybaras:
http://www.rebsig.com/capybara/capy12.jpg

― Sarah McL-Hot (coco), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 16:27 (twenty-three years ago)

See, look at them! They're wonderful! They toddle along the ground and have these nice big faces that look very relaxed.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 16:28 (twenty-three years ago)

They're moomins under the Witness Relocation Program!

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 16:34 (twenty-three years ago)

I'd like to be reincarnated.

I don't have (or, no longer have) the ego to believe in false solutions. Reality is what it is, and mine pretty inherently sucks. Although I can see that a state of happy delusion might have value, if sustainable.

I'm fucking depressed today. I'd better shut up or I never will.

― ChristineSH, Wednesday, 5 March 2003 17:08 (twenty-three years ago)

Christine, What can you change about your reality so that it doesn't 'inherently suck?'

(PS: That's my middle name!)
(PPS: By that, I mean CHRISTINE, not 'inherently sucks.')

― Sarah McLUsky (coco), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 17:16 (twenty-three years ago)

The problem with re-incarnation is the loss of all memory and previous beliefs etc. Could you leave it all behind for the possibility of growing up to become the exact opposite of who you are now? It's nature versus nurture put to a very very big test, and I for one am not about to take that risk.

― Lynskey (Lynskey), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 17:33 (twenty-three years ago)

Reincarnation has no practical consequences one way or the other as far as I can tell. If it does exist, it is indetectable and indistinguishable from it not existing. For that reason I give it little thought. However, it might have some very interesting implications for theoretical physics...

― Aimless, Wednesday, 5 March 2003 17:36 (twenty-three years ago)

Who cares if you forget everything? Is it better just to never come back? BO-RING!

― Sarah McLusky (coco), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 17:36 (twenty-three years ago)

Lynskey, that doesn't strike me as a problem given the alternatives. And besides, it's not like you're being presented with a choice.

― Nick A. (Nick A.), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 17:38 (twenty-three years ago)

in South America capybaras are officially classified as a fish, so people are allowed eat them on Catholic fast days, of which today is one.

So while in general being reincarnated as a capybara might seem like a good idea, in practice you'd probably rather be a capybara in Fota Island Wildlife Park than one in Brazil.

― DV (dirtyvicar), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 17:42 (twenty-three years ago)

Then I have a plan.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 17:51 (twenty-three years ago)

Have you asked Vic how it is Ned?

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 19:17 (twenty-three years ago)

D'oh!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 19:20 (twenty-three years ago)

Sarah: I guess being less lonely and less penniless would help. A bit. Maybe even a lot; hard to say, when even that's kind of an abstract concept, really.

I am mostly talking about things that can't be changed, though. Which is a bad idea, because that kind of thing tends to frustrate/irritate/alienate people. Being old is one of those things, although maybe the least of them. (I know I'm not really old or anything. But all things considered, I feel short-changed on that one too.) It's a stinking feeling to be in a position where the best options seem to be blocking things out as much as possible or trying to be in a state of total delusion.

I go for the blocking option as much as I can. Some days I just don't feel up to it, tho'. I'll probably be 'better' tomorrow, i.e. able to pretend I feel okay about being alive.

Speaking of losing all you memories if you come back... big deal. It's a sad thing to say, but I can't think of many memories about this life that I'd regret losing.

― ChristineSH, Wednesday, 5 March 2003 21:33 (twenty-three years ago)

funny to see this thread, because i have just been reading about reincarnation and was about to start a thread on it.

maybe in the next life......

― donna (donna), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 22:30 (twenty-three years ago)

I can't decide whether reincarnation is scary (losing yourself!) or comforting (keeping your existence at least). Same for heaven. I don't believe in either, I prefer not to think about my upcoming annihilation.

I just read a book called Passage by Connie Willis, and there's some psychological/memory condition that lets you remember incredibly tiny details from things you heard when you were very small, or things you can't consciously remember learning. I bet everyone has that to an extent. Maybe you heard her name some other time, Sarah.

― Maria (Maria), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 22:59 (twenty-three years ago)

I don't care what I come back as but for the love of god give me some arches in my feet next time. My feet like oooooooozzzzee out the sides of strappy high heels because I have no arch. It's the end of me I tell you!

― Carey (Carey), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 23:05 (twenty-three years ago)

I'd come back as a blue whale; they seem very relaxed and non-plussed.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 23:14 (twenty-three years ago)

What use is reincarnation if don't get to keep all that knowledge you learned in the last life?

― Nathan Webb (Nathan Webb), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 23:14 (twenty-three years ago)

stickleback

― gareth (gareth), Thursday, 6 March 2003 00:34 (twenty-three years ago)

My aunt sends me every junk e-mail that she gets. One of the better ones described why it would be cool to be reincarnated as a she-bear -- they're supposed to have hairy legs and a heavy layer of fat, they give birth to their cubs while hibernating, and whenever anyone gives them attitude they just swat back with a big, sharp-clawed paw.

Of course, this would have to be in a state with strict hunting laws.
;^}

― j.lu (j.lu), Thursday, 6 March 2003 01:30 (twenty-three years ago)

An otter I think - it looks like fun

― luna (luna.c), Thursday, 6 March 2003 03:23 (twenty-three years ago)

I wanna be a cat owned by a female music junkie with no boyfriend.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Thursday, 6 March 2003 03:27 (twenty-three years ago)

I would like to be me again but with the kind of work ethic that gets novels completed instead of having one that says it's okay estela you can stop at the halfway point you are tired have a rest you're still the geezer.

― estela, Thursday, 6 March 2003 04:23 (twenty-three years ago)

What use is reincarnation if don't get to keep all that knowledge you learned in the last life?
If it did exist, I don't think we could assume it would be in our favor.

Maybe you heard her name some other time, Sarah.
You mean CJ?

I wanna be a cat owned by a female music junkie with no boyfriend.
I am a female music junkie with cats. But I have a bf.

― Sarah McLUsky-Hotnights (coco), Thursday, 6 March 2003 14:00 (twenty-three years ago)

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