>>Extrordinary claims require extrordinary proof, and very careful investigations. As far as I know, no properly investigated reincarnation case has stood up to careful examination. And really, investigations by true believers don't count. They don't want to disprove it.<<

In this case, what is an extraordinary claim? Is it more or less extraordinary to claim that when you die you're just gone--like you never existed?

In these types of discussions, proof isn't required although it certainly helps. What you need is a good, logical argument pro or con.

Personally, I think there is some form of reincarnation but beyond that I do not and cannot speculate.

Consciousness consists of the perception of external stimuli and the memories of them and the fact that you can choose to remember events infinitely theoretically. Unconsciousness or non-consciousness is a state where nothing is experienced, nothing remembered (I'm not talking about dreaming--I am talking true, complete unconsciousness). Not even the passage of time can be remembered. So if you went unconscious for exactly an hour while looking at the clock, it would seem to you that the clock simply jumped forward an hour instananeously. Missing time--as the abductees say.

In fact, you cannot remember being unconscious.

Now suppose you die at X--a point in the future--and death actually extinguished consciousness. Your life simply becomes missing time. It's no different than if you suddenly got complete, total amnesia at age 50 and forgot everything and became like a newborn. What do you remember of the first 50 years? Nothing. Your life becomes missing time, unconsciousness. Yet, during your life you experienced and you recalled your experiences and could recall events as many times as you wanted. So you were conscious. CONTRADICTION. The conclusion is that death does not extinguish consciousness. IOW, consciousness is eternal.

But heaven or hell is not practical because you can't recall events the same way which means your consciousness is altered and consciousness cannot be altered. Your experiences and they way you perceived them are what make you a unique personality. If it changes at all, you would not be you anymore. If heaven was this place where I go after I die and feel no more pain then I cannot recall any of my painful experiences. CONTRADICTION. Heaven or hell would alter my consciousness which cannot happen. So there there is no heaven or hell. You must relive your experiences and sensations the way you always have and must be able to remember and relive them infinitely theoretically. If you are ever prevented from doing so, your consciousness is altered.

The conclusion is, we must come back here. We must become incarnate again. What if the earth is destroyed? Then we wait. How long? What difference does it make? We have all eternity to wait. What happens in the mean time? I don't know. What about god, is there one? I don't know. Are we stuck forever being born and then dying again (samsara)? I don't know. Is there a nirvana--a breaking of the samsaric cycle? I don't know.