What Is Rainbow Bridge?, Is it good enough for you?? Options

[Punky's Mommy]

I'm sure it came from some poetry somewhere. I've never heard of it before coming here. I'd love to read the origins of this place.

But my purpose in posting is more serious. I wonder if you really believe in a Rainbow Bridge? Faith is something we adopt in order to deal with the incomprehensible. It helps people to cope. But what if relying on faith leaves you feeling shallow and deluded? I hope Punky is not at the base of a Bridge with all other animals in all time who have passed on. I do HOPE that he is up there, if it is even up, and his domain is more than the base of a Bridge, and he is content and entertained and active, knowing I will join him soon. But there is no proof of this. I am destroyed thinking there might be nothing after death. Punky is gone. He is no more. Just POOF. Just as he did not exist before his birth.

I ask, is euphemism good enough for you? Don't you feel panicked that this real world might be all there is? If you say "The Bible says it is so" then you again are relying on Faith and I go back to my original question. I've never desired faith more so than I do now, but it leaves me completely unsatisfied.

It's a level of suffering that no one talks about on this board, but I suspect many of you have wanted to.

[hegelsmom]

Punky's mom,
I have spent many hours researching Near Death Experiences, many of which
included the person being greeted by their pets. It has brought a "cynic" and
a "doubter" like myself, some degree of peace. No, the concept of a Rainbow
Bridge doesn't necessarily heal my pain sometimes either. I think it is a euphemism
for "heaven" or the afterlife, or if you prefer, the "oversoul" that all life is part
of, and returns to. (Transcendentalism)
I am not a particularly religious person, but matters of spirituality interest me, as
they do everyone, and that is the entire world, since the beginning of time.
Everyone wants to know and has always wanted to know, what happens when we die? No one knows for sure, with 100% certainty. For that matter, can you ever
be more than 99.9% sure about ANYTHING?
I would love it if there were actual psychics or mediums that weren't con-artists.
Maybe there are, and if I had more money, I would give some a try, but I can't afford
something like that right now.
The previous poster mentioned matter being neither created nor destroyed. You
don't need "faith" to know that. It's scientific fact. I watched a program on PBS
over the holidays about quantum physics, and other dimensions existing within our
own. If there's a "heaven/afterlife/Rainbow Bridge" then surely it exists in that way;
all around us. Which is why people can sometimes "feel" the presence of deceased
relatives. It also explains a variety of other paranormal events. The program was
fascinating, but waaaay over the head of this history/politcal science degree holder.

I also want to mention that in my research on Near Death Experiences, it was intersting to note that when they occur in various cultures and religions, there
are many, many similarities. And many things are "customized". Christians see Jesus,
children have seen a Santa Claus type figure, others see only beings made of light,
and then there are numerous stories about deceased relatives AND pets greeting
them. Studying this lately has brought me a small amount of comfort. I will
probably delve into the subject further, when I am past a point of depression that
has me sleeping 16-18 hours a day.