Also, as opposed as I am to being required to manage others' emotions, I would hypocritically like a little more regard for my feelings. I cannot think of a way to say "I thought I would be informed about this process before it was active" that doesn't sound whiny, so I'm not saying anything, but I am peeved.

Hmmm...

So our life (as we perceive it) is a 4-dimensional slice of something much larger? That's an interesting idea. That's nice and non-linear.

Course, we probably just get uploaded to a floating spherical hard-drive with spotty virtual wi-fi.

On the Shake Shack in Korea topic, when my K-pop band played in New Jersey last year one of the few things the members said to the audience from the stage in English was "we had Shake Shack burgers and they were really good."

Another random interjection from me: I just read an obituary where the names are so generational, I had to share.

Deceased and his cohort: Ted, Martha, Joan, Lyndon
His children and their spouses: William, Cheryl, Susanna, Stephen
His grandchildren: Aster, Gardner, Wyatt

I mean, right?

For my afterlife, I'm betting on either nothingness/unawareness or transcendent union with the universe/knowledge of the cosmos. Anything else seems so clunky and constructed, not what I'd expect from divine cosmic awareness. If there is anything after death, I expect it to be me coming up before the cosmos and being recognized. I see it like finally being able to meet someone whose good opinion you really want but that person will be able to see exactly what kind of person you are. They're not going to throw you into hell or punish you, but you do want their respect and approval. I want to be able to hold my head up and look the universe in the eye at the end of it all.

The classic Catholic conception of Hell is being out of God's presence. As discussed back in my CCD classes, Judgement Day was pretty much like Connie's looking the universe in the eye - getting respect and approval = heaven, not=hell.

I still want my oatmeal that I did not bring to work, but I would settle for a burger.

So our life (as we perceive it) is a 4-dimensional slice of something much larger?

Well, not to say it isn't, but that isn't really my point. More that it's a 4-dimensional thing whose existence is not dependent on our perception.

I want to be able to hold my head up and look the universe in the eye at the end of it all.

Alternately, I'm kicking my way into Valhalla and sharing mead with Hubby and the cats.

Although I am generally interested in what beliefs about afterlives are, I don't, for myself, particularly care. Have never known what to expect from this life, so I don't need to know what comes next, I guess.

I just expect myself to cease to exist when I die, and I'll be surprised if my consciousness survives my death.