Life after death. Yes or No?

In the discussion of whether or not there is a God, is a question of more immediate concern to many of us: is there life after death?

Obviously there are a myriad of offered answers from "of course not" to "of course." Few people allow for a maybe.

In order to answer the question though, there seems to be a more fundemental question: Is life after death possible and if so is it scienifically defensable?

We have the obvious problem with belief in God: the existance of God is unprovable. As a being outside of time and space, he is by that nature, beyond the constructs of science. Ergo, we must have faith - or not.

On the otherhand, since we, human beings, are finite beings existing within the confines of time and space, if we continue to exist in any form, it should be observable and if so, provable.

A major presupposition in the belief in God, and major Holy Books of the great religions, is the belief in life after death. We go to a better world. Or in the case of the terrible twins, a not so better world (maybe).

So, how do we prove that life after death is possible? Do you believe in ghosts, spirits, ufos (oops, wrong argument)?

Is life after death possible? If so, how? Spirit? Energy? There are many views on this. Are we physical beings that generated a conscious energy at birth or are we energy beings that inhabited the physical body at birth. Buddhism clearly believes the later and Christianity waffles between the two.

I am going to assume the first, though at the end of the argument the second will seem plausable.

It is assumed that energy can neither be created nor destroyed, merely modified in various ways. I'm going to go with this theory, though I do wonder where all the energy came from in the first place. (Don't you dare say God! 8-)

So, you are born you live for ten seconds, you die. Sorry, I'm cruel and life AIN'T fair.

There was a fully formed, conscious, sentient being inhabiting the body. Granted for a brief time, but non the less there it is. The body is dead. Where is the spirit, the life energy?

OK, view #1 the obvious: the energy breaks down and discipates into the surrounding space.
View #2: The energy has gained consciousness and in keeping with the theory of evolution has evolved into a self sustaining entity with a will and life of its own. While born and living in the flesh it gained fuel to grow through the life cycle of the body and when the body died it sought the life energy elsewhere.

What does it do now and where it lives is not really germain to this argument. The important point is, is this theory possible? Is it possible for cognisant, conscious energy to be self sustaining outside the confines of a physical body?

If so, we have a case for life after death ... and from there, God knows what. Ask the next ghost you see.