Question pertaining to the afterlife in FFXIV

[Larom]

For me, I don’t consider the artist’s intent when interpreting or enjoying the art. Once created, it is always up for interpretation by the audience.

But if you look at that interview, he talks about how the reconstructions (or reconstituted primals, etc.) are a piece of the original - but not a perfect recreation. In order for there to be a piece of the original, the original must be persistent (even if only a small part of it is accessible).

There’s an NPC spirit in shadowbringers whose very much who he was when alive. (But I’m not very far in, so take that with a grain of salt).

Anyway, it just seems to me there’s more to it than “the lifestream eats you.” A lot more. But I’m comfortable with that being up to the player.

Man, I really wish that was stated outright by the game or the devs. The Lifestream, especially the way VII describes it, is one of the darkest things I've ever seen in fiction.

[Seraphor]

Why is this a 'dark' or 'depressing' concept?
Your spirit and memories aren't destroyed, they're returned to the source, and rejoined with all others. At least that's how it's portrayed in 7 and 9.

And if the aether ends up becoming new life, well that's basically reincarnation.

Why do you need a promise of eternal life to be happy?

[Larom]

Why is this a 'dark' or 'depressing' concept?
Your spirit and memories aren't destroyed, they're returned to the source, and rejoined with all others. At least that's how it's portrayed in 7 and 9.

And if the aether ends up becoming new life, well that's basically reincarnation.

Why do you need a promise of eternal life to be happy?

Do you not understand how the lifestream works in 7 and 9? You as a person cease to be. Your whole being is erased. Your memories are destroyed, you are used for energy, you don't 'rejoin' with anyone. You rot in the ground. Would you rather go to a heaven-like place, or cease to exist? The aether is split into billions of pieces and used for energy for billions of different things. You don't get "basically reincarnated".

"Why do you need a promise of eternal life to be happy?" makes absolutely no sense at all. We're talking about an afterlife. In fiction. Why even try to be confrontational and bring reality into a discussion about video game stories? I don't care to discuss with you how you'd rather rot because you're an atheist than admit there might be an afterlife.

[Daralii]

Man, I really wish that was stated outright by the game or the devs. The Lifestream, especially the way VII describes it, is one of the darkest things I've ever seen in fiction.

It is, actually. By ~73 you get a very detailed explanation of how souls and the Lifestream interact from Urianger.

[Larom]

It is, actually. By ~73 you get a very detailed explanation of how souls and the Lifestream interact from Urianger.

[LineageRazor]

"Why do you need a promise of eternal life to be happy?" makes absolutely no sense at all. We're talking about an afterlife. In fiction. Why even try to be confrontational and bring reality into a discussion about video game stories? I don't care to discuss with you how you'd rather rot because you're an atheist than admit there might be an afterlife.

Well, one reason to bring it in, is that your real-life worldview could have an enormous impact on whether you view the Lifestream as a positive or a negative.

If you were not raised religiously, and you do not believe in an afterlife, then the concept of a Lifestream that actually reuses your soul (and, in fact, confirms that you HAVE a soul!) is a lot more uplifting than just turning into wormfood would be. You do live on! Perhaps not as yourself, but as part of millions of other creatures, great and small!

On the other hand, if you're used to believing that some part of you goes on when you die - and that part is YOU, with memories and such intact, then yeah, the Lifestream can be a major downer.

[MistakeNot]

There are ghosts and other undead around, so there’s definitely an afterlife. You wouldn’t have any undead whatsoever without the possibility of an afterlife.

What’s more, around the end of Heavensward, two Definitely Dead allies show up as spirits to help you.

So if you take what you see with your own eyes and experience for yourself, you can only conclude that souls are not completely destroyed and scattered after death, whatever the NPCs say notwithstanding.

Nope, the existence of ghosts and such does not imply an afterlife as such. All it means is that not all souls move on immediately after death. Once they do move on they may well get dissolved into the lifestream just like normal.

[MistakeNot]

Man, I really wish that was stated outright by the game or the devs. The Lifestream, especially the way VII describes it, is one of the darkest things I've ever seen in fiction.

Why? Dead souls dissolve into the lifestream, gets back into the world as aether, becomes part of some other living being, and so on.
Just like the physical body after burial becomes food for insects and worms and provides nutrients for plants. It all gets recycled back into life.

Why is that so depressing? Sounds much better than the eternal damnation that some real-world religions claim that most people will get after death.

[Larom]

Why? Dead souls dissolve into the lifestream, gets back into the world as aether, becomes part of some other living being, and so on.
Just like the physical body after burial becomes food for insects and worms and provides nutrients for plants. It all gets recycled back into life.

Why is that so depressing? Sounds much better than the eternal damnation that some real-world religions claim that most people will get after death.

You sound like you know first hand or something. Have your died before? Not many religions believe in a hell anyway. Christianity is pretty much the only one, with a heaven like realm and rehabilitation being in most others.
And no, the makeup of a persons body being a part of someone else's body in the future isn't "better". If it seems better to you, then you probably already think you're a bad enough person to go to "hell" when you die if you did believe in Christianity at all... But I suspect you're an atheist like the other dude.

I'm still wondering why you two are talking about real world religion in a discussion about a video game. Seems like you need to get something off your shoulders. Well actually, atheists do have that strange urge to tell other people how much of an atheist they are. Guess that makes sense. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Larom]

Well, one reason to bring it in, is that your real-life worldview could have an enormous impact on whether you view the Lifestream as a positive or a negative.

If you were not raised religiously, and you do not believe in an afterlife, then the concept of a Lifestream that actually reuses your soul (and, in fact, confirms that you HAVE a soul!) is a lot more uplifting than just turning into wormfood would be. You do live on! Perhaps not as yourself, but as part of millions of other creatures, great and small!

On the other hand, if you're used to believing that some part of you goes on when you die - and that part is YOU, with memories and such intact, then yeah, the Lifestream can be a major downer.

Aye, pretty much me. I was raised Christian and consider myself smack dab between a Christian and a Deist now haha. I Big Lebowski it up and try to think positively about death. That's why I can't wrap my head about questions like "Why do you need a promise of eternal life to be happy?". The idea that someone wants to be wormfood like him hurts my brain.