"death seems to much less painful than living": 09/07/12

Friday, September 7, 2012

Life After Death

Questions:

1. What happens after death?2. The various planes of existence in the Universe 3. Characteristics of the seven positive planes of existence in the Universe 3.1 Positive planes of existence and reincarnation on Earth 3.2 The importance of the Earth plane of existence 4. What is Hell, who goes to Hell and what are the characteristics of the various planes of existence of Hell?5. Movement between subtle planes of existence in the Universe 6. What decides where we go after death?6.1 Importance of the mental state at the time of death 6.2 Who goes to Hell 7. Suicide and the after life 8. Why is there a time lag between two reincarnations?9. Conclusion

1. What happens after death?

Spiritual research has shown that man is comprised of the following four basic bodies:

Physical
Mental
Causal or intellectual
Supracausal or subtle ego

The picture below is a diagrammatic representation of what a human being is comprised of.

When a person dies the physical body ceases to exist. However, the rest of his existence or consciousness continues. The existence of the person minus the physical body is known as the subtle body (linga deha) and it comprises of the mental, causal (intellect) and supracausal (subtle ego) bodies. This subtle body then goes to one of the 13 subtle planes of existence other than the Earth plane.

2. The 14 planes of existence in the Universe

There are 14 main planes of existence in the Universe. Seven of them are positive planes of existence and seven are negative planes of existence. The seven negative planes of existence are commonly known as Hell (Paataal). There are numerous sub-planes within these main planes of existence.

Seven positive planes of existence: The planes of existence occupied mostly by living persons and subtle bodies doing righteous deeds and engaged in spiritual practice according to the positive path of spiritual practice are known as the seven positive planes of existence or saptaloka. By positive path, we mean the orientation of spiritual practice is towards God-realisation, which is the ultimate in spiritual growth.

The Earth plane is the only physical plane of existence in the Universe and is also the first plane of existence in the hierarchy of the positive planes of existence in the Universe.

Seven Negative planes of existence: These are planes of existence occupied mostly by subtle bodies that have done unrighteous deeds and are engaged in spiritual practice according to the negative path. By negative path, we mean the orientation of spiritual practice is towards attaining spiritual power, e.g. supernatural powers. This spiritual power is primarily used to enhance one’s control over others or for negative purposes. Thus all subtle bodies that go to any one of the planes of existence of Hell, by virtue of their evil intentions become ghosts.

Refer to the article on, ‘What is a ghost’?

Sub planes of existence of Hell (Narak): Every plane of existence of Hell (Paataal) has a sub-plane known as Narak. For example, the first plane of existence of Hell will have within it a sub-plane that is known as the first Narak. Narak is reserved for the worst ghosts (demons, devils, negative energies, etc.) in Hell. The ghosts (demons, devils, negative energies, etc.) occupying the first Narak face more severe punishment and for a longer duration than those occupying the first plane of existence of Hell.

The diagram below shows the 14 planes of existence in the Universe.

An explanation behind the colour scheme used

Earth is depicted reddish as it represents action (i.e. subtle basic raja component), as it is the only plane where we have the physical body to do something.
Heaven has been depicted in pink, which represents an abundance of happiness.
Yellow represents spiritual knowledge and an increase in the subtle basic sattva component. It finally becomes almost white at the highest stage, which represents the close proximity to the unmanifest God principle.
The regions of Hell are represented by darker shades to black, as there is an increase in the subtle basic tama component.

3. Heaven and the other positive planes of existence in the Universe

Footnotes (based on the numbers in red in the above table):

Each positive and negative plane of existence beyond the Earth (physical) plane of existence becomes more and more subtle. By subtle, we mean, that which is beyond the comprehension of the five senses, mind and intellect. Satyaloka is the subtlest, i.e. the most difficult to perceive or comprehend unless the highest sixth sense (ESP) level is attained.
Due to lack of spiritual practice, most people in the current era go to either the Nether world or one of the planes of existence of Hell. We generally go to the Nether world after death when the proportion of demerits (incurred due to wrong doings on Earth) is approximately 30%. Demerits typically include malice towards others and a lot of desires. The likelihood of being attacked in the Nether world by higher-level ghosts from the lower plane of existence of Hell is almost certain.
Earth is the only plane of existence where there is an amalgamation of people with varying spiritual levels. However, after death we go to the precise plane of existence corresponding to our spiritual level.
The minimum spiritual level required to attain Heaven after death is 60%. Please refer to the article, which describes what spiritual level is and the breakdown of the world population in 2006 according to spiritual level. Basically from the Spiritual science perspective, meritorious acts to attain Heaven or the higher positive planes of existence are those acts done with the objective of God-realisation. The following three criteria can be applied.
- Acts done without doership, i.e. with the outlook that God Himself is getting it done from me and hence I cannot lay claim to any credit.
- Done without expectation of acclaim or appreciation.
- Done without expectation of results.
  
  More than the acts per se, it is the attitude or outlook behind the acts that counts more.
To attain a higher plane of existence beyond Heaven one needs to be at a spiritual level higher than 80%. This can only be achieved by consistent spiritual practice according to the six basic laws of spiritual practice along with a major reduction in ego.
By predominant body, we mean the body that is most active, i.e., mental, intellect or the subtle ego. For example, in the Nether plane of existence (Bhuvalok), the subtle bodies still have a lot of desires and attachments. As a result, quite often they become ghosts trying to fulfil some desire of theirs. This leaves them open to higher-level ghosts from the lower rungs of Hell to take advantage of their cravings to affect people on Earth.
In the Nether plane of existence we experience some happiness. However, the unhappiness is amplified as compared to the unhappiness experienced on Earth.
In Heaven plane of existence, subtle bodies experience an over abundance of happiness. This happiness is much beyond the happiness experienced on Earth in quantity, quality and duration. As we go up the positive planes of existence, there is an increase in the quality of happiness and no unhappiness.
Sattvik happiness means happiness derived from helping others without any expectations or strings attached. When ego is involved in the act, it becomes raajasik.
Serenity is a higher experience than Bliss.

3.1 Positive planes of existence and reincarnation on Earth

From the planes of existence below Mahālok, people need to be reincarnated on the Earth plane to settle their destiny and complete their give-and-take accounts.

If one attains Mahālok and Janalok after death, that means they are above the spiritual level of 80%. These souls do not need to be reincarnated as all their remaining destiny (accumulated account) can be worked out from these planes itself. However these evolved subtle bodies may choose to be born of their own will. They do so primarily to act as spiritual guides for humanity.

In some circumstances people who pass away at the spiritual level of even 60% can attain Mahālok. Here the person’s potential for further spiritual growth is considered. Through spiritual research we have found that that there are 5 factors that influence this potential for further spiritual growth.

Having a high amount of spiritual emotion (bhāv),
Having a low ego,
Having an intense desire for spiritual growth,
Doing regular spiritual practice of increasingly higher levels,
Affected or not affected by negative energies.

Being affected by negative energies can severely obstruct the ability for spiritual growth. Hence even if a person is at the 65% spiritual level but is severely affected by negative energies, his ability to attain the higher spiritual planes of existence such as Mahālok, is restricted.

If one attains Tapalok or Satyalok after death, then one does not take birth on the Earth plane of existence but continues to do spiritual practice from that plane of existence until one merges completely with God.

3.2 The importance of the Earth plane of existence

The Earth plane of existence is very important. It is the only plane of existence where we can make rapid spiritual growth and settle our give-and-take account in the shortest period of time. The main reason for this is that with the help of the physical body, we can do many things to enhance our spiritual growth and spiritual level and reduce the basic subtle tama component.

Other than Earth, spiritual growth is mostly likely to occur only in the regions beyond Heaven such as Mahaaloka etc. This is because in Heaven, the subtle bodies run the risk of getting caught up in the unending pleasures it offers. In the Nether and Hell planes of existence, the punishment is so severe and also the distress from the other higher-level ghosts is such that it becomes very difficult to rise above the suffering to undertake any spiritual practice of value.

4. What is Hell, who goes to Hell and what is Hell like?

As one goes to lower planes of existence of Hell, as the subtle basic sattva component progressively reduces the environment becomes less conducive to the experience of happiness.
Within the planes of existence of Hell, there are some ghosts who do certain types of spiritual practice to gain spiritual power. The highest in the hierarchy of ghosts are sorcerers from the seventh plane of existence of Hell. They have immense spiritual power almost equivalent to a Saint at the 90% spiritual level. They control all the other types of ghosts with lesser spiritual power.
As one goes deeper into the various planes of existence of Hell, i.e. from 1st to 7th, the extent of happiness experienced by the subtle bodies therein goes on decreasing and the extent of unhappiness goes on multiplying. The minimal experience of happiness is also due to being engrossed in memories of past positive events, pleasant memories of wealth in a past life, etc. The experience of unhappiness is due to memories of physical pain and insulting events, memories of unfulfilled desires, e.g. regarding education, house, career, expectation of happiness from children in past life.
The extent of punishment/pain to be endured in the various planes of existence of Hell (Paataal) and their associated Narak goes on increasing with the subsequent plane of existence of Hell. Also, the period of punishment to be endured in each Narak is in excess compared to the corresponding plane of existence of Hell. If we consider the punishment in first plane of existence of Hell as 100%, then the punishment in the corresponding first Narak region is 50% more, i.e. 150%.

The following table is a description of examples along with the average intensity of happiness and unhappiness we experience in the various planes of existence of Hell.

5. Movement between subtle planes of existence in the Universe

One is assigned that plane of existence which matches one’s basic nature in terms of sattva, raja and tama. This is also a function of one’s spiritual level. Hence, subtle bodies from lower positive planes of existence cannot go to higher positive planes of existence and those from first or second negative planes of existence cannot go to the deeper planes of existence Hell. This is similar to how people living in the planes find breathing difficult at higher altitudes, but people staying at higher altitudes manage fine.

6. What decides where we go after death?

At the time of death, as the physical body becomes inactive the vital energy used for the functioning of the physical body is liberated into the Universe. This vital energy at the time of death propels the subtle body away from the Earth region. Just as the weight of a projectile decides how far a rocket will propel it, similarly the weight of the subtle body decides which plane of existence it goes to in the subtle planes of existence in life after death.

The ‘weight’ of the subtle body is primarily a function of the amount of the subtle basic tama component in our being.

The 3 subtle basic components: Each one of us is made up of three subtle basic components or gunas. These components are spiritual in nature and cannot be seen but they define our personalities. They are:

Sattva: Purity and knowledge
Raja: Action and passion
Tama: Ignorance and inertia In an average person in the current era, the basic subtletama component is as high as 50%.

Please read the article on the 3 subtle basic components

The more we are filled with the raja and tama components the more we display the following characteristics which add to our ‘weight’ and impact which plane of existence we go to in our life after death:

More attachment to worldly things and selfishness
More unfulfilled desires
Feelings of revenge
Higher amount of demerits or wrong-doings
Higher amount of personality defects such as anger, greed, fear, etc.
A higher amount of ego: By ego we mean how much a person identifies himself with his body, mind and intellect as opposed to the soul within
Resulting in lower spiritual level

A permanent reduction in the proportion of the subtle basic tama component and the related characteristics mentioned above come about only with sustained spiritual practice according to the six basic laws of spiritual practice. Psychological improvements with self-help books or trying to be nice are at best superficial and temporary.

6.1 Importance of the mental state at the time of death

The mental state at the point of death, apart from what has been mentioned above, is very important. Our mental state is generally relative to the proportion of the subtle basic components in our being.

If a person is actually doing his spiritual practice such as chanting the Name of God at the time of death then the influence of desires, attachments, ghosts, etc. are minimal possible for that person compared to his state when not chanting. This makes his subtle body lighter. Hence, if he passes away while chanting, he attains better plane of existence among the sub-planes than what he would have attained were he to pass away without chanting.

At the time of death, if a person is chanting the Name of God and is also in a state of surrender to God’s will, then he attains an even better plane of existence in his life after death and his sojourn is undertaken with lightening speed. This is because the person being in a state of surrender on Earth plane of existence itself, has very less chance of increasing his ego in his life after death. Also, the entire responsibility of his well-being in his life after death is undertaken by his evolved spiritual guide (Guru).

6.2 Who goes to Hell?

The following are the types of deeds in our life on Earth that typically land us in one of the planes of existence of Hell.

The extent, duration and intention behind the wrong-doings are important factors deciding the planes of existence of Hell attained after death rather than just the action itself.

7. Suicide and the after life

There are two types of death with regards to its timing.

Destined final death: This is the time of death that no one can escape.

Possible death: This is where a person can possibly die. Each person may undergo a possible death wherein one comes close to death but may be saved due to his or her merits.

For more information on the types of death please refer to our article - Time of Death

In cases where a person is going through insurmountable crisis in his life or has severe personality disorders, he may think of taking his own life in a depressed state. Ghosts (demons, devils, negative energies, etc.) also fuel the depression of a suicidal person and sometimes are instrumental in pushing a person over the edge into committing suicide. However, suicide remains a wilful act that happens when a person is going through a possible death phase as per their destiny.

Life on the Earth plane of existence is precious and is given to us primarily for spiritual growth. When we kill others we create a kārmic give and take account with them. However by committing suicide, we squander away the opportunity for spiritual growth and hence incur the heaviest sin. The consequences are that a person committing suicide goes to the Narak part of the 7th plane of existence of Hell for a period of 60,000 Earth years, in his life after death. It is a place that is without any light; something like solitary confinement in a prison. As there is nobody in that Narak region who can give advice about spiritual practice, the subtle body remains in the darkness of spiritual ignorance.

8. Why is there a time lag between two reincarnations?

In the course of research by using hypnotic trance to trace the past lives of the person, it has been found that the time lag between two reincarnations on Earth could be on average 50 to 400 years. The reasons for this time lag are as follows:

The subtle body remains in the Heaven or the Nether plane of existence for variable periods of time to undergo its merits and demerits (sins).
Circumstances on Earth plane of existence need to be favourable to complete the give-and-take account from previous births with various people. This is in accordance with the law of Karma. The reincarnation of the subtle body is postponed until the time various other people who they have a give-and-take account with are also preparing to take reincarnation.
Sometimes in past life regression, a person does not report a reincarnation in the trance state. The reason for this is that a certain reincarnation has been very uneventful or brief and the person may not remember any details of it.

In the case of subtle bodies that have been relegated to the deeper planes of existence of Hell, the time lag between two reincarnations may be thousands of years. They stay in their respective plane of existence of Hell until such time they have completed their punishment. In most cases, this means languishing in plane of existence of Hell in their life after death till the dissolution of the Universe.

9. Life after death – in summary

The above facts about the various planes of existence give us a fair idea of the possible consequences in our life after death of how we live our lives. Only with spiritual practice or with extreme meritorious deeds can one go to the higher planes of existence and thereby avoid unhappiness and punishment and enjoy higher levels of happiness. There are also better chances of a reincarnation on Earth plane of existence in circumstances conducive to spiritual practice. This is so that one moves further up in the subtle planes of existence in the Universe. As we go further into the current Era of Strife (Kaliyuga), there is lesser likelihood of people going to the higher planes of existence.

Once we go to the lower planes of existence such as the Nether plane of existence or other planes of existence of Hell, we stay there and experience severe unhappiness for centuries until we completely pay for our demerits (sins) by suffering the intense punishments meted there and get a chance to be reincarnated on Earth.

To do consistent spiritual practice on the Earth plane of existence according to the 6 basic laws of spiritual practice is like swimming against the tide in the current era. However, it is also a guaranteed way of advancing to higher planes of existence in our life after death.

Copied IN/source:http://www.spiritualresearchfoundation.org/articles/id/spiritualresearch/spiritualscience/afterdeath

Black Hole

Black holes might not exist - or at least not as scientists have imagined, cloaked by an impenetrable "event horizon". A controversial new calculation could abolish the horizon, and so solve a troubling paradox in physics.

The event horizon is supposed to mark a boundary beyond which nothing can escape a black hole's gravity. According to the general theory of relativity, even light is trapped inside the horizon, and no information about what fell into the hole can ever escape. Information seems to have fallen out of the universe.

That contradicts the equations of quantum mechanics, which always preserve information. How to resolve this conflict?

One possibility researchers have proposed in the past is that the information does leak back out again slowly. It may be encoded in a hypothetical flow of particles called Hawking radiation, which is thought to result from the black holes' event horizons messing with the quantum froth that is ever-present in space.

But other researchers argue the information may never have been cut off in the first place. Tanmay Vachaspati and his colleagues at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, US, have tried to calculate what happens as a black hole is forming. Using an unusual mathematical approach called the functional Schrodinger equation, they follow a sphere of stuff as it collapses inwards, and predict what a distant observer would see.

They find that the gravity of the collapsing mass starts to disrupt the quantum vacuum, generating what they call "pre-Hawking" radiation. Losing that radiation reduces the total mass-energy of the object - so that it never gets dense enough to form an event horizon and a true black hole. "There are no such things", Vachaspati told New Scientist. "There are only stars going toward being a black hole but not getting there."

Dark and dense

These so-called "black stars" would look very much like black holes, says Vachaswati. From the point of view of a distant observer, gravity distorts the apparent flow of time so that matter falling inwards slows down. As it gets close to where the horizon would be, the matter fades, its light stretched to such long wavelengths by the dark object's gravity that it would be nearly impossible to detect.

But because the pre-Hawking radiation prevents the formation of a black hole with a true event horizon, the matter never quite fades entirely. As nothing is cut off from the rest of the universe, there is no information paradox.

The idea faces firm opposition from other theoretical physicists, however. "I strongly disagree," says Nobel laureate Gerard 't Hooft of Utrecht University in the Netherlands. "The process he describes can in no way produce enough radiation to make a black hole disappear as quickly as he is suggesting." The horizon forms long before the hole can evaporate, 't Hooft told New Scientist.

Lab test

Steve Giddings of the University of California in Santa Barbara, US, is also sceptical. "Well-understood findings apparently conflict with their picture," he told New Scientist. "To my knowledge, there hasn't been an attempt to understand how they are getting results that differ from these calculations, which would be an important step to understanding if this is a solid result."

There could be a way to test the new theory. The Large Hadron Collider being constructed at CERN in Geneva might just be capable of making microscopic black holes - or, if Vachaspati is right, black stars. Unlike the large, long-lived black holes in space, these microscopic objects would evaporate fast. The spread of energies in their radiation might reveal whether or not an event horizon forms.

Alternatively, colliding black stars in space might reveal themselves, as Vachaspati says they would churn out not only gravitational waves (like colliding black holes) but also gamma rays. He suggests that they could be responsible for some of the gamma-ray bursts seen by astronomers.

A black hole is the name for a small body of matter floating in the cosmos that is incredibly dense. Like the entire sun being compressed into a ball the size of a city. It is black because the density creates such a strong gravitational field that light itself is pulled back into itself.

If light can’t get out, we can’t possibly see it to prove it exists. However, astronomers observe the outside affects of a black hole and determine, though they can’t point to it, exactly where the black hole must be.

Just like earth and our neighboring planets orbit around the sun (being the most dense, and thus our gravity boss), astronomers can see stars orbiting around a spot in space. Something must be there at the center creating the orbit, and the best guess is that the something is a black hole.

Another way to spot a black hole is from bursts of x-rays. As a star gets too close to a black hole it begins moving faster and faster, heating up in the process. When the gas of the star reaches such temperatures it begins to emit x-rays. Eventually, as the star spirals ever closer to the black hole it too will become invisible, but outside of the “horizon” of the black hole (the tipping point of the gravitational field, a point of no return) we can observe these strange happenings. The clues add up to the presence of a black hole.

Proving the existence of black holes seems to be a case of “if it walks like a duck and talks like a duck…”, which leaves room for doubt as to whether or not there is a big duck at the center of our galaxy. Let’s take a look at the other side of the argument.

The anti-black-hole debate centers on one sticky issue, “The Information Paradox”. All the details are well beyond my understanding, but it boils down to this. You’ve perhaps heard of the law of conservation of energy… energy cannot be created or destroyed, but merely changed from one form to another. (A car’s forward momentum, through the friction of the brake pads, turns to heat dispersed into the air, etc.)

Well, there is a theory of quantum physics that says there must be a conservation of information. The information in question is sort of like DNA for particles at the smallest level. If matter was to collapse into a black hole, unable to escape, this information would no longer be accessible to the universe. To theoretical physicists, that’s a big problem.

Some of the proposed solutions involve fancy words like “11-dimensional supergravity” and other string-theory brain-busters that are well beyond the scope of the LSNED blog. If you will allow me to over-summarize, conveniently avoiding 500 more words of clumsy explanation, the leading anti-black-hole theory (the Holographic principle) is essentially arguing that a black hole is a mirage of sorts. Rather than a true physical black hole that gobbles up matter never to be seen again, it is a cosmic illusion that just appears that way to our simple three-dimensional brains.

Black Holes

Don't let the name fool you: a black hole is anything but empty space. Rather, it is a great amount of matter packed into a very small area - think of a star ten times more massive than the Sun squeezed into a sphere approximately the diameter of New York City. The result is a gravitational field so strong that nothing, not even light, can escape. In recent years, NASA instruments have painted a new picture of these strange objects that are, to many, the most fascinating objects in space.

Intense X-ray flares thought to be caused by a black hole devouring a star. (Video)

Read the full article

Although the term was not coined until 1967 by Princeton physicist John Wheeler, the idea of an object in space so massive and dense that light could not escape it has been around for centuries. Most famously, black holes were predicted by Einstein's theory of general relativity, which showed that when a massive star dies, it leaves behind a small, dense remnant core. If the core's mass is more than about three times the mass of the Sun, the equations showed, the force of gravity overwhelms all other forces and produces a black hole.

Using radio telescopes located throughout the Southern Hemisphere scientists have produced the most detailed image of particle jets erupting from a supermassive black hole in a nearby galaxy. (Video)

Read the full article

Scientists can't directly observe black holes with telescopes that detect x-rays, light, or other forms of electromagnetic radiation. We can, however, infer the presence of black holes and study them by detecting their effect on other matter nearby. If a black hole passes through a cloud of interstellar matter, for example, it will draw matter inward in a process known as accretion. A similar process can occur if a normal star passes close to a black hole. In this case, the black hole can tear the star apart as it pulls it toward itself. As the attracted matter accelerates and heats up, it emits x-rays that radiate into space. Recent discoveries offer some tantalizing evidence that black holes have a dramatic influence on the neighborhoods around them - emitting powerful gamma ray bursts, devouring nearby stars, and spurring the growth of new stars in some areas while stalling it in others.

Astronomers have identified a candidate for the smallest-known black hole. (Video)

Read the full article

One Star's End is a Black Hole's Beginning

Most black holes form from the remnants of a large star that dies in a supernova explosion. (Smaller stars become dense neutron stars, which are not massive enough to trap light.) If the total mass of the star is large enough (about three times the mass of the Sun), it can be proven theoretically that no force can keep the star from collapsing under the influence of gravity. However, as the star collapses, a strange thing occurs. As the surface of the star nears an imaginary surface called the "event horizon," time on the star slows relative to the time kept by observers far away. When the surface reaches the event horizon, time stands still, and the star can collapse no more - it is a frozen collapsing object.

Even bigger black holes can result from stellar collisions. Soon after its launch in December 2004, NASA's Swift telescope observed the powerful, fleeting flashes of light known as gamma ray bursts. Chandra and NASA's Hubble Space Telescope later collected data from the event's "afterglow," and together the observations led astronomers to conclude that the powerful explosions can result when a black hole and a neutron star collide, producing another black hole.

Babies and Giants

Although the basic formation process is understood, one perennial mystery in the science of black holes is that they appear to exist on two radically different size scales. On the one end, there are the countless black holes that are the remnants of massive stars. Peppered throughout the Universe, these "stellar mass" black holes are generally 10 to 24 times as massive as the Sun. Astronomers spot them when another star draws near enough for some of the matter surrounding it to be snared by the black hole's gravity, churning out x-rays in the process. Most stellar black holes, however, lead isolated lives and are impossible to detect. Judging from the number of stars large enough to produce such black holes, however, scientists estimate that there are as many as ten million to a billion such black holes in the Milky Way alone.

On the other end of the size spectrum are the giants known as "supermassive" black holes, which are millions, if not billions, of times as massive as the Sun. Astronomers believe that supermassive black holes lie at the center of virtually all large galaxies, even our own Milky Way. Astronomers can detect them by watching for their effects on nearby stars and gas.

Astronomers may have found evidence for a cluster of young, blue stars encircling one of the first intermediate-mass black holes ever discovered.Read the full article

Historically, astronomers have long believed that no mid-sized black holes exist. However, recent evidence evidence from Chandra, XMM-Newton and Hubble strengthens the case that mid-size black holes do exist. One possible mechanism for the formation of supermassive black holes involves a chain reaction of collisions of stars in compact star clusters that results in the buildup of extremely massive stars, which then collapse to form intermediate-mass black holes. The star clusters then sink to the center of the galaxy, where the intermediate-mass black holes merge to form a supermassive black hole.

Source: http://nasascience.nasa.gov/astrophysics/focus-areas/black-holes/, http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn12089-do-black-holes-really-exist.html and http://lsned.com/facts/black-holes/

Atlantis

Atlantis has to be one of the most enduring myths/ mysteries for several reasons. One, it captures the imagination to think of an advanced civilization that once flourished then somehow was completely destroyed. Two, it has not been found as of yet. There are some compelling theories about its descendants and how they migrated to various points around the world. Some say the Egyptians were thought to of been influenced by or descendants of Atlantians. Some say that they migrated to South America. Plato was the originator of legend of Atlantis saying that it lay just beyond the straits of Gibraltar. Some say that it is in actuality the island of Santarini that was destroyed by a great volcanic erruption. The great american psychic Edgar Cayce predicted that a portion of Atlantis would be found off the coast of Bimini in and around the year 1968 and indeed there was a compelling formation that is now known as the "Bimini Road". Though this has not been found to actually be proof of the existence of Atlantis, it is somewhat coincidental. It remains to be seen if it actually existed but it does prove to be a continuous, enduring mystery. There is new evidence that Atlantis could be buried in the south of Spain. Satellite technology has helped in finding this area where there appear to be anomalies . A new investigation is under way and there is great excitement for what is being explored there. Here is link to a story on this new evidence. Take care.

What is it?

Atlantis is a supposed lost continent, situated in the mid Atlantic Ocean. It is supposed to have sunk, when a great wave flooded it over, and is said to be lying underneath the Atlantic Ocean today. How could that be possible, you may ask. It is highly unbelievable that a continent could sink due to a flood, but it is widely believed to be so. However, there are more theories as to how it disappeared. How can it disappear if you can’t really prove that it even existed? There has been evidence to support the existence of Atlantis. Ancient maps have Atlantis shown on them, and even the Greek map that Christopher used as a reference has the continent of Atlantis on it. On the sea floor of the Bahamas, Dr Ray Brown had discovered buildings, roads, unidentifiable metals, statues holding crystals etc. These crystals were brought away for analysis in a Florida university, and they were found to amplify energy that passed through it. Such is the technology that they possessed, leading us to believe that Atlantean were a highly intelligent and technologically advanced race. They were also very tall, with heights ranging from an 8-foot frame to an unbelievable 12-foot frame. Archaeologists were stunned and shocked at this discovery. They could also control weather to such an extent that their grain grew all year. But now, we no longer see Atlantis. Did Atlantis really sink to the bottom of the Atlantis Ocean? Or was it just a worldwide prank that was played, to fool us modern people?

What it is believed to be

Atlantis is widely believed to be a continent and island. There are some, who believe that the olden people’s North was our South, which messes up the map creation process, and thus is actually today’s Antarctica. Atlantis could also be linked to the Bermuda Triangle

What scientists believe

Science believes that the Atlantean, who could control the weather, and use crystals to amplify and store energy, had an accident, which made Atlantis sink. Theories that Atlantis did not sink and is in fact today’s Antarctica can be founded by the fact that the river Nile could be the ancient peoples’ direction, which create the illusion that North is South and vice-versa. A more detailed explanation of this can be found at Atlantis and the Earth’s Shifting crust.

Conclusion

At some point of time, Atlantis probably did exist, because the various maps do have Atlantis noted. What happened to Atlantis is anybody’s guess. It could become Antarctica due to crust movements, it could be the crystal’s frequency was set too high and destroyed the continent, or it simply sank. Or maybe it did not even exist, and that the maps were flawed greatly.

BY: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110315214504AAIKsPQ and http://library.thinkquest.org/C007461/atlantis.htm