9.What’s a belief that you hold with which many people disagree?

Hmmmm....interesting. 

One of my best girlfriends and I were discussing reincarnation/life after death last night.  Here is my belief, and I know of at least one person who will read this that will definitely NOT agree.  The good thing is, we're okay with our different beliefs, and it makes for extremely interesting conversations.

I believe that we, as humans, have developed our own way of coping with what happens when someone dies.  Either to assuage our fear of our own dying, or to enable us to be okay when a loved one is gone.  To know that their life meant something, and was a path to a higher station, somehow makes dying just a little more okay.  You hear that in phrases muttered during funerals.  "He's in a much better place."  "She's no longer suffering."  These are non-denominational.  It's true, she's no longer suffering, so I usually go with that one to avoid stepping on anybody's belief.

My personal belief that helps me cope?  It's not mine personally, actually.  It's a conglomeration of everything I have read on the subject, and my own personal opinion.  And this is where people will disagree with me.  I believe that our soul goes into a sort of holding pattern.  Think, an airport terminal.  Souls coming and going, interacting somewhat with other souls.  Getting refreshed while waiting for their plane to open for boarding.  People clinging to the ones leaving, sad that they won't see them for a while.

While at this terminal, our souls think back on their former lives, and take note of what worked, what didn't.  They check in on how the people they left behind are doing.  Then, when it's time, they get ready to be re-introduced.  When they show back up in a human, they aren't supposed to remember any of their past lives, though their present life is subconsciously influenced by past experiences.  Sometimes, and I believe it's when a past life was extraordinarily eventful, remnants of moments are recognized and cause us to ponder the possibility of past lives.

So, in a nutshell, that's what I believe happens when we die.  It's okay to disagree with me; it's what makes us human.