I once had a nightmare where I died but I was a ghost in the house trying to communicate and no one could see or hear me screaming. I woke up in tears. When ever someone says their mom or dad is still in the house watching over them, I shudder. Why would you wish such a nightmare on anyone?

Don’t see why consciousness doesn’t continue.

The debate is whether consciousness is formed by the brain or the brain is the mechanism by which consciousness demonstrates itself.

Being neither a neurophysiologist nor a physicist I am unable to comment with authority on either. I just see two possibilities. We will all find out one day.

In the interim, probably not worth worrying about too much.

I find the concept of an eternal afterlife nightmarish and without any sort of evidence to support the notion.
When I see the ghost of a broken DVD player leaving the machine I might consider the same may be possible for the bio-organic machines that are our bodies once they have been turned off.
Up till now I have looked in vane for any such sign.

I’m not aware of any evidence that suggests any part of us maintains continuity after the death of our body. And I personally think it is bad mental hygiene to harbor any hopes to the contrary. Embrace reality, and be liberated!

I don’t actually identify as an atheist, but I think that the only afterlife is the continuum of life and conscious awareness that is going on right now. In so far as you identify with the entire river of life from one end to the other you are immortal.

Our sense of self as a separate organic body is nothing but illusion. Our perceptions are framed by the model of space, time, and matter, but beyond that model is ultimate reality, which is not understood from our limited perspectives.

The concepts of creation, afterlives, even time, location, and existence itself are based on our superficial, symbolic way of perception. We are in heaven (defined as a higher reality) all the time but lack the ability to realize that.