What is your idea of heaven?

a lovely house in the south of france with an orchard lots of space to have goats, emus and llamas. And an outhouse so i can set up a microbrewery.

800 square feet of raw space full of art supplies!

Perhaps sitting under a mango tree in Florida?

This thread has brought some nice discussion but the original poster is nowhere to be found.

Autonomistic said:

I'm often quoting the Luke Beardon golden autism equation and it is very apt in this discussion.

Autism + Environment = Outcome

I think Luke Beardon’s golden equation is great! So accurate, simple and truthful.

I'm sorry to hear you've been so burnt out from external pressures. When a forum member is absent it would be nice to think that they are just out there enjoying life but I suspect in many cases the reality is very different unfortunately.

Many of us struggle so much without adequate (or any) support. When the pressures are on a daily basis it is relentless. I don't think people understand what it is like to have to live with constant anxiety that never goes away.

I really hope things improve for you and you feel able to keep posting.

For me, it would be somewhere near the coast, within walking distance of a beach and coastal walks with impressive views. It would also be within walking distance of shops and a surgery, but wouldn't be too heavily populated. 

A small cottage in the Swiss Alps. There is a little bit of farmland next to it where I can grow a few crops and have a few sheep for wool and cheese making. Next to the cottage there is a little shed where I can make cheese.

And no one knows where this cottage is apart from the people I choose to invite there

That's an extremely good idea and would make things much less stressful!

You were very helpful to me too. I loved this forum because of the wonderful people here but my anxiety and trying to cope with external pressures uses up all my energy sometimes and then there's none left to participate in anything for months on end... or at least that is how it feels.

I often think about that golden autism equation, it's refreshing to hear something like that instead of always thinking that I need to change myself and my responses. But, as we both have experienced, it's not always possible to or doesn't always seem possible to change our environment (some may disagree). 

I'd be happy to put the sea a substantial distance away to remove the seagull risk or even eliminate it altogether. Those little ducklings in your photo are so sweet, it's very sad to think that happened to them. The mother must have been distraught. I didn't know that seagulls did that!

Pretty colours, quiet, pleasent scents, drugs that don’t kill me. 

Well, the ducks may well be eating baby frogs from the weeds so you'd be best off if all the animals just agreed to eat vegan. Then you could keep the sea wherever you want it. 

It's good to see you active on this forum again. I remember you were very helpful to me when I first started posting here.

I agree that our ideas of heaven do seem very similar and there are so many common themes. Your assurances about the noise are appreciated!

Freedom from a life of anxiety is also a common theme that I didn't mention in my original post. I assumed that it wouldn't be there in our perfect environment, there would be no reason to be. I'm often quoting the Luke Beardon golden autism equation and it is very apt in this discussion.

Autism + Environment = Outcome

Sitting quietly and watching the ducklings eating weeds sounds bliss. We don't want the idyllic lake too close to the sea, as that would risk the seagulls flying in and eating them. That unfortunately happened to these little ducklings whilst I was on holiday near the coast earlier in the year 

That was worded beautifully

I don't know anymore tbh. My idea of heaven would be a place where humans no longer question if there's a God or not. Humans have answers as to how we got here, why we're here. It would be a place where humans know what love is without knowing what pain and suffering is. Its a place where no one can be hurt

If we're talking about just what would be my ideal situation in real life, living somewhere beautiful with a lot of space, able to get as much or as little human contact as I feel like at the time and obviously no anxiety. 

For what my ideal imagined afterlife would be, I always wanted one where we basically all get our own world and if people want to share their world or visit someone else's they could ask for permission and then pop in. 

And obviously no anxiety. Honestly, if I was sure that after death we got something with no anxiety, I'd go. 

Autonomistic said:

There would be no crime. People would be respectful and considerate towards each other. Most importantly they would also be respectful and considerate towards nature. Humans would no longer exploit animals in the way they do now. They would not shoot birds for sport or allow any cruelty towards any animal.

I think our heavens are quite similar, including the sounds at night, the garden being a haven for birds and wildlife, going for long walks and  living in a stone built cottage!  I would like to assure you that my heavenly dogs would be peaceful and gentle and not do a lot of barking, only the occasional low pitched woof when neccessary..!

The part of your heaven that I have quoted, I didn't mention that in my heaven, but would it would be a crucially important part of mine too. To a great extent it is because things are not like that that I struggle so much and suffer so much with anxiety.

Also, I would like to include the beautiful green shimmering lake within walking distance, it sounds lovely! I would like that to be closer than the sea which would be much further away so I could only hear it if I chose to go there. I would like to go there to the lake to sit quietly and smell the water and listen to all the bird sounds and watch the little ducklings eating weeds!

My heaven would also definitely include freedom from anxiety and living in a place with lots of land around it, somewhere cool where it rains often.... but the idea of oblivion terrifies me!

Freedom from anxiety. This would most likely involve living in a place with a lot of land around it. UK climate is fine by me as I don't like too much heat and don't mind the rain as it is a great excise to stay in and read / watch a movie. I'd need financial independence so I could work if I wanted but not rely on it. There would be my wife, and a cat or two. Occasional socialising with close friends. Travel would feature as well - I like to explore new places - but only for a couple of weeks at a time before retreating home.

In an afterlife sense I currently hope that 'Heaven' does not exist - I think I'd prefer oblivion.

A nice and peaceful home with a workshop where I could relax working on my vehicle. I would love a Route Master and a DC3 to play with. An end to all wars and nuclear weapons. A fair society would be a plus.