Hi moseslmpg,
I see this is your first post, welcome to the Bible-Truths forum 
Jesus compared death to sleep, because as with sleep we are unconscious which means - experiencing loss of senses: unable to see, hear, or otherwise sense what is going on.
But with sleep as you say, you do dream. But with death there is no mind function, as it says here.
Ecc 9:5 For the living know that they will die; But the dead know nothing,
Thanks, I appreciate the welcome.
Anyway, my problem with this is that while I can concede that when you are asleep your senses are not "working," that doesn't preclude me from dreaming that they are working. It's like the sensation is being bypassed itself and it goes directly to the consciousness that experiences the sensation. I'm sure that the brain is totally dead when you die, and for most people this means absence of consciousness, but I don't think it necessarily means that.
We are all spiritually "asleep" and "dead" in any case, but I think that more spiritually awakened individuals would stay "awake" during death. For instance, there are people who can project their consciousness while they sleep and go to different places in their house while their body is asleep. For the majority of the world, death is just like dreamless sleep because they have not developed enough to be able to stay conscious during the process IMO.
I think that if the metaphor is meant to be taken seriously, that dreaming should be included, are at least not precluded. There is evidence of reincarnation and there are instructions on how to remain conscious during death, but I imagine that these experiences would be attributed to demons (which is another story).
Here are a few email that Ray has answered concerning death sa sleep and reincarnation.
Dear Randy:
It is not a bother for me to answer your questions.
Reincarnation is a doctrine of demons. God changes us into a new creature, a new creation, but this happens to us as the person we are, not a reincarnated different person.
Dear Walter:
No, there is no such thing as human "reincarnation." Reincarnation is an ancient doctrine of the pagan Egyptians. God knew us from before the foundation of the world, not because we existed back then, but because we were IN HIS PLAN. God knew every person who would ever live, and when they would be born, and how long they would live, how they would live, etc., etc., etc. And He didn't plan for any to perish, but that all will come to repentance and a knowledge of the truth (if not in this life, then in Judgment).
God be with you,
Ray
First of all, I want to say that I don't really see what point Ray is trying to make, and I don't think he really understands reincarnation, no offense meant. In the first e-mail he says that reincarnation (I assume this includes rebirth as well) is a doctrine of demons, but I have yet to see a reason why this is the case. In the second one, he uses the "argument from paganism" or from personal incredulity, and may be even setting up a straw man. I don't mean to attack Ray, but I just don't think this is as solid as some of his other findings. If you have this life and the Judgment, what's wrong with adding a few more in between? It certainly makes the task of learning your lessons and coming into knowledge of God more feasible.
What I would really like is some verses in the Bible that either preclude reincarnation or condemn it outright as evil. If there are none, then I think it is unreasonable to discount the doctrine based on one's personal belief system. Contrary to popular belief, the Abrahamic religions don't break down if reincarnation is true.
Edit: Also, the LMPG stands for Let My People Go. I used to use my friends as puppets during lunch to re-enact the Moses story, which is how I got my nickname. I live in Atlanta, GA during breaks and Hamilton, NY during school, but I've lived all around the world.
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