It’s always interesting seeing people’s thoughts on the Lifestream and it’s presentation/place within the story, especially concerning the individuals who die and become a part of it.
I certainly never took it as anything different than the upfront meaning of life returning/becoming a part of it and people’s consciousness dissolving within it—this meaning that they essentially become one with it in death. But, for what I always thought contrary to others, this doesn’t include completely eradicating who they were and are. That’s not how dissolving typically works. Even sugar that dissolves in water is still there, it’s not completely gone. It’s a part of it, acting as a whole. FFVII holds some spirituality/mysticism themes, especially the whole “reuniting with people in death” sentiment and life/death concepts towards the Lifestream, which this holds a very powerful meaning for our characters—from Bugenhagen to Cloud’s revelation at the end of the OG, etc. I don’t believe the game would have this significance with it’s characters/story, while also saying “nope, actually that’s all bullshit, sorry” or treating it as inaccurate nonsense with its storytelling—at least not without that actually being the set answer or perspective for the characters AND the world to take officially. I feel pretty confident that the latter isn’t the takeaway.
For FFVII to still have that sentiment, it’s not going to be like DBZ with all the dead folk building houses and hosting fighting tournaments. Death is still a mysterious construct even in FFVII, but with using the lore of the Lifestream, the above significance still has its place for the mystery of what really happens once one becomes, well, one with the planet. There’s something there to be understood when a person joins their loved ones in becoming a part of something that they already have, and in that “place”, that’s where they’ll meet. The mystery is how exactly that happens, and that’s okay. The sentiment provided is enough to understand intent there. There is a difference in the meaning of it on the value of emotion vs. the literal function. A lot of stories aren’t depicting the spiritual nature of this in the literal sense like others shows do (Supernatural, DBZ, Yu Yu Hakusho, there are countless examples), while so, very much do, like the examples just mentioned. FFVII dives into the more literal, yes, but it still doesn’t necessarily contradict the sentiment. The mystery or the subject of it is just presented in its own way.
At least, that’s my take on it, and I hope we get even more on the subject in the Remake’s future.