I was wondering what attitudes we have towards death.

spider: unfortunately both atheists and theists will vote no, for completely different reasons.

Well, I suppose the preacher is right...

Anyway, I do not fear death. It seems stupid to me to fear something that cannot be avoided and which is quite natural. I do not fear taking a leak either.

Of course, that is the theory.

You got a point there with the fearing the dying part. If it was something excrutiantingly painful, like leaving life Jesus-style, then yes, I would probably be afraid to die that way. If I would just drop dead...I suppose that would be allright.

I'll be honest and say yes I fear death, but I don't fear what comes after it. I have watched enough people dieing to know it's an awful experience.

I have watched enough people dieing to know it's an awful experience.
I think its always worse for those watching someone they love dying...then the one dying..
after all sick dying people are usualy pumped up full of painkillers and drugs to not feel much pain when they go.
me I dont fear death,as long as I go naturaly,in my sleep when Im about 120 years old :D


this is your death (http://www.jhuger.com/tract/tyd/index.mv)

I fear some methods of dying, but as a general rule I don't fear dying or death. It's all a part of life.

Well, I suppose the preacher is right...

Anyway, I do not fear death. It seems stupid to me to fear something that cannot be avoided and which is quite natural. I do not fear taking a leak either.

Of course, that is the theory.

You got a point there with the fearing the dying part. If it was something excrutiantingly painful, like leaving life Jesus-style, then yes, I would probably be afraid to die that way. If I would just drop dead...I suppose that would be allright.
I was going to say that if you have an infection, taking a leak can be a scary thing... but then you said "jesus-style" so nevermind lmao

Why fear death? Living is the scary part.

- N

I don't fear death, I hope I'll die soon! But if the Lord does not want that, I have to wait...

I don't fear death, I hope I'll die soon! But if the Lord does not want that, I have to wait...

I felt sad when i read you say that Yorda. though yet i CAN understand that desire in THIs world!

me, i am exploring about it. of course the thought of it is completeyl AWWWEEEEsome, and some. and it is one thing intellectualizing about it, and actually being faced with it.

shit, we have been spun so many stories. imagine how Catholics, and fundys feel about death. about the possibility of EVERLASING HELLLLL! how many people over the centruies have approached death with THAT worry? sweet be jeeezsus! it's a crime!

deeath is taboo in our culture. even people with terminal illnesses cant get PERMISSION-for fuks sake-to DIE! so there's this idea we should cling to life no matter what. and this in a supposedly 'athiestic secualr culture.....(anyone got any ideas about that??)...i feel that death is te great power the powers that be have over us. and why they have demonized it over the years

earth pagans believed death was a return to the Mother from which one became regenerated again into new life

i amalso curious about the athiests here. when they say 'whaen yer dead yer dead' what do you mean? that you wont EVEr be aware no more?...if you know what i mean

I don't fear death, I hope I'll die soon! But if the Lord does not want that, I have to wait...

I felt sad when i read you say that Yorda. though yet i CAN understand that desire in THIs world!

me, i am exploring about it. of course the thought of it is completeyl AWWWEEEEsome, and some. and it is one thing intellectualizing about it, and actually being faced with it.

shit, we have been spun so many stories. imagine how Catholics, and fundys feel about death. about the possibility of EVERLASING HELLLLL! how many people over the centruies have approached death with THAT worry? sweet be jeeezsus! it's a crime!

deeath is taboo in our culture. even people with terminal illnesses cant get PERMISSION-for fuks sake-to DIE! so there's this idea we should cling to life no matter what. and this in a supposedly 'athiestic secualr culture.....(anyone got any ideas about that??)...i feel that death is te great power the powers that be have over us. and why they have demonized it over the years

earth pagans believed death was a return to the Mother from which one became regenerated again into new life

i amalso curious about the athiests here. when they say 'whaen yer dead yer dead' what do you mean? that you wont EVEr be aware no more?...if you know what i mean

I don't fear death, I hope I'll die soon! But if the Lord does not want that, I have to wait...

I felt sad when i read you say that Yorda. though yet i CAN understand that desire in THIs world!

me, i am exploring about it. of course the thought of it is completeyl AWWWEEEEsome, and some. and it is one thing intellectualizing about it, and actually being faced with it.

shit, we have been spun so many stories. imagine how Catholics, and fundys feel about death. about the possibility of EVERLASING HELLLLL! how many people over the centruies have approached death with THAT worry? sweet be jeeezsus! it's a crime!

deeath is taboo in our culture. even people with terminal illnesses cant get PERMISSION-for fuks sake-to DIE! so there's this idea we should cling to life no matter what. and this in a supposedly 'athiestic secualr culture.....(anyone got any ideas about that??)...i feel that death is te great power the powers that be have over us. and why they have demonized it over the years

earth pagans believed death was a return to the Mother from which one became regenerated again into new life

i amalso curious about the athiests here. when they say 'whaen yer dead yer dead' what do you mean? that you wont EVEr be aware no more?...if you know what i mean

I don't fear death, I hope I'll die soon! But if the Lord does not want that, I have to wait...

I felt sad when i read you say that Yorda. though yet i CAN understand that desire in THIs world!

me, i am exploring about it. of course the thought of it is completeyl AWWWEEEEsome, and some. and it is one thing intellectualizing about it, and actually being faced with it.

shit, we have been spun so many stories. imagine how Catholics, and fundys feel about death. about the possibility of EVERLASING HELLLLL! how many people over the centruies have approached death with THAT worry? sweet be jeeezsus! it's a crime!

deeath is taboo in our culture. even people with terminal illnesses cant get PERMISSION-for fuks sake-to DIE! so there's this idea we should cling to life no matter what. and this in a supposedly 'athiestic secualr culture.....(anyone got any ideas about that??)...i feel that death is te great power the powers that be have over us. and why they have demonized it over the years

earth pagans believed death was a return to the Mother from which one became regenerated again into new life

i amalso curious about the athiests here. when they say 'whaen yer dead yer dead' what do you mean? that you wont EVEr be aware no more?...if you know what i mean

I don't fear death, I hope I'll die soon! But if the Lord does not want that, I have to wait...

I felt sad when i read you say that Yorda. though yet i CAN understand that desire in THIs world!

me, i am exploring about it. of course the thought of it is completeyl AWWWEEEEsome, and some. and it is one thing intellectualizing about it, and actually being faced with it.

shit, we have been spun so many stories. imagine how Catholics, and fundys feel about death. about the possibility of EVERLASING HELLLLL! how many people over the centruies have approached death with THAT worry? sweet be jeeezsus! it's a crime!

deeath is taboo in our culture. even people with terminal illnesses cant get PERMISSION-for fuks sake-to DIE! so there's this idea we should cling to life no matter what. and this in a supposedly 'athiestic secualr culture.....(anyone got any ideas about that??)...i feel that death is te great power the powers that be have over us. and why they have demonized it over the years

earth pagans believed death was a return to the Mother from which one became regenerated again into new life

i amalso curious about the athiests here. when they say 'whaen yer dead yer dead' what do you mean? that you wont EVEr be aware no more?...if you know what i mean

I don't fear death, I hope I'll die soon! But if the Lord does not want that, I have to wait...

I felt sad when i read you say that Yorda. though yet i CAN understand that desire in THIs world!

me, i am exploring about it. of course the thought of it is completeyl AWWWEEEEsome, and some. and it is one thing intellectualizing about it, and actually being faced with it.

shit, we have been spun so many stories. imagine how Catholics, and fundys feel about death. about the possibility of EVERLASING HELLLLL! how many people over the centruies have approached death with THAT worry? sweet be jeeezsus! it's a crime!

deeath is taboo in our culture. even people with terminal illnesses cant get PERMISSION-for fuks sake-to DIE! so there's this idea we should cling to life no matter what. and this in a supposedly 'athiestic secualr culture.....(anyone got any ideas about that??)...i feel that death is te great power the powers that be have over us. and why they have demonized it over the years

earth pagans believed death was a return to the Mother from which one became regenerated again into new life

i amalso curious about the athiests here. when they say 'whaen yer dead yer dead' what do you mean? that you wont EVEr be aware no more?...if you know what i mean

I don't fear death, I hope I'll die soon! But if the Lord does not want that, I have to wait...

I felt sad when i read you say that Yorda. though yet i CAN understand that desire in THIs world!

me, i am exploring about it. of course the thought of it is completeyl AWWWEEEEsome, and some. and it is one thing intellectualizing about it, and actually being faced with it.

shit, we have been spun so many stories. imagine how Catholics, and fundys feel about death. about the possibility of EVERLASING HELLLLL! how many people over the centruies have approached death with THAT worry? sweet be jeeezsus! it's a crime!

deeath is taboo in our culture. even people with terminal illnesses cant get PERMISSION-for fuks sake-to DIE! so there's this idea we should cling to life no matter what. and this in a supposedly 'athiestic secualr culture.....(anyone got any ideas about that??)...i feel that death is te great power the powers that be have over us. and why they have demonized it over the years

earth pagans believed death was a return to the Mother from which one became regenerated again into new life

i amalso curious about the athiests here. when they say 'whaen yer dead yer dead' what do you mean? that you wont EVEr be aware no more?...if you know what i mean

I don't fear death, I hope I'll die soon! But if the Lord does not want that, I have to wait...

I felt sad when i read you say that Yorda. though yet i CAN understand that desire in THIs world!

me, i am exploring about it. of course the thought of it is completeyl AWWWEEEEsome, and some. and it is one thing intellectualizing about it, and actually being faced with it.

shit, we have been spun so many stories. imagine how Catholics, and fundys feel about death. about the possibility of EVERLASING HELLLLL! how many people over the centruies have approached death with THAT worry? sweet be jeeezsus! it's a crime!

deeath is taboo in our culture. even people with terminal illnesses cant get PERMISSION-for fuks sake-to DIE! so there's this idea we should cling to life no matter what. and this in a supposedly 'athiestic secualr culture.....(anyone got any ideas about that??)...i feel that death is te great power the powers that be have over us. and why they have demonized it over the years

earth pagans believed death was a return to the Mother from which one became regenerated again into new life

i amalso curious about the athiests here. when they say 'whaen yer dead yer dead' what do you mean? that you wont EVEr be aware no more?...if you know what i mean

Wow - 8 identical responses, Duendy. Thanks. :D

Personally, I do not fear death.
I have no desire to die but no actual fear of death itself.

If anything I have a fear of not making the most of it while I'm alive. :)

as that great movie was called........
BRING IT ON

I don't particularly fear my own death, but I very much fear the prospect (certainty, really) of my loved ones dying. Well, it's not so much "fear" as a deep, devastating sadness whenever I contemplate the fact that, once they are gone, they will be gone for good. Just the fucking thought alone has had me crying like a little girl on occasion, wishing to high heaven that I believed in some kind of afterlife where I could at least meet, from time to time, the ones that matter to me. Since it's likely that I won't be the first to go, at some point I will have to actually deal with that irreversible loss. And that, my friends, is going to hurt like a bitch.

So, basically, this whole death business can only keep me down while I'm alive and thinking about it. Hence, I'd like to thank spidergoat for starting this thread. It has made my day. (;) )

Edited to add: It seems I'll have to vote "yes", after all, seeing as there is no "I fear the implications of death" option in the poll.

fadeaway: my dad died when I was 18, how I look at things, are, as long as I remember him, as long as my children remember him, as long as the story of him is told in the future, he will never be gone. or forgotten.
now with all the different types of media we have, we can keep a better record of our loved ones, so they are never gone.
it's you our own selfpity, that causes our problems, we've only to remember the good times, and a smile will cover our faces.
sometimes when I'm thinking, something my father would have said, comes to mind and I smile to myself.
I have no fear of dying, even though my corpse will rot (I dont believe in an afterlife)I know my family will always remember me.

No one commands me. No man. No God. No elder. No Prince. What is claim of age for ones who are immortal? What is a claim of power for ones who defy death? Call your damnable hunt. We shall see whom I drag down to hell with me.

fadeaway: my dad died when I was 18, how I look at things, are, as long as I remember him, as long as my children remember him, as long as the story of him is told in the future, he will never be gone. or forgotten.
now with all the different types of media we have, we can keep a better record of our loved ones, so they are never gone.
it's you our own selfpity, that causes our problems, we've only to remember the good times, and a smile will cover our faces.
sometimes when I'm thinking, something my father would have said, comes to mind and I smile to myself.
I have no fear of dying, even though my corpse will rot (I dont believe in an afterlife)I know my family will always remember me.

First of all, I'm sorry to hear that, man. But we're talking about different things here: you cling to the bittersweet melancholy of remembrance, which is an effective means for dealing with grief, I agree. However, here I'm not talking about oblivion, vanishing memories vs. upheld memories. That sounds nice and all, but it only affects the living, and I know that memories, as heartwarming as they may be, will NOT be enough for me. I'm talking about the final, unavoidable severing of any physical contact with the loved ones. The eternal absence of them. Simple as that. It won't bother me in the least when I'm dead, but it sure as hell bothers me now.

The way I see it, the only way not to fear death in anyway is not to love anyone, so I guess I'll take things as they are, after all.

Am I depressing or what? Shit, I'm normally much, much more lighthearted than this.

PS: In fact, now I'm feeling the overwhelming urge to start a thread about boobies, or something. Under General Philosophy.

Personally.. yes I do.

spider,

I found I could not answer your poll. Perhaps it is just an attitude thing - I simply expect to find a way to survive and I don't consider death an option. Hence the issue of fear or not doesn't arise.

Some people are more afraid of life than death.

Some people are more afraid of life than death.

GREAT reply DDD!

I used to think I wasn't afraid of it at all, but a near-death experience taught me otherwise.

DDD: Some people are more afraid of life than death.
*************
M*W: So true! Someone said that if we're not busy being born, then we are busy dying. I say there would be no fear of death if we were always in the process of being born.

i'm not so much afraid of death after this life, but i'm terrified of the death before it.

Hi,

Is dreamless sleep a little death? And not waking up a lot of death? That which you fear the most might meet you half way.

(apologies to Eddie Vedder)
Allcare.

Hi,

Is dreamless sleep a little death? And not waking up a lot of death? That which you fear the most might meet you half way.

(apologies to Eddie Vedder)
Allcare.

That is a fascinating question. one i've wondered about before. sleep alternates doesn't it between different states of vibrations, alpha etc. and i think 'delta' is the deepest, and where you have dreamless sleep, what i call oblivion

so i wonder if post mortem experience is like that....ie., that there may be visionary experiences, but also the void, where therer is no awareness? and yet OUT Of that comes awareness,
....comon you'll physicalists. what do you say?..heh

I used to think I wasn't afraid of it at all, but a near-death experience taught me otherwise.

spidergoat...what you've said herer has REALLY intrigued me. Have you shared about your experience anywhere on these boards?

also, where you seem to suggest that post your NDE you ARe afriad of death. that confession runs counter to what i have read about NDS. in fact many people who had experienced them wanted to get BACK to the visions they had seen etc., which i found disturbing

It was only near, not like I passed out and saw a bright light at the end of a tunnel. It was a foolish indulgence to excess of a popular but dangerous substance. It was not like facing terminal cancer, there wasn't even any medical intervention. But, as you might expect, such experiences can shake you up, like narrowly avoiding an accident. It made me think that the nature of the death is most important. I could see accepting death when your lying on the ground after colliding with a truck, but it's much harder when you have days, weeks, months to think about it, or if it was the result of your own stupidity.

once i heard this person sepaking about his experience of nearly drowning. it happened where he could see people going about thier daily business, and as he felt himself slipping out of consciousness felt how EASy it was to just die.....not the DRAMATIC thing he had imagined it might be

duendy: once i heard this person sepaking about his experience of nearly drowning. it happened where he could see people going about thier daily business, and as he felt himself slipping out of consciousness felt how EASy it was to just die.....not the DRAMATIC thing he had imagined it might be
*************
M*W: I've heard this, too. Death by drowning was instituted by Greek society back in the day. Consciousness leaves peacefully as the water infiltrates the body. That's how baptism came to be. Holding one down in the water until he experienced ecstacy. That was the tradition. Nowhere does Jesus come into this picture. Baptism was drowning beyond ecstacy.

It's easy to proudly say "I don't fear death!", but if you have any survival insticts whatsoever, you fear death. It's imprinted in our biology to want to stay alive. Change is scary. Even if you believe in life after death, the transformation to the unknown reality is not something you take easily. Perhaps it's the fear of losing your identity that is worst. To not know who or what you will become. Advanced guesses may exist, but not until you're there, you will know for sure.
The level of fear at the moment of death is dependant on your beliefs, personality, life experiences, friends and family left behind and possible worries concerning them, worries concerning how you have lived and will be received.
Just as sleep comes easier when you're satisfied with yourself and you life, so does death.

Bebelina - well said. It's been a while - haven't seen you around recently.

So here's my fundamental criticism of religion. If a strong belief is promoted that there is life after death then that must necessarily degrade our primary survival instinct – i.e. if death is seen only as a transition to something better then an effort to hold onto your existing life or promote longer life will be seen as somewhat less important than if no such belief was held.

If we now understand that good is anything that promotes life and happiness and bad is the opposite then we can see that religious promotion of a life after death fantasy must be one of the greatest evils mankind has had to face.

Cris

Bebelina - well said. It's been a while - haven't seen you around recently.

So here's my fundamental criticism of religion. If a strong belief is promoted that there is life after death then that must necessarily degrade our primary survival instinct – i.e. if death is seen only as a transition to something better then an effort to hold onto your existing life or promote longer life will be seen as somewhat less important than if no such belief was held.

d__i see it that if people are clinging on to life then they wont let go. are you suggesting that people who CLAIM 'consciously' (dont forget the unconscious .....?) they dont believe in after daeth and thus presume total oblivion of what they believe they are that they WONT cling?
And considering the billions ofs gobbling gobblers gobbling all the resources from this small planet, wouldn't it be better TO let go and not pine for a long life where you carry on gobbling?.....i like you am not mad on fundamental beliefs. mainly cause they divide life whilst living into 'good' 'bad' etc. but in prepatriarchal times there was an accpetance of return to the Mother. a whole different insight than what became return to a 'Father'!


If we now understand that good is anything that promotes life and happiness and bad is the opposite then we can see that religious promotion of a life after death fantasy must be one of the greatest evils mankind has had to face.

Cris
what i see as the evil or ignorance is not the believing in some kind of after life, but rather when ALL is focussed on that and then the earth, Nature is seen as merely a 'school' or not to be cared for cause they are going to a 'spiritual PERMANENT place......prepatriarchal beliefs understood a cyclic organic going and returning. Thus Earth was VERy important to care for. as it is ours and all species home

Hello Cris, oh I think mankind has faced worse evils than that, don't you think? Pretty harmless in comparison to pedophilia, torture etc.

Duendy, Earth is also a spiritual being, and those in tune with her know to care for her too. It's sad when people use excuses to not care, whatever they may be.

So here's my fundamental criticism of religion. If a strong belief is promoted that there is life after death then that must necessarily degrade our primary survival instinct

Your survival instinct could be used to justify anything. War on Iraq. Survival. War on N. Korea. Survival, we have to take their nukes out before they take ours.


– i.e. if death is seen only as a transition to something better then an effort to hold onto your existing life or promote longer life will be seen as somewhat less important than if no such belief was held.

Well, yes, if you believed solely in Heaven without Hell. But for most of us, we believe in punishment. We not only face the earthly punishments but the spiritual as well. And the value of human life, we believe, is infinite. An atheist, faithful to his argument, cannot justify this infinite value. What surrounds us suggests otherwise.


If we now understand that good is anything that promotes life and happiness and bad is the opposite then we can see that religious promotion of a life after death fantasy must be one of the greatest evils mankind has had to face.

Fear of death is man's worst enemy. The likes of Hitler and Stalin came to power by fear. We even see this in their personalities.

I fear slow death on a hospital bed as an elderly decaying man, the thought makes me litterally shudder.
I fear being buried in a coffin at a cemetary. I just don't trust that route.
I don't fear death via a pack of hyenas, which is my plan.

the horror....the horror....

duendy's just a posting whore looking for the count.

The greatest cause of death is birth. Well, I got born, so I guess I gotta face death sometime. I've seen some folks die, sometimes violently, so I hope I go quietly in my sleep.

I have my living will, no resuscitation etc., properly witnessed and notarized in my records with the family doctor. If I get some lingering illness like a terminal cancer, pain medication until it's no use, then max me out.

Heaven or hell? I could care less.

I think it's better to say that one is cautious or avoidant of death rather than afraid of it. I'm not afraid of poisonous snakes but I don't go about making myself familiar with them nor would I reach out and touch one while in it's presence.

One doesn't fear death as such -- one fears that one will run out of time to make up one's mind.

Death is an absolute, and it forces us to think in absolutes -- to make up our mind about things, to devote ourselves to what we have chosen, to devote ourselves with discipline and resolution.

It is this absoluteness that is so scary about death.

On one hand, death seems far, somewhere in old age -- plenty of time to make up your mind about things, one might think. Ah, it's okay, one might be agnostic about everything, there's plenty of time to make up one's mind.

But on the other hand, one gets to see people dying every day, and this teaches one that one will eventually die too -- this way, death is present, and it is present in one vicariously through other people's deaths.

I think it is the relativists and agnostics that are truly scared of death -- for they have to live with an immense internal inconsistency: on one hand, they are facing death as an absolute forcing one to think in absolutes, and on the other hand, they want to remain agnostic and relativistic.


Personally, I'm not afraid of death. But I am afraid of my lack of resolution.

:) :)

;) :p :)

duendy's just a posting whore looking for the count.

The greatest cause of death is birth. Well, I got born, so I guess I gotta face death sometime. I've seen some folks die, sometimes violently, so I hope I go quietly in my sleep.

I have my living will, no resuscitation etc., properly witnessed and notarized in my records with the family doctor. If I get some lingering illness like a terminal cancer, pain medication until it's no use, then max me out.

Heaven or hell? I could care less.

Obviously you know nothing of what you speak,i condem you to write any more mindless bull, just to appear shocking and to get attention :mad:

I think virtualy everyone fears death, those that say they don't are basicaly liers. The only one who may not fear death is if the pain leading to death is unbearable.

I think virtualy everyone fears death, those that say they don't are basicaly liers. The only one who may not fear death is if the pain leading to death is unbearable.

I couldnt agree more, i think everyone,when it comes to the'unknown', is actually scared sh**less. :p

I was wondering what attitudes we have towards death.


Sorry to bring this one back up - but as I am new to the forum I have a lot of catching up to do.

Fair play Spidergoat - straight to the point and it is a damn good question. It is also slightly ironic as it is a certainty that Athiests and Xtians and everyone else for that matter agrees on. We die.

Am I afraid of death? Water hit a nerve when he said about the absoluteness of it. I used to be terrified about it. The possibility of oblivion I just can't get my head around and it makes be go deathly cold (sorry about the pun) just thinking about it. I can't imagine the possibility of me not existing any more. Because to be honest I have got quite use to me existing, and am damn happy about that.

I am going to be married soon and when looking at my Fiancee' the idea that I might not see her again after her life is over or mine after hopefully having a wonderful life together fills me with despair. If that is the case then I think this world is so unbelivably unfair, that it would have been better if we have never experienced this thing called "Life" at all. Because in the end it is all meaningless. Nothing we does matter one iota because in the end death claims us all. Like someone mentioned before, losing that physical contact with a loved one is almost unbearable.

But then I am a Christian...or at least trying to be one and so believe in an afterlife. That hope of the possibility of seeing love ones again to me is amazing and I soooo want it to be true and really hope it is the case. It is this hope that gives me peace of mind and so I no longer fear death.

But even If I wasn't religious, when you consider the vastness of the universe and the possible eternity of it all then "I" must almost surely exist again at some point. So either way I don't think death is the end and for that matter I no longer fear it for myself.

fuck yeah i'm afraid of death!!!!!i like living quite a lot. as fry would say "its basically all i do".i dont know what happens after death at the moment i think nothing and that concept is a little too abstract for me to deal with so i am afraid..

To silvertusk

Have you ever pondered how the calmness and acceptance that spurs from believing in uncertain conditions is like wearing a blindfold?
I kind of dislike the idea of walking towards a goal and at the same time dismissing the context of the trip. As long as you reach the end you’re a winner.

You know… It’s not the winning that’s important but the thrill of the event – or how ever it goes.

And as you wouldn’t see your love ones ever again, it would not matter because you would be dead.
You should be rather thinking how the loss that is your death would affect your spouse, you selfish, selfish man.

Or like that Norwegian devil-boy put it:

Fear
And you shall fall
Weakness suffocates your will
Dare
Yet never fail
Wisdom guides the one
The strong who can defy
Death

To silvertusk

Have you ever pondered how the calmness and acceptance that spurs from believing in uncertain conditions is like wearing a blindfold?



You might disagree but I think I see fine.



I kind of dislike the idea of walking towards a goal and at the same time dismissing the context of the trip. As long as you reach the end you’re a winner.



The trip is just as important to me as the goal.




And as you wouldn’t see your love ones ever again, it would not matter because you would be dead.


I am talking about if they go before me. Personally for me it would be a lot more unbearable if I didn't believe that I might see them again, but that is just me.



You should be rather thinking how the loss that is your death would affect your spouse, you selfish, selfish man.


And I would - just didn't bring it up in my last post.

*************
M*W: What is there to fear about death? We've all been in the process of dying since the moment we were born.

M*W: What is there to fear about death? We've all been in the process of dying since the moment we were born.
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Yorda: When the fruit has ripened it leaves the tree (the real self) and starts to die http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v460/what768/smileys/happy.gif Life is what they fear, their thoughts of death. There is nothing good or evil except in the human mind. Everything is created by the mind. Our body is programmed to react on things that happen outside, otherwise we wouldn't have survived. When we can control all feelings, nothing will affect us. When something bad happens, we react, but when we know the reaction, and the reasons, we'll be able to produce a counter attack by our thoughts so that nothing happens.

Later, we'll be doing that without thinking, and we won't even see when we fall on the ground, because we have become the tree and the tree only watches when the fruits fall on the ground. And if death is nothingness, it's impossible to fear it. In fact, that would be paradise, but I don't know if I can believe in the "existence" of non-existence... Lucky are the fruits which know that they come from the tree and that they are the tree http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v460/what768/smileys/happy.gif http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v460/what768/smileys/happy.gif

Those who fear are lost.


Sting, The shape of my heart

I am budhist and for my own reasons i think that reeicarnation its real (i wont discuss that now).

I fear the suffering that becomes with the act of dying (for example, if you die from an heart attack i think you will have pain...i dont like that kind of suffering) and i fear what will be my next reeicarnation: a good or bad one?

I fear to loose my counsciousness, to loose my lucid mind in the process and not be aware from what will come next.

Call me crazy if you want.

In second place, Death its a way for humans open his eys to Life. Only when you understand death you will be ready for life.

Thinking about death its useful. Just imagine "Tomorrow XYZ [someome you love] maybe will die, from an accident or other problem. Maybe today its my last day with XYZ". When you realise that you will feel more love that person and a need to live every moment with her like if it was the last one.

Every breath and every moment should be like the first one and the last one. Like a curious and happy being thats its seeing things for the first time and like someone that loves everything because its ready o die.

Learning with Death its very, very hard ( i wish i can be ready for that) but you can learn compassion from it.

I know that it may sound like a "cliche" but now i understand better the meaning of "carpe diem".

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M*W: What is there to fear about death? We've all been in the process of dying since the moment we were born.


True. Seems to be our united purpose in life.

lets us have a go

i am seeing death has and can NEVEr BE apart FROM life. this means that for the 'thrust' of life there has to be the negation of death...for example, just move you arm. the trajectory is life and the 'wake' of your arm is death. do you see what i mean
or look at a ship......its wake is the death of the motion of the ship. all the action s on that ship are both happening NOW and yet their past--along with the wake of the ship--are the DEATH of those actions. without that death/past you couldn't HAVe life
so death and life are utterly interelated. you cannot have one without the other

the biggie. physical death, is part of this process, and there is nothing to fear. but when you do fear that fear too has life and death

this is all wonderfull!

whats to fear, why would anyone fear oblivion, shit happens.
dying in agony, that what we all fear.
my mum just keeled over one day,on the settee and when to sleep, whilst watching her favourite soap, I cant be sure she felt no pain, but she did not look like she was in pain.
thats the way to go, quiet and relaxed.
unfortunately it not always the case, sadly.

Duendy you touch on an important point i think. Everything dies and borns in every moment. Everything it is in constant mutation. There is no one to die or to born, only feelings, actions, sensations and bodys that change in each moment.

I am not saying that because of these thoughts i am completly opened to death. No. These thoughts are like a map, they are a ractionalization of something bigger that can only be learned by pratice, not by thinking about it.

Thats why i stil lfear death, because i need to understand in a living way the things we spoke about.

Dear Audible. i am really sorry to hear about your loss of your mum. It sounds she died really peacefully. I would also like to go like that

and Kazabadan.......I am not trying, of course, to sanitize death. it is truly AWESOME.......it cannot be imagined how it will be, as loss cannot be imagned unless it is happening. you can even forget the utter primal shock of it, and that includes the threat of losing someone, or near death etc

But surely beginning to understand how death and life are like two twining serpents never parted, and how we cant have one with out the other, ENRICHEs life
doesn't it?....death is the DEPTHless DEPTHS. the unfathomable......death ad life the mutidimensional warp and woof?

i fer pain very much too. i would want termination. why not?...though you have sometimes relatives who depend for you to fight, who wont let go. and sometimes you wont let go, because its not how you imagined. its just TOO fukin awesome...for where ARe 'you' goin??

I fear death less and less as I get older. The alternative - living forever as me on Earth -is terrifying. I do fear death, but sometimes knowing I am mortal keeps me sane.

You know,i'd never thought of it like that before,but living forever as YOU on earth, is terriffying ;)