Questioning Death: Experiences and Thoughts

[Astronuc]

There just seem to be a more than usual number of threads about loneliness, getting old, tragedy, and now death.

I don't think it necessarily more than usual. These are some of life's big issues, and someone is having to deal with one or more of these issues now and then.

On the other hand, we are coming to the end of an academic year, the focus on school and the pressure subsides momentarily, and one begins to wonder, what is it all about. Students may think - Why am I studying (fill in the blank)?

It is good that people can bring up such issues, and that others are willing to respond in a positive and supportive manner. Human beings are social creatures afterall.

 

[Grogs]

I think if anything about death really scares me, it's thoughts of how those left behind would be affected. How much would my parents grieve? Who would take care of them when they're old(er)? Who would take care of my pets? Beyond that, I have a much greater fear of terrible injury (becoming a quadrapalegic) than death.

I used to skydive and I remember being *terrified* before my first few jumps. At some point, I started asking myself if I was willing to accept the fact I could die on this jump. When I decided the answer was 'yes' the fear went away and never came back. From talking to other people in the sport, I have learned that almost everyone goes through a similar experience.

The ironic thing is that, on any particular skydive, you have a smaller chance of dying than you do driving to work for a year. It's just that it's just such an 'in your face' experience, it's hard not to notice possible impending death rising up to meet you at 120 mph. I try to put that same philosophy into more mundane activities of my daily life.

 

[Evo]

So, Evo, save the first and last dance for me. Only problem - I am a lousy dancer - besides the fact that in 50 yrs I'll probably be a wreck.

Just being alive at that age will be enough reason to party, being able to dance may be stretching it.

 

[Danger]

Just being alive at that age will be enough reason to party, being able to dance may be stretching it.

Okay, Astro, get to work! We need an anti-gravity dance floor within the next 50 years.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

About the most time that I've had to think about dying during an event was during an aborted take-off from San Francisco. Frankly, since I didn't think we could abort so late in the process, I [and everyone else] was thinking the worst.

The front wheels had already left the ground but then came slamming down with sudden, heavy braking, and at some point soon thereafter, reverse thrusters. Then we had a good thirty seconds of wide eyes and bated breath before the plane slowed enough that we began to relax. We all thought that a collision was imminent. But what surprised me is that while sitting there and looking around and expecting the crash, I not only assumed the crash position automatically, I also felt remarkably relaxed and calm; ready for whatever was about to happen. It turned out that a window had popped open in the flight cabin.

I have had a number of other close calls, but less one other, never really any time to consider what was happening.

 

[klusener]

The one and only God exists in various forms: if the ocean stands for God we have in contrast the pond, the well and the little quantity of water contained in a spoon and soon that stand for diverse living beings. The water in all is the same. If you go to the base, the ground or root, you will discover that they are the same. If we go to the root we will become one with the root. This is liberation according to Advaita. Merely to talk about non-dualistic liberation is nothing more than an Intellectual exercise and will serve no purpose. The truth of such liberation must become an inward reality. In other words the quest must culminate in actual experience and it can be had only with the grace of God.

These are hindu beliefs shared by Buddhists also, every time anything troubles me, just reading such things gives me the motivation to go on... There can be no fear of death if you truly live life.

 

[Anubis]

I think if anything about death really scares me, it's thoughts of how those left behind would be affected. How much would my parents grieve? Who would take care of them when they're old(er)? Who would take care of my pets? Beyond that, I have a much greater fear of terrible injury (becoming a quadrapalegic) than death.

I used to skydive and I remember being *terrified* before my first few jumps. At some point, I started asking myself if I was willing to accept the fact I could die on this jump. When I decided the answer was 'yes' the fear went away and never came back. From talking to other people in the sport, I have learned that almost everyone goes through a similar experience.

The ironic thing is that, on any particular skydive, you have a smaller chance of dying than you do driving to work for a year. It's just that it's just such an 'in your face' experience, it's hard not to notice possible impending death rising up to meet you at 120 mph. I try to put that same philosophy into more mundane activities of my daily life.

I think I need those adrenaline to make my fear of death lighter.

On the other note, I highly respect soldiers and other professions where you can meet death at any given time. I wonder what must go through their minds when facing impending death

 

[BicycleTree]

Well, I don't believe there is "nothingness" after you die. The world goes on, and all that happened is that one part of it became less structured.

But how do you know what is in the next moment from now? It won't be exactly the same you in the next moment. Or in the previous moment. Or outside your head. Why assume continuity of experience? All consciousness can be seen as a collection of unchanging states of mind, and any perceived connection between one state of mind and another (e.g. between two close-together states within a person's brain) is only a manmade device with no greater reality.

Another thing: why worry about death--something far ahead of you in time--when only a few inches from you in space, there appears to be the same "nothingness" (if you subscribe to that philosophy that the absence of human consciousness is the absence of all consciousness)?

 

[learningphysics]

I find the idea of annihilation very comforting (nothing happens after death... hence nothing bad happens after death). It is the possibility of reincarnation that scares me.

 

[zoobyshoe]

I Have a Rendezvous with Death

I HAVE a rendezvous with Death
At some disputed barricade,
When Spring comes back with rustling shade
And apple-blossoms fill the air—
I have a rendezvous with Death,
When Spring brings back blue days and fair.

It may be he shall take my hand,
And lead me into his dark land
And close my eyes and quench my breath,
It may be I shall pass him still.
I have a rendezvous with Death
On some scarred slope of battered hill,
When Spring comes round again this year
And the first meadow-flowers appear.

God knows 'twere better to be deep
Pillowed in silk and scented down,
Where love throbs out in blissful sleep,
Pulse nigh to pulse, and breath to breath,
Where hushed awakenings are dear
But I've a rendezvous with Death
At midnight in some flaming town,
When Spring trips north again this year,
And I to my pledged word am true,
I shall not fail that rendezvous.


by Alan Seeger


This was John Fitzgerald Kennedy's favorite poem

 

[Anubis]

I find the idea of annihilation very comforting (nothing happens after death... hence nothing bad happens after death). It is the possibility of reincarnation that scares me.

Reincarnation sometimes scares me too. Life is fun but at times it can be one nasty mother. But even if I am reincarnated, I won't know the difference and just be asking the same question that drives us (matrix ) in this lifetime

 

[Danger]

Reincarnation sometimes scares me too. Life is fun but at times it can be one nasty mother. But even if I am reincarnated, I won't know the difference and just be asking the same question that drives us (matrix ) in this lifetime

Despite my grade 9 math level, it seems to me that the perfect equation is: nothing + life = life + death

edit: I wasn't going to mention this because I already did in another thread, but... one of my friends was asked what he would come back as if reincarnation was real. His immediate response was 'the brass pole in a strip club'.

 

[stoned]

Dying and waking up hearing someone screaming and realizing that it is you imprisoned inside an animal .

 

[Lisa!]

There are different ways to deal with death:
If you are religious:
I think all religions say that this world is just a tiny part of our existence and they speak about life after death which is totally different from living in this world,so it couldn't be boring
some of them,say everyone has a death-life circle .we reborn again...
I was wonderind if any of you could remember her/his other lives!

and if you're not religious:
you just have this world.maybe it's alittle stressful but well you don't have to worry about death and life.you don't have to live here forever ,so forget about problems and just think about now.

anyway I think we are guests in this world(whether you're religious or not it's true).and because we don't have to stay here forever we shouldn't be bad...

Death is the most exciting travel because nobody have nothing to tell us about it .and I think most of us are worried about what we've done in this world(or perhaps haven't done)we're always hopeful about tomorrow and with death,we don't have tomorrow in this world.

 

[Dayle Record]

I think of death as living differently. I think that dreaming is the gateway to the realms of extra corporeal life. The truth is, I am much more afraid of living, than I am of dying.

 

[Craps]

If you are not afraid of death but afraid of living, why not try hanging yourself ?

So why do you have a feeling of "afraid of or scared" ? I think it is due to the limits of our perception towards our surroundings.

I am young. I take exercises every morning, eat 300 grs meat, 120 grs fish, 150 gr fresh vegetable, drink 400 ml milk, 2 small fried loaves of bread, 1 bowl of rice, 2 times dessert in each meal

I do everything to keep living till I get old and kiss my wife my boy goodbye because i am afraid of death...