Do you fear death?

[DoomyMcDoom]

I read the title and immediately pictured the scene in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Mans Chest.

"Do you fear death? Do you fear that dark abyss? All your deeds laid bare, all your sins punished? I can offer you... an escape."

If I could choose between life imprisonment (actual life not just like 21 years), or death. I'd choose life imprisonment. We'd like to think we'd rather die than rot in a cell. But really, death is worse. It just is.

But how do you know death wouldn't be blissful? or at the very least a release from the guilt or the pain of being raped(over and over and over again) if you didn't become a horrible scary rapist or something within your prison's community? depending on the country you are sentenced in, death can be preferable... for instance, you're sentenced to life imprisonment, in Russia, death may just be a nicer option compared to some of the stories that come outa the Russian prison system... just saying...

 

[Eooyz]

I'm really not that afraid of death. When I was younger I spent a lot of time thinking about it, I was raised as a christian but now I see myself as a agnostic (but wouldn't worship a god even if I knew there was one) so for a long time I really belived in the heaven or hell scenario. I really thought I was going to hell.

Later during my early teens I was still contemplating the same questions but finally I came to the conclusion that if being a good person not because of fear of divine retribution but just being good for the sake of beeing good wasn't enough that god can go fuck his self righteous self.

Now I still hold true to that conviction but I see death as the next big unknown. Who knows it might be awesome and I kind of look forward to knowing what it's like. But on the other hand I have a lot of things I still want to do before I die. Also I really don't like the idea of suecide.

 

[Fraeir]

Not really. That is to say, I don't really like the idea of dying, especially not at 23 years old, but fearing death is pretty pointless, as it happens to you, wherever, whoever and whenever you are.

I don't buy into any religion as I see them pretty much at fake "no death insurance"; The kind that would be ripped from your grasp the moment you try to cash in on it (though I also think you wouldn't be conscious to notice in the first place).

I don't get why so many people are afraid of that "Dark, neverending void", particularly because logic in my mind dictates that you won't be concious, at all, to notice anything: Your body ceases to function, your mind.. ends. To me, it appears it would return to the same state of non-existence it was at before you were even conceived.

All the more reason to enjoy this life, and the people that make up a part of it, and one reason besides logic and reasoning I don't think any religion "got it right", they strip away the beauty of life itself.


Not saying I'm looking forward to dying, but when it happens, it happens. I'm also in no hurry to make it happen faster, hence I'm a pacifist and got away from serving in the army over here.

 

[Maximum_Power_Cheese_Supreme]

I read the title and immediately pictured the scene in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Mans Chest.

"Do you fear death? Do you fear that dark abyss? All your deeds laid bare, all your sins punished? I can offer you... an escape."

If I could choose between life imprisonment (actual life not just like 21 years), or death. I'd choose life imprisonment. We'd like to think we'd rather die than rot in a cell. But really, death is worse. It just is.

But how do you know death wouldn't be blissful? or at the very least a release from the guilt or the pain of being raped(over and over and over again) if you didn't become a horrible scary rapist or something within your prison's community? depending on the country you are sentenced in, death can be preferable... for instance, you're sentenced to life imprisonment, in Russia, death may just be a nicer option compared to some of the stories that come out of the Russian prison system... just saying...

I know what you mean. In such a traumatic situation the mind isn't necessarily built towards survival at all costs like it has shaped over time.
What death is like depends on ones beliefs.

It's my belief that regardless of whether there is a soul and whether that lives on after death, I probably will not be in a human form, and I won't be taking my brain with you (for the same reason I won't be taking my legs with me either.) So all the memories and experiences that shaped my personality and self-identity will not remain with this singular state of conscious awareness that is unique for me (unless I'm part of the Flood from Halo).

If I were some rock solid minded person who could survive a Russian prison and still be able to sleep at night without their bum to the wall. But I'm not. I'd be in lardeyland after a day.

Can you ask whether anyone really kills themselves or lets themselves die for rational reasons?

 

[Aetera]

I am completely ambivalent towards dying. Ha, suicide and living both seem like equal hassles. I am totally and completely neutral towards the whole thing. Hooray for a chemical imbalance in my brain that leaves me in a quite frequent state of Dragon-Age-Tranquil?

I'm an atheist and existentialist, too, so I'm not all giddy about some afterlife, either. Life happens. So does death. Both are just kind of... there.

Although, in a perfect world, I'd want Death to roll up to my house Supernatural-style.
(None of the clips I could find embed. Just click the "watch on youtube).

 

[TheSnesDuckling]

To quote Mark Twain.

I've been dead for millions of years before I was born... etc. something I forgot.

So, no...

 

[ivarsa15]

I do not fear death. Dying though, that can hurt and that is why I don't wanna die.
Unless it is really fast, like getting my head mashed between two anvils going the speed of light.

 

[DoomyMcDoom]

*snip*

*snippedy*

I know what you mean. In such a traumatic situation the mind isn't necessarily built towards survival at all costs like it has shaped over time.
What death is like depends on ones beliefs.

It's my belief that regardless of whether there is a soul and whether that lives on after death, I probably will not be in a human form, and I won't be taking my brain with you (for the same reason I won't be taking my legs with me either.) So all the memories and experiences that shaped my personality and self-identity will not remain with this singular state of conscious awareness that is unique for me (unless I'm part of the Flood from Halo).

If I were some rock solid minded person who could survive a Russian prison and still be able to sleep at night without their bum to the wall. But I'm not. I'd be in lardeyland after a day.

Can you ask whether anyone really kills themselves or lets themselves die for rational reasons?

Rationality requires a degree of thought and reasoning, that most people about to kill themselves for any reason not as such(rational), are generally less than capable of true impartial reasoning. Most people will consider most of their decisions "rational" even though most of those decisions are driven by heavily emotionally biased thoughts, and are generally highly situational in context.
Since situation is, unless it's fatal or eternal somehow, passing, fleeting really in the long run.
So yes, I can ask, but no I do not expect an accurate answer, at least not from anyone currently contemplating suicide...

I know how it can be, I've more than slightly mulled over the possibility of ending my own life, but I then removed myself from the situation emotionally and had a good long look at things, and decided to postpone the decision for an indefinite period of time, and focus on a complete overhaul of my worldview and my own lifestyle... I discovered many of the reasons and roots to those emotions and pulled them out of the garden that is my emotional strata, in other words, I was right fucked up, then I un-fucked myself so I'm all healthy now, not normal perhaps, but then again, what is normal?

Also, it's nice to have someone reply to my conversationally starting quotations, I do so enjoy conversations, especially with people who answer with more than a couple words.

I believe that when I die the experience will answer some of my questions... and then "Something!" or "Nothing!" will happen...

 

[Ranorak]

I don't fear death, after all, once I'm dead I won't experience the nothingness.
I do fear dying.

 

[GodofDisaster]

Yes to an extent, you see I don't fear death or what happens after death but I do fear how I'm going to die. Afterall I'm sure not a single person here myself included wants to suffer before their death.

 

[Maximum_Power_Cheese_Supreme]

*snip*

*snippedy*

*snippedy-snippedy*

Rationality requires a degree of thought and reasoning, that most people about to kill themselves for any reason not as such(rational), are generally less than capable of true impartial reasoning. Most people will consider most of their decisions "rational" even though most of those decisions are driven by heavily emotionally biased thoughts, and are generally highly situational in context.
Since situation is, unless it's fatal or eternal somehow, passing, fleeting really in the long run.
So yes, I can ask, but no I do not expect an accurate answer, at least not from anyone currently contemplating suicide...

I know how it can be, I've more than slightly mulled over the possibility of ending my own life, but I then removed myself from the situation emotionally and had a good long look at things, and decided to postpone the decision for an indefinite period of time, and focus on a complete overhaul of my worldview and my own lifestyle... I discovered many of the reasons and roots to those emotions and pulled them out of the garden that is my emotional strata, in other words, I was right fucked up, then I un-fucked myself so I'm all healthy now, not normal perhaps, but then again, what is normal?

Also, it's nice to have someone reply to my conversationally starting quotations, I do so enjoy conversations, especially with people who answer with more than a couple words.

I believe that when I die the experience will answer some of my questions... and then "Something!" or "Nothing!" will happen...

Thanks. I still need to work on keeping my posts shorter.

I like to think death could be like Enter The Void, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1191111/ saw it at the Adelaide Film Festival, both showings.

 

[Smurf McSmurfington]

Yes, yes I do. Very much so in fact.
Completely ceasing to exist in any shape or form is a scary thought... and I can see why those less... uh... intelligent... cling to religion as a way of coping with the thought, among other silly things, but thing is... once we're dead, that's it. And there's no way around that.
Curse sapience.
I'd like to live for as long as I want to, which is to say I wish I was biologically immortal, after a few millenia perhaps I'd be able to cope with death well enough to actually consider it an option.

 

[DoomyMcDoom]

*snip*

*snippedy*

*snippedy-snippedy*

*snippedy-snippedy snippenson the third from snipton*

Thanks. I still need to work on keeping my posts shorter.

I like to think death could be like Enter The Void, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1191111/ saw it at the Adelaide Film Festival, both showings.

Just keep in mind, posting shorter isn't always a good thing, if the words need to come out, let them out.
Some posts are just longer than others.

Hmm, never seen it, but it looks intriguing, I believe it is on my must watch list for now, will watch it later.

Death could indeed be an interesting experience, there are more than a few theories, but the real exciting bit is that it's a one way ticket to the answer, with nobody to tell you what to expect... So it both engenders a fear response(natural human reaction to the unknown is generally fear) and a level of curiosity(though most people will generally dismiss you as unnaturally morbidly focused or suicidal if you reveal your curiosity), as such it becomes something we kinda wanna figure out, but aren't in any particular hurry to experience...

anyhow I'm gonna try and get a few hours of shuteye as it is currently 5am where I am... I will however reply to any messages or responses later, when I wake up.

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

The fact that I love to sleep pretty much makes any fear of death from my part very redundant. Death is just an eternal sleep after all, an eternal sleep without dreams.

I do not desire death however, since it's inevitable, why rush it? We shall all die one day, unless some genious comes up with a way to fix that genetic inconvenice of ours.

genetic inconvenience?

try universal inconvenience, everything dies at some point, if someone were to somehow manipulate science into "fixing" that, they would be a god among women/men.

Yes... and that's bad how? Just don't give me that crap about "morality" and "playing god". Humans can be whatever they desire, why not be "gods"?

That is correct that every living organism dies at some point or other, but the lifespans of all species differ in lenght. Quahogs can supposedely grow to be over 400 years old. Radiated Tortoise can live for over 250 years. Bowhead Whales can live for up to 200 years. It means that in the very least we can significantly prolongue our own lifespans, were we able to splice ourselves with those species. Immortality would be the next step, off course.

did i say that was bad? are you looking to argue with no one for no reason?

i was just saying that if we got to that point in technology, we could solve alot more problems than simply making ourselves live longer.

 

[Sunrider]

I don't fear death; I fear dying. It sounds painful.
[sub]As in, I don't fear what comes after I die. I fear the process.[/sub]

I'm the complete opposite of this. I'm sure I'll either die old or on my motorcycle. Either way, it will probably be pretty painless. (Yes, I plan on dying FAST if I crash my bike! What else?)
What happens after that is what I fear. I don't believe in heaven or hell, and I don't believe in a soul that carries on (even if it would be pretty damn sweet), but I don't really believe in "absolute emptiness" or something along those lines. I don't really know what to believe.

 

[Use_Imagination_here]

Death I have only a minor problem with. It's the possibility of ceasing to exist that scares me. But I'm also curious.

I'm just very good with coming to terms with what I can't change.

You are not going to vanish into thin air, but what will happen might make you wish you had depending on what you do.

You got any evidence for that?

 

[Maximum_Power_Cheese_Supreme]

*snup*

Death could indeed be an interesting experience, there are more than a few theories, but the real exciting bit is that it's a one way ticket to the answer, with nobody to tell you what to expect... So it both engenders a fear response(natural human reaction to the unknown is generally fear) and a level of curiosity(though most people will generally dismiss you as unnaturally morbidly focused or suicidal if you reveal your curiosity), as such it becomes something we kinda wanna figure out, but aren't in any particular hurry to experience...

Curiosity didn't kill the cat, the cat killed itself in curiosity.

I think that we're naturally wired to be interested in anything that could give us some sort of insight into how to survive death, or survive after death, or survive through death or what to expect. From religious beliefs to psychological theories. So on.

Dreams are rather messed up by the way. If you could actually remember some of the stuff floating around in your dreams that you weren't actually looking at at the time then you would probably start going to church. A lot of scary looking stuff that is built from all sorts of Freudian and infancy stuff. Deformed figures, warped perspectives, impossible to explain like a colour that can't be seen by the human eye can not be explained (or colour in general for that matter). No reason to think you need a psychologist, it's normal it's why whenever we do see them in our dreams it's called a nightmare, and when we see them in our waking it's called hallucinations or delusions.

I've my own experiences, maybe you do too, I wrote some more after that previous paragraph but I liked it to much to let it loose yet. Besides, peoples dreams never are good story material as they differ from person to person, and it depends whether that Author has similar nightmares to you, or that Director had a similar psychological upbringing to you and the same problems you did and therefore was interested in particular stories that you are interested in too. Hey, they're the kind that have made success, and drawn movies together from their nightmares, maybe there's something useful for me there.

And I realise I have traversed of topic from Death to Nightmares and Dreams, so in off topic fashion I will sign off, as the Tralfamadorians do (did and are always doing): "So it goes."

EDIT: That didn't seem that long when I was writing it.

 

[Maximum_Power_Cheese_Supreme]

I mentally heard that in the voice of Davey Jones from Pirates of the Caribbean.

But anyway... I'm not sure if I exactly fear it. I know I really really don't want to die, but becoming dead itself doesn't seem so frightening. Now a painful death, I'd say I fear that. But for death itself, I won't suffer anymore past my death so that isn't something to worry about. Of course I don't want to cease to exist so I don't really want to die at all. Some people might see the lack of suffering or caring afterwards as reasons not to care, but until I am dead I'm going to care because I want to keep on living. Kinda like prior to being brainwashed I'd really care, but afterwards I probably won't be in a state to care...

"Do you fear death? Do you fear that dark abyss? All your deeds laid bare, all your sins punished? I can offer you... an escape."

Way ahead of you.

 

[go-10]

death for myself I could care less when it comes let it come nothing you can do about it

but the death of family and friends that's something I don't like to experience so I always worry when somebody I know gets deployed, I know in our line of work its a common occurrence but its hard to get used to