Do you fear death?

[gCrusher]

Frankly, I'm more concerned about the likely agony/helplessness I'm likely to experience prior to the end. Any force that makes you completely powerless is right to be feared. Fire still burns, doesn't matter how brave you are when you hold your unprotected hand in it.

 

[dogenzakaminion]

Not at all. Don't get me wrong, I like life and if I die it would suck, there's so much I want to do, but I do not fear dying or what comes after. If anything I'm too curious about what happens to fear it.

 

[gCrusher]

Not especially afraid, I hold very strong Christian beliefs concerning life, death and the afterlife. That is to say, I hope that my current lifestyle is in line with God's word, and that he will be the one to call me home.
I would however, be upset if I die a death that isn't exactly "natural causes" (i.e. attacked by cougars and left to die) without at least saying something reasonably cool, like "Come closer, thou hooded figure, that I might lean upon thy shoulder, for my strength fails me in my hour of greatest need. Heaven is far from here, and I have not the might to reach it without a friend to bear my burden."

I understand that the Grim Reaper isn't part of Christian biblical canon and that you don't walk to get to Heaven like in The Pilgrim's Progress. I just think you have to end life on a good line.

How does it feel to be my new best friend?

Seriously, though, great post.

Captcha: flesh aityet

...I think the forum wants me to be a cannibal.

 

[someonehairy-ish]

Nah, although I probably will if I ever happen to be in an emergency hospital wing for whatever reason, or about to crash a car, etc.

Once I'm actually dead I presumerably will no longer have a mind, a consciousness or self awareness of any sort which doesn't sound terrible. Its weird to think of me not existing, but at the time I won't mind because I won't know...

 

[Evelynia]

The way I see it, I'm going to die eventually whether I fear it or not. No point getting bent out of shape about it, and I'm very curious about what will be next.
Having said that, like many people above me the process of dying is not so inviting. I'm hoping for something quick and spectacularly dramatic myself.

 

[maddness666]

Yes. I'm one of those people that truly wants to live forever. Dying would get in the way of that.

To be honest it's one of few things that genuinely scares me.

 

[Velvo]

Yes, very much so. It'd be much more reassuring to not be an atheist. As someone else already said, I'd rather be in Hell than be nonexistent.

As a fellow atheist, I gotta say that I can't agree with you. That is a false dichotomy. Hell or nonexistence? Not a fair choice. Who says you will be nonexistent? Your body doesn't really go anywhere, does it? I see consciousness as just another element to an explainable reality.

Certainly the capacity for matter to be "aware" as we are is either an emergent property or a fundamental one. We all experience the phenomenon of being conscious, of being aware of ourselves. Is it created out of the processes of the brain? Does it arise out of some electro-chemical system? If so, what is the mechanism? Do other animals have this capacity? Moving along along the evolutionary track, what about "lesser" organisms? Plants, fungi, single cells... all of which are merely chemical systems linking in organized ways.

What if the organization of a crystal or a rock also manifests itself in a way similar to the way consciousness emerges from the human system? Do we have the right to not call a rock "conscious?" Certainly this is merely a label we ascribe to things that meet certain criteria, but what of our criteria? Are we not biased toward it? Does it not merit investigation? Critical analysis?

Emergent properties emerge because of fundamental properties of the universe. Perhaps there IS a fundamental property of the universe that allows for something like consciousness to exist. And perhaps it is totally bland and not initially interesting, but in a way, allows for all the organized energy in the universe to exhibit conscious properties. Perhaps we have already discovered that mechanism in the strange properties of quantum theory. Who knows.

Okay, now that I sound crazy, it's a good time to stop. Basically, I'm trying to explain the conscious experience with science. Probably a stupid thought.

 

[molesgallus]

at times I fear it. Its just not knowing what happens after we die

We degrade for a bit; consumed by micro-organisms. Then, if we are lucky, our skeleton fossilizes. Not that 'you' will care, because 'you' are your brain, which fails very rapidly, and rots quickly.

 

[StealthyNinja]

I'll probably fear death the moments before it happens, but not right now.

 

[doomspore98]

If I think about it enough it's scary. Being a not terribly religious christen I believe in heaven. Fingers crossed I make it in.

 

[___________________]

The process of dying can be uncomfortable but death itself is welcomed. I have nothing material and no one to live for. I only have my beliefs.

 

[doomspore98]

If I think about it enough it's scary. Being a not terribly religious christen I believe in heaven. Fingers crossed I make it in.

 

[emptyother]

...Fear is such a basic response to stimuli in our reptilian brains, there is no denying the feeling. Anyone who "feels no fear of death" is merely deluding themselves in one way or another...

And isn't that better than facing the cold truth?

Anyway, i've never ever felt afraid of dying. What makes me not jump of a roof is the fear of failing to kill myself. In other words, fear of pain. THAT is a basic response in reptilian brains, not fear of non-existence... ...thats what i believe.

 

[qeinar]

Well beeing an atheist I would not really like to die anytime soon, no.

 

[qeinar]

If I think about it enough it's scary. Being a not terribly religious christen I believe in heaven. Fingers crossed I make it in.

Well shure, even tho the religions christianity copied won't get in if your right. : p

 

[s0nic_al]

Boy. Do I fear death. That is a question that is really hard to answer. I mean, yeah. I got so much in my life that I'd hate to end it, but at the same time, I REALLY hate the thought of getting old. Honestly, that is something I dwell upon two to three times a week and it just doesn't sit well with me.

 

[molesgallus]

Yes, very much so. It'd be much more reassuring to not be an atheist. As someone else already said, I'd rather be in Hell than be nonexistent.

As a fellow atheist, I gotta say that I can't agree with you. That is a false dichotomy. Hell or nonexistence? Not a fair choice. Who says you will be nonexistent? Your body doesn't really go anywhere, does it? I see consciousness as just another element to an explainable reality.

Certainly the capacity for matter to be "aware" as we are is either an emergent property or a fundamental one. We all experience the phenomenon of being conscious, of being aware of ourselves. Is it created out of the processes of the brain? Does it arise out of some electro-chemical system? If so, what is the mechanism? Do other animals have this capacity? Moving along along the evolutionary track, what about "lesser" organisms? Plants, fungi, single cells... all of which are merely chemical systems linking in organized ways.

What if the organization of a crystal or a rock also manifests itself in a way similar to the way consciousness emerges from the human system? Do we have the right to not call a rock "conscious?" Certainly this is merely a label we ascribe to things that meet certain criteria, but what of our criteria? Are we not biased toward it? Does it not merit investigation? Critical analysis?

Emergent properties emerge because of fundamental properties of the universe. Perhaps there IS a fundamental property of the universe that allows for something like consciousness to exist. And perhaps it is totally bland and not initially interesting, but in a way, allows for all the organized energy in the universe to exhibit conscious properties. Perhaps we have already discovered that mechanism in the strange properties of quantum theory. Who knows.

Okay, now that I sound crazy, it's a good time to stop. Basically, I'm trying to explain the conscious experience with science. Probably a stupid thought.

You really need to define consciousness. Whatever you are talking about, it's not consciousness. Consciousness requires a sensory system. In order to be conscious, you need something to be conscious of. Rocks are not conscious

Emergent properties are any properties that emerge from a simpler system, that doesn't have them, or intend them as part of it's design. Emergent properties can exist at every level, not just at the fundamental properties of the universe level. If consciousness is an emergent property, then it is emerging from a network of neurons, not fundamental laws of nature.

A nervous system is a prerequisite for consciousness.

 

[Lous1210]

Not saying that I would LIKE to die, but, to put it in a way that is much better than anything I could come up with,

Death is but a bitter medicine we must all drink. I do not cower before it.
-Gen
SSFIV

 

[molesgallus]

The way I see it, I'm going to die eventually whether I fear it or not. No point getting bent out of shape about it, and I'm very curious about what will be next.
Having said that, like many people above me the process of dying is not so inviting. I'm hoping for something quick and spectacularly dramatic myself.

It'll probably be much like before...