[Alcassin]

PMS, You sound like existentialist. Sartre once wrote that we were born in absurdity and we are going to die in absurdity.

Let the absurdity going

[threadbear]

As far as life after death and matters of the spirit, PMS. Though I thought I had an "agnostic stance, I realized that the sub conscious mind, at least my subconscious, divided things very neatly into the categories of true and false, and I was actually deluding myself by thinking I was an agnostic. I was actually, processing information about anything esoteric or spiritual through the, "it is false", or atheism. Furthermore, I realized that it didn't matter how hard I tried to retain a middle ground, my subconscious HAD to process this info, one of two ways. It seemed to be a hard wiring problem.

So I kind of tricked my subconscious, by approaching it logically. I thought, processing the esoteric, as if it's all false, in the absence of unequivocal solid proof that it actually IS false, is no more logical than the other stance. In that case, it becomes a matter of choice. So I chose the other side, almost for the purpose of argument. Believe me, this was no epiphany. It was a purely mental exercise.

But an interesting thing happened when I chose the alternative YES category over the no. I allowed myself to look at an entire body of knowledge that I would not have even bothered looking at before. And not religious work, necessarily, but information that seemed as scientifically rigorous as anything else I'd seen. That seemed to be the key. I gained understanding of the tricks of the subconscious, made a deliberate choice to be receptive to looking at information, that would otherwise repel me.

[wisconsin_cur]

What is it that the poet said, "I'm not afraid of dying, it is the idea of being dead."

The idea that the dead know only one thing, "that it is better to be alive." hails from the idea of the ancient greeks and romans, that the dead were but shadows, empty immortal shells of their former selves.

Without devolving into my religious convictions, I am determined to cheat death, if at all possible, until I have accomplish certain things. After that there are some things that I would like to do before death but could die in peace if left undone. Everything else in life is just gravy.

Regarding pain and suffering: some people have more of this than others, far be it from me to judge anyone else's physical, spiritual or emotional pain. I do think, however, that this pain is compounded when life does not contain "that which must be accomplished." Purpose makes pain bearable, even great pain.

[manu]

Yes, birth, death, disease and old age, seem to be the real problems of life. So you need not worry to much about that overdue car payment.

[hubbertspeak7777777]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('PenultimateManStanding', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('smallpoxgirl', '
')A big part of me thinks that Joker from Full Metal Jacket nailed it: "The dead know only one thing....that it is better to be alive."

[WildRose]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('hubbertspeak7777777', '
')Also, the phrase "the dead only know one thing... it is better to be alive" doesn't make any sense. How would one know that it is better to be alive than dead unless they are already dead. I've never heard a dead person tell me that considering they can't talk.

[TWilliam]

Whither one's consciousness during deep, dreamless sleep? Death is the same.

One can train oneself to retain awareness in that deep sleep state - tho' few bother.

(Follow that thread if you want to know what death is like...)

Anyway I have no fear of death. The body of course resists it, but I personally have none. Pain on the other hand, as someone indicated, is a different issue...

[PenultimateManStanding]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('TWilliam', '[')i]Pain on the other hand, as someone indicated, is a different issue...

[JoeW]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('PenultimateManStanding', 'y')eah, that is definitely a downer. I think that for most of us, it's not death that seems grim, it's pain, but you've just got to buck up. Maybe you'll be lucky and go out fast. I tell you, I never used to think about this kind of stuff when I was 20.

[Pixie]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('SpringCreekFarm', '
')
The fact that it will end one day is rather comforting to me. I'm not convinced that there is an afterlife so it's ok with me if there is nothing...just nothing. After all the struggles and pain we face, the nothingness of after we die is something to look forward to. Rest without conciousness.

[Pixie]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('WildRose', 'C')an people tell that they're about to breathe their last breath? .

[jboogy]

I think the best that one can hope for is to do something that will make a lasting impression on history(in a good way).Reincarnation? Who cares if you can't remember your previous lives, it's like never having existed before if you have no memory of it. Heaven? clouds, harps and halo's? I ain't buyin' it. Sounds too good to be true and you know the saying about that.Dying doesn't bother me as long as I don't leave any unfinished business , I LOVE to sleep so I'll probably be okay.

[PenultimateManStanding]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('JoeW', '
')just imagining it is to suffer. how much more will the suffering be when it is real?

[Pixie]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('zzzpeakoil', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Opies', '
')
This is why death scares nearly everyone. It is impossible to abstractly conceptualize what it's like to not exist.

[UncoveringTruths]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Pixie', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('WildRose', 'C')an people tell that they're about to breathe their last breath? .

[Pixie]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('UncoveringTruths', '
')My father in law was on dialysis, his wife had died a year earlier of an intestinal infection (complications of kidney failure as well), and he had lived with us for his last six months told me "I am tired I want to quit my treatments I'm ready to die". I told him to hang in there and things would look better in a couple of weeks. He passed away in his sleep the following week.

[PenultimateManStanding]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Pixie', '
')Live in joy as long as you can. When the joy is gone, it is time to cease. Close your eyes and remember your very best day spent with the person or people you love most in the world. There is nothing to fear.

[dinopello]

To those that say you know when you are about to die, you don't. Maybe some get it right, sometimes. Maybe some of those data points are people who always think they are going to die. My Dad who I love very much called me once because he was sure he was about to die and wanted to say goodbye. He didn't. Thankfully, but damn that was rough on me!

Very good advice on enjoying life though. I'm curious about beyond the horizon and don't ever think fearfully about it except that like most normal people i don;t want to be suffering for a long time.

[PenultimateManStanding]

I'm going to go watch some comedy and I'm not coming back. I started this thread and now I regret it.

[WildRose]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('dinopello', 'T')o those that say you know when you are about to die, you don't. Maybe some get it right, sometimes. Maybe some of those data points are people who always think they are going to die.