[mystiek]

Killjoy, I always hate to read about these teenagers that tragically end their life in probably very avoidable MVA's. Its so heartbreaking to see a young life with so much potential ahead of them be ended.

[killJOY]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'K')illjoy, I always hate to read about these teenagers that tragically end their life in probably very avoidable MVA's.

[mystiek]

That's horrible....

[darwinsdog]

As far as I'm concerned the world does indeed revolve around me.

And yeah, when I was a volunteer firefighter I saw quite a few crispy critter corpses. Not as gruesome or horrifying as I might have expected. Banal is a good word for describing it. Once I saw a dog pulling pieces of his burnt master from the ashes & eating him. We joked later about how it must've been his karma for not buying that dog its preferred brand of dogfood.

Funny about how, in spite of all those MVAs, there's been no multibillion dollar "war on cars." The risk of being a victim of terrorism is miniscule whereas dying in a car wreck is a significant threat. I guess that a few tens of thousands of car deaths per year in the US alone is a small price to pay for keeping the multinational petroleum cartels profitable.

[WildRose]

This thread is excellent - so many thoughtful responses.

I picked #2, some fear, but my fear is about suffering before I die. I don't want to suffer! I've worked as a medical transcriptionist most of my life and have known the stories of so many patients when they're at the end of their life. The saddest ones are those of people who have been long-suffering and then have a really difficult death (lots of discomfort) and their loved ones are in such pain as well.

Taizee, I can feel your anguish, I think everyone should have a personal directive, so that "heroic" measures are not taken, if they are not desired. I agree, a natural death at home would be the best way to go. During sleep, even better!

I have a lot of curiosity about the time after death (it can wait, though) - as another poster wrote, it's really hard to imagine not feeling, not speaking...what shape does a soul have, and what is it capable of? I don't dread it - I have a fairly positive feeling about it, I guess.

The worst part, in the case of a long, terminal illness - would be leaving my loved ones. I absolutely hate goodbyes.

[dinopello]

It feels sad to maybe miss out on something good. But, it could be on to something new and more exciting. Although Richard Feynman said on his deathbed "I'd hate to die twice, it's so boring".

Ludi makes it sound tedious with her "process of dying". The process of becoming dead. Isn't that life ?

[Ludi]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('dinopello', '
')
Ludi makes it sound tedious with her "process of dying".

[dinopello]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ludi', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('dinopello', '
')
Ludi makes it sound tedious with her "process of dying".

[Ludi]

How about "experience"?

"The Death Experience!"

[smallpoxgirl]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('mystiek', 'S')mallpox what kind of doc are you?

[MD]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('smallpoxgirl', '.').. I get to help people avoid death as long as possible, and when the time comes to face it, I can at least try to convince them that the hospital is really not the place they want to be...

[mystiek]

I worked as an ER doc for 1 year and got tired of seeing young kids (gang members) come in dead or cut to pieces. Good for you for trying to keep your patients last days out of the hospital. My dad passed away in the ICU-I was there with him every minute and to this day was not something I care for anyone to go through. I definitely won't get in an arguing match about faith-its a definitely a personal thing, but I will say that just because you can't see it doesn't mean its not there-the wind is a good example-you can feel it and see its effects but not actually see the wind. Actually if we want to get into apologetics,etc-I need to recruit our chaplains, POAlex and Peleg to the thread.

[threadbear]

I think that mind isn't soley contained within the skull, though it has to use the brain to interface with the world and use the body to get around. The horrendous moral ethical and practical issues involved with inhabiting a brain and body that has to be fed watered housed AND procreate, alongside other beings trying to do same, is part of an evolutionary process.

When we believe life ends with death, it deadens something in us. We interpret other perspectives as fantasy propelled foolishness. The scientific materialist view point on this issue is the most blinkered self reinforcing system of assumptions, woven into the uneasy modern narrative of , "what life is all about". We post at length on this forum about the sheer folly of Western ideation, technological progress, etc...Yet most of us cleave to it's most cherished notions about the earth as a spiritless void. It should logically follow that if our modern technological nightmare is wrong in some of it's basics, it could well be wrong about the underlying animating forces in life.

The unconscious mind understands the after life and whispers suggestions of it's nature, through dreams, intuitions, coincidences and mysterious events, throughout our childhood. It's time for many of us, as we age, to let the veil of illusion drop, to let the unconscious instruct, to return to reality.

[darwinsdog]

"...if you can't see it, touch it, feel it..." it still may exist but the rational null hypothesis is that it can't be seen, touched or felt cuz it don't. The burden of proof is on those who contend the invisible, untouchable, unfeelable exists. If they don't want to be challenged then they should keep their unverifiable assertions to themselves.

I've had one child, both parents, all four grandparents, the guys who stood up with me at my wedding, et al.... precede me in death. So far as I know, they're just dead, that's all. I've seen plenty of dead things but have never seen a ghost. When I'm dying, all I want is morphine &/or a .22 longrifle hollow-point to the brainstem. If I'm able I'll administer both myself. If unable, anyone who refuses I won't consider my friend.

[Ludi]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('threadbear', '
')When we believe life ends with death, it deadens something in us.

[smallpoxgirl]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('threadbear', 'W')hen we believe life ends with death, it deadens something in us. We interpret other perspectives as fantasy propelled foolishness.

[bodigami]

I'm happy and fine with all possible outcomes after death...

[Ludi]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('smallpoxgirl', '
')
I would love to believe. I try...sometimes harder than others...ultimately I just end up feeling that I'm kidding myself. I feel like I'm making up this story because I don't want to deal with the finality of death.

[Grifter]

I'm fine with death as long as its as painless as possible.

I'd like it if those people close to me wouldn't be so terribly upset by it.

It depends how it happens I suppose.

[dinopello]

Some people, I think maybe most people have a really really hard time accepting and living with uncertainty. Maybe it's related to the need for control. So, they make up stuff and believe. Or believe stuff others made up. There being nothing on the other side would be a big disappointment but you will never experience that anyway then. Beyond that, there are limitless possibilities that are exciting to ponder, but to pick one and say that's it seems like kidding yourself.