Are you afraid to die?

[Droopy]

It scares the hell out of me
And the end is all I can see.

You get bonus points if you can name the song that came from. But there were never truer words spoken as far as I'm concerned.

[Crazy Guggenheim]

1. Not at all.

[Droopy]

2. You are a brave person.

[billyskank]

65. Forgive me

but I don't believe you.

[Floogeldy]

3. Are you serious?

If so, you are dead wrong.

The soul survives the death of the physical body. Not only do you not die when the physical body ceases to function, but you return to the spiritual world from whence your consciousness came.

I am much more afraid of pain than I am death.

[Droopy]

4. Interesting

But you see that the speaker of the song does not believe in the afterlife. That's also a clue of the name of the song.

[Floogeldy]

11. Let us assume for a moment that you are correct, . . .

. . . that it all ends when you "die."

So you will suffer the same fate as every other human being who has lived on the planet? Boo fucking Hoo to every person ever born. Ever.

I'm only going to tell you one more time. You, your soul, will survive the death of your physical shell. You will return from whence you came.

It is a good thing.

[Droopy]

13. I hope so

but I don't think that's true.

[stlsaxman]

36. To take that one step further...

if indeed "everything stops" when the physical body stops, brain and all, the "you" that you are now won't exist to even think or feel anything about it after it happens, so why trouble yourself worrying about it?

On the other hand- if we DO continue on after bodily death (as I believe we do), what a pleasant surprise! huh?

No, I don't fear dying, I just hope that when it happens all the wonderful people I've known realize how much I loved them and will miss them.

We are given a great gift here- I believe we were put on this planet to be happy and grow, but not at the expense of others.

[samplegirl]

75. I spent alot of time today

at the cemetary...burried my mother yesterday. This was an uplifting
post as this is heavy on my mind today. Just left the lake sitting
thinking about it some more.

[Heidi]

8. That my take on it, too.

But I'm more afraid of being a burden to surviving family than I am of pain. I'm certainly not afraid of death itself, whatever it portends for my soul. In the event I'm wrong about the survival of my soul, the "worst" thing that can happen is that my body returns to nature and end of story, and I don't think that'd be a bad "ending" either.

[Floogeldy]

14. Burden to surviving family?

In what way?

B-)

[Heidi]

26. I don't want other people to have to take care of me . . .

if I ever am terminally ill and have lost my essence as a sentient being. I don't want my family to have to experience me as a shell of who I am, or have a prolonged grieving process. That's probably not as eloquent a description as I could come up with given more time, but it's how I feel.

[Crazy Guggenheim]

12. Maybe We could come back and scare the shit out of

everyone!

:popcorn: :rofl:

[RC]

22. We humans have something like 98.8% of the same genes

as chimpanzees. Do chimpanzees have souls? Does having a soul have something to do with intelligence? Do dolphins have souls? Do they have there own heaven & hell? Have they been saved? Do they have a Saviour?
Or are humans just so arrogant they think they are somehow superior to other life on this wet rock?

[alarimer]

43. we are arrogant

I don't believe there is anything after this life. It doesn't bother me to think that; I would prefer to be fertilizer for some tree than to be preserved in perpetuity.

[hfojvt]

55. in "A guide to the perplexed" EF Schumacher

writes about "levels of being". There are minerals and matter, and then there is life. There is conscious life (animals) and unconscious life (plants, viruses, bacteria). Finally, there is conscious life which is self-aware (humans) and that which is not.
"There is not merely a conscious being, but a being capable of being conscious about its consciousness; not merely a thinker, but a thinker capable of watching and studying his own thinking."
(Do all humans have, or use, this power? Or are many living un-examined lives?)
So yes, there is more to life that just genes. When chimpanzees discover the formula for DNA, or perform appendectomies, let me know.

[Deja Q]

29. On what do you base that, though I too want to think the same...

[tenshi816]

41. Me too. n/t

[BelleCarolinaPeridot]

5. Not at all .

I view it as a sense of relief and freedom .

[Droopy]

6. It could be that

Life can be hard sometimes.

[BelleCarolinaPeridot]

9. Yeah thats why I view that way .

Life can be hard for me sometimes .

[LastKnight]

7. no, infact im quite intrigued as to what its like/what comes after...

but im in no hurry to find out... anyway.

Socrates, it was... i think... said "Why should i fear death? it is nothing more than the unknown."

if its any dogmatic explination to what comes after death... dont sweat it, they can no more prove it than an athiest can prove that nothing is there. the simple fact is no one knows... and while it may be the most significant, its not the first unknown in life.

to me, it is just the end to a beginning.

somethin eatin ya?

[Droopy]

10. Just a song that I was listening to

But it does touch a nerve since I am an atheist. I guess I cannot say what happens after death if anything. I think nothing happens, but to think that I will cease for an eternity makes me kind of scared.

[LastKnight]

15. i really dont know what to think of it myself...

im technically a christian... but i struggle with my faith daily, and have for years... ive studied the bible and other theological writings in and out... augustine... writings of the original desert fathers... the list goes on... anyway.

what im saying is im not so sold on the idea of an afterlife, at least as modern christian chruches present it. now thats not my only gripe of the church... but its one.

i mean, whos to say that we arent reincarnated instantly? or after a period of paying for our transgressions? or who says we just dont start over on another plain of existance... whos to say anything really... im kinda of the idea that you do have past lives, then your reborn, maybe its reincarnated on this earth. i dont know. and thats the point. i dont know lol.

oh, your song, by the way...its been awhile since ive heard it... but is it "Thoughts of a Dying Athiest" by Muse?

yeaaa yeaaaah... ooh ooh yeaa...

EDIT: would it really be so bad if there was nothing? would you rather be judged on living your life on how you saw it to be right?

[Droopy]

18. YES! It is Muse.

Megapoints for LastKnight. Thanks for your thoughts.

[LastKnight]

19. i love muse...

very Radiohead-ish... cool stuff.

[tenshi816]

42. We saw Muse last summer at the "V" Festival at Weston Park

in Staffordshire, England. They're amazing live - such huge, rich sound coming from such a small group of people.

[Robeson]

17. I hear ya' Droopy. As one who does not have a religious belief system...

...it is depressing. Thats why we usually don't like to think about it. Most of us have a certain self-importance to some degree, and the thought that when its over, its over, just isn't a comfortable thought...

But alas, I don't have a religious or mystical belief system, so sometimes, reality bites.

[jody]

16. If "It scares the hell out of me", then you can look forward to

a "heavenly afterlife".

All kidding aside, realizing that one is mortal is the curse of intelligence and wisdom higher forms of animals must bear.

No religion has acceptable answers to what happens after our mortal body dies and science has made no progress.

You might enjoy browsing International Association for Near-Death Studies

:hi:

[Droopy]

20. Thanks for the link

I don't think anybody really knows except for those near death survivors and there is great controversy as to what they report is really true.

[jody]

21. I agree but a few of the tales are interesting. n/t

[ghostsofgiants]

23. "Thoughts of a dying atheist" by Muse

From their third long player, "Absolution". Amazing song, amazing album, amazing band.

[Droopy]

24. Yes, that's it

You've summed it up quite nicely. They are amazing. Not only do they have great music, but also thougbht provoking lyrics. They are very evolved in my opinion.

[ghostsofgiants]

25. One of the best bands making music in my opinion

Shame more people haven't heard of them. I've been in love with them ever since the first time I heard 'Showbiz'.

[izzie]

27. Well not a thing I can do about it so guess not.

:dilemma: :dilemma: :dilemma: :dilemma: :dilemma:

[Deja Q]

28. At times, yes. Usually no. I know I don't want to die NOW...

After all, "Doctor Who" is renewed for 2 more seasons...

That aside, I know I am experiencing problems and all the quacks I'd seen before always thought my condition was just anxiety (it was a disc pressing into my SPINE, you filthy degenerate incompetent bastards...) I kept pressing and I'm worried I was still too late as I'm experiencing new problems...

And for external reasons (economy, wars, * antagonizing the world), the thought of thermonuclear annihilation is real (yet the doomsday clock sites haven't been updated since 2000, that's odd...)

When it happens, it happens. I won't be ready. But then, our "society" is a degenerate german shepard - eat - poodle type. Nukes would kill off the vicious, but it'd kill those worthy of any society as well.

[B Calm]

30. Too busy working my low paying job to think about it.

Seriously all I can think about is retiring someday! But, after watching my last employer do away with the pension plan and the employer before that who filed bankruptcy before stealing our pensions, now my 401K is worth approx 1/2 of what it use to be, and cheap labor cons talking about doing away with social security who are secretly salivating over the prospect of millions of desperate hungry baby boomers to hire for cheap labor, who in hell has time to worry about dying?

[Deja Q]

32. 3 possibilities.

1. Capitulate. Conform. Die.
2. Reject the system. Die.
2. Fight back with leaflets and talk campaigns. Die.

Am I missing any other possibilities?

[B Calm]

34. I think you got it, Not much we can do about it, but fight!

[hippiechick]

31. No, not since I've had dreams about it ...

... in the dream I was terrified, but then I realized that what I was most afraid of, was the loss of control - the letting go.

I've been consciously working on overcoming that fear ever since that particular dream, and while I can't say I'm looking forward to it, the thought of 'not being' anymore - or just 'stopping' doesn't frighten me. It's entirely WIERD, but it's not frightening.


O8)

[Blue Diadem]

33. No longer afraid

When I was younger the thought of death was fearful. As the years have gone by, losing parents, siblings, friends, neighbors and the hardest..my children's friends and school mates, I've come to accept it as the cycle of life.

I'm a firm believer in our spirits going on. I won't say what proved that to me, let's suffice it to say that nothing can ever waver my belief.

[lpbk2713]

35. Death and dying doesn't bother me so much.

I just don't want a really painful lingering death or one that will involve a lot of expensive bills that will come out of my estate and consequently out of my heirs' pockets.

[malmapus]

37. I am

I guess my fear is of the unknown, espicially once I realized that death is the only real certainty in life. I've been having deep thoughts about it lately, like "what is it like".

As a vet too, I am afriad of who I would meet in the next life. Some things just too personal, but I wonder if lives I was forced to cut short are there and what I could possibly say to them.

[WhollyHeretic]

38. I've pretty much resigned myself to death

since Bush got into office. :nuke:

I never used worry about death and I still don't a lot, but having an 8 year old son has me worrying about it sometimes. I don't really worry about what will happen to me when I die, I'm an atheist and have no clue what will happen so why worry. I do worry what would happen to my son (I know he'd be taken care of) from losing his father at a young age.

[sundog]

39. the flipside...

"dying is easy, it's living that scares me to death"

- annie lennox, "cold"

[LynzM]

40. To die? No. To suffer? Yes.

I'm not so much afraid of the 'moment of dying' or of being dead, per se. I'm somewhat afraid of having a long, drawn-out, painful way of going. Being diabetic, I have to accept this as a possible, even likely, possibility. But it's not something I think about much, because I really don't like the thought of being in a lot of pain, hooked up to machines, etc... give me some pain pills and set me loose in a forest, and let me go that way.... </rambling>

[I Have A Dream]

45. I agree with you. I'm not afraid to die, but I don't want to suffer.

Except in a really extreme situation, I would not take my own life, but there are parts of me that look forward to no longer being in this world. I guess that's because I believe that what is beyond is better. (And no, I don't believe in Heaven with the harps, clouds, etc.) I just don't feel that we have anything to fear on the other side.

[Nikia]

44. I'm not ready to die anytime soon

There are so many things that I would have liked to have done and things that I would have liked for my life. Regardless of what there is after death, I would regret dying because I haven't given enough to this life.
Aren't people with attitudes like this the ones who become ghosts who haunt places?

[redsoxliberal]

46. yes and no

it depends how religious I am on a given day. If I think about it a lot, I become very afraid of death, and need to change the subject in my brain immediately. I think that something else comes, probably judgement day, but I'm not certain. I'm terrified of not being anymore... just being 6 feet underground and not being there anymore. What happens? Nothing. You never wake up. Ever.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

47. When I working as nurse at a hospice, I actually realized that death

is not the worst thing that can happen to a person.

If I could control my death, I would love to experience the final days in the type of hospice I worked at.

Nothing invasive, the focus on controlling pain and spending time with loved ones.

Being at the bedside of an actively dying person, and sharing the experience with those who love that person, is a profound experience that I was humbled and honored to share with them.

Even though I don't entirely buy the Christian version of the afterlife, I do believe that the consciousness exits the physical body. What happens after, I don't know. I believe the energy/consciousness/soul exists at some level, even after physical death.

I could go on forever about the experiences of death and dying that I have witnessed in my years as a nurse, in addition to my experience in a hospice.

I'll try to make a long story short...it has appeared to me, over the years, that the meaner a person is, the more they fight death.
Those who project love and are surrounded by love, seem to pass with acceptance about leaving their physical bodies.

Like I said, I have many anecdotal stories (mine and other nurses I know), however, I am stating opinion only, before I get flamed.
There is no proof or clinical evidence, just my own experience. MKJ

edited to add, I still love my physical world and would be sad to leave. If my death was traumatic, I'm sure I would be afraid. If I had some notice, I'd eventually accept it and focus on minimizing my own suffering and spending time with those I love. MKJ


also edited to add, I'm going to be away from my computer the rest of the day, so please don't assume I'm doing a post n run. I'll check in this evening. MKJ

[CaliforniaPeggy]

48. Yes, Droopy, I am afraid to die...

I used to have religious faith about life after death; however, that is now gone, and I have nothing to sustain me. So I'm afraid. I HOPE that my soul goes on, but I don't know. This is me, in a nutshell...:scared:

[LastKnight]

49. i have a friend...

who is a psych major... his favorite philosophy on death, and well... life too... is this:

you must think of your death to live a full life. he says he thinks about death daily. not method, but rather what it is... and what you think is after. he told me to think of death daily for 1 week, and it would change my outlook on it.

it did. i wont go into specifics, i wasnt afriad of it by that point anyway, but it did change my outlook on it.

[rasputin1952]

50. No, death is inevitable. It is the method of transition where fear ...

manifests itself.

It is not a good thing to dwell upon death for any great period of time. It is, however, a good subject to visit from time to time, and ponder the wherewithal of the future we all will face.

No one wants to have a violent, painful death. All of us would rather drift off in our sleep, but that is relatively rare.

Do what you can to minimize the method; but understand, that someday, you will face the inevitable, and it is better to understand that death will happen, as opposed to thinking immorality is an option on this plane.

[jayctravis]

51. I'm afraid of being in pain and lonely and terrified...

but I'm not afraid of the actual death process.

It's the leadup that's a little nerve-wracking. I only hope it's not in pain or alone or at the hands of someone else.

[catbert836]

52. Try not to dwell on it

That's what I do, at least. There's too much to do and enjoy while you're alive to contemplate what will happen afterwards, and no matter if you're religious or not, we should all just try to relax and enjoy living a little more. Whether you go to heaven or hell, fade into oblivion, or reincarnate, there's something to be said for enjoying your time here.

[smirkymonkey]

53. No, I can't wait to come back as a killer Zombie and terrorize

all the republicans. :evilgrin:

[name not needed]

54. Muse - Thoughts of a Dying Athiest

Oh, fuck. primate1 got it before I did. But he'll soon be dead :evilgrin:

[gulfcoastliberal]

56. An eternal, dreamless sleep?

Doesn't sound too bad.

[SOteric]

57. I'm not afraid to die again,

but I'm terrified beyond words over the notion of losing those that I love to death.

[samplegirl]

76. I just lost my mother on Tuesday

and now both parents are gone. Its a shattering experience even
if you believe they are better off.
The last few days i just keep reliving my mothers last few minutes.

[xmas74]

58. Only because I am worried about what would happen to my

child. I have guardianship set up for her already in case something happens to me. Her father (who refuses to be apart of her life) could still fight it. He called me once and said that he would fight for custody. He also told me that he and his wife (the newest upgrade) are hoping that there is alot of life insurance because they could use it (what an idiot!).
I'm just afraid that he would get custody and spend all of the life insurance on crap (when it's supposed to go to her education and her cost of living). I've met the "wife upgrade", as I like to call her just once. She informed me flat out that if they ever got her they would be able to get (named x amount of crap) and that if they couldn't handle her anymore they would turn her over to the state.
So yes, I am afraid to die for the sake of my child.

[lastliberalintexas]

68. Me, too

And I don't even have to worry about the things you do. I hope that situation works out for you. Have you talked to an attorney or estate planner in your area? Some of them will work either for free or at reduced rates if you can't pay them, or at least might be willing to work out some sort of payment plan. Or you might even be able to terminate his parental rights, depending on the situation. I'd advise you to call your local bar association and at least talk to someone to see if they can help.


But yes, until I had a child I never was afraid of death, even after I realized I'm more of an Agnostic than a Christian. But once you have a child- wow! Not only do I worry about my child's physical well-being after I'm no longer here to feed, dress, and care for him, but also how he would be raised, by whom if my husband died at the same time or pre-deceased me, and the values he would be taught. I would hate it and haunt them forever if my repub in-laws obtained custody of my child despite my best efforts! And then of course you think of the things you'll miss. My child is still quite young, so there are a number of "firsts" I'd miss, as well as his school years, him falling in love, his wedding if he chose to marry, and just watching him grow into what would hopefully be a compassionate, caring, kind and intelligent person.

I still don't fear what would happen to my body physically, though like everyone else I of course wish for a quick, relatively painless death. But more than ever after the birth of my son, I hope that I keep with the tradition of longevity in my family.

[xmas74]

70. My daughter just turned five.

I've been looking into some options to make sure that he can never get her(I actually had an attorney prepare a list w/ 27 different people on it in the order of who would get her in case I am gone and the next person couldn't or was no longer there either. Every last one of them volunteered before I ever asked them.). I just worry about that off chance in court. Right now, termination of parental rights is just too expensive. Once I have my money saved up for it I will begin the process.
I'm not afraid of death. I've taken too many 9-1-1 calls dealing w/ death happening way too early to be really afraid of it anymore. I'm more worried about my daughter, both enviromentally and emotionally.

[NNadir]

59. I really have no choice in the matter.

I figure it won't be too bad since I won't remember anything about it, being dead.

[blondeatlast]

60. I've had SEVEN cardiovascular stents, diabetes for 40 years.

Hell, yes, I'm scared. I'm too young, yet that damn truck follows me around 24/7, just waiting for me to slip up.

[DemBones DemBones]

61. I'm not afraid to die nor in any hurry to do it.

Life is nice. We have no real knowledge of what comes afterward.

:hippie:

[AlienGirl]

62. Afraid of the dying process, not afraid of being dead...

I think there is reincarnation. For the poster above who asked whether animals will also go on after death, I believe they also reincarnate. Plants? Bacteria? Maybe even the simple whatevers that form the life-force of things like plants and unicellular organisms get recycled; I don't know.

I am afraid of the pain of dying, and I'm afraid of losing the memories I've hoarded in this lifetime. I'm kind of afraid I'll wind up in a life that sucks.

Tucker

[merh]

63. Not at all, being afraid to die is to be afraid to live.

There is one certainty in this life and that it will end. Realizing that makes you live as oppose to merely existing.

Knowing that life is precious is the key to be able to love and allow yourself to be loved.

[melv]

64. The fear of death is what lands most people in church.

We can't fathom that our life will not go on forever.

[billyskank]

66. Everyone here who said no

I don't believe any of you. (Saves me replying to you all individually).

Anyway, I found out for sure that I was afraid to die a few months ago in a car crash in Calcutta. It was all over in a moment, but the instant when I saw that we were going out of control, I was frightened. This can only mean that I am indeed afraid to die.

[Terran]

71. No, it can mean other things

Like, you're afraid of pain. And, your body is afraid to die, so it reacts in certain ways when the mind perceives the potential end of things.

I'm afraid to die violently/horribly/and in some way that will spell worldly disaster for the one I leave behind. But death itself, the end of living in a body, I don't fear that. I'm convinced there's something afterward, and I want to know what it is. I really really hope it's something good.

[bertha katzenengel]

67. Not usually, but these days, yes. My psyche is in disarray, and it's

been too long since I saw my family. God willing it'll all come together again before I shuffle off.

:hi: Droopy.

[Redstone]

69. I'm not afraid of anything, which is NOT good.

A psychiatrist once called it a "pathological lack of fear."

And it's caused me a ton of trouble. Fortunately, I have Mrs R. these days, who tells me stuff like "God damn it, if you're in a perfectly good airplane, you're NOT going to jump out of it! You stay in the damn thing until it lands!"

Redstone

[sakabatou]

72. A quote from Cowboy Bebop:

"Do not fear death. Death is always at your side. When you show fear, it will spring at you faster than light. If you do not show fear, it will only gently look over you..." -Laughing Bull

[BreweryYardRat]

73. I intend to come back as a ghost...

...so no. Preferably a ghost that's mainly glowing eyes and sharp pointy teeth. I want to scare some Republicans badly enough that they shit themselves.

[Bouncy Ball]

74. Not at all. If it happens, it happens.

I only would feel sad for my family and friends, who would be left to grieve. But other than that, no.