Finding Peace in Death

Note: I would appreciate if this topic is kept free of religion. I wish to discuss the idea of death and nonexistence, and how to find peace in it.

Since the time I realized I had no religious beliefs, I have been terrified of death. The thought that one day I will cease to exist, for all eternity, greatly disturbs me. Over the past few days, I have thought on this constantly. Fear grips my heart, and I cannot get the idea out of my head. I seek to come to terms with it. I don't want to be afraid. I wish to find peace in death.

Has anyone here accomplished this? I am sure many people have the same feelings that I do, and I think we would be well off to try to help each other and share our thoughts, hopefully religion free.

Originally posted by PieKeeper
Note: I would appreciate if this topic is kept free of religion. I wish to discuss the idea of death and nonexistence, and how to find peace in it.

Since the time I realized I had no religious beliefs, I have been terrified of death. The thought that one day I will cease to exist, for all eternity, greatly disturbs me. Over the past few days, I have thought on this constantly. Fear grips my heart, and I cannot get the idea out of my head. I seek to come to terms with it. I don't want to be afraid. I wish to find peace in death.

Has anyone here accomplished this? I am sure many people have the same feelings that I do, and I think we would be well off to try to help each other and share our thoughts, hopefully religion free.

If you read this book it will answer your questions:
www.beezone.com...

Its not about religion but about consciousness.

[edit on 24-2-2010 by RRokkyy]

[edit on 24-2-2010 by RRokkyy]

Originally posted by PieKeeper
I wish to discuss the idea of death and nonexistence, and how to find peace in it.

Well, you can't find peace in nonexistence. If you cease to exist, what is there to be worried over? Nothing! And that in itself, is peace.

~Pontiac Warrior

reply to post by PieKeeper


fear is from your kidneys -- if the fear has gone to your heart then you probably have a kidney energy deficiency. You can sit in full lotus to charge your kidneys or try eating eggs, etc.

You live on for a while in a few different ways, for a while at least.

You will be in the memory of people left behind.

If you have offspring, part of you stays with them in their DNA.

If you really believe what you say here though, just think about it. No more being stuck in traffic, waiting in lines, worrying about bills, any kind of stressfull situation at all. Now that sounds peaceful to me, and nothing to be afraid of at all!

"What happens when you die?"

I'd say to say:

"What happens when you LIVE?"

I don't think I ever feared death, sort of saw it as an innevitable thing and a non-issue.

I can't express where I'm at right now and don't expect others to agree with me, some say i've taken to religion when really I just base my perception of reality based on observation and the extend of my imagination, to leave the doors of possibilities open, observe and sort, observe and sort. From physics to metaphysics. Observing the connections, seeing how I feel about it, seeing how it matches us to personal experiences of the past.

I don't need a religion to give me something to cling to for some fear of death. I find the idea to be useless and actually problematic for me. I seek to explore every realm of possibility, to keep my mind as open as possible, to train it with meditation, to shape and evolve myself by removing all fears, doubts and insecurities, to be exactly the kind of person I want to be, that I feel is instinctual for my NEED to be this person, constantly evolving, no doubts, no fear, gradual removal of ignorance, the thought of a limited belief or perspective is unacceptable for me, i have to be open to more and more possibilities but STILL observing repeated concepts with that lingering feeling of what i describe as an inner compass, a direction pointing to TRUTH, or at least the truth of why I am alive as I expand beyond those boundaries of what I define as "ME", to move beyond a narrow perspective, removingly selfish centered thoughts, while developing self-worth, based on acknowledging what I am like anything else, a creation like a work of art that is worth acknowledging, a genuine sense of pride and admiration for all creation, even from a detached viewpoint of what defines "I", and even acknowledgeing that everything I am as an individual - i acknowledge the part others play to shape that.

Aside from many experiences of meditation, astral projection and ones that go against the ATS rules of explaining, the thought of the eternal "blackness" waiting for me doesn't "compute" and seems very limited and erroroneous to my perception of what I am and the reality projected around my limited referential point of awareness.

It's not that I want to believe when I die everything will be ok, i just can't comprehend currently otherwise. It doesn't make sense to me to lack continuity. For even if I am dead, there is life that still lives in through that life I am still alive, and maybe my consciousness is there too but is no longer without an ego, a dead personality, or maybe it is there, in EVERYTHING, in everyone, and I can REMEMBER a place in that illusion of TIME and space that seems more like floating thoughtforms to explore the unfoldment of possibility.. of like a universal innevitability, nature, and perfect equation, my experience as a chaotic but orderly referential FRACTAL point.

Basically I don't care AT ALL what happens when I die, i really don't. And that's taking in consideration my current spiritual stereotypically perceived standpoint: New ager/Buddhist. This state of mind I am in now, i can't understand what use it would be to worry about anything. We remove fears in meditation for self-empowerment and a healthy mind. To evolve, to become exactly what you want to be by removing the mental blocks that prevent it, and I am not going to lie to you, i am an ambitious person and while i see no perceivable class system in this universe, i do not consider myself a spiritual elitest but damn if i'm not going to try and get as much learning and evolving done in this life time as possible.

I am only focussed on what I am doing now.

The "great blackness" death makes no sense to me for many many many reasons. And if it seems logical to someone, it seems totally illogical to me. For example: Let NO'ONE tell you how to perceive your reality but that being said, with recent science and ongoing shared human philosophy, i can't perceive a universe that this dry "logical" one portrays when a simple human has thought of one that makes a lot more sense, as fantasy as it sounds to those who have yet to experience more depth to their possible experience. That is not meant to sound condescending, just a matter of fact: some choose to live differently, some choose to expand their realm of knowledge and self-awareness and train their minds like you would train a simple skill. There are some who have never picked up an instrument and then you marvel with awe at the mastery others display, as if its possible for a human to do such things.

..........
I am just not concerned about death, not even the future outside of tomorrow. I just focus on what I can do NOW, to shape that future, and follow some inner calling I just feel I need to do in order for some greater sense of personal understanding, peace, freedom, liberation, bliss, achievement, meaning etc etc etc.

But really, the idea of the great void makes no sense to me. And the idea of heaven and hell, and even the greek afterlife makes sense to me in the context of life like a shifting dream moving to the realms of collective imagination, that we are experiencing thought forms. Even life itself had to be thought up by some universal process, so however you define it, it is a thoughtform, thus only limited to creativity it would seem. But I would take it a step further and suggest my placement in "reality" is relative to my ability to place myself elsewhere. Those who think reality can't be simple imagination or a dream must never have had an intense and belief shattering dream experience. I just feel like a drop of water in a rushing ocean, moving with the flow of life and i hold no grudge or concern that my very mortal life and perception of individuality could be the result of a collective WILL, flow, dance, moving in synchronicity like a perfectly moving school of fish, swirling around from the micro to macro fractal to the choice of relative perspective.

Basically dude. I've just been witness to too much F'd up stuff to seriously consider the "simple blackness" idea. I think its possible, but how long until you decide you are bored of the blackness and decide to explore more thoughts again is my question.

This is where I will tell you that I had prophetic dreams of my own future, and that when i was younger I had a dream where I was taken into what seemed like a PAST LIFE, where i shared the mind of the person I "was".. and doing this as a 10 year old, experiencing more then an adult mind, it was like experiencing the mind of a 100000 year old guru, it goes beyond words, or even my ability to re-create the memory correctly, and in that dream, I went to some friggin alien/atlantean temple, and some people at my request, "erased my FLASH DRIVE" you could call a soul or some evolutionary vessel that is of collective knowledge and experience and i experienced shortly after what it was like to be insane and dumb as a post, floating around in a little ball with nothing explainable as a thought, just like a blank template with no direction.

So yeah, you know. The context of eternal blackness again makes no sense to me from an experience like this, aside from the other things, such as: A random dude from anywhere in the world posessing a more perfect perception of reality that we have yet to socially share of the majority. And here's the thing, there are movements that have become religions somehow. I won't even touch on my opinion of why religion is screwed up but basically its because it preaches to follow a line of thinking other then your own, when really the intent may have been to guide.

For example. The more I shape my perception of reality, the more I see it correlating with the direction science is heading, and the more I see it correlating with centuries old philosophy.. so in having and open-exporatory mind, did i just become buddhist on my own?.. or is it that we are gradually coming to a common ground on something more broad then something we all can agree on like "the world is round".. only I would go a step beyond that and say the expanded view point may be that the perception of a round world or even 5 sense perception is a limited experience in itself of an infinite vibratory bandwidth like our Electromagnetic Spectrum, which we humans only perceive a fraction, and just vibrating like music, like life is music, and to simplify, a vibration, essentially up and down, in 2D, circling/coiling broader and smaller in 3D and beyond, and essentially 1's and 0's like binary that make up every computer process you are perceiving, the raw code of possibility: YIN / YANG....and the dance they are in that projects this uni/multi/whatever-verse.






.......................
Dude but seriously, if you read nothing above what I just wrote then I will say I simply cannot be bothered to CARE what happens when I die.. only when happens when I LIVE...

Peace.

reply to post by PieKeeper

Has anyone here accomplished this?

Yes...at least in MY terms.


Go Here...


Listen...everyone has their crutch. The idea of death terrifies myself as well.


Nothing is a guarantee, we ALL only have a faith or belief to rely on...anyone telling you they know what's next is only fooling themselves.


Signing up with Alcor, catholicism, atheism, ect., is merely a way to rationalize what is to come...


I myself really hope science comes thru...


Either way - good luck...

Fear stems from the unknown. Death is largely unknown by us. If we knew what to expect during or after death we wouldn't fear it.

Here's another thought for you:

People go on every day with problems in their minds, things they are trying to escape from with distraction, or drowning it with alcohol. Think of all the attachments, worries, fears, limited beliefs you hold/biases and everything imaginable shaped in one life time.

Now think of the prospect of re-incarnation and it probably makes a lot more sense why you would ordinarily forget most of the details of a past life once re-born.

You'd go F'ing crazy. That's too much. You'll be sad over your dead turtle 500000000000 years ago, or attached to your old "UNIVERSAL SOUL MATE", who is now a tree on an alien planet and you are nothing alike because you have both changed in very different directions.

But more then that, for me it seems that I have this nagging sense of direction that is very fulfilling, and the destination is not important, only that I do it, for myself, for some reason.

So I ask you this:
In life.. a whole lot of "stuff" happens... experience happens in all of nature, the universe, and you as a human LEARN THINGS, and change. So WHY??? Why is learning and change a central innevitable theme? Survival for continuity of the species, or is it also to preserve continuity of the DREAM experience, to keep attached and clutching to the limited experience of a personality, a life form or group collective.

I don't know what to tell you dude. I can't give you some big emotional answer like: "THE PAIN, the horrible suffering PAIN of life will be over when you DIE and your family will be there to hug you and your dog that ran away will be there too, HANG IN THERE!".. I just have to give you the full package of what I feel on this one. . I mean, since you asked.

End suffering now, every second you avoid a challenge, obstacle, cling to a fear/doubt/insecurity to restrict yourself from living a deeper life. Crawl through hell and back with a smile on your face and bring the wisdom to others and let us drool at the ecstasy that may well just be a chemical release that wisdom releases in our brain giving us a "HELL YEAH, UGGHHH this addictive life persuit of evolution feels so damn good!"



LIVE DAMMIT, LIVE.!!

Fear is a good thing. It's telling you something very important. If all you're able to relate to is non-existence then I would suggest not looking for rationals that will just help you live in denial and put your mind to rest. How you are applying yourself to this subject is the most important aspect of life. I suggest you don't try to hide from it, rather try to face the reality of your feelings and keep looking for real answers inside yourself.

reply to post by SeeingBlue


Just get some plant based pineal gland chemicals and the unknown will be revealed.

www.feathercrown.com...

If your soul truly believed in nonexistence after death then you would already have peace. On a deeper level you already know there is more, explore further with an open mind and soul. Once you have found true peace and the fear is left behind, then you will know you have also found truth. Your fear is leading you towards truth.

Do not fear death, if you died, you feel nothing. Peace.

Originally posted by decadence
Do not fear death, if you died, you feel nothing. Peace.

As simple as that is I would have to agree with you!

I've thought on this so often, if I didn't believe in God, how would it change the way I see death?
Well let me tell you, the only thing that worries me about this is the people I love, and it's kind of a selfish thing in a way, how would I cope with them dying? or how would they cope with me dying? that would be my only worry, infact it is a worry!

As far as being afraid of dying simply because I don't want to die or am afraid of nothing afterwards? it really does not bother me! i've gave it so much thought in the past, and whatever the outcome it's never gonna change the person I am or strive to be! so no I don't fear death in itself, but I fear losing the people I love!

Hope this made sense!

It is totally normal for the conscious mind to fear it's own extinction. I went through years as a child enraged that I was alive, just to someday die. It is a long process, and perhaps one of the most important ones we make as a conscious being on this planet. Understand that you are not alone, and that there are many guidepost's to help you.

My advice would be if this subject frightens you to the point of disrupting your life, that you confront it head on. There is no better place to start than the quintessential book on the subject, On Death and Dying by E. Kubler Ross. You might also look for The Last Lecture as well, written by a professor in the process of dying of liver cancer.

Allow enough room in your world for the what if's of life. Just becuase the supposed "truths" of organized religion does not ring true to you (they don't to me either), doesn't mean there are not kernels of wisdom and perhaps, reality to be found in spirituality. The Tibetan Book of the Dead is a fascinating manuscript, and even if entirely symbolic, has a lot of important things to say.

Humans have spent a long time trying to figure out what separates us from the animal kingdom, be it language (no), use of tools, (nope!), and emotional life (hardly). To me, the difference is that we carry the awareness of our own death through the majority of our lives. It may be this fear you feel is precisely what makes you human, and could potentially serve as the start of an amazing personal journey.

And if nothing else, realize that you have every expectation of living 2-3 times longer, decades past what the vast majority of people who have walked upon this Earth have enjoyed. That, at least, is something real and incontrovertibly true to hang on to.

Originally posted by PieKeeper
Note: I would appreciate if this topic is kept free of religion. I wish to discuss the idea of death and nonexistence, and how to find peace in it.

Since the time I realized I had no religious beliefs, I have been terrified of death. The thought that one day I will cease to exist, for all eternity, greatly disturbs me. Over the past few days, I have thought on this constantly. Fear grips my heart, and I cannot get the idea out of my head. I seek to come to terms with it. I don't want to be afraid. I wish to find peace in death.

Has anyone here accomplished this? I am sure many people have the same feelings that I do, and I think we would be well off to try to help each other and share our thoughts, hopefully religion free.

I can offer you some words on what I believe and maybe it can help or maybe not. First of all, you have always existed and will always exist and to find the answers or come to the realization of this it requires pondering/thinking about the "Infinite" nature of the Universe and the "Infinite" nature found within all things.

Nothing takes place one time within "Infinity" if something only took place one time such as a “Big Bang” then all things would have beginning and ending which is an impossibility within “Infinity.”

The answers can be reached in realizing that all things are “INFINITE” in nature and if you exist in the present or here and now than that means you must have always existed. If you’ve always existed in one form/body or another than that means you will always exist and will live on forever. “Fear” can be eliminated in knowing that “Death” is in impossibility within “INFINITY.”

In other words a “Big Bang” (For those who believe in that) cannot happen only one time within Infinity, if it happened once it will happen again within “Infinite” amounts of “Time” and “Space”. If it happens more than once it will happen “Forever” and an “Infinite” amount of times more. "You'" are Eternal never- ending and will never seize to exist in one form/body or another.

Take the time to really ponder more on the meaning of all that "Infinity' truly represents and you will find peace in understanding that life in the Universe is not by accident, chance or coincidence. If it happened once and you are here in the present experiencing now it will happen again within "Infinite" Time/Space you will live again. Everything didn't just organize itself from nothingness or come from consciousness alone but was well thought out-planned more than anyone could ever possibly begin to imagine/understand/comprehend. All things have always existed in one form or another and all things are "Eternal" and so are you.

Best Wishes!

reply to post by PieKeeper


A few more things I thought I would add that can help open the mind up a little more to the "Infinite Nature" found within all things understanding that "Infinity" is never-ending without "Beginning" or "Ending." All things will continue to exist forever in one form or another.









Best Wishes!

reply to post by PieKeeper

A few more good quotes that might further help assist coming to realization/understanding that all things have always existed in one form or another and will always exist, that includes your consciousness/eternal-soul -from The Bhagavad Gita-one of skyfloating's threads.

Infinity...

Fear Not. What is not real, never was and never will be. What is real, always was and cannot be destroyed.

"Man is made by his belief. As he believes, so he is."

“Creation is only the projection into form of that which already exists.”

"Consciousness is eternal it is not vanquished with the destruction of the temporary body"”

“Death is as sure for that which is born, as birth is for that which is dead. Therefore grieve not for what is inevitable.”

"Neither in this world nor elsewhere is there any happiness in store for him who always doubts."

Skyfloating's The Beautiful Bhagavad Gita thread.
www.abovetopsecret.com...

I struggled with the same thing too. I guess in my case it was not knowing if I could handle what was beyond. Taking a journey into something else all by myself was the scariest thought that crossed my mind. Since then I still don't know if Im ready, But I've learned that one way or another I'll have to face the journey someday whether I'm ready for a new beginning or not.

death is a construct of the human mind to aid comprehension of the dissolution of constituent parts.

as space engulfs earth, death engulfs your life.