I am afraid of death. And I am afraid of dying.

Look reincarnation is a fantasy but if it was real the only thing I want to come back as is a little bird, so free born from the mothers nest to ride on the wind currents and play on the trees, with family all around. Not back into this technological mouse trap of jumping through somebodies else hoops.

My take on death is this: your soul just returns to the one source where all souls come from given we are all just one entity split up, experiencing itself in this mental construct that we call reality. Learn all you can about being a good person in this life and I'm sure you'll get upgraded the next time you come back or you will be a wise soul fragment and surely will get rewarded for it. No point being scared of it as you are stealing away true living time away from yourself.

reply to post by operation mindcrime


One could argue that this mechanism is called "shock" but why did I experience it as being a conscious decision to "let go"?

Surely if it is a consequence of shock it should be an involentary reaction and not a conscious decision. Or does the shock mechanism have the ability to trick you into thinking it is a volentary choice so as to ease the stress?

Sorry for hijacking the thread with my own ponderings....we still on-topic?

Peace

reply to post by droid56

The whole death thing scares the heck out of me.

Don't let it.

I've had 2 violent deaths and found peace both times. Death doesn't scare me, living however is a bit of a challenge.

Cody

reply to post by AthlonSavage


And how is it exactly that you "KNOW" reincarnation isn't true? There is much research going into this, including people having past-life visions and describing scenes and names of people from other countries they've never been to in this life.

It's not proof, but it is enough evidence to be open to the possibility.

reply to post by droid56


Well the solution to this is already in your post.

reply to post by operation mindcrime


I don't think you are. Just because we can't name what occurs doesn't mean it isn't occurring.

IMO there are too many coincidences (like the buffalo you mentioned and people on their death beds) in apparent peaceful passings to just toss the theory out T H E W I N D O W. I do believe it exists, though I can not attach a name to it.

ETA - Why was "out the window" blocked??? I couldn't type it in....

reply to post by Lucid Lunacy


The absurdity of life is that it has no meaning; you get your 15 minutes, then life, as you know it, ends. Since there is no inherent purpose to life, and thus no meaning, any meaning you put into life is self deception, or perhaps blissful ignorance.

Again, it doesn't matter. Hell, you could save the Earth from nuclear holocaust and it still wouldn't matter; your life is a ripple in an endless ocean of time. It can be a somewhat large ripple, or a very puny ripple, but it's a ripple nonetheless; do not over estimate our insignificance as a species. We've no more impact on the outcome of the universe than ants.

Acceptance of your eventual demise allows you to view life from an objective perspective. It does not matter whether the cup is half empty or half full. The cup is a cup, until it ceases to be so.

I wonder if we feared being born lol


What you think makes your blood boil hot when that thought rushes in your head.

Just try not think about it.

death is a force that will eat you in the end.

reply to post by droid56


Of course death scares us, if it didn't we would have gone extinct ages ago...

That is why my only advice to you can be this: live your life so that in the end you will have as little regrets as possible.

All that:"It's just the beginning of your life with God" blahblahblah, it's utter nonsense...
I mean, why do you think TPTB don't give a crap about being nice and just do whatever they want while they're here, It's because they KNOW there's nothing beyond this one life we have, so SIN AWAY. (but as Kant would say, "ONLY as long as you're OK with it..." )

Death, like life is what you make of it.

Dying is one of the only sure things we can "bet on". Having that said, death is neither scary or exciting; it just is. We can either live day-to-day in fear of it, or use that biological timer to inspire us.

You get one shot, make it count! And don't worry about the money, cars, houses and closets full of clothes. You can't take any of that with you when you permanently "retire".

Many people have ideas of what we should and shouldn't aspire to. I say fine, but I'm going to do what makes me happy. No amount of money is worth doing or working towards something you don't care or love.

DestroyDestroyDestroy
reply to post by Lucid Lunacy

 

The absurdity of life is that it has no meaning; you get your 15 minutes, then life, as you know it, ends. Since there is no inherent purpose to life, and thus no meaning, any meaning you put into life is self deception, or perhaps blissful ignorance.

Although you are right I still remain reluctant to accept that it has no meaning at all. I BS myself that the meaning of life is to just be. Experience life and wonder.

Be it as some part of a big collective unconscious or as some weird nerve ending of some God. I really don't care what it is, I just like to be as much aware of the here-and-now as I can be....I think that is our purpose.

@MadHatter364

so SIN AWAY. (but as Kant would say, "ONLY as long as you're OK with it..."

Not to familiar with Kant but if this is the summary of his phylosofies then I would rather adhere to the notion that one should treat others as one would like others to treat oneself.

Peace

Kangaruex4Ewe
reply to post by operation mindcrime

 

ETA - Why was "out the window" blocked??? I couldn't type it in....

Had that happen to me in another thread (now 404d) ... but I noticed. I got an underscore in place of "window."

I almost got blown to bits in a field artillery barrage. There's no reason I should've lived and I came out physically unscathed. I don't recall being scared of dying even though it seemed like everyone around me was (dying). I do know I didn't want to get blown up ... but I see that as two separate things.

I almost died from pneumonia twice. Again, never scared. My third bout with pneumonia made me think, but I was only worried about my wife and kids. I don't know why that is.

I guess people handle dying differently, but I have nothing more to offer than my own close encounters with the subject. I think winofiend's comment about being 'afraid of not living' was very appropriate for this thread.

Good luck, OP. (not joking)

spartacus699

winofiend
reply to post by spartacus699

 

Some people need the safety blanket of religion to secure them in life.

Others prefer the open seas that brings with it danger and experience.

It's nice you are safe in death..

oh ya, just keep letting your pride and ego tell yourself that.

I'm not the one who wants 10 million dollars, has an alleged 3 girlfriends, wants a hot tub and is on the verge oh having no home.

I am not the one telling people with problems to read the bible or get on their knees to worship god and all will be good. And if they don't then they somehow asked for what they have.

Pride and Ego?

you mistake my feelings of sadness and frustration at deluded people offering religious advice to others, as those things.

as I say, if you need a crutch to help you walk, that is fine. But there is no reason to tell everyone that without a crutch they can not walk.

reply to post by operation mindcrime

Not to familiar with Kant but if this is the summary of his phylosofies then I would rather adhere to the notion that one should treat others as one would like others to treat oneself.

Actually that's not very different to what he says.

His take on morality can be summed up like this:

Kant's first formulation of the CI states that you are to “act only in accordance with that maxim through which you can at the same time will that it become a universal law.” (G 4:421) O'Neill (1975, 1989) and Rawls (1989, 1999), among others, take this formulation in effect to summarize a decision procedure for moral reasoning, and I will follow them: First, formulate a maxim that enshrines your reason for acting as you propose. Second, recast that maxim as a universal law of nature governing all rational agents, and so as holding that all must, by natural law, act as you yourself propose to act in these circumstances. Third, consider whether your maxim is even conceivable in a world governed by this law of nature. If it is, then, fourth, ask yourself whether you would, or could, rationally will to act on your maxim in such a world. If you could, then your action is morally permissible.

reply to post by droid56


I'm not trying to be morbid. Death is freaking scary.


You don't sound too scared. If so, you'd be exhausting resources to prepare for that.


Have you looked into Cryonics..? I'm a member of Alcor and though the cost is high, consider the alternative...oh wait, actually that's all you've done.


You can also start by getting a Stem cell shot/treatment...around $20k a pop, but that price should come down soon enough.


If all of this is too expensive, you might want to consider getting a second job.


You really should stop crying about it and prepare.

Hasidik (no spell checker on that) Jews believe there is no afterlife, they seem sane enough, live the life you have, enjoy it, one day you will find out the truth, it can wait, it always has.

An instinctive desire to hang on your life is a natural normal thing. Congratulations, you are human ! If you don't have that desire there is something wrong with you. I wouldn't want to get in a car with somebody with no fear of dying. Its there for a reason.

If you put the instincts aside and look at it rationally dying is a scary prospect as it usually involves suffering. Death itself isn't scary. Since you wont exist you wont be aware of the fact you aren't existing. Nothing to fear there.

reply to post by droid56


Not being funny.. but how old are you?
Dwelling on morbid feelings and dark thoughts is the definition
of depression.

I"m not afraid of being dead. I'm actually looking forward to seeing what is next.
What I have a healthy fear of is the death process. It isn't pleasant for most folks.