Your Thoughts on Death?

[Kamui4356]

I dont' think much about death, and I don't particularly care if I die. After all, if I'm dead, regardless of what happens, I'm not going to care. The only thing that bothers me is the thought that people who care about me would be suffering. After all, it's the people that knew the dead person who really suffer from a death. The mourning isn't about the person who died, rather the people who were close losing him.

As for life after death, I believe this is our only life, so we'd better make the most of it. If I'm wrong and there is an afterlife, I hope it's some kind of reincarnation. If there's some sort of eternal afterlife, I want no part of it. Not that I'd have a choice...

Originally Posted by Wingdarkness

This probably sounds pitiful but if I knew i was going to die I'd think about all the anime series I didn't watch or finish watching...

Besides what I mentioned before about the people who care about me, that's my only real concern. I hate the thought that someone could run a redlight at 70 mph, slam into the side of my car and kill me before all the anime and manga I'm following is finished.

[Mincemaker]

Immortality is boring. You keep going on and on living, seeing things being created and destroyed, living creatures born and die. You are going to be sick of it, having to see the cycle repeating itself for all eternity. Well, I know I would.

I don't care if I'm going to die today, tomorrow or next year. In fact, if it comes, I just accept it and move on to any direction death has to offer. I had long anticipated death, and I am actually curious about what the afterlife, if there is one, will be like.

Still, I will go on with everyday business until nature decides to give me the answer to this question: What happens after death?

And to get the answer, I have to die, don't I? Pity I will not be in the position to tell everyone what's it like after death.

[raikage]

I don't fear death, itself. If I never woke up tomorrow, it would suck beyond words because I feel like I have so much left to do in this life, but I'm not going to let death get in the way of my living.

What I do fear, though, is the act of aging into nothing. Like wingdarkness alluded to, it's being in your body as it begins to break down, when you can't see or hear as well anymore, when you realize that your joints hurt more now than they did last year, when you can't go for a nice long bike ride or run because you can barely walk...

Hopefully that time is a long way off for me, though. Sorry to sound so depressing.

[Eclipze]

Originally Posted by Yonsil

Yes, we all die and everything seems "pointless" but why?
When you can live, live greatly and fully before the death comes!
Why put yourself into depression to think "it's pointless".
Why is your life without love?

Spoiler:

Well, look at it this way: I've tried. I've spent my entire childhood trying to interact with people around me, only to get backstabbed every single time.

Hey, I can understand if a fellow child, back when I was aged 7-10, would try to pull down my pants in public, at the play ground. But guess what? The parent present couldn't give a damn. I am just their child's amusement, just another butt-ugly Chinese blad-headed person, who serves no other purpose.

Wait, heres another one: One day, I was just happily sitting ontop of the broken slide at the playground, just killing time as I have nothing to do at home. All of a sudden, a group of eight to ten 5 year old kids appeared at the play ground, and started to plaay with the sand there. All of a sudden, they decide to gang-up on me by throwing sand at me for no fucking reason.

Wow. And afterwards, when their parents came to pick them up (apparently they were all friends), they accused me of terrorising their children. Perfect.

Religion? Yea sure, I was a Catholic, attending religious classes at church. Just last year, my teachers decided that I wasn't being "open" enough for Confirmation (being a adult follower of Christ). They want to see me praying to God, even if I dont mean it.

...wtf? Those other people whom "qualify" for becoming the soldiers of Christ have infactuation problems, are around bad company, and probably have engaged in underaged casual sex. Yet just because they pretend to be praying to God, it makes them better than me? I give up, Thanks.

To be on topic...

Originally Posted by Wingdarkness

This probably sounds pitiful but if I knew i was going to die I'd think about all the anime series I didn't watch or finish watching...

Heh...same here. I'd be pissed if I dont get to finish watching School Rumble (season 2)/Digimon savers before I die.

*scenario, where I die right before the last episode of SR2 gets subbed*
Angel: Hmm, welcome to the afterlife.
Me: *protests* NO, I'M NOT READY TO DIE YET!!! JUST GIVE ME 1 MORE DAY, DAMMIT!.

Looks like death can be quite scary afterall.

[[DOT].L]

As much as I love spewing philosophical BS (no, I really do) about various aspects of life and death, the very occurance of death is frightening nonetheless. I've seen and heard of the death of a few people in my time. The frightfulness is a lot more apparent if the death is of an individual one has a personal connection with. For me, the frailty of life smacked me hard right in the face. Before experiencing the process of death in one way or another, almost everyone has an invincibility complex. It's not until the very fact of dying presents itself solidly before those who dismiss it the meaninglessness and hollowness of the so called human values become apparent. One cannot completely escape the fear of departing from this world, even if one has realized the inevitability and accepts it.

[Muir Woods]

Originally Posted by Yonsil

If AFTERLIFE theory is created by "fear of man because they have to die"
You are being biased.
You are missing the point and being lazy to investigate what "afterlife" is like.

Biased? Of course I am. Everyone is, because who we are is our bias. It is a concept more fundamental than most people think. Saying "You are being biased" is pointless and redundant. Are you going to fault everyone for being who they are? And who are you to judge on one's beliefs? From reading the rest of your post it is very apparent what your bias is. I wanted to bring in psychology to address a few of your statements, but I'll stop here as there is a very contrasting dichotomy between our perspectives, and it is obvious that further entanglement into your words will be futile and lead us to nowhere.

I'm speaking as, I wouldn't say Atheist, but as someone who does not care for or about religion. So there are certain topics/aspects about death that I want to avoid. I pondered about death before. I believe one of the factors affecting one's own fear of death is the satisfaction in life. People on the two extremes are most likely to welcome it. If I accomplish all my goals in life, raise a decent family, attain my dream...etc, did many things that raised satisfaction life, and when I'm an old geezer and the time has come, I would think to myself, "I've led a fulfilling life. I have no regrets and I'm ready to go." Death would be easier to face. I think this partially explains why generally most senior citizens are content about death, because they already done the things they wanted to do in life. Wisdom they gained from their experiences may also play a role. On the other side, if one's satisfaction in life is abysmally low, where everyday is misery or a living hell, then death becomes a way out, and hence, the existence of suicides. As for me, I'm somewhere in the middle. Thus, if you told me I am going to die soon with certainly, I admit will dread death. I have not done all the things I want to do yet, I have not left my mark or made an impact in society, and the best times of my life has yet to come. To lose all that will fill me with trepidation.

To me, after death would be...nothingness. You know that seemingly brief, not even black, but blank gap between when you close your eyes and open them in the next morning of a night of dreamless sleep? That is what I believe death is like. A lost of consciousness will produce that blank gap, but as along as you wake, that gap will feel like just a moment. But death means the permanent lost of consciousness, so it would be that same nothingness, for eternity. It's a view I can accept. When I die, I want my body to be discharged into space, to float among the stars forever. But let the years and decades pass, and I wonder what I'll think of death then...

[npal]

Ok, it's one thing to believe in something and another thing to be totally ignorant and seek to pass that ignorance to others are universal truth.

Originally Posted by Yonsil

Let me put this in simple way: Have you thought about your consciousness after death?

If you put this question, your philosophy,,or..wisdom..whatever you call it,
is useless.

And yours isn't? Who are you to judge what religion or philosophy is correct about what happens after death, IF something happens? Religion and philosophy are based on either belief or reason. If reason, reason can get you so far, then it's belief. If belief alone, then ok, it's still subjective and cannot be proven. YOUR approach, too, is based on belief, therefore... useless?

Originally Posted by Yonsil

If AFTERLIFE theory is created by "fear of man because they have to die"
You are being biased.
You are missing the point and being lazy to investigate what "afterlife" is like.
There are many religions around the world which offers knowledge about Afterlife.
I strongly suggest "Dante's Inferno" as it is described very accurate.
Basically, Dante's inferno is "hell" as we all describe.
Anyways, also testimonies of "Near-Death Experience" people are interesting and has common view.
Like I said, do dreams come by so long and so accurate?
Is it just caused because something is wrong with body and thinks something "weird"?

First of all, you don't know how a brain responds to imminent death. Neither you nor anyone. Secondly, a brain can go without oxygen for 1 to 3 minutes. Well, a brain can bring the world to an end in 3 minutes. Thirdly, people experience similar things, and no more than ever because of globalization, ideas pass from one nation to the next in no time. It's not uncommon for people to have similar expectations of the process of dying. The "I felt out of my body" "I saw a light" "there was a tunnel" experience... TOO GENERIC. Plus, you can't possibly know how your brain was influenced by what you have experienced so far to come up with this fairytale.
You cannot investigate "afterlife" until AFTER you're dead, what you do now is pure speculation.
Dante's Inferno is ART, not fact.

Originally Posted by Yonsil

Those who had near death experience
They feel similar experiences:
Love

Haven't heard that before, and I have a book filled with near death experiences. The common ground I can recall about feeling is "this is not my body" "I want to stay here, I don't want to go back".

Originally Posted by Yonsil

Why?
Is this what "Humankind" desires?
Love is comfortable. Love is patient.
Love is real and love has no jealousy nor hatred.
It has no evil, it is pure, and it does not promote to sin against another.
Love has no betrayer.
Love is merciful.
And so on..

Yes, that's one of Paul's best letters. How it relates to death is beyond me, but it is a very good passage nonethelss.

Originally Posted by Yonsil

I know how people feel about suffering and how they are convinced to think death is just death and nothing is beyond it..with that kind of "belief", you would have no profit in your life and missed whole experience in your life.
In fact, there is no chance after "death". It is either "hell" or "heaven", judge is the Lord.

Well, my father believes that there's no afterlife, but he also believes that his purpose in life is to make us better people, who will do the same and help humanity go on and prosper. Life is not about having profit after it ends, it's about doing what you believe you are here to do. If one wants to believe in the afterlife, there's nothing wrong with that. But trying to impose it as fact is ridiculous.

Originally Posted by Yonsil

I feel sorry for you that you don't feel anything about your life.
It is your belief after all.
Yes, we all die and everything seems "pointless" but why?
When you can live, live greatly and fully before the death comes!
Why put yourself into depression to think "it's pointless".
Why is your life without love?

Yes I can agree with that. Better to strive to do good for others and for yourself than wait for death to come. It won't forget you anyway, so why bother waiting for it?

Originally Posted by Yonsil

You can always change from life as an Otaku to living life if you become part of community.

OUT OF YOUR HOUSE, OUT OF YOUR DREAMS, OUT OF YOUR SELFISHNESS, and OUT OF YOUR EVIL DESIRES.

1. What's wrong with being an Otaku? As long as that doesn't harm others and makes you feel good, I see no point in changing that. Although from Eclipze's post, I do think that he needs to change what he doesn't like and keep the things he likes.

2. What evil desires??? Where did you read that one? Just for the record,if you feel making love is evil, you need to see a psychologist immediately.

Originally Posted by Yonsil

Are this simple? Can you do it?
No, you cannot.
You cannot ALONE acheive this "beautiful light" as I could not.
I was Otaku and played games for straight 7 years and was obessed with it.
I came to think life is pointless but you know what, you can change because I changed.
I live a promising life without being condemned.
How?
How can you do this?

Rejoice...only Christ can do that.
I'm the witness and I can testify it.
Because I live it.

Dead in flesh but alive in Christ.

Life is not just earthly things...there are "higher power" above you, trying to save you from endless hole which is set before you.

I tell you,
you are already dead because of your sins against God and have not repented and kneel before God.
You are already damned because you are without guidance.

I hope this message goes through..even if you are atheist.
Let me remind you, hope is with us.

The only point I agree is that you can't possibly do that alone without having some sort of guide. And since apparently Eclipze doesn't feel like following your suggestion, I'd suggest finding your own guide, be it another religion or a philosophy.

The rest of the post is religious fanatisism in its glory. You don't expect me to condemn someone else because he doesn't believe in Christ, do you? And no, not only Christ can do that, or else there wouldn't be any other religion left on the world. The fact that there are still many religions, with sects spawning all over the place, as well as many philosophical movements, most of which don't tell you to harm people, is proof that you don't have to be a Christian to enjoy life and have a future.

So, next time you're going to submit your opinions for something, keep in mind that there are other decent people entitled to their opinions as much as you are, and that your belief is just that, your belief. Keep that in mind when you start a discussion of that sort. A simple "I believe that..." is usually enough. Instead of preaching "you're condemned right now, embrace Christ and be saved", try to be more open-minded next time and look at each individual for what he is, an individual with human problems, not a lost sheep waiting for someone to drag him somewhere. It works for some, it doesn't work for all.

I really hope someone benefitted from all this, it took me some time to write.

[Lost]

Wow some nice points on death by all of you, except Yonsil's. Dude, this isnt the place to disseminate religious propanganda... Don't want your tonsils getting inflamed do we? (btw, look at that post; i tink its a bot haha..)

So my view on death (actually all I can do now is agree with you guys) Like I said, I'm not afraid of death. Why, I agree with what Muir Woods said

Originally Posted by Muir Woods

To me, after death would be...nothingness. You know that seemingly brief, not even black, but blank gap between when you close your eyes and open them in the next morning of a night of dreamless sleep? That is what I believe death is like. A lost of consciousness will produce that blank gap, but as along as you wake, that gap will feel like just a moment. But death means the permanent lost of consciousness, so it would be that same nothingness, for eternity. It's a view I can accept.

Yep, to me death is a nothingness, no pain, no suffering, no nothing. Just sleep. Whats there to fear about that? However I also agree with Kamui4356; I fear for my loved ones, my parents, my (future) wife, my (future) kids etc etc. As he/she/it said, they will be the ones who suffer, emotionally, mentally, sometimes materialy. Also, not being around to take care of them irks me. But life goes on.

As for why I fear being there; well who likes their intestines spilling out, or their head getting bashed in etc etc, you know, that moment of pain before everything goes black... I'm a hopeless coward...

Now. About how I want to die. (morbid yes, but death is a current reality.) Yes, we have little to no control over how we go (etc walking on the street minding my own business and get mowed down by a drunk-driver) but I can wish. I feel that the noblest way to die is dying for someone you love, or something you believe in. In other words, loyalty I guess.. Loyalty to a cause you believe in (and I dont mean suicide-bombers please...sadly loyalties can lie in the wrong places but lets avoid that discussion), Loyalty to the person you love... I'm a romantic person, dying protecting someone I love is definitely cool!! HAHA. (right... ) But if i'm an old man, incapcitated in bed, well, if i'm satisfied with my life, then thats a good way to go also.

So how do you guys want to go?

p.s. Eclipze:

Originally Posted by Eclipze

...wtf? Those other people whom "qualify" for becoming the soldiers of Christ have infactuation problems, are around bad company, and probably have engaged in underaged casual sex. Yet just because they pretend to be praying to God, it makes them better than me? I give up, Thanks.

Dude I take my hat off you (i.e. I respect you). Thats honesty for you... I want to be your friend

[Eclipze]

Originally Posted by npal

Yes I can agree with that. Better to strive to do good for others and for yourself than wait for death to come. It won't forget you anyway, so why bother waiting for it?

The only point I agree is that you can't possibly do that alone without having some sort of guide. And since apparently Eclipze doesn't feel like following your suggestion, I'd suggest finding your own guide, be it another religion or a philosophy

Spoiler:

Well, I have my own way of life. But Im definately not going to try and find a "light of hope" or something, especially since I dont think it even exists,

My overall take on life: Right now, I dont want it. Not mine anyways. If I happen to meet and girl whom I like, and vice versa, then hey, I'll marry her. I'll have kids. Besides that...I'll gladly welcome death into my soul. Look at it this way: I am anticipating/ask for it (death). I am, technically, not just "waiting" for it.

Its not that I like being alone; ever heard of the termiology, "once bitten, twice shy"? I've been backstabbed/betrayed by people ever since I was 7 (and for no real reason, I might add). Sure, I began my life as quite a regular person: I go to the playground when I have no homework to do (or I play first and then do the HW. ), I had thoughts that when I grow up, I would be a decent looking adult, find a girl and fall in love with her, sex is not everything (*gasp*), and I would have kids, become a good father etc. You know, the kind of thing that usually only happens in fairytales.

To have my excitment with life, shattered at the age of 7...not a pretty thing to experience. Im still going to take some rather foolish risk, and trust people whom I might meet at college this year. But hey, I keep getting the feeling I'll get backstabbed within 1 month.

Right now, me having thoughts that I'll become an Otaku is rather comforting: I would be isolated from society (from its perks and cons), but at the same time, I would avoid any chances of getting betrayed, since I would have no people whom I put trust to in the first place.

And hey, I promise I wont become some pedophile or criminal, nor cause any problems for other people.

[Animizzle]

I agree with raikage. I don't think death in itself is what we fear. It's the thought we leave behind loved ones and things we still want to do that scares us. As humans our high intelect keeps producing reasons to exist. Without any reason or purpose, I don't think we value ourselves for simply 'being'.

I have hardly the knowledge to elaborate on this but i'll use this simple example to point out what I personally feel:

I can honestly say that I could care less about my (early) death if it was certain earth would be struck by a meteorite in a few weeks blasting all of mandkind into oblivion. For everything beside myself gives me purpose, without it, I simply cease to care.

Idealistically, this would be the greatest way to die. Egocentric? Hell yes, but comforting. Tom Lehrer sang it best:

And we will all go together when we go
What a comforting thought that is to know.
Universal bereavement, an inspiring achievement
Yes, we will all go together when we go

[BellaD]

IMO, death is just death, we all have to die at some point, you, me, the earth so I just say let it happen ....ohh and I dont think we are afraid of dying but the way we are going to die .

[Tabris]

I'm not scared of death, it's how I die is what I'm scared of.

I read a saying the other day that went something along the lines of:

There is no fear of the bang, only in anticipation of it.

Or something like that. That sums up death for me. I'd love to be invincible though, you know, like Superman (but invunerable to magic and kryptonite as well) as long as I died at a normal age like 80 or something. I don't want to grow old and sagged either, that just spells death waiting to happen.

[ChainLegacy]

I guess I'm not as tough as every other member on the board, since death is extremely frightening to me. If there is nothing beyond death, and there is eternal nothingness, obviously I will not care, but the me that is here today does not want to stop existing.

[Kurz]

Everyone wants to live on, but sadly it wont be that way.
The best we can do is have offspring and in a sense live on with them.
What every parent tries to do is make their children think the way they do, instill a thought process and ideals in their minds like their own.

You exist now, however when you stop existing what do you have to complain about?

Frankly I'll keep living as long as possible and make my mark in this world.

[JOJOS'STAR]

Its part of life. The same thing as being born, grow old, have childrens or not, whatever. The real question is, what can you do while you live. How far can you walk. How low can you fall. How high can you fly. ^^

Death is meaningless since it represent the end of your efforts. And with the end of it comes peace. Nothing there to be scared of.

Although pain before dying can be scary. I agree. But as life is, you cant get anything for nothing, ultimately, I like to think that before a great peace of mind comes a disturbing end. Like it always starts over and over. And this particular idea of infinity is somewhat pretty exhausting and breathtaking. So where does this feeling end? Never?

lol maybe its me thats just lazy.

[Illuyankas]

Hmm.

Immortality. Yes, I'd like to try it. Live a few hundred millenia, try out every new experience I can, then go into stasis (needless to say, by this point I will be in charge of humanity) with some AI's devising technology to 1. keep me amused and 2. allow me to switch universes when this one gets too old. Wake up every few million years, set the clocks back metaphorically, check out any new things, maybe create a few new galaxies and populations of sentient beings to live amongst and 'play' with - saving the notable minds for later experiments, perhaps - then go back to sleep when I felt like it.

Then, when I have finally, irrevocably get bored of existence, store my original personality in a storage construct (say a custom star, code it in the EM patterns or something - maybe a neutron star for added longetivity), spin off a new mind and carry on, and so on and so forth. After several 10^32 years or whatever, I'll rip open a hole to a younger universe and set up shop all over again, using the technology I set in motion all those quintillions of years ago. Then I would truly exist for ever. Perhaps even true, absolute godhood would be mine. Grandiose, impossible dreams...



...or are they? I read somewhere that at the rate technology is advancing, it should be possible to actually download minds onto computers, translate that collection of firing neurons into binary or something similiar, by around 2060, 2070. I'll still be alive for that, and I'll do my worst to get d/led before I die. Once d/led... Can you say, "giant robots"? It'll take a lot of effort and time, but I will be essentially immortal then, my active mind reformed into an electronic signal, copyable, permeating all corners of the Web 7.0 or whatever they call it then. And I can take all the time I want. I will have eternity and a day for this task, and I will use every bit I have to, until I am satisfied. Until the world, and the whole of the future, belongs to me. Then I'll continue my sculpting of the cosmos as per my original plans.

What, I hear you say, if, assuming that I exist until the heat death of the universe, that I fail to rend a path between universes, that I discover there is only one universe and this is it and I am stuck here until Timelike Infinity is reached, what will I do?
I may do exactly my plan until I reach the point of proton decay (the point where protons decay into photons and anti-neutrinos on therir own, currently situated around 10^34 years) then I will shut down everything and wait for my dissolution - I may even destroy my energy patterns for memory storage before they fade out from the expansion. Or perhaps, I will take all the matter in the universe (Godhood, remember) I don't need and force it into one singularity, open a truly epic black hole, the size of innumerable suoerclusters in diameter. Then send all my data through it, my physical projection into the universe may follow too if I can bring it - assuming that a black hole big enough doesn't exert molecule-destroying force on objects entering at certain angles. If not, then I'll just blow it up and die in the conflagration. Out with a bang!

Also, what if the assumptions I have made about the way techology may be discovered and the way the nature of the universe is realised are falacious? Well, I have three options, all starting from 'I can't have god-like techological powers'.

One, 'I can have electronic minds in my lifetime' - robot body, programs designed to give me control of the world after a set time (allowing for development of the superior software, assuming that concept still exists), system-wide domination (FTL is godlike tech), mindcopies in space probes if I can be bothered, then eventual destruction in the Sun's nova.

Two, 'I can have electronic minds, but not for decades/centuries after my death' - The only real way to create a time machine is to construct a torus in which the speed of light is slowed dramatically, where you enter and emerge at an earlier time to your entry, but the earliest you could travel to is to the moment of the machine's activation. I haven't a clue of a link for you, but I remembered the article for some reason - though not the physics behind it. I'll wait for someone to emerge from it once it's started to bring me the tech I need to transform my mind into signal (paid for by my Empire), where I will rule the world and send the technology back myself. Then I'll probably set up loads of time-tubes and create hundreds of me, paradoxes galore and hopefully destroying the fabric of existance. Because I was bored.

Three, 'Electronic minds are not possible in any era' - all hope of surviving for any length of time is gone, as biological brains are far too fragile. Despondent, I will probably just surrender my ambitions and live a life of normality. I'll end up with a crappy job, just enough to pay for a rampant magic mushroom habit to get close to all that I would be missing in my ascendancy, and die bemoaning the loss of all that could have been - though almost certainly secretly pleased that humanity missed out on it's eventual enslavement by my merciless hand. No sentient population would deserve the level of control my plans would dictate necessary. In short, I would give up. I agree with the concept of death as the cessation of sensation.

Here's to me and my rule of eternity. Count yourselves lucky...




(Damn, I just reread this and I never realised just HOW megalomanical and god-complexed I am. Consider yourselves lucky I will never achieve anything but the final option. Or will I...)

[Jaden]

Men see their doom, but not the hour. I think death is an essential part of all beings and all existance. Nothing will last forever.

[Xellos-_^]

Just out of curiosity what do people prefer?

Some type of afterlife after death.

or

Oblivion where once you close your eyes one final time and thats it.

[npal]

I'd rather have afterlife if it's nice If I'm gonna boil in some hot liquid with an idiot stirring the pot, I'd rather have oblivion

[Newtyped]

it is foolish to cry over sum1s death. ppl like that are weak.
i never cried (except when i was lil ) when sumthin i knew died
its true, if sumthin dies think of its effect on u in a direct way, instead of emotional. When my cat died i had nuthin to help get rid of the stress, i didnt not cry caus i didnt "love" my cat, i was just upset i had nuthin soft to touch when i was feelin pissed off... I cannot count the numerous times though i stayed awake at nit foolishly pondering my own death. However there is one theory i have, and it is life is not forever.
If there was a beggining, there must be an end. Think of it. You cannot be formed and than go on forver. If you are forever, than that means u always were see . Since we were all born, we will all die. we will cease to exist, since our mind is really kinda like a computer. a bunch of emotions formed by our brain cells. Hell, if our brain cells were shot and we were still living. we would be dead to ourselves....