Death

[InbetweenDreams]

Death is inevitable, we're all going to become worm food. However, I am troubled by this. If there has been any true realization I have had in my life it is that life is something quite exotic and extraordinary and not something we should be wasting. I think that holds true for anyone of any faith or even those who don't believe in anything.

I think the thought of death really became "real" was in 2014 when I had a severe panic attack (which at the time I thought I was having a heart attack or something). Ended up in the ER. While nothing was found it was scary enough for me to really start weighing in things.

I've also watched both my grandparents die and have watched both of my parents age and their health slowly get worse and I feel that a lot of it is from their poor choices they made when they were younger and now currently. I think the objective is to increase your quality of life and of course live longer.

Of course there's the grand ol question, is there anything after death? Or does your existence/consciousnesses simply end? Not really trying to get all religious here, because I'm not a religious person.

So the question is how to cope with death? How do you accept it for what it is and...embrace it? I know sooner, but hopefully later it will happen.

[Cobalt]

I'll post something big (sort of) on this later because I'm not in a position to type a lot right now. Cellphones don't really make for the most comfortable typing experience you know. But when I can I'll respond to this later. Pretty sure it will change people's opinion of me, if not totally then slightly...

[Pix]

I don't feel like waxing on this a lot, so I'll just say that I see death about how I see how I was before I was born.

I was forced to realize that I was going to die in my teens, and was very surprised that I survived. Ironically, I'm now at peace with the idea that I'm going to die, but still coming to terms with my aging and withering grandmother is going to die!

I try to have beautiful days when I can, and appreciate them as the treasures they are. Knowing how close I came to not having them at all helps me to enjoy them more.

At the same time, I'm well aware of the bad in the world, I believe it's ultimately an indifferent cosmos (I'm not sure what to think of other states of existence that transcend the biological, and even though I'm reasonably sure there's some kind of existence or awareness that immediately follows death, that doesn't mean it's eternal or doesn't fade away itself, nor that there aren't "predators" in the spirit world that probably love to prey on the recently dead, assuming such entities exist), and our species is not very pretty. I think for the most part that our species has never been more civilized than in the first world nations of today, and we're still fairly obnoxious to each other and everything around us, and frankly, I think even that is going to reverse back to the mind boggling evil dark age values of humanity when our civilizations inevitably collapses (as they follow a cycle, and ours has, and we're due for a fall--though I think we've got decades left, but then when I'm wrong it's usually because I'm not cynical enough). That is, death is a release that spares misery as well as beauty.

I'm intrigued by the ideas of transhumanism, and I'd cautiously approach ideas of life extension (at least as long as it improved the quality of life), and if I could remain relatively healthy for centuries and longer then I would...AS LONG AS death didn't become a highly improbable act. If something scares me worse than death it's the thought of being unable to die. ('Course one day our entire solar system will die, and quite possibly the entire universe, and maybe other universes besides. What would surviving that, if possible, be like?)

Heh, I didn't mean to post a long message about this...and this is just me scratching the surface of my thoughts.

[Pix]

This is a review of a Buffy episode, and for that reason I didn't want to share it all as it's irrelevant. Instead, I'm linking to the very end of it that has a passage I want to share:

http://youtu.be/KiJ7Kscpyks?t=6m6s

[Chase]

I just try to prolong the inevitable by living as healthy and wholesome as I can. Of course, I always need to eat a box of chocolates or have a deep fried candy bar every once in a while, but it's all about finding the right balance between my own hedonism and my own will to be healthy. Ultimately, it's quality versus quantity, and if you consider having a healthy body to be a quality, then the quantity will follow.
As for after death, I'm not worried about it. As far as I can tell, it's probably, like, 99.9999999999%, just going to be lights out, worm food, oblivion, you get it. For that nano-chance it could be, oh, gee, I don't know, "judgement" or some silly thing like that, I'm not worried about it. I'd rather get judged on how I lived than what my faith was.

[James]

Chase, being judged on how you lived your life is the key to all faiths, just my thoughts, James

[Emiliano]

I have a lot of stress and anxiety about death, destruction, and loss. Several of my close friends and family members have died, 9/11 left a major impact on me. I was definitely aware of death and my own mortality as a kid.

As much as I try not to think about it, I find myself having some morbid curiosities though. But I have to check myself with that because too much thinking about death can get me stuck in a dark mood for weeks.

My first thought after watching the game of thrones final yesterday was that I really hope I don't die before the next season. :/

[Cobalt]

So I'm not totally sure if you're asking questions or, if you're just asking for people's opinions on death. If it's the first part, I'm not sure about those answers, if it's the second, then here's mine.

I think about death every single day, sometimes very little, sometimes a lot. Specifically, the death of my partner. He's 60. I'm 26. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to do that math. Common knowledge tells he'll die first, he's much older. Does that mean he will though? Not necessarily. He could die tomorrow but then again so could I. I could be hit by a truck on the way to the store tomorrow and die instantly. Statistically, he was supposed to die first but he didn't, in that instance. So what would happen then? I don't know. After a year or two perhaps he would move on and start dating again. I don't know entirely what he would do. I can't speak for him.

Now let's say 40 years from now, we're still together. Then he dies. What would I do? If I feel the way I do today ( and have felt for the past few years ) I would want to go with him. Since I was little the whole point to my life was to be in a relationship. Without a relationship, I don't want to be here. Without my partner I don't want to go on living, it's a pointless life. Does that make me codependent or some other psychological disorder? Probably. But I was so depressed in my teenage years I'm honestly surprised I lived through it and didn't kill myself then. I don't honestly care what any individual thinks of my wish to die after my partner goes. It is my life and my choice, I can choose to end it when I want it to end it. If such a thing as fate exists, then it's my fate to kill myself.

As for religion, yes I'm religious. Yes I believe in an afterlife. Do I know exactly what it entails? Not really. Do I hope that it's like the Christian idea of heaven? Yeah, sure sounds nice. Eternity in paradise with your loved ones. I don't know if that's exactly what will happen of course. I don't agree with all of Christianity though, that suicide is a sin. I sure as hell don't agree that homosexuality is a sin. If God truly exists, I don't believe he would disown those who killed themselves, especially those who were suffering mentally, physically, or emotionally. My version of God, doesn't throw people away when they are at their lowest. Regardless, if there is a life after this or not, I don't want to continue this life without my partner. I love him far more than I love myself and would give my own life for his in an instant. I'm not expecting people to understand where I'm coming from nor do I really care for them to. It's my life and I'll do what I want with it.

[CaptainAwesome]

I think I fear more for the death of those close to me than my own. I'm not fearless of dying but I don't have an irrational fear of it either. As for the 'afterlife' , I don't ponder upon it. There's no absolute way of deciphering what will happen...we'll all be given a first hand experience eventually.

[InbetweenDreams]

One thing I can't say for sure is whether I am more fearful of death or the thought of wasting my life away at work... Irrational fear...hmmm no I don't think that's it but it does bother me.... I'll post more as soon as I get time to type it all out and collect my thoughts.