How afraid are you of death?

When I had surgery, I woke up and apart from saying "Forgive me if I don't get up", the first thing that came to my mind was that the previous 4.1 hours were similar to that of death.

I concluded that death was like that 4.1 hour period of time, only rather longer.

Yet I still fear it.

For I have not even begun to live.

On a rating of 0-9, where 0 = "not at all" and 9 = "time to change the trousers", how much do you fear the undiscovered country?

I fear leaving work undone. I fear pain. Death is an ending and I won't feel it or know it's happened, so what's to fear?

Nothing is absolute.

I am however pretty secure in my belief that when the lights go out, there's no tunnel, light, relatives waiting across the gauzy curtain, sky fairy, mead-filled hall of heroes or boat ride across the river Styx. Should I be surprised on this one, I'll be very surprised indeed (the odd thing is that if I'm right afterlife believers never notice they don't wake up outside the pearly gates. Me, I'd be pissed to die deluded and never see evidence of my delusion.)

Mostly the 'pain and suffering' part, the process. The pain of my family if I die before them. But death itself? I don't fear being dead.

My grandmother had bone cancer. She was on a shitload of morphine and other meds and still in a great deal of pain before the cancer finally spread to her brain, then three days in a coma before her body gave up. I hope I don't go out slow and painful like that. Her caregivers discussed ODing her pain meds if things got too bad. I hope somebody'd do that for me if things get to that point.

I'm diabetic so there's a fairly decent possibility of all kinds of nasty stuff in my later life... kidney issues, circulation stuff, heart, liver, all kinds of things I generally try not to think about.

I hope someone would do the same for me, in that situation. Here's hoping neither of us ever needs to know. :hug:

Not rushing things, but not afraid.

Are we like batteries, using all of our energy through the motion of our lives?
Or does our consciousness continue?

That is why I am curious.

... but not nearly so much as I used to be. I think it has something to do with having had all of the most important experiences in life that I wish to have - love, kids, creative, physical, etc.

But, given the choice, I'd like to hang around as long as my body is pretty much functional. Once I reach the "scooter" point, I don't think I'm going to care much about living :)

the method of dying, perhaps, but not death itself.

Either it's a time of total oblivion, in which case there won't be anything to feel.

Or it's a time of bliss as one becomes an integral part of the cosmic consciousness, spending eternity sailing around the universe on the winds of one's mind exploring riches in beauty and grandeur far beyond our meager human imaginations, in which case one will be glad to be dead.

Either way, no need to fear it.

But I don't think it was there when I posted...

when I'm really old and tired of this life...I won't be afraid and may even look forward to departing this world. I'll look forward to seeing my loved ones who have already crossed over.

For those who believe in a hell and/or purgatory.

I believe that there is a life after death, one of wonderment and exploration and oneness with everything; or something similar, anyway. It will all be goodness, at the least.

But if I'm wrong, then I'm sure the only alternative is oblivion.

The concept of a hell or of purgatory is anathema to me, and I find it even repulsive and certainly theologically untenable (at least, in the Christian tradition it's untenable).

How could anyone love a God like that? I wouldn't even wish that on hitler. But what I do wish is that he reborn for all eternity as a person who endorse persecution. That would be just punishment.

and has no place being talked about or mentioned in a church, synagogue, or mosque.

And I think you mean "endures" - Hitler certainly has already lived a life of endorsing persecution. :-)

Then, the evil inside that spirit would be gone forever. Isn't that the point?

If people who have done evil reincarnate and learn, good can flower within them, and eventually at the end of the universe everyone can have a beer together and hatred itself will die...

Tucker

Beers are on me :toast:

that 'Ol Janx Spirit.:beer:

I don't know if I fear it or not. I'm not looking forward to it, however.

I never was particularly(maybe we really DO secretly believe in our own immortality)frightened by it until I developed thyroid cancer. What a shock that was...both the cancer and the terror. It's been a little over a year since I had my thyroidectomy and radiation and I'm probably going to be OK,at least for a while. My outlook seems to be forever changed,though,and it is a real bummer. Maybe when more time has passed it will be better...or maybe not.

It terrifies me to think that my consciousness will disappear. It really bothers me.

OTOH, my consciousness doesn't relish the concept of eternity, either.

I have in fact spent a large portion of my life courting it. Some day soon death and i shall embrace in the endless waltz. I always did and still do feel the old saying "We can't choose when we die, but we can choose how". When i die i don't want to die laying in some bed, i wish to go out on my own terms.

b/c I am a hospice volunteer and I spend time with people who are dying.

Death is the greatest Mystery of all, the common denominator we all share. Like Birth, it's just another transition.....

My greatest fear of death is losing my husband of 28 years (we have no children), and not for myself. Like someone once said.
I am not afraid of death, I just don't want to be there when it happens.

A loaded ipod, for starters.

I just hope it doesn't hurt. I hate pain.

It's going to happen to all of us; there's nothing you can do about it, so why worry about it?

I've seen both my parents die, my grandparents, numereous aunts and uncles. My sister and I split caring for our mother in the months before she died. It was about as peaceful a passing as you could wish for. She was in some pain (breast cancer) but we tried to give her as much pain meds as hospice would allow. The important thing is she was home with us.

I also spent some years working in the Duke Cancer Center. I dealt with dying patients every day. Some were at peace with it, some were angry and fearful. Almost no one was really ready to go. But they trundled through life as best as they knew how for however long they still had it.

All you can do is take each day as it comes and make the most of it.

but I don't fear it at all.

"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."

I intend to enjoy life for as long as I'm here. Be it 2 seconds or 100 years.

but sitting here it'd be a 1 or 2. I'm egotistical enough to worry more about the loved ones I'd leave behind.

What I really fear is my parents' deaths. They're getting nearer to that time, and it terrifies me.

I went thru hell when my cat died. I'm scared that Mom or Dad's death will be unbearable.

My folks, both 77, are near their time. I have no clue how I'd handle it, even though one expects to bury their parents. Just remember, we both have support here at DU, no matter what. That gives me a lot of comfort when the chips are down. Sorry to hear about your kitty. Mine, Alex, passed in May, 05.

I am not afraid of dying I don't really care. If it's peace you find in dying than let the dying time be near. Just bundle up the coffin cause I hear it's cold way down there oh lord I hear it's crazy cold way down there. And when I am dead and when am going they'll be one less child in the world to carry on carry on.

I believe strongly in reincarnation for reasons of my own - I don't expect anyone else to, and wouldn't try to convince anyone else of it, it's just a personal thing. What I fear about death is that it will come too soon or not soon enough, and that it will be hard for me to find the people I love again. It's not the death, it's the loss of a life ;-)

Every time I've had general anesthesia, I have dreamed--often very vivid, meaningful dreams replete with personal symbolism. Also, I always wake up from anesthesia feeling wonderfully refreshed, like it's the best sleep I've ever gotten.

I don't think death is like anesthesia.

Tucker

but I have a child and husband and I hope to be around to enjoy them for a long time, at least until he's pretty much grown up.

I hope that there is life/consciousness after death, or even reincarnation, but if not, I'm not too concerned about it. Like they used to say at Mass, Remember man that you are dust and unto dust you shall return. The trick is to make good use of your life while you are here.

I have a fear that dying will hurt, and another fear that I won't do it right, and also the same kind of fear that I have of putting my head underwater in the pool. All of my fears are about the "dying" parts, not the "being dead" parts.

I think there is reincarnation, and I do fear that I'll get born into a crummy life next time, because I don't believe in karma--I think the universe is morally neutral, just the playing field on which we indulge in this sport called "living." So no matter how good I am in this life, I think it is a matter of random chance where I wind up next time.

Tucker

but as far as death is concerned the prospect isn't very scary.

The fear of death is the source of my anxiety problems. :(

the death of a loved one is very scary to me

I want to live forever, or die trying. Know what I mean, Vern?

It can only be fear of the unknown. No one has actually KNOWN DEATH, one has only a concept of death. So a death fear is only a concept of the imagination. Sorry to be so clinical, but fear does not enter into it. It is a process that will happen.