Death, too brutal to talk about?

[Nutsack]

My grandmother died two weeks ago or so, from infections along with a few cancers. In her last days she couldn't speak or see and was morphine dosed near to the point of deadly intoxication. She struggled until the last second in what must have been nothing short of an extremely painful death. It seems as if living organisms value life so much that they are willing to endure any pain whatsoever in order to survive (this was at least what my grandmother did). My grandfather sat next to her when she died, and he vowed to himself that he would not pass away like that. He is terrified to say the least.

It's not until recently that I was told that death is nearly always like that. Extreme fear or pain before passing away apparently is quite common?

Why does nobody find this extremely disturbing? And it's rarely talked about.

How do you want to die? I'm going to strap myself with bombs and blow up a mosque, creating a huge religious war between Islam and the west.

[Lord of Lost Socks]

I want to die calmly in my sleep. Not screaming in panic like my passengers.

[Nutsack]

I want to die calmly in my sleep. Not screaming in panic like my passengers.

Does this ever happen? And if so, how common is it?

[Lord of Lost Socks]

Does this ever happen? And if so, how common is it?

I don't know really, it's the answer I always get when I ask someone how they want to die. It's a joke... Think I read last year that someone had fallen asleep while driving and died or sumthin', so it does happen.

[Lord de Lyonesse]

How do you want to die? I'm going to strap myself with bombs and blow up a mosque, creating a huge religious war between Islam and the west.

Not the best way to go..
Some people want to go down in flames but i dont see the point.. i think i will probably die like many other prud Britons dying to prevent evils happening to my Albion..

[Manco]

If I knew when I was going to die,then the day before I would climb the highest building and jump.
Something tells me the feeling must be bliss if you aren't afraid to die any more (since you'll die any way).
Unfortunately it'll probably not be like that.

[Baron Thunder-ten-tronckh]

Is it too brutal to talk about or is it just that we just don't have any idea what death is. We can offer the "I'm sorry for your loss," or the "at least s/he's in heaven," but these are just trivialities.

[KoRnflakes]

Death is a normal part of our live, its wrong to ignore it

[The Dude]

If I could choose: Bullet in the head.
How it will likely happen: Fading away in some hospital bed. :|

[Cluny the Scourge]

I would prefer to go before attain genuine old age. Somewhere around 65 will do me just fine. The method: Hang-gliding accident. Enjoying the exhiliration, and then one sudden rush through the air and -splat, sweet-preserve-of-Cluny, with-seeds. No fuss, no muss, no morphine, no my hospital bed, pissing myself, witless with senility and painkilllers, unable to recognise anyone around me. That is not an honourable way to die.

[Markas]

I don't want to die in my sleep I can think of few things worse. I want a few minutes or so to prepare and think about it and then shuffle off of this irritating mortal coil. If there's accompanying pain I'll just have to work through it.

[Chaigidel]

when my grandfather died he said " Is the bad man going to get me?" he died of cancer in my house, he hallucinated for some weeks before death, seeing small people and glowing sprites floating around.

when my uncle died of brain cancer(lung that went to brain) he asked if he was given a drug, and his eyes looked wide and dilated so he was clearly experiencing something, he passed without saying anything else.

my grandmother who died some years after my grandfather simply raised up out of bed(lymphoma) and called out "release me!" and then died; she also died in my house;

My house has seen the death of many people, and I have spent alot of time at cancer treatment places as well, and talk often with the dying and ill; it has shaped my feelings on god profoundly. I think death is extremely important to understanding life, the cliche of dichotomy is obvious but I am just saying you dont know how precious your life is, you dont love ever moment enough until you understand how it will die, so spend that extra time with the people you care about because you only get to know each other this one time, and never again in this way shall you know each other.

this is why death should be talked about, and faced before death, so that you can remain calm in the moment, so that the experience is more pleasant for you, I am sure some sort of powerful process is carried out especially in slow death, where the brain has a chance to actually go through the process of shutting itself down, rather than being traumatically destroyed.

but yes I wish I would die in some sort of instant global cataclysm, but I know it will be different, for the most part we will all face the slow realization of mortality followed by the impotence of frailty ; unless you are philosophically prepared for the degeneration and death of your body,you will waste your years in sadness, and that is a true waste given our situation. no matter what happens after death we all know this is our only life as we are now.

I only get to be this person one time wether or not I am reborn, live in hell or paradise, or am devoured by the void-- you must be prepared to let go of the vessel which has contained you, you must not cling to this dead world.

[Nutsack]

I only get to be this person one time wether or not I am reborn, live in hell or paradise, or am devoured by the void-- you must be prepared to let go of the vessel which has contained you, you must not cling to this dead world.

Exactly what I feel. +rep

[rusina]

If I would know, when I'm gonna die, I would kill Kim Jong Il (or someone else hated tyrant), just before I die.

[Nutsack]

If I would know, when I'm gonna die, I would kill Kim Jong Il (or someone else hated tyrant), just before I die.

Not a bad idea... Might as well try, right?

[Strattios]

Death is a part of life. It's important to acknowledge its existence.

Does this ever happen? And if so, how common is it?

I've only had two relative die in recent memory. The first was my 96 year old great grandmother. She died in her sleep but was fully active until the last day.

My other relative was the equivalent of a grandmother (not really related but a family friend for 60 odd years). She also died in her sleep but was bed ridden (without pain) for nearly two weeks prior to passing.

So yes, going quietly in your sleep is quite common.

[C-Rob]

lol, great way to go, NUTSACK!! I love it. But I would blow up one mosque, a university, a hospital, a church, a synogogue, and a buddhist shrine- just so EVERYONE hates me.

Or just jump out of a plane with a parachute sack full of silverware. I always thought that would be cool- go head first into the ground from at least 10000 ft up!

[Playfishpaste]

I'd search craigslist and other places for groups of people who are saying "all we need for this whole thing to work is some suicidal dude".

[bthizle1]

People have always feared the unknown and it just so happens that despite the many "hypotheses" we as humans have construed, there's just no way of knowing for sure what lays beyond death. I can't help but think that even those who have completely convinced themselves of an afterlife may have other thoughts upon their actual death bead (if given the chance). So perhaps it's not that it's too "brutal," yet something worse....it's uncharted, we simply don't know exactly what's going to take place or happen to "us".

I already live in constant pain, having two horrible knees for the past 5 years....I realize it's nothing compared to a bullet or knife per say, but it's chronic nonetheless. If I remained like this the rest of my life (can't really walk + all the pain) then I could see death as an opportunity rather than something that takes everything you've accumulated here on earth (in a physical and mental sense.) I suppose it's entirely dependent upon one's perspective....sometimes death may actually be viewed as something that can alleviate and/or create rather than destroy.

Humans view nearly everything as a "possession" nowadays....our thoughts, our body, friends, materials etc....why should we fear losing these things? After all, we have nothing to fear but fear itself.

[Thanatos]

I don't think it's so much that you're not supposed to talk about it as there really isn't anything to say.