Death

[The Dude]

It's said that between ages twenty and thirty, most people start for the first time in their lives giving serious thought to the concept of death. Not in the sense that they become aware what it might happen, but in the sense that they start to ponder the full extent of its ramifications.

Most of them, we can probably agree, are unpleasant.

Often, when all is silent in the moments before I fall asleep, my thoughts wander to death aswell, and I feel this numbing sense of oblivion. But why? As an atheist, there's nothing I have to be concerned about. When I die, I die. My body is me, and I have no soul. I'm at peace with that. It's not even the process of death itself that frightens me, though I would prefer it to be a quick and sudden end. Last night I came to a more startling conclusion about my fears than I had thought possible.

What truly upsets me about death isn't my inexistence, it's the continued existence of everything else.

With the 21st of December coming up I thought to myself: what if, against all odds, the world really will end that day. What if we all die? Would that be better or worse than just me dying some decades into the future? I figured it would be better, much to my surprise. If we all die, then I'm not excluded from anything. I wouldn't miss any awesome developments, I wouldn't miss any wonderful discoveries. Because there'd be none.

The injustice of living is that it's involuntary. One day you exist, whether you like it or not. And in that existence you are allowed the briefest glimpse at all the other things that exist too. And while you know that those are finite, you also know that things will keep coming into existence for billions of years to come. Even if not on Earth, then elsewhere. How many amazing lifeforms and civilisations in the depths of space are we currently missing out on? Probably too many to count, and we're not bothered too much because we don't know them, but what if we did? What if we were allowed temporary stay at a planet where there existed a people so amazing that you would never want to leave, but then you have to anyway. It's a three day stay. Too bad. And you'd go back here and you'd spend every day thinking of the amazing things you've missed out on there.

I guess the bliss of death is that you're at least spared that longing, but still. Now I get the concept of heaven even less. Being made to go to another place against my will would be awful. I don't want to go there at all. I want to stay here.

This thread had no real point. Mostly musings. I'm curious about your stance towards death, and how you deal with it.

[Col. Tartleton]

I don't like change. Thus I don't like death.

[ELITEOFKINGWARMAN8]

I don't like change. Thus I don't like death.

Same. But I do have a fear of death in some ways. If I am going to have to suffer though something before I die, I hope it goes quick and doesn't cause me much pain.

[BigDogDavis]

I have a fear of death, but it stems more about the fear of the unknown. If I knew for a fact that something happened after you died, then I wouldn't fear it. At the moment though, it's a terrifying mystery. Not really much you can do when you do die, because if you're left to an eternity of nothingness, you can't complain because your consciousness doesn't exist anymore.

[Lazarus]

I'm curious about your stance towards death

I find it absolutely terrifying. The concept of oblivion itself is not scary, but the fact that I'll be slipping in to the unknown. Also, as you've raised in your own thoughts - the idea that the world will just keep spinning. People will go in to work. Someone will divide up what's left of my things like a thug splitting loot. The sun will probably even be shining - brighter than ever at that, when they bury me.

and how you deal with it.

I ask other people for their perspective of death because other people always break death to you in the most comforting of ways.

When I can't do that I do what any man does when faced with unpleasantness. I drink.

[Vaskill]

Death itself sounds sinister, however it isn't, we all die sooner or later and the sooner you accept death as a natural way of life than you have saved a great deal of thought into it. Every organism dies sooner or later. An Afterlife would be quite unpleasant and shouldn't be needed at all in my opinion. Humans sooner or later will also face the same fate as the dinosaurs and die off, like the dinosaurs leaving our footprints upon Earth.

I deal with it by accepting it, however I strive for survival and would not give in easily, I would miss my family the most though and that's what deters me from death. Nature is the way she is for a reason.

Seems like a continuous cycle that won't end any time soon.

[paradamed]

Death itself sounds sinister, however it isn't, we all die sooner or later and the sooner you accept death as a natural way of life than you have saved a great deal of thought into it. Every organism dies sooner or later.

That is the way I carry my life. I dont fear death cause it is inevitable. I accept it. It makes me uneasy sometimes knowing one day I will cease to exist but I accept it. Im not comfortable with the idea the same way Im not comfortable to take an intramuscular shot of antibiotics to cure amigdalitis but I accept it without fear. We cant live in fear. The fact we have a linear existence with beginning and end makes me believe we have to make our journey to be the most pleasant possible. I recently watched that Steve Carrell movie about the end of the world, the one with the meteor. I saw everybody doing whichever they wanted by the time they knew the world was doomed. We had people doing drugs, having group sex, whatever. We should not have to be warned that death is upon us in order to fulfil our dreams. Wether it is endind tomorrow with a fixed date or 50 years later is meaningless. Nobody really knows when our lives will end so we should make the best out of each second we have. Im taking an airplane trip next week. Will I die, will the plane crash? I couldnt care less because Im happy with everything that has happened to me so far. Im happy with my everyday life and acchievements. I fight my problems the best as I can, I try to pursuit happyness with all the tools I have in my hands. There will always be frustration and problems but that is what life is about. The problems and the joy will end when life ends. We have both in our hands and is up to us to make our limited life have any meaning.

[Himster]

The dinosaurs didn't die off, today we call them birds.

[I WUB PUGS]

I've only confronted death directly once. I was on a CH-53D helicopter that literally fell out of the sky and the pilot struggled to get her up again, we would rise and then fall, and then fall again and then rise again. Our wingman had flown around to survey any problems so we could clearly see the other helo behind us ready to land if we ate dust. Pilots routinely make erratic maneuvers in combat zones, but this was different. The aircrew was clearly shaken and I could see it on the face of the crew chief. We eventually made it to our destination by slamming into the LZ at Delaram II. We bounced twice and unlike most landings in places like that, the pilot killed the engines. Something had malfunctioned. What was interesting about this incident was my total lack of caring about my person.

Now I am a theist of a sort. I don't believe in any religion really, I suppose I'm sort of a defacto Christian in the sense that I think the teachings of Christ are legitimate and applicable more so than say, Islam, even if I've lost faith in the whole story surrounding him. I disregard the Old Testament entirely, and anything written after the gospels.

I honestly have no idea if there is an afterlife. I wouldn't even know how to describe it for theoretical purposes. I still found myself praying as the helicopter fell for my children and my wife, but I've accepted that nothing is in my hands. I cannot prevent a bus from killing all of them today. I can prepare as best as possible for different scenarios, but there are no certainties. So, I do my best, but I understand that ultimately, for me at least, I am not in control of what happens to my family. I sort of asked God to do nothing, I merely recognized I believe in God and that I respect whatever plans there may be. I was thankful for the life I had lived, but I wasn't repenting.

I still live this way. I will drive home today with my 2 year old in the back seat on a 45 minute commute. A commute that sees several accidents a month. I could be in one of those, and there is a chance my baby girl would die along with me and I have no answer for that.

Death is death and I accept this. I really don't care to think much more about it, or what may or may not exist after it. It doesn't matter, whatever we have known in life is over.

I suppose my only drive in life is actually to further the advancement of humanity through my work and the raising of quality offspring.

Now on the whole catastrophe thing. If say 80% of the world were to go including my family, well I've already had a thread about suicide, so yeah, I'd be done. If 100% of the world died, well whats the bother, who cares? Obviously no one since everyone is dead. Again, I'll go back to my suicide thread. If 99% of the world were dead and it was just me and one of my kids, well, we'd make the best of it I suppose. Go find survivors, but the moment she died. Game over for me.

So yeah, if we're all doomed in 2 days. it.

[Dante Von Hespburg]

This is something i'm currently struggling with, and have been since 14 or so, i'm now 21. I don't just fear death. I'm terrified of it. I've thought over almost obssevily in some points of that span of time, the what might be? and the what isn't? And i want to believe that there's something more, some afterlife. But (This is just for me, i'm not arguing for or against god/religion) my thoughts underneath those scream, there's nothing. Logic tells me. Thats it bud. And your nothing, cease to exist. That is the part that terrifies me.I don't want to not exist anymore. It got so bad i used to find myself silently screaming or in tears some nights (There is a reason why this might sound very extreme, i've had some experience before of death, this only led me to further see, their couldn't be an afterlife). Right now i'm getting better simply on the fact that i read an article saying that in 50 years time we'll have practical immortality, and will be able to further our lifespans... i'm not looking back at this article, as i don't want to hear the possible impossibilities, its like my island in a storm. Many i see here have managed to accept death, i would ask how? Not in an argumentative way, its just i seem unable too. I physically cant. I've tried religion, but again i just don't believe deep down. So if anyone else has had this experience, or similar how do you cope? I don't think i could go on for the next 80 years or so believing an article, i'm sure i might read it again somewhere!

[Enzo]

When I die, I die. My body is me, and I have no soul. I'm at peace with that.

Hmmm yes but that's just you're opinion though isn't it? I think you are a bit more than just a physical body myself a creation of God. So your parents created your physical body I can't argue with that.

[The Dude]

This thread is not about whether or not an afterlife exists or whether or not we're more than physical creatures.

[Enzo]

This thread is not about whether or not an afterlife exists or whether or not we're more than physical creatures.

The TC was implying that death is the complete final end of being rather than a transition of consciousness to the non-physical state so I felt the need to clear that misunderstanding up. These wacky eccentric atheist types on the Internet what can we do with them?

[The Dude]

The TC was implying that death is the complete final end of being rather than a transition of consciousness to the non-physical state so I felt the need to clear that misunderstanding up.

I am the TC and I don't care about whether you think it's a misunderstanding. You've posted twice now without adding anything meaningful. If we want to discuss the probability of immaterial existence we can do that in the thousands of other threads on this forum. This one is simply and only for sharing your method of coping with the knowledge you will die, and how your worldview affects your understanding of death.

[removeduser_4536284751384]

I don't believe in oblivion. It's possible but to the same extent as every religious belief. I'll just see what comes. It could be oblivion. It could be any of an infinite number of possibilities.

[The Dude]

So after death there could be anything? I dunno, I'd like to believe that, but for such a thing to happen there'd have to be some part of me left to experience it. It's weird because even though I know that most spiritual takes kn death are far more comforting, I'd rather be uncomfortable believing that then when this body dies, all of me dies. Because that's the only thing that seems to add up to me.

[removeduser_4536284751384]

So after death there could be anything? I dunno, I'd like to believe that, but for such a thing to happen there'd have to be some part of me left to experience it. It's weird because even though I know that most spiritual takes kn death are far more comforting, I'd rather be uncomfortable believing that then when this body dies, all of me dies. Because that's the only thing that seems to add up to me.

Not necessarily. There are infinite number of explanations that end in oblivion, a subset of the total infiite possibilities that end in who knows what. I think the only scientific view is to recognize the possibilities and not make any judgement on their merit because we have no knowledge. Agnostic atheism rather than hard atheism.

[Col. Tartleton]

Based on my understanding of things I'm just cause and effect. Actions and reactions. I'm not totally sure I'm any more "alive" than the sea breaking on the land. It just happens.

I'm different than that, a different arrangement, but not different material. The salt and water in my sweat, my tears, in my blood, on my skin.

We are born, we live, we die. We don't control it. It's just happening. A reel of line unwinding. More roll of film than a role in a film.

We got on a train that was bound for disaster.

[The Dude]

Based on my understanding of things I'm just cause and effect. Actions and reactions. I'm not totally sure I'm any more "alive" than the sea breaking on the land. It just happens.

I'm different than that, a different arrangement, but not different material. The salt and water in my sweat, my tears, in my blood, on my skin.

We are born, we live, we die. We don't control it. It's just happening. A reel of line unwinding. More roll of film than a role in a film.

We got on a train that was bound for disaster.

This is exactly how I feel, with the added notion that most of the things that just happen are beautiful things that I regret having to miss out on.

[DDWingate]

Death is the most depressing and trivial thing people can get into discussing