In the Hawaii of yesteryear, the elderly did not recoil from their mortality. In fact, they often chose the day of their demise, announcing to their loved ones that on a particular day in the near future, they would die in peace. The living had an expression for it: “The people dismissed freely their souls and died.”

Today, the stigma surrounding death is so great that we try to stave it off as long as possible. In their final days, bodies that have already been sustained unnaturally by a chronic dependence on drugs become little more than breathing cadavers, hooked up to life-support systems and an unsightly array of tubes, monitors and glaring lights. No consideration is given to the resources consumed in the process and how it may impact the planet. Lives end in the intensive care unit of a cold, impersonal hospital rather than the familiar, intimate setting of a home or a hospice. Family members are left to wonder how they would have done things differently. The recollection of their loved one is forever tainted by the image of their final days in a vegetative state. But even those with specific ‘do not resuscitate’ orders are co opted by a medical system hardwired to take extraordinary measures in stalling the Grim Reaper as long as physically possible. All of which sets the stage for a grand struggle between families, doctors, lawyers and politicians battling over whether machines should be turned off and feeding tubes unplugged. In the end, the sanctity of life is befouled by a desire to control and master nature. And death is seen as a sign of failure.

Medical developments that save lives and enhance our quality of life are a good thing. But improving life is not the same thing as postponing death. In our final days we are living longer, but are we living better? If we believe that life is precious and sacred, we must commit ourselves to live life abundantly and drink in every moment. And then, after it becomes clear that the ride is about to finish, we must have the courage to die. To deny death is to violate nature.

Ben Landis

quote:

Originally posted by depressedwavemaster:
It's funny to see people say things they don't really understand that they took from other people. You with the pink flower! Yeah you! Come up with some other lame-*** thing that happens after death, wouldya?

Lmao, nice.

Premature death scares me. I don't want to die before I make my mark on the world. However, once I've done all I want to do in this life, then I'll be open to the idea of an ending. Immortality scares me, as well. It would be dreadfully boring.

Death is nothing to be afraid of. When its your time, thats it. Machines dont really keep you alive they prolong the process of dying. If they kept you alive, you'd be able to do things, not just lay in the bed not moving...

It's funny to see people say things they don't really understand that they took from other people. You with the pink flower! Yeah you! Come up with some other lame-*** thing that happens after death, wouldya?

Personally, I am not scared to die. I don't want to be kept alive by machines. Sure, if I got in an accident and they had to rescue me by using machines, that would be great. But if I had to be kept alive for months on end, I would rather just go in peace. I don't think death is any thing to be afraid of. It is simply the next great adventure.

I can't believe I've never read this thread before. That is so very deep. I have to think on it for a long time.

I also don't want to be embalmed or buried in a fancy box with fancy clothing. No preservation, buried in whatever I happen to be wearing in a biodegradable box. Unless cremation is lower impact.

I'm not afraid of dieing at all. Call it freaky/stupid/insane, but when I was 11 or something, I had this premonition that I was gonna die young.

And it wasn't stupid like a "vision"--I was staring at my friends rug in her bedroom, thinking "Oh, that's a pretty pattern," when it hit me. I was like "Oh. I'm gonna die young."

**shrugs** Anyways, I think death is actually a good thing. No more pain, no more work. Its a freedom of sorts.

Not that I'm going to commit scuicide, but, ya know.

I'm scared of pain.

I don't want to leave people I love.

But, dying itself doesn't seem so bad to me. I don't really want to go through all that hospital bullcrap. When my body is done with this part of life, it'll tell me, and I don't think there's any use putting things off. We're all made of energy, and energy never really dies.

I also believe in cycles. It seems to me like everything in my life happens in cycles- some people call it biorythms. Anyway, I don't think that cycles just end. It's not in their nature. So, I believe that something does happen after we die...it's just the next part of the cycle.

I'm afraid of dying and having my mom find the porn wing ive been building for the last few years.

I like the way you put that post Bauhaus. You are a very talented writer.

Anyways, I have been in and out of the hospital a lot because I am one of those "sick kids". I had over 50 operations but every part of my body is working pretty well for my situation. I have been close to death but I am still here. Doctors could have let me go a long time ago but my mom always told them, "no". I am really lucky but I am not immoral, I know one day I will die. I hope that I don't die soon, I want to live a full life, and I want to grow old. When I am old, I will tell my love ones to let me go if I a very sick. I already lived my life. When I die, someone will be born, it's the circle of life.

It will hurt me a lot to let go of someone that I love but if I know they lived a happy life and that they will live with machines for the rest of the their life, then I will let go. The worse case is letting a child go. They haven't even started their life and they are already living by machines. I was lucky,I got out of the hospital. Yea, I had to go back, but I never stayed. Not all kids are as lucky, them being in the hospital is pretty much it.

It really depends on the situation. If there is still a chance for them to make it, then okay but if years/months pass and they are still in the same position, then it's time to let go.


I lost my dad, you just have to let them go.

I am not afraid to die, but I don't want to any time soon. Living for decades and decades extending over a century would suck. I don't want to end up shriveled up in adult diapers taking 10 medications a day.

I'm content with a painless death, as long as I'm awake and not in a hospital. I don't want to die in my sleep, I figure if death is the last thing in life I get to experience, I don't want to go through it knocked out.

I do not fear death, yet do not dwell on it. If I die, I die. There is nothing more or less to it.

I am very afraid of dying. I don't know exactly why, bu ti think it has to do with the sneaking suspicion that we die, we simply cease to exist, and our thermal enerhy goes into the universe while our bodies rot into the ground. That is a very depressing and scary notion to me, therefore, I want to live as long as possible, and make the maximum impact on this world that I can.

the human race will be dead cause we killed ourselves! BEACUSE OF THE TERRORISTS LIKE ARABS AND MUSLIMS WE (THE HUMAN RACE) IS GOING TO KILL ITSELF!!! They are just beggining by 9/11 AND THE BOMBINGS IN LONDIN. WHAT A NICE PLAN G-D HAS MADE FOR US.

I am both very much afraid of death yet i am very interested in death. I am very worried about how i am going to pass. I don't want any pain and i don't want machines to be sustaining me.

quote:

Originally posted by sinner:
I picked my day and it has passed.I no longer am allowed to exist.
-Lunarian chronicals
In the religion of a Lunarian a day is picked for us at birth.A day for us to die.Even though this religion is not well known,it still exists.When the day comes they take you out at night and give you a poison,and you kill you're self.

wierdo religion??!

hmmm good point but I'm trying to get specops

quote:

Originally posted by ampmaster:
I'm afraid/intrested in death beacuse the life I've choosen for my self doesn't really have a very long life expextance (see avatar)

what if you end up becoming a hummer mechanic?