does death scare you and why?

[Fidel_Castronaut]

Yep, I saw the light when I realised after years of devotion to a non-existent supernatural being that truth lies in rational thought and scientific reason. I stopped feeling depressed and guilty and started to live my life. I joined this forum to share this real life change with those of a similar disposition.

Good for you, bud.

[miniboes]

I only have one idea how it is to be dead, and it what I experienced before I was born. Not much. I do fear death because I value being alive, I do not, however, fear being dead as I will most likely not experience it.

[c172]

I have immense fear of certain types of pain, some of which can be precursors to death. I went on a cruise this year to St. Maarten, and I could have fallen off-ship either into the unbreathable water, with all its jellyfish, rays, sharks and whatnot, or onto the concrete jetty, which might or might not produce a splitting headache right before death. Who knows.

I guess I have a fear of anxiety, too. Of fear itself. The more in your face this assisted suicide issue becomes, the more I picture that woman taking that pill and not slipping so gracefully into death (not going to happen now, but stay with me).

But death is death. Unfortunately, I am not exempt from that. We all experience it.

[robvalue]

I agree with what many have said, I am way more afraid of pain and suffering than I am of death.

[Cyberman]

I've spoken of this before, but since I'm having trouble locating the post I'll do it again.

About twenty years ago I was still living with my parents. On one occasion, I was fixing myself a corned beef sandwich prior to going out to the big city (Brum). In order to do this, I had to open the tin with that fiddly little key that they have. As I did so I managed to gash my hand on the metal; nothing particularly serious, but across a knuckle such that moving my fingers reopened the wound.

So there I was with my hand pouring blood under a cold tap, trying to wash out the whatever it is in corned beef that acts as an anticoagulant and feeling very annoyed at the delay in going out. All I remember is my train of thought sort of fading and drifting off into nothing, then the next thing I know is I was coming to on the floor with my mum screaming my name, as if someone was fading up the volume knob back to normal. I'd gone into shock from loss of blood and collapsed like a felled tree.

Now I'm not going to claim that I had an out of body experience or anything like that. The point that struck me is that there was literally nothing between standing at the sink and waking on the floor. If I had died in that moment, I wouldn't have been aware of it, nor had any memory of ever being alive - merely oblivion. Again, I'm not claiming any kind of revelationary insight or anything, just that it changed my perspective on death and dying such that I have no worries whatsoever about my own. All I fear about it now is the pain it will cause others - I used to lie awake some nights dreading what my Sam would go through should she wake up and find me dead beside her.

I have had other experiences over the last few years which have caused me to re-evaluate my stance somewhat, but that's outside the scope of this thread. I'll just note that today sees me set a new personal record for the number of days I've stayed alive. Tomorrow I might break that record.

[polar bear]

Just the opposite of what one might think. I am ok with ceasing to exist. I dont need to "live eternally". Before, I was always worried if in fact I was crossing my T's and dotting my I's just to escape hell.

[Thumpalumpacus]

I've faced the possibility of death several times in my life. It doesn't scare me, but I don't want to die yet. I want to see my son grown into the fullness of manhood, and play with my grandchildren, and love my woman for years to come, write more books and songs.

The process of dying, well, I reckon it depends on how it goes down. Or, as I once read: "I want to die peacefully in my sleep like my dad ... not screaming in terror like his passengers."

---

I'd like to go wander into the wilderness like the old red Indians did. Go with respect.

A quaint fantasy, but even though the "red indians" didn't actually do this (theres this narrative about them, written just about entirel;y by whites, that makes them seem "different" than us. They weren't, and aren't. They go like we go - and have always gone like we go (and have gone) - you could always start that trend if you think it's a good idea. Can I get an eta on that? I jest, ofc.

I would love to just park my bones at the base of an old oak tree overlooking the Pacific north of Cambria and give up the ghost there.

[Endo]

I often joke that "I'll die from complications due to Diabetes before ______ could kill me."

I'm not super worried about the eventuality, but I suppose I'd be a bit sad on my deathbed if I didn't finish off my bucket-list or whatever. Of course, I'd be pretty fucking pissed if I died in some alley-way due to a mugging or some stupid shit like that.

[abaris]

Just the opposite of what one might think. I am ok with ceasing to exist. I dont need to "live eternally". Before, I was always worried if in fact I was crossing my T's and dotting my I's just to escape hell.

For a while I thought reincarnation to be the preferable afterlife option. At least you get a break between the screwups in your lives and kinda erase and rewind.

[downbeatplumb]

Of course it would ; to an atheist I mean.
As a Muslim, I made my peace with it a long time ago. Death is no more than a journey.

Wrong death does not scare me because I would no longer exist to feel anything.
Dying scares the crap out of me though.