I'm not sure that it's the dirt nap that really troubles us as much as the process of getting there, the usual, irreversible agony of death. I was at one point very ill and at risk of dying. The episode lasted several months and, in due course, I became reconciled to it. That sort of thing certainly makes a person grateful to see the next sunrise but the emotional trauma is hardly insurmountable. The part that seemed particularly vexing was the prospect of losing and being lost to your loved ones.

I am currently dealing with a condition that very well may be cancer. I have come to terms with the idea that death is a real possibility, but it has allowed me to appreciate my time all that much more. When the end seems like it could be near, everything seems to be more enjoyable as a result. I will find out if I have cancer or not in the next month or so, but it is not so much the possibility of death that I fear, but the potential treatment for cancer, and how my family and friends will react if I were to die from it shortly before my 30th birthday.

I wonder whether the concept of death, while fertile for the purposes of discussion, is ultimately a function of its reality. Young people with decades of life ahead of them and no realistic prospect of untimely demise can hardly be expected to grasp the ways death must appear to an octogenarian for whom its arrival is both imminent and certain.

In the abstract, mortality may admit facile considerations that would be repugnant to those who see it, usually unwillingly, as a harsh and inescapable reality. Spend some time in a nursing home or hospice and you'll have no trouble grasping my point.

And on a personal note, Theaetetus, my thoughts are with you. Be strong. Trust me, you can do nothing better for those who love you.

Man, I'm sorry to hear that you may have cancer, Theaetetus. My cousin's cousin is currently dying from cancer and he's only 28. Hopefully your results come back negative. Keep us updated so that we know how you're doing.

Yeah we're all behind you on this.

I am kind of freaked out about it at the moment. On Thursday, I go in for my consultation with a general surgeon, and then I will find out when I get to go in for a biopsy. I feel lucky that both my mother and girlfriend were harassing me to go to the doctor until I did, because I would have waited until I was really sick, and there would have been very little chance for survival. I will keep everyone posted when I get some results back.

I am sorry to hear about your cousin, hue-man. I know a couple of people that died of cancer in their late 20s, which is the reason why I had to come to terms with the possibility that death could be around the corner. At first, I shut down, and felt sorry for myself, but then I realized this was an opportunity and invitation to live my life to the fullest.

Well, I remember reading an article on newscientist that says we dream every night due to DMT in our pineal gland. We only remember certain important qualities of these dreams, which is why we can't recall them every night. We only retain the important things in our memory.

But really, why would you just assume death would be like sleep? When I went to sleep last night, I dreamed, my blood pressure dropped, growth hormones were released, and I was in the REM stage for 25% of the 8 hours and 20 minutes I slept. We don't know what full death is like, so you're simply just assuming something there. Just because you don't remember something, does not mean it didn't happen. Me, I am going to perceive it neutrally so whatever happens, happens.

I think heaven and hell is an absolutely ridiculous concept...i dont see how anyone can believe it.

The way i look at it is...at one time i didnt exist, and at some point over an infinity(and i may have live before), a particular configuration or circumstance arouse that created my consciousness, im not sure if my physical body would be the same every time. But anyways, there will come a time when i will cease to exist again(perhaps), and i will have all of eternity for the conditions that created me the first time, to arise again. And the neat thing is that there is no sense of time when you are dead, so eons of time would be instantaneous.

This view may seem arrogant, or self serving, but on the other hand, I dont fear death, or even think about it much.

Its nothing,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

I think you're completely wrong, it's everything. The very culmination of life with all its attendant victories, disappointments and failures. The summing up of one's existance. You consider that "nothing"?

I fear the suffering leading up to death but death itself will not be feared by one because it is impossible. What i do fear, is the responses after my death from my family, friends, ect. I will obviously not be able to feel any emotion for them after my demise but before then, the thought of my family and friends mourning wouldn't be settling. In answer to your question, death is not going to be feared, any suffering and torment before death might be feared but that is controllable. My feelings towards the aftermath of my death and it's effects on people will be most troubling to my living self.

The reason it suprises you so much is that you are listening to your instincts. The goal of life is to experiance as much as possible and pass on your genes etc, so, naturally, dying is counter productive to that goal and so it is a built in psychological mechanism for keeping us alive, the fear of death is quite usful in that regard. Death is also the ultimate expression of the unknown, and, humans like most species dear the unknown because anything might attack us from out of the shadows...

However, given that I am a rational human being, and do not always listen to my natural instincts, I have to consider this rationally. I am a little iffy of the idea of the "death process" because stuff like heart attacks, being shot, dying of illness all the usually stuff sounds rather unpleasant, hence I would like to die in my sleep please. I am terrified of the idea of dying, and then realising that I have an immortal soul (meaning I am not "really" dead") and finding myself in a court room with two archangels behind me, for I know that the long years of my youth, all the drugs, fornication, violence, atheism and taking the Lord's name invein, none of which I am ashamed or sorry for, (why "should I be?") will take me straight to hell. Then again, there are some who think that heaven or hell is less about what you believe than about "loving truth and riteousness", which I do, so maybe god will forgive me...But that is assuming there is a god, which I doubt...tut tut!...

I do not, fear the idea of "being dead"...why? Because there is nothing to fear! Death by its very definition is "an end", "a termination of existence". How can I feel negative about being dead, when there is no "me" to feel negartive about anything. Death is not so much a "thing" but a distinct lack of anything. Death is neither good nor bad, it simply...isn't anything at all. "Death", does not "exist" it is a complete lack of any "existence" whatsoever. It is totally impossible to conceive of what it is like to "be dead" because there is "nothing" to conceive of!

& There you have it! I have considered suicide about once in my life time, and that was only for about half a second. I don't want to live forever because I think I would get bored of it eventually. But, right now I'm only 20 years old, so I got a lot of experiancing to do before I get bored. Yep, its going to be a great ride...ok, I'm off to do some more sinning:a-ok:!

I find it irrational that one should be afraid of Death, that said, the human capacity to inflict it upon others in the name of their God, their politics or for the fun it, astounds me.

Hollywood has inoculated and conditioned people to view death as something that amounts to a body count per film. I mean what is the value of films like Saw?

Horror was once about redemption but now its just a show. We have become immune to the actuality of death via the media, which in my view is appalling.

Death is a part of the human experience, I would not like to buy the farm just yet but its inevitable from the moment of my first breath. So one has to just accept it.

When it happens it will happen, and then who knows? Probably nothing, possibly something? Either way one should attempt to live life to the full and not be consumed by irrational fears. And by living life to the full I don't mean just by indulging in conspicuous consumption, one should strive to live an examined and ethical life.

And if Death is the end of it, why be worried, you wont be around to care anyway.

Everytime somebody asks me my thoughts on death, I always reply with, "I'm extremely curious."

This always gives the naive folks the impression that for some reason I'm suicidal. To me, this makes no sense. Maybe it's because of the fact that I am a mere 17 and many people think that I'm too young to be thinking about death, but I disagree.
I don't believe in any god whatsoever, so my time is not taken up by thoughts of the big daddy in the sky, but considering the fact that we don't know for sure what comes after death, I'd say that it is a mystery I'd like to solve sometime.

I'll die whenever it happens and I'm not in fear of death. I don't fear what will happen to loved ones and family members afterwards, because without a belief in a god, "When I die, the world dies with me."

Pretty scared of any pain I have to go through before death though!

I'm hoping I go in my sleep.

Death is of no concern to me, so long as I exist.

I dont want to die feeling negative. Might be the scariest thing i can think of.

hmm...
im undecided...

I think death is worse than just a dreamless sleep because sleep involves unconscious judgements about the self and feelings of relaxation and working memory ect... none of this exists for a dead self.

I think the state of consciousness fades away during/after death and I hope that I will feel fulfiled and happy at that point so i die in peace. Then thats it. game over

Im not scared of death, how I feel about Death can be summed up in the words of Epicurus 'Death, therefore, the most awful of evils, is nothing to us, seeing that, when we are, death is not come, and, when death is come, we are not.' Im not concerned if Death is the end of it all, which I most certainly think it is.Though I could see the process of Dying being quite stressful and upsetting due to being able to see your loved ones going through the process of losing you.

No one can know whether they truly fear death until the moment to confront it arrives