Im Scared of Death..

[Kou Kinkaide]

I mean guys..

When we die.. do we simply just dissapear... we worked all our life, helped people and that what happens..

we just disappear of existance..?

I find this impossible..

[Zubby]

I mean guys..

When we die.. do we simply just dissapear... we worked all our life, helped people and that what happens..

we just disappear of existance..?

I find this impossible..

Well, hopefully you'll have plenty of time to get used to the idea.

Funny thing-people who are lazy asses and are rotten to others also die, and cease to exsist. Your actions in life don't have any effect on the inevitability of your demise. It happens to all of us.
We're here for such a brief instant. Better make the most of it.

[Michael24]

It probably sounds corny, but I think the best thing you can do is just not think about it. That's what I try to do, because when I do think about it, I get really bummed out and don't feel like doing anything. I just concentrate on hanging out with friends and family, watching movies, any of my other hobbies, and just trying to make the most out of the (admittedly) short time I have on this planet.

[randomguy]

When we die.. do we simply just dissapear... we worked all our life, helped people and that what happens..

we just disappear of existance..?Well, you kind of answered your own question there. If you've helped people or contributed to the world in some fashion, than you don't disappear. You've made a difference and it will live on after you're gone. Even the small things count. You never know what the butterfly effect might be from the actions you've taken in life.

So yeah, we're on this planet for a short time, and by all means have some fun and live it up if you're lucky enough to be able to do so, but also do something valuable with that time, both because it's the right thing to do and because it's probably the best way to leave some sort of legacy.

I suspect everyone is scared of death to some extent, but as the inevitable corollary of life you just have to accept it at some point, and all things considered it's not an unreasonable price to pay.

[Roman Legion]

When you die, you go to a magical land filled with man eating lobsters, cowboys, wizards, mutants, vampires, cosplaying werewolf robots, and completely random literary allusions & cultural references. Among other things. Not sure if that's good or bad.

--Romey

[Strollymonster]

Worrying about things that are beyond your control is a waste of time.

I can recommend a few good Existentialist books that might give you some food for thought regarding the subject.

[One Radical Dude]

I still think about what could happen in the near future on Earth, but I never let the thoughts of death get to me (it bothered me in my earlier years). Realize this -- we will all leave this place in some fashion. Be optimistic, and do the things that make you feel good.

[Sampo]

I mean guys..

When we die.. do we simply just dissapear... we worked all our life, helped people and that what happens..

we just disappear of existance..?

I find this impossible..

It's possible. Yup it sucks.

Although, if you become someone of real importance (i.e. Governor, President, a well known scientist) then your actions really do affect others. So, if that person does something out of the ordinary (more examples: tanks the budget, starts a nuclear war, finds a viable and cheap alternative to Gasoline!), hell everyone will remember that person's name and what type of person he/she had been like long after said person died.

Although what randomguy posted also makes sense. Because doing the tiniest thing to help/affect others can create the same result. Your life did something that had an impact on others.

Hmm, my advice. One way to feel like you don't disappear, get married and have a kid or two. Then a part of you will always exist.


It probably sounds corny, but I think the best thing you can do is just not think about it. That's what I try to do, because when I do think about it, I get really bummed out and don't feel like doing anything. I just concentrate on hanging out with friends and family, watching movies, any of my other hobbies, and just trying to make the most out of the (admittedly) short time I have on this planet.

I agree, that's the best way to go about it. Thinking too much about it will make you depressed. Be active with your life and do stuff with your loved ones.

It can't be helped and if we did live forever, we would end up like the Wraith from Stargate Atlantis (yup lame example and jab at humor about this subject). Too many immortals around and not enough food/resources to maintain the populace. So they resort to killing each other.

[edit]

Also another way to make you feel a little better is to write an autobiography. You don't have to share it with anyone right now, just write one up. It might help. Then later on you could share it with a loved one, find some way to publish it on paperback or the net, make it a requirement on your will that the inheritor must read it before receiving anything, etc.

[Kaoru]

I bet my own death would bug me if others didn't die, but everybody dies. So it don't bug me. Just have as much fun in life while you have it, and try to make future life better. I really hate those people who can't handle death so badly that they start ritualistically kill people and in other ways ruining their lives, fooling themselves thinking they will please gods and live forever. And some get so diluted that they even kill themselves doing that (terrorists). I guess their answer is to handle death with more death. Then you have some people who are scared of death shitless that they worship death, and spend their lives in misery.

It's not like I don't think about this, it's unavoidable. I don't have very high expectations with my life. I don't expect to be a beloved superstar or whatever, although how can you call someone truly beloved without satire when it takes so little, such as media dramatization to completely overturn your image of them?

Anyway I help myself thinking about minds of children after I die, and how there will be loving families hopefullyfor thousands of years to come, for our race alone. So again I deal with it, I play volleyball, watch tv, listen to music, attend school, spam on internet and enjoy life, not giving myself much room to think about personal death. As I don't think it can ever truly make sense I try to understand life the best I can instead. What I said first that I would find it more uneasy ceasing to exist if others didn't aswell shouldn't be interpreted out of context - it's death of others that worries me most, and how others who care about me will handle my own death.

[Zinal]

Don't be scared of death. Everybody has to die sooner or later. If you think about, it just a waste of time. There were times that I was scared of death and I realized that you don't need to be afraid of death. We may never know where we might go, but we can imagine. So, don't think about it and enjoy your life.

[Kaoru]

We may never know where we might go, but we can imagine. I believe that's what he finds scary about the whole non-existence thing.

So, don't think about it and enjoy your life. I agree.

[Death58]

I saw this thread and. . .well. . .you know. My advice would be this; preoccupied with the thoughts of your death so much that you forget to live. My life got particularly dark at one point and I was swarmed quite a bit with thoughts of death. Looking back it was so obvious that I wasn't living. I didn't make time for the things that mattered in my life nearly enough and I actually regret it a lot. Oddly enough I am not afraid of death. I'm afraid of being forgotten. I want to be remembered in some small way, maybe not by everybody for some grand thing, but I want someone to miss me.

[HellCat]

People who know me describe me as a philosopher. I'd agree, I question alot of things. However, I believe there are some things we aren't meant to know and the exact nature of death is one of them. I'll be honest, death scares me too (try lying in the dark at night trying to get to sleep when that train of thought creeps up on you) but I think others have said all we can do is try not to think about it and live a life worth remembering by strength of character and kindness.

[Temple Fugate]

I think the best message in this thread is to live by example and leave a positive legacy, either through something you've accomplished, created or just through your own family/offspring. What kind of mark on the world is up to you, but as long as you're doing something positive death shouldn't even be near the forefront of your mind.

Nobody knows what the afterlife is like, if there is something more than nothing. But the way I look at it is, if there's a heaven (or whatever you want to call it) then you'll get there as long as you've lived a good life. If there's absolutely nothing, i.e. nonexistence, then your soul won't even survive to find out about it, so what's the point in worrying?

Live not in the shadow of death, and you won't regret a thing when the time comes. Just make sure you've got some good last words. ;)

[Gatomon41]

Fear of Death is natural. Most people love life.

But if we let that fear consume us, it will control us. Don't let those thoughts preoccupy you. Think of the better things of life

I'm affraid of the unknown. After death is what I'm scared of the most. It's outside my experience. Do be a spirit, to be purely who I am, to not be material but to purely spritiual is as frightening as birth is to a yet to be born child. I want to stay with the famillar, yet we must plunge into the unknwon, and see that love.

What I'm even more affraid is armegedon. Even after I die, I know the universe continues. But after Judgement? What then? The unioiverse changes, God defeats ever forever, and evil dies. Grandeur of what happens after that is awesome.

[fabalafae]

Perhaps talk to yer priest about death. See what he thinks.

[Sr.Infierno]

I know there are people that are going to say that an after-life is something human's make up because of the fear of death, but I really do believe we all live on forever some way or another (not just in our accomplishments while we were on Earth). Ther are far, far, far, far too many experiences of ghost sightings, ESP, out-of-body-experiences, etc for it all to be explained by science.

The human mind is so complex, i'm sure there's some way that it finds a way to live on even after the brain waves stop. This is kind of out-there, but I think End of Evangelion made the perfect representation of what the after-life is like: all souls binded together so we gain access to everyone else's dreams and feelings.

So, just dont worry about it. Even if you do cease (sp?) to exist, like Temple Fugate said, you're not gonna be concerned with it at that stage anyway.

[WolfieKiwi]

The feeling of just dissapearing from the world... I know it does sound weird when you think about yourself. And then when you die, how will everything continue to go on...? Ah, maybe this isn't helping much...

Anyway; the best advice is to not think about it and just enjoy life as much as you can. Make the best of it.

[Kagetsu]

I've often thought the only thing that separates us form animals is the sure knowlege of our own death. Only thing for sure about it, is you won't care one way or the other after the fact.

There better be anime in heaven. I can only listen to so much harp music. :raven:

[katluvscake]

yeah thinking about dying is really scary, but I like to think that such intelligences like ourselves be wasted if there was nothing beyond the live that we live now.

[Dee]

As Weird Al says:


You can't make me settle down.
I'd rather kick and jump and bite and scratch,
And scream until I'm blue.
I may as well be hyper,
As long as I'm still around.
'Cause I'll have lots of time to be laid back,
When I'm six feet under ground.

I'll be mellow when I'm dead!

I believe that whole song is a good way to think about it.

[cross blues]

I mean guys..

When we die.. do we simply just dissapear... we worked all our life, helped people and that what happens..

we just disappear of existance..?

I find this impossible..

you know what the scariest part is? no one else knows either. God, other gods, heaven, hell, void, reincarnation... they are all beliefs. and everything: science, philosophy, psychology, math... everything is at its base an attempt to answer your question.

beliefs are our armor against this HUGE and possibly destructive question. (meaning if you think it's all for nothing, then why not just die now?)

no one can answer this for you. we each just keep on going with our own beliefs, keep on diverting our attention from it like the first guy to respond said.

the real question is: how much do you like/love what's going on now? if you love living then forget about death. obviously this body has a clock counting down, so all you can do is enjoy the time you've got... OR focus on the death part (which i am guilty of) let it fester and screw with your head all day every day.

focusing on life might make you happy. focusing on death will definitely not. there's lots of religious **** that goes with this but i'm not gonna write a 10 page response. maybe we should start suggesting books to read that address this topic? if you want a few (and i've only read a few) feel free to PM me. later.

[Scythemantis]

Perhaps talk to yer priest about death. See what he thinks.
You just assume he/she has a priest? Most people here are agnostic or atheist. It's kind of implied by the initial post that this isn't a religious thing. Personally I've never even met a priest.

But as implied in cross's post, beliefs only really exist to ease man's fear of the more likely reality that death is final, and in billions of years, the earth itself will be gone and with it all memory of the cultures and creatures that once inhabited it.

http://www.funnypostcard.com/images/Cocktail-Kitten.jpg

[Chris Wood]

Just rewatch the end of Return of the King. It doesn't look all that bad.

Unless you don't like Annie Lennox.

[FireStarterLE]

Just rewatch the end of Return of the King. It doesn't look all that bad.

Unless you don't like Annie Lennox.

well, you just saved me the time of looking for Gandalf's "A Far Green Country" quote.
But i'll put it anyways just so people will know it cant be all that bad


- End? No, the journey doesn't end here. Death is just another path, one that we all must take. The grey rain-curtain of this world rolls back, and all turns to silver glass, and then you see it.
- White shores, and beyond, a far green country under a swift sunrise.

[mystery]

I mean guys..

When we die.. do we simply just dissapear... we worked all our life, helped people and that what happens..

we just disappear of existance..?

I find this impossible..
I find it scarry,too.But that's life.

[peacebyanymeans]

But that's life.
Or not. :sweat:

'Why not just die now if you think nothing will come of life?' I heard someone ask.
Well, what fun would that be? :p
I like living, so I'll continue to live. Even if I think it ends nowhere.

And death, scary? That's only if you choose to see it that way. Death can be good sometimes. Like Family Guy said 'Imagine a world where Hitler still exists.'

That's a talk show I would NOT want to see.

Now that I think of it, there was a Monty Python song. LEt me look up the lyrics...

Ah yes:


---------------------------------------------------

Some things in life are bad
They can really make you mad
Other things just make you swear and curse.
When you're chewing on life's gristle
Don't grumble, give a whistle
And this'll help things turn out for the best...
And...always look on the bright side of life...
Always look on the light side of life...
If life seems jolly rotten
There's something you've forgotten
And that's to laugh and smile and dance and sing.
When you're feeling in the dumps
Don't be silly chumps
Just purse your lips and whistle - that's the thing.
And...always look on the bright side of life...
Always look on the light side of life...
For life is quite absurd
And death's the final word
You must always face the curtain with a bow.
Forget about your sin - give the audience a grin
Enjoy it - it's your last chance anyhow.
So always look on the bright side of death
Just before you draw your terminal breath
Life's a piece of sh*t
When you look at it
Life's a laugh and death's a joke, it's true.
You'll see it's all a show
Keep 'em laughing as you go
Just remember that the last laugh is on you.
And always look on the bright side of life...
Always look on the right side of life...
(Come on guys, cheer up!)
Always look on the bright side of life...
Always look on the bright side of life...
(Worse things happen at sea, you know.)
Always look on the bright side of life...
(I mean - what have you got to lose?)
(You know, you come from nothing - you're going back to nothing.
What have you lost? Nothing!)
Always look on the right side of life...

---------------------------------------------------
All depends on how you perceive death. As an ending or a new beginning, and if that's a good or bad thing. :P

...Sorry. That's all I got.

[tucsoncoyote]

George Burns (As God in Oh God Book 2) stated thus...

Without pain, happiness and Joy would cease to exist..
if Sadness goes then so must the happy feelings..
if we got rid of Sickness, then Illness and death have no real meaning..

but I like this philosophy.

When you take all the positives in your life and all the negatives and put them together, the end result is zero..(or the big goose egg as my late mother put it). but without death, life is pointless and kind of moot..

or better yet.. if your college or school has a philosophy course on "Death and Dying" might I suggest you take the class? It can be quite an understanding of death and you might understand why you are scared.. just a thought..

Nuff said..

:coyote:

[I.R Joey]

I once read a certain artist's statement on death she said that she use to really fear it, but the closer she got to it the less respect she had for it. I like to think that she was right about that.

[HeeHaw9]

Maybe what you're really scared of is leaving loved ones behind.

[James]

Death is scary and I think there are genuinely few people who don't get MORE scared as it approaches. You can justify it's existence as much as one likes, but death isn't required. I can define my mistakes and achievements quite adequetely without needing to die thanks TC. It's a horrible thing to contemplate and many die in fear and many in pain as the body breaks down.

Forget about death and enjoy the beautiful pain and fear free moments you have before you really do have to deal with it. Just make sure you live life as best you can while you can. No point sugar coating it. Forget about it and just live for the day.

[Zombies8MDingo]

I'd actually really love to know what if anything is next and find out if there's any point to all of this. Assuming it's all real and not all in my mind that is..

[MarineDweller]

Well I am bugged by this to.. but you know what's my philosophy? If you have right to live, then you have a right to die.
Death is certain to everyone, big or small, you can never say when you will die, but if you occupy your Life with helping others and stuff, I am sure you will quite forget the fact yourself.(its a nice topic, though)

[veemonjosh]

There better be anime in heaven.

"Yes Chris, *Sob*, and new episodes of Gumble to Gumble everyday."

Anyways, I fear death (even more so since that my grandfather just died last February), but, as long as I don't cease to exist, or end up in some afterlife where I keep "dieing" over and over again (in comedic ways), I'll be ok with it.

And the ghosts will have to disagree with the cease to exist theory.