How often do you think of your own death? (church, faith, Catholic)

[Mightyqueen801]

Originally Posted by Trimac20

After a traumatic experience I find myself thinking about it alot more than I used to. My ponderings and questionings related to philosophy, religion and life in general often lead to me dwelling, usually negatively, about death. The shortness of life, the inevitability of my extinction, my fate after death, those sort of things. Prior to this, I would have periods where I'd think of it a bit too much, but usually it was kept in the back of my mind. It resurfaces when someone close to me dies or when I hear about death in the news. Visiting cemeteries also causes one to reflect on death and consequently on life too. Being anxious can be a stressful experience because you are painfully aware of how delicate the mortal coil is: in other words, how easy it is to cross over from life to death. One wrong turn on the road, one slip in the shower, choking on food or something...in a highly anxious state one sees threats everywhere! It's a rather horrible way to live, but anyway, getting off topic a bit lol.

Also does it usually bring you positive or negative thoughts? I can imagine only someone with strong religious convictions would be overjoyed by the thought, while an atheist might be neutral about it at best.

Since I was about six and a cousin my own age died, my first thought upon awakening, accompanied by a sense of panic, was "will this be the day that I die?" And I often thought of how easy it is to die, as you point out in your examples. Not until my early forties did it occur to me that this might not be normal.

Anyway, after a traumatic experience at 43 when I thought I might be actually facing the moment of my death and when many people around me did die, I lost most of my fear of death altogether. It seems as if a door opens right next to you, and you either step through at a given moment, or you don't.

[HipFlask]

I try not to think of death, as there is too much going on in my life for the distraction to be worthwhile. That said, I just got out of the hospital after having open-heart surgery on Sept. 19th, and I had a lot of free time, and several moments of severe pain, depression, etc. My thoughts about death swirled around the physical feelings I may have right before death; the suffering, etc. When your sternum is cracked open, you have a great deal of difficulty breathing, particularly when the pain meds are low. You consider the possibility of suffocating to death, and the thoughts are vivid. It's frightening indeed.

I never once thought about the afterlife. I am thoroughly convinced there is none, even if you catch me in a delusional state where some people might expect some spontaneous, God-like recognition. I don't believe in any of that crap even in my weakest moments.

I suppose I imagine that death would be a welcome release from the pain of dying, but then ...nothing. So I try to enjoy life. If I can. When I do think of death, my worry surrounds what my family will do without me supporting them.

[Nozzferrahhtoo]

Originally Posted by Trimac20

Also does it usually bring you positive or negative thoughts? I can imagine only someone with strong religious convictions would be overjoyed by the thought, while an atheist might be neutral about it at best.

Quite the contrary. I think the atheist view point is more active on the subject of death, and the value of life, than many people give credit for.... or WANT to give credit for. Their view can be a lot more positive than many, and certainly a long way away from just neutral.

Gold is precious for a reason. It is rare. I think the concept of an after life cheapens the value of life itself... for the same reason gold would become cheap if it were to explode into abundance all of a sudden.

So the lack of a concept of an after life adds to the value and enjoyment of this life.

One can also couple that using science with the "luck" involved with being alive at all. The night my father impregnated my mother alone there were billions of other sperm... other potential lives. I was the one that got to live. These other billions never will. That adds value to my life too.

Take the fairy tale of Jesus Christ for example. We are told this god came to earth and "sacrificed" his life for us. We are told some god "gave" us his only son.

But according to the fairy tale this Jesus is still alive and ruling in eternal bliss in heaven. Where is the sacrifice here? He did not give his life. He traded a short painful one for a better eternal one. The god did not "give" us his son. At best he "lent" us one. This is not a "sacrifice" and it is an insult to intelligence to be asked to think of it as one.

Now had the story been about a Jesus coming to earth, being offered an eternal life of bliss and he turned THAT down in order to sacrifice himself for us.... then you might have a story worth the telling.

Death, like the rarity of gold, is a measure of the preciousness of the life you have. Rather than being a focal point for depression or worry it should be the motivation to life the life you have to it's fullest because it is the only one you will get.

I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain.

[Miss Blue]

Well as an old person I think about my death quite a bit..Not out of any fear of the afterlife, but because I have so many family responsibilities on my shoulders ..I wonder who will be here 24/7 with Michael (my paralyzed grandson who lives with me} I worry about two of my grand kids whose mom [my youngest daughter} has many many serious health issues from massive amts of Chemotherapy and radiation. and the list goes on..and on..

Sometimes I even wonder who will do the family worrying, the "listening to" and the fixing of everyone's problems, and eventhe dishes when I am gone

[Boxcar Overkill]

This is the most depressing thread in the history of City-Data.

[Clintone]

I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain.

The litany against fear by the Bene Gesserit in the book series Dune. I always liked them, at least compared to the dictatorships of several of the other civilizations. They seemed to have a cold reverence for efficiency, and viewed genetic manipulation as a solution to many problems, perhaps too many. They were cold to groups which hindered their efficiency, but not that bad compared to the dictatorships. They seemed to have lives no human would want to live...dedicated to efficiency...no whimsy whatsoever...but then this could be viewed as patriotism. They weren't perfect, but they weren't a bad group, if my memory is correct. They probably did more good than most civilizations in the Dune books.

[Nozzferrahhtoo]

I quoted it more for the relevance to the thread and what I was saying within it and less to inspire you to go off on a tangent of commenting on the relative merits of fictional cults in science fiction texts But fair play all the same.

[WhipperSnapper 88]

Originally Posted by Trimac20

After a traumatic experience I find myself thinking about it alot more than I used to. My ponderings and questionings related to philosophy, religion and life in general often lead to me dwelling, usually negatively, about death. The shortness of life, the inevitability of my extinction, my fate after death, those sort of things. Prior to this, I would have periods where I'd think of it a bit too much, but usually it was kept in the back of my mind. It resurfaces when someone close to me dies or when I hear about death in the news. Visiting cemeteries also causes one to reflect on death and consequently on life too. Being anxious can be a stressful experience because you are painfully aware of how delicate the mortal coil is: in other words, how easy it is to cross over from life to death. One wrong turn on the road, one slip in the shower, choking on food or something...in a highly anxious state one sees threats everywhere! It's a rather horrible way to live, but anyway, getting off topic a bit lol.

Also does it usually bring you positive or negative thoughts? I can imagine only someone with strong religious convictions would be overjoyed by the thought, while an atheist might be neutral about it at best.

What a shame! Here you spend all this time thinking about death and when you are nearly at that point, it will dawn on you that you spent your entire LIFE worrying about your death!

I think about my death as well, but it does't really bother me. Why should it it? It's going to happen no matter what I want or do. If not today than tomorrow, or the next day, or next year, or ten, twenty, thirty, Maybe even forty years from now.

Usualy when I think about it, it's when I'm about to do something I know I shouldn't and I think to myself, "eh, in one hundred years I'll be dead anyway"

[WhipperSnapper 88]

Originally Posted by Miss Blue

Well as an old person I think about my death quite a bit..Not out of any fear of the afterlife, but because I have so many family responsibilities on my shoulders ..I wonder who will be here 24/7 with Michael (my paralyzed grandson who lives with me} I worry about two of my grand kids whose mom [my youngest daughter} has many many serious health issues from massive amts of Chemotherapy and radiation. and the list goes on..and on..

Sometimes I even wonder who will do the family worrying, the "listening to" and the fixing of everyone's problems, and eventhe dishes when I am gone

I have often looked at older people in my life { 60's and 70's } and wondered to mmyself how it must feel to be them, knowing that they have nearly ran their run. Sometimes I think, " how can they NOT be going crazy knowing their number will soon be up?" But then I think that they probly dont want to waste the time they have left worrying about the end.

[Miss Blue]

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper 88

I have often looked at older people in my life { 60's and 70's } and wondered to mmyself how it must feel to be them, knowing that they have nearly ran their run. Sometimes I think, " how can they NOT be going crazy knowing their number will soon be up?" But then I think that they probly dont want to waste the time they have left worrying about the end.

I don't fear the end at all..Just want to have all my ducks in a row, my bills paid and my house clean for the Irish wake

I think as we age we just accept the fact that one day we will die and there is nothing we can do to not die. So we enjoy each day, each of our loved ones, and we make lasting memories for them about us. If we are believers we may even welcome crossing from this life into another one.

I talk to my children and grandkids about death and about what I feel and believe about it because I want them to know that when I die that I was not afraid, that I believe in an afterlife and that part of me is with them always and now and then they will see my eyes, my smile, a certain posture or habit in each other and in themselves as they age..

I do hope above all that I will not be any burden to anyone with any illness or loss of mental function in the end. I have found that that is a big worry, fear with us seniors.