Death: what does it mean to you?
Death, it is a subject hardly spoken about, often feared and regularly fought against. So let's talk about it now.
According to Japers (1932 as cited from Cooper & Adams, 2005), death could be defined as an inexorable given of the human condition that which one cannot escape from. I have found some relief in the knowledge that death is inescapable. I find the circle of life (we live then die and it goes on) to be a beautiful feature of the world.
Those before me lived and created history and died so that I can be present in this world for a while to enjoy all that has been. My personal belief is that if there was no death, we wouldn’t be seeing the process of the world evolving. With new blood comes new ideas and my world view is that old blood must give way for new blood.
I feel that Japers (1932 as cited from Cooper & Adams, 2005) supports my idea of the world evolving through life and death with the sentiment of death being a binding point of existence. In death one’s projects and possibilities come to an end and all is finalised. It is this end that either creates anxiety or pushes one to live in the moment day by day and make the most of what is given.
buddymantra.com
I find that I live day by day absorbing all that I can to have as much as a full life as I am able to. An example of this is a decision made in 2014 to no longer interact with certain family members who brought me a lot of stress and anxiety.
These family members brought my life down and I was not able to live authentically to myself. The decision was motivated by not knowing when my time will be up. My suspicion was that on my deathbed, I would wish that I had stuck up for myself by not interacting with those family members who chose not to respect me. I moved on and am happier and more content for it.
We are unique to other species as we are born with the knowledge that we will die but when and how we do not know. It is this knowledge that has been said to be the cause of great distress and anxiety.
Death has been present in all ages, all that may vary is how one sees and interprets death. I for instance from a young age (around about ten) have not been worried about death, or life no longer being as I know it now. Nyatanga and DeVocht (2006 as cited from Lee & King, 2014) express that the anxiety around death can be due to one’s culture where there is an avoidance of discussion around death and dying.
I personally believe this to be so as I was brought up in a religious family that talked openly about death and its expectations. I hence grew up not to fear death but embrace it as just a waiting point in god’s will. The belief was that death is the silent nonexistent stage where one waits for god to set up his kingdom and raise us up from the dead. One would still mourn the death of a loved one but wait for Christ’s coming.
Though I do not believe in this or a god it did however from a young age introduce me to death without much trauma.
During adulthood and since my separation from the religion, I have found death to be welcoming for other reasons. It is my personal belief that death is a welcoming essence to life as we live and struggle through life to achieve our outcomes.
I fear the thought of eternal life not death; death is my relief to the world’s sufferings. Death is the gift after our sufferings on the earth an end to all; no more life no more breathe and a time of nothing as a rest from humanity.
dreamcatcher.com
What are your thoughts involving death? I find it to be an interesting subject to discuss different ideas of it.
This is a topic very real and fresh to me since my husband just passed away very suddenly and unexpectedly about 3 months ago.
Although I believe in God and the afterlife in much the same way that you were taught as a child, I understand how that teaching can shift a person’s focus away from this life and living it to the fullest.
It is important to accept death as an end to this life and be fully aware and prepared since we have no idea when it will strike. The tragedy of death has more to do with those left behind.
I believe each generation has something to add to God’s eventual Kingdom and it is fair to say they need to step down so to speak to make room for this progress.
Presently there is a movement to go off grid, to reject centralized control, to nurture the land and embrace community. Similar to the Native American ways but with a much bigger connection due to technologies like block chain.
I believe many will be surprised when they are finally awakened to see exactly what the Kingdom of God will look like. Death means to end. And this cycle of life and death will also end one day.
Thank for your thoughts which have helped me examine and clarify my own. This message needs to be heard.
It's truely sad to hear of your husband's sudden death.
Yes it is so true that it's the ones you leave behind that suffer most of the consequences of the death. And for this I think it is wise to be open to talk about it and prepare, just as you say.
Oh yes the Native Indian way living off grid is fascinating.. I do not know too much but have always loved thier traditional thoughts of Mother Nature and would love to learn more... Something I'll have to look into, especially around their thoughts on living and death.
Yes I understand what you feel with the sentiment of people being surprised about god's kingdom and I've heard all of that regally. However I believe that perhaps we won't and that people who have a god belief may be surprised with the awakening of the lack of god.
I am glad my thoughts have helped you with examining and clarifying things for you.
Thank you @firststeps for you thoughts and experiences. All the best.
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Thank you @thethirdeye, I would like that thanks.
People (at the very least, a notable population in America) fear death and crave immortality. I feel as though this pain could be alleviated by, not only accepting it as an inevitability, but by also realizing there are simply many ways to die. People as they know themselves can suffer personality changes that distance themselves from their past iterations drastically. Is this not a mini-death in of itself? The "coming of age" story, for example - where the child must learn to die and make way for a genetically backed coup of maturity (the death of innocence). Further still, people can change so frequently in their lives that you can wonder if you even knew the same person. Nothing is written in stone. Given this fact, you would think people might see death a little differently. Not as an end, per se, but as a change of states.
In fact, I fear the idea of the immortal. One must be trapped on a dark path if their personality is unmovable, for they are doomed to walk a path of desolation alone.
Oh yes, I find I fear the thought of immortality too.
I must agree we change so much that apart of us dies... Not just through the development growth as you state "coming of age" part of you defiantly "dies" here but also through trauma and other experiences.
So other than the normal growing and changing that I went through being a girl, I could say I've change /died on top of this another 3 times. And one of those deaths I can say was a complete change.. I do not see any part of my old self in me any more, from physically to morally to mentally. This death was due to illness and emotional change.
The concept of death is fluid, it doesn't just apply to the physical body and it can be viewed as a positive..