Who is afraid of Dying/Death?.....*taboo subject yeah?

[fourandsixpants]

I'm not but read in local newspaper yesterday that a Clinical Psychologist and a meditation teacher are opening a 'Death Cafe' for informal forums and cups of tea's to look at how an understanding of death can bring richness to life.

....the gathering will look at end-of-life options, grieving for loved ones, meditation and emotional and legal issues associated with death......The more aware we are of death and it is going to happen to all of us, it makes life more imminent and in a way that is what this whole movement is about.......though people talk a lot more freely nowadays about childbirth and sex, death is still very much brushed over......The idea is that it is an informal gathering where people can come to talk about any aspect of conscious living and dying that interests them.

All wrapped up in a 3 hour session.

Thoughts?

[siggie-reported-by-alarmists]

Afraid?.......No.

[fourandsixpants]

reply to izab ref:

I'm not afraid,Just worried for those I leave behind when I do.

For everything there is a season

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Yes I must admit a fair few years ago I was worried the same - my kids were young and I was quite 'anxious' about this.....if I died soon who will look after my children.....etc. So, I just went to my GP and talked about with them. Got the best reassurance IMO. I was told 'look there are plenty of really good people out there in our community who will take care of your kids if this happened'

Straight forward, realistic and believable and I accepted this allowing me to get on with the business of living:)

My mum (passed away 7.5 yrs ago) and I had many discussions about death and also same with her and 2 aunts and I. It was easy because we all had nursing experience. Nurses can talk about poo, wee, vomit, genitals, birthing, bloody entrails, oozing pus, sputum and death until the most hardened criminal passes out!! ....but it's just not an accepted mainstream topic and I believe it should be.....so we can help each other. There should not be any 'moderators' to shut us down if we want to talk about 'death' hey?

[siggie-reported-by-alarmists]

Perhaps you should spend more time thinking about living.

Life is very short.

[lurker17260]

I'm not afraid of dying but I am fearful of when I will lose my mother. I can't even begin to think what my life will be like without her.

[polocross58]

I've been bestowing Kudos on you as if they were confetti

Well said

Are moderators going to ban death as well ?  Like to see that

I think it's more a case of people hitting the Report button which in turn automates a shut-down and distributes censure

So it's not mods per se, imo -- more a case of some people terrified of even discussion of death, let alone death itself

But you keep going because you've raised indisputably relevant issues here which cannot be evaded indefinitely.  After all, we're all descended from millions who've already died and in a relatively short space of time, we too will be dead.  In fact, every single individual ever to visit this thread or forum will be dead themselves in well under 90 years time.  So it's an issue which will affect everyone on the planet and nothing to be squeamish or dismissive about.  Death is practical.  It's the ejection of life-energy from the physical body and necessitates decent disposal of the corpse with all the attendant practicalities.  Thousands of rolls of paper and uncountable bandwidth are devoted to dressing up the body to make it attractive to the opposite sex.  Endless billions of dollars are spent on bodily titivation and modification.  People have gunk shoved into their chest-wall.  They have their face detached from their skull and hoisted up.  They have punch-holes driven into their skull and slivers of hair stuck into other parts of their head.  They have episiotomies and prosthetic knees, hips and knuckles inserted into their joints, they have animal stuff injected into their lips and eyebrows tattooed into their brow.  They fiddle around with condoms and spermicides and coils in their private parts and some toss used condoms in back alleys.  They contract stinky sexually transmitted diseases and they have embyros torn from their wombs

but they reckon simple, ordinary old death is 'distasteful' and objectionable and too 'confronting' for their delicate sensibilities ?

[siggie-reported-by-alarmists]

No, it's a matter of how much fun you are to live with.

Who on earth wan'ts to spend time with someone obsessed with death.

FUN people.........are obsessed with life.

That's my tip.

[izabsmiling]

but they reckon simple, ordinary old death is 'distasteful' and objectionable and too 'confronting' for their delicate sensibilities ?

who is they and why is the issue of possible moderation of the topic being mentioned ? Has it happened on this topic ?

I'd say that we and those we love are  fortunate if our death is simple and ordinary .Life and death happen.Unfortunately the process is not necessarily ordinary or simple ? 

Icy, don't talk about finding someone to care for me in my old age.If we make it that far there is a good chance the way things are going that my OH and I could be caring for my Mother and SF in their old age,while we are in our old age and my son whom we care for is also in his old age .there is about 20yrs between generations.

[darksideofthemoon]

I wonder if any of us were afraid of being born?  

No, not being sarcastic, just a passing thought tho', once again we don't know if we are aware after death or before birth, so it's relevant.

No, I'm not afraid of dying, just as long as my animals go before me.  Would rather lose them than they lose me.

I do have a 'do not resuscitate' order on my medical records and in my guardianship wishes.

[the_great_she_elephant]

I wonder if any of us were afraid of being born? 

Being born is not something any of us were in a position to anticipate - dying is.

[bella_again]

Many of us don't embrace the idea of death until we are in the last 3rd of our lives or facing a life threatening situation.  I think its important to be aware of our own mortality,  Running seminars or meetings may assist those who are facing death or have a loved one that is facing death or have lost someone to deal with some of the issues that  arise..  To just put it out there seems over the top.  People need to focus on life not death.  Life gives us hope, there are too many people out there who have never lived; to make death a focus for those people could create a whole host of other issues and it may create issues for those who have mental illness or are suicidal.  It has its place but it depends on how the organisers deal with some of those potential issues.

As for me and my house we would rather focus on the joy of living and face those issues when they arise!