Existence of X
sartresue
Veteran
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Joined: 18 Dec 2007
Age: 69
Gender: Female
Posts: 6,313
Location: The Castle of Shock and Awe-tism
X marks the spot topic
I must say that I expected more from clarifier; his view can be reduced to enlightened self interest in the afterlife, and how to get there.
For some people death is fear of the unknown, and for some it is fear of pain, and for some it is the dread of death being the absloute nothingness. For others it is the fear of dying alone, being forgotten, and not even understanding the meaning of what they have lived. These are not the only possibilities, if you think about it there could be 6 billion plus ideas about death, some deeper than others.
I used to think death was a chance to meet the supreme being and ask a lot of very pointed questions about why there is suffering on earth. Knowing the ultimate answer would indicate or conform that I was really and truly dead and not be able to do anything at all with that new knowledge. I still ask this question and I will explain below.
I often wondered if there was an afterlife, wearing wings and white nightgowns.
When I was 15 years old my only friend died from leukemia. We were fairly close in high school, as girls sometimes are. When she got sick i was wracked with guilt and wondered how this could happen; why did she suffer and have to die so young. My friend Lyn was scared and worried about dying alone. I visited her as much as I could. During one visit she asked me point blank about how I was going to live after she died. I told her I did not know and then she suggested that i could kill myself after her death and we could be angels in heaven together, flying around. I got scared and left the hospital abruptly. I could not visit her any more after that. her parents wondered why, but I could not tell them. Though others visited her, I did not know of any who got asked what was asked of me.
When Lyn died I went to her funeral. I could feel her standing near me and it was creepy. I figured if the dead truly do live in an alternate universe then they would not be alone. So there was no need for me to finish my life. I worried about my friend, but I did not want to die to "see" how she was doing.
Later, of course I knew the creepy feeling was guilt. I was even angry at my friend for having asked me to do something unthinkable. I never heard of anyone else having experinced this, and I have worked in hospice care, as an adult.
It may have been her pain meds. it may have been because she was young and afraid to die. Maybe the cancer went to her brain. And she really thought she would be an angel. But I had doubts. Maybe some priest or minister told her that this would happen.
So my point for speechifying like this? To point out everyone could have a different idea of the afterlife and how one gets there, if at all. I am still more concerned about suffering here on earth. To me, Sand's thoughts on the matter come closer to understanding that even if there is suffering, others can do their part in easing it. I regret I did not do enough for my friend, and it may have been because of immaturity. But now I understand a little better about what to do now, at this age in my life. This is my X.
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Radiant Aspergian
Awe-Tistic Whirlwind
Phuture Phounder of the Philosophy Phactory
NOT a believer of Mystic Woo-Woo
You think so. If you are trying to help another living thing, that is all that matters, and the question of whether you did help them or actually hurt them is totally rerelevant?
In the last few years, there has been a bear problem developing in northwestern New Jersey. Black bears have been coming into human territory and have been raiding garbage cans and sometimes even coming into peoples houses. People were afraid, yet when the state finally authorized this there was massive political opposition to it. The alternative solution was for people to secure their garbage, so as to not tempt the bears to come into our territory, and deny them even our garbage for food.
So you would protect the bears from human hunters and let them argue with the deer about who has to starve. If I was a bear, I would eat you.
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NobelCynic (on WP)
My given name is Kenneth
You think so. If you are trying to help another living thing, that is all that matters, and the question of whether you did help them or actually hurt them is totally rerelevant?
In the last few years, there has been a bear problem developing in northwestern New Jersey. Black bears have been coming into human territory and have been raiding garbage cans and sometimes even coming into peoples houses. People were afraid, yet when the state finally authorized this there was massive political opposition to it. The alternative solution was for people to secure their garbage, so as to not tempt the bears to come into our territory, and deny them even our garbage for food.
So you would protect the bears from human hunters and let them argue with the deer about who has to starve. If I was a bear, I would eat you.
If you were a bear we wouldn't be discussing this but I'm sure your interest in garbage would be undiminished.
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