How to have a "good death"

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   promisemposted 9 years ago

   No one wants to die badly. The American Indians have often believed in a good death.
   
   Personally, I want to throw a party, tell everyone who matters that I love them, and leave on a high note.
   
   What is your definition of a good death?

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      Phil Perezposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      I agree, Scott. There is such a case of "good death." The problem with people who are not willing to cope with death feel they need closure. Almost implying that it's the deceased' fault. That's where the problem arises. Humans aren't supposed to look for closure from another being, they're supposed to look for closure within themselves. I added my opinion in one of my Hubs.
      
      How I feel about death is that, that person has a "death-date" and can only provide so much information to the world. Nobody can control when someone dies. But when people feel pain, it's a self-unacceptability. They can't believe that that's the only amount of information that particular person was supposed to offer and hence why I say they "need" closure. When people mourn, they're the ones who provide their own perception of closure.
      
      With your personal feeling, Scott, you want to provide closure for whoever else that remains living after you pass. It's like you being a teacher in a school and giving a student a right answer to lead them in the right direction so they don't fall behind or feel despairing. I don't agree with that. I consider that too generous. You're supposed to believe in someone's strength with your death.
      
      "You cannot teach a man anything; you can only help him to find it within himself."
      
      -Galileo

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         promisemposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         Great response, Phil. It parallels my thinking that people ultimately seek fulfillment of their potential in life -- family, career, contributions to society, etc.
         
         I suspect that people who reach that fulfillment will find the closure you describe more easily than others who are left wanting. If they reach the "self-actualization" described by the psychologist Abraham Maslow, they will know a greater sense of acceptance.
         
         "'Tis well."
         - George Washington

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            Phil Perezposted 9 years agoin reply to this

            I couldn't have said it better myself !

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   psycheskinnerposted 9 years ago

   All things being equal I would like to live a long life and have death sneak up behind me suddenly one night.  Maybe I will get better at just seeing death as part of life when I get a bit older, but I am not there now.....

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      promisemposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      I'm not there either. Part of me also wants to die suddenly, but as I get older, I'm starting to like the idea of saying goodbye while I can still speak.

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         Kathryn L Hillposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         I would be happy with dying in my sleep. But, they yogis say one should die consciously thinking of God, Jesus, Krishna, etc. with love in your heart. Then on the other side you will be aware and happy. We are actually practicing every day for our after-life... and by the way we spend more time on the astral plane than the physical plane.
         
         ...according to what I have read in metaphysical type books.

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