Quote:Who wants to live forever? Precisely 15% of us, according to a new ComRes opinion poll commissioned by Dying Matters, a coalition backed by several major charities which promotes discussion of end-of-life issues.
The poll shows more young people than old hanker for immortality – 21% of 18-24s against 12% of over-65s; most want to live into their 80s, and fear of death declines. As people age, they increasingly believe quality of life is more important than longevity, with 81% of over-65s taking this view, against 58% of 18-24 year olds.
If these findings indicate that people tend to grow more reconciled to the inevitable, others suggest lingering anxieties about the manner of one's final departure, and inhibition about discussing death.
People are more frightened of dying in pain (83%) than of being informed that they are being dying in the first place (67%). But most say they have used euphemisms, such as "passed away", to avoid talking directly of death, indicating a taboo that can stand in the way of people taking care of their own dying.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/may/16...NTCMP=SRCH
Interesting stuff 
My own quick thoughts:
living forever — what a horrible suggestion!
dying in pain — is this worse quickly or slowly? Long-term pain is pretty dreadful; but dying in short-term pain, so that pain fills your last thoughts, seems almost more dreadful.
"passed away" — yes, a terrible expression. Okay, if it's applied to people who died in their sleep, through old age or after long illness. But definitely not to people who, for example, suddenly keeled over dead or were stabbed on the street.
funerals, wills — no, I've never really discussed either (beyond the trivial, that is; e.g. I want that tune played or whatever) and I don't have a will.
![[Image: GGRIM.gif]](http://www.subvertcentral.com/forum/images/smilies/GGRIM.gif)
Apparently this is all part of Dying Matters Awareness Week:
http://www.dyingmatters.org/
An interesting companion to Stephen Hawkings opinion on the matter:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2011/m...-no-heaven
Why can't Steven Hawking dance?
...
...
Because he's white.
Iiiiiiiiiiiii thank you 
both are interesting read
sky burial for me. if possible.
cube Wrote:sky burial for me. if possible.
what's that?
left on a tibetan mountain for vultures to eat
i came across this book in the library one time.
xinran - sky burial
it's a great story, kind of love story, about conscription in the chinese army in the 50's to go fight tibet, and the wife of a soldier who disappears there, signs up as a medical officer, goes to tibet, ditches her platoon and inadvertely ends up spending 8 years wandering the plateau, but can't speak tibetan, so it's a strange one.
cube Wrote:left on a tibetan mountain for vultures to eat
Jamie: I wish we had time to bury them fellas.
Josey Wales: To hell with them fellas. Buzzards gotta eat, same as worms.
 yeehaaw 
noisemonkey Wrote:An interesting companion to Stephen Hawkings opinion on the matter:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2011/m...-no-heaven
Stephen Hawking Wrote:"I regard the brain as a computer which will stop working when its components fail. There is no heaven or afterlife for broken down computers; that is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark," he added.
Stephen Hawking Wrote:"I regard the brain as a computer which will stop working when its components fail. There is no heaven or afterlife for broken down computers; that is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark," he added.
As much as I respect Stephen Hawking's work, until a scientist can actually explain what consciousness is, they can make no 'absolute' statement as to what does or does not happen to it, as far I am concerned
Plus the study of conciousness has always by and large been through psychology, neurophysiology and cognitive science. Hawking is a theoretical physicist and cosmologist.
They're completely different fields of expertise :P
i'm rather shocked how low the percents are for people who want to live forever. figured it was natural but i suppose im just vain.
InfiniteSloth Wrote:i'm rather shocked how low the percents are for people who want to live forever. figured it was natural but i suppose im just vain.
You're okay!
You're 'Infinite' sloth :P
though it seems most subverts don't really give a fuck about dying
![[Image: flaming.gif]](http://www.subvertcentral.com/forum/images/smilies/flaming.gif)
Think I'm like you Statto, in that I've only really thought about what music I'd like played !!
I'll be happy with whatever I get - enjoyed the ride so far anyway
Terry Pratchett: Choosing to Die
...on BBC2 on Monday night.
The thought of seeing someone actually die on television is really quite disturbing. Maybe it's just because it brings your own mortality much closer to home. Dunno if I'll be brave enough to watch it.
i think id rather watch someone die peacefully than have to witness them turning in to a complete mess through alzheimers though
not exactly a decision youd want to make but you know what i mean
Statto Wrote:though it seems most subverts don't really give a fuck about dying
I've not thought a huge amount about dying, I worry about losing my mum & dad, which I suspect is probably quite common. I hope that doesn't come across as selfish in any way, I know plenty of people (you included Jon) have lost their parents, and perhaps that happening is what accelerates your own thought process. Occasionally I think I should probably take a little more care crossing the road but most of the time my concerns lie elsewhere.
Statto Wrote:Terry Pratchett: Choosing to Die
...on BBC2 on Monday night.
The thought of seeing someone actually die on television is really quite disturbing. Maybe it's just because it brings your own mortality much closer to home. Dunno if I'll be brave enough to watch it.
Have you ever seen - Sick: The Life & Death of Bob Flanagan, Supermasochist ?
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120126/
It's a really cool and funny film about a guy who died from cystic fibrosis and how he lived with his condition in great humour up until he died. It shows his dead body just after he passed away but not the moment he actually died.. Well worth a watch. Also didn't Robert Winston do a program about the human body where it showed someone dying of cancer who allowed people to see his last moments? It was on BBC1 I think.
Euphony Wrote:Stephen Hawking Wrote:"I regard the brain as a computer which will stop working when its components fail. There is no heaven or afterlife for broken down computers; that is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark," he added.
As much as I respect Stephen Hawking's work, until a scientist can actually explain what consciousness is, they can make no 'absolute' statement as to what does or does not happen to it, as far I am concerned
Plus the study of conciousness has always by and large been through psychology, neurophysiology and cognitive science. Hawking is a theoretical physicist and cosmologist.
They're completely different fields of expertise :P
I've always wondered what happens to your perception when the brain is shutting down. Maybe time stretches so far, you could stick a couple of lifetimes (or aeons?) into the split second before you die... Maybe that's even what could be called "heaven" (or hell), depending on what you fed your brain with in your time on earth... We're so reliant on our perceptions, just think of dreams you can remember, which only stay in your memory, because they occur in the short time span before you awake.
 
Statto Wrote:Terry Pratchett: Choosing to Die
...on BBC2 on Monday night.
The thought of seeing someone actually die on television is really quite disturbing. Maybe it's just because it brings your own mortality much closer to home. Dunno if I'll be brave enough to watch it.
okay, so I watched it
powerful stuff
Statto Wrote:Statto Wrote:Terry Pratchett: Choosing to Die
...on BBC2 on Monday night.
The thought of seeing someone actually die on television is really quite disturbing. Maybe it's just because it brings your own mortality much closer to home. Dunno if I'll be brave enough to watch it.
okay, so I watched it
powerful stuff
Have you ever seen - Sick: The Life & Death of Bob Flanagan, Supermasochist ?
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120126/
It's a really cool and funny film about a guy who died from cystic fibrosis and how he lived with his condition in great humour up until he died. It shows his dead body just after he passed away but not the moment he actually died.. Well worth a watch. Also didn't Robert Winston do a program about the human body where it showed someone dying of cancer who allowed people to see his last moments? It was on BBC1 I think.
noisemonkey Wrote:
Have you ever seen - Sick: The Life & Death of Bob Flanagan, Supermasochist ?
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120126/
It's a really cool and funny film about a guy who died from cystic fibrosis and how he lived with his condition in great humour up until he died. It shows his dead body just after he passed away but not the moment he actually died.. Well worth a watch. Also didn't Robert Winston do a program about the human body where it showed someone dying of cancer who allowed people to see his last moments? It was on BBC1 I think.
sorry
no, I haven't seen it 
and I don't know about the Robert Winston programme either 
I'll try and check them out
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