Is death a relief?

[Kirov]

This is sort of philosophical, but is death really a relief or is it the moment before you die where you feel at peace knowing there's nothing to worry about anymore?

 

[Themogger]

It'd be pretty funny if everyone just unanimously said No

 

[chester]

I like philosophical questions. I'd say death is a relief, because you're being relieved of the burden of painful existence. So the relief in this sense isn't defined as something good you'll feel, but rather ceasing to feel something bad. TBH I think this understanding of relief also applies to situations when nobody dies.

 

[xandermax]

Waking up from sleep is the opposite of relief for me. I hate waking up into my life. So a forever sleep, for me, would be a relief.

But one cannot feel relief if one is dead. One feels nothing.

 

[avalon_]

No. You need a nervous system to experience relief.

 

[hawkshorizon]

Death itself is not a relief. Once you've passed on, there is no awareness, and therefore no way to reflect on your state of being.

Relief, as Kirov suggests, lies more in that "moment before you die where you feel at peace knowing there's nothing to worry about anymore.

 

[Forever Sleep]

The idea of death can be a relief while we're still alive. If death didn't exist. If we all lived forever, we'd know there was no end to the pain. Still, if that's all there ever was, I suppose we wouldn't think to question it. But yeah- passive ideation can be a comforting thought.

The actual thing though. Who knows? Personally, I doubt we'll feel anything after death. But, if there are afterlives then- it's going to depend if we go somewhere better or worse I imagine and how conscious we still are.

We can't entirely predict how we'll be feeling right before death too. Probably depends on how we die. Sadly, I think a lot of suicide methods involve large elements of fear, discomfort and pain. May as well 'enjoy' the idea of being relieved by death while we're still alive I suppose.

I remember a more pro-life member once making a kind of bizarre argument like that once. Like- if you get any enjoyment out of life- even if that enjoyment comes from thinking about your own death/ non existence- you still need to remain alive in order to be able to experience that. Of course, it seems kind of ridiculous to me because, hand in hand with that idealised idea of death is the knowedge that it's going to be incredibly risky and very possibly painful and terrifying to actually accomplish. It's actually a horrible longing rather than some pleasant day dream when it comes down to it- active ideation for a lot of us. It would be nice to think that after all that, we would actually be 'rewarded' with a calm, peaceful transition but, I doubt it for many of us.

Really, even in an ideal scenario- assisted suicide in a clinic. 100% guaranteed death and hopefully, relatively painless. Would it still be an entirely calm process? None of us know what death actually is. We may have someone we care about with us who we're having to say goodbye to. We may well be feeling bad for them. Plus, we're about to drink a poison. I imagine it's a lot like going in for an operation. You hope it will work but, you're full of uncertainty. I'm not even sure natural death is always calm either. Again, it probably depends on the circumstances.

 

[sugarb]

It'd be pretty funny if everyone just unanimously said No

yeah it would
I know this site is serious and all but the urge to shitpost is often overpowering

This is sort of philosophical, but is death really a relief or is it the moment before you die where you feel at peace knowing there's nothing to worry about anymore?

Sounds like relief either way.

 

[plan c]

I consider the process of losing consciousness the most relieving part of death. I sense all grief and pain coming from my mind and the act of killing awareness is cathartic.

That's perhaps why I can't stop drinking. Being drunk it's like death's 1-day free trial.

 

[pthnrdnojvsc]

Yes Death is a relief

 

[Cress]

Depends on Who you ask. it's hard to know. Although I think most people are overconfident in their answers. You're going to be dead for an infinite amount of time. Infinity is essentially unpredictable. Your consciousness could restart at some point. It's hard to say.

If there's one thing that brings me comfort is whether I choose to kill myself or not. I was going to die anyway so whether my consciousness restarts and I start suffering again at some indeterminate point in the future it doesn't really matter does it. Although even that preposition has its own terrors. Maybe the universe restarts itself at some point and we all live out our lives exactly the same way over and over again. If you ended it early you're going to live that existence out for all eternity over and over again. Such a fate makes it seem kind of unfair That certain humans have to suffer so much.

 

[FuneralCry]

For me personally death truly is the only relief, I'd never wish to suffer in this terrible, torturous existence that just causes all this pain, the only comfort for me could ever lie in never existing again, I only hope to never exist, I only wish for nothingness where all is forgotten about for me and I cannot be tormented in this existence anymore. In my case I'd never wish to exist and I find it so dreadful to simply exist, it terrifies me how there is no limit as to how much one can suffer in this existence that can potentially continue for so long just for one to die in agony tortured by old age. The way I see it existence is such a horrific tragedy that to me just causes harm which is why I'd certainly be so relieved to never exist again, I only hope to be unconscious for all eternity.

 

[uglyugly]

I have no idea, but my opinion is nothing is worse that living when your body, mind, and soul are past ready to go. I can't believe what lies beyond this world is as terrible as this place is.

 

[Darkover]

death is freedom from all earthly problems i can only hope it last forever

 

[CantDoIt]

It has better be

In seriousness I think yes. If it's not a permanent relief at least it will be for some time.

 

[thereisnoone]

Death is the end all be all and it will be like a brid released from its cage but i end up the emptiness that is left when that bird makes its flight

 

[BobSmoked]

I genuinely don't know but I've witnessed my share of deaths and it just leaves me with more questions than answers tbh it's a curious one to ponder i do sit up at night worrying on the impact to the few i leave, my method of DTB comes into consideration especially given the impact my uncle's hangings had on my mum but ultimately death is the end of the line so i hope it is.

 

[lostintheloop]

The idea and planning can be a relief. But afterwards, I believe it is just nothing. You can't feel relief if you're dead.

 

[MyTimeIsUp]

Only those that are dead can answer this, because you cannot come back from the dead. Physically impossible.

Near death experiences are not death, because again, you CANNOT come back from being dead. Actually dead. Completely brain dead.

You'll only know once you're dead

 

[Plentiful_Despair]

Death is obviously the biggest physical relief possible. No one knows what happens after. I think there's nothing.

 

[Gustav Hartmann]

Due to the survival instinct, for the vast majority of people death is anything but a relief. Most people here should think that death is a relief, otherwise suicide would make no sense. For nature and evolution death is definitively a relief, thats the reason why we age and finally die.

For us in this forum the possibility to end ones life premature is a relief, provided that we believe things will become better when we are dead. If death means not existing anymore this should be true but we cannot be completly sure, that death means the transition into not existence.

Basically we can only be sure that our mind exists, the knowledge of anything outside of our own mind is unsure, the external world and other minds cannot be known and might not exist outside our mind. Who ever dreamt to dream will understand this, death could only mean the transition to another dream.

Has this an impact on committing suicide or not? I would say no! As we will die anyway sooner or later we have to take is as it comes. Suicide is in this context a clear statement to the owner of the matrix.

 

[ijustwishtodie]

Personally, I think that death is a relief but I know that not many others here think the same way. I see death as a relief because it's the permanent cessation to all suffering and pain. When I'm dead, I'll never have to be a slave ever again nor will I ever have to suffer. I simply don't want anything to do with life. I just can't see how not suffering for eternity isn't relieving

 

[Onelessstraw]

I think deciding death is when the real relief starts. When I decided I was going to ctb in the future the pressure of life was lifted and for a brief moment I felt free

 

[Praestat_Mori]

We don't know what comes after death. Is there nothing? Is there an afterlife? After death, we're certainly relieved from the pain and suffering. Imo, death is the only relief from all suffering and pain in this world.

What comes after is unknown. Most likely there is nothing and the atoms that formed our bodies will be recycled. Aside from that, the universe itself will also die in the far future.