Discussion What is with all the hype about a 'peaceful death'?

[Passenger4224]

As long as it isn't MAID, a suicide will not be peaceful!

Am I missing something here? I want to understand why many people strongly consider peacefulness when it comes to a method.

 

[deadofdespair]

Peacefulness as in painless?

 

[Passenger4224]

Peacefulness as in painless?

Do they mean the same thing? I assumed they were different :/

 

[deadofdespair]

Do they mean the same thing? I assumed they were different :/

I think so, yeah. But i could be wrong.

 

[diviosd]

when someone lives such a torturous life why wouldn't they wish for the least torturous end to it? idk it makes sense to me. i feel like this is just a human thing and most people suicidal or not want their death to be peaceful, people wish their lives were peaceful. people like being at peace. most methods youre right aren't peaceful but some are much less so than others, so if i had to pick between bad or worst i'd probably go with just bad.

 

[meowpuppy]

i think a peaceful death should be characterized not just in terms of how painless the act is, but the day immediately before the act, and how gentle you treat yourself. this sounds a bit pathetic, but for me, i'd be so unbearably kind to myself and relieve myself of basically every obligation, even my obligation to live, just so that my last day can have little to no stress

 

[time2gosoon]

As long as it isn't MAID, a suicide will not be peaceful!

Am I missing something here? I want to understand why many people strongly consider peacefulness when it comes to a method.

When I think about death/dying, I wish that we could just close our eyes and never open them again. That would be "peaceful".

 

[Forveleth]

"Peaceful" can mean painless or non-violent. Some people do not like the idea of leaving their body in a horrible, disfigured state for others to find. Some people do not want to experience physical pain in their last moments. Sometimes it is both.

 

[Die.A.Ria]

Because SI will be lower if its more peaceful and you know you wont suffer much and people want to die without pain because its their last moments

 

[bb142342]

Honestly, I don't understand the question.

Shouldn't it be every person's right to leave this world peacefully—meaning painlessly—if they wish to do so?

Why would anyone want it to be otherwise? What would be different? An agonizing, painful, bloody end?

Then again, there are people who think of others—those who might find the body and have to endure the sight.
That wouldn't happen with a peaceful death.

And a peaceful death would be possible for anyone with the right means; there is no need to pay 10,000 euros to an organization just to drink from a cup.

 

[Passenger4224]

Honestly, I don't understand the question.

Shouldn't it be every person's right to leave this world peacefully—meaning painlessly—if they wish to do so?

Why would anyone want it to be otherwise? What would be different? An agonizing, painful, bloody end?

Then again, there are people who think of others—those who might find the body and have to endure the sight.
That wouldn't happen with a peaceful death.

And a peaceful death would be possible for anyone with the right means; there is no need to pay 10,000 euros to an organization just to drink from a cup.

Are you sure they mean the same? I assumed they were different

I never thought a peaceful suicide is possible, like I feel so many people are chasing something that isn't achievable, I guess that is where my question is coming from.

 

[bb142342]

Yes, I think so.

Around here, there's a common saying about wanting to "fall asleep peacefully."

And in that context, "peacefully" implies being free of pain.

Not dying in an accident, or suffering from an illness with months of pain, or anything gruesome.

That's likely why so many people look into "N"—because it offers exactly that:

Drinking something and then peacefully falling asleep.

 

[hdead]

Are you sure they mean the same? I assumed they were different

I never thought a peaceful suicide is possible, like I feel so many people are chasing something that isn't achievable, I guess that is where my question is coming from.

I think you're right when you say they're different. To leave without physical pain is one thing, but peaceful means something different. To me, peaceful suggests that the mind and the body are both at ease when exitting. I think, and I don't mean to put words in other people's mouths, that anxiety will play a part even when you go with the most 'peaceful' method. The act of ending your life is quite a big thing, and I'd say that in any case some anxiety is to be expected. I think only a handful of people who commit suicide are 100% at ease when going for it, but I might be wrong.

 

[Passenger4224]

I think you're right when you say they're different. To leave without physical pain is one thing, but peaceful means something different. To me, peaceful suggests that the mind and the body are both at ease when exitting. I think, and I don't mean to put words in other people's mouths, that anxiety will play a part even when you go with the most 'peaceful' method. The act of ending your life is quite a big thing, and I'd say that in any case some anxiety is to be expected. I think only a handful of people who commit suicide are 100% at ease when going for it, but I might be wrong.

Yea that's what I was thinking too. I found 'peaceful' to be associated with feelings of euphoria and calmness. I think in an actual attempt most people would be in absolute distress and feeling sick to their stomach. I also think of the aftermath and how it won't look peaceful at all.

I guess I have part of the answer to my question. People interpret the word differently, and my interpretation is rather unrealistic

 

[Live_Life55]

The only peaceful way is assisted dying because they will make sure it is done right. Anything else has a risk of failure which will leave you in a vegetative state.

 

[hdead]

Yea that's what I was thinking too. I found 'peaceful' to be associated with feelings of euphoria and calmness. I think in an actual attempt most people would be in absolute distress and feeling sick to their stomach. I also think of the aftermath and how it won't look peaceful at all.

I try not to think of the aftermath. I don't think any dead body looks appealing, and it's always going to leave an emotional mark on somebody. Of course there's something to say for minimizing the distress but I tend to put my own experience first in this case.

I guess I have part of the answer to my question. People interpret the word differently, and my interpretation is rather unrealistic

I think your interpretation is spot on, actually. It seems to encompass the whole process. My grandmother was given the IV after battling cancer and I can say that was peaceful. She passed with a smile on her face surrounded by her loved ones. She was terminally ill and 82 years of age.

Most of us here struggle with mental health issues or chronic diseases and are much younger. I don't think suicide is ever fully peaceful because it's almost always initiated from a place of deep distress.

Personally I'm striving to become fully at peace with death, passing over and devising a method that will at least attempt to ensure a calm experience for myself. If I end up unconsciously frothing at the mouth, so be it. I don't like the idea of holding back vomit for 20 minutes before I finally lose consciousness. I'd much rather drift off to sleep. Whatever happens after, so be it.

 

[HNR_]

I think quoting the PPH, which I assume people who talk about "peacefulness" have read are referring to, is the best way to answer your question:

What makes a death 'peaceful', and what is meant by 'reliable"?

A survey of Exit International members identified reliability and peacefulness as the most important criteria.
Respondents stated that the ideal death would be one that occurs while the person is asleep.
The process should be fast, and there should be no discomfort or pain prior to loss of consciousness and death.

Unfortunately it is harder than it sounds to die peacefully and reliably.
For example, some actions might be peaceful but they are not reliable (eg. an overdose of Valium). Or, the process might be reliable but not at all peaceful (eg. jumping from a tall building).
Achieving the desired mutual goals of peaceful and reliable (preferably within as short a time frame possible) is a more complex challenge.

 

[Neonfeel]

Yea, it's like, you know that verse "Don't go gently into that good night"? It sounds very romantic and noble but I Nah F* that, im up for going VERY gently into that good night.

 

[blinkblink]

i agree that peacefulness/painlessness is absurd because ur gonna die and so it doesnt matter cause youll be dead, but its just scary to think that you might be in the most pain physically that youll ever be in (depending on method), voluntarily. its absurd but its honestly the main deciding factor imo cause YODO (you only die once)

 

[alliecake]

Personally, I've had a shitty life so i'd like my final moments to be as peaceful as possible.

 

[Manfrotto99]

Most people wish for a peaceful death - to just pass away in their sleep - after seeing people and pets die I think it is rarely peaceful be it ctb or by natural causes.

 

[lifeinthewindows]

life is so miserable as is. if i go, id want to do it in the way that causes me the least misery.

 

[FuneralCry]

All I want is to cease existing peacefully and never suffer in this existence so terrible and torturous ever again, what I'd fear is a painful method going wrong and leading to way worse torture and suffering in this existence where there is no limit as to how much agony one can feel, it's just so terrifying how that can happen.

I just want to be free from this terrible, futile existence that to me will just always be a mistake and the fact that humans make it illegal to die peacefully with the suffering and torture of existing seen as to force and prolong no matter what is such a terrible crime to me, peaceful death needs to be accessible, all I need is peace from the terrible mistake of existence.

 

[Kabalite]

I think most people don't want to violently end themselves with a blast to the dome or anything. Finding a way to shut your body down, with minimal discomfort, is a good way to trick your mind and fool your SI into letting it happen. It takes a tremendous amount of willpower to fight your SI when it comes to crashing your car into a wall at 100 MPH but if you drink some water with SN or fall asleep from CO then it's a little easier to stomach. Of course your SI will still compel you to survive but for many people I think it's a way to 'trick' the mind into accepting it rather than going the drastic route of a more explosive end.

Of course many people still do use firearms or ropes to hang themselves or jump from bridges so it's very much an option people take. However I think if there was an easily accessible way to just shut your body down with minimum fuss or discomfort I think many would take that. If only.

It's no surprise people want a peaceful end. In their last moments people want to be comfortable. Nobody wants to be in horrible agony right before they stop existing. Sometimes it happens that way anyway. Sometimes with some methods or some people in some situations it's inevitable. The tragedy of wanting to die but having no easy way to in a world that tells you you're required to live.

 

[charlieee]

As long as it isn't MAID, a suicide will not be peaceful!

Am I missing something here? I want to understand why many people strongly consider peacefulness when it comes to a method.

I think they mean a painless death. Something that might be slowly slipping away. I think there's a lot of poetry in the way lots of people imagine their death, which can be confusing if you're more on the logical side.