Does the process of death hurt?

[dantescritic]

 I think one of the most terrifying things to me is the fear of death.  It may be one of my main reasons for being a hypochondriac.  Ive seen old people in hospitals die, and while it doesn't seem painful because they sleep the things that occur "Rattles, Facial expressions" make me think that it will just be horrible and terrible.  Is there any good news about the process of dying? Is it painful?

 Sorry for the morbidity of this post

[Ravens Lady]

Well, first of all, I would encourage hypochondriacs NOT to focus too much on death.  I think many of us already do.  But a few healthy conversations here and there shouldn't be bad.  All things in moderation. 

Since you've brought up the topic, I think that it varies person to person depending on the circumstances. 

Some that have had near death experiences report back that they had very serene, peaceful experiences.  The majority seem to report back positive or at least neutral type experiences.  Every once in awhile a person reports back something negative, but that seems to be rare. 

If what you mean is the preceding dying experiences, I believe that varies too.  Age, health, what is causing the person's death, and how long the "process" lasts all factor into how the experience might be or how it might feel. 

I was very fascinated by the subject of near death experiences and read up a lot on what experiences people have reported.  Honestly, sounds like it could be a great time!  Sense of peace, seeing beauty, hearing music, being caught up with what would appear to be loved ones.  Now I'm not saying whether these are hallucinations or not, I'm just saying that it sounds like it could be a pleasant **experience**.  I'm fascinated by the brain and how it works and consciousness. 

Also, I remember talking in one of my spanish classes about how some cultures view death in a more negative light, and others in a more positive light.  For instance, in some Latin American countries, death has traditionally been more celebrated, rather than feared or avoided. 

[bradley1]

I truly believe that all health anxiety comes from anxiety over dying and what that means to us as individuals. I saw a psychologist who said my ha is due to 'existential' anxiety ie anxiety relating to who and what we are and what the point of our existence is etc. He says uve either gotta push this aside and get on with ur life or face it head on and take ur own spiritual journey, research etc to establish what you believe x

[WarwithAnxiety]

Honestly, 96% of us fear our HA fears because normally when we search the "Fear", one word stands out either in the Symptoms or the Prognosis (outcome) area-Death. We sometimes think, "will it be excruciating pain?", or "Will it be slow or sudden?". Such questions like that should never be answered. Even so, we still wonder, "What will Death be like?" That, regardless of what I think I have, is a question I never want answered. Just my view, but I think no one should be thinking about Death-regardless of age.

[ipayton785]

The fear of dying is what scares us hypochondriacs the most. Not really because we believe it will be a slow painful process because our brain has defense mechanisms that help with situations like that. But its more of the fear of not knowing what happens after death. I've been fascinated by death and conciousness over the past year or so and from what I have researched, it seems that death isn't a bad thing at all. Almost all near death experiences are characterized and explained in detail very very similarly. I was reading an article one time where they interviewed several people that had went into cardiac arrest (which is the last step of the human body before it dies), and almost all of them described them standing in a tunnel with a light at the end. They said they felt an extremely strong feeling of peacefulness, love, and happiness. Supposedly at the end of the tunnel are others who have passed on to the afterlife and are there waiting for you. Family, friends, etc.

Now with the negative near death experiences they are very rare. I believe that people who have negative near death experiences are just bad people, and I've always been stumped by the idea of death, and God putting us here just to send some of us to hell. And if He knows ALL then why would he create a specific person if He knew that they were just going to be a terrible person and be sent to hell. Part of me wants to believe that if you don't live your life how God wants you to then you start over here on earth. When you become at peace with God and the rest of this infinite universe then you get to walk through the dark tunnel with the light at the end of it. We are here for a reason. To learn a lesson, but none of us will know what that lesson is until we die.

All of us know deep down that the universe what created based on good ideas instead of nightmarish, terrible ideas. What would be the point? Also go to youtube and search "At the bottom of everything by bright eyes." and watch the music video. It's a song about a plane that crashes into the sea and how the people on the plane are celebrating rather than being absolutely terrified like anyone else would. It will definitely change your view on death and it might make you cry like it did me. It's beautiful. Happy tears though. :)

Good luck.