Note this is not a religious thread but a spiritual one.
Realistically, for many of us, the end of our lives will be one where we are stuck in a bed and dying. We will most likely be in pads and have our bottoms wiped. We will most likely also have a catheter.
At this point in our lives, what is it that will help us?
In this situation, I would rather be alone than surrounded by people who feel sad around me. The best case scenario for me would be for there to be happy people around me.
I think this would help me. As I believe it helps me, I try to be happy around people when they are dying. I believe I have had positive responses from these people. They showed that even in extreme pain they can laugh, smile and be happy (even if it only for a few moments).
What will help you when you need to have your bottom wiped as you are dying?
There are only two options available for that. One is your family and the other one is hired help, either by money or sponsored by the state. And, if one does not have either of those, he will have to die alone.
The fact of the matter is that human are far more dependent on other humans in comparison or other species. Forget about difficult times like infants or aged persons, we cannot live alone even in good times. There cannot be any good time alone possible ever. One needs some others to share his/her feelings, which can be trusted.
That is why the family is necessary for a happy society. If this institution would break down completely, society can never be happy, no matter how much progress it would make in other verticals. Everyone would feel something missing in his/her life forever.
Yes, it certainly is.
It is even more scary that most of us can imagine. Only such person, who is going through it, can understand how horrible it can be.
I agree that it is incredibly hard to be alone even in good times let alone bad times. I watched a documentary on the construction of prisons in the US. They said that they have to allow prisoners to socialise despite this increasing the risk of gangs and riots. They said a person alone and without hope is a very dangerous person in that they tend to develop very unstable minds.
I still would rather be alone then surrounded by unhappy people. But… I doubt my capacity to do this when faced with the reality of dying alone. I might imagine that the pain of being alone will be greater than the pain of being surrounded by unhappy people. In the end I would probably want anyone by my side - no matter who they are.
Artimas, You need to forget about such things. When that time comes, all these things would not help much, unless you are a serious and devoted meditator. And, such cases are rare, very rare.
I don’t care either way, I just don’t want pain. I live in pain everyday, it would be nice if dying had none. But, pipe dreams are pipe dreams, unless I get awesome drugs.
