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Why is death usually painful for the body if natural?

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cowardescent

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I was discussing assisted suicide/euthanasia and I thought about this. The idea that people die peacefully in old age is usually false given that people die of disease like pneumonia, broken bones, etc...in other words when their body is failing.

The only peaceful death any animals get might be pets when they are euthanized. Humans seem to die in horrible ways? Why is that? Even most suicide methods like drug overdoses cause the body tremendous pain. The two types are drug induced organ failure (paracetamol, antifreeze) and drug induced respiratory depression (benzos, alcohol, heroin).

Is it a byproduct of evolution?
 
This is a great philosophical question.

Birth is painful and so is death, Life does seem quite cruel in that regard.
If we did not feel pain when we died, There might be less need to stay alive. Pain must be the great deterrent of death.
 
^^^That last sentence hits it. Pain is simply a mechanism which keeps us from doing things detrimental to both our and our species well being.

If there was no pain upon death people would care much less whether it happened or it didn’t.. And many might push the limits to see their end sooner because quite frankly the world can suck sometimes.

-GC
 
Opiate induced respiratory depression is not painful AFAIK, people in OD simply pass out quickly and then die without waking up.
The fact that death is a natural process and that it is often times a painful process do not have any correlation, it's not like nature provides any living creature with a pain free existence right, or that it is generally benign?
 
I don't think death itself is necessarily painful, for example, going out on a lethal dose of barbiturates will just put you to sleep, then into a coma and then kill you. However, pain is certainly a byproduct of evolution. Living things are possessed of the will to survive, instinctually. Life is designed to seek to survive and reproduce to carry on the species. Pain is a sensation that exists to deter organisms from receiving harm, or to let organisms know they are harmed. Instinctual feelings are very deeply rooted and powerful, and it can be weird for humans since we have the ability to think about these sensations and why we might care about them or react to them. We also, unlike most other animals, sometimes wish to not stay alive.

It isn't death that's painful, it's injury/disease. Most of the time, death comes with a lot of pain leading up to it, from cancer, or some other disease, or fatal injury, or some other painful process.

I'm going to move this to P&S as it really doesn't fit with CEPS, but good thread. (y)
 
At the time of the death, your cells are exploding, dying by apoptosis, etc. Consequently, some processes will occur, inflammatory ones, mainly, which may be painful when in excess.

Moreover, depending on the type of death, nerves can be compressed, signaling substances released in excess, and so on
 
Most deaths, whether natural or by unnatural causes, are inherently connected to states of bodily dysfunction (infection, respiratory distress, tissue damage, etc.). Since those are dangerous situations for the body and a risk for continued survival, pain is an evolutionary advantageous response that signals the need for flight, avoidance, rest, etc.
Since the body doesn't differentiate between those desired effects and a “lost cause situation“ (i.e. unavoidable death), many dying people experience some form of distress in the process.
 
After responding and then thinking/reading others comments, I thought back to my NDE research and one thing I remember is this..

As soon as you know/believe your going die, like deep down inside, whether it’s actually going to happen or not often times a sense of peace or tranquility will envelop you. (That is unless your going to Hell, but we won’t oprn that can of worms here hehe.)

Whether it’s shock or not, it seems that people dissociate pretty quick when they see the end is near..

I can kind of relate to this, not that I’ve had any NDE’s but I do deal with pain that at times has me wishing I could put a bullet in my head. When I get to these states of pain I’ve found a way since I was a child to dissociate. I’ll become non-responsive as I find some corner of my mind to crawl into and hide.

-GC
 
When I was researching euthanasia last year for myself, I found that the best method was nitrogen gas in a bag over the head. The body does not have the asphyxiation response to nitrogen as it does to the build up of carbon dioxide in the blood, so the person does not experience suffocation. The person just passes out and they're gone, usually in less than 5 minutes. Activists are trying to get this method used for capital punishment, as long as criminals continue to be punished this way. Also, for people who have terminal illness.

Death is painful because life is a biological imperative. It hurts so that you will avoid it, even against your better judgment. It hurts so that you will not choose it and will instead work through the pain you are experiencing and keep living. Life wants to live but adaptation can be painful. Think about an infant that cries because of the smallest thing it doesn't understand, like a flash of light or a sudden loud noise. As adults we can handle all sorts of stimuli we couldn't handle as infants because we adapted and grew in complexity. If death were easy more people would do it. Suicide is already the 5th leading cause of death in the U.S.

A lot of things that are natural are painful. Teething hurts, but we need teeth to eat. When we hit puberty our bones can hurt from growing. In a lot of cases, pain is part of function. We even have an endogenous opiate system so that we don't feel every little painful thing our body goes through as part of its normal functioning. Addicts in withdrawal get to feel all these little things in technicolour.

Pain is deeply part of our evolutionary psyche. We register it as something wrong that needs to be stopped because some pains can lead to death. But if you go into pain and really contemplate it, it's sort of empty.
 
cowardescent said:
I was discussing assisted suicide/euthanasia and I thought about this. The idea that people die peacefully in old age is usually false given that people die of disease like pneumonia, broken bones, etc...in other words when their body is failing.

The only peaceful death any animals get might be pets when they are euthanized. Humans seem to die in horrible ways? Why is that? Even most suicide methods like drug overdoses cause the body tremendous pain. The two types are drug induced organ failure (paracetamol, antifreeze) and drug induced respiratory depression (benzos, alcohol, heroin).

Is it a byproduct of evolution?
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Most human beings are consciously aware and subconsciously terrified of mortality so they will avoid it until the pain of death consumes them.

I've embraced it, can't wait for a painless death and will likely have a nice choice of downers to off myself with when it comes to that point. Not going to go through a painful death if I have any choice about it.

Phobos said:
Opiate induced respiratory depression is not painful AFAIK, people in OD simply pass out quickly and then die without waking up.
The fact that death is a natural process and that it is often times a painful process do not have any correlation, it's not like nature provides any living creature with a pain free existence right, or that it is generally benign?
Click to expand...
Overdosing on opiates is *extremely unpleasant* and not an advisable way to self-terminate.
 
spare ribs said:
No the thought of dying makes us avoid it .The actually act of dying is an unknown .
Click to expand...

The mind-body fights for life. The body is part of the mind-body. Even the bodies of people in comas fight for life instinctively when their life support is unplugged. They fight until they can't. I have also experienced this. When "I" really wanted to let go and die... my body revolted. The instincts in the meat are very strong.
 
Foreigner said:
The mind-body fights for life. The body is part of the mind-body. Even the bodies of people in comas fight for life instinctively when their life support is unplugged. They fight until they can't. I have also experienced this. When "I" really wanted to let go and die... my body revolted. The instincts in the meat are very strong.
Click to expand...

What about suicide attackers like the 9/11 hijackers? They wanted death more than life and even willingly flew planes into buildings.
 
In my journeys through other realms i came to the conclusion there is no such thing as death. Our true being is the immortal unchanging self which is also infinite bliss we live many lives in this cycle of so called birth and death til we finally realize who we are.
 
Idk what some of you are talking about...?

Life is pain.

Death is freedom from pain.

Why would it be logical to assume that when we die, it will be any different than how it was before we were born?
 
tracedwards313 said:
Idk what some of you are talking about...?

Life is pain.

Death is freedom from pain.

Why would it be logical to assume that when we die, it will be any different than how it was before we were born?
Click to expand...

Yes of course. I think personally life is a curse and death is the gift but the process of dying itself is not pleasant. Many suicide methods for example are painful and if one doesn't succeed, they're left with organ damage, paralysis.

Why is life pain exactly in your opinion?
 
I realise now I might have been insensitive in my curiosity, if so I apologise.
 
When I was on the gurney...My body wasn't in pain but my mental health I feared greatly....As soon as I said Father forgive me a great peace came over me and I fell asleep...

The Bible says that death as no more sting, that the sting of death will be taken away..From you and the ppl who witness you dying...

I've come to realize that not only will I die peacefully but family and friends will not worry cuz of the testimony of my life being a child of God.
 
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