The Mechanics of Death

[dybmh]

What does your faith or belief system teach about the mechanics of death? Is there an angel of death? Is the soul estinguished or somehow removed from the body? Is there an inner light that expires? Is there perhaps "the kiss of death"? Are there ways to avoid or postpone death? Any other details are greatly appreciated.

This is in religious Q&A; So no debate. Hopefully there will be good diversity in the replies.

Thank you,

 

[John D. Brey]

What does your faith or belief system teach about the mechanics of death? Is there an angel of death? Is the soul estinguished or somehow removed from the body? Is there an inner light that expires? Is there perhaps "the kiss of death"? Are there ways to avoid or postpone death? Any other details are greatly appreciated.

This is in religious Q&A; So no debate. Hopefully there will be good diversity in the replies.

Thank you,

John 11:26.



John

 

[dybmh]

John 11:26.



John

Is this a physical death or a spiritual death?

 

[dybmh]

John 11:26.



John

Also, for those that don't believe, what happens when they die? What are the mechanics of it?

 

[We Never Know]

What does your faith or belief system teach about the mechanics of death? Is there an angel of death? Is the soul estinguished or somehow removed from the body? Is there an inner light that expires? Is there perhaps "the kiss of death"? Are there ways to avoid or postpone death? Any other details are greatly appreciated.

This is in religious Q&A; So no debate. Hopefully there will be good diversity in the replies.

Thank you,

No one knows if a soul goes on or what happens after death. Dead people can't give a report.

 

[John D. Brey]

Is this a physical death or a spiritual death?

Does Judaism distinguish between the two?



John

 

[John D. Brey]

Also, for those that don't believe, what happens when they die? What are the mechanics of it?

We live in a generation that doesn't believe in or except negative proclamations even if they come from scripture so I won't quote John 3:36.



John

 

[Aupmanyav]

What does your faith or belief system teach about the mechanics of death? Is there an angel of death? Is the soul extinguished or somehow removed from the body? Is there an inner light that expires? Is there perhaps "the kiss of death"? Are there ways to avoid or postpone death? Any other details are greatly appreciated.

In main-line theist Hinduism, the do-gooders are sent some form of a luxuriously fitted aircraft (vimana) with courteous flight attendants and honorably escorted to the court of the God of Death, Yama, who would then ask them their choice about what they choose first, hell for a short period for some inadvertent mistake they might have done, or heaven, which in their case will be longer. The evil are dragged by hair by Yama's hideous-looking messengers riding he-bullocks and dumped before Yama. They may get a short period in heaven for any inadvertent good that they might have done, which will be short in their case and a longer sojourn in hell. They are not given any choice.

No. The soul is not extinguished, it is eternal. But eventually, all return to the world in a new life and go through the grind, unless they attain nirvana, moksha, enlightenment, by any of the three means - knowledge (Jnana), deeds (Karma) or Devotion to Deities (male or female - Bhakti). This is completely secular and does not depend on what beliefs they might have or which Gods they might be worshiping.

Avoidance of death is possible in rare cases for a certain period of time, depending again the three things mentioned above and the will of deities. But accept for the fortunate few in Hinduism, death comes to all (Theist Hindus believe that only eight people have been granted immortality). They are:
Ashwatthama, King Mahabali, Sage VedaVyasa, Lord Hanuman, Vibheeshana, Krupacharya, Lord Parashurama and Sage Markandeya, being the eighth.
It is said that one who always remembers this, will live for 100 years without any ailment.

"Ashwathaama Balirvyaaso Hanumanshcha Vibheeshanaha
Krupaha Parshuramascha Saptaitey Chiranjivinaha
Saptaitaan Samsmareynnityam Markandeymathaashtamam
Jivedvarshshatam Sopi Sarvavyadhivivarjita"
Immortals in Hinduism at DuckDuckGo

However, in my own Advaita-based belief, nothing like that happens. Death is just failure of a machine and its chemical disintegration by various means - internment in a grave, cremation, exposure, etc.

 

[mikkel_the_dane]

I can do both. That when I die I am no more. Or that I continue as something else.
For the latter I don't know what that is, because I am not something else right now.

To me they are both connected with how to cope with knowing that I die and involve that I assume that I know what happens after death. But I don't, so depending on context for what works emotionally for me at a given moment I will use the one or the other.

 

[YoursTrue]

What does your faith or belief system teach about the mechanics of death? Is there an angel of death? Is the soul estinguished or somehow removed from the body? Is there an inner light that expires? Is there perhaps "the kiss of death"? Are there ways to avoid or postpone death? Any other details are greatly appreciated.

This is in religious Q&A; So no debate. Hopefully there will be good diversity in the replies.

Thank you,

Here's my diversity, no debate. Humans wrote a book called the Bible that says why we die.

 

[stvdv]

What does your faith or belief system teach about the mechanics of death?

Indestructable Atma is real alone, hence never dies

Universe, world, Body, Mind is illusory, unreal, hence never dies

Hence death is unreal...Only God is real

 

[Aupmanyav]

Here's my diversity, no debate. Humans wrote a book called the Bible that says why we die.

Here is the Gita verse, which say we are eternal, indestructible. No debate.

"avināśi tu tad viddhi, yena sarvam idaṁ tatam;
vināśam avyayasyāsya, na kaścit kartum arhati."

Know that as imperishable, all which exists in this or that; the imperishable can not be destroyed even in the least by anyone. BG 2.17

 

[Hermit Philosopher]

What does your faith or belief system teach about the mechanics of death?/…

My faith deals with spirit. The ”mechanics” of death (and of life!) are physical and follow laws of physics. Medicine describes its [death] “mechanics” best.

…/Is the soul estinguished or somehow removed from the body?/…

According to my faith, when one’s physical being dies, the soul -and its experience of being, from the unique perspective that was one’s person- returns to source and unites with all other perspectives that have been experienced.

The soul is not “removed” from body in a spacial, physical sense (that is not a spiritual, but physical concept). Perhaps a more abstract metaphor, like teleportation (?), be more fitting… I don’t know.

…/Are there ways to avoid or postpone death?/…

This question does not make true sense within my faith. It’s like asking: can we avoid or postpone teething?
Possibly, but why would we want to do that; to avoid a phase of teething pain? Why would we want to remain, stuck in one particular stage of being and miss out on the experience (and lessons) that all other stages have to offer?


Humbly,
Hermit

 

[Twilight Hue]

What does your faith or belief system teach about the mechanics of death? Is there an angel of death? Is the soul estinguished or somehow removed from the body? Is there an inner light that expires? Is there perhaps "the kiss of death"? Are there ways to avoid or postpone death? Any other details are greatly appreciated.

This is in religious Q&A; So no debate. Hopefully there will be good diversity in the replies.

Thank you,

I think its a natural process that cycles and arranges, just like how our own birth comes about between the stages of death. Namely pre birth and post death, of which integrates during our lifetime where our bodies still grow and die continually throughout its span forming new cells and shedding dead cells.

 

[ChristineM]

My view is that of science and the first law of thermodynamics. Here follows a simplified description.

From conception to death you grow by absorbing atoms (and releasing some, for example most household dust is dead skin). This process of absorption slows after your 20s. When you die it stops, brain function ceases the end.

You then either decompose or are burnt and your atoms are returned so they may be reused by nature (in this way we are all made of dead people).

And now the really good bit.

The atoms you use last for, at least, as long as this universe lasts. So when our sun dies and takes earth with it your atoms will part of what remains. Which could develop into a star factory. Your atoms could be part of a star shining light on a new planet helping to bring life to a world.

Or be part of that world and be used to build new life.

Or they could be just floating about lifelessly until the end.

 

[Ashoka]

What does your faith or belief system teach about the mechanics of death? Is there an angel of death? Is the soul estinguished or somehow removed from the body? Is there an inner light that expires? Is there perhaps "the kiss of death"? Are there ways to avoid or postpone death? Any other details are greatly appreciated.

This is in religious Q&A; So no debate. Hopefully there will be good diversity in the replies.

Thank you,

I believe that when I die, my body will go back to the earth and be used by the earth.

Will there be consciousness? I don't know. A part of me, the atoms that made up who I was will go on existing. But I, as I am now? Probably not. You can't step into the same river twice...or so I believe.

I used to fear this because I couldn't imagine not knowing, not being conscious of myself and the universe. But now it's kind of romantic...like another poster said, my atoms might go to the stars and planets. A part of me will always be there.

 

[Mock Turtle]

But where I tend to believe the end is just that - and much like endless sleep.

 

[ChristineM]

But where I tend to believe the end is just that - and much like endless sleep.

I love the doors music, thanks for posting it.

I prefer sleep, it's like death but without the long term commitment

 

[Colt]

What does your faith or belief system teach about the mechanics of death? Is there an angel of death? Is the soul estinguished or somehow removed from the body? Is there an inner light that expires? Is there perhaps "the kiss of death"? Are there ways to avoid or postpone death? Any other details are greatly appreciated.

This is in religious Q&A; So no debate. Hopefully there will be good diversity in the replies.

Thank you,

Will clip my answer rather than try to retell it.

In my theology which comes from the Urantia Book each human is a child of God and most have a Thought Adjuster or Father fragment within them from childhood until death and or translation. There are (3) kinds of death:


1. "Spiritual (soul) death. If and when mortal man has finally rejected survival, when he has been pronounced spiritually insolvent, morontially bankrupt, in the conjoint opinion of the Adjuster and the surviving seraphim, when such co-ordinate advice has been recorded on Uversa, and after the Censors and their reflective associates have verified these findings, thereupon do the rulers of Orvonton order the immediate release of the indwelling Monitor. But this release of the Adjuster in no way affects the duties of the personal or group seraphim concerned with that Adjuster-abandoned individual. This kind of death is final in its significance irrespective of the temporary continuation of the living energies of the physical and mind mechanisms. From the cosmic standpoint the mortal is already dead; the continuing life merely indicates the persistence of the material momentum of cosmic energies.

2. Intellectual (mind) death. When the vital circuits of higher adjutant ministry are disrupted through the aberrations of intellect or because of the partial destruction of the mechanism of the brain, and if these conditions pass a certain critical point of irreparability, the indwelling Adjuster is immediately released to depart for Divinington. On the universe records a mortal personality is considered to have met with death whenever the essential mind circuits of human will-action have been destroyed. And again, this is death, irrespective of the continuing function of the living mechanism of the physical body. The body minus the volitional mind is no longer human, but according to the prior choosing of the human will, the soul of such an individual may survive.

3. Physical (body and mind) death. When death overtakes a human being, the Adjuster remains in the citadel of the mind until it ceases to function as an intelligent mechanism, about the time that the measurable brain energies cease their rhythmic vital pulsations. Following this dissolution the Adjuster takes leave of the vanishing mind, just as unceremoniously as entry was made years before, and proceeds to Divinington by way of Uversa."

112:3.7 Upon death the Thought Adjuster temporarily loses personality, but not identity; the human subject temporarily loses identity, but not personality; on the mansion worlds both reunite in eternal manifestation. Never does a departed Thought Adjuster return to earth as the being of former indwelling; never is personality manifested without the human will; and never does a dis-Adjustered human being after death manifest active identity or in any manner establish communication with the living beings of earth. Such dis-Adjustered souls are wholly and absolutely unconscious during the long or short sleep of death. There can be no exhibition of any sort of personality or ability to engage in communications with other personalities until after completion of survival. Those who go to the mansion worlds are not permitted to send messages back to their loved ones. It is the policy throughout the universes to forbid such communication during the period of a current dispensation." UB 1955


** For survivors the adjuster returns almost like software downloaded into the "new form" that we are given in heaven in the next life on the mansion worlds where we will pick up right where we left off. We are at the mercy of the Thought Adjuster who will have possession of all of our life's transcripts and soul growth which will reunite to reestablish us upon the resurrection.

 

[John D. Brey]

In main-line theist Hinduism, the do-gooders are sent some form of a luxuriously fitted aircraft (vimana) with courteous flight attendants and honorably escorted to the court of the God of Death, Yama, who would then ask them their choice about what they choose first, hell for a short period for some inadvertent mistake they might have done, or heaven, which in their case will be longer. The evil are dragged by hair by Yama's hideous-looking messengers riding he-bullocks and dumped before Yama. They may get a short period in heaven for any inadvertent good that they might have done, which will be short in their case and a longer sojourn in hell.

Because all or most religions come from the same source of truth there tends to be parallel concepts taught in all the religions.

In these words the Apostle sets forth a most apt antithesis (in four ways): first, he who is justified by faith has peace with God, but tribulation in the world, because his life is spiritual. Secondly, the unrighteous have peace with the world, but anguish and tribulation with God, because their life is carnal. Thirdly, as God the Holy Spirit is eternal, so also the peace of the righteous and the tribulation of the unrighteous will be everlasting. Lastly, as flesh is temporal, so also the tribulation of the righteous and the peace of the unrighteous will be temporary.

Martin Luther, Commentary on Romans, p. 89.​

Luther compares this world to hell and implies that the unrighteous get their cheap, short-lived blessing here, while the righteous suffer in this world. But, since this life is short, the unrighteous have a short time of blessing, while since heaven is eternal, the righteous short time in hell is followed by everlasting peace. Rabbi Hirsch says the same thing in different words:

See, says the law, God is just; He rewards for their goodness even those that hate Him and would gladly see Him removed from the scene in order that there may be no bar to their wrongdoing. Even these God rewards for the good they have done, but He rewards them in the sphere of their desires--- "in the sphere of their desires He repays them." If their activity is selfish, if it consists in earthly, external wrongdoing, if it aims only at external, and therefore transitory, prosperity and joy, then their reward also is only in the transitory. Let them enjoy their transitory wrongdoing, wealth and prosperity, and perish like what they have acquired. But for those who seek only God, and choose the fulfillment of His will as their life's task, for those who pursue only the eternal, the reward is also eternal.

Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch, Horeb, p. 31.​

John