Why do we care about what happens to our bodies after we die?

[Saint Frankenstein]

Define spiritual for me, please.

The experience of connection to something greater than us all. A numious or mystical experience and the beliefs and practices that come from that experience.

 

[Dr. GS Hurd]

First off: I believe the claim that once you die you have no need for your body is true.​

I am in the UC Irvine Medical Center Willed Body Program. It will be a last attempt to teach second year medical students a little bit, and their last chance to "get even with faculty tyrants!"

 

[Dr. GS Hurd]

The experience of connection to something greater than us all. A numious or mystical experience and the beliefs and practices that come from that experience.

I actually prefer a practical, and fact based answer. The "mystical experience" is a common experience of "dissociative state." It can be induced by fasting, sleep deprivation, trance, and various drugs.
1984 "Manifestations of Possession in Novel Ecological Contexts," G. S. Hurd, E. M. Pattison. in Ecological Models in Clinical and Community Mental Health, W.A. O'Connor and B. Lubin (ed.s). John Wiley & Sons: New York.

1985 "Superstition," G. S. Hurd. In Baker's Encyclopedia of Psychology, David Brenner (ed.) Baker Book House, Grand Rapids.

1985 "Trance and Possession States," E. M. Pattison, Joel Kahan, G. Hurd. In Handbook of Altered States of Consciousness. B. B. Walman and M. Ullman (ed.s) New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, pp. 286-310.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

I actually prefer a practical, and fact based answer. The "mystical experience" is a common experience of "dissociative state." It can be induced by fasting, sleep deprivation, trance, and various drugs.
1984 "Manifestations of Possession in Novel Ecological Contexts," G. S. Hurd, E. M. Pattison. in Ecological Models in Clinical and Community Mental Health, W.A. O'Connor and B. Lubin (ed.s). John Wiley & Sons: New York.

1985 "Superstition," G. S. Hurd. In Baker's Encyclopedia of Psychology, David Brenner (ed.) Baker Book House, Grand Rapids.

1985 "Trance and Possession States," E. M. Pattison, Joel Kahan, G. Hurd. In Handbook of Altered States of Consciousness. B. B. Walman and M. Ullman (ed.s) New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, pp. 286-310.

What's your point?

Are you expecting me to check those 30+ year old books out from the library to read your citations or whatever?

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

I have no interest at all in what happens to my body after I die. Actually, I rather like the idea that I'll kick the bucket while out on some long walk somewhere that people never go, and that nature will take care of what remains, in the way that it does so well. And think of how much will be saved in horrendous funeral costs, and feeding people who never cared about me anyway!

 

[SomeRandom]

First off: I believe the claim that once you die you have no need for your body is true. What I say in this post is based upon this being true. And I would be interested to hear from anyone who doesn't believe this.

If this is the case then why are we humans so pre-occupied with what happens to our flesh and bones after we die?

I think most of us have certain wishes – cremation, burial, medical science etc.

I personally favour being harvested of anything of any potential use to anyone else, and having the rest cremated, and my ashes scattered in a certain place

I can think of two reasons why people are so concerned, but there must be more:

First: People think there is a link between what happens to their body after death and what happens to their soul in the afterlife – consider the burial practices of Ancient Egypt. i.e. people don't believe they fully vacate their body once they die.

Second: The concern is a product of one’s lifelong attachment to one’s bodily form – to one’s “meat suit” as I have heard it described as by someone who believes the body and soul are separate...

Can anyone think of any more???

Also, this raises the further question:

Why should we respect the wishes people have regarding what happens to their body once they die?

My answer to this would be to invoke the Golden Rule – for whatever reason I care what happens to my body once I die and want those wishes respected, therefore I respect the wishes of others.​

Well some people believe that their spirit lingers until their body is given proper rites. What rites those entail vary considerably religion to religion (or spiritual path or whatever.)
And we tend to respect the wishes of our relatives because well why would you be a douche to them?
For instance my mother is a devout Hindu. As such she believes that a body is the physical anchor for the spirit. Thus she is deathly afraid of not being cremated after death. Because as she puts it “I don’t want to wake up in the grave.”
I would respect her wishes because I love her and death does not release my duty towards her.

 

[blü 2]

I believe the claim that once you die you have no need for your body is true. [...] If this is the case then why are we humans so pre-occupied with what happens to our flesh and bones after we die?

Have you ever been the one who has to organize the funeral? You have a body, some options for disposing of it, not a few formalities to see to, not a few people who should be consulted, and so on. In my tribe, the tradition is cremation, which has tended to keep things simpler in that respect.

Why should we respect the wishes people have regarding what happens to their body once they die?

Isn't that like asking why the executors of the deceased shouldn't just turn the estate into money and pocket it? I'd say it was a simple matter of honor, but your Golden Rule fits as well. Fortunately for many beneficiaries, there's also the law to consider, and the keen eyes of the other relatives.​

 

[Scott C.]

First off: I believe the claim that once you die you have no need for your body is true. What I say in this post is based upon this being true. And I would be interested to hear from anyone who doesn't believe this.​

I believe in the resurrection. When we die, the spirit leaves the body. The body, absent the spirit, is dead. At a future time the body and spirit will be reunited and we will be eternal immortal people with resurrected bodies. That belief motivates some people to consider how to care for the body after death, with varying opinions. Regardless of how the dead body is handled, it will be long gone, decomposed, spread over the ocean, etc. by the time the resuurection rolls around and the good Lord puts together the pieces into a beautiful body for each of us.

 

[stvdv]

Here in the UK, as perhaps elsewhere, relatives can override the wishes of the deceased usually, such that even if I wanted to donate my body to science (as I actually would want), this will likely not be the case since I don't get on with either of my nearest relatives and they might just disregard my wishes out of spite. This is something that should be changed and they should honour what the deceased wanted.

My body is of no use to me dead but it might be to others.

I did not know that. Respect seems to have gone down quite a bit.

Personally I don't care what happens to my body. They should not cut me open, when still a little alive though

But maybe in the UK it will balance out in the end. Your don't end up in science + someone else does (both against their wishes)

 

[Jainarayan]

Part of my will (granted, it is off the internet... but it's notarized! ) specifies I am to be cremated. Preferably my ashes will be scattered in a local river or better yet, sent to India to be scattered on one of the sacred rivers (OK, they're all sacred ). I hear there are services that do that.

Anyway... there was a minor "discussion" about it at home. My husband wanted to bury me conventionally (he's Catholic). I'm adamant about the cremation, to which he finally acquiesced. I told him if he didn't respect my wishes I'd haunt his ***. And he knows I can and will do it.

 

[Revoltingest]

We have a sense of ownership in our bodies.
Many of us even like them. When thinking
about some day having merged with the infinite,
we feel what we feel now, not the future lack
of feeling. Brains have issues with time.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

First off: I believe the claim that once you die you have no need for your body is true. What I say in this post is based upon this being true. And I would be interested to hear from anyone who doesn't believe this.......​

In Scripture a body is needed in order for there to be a resurrection.
Not the old dead body but to be resurrected with a healthy new body.
In Scripture, for those called to Heaven a ' spirit ' body (like the angels have ) is needed.
For those who will have an earthly resurrection a 'physical' body is needed.
In both cases, the resurrected person will be the same person inside as they were at death.
They are judged on what they do 'after' they are resurrected back to life.
Faith or belief is in vain if one does Not believe in a resurrection.
- See 1 Corinthians 15:12-17
​

 

[URAVIP2ME]

I believe in the resurrection. When we die, the spirit leaves the body. The body, absent the spirit, is dead. At a future time the body and spirit will be reunited and we will be eternal immortal people with resurrected bodies...........................

Some people think when they hear that the spirit leaves the body means a ghost-like spirit whereas in the Bible one's spirit is a neuter "it" and Not a person as per Ecclesiastes 12:7 B.

As a foreclosed house does Not move or go anywhere but simply returns to the hands of the owner.
So, our spirit (of life ) "it" returns to God in the sense that any future life prospect lies in God's safe hands.

In biblical resurrection, those having a healthy physical resurrection to live life on Earth will still have a mortal body as Adam had.
Adam was created mortal with the prospect of everlasting life on earth only as long as keeping God's Law.
So, the resurrected dead can gain eternal life ( for the majority of mankind that will be on Earth ).
Everlasting life on a beautiful paradisical Earth as Eden originally was for those who prove faithful 'after' resurrection.
Meaning: during Resurrection Day which is: Jesus' coming millennium-long day of governing over Earth.
This is also why the ' future tense ' is used at Acts 24:15 that there ' is going to be a resurrection.....'

 

[Mock Turtle]

I did not know that. Respect seems to have gone down quite a bit.

Personally I don't care what happens to my body. They should not cut me open, when still a little alive though

But maybe in the UK it will balance out in the end. Your don't end up in science + someone else does (both against their wishes)

I'm thinking of hiding my body - until my relatives have passed away too - perhaps a suitable crevasse in a glacier will be an appropriate location. Given that I have the means to do this!

Not sure what would be worse - awakening whilst be cut open or awakening in an oven.

 

[stvdv]

I'm thinking of hiding my body - until my relatives have passed away too - perhaps a suitable crevasse in a glacier will be an appropriate location. Given that I have the means to do this!

Some people are horrible. Even not allowing you to die peacefully, respecting your last wishes. Hence I won't invite a soul when I leave the body

Not sure what would be worse - awakening whilst be cut open or awakening in an oven.

Whichever takes longest to die, I think

 

[viole]

First off: I believe the claim that once you die you have no need for your body is true. What I say in this post is based upon this being true. And I would be interested to hear from anyone who doesn't believe this.

If this is the case then why are we humans so pre-occupied with what happens to our flesh and bones after we die?

I think most of us have certain wishes – cremation, burial, medical science etc.

I personally favour being harvested of anything of any potential use to anyone else, and having the rest cremated, and my ashes scattered in a certain place

I can think of two reasons why people are so concerned, but there must be more:

First: People think there is a link between what happens to their body after death and what happens to their soul in the afterlife – consider the burial practices of Ancient Egypt. i.e. people don't believe they fully vacate their body once they die.

Second: The concern is a product of one’s lifelong attachment to one’s bodily form – to one’s “meat suit” as I have heard it described as by someone who believes the body and soul are separate...

Can anyone think of any more???

Also, this raises the further question:

Why should we respect the wishes people have regarding what happens to their body once they die?

My answer to this would be to invoke the Golden Rule – for whatever reason I care what happens to my body once I die and want those wishes respected, therefore I respect the wishes of others.​

Since I do not care at all to what happens to my body after my death, for obvious reasons, am I allowed to use the golden rule, too?

Ciao

- viole

 

[stvdv]

Since I do not care at all to what happens to my body after my death, for obvious reasons, am I allowed to use the golden rule, too?

I used to exclude Masochists from the Golden Rule. It seems Viole also needs to be excluded.
Check: would you be fine if your body would be used by a "necrophile", say 1 minute after you die?
If you answer with "yes" ... I think we better exclude you from "allowing to use the golden rule"

 

[viole]

I used to exclude Masochists from the Golden Rule. It seems Viole also needs to be excluded.
Check: would you be fine if your body would be used by a "necrophile", say 1 minute after you die?
If you answer with "yes" ... I think we better exclude you from "allowing to use the golden rule"

I gave clear instructions to my kids and husband, that if I die, they choose the cheapest way of disposal of what used to be my body. Which will be the equivalent of a useless pile of soon to stink biological material.

So, i do not care at all. Burn it. Use it to feed worms. Whatever. Just do not spend what is strictly necessary to dispose biological waste according to local norms and rules.

After a sufficient amount of time, whatever we decide to do with it, is going to be irrelevant, anyway.

Ciao

- viole

 

[stvdv]

So, i do not care at all. Burn it. Use it to feed worms. Whatever.

That makes sense to me. For me the same. At age 20 they already tried to sell me ensurance to die nice. As if I care.

Best would be to make steaks from the dead and feed the hungry.

 

[Jesuslightoftheworld]

First off: I believe the claim that once you die you have no need for your body is true. What I say in this post is based upon this being true. And I would be interested to hear from anyone who doesn't believe this.

If this is the case then why are we humans so pre-occupied with what happens to our flesh and bones after we die?

I think most of us have certain wishes – cremation, burial, medical science etc.

I personally favour being harvested of anything of any potential use to anyone else, and having the rest cremated, and my ashes scattered in a certain place

I can think of two reasons why people are so concerned, but there must be more:

First: People think there is a link between what happens to their body after death and what happens to their soul in the afterlife – consider the burial practices of Ancient Egypt. i.e. people don't believe they fully vacate their body once they die.

Second: The concern is a product of one’s lifelong attachment to one’s bodily form – to one’s “meat suit” as I have heard it described as by someone who believes the body and soul are separate...

Can anyone think of any more???

Also, this raises the further question:

Why should we respect the wishes people have regarding what happens to their body once they die?

My answer to this would be to invoke the Golden Rule – for whatever reason I care what happens to my body once I die and want those wishes respected, therefore I respect the wishes of others.​

I think it’s a cultural thing go many of those reasons. Me, I’m a donor.