New Book. About a subject that people apparently do not want to talk about.

[Darius11 12]

Hi all.
A friend of mine has been writing a book on the subject of aging and mortality. He finally finished the book and I got to read it. I love it even though I feel I am the exception when it comes to the subject of mortality.

What I found odd was how so many people feel uncomfortable talking about the subject.

Here is what I am curious about.
I personally have no issues thinking or talking about my own death or aging. I know it will happen when it will happen.

Here is what I am wondering. Is this lack of anxiety a culture thing or is it a skydiver thing.

I did post a link to his web site which has a free Interactive class you can take.

Interactive class

http://www.lifeawarenesscenter.com/class1.html
His book is on it as well.


Website
http://www.lifeawarenesscenter.com/



Here are some of things talked about
10 Fears about death

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1. The fear of permanent loss of identity. It is natural to want to sustain our unique character, our private consciousness, and we fear any threat that might dissolve it and leave a void in its place.



2. The fear of loss of control. We get strength from our ability to make choices and direct our actions. But death revokes our control. Ultimately, we fall to a powerful force whose nature and temperament are unknown and we are afraid to trust it.



3. The fear that there is nothing after death. We feel teased by life. It is given to us, then taken back. We want to hold on to what we have and we fear that if it ends, there will be only void and nothingness. We know what living feels like, but we have difficulty conceiving of nothingness and it frightens us.



4. The fear of physical pain at our time of death. Despite the availability of prescription pain killers, we fear a long, lingering illness and we do not want to die in pain. You’ve heard people say, “When my time comes I want to go quickly and painlessly.”



5. The fear of loss of youth. We may be obsessed about aging and want to look younger than our actual years. There is also the related fear that we will lose our youthful frame of mind. Some deal with this fear by insisting they will never grow up. They elevate their denial of aging to a Peter-Pan-like idealization of youth and innocence. It is one thing to retain a youthful outlook but quite another to deny our aging because we are afraid to face it.

6. The fear of an unfulfilled life. We all want our life to have purpose and meaning. Some feel more urgency than others to find a life mission. Those who do may fear they will die before they identify their life purpose and finish their work.


7. The fear of not being there for those we love. Mates, partners and parents may fear that they won’t be able to care for loved ones. Parents fear their inability to look after and guide their children. A mate may worry about his or her partner’s ability to survive the loss of the resources they provide.



8. The Fear of a Heaven or Hell. Some believe in an anthropomorphic God and anticipate a literal Judgment Day with punishment or reward. They fear Judgment Day because there are no yardsticks or standards of measurements to tell us when we have done enough good work to earn salvation. How much good is required? How many sins are one too many? Some fear the consequence of falling short.



9.The fear of eternal punishment. Many who fear a Judgment Day, fear damnation especially since it is portrayed as never ending.



10. The Fear of the unknown and of unknown entities. Those who anticipate an afterlife may fear encounters after death. Will we meet entities who have a malicious intent? The sheer quantity of Hollywood horror movies reflects this fear and our worry that we could encounter malicious forces bent on hurting us.

Here is what I like about the book. It teaches you how to live your life fuller by actually excepting the inevitable.

So Skydivers whats your take.



The name of his book is

"Coming to terms with aging
the secret to meaningful time"

Writen By I Michael Grossman

I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not." - Kurt Cobain

[flyangel2 2]

Not afraid to die. I've got everything in order for my death.

May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. - Edward Abbey

[PLFXpert 0]

I don't mind talking about it, but I can't say I often talk about it.

My family and I are extremely practical. Practicality is sometimes confused with insensitivity.

Paint me in a corner, but my color comes back.

[Darius11 12]

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Not afraid to die. I've got everything in order for my death.

Yep me too. I think Skydivers are rare. When i was reading on how many people have Intentionally pushed such an obvious subject to the back of their mind I was very surprised.

I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not." - Kurt Cobain

[squirrel 0]

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Practicality is sometimes confused with insensitivity.

when you have been exposed to death, practicaltiy is easier. my brother, wife, and coach have passed away before thier "normal" time.

and i agree, that people see me as insensitive regarding death.

________________________________
Where is Darwin when you need him?

[PLFXpert 0]

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When i was reading on how many people have Intentionally pushed such an obvious subject to the back of their mind I was very surprised.

Why?

Many people subscribe to the idea that a "healthy-level" of fear helps protect us.

A surprising juxtaposition to such a person might be those who have no such fear of death and simultaneously take proper precautions to save their lives. It could be argued the fear of death (#1 perhaps) is what makes us throw our pilot chute.

Others might then argue, "No, it's the will to live and jump again."

And then we discuss "fear of death" and "will to live" and how they're relative to one another.

This sort of philosophical conversation could go on forever.

Paint me in a corner, but my color comes back.

[ChasingBlueSky 0]

Quote

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Practicality is sometimes confused with insensitivity.

when you have been exposed to death, practicaltiy is easier. my brother, wife, and coach have passed away before thier "normal" time.

and i agree, that people see me as insensitive regarding death.

Even if you have been exposed to death by those close to you it doesn't always become easy. Each death I've been witness to has changed me and I find that I can't go back to the way I was before that....and each death is unique in the impact it has on me. And despite being a jumper I am not yet ready to face my own ending yet. Some of it comes from one or two of the fears above, but it is strongly founded in the belief that I have yet to do everything I have wanted to achieve.

The biggest thing with death is that there can be no closure as there is no final resolution. No real understanding of what that life meant, where that life is and why it had to be their time. This is where faith fails me as I look for empirical evidence. I resign myself in defeat each time and just hope that time passes quickly so the immediate feelings of loss can pass but the desire to understand never fades.

_________________________________________
you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me....
I WILL fly again.....

[ExAFO 0]

No issues here. I'm 30 and I jump and fly GA planes. If I am killed, my ironclad will specifies that as many organs as can be harvested for transplant will be, and then I am to be cremated and given to the US Navy for scattering at sea.

Easy as pie.

Illinois needs a CCW Law. NOW.

[headoverheels 334]

Wow, do people really have those 10 fears? I have none of them, except related to 5: I hate losing activities (hiking) that I enjoy, due to the disabilities (knee, hip problems) that start creeping or flooding in as you age. Looking old doesn't bother me.

[Bolas 5]

I am not afraid of death. Death is final, you simply cease to be and live on only in peoples memories. I can't say I'm prepared because I don't have a will.

Long term or permanent physical or mental injury scares me though.

Stupidity if left untreated is self-correcting
If ya can't be good, look good, if that fails, make 'em laugh.

[Royd 0]

I don't want to talk about it.

[dannydan 5]

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I don't want to talk about it.

me too....lmao...

[marcandalysse 0]

Check out 'Who Dies' by Stephen Levine. He writes that to die consciously you must live consciously. Live each moment, love each moment, resolve your life as if you only had a year to live (a title of another book he wrote).


Here's a transcript of a radio interview with him:
http://www.thinkingallowed.com/levine.html

"The reason angels can fly is that they take themselves so lightly." --GK Chesterton