There is a spiritual tradition among some Christians to meditate on death. To keep a "death head" where it is easily seen. One of my adult children has taken up this practice.
As a practicing Catholic myself, I can tell you that if you're paying attention, death should never be too far from consciousness. The Liturgy of the Hours mentions it at least once a day (maybe more. I am out of practice)
I think I need to work on this more. I do believe what you said about fear being reduced when death is acknowledged
Superb. Death is everywhere at all times, and only some dude philosopher would think that death only involved himself instead of the bug he stepped on, the meat he consumed, the bacteria he killed when he washed himself.
Reminds me about a small neighborhood I lived in where everyone knew literally everyone. My wife and I were the outsiders. Occasionally one of the many octogenarians would die and everyone else would be stunned. “Nobody saw that coming,” they would say. The first time I heard it, I was like “Really?” heavy sarcastic tone and a chuckle.
Turns out they weren’t joking. Everyone seemed to think they were going to live forever. We still laugh about that place.
I will be stunned if I’m still around in twenty years when I turn 78, and hell, 68 seems like a stretch!
I know! I'm always amazed when people I know have a parent who dies at age 85 and they're shocked, shocked, shocked! I started contemplating my mother's death when she turned 75 and I've been contemplating my own death for years.
YES! Thank you. This can’t be said enough. We need to look at our own mortality and that of our loved ones. You’d be horrified to see how many 80-somethings are in ICU beds, unconscious and being kept alive. Just the other night we had to code an 85 y/o who’d been in bad shape for over a week. Family wanted “everything”. Cardiology took the opportunity to try to insert venous pacing when her heart started to fail. So as she was having ANOTHER invasive procedure she coded. Bile spewing from her mouth as we thumped on her chest, likely breaking her ribs, her naked body splayed out. Awful. Poor woman. 80 fucking 5. Family in horror as if it shouldn’t have happened. I wish my mother made it to 85. I was happy she had a peaceful death at 74. Dealing with this delusion gets exhausting. You want “everything” for your loved one? Well then know they will be practiced on by residents who need the practice.
Love this!! Thanks Mickey for these essential reminders! We are not matter/body; we're what makes this appearance possible; every day is a precious opportunity - thanks for shining your light!
Hate to tell you this, Will, but I am matter / body. I believe in living a physical life attuned to physical reality, and this notion that we are not matter / body leads to a great deal of evil.
Death is part of meditation practice. I used to meditate the usual way when I was young, and meditated on death then already, and now I go outside walking with the animals and raise my hands at the sun and the sky (and the clouds and rain) and give thanks for life, and think about death. It is good to keep death as a friend (who said that again? Jung?) and then you need not fear. Stange enough you see both in animals too. Some animals hang on for dear life, and others lie down and pass. Great advice. Everyone should ponder upon mortality!
Thank you, Ingrid. ❤ I write posts like this as much to remind myself as anything else. Modern life is so damn good at distracting us from fundamental truths so it's ongoing process.
An elderly veterinarian told me that you will know when an animal is ready to die because they will not look at you. I'm dealing with a German shepherd whose dysplasia is worsening; I don't want her to suffer and am trying various remedies, and she is still wanting endless hugs. But when she won't look at me, I'll know.
i think that is right. I remember the German shepherd of my friend and another dog from a friend, and several of my cats. None of them even seemed to see us anymore. They are probably a whole lot more aware than us, humans.
The same vet told me about a dog he was euthanizing, and he swore the dog knew what was coming and was looking at him gratefully. Animals are amazing! far more aware than we are.
Nothing compares to walking in the woods! The Japanese engage in forest-bathing, and in The Hidden Life of Trees the author points out the health benefits of being near spruce trees (I think they kill bad bacteria). I miss missing in our 30+ acres of woods so much, but I am so lame it's difficult to walk on uneven ground. Enjoy!
What a tremendous amount of wisdom you conveyed there! Thank you. People are too busy running around like a bunch of chickens in a barnyard to stop a second and realize how finite human life is.
Thank you so much, David. And I hear you. Just yesterday, the boiler in the apartment building I live in broke and it's frigid in NYC. I must confess to letting that scenario take me out of the moment and very much out of a productive mindset. These lessons are learned and then re-learned over and over!
When I was 20, I read Covey's book about habits of successful people. First part, he talks about visualizing your own funeral and what you would like to have people say about you, then go on and live as such that it will come true.
That's the part I remember the most, the funeral exercise. I thought it was a bizarre, but I did it anyway.
At around 30 yrs. old a very weird event happened to me. I was soaking in a tub, set atop a raised platform, flush with a window spanning many, many feet across. A larger than life full moon was staring back at me through the pane.
I remembered an old wives' tale I had heard, something about sitting buff in sight of the full moon and how it could make one go crazy. I laughed, swished the water around, sunk into the hot water right up to my chin and closed my eyes. All was serene, calm and peaceful.
Then, I started hearing a ticking noise.
At first, I thought my husband had bought a new clock and hung it up somewhere real close. But that was impossible because there was no place real close to hang a clock!
I grew more and more concerned, no amount of head craning was going to solve the mystery. I didn't want to leave the tub to search. It was so loud, it had to be close. The ticking continued, slow and methodical, just like a clock... but it couldn't be a clock, I knew that...so what could it be?
I wracked my brain trying to figure it out. By then, I was spooked.
All was silent, except for the ticking and the sound of my own breath. Then, my neck bowed and brought my head, face to face with my chest. The ticking was my own heart beating.
I can't even describe the initial feelings.
One minute I was filled with compassion for my own heart. It had been beating for me, all my life. Every single day since my existence. A vital companion that I had never acknowledged, never awarded, and never even noticed. I felt so much shame.
The next minute, my heart whispered to me, that it will one day stop beating for me.
I was chilled to the bone so I sunk deeper into the hot water as a thousand and one thoughts raced through my mind.
I looked off to the side, though I couldn't see it, I felt it. My own death was standing not too far from me, watching me.
For months after, I was outraged that I was going to die one day. I raged at nature. How stupid to have humans spend so much time living, learning, loving, acquiring experience and knowledge, all so that they can die and lose every trace of it. Stupid death, senseless death. Mean death. Stupid, stupid death.
Eventually...like a fire storm that has to run its course, the rage subsided and I came to accept the fact. I became friends with my death. It has been a good guide as to how I should conduct myself with those whom I love and with things that I love and just as important, with people and things that I hate.
My dad calls me the welder because I like to bring my family members together. I urge them to resolve their issues so they can get on with enjoying their lives and each other before the ticking stops.
Thanks, Helena-Sophia! I will definitely check out your posts as soon as I can.
palabras hermosas.
gracias. es interesante que no conoce su obra, siendo una "fan" de Lorca & Neruda.
wow. thanks again (and nice translation too...)!
Momento mori.. indeed.
There is a spiritual tradition among some Christians to meditate on death. To keep a "death head" where it is easily seen. One of my adult children has taken up this practice.
As a practicing Catholic myself, I can tell you that if you're paying attention, death should never be too far from consciousness. The Liturgy of the Hours mentions it at least once a day (maybe more. I am out of practice)
I think I need to work on this more. I do believe what you said about fear being reduced when death is acknowledged
Thank you, Jaye! What does a "death head" look like? Is it a skull?
Yes. A skull, which may be decorated up a bit.
We had a plastic skull around the house for years when my kids were young. I can't remember its origins.
Kids called it Yorick
Thanks again!
As my beautiful mother told me as a young child, death is a part of life. 💞
In every bite of food,
In every step,
In every breath,
Death.
Superb. Death is everywhere at all times, and only some dude philosopher would think that death only involved himself instead of the bug he stepped on, the meat he consumed, the bacteria he killed when he washed himself.
Reminds me about a small neighborhood I lived in where everyone knew literally everyone. My wife and I were the outsiders. Occasionally one of the many octogenarians would die and everyone else would be stunned. “Nobody saw that coming,” they would say. The first time I heard it, I was like “Really?” heavy sarcastic tone and a chuckle.
Turns out they weren’t joking. Everyone seemed to think they were going to live forever. We still laugh about that place.
I will be stunned if I’m still around in twenty years when I turn 78, and hell, 68 seems like a stretch!
Oh my. But haven't we been seeing this in spades over the last 3 years!
95 died of Covid! Or conversely 95 died of vax injury!
I know! I'm always amazed when people I know have a parent who dies at age 85 and they're shocked, shocked, shocked! I started contemplating my mother's death when she turned 75 and I've been contemplating my own death for years.
Words of wisdom, Mickey. And so badly needed in this time of fear being used as a weapon to control people.
Thank you, as always, Sheila! 🙂
Always...
Thanx Mick Z. !
Well Said.
Jumpin' Jack Flash !
Thank you.
Dead Flowers
Is Sung To [THOSE]
Who desire
To divide US.
NOT Those...
Who Desire,
To undo
The fracturization
Of Our Souls.
Through Song...
Through Reason & Harmony,
Through Writing.
Eternal.
IT'S ALL GOOD !
IS THE MESSAGE.
THEREIN.
YES! Thank you. This can’t be said enough. We need to look at our own mortality and that of our loved ones. You’d be horrified to see how many 80-somethings are in ICU beds, unconscious and being kept alive. Just the other night we had to code an 85 y/o who’d been in bad shape for over a week. Family wanted “everything”. Cardiology took the opportunity to try to insert venous pacing when her heart started to fail. So as she was having ANOTHER invasive procedure she coded. Bile spewing from her mouth as we thumped on her chest, likely breaking her ribs, her naked body splayed out. Awful. Poor woman. 80 fucking 5. Family in horror as if it shouldn’t have happened. I wish my mother made it to 85. I was happy she had a peaceful death at 74. Dealing with this delusion gets exhausting. You want “everything” for your loved one? Well then know they will be practiced on by residents who need the practice.
Holy shit...thank you for this valuable added context to the post, Gabrielle. What a crucial reminder...
Love this!! Thanks Mickey for these essential reminders! We are not matter/body; we're what makes this appearance possible; every day is a precious opportunity - thanks for shining your light!
Thanks, as always, for your positive energy, Will. I'm having a stressful day and the comments here are reminding me about perspective. ❤
Hate to tell you this, Will, but I am matter / body. I believe in living a physical life attuned to physical reality, and this notion that we are not matter / body leads to a great deal of evil.
Death is part of meditation practice. I used to meditate the usual way when I was young, and meditated on death then already, and now I go outside walking with the animals and raise my hands at the sun and the sky (and the clouds and rain) and give thanks for life, and think about death. It is good to keep death as a friend (who said that again? Jung?) and then you need not fear. Stange enough you see both in animals too. Some animals hang on for dear life, and others lie down and pass. Great advice. Everyone should ponder upon mortality!
Thank you, Ingrid. ❤ I write posts like this as much to remind myself as anything else. Modern life is so damn good at distracting us from fundamental truths so it's ongoing process.
Unlike life, death cannot be taken away from man; therefore we may consider it as the gift of God. ~ Seneca
An elderly veterinarian told me that you will know when an animal is ready to die because they will not look at you. I'm dealing with a German shepherd whose dysplasia is worsening; I don't want her to suffer and am trying various remedies, and she is still wanting endless hugs. But when she won't look at me, I'll know.
i think that is right. I remember the German shepherd of my friend and another dog from a friend, and several of my cats. None of them even seemed to see us anymore. They are probably a whole lot more aware than us, humans.
The same vet told me about a dog he was euthanizing, and he swore the dog knew what was coming and was looking at him gratefully. Animals are amazing! far more aware than we are.
nothing compares to walking in the woods with a dog and 2 cats ! the happiest moments of my life.
Nothing compares to walking in the woods! The Japanese engage in forest-bathing, and in The Hidden Life of Trees the author points out the health benefits of being near spruce trees (I think they kill bad bacteria). I miss missing in our 30+ acres of woods so much, but I am so lame it's difficult to walk on uneven ground. Enjoy!
What a tremendous amount of wisdom you conveyed there! Thank you. People are too busy running around like a bunch of chickens in a barnyard to stop a second and realize how finite human life is.
Thank you so much, David. And I hear you. Just yesterday, the boiler in the apartment building I live in broke and it's frigid in NYC. I must confess to letting that scenario take me out of the moment and very much out of a productive mindset. These lessons are learned and then re-learned over and over!
When I was 20, I read Covey's book about habits of successful people. First part, he talks about visualizing your own funeral and what you would like to have people say about you, then go on and live as such that it will come true.
Fascinating, thanks for sharing. I've never read the book but did you find it helpful overall?
That's the part I remember the most, the funeral exercise. I thought it was a bizarre, but I did it anyway.
At around 30 yrs. old a very weird event happened to me. I was soaking in a tub, set atop a raised platform, flush with a window spanning many, many feet across. A larger than life full moon was staring back at me through the pane.
I remembered an old wives' tale I had heard, something about sitting buff in sight of the full moon and how it could make one go crazy. I laughed, swished the water around, sunk into the hot water right up to my chin and closed my eyes. All was serene, calm and peaceful.
Then, I started hearing a ticking noise.
At first, I thought my husband had bought a new clock and hung it up somewhere real close. But that was impossible because there was no place real close to hang a clock!
I grew more and more concerned, no amount of head craning was going to solve the mystery. I didn't want to leave the tub to search. It was so loud, it had to be close. The ticking continued, slow and methodical, just like a clock... but it couldn't be a clock, I knew that...so what could it be?
I wracked my brain trying to figure it out. By then, I was spooked.
All was silent, except for the ticking and the sound of my own breath. Then, my neck bowed and brought my head, face to face with my chest. The ticking was my own heart beating.
I can't even describe the initial feelings.
One minute I was filled with compassion for my own heart. It had been beating for me, all my life. Every single day since my existence. A vital companion that I had never acknowledged, never awarded, and never even noticed. I felt so much shame.
The next minute, my heart whispered to me, that it will one day stop beating for me.
I was chilled to the bone so I sunk deeper into the hot water as a thousand and one thoughts raced through my mind.
I looked off to the side, though I couldn't see it, I felt it. My own death was standing not too far from me, watching me.
For months after, I was outraged that I was going to die one day. I raged at nature. How stupid to have humans spend so much time living, learning, loving, acquiring experience and knowledge, all so that they can die and lose every trace of it. Stupid death, senseless death. Mean death. Stupid, stupid death.
Eventually...like a fire storm that has to run its course, the rage subsided and I came to accept the fact. I became friends with my death. It has been a good guide as to how I should conduct myself with those whom I love and with things that I love and just as important, with people and things that I hate.
My dad calls me the welder because I like to bring my family members together. I urge them to resolve their issues so they can get on with enjoying their lives and each other before the ticking stops.
Some do and some don’t.
Sorry for the long post.
NO need at all to apologize. I deeply appreciate this story!
If on waking up in the morning you do not meditate on death,
your entire morning will be wasted.
If at noon you do not meditate on death,
your entire afternoon will be wasted.
If in the evening you do not meditate on death,
your entire night will be wasted.
In this way, most people waste their entire lives.
~ Vajrayana Death Meditation
Thank you again, Mickey, for this precious reminder. <3
Ladies & Gentlemen...
...Jon Rappoport...
https://outsidetherealitymachine.com/2022/12/13/visions-of-the-empire-a-poem-for-the-21st-century-excerpt-004/