In death, what really dies?

Question

In your own words describe death and explain your answer / reasoning.

It took me a few searches to find, but don't you mean: Mors Janua Vitae -- death is the portal of life?

My bias is towards the remaining soul/spirit to an unknown end.

However, the disassembled body into elements perhaps deserve a note of a passing of potentials.

Yet, portal of life and illusion seemed to be very good arguments beside Heaven, Hell and termination.

Answer 1

Heidegger draws a distinction between death and demise. Demise is simply the end of physical bodily processes. But death is an existential condition that is independent of time and space. In terms of its deeper meaning, death is not an event, but rather an aspect of existence – it is the intrinsic limitedness of Being. Being is thrown into the world, and always hangs on the edge, so to speak, of non-being. In other words, non-being is an intrinsic potential of being; the very nature of being is to include the possibility of not-being. In this sense, death is an aspect of every moment of lived experience. It is Being’s intrinsic potential for not-Being. Of course this doesn’t tell us much about what most people want to know, namely, the potential for some sort of spiritual life after physical demise. But it would suggest that insofar as spiritual life is a form of Being, it could still potentially cease to be, and thus even a non-physical “immortal” soul would still be subject to death. In traditional religious terms, you could think of it this way: Even when our souls are in heaven, it would still be possible for god to delete us from existence (since god is unlimited, and we are limited, this potential must always be with us). As beings in the world, we might conceivably find some fountain of youth that would make us practically immortal, but so long as we are still BEINGS, the potential for death follows us, and thus even if by some means we manage to escape the actual demise of our physical being, we would still never truly escape death.

For non-religious people, demise is a somewhat ironical event. What actually dies in the act of the body’s physical demise is the potential for death. Since Being IS potential for death, and if demise is the end of Being, then it is the end of this potential. For those who believe in a life of the soul after physical demise, all that really dies is the physical body. Another thought to consider: So long as we are alive, we have the potential for death, thus so long as we live, we have an unfulfilled potential, and thus we are incomplete. Being only truly becomes complete at the point of death, since then it has fulfilled its potential. So, funny as it may sound, the struggle for continued life is a struggle to remain forever incomplete. So ultimately what dies in death is all potential.

Answer 2

Death ends the physical aspects of our lives. Whether the soul is a part of that physical aspect or lives on is the debate that is the center of most religions.

A person's legacy however always survives the expiration of the body. The words you said, the children you sired, your writings and especially your actions. How long these ripple accross the pond of humanity is a measure of your greatness. Some ripples last long after the name of the rock that caused them has faded from all memory.

I believe personally that a soul lives on in some form. What that form is I have not figured out yet. How much of who we are that is erased upon death is another mystery to me. There is tangible physical evidence of survival past death. Ghosts and weight measurements upon death that have enough difference it is not just the fact the bladder relaxs upon death. Something else besides waste leaves the body upon death. Religions and tales of soul travel back this idea up. The problem is the experience is so different from our physical life it is difficult to translate into something so primitive as a human language. So the true nature of what lies beyond that dark curtain is still shrouded as ever, still only hints in the dark. Even religion doesn't anwer the core questions. The concept of Heaven is life eternal in some paradise. Yet paradise doesn't suit the human condition. We are strivers and fighters. I think clouds and harps would be as much hell as a fiery pit if you were at it long enough. The Islamic 72 virgins, would 72 be really enough if you had all eternity? What about the virgins? Is being one of the 72 not hell for them? So wouldn't you be spending all eternity with 72 women condemed to hell? So the answers are not complete even with religion. They are just pointers to the truth. A truth that has a whole lot more meaning than what college you'll attend. Eternity is a mighty long time.

Answer 3

Death it's the endless sleep of our body. The time when our body becomes again earths part. The soul is now a member of a unknown world. Death is the truly the call of our soul to heaven or hell. It's the period when our existence becomes a new form and meaning. Death means forgotten in time but eternal life in unknown to us.

Answer 4

The flesh, the corpse, the organs. All humans are made up of matter and energy. At death , the matter dies , and the energy(the spirit) rises to Heaven, or rises between Heaven and Earth, (for those spirits caught between worlds with unfinished business or anger, such as ghosts.
At the Second coming of the Lord, Hell comes into existence. At that time, souls/spirits will be divided between Heaven and Hell for all eternity.
Yes, Hell has existed all along, Jesus himself went into Hell to save souls before his Ressurection.

Answer 5

Death is the ending of your body's ability to breathe, think, have active organs and blood flow. I am a Spiritual woman so I know the mechanics of the death of the body, but I am truly sure that the Spirit we all have..the Soul..lives on in either Paradise or Damnation. So, when death comes to us, it is the ending of chances to leave this world with a great legacy or silently slinking out making no difference to have lived on Earth at all.

Answer 6

The mortal body dies, not the spirit. When the spirit leaves the body at death, it takes with it (him or her) all the education, lessons learned, biasness, prejudices, talents, and coherent thoughts expressed from birth.

At the resurrection when Christ determines, the body and the spirit reunite as one--never to be separated again. The combination of body and spirit comprises the soul.

Answer 7

Of course, the body dies at death. We may have a subtle body of mind and intelligence that might carry on at least temporarily, but subject to change.

At least on faith we can accept an eternal aspect to our identity that never dies. This goes on to take birth again.

Somehow old age, disease and death are natural occurences in this material existence.

Answer 8

Death is when the body no longer has any life functions. The organs shut down. The mind loses oxygen and dies.

In death the body dies.

Answer 9

answer of this question might differ from one religon to another, but what i believe is that when someone dies, actually the body dies only and the soul remain alive until the judgment day, which then a person goes to suffer in hell or to enjoy himself in heaven for good.

Answer 10

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