Ending Life Compassionately

October 16, 2023 Cognitive Insights No Comments

Any life. This text is foremost about the ending of one’s own life. It can be seen more broadly.

Science and setting

If possible, the end of life should not be set in a clearly unscientific setting. Even if this is most easy and comfortable, getting it scientifically correct can lead to additional possibilities of depth that are very much desired.

Without exaggeration.

If there is no choice, depth comes first.

Science (common sense on steroids) is for people, not people for science. Especially at the end of life, the human experience should prevail. The symbolic setting can help very much in making the experience profoundly meaningful.

Still, there is no need for any tension between science and setting. Any such tension would be inappropriate.

Science can be warm and friendly. It mainly depends on the questions asked. The fact that it sometimes appears cold and hard speaks for itself.

The end of life is a good time to let go.

Letting go even of what it is that one should let go.

It’s about the ego, of course. But in what sense? After a lifetime of happenings and experience, this may be a good time to ‘enter a new phase’ in which the ego, if not done before, can let go. Even if slightly, it’s worth it.

“There will be life after death. It will be a good life.”

Having this experience, one way or another, is perhaps the ultimate act of Compassion. However, it’s not just an ego act. It’s a total-self act.

Also a dying person has some responsibility, if only out of self-respect.

Letting go = coming to terms with this.

Again: without knowing in what sense, if you like. Getting into the beyond is done by getting into the beyond ― not holding on to what has been.

Thus, being present (Present!) with a dying person is the best gift ― also if it’s yourself. Not ‘just’ being present, but entirely, openly, daringly, sweetly, and infinitely patiently.

Much so as if you might be the dying one or another one, and it doesn’t matter.

It doesn’t matter in letting go.

You’re good.

It’s always OK.

Dying is entering eternal love.

Leave a Reply

Related Posts

The Sea of Mental Depth

This blog is an invitation to feel – not merely to think about – the vast inner sea that lives within each of us. It is as close as breath and yet often seems unreachable. We walk with it, talk over it, build our lives beside it. And still, many know almost nothing about it. Read the full article…

Growing out of Cognitive Dissonance

Cognitive Dissonance is notoriously hard to overcome. An alternative is not to try to do so but to go with the flow and see which way out of it spontaneously emerges. Cognitive dissonance: the discomfort experienced by an individual holding two contradictory beliefs, ideas, or values at the same time or being confronted with new Read the full article…

We Live. And We Die

Every human being shares this simple truth: we live, and one day we die. To live is to also face death. This blog is an invitation to reflect on death not as a threat but as a teacher. It shows that life’s depth is found in openness, not fear. Death then becomes less an end Read the full article…

Translate »