Dead, But are we really?

A thought has been plaguing me for some time. I think that this might cause some people to ridicule me, but I'm going to share it anyways.

When we die, we are told by the Doctors that we have passed away. We then get to the see the person in a chapel of rest or some other kind of holy place where we can say our final good byes etc.

We then go to the funeral service where the coffin is closed. Now here's where my thought comes into place. Are we actually in the coffin? Or have we been removed for some other purpose? No one can actually see whats in the coffin, they just presume that its the person they know being interned or cremated.

I wonder if anyone else has thought along these lines in the past? If they have, where do you think the bodies end up?
Are they used for scientific purposes? Are they really dead? Are the moved somewhere else with a whole new identity to carry on a new life else where?

Don't ask me why i thought this. I'm just interested to hear some other views from people.

Umm can you say open casket ? wich is the Fact in most cases . Usaly a closed casket in because the person involved has resqusted it or the body has been damanged badly because of accedent or war that viewing the body would be dementral to the people involved . But even in thous cases you can demand to view the body and they have to let you.
Ps to eas your worry ill show up at your furnerl and demand to see you so you can be sure your dead . lol .
Ps does it realy matter if your dead im sure you wouldent care anyway.

they sell them in supermarkets as chickenmeat, would be a waste to bury the tasty bodies anyway.

Are they used for scientific purposes? basically NO, but maybe .00001% are used as cadavers in teaching hospitals.

Are they really dead ? YES

Are the moved somewhere else with a whole new identity to carry on a new life else where? NO, but that might make a good movie !

Originally posted by syrinx high priest
Are they used for scientific purposes? basically NO, but maybe .00001% are used as cadavers in teaching hospitals.

Are they really dead ? YES

Are the moved somewhere else with a whole new identity to carry on a new life else where? NO, but that might make a good movie !

Good answer ya gave there, but how do you really know that they are dead and in the coffin/casket?

That would be breaking a lot of laws, besides if this was so common then I think we would know about it. Dead people get a lot of respect and I think most normal people would RESPECT people's final wishes instead of using them for research purposes.

It is common, to have the body on display, (known as a wake) when the body is in the casket, I don't see why they wouldn't let someone rest in peace.

When being buried, people are injected with fluids to help preserve them, this would kill us already, whether the BRAIN or the concouissness (?) is dead we don't know.

But mainly your body is DEAD. We don't know what happens when you die, so that is all we can say. All we know is that the bosy is in a different state and you will be decomposing... 6 feet under!

Originally posted by Bikereddie

Originally posted by syrinx high priest
Are they used for scientific purposes? basically NO, but maybe .00001% are used as cadavers in teaching hospitals.

Are they really dead ? YES

Are the moved somewhere else with a whole new identity to carry on a new life else where? NO, but that might make a good movie !

Good answer ya gave there, but how do you really know that they are dead and in the coffin/casket?

you got me, no one has ever died or been buried, thay are all living in france and living it up and laughing at us silly people who think they were actually dead an buried.

Originally posted by syrinx high priest
you got me, no one has ever died or been buried, thay are all living in france and living it up and laughing at us silly people who think they were actually dead an buried.

Where do the dead french people go then?

boy oh boy, I wish I had seen this thread sooner.

You're in there. intact. Trust me...

The only time I've ever done a closed casket is if the body is not viewable, or if the family requests it for some reason.

Any other funeral-related questions, feel free to U2U me, or post em here, and I'll answer them.

[edit on 21-4-2005 by Bobbo]

Ahh, but how do we know that the person whom we are burying is actually inside the coffin?

Patented in 1897, this hermetically-sealed coffin had a tube, about 3.5 inches in diameter, extending to a box on the surface. The tube was attached to a spring-loaded ball sitting on the corpse's chest. Any movement of the chest would release the spring, opening the box lid and admitting light and air into the coffin. To signal for help, a flag would spring up, a bell would ring for half an hour, and a lamp would burn after sunset. Similar "life-signalling" coffins were patented in the United States.

Although it shouldn't be necessary as I intend to live forever. (so far so good)

Originally posted by Bikereddie
Ahh, but how do we know that the person whom we are burying is actually inside the coffin?

Because no one wants a dead, rotten, heavy, smelling body.

Surf

Originally posted by deevee

To signal for help, a flag would spring up, a bell would ring for half an hour, and a lamp would burn after sunset. Similar "life-signalling" coffins were patented in the United States.

A bell ringing for 30 minutes would bring about as much attention as your car alarm sounding at 2 am does.

Seriously though, once the coffin is sealed and locked etc, how do you know that it contains what you think? What proof is there? You only have the honesty of the undertakers who placed them there in the first place.

Who can honestly say that a person is actually in the coffin?

Remember this one?

NOBLE, Ga. - Investigators yesterday worked to recover discarded corpses in six newly discovered vaults on the grounds of a north Georgia crematory and said the body count may rise by at least another 100.

Final Toll: Over 300 Corpses

I do remember that case. How sad was that?

All those people who thought that they were actually burying someone, and they never did.

Which brings me back to my original question in my first post.

As a person who has worked in the funeral business as a Family Service Counselor, I can tell you this...

Yes, when the person is placed in the casket, (not coffin, those have eight sides and are archaic), they are dead.

When they are interred, or buried, they are in the casket and dead.

When a person dies, the Funeral Director and Mortician perform all of the necessary preparations on the body, such as post mortem exam, embalming and cosmetic prep. They then place the body in a casket and fix the hair and touch up make-up before the viewing takes place.

There may be a closed casket upon the person's final wishes or if there is too much injury to the body or religious beliefs, but one thing is for sure.....

They are dead. I have been involved in a lot of funerals and have seen for myself, they would never bury anyone who is still alive nor would they bury an empty casket.

I hope that clarifies some things for you.

Peace,

Icelandia

I have been involved in a lot of funerals and have seen for myself, they would never bury anyone who is still alive nor would they bury an empty casket.

Ahh, but some people have done just that. check out this link.

wildcat.arizona.edu...

That was a crooked thing to do and it was all for money, it doesn't happen every day, that is why that case made headlines and history. That was an isolated incident, I was speaking on every day terms and my experiences, since I felt it would help you understand. That case was a desecration to all people involved including those in the funeral business. Hell, even my funeral home followed that case and we were so ashamed that anyone would ever do that to those poor families and their desceased.

Icelandia

This is how you can be sure, give all your friends and relatives a cell phone, tell them "If you are buried, call me", if they don't call you then you know they weren't buried.

Good thing I'm around to help with this science stuff.

Originally posted by Legalizer
This is how you can be sure, give all your friends and relatives a cell phone, tell them "If you are buried, call me", if they don't call you then you know they weren't buried.

Unless your carrier is Verizon. Quoth the CEO

"Why in the world would you think your (cell) phone would work in your house?" he asked. "The customer has come to expect so much. They want it to work in the elevator, they want it to work in the basement."

I assume this would apply to graves as well. Verizon Cares