Suicide is Painless

[TygrHawk]

Okay, first of all, I usually don't put much stock in dream interpretation. I don't believe they generally have any "deeper meaning" -- just a collection of thoughts or experiences expressed in some (usually rather odd) way. But I had one last night that I thought maybe you guys could have some fun with. First, some background. My parents are aging (82 and 84) and have had a large assortment of health problems over the past few years. My two sisters and I have been urging them to move into an assisted living place for about 3 years, but they kept putting it off. They finally decided they could put it off no longer, and the move was scheduled for May of this year. While we were making arrangements, my mother took a fall and broke her leg. During the first two weeks that she was in the hospital, my father pretty much stopped eating, and grew increasingly disoriented, eventually starting to hallucinate, and thus he went into the hospital as well. We are going ahead with moving them to the assisted living apartment, however now they are both going to have to be in the skilled nursing facility for a while before moving to the apartment. The actual move of furniture and stuff is happening this weekend. And now, to the dream... My entire family was in the living room of my parents' house (the one they've lived in for 45+ years). My brother-in-law, was stretched out on the sofa, and I remember my sister (his wife) being there, as well as my mother. I'm pretty sure that my other sister was there along with my wife, but I'm not 100% sure of all the people that were there. The reason I mention my brother-in-law first is that he seemed central to this. His wife (my sister) has been the main person making the arrangements for my parents move, and taking care of my dad while my mom was in the hospital. My brother-in-law is a Vietnam veteran, and was a big fan of the book and move "M*A*S*H" (probably the TV show as well). The really freaky part of the dream is that we were all singing. That's odd enough by itself, but the song we were singing was "Suicide is Painless" (the theme song from "M*A*S*H"). A different person would start singing each verse, and then others would join in whenever they knew that part. I'm a big fan of "M*A*S*H" also, and I used to know how to play "Suicide is Painless" on the piano -- I even knew the words to all the verses. But it's not something I'd been thinking about lately, and I haven't even watched the TV show recently. Anyone want to try to analyze that?

[Yume]

To see your own family in high spirits in your dream may symbolize harmony and happiness. The singing may mean that that you are emotionally fufilled. The fact that your mom is being taken care off or maybe some other part of your life makes you happy. Since you like the song it shows that your dream was a happy one. You are having a good time right now. Just a stab , Yume

[TygrHawk]

Perhaps you are not familiar with the song, and I guess I was not clear about that part. The lyrics are very... dark. It certainly did not seem like we were singing out of joy, nor did it seem like there were very high spirits among my family.

[sephiroth clock]

The song could mean that you are afraid of death, perhaps your parents. If you were in low spirits this is the case. Suicide is painless, is a way of distracting yourself from the realities of death. If you were in high spirits, this could mean that you are not afraid of death, and at peace with your family. My guess only, Seph

[Inspirer]

Well I just studied the lyrics of your song, dark they are indeed. The meaning of your dream seems apparent. Your brother in law is there not as himself but as a dream symbol of his character. The song is what's important. It's about misery before death. You are going through much hardship right now that will be over when it's over, and it will have a gruesome relief to it. The trouble with our current level of civilization is that we really don't know how to die well. We live as long as we can, without dignity, without comfort, and without considering suicide to be an option. I suspect the meaning to be that you really don't agree with this way of managing the end of life. I know I don't.