It's already been strongly proven (by anecdotal experience) that you cannot die within a dream, but your approach to this topic interested me, so I will reply to it in relection of the first post.

The fact that humans die whilst in the matrix adds to the story and makes it more engaging, if it didn't, the movie wouldn't have made as much money. Anyway...sleeping is a natural function, and our bodies certainyl know what to do when we sleep, surely our bodies know how to take care of our minds during sleep after all this time? Dreaming is a sort of organizing process for the mind during sleep. Anything can happen in them, even dying, which is merely just data from the dream. But if everything else you did in the dream doesn't transcend into your waking life body, why should dying suddenly be any different?

The matrix theory isn't too far removed, it's just exaggerated. It's too bad their technology didn't have death-proof systems for every death occuring within the program.