Euthanasia

[Palinurus]

Reports are published about the yearly overview on euthanasia in the Netherlands.

Increase in self-assisted suicides last year, with psychological reasons up by 20%
More people opt for euthanasia because of mental suffering - DutchNews.nl

Two snippets, one from each:

More euthanasia requests were granted in the Netherlands last year. The number of reported cases of euthanasia rose by four percent to 9,068. That is 5,4 percent of all the people who died in the Netherlands that year, yearly numbers of the Regional Euthanasia Testing Committees (RTE) show.

The numbers showed that euthanasia to end severe psychological suffering was up by 20 percent last year. In total, there were 138 assisted suicide cases for this reason.

The RTE received 138 notifications of euthanasia from people with psychiatric illnesses in 2023, 20% up from the year before.

In total, some 9,000 people died through euthanasia in 2023, or some 5.4% of the total number of deaths recorded in that year. Almost 90% of them were suffering from cancer.

In just five of the cases, the RTE found that the rules surrounding euthanasia were not adhered to properly and [those] will be investigated.

As the number of cases of euthanasia for people with psychiatric illnesses rises, the RTE also found that more psychiatrists directly involved in the treatment of a patient had carried out requests.

Five years ago, the Expertise Centrum Euthanasie, set up to help people whose doctors are unwilling to help, was involved in over three quarters of euthanasia requests due to mental suffering. That has gone down to 50%, the RTE said.

 

[Palinurus]

Source: 7 elderly right-to-die campaigners in court over suicide powder - DutchNews.nl

7 elderly right-to-die campaigners in court over suicide powder​

April 8, 2024

Seven right-to-die campaigners, all over the age of 70, will appear in court in Arnhem on Monday, charged with encouraging people to use a “suicide powder” to end their lives.

Several of the seven are members of the Last Will Cooperative which believes everyone has the right to end their lives at the time of their choosing and has long campaigned for an end-of-life pill.

The seven are said by the public prosecution department to be members of a “criminal organization” due to the structured way they worked to distribute the cocktail of drugs that make up the powder known as “substance x” in legal documents.

The seven are all said to have their “own role” within the organization, which organized meetings at people’s homes to provide information about the right to die. However, the public prosecution department says they went further than providing information, which in itself is not illegal, and some also supplied the chemical powders.

The unnamed powder is used in the chemical industry and when ingested it can take up to 40 hours to die. Selling the powder is not an offense in itself unless the purpose is to help someone take their own life. Under Dutch law, it is illegal to help someone to die, unless a doctor acts under the strict terms of euthanasia legislation.

Last July another cooperative member, Alex S was jailed for 3.5 years, for distributing the powder, which is said to have been involved in at least 10 suicides.

Meanwhile, a group of people whose relatives killed themselves by taking the powder have called for a ban on substance x and say they plan to start legal action against the government if it does not do so.

Randy Knol, chairman of the foundation Ximena’s Vlinder, told the Parool (in Dutch) that the state is partly responsible for the death of people killed by the powder for failing to act earlier and to continue to approve its use in the food industry.

“The compound was unknown as a suicide aid until 2017, but since it has been praised by the Last Will Cooperative it is a problem worldwide,” Knol told the paper.

The foundation was set up in 2013 and now has some 30,000 members, most of whom joined when the cooperative went public about substance x.

Similar: Seven charged as organized crime ring in suicide drug case to stand trial today

Dutch coverage: Stichting gaat aangifte doen tegen Staat, om 'Middel X' te kunnen verbieden

 

[The Mechanic]

from ‘I’m 28. And I’m Scheduled to Die in May.’

The whole artile is for paying subscribers only, which I'm not, so this is the first part of it.

Zoraya ter Beek, 28, together with her partner in the living room of their home in Oldenzaal, the Netherlands, on March 25, 2024. (Ilvy Njiokiktjien for The Free Press)

‘I’m 28. And I’m Scheduled to Die in May.’​

Some right-to-die activists want everyone to have access to euthanasia—even young people with mental illness. Are they also making suicide contagious?

By Rupa Subramanya
April 1, 2024

Zoraya ter Beek, 28, expects to be euthanized in early May.
Her plan, she said, is to be cremated.
“I did not want to burden my partner with having to keep the grave tidy,” ter Beek texted me. “We have not picked an urn yet, but that will be my new house!”
She added an urn emoji after “house!”
Ter Beek, who lives in a little Dutch town near the German border, once had ambitions to become a psychiatrist, but she was never able to muster the will to finish school or start a career. She said she was hobbled by her depression and autism and borderline personality disorder. Now she was tired of living—despite, she said, being in love with her boyfriend, a 40-year-old IT programmer, and living in a nice house with their two cats.
She recalled her psychiatrist telling her that they had tried everything, that “there’s nothing more we can do for you. It’s never gonna get any better.”
At that point, she said, she decided to die. “I was always very clear that if it doesn’t get better, I can’t do this anymore.”
As if to advertise her hopelessness, ter Beek has a tattoo of a “tree of life” on her upper left arm, but “in reverse.”
“Where the tree of life stands for growth and new beginnings,” she texted, “my tree is the opposite. It is losing its leaves, it is dying. And once the tree died, the bird flew out of it. I don’t see it as my soul leaving, but more as myself being freed from life.”
Her liberation, as it were, will take place at her home. “No music,” she said. “I will be going on the couch in the living room.”
She added: “The doctor really takes her time. It is not that they walk in and say: lay down please! Most of the time it is first a cup of coffee to settle the nerves and create a soft atmosphere. Then she asks if I am ready. I will take my place on the couch. She will once again ask if I am sure, and she will start up the procedure and wish me a good journey. Or, in my case, a nice nap, because I hate it if people say, ‘Safe journey.’ I’m not going anywhere.”
Then the doctor will administer a sedative, followed by a drug that will stop ter Beek’s heart.
When she’s dead, a euthanasia review committee will evaluate her death to ensure the doctor adhered to “due care criteria,” and the Dutch government will (almost certainly) declare that the life of Zoraya ter Beek was lawfully ended.
She’s asked her boyfriend to be with her to the very end.
There won’t be any funeral. She doesn’t have much family; she doesn’t think her friends will feel like going. Instead, her boyfriend will scatter her ashes in “a nice spot in the woods” that they have chosen together, she said.
“I’m a little afraid of dying, because it’s the ultimate unknown,” she said. “We don’t really know what’s next—or is there nothing? That’s the scary part.”


Zoraya ter Beek. (Ilvy Njiokiktjien for The Free Press)
Ter Beek is one of a growing number of people across the West choosing to end their lives rather than live in pain. Pain that, in many cases, can be treated.

Typically, when we think of people who are considering assisted suicide, we think of people facing terminal illness. But this new group is suffering from other syndromes—depression or anxiety exacerbated, they say, by economic uncertainty, the climate, social media, and a seemingly limitless array of fears and disappointments.

“I’m seeing euthanasia as some sort of acceptable option brought to the table by physicians, by psychiatrists, when previously it was the ultimate last resort,” Stef Groenewoud, a healthcare ethicist at Theological University Kampen, in the Netherlands, told me. “I see the phenomenon especially in people with psychiatric diseases, and especially young people with psychiatric disorders, where the healthcare professional seems to give up on them more easily than before.”

Theo Boer, a healthcare ethics professor at Protestant Theological University in Groningen, served for a decade on a euthanasia review board in the Netherlands. “I entered the review committee in 2005, and I was there until 2014,” Boer told me. “In those years, I saw the Dutch euthanasia practice evolve from death being a last resort to death being a default option.” He ultimately resigned.



Ter Beek’s medical necklace says ‘Do not resuscitate.’ (Ilvy Njiokiktjien for The Free Press)
Boer had in mind people like Zoraya ter Beek—who, critics argue, have been tacitly encouraged to kill themselves by laws that destigmatize suicide, a social media culture that glamorizes it, and radical right-to-die activists who insist we should be free to kill ourselves whenever our lives are “complete.”

They have fallen victim, in critics’ eyes, to a kind of suicide contagion.

Statistics suggest these critics have a point.

In 2001, the Netherlands became the first country in the world to make euthanasia legal. Since then, the number of people who increasingly choose to die is startling.

This post is for paying subscribers only

 

[The Mechanic]

I could've posted this in the Stories of Covid vaccination side effects or worse topic as well, but here might be more appropriate.

From: Canadian Doctors Admit Covid 'Booster' Shot Paralyzed Woman, Offer to Euthanize Her to 'Make Up for It' - Slay News

Canadian Doctors Admit Covid ‘Booster’ Shot Paralyzed Woman, Offer to Euthanize Her to ‘Make Up for It’​

Frank BergmanFebruary 24, 2024 - 12:28 pm12 Comments

Canadian doctors have admitted that a Covid “booster” shot from Moderna is responsible for a young Ontario woman now being paralyzed for the rest of her life.
37-year-old mother Kayla Pollock is now paralyzed from the neck down after receiving the mRNA injection and says her life has become a “living hell.”
According to a report from The Liberty Daily, however, doctors have offered to “make up for it” by euthanizing the young mom.
The doctors suggested that Pollock should apply for Canada’s controversial Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) program and said they would help her application get accepted.
As Slay News has reported, Canada has some of the most liberal euthanasia laws in the world.

In recent years, the government has been increasingly relaxing the laws that were originally meant to give terminally ill people an option for dying.
However, the expansion of the laws means people can now be euthanized for far less severe issues such as depression, homelessness, or mental illness.
The laws have even been expanded to include “mature minors” with a push to expand to infants.
In recent months, the North American nation has been ramping up efforts to accelerate the euthanasia of mentally ill citizens.


However, Canada’s government has recently been forced to halt its controversial program to euthanize mentally ill patients after large numbers of doctors have refused to participate in the scheme.


Nevertheless, applications for euthanizing disabled Canadians have never been simpler.

In fact, Canada is now euthanizing dozens of citizens every single day.

According to The Canadian Independent, Pollock’s life took a drastic turn after receiving a Moderna Covid mRNA “booster” shot.

She experienced paralysis from the neck down and has been enduring a challenging ordeal ever since.
When the pandemic struck, Kayla recalls the mainstream media, politicians, and public health officials emphasizing the severity of the virus and urging everyone to get vaccinated.
She remembers health officials specifically advising that those at highest risk should prioritize getting vaccinated.
Kayla heeded the advice of health officials and received the first two Pfizer shots in the middle of 2021 and didn’t experience any issues.

Additionally, she mentions another reason for getting vaccinated was because her father resided in a long-term care facility with dementia, and vaccination was going to be a requirement for entry into the care home.

Kayla then decided to take a booster, but this time it was a Moderna booster shot.
According to Kayla, Moderna was being given out instead of Pfizer.
Kayla says that something didn’t sit right in her gut, but she went ahead with the Moderna booster shot anyway.

She explains her reasoning for getting the third shot was because she felt like a third one would be mandated at some point to get access to her dad’s long-term care home.
She received the Moderna booster shot on January 11, 2022.
Four days later, Kayla described a situation where her legs just gave out, and she collapsed, but all seemed fine a short time later.

Then, nine days later, she experienced a similar event, and at that time, she called her doctor, asking to see a neurologist because she suspected something wasn’t right.

On the morning of February 22, 2022, Kayla’s life took an irreversible turn.
As she awoke, she couldn’t move her body.
Later, Kayla would learn that she had developed transverse myelitis, a condition that interrupts the transmission of messages along the spinal cord nerves throughout the body.
She would go on to spend several months in the hospital.

During her hospital stay, she said she came under increasing pressure from doctors to submit to euthanasia.
She revealed that she was forced to reject offers to be put in for MAID on two occasions during her hospital stay.
After being released from the hospital, doctors have told her that she will never walk again.
They also admitted that the “booster” was to blame and again offered to help her get approved for MAID, which she rejected, again.

An organization called Veterans 4 Freedom has stepped in to help Kayla and has set up a GiveSendGo campaign to help her raise funds for a service dog.

As The Liberty Daily notes, the story serves as a “damnation of Canada’s socialized healthcare system.”

 

[Palinurus]

Source: At least 172 people have died using suicide powder X: research - DutchNews.nl

At least 172 people have died using suicide powder X: research​

April 18, 2024

At least 172 people have taken their own lives using the suicide powder “substance X” since 2015, suicide prevention organization Stichting 113 and the Amsterdam health board estimate.

It is the first time an investigation (in Dutch) has been carried out into how widespread use of the powder is, the organizations say.

The average age of people who had obtained the powder was 59, although the biggest group, some 38%, was over 70.

“The figures show that this is a very diverse group. It’s not only made up of elderly people who have made a considered choice,” researcher Lizanne Schweren told the NRC (in Dutch).

The investigation also showed the use of substance X increased five-fold between 2017 and 2021, from 10 to 50. The following year, 42 people used the powder to kill themselves.

Based on autopsy reports, the researchers found that 120 people had a “psychiatric record”, which included in some cases depression or anxiety. Some 19 had requested euthanasia in the prescribed way but over half had been rejected.

The unnamed powder is used in the chemical industry and when ingested it can take up to 40 hours to die. Selling the powder is not an offense in itself unless the purpose is to help someone take their own life. Under Dutch law, it is illegal to help someone to die, unless a doctor acts under the strict terms of euthanasia legislation.

Seven people aged between 70 and 80 are currently standing trial on charges of forming a criminal organization and supplying the suicide powder.

All seven are either members or former members of the right to die group Cooperative Last Will, which believes everyone has the right to end their lives at the time of their choosing and has long campaigned for an end-of-life pill.

The results of the investigation had been known since January but have only been published now. “Communication about suicide methods brings the risk of copy cat behavior, but the reporting of the court case said no figures were available, and we wanted to set the record straight.” Schweren told the paper.

Similar: At least 172 people died from taking suicide drug X

Dutch coverage:
Ten minste 172 doden door middel 'X' in Nederland sinds 2015
„Aantal sterfgevallen door middel X opvallend hoog”

 

[Palinurus]

Source: Suspect accused of selling suicide drug X commits suicide before verdict

Wednesday, 3 July 2024 - 11:21

Suspect accused of selling suicide drug X commits suicide before verdict​

A 77-year-old from Castricum who committed suicide this week is the same man suspected of illegally selling what prosecutors call Middel X or Drug X, a substance distributed through underground channels to help people end their own lives. The man's death was confirmed by the Public Prosecution Service (OM) on Tuesday based on the police investigation, just one week before his verdict was to be read in court.

With his death, the criminal case against him has ended, the OM confirmed. Suspects in criminal cases are not allowed to be tried posthumously under Dutch law.

The trial against Tom de M. was took place on June 25 in Breda. Prosecutors claimed De M. was linked to seven deaths. The OM has notified the relatives of these people of the suspect's passing. The OM recommended 2.5 years in prison against the man, with six months potentially suspended if the suspect adhered to certain conditions.

De M. was accused of selling the deadly Drug X on the internet. The substance is typically packaged with an antiemetic medication to prevent vomiting, which can also make it harder for someone attempting to end their life to recover if they decide at the last moment that they no longer want to die.

According to the OM, over 223 people had placed an order on the man’s website, and he had earned 74,400 euros from the criminal trade. “The suspect treated the lives of others very lightly,” said the prosecutor during the hearing.

One of the people who died after buying the suicide drug from De M. was Marijn from Vinkel, a village in Noord-Brabant. He ended his life in March 2021 at 33 years of age. His mother responded to the news of the suspect’s death via her lawyer, Sebas Diekstra.

“She thinks this is a sad ending and did not want it to go this way. Despite the enormous suffering that she has been through, she had forgiven the suspect to some extent. Her wish was that the suspect would feel the impact of his deeds, and it seemed like he had during the substantive treatment of the case,” said the victim's lawyer. “Punishment or retaliation doesn't make her feel better, and his death certainly doesn't."

The court’s hearing to announce the verdict in the case remains on the docket for July 9. Now that the suspect is no longer alive, he cannot be prosecuted, and the court case will be closed on the day of the hearing. The prosecutor will ask the court to declare the Public Prosecution Service's case as inadmissible.

The case against De M. was the third significant court case regarding the sales of the Drug X. The District Court in Arnhem will rule on Thursday in a another case against a group of six older adults suspected of membership in an underground criminal organization. The charges were brought because of allegations about the manner in which they approached people considering the decision to end their lives, the acquisition and distribution of Drug X and an anti-emetic, and the manner in which they worked together.

The OM has recommended punishments of up to 2.5 years in prison, with one year conditionally suspended. Their supplier, Alex S. (31) from Eindhoven, was sentenced to 3.5 years in jail, with 1.5 years of those conditionally suspended. His case is still on appeal.

Similar: Man facing sentencing in suicide powder case takes his own life - DutchNews.nl

Dutch coverage: https://nos.nl/artikel/2527093-verdachte-verkoper-middel-x-heeft-zelfmoord-gepleegd-nog-voor-uitspraak-in-de-zaak

 

[Palinurus]

Source: Two found guilty, four acquitted in assisted suicide case; Provided drug doses to 1,000

Thursday, 4 July 2024 - 11:16

Two found guilty, four acquitted in assisted suicide case; Provided drug doses to 1,000​

The court in Arnhem acquitted four people accused of supplying the suicide drug X. It convicted two others and gave them suspended prison sentences, which they’ll only have to serve if they commit another criminal offense. The Public Prosecution Service (OM) had demanded prison sentences against six of the seven suspects, accusing them of forming a criminal organization and providing the suicide drug to over 1,000 people.

The court considered it proven that Tineke B. (74) and Jos van Wijk (76), the former director of Coöperatie Laatste Wil (CLW), an organization that fights for more self-determination at the deathbed, collaborated with Alex S., who was convicted last year of supplying drug X. The Arnhem court convicted B. and Van Wijk of participating in a criminal organization with the aim of assisting suicide.

B. got a suspended prison sentence of 1 year with a probation period of four years. According to the court, she was involved in the assisted suicide of at least one woman and thereby caused a lot of suffering to the woman’s loved ones. “As a result of their mediation, this lady was given Drug X and an anti-emetic with which she ultimately ended her life,” the court said. The woman’s daughter said in her victim statement that a distance occurred between her and her mother since her mother made contact with B. “As a result of which, she was unable to assist her mother in the final phase of her life in the way that she wanted,” the court said. That weighed heavily in B.’s sentence, the court said.

Van Wijk got a suspended prison sentence of 4 months and a probation period of 1 year. According to the court, as the director of CLW at the time, Van Wijk should have taken faster, clearer, and stricter action against the informal trade of the suicide drug. “He allowed a culture to continue in which drug X could be provided by the group. His intention to participate in the criminal organization can be deduced from the conscious development and continuation of a certain culture in which rules are broken and in which the man was even actively involved at times.”

According to the court, there was not enough evidence to prove that Erik van V. (75), Jos S. (75), and Marja K. (76) participated in that criminal organization. The court acquitted them. The OM asked the court to acquit another former director, Petra de Jong (71), and the court agreed with that request.

The case against the seventh suspect, Loek de L. (80), was dropped after his recent death. The judge said that the court was not unmoved by the man’s death. “The court thinks back, in particular, to his words in his last statement. He stood in the interest of self-determination but also saw that reconsideration was necessary.”

This is the first time that the OM has prosecuted a group of people for assisting suicide in an organized context. According to a recent study by 113 Suicide Prevention Foundation and GGD Amsterdam, at least 172 people in the Netherlands have died from taking drug X.

Similar: Two senior citizens get suspended jail terms on suicide powder X - DutchNews.nl

Dutch coverage: Twee mensen veroordeeld voor het handelen in zelfdodingsmiddel X

 

[Voyageur]

From the National Post in Canada featuring the MAiD queen herself, Dr. Ellen Wiebe. It is not that a society may not offer this under very controlled and thoughtful cases, yet if any know of Canada's push (the capital of the world for this procedure), someone like Wiebe is concerning (and has been in the background on committees).


This doctor has helped more than 400 patients die. How many assisted deaths are too many?">This doctor has helped more than 400 patients die. How many assisted deaths are too many?

It is a long article (snip):

What she isn’t prepared to do less of is MAID. “It’s the last thing I’ll give up.” In many ways it’s akin to her abortion work, she said. “It’s about honouring people’s wishes, empowering people to have control over their own lives. It’s wonderful that I have the opportunity to do that.”

Wiebe can seem “oddly cheerful” when discussing MAID, viewers of the BBC documentary remarked. She grinned at peculiar moments during an interview with National Post, laughing as she described how, when getting final consent on the day of death, “I come in and say, ‘Are you sure this is what you want to do today?'”
[...]
“Some providers have counts in the hundreds — this isn’t normal, for any occupation,” he said. “Even members of the military at war do not typically kill that frequently. I think that’s a question that we’ve not really ever asked.”
[...]
Canada has a strikingly high assisted death rate, reaching 4.1 per cent of all deaths in 2022. At 5.5 per cent of all deaths, B.C. had the second-highest percentage of MAID deaths, behind Quebec, outpacing assisted-suicide pioneers like Belgium and the Netherlands. Sporadic reports have emerged of people being driven to MAID because of poverty, debt, a lack of decent housing or food. Lyon and others are concerned with what they see as the looseness of the safeguards and eligibility criteria, and the way assessors are able to interpret them.

 

[Benjamin]

From the National Post in Canada featuring the MAiD queen herself, Dr. Ellen Wiebe. It is not that a society may not offer this under very controlled and thoughtful cases, yet if any know of Canada's push (the capital of the world for this procedure), someone like Wiebe is concerning (and has been in the background on committees).

Y'know, Michael Swango is said to only have killed up to 60 patients.

 

[nativeindigo]

Some information pertaining to this topic (in the UK) is listed below. I couldn't find any information relating to euthanasia within the FOTCM Statement of Principles, but there is mention of "care of the elderly." I understand that it is a 'work in progress' of course, but if new Soul Communities were being set up, having a legal safeguard to protect ones spiritual intentions regarding this matter seems important. Of course I don't know what the stance of the FOTCM is on this issue, but I feel it would be based on compassion and honouring free will.

I see folk of all ages (certainly not just the elderly), coming down with strokes, accidents etc, (and I feel quite a few may be suffering unduly and perhaps against their wishes) and so many (and their families) have a completely distorted view of what rights they have in a legal context, often until its too late. The onus is on 'keeping folk alive whatever quality that may be' - not really about informing them about possible alternatives. Most folk are so conditioned anyway and have 'blind faith' in the medical profession (and their families), so don't even ask (if they can) and the number of 'loving families' effectively abandoning their disabled/dying 'burdens' in Care homes is truly heartwrenching.

As well as talking with 'A' about Advance Decisions (see below) I am considering it also.

I am not a 'morbid' person by nature, but am just facing the issue of death and unnecessary suffering head on, trying to identify my own fears and ignorance. :)



"End of life law and practice is confused, contradictory and constantly changing. Dignity in Dying can help you to understand the law and how it may affect you. This section sets out your rights in several common areas of concern.

Our guide to rights at the end of life was published in October 2008. It sets out people's rights and choices under common law, the Mental Capacity Act and the recently published End of Life Care Strategy.

You can download a copy of the Your Rights at the End of Life guide here.

Dignity in Dying receives many requests for information about the specifics of the law around assisted dying.

We do not provide information about how to end life but some of the most frequently asked questions are answered on the pages below.

Can you help me die?
Can a doctor help me die?
Can I help someone die?
Withholding and withdrawing treatment
Refusing treatment
Care at the end of life
Carers' rights
Please contact us on 020 7479 7730 if you need to talk to somebody, or use our free online contact form."

http://www.dignityindying.org.uk/your-rights.html

"Advance Decisions (formerly known as Living Wills) are fully compliant with the Mental Capacity Act. They allow you to refuse life-sustaining treatment should you no longer be able to communicate and this refusal is legally binding upon doctors. They also allow you to request life-sustaining treatment, no matter what your prospects of recovery, although doctors do not have to respect these requests.

Advance Decisions are available for free from our partner charity, Compassion in Dying. Visit their website for further information: www.compassionindying.org.uk."

http://www.dignityindying.org.uk/advance-decisions.html

I think you are bringing up a really important topic. With so many younger people having taken the jabs, and for those that it has affected badly, the whole family dynamic will have changed. When my parents became ill, I gave up my job to look after them I was 56 at the time. It changed my future trajectory and I had not looked that far ahead for myself. I have seen a few reports on young people who had promising careers ahead of them, now having to spend the rest of their days in a bed/wheelchair and with constant care and assessment. I have no doubt that they will have contemplated going off planet.

There are things that I had ruminated on for a while, when in one of the sessions, it was asked if taking the jab was predetermined in one's soul plan. The C's, if I remember correctly said that it was not....and yet from other information that I have read and listened to, all of those who took the jabs were meant to take it. It was something of a grey area that I had wanted to expand on further.

If we take it that what happens in life to each of us, like in the case of "A", do we accept that it is part of our chosen soul plan and that it has the potential for learning for "A" and his family, friends, carers, doctors and so on? I remember the C's saying "It's all lessons" or words the that effect. I remember this session, as I was just in the process of learning about souls and their paths, and lessons and soul groups and so on. I could see the benefit of why a soul would choose to go through such a situation in order for the opportunity for growth. I believe we all have moments like this in our soul plans to a greater or lesser degree.

So, whilst I can see how individuals should have the right to end their life when it becomes unbearable, and I was in a position a couple of years ago where my health may not have improved and I may be bed/wheelchair bound. I Know 100% that I was in shock and did panic thinking I may never walk again, and the thought of having to rely on others for the rest of my life, just go to the bathroom, or for my food.....it was too much for me and I lost all of my hair with the shock of that contemplation. I have a much more realistic degree of empathy now having been through that and come out the other side, even though I am still not as I was but independent and mobile so all good enough for me. I can no longer run,(haven't for years with my lower back disc injuries) or carry things or lift and I have to sleep on one side of the bed as I cannot turn in bed. When I sit or get up from a chair, I have to have support either side. Some might say that that is not much of a life and others would say, it is better than some. I don't feel sorry for myself. The 6 months that I spent in bed, I had a lot of time to contemplate a lot of stuff. One of the things that I appreciated about those who, say, in my situation, may not have healed enough to walk again......they had to learn acceptance of how their life had panned out. I had to contemplate that myself, but I also was determined to do everything I could to heal myself without medical intervention. I put my mind to it that I would start healing myself from my own mind and heart..

Perhaps a different perspective of why any individual is in a particular situation in the first place. The point that I am bringing up here, is that anyone who finds themselves in this particular situation where the status of their health and their quality of life, is no longer bearable, a Soul still has their God given right to choose, and that is all part of the experience....in that same position, what would we do, would we be able to accept it or will we fight it, or.... will we end it? As I see it, nothing happens, that is not meant to happen, and yet the C's, in their answer, threw doubt on that and I would dearly love to ask them more about this scenario. So, how the C's explained it, and I of course may have misinterpreted what they meant but for arguments sake, for all those that took the jabs, even though they were lied to about it being safe and with the whole world seemingly swept along by the media and the hospitals and the governments that it was a bonafide prevention from getting C19, and because these individuals weren't aware of the shenanigans going on, were they meant to take the jabs then, to become the vax-injured as they are known as now, to drop (some actually dead) on the field like so many in sports have done, was it that these individuals agreed to be the ones that left the planet, or got injured, so that we could take big Pharma to court with these individuals as evidence?

How much difference would it make to the person in the wheelchair or in the bed, if they knew that their own Soul had chosen this scenario for many reasons, not just lessons for others but for themselves. On the other side of physical life, as Souls plan an incarnation, wherever it may be, the Soul is thinking of the soul growth, the teaching, the experiences. The soul's ultimate goal is to complete their life plan for each incarnation, and gain the expansion and growth that it desires, for itself and ultimately the whole Soul group Collective. From what I have researched, how we get to those points of reference in our soul plan, are up to us and can and do often go slightly awry, but for the most part, we managed to get back on track with some help from our spiritual teams. There may be exceptions to this which begs the question, how far will our Soul plans be permitted to stray from the original plan? If they stray too far can that have catastrophic affects on us including permanent injury or death? Puts a new spin on being in the wrong place at the wrong time!

Before I moved to Malta, I had contemplated moving to Suffolk, UK, (saw a few properties in Woolpit haha!). I did put an offer in on a house in a village, but what happened to me after I had set my intention to move and live in Suffolk, was the next and most important part of my Soul awakening. I realised that I was not meant to move to Suffolk because I became ill and I was never ill. I ended up in bed for a whole week and could not even take my little boy to school, my parents stepped in. During that time, I realised that through the power of visual manifestation, I was creating a conflict within my Soul plan, and by becoming ill, that was the chance I needed for me to Just stop "doing" and "visualising" and instead feel what was going on. I had already had a feeling of real unease come over me.....it was fleeting at first so I paid no mind to it, thinking it was just my self doubt and the stress of what I was trying to do on my own with my young son in tow. I started to think about the plans that I made for my son, and how they would affect the rest of his life and mine, so it was a big deal. During that week of being ill, so much became apparent, that by Friday, I knew what I had to do, and on the Saturday, I felt so much better that I could get up and start getting back to looking after my son. I telephoned the agent for the house that I was buying, and withdrew my offer. She asked me why and I told her that something did not feel right. That same afternoon, I visited my parents with my son, and told them that I had withdrawn the offer, stating that I had been pushing away a feeling of something bad that might happen to me or my son. When they heard that....they accepted without question, as they knew that I got intuitions about things from when I was a child and they had never question that about me, even then. Instead, my father came up with a brilliant plan albeit much more drastic, and asked me if I would want to live in Malta, as they speak English and my parents had a holiday home there. The rest is history as they say! Needless to say, that every part of the journey to Malta moved like clockwork, literally everything fell into place. That is how I knew that I was meant to be here and have embraced and accepted all the stuff that has come my way and some of it has not been pretty but I have accepted it all on another level and tried at all times to see the lessons or experiences that I had chosen for myself and the others involved.

 

[nativeindigo]

This article caught my attention because right now in South Africa where I live, there is a case of one famous and internationally known man by the name of Nelson Mandela who, at this time, is terminally ill in hospital and is being artificially kept alive by life-support machines. There have even been leaked report about him allegedly being in a permanent vegetative state. Whether these rumours are true or not, one thing remain for certain: all evidences indicate that the old man (who recently turned 95) will very likely never be able to normally function in the society again.

So now the million dollar questions become: why artificially prolong his life if it can no longer serve any purpose? Why shouldn't this lovely old man be allowed to rest in peace like every other dying person? Wouldn't it be better for his soul to be released from his body so it can proceed in its learning journey? Why try to delay his impending and inevitable death at all cost? Is forcing him to stay alive (in a Zombie-like state) a way of honouring his dignity and freewill, or is it just a sick obsession of those who like to use his influence for various social and political gains? These are some of the questions that very much disturb me vis-a-vis this case.

Before I never really gave much attention to this Euthanasia issue, but as I now begin to seriously consider all the rationales behind this practice, I find myself increasingly leaning toward favouring it. It now seems to me that everyone should be allowed to check out with dignity if their health state makes it impossible for their soul to express itself in their current body. It makes sense that the soul should be allowed to exit that body so it can begin to chose a new one in which to reincarnate.

I agree wholeheartedly with your sentiments Loire! This situation with NM being in this state and making the news, has given you some food for thought has it not? It would also be safe to say that this same scenario and sentiments are probably being contemplated by many people around the world would it not? That contemplation of this scenario, in itself, is serving a purpose. Why any one of us come here to do anything at all, is all governed by the same truths. We learn from each other and we learn from ourselves, as well as learning for eachother and learning for ourselves, the macro and micro, the individual and the Collective. The whole Universe is based on this.

As more of an observer of my own life now, as well as observing life on the planet in general, I find myself automatically looking at what lesson this or that could be serving, and it has become more natural for me to look at life in this way. For many years now, I have understood that right and wrong don't really factor in anymore. I was watching a film the other day, and one character said to another, "it was the right thing to do". I contemplated this phrase and it is said a LOT in films. I wondered if that phrase has been misleading in a way because even as children, we are told that certain things are right and certain things are wrong. I have come to think of this more as the choices we have which will be based on the individual situation and circumstances. Our choices, if made with our hearts governing, I believe will always have the best outcome, and be more aligned with the natural flow of the Universe. They are choices nonetheless and one choice made by another may not have the backing of others who will have a different perspective and or feelings about it.

So having explained the above, whilst I also feel your sentiments exactly, I can also see how this particular situation, is probably meant to give people the chance to contemplate, mortality, their own mortality, the mortality of their nearest and dearest. This is perhaps the only way that people will naturally think about their own morality, when facing it with someone who is known to most on the planet but they are detached enough to think about the subject and perhaps even apply it closer to home! So bottom line, I feel it serves a purpose and much will be gained from this even in how we would want to structure our medical care in the future as well as a deeper and more intricate understanding of why we incarnate at all!

 

[Palinurus]

New article on SOTT about a suicide pod:

https://www.sott.net/article/493313-First-suicide-pod-available-for-use-soon-in-Switzerland-costing-20-a-go

 

[Palinurus]

Source: First person dies in Dutch-designed assisted suicide capsule; Journalist arrested

Tuesday, 24 September 2024 - 12:36

First person dies in Dutch-designed assisted suicide capsule; Journalist arrested​

A 64-year-old American woman died in Switzerland on Monday in a specially designed "assisted dying capsule," which is designed to fill with nitrogen gas to kill an individual by suffocation. This is the first known instance where the method has been used to end a life. A Volkskrant [Dutch media] photojournalist who was present at the time was arrested by police at the scene.

The capsule, known as the Sarco Pod, was created to provide a "quick, peaceful, and reliable death" according to its designers. The woman reportedly died at approximately 4:01 p.m. on Monday, with Florian Willet, the director of end-of-life advocacy The Last Resort, present as a witness.

Due to oxygen deprivation, also known as hypoxia, she lost consciousness and died shortly after the machine started. Her death was confirmed by Dr. Philip Nitschke, the creator of the Sarco device and an advocate for the right to die.

The Sarco Pod was set up in a secluded wooded area in Schaffhausen, near the German border. The woman had traveled to Switzerland specifically for this procedure, in which an individual climbs into the chamber and initiates the process on their own with the push of a button. Nitrogen gas then fills the capsule, causing the oxygen level to drop to nearly zero within a minute.

Nitschke explained that death in the Sarco resembles what happens when cabin pressure drops in an airplane, depriving passengers of oxygen. "From those who have survived that experience, we know it doesn't feel like suffocation," he told the Volkskrant.

"People continue to breathe normally. After half a minute, they start to feel disoriented. They are not fully aware of what is happening to them. Some experience mild euphoria. Then they just drift away."

Until recently, the Swiss government had not commented on the legality of the Sarco. Swissmedic, the country’s regulatory authority, stated that the Sarco is not considered a medical device, and therefore, does not require a permit. Additionally, nitrogen, a gas naturally present in the air, is not classified as a controlled substance.

However, on Monday, Swiss Interior Minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider voiced concerns, stating that in her view, the Sarco does not meet product safety requirements. She also said that the nitrogen is not being used in compliance with chemical regulations, according to the Swiss newspaper NZZ [Neue Zürcher Zeitung].

On the same day, police in Schaffhausen detained a Volkskrant photojournalist who had been following the case and attempting to take photographs at the scene. The newspaper said they lost contact with their photographer for several hours before police confirmed they were detaining him. No further details were provided.

Authorities may have also detained Florian Willet, who was present at the assisted suicide. Swiss authorities declined to comment further on the situation as of Tuesday morning.

 

[happyliza]

Nitschke explained that death in the Sarco resembles what happens when cabin pressure drops in an airplane, depriving passengers of oxygen. "From those who have survived that experience, we know it doesn't feel like suffocation," he told the Volkskrant.

Well I certainly cannot agree with the above statement. Following my last trip back on a large plane from Heathrow to Istanbul there was a pressure drop in the cabin. From what I could quickly see whilst disorientated and getting the attention of the cabin staff, I was the only one around me that was immediately affected.
However, it WAS oxygen deprivation, and it certainly was tremendously uncomfortable until they could bring me the oxygen cylinder. To be able to breathe again.
It was the nearest sensation to being gassed that I have had, though I have been in a gas leak in a previous house!
I am not sure of what the nitrogen does. But all I can say is the lack of oxygen is not a memory I will easily forget.
I do admit that this summer I have particularly felt more uncomfortable in the close, mugginess of the humidity and clamminess in the heat, or even now with the weather colling a bit. My savious is my air conditioner, which I only got this summer, and it is amazing for breathing, ambient temperature and work focusing.

Edit: Inserted quote

 

[Palinurus]

Source: Police search suicide pod inventor's office at Swiss request - DutchNews.nl

Police search suicide pod inventor’s office at Swiss request​

October 3, 2024

Dutch police conducted a search of the office of suicide pod inventor Philip Nitschke in Haarlem on Monday on behalf of the Swiss authorities, the public prosecution office has confirmed.

Police confiscated computers and a prototype of the Sarco suicide pod, a later version of which was used last week to end the life of a 64-year-old American woman in Switzerland.

Assisted suicide is allowed in Switzerland under certain conditions. However, the Swiss public prosecutor is now questioning if the use of the pod, which fills up with nitrogen gas when the person inside pushes a button after declaring he or she wishes to die, constitutes incitement and aiding and abetting of suicide which is illegal. It is also investigating if other offenses have been committed.

According to Swiss monitoring body Swissmedic the pod does not qualify as a “therapeutic” medical instrument because its aim is to kill and not to cure.

Several people involved in the incident, have already been detained.

Nitschke, an Australian national living in the Netherlands and a long-time right-to-die campaigner, was not present at the suicide but followed it via a video link. “It looked exactly as we had expected. I estimated that she lost consciousness within two minutes and died after five minutes. We saw some twitchy movements of the muscles but she was likely already unconscious,” he told the Volkskrant [in Dutch].

It is not yet known if Switzerland will ask for the extradition of Nitschke and his wife Fiona Stewart who is a lawyer and board member of the Last Resort, the organization which offers the use of the suicide pod.

Nitschke and Stewart said they were shocked by the reaction of the Swiss justice department but were confident they would not be prosecuted, their lawyer Tim Vis told the paper. “They have always made sure their actions are within the law, and they did so in this case,” he said.

Similar: Police raid Haarlem office of suicide pod inventor after Switzerland incident