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*[[Neelix]] was also brought back from being dead, but as his death did not match his culture's beliefs regarding an afterlife, he was profoundly disturbed by the experience. ({{VOY|Mortal Coil}})
 
*[[Neelix]] was also brought back from being dead, but as his death did not match his culture's beliefs regarding an afterlife, he was profoundly disturbed by the experience. ({{VOY|Mortal Coil}})
 
*The [[Kobali]] were capable of reanimating dead lifeforms in order to [[sex|procreate]] their [[species]], however the reanimated corpse would have a limited memory of his or her prior life. ({{VOY|Ashes to Ashes}})
 
*The [[Kobali]] were capable of reanimating dead lifeforms in order to [[sex|procreate]] their [[species]], however the reanimated corpse would have a limited memory of his or her prior life. ({{VOY|Ashes to Ashes}})
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*[[Species 149]] were Medically Advanced and had the ability to reanimate the dead.
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*The [[Borg]] assimilated [[Species 149]] gaining the ability to reanimate a Drone as long as 73 hours after Death.
 
*[[Data]] has noted that his off-switch provides for an experience comparable to death, albeit one that permits a simple resurrection. ({{TNG|The Schizoid Man}})
 
*[[Data]] has noted that his off-switch provides for an experience comparable to death, albeit one that permits a simple resurrection. ({{TNG|The Schizoid Man}})
 
*In [[2369]], upon his death, [[Kobliad]] criminal [[Rao Vantika]] [[synaptic pattern displacement|transferred]] his [[consciousness]] to [[Doctor]] [[Julian Bashir]] and continued living in Bashir. ({{DS9|The Passenger}})
 
*In [[2369]], upon his death, [[Kobliad]] criminal [[Rao Vantika]] [[synaptic pattern displacement|transferred]] his [[consciousness]] to [[Doctor]] [[Julian Bashir]] and continued living in Bashir. ({{DS9|The Passenger}})

Revision as of 17:43, 5 July 2010

Hiren consumed by thalaron radiation

The death of Praetor Hiren

"Every life comes to an end when time demands it. Loss of life is to be mourned, but only if the life was wasted."
- Spock (TAS: "Yesteryear")

Death is the permanent end of all life functions in a lifeform (or part of a lifeform in the case of tissue damage). It can also mean the absence of life or state of being dead. Many cultures address this process as it applies to sentient beings in spiritual terms, including the holding of wakes, memorials, and funerals following the death of an individual.

In 2365, Nagilum, in the guise of Data, asked Captain Jean-Luc Picard what death is. According to Picard there are two contemporary philosophies. The belief that death is the transformation into an indestructible and unchanging form. According to this belief the purpose of the entire universe is to then maintain that form in an afterlife in an Eden-like place. While the other extreme belief is that death is simply blinking into nothingness. Picard himself believed that the existence of lifeforms is part of a reality beyond what is currently understood as reality and therefore both philosophies are insufficent. (TNG: "Where Silence Has Lease")

Death is sometimes perceived as an event that is common to all living things. In 2366, Captain Jean-Luc Picard used death and his own mortality as a way to show Nuria and her people that he was no different than they were, and certainly not a god they named "the Picard". (TNG: "Who Watches The Watchers")

Artificial lifeforms can cease functioning through induced self-destruction.

The study of death is called thanatology.

Death may also be seen as a personification, attributed to a single entity, figure, or symbol. In this form, Death is known by many names, one of the more common being the "Grim Reaper". In 2370, the USS Enterprise-D encountered an alien probe that began to transform the Enterprise into an alien city, complete with hieroglyphic symbols, one of which was the symbol for Death (TNG: "Masks"). In 2267, Lazarus equated his parallel universe counterpart as "Death" and "Anti-Life" (TOS: "The Alternative Factor").

Actor William Sadler, who played the character of Luther Sloan in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, portrayed Death in Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey; part of which was filmed at Vasquez Rocks, a filming site used in several Star Trek productions.

Resuscitation

For most lifeforms, death is a permanent state. However, sometimes resuscitation is possible:

Appendices

Quotes on Death

"He's dead, Jim."

- Leonard McCoy (various)


"How we deal with death is at least as important as how we deal with life..."

- James T. Kirk (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan)


"Today is a good day to die."

- Worf (DS9: "By Inferno's Light"; Star Trek: First Contact)

Related topics

Leslie dead

A dead crewman

Additional references

Spock reacts to the death of the Intrepid

Spock senses the death of the Vulcan crew of the USS Intrepid