As a Japanese person I want to thank you so much for your careful and caring treatment of this topic. You are obviously a kind, respectful and highly intelligent woman. PS- the corn soup is a bit sweet for me but still very tasty. I hope you try it out 😊
I love Japanese corn soup, even from the vending machine. I lived in the Tohoku region for 3 years over 20 years ago and still miss it. CC Lemon was a favorite drink after visiting the Onsen.
You're pretty much one of the few people I would trust to cover this topic and do a 100% accurate, well researched, and respectful video about it. Thank you Caitlin as always for a great video!
It was also covered (passionately and heavily on the ‘douchebag of the day’ view) by Phillip deFranco as well as without judgement but as a mental health professional reaching out to people who may have been hurt by Kati Morton. I appreciate the emphasis on cultural understanding from Caitlin’s video as well. I can’t stand to see this YTer’s face so my intro to what happened initially came from Kati, then Phillip.
Absolutely agree, thank you Caitlin. Lovely job done. Logan Paul disgusts me . I've found two dead MVI victims, one literally wrapped around a tree with his ATV, across from my driveway. I speak to him like he's still there, every day. Not once did I think-"I must upload this poor man's death to youtube. I'm a nurse, so death is something I'm used to, as much as you can get used to death (I refuse to say the new trendy "passed". They died, they didn't pass anything) What I did do, was check for signs of life, tell them I was sorry they suffered, and covered them to prevent prying eyes. Both times were gruesome impacts. And stopped one victim's father, bereft, from seeing his son, I still see him when I close my eyes. That doesn't make me a good person, just what I think all people should be, moral people. Logan Paul crossed the line, and it was ugly.
You're the first non-Japanese person through this whole controversy that has actually said all of the syllables in Aokigahara. I appreciate you actually learning the Japanese pronunciations.
The ubasute folklore is brutal. Old women were abandoned to save enough food for the remaining people in the village. A form of human sacrifice except that there is no mystical elements involved. The folklore is so popular in Japan that it inspired several books and films, including the one which won Palme d'Or a.k.a. the highest prize in Cannes Film Festival. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ballad_of_Narayama_(1983_film)
"I own a funeral home, I could be vlogging dead bodies all the time" -Caitlin Doughty, 2018 No, really, I enjoyed hearing your opinion on the whole matter and you were the only one who covered it in a mature way.
@@papacatfish6962 -- If she found a body in the wild she might be able to, but if she started posting pictures of the bodies her clients were paying her to attend to she'd be sued out of business. There is a big difference between posting an image of a dead body you have nothing to do with and posting an image of the person you're being paid to care for. I actually think our obsession with the dead is a bit weird and probably unhealthy.
Thomas Mobley I disagree, I see it people wanting to be exposed to things that are more taboo (in Western culture). Almost like a teenager rebelling against strict parents. I think if western culture was more open about death, it wouldn’t be such a forbidden topic that we all want to secretly know about, or that we would be scared of. Humans always want to figure out and explore the unknown.
@@heysaucemikehere1804 -- Actually I meant our obsession with hiding or concealing death, making it taboo or somehow sacrosanct. It didn't used to be this way, we took pictures of and sometimes with the dead at wakes, newspapers used to put pictures of dead bodies on the front page, for instance the famous picture of Carmine Galante with his cigar still in in jaw when he was shot down, or Bugsy Siegel with bullet holes in his face.
only video I've seen regarding the "Suicide Forest" and the Logan Paul fiasco that actually educates and talks about how mental health is treated in Japan, instead of just pointing fingers and stating the obvious
the part about moms made me sad so I called out to my mom to get a hug and she came, asked what was wrong, I shrugged it off, she looked at the screen and said "what a beautiful lass she is". And I agree.
@@Uttelito in some cultures (prob outside of urs) it's seen as filial to live with ur parents. they take care of their parents. it's not what you think.
People make Aokigahara out to be this spooky, scary place but I see it as sad rather than scary. The forest looks beautiful but I feel a sense of sadness rather than scared.
Same as when I read a book set in Indonesia from memory and they used a depiction of the Hindu goddess Kali as a fierce warning yet to this day I've never felt scared of her. If anything I admire her. And clearly the Hindu do as well as Kali Ma is a goddess said to be revered during pregnancy and labour. (My terminology may be a bit off but I recall she was seen somewhat as an equivalent to a patron saint etc)
It's a very beautiful place yes but it's believed to make you see thing or hear things making it believed to be haunted thus giving the forest a scary aspect
Blondegenius3 It’s beautiful. When I visited as a kid, nobody told me it was supposed to be spooky and I didn’t pick up that vibe at all. It’s peaceful and pretty and visiting with my school friends was a fun day trip. There were a lot of other tourists there, including families with small children. I didn’t really think about it as a “suicide forest” until the Logan Paul video dropped and I realized I’d been there and not noticed.
In Japan it calls “mono-no aware” )) not “aware” like in English, with loudest “e” on the end of the word. It’s a beautiful term connected with zen buddhism.
This is honestly the best response to the Logan Paul incident. Not bashing him for laughing, as so many people did, but the fact that posting it was the wrong thing. Thank you for so eloquently talking about this.
Yeah he shouldn't have posted the video but I agree with you. I don't think the laughter was coming from him being a jerk. It was just a way for him to relive tension.
"To his credit, he has apologised and he has taken time off to reflect..." Three years later I'm gonna say no on that one. Nope, no he did not. Not really.
Every time one of these online "celebrities" apologizes and "takes time off to reflect" it's just a chance for them to think up their next stupid controversy. The only way to make them actually get off the internet and stop being disgusting is to stop giving them the attention they crave, and your hard earned money. And get your kids off those channels. Find out what they watch, and have a hard talk sit down with them if they are supporting this garbage. Why would he stop, when it's making him filthy rich?
@Wendis World - How is this disrespectful? And she did not stick up for the RUclipsr. She said he was wrong for posting the video and handling it how he did.
Nah I think every race say they cant tell others apart...... it's the human brain....... but the fact is it happens within thier own race aswell like with celebrities you dont care about. Unless someone is in your life or someone you are a fan of the brain cant ge bothered
You are awesome. I hope you read your comments because you deserve to know how insightful, interesting, helpful...my Grandma watches your channel, that's how awesome you are. Oh and BTW, she literally changed her funeral plan after learning about the cost differences and general funeral knowledge. Thank you for talking about what nobody else wants to talk about.
I lived In Japan for five years and had the chance to visit Aokigahara a few times. Finding personal items left by people was disturbing and it really makes you think. The Japanese Government actually put signs up to help discourage suicide. Saying things like think abotu your family and friends. Think about how much you will hurt them. It's a very humbling place filled with beauty and sadness. Thank you for doing this video and shedding some light on this subject. YOU ROCK!
I'm with on the 'items left behind'. It's like artistic metaphors of a chair or swing left waiting for the occupants return, there's such a grief to the concept that gone is gone.
The fact that she titled this video by the forrest's actual name really says a lot about her character. Most RUclipsrs would've used "suiclde forrest" bc it would've gotten more clicks. The more I watch this woman's channel, the more I'm coming to love, respect, and appreciate her. ❤️
That corn Soup is AMAZING, I highly recommend it. My favorite thing to do with the vending machines is play roulette; put in money and blindly press a button. Thank you for covering this lovely landmark!
@Question Everything really?, even the one at the Haneda airport have it, but to my knowledge the hot options is seasonal, so you might just miss the season (fall/winter)
Vending machine roulette, only something you can do in japan....well, its the place that makes the most sense anyway and would be a reasonably fun game to play in order to try new things
I recently read "The Dream of Water" by Kyoko Mori, a memoir of her childhood in Japan, and in it she talks about how the famous reticence of the Japanese, that tendency not to talk about one's problems, exists in large part as a way of _respecting_ other people by not burdening them with your own troubles, just as what we call "good manners" are meant to be respectful of others by making them as comfortable as possible. The irony of this is, of course, all the trouble and pain that comes about precisely because of not having any outlet for one's own feelings, so everyone is busy sparing other people's feelings and never attending to their own. That's changing, as you say, but apparently it's a big reason for suicide in that country - simply not wanting to burden anyone else (which is one of the reasons for suicide anywhere).
As someone who has had suicidal thoughts since age 11 or 12, I was told by several psychiatrists that there was nothing wrong with me. Even my ADHD diagnosis (which was confirmed when I was 6) was false. I was faking it or I was just fat. It was my GP who finally listened to me when I was 26 and got me on the proper medications. 26! I had been feeling so bad I wanted to kill myself for over half of my life despite having access to "mental healthcare". Sometimes it is all about someone taking your pain seriously. Never give up the fight!
I'm 16 and have suffered from so many serious symptoms. Like you I've just been told that there's nothing wrong with me and it's such a painful thing to deal with. I probably don't have any future ahead of me but I'm so happy you got the help you needed!
Demand it. Go to your GP or any health professional that will listen to you. Once you get your diagnosis, report any psych professional that told you there was nothing wrong. If they didn't at least tell you how to manage symptoms, they are neglectful.
I could have written your comment when I was 16 - miserable time for me. You know you better than anyone else, doctors included. If you feel something's not right, keep asking. It's annoying to have to do that, I know, but it's totally worth it - and YOU are totally worth it. At 16, you have a lot of life ahead of you and it should be good. I am sending you my best thoughts and encourage you to call your local crisis line - that's what they're there for.
Sarah Klauda My younger sister has Selective Mutism. She suffers from extreme anxiety, but has learned to control it with breathing and relaxation techniques she learned from a yoga instructor. For a long time no one knew what was wrong with her, they just assumed she was shy. My mother even took her to a psychologist, but he just said that she would grow out of it. If my mother hadn't kept asking, she wouldn't have gotten the correct diagnosis. She printed out the list of symptoms and the characteristics of people with SM and showed it to another doctor. After he compared the list with his findings, he congratulated her because she had successfully diagnosed her own daughter correctly. My sister's new psychologist doesn't like pills, he was the one who recommended the yoga instructor. Last Saturday she went to the movies with a friend all on her own and even managed to order the tickets and popcorn without any help. She is so proud of herself. If my mother hadn't kept fighting to get to the bottom of things, my sister would have become a recluse in her own room.
Oh! I'm so proud of her too! Yes, you do not always need pills for management, but bloody hell did I need them :p. However I also have a strict routine, diet, exercise, meditation ritual, crisis plan, and everything else I could ever possibly do to combat mental illness. It's life changing but its worth it.
Coming from Japan, I am really happy to see your video accurately capturing the attitude of Aokigahara and about suicide. Ubasute (or babasute in my area, both translating to "abandoning old lady") has a slightly different story than what I remember; I learned it as an action some peasants had to take in desperate times (famine or just unable to afford food), with families abandoning the older members of the family in the forest. The concept of suicide comes in two folds, one taking responsibility for your actions (as you described) and two as an romanticized act of revolt. The first is exactly what Caitlin says, as people who suffer mental difficulties believe they need to deal with it on their own, or that there's shame into having such problem that they cannot seek help. With no help to turn to and seeing themselves as the source of the problem, this often pushes the person into committing suicide. The second one is not as common lately (at least I hope), and the easiest way to explain it is by referencing Romeo and Juliet who died in an act of defiance and in love (to summarize it). Because of the concept of "the nail that sticks out must be hammered down", some people dramaticize and romanticize acts of defiance against society, and sometimes the concept of suicide gets that treatment. From what I understand this view is not as common today as it was in pre-WWII, but obviously it is not entirely gone either. As Caitlin says, the ways to approach these issues is to have a safe, comfortable, and respectable discussion on death and suicide in order to make changes.
There was a similar tradition to ubasute in Korea, called 고려장 (goryeojang). This probably wasn't a very uncommon practice in cultures where peasants started to outlive their average physical work lifespans, to lessen to burden of having many mouths to feed.
I’d never even heard of this Paul guy before his video. When I was a police officer, I had the privilege of helping many people turn away from suicide as an option and seek the help of mental health professionals. Thank you for this video and highlighting what is a very real problem in today’s society.
@@kaylaloveslilpeepforever6825 It isn't a double standard. Black people have been seen as interchangeable and disposable by white people for centuries, and there are still people who see them that way. Someone who jokes about not being able to tell two black people apart is outing themselves as one of those people who sees black people as slightly varied specimens of a homogeneous group, rather than as unique individuals. There is no history of white women dehumanizing white men to the point that white men were actually in danger of being declared inhuman and losing their basic human rights. In fact, white women have also been oppressed by white men (though not nearly to the same degree as black people), making such statements ironic, not bigoted. (The humor is in the absurdity of a white woman not being able to tell two white men apart, which goes against the way our society is built on the assumption that white men are inherently important and worth knowing in detail. Like a woman saying she completely forgot to have any kids - it's funny because it's so contrary to societal expectations of women.) The standard for what makes it offensive is not whether or not a person can't see a difference between brothers but whether that person's inability (or unwillingness) to see that difference is a red flag for a destructive worldview. Thus, there is no double standard. And yes, if a black person or white woman says that all white men deserve to be killed, exploited, enslaved, or otherwise stripped of their basic human rights, that is also a bigoted statement that reflects a destructive worldview. Diversity includes white men. White men are welcome at the table; they just can't continue monopolizing it.
I found a friend's boyfriend dead by hanging with a guitar string. It was gruesome and something I'll never forget. People shouldn't be posting pictures of some poor person dead period. It should not have to be said that that's someone's loved one and a person who felt death was the only answer show some compassion.
@@canceledartist You're on a video that is about a "suicide forest". I think it should be pretty obvious that the comments section may contain triggering messages.
Splintercat death by hanging by a guitar string? You do realize how gruesome that is right? Just because it says suicide Forest doesn’t mean people are gonna describe HOW someone killed themselves and it wouldn’t hurt to put one in
unexpected vixen I know you fuckin lying, you’re acting like I searched up this description, like I asked for it. No? No one asked for this description the original comment poster just decided to write it in the comments which is fine all I’m saying is put a trigger warning. Why is everyone so mad? is it that difficult?! God damn
My mother took her life when I was 10 years old. I have struggled with severe depression for many years. Logan Paul’s video was disgusting. Thank you, Caitlin, for addressing this issue with compassion and rationality.
The Original EB I'm so sorry for what happened to you when you were a child. 😭 Nobody deserves such a thing. I hope you're happy & well & have a good life. Sending you loves & hugs. 😊💖
The Original EB I'm so sorry that you've had to go through life without your mother. My sister took her own life 4 years back, and my niece was only 2 years old. I constantly worry about what life is going to be like for her when she is old enough to really grasp what happened, but it makes me feel better knowing that she could still turn out to be a strong woman like yourself.
I'm so sorry for your loss, and at such a young age, but the fact that it was suicide makes is so much worse. I hate that anyone ever makes that final decision, and I hate how hard it is on those left behind. Major Depressive Disorder is rampant in my family, and a few relatives have made attempts, but fortunately they were not successful and got help. Love and hugs to you.
"In dabs JAKE PAUL." The hatred in this statement is beautiful. And that little "Is that racist?" 👌 I understand this isn't the main thing about the video but idk. It is like 3 a.m. here.
Caitlin, can I just say you handled this video very well. As a child of the military and growing up in Japan, the western view of this beauty part of Japan is unfairly treated. Yes, suicides happen there, but unless you study and focus on it, much like the Golden Bridge of San Fran, it is simply a natural wonder of beauty. Suicide can happen anywhere, and anytime, any whichever place, but because of some Asshats who sensationalise it, the stigma has an echo. Had they not scoured the entirety of this beautiful place of nature, and went off the trodden paths, they likely had never seen anything. As someone who has been revived after suicide, the last thing we want is to be found and shoved into an embarrassing spotlight where we are immediately judged for our actions...
Eyyy another person who was born in Japan for military reasons! I've never seen someone with the same experience until now. Well, I didn't grow up in Japan, I moved to the US when I was still too young to remember, but I was born in Misawa. My dad was an Air Force pilot that was posted there. Was that also where you were born, if you don't mind me asking? (Also, we seem to have similar backgrounds with self harm, but that's beside the point.)
My family is from Japan - my grandparents, who I live with and care for, are incredibly tied to their Japanese culture and were truly hurt by LP's video. That culture not only stresses maintaining and loving nature for it's untainted beauty, but also being respectful at ALL times. The videos that exploit this forest - ESPECIALLY bodies that are found (all of which are daughters, sons, best friends, coworkers, etc.), insult both of those values. I truly appreciate your message (necessary reminder to those who love the spectacle regardless of the price of admission) as well as your mature advocacy for more mental health services. One of the most accurate videos I've seen in regards to Japanese beliefs on suicide/mental health. Thank you. *P.S. The vending machine foods are excellent - even the odd selections*
The Crown Princess of Japan has suffered from mental health issues. Her husband went public and offered his support. She seems to be getting better because she is seen in public more often now. This may be helping others.
I'm an EMT, I fully appreciate gallows humor and other "socially unacceptable" ways of dealing with a traumatic events... but there's a difference between dealing and just being a ghoul.
Someone (I forget who) said it really well: “Gallows humor only works if you are the one on the gallows. Otherwise, it’s just the heckling at an execution.”
Depression is a physical pain. All I can offer is the oft-repeated advice of 'one day at a time.' By which I mean if you want to commit suicide put it off another day, another hour, just keep putting it off. Because statistically it's shown that given the time, many people come out of that dark place. That's why gun suicides are such a problem in America, because it gives people instant access. When it's more complicated it requires more thought and planning, which increases the likelihood that you'll change your mind. One more minute. One more hour. One more day. Step by step. If it really is hopeless, nothing will change by your waiting. Death comes for us all. So try to wait. Try to talk to people. I've been there, I understand. I've been depressed for 6 years or more now and given it's hereditary it's likely never going away completely. Don't let it win. Survive out of sheer SPITE if you have to.
Kai Sea I've been dealing with depression for over a decade now, and there are definitely times when this is my mantra. "A little bit longer". This and the knowledge that it would destroy my mother are what have saved my life more than once. Whatever the motivation to keep going is, it's a good motivation. Waiting to see how you feel, family, spite, friends, anything can be motivation to keep going one more day. Good luck in the future.
I’d say it the way Golden Girls did. If you’re not sure you can’t change your mind tomorrow. Frankly, I think even small little things are enough to look forward to. Like a meal you’ve been craving or a tv show you’ve been wanting to watch. I can tell you it sometimes feel like the end of the world but things aren’t always so black and white. It’ll all be okay in the end
I went to the "suicide forest" several times over my couple of years in Japan. It's gorgeous and great for taking beautiful "green" pictures. Personally at certain times of the year, I hated to go (when bug season was very very prevalent). But there were also a few times I was spooked out of my mind (about 3 or 4 times) when I did see some people wandering about and not answering when i call out to them (to see if they were ok). I assumed it was cause they didn't speak English, but my Japanese coworkers have told me that it's most likely they didn't want to be bothered during their final hours (understandable). But it's just creepy to just be there in silence, away from the tourist noises, taking pictures, until you hear non animal movement in the woods. Iow-key at the time I thought it was a murderer...or the grudge (thank you childhood fears). But the thought of it being a spaced out person thinking of suicide is sad and scary too. Oan I didn't live too far from the man that chopped up 9 people back in 2018 and had them stored in his home...instantly made me wonder about if I ever walked by him on the way to the train station. Never a dull moment in Japan
@@thephillyphranciepantz8528 No he kept them in the cooler to reduce the rotten smell. He didnt dispose of the bodies because he didn't want to get caught. The neighbors noticed a sewage smell for about 2 months but never reported it.
I visited Aokigahara and Mount Fuji with a school group in middle school. It’s really pretty. I don’t think any of the Americans in our group (including our teachers) realized the forest had this reputation and it wasn’t something our interpreter/tour guide mentioned. We literally just discussed the plant and wildlife and how old the forest was before moving to the next touristy spot.
It's funny because I'm here in Kawaguchiko at an artists residency and I mentioned the forest because I was curious about going to a wild bird park on the outskirts of it. My host immediately referred to it as a "self-death forest." I'd forgotten the forest was here until I saw it on the sightseeing bus map this morning.
When I had commented on a previous video about discussing Aokiagahara, months before everything blew up, this was the sort of thing I had in mind though the reason was certainly not. I appreciate how respectfully you were able to discuss such a topic along with acknowledging the reasons it has come to mean what it has and the problems that keep that cycle going.
People get so weird about suicide. I didn't realize it until my brother committed suicide when I was younger. You get people who romanticize it, see it as sin, and people who just don't understand it. I like how you explained this though. Thanks for all you do, education is so important especially with death and mental health.
I’ve attempted suicide four times and have spent years of my life wanting to die. It’s only been in the last few months that I’ve stabilized and wanted to live. If I’d seen Logan Paul’s vídeo say four years ago, or even two, I don’t know what I would’ve done. Thank you for addressing this. Thank you for including resources in the description. And thank you for being so empathetic.
Thank you so much for this video. When I saw the video (Logans) by accident, it sent me into a terrible spiral. I almost commited suicide. (long history of depression and past of many attempts). I had bad habits and his *what seemed like mockery and selfishness* caused a melted down. I couldn't take it. But seeing people care about stuff like this helps me deal with my issues. It's not glamorous, nor is it romantic. It's painful and it hurts. Thank you so, so very much. From a long time fan.
ComosCamos I prayed for you and everyone who had the same issues... I deal with some sort of autism and stuff and my brain is quite hard to handle... So I have regular break downs and I personally just can't kill myself. Because all you do is pass your pain to the people you leave behind... And I can't... I love them to much
I'm so sorry. We DO care, and I promise you his mockery came from pure ignorance and the self centeredness of privileged youth, and everyone can see that. We would never mock you, and are angry for you.
When you wrote, “If you(*re) hurting, I promise help is available”, I felt like it spoke to me. I’m about 2 weeks in of a major meltdown with my depression and anxiety and possible PTSD, borderline, and bipolar disorders. I’ve been GLUED to your videos though which has lifted my spirits. However, the last couple months I’ve been wanting to die, fantasizing about dying, how I would do it, how I wish it would happen without me knowing so I won’t go to hell for killing my self, and how it will affect others like my dad or my cat (which are my major drawbacks because I don’t want to hurt them ever). My dad told me if I die, he dies. It’s not an option but I don’t feel like life is for me. I’m always so entangled in my head. I’m always struggling to work to make money not because I hate my job, I’ve been there for 14 years and I love it and the people I work with, but it’s because of my anxiety and finding motivation to get out of bed. I haven’t showered in a week. I feel disgusting. Today is the day I sign myself in at a psych ward. I’ve been talking about it for 2 weeks but I need to. Since taking off work and finally coming out publicly that I want to die, I’ve become more and more reclusive, unable to cope, unable to do simple tasks. It took me a week at looking at my cat’s litter box to change it. (He is happy, fed, and cuddled every day...but the litter box was just a thing I was unable to do.) His name is Neko...Japanese for cat 😆 I got him a year ago...he is 13 years old. After 2 weeks of staring at my eyebrows, I finally did them. I have all my clothes together for when I am admitted in the psych ward...except for one hoodie that my dad gave me. I’ve been putting off laundry for a week. It’s the smallest things that I can’t do. It turns in to an unbearable task. My friends message me and tell me they love me and it is too much for me to write back. I feel worthless. Useless. Just turned 32 years old...I’m a server...only an associates degree in arts when I thought it was supposed to be in business...considering I took business classes. I don’t have kids. I don’t have a significant other. I live in a house my mom and step dad bought (because they are amazing and trying to help me) that I pay rent to and live with my dad and brother but I feel like I should be in a different place in life. I’m stalled. I’ve been a zombie for years. I feel like I am nothing and I bring the world nothing and even if people tell me all these nice things about myself, I don’t believe it. I just hate myself. ....which is why I am going to the psych ward today. I need to get help. It’s weird because I didn’t know what this video was about because I didn’t know the name of the actual forest...only the name “suicide forest” and then you wrote that message. It’s just confirming what I need to do...get help. You are an amazing person and I love watching your videos. I’m also ADHD so it’s hard for me to read and comprehend...but I’ll try to read your books anyway!
Hi Jaylafae, I hope you are doing ok, glad you were looking to get professional help and I pray you did. My wife suffers from depression and mental struggles as well and I know you know what she goes through more or less. I just want you to know that you are loved and you do have purpose/meaning in this life. If you can please let us know how you are doing. We are genuinely concerned and will be praying for you. Your family loves you but there is one who loves you far more! Seek Him while He may be found, He cares for you!
My grandfather committed suicide when I was senior in high school. I’ve been told that suicide effects the next three generations. To this day, I don’t remember being told he died. I’m 62 now. Logan Paul’s reaction angered me so much. I’ve heard the the forest years ago and I must admit that it will hold a macabre fascination for people. Logan Paul should have been respectful to all those that have taken their lives. You’ve covered this subject with respect and dignity. Thank you.
I have to thank you for your videos. My father passed away 10 years ago from unknown circumstances and I never had a chance to properly mourn him. as a result, death has been extremely frightening for me since. last year my young neighbor who lived below me died. He was not found for a while, so the result was an odor and a very traumatic experience when his mom came to visit him. (I called 911 when I heard her crying) I even moved from my apartment because I was so upset. I took it very personally and it really upset me for weeks. I came across your videos and it helped me understand that death and the process thereafter doesn't have to be a morbid, horrific mystery. Death still frightens and upsets me, naturally, but it's nice that you are here to educate- because it was you alone who helped me overcome that experience.
Thank you sweetheart, and I am sorry for ur loss, and ur neighbor, plus the fact that u had to move. Both of my parents are deceased. In fact their anniversaries are next month, 2 days apart. My father has will b gone 37 yrs. My mother 28. I will b 60 in December, and though I am much older than u, I still have that fear. But somehow, I'm not as frightened as I was when I turned 50 (weird.) I guess as u get older, u become more accepting, because u know there's nothing u can do abt it. Doesn't mean u have to like it, and don't dwell on it. But there's any truth to stories abt predeceased relatives, parents, etc., then it'll take the sting out of it when my time comes.....lets hope at least 25 or 30 yrs from now. Caitlin is great😄.
She'll tell you and truth is, you can keep a body at home for viewing a few days. You put it on dry ice in the parlor or living room. It's WAY, WAY cheaper than being scammed by the funeral BS industry. Then, you could be sent to a state where they allow natural decomposition in forest. They put a tree over you and as you decompose, you nourish a tree. They do this in South Carolina with no embalming. You can be shipped on a plane as cargo. This would also completely circumvent any freaks with a necrophiliac bent as the body was never alone. Just sayin'. Cost: probably around 3,000 or less. I'm also vehemently opposed to wasting nice clothes on a dead person, including ME. I want EVERYTHING to be able to be used for someone else. My plates in my wrist. My glasses, my nice clothes. Bury me in an old sheet or something once my party's over. Use my nice clothes to help someone get a job or something. My funeral/wake: I want all my dog and musician friends to come hang out. I want a live jam full of fun and upbeat music. I want a bagpiper in full uniform and a marching band with New Orleans music (YES, I'm serious). Burial in Illinois is insanely expensive because of the concrete box you have to put coffins in by state law. Last one I heard of was 2010, at a cost of 12k and he didn't even LIKE his mother. Which I think is completely hypocritical. I think we should help people die. I've helped several dogs die. It's very peaceful. You can get a vet to come to your house in Chicago. Its about 100.00 for the trip, total about 350.00 or so.
Death is pretty nerve wrecking stuff to think about. But I don't know if this may help you or not, but no recommend you make a bucket list and work on accomplishing it, you'll always end up adding more than you can finish but it will serve as a reminder in the later years that you lived a full and exciting life. If at Anytime the name or face of someone you know just happens to pop up in your head, write a little note with a compliment or a story of something and save it with any other ones you may have for that person and save them for If they have a rainy day you can cheer them up or if something else happens to you, you can get them to smile, maybe joke or something, but it would also let them know that they were in your mind before and after you passed. Take lots of pictures or videos with everyone whenever you can, even if it's funny nonsense ..if you have any kids then they would love to have this type of stuff as adults and so will your loved ones Record yourself reading yours or your loved ones favorite books, stories "conversation" directed at your loved ones, so they can always hear your voice if they ever wish to hear you Death doesn't have to be sad or scary. I am a survivor of an accident that should have killed me or left me in a coma permanently. My life has changed competely. I'm a disabled single father I'm not in my 30s yet and I've been told one thing after another by my doctors, usually nothing good. I look normal and can hold a conversation but the outlook of my life in the long run is not looking very good so I've put allot of effort into making sure that when I pass That everyone can atleast smile for a second or two and that they know that they were always in my thought Don't dwell on the inevitable, live a full life so that when your time comes you don't go scared, full of regrets
I’m so sorry for your loss. ❤️ I wish you the best. Take your time to allow yourself to heal. There’s no expiration date on trauma, and losing someone is so traumatic. It’s never too late to allow yourself to grieve, either. Take care of yourself.
When my stepdad passed from a heart attack my response was firstly laughing for a second followed by streams of tears. When I hurt myself my initial response is always to laugh too, and many other people are the same. It’s a response to trauma and I remember Logan talking in a video afterwards that he’d never dealt with death or anything related to suicide before so he didn’t know how he was meant to respond. **This is not me defending what he did - it was completely messed up and the camera should’ve gone off as soon as they found the body instead of filming without the person’s consent**
Agreed. People deal with shock, grief, and loss in a vast number of ways. We react the way we react. It's what we do after. He should never have even uploaded the video to begin with. That took actual forethought from him to make the choice of showing this to the world. His motives? Shock value. Views. Money. And I am truly sorry for your loss and the tragedy you witnessed.
@@sweetfreeze5528 Agree. His laughing isn’t the problem. It was definitely a coping mechanism. And let’s not forget him acting like a destructive tourist in general when in Japan.
@Wacky Wayfarer it’s still disrespectful. Not being able to give consent is a big no no and automatically means that there is no consent, which I’m sure you already understand.
It's a shame that Aokigahara has such a bad reputation. It's a legitimately beautiful forest. Logan should have turned the camera off when he encountered the body. He was disrespectful and stupid. I don't blame him for being young, but even young people should have a sense of decency.
I wouldn’t have blamed him if, while caught up in the fear and shock, he blanked and forgot to tell the cameraman to shut it off. Unfortunately, he also kept the footage, edited it, and posted it. He had so much time to think “maybe this isn’t such a great idea,” and yet he still ended up putting footage of a man’s body on RUclips. How do you even fuck up that bad?
Kati e Yeah... there were plenty of opportunities to hop off the wild ride that was that video, even if in the moment he was caught off guard. Choices were made. A series of very bad ones.
I also heard that vlogging about trekking through the forest has been done by others for a long while and most (if not all) of the vloggers deliberately left the "found the corpse" bit off the videos they put up online.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. Thank you for always calling Aokigahara for its name and not ‘suicide forest’, thank you for explaining its history in a rational way, and thank you for pointing out the vast differences between mental health awareness in Japan and in the West. It’s sad to see how western media sensationalize the forest as a haunted place when in reality it’s a place of biological, geological and historical value. I’m a foreigner living in Japan and I’m under mental health therapy, and change is slow and far from perfect but it’s happening.
I love the fact they have people roaming the forest to intercept and talk to the troubled souls that go there, with no intention of returning. Gives me a little bit more faith in people.
When this controversy happened, I remember thinking, "Why? Why would you do that to this person and their family?" I'm no expert on Japanese culture but even as an outsider I can imagine how personal something like that must be for a family...
I personally don’t believe for two seconds that Logan Paul is sorry for what he did. He’s sorry because there was a backlash that cost him a chunk of his money. The first apology was oddly dismissive and self congratulatory. The second apology only came after there was a backlash over the first apology and RUclips sought to reprimand him for it. You’re right, that footage should have never seen the light of day.
I agree with this 100%. Anyone that believes his apology is genuine is just feeding into what he wants; to be adored despite being an idiot. Like "awww, it's okay Logan, we still love you!" no...not at all, in fact, I hate him.
When the Logan Paul thing came out I mentioned that it was insane that someone like him who brings RUclips lots of money can get away with posting videos like that but someone like Caitlin has to rely on patreon to produce content when she is just talking about death not actually exploiting the deceased.
I’m very glad you did this video. It is so sad Aokigahara has been turned into some kind of freak show (at least that is what I feel like some people are trying to do). Suicide is not a joke. It’s painful for those who are left to deal with the aftermath, contagious (yes, it is) and to feel like suicide is a way out is awful. I know first hand. It is hard fighting those feelings sometimes. Thank you for this video.
Yeah one of the most dangerous things a mental health "professional" can tell a suicide survivor is that they're gonna work things out and never feel like that again. Nope, you WILL feel like that again, it's what you do then that matters. Sometimes all it takes is putting everything aside and going to sleep for a while, to clear the brainspace. Sometimes it's picking up a phone and calling a suicide hotline (I haven't had to do that myself but it's on the top of the list of "must do this if it's that bad"). I know you probably have your own safeguards in place, but my biggest one when the dark times really hit is, "If I clock out, the bad guys win."
@@tirsden I actually love that little mantra and I think I might have to steal it lol bc jokes aside.. I've been struggling with suicidal thoughts since my teens. The main reason I never went through with it is bc I couldn't do it to my mom. My dad kiIIed himself when I was 14 and it basically destroyed my family. I'm now 29 and still dealing with the repercussions. My mom hasn't been the same since. None of us have, I guess. And now I'm married with my own children and I'm so glad that I never went through with it. I still struggle with ptsd and anxiety/depression, but my life has gotten so much better. Nothing lasts forever, not even the bad stuff. I guess that's what I usually tell myself during those times.. this won't last forever.
It really is contagious. I have a history of attempts, and when my cousin actually died from suicide, my mom didn't allow me to attend his funeral, or talk to his immediate family. But I didn't want to in the first place. I knew I would end up trying again if I did. I didn't want to selfishly try to tear away for myself the attention and care that the family needed so badly.
It is always so impressive how you treat this subject of mental health with so much insight, respect, and even humor when needed. I do really wish younger people who have not learned this skill can appreciate and absorb how the subject should be treated in the future. You really are such a remarkable teacher.
Unfortunately, his "time off to reflect" is actually just him taking time to do a documentary about himself and the controversy. Since he had to find a way to monetize his failure.
I did see that, the day after I recorded this video. While he 100% hired a crisis pr firm and that video was 100% made by that crisis pr firm, let's see if he continues to advocate for awareness or just immediately start throwing seafood at innocent cars again. I want to have hope for him!
Additionally, RUclips's response of hamstringing small creators who are trying to make a living there was completely unreasonable. It won't likely solve the problem, because most of the channels causing trouble already meet the requirements they've now set for monetization.
@@shellcshells2902 shameless, more like. A cynical and calculated attention seeking money spinning stunt. He's not really sorry, he's just sorry he lost so much revenue. I was ecstatic when KSI beat his a$$ in a boxing rematch. Can't stand him. Leave him in the last decade. And we shall never speak of him again.
I really appreciate that you didnt condemn Logan for his reaction, we are all entitled to our reaction and expression to our experiences, but rather for his actions after, in actually posting the video. You extend a great deal if grace in doing so, it makes me want to be a better person in that regard. Its so much easier to snap to judgement.
I agree with this 100%. I myself have had some.. highly questionable reactions to death. And looking back I can't even imagine what people must've thought. I guess sometimes we act strangely when our subconscious knows that we can't handle a situation. Sort of like when you're a kid and you get into BIG trouble and for some reason, even though you are scared and don't actually think it's funny at all, you start laughing uncontrollably. Only this is a much grander scale of that. I would never judge someone by how they react to death or how they grieve. The whole focus should always have been the fact that he posted it. I honestly can't even imagine wtf he was thinking when he uploaded that to his millions of young subs.
I love that this channel treats death in such an honest and mature way. Death is natural, even interesting, and something we don't have to fear; but grief and human suffering are also real, so we should take care in how we treat those who are mourning.
Thank you Caitlyn for dealing with this issue so sensitively. As a retired/former pastor, I have experienced the deaths of others and performed their funerals more times than I can remember. I really appreciate your death positive approach and your willingness to deal with the realities of death. Keep up the great work you and your colleagues are doing.
I remember when I first saw Paul Logan on Disney I thought "that guy's a train wreck waiting to happen". I was right but wow, I never thought he'd do that. I hope he has learned something.
@@Khaleesi_Jack They were on a Disney channel show called 'bizaardvark' in (I think) 2016. Not a very good show in my opinion but who am i to decide that? 🤷♀️
When I was younger, after a whole lot of trauma and hellish-ness, I planned to go there to kill myself. I thought it'd be nice to spend the last of my time finally being surrounded by people that understand what I was feeling because I often fell by the wayside with most people. I'm doing somewhat better now though. I hope to one day go there (when I'm stable enough to not be worried about it pushing me back) to show some love and respect to those that didn't get a chance to recover
a couple of years ago I visit the forest with my (now ex) boyfriend and his family. His mum and his 12-year-old sister were happy to visit and we took a tour where the guide just spoke about the types of trees and animals that lived there and the history. It wasn't scary and I saw no dead bodies, only more beauty of Japan.
It is really easy to get lost in there, but as you said, it IS a choice. I went off-trail when I visited years ago (I was trying to see if I could get any EVP recordings, as I am a paranormal investigator hobbyist), and I stumbled upon a deceased woman, who had clearly been there for quite some time. I didn't take any photos (that would feel wrong on many levels), but instead alerted authorities in hopes her family would be able to claim her & have some sort of closure. In some ways I regret visiting at all, as I feel I was somewhat an intruder.
The family might have only gotten closure because you saw her as a person who deserved to be reunited with her family and not a tourist attraction. Despite anything else, you cared about her in death in a way she may not have had in life, and that's worth something.
as always, hitting the nail on the head. I lost my uncle to suicide last year, and seeing Logan exploit the body of a man who obviously suffered very deeply was painful and infuriating. a man who took is own life didn't do it so some asshat 20 something could ogle at it with his friends. thank you so much for the work you do
I live near a well known suicide spot in the UK called Beachy Head. Its a cliff. We have similar things here too such as pastors who will talk to you about how you feel, the signs etc . It's heartbreaking the amount of people who end their lives there. It's an absolutely beautiful place that's also a tourist spot for families so how it became a suicide spot is curious to me . Especially as its been that way since a very long time before social media. Similar to your golden gate bridge. I think the young man in the video is like a lot of kids, desensitised and very far from the reality of death. I lost my brother to suicide and people react in a very strange way to it. It's almost as if they think it's contagious. My brother took his life in a way that was unusual which meant it ended up all over the TV. It was incredibly painful to have this most personal of situations plastered everywhere. I'm on a group for people who have lost a loved one by suicide and we have all had very odd reactions from others. It's a side of death that's still very much taboo. We need to talk about it. I had one person tell me they would not have told their children the cause of death "in case it gave them ideas"!?!? That's something I really don't understand?
...aaaaand this is how it should be done. Thank you, Our Death Positive Queen. When I die (possibly in my 90s, gin tonic in hand, dancing to velvet underground) I wish I could be buried in a gorgeous forest like Aokigahara.
He used a corpse as content. He doesn’t see other humans as humans, dead or alive, he treats them as stepping stones for views. That’s why he was throwing things at Japanese people, harassing them with raw fish, and put a dead body in his thumbnail. That’s what bothers me. Seems pretty self serving and borderline sociopathic.
I suffer from mental illness and to think that people in Japan r suffering on their own breaks my heart. Mental illness stigma is hard to remove especially in the person suffering as even I feel like it's my dark secret sometimes and I'm Australian. I'm glad the japanese government is trying to change people's thinking. Thanks for the video Caitlyn
deborah gates, the brain is an organ just as are the liver and stomach. People need to grasp this fact and stop the stigma! An extremely intelligent woman once asked me, a medical professional, if the brain was an organ!! Yes, yes, yes!
It's because you talk about death in such an open yet respectful way that people like you and your videos. I really appreciate what you do and I hope you keep going.
Thank you for supplying the hotlines as well, this shows you actually care. I rarely see RUclipsrs leave them for their viewers, so this is a very nice gesture.
Thank you Caitlin for this thoughtful, caring and respectful video. The Logan Paul video came out a few weeks after we had experienced the suicide of a much loved younger member of our family. I didn't watch the video (although I do know what was in it) but the uproar from it was something we all could have done without and I can't help but feel so angry at the insensitivity he and his cronies showed in posting images of this man and the unnecessary additional pain this would have caused his family and friends. There was absolutely no need to show close ups of his body. His family will be haunted by that as I know ours would have been. I can't imagine how devastating it would have been if it had happened to our family who were already in so much pain. My heart goes out to his family and friends for their terrible loss.
kez kezooie I'm so sorry for the loss of your family member. 😭 I hope you're (you & your loved ones) are ok. Stay strong sending loves & hugs to you all. 💖💙💕❤💓💜💞💛💟💚💗
Sincerest condolences from someone who went through the same thing years ago so I am thinking of you and hoping you and your family have support. Kind regards from Britain x
Thank you Amethyst, your kind wishes are very much appreciated. We're all taking it one day at a time and supporting each other (we each have our good and bad days) and although you know it will get better with time it is a slow, slow process and it's early days yet. We'll get there eventually but I doubt if we'll ever completely overcome it or ever stop missing him and wondering what he'd be doing with his life in the future if he hadn't made that decision.
Ash Bell Thank you so very much, it's still very hard at the moment but so many people (of which you're one) have been so very kind and supportive, which has helped a great deal. I'm so sorry you had to go through this as well and I hope you and yours are doing well now.
kez kezooie the best advice I was ever given was from a friend who was a shrink. Here's what she wrote me -"grief of any kind is a process from loud chaos to even louder silence. In the beginning there's that hyper vigilance and organisation of all the stuff you have to do practically as much as emotionally, simply to attempt to process a passing of any kind but then comes the even harder time in the weeks/months/years beyond that. This is the supposidly 'quieter' time of calmer distance from pain simply because all is supposidly 'finished' and people around you move on with life etc...". She continued to write (I am copying from her letter here) "in any grief experience that 'quiet time' is the cold killer of the heart and mind because this Is the first time youre truly open to not simply asking the questions but clearly hearing any answers (if there are any to be heard) and yet, at that most vulnerable time in your grif, where you need substantive support the most, you find the world's resumed its autopilot, only you just dont happen to be buckled in for the ride anymore. Here's the crucial time, above all others, where processing a suicide in particular is the greatest challenge,far beyond any other instance of death, because that's when thst sheer, initial shock starts to give way to natural feelings of anger, confusion and worst of all misplaced guilt.it's a whole other darker,expansive layer to grief that people around you, at their best of times, struggle to offer support with but in this 'quiet time' it becomes near impossible torture because all you want and need to heal is hidden behind a self imposed obligation to feel awkward at best,embarrassed at worst by your loved ones actions in killing themselves. grief of any kind finds real benefit at times in professionally orientated support but grief following a suicide should be offered to family/friends during that 'quiet time' because it's needed, it's important and it's necessary to reduce the well documented risk of mental health crises which often follow in consequence". I wrote the whole para to you,sorry, but I just wanted you to hear from a professional's point of view what may probably/naturally lie ahead in the future for you, NOT to scare you but to prepare you so you don't feel crazy or alienated and to encourage you to seek support at that time, if not now.I have no training myself (I was a criminologist) but, like I said, I have the experience I can help you through if you ever need it, but if you need dome thing more professional and can't find support I can always ask that friend for direction and/or support for you. BOTTOM LINE -when that quiet time hits, if you need a friendly ear or signposts to formal help please don't be afraid to ask.x
Meet the Ask A Mortition Channel: the one place that can educate you on commonly “taboo” subjects that most people outwardly turn their backs to, but actually want to know what’s going on
"I fell from the ladder, fortunately there was a nail sticking out of the wall and I could hold on to it with my left eye, otherwise I may have fallen to my death..." old german proverb
Excellent video. I was an executive in the mental health field, and your presentation was very helpful and exactly right. Suicide is an attempt to exert control over the apparently uncontrollable. So much needs to be done about mental health in all cultures. Commendations to you and your staff for having the insight and determination to make this presentation.
Not all suicide is an attempt to control the uncontrollable. For a lot of people, it's not even about dying, it's about wanting the pain to stop. There's not ever just only one reason people try/complete suicide, so when we talk about it we need to not make sweeping generalizations about it either.
@@OverdramaticAngel wanting to make the pain and emptiness inside stop is still an attempt to take control of the situation. The sad part is that control is an illusion of the human mind.
If you are struggling, please, please reach out and get help. I think its important for people to know that being suicidal isn't just actively wanting to kill yourself, its also being apathetic towards living. I realized I needed help when I stopped looking both ways before crossing the street.
There's A massive difference between what Logan did and what you do. His was pure shock value. You show dead people, but you show them in a historical way and you actually educate us deathlings about how that person was preserved and their life and death. There's A way to show dead people in a respectful way.
Hope you can read this. My father passed away this morning and I was lucky enough to be his caretaker throughout his final days and it's your videos and insight that helped me the most to cope with this mornings events. Thank you for what you do. ♡♡♡ -A Grateful Deathling
I'm sorry for your loss. You're strong to be able to find and take comfort in things to help you manage your grief, however. I'll keep you in my prayers.
***** thank you, I just did what I thought was right. I had a buddy take over my business for the last month so I could be there and be his caretaker with my sister. Glad I got the opportunity to see him to the peaceful end.
You are always respectful of death. Thank you for that. Many of us have lost loved ones and you help to deal with the other side that is looming over all of our heads. You even tastefully bring light. Even where it's darkest.
vice did a beautiful little documentary about aokigahara, where a man who is both a geologist and does corpse patrol there talked about how sad he felt it was that people would seek out suicide, that he felt that the suicidal who came there wanted to die in a pretty place where they could be forgotten by the world. if it is actually haunted, i feel like the legends are what makes it haunted, not any spirits
As a mother of a 11yr old son who saw that Logan Paul video, it was easier to have a talk about what suicide is and why people do it but very hard to explain why someone would show that
I'm glad it sparked up a conversation about mental health and suicide, but Logan Paul could have done it differently. But Logan's coping mechanism was laughing at a corpse, and that's unacceptable.
It wasn't a coping mechanism, he's a narcissist and a sociopath and he didn't give a rat's ass about that dead person or what made them do it. All he cared about was making money off his RUclips channel.
Thank you for this video, i can see it was well researched and i'm happy a foreigner is properly educating others. Thank you for respecting our culture and our history.
Thank you for this. My family is all western in ethnicity, but my brother was born in Tokyo and my family lived there for years. I've been to the Aokigahara, and it's not any different than going for a walk here in the woods around my home of Seattle in the Pacific Northwest of the US. There isn't anything dark or strange about it. I can see why people in crisis would go there because it's incredibly peaceful and beautiful. It saddens me greatly that the "suicide forest" is all people understand about it. I think Logan Paul and his friends had the shock of their young shallow lives, and ultimately that was a good thing for them. Paul should never have posted the video about it, but I do think the stark reality they were in touched them...I hope they think about that and learn something from it so they can have deep older lives.
I just love how you elegantly mix humor, education, and master level shade-throwing at disrespectful behaviors in your videos. That is what made me subscribe thirty seconds into the first video of you that I watched, back in August. Love from Belgium xx
Incredibly well done! I am a 911 dispatcher and appreciate the frank and honest way you have dealt with this subject. I think if Logan Paul had to answer the phone and listen to a person as they struggle with ending their life, or perhaps hear them as they go through with it despite your desperate pleas, he might have made a more wise decision. I can't stress enough that there IS help for anyone who feels like they can't go on. If unable to call a suicide hotline please don't hesitate to call 911 and let an emergency dispatcher send you some help.
I honestly don't think that would make a difference. His apology was complete bullshit. He comes across as a narcissist and a borderline psychopath with how he behaves.. I don't think he even knows the difference between right and wrong.
Words cannot describe the immense amount of respect and gratitude I have for you and the videos you make. The messages you carry not only bring light in the unknown and often scary concept of death, but also shows us how the darkness of that unknown should not stop us form learning as much as we can about it and see the complex reality with less fear and open minds.
This is what I love about you. You combine common, matter-of-fact sense, with sensitivity and compassion in discussing what can be emotionally difficult subject matter.
From a teenagers perspective, you are definitely one of the coolest people. You're so honest and funny and just really an all around great person. I definitely always look forward to another one of your videos!
I went to Aokigahara just last year. It’s a beautiful place. I treated it with respect, I didn’t go for the fact it was a suicide hotspot but because I fucking love nature! It’s stunning. I recommend it to anyone. I went in the middle of December. It was cold and there wasn’t any else there but at no point did I feel like I was in a horror movie or anything. Just go with respect like you would anywhere.
The thing is, everyone who knows anything about that forest knows not to go off trail because that's where you find them, and that's exactly what he did. He went in there purposely looking for a dead body
is it weird your videos comfort me when i'm sad lmao i think it might be your bubbly personality mixed with the topic of death that makes me happy lolllll
You are so on point about that video. That was somebody's child. Suicide is so difficult for families. Knowing that your loved one was in that much pain makes it harder to deal with.
"That footage shouldn't have seen the light of day."
An accurate description of every Logan Paul video ever.
True. True. And Jake too.
Lillipie81 seriously.
I don’t get it at all.
Shannon S he made fun of dead bodies and filmed them and put them on youtube
"That shouldn't have seen the light of day"
This paraphrase is an accurate description of Logan Paul.
"Deeply unwise" is now going to be my super polite way of calling someone a complete and utter idiot.
She's a classy lady. I would have called him something that describes a donkey's backside.
As a Japanese person I want to thank you so much for your careful and caring treatment of this topic. You are obviously a kind, respectful and highly intelligent woman.
PS- the corn soup is a bit sweet for me but still very tasty. I hope you try it out 😊
Can confirm the corn soup is very nice!
It is! Vending machine food is something I would not trust in the US but in Japan its amazing
The corn soup is yummy, but I prefer the Melon Soda. :) 🍈
俺も日本人だよ、コーンスープあまり好きじゃないけど、多分その甘い味は外国人ぽい笑笑
I love Japanese corn soup, even from the vending machine. I lived in the Tohoku region for 3 years over 20 years ago and still miss it. CC Lemon was a favorite drink after visiting the Onsen.
You're pretty much one of the few people I would trust to cover this topic and do a 100% accurate, well researched, and respectful video about it. Thank you Caitlin as always for a great video!
Absolutely!
this is what we need after that one dumbass whose name will not be spoken
Agreed
It was also covered (passionately and heavily on the ‘douchebag of the day’ view) by Phillip deFranco as well as without judgement but as a mental health professional reaching out to people who may have been hurt by Kati Morton. I appreciate the emphasis on cultural understanding from Caitlin’s video as well. I can’t stand to see this YTer’s face so my intro to what happened initially came from Kati, then Phillip.
Absolutely agree, thank you Caitlin. Lovely job done. Logan Paul disgusts me . I've found two dead MVI victims, one literally wrapped around a tree with his ATV, across from my driveway. I speak to him like he's still there, every day. Not once did I think-"I must upload this poor man's death to youtube. I'm a nurse, so death is something I'm used to, as much as you can get used to death (I refuse to say the new trendy "passed". They died, they didn't pass anything) What I did do, was check for signs of life, tell them I was sorry they suffered, and covered them to prevent prying eyes. Both times were gruesome impacts. And stopped one victim's father, bereft, from seeing his son, I still see him when I close my eyes. That doesn't make me a good person, just what I think all people should be, moral people. Logan Paul crossed the line, and it was ugly.
You're the first non-Japanese person through this whole controversy that has actually said all of the syllables in Aokigahara. I appreciate you actually learning the Japanese pronunciations.
She even pronounced Budapest correctly, which is so cool and shows respect, attention and that she really cares.
weeb
I would love to be able to pronounce the name
It sounds beautiful rolling off her tongue.
She is from Hawaii, so she took Japanese in school
"Moms, saving your ass since feudal times even when you're dragging them off to their deaths" -Caitlin Doughty, 2018
The ubasute folklore is brutal.
Old women were abandoned to save enough food for the remaining people in the village. A form of human sacrifice except that there is no mystical elements involved.
The folklore is so popular in Japan that it inspired several books and films, including the one which won Palme d'Or a.k.a. the highest prize in Cannes Film Festival.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ballad_of_Narayama_(1983_film)
"I own a funeral home, I could be vlogging dead bodies all the time"
-Caitlin Doughty, 2018
No, really, I enjoyed hearing your opinion on the whole matter and you were the only one who covered it in a mature way.
But the thing is that she would get monetized for it
@@papacatfish6962 -- If she found a body in the wild she might be able to, but if she started posting pictures of the bodies her clients were paying her to attend to she'd be sued out of business. There is a big difference between posting an image of a dead body you have nothing to do with and posting an image of the person you're being paid to care for. I actually think our obsession with the dead is a bit weird and probably unhealthy.
Eli Reyna Would or wouldn’t?
Thomas Mobley I disagree, I see it people wanting to be exposed to things that are more taboo (in Western culture). Almost like a teenager rebelling against strict parents. I think if western culture was more open about death, it wouldn’t be such a forbidden topic that we all want to secretly know about, or that we would be scared of. Humans always want to figure out and explore the unknown.
@@heysaucemikehere1804 -- Actually I meant our obsession with hiding or concealing death, making it taboo or somehow sacrosanct. It didn't used to be this way, we took pictures of and sometimes with the dead at wakes, newspapers used to put pictures of dead bodies on the front page, for instance the famous picture of Carmine Galante with his cigar still in in jaw when he was shot down, or Bugsy Siegel with bullet holes in his face.
only video I've seen regarding the "Suicide Forest" and the Logan Paul fiasco that actually educates and talks about how mental health is treated in Japan, instead of just pointing fingers and stating the obvious
Check out Gaijen Gumba's video about it. He talks more about the culture and the ramifications Logan's actions made
Rose Velasquez Reina Scully talks about it quite a bit too
Actually if you bothered to research the topic you would find many different sources and videos
Rose Velasquez you took the words right out of my mouth. 🖤
Rose Velasquez take that back!!!!!!!!!
the part about moms made me sad so I called out to my mom to get a hug and she came, asked what was wrong, I shrugged it off, she looked at the screen and said "what a beautiful lass she is". And I agree.
so.. you live with your mom?
@@Uttelito is that your biggest concern in this whole text?
@@Uttelito Think about the fact that children use RUclips too, where are they supposed to live other than with their parents/guardians?
@@Uttelito in some cultures (prob outside of urs) it's seen as filial to live with ur parents. they take care of their parents. it's not what you think.
I do the same way to often when watching her videos. I keep taking breaks just to go hug my mom hahaha ❤️
People make Aokigahara out to be this spooky, scary place but I see it as sad rather than scary. The forest looks beautiful but I feel a sense of sadness rather than scared.
Same as when I read a book set in Indonesia from memory and they used a depiction of the Hindu goddess Kali as a fierce warning yet to this day I've never felt scared of her. If anything I admire her. And clearly the Hindu do as well as Kali Ma is a goddess said to be revered during pregnancy and labour. (My terminology may be a bit off but I recall she was seen somewhat as an equivalent to a patron saint etc)
It's a very beautiful place yes but it's believed to make you see thing or hear things making it believed to be haunted thus giving the forest a scary aspect
Blondegenius3
It’s beautiful. When I visited as a kid, nobody told me it was supposed to be spooky and I didn’t pick up that vibe at all. It’s peaceful and pretty and visiting with my school friends was a fun day trip. There were a lot of other tourists there, including families with small children. I didn’t really think about it as a “suicide forest” until the Logan Paul video dropped and I realized I’d been there and not noticed.
In Japan it calls “mono-no aware” )) not “aware” like in English, with loudest “e” on the end of the word. It’s a beautiful term connected with zen buddhism.
This is honestly the best response to the Logan Paul incident. Not bashing him for laughing, as so many people did, but the fact that posting it was the wrong thing. Thank you for so eloquently talking about this.
Yeah he shouldn't have posted the video but I agree with you. I don't think the laughter was coming from him being a jerk. It was just a way for him to relive tension.
I agree, I deal with nervous laughter, so I could relate in that way but for him to film the person who died and post it was very disrespectful.
Did Logan Paul even bother to call the cops when they found that poor man?
He called the cops, blurred out the face, but he couldnt handle seeing what he saw. He dealt with it by laughing and making jokes.
A LOT of people laugh when theyre uncomfortable, and that definitely seems to have been the case for Paul.
"To his credit, he has apologised and he has taken time off to reflect..."
Three years later I'm gonna say no on that one. Nope, no he did not. Not really.
Every time one of these online "celebrities" apologizes and "takes time off to reflect" it's just a chance for them to think up their next stupid controversy. The only way to make them actually get off the internet and stop being disgusting is to stop giving them the attention they crave, and your hard earned money. And get your kids off those channels. Find out what they watch, and have a hard talk sit down with them if they are supporting this garbage. Why would he stop, when it's making him filthy rich?
Damn already been three years since then I'm getting old to fast
And it just keeps getting worse
He really hasn't redeemed himself like at all
"I really can't tell them apart."
Neither can I. I don't don't even bother, at this point.
I saw one in califorina when i was visiting, it was the only "celebrity" I saw, so when people asked I said I donno one of the Paul brothers 😂
They are both trash, that's all anyone needs to know.
Well in general piles of shit tend to look the same
You’re fantastic Caitlin. This video is beautiful and respectful
+
I absolutely love her channel
No, this video is extremely disrespectful to the person Logan and his friends filmed AND then sticking up for him?!?! Unsubscribing for this.
@Wendis World - How is this disrespectful? And she did not stick up for the RUclipsr. She said he was wrong for posting the video and handling it how he did.
Wendis World in no way is she saying that. She blatantly says he was wrong so I have no clue how you came to that conclusion.
“I can’t tell them apart, is that racist?”
It’s not racist as long as you have a white friend.
Why would that be racist? I can't tell them apart either. And I don't have any friends.
Elbert Vandevender it’s a joke
Consume the Wealthy I love your username😭😭😭
🤣🤣🤣👌
Nah I think every race say they cant tell others apart...... it's the human brain....... but the fact is it happens within thier own race aswell like with celebrities you dont care about. Unless someone is in your life or someone you are a fan of the brain cant ge bothered
You are awesome. I hope you read your comments because you deserve to know how insightful, interesting, helpful...my Grandma watches your channel, that's how awesome you are. Oh and BTW, she literally changed her funeral plan after learning about the cost differences and general funeral knowledge. Thank you for talking about what nobody else wants to talk about.
Amy Coffer trippy Grandma ya got there
I lived In Japan for five years and had the chance to visit Aokigahara a few times. Finding personal items left by people was disturbing and it really makes you think. The Japanese Government actually put signs up to help discourage suicide. Saying things like think abotu your family and friends. Think about how much you will hurt them. It's a very humbling place filled with beauty and sadness. Thank you for doing this video and shedding some light on this subject. YOU ROCK!
Shannon O did you not watch the whole video lol
Actually not until after I commented. My mistake. LOL
I'm with on the 'items left behind'. It's like artistic metaphors of a chair or swing left waiting for the occupants return, there's such a grief to the concept that gone is gone.
John J. Sanchez you should stfu, her business is not for profit
Sue Metzger someone profits from her business if she profits from book sales or personal appearances she profits from death
The fact that she titled this video by the forrest's actual name really says a lot about her character. Most RUclipsrs would've used "suiclde forrest" bc it would've gotten more clicks. The more I watch this woman's channel, the more I'm coming to love, respect, and appreciate her. ❤️
“I can’t tell them apart. I REALLYYY have tried...” lmao I love you
Same
That corn Soup is AMAZING, I highly recommend it. My favorite thing to do with the vending machines is play roulette; put in money and blindly press a button. Thank you for covering this lovely landmark!
@joseph call and an absolute delight to play with
@Question Everything really?, even the one at the Haneda airport have it, but to my knowledge the hot options is seasonal, so you might just miss the season (fall/winter)
PhoenixGamma
Yeah, I would totally eat that
Vending machine roulette, only something you can do in japan....well, its the place that makes the most sense anyway and would be a reasonably fun game to play in order to try new things
wanna try it
I recently read "The Dream of Water" by Kyoko Mori, a memoir of her childhood in Japan, and in it she talks about how the famous reticence of the Japanese, that tendency not to talk about one's problems, exists in large part as a way of _respecting_ other people by not burdening them with your own troubles, just as what we call "good manners" are meant to be respectful of others by making them as comfortable as possible. The irony of this is, of course, all the trouble and pain that comes about precisely because of not having any outlet for one's own feelings, so everyone is busy sparing other people's feelings and never attending to their own. That's changing, as you say, but apparently it's a big reason for suicide in that country - simply not wanting to burden anyone else (which is one of the reasons for suicide anywhere).
It's a sad irony indeed.
As someone who has had suicidal thoughts since age 11 or 12, I was told by several psychiatrists that there was nothing wrong with me. Even my ADHD diagnosis (which was confirmed when I was 6) was false. I was faking it or I was just fat. It was my GP who finally listened to me when I was 26 and got me on the proper medications. 26! I had been feeling so bad I wanted to kill myself for over half of my life despite having access to "mental healthcare". Sometimes it is all about someone taking your pain seriously. Never give up the fight!
I'm 16 and have suffered from so many serious symptoms. Like you I've just been told that there's nothing wrong with me and it's such a painful thing to deal with. I probably don't have any future ahead of me but I'm so happy you got the help you needed!
Demand it. Go to your GP or any health professional that will listen to you. Once you get your diagnosis, report any psych professional that told you there was nothing wrong. If they didn't at least tell you how to manage symptoms, they are neglectful.
I could have written your comment when I was 16 - miserable time for me. You know you better than anyone else, doctors included. If you feel something's not right, keep asking. It's annoying to have to do that, I know, but it's totally worth it - and YOU are totally worth it. At 16, you have a lot of life ahead of you and it should be good. I am sending you my best thoughts and encourage you to call your local crisis line - that's what they're there for.
Sarah Klauda
My younger sister has Selective Mutism. She suffers from extreme anxiety, but has learned to control it with breathing and relaxation techniques she learned from a yoga instructor. For a long time no one knew what was wrong with her, they just assumed she was shy. My mother even took her to a psychologist, but he just said that she would grow out of it. If my mother hadn't kept asking, she wouldn't have gotten the correct diagnosis. She printed out the list of symptoms and the characteristics of people with SM and showed it to another doctor. After he compared the list with his findings, he congratulated her because she had successfully diagnosed her own daughter correctly. My sister's new psychologist doesn't like pills, he was the one who recommended the yoga instructor.
Last Saturday she went to the movies with a friend all on her own and even managed to order the tickets and popcorn without any help. She is so proud of herself. If my mother hadn't kept fighting to get to the bottom of things, my sister would have become a recluse in her own room.
Oh! I'm so proud of her too! Yes, you do not always need pills for management, but bloody hell did I need them :p. However I also have a strict routine, diet, exercise, meditation ritual, crisis plan, and everything else I could ever possibly do to combat mental illness. It's life changing but its worth it.
Coming from Japan, I am really happy to see your video accurately capturing the attitude of Aokigahara and about suicide. Ubasute (or babasute in my area, both translating to "abandoning old lady") has a slightly different story than what I remember; I learned it as an action some peasants had to take in desperate times (famine or just unable to afford food), with families abandoning the older members of the family in the forest. The concept of suicide comes in two folds, one taking responsibility for your actions (as you described) and two as an romanticized act of revolt. The first is exactly what Caitlin says, as people who suffer mental difficulties believe they need to deal with it on their own, or that there's shame into having such problem that they cannot seek help. With no help to turn to and seeing themselves as the source of the problem, this often pushes the person into committing suicide. The second one is not as common lately (at least I hope), and the easiest way to explain it is by referencing Romeo and Juliet who died in an act of defiance and in love (to summarize it). Because of the concept of "the nail that sticks out must be hammered down", some people dramaticize and romanticize acts of defiance against society, and sometimes the concept of suicide gets that treatment. From what I understand this view is not as common today as it was in pre-WWII, but obviously it is not entirely gone either. As Caitlin says, the ways to approach these issues is to have a safe, comfortable, and respectable discussion on death and suicide in order to make changes.
There was a similar tradition to ubasute in Korea, called 고려장 (goryeojang). This probably wasn't a very uncommon practice in cultures where peasants started to outlive their average physical work lifespans, to lessen to burden of having many mouths to feed.
I’d never even heard of this Paul guy before his video. When I was a police officer, I had the privilege of helping many people turn away from suicide as an option and seek the help of mental health professionals. Thank you for this video and highlighting what is a very real problem in today’s society.
TheGholiday Thank you for your time served, and helping your community. It's appreciated.
Thank you for your work. I'm sure that took its toll on you. Everyone appreciates people like you.
Godbless you, you're a hero❤
kitteekittee thank you but I’m no hero. Just someone who was in the right place at the right time to help others in need.
Me too!
"Is that racist? Maybe". Had me laughing super hard 😂😂
Elvis The Barber me too!
Read this as it happened and cracked up 😂
But if she said it about two black brothers it would be controversy...damn double standards 🙄
@@kaylaloveslilpeepforever6825 It isn't a double standard. Black people have been seen as interchangeable and disposable by white people for centuries, and there are still people who see them that way. Someone who jokes about not being able to tell two black people apart is outing themselves as one of those people who sees black people as slightly varied specimens of a homogeneous group, rather than as unique individuals. There is no history of white women dehumanizing white men to the point that white men were actually in danger of being declared inhuman and losing their basic human rights. In fact, white women have also been oppressed by white men (though not nearly to the same degree as black people), making such statements ironic, not bigoted. (The humor is in the absurdity of a white woman not being able to tell two white men apart, which goes against the way our society is built on the assumption that white men are inherently important and worth knowing in detail. Like a woman saying she completely forgot to have any kids - it's funny because it's so contrary to societal expectations of women.) The standard for what makes it offensive is not whether or not a person can't see a difference between brothers but whether that person's inability (or unwillingness) to see that difference is a red flag for a destructive worldview. Thus, there is no double standard.
And yes, if a black person or white woman says that all white men deserve to be killed, exploited, enslaved, or otherwise stripped of their basic human rights, that is also a bigoted statement that reflects a destructive worldview. Diversity includes white men. White men are welcome at the table; they just can't continue monopolizing it.
I read it in her voice 🤣
The fact that she couldn’t care less about the pauls makes me happy 😂
I found a friend's boyfriend dead by hanging with a guitar string. It was gruesome and something I'll never forget. People shouldn't be posting pictures of some poor person dead period. It should not have to be said that that's someone's loved one and a person who felt death was the only answer show some compassion.
Um hey I think you should put a trigger warning because that’s pretty intense...
@@canceledartist You're on a video that is about a "suicide forest". I think it should be pretty obvious that the comments section may contain triggering messages.
Splintercat death by hanging by a guitar string? You do realize how gruesome that is right? Just because it says suicide Forest doesn’t mean people are gonna describe HOW someone killed themselves and it wouldn’t hurt to put one in
@@canceledartist sweetie you need to get off the internet if you can't handle a vague description of a traumatic event for someone.
unexpected vixen
I know you fuckin lying, you’re acting like I searched up this description, like I asked for it. No? No one asked for this description the original comment poster just decided to write it in the comments which is fine all I’m saying is put a trigger warning. Why is everyone so mad? is it that difficult?! God damn
My mother took her life when I was 10 years old. I have struggled with severe depression for many years. Logan Paul’s video was disgusting. Thank you, Caitlin, for addressing this issue with compassion and rationality.
The Original EB I'm so sorry for what happened to you when you were a child. 😭 Nobody deserves such a thing. I hope you're happy & well & have a good life. Sending you loves & hugs. 😊💖
I hope u r in a good place now. So sad for u to lose your mum when so young. I wish u well for your future.
The Original EB My mother also committed suicide when I was 10. My heart is with you
The Original EB I'm so sorry that you've had to go through life without your mother. My sister took her own life 4 years back, and my niece was only 2 years old. I constantly worry about what life is going to be like for her when she is old enough to really grasp what happened, but it makes me feel better knowing that she could still turn out to be a strong woman like yourself.
I'm so sorry for your loss, and at such a young age, but the fact that it was suicide makes is so much worse. I hate that anyone ever makes that final decision, and I hate how hard it is on those left behind. Major Depressive Disorder is rampant in my family, and a few relatives have made attempts, but fortunately they were not successful and got help. Love and hugs to you.
"In dabs JAKE PAUL." The hatred in this statement is beautiful. And that little "Is that racist?" 👌 I understand this isn't the main thing about the video but idk. It is like 3 a.m. here.
Caitlin, can I just say you handled this video very well. As a child of the military and growing up in Japan, the western view of this beauty part of Japan is unfairly treated. Yes, suicides happen there, but unless you study and focus on it, much like the Golden Bridge of San Fran, it is simply a natural wonder of beauty. Suicide can happen anywhere, and anytime, any whichever place, but because of some Asshats who sensationalise it, the stigma has an echo.
Had they not scoured the entirety of this beautiful place of nature, and went off the trodden paths, they likely had never seen anything.
As someone who has been revived after suicide, the last thing we want is to be found and shoved into an embarrassing spotlight where we are immediately judged for our actions...
I’m glad you are here able to share such a personal view with us. I hope you’re doing better ♥️
Hey, I totally understand you, been there. It's so great that you survived! Hugs!
I LOVE when someone uses ASSHATS in a sentence!
Relatable virtual hugs ❤️
Eyyy another person who was born in Japan for military reasons! I've never seen someone with the same experience until now. Well, I didn't grow up in Japan, I moved to the US when I was still too young to remember, but I was born in Misawa. My dad was an Air Force pilot that was posted there. Was that also where you were born, if you don't mind me asking?
(Also, we seem to have similar backgrounds with self harm, but that's beside the point.)
Wow major props. You have always been respectful about the dead in your videos before, but here your humanity shines through the most
Couldn't agree more! Perfect way to talk about the issue!
Very true. I too am a Pisces :) I love her wealth of resources she put in the description as well
Pisces is that a good thing???
"Forest monitor" sounds like what the men of Gondor call Treebeard
The lorax
Lol true
old school surveilance :p
I don’t wanna like this cos it’s at 444 😭😭😭
We don't call them anything unless it is worth taking a long time to say.
My family is from Japan - my grandparents, who I live with and care for, are incredibly tied to their Japanese culture and were truly hurt by LP's video. That culture not only stresses maintaining and loving nature for it's untainted beauty, but also being respectful at ALL times. The videos that exploit this forest - ESPECIALLY bodies that are found (all of which are daughters, sons, best friends, coworkers, etc.), insult both of those values. I truly appreciate your message (necessary reminder to those who love the spectacle regardless of the price of admission) as well as your mature advocacy for more mental health services. One of the most accurate videos I've seen in regards to Japanese beliefs on suicide/mental health. Thank you.
*P.S. The vending machine foods are excellent - even the odd selections*
Now THAT'S how you raise awareness about suicide, Logan.
The Crown Princess of Japan has suffered from mental health issues. Her husband went public and offered his support. She seems to be getting better because she is seen in public more often now. This may be helping others.
I'm an EMT, I fully appreciate gallows humor and other "socially unacceptable" ways of dealing with a traumatic events... but there's a difference between dealing and just being a ghoul.
Someone (I forget who) said it really well: “Gallows humor only works if you are the one on the gallows. Otherwise, it’s just the heckling at an execution.”
Depression is a physical pain. All I can offer is the oft-repeated advice of 'one day at a time.' By which I mean if you want to commit suicide put it off another day, another hour, just keep putting it off. Because statistically it's shown that given the time, many people come out of that dark place. That's why gun suicides are such a problem in America, because it gives people instant access. When it's more complicated it requires more thought and planning, which increases the likelihood that you'll change your mind.
One more minute. One more hour. One more day. Step by step. If it really is hopeless, nothing will change by your waiting. Death comes for us all. So try to wait. Try to talk to people. I've been there, I understand. I've been depressed for 6 years or more now and given it's hereditary it's likely never going away completely. Don't let it win. Survive out of sheer SPITE if you have to.
Kai Sea I've been dealing with depression for over a decade now, and there are definitely times when this is my mantra. "A little bit longer". This and the knowledge that it would destroy my mother are what have saved my life more than once. Whatever the motivation to keep going is, it's a good motivation. Waiting to see how you feel, family, spite, friends, anything can be motivation to keep going one more day. Good luck in the future.
Loved your comment.
" Out of SPITE "
Blessings & live sent grime R.I. Peace
Love from R.I
I’d say it the way Golden Girls did. If you’re not sure you can’t change your mind tomorrow. Frankly, I think even small little things are enough to look forward to. Like a meal you’ve been craving or a tv show you’ve been wanting to watch. I can tell you it sometimes feel like the end of the world but things aren’t always so black and white. It’ll all be okay in the end
Suggestion: go help someone else with your experience.
I GUARANTEE you will feel SO MUCH better!
I went to the "suicide forest" several times over my couple of years in Japan. It's gorgeous and great for taking beautiful "green" pictures. Personally at certain times of the year, I hated to go (when bug season was very very prevalent). But there were also a few times I was spooked out of my mind (about 3 or 4 times) when I did see some people wandering about and not answering when i call out to them (to see if they were ok). I assumed it was cause they didn't speak English, but my Japanese coworkers have told me that it's most likely they didn't want to be bothered during their final hours (understandable). But it's just creepy to just be there in silence, away from the tourist noises, taking pictures, until you hear non animal movement in the woods. Iow-key at the time I thought it was a murderer...or the grudge (thank you childhood fears). But the thought of it being a spaced out person thinking of suicide is sad and scary too. Oan I didn't live too far from the man that chopped up 9 people back in 2018 and had them stored in his home...instantly made me wonder about if I ever walked by him on the way to the train station. Never a dull moment in Japan
What was the name of the man who killed 9 people?
Akio Kuro Takahiro Shiraishi, I think.
@@1312am wow that's a mouthful ... do you know if he was also cannibalizing any of them ?
You never know what people will do. Always be wary of people when you're in the woods.
@@thephillyphranciepantz8528 No he kept them in the cooler to reduce the rotten smell. He didnt dispose of the bodies because he didn't want to get caught. The neighbors noticed a sewage smell for about 2 months but never reported it.
I visited Aokigahara and Mount Fuji with a school group in middle school. It’s really pretty. I don’t think any of the Americans in our group (including our teachers) realized the forest had this reputation and it wasn’t something our interpreter/tour guide mentioned. We literally just discussed the plant and wildlife and how old the forest was before moving to the next touristy spot.
It's funny because I'm here in Kawaguchiko at an artists residency and I mentioned the forest because I was curious about going to a wild bird park on the outskirts of it. My host immediately referred to it as a "self-death forest." I'd forgotten the forest was here until I saw it on the sightseeing bus map this morning.
When I had commented on a previous video about discussing Aokiagahara, months before everything blew up, this was the sort of thing I had in mind though the reason was certainly not. I appreciate how respectfully you were able to discuss such a topic along with acknowledging the reasons it has come to mean what it has and the problems that keep that cycle going.
"i can't really tell them apart"
neither can i. i still don't understand who they are or what they're supposed to be.
People get so weird about suicide. I didn't realize it until my brother committed suicide when I was younger. You get people who romanticize it, see it as sin, and people who just don't understand it. I like how you explained this though. Thanks for all you do, education is so important especially with death and mental health.
I’ve attempted suicide four times and have spent years of my life wanting to die. It’s only been in the last few months that I’ve stabilized and wanted to live. If I’d seen Logan Paul’s vídeo say four years ago, or even two, I don’t know what I would’ve done. Thank you for addressing this. Thank you for including resources in the description. And thank you for being so empathetic.
Abi Pereira that's so good that you are stable now and want to live :)
Natalie Osborne thank you!
Abi Pereira Glad you are getting well!
Glad you doing well, Abi.
I'm so glad u r in a good place now. U r very brave to speak about your experiences. Best wishes for your future.
Thank you so much for this video. When I saw the video (Logans) by accident, it sent me into a terrible spiral. I almost commited suicide. (long history of depression and past of many attempts). I had bad habits and his *what seemed like mockery and selfishness* caused a melted down. I couldn't take it. But seeing people care about stuff like this helps me deal with my issues. It's not glamorous, nor is it romantic. It's painful and it hurts.
Thank you so, so very much. From a long time fan.
ComosCamos I prayed for you and everyone who had the same issues... I deal with some sort of autism and stuff and my brain is quite hard to handle... So I have regular break downs and I personally just can't kill myself. Because all you do is pass your pain to the people you leave behind... And I can't... I love them to much
I'm so sorry. We DO care, and I promise you his mockery came from pure ignorance and the self centeredness of privileged youth, and everyone can see that. We would never mock you, and are angry for you.
If you want someone to talk, I am here. I deal wth similar issues.
When you wrote, “If you(*re) hurting, I promise help is available”, I felt like it spoke to me. I’m about 2 weeks in of a major meltdown with my depression and anxiety and possible PTSD, borderline, and bipolar disorders. I’ve been GLUED to your videos though which has lifted my spirits. However, the last couple months I’ve been wanting to die, fantasizing about dying, how I would do it, how I wish it would happen without me knowing so I won’t go to hell for killing my self, and how it will affect others like my dad or my cat (which are my major drawbacks because I don’t want to hurt them ever). My dad told me if I die, he dies. It’s not an option but I don’t feel like life is for me. I’m always so entangled in my head. I’m always struggling to work to make money not because I hate my job, I’ve been there for 14 years and I love it and the people I work with, but it’s because of my anxiety and finding motivation to get out of bed. I haven’t showered in a week. I feel disgusting. Today is the day I sign myself in at a psych ward. I’ve been talking about it for 2 weeks but I need to. Since taking off work and finally coming out publicly that I want to die, I’ve become more and more reclusive, unable to cope, unable to do simple tasks. It took me a week at looking at my cat’s litter box to change it. (He is happy, fed, and cuddled every day...but the litter box was just a thing I was unable to do.) His name is Neko...Japanese for cat 😆 I got him a year ago...he is 13 years old. After 2 weeks of staring at my eyebrows, I finally did them. I have all my clothes together for when I am admitted in the psych ward...except for one hoodie that my dad gave me. I’ve been putting off laundry for a week. It’s the smallest things that I can’t do. It turns in to an unbearable task. My friends message me and tell me they love me and it is too much for me to write back. I feel worthless. Useless. Just turned 32 years old...I’m a server...only an associates degree in arts when I thought it was supposed to be in business...considering I took business classes. I don’t have kids. I don’t have a significant other. I live in a house my mom and step dad bought (because they are amazing and trying to help me) that I pay rent to and live with my dad and brother but I feel like I should be in a different place in life. I’m stalled. I’ve been a zombie for years. I feel like I am nothing and I bring the world nothing and even if people tell me all these nice things about myself, I don’t believe it. I just hate myself.
....which is why I am going to the psych ward today. I need to get help. It’s weird because I didn’t know what this video was about because I didn’t know the name of the actual forest...only the name “suicide forest” and then you wrote that message. It’s just confirming what I need to do...get help.
You are an amazing person and I love watching your videos. I’m also ADHD so it’s hard for me to read and comprehend...but I’ll try to read your books anyway!
Hope your doing okay x
I hope you're are doing okay during quarantine!
Hi Jaylafae, I hope you are doing ok, glad you were looking to get professional help and I pray you did. My wife suffers from depression and mental struggles as well and I know you know what she goes through more or less. I just want you to know that you are loved and you do have purpose/meaning in this life. If you can please let us know how you are doing. We are genuinely concerned and will be praying for you. Your family loves you but there is one who loves you far more! Seek Him while He may be found, He cares for you!
I hope you're in a place now where you can look back and say "look how far I've come". You are strong
It gets better, my friend. I promise. It does. I'm proud of you.
My grandfather committed suicide when I was senior in high school. I’ve been told that suicide effects the next three generations. To this day, I don’t remember being told he died. I’m 62 now. Logan Paul’s reaction angered me so much. I’ve heard the the forest years ago and I must admit that it will hold a macabre fascination for people. Logan Paul should have been respectful to all those that have taken their lives. You’ve covered this subject with respect and dignity. Thank you.
I have to thank you for your videos. My father passed away 10 years ago from unknown circumstances and I never had a chance to properly mourn him. as a result, death has been extremely frightening for me since. last year my young neighbor who lived below me died. He was not found for a while, so the result was an odor and a very traumatic experience when his mom came to visit him. (I called 911 when I heard her crying) I even moved from my apartment because I was so upset. I took it very personally and it really upset me for weeks. I came across your videos and it helped me understand that death and the process thereafter doesn't have to be a morbid, horrific mystery. Death still frightens and upsets me, naturally, but it's nice that you are here to educate- because it was you alone who helped me overcome that experience.
Thank you sweetheart, and I am sorry for ur loss, and ur neighbor, plus the fact that u had to move. Both of my parents are deceased. In fact their anniversaries are next month, 2 days apart. My father has will b gone 37 yrs. My mother 28. I will b 60 in December, and though I am much older than u, I still have that fear. But somehow, I'm not as frightened as I was when I turned 50 (weird.) I guess as u get older, u become more accepting, because u know there's nothing u can do abt it. Doesn't mean u have to like it, and don't dwell on it. But there's any truth to stories abt predeceased relatives, parents, etc., then it'll take the sting out of it when my time comes.....lets hope at least 25 or 30 yrs from now. Caitlin is great😄.
She'll tell you and truth is, you can keep a body at home for viewing a few days. You put it on dry ice in the parlor or living room.
It's WAY, WAY cheaper than being scammed by the funeral BS industry. Then, you could be sent to a state where they allow natural decomposition in forest. They put a tree over you and as you decompose, you nourish a tree. They do this in South Carolina with no embalming.
You can be shipped on a plane as cargo.
This would also completely circumvent any freaks with a necrophiliac bent as the body was never alone. Just sayin'.
Cost: probably around 3,000 or less.
I'm also vehemently opposed to wasting nice clothes on a dead person, including ME. I want EVERYTHING to be able to be used for someone else. My plates in my wrist. My glasses, my nice clothes.
Bury me in an old sheet or something once my party's over. Use my nice clothes to help someone get a job or something.
My funeral/wake: I want all my dog and musician friends to come hang out. I want a live jam full of fun and upbeat music. I want a bagpiper in full uniform and a marching band with New Orleans music (YES, I'm serious).
Burial in Illinois is insanely expensive because of the concrete box you have to put coffins in by state law.
Last one I heard of was 2010, at a cost of 12k and he didn't even LIKE his mother. Which I think is completely hypocritical.
I think we should help people die.
I've helped several dogs die. It's very peaceful. You can get a vet to come to your house in Chicago. Its about 100.00 for the trip, total about 350.00 or so.
Death is pretty nerve wrecking stuff to think about.
But I don't know if this may help you or not, but no recommend you make a bucket list and work on accomplishing it, you'll always end up adding more than you can finish but it will serve as a reminder in the later years that you lived a full and exciting life.
If at Anytime the name or face of someone you know just happens to pop up in your head, write a little note with a compliment or a story of something and save it with any other ones you may have for that person and save them for If they have a rainy day you can cheer them up or if something else happens to you, you can get them to smile, maybe joke or something, but it would also let them know that they were in your mind before and after you passed.
Take lots of pictures or videos with everyone whenever you can, even if it's funny nonsense ..if you have any kids then they would love to have this type of stuff as adults and so will your loved ones
Record yourself reading yours or your loved ones favorite books, stories "conversation" directed at your loved ones, so they can always hear your voice if they ever wish to hear you
Death doesn't have to be sad or scary. I am a survivor of an accident that should have killed me or left me in a coma permanently. My life has changed competely. I'm a disabled single father I'm not in my 30s yet and I've been told one thing after another by my doctors, usually nothing good. I look normal and can hold a conversation but the outlook of my life in the long run is not looking very good so I've put allot of effort into making sure that when I pass
That everyone can atleast smile for a second or two and that they know that they were always in my thought
Don't dwell on the inevitable, live a full life so that when your time comes you don't go scared, full of regrets
@@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823 you dont want to be buried in nice clothes but you want a huge party at your wake...k.
I’m so sorry for your loss. ❤️ I wish you the best. Take your time to allow yourself to heal. There’s no expiration date on trauma, and losing someone is so traumatic. It’s never too late to allow yourself to grieve, either. Take care of yourself.
When my stepdad passed from a heart attack my response was firstly laughing for a second followed by streams of tears.
When I hurt myself my initial response is always to laugh too, and many other people are the same. It’s a response to trauma and I remember Logan talking in a video afterwards that he’d never dealt with death or anything related to suicide before so he didn’t know how he was meant to respond.
**This is not me defending what he did - it was completely messed up and the camera should’ve gone off as soon as they found the body instead of filming without the person’s consent**
Agreed. People deal with shock, grief, and loss in a vast number of ways. We react the way we react. It's what we do after. He should never have even uploaded the video to begin with. That took actual forethought from him to make the choice of showing this to the world.
His motives? Shock value. Views. Money.
And I am truly sorry for your loss and the tragedy you witnessed.
@@sweetfreeze5528 Agree. His laughing isn’t the problem. It was definitely a coping mechanism. And let’s not forget him acting like a destructive tourist in general when in Japan.
@Wacky Wayfarer it’s still disrespectful. Not being able to give consent is a big no no and automatically means that there is no consent, which I’m sure you already understand.
@@ZekeWaters_ 💅
@Wacky Wayfarer if no consent then the answer is NO.
It's a shame that Aokigahara has such a bad reputation. It's a legitimately beautiful forest. Logan should have turned the camera off when he encountered the body. He was disrespectful and stupid. I don't blame him for being young, but even young people should have a sense of decency.
I wouldn’t have blamed him if, while caught up in the fear and shock, he blanked and forgot to tell the cameraman to shut it off. Unfortunately, he also kept the footage, edited it, and posted it. He had so much time to think “maybe this isn’t such a great idea,” and yet he still ended up putting footage of a man’s body on RUclips. How do you even fuck up that bad?
Kati e Yeah... there were plenty of opportunities to hop off the wild ride that was that video, even if in the moment he was caught off guard. Choices were made. A series of very bad ones.
He should have edited it out, and followed up with a statement later "we found suicide victims, sorry about the abrupt end" for instance.
I also heard that vlogging about trekking through the forest has been done by others for a long while and most (if not all) of the vloggers deliberately left the "found the corpse" bit off the videos they put up online.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. Thank you for always calling Aokigahara for its name and not ‘suicide forest’, thank you for explaining its history in a rational way, and thank you for pointing out the vast differences between mental health awareness in Japan and in the West. It’s sad to see how western media sensationalize the forest as a haunted place when in reality it’s a place of biological, geological and historical value. I’m a foreigner living in Japan and I’m under mental health therapy, and change is slow and far from perfect but it’s happening.
I love the fact they have people roaming the forest to intercept and talk to the troubled souls that go there, with no intention of returning. Gives me a little bit more faith in people.
Can you please talk about Spontaneous Human Combustion?
Third it!!
Fourth it!
Fifth!!!
I've read a lot about it but I still want her specifically to talk about it lol (Google the wick effect, though)
Amanda Flowers Same here!
"I can't tell them apart."
Logan has the neck that's as big as a log (at least in his icon), and even dumber hair than Jake. That's how you tell.
Logan's level of punchability is twice as high, imo
poor guy's balding reall bad lol
I don't even know who the hell these people are let alone there's 2 of them?!?!?
@@amberhoward7807 same
Honestly, the dumb factor is so strong with both, it's hard to judge the subtle differences in stupidity.
When this controversy happened, I remember thinking, "Why? Why would you do that to this person and their family?" I'm no expert on Japanese culture but even as an outsider I can imagine how personal something like that must be for a family...
I personally don’t believe for two seconds that Logan Paul is sorry for what he did. He’s sorry because there was a backlash that cost him a chunk of his money. The first apology was oddly dismissive and self congratulatory. The second apology only came after there was a backlash over the first apology and RUclips sought to reprimand him for it. You’re right, that footage should have never seen the light of day.
I agree with this 100%. Anyone that believes his apology is genuine is just feeding into what he wants; to be adored despite being an idiot. Like "awww, it's okay Logan, we still love you!" no...not at all, in fact, I hate him.
Kristie McDonald hopefully he’ll be one of those things that go away if you ignore them
When the Logan Paul thing came out I mentioned that it was insane that someone like him who brings RUclips lots of money can get away with posting videos like that but someone like Caitlin has to rely on patreon to produce content when she is just talking about death not actually exploiting the deceased.
I’m very glad you did this video. It is so sad Aokigahara has been turned into some kind of freak show (at least that is what I feel like some people are trying to do). Suicide is not a joke. It’s painful for those who are left to deal with the aftermath, contagious (yes, it is) and to feel like suicide is a way out is awful. I know first hand. It is hard fighting those feelings sometimes. Thank you for this video.
Yeah one of the most dangerous things a mental health "professional" can tell a suicide survivor is that they're gonna work things out and never feel like that again. Nope, you WILL feel like that again, it's what you do then that matters. Sometimes all it takes is putting everything aside and going to sleep for a while, to clear the brainspace. Sometimes it's picking up a phone and calling a suicide hotline (I haven't had to do that myself but it's on the top of the list of "must do this if it's that bad"). I know you probably have your own safeguards in place, but my biggest one when the dark times really hit is, "If I clock out, the bad guys win."
@@tirsden I actually love that little mantra and I think I might have to steal it lol bc jokes aside.. I've been struggling with suicidal thoughts since my teens. The main reason I never went through with it is bc I couldn't do it to my mom. My dad kiIIed himself when I was 14 and it basically destroyed my family. I'm now 29 and still dealing with the repercussions. My mom hasn't been the same since. None of us have, I guess. And now I'm married with my own children and I'm so glad that I never went through with it. I still struggle with ptsd and anxiety/depression, but my life has gotten so much better. Nothing lasts forever, not even the bad stuff. I guess that's what I usually tell myself during those times.. this won't last forever.
It really is contagious. I have a history of attempts, and when my cousin actually died from suicide, my mom didn't allow me to attend his funeral, or talk to his immediate family. But I didn't want to in the first place. I knew I would end up trying again if I did. I didn't want to selfishly try to tear away for myself the attention and care that the family needed so badly.
It is always so impressive how you treat this subject of mental health with so much insight, respect, and even humor when needed. I do really wish younger people who have not learned this skill can appreciate and absorb how the subject should be treated in the future. You really are such a remarkable teacher.
Unfortunately, his "time off to reflect" is actually just him taking time to do a documentary about himself and the controversy. Since he had to find a way to monetize his failure.
Brittany Rees Disgusting isn't it? He's a shameful man.
I did see that, the day after I recorded this video. While he 100% hired a crisis pr firm and that video was 100% made by that crisis pr firm, let's see if he continues to advocate for awareness or just immediately start throwing seafood at innocent cars again. I want to have hope for him!
Additionally, RUclips's response of hamstringing small creators who are trying to make a living there was completely unreasonable. It won't likely solve the problem, because most of the channels causing trouble already meet the requirements they've now set for monetization.
@@shellcshells2902 shameless, more like. A cynical and calculated attention seeking money spinning stunt. He's not really sorry, he's just sorry he lost so much revenue. I was ecstatic when KSI beat his a$$ in a boxing rematch. Can't stand him. Leave him in the last decade. And we shall never speak of him again.
I really appreciate that you didnt condemn Logan for his reaction, we are all entitled to our reaction and expression to our experiences, but rather for his actions after, in actually posting the video. You extend a great deal if grace in doing so, it makes me want to be a better person in that regard. Its so much easier to snap to judgement.
I agree with this 100%. I myself have had some.. highly questionable reactions to death. And looking back I can't even imagine what people must've thought. I guess sometimes we act strangely when our subconscious knows that we can't handle a situation. Sort of like when you're a kid and you get into BIG trouble and for some reason, even though you are scared and don't actually think it's funny at all, you start laughing uncontrollably. Only this is a much grander scale of that. I would never judge someone by how they react to death or how they grieve.
The whole focus should always have been the fact that he posted it. I honestly can't even imagine wtf he was thinking when he uploaded that to his millions of young subs.
I love that this channel treats death in such an honest and mature way. Death is natural, even interesting, and something we don't have to fear; but grief and human suffering are also real, so we should take care in how we treat those who are mourning.
Thank you Caitlyn for dealing with this issue so sensitively. As a retired/former pastor, I have experienced the deaths of others and performed their funerals more times than I can remember. I really appreciate your death positive approach and your willingness to deal with the realities of death. Keep up the great work you and your colleagues are doing.
I remember when I first saw Paul Logan on Disney I thought "that guy's a train wreck waiting to happen". I was right but wow, I never thought he'd do that. I hope he has learned something.
He was on disney? I had wondered why they were even youtube famous, but honestly, didn't care enough about them to research.
@@Khaleesi_Jack They were on a Disney channel show called 'bizaardvark' in (I think) 2016.
Not a very good show in my opinion but who am i to decide that? 🤷♀️
When I was younger, after a whole lot of trauma and hellish-ness, I planned to go there to kill myself. I thought it'd be nice to spend the last of my time finally being surrounded by people that understand what I was feeling because I often fell by the wayside with most people. I'm doing somewhat better now though. I hope to one day go there (when I'm stable enough to not be worried about it pushing me back) to show some love and respect to those that didn't get a chance to recover
"And here you are living, despite it all."
I'm glad you are still here.
Thank you for sharing this. I'm glad you're doing somewhat better, as you say. c:
I'm glad you're still here
I’m glad you’re still here. Persevere my fellow human, persevere.
a couple of years ago I visit the forest with my (now ex) boyfriend and his family. His mum and his 12-year-old sister were happy to visit and we took a tour where the guide just spoke about the types of trees and animals that lived there and the history. It wasn't scary and I saw no dead bodies, only more beauty of Japan.
I'm no where near suicidal but that ending message made me overly emotional. Thank you.
It is really easy to get lost in there, but as you said, it IS a choice. I went off-trail when I visited years ago (I was trying to see if I could get any EVP recordings, as I am a paranormal investigator hobbyist), and I stumbled upon a deceased woman, who had clearly been there for quite some time. I didn't take any photos (that would feel wrong on many levels), but instead alerted authorities in hopes her family would be able to claim her & have some sort of closure. In some ways I regret visiting at all, as I feel I was somewhat an intruder.
The family might have only gotten closure because you saw her as a person who deserved to be reunited with her family and not a tourist attraction. Despite anything else, you cared about her in death in a way she may not have had in life, and that's worth something.
That is exactly what you should've done, and that woman's family had a chance to properly mourn her death because you were respectful.
as always, hitting the nail on the head. I lost my uncle to suicide last year, and seeing Logan exploit the body of a man who obviously suffered very deeply was painful and infuriating. a man who took is own life didn't do it so some asshat 20 something could ogle at it with his friends. thank you so much for the work you do
I had no idea he'd done this. Disgusting.
I'm so sorry, please accept my sincerest condolences. I lost my brother to suicide 34 yrs ago. Blessings to you & your family. 💔
I live near a well known suicide spot in the UK called Beachy Head. Its a cliff. We have similar things here too such as pastors who will talk to you about how you feel, the signs etc . It's heartbreaking the amount of people who end their lives there. It's an absolutely beautiful place that's also a tourist spot for families so how it became a suicide spot is curious to me . Especially as its been that way since a very long time before social media. Similar to your golden gate bridge. I think the young man in the video is like a lot of kids, desensitised and very far from the reality of death. I lost my brother to suicide and people react in a very strange way to it. It's almost as if they think it's contagious. My brother took his life in a way that was unusual which meant it ended up all over the TV. It was incredibly painful to have this most personal of situations plastered everywhere. I'm on a group for people who have lost a loved one by suicide and we have all had very odd reactions from others. It's a side of death that's still very much taboo. We need to talk about it. I had one person tell me they would not have told their children the cause of death "in case it gave them ideas"!?!? That's something I really don't understand?
Thanks for sharing
...aaaaand this is how it should be done. Thank you, Our Death Positive Queen.
When I die (possibly in my 90s, gin tonic in hand, dancing to velvet underground) I wish I could be buried in a gorgeous forest like Aokigahara.
He used a corpse as content. He doesn’t see other humans as humans, dead or alive, he treats them as stepping stones for views. That’s why he was throwing things at Japanese people, harassing them with raw fish, and put a dead body in his thumbnail. That’s what bothers me. Seems pretty self serving and borderline sociopathic.
Yeah, he's a real piece of shit.
And the most disturbing thing is people watch him and have made him famous and wealthy. I don't get it????
You have the PERFECT amount of humor, information, and structure in all of your videos. I love watching!
I suffer from mental illness and to think that people in Japan r suffering on their own breaks my heart. Mental illness stigma is hard to remove especially in the person suffering as even I feel like it's my dark secret sometimes and I'm Australian. I'm glad the japanese government is trying to change people's thinking. Thanks for the video Caitlyn
deborah gate me too me too Adelaide girl here.
@ZMan1471 Good grief im not surprised but it is awful
Thank you Deborah and Renee and everyone.ox
deborah gates, the brain is an organ just as are the liver and stomach. People need to grasp this fact and stop the stigma!
An extremely intelligent woman once asked me, a medical professional, if the brain was an organ!! Yes, yes, yes!
It's because you talk about death in such an open yet respectful way that people like you and your videos. I really appreciate what you do and I hope you keep going.
Thank you for supplying the hotlines as well, this shows you actually care. I rarely see RUclipsrs leave them for their viewers, so this is a very nice gesture.
Thank you Caitlin for this thoughtful, caring and respectful video. The Logan Paul video came out a few weeks after we had experienced the suicide of a much loved younger member of our family. I didn't watch the video (although I do know what was in it) but the uproar from it was something we all could have done without and I can't help but feel so angry at the insensitivity he and his cronies showed in posting images of this man and the unnecessary additional pain this would have caused his family and friends. There was absolutely no need to show close ups of his body. His family will be haunted by that as I know ours would have been.
I can't imagine how devastating it would have been if it had happened to our family who were already in so much pain. My heart goes out to his family and friends for their terrible loss.
kez kezooie I'm so sorry for the loss of your family member. 😭 I hope you're (you & your loved ones) are ok. Stay strong sending loves & hugs to you all. 💖💙💕❤💓💜💞💛💟💚💗
Sincerest condolences from someone who went through the same thing years ago so I am thinking of you and hoping you and your family have support. Kind regards from Britain x
Thank you Amethyst, your kind wishes are very much appreciated. We're all taking it one day at a time and supporting each other (we each have our good and bad days) and although you know it will get better with time it is a slow, slow process and it's early days yet. We'll get there eventually but I doubt if we'll ever completely overcome it or ever stop missing him and wondering what he'd be doing with his life in the future if he hadn't made that decision.
Ash Bell Thank you so very much, it's still very hard at the moment but so many people (of which you're one) have been so very kind and supportive, which has helped a great deal. I'm so sorry you had to go through this as well and I hope you and yours are doing well now.
kez kezooie the best advice I was ever given was from a friend who was a shrink. Here's what she wrote me -"grief of any kind is a process from loud chaos to even louder silence. In the beginning there's that hyper vigilance and organisation of all the stuff you have to do practically as much as emotionally, simply to attempt to process a passing of any kind but then comes the even harder time in the weeks/months/years beyond that. This is the supposidly 'quieter' time of calmer distance from pain simply because all is supposidly 'finished' and people around you move on with life etc...". She continued to write (I am copying from her letter here) "in any grief experience that 'quiet time' is the cold killer of the heart and mind because this Is the first time youre truly open to not simply asking the questions but clearly hearing any answers (if there are any to be heard) and yet, at that most vulnerable time in your grif, where you need substantive support the most, you find the world's resumed its autopilot, only you just dont happen to be buckled in for the ride anymore. Here's the crucial time, above all others, where processing a suicide in particular is the greatest challenge,far beyond any other instance of death, because that's when thst sheer, initial shock starts to give way to natural feelings of anger, confusion and worst of all misplaced guilt.it's a whole other darker,expansive layer to grief that people around you, at their best of times, struggle to offer support with but in this 'quiet time' it becomes near impossible torture because all you want and need to heal is hidden behind a self imposed obligation to feel awkward at best,embarrassed at worst by your loved ones actions in killing themselves. grief of any kind finds real benefit at times in professionally orientated support but grief following a suicide should be offered to family/friends during that 'quiet time' because it's needed, it's important and it's necessary to reduce the well documented risk of mental health crises which often follow in consequence". I wrote the whole para to you,sorry, but I just wanted you to hear from a professional's point of view what may probably/naturally lie ahead in the future for you, NOT to scare you but to prepare you so you don't feel crazy or alienated and to encourage you to seek support at that time, if not now.I have no training myself (I was a criminologist) but, like I said, I have the experience I can help you through if you ever need it, but if you need dome thing more professional and can't find support I can always ask that friend for direction and/or support for you. BOTTOM LINE -when that quiet time hits, if you need a friendly ear or signposts to formal help please don't be afraid to ask.x
Meet the Ask A Mortition Channel: the one place that can educate you on commonly “taboo” subjects that most people outwardly turn their backs to, but actually want to know what’s going on
The nail that sticks out gives you somewhere to hang your coat.
That could be a good or bad thing, depending on the malevolence or the benevolence of the coat owner.
I somewhat romantically believe it's the way you discover and connect with your soulmate when you're, ah, eccentric.
"I fell from the ladder, fortunately there was a nail sticking out of the wall and I could hold on to it with my left eye, otherwise I may have fallen to my death..." old german proverb
@@TDCflyer radical
@@TDCflyer ooof lmao
Excellent video. I was an executive in the mental health field, and your presentation was very helpful and exactly right. Suicide is an attempt to exert control over the apparently uncontrollable. So much needs to be done about mental health in all cultures. Commendations to you and your staff for having the insight and determination to make this presentation.
Not all suicide is an attempt to control the uncontrollable. For a lot of people, it's not even about dying, it's about wanting the pain to stop. There's not ever just only one reason people try/complete suicide, so when we talk about it we need to not make sweeping generalizations about it either.
@@OverdramaticAngel wanting to make the pain and emptiness inside stop is still an attempt to take control of the situation. The sad part is that control is an illusion of the human mind.
Proof that even difficult subjects can be addressed with respect. Thank you for bringing yet another educational video to us!
If you are struggling, please, please reach out and get help. I think its important for people to know that being suicidal isn't just actively wanting to kill yourself, its also being apathetic towards living. I realized I needed help when I stopped looking both ways before crossing the street.
There's A massive difference between what Logan did and what you do. His was pure shock value. You show dead people, but you show them in a historical way and you actually educate us deathlings about how that person was preserved and their life and death. There's A way to show dead people in a respectful way.
Addy Payne YES!
amfs23 I'm so glad people are seeing that this is meant to be a positive comment. I'm sick as hell and I was worried that people wouldn't see that.
Hope you can read this. My father passed away this morning and I was lucky enough to be his caretaker throughout his final days and it's your videos and insight that helped me the most to cope with this mornings events. Thank you for what you do. ♡♡♡
-A Grateful Deathling
I'm sorry for your loss. You're strong to be able to find and take comfort in things to help you manage your grief, however. I'll keep you in my prayers.
***** thank you, I just did what I thought was right. I had a buddy take over my business for the last month so I could be there and be his caretaker with my sister. Glad I got the opportunity to see him to the peaceful end.
I'm so sorry for your loss
John Scoggin, i am truly sorry for your loss of your father. Wishing you peace and comfort in your times of sorrow.
I'm not going to "thumbs up" a death, but I am sorry.
My cousin died publicly and "thumbs up" on her death reports really annoyed me.
You are always respectful of death. Thank you for that. Many of us have lost loved ones and you help to deal with the other side that is looming over all of our heads. You even tastefully bring light. Even where it's darkest.
vice did a beautiful little documentary about aokigahara, where a man who is both a geologist and does corpse patrol there talked about how sad he felt it was that people would seek out suicide, that he felt that the suicidal who came there wanted to die in a pretty place where they could be forgotten by the world.
if it is actually haunted, i feel like the legends are what makes it haunted, not any spirits
Casandraelf that video was so beautiful, what the man said just hit me hard.
As a mother of a 11yr old son who saw that Logan Paul video, it was easier to have a talk about what suicide is and why people do it but very hard to explain why someone would show that
I'm glad it sparked up a conversation about mental health and suicide, but Logan Paul could have done it differently. But Logan's coping mechanism was laughing at a corpse, and that's unacceptable.
It wasn't a coping mechanism, he's a narcissist and a sociopath and he didn't give a rat's ass about that dead person or what made them do it. All he cared about was making money off his RUclips channel.
Thank you for this video, i can see it was well researched and i'm happy a foreigner is properly educating others. Thank you for respecting our culture and our history.
Thank you for this. My family is all western in ethnicity, but my brother was born in Tokyo and my family lived there for years. I've been to the Aokigahara, and it's not any different than going for a walk here in the woods around my home of Seattle in the Pacific Northwest of the US. There isn't anything dark or strange about it. I can see why people in crisis would go there because it's incredibly peaceful and beautiful. It saddens me greatly that the "suicide forest" is all people understand about it.
I think Logan Paul and his friends had the shock of their young shallow lives, and ultimately that was a good thing for them. Paul should never have posted the video about it, but I do think the stark reality they were in touched them...I hope they think about that and learn something from it so they can have deep older lives.
I just love how you elegantly mix humor, education, and master level shade-throwing at disrespectful behaviors in your videos. That is what made me subscribe thirty seconds into the first video of you that I watched, back in August. Love from Belgium xx
Charline Gelaesen YES! I just finished watching and had almost same exact thought.
Caitlin, I love the insight and empathy that went into this video. You're one of the few people who take this topic seriously.
Incredibly well done! I am a 911 dispatcher and appreciate the frank and honest way you have dealt with this subject. I think if Logan Paul had to answer the phone and listen to a person as they struggle with ending their life, or perhaps hear them as they go through with it despite your desperate pleas, he might have made a more wise decision. I can't stress enough that there IS help for anyone who feels like they can't go on. If unable to call a suicide hotline please don't hesitate to call 911 and let an emergency dispatcher send you some help.
Thank you for the incredible work that you chose. ✌ 💘
I honestly don't think that would make a difference. His apology was complete bullshit. He comes across as a narcissist and a borderline psychopath with how he behaves.. I don't think he even knows the difference between right and wrong.
Words cannot describe the immense amount of respect and gratitude I have for you and the videos you make. The messages you carry not only bring light in the unknown and often scary concept of death, but also shows us how the darkness of that unknown should not stop us form learning as much as we can about it and see the complex reality with less fear and open minds.
This is what I love about you. You combine common, matter-of-fact sense, with sensitivity and compassion in discussing what can be emotionally difficult subject matter.
From a teenagers perspective, you are definitely one of the coolest people. You're so honest and funny and just really an all around great person. I definitely always look forward to another one of your videos!
She is really cool from a 54yr old woman's prospective too! At least THIS 54 year old woman anyway!
I went to Aokigahara just last year. It’s a beautiful place. I treated it with respect, I didn’t go for the fact it was a suicide hotspot but because I fucking love nature! It’s stunning. I recommend it to anyone. I went in the middle of December. It was cold and there wasn’t any else there but at no point did I feel like I was in a horror movie or anything. Just go with respect like you would anywhere.
I really appreciate your words of wisdom. Btw, your hair is beautiful lol. What do you use to get it so silky and shiny? Just looks really healthy
The thing is, everyone who knows anything about that forest knows not to go off trail because that's where you find them, and that's exactly what he did. He went in there purposely looking for a dead body
is it weird your videos comfort me when i'm sad lmao i think it might be your bubbly personality mixed with the topic of death that makes me happy lolllll
You are so on point about that video. That was somebody's child. Suicide is so difficult for families. Knowing that your loved one was in that much pain makes it harder to deal with.
1:44 that corn soup is my absolute fave!! highly recommended. also, thank you for respecting this location and encouraging us to break the stigma