It is useful to think of life-death as a fuzzy logic spectrum rather than a 0/1 binary.
1 = Generative life
0.7: anemic pursuit of anemic goals
0.5: anemic pursuit of grand goals (denial+ overcompensation)
0.3: Acting dead ( sense)
0.1: Druggie degeneracy
0: Death
Conversation
2.0 = uploading consciousness into persistent data store
1.5 = making good art
...
-.01 = decomposing very slowly in lead tomb
-.75 = cremation
-1 = sky burial
2

