Steven Levine, a Budhist clinician and close associate of Ram Dass has written extensively from his experience with terminally ill patients. He thinks that the first thought a person has after they have suicided is "Oops."

I have been fortunate in my career so far to have not had a client successfully suicide, but have a number of clients who have made a serious attempt, or who I have petitioned for commitment to prevent an attempt. In every single case, once the individual was thinking more rationally,(ie the psychosis or severely distorted thinking that can occur with depression were remitted) they were dismayed at themselves and extremely relieved that they were not successful.

I have also worked with a number of people who were struggling with the emotional effects of the suicide of a loved one.

I don't know if people who suicide rest in peace. I don't know what any of us do, if anything, after death. But the people they leave behind suffer tremendously. If the person who suicided is aware of this, I doubt seriously that they can rest in peace to have seen what pain their choice brought to those who loved them.

Janie