What does assisted suicide involve?

Assisted suicide involves providing a seriously ill person with the means to commit suicide. This definition captures the essence of assisted suicide, where the individual who is suffering, often from a terminal or debilitating condition, receives help from another party—usually a medical professional—to end their life according to their wishes. The focus is on the autonomy of the individual seeking assistance to end their suffering in a manner they deem appropriate.

The other concepts, while they may relate to issues surrounding death and ethical discussions, do not accurately define assisted suicide. The notion of painless killing of someone dying from a painful disease refers more closely to euthanasia, which includes administering a lethal dose of medication directly rather than facilitating the individual's self-administration. Ending someone's life without consent is a violation of ethical principles and legal standards, contrasting starkly with the voluntary nature of assisted suicide where consent is paramount. The rebirth of the soul in a new body pertains to beliefs about reincarnation, which are unrelated to the topic of assisted suicide and further emphasize the disconnection from the medical and ethical aspects involved.