Apoptosis... what a interesting concept.

Spiritual batteries... yah alright. If the spiritual plane is "above" this one, than great. It's a well known fact that a species feeds on one or more lower species for it's survival. So we look up, we see spirit. And they "feed" off us indeed.

However, if we are smart enough to not eat an entire heard, and to leave strong breeders so that there will be food for next season — if we, lowly intellectual mammals — have figured that out, than you can rest assured our higher formed ever more intelligent spiritual predator friends have done so also.

And so while you may be sacrificed to sedate the hunger of a higher species, perhaps performing a higher function, on a higher plane, know well that life will go on and all is in it's rightful and perfect place.

=P