The Fear of Death

[Art Vandarley]

Hey community,

I don't want to talk about the causes of the fear of death, but about the fear of death itself. I know, that most people don't fear death, but I do. I had a mental breakdown a few years ago, I went to hospital and took meds. It caused me more nightmares, more problems, I couldn't even move. It was like you are falling into a hole and you know, that you will not get out of that thing alive.

Maybe that sounds childish, because the death is part of our lifes our life in general, but for me it's still a problem. I'm 23 years old and I think about it every day and every night. It doesn't rule my life anymore, but it's still there, subtle and quiet behind the curtain.

Does anyone have or had the same feelings?

Thanks for reading

guest

[Aubrienne_Ellyrias]

i thought this was the same old thread , theres a thread on this if u feel like readin it, i think its called the same.

here's me, im not afriad of death now, but when i was younger, i was always afraid of it, and thought up a million ways i would die and wondered which one of those ways it'd be and it would creep me out lol i couldnt deal with knowing one day ill just be gone.

i have no clue how i got over it either; i guess i just began enjoying life more and i've seen people die, and experience things that made me realize, my thought of reality was so childish and pathetic and i've accepted it and in the end all i can do is live life well, cus this might be the only life i get. i didnt go to relgion to feel better about it, im athiest and im completely okay with dying and wether a god exsists or not, heaven and hell all tht is just bs to me. i mean look at ants u smoosh em and their gone, i feel we are like tht. i feel we humans arent special and dont deserve all these things we are taught to feel we deserve, we are just another animal of earth, maybe the smartest and dumbest at the sametime, to me death is like u finally go to sleep and u wont even have thoughts like "oh am i dead?" lol no youll be so dead you wont even be worrying about this whole fear you have anymore, none of that will even matter by then as your body just dies.

[Milich]

I think it's the suspense of death that is the scary part. Like Aubrienne said though, once you're in that moment dying you won't be worrying anymore.

I think appreciating being alive is enough to extinguish the flame of suspense.

Edited March 29, 2011 by DaviDeil

[Art Vandarley]

I think it's the suspense of death that is the scary part. Like Aubrienne said though, once you're in that moment dying you won't be worrying anymore.

I think appreciating being alive is enough to distinguish the flame of suspense.

It's easy to say so, but for me it's very tough.

[Milich]

It's easy to say so, but for me it's very tough.

I think you will learn to live with it and it should only get easier for you. It's a multi-step process and eventually by the end of it you might find yourself welcoming death with open arms.

Edited March 29, 2011 by DaviDeil

[Art Vandarley]

I think you will learn to live with it and it should only get easier for you. It's a multi-step process and eventually by the end of it you might find yourself welcoming death with open arms.

Sometimes I welcome death, but I don't know death, it's like a blind date, you know, it could be nice or it could be nothing.

[nohands]

hehe.... for me i think i just fear of death bcoz it hurts.. but you know when the pain is gone.. just like sleeping?? im not buying to fear it..

[Art Vandarley]

hehe.... for me i think i just fear of death bcoz it hurts.. but you know when the pain is gone.. just like sleeping?? im not buying to fear it..

That's the point. You don't know, when the pain is gone. That's what I fear. To know not nothing not.

[cookies]

I look on the bright side, but sometimes i wonder is there even a bright side when death is here?

[Art Vandarley]

I wonder of there's a side in death...

[Ealdwita]

I'm 65, diagnosed with emphysema, and absolutely terrified of both the process of dying and the state of being dead!

[Milich]

I wonder of there's a side in death...

In my opinion there is no side.

"Matter flows from place to place

And momentarily comes together to be you

Some people find that thought disturbing

I find the reality thrilling" -Dawkins

Your matter was once not all apart of you and you haven't thought about why your matter has been together until very recently.

Your matter won't be able to think like that until it's together in another conscious form. We're thinking and moving pieces of the same matter.

Where do these thinking and moving pieces go? You don't watch them float up into heaven do you? They decay and continue flowing forever.

Edited March 29, 2011 by DaviDeil

[Art Vandarley]

I'm 65, diagnosed with emphysema, and absolutely terrified of both the process of dying and the state of being dead!

Is that so? I'm totally with you, but I don't think I know what it's like to feel like that. God bless you.

@DaviDeil

That's some atheists point, but I'm not ony matter, I am myself, now and that's the thing. I know, that nothing of my is dying exept of my ego...

Edited March 29, 2011 by Guest

[Milich]

@Guest

You are an assortment of protons neutrons and electrons. Particles of matter.

[xYlvax]

@Guest

You are an assortment of protons neutrons and electrons. Particles of matter.

We are also human and have a soul. Just my belief.

To the OP, I used to be afraid of death, until I figured out how awful life could be. If you've lived a good life though, death won't be so fearsome.

[StarMountainKid]

It's thought that fears death. Thought fears its own death, that's why it's difficult to meditate. In meditation thoughts are just watched without interference as they come and go by themselves. They're just thoughts, they're not too important. After a while they fade away, as they are not given mental energy by your lack of interest in them.

So, when the mind is silent who is left alive? What is it like when there are no longer random thoughts buzzing around in your mind? Who are you when mind is totally silent? Your true, authentic being, free of all burdens?

If thought is what fears death, in this pure state of consciousness, where is this fear?

[StarMountainKid]

It's thought that fears death. Thought fears its own death, that's why it's difficult to meditate. In meditation thoughts are just watched without interference as they come and go by themselves. They're just thoughts, they're not too important. After a while they fade away, as they are not given mental energy by your lack of interest in them.

So, when the mind is silent who is left alive? What is it like when there are no longer random thoughts buzzing around in your mind? Who are you when mind is totally silent? Your true, authentic being, free of all burdens?

If thought is what fears death, in this pure state of consciousness, where is this fear?

[Bendy Demon]

Maybe that sounds childish, because the death is part of our lifes our life in general, but for me it's still a problem.

Does anyone have or had the same feelings?

Thanks for reading

guest

Hmmm..I think that the basic fear of death is there to prevent us from doing really stupid things..I mean, like Homer Simpson type stupid things.

Part of me fears death because it is biologically driven...that's how I survive..by avoiding death. Naturally I am aware that I will die someday and when I was little I was scared because I thought I'd be laying in a box forever not being able to do anything but as I got older I learned otherwise naturally.

While I try to prevent my untimely demise, I also am not overly intent on fighting it off because I see no reason to hold on. This is not to say I am gong to eat a stupid diet, drink or do reckless things but if I am in a situation (like a disease) where my life is in question...I am not certain I would fight much.

[morrison1976]

To be honest, im not scared of death. In fact, i look forward to it. I know that sounds depressing, but i don't mean it in a sense that i have a bad life and i want to die now. I have a great life, but im so looking forward to know if there is anything on the other side, im almost excited!

Saying that, i sometimes do worry how i am going to die. Will it be of old age, drown,hit by a care, murdered etc That does play on my mind sometimes. But to be honest, there is no pint worrying about death because it will happen to all of us, so whats the point about worrying when there is nothing you can do about it.

Im more worried about loosing loved ones. This plays on my mind quite a bit.

[Alienated Being]

no point in being afraid of something that you can't prevent. it's like being afraid of rain - you're going to have to face it at some point, whether you like it or not.

[alphafemale]

Once many of your loved ones pass away, your friends, family, loved ones all--your fear will disipate to submisssion. You dont want to be one of the last left here ( or alive I mean ). You will relax at the thought of the inevitable. Like some cold sort of comfort. Perhaps if your of a praying sort, you would comfort yourself at the thoughts of possibly joining the rest of them gone before you. This is my own expirience. I hope it may give to you some comfort. But please dont wish your life away in the process.

[Robbie333]

Hey community,

I don't want to talk about the causes of the fear of death, but about the fear of death itself. I know, that most people don't fear death, but I do. I had a mental breakdown a few years ago, I went to hospital and took meds. It caused me more nightmares, more problems, I couldn't even move. It was like you are falling into a hole and you know, that you will not get out of that thing alive.

Maybe that sounds childish, because the death is part of our lifes our life in general, but for me it's still a problem. I'm 23 years old and I think about it every day and every night. It doesn't rule my life anymore, but it's still there, subtle and quiet behind the curtain.

Does anyone have or had the same feelings?

Thanks for reading

guest

First of all, I hope and wish for you that each day becomes better and you become happier every day. As to your question, I must say my view is I am not afraid of death at all but I am somewhat afraid of dying.

[arenee]

I too am absolutely terrified of death. When I was younger I would have panic attacks. I didn't ever think how I was going to die or when but what happens after. I believe in God and souls so even if I went to Heaven I was terrified of the forever part. Regardless of where I ended up. I'm 28 now and still have those same fears. When I begin to think about it, I get that same apprehensive feeling and I've got to call someone right away to get my mind off of it or I'll fall back into panic mode. I hate it but don't know what else to do other than just not think about it. I'm glad to hear someone else feels the way I do as I thought I was a freak (still probably am) but I'm sorry that you have to go through this.

[Nashima]

Ive been lurking these forums for a long time and decided to register to share my opinions because me and a co-worker were discussing this topic just recently.

I believe there are 3 main reasons as to why people fear death.

1. We have no idea what happens when we die. I am a man of God i believe in the bible i believe in a heaven and hell but lets be honest, the only people who know what happens when we die is the people who are dead. Death is unknown to everyone who is alive. I personally believe in an after life of some sort. The universe is to big and life is to unexplained and mysterious for us to just root in the ground. I wouldn't mind an after life where i just float around learning about the universe and things that happened on this planet (Like riding back in time witnessing different events)

2. We want to accomplish, do and experience certain things in life. I'm only 20 years old, the though that i could die anytime and not experience stuff like a wife and children or my own house or business scares me to death =/. I believe most older people don't have to deal with this one but for us young people its a scary thing to think about. Another thing you can add onto this is us not wanting to leave some things unfinished or certain people (Children, wife, siblings, parents etc.) unprotected and uncared for. For example you might be a husband who is the only one able to provide for your family so a person in this situation might think "Who's gonna feed my wife and kids if i die?" or "Who's gonna pay the bills?"

3. This is probably the one that has most people afraid of death. Dying. Yes dying, the moment between life and death, the point at which you say to your self (if you have the chance) "Hey....i'm dying". I dont think there is no one alive who is not worried about how they will die. Everyone wants to know if its going to be nice and easy, quick and painless, instant or cruel and hard, slow and painful or prolonged and agonizing. Am i just gonna fall asleep and never wake up? Is someone gonna tie me up in a chair and torture me for a week straight? Am i gonna drown in an oil barrel or sand pit (I would prefer water)? Vaporized by a nuke or killed instantly by a meteorite? No one knows and thats the killer for me O_O. I wish we all could choose the way we die i believe that would soften the blow a bit. I am not afraid of death at all but dying is a much different story.

I dont believe in death but i do believe in dying. Dying is the graduation. Death is just the different life we will experience after we graduate.

[markdohle]

We can talk about death all day and come to the conclusion that perhaps it is not to be feared. However, just think, one day you go to the doctors office for a check up, then the next day you are told you have a short time to live....well then, that is the time to see if you fear death or not. We all fear death, it is part of our survial mode, without it we would not last a week. Freud said that when we try to think of our death we do it as an observer, to die is to experience the whole process. Believer or atheist, no matter what ones belief, different people will react differntly. I have no idea how afraid of death I am, though as I get older, I do get a glimps of it from time to time.

Peace

mark