Should we be fearful of death?

Question

Even people who are indifferent to death when young get fearful when thinking of death at an old age? Why is that and should we really fear it as a terrible event? Haven't we just be taught wrongly to fear this inescapable ending?

Answer 1

I believe that most of us in the society HAVE been taught to fear death, but there is really no reason to do so. Death is simply the other end of the equation of birth. many people feel the consequences of their lives after death (i.e. religious belief in hell, punishment, etc) and therefore fear death itself. Death is door through which we pass to another existance. Our society has isolated death to the point that most of us have never with a dying person and seen the moment of transistion. i view death as both an ending and a beginning, just as birth is. i believe that death opens the door to the soul so that it can travel to its next destination in its journey to ultimate enlightenment...

Answer 2

With the passing of my mother less than 1 week ago I think I can attempt to answer this. The obvious feeling when we are young is that we are invincible. However, the closer we get to death, the more we think of "all" of the possibilities. I would imagine we would think of any little thing we might have done wrong, or with ill intent. Or that might even be percieved as hurtful to others.Even things we could have done better. Granted my mother was a wonderful loving person, even when she could no longer speak you could see that she was still constantly thinking, most likely about the end. and the past. As for fearing this inescapable ending, I think at some point we all fear the unknown. Unless you have an Incredible amount of faith in your personal religious beliefs. So should we be fearful, I personally will always fear what I have not experienced.

Answer 3

The fear of death is quite healthy - Id & Ego. If we were not afraid, then our choices in life would be less reserved and risky. As we get older our fear transitions more to the Ego & Super Ego - Have we made a differnce in the world we leave to others? Is the World a better place because of me? The actual death is no longer the fear.

Answer 4

What is such a mystery to me is whenever I hear a self-confessed christian mourning the death of somebody close to them, say something like "I just can't believe they're gone and I won't ever see them again". Makes me wonder what happened to that "we will all meet again" that they often preach. LOL I guess like an ole country boy I used to know had a habit of saying..."everybody wants to go to heaven, but not if they're gettin' up a load to go now".

We know that we are all going to "pass through that door" some day, no matter what might be on that other side. Two possibilities... we either do, after all, just "go pop" in which case, Nothingness.... no pain, no suffering, no anything because we shall have ceased to exist. Or, it will turn out to really be true that at the point of our mortal death, our "essence"..... our "personal consciousness"..... our "soul" for those who like that word, transitions to some disembodied state of being. What happens after that, we will all have to wait and find out, because to the best of my certain knowledge nobody on this side of the "great divide" has ever had a good long sitdown chat with someone who has "passed on" and got all the skinny from that person as to what it's like there.
So, what I do, is try to make the very best of the time I have on this side, continue to live as the most decent human being I know how to be, and leave the unknown until it is my time to "find out"

Answer 5

Actually, I was a lot more fearful of death when I was young.
Now that I'm 63, I've become more and more "accepting" of it over the years. I mean, it's part of life and no one gets out of here alive. We all owe "God" a death.
These days, I regard death more as the natural event that it is. And, who can say for sure? It may not be the end; it may be the start of the greatest adventure of all.

As Nate, on "Six Feet Under" answered:

""Why do people have to die?"

"To make life important."

Answer 6

We do not fear death, we fear what does or does not come after it. We have no proof of the existence or nonexistance of an afterlife. It is this not knowing that causes fear. Deeply religious people are afraid of being judged unworthy of heaven, Non religious people do not want to just pass into dust and nothingness. Everyone worries that what they believed to happen after death may be wrong.

Answer 7

Should isn't a good word here. We can't project what SHOULD be.
The fear of death is different with each individual. Even the most stoic religious person can basically fear death.

It is easy to brush the fear of death aside with our Faith in God and the belief in the after life. But, when it comes right down to it, we fear what we can't control. And death is the ultimate loss of control.

Answer 8

I guess some fear death because they will miss the ones they love, others fear because it may be painful experience. I guess some do not fear death because they believe in the after life and that it is a 2nd beginning for them.

Answer 9

you can become immortal by worshipping the light in your mind. It's true, it's called spiritual progression. You can get great books out on the subject of immortality and mind-liberation.

The basic theory is that when you expand your mind with knowledge, your will punctures your spirit and opens up a whole new world to your imagination. It is hard, but you only have to do it once in order to really be moved by it. The belief is that the mind travelling through this realm comes back to you, in a sense, in the heart. So the theory is that knowledge, or immortality, exists in the heart. So all human beings are capable of this.

Answer 10

yes, we should fear death - it is horrible! - you are going to end! - what could be worse? - it is all your nightmares coming real - if you dont fear death, you should think harder - imagine a knife being thrust up towards your heart, or of walking into gas chambers to be gassed to death - no one likes death, and nor should you - imagine being eaten by a shark - imagine after you are dead - you dont exist! - you are gone - you arent there, you arent anywhere - youre nothing! - YOU - ARE - NOT!!! - the word you is useless as far as you are concerned - so is every other word - think of each and every thing you can look at - and realise: this will be nonexistent as far as you are concerned - death takes everything away from you - your favourite socks, your closest friend - death is cruel, evil, nasty, mean - imagine lying in bed, your relatives around you: you are going to oblivion, you are going to nowhere - and they are staying - and nothing can save you - life is cruel - it is a gift given just to snatch it away - everything good is given - and then taken back - indian giver! - death says: see this? see how good it is? well, you cant have it, im taking it away, you cant have anything, youre going to have nothing, NOTHING, forever and ever and ever - of death, you should be afraid as of everything fearful, because it is everything fearful wrapped up in one - you are alone in the desert, you get bitten by a snake, you die, you lie there thinking: im never going to see my wife, my children again - my bones may whiten here, my skull roll around in the wind - if you are not afraid of death, get busy!