Afraid of death?

A lot of it has to do with promises of afterlife. Some people think we're supposed to live way longer than we do and have fear built into them.

Death can be a joyful thing. Letting go isnt hard when you suffer too much physically.

The dream and beauty of everlasting life is hard to let go of. I wouldnt say i am afraid of death. Moreso it angers me that i have to cease to exist.

So i keep hanging on to the dream of life, with the expectation of ceasing to exist.

I will always believe in an afterlife though with my own logic about its possibility.

I wouldnt want to be a human forever though. This reality is no paradise even for people who do not suffer.

YmirGF said:

*starts drooling*

Do they serve that wonderful dish with the peas, cashews and honey drizzle?

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Oh dear, I cannot say!

But never fear, there are fab restaurants
all over HK.

Audie said:

Oh dear, I cannot say!

But never fear, there are fab restaurants
all over HK.

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If you see a little mouse, in a yellow costume with a red cape, tapping at your ankle, feel free to lead the way to the nearest restaurant!

Unveiled Artist said:

Hm. I never had a heart attack, thank gosh, but I had my share of medical issues. What got me to stop and say um, was actually a dream. I had a common dream where you drowning in a swimming pool and everyone was splashing and the lifeguards couldn't see me.

Thankfully, I actually didn't wake up way before I drowned. I got to the point where I knew I died after those few seconds. Then I thought: I'm at peace.

I looked it up and when someone is dying, as their body decays of course their nerves are dying too. So, when it gets up to that "point" the dying wouldn't feel anything. Acceptance is total body and mind.

Then when we are brought back to life, that peace probably is what stook with us. It can be a life changing experience especially if I experienced it in real life. But, I'm glad it was a dream even though it felt like a heart attack jumping from my bed and almost hitting the floor in the process. Hm

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It's also beneficial to be aware of the skandhas of which fear plays an integral part.

Although we use the terms death and life , in actuality there isn't any such thing going on of the sort if you first understand rising and falling of form with terms like "fear" "life" "death" You'll be much better equipped for that fateful day that promptly provides the answer to the koan, "What is your original face"?

Ding.

Looncall said:

Because scoundrel clergy have conned them into being so. It keeps pews and collection plates full.

Without religion, there would be nothing to fear.

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That doesn't explain transhumanists like Peter Thiel and their obsessions with life extension and physical immorality. Those people are almost always atheists and physicalists. They're absolutely terrified of death.

Amanaki said:

Why are some people afraid of death?

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I know a lot of people say they aren't afraid of death, and I'm sure there are some are actually aren't. I think age has a lot to do with how people look at death. The young say with much bravado they are not afraid of death and they probably are not afraid. Death is too far in the future to even think it will actually come. As people get a little older their attitude begins to change. Suddenly they realize, yes, their is such a thing as death and I'm going to die. Yikes! Then as death actually knocks on the door, I think people go back to the attitude they had when they were younger. The big difference is that instead of the denial of youth they begin to see it as a somewhat welcomed rest. That usually occurs soon before it actually happens.

Still, I wonder why almost everybody cries, wales, and mourns their deceased loved ones. If people really thought death was no big deal we wouldn't see that. Like I said, some folks aren't bothered by death, but on the aggregate it seems people do indeed look at death as an enemy to be feared.

Looncall said:

Because scoundrel clergy have conned them into being so. It keeps pews and collection plates full.

Without religion, there would be nothing to fear.

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I think the fear of death was common long before preachers began passing the collection plate around. Not everything can be blamed on Christianity as is so fashionable these days.

Nowhere Man said:

It's also beneficial to be aware of the skandhas of which fear plays an integral part.

Although we use the terms death and life , in actuality there isn't any such thing going on of the sort if you first understand rising and falling of form with terms like "fear" "life" "death" You'll be much better equipped for that fateful day that promptly provides the answer to the koan, "What is your original face"?

Ding.

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That's the theology of death. A lot of people see death as a transition either linear or circular. Not many see death as The. End. Meaning, the word death has no inherit meaning. The heart stops. The brain stops. Therefore no mind. No consciousness. No thoughts.

Another more specific question is, why are people afraid of no longer being alive anymore?

The state of sleep without a dream. Or when you seizure you loose half your day without Any awareness at all. Or anethesia or things like that.

They don't receive special attention as death does. Probably because of that fear of transition. We can be calm with the idea of death. But, I never had one seizure were I said.... I accept I have seizures (which I do for 20 some odd years) therefore I have no fear of them. The nerves don't work that way. Its how we adapt to it. I think saying we have no fear is an ego thing. It means nothing to the shock of mind and body at that moment of death.

Whether rebirth, heaven, reincarnation, or just otherworld, don't know. All sounds inheritedly meaningless. I think that's the Zen-thing. I'm not sure.

Amanaki said:

But life is full of suffering, its that comfort? I understand others see life differently then me ofcourse
I dont say i longing for death, but i have no worries about it.
And i think more people are afraid of the part before death, not death it self. But maybe i am wrong on that.

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Like you I am not longing for death but have no worries about it. I would describe myself as tired of life right now.

People full of life, happiness, energy or goals tend to view death as an enemy a thief that will steal the best things away from them.
People full of fear view death as an entity that is coming after them and they must avoid at all costs.
People full of want just want to live forever for various reason's

It has nothing to do with suffering or comfort or god and only for some has it to do with fear. Like with everything we a individuals and as such view all things differently.

rrobs said:

I think the fear of death was common long before preachers began passing the collection plate around. Not everything can be blamed on Christianity as is so fashionable these days.

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I suppose that that scam long predates Christianity. The prehistoric villains who found they could escape the grind of survival by pretending to talk to gods would have found it a natural ploy.

Looncall said:

Because scoundrel clergy have conned them into being so. It keeps pews and collection plates full.

Without religion, there would be nothing to fear.

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Oh, don't be silly.

Without religion, there would still be opinions regarding deity and an afterlife.

Whether those opinions would be 'for' or 'against.'

And...voila'....religion.


BTW, "Imagine" is probably the STUPIDEST song ever written, and I think that it even tops 'Baby shark."

people are 'afraid of death' for two reasons.

First, because nobody knows what happens when we die (except physically, and I don't know anybody who has absolutely decided that his physical body and 'himself' is the same thing).

Second, because many people are afraid that there IS an "afterlife."

if we all KNEW (and we can't know....) that we simply ceased to exist mentally, spiritually and physically upon physical death, nobody would be afraid, but we can't any of us KNOW that.

Believe? Yeah...but KNOW?

Nope.

This thing about how getting rid of religion would cure all the world's ills is, without any doubt at all, the most ridiculous and idiotic idea I have ever come up against. I mean, really.....

If there IS a deity, how would getting rid of religion fix anything?

If there isn't, then humans made Him/Her up. In that case, getting rid of religion wouldn't do anything because it's not God's fault anyway. It's (whatever 'it' is). It's ours. If we didn't express our imaginations and beliefs through religion, we'd do it through something else, being human and all.

In fact, I think one of the most 'purely religious' and fanatical belief systems about deity I've ever come across is this idea that 'getting rid of religion' would make everybody sing Kumbaya and be happy happy joy joy campfire S'mores squishy. It makes fanatical theists look logical, tame and sane, to be honest.

My first glance noticed 'most purely religious' (sic)
and my first thought was, "this will be about
atheists".

Was I in for a non-surprise!

Amanaki said:

Why are some people afraid of death?

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I'm personally afraid of death, cause life's been good to me so far, and I don't wanna leave this party until I'm too tired to party anymore. ...

Amanaki said:

Why are some people afraid of death?

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Because they have NO IDEA what is on the other side of the great divide.
Either that or they think that death is final... Boy are they going to be surprised.

Looncall said:

Without religion, there would be nothing to fear.

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That's true.

Salvador said:

I'm personally afraid of death, cause life's been good to me so far, and I don't wanna leave this party until I'm too tired to party anymore. ...

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Life has not been very good to me so far but I hope this last stretch will be an improvement, if I ever get to retire.

I am somewhat afraid of death because it does not come with a travel brochure, so I have no idea what the scenery and accommodations will look like or what the itinerary will be.... that is something to be afraid of given I am going to spend all of eternity there. I consider it kind of a dirty deal that God did not tell us more about it.

Fool said:

people are comfortable with what they know. Some aren't comfortable with what they don't know.

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Raises hand!

Amanaki said:

But life is full of suffering, its that comfort?

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For some people life is not FULL of suffering, it is FULL of comfort, so they are attached to this wold and don't want to leave it. But for some of us this life is full of suffering, so we do not want to stick around here forever.