Are you afraid of death?

[Angelus]

Poll question: Are you afraid of death?

I am asking this because I just had a panic attack, and I'm taking Zoloft, and the cause of my attacks is the fear of death. :( :cry:

I was wondering: do any of you also fear death or am I the only one? Please answer honestly.

[aljones]

1. I am afraid of Death!!

But only when i feel real guilty for something that I have done!!

Smile ally

[Angelus]

3. If I do good or bad...

I am still really scared of death. :(

[terrya]

2. NOT a plea for help...but I'm sort of curious about death.

It is the ultimate mystery, isn't it?

Terry

[Angelus]

4. Yes it is.

And something I don't ever want to find out...but I will someday (hopefully). :(

[supernova]

5. What scares you about death?

Just curious.

[Angelus]

6. Well....

I've been a Christian, but I've been very torn on whether or not there is an afterlife. I've been questioning this ever since my grandpa and my geology prof died this year. :(

The absense of one is what really scares me. :scared:

[supernova]

10. Well, that's something we

all have to decide for ourselves, what comes after this existance. What kind of afterlife would you like? What does your intuition tell you?

[Angelus]

13. Well...I'd like for there to be a Heaven...

but lately...I don't know, I've been questioning its existence, and it really scares me.

[supernova]

24. Being skeptical is part of the process

you're perfectly normal. Do a lot of reading and studying about topics that interest you to see what resonates with you.

There you will find your own truth. And that will be something that no one will make you feel insecure about.

[Angelus]

29. I really don't want to know my own truth.

A part of me wants to find the real truth before I'm secure.

[supernova]

50. Your truth

is the real truth. And it will be long journey for you before you come to some answer that gives you peace. Enjoy the ride and see what the universe has to offer.

Bet you'll be surprised. ;-)

[jukes]

116. Angelus

Maybe you shd think about the bright side to the lack of an afterlife:

no more pain, no more outrage, no more fear. there's no possibilty that you won't still be a part of the cosmos, but lack of awareness might be a relief.

for some of us, that is.








so it goes.

[ima_sinnic]

20. this world is just one little illusory aspect of Reality

what is beyond is so much bigger. here we are limited by our bodily senses, our human needs and wants and most especially our egos, which are the biggest illusions of all. Rest assured that after you die you join the cosmos from which you came and will be in a world we can't even begin to conceive--and I firmly believe that each person's afterlife is unique, depending on karma, the work that your spirit/soul needs to do, maybe here in another bodily life or in some other realm. This is just the physical world. Read Autobiography of a Yogi to hear a description of an afterlife by a yogi who died and then visited his student.

By the way, I do not participate in any organized religion. The tenets of Buddhism probably express my view of life and reality the closest.

[Angelus]

I really hope you're right...

that there is some sort of afterlife. I really want to believe it, but I don't know. Sometimes I just don't know. :scared:

[texas1928]

45. I want to come back as a ghost

and haunt people.

[Angelus]

47. LOL...

it wouldn't be bad coming back as a vampire. At least you're your conscious self and you live eternally with some kickin' powers. :shrug:

[texas1928]

56. Yeah but no garlic and man your hair would be a mess

No reflection. And I do like to have a tan.

[Angelus]

70. Eh...who needs a good hairdo?

I'd be up for it. :)

[ima_sinnic]

53. you are part of something much much bigger

--I believe there are worlds upon worlds; this is just this one and we know it only in our limited human terms, with our limited human minds.

The idea of "Heaven" does not make sense to me. How old is one in Heaven? The age at death? So my 98-y.o. grandfather would be with his, say, 87-y.o. mother? And how could families be reunited? If each person finds his/her parents, they are with their parents, who are with theirs, ad infitum--the whole population that ever was would be together in infinity--and what about spouses? "Parents" are spouses--what about people who have remarried? Would all 3 of a man's previous wives be with him and with their combined 18 children, and the 43 children of those children??

With death comes the passing away of the physical body and entry into the realm of the spirit--something that we in our "advanced" culture, so far removed from the cycles and rhythms of nature, with our material possessions, have come very far away from.

I think you would feel better about death if you looked into meditation.

[texas1928]

63. I have heard it explained one way that makes since

There are differnet realms and some times they touch. It is like let's say when a fish is swimming up stream and it comes to shallow area and it comes out of the water and sees what is above in the air. It can not beleive what it has just seen. It is just like when we see something not of this world, and try to explain it to our friends. some paranormal investigators explain it that way. we live in one realm and the spirits live in another realm and in some places those to realms touch and one can see through to the other side. It is one theory and it makes some sense to me.

[DoNotRefill]

74. That's silly.

If there's an afterlife, you'll find out about it at the right time. If there isn't, you'll never know you missed it.

[BurtWorm]

114. When I think of death, I think

PARTAY! :party: WOO-HOO! :spank: GET DOWN! :bounce: YEE-HAAAAWWWW!!!
:beer:

Actually, it's the passage from life to death that scares me the most, but even that is less scary the older I get.

As for the afterlife, I tend to believe it's eternally peaceful, being eternally unlike life, which is incessantly unpeaceful. I'm not at all worried about the afterlife.

[johnnie]

7. I'm not afraid of death at all

I wonder if I will suffer a lot before, but I'm not afraid of dying.

[TrogL]

8. Death would be a relief

I hate this universe. You're all fired.

[MuseRider]

9. I am not afraid of

dying but I am a little worried about how I might die. I was an ER and ICU nurse so I have a few fears about it.

For me the worst of it has been losing my family, that part of death worries me. My birth family is gone but I have two sons and that scares me.

[PragMantisT]

11. "And I am not frightened of dying, any time will do, I don't mind"

"Why should I be frightened of dying? There's no reason for it, you've gotta go sometime."

From "The Great Gig in the Sky" by Richard Wright from Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd.

Lyrics aside, I am not afraid of death, but dying painfully gives me the willies. But after the dying part, death's gotta be a breeze.

[Pithlet]

12. I don't understand NOT being afraid of death.

I love life. The thought that there will be a time when I'm no longer experiencing it does scare me. The thought that that time could come soon, could happen any time, terrifies me. I just try not to think about it too much. I do wonder when people tell me that they aren't afraid if that really is true. I think the survival instinct is a very hard one to buck. So many people find ways to survive and go on, even in the most harrowing of conditions.

[Angelus]

15. I too love life.

Death scares the living hell out of me. :scared:

[Pithlet]

58. I don't think

that your fear is anything to be ashamed or embarrassed about. If the fear overtakes your life, and keeps you from enjoying it then that is something you should confront, and seek help for. One of the ways I deal with my fear is by enjoying life and savoring each day as much as I can. That really does help, as trite as it sounds.

[Delano]

88. Let's say you as a person cease to exist after death...

That would also mean that you did not exist as a person before your conception (or birth - let's not get into that debate! ;)) Are you frightened to think of what happened to you BEFORE you were born? Probably not. Well, you'rre just going back to that, whatever that was...

[DoNotRefill]

76. Death...

is a part of life. Don't fear the Reaper (since we're in a lyrical mode tonight)

[soleft]

118. Hi Pithlet, I'm with you

I read a book a few years back - Denial of Death, couple of things stuck with me - one is that it's the essential human dilemma that we are at the same time both gods and worm food.

I'd have to say that one of my biggest quests in life is to overcome my fear of death before I die.

[dweller]

14. what's to fear?

long/short
hot/cold
white/black
up/down
sweet/sour
sharp/dull
off/on

i could go on, but you may get the point.
dp

[Angelus]

17. What scares me is that...

what if there is no afterlife? As a Christian, I really wanna believe in Heaven, but a part of me just doesn't know and would like to know if it exists or not.

[dweller]

26. why worry of heaven or afterlife

you have this one life now. Christians believe in everlasting (? as opposed to neverlasting ?) life.
did you think it would be in the clouds? with wings and harp?

what if it was this one, the ones before, and the ones afterwards. . . everlasting, so to speak.
dp

[Angelus]

30. Well...I'm just afraid...

that death is the ultimate ending to our lives, you know, with no afterlife or any hope of existing elsewhere.

I'm really scared that all we do when we die is rot underground. :scared:

[dweller]

39. of course you rot underground

(but not here on DU :) ) but that is just the physical mass you have chosen to create in this life.
let that go.

i'm not so sure it's death you fear, but fear instead itself has a grip on you.

try this. It's spring in the Northern Hemisphere. Take a look around at the Earth in rebirth. You too are a part of Nature.
extrapolate.
dp

[Angelus]

42. No offense...

but you really didn't help me out at all. :(

[dweller]

51. no offense taken

one can only help oneself.

peace,
dp

[Delano]

89. Only your body would rot (or be cremated)

If all a human being is is so many firing synapses and chemical reactions, then "you" will not exist. If we are something more, a soul, an eternal being, then you will go on to something else.

To put it another way, you are the product of 2 cells, that were produced by a bunch of other cells, that were formed out of decaying organic matter (the food your parents ate), and if you died, you would become the food of other living organisms, thus being remade into countless different forms of life. The transition sounds scary, but every part of you has made this transition before, countless times. You've just gotten attached to this particular arrangement of molecules - your molecules will "miss each other".

I don't know If I'm helping much - I tend to be way too logical about these things...

[DemoTex]

Faced it up front, too many times.

Flew into the "mouth of the cat of death" (Ho Chi Mihn Trail in Laos over 200 times), and - with luck and skill - flew out. I've dodged death too many times. I'm 56 and beginning to worry.

[politicat]

16. I am not afraid of it per se, but I dislike it. I find it offensive.

It's an insult. I hate the fact that generally, it's a long and painful process, or so short and horrifying that there's no chance for goodbyes. I hate the fact that it's the end, that there's nothing else. It's a terrible joke on us, cruel to the survivors. I hate the fact that it's a waste.

That said, I support both elective, reasoned suicide and assisted suicide. There are some things that are even more offensive than death - and that's life without dignity.

But I'm atheist-agnostic, and have no hope of an afterlife. I envy those that have a faith that gives them a paradise sometimes. It would be nice to know that there is something of me that will live on other than my words and my art.

I'm assuming you're in therapy, so you might want to talk to your therapist and see if you can't find the root of your anxiety about death. Sometimes knowing why you feel the way you do is a huge step to being able to not feel that way again. I know where my feeling of anger towards death comes from - watching my stepfather die in slow pieces, losing my girlfriend in a motor crash, and then losing my cat in a stupid, senseless act of random probability ( she had an undetected heart defect and died under anesthesia during a dental cleaning. She was my "cat-child" and very, very precious to me.)

You're okay. I know it's a frightening thing, but you're okay. And while it's no consolation, none of us get out of this mortal coil alive. So all we can do is to not go gently into it. To fight for life as long as we wish to live.

Pcat (who takes her therapist hat off when she leaves the office.)

[Angelus]

18. No, I'm not in therapy.

[politicat]

60. might consider it. Talking to someone sometimes helps.

If you wish to pm me with your general location, I can see if I have any contacts in the area that are experienced with your type of needs.

Not pushing therapy exactly... you might also find a minister with a master's in psychology if that appeals to you, too. They are trained to deal with crises of conscience and faith far better than we shrinks are.

Best wishes,

Pcat

[texas1928]

19. I am not afraid of it

I have been there and seen it, I was clinically dead 3 times in one night. It is dark, and I don't know about 15 minutes of my life. Never saw any bright lights and no tunnels.

[Angelus]

22. That's what really scares me.

When you're dead, there's nothing. No Heaven. No Hell. Nothing.

It makes you wonder why we even have to live a life if there's no afterlife. You know, it makes it all seem meaningless. :cry:

What happened that you were clinically dead, if you don't mind me asking?

[texas1928]

31. Well when you are alive

Touch as many lives as you can, make a difference and you will live on in someone else's heart. I try to make a difference in people's lives one way or another. I mean if when I am dead and they say " That Texas sure was an asshole" Hey I am remembered.

Oh and I was shot and paralyzed when I was sixteen.

[Angelus]

33. So...tell me what you saw...

you actually didn't see any lights? You actually didn't see anything "on the other side"? What was it like?

[texas1928]

38. Don't remember anything from it

My father says that as I was waking up in ICU that I was talking about my grandpa Charles being there at the foot of my bed. He passed away in November of 84. This was 88, and the most vivid part of any memories was when I was coming out of it in the ER in my home town I was talking to my girlfriend on the phone and I told her I had to go they were calling me. and then I was awake and the doctor was stabbing me with a huge needle. Nearly passed out from that. That is all I remember.

[Angelus]

46. Well...this is kinda comforting to me...

maybe there is some sort of afterlife when we die? Maybe you really did see your grandpa? I hope this won't be taken the wrong way, but if I were to see my grandfather if I were to die for a few minutes, I'd be really happy knowing that he is somewhere and I will see him someday.

[texas1928]

55. I might have seen him

When he passed away, my sister and I woke up at the same time on the night he died, and it was about the same time he passed. My sister was in Waco at college and I was in Ballinger, and we both woke up to some one saying goodbye. I beleive in spirits and the supernatural. I have seen some very strange things in my life that can really not be explained beyond what you would call a ghost. Maybe there is a heaven, but maybe there is a spiritual plain that people exist on when they die, and some are more active than others in the physical world.

[Lisa0825]

59. When my mom's grandma died, my mom dreamed she was in the room

with her, saying goodbye, and not to be afraid, that they'd see each other again someday. My mom woke from the dream crying, and looked at the clock. She called her mother the next day, but no one was home. She finally reached her 2 days later. Her mom told her that her grandma had died the very night my mom dreamed about her, but they were not going to tell my mom about it right away, because they knew she couldn't afford to come to the funeral (my parents lived in Guam at the time, on a Coastie's pittance of a salary, and the family was in Syracuse, NY). They didn't want her to feel awful about trying to find the money to come home, so they decided to wait to tell her, until it would be too late to come.

My mom told me that story so many times, and I absolutely believe her. The look in her eyes when she remembered it was always so bittersweet. She lost her gramma, but she also felt blessed to have gotten a special goodbye from her.

[Delano]

90. If you had kids of your own, you would know that it is NOT meaningless.

Not that I am encouraging you to rush out and make some, but it is true.

[m-jean03]

21. I'm mostly afraid of other people's deaths.

I don't want anyone I love to die before me. Fat chance of that not happening.

And I don't want to see the aftermath of any more car accidents. :scared: Nightmare material, that is.

Have you ever seen "Donnie Darko"? It's kind of about fear of death, though in a very twisted way. I just saw it last night and your post reminded me of it. I dunno, you might not want to see it if you have panic attacks. It's pretty unsettling even for a calm person.

[kodi]

23. are you kidding? death? you want trouble, try living.

you are afraid of the loss of your consciousness.

whatever happens, you can't change it, so best be a witness to the cosmos and the eyes of the world while you're here and enjoy the ride and blessing of consciousness. in all the universe there's precious little of it so far it seems, and the priviledge of it if even for a little while should be satisfying enough don't you think?

[Angelus]

28. That's exactly what I'm afraid of.

I really hope that my consciousness exists somewhere after I die. I want to remain me after I die. I really don't want death to be the end, you know?

It scares the hell outta me.

[kodi]

52. is it not greedy to want that?

is it not enough to have lived and been able to see the wonder of the universe that you need to gluttonize the experience by demanding eternal consciousness?

James Joyce mentions that real pornography is when one attempts greedily to hold or possess beauty instead of experiencing it

just be thankful that you were not born as mud


from the first book of Bokonism

Verses 2-4: In the beginning, God created the earth, and he looked upon it in His cosmic loneliness.

And God said, "Let Us make living creatures out of mud, so the mud can see what We have done." And God created every living creature that now moveth, and one was man. Mud as man alone could speak. God leaned close as mud as man sat up, looked around, and spoke. Man blinked. "What is the purpose of all this?" he asked politely.

"Everything must have a purpose?" asked God.

"Certainly," said man.

"Then I leave it to you to think of one for all this," said God.

And He went away.



I wanted all things
To seem to make some sense,
So we all could be happy, yes,
Instead of tense.
And I made up lies
So that they fit nice,
And I made this sad world
A par-a-dise


Tiger got to hunt,
Bird got to fly;
Man got to sit and wonder, "Why, why, why?"

Tiger got to sleep,
Bird got to land;
Man got to tell himself he understand.

Kurt Vonnegut.

[brokensymmetry]

25. May I offer a suggestion?

For a short book, try Life after Life, by Moody.

An interesting one is Beyond the Broken Gate by Graybar.

If you want to get into meditation, go to http://www.monroeinstitute.org

[Teddy_Salad]

27. I'm not afraid of dying

I've known lots of people who've died and not one of them has come back.

So it can't be all that bad, right?

;)

[DarkPhenyx]

32. No.

Absolutely not.

[PragMantisT]

34. Wow, Angelus, I would like to say something comforting to you

I don't personally believe in an afterlife. My personal belief is that since our minds cannot fathom the nothingness following death, eternity is spent in that last dying moment. The moment after that does not exist for the individual, so that last instant lasts eternity; it has no end.

I find comfort in that. A comfort that life cannot afford the individual. All self-consciousness, discomfort, and shame will end.

Always keep a positive attitude about yourself and what you do. Don't give yourself anything to doubt. Do right in your own mind, and your mind will do right by you.

I hate to hear about you living in fear of death. If you are concerned about your afterlife, you are probably in the clear. It's the unexamined life which one should fear.

Hope you feel better.

[frankly_fedup2]

35. Yes, I am afraid of the unknown

because if I wasn't, I would have already committed suicide.

I am disabled due to Panic Disorder; however, mine come from absolutely nothing. It's not a specific thought or anything, they will just hit me and hard. I usually end up in the ER. (yep, it's like hell on earth isn't it Angelus?), chronic depression, anxiety disorder, fibromyalgia, carpal tunnel, chronic epicondylitis, chronic fatigue syndrome, and my orthopaedic surgeon will not do surgery to help the CTS or the chronic epicondylitis because of the fibro. I take 9 different pills when I get up, I take 5 different pills on my midday dose, then I take 3 pills at bedtime. Of course, I wear a morphine patch that I change every 72 hours, and that is not including my pain pills that I take for breakthrough pain. I also have a rectocele and cannot control my bladder at night. I just turned 45 and I get a monthly disability check of maybe a third of what I use to make. I have problems sleeping due to the pain and anxiety, so I dread going to bed at night because I never get any rest. I had a sleep study and I never went into the REM state of sleep (which is when you are getting your most restful sleep).

Now, if you were me, would you still be around if you were NOT afraid of death?

Before everyone freaks out . . . yes, I have a psychiatrist I see every 6 wks for medication reviews, yes I have a therapist I see every two weeks, yes I have physical therapy as much as possible, yes I have my regular visits with my family physician, orthopedists, rheumatologists, OB/GYN, urologist, and pain control physician. I am doing everything I am suppose to do so I can function, but as the fibro is getting worse (fibromyalgia is a connective tissue disease. These connective tissues (in the muscles) stay inflammed at all times with constant pain. It's the kind of pain you get when you have the flu . . . that whole body ache. The inflammation seems to be more around the muscles in between the joints of my body. I go get cortisone shots (a lot of fun I must add) to relieve the pain so I can at least pick up a glass without dropping it. Speaking of which, I have already typed too long and my arms and hands are hurting.

Why did I post all this? Usually when others hear of my problems, they do not think theirs are so bad. Of course, I know there are people worse off than I am, and I try to be thankful that I continue to try to get out of the bed everyday. That is an accomplishment to me. :-)

[Angelus]

40. Yes, panic disorders are hell on earth.

I must say, my problems aren't nearly as bad as yours. I'm sorry that you have to go through so much pain. No one deserves to be in pain like that--good or evil.

I must say, I've been on many different medications and doses for panic disorder, but nothing ever works. I've never been to the emergency room for that, but I have come close quite a few times.

I must say...no matter how bad it gets, I'd never be able to take my own life, just for the fear of there being nothing after it.

I'm glad that you get out of bed everyday to join us in conversation here on the DU. I really hope you do get better. :hug:

[frankly_fedup2]

112. Thanks Angelus . . .

that is very kind of you. I didn't post my problems for pity from anyone. I just wanted to show you that there are a lot of people worse off, and that I understand about the panic attacks. I wouldn't wish one of those on my worst enemy . . . not even Dubya. I know there are a lot of people worse off than I am. And you know what they say . . . Nobody is promised tomorrow.

I have found the only drug to control my panic attacks was Xanax
1 mg. as well as Zoloft twice a day @ 200 mg a day. (Xanax is not a good drug to take for long term, but they did not know that 15 years ago when they started me on it. It was suppose to be the wonder drug to replace Valium, but they found out later that Xanax was more addictive. Also, they have found out that Xanax, taken for the long term, causes memory loss . . . among other things). Well, glad to know that now that I have been taking it for 15 years. My psychiatrist (or, as I affectionately call her, my supplier (haha), got me off the Xanax slowly while they were replacing it with clonopin. Clonopin is still a benzodiazipine, just like Xanax; however, it works long term and you don't have to constantly increase your dose. I was up to 6-7 a day of the Xanax). Also, the B6 and B12 vitamins help with the anxiety.

The problem is, with these meds, your sex drive is nonexistence as well as feeling numbed. That is why a lot of men get off Zoloft (which is in the same drug family as Prozac and Paxil). They affect the Seratonin in the brain. Just like chocolate (which has become a true friend to me -- haha).

I hope you can get them under control. Are you still able to work? I eventually had to quit, but it was not just the Panic attacks. It was a lot of the stuff I mentioned earlier.

Good luck to you :-)

[Zynx]

36. It really doesn't matter either way.

I am a religious person, but I look at it this way. If I am right and you have been a generally good person, you have an eternal reward. If atheists are right, there is nothing after death and it really doesn't matter because you won't be around to bitch about it. I am very comfortable with it and when it comes it comes. However, it would suck to die before I have accomplished at least some of my life's goals so I do try to preserve myself.

[Teaser]

37. Yes. Fortunately I don't seem to be aging...

so as long as I stay away from the stray wooden stake or holy water, things are cool.

[Deja Q]

41. I am...

If I lose my job, I end up in a fate worse than death.

If I get HIV, well I'm dead... just slowly and embarrassingly. :scared: (thanks to some eczema I'd scratched a few hours before doing a technically very safe act, I may or may not have exposed myself to the virus... x( Oops. He's been busy at work the last several days with work, and I'm still mostly convinced I've nothing to worry about... It'd be rather odd that he'd spend all that time with me before and then just disappear... )

Life isn't eternal, I'm just going to live the best I can in the interim.

[SarahB]

43. Not in the least

My fear would involve leaving those behind who need me, but I feel like I've been a decent enough person in life that all the Karma business will work itself out in the end. All should be well. :) Just another dimension, baby. :D

[Lisa0825]

44. I am not afraid of my own death, but of losing those I love.

Mourning someone's death is sooooooooo painful. I don't want my friends and family to feel that paid when I die, but they eventually will, unless they go first. But I am not afraid of my own death. I used to be. I used to think about how much more I had left to do... I don't have children, I feel alone a lot. I feel like I haven't accomplished much. But when I came to terms with the idea of (probably) never having a family of my own, the rest seemed insignificant. It was like a lightbulkb turning on... so WHAT if I don't accomplish anything else before I die? Big deal! I have friends who love me. I have had a positive effect on many, many lives, through my work and volunteer work, and because of me, two couples have met, married, and had children. If I die tonight, I can still say my life was a benefit to the world in its own small way.

All that being said, I do fear serious illness or injury. I hope I go quickly, not lingering in pain. That's all I fear about the end. Life's much scarier than death, IMO.

[Pithlet]

57. I am more afraid of losing loved ones.

Particularly my children. My worst fear is something will happen to them. I would not want to go on living after that.

[SammyWinstonJack]

48. Not afraid of death but not unafraid either

I fear dying alone, not sure why that is? Not being a religious person, I don't have a fear of Heaven or Hell, since I don't believe in either. I guess I am just afraid of the unknown, whatever that might be. I am apparently a very confused person. Well on contemplation, I guess I do fear death to some extent.

[FDRrocks]

49. No

but only b/c I'll never experience it.

[KittyWampus]

54. When You Get Out Of Your Car, Do You Cease To Exist?

of course not.

So why be afraid of getting out of our bodies when we get to the "other side"?

Spend time Consciously Meditating in the Here and Now and you will strengthen your ability to remain Conscious upon leaving your body.

Also, taking up Creative Endeavors and learning how to use your Creative Self helps enormously.

When we "die", we're just going throught a transitional phase. It's up to us to use our incarnate time to envision what our NEXT phase will be. Progress or Stagnate... which do you think Republicans & Fundies are more likely to do?

[Lydia Leftcoast]

61. I am not afraid of death itself

If the religious view is correct, it's a new state of being. If the non-religious view is correct, it includes annihilation of consciousness.

But there are many horrible ways to make the transition between life and death, and I fear the process more than the result. Does that make sense?

[ScreamingMeemie]

62. I'm going to live forever...

Light up the sky like a flame even. ;)

[NightTrain]

64. I'm only afraid of Giles De'Ath...

...John Hurt's character in LOVE & DEATH ON LONG ISLAND. He's creepy!

[m-jean03]

65. kickaroo

:P

[Beaker]

66. i'm not afraid, but i'm in no hurry either...

I suffer with a chronically painful and incurable, although not life-threatening disease...and when it flares up(as it's been doing for the past seval weeks), i get to where i almost long for death simply for the pain relief...back when i first started having problems, i often contemplated, and even tried once, but i'm way past that kind of dark thinking now.

[Sticky]

67. I can't wait!

It's the solving of the great mystery. It's the big reward in the sky. It's the big interview!

Seriously though, so many loved ones have gone before me and I truly believe I will be with them again someday - when He says it's time.

[Angelus]

69. Well....that way of thinking comforts me.

:)

[Red State Rebel]

68. Faith is the absence of fear....

I have faith in God and his word and his word says "to be absent of the body is to be present with the Lord".

That is something I look forward to when the time comes. Not in an escapist way, but just the thought of what that will be like is wonderful. Having lost my parents in my youth, I actually get homesick for it sometimes.

For now, I live my life as best I can and enjoy the good times, deal with the bad.

[LastKnight]

71. every beginning has an end, it is inevitable...

it is pointless to fear a certianty.

just make the most of the time you have by not focusing on the end.

-LK

[MrSlayer]

72. NECROPHOBIC! Can't control the Paranoia, Scared to DIE!

Great Slayer song about your condition. Sorry I couldn't help otherwise.

[DoNotRefill]

73. I look forward to it.

Life is pain. And NO, I'm not suicidal.

[AlienGirl]

75. Not death, but what my next life might be

I am convinced of the reality of reincarnation, but it seems to me I've landed a pretty cushy lifetime this time round, and I fear I might not be so lucky next time. Also, I'm annoyed that I might lose all the memories I've stored with such purpose since early childhood. I have always wanted to leave something behind so I can recognize myself next time, because when I was a toddler I was frustrated that I couldn't recall what my name used to be.

Tucker

[everythingsxen]

77. Heh..

I have no idea where I will be next time...

I personally am hoping for a break. I need some R&R - I don't want to jump right back into the pool again.

[AlienGirl]

78. 14 years wasn't enough?

[everythingsxen]

79. Nope...

Plus I really don't want to die (soon) and be reborn (soon) because right now the Earth sucks. I want to come back after things have settled down.

[AlienGirl]

80. Good idea

Do you ever think of ways to leave a record of your life for your next self? My great hope is that one of my poems will be anthologized in a hgh-school literature book, so I'll be sure to find it.

[everythingsxen]

81. Thats one way...

another way is to do something that will be recorded and known for all eternity. Something that will never be forgotten.

Fame and Glory! :evilgrin:

[AlienGirl]

82. Poetry is easier

[everythingsxen]

85. I suppose...

What I did was easy enough. :evilgrin:

:P

[Wapsie B]

83. Yeah I am.

But the thing that concerns me most is that if there is a heaven I sure don't want to be playing a #W#%^#$%@ harp and singing hallelujah for all of eternity. Don't mean to make light of the question. I truly feel though that death is one door closing and another one opening.

[OneBlueSky]

84. nah . . . just another transition . . . kinda like puberty . . .

only a little more dramatic . . . when the time comes, it will be interesting to see if there's anything beyond . . .

[wickerwoman]

86. I don't really have a Christian perspective, but Defending Your Life

is one of my favorite movies.

I don't really believe in an afterlife- we get one shot, enjoy it while it lasts- is my philosophy. But if there is an afterlife I want it to be like "Defending Your Life".

You go to a gateway world for one week where you can eat anything you want and do anything you like. A panel of more evolved humans look at a few days from your life and see if you've grown out of whatever you're supposed to grow out of in that stage. In our world, it's fear. So if you've faced and conquered your fears in this life you can move into the next stage of reality. If not, you get sent back to try again.

They make the point that we only use about 2% of our brains. God, if you like, gave us the other 98% for a reason. As we move through the universe we keep learning, adapting, and using more of our brains.

I think fear of death can also be fear of lack of control. Practice letting go. The world runs just fine without you worrying about it. I can't count the number of times I struggled and struggled for something and then gave up and it came to me naturally. Things work in their own time if you let them.

[Delano]

87. Are you in your 80s? Do you have heart disease?

As an atheist, I find death to be kind of scary, because I fully expect NOTHING after it - ever. That's the scary thing to me, no longer existing. At least if you're in hell, you still exist and have a frame of reference.

So yes, I fear it, but keep the fear at bay with the thought that it's probably still decades away for me, and the certainty that fretting about it will not do anything to change the facts of life. Everybody who ever lived on the Earth for millions of years up until about 100 years ago, is dead. Why should we be any different? We are certainly no better.

I occasionally have moments where I get freaked out about it, but it just makes me want to love my kids more, and do the things I like to do.

I'm in my 30s, and sometimes I think our generation is especially ill-prepared emotionally for death a.) because we grew up in nuclear families, where grandparents are less of an important part of life, and their death is not experienced in as real a way as it was in the past. b.) we grew up watching RIDICULOUS amounts of TV, where every situation has a solution, the problems are wrapped up neatly at the end, and if anyone dies, it's always for melodramatic effect, and NEVER the protagonist you've been conditioned to identify with.

Our knowledge of death sucks. I'd rather be a cat or dog, blissfully unaware of it's implications, or one of the religious folks who believes so deeply that they haven't a worry in the world. Hell, I may take up religion one day in advanced age. Maybe I can convince myself that it's true - it must be a comfort.

Anyway, if your panic attacks are due to a chemical imbalance, I can't help, but if it's just simple fear, all I can say is STOP IT. The time you have left on this Earth is way too precious to waste worrying about things you can't change. Live your life to the fullest, do all the things you love as much as you can. If you need religion and an afterlife to give you peace of mind, go try to find one that suits your values.

[Delano]

91. Does the Zoloft help?

Personally, I'd rather live with the fear, and go to friends or family for comfort, or even get a pet.

One last thing, I've never met a person in advanced age who was terrified of death. It seems that the vast majority of folks are able to find a way to deal with the reality in their mind, and face it with dignity and peace when it comes.

I ask about the Zoloft, because since it deadens your body/mind's natural emotional response to a perfectly normal worry, it may be delaying your personal journey towards peace of mind regarding this FACT of life.

If you can't function without it, keep popping the Zoloft, but my biological Mom is a Christian on Prozac, and I can tell you she is NOT living. She stays at home all the time, and sleeps constantly. If there is a God, I'm certain that he or she wants us to ENJOY life to the fullest, while doing good works as well, and loving the special people in our lives as much as possible. Any god who did NOT want that for us, is not a God worth worshipping.

[Angelus]

92. No, it's not working well at all...

but at least it helps me suppress some of the minor panic attacks. :shrug:

My mom is the same way as your mom, but she's not on anything. She always stays home and never leaves. I think she has agoraphobia.

[Delano]

93. I'm not trying to defame or anything, but...

MOST of the devout Christians I know have all kinds of emotional problems, and none of the less religious folks do. Maybe it's just that people with emotional problems go to religion that much more to try to fix their problems, but sometimes I wonder if it's not somewhere in the teachings, especially the fundamentalist kind.

Remember that Paula Yates? When I first heard her story, how she drowned her kids, and they started rattling off biblical names, I KNEW she was a fundie. I swear, a lot of these people do their kids in - I think to send them up to God free of sin. The Bible tells them that as long as they rrepent they can go to heaven too.

There was another case like that recently, where the mom did her kids in with a rock.

All I'm saying is, I want no part of a religion that seems to NOT make most of its followers happy, and doesn't seem to prevent these horrible child-killings.

Oh, then there are the fundie gays! They're all in this cycle of "sin, feel guilty, pray & repent, sin again, etc, etc.

The fundie churches are extrapolating scripture into extremely destructive value systems, IMO.

[Bill of Rights]

94. I had a similar problem to yours

when I was in my late teens and early 20's. It was so debilitating that I was sure that I'd never overcome it. I'm here to tell you that it is possible to rid yourself of this type of anxiety. I had it really, really bad, but got rid of it. You can, too.

[Jeff in Cincinnati]

95. Woody Allen

"I'm not afraid of death. I just don't want to be there when it happens."

[ProfessorGAC]

96. Not Afraid

I'm not looking forward to it or anything, but after 9+ years of constant pain, and knowing that there is nothing they can do to ameliorate MS pain, i'm not particularly interested in living to 90 either.

So, when it comes, it comes. No big deal.
The Professor

[Champ]

97. Not at all

Sometimes that no fear has lead me to do some outrageous things.

[TXlib]

98. I voted "not afraid", but that isn't exactly true.

I would say I'm concerned about it, and wish to do everything in my power to live a full life.

That being said, I don't worry excessively about it, nor do I allow fear to rule my life.

[Nihil]

99. Hi Angelus

I voted for "Don't really care" as I view it as inevitable so want to
enjoy the time before it happens. With regard to an "afterlife", I tend
towards reincarnation so, again, there isn't the "black nothingness" to
be afraid of.

The option I'd rather choose would be "Not afraid just frustrated" as I
really want to see my kids grow up, live their lives, raise kids or
whatever they choose and dying before this all happens would leave me
feeling cheated somehow.

I'd really like to know what helps *you* ease/overcome your fear as
my wife suffers from exactly the same phobia, occasionally having panic
attacks over it (though fortunately not too frequently) and although
I've tried a number of different approaches, I know that I haven't
really helped that much - just giving her hugs and someone to hold
until the crying stops seems to be my main contribution.

If you find someone who can explain or calm things for you, will you
please share it with me (PM would be fine) as I would appreciate the
insight too!

Thanks,

Nihil

[Az]

100. No fear, but prefer to keep death as a long term issue

Not really anything to fear. Void. Nothingness. Nonexistance. I won't be there to experience it. So nothing to fear.

Of course this doesn't mean I am looking forward to it and rushing into its arms. I believe the purpose to life is what you make of it and I intend on making something of it yet.

Suffice to say that I no more fear death than I was afraid of what happened to me before I came into existance.

[Scout]

101. not afraid of death itself

but I am afraid of a long, slow and/or painful death ...

heard somewhere "were you afraid to be born? no? then no reason to fear death."

[cmf]

102. Not afraid of death so much

As I am afraid of dying painfully.

[Az]

103. I want to die in my sleep like my grandfather

Not screaming in horror like his passengers.

[bloodyjack]

104. all you guys who voted "NO" are full of beans

what are you, nematodes??? do you lack self-awareness????

[Az]

108. There is a difference

between not looking forward to something and fearing it. There is nothing to fear about death (at least in a deterministic materialist atheistic view of the universe). Death is simply the end of the process of life. Existance and awareness end. You cease to exist. I fear the dentist because I experience pain. There is nothing to fear about death.

This does not mean I look forward to it. I prefer to keep it in the long term category. I will seek to avoid not because I fear it. I will avoid it because I enjoy existance.

Life is great. I am in no hurry to get to the end. But fear is unwarranted.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

110. no

i just dont think my death is earth shattering!....i am quite ok with death...its the way i die that effects me...dont want long liingering sickness

[sus]

105. no. it's pain that scares me.

[buddhamama]

106. i'm not afraid of death

i sometimes think of 'how' i might die and while it doesn't freak me out, i do hope it's not bloody or ugly.

[THUNDER HANDS]

107. a little

I mean, the whole idea of an afterlife is kinda puzzling. If our souls can just go on without our bodies to somewhere else, what was the point of having a physical body in the first place?

God, if you're reading this, please reply.

:)

[Angelus]

111. That's what scares me too, Magic Rat.

[Norbert]

109. Not afraid

I won't hasten it though.

Dying does not bother me near as much as seeing family members and friends de.

[Whitacre D_WI]

113. Death sounds too much like Norm MacDonald for me to truly fear him.

I see him as more of a comic figure.

[Tom_Foolery]

115. I don't fear death...

intellectually speaking. I've resolved any fear that I've had in my life by realizing there's no way out of death. It's going to happen...so? Of course, my instinct for survival causes me to subconsciously fear death. It's like when you narrowly escape an accident which could've taken your life, and you're left shaken and confused. We have no control over that.

[curse10]

117. Only because I haven't been to Paris yet

once I've been to France, then I can die. So no killing me yet, okay?