Are you afraid of Death and Dying?

[BellaDC]

I believe in the Afterlife. So, because of this I feel I will be in a better place once I have left here. However, I still have a terrible fear of dying. I just cannot stand the thought of dying young and leaving my children. I also get scared when I think of how I might die. Will there be horrible pain involved? I want to live to be an old white haired lady who has gotten to see her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren grow up.

Does anybody else here get scared when you think about dying?

[AngryCat]

Sometimes I am, sometimes I'm not. Mostly I'm not (may be because I'm young and death for me is, I hope, far-distanced future).
I like an expression (I don't remember who's): While I am, there is no death; when there will be death, there won't be me.

[Bigpixy]

Can't say that I'm really afraid of dying. I mean when you die you don't know what's gonna happen. Maybe this is just the begging for all you know. I'm afraid of being sick and suffering, but not death itself I guess. There are so many bad things happening in the world that are truly scary and frightening.

[Graydory]

I always hear people brag that they aren't afraid of death but the truth is that everybody is afraid of death. Even Jesus Christ wished the cup could pass him by

[powerlifer]

Ever since i took a lot of cocaine and had some really bad panic attacks, irregular heart beat etc. I have been having major fears of dying not so much scared of dying but scared that I'm about to have a heart attack.

So now I'm no longer able to do exercise or much at all as I'm constantly thinking my heart is going to give up.

At one point i got so depressed i thought about suicide but was scared of what was next like if you just shut off or do you see the white light everyone talks about so much.

Hopefully it will be a long time before i have to die lol.

[Giorsue]

I have not offended anyone and I always do what is right. If I die right now, I know I am going to leave a good name and why should I be afraid of death? after all, everybody is going to die one day.

I believe that there is an eternal life after death. Death is just like a passage to another world and as long as you believe in the eternal world, there is nothing to be afraid of. Everybody will die someday but where to go after death rather makes people fear death because we are not sure what goes on after death. If you strongly belief that there is an eternal life full of happiness as the Christians and the Muslims say, then there is nothing to be afraid of because this world of ours is nothing but trouble. If you belief that there is nothing after death, then you may fear death because you do not know when all is going to end for you. Remember everybody wants to live forever.

[JamesJ]

I think that most people are actually afraid of dying. I have spent many nights in bed thinking about what happens when you die, contemplating if there is an afterlife or if there is nothing at all. I keep thinking that when you die the world just continues and all there is around you is darkness. It can actually make me cry when I think about it too long. This is why I want to live life to the fullest and not take any time for granted. I get up early and go to bed so late. I just don't want life to whizz by. Has anyone else felt like this or is it just me?

[daydreamer]

Fear is a basic human feeling. It is inborn. Most human beings have fear of many things.

One of the most common fear is the fear of death. I frankly say, yes i fear death.

[Costow]

not yet , maybe 30 years later .
the older you are, the more fearsome you are.

[ASOR]

I'm not afraid of dying. I can accept that. It's just that I wish to stay here until I'm an old man. It's more of a wish that I remain as I am as long as possible. One of the big problems I have is leaving others behind. That part is what gets me, but the actual process, not really. I'm not saying it's going to be fun when it does happen.

[BCRoller]

Afraid of death...no. Afraid of dying...yes.

Being that death is (as far as I'm aware) inevitable, I find it difficult to spend my time being afraid of it. However, when it comes to dying (the actual 'process' in itself), yes, I do have some fear about that. Sometimes I do wonder about what happens after death takes place (do we just wind up in some cold, dark, damp place forever looking into darkness, do we see a bright light that will lead us into some wonderful, loving, paradise or do we simply.....cease to exist altogether?) but, I can't say that I worry myself sick over the thought of it. Dying, on the other hand, does make me wonder about things I really wish I wouldn't; when will I die, will it be slow/fast, painful or not, etc., and those thoughts often get me right to the core. Having said that, and knowing that we will all die someday, I find it easy enough to accept what's "supposed" to happen (death), I just have a hard time accepting the "how" it's going to happen (dying).

[penelope]

I'm not afraid of dying, I think we need to be ready to die anytime because we do not know when will be our time to leave the earth. I want to be with God seeing the angels and the saints. and my family or friends who have before us. I miss them a lot, because they were the people who were nice to me when they were still alive.

[kr15py]

I am not afraid because i think your soul goes somewhere - it doesn't just dissolve in the thin air. But i don't believe in paradise or hell.

[beelzebul]

I don't fear death, and I don't really care by what method I go.
Although it would be memorable to go while saving another's life or for a great cause.
My only fear, made much more real by my current health problem.

I'm not actually afraid of how I'm going to die, but I'm really really scared and confused about how we can be absolutely nothing after we die. Life goes on. I've heard that many times. But whats the point? It sounds so harsh. We live to become happy, wealthy, healthy, and with a loving and caring family. For what? So in the end we can become dust. Atoms. Forgotten.
This gets to me soo much. I break down and sob like a baby. And then after that, i feel like a fool.
Everyone dies, but it seems so unrealistic. I'm still young, but death is inevitable. It doesnt matter. Old. Young. Humans die. But why?

And when i think about it a lot harder, it makes a bit of sense. Living forever would be like watching endless re-runs of an old tv-show, for eternity.
Like for example my friend would ask, hey wanna hang out? no man, maybe in 40 years. I can understand it when i think about it like that..
But leaving my friends, my family, and all the things i love feels so bad.
I'm almost crying while writing this.

I enjoy life so much, and i can't bear the fact that i am going to leave it one day. I want to believe there is an afterlife. That there is a heaven. That we live in paradise for eternity. I want to so badly. But i just cant, i didn't grow up in a religious family, and many of my friends aren't religious either. I cant believe something that i can't see. And if there is a god, or an almighty being, forgive me that i don't have a faith in you.

Does anyone else feel like this? Because i feel alone, helpless, and sad.. ((

-Afraid Teen

[DaughterUK]

Yes and No. I'm afraid of the process of dying in case it is painful, but not of being dead. If I'm wrong about us existing after death then I will cease to exist and will not be aware of anything. If I'm right then I have another form of existence to look forward to.

[Dixyboy]

I used to have some fair of dying, but not anymore. I've just accepted that death is a natural part of life and everyone is going to experience it. I have no fear for death itself. It's the unknown that happens after it is what I'm afraid of. I just can't wrap my mind around it. Sometimes it drives me insane. Not that I would want to know what it's like at this very moment. I hope that I will continue living a health life and die as an old man.

[miskec]

I must admit that i haven't really thought about it as i am still young. When i do think about it, i must admit that i am afraid. Im not afraid of the death, im afraid of what happens then. Im not really a religious person, so if we count out going to heaven/hell and reincarnation we arent left with any ideas, so i am afraid of that unkown but at the same time im curious about it.

[Susan]

For me, the answer is yes. I am very afraid of how I will look when I am older, and if I will be healthy. I fear that I will be a widow someday, and have no one to care for me. Dying has always been my biggest fear. I am afraid of what will happen ,and where I will go after I die, not because I do bad things. I think I just have a fear of the unknown.

[Jenelle]

I'm not. What I'm afraid of is the people I love dying. It's like I'd rather sacrifice my life for them, than them sacrifice for me.

[researchpro]

I never think of such things. Death is natural phenomena . Every creature which is born has to die some day. One can't avoid it or escape from it. One should always think positive and live their life to its fullest and if death comes happily appreciate it as the call of God.

[thegamevg]

Originally Posted by Jenelle

I'm not. What I'm afraid of is the people I love dying. It's like I'd rather sacrifice my life for them, than them sacrifice for me.

My thoughts exactly Jenelle...you really don't think about your own death all that much, since YOU are the person its least likely to affect [] ..

For the religious folk, I can understand that death carries whole new meaning in context of the way you've lived your life and whether heaven or hell awaits you in the afterlife...but beyond that, death is just another part of life. You can't time its arrival, so best not worry about it.

[ranger]

Well, I am not exactly afraid, but yes, a bit tensed sometimes. As we are going through an unknown phase after life, there's a bit of excitement, to know whats there awaiting us. I think death must be cheerfully welcomed as birth (I'm talking about natural, aged death). Anyway I would wish to have a painless death - though it's not under our control.

[Jayvader]

I think most people are but then there are times where it doesn't bother us.

I personally am alittle afraid dying, but on the other hand having an afterlife is something i would look forward to. Its strange i can't explain it properly.

[patricia]

i am so glad i found this site. I thought I was one of few who worried about this. I am now 62 although look, feel, and probably act, younger and I think as you get older you think more about it possibly.

I console myself with the thought, hopefully fact, that the body is just a shell, like a car, and that when something "breaks down" the body stops working, but that the "something" which makes us what we are, and think, i.e. spirit, must go on. When a baby is born the spirit has to come from somewhere, so I think, and hope, that when we die the spirit goes into a new body. We have probably been here before, hence many deja vu feelings people have, and stories of little children going to places for the first time and they know there way around etc. etc., they are not far removed from having been here before and when we get older that fades away. I like to think that this is possible and it consoles me a bit. Therefore we have maybe been here before but do not remember and we will be here again, just don't remember anything about this life. However, as people have said, the subject can make the mind boggle and I think you have to just put it out of your mind, enjoy life, be kind to everybody, see as much of loved ones as you can (my son and little grandsons live abroad which makes me sad and I miss them so much, but I see them as often as I can, every two months or so, and think of them all the time)

I am just glad to have found this group, as I said, because I think it is so natural and logical to questions things and was not aware that so many people do!!

[Kofi]

Welcome Patricia. I am an African and In Africa we believe in reincarnation and that when someone dies, the body goes back to the earth where it came from but the spirit lives forever. The body is nothing but dust and it goes back to dust but the true self lives forever. I asked my grandfather one time why people die and he told me that people do not die. Then I asked him "if people do not die then why do we bury and mourn the dead people?" and he replied "people do not die just that the body goes back to where it came from but the person is still living even though you may not see him/her" and that " we mourn people not because they are gone forever but just that we miss them for not being able to see and touch them like we used to do"

[patricia]

Please do not feel like this. You are very young, and hopefully have lots of happy years ahead of you. It is normal and very logical to question this but try to be happy every day and look forward to the future. Really, you just have to do this and realise that you are not alone and have so much to look forward to. Hopefully, children, grandchildren etc., and by that time you will have gained a lot of wisdom hopefully and will be able to look at things differently. Best wishes to you and please do not feel alone - you are not by any means, loads of people think exactly the same as you!

[patricia]

Thank you for your welcome Kofi. I have read your words and will think about them. I will look at this site regularly. Thanks again and best wishes.

The reason why most people are afraid of death is that most people do not know that this world is not our real home. This world is like a market place and we come here to buy and sell our goods but at the end of the day, we go back home to here we came from.