fear of death and the afterlife

[puzzfuzz]

Does anyone fear death? regardless of religion?

I have really been thinking how awful it must be for there to be nothing when we die. It is on my mind all the time lately probably i am more aware of my own mortality as I get older. I was raised a Catholic but sometimes struggle with the fact that I am supposed to live after my death i am so frightened of the fact that there may not be an afterlife.

Does anyone else have this fear it seems ot be on my mind all the time at the moment. Even when i am talking to my friends about trivial things the fear of death is always there. I just keep thinking how long i have left.

[suzie1]

i think about it alot now, its because there have been alot of deaths that i have been aware of and as you grow older your more aware of these things, it terrifies me, i think what am i gonna do when i die, i will be all alone, there may not be afterlife, i mite go to hell for something that im not even aware of doing....everytime i go out of the front door i think i love my family and tell them that, in case i dont ever come back.....i also feel i dont have very long, dont know why i think that, im not ill.

[regulo]

We all fear the unknown. And death is the greatest unknown. If you think about it too much, it will devour your living. I can offer no real comfort to you, only to reassure you, you are by no means alone in your fear. But it will come to us all, it's part of us, and what we are. All we can do is live each day to the best of our abilities, and try to help each other where we can. Don't let this fear wreck your life, we are here and now, and worrying over something we can't change is too limiting. Put it to the back of your mind, and live as if you are going to live forever.

[puzzfuzz]

Thank you all so much for your replies. I try to put it to the back of my mind but it still crops up. It is only the last few weeks that I have been thinking like this but it is consuming my thoughts at the moment.

I am 31 so not too old but i think it just scared me when i thought about there not being any afterlife. It scares me to think that Darwin could be right and we have evolved from apes I don't want to believe that and also the timescales in the bible don't ring true. Darwin's theory of evolution is after all only a 'theroy' so I like to comfort myself in believing in God.

As there is so much love in the world and the planet is situated in exactly the right position for there to be life. I think of God as being outside of this universe as we know it.

I just hope i can stop thinking about it so much as I know we are all in the same boat but it all seems so scary to me at the moment.

[craft1948]

I have only recently become scared of death.....sometimes because I think "Well is that it" and other times because there actually may be something after death. I think my biggest fear is actually about the physical pain of dying.

[puzzfuzz]

I know what you mean craft1948, I am not scared of the physical pain I am more scared of there not being anything afterwards that totally freaks me out. Part of me thinks that it may be true though. The only comfort i can get is believing there will be something.

[regulo]

You say "I like to comfort myself in believing in God". Then you must build that belief into a strength to help you face down these fears, believe you will survive physical death, and continue to move on to a different plane of existence. Let no-one discourage you in your belief, as you say, theories are just that. No-one can prove or disprove a God exists, if He exists for you, that's fine.

[puzzfuzz]

your words are a comfort regulo, you are right I need to believe more without questioning things all the time, more of a simple faith. My trouble is I tend to question everything. Thanks ever so much.

[Sandy-Wroe]

Think of the time before you were born. It will be like that when we die. We will have no consciousness, no knowledge of what has finished with our death.
There's no reason to fear death. But, sometimes, the run up to death is something I think about. I wouldn't like to end with a long illness.
Don't be afraid. Live your life to the full, enjoy as much as you can, and when the end approaches remember that everything born has to die.

[Marijn]

I don't know if this helps. . . but I'm more worried that there MIGHT be life after death. The thought of life being over at the time of death seems more comforting to me.

[society]

I look forward to an afterlife in heaven. See you there Puzzfuzz :-)

[puzzfuzz]

see you there too society!!

[marval]

I know what you mean, I have thought about it ever since my mother died last year. I know there is nothing we can do about it, the best thing is to try not to think about it. That is always easier said than done.

[society]

For me it's comforting to know there's an afterlife (well so I believe) because I'll get to see all my loved ones again.

[Old_Geezer]

Some concern about death is natural as evolution selects for those who are cautious enough to avoid it until they have passed their genes on to a new generation, and stuck around to give their offspring a chance.

However intellectually fear of death makes little sense. first off it is inevitable, and secondly, the two most likely outcomes are not that frightening.

a) it could mean the end for you. Well you don't worry about sleeping each night do you ? And during the time your conscious mind doesn't seem to be aware. Is death really that different, save for the fact it doesn't end after a few hours? Surely not a problem.

b) existence continues, either much the same as before, but in some other place, or maybe in a different form, but either way there are more experiences to look forward to.

What's the worst that can happen ? Having to carry on in an infinite rat race without chance of retirement :-) Or maybe you buy into the everlasting torment in hell, despite there being no justification for explaining why it should be so ?

No, one ought not want to leave here sooner than necessary, but there is no reason to fear that moment either.

[society]

I always think to myself why anyone would fear death when all knows that death is inevitable.

[Old_Geezer]

"It scares me to think that Darwin could be right and we have evolved from apes"

Evolution has nothing to say one way or the other regarding a continuation of existence after bodily death.

"Darwin's theory of evolution is after all only a 'theory' so I like to comfort myself in believing in God."

I think you have the wrong definition of a theory. Would you dismiss gravity because it is only a theory of gravity ? Again Evolution has nothing to say one way or the other regarding the existence or otherwise of a deity. And again a deity and continued existence after bodily death are different subjects. One needs not the other.

[WaldoMcFroog]

You say you were raised Catholic, yet doubt evolution. The Catholic church (and indeed most Christians) accept evolution, so I have to wonder whether that is still your faith?

You misunderstand - whether willfully or through ignorance (your language suggests you're a creationist, which can mean's your understanding could be either or both) - the meaning of the word theory when used in reference to a scientific theory.

Although in a lay sense 'theory' may be analogous to 'an idea which we can't prove', in a scientific context, that describes a hypothesis. In scientific parlance 'theory' means "a plausible or scientifically acceptable general principle or body of principles offered to explain phenomena" (Merium Webster).

Thus, when scientists say "evolution is a theory" they do not mean to suggest there is any doubt about whether it is true, any more than they mean to suggest there's any doubt about the attraction between bodies with mass when they talk about the theory of gravity.

Darwin did not suggest humans evolved from apes. Both humans and modern apes evolved from a common ancestor, something which is well established through multiple lines of evidence, not least of which is genetics.

I don't fear death, merely dying, but when I was younger, I did fnd it difficult to cope with the notion of my non-existance. I actually find my complete lack of importance in the universe rather comforting now. It gives you quite a good sense of perspective.