Are you afraid of death?

[bostonterrier]

Sometimes I think about it, and it scares me to think there is nothing after life.

[M30USA]

Sometimes I think about it, and it scares me to think there is nothing after life.

 

 

Some people get scared to think there IS something after life. The fact that you are scared of NOTHING is probably a good sign. It means you haven't fully ignored the Holy Spirit which speaks to all people and tells them, as Ecclesiastes says, that "God has set eternity in the hearts of all men".

 

Now get up and take it to the next level. The Holy Spirit speaks truth to anyone who seeks. He will "lead you into all truth". He will always glorify Jesus Christ. He will expose your sin and show you what it means to be righteous on God's term, not man's. He will slowly conform you into his own image, since this is the very reason for our existence. The world had forgotten this. Never forget.

Edited January 17, 2014 by M30USA

[TheFinalWord]

Sometimes I think about it, and it scares me to think there is nothing after life.

 

Death is something we do not think about much going through daily life, until we are faced with our own mortality.

 

Yesterday, I came upon a pedestrian that had been hit by a car. I happened to drive along at just the right time. The man's entire body was broken. Most horrific thing I have ever witnessed. Those types of events help to put life into perspective. All the tasks we consider so important today, are really not that important.

 

Whether there is something after, is a question all people wonder about at some point. I believe there is and pray you find the answers you are looking for.

[Raena]

I'm with you... it scares me to think that nothing I do in this life has any meaning whatsoever.

 

So all of this pain I'm going through means nothing.

 

There is nothing afterwards.

 

There is no afterlife.

 

There is no Ka or Katet

 

There is nothing.

 

We are here and then we are gone.

 

So make the best of it while you are here!

[pureinheart]

Death is something we do not think about much going through daily life, until we are faced with our own mortality.

 

Yesterday, I came upon a pedestrian that had been hit by a car. I happened to drive along at just the right time. The man's entire body was broken. Most horrific thing I have ever witnessed. Those types of events help to put life into perspective. All the tasks we consider so important today, are really not that important.

 

Whether there is something after, is a question all people wonder about at some point. I believe there is and pray you find the answers you are looking for.

 

(((((((((hugs))))))))) Prayers for you and all:(

[carhill]

Are you afraid of death?

Sometimes I think about it, and it scares me to think there is nothing after life

 

Seen enough of it up close and personal to feel confident I won't like it but am not 'afraid' of it. Part of life. It ends. IMO, becoming comfortable with one's own mortality leads to peace with one's life. Take that off the table and one can focus on making the most of the time one has, whatever the circumstances are.

[pureinheart]

Sometimes I think about it, and it scares me to think there is nothing after life.

 

You know, even knowing there is something after my body passes, it still scares me as to how this will take place. It's stupid for me to allow this fear in any way, shape, or form.

 

It scares me to leave what I "know" per se. I'm working on this particular fear due to it's origins- the devil is a liar;)

[M30USA]

I'm afraid of the physical pain and suffering that comes along with dying.

[Sidz]

I'm not nearly as scared of the physical pain and suffering as I am the notion of the utter annihilation of my consciousness and no hope of future consciousness. This is because I'm very skeptical that there is such a thing as the soul or afterlife. It seems more probable to me that the ordering of your energy after death is very much like the ordering of your energy before your birth. You're no longer human.

 

The only help I've gained is in reading philosophy. I don't remember the philosopher right now, but he made the point that since we cannot know the circumstances after death, then death is nothing to us. At first glance, this is very unsatisfying. But, if you have experience in discerning the things you're able to know, then you can find solace and freedom from the anxiety that results from the pressure to know things that you cannot know. And you can be honest about it. In my experience, coming to terms with the notion I described and then applying yourself to things you can know is MUCH more pleasant than ruminating on what it's like to not exist.

[Robert Z]

There was a time when I wanted to die. There are things worse than death... like being dead while you're still alive.

 

 

Like anyone I hope it won't be terribly painful when the time comes.

[Grumpybutfun]

What are you envisioning comes after death?

G

[Robert Z]

What are you envisioning comes after death?

G

 

 

 

Were you responding to me or the OP?

[InnocentMan]

Medical advances are giving us increasing amounts of time to contemeplate this, thus creating more fear and trepidation about it. I fear losing my mental faculties, and physical capabilities, way more than fearing actual death.

 

I only hope it's swift, and I have little time to think about it, or indeed suffer too much. Unless my end comes to me by way of a violent incident, this is becoming more and more unlikely. The thought of literally just rotting away, is terrifying.

[dichotomy]

Short answer: no.

 

Longer answer:

 

Mainly the whole and suffering thing AND if it comes too early because I am a father to a wonderful little girl who needs me around for a while - I would be scared for her and sad for my loss of time with her..

 

I am a Christian - but like some Christians I occasionally have doubts. Either way - I have lived my life in a way that has both made a positive difference to those I love and my community and those things remain and stretch out like waves from my time here.....and I have also accomplished most of what I wanted in my personal life. Lastly when I have messed up or fell short I have asked for forgiveness.

Edited January 19, 2014 by dichotomy

[Grumpybutfun]

Were you responding to me or the OP?

 

Both. In your mind what do you think death is like? What do you think you feel? Where do you think you go if anywhere? What do you think you lose? What do you think you will gain? There are no right or wrong answers here, of course. How we formulate our ideas about death is what our fear or lack of fear is based on. Since we have no concrete answers on what death is like, it is important to formulate our own vision for comfort and peace.

For instance, the vision I have formulated to give me comfort is that we all go back into the universe to become the energy that gives life to all living things. My wife believes we are all reincarnated to live a life over and over until all lessons are learned and meaning comes to our existence.

What is your vision?

G

[Allumere]

I'm not nearly as scared of the physical pain and suffering as I am the notion of the utter annihilation of my consciousness and no hope of future consciousness. This is because I'm very skeptical that there is such a thing as the soul or afterlife. It seems more probable to me that the ordering of your energy after death is very much like the ordering of your energy before your birth. You're no longer human.

 

The only help I've gained is in reading philosophy. I don't remember the philosopher right now, but he made the point that since we cannot know the circumstances after death, then death is nothing to us. At first glance, this is very unsatisfying. But, if you have experience in discerning the things you're able to know, then you can find solace and freedom from the anxiety that results from the pressure to know things that you cannot know. And you can be honest about it. In my experience, coming to terms with the notion I described and then applying yourself to things you can know is MUCH more pleasant than ruminating on what it's like to not exist.

 

You may find this article interesting

Scientists Claim That Quantum Theory Proves Consciousness Moves To Another Universe At Death | Spirit Science and Metaphysics

 

I can't imagine a person not having some amount of fear or moments of doubt of what lies beyond. Whether they believe based on religion or they think this life is it, that "what is going to happen" is going to reside somewhere in our conscious. I'm of the religious sort so I believe I will go on after death...now what happens when I get there is out of my hands, what I will see and feel although speculated isn't known. My mom was a very devote Catholic who never wavered until a couple days before her death. She was very agitated and freaked out because she said she kept being sent back from heaven...understand she had been pretty much out of it til this point. So, I called her priest and he spent hours with her in private...and they actual had conversations (again, she was wasnt able to speak to us for days prior). Anyway, when he was finished she was completely at peace and ready to go! I don't know what was said or revealed....but I felt pretty good at the moment she passed away. I was crying of course but I could feel the release

[Tayla]

Both. In your mind what do you think death is like? What do you think you feel? Where do you think you go if anywhere? What do you think you lose? What do you think you will gain? There are no right or wrong answers here, of course. How we formulate our ideas about death is what our fear or lack of fear is based on. Since we have no concrete answers on what death is like, it is important to formulate our own vision for comfort and peace.

For instance, the vision I have formulated to give me comfort is that we all go back into the universe to become the energy that gives life to all living things. My wife believes we are all reincarnated to live a life over and over until all lessons are learned and meaning comes to our existence.

What is your vision?

G

 

Grumpy, after six months of therepy due to this death anxiety, that was the exact conclusion that gave comfort to move forward...our energy remains , in a different form....the spiritual is ours to hand over....

Life is a little sweeter now...and less nervy since I gained peace in knowing that the act of "death" is not scarry, its the moments leading up to it that I have to surrender to....which is done on a daily basis...

[skydiveaddict]

Sometimes I think about it, and it scares me to think there is nothing after life.

 

I think there is something after this life. But to answer your question, everyone is scared of death to varying degrees. As for me, I'm a fatalist.

 

I figure it should have happened to me a long time ago. But I still fear it.

[Robert Z]

Both. In your mind what do you think death is like? What do you think you feel? Where do you think you go if anywhere? What do you think you lose? What do you think you will gain? There are no right or wrong answers here, of course. How we formulate our ideas about death is what our fear or lack of fear is based on. Since we have no concrete answers on what death is like, it is important to formulate our own vision for comfort and peace.

For instance, the vision I have formulated to give me comfort is that we all go back into the universe to become the energy that gives life to all living things. My wife believes we are all reincarnated to live a life over and over until all lessons are learned and meaning comes to our existence.

What is your vision?

G

 

On one hand I can believe and accept that what we are turns into heat and dust - pure physics. We are just highly complex electrochemical reactions with legs. At the moment of death our consciousness ceases to exist. So there is nothing to fear. You will never know the difference.

 

However, based on anecdotes and some fun and exotic ideas, I can also believe that there is more; that in some fundamental sense, what we are continues to exist. But I no longer buy into classical Christian beliefs about an afterlife... or those of any religion.

 

I am most intrigued by the idea that the entire universe, perhaps "the multiverse", and all that exists, is conscious. After all, we are the universe becoming aware of itself. In the end, if one follows this line of thought, consciousness may be all that there really is. So by this reasoning, what we are now is just one manifestation of a far greater reality - we are like passengers on lifeboats that we call bodies. Beyond that I can only imagine what death might be like based on reports from people who have had near death experiences. If people have truly "crossed over" and come back, then we would seem to know what to expect based on their experiences. The most common claim is that we can expect pure joy. I like that best so I'll go with that one.

Edited January 19, 2014 by Robert Z

[TheFinalWord]

What are you envisioning comes after death?

G

 

Personally, I believe we cannot really comprehend what happens, as the plane of existence is very different from this reality.

 

I do believe in the bible, and I think the bible tries to give us glimpses by providing analogies from this existence. Something to compare it too; however, we are limited to our senses and cannot really comprehend reality without putting everything into the context of our senses.

 

In this example, Paul was stoned in Lystra and left for dead in a garbage heap.

 

Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe.

 

Most biblical scholars believe Paul was referring to himself in the following passage from 2 Corinthians 12. It could certainly explain his boldness in heading to Rome. Later Paul wrote to the church in Corinth and described what happened to this man (himself):

I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows. And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows— was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell. I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.

 

Paul could not even put his experience into words. This is Paul, who could speak at least 3 languages and could say more in one sentence than most people can say in an entire book.

 

His experience, lead him to state the following:

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far;but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.

[amaysngrace]

I'm not afraid of death because I look forward to being a butterfly.

 

But in my next life I want to be Beyoncé

[TaraMaiden]

Sometimes I think about it, and it scares me to think there is nothing after life.

 

Within the Gladness of the first 'hello'

The sadness echoes with the last 'goodbye'.

 

Do you realise that everything in your life, whatever it may be... animal, vegetable, mineral, chemical, ephemeral, solid, thought, seen heard, important, trivial.... everything in your life will either leave you and depart, or you will abandon, leave aside and move past?

 

The word 'abandon' has interesting roots....

 

ABANDON

Origin:

late Middle English: from Old French abandoner, from a- (from Latin ad 'to, at') + bandon 'control'. The original sense was 'bring under control', later 'give in to the control of, surrender to'.

 

You will have to give in to the control of, surrender to impermanence.

 

Death doesn't worry most people, in the sense that a lot of people scarcely give it any thought, for any long period of time, until or unless it affects them personally.

 

The WAY I shall dies concerns me occasionally.

But my death itself really doesn't worry me at all.

[bippy123]

On one hand I can believe and accept that what we are turns into heat and dust - pure physics. We are just highly complex electrochemical reactions with legs. At the moment of death our consciousness ceases to exist. So there is nothing to fear. You will never know the difference.

 

However, based on anecdotes and some fun and exotic ideas, I can also believe that there is more; that in some fundamental sense, what we are continues to exist. But I no longer buy into classical Christian beliefs about an afterlife... or those of any religion.

 

I am most intrigued by the idea that the entire universe, perhaps "the multiverse", and all that exists, is conscious. After all, we are the universe becoming aware of itself. In the end, if one follows this line of thought, consciousness may be all that there really is. So by this reasoning, what we are now is just one manifestation of a far greater reality - we are like passengers on lifeboats that we call bodies. Beyond that I can only imagine what death might be like based on reports from people who have had near death experiences. If people have truly "crossed over" and come back, then we would seem to know what to expect based on their experiences. The most common claim is that we can expect pure joy. I like that best so I'll go with that one.

 

Robert, have you heard of veridical near death experiences. If we are highly complex electrochemical reactions with legs then veridical nde's should be impossible, yet there are many cases of them that show compelling evidence that the soul lives outside the brain and body even when there is no brain activity and no heartbeat.

 

Now remember im not talking about regular NDE's , but veridical NDE's which means that part or all of the NDE experience was corroborated by outside witnesses as what really happened.

 

The most medically documented veridical NDE was that of Pamela Reynolds

 

Here Pam had to go through an operation in which she probably wont survive as they had to drain all the blood out of her head in order for them to get to the aneurism. Chances are that she wont make it through.

 

She had her eyes taped shut, had specially molded earplus insterted into her ears, then had a device that made a loud clicking sound that was placed in her ears.

During the operation she described popping right out of her body and being able to see the operation as it was taking place from a vertical vantage point. She even saw the saw being used on her and heard one of the nurses saying there was a problem with one of the arteries. She was able to access these things without the use of her normal audio and visual pathways.

 

As she was taken deeper and deeper into death a vortex or tunnel opened up and she was taken right into it. This is where she saw relatives she hadnt seen in a while and where she also saw God.

 

When she woke up from the operation she started describing what she saw in the operation room and the doctor and nurses were astonished. There was no way she could have seen or heard what she saw and heard.

 

This is a classic case of consciousness existing outside of the body.

Most people who have had these types of nde's no longer fear death.

[Robert Z]

Yes, I am familiar with that case. As I understand it, patients undergoing this procedure have no measurable brain function, which apparently means that memory formation should be impossible - even false memories. That coupled with specific memories of instruments, discussions, and procedures, is difficult to dismiss as a flight of fancy.

 

 

People have even gone so far as to hide displays in emergency rooms, that can only be seen by someone looking down from the ceiling. The idea is that anyone having a true out of body experience should be able to see the display and later reveal the secret message being scrolled. I am not aware of anyone having a near death experience or revealing the secret message in one of these rooms.

[mukkrakker]

Sometimes I think about it, and it scares me to think there is nothing after life.

 

Were you scared before you were born?

 

Cos it's the same thing….