Are You Honestly Scared of Death?

I don't think people are afraid of death so much as they are afraid of the way it's going to happen. Now, I'm not afraid because I know it's going to happen...what scares me is the "how". Will I suffer? How painful will it be?

But I guess in those final moments, it might be somewhat of an adrenaline rush as your brain is pumping out all that '___' before you die.

Other than that, it's inevitable. Just have to get use to it I guess...



-The Spiritual Warrior

"Death is only the beginning"

I created a thread similar to this awhile back about being afraid of death. To answer your question, no, I'm not afraid. I've had the chance to experience death for 3 minutes. During one of my surgeries I was flat lined for 3 minutes exactly. Nothing spectacular happened, I didn't see any bright white lights to follow. I did however experience an overwhelming sense of calm. I actually "enjoyed" the experience, for lack of a better word (yeah, I know I'm different). I enjoyed hearing the doctors and nurses frantically trying to revive me, the commotion surrounding while I was laying there helplessly. I'm not afraid of my own death, what I AM afraid of is the death of somebody I love. I'd rather die before or die for somebody I love than see them go before me.

I've also experienced pain in every sense of the word...so dying painfully would not be an issue for me.

[edit on 5/26/2009 by jeepin4x4girl]

As a teenager, I was fearless, I did many a stupid thing that could of brought it to me quicker. I had moments when I couldnt wait for it to arrive.

As Iv grown up, I feel I have a lot more to lose, my partner, my family, I appreciate life a lot more.

Do I fear death? well I fear for those Id leave behind, who've come to depend on me and me them.

But it happens to us all and I can live with that fact.

When I was younger I would have said I was absolutely unafraid to die. I just read the thread and I don't think there is a person who posted who said they were afraid. How I envy those of you who have had NDE's, and can astrally project. You have seen, and you are sure of yourselves. No worries. I try to be comforted by your experiences. I have considered it from the view of philosophy, and I'm okay. From a religious standpoint, I'm okay but a bit apprehensive. But for a physical reality of it....I just dread it. I dread it. I've been with six people now when they died. My parents, friends, a child. All were quiet deaths, all just slipping away with the company of loved ones in a hospital room. One minute there is a breath. Then it stops. And it is overwhelming the feeling the "vacancy" gives you. You don't realize how you feel the energy of them, how very strong it is, until the second it is gone. I'm far from having thanaphobia, and know I will try to accept it when it comes, be brave with all that entails, and go with grace.
But jeez. I sure do dread it.

Honestly, I can say I'm not really all that scared of death itself.

I'm far more terrifeid of pain, whether in life or in some sort of afterlife. In fact, the idea of an afterlife is more loathesome to me than the idea of inky black nothingness. Eighty or ninety years of this "consciousness" stuff is far more than any sane being should have to put up with.

Some may retort, "you say that now, but when you are actually faced with death you will change your mind." This argument would have stopped me in my tracks at one point in my life, but now I can honestly answer that I know what I fear and don't fear because I have, in fact, faced death. Several times. Once in a horrible plane crash in indonesia, and once when on my near-deathbead from a very nasty liver disease. In both cases death was looking me in the eyeballs and I can honestly say I was ready to go, calm and collected.

I remember this strange calm during the plane crash, the engine exploded and I coud see the flames on the wing as the plane dropped sickeningly like a brick. I even remember thinking, "well, here I am about to die and I'm surprised I don't feel more anxiety about it." I lived through it, even though the crashing plane destroyed twelve houses in Jakarta. It even made the US news at the time (many years ago now).

So I can, with complete confidence say I don't fear death per se. That does not mean I am a fearless being...far from it. I'm often eaten up with anxiety about details big and small. But death is not among my fears. Its a calm and well-deserved rest to be looked forward to.




[edit on 5/26/09 by silent thunder]

I'm not afraid to die, or more accurately- I am not afraid of death itself. I just don't want it to hurt and I don't want to know it's coming....

The more I research and read on this subject, the more I realize there is nothing to be afraid of. Except for one thing (for me). Suicide. I am not suicidal in the least but if I was, I wouldn't be able to do it. And that reason would be due to fear of the unknown. I honestly think the main thing that would happen would be a repeat of the things that you avoided the first time. But a small part of me still thinks about a "What Dreams May Come" scenario where a kind of "hell" exists for suicides. It is probably irrational I know but it is something that would always stop me dead in my tracks from trying.

So I welcome the Great Beyond with no fears, knowing I will have done all I could do to stick around as long as I could in order to finish the job, so to speak. Because I don't want to do this again. Once was enough. I am ready to move to bigger and better things. And I believe in my heart I am on that path. Whether this is my first time trying or my 1999th. I feel like I'm gettin it right this time.

( If I seem rambly please forgive me as I sometimes have a hard time putting thoughts into words, or expressing how I look at the world)

I made my peace with death a long time ago, actually at a very young age i guess, I was hit by a car and was in intensive care for a little of a month. Afterwards, it didn't seem so bad. I imagine part of this has to do with just the way I look at life and death. I'm a practitioner of kenjutsu ( for those that dont know think Samurai) in the old style so I have a lot of Shinto belief structure wound into my thought process, although I don't claim myself as being Shinto nor Irish Catholic ( as is my birth religion )

Life and Death to me is simply the falling away of one life and the moving on to the next, that's not to say that I do not grieve for the ones that I have lost, I do, but I also rejoice and hope they have moved onto the next plane of existence. After my accident, I slowly came to this thought process. Having faced my death while in the Army it reinforced itself even more.

So I guess I would say, after my rambling post lol, that I dont fear Death, as much as I fear how I will meet my end, with honor and satisfaction at a life well lived, or with regret and sadness at wasted opportunities.