Thread: Are you afraid of death?

UM, lol! I had a similar experience.
When I lived in Pensacola, FL I was swimming and went too far out, not paying attention.
I looked under me and I saw a shark. I swam to the shore as fast as my frog paddle would allow- both above water and under somewhat (I swim best completely under water). I was SO terrified. My dad and boyfriend nearly swam out to me thinking I was drowning lol
In retrospect, I concluded it was most likely a nurse shark that meant me no harm... but I was never very fond of the ocean after that

Please bear in mind that "death" and "dying" are two different things.
Dying is the process.
Death is what comes after the process of dying is complete.

I think the pictures posted by UM illustrate a fear of dying due to the pain, not due to the death that comes afterwards.

Dying can be made painful or painless.
Death is something we currently no little to nothing about (besides the fact that our bodies are kaput).

So the title of the thread is asking if you are afraid of the hereafter (or not-hereafter depending on what you do or do not believe in), not about whether you fear the method that gets you there.

Well invader in that case I still do not fear death nor do I fear dying. For dying, it's utterly pointless to be scared, it WILL happen to everyone. As for what happens after death, who cares? If there is an after life okay awesome! If there is "nothingness" then meh, who gives a crap? You won't care, you won't have thoughts, emotions, or people pissing you off so it's the most peaceful idea ever. I guess you could say I am pretty laid back towards death, I see it as a good thing.

Originally Posted by Universal Mind

I don't think fear of pain is the dominant fear when it comes to those pictures. If Mrs. Bates has a reputation for going straight to the brain with the knife, she is still just as scary, if not scarier. I don't think you even feel a Black Widow bite, but they are still plenty freaky.

Ah yeah, I know what you mean. Fear is self-created, in the end. And our minds can intensify and create suffering from pain, but we can also ease it.

Originally Posted by Xaqaria

What I want to know is, who is afraid of eating shit?

Well that is pretty disgusting. The main reason one wouldn't want to do that is because "shit" is made up of all the things one wanted to dispose of to begin with, and nothing but that.

Originally Posted by Invader

Please bear in mind that "death" and "dying" are two different things.
Dying is the process.
Death is what comes after the process of dying is complete.

I think the pictures posted by UM illustrate a fear of dying due to the pain, not due to the death that comes afterwards.

Dying can be made painful or painless.
Death is something we currently no little to nothing about (besides the fact that our bodies are kaput).

Exactly.

Originally Posted by Universal Mind

You said you would run just as fast if you were being chased by a limb mutilator as you would if you were running from a killer. I said that made it sound like you were suggesting that you are equally afraid of the two. Then I said I think you would feel more fear while running from the killler even if you were running just as fast.

Of course I would be running from the killer. He's got a knife, he's going to hack and slash me to death. I don't want to experience that. I'm afraid of experiencing that. Definitely not the way I want to go. Am I "afraid" of (as Invader said) the hereafter? No.

Originally Posted by UM

So, if you were swimming in Florida water and looked down and noticed that school of hammerheads you would just think, "Hmmm, I don't really want to die. Wow, it's a pretty day."? I think you would be thinking, " AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Again, getting torn limb from limb by a school of hammerhead sharks is nothing that anybody is going to just welcome - myself included.

You seem to be missing my point.
I'm afraid of how I die. Yes. Deathly afraid (no pun intended). But the concept of death doesn't scare me the way that most people that get into existential discussions about it illustrate. The "nothingness" doesn't scare me, and I have no fear of "Hell". Here's another way of putting it:

I've always said (and I will always say) that when I get to a point where I can't take care of myself (due to an accident or old age), and I have to depend on others to assist me in my most basic functions, I really don't want to live that way. I would welcome a painless death. I'd be ready to go. For many other people, the simple idea of death would have them terrified, and keep them hanging on for as long as was possible. It is that sense of death that I'm not afraid of. Get it over with. Just put me out of my misery.

That is a stark difference from a school of hammerhead sharks, which are going to eat you alive. I'm terrified of that. I have a pretty heavy fear of open water, for that very reason.

Zhaylin, welcome to the club. However, I love the ocean way too much to not swim in it, but I do look around for sharks a lot.

Everybody else, it is not just pain that freaks you out about those pictures. It is your innate fear of death. You aren't simply going, "Woes, Mrs. Bates... that would just hurt." You are thinking, "," because your brain recognizes it as something that would end your life. That mechanism keeps you alive. Without it, you would die. Are you afraid of lethal doses of heroin? If Herschel Walker (world class sprinter and running back) was chasing you with a lethal dose of heroin in a needle with an anaesthetic on the end of it to prevent you from feeling the stick, and you knew all of that, you would still be pissing in your pants, not because of fear of pain, obviously. If you were on an airplane and found out there was an enormous bomb on it, a bomb you would not even have time to feel, you would be petrified. Would you not?

Originally Posted by Oneironaut

I've always said (and I will always say) that when I get to a point where I can't take care of myself (due to an accident or old age), and I have to depend on others to assist me in my most basic functions, I really don't want to live that way. I would welcome a painless death. I'd be ready to go.

It would still wig you out. I know some people commit suicide, but that is because life freaks them out more than death, not because death does not freak them out.

Please bear in mind that "death" and "dying" are two different things.
Dying is the process.
Death is what comes after the process of dying is complete.

THANK YOU!

Most people are afraid of death because of several reasons. Most of them, because of attachment reasons. When you reach death, you would have the thought of not accomplishing goals or not experiencing what comes in your life. And losing pretty much everything.

For my goals not being accomplished, bah, whatever!

The way I see death is that it isn't the end of everything for me. But a fresh start or a new beginning. And to experience the mystery of death. I would say death is just another way of life expressing itself.

If death is the state when you reach "nothingness" and end up as nothing, then ok. CEASE TO EXIST!!! WOOOOOOHOOOO I don't really care, lol.

For dying...
I need to die epically. EPICALLY. Die as a hero, a kind of hero who opens his eyes to everything and risks his life for others and himself!! YEAH!!

*KABOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*

I am not afraid of life ending. I am afraid of the numerous very bad ways I may go out, and I am afraid that my absence on the earth may bring pain or inconvenience or loneliness to my loved ones. Besides that, I don't fear death in the slightest.

It's like rollercoasters. I was on a rollercoaster the other day and I was MISERABLE. When I got off and my friends were making fun of how scared I am they were like, "It really is scary because it feels like you're falling out and you're going to die!" and I was like "... I wasn't afraid of death, I just can't stand that falling feeling. I was actually kind of hoping I would fly out and die so that I wouldn't have to fall anymore!"

Same when I went scuba diving. I went down to dive with the sharks, because I was so miserable and seasick on the surface that I felt like if a shark ate me, it would be a relatively cool way to die and I'd no longer be seasick. (I was also too seasick to process how much shark bites would hurt )

Originally Posted by Universal Mind

Everybody else, it is not just pain that freaks you out about those pictures. It is your innate fear of death. You aren't simply going, "Woes, Mrs. Bates... that would just hurt." You are thinking, "," because your brain recognizes it as something that would end your life. That mechanism keeps you alive. Without it, you would die. Are you afraid of lethal doses of heroin? If Herschel Walker (world class sprinter and running back) was chasing you with a lethal dose of heroin in a needle with an anaesthetic on the end of it to prevent you from feeling the stick, and you knew all of that, you would still be pissing in your pants, not because of fear of pain, obviously. If you were on an airplane and found out there was an enormous bomb on it, a bomb you would not even have time to feel, you would be petrified. Would you not?



It would still wig you out. I know some people commit suicide, but that is because life freaks them out more than death, not because death does not freak them out.

I dunno. I guess if your argument hinges on "you have to be afraid of death because you have an innate fear of death," then there's nothing I can say to argue that. I don't want to die, but I don't believe I'm afraid of "death," itself. Maybe I interpret the meaning of the OP differently. Many people are afraid of the state of "death." I don't believe I am. Sure, I am fiercely opposed to this life that I'm enjoying just stopping. Who wouldn't be? If that's the "fear" you want to ascribe it to, then so be it. I've explained plenty of times the "death" I was interpreting the OP as to mean (the nothingness, the void, etc) and I still don't believe I'm afraid of it. I am opposed to it.

Does a fighter have an innate/unyielding fear of his opponent?

That is the way I see "death." I oppose it. I will fight it to my last breath, but I'm not afraid of it. What I'm actually afraid of is suffering.

This thread has made me do a lot of thinking.

If I was on a plane that was about to crash, I'm pretty sure I would embrace death peacefully.
If I was falling from the roof of a tall building I would be absolutely terrified.

Maybe it's fear of perceived pain or suffering that wigs me out most of all.

Originally Posted by Universal Mind

So, if you were swimming in Florida water and looked down and noticed that school of hammerheads you would just think, "Hmmm, I don't really want to die. Wow, it's a pretty day."? I think you would be thinking, " AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

I once swam in the ocean in Florida, but there was no pack of hammerheads swimming under me, there was only a zillion tropical fish swimming near my balls. I was like "cool".

I think intellectually, I'm not afraid of what will happen to me when I die.
Instinctually and physically, I am of course very afraid.

I am not afraid, It's just depressing what will happen to my loved ones when I die.

Spoiler for Image:

Originally Posted by Universal Mind

What's that?

Originally Posted by hellohihello

What's that?

Drew Barrymore, back when she was in the movie Firestarter.

Awesome movie, but I'm not too sure why he keeps posting it.

may be

Originally Posted by Oneironaut

Drew Barrymore, back when she was in the movie Firestarter.

Awesome movie, but I'm not too sure why he keeps posting it.

Gotcha, thanks

Originally Posted by Oneironaut

Awesome movie, but I'm not too sure why he keeps posting it.

Just a friendly heebee geebees reminder.

Originally Posted by Universal Mind

Just a friendly heebee geebees reminder.

Heh. Fair enough. I would have to agree that any lil girl that could light my ass on fire with a stray thought would give me the heebee geebees.

Nope.

i'm afraid of dying before the grand finale of LOST.

im afraid of pain, me weak. I wouldn't want a physically painful death. I don't want my death to be a tragedy. Let me die in my sleep, the way it was meant to be.

I'm afraid of dying before my parents, most especially. Leaving my sisters and friends behind. I don't want to put anyone through that kind of pain.

I'm afraid of dying before experiencing that which I want to experience in life. Or that which I'm supposed to experience

but I think really..im more worried for my parents. Sometimes I like to imagine a bomb kills me and everyone I know this way no one has to suffer seperation. . . yay!

People are just afraid because of what they think.

Is anyone afraid of thoughts?