Are you afraid to die?

"I do not fear death. I had been dead for billions and billions of years before I was born, and had not suffered the slightest inconvenience from it." -- Mark Twain


Not to say I'd seek out death, and in a situation where my life is threatened, of course I'm scared. But I don't let a fear of it run my life. When it happens, it happens. Not like I can complain about it when it does.
 
I am absolutely not afraid to die.

I am sure I will not do justice to the wonderful words a very famous poet has written in my language. Here is my humble attempt at translating his poem about life, its struggle and death :

There is pain every minute in every walk of life, be it birth or death
You will only lose time if you surrender to the fatigue when life is all about how you choose to fight
Your body, your soul, your blood and your will - Is there a better army in this universe
Your will is your weapon while your goals will lead you in your journey
If you keep trying frustration will get frustrated
Death was so afraid of your life that it had to declare victory on your corpse.
 
I can't help but fear death. I accept it but when it comes then I know that I will be very sad if I happen to be on a death bed. It is one of those things that I don't think anyone can truly not fear.

However, we can't do anything about it and because of that then I don't think it is something to worry about. I just will make sure that I live a good life so that people will remember me. That way when I'm on the other side then I can smile when my loved ones tell others of their fond memories. While I appreciate that they might include me in them.
 
I use to be completely afraid of death, but now it's not so much. I don't know what happens to my "soul" when I die, but it's more than likely it'll be swallowed up and spit back out to do something good for the Earth while it keeps on turning. When I was little though, I was terrified of death before I disconnected with force fed religion. It's still scary to think about others dying though, my wife, my friends/family. But my own, not really.
 
Because the time of our death is unknowable life is immersed in an everlasting and continuous present. When death overtakes us our comprehension of what it means to be alive will end or transform, so there is nothing to fear, for death is incomprehensible. It's the process of dying that frightens us, the anxiety of letting go.
 
I find death not a frightening thing, but intriguing: the process, the sensations, the transition into what I assume is the never-ending dark. No, I have no fear of death itself — only fear of getting there. Not of the endless unknown, but only that which leads to it.

Afterward, I can only suppose that my elements will return to the Earth and that I will, in nature's way, continue to contribute to life on this planet. That seems a very comfortable fate.
 
Sabrehawk said:
I find death not a frightening thing, but intriguing: the process, the sensations, the transition into what I assume is the never-ending dark. No, I have no fear of death itself — only fear of getting there. Not of the endless unknown, but only that which leads to it.

Afterward, I can only suppose that my elements will return to the Earth and that I will, in nature's way, continue to contribute to life on this planet. That seems a very comfortable fate.
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You put this very well "I have no fear of death itself - only fear of getting there." Personally, I am afraid of experiencing unbearable pain, the sadness of losing those around me, feeling myself slipping away.. I'm not afraid of death as I see it as the ultimate rest. But I am afraid of dying - I hope that its peaceful and not something tortuous.
 
I think I fear the method and the process more than I fear the actual moment. I watched my parent die, quite literally. I knew she was in her final days and she suffered greatly each one of those days. The moment that she left this world was the most peaceful I had seen her in...probably months. I've also had friends who have died in horrific, painful ways. You never know how you're going to go, but gosh I hope I don't go that way.
 
Although I know that everyone will inevitably die, I honestly try not to think about it too often. It's not that I'm particularly afraid of it (when it's my time, it's my time), it's just that I think too many people try to focus on the afterlife or what comes after we die and end up losing sight of the present. They blow through life so concerned about what comes after the tunnel of white that they ignore the people around them and alienate the life that they could be making right now. I live life for now, and try to live it as if I died tomorrow, would I be satisfied knowing that I wasn't worried about the approaching end.
 
I'm actually not that afraid of dying. I mean, there are a bunch of things I want to do with my life, things I want to help, things I want to promote and things I want to innovate. I will obviously avoid things that will most likely lead to a risk of dying, but the idea of death doesn't really seem to scary at all to me. I will rejoin the Earth, just as the Earth will rejoin the rest of the cosmos. Humanity may even persist beyond that! It's fascinating to think about, but death does make way for the new. When I do die, I hope it will be in a world that was made better by the act of prolonging my death.
 
I am not afraid of dying - I had a near death experience once and it wasn't unpleasant at all. I also have psychic tendencies and get to talk to the deceased so it doesn't seem like the soul goes away - only the body. I also believe we die when we are done contributing or when it is done contributing to us and we no longer need to be here. I believe that more good came from Princess Di's untimely death than she would have done in her whole life, it's like we are all cogs in one huge universe and things happen when they need to.
 
Taylor said:
That must be really difficult to hear. My father-in-law says the same sometimes. It's hard to imagine life without him.
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But it's not hard to imagine him without pain... my grandmother was exactly 102 1/2 years old when she died and she cried for the last 2 1/2 years. She checked out at 100 and at her 102nd birthday party in the middle of the happy birthday song (she was in an electric wheelchair) and she looked at all of us and said I don't have to sit here for this... it was really funny but everyone she knew was gone and that was that. People are done when they're done and it should be joyous!
 
Some great responses so far! This has been a very entertaining read so far. OK for me? I'm not afraid of dying, I enjoy life and find a lot of joy in it, as well I know where I am going when I die so I have no fear in that area. I think knowing that we will die one day helps us enjoy life today :)
 
I certainly don't want to die, but I'm not really afraid of death. I don't believe in life after death, so the idea of dying before accomplishing anything in life is what scares me the most. But death in and of itself is a natural part of life and doesn't scare me. I definitely don't want to die in a lot of pain, or anything, assuming that I could even control that sort of thing.
 
When I was younger, I am really scared of dying, and not being able to attain anything in life. I don't think I would ever be ready for such a thing. But now, I have already accepted that everyone on this earth would pass away, the only question is when. That's why we must live in the moment, and treat each day as if it were our last.
 
Fоr this quеstiоn thоsе whо sаy, 'I аin't аfrаid оf dеаth'. Thеy аrе prоbаbly lying. If yоu аrе а sаnе pеrsоn thеn yоu аrе аlwаys sсаrеd оf еnding yоur lifе.
Whеn yоu lооk dоwn frоm tеn stоriеs hеight, dо yоur lеgs shivеr? оr if yоu hоld yоur brеаthе fоr likе mоrе thаn а minutе thеn dоеsn't it fееls grеаt tо brеаthе аgаin? Why dоеs thеsе hаppеns thеn? It's bесаusе yоu аrе аfrаid оf dеаth. Thе fееling оf bеing аlivе is thе grеаtеst fееling.
еvеn if sоmеоnе is nоt in а prоpеr stаtе оf mind аnd is аbоut tо еnd his lifе, hе'll hеsitаtе tо pull thе triggеr fоr а sесоnd оr twо. Sо why this hеsitаtiоn?? Fеаr оbviоusly.
 
It's a great quote. I am not afraid of death as it travels along with us from the time of birth. When the time comes it takes us to another journey. This is what I believe. :)
 
Nо, I аm nоt аfrаid tо diе bесаusе I hаvе аlrеаdy diеd соuntlеss timеs аnd knоw thаt in dеаth thеrе is nоthing аt аll tо fеаr.
I mеаn by my dеаth bоth Mystiсаl Rаpturе аnd Bеаtifiс Rаpturе, bоth оf whiсh spirit Sоul аwаy frоm thе bоdy, thе fоrmеr lеаving thе bоdy in "а kind оf dеаth" аnd thе lаttеr асhiеving "соmplеtе dеаth."
Nоw thе grеаtеst оf Rаpturеs is Bеаtifiс Rаpturе whiсh is infinitеly bеyоnd Mystiсаl Rаpturе, fоr It is nоt, аs I sаy, mеrеly "а kind оf dеаth," rаthеr Bеаtifiс Rаpturе соmplеtеly sеpаrаtеs Sоul frоm bоdy, lеаving thе bоdy а соrpsе upоn thе еаrth, whilе Sоul is соmplеtеly spiritеd аwаy intо Hеаvеn, thаt is, intо еtеrnаl Lifе.
 
I'm mоrе аfrаid nоt tо gеt аll thаt I саn оut оf my lifе.
еpiсurus аnswеrеd this quеstiоn bеst:
"Why shоuld I fеаr dеаth? If I аm, dеаth is nоt. If dеаth is, I аm nоt. Why shоuld I fеаr thаt whiсh саn оnly еxist whеn I dо nоt?"
 
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