Why do people fear death?

I have zero fear of death and I always wondered why people have such a fear of it. Sure, you don't want to leave your loved ones and life is enjoyable. I think I just look at things from a rational point of view.

First, we can't say death has any real meaning outside of our local perspective. I truly believe that non locally, we can't die. There will always be some version of us somewhere in this vast, maybe infinite universe. There isn't any flow of time, just moments that we label past, present and future. Einstein said the distinctions between past, present and future is just a persistent illusion. So we see a distinction between spin up and spin down from our limited 3D perspective. The natural state of the particle is a superposition of states. We can only measure one state at a time which gives us a series of moments. But that's just because we can't experience the whole multidimensional reality. We can only experience it one measurement at a time. So in this sense, death is meaningless.

Secondly, it's just the way it is and it comes down to simple odds and statistics. That just makes so much sense to me. Each year, a certain amount of people will die from cancer, strokes, car accidents and more. Here's a stat:

Upon averaging the car accident data from 2005 to 2015, one can estimate that 5,808,272 car accidents occur every year in the U.S. This amounts to around 15,913 accidents per day.

This is how steady it looked over 5 years.

2011: 5,338,000
2012: 5,615,000
2013: 5,687,000
2014: 6,064,000
2015: 6,296,000

branlawfirm.com...

On a side note, it's interesting how there's not more variation between years in something that's seen as being random.

Anyway, death comes down to odds and statistics. I have a friend who barely smokes but he died of cancer. My cousin smokes like a chimney, almost 2 packs a day, and she just had a physical and was in great health.

So why is my cousin healthy and my friend dead who barely smoked? It's just statistics.

Nearly 160,000 lives are lost annually. 158,080 people in the U.S. will die of lung cancer in 2016. 1 in 15 people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with lung cancer in their lifetime—1 in 14 men and 1 in 17 women.

www.lungcancerfoundation.org...

Again, just statistics. Out of the population, someone has to die from these things just like in a game of poker, someone will get a full house or a straight the longer you play the game.

Looking at it this way just simplifies things. At least it does for me.

a reply to: neoholographic

I dont know what happens when we die, but the idea that one day i wont exist is terrifying. Not only the part of my body ending, but that the 'me' inside my head will cease to be.

originally posted by: neoholographic
I have zero fear of death and I always wondered why people have such a fear of it. Sure, you don't want to leave your loved ones and life is enjoyable. I think I just look at things from a rational point of view.

First, we can't say death has any real meaning outside of our local perspective. I truly believe that non locally, we can't die. There will always be some version of us somewhere in this vast, maybe infinite universe. There isn't any flow of time, just moments that we label past, present and future. Einstein said the distinctions between past, present and future is just a persistent illusion. So we see a distinction between spin up and spin down from our limited 3D perspective. The natural state of the particle is a superposition of states. We can only measure one state at a time which gives us a series of moments. But that's just because we can't experience the whole multidimensional reality. We can only experience it one measurement at a time. So in this sense, death is meaningless.

Secondly, it's just the way it is and it comes down to simple odds and statistics. That just makes so much sense to me. Each year, a certain amount of people will die from cancer, strokes, car accidents and more. Here's a stat:

Upon averaging the car accident data from 2005 to 2015, one can estimate that 5,808,272 car accidents occur every year in the U.S. This amounts to around 15,913 accidents per day.

This is how steady it looked over 5 years.

2011: 5,338,000
2012: 5,615,000
2013: 5,687,000
2014: 6,064,000
2015: 6,296,000

branlawfirm.com...

On a side note, it's interesting how there's not more variation between years in something that's seen as being random.

Anyway, death comes down to odds and statistics. I have a friend who barely smokes but he died of cancer. My cousin smokes like a chimney, almost 2 packs a day, and she just had a physical and was in great health.

So why is my cousin healthy and my friend dead who barely smoked? It's just statistics.

Nearly 160,000 lives are lost annually. 158,080 people in the U.S. will die of lung cancer in 2016. 1 in 15 people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with lung cancer in their lifetime—1 in 14 men and 1 in 17 women.

www.lungcancerfoundation.org...

Again, just statistics. Out of the population, someone has to die from these things just like in a game of poker, someone will get a full house or a straight the longer you play the game.

Looking at it this way just simplifies things. At least it does for me.

I have had 3 heart attacks. During 2 of them, I was seconds away from dying.

I'll tell you what I fear. It hurts. Like nothing you have previously experienced. I have already told my family, if they find me dead by a self inflicted anything, I had reached my maximum point and chickened out on the rest.

I'm hoping that I go peacefully in my sleep.

Because dying via a heart attack is some of the worst pain in the world. I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

That no one knows what will actually occur upon death is something to be excited about one day (re?)discovering... I guess that people could be scared of the unknown. But I always kind of figured that it was the pain associated with so many of the ways of carping it that people were most afraid of... for me I asked this same question of myself recently and came to the conclusion that I was most afraid of making a huge scene, like having a heart attack in a theatre. I would rather get eaten by a great white shark.

a reply to: neoholographic

Yah, you're definitely inhuman. Never got afraid the first time you rode a roller coaster, drove a car, went scuba diving, parachute jumping, etc.

I don't believe you.

a reply to: neoholographic

Most people fear the unknown, death is that. People also usually fear HOW they will die (will it hurt? How long?) etc.

Its is a natural human state.

Remember the movie "The Never Ending Story"?

On one hand, the story potentially continues forever...

On the other hand, there is "The big nothing"....

Me... it's a big fear of something unknown.

Does this look like a Nun?
🙄

a reply to: neoholographic

Not really afraid of death.
I am just uncomfortable with the thought of how or when. It's like looming over me every day as I get older, just enough in the back of my mind that it does scare me a little.
But I think without it, there would be no will to do anything or live or experience life.

I do not fear death as I believe we are more than just a mere physical body and that we go on to something different, something better perhaps when we leave here. What we fear is the physical pain that may come before death and for many it is the fear of the unknown.

When you think how miraculous birth is...you came from somewhere, so it just makes sense to me that you can go somewhere when you die. That, and I have had a pre-birth memory and also one out of body experience. I know, I know, sounds far out there, but I feel confident that life in some form goes on.

a reply to: neoholographic

Because they think life is special. Not to say that it isn't. But they don't see beyond that, and how unimportant all of this really is.

i think death is the end, but i'm not scared of not existing. i'm just not ready to go yet.

also, death is usually accompanied by pain and i'm a big wuss.

a reply to: neoholographic

I absolutely welcome it. I look at it as if i
will be solving a great mystery. Going on a great adventure.
Joining my beloved wife. Seeing God.
What the heck is there to fear?

a reply to: Bigburgh

What does this look like?

a reply to: neoholographic

Because it's permanent.

It's usually a surprise.

It could be terrible.

People dwell on the negative/expect the worst.

We are worry-worts, mmmmkay?

a reply to: six67seven

Well it might not be permanent, depending on your spirituals gnoses, but that is the rub. WE DON'T KNOW (that was for the OP). It is the last mystery, and uncertainty is not fun for most people.

a reply to: neoholographic

It is as natural as being born, that's obvious. The two most honest things we will ever achieve in life are being born and dying. We have no control of our birth and we have no control of our death in terms of not being able to avoid it.

The older we get generally the less we fear death as if nature is helping us to understand.

When I was a kid it was very scary. Now it is interesting to me. I think Aldous Huxley had the right idea.

All we can say is that these two events are the Universe's business with us. Birth and death are where the Universe states its omnipotence and places in perspective the mortal vulnerability of humans.

Christ said He would have told us if death was the end. I trust Him more than any other human being in wisdom so it's His call for me.

I call death the Great Equalizer. That is my pet name for it. It is very honest.

Of course we are meant to fear it or else we would not want to endure the hardness of life or try to survive. The instinctive responses we have, survival and libido for example do exert great control over us.

a reply to: intrptr

Looks like pareidolia the Megadeth guy...

I actually took that photo in a cemetery of orphans one night after seeing what i thought was a nun out of the corner of my eyes. Snap.. hence my photo.


The process of death scares me. After 20+ years as a paramedic. I've developed a fear of crossing over. That photo of the Nun serves some comfort.

I fear death because, I don't think sex would feel...The "same".


Anyone else?...

I have been around death and dying people a lot.

Not everyone fears death at the end

For those that do its not death they fear its a mix of the unknown and leaving behind loved ones.

a reply to: Night Star

So many religious people ... afraid of dying ... and yet ... supposedly ... they believe in a blissful eternal life.

I have taken great comfort from my one and only ghost encounter. There is life after death.

P