Shakkara Posted December 9, 2003 Author Share Posted December 9, 2003 But it's of course up to him to say why he wasn't worried. Why? I don't know why. To me it's perfectly normal to be unconcerned about death, not because I try to forget about the fact that I am mortal like certain people seem to do, but because to me there is no logical reason to fear it. I could say all of those things, which is one thing, however, in the real world, in the actual situation that threatens my life, apparantly I do not seem to suddenly forget all of those nice words and break down and start crying or things like that, which is what sometimes happens to soldiers put into an actual combat situation for example. Hence the reason why I made this thread, I want to understand why other people do experience fear of death. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Akrid Posted December 9, 2003 Share Posted December 9, 2003 Death is the end of everything you are, if you fear losing anything you fear death. But if you have thought about every reason you would have to fear death and you don't care I suppose it's possible. I did acheive this state of mind, twice actually, first when I was a christan thinking about well if I die sowhat? I go to heaven. Then as a Athiest where I must look at oblivion as my destiny. I guess once I'm dead thats it, I'm a lifeform that expired, rotten fruit, or a urn of ash. I expeirenced the true none fear of death later on, it's a long story, I just found myself sitting waiting, and I thought if I die it's likeI go to sleep and never wake up, and I don't think a day goes by in this world of "man-everywhere" that I don't wish I never got up. I guess all my care about life is fleeting. As a Athiest I belive I have the most doomed morbid belief system there is. But it is strange why or how does sombody fear somthing that they wont exist to suffer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emry Posted December 9, 2003 Share Posted December 9, 2003 I think humans have a fear of death because death is the ultimate unknown and people fear what they do not understand. People have a need to understand their environment and how they interact within it. Since we have no way of knowing (on a conscious not physical level) the "environment" of death, we suppose and hypothisize and conjecture. And since none that suppositition can be validated, our suppositions are fueled by our imagination, and from that comes fear. Now if you believe in a Higher Entity, then you probably share some form of the belief that after death your consciousness (soul?) transcends its previous state and gains new awareness (be it Heaven, Valhalla, Elysium, or whatever..). Now I can't prove that this transcendent place/existence exists, but the belief of Heaven et al. serves the purpose of countermanding/alleviating the fear of death. If you do not share that view (i.e. being an atheist or agnostic) and you believe that you cease to exist at death, then that belief can be very intimidating to the general public because most people have a need to believe that there was some meaning in their life rather than to only exist on a muddy speck of a planet in the backwater of the Universe. Since we are conscious entities, and can differentiate our selves from the Universe, the notion of the conscious becoming un-conscious or non-existant can be terrifying. In short, we don't know what will happen once we die. It's interesting to speculate, and it might be a hell of a ride, but we won't know anything until we get there. Then again, maybe we won't. ^_^ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Akrid Posted December 9, 2003 Share Posted December 9, 2003 I just feel asleep for about two hours and I had a dream about fear of death. This is how it went; I was back home with my parents in a car and we where driving to pick up my younger sisters at school (my old school) and all the lights where out in the building, the next thing I know I hear distant screams and gun shots. My father said I have to go in there, but I was like "hell no drive! this is columbine all over again" (a west American school that was shot up by crazy teens). But he insisted, so I said "get out of here, I'll get her out". So I left the car and went into the building and I was greeted by rainbow six and cuffed and put on the ground. They left to go up stairs and I saw some crazy punk with a shot-gun come up behind them I didn't warn them, instead I crawed into the shadows and stayed quiet assuming if I made a sound I would be capped. This guy killed all the swat guys. then he ran away. I got the key from the swat dudes and went up to find my sister, when I got up to the roof I found her, with a sniper rifle, I grabed it from her and for some reason felt the need to see what she was shooting hopping she was helping to kill these punks, but no My family's car was shot up and the dead bodies remianed inside. So in my dream I felt fear, but it's just an instict, it didn't control me, but did let me know, hey keep your head down, sure anybody can think of that, but people make mistakes, fear helps you stay conentrated on every little thing you can do to stay alive, but some people do get controlled by it, and go into a state of shock, then it dosnt help too much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ancalagon Posted December 9, 2003 Share Posted December 9, 2003 Hmmm, as far as dreams go, does anyone actually realize that they are in a dream, and then go about doing what they please (i.e levitating, walking on water, creating things out of nothing and such, I do :( )? Sorry if this is OT, but Acrids description of his dream is sort of comforting to me. It seems that all of my friends cannot remember all of their dreams and fail to exhibit the same amount of control in them like me and Acrids somewhat vivid account of his dream is sorta reasurring. But I digress.... <_< I think that we fear Death because it is purely instinctual. Deep down our most primitive urges are to survive and reproduce, simply put. If we are put in a life threatening situation then this drive or urge kicks in. That is why we fear Death, however some of us can fight those urges and hold control over that fear (Like Shakkra, and others). However, given extreme circumstances or situations (like being held at gunpoint) it may become impossible to block out that drive, so I think it is more of a matter of willpower and ability of mental control than anything else... :blink: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malchik Posted December 9, 2003 Share Posted December 9, 2003 In response to Shakkara's original post. I don't and never have feared death. It is inevitable and unavoidable. To be afraid of it would be a total waste of effort. This is not the same as wanting to be dead. What bothers me (and it is not fear so much as worry) is the manner of my going. I have seen death take people in many ways. When it is my turn I would prefer it to be quick. I am not 'afraid' of pain but I don't like it. I would like to be alive to the point where the positives in living exceeded the negatives (and I always look for positives even in difficulty). Once the reverse was true I would leave the world happily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Akrid Posted December 9, 2003 Share Posted December 9, 2003 I find peoples fear creates bounderies, somtimes with stupid stuff, like social disorders that keep some people from making freinds because of fear they would say or do somthing negitive. But there's nothing wrong with a adverage healthy fear of death just as long as you can lose it when that fear is inevitable. It's good to fear the crazy gunman, so stay away, but once the gunman finds you don't p*ss yourself. but Acrids description of his dream is sort of comforting to me. It seems that all of my friends cannot remember all of their dreams and fail to exhibit the same amount of control in them like me and Acrids somewhat vivid account of his dream is sorta reasurring. But I digress.... Yep my dream was descriptive, it's totaly OT but I practiced metitaion a while back when I used to get a abnormal amount of nightmares and freddy-couger dreams. It's very difficult often as soon as you realize your in a dream you wake up. That was actually the desired result then, but I tried to use it to know I was dreaming and stay dreaming, I did it a few times it's like being god, I could kill, f**k, destroy anyone or thing. Anyway control of fear was a nessesity inorder to stay sleeping somtimes, I could actually choose. I always think about my dreams after I wake up, they never hold any real relevence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faust870 Posted December 9, 2003 Share Posted December 9, 2003 See, not all humans fear death... Personally, i do not... Its different for each person, and it just has to do with the way they think... I dont fear death for the simple fact I want to know whats after life... But thats probably the main reason why people DO fear death... They are afraid that there is nothing after death...that you just cease to exist Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilvuruAgnost Posted December 10, 2003 Share Posted December 10, 2003 Simple, its the fear of nothing. Complete, total, nonexistence, and you won't even know you're dead. All that is you, just gone forever. If there's nothing beyond death, that's hardly the most pleasant subject I agree with peregrin(for the first time) that death isen´t a very pleasent taught Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
confused Posted December 10, 2003 Share Posted December 10, 2003 maybe people do not fear death but just do not like the idea that they will not get to spend time with their loved ones which mean so much to them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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