Conquering your fear of death

[BillKephart]

As human beings we are to the best of our knowledge the only creatures who are cognizant of our own mortality. Cats, birds, snakes, ants, and mono cellular organisms do not dread their end. It is man alone who caries the knowledge and fear of death. But consider this, if we fear it do we actually know it? It is common to say one only fears that which they do not understand so does it really make sense to in one breath claim to have knowledge of death and to still fear it?

It is my opinion that the fear of death is an unnatural thing. It is a recognizable inevitability no different from any other milestone in life and it profits man none to fear it. In fact it is this fear which holds us back from achieving our full potential. So it would be a good idea to try to overcome this fear.

To know a thing is to lose fear of a thing. We cannot know death, not with certainty. But we can know the possibilities and if none of those are to be feared then death is not to be feared. Here are the possibilities

1. There is no afterlife, you merely cease to exist as a conscious thing upon death

This is not to be feared for there will not be a you to know you are dead.

2. There is an afterlife, no final judgment, everybody goes to the same place

This is not to be feared because as everybody goes there it is an inevitable state and if there is an afterlife that means there must be a god responsible for this afterlife. Since god must be just (note god can mean any unifying immaterial principle of the universe, so this is true for any religion) our afterlife must be just.

3. There is an afterlife and final judgment, people go different places based upon their performance in life.

This is not to be feared because if humans were created by god then god endowed us with reason and conscience. It would not make sense for a just god to condemn us for following the very reason and conscience he himself endowed us with therefore if you do your best to follow your reason and conscience you have nothing to fear from the judgment of a just god.

Those are the possibilities. None are to be feared, death then is not to be feared. So go and live life without fear of your natural end.

[yingampyang]

These are your opinions on what fear is, but everybody fears different things. And i have never feared death. Thats me.

[bushido_man96]

As humans, we make gains in life; monetary, familial, friendships, etc. Many of us don't want to leave these things behind, and therefore dread death. We don't want to leave our families, or part with our possessions. I think that these are some of the biggest contributors to the fear of death.

[Jay]

I agree with Bushido Man the reason why I fear it is the impact it will have on the people that I love.

I personally think number 1 is corrent and that you just cease to exist. Therefore I will not know when I have passed which is a good thing but I find it hard to imagine not being here if you can understand that. That concept is alien to me.

[BillKephart]

In actuality I probably could have simplified it.

There are really too possibilities afterlife and no afterlife.

If we have an afterlife there must be a god responsible for that afterlife and god must be just so our afterlife must be just. And one does not fear justice (a good thing) hence no fear.

We have already established no afterlife merits no fear.

I find that losing your fear of death and accepting your inevitable fate is necessary to the practice of martial arts. The mind without fear is the mind without weaknesses. If there is nothing you fear nothing can truly conquer you.

[yingampyang]

There is also some meditation techniques which train the mind to let go of connection of the heart or emotion.

[Throwdown0850]

These are your opinions on what fear is, but everybody fears different things. And i have never feared death. Thats me.

no offense ying yang, but if someone hung you above the empire state building and said he was going to let go, you would fear death..

[yingampyang]

no i would fear hight not death , because im scared of heights lol

[Throwdown0850]

no i would fear hight not death , because im scared of heights lol

there is just no breaking you is there ying yang?

[yingampyang]

Na there isn't sorry. lol