Awareness of our mortality can be a profound challenge to our self-image of being an all-important, indispensable, independent entity in the universe. When death comes for us, let it find us among the living.6. We know not where we come from, some mysterious place before birth. “I think you get used to the idea of dying, like we get accustomed to many things. This brute link between abnormal activity patterns—whether induced by the spontaneous disease process or controlled by a surgeon’s electrode—and subjective experience provides support for a biological, not spiritual, origin. Answers from trusted physicians on not scared of dying. And in countries like Canada, where (carefully regulated) euthanasia is available, the experience of dying can be practically identical to anesthesia—gentle and swift. However, Carel also pointed out that there’s an important distinction between positive responses and pleasantness, and that there are some unpleasant and painful events we’d still be positive about, such as childbirth. My whole life, as long as I can remember, I’ve been afraid of dying. I know of many physicians who know that many NDE's are real and that the "mind" truly survives beyond death. But if your fear of dying is getting in the way of living a peaceful, joyful life then you're not "just" scared to die. Your broad brush rejection of the NDE phenomenon fails to advance the debate. I figure deal with it then and hope what I learned now helps me with that. Death (2) – When we talk about death, oftentimes we’re really talking about dying, or the manner of death. 6. You're obsessed … I was going to say, the article did not address life after death (or even belief in same). 5. However, not to sugar-coat this subject—certainly many of the people who have survived more extreme forms of agonizing injury or illness would never want to re-experience it, and some are psychologically traumatized by the experience for a long time afterward (bear with me—we are talking just for a moment about worst-case scenarios). And many acute injuries are actually more painful afterward (in people who survive them) than they are at the moment of injury. Sep 15, 2015 #13 pepecat said: I wouldn't want a slow painful death, but otherwise I don't think I'm scared of dying. When we have a fear of dying, we often act more carefully and take appropriate precautions to minimize risks, such as wearing seat belts or bike helmets. No I'm not scared of dying, even though I don't believe that the conciousness continues in any form. Some doctors who disagree with your position... Again, there were fewer negative words from the prisoners. The book also provides an empathetic psychological and philosophical understanding of how people cope with death and dying as well as other forms of adversity in a fundamentally random, unguided universe without relying on supernatural belief. The idea of not existing anymore is frightening, and being aware that people will forget about you sooner or later. See this YouTube video link for an engaging Power Point presentation in which Dr. Lewis explains how a family health crisis focused him on coming to terms with the outsized role of randomness in life, and to wrestle with the question of whether the scientific worldview of a fundamentally random universe is nihilistic. No, I don't want to die, I want this body to stick around for as long as possible. I have always been scared since i was a child but i used to ignore it, pretend it didn't exist, i would change the lyrics in songs from "die" to cry and if people made comments about dying id say "dont say that" i'd just full on avoid it. Deep anesthesia might perhaps be more similar to death than it is to sleep, in terms of the mechanisms of consciousness and its cessation. What if it’s not as bad as we fear? But at the moment I am content- I mean I'm not the person who'll be able to give you the answer to what the purpose of life is, but I'm pretty sure it's not to worry about dying! It's not the act of dying which scares me it's the aftermath of not existing, forever. Most intelligent people have this concern. coldwater00 Well-known member. The initial shock after receiving a poor prognosis is horrific, but after months or years of living with this knowledge, the dread subsides,” she said. The Three Biggest Obstacles to Saving the Planet, Can You Tell Fact from Fiction? Spiritualists' beliefs are as diverse as each individual's life experience. Our society is organized in such a way that the dead are quickly removed from us, and those traditions that do encourage viewing the dead do so only after careful cosmetic preparation by specialized morticians, often resulting in the dead looking more like an elegant wax model replica of the living person. But I did not get this way because of all the “people would miss you!” “My life would never be the same with most you!”, etc. Jesus said there would be life after death either conscious pleasure in his presence or horribly torment away from His presence. If Jesus is who he claimed to be-I have researched it for over 30 years- and he is based on His Resurrection-then He said there is no eternal life apart from accepting him. People change their minds and look back in puzzlement at how they once felt that way: See https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-do-people-kill-themselves/   So, if you are suffering from depression and feeling suicidal, please seek help—tell a family member or friend, or talk to your doctor, or call a distress helpline, such as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 in the United States. Hi, I have recently developed a fear / phobia of dying / not existing anymore, which is sufficiently strong enough at the moment to disturb my life, … Bill, chronic depression and anxiety are among the hardest of afflictions to bear. God offers eternal life through Christ. Mary Breuer Photos Full service portrait studio located in downtown Green Bay specializing in headshots, boudoir, family, and senior photos. “We talk all the time about how physically adaptable we are, but we’re also mentally adaptable. Also, you must disprove the Resurrection. As for supposedly “absolutely dead” patients “accurately repeating conversations and events that took place in the emergency room where their body lay absolutely dead,” this oft-repeated claim has been thoroughly debunked. The fear seems to hit me in waves, but it’s always there, constantly reminding me of my mortality. I would encourage you to seek out the claims of Jesus with an open heart to see if what he said was true. Today, tens of thousands of defibrillated patients, resuscitated from death, have come back to recount their experiences while being “clinically” dead. It also probably involves fearful incomprehension of the seemingly mysterious process by which the consciousness that is our "self" is extinguished, or fades away. The church in the Bible is not buildings. I’m afraid of dying Published on Saturday, April 22, 2006. “I think that is a dangerous message, and it isn’t a conclusion reflected in the study’s data. These are all respected medical-science researchers. Kurt Gray, one of the study’s researchers, said, “I imagine this is because they know things are getting more serious, and there’s some kind of acceptance and focusing on the positive because they know they don’t have a lot of time left.”. Barna Religious Research has confirmed that only 6% of young adults believe in the church's Satan/brimstone/judgment threat. ", Bishop John Spong concedes "The church has always been in the guilt producing, control business, and dangled us between their imaginary heaven and hell as a control tactic. Ergo, most churches will be museums and fitness centers in 20 years. I'm scared of my own death and simply not being here or not knowing what happens after I die. I appreciate your feedback very much Aaron, and am very pleased that this article appears to be helpful to many people. I don't believe in god or any gods, I don't follow any religions, nor am I spiritual in any sort of way. Without burdening you with loads of scientific reading, I would refer you to just one article as an example, this one from a rigorously reliable source (Steve Novella's Neurologica blog): "AWARE Results Finally Published – No Evidence of NDE.". We are all sinners and need forgiveness “People will fear death. I can provide the documentation that one baby accurately described being shot down by the Japanese in his Corsair fighter which flew off the Natoma Bay Carrier in 1944... along with 18,000 other confirmed facts witnessed by these naive babies. Feeling death/ Fearing what happens after. But in fact, rationally and from a medical point of view, there is no particular reason to suppose that the intensity of pain (or other forms of discomfort or impairment) from various causes of death is greater than the intensity of pain from various illnesses and injuries that we ourselves may already have previously experienced, or the pain that others have experienced and survived to tell the tale. How Much Are You Willing to Sacrifice for Your Relationship? I think of suicide nearly everyday and I'm very comfortable with the idea of no longer existing. I don't fear the beautiful freedom the dance across open fields the sun eclipsing dewy orchards weighted cross I shed to yield. William Tucker, MD /Bruce Greyson, MD /Raymond Moody, MD Ian Stephenson MD, deceased, The above with the Division of Perceptual Studies, Dept of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia Medical School Best advice is to see a psychiatrist to discuss these issues and offer you a treatment. The Wikipedia entry on Near Death Experiences also provides a reasonable summary of the contrasts between spiritual beliefs about NDEs versus the scientific evidence for what these experiences actually are. I'm dying from cancer and I'm so scared 24 Mar 2015 16:21 in response to cocopops Hi cocopops, it's easy for the rest of us to tell you all the usual stuff...but we're all different and how you feel will probably be poles apart from how I reacted when I was told I had Multiple Myloma 2 years ago. Mike Tyson said that living is a struggle and the more he knows about not existing, the more willing he is to die. 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