12 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Fear Death

It's completely normal

Image Source/ Dylan S - MediumThere's no doubt that everyone has experienced anxieties about death at some point in their lives, so you shouldn't feel like what you are experiencing is out of the ordinary. An associate professor from the Department of Social Work at Chinese University (CUHK), explained in an interview with Young Post that it's fairly normal to feel anxious about the end.

Loss is a pivotal part of the Universe

Image Source/ AstroBackyardThere's many things we think of when we think of life: love, hurt, joy, sadness, thrill. But one of the biggest things about life is loss, as life wouldn't be life without it. Whether that's the loss of yourself, or the loss of a loved one, the Universe simply wouldn't exist without loss.

You can't resist nature

Image Source/ The IndependentNature never changes. While humans can continue to pollute the world, nature fights back as it's a force that just cannot be resisted or contained. Dying is a part of nature, it's natural for us to have to pass on at some point in our lives, and we simply cannot combat it.

Nobody really

knows

what's going to happen

Image Source/ Roper CenterOkay, yeah, there might be some theories floating around. Those that are religious might believe in a Heaven and Hell scenario, some might believe in spirits and ghosts, while others reconcile their thoughts about death with reincarnation. But realistically, we are never going to know.

But we do know that death has no feeling

Image Source/ Science HowStuffWorks

What we do no is that death has no sensation. The brain is where consciousness originates, and the brain uses energy. You won't be sentient if you don't have a power source that can fuel your brain. Think about a computer that loses contact with the battery.

We can use our fear to create something positive

Image Source/ The Roaring TimesWhere there is fear within us, there is hope too. It's often thought you can use this fear as fuel in order to make a positive change in your life. Writer Robert Greene states:

"We can confront this reality, accept and even embrace it, converting our consciousness of death into something positive and active. In adopting such a fearless philosophy, we gain a sense of proportion, become able to separate what is petty from what is truly important."

Nothing will ever be permanent

Image Source/ BuddhistdoorThe idea of impermanence is a huge concept of Buddhist philosophy. The religion stresses the fact that everything is constantly in a flux of change, and that understanding and learning about how we, and the Universe, is changing around us can liberate us.

Death is easy

Image Source/ Nautilus MagazineThe easiest thing you will ever accomplish will undoubtedly be leaving this world. You can be rest assured that the transition from this world to whatever comes next will be the easiest one you've ever experienced since there is no feeling or consciousness. Living life is the harder part, but more of that to come later.

Death is not the end

Image Source/ UCC San FranciscoThermodynamics offers a theory that energy can't be created or destroyed but only transformed from one form into another. Coupled with the idea that our bodies are primarily composed of empty space, leaves us with no alternative than to acknowledge that our energy and spirit never really leaves.

If you can't control it you shouldn't fear it

Image Source/ HR MagazineWhen you're in a period of sadness, you might often feel that you can't change certain aspects of your life, and people tell you not to worry about the unchangeable. Although it sounds cliché, these people are absolutely right. If you can't change it, why worry?

You might just be responding to experiences

Image Source/ Poppy's FuneralsIt is argued that we fear dying because of our personal experiences. It could be anything, such as seeing an accident, having a close family member pass away, or growing up with death-related beliefs. Young people will reflect back on that specific instance and how they felt, start to fear death, and think about it frequently, which increases their anxiety.

Control is an illusion

Image Source/ The illusion of controlWe might think that we have control over something, but realistically, do we? Take a plant as an example. We can water it, put it in the perfect place for growth, in the perfect sized pot, but we can't actually make it grow and live, not even the plant decides that. The Universe does.

Fearing death is pointless

Image Source/ VICE

Some argue that death is such a part of life that it's not far from eating, pooping, having children, breathing, etc. To fear death is simply unreasonable. Think about it, would you fear a sneeze or orgasm? Real life stuff happens when the circumstances are ideal.

Everything is interconnected

Image Source/ artyfartyfeeThe understanding of interbeing is that nothing, including our bodies, can exist independently as a distinct entity. Every single object in the universe only exists in relation to everything else. I bet you've seen the way that the Universe and our bodies are mirrored... we are one and the same.

Fear comes from attachment

Image Source/ VideoHIVEOur attachment to life is what heightens our fear of death so much. We so desperately want to continue to live, without thinking what living would actually mean without dying. While we should apprehend death and consider its finality, we should also embrace when it comes to our turn.

You are much more than you know

Image Source/ The meaningful LifeEvery single decision you make each day is going to have an impact. Brushing your teeth, cooking a certain meal, going to the gym, all might sound like banal, unimportant tasks, but in the grand scheme of things cause such a knock on effect. Trust in the Universe and you will trust in death.

Yet you're less than you think

Image Source/ BBCIn the same breath, we are also so much less than we think too. The Universe is an immeasurable size, meaning that our beings and bodies are as equally special and not-special at the exact same time. The Universe embodied us, and we will give ourselves back to it.

You must turn inward to move forward

Image Source/ EntrepreneurTurn inward on yourself. Ask yourself the important question you're so desperately wanting an answer to: Why am I so afraid of death? You might feel an answer seep from the under depths of your subconscious mind. Only then can you move forward with your life.

Death is what makes life precious

Image Source/ NeatoramaThe concept of Yin and Yang emphasises that opposites interact with one another, for example, the idea of light only arises because there is also darkness. We wouldn't have the idea of light or dark if the world was always lit up. The same is true of life and death. The fragility of life gives it significance.

Your fear of death is a part of life

Image Source/ NPRI think we have pretty much cemented the idea that life and death come hand in hand, you can't have one without the other. Fearing death is only a part of life, and is healthy if it isn't taking over your mind every minute and every day. You should always be apprehending the future in one way or another.

Loss is the realisation that nothing stays forever

Image Source/ NPRLoss is paramount to our being and to life as well. Whether this is losing someone we loved, or losing ourselves to the Universe around us, it is just the realisation that nothing stays the same way forever, and that is absolutely okay, because we cannot control it.

Dying is the same as being born

Image Source/ YouTubeWell, not ultimately, but can you remember the time before you were born? Can you remember the cascade of blood and flesh within your mother's womb? No, you can't, which begs the question that not-existing doesn't mean silence and darkness, it is simply not existing.

Solitude can help your anxiety

Image Source/ Becoming MinimalA little bit of alone time can often be the key to dealing with something like death or bereavement. Some might contend that spending time alone with your thoughts is harmful and can cause despair, however that's simply not correct. It can be beneficial for you to take some time for reflection and solitude.

Are you scared of death or just young?

Image Source/ The AtlanticTeens are actually one of the groups more prone to feel death anxiety when compared to the elderly and adults. This is because there's a nervousness always at the back of their brains, and it comes to the forefront when other death-related experiences emerge in their lives.

It's okay to be sad

Image Source/ LifehackPeople overlook the value of being able to acknowledge and let out their pain because they mistake it for emotional fragility or a sign of weakness. It is preferable to accept that sadness about death is something that can be felt (and that it is entirely OK to feel).

Death should be acknowledged and accepted

Image Source/ Fearless CultureThe best way to deal with anxiety about death is to acknowledge it, realise that it is a reality in life, and try not to let it control every aspect of existence. Even while we don't focus on the idea of death, it surrounds us in media and literature, the normality of it is everywhere.

We are never born, and so we never die

Image Source/ SignoiAn interesting theory is that long before we existed, far longer than a million or billion years, the atoms that make up our lungs, heart, brain, and muscles already existed. Therefore, can we every really say that we were born? In that case, when the energy is given back to the Universe, do we truly die?

Life is much more painful

Image Source/ City Centre ChurchAs mentioned before, life can be so much more painful than dying itself. For some people, the unpleasant part of life is living it; the process of dying, however, is not painful. Think of all the hard turmoil we must go through in life, there is a peace and finality in death.

Embrace your mortality

Image Source/ Financial TimesIn all honesty, you should remind yourself that you are mortal. Understanding your fear of dying can help you to better comprehend why you are here. Steve Jobs wrote that:

“Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life.

Almost everything--all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure--these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important."

You are not alone

Image Source/ PNGitemAnd always remember that you are not alone in your fear of death. Actually, Young Post reported that after a survey they conducted, almost half (45%) of respondents said that they feel anxious when they feel about death, making it a hugely normal anxiety to have.