If and Why We Fear Death
Fear of death, or thanatophobia means that most people are afraid of dying, almost to the point of phobia. Dr. Alex Lickerman states that people are afraid to die painfully. He goes on to say that people, because of their age, character, or religious beliefs fear death. Knowing intellectually what awaits us is quite clearly different than believing in it.
Professor Kagan explores the issue of how thinking about death may influence the way we live. A distinction is made between fear and the actual fear of dying. This is when we reflect upon our own mortality. Should the knowledge of fear affect the way we live our life?
Conscience of Death states that the idea of death starts in childhood, as conscience of the absolute destruction of the only treasure of ours, ones self. Conscience of Death goes on to say that the certainty of death and the uncertainty of the hour of death is a source of grief throughout our life. Conscience of Death goes on to say that death is a source of drama, interrogations, grief and revolt. The anguish of death hangs over and leads the human spirit to wonder about the mysteries of existence, man’s destiny, life, and the world.
According to bible.org states that we fear death because we face it alone, this fear can be terrifying. God has installed a conscience in all of us with knowledge of right and wrong. People know that they will one day stand before God and give an account of their actions. This can be a daunting process for some people. Steven Hawking states that God not only plays dice, He also throws the dice where they cannot be seen. He also states that there is nothing we can do about death; there is nothing we can do about it until we cross that road.
Death brings about the question of death, how we will die, and the fear of dying alone. We wonder if we will die painfully, and at what time in our life we will face death. Epicurus states that death is nothing to us; for once the body is dissolved into its elements, there will be no sensations, and that which has no sensation is nothing to us. The future of death is left to our belief in faith, and death is no longer a burden.
