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Fear of the unknown...

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Whosinabunker
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26 Jun 2011, 3:06 am

I don't necessarily have a fear of the unknown, but what I do have an intense fear of, is death. Almost every night I have trouble going to sleep because the inevitability of it all comes crashing down on me and I can barely handle it. I don't fear anything else like I fear death, and I know a fear of death is normal, and I'm largely an agnostic-atheist, so that doesn't help but I'm 18 years old, is it still normal to worry about this? Could anyone offer any advice on how to erase these thoughts from my mind? FYI during the day I am fine but at night is when it hits me.



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26 Jun 2011, 3:18 am

"Search" your aparment/house to make sure there is no one to kill you, lock doors, close windows, put a little light next to you so you see the room, close door. Think about how you didn't die the last night or the one before that and so on.. think that it wont happen and haven't happend.


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26 Jun 2011, 3:24 am

I once read a famous quote that goes something like this (I'm paraphrasing here):

"Why should I fear something [death] that cannot exist when I do, but only exists when I do not?"

If you think about it, it's true. For as long as you will exist, you will be alive. Death only exists when you are dead, so it doesn't matter. I know it's still kind of scary to think that your time in the universe is limited. But there's an end to everything, even the universe itself. It helps to not think about it. There's a reason why it's hard wired into our brains that we shouldn't worry about death. Because if we did, nothing would ever get accomplished. You only get one life. Think about what you want to do in it. Then think about how you can make it happen before it's too late.


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wavefreak58
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26 Jun 2011, 7:16 am

Whosinabunker wrote:
and I'm largely an agnostic-atheist


Since an atheist has no hell in their reality, fear of death seems inconsistent with atheism. If there is no afterlife and a complete cessation of consciousness, then there is no awareness of anything, no pain, angst or fear.

I'll bet if you dig deeper, your fear is not of death, but of not experiencing life.


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Subotai
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26 Jun 2011, 8:21 am

Whosinabunker wrote:
I don't necessarily have a fear of the unknown, but what I do have an intense fear of, is death. Almost every night I have trouble going to sleep because the inevitability of it all comes crashing down on me and I can barely handle it. I don't fear anything else like I fear death, and I know a fear of death is normal, and I'm largely an agnostic-atheist, so that doesn't help but I'm 18 years old, is it still normal to worry about this? Could anyone offer any advice on how to erase these thoughts from my mind? FYI during the day I am fine but at night is when it hits me.



I think it is normal for agnostics and atheists. I went through that myself, 18 was a peak year.

wavefreak58 wrote:
Whosinabunker wrote:
and I'm largely an agnostic-atheist


Since an atheist has no hell in their reality, fear of death seems inconsistent with atheism. If there is no afterlife and a complete cessation of consciousness, then there is no awareness of anything, no pain, angst or fear.

I'll bet if you dig deeper, your fear is not of death, but of not experiencing life.


The complete cessation of consciousness is what makes it so terrifying, even worse is the fact that it is totally inevitable.



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26 Jun 2011, 8:26 am

Subotai wrote:
The complete cessation of consciousness is what makes it so terrifying, even worse is the fact that it is totally inevitable.


Exactly. That's what scares me about death, is the fear of being nothing, or, as you say, the cessation of consciousness. I have this fear as well, I cope by not thinking about it and enjoying what I have when I still have it. Death is lame but necessary. :(



wavefreak58
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26 Jun 2011, 8:46 am

Subotai wrote:
The complete cessation of consciousness is what makes it so terrifying, even worse is the fact that it is totally inevitable.


This just seems backwards. IN the rubric of atheism and ideologies where there is no afterlife, death is falling asleep and never waking up. The state of death is without suffering. I suppose the manner of death could generate considerable fear. I think the answer to this type of fear is to embrace living.

I can see it as a problem because autistics perserverate on things and it's hard to force thoughts onto something else.


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26 Jun 2011, 8:50 am

And we also have a tendency to be insomniacs. o_o I'm just saying.



Subotai
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26 Jun 2011, 1:49 pm

wavefreak58 wrote:
Subotai wrote:
The complete cessation of consciousness is what makes it so terrifying, even worse is the fact that it is totally inevitable.


This just seems backwards. IN the rubric of atheism and ideologies where there is no afterlife, death is falling asleep and never waking up. The state of death is without suffering. I suppose the manner of death could generate considerable fear. I think the answer to this type of fear is to embrace living.

I can see it as a problem because autistics perserverate on things and it's hard to force thoughts onto something else.


Are you atheist/agnostic?



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26 Jun 2011, 1:59 pm

Well my perspective is all of us go through life and death. Our ancestors met their end one way or another and I will to someday.

Also I'd rather try to enjoy time I have left without wasting time on fear of death. Basically fearing death is pointless and not productive because you can't do anything about it.



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26 Jun 2011, 2:04 pm

I fear dying, but I don’t fear being dead. The fact that all this crap ends some day is incredibly comforting.

And we all have a fear of the unknown to some degree. It’s basic human nature. No matter how intelligent and rational you are, at some point you’re going to be laying in bed at night and you’ll be absolutely certain that something is in your closet waiting to kill you.