Why do we fear death?

[sanilss]

Why do we fear death?

In many of the debates over religion here we see the argument that religion addresses our common fear of death. Let's explore that a little deeper. Why do we fear death? There are at least two levels to consider; the reasons we fear our own death and the reasons we fear death as a broader concept.

Is our consciousness to blame, our sense of individuality, our awareness of self? Is our fear purely selfish? Is it simply because death is such an unknown state? Why isn't the fact we weren't alive for billions of years prior to this life a comfort in our looking forward to death?

I don't want this to become a discussion of life-after-death or any other post-death concept. I'm only interested in hearing why it is you think we fear death on any level

[Guttu]

Everyone has fear for death. Thats bcoz we are attached to many thing in this world and we dont want ot loose them. its actually the fear of loosing loved one.

Nice to see a debate topic being created. Its been long..

[sanilss]

welcome ..guttu

nice replay :lol:

[borderlineinjeleven]

I think its the fear for the un known and the fear of not be able to see or loved ones.

[Angelis]

I think the main reason would be that noone knows for certain, exactly what happens after death. I'm not trying to change it into a debate about what happens, but, it's my thought that because noone knows what happens, thats why people fear it. Not only are they afraid of it, but also what happens to them, ir, doesnt happen to them, after they die. Its a type of fear of he unknown. Just more specific is all.

[shamimkhaliq]

i don't fear my own death at all, almost welcome it (so long as it's painless, i do fear pain) but would never do that to my son willingly, and his death would destroy me.

[THATGUYSPIKE]

most fear because they do not understand

[VestnikRA]

I don't fear death.
I think some people do because they don't realise that there is no REAL death and they can't see beyond their physical existance.

[starsong]

It might be because we don't know what (if anything) happens after. I'm speaking as one who doesn't believe in an afterlife, and the thought of oblivion can be disturbing - but hopefully not as disturbing as people who think they're going to be tortured for eternity.

I think it's the unknown that we fear, mostly. And because we know we can't come back from death.

[ami75]

i think its our survivor kit that comes with our brains from back in the years when we needed to run from predators and such, their are many other unknown things in our lives we worry about but not like we do from death so i don't think its the unknown