Why Are We Afraid of Death?

DEATH DEATH DEATH. What do you want to say about it. Depends on what you believe. Buddhist/Hindu, sure your going to welcome it. I don't know about you but hollywood has mutilated death. You think of death as in Harry Potter swallowing you up. Or hey anyone seen Dark WAters, death being caused by "dark water" oooh *laughing*. I totally agree with Samll town, why be afraid. If your afraid then you better where elbow and knee pad. Oh yes don't forget the helmet, because if you hurt yourself your going to die.

God, what a deep topic eh?

[Gryphon]

I love life; I don't want to leave it and all of the great times behind. Life has its ups and downs, but as long as you have the bright beacons in your future, it's something to savor.

It also hurts to think that... all of the parts of my life that led up to now, if I were to die, they'd all be for nothing.

[seabiscuit1009]

Death...I don't know. I'm sort of afraid of dying, and not having lived. I want to do things I love during my life, and help others, and find love someday, and all that stuff...I guess I'm afraid of dying because I'll miss out on all that stuff-or at least I would if I died right now. I...don't know. I want to live, and experience life-I guess in the end that's why I'm afraid of death.

-seabiscuit, a.k.a. hungry

[Lamarquise]

Gryphon -

If it's any comfort, I'm a huge believer in the law of unintended consequences. We very rarely know the true impact for good our lives might have on people. In fact, it's unlikely that we'll ever fully recognize it, especially in this life. There are just so many variables. On the other hand, I think most people leave others better along the way. Or can.

A friend of mine, not long out of college, died in a car accident some years back. She had everything in front of her: parents who loved her, a brother who adored her and maybe even needed her guidance, a career in helping abused and neglected children, talent. And I can't say that I understand why her opportunities for so many things--marriage, children, everything that comes later in life--should be cut short. If there was a higher purpose in her death than simple split second bad decisions on the road (and I believe in the power of people to make split second bad choices), I don't know exactly what it was. I guess I just trust that, in the end, things will work out for her and that death isn't the end. And what she was doing wasn't for nothing. I have some great memories of her and our other two roommates. And maybe I used her death as a reason to get into volunteering too.

[Rowan Conaill Aodh O\'Neal]

as it has been said before, "Death is more fair than god, for death comes to every one."

[hyper-horse]

For those of you that are feeling depressed about this topic, I offer up a few quotes and statistics...
First, in an open-ended polling a few years ago, it was reported that people feared experiences of snake bites more than the experience of death.
Second, in a completely scientific study, it was found that the body undergoes a decrease of three-fourths of an ounce in weight suddenly after death unattributable to respiratory, excretory, or any other functions. See http://www.snopes.com/religion/soulweight.asp .
Lastly, I think that the fear of death is from the mixture of several different innate fears: the unknown, the unfinished, and the unexperienced. As the Song states in DW, "Not old enough to love as yet, but old enough to die, indeed." We are afraid of what we will not be able to experience after this existance.
But we all know that there are times that people will choose to "put aside fear for courage, and death for life...."