Fear of Death: Why do We All have It?

We all fear death, but why should we? It is quite natural for human beings to have fear about death. It is because of the developed brain we have unlike other animals. It is because we can think about and analyze anything. We know death is inevitable. When we think about death, we understand that we don’t know anything about it. So, death is something one should face, of which he has no sufficient knowledge. Isn’t it reason enough to frighten anybody?

My friend Buzz wrote in his poem ‘Labyrinth of Death’ published recently in Expertscolumn that “Death is an enigma”. It is true. I also think like that. And this enigmatic nature of Death is the main reason behind the fear of death we all have. I think you will also agree to that.

Animals don’t worry about death. They are always busy living their life. They always have to search for food and thus they always remain busy. When a small animal fall prey to a predator, it firstly fights for its life. But when it learns an escape is impossible, it accepts its fate without a fuss.

There are certain reasons that induce fear of death into human beings. Let us consider one by one:

Process of Dying
None of us has any idea about what happens during the process of dying. Will it be a painful process for me when I breathe my last? Can I turn to somebody for help? What will I look like when I am going through the process of dying? Asking these questions to oneself is more than enough to induce fear of death in him. Only a person who is undergoing the process of dying can answer these questions and so no others will ever know the answers.

The Puzzle that is Death
What happens after death is something puzzles all of us. Nobody has any idea about this. This uncertainty induces fear of death. Where will our soul go? Will there be a re-birth? All these questions have no answers.

Non-existence
The fact that one ceases to exist after death produces fear of death in him. There is no proof to afterlife that will come to anyone’s rescue.
 

Fear of Punishment for One’s Wrong Doings
Many religions teach that we will be punished for our wrong doings when we are dead and end up in the other world. This really worries many of us.

Worries about the Family
What will come to my family after my death? Will my wife/son/daughter be able to lead the family forward? This thought worries everyone.

Inability to have Control over the Dying Process
The fact that the process of dying is completely out of control of oneself frightens many of us. Some try to have some control by becoming extremely health conscious. They undergo frequent medical checkup and all.

From all the above, we may conclude that the enigmatic nature of death or the uncertainty associated with it is the main reason for our fear of death. One should be busily engaged and should enjoy every moment of living to ward off the fear of death.

More reading on this subject is available with the following links:
http://www.mesacc.edu/dept/d46/psy/dev/Spring02/death/fear.html
http://www.qul.org.au/library/death-a-the-hereafter/1553-why-do-we-fear-...

To read my other articles please visit my profile page