Lower fear of death?

[cciro]

Due to various events, in the past few months i've decided that this summer will be the last for me. Try to make the most of it for the last time, and once it's over and I'm back home, order the sn and ctb.
Over the last 2 weeks or so, noticed that the fear of death has basically dissapeared. Used to panic over the thought of drinking sn, but now there's not much more than some mild unease. I know this isnt the same as having the drink in hand and overcoming that SI, but it's nice to not have so much fear approaching the event. Hopefully it goes away even more over the next few months, and it helps getting over the actual SI easier. Idk if that's how it works though. Also is there any way to intentionally lower the fear of death like this? It's happened basically on its own for me, would be nice to be able to influence it.

 

[Linda]

People seem to vary a lot. I have always been utterly indifferent about the idea of dying. I once had a boyfriend who was absolutely terrified by the thought.

As for intentionally lowering the fear of death, I can't see any obvious way to do that. I think our attitudes to death are brought about by our personality (which you can't change) and by our experiences to date as we have gone through life (which you also can't change).

Looking at it rationally might help a bit. If you no longer exist in any form when dead (which is my opinion), there is nothing to fear about being dead. On the other hand, the process of dying can be unpleasant, regardless of whether or not you fear being dead.

What exacty is it that you fear: the state of being dead, or the process of dying?

 

[cciro]

People seem to vary a lot. I have always been utterly indifferent about the idea of dying. I once had a boyfriend who was absolutely terrified by the thought.

As for intentionally lowering the fear of death, I can't see any obvious way to do that. I think our attitudes to death are brought about by our personality (which you can't change) and by our experiences to date as we have gone through life (which you also can't change).

Looking at it rationally might help a bit. If you no longer exist in any form when dead (which is my opinion), there is nothing to fear about being dead. On the other hand, the process of dying can be unpleasant, regardless of whether or not you fear being dead.

What exacty is it that you fear: the state of being dead, or the process of dying?

I suppose it's the state of being dead.
My fears about the process are more irrational ones that I don't truly believe. SN could cause horrific pain, but from what people day it doesn't seem that way. And supposedly once you fall asleep nothing should matter. (Although if anyone has evidence it's actually extremely painfull plz lmk.)
I also believe that once we die there is nothingness and it's over, which both comforts and scares me. Which is odd because I don't like existing very much, and would rather not. Theres also a little fear of not knowing what comes next. I believe it's nothing but there really doesn't seem to be a way to prove that vs reincarnation or hell or whatever. This isn't really that big of a deal though, not enough to sway me either way. All my fears seem really irrational when I think about it.

 

[Linda]

I suppose it's the state of being dead.
My fears about the process are more irrational ones that I don't truly believe. SN could cause horrific pain, but from what people day it doesn't seem that way. And supposedly once you fall asleep nothing should matter. (Although if anyone has evidence it's actually extremely painfull plz lmk.)
I also believe that once we die there is nothingness and it's over, which both comforts and scares me. Which is odd because I don't like existing very much, and would rather not. Theres also a little fear of not knowing what comes next. I believe it's nothing but there really doesn't seem to be a way to prove that vs reincarnation or hell or whatever. This isn't really that big of a deal though, not enough to sway me either way. All my fears seem really irrational when I think about it.

It's never possible (outside of mathematics) to prove a negative statement. So neither I nor anybody else can prove that there is no afterlife. But no sane person believes a claim unles there is some evidence to support that claim. I see no evidence that there is any kind of afterlife. People who claim that there is are just talking empty words; they have no evidence either.
Being dead will be like you were before you were born. (Or, more accurately, before you were conceived.) Did you have any problems before you were born? No, you didn't. So you won't have any problems after you are dead.
Mark Twain put it nicely. I do not fear death. I had been dead for billions and billions of years before I was born, and had not suffered the slightest inconvenience from it.

 

[Mooncry]

What exacty is it that you fear: the state of being dead, or the process of dying?

It's the process for me. Also the thought of suddenly not being myself after 20+ years. I can't comprehend never being this person anymore. It makes me so anxious just thinking about it right now. Like, how do you accept the fact that you'll no longer be you and the person you are now will never exist again?

It terrifies me, but I know the longer I wait, the worse this feeling will get because I'll just grow more and more attached to myself as the years go on. Or maybe it'll stay the same? I don't know, and I don't plan on sticking around to find out.

 

[davidtorez]

It's never possible (outside of mathematics) to prove a negative statement. So neither I nor anybody else can prove that there is no afterlife. But no sane person believes a claim unles there is some evidence to support that claim. I see no evidence that there is any kind of afterlife. People who claim that there is are just talking empty words; they have no evidence either.
Being dead will be like you were before you were born. (Or, more accurately, before you were conceived.) Did you have any problems before you were born? No, you didn't. So you won't have any problems after you are dead.
Mark Twain put it nicely. I do not fear death. I had been dead for billions and billions of years before I was born, and had not suffered the slightest inconvenience from it.

This is ! Well put

 

[Linda]

It's the process for me. Also the thought of suddenly not being myself after 20+ years. I can't comprehend never being this person anymore. It makes me so anxious just thinking about it right now. Like, how do you accept the fact that you'll no longer be you and the person you are now will never exist again?

It terrifies me, but I know the longer I wait, the worse this feeling will get because I'll just grow more and more attached to myself as the years go on. Or maybe it'll stay the same? I don't know, and I don't plan on sticking around to find out.

The actual process of dying may or may not be unpleasant. It depends how you die. Lingering for months in a hospital bed with cancer would be unpleasant. Dying instantly in a plane crash would not be particularly unpleasant - basically you wouldn't have time to know what was happening.

Being dead will be like it was before you were born. Was that so bad?