Not because I’m nervous about my opinions on any supernatural aspects of the beyond, and not because I’ve got too much unfinished business, or because I’ll miss watching my kids grow up, or because the process will be painful. Nothing at all sensible like that.
No, I’m afraid of dying because I’m afraid I won’t do it right. Like, when it’s time to hand over the keys to consciousness, I’ll be the only guy in the history of everything that’s ever died who just stands there with a blank expression patting my pockets looking for my keys. I’m afraid I’ll get stuck between dead & alive, fully aware that I’ve botched the transition and absolutely unable to do anything about it.
Are you sure that’s really the reason you’re scared? I mean, tons of people, probably most people, are scared of death. But if everyone else manages to die successfully, I’m sure you won’t be the first one to fuck it up.
Being atheist and having no belief in an afterlife, I am not afraid of death per se. I just hope it is fast and unexpected; I can think of a number of conditions and circumstances that I certainly am “deathly afraid” of.
As I have said before - most of us are born screaming and yelling and terrified - and some of us got greeted with a hearty slap on the butt. But then things worked out pretty well and we adapted to this thing called life.
I have to assume we will go out screaming and yelling and terrified, but things will turn out well again. Of course, this could also involve a royal kick in the butt on the way out.
Taken in good stride, figure9 (as captured by Chimera before the edit). Sort of a Buddhist approach in a very general sort of way, and one I’d actually consider quite wise. But who has time to be a full-time Buddhist–there’s so much to do!
Saint Peter “Ticket? Can’t get into the afterlife with no ticket.”
You “What do you mean ‘Ticket?’”
Saint Peter “I’ve got no time for anyone with no ticket. Good day.”
You “Wait! Let me check. I’ve only been dead for all of 5 seconds. Here, I think I do have a ticket. That can’t be my only chance. You are going to come back… eventually?”
One time I thought I had died, I had some kind of heart arithmia when going to the toilet. Sweat pooered out of me I crawled onto the floor and was out. My wife was a trauma nurse and I could hear her screaming at the 911 operator that I had no pulse. She claims she was giving me CPR but I was not aware of it. I had the soft white light and was thinking, this is not really that bad, nothing fearful about it. Concioulsy I do have a normal fear of death.
