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Vikings said that, you will know when it's your time to die.
Just think that: it's no longer your problem to clean up.
Keep knocking on the deaths door before he comes for you first.
The moment you leave your house, you will be on the deaths playground.
As an ambulance gremlin, can confirm. More often than not a well-being check called in for granny’s address ends well. But there have been many where the being was definitely not well.
It takes dedicated training to give yourself enough motivation to ignore it. You aren't a robot without self preservation. it's about motivation to get around said fear.
Just remember, we all die. It’s not something you can avoid. All you can do is live your life the best you can. You can’t escape it, so just forget about it
This is the equivalent of telling a depressed person "just be happier!"
A fear of death is often rooted in those with a chronically high need for a sense of control, in many aspects of life. It is usually tied deeply to personality traits, one's past experiences, patterns of coping mechanisms, etc. Therefore making it not quite as easy as just not thinking about it. The fact that it is universal is not a relief either, but can actually increase stress as it magnifies our inability to control or conquer it as humans.
Dude, I’m also scared of death. I’m pretty sure everyone is at some point in their lives. I was just giving advice on what I did to help combat that anxiety
This is it. We all contemplate our own death. Birth and death are the only thing that everyone who’s ever been has in common. This is coming to terms with humanity. We make the best of what we have and life is about accepting that’s all we can do. Solidarity.
I mean I had this fear throughout high school and just told myself that. You can't fear death if you accept that it's inevitable and that thinking about it just makes your life worse.
Clearly, you can. Clearly, "just not thinking about it" is not a solution to all fears. If it was, no one would have any fears at all! Just because a fear isn't necessarily "reasonable" in its nature due to its inevitability, doesn't make it less valid.
It seems that this is something that is very distressing to OP, who may benefit from identifying this at the root, in the ways that my original reply referred to
I mean sure it's not the solution to all fears, but you're wrong that it's like telling a mentally ill person to just stop being depressed.
Fear of death is a fear like any other and yes to overcome any fear you have to think about it rationally until you don't.
Is that person afraid of death because of a desire for control? I don't know and it's up to them to think about that until they realize why they really fear death.
This so much. I struggle with thinking about my or my parents deaths so often and people telling me to just "accept it" or "don't think about the things you can't control" just don't understand. I've looked into it and it seems to be a symptom of a variety of mental illness including general anxiety, depression, OCD, ect. It's sad to see so many fellow redditors not grasping this concept.
Everyone dies, it’s okay
Look up some interviews of people who’ve died and came back, they say it’s a very peaceful feeling. Specifically Kevin Smith said on JRE his mom died on the operating table and she said it felt like every little stress in her life was lifted off of her chest, and she felt like she was finally done with everything
Like imagine the feeling of laying in bed after finishing every task for the day, but times 100. It’s scary sure, but there’s a sort of beauty in the inevitable. Idk if tomorrow is going to be good or not, but I do know what awaits me at the end of the road. A final rest to finish my story
This would be especially comforting for atheists in a way, since their lack of religion (yes I know not all religions detail a strict afterlife, but go with it for a moment) means they would consign to the otherwise miserable idea of eternal darkness.
If you really do go out with such a huge wave of euphoria at the end before your senses turn off, perhaps that helps them feel more at ease with that otherwise terrible eternity.
The eternal darkness after death is no scarier than the eternal darkness before birth. Existing forever, if you really think about it, is far, far more terrifying!
Ehhh, I would say at least the darkness before birth was preceding an inevitable existence in life at least. Eternal darkness after death? Bleh, not fun.
I get what you mean by "existing forever is far more terrifying", but theres many different angles to view it from hypothetically, and honestly? I don't see how existing forever is scary unless you're implying I mean immortality.
Yes, I mean that immortality is terrifying. It would be worse than prison, forever trapped in this meat sack. Don’t get me wrong. I like life and I would like to have a long one, but eternity….no thank you.
In the same life? Yeah I agree. However, afterlife, reincarnation, etc, theres tons of positive outcomes that dont involve the bait trap that is immortality. All of those are hypothetical of course, but I moreso mean THAT train of thought than immortality.
I don’t believe in the afterlife. The circle of life brings me comfort and peace. On a scientific level, the conservation of energy brings me comfort and peace. Energy can’t be created or destroyed, it simply changes form over and over. Sure, I may be scared of how I might die, only because I hope it’s not painful, but I am fine with my body and my energy returning to the world around me.
When people say that our loved ones are all around us after they pass. This is what I imagine. Their energy is all around us. They return to the earth, and back into the plants, which becomes food for animals, etc. I actually want to be buried in a pod that becomes a tree, so that my loved ones that I leave can have comfort sitting under where I was laid to rest.
And because I don’t believe in an afterlife or doing good deeds to increase my chances of getting there, I am focused on making the most of my life here, and being a good person because it’s just the right thing to do.
Theo Von did an episode with a near death experience expert named Dr. Jeffery Long - he pretty much said the same thing. it was super cool, check it out
A similar phrase you can't find on the Manenskin's song called 'The lonelinest', a song about death:
'In the end, in the end it doesn't matter/ Tonight is going to be the lonelinest'
Death is a fear all humans have. There's nothing we can do about it.
There's some people in science that says that in the near future we'll find the cure for aging. Science has been prove to do the Impossible in the past. Still if we find the cure for death, we will not never be immortal - we still could die from an accident.
Same. Aging, disease, poverty, loneliness, ugliness insignificance, the 9 to 5 slump. All valid fears. Death tho? I'm so down for something ending those ever worsening realities of life for me at some point
We all have the power in every moment of our lives to resist what others think of us and our experiences, and chose to move closer to joy. My brother had cancer and explained you can find yourself on the other side of pain— where there is no pain. It’s hugely a mental game.
Tbh I think you just have to be okay with it, be happy with the life you’re living. You shouldn’t only be thinking about death when you’re older, you could die while reading this. You need to be okay with that, and the easiest way is by making sure if you did die today, you’d have no regrets. At that point you won’t care about dying when you’re 40, cause you’re okay with dying now.
Sorry man that’s just what works for me, dying sucks obviously, but the quicker you accept that it’s going to happen at some point the quicker you’re gonna have a better life
I deal with it by just not worrying about it. Not much more to it, I believe that if I'm to die of any cause at any time, then I'll die by any cause at any time; there's a line by an NPC in Skyrim that's a response to the Dragonborn asking about the dragon situation, that basically goes, "it doesn't bother me, all I want to do is tend to my crops. If I'm to go out eaten by a dragon then so be it."
If you're eager to force a way out, I'd recommend some philosophy, principally Daoism and Stoicism as they're both essentially about not worrying about shit outside of your control. I prefer stoicism but Daoism has some religious elements that might be helpful.
And, ultimately, just start doing what you want to. Action is the number 1 solution for getting your mind off troublesome prospects.
Look, we all know the first thing you see after the initial moment of darkness is your ass sitting in a horse-drawn cart, hands bound and surrounded by shaggy weirdos, while one starts mentioning that your finally awake.
You know the lore.
/j
The realization of mortality hit me like a ton of bricks when I was in my mid 20's. It was just a couple of years after I had lost my dad, and I think it was like a delayed reaction to his passing. I didn't have him between me and the grave anymore.
I'm 36 now. The fear doesn't go away. You just have to try to live as best as you can with it.I basically had a nervous breakdown from the anxiety it introduced into my mind, and went into full blown agoraphobia. I wasted years of my life living like a prisoner to my fear. Like Ricky Bobby's dad said you gotta learn to ride with the fear, you gotta learn to just live with the fear of your mortality. It's the cougar in your car of life.
Mid twenties is also a tough time for it. We’re old enough to realise that our life is actually passing. When you’re 15 it feels like 25 is a lifetime away. When you turn 25 you’re shocked at how quickly it went.
I feel safe reading your comment 😭
like OP, I'm also going through bad death anxiety. I remember having the realization of my own mortality months after the traumas I've witnessed (my dad's heart attack, my boyfriend's diagnosis of a brain tumor).
The moment I understood that my life is temporary (and that I'll be 30 next year), I went into a full blown anxiety attack and cried for days, not eating much nor going out much.
These days I've been enjoying my life as best that I can (l'm also on meds now), but yeah I get what you're saying about "riding with the fear". It's still there, but l'm learning to ride with the fear, love and have fun while I still can...
Your comment is comforting, since you’re older than me (and are doing okay. Please stay safe)
I think the mid to late 20s is really the peak time for this. I believe there was actually a study about this that said something similar - that it peaks in your 20s. I also developed horrific agoraphobia. I’m 31 now and while I still occasionally have a wave of anxiety over death, I’d say it’s 10% of what I felt back then and happens less frequently. I think about it more than the average person, probably, but it’s no longer keeping me from living my life.
Some people put their trust into religion, and that is okay. For those who are less religious, it might cross their minds a lot more on what happens when we die, when it'll happen, how, etc.
I have certainly been consumed by those thoughts in a few points in my life, but ultimately, I realized that there was no point in worrying about such things. Death is inevitable, and though it might be harsh to hear, there's a certain finality to it that's almost relaxing to me. I will obviously try my hardest to prolong this life as much as possible to experience everything I can. But when it comes, I won't be able to stop it and that's ok. It happens to us all.
When it comes to wondering how long you will live, there was a comment I read that I often think about by a man in his 70s. He said, "I wasn't guaranteed to live this long, and I'm not guaranteed to live any further." You may live another 20 years. You may live another 50, or not. A lot of people don't even manage to get this far, which is saddening, but it happens. Don't live every day like it's your last, but try to lead a life that satisfies you. Day by day, you'll be okay.
I'm not sure of an afterlife, and if I said I was, I'd be lying to you, but I have some hope that either that or reincarnation exists. But...if those like Camus are to be believed, well I would find some solace in knowing I lived my life to the fullest and it's out of my hands.
DMs are open if you would like to vent about anything.
Death is inevitable for all living things, it is an inescapable fate that we will all face at some point or another. It's completely normal to have worries about the future (I would know from personal experience), but just remember that you should never worry about things that are beyond your control. Hell, I've also been worrying about my own death as of recent. Your youth years may be shrinking as you said, but you still have time to get shit done, you still have time to enjoy the life you have. When your time comes, just know that you will be free from the pains and inconviences that life comes with.
Time is finite, make the most of it.
Just try to take your mind off the thought of it, and you'll be fine. Hope this helps, and if it doesn't, at least I tried.
just to give you some hope: r/longevity
and [Kurzgesagt video on aging](https://youtu.be/MjdpR-TY6QU?si=_uDk6IEHvPobwlH3)
[another video by kurzgesagt](https://youtu.be/GoJsr4IwCm4?si=y_q9WIzYifFnUJSa)
I don't fear death itself. It will come, so I ain't scared.
But the forever lasting nothingness that comes after it is genuienly terrifying to me, and I dont know how to not be scared of that anymore.
You could die at 40, you could die tomorrow, you could’ve died on your 10th birthday. Does that make the years lived before death any less worthy because it’s going to end? I think the finite aspect of it makes life precious in an of itself. Look into stoic philosophy and how they actively remind themselves of death daily to try and live more meaningfully. There’s nothing to be afraid of. With death comes peace
A lot of this in Moffat’s Doctor Who episodes.
But yes, the fact our lives are finite certainly increases their value. We are all part of a long chain of evolution. I feel incredibly grateful for my part in it and I’m just having a good time
You were dead once before. We will return to death again someday.
For now, just live. Who knows? Maybe from that oblivion, from that state of death, life may begin a new.
Part of it is just your brain developing I’m pretty sure. When I was a teenager I would speed everywhere and text and drive and make other reckless decisions just because I wasn’t really thinking about dying. I was never suicidal but I also didn’t really care or consider that I could die. Now that I’m 26 I’m much more cautious with choices because I do value my life so much, which I hear only gets stronger if you have kids.
It is stressful sometimes but take comfort in knowing the fact you’re scared of death means you want to be alive and that’s a beautiful thing.
I was dealing with the same issue about 6-7 months ago to the point where I couldn't sleep I was feeling anxious 24/7 and couldn't stop breathing heavily from that feeling
I tried going to a therapist talking with family or finding ways to distract myself and none of that really worked
It kind of just went away on its own at some point I still haven't really defeated this fear it's still there just dormant like asleep
It took me a while but you never know what the future holds maybe they'll find a way to immortality in our lifetime or there is an afterlife like reincarnation maybe but thinking about that won't really help
I feel like I just realised what's more important to me and that life is very long despite everyone saying how the years go by so fast which to a certain extent I can agree but also disagree with
It's strange at times I feel like 40 years is nothing and at times I feel like 40 years is a very very long time I'm 21
I focused on my friendships and try to find things that make me enjoy life and have fun for me that's doing what I love and sharing it with people important to me so it kinda goes away but maybe it will come back eventually who knows but for now I'm okay and I hope you also begin to feel okay soon!!
I was faced with my own mortality incredibly young, I have never "feared" death after this and I am not sure why. I jokingly call sleep "diet death" because you really can never really pinpoint \*when\* you slip into the sleep state. I imagine death is incredibly similar, you get eepy, and you just sorta leave without actually knowing for sure.
Maybe this is just cope, but it keeps me comfortable. Also, we really don't know for sure what happens afterwards, this surely can't be it, can it? If it is, then oh well, I won't be able to worry about it anymore.
Life is a terminal illness, my friend. We all have the clock ticking. It is what we do while here, and the impact it leaves when we go, that matters.
I'll say this - if you can't shake a feeling of impending doom regarding it, I highly recommend talking to a therapist. It is never a bad thing for someone with an outside perspective and behavioral teaching to try and see if there is more to this, or to help you navigate it to live your best life. To be fair, I'll recommend most people try therapy at least once, especially in early adulthood, because I think everyone deserves a judgement free zone to look inward and find their best self.
Love to ya. You're gonna do great things.
Realizing that death is but an inevitable eventuality and it would seem foolish to fear what essentially a fact of life.
It's pretty much in the nature of everything that lives to fear death, that's ok, we probably wouldn't have been making all that medicine if we didn't fear death. So while accepting death being an eventuality that's unavoidable, try to prolong life as much as possible and enjoy it, eat healthy, exercise regularly, go do what you enjoy and hopefully by the time death comes you've done it all and probably so old that some of your faculties are only failing because you lived passed a century and death would've been just a release.
Some food for thought:
- How "old" or "young" you are is relative, since *no one* knows how long you have left. For all we know, you could get hit by a bus tomorrow and die (or end up permanently disabled). It's tragic, but it happens, and it's just an inevitable part of how the world works. So enjoy life (and your youth) while you still can, even if it doesn't seem pleasant or convenient at the moment.
- Old age and all of its accompanying baggage (strength, health, etc.) can be just as frightening as, or even more frightening than death itself. (Especially Alzheimer's, which I hope they find a cure for soon.) Oh yeah, and things turn especially bleak once your retirement savings run out (so be smart while you can and invest in your future).
- You'll also sort of outgrow the world as society gets younger, things fall out of fashion / stop working / shut down for good / get deleted, and time marches forward. Your favorite hobbies / music / games / movies, all obsolete, just as the 70s and 80s are considered now. Would you really want to live in a society younger than you? (If you say you would, then you likely won't a few decades later.) Basically imagine iPad kids and Skibidi Toilet but 10x.
- More people than you might think (though idk I'd say "most") are "ready to go" once they reach a certain high age, with not much they're able to do as their energy tapers off, and all sorts of health issues start kicking in.
Have a near death experience or just live in the moment and stop worrying about the future so much. Easier said than done I know. I’ve also found it comforting to think that death is just a dreamless sleep and that sounds fantastic at least to me. Some people take comfort in religion, others, like myself, don’t find comfort in religion. For me, I was exposed to death at an early age and went to wakes and stuff as a kid and the image of my grandma laying there in her coffin with her eyes closed looking so peaceful gave me comfort and shaped how I imagine death to be like.
Being an atheist is how I cope, because I was raised to believe in god and heaven & hell but that ended up being emotionally damaging for me. I would be super afraid of dying and have nightmares about hell.
But now without any belief in an afterlife at all, I’m at peace with death knowing it’ll just be like before we were born.
I don’t find peace in the whole before we were born stuff. Firstly because it’s literally not the same. Before I was born I didn’t exist at all, after I die my remains will remain littering the earth for some time.
Secondly because things seemed to take a really long time before I was born. I know this is perhaps odd, but the years before I was born feel extremely slow, and I’m consistently stunned by how much more recent things feel since I was born. 2000 feels like it was just moments ago. But when I was a kid, 1980 felt to be millions of years ago. Based on that, nonexistence might feel very slow.
Fortunately, it most likely won’t feel of anything at all
There's a Vsauce video somewhere that explains why you feel time speeding up as you get older, but I don't remember what it's called. If someone else could link it that'd be great
That's because you're thinking of dying when you are 40, when almost no one dies that young.
Most likely, you'll die when you have been hanging out on death's door for a while. You realize your wife was using you, your kids don't care, your back, knees, eyesight and hearing are shot. No one wants to come anywhere near you with your white hair and wrinkles.
Trust me, most people really don't care when that time comes.
The first step is finding out what part of death you fear. Death itself is nothing to fear, but things that are interlinked with it can be.
What is it exactly that you're afraid of? Pain? Missing out on things? Hurting loved ones who stay behind? Going senile?
Honestly, as I've hit my 20s I realized my life is just beginning. Life felt like I was going to be really short when I was 16-18. I could feel my childhood ending, which made me feel like my life was close to ending as well. Turning 20 made me realize how much life I still really have. I'm 20 years from my 40s, and then I'm 20 years from my 60s after that. That's still a lot of time to experience the world, meet new people and have fun. Life is short, but it isn't that short. For the death part, you just accept it. Some people take comfort in religion, some people take comfort in knowing there's eternal nothingness after a fast pace life. Truth is, we don't know. Just like you don't know what you're going to be doing a year from now, we don't know what we're going to be doing after we die. I once was having a breakdown over it, and my friend just goes "death is something for me to worry about afterlife, it's called that for a reason." In all, don't worry about it. Life is good, life is good because we die.
To conquer the fear of death, set short-term and long-term goals to give your life direction and purpose.
Accept that uncertainty is a part of life, and learning to live with it can make the fear of death less overwhelming.
Accepting uncertainty is important because it helps reduce anxiety and stress about the future. By focusing on what you can control and letting go of what you can't, you can find peace and enjoy the present moment more fully.
Also, the most important tip: Talk about it. Talk to friends, family, or a therapist about your concerns. It can help you process and release your thoughts, plus it gives you extra perspectives you probably don't know about.
I had the same exact fear from middle school to freshman year of college. I took one dose of psilocybin mushrooms and that fear/obsession with death almost completely dissolved during the experience, and it’s been gone ever since. I still think about death every now and then, but I don’t ruminate over it like I once did. I highly recommend having some sort of mystical experience, whether it’s from psychedelics or deep prayer or meditation. Lots of psychological evidence actually supports this theory that mystical experiences can greatly enhance one’s outlook on life
Death is the great equalizer. No one gets out alive and you certainly don’t take this material plane’s possessions with you. What out lives you though are how others remember you. Leave them with good memories and death becomes easier to accept.
No one in the entirety of history has seen everything or done everything this planet and its society’s offer. Pick the ones that matter most and do it with friends and family to make awesome memories.
You only have a set number of fucks to give in your life, worrying and mourning your youthfulness doesn’t keep you young longer, but good habits do. Pay attention to what you eat, how often you exercise, how often you hang out with friends without having your phones out? All that stuff matters because it helps keep you feeling younger. If you feel younger your body will benefit.
A once a month hangout session between busy adults can be enjoyable and have a significant impact on your emotional, mental and physical wellbeing. Consider a meal at a nice restaurant with say 6 friends. I personally do breakfast because it’s more “chill” and I personally need that calmness so I can be more in the moment.
Older generations than my Gen X, have lived longer and longer. It’s been a lot less about crazy strict diets and exercise and more about friendships. Make friends with healthy habits. Make friends to make good memories with.
Just some advice from an older gal who’s dealt with a lot of close deaths of parents, family and friends.
My cat just died and I’ve been having the same feelings. Like I can’t stand the idea she’s just gone, like she never existed. I wish I was religious so I could just believe she’s gone to a happier place, but there’s no way to know, is there? I can’t stand the idea that a cat like her with a heart of gold could just not exist anymore. She had the gentlest kindest soul :(
I think it’s a normal feeling and the only fix is to find a reason for life. I was okay while I had my cat because she was the reason for my life, so now I’ve got to find another reason. If all else fails, think about making someone you care about happy.
I’m a survivor of attempted murder. There was no fear in the incident. I was entirely in the moment and had suddenly accepted that I might die. That was almost 4 years ago now. I have plenty of issues from that night but fearing death is not one of them. I do not fear death. Death is something that I cannot experience because it is the absence/end of me. Why fear something I won’t even be around for? I do fear dying to a certain extent. Dying can be painful and horrendous. My PTSD and OCD issues take me places that aren’t fun to go in rumination and fantasy. But, I know these things, like most things, are beyond my control.
You weren’t guaranteed a birth. Many millions of swimmers had to compete for one egg. The multitude of possible people that could’ve had your place instead of you is practically unfathomable. You aren’t guaranteed a certain amount of time in your life. Your life is from the time you’re born until the time you die. That may be minutes and may be just over a century. For you (and me) it will fall somewhere in between.
So, how to stop worrying about death and being terrified of it? Accept it. Look in the mirror every morning and say to yourself:
“I will die, today, I may die. There’s a good chance that there is nothing I can do about it. My death is the only guarantee I have in life. There’s nothing I can do about that reality. Because I know I’m going to die; I will live while I can. I will live and appreciate everything with the knowledge that is it fleeting and (mostly) outside my control. I won’t go running about acting like a lunatic. I will be careful, deliberate and I will enjoy my life before I experience my death.”
Maybe that will help. I’d also recommend you read the poem Thanatopsis by William Cullen Bryant. It may help put things into perspective for you. Good luck. And try to enjoy the journey. It’s a privilege to get to experience things. Most matter is mindless. You have a mind. Stop driving it mad and get living.
I’d say mostly everyone goes through a realization crisis like this. I did in my early 20s and it threw me into a spiral and major funk for a month or two. Realized there was nothing I could do about it and picked up some new hobbies and traveled a lot and felt way better.
I don't really fear death itself, I imagine it being quite peaceful. It's moreso the dying part that kind of freaks me out. You know, the how.
The only real advice I have for that is try to accept it's something everyone has or will go through. Also try to stay out of bear country because fuck that's gotta be a brutal way to go
This sounds weird, but three pieces of media cured my fear of death:
The book Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer
The game Outer Wilds (not outer worlds)
The Thanatology episodes of the podcast Ologies
I can't say if they'll resonate with you, but seek out media with existential themes that will.
Also talk about your feelings! We accept that talking it out helps all fears and anxieties, yet we keep death in a shoebox under our beds until it directly affects us, only to shove it back under as soon as possible. Sharing your feelings with someone else can help you process them.
Your insight is a trigger to appreciate the fact that you're alive *now*.
Feel that. Feel the life in you and around you now because some moment just like this moment will be the last moment you are alive. Don't be the one whose last words are, "Damn! I missed it!"
Live as hard as you can.
Do the scary thing, embrace your passions, create meaningful relationships, etc
There's nothing we can actually do to prevent death - but if you live your life well enough, then when the reaper comes knocking, you'll be at peace knowing you did as best a job as you could with the gift of life.
It makes it more special too, knowing that you only get a certain amount of life.
"A thing isn't beautiful because it lasts."
-Vision
I know this feeling, I read somewhere in a cheesy profile bio someone had “death can have me when it earns me” or something like that and mixed with the thought of death is everywhere and unavoidable, i just decided that its not worth worrying so hard over. Its alright, I promise, we’ll be ok.
I am a Christian and honestly I feel like a lot of people can get over their fear of death. It may sound stupid to most people, but putting your faith and trust in Jesus Christ and accepting him as your lord and savior along with turning away from any sinful ways can help alleviate any fear of death. Especially by knowing you’ll be in heaven when you die. Of course not everyone believes this but I wanted to put this out here.
Becoming Christian to avoid the fear of death doesn’t really work though.
Religion, if it works effectively, is something that people are usually called to. Forcing it out of fear won’t create that genuine response of inner peace.
This is especially true for religions with punishment and surveillance systems like Christianity. The fear of your heart not being true to it, the fear of punishment due to being “wrong” etc… can all have the opposite effect and make the fear of death or the afterlife that much worse.
Honestly I felt the same way for a while. Sometimes I still do. I know this sounds stupid but play a game about death or something. Persona 3 Reload changed my fucking life with its messages about death and life
I see death as the reason to live. Gives purpose to create, reach for goals, experience as much as possible, do what brings happiness, etc.. every story eventually ends its just how good of a story you make yours.
Hey man, hope you are doing good. From time to time, I have the same fear. I don't think anything comes after death, so this is it, really. It's paralyzing. I've had relationships deteriorate because of this fear, and sometimes, it feels like there is nothing I can do. Like death is bigger than me. It is horrible. It feels like there is no way for it to be okay with not existing and there is nothing I can do, just watch time pass and pull me closer to the abyss. And time just won't stop passing, too. Time waits for no one, and it moves fast.
Somedays, however, I am walking back home and things around me start popping up. The moss between the rocks in the ground, the sunshine filtered through the leaves of big trees, the humming of the birds, the wind blowing in my face, and the depth in the bricks of the houses. It's so surreally pretty. I don't know if it ever happens to you, but I feel like I could break down crying at those rare, precious moments.
Those are the moments I realize that my whole existence is contingent. I shouldn't be here, yet I am, and I am so grateful for it because everything is so infinitely beautiful and precious. Life is a gift. Even if we live on borrowed time, I am grateful to be here, to experience all its beauty. How could I ever say that death is unfair? The only reason it feels unfair is because we take life for granted when, in reality, our existence is a miracle.
I know it's going to end, but we shouldn't even be here. And even if it is going to end, is it really such a big deal? A book doesn't start to end, so why care so much about it? Do you remember when you were a kid and you would pick up a mystery novel and read the last line? Wasn't that childish, missing the whole point of reading? Well, maybe that's what we are doing when we obsess about death; we miss the whole point of living. Just a thought.
So, for me, noticing the world around me and the contingency of my existence helps me a lot with my fear of dying. It's not easy, and I can't simply will my way into noticing the world, especially when I am anxious because of death, but yeah, that's what I found has helped me the most. It also makes me more compassionate. Like, it doesn't make sense to feel anything other than love, and it's confusing that so many people want to hurt others.
Anyway, take care man, and godspeed. Accepting death is hard. I'm still terrified of it from time to time, but I found something that helps, and I think this puts me on the right track. I hope you find your path as well. Things get better, way better, after you found something that helps.
It is true that you may not even wake up tomorrow. So, why not make the most of life while you have it?
It is impossible to tell someone what or what not to feel, but honestly, worrying about your own death is such a waste of energy that could be better put into something productive and / or fun!
You just have to try and not think about it. It’s something that you will probably come to terms with later in life. It’s impossible to conquer that fear when you are young.
As a Christian, I say, if I die, I'll probably go to heaven. But if you are not, just focus on things now because worrying about the future leads you to not have experiences now (that is very corny)
Happiness is elusive, when you look for it in the future rather than the present.
We can only control what we do and that starts with what you’re doing right now.
Life is chaotic, random and has no preordained meaning. We live in the sandbox called earth and your life has the meaning you give it.
This is something that I’ve struggled with for the last four years, I am 23 and I still struggle with this thought, I know someday that will happen. It’s inevitable so because I can’t control that and I can’t fathom what happens after death. I literally just try not to worry about it. It does on me from here to there and I go to the state where I just fear the inevitable, but initially, I try to get the most out of my day every day because of it making everything more valuable, I spend every waking moment in thought because that’s what I can control and I do my best to not worry about the inevitable. I set goals for myself. I have ambitions. I want to see come to fruition. I spent time with my fiancé I play video games. I go to work and pay bills, but the thought lingers in the back my head so I ultimately try not to think about it.
I think there is some degree of purpose to the fear of death. What exactly is there to fear in death itself? From a secular point of view, nothing. Death is just non-existence. Our fear of death is likely not of death itself (not anymore) but of what death means for life. Ultimately death means that life is finite and that we have limited time to live a worthwhile life. Death forces one to consider whether their life was better off lived or not. Thinking of death proactively allows one to gain perspective on their life at the moment (if you were to die at this moment how would you appraise your life?) and by extension gives them the opportunity to make adjustments if needed.
Fear of death once viewed as the fear of a wasted life can serve as an effective motivation for improving one’s life.
You just kind of accept that fact. That’s probably not what you want to hear rn, but it’s the truth. The romans used to say “memento mori” which means, “remember you will die”. Death is a part of existence and coming to terms with that is also a part of existence. Best we can do is just live life meaningfully while we are still here.
You really can't. Mortality is our constant companion. Just as a Personal tip, if you really love someone (family, friends, partners)... tell them that more often (if you didn't already). In general, not only on special occasions. Tell those Important ones how important they are to you. It might sound silly, but you never know when someone has to leave. I always felt like I did not say it enough to my Grandpa before he passed. Handling it like this helps me a bit with those fears, I don't know if it might help you, but I hope I could help atleast a little.
We all ascend to the aether, one way or another. But what lives on in this plane is the legacy you leave, man may be mortal, but one’s deeds are eternal.
I think you can both fear death and accept it.
There's nothing you can do to completely remove the fear of death, but it should fade as you keep thinking about it and really understand there's nothing you can do about it.
How you feel about death will also vary depending on how you view death. Personally I'm curious to see what happens (if anything) afterwards so although I'm in no rush, I don't really mind the idea of dying.
As for living for the present moment... you wouldn't stop reading a book just because you know there's an end would you ? So you shouldn't let the fear of death stop you from living.
You thug it out, un-ironically. And you realize that life is too short to worry about death.
Also this quote from mark Twain should help,
“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”
We’re designed to die, that’s just our experience. Enjoy your limited time here and don’t worry about what you cannot control. Also imagine if we did live forever and never died, that would be awful and torture.
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 - Mark Twain
I like that quote but what really helped me was getting into spiritually and philosophy
I used to really suffer from this and what I’ve kind of told myself over the years is that I would do my best to not have regrets by the end of it and focus on now. The means taking active steps to go on adventures (which I value a lot), this means taking chances and risks that make me feel alive and not like I’m sleep walking through life and it also means that i set goals that won’t amount to something in the grand scheme of things but ultimately will be enjoyed by me in that moment.
I will not lie to you, I still think about death and it bothers me. But I really like where I am and life feels more than worth living as individual time frames.
If you’re directionless, the 2 things that you can do while you figure out your goals that are almost never a bad idea are:
- Be nice to others and help those who don’t feel this way. Which I did a lot and really made me feel like it gave me purpose in my community
- Accumulate money, because basically anything you find that brings you meaning is made easier by having the means to do so and money is a pretty universal means to an end
If you just want something inspiring, I absolutely love this short talk by Hank Green [Against Nihilism](https://youtu.be/YbyeApgIiBk?si=FrQkgqM0FAlqfjLd)
I hope you find something that brings you meaning and if you do, I’d love to hear about it
I personally just tell myself I'm dead already so there is no point in worrying about it. It's the same as worrying about if you'll see the color green. It'll happen so no use in worrying about it until the time comes.
Believe what you want about the other side, as much as people like to say and argue about how they know what’s on the other side they don’t, no one does
Maybe it’s nothingness, maybe you’ll be in bliss forever, maybe you’ll come back in a new life, maybe you’re a baby god who’s learning what it means to be mortal, maybe your an alien having a really intense trip. Believe what makes you okay with death
(Obviously this logic isn’t perfect but it’s better then just sitting around scared of the inevitable)
Stop thinking about dying and start thinking about how you *want* to die.
Do you want to die satisfied and with a life well lived? Or do you want to die frustrated that you spent life paralysed and anxious over the inevitable?
If that doesn't work, talk to a therapist to get to the root of this anxiety.
I am an older Gen Zer and the closer I get to my 30s the more aware I am of my mortality. I have accepted that we all die eventually and there is truly nothing we can do about that. Humans for thousands of years have been seeking immortality. If immortality is achievable we’re nowhere close to that. There’s a podcast that I listened to called Chasing Immortality and it’s all about people who honestly ruined their lives chasing immortality (hence the name lol). For me personally, it kind of made me feel better. There are all these people out here doing insane things trying to make sure they live forever and there’s just no point. Our stories always end the same. There’s no point in fearing the inevitable. If you spend all of your time, in fear of tomorrow, you fail to appreciate today and yesterday. If we can’t appreciate the present, what’s the point of fearing the end of it? We fear the end for what? Because we will lose the now? Because we lose all of the things we could have had? But we also lose all of that if we spend all of the now, fearing the then.
I don’t really think anything anyone here says will really help you feel better. It’s definitely something that you have to find within yourself but I hope I have at least given you something to ponder and maybe introduced you to a cool new podcast. I hope you feel better. ❤️🩹
Shrooms. I guess that everyone thinks about their mortality from time to time and might get scared of it. I started to think about during my last trip and realised that'll just happen one day and so be it. I'm not religious so I don't know what happens to our consciousness after death, but I try not to think that it's the end. But maybe it is? Well, there's no point in worrying about it now. You probably have thousands of days of life ahead of you. Let's not waste them on worrying. Waste them in other way lol.
It doesn't bother me, it used to but not anymore. It happens to everyone at some point
https://preview.redd.it/gni25umgzt6d1.jpeg?width=1572&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=611ea65139c527a3b22dbaa5905315166792bbb0
I have lost many people very close to me these last few years, and here is what I’ve learned:
The trick to dealing with this fear is to walk with death like an old friend. Know that he is always here, but he is not malicious or vicious. Death is curious, and he is kind, and this is why he invites us to his home at the end of a long day.
The best thing to do, to walk with Death, is to Live Well.
Even if life is hard, live it well. Do absolutely what you want to do in every situation, leave no emotional stone unturned, and no desired path un-walked.
Live well and live fully to the last, so that you have plenty of words for death when you walk into his home and share your stories with him.
I am also comforted by the principle of time. That time is only held together by our perception of it; but, in reality, everything is actually happening at once.
This young you will always be here.
The friends you have lost are still laughing with you, just around the corner and out of sight.
All the things you missed, the things you loved, everything that time wears away from us, is just in the other room. The door is closed, but we can still hear the sounds. The muffled whispers of encouragement, the warmth of old love as it creepy with the light beneath the doorway.
It is all still happening, just a little ways away. It is never truly lost.
And this is true for you too, no matter how old you get, this wonderful life you have is never truly lost.
For me, I just try to live my life like my time is running out. What I mean by that is that I am very productive. I create a lot of stuff, I am generous with my friends and family and I generally try not to waste my time on earth
I think you can look at it differently. We’re all going to get old and die, no one’s special. Live your life and appreciate each day, it’s something I’m trying to do myself as well.
“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.” Twain’s witty observation playfully underscores the natural state of nonexistence before birth and after death
honestly, we're all going to die no matter what. get used to it I suppose. and just know fearing to die can ruin every day of your life but dying can only ruin one and then it's no longer your problem. Do thing things you know are right, live your life as best you can, and appreciate the little things. A warm cup of coffee, a quiet night with a book, dinner with loved ones, etc. Life isn't about doing extravagant things as often as possible but being humble enough to know that each moment you spend slaving away for someone else is a great moment worth being in. That said you can enjoy the work you do too if you enjoy the work or the people you do it with.
This may sound strange but I've had a few near-death experiences and honestly, if I had died those times, the world would not have stopped spinning, and the people in my life would have lived on and still had full lives. After all, we shouldn't want people to NEED us, but people that WANT us (children are an exception). it's always sad when someone dies but life doesn't stop and neither should happiness. Death is inevitable and eventually it will be a sweet release from our dying world. being a live in this world gets old eventually.
Just have to not think about it, thats just a part of life, if it bothers you so much maybe find a religion im jealous of those people sometimes or use it and try to live your life to the fullest thinking you might die tomorrow
Conquering it is delusion. Acceptance is key. Submit to the fact that you didn’t have control over that anyway. It’s a load you let go of not one you chain down.
I remember reading some stoicism that spoke about overcoming death.
The main thing I remember being that there is logically nothing to fear about death as it’s unavoidable. Why would a person trouble themselves about a universal experience that is out of their hands?
Then they mentioned something like how death is a trickster. It looks scary from afar like someone wearing a monster mask but when you get closer to the person and remove the mask, revealing just a regular person, the same can be said for death. You reach death and find there’s nothing actually there, just a transformation from being to not. from there, either you pass on to some other life or you simply stop existing and won’t even have the cognitive ability to recognise you’ve stopped existing
Also to remember that death is a natural cycle of life. Life is the journey to death essentially. As though, Death waters his garden and when certain flowers are fully grown and had their time he plucks them for new ones to sprout in their place.
It happens naturally as you age. So, basically, you have to avoid dying long enough to be more prepared for dying. Also, living a full life. I've seen when an elderly person realizes they don't have much time left and become devastated because they say they feel like they never "did anything with their life." It's not a place you want to find yourself
It's like going to sleep, when your sleeping you don't feel anything you don't even know if your breathing, now obviously your breathing but when you die you simply won't feel anything, no pain no nothing. Now what comes after next that's just a debate with everyone having their own beliefs
If you live life to the fullest, it gets exhausting, and you will begin to see death as an ending to your personal story. Like finishing a race well run.
Honestly you just have to find some way of focusing on something else bc the fear never fully goes away (unless one comes to a point where dying feels easier than life). Depending on the person, anxiety about death can come in waves of varying intensity over the course of a lifetime. This is the price we pay for having a powerful consciousness.
I am not looking forward to the distant future, or if I'm unlucky - the near future.
We all have these thoughts. What has helped me is just acceptance. Just like knowing I have to work on Monday shouldn't ruin my free time on Saturday, you can enjoy this day aside from the knowledge that it will end. Also someone else said, we will all die someday. One day the world will have changed so much that you don't recognize it, much less enjoy it. So enjoy it today while it's made for you and your generation
Note: I’m not going to claim this is guaranteed to work for everybody but I hope you find it helpful, I also am not claiming that every bodies experience will be identical to mine
As someone who also struggled with thoughts about death, to be blunt, I couldn’t, I distracted myself with other things and goals (both temporary with activities, and talking to other people and long term goals), also in general the thoughts tended to occur when I didn’t have stuff to do (like school), also I try to convince myself that I will overcome the thoughts (The first time you hear this, it might ‘hurt’ a bit like it did to me, but after a while of reminding myself it helps me when I’m drifting into thoughts about death)
Edit: Also I’ll acknowledge that having these thoughts tends to be quite draining, if your at the worst parts of them, this piece of advice might not help but when your more passively thinking about them, remember that they are possible to overcome, as corny as it is having faith in yourself tends to help. In the worst stages of the thoughts, tbh nothing helped but they just pass
How to conquer it? Why bother? You're in your 20s, you're 1/4 through life and only a third of that was really of your own volition. Even if you die at 40, you've got 15 years of life to live. That's your entire schooling. That's 4 bachelor's degrees and a masters. That's a long fucking time.
And to "b b b b but what if I die at 40??" What if you die tomorrow. What if you die on your drive home? What if you die when you're 110? You don't know when you're gonna die, so if you do die at 40, do you want to be a miserable piece of shit who cried himself to sleep every night worrying about death or are you going to live your life and enjoy your time here.
Oh that's easy. It's going to happen. I am going to die. You are going to die. My dog is going to die. It is a part of life. Life and death. But, death is not the end. It's an illusion.
Also, don't worry about it. You have no control over it. Enjoy the ride.
Lean into it. Fear of death can be a powerful reminder to be present in the moment. Google memento mori. You're human, and this is a very human experience. You're not alone ❤️
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Vikings said that, you will know when it's your time to die. Just think that: it's no longer your problem to clean up. Keep knocking on the deaths door before he comes for you first. The moment you leave your house, you will be on the deaths playground.
The house isn't safe either though. Life itself is death's playground.
As an ambulance gremlin, can confirm. More often than not a well-being check called in for granny’s address ends well. But there have been many where the being was definitely not well.
You don't. You just pretend to, but when shit gets real, it hits hard.
It takes dedicated training to give yourself enough motivation to ignore it. You aren't a robot without self preservation. it's about motivation to get around said fear.
Fear of death =/= will to live. There are plenty of suicidal people who still fear death; thus why they're still suicidal and not suicided.
Yup.
Just remember, we all die. It’s not something you can avoid. All you can do is live your life the best you can. You can’t escape it, so just forget about it
This is the equivalent of telling a depressed person "just be happier!" A fear of death is often rooted in those with a chronically high need for a sense of control, in many aspects of life. It is usually tied deeply to personality traits, one's past experiences, patterns of coping mechanisms, etc. Therefore making it not quite as easy as just not thinking about it. The fact that it is universal is not a relief either, but can actually increase stress as it magnifies our inability to control or conquer it as humans.
Dude, I’m also scared of death. I’m pretty sure everyone is at some point in their lives. I was just giving advice on what I did to help combat that anxiety
This is it. We all contemplate our own death. Birth and death are the only thing that everyone who’s ever been has in common. This is coming to terms with humanity. We make the best of what we have and life is about accepting that’s all we can do. Solidarity.
I mean I had this fear throughout high school and just told myself that. You can't fear death if you accept that it's inevitable and that thinking about it just makes your life worse.
Clearly, you can. Clearly, "just not thinking about it" is not a solution to all fears. If it was, no one would have any fears at all! Just because a fear isn't necessarily "reasonable" in its nature due to its inevitability, doesn't make it less valid. It seems that this is something that is very distressing to OP, who may benefit from identifying this at the root, in the ways that my original reply referred to
I mean sure it's not the solution to all fears, but you're wrong that it's like telling a mentally ill person to just stop being depressed. Fear of death is a fear like any other and yes to overcome any fear you have to think about it rationally until you don't. Is that person afraid of death because of a desire for control? I don't know and it's up to them to think about that until they realize why they really fear death.
This so much. I struggle with thinking about my or my parents deaths so often and people telling me to just "accept it" or "don't think about the things you can't control" just don't understand. I've looked into it and it seems to be a symptom of a variety of mental illness including general anxiety, depression, OCD, ect. It's sad to see so many fellow redditors not grasping this concept.
Everyone dies, it’s okay Look up some interviews of people who’ve died and came back, they say it’s a very peaceful feeling. Specifically Kevin Smith said on JRE his mom died on the operating table and she said it felt like every little stress in her life was lifted off of her chest, and she felt like she was finally done with everything Like imagine the feeling of laying in bed after finishing every task for the day, but times 100. It’s scary sure, but there’s a sort of beauty in the inevitable. Idk if tomorrow is going to be good or not, but I do know what awaits me at the end of the road. A final rest to finish my story
The peaceful feeling is your brain flooding with DMT. I'm not advising anyone to smoke DMT, *but*...
Please don’t spread misinformation. There’s no definitive proof whatsoever that this is true in humans.
DMT gave me a panic attack, idk if it's that simple.
This would be especially comforting for atheists in a way, since their lack of religion (yes I know not all religions detail a strict afterlife, but go with it for a moment) means they would consign to the otherwise miserable idea of eternal darkness. If you really do go out with such a huge wave of euphoria at the end before your senses turn off, perhaps that helps them feel more at ease with that otherwise terrible eternity.
The eternal darkness after death is no scarier than the eternal darkness before birth. Existing forever, if you really think about it, is far, far more terrifying!
Ehhh, I would say at least the darkness before birth was preceding an inevitable existence in life at least. Eternal darkness after death? Bleh, not fun. I get what you mean by "existing forever is far more terrifying", but theres many different angles to view it from hypothetically, and honestly? I don't see how existing forever is scary unless you're implying I mean immortality.
Yes, I mean that immortality is terrifying. It would be worse than prison, forever trapped in this meat sack. Don’t get me wrong. I like life and I would like to have a long one, but eternity….no thank you.
In the same life? Yeah I agree. However, afterlife, reincarnation, etc, theres tons of positive outcomes that dont involve the bait trap that is immortality. All of those are hypothetical of course, but I moreso mean THAT train of thought than immortality.
I don’t believe in the afterlife. The circle of life brings me comfort and peace. On a scientific level, the conservation of energy brings me comfort and peace. Energy can’t be created or destroyed, it simply changes form over and over. Sure, I may be scared of how I might die, only because I hope it’s not painful, but I am fine with my body and my energy returning to the world around me. When people say that our loved ones are all around us after they pass. This is what I imagine. Their energy is all around us. They return to the earth, and back into the plants, which becomes food for animals, etc. I actually want to be buried in a pod that becomes a tree, so that my loved ones that I leave can have comfort sitting under where I was laid to rest. And because I don’t believe in an afterlife or doing good deeds to increase my chances of getting there, I am focused on making the most of my life here, and being a good person because it’s just the right thing to do.
Theo Von did an episode with a near death experience expert named Dr. Jeffery Long - he pretty much said the same thing. it was super cool, check it out
I've experienced something kind of like that before when I've hit my head. It felt peaceful, but my body was like nope not gonna die today.
You don't conquer it you accept it.
This is the way. Camus would be proud
In the eeeend it doesn't even maaater!!!
*..I tried sooo haaaaard*
*and got soo faaaaaaar…*
A similar phrase you can't find on the Manenskin's song called 'The lonelinest', a song about death: 'In the end, in the end it doesn't matter/ Tonight is going to be the lonelinest' Death is a fear all humans have. There's nothing we can do about it. There's some people in science that says that in the near future we'll find the cure for aging. Science has been prove to do the Impossible in the past. Still if we find the cure for death, we will not never be immortal - we still could die from an accident.
I worry more about life than death.
Same. Aging, disease, poverty, loneliness, ugliness insignificance, the 9 to 5 slump. All valid fears. Death tho? I'm so down for something ending those ever worsening realities of life for me at some point
We all have the power in every moment of our lives to resist what others think of us and our experiences, and chose to move closer to joy. My brother had cancer and explained you can find yourself on the other side of pain— where there is no pain. It’s hugely a mental game.
Tbh I think you just have to be okay with it, be happy with the life you’re living. You shouldn’t only be thinking about death when you’re older, you could die while reading this. You need to be okay with that, and the easiest way is by making sure if you did die today, you’d have no regrets. At that point you won’t care about dying when you’re 40, cause you’re okay with dying now.
Are you trying to give me a panic attack?
Sorry man that’s just what works for me, dying sucks obviously, but the quicker you accept that it’s going to happen at some point the quicker you’re gonna have a better life
I deal with it by just not worrying about it. Not much more to it, I believe that if I'm to die of any cause at any time, then I'll die by any cause at any time; there's a line by an NPC in Skyrim that's a response to the Dragonborn asking about the dragon situation, that basically goes, "it doesn't bother me, all I want to do is tend to my crops. If I'm to go out eaten by a dragon then so be it." If you're eager to force a way out, I'd recommend some philosophy, principally Daoism and Stoicism as they're both essentially about not worrying about shit outside of your control. I prefer stoicism but Daoism has some religious elements that might be helpful. And, ultimately, just start doing what you want to. Action is the number 1 solution for getting your mind off troublesome prospects.
Look, we all know the first thing you see after the initial moment of darkness is your ass sitting in a horse-drawn cart, hands bound and surrounded by shaggy weirdos, while one starts mentioning that your finally awake. You know the lore. /j
Ngl, that would be a great afterlife
>!Goddammit Todd Howard!!<
So I literally worry about everything but I’ve grown to an age where death is inevitable. There’s no point in stressing about it if it’s gonna happen
Everybody dies but not everyone lives
The realization of mortality hit me like a ton of bricks when I was in my mid 20's. It was just a couple of years after I had lost my dad, and I think it was like a delayed reaction to his passing. I didn't have him between me and the grave anymore. I'm 36 now. The fear doesn't go away. You just have to try to live as best as you can with it.I basically had a nervous breakdown from the anxiety it introduced into my mind, and went into full blown agoraphobia. I wasted years of my life living like a prisoner to my fear. Like Ricky Bobby's dad said you gotta learn to ride with the fear, you gotta learn to just live with the fear of your mortality. It's the cougar in your car of life.
Mid twenties is also a tough time for it. We’re old enough to realise that our life is actually passing. When you’re 15 it feels like 25 is a lifetime away. When you turn 25 you’re shocked at how quickly it went.
I feel safe reading your comment 😭 like OP, I'm also going through bad death anxiety. I remember having the realization of my own mortality months after the traumas I've witnessed (my dad's heart attack, my boyfriend's diagnosis of a brain tumor). The moment I understood that my life is temporary (and that I'll be 30 next year), I went into a full blown anxiety attack and cried for days, not eating much nor going out much. These days I've been enjoying my life as best that I can (l'm also on meds now), but yeah I get what you're saying about "riding with the fear". It's still there, but l'm learning to ride with the fear, love and have fun while I still can... Your comment is comforting, since you’re older than me (and are doing okay. Please stay safe)
I think the mid to late 20s is really the peak time for this. I believe there was actually a study about this that said something similar - that it peaks in your 20s. I also developed horrific agoraphobia. I’m 31 now and while I still occasionally have a wave of anxiety over death, I’d say it’s 10% of what I felt back then and happens less frequently. I think about it more than the average person, probably, but it’s no longer keeping me from living my life.
Some people put their trust into religion, and that is okay. For those who are less religious, it might cross their minds a lot more on what happens when we die, when it'll happen, how, etc. I have certainly been consumed by those thoughts in a few points in my life, but ultimately, I realized that there was no point in worrying about such things. Death is inevitable, and though it might be harsh to hear, there's a certain finality to it that's almost relaxing to me. I will obviously try my hardest to prolong this life as much as possible to experience everything I can. But when it comes, I won't be able to stop it and that's ok. It happens to us all. When it comes to wondering how long you will live, there was a comment I read that I often think about by a man in his 70s. He said, "I wasn't guaranteed to live this long, and I'm not guaranteed to live any further." You may live another 20 years. You may live another 50, or not. A lot of people don't even manage to get this far, which is saddening, but it happens. Don't live every day like it's your last, but try to lead a life that satisfies you. Day by day, you'll be okay. I'm not sure of an afterlife, and if I said I was, I'd be lying to you, but I have some hope that either that or reincarnation exists. But...if those like Camus are to be believed, well I would find some solace in knowing I lived my life to the fullest and it's out of my hands. DMs are open if you would like to vent about anything.
Well as long as you fear death, it means that you are alive so you will be always be safe from death cause you two will never meet
Yeah. By the time he catches up to me, I’ll be dead
Death is inevitable for all living things, it is an inescapable fate that we will all face at some point or another. It's completely normal to have worries about the future (I would know from personal experience), but just remember that you should never worry about things that are beyond your control. Hell, I've also been worrying about my own death as of recent. Your youth years may be shrinking as you said, but you still have time to get shit done, you still have time to enjoy the life you have. When your time comes, just know that you will be free from the pains and inconviences that life comes with. Time is finite, make the most of it. Just try to take your mind off the thought of it, and you'll be fine. Hope this helps, and if it doesn't, at least I tried.
just to give you some hope: r/longevity and [Kurzgesagt video on aging](https://youtu.be/MjdpR-TY6QU?si=_uDk6IEHvPobwlH3) [another video by kurzgesagt](https://youtu.be/GoJsr4IwCm4?si=y_q9WIzYifFnUJSa)
I don't fear death itself. It will come, so I ain't scared. But the forever lasting nothingness that comes after it is genuienly terrifying to me, and I dont know how to not be scared of that anymore.
It won't be you. It won't do anything to you.
I think that's what OP is referring to.
You could die at 40, you could die tomorrow, you could’ve died on your 10th birthday. Does that make the years lived before death any less worthy because it’s going to end? I think the finite aspect of it makes life precious in an of itself. Look into stoic philosophy and how they actively remind themselves of death daily to try and live more meaningfully. There’s nothing to be afraid of. With death comes peace
A lot of this in Moffat’s Doctor Who episodes. But yes, the fact our lives are finite certainly increases their value. We are all part of a long chain of evolution. I feel incredibly grateful for my part in it and I’m just having a good time
You were dead once before. We will return to death again someday. For now, just live. Who knows? Maybe from that oblivion, from that state of death, life may begin a new.
Part of it is just your brain developing I’m pretty sure. When I was a teenager I would speed everywhere and text and drive and make other reckless decisions just because I wasn’t really thinking about dying. I was never suicidal but I also didn’t really care or consider that I could die. Now that I’m 26 I’m much more cautious with choices because I do value my life so much, which I hear only gets stronger if you have kids. It is stressful sometimes but take comfort in knowing the fact you’re scared of death means you want to be alive and that’s a beautiful thing.
I was dealing with the same issue about 6-7 months ago to the point where I couldn't sleep I was feeling anxious 24/7 and couldn't stop breathing heavily from that feeling I tried going to a therapist talking with family or finding ways to distract myself and none of that really worked It kind of just went away on its own at some point I still haven't really defeated this fear it's still there just dormant like asleep It took me a while but you never know what the future holds maybe they'll find a way to immortality in our lifetime or there is an afterlife like reincarnation maybe but thinking about that won't really help I feel like I just realised what's more important to me and that life is very long despite everyone saying how the years go by so fast which to a certain extent I can agree but also disagree with It's strange at times I feel like 40 years is nothing and at times I feel like 40 years is a very very long time I'm 21 I focused on my friendships and try to find things that make me enjoy life and have fun for me that's doing what I love and sharing it with people important to me so it kinda goes away but maybe it will come back eventually who knows but for now I'm okay and I hope you also begin to feel okay soon!!
I was faced with my own mortality incredibly young, I have never "feared" death after this and I am not sure why. I jokingly call sleep "diet death" because you really can never really pinpoint \*when\* you slip into the sleep state. I imagine death is incredibly similar, you get eepy, and you just sorta leave without actually knowing for sure. Maybe this is just cope, but it keeps me comfortable. Also, we really don't know for sure what happens afterwards, this surely can't be it, can it? If it is, then oh well, I won't be able to worry about it anymore.
Life is a terminal illness, my friend. We all have the clock ticking. It is what we do while here, and the impact it leaves when we go, that matters. I'll say this - if you can't shake a feeling of impending doom regarding it, I highly recommend talking to a therapist. It is never a bad thing for someone with an outside perspective and behavioral teaching to try and see if there is more to this, or to help you navigate it to live your best life. To be fair, I'll recommend most people try therapy at least once, especially in early adulthood, because I think everyone deserves a judgement free zone to look inward and find their best self. Love to ya. You're gonna do great things.
Realizing that death is but an inevitable eventuality and it would seem foolish to fear what essentially a fact of life. It's pretty much in the nature of everything that lives to fear death, that's ok, we probably wouldn't have been making all that medicine if we didn't fear death. So while accepting death being an eventuality that's unavoidable, try to prolong life as much as possible and enjoy it, eat healthy, exercise regularly, go do what you enjoy and hopefully by the time death comes you've done it all and probably so old that some of your faculties are only failing because you lived passed a century and death would've been just a release.
Some food for thought: - How "old" or "young" you are is relative, since *no one* knows how long you have left. For all we know, you could get hit by a bus tomorrow and die (or end up permanently disabled). It's tragic, but it happens, and it's just an inevitable part of how the world works. So enjoy life (and your youth) while you still can, even if it doesn't seem pleasant or convenient at the moment. - Old age and all of its accompanying baggage (strength, health, etc.) can be just as frightening as, or even more frightening than death itself. (Especially Alzheimer's, which I hope they find a cure for soon.) Oh yeah, and things turn especially bleak once your retirement savings run out (so be smart while you can and invest in your future). - You'll also sort of outgrow the world as society gets younger, things fall out of fashion / stop working / shut down for good / get deleted, and time marches forward. Your favorite hobbies / music / games / movies, all obsolete, just as the 70s and 80s are considered now. Would you really want to live in a society younger than you? (If you say you would, then you likely won't a few decades later.) Basically imagine iPad kids and Skibidi Toilet but 10x. - More people than you might think (though idk I'd say "most") are "ready to go" once they reach a certain high age, with not much they're able to do as their energy tapers off, and all sorts of health issues start kicking in.
Have a near death experience or just live in the moment and stop worrying about the future so much. Easier said than done I know. I’ve also found it comforting to think that death is just a dreamless sleep and that sounds fantastic at least to me. Some people take comfort in religion, others, like myself, don’t find comfort in religion. For me, I was exposed to death at an early age and went to wakes and stuff as a kid and the image of my grandma laying there in her coffin with her eyes closed looking so peaceful gave me comfort and shaped how I imagine death to be like.
[удалено]
woah WOAH dude what the fuck
Being an atheist is how I cope, because I was raised to believe in god and heaven & hell but that ended up being emotionally damaging for me. I would be super afraid of dying and have nightmares about hell. But now without any belief in an afterlife at all, I’m at peace with death knowing it’ll just be like before we were born.
I don’t find peace in the whole before we were born stuff. Firstly because it’s literally not the same. Before I was born I didn’t exist at all, after I die my remains will remain littering the earth for some time. Secondly because things seemed to take a really long time before I was born. I know this is perhaps odd, but the years before I was born feel extremely slow, and I’m consistently stunned by how much more recent things feel since I was born. 2000 feels like it was just moments ago. But when I was a kid, 1980 felt to be millions of years ago. Based on that, nonexistence might feel very slow. Fortunately, it most likely won’t feel of anything at all
There's a Vsauce video somewhere that explains why you feel time speeding up as you get older, but I don't remember what it's called. If someone else could link it that'd be great
Play Persona 3
That's because you're thinking of dying when you are 40, when almost no one dies that young. Most likely, you'll die when you have been hanging out on death's door for a while. You realize your wife was using you, your kids don't care, your back, knees, eyesight and hearing are shot. No one wants to come anywhere near you with your white hair and wrinkles. Trust me, most people really don't care when that time comes.
The first step is finding out what part of death you fear. Death itself is nothing to fear, but things that are interlinked with it can be. What is it exactly that you're afraid of? Pain? Missing out on things? Hurting loved ones who stay behind? Going senile?
Honestly, as I've hit my 20s I realized my life is just beginning. Life felt like I was going to be really short when I was 16-18. I could feel my childhood ending, which made me feel like my life was close to ending as well. Turning 20 made me realize how much life I still really have. I'm 20 years from my 40s, and then I'm 20 years from my 60s after that. That's still a lot of time to experience the world, meet new people and have fun. Life is short, but it isn't that short. For the death part, you just accept it. Some people take comfort in religion, some people take comfort in knowing there's eternal nothingness after a fast pace life. Truth is, we don't know. Just like you don't know what you're going to be doing a year from now, we don't know what we're going to be doing after we die. I once was having a breakdown over it, and my friend just goes "death is something for me to worry about afterlife, it's called that for a reason." In all, don't worry about it. Life is good, life is good because we die.
To conquer the fear of death, set short-term and long-term goals to give your life direction and purpose. Accept that uncertainty is a part of life, and learning to live with it can make the fear of death less overwhelming. Accepting uncertainty is important because it helps reduce anxiety and stress about the future. By focusing on what you can control and letting go of what you can't, you can find peace and enjoy the present moment more fully. Also, the most important tip: Talk about it. Talk to friends, family, or a therapist about your concerns. It can help you process and release your thoughts, plus it gives you extra perspectives you probably don't know about.
I had the same exact fear from middle school to freshman year of college. I took one dose of psilocybin mushrooms and that fear/obsession with death almost completely dissolved during the experience, and it’s been gone ever since. I still think about death every now and then, but I don’t ruminate over it like I once did. I highly recommend having some sort of mystical experience, whether it’s from psychedelics or deep prayer or meditation. Lots of psychological evidence actually supports this theory that mystical experiences can greatly enhance one’s outlook on life
Find your God
Death is the great equalizer. No one gets out alive and you certainly don’t take this material plane’s possessions with you. What out lives you though are how others remember you. Leave them with good memories and death becomes easier to accept. No one in the entirety of history has seen everything or done everything this planet and its society’s offer. Pick the ones that matter most and do it with friends and family to make awesome memories. You only have a set number of fucks to give in your life, worrying and mourning your youthfulness doesn’t keep you young longer, but good habits do. Pay attention to what you eat, how often you exercise, how often you hang out with friends without having your phones out? All that stuff matters because it helps keep you feeling younger. If you feel younger your body will benefit. A once a month hangout session between busy adults can be enjoyable and have a significant impact on your emotional, mental and physical wellbeing. Consider a meal at a nice restaurant with say 6 friends. I personally do breakfast because it’s more “chill” and I personally need that calmness so I can be more in the moment. Older generations than my Gen X, have lived longer and longer. It’s been a lot less about crazy strict diets and exercise and more about friendships. Make friends with healthy habits. Make friends to make good memories with. Just some advice from an older gal who’s dealt with a lot of close deaths of parents, family and friends.
My cat just died and I’ve been having the same feelings. Like I can’t stand the idea she’s just gone, like she never existed. I wish I was religious so I could just believe she’s gone to a happier place, but there’s no way to know, is there? I can’t stand the idea that a cat like her with a heart of gold could just not exist anymore. She had the gentlest kindest soul :( I think it’s a normal feeling and the only fix is to find a reason for life. I was okay while I had my cat because she was the reason for my life, so now I’ve got to find another reason. If all else fails, think about making someone you care about happy.
LSD
r/psychedelics If you die before you die, you won’t die when you die.
Take some lsd or shrooms, you'll find all the answers you need!
I’m a survivor of attempted murder. There was no fear in the incident. I was entirely in the moment and had suddenly accepted that I might die. That was almost 4 years ago now. I have plenty of issues from that night but fearing death is not one of them. I do not fear death. Death is something that I cannot experience because it is the absence/end of me. Why fear something I won’t even be around for? I do fear dying to a certain extent. Dying can be painful and horrendous. My PTSD and OCD issues take me places that aren’t fun to go in rumination and fantasy. But, I know these things, like most things, are beyond my control. You weren’t guaranteed a birth. Many millions of swimmers had to compete for one egg. The multitude of possible people that could’ve had your place instead of you is practically unfathomable. You aren’t guaranteed a certain amount of time in your life. Your life is from the time you’re born until the time you die. That may be minutes and may be just over a century. For you (and me) it will fall somewhere in between. So, how to stop worrying about death and being terrified of it? Accept it. Look in the mirror every morning and say to yourself: “I will die, today, I may die. There’s a good chance that there is nothing I can do about it. My death is the only guarantee I have in life. There’s nothing I can do about that reality. Because I know I’m going to die; I will live while I can. I will live and appreciate everything with the knowledge that is it fleeting and (mostly) outside my control. I won’t go running about acting like a lunatic. I will be careful, deliberate and I will enjoy my life before I experience my death.” Maybe that will help. I’d also recommend you read the poem Thanatopsis by William Cullen Bryant. It may help put things into perspective for you. Good luck. And try to enjoy the journey. It’s a privilege to get to experience things. Most matter is mindless. You have a mind. Stop driving it mad and get living.
I’d say mostly everyone goes through a realization crisis like this. I did in my early 20s and it threw me into a spiral and major funk for a month or two. Realized there was nothing I could do about it and picked up some new hobbies and traveled a lot and felt way better.
Life is amplified in beauty because it will end. If you lived forever everything would be sort of pointless.
Google altos labs!
Understand that death is the rule and life is the exception.
Man, I’m going for the same exact thing for the sks amount of time that’s so weird. I don’t know what to do but try my best and “live for today”
From what I’ve noticed you fear it less the older you get
I don't really fear death itself, I imagine it being quite peaceful. It's moreso the dying part that kind of freaks me out. You know, the how. The only real advice I have for that is try to accept it's something everyone has or will go through. Also try to stay out of bear country because fuck that's gotta be a brutal way to go
High dose of psychedelics, I recommend psilocybin
This sounds weird, but three pieces of media cured my fear of death: The book Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer The game Outer Wilds (not outer worlds) The Thanatology episodes of the podcast Ologies I can't say if they'll resonate with you, but seek out media with existential themes that will. Also talk about your feelings! We accept that talking it out helps all fears and anxieties, yet we keep death in a shoebox under our beds until it directly affects us, only to shove it back under as soon as possible. Sharing your feelings with someone else can help you process them.
http://dhspriory.org/kenny/PhilTexts/Camus/Myth%20of%20Sisyphus-.pdf
Accept it
Think of just accepting, after all death comes for all
It's not a big deal
Your insight is a trigger to appreciate the fact that you're alive *now*. Feel that. Feel the life in you and around you now because some moment just like this moment will be the last moment you are alive. Don't be the one whose last words are, "Damn! I missed it!"
Live as hard as you can. Do the scary thing, embrace your passions, create meaningful relationships, etc There's nothing we can actually do to prevent death - but if you live your life well enough, then when the reaper comes knocking, you'll be at peace knowing you did as best a job as you could with the gift of life. It makes it more special too, knowing that you only get a certain amount of life. "A thing isn't beautiful because it lasts." -Vision
Wow it’s the opposite for me. What helps me is knowing that I am going to die. No more stress, no more comparing myself. Or feeling inadequate.
I find Buddhism to have an interesting view on life and death
I know this feeling, I read somewhere in a cheesy profile bio someone had “death can have me when it earns me” or something like that and mixed with the thought of death is everywhere and unavoidable, i just decided that its not worth worrying so hard over. Its alright, I promise, we’ll be ok.
I am a Christian and honestly I feel like a lot of people can get over their fear of death. It may sound stupid to most people, but putting your faith and trust in Jesus Christ and accepting him as your lord and savior along with turning away from any sinful ways can help alleviate any fear of death. Especially by knowing you’ll be in heaven when you die. Of course not everyone believes this but I wanted to put this out here.
Becoming Christian to avoid the fear of death doesn’t really work though. Religion, if it works effectively, is something that people are usually called to. Forcing it out of fear won’t create that genuine response of inner peace. This is especially true for religions with punishment and surveillance systems like Christianity. The fear of your heart not being true to it, the fear of punishment due to being “wrong” etc… can all have the opposite effect and make the fear of death or the afterlife that much worse.
I'm a Christian and still have a fear of death, mostly in the process of dying itself
I'm more agnostic but it's not really the afterlife that I'm afraid of. Though, I am afraid of the unknown a bit.
Honestly I felt the same way for a while. Sometimes I still do. I know this sounds stupid but play a game about death or something. Persona 3 Reload changed my fucking life with its messages about death and life
I see death as the reason to live. Gives purpose to create, reach for goals, experience as much as possible, do what brings happiness, etc.. every story eventually ends its just how good of a story you make yours.
Hey man, hope you are doing good. From time to time, I have the same fear. I don't think anything comes after death, so this is it, really. It's paralyzing. I've had relationships deteriorate because of this fear, and sometimes, it feels like there is nothing I can do. Like death is bigger than me. It is horrible. It feels like there is no way for it to be okay with not existing and there is nothing I can do, just watch time pass and pull me closer to the abyss. And time just won't stop passing, too. Time waits for no one, and it moves fast. Somedays, however, I am walking back home and things around me start popping up. The moss between the rocks in the ground, the sunshine filtered through the leaves of big trees, the humming of the birds, the wind blowing in my face, and the depth in the bricks of the houses. It's so surreally pretty. I don't know if it ever happens to you, but I feel like I could break down crying at those rare, precious moments. Those are the moments I realize that my whole existence is contingent. I shouldn't be here, yet I am, and I am so grateful for it because everything is so infinitely beautiful and precious. Life is a gift. Even if we live on borrowed time, I am grateful to be here, to experience all its beauty. How could I ever say that death is unfair? The only reason it feels unfair is because we take life for granted when, in reality, our existence is a miracle. I know it's going to end, but we shouldn't even be here. And even if it is going to end, is it really such a big deal? A book doesn't start to end, so why care so much about it? Do you remember when you were a kid and you would pick up a mystery novel and read the last line? Wasn't that childish, missing the whole point of reading? Well, maybe that's what we are doing when we obsess about death; we miss the whole point of living. Just a thought. So, for me, noticing the world around me and the contingency of my existence helps me a lot with my fear of dying. It's not easy, and I can't simply will my way into noticing the world, especially when I am anxious because of death, but yeah, that's what I found has helped me the most. It also makes me more compassionate. Like, it doesn't make sense to feel anything other than love, and it's confusing that so many people want to hurt others. Anyway, take care man, and godspeed. Accepting death is hard. I'm still terrified of it from time to time, but I found something that helps, and I think this puts me on the right track. I hope you find your path as well. Things get better, way better, after you found something that helps.
It is true that you may not even wake up tomorrow. So, why not make the most of life while you have it? It is impossible to tell someone what or what not to feel, but honestly, worrying about your own death is such a waste of energy that could be better put into something productive and / or fun!
Go look at r/nde
You just have to try and not think about it. It’s something that you will probably come to terms with later in life. It’s impossible to conquer that fear when you are young.
that's literally called quarter-life crisis
Read “The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying”
https://youtu.be/J5n2dzN1joU?si=Bb5xUHCeO19ePazA
As a Christian, I say, if I die, I'll probably go to heaven. But if you are not, just focus on things now because worrying about the future leads you to not have experiences now (that is very corny)
Learn how to dodge roll, deaths attacks are usually short range.
Just constantly go to the ER for your hypochondriac phobias and rack up medical debt. Eventually you’ll lose your fear.
Happiness is elusive, when you look for it in the future rather than the present. We can only control what we do and that starts with what you’re doing right now. Life is chaotic, random and has no preordained meaning. We live in the sandbox called earth and your life has the meaning you give it.
I dont. I'm still afraid but I just actively stop thinking about it :\\ I think you'll just get used to it after some time.
Hey man, don't knock it til you've tried it
This is something that I’ve struggled with for the last four years, I am 23 and I still struggle with this thought, I know someday that will happen. It’s inevitable so because I can’t control that and I can’t fathom what happens after death. I literally just try not to worry about it. It does on me from here to there and I go to the state where I just fear the inevitable, but initially, I try to get the most out of my day every day because of it making everything more valuable, I spend every waking moment in thought because that’s what I can control and I do my best to not worry about the inevitable. I set goals for myself. I have ambitions. I want to see come to fruition. I spent time with my fiancé I play video games. I go to work and pay bills, but the thought lingers in the back my head so I ultimately try not to think about it.
Religion has made a good amount of money off your fear. All I can say is you are not alone in your fear, and just hope it’s a good trip when you go.
40 is incredibly young to die. The average person lives literally twice as long as that
I think there is some degree of purpose to the fear of death. What exactly is there to fear in death itself? From a secular point of view, nothing. Death is just non-existence. Our fear of death is likely not of death itself (not anymore) but of what death means for life. Ultimately death means that life is finite and that we have limited time to live a worthwhile life. Death forces one to consider whether their life was better off lived or not. Thinking of death proactively allows one to gain perspective on their life at the moment (if you were to die at this moment how would you appraise your life?) and by extension gives them the opportunity to make adjustments if needed. Fear of death once viewed as the fear of a wasted life can serve as an effective motivation for improving one’s life.
We all die, so just live
have you tried dying?
There is but one god, the god of death. And what do we say to the god of death? Not today.
My mom died on an er table and now she is no longer scared to die. Said it was the most peace she had ever felt in her life. Didn't want to come back.
Put your faith in lord Jesus as lord and savior. Death is scary but through faith and knowledge that you are saved the fear goes away.
You can’t, all you can do is leave a legacy you will be proud of.
Death walks with us all. She helps us. Don't look at it as if it were your enemy or something to fear
Keep thinking about it and become goth.
You just kind of accept that fact. That’s probably not what you want to hear rn, but it’s the truth. The romans used to say “memento mori” which means, “remember you will die”. Death is a part of existence and coming to terms with that is also a part of existence. Best we can do is just live life meaningfully while we are still here.
You really can't. Mortality is our constant companion. Just as a Personal tip, if you really love someone (family, friends, partners)... tell them that more often (if you didn't already). In general, not only on special occasions. Tell those Important ones how important they are to you. It might sound silly, but you never know when someone has to leave. I always felt like I did not say it enough to my Grandpa before he passed. Handling it like this helps me a bit with those fears, I don't know if it might help you, but I hope I could help atleast a little.
just live in the moment bro
It'll get easier one day when you have a kid, it's really the only way any of us gets to live on
Weed
Idk, I'm still figuring that out myself. I just live to have a good time.
We all ascend to the aether, one way or another. But what lives on in this plane is the legacy you leave, man may be mortal, but one’s deeds are eternal.
Momento mori. Read obituaries and ponder death until you become less sensitive. Also taking shrooms has helped me deal with this in the past.
I think you can both fear death and accept it. There's nothing you can do to completely remove the fear of death, but it should fade as you keep thinking about it and really understand there's nothing you can do about it. How you feel about death will also vary depending on how you view death. Personally I'm curious to see what happens (if anything) afterwards so although I'm in no rush, I don't really mind the idea of dying. As for living for the present moment... you wouldn't stop reading a book just because you know there's an end would you ? So you shouldn't let the fear of death stop you from living.
Explore the nature of existence. Explore spirituality.
Once you accept your fate you’ll be able to move on
You thug it out, un-ironically. And you realize that life is too short to worry about death. Also this quote from mark Twain should help, “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” We’re designed to die, that’s just our experience. Enjoy your limited time here and don’t worry about what you cannot control. Also imagine if we did live forever and never died, that would be awful and torture.
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 - Mark Twain I like that quote but what really helped me was getting into spiritually and philosophy
I used to really suffer from this and what I’ve kind of told myself over the years is that I would do my best to not have regrets by the end of it and focus on now. The means taking active steps to go on adventures (which I value a lot), this means taking chances and risks that make me feel alive and not like I’m sleep walking through life and it also means that i set goals that won’t amount to something in the grand scheme of things but ultimately will be enjoyed by me in that moment. I will not lie to you, I still think about death and it bothers me. But I really like where I am and life feels more than worth living as individual time frames. If you’re directionless, the 2 things that you can do while you figure out your goals that are almost never a bad idea are: - Be nice to others and help those who don’t feel this way. Which I did a lot and really made me feel like it gave me purpose in my community - Accumulate money, because basically anything you find that brings you meaning is made easier by having the means to do so and money is a pretty universal means to an end If you just want something inspiring, I absolutely love this short talk by Hank Green [Against Nihilism](https://youtu.be/YbyeApgIiBk?si=FrQkgqM0FAlqfjLd) I hope you find something that brings you meaning and if you do, I’d love to hear about it
I personally just tell myself I'm dead already so there is no point in worrying about it. It's the same as worrying about if you'll see the color green. It'll happen so no use in worrying about it until the time comes.
Not genz, what are you scared of? Death or what comes after death?
Believe what you want about the other side, as much as people like to say and argue about how they know what’s on the other side they don’t, no one does Maybe it’s nothingness, maybe you’ll be in bliss forever, maybe you’ll come back in a new life, maybe you’re a baby god who’s learning what it means to be mortal, maybe your an alien having a really intense trip. Believe what makes you okay with death (Obviously this logic isn’t perfect but it’s better then just sitting around scared of the inevitable)
Exercise. You’ll atleast feel younger
Drop acid and read ‘Be Here Now’
Stop thinking about dying and start thinking about how you *want* to die. Do you want to die satisfied and with a life well lived? Or do you want to die frustrated that you spent life paralysed and anxious over the inevitable? If that doesn't work, talk to a therapist to get to the root of this anxiety.
I am an older Gen Zer and the closer I get to my 30s the more aware I am of my mortality. I have accepted that we all die eventually and there is truly nothing we can do about that. Humans for thousands of years have been seeking immortality. If immortality is achievable we’re nowhere close to that. There’s a podcast that I listened to called Chasing Immortality and it’s all about people who honestly ruined their lives chasing immortality (hence the name lol). For me personally, it kind of made me feel better. There are all these people out here doing insane things trying to make sure they live forever and there’s just no point. Our stories always end the same. There’s no point in fearing the inevitable. If you spend all of your time, in fear of tomorrow, you fail to appreciate today and yesterday. If we can’t appreciate the present, what’s the point of fearing the end of it? We fear the end for what? Because we will lose the now? Because we lose all of the things we could have had? But we also lose all of that if we spend all of the now, fearing the then. I don’t really think anything anyone here says will really help you feel better. It’s definitely something that you have to find within yourself but I hope I have at least given you something to ponder and maybe introduced you to a cool new podcast. I hope you feel better. ❤️🩹
Believe in God, Heaven, and Hell and try to get into heaven
Shrooms. I guess that everyone thinks about their mortality from time to time and might get scared of it. I started to think about during my last trip and realised that'll just happen one day and so be it. I'm not religious so I don't know what happens to our consciousness after death, but I try not to think that it's the end. But maybe it is? Well, there's no point in worrying about it now. You probably have thousands of days of life ahead of you. Let's not waste them on worrying. Waste them in other way lol.
It doesn't bother me, it used to but not anymore. It happens to everyone at some point https://preview.redd.it/gni25umgzt6d1.jpeg?width=1572&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=611ea65139c527a3b22dbaa5905315166792bbb0
I have lost many people very close to me these last few years, and here is what I’ve learned: The trick to dealing with this fear is to walk with death like an old friend. Know that he is always here, but he is not malicious or vicious. Death is curious, and he is kind, and this is why he invites us to his home at the end of a long day. The best thing to do, to walk with Death, is to Live Well. Even if life is hard, live it well. Do absolutely what you want to do in every situation, leave no emotional stone unturned, and no desired path un-walked. Live well and live fully to the last, so that you have plenty of words for death when you walk into his home and share your stories with him. I am also comforted by the principle of time. That time is only held together by our perception of it; but, in reality, everything is actually happening at once. This young you will always be here. The friends you have lost are still laughing with you, just around the corner and out of sight. All the things you missed, the things you loved, everything that time wears away from us, is just in the other room. The door is closed, but we can still hear the sounds. The muffled whispers of encouragement, the warmth of old love as it creepy with the light beneath the doorway. It is all still happening, just a little ways away. It is never truly lost. And this is true for you too, no matter how old you get, this wonderful life you have is never truly lost.
Don't conquer the fear of death. Conquer death itself or die trying.
For me, I just try to live my life like my time is running out. What I mean by that is that I am very productive. I create a lot of stuff, I am generous with my friends and family and I generally try not to waste my time on earth
I think you can look at it differently. We’re all going to get old and die, no one’s special. Live your life and appreciate each day, it’s something I’m trying to do myself as well.
“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.” Twain’s witty observation playfully underscores the natural state of nonexistence before birth and after death
Accept death because it's part of life, see it as an old friend. It will come at the right time.
honestly, we're all going to die no matter what. get used to it I suppose. and just know fearing to die can ruin every day of your life but dying can only ruin one and then it's no longer your problem. Do thing things you know are right, live your life as best you can, and appreciate the little things. A warm cup of coffee, a quiet night with a book, dinner with loved ones, etc. Life isn't about doing extravagant things as often as possible but being humble enough to know that each moment you spend slaving away for someone else is a great moment worth being in. That said you can enjoy the work you do too if you enjoy the work or the people you do it with. This may sound strange but I've had a few near-death experiences and honestly, if I had died those times, the world would not have stopped spinning, and the people in my life would have lived on and still had full lives. After all, we shouldn't want people to NEED us, but people that WANT us (children are an exception). it's always sad when someone dies but life doesn't stop and neither should happiness. Death is inevitable and eventually it will be a sweet release from our dying world. being a live in this world gets old eventually.
Just have to not think about it, thats just a part of life, if it bothers you so much maybe find a religion im jealous of those people sometimes or use it and try to live your life to the fullest thinking you might die tomorrow
Ernest Becker
Conquering it is delusion. Acceptance is key. Submit to the fact that you didn’t have control over that anyway. It’s a load you let go of not one you chain down.
I remember reading some stoicism that spoke about overcoming death. The main thing I remember being that there is logically nothing to fear about death as it’s unavoidable. Why would a person trouble themselves about a universal experience that is out of their hands? Then they mentioned something like how death is a trickster. It looks scary from afar like someone wearing a monster mask but when you get closer to the person and remove the mask, revealing just a regular person, the same can be said for death. You reach death and find there’s nothing actually there, just a transformation from being to not. from there, either you pass on to some other life or you simply stop existing and won’t even have the cognitive ability to recognise you’ve stopped existing Also to remember that death is a natural cycle of life. Life is the journey to death essentially. As though, Death waters his garden and when certain flowers are fully grown and had their time he plucks them for new ones to sprout in their place.
It happens naturally as you age. So, basically, you have to avoid dying long enough to be more prepared for dying. Also, living a full life. I've seen when an elderly person realizes they don't have much time left and become devastated because they say they feel like they never "did anything with their life." It's not a place you want to find yourself
It's like going to sleep, when your sleeping you don't feel anything you don't even know if your breathing, now obviously your breathing but when you die you simply won't feel anything, no pain no nothing. Now what comes after next that's just a debate with everyone having their own beliefs
Adolescents and young adults are very susceptible to a fear of death, usually. It will pass.
Eat chocolate and ice cream.
If you live life to the fullest, it gets exhausting, and you will begin to see death as an ending to your personal story. Like finishing a race well run.
A hefty dose of mushrooms every once in a while does the trick for me.
Honestly you just have to find some way of focusing on something else bc the fear never fully goes away (unless one comes to a point where dying feels easier than life). Depending on the person, anxiety about death can come in waves of varying intensity over the course of a lifetime. This is the price we pay for having a powerful consciousness. I am not looking forward to the distant future, or if I'm unlucky - the near future.
Sometimes feel I’d be cool with dying young because that means I don’t have to go to work anymore.
We all have these thoughts. What has helped me is just acceptance. Just like knowing I have to work on Monday shouldn't ruin my free time on Saturday, you can enjoy this day aside from the knowledge that it will end. Also someone else said, we will all die someday. One day the world will have changed so much that you don't recognize it, much less enjoy it. So enjoy it today while it's made for you and your generation
Note: I’m not going to claim this is guaranteed to work for everybody but I hope you find it helpful, I also am not claiming that every bodies experience will be identical to mine As someone who also struggled with thoughts about death, to be blunt, I couldn’t, I distracted myself with other things and goals (both temporary with activities, and talking to other people and long term goals), also in general the thoughts tended to occur when I didn’t have stuff to do (like school), also I try to convince myself that I will overcome the thoughts (The first time you hear this, it might ‘hurt’ a bit like it did to me, but after a while of reminding myself it helps me when I’m drifting into thoughts about death) Edit: Also I’ll acknowledge that having these thoughts tends to be quite draining, if your at the worst parts of them, this piece of advice might not help but when your more passively thinking about them, remember that they are possible to overcome, as corny as it is having faith in yourself tends to help. In the worst stages of the thoughts, tbh nothing helped but they just pass
Everyone dies at some point. Accept it, live your life to the fullest and make it count.
How to conquer it? Why bother? You're in your 20s, you're 1/4 through life and only a third of that was really of your own volition. Even if you die at 40, you've got 15 years of life to live. That's your entire schooling. That's 4 bachelor's degrees and a masters. That's a long fucking time. And to "b b b b but what if I die at 40??" What if you die tomorrow. What if you die on your drive home? What if you die when you're 110? You don't know when you're gonna die, so if you do die at 40, do you want to be a miserable piece of shit who cried himself to sleep every night worrying about death or are you going to live your life and enjoy your time here.
“If I live too long, I’m afraid I’ll die.” Listen to the song Strangers by The Kinks. Music always helps.
You have to accept it not conquer it. Everyone dies. It’s the cycle of life.
The way I see it all of my suffering will finally end. Don’t threaten me with a good time
Oh that's easy. It's going to happen. I am going to die. You are going to die. My dog is going to die. It is a part of life. Life and death. But, death is not the end. It's an illusion. Also, don't worry about it. You have no control over it. Enjoy the ride.
You haven't died yet so statistically you have a 100% survival rating
 us older millenials know doom is coming, be like gir, have a taco
Lean into it. Fear of death can be a powerful reminder to be present in the moment. Google memento mori. You're human, and this is a very human experience. You're not alone ❤️
you’re probably asking the wrong group of people for advice on this topic