I think it's understandable that anyone misses deceased loved ones and is saddened by such loss, but I don't think death itself is to be feared. I think of it as a dreamless sleep, with no consciousness to feel any loss or experience harm. The process of dying though is more worrying to me. I don't want the pain, suffering, instinctual panic. I just want a peaceful death, as quick and painless as possible.

That'd be unfair. You get an unknown time on earth but eternity afterlife? We don't even decompose at the same rate and you can be resuscitated by a full half an hour of CPR not that 30-second stuff on TV. It is an interesting life and it's up to us if we want to leave anything behind. We're willing to extinct/endanger mosquitoes (the ones that bite) via sterile competition and that has saved so many human lives. We all have tons of seeds just like a tree and we don't know if we'll spread a lot of them, burn, become a house or a millennium tree. Death is scary, of-course, it is and some of us will be scrap wood (and poison ivy) but we all existed. Is your life more important than the person a few houses down? Maybe, maybe not to the world but it is your life. Your life matters to you (and the trillions of micro-organisms in you keeping you alive) so screw the rest of the Mc-mansions if you must. Think before you talk or act (allowing for split-second stuff like catching people, CPR, getting the last cookie), know your decisions are your own so eat, drink, think, live. Metaphorical? Maybe. Hope this makes sense. Also if you can trust that others want to be alive too you'll know that others are acting so we'll do our best to understand and extend our lives anyway.

I will welcome my death. I hope I die well.

As I've said before, I'm not afraid of death, but I AM afraid of dying.

as to the actual condition of death, I like the Mark Twain quote "I had been dead for billions and billions of years before I was born, and had not suffered the slightest inconvenience from it."

when it comes to fear, I'd say depression is worse than death and likely worse than any other fate, and I've gotten so used to depression that I don't fear even it any more

Not death, but incapacitation is my fear. I believe people should be able to end their existence at a time of their choosing.

Most days yes, some days no.

I'm afraid of how I mite die but not death.

I was not afraid to be born why would I fear death. Death is not something to be feared only avoided.

Here's a book for you to read.
At the Hour of Death
by Karlis Osis

I am not afraid of death. I would probably feel differently though if I had dependents.

Maybe how I will die, but not death itself.

Not scared from death, scared to die young. I want to see so many places to read so many books ect to do maximum in this life because chances I will live again 1 to billion

Not at all. I don't see the point in fearing the inevitable. I'm not ready to check out anytime soon, but when my number is up, it's up. Fearing what I cannot stop from happening just detracts from enjoying whatever time I've got left.

I'm not afraid of death, I am concerned about pain and suffering. If I can go cleanly and quickly that would be my preference. My mom died when I was 14, she was 45. Yeah, it used to be comforting to think she was looking down on us, and I'm sure she wasn't happy about the step bitch my dad married. And when I lost a baby it was comforting to think that mom was there to welcome her to heaven. The reality is, heaven is a fairy tale.

No. Living with these christian asses prepares one for death daily. They also think if you have enough money (at least here in Waco) you can buy immortality. The rich people go to Germany and other countries trying to find a "fountain of youth" or cure for their old age.

Me being 37 with 4 children ages 3-19....yes I am afraid of dying. I hope to go at a very old age peacefully. Hopefully in my sleep. Is there an afterlife where you are reunited with all the loved ones you lost in the physical world? Shit, I don't know. But that would be nice. Fact is, we won't know what is until our time is up. Long life to you all...

No, I am not afraid of dying. Only how I will die.

At the age of 80, my answer is no.

I saw my sister die of cancer and at the start she was terrified of dying, but in the end she was in so much pain that she looked forward to it. So yeah I'm a little afraid of dying but if dying ends my pain then bring it on i say.

if it is long and painful ....hell yes I'm afraid

I was dead for thousands of years before I was born, and was not in the least inconvenienced by it. - Mark Twain. I feared death when I was religious because I was sure I was going to Hell. Now I only fear the pain which may come before it.

The process of dying, sure, but of death itself, what is there to be frightened of? One just ceases to exist at the moment of death but you are not aware you are dead as you will not be aware of anything.

I don’t fear being dead. And I don’t fear pain (it’s a sure indication that I’m alive!). If I had a choice, however, I’d prefer not to die. I enjoy life, and would never be bored in a million years. It’s better to invest in longevity research than in fear.

It seems that all religions and philosophical systems attempt to answer one or all of, what I call, the big three great unknowns: (1) Where did we come from? (2) Why do we exist/ What is the meaning of Life? (3) What, if anything, happens after we die? Am I afraid of death? It’s certainly not something I’m looking forward to. But I know it’s inevitable. It’s the “not knowing what, if anything, happens next” that scares me. Growing up in a “hell fire” religion I was more than scared of going to hell after death. Now, I no longer put much stock in that scenario. But having that drilled into me for years is hard to shake. On a different note, as a nurse I’ve read that most people don’t fear death, as much as they fear dying in pain or dying alone. I get that. In my opinion, one of the main draws of religion is it’s hope of comfort when dying.