People fear death because they fear dissolution / annihilation. One way to attempt to quell that understandable yet needless fear is to pretend you live beyond death. In my view, this is like a lot of things that are blamed on religion -- it is not that religion invented the fear of death; it is that they took advantage of it, amplified it, and then offered a faux remedy.

In other words the fundamental source of dreading one's mortality is a uniquely human problem: we are more self-aware than most of us can really handle. Uniquely in the animal world, we can understand where the story arc of our life is heading: death.

Personally I've found the best way to deal with this is to acknowledge the reality of my mortality, understand that what lies beyond the grave is to be no more feared than what lies before your birth -- it is just non-being. Stressing out about that only makes it worse, stealing the enjoyment of your life. Also ... there is a lot more peace and stability in accepting your true scope as an ordinary mortal being than in buying into the nonsense that you are being cheated out of something that was never yours to begin with.

no, the only thing I fear re death is for those who may still need me when I am gone, and that I will no longer be with them. Of course being dead I will not be aware of any of this, while I am still alive it is a concern.

I think fearing death is an evolutionary trait that protects the species. Religion was invented to put the sentient mind at ease with the fact that everyone eventually dies.

I think non religious people could fear death as much as those afraid of hellfire. Non- existance may not be something to look forward to.

I don't agree with this completely, though I imagine it plays a role. I think the main issue is no longer being -- not existing. It is a tough concept for anyone, including myself, to accept the idea of just ending -- of no longer being. When one finally comes to grips with the notion that they were dead for all the billions of years the Universe was forming until the time they were born, then it doesn't seem to be such a big deal. Still an issue, but somehow the edge is taken off.

No, I believe that some people also fear non-existence and the end of awareness. People may also fear being forgotten or not finishing something meaningful to them.

Humans have always feared the unknown.

I disagree.

I fear dying too early. I have too much to do and not enough time to do it.

I know that when I die it's over and I'm not ready for that yet. My current form of life knows nothing from before it took its current form and will know nothing of what happens next. It won't hurt and life will go on here. Just because I uinderstand that doesn't mean I'm happy with it.

Well, they believe in a vindictive extortionist with anger issues.
Death is nothing to be feared. No point in fearing the inevitable.

Yes I do agree about the religious. If they really believe that upon dying they are transported to some blissful heaven to spend eternity alongside their Jesus in perfect love, they would want that more than anything life could give them so why would anyone who believes that fear death and that happening to them.

I'm not sure that's the ONLY reason people fear death, but it is certainly in the top 5 for most people. I think more realistic fears stem from not being around for loved ones and feeling as though you didn't get to do or see some things on your bucket list.

I did drop the fear of dying when I stopped believing. I do love life and don’t wanna get to the inevitable end. The whole hellfire was a burden on me for a long time. And it’s the reason why I’m empathetic with most believers.

I think it's a subconscious thing. Every culture has created a religion. Even cultures who were cut off from any contact with others. I believe all religions began as a search for a way out of death.

If you believe in the multi-verse theory then we, here, are just one of the many facets of the same person spread across billions and trillions of universes. All that ever could be, is. So in a distant universe, far, far away, I am going to live forever.

Or what ever floats your boat.

Nahhhhhh. Think of a teenaged boy, all hopped up on testosterone and still building synapses. Given that young males have a much higher rate of accidents than the rest of the population, they have limited fear of death because they lack experience and the testosterone and deficiencies of synapses. But fear of death is what keeps most of us from doing crazy things like experimenting to see how high we can go on a rickey ladder or other dumb stuff. If I didn't have a healthy fear of pain and disfugurement I'd drive a hell of a lot faster than I do now. Well, tickets, but I haven't had one in a few years. (note to self, slow down in West Point, NE, The cop in that town doesn't have enough to do.) I'm not afraid of death, I do fear pain and suffering so I try to maintain homeostasis. The other fear people have is unfinished business. Becauase I learned early that life is fragile (mom died at age 45) I try not to have unfinished business. I tell my kids frequently that I love them and how happy they make me. I have forgiven who I need to forgive and if I shuffle off this mortal coil tonight I'm OK with that. And if I'm not online tomorrow by noon someone call my kids that the cats might need to be fed.

I have spoken to so many of them who are truly terrified. Usually I ask them "Remember how bored you were before you were born?" and then I see if they catch on.

I'm fairly certain fear of death is a naturally occuring instinct which only acts as a way of trying to keep the species alive long enough to procreate.

What you say is also true however at the end of the day we all have to accept death. The only difference is some people can and others can't.

Pretty Much Agree though I don't think they're true for everyone. The religious in my extended family seem to be the biggest worriers over people death...seems counter intuitive, but maybe they're convictions aren't as strong as they let on.

The unknown part is part of it. Part of it is the idea of dying without fulfillment (without experiencing love or success or what have you), or fear of what you would miss when you're gone. As silly as it is, part of me is like "if I died I'd never get to see the last avengers movie!"

Although I'm not convinced I'd say it's fear of the unknown for me as much of the impossibility of imagining a non-thinking state. It's a headache

It sure don't help but things like pain, violence, loss of senses, memory loss and everything a person has built and
even what loved ones will do or feel when you no longer exist.

If you die and hypothetically go to Heaven or Hell you will still be conscious. But IMO people fear being unconscious and never waking up again.....being in a state of non-existence.

I think that could play a factor, but I think it's more of a fear of the unknown. People are unsure how and when they will die. Will they die peacefully or painfully?

no, we fear the unknown and death is the final unknown. I would bet you fear it too, unless you have emotional issues...hehe....it's one of the factors of being human...aware of our mortality but unable to imagine ourselves not existing. I often posit that Atheism is just another way of saying what happens after death, a way of controlling that fear. To me, death is a doorway....have no idea what is gonna happen afterwards...none. So that is kinda exciting. But let's hope it isn't the hellfire and damnation, cuz that would suck...haha

Conquer the fear of death and nothing else is worth fearing. So no, this agnostic does not fear death.

First off nobody really wants to die. Religion creates a fear of death, but the religious have solved that problem. They started making things up. What it means is that if you are one of them you have nothing to fear, and you do not really die even if it appears that you die just like anybody else does. This is how it all starts. From time to time in church services they have stand up "testimony" in which everyone re-affrms how they will live forever because of their lord Caesar Chrisp. He died for them even if they also have to die. At the back of al this we have to remember that there must be shedding of blood. Maybe a whole lot of blood.

No I don't agree in general. being religious is about this idilic floaty forgivable afterlife thats better than here thats being sold to them so they feel comfortable about aging. agnostics know or should that its simply the end.