All living things must pass on. It is one of life's few certainties. Despite this certainty, many things about Death remain a mystery. Many find the unknown terrifying, and participants in a recent online thread describe what they fear the most about death.
1. Being Remembered for Something Embarrassing
Everyone's embarrassed by things like, say a bad picture. But imagine that the last thing you did while you were alive was something extremely lame. And because you're dead, there's no shot at redemption. Stay safe.
2. Eternal Nothingness
For many people, the worst part of death is nothing at all — literally. If you're a religious person, there's a good chance you believe in heaven, hell or reincarnation. But, what if there's no place to go and you have no memory of who and what you were because well, you're nothing, and there's nothing after death? Pretty frightening stuff.
3. Eternal Consciousness
The thought of having the same “mind” and thoughts for eternity without having the same physical body is hard for me to wrap my mind around.
4. The Finality of It
There's no way of escaping death. Once you're gone, you don't get to come back. There isn't an escape door on the side that lets you back into your life. It's the ultimate end that no one escapes.
5. Family Left Behind
Many people in the discussion express concerns about whether or not their loved ones would be okay once they are no longer here. Parents of young and disabled children say this scenario is their worst nightmare.
6. What's Next
One of death's more mysterious and frightening aspects is what comes next after death. Is there an afterlife? Is it oblivion? Is there a Heaven and Hell? Reincarnation? Nothingness? These are questions that can only be fully answered after life ends.
7. How Sudden and Random Death Is
People with terminal illnesses often know when death is imminent. Still, the suddenness and randomness of an unexpected death are pretty unsettling for those who aren't in that situation. Several commenters note how eerie it is to go about your routine, and suddenly, you're gone without rhyme or reason.
8. A Solitary Experience
No matter how many people are around during your last moments, the physical process of dying is solitary. The only person who experiences what it feels like to die is you.
9. A Painful Death
Death and dying aren't necessarily something they fear, write numerous contributors to the discussion, but what scares them is the idea that their passing will be slow, painful, and torturous. A death that quick and painless is what they prefer.
10. Pets Left Behind
Those who consider themselves pet parents dread the day their pet kid crosses the rainbow bridge. What's just as unbearable, if not more so, is wondering what will happen to their beloved furry, feathered, or scaly relatives after their humans die.
11. It Happens Too Late
It's one thing to be alive. It's another thing to be alive when your quality of life has been dramatically diminished. It raises legitimate questions about whether or not life is worth hanging on to when it mainly entails pain, suffering, and indignities.
12. Lack of Control
We can control certain things in life, but some things, like death and what happens after, are beyond the scope of what humans have dominion over. This can be a frightening prospect, especially for those needing to know what's happening.
13. No Legacy To Speak Of
The fear a few responders on the forum admit to is the thought of passing away without having achieved anything that's considered noteworthy or exceptional and being forgotten soon after death. Leaving behind a legacy and being remembered for something positive is essential for them.
14. Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)
It is missing out on future advances in technology and the sciences. Humanity is on the cusp of so many discoveries; it's sad to think of everything that will be invented or will happen after we die, someone says.
15. Fear of Loved Ones Dying
For some, losing a loved one is worse than the idea of their death. It's scary to imagine your life without the people who mean the most to you in this lifetime, just gone. You want nothing but to see them go peacefully, but you want to be selfish and keep them with you forever.
16. No Regrets
Another person admits they fear nothing about death because they've already lived a full life. They've watched the birth of their child, and they've seen their favorite sports teams win championships. They have accomplished many of the things they have set out to do and are pretty content with their life and how it's turned out.
17. People Forgetting You
There's a fear that once our time is up and the people we have all loved are gone, who will continue to tell our stories? We live these full lives, only to have the world forget who we are down the line, and that can be really terrifying.
Source: Reddit.
