Why We Fear Death and How to Integrate It into Our Lives

From our first breath in this lifetime until the split second the heart clock stops ticking away the moments of our incarnation, we are on call to this concept called death. Avoid it though we try, deny it, though we attempt, dance away from it, though we insist, it beckons us with finger crooked in our direction. For some it is a blessed relief, at the end of an illness, for others, wracked with serious mental illness, a seductive force to which they may succumb. For others, still, it arrives unbidden, quite by surprise. We use language to describe the experience, such as: Kick the bucket Angel of death Give up the ghost Buy a one-way ticket Shuffle off this mortal coil Call off all bets Down for the count Cash in the chips At death’s door Go to sleep Pass away Cross over Push up daisies Bite the dust What is it that prevents people from speaking the words “death and dying” and instead use these euphemisms? Somehow, we are convinced that if we don’t talk about it, or even contemplate it, The Grim Reaper won’t know where to find us; much like a child hiding under a blanket, teasing that since, “You can’t see me,” s/he must be invisible. When people fear death, it may be because they have apprehension about not existing or not being remembered. The unknown, even for those with solid spiritual faith can shake beliefs. When my mother, who was on hospice for the last six months of her life, was first diagnosed with end stage kidney and heart disease, s...
Source: Psych Central - Category: Psychiatry Authors: Tags: Anxiety Grief and Loss Motivation and Inspiration Psychology Self-Help Bereavement death dying Existentialism fear of death five stages of grief Mortality Source Type: news