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10/16/2009 10:30 AM

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By Katherine Mansfield

This article has been read 206 times.

Death: the act of dying; the end of life; the total and permanent cessation of all the vital functions of an organism.

In simpler terms, death is pretty much “it.”

For some, the prospect of dying is terrifying. As Henry van Dyke once said, “Some people are so afraid to die that they never begin to live.”

An overwhelming fear of death is called thanatophobia.

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As children, we learn that death is a part of life; it’s inevitable. While some people accept the fact that death will come eventually, others are horrified that death is the only sure thing in life. There are varying degrees of this fear. In rare cases, those with the phobia may tremble, have an increased heart rate, feel out of control or trapped, or suffer an anxiety attack. They have a hard time leading a normal life and may sometimes even be afraid to eat. Most of the time, though, people with the phobia become uncomfortable, nauseated, begin to sweat or suffer from a dry mouth when confronted with the fear of death.

Kassie Greaves, a junior at Canon-McMillan High School, admits that hearing the word “death” gives her the chills. She believes the trigger for her fear was the death of her grandmother.

She also fears death for another reason.

“Out of nowhere, you can be gone forever,” she said, “and you never know when it’s going to happen.”

So why fear something that is out of your control?

Many experts believe that this fear is based in part on the people’s religious beliefs. They may fear dying because they have sinned and do not feel they deserve to go to Heaven.

Another cause is that people who believe in ghosts and spirits may be wary of floating around aimlessly for eternity. Going from living and breathing, thinking and being, to ending up a lifeless corpse, and then dust, is scary.

Legends and tales, too, make dying even scarier.

“Men fear death as children fear to go into the dark; and as that natural fear in children is increased with tales, so is the other,” Francis Bacon once said.

This could not be more true. The Grim Reaper’s scythe and the Angel of Death’s sword, both of which take souls out of this world, give death an ominous perspective.

Fear of the unknown, the grief that accompanies the loss of a loved one, and the human instinct to survive make death unappealing. Dying is a frightening thing, and fearing it is easy.

Living with the fear is difficult, but if you give death the respect that it deserves and accept that it is inevitable, in time it may be discovered that death is simply the next great adventure.

Sources:

• www.associatedcontent.com/article/1190526/thanatophobia_causes_symptoms_and_diagnosis.html?cat=70
• www.deardeath.com
• http://sonael.wordpress.com/2006/11/02/thanatophobia/

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