The constant fear of death can poison a person all his life. We may not even be aware that we are afraid of death, because this fear manifests itself in a variety of things. Some may suffer from claustrophobia, others are afraid to cross the road even at a green light, and others and to the tenth floor climb the stairs without risking using the elevator. How to overcome the fear of death?
Memento mori
"Memento Mori!" - reads the famous appeal. It would seem paradoxical, but the more consciously a person thinks about the inevitability of death, the less fear he experiences. If he does not even say this word and in every possible way tries to distance himself from such thoughts, the effect is completely opposite.
Japanese schoolchildren logically end their essays on how they would like to live life with a description of the alleged death. It is difficult for a Western person to understand this, but in the East the traditional attitude towards death is as follows: it is an organic part of life, and not its opposite. There is nothing frightening and tragic about it. If a person is ready for death, he meets her with ease and even joy, like a friend. Or at least not numb with fear of one thought of the inevitable.
Can you learn to die?
In the East, there are practices that help "make friends" with death. For example, the Dalai Lama “dies” 4-5 times daily, visualizing this process in detail. The spiritual leader believes that such an exercise will help him not to get confused when the "lady with the scythe" actually comes.
But it is not necessary to delve into Buddhist practices to overcome the fear of death. In our daily life, if you think about it, there are many things that are designed to prepare us for this momentous event. The most important of these is sleep, this daily "rehearsal" of dying. But, returning from oblivion every morning, we again rush to go about our business, not thinking about the lesson we have learned.
Samuel Johnson: “Not preparing for death in adulthood is like falling asleep on duty during a siege. Not preparing for death in old age means falling asleep during the assault."
To stop being afraid of death, you should accustom yourself to the idea that it is a natural process, a part of our life. In many religions, death is perceived simply as a change of body. What is there to be afraid of? - after all, you are not afraid when you change. In Christianity there is no concept of reincarnation, but if an Orthodox person has lived a life filled with meaning, he will not regret. “God gave me life, he has the right to take it away,” - this is how a person thinks, in whose heart there is a sincere faith. The unbeliever should simply accept reality: “Yes, we are all going to die. It may be sad, but it cannot be changed. And if this is inevitable, then why worry?"
How to deal with death
The Bible says, "He who believes is saved." It turned out that the lines of the scriptures are confirmed by doctors! Dr. Donn Jung of Ohio University has shown through research that cancer patients can "delay" the day of death so that they do not miss an important date for them, such as a birthday or Christmas. Sincere faith and prayers helped these people postpone death until the next day.
Often people are afraid not so much of death itself as of old age. Indeed, in modern culture, old age is considered something shameful and ugly; no culture, no aesthetics of aging.
And according to medical statistics, believing cancer patients live 5-6 years longer than non-believers. How can this be explained? Receiving the news of his fatal illness, a person falls into despair. The constant fear of death and other negative emotions destroy his spirit and body even faster. A believer, however, does not identify himself with the physical body, and, therefore, is less constrained by the fear of death and more resistant to life's difficulties.
