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Originally Posted by gotspirits
WabiSabi, thank you so much for that excellent insight. You stated everything I feel perfectly. You are correct. Death is my greatest fear. I struggle with it constantly. How can I overcome and accept death? Namely, my own death. I am a very educated man. I have had a ton of wonderful and professional experiences. But, thinking of my own demise puts my body physically on edge to the point that I panic. And, the more I think about it, the more I panic. It's a vicious cycle. Thanks in advance for any insight on how to overcome the thoughts of my own death.
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I find that those who fear death the most are those who are very invested in their lives. Education and material/professional success often fuel this fear, as you know that you cannot take your wealth or your accomplishments in this life with you when you die. You must leave them behind, give them up.
As for what you should do? I cannot really say for sure, as your path is your own to tread. What happened to me was that I finally decided that I was okay with dying. In the midst of an anxiety attack like many others, one where I thought I was going to die (again), I decided that I would rather die than continue to deal with the misery of my constant fear. My heart was beating so fast, I thought I was going to drop dead any second, and so I lay on the ground and let go of everything, let go of my self and everything that I had any attachment to. I wanted death to take me, to take away the pain. In that instant I made a conscious decision to accept my death, and my fear and anxiety dropped away immediately. I didn't die, of course, and I often still think about my death to this day, but my thoughts have no association fear.
This is not necessarily something that you can just do because you want to. I had to be pushed to the brink before I came to accept my mortality. So what can you do? My recommendation is to take up a practice of mindfulness, something that grounds you in the present moment. Start meditating or doing yoga. And continue to think on your death. Try and discover why you are so fearful of it. What are you so scared of losing?