We have a very powerful instinct for survival. Even a perceived threat, such as watching a scary movie, will set the heart racing and make the senses come alive. It's the Fight or Flight impulse. Deep down we know that none of this can prevent death. We can fight or run all we want but death will ultimately win. That's a frightening prospect. Also, we fear it because it is the ultimate unknown. We can only prepare ourselves as best we can with faith, for example. Finally, no matter how unpleasant one's life may appear to be, it is a very familiar and comforting life. To die would change our familiar world forever. That's also a very frightening prospect.

Very good question.

I think the reason we fear death is because we become attached to people and material things during our life that we don't want to leave behind as these have become our source of joy and pleasure in life. We think those things won't be there when we are dead, therefore we cannot carry on the same way we are and be happy.

So, it is that bond we have with people and material things in life that fears death.

i agree with herzmeister the only thing that fears death is the ego.If you can the ego out of the way then you make way for your true self[which is who we all really are].the only thing that dies when one physically dies is the ego,your true self will always exist.Your true self being pure love,and if we can let the ego die[stop reacting badly to situations,stop worrying about what people think about us,etc]then your true self takes over and thats when one starts to experience becoming a manifestation magnet and making this planet your kingdom of heaven, since you are looking at this world through the eyes of pure love and that is what god is PURE LOVE. Hence we are all GOD,WE ARE ALL ONE

Because death is a percieved end in (via) a time bounded perspective, it is painful and filled with fear. The fear is born out of the idea that we are this solid persona that will come to an end one day. It's the tangibility of a self in a tangible world that we are accustomed to and must hold on to. This fear calapses not by conquering it with an avalanche of courage but instead, it is a wisper of transparency in recognizing that the space behind the process of thought (which gives us all that has become a conceptual life), is that same substance, that same nature that is one with all. Ultimately, it is that realization that one finds in death. Fear can not live in that primary substance because there is no longer the sense of time or space. No time, no percieved end,.... no space, no percieved form (separation).

Life fears the unknown. Now to some people if you were to start an class or an tour that would show what death would be like with feelings and how the other side is when you are transform to another plane or to some prove there is life after death.

So, fear makes you fear the unknown.

I was watching an movie one day and they had classes for children showing them that death was nothing more than going to sleep for when they got an certain age they would just put them to sleep and have the children in the class press the button that sent them into the room to be cremated like. No, it didn't show what it felt like to die or what went on after death. They controlled the minds of the people and would not let them think for them selves, they took happy pills so there were no worries, and you create children through the lab of how smart you want this person to be according to what job he would be doing, how you look and so on. But something happen and one person was different and he ask questions and refused to take the happy pill and choose to live life to the fulles and not like an zombie.

But if you trust in God and Jesus than you know he and the angels will be with you doing death and that death is just sleep, an moving from one plan to another and Jesus and God promise to be with us always and that is good enough for me. For your physical body dies but your spiritual body does not die it is connect to God and it will live for it is an spirit and it is what makes us an spiritual beings.

Could it be the concept (believed by some) of hell or inferno? That sinners will never see light, and will suffer in hell.

I believe it is the experience of any sentient being as animals don't know what death is, and they don't ponder what the possible outcome could be. So a person fully cognizant philosophizes on what could death be? Is there an end or a beginning? What could life be if we die, does any of it have any purpose or meaning? Will I vanish like I never existed and never will exist again? Will I go to heaven maybe hell what will become of me? All of these question require a level of intellect to even begin to try to comprehend.

This is precisely why I believe that only thinking conscious beings can experience this fear of dying.

The more we ponder it the more we come to the realization that whether we fear or not, death is coming to us eventually. So we just may as well enjoy life and forget about death, when it comes it comes, I'd rather leave peaceful and happy than terrorized and worried.

The only truth that is a 100% guaranteed to all living things is Death at the end of our physical journey here on earth! I used to fear death, but now I know that it is the only truth we all have to look forwards to in the end, so I have changed my fear of death into gratitude. So I am grateful for each and every new day in my life, and in the life of my love ones etc!

fear is another part of ignorance! death is part of the cycle! i have seen pass this side! and saw that i made the choice to come here and decided to come back what is there to fear? you are in the body and after you see the light and leave the body!

I have been dead as long as I have been alive, Forever. Another idea that one is without the other. Yet they are actually one in the same.

Though my physical body will expire and I embrace it, whenever it happens, I understand that there is a chance that my consciousness relies on my body to interpret it and I may never experience 'this' again on 'this' level.

Sometimes my point of meditation is visualizing my rotting body being eaten by maggots. It is very refreshing :) Really!

maybe the elementals, who may enjoy feeding off of their victims
fearing the loss of their host