People clarified what actually terrified them most about death

The Process

"I don't fear being dead. I fear dying."

– magicbluemonkeydog

"Yeah, that's usually the issue. It's why that quote doesn't mean much, to a lot of people."

"It's not a fear of eventually dying and not existing anymore. It's the act of dying itself. He didn't constantly die for all of time. He just wasn't alive."

– appleparkfive

Concept Of Loss

"To have not existed for billions of years is to have spent billions of years never knowing loss. To die is to know loss."

"If you look into a new bank account and see zero dollars, it’s nothing. If you look into a bank account that once had a million dollars and see there’s nothing in there, you’ll know it’s absence."

– -CrestiaBell

People provided an analogy to articulate what ceasing to exist must feel like.

It's About Time

"Time is only relevant to you when you are alive. He is right. Have you ever been sedated for surgery? You go under, and then instantly wake up and procedure is done.... or you died so no worries."

– 20190419

Consciousness Is Life

"You won’t be feeling anything in death though is the thing. That infinite/instant sensation was a living feeling, you just weren’t conscious for it - your body experienced it anyways. No body, no experience."

– Parradog1

Like Being Under

"That is very true, but for me, that's the closest amalgamation of what it probably feels like."

"No one can tell you what actual death will be like. It's impossible for you to experience nothingness."

"Thinking about death can be paralysing sometimes, and when I remember that the closest thing i can link as an experience I had, being put under, was actually sort of pleasant. I then think maybe death will be like that, and honestly it doesn't seem that bad."

– IamEclipse

When In Deep Sleep

"Yeah in contrast to sleep where you can actually feel like time has passed when you wake up."

– GreyFoxMe

Think Line Between Death And Slumber

"As CGPGrey puts it, your bed might very well be a suicide machine."

"Given our lack of understanding for the fundamental processes of our sentience, it's entirely possible that when you fall asleep, your mind is functionally killed, disassembled, analyzed, sorted, tweaked, and adjusted by your biology, before being reassembled when you wake. Every night."

– Mazon_Del

People opened up about their insecurities around the concept of death.

Fear Of What Comes Next

"I’m just paranoid that something does happen after death and it’s just based on one thing that you didn’t know about."

– PsychoDog_Music

The Circle Of Death

"There’s nothing to fear in oblivion. Unless, of course, your consciousness survives death. If so, it would be reasonable to fear the sensation of consciousness without senses, suspended alone in the cosmos, with no one to hear you, and no way to make yourself known. No reference point for counting time – a count that does not matter anyway in a literal eternity."

"You might wish that you still had a corporeal form, only so that you could make your mouth move to express your terror, to make the universal form of a terrified scream – the form of a letter O."

"But you won’t be able to. You just won’t!"

"This has been the Children’s Fun Fact Science Corner. Brought to you by shame, loneliness, and the letter..."

"O....."

– CecilSpeaksInItalics

When Faith Fails You

"what do you mean I'm going to hell?! I was a good person and attended church regularly!"

"Ah yes, but you failed to put a blue feather in your hat and then turn in circles the times praising God Almighty on the fifth Sunday after your twelfth birthday. To the pit with you!!!"

– phormix

There is an poignant episode from the Twilight Zone that brought me a sense of peace surrounding the concept of death.

Death was embodied by a handsome police officer who had been shot–played by a young Robert Redford–and begs to be let into the home of an elderly woman who had been living in perpetual fear of meeting "Mr. Death."

As the episode continues, she discovers much to her dismay that she welcomed Death into her home, but he warmly reassures her there is nothing to fear.

The episode ends with her finally offering her hand to Death after much protest, and they peacefully walk out together, arm in arm, into the light.

It was sweet and beautifully done. The 1962 episode was titled, "Nothing in the Dark."

That's how I imagine it to be.

A dashing Prince of Darkness telling me it's time to join him in guiding me to the other side.

Twilight Zone - "Nothing in the Dark" ending (SPOILER ALERT)