[madnak]

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Recently I have become agnosticish, but I am deeply trying to hold on to what I do believe. The only reason for this is that the thought of not existing after death TERRIFIES me. It's probably my biggest fear. Just imagining not seeing, hearing, or THINKING gives me a panic attack. So my question for you all is how do you deal with this? I can't believe that the petty things I do and will do on earth is all that I can every do, is this the standard thought? Am I missing something? Are things like reincarnation considered reasonable in atheism? Set me straight guys, preach away. If this a dumb post have mercy on my soul [img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img].

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I had a different, but similar, problem. I had full-blown panic attacks about hell, and they are largely responsible for triggering the worst period of my life. I still have trouble struggling with hell, even though I don't believe in it any more.

What can you do? Well, there are lots of things. First, arahant mentioned Zen and he wasn't far off the mark. You might even get something out of some of the Dalai Lama's works. They can get a bit sentimental, and you may have some distaste for that, but regardless of whether they're true in a universal sense they have proved highly effective in the treatment of depression and anxiety. A number of Zen-based techniques are blowing people away in studies. And relaxation/meditation can be a more powerful tool than you may be able to believe right now.

Simpler techniques can also help. Personally, I haven't avoided thoughts about the subject and wouldn't recommend it. Thinking deeply has helped me a lot. But I fell into some traps early on, that you can avoid with some simple guidelines. The main thing is that if the thoughts are starting to provoke anxiety, find a distraction or think about something else. Don't think things like "this is actually going to happen, in a few decades at most I'm going to be pulled into this vortex..." Do think thoughts like "why am I so afraid, and what am I so afraid of?," "Is there any rational reason to be afraid of death?," and "Is 'nothingness' worth being afraid of? Isn't viewing it as going peacefully to sleep just as valid as viewing it as destruction of my being?" You can even try directly telling yourself things like "death is nothing to be afraid of," but I think more introspective techniques are much more effective among those with enough imagination to accomplish them (you sound like you're more than there).

Also, work on the environment you're in. Even if your fears aren't being caused by other emotional issues, they are definitely a significant influence. Make sure you have solid friends, are somewhat successful in life, spend plenty of time doing what you love, and spend a sufficient amount of time relaxing in a comfortable, stable environment. Be sure to find people to talk to about it - while that may sound pointless, you might be surprised how much regular support helps in the long term (and sometimes the short term as well).