Facing Existential Dread

Brokeback Watchtower

The Watchtower Corporations main appeal is a everlasting life, this makes it possible for one to avoid Existential Dread. This type of anxiety is a part of the human condition, and it explains the appeal of many religions to the human condition as it offers some relief from the anxiety about our life ending.

Psychologist show the importance for facing this dread/anxiety.

My feeling is that the more you can accept the fact that your life is very very temporal, the better you will live your life as you accept that you are very temporary and try to live life to the full and not be duped by religions appeal to calm this anxiety.

https://www.calmclinic.com/anxiety/types/existential

scratchme1010

This type of anxiety is a part of the human condition, and it explains the appeal of many religions to the human condition as it offers some relief from the anxiety about our life ending.

Either I'm not human, or such anxiety isn't really part of the human condition. I can't care less about the fact that I will die one day. I don't dread my existence. I don't worry about the fact that life is fragile and can end at any moment. If it's going to happen, it's going to happen. I have no control over it, so why worry? I am aware of it, but that's all I have, awareness, not anxiety or dread.

Brokeback Watchtower

That's great. I kind of feel that way, and don't consciously feel any dread because I know it gotta happen some day, I and don't feel depressed very much.

But I wonder about below the conscious level, but generally I feel a very low conscious levels of anxiety and no dread just hoping that it rather painless and with friends. I like Woody Allen's quote about being afraid of the pain of dying or something. I hope to go rather quick and painless or in some other way nice way.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEEA1kQXEI8

venus

Great thread.

There is nothing to fear. I know I came through my parents who in turn came through their parents which goes into infinity; yet each one supplied the seed in which all future generations remains protected. Yet parents did not design the software that the physical thing called seed is based on. This shows there is some interesting purpose to life which everyone has to find out which makes the search a thrilling experience.

In some language, the word for heaven is coined out of two words which collectively means 'living in the awareness that I am child of God' which automatically makes feel confident of his enormous skills and talents, and if he also lives in the now exploring new avenues with his skills and talents he would live like being in heaven. On the contrary, if one is aware what others should do for him, or did to him, he would live like as though in hell.

smiddy3

I have known quite a few elderly and not so elderly people who have been at deaths door and I cant think of anyone of them who have faced their impending death with dread .

More likely it has been one of acceptance ,that death is just a part of our living cycle.Most of the people I speak about have not been church goers and if you believed the hype of Christians they would be pleading for forgiveness of their sins before they departed into the next world .

However nothing is further from the truth. It just does not happen

I`m in the twilight of my years and I do not believe in the Bible or a God that answers prayers , am I in dread of dying ? no of course not its an eventuality that will befall us all sooner or later .

Do I want to die ? no of course not ,however I`m a realist and accepts that is what will happen sooner or later whether you are a devout JW ,Muslim ,Orthodox Jew,Mormon ,SDA,or any other religious persuasion .

We all die.

Diogenesister

I have that dread in bucket loads.

But it's pavlovs dog with me, I'm come close to death a few times ( I actually did stop breathing this year and ended up in ICU). But I am only just 50 and I have young children...I also wasted much of my life being controlled by a religion and a god who never existed.

I finally come to the realization religion plays on this fear and uses it to control people. Its absolutely true.

People were more religious when they are poor and or live in precarious environments and death comes at any time.

The young of the 1st world don't fear death as it's so far away from their every day experience.The elderly become tired, they reach their peace when they know death is inevitable. Being a nurse I have seen the fear of death is so many eyes.

I have some older family members who used to tease me for being religious. Now, in their early 70s they start attending church. Hypocrites. The older I get the more of an atheist I become....when I see how unfair the world is. I defy any GOD who has allowed this to happen to judge ME.

Diogenesister

Thank you Brokeback Watchtower I love Woody Guthrie he calms me and makes me feel at peace like no one else. Which is funny since he's so mad with the world and cynical half the time!

Xanthippe

Interesting topic Brokeback. Eternal life is the main hook of most religions. I like the way the article you linked to stressed that existential anxiety is normal and part of our life. We have to find ways to deal with it. Excellent that they say it's evolved from what does God want from me, what is the purpose of life, to what is the purpose of my life. That's the way I cope with existential angst by making my life purposeful. Over the years my purpose has changed continually since leaving the JWs. At this point in time I'm trying to have more fun and make more friends. In the JWs that would have been seen as a very selfish life purpose, but what do they know.

Death is not something that I worry about. I think most people think they are going to live forever anyway perhaps until they're older or a sudden severe health problem frightens them. Although I think it's normal to think about our eventual death and wonder what it's all about, religion has made this much worse over the centuries with talk of judgment, punishment, hellfire or other torments. Religions have hijacked our existential anxiety for their own ends.

BluesBrother

The WTS outlook on life is to " Live for tomorrow, not today. Postpone personal pleasures, it will all be good in the New World - work towards what is unseen"

The trouble is that it never comes..There are loads of simple homespun philosophies that make more sense. Like the lines in a Rod Stewart song, " Youth's a mask and it don't last ....live it long and live it fast, for you will never get a second chance "

That ought to be drummed into the generation of young dubs who have been brought up to trust the WTS ...

Facing Existential Dread

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