| Thanatophobia is the fear of death, or the fear of | | | | than ever before. |
| dying. To be human is to be mortal, and if there is one | | | | To admit that a three pound lump of grey jelly is |
| moment, one action which is shared by every human | | | | capable of thought so advanced that it can |
| who ever breathed, it is the moment of death. To be | | | | contemplate its own place in the universe, imagine |
| afraid of death is normal; we are hard wired to survive, | | | | beyond the physical world, probe deep within the fabric |
| to cling to life, to live to our full potential. Life is a | | | | of the cosmos and still be able to remember how to |
| journey, and it is in our genetic makeup to make every | | | | boil an egg is to accept that this world contains |
| effort to make that journey as long as possible. | | | | something more incredible than could reasonably be |
| It is inevitable that our journey will end, as all journeys | | | | expected. To consider that the imaginings of our brain |
| must do. What purpose is there in any journey we | | | | extend beyond the physical realm we see is hardly far |
| make if we have no intention of ever arriving? | | | | reaching. |
| The fear of dying is, deep down, a reason for living. | | | | We already accept that there is much we cannot see, |
| But it is not the only reason, and an unhealthy | | | | yet know exists. We cannot see radio waves, or light, |
| preoccupation with dying will simply darken the whole | | | | we cannot see the wind or heat, yet we know that |
| journey. Imagine a train journey which is spent | | | | they exist. An awareness beyond death is merely the |
| perpetually in fear of crashing headlong into some | | | | shadow in the darkness we can't see yet, until the light |
| unseen obstacle. The entire journey would be spent | | | | is switched on and it is revealed. |
| scrutinizing the pinpoint of distance ahead, focussing | | | | Whether you believe that there is a god, an eternal life |
| only on the rails ahead and of the unseen obstacle. Far | | | | force, or a world which exists on a parallel plane |
| better, surely, would be to enjoy the journey - look to | | | | doesn't matter - whether god is your religion, or |
| each side, and admire the view, watch the changing | | | | science, or a self belief quite independent of others |
| scenery unfold before you like the pages of an epic | | | | makes little difference - the thought of a further |
| story, share the journey with those fellow passengers | | | | experience beyond death is comforting. |
| around you, and live whilst you are alive. | | | | Perhaps scientist would do well to fall back upon the |
| We have each been granted a glorious and | | | | words of one of their own. Albert Einstein told us, even |
| unimaginably precious gift - a life. Each of us alive | | | | proved, that "Energy can be neither created nor |
| today has beaten the odds in spectacular fashion. It | | | | destroyed, but only altered in form." We, as human |
| has taken billions of years to create you, and even at | | | | beings, are a collection of various types of energy. |
| the moment of your conception you beat the odds of | | | | This energy, according to Einstein, has always been |
| several million to one. We are each the culmination of | | | | around and will forever be around. It can't be |
| eons of survival and success; we are each a | | | | destroyed, it can only change or alter in form; take on |
| spectacular winner in the survival stakes. | | | | a different shape and appearance than what it once |
| If you were to be given a gift of money, would you | | | | was. This is the reason spirit mediums are capable of |
| hide it away, looking at it occasionally, but keeping it | | | | connecting with those who have crossed over. It is |
| locked away from sight and use for fear of losing it? | | | | because the essence of an individual's soul, that |
| Or would you enjoy the opportunity to use it to bring | | | | energy, has altered from being embodied in one form |
| happiness, enjoyment, comfort or some experience | | | | and has changed into another form. |
| which will become happy memories? To use our | | | | Yet again, to dwell purely on this possible extension of |
| precious gift of life mulling gloomily on the fact that it is | | | | life is to dwell on the end of this journey. Yes, we may |
| ultimately limited in length is to waste the time we do | | | | be on a train hurtling down the tracks towards a |
| have; a time when we could be looking out of the | | | | destination which may, or may not, be a station at |
| window, becoming a part of the unfolding story, and | | | | which we disembark only to change trains and |
| celebrating the fact that we have beaten the | | | | continue our journey - but this is a second journey, |
| infinitesimally small odds and made it here, all of us, | | | | through different lands, with different stories and |
| together. | | | | landscapes and experiences. We shall never again |
| No story is successful without an ending, no poem | | | | have the opportunity to look out of the windows we |
| complete without the poet's concluding words, no | | | | see now, to be part of the story unfolding right now, at |
| sentence without its defining full stop. Death is our full | | | | this very minute. |
| stop, our defining moment - our grand conclusion, the | | | | Life without death is meaningless, as is light without |
| final chapter to our current existences and this | | | | darkness, heat without cold, happiness without pain. To |
| fabulous and unique passage of time that we are | | | | consider one without the other takes away all meaning |
| sharing with others. Death is the moment when this life | | | | and substance from both. |
| becomes a sentence in the epic tale of life, a moment | | | | Remember this - you are alive, now. More than this, |
| when we are defined in history, when we become the | | | | you are alive and you are aware of that fact. There |
| beautiful words in the poet's last verse. It is the | | | | was a time before you, and there will be a time after |
| moment when our whole journey becomes | | | | you, but there will never again be an exact same |
| worthwhile, when we arrive. | | | | world which you are currently living in and where you |
| It is the ultimate mystery to know whether death | | | | are a living sentence, an indisputable part of the epic |
| marks the end of life, or merely the transition from one | | | | tale that has been told for all eternity. |
| form to another. For many people religious beliefs | | | | Live, don't just survive; run, but not away from death - |
| serve as comfort, with the hope and faith of an | | | | run through life only that you explore as much of it as |
| eternal life beyond the physical existence we see. | | | | possible. One does not throw away the seeds |
| There is so much mystery and magic surrounding this | | | | because the plant will only die; we plant it, nurture, it, |
| world; to watch billions of tonnes of exploding gas rise | | | | spend every day helping it to grow not just to survive, |
| up in the East and pour teeming life upon a globe | | | | but to bloom, to blossom, to be beautiful and alive. |
| suspended in an ultimate darkness is to see a world | | | | Be alive, be beautiful. Tomorrow will come, but today is |
| where almost anything seems possible. Science admits | | | | already here. Let's discover what part we play in |
| it has no answers, only questions. The more our | | | | today's chapter, and let the storyteller worry about |
| scientists probe and explore, the more mystery is | | | | tomorrow's plot. |
| revealed. More scientists are turning to religion today | | | | |