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The fear of death is a primal and natural fear. Intellectually, I understand this as being the natural inclination of self-aware agents in a survival-of-the-fittest environment. This primal fear is not necessarily a conscious one. I’m talking about the reflexive behavior that we engage in when faced with danger. Reflexive behavior such as fight or flight.
Even religious people, those who believe in an afterlife for their personal essence, have this primal fear. Animals also have this primal tendency to avoid death. Without this inclination, life wouldn’t have survived in this hostile universe.
There is, however, a second fear of death that afflicts certain animals with high-functioning self-awareness. I’m talking about the existential angst that follows the realization that that which is I will at some point cease to exist. Many religions suppress this fear with the idea of an afterlife in which the essence of a person will never cease to exist. For the agnostic or atheist who has just left religion, this fear of death may have something to do with why life suddenly seems more pointless.
What exactly causes this existential angst, this second fear of death, and how might we suppress it as individuals without deluding ourselves with religion?
X Amish Atheist 
There is a big difference between fear of dying or being killed and fear of death. Dying can hurt! Who wants to experience pain?! It would be nice if we could all die quietly in our sleep but many do not.
I became an atheist at 14 or 15, and I never felt life was pointless or feared death. In my eyes, it made life that much more worthwhile because this is all we get. I was much more neurotic when I believe in god, thinking I would go to hell for this or that.
But I guess I’m no longer an atheist, although it’s been such a big part of my identity. I realized that I loved reading ghost stories and I also had a “guardian angel” experience, which made me question whether maybe there is an afterlife.
Then, an ex-boyfriend died — a staunch atheist — and he made his presence known and communicated through actions that are physically unexplainable (for example, turning a radio on to play a certain meaningful song, and nobody being able to change the channel or turn it off, even after pulling the plug). How could I stay an atheist if I experienced that there’s some kind of life after death?
I started to research communicating with the dead and found “Spiritualism,” which is a specific religion, not what people typically mean when they say they’re spiritual. Spiritualists try to contact the dead, to learn from them. Like all religions, some of the adherents’ beliefs don’t mesh with mine, but real Spiritualism is supposed to be RATIONAL, which appealed to me.
Spiritualists figure if they want to find out more about the Universe and afterlife, ask the people who have gone beyond. They also don’t believe that Jesus saves you from your sins, which was important to me. Spiritualists believe you are solely responsible for your actions, and you are never doomed, even after death. Many don’t even use the word “God,” although some do. In that sense, I am still an atheist because although I do believe in an afterlife, I still don’t believe in a guy called God.
So that is where I am now. Although there are Spiritualist churches with Sunday services, I am just not a churchgoer, so I’ve only been to them a couple of times. From everything I’ve learned, as long as you’re a good person, dying brings you to a better place, an amazing place, and I’m actually looking forward to it.
I just discovered x Amish atheist and have been enjoying posts like this (more than those about breaking Amish). I am an x evangelical Christian. I think the fear of death you are talking about is explained by the possibility that there is a spiritual aspect to the human condition, although not necessarily the kind advocated by religions. God is not a separate being out there somewhere. God is my (and your) inmost self, the self which is not differentiated from others by circumstances. This self is the same for everyone. Reality is not created from the outside in but rather from the inside out. Each of us is a unique POV and so death is the end of that POV but not of the eternal Self. Each death is a real loss to be mourned, but the ultimate self is immortal.
I believe in God, yet I don’t fear death. For me there is no after life. When I die I sleep until the resurrection, then I face judgement. If I was an unbeliever, someone like say an atheist, then after being judged I would have to pay my penalty (wages) for rebellion (sin), since I did not accept Christ payment for my rebellion (sin). Once I paid my wages then I would die again (this is called the second death) only this time there will be no resurrection. I, as a person, will basically cease to exist. This is based on what the scriptures say, whether you want to believe it or not, hey, your choice.
You seem to have a high regard for scripture, and I’m assuming you mean the Old and New Testaments of the Christian Bible. Do you also accept the Koran and the Book of Mormon as valid scriptures? If not, then why not? The New Testament, the Koran, and the Book of Mormon are all just sequels to the Old Testament, are they not?
I’ve studied other religions, I think everybody should. You have to see the picture from all different angles to make an informed decision. Yes I’ve read them and no I don’t regard them as coming from God. It is too late at night to go into why, and actually, you don’t really think my reason will change your mind do you? I highly doubt it and frankly I have no interest in trying to change your belief. it is not my job, you believe what you want to believe. Yes I hold a high regard for the scriptures. It makes sense to me. I don’t see good God (New Testament), Bad God (Old Testament), I don’t see contradictions. I guess it really does not matter now does it? You’re gonna believe what you’re gonna believe and I likewise. But there is no harm in exchanging views. I find it quite interesting. How we each can read the same book and come away with so many different views. Fascinating isn’t it. The really neat part, neat? Who says neat anymore? Anyway the really interesting part is we won’t know for sure until we get our dirt blanket!