Fear of Death - The Psychology of Death Anxiety
Death Anxiety
Fear of death, also known as thanatophobia, is anxiety caused by thoughts of one’s own death. Individuals experiencing this form of anxiety face challenges and adversities in many aspects of their lives. It is distinct from necrophobia, which is an irrational or disproportionate fear of dead bodies or anything associated with death. Death anxiety affects various demographic groups, including differences among men and women, and across age ranges. Robert Langs identifies three types of death anxiety, predatory, predation or predator anxiety, and existential death anxiety. Both conscious and unconscious fears play significant roles in the development of emotional dysfunctions.
Predatory death anxiety stems from the fear of being harmed. It is considered the oldest and most basic form of death anxiety, tracing back to the first unicellular organisms, which developed adaptive mechanisms to increase survival against external dangers. In humans, this form of anxiety is triggered by situations that threaten one’s survival, leading to a fight-or-flight response to either combat or escape the danger.
Predation or predator death anxiety arises when an individual harms another, whether physically or mentally. This form of death anxiety is often accompanied by unconscious guilt. According to Freudian theory, this guilt is deeply embedded in individuals through their genetic heritage, religious upbringing, ancestral religious affiliations, and personal ethics. The unconscious guilt, although not directly acknowledged, influences a person’s decisions and actions, driven by the repressed idea or impulse behind the guilt.
Existential death anxiety stems from the basic knowledge that human life must end. It is known to be the most powerful form of death anxiety. Language has contributed to the development of existential death anxiety by facilitating communicative and behavioral changes. Additional factors include the awareness of the distinction between self and others, a full sense of personal identity, and the capacity to anticipate the future. The existential psychiatrist Irvin Yalom asserts that humans are prone to death anxiety because our existence is forever shadowed by the knowledge that we will grow, blossom, and inevitably, diminish and die. Human beings are unique in their awareness of mortality and in pondering the meaning of life and death. This awareness of human mortality arose approximately 150,000 years ago. In that relatively short span of evolutionary time, humans have developed a fundamental mechanism to cope with the existential fear this awareness has evoked: denial. While denial can be adaptive when used sparingly, its excessive use is more common and emotionally costly. Denial underlies various behaviors, such as breaking rules, violating frames and boundaries, manic celebrations, directing violence against others, and striving for extraordinary wealth and power. These pursuits are often triggered by death-related trauma and, while they can sometimes lead to constructive actions, they more frequently result in actions that are damaging to oneself and others. There continues to be confusion about whether death anxiety is a fear of death itself or a fear of the process of dying. According to Elisabeth Kübler-Ross in her seminal book On Death and Dying (1969), those approaching death undergo a series of stages. These stages are:
Refusing to accept that death is imminent.
Feeling resentful towards those who will continue to live.
Attempting to negotiate a way to delay or avert death.
Experiencing deep sorrow due to the inevitability of death.
Coming to terms with the reality of death.
These stages are not necessarily experienced linearly or universally but provide a framework for comprehending the emotional responses to impending death. Mortality salience refers to the awareness that one’s death is inevitable. One key factor affecting how people respond to mortality salience is their self-esteem. Research has shown that individuals with low self-esteem are more susceptible to the effects of mortality salience, experiencing greater anxiety and distress when confronted with the reality of their own death. In contrast, those with high self-esteem tend to cope better with the notion of death being uncontrollable. Mortality salience can also trigger what is known as worldview defense. This psychological mechanism involves reinforcing one’s connection to their in-group and cultural values as a defense against the discomfort of mortality awareness. This defense mechanism manifests in various ways, including increased punitive measures for perceived moral transgressions. For instance, a study involving judges demonstrated how mortality salience could impact legal decisions. Judges were divided into two groups: one group was asked to reflect on their mortality, while the other was not. The judges were then tasked with setting a bond for an alleged prostitute. The group that reflected on mortality set an average bond of $455, whereas the control group’s average bond was $50. While the exact reasons for this disparity remain unclear, it highlights how mortality salience can influence punitive attitudes. Possible explanations include the role of cultural beliefs that emphasize moral codes as integral to a successful afterlife or a heightened desire to assert control and impact the world before death. Additionally, mortality salience has been linked to increased support for extreme measures such as martyrdom and military intervention. In a study focusing on this connection, students who reflected on their mortality showed a greater inclination towards supporting martyrdom and military actions.