Who’s Most Afraid to Die? A Surprise

Buddhist philosophers have argued that the self is an illusion. Does embracing that belief change how you feel about your self—and about death?

Why am I afraid to die? Maybe it’s the “I” in that sentence. It seems that I have a single constant self—the same “I” who peered out from my crib is now startled to see my aging face in the mirror 60 years later. It’s my inner observer, chief executive officer and autobiographer. It’s terrifying to think that this “I” will just disappear.