[byvirtueof]

Have you ever been very ill, or ill for longer periods of time? My guess is that much of a fear of death is a fear of the unknown, and a fear of unknown suffering.

People who have been deathly or chronically ill have less fear of death than those who have been healthy most of their lives, partly because they know suffering, and partly because death can be promise of a future relief rather than a punishment for them.

[bowsamic]

I don’t think that’s relevant. The fear here is fear of oblivion, of not existing, not fear of pain