Fear of the unknown is natural. And we face many unknowns. How and why are we here? And what happens to us when we die? Astrophysicists, cosmologists, evolutionary biologists and other scientists creep closer and closer to answering the questions of the past. Whether they will ever be able to bridge the gaps between the known and unknown is itself an unknown. But I have hope in science.
What happens when we die, I think, will always remain the object of speculation. Many of us believe in some afterlife, or even of multiple after lives. But any “existence” beyond the death of the body presupposes some entity, essence, consciousness or soul that must, by definition, be separate from the body so it may survive the body’s demise.
Outside of the Bible and other books written by people who profess to know the mind of God (which in itself presupposes the existence of a god), there is no verifiable evidence of an entity that transcends the body.
Of course, we hear stories of people speaking to the souls of the dead, or angels, or some god, but these are just stories. Like tales of Santa Claus, the tooth fairy and dragons they are comforting, sometimes terrifying, wonderful to imagine - but hardly evidence of their existence.
This perspective is sure to outrage some people, especially in a country so steeped in religious thought that nearly 3-in-10 believe God plays a role in determining sporting events (Public Religion Research Institute: http://publicreligion.org/newsroom/2013/01/january-2013-rtp-release-2/). And many will wonder how life can still have meaning if you think there is no existence after the body dies.
In actuality, assuming (until good evidence is provided that would change my mind) that we have no soul can be comforting and simplifies life. I don’t have to worry about reward or punishment in the afterlife. I can strive to become a better person and do good works because they are their own reward in this lifetime. The singularity of this life, reminds me of how wondrous and precious it is and to try and savor every moment of joy and pain. Long ago I wrote a single line that was intended for a never finished poem but that I often recite as a mantra. Feel free to use it for yourself: The beauty of death is the grace it sheds upon the living.
For a comprehensive discussion of death, the soul, and the afterlife I've found nothing better than than this Open Yale (free) course led by Shelly Kagan. There's a nice version of it in iTunes University.