Why I started writing the book, ‘The fear of death.’
If I had to describe my life in one word, it would be ‘stress’. I have lived with overwhelming stress daily. In the midst of this constant anxiety, my body reacted—I became ill, suffering from stomach aches, headaches, rheumatoid arthritis in my knees and fingers, prostate pains, skin problems, and depression.
One day, I questioned myself, “What makes me stressed?”, and started thinking about the causes of my stress. I examined my mind deeply to understand why I have been torturing myself with so many worries, anxieties, fear, dread, frustration, and depression. I asked myself, “What is the root cause of mental stress?”
After thoroughly examining this question for many years, I finally reached a conclusion about the fundamental cause of stress. “That cause is fear.” I thought again and realized that all fear is connected to the death we are destined to experience once. So, on a more fundamentally level, I concluded that the origin of fear is death. I can say that all human problems that occur are coming from the fear of death.
My name is Isaac G. Lee, and I live in Canada. I was born in South Korea as the second of three sons. As of 2025, I am blessed to still be the son of my 85-year-old father, who lives in Korea. I am a grateful husband to my beautiful and thoughtful wife and a proud father of two children. Since 1990, I have devoted over 30 years to teaching and mentoring young college students. As an educator and philosopher, I seek to inspire others to pursue truth, wisdom, and a life of purpose.
If I were to say that all problems arise from “the fear of death,” most people might not understand, wonder, or even object to what I was trying to say, because that idea might be too radical a conclusion.
Usually, we might feel that death is too familiar and even seems natural. We see death occurring in the world every day, and it is often depicted in movies. So, death itself seems like a natural occurrence around us.
Yet, who can say that the phenomenon of death is natural? We only feel that death is natural due to being exposed to it so much, seeming familiar to our lives and our eyes. However, that is not natural at all. Yet even if death is not natural[SH2] , we don’t know how to change the reality of death. There is no way, no remedy, but to accept the reality of death and obey the destiny of mankind, which is to die. However, the truth is different from the common notion that is occurring on a daily basis.
In my understanding, I can say with full confidence that this is not natural at all[SH3] . Getting old, getting sick, and living with the fear of death are not natural, but a sickness that all mankind has embraced throughout history. It is disguised as a natural phenomenon that will happen to each person in the future and is happening today. Although we have been forced to accept our destiny because the phenomenon is an undeniable fact of human life, we must seek the answer of the origin of death.
And, fundamentally, death itself instills in us dread[SH4] and fear. Even though we are suppressing that fear by treating the power of death like it’s nothing[SH5] in our mind, we understand that the fear of death is so powerful and connected directly to daily life deeply in every aspect.
The fear of death can manifest in many ways and affect our lives in various aspects. It can lead to stress, anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues. It can also cause conflicts and broken relationships, and even physical health problems such as cancer. By recognizing the fear of death as a fundamental cause of these issues, we can start to understand and address them more effectively.
Finally, I could conclude that all kinds of mental diseases are directly, closely relevant to “the fear of death”. So, I’ve thought [SH6] to myself, ”If I could share my enlightenment with others, it would be very beneficial to those who have been suffering the same stresses, anxieties, and depression like me, regardless of who they are and whatever title or position we currently have[SH7] .”
Later, I decided to test whether my enlightenment was genuine and if the fear was really causing me stress. For several months, I reminded myself “I’m not dying” in any moment I faced difficulty. I also told myself, “The fear of death is just a paper tiger that can’t harm me. Don’t worry, you’re not going to die today, maybe tomorrow.” The result was remarkably positive.
After several months had passed, I was able to conclude from the result of the experimental examination that I had successfully controlled my stress, anxiety, anger, nervousness, and insomnia. Compared to my previous stress level, I felt much lighter than before, and it was almost one-tenth of what I had experienced previously.
However, I know that we cannot fundamentally solve the fear of death because we are going to die eventually. It’s just a mental trick, and we cannot escape the reality that we will die one day.
Nevertheless, it was beneficial for me to try an experiment where I assured myself that “I am not dying”. However, we still? need to solve the fundamental problem of our eventual death.
Through this book, I want to share my thoughts in many categories about what I have struggled with and what I have gained from my deep meditation and experiment with “the fear of death”.
At the same time, I want to share the fundamental solution to be completely free from “the fear of death” forever and to find and remain in true peace in our deepest soul. I hope you will read this book to the end as it will be beneficial for you.
Stay up-to-date
Never miss an update—every new post is sent directly to your email inbox. For a spam-free, ad-free reading experience, plus audio and community features, get the Substack app.
