What I have never seen in all my practice

What does one write about on Halloween night? It is written about the fear of death.

In my modest practice, I have never encountered a situation where the fear of death was really about the fear of death.

Let’s start with a brief neurobiological excursion. There is a theory developed by Panksepp about primary affective systems. So, it examines two systems — the PANIC system and the FEAR system. The panic system is activated when separated from a significant adult (in other words, a parent). If anyone has ever seen very small chickens (although we are talking about the mammalian system, but this is just an example) that follow a hen, then panic can be very clearly observed when the chicken gets lost: it stretches its neck, begins to squeak loudly and runs around looking for mom. We see the panic system in small children who get lost in a big store or who are taken to the doctor. Yes, yes, it turns on not only when separated from the parent, but also when there is danger, demanding reunification and protection from the parent. Panic activates the sympathetic nervous system, triggers tears, screams, snot, and that’s all. Panic attacks are just about this very system: round eyes, rapid breathing, pounding heart. If in lizards, for example, security concerns some place, shelter, nest, then in mammals security is associated with the parent — the attachment figure.

In contrast, the fear system is activated when there is immediate danger to life. The cat caught the mouse — that’s your fear…