Been there, done that. Some of my favorite solutions:
1. Realize that /regardless of what it's all about/, making oneself miserable by dwelling on fear (of nonexistence, or of anything else) is a really lousy use of the time they have, so stop thinking about it. Easier said than done; it takes practice, but it's possible.
2. Existential dread comes from thinking that one is separate from the rest of the world, which would mean that when an individual dies, something invaluable is extinguished forever. Talk to some hippies about that separateness; they can suggest ways to set yourself straight.
3. My sister likes to say that I was "down in Florida playing with the alligators" about things that happened before I was born. What will happen to 'me' when I die? Well the question is nonsensical because it implies a 'me' that is ontologically separate from the universe, but if it must be answered, I guess I'll be back to Florida, playing with the alligators.
1. Realize that /regardless of what it's all about/, making oneself miserable by dwelling on fear (of nonexistence, or of anything else) is a really lousy use of the time they have, so stop thinking about it. Easier said than done; it takes practice, but it's possible.
2. Existential dread comes from thinking that one is separate from the rest of the world, which would mean that when an individual dies, something invaluable is extinguished forever. Talk to some hippies about that separateness; they can suggest ways to set yourself straight.
3. My sister likes to say that I was "down in Florida playing with the alligators" about things that happened before I was born. What will happen to 'me' when I die? Well the question is nonsensical because it implies a 'me' that is ontologically separate from the universe, but if it must be answered, I guess I'll be back to Florida, playing with the alligators.