Death Anxiety Meditation

Welcome. It’s so natural to feel anxious after you've experienced loss in your life. Sometimes that fear can spiral into catastrophising or a constant sense of unease about the future, for yourself or for those you love. And that can be pretty hard to live with.

This gentle, guided visualisation offers a different path: one where you imagine your future filled with vibrancy, connection, love, and joy. I hope that by actively imagining your older, future self, some of your fear will soften and ease, allowing you to live in the present with greater steadiness and trust.

Thank you to Alex Dallas for the comforting background music.

Transcript

Hello and welcome,

I'm Alice and I'm so glad you've joined me here.

My hope is that this meditation helps you to calm any anxiety that you might be feeling now that you're living with the grief that comes with death.

You might feel that the world around you is now a really scary place.

When someone close to us dies,

We're confronted with the reality and finality of loss and anxiety can become overwhelming.

Although anxiety is actually a very natural reaction to something difficult and sad happening,

It can be helpful to have a comforting practice to turn to when you feel yourself begin to catastrophise about yourself,

Those close to you or the wider world in general.

You can use your powers of visualisation now as you begin to imagine a positive,

Alternative picture to your catastrophic one.

Firstly,

Begin by making yourself comfortable and making sure you're warm.

If you're sitting down,

Have some support behind your back.

Take a deep breath in through your nose and a full sigh out of your mouth.

Do that once more.

Release your shoulders down a little,

Lengthen out your neck and perhaps you'd like to softly close your eyes.

Now you're going to bring to life an image of the absolute opposite of whatever you most fear.

So if,

Like me,

That is that you'll die too early,

Leaving behind beautiful children,

A partner,

Family and friends,

Then picture yourself as a much older person many years from now and picture whoever you care about alongside you in a positive,

Life-affirming vision of the future.

Use all of your senses to put yourself in a vibrant,

Technicolour scene.

Feel,

Hear,

Smell,

See and taste your abundant future life.

Where are you?

Who is with you?

What do you look like?

What are you wearing?

How warm or cold is it?

What sounds can you hear?

What scent is in the air?

What are you doing?

Really allow yourself time to feel all of this.

Feel with all your being and enjoy this positive experience.

Soak it in.

And remember that you can come back to this beautiful image of the future,

Of your future,

This safe,

Happy place whenever you feel yourself becoming overwhelmed or anxious.

You're doing so well in the face of your grief.

You're not alone and there are many of us on this journey alongside you.

Be kind and gentle with yourself.