Conscious or unconscious belief in something transcendent, as a psychological buffer against existential fear, is part of human nature. It is usually a benevolent deity, or an impersonal force acting like one. In Gotama’s teachings, nibbāna, the state of permanent, equanimous disenchantment with our anxieties & fears, plays a similar role. In this context, “anxieties & fears” includes both “good” experiences that will go away as well as “bad” experiences that could happen at any time.
Ideas about sacredness are a key facet of many cultures, all trying to manage the terror of being a human—fear of death. We share these ideas with our group, our cultural-racial identity, religion, & so on; sharing these ideas makes them feel stronger to us. Believing that our group is special, different; others may die, but our group will live on (in heaven, in group memory, through great shared accomplishments) becomes very attractive. Studies have shown that the larger our group, the greater its ability to overcome the mental discomfort of believing in something (like an afterlife) that is difficult to prove. (This psychological conflict is called cognitive dissonance.)
Gotama understands that overcoming fear of death requires a new way to understand what we are. We can train ourselves to experience the world in a way that does not seek to strengthen a fragile sense of individual self. We can continuously let go of that illusion (eliminating cognitive dissonance) by removing its cause.
dissonance • dukkha • three characteristics • terror management