As I travel round the USA (and elsewhere) offering stories from different cultures and engaging groups in dialogue about Life, Death, and Beyond, I notice that repeatedly people ask, "Why am I so afraid of death?" I suspect that basic fear is connected to the belief (often unconscious) that with the transition we call "death," comes a peeling away of any shielding we may have constructed to protect ourselves from "full disclosure."

 I don't want people to see me naked with all my lumps and bumps revealed, not just on the physical plane (though surely that is a daunting prospect) but infinitely more frightening is the prospect of having to display the content of my inner world - my prejudices, laziness, ignorance, vulnerability, dishonesty - the list seems endless. The fear is, of course, that when I am truly revealed, I will be rejected, condemned, and unloved. Literature contains numerous folktales and stories that describe that very scenario.

 But what has been my actual experience? If I examine instances when I have admitted my brokenness, I have encountered compassion and support, not judgment. Similarly, when I have witnessed the honest revelations of others, I have felt deep connection and a strong urge to stand in solidarity with the "other" in the presence of his/her pain.

 So what kind of a world might we have if we all "knew" everything there is to know about one another? What if we could actually grasp one another's true motivations, our hopes and fears, our highest visions and longings, as well as our darkest fears and anxieties? Would we be safer or more vulnerable? I suspect that once we accepted this new reality, we might all feel a great deal safer. Many professions (military, spying, law enforcement, etc.) would become obsolete, to be sure, but there could be magnificent opportunities in other fields as yet unimagined.

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