The article reveals the features of thanatophobia from the point of view of the
philosophical and socio-psychological aspects of its understanding and determines the
role of thanatophobia in the life of a person and society, who Znd themselves in the
conditions of the spread of the deadly COVID-19 virus. The emphasis is made on the
fact that the fear of death is not only a destructive factor that destabilises the normal
functioning of the human mind and body, causing destructive processes in social groups,
but also a mechanism that contributes to self-preservation and development of society.
The article concludes that over a long period of their existence, people not only did not
get rid of the fear of death, but also created a huge number of theories and teachings about death, as well as many means and methods for overcoming thanatophobia. It is noted that thanatophobia accompanies a person throughout the entire period of his/her life and is manifested both at the level of conscience and in the unconscious sphere, expressing itself in psychological syndromes. Thanatophobia arose since the dawn of mankind; the reason for its genesis was the “epistemological vacuum”, and its nature belongs to the area of the relationship between the natural and the social. The author explains the strengthening of thanatophobia in modern society from the standpoint of the emergence and functioning of the socio-psychological phenomenon – the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic that is reflected at the levels of individual and collective consciousness.
Key words: death, thanatophobia, COVID-19 virus, consciousness, psyche, mental health, finalism, eschatology.
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