You just can't let go of this 'pretending' nonsense Z S. An inability to even conceive an understanding of Life without fear is your perspective. You saying those who do not fear for the immortality of the soul are pretending is like me saying that you really didn't enjoy your last sexual encounter, you were just pretending. A sexually inept & impotent guy with a small dick, whose only experience is with disinterested prostitutes, just can't conceive how sex could be enjoyable from his perspective. No matter what you say, he continues to repeat "Stop pretending". Your being that guy.
You do not know what I know. You do not know what I've experienced. I didn't really want to reveal this on this forum [can bring out the mentally unwell] but I'm the guy you call when you have the worst kind of negative entity/energy in your home. I get to deal with the worst, when the 'White Lighters' & the churches fail. Stuff that make grown men shit themselves, especially the "I never believed in this stuff before, I thought it was bs" types. One family I helped had the official Catholic exorcist sent to help, within minutes he turned pale & fled the home muttering "It's evil, it's evil." over & over. haha, pussy. You have no idea of the hierarchy of the spirit world. I've seen & experienced that which you couldn't comprehend. There is Truth & there is Higher Truth. One cannot understand the latter without knowing the former. Authentic faith is - Knowing. What do you know Z S? You know fear. Now you can LEARN authentic faith - if you choose. That's what it boils down to, choice. You choose fear.
"You asked what if this is all a dream"? A mystic said 'Imagine a shadow puppet show. We are the shadows, the puppet our sub-conscious, the puppeteer our over-soul [true self]." haha There are some questions that can't be answered in this reality.I have no need or desire to know everything. One 'day' I will, but it's not going to happen here where many vibrate at a lower level. Some questions are irrelevant, no-one will ever have all the answers in this dimension. I only need to know what I need to know.
The mystics have told us for eons that this world is an illusion, [a reflection of our loves, our fears, our desires, our understanding &, most importantly, our awareness] that the real world is where we exist between incarnations [the almost infinite layers of 'reality' that lead to Nirvana, Heaven, Valhalla etc.]
There is no such thing as reality, only perception. Reality changes as our perception changes. You acknowledge that fear represents a lack of knowing. You can't imagine a fear free existence because, apparently, you don't know much [or enough].
I'd appreciate it if you can stop telling me that I'm pretending, it's insulting. I've faced death, I did not fear it. If not for the fact I had a young child at the time I would've looked forward to & embraced the death of this mortal vessel. Released to continue my journey.
I was given 3 years to live 13 years ago. 100% of those with my disease are dead within 3 years of diagnosis. If I feared my demise I'd be one of the '100%'.
Death is just another beginning.
Peace.