I am not afraid of death. Dying, yes, because it is probably painful, but not death. If your mind simply ceases to exist, there is nothing to fear.
I'll tell you that for those who die whose sins are not covered by the shed blood of Christ, death is a lot more painful than the process of dying will be. It's not your mind i.e. your physical body that you need to worry about Renate, but where your spirit goes after the death of the body. That's an awfully big gamble to leave this world without Christ, thinking that you know what happens at the time of death. And there's no coming back from that once you find out the truth.
Scripture states that for those in Christ, at the time of death the spirit departs from the body and goes to be in the presence of the Lord. In opposition to this, when the unbeliever dies, their spirit departs and goes to Sheol/Hades, where like the rich man, he will be in torment in flame and there is not coming back, no do overs.
You can continue to be smug in thinking that when you die that non-existence follows, but you won't know the answer until you take your last breath, where at which time you find out the truth, which is that when you depart from your body at the time of death, your spirit will be conscious and aware. Oops! Too late!
These people who have been committing suicide lately obviously did so because there were some things in this life that they couldn't deal with and their thinking was to commit suicide in order to fade to black, become non-existent. But I can tell you according to the word of God, that's not what happens. If their faith was not in Christ, the moment they killed their body, their spirit departed and went down into Hades to begin their punishment because of their sins against a Holy, Righteous and Eternal God.
Life and death are both states of eternal, conscious existence. An individuals status with God (reconciled or unreconciled) is what determines whether that individual will exist in a state of life or death. Death is not non-existence, but complete loss of well being in separation from God, eternal ruination. Where life is eternal existence in the kingdom of God.
This is the reason that Jesus appeared as a human being, so that He could kin Himself with us, live a life without sin, meet the righteous requirements of the law, take upon himself the wrath that we deserve and pay the penalty for our sins. Those who have faith in Him are credited with righteousness and have been reconciled.
I don't believe in God, does not equal God does not exist. Those who are unbelievers, who die without Christ, are not exempt from judgment and will be held accountable for every sin they ever committed.
Something for you to really think about!