Many participants find that focusing on the notion of symbolic immortality helps them deal with death by lowering their fear about dying and encouraging sentiments of well-being and thankfulness for their existence. Symbolic immortality can be achieved through one's work, such as creating a body of valuable knowledge or art; through religion or spirituality; through family traditions or memories; or even through sports achievements or other forms of entertainment. In addition, thinking about ways in which others may continue to benefit from one's life efforts can also provide some sense of immortality for oneself. Participants report that this kind of indirect survival does not just feel good but is actually essential for calming their emotional reactions to the idea of death. For example, one woman told us that when she was younger, she would get very upset at the thought of dying. But now that she is older, she realizes that none of her friends or family members would really be affected by her death. Since they don't depend on her for their happiness, she doesn't worry about being dead. Another woman said that she used to dread the idea of dying because she knew that it would hurt like hell when your loved ones had to say goodbye. But now that she has become an expert in neurobiology, she knows that dying brains are not capable of feeling pain.