fear of life, n.All

Fear of life (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠no imaginary bogy but real panic: the young, growing part of the personality, kept from living, generates fear and changes into fear.

Fear of life (n.) tends ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠to become fear of death in age — those who most feared life when young suffer later just as much from fear of death; both are infantile resistances to one of life's normal demands.

Fear of life (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a vicious circle: shrinking from reality breeds fear, fear breeds more shrinking, and the path leads back into infantilism and finally “into the mother.”