There are two main categories relating to the fear of death, i.e.
- The conscious fear of the threat of death
- The unconscious or subliminal primal fear pulsating within depths of the mind.
1. The conscious fear of the threat of death
As programmed, all humans would fear the threat of death consciously [logically], but for all humans such a conscious fear of death is also inhibited and suppressed most of the time so that humans can function consciously.
Any one who has a constant [abnormal] fear of death at the conscious level would relatively be considered psychologically and mentally sick, which is Thanatophobia.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_anxiety_(psychology
Those who has such a sickness should seek psychiatric help.
2. The unconscious or subliminal primal fear pulsating within depths of the mind.
It is no doubt the threat of death generate fears but as in 1 above this fact of life is inhibited and suppressed at the conscious level but not at the subconscious level.
It is also a known fact what is activated at the subconscious [subliminal] level will manifest itself [most of the time] [more compelling] in various forms without the experiencer understanding/knowing its root causes.
This subliminal fear of death in combination with self-consciousness generate a suppressed form of cognitive dissonance and existential crisis brewing at the basement of the mind. This terrible dissonance is often manifest as angst, anxieties, worries, mental pains, lost, helplessness, despairs, psychological tremblings. pangs, etc. at the conscious level. Such terrible feelings are like an itch where one cannot find the exact spot to scratch.
However the majority has naturally veered [driven] toward a psychological balm, i.e. religions to soothe this terrible angst. Believe [god, etc.] and viola the pangs of angst suddenly disappear.
The Eastern religions [Buddhism, Jainism, some Hindu religions, etc.] on the other hand take its bull by the horns and face the issue directly at the rational psychological level to deal with it by tuning the relevant neural circuit to strengthen the necessary modulators to deal with the angst.
Thus the “Fear of Death” [inhibited as a subliminal angst] is THE Primary Motivator of Religions and other human activities.
With the advent of religions to deal with the terrible dilemma, they are exploited and abused by others for various purposes [political [control of the masses], social, economics, romance, love, money, etc.] but these are secondary motivators not the primary motivator.