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DJRnold
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29 Jul 2008, 3:32 pm

Here is an experiment:

Picture nothing...
Once you have that image in your head, you will notice that what you are seeing is a colour (usually black or white). Try to picture nothing again, remembering that a colour is something.
It would be like something completely transparent (e.g. air) without anything in it, behind it, around it, etc. No colours, no objects...
Keep trying to picture it...

When I try to do this, I get a horrible chill down my spine as my brain reaches a dead end and I realise that it is impossible. :pale:

If death means that you stop existing, then it is not like your life came to an end. It is like your life was erased, because you lose your consciousness and your memories. You can no longer see, hear, smell, taste, feel, or "be". In fact, there is no such thing as "you", because you don't exist. Living people may know you had a life, but as far as you're concerned...oh wait! You don't exist!



qaliqo
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29 Jul 2008, 4:29 pm

Why be afraid of something unavoidable? Like being afraid of sleeping or waking up... Concerned about dying young, distressing family and friends, but not afraid of the experience. Hope its quick and relatively painless when the hammer comes down. 8)


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makuranososhi
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29 Jul 2008, 8:45 pm

DJRnold wrote:
Here is an experiment:

Picture nothing...
Once you have that image in your head, you will notice that what you are seeing is a colour (usually black or white). Try to picture nothing again, remembering that a colour is something.
It would be like something completely transparent (e.g. air) without anything in it, behind it, around it, etc. No colours, no objects...
Keep trying to picture it...

When I try to do this, I get a horrible chill down my spine as my brain reaches a dead end and I realise that it is impossible. :pale:

If death means that you stop existing, then it is not like your life came to an end. It is like your life was erased, because you lose your consciousness and your memories. You can no longer see, hear, smell, taste, feel, or "be". In fact, there is no such thing as "you", because you don't exist. Living people may know you had a life, but as far as you're concerned...oh wait! You don't exist!


Experienced that sensation while asleep... once dead, I faded and dissolved until there were only questions, then even those disappeared. No distinction no thought nothing... when I woke up, I was terrified and shocked - to be awake and alive! In that state it felt like an eternity had passed; to wake up was nothing short of startling.


M.


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Ishmael
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30 Jul 2008, 2:15 am

Quote:
Here is an experiment:

Picture nothing...
Once you have that image in your head, you will notice that what you are seeing is a colour (usually black or white). Try to picture nothing again, remembering that a colour is something.
It would be like something completely transparent (e.g. air) without anything in it, behind it, around it, etc. No colours, no objects...
Keep trying to picture it...

When I try to do this, I get a horrible chill down my spine as my brain reaches a dead end and I realise that it is impossible.

If death means that you stop existing, then it is not like your life came to an end. It is like your life was erased, because you lose your consciousness and your memories. You can no longer see, hear, smell, taste, feel, or "be". In fact, there is no such thing as "you", because you don't exist. Living people may know you had a life, but as far as you're concerned...oh wait! You don't exist!


Impossible? Hah. I envy you if your mind cannot fully encompass such a concept. Truly unpleasant, but certainly not impossible. Believe me...



cruachan
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30 Jul 2008, 12:15 pm

DJRnold wrote:
[Spending my whole life worrying about death is not fun. Not having to worry about death would make it a lot easier for me to enjoy myself.


Exactly.
It's not "more true" but certainly more obvious when the smallest mistake can lead to death (like not collecting 55 credits, in my situation)...


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DJRnold
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30 Jul 2008, 12:35 pm

Ishmael wrote:
Quote:
Here is an experiment:

Picture nothing...
Once you have that image in your head, you will notice that what you are seeing is a colour (usually black or white). Try to picture nothing again, remembering that a colour is something.
It would be like something completely transparent (e.g. air) without anything in it, behind it, around it, etc. No colours, no objects...
Keep trying to picture it...

When I try to do this, I get a horrible chill down my spine as my brain reaches a dead end and I realise that it is impossible.

If death means that you stop existing, then it is not like your life came to an end. It is like your life was erased, because you lose your consciousness and your memories. You can no longer see, hear, smell, taste, feel, or "be". In fact, there is no such thing as "you", because you don't exist. Living people may know you had a life, but as far as you're concerned...oh wait! You don't exist!


Impossible? Hah. I envy you if your mind cannot fully encompass such a concept. Truly unpleasant, but certainly not impossible. Believe me...

I said "picture", and it is impossible to "picture" something that has no appearance! But it is possible to understand what nothingness would be like, and I do. And it scares me...



Ishmael
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31 Jul 2008, 6:38 am

Quote:
I said "picture", and it is impossible to "picture" something that has no appearance! But it is possible to understand what nothingness would be like, and I do. And it scares me...


It scares you? Why? If you can logically view it, rationally accept it, then why should you fear it? The simplicity and pointlessness of it makes me angry - though, ultimately, any such emotion is a moot point, considering the end result.



intense
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31 Jul 2008, 7:58 am

Alternative wrote:
"And I am not frightened of dying, any time will do, I
don't mind. Why should I be frightened of dying?
There's no reason for it, you've gotta go sometime."

"If you can hear this whispering you are dying."

"I never said I was frightened of dying."

The Great Gig In The Sky" - "Pink Floyd."

This will always apply to me. ;)

Being a life long Floyd fan I agree with that, it's not the dying I'm afraid of it's how I die, I don't want to leave this planet screaming in agonising pain! That's what I'm afraid of 8O


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Irisrises
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31 Jul 2008, 11:32 am

Everything in the world is constantly in transit so I'm not afraid for myself but I do think it would be a real waste if I were to die now or prematurely. So I try not to.



Shadowbound
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31 Jul 2008, 1:27 pm

I've been thinking hard on what I think life is and this is my thoughts.

It's said "no one lives for ever" but if we die and our existence is erased than we never existed in the first place even when we were alive. What is self-awareness? Some people may say it's the soul. Lets take a Humanoid machine like an android for example one day they may become so advanced they may even get mistaken has human. Their existence is more like emulation of life and even though they one day may be able to see feel and learn. They'll still be a machine and won't know they can feel see and learn they'll just act out. Where living things can do all that and are aware of it. It's a bit like we have this physical body and mind and our brains are full of knowledge which we've compiled but part of use that isn't tied to the body chooses what it wants to then uses out body has a machine the brain has a instructions book and our body to follow out what we want to do.

I think to say when we die we no longer exist is illogical. Now if we were a machine yes has we never existed in the first place. The fact we know we exist proves to me that life is more than just physical.



ChristinaCSB
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31 Jul 2008, 1:33 pm

I f*cking hate it. I get suicidal yet I am afraid to die, it's so painful and confusing.



corroonb
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31 Jul 2008, 1:43 pm

ChristinaCSB wrote:
I f*cking hate it. I get suicidal yet I am afraid to die, it's so painful and confusing.


If you are suicidal, then you are suffering so much that life seems pointless. This does not mean that death is attractive. Suicide is about escaping pain not self-destruction. If something is causing you pain, try to change or deal with it in a more constructive way than fantasizing about suicide. I am speaking from experience and it is painful and confusing but you are having these feelings for a reason. If your leg was incredibly painful, you would go to a doctor. If your emotions are painful, then seeing a doctor or talking to someone to solve the problem is the only rational answer. Pain (emotional and physical) is a message that something is wrong and must be changed.



ChristinaCSB
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31 Jul 2008, 3:21 pm

^I'm speaking from the past, I have been off of my medication which makes me feel suicidal, but I am not suicidal. Sorry to be confusing.



Chaotica
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31 Jul 2008, 5:45 pm

Sometimes I think, "What happens if I don't wake up?" and the answer is only grief of my Mom and my child. I don't want them to be sad. And this was all that kept me here during my last depression. I've never felt worse before, but it hasn't killed me! I got stronger than I've been before :D I believe that nothing can break me until I have something to live for.



marshall
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31 Jul 2008, 10:43 pm

I'm not really afraid of dying itself. I'm only afraid of the process leading up to it. I'm actually more afraid of others around me dying.

The thought of death is more an emotion of disappointment than fear. Really I feel the only thing that keeps me from wanting suicide is the thought that I might miss something interesting if I die too soon. Otherwise life pretty much sucks and I would rather not exist than exist.



DJRnold
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01 Aug 2008, 12:21 am

Ishmael wrote:
Quote:
I said "picture", and it is impossible to "picture" something that has no appearance! But it is possible to understand what nothingness would be like, and I do. And it scares me...

It scares you? Why? If you can logically view it, rationally accept it, then why should you fear it? The simplicity and pointlessness of it makes me angry - though, ultimately, any such emotion is a moot point, considering the end result.
I don't want to be erased! I really don't want to be erased! I really don't want to be erased!
So it's a good thing we're not treating it as the only possibilty after death...right?