I had an epiphamy last night, a life changing idea, im no longer scared of death

[Vesayen]

I've always had a fear of death, I dont know if it is any greater then anyone elses, BUT I've had it since I was 5......I was lucky enough to realize my mortality at 5, and yes, days of crying resulted........

Whenever I think about it I feel extremley uncomftorable till I can get my mind off it....

What did I try to do to calm my fears? Religion mostly, though I now am pretty sceptal of it-no I dont think its something "sinister and EEEEVIL" as I see countless pre-teen philosophers post as they make idiots of themsleves:

"Um yah, I dont like going to church, so God sucks and religion must be corrupt!!"

You know the type, they post here constantly, am I the only one who thinks they look like fools-but never says anything?

ANYWAY I dont think religion is evil-I think if its peacefull it does some good(set peoples minds at ease, set mine at ease till I realised it proboably isnt true), I just think without more proof theres no reason to follow it.

Im getting side tracked from my point.

I was always very scared about time ticking away, and knowing one day I will die, and that might be the end of my existance....

I was thinking about death last night, and then thought about a post I made on the boards a while ago, it was something like:

"Would you want to live forever, IF forever REALLY means forever, i.e. after the heat death of the universe and you are the last thing in existance"

The worst possible fait I could think of is not death, but eternal existance.....

Forever isnt just a REALLYYYYY long time, its forever, i.e. never ending(wrap your mind around something it cant be wrapped around heh).

Suppose the Christians are right about the afterlife and God(being Jewish I dont believe that, BUT they have a "happier" afterlife then Jews, which dont really know anything about it, other thent hat its there) which is supposed to be eternal bliss forever(if your good) right?

Well EVENTUALLY you would just get SICK of the "bliss", forever is a HELL of a long time, and eventually you would just get sick of your existance, but have no way to end it.......you would then have an eternity of existence, of sensory perceptions which you desperatly want to end, but no way to do it....

What is worse then what amounts to self-inflicted psychological torture, FOREVER?

Suddenly im not so scared worried about there not being an afterlife, because the alternative(non existance) seems preferable to a painfull existance which never ends.



















And if God does exist, mabey I was all wrong and the afterlife is good, but since I have no proof God exist, my mind is at ease.

[JohnT]

There, there. It's ok, son.

[Vesayen]

Originally posted by JohnT
There, there. It's ok, son.

No, im happy

I no longer get a horrible gut feeling, start sweating and have a terrible worry if God exists or not, and what happens when I die, because it dosent matter

[SlowwHand]

One could waste what time they have, curled up in a fetal position.

Don't Fear The Reaper.

[Vesayen]

Originally posted by SlowwHand
One could waste what time they have, curled up in a fetal position.

Don't Fear The Reaper.

Im happy-if you lived near me I'd bring you all to the local bar and buy you all enough beer that your liver jumped out of your body and screamed "NO MORE!!"

[SlowwHand]

And if I lived near you, I'd drink it.

[MRT144]

i think my liver does that after 3 beers...3 lite beers...3 lite american beers.

[Dinner]

It could be worse. You could have melted a pot on your stove last night.

[Kassiopeia]

Paraphrasing CEO Morgan: "I don't plan to live forever... but a few couple of hundred of years would do nicely."

[SlowwHand]

Did you? My brother has done that. He's a fire hazard.

[Zkribbler]

"Millions yearn for immortality but don't know what to do with themselves on a raining Saturday afternoon."

...[Not so much anonymous as I just can't remember who said it.]

[Vesayen]

Originally posted by Kassiopeia
Paraphrasing CEO Morgan: "I don't plan to live forever... but a few couple of hundred of years would do nicely."

I think Morgan has the right idea

Live for however long you wish, then throw one HELL of a going away party

[Dinner]

Originally posted by SlowwHand
Did you? My brother has done that. He's a fire hazard.

Yep, see my thread. http://apolyton.net/forums/showthrea...threadid=74623

[Caesar the Great]

Heaven is hell.

Existence loses meaning through immortality, there is nothing more you can do, there is nothing more you can be. There is nothing higher to reach for, there is no reason to exist. Once you are in heaven, nothing you can possibly accomplish can have any meaning.

Purgatory and even hell make for a far better existence. In purgatory your goal is heaven. Idealy you'd never be able to leave purgatory, but keep reaching for heaven. You have a reason to exist. There is some truth to that quote form the Matrix, "Humans define their lives through suffering."

Even if we are immortal, and once we die, there is no heaven, no hell, just eternal consciousness, it is possible to derive some sort of meaning. For existence would be no different than it is now - its all in our heads. Eventually it might be possible to construct our own universe (like in dreams), perhaps thats what this is now.

Even though hell is... hell, it is much easier to derive meaning from that existence. Sisyphus' existence is far more meaningful than heaven can possibly be. He always has something to accomplish and he will always have something to accomplish. Yes, he can never be happy, but as he pushes the giant rock up the hill his existence has more meaning than most can imagine. Yes it is the same day after day, for eternity, but that is irrelevant. And even though his labors are at first glance, fruitless, anyone who runs, bikes, swims etc and truly loves it will know that it is the mental and physical challenge that is the greatest reward.

[Vesayen]

You read Brave New World?(Alduous Huxley) its basically a futuristic world where everything comes easy and everyone has pleasure all their lives.........cept one guy named John(There are others, but they never talk about them).

At one point John is talking with a high goverment official and says something like:

John: I want love, I want hate, I want, I want art, I want science, I want murder, I want sin, I want pain.

Official: And the right to never have enough to eat, to die old and alone, to get sypholis, to have every form of unimaginable evil done to you.

John: I claim them all.