Thats the one that freak me out. That and those creepy assed black holes.
I a variation on the OPs concern. I often envision myself at the pearly gates, arguing with St Peter. I am not going to let into heaven or moved on to the next level but instead sent to hell or just spirtiually recycled or some such.
And I always imagine Peter telling me I lived my life wrong. And I keep noting that how the hell was I to know what was right? And Peter basically says I shoulda been able to figure it out. And I argue that folks down there can’t agree much past the golden rule and being nice.
Is this something you think could literally happen? Because, I mean, I don’t think you could talk your way into heaven. If there’s a heaven I don’t think getting into it would depend on your persuasiveness.
Well, to a certain extent, you go to sleep every night and practice this “ceasing to exist” phase quite well. Oh sure, there are the occasional dreams - but for the most part - you are a lump of nothing and sort of cease to exist for about 8 hours every single night.
I am sure there are better arguments to be made, but life is so random - the odds of that one sperm and one egg meet and then is carried to full term and creating you; who knows what other random things can happen? Perhaps the electrical spark in your brain (or soul if you want to call it that) meets up with other sparks to create yet another form of existence?
I guess my point is that before you were ever born, you had no idea what life would be so why not simply go along for the ride and assume there is something equally random and perhaps quite wonderful that happens when this phase ends. I am sure that caterpillars love all their legs and climbing around plants and eating like pigs - and then are terrified to see that body die off and become this - wait, I can fly now and I am beautiful! Whodathunk that wonderful thing would happen!?
“I’m not afraid of dying…I just don’t want to be there when it happens”-Woody Allen
Really, there is nothing to fear…if you are religious (and have followed the rules), you will enter a better place. If you are an atheist, nothing happens-and you cease to exist (but you are not conscious of this). Either way, its a snap-don’t worry, it will happen.
The thought of ceasing to exist used to terrify me, until I really meditated on the reality that, hell, I won’t ever know that I’m dead. All we’ll really ever know is existence; it’s not like we’ll freak out realizing we don’t exist anymore.
None of us freaked out for the billions of years we didn’t exist before birth, but I shouldn’t speak for everybody.
I don’t know about that second part but I can certainly relate to the first. Not so much living but living badly.
I often read peoples posts about the job from hell, the neighbor from hell, relatives from hell, spouses and x spouses from hell, kids from hell and so on and so on. Or terrible medical problems. Or plain ole crappy no win situations.
Some of those almost give me panic attacks thinking about me having to live like that.
My life could be and probably should be a lot better. It could also be much worse. I thank my lucky stars I don’t have to deal with that level of crap and hope and pray I never do.
Two things already mentioned comfort me (an atheist) when ruminating about death:
I “die” every night when drifting off to sleep. For 6-10 hours, I am completely unconscious of the world around me. That’s not scary.
I didn’t miss being alive before I was born. It makes no sense that I would miss it afterward, either.
The only real fear I have is that my death will negatively affect my survivors. But I won’t be around to worry about it. All any of us can do is live right now.
So you’re afraid that when the time comes, you won’t be dead, but only mostly dead? I think that can be avoided with adequate preparation. Just make like Count Rugen and prepare to die.
My fear is real, I’m not going to have it compared to a happy caterpillar being scared of growing wings. When I die I’m not going to have some transformative experience, I’ll just be dead, like a computer’s hard drive smashed to pieces with a hammer. The world was just fine before I arrived and it’ll be just fine after I go, I’m OK with that, but the thought that when I die I’ll cease to be permanently is a frightening one to me. That it didn’t suck for me before I existed is a non-argument: Of course it didn’t, I didn’t exist. But now I do, and knowing that I’m hurtling towards once again ceasing to be capable of thinking is pretty fucking scary to me regardless of how other people manage to cope.
I’m not sitting up late at night cutting my wrists and writing dark poetry about any of it, and my fear won’t prevent me from enjoying life (I’m enjoying myself quite well, thank you). I didn’t post to be cheered up about death, people will have to forgive me if I come across as curt when they try to.
Suppose that the ancient Egyptians were right-that you maintain some sort of shadowy existence after your death…and yo are aware of the disintegration of your body…people breaking into your tomb, stealing your stuff. And then, realizing that you wil face a final extinction (when your remains finally disintegrate). Horrible to contemplate!
I really have to ditch this username.