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Maybe I shouldn't post this online, but this is one of my biggest fears. Just, being trapped somewhere, alone with your thoughts, with nothing to do. After rea

Maybe I shouldn't post this online, but this is one of my biggest fears. Just, being trapped somewhere, alone with your thoughts, with nothing to do. After reading The Jaunt by Stephen King, I was on edge for a day or two afterwards.

WWKong 9y ago
I fear my mind the most in a situation where it has got nothing to do.
- adrice727 9y ago
  I think a lot of people feel this way, but under the right circumstances (i.e. a meditation retreat) and with enough practice, you'll have access to states of deeply profound peace beyond anything you imagined possible.
  - gallerdude 9y ago
    Can you elaborate on this - would love to resolve my fear.
    - ars 9y ago
      Do you fear being trapped (say trapped for 2 days, but you knew after that someone would let you out). Or do you fear having nothing to do, being forced into no action, for that time?
    - linuxhansl 9y ago
      Look into vipassana or insight meditation. It's something _everybody_ can learn and do, there is nothing mystical or religious or secret about it. You usually start with samadhi (or concentration), where you simply observe your breath - either as air movement through your nostrils or as movements of the abdomen. In the beginning you can count your breaths 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, and 1 again. Most people lose track at 4 or 5 and get distracted by thoughts in the beginning. If that happens just start at 1. No blaming, just start again. You can do this for a very long time without getting bored. After a while you can stop counting, and naturally drift into the vipassana (insight/wisdom) part. Just observe your breath and start noticing whatever else is going on. Sounds, your thoughts, feelings, fears, joys, etc, etc.
      - adrice727 9y ago
        I practiced more traditional methods of Vipassana (U Ba Khin and Mahasi Sayadaw) for years, but have actually found a combined metta/insight practice [1] to be more effective, both in terms of mental/emotional wellbeing and progress of insight. 1. http://library.dhammasukha.org/uploads/1/2/8/6/12865490/a_guide_to_twim.pdf http://library.dhammasukha.org/uploads/1/2/8/6/12865490/a_gu...
      - jschulenklopper 9y ago
        > In the beginning you can count your breaths 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, and 1 again. Why leave out 9? :-)
md224 9y ago
> The Jaunt by Stephen King God, that story. Such a simple plot, and yet the existential terror of what it describes is beyond comprehension.
jakebasile 9y ago
You are not alone. Just reading the title turned my stomach. The thought of spending that long alone makes me think of ways I could kill myself without any tools just to be free of the torture.
yourapostasy 9y ago
> After reading The Jaunt by Stephen King, I was on edge for a day or two afterwards. The story has been optioned [1], will be interesting if it does come out as a feature film. What would be really interesting is if it is used as a platform for different storytelling angles. Instead of coming out insane, someone comes out, Anathem-1,000-Apert-avout-like, with incanting-like powers from meditating for so long. The Buddhists would get a kick out of that; imagine being able to meditate without physical need for far longer than the 10,000 year increments so popular in Buddhist stories. Then put in savage plot twists: the venerated Buddhist sage is sent through and comes out blubbering insane, but an affable Cajun-drawling redneck scientist goes through and comes out with telekinetic and world tracking powers. [1] http://io9.gizmodo.com/stephen-kings-teleportation-tale-the-jaunt-will-be-a-1691295953 http://io9.gizmodo.com/stephen-kings-teleportation-tale-the-...
detritus 9y ago
Ooh, I'll have to read this - thanks for the pointer. When I was a much younger human I took quite a lot of drugs like mushrooms and MDMA. Toward the end of one such session I found myself in my kitchen, staring into the dark space behind the window and was struck with a realisation of what Hell would be, should it exist. Not spewing fields of lava and endless pains of torture, rather unending consciousness with no inputs or outputs. I imagined black (although that would technically be an input - I am unable to imagine literally nothing!) but just as easily, an infinite field of white would be as horrifically terrifying.

WWKong 9y ago

I fear my mind the most in a situation where it has got nothing to do.

adrice727 9y ago
I think a lot of people feel this way, but under the right circumstances (i.e. a meditation retreat) and with enough practice, you'll have access to states of deeply profound peace beyond anything you imagined possible.
- gallerdude 9y ago
  Can you elaborate on this - would love to resolve my fear.
  - ars 9y ago
    Do you fear being trapped (say trapped for 2 days, but you knew after that someone would let you out). Or do you fear having nothing to do, being forced into no action, for that time?
  - linuxhansl 9y ago
    Look into vipassana or insight meditation. It's something _everybody_ can learn and do, there is nothing mystical or religious or secret about it. You usually start with samadhi (or concentration), where you simply observe your breath - either as air movement through your nostrils or as movements of the abdomen. In the beginning you can count your breaths 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, and 1 again. Most people lose track at 4 or 5 and get distracted by thoughts in the beginning. If that happens just start at 1. No blaming, just start again. You can do this for a very long time without getting bored. After a while you can stop counting, and naturally drift into the vipassana (insight/wisdom) part. Just observe your breath and start noticing whatever else is going on. Sounds, your thoughts, feelings, fears, joys, etc, etc.
    - adrice727 9y ago
      I practiced more traditional methods of Vipassana (U Ba Khin and Mahasi Sayadaw) for years, but have actually found a combined metta/insight practice [1] to be more effective, both in terms of mental/emotional wellbeing and progress of insight. 1. http://library.dhammasukha.org/uploads/1/2/8/6/12865490/a_guide_to_twim.pdf http://library.dhammasukha.org/uploads/1/2/8/6/12865490/a_gu...
    - jschulenklopper 9y ago
      > In the beginning you can count your breaths 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, and 1 again. Why leave out 9? :-)

md224 9y ago

> The Jaunt by Stephen King God, that story. Such a simple plot, and yet the existential terror of what it describes is beyond comprehension.

jakebasile 9y ago

You are not alone. Just reading the title turned my stomach. The thought of spending that long alone makes me think of ways I could kill myself without any tools just to be free of the torture.

yourapostasy 9y ago

> After reading The Jaunt by Stephen King, I was on edge for a day or two afterwards. The story has been optioned [1], will be interesting if it does come out as a feature film. What would be really interesting is if it is used as a platform for different storytelling angles. Instead of coming out insane, someone comes out, Anathem-1,000-Apert-avout-like, with incanting-like powers from meditating for so long. The Buddhists would get a kick out of that; imagine being able to meditate without physical need for far longer than the 10,000 year increments so popular in Buddhist stories. Then put in savage plot twists: the venerated Buddhist sage is sent through and comes out blubbering insane, but an affable Cajun-drawling redneck scientist goes through and comes out with telekinetic and world tracking powers. [1] http://io9.gizmodo.com/stephen-kings-teleportation-tale-the-jaunt-will-be-a-1691295953 http://io9.gizmodo.com/stephen-kings-teleportation-tale-the-...

detritus 9y ago

Ooh, I'll have to read this - thanks for the pointer. When I was a much younger human I took quite a lot of drugs like mushrooms and MDMA. Toward the end of one such session I found myself in my kitchen, staring into the dark space behind the window and was struck with a realisation of what Hell would be, should it exist. Not spewing fields of lava and endless pains of torture, rather unending consciousness with no inputs or outputs. I imagined black (although that would technically be an input - I am unable to imagine literally nothing!) but just as easily, an infinite field of white would be as horrifically terrifying.