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I like the idea of contemplating uncomfortable ideas, but I hate the phrasing. The abyss is void, nothingness. It is not a challenge; it is not something to be

by stared 4y ago

I like the idea of contemplating uncomfortable ideas, but I hate the phrasing. The abyss is void, nothingness. It is not a challenge; it is not something to be studied or resolved. It has no structure and offers no insight. "Staring in the abyss" is a suitable phrase for existential dread, cosmic despair, and metaphysical visions of hell. So, it is a good phrase for the worst of the worst parts of depression rather than good advice.

w0hnen 4y ago
interesting that you describe void as nothingness and then immediately assign a negative value to it. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%9A%C5%ABnyat%C4%81 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%9A%C5%ABnyat%C4%81
- stared 4y ago
  The name can mean a few different concepts. The concept I described is purely negative. If you ever experienced even a glimpse of it, I doubt you would classify it otherwise. For some references, I recommend classification of mystical vision (psychedelic-assisted or not).
  - rytill 4y ago
    > For some references, I recommend classification of mystical vision (psychedelic-assisted or not). Could you clarify what you’re referencing here? I wasn’t able to find something that looked like what you were referencing by searching “classification of mystical vision void”.
    - stared 4y ago
      Search for "cosmic despair" as one of four types of states (along with "cosmic unity", "cosmic struggle" and "rebirth"). "Cosmic despair" captures states that go under various names, including "the dark night of the soul", visions of hell related to absolute desolation (rather than lava and stuff), existential dread, and quite a few other names and concepts in religion, spirituality, and philosophy. And describes a very specific type of bad trips. The concept comes from "Realms of the Human Unconscious: Observations from LSD Research" by Stanisval Grof, the grandfather of the research on psychedelics in therapy. He relates these states to four stages of birth, which he takes literally. My preference is to take it metaphorically, though.
Jeff_Brown 4y ago
I thought it was a well-established figure of speech meaning to consider something terrifying. But I admit that I'm not finding that definition quickly online.

by stared 4y ago

w0hnen 4y ago

interesting that you describe void as nothingness and then immediately assign a negative value to it. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%9A%C5%ABnyat%C4%81 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%9A%C5%ABnyat%C4%81

stared 4y ago
The name can mean a few different concepts. The concept I described is purely negative. If you ever experienced even a glimpse of it, I doubt you would classify it otherwise. For some references, I recommend classification of mystical vision (psychedelic-assisted or not).
- rytill 4y ago
  > For some references, I recommend classification of mystical vision (psychedelic-assisted or not). Could you clarify what you’re referencing here? I wasn’t able to find something that looked like what you were referencing by searching “classification of mystical vision void”.
  - stared 4y ago
    Search for "cosmic despair" as one of four types of states (along with "cosmic unity", "cosmic struggle" and "rebirth"). "Cosmic despair" captures states that go under various names, including "the dark night of the soul", visions of hell related to absolute desolation (rather than lava and stuff), existential dread, and quite a few other names and concepts in religion, spirituality, and philosophy. And describes a very specific type of bad trips. The concept comes from "Realms of the Human Unconscious: Observations from LSD Research" by Stanisval Grof, the grandfather of the research on psychedelics in therapy. He relates these states to four stages of birth, which he takes literally. My preference is to take it metaphorically, though.

Jeff_Brown 4y ago

I thought it was a well-established figure of speech meaning to consider something terrifying. But I admit that I'm not finding that definition quickly online.