6 ms·

I try to imagine life before I was born, and that doesn't seem so bad, so i assume worst case that's what death will be like. The moments before, yeah who know

I try to imagine life before I was born, and that doesn't seem so bad, so i assume worst case that's what death will be like. The moments before, yeah who knows...

ericmay 3y ago
I find little comfort in this myself because it’s not the fear of being dead - I almost certainly won’t have a self to experience anything but it is the time leading up to this point when one has to contemplate finite existence that I find terror in the loss of everything and everyone I cherish. As I recently lost someone close and spent a lot of time by their side, including taking them to appointments and such, the loss of ability and agency associated with various cancers and diseases is also quite scary. Many times I’ve heard Sam Harris discuss the topic and the topic of meditation and one thing he mentions is taking joy in that the current experience, whether that is dinner with friends or doing a push-up may be the last time you ever have that experience. While I appreciate that one should focus on the moment, I’ve unfortunately found myself doing my best not to “take time to reflect” because the reflection is a reminder of loss and not an inspiration to enjoy the moment.
swayvil 3y ago
Aleister Crowley offered a technique for remembering past lives. When you find yourself half asleep, and that dreamy fuzzy place, try to remember back as far as you can. With practice you'll remember further and further back. And eventually you'll remember before the time of your birth. Past lives and such
- lawlessone 3y ago
  This feels almost analogous to asking an LLM to name the 55th president of the united states.
  - deleted 3y ago
    [deleted]
altruios 3y ago
there is a book, dead men can't complain, by Peter Clines. In it there is a story about someone meeting a creature through near death experiences... It does not go well. The moments before death are the most terrifying.

I try to imagine life before I was born, and that doesn't seem so bad, so i assume worst case that's what death will be like. The moments before, yeah who knows...

ericmay 3y ago

I find little comfort in this myself because it’s not the fear of being dead - I almost certainly won’t have a self to experience anything but it is the time leading up to this point when one has to contemplate finite existence that I find terror in the loss of everything and everyone I cherish. As I recently lost someone close and spent a lot of time by their side, including taking them to appointments and such, the loss of ability and agency associated with various cancers and diseases is also quite scary. Many times I’ve heard Sam Harris discuss the topic and the topic of meditation and one thing he mentions is taking joy in that the current experience, whether that is dinner with friends or doing a push-up may be the last time you ever have that experience. While I appreciate that one should focus on the moment, I’ve unfortunately found myself doing my best not to “take time to reflect” because the reflection is a reminder of loss and not an inspiration to enjoy the moment.

swayvil 3y ago

Aleister Crowley offered a technique for remembering past lives. When you find yourself half asleep, and that dreamy fuzzy place, try to remember back as far as you can. With practice you'll remember further and further back. And eventually you'll remember before the time of your birth. Past lives and such

lawlessone 3y ago
This feels almost analogous to asking an LLM to name the 55th president of the united states.
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]

altruios 3y ago

there is a book, dead men can't complain, by Peter Clines. In it there is a story about someone meeting a creature through near death experiences... It does not go well. The moments before death are the most terrifying.