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I am going to agree with others that the actual reading and tone of the article seems, weird. Not fully sure why the AI parts are thrown in (and I say that as s

I am going to agree with others that the actual reading and tone of the article seems, weird. Not fully sure why the AI parts are thrown in (and I say that as someone who is very against this AI push the last couple of years). But on the topic of being an organ donor, I would be lying if I have not personally struggled with this. I fully understand the struggle and the need for it. But as someone who has a ton of anxiety about death, enough that I take medication to deal with it and it is regular topic with my therapist. I am also an atheist, so I believe that when this body dies I am dead. So I also recognize that any thoughts about, "how will I feel once dead" or "fears of regrets once dead" don't make any sense whatsoverver logically. But I say this because, I still have that voice in the back of my head saying. What if we are wrong about death. What if I am still aware of what is going on even at "brain death". I have the same thoughts about cremation. This causes me to spiral about being an organ donor. I find myself almost every time I need to renew my license debating on switching back and forth, and have even done it a few times with this feeling of shame for even thinking that I wouldn't be one. This feels like one of those things that logic and emotion really don't match up and I can tell myself all day long about how being an organ donor saves lives. Even reading this and writing this is causing me to spiral a bit.

eszed 2y ago
I don't know if this will comfort you or not, but it has me. I experienced "death" a few years ago (I got better!), and it was no big deal. I had a small stroke, made it to the emergency room, and had another (larger) one while they were trying to figure out what the first event had been, and whether or not to admit me. I seized, passed out, and came back to consciousness six or seven days later (it was more complicated than that, but that's the gist). I am really, really grateful for the experience, because I have completely lost my fear of death. If I hadn't woken up, it wouldn't have mattered (to me) at all: I was gone. As an experience, it was easy - because it's a complete absence of experience - and as it relates to my day-to-day experience of life it's like a category error. Naturally, I'm afraid of dying - I mean, like, debilitation; dependence; pain. Those sound unpleasant - and to the extent I've experienced them, really are. But the non-existence part of death? I won't be there to worry about it, so why should I worry about it now? (When I've posted something about this on this board before, I've had push back about how I didn't really die, so my comments aren't relevant. All I can say is that my first-person experience (in contrast to my medical state, which, sure, not the same thing) was, in every way I can think of, indistinguishable from (thankfully temporary) death.) So, I dunno if a third-party trip report would have meant anything to me ahead of time, but I hope it does you. It's caused my own emotion and logic, as you put it, to align. I hope, internet friend, that you can find a way to get to the same place.

eszed 2y ago

I don't know if this will comfort you or not, but it has me. I experienced "death" a few years ago (I got better!), and it was no big deal. I had a small stroke, made it to the emergency room, and had another (larger) one while they were trying to figure out what the first event had been, and whether or not to admit me. I seized, passed out, and came back to consciousness six or seven days later (it was more complicated than that, but that's the gist). I am really, really grateful for the experience, because I have completely lost my fear of death. If I hadn't woken up, it wouldn't have mattered (to me) at all: I was gone. As an experience, it was easy - because it's a complete absence of experience - and as it relates to my day-to-day experience of life it's like a category error. Naturally, I'm afraid of dying - I mean, like, debilitation; dependence; pain. Those sound unpleasant - and to the extent I've experienced them, really are. But the non-existence part of death? I won't be there to worry about it, so why should I worry about it now? (When I've posted something about this on this board before, I've had push back about how I didn't really die, so my comments aren't relevant. All I can say is that my first-person experience (in contrast to my medical state, which, sure, not the same thing) was, in every way I can think of, indistinguishable from (thankfully temporary) death.) So, I dunno if a third-party trip report would have meant anything to me ahead of time, but I hope it does you. It's caused my own emotion and logic, as you put it, to align. I hope, internet friend, that you can find a way to get to the same place.