Many of us here have contemplated oblivion. It’s very difficult to for me to imagine oblivion.
Still I accept that I’ll probably be spending SOME time in oblivion, even though I don’t know exactly what oblivion means. This begs the question: will I “know” that I’m dead?
Although I have 0% confidence in my answer, the only answer that comes to mind (for myself) is this: “I don’t think so.”
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Japanese Yokosuka MXY-7 Ohka (“cherry blossom”)
Such a nice name for high speed death and destruction … to your point, i think we, as living humans struggle to identify what happens “after we die” … but i think – believe – that the descriptions are only for the living … when we die … time and existence in any for of consciousness ceases for the deceased … so to your question what is oblivion? it won’t matter when you’re dead, nor will terms like “nothing”, “forever” etc and so forth … all are terms that apply only to those left to experience life … and it’s losses … don’t be in a hurry to die, there is no “relief” or “sleep” or “rest” or “peace” … it’s just “game over” and what was once you is erased … except for those who carry your legacy and memory of your time here … leave a mark that will force someone to think of you in a way that compels them to tell stories of your kindness.
caring dawg
Did you “know” that you hadn’t been born, prior to your birth? hey just try to get the most out of the experience; we’re wired to live and thrive, unless too much shit happens, which messes things up, so that we contemplate suicide… Anyway good luck
I think you will “know” that you are about to be dead, and you will most likely believe that you have died, before you are actually dead. It’s also possible that your brainwaves may not immediately cease when your heart stops beating and you lose consciousness, and in that moment, you will likely hallucinate whatever it is your brain decides to concoct, to comfort you in your final moment.
You won’t “know” that you are actually dead, unless there is an actual “spirit” or “soul” that remains aware, without a physical body with which to experience any sensation or process any thought.
The only way we’ll know for sure, is if there is something more, beyond this… and we have no reason to think there is, aside from those who simply want or need to believe that there is.
Some people actually do need to believe in “more,” because without it, they’d just collapse, fall apart, and quit.
Clever wrote : hallucinate whatever it is your brain decides to concoct, to comfort you in your final moment. – huh, there we have explanation for the wonderful NDE’s – i ilke it. All that crap about meeting jesus and whatnot; nice expl.
“Some people actually do need to believe in “more,†because without it, they’d just collapse, fall apart, and quit.” – “more” as in fairy tales and whatnot ?? yeah, i would agree, i was a kid not so long ago myself, fantasy/fairy tales we’re nice and comforting; then i grew up 🙁
Yeah I don’t think that I’ll know I’m dead either. It’s only recently that I realized this probability. I was thinking about:
1.) failing and waking up in a hospital
2.) partially success and being a vegetable
3.) full success and not knowing, because I’ll be dead.
At first it was a little unsettling. It should’ve been obvious to me, I guess everyone else already understands this “kamikaze” effect. Now I’ve gotten used-to it and I accept being oblivious about whether I’ve succeeded in killing myself.
Thanks for you responses. 🙂
Hey! I reckon if you do know, it won’t be for long lol! I really hope I’m right!
@MichelleJ – yeah eternal oblivion seems too gosh derned “eternal”
I guess maybe eternal oblivion is a possibility. But millions or billions of Earth years in oblivion would pass like a snap of someone’s fingers. Next thing I know, I could wake up as a potted fern on someone’s front porch.
Or maybe someone’s pot plant.. That might be better I wonder if marijuana plants feel a little stoned from themselves. But then time would go slowly in that life I get horned out with the munchies maybe it be okay if I were in a group of pot plants and they were all stoned too.