Discussion What would come after death?

[Catofsorrow]

I have been thinking about this alot lately, I remember passing out after exercising once, just straight up blacked out for a few seconds. When I came around, I reasoned that there may be a lack of bloodflow to the brain which caused me to blacked out. It was a very peaceful sensation, just like sleeping, I didn't even realise I blacked out until I came around.

Looking at the methods for partial hanging, it is also a loss of bloodflow to the brain which results in death. Would the sensation be similar even after death? Just complete nothingness. I have been hanging on to this idea when I think about death which gives me great peace. What do you guys think?

 

[Superdeterminist]

Yes, I think that it's total nothingness like a dreamless sleep, no feelings, thoughts, or sensations. Increasingly, I'm entertaining the possibility that we immediately return to life as another conscious organism, which is terrifying to me, because of how much suffering that might await in the next round. I found this round unbearable enough, what if the next one is much worse?

 

[Catofsorrow]

Yes, I think that it's total nothingness like a dreamless sleep, no feelings, thoughts, or sensations. Increasingly, I'm entertaining the possibility that we immediately return to life as another conscious organism, which is terrifying to me, because of how much suffering that might await in the next round. I found this round unbearable enough, what if the next one is much worse?

I would think that humans are one of the few organisms if not the only organism alive that would actively wish for death when not in physical peril due to the rigid structure of our society. As long as I dont have to endure such mental torment again, I think I will be happy in any form I take as long as it is not human.

 

[Joey]

I'd really hope for another type of life for the people that never had a chance to do what they want to do in this world, where others suffering finally come into light but that's only wishful thinking.

Most likely nothing but I don't know.

 

[Superdeterminist]

I would think that humans are one of the few organisms if not the only organism alive that would actively wish for death when not in physical peril due to the rigid structure of our society. As long as I dont have to endure such mental torment again, I think I will be happy in any form I take.

The problem is, when you look at both the wild and how we treat animals in factory farms etc., returning as a non-human animal seems like a horribly grim fate. Animal suffering is extreme, as they fall victim to merciless predators, parasites, diseases, abuse by farmers, botched bolt-gun executions, you name it. Another mystery though, is just how intensely they feel the pains of these torments as compared to humans. We can only hope that their experience is some kind of low-level, dimly felt one. But judging how they typically react to painful stimuli, this doesn't seem to be the case.

 

[esse_est_percipi]

immediately return to life as another conscious organism, which is terrifying to me, because of how much suffering that might await in the next round

As long as it's not as a human being...I think that would be ok.
Unless you are born again as some poor monkey in a cage in a lab being experimented on by cold heartless scientists, or an elephant in a travelling circus or a cow/chicken/pig bred in a factory farm.

But I think being born again as an animal in nature would be ok.
I don't think non-human animal suffering goes as 'deep' as human suffering, because human psychology is much more complex than any other animal we know of.

Edit: sorry, just saw your post above lol

 

[Superdeterminist]

As long as it's not as a human being...I think that would be ok.
Unless you are born again as some poor monkey in a cage in a lab being experimented on by cold heartless scientists, or an elephant in a travelling circus or a cow/chicken/pig bred in a factory farm.

But I think being born again as an animal in nature would be ok.

Edit: sorry, just saw your post above lol

That is the real nightmare to consider. That it might be possible to return as an animal who has to endure such abject horror. At least for humans, most of us don't have to worry about being exploited and tortured (although many still do, and we deal with our own unique sources of suffering).

There are surely some animals that live relatively comfortable lives from beginning to end, like a lucky zebra or a pet dog in a caring home. But I think that when it comes to animals, a life of hardship and brutality is much more likely.

 

[esse_est_percipi]

when it comes to animals, a life of hardship and brutality is much more likely.

At least most animals have relatively short lives.
In nature they get taken down by predators after a few years, or in factory farms they are killed when relatively young.

And luckily most non-human animals don't have the cognitive capacity to really understand their situations (I think when it comes to self-awareness and intelligence only animals like dolphins, apes, elephants and octopuses come anywhere near human levels, and even then they can only really be compared to children.)

Most if not all animals live in the short-term and react and respond to immediate stimuli, and act according to instinct and habit.

 

[Superdeterminist]

At least most animals have relatively short lives.
In nature they get taken down by predators after a few years, or in factory farms they are killed when relatively young.

And luckily most non-human animals don't have the cognitive capacity to really understand their situations (I think when it comes to self-awareness and intelligence only animals like dolphins, apes, elephants and octopuses come anywhere near human levels, and even then they can only really be compared to children.)

Most if not all animals live in the short-term and react and respond to immediate stimuli, and act according to instinct and habit.

Our science on animal consciousness is infantile. I don't know, but I really hope you're right, otherwise it doesn't bode well.

 

[esse_est_percipi]

Our science on animal consciousness is infantile

Yea, and it's not as if we can ever actually check what it's like to be an animal from the inside.

But from studies in animal behavioral psychology, ethology, although it would seem that animals really are consciously aware and can feel pleasure and pain and fear and anxiety, it's not imbued with an existential or long-term dimension.
Although some of the data is ambiguous yes, like with elephants that return to their ancestor's graveyards to mourn, which would suggest highly developed memory and empathy capacities, and a recognition of the fact of death in an abstract sense.

Looking at the methods for partial hanging, it is also a loss of bloodflow to the brain which results in death. Would the sensation be similar even after death? Just complete nothingness

There is a dissimilarity between passing out due to lack of bloodflow and actual death. When you pass out and it goes dark due to low bloodflow, the brain is still functioning, there's still electrical signals occurring and chemicals being transmitted through synapses, although the activity is localized in little islets of connectivity.
When you die, obviously all these things stop, there is no activity in the brain to detect.

Does that mean that when you die it's also just pure nothingness? Logic would say that you would be even more unconscious than when you're unconscious...But I have a feeling that it's a comma, not a full stop.

 

[paramhansyogi]

You guys discussing about a topic that no one ever know everything you heard or read is bullshit you gonna find out after ctb what it's gonna be

 

[esse_est_percipi]

You guys discussing about a topic that no one ever know everything you heard or read is bullshit you gonna find out after ctb what it's gonna be

No harm in speculating

 

[Homecoming]

I have been thinking about this alot lately, I remember passing out after exercising once, just straight up blacked out for a few seconds. When I came around, I reasoned that there may be a lack of bloodflow to the brain which caused me to blacked out. It was a very peaceful sensation, just like sleeping, I didn't even realise I blacked out until I came around.

Looking at the methods for partial hanging, it is also a loss of bloodflow to the brain which results in death. Would the sensation be similar even after death? Just complete nothingness. I have been hanging on to this idea when I think about death which gives me great peace. What do you guys think?

What you were experiencing is just a brief NDE. NDE is not the same as ADE (Actual Death Experience)!

 

[esse_est_percipi]

What you were experiencing is just a brief NDE. NDE is not the same as ADE (Actual Death Experience)!

It seems it wasn't even a brief NDE, just blacking out briefly.

 

[Homecoming]

NDE is very... very subjective experience and "tailor-made" to each individual!

 

[feast or famine]

I imagine death is possibly like sleeping. The only reason you know you've been asleep is because you wake up. With death, you just never wake up again and never know. Maybe. Possibly. Who knows.

 

[Didymus]

No one knows, no matter what they tell you.

 

[Catofsorrow]

What you were experiencing is just a brief NDE. NDE is not the same as ADE (Actual Death Experience)!

Well I wasnt claiming to have experienced a NDE, I was simply theorising whether the experience of a lack of bloodflow to the brain may feel similar to death. I could be completely wrong of course, it is all pure speculation.

 

[bigoof77]

I honestly think this is a real possibility

 

[Catofsorrow]

I honestly think this is a real possibility

Ah I have seen that video before, its a very interesting concept (that I doubt is true but admittedly inspiring) I still think about it occasionally

 

[esse_est_percipi]

Maybe we just disappear like this