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Would you prefer there to be nothing after death?

Undesired Walrus said:
I, myself, am somewhat terrified of death. It is a big issue for me. I cannot comprehend simply not existing, and it scares the **** out of me. I'm sure some of you have had those 'moments'. But, please furnish me with your details.
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I pretty much feel the exact same way. I myself am pretty certain there is no afterlife. I think "me" is nothing more than a sophisticated projection generated by an advanced brain and heightened electrical activity. It's the curse of being self aware.

When I die, that electrical activity stops, and with it the projection of self. Of course this is the norm - the "self" that is me did not exist for all of the expanse of eternity leading up to 1981AD. But I can't remember that, because, well, I didn't exist... ;)

Personally if I got to choose an "afterlife" I'd choose to come back. I don't want to go to any sort of heaven, no matter how nice it might be. I love being alive. I love living on this rock, amongst my fellow man. My great tragedy is that I only get to enjoy it for such a tiny space of time. I want to know where man will be in 1,000 years. That for me, is the saddest thing of all. I love my species. But I shall never know how we do, beyond the moment of my death.

-Gumboot

ETA. To clarify... all through Human history there have been profound milestones and key moments. Although the chance of such a moment occurring in my lifetime is slim, I can enjoy all the moments that came before me because I can read about them and study them, and look back through time and feel pride for my fellow man. But not so for the future.

Maybe that's why I write and make films. In this realm I can imagine what those moments in our future might be.
 
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Undesired Walrus said:
You would have to better yourself, and have the woman of your dreams fall in love with you, a bit like Bill Murray in that Bill Murray in that Bill Murray in that Bill Murray in that Bill Murray in that Bill Murray in that Bill Murray in that Bill Murray in that Bill Murray in that Bill Murray in that Bill Murray in that Bill Murray in that Bill Murray in that Bill Murray in that Bill Murray in that Bill Murray in that Bill Murray in that Bill Murray in that Bill Murray film.

Seriously though, why not live forever. The simply idea of not existing.. well, why not live forever? You may as well span it out until the death of the universe. Also, you wouldn't die from the lack of air in space, seeing how you cannot die, so you can do all sorts. And think of the publicity you would get, "Man who cannot die". Women would go crazy for you.
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You forget that when you live forever, you get to do an infinite number of activities, an infinite number of times each and you still have an infinite amout of time left to live.

First thing I'd do is start working out a way to kill myself.
 
Undesired Walrus said:
Seriously though, why not live forever. The simply idea of not existing.. well, why not live forever? You may as well span it out until the death of the universe. Also, you wouldn't die from the lack of air in space, seeing how you cannot die, so you can do all sorts. And think of the publicity you would get, "Man who cannot die". Women would go crazy for you.
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I think if I knew that I would live forever, I wouldn't enjoy what I have as much, as there would be nothing particularly special about it. When I am out surfing, I can appreciate the perfect wave even more, knowing I may never see another one like it again. It gives the friendships I have now even more savor, knowing that I do have this time with these people, and I should never take it for granted. I have lived long enough by now, that I have experienced loss of friends and relatives, and have seen what a full life can be, and I want that for myself.

If I believed there was always a tomorrow, what would motivate me to experience today? Non-existence does not bother me as much as an unfulfilled existence, but as always, your mileage may vary.
 
I'd prefer to awaken from death with my consciousness trapped inside the body of a nubile 15-year-old girl.

Did I just say that out loud?
 
I wouldn't mind having an option that I could live until I decide to kick the bucket.

I like living and learning, but I wouldn't want to live forever and never buy the farm. Eventually, living forever would become hell, and I would probably beg for the sweet release of a dirt nap.

Without the option to join the choir invisible, and push up daisies, I wouldn't want to live eternally, whether it be Heaven, Hell, or here on Earth.

I used to worry a lot about what non-existence would be like after I shuffled off this mortal coil (and I still do to some extent), but I keep reminding myself that it isn't something I will be able to experience (by definition), so there is no use worrying about what happens when you're pining for the fjords.
 
The first 13 to 17 billion years before my birth went pretty quickly. I suspect the umpteen years after it will go quickly, too.

I still keep an eye on pet theories that this world is some kind of old school breeding grounds or edumication area (perhaps advanced people of the far future learned it was best to raise their handful of new young in the old way to prevent unsavory character from developing), or that the universe is perfectly real and as-is, but that some future techno-rapture will occur, and we will be resurrected via science.

But a conventional god? Nah, not happenin'.
 
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