Quote:
Originally Posted by Xander
I keep seeing people claiming that a person cannot understand what happens at death and there's an intrinsic need for an afterlife for people's psychological wellbeing.. why?
I've always thought the same thing, when you're dead you're dead. It stops. Nothing happens. A total absence of you. You're not there, you're dead.
What's the problem with that?
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The problem is precisely that I would cease to exist. Meanwhile, since I am incapable of living in the moment without anticipation, the presumption of finality and limitation brought by the existence of death limits my ability to enjoy things that bring me pleasure in this life. There is an unpleasant urgency involved in all otherwise pleasurable diversions, as time spent on one activity inherently takes away time that could be spent on other activities, not just now but also in the future. Possibilities become ever more limited (and the unpleasant sense of urgency increases) as the years go by, leading to a slow but remorseless loss of hope. Add all of this to the fact that we spend most of our mortal existence either unconscious or engaged in dreary and/or miserable activities, and I have a difficult time understanding why you think life without a hope of an afterlife is such a good thing.
You seem to think that the prospect of imminent oblivion provides meaning and appreciation for life; I say that it destroys hope and possibilities that could be utilized to create one's own meaning in life, and degrades things that are already appreciated for their own sake.