Another one
Aug. 19th, 2017 07:39 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alex_antoninQuora question: I'm 69 years old and I cry everyday knowing that I'll die soon and get erased forever or will not have consciousness. What can I do to get mental peace?
My answer:
I have moments, many nights, of utter panic at the thought of death, even though I’m only 34. Like you, I worry about ceasing to exist. These moments come when my faith in reincarnation wavers, and I become terrified of ceasing to exist. I came up with a mantra that calms me down during these moments and lets me sleep:
“From peace I came, and to peace I will return.”
It means, basically, that we spend most of the life of the universe not existing, until we suddenly do for a short time before it stops again. Once you actually die, then you return to your original state of not existing. You need to exist in order to feel anything like panic or horror, and not existing is peace once you actually achieve it; it's the waiting that's difficult. Thus, “from peace I came and to peace I will return.” Works for me. Your mileage may vary, but still… Maybe you should try it.
Granted, I’m weird and gothic and my deities include Loki, Medusa, and Eris, so what works for me might not work for you, but still, try it.
My answer:
I have moments, many nights, of utter panic at the thought of death, even though I’m only 34. Like you, I worry about ceasing to exist. These moments come when my faith in reincarnation wavers, and I become terrified of ceasing to exist. I came up with a mantra that calms me down during these moments and lets me sleep:
“From peace I came, and to peace I will return.”
It means, basically, that we spend most of the life of the universe not existing, until we suddenly do for a short time before it stops again. Once you actually die, then you return to your original state of not existing. You need to exist in order to feel anything like panic or horror, and not existing is peace once you actually achieve it; it's the waiting that's difficult. Thus, “from peace I came and to peace I will return.” Works for me. Your mileage may vary, but still… Maybe you should try it.
Granted, I’m weird and gothic and my deities include Loki, Medusa, and Eris, so what works for me might not work for you, but still, try it.