Does the thought of eternal oblivion after death frighten you?

Question

I've been entertaining the thought that there may not be an afterlife. As you descend to the end of your life does the thought of absolutely no conscious moments after you breath your last make you fidgety? Could the afterlife be an invention of people horrified at the thought of non-existence? If I could trick myself into believing that when I die I'll go to a wonderful place where all my wants and needs will be fulfilled, that would be a comfort.

It's interesting to see that some people are convinced that there is an afterlife. Is that fear-driven or have they received messages from the great beyond?

Answer 1

Terrifies me, but wishing won't change reality. To believe that you are going to some cosmic Disneyland when you die is delusional.

Answer 2

Actually experiencing eternal oblivion sounds terrifying. Thankfully, when I die I won't actually be experiencing anything... it won't be any better or worse than it was before I was born. I understand what you mean, though. Even when I was a kid and considered myself Christian, the descriptions of heaven all sounded so BORING. Anything would get boring after long enough, and the thought of turning into some unchanging being that could do something for eternity and never desire anything different was just as terrifying as the thought of oblivion.

Answer 3

No. Why should it? Death is part of the cycle of life. It used to frighten me but it doesn't anymore. There's no point in being afraid of something you can't change and happens to everyone.

Mind you, I don't want to die. I'm just not scared of it.

As for oblivion... why should that frighten me? I've never understood the terror of that. I'm more afraid of how I'll die than what happens after. There's a certain peace that can be had by knowing that you don't live forever in any form.

Answer 4

I understand what you say and certainly we do have some primitive and morbid fears to come to terms with, but I also think that if we submit to these fears we can lose hope and belief that we were created as unique by God to live on after our death in eternal joy.
I believe in eternal life and if I should be wrong then I have lost nothing but If I am right ?

Answer 5

For some, there is no afterlife, which includes those who perished in the flood in Noah's day. They paid the ultimate price for ignoring the divine warning to get on board the ark. There will be no resurrection for them. The same thing will happen to people today who ignore a similar warning.

Answer 6

I'm looking forward to eternal oblivion. Were you scared before you were born? What's there to be scared of if you (as in ego separate self) won't exist anymore, there won't be a you to be scared. Eternity means timeless (no time), not billions and billions of years.

The void, the emptyness and the absense of the ego is a blissful state in my experience. I only wish I could experience it a lot more.

Answer 7

Death=Oblivion=Nothing...Where were you before you were born?..NOwhere..and that's where you going back to: Nothing.
Don't be scared of NOTHING:-)..because if someone were to ask you what you're scared of you would have to answer "nothing" and that might embarrass you while you're still "something"...I know, it's still early in the morning..I do better after a few cups of coffee and a cigarette or two...

Answer 8

I find th ethought of eternal oblivion rather appealing. It sounds very restful

Answer 9

dont you believe that nothing after death goes against the very nature of all the universe.

Answer 10

No. I am saved unto eternal life in Christ Jesus.