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[DragoonKain]

I was in a good mood today, just a normal day, and for some reason I was thinking about technology and what it would be like in the future, and I thought how at some point there's going to be technology that allows us to download any knowledge we desire right to our brains, so we'll essentially all be super intelligent beings. And then I thought about how one day humans are going to live hundreds of years and be able to have cures for any and all diseases. And all the amazing technology that will allow us to communicate directly without even speaking, perhaps even over a network across the world. And I realized I won't be alive for any of it. And then I started to get really down about that. Don't know why. And I realized that any time I go through down periods where I'm bummed or depressed, it's always caused by that... me overthinking things. Going through thought rabbit holes that I don't need to, but do anyway. I know a common one a lot of people have is they think about if they made the right career choice, or are with the right partner, and how their life could be different right now if they made different choices. Things like that.

And then eventually after a day or so, I kinda forget about it and move on.

Curious if anyone here ever deals with the same thing. Allow yourself to think too much about life, and then it results in you getting out of sorts. And if the solution is too not allow yourself to go down those rabbit holes... or maybe it's better to continue to go down them but learn how to not let it affect you psychologically. I'm honestly not sure what the best approach is. I can't think of a time where I ever came out of one of those long reflecting sessions and I came out feeling happier or better about anything. Is there anyone here who does this and actually feels better about their life or happy? Or are you the same way where no good ever comes out of long thinking sessions? Maybe that's why people meditate, I don't know. To clear the mind, not overload it.

It's certainly not something I would even see a psychiatrist for, because I don't get down to the point where it affects my life or health. But I did notice a common trend that every time I have a day or period of time where I'm down it's always caused by me doing this one thing.

 

[nush]

And I realized I won't be alive for any of it.

Your alive now, if your old enough what we have now didn't exist outside of sci-fi. If your bored of what we have now you'll be just as bored of that future stuff.

 

[Catphish]

I'd wager that everyone does that, and that it's the primary cause of depression.

The key to happiness is to exist in the moment, to milk each one for the infinite richness it holds. Bliss in the infinite now. But we rarely do that. We're usually too busy chasing some other kind of high, or trying to outwit the future.

I know I am.

Plans are great, and forethought is necessary to execute a plan, but that's where its usefulness ends. Forethought too easily turns to worry and, well, everything that comes from that.

Like Ram Dass said, "Be here now."

So that's the key. Now using it, well, that's another matter entirely.

 

[Zeroing]

Well on that particular reason you just realized your own mortality! We are the only being on this planet who is aware of it!!! That is why focusing on the now is the most important thing!

When we are very young we never think of it! It starts usually around 30-40s when we start to realize how time is short and some have what is commonly known as mid life crisis!

Ok now I’m depressed….

 

[Jsisto]

I think we all inherently have that problem from time to time. As mortal beings, especially in the modern world where most of us in first world countries don’t have to worry about food/surviving day to day, we tend to dwell on philosophical things like that that probably aren’t healthy for us.

I can only speak from personal experience, but theres a couple things that helped me out tremendously as a 35 year old who statistically speaking is in “mid life”. I just got to a point where I have kind of accepted my mortality. To be clear, I obviously don’t want to die before my time and will do everything I can to prevent that, but at a certain point you just have to accept what will be, and you’ll be able to live in the moment and enjoy life significantly more. The turning point for me was when I had a colonoscopy due to some digestive issues and a family history of colon cancer(grandmother died at 39.). They found some pre cancerous polyps that they removed. At first I was very stressed, I have to go every three years now to recheck, and knowing the family history, it was scary. But after a while it was kind of liberating. This is something that could very likely lead to my death, especially given the family history, but I have some means of control over it. And now it’s KNOWN. I know it might sound bizarre, but it just made me rethink my intense fear of death and just accept whatever comes, knowing I’m doing my best. Also, at this point in my life, I live alone and have no kids…so there’s naturally less stress by default.

Sorry if I rambled on, just thought I’d share my own experiences! I hope things improve for you and you find some measure of comfort. We’re all in this together and have moments of weakness sometimes!

 

[Chittagong]

I highly recommend this book:

Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion - Kindle edition by Harris, Sam. Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion - Kindle edition by Harris, Sam. Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

www.amazon.com

He really does a great job in explaining how the contents of our consciousness really define how we feel. You have just experienced this first hand.

The modern challenge is that consciousness is being filled not just by thoughts arising from the subconscious, but also by a fire hose of information online.

Learning to understand what fills your consciousness is the first step to feeling at ease.

 

[jufonuk]

Nothing like a 3am existential crisis/panic attack.

Not making fun. I know those feels.

 

[SuperBabyMethod]

Sometimes I think similar thoughts, but it’s not really the technology part that gets me - it’s the idea of immortality. I’d wager that there are beings around the universe that have solved aging and basically live forever. These are civilizations that are far more advanced than ours that have mastered the elements of the universe that I think, ultimately, all sentient beings are meant to utilize - and I and everyone else at this moment won’t be alive to experience that. We are still a species in infancy despite our relatively quick advancements in technology, and it’s just depressing to think that we are bound for so much more - that we aren’t really meant to die - but we won’t be around to live it (that is, if we don’t kill ourselves before we achieve it).

At the same time, however, I also think about how immortality devalues the meaning of life: to appreciate moments with family, friends, our hobbies and careers. Recently, I went to a trip to Six Flags with my classroom students and we had an amazing time; it was great to see children blissfully unaware of their mortality and just have fun. And then the thoughts kick and I think that they, too, will someday pass away. In the end I just think about how happy they were to experience something like that that they never did before, and I hope to have left some sort of mark in their lives.

And then there are days when I battle over present desires, wants and needs and how it preoccupies my mind: trying to control my anger or resentment towards another person, or dealing with the desire, either sexually or romantically of another person, or thinking about bills to pay, my looks, dating (and the lack of it), and any other shit that focuses on the now and not death. When I start overthinking about these things, I try my best to recenter myself and not be angry or resentful of these things: to learn to appreciate what I have and to learn to forgive and forget and cherish these moments. I know that sounds cliched, but it does help give my life meaning and strive to live a fulfilling life.

 

[Scotty W]

I have a friend from India who once told me that he sometimes gets really depressed because he is not extremely wealthy.

 

[niilokin]

Overthinking has been fucking me in the ass raw and bare for my whole adult life... it has put me in a perpetual limbo where trying to get a regular job or make intimate relationships is near impossibility.

 

[Tams]

Well on that particular reason you just realized your own mortality! We are the only being on this planet who is aware of it!!! That is why focusing on the now is the most important thing!

When we are very young we never think of it! It starts usually around 30-40s when we start to realize how time is short and some have what is commonly known as mid life crisis!

Ok now I’m depressed….

Time moves faster when you're older and no one is going to convince me otherwise.

Just in the last five years, I've felt days just go by in flashes.

 

[Nobody_Important]

I have a similar problem, but its caused by paranoia more than what I would call "overthinking". I will have a bad moment at work with my boss and I will worry that it has me in trouble for the rest of the day or even the week depending on how bad it went. Or I will have an energetic argument with my SO over something relatively minor and think its enough to have her leave me. (Thank fuck she has a high tolerance of me) I live my life walking on eggshells mentally because of my own barriers and limitations. Its not great.


It probably is why I am such a high strung nitpicky sack of shit everywhere else in my life to be honest.


EDIT: I just realized this will be a "Oh well that explains a lot!" to some people on here lol

 

[Kamina]

I have a similar problem, but its caused by paranoia more than what I would call "overthinking". I will have a bad moment at work with my boss and I will worry that it has me in trouble for the rest of the day or even the week depending on how bad it went. Or I will have an energetic argument with my SO over something relatively minor and think its enough to have her leave me. (Thank fuck she has a high tolerance of me) I live my life walking on eggshells mentally because of my own barriers and limitations. Its not great.


It probably is why I am such a high strung nitpicky sack of shit everywhere else in my life to be honest.


EDIT: I just realized this will be a "Oh well that explains a lot!" to some people on here lol

Reminds me of myself somewhat; some experiences in my life kinda supported the growth of that way of thinking.

 

[p_xavier]

Nothing like a 3am existential crisis/panic attack.

Not making fun. I know those feels.

I used to have them all the time. No I tell myself, if I'm conscious, so the universe is by default, and that big thing knows more than me.

 

[FunkMiller]

Curious if anyone here ever deals with the same thing. Allow yourself to think too much about life, and then it results in you getting out of sorts. And if the solution is too not allow yourself to go down those rabbit holes... or maybe it's better to continue to go down them but learn how to not let it affect you psychologically. I'm honestly not sure what the best approach is. I can't think of a time where I ever came out of one of those long reflecting sessions and I came out feeling happier or better about anything.

Then you're probably not spending those reflecting sessions in a balanced way.

The most important word in the English language, when it comes to mental health, is balance. If you want to approach the world around you in a healthy manner psychologically, it is vitally important you remember how to balance negative with positive. It's foolish to ignore the bad in life, but equally foolish to ignore the good.

It is perfectly okay to ponder on the uncertainties, negativities and difficulties in life, as long as you make a concerted effort to counter weigh that against the opposite. And there is always positivity in this world, if you look for it. If you struggle to find it, you need more practice.

It's very easy for us to dwell on negativity. The human mind is predisposed to it, because in any evolutionary sense, we're all still apes in the forest, listening for the sound of a predator. But that way can, literally, lie madness.

By all means think of the bad, but try as hard as you can to balance it with the good.

This may be a cold, disinterested universe on a cosmic scale, and you may well be utterly insignificant to it. But you're also incredibly lucky to exist at all, and you're not insignificant to the people around you, who love you and care for you.

TLDR: strive for balance in the way you think.

 

[Tams]

Then you're probably not spending those reflecting sessions in a balanced way.

The most important word in the English language, when it comes to mental health, is balance. If you want to approach the world around you in a healthy manner psychologically, it is vitally important you remember how to balance negative with positive. It's foolish to ignore the bad in life, but equally foolish to ignore the good.

It is perfectly okay to ponder on the uncertainties, negativities and difficulties in life, as long as you make a concerted effort to counter weigh that against the opposite. And there is always positivity in this world, if you look for it. If you struggle to find it, you need more practice.

It's very easy for us to dwell on negativity. The human mind is predisposed to it, because in any evolutionary sense, we're all still apes in the forest, listening for the sound of a predator. But that way can, literally, lie madness.

By all means think of the bad, but try as hard as you can to balance it with the good.

This may be a cold, disinterested universe on a cosmic scale, and you may well be utterly insignificant to it. But you're also incredibly lucky to exist at all, and you're not insignificant to the people around you, who love you and care for you.

TLDR: strive for balance in the way you think.

Sorry, but my pessimistic, snarky mind only read that as:

 

[synchronicity]

All problems are problems of thinking, of labeling/judgment. The mind is in a constant state of push/pull, trying to repel things that threaten the ego/survival and attract things that bring comfort/security - the idea of persistence. (which has always been illusory - only another idea/thought.)

Notice that while you sleep, in the non-dreaming state, there are no problems. But upon waking, you may find yourself "drowning" in your troubles. You've been biologically alive without any troubles, but thought brings them all back.

Without identification of situations and things as "good" or "bad", there are no troubles. There is a stream of stimulus/information that enters consciousness/awareness as experience comes, but those things are without a defined value until labeled by the mind. And those labels are a result of the ego and its fear of death. (in all cases - whether recognized or not)

Try to watch the mind without being the mind is the best advice I can give. Try to tune into the question of, "Who or what is aware of these thoughts, of this thinking process?" Revisit that sensation as often as you are able.

 

[AJUMP23]

I overthink interactions with others all the time. Convincing myself of something that was said that was not meant.

 

[Punished Miku]

All problems are problems of thinking, of labeling/judgment.

 

[Dis]

Yoo i feel you

I dont want to be alive forever though.
Technology is already terrifying. A friends 5 yo daughter is allowed on youtube. So one day she starts saying how she doesnt want to eat meat. Where does that idea come from?

Then we have our attention spans which get shortened by Tiktok like reels. And Tinder promoting polygamy. By offering bonuses and tralala to people who get lots of hits.

And not even to speak about all that Woke shit. Fuck Woke. Woke is evil bro. The Cathars thought this is the world of devil. Because this is the world of enmeshment. And what do we have? Enmeshment of man/female. Enmeshment of machine/human. Augmented reality.

All glory to the father
Praise god
I want to go to heaven not stay in this mess

 

[Tams]

Yoo i feel you

I dont want to be alive forever though.
Technology is already terrifying. A friends 5 yo daughter is allowed on youtube. So one day she starts saying how she doesnt want to eat meat. Where does that idea come from?

Then we have our attention spans which get shortened by Tiktok like reels. And Tinder promoting polygamy. By offering bonuses and tralala to people who get lots of hits.

And not even to speak about all that Woke shit. Fuck Woke. Woke is evil bro. The Cathars thought this is the world of devil. Because this is the world of enmeshment. And what do we have? Enmeshment of man/female. Enmeshment of machine/human. Augmented reality.

All glory to the father
Praise god
I want to go to heaven not stay in this mess

I was in agreement until you went off the rails at the end there.

 

[Blade2.0]

That's why morons are happier than smart people.

 

[Jinzo Prime]

All problems are problems of thinking, of labeling/judgment. The mind is in a constant state of push/pull, trying to repel things that threaten the ego/survival and attract things that bring comfort/security - the idea of persistence. (which has always been illusory - only another idea/thought.)

Notice that while you sleep, in the non-dreaming state, there are no problems. But upon waking, you may find yourself "drowning" in your troubles. You've been biologically alive without any troubles, but thought brings them all back.

Without identification of situations and things as "good" or "bad", there are no troubles. There is a stream of stimulus/information that enters consciousness/awareness as experience comes, but those things are without a defined value until labeled by the mind. And those labels are a result of the ego and its fear of death. (in all cases - whether recognized or not)

Try to watch the mind without being the mind is the best advice I can give. Try to tune into the question of, "Who or what is aware of these thoughts, of this thinking process?" Revisit that sensation as often as you are able.

How does one have an "out of mind" experience? My thoughts are always racing.

 

[BossLackey]

Yeah, that's how it is. I've learned two things about myself over the last several years:

1. If I'm not obessin' I'm depressin' (or more likely, I'm anxious as fuck). I get highly fixated on a topic and play/watch/read it while incessantly learning everything I can about it for a certain period of time. Usually a week or two. I enjoy doing that. If I'm not currently fixated on something, my brain wants to destroy itself. Need to point it in a direction and let it go.

2. Gotta curate your own incoming information. The world kind of sucks right now, but a BIG part of that is perception. There have always been these terrible things happening (and usually worse in the past), but we didn't used to have Twitter. I don't look at any Subreddit except ones I'm subscribed to. I don't watch the news. I have a heavy filter on information that I receive and I'm MUCH happier because of it.

 

[Sub_Level]

And here I am just depressed about balding.

Who gives a fuck about technological advances when we can't even fix this?

 

[DragoonKain]

And here I am just depressed about balding.

Who gives a fuck about technological advances when we can't even fix this?

Shave it all off and grow a thick beard

 

[Dis]

I was in agreement until you went off the rails at the end there.

There’s no stopping this train! Choo choo

 

[haxan7]

The worst is when you overthink and then can’t sleep because of it. Happened to me last night.

 

[Batiman]

I got the slightest fade on the bottom of my 2 year old tv. Something you wouldn’t notice unless I point it out to you. Now that I’ve noticed, I cannot get it out of my head and it’s eating me alive…. Anybody got any advice for this lol. People are battling illness and here I am freaking out about the stupidest thing. Ya I overthink things but even when I know I am it’s hard to change my mindset. I notice when I’m reading a book nowadays my mind is thinking of so many things at once it’s hard to just focus on the story. I blame the internet lol

 

[Tams]

And here I am just depressed about balding.

Who gives a fuck about technological advances when we can't even fix this?

You tried Finasteride or Dutasteride?

I'm on Finasteride and while I left it a bit late (it's patchy - and yes I kick myself regularly over it as I noticed in time), I can get by with a minimal combover and I don't seem to have lost any more for several months now.

 

[synchronicity]

How does one have an "out of mind" experience? My thoughts are always racing.

There are numerous ways to quiet the mind...meditation in its various forms being the most common. But the result is seeing through the illusion of mind. The problem is, ironically, not the mind itself, but improper identification *with* the mind. The mind makes noise and often races, as you've noticed. The common assumption is that we *are* the mind, that those thoughts that ceaselessly flood awareness represent the self, when in reality the mind (and body) is external to the fundamental nature of self. Those endless thoughts you experience happen to you - they are not you. I know this is counterintuitive to see. And you may find that the mind will respond, "That's ridiculous. I know who I am. I can control myself. I choose what to think and do. Watch me, now I'll think about this, now I'll think about that..." Just keep watching without attachment.

 

[ahtlas7]

When you begin to feel down try to find someone who is in need that you can help. Pour some of your allotted time out for someone else, doing so can help you feel better about yourself and prove that, you and your time is valuable now.
Regarding the future of tech, be careful where you place your faith… humanity might let you down.

 

[DragoonWalker]

 

[Artoris]

 

[Lunarorbit]

Oh for sure dragoon. Overthinking is a huge source of anxiety for my wife; probably the number one reason she drinks to stem the thoughts. She's a great person who is just so hard on herself. It becomes circular.

If I get really tired from a long weekend then just weird persistent thoughts come to me when I try to sleep. For example the Celtics lost game 6 Thursday night and I partied with some friends and my wife. Feel like shit Friday and then I play catch up all weekend on sleep.

By the time Sunday rolls around my sleeping schedule is so messed up that I'm exhausted by 9 pm. By midnight I've been thinking nonsense for an hour so I get up and get some water. Eventually my brain calms down and I fall asleep. But those anxious thoughts in the time before I sleep suck. So I don't get night paralysis or "see" sleep demons but the anxiety I feel in that state seems similar.

 

[ÆMNE22A!C]

Not to be an asshole bro but I've been overthinking for almost all my life (no hyperbole) Try to fantasize about a fictitious scenario and lose yourself in it, that helped me massively when I stopped taking ambien to fall asleep. Wish you the best. I know it isn't easy.

 

[John Marston]

We are the only beings on this earth conscious of our own mortality.

I think this is a gift to push us to live the best of our lives while we are here.

I keep thinking of my beautiful Bernese mountain dog that I had to put to sleep in 2004 at 6 years old because of leukemia.

While suffering and having lost 10 pounds in a week he was still wagging his tail and greeting other dogs on his way to euthanasia.

While I don't advocate being a mindless hamster running happily on a wheel my dying dog did teach me a lesson.

Life is short. It's a gift. LOVE.

 

[Melon Husk]

How does one have an "out of mind" experience? My thoughts are always racing.

by having a headache, by being sick, by being sleep deprived, by being physically exhausted, by being superfocused on one task, drugs? I can't think of anything else.

 

[EverydayBeast]

I compliment people who handle things with maturity and not overthinking.

 

[lostinblue]

I was in a good mood today, just a normal day, and for some reason I was thinking about technology and what it would be like in the future, and I thought how at some point there's going to be technology that allows us to download any knowledge we desire right to our brains, so we'll essentially all be super intelligent beings.

Theoretically, But despite having so much information at our fingertips is the average human being more intelligent for it? I'd say no.

Stimulus comes from us, not from a machine. How to do stimulate someone that doesn't want to? I see plenty of people that reject stimulus everywhere.

And then I thought about how one day humans are going to live hundreds of years and be able to have cures for any and all diseases.

Well, meanwhile we have longer lifespans but have worse lifestyles that lead us to have less quality of life.

How are we going to be healthy with food that's "20% real food" and no exercise? Also the levels of stress and pressure that our society subjects us to.

Seeing how humanity solves problems, they won't cure diseases, they'll bypass the symptoms; that doesn't mean you're not sick. And later down the line there's always a price to pay for that.

It's the same as the environment, instead of stopping what is hurting earth (or hurting our bodies), we're thinking "so the problem is Carbon Dioxide? I'll do a machine to pull it from the atmosphere and do bricks out of it" that's a wrong line of thought.

And I realized I won't be alive for any of it. And then I started to get really down about that. Don't know why. And I realized that any time I go through down periods where I'm bummed or depressed, it's always caused by that... me overthinking things. Going through thought rabbit holes that I don't need to, but do anyway. I know a common one a lot of people have is they think about if they made the right career choice, or are with the right partner, and how their life could be different right now if they made different choices. Things like that.

Well, I think we're living in an interesting era where you understand what the world was before, what it is now and what will be. Personally I feel we're marching towards a cliff.

We also live better than our parents did as young adults, and our grandparents. I think my kids (if I ever have them) will probably have a shittier childhood than the one I had and probably even less opportunities in a society increasingly normalized and automated and so full of economic crisis after economic crisis, where wealth is still getting worse distribution. I'd say nearly nothing is improving or improving at the speed it should.

So don't be sad for being alive now and not 100 years from now.

Cheer up man. /hug.

 

[GoldenEye Samurai]

I tend to overthink everything I do.

Bums me out every single time. Part of my perfectionist state of mind and my super bad OCD.

 

[Wildebeest]

Stress is a hard hole to dig yourself out of. Easy to say that you should just stop and think yourself out of it when your stress hormones say otherwise. If you have just regular Joe stress, then simplify your life, get exercise, and try to sleep better.