(April 22, 2015 at 12:13 pm)Exian Wrote: Do you have any kids? You don't know nightmares until you have kids. I would love to have psychological nightmares again. Dreaming of real world nightmares is terrifying.

On another note, I have (or get? It's episodic) sleep paralysis, which makes for some pretty horrific experiences. Nowadays, I sleep right through it, but I used to shit my pants.

Having kids is a choice. I made the choice not to have any. Ever.

Sleep paralysis. - Exercise. Eat right.

(April 20, 2015 at 8:13 am)urlawyer Wrote: I don't particularly like horror all that much but every now and then I'll indulge myself in some scary stories, movies or games. Just recently I had one of these fits and read several scary stories before going to bed (bad decision). While I was able to laugh at the absurdity and illogical-ness of the stories when I was awake, my mind would have none of my rationality while I was asleep and so began a nightmare.

I suppose it's a testament to how much I've matured over the years that what few nightmares I have no longer focus on physical terrors but on psychological ones (either that or it's because a couple of the stories weren't about physical horrors but mental. Personally I like my first reason, though.) However these are the most frustrating since there is nothing you can do about the threat. It knows your thoughts and has no physical manifestaion that you can either run from or beat to oblivion so you're basically screwed until you can gain back your reason or wake up.

If there is a hell, I think that this is what it must be like. You are in a constant state of fear with no physical world to grasp onto or access to your rational faculties.
Truly hell is as bad as you can imagine.

What do you guys think? Is hell just a primitive state of mind imposed on our modern selves? Also, any tips on how to regain your wakeful intelligence in your dreams would be helpful.

Your imagination sounds as fucked up as mine so you deserve kudos just for that.  I don't really understand the question though, I don't believe in hell and I just use word as a way to describe something very bad.  I don't believe in hell so I can't say what it is.
I guess the worst possible situation I can imagine is being bored, afraid, and in physical pain all at the same time, while having the intelligence of a genius so I'm very very aware of what's going on and why I'm afraid.  And also to have this witnessed by people who love me but also by someone who I hate and who hates me who is enjoying watching me go through this torment.  But these are all just a result of my primitive brain which dislikes being bored, in pain, and fear and which dislikes being mocked by my enemies and having it witnessed by my loved ones.  Maybe true hell would be a switch in the brains chemistry to be beyond what we can even imagine as being bad.

(April 20, 2015 at 8:13 am)urlawyer Wrote: I don't particularly like horror all that much but every now and then I'll indulge myself in some scary stories, movies or games. Just recently I had one of these fits and read several scary stories before going to bed (bad decision). While I was able to laugh at the absurdity and illogical-ness of the stories when I was awake, my mind would have none of my rationality while I was asleep and so began a nightmare.

I suppose it's a testament to how much I've matured over the years that what few nightmares I have no longer focus on physical terrors but on psychological ones (either that or it's because a couple of the stories weren't about physical horrors but mental. Personally I like my first reason, though.) However these are the most frustrating since there is nothing you can do about the threat. It knows your thoughts and has no physical manifestaion that you can either run from or beat to oblivion so you're basically screwed until you can gain back your reason or wake up.

If there is a hell, I think that this is what it must be like. You are in a constant state of fear with no physical world to grasp onto or access to your rational faculties.
Truly hell is as bad as you can imagine.

What do you guys think? Is hell just a primitive state of mind imposed on our modern selves? Also, any tips on how to regain your wakeful intelligence in your dreams would be helpful.

I don't remember having had nightmares ever.

As a child I went to the movie theater and saw the original "Frankenstein", perhaps it was called "The Frankenstein Monster" in any case it never occured to me to be frightened, I was sorry and sympathetic for him. On the other hand I saw "It Came from Outer Space" when it came out and was extreamly suspenseful to the point I walked the eight blocks from the buss stop to home, but  didn't have nightmares.

Robert

This is kind of related:

I've come to the conclusion that the capacity for suffering in life forms vastly outstretches the capacity for enjoyment.

Say, for example, that I have a "happiness" rating of zero if I'm in a neutral state. I'm not actively happy, nor am I sad or suffering. Say that on the best day of my life, my happiness rating went up to 100.

Personally, I'd say that when I'm suffering, the score has gone way below -100. At the depths of my depression, I'd estimate it to be something like -1,000,000. And this is without physical pain even being introduced. Even yesterday, I'd say I felt like about -250,000.

(April 20, 2015 at 9:23 am)Nope Wrote: I don't know how to reawaken from dreams and I have tried. When I was an adolescent, I had a recurring dream where I was in a room with two doors without locks. Outside there was something evil. If I let go of the door, it would get in but if I didn't let go, it might sneak around and try to get me from the other door. I couldn't hear what the monster was doing so I didn't know if I should let go of the door or not.

If there is a hell t would be like some nightmares I have had but luckily there is no hell.

These two doors - did they open in or open out?

It annoys me when people think they can interpret dreams in simplistic ways.

"If you're thinking about success, you'll dream about a ladder!"

1- What if I've never seen a ladder
2- Just shut up with this crap

(April 23, 2015 at 3:56 am)robvalue Wrote: This is kind of related:

I've come to the conclusion that the capacity for suffering in life forms vastly outstretches the capacity for enjoyment.

Say, for example, that I have a "happiness" rating of zero if I'm in a neutral state. I'm not actively happy, nor am I sad or suffering. Say that on the best day of my life, my happiness rating went up to 100.

Personally, I'd say that when I'm suffering, the score has gone way below -100. At the depths of my depression, I'd estimate it to be something like -1,000,000. And this is without physical pain even being introduced. Even yesterday, I'd say I felt like about -250,000.

But then if you smoked meth while winning the lottery during a threesome it might go up to +1 000 000

Hehe I doubt it, but nice try

Here's a challenge then, would you go through one day of the most agonising torture you could ever imagine, physical and psychological, all your worst fears at once getting worse and worse... for a week of absolute bliss being as happy as you could possibly ever be?

My answer: fuck no! Not even for a year of it.

What makes it worse is time flies when you're having fun and drags like a bitch when you're suffering.