The topic of Nothingness has always captivated human minds. Death, darkness, void, abyss, no-thing, no-sense, no-experience, oblivion. However, our talk of nothingness as a state betrays an ancient misconception, one discussed by Parmenides ~2.500 years ago in his teaching that Being Is and Non-Being is not. We fall for the myth of nothingness when we contemplate the idea of death being a ”condition in which we end up after dying” (T.W. Clark). How could we even be able to experience ‘nothing’? If you have ever had a dreamless sleep, you know that your personal subjective experience continued from that last moment before you fell asleep immediately to the first moment of awakening. Without any gaps. We can think about ‘how would it be, to experience nothing?’ but we, as persons in our subjectivities, cannot experience ‘nothing’. So then, what alternatives to the myth of nothingness are on offer? For a stimulating and thought-provoking read, have a look at T.W. Clark’s essay Does Consciousness End? Enjoy!

Keeping up the “Spreading the Word” tradition, every weekend, I hope to share with you an article I’ve read or a video I’ve seen and considered to be inspiring and insightful. I feel it is important to take good care not just of our physical but also of our mental well-being. Humans have always turned and returned to storytelling. My weekends’ “Spreading the Word” articles are an online version of sharing worthwhile stories.   

keep exploring and storytelling!

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