4/16/2013

Staring Into the Void


So I was lurking the web and I found a curious story about a man who had recently convinced himself that what he was experiencing as life was not real, and he  was so certain of it that he actually had suicidal tendencies, like wanting to crash his vehicle at full speed just to see what happens because he is so convinced he is not real. So looking up his condition, I found out that his condition actually has a name. The french call it, "Staring into the Void" which is a condition that slowly starts destroying one's nerves until it turns into complete dementia. So digging a bit deeper I found an interesting story, and it goes as follows:
"In 1846 a russian psychologist recieved a patient in a small town outside present day Perm, that had been pronounced dead during a routine surgery, but was revived and awoken 30 min. later. The patient claimed that he had gone to hell and the demons were among us talking to him. Although the psychologist provided help, the demented man committed suicide in his home. before the patient died he revealed to the Dr. his experience in hell. He described hell as an infinite strand of layers . He explained them in detail, and said  he only made it through 5.
Layer 1
Life moves as normal, you do not know or feel as if you have died. You are thrown to a point in your life and get to live it over as a dream. no matter what you do however... Something is off. This was told to be the worst part of hell because "hope" still remains in your mind. But there is no hope

Layer 2
Everything you love becomes lost to you in the most inimaginable way. The demons who had played as humans in layer 1 begin to emerge to show their true form and begin to torment you. There is no escape,there is no rest. when described, this layer was compared to 20, 30 years in length.

Layer 3
Emptiness and Anxiety. The two words the patient repeated over and over to the doctor after being tortured and haunted for so long, that is all you know. Suddenly however everything is gone. No trace of life or interaction. you can't escape the loneliness, but every second you fear they are coming... they are coming.

Layer 4
 This is where it gets tricky. This level is where human comprehension can not fully understand the torment. Hell turns inward and you no longer exist in a n understandable time or space. The slight hope and comfort that had existed up to this point are completely abandoned. This level was described as multiple life-times in length. Reality is redefined.

Layer 5
The patient trembled and became pale when he spoke about this level. he whispered and whimpered continuously. He reviled that he was only in this level for 5 minutes before he was revived. He described it as such.
"You are in black water. In an abyss that knows no light. There is something arround you. Its colossal... It torments me.""
an interesting story indeed, it is doubtful how ever to expect that the condition mentioned in the beggining was taken from this, but as Nietsche said, "If you stare into the abyss, the abyss always stares back." nothing unusual or even real here, just found this story and wanted to share it with you.
Juan Carlos Restrepo





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