Why would a belief in any god(s) or any afterlife solve my issue of not wanting to leave this life? Why do you assume that I have 'turned my back' on anyone or anything because I have a thirst to experience all the world has to offer and do not feel ready to leave? Do you think it's acceptable to label me 'vain' and 'arrogant' without even knowing me and without even knowing whether I believe in God or not?

How come you propose time's existence as one of four provable truths, but not space's existence? Surely space is less contentious than time? I posted here somewhere the other day that I am not convinced that linear time exists. I am more convinced (although not unequivocally) that I am standing on a planet in a solar system in a universe.

I do not believe we have come anywhere close to understanding time. The fact that we think time is linear when everything else in the universe appears not to be, suggests that we have got it wrong. It is possible that time doesn't even exist at all as a scientific concept, other than as a means of our limited brains to order our experience. If all our experiences were written down on pieces of paper and thrown into a room, we would not be able to make sense of them. So we might decide to file them in an arbitrary order so we can better access them. Maybe that is what time is - a filing system for experiences that actually all happen instantaneously.

I agree that everyone is a philosopher. It’s when you add the word “great” it becomes problematic. Everyone can be considered an artist, but not everyone is a great artist in the socially recognized sense. However, art appreciation or appreciation of philosophy is subjective, therefore surely greatness in such areas is subjective. Perhaps the word “popular” is therefore better than “great” and we should not argue anyone’s opinion of anyone else as being a great philosopher!

Thank you all so far for a brilliant chat. So many wise words and interesting ideas. I love the David Sinclair recommendation ... such a different response to my existential dilemma and what an interesting read. I I was much younger it would give me great comfort. But as I am 59 I doubt that I will be getting the benefit of his work so it left me feeling a bit cheated and jealous of younger folk ...

I totally buy into the argument that I am not troubled by the oblivion before I was born so I should not be troubled by death, but it has never comforted me, I don't know why. Likewise the notion of death being similar to sleep. Perhaps it's because I'm someone who tends to live in the future. So there has to be more ahead.

I am not sure I want permanence but I do know at 59 that I do not have sufficient years left to do all the things i want to do and explore all the things i want to explore, philosophically, socially or geographically. But even at 25 or so I was aware that my life would be too short for my liking. Maybe time in that sense is like physical space; I have a thirst to discover every inch of the earth (and the universe beyond it), so perhaps I also want to experience every time. Even though geographical travel is possible but time travel isn't, one takes from the other and each limits the other, which leaves me feeling dissatisfied.

This resonates 100%, and links back to the point about before-birth and after-death oblivion. I also cannot be four years old again or even four minutes ago again. I am stuck in the present. Maybe I shouldn't fear death, then, because I will never be in any moment other than the present, therefore every "present" is infinite? So does that mean that every moment of my life is eternal to me?

I'm not far behind you and the angst is not improving!

I was referring to the Nick Cave quote in my original post... that the finiteness of existence makes us focus, that our own demise is some sort of "poetry".

What you have written here is very comforting to me, I relate to the being controlled issue ... it's a massive one for me.

You are right but i can't figure out from studying those people what the secret ingredient is! As for your comment about fulfillment, I'm not sure. I have spent parts of my life in misery and other parts in ecstasy. Both ends of the spectrum seem to magnify my existential angst. At one extreme, 'I need to live much, much longer because all of this so far has been a bit boring and rubbish, or even painful at times' and at the other extreme 'please don't take this away, this is just a blast, I need it to last hundreds of years' :D

I hope we can continue this chat and thanks again, it's been a brilliant introduction to the forum.