I think this one rings true to a lot of people who struggle with intrusive thoughts. It’s not about logic, it’s about that weird urge to do the worst possible thing. You get the urge to climb in because it’s scary. So scary you can’t focus on anything else. But maybe if you just did it, at least you could stop worrying about it.

[–] dragontamer@lemmy.world -3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

If people's minds were so weak to give into intrusive thoughts, I'd have committed suicide maybe a year or two into my intrusive thoughts.

As I said before: what happens in this comic is unrealistic. People who struggle with undiagnosed depression can (and do), survive for years despite thinking about killing themselves every day, every hour, for years.

I know. I went through this. You don't just "give up" randomly (and emperically speaking: people at this stage don't often commit suicide IIRC), though the feeling does wear you down and make you anxious over time. There's "stages" of depression and suicide, and if its just intrusive thoughts that are messing with you every waking hour of the day, you're not quite at the depths of suicide quite yet. (Yes, it gets worse than just thoughts. Although you probably should seek help if you are at this stage).

As I've said in the other comment: real life is far worse than what's presented here. Those who HAVE gone through this can't relate to it, because the people who jump into the holes were so far less weak-willed than any real world person.

There are "stages" after intrusive and chronic long-term thoughts... when your brain starts to actively plan to do something harmful. An entire tier of thoughts and planning that goes far deeper than the horrors that was in the holes story.

The horrors of living with suicidal depression for months, years, is knowing what lies on the other side of the hole, but deciding to jump in anyway. Real world is far worse than what happens in the hole story. I know I'm going to die if I give into the thoughts. Its not some mystery or drive to explore or something that's causing my brain to think those thoughts. (And honestly, if it were "just" a feeling to explore or figure out the mystery, it's far less horrific).

[–] atomicorange@lemmy.world 9 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I totally agree, intrusive thoughts aren’t often acted upon.

I think the story is trying to capture what it feels like to have intrusive thoughts, how horrifying they can be, and is maybe a way for the artist to work through the idea of “what if those thoughts became so bad - through some supernatural mechanism - that we all succumbed to them?” It’s not meant to be realistic, but just to capture and communicate that feeling of dread combined with compulsion.

It’s kind of similar to Lovecraft’s way of telling stories. He tells you about horrifying and incomprehensible actions taken by regular people and gives some hints about their motivation. But he can’t really convey the full experience of cosmic horror so he leaves you to fill in the blanks. Some people are really affected by it, and for some it’s just too vague and speculative.

[–] dragontamer@lemmy.world -2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

If this is the take, then its shallow. Cthulu / Great Old Ones, Lovecraftian horror, has a simple "solution' to the question I pose.

"If you drop a cell phone into the hole, and see what's inside of it, it only compels you far more deeply than ever before". Lovecraftian / Cosmic Horror is about how observation is itself an act, and the act of observation is all you need to do to fall prey to Cthulhu's mental control of you. And the more you understand the situation, its your [b]very understanding itself[/b] that draws you deeper into the horror story.

Let me tell you a horror story. Lets say the god of this world is evil. But not only that, the very act of me telling you that "god of this world is evil" is enough to put you on god's hitlist. The fact that you've even read this sentence, the omniscient god already knows you've been tainted by my words and its too late for you to be saved. (This is the story of "The Ring". If you watch The Ring, it will haunt you, because its the very knowledge of the video-tape that traps you into the situation).

Okay, so I'm not a good writer. But there's all sorts of ways that "intrusive thoughts" have been turned into a horror story by many different writers. There's "better ways" to invoke a horrifying a mind-virus upon the reader (or in the case of "The Ring", the viewer).