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Death Quote by Denis Johnson

“Now Van Ness claimed already to have died, more than once, in various other universes. Who can refute that? Is there any proof otherwise? Imagine a slight revision in Nietzsche’s myth of eternal return: not that at history’s end all matter collapses back to the center, Big-Bangs, and starts again…” quote by Denis Johnson
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““Now Van Ness claimed already to have died, more than once, in various other universes. Who can refute that? Is there any proof otherwise? Imagine a slight revision in Nietzsche’s myth of eternal return: not that at history’s end all matter collapses back to the center, Big-Bangs, and starts again identically; but that it starts again with one infinitesimal difference in the action of a single molecule— every time, and an endless number of times. When you die, your consciousness blanks out, but it resumes eons later, when the history of molecules has been revised enough to preclude your death due to those particular circumstances: the bullet hits your brain in this world, but in a later one merely tickles your earlobe. You die in one universe and yet in another go on without a hitch. You don’t mark the intervening ages—subjectively you experience nothing other than almost having died. But in fact you’ve edged into another kingdom, ruled by another king, engaging other potentialities. If this were true, the person who understood it would have conquered death. Would be invulnerable. Would be the Superman. There’s a dizzying thrill in a philosophy that can only be tested by suicide— and then never proven, only tested again by another attempt. And the person embarked on that series of tests, treading that trail of lives as if from boulder to boulder across the river of time— no, out into the burning ocean of eternity— what a mutant! Some new genesis, like a pale, poisonous daisy.””

Denis Johnson

About This Quote

The passage imagines infinite parallel universes where each death is avoided by a tiny change, suggesting a form of immortality through endless variations of reality.

In simple terms: Infinite universes could let you survive every death by tiny changes.

Key Takeaway

Consider how tiny variations could alter outcomes.

Themes

philosophy mortality multiverse

Mood

wonder awe curiosity

Type

speculative philosophical

When to use this quote

  • thought experiment
  • fiction writing
  • personal reflection
  • theoretical physics

Key Concepts

eternal return quantum variance identity existential risk

Questions to Reflect On

  • What would it mean for identity if each death is avoided?
  • Can we ever truly know if another version of us continues?
A Different Perspective

The idea is speculative and lacks empirical support.

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