---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was just thoughts, just air. There was…"
description: "\"“I was just thoughts, just air. There was nothingness all around me. Was this what it was like to be dead? When you died, did you still sense everythin..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f07/melissa-kantor-21587_death_i-was-just-thoughts-just-air-there-was-n_890601.jpg"
---

#  I was just thoughts, just air. There was nothingness all…

![“I was just thoughts, just air. There was nothingness all around me. Was this what it was like to be dead? When you died, did you still sense everything going on around you, only it was happening so far away that you didn't care about it? You were floating through space and time, and nothing that…” quote by Melissa Kantor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f07/melissa-kantor-21587_death_i-was-just-thoughts-just-air-there-was-n_890601.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f07/melissa-kantor-21587_death_i-was-just-thoughts-just-air-there-was-n_890601.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f07/melissa-kantor-21587_death_i-was-just-thoughts-just-air-there-was-n_890601.jpg)

> ““I was just thoughts, just air. There was nothingness all around me. Was this what it was like to be dead? When you died, did you still sense everything going on around you, only it was happening so far away that you didn't care about it? You were floating through space and time, and nothing that happened to you mattered because nothing really could happen to you because you didn't exist?””

[Melissa Kantor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-kantor/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Contemplation of non‑existence and detachment from reality after death.

**In simple terms:** Thinking about being dead and feeling disconnected.

Key Takeaway

Consider how detachment shapes perception.

Themes

mortality existential detachment

Mood

reflective somber

Type

philosophical existential

When to use this quote

- grief counseling
- meditation
- creative writing
- philosophical debate

Key Concepts

philosophy consciousness nihilism

Questions to Reflect On

- What does it mean to exist?
- How does detachment affect meaning?

A Different Perspective

May overlook the value of lived experience.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Loneliness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loneliness/) [Nothingness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nothingness/) [Philosophy of Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy-of-mind/) [Space](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/space/) [Space and time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/space-and-time/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/)

## Related quotes

> [“Thoughts are just thoughts, sounds are just sounds, situations are just situations, and people are just being themselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-hanson/thoughts-are-just-thoughts-sounds-are-just-sounds-situations-are-just/)

[Rick Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-hanson/)

> [Don't let yourself be a victim of your negative thoughts. They're just thoughts, not reality. Don't let them destroy you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/don-t-let-yourself-be-a-victim-of-your-negative-thoughts-they-re-just/)

[Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/)

> [“The world she was walking through was a pale nothingness, like a blank sheet of paper or an enormous, empty white room. It had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/the-world-she-was-walking-through-was-a-pale-nothingness-like-a-blank/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [“I could hear the secrets of the universe being whispered to me . But then, just as dreams burn away with waking, the feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/casey-lane/i-could-hear-the-secrets-of-the-universe-being-whispered-to-me-but/)

Casey Lane

> [“Nothingness is like the point of the stroboscopic spiral, which is who knows where, which is 'nobody.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-merleau-ponty/nothingness-is-like-the-point-of-the-stroboscopic-spiral-which-is-who/)

[Maurice Merleau-Ponty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-merleau-ponty/)

> [“Don’t you know what god is? God is everything and God is nothing; for the perfection created by man cannot be anything other than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldo-palazzeschi/don-t-you-know-what-god-is-god-is-everything-and-god-is-nothing-for/)

Aldo Palazzeschi

> [I don't know, maybe it's just timely, or maybe it's the fact that I live in a house with four women, but I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-millar/i-don-t-know-maybe-it-s-just-timely-or-maybe-it-s-the-fact-that-i/)

[Mark Millar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-millar/)

> [“Poetry?" ... "No, just thoughts, glimpses, things running through my head.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/poetry-no-just-thoughts-glimpses-things-running-through-my-head/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I journal a lot for nobody but myself. Just to get my thoughts out and to clear my mind. That's very therapeutic to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lili-reinhart/i-journal-a-lot-for-nobody-but-myself-just-to-get-my-thoughts-out-and/)

[Lili Reinhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lili-reinhart/)

> [“Thoughts are not the truth. They are just thoughts. They do not arrive from God. Do not give them this power.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-alexi/thoughts-are-not-the-truth-they-are-just-thoughts-they-do-not-arrive/)

[Sara Alexi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-alexi/)

> [“I don't want you just in my thoughts always, I want you by my side always.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brenda-hodnett/i-don-t-want-you-just-in-my-thoughts-always-i-want-you-by-my-side/)

[Brenda Hodnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brenda-hodnett/)

> [Some situations are not that worse. It's just the thoughts that take them that far.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/some-situations-are-not-that-worse-it-s-just-the-thoughts-that-take/)

[Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/)

> [They should put a couple more mirrors in here so I can stare at myself. These are usually just some thoughts that I would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drake/they-should-put-a-couple-more-mirrors-in-here-so-i-can-stare-at/)

[Drake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drake/)

> [Enjoying your own company is the BEST! I love me some time alone. Long walks...Just me &amp; my thoughts!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/enjoying-your-own-company-is-the-best-i-love-me-some-time-alone-long/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I never discuss my troubles in a relationship. It's best to just keep those thoughts to yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dervla-kirwan/i-never-discuss-my-troubles-in-a-relationship-it-s-best-to-just-keep/)

[Dervla Kirwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dervla-kirwan/)

## More by Melissa Kantor

> [“I'm sorry, I got you all snotty and wet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-kantor/i-m-sorry-i-got-you-all-snotty-and-wet/)

[Melissa Kantor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-kantor/)

> [“Why is it I can spend a dozen Friday nights staring at the peeling walls of my "room" without anyone in the family so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-kantor/why-is-it-i-can-spend-a-dozen-friday-nights-staring-at-the-peeling/)

[Melissa Kantor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-kantor/)

> [“You were sleeping?" said Princess One. "No," I said. "Sometimes I just like to lie in the dark for hours with my eyes closed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-kantor/you-were-sleeping-said-princess-one-no-i-said-sometimes-i-just-like/)

[Melissa Kantor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-kantor/)

> [“A breakup is the single most traumatic event in the life of a woman outside of a death. Some women can take years to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-kantor/a-breakup-is-the-single-most-traumatic-event-in-the-life-of-a-woman/)

[Melissa Kantor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-kantor/)

> [“What if in every breakup, the dumper gets to live happily ever after, while the dumpee gets a lifetime membership in the Bitter Book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-kantor/what-if-in-every-breakup-the-dumper-gets-to-live-happily-ever-after/)

[Melissa Kantor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-kantor/)

> [“It was strange how we could talk so much and say so little.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-kantor/it-was-strange-how-we-could-talk-so-much-and-say-so-little/)

[Melissa Kantor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-kantor/)

> [“People never think things that are true are funny.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-kantor/people-never-think-things-that-are-true-are-funny/)

[Melissa Kantor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-kantor/)

> [“I hate gender stereotypes like girls love princesses and boys like guns. . . my point is that tying particular behaviors and interests to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-kantor/i-hate-gender-stereotypes-like-girls-love-princesses-and-boys-like/)

[Melissa Kantor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-kantor/)

> [“After all, what did Prince Charming know about Cinderella besides her shoe size?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-kantor/after-all-what-did-prince-charming-know-about-cinderella-besides-her/)

[Melissa Kantor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-kantor/)

> [“Prince Charming was requesting my presence tonight.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-kantor/prince-charming-was-requesting-my-presence-tonight/)

[Melissa Kantor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-kantor/)

> [“Sometimes it’s hard to hear when we’ve done something wrong. But we can learn from our mistakes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-kantor/sometimes-it-s-hard-to-hear-when-we-ve-done-something-wrong-but-we/)

[Melissa Kantor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-kantor/)

> [“Apparently being Cinderella isn't so bad after all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-kantor/apparently-being-cinderella-isn-t-so-bad-after-all/)

[Melissa Kantor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-kantor/)

> [“And suddenly I started to cry. Serious sobs, the kind where your stomach hurts and you can’t breathe and there’s snot running down your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-kantor/and-suddenly-i-started-to-cry-serious-sobs-the-kind-where-your/)

[Melissa Kantor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-kantor/)

> [“Be honest, Do I give off a vibe that says 'No, handsome stud, I don't want you to make a pass at me,' while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-kantor/be-honest-do-i-give-off-a-vibe-that-says-no-handsome-stud-i-don-t/)

[Melissa Kantor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-kantor/)

> [“Even though we'd never met, imagining being dumped by Gene made me want to die. What was the point of going out with someone?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-kantor/even-though-we-d-never-met-imagining-being-dumped-by-gene-made-me/)

[Melissa Kantor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-kantor/)

[Explore all 29 Melissa Kantor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-kantor/)

## More Death quotes

> [“He wondered how it was fair that your dying should depend so much on when you were born.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/he-wondered-how-it-was-fair-that-your-dying-should-depend-so-much-on/)

[Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/)

> [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/)

[Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/)

> [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/)

[Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/)

> [I do not want to live at the cost of the life even of a snake. I should let him bite me to death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-do-not-want-to-live-at-the-cost-of-the-life-even-of-a-snake-i/)

[Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/)

> [“It was beautiful. He thought he had never seen anything so beautiful in all his life; that, having seen it, he could die content,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mira-grant/it-was-beautiful-he-thought-he-had-never-seen-anything-so-beautiful/)

[Mira Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mira-grant/)

> [Retirement? You're talking about death, right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-altman/retirement-you-re-talking-about-death-right/)

[Robert Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-altman/)

> [With multiplayer, permanent death, and an ever-changing world to explore and conquer, 'A Valley Without Wind' might be the place you're looking for if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-manuel/with-multiplayer-permanent-death-and-an-ever-changing-world-to/)

[Rob Manuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-manuel/)

> [“What did you see?” she asked gently. His brow furrowed, as if he could not understand the question. Then his eyes turned to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-anthony-torino/what-did-you-see-she-asked-gently-his-brow-furrowed-as-if-he-could/)

J. Anthony Torino

> [Those whose life is long still strive for gain, and for all mortals all things take second place to money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/those-whose-life-is-long-still-strive-for-gain-and-for-all-mortals/)

[Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/)

> [“I practice Dying--every night-- But have not learned to, still-- Though Talented--by Mortal bones-- For such a common Skill.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-powers/i-practice-dying-every-night-but-have-not-learned-to-still-though/)

Alan W. Powers

> [“You must understand the pain and grief of losing someone is nothing more than a function of survival.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-cooper/you-must-understand-the-pain-and-grief-of-losing-someone-is-nothing/)

[Steven Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-cooper/)

> [I am not a depressive person at all, but I reflect a lot on my life, and life in general, from the perspective of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/i-am-not-a-depressive-person-at-all-but-i-reflect-a-lot-on-my-life/)

[Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/)

> [“Death is a reality that calls the rest of life and all of our assorted strivings into sharp relief.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/death-is-a-reality-that-calls-the-rest-of-life-and-all-of-our/)

[Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/)

> [I love life. I love life to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmanuelle-riva/i-love-life-i-love-life-to-death/)

[Emmanuelle Riva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmanuelle-riva/)

> [I think when you’re dying you start looking for important things in the corners. You can’t let anything that seems even semi-important pass, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-crutcher/i-think-when-you-re-dying-you-start-looking-for-important-things-in/)

[Chris Crutcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-crutcher/)

[Browse all 39,127 Death quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“I was just thoughts, just air. There was nothingness all around me. Was this what it was like to be dead? When you died, did you still sense everything going on around you, only it was happening so far away that you didn't care about it? You were floating through space and time, and nothing that happened to you mattered because nothing really could happen to you because you didn't exist?”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Melissa Kantor"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-kantor/i-was-just-thoughts-just-air-there-was-nothingness-all-around-me-was/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Death"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-kantor/i-was-just-thoughts-just-air-there-was-nothingness-all-around-me-was/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f07/melissa-kantor-21587_death_i-was-just-thoughts-just-air-there-was-n_890601.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f07/melissa-kantor-21587_death_i-was-just-thoughts-just-air-there-was-n_890601.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f07/melissa-kantor-21587_death_i-was-just-thoughts-just-air-there-was-n_890601.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I was just thoughts, just air. There was nothingness all around me. Was this what it was like to be dead?…” — Melissa Kantor",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Melissa Kantor",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-kantor/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“I was just thoughts, just air....",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-kantor/i-was-just-thoughts-just-air-there-was-nothingness-all-around-me-was/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-kantor/i-was-just-thoughts-just-air-there-was-nothingness-all-around-me-was/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
