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Strange thoughts


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Hi guys,

I’ve been experiencing something strange and was wondering if anyone has had anything similar. Basically I’ve been quite anxious for some time now and occasionally I get thoughts that other people are demons, or that they don’t exist, or that the world isn’t real. I don’t think that I actually believe this but when I get the thoughts they seem real enough. I am just scared that I’m having symptoms of something other than OCD, but I don’t know. I am just really scared that I’ll start thinking this all the time and being unsure of reality. I am completely aware that these thoughts aren’t logical but they still upset me. I told my therapist today but we ran out of time to discuss it. I’ve mentioned similar things in the past and he said that my internal world is so threatening to me that I project that on to the outside world too. Could that be it? Has anyone else felt this way?

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I've certainly had feelings of irreality too and thoughts like "what if everything's fake?", and I try to treat them like all my other intrusive thoughts - i.e. letting them go and getting on with my day.
Obviously I'm not an expert, but your wording does sound like the usual kind of reaction to intrusive thoughts. OCD is always trying to challenge us with new kinds of intrusive thoughts and come up with new ways to make us feel anxious (hey, I bet you haven't thought about this one yet!), so I'd just try to treat them as you do the other types of thoughts.
 

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1 hour ago, Torsa said:

I've certainly had feelings of irreality too and thoughts like "what if everything's fake?", and I try to treat them like all my other intrusive thoughts - i.e. letting them go and getting on with my day.
Obviously I'm not an expert, but your wording does sound like the usual kind of reaction to intrusive thoughts. OCD is always trying to challenge us with new kinds of intrusive thoughts and come up with new ways to make us feel anxious (hey, I bet you haven't thought about this one yet!), so I'd just try to treat them as you do the other types of thoughts.
 

Thank you! It just really helps sometimes to hear that others experience this too and I'm not alone. I really appreciate it :) 

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Existential thoughts/worries have been part of the human experience probably since the beginning.  You can find TONS of literature from famous philosophers to average Joe's and Jane's pondering these topics largely because they are difficult or impossible to answer.  Existential worries can definitely be upsetting, especially when you consider them for the first time, but the fact that you are having the thoughts doesn't mean anything negative, in fact i'd say its a positive that you have a curious and capable mind!  You might find it interesting to consider philosophy and read what others have written on these questions, but understand going in that in all the thousands of years of human history no one has really come up with an answer, just lots of possibilities. 

In fact, these topics are quite commonly found in popular media.  Star Trek, Stargate, Doctor Who, etc. all touched on the topics of the nature of reality during their tv runs.  The Matrix movies were all about people living in a simulated reality.  You're definitely far from the first to ask these questions. :)

 

Edited by dksea
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9 hours ago, PolarBear said:

It's just OCD. Nothing more. You described the intrusive thoughts, but what about compulsions? I bet you ruminate mightily over these questions.

I try not to ruminate over these existential questions themselves, even though they do cause me anxiety, I'm just trying to accep the uncertainty that we have no way of knowing what is real. I think the rumination is more about my general mental health and I worry that questioning reality or thinking other people are demons is a sign that there is something seriously wrong.

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3 hours ago, dksea said:

Existential thoughts/worries have been part of the human experience probably since the beginning.  You can find TONS of literature from famous philosophers to average Joe's and Jane's pondering these topics largely because they are difficult or impossible to answer.  Existential worries can definitely be upsetting, especially when you consider them for the first time, but the fact that you are having the thoughts doesn't mean anything negative, in fact i'd say its a positive that you have a curious and capable mind!  You might find it interesting to consider philosophy and read what others have written on these questions, but understand going in that in all the thousands of years of human history no one has really come up with an answer, just lots of possibilities. 

In fact, these topics are quite commonly found in popular media.  Star Trek, Stargate, Doctor Who, etc. all touched on the topics of the nature of reality during their tv runs.  The Matrix movies were all about people living in a simulated reality.  You're definitely far from the first to ask these questions. :)

 

This is a really nice way of putting it. I bet these philosophers have enjoyed asking these questions and thinking about them too. 

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