I have studied up on Descartes' philosophy of Dualist Interactism, where mind and body are separate entities, but entangled in the reality that the Self experiences. Does the mind control the body, or does the body control the mind? Michael believes that the mind is the true entity of the Self, existing in the External World, but perceiving through the body within the Internal World... the one which my senses pick up on right now. I asked if I could see the External World before death. Michael responded with "To see is a contradictory statement. To feel is the term you want. You won't have eyes in the External World, so you will have to see with your mind. Eyes are physical things in the Internal World, disguised as a false perceptual thing that gathers vision for the brain... To truely see would be to dream".
I wonder if Michael refers to his oblivion as his own personal Hell? I'm afraid to ask, as I'm expecting the response to be "This is my personal Hell". What lies beyond, perhaps, cannot be fathomed by the human mind... could it be that scary? I wouldn't want to die either!