The Art of Disappearing
Phosphenes in fall magazine, issue #77. Article originally written by Jonathan Lafayette.
I don't know if this magazine is the best place for this, but I don't care either way. You, editor, feel free to throw this away if you feel like it.
A lot of people have been asking me, through emails, voice messages and whatnot, how do you manage to maintain such a empty and peaceful life, without the impending fear of the future that is poisoning the populace in these last few days of ours?
For that, the answer is to destroy yourself. Not in the physical sense, but in a way in which you can enjoy the amenities of the "afterlife".
Destroying yourself is quite hard. There's always the initial reluctance, the inherent desire to do better. The first step is to admit the impossibility of this desire and repeat this admission in your conscience day by day, until it turns into an inherent truth, suppressing the initial desire.
Development of this inherent truth is a constant part of the process. If this truth wobbles even a little bit, you might go back to your old self. It pays to be vigilant, especially with your surroundings. Objects, thoughts or any kind of entity which might elicit melancholic emotional responses, such as sadness, longing, even illusionary ones like anemoia, should be removed from your surroundings. Not even by the corner of the eye, at least in your personal space. While the presence of these objects in outside spaces might be a bit hard to miss, you will soon find that less and less of a problem when you don't feel the need to go out anymore.
The art of disappearing without leaving your home. Making your identity nothing but a pile of worthless legal documents and meaningless half remembered images. By maintaining yourself in this state, you may achieve what I have achieved.
Complete bliss for a life that does not need it anymore.