What If...You Only Live Once (YOLO) Is a Lie?

How 50 years of suppressed science could end the anxiety epidemic

Walk into any Las Vegas casino at 3 AM and you'll find them everywhere. Twenty-somethings blowing their rent money on blackjack while shouting "YOLO!" at each other like it's some profound life philosophy.

Scroll through Instagram and witness the YOHOL epidemic in full force. People maxing out credit cards for Bali yoga retreats, getting face tattoos, or moving to Costa Rica with someone they met on Tinder three weeks ago. "Why shouldn't I buy a motorcycle I can't afford? You only live once!" "Life's too short!"

But here's the ironic tragedy. While people use YOHOL thinking to justify reckless behavior and impulsive life choices, this exact same assumption creates the suffocating pressure underlying most modern anxiety and depression. The very philosophy that makes someone blow their savings on crypto investments also generates the crushing weight that every mistake is permanent, every missed opportunity is catastrophic, and every day not spent "living to the fullest" is somehow wasted. YOHOL thinking cuts both ways, creating both reckless risk-taking and paralyzing existential dread.

YOHOL thinking fuels the mental loops that torment us daily. We replay shameful moments from years ago as if they define us forever. We catastrophize about future scenarios that may never happen. We lie awake at 3 AM consumed with regret about roads not taken. There's that persistent whisper that we're not good enough, not achieving enough, not living up to our "one shot" at existence.

We get trapped in our heads, endlessly analyzing what went wrong, what could go wrong, what we're failing to accomplish in our limited time. The fear of loss becomes overwhelming because everything feels so precious and fragile. The fear of death haunts us because it represents the ultimate failure—running out of time before we've figured it all out.

But what if the fundamental assumption underlying all this mental torment is completely wrong?

My recent discussion with Stephanie Chevrier, creator of the fascinating Instagram account @live.deathless, revealed research so profound it could shatter everything you think you know about the nature of reality, death, and human potential. Through her work with Live Deathless, Stephanie aims to bridge the gap between science and spirituality, challenging mainstream views on the nature of reality and what happens after we die. She encourages everyone to approach life’s greatest mysteries with openness and curiosity—because whether or not you believe in an afterlife, exploring these topics can help us lead happier, more fulfilled, and inspired lives.

We explored fifty years of suppressed scientific evidence from near-death experiences, documented cases of children remembering past lives with verifiable details, and experiments proving that your thoughts and intentions literally reshape physical reality.

But here's the question I continue to ponder: How would our experience of life change if we knew all this to be true? Would we still see the same epidemic of anxiety and depression plaguing Western societies if people understood what actually happens after death?

If people realized they're putting crushing pressure on themselves over what amounts to less than one minute in an eternal education?

If they knew they have countless lifetimes to master love, develop wisdom, and fulfill their soul's purpose?

That they are taking themselves WAY TOO seriously.

The implications go far beyond philosophical curiosity. Understanding your immortal nature provides practical tools for breaking free from the mental loops that trap millions in anxiety and depression. There are specific insights from this research that can fundamentally alter how you relate to shame, failure, loss, and death itself. These aren't abstract concepts but actionable perspectives that could transform your daily experience of being human. For those stuck in the suffocating realities of perfectionism, catastrophic thinking, and existential dread, this research offers a completely different foundation for understanding why you're here and what your struggles actually mean.