I think we all are far more self-absorbed than we realize. It can be shocking (and I don’t doubt scary) to suddenly go from feeling like the center of the universe, and the most important thing in it to feeling incredibly small and insignificant. On top of that there’s a realization that however insignificant we feel in that moment, it’s actually so much greater than that, and our small and insignificant brains can’t even begin to compute the complexity and vastness of it all. I have experienced this intense and shocking sensation many times. And then I quickly go back to being self-absorbed.