Why do you think it's better I wonder? You don't experience the nothingness since you cease to exist (assuming you meant no afterlife which the nothingness implied), so you aren't able to compare it to anything and say ”man I'd rather have antagonizing pain".

I can certainly compare it, just not precisely, in the same way I believe I wouldn’t enjoy skydiving.

I don’t have to experience something or even fully understand it to have a sense of my preference.

So yeah, I’d for sure prefer agonizing pain, because at least that’s some feeling.

I'd take that chance, frankly. I don't assume afterlife or not, and either an afterlife or nothingness is better than a lifetime of unsolvable misery. I am not Zen, I don't think I'm able to become Zen.