Existential Void: When Life Is Meaningless

Life is meaningless. That is the main belief among those who are indifferent to life. These are people who feel the weight of injustice and a kind of disconnection from everything that surrounds them. In other words, they feel an existential void.

They are usually reflective people who like to think about deep issues, such as death or the lack of freedom. In doing so, they cannot get rid of an existential void that swallows them up from within.

It is a void that society contributes to by constantly sending messages about what is valuable or not, and about obtaining instant gratification.

However, they are also constantly looking for pleasure to numb their suffering. The problem is that they don’t really pay attention to the emptiness they feel.

For some people there is no right answer to the question “why is life worth living for?” Nothing fulfills them, nothing satisfies them, and that is exactly what hurts them psychologically. In most cases, this situation turns into a deep depression or self-destructive behavior.

An existential void is a crisis of significance. It is the result of recognizing that you are someone who sees the world from a different perspective as a result of inconsistent thoughts.

Or that you are someone who is carried away by the constant pursuit of pleasure in order to avoid suffering. This is a widespread phenomenon in the world today, so let’s dive deeper into it.

Existential void: in the depths of the abyss

The meaning of life developing in your mind can crumble if your goals don’t turn out as well as you wanted them to. If there is a big difference between expectation and reality, you may feel very disappointed.

You can also feel frustrated when a critical situation threatens your sense of safety and security and you don’t have the resources to face it.

All this leads to a deep state of existential frustration and sometimes to a painful abyss. It’s like carrying a desert inside you, where absurdity defines existence and all ability to connect with others is lost.

Psychologist Benjamin Wolman called this an “existential neurosis.” He defined this as:

The social aspect

Some authors, such as psychotherapist Tony Anatrella, point out that the loss of meaning stems from the constant pursuit of self-gratification. They are selfish actions that keep you from transcending yourself.

When it comes to this, other authors argue that finding a life without meaning is associated with isolation. With the superiority of individual values ​​and the erroneous assumption that pleasure is the key to finding happiness.

So you could focus on all your individual desires. As a result, the feeling of social aspects such as living together, solidarity or respect diminishes.

If you don’t understand reality, and your means of happiness become your goals, there is a great risk that you will end up in an existential void. Pleasant short-lived emotions, such as joy, lead to pleasure, but not to self-actualization. Like any other pleasure, they can be addictive or servile.

Somehow you have to do something with your life that is not only good, but also made by you. Therefore, the meaning of life is related to the destiny you wish and need. Because through that desire you can expect that you can develop yourself unimpeded.

Once you feel happy, your freedom will overcome the limits of immanence and you will understand that the meaning of life is not material or finite, but much more than that. However, if things don’t go as you expected, a lack of meaning in life can lead you to the abyss of the existential void.

The noetic dimension of man

According to the Austrian psychiatrist Viktor Frankl, man has essentially three dimensions:

• Somatic dimension, which includes the body and the biological field.
• Psychic dimension, which includes the psychodynamic reality, both the psychological and the emotional universe.
• Noetic or spiritual dimension, which includes the phenomenology of the soul. Therefore, this dimension goes beyond the other two. Moreover, thanks to this, man can develop a psychologically healthy life.

So, when you feel a deep sense of apathy, it means that you are in conflict with your spiritual dimension. You may not be able to resolve or even identify your wounds.

You feel unable to find a reason to live. You therefore drown in suffering and experience a lack of coherence and purpose. In other words, this is an existential void.

Social and individual values

Frankl emphasizes that the way to find meaning lies in your values. Social consciousness helps to achieve something with it. However, while values ​​arise from personal intimacy, they eventually become universal values ​​that correspond to some cultural, religious or philosophical systems.

That’s why it’s important to connect with others and keep your affective ties, so as not to lose the meaning of life – as long as you don’t make other people responsible for your own happiness. In a sense, meaningful life has its roots in social conditions.

The French sociologist and philosopher Drukheim clearly describes the lack of social conditions and what that means:

Explore yourself before trying to figure out the meaning of life

It’s not about blaming anyone or looking for a prince in a white horse. Instead, it’s about a reflective and responsible attitude that allows you to explore yourself. It’s about finding purpose and getting out of that existential void.

It’s also helpful to recognize that there are multiple ways to define the meaning of life. That is about as many as there are people in the world.

In fact, each of us can change our life purpose during our journey in life. Therefore, it is not the meaning of life in general that matters, but its meaning at a particular moment, just as Viktor Frankl said.

Frankl also argued that we should not examine the meaning of life, but that we should instead examine ourselves. Responsibility is the intimate essence of your existence: find the meaning of life by finding yourself.

Change your attitude to get out of the existential void

Even if you have invested time, energy, effort and your heart, sometimes life is not fair. While it’s completely understandable that you feel bad, you have two options: either accept that you can’t change what has already happened and act like a victim, or accept that you can’t change anything about it except your attitude toward it. fact.

You are responsible for your own actions, emotions, thoughts and decisions. Therefore, you have the opportunity to decide what you feel responsible for.

Therefore, the meaning of life is constantly changing. Every day and every moment you have the opportunity to make a decision that will determine whether you are stuck in a situation or act with dignity, listening to your true self, free from the pleasure traps and instant gratification.