Existential Vacuum: When Life Is Meaningless

Life is meaningless. This is what those who feel indifferent to life believe. They are people who feel the weight of injustice and a kind of relaxation from everything that surrounds them. In other words, they feel an existential vacuum.

They are usually reflective people who like to think about deep topics, such as death or the lack of freedom, and they are unable to get rid of the existential vacuum that eats them up from the inside. It is a void that society contributes to, by continuously sending messages about what is valuable and what is not, as well as about gaining instant satisfaction.

At the same time, however, they pursue continuous enjoyment with the goal of making their suffering numb. The problem is that they do not really pay any attention to the emptiness they feel.

For some, there is no good answer to the question “why is life worth living?”. Nothing makes them feel fulfilled, nothing makes them feel satisfied, and this is exactly what catches them in a psychological state of suffering. In most cases, this situation turns into a deep depression or self-destructive behavior.

An  existential vacuum is a crisis of meaning, and is the result of seeing yourself as someone who sees the world with a different perspective due to inconsistent thoughts, or  as someone who is carried away by the constant pursuit of joy to avoid suffering.  This is a widespread phenomenon in today’s world, so let’s dive a little deeper.

Existential vacuum: In the depths of the abyss

The meaning of life that develops in your mind can fall apart when your goals are not achieved the way you wanted. When there is a big difference between expectations and reality, you can also feel very disappointed.

In addition, when a critical situation threatens the feeling of security and certainty and you do not have the resources to face it, you may also feel frustrated.

All this leads to a deep feeling of existential frustration  and sometimes a painful abyss. It is as if you carry with you a desert within you, where absurdity defines existence, and any ability to connect with others is lost.

Psychologist Benjamin Wolman called this an “existential neurosis”,  and he defined it as:

The social aspect

Some writers, such as psychotherapist Tony Anatrella, point out that  losing meaning comes from the constant pursuit of satisfying one’s ego,  given that these are selfish actions that prevent you from reaching self-transcendence.

In this context, other authors claim that thinking that life is meaningless has to do with isolation, the superiority of individual values, and mistakenly thinking that pleasure is the key to finding happiness.

Thus, it may be that you focus on all your individual desires, and thus you dilute the feeling of social aspects such as coexistence, solidarity and respect.

When you do not understand reality, and being happy becomes your goal, there is a high chance that you will fall into an existential vacuum.  Emotions that we can enjoy in the short term, such as joy, cause pleasure, but not self-actualization. As with any other pleasure, they can become addictive or catch you.

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

As soon as you feel happy, freedom overcomes your inherent limits, and you will understand that the meaning of life is not material or limited, but so much more than that.

However, when things do not go as you expected, a lack of meaning can lead you to the abyss of existential vacuum.

The noetic dimension of man

According to Australian psychiatrist Viktor Frankl, humans have three main dimensions:

• The somatic dimension,  which includes the body and the biological field.
• The psychic dimension,  which involves the psychodynamic reality, or both the psychological and emotional universe.

• The noetic or spiritual dimension,  which covers the phenomenology of the soul. Therefore, this dimension goes beyond the other two. Furthermore, thanks to it, people can develop a healthy life, psychologically speaking.

So, if you feel a deep sense of apathy, it means that you are in conflict with your spiritual dimension. You may not be able to fix your wounds, or to identify them at all. You feel unable to find a reason to live. Thus, you drown in suffering and experience a lack of context and purpose. In other words, this is an existential vacuum.

Social and individual values

Frankl emphasizes that the  way to find meaning lies in your values, while social awareness is what helps it to come to the surface. Although values ​​come from personal familiarity, however, they end up being universal values ​​that match some cultural, religious or philosophical systems.

Therefore, it is  important to have a connection with and forge loving bonds with others so as not to lose the meaning of life, as long as you do not make other people responsible for your own happiness.  In a way, a meaningful life has its roots in social facts.

The French sociologist and philosopher Drukheim, clearly explains the lack of social facts and what they entail:

Explore yourself before trying to find the meaning of life

It is not about blaming others or looking for a savior. Instead, it is about having a reflective and responsible attitude that allows you to explore yourself. It’s about finding meaning and getting out of the existential vacuum.

It is also wise to understand that there are several ways to define the meaning of life: As many as there are people in the world. In fact, each of us can change our meaning in life through this journey we are on. Therefore, what matters is not the meaning of life in general, but the meaning of a given moment, just as Viktor Frankl said.

Frankl also pointed out that we should not explore the meaning of life, but rather  explore ourselves. Responsibility is the intimate essence of your existence: Find the meaning of life by finding yourself.

Change your attitude to get out of an existential vacuum

Even if you have invested time, energy, effort and your heart, life is not always fair. And while it is understandable that you may feel bad, you have two choices. You can either accept that you can not change what has already happened and behave like a victim, or you can accept the fact that you can not change anything, except your attitude to it.

You are responsible for your own actions, feelings, thoughts and decisions. This is why 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, seize the opportunity to make the decision that will determine whether you remain stuck in a situation or whether you act with dignity while listening to your true self, free from the pleasures of traps and immediate gratification.