The Existential Vacuum: Meaninglessness of Modern Life!

"Existential vacuum" is a rather sophisticated term, wouldn't you say that? It appears so because the term is very closely related to "Existential crisis" or something like "Existential dread", and believe me these all are not just the term(s) but very frightening situation(s) we often have experienced in the life, now and then, more or less, and yet we acknowledge them seldom. 

In this Blog, we shall educate ourselves on the meaning of the Existential vacuum, understand its dynamics, and see how to deal with its consequences to have a meaningful, fulfilling, and worthy life.

The Auschwitz 

The Existential Vacuum: Meaninglessness of Modern Life!

The image quoted here packs the horrible stories of victims of the holocaust during World War Two. The same place was also the epitome of unimaginable helplessness, crisis, and the frightening void they felt daily. This is the picture of Auschwitz, one of the Nazi concentration camps where Existential vacuum, crisis, or even dread became their constant clinging. Viktor E. Frankl,  an Austrian psychiatrist, Holocaust survivor, and founder of logotherapy has thoroughly explained these terms in his book "Man's Search of Meaning".

In fact, why I would quote Auschwitz here? This is because, in my opinion, no other place has the ability to express the real meaning of Existential vacuum, or crisis in its more severe form. Prisoners here had perished not only due to humiliation, starvation, beatings, illness, and constantly looming death, but what made them easily vulnerable to death was their lack of meaning and purpose in their lives when they would wake up every single morning.

Without mentioning Viktor E. Frankl, discussing these terms would be an injustice to his teachings. So, If not all, let's try to understand at least one of them, the Existential vacuum and its hold in today's modern world.

#Preface

In the simplest form, it is a feeling of profound emptiness that stays, clings, and even intensifies when one fails to find meaning and purpose in life. The life becomes meaningless, a void sets in, and suffering causes disconnection from reality.

Unlike Auschwitz, in modern life confinement is mostly mental.  Why? It is because despite having no threat of looming death, no humiliation, no physical restrain, no beatings, plenty of food, clean water, clean air, enough space, freedom of speech, and most importantly, our identity, we still struggle to find meaning and purpose out of it, but for them, it was just "Staying alive".

So apparently, for prisoners of Auschwitz, it clearly was an Existential crisis (A challenge to stay alive) and not a vacuum only. But for us, now, it is more of a void or vacuum since crisis threatens survival.   

This feeling of emptiness is often accompanied by dysthymia, depression, loneliness, despair, and other mental symptoms.

Besides, this is not useless. In fact, sometimes it is an eye-opener, a kind of enlightenment, or an essential awakening. For existentialists, an existential vacuum is a journey, an awareness, a necessary experience, and a complex phenomenon.

#Forms

1. Existential void: A situation filled with disinterest, boredom, emptiness, and inability to find pleasure/ happiness.
2. Existential anxiety: A situation filled with pointlessness, worthlessness, and uncertainty. 
3. Existential vacuum: A situation filled with extreme boredom, social alienation, apathy, and nihilism.
4. Existential dread/ angst: A situation filled with severe negative feelings and anguish based on human experience and responsibility.  
5. Existential crisis: A situation filled with detrimental inner conflict, hopelessness, total meaninglessness of life, and substantial identity crisis (Who am I?).

#Common triggers: 

Not all are at risk of falling into the circle of Existential depression, but certain triggers as identified here play the main role. 

1. Career/ job change
2. Death of a loved one
3. Diagnosis of a serious or life-threatening illness
4. Entering a significant age category, such as 40, 50, or 65
5. Experiencing a tragic or traumatic experience
6. Having children
7. Marriage or divorce

#Symptoms: 

They clearly develop as the forms change from one to another. But the common set of symptoms are as follow.

1. Anxiety
2. Depression
3. Feeling overwhelmed
4. Isolation from friends and loved ones
5. Lack of motivation and energy
6. Loneliness
7. Obsessive worry

#Causes

Existential vacuum is often described under the umbrella of Existential crisis and the causes typically overlap. In the background what actually works are the causes that represent triggers.

#1 Unidentified Boredom

As per Frankl, the modern world offers a man with extra leisure time than he ever had before, irresistible comfort, and easy accessibility together with the total undermining of traditions brings about a state of what he calls “boredom", the first warning sign for void/ vacuum.

For example, things, like sitting around the table and eating together, respecting elders, keeping family values, and even communicating face to face (which has been replaced by e-mail, text, and other forms of social media) have given boredom a chance to prevail.  

#2 Easy Choices

Every morning we have a choice as if to get off bed or to keep hitting the snooze button. Vacuum, a feeling of emptiness deepens when we make easy, comfy, unproductive, and yielding choices. Such decisions are uninteresting, lack motivation, and are unconstructive, and that's the point from where the vacuum generates. For example, scrolling social media vs. writing a journal. 

#3 Destructive Habits

When we culture ourselves with habits that are no longer uplifting but are self-destructive pave the path to a vacuum. Despite acknowledging the void our habits drag us down instead of snatching us out. For example, overthinking used as a habit when finding the meaning and purpose of life instead of jotting them down. 

#4 Actionless motion

In the book "Atomic Habits", James Clear has explained very beautifully about "Motion" and "Action". An idea of doing something is Motion, but actually implementing the idea of doing, means working on it, is Action. Motion deepens the vacuum while Action fills it. For example, Procrastinating in writing a book fearing the hustles of publication it would follow. Here vacuum prolongs as long as we are in motion.

#5 Unclear mind

A clear mind has these four: Passion, Mission, Vocation, and Profession. And once we have them, our reason for being is as clear as mountain water. But to know these four, one must be able to answer the following four questions: What am I good at? What do I love? What world need from me? And what am I paid for?

When we are able to answer these four, our Dharma is fulfilled. In Japanese literature, this concept is also known as IKIGAI. 

Dharma is scholarly narrated by Jay Shetty in his book "Think like a Monk", while IKIGAI is decoded nicely by Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles in his book "IKIGAI: The Japanese secret to a long and happy life".

#6 A boasted mind 

The one who truly possesses doesn't boast, but the one who thinks he has always boasts. He boasts because he fears losing it, he boasts because he tries to save his esteem, and he boasts because he is the one who senses the vacuum in case he stops bragging about it. Boasting is a behavior to mask the void and camouflage the underlying emptiness. For example, he boasts about his foreign lifestyle to his local friends.

#7 Fear

Joseph Murphy in his book "Power of subconscious mind" has written about fear, that "Face the fear and death of fear is certain". In his quote, he is absolutely convincing since there is no other way to get rid of it unless we face it. Fear is the factor too strong which doesn't allow us to venture most of the time, and this holds us in an infinite vacuum.

To be more precise, a vacuum generates more fear and fear rears the vacuum. Hence, the only escape is to face it and overcome the same.

#Filling the Vacuum

An accomplished person is one whose life has a purpose. They have a life filled with meanings, logic, and reasons. It is a life that is not perfect, it has its ups and downs, but through it all, it has meaning. 

Meaning is the injection of the existential vacuum.

There are several effective ways to find meaning and purpose in life. It is not a destination, but rather, a journey.

👀#Insight from Phraseitup!

In our view, boredom is the signal we should identify as soon as the void sets in. Boredom can prove constructive if sensed effectively, but nothing could be more destructive than its comfort. Never ever let boredom slip into your habit. 

We believe that introspection, self-inquiry, and journaling are gems of wisdom that must be used to have a start at least. Firstly, they clear our minds, set priorities, offer tunnel vision, and fill the void completely.

One more thing, Goals undoubtedly keep us hooked and focused, but once a goal is achieved vacuum is inevitable, unless you are up with another one. But ironically, how many goals would we make just to avoid a vacuum? There is no end. 

So, undisputable is to have a purpose rather than a goal. It never dies, instead, it prospers and gives meaning to our existence.

📹Video recommendation by Phraseitp: Viktor Frankl - The Existential Vacuum

You might also like

Laws of Karma

Monday Blues