All right, here goes.
I think it finally happened, I finally comprehended the full grasp of “meaninglessness” that the existentialists went on about. It’s not a terribly good feeling. It’s like kind of cold, hollow. My body feels kind of like air to be honest. Something clicked and it hit me all at once. I never really understood what people meant by having an existential crisis but now I do. Unfortunately I’m not exact sure as to what to do next. It’s like being adrift at sea really, I feel…aimless. Has anyone else here had one? How do you resolve the sense of detachment that comes from this?
I feel cold. I know I said that but it’s worth stating. I’ve felt this before but never so profound. It must be what space feels like, the vast nothingness. Unyielding and massive, empty and yet somehow crushing.
I promise I’ll try to be reasonable here, even though I know I haven’t been in the past. It just seems like people on here would know better that I in this case.
All right, here goes. I think it finally happened, I finally comprehended the full grasp of "meaninglessness" that the existentialists went on about. It's not a terribly good feeling. It's like kind of cold, hollow. My body feels kind of like air to be honest. Something clicked and it hit me all at once. I never really understood what people meant by having an existential crisis but now I do. Unfortunately I'm not exact sure as to what to do next. It's like being adrift at sea really, I feel.....aimless. Has anyone else here had one? How do you resolve the sense of detachment that comes from this? I feel cold. I know I said that but it's worth stating. I've felt this before but never so profound. It must be what space feels like, the vast nothingness. Unyielding and massive, empty and yet somehow crushing. I promise I'll try to be reasonable here, even though I know I haven't been in the past. It just seems like people on here would know better that I in this case.Often I can't tell if your being serious or not - this time I don't think your making it up. I can relate to parts of it. But all of us live our own lives, even if we have to get through the same hurdles. I don't know you and can't pretend to have advice. Except maybe, in the end we all need to save ourselves. (Henry Fonda) Still I can relate to the feeling of your belly falling out from under you - worse tasting the feeling of total disconnect from the reality of the people and events around me, it is a scary thing, what insanity must be like, no place I'd want to stay. That's why I got away from religion and "God" and onto the solid footing of science and the fantastic realities of this Earth and her Evolution - sanity lies in that direction. {and I'm being dead serious.} ............................................. Having an unexpected recognition change the way you 'see' everything. Having what you always assumed you believed suddenly crumble away with no substance left to show for itself. Now what? Keep peddling, a new rhythm (and day) will come to you. Given all the questions you seem to struggle with, I'm willing to hope and believe that you got it inside of you (even though you haven't recognized it yet) you have the bits of solid foundation that will now have a chance to come to the fore and learn to deal with your new perception. Pruning is one way you could analogize it. Organic development is another. Good luck. ----------- Hey that reminds me, are you familiar with the work of Joseph Campbell?
I know bits and pieces of Joseph Campbell, but nothing to really put together.
It just feels like I’m teetering on the edge here, like on wrong word or thought will set me adrift once more. It’s scary, far more terrifying than any horror story I’ve born witness to. Science seems good, but I wonder if I go down that path only to realize that my work will be dust in the ages.
I’ve never had the feeling of everyone being so far away. My family could be in the same room as me and it would still feel like miles. It’s odd, alienating, and terribly lonely. I just want that connection with people back.
Keep going, that seems like the only thing I can do now. I just hope I can sleep.
I just hope I can sleep.Sleep is important, your brain does a lot of processing while you are checked out for a few hours. Sleep also seems to me a good indicator of your mental health, if you're nights are filled with nightmares, you're in trouble, If your dreams are peaceful or seems few I've always considered that an indication that one's spirit is at peace with life and the world. But that's just my opinion. Don't beat yourself too death - over-thinking and second-guessing everything that comes your way can be your own worst enemy. Don't forget to relax smell the flowers. Seriously.
Sounds to me like you’re disassociating. This can be serious. We’ve said this before but it is time to stop dismissing our advice: Get professional psychological help.
I just hope I can sleep.Sleep is important, your brain does a lot of processing while you are checked out for a few hours. Sleep also seems to me a good indicator of your mental health, if you're nights are filled with nightmares, you're in trouble, If your dreams are peaceful or seems few I've always considered that an indication that one's spirit is at peace with life and the world. But that's just my opinion. Don't beat yourself too death - over-thinking and second-guessing everything that comes your way can be your own worst enemy. Don't forget to relax smell the flowers. Seriously. I try to relax, but those questions and thoughts lurk at the back of my mind like some tiger waiting for a chance to pounce. Seems to happen whenever I relax. I don't want to live a life of just constantly distracting my mind from the thoughts behind our existence, the cosmic meaninglessness. It's like being only half alive in the sense, always running.
Sounds to me like you're disassociating. This can be serious. We've said this before but it is time to stop dismissing our advice: Get professional psychological help. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dissociation_(psychology)This didn't start until yesterday, when the full force of our place in the universe finally hit me. Earth never felt so small and the space and scope of reality never felt so large in comparison. I know I posted this but before, but given what's going on now I think this might have been what he is getting at: "Life is a confidence trick we must run on ourselves, hoping we do not catch on to any monkey business that would have us stripped of our defense mechanisms and standing stark naked before the silent, starring void" and "This would be for the good of all, for even those who know nothing about the conspiracy against the human race are among its injured parties." That's by that Thomas Ligotti guy. I didn't want to agree with the quote at the time, but this must be the void that those existential philosophers might have been alluding to. Not dark or light, but the sheer crushing force of nothingness. You stare into it hoping you yield something from your vision, but it refuses in a both peaceful and vicious manner.
I know this may sound trite and stupid, but adopt a kitten or a puppy. Take care of it, play with it, and stop worrying about all the so-called big stuff. Oh that and consider how lucky you are that you have access to the internet. My guess is you’re not some homeless fella borrowing a library computer. And really even if you are, well you got that at least. I really think all that existential crap was just that, crap by rich/lucky bastards who had too much time on their hands.
I have four dogs and they only take the pain away briefly.
But you raised a point that I thought about. If I have no problems to attend to (like those rich and lucky people you mention), and I’m thinking in this manner, then does that mean that this is the ultimate end to what humanity is going for? Solving all the problems we have only to realize it’s all empty in the end?
I have four dogs and they only take the pain away briefly. But you raised a point that I thought about. If I have no problems to attend to (like those rich and lucky people you mention), and I'm thinking in this manner, then does that mean that this is the ultimate end to what humanity is going for? Solving all the problems we have only to realize it's all empty in the end?No. It doesn't mean that at all. Not even close.
This happened to me in my 30’s (46 now). Eventually I came to realize something that made my life worth living.
I beat 500+ million sperm to exist so I have to prove to myself why I deserve to exist. btw I wasn’t the first to reach the egg. I was number 2. Think about the fact that your mother and father, and all your ancestors had to beat these odds, lest you not exist. It’s amazing if you think about all the improbabilities of you not existing, and reflect it to the fact that you are here now. If your father decided for one second to lay a fart before conception, you may have not been born. DON’T LET ALL YOUR IMPROBABILITY GO TO WASTE!
If you can’t appreciate your odds then tell me why it’s all not worth it.
This happened to me in my 30's (46 now). Eventually I came to realize something that made my life worth living. I beat 500+ million sperm to exist so I have to prove to myself why I deserve to exist. btw I wasn't the first to reach the egg. I was number 2. Think about the fact that your mother and father, and all your ancestors had to beat these odds, lest you not exist. It's amazing if you think about all the improbabilities of you not existing, and reflect it to the fact that you are here now. If your father decided for one second to lay a fart before conception, you may have not been born. DON'T LET ALL YOUR IMPROBABILITY GO TO WASTE! If you can't appreciate your odds then tell me why it's all not worth it.Excellent point. We make our own meaning. Don't waste the chance.
Sounds to me like you're disassociating. This can be serious. We've said this before but it is time to stop dismissing our advice: Get professional psychological help. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dissociation_(psychology)This didn't start until yesterday, when the full force of our place in the universe finally hit me. Earth never felt so small and the space and scope of reality never felt so large in comparison. I felt that way in 1980 when I had a chance to view the Virgo Cluster through an 82-inch telescope. I counted a dozen galaxies in then field of view. Talk about feeling small. But my reaction was different. I felt sense of awe at the scale and wonders of the universe.
This happened to me in my 30's (46 now). Eventually I came to realize something that made my life worth living. I beat 500+ million sperm to exist so I have to prove to myself why I deserve to exist. btw I wasn't the first to reach the egg. I was number 2. Think about the fact that your mother and father, and all your ancestors had to beat these odds, lest you not exist. It's amazing if you think about all the improbabilities of you not existing, and reflect it to the fact that you are here now. If your father decided for one second to lay a fart before conception, you may have not been born. DON'T LET ALL YOUR IMPROBABILITY GO TO WASTE! If you can't appreciate your odds then tell me why it's all not worth it.There's nothing magical about being an accident, that is essentially what you are describing. It can also be said that if I had not been born I wouldn't be feeling this right now and I wouldn't be struggling like this. Makes me wonder if life really is a gift, the reasoning behind that thought isn't terribly convincing. I've heard your response before to be honest, but to me it's more like wishful thinking. Not to mention all my hopes and dreams amount to little more than dust. A creature birthed into existence and seeking meaning in a place where none is, with the illusion that an "i" that I know myself as exists. Not to mention the multitude of painful experiences that could happen at any moment, makes me wonder if the joy is worth it. People who do the unspeakable, and diseases that make your last moments a nightmare. It almost seems like a cruel game to me. Put a creature into being and watch him squirm. In such a sea of negatives, how do other people do it? Am I kidding myself? I just don't see how people can be optimistic. There doesn't seem to be much proof for it to me, no matter how much I dig for it. Even the tiniest shred doesn't seem like much. It just makes me question why I stick around, and the list grows shorter each day. My death will be forgotten, my achievements won't last, who am I doing this for? If it's for someone else then what happens when they go?
This happened to me in my 30's (46 now). Eventually I came to realize something that made my life worth living. I beat 500+ million sperm to exist so I have to prove to myself why I deserve to exist. btw I wasn't the first to reach the egg. I was number 2. Think about the fact that your mother and father, and all your ancestors had to beat these odds, lest you not exist. It's amazing if you think about all the improbabilities of you not existing, and reflect it to the fact that you are here now. If your father decided for one second to lay a fart before conception, you may have not been born. DON'T LET ALL YOUR IMPROBABILITY GO TO WASTE! If you can't appreciate your odds then tell me why it's all not worth it.There's nothing magical about being an accident, that is essentially what you are describing. It can also be said that if I had not been born I wouldn't be feeling this right now and I wouldn't be struggling like this. Makes me wonder if life really is a gift, the reasoning behind that thought isn't terribly convincing. I've heard your response before to be honest, but to me it's more like wishful thinking. Not to mention all my hopes and dreams amount to little more than dust. A creature birthed into existence and seeking meaning in a place where none is, with the illusion that an "i" that I know myself as exists. Not to mention the multitude of painful experiences that could happen at any moment, makes me wonder if the joy is worth it. People who do the unspeakable, and diseases that make your last moments a nightmare. It almost seems like a cruel game to me. Put a creature into being and watch him squirm. In such a sea of negatives, how do other people do it? Am I kidding myself? I just don't see how people can be optimistic. There doesn't seem to be much proof for it to me, no matter how much I dig for it. Even the tiniest shred doesn't seem like much. It just makes me question why I stick around, and the list grows shorter each day. My death will be forgotten, my achievements won't last, who am I doing this for? If it's for someone else then what happens when they go? This question was posted a long time ago, so its not my own, but maybe can give you a little perspective. What is the reason for life?
2 days and we’re back to the usual Tita.
2 days and we're back to the usual Tita.Didn't take long, did it? I expected this but decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. Silly me.
2 days and we're back to the usual Tita.Didn't take long, did it? I expected this but decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. Silly me. Such questions are the usual fare whenever this sort of thing happens. The lack of answers to what runs through my head just makes it hard to ground myself during the crisis. In response to the earlier post, the answer I have gotten as to the reason for life is that it exists without reason.
2 days and we're back to the usual Tita.I would think that people hear would understand how to deal with a crisis but I guess it doesn't seem so.
2 days and we're back to the usual Tita.I would think that people hear would understand how to deal with a crisis but I guess it doesn't seem so. So, you're saying it is possible for other people to give you answers to your questions and to help? That's a change. Normally you say there are no answers and no one has the answers and no one can help you and you've tried everything.