One can see two main reasons for the existential emptiness that afflicts a person. The first is the ability of the senses to “get tired”. Phenomenologically, this means that no feeling can last indefinitely or repeat itself indefinitely. You can get tired of love, of pleasure, of fear, even of pain (pain dulls...). As A. S. Pushkin said, “no state is the best, diversity is good for the soul.”
The existential nature of experiences means their tension, manifestation, exposure. They bring you out of obscurity. But how do they hold on and hold on to being? Only their own energy, which, apparently, is depleted. Just as a body in a state of unstable equilibrium strives for balance, for peace, so the experience from tension and manifestation tends to balance, to peace, to non-existence, where nothing prevents anything from being or not being. This is the fatigue of the senses. It is related (if we draw an empirical analogy) to waking fatigue. Falling asleep of a person is falling into oblivion. Apparently, a person needs to fall into non-existence, "charge" there and return to being. This applies to every single feeling. Being manifested for a long time, the experience “gets tired” of being and tends to non-existence. In the average norm, the extinction of one feeling is accompanied by excitation, the revelation of another. There is a kind of “boiling” of feelings. And this is a life full of meanings; if the "boiling of feelings" stops, life is devastated, meaningless.
Another source of existential emptiness is the syncretism of experiences. It is wrong to understand what has just been said above in such a way that experiences are revealed “one by one”, “in turn”. The phenomenal world of experiences is diverse and syncretic, many feelings coexist, mixing, overlapping, interacting. When I experience pain, I simultaneously experience suffering and/or shame in connection with this pain. The desire for something can be mixed with the fear of it, or with shame, or with the anticipated joy of possession, etc. virtuality. An extreme case is the mixing and switching of mutually exclusive experiences: for example, anger and pity (to pro-
guilty child), love and hate, pain and pleasure, etc. In this case, a special state of mind arises, called confusion of feelings, and a desire to sort out one's feelings. “Disassembly of feelings” is produced by the mind, it wants to understand: which of the opposite feelings is “real”, which should be preferred? However, thinking is phantom to experiencing. The mind can evaluate the feeling, but cannot do this according to the laws of the feeling itself. Therefore, his choice is any! - will always be inadequate. If we, obeying the decision of the mind, “suppress” some feeling (ie act contrary to this feeling), then we have some consequences. And we can never know what would have happened if we had made the opposite choice. Regret about the choice made is common in such situations. This, however, does not mean that "the mind was wrong." It's just that the mind does not have the means to adequately judge feelings, since all feelings at the moment of their revelation are real, they all give significance and beingness to givenness, their coloring. The intervention of the mind is an attempt to remake being according to certain norms. She, however, cannot eliminate the seething of feelings. Does this mean that one should not understand feelings? In no case, simply because we are not able to order it ourselves. Thinking is also real, and by its nature (which will be discussed below) cannot but interfere with the life of experiences, confusion of feelings is inevitably accompanied by their “disassembly”, “hamletism” arises - “to be or not to be, that is the question”. And if this disassembly continues for a long time, feelings in a mutual collision are dulled, like sabers in a battle. This is how existential emptiness can arise: the object of opposite feelings loses its significance - both positive and negative - and disappears for me.
So, together with the experience (in the presence of an experienced contemplation), there appears, as it were, a “block” in consciousness: a bundle of contemplation-experience and an epiphenomenon in the form of significance. Significance is not a phenomenon. It is not experienced as such (in Husserl's sense), but it exists, is present in the very phenomenon of one or another of the dual experiences. It is not just significance, but the significance of this particular contemplation, i.e. it is an epiphenomenon of the contemplation-experience block. As an epiphenomenon of this block, I am also present as a contemplative
aching and experiencing. It is in him and through him that the “feeling of oneself” arises. Interpreting Kant's concept of personality, associated with the idea of "reverence" of the moral law, M. Heidegger in (219) asks the question "about the general essence of feeling in general" (since "reverence" is an obvious feeling, experience in our terminology). And here is his answer: “Feeling is the possession of a feeling for..., and as such, at the same time, the feeling of oneself. The manner in which self-feeling reveals ... allows the self to be is always essentially co-determined by the character of that in relation to which the feeling in self-feeling has feeling” (219, p. 90). This is a fundamental ontological characteristic of what we consider as an experience of experience. We only note that, from our point of view, self-feeling as selfhood is co-determined not in character(as in Heidegger), but only fact feeling for something (and not even just being present in contemplation).
The fundamental ontological significance of experiences (calling them moods - melancholy, joy, love) Heidegger also connects with the fact that they “slightly open the existent as a whole”, cause the feeling of being in the midst of the existent as a whole. This is the fundamental event of our existence (216, p. 20). The extreme form of such a "mood" - horror - puts us in front of Nothing.
Thus, the significance of experiences in consciousness (for the formation of the fullness and integrity of consciousness) lies in the fact that they fill the consciousness with meanings, form the self as a not-yet-reflected-I. And this determines their existential significance: their presence is the reality of self-feeling being in the world of existentially significant presence. However, in the contemplation-experience block, there is still no reflexive I and, accordingly, the world of things and relations that opposes it. This is possible only in an integral consciousness, which also implies the experience of thinking. Experiences form a “significant horizon” lifeworld formed personality.
Animals live simply - they have natural instincts that tell them what to do. They do not have any special desires and aspirations, except for the satisfaction of their own needs. As for people, everything is not so simple here. A person has desires and aspirations, and these are often shaped by the society in which he lives. Therefore, it used to be like this: there were various traditions, religion had a strong and dominant position in society, and a person always had a spark that led him forward. AT modern world everything is much more complicated, and so many people begin to experience an existential vacuum. What it is? This is what will be discussed in this article. You will understand what an existential vacuum is, identify its root causes, learn about its consequences, and gain an understanding of how to overcome this vacuum.
What it is?
So, first of all, of course, it is necessary to give the concept of existential vacuum a definition that will allow you to further navigate the information that you will receive with the help of this article. The first to introduce the term was Viktor Frankl, who defined it as the opposite of the peak experience, which was previously described by Maslow. So what is it?
Existential vacuum is a state of inner emptiness experienced by a person who has lost all the goals of his life and does not see the meaning of his existence. Frankl described it as "experiencing the abyss", that is, a person finds himself in the abyss of the meaninglessness of existence, experiencing an existential crisis of the most serious form. It may surprise you, but so many people experience this vacuum at one time or another in their lives, and this has various reasons. Frankl himself identifies a few basic ones that you should focus on if you want to fully understand this phenomenon.
Differences from animals
This article began with a description of exactly how animals exist, and this was done for a reason. For them, an existential vacuum is something that cannot manifest by nature. Why? The fact is that animals have certain natural instincts and aspirations that are programmed into them at the genetic level. All these aspirations are basic and primitive, that is, animals want to support their existence with food, water and sleep, they need a safe place to sleep, where dangerous predators cannot get them, and they also want to reproduce. They don't have any higher level values to gain and lose. Accordingly, animals never feel an existential vacuum, since their desires and needs are always satisfied. An animal cannot stop wanting to eat, because if it does, it will die.
In humans, however, things are different. They have values and aspirations of a higher order, without which a person descends to the level of an animal. But even here everything is not so simple, because, being at the level of an animal, a person retains his developed mind, therefore he feels that there are no values of a higher order in his life. It is this feeling of emptiness that is the phenomenon considered in this article. Unlike the basic instincts that are programmed in the head of every animal and human, desires of a higher level are not genetically embedded, so there are no mechanisms in the body that tell a person that without them it will be bad. That is why there is an existential vacuum, existential frustration, existential emptiness, and so on. But this is not the only reason, so you should be prepared to deal with a few more factors that affect this phenomenon.
Traditions and values
The existential vacuum also manifests itself for the reason that modern values, traditions and conventions cannot show a person the right path. This was also briefly mentioned at the beginning of the article. The fact is that in the past the system of people was very different from what is observed today. Previously, there were clear value systems, various overt and unspoken agreements, as well as centuries-old traditions that a person had to adhere to. As a result, he always had a pattern, always had a purpose in life. Now, all this has been greatly weakened over the past decades, so traditions and values can no longer serve as a specific guideline for a person. Accordingly, he cannot make independent decisions. According to Frankl, the existential vacuum is a very dangerous condition, as it can lead to serious mental illness. Even not on such a serious scale, we can safely say that this vacuum can have a very negative impact on the social. How exactly? Frankl himself described that the results of this problem are that people turn into conformism or totalitarianism, which greatly affects their lives.
Conformism and totalitarianism
As W. Frankl wrote, an existential vacuum is a void created inside a person by the absence of any goals and aspirations. But the person himself at the moment of such weakness is not in a vacuum, therefore various external factors influence him. And it has an effect on the psyche. The most frequent direction of a person suffering from such a vacuum is the conversion to conformism or totalitarianism.
If to speak in simple words, then conformism is a view of life in which a person does the same thing as everyone around him. Conformity is the most popular current in the West, and a person who has no goals and values left is very likely to turn to it. He begins to look for these values on the side, turning to what is most popular at the moment. Naturally, this is better than mental disorder, to which the vacuum discussed in this article can lead, but a person who turns to conformism gradually loses his personality. He becomes part of the crowd, which is not a full life and inevitably leads to a negative impact on the psyche.
As for totalitarianism, unlike conformism, it is a more popular consequence of the vacuum in the East. Totalitarianism is a view of the world in which a person does what others demand of him. The essence remains the same, but the impact is even less pleasant, since a person actually becomes a slave to others, doing what he may not even like. But since he does not have his own views and values, he does what others demand of him, since this is how the system of hierarchy in the East is arranged.
So now you understand how dangerous an existential vacuum can be. In psychology, this phenomenon is considered very actively, since in modern society the propagation of the vacuum is much faster than in any other period of time.
Reductionism
Along with conformism in the West, the cause and effect of the existential vacuum is also such a thing as reductionism. What it is? This is a rather interesting phenomenon, which is most common in the United States of America. Within the framework of reductionism, a person is not considered as a rational being, capable of having his own thoughts and ideas, making decisions and doing something to achieve his own goals. It is considered rather as a combination of drives and instincts, that is, they are unable to make independent decisions, and all their actions are dictated by the reaction to external factors, as well as protective mechanisms. Naturally, such an approach cannot evoke a positive reaction in people, and stronger personalities are able to abstract from these reductionist opinions of the public, following their own path. But for the most part, people are not strong personalities, so reductionism turns out to be one of the most important and decisive factors in the spread of an existential vacuum in modern society.
Now you know most of the necessary information about what an existential vacuum is: what it is, what could be the causes of this vacuum, and what it can eventually lead to. But this is far from all that can be said about this phenomenon.
Noogenic neurosis
You now have an idea of what the existential vacuum is and what causes it. Now it's time to consider its consequences in more detail. It turns out that they can be much more terrible than conformism. Therefore, it is worth taking a look at a new term that you may not yet know - this is noogenic neurosis. Existential vacuum and noogenic neurosis are strongly linked, and the latter is negative consequence first. specific neuroticization of a person, which does not appear on psychological basis like most traditional neuroses, but noological. This means that the disease manifests itself in the spiritual sphere of human existence. Now you know what an existential vacuum and noogenic neurosis are, so you should begin to understand how serious this problem can be. The fact is that this neurosis arises on the basis of a person’s inability to have goals, high values and, of course, the meaning of life. Accordingly, it can cause serious problems so it needs to be treated medically. If a person was just experiencing a mild existential crisis, they are more likely to be able to get out of it. But if the problem has already reached such high level, the intervention of a specialist is necessary.
Features of the disease
One of the main features of existential emptiness is the fact that a person may not be aware of its existence. As mentioned above, the void often seeks to be filled on its own, but at the same time it is filled with far from what it should be. Full-fledged goals, aspirations, values and meanings are replaced by false ones. This happens in a rather primitive way: a person begins to get involved in alcohol, drugs, in some people this manifests itself in the extreme stages of workaholism, and someone seeks to tickle the nerves in order to feel alive, endangering everything that he has. Frankl himself stated that 80 percent of alcoholics and 100 percent of drug addicts go through a state of existential vacuum, which is why their addictions are formed.
Logotherapy - what is it?
But how is it possible to deal with the existential vacuum, since it is so dangerous? Doctors, psychologists and psychiatrists continue to search for the best treatment options to this day, but one of the most effective now is the one that was invented by Frankl himself, who defined the very concept of such a vacuum. This method is called logotherapy, and its main goal is to help the patient regain the meaning of life. Simply put, a doctor should help a person gradually discover the lost meaning of life, demonstrating that this meaning has not completely disappeared, but just lies on the far shelves of consciousness and is waiting for the moment when it will finally begin to be realized. Also, the doctor must help the patient regain the will to the meaning of life, since it is she who plays the most important role in order for the person to be able to fully function again.
What is logotherapy not?
However, you should understand that logotherapy is not a standard approach that has been around for a long time. That is, the doctor does not act as a specialist who helps the patient to reflect on the meaning of life, he also does not read him any sermons. Logotherapy sets itself the goal of human awareness of the very world of meaning and values.
Key reading for those interested
If you are interested in the topic of existential emptiness, then you should definitely read the professional literature on this topic. Naturally, first of all, we are talking directly about the works of Frankl, which are the source of this phenomenon, as well as the source of all logotherapy and understanding of noogenic neurosis. Of course, other authors have also contributed to the study of this area. For example, Alexei Bolshanin published a very important book titled "Emptiness and Existential Vacuum: Perspectives existential therapy". From the title, you can already understand what it is about: the author describes this phenomenon in detail, and also expresses his opinion on how such a problem should be treated and, of course, predicts how this area will develop in the future. So, if you are interested in logotherapy, existential vacuum and noogenic neurosis, then there will be plenty of literature for you to familiarize yourself with.
So, emptiness is an existential reality of human existence. According to Sartre, "Man lives his own life, he creates his own appearance, and outside this appearance there is nothing ... ... Thus, the first thing existentialism gives to each person is his being and puts on him full responsibility for existence." Awareness or even anticipation of this emptiness and the burden of this responsibility causes feelings of anxiety, abandonment and despair. Anxiety according to Sartre is, first of all, a person's fear of this responsibility assigned to him, as well as doubt about the correctness of the decisions made. The feeling of abandonment arises from the realization of the absence of the existence of God. If there is no God, then “... Man is abandoned, he has nothing to rely on either in himself or outside. First of all, he has no excuses." That is, there are no deterministic values (supports), there is no hope for forgiveness higher powers and the atonement of one's sins in the next life - everything must be done here and now, and one must answer not before God, but before one's own conscience and the face of all mankind. Despair arises in response to a lack of confidence in the future, confidence that it will be exactly as we imagine it to be or as we want it to be. Speaking about the origins of despair, Sartre writes: "We must take into account only what depends on our will, or the sum of probabilities that make our action possible." In other words, despair is the absence of hope and faith.Existential vacuum is a feeling of inner emptiness that is formed in a person as a result of flight or rejection of life goals, unique meanings and personal values according to Frankl's "Experience of the Abyss". The main manifestations of an existential vacuum are boredom and apathy. According to Frankl, boredom is the inability to show interest, and apathy is the inability to take the initiative. But where did modern man do these incapacities come from? “Firstly,” says Frankl, “unlike animals, no impulses or instincts tell a person what to do. Secondly, in contrast to past times, no conventions, traditions and values tell him what to do. And often he doesn't even know what he actually wants to do. Instead, he wants to do what others do, or do what others want him to do."
According to Sartre, emptiness is the basic and only human reality, then the experiences of anxiety, abandonment and despair associated with it are also existential givens that we have to come to terms with and live with them, live in spite of these givens. Experiences of an existential vacuum arise in the process of life, as a result of the frustration of achieving goals and realizing meanings. Thus, according to Sartre, emptiness and the experiences associated with it are determined and inevitable for all people without exception, while the experiences of the existential vacuum are situational and arise only in certain conditions and relationships of a particular person. Consequently, in the first case, we are doomed to a lifelong test, and in the second, we see the prospects for a favorable resolution of the problems that arise.
Secondly, there is a difference in the degree of participation, involvement, involvement of a person in the process of confronting his emptiness. According to Sartre, we are free only in the choice of means and methods of filling the existing emptiness, but we cannot get rid of it, nor are we guilty of its appearance, since emptiness is the basis of our being, and we ourselves find ourselves thrown into this emptiness by some forces. In other words, emptiness is the only given that is not subject to our will. When Frankl talks about an existential vacuum, he repeatedly emphasizes that the final choice always remains with a person: to avoid or not to avoid their goals, to refuse or not to refuse to acquire new meanings, to be in an existential vacuum or to avoid it safely - everything ultimately depends only from myself. That is, a person is absolutely free, first of all, in his attitude to any life situation.
And, finally, it is obvious that Sartre affirms the absolute meaninglessness of life itself: “Life has no a priori meaning. Until you live your life, it is nothing, you yourself must give it a meaning, and the value is nothing but this meaning you choose. Frankl, on the contrary, emphasizes the inherent value of life: "We should maintain a sound philosophy of life in order to show that life really has a meaning for every person"hg. And this, it seems to me, lies the fundamental difference between these approaches. In his own words, according to Sartre, human life itself has no value. Only the person himself can endow it with any meaning, performing or not performing certain actions. While Frankl affirms the value of life, endows it with an unconditional meaning, and human activity only strengthens it and brings additional meanings to life. We find the same thing in Fromm: "The only meaning of life lies in life itself"
taken from here
http://flogiston.ru/articles/therapy/existential_vacuum
re44 in a year
No, this is not about that emptiness that is depressing, and which smacks of despair and meaninglessness.
And not that emptiness of an addict that requires immediate filling anyway - nicotine, alcohol, drugs, purchases or relationships. And not that void of the narcissist that will never be filled because everything devalues. And not that emptiness of the border guard, which requires an indispensable projective merger. This is the emptiness of achievement when the goal that I have set for myself over the past 3 years has been achieved. This is about the fact that after the state, a diploma loomed somewhere for half a year. And now that's all - the diploma is received, marked, and lies in the upper right drawer of the desk, where its predecessor lies. There will be no more sessions, meetings with the group, new teachers and subjects, exams, our dinners with Nadia, if not in the Golden Valley, then in the East-West, tea during breaks in the kitchen downstairs, conversations about life and more , sense of community. And this is not only about sadness and sadness, and mourning that no matter how I devalue it, it was one of the most important stages in my life. It's also about the fact that there is a new job, other groups, supervision, personal therapy, finding clients and new relationships. About existential emptiness - it was I who was talking about R-va's introject, at the last meeting at the defense of the diploma he said that, supposedly, wait for her to visit. I waited a bit, and somewhere in the middle of December, she appeared. This is an old entry, from 12/17, I just didn't finish it then. Now this thought about existential emptiness has already gone, but no and no, there is a nagging feeling of sadness when I drive past the troika, our classroom complex, or see the profiles of my teachers in Odnoklassniki or chat with friends from junior courses. In fact, the last 4 sessions were given to me with great difficulty - it was already boring and study debts hung and Joya died in one of the penultimate sessions and there were many other study groups besides. But the most important, perhaps, is the qualitative breakthrough that has occurred over the past six months thanks to work, supervision and personal therapy. Existential emptiness has been replaced by the certainty that it is not the gods who burn the pots and that everything will work out sooner or later. Now I am surprised at myself, at the 29-year-old who was not afraid to quit her job and go headlong into the new. Today I would probably be scared. And if it were not for the support of my mother, I would not have coped. The study was really hard, and the states and the diploma and the third year, which they say, are completely free for the orgs. I had an idea to go to school clinical psychologist into honey, i.e. such training, which gives the opportunity to work with more impaired clients and in medical institutions. But for now, I decided to wait a little, to realize whether I really need it or whether I am once again filling another existential void.
