Existential crisis

Encyclopedia : E : EX : EXI : Existential crisis

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An existential crisis is a state of panic or feeling of intense psychological discomfort. It can result from:

• A sense of being alone and isolated
• A realization that one's life has no destined, supernatural, or in some cases external purpose or meaning
• The realization of one's own mortality

It is quite similar to the sociological concept of anomie. It has also been likened to a mid-life crisis. The implication of an existential crisis is that the crisis itself stems from some sort of existential realization or understanding.

In non-existential belief systems, like religious ones for example, the essence of what it means to be human is largely held to have been predefined before birth, usually by some sort of supernatural being or group of beings. A certain lack of faith in such belief systems is typically a prerequisite for an existential crisis. Basically, an existential crisis is the sudden awareness of not knowing what one's life is all about and or the sudden awareness of one's inevitable impending personal doom.

Those who are not in a state of existential crisis can peacefully accept either that:

• The essence of their existence has already been defined by some sort of higher power.
• That which is important to them is all that needs to matter.
• That their life in fact has no meaning.

One who is experiencing an existential crisis cannot accept these views. Instead, that person is faced with the paradox of believing that their life is important on the one hand while at the same time perceiving that human existence itself is without meaning or purpose. It is the resolution of this paradox which dissolve the crisis. A typical solution to resolving the paradox is a belief in some sort of a supernatural explanation through religion, others hold that an individual can define for himself what his own meaning and purpose is on this planet. There are more ways and variations on how to handle an existential crisis, however. One may decide, for instance, that thought is pointless and existential truth or security cannot be obtained through it. Others may decide that it is not important to know what happens or how things work, all that is important is the present.

"They (contingency and powerlessness) confront men with 'breaking points' in the socially sturcture round of daily behavior. As 'breaking beyond' ordinary experience, they raise questions which can find an answer only in some kind of 'beyond' itself." (Thomas F. O'Dea, The Sociology of Religion, 1966, p5)

"If the logical conclusion is itself silence, why should we feel compelled to offer any additional elaboration of our own?" -- Unknown

In a worst-case scenario the failure to resolve an existential crisis can lead to death by suicide or complete apathy to one's life.

Existential crises are sometimes triggered by a significant event or change in a person's life. Usually the event in some way makes the person reflect on his or her own mortality. Typical examples of such events are the death of a loved one, a life-threatening experience, one's children moving away from home, the reaching of a certain age or solid length of time in Solitary confinement.

See also

• Nihilism
• Existentialism
• Meaning of life
• Dark night of the soul

External links

• [How to Deal With an Existential Crisis]

 

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