[FULL] The Meaning of Life? - Deep Therapy for Existential Crisis and Despair - Non-Dogmatic
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- čas přidán 22. 08. 2019
- This is the main content from Session 1 of Charles' Eisenstein's course "Metaphysics & Mystery" exploring the nature of reality, the meaning and purpose of life, and why are we here?
Join the course, offered in the spirit of the gift, at CharlesEisenstein.org/metaphysics
Exploring the intimate relationship between self, story, and reality.
About This Course
In investigating anything about our world, the mind tends to lead us into deeper and deeper questions. We might start out trying to understand politics, or money, or ecology, and if we are humble, each new insight brings up new and deeper questions. Contradictions and paradoxes arise that point to an incompleteness in our knowledge, propelling us into deeper inquiry. Eventually we reach questions like, “Who am I?” “What is real?” “Why am I here?” “Why is the world?” “What does it all mean, if anything?” “Is there a God?” This course aims to be part of that inquiry. We explore insights into these questions that may seem original or unorthodox; even, sometimes, outrageous. I, Charles, do not claim to be an authority on any of these. I am not a trained philosopher, nor have I been trained in any mystery school or wisdom lineage. I claim no authority here. Yet, when Lauren and the rest of the team sat me down and started asking questions, and we recorded all the responses that came through, we all agreed that some profound and original material was coming through. So, we decided to develop it into an online course.
Whom this course is for…
It’s not for everyone! There are many ways to engage the questions “Why am I here?” “What does it all mean?” and so forth. We can engage them through the body, for example, through dance, through music, through plant medicine, through theater, through animals, through meditation. And, without devaluing any of these paths, we can also engage them through the mind. This course is for people who delight in that kind of inquiry. It is for people who examine their beliefs and are disturbed by the loose ends and internal contradictions. You might say that this course is a kind of intellectual yoga: stretching, rewiring, taking apart and reassembling core conceptions of self and world. It is for people who are encountering the deep questions and trying to make sense of life and the world. And, quite likely, you will find that it changes the way you think, see, and experience.
Session Information
You can do this course in one of two ways. Many people will want to simply go through the videorecorded material and do the meditations and practices suggested as homework. For a deeper engagement, you can also join our online forum and small group discussions, so that you can work the material together.
We will release one course session each week. Five of the sessions are prerecorded (video and audio) footage of Charles responding to Lauren Buckley’s metaphysical questions. In addition, after the third session and again after the fifth, we will add further material in response to your questions and comments. Depending on demand and necessity, we may add an eighth session. You can plan on the course lasting 6-8 weeks.
Each session will also be accompanied by some kind of practice - a meditation, an awareness practice, or something more relational - to experience the core ideas in a different way.
Some Questions We’ll Explore
Here are some of the questions that germinated this course:
Why am I here?
Do we have to stop trying to explain the nature of reality with the mind?
Is it possible to have certainty about the nature of reality?
Amidst this great mystery, how do we best make decisions?
What science supports the story of a living universe?
What makes mainstream science a religion?
What metaphysical assumptions is mainstream science operating on?
What’s your definition of spirituality, and why do you refrain from using that word?
What is consciousness?
Are rocks conscious?
Do we have souls, do plants have souls?
Have you ever had the feeling of suddenly migrating into a different reality? What do you think is happening there?
How can little tiny me, in my little corner of the universe, with my big dreams, fit into something that matters?
Program Fees
Upon registration, you will choose a fee that feels right to you, any amount. We cannot really put a number value on this course, because we know the value is unique to each participant. Therefore, we offer the course as a gift, and you decide what (if any) return gift (course fee) feels good, right, and clear to you. Whatever you choose, all content will be fully available to you.
I have a confession… I did not watch Charles‘s response.
I was so deep in resonance with the the questioner and her unique articulation of that question that I believe we all long for the answer! I am 45 and I have felt so alone in looking around and feeling insane for thinking and essentially saying “the emperor is naked the emperor has no clothes! Why is everyone acting like this is normal?!
I’m just so grateful for the question being ask in a way that made my own feelings seen and felt, and beautifully articulated.
So for me, the question stirred my own inner voice, my soul said yes,
thank you
Thank you
thank you
Thank you for not putting cheesy music all over this
Yes!!!
Yes!
I added my own. With extra cheese
You realize you are on the right path when you cross this video. 2 years uploaded and only 20K? This is the first time I cross a video about this and I’ve been experiencing a really high depression and anxiety about this and this video has helped me so much to keep moving forward. If you are reading this everything is going to be all right just keep moving forward and I promise you will look back and connect the dots of why you are where you are.
And I just found it today!
Thank you 🙏🏻
Laurens comments are so on the mark of how I have been feeling. I am so grateful as I listen, to know I am not alone in these thoughts. I also have felt this incredible disconnection because of the lack of conversation over these type thoughts or inquiry. I just happened to come across this channel tonight and feel a connect just listening. So, thankyou.🙏
It's so fulfilling just listening to Lauren's struggle with this question. I see myself in her and I already feel less crazy just after first few minutes of the video. Can't wait for Charles's thoughts. Thank you for helping me feeling sane!
The point is to experience existence.
I think there's a whole lot of truth in that.
I've been vacillating back and forth between getting it and then losing it again, alternately moving - or being moved - from having a deep sense of love and interbeing, to having just as profound a sense of deep despair and disconnection. Whichever condition I have happened to find myself in each time has seemed to me - at the time - unlikely to change. Accordingly, I've been trying to find various ways and means, both to help me get beyond when I am feeling disconnected and to extend and deepen my sense of interconnection. You and your words help to bring me back to a good place. I am sincerely grateful for this. Thank you.
yes! deeply resonate with this. blessings to you
I have listened to 9:06 seconds of this. I wanted to pause it to thank you, woman speaking, for the now activated feeling I am having of closeness. I love you. I don’t know what this I is that is typing--not really--but I love you. Excited to keep listening. Already grateful.
I really appreciate what she said about not even being able to entertain the basic questions of life sometimes until she can understand "why is she here" I lived that struggle, too, and just had to follow it. It became the priority in my life and at 67, it is still my main focus. I have found some answers. The answers have changed over the years. I love how Charles keeps reminding us that science, and most of our stories, are just stories, so we need to keep checking in with ourselves honoring our personal experiences. Thanks for this course.
Wow how relieving to know someone else has struggled with this fixation on fundamental truths. For me, it always felt like, if I don't get some understanding of those foundational things, how valuable or accurate are any of the more superficial things that I *think* I understand? It always seemed like a recipe for being way off on my worldview and everything within it. It's like, if I don't know what the point of all this is, how can I care about the daily tasks of life? Not to mention it was always the most FUN thing for me to think/talk/learn about.
I love that you've followed that call for so long, and I can so relate to what you say about the answers changing over the years. I wonder how much more my worldview will shift from here over the coming decades! Crazy to think about.
@Suzanne Jones I'd love to hear what has been most helpful or fun for you in your exploration of these things? What were some of the "answers" you've found, and do you have a most recent story-of-the-world that's resonating with you?
@@laurenbuckley5496 I relate to you. I hope you have found the answers. I am still struggling with a lot of questions. I just watched the first 9 minutes of this video, scrolled down to the comments and found you. I feel happy. 🤗
@@laurenbuckley5496 at 13:58 now... just like he said.. those who know don't say and those who say don't know. Unknown (Individual and collective at the same time) journeys. I don't think there is one answer. I have just one word "experience". We remember our past so that we can try not to commit any mistake again and evolve. There has to be someplace where one goes after getting enlightened. In Sanatana dharm peole try to get "Moksh" that is the ultimate goal for them . I don't know if its true or not since I have not experienced anything and I am sailing in the same boat. I just feel happy today after listening to your questions. I too studied western medicine up until the age of 27 and then started questioning it.
So grateful to have found this community of like-minded people. Looking forward to this course so much. Thank you so much for your work, Charles.
Ahhh, me too @Eileen Cecelia. I can still feel this exploration working me, in all honesty, even though we recorded it a few months ago. The discussion group has become a big part of that. But so is remembering these ideas as I move through the world, making different decisions and feeling ready to accept bigger life challenges with more grace.
The community of like-minded people has been huge too. I feel more heartened to be my true self in the world... because I see I'm not alone in this, and I see authenticity/vulnerability is a huge key to finding the others.
Like me - I’m here in tears - she is me- we were robbed by our parents and society to explore our souls - our need for spirituality exists in our brains and there is science to back up the physical healing aspects of believing in something that is separate from your body- to me that is proof the universe wants us to know that we are not just meat machines -
Forever grateful to Charles for continuing to stand for the new consciousness emerging ... and to all of us for rallying around this important work, contributing our own light to the effort.
We beings really are all in this together. It feels so much better to understand that. We don't need to fight; just listen and watch for perspectives we may have missed when those reflexive fight or flight responses encouraged by misinformation kicked in. I'm hoping this course will help me develop my newly aware self to become a joyful supporter of the new beautiful world that IS possible.
I love this. It's hard to admit that I believed atheism with religiosity for so long, not even knowing how dogmatic I was being and how immaturely closed I was to the medicine and truth within religious and spiritual perspectives. It feels so insanely therapeutic to open up fully to the not knowing, and to all the perspectives... or at least, that's what my intention is. I'm sure I still have more unconscious biases and reactions to shed. But if nothing else, I'm more open than I've ever been.
Lauren is such a delightful, thoughtful and authentic person. She asks the questions many of us have asked and pondered. And while ultimately each individual must find their own truth, its affirming and even gratifying to listen to Charles' innate wisdom and fine I intelligence, wit and beautiful heart speaking. Deep gratitude to you both.
Wow. I have chills and tears in my eyes. Thank you for seeing me like this.
And I agree, I didn't want or expect answers from Charles, but the wisdom and intelligence was deeply therapeutic for me, and our exploration has been "working" me for months since.
I'm honestly so relieved that you perceive authenticity here. I was scared to put myself on the internet like this for a number of reasons... one being that it was never intended to be shared with anyone but the 4 humans sitting in the room with me at the time. We hit record because "why not, could be fun to look at, and the studio is set up already". But when my brother played the footage back to me, I thought "Wow. 100% of that is true. On an intellectual and emotional level. So yes, we can share it." Despite all the flubs and flaws and reasons to be self-critical. Thank you for the affirmation that this comes across how it feels to me.
@jafa 360 oh not at all! I'm sorry to be so flakey about your email, which I read and found delightful! In all honesty, I've just been spending very little time on my computer and I seem to have an ever-increasing aversion to being on it 😬. But thank you for the reminder, I will make sure to reply :). I hope you're well.
Lauren's sincere questioning calls out to the questioning part of me. I have sought these kinds of answers my whole life. I look forward to engaging this content as another avenue for the seeking that I seem to undertake whatever my stated goals of the moment are. Thank you for your sincere talk. I think it is the sincerity I value the most right now.
Wow, this is beautiful to hear. Thank you. The beauty of relationship is... the community of people like you responding sincerely to my sincere sharing is opening me up more deeply too, and giving me more courage to explore this stuff even deeper in my life.
I am baffled by the fact that there are no trolls in this comment thread. In fact, it's the OPPOSITE. Perhaps the most loving, peaceful, humble, intelligent comment thread I've ever interacted with.
And YES. I feel like sincerity, vulnerability, honesty... REALNESS without agenda and dogma... is water in the desert.
I am so grateful for everything you do to address these questions and help make our world a more beautiful place!
So good to hear. For me, genuine conversation about these questions has been crazy hard to find!
I’m 77 and I have no idea. Scary, time is running old for me❤️❤️
I step into this course without a split of a doubt. It's time for us as humanity to make the leap into a new story. A story of interbeing. Charles has been a major contributor to my own realising of this necessity.
This makes me want to cheer!! Yes, let's gather the tribe and hold each other up in this quest :).
Thank you Laura and Charles. I love and appreciate your hearts and brains.
Thank you so much for offering this course, along with all the other valuable contributions you make to this world.
I'm so grateful it's helping other people like it helped me :)
@@laurenbuckley5496 Thanks Lauren for formulating the question the way you did. In the past 50 years I met only a few people who want to ponder these questions and mostly only with a few drinks to many. In my own quest I was really happy with the work of Rupert Sheldrake in the early 90ties.
@@Nerd3927 Ah yes Rupert Sheldrake is amazing, I'm pretty sure we talk about him in the course :). I definitely relate to how rare it is to find people who are genuinely interested in pondering this stuff. I've searched hard to find a select few who do (like Charles!), which helps keep me sane ;). Not sure where I'd be without my fellow aliens haha.
Such a timely, elegant, and generous invitation to "living in the question"-- Thank you, Charles and TMBW team!
A must watch. Must listen. A deep dive into my superficial understanding of who I am.
@Lynda Witt I'm so glad it was powerful for you. Charles' response to my initial question (and the long interview that followed) helped create a pretty deep shift in me.
Thank you Charles for the gift of your work. This is invaluable teaching. Thank you Lauren also 🙏🏻♥️
Have only watched the beginning of this video so far and just wanted to say a massive thank you for how beautifully you articulated your journey and your questions - it had me in tears because it was like you were describing my life, my existential struggle and the sense of alienation that we can feel from those around us who don't seem willing (or interested) in this topic... there was something hugely, but perhaps oddly, comforting in that. Very keen to watch the rest now, Charles Eisenstein has a way of soothing my soul with his insight...
Why? - To awaken from the dream of separation, and facilitate building a new, compassionate world.
Hmm interesting. How do you think we can best awaken from the dream of separation? :)
By being fully present and seeing through appearances and narratives.
Allowing
Thanks for quoting Bertrand Russell "unyielding despair". I remember reading that quote years ago and going whoa! Heres this brilliant person basically saying life is ultimately miserably meaningless and don't even bother thinking otherwise. "The core wound which magnetizes a dead mechanical universe to it"...and culminates in all pervading matrix of robotic consumers within a completely meaningless mechanical universe
Right?! After enjoying some of Bertrand Russel's work, this was a pretty shocking and eye-opening quote!
AMAZING ... eyes mind heart and soul wide open no fear it's the chase jump fall or be pushed thank you Lauren love you
So glad he’s called a philosopher lol. I love the inner child element - and that we have been provided such an intimate and powerful conversation
Haha aaaagreed, even though he wouldn't say it himself ;). I'm glad the intimacy of this conversation comes through, even though we posted it on the internet. It really was a super raw, vulnerable 1-on-1 deep dive.
Re-listening. Know the despair well and also the offerings of new science which have helped in limited ways. Lauren's longing is mine. To move towards communion and expansion together in love coexisting with the despair. I too seek beauty and just being with it all, just as life is. No words express my appreciation of us all.
Just felt called to return; this felt so rich. In natural, holistic health we say "no one size fits all" as we are so unique even as we are same....Charles allows ME to be unique in communion with others. He is a great holder of space for me as I explore.
Watching the first session of the Methapysics course moved something deep within me. It was like a knowing (or truth) that had been suppressed by conditioning broke free and made my purpose and life direction more “alive”. That’s the most accurate word. Very grateful for this course already, and that’s just after one session! Excited about what’s to come:)
OooOOoo great word choice. This exploration made my purpose and my worldview more "alive" too, and has been "working" me for months since the recording. I don't see any end to it anytime soon, especially with the deep discussions people like you are bringing to the course. So grateful for you joining and helping deepen this exploration
Great video deep and articulate. I definitely feel like Lauren! Thanks Charles
All change starts from oneselves and reflecting on the very important questions Charles is raising is I think a very important step. Furhtermore I love that the course is offered as a gift and everyone can decide how to contribute back to Charles work. It is so nice to see the Dhana principle practiced in the west too :-). Looking very much forward to the class.
What's the Dhana principle? I'm looking forward to hanging out with you digitally too :)
There is no such thing as "Too much science stuff!"
Thank you Charles, this is such a valuable conversation, and you are so good at explaining all these thoughts in a clear way.
Hahah THANK YOU! Many seem to disagree. I think it's a matter of what different people find interesting, valuable, and fun. Which is totally fair. But I think Charles sometimes underestimates how many people love and crave the science stuff. Even if it's the minority of people, it's a lot of us!
Thank you so much for your heartfelt sharing and guidance on dancing with mystery. Thank you so much for your work and for being you.
Amen :). The more I get to know Charles, the more aligned I feel in my heart with him and his work. He is really working to practice his philosophy in work and life, as best as a human can at least.
@@laurenbuckley5496 and thank you to you too - for giving voice to the questions many of us carry in our hearts.
@@kaelagallagher3469 Ah thank you for saying that. It's really been a joy.
I had the deepest existential crisis after I woke up one day and started asking what the point was and found all the answers wanting. I was shaken to the core. That was like 30 years ago.
Charles Eisenstein's view gives me room for an altogether new perspective; the first one that feels so complete, taking in the whole perspective of situations, this world, in stead of looking at symptoms only. It helps me move from inertia into taking action. Even though I am not sure what the result will be, whether I will generate change. I am acting from love. This new view, the story of interconnection has actually made me more happy and trusting, in an instant.
Mmm amazing. This sounds incredibly parallel to my experience of learning about Charles' worldview in more depth.
Wow. It seems all the information I need is coming to me.
I've felt that humanity is evolving toward being a connected 'organism'.
I know this is an old thread, but I have to say, she was great. Such courageous honesty and vulnerability. If you're asking these questions, you're fine. If you're not, I would be concerned. The answer will come when you are ready.
What a wonderful CZcams video, invigorating to my well being. So much so I’m inspired to also say something.
First off, I’m not basing my comments on Scientism or big words, I’m simply drawing from life experience, from views of others that I resonate with and most of all from within, my higher self you could say, my soul even.
We are all part of a larger consciousness experiencing existence or in our case, a physical reality from different perspectives in our biological suits, which allows us to experience physicality, all our senses and all the restrictions that come with a physical existence.
Our Birth is the entry point and our death is the exit point and everything outside these points (outside of our physical reality) is without the physical elements, though vision and thought or the awareness is certainly still apparent.
We, a simple way to put it, are eternal beings, here after choosing to be here and we are here to learn about love in all its forms and we will keep coming back as long as it takes to finally learn what we seek.
In regards to how many levels or types of existence, I do not know but I’m quite confident that when we ‘die’, that we won’t experience it as such, but more a transition back to something we are akin to, something that does not feel weird.
The history of our physical experience is the biggest mystery to me, though some do attempt to explain it and there are numerous beliefs. One thing is for sure, other beings from outside this physical reality have corrupted its initial intention, hijacked if you may and are using this reality for their gain and it is not for Love.
Us humans, a term or name for us in this reality or at least on this realm aka Earth, which is not as we are told (a spinning ball), it’s more an endless void with a base, the earth or ground with water & sky which was non existent until viewed for the very first time as in when first experienced by consciousness, after which it became permanently embedded in our existence.
I say it this way because of the following: We are all connected metaphysically because we are all part of the same oneness. Some ‘humans’ however exist here on different levels of consciousness, I believe due to the number of times they’ve incarnated or amount of experience/what they have learned during each experience.
Our reality is one of many and we are eternal therefore we can experience existence/consciousness in its many forms. Enjoy your physical life to its fullest and learn to live in the moment or if you want even the past and sometimes the unknown future but the key when thinking, to feel the warmth and LOVE every moment of your life.
I know there are times we feel anger, sadness etc.. and we lash out verbally, in writing and yes at times we have used physical means.
Practicing LOVE in every aspect of our lives is why we are here and the more it’s felt throughout our oneness of consciousnesses the better off our physical reality will be in the long run. We unfortunately are not taught this in school as the highjackers I mentioned earlier feed of fear and hate therefore have altered our reality to feed their low level of consciousness/vibration. We need High Vibration.
There is so much more to our reality but this was just a little bit of information to let you know that there is a reason for being here and there is existence outside of this physical reality we call life. Enjoy your family and friends and seek happiness through ‘being happy’ Based on Love’.
For those in our reality who are of low consciousness/vibration, they are here to also learn remember but some, shown through the ages have been guided by unseen forces to create fear and hate, something the rest of us need to remove, thus one day returning our intended existence back to its original state!
Beautiful reflections, thank you. Though I don't fully understand every part of this, a lot of it resonated, and it even brought a tear to my eye.
Wisdom for an age that need needs healing; with soul-felt gratitude,
Light, Grace and Peace,
Namaste 🙏
Much of what she says resonates deeply with me. Nearing 60 years of age and still chasing my tail, over 50 years of seeking and no concrete answers.
You are at other level of inner wisdom / estás a otro nivel! Es esperanzador y un gusto escucharte. It is hopeful And Nice to listen
Thank you 🙏This is truly beautiful 🧡
I’m looking at this for my cousin who is experiencing this exact thing, but who ever is going thru this... don’t worry, you’re hear for a reason, don’t listen to the internet about what it has to say. Find what you want to do and go for it!
I have struggled with this questions since I was 5 years old. Especially when I try to wrap my mind around the size of the universe and what is at the point beyond the end of the end. Also when thinking about time, what was there before the beginning...I know I sound crazy🤣🤣🤣
"Unyielding despair"... Ouch! I really feel that sometimes. We're just atoms swirling in the void according to the dominant narrative. The best thing I can say about this is that maybe it's one of those yin/yang situations. The despair in some way helps us to appreciate those mystical moments of deep connection to everything. If I was always in a blissful state I might become numb to the wonder of life (which I often do anyway, but hey I'm a work in progress). Thanks Charles! All very thought provoking. I've signed up for the course. Look forward to the rest 😁
Mmm yeah. I agree that the full spectrum of human emotion and experience feels almost necessary to really understand and appreciate the magic, joy, love. I can't remember the exact quote, but I remember a Native American told my friend that pain carves out more room to hold joy.
But I would say, I've spent most of my life believing on some deepest level that the "dead mechanical universe" is what's actually TRUE. Which can sometimes feel like it invalidates all my meaningful experiences as delusions concocted by my biochemistry... either to make me feel better, or to keep me alive and reproducing because that's what my genes have programmed me for. I'm not sure that level of unyielding despair is helpful in the long term. But then again, maybe I wouldn't be able to drink in the magic so deep as my foundational belief open up, if it wasn't for inhabiting meaninglessness for so long! Who knows. I don't know. ;)
@@laurenbuckley5496 that's a great quote, thanks!
@@laurenbuckley5496 haha yep it's definitely hard to say how much one influences the other. I'd prefer to step out of that despair as soon as is reasonably possible. I don't want to wallow in it for too long. It's tough though. I arrived at the same conclusion that you've held for most of your life but by slightly different means. I grew up full on Mormon and around 30 I converted to a militant atheism (Nietzsche said: Extreme positions are not succeeded by moderate ones, but by contrary extreme positions." and that was true for me). So, I do know what's it's like to feel that the "dead mechanical universe" IS the answer. It's not fun... But the quest for truth is. Slowly, I'm trying to make my way out of the spiritual void that is scientific materialism. So I'm grateful for this course, like you say Charles is intelligent so I respect his thought process. Thanks for giving him such interesting questions and also for your reply. 😊
@@cosmiccoffee234 Ah wow that Nietzsche is poignant. It does almost seem like the pendulum has to swing too far in the other direction before finding its true equilibrium point. What a fascinating journey it sounds like you've been on!! Yes, the quest for truth is fun! I'm happy to have you on the quest with me. :)
You are the reason these moments are.
I found this video because I’m looking for comfort from these exact thoughts and questions I’m having 😭
I came to an understanding that helped me. Might not help everyone, and yes im still struggling but it gave me some comfort so I will share it here. All cultures, religions, beliefs in general and the physical world show the importance of balance. You cant eat too much of one thing or you die. Cant workout too much or you die. Cant hunt too much of an animal or it goes extinct. Animals bring themselves into balance with the food tree n' such. The planet Earth in the perfect distance from the sun, rotating at a comfortable speed, with weather patterns to keep balance of life on it. We are simply echos of this universal constant. Of Chaos forming balance. We are a representation of how the universe was created and is maintained. Pure chaos (or nothingness) formed a balance that allowed our reality to exist, and it is constantly battling for its own existence. This is the part that you may not want to accept, but it seems logical to presume that where there is nothingness, there is the possibility of something, because there are no rules for it to exist or more importantly, not exist. Essentially, everything exists "because it can". It's a paradox. Think of it as TV static being chaos, and when arranged in a specific way by changing the channel, the chaotic signals can form an image and sound. We can see the seemingly random quantum level behavior of our reality as tv static holding itself together when tuned to a signal, except in our case the signal is not an external force but rather an eventuality in a situation where chaotic forces manage to form a coherent ruleset over infinite time "just cause". That is why our purpose is to bring balance to life. Not Thanos style but, just with our very being. Conflict is necessary even though it doesn't need to be violent. Ideological conflict is the chaos we must keep balanced in order to exist. So the next time you disagree with someone, you should respectfully share your views because that situation is our purpose. Why else would there need to be more than one of each being if we didn't need competition? Life is chaos, and our desire to grow is the order which satisfies our purpose, to bring balance. Life started as simple creatures forming into complex ones through challenging itself, trying to bring balance to itself. Perhaps now life has reached its physical limitation in complexity and now all that can evolve further is our minds. That is why now we can have existential dread and not be comforted by religion because we have crossed that threshold of complexity and are ready for the next step.
Maybe I sound batshit insane but, not using a sacred text and only the patterns I can observe from reality helps this feel less like a delusion, which I too cannot accept like the woman in the video. My theory isn't perfect but it's enough to give me some comfort and purpose. I plan on making a video on this topic soon in another channel so if you thought this was even remotely interesting please comment your thoughts. I will update this when the video is out.
This helped a little, thank you. Please do make a video
@@Jess-zm5xt im sorry, i wrote that terribly. I could definitely explain it better now, but im happy it helped you a bit anyway. If I do make a video it’ll be on another account.
But to summarize in actual english, if there exists a space with absolutely nothing in it, and there are no rules, then things can spontaneously exist (kinda like a big bang).
Existence is like two kids playing with toys and arguing why their character is superior. “My character can destroy energy.” “Yeah well, my character has the laws of physics so energy cannot be destroyed!” Back and forth the chaos goes until we end up with a stable reality.
The point of this illustration isnt to start a cult and have people believe thats actually how things work. I don’t know if thats how things work, but through observing the universe and life we see there is constant competition. Positive and negative (like magnets, electricity), predator and prey, our own conflicting opinions. The fact that this balance can be seen everywhere and is an essential part of every system we observe, leads me to believe the universe was created under these circumstances. It fights to justify its own existence. Whenever there is a hole in the logic that could lead to everything falling apart, it’ll have a rule to combat it and keep stability.
So the ultimate point of all of this is if the universe has to fight to justify its own existence or else fall apart, then maybe we are similar. We seek a purpose, but when we cannot find one, we start to crumble to nothingness (depression, self harm, ect). If our universe can exist because it formed its own reasons to (physics) out of the chaos trying to rip it apart, then we should be able to justify our own existence by being ourselves and existing. You can exist just because you want to, and people may argue your position, but ultimately you are the one who decides what your purpose is. Conflict will deepen your drive to exist. When someone (or yourself) says, “why do you bother? Why are you here?” You can answer, “I deserve to exist just like everything else in the universe. I fight for my dreams, my family, myself friends, my hobbies, even just for a rare moment of peace.” A grain of sand seems insignificant, but it exists anyway, so the question is, what is the metric of significance you are judging yourself by? The universe doesn’t make mistakes, it has rules, so if you exist, you have just as much right to be here as every grain of sand or every star in the universe.
YOU have to believe that you can give your life purpose, and that purpose is whatever YOU want it to be. You can decide why you exist. The forces that made our reality came together in a specific way to allow you to exist. Whether its a god, a big bang, whatever, you are the ultimate culmination of this chaos, an expression of existence, and as such, you too must fight for balance in your life and in your mind.
You want peace, you deserve peace, now fight the forces that taught you otherwise and in that balance you will find peace..
I want to emphasize the importance of you deciding your purpose, because its ok if you want your purpose to be something seemingly simple. “I exist because I love eating delicious food!” Is totally ok. The forces you have to fight to justify that existence is working and cooking and self doubt to get to that moment where you can experience your purpose again. The truth is that seeking approval for our existence from others is simply illogical because they have their own purpose. You cannot fit into everyone’s purpose, that’s against how reality works.
There will always be conflict, and sometimes we need that conflict to humble us and make us appreciate things in a way we otherwise wouldnt have. Do not be afraid to be curious, do not be afraid to be passionate. Let the conflict humble you, and feel the tranquility and satisfaction of moderation/balance.
I wish you the best on your journey of self discovery and self acceptance
Thank you for this, truly.
Thank you for this.. doing the work..x
Yay. Thank you for being part of it :)
The universe ( and what happens after we die) is like a safe to which there is a combination, but the combination is locked up in the safe? Christians say I have the combination in jesus, I don't know but I love how the cat purrs, thanks for being open with us on this...
I thank God every day that I get to go through the torture of deep self searching and learning and processing metaphysics.
Awesomeness!!!
Woo wooo!!! ;)
Beautiful
I'm glad I stumbled upon this channel, subscribed to the channel and maybe I will sign up for the course
So cool to find an internet traveler this way! ;)
Love Charles
The answer is simple. The Meaning of Life is Love. If anyone has ever traveled to the core of the metaphysics world you would end up with just Love. It is the resounding evidence of all life and energy.
I have had the same questions and feelings my whole life.
The meaning of life is different for each individual. We are free to choose what that means for each of us. We don’t need anyone else to define that for us, regardless of science or religion explanations. You get to decide what life means to you personally each day. You can live your whole life without needing to know “complexity theory” and it can be a full and meaningful life.
The part about healing personal wounds resonated with me. Maybe that's why I feel so empty. (I found this video by searching for 'existential despair')
I stopped this video to comment about ten minutes in and man, no one has ever talked about the struggle to know that hits such a true chord with me. "The feeling of meaning..." wow, great phrase. The times when I put these questions aside for a while are when I have had severe depression and anxiety. It's like if my brain doesn't have this to ponder, it turns inward and overly critical of every interaction with other people.
I started being obsessed with ghosts and the supernatural when I was 10 which I think was my way of trying to understand death. I could not fathom not caring or thinking constantly about the question of what happens to us when we die. It seems like the most important question when we only spend 80 or so years here, but eternity someplace else. In college, I took classes on Existentialism, Philosophy of Religion, and the big one, Critical Thinking: Science and the Occult. After that I was hooked, I went from studying for an associates in welding technology to full time philosophy student at a four year university. Between those three classes my motivation to know what is real skyrocketed. I am now an atheist and I feel like I understand more about what existence is (most likely) not, but as for what it is... I have been reading popular science books ever since and while there are no concrete answers, thinking about it is something next to spiritual. It is one of the only times I feel true comfort, wonder and awe. I do not need certainty but merely to ask the questions.
“When I reach to the edge of the universe, I do so knowing that along some paths of cosmic discovery, there are times when, at least for now, one must be content to love the questions themselves.” Neil deGrasse Tyson
Thank you for sharing this and your experience.
This is why I stopped the youtube video early because I wondered if the next session would expand on the comment made about science being a religion. It is not. It is a method for discovering what is consistent in reality, that is it! Science has no dogma merely systems of verification done by experimentation, peer review inference and so on. Science is not wrong the results of experiments and theories explaining them can be wrong or our interpretation of what they mean can be wrong. Here I am talking about a scientific theory which is a well-substantiated explanation of an aspect of the natural world that can incorporate laws, hypotheses and facts. The method is not the conclusion and can therefore not be responsible for human error by cognition.
However, I still want to say that the introduction was very recognizable to my own desire for knowledge and I thank you for that.
Peace and love to all who feel this way - not least me ! ✌️🕊️
It's good to know others feel as lost as I and I don't mean that in a schaudenfreud way. All I have to add is a quote from Chris McCandles, "happiness is meaningless unless it is shared."
I love you!
Sometimes I feel like the words we have are so much a product of the society we live in that it's sometimes hard to put in words ideas and perspectives that come from another way of thinking, from another perspective.
Thank you so much Charles, that was really insightful
Btw guys I also want to share how I am coping with this situation lately
I would suggest you all to listen the song called Earth by lil dicky
“You should ask right kind of questions” - elon musk
“Our cells means the body, the mind is your servant so whenever the question comes in your mind abt meaning ,
Flirt with it , take it easy it’s just a thought 💭
& Focus on your work
“if you like what you do this question will not bother you”
“Practice letting go your thoughts by being an observer in your meditations
this will teach you to give importance to the thoughts that you think are important or unimportant in different situations & act accordingly “
By this that single thought would not be able to drive you.
The question and the way it ws asked really resonated with me. Thanks.
On another note, Is there an answer for how life manifested in first place?
I’m sure that to serve others would be part of the answer.
Ahhhhhh 46:00 to 48:00 is amazing stuff, really love what he says there.
Thank you for making me realise I'm not alone
Ah, wow, my heart. You saying that helps me realize I'm not alone too. Thank you
@@laurenbuckley5496 i want somepne to talk to abt tis becasuse this question eats me alive each day... do u have instaram where i can add u :)
I have been experiencing intrusive thoughts about this subject which has taken my love for physics away. Maybe we will never understand the answer to these questions but I just want to not care. I want to not be afraid of this topic any longer.
I’m so happy I’m not the only person asking this in life. It feels like so many people I ask just don’t care. I want to know WHY. What’s the point?
Please Cjjarles , I need more .
Some people watching this might like to check out John Vervaeke's (cognitive scientist and psychologist) "Awakening from the Meaning Crisis" series on CZcams......you could find answers to some of these questions!
Amazing! You're the second person who has suggested this person to me. I'll be checking it out for sure.
For people in this situation they shouldn't think that these questions haven't been seriously questioned and answered ! Vedanta - particularly advaita Vedanta - deals with these matters very deeply . More recently Dr Bernardo Kastrup has provided serious scientific bases for idealism . Good luck y'all ✌️.
Wow What a beautiful authentic person. It’s strange to fall in love through a tv screen but I think I just did. Would marry her in a heartbeat!! I was on my way to Mr Vervaakes channel when this was recommended.
Stay with the question. ❤
Nanda Verbeek czcams.com/video/e-a7dFTndUw/video.html ✨💙✨
Does anyone know how to find Charles' llama sweater? Serious question.
i'm 12 and i'm asking all the questions shes asking and people are doing the same thing by saying nobody knows, stop over thinking and get over it but, I can't get over it i need a answer but i'm getting nowhere. I'm scared and think that things are moving too fast and too slow i'm stressed out and tired and i need someone to help me, please just give an answer you think could help. tell me your beliefs and stuff like that.
I would say you should keep asking but don't expect an answer. My earliest recollection of asking these type of question was when I was 13yo. More than a decade later, I'm still clicking this video.
Just keep at it because it part of human nature to always want to know. We all just seek answers in different ways. I do tell myself that we all have an underlying evidence about existence, maybe that's what we are.
@@vaughankorede521 thanks for the reply, i hope i find an answer
@@largelyquestionablestuff4782 I hope you do. Then tell me later what you gonna do with it after you've gotten an answer.
You won't know you regret your decisions until after its too late, don't live your life with the stress, it's not worth it. Worth it to have some basic plan tho, just make sure it's a good one ;)
I got stuck on this the last 3 weeks I'm going deeper but thinking maybe I need to just distract myself I forget about it altogether sometimes we dont have all the answers.... it's ok to just BE and be happy and help others, I just wish I knew how to help others better and what career I should settle with ... feeling lost
Hi there, if you want to know what kind of career would suit you check out Carl Jung he had kind of test you fill out they are amazingly accurate, I was lost for years not knowing where I belonged in the work place I did the career test I think it was called and up or came, I was under the carer category nurse, disability, childcare, age care etc...I ended up doing disability and never looked back after wasting years doing cleaning jobs and factory hand jobs it was such a relief, hope that helps x
A current conscious with the burden of life, rarely alarmed by Entropy final cold destination, it is to find comfort or even assurance for the big question within lifetime.
How someone certainty through science and logic lens of being disabled, sterile or poor can belong to life spreading purpose?
Galactic gossip says there is no meaning embedded in life; we give our meaning. Our main goal on Earth is to be 100% you. 1 Love.
You said, (the nice lady) I guess I just want to make the best of it. It's that easy, make the best of you in each moment, you are the creator :) Meaniful is each individuals own taste and flavour so ask yourself what gets your juices flowing and do that. When a great musician plays a complicated piece that they love, they don't think about it, they become the flow, the leaf in an ever flowing stream and let go of analytical thought because its just sludge and non-emotional baggage.
Oh yes, I so agree about the value of seeking your own personal flow state, which is largely a matter of understanding yourself better and being in tune with yourself. I'm obsessed with personality psychology, especially because it has helped me hone in on my own gifts and flow states. Because when you're in that flow state, you certainly have the feeling of being alive, the feeling of meaning. Ironically for me... thinking, learning, and talking about people, life, and the nature of reality puts me into that kind of flow state. ;) Among other things of course. But this is in the top 3!
It's very strange that people can generally relatively easily create sentient beings , but can't explain the most basic questions about existence . I can totally relate to this video but when I first started asking these very natural questions I just seemed to be the only person asking them . Firstly the purpose of life is to ask these questions . Secondly , the only philosophy that can satisfy people like this is Vedanta - particularly advaita Vedanta . Talking of scientists there were a great many particle
physicists who appreciated Vedanta and were influenced by it . The greatest sage in the last 1000 years - Sri Ramana Maharshi ( a rare genuine spiritual teacher )- said that the most important question a person can ask her n this life is " who am I ? . 🕉️
Beautiful and interesting ideas, but they cannot be applied in our current monetary system.
how tf she said everything wat i am thinking so accuratly its unbelievble
What if
Life is supposed be an endless loop of blissful balance and exploration within an abundance of freedom for all to live a long and happy existence.
But instead we have this alternative reality we’re humans constantly judge each other and compete for resources.
Technology has made us realise how connected everything is and therefore we have the ability to improve quality of life for everyone.
I like where you're going with this :)
She's speaking my language.
Well, that wasn't verbal abuse at all ;)
This young lady has articulated what i have been feeling for the last 4 years. Its become a bit debilitating for me.
🦋
🙏
This is deep and intense, but I love the questions?
If i speak from my truth of source energy living a human experience we are here because we come from formless source energy of the universe to exist in the form of a human being and exist creating our universal minds, consciousnesses and thoughts in the moment. You can call it psycho-spiritual because we are human beings living a human spiritual experience and creating our own reality in ny given moment so feel lucky you are living now and experiencing it don't waste it, it is precious beyond all things, this thing we call life, so live it well, don't be afraid to made mistake be brave to better yourself to strive for a better world our children's world. We come from love and created from love in the moment and we go back to pure love back into the formless energy of the universe that created us!
Be lucky and change the world as one?
If life is the point of life itself and becoming more and more alive, then what is the point of death?
Listening to this young lady, without even hearing Charles' thoughts, it's dawned on me, she's unknowingly answered her own question. "CREATE YOUR OWN MEANING!"
We've all been indoctrinated with this idea of "God has a plan for you." This was made up by religion, which was made up by men. We were given intelligence & free will, & what happens here on Earth is on US. There is no one answer as to why we're here - we're all connected to each other as humans on a planet, but we're individuals, each with our own unique strengths, weaknesses, ideas, etc., so we can learn from each other, instead of fearing those who are different from you. I think we're here to play - with everything we now know, we could make this planet a paradise for every soul here. Let's not make the crap that causes cancer or chokes out the planet. But some people have lost that human connection, insisting on hatred & greed, & just want to turn it into a shithole of misery for all.
❤
You are here to become aware of the Godself, once you do the co-creator energy form will find you, maybe there is a state of awareness where you are a God in your own Galaxy!
Innnnteresting. How does one become aware of the Godself, in your opinion?
@@laurenbuckley5496 self examination, and answers to the question you pose to yourself " What if I were God ", my process led me to find an interpretation of the Bible that I could live with, you can find it at OptimalUnity.org the emphasis is on the I AM God and meditation which helps with the process, thank you for asking!
I like the question what is the meaning of live. Why are we here. But it was a long and repeating much for a question what is nice and i think a lot of people have had dose questions ones in a live time. I do also like the answer charles trys to give and the answer in it what i hear was a bit what also had in my haed. I like the part that he say de meaning of live is live. But i understand that these answer feels maby not satisfide for everybody. But when you turn the question around to see it from a other perspective and you should questioning what if everything was there but er was no contiousness there was no aware there was no life than we could get a image what i think is even more meaningles. When jou compare these 2 than you can get a answer that you are at least here to be here and ask these questions and explore and find answers. So that would be my answer on the question that satisfide myself.
The other question is that you want to make these planet more beautiful. I must say you are all beautiful creatures that can question and think about these things and communicate. I think also that there is a part in you that think live is not so beautiful as can be and that have something to do with desconection in my opinion. We are getting in a system that getting more and more sepperate. Stil we are connected even were we not seen it by having the same questions even as we didnt read it from a book ore the internet. We are more connected than we always aware i think. But it have something to do with be afraid for the connections like placing borders the mono culture. The manny languages. People that mis there roots with nature. That is for me a kind of pain. But all of these things come by people and so they also can be solved by people at least try. That makes me happy to be a human. I can speak and communicate better with people than when i was a three ore a gras ore even a insect ore a other animal than a human. Sometimes we are so sepperated in our head also in our body becose we standing so far of al these other life forms that we could forget they are. But we are the onlyone to bring these balance in nature back becose i think live is al about these balance. Thats i think we are also with to manny people becosr there are to les naturalenemies and there must be a sertain balance in nature that not one thing can take over everything. Of coarse it is logic that there were people that were afraid for these and that they find out to use fire knives swords and rivels to enjoj live longer but i think becose we did make these solutions we need to lurn to behave not like animal that have a need to reproduse themselfes endlesnes becose we place our selfs out of the natural foodchain. So to make live more beautiful. My idear is to live on and with a peace nature with respect of nature and al parts of nature that are part of it. And stop so much be afraid of going to die for almost everything also not for ilness and diseases. Becose than we get sapperated of the connection with live becose life is a adventure and the death is just a nother adventure. That would be the answere from my perspective. But what charles say i also like maby everybody must find out for themselfes. So i like to just give my perspective as well that others like you can compare aswell to form there satisfied answer. And maybe it is also satisfide to not know everything becosr what is there to explore when you can know everything allready. So keep thinking and asking these questions and admire live it self i could reccomand.