Existential Crisis... Have you had one?

[PissOffRoth]

I've had periodic panic attacks to do with fearing death, ever since I lost my religion.

In November I got something like this full on. Fearing death, fearing ageing, fearing how short life is, fearing eternal non-existence, fearing how futile life is no matter how good or bad it is. Preys on your thoughts all the time. It peaked around Christmas time. Worst thing about it is feeling that even if I got over it I'd just be ignoring the problem I've realised here.

Live on through the ways you influence others, through your children, through your deeds and creations. That is what life is: a huge canvas that every living thing contributes to. If you stand before it, always worried that you will mess up or that it won't matter, then you will have passed up the opportunity to be part of the greatest coalition of creativity and thought that has ever existed. I urge you to pick up a brush and make a few strokes.

 

[bartholen_v1legacy]

This thread and this ---> http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.400986-Have-you-ever-felt-like-its-pointless-to-live-anymore thread both on the front page on Valentine's Day? Coincidence? I think not.

OT: I don't count the typical "boo hoo the world is evil no one loves me everyone should die" teenage angst as an existential crisis. I've yet to have a genuine one either. Right now my point in life is to finish my studies to become a land surveyor honorably while trying to keep my social circle from diminishing altogether. And learning to play piano on the side.

 

[AnarchistFish]

I've had periodic panic attacks to do with fearing death, ever since I lost my religion.

In November I got something like this full on. Fearing death, fearing ageing, fearing how short life is, fearing eternal non-existence, fearing how futile life is no matter how good or bad it is. Preys on your thoughts all the time. It peaked around Christmas time. Worst thing about it is feeling that even if I got over it I'd just be ignoring the problem I've realised here.

Live on through the ways you influence others, through your children, through your deeds and creations. That is what life is: a huge canvas that every living thing contributes to. If you stand before it, always worried that you will mess up or that it won't matter, then you will have passed up the opportunity to be part of the greatest coalition of creativity and thought that has ever existed. I urge you to pick up a brush and make a few strokes.

thanks, I'll keep it in mind

 

[TheLastFeeder]

So I'm at a point in my life where I can't see the point in life... I can't tell if the results of my life are the product of my own choices or a predetermined path. Rather than self-indulgently spill my guts onto this page as a manner of self therapy I would simply like to know if you have had an existential crisis, and if so, how did you deal with it/ overcome it (if at all).

Yeah, after being diagnosed with Asperger syndrome at the age of 25 it made me question the value of the actions I had taken though my life and made me realize how i had alienated a lot of my friends and family with out ever realizing it. I felt completely alone, starting to question my identity and my goals in life.

As for a way to deal with your existential crisis: Try setting yourself a goal you know you can reach and you have sometimes thought about, like climbing a mountain. do something you have never made the time or effort to do.

 

[Skeleon]

Nope. The only point to life is whatever you meaning you give it. Find something you're good at or want to do and work towards it. There's no external goal, so find your own. Embrace it as the opportunity that fact is rather than despair because you lack external direction. Don't see it as pointlessness, see it as freedom.

 

[ultrabiome]

i almost lost my mind once when i was a teenager - i was living in a small, conservative town with odd-ball parents and few friends. almost convinced myself that i wasn't really here. then i though, most likely, we're here and there isn't anything after life, so might as well make the most of it and try to enjoy the time i'm here instead of ending it and finding out what death is like, as i'll find out eventually.

 

[coheedswicked]

I agree completely with the idea that life has only whatever meaning you give to it. In fact, I had discovered this long before my existential crisis. The problem is that everything that I had built up in my mind to be parts of my own personal meaning faded away. I am currently studying to get my M.D. and until recently I've thoroughly enjoyed it, but now I find myself losing my motivation; I used to play guitar for pleasure and to relieve stress and in the past couple of weeks I have barely touched it, though this feeling is causing me a great deal of stress. It is as though I no longer enjoy anything I used to. I seem to have no motivation for anything. I seem to be drifting. These are the feelings that have caused this crisis.

 

[BaronUberstein]

Nope. Life is fine, and even if my plans don't work out, I figure I can ad lib my way somewhere else. I've generally found that if something goes to shit in my life, I can trace is back to my own stupid decisions.

 

[Vault101]

Maybe for a few seconds....then I remember something awesome

Like my new gaming pc

 

[Jfswift]

Lately I've been feeling like Bill Murray in the movie, "Groundhog Day" with every day feeling the same, being bland and pointless. I think the only thing that keeps me sane is thinking about going back to school and getting a job somewhere else.

 

[Cpu46]

So I'm at a point in my life where I can't see the point in life... I can't tell if the results of my life are the product of my own choices or a predetermined path. Rather than self-indulgently spill my guts onto this page as a manner of self therapy I would simply like to know if you have had an existential crisis, and if so, how did you deal with it/ overcome it (if at all).

I've had that fate one creep up on me before but I find that, at least for me, it is surprisingly easy to shut down if you ask yourself how do you tell if your life is by choice or fate. If you can't tell then why does it matter? My view is that I am the master of my own destiny until proven otherwise and even my entire life is written like a book then it would be rather rude not to finish such an intricate story.

My most recent crisis was a few nights ago. I had what I like to call a "death attack" where the question 'what happens after I die' comes up. Currently my view is absolutely nothing, which hits pretty hard for being nothing. Accepting it is incredibly difficult since I can't really imagine non-existence, after all existence is all I've ever known, but I've at least come to terms with it. Come to think of it this kind of ties into that fate/choice one. I don't care if my life is predetermined or not cause I don't have anything to look forward to afterwards. Might as well make the most of what you have then wish for something.

I find that it helps if you record a conversation about the crisis with yourself. Just talking to yourself works too but recording makes it feel less awkward and you can always playback the recording if the crisis point comes up again. I've done it a few times and I just keep the recordings tucked away somewhere on my hard drive. I don't post them or show them to anyone and probably never will.

 

[TheNaut131]

Did during my younger years. Not in a "oh-god my-life is-pointless" sense but more like "Holy shit, we exist, we're flying through space, and atoms are in EVERYTHING! WHY IS NO ONE ELSE FREAKING OUT ABOUT THIS?!?" Mainly when I found myself bored and flexing my hands.

I've had those depressed moments where I've wondered why I should bother doing anything, but then I would answer it when I remember I like my bed, nachos exist, and cartoons are a thing.

Really, and this is gonna sound kinda...iffy, but you just shouldn't think about it. Your purpose, your meaning, your whatever. Just do what you want to do. No, I'm not telling you to stop reflecting on your life, but to stop thinking so needlessly big. You're just trying to climb a mountain that keeps growing every once and awhile, it's not worth it in the long run. In reality, a simple life isn't that hard. Just try to stay alive and keep moving forward.

Oh, and what you're actually feeling is the collective embarrassment from all your past mistakes and how it's currently impacting your life. Cheers to mistakes.

 

[Strazdas]

This person asked where he could find meaning to his life. I answered that religion might offer it. I did not say that "go christian and go all inquisition on their ass!".

Fair enough.

Lottery and religion are two different entities which do not belong in the same category, you can't compare them. I fail to see what you intended to convey with this comparison.
And how do you determine "a good cause"? There is no universal, objective good cause.

Both run on people stupidity and false belief.
While not objective, a universal good cause is one that ensures existence. Stupidity and blind belief does not fall into that. although i do agree lottery is not the best example. However when people think they can heal cancer with prayer this does not help humanity. or maybe it does, it weeds out the stupid.

But that's on humanity, not religion itself. Besides, the dark ages can't be compared to modern ages since during the dark ages and before them religion played an important part in the affairs of the state while in the modern world religion largely does not have much of a say when it comes to politics, legislation or similar affairs that could hinder the scientific progress that other people strive for.
Third world countries are a different matter, of course.

Humanity made godreligions. religion, being construct of humanity, has all the problems humanity has. While church does not have the ultimate power anymore, to say that it does not have a say in politics legislation, scientific progress of even something as simple as teaching biology in school is simply ignorant. Do you not remember the incident when a woman sued the local government, because the senior home were forcing prayer before food. Or how religious zealots stopped stem cell research pre-obama? or how abortion is still not legal in many states? or how gays are shunned by religious zealots?

I do admit i attacked you too zealously, i am like that, and for that i am sorry. but religion is a thing that should not be sought out or even suggested. Not in the state it is now anyway.

 

[Starik20X6]

Sometimes I find myself staring into the abyss, the darkness threatening to consume me... Then I flip the darkness the bird, and go back to being awesome. See, the thing about determinism is that even if life is pre-determined, it doesn't matter. It's fascinating to see how the dominoes fall, even if I had no hand in how they fell.

 

[Denamic]

Well, I never really assumed there was any sort of point to life in the first life. I just do what I do and enjoy my life while it lasts.

 

[repeating integers]

I've been in one for so long I can't even imagine not being in one.

 

[OniaPL]

Lottery and religion are two different entities which do not belong in the same category, you can't compare them. I fail to see what you intended to convey with this comparison.
And how do you determine "a good cause"? There is no universal, objective good cause.

Both run on people stupidity and false belief.
While not objective, a universal good cause is one that ensures existence. Stupidity and blind belief does not fall into that. although i do agree lottery is not the best example. However when people think they can heal cancer with prayer this does not help humanity. or maybe it does, it weeds out the stupid.

Well, the stupidity of belief depends entirely on a) how the person expresses his faith and b) the point of view from which you are assessing the situation.

Wesstboro Baptist Church? Yes, that's stupid.
Terrorist organizations using religion as a way to recruit pawns? Yeah, not that good either.
A person refusing treatment because it's not what God intended? Yeah, dumb.

But the part that you are forgetting is that these are all extremes. Every religion, faction, organization etc. has it's extreme sides. If you right now go out and walk up to an average, sensible christian/muslim/buddhist/whatever, they will not tell you to burn in hell because you are an ungodly monster. These extremes will always exist, but their existence does not invalidate everything else.

While in less developed countries religion remains a problem, that's not how it has to be. Christianity, being a mjority religion in most developed countries, has evolved past that point, and I don't see why something like Islam wouldn't evolve past it's troubles with women for example.

However, if you'd say that religion, as a whole, needs to adapt to the modern world and not the other way around, that is what I'd agree with.

But that's on humanity, not religion itself. Besides, the dark ages can't be compared to modern ages since during the dark ages and before them religion played an important part in the affairs of the state while in the modern world religion largely does not have much of a say when it comes to politics, legislation or similar affairs that could hinder the scientific progress that other people strive for.
Third world countries are a different matter, of course.

Humanity made godreligions. religion, being construct of humanity, has all the problems humanity has. While church does not have the ultimate power anymore, to say that it does not have a say in politics legislation, scientific progress of even something as simple as teaching biology in school is simply ignorant. Do you not remember the incident when a woman sued the local government, because the senior home were forcing prayer before food. Or how religious zealots stopped stem cell research pre-obama? or how abortion is still not legal in many states? or how gays are shunned by religious zealots?

I do admit i attacked you too zealously, i am like that, and for that i am sorry. but religion is a thing that should not be sought out or even suggested. Not in the state it is now anyway.

Aren't those all incidents that happened in USA aside from the LGBT community's grievances with religious folk? I hadn't even heard of this "senior home forcing prayer" bit.
While those are things that happened, judging all religious folk for it would be the same as me judging all americans for the bad apples that their country has.
Besides, USA as a nation is so divided that it has become the land of extremes as far as I am aware, and therefore there are a lot of religious extremists on the move. But it's the same with any other thing over there.

I'm largely afraid that we have ran into one of the problems of the internet discussion which has created a disconnect between us. I'm talking as a citizen of Finland; In my country religion has no say in the teaching of biology, nobody's forcing prayer on anyone and abortion is perfectly legal. IT just is there, and helps some people to get through their days.
Meanwhile you are arguing on behalf of the USA (which is a mess of a country anyways), where things are different and at least if I am to trust the image news gives me, everyone is a raving lunatic.

I guess my main problem with your argument is that while religion has it's bad sides, the majority is at the very least neutral. You don't hear about the man who gets a feeling of happiness from the thought of a god watching over him, nor do you hear about the events that the church organizes that some people enjoy etc.
Religion brings a lot to some peoples lives, but all you ever hear in the media are the crazy ones, who are the "vocal minority".

 

[Hyenatempest]

1. Became anorexic, got pretty sick.
2. buy gun, place on head, pull trigger.
3. repeat step 2.
4. fuck hi-point.
5. alcohol as a constant. Just everyday.

(a slight exaggeration actually, the gun keeps refusing to load the bullet into the chamber, so I didn't quite get to the placing on my head part. still fuck Hi-Point.)

 

[Strazdas]

Aren't those all incidents that happened in USA aside from the LGBT community's grievances with religious folk? I hadn't even heard of this "senior home forcing prayer" bit.
While those are things that happened, judging all religious folk for it would be the same as me judging all americans for the bad apples that their country has.
Besides, USA as a nation is so divided that it has become the land of extremes as far as I am aware, and therefore there are a lot of religious extremists on the move. But it's the same with any other thing over there.

I'm largely afraid that we have ran into one of the problems of the internet discussion which has created a disconnect between us. I'm talking as a citizen of Finland; In my country religion has no say in the teaching of biology, nobody's forcing prayer on anyone and abortion is perfectly legal. IT just is there, and helps some people to get through their days.
Meanwhile you are arguing on behalf of the USA (which is a mess of a country anyways), where things are different and at least if I am to trust the image news gives me, everyone is a raving lunatic.

I guess my main problem with your argument is that while religion has it's bad sides, the majority is at the very least neutral. You don't hear about the man who gets a feeling of happiness from the thought of a god watching over him, nor do you hear about the events that the church organizes that some people enjoy etc.
Religion brings a lot to some peoples lives, but all you ever hear in the media are the crazy ones, who are the "vocal minority".

I just picked the USA incidents for couple reasons like USA usually gets more exposition and thus is more known, european nations are more atheist than the rest of the world, and african/asian countries usually have extremists to the point of "ban games because its from the devil" in the goverments and i think we both agree thats wrong but does not directly apply to our situation.
Yes, those are extremists, but extremists are speaking loud and no non-extremists bother to shut them up. you know why? because very often those views are the views of the religion they follow, they just dont follow it diligently enough to undermine their own logic, like those extremists do.
Finlandish then, very nice, you are in one of those countries that seem to seperate church and public services the best and i think the rest of the world has A LOT to learn from you. but that may cause the problem of you not seen the examples i told happen and thus remain skeptical. Here in Lithuania, not far from you, we had mandatory catholic teaching at schools, the public ones mind you. if it were religion in general it would be fine, but it was the local christianity to the point that has baptism performed on all of us. We had no choice, and our culture endorsed it as a good thing. Too bad i wasnt smart enough by then to argue against them and endured silently. Abortion is illegal in my country and it is considered a "major crime" due to religion influence. the church advocate which political group to vote for and in fact we got one political group call themself "christians party" (even though they are not christians, but the 80 year old lady that got back from Siberian coal mines after independence doesnt really know better). I am arguing on behalf of majority of the world. I wish that it was limited to US, i truly do.
I guess we need to define religion more strictly to argue whether majority of it is bad or not. for simplicity i take the major religions out there. and out of those only buddhism is somewhat neutral. Others on the other hand is inherently "bad". Thing is, most people who consider themself "Religiuos" do not actually follow though with their holy book, so the confusion of "good chistian" vs "good person thinking hes a christian" appears. (substitute christian with other religions if thats better for you, its a major one here so i pick that as example i know best). Yes, there are people who get happy from thinking that somoen watches over them. usually those people will not take charge of their life expecting some god to save them anyway. i do not endorse such behaviuor though. this feeling can be equated to when a fireman feels good by helping the community even without adequate payment. however in this case hes actually doing something useful.

Capcha: what to see
i think capcha always has a relevant metaphor ready. if there is a god, its name is capcha.

 

[Nazulu]

I've given myself a big ass goal that maybe impossible, but I'm setting myself a challenge to keep life exciting. This works for me, just think of all the silly children TV shows where they go "I'm going to be the best ____".