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Viewing Life from an Existential Nihilism View

SpecialK_

SpecialK_

Bluelighter
Joined
Mar 11, 2010
Messages
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I understand this is a philosophy name and possibly may not fit in exactly with what I'm describing, but I thought it was appropriate.

Anyone else get this? In the past few recent months, I've been really thinking about it and I just can't seem to come to a conclusion. At the moment things seem to just have no meaningful purpose and it's highly demotivating. Has anyone had similar views and able to share how the overcame them?

I have a lot of frustration for society and its laws and feel this takes away any meaning even if there was one. I see no point in working any harder, I'm wondering if I would just be happier cutting out what income I have, switching to bru/benefits and living that way, why? Because is there really a point working so hard towards a goal of a high paying job as once you reach that point you're life is already about halfway through or further. Why waste all that time when it could be enjoyed now? Rat race as such?

I'm someone who has the qualifications to go somewhere, but I don't really want to. I'd much rather just get what I can live off and stick to that. But the fear of regret in the future constantly lingers in my mind.

Everyday I repeat the same cycle and its boring, I don't wish to repeat this same cycle, but thanks to society it isn't possible to change it.

Since there is no meaning, it's a pretty shit thing to think about also. As the biggest and most obvious question is, what is the point??

I've smoked weed and taken drugs such as Oxycontin/LSD/MDMA (and many others) from a young age, early teenager and I still continue to do so - minus the oxycontin, years on. I feel the oxycontin contributed a lot to this, as it really gives everything no meaning and when everything has no meaning without the high it's even worse, I'm wondering if because I used it at a a young age and as one of my first main drugs if it has 'burnt me out' as such. On LSD these thoughts occupy my head sometimes and this has put me off taking it again, but I love tripping psychedelics are my favourite and I'm sure I'll end up doing it this weekend once again. I just end up feeling really nostalgic and longing for a carefree past and as I know I wont ever be reaching this carefree past again I ask what is the point. Are these kind of views dangerous for someone using LSD/Psychedelics would anyone say?

I'm wondering if it is the drugs messing about with my head, but I'm in no shape to stop and unfortunately I don't think I will. I can seriously see myself taking drugs until the end of my days as at least then I can find the likes of TV interesting. Almost as if I've experienced what there is to experience, only now I'm caught in a cycle of 'relying' on them whether addiction or not. Some of my friends have also began using needles, some more so than they act like they do, and honestly it's now becoming a consideration of my own. I just know that if I do, I'll be chasing that high right from the moment it wears off, no matter what drug. Should I try even once? I say no, but it's irritating, hopefully that gets confronted and disappears soon.

The only time I really don't have these views is when out on the weekend getting mashed and that's because I'm too fucked to care. Even now this is becoming a repetitive cycle and I think very soon my daily toking habit is soon to become an opiate/alcohol/benzo one.

Has anyone went through a similar stage in life, sharing similar views and gotten over it? I've tried a lot of positive thinking and I'm finding it beneficial, but not beneficial enough because at the end of the day, the meaninglessness of things arrives and reminds me there is no point. Is there really a point? I'm all for good quotes or anything to keep the mind on track, so please share.

First post in this section, but it's gotten to the point now where I would like to sort it out. Fuck Camus goes to your head alright. 8(
 
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SpecialK_: short answer, yes.

I had a similar philosophical crisis a little while back! I'm pretty exhausted and not thinking clearly right now, but I will write more tomorrow - but ultimately, for me, it boils down to this: in my eyes there is no ultimate point or meaning in life - all we have is what we have (if that makes sense) - our day to day lives, each moment one after the next. But instead of that meaning everything is doomed and there is no point in trying, I find that actually the opposite is true - if there is no ultimate meaning, all the more reason to make the absolute most out of our lives, because what else is there? The most important thing is to be happy (and to help make others happy too) because at the end of the day we are the only meaning there is, and our life is what we make it. It makes it seem all the more precious to me, and all the more important that I take control of my own life (as much as I can - obviously some things are beyond our control, but we can still make our own choices with the hand we are dealt..)

Seeing my friends hs meaning for me; spending time doing things I enjoy has meaning; helping others has meaning; even the hard and dark parts of life have meaning. To me though. Not some ultimate high powered meaning, but meaning to me, so therefore they are still important...

I don't think that spending your life in the rat race making money for the sake of it would make many people happy - but I also think that dropping out and living on benefits would make you happy in the long run either - is that really what you want from life, or is it that you can't see the point of anything else right now? What is it you would really like to do with your life?

Sorry if that was a little incoherent. I will try to phrase it better tomorrow after some sleep. But you are not alone in thinking this! I had a huge "what is the point, there is no meaning to life at all" meltdown a little while back.. but it ultimately turned into something positive for me :)
 
There isn't anything inherently demotivating, depressing, or even negative about Nihilism. I don't see how your view could be dangerous when on drugs. For me at least, they change the way I see things, the way I think about things, they change my headspace.
I'm in no mood to try to contribute more to this, but I'd say effie is doing a pretty good job even in his exhaustion.
 
The only meaning in life is the meaning that we choose to give it. Apathy equals neither nihilism nor existentialism.

You haven't found your passion in life yet, and that's okay... as long as you're still looking for it. If you've given up, then I guess that's what you've chosen for your life. That's existentialism. The only crisis involved is the realization that the only motivation that you'll ever have will have to come from within yourself. That frightens many people, but I find it liberating.
 
I know what you mean about chasing that high the moment it wears off. I decided to leave myself messages that said how it's not worth it, because I'd soon be craving more. The future version of myself would then get the message of his past self stressing against dosing as a warning. Sometimes future self listens sometimes he doesn't. Sigh.

I've felt a complete feeling of hopelessness before too. What's the point? Then I asked what's the point in convincing myself there is no point. Weird. Then I thought well what's the point in thinking anything has a point. That's when I realized battles must be chosen wisely, meaning out of all the vastness and possibility I must only consider that which has the greatest returns on investment. Thinking nothing has a point is possible but it won't contribute anything or benefit you, and quite frankly thinking is hard. You are whatever you make of yourself, and in the end it will be what you wanted all along. Unfortunately nobody can save you from yourself. I know because I deal with myself too.
 
I'm unable to see existence any other way apart from that it's meaningless; but there's a silver-lining to this realization.. if there is no inherent meaning, then you experience freedom in it's absolute form. Because at this moment your no longer living your life according to some imaginary ideal of what life is suppose to be, the responsibility suddenly comes crashing down onto you and you alone and you realize life is whatever you want it to be, your responsible.. and this may result in the un-doing of daily routine,work and goals as there realized to hold no genuine meaning apart from what you give them yourself. As Dave pointed out the only motivation you have will have to come from within yourself and this can be terrifying for some people, i know for me initially it was a very scary notion because i knew that ultimately no one can change my life except me, it sounds like common sense but when you grasp a deeper sense of this it can feel very frightening but ultimately; liberating.
 
I long ago gave up on working towards anything society says i am supposed to want. I don't want the big fucking job, the big house with a 2 car garage, 2 brats to go with it, etc. Fuck all that shit :p . Really all i want out of life is to be happy end of. I figure if i can get enough of a income to not live in poverty, get a g/f that actually loves me, do alot of traveling as I'm not one for settling down and some other things i wanna do then i can say i got what i wanted out of life. As for drugs well as of late Ive been trying to slack off on them as there is simply no point in me getting fucked up night after night. Ive done just about every drug there is to do or atleast every type of drug there is to do so what have i to gain by doing more? Fuck my head up more then it already is really.

Life is a journey not a destination and only you can make yourself happy.
 
I experienced a horrible existential crisis involving a certain nihilist philosophy that I don't want to mention here or even think about. You need to do whatever you can to throw more positive things into your life and not think so much and so negatively. If you can, get some help. See a professional and see if you can work this stuff out.

The crisis I experienced occurred after a rough mushroom experience that I will never forget. It was horrible and after that, gradually these thoughts started to creep into my mind and wouldn't go away. Nothing mattered. I haven't tripped since, and I don't think I ever will again. Not saying it's a terrible thing to do, but tripping is a terrible thing for me to do. I can't handle it. My mind just starts to attack me. I can't even handle pot.

My advice is to keep pushing onward, try to introduce some more positive things into your life, and do your best to keep from harming your mindstate with these kinds of existential thoughts. Easier said than done? Fuck yeah. But keep working at it. You can cut out the drugs, and you probably should, honestly. You need to let your mentality heal, with no obstructions. Deep down, by now you must realize that continuing to get high is going to make this worse, and you don't want to keep it up until you have a permanent regret to deal with. You've caught a glimpse of what this stuff can do when it doesn't mesh well with someone's mind, and I think you should pull the plug on the drugs and find other ways to experience joy.
 
you all are going to laugh at me and think im delusional misinformed or and what ever.


this is the descent of the "kundalini", what you have seen is true, and now to ascend the kundalini is next, this is done so with love, acceptance, patience, and healthy life style choices, and the ultimately consideration of others.

simple?

not really at first no...but...life soon then becomes yours.


this is how western religion, medicine, psychology and our financial institution does better; with us laughing at such "concepts". the bible for instance, is saturated with this information, we just interpret it how we have been chosen to.

this is only as "scary" as the first day of school ;)

+ this

blahman8000
My advice is to keep pushing onward, try to introduce some more positive things into your life, and do your best to keep from harming your mindstate with these kinds of existential thoughts. Easier said than done? Fuck yeah. But keep working at it. You can cut out the drugs, and you probably should, honestly. You need to let your mentality heal, with no obstructions. Deep down, by now you must realize that continuing to get high is going to make this worse, and you don't want to keep it up until you have a permanent regret to deal with. You've caught a glimpse of what this stuff can do when it doesn't mesh well with someone's mind, and I think you should pull the plug on the drugs and find other ways to experience joy.
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Some sound advice in here, but I just wanna add one thing - I would be more concerned if you didn't experience these questions at some point within or throughout your life. It might be less painful in the long run to just have a path in life roll out before you, but as with anything, if you put a good chunk of thought (work) into it, the end result should eventually be more rewarding. The trick is to not get drowned in the detail. Sooner or later the things that make life feel like... well, life - will become clear. Probably not in some flash of blinding enlightenment, but piece by piece over time.
 
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Bingo. "The unexamined life is not worth living." Can't for the life of me remember who said that. A philosopher of some sort, I think; maybe Kafka?
 
Dave said:
Bingo. "The unexamined life is not worth living." Can't for the life of me remember who said that. A philosopher of some sort, I think; maybe Kafka?
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I agree entirely. I've had a few little (or big hehe) philosophical crises in my life, but I am glad I did because I want to think about such things.. and even if it can knock you down temporarily, you tend to get up that bit wiser than you were before. I can't imagine cruising through life not thinking about big questions like these.. (I think it might have been Socrates who said that btw? Not sure hehe)

Existentialist philosophy has actually helped me deal with the death of my boyfriend, and helped me shape how I want my life to be. I am the one in charge of me, there is no higher meaning or power or anything helping me along - but that means I am truly free and the choices I make are mine alone. And if there is no "meaning to life" and this is all we have, well that just gives my life even more meaning to me and even more reason to enjoy it. Tradegy can strike, bad things can happen, but there is no meaning behind them - just like there is no meaning behind unexpected good fortune. This helped me hugely with coming to terms with how life can be so unfair as to let my boyfriend die. The whole concept of "life being unfair" is a false one. Took me a bit of time to get my head around that one..

Life happens to us, but it is entirely in our hands what we do with that life.

Couple of quotes I like..

"Human freedom involves our capacity to pause between the stimulus and response and, in that pause, to choose the one response toward which we wish to throw our weight. The capacity to create ourselves, based upon this freedom, is inseparable from consciousness or self-awareness."
~ Rollo May

"But freedom is the possibility of a total and centered act of the personality, an act in which all the drives and influences which constitute the destiny of man are brought into the centered unity of a decision."
~ Paul Tillich

"Without awareness, we are not truly alive."
~ James F. T. Bugental

:)
 
i don't know if i was "doing it wrong" or "doing it wrong for me" but i guess i would say i kinda went off the map as far as "freedom" from modern life goes, and in the end i ended up homeless and severely depressed. just sayin' that freedom from a job, a house, responsibility, isn't always "freedom"
 
There's a lot more to freedom than physical ties, that being said we're born into slavery, and once we leave home, if we get a job we don't want it just furthers that slavery.
Slave, noun:
a person who is the legal property of another and is forced to obey them
a person who works very hard without proper remuneration or appreciation
a person who is excessively dependent upon or controlled by something
a device, or part of one, directly controlled by another
 
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