What’s my life all about? Why am I even here? Why is this [whatever it is] happening to me?
If you’re like me, and, I think, most Americans, you were brought up to be practical and action-oriented, and not waste a lot of time thinking about “philosophical” questions like these. We pride ourselves on common sense, and “getting it done” not on self-analysis, reflection, or spiritual musings.
Yet a surprising range of thinkers from ancient philosophers to modern medical insurance companies beg us to take another look at our own inner reality. Patients with mental health problems consistently report significant gains in calm, focus, mood stability, energy and hopefulness when following mindfulness or meditation routines.
While some may question whether meditation is really an appropriate approach to medical conditions, either because it appears contrary to conventional medical science, or because it smacks of “eastern” or non-Christian practices, those who have tried it find real, practical value in meditation. Numerous studies have shown measurable results from meditation and spiritual practices including increased longevity, decreased anxiety and stress, better control of metabolic syndrome, and increased mental acuity. These practices may be those common to our culture, such as church or synagogue attendance, prayer and traditional Judeo-Christian mysticism, or may be some of the more recently introduced practices, such as yoga. The important thing is that a practice or discipline be regularly followed.
Purpose in life
Frequently, an outcome of spiritual or religious practice is an increased sense of purpose or goal in life that an individual chooses to commit to and work towards. The psychotherapist Victor Frankl, a Holocaust survivor, has studied how people survive terrible conditions and trauma, and finds one common theme: a sense of purpose for one’s life.
Frankl suggests that each of us spend dedicated time for deep reflection on our own experience of life. What happened? What caused it? How did I respond? Why did I respond that way? What did I gain and lose from the experience? Through reflections like these, we begin to discern what is really important, what we want our goals to be, and how we are progressing toward our goals, maybe without even realizing it.
Existential questions and concerns are a real part of life, and a worthwhile field of study for all of us. It may even turn out to be a practical, common sense action!
References:
Gonçalves JP, Lucchetti G, Menezes PR, Vallada H. Religious and spiritual interventions in mental health care: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled clinical trials. Psychol Med. 2015 Oct;45(14):2937-49. doi: 10.1017/S0033291715001166. Epub 2015 Jul 23. PMID: 26200715; PMCID: PMC4595860.