Exploring the Ground of Being and G-d Awareness
A sense of groundlessness can lead to either despair, or the existential discovery of G-d. Unless addressed in the ensuing days, weeks and months, despair will always appear as a factor to be rendered with, by alleviating the isolation with a continuous search for the author of our being.
Existential psychology, in and of itself, does not recognize divine authorship of the human being; and, therefore it fails in two concerns. Not to recognize G-d as a source of hope, strength and comfort; and, secondly, neglecting the soul’s divine blueprint, with a G-d given purpose in life stamped on the essence of each individual.
This leaves a person grappling with self-identity, self-expression, and freedom without the inherent obligations commended by G-d’s word. Thus, the freedom without responsibilities acknowledged from a transcendent source, can potentially render the soul groundless, time and time again, until that sense of groundlessness is sublimated by the psyche, and filled up with the distractions in life that keep our minds distant from a higher purpose.
What is the answer? Existential psychology would both applause and critique this freedom as the opportunity to be our own authors in life; yet, while potentially becoming overwhelmed with the possibilities, especially without a sense of moral ground. (The truth is that we are not free, because of our sin nature; however, I will leave that to another time for further exploration.).
Society is being drawn toward the illusion of freedom today, with the resultant option that arises by default, namely, a pervasive nihilism whether implicit or explicit in the lives of people, who are inclined to gravitate more toward materialism than a sense of inner purpose and transcendent values.
Perhaps, it is simply when the groundlessness of our lives becomes apparent at a time of some existential crisis, that we are brought face to face with either G-d or ourselves. And, I would presume to think that it is only human nature to vacillate between the two. I am speaking of my own experience, as well as an intuition intermingled with various sources that address this fundamental truth of our existence; for instance, theology, philosophy, psychology and specific scriptural passages from the Bible.
For myself, this relatively new awareness of the groundlessness of my life has become a kind of fertile void, wherein I am able to explore more freely than in the past. Furthermore, I have gone into the depths of my own heart, and the heights of connecting to G-d through prayer, while also plummeting the wisdom of kitvei kodesh (holy scripture).
For the most part, there is a distinct blend of subjectivity with objectivity in what I am writing, as an exposition on my initial thoughts, based upon the beginning of my exploration of this condition, that needs to be named, defined, and brought out in relief by the findings of others who preceded me in their exploration, and surpass me in wisdom.
Thus, I make no pretense of knowing anything, except the experience of being that has not left me since its initial inception in my own life, when I was brought to a place of existential isolation on my last night of quarantine, after contracting Omicron, in November of 2022. It would certainly be interesting to know, if anyone else has had a similar experience, and found it to be life-changing event. (please, feel free to comment if you have).
Shalom aleichem (Peace unto you).
Breathing Room 