Friday, April 03, 2015

Why Are We Here?


I recently came across this vintage-looking picture, asking the eternal question of human existence:

"Why Are We Here?"


My answer would be... 
There is no reason "Why?"

'Meaning', 'purpose', & 'reason' are all subjective, abstract creations of the human mind. 
I don't think there is any external reality or inherent aspect of the Universe that determines a "purpose" to a person's life.

Despite the lack of any "meaning" to life, outside of the conceptions of our minds, there does seem to be a couple functions of Life, in general- & and of humans, in particular:

• The most basic function is simply survival of the organism. This primary biological directive actually serves to facilitate Life's secondary function...

• This secondary function is the propagation of information across time. For billions of years, this has meant copying genetic information to another generation. Now, perhaps the transmittal of memetic information, such as stories, art, writing, history, etc. can also be seen as part of that function.

I would also say that, in a universal sense (and perhaps on a spiritual level), the phenomenon of Life is a way for Reality itself to create a feedback loop of experience. In a sense, the perceptions of living things exists to feed information back into the quantum field, existing everywhere in constant fluctuation. I would say this is a "function" of Life, more than a "meaning" or "purpose".

The idea that "Life has no meaning," should NOT be a depressing or negative assertion. If this bothers you, it's a sign that you're stuck in an ego-centric point of view. Why should any one of the billions of talking, technology-using, hairless monkeys that have walked this planet have any particular "meaning" assigned to it?

The wonderfully empowering fact is, that people can create ANY meaning they want for their own lives.

The Universe represents endless possibilities and opportunities for each person to carry out their existence, in the way they feel most fulfilling. There is no cosmic or divine standard that we should be seeking to fulfill. Each person's destiny is a mixture of circumstances and how one responds to these circumstances at any given moment.

By being the conscious, creative engines of our own lives, we can follow a path that makes us feel positive and fulfilled, as individuals. We can create meaning throughout our lives, as an artist brings creations into existence.

There is no meaning to seek, and no mysterious purpose to uncover, outside yourself.

Just try to be present in each moment, appreciate the experiences you get to have, & live in the way that feels right to you.


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