I thought about these kinds of things on a psychedelic trip a couple months ago. One potential revelation from that is, the scary thing about creating meaning/purpose in life isn't finding it, it's *committing* to it. We've all heard that you have to create your own meaning in life, but I suspect that even if I find it, there's still going to be a leap of faith on whether it's the "correct" meaning, and many things will shake whatever type of foundation I build, and I might have another existential crisis later and have to change it again.
I am an ENFP and experience much of the same of what you have mentioned. It began 10 years ago after an encounter with a covert narcissist. It got even worse after being door slammed by my former best friend an INFJ. This is when I discovered the sometimes profound connection that can happen between ENFP/INFJ. Perhaps if I had been more prepared ..... In these last six years time I have discovered about 30 INFJs, though only a few during Covid. Two that I met mentioned a similar experience to myself that suggests existential issues, that the reality they were perceiving seemed an illusion. This has has been my experience also. It seems to have something to do with disconnection and I have studied about INFJs in that they often feel separate from reality itself. As an ENFP this experience comes primarily in the disconnection from other people for various reasons. Another issue is what it is like to be a person that does not hold any particular value for the materialistic, hookup, social media bound society that seems to be flourishing at this time. How can I fit into such a modality that I have so little in common with ? I have the sense for myself that being an intuitive dominant followed by a feeling function has much to do with this phenomena. ENTPs and INTJs (the N doms), being rationalists do not seem to get as caught up with this challenge as it does not hook into their emotions as much. I am not certain of this. I continue to find your videos provocative, and expanding. I experience kinship from your self expression and wisdom. ENFP also Canadian
Beautifully presented. Thank you as I grapple with my own search for meaning. I'm in a very dark place as at almost 70, I look back on my life and the multitude of challenges I've experienced personally. I also see a lot of darkness when I look at the state of the political climate in the US and beyond, the endless suffering caused by the world economic structure, the endless violence that continues to persist globally in the form of war, as well as the abuse and violence that's so persistent in political, interpersonal and intimate relationships. The obvious implications of climate change cannot be ignored either. On a personal level, I'm single. I used to have a wide circle of friends as well as several close friends who I could share with emotionally. All of my closest friends passed within months of each other 2 years ago. At the same time, I was forced to move more than 500 miles from the place where I'd spent most of my adult life because I could no longer afford to live there. I feel a profound lack of connection with other people despite making a concerted effort to make new friends. As I face more and more health challenges, it becomes harder and harder to do even basic stuff. My best friend is my 13 year old cat that I've had for 3 months. I'm grateful to have an affordable roof over my head, but that's not enough to make up for the absence of interpersonal connections. I don't understand why I incarnated and what I've learned or contributed to the good of the world through my incarnation. It all feels meaningless.
Intriguing insights. I'm not sure if I'm in an existential crisis right now, but I might be. My religious faith is deteriorating, so I've lost my church affiliations, and I've recently retired so I've lost my professional affiliations. They say no man is an island, but it sure feels like that right now.
@@forevertheloner1285 Why leave one broken religion for one that is even more broken? Been shot at by dozens more followers of Islam and seen horrific behavior then all other religions combined so call me biased. Most Muslims are great but the 1% lows are exponentially lower and the entire LGBQ and women are lower is also highly problematic.
Clay, as a fellow INFJ, "Isolation" is pretty much a default phase for me. 🙂I do have a Really strong connections with his video. Over the past three years I have been questioning lots of things. Started with News outlets in 2020 during the pandemic with Covid and then politics, then went to religion early last year with questioning church established beliefs (similar to your "Why I left Christianity" video). Still in progress, but I feel I am actually getting away from what is NOT the whole truth and heading towards the Truth, whatever that may be. I may never make it there in this lifetime, but I am at least on the journey. Cheers, Jeff.
I have zero clue why so emotional today watching your videos it's ss if s huge weight has been lifted I feel as if back to where things make sense again to me.
I would like to focus a bit on phenomena of after-life belief in a specific way. People who had "Near death experience" often describe their life as more productive, meaningful, etc. afterwards (they simply "do not waste it [anymore]"). They also talk about finding a purpose in life. Doesn't sound familiar ? :). These people also lose fear of death, this also does not mean they would risk their life ("I do not care, it's just a body, I can consume it like a vegetable"), they seem to be able to use better their potential in dangerous situations.
I used to wonder: what is truth? Since then, I realize, I have become rather "nebulous" with some of my views. There are a lot of grey areas in a lot of experiences. I always seemed to have some sort of "emotional balance," at least, according to others. Recently, my Mom passed. If I am in one of these existential crises, then, I'm thankful for it. Others don't see the anxiety and turmoil I have experienced; perhaps I cover that up? Is it just simply too much verbiage to try to explain? I do see that I care about others--a lot. I wonder now, perhaps existential crises are the best healers. I have met many, whom inspire me to no end, whom have endured extreme hardship, yet, they're just as happy as they can be! Thank you for this video.
How did this just fall in my feed when I'm really in a time of need? Man, you don't know how much you're helping me. Very often I found difficulty feeling understood, maybe because I have this ideia that I'm especial in a sense, which puts me in a arrogant position, but I'm slowly walking away from this. Yesterday my existential crisis began. Horrible pain, feeling like everything was falling apart. And then I sat, the thoughts coming over until everthing was silence. "How many times this is going to happen? I have to take something out of this oportunity: change only happens through movement." I said to myself and then, this morning, found your video. Thank you so much.
Re: meaning. I once read that life has no meaning. It's up to us to give meaning to it. It's an interesting approach I must say. As a fellow INFJ I often think about life. Why we're here etc. And sometimes through meditation etc what often comes up is connection. And to me it's true. I think we're here to connect with each other and to love one another. And as a result we connect with ourselves and love ourselves ❤ Authenticity - absolutely ! Number 1 regret of the dying is: people say they wish they lived a life not to please others but an authentic one. Sadly, as children we often had to choose attachment over authenticity. And this pattern often continues in adulthood.
I think that I live in my head to much. So caught within my thoughts I get scared . I have to continue on to go on, not just for myself but more importantly for others. I have a lot to share, for now I have to withhold
Thank you uploading this video Clay! I literally just starting feeling a ‘existential crisis” just today. I feel like when we go thru existential dread it’s the ego that’s slowly dissolving. This video brought a lot of comfort too so thank you ! 😌
Thank you Clay, I resonate 100% with everything you say. Just to add some personal thoughts here, I would add that the worst or the best part about the existential crisis is when you start to question the real usefulness of your existential crisis itself. It's realizing that, even though you've always seen your existential crisis as a comfortable position to be in, maybe the best even, as you wanted to find awareness, wisdom and truth, it's now probably turning out to be the worst position, because you see that you've kept on trying so hard and for so many years to find life's truths, yet you can't seem to have moved forward that much, you can't seem to have found the answers you were looking for, you seem to be have become stuck in this and ultimately, you've let life pass without having lived it, without having made something out of it, which is also exactly what you didn't want to happen. It's realizing that your existential crisis, which was meant to make you gain awareness, is probably at a certain point making you become less aware, because as you're trying to dig the deep questions, you're forgetting to live life, and so you're actually failing to connect with one of the most fundamental truths. As we're in search for wisdom and awareness, are we really wise and aware to let so much time pass ? It's realizing that there's an absurdity to it, that you'll never have all the answers and you'll always be more or less lost, even if you asked yourself existential questions all life long. It's realizing that you actually want to live a life of experiences most importantly, not just a life of endless questionings that lead to nothing and nowhere in the reality, and that all your overthinking is currently preventing you to living this truth. This truth that life has to be lived most importantly. Because what would even be the point of an existential crisis if it's just to die not having experienced anything in the end ? You would have missed on life thinking about life all your life, how ironic. So yeah, when you realize that the advantage becomes the drawback, Or that the solution becomes the problem, Or that the remedy becomes the poison, It can free you from the insidious negative aspects of this whole process you or trap you even more. Take care !
Aloha, eventhough i couldn’t really focus on the video as my brain is tired, i still want to point out tha you have great voice and great presentation when you talk. thank you and keep on going :)
That's so cool Clay!! this is what I've been going through more than once in my life but always kind of isolated. It's reassuring to hear you speak about it, I feel better that I'm not alone! On some level I understand that many people go through it but it doesn't feel like it unless someone explains things using specific words that I resonate with, and you did just that. And also, I believe I'm a bit younger than you, and I'm not sure why but it also feels good to see an older person speak about this so compassionately. I never had a lot of understanding from people who are older, it feels very nice for a change. I also am coming to a conclusion that inner peace is more important than rebelling, I'm tired of rebelling and complying but it's hard to find a different way😀On to the 2nd part then😀
As always.. Clay I enjoy the mind exercise of another INFJ. My solitary life suits me, yet causes others to question my choices. My commitment. Isolation. I allow so few Into my peace. Our culture is so narcissistic. Been there. No thanks.
What if conscious life extension was a possibility if one were able to clear the conditioning, (especially from the genetic line) of the unconscious death urge thoughts/beliefs AND upgrade the biology like some masters in spiritual teachings so that Existential & Philosophical OCD was no longer running one’s self talk & life experience?
I hate I can seem to only manifest the things I really don't want in my life. Cause if all the chatter. When I stop an really. Feel it from my little toe to my head I m fully aware of what I want to sm need to manifest into my life. What will. Benifit me not in a using s person sense. Just benifit my over all life.
I don't say what I'm about to say often cause I've never felt it to the point of expression. Don't this out of context. Ppl for once I think I've found a virtual individual I'm a little jealous of. Or even ss a role model.
Nope just want to left alone by envious as people over attention, I never asked for by crazy people who wont go away, cause the get pleadure from destroying others, I regret ever saying hello.
I thought about these kinds of things on a psychedelic trip a couple months ago. One potential revelation from that is, the scary thing about creating meaning/purpose in life isn't finding it, it's *committing* to it. We've all heard that you have to create your own meaning in life, but I suspect that even if I find it, there's still going to be a leap of faith on whether it's the "correct" meaning, and many things will shake whatever type of foundation I build, and I might have another existential crisis later and have to change it again.
I am an ENFP and experience much of the same of what you have mentioned.
It began 10 years ago after an encounter with a covert narcissist.
It got even worse after being door slammed by my former best friend an INFJ.
This is when I discovered the sometimes profound connection that can happen between ENFP/INFJ.
Perhaps if I had been more prepared .....
In these last six years time I have discovered about 30 INFJs, though only a few during Covid.
Two that I met mentioned a similar experience to myself that suggests existential issues, that the reality
they were perceiving seemed an illusion. This has has been my experience also. It seems to have something to do with disconnection and I have studied about INFJs in that they often feel separate from reality itself. As an ENFP this experience comes primarily in the disconnection from other people for various reasons.
Another issue is what it is like to be a person that does not hold any particular value for the materialistic, hookup, social media bound society that seems to be flourishing at this time. How can I fit into such a modality that I have so little in common with ?
I have the sense for myself that being an intuitive dominant followed by a feeling function has much to do with this phenomena. ENTPs and INTJs (the N doms), being rationalists do not seem to get as caught up with this challenge as it does not hook into their emotions as much. I am not certain of this.
I continue to find your videos provocative, and expanding. I experience kinship from your self expression and wisdom.
ENFP also Canadian
Beautifully presented. Thank you as I grapple with my own search for meaning. I'm in a very dark place as at almost 70, I look back on my life and the multitude of challenges I've experienced personally. I also see a lot of darkness when I look at the state of the political climate in the US and beyond, the endless suffering caused by the world economic structure, the endless violence that continues to persist globally in the form of war, as well as the abuse and violence that's so persistent in political, interpersonal and intimate relationships. The obvious implications of climate change cannot be ignored either.
On a personal level, I'm single. I used to have a wide circle of friends as well as several close friends who I could share with emotionally. All of my closest friends passed within months of each other 2 years ago. At the same time, I was forced to move more than 500 miles from the place where I'd spent most of my adult life because I could no longer afford to live there. I feel a profound lack of connection with other people despite making a concerted effort to make new friends. As I face more and more health challenges, it becomes harder and harder to do even basic stuff. My best friend is my 13 year old cat that I've had for 3 months. I'm grateful to have an affordable roof over my head, but that's not enough to make up for the absence of interpersonal connections.
I don't understand why I incarnated and what I've learned or contributed to the good of the world through my incarnation. It all feels meaningless.
Intriguing insights. I'm not sure if I'm in an existential crisis right now, but I might be. My religious faith is deteriorating, so I've lost my church affiliations, and I've recently retired so I've lost my professional affiliations. They say no man is an island, but it sure feels like that right now.
Have you considered Islam?
@@forevertheloner1285 Why leave one broken religion for one that is even more broken?
Been shot at by dozens more followers of Islam and seen horrific behavior then all other religions combined so call me biased. Most Muslims are great but the 1% lows are exponentially lower and the entire LGBQ and women are lower is also highly problematic.
Clay, as a fellow INFJ, "Isolation" is pretty much a default phase for me. 🙂I do have a Really strong connections with his video. Over the past three years I have been questioning lots of things. Started with News outlets in 2020 during the pandemic with Covid and then politics, then went to religion early last year with questioning church established beliefs (similar to your "Why I left Christianity" video). Still in progress, but I feel I am actually getting away from what is NOT the whole truth and heading towards the Truth, whatever that may be. I may never make it there in this lifetime, but I am at least on the journey. Cheers, Jeff.
I have zero clue why so emotional today watching your videos it's ss if s huge weight has been lifted I feel as if back to where things make sense again to me.
I would like to focus a bit on phenomena of after-life belief in a specific way. People who had "Near death experience" often describe their life as more productive, meaningful, etc. afterwards (they simply "do not waste it [anymore]"). They also talk about finding a purpose in life. Doesn't sound familiar ? :). These people also lose fear of death, this also does not mean they would risk their life ("I do not care, it's just a body, I can consume it like a vegetable"), they seem to be able to use better their potential in dangerous situations.
I used to wonder: what is truth? Since then, I realize, I have become rather "nebulous" with some of my views. There are a lot of grey areas in a lot of experiences. I always seemed to have some sort of "emotional balance," at least, according to others. Recently, my Mom passed. If I am in one of these existential crises, then, I'm thankful for it. Others don't see the anxiety and turmoil I have experienced; perhaps I cover that up? Is it just simply too much verbiage to try to explain? I do see that I care about others--a lot. I wonder now, perhaps existential crises are the best healers. I have met many, whom inspire me to no end, whom have endured extreme hardship, yet, they're just as happy as they can be! Thank you for this video.
How did this just fall in my feed when I'm really in a time of need? Man, you don't know how much you're helping me. Very often I found difficulty feeling understood, maybe because I have this ideia that I'm especial in a sense, which puts me in a arrogant position, but I'm slowly walking away from this. Yesterday my existential crisis began. Horrible pain, feeling like everything was falling apart. And then I sat, the thoughts coming over until everthing was silence. "How many times this is going to happen? I have to take something out of this oportunity: change only happens through movement." I said to myself and then, this morning, found your video.
Thank you so much.
You introducing this deep topic while doing a thirst trap at the same time is too good 😭
Re: meaning. I once read that life has no meaning. It's up to us to give meaning to it.
It's an interesting approach I must say.
As a fellow INFJ I often think about life. Why we're here etc. And sometimes through meditation etc what often comes up is connection.
And to me it's true. I think we're here to connect with each other and to love one another. And as a result we connect with ourselves and love ourselves ❤
Authenticity - absolutely ! Number 1 regret of the dying is: people say they wish they lived a life not to please others but an authentic one.
Sadly, as children we often had to choose attachment over authenticity. And this pattern often continues in adulthood.
That is my personal belief. Life has no meaning. And that's what makes life beautiful, because we can make it mean whatever we want it to mean.
Thanks this is just what i needed right now.
Starting the new year strong with an epic video from Clay!
I think that I live in my head
to much.
So caught within my thoughts I get scared .
I have to continue
on to go on,
not just for myself
but more importantly
for others.
I have a lot to share, for now
I have to withhold
Thank you uploading this video Clay! I literally just starting feeling a ‘existential crisis” just today. I feel like when we go thru existential dread it’s the ego that’s slowly dissolving. This video brought a lot of comfort too so thank you ! 😌
Thank you Clay, I resonate 100% with everything you say.
Just to add some personal thoughts here, I would add that the worst or the best part about the existential crisis is when you start to question the real usefulness of your existential crisis itself.
It's realizing that, even though you've always seen your existential crisis as a comfortable position to be in, maybe the best even, as you wanted to find awareness, wisdom and truth, it's now probably turning out to be the worst position, because you see that you've kept on trying so hard and for so many years to find life's truths, yet you can't seem to have moved forward that much, you can't seem to have found the answers you were looking for, you seem to be have become stuck in this and ultimately, you've let life pass without having lived it, without having made something out of it, which is also exactly what you didn't want to happen.
It's realizing that your existential crisis, which was meant to make you gain awareness, is probably at a certain point making you become less aware, because as you're trying to dig the deep questions, you're forgetting to live life, and so you're actually failing to connect with one of the most fundamental truths.
As we're in search for wisdom and awareness, are we really wise and aware to let so much time pass ?
It's realizing that there's an absurdity to it, that you'll never have all the answers and you'll always be more or less lost, even if you asked yourself existential questions all life long.
It's realizing that you actually want to live a life of experiences most importantly, not just a life of endless questionings that lead to nothing and nowhere in the reality, and that all your overthinking is currently preventing you to living this truth. This truth that life has to be lived most importantly.
Because what would even be the point of an existential crisis if it's just to die not having experienced anything in the end ? You would have missed on life thinking about life all your life, how ironic.
So yeah, when you realize that the advantage becomes the drawback,
Or that the solution becomes the problem,
Or that the remedy becomes the poison,
It can free you from the insidious negative aspects of this whole process you or trap you even more.
Take care !
Aloha, eventhough i couldn’t really focus on the video as my brain is tired, i still want to point out tha you have great voice and great presentation when you talk. thank you and keep on going :)
That's so cool Clay!! this is what I've been going through more than once in my life but always kind of isolated. It's reassuring to hear you speak about it, I feel better that I'm not alone! On some level I understand that many people go through it but it doesn't feel like it unless someone explains things using specific words that I resonate with, and you did just that. And also, I believe I'm a bit younger than you, and I'm not sure why but it also feels good to see an older person speak about this so compassionately. I never had a lot of understanding from people who are older, it feels very nice for a change. I also am coming to a conclusion that inner peace is more important than rebelling, I'm tired of rebelling and complying but it's hard to find a different way😀On to the 2nd part then😀
i love the introoo , ur hair slaysss keep going
Love the videography
As always.. Clay I enjoy the mind exercise of another INFJ. My solitary life suits me, yet causes others to question my choices. My commitment. Isolation. I allow so few Into my peace. Our culture is so narcissistic. Been there. No thanks.
What if conscious life extension was a possibility if one were able to clear the conditioning, (especially from the genetic line) of the unconscious death urge thoughts/beliefs AND upgrade the biology like some masters in spiritual teachings so that Existential & Philosophical OCD was no longer running one’s self talk & life experience?
Love the video and topic. If possible, could you lower the background music?
It's not possible to change now, but there's only music for the first couple minutes.
@@ClayArnall thank you!
I hate I can seem to only manifest the things I really don't want in my life. Cause if all the chatter. When I stop an really. Feel it from my little toe to my head I m fully aware of what I want to sm need to manifest into my life. What will. Benifit me not in a using s person sense. Just benifit my over all life.
I don't say what I'm about to say often cause I've never felt it to the point of expression. Don't this out of context. Ppl for once I think I've found a virtual individual I'm a little jealous of. Or even ss a role model.
Nope just want to left alone by envious as people over attention, I never asked for by crazy people who wont go away, cause the get pleadure from destroying others, I regret ever saying hello.
From The Hobbit
Bilbo: “You can promise that I’ll come back?”
Gandalf: “No. And if you do, you will not be the same.”