What is Existentialist Meditation?

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1. Introduction: What is Existentialist Meditation?

  • Existentialism is a philosophical movement concerned with meaning, authenticity, freedom, and the individual's confrontation with existence.
  • Meditation is the  practice of mindfulness, introspection, and presence. Therefore, existentialist meditation is a practice of deep self-reflection that helps individuals engage with the core concerns of existentialism—freedom, responsibility, authenticity, and mortality.

2. Existential Themes in Meditation

A. Being & Presence (Heidegger, Sartre)

  • Concept: "Being-in-the-world" (Heidegger) and "Radical Freedom" (Sartre).
  • Meditation Practice: You can work through a presence-based meditation. Focus on:
    • Observing thoughts without attachment.
    • Feeling the weight of existence in the moment.
    • Questioning “Who am I in this moment?” without seeking an answer.

B. Anxiety & Embracing the Absurd (Kierkegaard, Camus)

  • Concept: Kierkegaard's idea of existential anxiety and Camus' absurdity of life.
  • Meditation Practice: Contemplate where you acknowledge the vastness of the universe and their finite role in it. You can do so by:
    • Sitting with discomfort.
    • Observing anxiety without labeling it as negative.
    • Repeating a mantra like “I exist, and that is enough.”

C. Death Awareness (Heidegger, Nietzsche)

  • Concept: Heidegger’s Being-toward-death and Nietzsche’s eternal recurrence.
  • Meditation Practice: Try to visualize  your mortality—not morbidly, but as a motivator for authentic living.
    • Reflect on: “If today were my last day, am I living authentically?”
    • Breathe normally while contemplating impermanence.

D. Responsibility & Meaning (Sartre, Frankl)

  • Concept: Sartre’s claim that we are "condemned to be free," and Frankl’s belief in creating meaning through responsibility.
  • Meditation Practice: Begin keeping a meditation journal or silent reflection on:
    • Personal responsibility for one's choices.
    • Creating meaning despite external absurdity.
    • Asking, “What is my responsibility in my own becoming?”

3. Conclusion: Integrating Existential Meditation in Daily Life

  • Begin and maintain a daily meditative practices that reinforce existential awareness.
  • Embrace uncertainty rather than seeking fixed answers.
  • Sit with the silence of existence, feel the weight of one's own being, and simply exist.

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