by Bob Trowbridge

Created on: May 12, 2009

There is a reason for our existence that is inherent in our life, a meaning that goes beyond our daily survival needs, or there is not. Neither the scientists nor the philosophers can settle this question with any certainty. But it is not a scientific or philosophical question. This is a question that is only meaningful as it applies to an individual life. And the answer to the question can only be lived and experienced by an individual or not experienced.

Existence

The existence of life as a whole is either accidental or it is planned in some way. The existence of the earth and the particular life forms that inhabit it is a simple and natural chemistry experiment and we are its results. Or there is some kind of intelligence behind it all, a super mind.

Argue as we might, with great passion and mountains of evidence on our side, no one is in a position to know for certain why we exist and whether our being has any meaning. We must each decide for ourselves. Religion comes down firmly on the side of a mind behind existence. Many others see life as a big accident with no purpose and certainly no guiding higher power.

Our beliefs about existence and being have a huge impact on how we view the self and how we view life as a whole. Since nothing can be proved one way or the other, why not choose the worldview that makes the most sense to you and which makes life more worthwhile and potentially rewarding?

Meaning

If there is a mind behind life, a creative force, then life, existence, being, has meaning. Many individuals seek meaning in their life. Many try to create meaning in their life through their work, their relationships, and perhaps through some kind of service to humanity. But is there a meaning built into life? Is there a purpose for life that is included in the creator's package?

While my belief in a meaningful existence cannot be proven by any scientific method, I have an awareness of meaning just by paying attention to my life experiences. I would suggest that if we take a meaningful existence as a working hypothesis and look at our own life experiences as if they were meaningful, we might be surprised at what we find.

Projection & Reflection

I come to a belief in a meaningful existence through my religious studies and personal experiences. I also come to it through my study of dreams. Because my dreams are meaningful, there is the suggestion that everything is meaningful. In fact, I have taken my work in understanding the meaning of dreams into my waking

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