Existential Therapy Answers Pt 1 (Questions 1 - 13)

1)  Yes, there is such a thing as value.  However, it may only be perceivable at best.  In spite of this it is almost certainly always available no matter how subjective or un-quantifiable.
2)  There may be meaning in the universe or universal meaning among us, or maybe not.  It does not matter so much whether there is or is not, but rather if we believe there is or is not and how we act accordingly.
3)  No, we can not know for certain what our (individually, as a human race, or unified cosmology) meaning is.  We may believe that it is certainly something, but that is different complex all together.  Since we can not know (in the sense of proving) our universal meaning the search for any meaning becomes a recurring quest that concludes, if anywhere, only at death; and maybe not even then.  The search for meaning promotes life as an attempt to solve such a question requires one to live a lifetime, or several, to make even the slightest progress.  A select few throughout history have done so, but only according to their own cannon.
4)  Yes, individuals can create meaning.  Whether such a thing is "real" or "true" or "correct" is irrelevant.  This is because as long as a meaning is perceived it occupies some part of our psyche and therefore exists.  Descartes anyone?  I think therefore I exist.  Furthermore, a perceived object is inevitably acted up or reacted to as if it were "real."  Thus perceived meaning begets actions and emotions which are undeniably authentic and "real."
5)  Generally speaking, meaning is not essential.  This question is dependent upon what it is essential for.  Meaning is not essential from a biological standpoint.  Purpose, however, is.  Biological things must serve a purpose or else they become extinct.  To what meaning is that purpose is the much more devilish question.  For example:  If I am a grocery bagger at the local supermarket, then my purpose is to put purchased groceries in to the bags.  This is my "biological" purpose as far as the environment and function of the supermarket is concerned.  However, is there any meaning behind the actions confined in and defined by my purpose?  That is up to you to decide.  The initial question is also dependent upon who is asking it.  From a Christian standpoint meaning is very essential because it entails God.  As for my personal opinion; a psychologically perceived sense of meaning (while beneficial) is not essential as many people have lived and died and continue to live and die without it.
6)  This is a double edged sword where I venture into the absurd.  If you are of the belief that your meaning must incorporate something, then above all else it should incorporate authenticity.  That is that you "practice what you preach", you are everything you love, you embrace all that you hate, you own everything you are and are not, you are what you do, and you do as you are.  You live with unyielding conviction.  This must come above all else even for Christians who will insist that meaning must incorporate God and the abidance of his command.  Half-hearted loyalty is disbelief and unauthentic faith is hypocrisy.
7)  Extrinsic meaning (defined as not essential or coming from the outside) is always possible to be obtained.  A non-essential meaning can be manufactured by the person seeking it.  Its practicality or reality or even logic may be shaky at best, but alas it evokes a very real response.  This synthetic extrinsic meaning, no mater how superficial it may seem to the outsider, is quite verifiable in the eyes of the beholder.  The nihilist may say that such a manufactured meaning voids any hope of authentic living.  To which my response is that all things authentic must be validated.  The extrinsic meaning one creates for themselves validates itself by definition because it is the seed and the stem of its own reasoning and to itself is logical.  Of course no one can or will fully comprehend the valor, the vigilance, the importance, the beauty, or necessity of such a process if they do not ask these questions of themselves.
     Belief in intrinsic meaning (defined as belonging to basic nature of someone; essential; inwardly) is possible depending upon one's religious polarity.  However, the intrinsic meaning must be established a priori to the (any) extrinsic meaning.  If the intrinsic is derived from the extrinsic then it is actually extrinsic by default.  For the non-religious, intrinsic meaning is also possible under the same pretense as before; being a priori to any extrinsic meaning.  Intrinsic meaning is possible but it is impossible for us to know for certain what it is.  Any attempted explanations are a posteriori to the initial issue and can only be considered extrinsic.
8)  The pursuit of meaning, intrinsic and extrinsic, is possible.  Though the pursuit of intrinsic meaning is likely to be in vain, pursuit of extrinsic meaning is not only possible but potentially (if not probably) attainable.
9)  It is important to note that while the pursuit of intrinsic meaning will only lead nowhere, the pursuit itself does have meaning.  A person's quest for an unobtainable goal and the manner in which they conduct themselves while doing so speaks volumes of their character.  They may be characterized as pretentious, overzealous, naieve, ignorant, or in denial - or perhaps just as fitting - determined, dedicated, loyal, faithful, and ambitious.  The pursuit of extrinsic meaning does also have meaning.  A quest for such meaning may be an endeavor spanning an entire lifetime; what an ironic waste of a beautiful mind and opportunity if nothing "meaningful" has occurred or been retained prior to life's expiration.
10)  Yes, constructed meaning is possible.  All constructed meanings, however, are limited to being extrinsic.  Intrinsic meanings are not constructed so much as they have always been in existence.  Much like the laws of physics; they are merely discovered or brought to our attention, but never begotten by us.
11)  There is no solution to one's desire to seek meaning.  The mere solution to a desire for meaning is simple, chronicle some ridiculous fever dream and convince yourself to believe in it, heart and soul.  I'm afraid the affects of this would be even more short lived than anything substantial.  The desire itself is relentless.  If one finally can live their life honestly and authentically and with complete conviction in the meaning they have discovered, it is the meaning of the present and only a temporary fix.  Do not agonize just yet for the present is all that is guaranteed and you have done all that you can.  Nonetheless if despair is the suspense in the theatrical drama of life then the meaning of the present is neither the beginning or end, nor the climax.  It is none of them, yet occurring at all of them.  This desire for meaning is never ending.  Just as the lover loves the beloved long after the beloved has left this world, despair and agony will taint the beautiful lies serenity paints on our heart and our search begins as if from the beginning but only adding another chapter.
12)  Suicide - It is the evasion of life's agony not its solution.  Life is something to be lived, that is, constantly progressing and acting, never acted.  It seems very contradictory to search for meaning in one's life and to sincerely believe that that meaning is to end your life.  What meaning have you found if you take away your ability to relinquish uncertainty?  Self-induced death is a fleeing from the passion that life should be embraced with no matter how optimistic, pessimistic, religious, or meaningless it may be.  If you say that the pain is too great to go on, then you are sadly mistaken and I pity you.  Have you learned nothing?  If you cannot find meaning in your life, perhaps your suffering will assit you.  Some things are possible only through the pain.  Suicide is not the ultimate freedom, rather it is the ultimate rejection of freedom.  How are you to know how the story ends if you tear out the pages and close the book forever?
     Religion - Religion can certainly assist in the search for meaning, especially extrinsic.  Intrinsic religious meaning may exist but our belief in them is purely extrinsic.  Religion is a limited resource as it often leads (as philosophy does) to more questions than answers.  There is no prayer, passage, or preacher that can bestow an everlasting quencher to our thirst for answers.  If you find enough conviction in your beliefs to detest the previous statement, then you would be best to pray your life and actions have been justified, hope (for all you think you're worth) that your beliefs are correct, and be prepared to have to live with yourself for the rest of eternity.  Of course, I don't suppose it would hurt any of us to do those three things anyway.
     Revolt - This is the proffered method of Albert Camus.  However, I believe that while the conscious revolt against the meaninglessness of the world is a fantastic approach to finding a passionate reason to continue living, it is not a one-time fix.  It must be pro-actively and constantly applied, adapted, and re-applied.  (See comments on The Meaning of the Present).  I believe that Camus was well aware of this.  He was constantly trying to convince journalists that his ideas were not set in stone and that they were continuously and constantly evolving.
13)  The solution to one's desire to seek meaning is clearly to find meaning.  However, the desire is very persistent, it is constant, and it is insatiable.  It is the tide that licks the shore yet leaves us empty just as we thought our dry and meaningless life had been moistened enough to wash away uncertainty.  Alas, we have been abandoned by the cure we anxiously committed ourselves to to save us from alienation and anguish, but will soon be bored and begin the crisis all over again.

25 Question Crash Course in Existentialism

*One should note that this is not in any way my rendition of an "Existentialism 101" type of article.  Rather, it is my own personal queue of questions that I would like to answer for myself.  Perhaps it may also be useful for others to do so as well.  I believe this is more or less refereed to as Existential Therapy.  While such therapy is often conducted between a licensed therapist and their patient, I believe that such questions are beneficial even in journaling/blogging.*

Part I - Wikipedia (to whom I do not often give much credit or recommend using as a reference) used similar questions to the following to compare atheistic existentialism, theistic existentialism, absurdism, and nihilism.  You can look up how each school of thought would answer the questions, but for authenticity's sake I will not. (13)
1)  Is there such a thing as meaning or value?
2)  Is there meaning in the universe (either intrinsic or from God)?
3)  Can we know what this meaning is?  If so, how?
4)  Can individuals create meaning in life for themselves?
5)  If it can be created, is it essential?
6)  If it can be created, must it incorporate anything?
7)  Is it possible to obtain intrinsic or extrinsic meaning?
8)  If it is possible, is the pursuit of intrinsic or extrinsic meaning possible?
9)  Does the pursuit have meaning?
10)  Is a constructed meaning possible?
11)  Is there a solution to one's desire to seek meaning? 
12)  If there is a solution, is it suicide, religion, or acceptance and revolt?
13)  If there is a solution and it is none of the above, what is it?

Part II - This is a type of Hedonistic Calculus used to depict the paradox between religious beliefs and their reprecutions. (4)
14)  What is lost/gained if you do believe in the Christian God and he does exist?
15)  What is lost/gained if you do believe in the Christian God and he does not exist?
16)  What is lost/gained if you do not believe in the Christian God and he does exist?
17)  What is lost/gained if you do not believe in the Christian God and he does not exist?

Part III - A quick glance at Wikipedia (begrudgingly again) leads to an article on Christian Existentialism which posits similar questions to these. (8)
18)  For what larger purpose do I exist?
19)  Does existence precede essence?
20)  What is the role of faith in my life?
21)  Is faith without works dead?
22)  What is the role of doubt in my life?
23)  Does revelation beget conversion?
24)  What is the soul?
25)  What happens to my soul upon death?

*That is some serious heavy thinking that will undoubtedly make my head hurt and possibly drive me half insane by the time I am finished answering them.  Nonetheless, the next several blog posts will contain my personal/opinionated answers to these questions, as well as (eventually) a summary of what this project has taught me... mostly about myself

**When reading my answers, it will be helpful to keep this post open in separate tab to reference back to

Hawking Project

A few previous posts were concerning the recently released novel of renowned physicist Stephen Hawking.  There is still a lot of interesting material that I would like to discuss, as well as eventually get around to reading and reviewing The Grand Design.  However, the more I looked into reviews (that I had read after the book's release) it was not as much of a Science vs. Religion debate that I had hoped for for investigation's sake.  From what I can tell, the possibility of creation is still left out there by Hawking and the books is merely his "proof" that another possibility is in fact more probable.  It did not take much looking to find that Hawking's material for this premiss is still hightly "controversial" or more or less just unproven.  That is to say that there is a lot of work left to be done and a lot of holes in the theory left to be filled.

Thus my endvor enquiring quantum physics has reached an indefinite hiatus, that is until the subject and my current study interests once again overlap.