A Logotherapist's thoughts on the Existential Vacuum

Every once in a while, I like to wind down and reflect on how things are going in my life. The long July 4th weekend provided adequate time to both relax and think about things without the daily pressures of working a full time job. The daily tasks associated with work fill my weekdays and often make me too tired to reflect on anything more than resting, eating and sleeping. A four-day weekend, however, allows me to not only relax and recreate, but provides time to meditate, contemplate and basically think.

Thinking brings analysis and judgment, which opens up a door for the dreaded Existential Vacuum to slip in and demand some of my thoughts. During normal working hours, these mind games are better restricted to mere flashes and whispers from my inner gremlins. But, with more available time, opportunities for full-scale debates arise.

As a student of Viktor Frankl's work in Logotherapy, the seminal discussions found in his book, "Man's Search For Meaning", remind me that the need to find meaning in life is a prerequisite to attaining happiness. Time spent in the Existential Vacuum is important for each individual, as it opens up the search for the compass we use to chart our journey through life. Frankl introduced the idea of the Existential Vacuum; a void within ourselves created by a lack of awareness of any meaning worth living for. This void is caused by an inability to make proactive choices on our life's path and the loss or fading of traditions that have guided people's lives during past generations. A person then suffers this feeling of loss, often resorting to behavior that further traps the individual in a feeling of helplessness.

Symptoms of the Existential Vacuum often include a will for power, a will for money, a will for pleasure, a will for celebrity, or the opposite, a will for self-effacement - all of these in order to be accepted by others. These are only some examples, but the main cause is the lack of meaning in life. Logotherapy provides a solution for these symptoms. Each person must take responsibility in finding personal meaning to their life. This meaning must include action and not rely on abstract thoughts alone. Proactive involvement in life and the world is requisite to achieve a successful plan for a meaninful life. 

Logotherapy is very clear in creating a tactical plan. There are three possible approaches. The first is creating meaningful work or performing meaningful tasks. The second is by experiencing something or someone intimately. The third, and perhaps the most important, is the attitude we take toward unavoidable suffering. An often-repeated quote by Viktor Frankl is "Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms - to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way." This is powerful stuff!

So, at the end of this holiday weekend, I choose to follow all three approaches! Another of Frankl's quotes has also helped me: "The salvation of man is through love and in love. I understood how a man who has nothing left in this world still may know bliss, be it only for a brief moment, in the contemplation of of his beloved." All of the great religious Traditions teach LOVE as the most powerful force. "Love conquers all!" There is also a saying, "Charity begins at home", which also means that we must first love ourself before we can love any other person or thing. By opening my heart to the universe, I am asking and receiving unconditional love. I am now able to take the world in a love embrace and follow my bliss and find meaning in life - which is happiness in a nutshell. As the Buddha said, "There is no path to Happiness: Happiness is the Path", And, as one of my trusted spiritual guides says, "Love is always the answer!"

Blessings, 

Rev. Alfred P. Voto, M.Msc.  

The Metaphysical Gatsby

Romping with the Mind of God

This is not a movie review, even though I did see the recent release of The Great Gatsby. I was curious to see how Baz Luhrmann would direct this adaptation of the great American novel. I came away with a new appreciation of the metaphysical aspects of this allegory of a man's search for meaning and how he found success in attaining his singular dream. The ambition of Gatsby, of course, was erasing five years of separation from Daisy Buchanan and building a dream based on their previous attraction. Even though it was common sense in the 1920s that rich girls don't marry poor boys, Gatsby's dream and ambition was focused on changing his life and going from rags to riches to take Daisy away from her husband and child. Set in boom times for the one-percent wealthy families in post-war America, the novel shows how high Gatsby had to climb to attain and pass the wealth of the Buchanan family.

Instead of accepting his "penniless" condition and giving up any though of ever reuniting with an ultra rich and spoiled woman of his dreams, Gatsby made Daisy his raison d'etre and the sole meaning to his being. Meditation was not mentioned in the novel, but it was obvious that Gatsby truly believed in the law of attraction. By focusing on his goal with intensity and abandon, he put himself in situations that would eventually lead to his acquiring outrageous wealth through both legitimate and dubious means. The metaphor of "Romping with the Mind of God" puts Gatsby in the category of a true metaphysical science practitioner. Using singular vision, he enters into a position of actually becoming one with God and the universe. I can reach back into my own memory to recall a similar situation when I concentrated all my energy and will power to reach a goal. Carl Jung, the great psychologist and visionary, believed in what's called the Collective Unconscious, which can be compared to a database containing all existing wisdom in the universe. We can access this database through the practice of meditation. I can recall many times when I cleared my thoughts, meditated and received inspiration that would become the seed from which my dreams manifested forth. Gatsby refused to look back to his condition of poverty, but instead lived in the NOW and sought to carry it into the future.

Fall from Grace

Gatsby's singular focus on reuniting with Daisy was flawed by two things. Sure, he was able to build great wealth beyond the imagination of most men at the time, but, he built his empire based on his own dreams and desires. He used his memory of Daisy to paint each of his gains and and successes with a nice veneer of opulence. After all, this was Gatsby's dream and vision. He saw the world through rose-colored glasses of his mind. The flaw would eventually become clear when Daisy questioned the dream world that Gatsby had made for the two of them. She already had the jaded wealth and comfort afforded her by the Buchanan family. Her attraction to Gatsby was not fueled by unity with the universe, but by more profane attraction to the trappings of wealth. In comparison to Gatsby's lofty idealism, Daisy exhibited the whims of a spoiled and uncaring woman. Gatsby was Utopian in his vision, but Daisy's vision was shallow and transitory.

The second flaw to Gatsby's vision was his desire to recapture the five years of separation from Daisy. In essence, he wanted to take his wealth and return with Daisy to a time before marriage and child entrapped her. God's time is not linear, but cosmic and eternally progressive. The only time to connect with God is in the present moment, in the NOW. Jesus said, "Once you have put your shoulder to the plow, never look back!" By looking back, Gatsby disconnected from the dynamic universal source of energy. He could no longer romp with the mind of God, but was forced to see Daisy as she really was, as she chose to be. After all, she had her own dreams and visions. Gatsby was never able to regain his connection with the divine source, and his life and dreams spiraled downward. In fact, it might be said that, looking back, he was forced to deal with all the karma from his deeds that propelled him to the top.  

Living in the NOW

The lesson to this allegory is essential. We can do what Gatsby did and have a singular vision. But, we must collaborate with others to co-create Heaven on Earth. It's fine to have a dream and vision for the future, but we must take into consideration the desires and needs of others. Gatsby tried to be an alchemist and turn Daisy's base metal into Gold. To perform miracles, we must work with like-minded individuals who deeply desire to share a common goal. We must live in the NOW, the only place where God resides and universal principles operate. If we don't, then the green light at the end of Daisy's dock will be forever clouded by the mists of flawed plans and visions.

Blessings!

Rev. Alfred P. Voto, M.Msc.

Returning to Source

Retooling our perceptions of the Changing Times   During my morning commute aboard the 159R express, there was an incident that seemed minor at the time but which provided a catalyst for incredible insights to occur during the coming days. There came the smell of what was perceived as burning bus brakes, which in and of itself is not unusual, but we all agreed that something strange was happening, and the scent was perceived by each individual member of our group differently. Some felt the intrusion to be an indication that the infrastructure was crumbling, which is more fact than perception; others took the smell as indicating that great changes were afoot! For my part, it would not be until the early afternoon before I was to exhibit what can only be explained as a "knowing" that the channels of transition are now in place and can be readily accessed for those seeking to transcend the Earth plane. As the next morning approached, I was surrounded by a feeling of peace and well-being that has magnified and become more intense in each succeeding day. Changes were indeed happening, and a new era has commenced.

Everyone can agree that changes have occurred; the old economic mentality no longer works in today's world. The authors of the old benchmarks have been proven to be untrustworthy, from the highest levels of management to the lowest depths of greed and corruption. Caught in the middle are the baby boomers; those who started this great shift during the cultural revolution of the 1960s. On the verge of retirement, baby boomers are caught on the horns of a major dilemma: whether to trust the old ways that were thrust upon us by our parents' generation, or to boldly leap into the New Age mentality that is coded within each of us...waiting to be released! It will be the brave pioneers who take this "leap of faith" who will reap the benefits of the present times. Those of us who trust in the Power of Now have already experienced the warmth and security of the changing times, and have taken the first steps into the new reality.

Countdown to Eternity
The ancient peoples of Earth have written numerous accounts of what will be shortly happening. Those of us who will be present during these events will be called upon to endure what for some will be hardships, others will rejoice in the mighty upheaval of the Universe and see it as a new beginning. Biblical references abound, including the book of Revelations and the Gospel of Mark (Mark 13:24-32). In Hinduism, the life of the god Shiva describes this very eloquently, and relates a story of both destruction and creation. Truly, all the religions of the world have their own scriptural references to these end times. The channels of transition are now available for those who desire not to remain in their present condition, but prefer to search for another, improved dimension. As a Logotherapist, I have an understanding of this transition and can assist those preparing to change their present realization and create a more meaningful life. Also, as a Metaphysician, I have studied many of the scriptures relating to this rite of passage and can assist those struggling with their decision.

Eat, Drink and be Merry! The changes will continue to occur, so the best thing to do is not to panic, but seek to make each moment count. By deciding to enjoy life and seek wisdom, we can all take a lesson from the teacher in the book of Ecclesiastes. Everyone knows that earthly life is not eternal, yet some choose to "sweat the small stuff." The saying "no pain, no gain" has become a belief system for many of us. The wise man knows that life is not a "vale of tears," but an opportunity for abundant living based on love and  compassion. The essence of all world religions is a paradigm shift from a life based on fear to one based on love. The first step is to love ourself and have profound compassion on both ourself and others.

How often do we agonize about each daily task and put too much pressure on ourself to succeed in everything we do? The answer might seem simple, and if we truly think about our motives in life, we will see that there were many times when we did things out of fear, not love. If things seem to be difficult and hard, perhaps we are not meant to do them. The saying "If it feels good, do it" might be better translated "If it feels right, then do it." The initial step is to "stop the insanity," and understand that we have precious little time to waste in living an abundant life. By returning to source, which is the same as a return to love, we can once again connect with the infinite power of the Universe. As St. John the Baptist says in the Gospels, "The Kingdom of Heaven is at Hand!" It's time to leave the old ways behind and start creating Heaven, right here, right now. We have the power; it's been right inside us all along!

Blessings!

Rev. Alfred P. Voto, M.Msc.

WELCOME SPRING



Russian Easter Eggs (Pysanky)



HAPPY EASTER  At Easter, I slip back into my Russian persona; remembering my grandmother's labor of love in hand-decorating eggs that would wind up in our Easter basket. The memory of the incense in the Russian Orthodox church where I was baptized and the gloriously mysterious hymns that helped define my early spirituality. I send warm blessings of love to all "Babushkas" and my friends celebrating the sacred nexus of Passover / Easter. Mir, Peace, Pax, Shalom, OM.

Peace and Light!

Rev. Alfred Voto, M.Msc.