Meaning beyond Reason: A Rational Approach to How Self-Transcendence Precedes Self-Actualization in Man's Search for Meaning

By Magnus Larsson

What gives some the strength to go through life having to face suffering, while others having all the means to live, find no meaning to live for? The strength of the mind and its ability to search for meaning rests upon its structure. The most important task remains, which is to bring the person out of ignorance about the part of the mind that i

• Language: English
• Publisher: Magnus Larsson
• Release date: Oct 31, 2019
• ISBN: 9780578608921

Book preview

Introduction

What gives some the strength to go through life having to face suffering, while others having all the means to live, find no meaning to live for? The strength of the mind and its ability to search for meaning rests upon its structure. The aim of this study is to provide correct knowledge for the mind to structure itself to search for meaning.

The mind is modelled after two parts: The consciousness not inhibited by circumstances is referred to as the pure consciousness. Through the pure consciousness one is able to connect to the higher dimension, which is better equipped to detect and understand meaning. The pure consciousness is inherently self-transcendent and value is found in that which one is striving towards, including the person one is seeking to grow to become. The second part is referred to as the natural consciousness. It is the default state of mind, which seeks value primarily through the satisfaction of one’s physical needs. The natural consciousness derives value in what one does and in the accumulation of what one has achieved.

When the natural consciousness is placed before the pure consciousness, it weakens the ability of the mind to detect and understand meaning. The natural consciousness does not differentiate between the inherent meaning in life and meaning experienced. As a result, meaning of life is conditioned on favorable circumstances. A problem arises in circumstances of suffering, when one’s search for meaning does not yield meaning experienced, and one concludes that life has no meaning.

At the core, one’s search for meaning is the efforts made to hold the pure consciousness in the subject position and the natural consciousness in the object position. This study will show how to avoid being limited to one’s subjective view of the meaning of life, by adhering to a process similar to that of an objective observation. By temporarily bracketing the natural consciousness and thereby giving priority to the pure consciousness, one is able to take a self-transcendent perspective and thereby differentiate between the self-centered natural consciousness and the other-centered pure consciousness.

By differentiating between the two realms of consciousness, undesirable circumstances do not have to impede one’s search for meaning. The importance of self-transcendence is also proven by those who have all the means to live, but who have no meaning to live for. 

In order to properly structure the mind by temporarily bracketing the natural consciousness to allow the pure consciousness to assume the center position, one needs correct knowledge. By knowing why one can overcome any how. In other words, with correct knowledge, the mind has what it takes to structure itself to overcome any circumstances. By confirming the limits of the natural consciousness as to the understanding of meaning, and with faith in the capacity of the pure consciousness to detect and understand meaning, one can rationally accept the fact of not always making sense of life, while remaining hopeful in one’s search for meaning. Meaning will prove itself as it ensues, beyond the reaches of doubt.

Psychology tends to focus on the part of the mind that is sick, but unless psychology can also elucidate the healthy part of the mind, any treatment will have a limited effect. The most important task remains: to bring the person out of a self-centered state of mind, ignorant about the pure consciousness and the higher dimension. Without self-transcendence there is no context in which to search for meaning.

In a self-centered state of mind and a lack of meaning experienced, the concept of self-transcendence is not relevant. There is therefore a place for a rational explanation of the need for self-transcendence through perceiving the limits of reason in understanding meaning.

By surviving three years of Nazi concentration camps, Frankl proves that life has meaning regardless of the circumstances and that the principles used to search for meaning are unchanging.

By declaring that man is responsible and must actualize the potential meaning of his life, I wish to stress that the true meaning of life is to be discovered in the world rather than within man or his own psyche, as though it were a closed system. I have termed this constitutive characteristic ‘the self-transcendence of human existence.’ It denotes the fact that being human always points, and is directed, to something, or someone, other than oneself—be it a meaning to fulfill or another human being to encounter. The more man forgets himself—by giving himself to a cause to serve or another person to love—the more human he is and the more he actualizes himself. What is called self-actualization is not an attainable aim at all, for the simple reason that the more one would strive for it, the more he would miss it. In other words, self-actualization is possible only as a side-effect of self-transcendence.[1]

This book originates in experience, in my search for meaning. It focuses on the efforts made towards establishing and maintaining a self-transcendent mindset. It is not intended as merely an intellectual exercise or that of philosophizing, but to be of practical use in solving real problems.

The first section, The Undifferentiated Self, begins with the state of mind in which the notion of self-transcendence and meaning are weak. The only way for an undifferentiated mind to break free from itself is for reason to acknowledge its limitations. Breaking free occurs the moment one is faced with the limits of the undifferentiated self, and in the next moment is presented with a self-transcendent alternative. While reason is not equipped to conceptualize what does not lend itself to be objectified, the rational mind is able to acknowledge its limitations and not object to faith in what lies beyond its limits.

The establishment of the proper order between the pure consciousness in the subject position and the natural consciousness in the object position will be discussed in the section Vertical Self-Transcendence. The search for meaning is similar to an objective observation. It is first a holistic experience in the pure consciousness followed by a rational understanding in the natural consciousness of the image of the experience.

While the initial stage of breaking through the inertia of an undifferentiated mind is through a force of push, the next phase towards self-transcendence is the additional force of pull. One can push oneself towards the edge of the limits of the natural consciousness, but to go beyond them, one also needs the force of pull from the relationship with an object in image or in substance. An object becomes a source of value in that it allows one to actualize one’s essential value. This will be discussed in the section Horizontal Self-Transcendence.

The last section, Foundation for Meaning, shows how meaning ensues when the vertical self-transcendence and the horizontal self-transcendence intersect, forming a 90-degree angle. Meaning ensues as one stands in the object position to the higher dimension as one’s vertical subject, and in the subject position to an object of value horizontally. In order to relate to the surrounding world without attempting the impossible—for the world to conform to one’s standard, or conform oneself to the standards of the world—it is necessary to maintain both an inner (vertical) and outer (horizontal) self-transcendence.

As a reader, one is looking for a rational framework to make sense of that which one is taking in and processing through the intellect. However, to enclose a topic such as meaning in a rational framework would be a mistake. Attempting to objectify meaning would be to reduce it into something else. The approach here is to remain on the side of reason and come right up to its edge. One would do oneself a disfavor by adopting someone else’s expression of meaning as a replacement of one’s own search for meaning. Any expression of meaning, including the one you are reading now, has value only as far as it can assist you in your search for meaning.

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Three sources have been instrumental in compiling this content:

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Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl

Frankl is not only referred to because of his insights into the workings of the mind. His unwavering search for meaning, despite unchangeable circumstances of suffering for three years in concentration camps, is proof that life has meaning regardless of circumstances, and that the mind has the capacity to overcome any how if it knows why.

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Phenomenology as developed by Edmund Husserl

The model of the mind consisting of the pure consciousness and the natural consciousness is derived from Husserl. His method of conducting an objective observation by first bracketing the natural consciousness to allow one to get a holistic understanding through experience in the pure consciousness, is adopted here as a model to describe the process of establishing a self-transcendent consciousness.

One may find oneself understanding an object of study how it must be rather than how it actually is. There is a difference between how one subjectively experiences and expresses one’s understanding of the object, and the object. Like an object of study, the inherent meaning of life—meaning in themselves—is independent of the observer and one’s search—meaning experienced. Whether or not one has found meaning does not alter reality and whether there is a meaning to be found. Meaning in themselves can be compared to Frankl’s hypothesis that life has meaning regardless of the circumstances.

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Unification Thought by Sang Hun Lee, based on the Teachings of Sun Myung Moon

Human beings are created with an original individual image and the purpose of life is to actualize the image through a process of growth. Just as meaning in themselves is not created, the original individual image is a given.

The theory on Logos is used to explain the relationship between image and reason: between the holistic understanding through experience, and the rational understanding of the experience. Meaning ensues by actualizing the original individual image according to Logos.

Everything has an internal character and an external form. A creation process goes through two stages: an inner developmental stage and an outer developmental stage.

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The following explains the model used in this study and central concepts used throughout the text. Please read it carefully.

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The Pure Consciousness and the Natural Consciousness

For the purpose of this study, the mind consists of the pure consciousness and the natural consciousness. The pure consciousness seeks value by having a meaning to fulfill. The natural consciousness is a closed system centered on oneself, in which reason is the most trusted source of understanding.

The pure consciousness encompasses the natural consciousness while also being open to the higher dimension, whereas the natural consciousness is ignorant of anything self-transcendent.

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The higher the dimension, the wider and more inclusive the scope of self-transcendence. A higher dimension is considered self-transcendent from a position lower and narrower in scope. The higher dimension is inclusive of the dimensions below.

The physical and mental aspects are harmoniously united in one humanness on the level of the spiritual dimension. One has access to the higher and spiritual dimension through the pure consciousness. The higher dimension is better equipped to detect and understand meaning than the natural consciousness. In the lower dimension, no differentiation is made between self and the self-transcendent: The center is the self and the periphery a projection of self.

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Being Value, Doing Values and Deficiency Needs

Being value is intrinsically confirmed, and includes truth, goodness, justice, perfection. These are values that are recognized and aspired to by the pure consciousness and ultimately fulfilled through one becoming the substantial manifestation of those values through one’s spiritual growth —hence being value. Doing values, on the other hand, are values generated through one’s efforts. Doing values are more instantaneous, whereas being value stems from one’s personal growth and takes longer to manifest. While doing values can be achieved regardless of purpose, being value can only be achieved through a self-transcendent purpose. It is a problem when doing values crowd out being value. It means that the natural consciousness is the center, which is less equipped to detect and understand meaning than the pure consciousness. By making the choice of having one’s efforts to be for the benefit of a self-transcendent purpose, doing values are refined to being value—one’s essential value is actualized—generating an increase in value.

Deficiency needs arise out of the natural consciousness and are typically needs related to one’s physical survival and social belonging. When value is searched for in response to deficiency needs, it becomes a matter of self-centered pursuit, which crowds out the pure consciousness and the will to meaning.

Will to meaning is an inner pull to find a meaning in life through actualizing the original individual image through spiritual growth. Unlike the forces of nature exerting an infallible pull on an apple seed to become an apple tree, the will to meaning can be frustrated. Frankl explains that when will to meaning is frustrated, the latent forces of will to pleasure and will to power reign supreme.

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[1] Viktor E. Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning: An Introduction to Logotherapy (Boston, Mass: Beacon Press, 2006), Kindle edition, 1139.

Part One:

The Undifferentiated Self

The natural consciousness is the default state of mind. Inherently self-centered, it is ignorant of the pure consciousness and the higher dimension. Without anything of value exceeding one’s own to strive towards, it inhibits one’s search for meaning.

Two approaches are explored to break out from the limits of the natural consciousness: the initiating, subjective approach and the reflective, objective approach. Both are active at any given time.

The subjective approach is to challenge one’s potential and thereby gain the experience of the limitations of one’s worldview. Taking into account the limits of time marked by the reality of one’s physical death places the natural consciousness into perspective. From the end position one is able to transcend and objectify a self-centered worldview. Acknowledging the limits of reason as the primary source of understanding, self-transcendence is then not only a matter of faith, but a logical step in one’s search for meaning.

The second and reflective approach is to choose one’s attitude in regard to the absolute truth. Being mindful of what one has received from life prompts