Is there a purpose?

When we ask,
"What's it all about?",
and,
"Is there a purpose?"
are we just hoping or wishing that we had a purpose or that something called God had a purpose for us?

The fundamental assumption of Western scientists is that everything is matter and that consciousness is a phenomenon that is created by it, that is, consciousness is an epiphenomenon of matter (commonly described as Materialism).

For thousands of years philosophers and contemplatives have claimed the opposite: that matter is an epiphenomenon of consciousness (commonly described as Idealism).

When we believe that our consciousness is an epiphenomenon of the brain then we live in permanent fear and exile: our lives are short and insignificant.

When we acknowledge, then, that actually we are epiphenomenon of consciousness, that is, we and all things are created within consciousness, then we begin to feel our connectedness to all, and that we are part of a grandiose unfolding.

Our Natural Self knows that it is a small focus in the infinite bubble of consciousness, but it is our belief in the prevailing scientific materialism that is the cause of our estrangement from our Natural Self and our consequent fear of insignificance and annihilation.

When we regard not matter, but consciousness as the ground of all being, then it follows that you and I (and all other sentient beings, or minds) are within consciousness. Then we understand that consciousness itself cannot have a purpose as it’s 'the end of the line'. That’s it!

Looked at in this way it’s possible to surmise that there can’t be any purpose behind consciousness because, well, 'that’s it!'...
Consciousness itself just, - is!
Surely, therefore, any meaning or purpose we give to life must be a product of our mind? There’s no purpose in life other than that which we decide!

Someone who knew this well was Viktor Frankl – a concentration camp survivor, psychiatrist and author of 'Man’s Search for Meaning'. He claimed that narrow-mindedness and self-interest brings about what he called an “existential vacuum” and that meaning is more readily found when we engage with things outside ourselves:

1. Get involved with a project by “creating a work or doing a deed”.
2. Get involved with nature, art, or loving another human being.
3. Look on the bright side of life.

The good news, then, is although there is no purpose to Life itself, there is purpose to your life!
The caveat?...
YOU DECIDE!

This is good news because it means we have total freedom and limitless opportunity to find meaning and purpose!...
Why limitless?
Well, if consciousness is the ground of all being then it cannot cease to exist. Then the consciousness that formed You and I also cannot cease to exist - death as we experience it is our consciousness leaving one reality for another.
So, maybe, if you don't crack it this time round...?!

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This freedom to find purpose in our own way suggests a universe of infinite variety where mind can experience extraordinary realities within which it can seek meaning and purpose that could be beyond our ability to conceive or perceive.

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Then, in our multi-dimensional universe (probably) there are entities whose realities are inconceivably alien to us and whose experience and purpose is so rich and complex that it’s understandable that we would call them gods.

@2019 David A Leach | Designer: David A Leach (davidaleach@hotmail.co.uk)