The meaning crisis is the collective and individual erosion of a sense of purpose, belonging, and direction in life, intensified by the decline of religious, communal institutions, and cultural narratives that historically provided that meaning. Psychology and cognitive science professor John Vervaeke discusses the state of the “meaning crisis,” including the social and cultural contexts that fostered such a widespread loss of connection and purpose.1 89% of young people aged 16 to 29 in the UK say their lives lack meaning2 — a figure that turns what seemed like an individual complaint into a civilizational phenomenon.
What Is the Meaning Crisis?
John Vervaeke’s 50-episode series “Awakening from the Meaning Crisis” addresses our modern sense of despair, depression, and lack of meaning, which appear especially pervasive.3
But what exactly is in crisis? Our two-world mythos is no longer a livable worldview, yet it was this mythos that gave us an explanation for self-transcendence, wisdom, meaning, etc. In an increasingly scientific worldview, the conception of these things, and the path to achieve them, is no longer clear.3
Philosopher Charles Taylor described this process as the “great dis-embedding.” Today, we live with the consequences of what Taylor described as the “great dis-embedding.”4 Previously, humans understood themselves as part of nature, embedded in a cosmic order, within a community of meaning. Now, modern people tend to see the universe as ultimately indifferent and arbitrary. This worldview was not the case for most of Western history. Moreover, concepts of Love/Faith and Reason/Science only recently separated.5
Why Is the Meaning Crisis Intensifying Now?
Several factors converge simultaneously to create a perfect storm of loss of meaning:
1. The decline of traditional structures of meaning
Organized religions, local communities, shared rituals — all are rapidly shrinking. A growing number of people struggle to find purpose in life. Society seems to be losing touch with its humanity.6
2. Cultural nihilism among young people
This emerging philosophy is one of total helplessness, where nothing can change and life is empty of purpose. Nietzsche called it “nihilism.” But the phenomenon has become so widespread among American youth that modern thinkers have given it a modifier: “cultural nihilism.” Research shows record levels of youth disenchantment with democracy and trust in institutions hovering near historic lows.7
In other words, nihilism is not apathy — it is inward disappointment. It happens when idealism meets a system that keeps failing you.7
3. Existential stagnation (waithood)
There is a rapid spread of nihilistic emotions among young people, trapped between social expectations and practical obstacles. Many youths have begun to doubt whether their efforts have meaning. Emotional numbness, passive resistance, and digital escapism become coping strategies, but these actually expose a deeper spiritual crisis.8
The youngest generation is experiencing an unprecedented value vacuum, unable to return to the traditional world of meaning nor find spiritual support in modern society. This feeling of suspension leads to widespread existential anxiety and spiritual emptiness.9
The “Death of God” in the 21st Century — Nietzsche, Vervaeke, and the Spiritual Vacuum
According to Nietzsche, the disappearance of objective truths led to a crisis of values, a “nihilist abyss” that forced individuals to reevaluate the foundations of their beliefs. This confrontation with nothingness and emptiness of purposes is the essence of metaphysical nihilism.10
Vervaeke updates this analysis for the contemporary era. The first step in creating a meaning crisis is to destabilize a culture’s mythos, making it unsustainable or uninhabitable. Vervaeke argues that the mythos under pressure in our current meaning crisis is our two-world mythos, given to us and shaped by the Axial Age.3
The result is an erosion operating simultaneously at three layers:
| Order of Meaning | What Was Lost | Lived Consequence |
| Nomological Order | The universe as an ordered cosmos | “The world doesn’t make sense” |
| Narrative Order | Personal story as part of something greater | “My life is going nowhere” |
| Normative Order | Shared values as a moral compass | “I don’t know what is right or wrong” |
“Nothing Matters” — or “Everything Is Now Possible”? The Paradox of Nihilism
Interestingly, nihilism does not produce only despair. It is also being redefined.
A disillusioned American might consider a slightly different approach to nihilism: optimistic nihilism. When nihilism says “Nothing matters,” optimistic nihilism replies “Then we decide what matters.” When cultural nihilism says “The system is broken — burn it all,” optimistic nihilism answers “The system is made by humans — so we can fix it.”7
The true solution to overcome spiritual nihilism among youth is to confront the absurd, accept the world’s lack of meaning, and then seek one’s own meaning. Truly facing the absurd means accepting its existence and, on that basis, using clear consciousness and firm will to rebel against the absurd, creating one’s own value in a meaningless world.9
IPSOS, in its Global Trends 2024 report, named this phenomenon “Nouveau Nihilism.” What IPSOS defines as “Nouveau Nihilism” in its Global Trends 2024 report, based on more than 50,000 interviews across 50 markets, is a tacit recognition among many young people around the world that their long-term dreams may be farther away than ever.11
How to Exit the Meaning Crisis — What Cognitive Science Offers
Vervaeke argues that we can face the meaning crisis by appreciating and grounding ourselves in reality. We can find relevance by deepening our relationship with the world and people around us. In turn, this reverence provides peace of mind as we recognize the interconnectedness of all things.6
Vervaeke proposes a two-step solution:
His goal is to re-legitimize (within a scientific framework) the projects that nurture these qualities, and that is the first step to solving the meaning crisis. The second step will be to re-engineer the Enlightenment, which Vervaeke conceives as an ecology of practices that can reliably alleviate our perennial problems.3
Meaning Reconstruction Protocol in 5 Dimensions:
- Ecology of practices — Not a single isolated practice (meditation OR therapy OR religion), but an integrated combination of contemplative, dialogical, and embodied practices
- Flow states — Flow states, rituals, and lifelong learning contribute to strengthening mental health and fostering adaptability.2
- Community of meaning — Meaning is not built alone. It requires deep relationships and belonging
- Humility and wisdom — Reconnecting with a sense of humility, wisdom, and shared humanity can help guide us toward a more meaningful collective existence.2
- Relevance Realization — Relevance Realization is the dynamic cognitive machinery that helps us decide what is relevant from a combinatorially explosive set of possibilities.3 Training this capacity is essential to navigate complexity.
The Meaning Crisis and Mental Health — The Hidden Connection
Harvard’s research on loneliness in the US revealed a deeper layer: The data also suggest that beneath loneliness there may be a disturbing mix of feelings, including anxiety, depression, and lack of meaning and purpose.12
Respondents who reported loneliness were much more likely to report anxiety, depression, lack of meaning and purpose, and a sense that their place in the world is not important. For example, 81% of lonely adults reported anxiety or depression, and about 75% of lonely adults reported having little or no meaning or purpose.12
This suggests that the meaning crisis is not just a philosophical phenomenon — it is a mental health determinant with measurable clinical consequences.
FAQ — Frequently Asked Questions About the Meaning Crisis
Q: What is the meaning crisis? A: It is the collective erosion of a sense of purpose, belonging, and direction in life, intensified by the decline of religious, communal institutions, and cultural narratives that historically provided such meaning. The term was popularized by Professor John Vervaeke of the University of Toronto.
Q: Is the meaning crisis the same as depression? A: No. Although they share symptoms (apathy, lack of motivation), the meaning crisis is primarily an existential and cultural condition, not clinical. However, it can be a risk factor for depression — 75% of lonely adults report having little or no meaning or purpose.
Q: Why are young people more affected? A: For today’s youth, the “eggshell” is no longer simply childhood or adolescence — it has become reality itself. Those unable to break through find themselves stuck in a state of waithood, suspended between a childhood they have outgrown and an adult life they cannot fully enter.8
Q: Is nihilism always negative? A: Not necessarily. If life seems meaningless, that means the page is blank. If institutions are broken, that means they are ours to change. Rather than despair in the face of emptiness, treat it as a creative space: if no ultimate meaning exists, your choices matter even more.7
Q: How to begin to rebuild meaning? A: Vervaeke proposes an “ecology of practices” — the integrated combination of contemplative practices (meditation, journaling), dialogical practices (deep conversations, community), and embodied practices (exercise, contact with nature). The starting point is to deepen relationships and engage in activities that produce flow states.
Q: Is the meaning crisis a modern phenomenon? A: It has roots in the Axial Age (800-200 BC) and intensified with the Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment. But the current speed and scale — combined with today’s polycrisis — are unprecedented.
Q: Is there a cure for the meaning crisis? A: It is not about “cure” but active reconstruction. Vervaeke seeks to restore a natural worldview that can provide deep meaning in life.3 The path requires continuous practice, community, and a willingness to inhabit uncertainty without paralysis.
