Existential isolation

Existential isolation is the subjective feeling that every human life experience is essentially unique and can be understood only by themselves, creating a gap between a person and other individuals, as well as the rest of the world.[1] Existential isolation falls under existentialism. It was addressed by Martin Heidegger in his book Being and Time (1927) and further explored by Irvin Yalom in his book Existential Psychotherapy (1980). Yalom defined existential isolation as one of three forms of isolation, the other two being intra- and interpersonal isolation. Unlike the other forms, one cannot overcome existential isolation as the gap that separates individuals existentially can never be closed.[1] While every person can experience existential isolation, not everyone might actually feel existentially isolated. Those who do may feel a weaker connection to other individuals and question their beliefs and understanding of the world as they lack social validation.[2][3]

Much work in psychology has focused on feelings of social isolation and/or loneliness.[4] Only recently have psychologists begun to explore the concept of existential isolation.[2] Existential isolation is the subjective sense that persons are alone in their experience and that others are unable to understand their perspective. Existential isolation thus occurs when people feel that they have a unique worldview unshared by others. Measured as either a state or trait, empirical studies have shown Existential isolation undermines life meaning and decreases well-being; people scoring high on Existential Isolation report lower levels of need satisfaction, purpose in life, and meaningfulness and increased death-related concerns.[5][6] There is a positive correlation between EI and anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and belief in conspiracy theories.[4][7]

  1. ^ a b Yalom, Irvin D. (2020-03-17). Existential Psychotherapy. Basic Books. ISBN 978-1-5416-4744-2.
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference :3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "APA PsycNet". psycnet.apa.org. Retrieved 2023-05-15.
  4. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference :14 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "Alone in a crowd? Existential isolation and connection". International Society for the Science of Existential Psychology. 28 September 2021. Retrieved 2023-05-15.
  6. ^ Pinel, Elizabeth C.; Long, Anson E.; Murdoch, Erin Q.; Helm, Peter (2017-01-15). "A prisoner of one's own mind: Identifying and understanding existential isolation". Personality and Individual Differences. 105: 54–63. doi:10.1016/j.paid.2016.09.024. ISSN 0191-8869. S2CID 89611802.
  7. ^ Dolan, Eric W. (2024-05-08). "Two distinct forms of isolation predict belief in conspiracy theories". PsyPost - Psychology News. Retrieved 2024-05-09.