The Metacrisis is a Crisis of Meaning
Understanding Separation and the Path to Interbeing
The metacrisis is a systemic crisis that transcends the sum of its individual crises. It is not merely a polycrisis, but an emergent property that is greater than the sum of its parts. This crisis encompasses a profound crisis of purpose and meaning.
It originates from within the individual, reflecting our deepest existential anxieties and disconnections. Yet, it also extends beyond the individual, permeating our societal structures, ecological systems, and collective consciousness.
The metacrisis is a manifestation of our fragmented worldview and the dissonance between our lived experience and the interconnected reality of life.
Jonathan Rowson provides profound insights into understanding the metacrisis in his essay “Tasting the Pickle: Ten Flavours of Metacrisis and the Appetite for a New Civilisation.”
He explains that the epistemic metacrisis (our ways of knowing and understanding the world) deals with our ways of understanding the world that end up being self-defeating. It reveals our ideological blind spots, where the very tools and methods we use to solve problems end up making them worse. This creates a complexity that goes beyond mere accumulation of problems, demanding a holistic and transformative response.
At the heart of the metacrisis lies a profound crisis of meaning.
This crisis of meaning is characterized by our inability to comprehend and navigate the complexities of the modern world, leading to a pervasive sense of disorientation and purposelessness.
It is a crisis that emerges from within, affecting our innermost sense of self and our relationships with others. As individuals grapple with existential uncertainties, this internal turmoil radiates outward, impacting societal structures and the broader ecological balance.
The crisis of meaning underscores a deeper crisis of separation and relationships, highlighting the urgent need to reconcile our fragmented understanding and restore a sense of interconnectedness in both our inner and outer worlds.
This metacrisis is fundamentally a crisis of separation.
It stems from our disconnection from ourselves, each other, and the natural world. This fragmentation breeds isolation and existential disorientation, underscoring the urgent need to heal and restore our sense of interconnectedness and belonging.
The Path Forward: A Roadmap to Move Out of the Field of Separation
Author’s Note: I am not a therapist, coach, health and well-being teacher, nor a guru. These reflections are simply the heartfelt entries in the logbook of someone navigating his own psychological and spiritual journey, vulnerably sharing insights gleaned from my limited understanding of this complex world.
This is a process of moving from separation to interbeing.
In order to thrive through the metacrisis, we need to create an active process that takes us out of separation and places us in a field of interbeing — a Zen Buddhist understanding of the interconnectedness of all things, both within and beyond.
Separation is the illusion that we are isolated individuals, disconnected from the world and each other. It is the root of our existential crises and societal dysfunctions.
Interbeing, on the other hand, is the recognition of our fundamental interconnectedness with all life. It acknowledges that our well-being is intrinsically linked to the well-being of others and the planet. By embracing interbeing, we cultivate an interdependent and integral dynamic of interbecoming, where personal and collective transformation unfold in harmony with the greater web of life.
The field of separation is intricately connected to the concept of cognitive dissonance.
Cognitive dissonance is the psychological discomfort experienced when holding two or more conflicting beliefs, values, or attitudes. This often leads individuals to justify or rationalize behaviors and beliefs to reduce this discomfort.
Consider the research surrounding communities living under massive dam structures, which pose significant risks to their safety. Those living directly beneath the looming presence carry on with their daily lives, seemingly untroubled by the potential threat. Meanwhile, those in distant communities voice their anxieties more openly. This stark contrast is a testament to cognitive dissonance. For the residents living directly under the dam, acknowledging the peril would render their existence unbearable. To preserve their sanity, they subconsciously deny the danger, crafting a fragile peace.
Life’s harsh realities are sometimes too overwhelming to face. To protect ourselves, we erect barriers of separation, distancing our hearts from the pain. We fuse these barriers with cognitive dissonance, creating illusions that shield us from the truth.
This real-life example vividly illustrates how these mechanisms of separation are deeply embedded within us, preventing us from addressing the core issues in our lives and society. By courageously identifying and addressing these cognitive dissonances, we can begin to dismantle the illusions of separation. This awakening moves us toward a state of interbeing, where we embrace our fundamental interconnectedness. In this space of interbeing, we can work together to forge a more harmonious and resilient world, acknowledging the beauty and interdependence of all life.
Reconciliation
Reconciliation is the dynamic process that bridges the chasm between separation and interbeing. It embodies the essence of compassion, forgiveness, and coming together, fostering a profound sense of interconnectedness and unity.
This journey towards reconciliation begins with a deep dive into self-awareness, tenderly exploring our vulnerabilities and fears. It calls us to acknowledge the stories and systems that perpetuate separation and to engage in the sacred inner work necessary to heal our emotional wounds.
This inner work, cultivated through mindfulness and meditation, fosters self-awareness and presence, inviting us to embrace compassion and loving-kindness toward ourselves and others, gently dissolving the barriers of separation.
Through reconciliation, we not only heal but also transform, moving towards a harmonious state of interbeing.
Reconciliation is a dynamic, active, virtuous cycle that unfolds from within and radiates beyond. Within, it involves reconciling with our true self, dismantling the separation between the persona we project and the essence of who we truly are. As we reconcile with our authentic selves and reveal our true nature, we grant others the permission and courage to manifest their own true selves. This process transforms our connections, making them deeply relational and authentic. Reconciliation thus becomes an interplay between the inner and outer realms, fostering a profound sense of inter-being and inter-becoming. Through this journey, we move towards a collective harmony, where the self and the world are united in a dance of genuine connection and understanding.
The process unfolds with self-reflection, a quiet yet profound inquiry into the narratives that create division within us.
Journaling, meditation, and therapy become invaluable companions in this phase, guiding us to recognize and accept our vulnerabilities and fears as integral parts of the human experience. This acceptance is the fertile soil from which authentic understanding blooms, allowing us to extend compassion to ourselves and others.
As Thich Nhat Hanh beautifully teaches, see the interconnectedness of all life. This understanding nurtures a sense of belonging and breaks down the illusions of separation. Reconnect with nature by spending time outdoors, tending a garden, or participating in conservation activities. This communion with the natural world grounds us in the reality of interbeing, where we can truly appreciate the intricate web of life to which we all belong.
In this profound era where the crisis we face is both internal and external, systemic in nature, reconciliation emerges as our guiding path to navigate and thrive through the metacrisis.
Reconciliation from within begins with the act of self-compassion. To reconcile, compassion is essential. Therefore, extend compassion to yourself and seek understanding. Step forward and seek understanding for your cultural actions, for your individual actions, for those actions that have potentially damaged the collective system.
As you move through this process of self-compassion, you transition from one cosmovision to another. You come to understand your previous ignorance — not in a prejudiced sense, but in the sense of not knowing. Extend compassion to yourself for this ignorance, for the lack of knowing.
Now, you have the opportunity to know and to connect. As you continue to cultivate self-compassion, you nurture the concept of interbeing, understanding the interconnectedness of all things, both within and beyond. This dynamic of interbeing requires several stages of development. These stages have been buried deep within our dimension of separation, but separation does this — it buries our relational capacity.
By engaging in self-compassion, we reconcile and rediscover this capacity. This process allows us to reclaim our interconnectedness and move forward with a deeper sense of unity and understanding.
So there is a path.
It’s a path where we extend compassion to ourselves for being part of this metacrisis. Unless you are a yogi living in a cave or a hunter-gatherer who sustains themselves entirely from the land, you are part of the predicament. We travel by car, consume extractive food, and engage in activities that contribute to the crisis. Let’s begin by extending compassion to ourselves for this.
Recognize our vulnerability and suffering as part of life’s evolving process. Self-compassion must be accompanied by seeking understanding for our actions. We need to extend compassion to those who have hurt us and seek understanding from those we have hurt. This creates a virtuous cycle of reconciliation, both within and beyond ourselves.
This process involves giving and receiving, and it must be done with compassion, love, and kindness. Compassion can only be genuine when infused with these qualities. We can extend compassion and be met with understanding through love and kindness.
As we enter into this process of interbeing, the internal act of extending compassion to oneself and others extends outward, fostering connections with the world beyond. This interconnectedness leads to a deeper understanding and unity, guiding us through the metacrisis toward a more harmonious existence.
For further reading on my understanding of the meta-crisis here are some previous articles.
The Meta-Crisis: Our Greatest Challenge and Opportunity
The Metacrisis, The Four Horsemen,” and The Great Simplification.
The Metacrisis: How to Navigate Our Epoch’s Greatest Challenge
How Do We Solve Our Current Predicament?
The State of the World — Designing the Third Attractor
A Regenerative Design Approach to Our Current Complexity Predicament
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