Post 40 – Nihilism, Mental Health Struggles, and the Role of Technology

Nihilism and the Rise of Mental Health Struggles

In recent decades, mental health struggles—including depression, suicide, and substance abuse—have surged at an alarming rate. This rise in psychological distress is not an isolated phenomenon but a symptom of the existential crisis unleashed by postmodern relativism and nihilism. When objective truth is denied and meaning is reduced to mere subjectivity, existence appears contingent and directionless. In a world devoid of stable values and overarching purpose, individuals often find themselves lost, searching for meaning in a universe that seems to offer none.

Compounding this crisis is the rise of radical individualism. While often heralded as a path to liberation, this emphasis on autonomy and self-definition—disconnected from any objective reality—has deepened a sense of alienation. Individuals not only feel estranged from others but also from themselves, as identity becomes fluid and unmoored from any enduring foundation. Relationships lose their grounding, and communities dissolve into fragmented, isolated perspectives, reinforcing the existential void.

This is not merely a personal crisis but a societal one. The rejection of foundational truths in favor of relativism has left many without a sense of direction. The resulting disorientation manifests as anxiety, despair, and a profound sense of meaninglessness. The surge in mental health issues can thus be understood as a direct response to the collapse of meaning, exacerbated by the pervasive nihilism of modern culture.

Yet, paradoxically, it is within this very crisis that the necessity for truth becomes most evident. The void created by nihilism fosters an unavoidable yearning for something permanent, stable, and eternal—something beyond the transient nature of individual perspectives. This existential vacuum, rather than signifying mere loss, becomes the very condition for the recognition of the eternal truths that have always been present, compelling us to look beyond the surface of our fragmented existence and reconnect with the eternal Structure of Being.

Technology: The Expression of the Same Crisis

The rapid advancement of technology, particularly artificial intelligence, is not an isolated phenomenon but an expression of the same existential crisis. The drive toward technological mastery stems from the same impulse that fuels nihilism: the search for control, stability, and ultimate certainty in a world that appears indifferent and unstable. AI and machine learning provide new ways of processing information, analyzing patterns, and uncovering deeper structures of existence. While still in its early stages, AI has the potential to transcend the limits of human cognition, offering new frameworks for understanding time, space, and being—thereby accelerating the recognition of eternal truths that have always been present.

However, this pursuit of technological progress does not escape the very limits it seeks to overcome. The speed at which knowledge is being generated often outpaces our ability to assimilate it, creating further disorientation rather than resolution. Additionally, as technology reshapes our world, it exposes the limitations of language and perception, demonstrating that even our most sophisticated tools remain bound by human conceptual constraints.

Most significantly, technology, for all its advancements, cannot solve the question of death. It may extend life, enhance intelligence, or simulate aspects of consciousness, but it cannot erase the fundamental reality of mortality. The recognition of this limitation inevitably forces human inquiry beyond technological progress, compelling a deeper confrontation with the eternal Structure of Being. In this sense, technology, rather than offering an escape, becomes yet another path leading toward the necessity of truth.

A Necessary Unfolding: Nihilism and the Appearing of Truth

The simultaneous rise of nihilism, mental health struggles, and technological advancements points to a profound shift in human consciousness. The existential crises induced by nihilism are not mere symptoms of decay but necessary conditions for the appearance of truth. The collapse of meaning, though disorienting, is not a final defeat; it is the necessary backdrop against which the eternal Structure of Being reveals itself.

This unfolding is not an evolutionary process contingent on human choices—it is the inevitable appearing of truth. The crisis of nihilism and the limits of technology do not obscure this reality but create the conditions for its recognition. What seems like fragmentation and dissolution is, in truth, the necessary prelude to the reappearance of what has always been.

There is no alternative to this unfolding, no path that leads elsewhere. The eternal Structure of Being does not depend on human recognition; it manifests through the very contradictions of a world that has sought to deny it. The recognition of this truth is inevitable, as the reality of Being has always been present. The crises we face are not disruptions but the necessary contrast that allows the eternal to appear, creating the conditions through which our recognition of truth will unfold.