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Varieties and dimensions of experiential nothingness
Configuring the Varieties of Experiential Nothingness (Part #2)
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A set of distinct experiences of "nothing" or "emptiness" can be tentatively presented as follows -- in contrast with corresponding experiences of "somethingness". Detailed comments on each follow in the next section.
| Varieties and dimensions of experiential nothingness | ||||
| "Dimension" | "Nothingness" and "Emptiness" ["is not"] | "Somethingness" and "Plentifulness" ["is"] | ||
| Constrained (selective) | Disparate (unparticular) | Total (inclusive) | ||
| "things": resources for living, especially tangible possessions [1] | nothing | something | anything | everything |
| "place" "to be" qualitatively, and especially physically [2] | nowhere | somewhere | anywhere | everywhere |
| "time": quality time, especially future convergence [3] | no-when (no-time) | some-when (some-time) | any-when (any-time) | all-the-time (eternity) |
| "choice": freedom and ability to choose, especially from a variety of options [4] | no-which (no-choice) | some-which (some-choice) | any-which | every-which (every-choice) |
| "why": reason, rationale, justification, especially a sense of purpose [5] | no-why (no-reason) | some-why (some-reason) | any-why (any-reason) | every-why (every-reason) |
| "identity": a sense of self (esteem), especially within community [6] | no-who (no-identity) | some-who (some-identity) | any-who (any-identity) | every-who (every-identity) |
| "how": means and capacity to act, especially a sense of know-how [7] | no-how (no-means) | some-how (some-means) | any-how (any-means) | every-how (every-means) |
| "action": undertaking action, especially taking initiative [8] | doing nothing (inaction) | doing something | doing anything | doing everything |
The experiential contrast between "nothingness" and "plentifulness" can be usefully considered in relation to:
- subjectivity and objectivity: to the extent that the sense of either may be dependent on whether one is experiencing the condition oneself or interpreting the experience of others, possibly denying their sense of reality as misguided or deluded (¡¿ Defining the objective ∞ Refining the subjective ?! Explaining reality ∞ Embodying realization, 2011). Of particular relevance is the sense in which the life of some is held to be "full" or "rich" by themselves or others, but may equally be held to be "empty" and "impoverished", whether by themselves or others.
- imagination: whether the experience is framed as "mere imagination", by the person experiencing it or by others assessing it, this then plays a key role in the need to bridge between such realities (Living as an Imaginal Bridge between Worlds: global implications of "betwixt and between" and liminality, 2011).
- dynamics: to the extent that both "nothingness" and "plentifulness" are better recognized as processes. The experience of some form of plenty tends to be undermined by a sense of what it is not, whilst that of nothing may readily evoke recognition of plenty previously ignored.
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