A New Perspective on the “Birthplace” of Personal Meanings: A Phenomenological Study on Natural Experiences of Sustained States of Emptiness

Background. In recent years, attention to the state of emptiness has intensified, as phenomenologically similar experiences increasingly appear among the persistent sequelae of coronavirus infection and other critical conditions. In psychology, emptiness is typically regarded as a symptom of mental disorder or existential crisis. However, in philosophy and religion, such experiences are interpreted as a natural and inherent part of human inner life. A promising direction appears to be the psychological study of the state of emptiness grounded in the cultural-historical paradigm. Objectives. The aim of this study is to carry out a phenomenological investigation into the natural experience of sustained states of emptiness, focusing on their content-related and process and dynamic characteristics. This involved developing a model that accounts for the phenomenon in terms of its significance for personal transformation. Study Participants. Twenty-three respondents (17 females and 6 males) between the ages of 18 and 55 (mean age 24.95; standard deviation 9.06) participated in the study. Methods. The study utilized phenomenological descriptive analysis (PDA) to identify key characteristics of the experience of emptiness and to propose a dynamic model of this state. Results. The study provides a phenomenological description of the experience of emptiness and identifies its dynamic structure. The actualization of this experience unfolds along two vectors: (1) the deepening of the state of emptiness, accompanied by a loss of subjectivity and attempts to escape from the experience; and (2) the mindful engagement with thoughts and reminiscences emerging into consciousness, accompanied by a dialogical orientation, which enables individuals to avoid being overwhelmed by emptiness and facilitates the integration of the experience. The experience of emptiness is characterized by a distinctive spatiotemporal organization—referred to as the “chronotope of night” or the “absolute” chronotope—and can be understood in terms of a transitional state between lived worlds. Conclusions. The cultural-historical approach to the analysis of research findings allows for interpreting experiences of emptiness as one of the stages in the process of personal transformation, characterized by the loss of a previous meaning system. The study’s results may be valuable in counselling practice in order to foster a deeper understanding of clients encountering the experience of emptiness.