The existential vacuum describes a state of chronic meaninglessness and loss of purpose. It arises when individuals lack values, direction, or sources of personal significance. The construct originates in existential and humanistic psychology and reflects disturbances in the search for meaning. ## Core Functions - Orientation toward purpose and values - Regulation of existential motivation ## Key Components - Sense of emptiness - Disconnection from personal values - Difficulty identifying meaningful goals ## Systems Interactions - Increased [[Default Mode Network (DMN)|DMN]] activity during purposeless rumination - Reduced integration between valuation and goal systems ## Clinical Relevance - Associated with depression, anhedonia, and demoralization - Central to existential therapies and meaning-focussed interventions ## Related Topics - [[Meaning-Making]] - [[Self-Determination Theory]] - [[Values Clarification]]