A healthy tree is constantly growing is beautifully intricate and requires constant attention light and nourishment.  However, the life of the tree is not just about its own existence.  It is very much about how it serves its immediate surroundings and relationship to its ecosystem.  Likewise, our goal is to keep on branching out into insights that will prove to not only make us wiser and stronger but lead to bearing the healthy fruit of a life with purpose and to make the pursuit of meaning more achievable.   


"He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.  Whatever he does prospers."   
Psalm 1:3

Growing and Branching out

Here is a short list of some of subjects coming to meaningtree that I have worked on and currently researching and writing  about.
  
   When I started my inquiry or investigation over ten years ago, after the 9-11 attacks, I  initially focused on religion and psychology.  However, I found myself drawn into the debate concerning the existence of God, cosmology, quantum theory, philosophy, neuroscience, history as well as culture and current events to name a few.  For some time I believed my methodology, or lack of it to work against me in navigating to an effective message, potentially leading to more confusion than coherence. However, over time I began to see certain commonalities in how truths could branch out in a directions  that  were largely predetermined, organized around a hierarchy  of models dominating many different field of study what some refer to as a paradigm.
I also became aware that these models are firmly rooted in biases, assumptions, and interpretations that may lead to philosophical dead ends, outright contradictions, or the need to create elaborate defenses to sustain their credibility.  This is one of the reasons why in the grand scheme of things there seems to be  an enormous amount of theoretical pontification going on.  I discovered quickly that there are many writers and thinkers who stray far from their areas of expertise to give their subjects greater appeal and application.
There are many psychologist/neuro-scientist speculating about quantum theory, cosmologist about religion, biologist about philosophy & spirituality and theologians writing about science.  In a day an age of immediate access to information through internet search engines this is perhaps justified and to be expected.  One no longer has to have a bunch of letters after their names and attend an ivy league school to be in the know. Though expertise is something I pursue in my gathering of information and an accurate reporting and historical framing that novices often miss.  However, we can very much be 'in the know'  when it comes to following what is the nature of the modern debate, discovery and implications for the pursuit of meaning.
 I personally consider it  both a privilege and responsibility to handle all of the knowledge that has often come through hours and years of hard work in a worthy manner.  I can do so not because I am a genius or even that smart but because of a little humility and persisting with the best questions.
 Thus far I have been able to avoid a whole lot of confusion by simply focusing on what is at the heart of the matter.  The pursuit of meaning and a life of purpose.  It is in a sense a pursuit of wisdom.  A pursuit that requires the consideration of many perspectives. 

 Here is what I am working on  (and still to come) 

 The meaning of  passion and passion for meaning
What does passion imply?  When we have passion for meaning what does it do to our lives, and how we strive for purpose? 

Partners in passion for meaning
What happens when we have families, friendships, and spouses who have a unity in their passion for meaning?  What to consider when making commitments to others and the implications of partnership.

complexity, simplicity and meaning
Understanding the importance of  balancing simplicity and respect for the complexity of creation in our pursuit of meaning. 

The Psychology of meaning
A consideration of how the various 'schools' of psychology have and are influencing our perceptions of meaning and assisting us in finding purposeful living. 

The language of meaning
Focusing on the importance in how language shapes our perceptions, beliefs, thoughts and ultimately our pursuit of meaning. 

Religion in the pursuit of meaning
The importance for better or worse in how religions have shaped our pursuit of meaning with a discussion on an approach of religious relativism and consumerism.

The meaning of parenting and parenting for meaning (nurturing for a life of meaning)
A discussion on raising children with a sense of purpose and self esteem for integrating their own sense of meaning into life choices.
How by instilling the pursuit of meaning into our children, parents can give our children the greatest gift that will never grow old or be lost, and how a child's sense of meaning and purpose can protect them during difficult developmental years and transitions. 

God and meaning and the meaning of God
The question of God both scientifically and religiously and what belief in God implies to our pursuit of meaning. 

Modern culture & the pursuit of meaning
 A critical examination of the model that modern culture is providing for purpose of life and the pursuit of meaning. 


Science/modernity and meaning and the science of meaning
Few of realize just how far science has brought humanity in our understanding of creation-reality.  Science has thankfully begun to identify falsehood in religious, superstitious and philosophical beliefs.  But, what role does science play in the pursuit of meaning?  

Education of meaning and the meaning of education
What should be the true goal of education?  The acquisition of facts?  passing tests getting degrees for the purpose of earning a better salary?   Or should education be a component in making children wise, disciplined and desirous of making the world a better place to live?  Can we at the very least in the process of educating create a foundation for the realistic goal of using knowledge and skills to lead a life of purpose.

Avoidance and loss of meaning
Many, have the appearance of living with a purpose.  However, this does not necessarily imply that we live with the certainty that our lives, feel,  or in the end, could actually be meaningful. Additionally, many of us have known someone even a close friend or family member who have struggled with a lack of purpose or meaning.  The symptoms can range from recklessness in finance, unfulfilling relationships, procrastination, fruitless endeavors, compulsory behaviorism (such as substance abuse),  depression to a slow pointless march to death and even suicide attempts. 

Memory and meaning & the meaning of memories
A consideration of the importance of the role of memory in our pursuit of meaning and purposeful living.

Healthy & sick trees  (growing, changing - broken branches, dying leaves and being fruitful)
Using a tree's life to allegorically represent how we perceive or own life story and its many stages.  A consideration of the various 'seasons of life' and what the various stages of our personal story plays in our overall sense of meaning and personal mental health.  

Serving meaning and the meaning of serving
When we can not figure it out there is a default mode for leading a purposeful life of meaning.  Serving others. 

Tragedy and meaning and the meaning of tragedy
visiting the questions of why evil,pain, suffering and what purpose does tragedy have in the pursuit of meaning.

 In the forest of meaning 
 (Other projects related to the meaning tree)

Spirituality, science & meaning (www.Spiritualityscienceandmeaning,com)
A  sister sight/blog dedicated  to the issues of how scientific discovery and theory converge with ancient spiritual truths to created a coherent model for the pursuit of meaning.  Not for faint of heart or mind!  Many of us desire to have the assurance that our spiritual beliefs are at the very least reasonable or rational and we are not being misled or deceiving ourselves.  Science as well as spirituality/religion often requires interpretation and consensus.  A historical collective of thinkers and experts through rigorous investigation, study and testing attain a reliable model .  (Spiritualityscienceandmeaning.com) covers a host disciplines and how they relate to our pursuit of meaning such as:  Psychology, religion,  quantum theory, consciousness, a Biblical model for a theory of light,   and origins (the Big bang model) too name a few. 

The Tale of Namyreve
Beyond  the meaning tree, there are many ways of telling the story of the pursuit of meaning.   As a young man I was greatly influenced by Lord of the Rings, Narnia, Pilgrims progress along with those great  "concept albums" back in the days when we would go to a store and buy black vinyl records with beautiful covers and the lyrics on the inside,  by bands  like Genesis, Yes, and Pink Floyd.  I had a band that had a band that tried to take a prog rock type approach and I began to work on a story that would facilitate a  lyrical context in which to create music.  The story is about a place called Namyreve, and the struggle of a character named Emevol in the pursuit of meaning.  I have revisited the story and I feel it may provide an entertaining way to express the struggle of achieving a life of purpose using metaphor and story telling.  

Soul and the meaning of place
A consideration of how places have unique personalities and how this often unnoticed fact may interact with our pursuit of meaning and leading a purposeful life.

If you have any ideas or suggestions reach out to me
Send me an email with a question, comment or whatever is on your mind: 
questions@spiritualityscienceandmeaning.com

---