XXP

The developing field called Experimental Existential Psychology, or XXP, explores how people find meaning and purpose in their lives. Researchers say the topic can now be examined under the cold light of science.

How people deal with existential concerns could help explain a broad spectrum of behavior, from political and religious leanings, to altruism and the pursuit of riches, to patriotism and terrorism. Already, experiments have shown that when people are reminded of their own deaths, they become more patriotic, more conservative, more family-oriented, more security-minded.

The fear of death also provokes a need to feel connected to others, to have a clear sense of identity, to know how one fits into the world, and to feel one has free will. Researchers call it the psychology of the soul in the sense of looking at the deepest things we rely on in our lives. It is a sense of inner being that helps us function and feel secure in a scary world. We all want to feel we’re significant beings in a meaningful world.
Chicago Tribune 3/26/07