Conspiracy theories are usually represented with a large amount of connections (and a distrust of those in power). Notably, I love Scott Alexander’s many self-created non-sense connections (see all of Unsong), which still end up evoking this sense of importance even though I know it’s fiction.
I’m glad you honed in on coherence, existential mattering, and purpose because there are an infinite amount of connections between things that feel unmeaningful (i.e. the grass and my mouse pad are both green, it is hot outside my door and also hot outside my door to a few feet to the right, etc.). Honing in on what specific properties makes a connection feel meaningful seems interesting (as well as looking at the existing literature and listing specific, real-life examples but that’s just my personal preference).
The strong emotion causing meaning (as opposed to a connection evoking meaning) was interesting, though couldn’t you say that specific connections cause strong emotions? For example, someone making fun of something I strongly identify with (“All your actions are selfish!”) as opposed to something I don’t really care about (“You’re a bad tuba player!”) affects me differently; I could describe each activity as weaker and stronger “connections” to myself.
A specific strong emotion that’s doesn’t quite fit is experiencing jhana, which I could describe as a meditative flow state that feels really good. It felt important and meaningful, though part of that is I had a pre-existing model of what “jhana” was and what it may mean. Specifically, I thought it meant that the rest of the crazy-sounding meditation claims like infinite happiness and willpower are way more likely to be true.
Conspiracy theories are usually represented with a large amount of connections (and a distrust of those in power). Notably, I love Scott Alexander’s many self-created non-sense connections (see all of Unsong), which still end up evoking this sense of importance even though I know it’s fiction.
I’m glad you honed in on coherence, existential mattering, and purpose because there are an infinite amount of connections between things that feel unmeaningful (i.e. the grass and my mouse pad are both green, it is hot outside my door and also hot outside my door to a few feet to the right, etc.). Honing in on what specific properties makes a connection feel meaningful seems interesting (as well as looking at the existing literature and listing specific, real-life examples but that’s just my personal preference).
The strong emotion causing meaning (as opposed to a connection evoking meaning) was interesting, though couldn’t you say that specific connections cause strong emotions? For example, someone making fun of something I strongly identify with (“All your actions are selfish!”) as opposed to something I don’t really care about (“You’re a bad tuba player!”) affects me differently; I could describe each activity as weaker and stronger “connections” to myself.
A specific strong emotion that’s doesn’t quite fit is experiencing jhana, which I could describe as a meditative flow state that feels really good. It felt important and meaningful, though part of that is I had a pre-existing model of what “jhana” was and what it may mean. Specifically, I thought it meant that the rest of the crazy-sounding meditation claims like infinite happiness and willpower are way more likely to be true.