#1. Where Wonder Went

The Secular Search for Meaning in the Age of AI

In the US, over half of young adults report experiencing “little or no purpose or meaning in their lives in the previous month.” Only 34% of atheists and 32% of agnostics reported having a sense of meaning or purpose in life, compared to 47% of those identifying as religiously affiliated. Cognitive science professor Dr. John Vervaeke’s series of lectures “Awakening from the Meaning Crisis” has reached hundreds of thousands of people on YouTube, offering a deep dive into the multifaceted roots of our contemporary crisis of meaning. He explores the cultural and historical rupture underlying today’s mental health epidemic, political instability, and environmental disarray. As Vervaeke puts it, “We are drowning in bullshit – literally “meaninglessness”.

What Makes Life Feel Meaningful?

Philosophically, meaning is often understood as a non-instrumental value, something valuable in itself, distinct from happiness or moral correctness, and experienced in degrees. Some view it as a cluster of overlapping ideas, such as purpose, impact, transcendence, and narrative, while others see it as a singular property, like awe, contribution, or self-transcendence. At its core, meaning involves a process of sense-making and orientation toward higher-order purposes, expressed through the creation of coherent narratives and the capacity to contribute to something beyond oneself.

Psychologists identify three key dimensions of meaning: coherence, the sense that life is structured and understandable; significance, the feeling that life matters; and purpose, a sense of having clear goals and direction. Martin Seligman (2011) emphasizes that using one’s strengths to serve a greater cause enhances this sense of purpose, especially when the cause is deeply self-transcendent. Psychologist Roy Baumeister (1991) describes meaning as a “connecting concept” linking people, ideas, events, and experiences to deeper significance. In this view, meaning is fundamentally relational. It arises when individuals connect to something beyond themselves.

Unlike hedonic happiness, which is rooted in pleasure and the satisfaction of personal needs, meaning is more closely tied to the sense of togetherness that comes from belonging to a community and sharing a collective sense of identity (Yaden et al., 2017). Relationships, especially with family and close friends, are among the most powerful sources of this kind of meaning (Lambert et al., 2013). While religion has long provided a framework for belonging, its role in this regard has diminished in many secular societies.

The Meaning Gap, Anomie and the Emergence of Positive Secularism

In fact, scholars of religion and secularism refer to a growing “ meaning gap”, a steady decline of meaning in secular societies. In these contexts where there’s been an evaporation of ready-made systems of meaning, people are more prone to experiencing existential angst and disconnection from one another (Yaden et al., 2017). The retreat of religious systems from public life has enabled greater individual freedom, but also more fragmented, individualistic modes of thinking and being.

Sociologist Emile Durkheim ([1897] 1951) talks about “anomie”, a context in which social norms, moral guidelines and community links have vanished. Studies suggest that as societies become wealthier, the less central religion becomes, and the more people experience a loss in meaning (Oishi and Diener, 2014). One can ask, what, if anything, has replaced religion’s ability to provide people with meaning, coherence and significance? How do we create common ground between individuals and across communities, provide a sense of unconditional love, and tap into universal aspects of the human condition without relying on God?

In the effort to “restore the joy and connection that religion at its best can provide,” the concept of positive secularism has emerged. It explores how secular individuals can build lives rich in meaning, purpose, and belonging (Yaden et al., 2017). Purposeful work, community involvement, and alignment with causes greater than oneself offer promising pathways. Beyond the workplace, engaging in community service, advocacy, or leadership can foster a deeper sense of belonging and contribution to something larger (Morrow-Howell et al., 2003).

Increasingly, secular individuals also turn to self-transcendent experiences (STEs) and religious, spiritual, and mystical experiences (RSMEs) as sources of meaning (Yaden et al., 2017). These are often accessed through practices such as meditation, mantras, or visualization. Participating in group rituals, especially those involving synchrony, can further strengthen social bonds and collective meaning (Hove & Risen, 2009). Some even attend religious events not for theological reasons, but to experience the sense of unity and shared humanity these spaces can evoke.

Meaning After Magic

In this landscape of meaning crisis, or what Max Weber famously described as disenchantment, we witness a shift from a world imbued with spiritual or supernatural significance to one increasingly interpreted through rationality and scientific inquiry. As reality became more predictable and explicable, the rise of science and technology contributed to a process of Entzauberung, a “de-magification” or stripping away of mystery and awe (Charles Taylor, 2014). Within this rationalized world, we’re left to wonder: could technology itself become a source of re-enchantment, restoring meaning, wonder, and community connection to secular societies, and perhaps even helping to close the meaning gap?

In recent years, some authors have begun to explore the intersection of meaning and artificial intelligence. Could AI contribute to positive secularism, helping individuals build more meaningful lives? And how might it shape existing secular pathways to meaning, such as relationships, work, and self-development (Nyholm et al.)? In the next piece, I’ll focus on the relationship between coherence, meaning, and AI. Stay tuned!