As philosophy that is closest to total self-awareness, scalar insignificance… A pinnacle of internal development (of some sort), but suffocating. What comes after? What is the next stage of development that returns us to purpose?
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I can only speak for myself, but I find the third turning of the wheel in Buddhism to be that next step on my path after the break down of meaning and purpose. Taoism can probably fit the bill too.
I know people tend to conflate Nihilism with Buddhism but in the sutras & tantras it specifically mentions Nihilism as being a misunderstanding of the Buddhist term “Emptiness”.
To me there is something very profound in the state that is accessible outside of conceptual thought. Letting things be without labeling or conceptualizing – leaving both meaning and meaningless on the other side of the fence, while facing the raw spontaneity of being, steeped in its suchness.
Sometimes meaning, sometimes meaningless. Sometimes dull, sometimes lively. Always happening.
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For me, it was Absurdism and Logotherapy!
After Nihilism comes absurdism if you need that to make it through. To live with meaninglessness can be hard but it’s not impossible or anything. Next is an enlightenment of sorts. Freedom from meaning. Freedom from purpose.
From there one can begin the next stage, I call it makeitupism.
Next life can take on multiple meanings polyism? You can keep all kinds of contextual narratives going for meaning and purpose.
You know they are not fundamentally true but you live artistically like an author that has written multiple series of books of different genres.
The world is your plaything, at least in howe you perceive it.