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If you want to taste the experience of existence, it is not via the other, it is a direct jump within yourself.

The existential experience is a profound realisation of being – a direct encounter with the raw essence of existence. It is within this realisation where the dichotomy between self and other dissolves and pure awareness emerges.

This quote is an invitation to journey inwards. You see, the other, be it a person, an object, a thought, or an emotion, is always external and secondary to your own experience of being. To know oneself, to truly experience existence, one must go beyond the reflections provided by these others.

The “direct jump” refers to a sudden, profound plunge into self-inquiry and self-awareness, bypassing peripheral engagements with the world. It is akin to diving into the depths of the ocean of consciousness without clinging to the boats and buoys of relationships, society, ideology, and beliefs that usually keep us afloat on the surface.

This ‘jump’ is not a physical manoeuvre, but a metaphor for an intense psychological and spiritual shift where all distractions and preoccupations are left behind, and one’s attention turns entirely inward. In this space, there is no mediation, no interpretation, no comparison – there is simply the experience of being.

To expand on this, we might consider that most people look for happiness, meaning, and fulfilment in external things. We often think that by changing our circumstances, relationships, or possessions, we will find contentment. However, this quote suggests that the true essence of existence, and hence real joy and understanding, can only be found within oneself. Through meditation, contemplation, and silence, one can experience the vastness and the beauty of existence that is not dependent on anything outside oneself.

True existence is about becoming aware of your own consciousness and recognising that the source of all that exists in your world is within you. By turning inward, one can tap into an infinite reservoir of peace, creativity, and intelligence that is the birthright of every human being. This is the taste of existence that transcends the ordinary and opens the doors to the divine.