A deep anxiety arising from awareness of one's mortality, freedom, and responsibility for creating meaning in an apparently meaningless universe. It involves confronting the fundamental uncertainties of human existence.
Combines 'existential' from existentialist philosophy with 'dread,' reflecting the anxiety philosophers like Kierkegaard and Heidegger identified as central to human consciousness. The term gained popularity as existentialist ideas entered mainstream psychology.
Existential dread is actually a sign of psychological maturity—it means you're grappling with the biggest questions of human existence rather than avoiding them. Paradoxically, facing this dread often leads to greater authenticity and meaning, which is why existential therapy can be so powerful.
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