In the second part of this two-episode exploration, we move beyond the scientific story of how humans came to exist and into the deeper question that has followed our species throughout history: why are we here at all?

Across cultures and eras, humans have created belief systems, mythologies, and philosophical frameworks to interpret existence, consciousness, and our place within the universe. In this episode we explore how meaning-making emerged, why many worldviews were shaped by both curiosity and fear, and how the persistent human feeling of both belonging to, and being separate from the natural world has influenced our search for answers.

Drawing on anthropology, theology, psychology, philosophy, esotericism, and personal reflection, this episode considers the nature of belief, the limits of perception, and the possibility that meaning may not exist somewhere beyond us, and has perhaps been right in front of us all along.

Music: Mosaic by Anna Dager; Aerian; Hanna Ekström

You’ve been listening to The Alchemy of It All with Fiona Meiklejohn. If this journey resonated with you, please share it, follow the show, or simply carry the conversation forward in your own life.