Dispatches · Issue 2 · Newsletter ·
The Existential Dispatch, Issue No. 2
If the existential begins anywhere, it begins in the ordinary: the small moment where a patient, a clinician, or a family member realizes that “what is happening” is not the same as “what it means.” Thinker of the issue: Søren Kierkegaard.
A Word from the Founding Director
If the existential begins anywhere, it begins in the ordinary: the small moment where a patient, a clinician, or a family member realizes that “what is happening” is not the same as “what it means.” This week, I’m paying attention to thresholds — diagnoses, transitions in care, and the subtle crossings in identity and belonging that happen in clinics every day. Our task is not to eliminate uncertainty, but to accompany it with honesty.
Existential Thinker of the Issue
Søren Kierkegaard (1813–1855)
Danish philosopher; foundational figure for existential thought.
Aphorism (from The Sickness Unto Death): “The most common form of despair is not being who you are.”
Why it matters in clinical/existential practice: Kierkegaard’s account of despair isn’t simply sadness; it is a misrelation within the self — a fracture between what one is, what one can become, and what one is willing to face. In serious illness and end-of-life contexts, patients are often asked (explicitly or implicitly) to “be” a diagnosis, a prognosis, or a role. Kierkegaard helps us hear the deeper distress: when identity is reduced, when agency narrows, and when the self feels exiled from itself. In practice, this invites us to listen for language of self-loss (“I’m not me anymore”), and to respond not only with symptom management but with meaning work: reclaiming authorship, naming values, and honoring freedom within constraint.
In Academia
Generative AI as interactional infrastructure for meaning-centered care in later life (Frontiers in Psychiatry, June 16, 2026) proposes a four-layer “Sensing–Narrating–Connecting–Governing” framework for using GenAI to support life review and dignity-preserving narrative work (with explicit safeguards). frontiersin.org
In Film, Literature and Culture
Cannes 2026: a Deccan Herald review frames the festival as preoccupied with fragility, mortality, and existential angst — a reminder that cultural moments often surface what healthcare later must hold. deccanherald.com
Toronto’s Lavazza IncluCity Festival (June 25–July 19, 2026) returns with an open-air programme — a timely place to look for stories of belonging and displacement, especially in a city shaped by migration. blogto.com
In Healthcare (Global)
PCORI’s “Engagement Award: Convening Support — Spring 2026 Cycle” underscores how patient/community convenings are treated as legitimate infrastructure for evidence and meaning-making; the application deadline is July 13, 2026 (5pm ET). pcori.org
Funding and Grant Opportunities
PCORI Engagement Award: Convening Support — Spring 2026 Cycle (up to $125,000; up to one year). Application deadline: July 13, 2026 (5pm ET). pcori.org
Marie Curie Research Grants Scheme (theme: “Care close to home, in and out of hours”) invites EOIs with a deadline of July 17, 2026. researchfunding.on.worc.ac.uk
Conferences and Events
East European Association for Existential Therapy (EEAET) XIII International Conference, “Existential Dimension in Counselling and Psychotherapy,” Birštonas, Sept 11–16, 2026 (with a preconference workshop track Sept 11–13). existentialtherapy.eu
Viktor Frankl Institute of Logotherapy 25th Anniversary Congress, “Embracing Hope: Finding Meaning and Purpose in a Chaotic World,” Rosemont, Illinois, Sept 23–26, 2026. viktorfrankl.org
Startup and Innovation Watch
Human Continuum Inc. announced a $5.13M seed financing (June 11, 2026) to advance an exosome-based therapeutics/diagnostics platform focused on longevity and regenerative medicine — a parallel “meaning horizon” question for healthcare: what are we extending, and for what ends? markets.businessinsider.com
To Close: An Existential Joke
I tried to find myself. Turns out I was in the waiting room the whole time.