Umvelt, Mitvelt, Eigenvelt and Übervelt: Are your worlds in balance?
Welcome to 2025. Let’s take a deep breath.
The sheer volume and pace of information coming at us about how to “maximize” or “hack” our lives can feel like being in a spaceship jumping into hyperspace. It’s so overwhelming it makes me want to crawl back into bed and pull the covers over my head.
Spaceship jumping into hyperspace with stars streaking past cockpit windows. Image generated with DALL·E by OpenAI.
While crawling back into bed might occasionally be the right call, I invite you to consider a different approach: dial down the overwhelm and focus on just four key areas of your life. Your…
→ Physical World
→ Social World
→ Inner World
→ Spiritual or Philosophical World
In existential philosophy, these four areas have specific names:
Umwelt* (“around-world”) - The natural world and our biological, physical, and material existence.
Mitwelt* (“with-world”) - The social world, focusing on relationships and interactions with others.
Eigenwelt* (“own-world”) - The personal, psychological world, emphasizing self-reflection, emotions, and inner experience.
Überwelt* (“over-world”) - The spiritual or transcendent world, addressing meaning, values, and ultimate concerns.
Having these four areas in balance can be a meaningful goal to work toward. In my practice and through my training, the Überwelt often receives the least attention and is frequently the most out of balance.
Umvelt (physical), Mitvelt (Social), Eigenvelt (Inner), and Übervelt (Spiritual/Philosophical) in clockwise order.
As we kick off the year—or really, at any time—you can take a step back from your day-to-day routine and ask yourself how you’re relating to each of these areas. This can help you gauge if they’re in balance, if one needs more or less focus, or if there’s room for adjustment.
Here are four simple questions to guide you:
Umwelt/Physical World: How am I managing my physical space?
Mitwelt/Social World: How am I relating to others?
Eigenwelt/Inner World: How am I defining myself?
Überwelt/Spiritual World: What values am I aligned with?
Reflecting on these questions can open up worlds of possibility and awareness. Often, just raising your awareness is enough to spark change, take a needed step, or embrace what’s in front of you.
If you’re ready to go further, ask yourself: What changes do I need to make—or what do I need to let go of—to move toward where I really want to be?
Here’s to a reflective and more aware 2025!
*These concepts, popularized by Ludwig Binswanger and Medard Boss, stem from the work of Martin Heidegger.