Existential Migration
What if home isn’t a place?
How Existential Migration Shapes Our Search for Belonging
Have you ever felt like you don't fully belong anywhere? That “home” is something fleeting—felt in moments, but never quite settled in one place?
For many people living internationally or navigating major life transitions, this feeling can be hard to explain. You may have moved by choice, and yet still find yourself unsettled, searching, and wondering where you truly fit.
This experience has a name: existential migration.
Coined by psychologist Greg Madison, existential migration refers to a deep, often unspoken motivation to move, not for survival or status, but out of an internal pull toward authenticity, freedom, and self-realisation. These are people who leave home not to escape something, but to follow a longing to live more truthfully.
As Madison writes in “Home Is an Interaction, Not a Place,” Existential Analysis, 2016:
“For existential migrants, leaving is often not a rejection, but a protection of one’s potential.”
When Movement Feels Necessary
If you’re an existential migrant, you might recognise yourself in some of these experiences:
You’ve never quite felt at home in your country of origin
You find your home in moments, like conversations, nature, and creative work
You’re both drawn to belonging and overwhelmed by it
You keep searching for a place, or a self, that feels congruent
This isn’t about avoiding responsibility or being restless. It’s about honouring a different kind of internal compass—one that leads you forward, even when the destination isn’t clear.
Home as a Feeling, Not a Location
Existential migration invites us to redefine “home.” Rather than a physical place, home becomes an interaction, a felt sense that arises when your internal self resonates with the outer world. That might happen while:
Creating something meaningful
Sitting quietly in a place that feels alive
Being fully seen in a conversation
For many, the traditional idea of “going home” may feel irrelevant, or even painful. As Madison notes, we may not feel exiled from home, but rather exiled by home—from our truest selves.
Therapy for the Existential Migrant
This kind of migration isn’t always visible to others, which can make it feel isolating. Therapy offers a place to explore the emotional terrain of this experience; without needing to justify it, and without being pathologised.
Together, we can explore:
What home means to you today
The emotional impact of your journey
How to hold both the grief and growth of movement
Ways to reconnect with yourself—no matter where you are
Feeling like a migrant of meaning? Let’s talk.
I work with individuals and couples navigating cross-cultural identity, emotional rootlessness, and the complexities of global life. Reach out for a free consultation! We’ll explore what healing and belonging can look like, from wherever you are.
Further Reading:
Madison, G. (2016). Home is an interaction, not a place: A commentary on existential migration. Existential Analysis, 27(2), 282–296.
