I agree — I think that, for some, the dust is being blown out of the filters of consciousness under the nature of the new conditions in which we find ourselves but it seems humanity has gone through worse and still found a way to stoke the embers of consumerism or anything else that serves to obstruct our conscious awareness or, as you eloquently frame it, obstructs the mental filters through which our consciousness shines.

You’ve sort of convinced me that, while it’s necessary to ask the deepest of the deep philosophical questions (like free will and determinism), there also a necessity to not expect any sort of answer; I think that mystery along with all the other enigmatic aspects of our existence is what makes life so intriguing and engaging.