What does "Distilled to the essence" mean?

Question

(I use this link: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/distill)

"Distilled to the essence, people seek meaning in life. Because life is mysterious, symbols arise to sustain hope, belief, and faith"

https://books.google.com.vn/books?id=btooDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT400&dq=Distilled+to+the+essence,+people+seek+meaning+in+life.+Because+life+is+mysterious,+symbols+arise+to+sustain+hope,+belief,+and+faith&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj6scuIg8LhAhXJQN4KHdfwBd8Q6AEIKDAA#v=onepage&q=Distilled%20to%20the%20essence%2C%20people%20seek%20meaning%20in%20life.%20Because%20life%20is%20mysterious%2C%20symbols%20arise%20to%20sustain%20hope%2C%20belief%2C%20and%20faith&f=false

Answer 1

I would read this phrase as "basically". Distillation is a process of purifying a liquid, and the essence of a thing is its "intrinsic nature" that "determines its character." Therefore, I would take the phrase to mean "Once the situation has been simplified enough to contain only the most important and defining parts of itself." (definitions from google dictionary)