Question

What is Logotherapy and how has it contributed to our modern day understanding of existential psychology?

Answer 1

Logo therapy means therapy through meaning. It is a spiritually oriented approach to psychotherapy . Viktor Frankl is the founder of Logotherapy. Logotherapy is also called the Third Viennese School of Psychotherapy (after Freud’s psychoanalysis and Adler’s individual psychology). Philosophical roots of logotherapy is in existentialism and phenomenology. Its psychological roots stems from psychoanalysis and individual psychology. Its spiritual roots is based on a profound commitment to the human being as an irreducibly spiritual creature.

Logotherapy is a distinct branch of existential–humanistic school psychotherapy. It focus on the human spirit and the meaning of human existence as well as on man’s search for such a meaning. The main objective of logotherapy is to facilitate clients’ quest for meaning in order to empower them to live meaningfully and responsibly, regardless of their life circumstances. According to Frankl’s dimensional ontology, human beings exist in three dimensions— somatic, mental, and spiritual.The basic tenents of logotherapy include freedom of will, will to meaning, and the meaning of life. One of the prepositions of logotherapy is that the human spirit is our healthy core. The human spirit may be blocked by biological or psychological sickness, but it will remain intact. The human spirit does not get sick, even when the psychobiological organism is injured.The defiant power of the human spirit mentioned in the logotherapy refers to people’s capacity to tap into the spiritual part of the self and rise about the negative effects of situations, illness or the past.

According to Frankl, there are two levels of meaning: (a) the present meaning, or meaning of the moment, and (b) the ultimate meaning or super-meaning. Frankl believes that it is more productive to address specific meaning of the moment, of the situation, rather than talking about meaning of life in general. This is because ultimate meanings exist in the supra-human dimension, which according to him is “hidden” from us.Only the individual knows the right meaning specific to the moment. The therapist can also facilitate the quest and guide the client to those areas in which meanings can be found.

Existential analysis is the analytical therapeutic process involved in addressing the patient’s spiritual, and existential needs. To that extent logotherapy makes the patient aware of the hidden meaning of existence, and hence is an analytical process.

To understand the modern day implications of existential psychology let's consider 'Existential frustration' which is a universal human experience. This is because the will to meaning can be blocked by external circumstances and internal hindrances. Existential frustration leads to noogenic (relating to mind) neurosis or existential vacuum. According to Frankl, “Noogenic neuroses have their origin not in the psychological but rather in the ‘noological’ dimension of human existence.” Therefore, logotherapy is uniquely appropriate in dealing with existential neuroses. Existential vacuum refers to general sense of meaninglessness or emptiness, as evidenced by a state of boredom. People can also experience existential vacuum without developing existential neurosis. Many feel that life has no purpose, no challenge, no obligation, and they try to fill their existential vacuum with materials things, pleasure, sex, or power, busy work. But according to logotgerapy they are misguided. And the solution is in finding meaning to life. Meaning in life is described as the overriding goals of one's life that add purpose to everyday living as an individual's terrestrial experience and a primary motivational force in humans .