By Ayesh Perera, published June 26, 2020
Born in 1905, Viktor Frankl grew up learning the theories of Sigmund Freud and Alfred Adler (Encyclopædia Britannica, 2019). Having graduated from the University of Vienna Medical School in 1930, he went on to become the Director of the Neurological Department of the Rothschild Hospital.
In 1942, however, his life abruptly changed when Frankl was deported to a Nazi concentration camp along with his family. While struggling to survive in the Nazi camp, drawing from his experiences as well as observations, he developed the theory of logotherapy which claimed that through a search for meaning in life, individuals can endure and overcome suffering.
Logotherapy literally means therapy through meaning. Frankl believed that humans are motivated by something called a "will to meaning," which corresponds to a desire to seek and make meaning in life. .
“Inasmuch as logotherapy makes him aware of the hidden logos of his existence, it is an analytical process” (Frankl, 1984, p. 125).
Viktor Frankl coined the term logotherapy based on his belief that the search for meaning even amidst suffering can constitute a potential solution to human suffering.
Logotherapy has been recognized as a scientifically based school of psychotherapy by the American Psychological Association, the American Psychiatric Association and the American Medical Society (Schulenberg, Hutzell, Nassif, and Rogina, 2008).
At the heart of Frankl’s philosophy are three essential properties (Rajeswari, 2015):
“Finding meaning or the will to meaning is the primary motivation for living….the meaning that an individual finds is unique to each person and can be fulfilled only by that one person….Frankl emphasized that the true meaning of each person’s life is something that must be discovered by activity in the world through interaction with others, not solely through introspection….. Challenging a person with a potential meaning to fulfill evokes the will to meaning.” (Graber, 2004, p. 65)
Logotherapy holds that human beings are driven to find purpose and meaning in life. It offers three distinct ways whereby one can discover meaning in life (Devoe, 2012):
Frankl held that life includes suffering, and that a human being’s ultimate freedom lay in his or her responding correctly to the given circumstances, including those which have engendered pain.
Furthermore, Frankl believed that one can discover meaning in one’s existence by finding one’s unique role in life. An oft cited incident which further clarifies Frankl’s approach was an elderly general practitioner’s encounter with Frankl (Cuncic, 2019).
The elderly man was struggling with depression following the loss of his wife. After Frankl showed him how his wife’s death had actually spared her of losing him, the elderly man saw how his own experiences had preserved his wife from the same.
The new perspective imbued the his suffering with meaning and significantly relieved his depression.
As do all forms of psychotherapy, logotherapy possesses a set of underlying assumptions which cannot be conclusively proven (Reitinger, 2015):
Human beings are made up of body (soma), mind (psyche) and spirit (noos). Frankl held that while we have a body and a mind, the spirit is who we are, our identity and essence.
While Frankl’s theory was not derived from theology, his assumption herein departs from an atheistic materialism and shares striking similarities with certain religious views.
This assumption represents an acknowledgement of a higher order in the world: an order that transcends mere human laws. Consequently, even an objectively terrible situation can offer meaning.
"If there is a meaning in life at all, then there must be a meaning in suffering. Suffering is an ineradicable part of life, even as fate and death. Without suffering and death human life cannot be complete" (Frankl, 1984, p. 88).
Logotherapy proposes that humans have a will to meaning, which means that seeing meaning in pain can prepare the individual for suffering.
This assumption embodies a significant departure from one’s will to achieve power and pleasure. It posits that the discovery of meaning is one’s primary motive for living.
The will-to-meaning is “the basic striving of man to find and meaning and purpose” (Frankl, 1969, p. 35).
Under all circumstances, individuals are free to activate the will to discover meaning. The salutary amendment of one’s attitude toward inevitable suffering can enable one’s will to discover meaning under any circumstance.
This assumption draws heavily upon Frankl’s own experiences in the Nazi camps.
V. An individual’s response determines the meaningfulness of the individual’s decision. By heeding the values of society or following one’s conscience, one can find meaning in one’s decisions.
This assumption is associated with the meaning of the moment in practical daily living rather than ultimate meaning.
In response to the various demands of life, human beings experience unique situations. Additionally, they are constantly seeking meaning.
Three techniques used in logotherapy include dereflection, paradoxical intention, and Socratic dialogue.
In addition to the above three, attitude modification can be implemented. This technique is primarily focused on altering one’s attitude toward a situation rather than amending one’s conduct.
A patient who has suffered a loss might be directed to adopt a new attitude toward the misfortune so as to process the situation better.
Frankl believed in turning tragedy into triumph, and past guilt into life-changing progress. Drawing primarily from his personal experiences, his approach aimed at enabling individuals to tap into their own inner resources to transform adversity.
By today however, more than mere anecdotes testifies to its efficacy. A vast array of theoretical and empirical research has been conducted on logotherapy (Schulenberg, Hutzell, Nassif, and Rogina, 2008).
In 2016, a systematic assessment of evidence related to logotherapy was conducted, and the following were among its findings (Thir & Batthyány, 2016):
Critics have accused Frankl of using his time in the Nazi concentration camps to advance his specific brand of psychotherapy (Reitinger, 2015). Additionally, some have contended that Frankl’s support came only from religious leaders.
Moreover, the existentialist psychologist Rollo May argued that logotherapy resembled authoritarianism because the therapist seemingly dictated solutions to the client (May, 1969).
May however, in his criticism, did not clarify whether he was critiquing Frankl’s approach as a therapist himself, or an aspect that characterized logotherapy itself. Frankl, in fact, contended that logotherapy actually teaches the patient to be responsible.
Furthermore, although Frankl’s logotherapy has enjoyed acceptance from many religious communities, it has not been utterly rejected by the scientific community. On the contrary, as shown above, logotherapy, sometimes combined with other approaches, is still practiced today.
Finally, while it can be granted that Frankl may not have discovered logotherapy without his experiences in the Nazi camps, there is no evidence to even faintly suggest that Frankl proactively sought out his torturous ordeal so he could be credited with a novel brand of psychotherapy.
Ayesh Perera recently graduated from Harvard University, where he studied politics, ethics and religion. He is presently conducting research in neuroscience and peak performance as an intern for the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies, while also working on a book of his own on constitutional law and legal interpretation.
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“Viktor Frankl | Biography, Books, Theory, & Facts | Britannica.” Encyclopædia Britannica, 2019, www.britannica.com/biography/Viktor-Frankl
Prera, A (2020, June 26). An overview of viktor frankl's logotherapy. Simply Psychology. www.simplypsychology.org/logotherapy.html
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