I found two of his key points to be very interesting and pertinent to our studies in religion and psychology. They are, three psychological stages individuals go through when experiencing the trauma of being held captive for their religious beliefs and his studies in logotherapy.
The three psychological stages Frankl and others experienced while being held in Nazi camps were: "The period following admission, the period when one is well entrenched in camp routine, and the period following release and liberation"(Pg. 22 Chap. 1). Fear, and a sense of lost hope begin to set in during the first phase. One is shocked that they are in this state and that this is how they and their loved ones might die. The second stage is becoming numb inside to protect yourself and your mind. The "blunting of emotions" occurs and the death and horror seen daily no longer affects you. (Pg. 35 Chap. 1) Finally, the third stage occurs with a lengthy and gradual process of getting used to being free. One must learn to trust others and the safety in situations, and then emotions begin to infect the body once again.
Logotherapy was developed by Viktor Frankl and is referred to as the "Third Viennese School of Psychotherapy." It comes from the Greek word "logos". Many, including us here at Rutgers, were first introduced to this in Freud's "The Future of an Illusion". In it, Freud focuses on Logos in conjunction with reason. Specifically, promoting using reason instead of religious based faith. Frankl, however, uses it to denote meaning. Logotherapy focuses on "the meaning of human existence as well as man's search for meaning". He suggested that Freud essentially used ideas of pleasure as the root of all human motivation, evident in his well-known psychosexual theory as well as in "The Future of an Illusion". Frankl's theory is based on a "will to meaning" rather than the "will to pleasure" discussed above or Adler's "will to power". (Pg. 104 Chap. 2)
Another part of Logotherapy is "tragic optimism" in spite of the "tragic triad". The triad consists of pain, guilt and death. Tragic optimism simply means that we as humans, at our best, have the capacity to not only overcome these three things, but to turn all and any negative aspects into good and make the best out of tragedy. (Pg. 139 Chap. 4) Further, this "existential" aspect of the therapy heavily focuses on a right to choose. Frankl states,?everything can be taken from a man, but one thing, the last of the human freedoms, to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way."
Here, Mr. Frankl tries to convey that psychology, particularly logotherapy, can help religiosity and faith, in fact, they go hand in hand. He found those in the camps who had faith that they would live, the state of mind that they would be reunited with loved ones, were more likely to survive. The conscious decision to have a positive mind set, to choose hope instead of apathy, increased faith. This, in turn, increased will to live and ultimately chances of survival.
This book is not religious in nature, per say, but the holocaust is an enormous religious based event. His theories, including logotherapy do align somewhat consistently with Fromm's humanistic theory. According to Dr. C. George Boeree of Shippensburg University, Frankl puts forth the idea of a personal God within all of us, and a relationship with transcendence that is inborn. He goes as far as to say Frankl believed in a "god of the heart".
Even though Frankl is of a Jewish background there is no mention of the word "Jew" in this book. The author won't "capitalize from being a Jew, having suffered as a Jew." It is a perfect example of practicing what you preach. Not only did he share Logotherapy with others, he practiced it in his personal life by making choices to have something good come out of the camps, but never to capitalize on the suffering. ( quote from: First Things 52 Interview Copyright 1995)
Viktor E. Frankl. Man's Search for Meaning. A Touchstone Book. Published by Simon and Schuster, December 1984.
This book, as I said before, is a classic. I never knew how widely read this book was until I got my hands on it and started talking about it to friends and family. It is a great story of psychology, religion, choice and meaning that is a great addition to any bookshelf.
<http://www.ship.edu/~cgboeree/frankl.html> "Personality Theories : Victor Frankl". Dr. C. George Boeree. Copyright 1998 and 2002
This site goes very in depth to all Viktor Frankl's ideas, thoughts, and theories throughout his life. It also talks about comparisons to greats like Frued. If you want to get really involved with the psychological aspects of not only this book, but of Frankl's work, this website is for you.
<http://www.firstthings.com/ftissues/ft9504/scully.html> "Viktor Frankl at ninety: An Interview". Matthew Scully. First Things 52 (April 1995) : 39-43.
This is a great interview with Viktor Frankl himself. He talks candidly about the book and about some unanswered questions you might have. It's fantastic for anyone who wants to know more about the man behind the book.
Sigmund Freud. The Future Of an Illusion. Revised Anchor Books Edition; James Strachey 1964.
This is a book that we at Rutgers have a love/hate relationship with. Mr. Freud has theories that are very in depth and interesting, and once you are able to get past the language it is relatively easy to understand and relate to. I recommend it for anyone interested in Freud's work and the two subjects of religion and psychology and how they are connected.
More Interesting Sites:
<www.logotherapy.univie.ac.at>
This is The Victor Frankl Institute's website. It gives you a great biography of the author as well as a look at his work on logotherapy and existential analysis. Be careful, make sure to click on English links, some are in German!
<www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/v/viktor_e_frankl.html>
This is a site of some great quotes by Victor Frankl. Some are from the book itself, but all are fantastic and eloquent.
<http://www.meaning.ca/articles/logotherapy.html>
This site is by Paul T. P. Wong, Ph.D. Research Director and Professor, Counseling Psychology Department, Trinity Western University, BC, Canada. Mr. Wong gives overview of Logotherapy as well as an in depth look at the clinical side experienced with patients. It also provides information about recent developments in this field.
Melissa
Kellie
Evan