Viktor Frankl: Concepts and Theories

Viktor Frankly Museum, Vienna, Austria

 Viktor Frankl: Concepts and Theories

I first read Frankl's book as an undergraduate in psychology. His observations led to practical interventions in psychotherapy. In Vienna, I visited his place of work now preserved as a museum as pictured above.

Viktor Emil Frankl (March 26, 1905 – September 2, 1997) was an Austrian psychiatrist, neurologist, and Holocaust survivor who founded Logotherapy, a form of psychotherapy that emphasizes the search for meaning in life as the primary motivational force for humans. 

Will to Meaning: Frankl believed that the primary motivational force in humans is the pursuit of meaning in life, rather than pleasure (as proposed by Freud) or power (as proposed by Adler).

Meaning of Life: According to Frankl, life has meaning under all circumstances, even the most miserable ones. This meaning can be found through work, love, suffering, and by adopting a particular attitude towards unavoidable suffering.

Freedom of Will: Frankl emphasized that humans have the freedom to choose their attitudes and responses to life's challenges, even when they cannot change their circumstances.

Existential Vacuum: This concept refers to a sense of emptiness and lack of purpose that individuals may experience, which can lead to feelings of meaninglessness and existential frustration.

Paradoxical Intention: A technique used in Logotherapy where individuals are encouraged to confront their fears by intentionally exaggerating them, thereby reducing their anxiety.

Dereflection: This technique involves shifting focus away from oneself and towards others or external tasks, helping individuals overcome self-centered worries and anxieties.

Tragic Triad: Frankl identified three sources of existential frustration: unavoidable suffering, unavoidable guilt, and irremediable loss. He believed that finding meaning in these experiences is crucial for psychological well-being.

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About Viktor Frankl

Born in Vienna, Frankl studied psychology and philosophy, and corresponded with Sigmund Freud as a teenager. He earned his medical degree from the University of Vienna in 19301.

During World War II, Frankl was imprisoned in several Nazi concentration camps, including Theresienstadt, Auschwitz, and Bergen-Belsen, where he lost his parents and wife. His experiences in the camps deeply influenced his psychological theories, particularly the idea that finding meaning in life is essential for mental health1.

After the war, Frankl returned to Vienna and became head of the neurological department at the General Polyclinic Hospital. He published numerous books, including his best-known work, Man's Search for Meaning (1946), which details his experiences in the concentration camps and outlines the principles of Logotherapy.

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Man's Search for Meaning
Now a rare edition

Publications and Editions

Frankl, V. E. (1946). Man's search for meaning. Beacon Press.  [SEE SUMMARY]

Frankl, V. E. (1955). The doctor and the soul. Verlag Herder.

Frankl, V. E. (1967). Psychotherapy and existentialism. Simon & Schuster.

Frankl, V. E. (1969). The will to meaning: Foundations and applications of logotherapy. Plume.

Frankl, V. E. (1974). Man's search for ultimate meaning. Plume.

Frankl, V. E. (1978). The unheard cry for meaning. Simon & Schuster. [AMAZON]

Frankl, V. E. (1988). The will to meaning: Foundations and applications of logotherapy. Plume.

Frankl, V. E. (1995). Recollections: An autobiography. Basic Books.

Frankl, V. E. (2000). Viktor Frankl recollections: An autobiography. Basic Books. AMAZON

Frankl, V. E. (2006). Man's search for meaning. Beacon Press. [SEE SUMMARY]

Frankl, V. E. (2017). Man's search for meaning: A young adult edition. Beacon Press. [AMAZON]

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Geoffrey W. Sutton, PhD is Emeritus Professor of Psychology. He retired from a clinical practice and was credentialed in clinical neuropsychology and psychopharmacology. His website is  www.suttong.com

 

See Geoffrey Sutton’s books on   AMAZON       or  GOOGLE STORE

Follow on    FACEBOOK   Geoff W. Sutton    

   X  @Geoff.W.Sutton    

You can read many published articles at no charge:

  Academia   Geoff W Sutton     ResearchGate   Geoffrey W Sutton 

 

Dr. Sutton’s posts are for educational purposes only. See a licensed mental health provider for diagnoses, treatment, and consultation. 

Sigmund Freud Contributions to Modern Psychology

Freudian Psychology

Concepts and Theories Today

Freud's theories laid the groundwork for many concepts in modern psychology. Although many of his concepts have been revised or challenged, several remain influential albeit in an evolved form:

The Unconscious Mind: Freud's idea that much of our mental life occurs outside our conscious awareness is widely accepted. Modern psychology explores unconscious processes through cognitive and neuropsychological research.


Defense Mechanisms: The concept of defense mechanisms, such as repression, denial, and projection, is still relevant. These mechanisms are used to understand how individuals cope with stress and anxiety.


Early Childhood Experiences: Freud's emphasis on the impact of early childhood experiences on later development is a cornerstone of developmental psychology and informs practices in psychotherapy.


Talk Therapy: Psychoanalytic therapy, or talk therapy, initiated by Freud, evolved into various forms of psychotherapy, including psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioral therapies.


The Importance of Sexuality: While Freud's focus on sexuality was considered excessive, modern psychology acknowledges that sexual development and experiences play a significant role in human behavior and identity.


Psychosomatic Symptoms: Freud's recognition of the connection between mind and body laid the foundation for understanding psychosomatic disorders, where psychological factors contribute to physical symptoms.


Transference and Countertransference: These concepts, involving the projection of feelings onto the therapist and vice versa, are integral to understanding therapeutic relationships in psychotherapy.

Freud's contributions have been foundational, and his ideas continue to spark discussion and development in psychology.

Related Posts

Freud's Theory of Psychosexual Development

Id, Ego, Superego & Freud's Personality Theory

Psychology of Defense Mechanisms

Geoffrey W. Sutton, PhD is Emeritus Professor of Psychology. He retired from a clinical practice and was credentialed in clinical neuropsychology and psychopharmacology. His website is  www.suttong.com

 

See Geoffrey Sutton’s books on   AMAZON       or  GOOGLE STORE

Follow on    FACEBOOK   Geoff W. Sutton    

   X  @Geoff.W.Sutton    

You can read many published articles at no charge:

  Academia   Geoff W Sutton     ResearchGate   Geoffrey W Sutton 

 

Dr. Sutton’s posts are for educational purposes only. See a licensed mental health provider for diagnoses, treatment, and consultation. 

Awfulizing in Psychology

 

Awfulizing is a term coined by Albert Ellis, the founder of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT). It refers to a cognitive distortion where an individual tends to focus on or exaggerate the negative aspects of a situation, often making it seem worse than it actually is (Tobias, 2015). Essentially, awfulizing involves thinking about an event as horrific and terrible, which can lead to unhealthy negative emotions like anger, anxiety, and depression. Ellis emphasized that challenging this tendency to awfulize events can be helpful for coping and mental well-being.

Examples

School- missing an assignment deadline.

I’m going to fail this class. I’ll never get a good recommendation.

Challenge: Communication and corrective action may improve the situation. A professor’s recommendations are often based on a history with a student rather than a one time event.

Relationships: A minor disagreement in a relationship

That’s it. It’s over. We’ve come to a parting of the ways.

Challenge: It’s normal for people to disagree. If there was an offense, it can be forgiven.

 

Religious- an exaggerated moral failure

I’m a sinner. I can never do anything right. I’m headed for hell.

Challenge: All people struggle to do what is right. There is grace and mercy. Sins can be forgiven.

 

References

Ellis, A., & Harper, R. A. (1975). A new guide to rational living. New York: Prentice-Hall. [Read a summary]

Tobias, K. (2015). Awfulizing time. Albert Ellis Institute. Retrieved from (https://albertellis.org/2015/07/awfulizing-time/).

Sutton, G. W. (2024, April 24). Awfulizing in psychology. PSYCHOLOGY concepts and theories. Retrieved from https://suttonpsychology.blogspot.com/2024/04/awfulizing-in-psychology.html

Related Posts

Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy

Geoffrey W. Sutton, PhD is Emeritus Professor of Psychology. He retired from a clinical practice and was credentialed in clinical neuropsychology and psychopharmacology. His website is  www.suttong.com

 

See Geoffrey Sutton’s books on   AMAZON       or  GOOGLE STORE

Follow on    FACEBOOK   Geoff W. Sutton    

   X  @Geoff.W.Sutton    

You can read many published articles at no charge:

  Academia   Geoff W Sutton     ResearchGate   Geoffrey W Sutton 

 

Dr. Sutton’s posts are for educational purposes only. See a licensed mental health provider for diagnoses, treatment, and consultation. 

Classical Conditioning

 Classical conditioning is a type of learning that occurs when a neutral stimulus elicits the same response after it is paired with an unconditioned stimulus that naturally produces a response. After frequent pairings of the neutral stimulus with the unconditioned stimulus, the neutral stimulus produces the same response and is therefore referred to as a conditioned stimulus.

The discovery is attributed to the work of Russian physiologist, Ivan Pavlov in the 1800s. In psychology texts, Pavlov conditions a dog to salivate to the sound of a bell without food after the bell had been paired with the presentation of food. The salivation was a natural response to food but after the bell was paired with the presentation of food, salivation became a conditioned response.

Classical conditioning has been applied to psychotherapy.

Some phobias can be reduced or eliminated when the eliciting (trigger) stimulus is successfully paired with a stimulus that produces a calm and relaxed emotional state.

Other interventions based on a classical conditioning model include:

Aversive conditioning

Systematic Desensitization

Exposure Therapy

Geoffrey W. Sutton, PhD is Emeritus Professor of Psychology. He retired from a clinical practice and was credentialed in clinical neuropsychology and psychopharmacology. His website is  www.suttong.com

 

See Geoffrey Sutton’s books on   AMAZON       or  GOOGLE STORE

Follow on    FACEBOOK   Geoff W. Sutton    

   TWITTER  @Geoff.W.Sutton    

You can read many published articles at no charge:

  Academia   Geoff W Sutton     ResearchGate   Geoffrey W Sutton 

 

Dr. Sutton’s posts are for educational purposes only. See a licensed mental health provider for diagnoses, treatment, and consultation.

Spiritual Bypassing and Psychotherapy

Spiritual bypassing (Welwood, 1984) refers to the use of spirituality to avoid dealing with psychological factors important to psychological wellbeing.

The phenomenon was known to psychotherapists who observed people using their religiosity or spirituality to avoid doing the hard work needed to deal with their mental health issues.

The construct was operationally defined by Fox and others (2017) in the Spiritual Bypass Scale. Two factors appear to represent the construct: One is Psychological Avoidance and the other is Spiritualizing.

Comments

A spiritual bypass is analogous to a drug that temporarily reduces distress without offering a long-lasting cure.

A spiritual bypass may be evident in sayings that distract a patient from their symptoms or getting the treatment they need. 

A few examples:

"When God closes a door, He opens a window."

"All things happen for a reason."

"God doesn't give you more than you can handle."

"God will protect you."

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

"God has you in the palm of his hand."

"I'll pray about it."

"God works in mysterious ways."

Although some find the foregoing sayings comforting, the expressions may interfere with health or mental health if they are used to avoid treatment or end treatment too soon. Thus the examples are not about a particular saying or belief, but rather cues to think about any spiritual message that is a barrier to improved functioning.

Hypothesis: Patients prone to using a spiritual bypass may benefit from faith-based counseling or pastoral counseling.

Related post

See the Spiritual Bypass Scale

    Spiritual Bypass Scale-13

Fox, J., Cashwell, C. S., & Picciotto, G. (2017). The opiate of the masses: Measuring spiritual bypass and its relationship to spirituality, religion, mindfulness, psychological distress, and personality. Spirituality in Clinical Practice, 4(4), 274-287. doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1037/scp0000141

Sutton, G. W. (2023, September 4). Spiritual bypassing and psychotherapy. PSYCHOLOGY Concepts and Theories. Retrieved from https://suttonpsychology.blogspot.com/2023/09/spiritual-bypassing-and-psychotherapy.html

Welwood, J. (1984). Principles of inner work: Psychological and spiritual. Journal of Transpersonal Psychology, 16, 63–73.

Geoffrey W. Sutton, PhD is Emeritus Professor of Psychology. He retired from a clinical practice and was credentialed in clinical neuropsychology and psychopharmacology. His website is  www.suttong.com

 

See Geoffrey Sutton’s books on   AMAZON       or  GOOGLE STORE

Follow on    FACEBOOK   Geoff W. Sutton    

   X @Geoff.W.Sutton    

You can read many published articles at no charge:

  Academia   Geoff W Sutton     ResearchGate   Geoffrey W Sutton 

 

Dr. Sutton’s posts are for educational purposes only. See a licensed mental health provider for diagnoses, treatment, and consultation.

For measures related to Spirituality and Religiosity, see 

Assessing Spirituality and Religiosity   

Available On AMAZON

Aligning in psychology

 

Aligning is a psychological strategy for coping with anxiety-provoking events rather than avoiding those events, which could worsen if not addressed. Many people may be driven by emotions to avoid dealing with distressing events. Aligning involves identifying or clarifying one's values and responding to life events in terms of one's values rather than unpleasant emotions.

Aligning is a type of impression management. A person may use aligning when their behavior seems unacceptable or inappropriate. They then create a narrative that attempts to make the behavior seem reasonable or rationale.

Mutual alignment refers to a spontaneous synchronous action like a standing ovation at a performance. See Froese & Apata-Fonseca (2017).

Geoffrey W. Sutton, PhD is Emeritus Professor of Psychology. He retired from a clinical practice and was credentialed in clinical neuropsychology and psychopharmacology. His website is  www.suttong.com

 

See Geoffrey Sutton’s books on   AMAZON       or  GOOGLE STORE

Follow on    FACEBOOK   Geoff W. Sutton    

   TWITTER  @Geoff.W.Sutton    

You can read many published articles at no charge:

  Academia   Geoff W Sutton     ResearchGate   Geoffrey W Sutton 

 

Dr. Sutton’s posts are for educational purposes only. See a licensed mental health provider for diagnoses, treatment, and consultation.

Approaching in psychology

Approaching is a psychological strategy for taking small steps toward an anxiety-provoking situation instead of avoiding a situation, which is likely to worsen if not addressed. A person who is anxious about public speaking might begin by reading a set text in front of a small group.

Geoffrey W. Sutton, PhD is Emeritus Professor of Psychology. He retired from a clinical practice and was credentialed in clinical neuropsychology and psychopharmacology. His website is  www.suttong.com

 

See Geoffrey Sutton’s books on   AMAZON       or  GOOGLE STORE

Follow on    FACEBOOK   Geoff W. Sutton    

   TWITTER  @Geoff.W.Sutton    

You can read many published articles at no charge:

  Academia   Geoff W Sutton     ResearchGate   Geoffrey W Sutton 

 

Dr. Sutton’s posts are for educational purposes only. See a licensed mental health provider for diagnoses, treatment, and consultation.

Shifting in psychology

Shifting is a psychological strategy to cope with anxiety by challenging anxiety-provoking thoughts by asking oneself questions that could lead to a different and less anxiety producing perspective. A person who is anxious in a relationship might consider times or situations when they responded well in a relationship and see if a similar response would work in the current anxiety-producing relationship.

Orientation and Mental Status in Psychology

Orientation is a mental state of being aware of and oriented to one's surroundings. It includes awareness of oneself, one's location, and the time. Orientation is typically assessed as part of a mental status examination (MSE).



Mental status examination is a brief evaluation of a person's mental state. It includes an assessment of the person's appearance, behavior, speech, mood, thought process, and orientation. Orientation is typically assessed by asking the person questions about their name, date of birth, current location, and the time.

Person, place, and time are the three main components of orientation. Person orientation refers to the person's awareness of their own identity. Place orientation refers to the person's awareness of their current location. Time orientation refers to the person's awareness of the current date and time.

Disorientation is a loss of orientation. It can be caused by a variety of factors, including delirium, dementia, head injury, and intoxication. Disorientation can be partial or complete. Partial disorientation refers to a loss of orientation in one or two of the three components of orientation. Complete disorientation refers to a loss of orientation in all three components of orientation.

Disorientation can be a serious sign of a medical condition. If you are concerned that someone you know is disoriented, you should seek medical attention immediately.

Here are some additional details about the three components of orientation:

Person orientation: Person orientation is the ability to identify oneself. This includes knowing one's name, age, and other personal information. Person orientation is typically assessed by asking the person simple questions about themselves, such as "What is your name?" and "How old are you?"

Place orientation: Place orientation is the ability to identify one's location. This includes knowing the name of the place where one is located, as well as the city, state, and country. Place orientation is typically assessed by asking the person simple questions about their location, such as "Where are you right now?" and "What city are you in?"

Time orientation: Time orientation is the ability to identify the current time. This includes knowing the date, the time of day, and the day of the week. Time orientation is typically assessed by asking the person simple questions about the current time, such as "What is the date today?" and "What time is it?"

Disorientation can be a sign of a number of medical conditions, including:

Delirium: Delirium is a state of confusion and disorientation that is caused by a medical condition, such as a stroke, infection, or head injury.

Dementia: Dementia is a progressive decline in mental function that is caused by damage to the brain.

Head injury: A head injury can cause a loss of consciousness, which can lead to disorientation.

Intoxication: Intoxication from drugs or alcohol can cause a loss of consciousness, which can lead to disorientation.

If you are concerned that someone you know is disoriented, you should seek medical attention immediately.

boomerang effect in psychology

The boomerang effect in psychology refers to a phenomenon where attempts to persuade individuals to change their attitudes or behaviors can sometimes lead to the opposite effect, resulting in a reinforcement of the original beliefs or behaviors. This effect can occur when the persuasive message is perceived as threatening to the individual's sense of freedom or autonomy, leading to reactance and a defensive response that strengthens the original behavior or belief.

For example, a study found that anti-smoking campaigns that used graphic and fear-based messages resulted in some smokers actually increasing their smoking behavior, as they felt their freedom of choice was being threatened (Miller & Prentice, 2016).

Parents and teachers may observe this effect when trying to change a child's behavior. Other strategies may be more effective.

Reference

Miller, C. H., & Prentice, D. A. (2016). Changing norms to change behavior. Annual Review of Psychology, 67, 339-361. doi: 10.1146/annurev-psych-010814-015013

A book offering different strategies may be helpful for parents and educators.

Discipline With Respect  on AMAZON and elsewhere.

Geoffrey W. Sutton, PhD is Emeritus Professor of Psychology. He retired from a clinical practice and was credentialed in clinical neuropsychology and psychopharmacology. His website is  www.suttong.com

 

See Geoffrey Sutton’s books on   AMAZON       or  GOOGLE STORE

Follow on    FACEBOOK   Geoff W. Sutton    

   TWITTER  @Geoff.W.Sutton    

You can read many published articles at no charge:

  Academia   Geoff W Sutton     ResearchGate   Geoffrey W Sutton 

 

Dr. Sutton’s posts are for educational purposes only. See a licensed mental health provider for diagnoses, treatment, and consultation.

 

Delusion in Psychology

 In psychology, a delusion is a strongly held idiosyncratic belief system or idea, which is not supported by evidence or reason. A delusional idea or belief system is personal and not shared by a person's society or culture.

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A definition by Kiran and Chaudhury (2009)

A delusion is a belief that is clearly false and that indicates an abnormality in the affected person’s content of thought. The false belief is not accounted for by the person’s cultural or religious background or his or her level of intelligence. The key feature of a delusion is the degree to which the person is convinced that the belief is true. A person with a delusion will hold firmly to the belief regardless of evidence to the contrary. Delusions can be difficult to distinguish from overvalued ideas, which are unreasonable ideas that a person holds, but the affected person has at least some level of doubt as to its truthfulness.

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Delusions are common in psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia.

In delirium, delusions do not last long and are usually not elaborate.

In a delusional disorder, delusions may be complex.

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Common types of delusions include:

  Delusional jealousy (false beliefs of a partner's unfaithfulness) is also known as pathological jealousy, morbid jealousy, Othello delusion/ syndrome.

  Delusions of grandeur (Unsupported beliefs that an individual is more powerful, wealthy, intelligence, athletic, or otherwise grander than others.)

  Delusions of persecution

  Delusions of reference (Delusional beliefs that events have special personal significance. For example, a breaking general news story is about them.)

  Delusions of being controlled

  Somatic delusions (false beliefs about disease or the functions of bodily organs)

  Nihilistic delusions (beliefs that one's mind, body, or the world does not exist; delusion of negation)

  Bizarre delusion (strongly held ideas or belief systems that are obviously false)

  Fragmentary delusion (one or more undeveloped false beliefs that are disorganized and inconsistent)

  Systematized delusion (a false belief or belief system that is complex, organized, and internally consistent)

  Religious delusion (false beliefs involving religious beliefs). For example, in Western cultures, some present themselves as Jesus Christ. Religious delusions are common and often linked to delusions of grandeur (Iyassu et al., 2014). The grandeur type may present as God's special calling because the person is exceptional or they are a saint. Paranoid religious delusions may refer to being watched or pursued by demons or God. Koenig (2007) reported that more than a quarter of patients with schizophrenia present with religious delusions

References

Ashinoff, B. K., Singletary, N. M., Baker, S. C., & Horga, G. (2022). Rethinking delusions: A selective review of delusion research through a computational lens. Schizophrenia research, 245, 23–41. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.schres.2021.01.023

Iyassu, R., Jolley, S., Bebbington, P., Dunn, G., Emsley, R., Freeman, D., Fowler, D., Hardy, A., Waller, H., Kuipers, E., & Garety, P. (2014). Psychological characteristics of religious delusions. Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology, 49(7), 1051–1061. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-013-0811-y

Kiran, C., & Chaudhury, S. (2009). Understanding delusions. Industrial psychiatry journal, 18(1), 3–18. https://doi.org/10.4103/0972-6748.57851

Koenig HG. Religion, Spirituality, and Psychotic Disorders. Revista de Psiquiatria Clínica. 2007;34(1):40-48. doi:10.1590/S0101-60832007000700013

Geoffrey W. Sutton, PhD is Emeritus Professor of Psychology. He retired from a clinical practice and was credentialed in clinical neuropsychology and psychopharmacology. His website is  www.suttong.com

 

See Geoffrey Sutton’s books on   AMAZON       or  GOOGLE STORE

Follow on    FACEBOOK   Geoff W. Sutton    

   TWITTER  @Geoff.W.Sutton    

You can read many published articles at no charge:

  Academia   Geoff W Sutton     ResearchGate   Geoffrey W Sutton 

 

Dr. Sutton’s posts are for educational purposes only. See a licensed mental health provider for diagnoses, treatment, and consultation.