Help in times of emotional crisis: Introduction
Many psychological states are not caused by external or cognitive factors; the root for problems lies deeper and can be found viewing the human being in its entirety. Our innermost core, the self or ego, the primordial human personality is spirit; the soul body and the physical body are merely cloaks for it. (These concepts are in detail explained in the work “In the Light of Truth” The Grail Message by Abd-ru-shin).
The two bodies do not work together automatically, without “guidance’; rather, they jointly serve the higher placed spiritual entity. “Serving” implies that body and soul do not fulfill an end in itself, but benefit a higher purpose, namely the development of the spirit, which should go from an unconscious to a conscious state. To make headway on this road and do justice to its intrinsic nature, which expresses itself in an unquenchable longing for knowledge, light and truth, the spirit must remain in constant movement, striving from one goal to the next, and experiencing mutual satisfaction as well as further encouragement from the significance of its activity.
The spirit must gain an ever greater understanding of the Creation-Laws. At the same time, gaining an increasing awareness of the possibilities maintained within the spirit. For this, experience is required which, due to the nature of the human spirit, can only be gained initially in this dense material earthly world.
Like any meaningful education, it must begin from the ground up. Konrad Lorenz has expressed it very aptly. We are-in his opinion-“the missing link between ape and man”. We have developed our human abilities, that is to say, those of the spirit-only to the smallest degree. Hence we are only “beings in the process of development”. Why this is so, for what reason we could not be created perfectly immediately is explained to us by the Grail Message; but it would be going too far to deal with it here. However, this becomes evident: when the Grail Message teaches that we carry within us “spirit-germs” in need of development, this coincides with scientific understanding.
The obligation laid on our human existence to do good, so as to do justice to the meaning and the development of life, needs no elaborate interpretation or description here. With a little intuitive perception we sense this down to our very fingertips anyway, and the voice of our conscience constantly bears witness to this task. ….
When the human spirit is suppressed
According to the World Health Organisation, depressive disorders are on the increase worldwide and affect about 121 million people. It is thought that up to ten per cent of Europeans and Americans and Australians suffer from depression.
A person with depression often sinks into a bottomless pit and loses all joy and motivation. He has no energy to think or make decisions and finds it difficult to concentrate or remember. Incapable even of experiencing real pain, his life has paled into insignificance and lost its meaning. His inner perception and outer reality are separated by a dense grey veil, laden with anxiety about being incapable of achievement. Somebody in this oppressive psychological state feels alienated. Also, his surroundings in our modern pleasure-seeking society show little sympathy for depressive conditions. We are reluctant to deal with the possible causes or to accord the sufferer the right attention.
Experiencing low mood or being out of sorts is not socially approved of among young people today. In order to maintain an appearance of "fun and joy" many rely on stimulants like "ecstasy" rather than risk attracting unfavorable attention.
Many who adopt a wholesome approach to life, and are even spiritually oriented, often feel completely helpless when faced with another`s depressive illness. They confidently believe, for example, that such psychological disturbances are redemption of karma and urge the sufferer to "strive for spiritual knowledge" or "make greater efforts" rather than take medication; but that is as far as their advice goes and they do not realize that this can actually make the sufferer even feel worse and shows in reality their own misunderstanding about the causes of depression.
Many experts, too, have problems in identifying the key causes of depressive illnesses and cannot explain satisfactorily their frightening increase in recent years.
Endogenous and exogenous depressions
Psychiatrists have long differentiated between two basic types of depression, the endogenous and exogenous forms. The basis for this differentiation lies in the recognition that the principal cause of the deflated mood is in some cases a physical predisposition (endogenous), which is absent in other cases.
This suggests that endogenous depression is caused by chemical disturbances in the brain and that a deficiency of certain neurotransmitters might be the decisive factor. Neurotransmitters relay information from cell to cell. The production of these messenger chemicals is light-dependent and only commences fully in daylight. This is why the characteristic symptom of endogenous depression is a "morning low". There is evidence of a hereditary disposition to this disorder. Therefore significant improvements are achieved by adequate therapies operating on the physical level. These include the use of psychiatric medications such as anti-depressants, which must be adjusted to the particular personal situation of the patient. Other successful methods include light therapy and sleep deprivation or Energy Psychology methods.
Treatment should not be confined to just medication. Supporting psychotherapy plus Energy Psychology approaches can help (inclusive BioMagnetic Healing with Hands) the patient to take charge of his situation. It can enable him to accept the "dark phases" and encourage him during his "light phases" to make progress in his inner development.
It is different with exogenous ( or "reactive") depressions which have no physical cause, but rather have a specific origin to which the patient reacts, such as personal failure, the loss of a loved one or other apparent blows of fate. In such cases, it is primarily the soul that is affected, which is why psychiatric drugs are of little value. Here it is a case of examining the background to find why a person is resigned to fate, is giving up on life's struggle, no longer sees a future and lacks strength to live rather than merely exist. Important strands can be recognized in the web which forms the basis of exogenous depression, and from these a start can be made to therapy. For example, a person or things may be idolized to the extent that all emotional resources are exhausted. The phrase "I could not live without you" is exemplified so that, should the "idol" be lost, a vacuum is formed in which the depression flourishes. This danger looms all the more if a human being clings to something material yet has no firm hold on the spiritual or lacks a feeling of security in some basic trust, which makes life worth living.
The clear differentiation between endogenous and exogenous depression has in recent years been called into question because aspects of both can naturally be intermingled. Above all, the traditional differentiation cannot explain the dramatic increase in depressions. On the one hand, it is known that across generations about the same percentage of the population is affected by endogenous depression. On the other hand, there are no clues to the striking increase in exogenous, emotionally conditioned depressions.
The physical causes of depression, which are inherited, act independently of any external events. In war times, with the added psychological pressures, endogenous depressions are as frequent as in times of peace. However, in wartime, there is no noticeable increase in exogenous depressions either. It could be said that the indulgent dependence on material things in our affluent society over the last century also increases the danger of depressive illness. At the same time, one must accept that the ever improving living conditions and the material and social safety net in which individuals are embedded today should lead to a decline in reactive depressions.
What then is the reason for the evident increase in depressive symptoms?
The spiritual dimension
This riddle can be solved conclusively if it is recognized that being human requires more than the apparently automatic cooperation of body and soul. The reasons for the escalation of depressive illness may be attributed to the predominance of passivity. Even in young people, feelings of senselessness and hopelessness often come to the fore and dismal anxieties about the future are frequently linked to despondency and weariness. But all these moods do not readily fit the endogenous or exogenous, physical or mental model. They are caused neither by the physiological and biochemical state of the human body nor can they be explained as psychological reactions to an external threat. For what possible reason could a young person living in affluence and security react with hopelessness and anxiety about the future?
Such a psychological state is not caused by external factors; the root causes lie deeper and can be found by viewing the human being in its entirety. Our innermost core, the self or ego, the primordial human personality, is spirit; the soul body and the physical body are merely cloaks for it. (These concepts are explained in detail in the work "In the Light of Truth" The Grail Message by Abd-Ru-Shin.) The two bodies do not work together automatically, without "guidance"; rather, they jointly serve the higher placed spiritual entity. "Serving" implies that body and soul do not fulfil an end in itself, but benefit a higher purpose, namely the development of the spirit, which should go from an unconscious to a conscious state. To make headway on this road and do justice to its intrinsic nature, which expresses itself in an unquenchable longing for knowledge, light and truth, the spirit must remain in constant movement, striving from one goal to the next, and experiencing mutual satisfaction as well as further encouragement from the significance of its activity.
But when owing to a wrong inner adjustment, the spiritual striving toward consciousness is blocked, this "suppression" can appear - in the truest sense of the word - like depression. The liveliness of the spirit, which normally glows through body and soul, remains inhibited and attempts to master this self-alienation by intellectual will power often end in even more depressive brooding.
While in the case of the endogenous depression the natural harmony of body, soul and spirit is disturbed foremost by physical blockages and can be helped by using physical means and Energy approaches and with exogenous depression psychological slips are decisive which can be helped by psychological means and energy approaches inclusive BioMagnetic Healing, an additional third and important kind of depression must be mentioned which points to the spiritual. Many typical social phenomena of our time, from the escape of youngsters in alcohol, drugs or else sects to widespread leisure frustration, show that our recognition of the purpose of life has been lost, and we cultivate a lifestyle at odds with and seriously frustrating to the bearings and goal of our core being, the spirit.
From the loss of meaning to depression
How do doubts about the meaning of life, which are probably an inseparable aspect of any materialistic world view, become morbid? This question is usually beyond the scope of scientific research because scientists, by and large, ignore the spiritual dimension of being human. This dimension urges us to search for meaning in our lives. It connects and elevates body and soul, but is hard to be approached by scientific method.
One notable exception is the so-called Logotherapy founded by Viktor Frankl. It places the spirituality of man at the centre of all therapy and speaks of the so-called "noogenic depression" (nous = spirit). The suppression/depression of the spiritual voice. Modern society has prepared a fertile soil for this. Our way of life, therefore, creates a favourable climate for profound frustrations. When such conditions in society meet with a person's psychological weakness as, for instance, a tendency towards addiction, chronic anxiety or the lack of will power, then an identity crisis can easily grow into a sturdy noogenic depression. A significant proportion of all depressions can be attributed to the lack of spiritual activity which is particularly cultivated by our spiritually disoriented life style. Therein also lies the reason for the striking increase in these illnesses in recent times.
Viktor Frankl specialized in the study of the problem of noogenic frustration. The suffering from the meaningless of life and how to change this is the content of his many lectures and books. He knew such suffering from personal experience.
Logotherapy states that the goal of a fulfilled life is not power and pleasure but meaning. As do all psychotherapies, Logotherapy or also called Franklian Psychology, rests on a number of assumptions that cannot be proved nor disproved with certainty. We can only test the validity of these assumptions by living AS IF they were true, to see if they make sense within the framework of our lives.
Viktor E. Frankl, M.D., Ph.D.(1905-1997) Neurologist and psychiatrist, was able to prove the validity of his assumptions during the three years he did spend in various concentration camps by the Nazis, including Theresienstadt, Auschwitz, and Dachau during the Second World War. (Both his parents and his wife of one year were killed in Auschwitz.)
As a student of human behaviour, Dr Frankl naturally began to observe the people around him. People’s reactions to their predicament and the horrors they observed around them varied widely. Dr Frankl found that those people that chose the emotion of hopelessness, and who simply gave up did not survive for long. His book which is about Logotherapy and his experiences in the concentration camp, “Man’s search for Meaning”, has sold over 9 Million times worldwide.
“ As inmates in the camps,” he wrote, “stripped of family, home, possessions, manuscript, reduced, literally, to our naked existence, we needed to stop asking ourselves about the meaning of life, and to think of ourselves as those who were being questioned by life daily and hourly. Therefore, it was necessary for us to face up to the full amount of suffering, trying to keep moments of weakness and furtive tears to a minimum. But there was no need to be ashamed of tears, for tears bore witness that a man had the greatest of courage, the courage to suffer.” Those inmates who asked themselves, “Why did this happen to me? What did I do to deserve this?” ended up in despair because there was no answer to these questions. But those inmates who asked, instead, “What can I do now, even in this meaningless situation?” found answers and hope.
If we find ourselves all of a sudden in from our perceived meaningless situation it helps us if we ask the same question. “What can I do now, even in this meaningless situation?” What task is waiting for me to be fulfilled now?
The inmates in the concentration camps responded to the questions life asked them and found their answers: I can show my fellow sufferer how to triumph over unavoidable suffering because I have a purpose that pulls me forward; to survive for the sake of someone who needs me, or for the sake of a task that awaits me, or simply because I am a human being who can be an example to others.
Logotherapy specializes in helping people find a way out of the labyrinth of their meaninglessness and in that also lies its strength. It does not disregard other approaches but uses them additionally where appropriate.
Many people ask if there is actually a path out of meaninglessness. Logotherapy says yes.
In view of Logotherapy human life is a chain of events which follows one after the other similar to movie sequences, and each situation is either presented to the person by life or the person chooses to put himself into that situation and each situation has a demand quality.
For example, if we think on professional life, we might see moments of joy, pain, loss, stress, confusion and short times of relieve and success. One might experience disagreements with colleagues, times of peace with them but often also times of quarrel or disappointment. Every situation puts the human being face to face with a specific task and decision! This task is always new and refers only to the specific situation. The situation can give a person the opportunity to act or to wait, to talk or to be silent, to think about it, to develop new strategies, to learn something, to develop inner virtues etc. And if you respond or if you talk you can do it in the right or wrong way. We are actually asked in each situation to do something specific or not to do something specific. Often it is a silent call for help and other times we are asked to give up our own wishes as this is the most meaningful response in the situation. The duty of the person lies in the recognition of the hidden meaning of the moment, and to discover it himself. The person has to put his/her antenna out and perceive the answer to the question life asks him/her. “What is the most meaningful thing to do in my situation?” If he has found the answer he can act accordingly.
Exercise: What is life asking you at the moment in your life? If you put your antenna out and perceive the answer to the question what the most meaningful response is in your situation, what will you do next?
As human beings, we are not just machines or bodies in search of satisfaction of our needs. Already the bible said we cannot live of bread alone. A human being is a part of this Universe a part of Creation and as a part we also are asked to fulfil a purpose and in that are asked to contribute in an uplifting way to the Whole. If we deny ourselves to fulfil this duty, we will not fulfil our purpose and we cannot experience happiness as true happiness is always the answer to our own attitude to life and what we give. Happiness is always the result of us living according to the principles of life. For an attitude which is upbuilding, supportive and connective, an attitude which results in us bringing happiness and light into the world and to fulfil a meaningful task.
Logotherapy can support us to find and discover meaning and purpose in our individual lives when we have forgotten what it is.
It helps us to look at our life with the lens of finding the meaning potentials and then we can decide if we want to fulfil these potentials.
To delve a bit deeper into the Logotherapeutic thoughts we will look at its Basic Assumptions.
A large part of the following information comes from Dr Elisabeth Lukas. She was a student of Viktor Frankl and opened the “Sueddeutsche Institut for Logotherapy”. This institute is a centre for teaching Logotherapy and providing therapeutic services.
In explaining Frankl’s work, Lukas said that the ideology of Logotherapy rests on three theoretical premises which are (a) the freedom of will, (b) the will to meaning and (c) the meaning of life. According to Lukas, freedom of will is often disputed. Nevertheless, Viktor Frankl claimed that if we did not believe that a person has some ability to change and determine his actions, all efforts invested in psychotherapy would be senseless. The will to meaning is, according to Frankl, the primary power of motivation of a human being. Each of these premises will be considered more fully below.
Freedom of will.
The first theoretical premise is the freedom of will which, according to Lukas, is often challenged in light of environmental and biological influences.
Nevertheless, Frankl claimed that every human being has at least the potential for free will. This potential for the free will can be restricted or cancelled by disease, immaturity and senility but this does not negate its existence. Frankl (1988, p.16) explains that “man’s freedom is not freedom from conditions but rather freedom to take a stand against whatever conditions might confront him.” In other words, when environment or biology present an individual with a situation, that individual has a choice of different responses. Wong (2002) explained that although the existence of individuals is influenced by instincts, inherited disposition, and environment, an area of freedom is always available to the individual. Hence, it is possible to choose the attitude towards restrictive conditions.
Will to meaning.
The second theoretical premise is the will to meaning. Frankl held that the will to meaning is the key concept within Logotherapy and is essential to the theory. Viktor Frankl further contended that the will to meaning is a primary power of motivation in all individuals. He suggested that every person is carried by a striving and longing toward a purpose in life and that he or she want to fulfil some meaning. It is through this genuine and authentic meaning that the individual will gain knowledge of his or her life task. Wong (2002) stated in explaining Logotherapy, that the will to meaning is possible because of the human capacity to transcend immediate circumstances. He continued that a quality of being human is to always be directed, and pointed to something or someone other than himself or herself. That is, to have a meaning to fulfil, another person to encounter, a cause to serve or a person to love.
Meaning in life.
The third theoretical premise is the meaning of life. This aspect entails that life itself is never senseless or not worth living. Lukas claimed that it is not always easy to see the purpose or meaning in a situation because it often goes beyond our thinking and understanding, although, with care, patience and eventual help, it can be sensed or found. Frankl (1963) believed that every situation in life including suffering, pain, guilt and death entail a positive aspect for the individual involved and is worth living. Situations that bring unavoidable suffering or death can be turned into something positive if they are faced with an attitude that is open to seeing something beneficial in it. According to Frankl, meaning can be found through what we give to the world, what we do or contribute, and how we add to life or the community. Frankl called these creative values. It can also be discovered in experiential values found in art, relationships and nature. Furthermore, it can be found in attitudinal values which represent the change of attitude and acknowledgment of meaning that we may develop in order to find meaning in response to situations.
Frankl’s Dimensional Ontology
In continuing the explanation of the basic concepts of Logotherapy, the ontological view as it is formulated by Viktor Frankl is described. According to Frankl (1958), the human being is best explained with three dimensions which coexist in a person. These three dimensions are the physical or somatic, the psychological, and the spiritual or nooelogical dimension. These dimensions cannot be described as levels or strata but as three dimensions that simultaneously weave through our being. Lukas explained that these three dimensions relate to each other like the three dimensions of a space or shape. The dimensions of a shape are length, width and height. Logotherapy claims that height ends where width begins or that length begins were height ends, but we can say that at every point of a geometrical body these three dimensions meet and create its shape. Hence every point of a die, for example, is the meeting point for height, length and width. According to this example, the human being is considered to be permeated by three dimensions which are simultaneously present in the person while affecting every aspect of his or her life.
Frankl used a different image in order to convey his idea of three-dimensional ontology. He stated that we should imagine that a cylinder, a cone and a sphere cast their shadows on a horizontal plane. The shadows will be three equal circles. When we view the circles, each can stand for all three forms interchangeably or be the shadow from all three at once. The cylinder, cone and sphere could be one, still we only see one circle. According to Wong(2003), these different dimensions must be understood in their totality because a person is unity in complexity. The different dimensions are expressed in different ways as Lukas explains. She states that the somatic dimension includes all bodily phenomenon consisting of the biological and physiological functioning with its chemical and physical processes. The psycho-social dimension contains our emotions and cognition. In addition, it holds our feelings and instincts, our desires and passions as well as intellectual abilities. Finally, it includes our habits and automatic responses which we have developed to social or environmental influences.
The psycho-noetic, so the spiritual dimension is most important in Logotherapy. Viktor Frankl called it the nooelogical dimension after the Greek word nous for spirit. He further stated that the nooelogical dimension is an essential feature specific to humans and with it we have the ability to respond freely to physical and emotional conditions. This capacity to tap into the spiritual part of the self and to rise about the negative effects of a situation is referred to as the defiant power of the human spirit. Frankl also called this ability psycho-noetic antagonism and states that with it, the human being has the potential to “transcend himself” and to emerge spiritually above the level of the psychic and physical conditions. With it we can look beyond ourselves and reach self-actualization. Frankl continued that Logotherapy does not deny that the individual is subject to biological conditions and environmental determinants, but “by opening the nooelogical dimension, man becomes capable of putting a distance between himself and his own biological and psycho-social make up”.
Lukas stated that it enables the individual to perform independent acts of volition and it includes our factual and artistic interests. It further includes the ability to be creative and religious, to love or to have an ethical conscience. When a person uses a sense of humour, deals with situations in an ironic way, or uses the ability of self-detachment he or she is using the nooelogical dimension and activates the psycho-noetic antagonism.
Frankl stated that if the individual can not escape a situation that brings suffering or struggles, he or she has the potential to change the impact it has. He insisted that this element of spiritual freedom or psycho-noetic antagonism is not the freedom “from” or “away from” something but the freedom “to” or “toward” something. It is the freedom to reposition oneself in a situation, to say yes or no to it, and to give in to the influence or resist it. For example, according to Lukas we can: choose to ignore the physical symptoms of fear and anxiety, rising above them and facing the object we fear; choose to become loving and caring parents even if we were abused by our parents; and choose to share our last bread even though we are hungry.
Conscience: The tool for finding meaning.
According to Frankl, conscience leads and guides us in our search for meaning. Frankl defined this conscience as a means to discover meaning. He stated further that conscience enables the individual to find the unique meaning in all the different situations that are part of his life. The conscience serves as the tool which provides guidance for finding a meaningful response. This conscience serves the individual with a sense of intuitive perception (or ethical sense) which helps to recognize where meaning lies.
According to Lukas, the conscience works similarly to a compass. A compass measures the magnetism at the location where it is, only its needle points far towards the north and provides a direction. When comparing this mental picture of the compass to the individual and his or her conscience, the compass becomes the subjective sensing which takes place inside of the individual and gives direction to the mind or thought (the needle) which will point towards the objective meaning of the situation or the solution (north). Now the individual is able to follow this direction if he or she chooses to.
In order to clarify the explanation about the conscience as it is described and used in Logotherapy, Lukas claimed that it is important to point out that it is not equivalent to the super-ego from Sigmund Freud. The super-ego is based on the moral understanding, mores and values determined by society and tradition which individuals adopt, learn and assume from parents and society. Even though some values in society are the same as the meaningful choice in a situation, many times they differ from them or there is no guideline for the issue to be considered. Consequently, it is not always easy to know whether one really has found the objective, meaningful decision for the situation. One clear illustration is given by the following example. When an individual ponders what he or she should do and if he or she weighs how others will judge the action, the individual is listening to the superego and not really consulting the conscience to determine a meaningful choice for the situation. If it is difficult to find the right meaning in every life situation and if one fails to find meaning the consequence is, according to Frankl, an existential vacuum.
Existential Vacuum
The existential vacuum is a term coined by Viktor Frankl and it stands for a sense of futility and emptiness, a feeling of meaninglessness. Frankl explained that according to his opinion “man is dominated by the deep-seated, innate striving and struggling for a higher ultimate meaning to his existence”. This striving also exists within families. When this striving is frustrated, however, it results in existential frustration which Frankl believed is often the reason for the development of neuroses. The feeling of meaninglessness in itself is not pathological, however, if the vacuum is not filled with a sense of meaning, it is then filled with psychiatric symptoms. These symptoms include anxiety, substance abuse, despair or depression, confusion or the experience of anomie. (Lantz, 1987) That existential frustration can also manifest itself in boredom was empirically supported when 40 retirees who did volunteer work more than 10 hours per week scored substantially higher on the Purpose of Life test than those who did not do any volunteer work. At the same time the retirees who volunteered reported less boredom than the ones who did not participate in volunteer work. (Weinstein, Xie, &Cleanthous, 1995).
Another important premise is that the direct striving for happiness cannot be successful. Frankl claimed that happiness cannot be pursued as it escapes if it is made a goal. It is only available as a by-product of the activities that have personal meaning. He continued that once an individual is aware of the personal meaning in his or her being, he or she transcends him or herself and is fulfilled by contributing to others. Once one has fulfilled one’s own personal meaning and has given for the sake of giving, or for whatever the meaning is, the happiness will occur by itself. Frankl rationalized that this is most obvious in sexual problems such as frigidity or impotence. The more the client is paying attention to sexual performance the more it becomes impossible. Frankl continued that according to his theory the more an individual strives for pleasure, the less pleasure he or she achieves. Hence, in his work, Frankl advised the client to focus on the partner the object of affection, and to stop thinking about himself or herself. Usually, the problems would subside.
So this was as summary about the basic concepts of Logotherapy. Frankl provided a new way of understanding the human being through the three theoretical premises, freedom to will, the will to meaning and meaning in life. With the third, the nooelogical dimension, Frankl maintained that humans possess the defiant power to react in meaningful ways to every situation.
I will add the following examples as they will give ideas of how to use the Logotherapeutic assumptions for our own life.
Using the Socratic Dialogue.
The Socratic dialogue is a special form of conversation in logotherapy. Logotherapy deems it essential to take a position of weighing and reflecting all that is said in order to assess its worthiness, its closeness to reality and to what extent it is responsible and ethical. Frankl contended that what is worthy will be defined as that which fosters meaning fulfilment of the individual and what is unworthy will be defined as that which hinders meaning fulfilment.
Here is an example to demonstrate this point. If an unemployed man says that he feels useless because he can not contribute with his income and when he states that his life is therefore without purpose, the logotherapist will point out that he can find other ways to contribute and that he does not have to be useless. If a person were to become handicapped to the point that he or she became limited in action, his or her existence would not become meaningless and life would still be worth living.
Here is a case example in which Dr Elisabeth Lukas (1998) uses Socratic dialogue in order to help a client. It is a typical example of her work. The case described here is that of a young woman from Sicily who is torn between the longing to be with her child in Sicily and to be poor or to work in Germany and send money home for him to get a good education. Even though she went to Germany after her relatives urged her toward this decision she spends most of her nights crying from being homesick, longing to be with her child and feeling guilty for leaving him with her extended family. The dialogue between her and the therapist went as follows. The therapist asks why she decided to go to Germany. The answer is that there is very high unemployment in Sicily and she can not provide a good education for her son and hopefully increase his chances of finding work when he grows up. She further states that with the money she can earn in Germany working in a pizzeria she is able to fund his school. Now the therapist asks her to confirm that it is, therefore, necessary for her to leave the son behind. Once she says yes, the therapist asks further what she could do for her son if she stayed in Sicily and she replies: “Not much. Besides me being there for him, nothing. “The therapist asks: “Isn’t it very valuable to be present for your child? “ She answers: “Yes, but I am replaceable because my son has a very close relationship with his grandparents, aunts and cousins. Everyone in the village looks after him.”
From this dialogue, it is clear that even though the patient is still ambivalent in her decision, there is a small indication that she values the alternative to be in Germany more. She attributes more value to a good education for her son than to be close to him especially since she is replaceable and many loving relatives take care of him. Even though this might be the path which some people may judge as unacceptable, in her situation and based on her values it is the more credible and meaningful alternative.
Finally, the therapist asks the patient why she is not proud of herself and why she doesn’t tell herself: “I am doing this for you, my son. I am doing all this for your future.” Lukas states that almost every mother will be relieved and realize more certainly than before that her decision was right and that she is on the right path. She will know that this is based on her own value system and not that of the therapist.
Another treatment method is the
Paradoxical Intention.
Here the client is encouraged to do the very thing of which he or she is afraid. As I believe that the following example is useful for everyone I will add it here. Lukas reported about a case in which a woman was suffering from fears that someone would break into her house. The client reported that with every little noise, she suspected that either someone was creeping around the house or was trying to come in. Even though her husband installed a sophisticated security system, her fears did not subside. She became more and more agitated and felt that she could not exist without medication in order to calm down. Once she had put her child to sleep she had difficulty falling asleep herself on most evenings. What made the situation especially difficult was that her husband was working late-shifts and every second night returned home only after midnight. Therefore, on these evenings the woman was afraid to sleep and remained awake full of fear and anxiety until he returned.
In this case Dr Lukas told her that as long as she was afraid, the fear would have power over her well-being. She instructed the client that if she wanted to decrease the power of her fear she had to make fun of it. The therapist added that she could make fun of it more easily if she would wish for what she feared because it would be impossible to wish for something and be afraid of it. Now, in order to help the client to make fun of the fear and to wish for the event she feared, the therapist helped her to rehearse some appropriate words she should tell herself. She should tell herself out loud that it would be nice if the burglars would finally come since she wished for it so long. She was supposed to say that she had some good whisky in the house which she could offer them and she had many treasures that might be of interest to them. The women could tell herself that it was boring in her life and that some excitement would be wonderful……and so on. This could be continued further and is only limited by the therapist’s and client’s ideas.
Lukas reported that the client could not believe what she heard but the therapist insisted that she should try it. The client practised this paradox intention for a few weeks. In the beginning, she felt that it was silly and she did not really believe in it. She was unable to wish sincerely and her fear still lurked around and could come through. Finally, one day the client was again overcome by fear and she was agitated that she opened the window and called out the words she had rehearsed. Nothing happened and no one came. She began to laugh about herself and felt how the fear lost its power. This night, when her husband came home she was asleep. From this moment on she was able to use paradoxical intention every time the fear tried to creep in. Soon, she reported that she had no more anxiety and that she was not afraid of being alone in the house.
According to Frankl, in paradoxical intention, the pathogenic fear is replaced by a paradoxical wish, the wish for the very thing feared. This process changes the perspective and demonstrates that the person has more control over his or her behaviour than he or she had believed. In addition, an integral element in paradoxical intention is the deliberate evocation of humour, the capacity for self-detachment. Furthermore, patients are encouraged to deflect their attention away from the obsession and focus it on another important issue, the personal meaning of their life.
Another method of Logotherapy is
Dereflection
Its focus is to reduce hyper-reflection which is egocentrism and excessive reflection. This hyper-reflection is characterized by the constant thinking about some problem or worry, by thoughts about one subject which circle in one’s mind and becomes overwhelming. Lantz (1985) pointed out that symptoms or behaviour patterns that are born out of this hyper-reflection cloud meaning. Frankl claimed that in the present time hyper-reflection has become a frequent issue, and not letting go of sometimes minimal problems causes many psychological difficulties.
Whoever constantly thinks about his or her own small or big problems does not have any time to think about anyone or anything else. The individual becomes a prisoner of his or her own distressed well-being.
Now, with the technique of de-reflection it is not enough to tell a person to not think about their neurotic symptoms or their worries. Usually the client is invited to review the basic factors of their lives. In this step, the client’s assets are emphasized and he or she encouraged to look for potential meaning within these assets. The client is led to accept a new perspective of personal identity and he or she can begin to pay attention to meanings even within failures. Through this process, hyper reflection with its egocentrism and excessive worries decreases to the degree the client focuses on these meanings. When the person then finds such an identity and the meanings and purpose that are attached to it, he or she will then find that the existential vacuum is filled.
Modification of Attitude
In Logotherapy, this is generally directed toward reframing attitudes from negative to positive. According to Lukas, it is difficult to find a positive attitude toward negative things in life but some conditions are only changeable by finding a different attitude toward them. Some of these situations in which the conditions cannot be changed are a serious illness, paralysis, amputation, and painful loss. Nevertheless, in these cases the individual has the capability to choose his or her attitude toward them, and the attitude determines how the unchangeable is endured. No human being has to shatter from his or her misfortune or grief. Frankl insisted that everyone is provided with the psycho noetic-antagonism which enables him or her to transform any unchangeable suffering into an accomplishment and therefore triumph over the situation. Attitude modification is applied in cases of addiction, depression and suffering related to circumstances or illness.
One good example of a modified attitude is cited by Viktor Frankl who described an elderly widow who was devastated and suffered from depression caused by the loss of his wife. Instead of giving him advice and counsel, Frankl asked him:” What would have happened, if you had died first, and your wife would have had to survive you?” The man realized that in that case, she would have to suffer as he did now. Whereupon Frankl continued by saying: “You see, such a suffering has been spared her, and it was you who have spared her this suffering to be sure, at the price that now you have to survive and mourn her.” The widower said no word, but shook Viktor Frankl’s hand and calmly left his office. He had found meaning in his suffering which made it all worthwhile.
You have just read some case studies with the techniques most widely used with Logotherapy. All techniques entail the goal of helping a person to find meaning in his or her life in order to fill an existential vacuum.
Counselling/Coaching
The Socratic dialogue is a special form of conversation in logotherapy. Logotherapy deems it essential to take a position of weighing and reflecting all that is said in order to assess its worthiness, its closeness to reality and to what extent it is responsible and ethical. Frankl contended that what is worthy will be defined as that which fosters meaning fulfilment of the individual and what is unworthy will be defined as that which hinders meaning fulfilment.
Here is an example to demonstrate this point. If an unemployed man says that he feels useless because he can not contribute with his income and when he states that his life is therefore without purpose, the logotherapist will point out that he can find other ways to contribute and that he does not have to be useless. If a person were to become handicapped to the point that he or she became limited in action, his or her existence would not become meaningless and life would still be worth living.
Here is a case example in which Dr Elisabeth Lukas (1998) uses Socratic dialogue in order to help a client. It is a typical example of her work. The case described here is that of a young woman from Sicily who is torn between the longing to be with her child in Sicily and to be poor or to work in Germany and send money home for him to get a good education. Even though she went to Germany after her relatives urged her toward this decision she spends most of her nights crying from being homesick, longing to be with her child and feeling guilty for leaving him with her extended family. The dialogue between her and the therapist went as follows. The therapist asks why she decided to go to Germany. The answer is that there is very high unemployment in Sicily and she can not provide a good education for her son and hopefully increase his chances of finding work when he grows up. She further states that with the money she can earn in Germany working in a pizzeria she is able to fund his school. Now the therapist asks her to confirm that it is, therefore, necessary for her to leave the son behind. Once she says yes, the therapist asks further what she could do for her son if she stayed in Sicily and she replies: “Not much. Besides me being there for him, nothing. “The therapist asks: “Isn’t it very valuable to be present for your child? “ She answers: “Yes, but I am replaceable because my son has a very close relationship with his grandparents, aunts and cousins. Everyone in the village looks after him.”
From this dialogue, it is clear that even though the patient is still ambivalent in her decision, there is a small indication that she values the alternative to be in Germany more. She attributes more value to a good education for her son than to be close to him especially since she is replaceable and many loving relatives take care of him. Even though this might be the path which some people may judge as unacceptable, in her situation and based on her values it is the more credible and meaningful alternative.
Finally, the therapist asks the patient why she is not proud of herself and why she doesn’t tell herself: “I am doing this for you, my son. I am doing all this for your future.” Lukas states that almost every mother will be relieved and realize more certainly than before that her decision was right and that she is on the right path. She will know that this is based on her own value system and not that of the therapist.
Another treatment method is the
Paradoxical Intention.
Here the client is encouraged to do the very thing of which he or she is afraid. As I believe that the following example is useful for everyone I will add it here. Lukas reported about a case in which a woman was suffering from fears that someone would break into her house. The client reported that with every little noise, she suspected that either someone was creeping around the house or was trying to come in. Even though her husband installed a sophisticated security system, her fears did not subside. She became more and more agitated and felt that she could not exist without medication in order to calm down. Once she had put her child to sleep she had difficulty falling asleep herself on most evenings. What made the situation especially difficult was that her husband was working late-shifts and every second night returned home only after midnight. Therefore, on these evenings the woman was afraid to sleep and remained awake full of fear and anxiety until he returned.
In this case Dr Lukas told her that as long as she was afraid, the fear would have power over her well-being. She instructed the client that if she wanted to decrease the power of her fear she had to make fun of it. The therapist added that she could make fun of it more easily if she would wish for what she feared because it would be impossible to wish for something and be afraid of it. Now, in order to help the client to make fun of the fear and to wish for the event she feared, the therapist helped her to rehearse some appropriate words she should tell herself. She should tell herself out loud that it would be nice if the burglars would finally come since she wished for it so long. She was supposed to say that she had some good whisky in the house which she could offer them and she had many treasures that might be of interest to them. The women could tell herself that it was boring in her life and that some excitement would be wonderful……and so on. This could be continued further and is only limited by the therapist’s and client’s ideas.
Lukas reported that the client could not believe what she heard but the therapist insisted that she should try it. The client practised this paradox intention for a few weeks. In the beginning, she felt that it was silly and she did not really believe in it. She was unable to wish sincerely and her fear still lurked around and could come through. Finally, one day the client was again overcome by fear and she was agitated that she opened the window and called out the words she had rehearsed. Nothing happened and no one came. She began to laugh about herself and felt how the fear lost its power. This night, when her husband came home she was asleep. From this moment on she was able to use paradoxical intention every time the fear tried to creep in. Soon, she reported that she had no more anxiety and that she was not afraid of being alone in the house.
According to Frankl, in paradoxical intention, the pathogenic fear is replaced by a paradoxical wish, the wish for the very thing feared. This process changes the perspective and demonstrates that the person has more control over his or her behaviour than he or she had believed. In addition, an integral element in paradoxical intention is the deliberate evocation of humour, the capacity for self-detachment. Furthermore, patients are encouraged to deflect their attention away from the obsession and focus it on another important issue, the personal meaning of their life.
Another method of Logotherapy is
Dereflection
Its focus is to reduce hyper-reflection which is egocentrism and excessive reflection. This hyper-reflection is characterized by the constant thinking about some problem or worry, by thoughts about one subject which circle in one’s mind and becomes overwhelming. Lantz (1985) pointed out that symptoms or behaviour patterns that are born out of this hyper-reflection cloud meaning. Frankl claimed that in the present time hyper-reflection has become a frequent issue, and not letting go of sometimes minimal problems causes many psychological difficulties.
Whoever constantly thinks about his or her own small or big problems does not have any time to think about anyone or anything else. The individual becomes a prisoner of his or her own distressed well-being.
Now, with the technique of de-reflection it is not enough to tell a person to not think about their neurotic symptoms or their worries. Usually the client is invited to review the basic factors of their lives. In this step, the client’s assets are emphasized and he or she encouraged to look for potential meaning within these assets. The client is led to accept a new perspective of personal identity and he or she can begin to pay attention to meanings even within failures. Through this process, hyper reflection with its egocentrism and excessive worries decreases to the degree the client focuses on these meanings. When the person then finds such an identity and the meanings and purpose that are attached to it, he or she will then find that the existential vacuum is filled.
Modification of Attitude
In Logotherapy, this is generally directed toward reframing attitudes from negative to positive. According to Lukas, it is difficult to find a positive attitude toward negative things in life but some conditions are only changeable by finding a different attitude toward them. Some of these situations in which the conditions cannot be changed are a serious illness, paralysis, amputation, and painful loss. Nevertheless, in these cases the individual has the capability to choose his or her attitude toward them, and the attitude determines how the unchangeable is endured. No human being has to shatter from his or her misfortune or grief. Frankl insisted that everyone is provided with the psycho noetic-antagonism which enables him or her to transform any unchangeable suffering into an accomplishment and therefore triumph over the situation. Attitude modification is applied in cases of addiction, depression and suffering related to circumstances or illness.
One good example of a modified attitude is cited by Viktor Frankl who described an elderly widow who was devastated and suffered from depression caused by the loss of his wife. Instead of giving him advice and counsel, Frankl asked him:” What would have happened, if you had died first, and your wife would have had to survive you?” The man realized that in that case, she would have to suffer as he did now. Whereupon Frankl continued by saying: “You see, such a suffering has been spared her, and it was you who have spared her this suffering to be sure, at the price that now you have to survive and mourn her.” The widower said no word, but shook Viktor Frankl’s hand and calmly left his office. He had found meaning in his suffering which made it all worthwhile.
You have just read some case studies with the techniques most widely used with Logotherapy. All techniques entail the goal of helping a person to find meaning in his or her life in order to fill an existential vacuum.
Counselling/Coaching
Healing Prayer for Gabby
Ritual
You stand very consciously and awake and mindful in front of the mirror and look at your body.
Say the following:
I look at you my body and I love you.
I am the soul. I am the spirit that also floods through the body.
But you are my servant, and I am the master.
Listen to me, you collective consciousness of my body, you servants in all my organs, cells and blood, listen very carefully.
I now want you to remove all toxins, all foreign vaccination information and vaccination parts, as well as all disturbances caused by viruses and Epstein virus and similar from my body, as well as all negative beliefs about the world and myself that act like poisons in the body, from your cells, from your micro-smallest parts, and excrete them from out of the body. I want to ask you body beings that look after my Thyroid, liver and skin. I want you to restore my Thyroid, my liver and my skin to perfect health and let me know what support you need from me.
You wonderful spirits of my organs remember the perfect state of health. Remember the state of complete “Wholeness”. Just as the way you were when God the Father gave you to me at the beginning, at the start of my life here on this earth and in this body.
Believe that you are perfect. You are healthy, you are whole, and you are free from everything that has been inoculated, affected by viruses and stress, drummed into you or what you have ingested through the ingestion of chemicals and foreign messages and toxins.
I love you. We are together healthy until the last breath I take on earth.
Erase all fears and wrong programming that I have stored into you and also erase all external influences by doctors, therapists, or whoever said, "You are no longer whole, you are no longer healthy, or you get sick." Erase this from all the cell memories of your wonderful organs, cells, and blood.
Not just these commands from this life but all and this includes all commands from many past lives. They are still in there too. And remember. You are mine. We belong Together.
We are healthy and I love you. I love you, my body, as a total work of divine art, and thank you Heavenly Father for your gift to me, this wonderful body that is cannot be, all by itself, simply healthy and stay healthy.
Help me understand my body. That I can master it and that it is useful to me as a tool and that I keep it in a perfectly healthy state.
I thank you Heavenly Father. Amen
Ritual
You stand very consciously and awake and mindful in front of the mirror and look at your body.
Say the following:
I look at you my body and I love you.
I am the soul. I am the spirit that also floods through the body.
But you are my servant, and I am the master.
Listen to me, you collective consciousness of my body, you servants in all my organs, cells and blood, listen very carefully.
I now want you to remove all toxins, all foreign vaccination information and vaccination parts, as well as all disturbances caused by viruses and Epstein virus and similar from my body, as well as all negative beliefs about the world and myself that act like poisons in the body, from your cells, from your micro-smallest parts, and excrete them from out of the body. I want to ask you body beings that look after my Thyroid, liver and skin. I want you to restore my Thyroid, my liver and my skin to perfect health and let me know what support you need from me.
You wonderful spirits of my organs remember the perfect state of health. Remember the state of complete “Wholeness”. Just as the way you were when God the Father gave you to me at the beginning, at the start of my life here on this earth and in this body.
Believe that you are perfect. You are healthy, you are whole, and you are free from everything that has been inoculated, affected by viruses and stress, drummed into you or what you have ingested through the ingestion of chemicals and foreign messages and toxins.
I love you. We are together healthy until the last breath I take on earth.
Erase all fears and wrong programming that I have stored into you and also erase all external influences by doctors, therapists, or whoever said, "You are no longer whole, you are no longer healthy, or you get sick." Erase this from all the cell memories of your wonderful organs, cells, and blood.
Not just these commands from this life but all and this includes all commands from many past lives. They are still in there too. And remember. You are mine. We belong Together.
We are healthy and I love you. I love you, my body, as a total work of divine art, and thank you Heavenly Father for your gift to me, this wonderful body that is cannot be, all by itself, simply healthy and stay healthy.
Help me understand my body. That I can master it and that it is useful to me as a tool and that I keep it in a perfectly healthy state.
I thank you Heavenly Father. Amen
Health damaging beliefs we hold on to:In our life/s we go through experiences and some of them appear so hard to digest for us that we suppress them as good as we can. We never properly deal with, learn from it or internally digest them, instead we form believes in us that often have nothing to do with reality at all but produce in us mental images about the world and ourselves and these mental images have often a massive effect on us, on our health, our decisions, our joy of life. Ill vibration of these mental images we hold tight to, affect us up to the cell level due to the unhealthy, disharmonious vibrations and can eventually lead to fully diagnosable diseases how we will in this Unit discover. Therefore it is of vital importance to become aware of them, to release or transform them into a more healthy image and perception.
Here is a Chart you can use for scanning yourselves for beliefs you might perhaps hold onto:
I am bad People are untrustworthy The world is a dangerous place God is out to get me
I am broken People will let me down The world is cruel and unloving God can’t love me
I am unlovable People will hurt me Always be on your guard I deserve to be punished
Become conscious of specific pictures you have internally about your life that resonate with these beliefs. If you would ask yourself to think on the first memories that resonates with these same belief, what images come up? What emotions are attached to the picture, what thoughts or beliefs about yourself, others and the world are attached to the image? Can you feel into that picture that you hold onto and can you sense what it does to your body?
Belief formula: I have to …………………..to be (or to get)…………………………… Example: I have to be perfect to be loved. I must not need anything or anyone to be safe.
Emotions to check:
Anger, Fear, Rage, Loneliness, Despair, Terror, Guilt, Shame
More hints: What is my mental picture I hold onto about my world? Examples: Perhaps it is feeling as being in a dungeon, in a jungle, or in a castle with walls etc. What images appear in your dreams? What beliefs keep you from living daily in joy and love, in progress, connected in cooperation with others, God, all of yourself?
Become aware of what is going on in you:
Other examples of internal mental representations and believes that have a negative effect on your health: The world is a dangerous place, I have done something unforgivable, I am bad, I will always be alone, My love is toxic and damages others, I have to always do the right thing, I must take care of others first, I can live without love but not without honour, I only can find a relationship if I am……or if I look like…….or when I am younger…….more intelligent…..richer………..and I have no hope to achieve that ever.
Become aware of what you hold onto in yourself
Exercise:
…………………..JOT IT DOWN ………………DESCRIBE THE IMAGE IN DETAIL THAT YOU ARE HOLDING ONTO Sense into the vibration of that image. Can you feel what effects it will have on your cell level?
With chronic health issues become aware of the following possibilities.
Often chronic issues have to do with issues of shame, anger, resentment and un-forgiveness with self, family, God and other health care providers. Become aware which inner picture you might perhaps hold onto.
Is there a secondary gain involved? For example, disability income, money expected from lawsuits, to the family unit itself? Ask yourself following question: If this……………………….were to go away today, tomorrow I would ………………………………….This ………………………stops me from doing……………………..
What is your specific picture of your illness? What emotions, thoughts and beliefs go with the picture? What is the earliest memory that resonates with the same emotion? What are the emotions, thoughts, and beliefs with that picture?
Ask yourself if you hold onto any of these thoughts
Beliefs that lock in fear
Here is a Chart you can use for scanning yourselves for beliefs you might perhaps hold onto:
I am bad People are untrustworthy The world is a dangerous place God is out to get me
I am broken People will let me down The world is cruel and unloving God can’t love me
I am unlovable People will hurt me Always be on your guard I deserve to be punished
Become conscious of specific pictures you have internally about your life that resonate with these beliefs. If you would ask yourself to think on the first memories that resonates with these same belief, what images come up? What emotions are attached to the picture, what thoughts or beliefs about yourself, others and the world are attached to the image? Can you feel into that picture that you hold onto and can you sense what it does to your body?
Belief formula: I have to …………………..to be (or to get)…………………………… Example: I have to be perfect to be loved. I must not need anything or anyone to be safe.
Emotions to check:
Anger, Fear, Rage, Loneliness, Despair, Terror, Guilt, Shame
More hints: What is my mental picture I hold onto about my world? Examples: Perhaps it is feeling as being in a dungeon, in a jungle, or in a castle with walls etc. What images appear in your dreams? What beliefs keep you from living daily in joy and love, in progress, connected in cooperation with others, God, all of yourself?
Become aware of what is going on in you:
Other examples of internal mental representations and believes that have a negative effect on your health: The world is a dangerous place, I have done something unforgivable, I am bad, I will always be alone, My love is toxic and damages others, I have to always do the right thing, I must take care of others first, I can live without love but not without honour, I only can find a relationship if I am……or if I look like…….or when I am younger…….more intelligent…..richer………..and I have no hope to achieve that ever.
Become aware of what you hold onto in yourself
Exercise:
…………………..JOT IT DOWN ………………DESCRIBE THE IMAGE IN DETAIL THAT YOU ARE HOLDING ONTO Sense into the vibration of that image. Can you feel what effects it will have on your cell level?
With chronic health issues become aware of the following possibilities.
Often chronic issues have to do with issues of shame, anger, resentment and un-forgiveness with self, family, God and other health care providers. Become aware which inner picture you might perhaps hold onto.
Is there a secondary gain involved? For example, disability income, money expected from lawsuits, to the family unit itself? Ask yourself following question: If this……………………….were to go away today, tomorrow I would ………………………………….This ………………………stops me from doing……………………..
What is your specific picture of your illness? What emotions, thoughts and beliefs go with the picture? What is the earliest memory that resonates with the same emotion? What are the emotions, thoughts, and beliefs with that picture?
Ask yourself if you hold onto any of these thoughts
- I’ll never get well
- This type of injury does not ever heal
- I know Anne Marie with this injury and she only got worse
- If God really loved me he would heal me
- I am being punished
- I do not deserve a healthy body
- I have attracted or manifest this illness to learn a karmic lesson
- This illness somehow protects me and others
- How has this illness changed my perception and belief about me, others, God and the world?
- What was my core identity that allowed fear to dominate my perceptions and allowed the body to get sick?
- What are my perceptions and beliefs that block joy?
Beliefs that lock in fear
- It’s not safe
- People are not safe
- People are untrustworthy
- I can’t trust or depend on people
- It’s my fault
- I am unlovable
- I can live without love but not without honour
- I must take care of others first
- I have to always to the right thing
- My love it toxic and damages others
- I will always be alone
- I am bad
- I have done something unforgiveable
- The world is a dangerous place