SPIRITUALITY AND HEALTH IN VICTOR FRANKL’S LOGOTHERAPY

Abstract

Victor Frankl created a psychological school that demonstrated the will for meaning as the primary motivation of the human being, logotherapy. The loss of this will for meaning would then be the cause of personal neuroses and of what he calls the collective neurosis, characterized by an existential emptiness. In the origin of various current psychological disturbances this existential emptiness can be found, which in turn needs to be confronted by a process of psychotherapy that seeks a more healthy psychological life. Frankl´s logotherapy suggests a rather original approach regarding the relationship of psychology and religion, surpassing psychological visions typically negative towards religion. The spiritual dimension of the human person is found in her/his own unconscious and repression is shown to be neurotic. This present study evaluates the relevance of Frankl´s proposal with regards to the relationship between spirituality and health. In a time of religious exploration of the emotional fragility of persons, this approach suggests excellent clues for a more solid comprehension of the complex relationship between spirituality and health.
KEYWORDS: Logotherapy. Victor Frankl. Spirituality. Psychic Health.