LOGOTHERAPY AS A UNIFYING AGENT IN A DIVERSE WORLD

RACHEL BOLAJI ASAGBA, PHD,PGD,BA,RD,CDE,PADEGSENIOR LECTURER,DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY

FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCESUNIVERSITY OF IBADAN

NIGERIArbasagba@yahoo.com rbasagba@gmail.com

rb.asagba@mail.ui.edu.ng+234-802-316-5957, +234-803-950-3560

Outline

• Introduction• The totality of man or the concept of man• Frankl’s position on his predecessors• Frankl’s lifestyle & coping with life after release

from concentration camp• Logotherapy as a unifying agent among academia,

nations and religions• Conclusion• References

INTRODUCTION

»Man’s uniqueness and diversity• According to logotherapy, man is a unique

creation whose differences form his individual identity.

• The airplane vs car analogy described by Frankl (1967;1986;1988) and Fabry (1987) explains this:

INTRODUCTION

An airplane and a car can move along the runway

INTRODUCTION

….that does not make the airplane a car!

INTRODUCTION

»Choices and change• Man has the ability to think rationally and make

choices• These choices matter because they affect the one

making the choices, as well as other people around.

• Decisions and choices effect change in every aspect of life.

• Responsible decisions beget meaningful changes.

INTRODUCTION

»Meaning of the moment• The answers given to the life questions that

come to an individual at any moment would determine that individual’s experiences.

• Graber (2004) defines this using the ‘hour glass’ as described by Weiter (1987):

INTRODUCTION

The future. The past. The present. THE HOURGLASS

The totality of man or the concept of man

• Frankl’s predecessors, Freud and Adler, only viewed man in the physical and psychological dimensions.

• Frankl insisted on adding the third dimension- the spiritual dimension.

• According to him, man is comprised of the body, psyche and spirit; different parts of a whole, which are interwoven.

• The analogy is that of an object having a length, a breadth as well as a height.

The totality of man or the concept of man

3 dimensional objects each have a length, a breadth as well as a width

FRANKL’S POSITION ON HIS PREDECESSORS

• In spite of his disagreement with his predecessors, he still respected them, while holding on to his concept of the spiritual dimension.

• He still tried to unify the three schools of Viennese psychotherapy, using 2 analogies:– Three blind men describing an elephant– A dwarf sitting on the shoulder of two giants

FRANKL’S POSITION ON HIS PREDECESSORS

Three blind men, each touching a different part of the same elephant, describe it differently

FRANKL’S LIFESTYLE & COPING WITH LIFE AFTER RELEASE FROM CONCENTRATION CAMP

• Frankl was able to put his life together after his harrowing experience at the concentration camp without complaining.

• Rather than leaving his country, he insisted on staying back and did not even mind helping those of opposing views.

• He was a unifying agent and lived as a role model, inspiring logotherapist to propagate the same at every level of society.

Viktor Frankl, a very profound man

LOGOTHERAPY AS A UNIFYING AGENT AMONG ACADEMIA, NATIONS AND RELIGIONS

»Academia• Thanks to globalization, there are now diverse

areas of specialization in different professions.• This however tends to make different

professionals compete for supremacy.• Logotherapy presents each role of any individual

as being complimentary and not competitive.• Health care providers can use this to choose a

patient centered approach.

LOGOTHERAPY AS A UNIFYING AGENT AMONG ACADEMIA, NATIONS AND RELIGIONS

»Nations • There are different languages and divergent

cultures around the world.• Logotherapy can help to unify nations with its

principles of cooperation and collaboration, resulting in peace.

• THIS IS POSSIBLE TO ACHIEVE!!!

LOGOTHERAPY AS A UNIFYING AGENT AMONG ACADEMIA, NATIONS AND RELIGIONS

»Religion• Logotherapy is by no means restricted to any

religion.• It is only concerned with the spiritual dimension of

man: the belief system of man; not belief factions.• It is compatible with all religions and non-religions.• Logotherapy can therefore unify all people

regardless of their belief.

LOGOTHERAPY AS A UNIFYING AGENT AMONG ACADEMIA, NATIONS AND RELIGIONS

CONCLUSION

• Man is a unique creation with the ability to make choices that can help others to make life better.

• Frankl’s lifestyle and Lukas’s views on reconciliation agents are useful in unifying the academia, nations, religions and the whole world at large.

REFERENCES• Asagba, R.B. (2006/7). Logotherapy and Cultural Development, Ibadan; Spectrum Ltd.• Asagba, R.B. (2009) Logotherapy Issues from an African Perspective. Ibadan: University Press Plc.• Asagba, R.B. (2011a) “Finding Meaning in Life in a Changing World.” A paper presented at the 18th World Congress in Fostering

Spirituality for our World in Distress. 22 – 26 June 2011 at Marriot Hotel, Addison, Dallas, Texas, USA.• Asagba, R.B. [2011b) “Viktor Frankl’s Logotherapy and Life History: Relevance for Managing Psychotrauma, Conflict Resolution

and Reconciliation.” A paper presented at the Fourth Regional Conference & Training on Psychotrauma on the 11 -15 July 2011, Nairobi, Kenya.

• Fabry, J B [1997] The Pursuit of Meaning,Berkeley; Institute of Logotherapy Press• Frankl, V. E. (1983) The Doctor and the Soul: From Psychotherapy to Logotherapy. New York: Vintage Books• Frankl, V. E. (1986) Man Search For Meaning. Boston: Beacon Press• Frankl, V.E. (2006) Psychotherapy and Existentialism. New York: Simon and Schuster. • Frankl, V.E. (1988) The Will To Meaning: Foundations and Applications of Logotherapy. Expanded Edition. New York and

Scarborough & Ontario: A Meriden Book New American Company.• Grabber DV. (2009). Preparing for life’s ultimate Adventure: The Journey Home Birmingham, Logolife Press.• Grumbaugh, J.C. (1991) “Principles of Psychotherapy and its Relationship to Logotherapy.” The International Forum for

Logotherapy Journal of Search for Meaning. Vol. 14, No. 2; Fall, 1991.• • Lukas E. (1989) “From Self –Actualization to Global Responsibility: Search for the Sacred, Necessary and Otherliness in Pursuit of

Meaning; Road to self-Esteem and Social Conscience – The Proceedings of Logotherapy Berkley: Institute of Logoterapy Pressp 9 – 31.

• Lukas, E. (2000). Logotherapy textbook: Meaning Centered Psychology (T Burger Trans) Toronto: Liberty Press (original published in 1998)

• Lukas F. (1986) Meaningful Living: A Logotherapy guide in Health, New York: Grove Press Inc.• Winberly C. (2010). Intervention with an At Risk Student International Forum for Logotherapy Vol. 33 Number 1 Spring pp 10 -17.• Wimberly (2011). Application of Lukas five-step Intervention Model. International forum for Logotherapy Vol. 34 Number 3.• All images used were gotten from google images

Thank you for your attention and have a meaningful Day !