Existential Psychology Report

8/20/2019 Existential Psychology Report

1/41

Existential Psychology

Rollo Reese May(1909-1994)

Reporters: JAREM PHIL D. PALOMATA TERI S. DEL ROSARIO


2/41

Overview of Existential Psycho• Ine!enent isci!line in the clinical area of

!sychology that relies "ore in a !hiloso!hica

• Peo!le are #lti"ately res!onsi$le for who the$eco"e

• Existential Psychology is concerne with theinivi#al%s str#ggle to wor& thro#gh life%sex!eriences' #se their freeo" to "a&e ecis

constr#ctively an to grow towar $eco"ing h#"an


3/41

ife of Rollo May


4/41

hilhoo an Early life ex!eriences• Rollo Reese May was $orn in *!ril +1' 1909 in *a' O

later "ove with his fa"ily to Marine ity' Michigan

• ,irst son of the six chilren $orn to Earl ittle May' sfor the .o#ng Man%s hristian *ssociation' an Matie/o#ghton May' escri$e $y May as a $itch-&itty on

wheels for always leaving the" to ta&e care of the"

• 3either !arent was well e#cate an grew #! in anenviron"ent that i not val#e e#cation May%s ol

s#5ere a !sychotic $rea&own an his father attri$into too "#ch e#cation


5/41

• 3ot close to either of his !arents who fre6#ently aan event#ally se!arate

• ,o#n solit#e an relief fro" fa"ily strife $y !laythe shores of the 7t2 lair River

• he river $eca"e his frien an clai"e to have l

"ore fro" the river than fro" the school he attens#ggests that May ha a lonely chilhoo

• *c6#ire an interest in art an literat#re

• Roa"e thro#gho#t Eastern an 7o#thern E#ro!


6/41

• 8or&e as an itinerant artist in #r&ey' Polan

• May $egan to feel lonely an s#5er e!ression insecon year in E#ro!e

• onvince that so"ething is wrong with his whoof life an there is a nee to :n to :n so"e nean !#r!ose of living to relin6#ish his "oralistic'so"ewhat rigi way of existence

• May $egan to listen to his inner voice that s!o&e

of $ea#ty


7/41

• Prior to receiving his octorate' May contractet#$erc#losis an s!ent ; years at the 7aranac7anitari#" in #!state 3ew .or&

• *t that !oint' he $egan to evelo! so"e insight nat#re of his illness an reali


8/41

• =#ring his illness' he was writing a $oo& on anxihe st#ie $oth >ier&egaar%s an ,re#%s viewsthe s#$?ect

• a"e to the concl#sion that altho#gh ,re# ha$rilliantly analy


9/41

E#cation• ,irst attene college at Michigan 7tate @niversity wh

"a?ore in English $#t force to leave school after he an eitor of a raical st#ent "aga


10/41

E#cation• Ret#rne to the @7 in 19;; an enrolle at @nion heo

7e"inary not to $eco"e a "inster $#t to as& f#na"e6#estions a$o#t h#"an existence

• 8as ex!ose to the existential thin&ing of 7oren >ier&ean Martin Ceiegger "et renowne existential theolo

!hiloso!her Pa#l illich where May learne fro" "#ch o!hiloso!hy

• In 19;D' he receive a Master of =ivinity =egree #" an oraine as a ongregational "inister serve as afor + years $#t later 6#it to !#rs#e Psychology after :n!arish wor& "eaningless


11/41

• 7t#ie Psychoanalysis at the 8illia" *lanson 8hite of Psychiatry' Psychoanalysis' an Psychology while was a co#nselor to "ale st#ents at ity ollege of 3e

• Met Carry 7tac& 7#llivan' !resient an cofo#ner of 8illia" *lanson 8hite Instit#te Erich ,ro""' a fac#"e"$er' which greatly in#ence May

• In 194F' May o!ene his own !rivate !ractice an in $eca"e a "e"$er of the fac#lty at the 8hite Instit#tat other #niversities li&e 3ew 7chool for 7ocial Resear .or& @niversity' Carvar' .ale an Princeton

• In 1949' receive a Ph2=2 egree 7#""a #" a#e


12/41

ontri$#tions *chieve"ents• /est &nown *"erican re!resentative of the existentia

"ove"ent

• oine as the ,ather of *"erican Existential Psycholo

• he Meaning of *nxiety (19G0)

• Man%s 7earch ,or Ci"self (19G;)

• olla$orate with Ernest *ngel an Cenri Ellen$erger

!#$lish ExistenceH * 3ew =i"ension in Psychiatry anPsychology (19GD)

• Psychology an the C#"an =ile""a (19F)

• ove an 8ill (19F9) which won the 190 Ral!h 8alE"erson *war for h#"ane scholarshi!

• 8on the *P* =isting#ishe ontri$#tion to the 7ciencProfession of linical Psychology *war (191)


13/41

ontri$#tions *chieve"ents• =r2 Martin #ther >ing *war for

the $oo& Power an Innocence(19+)

• *"erican Psychological,o#nation Aol Meal *war

for ifeti"e ontri$#tions toProfessional Psychology (19D)

• Existential Psychology▫ *#thore $y May' *ll!ort' ,eifel'

Maslow an Rogers


14/41

• 19F9H May ivorce with his :rst wife' ,lorenc=e,rees after ;0 years of "arriage

• ater "arrie Ingri >e!ler 7choll $#t the "arene with ivorce

• In 19DD' Ce "arrie again' this ti"e a J#ngiananalyst' Aeorgia ee Miller Johnson2 Ca a sonRo$ert an twin a#ghtersH *llegra an aroly

• Rollo May ie on Octo$er ++' 1994 at age DG$eca#se of eclining health


15/41

@nerstaningExistentialis"


16/41

/ac&gro#n on Existentialis"

Soren Kierkegaard !odor Dosto!e"sk! riedri#$ %

'arose in ()t$ *ent+r! E+rope


17/41

/ac&gro#n on Existentialis"

Martin Heidegger A,-ert *a+s Jean'Pa+

',o+ris$ed in /0t$ *ent+r! a1ter 2or,d 2ar II


18/41

8hat is existentialis"K• oncerne with the !ro$le" of living life as a

$eing

• onsiere as a !hiloso!hical "ove"ent

• C#"ans e:ne their own "eaning in life' an"a&e rational ecisions es!ite existing in anirrational #niverse


19/41

o""on ele"ents fo#n a"ong existential th12 Existence !recees essence

▫ EssenceH !ree:ne ieal set ofcharacteristics

▫ 7artreH ,or h#"an $eings' weco"e into this worl lac&ing a

!reeter"ine essence

▫ Existentialists aLr" that !eo!le%sessence is their !ower to

contin#ally ree:ne the"selvesthro#gh the choices they "a&e


20/41

o""on ele"ents fo#n a"ong existential th+2 Existentialis" o!!oses the s!lit

$etween s#$?ect an o$?ect

▫ he subject ' "an' can never $ese!arate fro" the object which heo$serves2

▫ Inner worl ex!eriences for the

for"#lation of !ro$le"s then !rocee tost#y the" in an o$?ective way

▫ arl RogersH overe"!hasi


21/41

o""on ele"ents fo#n a"ong existential th

;2 Peo!le search for "eaning intheir lives he Existential risis▫ N#estions the very fo#nation of

their lifeH whether life has any"eaning' !#r!ose' or val#e

▫ *s&ing f#na"ental 6#estions li&eH

8hy a" I in this worlK =o I have a !#r!ose in this worlK

8hat oes it "ean to $e h#"anK

Cow sho#l I live "y lifeK

8hy o we have to ieK Cow can I reali


22/41

o""on ele"ents fo#n a"ong existential th42 Each of #s is res!onsi$le

for who we are an what

we $eco"e▫ 7artreH Man is nothing

else $#t what he "a&es ofhi"self2 7#ch is the :rst!rinci!le ofexistentialis"

▫ 8e can%t $la"e !arents'teachers' e"!loyers' Aoor circ#"stances

▫ O#tco"e e!ens on thefreeo" of choice


23/41

o""on ele"ents fo#n a"ong existential th

G2 Existentialists are anti-theoretical▫ heories eh#"ani


24/41

wo /asic once!ts•/eing-in-the-worl•3on-$eing


25/41

/eing-in-the-worl• he $asic #nity of !erson an

environ"ent

• Ex!resse in the Aer"an worDasein, meaning “to exist

there”

• Means to exist in the worl anis generally written as being-in-the-world.


26/41

/eing-in-the-worl• /eca#se of in#strial revol#tion' !eo!le a

alienate fro" the"selves or fro" their • E5ort to $e goo !ro#cer or cons#"er' entertaine an avoi $oreo" ten to lthe sense for o#r existence' (=oing/ei

• Manifests itself in three areas12 7e!aration fro" nat#re

+2 ac& of "eaningf#l inter!ersonal relations

;2 *lienation fro" one%s a#thentic self


27/41

hree "oes of $eing-in-the-worl• @"weltH learning to live in

the worl aro#n #s

• MitweltH we "#st relate to!eo!le as !eo!le' not as

things▫ Exa"!leH contrasting sexwith love

• EigenweltH to $e aware of


28/41

Cealthy inivi#alH


29/41

3on-$eingH• 3othingness

• =eath• Rollo MayH o gras! what it "eans to exisnees to gras! the fact that he "ight not that he treas at every "o"ent on the sh

ege of !ossi$le annihilation an can neveesca!e the fact that eath will arrive at so#n&nown "o"ent in the f#t#re2


30/41

• ife $eco"es "ore vital'"ore "eaningf#l when weconfront the !ossi$ility of o#r

eath2

• 3early 40 years $efore his

own eath' May (19GD) s!o&eof eath as the one fact of"y life which is not relative$#t a$sol#te' an "y

awareness of this gives "yexistence an what I o each


31/41

• ,earEsca!e fro" eathH▫ MayH 8e are afrai of

non$eing an so we shrivel#! o#r $eing2

▫ !rovo&es #s to live

efensively' receive lessfro" life an ee fro""a&ing active choices

▫ i""ing o#r self-


32/41

once!ts in ExistentialPsychology


33/41

*nxietyNormal anxietyH !ro!ortionate to the threat' oenot involve re!ression' an can $e confronte

constr#ctively on the conscio#s level2

Neurotic anxietyH reaction which isis!ro!ortionate to the threat' involves re!ressionan other for"s of intra!sychic conict' an is"anage $y vario#s &ins of $loc&ing-o5 of activit

*nxiety


34/41

•*wareness of non$eing

(eath' loneliness'e"!tiness)

• hreat to so"e i"!ortant

val#e

• he Meaning of *nxiety(19G0)

*nxiety

*nxiety


35/41

•*nxiety is associate to

creativity• * creative h#"an !ersonality is!ro#ce when one acce!ts eath

•,reeo" leas to anxiety•Mother of *nxiety

•onse6#ence of having choices

•=i


36/41

*nxietyH thei


37/41

•Aateway for theex!loration into the"eaning of life•@sing anxiety in a

*nxiety


38/41

A#ilt

A#ilt


39/41

•

*rises when !eo!le enytheir !otentialities' fail toacc#rately !erceive thenees of fellow h#"ans or

re"ain o$livio#s to theire!enence on thenat#ral worl

A#ilt


40/41

Intentionality

Intentionality


41/41

• 7tr#ct#re that gives "eaning toex!erience an allows !eo!le to"a&e ecisions a$o#t the f#t#re

• /riges the ga! $etween

s#$?ect an o$?ect

Intentionality

Existential Psychology Report

Documents