Existential Theory

Question 1

To understand others we need to…

Answer 1

we must work our way into their internal frame of mind.

Question 2

Existential Theory Big Picture

Answer 2

YOU ARE FREE:
You are at the center of what happens in your life which means you can make meaningful choices to affect that life.
However, many give their lives over to anxiety and others.

Question 3

Existential Theory Overview

Answer 3

1. Existential theories are NOT objectifying (humans are more than lab rats)
   2.It seeks to reveal the truths of ourselves and our job is to live to experience those truths.
   3.The “good news”
   1.You are free to make personal choices
   2.You are in the middle of your existence
   3.The choices you make affect your life

Question 4

Phenomenology

Answer 4

The scientific method of existentialism
-This origins from Emmanuel Kant who said we can only know the world as we experience it

Noumena: underlying reality that truly exists (we can only assume what this is)
Phenomena: the world as we experience it
-for k being is contingent on subjectivity

Question 5

Kant’s Transcendence (reflexivity)

Answer 5

The ability for humans to step outside of their existence to reflect on our values to make decisions on how to be.
-This allows for free will

Question 6

Edmund Husserl

Answer 6

All of our meanings are constituted (we develop meanings for things and we construct the world with our unique perspectives)
Noema: The object in the environment that is seen
Noesis: The mode of seeing the object

Question 7

Husserl’s Phenomenological reduction (or epoche or bracketing)

Answer 7

There is no true meaning (only the meaning that is constituted)

-To know another’s experience we suspend the natural attitude to study the essence of what appears
–SUSPEND -> BRACKET -> ANALYSIS

Question 8

Soren Kierkegaard

Answer 8

-Wrote on what it means to be “moral”
-Being a “person” implies making decisions based off of our own beliefs not others (AUTHENTICITY)

Question 9

Kierkegaard’s Belief System (freedom, despair)

Answer 9

-To be free means to reevaluate our choices
-People shy away from own freedom because we don’t want responsibility
-With freedom comes dread (existential anxiety)
-Despair is living with no freedom
-Despair finitude is when we view ourselves as having no choices (refuse to commit to course of action)
-Despair infinitude is where we think we can do anything in life but none of those will ever be realized

Question 10

Heidegger’s questions of being (3)

Answer 10

How is it possible that there is being?
What is the nature of being?

Three Levels:
1:I am aware that I exist
2:I am aware that I may not exist
3:I am aware that I will not exist

-We can see the possibilities now if we accept death and life’s temporality

-When we do not engage we cease to exist

Question 11

Heidegger’s Individuality (Jemeinkeit)

Answer 11

We enter and leave this world alone
-We can always put distance between ourselves and what we are doing in life
-There is no preordained nature (we can question and negate our relationships)

Question 12

Heidegger’s Dasein

Answer 12

His term for a human being (da (there)) (sein (being))
-we are never without a connection to the world and we have our own unqiue experience
-peoples own experience affects their range of possibility

Question 13

Heidegger’s Dasein 3 Realms

Answer 13

1: Umwelt: The world of things around us (material world)
2: Mitwelt: The world of others around us (interpersonal world)
3: Eigenwelt: Ones own inner world (thoughts, feelings, beliefs, perspectives)

Question 14

Heidegger big picture (anxiety. masses)

Answer 14

We have absolute freedom so therefore we have the ability to have authentic existence.
-To say “others make me feel” is the way in which we give up freedom and authenticity
-Anxiety arises when we realize that our cares and concerns are different than others
-Verfallensein
–Doing what the crowd wants of you
–They (manselbst) prattle (meaningless talk) rather than discourse (where we learn things) (we give a part of ourselves over)

Question 15

Dasienanalysis

Answer 15

Begins with the question what is illuminated in our world and what do we let shine?
-assumes no unconscious to not engage with possibilities
-Lumination (Binswanger) is an active process where we shed the light of our thoughts to the world around us to endow in with meaning
-Exposure (Boss) passive process where possibilities reveal themselves to us

Question 16

Stuck Dasien

Answer 16

Unwillingness to move forward because of fear
-similar to kiekegard idea of we don’t move past a certain level

Question 17

3 Elements of Daseinanalysis

Answer 17

There is no inherit meaning in the world (we endow all meaning in our life)
1. The mood/pitch is an emotional tone in the way we see the world (outlook)
2. Horizons describes how expansive the world is in our ideas of possiblities
3. A priori “ontological” structure refers to a world design that structures our experience the world in a particular way

Question 18

Daseinanalysis and anxiety

Answer 18

Anxiety serves the helpful function of developing it productively
-Bracketing is suspending our own ability to judge
-Possibilities for the client: the therapist has the patient see the possibilities
-You stick yourself: therapist telling us this
-If you are responsible then why are you not realizing your possibilities

Question 19

Constriction of Dasein

Answer 19

This shrinking of possibility helps reduce existential anxiety which can depress people.
The therapists job is to tell us:
1.Encourage patient to reflect on their constrictions on Dasien
2.Consider the possibilities that are in your life
3.Go in the world and experience the possibilities

Question 20

Jean-Paul Sarte on being

Answer 20

-Humans are the only ones who question their own being.
-Because nothingness exists between ourselves and the world around us we have freedom
-Although we are free we dont exercise our freedom
Being in itself: any object in the world and has characteristics but cannot reflect upon itself
Being for itself: We are aware of our existence, reflective state of mind
Being for others: living our lives as if we were other people, just an object

Question 21

Sartes Fecticity

Answer 21

Things we can’t change about ourselves

Question 22

Sartes Anguish, Vertigo, Nasua

Answer 22

-Fear of the possibilities before us
-When we transcend our existence we feel vertigo (dizziness of freedom)
-We are blood and stuff so were nautios

Question 23

Sartes Escaping from freedom

Answer 23

We say essence perceeds freedom.
-non reflectiveness which can lead us to bad faith
Bad faith sources
-We are scared of others opinions
-Forget that roles are not our essence
-We deny what is real becuase they are too painful

Question 24

Sarte Engaging with Freedom

Answer 24

Desenglue
-RISING ONES FACILITY
Creating Ex Nihlio
-we need to create ourselves anew

Question 25

Yalom 4 ultimate existential concerns

Answer 25

FIMD
Freedom
Isolation
Meaninglessness
Death

Question 26

Yaloms Steps

Answer 26

Awareness of ultimate concern -> anxiety -> defense mechanisms

Question 27

Yaloms Defense Mechanisms

Answer 27

-I am SPECIAL so therefore I will not suffer
-ULTIMATE RESCUER is where we have god, leaders, lovers, doctors, to take care of our existential concerns

Question 28

Yalom’s Therapy

Answer 28

-Focus is on here and now
-Deals with levels of awareness
-Seeks to transform I can not -> i will not
-Authentic relationship
-Group therapy is often used