MAY Flashcards
Existential Psychology was rooted in the philosophy of
Kierkegaard
Nietzsche
Heidegger
Sartre
Rollo May’s existential psychology saw people that
Living in the world of present experiences and ultimately being responsible for who they became
Kierkegaard opposed
any attempt to see people as objects
And view that subjective perceptions are one’s only reality
Existentialist emphasized the balance between
Freedom and responsibility
When they Realize that people are incharge of their own destiny they experience
Burden of freedom and pain of responsibility
Elements of existential thinkers
Existence over essence
Opposes Split between subjective and objective
People searxh fir the meaning of their life
Each of us is responsible for who we are and become
Antitheoretical
Two concepts of existentialism
Being in the world
Nonbeing
Basic unity of the world and the environment
Awareness of self as living and emerging being
Dasein/being in the world
Three manifestation of alienation or the illness ofnour time
Separation from nature
Lack of meaningful interpersonal relationship
Alienation from one’s authentic self
Modes of being in the world
Umwelt
Mitwelt
Eigenwelt
relationship with the environment
Umwelt
Relationship with other people
Mitwelt
Relarionship with self
Eigenwelt
Dread of non being or nothingness
Non being
Most obvious avenue of non being
Death
Non being can also be expressed thru
Blind conformity to society
Generalized hostility that pervades relationship with others
Concerned with the individuals struggle to work through life’s experiences and to grow toward becoming more fully human
Existential psychology
People experience anxiety when
They become aware that thei existence or some value identified with it might be destroeyd
Threat to some important value
The subjective state of the individuals becoming aware that his existence can be destroyed that he can become nothing
Anxiety
Exist when one confronts the issue of fulfilling one’s potentiality which leads to stagnation and decay nut can also result to growth and change
Anxiety
Acquisitin pf freedom can kead to
Anxiety and likewise
Anxiety can be either
Neurotic
Normal
proportionate to the threat, does not involve repression an can be confronted constructively on the conscious level
To grow and change one’s value
Threat to one’s value
Normal anxiety
Reaction disproportionate to the threat involves repression and other forms of intrapsychic conflict and managed by various kind of blocking off activity and awareness
when values become transformed into dogma/belief
Neurotic anxiety
When people deny potentialities, fail to accurately perceive the needs of fellow humans or remain pblivious to their dependence on the natural world
Lacf of awareness in ones being in the world
Guilt
Structure that gives meaning to experience and allows people to mKe decisions about future
Without this people could neither choose or act on their choices
Overcomes the dichotomy between subject and object
IntentionAlity
Forms of love
Sex
Eros
Philia
Agape
Biological function that can be satisfied through sexual intercourse or some other release kf sexual tension
Sex
Psychological desire that seeks procreation or creation through an enduring union with a loved one
built on care and tenderness
Eros
Intimate non sexual relationship between two people
Philia
Esteem for other, concern for the others welfare beyond ang gain that one can get out of it, the love of God for man
Altruistic love
Undeserved unconditional
Agape
entails being able to harbor different possibilities in ones mind evn though it is not clear at the moment which way one must act
Possibility of changing
Freedom
2 forms of freedom
Essential freedom
Existential freedom
Freedom of action - freedom of doing
Freedom to act on the choices that one makes
Freedom to move, to pursue tangible goals
Existential freedom
Freedom of being
Freedom to think, plan, hope
Essential freedom
Design of the universe to us
Our destination, our terminus, our goal
Destiny
Our ultimate destiny
Death
Freedom and destiny are
Inexorably intertwined , one cannot exist without the ofher
Conscious and unconscious belief systems that provide explanations for personal and social problems
Stories that unify society
Myth
Teo level pf people communicate with others
Rationalistic language
Myths
On this level TRUTH takes precedence over the people who are communicating
Rationalistic language
On this level TOTAL HUMAN EXPERIENCE is more important than the empirical accuaecy of the communication
Myths
Why do people use myths and symbold
To transcend the immediate concrete situation
To expand self awareness
To search for identity
Principal ingredients of psychopathology accdg to May
Alienation
Apathy
Emptiness
May saw psychopathology as
Lack of communication
May said that psychotherapy
Should make people more human
Expand their choices so that they will be in a better position to make choices
And should set people free
These choices lead to GROWTH OF FREEDOM AND RESPONSIBILITY
Belief sytems, both conscious and unconscious that provide explanations to personal and social problems
Cultural myths
The capacity to organize oneself so that movement in a certain direction or toward a certain goal may take place
Will
To emerge or to become
Suggests process
Associated with growth and change
Existence
Implies a static immutable substance
Refers to product
Signifies stagnation and finality
Power to continually redefine themselves through choices they make
Essence
Existentialists uses this approach in understanding humanity
Phenomenological approach
