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Existential meaning, spiritual unconscious and spirituality in Viktor Frankl.

José Mauricio de CarvalhoAlexander Moreira-Almeida
Published in: Journal of religion and health (2023)
There is robust evidence to support the relationship between spirituality and mental health, but the mechanisms of this association are not well-understood. The existential meaning provided by spirituality may be one of these mechanisms. This was the central theme of Viktor Frankl's psychology, which he explained using the notion of the spiritual unconscious. Thus, we sought to explain how Frankl understands this spiritual unconscious and the two pieces of evidence he presents for its existence: the phenomenological description of responsible action and the analysis of dreams. Lastly, we discuss his contribution to the current understanding of the relationship between having an overarching purpose and/or religious meaning and improvement in mental health.
Keyphrases
  • advanced cancer
  • mental health
  • palliative care
  • mental illness