Today, I delivered a lecture on Rollo May’s article, "Anxiety Interpreted by the Psychotherapists." Here is a summary of its main points:
Summary and Translation of Rollo May’s Article, "The Anxiety Interpreted by Psychotherapists"
Introduction
Existential psychology comprises diverse approaches rather than a singular perspective. Foundational figures like Kierkegaard, Heidegger, Jaspers, and Sartre, alongside psychologists such as Carl Rogers and Viktor Frankl, shape this field. Existential psychology emphasizes personal experience and profound human meanings, moving beyond behaviorism and Freudian psychoanalysis. Rollo May, a key existential psychologist influenced by thinkers like Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, and Sartre, argued that human suffering primarily arises from isolation, challenges to freedom, and an incomplete grasp of human responsibility.
His significant works, including The Meaning of Anxiety (1950) and Love and Will (1975), have had a lasting impact on 20th and 21st-century psychology. May's student, Irvin Yalom, expanded upon his ideas, emphasizing themes such as individual agency, free will, loneliness, freedom, and mortality.
Overview of May’s Article on Anxiety
The article begins by highlighting Freud’s significance in modern society, likening his influence on that of Marx and Einstein, all of whom questioned whether modern rationality alone could capture the complexities of human nature. Freud classified anxiety as a reaction to subconscious conflicts, categorizing it into real-world dangers, neurotic fears, and moral anxieties. Later psychologists, such as Otto Rank and Alfred Adler, viewed anxiety as a struggle with individual identity and self-esteem. For Adler, anxiety stemmed from social interactions and feelings of inferiority. Similarly, Karen Horney and Harry Stack Sullivan associated anxiety with the influence of human relationships and power dynamics, with a particular focus on stability within these connections. Viktor Frankl’s logotherapy posited that anxiety arises from a lack of life meaning, which, if unresolved, drives the individual to seek or create purpose.
May emphasizes the importance of therapists presenting the various sources of anxiety to their clients to help them understand the roots of their own anxieties. He argues that therapists should show how different origins of anxiety exist, highlighting the complexity of this emotion across psychological traditions.
Conclusion
1. May’s extensive understanding of psychology and psychoanalysis is evident in his exploration of anxiety, emphasizing the need to understand these scientific traditions.
2. May presents differing viewpoints with respect, reflecting on each thinker’s contributions to understanding human existence.
3. Recognizing that anxiety lacks a universal definition, he advocates for a multi-faceted approach to better grasp clients' experiences.
4. May’s work bridges psychology, psychotherapy, and philosophy, providing a deeper understanding of their interconnections.
5. His article presents a concise, clear method for discussing the views of these thinkers.
6. May’s perspective on psychotherapists reflects early 20th-century views, which his disciple Yalom later expanded.
7. Efforts to blend existential psychology with cognitive-behavioral approaches reflect the belief that anxiety often arises from how individuals perceive themselves, the world, and others. May’s work demonstrates that managing anxiety involves both addressing its causes and how behaviors sustain it.