CONSEQUENCES OF EARLY-YOUTH EXISTENTIAL UNCERTAINTY
Keywords:
existential crisis, crisis of early adolescence, mid-life crisis, ultimate facts of existence, existential uncertainty.
Abstract
Philosophical and existential questions of human existence are becoming increasingly acute today, which is a consequence of social changes in our lives. Each person is open to these questions and faces the need to solve them. Existential problems do not have a one-time solution, and since they touch the most important and profound issues of human existence, their solution significantly affects the psychological comfort and health of a person. In the theoretical sources devoted to the existential formation of the personality, the main consequence is indicated: if the child does not fulfill the tasks of existential formation, he will not form his own worldview and meaningful life positions. Our goal was to establish the relationship between early-adolescent crisis and mid-life crisis. To do this, we developed an in-depth interview with a retrospective analysis, which was reinforced with the «Two Chairs» exercise from Gestalt therapy, and we applied a modified technique for measuring Dembo-Rubinstein self-esteem. 40 people aged from 30 to 50 took part in our study. The obtained results revealed that existential uncertainty in early adolescence leads to a distortion in the work of all mental functions at the level of mental activity of the subjects: the emotional sphere works only in a negative modality, the volitional sphere does not ensure overcoming obstacles, and the cognitive sphere does not give a true picture of the world, but distorted and incomplete. At the value level, there is a devaluation of oneself, the world, and life as a whole. And as a result, in the inner space of the young man, such ultimate facts of existence as the fear/desire of death and the fear/desire of loneliness were actualized. After processing the results of the subjective scaling, we determined that our subjects did not solve the puzzles of their own existential formation when they were young. And the more mature they became, the further they ran away from themselves into the world of responsibilities, rationalization and avoidance of emotional discomfort. The obtained results are sufficient for the conclusion that the main consequence of existential uncertainty in early youth is an existential crisis in middle age.
References
REFERENCES
1. Bakracheva, M. (2019). Coping Effects on Life Meaning, Basic Psychological Needs and Well-Being. Sofia University. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4236/psych.2019.1010090
2. Batthyany, A., Levinson, J. (2016). Existential Psychotherapy of Meaning: Handbook of Logotherapy and Existential Analysis. Springer. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-29424-7
3. Baumeister, R.F., Leary, M.R. (1995). The need to belong: Desire for interpersonal attachments as a fundamental human motivation. Psychological Bulletin. 117(3). DOI: https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/0033-2909.117.3.497
4. Baumeister, R.F., Vohs, K.D., Funder, D.C. (2007). Psychology as the science of self-reports and finger movements: Whatever happened to actual behavior? Perspectives on Psychological Science. 2(4). 396–403. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-6916.2007.00051.x
5. Cabral Ferreira, A.M. (2019). Why Do We Love? Federal University of Bahia. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4236/ojpp.2019.93023
6. Cooper, M. (2021). Directionality: Unifying Psychological and Social Understandings of Well‐Being and Distress Through an Existential Ontology. Journal of Humanistic Counseling. 60(1). 6–25. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/johc.12148
7. Correia, E.A., Cooper, M., Berdondini, L. (2015). Existential psychotherapy: An international survey of the key authors and texts influencing practice. Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy. 45(1). 3–10. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10879-014-9275-y
8. Craig, E. (2008). A brief overview of existential depth psychotherapy. Humanistic Psychologist. 36(3/4). 211–226. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08873260802349958
9. Deci, E.L., Ryan, R.M. (2000). The «What» and «Why» of Goal Pursuits: Human Needs and the Self-Determination of Behavior. Psychological Inquiry. 11(4). 227–268. DOI: https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1207/S15327965PLI1104_01 URL:https://selfdeterminationtheory.org/SDT/documents/2000_DeciRyan_PIWhatWhy.pdf
10. DiGiuseppe, R.A., Doyle, K.A., Dryden, W., Backx, W. (2013). A Practitioner's Guide to Rational-Emotive Behavior Therapy (3 edn). Oxford University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/med:psych/9780199743049.001.0001
11. Erikson, E.H. (1994). Identity, youth and crisis. New York: W. W. Norton Company.
12. Fitzpatrick, D. (2023). The pre-intentional, existential feelings, and existential dispositions. Phenom Cogn Sci. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11097-023-09937-8
13. Frankl, V.E. (1969). The Will to Meaning: Foundations and Applications of Logotherapy. Rider
14. Frankl, V.E. (2006). Man's Search for Meaning. Beacon Press.
15. Frankl, V.E. (2011). Man's Search for Ultimate Meaning. Ebury Press.
16. Frederick, S.P., Hefferline, R., Goodman, P. (1951). Gestalt Therapy: Excitement and Growth in the Human Personality. The Gestalt Journal Press.
17. Fromm, Erich (1941). Escape from Freedom. Holt Paperbacks.
18. Fromm, Erich (2013). To Have or To Be? Bloomsbury Academic.
19. Halling, S., Nill, J.D. (1995). A brief history of existential-phenomenological psychiatry and psychotherapy. Journal of Phenomenological Psychology. 26(1). 1–45. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.33697/ajur.2020.020
20. Heidegger, Martin (1962). Being and Time. Harper & Row (NYC/Evanston).
21. Hoffman, L. (2007). Chapter 6: Existential-Integrative Psychotherapy and God Image. Journal of Spirituality in Mental Health. 9(3/4). 105–137. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1300/j515v09n03_06
22. Hoffman, L., Serlin, I.A., van Deurzen, E. (2019). The History of Existential‐Humanistic and Existential‐Integrative Therapy. Wiley World Handbook of Existential Therapy. 235–246. Wiley. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/9781119167198.ch13
23. Holmes, J. (2014). Man's Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl – reflection. The British journal of psychiatry: the journal of mental science. 205(2).102–120. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1192/bjp.bp.113.133520
24. Johnson, R.E. (1971). Existential Man. The Challenge of Psychotherapy. Pergamon. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/C2013-0-05591-0
25. Kellehear, A., Garrido, M. (2023). Existential ageing and dying: A scoping review. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.archger.2022.104798
26. Lanovenko, Yu.I. (2005). Psykholohichni osoblyvosti perezhyvannia subiektom yunatskoi kryzy. Dys. … kand. psykhol. nauk: 19.01.07. Kyiv. URL: http://enpuir.npu.edu.ua/handle/123456789/6007 [in Ukrainian]
27. Maslow, A.H. (1993). The Farther Reaches of Human Nature. Penguin / Arkana.
28. Maslow, A.H. (2011). Toward a Psychology of Being. Martino Fine Books.
29. May, Rollo. (1953). Man's Search for Himself. Souvenir Press Ltd.
30. May, Rollo. (1969). Love and Will. W. W. Norton & Company.
31. May, Rollo. (1975). The Courage to Create. W. W. Norton & Company.
32. May, Rollo. (1981). Freedom and Destiny. W. W. Norton & Company.
33. Merleau-Ponty, M. (1962). Phenomenology of Perception. Routledge & Kegan Paul.
34. Norcross, J.C. (1987). A rational and empirical analysis of existential psychotherapy. Journal of Humanistic Psychology. 27(1). 41–68. DOI: https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1177/0022167887271005
35. Park, Y.C., Pinel, E.C. (2020). Existential isolation and cultural orientation. Personality and Individual Differences. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2020.109891
36. Pinel, E.C., Long, A.E., Murdoch, E.Q., Helm, P. (2017). A prisoner of one's own mind: Identifying and understanding existential isolation. Personality and Individual Differences. 54–63. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2016.09.024
37. Reitinger, C., van Deurzen, E., Bauer, E.J., Craig, E. (2019). Logotherapy and Existential Analysis. The Wiley World Handbook of Existential Therapy. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/9781119167198.ch20
38. Restek-Petrovic, B., Bogovic, A., Grah, M., Mihanovic, M. (2008). Yalom's therapheutic factors in the long-term, psychodynamic, outpatient group psychotherapy with psychotic patients. European Psychiatry. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eurpsy.2008.01.867
39. Ryff, C. D., Keyes, C. L. M. (1995). The structure of psychological well-being revisited. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 69(4). 719–727. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.69.4.719
40. Salicru, S. (2021). A Practical and Contemporary Model of Depression for Our Times – A Timeless Existential Clinician’s Perspective. Open Journal of Depression. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4236/ojd.2021.102005
41. Sartre, J.P. (1943). Existentialism Is a Humanism. Yale University Press. URL: https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/sartre/works/exist/sartre.htm
42. Sielaff, A., Horner, D.E., Greenberg J. (2022). The moderating role of mystical-type experiences on the relationship between existential isolation and meaning in life. Personality and Individual Differences. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2021.111347
43. Steel, Piers (2010). The Procrastination Equation: How to Stop Putting Things Off and Start Getting Stuff Done. Harper. URL:https://voidnetwork.gr/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Phenomenology-of-Perception-by-Maurice-Merleau-Ponty.pdf
44. Vail, K.E., Routledge, C. (2020). The Science of Religion, Spirituality, and Existentialism. Academic Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/C2018-0-01248-7
45. Valero, B., Martínez, J.V., Moret-Tatay, C. (2023). Existential gratitude and existential values predict Sense of Coherence; promoting health from an existential foundation. Universidad Católica de Valencia. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-2781911/v1
46. Van Deurzen, E., Arnold-Baker, C. (2018). Finding purpose and meaning: Distinctive Features. Existential Therapy. 57–60. Routledge. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781315461939-13
47. Van Rhyn, B., Barwick, A., Donelly, M. (2022). Embodied experiences and existential reflections of the oldest old. Journal of Aging Studies. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaging.2022.101028
48. Vydra, O.H. (2019). Vikova ta pedahohichna psykholohiia. Svarog. [in Ukrainian]
49. Walborn, F. (2014). Chapter 13 – Victor Frankl. Religion in Personality Theory. 279–298. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-407864-2.00013-8
50. Wong, P.T.P., Reker, G.T., Gesser, G. (1994). Death Attitude Profile-Revised: A multidimensional measure of attitudes toward death. In R. A. Neimeyer (Ed.). Death Anxiety Handbook: Research, Instrumentation, and Application. 121–148. Taylor & Francis. URL: https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1994-97098-006
51. Yalom, I.D (1980). Existential psychotherapy. Basic Books. URL: https://e-edu.nbu.bg/pluginfile.php/720169/mod_resource/content/2/Existential_Psychotherapy.pdf
1. Bakracheva, M. (2019). Coping Effects on Life Meaning, Basic Psychological Needs and Well-Being. Sofia University. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4236/psych.2019.1010090
2. Batthyany, A., Levinson, J. (2016). Existential Psychotherapy of Meaning: Handbook of Logotherapy and Existential Analysis. Springer. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-29424-7
3. Baumeister, R.F., Leary, M.R. (1995). The need to belong: Desire for interpersonal attachments as a fundamental human motivation. Psychological Bulletin. 117(3). DOI: https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/0033-2909.117.3.497
4. Baumeister, R.F., Vohs, K.D., Funder, D.C. (2007). Psychology as the science of self-reports and finger movements: Whatever happened to actual behavior? Perspectives on Psychological Science. 2(4). 396–403. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-6916.2007.00051.x
5. Cabral Ferreira, A.M. (2019). Why Do We Love? Federal University of Bahia. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4236/ojpp.2019.93023
6. Cooper, M. (2021). Directionality: Unifying Psychological and Social Understandings of Well‐Being and Distress Through an Existential Ontology. Journal of Humanistic Counseling. 60(1). 6–25. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/johc.12148
7. Correia, E.A., Cooper, M., Berdondini, L. (2015). Existential psychotherapy: An international survey of the key authors and texts influencing practice. Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy. 45(1). 3–10. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10879-014-9275-y
8. Craig, E. (2008). A brief overview of existential depth psychotherapy. Humanistic Psychologist. 36(3/4). 211–226. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08873260802349958
9. Deci, E.L., Ryan, R.M. (2000). The «What» and «Why» of Goal Pursuits: Human Needs and the Self-Determination of Behavior. Psychological Inquiry. 11(4). 227–268. DOI: https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1207/S15327965PLI1104_01 URL:https://selfdeterminationtheory.org/SDT/documents/2000_DeciRyan_PIWhatWhy.pdf
10. DiGiuseppe, R.A., Doyle, K.A., Dryden, W., Backx, W. (2013). A Practitioner's Guide to Rational-Emotive Behavior Therapy (3 edn). Oxford University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/med:psych/9780199743049.001.0001
11. Erikson, E.H. (1994). Identity, youth and crisis. New York: W. W. Norton Company.
12. Fitzpatrick, D. (2023). The pre-intentional, existential feelings, and existential dispositions. Phenom Cogn Sci. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11097-023-09937-8
13. Frankl, V.E. (1969). The Will to Meaning: Foundations and Applications of Logotherapy. Rider
14. Frankl, V.E. (2006). Man's Search for Meaning. Beacon Press.
15. Frankl, V.E. (2011). Man's Search for Ultimate Meaning. Ebury Press.
16. Frederick, S.P., Hefferline, R., Goodman, P. (1951). Gestalt Therapy: Excitement and Growth in the Human Personality. The Gestalt Journal Press.
17. Fromm, Erich (1941). Escape from Freedom. Holt Paperbacks.
18. Fromm, Erich (2013). To Have or To Be? Bloomsbury Academic.
19. Halling, S., Nill, J.D. (1995). A brief history of existential-phenomenological psychiatry and psychotherapy. Journal of Phenomenological Psychology. 26(1). 1–45. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.33697/ajur.2020.020
20. Heidegger, Martin (1962). Being and Time. Harper & Row (NYC/Evanston).
21. Hoffman, L. (2007). Chapter 6: Existential-Integrative Psychotherapy and God Image. Journal of Spirituality in Mental Health. 9(3/4). 105–137. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1300/j515v09n03_06
22. Hoffman, L., Serlin, I.A., van Deurzen, E. (2019). The History of Existential‐Humanistic and Existential‐Integrative Therapy. Wiley World Handbook of Existential Therapy. 235–246. Wiley. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/9781119167198.ch13
23. Holmes, J. (2014). Man's Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl – reflection. The British journal of psychiatry: the journal of mental science. 205(2).102–120. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1192/bjp.bp.113.133520
24. Johnson, R.E. (1971). Existential Man. The Challenge of Psychotherapy. Pergamon. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/C2013-0-05591-0
25. Kellehear, A., Garrido, M. (2023). Existential ageing and dying: A scoping review. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.archger.2022.104798
26. Lanovenko, Yu.I. (2005). Psykholohichni osoblyvosti perezhyvannia subiektom yunatskoi kryzy. Dys. … kand. psykhol. nauk: 19.01.07. Kyiv. URL: http://enpuir.npu.edu.ua/handle/123456789/6007 [in Ukrainian]
27. Maslow, A.H. (1993). The Farther Reaches of Human Nature. Penguin / Arkana.
28. Maslow, A.H. (2011). Toward a Psychology of Being. Martino Fine Books.
29. May, Rollo. (1953). Man's Search for Himself. Souvenir Press Ltd.
30. May, Rollo. (1969). Love and Will. W. W. Norton & Company.
31. May, Rollo. (1975). The Courage to Create. W. W. Norton & Company.
32. May, Rollo. (1981). Freedom and Destiny. W. W. Norton & Company.
33. Merleau-Ponty, M. (1962). Phenomenology of Perception. Routledge & Kegan Paul.
34. Norcross, J.C. (1987). A rational and empirical analysis of existential psychotherapy. Journal of Humanistic Psychology. 27(1). 41–68. DOI: https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1177/0022167887271005
35. Park, Y.C., Pinel, E.C. (2020). Existential isolation and cultural orientation. Personality and Individual Differences. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2020.109891
36. Pinel, E.C., Long, A.E., Murdoch, E.Q., Helm, P. (2017). A prisoner of one's own mind: Identifying and understanding existential isolation. Personality and Individual Differences. 54–63. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2016.09.024
37. Reitinger, C., van Deurzen, E., Bauer, E.J., Craig, E. (2019). Logotherapy and Existential Analysis. The Wiley World Handbook of Existential Therapy. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/9781119167198.ch20
38. Restek-Petrovic, B., Bogovic, A., Grah, M., Mihanovic, M. (2008). Yalom's therapheutic factors in the long-term, psychodynamic, outpatient group psychotherapy with psychotic patients. European Psychiatry. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eurpsy.2008.01.867
39. Ryff, C. D., Keyes, C. L. M. (1995). The structure of psychological well-being revisited. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 69(4). 719–727. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.69.4.719
40. Salicru, S. (2021). A Practical and Contemporary Model of Depression for Our Times – A Timeless Existential Clinician’s Perspective. Open Journal of Depression. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4236/ojd.2021.102005
41. Sartre, J.P. (1943). Existentialism Is a Humanism. Yale University Press. URL: https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/sartre/works/exist/sartre.htm
42. Sielaff, A., Horner, D.E., Greenberg J. (2022). The moderating role of mystical-type experiences on the relationship between existential isolation and meaning in life. Personality and Individual Differences. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2021.111347
43. Steel, Piers (2010). The Procrastination Equation: How to Stop Putting Things Off and Start Getting Stuff Done. Harper. URL:https://voidnetwork.gr/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Phenomenology-of-Perception-by-Maurice-Merleau-Ponty.pdf
44. Vail, K.E., Routledge, C. (2020). The Science of Religion, Spirituality, and Existentialism. Academic Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/C2018-0-01248-7
45. Valero, B., Martínez, J.V., Moret-Tatay, C. (2023). Existential gratitude and existential values predict Sense of Coherence; promoting health from an existential foundation. Universidad Católica de Valencia. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-2781911/v1
46. Van Deurzen, E., Arnold-Baker, C. (2018). Finding purpose and meaning: Distinctive Features. Existential Therapy. 57–60. Routledge. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781315461939-13
47. Van Rhyn, B., Barwick, A., Donelly, M. (2022). Embodied experiences and existential reflections of the oldest old. Journal of Aging Studies. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaging.2022.101028
48. Vydra, O.H. (2019). Vikova ta pedahohichna psykholohiia. Svarog. [in Ukrainian]
49. Walborn, F. (2014). Chapter 13 – Victor Frankl. Religion in Personality Theory. 279–298. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-407864-2.00013-8
50. Wong, P.T.P., Reker, G.T., Gesser, G. (1994). Death Attitude Profile-Revised: A multidimensional measure of attitudes toward death. In R. A. Neimeyer (Ed.). Death Anxiety Handbook: Research, Instrumentation, and Application. 121–148. Taylor & Francis. URL: https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1994-97098-006
51. Yalom, I.D (1980). Existential psychotherapy. Basic Books. URL: https://e-edu.nbu.bg/pluginfile.php/720169/mod_resource/content/2/Existential_Psychotherapy.pdf
Published
2023-11-24
How to Cite
LANOVENKO, Y., & LISNYCHENKO, A. (2023). CONSEQUENCES OF EARLY-YOUTH EXISTENTIAL UNCERTAINTY. Herald of Kyiv Institute of Business and Technology, 49(1-2), 45-68. https://doi.org/10.37203/kibit.2023.49.05
Section
Статьи
