How does our understanding of human beings influence how we treat them in therapy?
Freud and others after him believed that certain behaviors were based in the unconscious. Moreover, he believed that uncovering the unconscious source of those behaviors had therapeutic value. Thus, psychoanalysis or “depth psychology” (and other theories following this same reasoning) employed various techniques to uncover the origin of behavior within a person’s unconscious depths.
Frankl extended the meaning of depth psychology conceived by Freud. Frankl agreed that instinctual processes can be traced to the unconscious. He claimed, however, that in addition to the id and its instincts, there is a great deal more going on, on the unconscious level.
Human spirituality is essentially unconscious.
On an unconscious level, we sense our responsibility. On an unconscious level we want to connect to something greater than ourselves.
The ramifications for therapy are very important. Instincts buried in the unconscious may shed light on how a particular behavior got started, and be a key to how to change it. Spirituality buried in the unconscious doesn’t shed light on what needs to be changed. Instead, it brilliantly illuminates the most potent change agent there is: the human spirit.