Dr. Viktor Frankl
Mind Matters by Gordon Bruin
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| gordonbruin.com | Launched: Oct 10, 2023 |
| contact@gordonbruin.com | Season: 1 Episode: 14 |
In this insightful podcast episode, we delve into the importance of future projection for survival and growth. Drawing on the powerful story of Victor Frankel, a WWII concentration camp survivor, we explore how hope can be a life-sustaining force.
Key Discussion Points:
1. The power of hope: Learn about how maintaining a positive outlook towards the future can significantly impact our physical health and mental well-being.
2. Case study - therapeutic approach with two young men: Discover how projecting oneself into multiple future possibilities can help overcome self-loathing and lack of confidence.
3. Shift in psychology's focus from past to future: Understand why it's essential to balance understanding past traumas with envisioning an ideal version of ourselves in therapy sessions.
4. Role of therapies like EMDR in resolving past issues: Recognize the benefits of trauma-focused therapies while also acknowledging their limitations when it comes to forward-looking perspectives.
5. Envisioning desirable futures as motivation for present actions: Get insights on how visualizing potential outcomes provides meaning to current events and motivates us towards personal growth.
Join us as we discuss these captivating ideas that challenge conventional therapeutic techniques and provide new ways for individuals stuck in their present circumstances due to past experiences or low self-confidence to move forward towards fulfilling futures!
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Episode Chapters
In this insightful podcast episode, we delve into the importance of future projection for survival and growth. Drawing on the powerful story of Victor Frankel, a WWII concentration camp survivor, we explore how hope can be a life-sustaining force.
Key Discussion Points:
1. The power of hope: Learn about how maintaining a positive outlook towards the future can significantly impact our physical health and mental well-being.
2. Case study - therapeutic approach with two young men: Discover how projecting oneself into multiple future possibilities can help overcome self-loathing and lack of confidence.
3. Shift in psychology's focus from past to future: Understand why it's essential to balance understanding past traumas with envisioning an ideal version of ourselves in therapy sessions.
4. Role of therapies like EMDR in resolving past issues: Recognize the benefits of trauma-focused therapies while also acknowledging their limitations when it comes to forward-looking perspectives.
5. Envisioning desirable futures as motivation for present actions: Get insights on how visualizing potential outcomes provides meaning to current events and motivates us towards personal growth.
Join us as we discuss these captivating ideas that challenge conventional therapeutic techniques and provide new ways for individuals stuck in their present circumstances due to past experiences or low self-confidence to move forward towards fulfilling futures!
Victor Frankel, a World War II concentration camp survivor, emphasized the importance of looking towards the future for survival. He shared a story about a fellow prisoner who had a dream that he would be liberated on March 30th, 1945. Initially hopeful, as the date approached and liberation seemed unlikely, his hope faded. On March 29th he fell ill; by March 31st he was dead from typhus. It's believed his sudden loss of hope weakened his immunity to disease.
I'm currently working with two young men in therapy who are stuck in life due to past negative experiences and lack of self-confidence. One expressed self-loathing and lost faith in himself and God. To help him regain perspective, I asked him to project himself five years into the future - July 9th, 2028 - considering multiple potential versions of himself: college graduate or succumbing to addiction.
Despite their current struggles, it's important they connect with their future selves because time will continue moving forward regardless.
In my years as a therapist, I've realized the need for a shift in psychology and human development. We often focus on past traumas to find and solve root issues, which is essential for recovery. Trauma-focused therapies like EMDR can indeed help resolve lingering effects of past suffering.
However, we shouldn't neglect the future's role in our mental well-being. It's crucial to visualize an ideal version of ourselves and let it guide us forward. This provides meaning to present events as they're connected to anticipated outcomes.
Project yourself into your future possibilities, connect with this envisioned self, and allow it to pull you towards growth. Life holds meaning; ponder these ideas and let them resonate within you. For those stuck in the now, don't dwell too much on the past but project into a different future reality.
Psychology and human development should shift focus from the past to the future. As a therapist, I've spent countless hours with clients, often focusing on uncovering past traumas as taught in school. While understanding one's history is important for recovery - as Judith Herman discusses in "Trauma and Recovery" - we also need to project ourselves into the future.
Therapies like EMDR can be beneficial in resolving past issues by working with subconscious mind. My experience confirms that it helps alleviate trauma memories. However, our approach lacks a forward-looking perspective.
We should visualize an ideal version of ourselves and let this image guide us towards our goals. This gives meaning to present events based on potential future outcomes; only when connected to the future do we find motivation for today's actions.
So, imagine your possible futures and let them pull you forward. There’s meaning in life derived from these projections if they resonate with you. For those stuck in the present moment, don't dwell too much on your past but create a desirable reality for yourself that differs from your current state.
