Often, in my private practice, I see people showing up with their mental baggage, wanting to see change in their lives and find some kind of help that would attract them away from the pothole of their suffering. What is truly remarkable is that – after some introspection – usually people can have a logical understanding of what led them dwell in their dark cavern. However, I usually hear them saying that even though they know what they need to do, they lack the motivation and willingness to act. They describe a situation of feeling “empty inside” and having the sense of boredom, apathy, and unwillingness to do something. Noticing this phenomenon in many of my clients, I was curious to venture into understanding this issue further by exploring what could be behind this situation: a search and willingness for meaning; a reason to do what they – usually – know what is best for them.

The practical challenges of this “existential vacuum” (Frankl, 1966) are leading them to either withdraw from therapy altogether or getting stuck in a vicious circle of repeated patterns of behaviour. The dilemmas it poses on the therapist is an introspective questioning of their own therapeutic skills and the possibility of referring the clients elsewhere, something that can be resolved by delving in a good understanding of the condition of vacuum and boredom, concepts better understood by the various thinkers and methods of existential therapy briefly discussed in this essay (Barnett & Madison, 2012; Cooper, 2003).

Description of the Clinical Issue: Existential Vacuum and Boredom

Embarking in this journey, it would be meaningless not to take onboard the founder of logotherapy, Victor Frankl, along with his contributions on the existential vacuum, boredom, and apathy. As Frankl states it in his book, “logos”, is a Greek word which signifies meaning, and its focus is on the future, “that is to say, on the meanings to be fulfilled by the patient in his future” (Frankl, 1985, p.104).  This school of thought distorts all the vicious-circle formations and mechanisms that contribute to the development of meaninglessness and neuroses. In his theory, he describes the human struggle as not a pathological phenomenon, but rather “…a manifestation of intellectual sincerity and honesty…” which he named, the “existential vacuum” (Frankl, 1970). Experiencing this state, people could develop more serious and chronic existential neuroses, which could lead them towards self-destructive behaviours (Frankl, 1984).

As humans, we are designed to live with a purpose and take purposive action. When we do not find a purpose, extreme discomfort shows up, which according to Klinger (2013) we are then motivated to search for a renewed purpose and meaning. The challenge here is that the meaning is not to be created, but to be discovered (Frankl, 1986). As Yalom (2002) states, one of our main duties in this life is “to invent a meaning sturdy enough to support a life and to perform the tricky maneauver of denying our personal authorship of this meaning” (p.133). Thus, meaning is to be discovered and not to be manufactured.

When purposive action is absent, boredom makes its presence clear. Heidegger’s (1995) conceptualization of it is sparsed in three forms: Immediate Boredom (being in an unstimulating environment), Indirect Boredom (feeling of uninterest in joining something enjoyable in the environment), and Profound Boredom (a state of introspection and reflection in the form of questionning life’s purpose).

The way this last form of boredom relates to existential vacuum is one of the underlying challenges clients usually face. In this form, time feels stagnant. This altered time perception makes us acutely aware of the passing of time without any fulfilment or purpose, forcing us to confront the nature of our existance, which often operates under the illusion of constant productivity. This form of boredom also strips away the layers of meaning we usually assign to our activities by experiencing, what Heidegger calls “nothingness” in terms of a realization that the value we assign to things might be arbitrary. This realization might lead us to start questioning these values, leading to an existential drift or meaninglessness (Elpidorou & Freeman, 2019).

As Barnett (2012a, p.60) discusses it her chapter, a challenge here is that in a state of boredom, we find ourselves trapped in a state of suspension; we view the world and our surroundings with a sense of indifference, fatigue, and disinterest, lacking any enthusiasm for life. We dismiss all potential opportunities, feeling as though the world, and even existence itself, is devoid of meaning. This results in feelings of estrangement and a deep-seated dissatisfaction with ourselves, the world, and possibly even a higher power. This condition leaves us with a hollow sensation, yet simultaneously overwhelmed and disgusted with our situation and ourselves, feeling powerless to alter our circumstances.

Existential Contributions to Understanding the Clinical Issue            

In this section, there will be a brief synopsis of a handful of important existential thinkers, who can illuminate the path towards the discovery of meaning and existential vacuum.

Picking one of the many significant contributions of Frankl’s logotherapy and Existential Analysis, is his understanding of Freedom and Responsibility. He describes it as “freedom for” and “freedom from” (Frankl, 2011, p.59) in our capacity to distance ourselves from out drives, emotions, and temperament and choose to turn the “suggestions” of our “psychophysical dimension into actions”. He posits that, by being free, we choose to transcend ourselves by directing ourselves towards values and meaning. These, are classified in three types, namely, creative values (realized though actions and tasks), experiential values (realized when turned towards nature and something artistic), and attitudinal values (realized through the confrontation with an unchangable destiny that merits acceptance) (Frankl, 1986, p.43).

In line to what Nietszche attested (2022), to be in great health, we need to practice strength and resilience to endure existential challenges, turning advence experiences into opportunities for self-enhancement and the creation of new, life-affirming values (aphorism 382). Similarly, Rollo May (1975) focuses on creativity as a mode through which individuals can find or create meaning in their lives, thus filling the existential vacuum with self-created values. May, views boredom as a milder form of this vacuum, which can actually act as a stimulus for creativity, as it forces the individuals to confront their inner world and prompt them to explore new possibilities.

Schopenhauer’s view of life offers an important addition here. Boredom is placed as one parameter of the spectrum and pain on the other. Pain is a fundamental aspect of human life and it arises from unfulfilled desires and struggles embedded in the Will to Live (Schopenhauer, 1970). His philosophy is described as the inescapable dichotomy between pain and boredom as conditions of human existence, oscillating between these states. Desire is a cycle; when a person wants something, they experience pain until there is satisfaction. Once the desire is accomplished, satisfaction is only briefly present, following boredom, which leads to new desires, hence creating a vicious circle. Meaning, therefore, is derived from coping with this cycle by taking specific action and extracting motivation through the presence of boredom.

Vos (2018) eloquently mentions it in his book that any type of working with meaning is called meaning-centred practices (p.xvi). He posits that there are four basic aims of these practices briefly described next.

The primary aim is to aid individuals develop skills to live a life with meaning despite any physical, practical, social, emotional and existential challenges. The second aim is to cultivate a quality of life by elevating life satisfaction, hope, self-efficacy and social well-being with meaningful and supportive social networks. The third aim is as a mood enhancement, increasing wellness and decreasing psychological  and existential stress such as depressive and anxious symptomatology and existential anxiety about the vastness of life. The final aim Vos describes, has a practical aspect by focusing on a salutogenic approach to physical and mental health. That is, by aiding people towards a meaningful life, their quality of life changes, their stress levels become manageable, and their physical health becomes better (p.xvii).

Application to Practice

In this section, there shall be a brief description on specific methods and techniques on tackling the existential void. Emphasis will be given on specific methods and briefly discussed. The following methods rely on Frankl’s (1985) anthropological units of  Self-Detachment (SD) (the ability of the noetic person to detach from their psychological and biological components and enter the dimension of the noetic), Self-Transcendence (ST) (as the ability to be driven beyond the finite and to choose to be dedicated in something beyond themselves), and Längle’s Self- Acceptance (SA) (as a condition of openness towards oneself and the acceptance of the outer reality and inner world)  (Längle & Klaassen, 2019, p. 344) as the basic conditions for existential being.

In Logotherapy, three main methods exist: Paradoxical Intention and Dereflection, complemented by the Modification of Attitudes (Längle & Klaassen, 2019, p.345). Paradoxical intention involves encouraging the client to engage in or exaggerate the behaviour or thought that they fear. This method aids in reducing the anxiety associated with the fear by breaking the cycle of avoidance and anticipation. For example, a person with severe fear of public speaking might be encouraged to purposefully try to make themselves anxious before giving a speech. Doing so, the pressure to avoid anxiety is reduced, leading to a decrease in anxiety levels altogether (Frankl, 1975).

Dereflection, involves redirecting the individual’s focus away from their symptoms and towards more meaningful aspects of their life. It can be helpful for people who are overly self-focused or preoccupied with their issues. For instance, if a person has obsessive thoughts about their health, this approach encourages them to shift their attention to activities and interests they find fulfilling, reducing therefore, their preoccupation with their health and improving their well-being (Frankl, 1975).

Modification of Attitudes is a technique that involves changing the client’s attitudes towards their symptoms and circumstances by modifying their perspectives. This way, clients learn new ways to handle their problems. For example, in cases where clients face seemingly insurmountable problems, therapists use Socratic dialogue to help clients explore past responses to similar problems, discover meaningful attitude changes, and apply these insights to their current situation (Schulenberg, Hutzell, Nassif, & Rogina, 2008). Socratic dialogue then, leads towards a modification of the client’s stance by reorganizing in a meaningful way their values, thought processes and motivations.

Additional methods

There three more methods as interventions worth noting.  The Personal Position Finding, the Will-Strengthening Method, and the Personal Existential Analysis (PEA), each briefly described.

The Personal Position Finding, as a phenomenological method is aiming to aid clients to discover their personal attitude towards a situation by introducing a reflective practice of Self-Detachment (SD). It involves a three-fold process: (1) Evaluation of the realistic opportunity of a situation. (2) an inner positioning by comprehending one’s own resources, leading towards a distancing of oneself from their beliefs and towards a better understanding of themselves and (3) an intentional positioning towards a positive value which aids to what is helpful in the situation (Schulenberg, Hutzell, Nassif, & Rogina, 2008, p. 347).

The Will-Strengthening Method targets in stregthening determination, persistence, and competence to carry on with the task. This technique is exercised in cases were the client has the will to proceed with the task but is frustrated of their inability to follow through. The will is then stregthened by creating a dialogue with the inner voice, thereby contributing to self-transcendence (SD). Five steps are required for this technique: (1) a foundational discurcive way regarding the presenting issue (e.g. a wish to give up alcohol); (2) develop an understanding of the pros and cons of the situation (e.g. opposing or contradictory aims); (3) outlining how these moves align with the client’s values; (4) discussion of the subjective meaning of the client; and (5) a merging between decisiveness, formulation, and actualization of the proposed aims (Längle & Klaassen, 2019, p. 348).

The Personal Existential Analysis (PEA). PEA lies in the base of the existential process and constitutes the model of personal being as a process-oriented situation between the self and the world. The analysis takes place by a dialogical exchange with the world based on three processes: having an impression, developing a position, and acquiring an expression. Impressions could be affected by external stimuli, which lead the individual restructure their inner processes to understand the content and develop a stand/position against that information and to finally prepare their response to the world by choosing how and what to express (Längle & Klaassen, 2019, p. 350). This method incorporates all three principles of logotherapy and the existential approach, namely, Self-detachment (SD), Self-Transcencence (ST), and Self-Acceptance (SA).

Conclusion

This brief assignment attempted to touch on a recurrent theme emerging in therapeutic practice: the existential vacuum and boredom (Frankl, 1966). As humans, we strive to have meaning in our lives if we are to live a rich and a value-driven life. Here, Heidegger’s (1995) profound boredom is an invitation for introspection. Since we are free to choose our own attitude, we hence strive to discover the inherent meaning rather than devise it. Meaning-centered practices and existential therapy aim to upskill us to fill that existential void and transcend ourselves.

References

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