Rollo May

When we study about Rollo May we reflect on a person who showed an understanding to humanity that many of the philosophers and psychoanalysts of his time did not. He showed his research through his clinical studies and did not think of humanity as a science to be studied like many others. He saw humanity as a people living in the world of present experiences that should ultimately develop a responsibility for who they become. Furthermore, he believed that a majority of people try to escape their destiny and give up on their pursuit of freedom which ends up with only those who are in a healthy position being able to take on their full destiny’s calling (Feist, 2013, p.318). So, when we look at Mays concepts of care, love and will we see his

Sound like something made up that has no value in our lives, but according to May this is incorrect. Myths are the stories that unify society “they are essential to the process of keeping our souls alive and bringing us new meaning in a difficult and often meaningless world” (May, 1991, p. 20). He believes that human beings often communicate with each other on two levels. First level being rationalistic language and second level through myths. Rationalistic language is used when people want to communicate the truth and myth is used when total human experience is much more important empirical evidence. For example, Feist uses the example of the Oedipus story that is buried knee deep in myth. What is so alive with the Oedipus story is that reader feel connected with it while reading. Also, the story relates examples of activities that occur throughout the story such as the life of Oedipus, his suppression of guilt, birth, exile, separation, identity, incest, meditation, and death that we as human beings are able to visualize and expand on which causes us to grow internally, expand our awareness, and increase our ability to be conscious (Feist, 2013, p.334). Additionally, it is a way for people to search for an identity which can have positive results on their abilities as a person. When we think of existentialism we might think of the famous philosophers Friedreich Nietzsche or Martin Heidegger and other twentieth century philosophers, artists and psychiatrists, but it is Rollo May who made a considerable impact in interpreting its meaning and application. To understand existentialism, we need to know that the bottom line that is common among all the thinkers regarding its definition is that existence takes precedence over essence. Meaning, it means to emerge or to become which suggests process and growth. Whereas, essence refers to a product meaning something that is considered stagnation and inaction. Furthermore, there are two basic concepts of