Monday, February 27, 2006

EXISTENTIAL VACUUM

I love Victor Frankl. His book, "Man's Search for Meaning," is one of the well-worn, many read volumes in my personal library. His "logo therapy" was developed as a result of his personal experience as a prisoner in a Nazi concentration camp. For a non-Christian, he came close to the Kingdom. Frankl recognized that every person has to find a purpose for their lives or they will experience what he called, "existential vacuum," a feeling of emptiness and meaninglessness. Symptoms of existential vacuum are depression, aggression and addiction. I chuckle at the phrase "existential vacuum." It sounds so sophisticated yet it is just saying in secular terms what Augustine said in theological terms, 'God has made us for Himself. Our souls cannot rest until they rest in Him.'

Grace & Peace;
Tom

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Steele, along with your other occupations, you could start a vacuum business called, "Existential Vacuum Cleaner Repair Service." I'm sure there is quite a need for it!

--Hawkeye Gold

Tom said...

Thanks for the idea, H.G. BTW, you must be suffering from existential vacuum. I see you pestering Paul over at Paul's Ponderings and now you are pestering me. Don't you have anything better to do? If you are depressed you can talk to me about it.