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Part III    Humanistic/Existential Theories364
Psychopathology
According toMay, apathy andemptiness—not anxiety andguilt—are themalaise 
ofmodern times. When people deny theirdestiny orabandon theirmyths, they
losetheirpurpose forbeing; theybecome directionless. Without some goalor
destination, people become sickandengage inavariety ofself-defeating andself-
destructive behaviors. 
Many people inmodern Western societies feelalienated from theworld 
(Umwelt ),from others (Mitwelt ),andespecially from themselves (Eigenwelt ).They 
feelhelpless toprevent natural disasters, toreverse industrialization, ortomake con-
tactwithanother human being. They feelinsignificant inaworld thatincreasingly 
dehumanizes theindividual. Thissense ofinsignificance leads toapathy andtoastate
ofdiminished consciousness (May, 1967).
Maysawpsychopathology aslackofcommunication—the inability toknow oth-
ersandtoshare oneself withthem. Psychologically disturbed individuals deny their
destiny andthuslosetheirfreedom. They erect avariety ofneurotic symptoms, not
toregain theirfreedom, buttorenounce it.Symptoms narrow theperson’s phenom -
enological world tothesizethatmakes coping easier. Thecompulsive person adopts 
arigidroutine, thereby making newchoices unnecessary.
Symptoms maybetemporary, aswhen stress produces aheadache, orthey
mayberelatively permanent, aswhen early childhood experiences produce apathy 
andemptiness. Philip’s psychopathology wastiedtohisearly environment withadis-
turbed mother andaschizophrenic sister. These experiences didnotcause hispathol -
ogyinthesense thattheyalone produced it.However, theydidsetupPhilip tolearn 
toadjust tohisworld bysuppressing hisanger, bydeveloping asense ofapathy, and
bytrying tobea“good littleboy.” Neurotic symptoms, therefore, donotrepresent a
failure ofadjustment, butrather aproper andnecessary adjustment bywhich one’s 
Dasein canbepreserved. Philip’s behavior toward histwowives andNicole repre -
sents adenial ofhisfreedom andaself-defeating attempt toescape from hisdestiny.
Psychotherapy
Unlike Freud, Adler, Rogers, andother clinically oriented personality theorists, May
didnotestablish aschool ofpsychotherapy withavidfollowers andidentifiable tech-
niques. Nevertheless, hewrote extensively onthesubject, rejecting theideathatpsy-
chotherapy should reduce anxiety andeasefeelings ofguilt. Instead, hesuggested that
psychotherapy should make people more human: thatis,helpthem expand theircon-
sciousness sothattheywillbeinabetter position tomake choices (M.H.Hall, 1967). 
These choices, then, leadtothesimultaneous growth offreedom andresponsibility.
Maybelieved thatthepurpose ofpsychotherapy istosetpeople free.Heargued 
thattherapists whoconcentrate onapatient’s symptoms aremissing themore impor -
tantpicture. Neurotic symptoms aresimply ways ofrunning away from freedom 
andanindication thatpatients’ inner possibilities arenotbeing used. When patients 
become more free,more human, theirneurotic symptoms usually disappear, their
neurotic anxiety gives waytonormal anxiety, andtheirneurotic guiltisreplaced by
normal guilt. Butthese gains aresecondary andnotthecentral purpose oftherapy. Final PDF to printer