“It is not things in themselves that trouble us, but our opinions of things.” “Change your thoughts and you change your world." “I do not react to some absolute reality, but to my perception of this reality. It is this perception which for me is reality.”

Awareness is everything! Conscious experience is all that matters The past is only important if it affects your thoughts and feelings now Even if “reality” exists, it doesn’t matter Note how different from other approaches Trait Genetic Psychodynamic

Humanistic Psychology The study of the mind is different than any other science The mind is aware! The mind is attempting to understand the mind

Awareness Existentialism Phenomenological Humanistic The cs mind has a sense of “existence” Phenomenological The “phenomenon” of experience Humanistic This phenomenon is uniquely human

Phenomenological, Humanistic, and Existentialism Free will Awareness Meaning Responsibilities of free will The object of study are human beings

Free Will Previous approaches CS experience is personality The UCS mind does not matter The past does not matter Only times these do matter is if you let them Gordon Liddy example

Awareness What does it feel like to exist? Umwelt Mitwelt Eigenwelt Senses you feel as a biological organism Mitwelt Feelings related to social experiences Eigenwelt Feelings when you think of your own existence

What would you have been like if you. . . Were born to an extremely wealth family? Were born to an extremely poor family? Were born in North Dakota in 1952? Were born in England in 1500?

Thrown-ness The circumstances into which you happened to be born What time period do you think it is most difficult to find a sense of meaning?

Meaning Modern times Why are you here? What should you be doing? Angst Existential anxiety

What to do? “Lucky mud” Free choice – must not “blow” your chance to find “meaning” Not a “true” meaning, but a personal “meaning”

Authentic Existence Come to terms with your existence Life is shot You will die You are in control of your choices – find meaning Still not a “happy” existence Your will die Meaning is only an illusion

Bad Faith Avoid Angst Stop worrying about the problems of existence

Bad Faith Problems 1) Living a lie 2) Still will not be happy Might as well just be the “unlucky mud” 2) Still will not be happy 3) Still making a choice Chosen not to chose is a choice “Man is condemned to freedom”

Carl Rogers

Carl Rogers “. . . the most wonderful miracle in the world took place. .”

Subjective Experiences Inner reality more important than objective reality Inner experiences Conscious experiences Experiences that can be verbalized or imagined Unconscious experiences Experiences that cannot be verbalized or imagined

Self-Actualizing Tendency Innate motive toward fulfillment of our potentials Evidence Rat and human studies Evolution “Innate goodness”

So why do people do bad things? Infants perceive their experiences as reality

Uninhibited by the evaluations of others All behavior directed toward satisfying need for SA Organismic Valuing Process SA is the criterion used to make judgments of worth

Start to experience a need for positive regard As we get older. . . . Start to experience a need for positive regard Satisfying the needs for others satisfies this need

True self

Social self Created through contact with others True self

Social self Prevents us from getting into touch with our true self True self

Social self Leads to “conditions of worth” True self

So why do people do bad things? Social self hinders movement toward SA Not behaving like true self causes anxiety Anxiety causes defense mechanisms

So why do people do bad things? Psychotic

Positive Development Avoid conditions of worth Unconditional positive regard Congruence between true self and experiences

Fully Functioning Person Open to experience Characterized by existential living Trust their organisms Are creative Live rich lives