S p i r i t ua l i t y S t u d i e s 6 - 1 S p r i n g 2 0 2 0 2 5 Martin Brestovanský 1 Introduction The problem of the meaning of life is of particular interest to philosophy and theology, but “the experience of meaning”, “the fulfillment of existence”, “the subjectively perceived meaningfulness of existence” are concepts that psychology is dealing with. There is a long tradition in psychology of exploring the meaning of human existence (Jung 1933; Adler 1958; Frankl 1982). Meaning in life appears to be a strong predictor of good subjective health and psychological wellbeing in adolescence (Brassai et al . 2010), as well as it has been linked with prosocial behavior (Van Torgeren et al . 2015; Brestovanskýet al . 2016; Sádovská and Kusý 2018), life satisfaction and self-esteem (Halama and Dědová 2007), and is considered to be a part of eudaimonic well-being (Water - man et al . 2010). In general, it is an important positive factor in human functioning (Wong 2012; Reker and Chamberlain 2000). Meaning in life is a multidimensional construct containing three interconnected components: cognitive , motivational and affective . It can be understood as cognizance of order, coherence and purpose in one’s existence, the pursuit and attainment of worthwhile goals, and an accompanying sense of fulfilment (Reker and Wong 1988). This concept is based on previous work of Viktor Emil Frankl (1982) in which he has introduced his theory. The logo-theory transcends sociological, biological and psychological reductionisms that saturate reactive arguments in explaining human experience and behavior. According to Frankl, human existence is principally characterized by three factors: spirituality, freedom and responsibility. In his dimensional ontology, he places a specifically human noeticdimension (Gr. nous , “spirit”) above the physical (body) andmental (soul) dimensions. The noetic dimension is characterized by specifically human functioning, being and becoming, as well as it’s a source of motivation and subjective-personal dynamics of existence. About the author Mgr. Martin Brestovanský, PhD. , currently works for the Trnava University at the Department of Educational Studies. He focuses primarily on the theory and methodology of moral and character education, experiential education methods, and professional teacher development. He led, coordinated and cooperated in various projects aiming at academic and praxis purposes. He is a founding member and vice-chairman of The Proactive Schools Forum, an international non-governmental organization dealing with improving self-managing and self-transforming capabilities of the schools. His electronic contact is martin.brestovansky@truni.sk.
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